[FIN] Around the Pride (Cruithne & Lailah K'chol)

[mouselet]

It wasn't fair! Aysu could have at least waited until Lailah and her siblings were moved out of the den before she went and had more cubs to fill it with! The adolescent was pacing angrily through the pride, and Great Lion help anyone who got in her way. She was so frustrated that she couldn't keep her claws retracted and her every step left furrows in the ground.

She'd just had a long and stressful lesson with Stellaluna. Okay, fine. That was part of what it meant to be an Apprentice, especially for a powerful, prestigious and exceedingly important position such as Shaman of the pride. After a session like that, the white lioness liked to go home, back to her mother's den, and relax.

This was utterly impossible with four young cubs who did nothing but eat, sleep and whine in the shrillest tone possible. And they cared nothing for the other lions who had to use that den! It had been more than Lailah could take.

Thus, her pacing throughout the pride. She was so focused on her anger that she wasn't paying any attention at all to her surroundings.  

[Epine de Rose]

mouselet

Back and forth... Back and forth.

She was like a yo-yo and as a young cub he had been left thoroughly distracted and entertained by the lioness's antics. He'd never seen someone in such a frenzied state before, those he had seen before often had much more decorum but on this occasion he was in for a surprise. Suffice to say that something had gotten on her nerves and her flexed claws were proof of this. He wasn't the nosey sort but his curiosity was piqued and he couldn't quite put his paw on what had annoyed her.

Was she hungry? Did her legs hurt? Had she lost something of vital importance and if she failed to find it, would the world therefore end?

He didn't know, but he did have to note that if it was the last of those possibilities he should have probably helped her. He didn't want the world to end, it would be far too dramatic to say the least and he'd barely had time to explore said world!

"If you keep your claws out," he said finally, lifting one of his paws to rub at his nose. "You'll grind them down to dust and that won't help you at all," he finished.  

[mouselet]

The white lioness stopped at the sudden voice and whirled around, yellow eyes wide. She hadn't known there was anyone else around! At first Lailah couldn't see the person who had spoken until at last her gaze fell on a small brown cub. Her expression fell and mutated into one of disgust. A cub. Patronizing her. When it was another set of cubs that had caused this whole stupid situation.

"And who says I need claws?" she retorted. Lailah winced inwardly at the slight whine in her voice. Ugh, now she sounded like a kid herself, arguing over something that didn't really matter.  

[Epine de Rose]

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"Everyone needs claws," Cruithne sounded a touched confused at her retort and tilted his head to the side. It was as if she had asked something utterly ridiculous that someone of her age should have known. His social skills and manners were still very much in development, and as such, he remained oblivious to the fact that he might very well be coming off as patronizing... Alas, live and learn, when he was older someone was bound to tell him.

"If you don't have claws you can't good a good grip on your dinner and then you have no way of eating," he pointed out. Admittedly she could have used her mouth but this would be extremely undignified. "Well, unless you want to look like my siblings in which case just use your mouth and then you can look like one of those murder victims," he remarked and lifted a brow, recalling the faint whispers and murmurings of such victims. He suspected they were just stories, as he'd only ever heard them from lions similar to this one's age.

"But again, not very dignified and you'd look like you had no table manners."  

[mouselet]

Lailah had opened her mouth to shoot back a retort about how she didn't need to hunt for herself as the apprentice Shaman but closed it again with a snap. This boy was not obviously related to her and, much more importantly, had said something that most cubs wouldn't.

"Why would a cub like you know anyhting about murder victims?" she asked at last, staring at the younger lion.  

[Epine de Rose]

mouselet

Cruithne shrugged, if he'd known that little detail he would have pursued the culprits for more information himself! Alas, at this current moment in time he knew nothing and wouldn't be graced with anything more than faint whispers until he was adult. However, once he was an adult there would be no stopping him, he'd be the world's top investigator and show everyone how it was done. If there were real 'murderers' out there he'd find them... and he'd give 'em hell!

Seriously, he had plans.

...He just hadn't told his mother yet.

"I hear stuff," he replied simply and tilted his head to the side. "I never find out what happens afterwards but I hear it, why, do you know more?" he enquired curiously.  

[mouselet]

The lioness was just kind of staring at the boy before her, trying to understand what was going on. He looked perfectly serious and sounded rational, and Lailah could not for the life of her figure out how that could be possible with a cub talking about murder. It just...wasn't right!

"Supposing I knew more, I certainly wouldn't tell a cub!" she retorted angrily. Cubs were supposed to live carefree little lives until they were old enough to understand that the world wasn't all butterflies and flowers - she certainly wasn't going to spoil that for anyone, no matter how mature they acted.  

[Epine de Rose]

Had he said something wrong? He didn't think so as he was fairly certain he had been perfectly clear about it... It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the childish aspects of life, he still very much loved those, but that didn't mean he was without a morbid fascination for other things too. His siblings might have liked worms etc, they may have run from 'cooties', but he had an interest in the 'criminal' activities of the world. He was a cub and naive to what they all entailed but stories were stories and he wanted to be a hero.

True story.

"Why not?" he demanded and puffed out his cheeks in mild annoyance. She was an odd ball and seemed to be annoyed by every little thing in the world. He was beginning to think that if he told her she looked like she had a worm on her head she might claim the world was ending. "Are you holding out on me? That's very rude, you're meant to share...mommy told me so!"  

[mouselet]

Lailah made a face at the boy as he declared that refusing to tell him what she knew was rude. Trust a cub to uphold the values of honesty and openness. But even if she was allowed to, she'd never discuss murder with a child!

...even if she was allowed to. That was it! That was her way to wriggle out of the accusation! Okay, she did feel kind of bad for wanting to get out of it, but damnit no cub should have to know anything about murder!

"First of all, no cub needs to know anything about murder," the adolescent told the boy sternly. "And second of all, if I knew anything I wouldn't be allowed to tell you. It's going to be my job to know a lot of what goes on in the pride, and talk about none of it. Talking about bad and serious things that shouldn't be widely known is gossip, and that is something no one approves of," she told him with a huff.  

[Epine de Rose]

"How do you know that we're not supposed to know about it?" Cruithne replied stubbornly, promptly taking a seat as he regarded the lioness. She was being silly of course, talking nonsense in a way that only 'adults' knew how. In the future he would obviously appreciate that she was talking sense, but right now, in that idealistic state, he wasn't buying it. She was definitely holding out on him and he didn't appreciate it.

She was ruining his fun.

She sucked.

She had no right to hide behind her perspective rank and claim everything was gossip. It was a conspiracy and he knew the truth. In those moments he decided that he was going to expose her, that'd show her!

"You're definitely hiding something and I'm going to find out about it, once the truth gets out you won't be able to say anything!" he announced dramatically and lifted a brow. "The world deserves to know the truth behind the conspiracy!"  

[mouselet]

Lailah groaned aloud. "There IS no conspiracy and I'm under orders not to talk about most of my training!" she retorted heatedly. Ugh, cubs. Cubs who thought they knew everything. Really, this boy was everything that she was trying to get AWAY from right now!

"If you want to know the truth, grow up and be King one day," she snorted. No one who was wise kept secrets from the rulers and the King and Queen found out about everything, sooner or later.

"I'm leaving," she informed the boy primly, turning to go. She did NOT need more of this!  

[Epine de Rose]

Hmph! Well she was one hell of a madame and she should have been spanked on the rear for her attitude. His mother certainly would have given him what for if he'd spoken to anyone like that. He wrinkled his nose and promptly stuck out his tongue at Lailah, but if she wished to retreat then he'd let her. She wouldn't have seen the last of him and he would be back to uncover all of the conspiracies she was hiding.

He'd expose her, he'd show her that it wasn't a good idea to hide and then what would she do? Plus when he was older he could sit on her to restrain her so that she couldn't do anything cruel and unusual to him. He made a mental note to put on as much weight as possible for the day when it would be necessary to smoosh her - it would come at some point... Just wait and see.

"Fine, run away crazy lady," he said with a dismissive wave of his paw. "But I'll be back, this isn't the last you've heard of me and the world will know the truth behind your smoke and daggers!" he announced with yet another dramatic flourish.