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 Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:13 am
 Something was different that morning. Mirsajadi could feel it even before he woke up properly. It was a relief to recognize that the difference was not the onset of one of his stupid seizures, but rather something else entirely. That was interesting, and definitely worth waking up to investigate more thoroughly. Taking into account the fact that Mirsajadi was not really a morning lion, it was something of an aberration for him to find anything worth waking up for.
His blood ruby eyes opened and he immediately shook his head in an effort to shift his mane out of his eyes. It had lately been growing thicker and faster, and mostly he felt he looked very silly and unkempt with it in its current state. He wished it would just hurry up and finish the job. For that matter, if his whole body could hurry up and finish the job, it would be excellent. Being small and very slow to develop physically had allowed him a great deal of room for mental growth, but Mirsajadi was tired of growing mentally. He wanted to be bigger.
The feeling that something was a little bit off remained with him as he stood up and picked his way around and over siblings to leave his father's den and make his way to the pride's watering hole. It was early enough in the morning that the only people likely to be there would be banu getting ready to leave on the hunt, and they wouldn't bother him. It would be a good time and place to contemplate this new development, whatever it was.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 4:49 pm
 The air was cold, pale, and bright, as it was every morning. Life was still, motionless, and calm, though the beginnings of the day could be observed in the most minute areas: the hidden scampering of a small rodent, the female bird calling to her mate. The only present figure taking in the frigid morning air during this tranquil landscape was the dark brown and striped young adult; his mornings were always the same, but today there seemed to be a more subtle change... in himself. He was blossoming well on his way to become a pad, but in addition, his mane was also contributing to his growth.
He felt warmer that early morning, but not warm enough to change his disposition to anyone, even temporarily. This was an unfortunate fact for the intruder that was soon due to interrupt this morning serenity.
With his own ruby eyes watching every movement in his surroundings, the dark brown lion snorted when he saw his eldest brother's reflection looming through the water, even waving at him by the littlest of waves.
"Late as usual, Mirsajadi," he voiced morosely, not bothering to lift a head or paw at his brother's arrival; he didn't even bother casting a glance, and simply stared ahead at the large pool before him.
"Hasn't our father ever told you that the early pad gets the banu that the late pad yearns for?" he posed, the beginnings of a smirk starting on his face.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:39 pm
Mirsajadi's eyes narrowed for a moment when he heard his younger brother's voice. Deeper than Mirsajadi's, just like his body was more fully developed than Mirsajadi's was. The slighter lion might have been feeling the beginnings of an actual growth spurt, but his brother's unexpected - and maybe a little unwelcome - presence had put the tenuous awareness from his mind completely.
"Good morning, Raja," he said with equanimity.
It was really much too early to get into it with his sibling. Not that Raja had gotten that message, apparently, having started right in on their usual oh-so-fun banter. Mirsajadi was not awake enough for this. Not at all. And now he felt vaguely disgruntled because he couldn't remember what had woken him up in the first place. It hadn't been one of his fits...
"And which banu are you yearning for, that you're here so early?" he replied, hoping to put his brother sufficiently off-balance that he would get a few more moments to recover his wits.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:42 pm
"Mmm..." Akram'raja replied nonchalantly, his attention never really quite on Mirsajadi's introduction in the scene to consider his retort, "Just a figure of speech, Mirsajadi, let us not have this morning start with such animosity between brothers, for once."
His eyes fluttered open, having had them half-lidded at first in vague meditation, and Akram'raja then proceeded to raise himself off the ground to stand on all fours. He mockingly dipped his head before Mirsajadi, his tail swaying from the amusement he derived from this action.
It would have been too easy. Although it seemed as if it was overnight that Mirsajadi had more of his mane grow in, it turned out that Akram'raja had grown a little more advanced. Despite being born after Mirsajadi, Akram'raja had covered more ground in peaking in his adolescence. He could just see the imminent future, when he would have to leave the pride with Mirsajadi and his other two brothers to find banu. Mirsajadi's appearance in contrast to his own, however, left him feeling rather overconfident, and he was sure that Mirsajadi would be the last to come home even though he was the eldest.
"Dear Brother and Pad Mirsajadi, I beseech you to join me at this lovely lake to enjoy the morning's embrace. It will not be every day that I get to see you in all your rambunctious, youthful glory," he said quite formally, bowing his head again before returning to his original laying position.
He then looked back towards the lake, closing his eyes again to emit a relaxed sigh. Despite what was to come from Mirsajadi's mouth, Akram'raja would not let any words interrupt this brief moment of leisure.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:43 pm
"I don't believe I've ever heard it," Mirsajadi replied a little testily. His next response was rusty and he was not proud of it. His mind was usually much sharper than this. "Perhaps Father didn't feel I was delinquent often enough to warrant a reminder on the importance of timeliness. You know how it is. Offer no advice where none is needed, and do not fix what isn't broken."
He rolled his shoulders and wondered if there was some higher power he had managed to offend. He was born with a mental defect that made gave him seizures and hallucinations - thank anything he'd managed to hide that from everyone, up to and including his own family - and he was growing more like a rock than any kind of plant. Meanwhile the rest of his family seemed to be edging in on enormous. At least compared to him.
A different sort of lion would have taken advantage of his youthful appearance to make himself popular with banu who would feel safer around him because of his deceptively young appearance. But to think Mirsajadi would do something that was not to understand the striped pesar. He was not interested in being beloved by the pride's banu. Most of them were so far below his interest that they didn't even register on his radar after an initial appraisal.
"Very well. Let's pretend that we are loving brothers who are equals in all things. That I am not possessed of the body of a child and you are not possessed of the mind of a child. Such a pleasant fiction that will be."
Mirsajadi moved in a gait that could only be described as a slink to his brother's side, where he then folded himself into a sphinx-like crouch at least a meter from where Raja lay. There would be no incidental touching if Mirsajadi had anything to do with it. He didn't like to be touched. Once he was settled Mirsajadi turned his face toward the lake, too, thinking that this was not an auspicious beginning to the day.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:57 am
What ire he brings me, Akram'raja thought to himself, eyes still closed in silent composure. He'll always have something to say back, even if it's as idiotic as his small tuft of chest hair.
Only at the closeness of his brother's arrival to his side did Akram'raja raise his eyelids, turning his head with to look at Mirsajadi in vague disdain. The only reason Mirsajadi would have gotten this close would have been to irritate him further. It was a good, calculated pathway, and Mirsajadi would have won if Akram'raja hadn't made a note to make the best out of this morning despite the other's presence.
"Or maybe our vizier father knows a lost cause when he sees one."
He couldn't help himself.
"But please do tell me, Mirsajadi, now that you have taken so kindly to my side... Do you not see the qualities I possess that can draw every free banu in this pride to me, and not you? I can offer my dear eldest brother some lessons on my spare time, if you wish. But oh, I worry it will be a limited time offer, for I will have my paws full with banu in just a few moons' time, and you... Well, I can offer my best wishes for your return to the pride after our departure. After all, without you, I would have one less idolizer."
He was being immature, and half of him knew that. But the other half thoroughly believed every word that came out of his mouth, his prominence over his eldest brother's, and was satisfied of the way he saw it. Half of his reasoning came from the fact that Mirsajadi had yet to prove that he inherited the same abilities and he knew Sioned and he possessed. It helped that Mirsajadi was seemingly becoming the runt of the litter. Perhaps he was even as small as Sioned. Though it was inevitable that Mirsajadi was going to grow, Akram'raja was going to make the best use of this time. Oh, how he'd just revel in the glory of creating an insecurity in his loathsome brother!
"Offer aside, I do hope you will be ready to go out with the rest of us, and grow a mane so your future kajira won't think you are a mere toddler hoping for a foster mother. I wouldn't want one less competition to beat back home."
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:58 am
So much for silent contemplation of the sun rising over the water. Mirsajadi wasn't appreciably fond of scenery and panoramic views, but there were times, like in the morning, when he preferred them to the back-and-forth bickering he got to "enjoy" whenever he and Raja were together. If he and Raja had actually been able to simply sit in silence and take in the sunrise, he would have been unspeakably surprised.
But such was clearly not meant to be Mirsajadi decided as he kept his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. He didn't need to look at his brother to know what sort of an expression he wore when looking at him. That being the case, he preferred not to look. It was much easier to keep from saying unkind things if he didn't have to see the scorn and derision on his brother's face.
"Your offer is appreciated, as are your well-wishes for my future," Mirsajadi said without turning to look at Raja. "However, I'm not concerned about my prospects. The banu I return with will be exemplary and they will suit me well. I expect they will also impress our father."
In truth, he was a little bit concerned about his chances when he went out to find banu. He knew he was youthful looking, and unless something changed the lionesses out there would see him as a child. However, he was also confident in his own mental prowess, and had learned at an early age to place greater importance on that than on his physical form. He would manage more than adequately.
"And I will leave with the rest, as you know." Mirsajadi had found a place inside his head where he could send himself and thus allow his brother's jibes to wash over him. He refused to rise to the bait and defend his diminutive size. He was small, and that was that.
"Were I you, I would be more worried about the quality of banu you'll gather. Like attracts like, after all, and in your case you're starting with inferior stock. Maybe I'll let you tag along with me for a while when we're out there, just so you can get close to some decent banu."
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:12 pm
"And what kind of banu do you hope will impress our father?" Akram'raja asked, smiling at the seemingly unperturbed form of his brother.
This was just like Mirsajadi. Unable to bear the truth of the matter, he always preferred ignoring Akram'raja in lieu of learning from his errors. He shook his head, disappointed in Mirsajadi; perhaps it was a disappointment that even surpassed his concerns for Rayhan and Omaran.
The point did come across his mind briefly, that he had given Mirsajadi enough trouble, and that he shouldn't step on a bird whose wings were already broken. He would never want to provoke Mirsajadi too much so as to break the spirit of his brother. Without the fighting spirit from his other brothers, Akram'raja wouldn't push himself harder for lack of competition.
"If you are this expert on banu, I will gladly hear this idea of what an impressive banu is to you. We've never spoken to each other on this subject, have we?" he started, "And I find myself curious now for your answer. What kind of banu would you happily take home with you? Any of Pad Kwea's? Pad Nywele's? Maybe Vizier Faiz's? Perhaps I can invoke a vision of your future banu now here for you."
His last statement was meant as a jest, though part of Akram'raja truly did want to attempt to persuade his mind to tell him about Mirsajadi's future. It was one of the rare, few moments in which Akram'raja "cared" about Mirsajadi's welfare.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:08 pm
Mirsajadi wondered sometimes what his brother thought when he refused to snipe back at him. Did he mistake it for some sort of submission, or an inability to come up with a suitably snarky reply, or did he correctly identify it as simply a lack of interest in going through their usual ritual of repartee? It didn't make a difference, Mirsajadi supposed, but he liked to know when he was being underestimated. Being underestimated wasn't so bad, after all, as long as it was truly a case of underestimation and not of simply being an underachiever.
"To impress Father a banu would have to be exceptional. Her breeding and bearing must be impeccable, and while she must be pleasing to look at, it's more important that she be able to think and anticipate her pad's needs before he is even aware of them. She should be a delight in private and polite in public." That would be his ideal banu, actually.
"And, I think, Father would not take a banu who did not also challenge him, because turning such a female into one like I have just described would demonstrate something, an ability and understanding in the pad which makes him worthy of note and sets him above and apart. A banu should, after all, add to her pad's position and prestige."
Mirsajadi hadn't meant to utter such a mouthful, but until he was prompted he had never attempted to put into words either his own desires when it came to banu or what, exactly, he thought would please his father. Having articulated it, Mirsajadi was fairly confident he could actually find a banu to fit the bill. Maybe even several.
"Vizier Faiz's daughters might be of acceptable breeding," Mirsajadi allowed. For the first time he considered his friend Arezoo in this light. She met a number of the qualifications he'd listed. That was...a little unexpected.
"And Pad Nywele's daughters aren't unacceptable. Of course Sultan Aali's daughters would probably be appropriate, too. But lions in our family must be so careful in our choices, there aren't too many other options available to us."
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:34 am
"Mmm... the standard," Akram'raja mumbled to his brother's first words - though this time, it was not in sarcasm or insult, but rather contemplative.
It was a common trait he could not deny sharing with his other brothers. They all wanted to impress their vizier of a father, who had shown stable power and authority within the Ukuucha'Wafalme and with all his banu. He believed Tariq'ra'd's importance rose over Vizier Faiz's, too, in relation to the sultan and reputation throughout the pride. This was the status he so hoped to one day inherit through his own workings.
As for Mirsajadi's second description, Akram'raja had mixed feelings. Challenging a male was of course not tolerated within the pride law save for private circumstances in which pads with softened hearts would perhaps let their banu get away with something once in a while - or even worse, all the time. The prospect of turning a wily female into a proper banu was, however, something Akram'raja would have to explore. He hadn't come across many females in the pride that challenged him, and so he basked in the glory he received from the females who were already well learned. It was... simply a reality he had to experience, especially if his father condoned it.
"I see, Mirsajadi," he replied, perhaps for once acting congenial as a result of being distracted with thought, "I've always really wondered about father's taste. O'tep, who... spars with him as if she was an equal, and Ukoo, who lately hasn't been looking well enough to properly respect him... I wonder if they truly do give him prestige. Perhaps he is still working on them..."
He trailed off, discovering a new vein of thought that baffled him about his father. While his father's banu were ever present in their den, Akram'raja never took the time to really consider why Tariq'ra'd would accept them.
"That last thing is the one thing I can agree with you on, Mirsajadi," he said to his brother's last words while stepping up, "And it is good that there are both of us to bring new blood in, hmm? I would just hope that you don't bring a mangy one with disease into the pride. It would destroy even me. And as for Vizier Faiz's daughters..."
Though Akram'raja was unaware of whatever familiarity Mirsajadi had with any of Faiz's banu, he felt it necessary to make a point, "It's Vizier Faiz. Who knows how father would feel if one of Faiz's came into his line."
With that, he padded up to the water's edge and began drinking with his back to Mirsajadi, quenching his morning thirst.
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:57 pm
Mirsajadi thought about it. He supposed Raja's comment, which he interpreted as dismissive, was probably correct. It was a fairly standard description of the ideal banu, but there was a reason the ideal banu was ideal. She was the banu anyone would wish to have, which meant that her qualifications would have to be at least somewhat standardized. There was obviously room for personal preference, and that was, he supposed, why there were so rarely fights between pads over banu. He could not remember such a fight happening in his lifetime anyway.
"I actually think Father just picks banu who appeal to him when he meets them, for whatever reason, and then brings them home without giving half a damn about whether they're suited to the pride or the harem or anything. He knows he can make them suitable if he chooses to."
Though his brother's assessment of the banu in their father's harem was apt, undeniably. Mostly Mirsajadi didn't give much thought to how happy or unhappy banu might be, but now that the thought had occurred to him, he knew immediately that he didn't actually want to bring back a banu who would fight him every step of the way and then go out of her way to make his life a living hell while she was in his harem. There were limits to how much he was willing to allow a banu to challenge his authority.
Actually, he didn't like when people challenged his authority at all, be they banu, pesar, or pad. He just dealt with it better from pads and other pesars. From a banu he expected to be the authoritative one in the relationship or interaction, and even if he was mistaken in some particular, he didn't expect to be challenged on it. Perhaps it might be pointed out subtly, in a politely phrased question. But never in public and only rarely. Fortunately, Mirsajadi made few mistakes.
"You really think I would?" Mirsajadi retorted just before his brother made his pronouncement about Vizier Faiz. That was definitely something to consider.
He watched his brother walk away without saying anything more. If he kept his mouth shut, this might almost be one of the most pleasant interactions he'd had with his brother since they were both young cubs. A record, of sorts.
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