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 Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 5:47 pm
Aquila yawned and rose from her spot in the grass, sun setting gently behind her. She was fortunate not to have overslept this afternoon- she had worked herself hardall day, but it had payed off! A full belly of antelope had made for a happy lioness. Life was great in the roguelands, on your own, most of the time. At least, such was how she had found it. Aqui, though not held to any responsibilities by anyone in particular, did hold herself to some rules and regulations- part of that stated that after resting, it was time to get moving again! Staying stagnant in one place never got anyone anywhere! So with that, she rose to her paws and set off with no long-term heading in particular. Short-term, however, the pale lioness was on the lookout for a water hole before she truly got to covering some ground… She would be fully rested and fed, if she could find one. Her tail flicked behind her as she sniffed at the air for the scent of water… Finding the scent off to her left. She started to pad confidently in that direction, wondering boredly just how large of a water hole it could be…
She hoped it was big enough to have some interesting creatures there, at least. Animals such as elephants always made the environment at the water hole more stimulating.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 5:55 pm
 He had found that creatures tended to congregate most around sources of water. As he himself required the liquid to survive, he could understand the desire - no, the imperative behind such a place. It was the fact that they gathered here, talking about unrelated things and lingering long past the time when they had drunk their fill that intrigued him. Why was it that people sought out others? His conversation of many moons ago with Ariikdasa had failed to enlighten him in this regard.
As the black lion watched the grey and red lioness crest the slight hill that overlooked the watering hole, he supposed it was time to attempt speech once more. He had spent enough time in this place, of late, to know that the incoming lion was a stranger here.
Meramo got to his feet unhurriedly and padded over to another comfortable spot in the grass. There he sat, squarely in the stranger lioness' path to the water, waiting.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 6:19 pm
Ah, there it was! There certainly were plenty of others here- the bustling by a water hole was always something she particularly enjoyed. Life was boring without anyone interacting, she thought. It was bearable, sure, and she didn't dislike it, but sometimes she did grow tired of not having anyone to sharpen her skills against… Whether they be fighting skills, or skills with words and the mind. So, while she could understand the need for some independence, she could not understand complete isolation. And beyond that... She herself was growing tired of being the only one around her. She decided to keep her ears open about prides, though she questioned whether she would like one or not.
But yes, this would not be simply a boring trip to the water--
In fact… Someone had just made certain this would not be a boring trip to the water hole. She hid her incredulous look as she padded forward. "Hello there," she said, voice not warm, but not cold, either. "Can I help you with something…?" she asked, tilting her head a little.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 6:25 pm
So far, it was an interesting interaction. She had given him one of the greetings he had come to consider "standard" in his time of observing. She had then initiated further conversation by asking him a question. And it was an interesting bit of speech. She had asked if she could help him, but the tone made it somewhat perfunctory, as if she doubted such a thing could be done, or as if she did not actually care to follow through on the implied offer.
"Perhaps," was the only response and the only answer Meramo gave. Perhaps this lioness would be able to help him further his understanding of the interaction between two creatures. Ariikdasa had shed some light, but not much, and the observations he had done since then may have added to his vocabulary and situations of reference, but he felt his understanding was still lacking.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 6:50 pm
"Ah, perhaps indeed," she said somewhat flatly, pondering the lion in front of her. He was certainly different- people only rarely barred her path, but he seemed to be doing it for no particular reason. What was with this guy?
Well, the lioness had been looking for something interesting, and she had sure-enough found it here. "Why don't you walk with me?" she offered, tilting her head to indicate her continued intention to end up at the water hole. "My name's Aquila, what's yours?" she asked, unsure herself of what to do in such a situation. A lion had just randomly stopped her for no apparent reason- what was typical social protocol again? She was sure she'd… never run into a situation like this. SHe wasn't angry or irritated, but curious.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 6:59 pm
Indeed. It was a strange word. In Meramo's experience, it was a word that tended to be used when the speaker did not expect, or perhaps want, a response. So the green and black lion simply sat and waited for the other lion to speak again.
She did, of course, continue speaking. And she asked him another question. But this was not merely something that asked for words, it was a request for action. Or rather, a question as to why he did not take action. Beyond that, she also granted him her name. Aquila. Not a name he had heard before. But then again, most people seemed to have names different from each other.
"I don't walk with you because I am sitting here," he responded, answering the question as it was asked. He had seen similar queries be asked and watched the responder do the requested action. He wasn't sure why, however, they did.
"The name I bear is Meramo," he answered her third question of the conversation simply and completely. This, at least, was solid ground for him, a simple and easy question.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:57 pm
At first, Aqui was a little indignant- her request had been perfectly kind, and he didn't seem to be disliking her company. It was a little odd, sure, but not completely unpleasant! But then she re-analyzed his words… He was into the habit of taking others quite literally. Whether this was intentional or something he couldn't help was beyond her, but she much preferred to think it was the latter. The former would be mockery, and she would not tolerate that. She gave him the benefit of the doubt, however.
"I meant… Would you please walk with me to the water hole, anyway?" she amended. She would rather be moving towards a goal than sitting still, and they could talk while they walked. Besides, that gave a good escape to the conversation, if it dragged on too long…
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:58 am
A spark kindled in the green eyes as Aquila rephrased her earlier request. What did it mean to her, to walk with him to the water, rather than sit here? Location meant no difference to Meramo, one place was as good as another, but he found it interesting that she should want him to move with her.
This was a very different conversation than the one he'd had with Ariikdasa. It seemed to him that as he was a constant, so the person he spoke with was variable. He had no real clues as to what made the two lionesses different and thus created different interactions, but clearly there was some variance in the fundamental pieces of what others called a "personality."
But that was to ponder later. Right now Aquila had made an outright request of him. He considered this again. She had used the word "please" which was an approved way to beg, he had observed. He had also seen that denial of such a request, using the word "please", tended to upset the balance between two or more people. Therefore, if he did not want to upset the balance of this conversation, he should acquiesce to the simple request.
"Yes," the black lion answered at last, getting slowly to his feet and turning towards the watering hole, though he always kept one eye on Aquila, looking for clues as to what would happen next.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:09 am
It would be a lie to say that Aqui was not at least a little relieved that he decided to go along with her. Her mouth felt dry already, and she was eager to get a little drink. On top of that, she was glad to be getting to know this lion better. He seemed harmless enough, but sometimes a lion like this could be a threat. However, after as much conversation as they had had, she came to the conclusion that he was quite harmless. Simply a little different. It would be a lie to say her guard was down- it never truly was- but she certainly didn't feel tense.
As she padded along, the lighter lioness waited for a response from the male…. or any sort of conversation at all, actually. After receiving none, she cleared her throat and decided to speak herself. "So… Meramo, why exactly were you sitting directly in the middle of the path?" she asked, turning her blue eyes to meet his emerald ones, an ear cocked in curiosity.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 1:59 pm
The lion turned his head in order to keep at least one green eye on the lioness as they walked. He hated not seeing people that were talking to him, it made them harder to understand. And she had yet another question for him. So very many questions, and yet not nearly as many as the ones bounding around inside his head.
There was another interesting word - "exactly." It seemed to have the meaning of "precisely" with use in terms of specification and yet was not always used that way. He was uncertain what Aquila meant to accomplish by using the word here.
"I wished to speak with you," the black lion answered simply.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 6:09 pm
"Ah, I see," she said as she padded along beside the dark lion. She was unsure of his true intentions, though, as she had done much of the talking. She wondered... He couldn't have some sort of ulterior motive, right? Couldn't be someone on the lookout for her in some way? No. No, she confirmed that herself by looking at him again. It wasn't that he looked weak- no lion did to her- but if he was up to something, she was certain she'd pick up on it. He seemed quite at ease, however, and his wanting to talk to her seemed to truly be his only motive for forcing himself at her. Very well, she thought to herself.
Perhaps she had been much too talkative- too feminine of a problem for her. Instead she simply gave a small nod as she walked and resolved that he would be the next to speak.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 7:10 pm
Meramo waited, but it became clear that, rather than asking him more questions, the lioness was now choosing to wait until he spoke. Which seemed to indicate it was now his turn to ask questions. He felt he should be careful as to what he chose, for in his experience, he would only get a few opportunities before the other refused to answer any more.
"Why is it that when two who wish to mate insist on going out of sight of any and all others?" he asked. It was something he had seen often, but had not yet gotten the chance to figure out.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 7:52 pm
Aquila looked out of the corner of her eye at him in mild astonishment, though she had to try to keep it off her face. For a moment, she didn't know what to make of that question. But astonishment didn't stay long, it was soon replaced by laughter. Uncontrollable laughter, though she managed to keep walking... Slowly. She couldn't believe it- that was a question she could honestly say she'd never heard before. And she couldn't help but laugh at his honest question.
"Well, uh... I guess- just because- well, because they don't want anyone to pick up any of their tricks?" she offered, taming her laughter and not truly sure of how to answer that herself.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 8:00 pm
It was, to say the least, not the reaction he had hoped for. Meramo had seen this before, knew it was "laughter" and that it was (supposedly) a good thing to do. He was uncertain what provoked laughter, as the causes were as varied as the creatures he saw every day. But Meramo himself had never laughed.
So he was a little displeased at this reaction to his question. Especially as the words the lioness spoke, between her laughter, didn't make a whole lot of sense. "Tricks" were usually mischevious acts played by one creature upon another. And the second tended to be displeased by them.
"If they are tricks, why would any wish to 'pick them up'? How can an action be 'picked up' at all?" he pressed the lioness.
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 11:48 am
"Ahh...." the lioness said while her mind raced. Did she really have to explain this to him? Weren't males supposed to be more interested in these things early, such that by this point in their lives they would understand what she had meant? No matter- she supposed she really didn't have much choice but explain it to him. He liked things literal, so literal it was. "Sometimes there are different things to do with that activity, some produce better results than others. Those things are what I mean by tricks. And if someone else were to watch, they'd be able to use those tricks themselves, I guess," she said, offering a knowledgable nod at the end.
The lighter lioness could only hope that that would be the end of it. Though she had a sneaking suspicion that it probably wouldn't be.
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