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 Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:17 pm
 Laertes entered the den with heavy steps and exchanged a few meaningful words with Daizee before turning to the side and calling out in his typical deep voice.
“Schatz Vormund.” The use of Vor’s full name was an obvious sign that this was A-Very-Serious-Matter. “Follow me.”
Because he had never been confronted with anything remotely close to this situation, the guard wasn’t sure how to react. But he had postponed this conversion for far too long and he needed to have a word with Vor before things got – even more - complicated. His son’s abilities were never a secret to begin with but they were becoming increasingly known throughout the Suka’Fumo nobility. If they weren’t careful, soon there would be a play about him – and honestly the idea amused Laertes just as much as it frightened him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 8:30 am
 Vor looked up at the sound of his father's voice, his dark eyes widening so that he could take in every last bit of light in the den. His father's impressive figure filled the entrance very well and blocked a good deal of the ambient light, so he couldn't really see much more than Laertes' silhouette.
It made him grin to see his father, of whom Vor was so proud, but the grin didn't last very long. He couldn't imagine what he had done to make his father use his full name and summon him away from the den. He had followed all the rules his mother established for going around the pride and he even did his best to follow the more arbitrary rules his mother assured him made a difference to other nobles, though those were more difficult since he couldn't see the point in many of them.
"All right," he said, trying not to pay any attention to the muted noises his siblings made as they exclaimed over his summons. He was not in trouble he told himself, though he wasn't going to dignify their responses by saying so to them. It would only add to their mirth.
He moved past his father, out of the cave, and waited there, glancing at his mother for some clue as to what this was about. She offered him an encouraging smile that reassured him. Surely she wouldn't smile if he was about to get his hide tanned, would she?
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 4:00 pm
The eyes of the purple lion softened when they met the dark ones of his son – Daizee’s eyes - and he almost smiled when he heard the others whispering behind Vor. Soon, he would have to have a similar conversation with them but Vor’s… gift forced him to anticipate today’s fatherly lecture. It was urgent that he understood exactly what it meant to be going around telling every one of his visions.
“We need to talk, son.” He started walking expecting his son to follow but cub steps can only go so fast without running and he grew impatient which was not helping his worries any better. Finally he decided to grab the cub by the scruff very gently and quickly carry the boy to an area Vor was probably not familiar with just yet. All around him, lions and lionesses with small amounts of purple went about their daily lives. Some were Nobles but most were either Nurses or Guards like himself and he found himself greeting a passerby every couple of steps. Laertes looked for a place where they have a good view without being disturbed and then sat down and placed his son between his front paws very gently. He was a little anxious but he tried not to let Vor see it. “Remember that guard you went to talk to a few days ago? He said your vision came true and he wanted to thank you. He’s not hurt.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 4:41 pm
Vor trotted alongside his father, unthinkingly taking several quick steps to each of his father's regular ones. It was something he was accustomed to having to do if he wanted to keep up with an adult. Someday his legs would be longer and he wouldn't have to work so hard, but in the meantime he had energy to spare.
"All right," Vor chirped. His voice was high and childish, offering no indication of what he would sound like as an adult.
He squeaked when his father decided he wasn't likely to keep pace well enough on his own and picked him up to carry him. Instinctively he struggled against being carried in such a childish and undignified manner, having already picked up that it was better to move under one's own locomotive power even if it took longer and tired a person out.
Once he was finally on his own feet Vor went through an exaggeratedly elaborate self-grooming ritual to demonstrate that his fur had been mussed and he didn't appreciate it. A cub had to have dignity after all. Particularly a noble cub like himself. Vor still had a very limited idea of what nobility meant other than that he was held to higher standards than others in the pride and had to constantly look good.
"I remember," he said. "You're not going to yell at me, are you? You said he wasn't hurt."
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 7:55 pm
Again, Laertes had to force himself from smiling when Vor began his extensive grooming, stoically resisting the urge to ruffle that pretty little mane of his.
“No, I’m not going to yell.” Perhaps he looked a little too serious. “I think you made the right choice. At least, I would’ve done the same. But there were other guards there and they overheard him. Some have asked – as a joke or not – that you keep an eye on their backs as well. I told them that's not how it works but...”
Laertes sighed, slowly lowering his body to a sphinx position, looking far ahead with a concerned expression.
“Your fame is growing, Vor. It’s not always a good thing, it can also be dangerous in this pride. And your mother and I won’t be always around to protect you.” He looked at his dark-eyed son. “You’re very clever and I trust your judgment. So even though it would be easier for me to forbid you from talking about your gift and keep you safe at all costs, I will leave that choice to you.” Was it fair, though, placing such a great amount of responsibility in one so young? “What I will do then is prepare you as best as I can for what is coming. For the consequences that might follow your actions. So we need to talk about the pride and your place in it.”
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:13 am
His father's assurances that he wasn't going to be yelled at did much to put Vor at ease. He didn't like being in trouble, even though it had only happened a few times so far in his life. Vor understood instinctively that there was enough about him to worry his parents. He didn't go out of his way to give them further cause for concern. When it happened, it was always accidentally, and he tried very hard in the future not to do such a thing again.
"I'm not famous," he said.
He couldn't help feeling just a little bit excited that the other guards thought he had the sort of gift that would let him watch over people at will. He wished he did! Then he would always be able to tell his mother that things would be fine when he or a sibling went out to play, and he'd always know that his father would be safe. And, of course, if anyone else wanted him to peek into their futures, he'd be happy to do that, too. But something told him his father didn't really want him doing that.
"And I don't think I really need to be protected. I mean, not because of what I see. Who would want to hurt me because of something I can't help?"
He was so glad his father wasn't going to try to tell him not to tell anyone about what he saw. He didn't think he could do that anyway. He wanted too much to be helpful, even if it meant people would be unhappy about what he told them. It wasn't as if he offered advice or opinions. He just told people what he saw. There couldn't be anything wrong with that. He was, perhaps, a bit more naive than a person could hope, but his life had been safe and relatively sheltered, so he had no cause to believe otherwise.
"All right. What about the pride and my place in it?" he asked.
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:44 am
“No, not yet. But you will be.” Oh, he definitely would be. Unless Vor’s gift calmed down a bit – and Laertes didn’t think it would – there was a good chance his name would become known throughout the pride sooner than he hoped. “Ah, yes. That’s a good question.” It was a question that made him angry if he wasn’t too careful so the Guard had to constantly remind himself to keep his tone even and remain calm.
“Look around you, Vor. You will see that most lions here don’t have that much purple on them. Only Nurses and Guards live here for the most part. A few Elders do as well. If we go a little higher up the mountain we will find more Nobles and closer to the King’s den you will see that only those with very purple coats can live there.” He looked up as he spoke but his blue eyes quickly returned to his son. He didn’t think Vor worried about the lack of purple in his coat but you could never be sure of what went on a cub’s – or another lion’s – head. “In our class, purple is everything. It gives one automatic respect whether it’s deserved or not and brings judgment and pressure into our lives. This is a great place, unique in many ways but not without its faults… let’s keep that bit between ourselves though.”
“What I mean to say is that your brothers and your sister will be pressured into becoming Nobles even though I have feeling Montague might go a different way. You, having less purple and being the son of a Guard, might be pressured into following my choice instead. But in theory, no one would expect you to rise too high. In theory. But that’s where your gift comes in.” He paused as if waiting for something. Maybe to see if Vor could figure out where he was heading on his own, maybe just to see what he thought of what he’d said so far.
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:54 am
Vor knew his father probably wouldn't approve, nor would his mother, but he couldn't help but like the idea of being famous some day. That was almost as good as being really high nobility, wasn't it? Well, no, but it could be good for the whole family if he was famous for something good. He just needed to make sure he was always accurate. It would be bad if he got a reputation for being wrong. Maybe that was what his family meant about being careful.
"Well, I don't have a lot of purple either," Vor pointed out. Out of all his siblings, he was probably the least purple. It didn't bother him. He was still nobility, and still high enough that he could decide to live a noble's life if he chose to do so. He wasn't sure if that was what he wanted to do yet, but it was at least an option.
"And I do know how to keep a secret," he said, a little miffed that his father might suspect otherwise for even a minute. He had never heard of someone getting in trouble for saying that there was something maybe a little wrong with the pride's obsession with the color purple, but he'd never heard anyone else say that either. So maybe it was one of those off-limits subjects. There seemed to be a lot of those. It was all very tiring.
"I don't know what I want to do yet," Vor said truthfully. He'd known for all his short life that he had the possibility of being a guard or a noble if he so chose, but unlike his brother Monty he didn't know for certain which he would rather be. "I just want to help people. And I can do that no matter what, can't I?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:28 pm
Laertes grinned at his son, feeling somewhat proud that he appeared to be so grounded. He pulled him closer to his body with one massive paw and nuzzled gently him on the head, slowly breathing in his scent. He wanted to believe Vor could keep a secret but he wasn’t sure he could hide anything related to his visions. And perhaps he should sometimes.
“You are a young lion of noble birth. There are Nobles with less purple than you in important positions. You can become a Guard or a Nurse if you wish to serve the pride in a different way. All options are open to you so you can do anything you choose. I hope you know that your mother and I will always respect and support your decisions. In all matters.” He thought about his own words for a moment and realized Vor’s options were even larger than the ones he’d mentioned. The cub had more, many more possibilities ahead of him. “While I hope you’ll stay close to us in Elsinore, we would even accept if you decided to join the middle class. Even… if you wished to leave the pride… it would break your mother’s heart, I’m sure. But we would accept it.” The Groundlings Laertes did not mention even though he considered the potential choice in his head. It was not a lifestyle he respected and he truly hoped none of his cubs would ever go down that path. “It’s not a choice you’ll have to make for a while so don’t let it trouble you.”
“I’m not speaking of this because we are concerned about how purple you are. Your mother and I care little for such things and we will never think of you as any less than your siblings. But this is a special pride. Things become known all too quickly. Rumors and gossip spread like wildfire. And if you ever tell a Player about one of your visions… well, you’ll become known throughout the pride overnight.” This was the Suka’Fumo, after all. A nest of chronic gossipers and judgmental idiots who had little to do besides chatting about one another.
“There’s nothing wrong with being famous. But your gift can be a great asset to the pride and I wouldn’t be surprised if you earned a position of great importance one day… a position of great power. But in the upper class there are many power hungry lions. There are many that live with the sole purpose of rising in position, of gaining more power, of having more influence. If your visions become known to the King – and I believe eventually they will – it’s possible he might ask you to become one of his advisers. Or that you live closer to his den. For those with very purple coats or old noble blood who live up there… well, they might resent your achievements. It’s quite possible that you’ll meet many jealous lions who will try to undermine you in any way they can. For those who have spent years cultivating their own importance, you might be seen as an intruder. Those are the ones you’ll have to watch out for.” And those were the ones that truly worried Laertes. Some would surely try to cast doubt upon Vor’s words but the Guard feared that some might take their opposition a little too far. If anyone were to hurt his son… well, Laertes did not even want to consider it. He would surely kill anyone who messed with his babies.
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:45 pm
Vor sighed. His mane was getting mussed. Again. Mom would want to fix it when they got back, and it wouldn't even be his fault. Not that it would make any difference to her who had gotten it messed up. But it wasn't fair!
"Dad you're being weird," he grumbled, squirming to get free. Mane mussing he could live with, but smelling? Who did that? Parents were so weird. "And you're mussing my mane."
He huffed again and tried his best to fix his mane with spit and one paw. "I'm not going to leave the pride. Why would I? Even if everyone knew about what I see, that's not going to change anything."
He was really not interested in politics or anything of the sort, and would remain disinterested for his whole life. Vor just wanted what was best for his family and his pride, and he couldn't imagine why anyone would want to make his life difficult, since surely everyone in the pride wanted the same thing. Still, he guessed he could maybe see what his dad was getting at.
"Maybe I'll see what they're planning before they get a chance to do anything," he joked. "Then I can explain that I really just want to be helpful."
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:19 pm
Laertes did his best not to laugh at his son’s reactions. He got the impression all his cubs were growing a little too quickly and he wished he could hold them in his paws just a little while longer. Pretty soon they’d be telling him to mind his own business, ah!
“Yes, it’s also possible that your visions might show you someone’s secrets, Vor. And in this class, keeping one’s secrets well hidden is key. You should thread very carefully when talking to the Nobles that you see in your visions. You might make some enemies, Vor.” Laertes sighed. So much to consider. So much worry about. Hopefully, Vor wouldn’t become too troubled about these matters... though Laertes would like to believe he would be at least aware of the potential consequences of his visions. As the father of an extraordinary child, Laertes could do little more than make sure he warned his son about all the dangers he would have to face in his life and, in the Suka’Fumo, there were many dangers hiding behind a pleasant and polite face. “Some will welcome your visions and try to befriend you. Others will resent you and believe you’ll try to blackmail them with the knowledge you acquire from your gift. Everyone will react differently. Some might even fear you simply because they don't understand where your visions come from.”
He sighed, wondering if perhaps any of the nurses had heard about Vor’s condition. It was not a disease, he knew that. But maybe someone in the pride would know more about it and the nurses and scholars were his best bet so far.
“Keep your family close. Find good friends. As long as you surrounded yourself with good, trustworthy lions, you will be fine.” And Laertes would worry a little less. Ah! Enough with the serious stuff. “Do you want to go back to the den or do you want me to take you somewhere else? On your own paws this time…” he chuckled as he remembered Vor’s intensive grooming session.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:08 am
There is some ineffable quality to a parent's voice when they were finally beginning to wrap up a long-winded lecture that all children learn to recognize. It's a crucial point in the lecture procedure, because asking the wrong question or reacting in the wrong way can re-launch the whole thing, or even begin another lecture on a completely different topic, which is just too awful to contemplate.
Vor began nodding and offering his assurances that he understood. He didn't quite, but he did understand that if he admitted that they would never finish this silly and confusing conversation and then they'd be stuck out here forever and probably starve to death. Not that Vor was much concerned about starving, having never gone hungry in his life, but it happened in plays and stories, and he didn't really know how long it took.
"I understand and I'll do my best to be careful," he promised. "But I know you and mom and the others won't let me do anything too dumb. Monty'd probably box my ears if he thought I was going to do something dumb."
That had to be good enough. He'd even shown he was listening by saying some of the same stuff back to his dad but in a different order. That meant he understood and they could do something else now. Something fun.
"Do you know any of the people who live here? I'd like to meet your friends!"
We could probably end it here or with your next post, rather than have them actually go around and make introductions.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:21 pm
Laertes smiled, apparently convinced he’d managed to finish the little sermon without his son growing too bored. If half the things he’d said were retained in Vor’s memory, he would consider himself happy.
Laertes felt somewhat relieved to think Montague would watch over Vor when the guard couldn’t and the way his son had phrased it certainly amused him. He was less amused by the thought of introducing Vor to his friends as most of them were guards and his son’s abilities were a hot topic at the moment.
“Well, how about I introduce to this really nice nurse that I welcomed into the pride? Follow me, her den is really close.” And with a quick pace, Laertes started walked straight forward, glancing down occasionally to make sure his son was keeping up. - FIN -
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