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 Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:25 pm
[ Taking place shortly before the conclusion of the metaplot. ]
The pride was alive with muttered words and exchanged weighted glances. A language that Lewenharto was familiar with but untrusting of. Something was brewing and he wasn't certain if he would be fond of the end result. It was and wasn't any of his business. Some pride members seemed to drift away from it as well, detaching themselves from the situation while those that remained wrapped in the warm embrace of their own insanity went about as they always did. On his part, the best distraction was a project.
Shandor wanted effective ways to protect the border. Leo could see the sense in that, but he didn't want to have such means be especially harmful. Not when those coming close to the border could simply be lost or unfortunate. So for the better part of a day and a half he had dug out three holes and was currently working on three different coverings for them. It was a decent trick and while it would stop a rogue, it wouldn't hurt them...too badly. It would have to be strong enough for the lion to step on, but it would have to be weak enough to crack under their full weight, sending them down into the bottom of the pit. He had sticks, grasses, and dirt to work with to cover the hole. How to hide it was easy enough but the ratio of sticks was the problem. How many was too many? How many was too few?
He had a few scraps of bark in which he scribbled his notes on, marking down every failure. He'd dug the holes shallow enough for him to get out of once he'd tested them. By now he was a mess. Sticks, dirt, and leaves stuck in his mane, a few cuts from splintered sticks along his legs and one across his cheek, and bruises from the rough falls.
"NO no no.. maybe a different species of tree? Oh hmm..." He tapped his chin and looked to his most recent hole.
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:44 pm
 She had been watching him for a while now, the pretty male with the almost shiny fur. Something they had in common. Her ears flicked this way and that, wincing at every fall that happened. Siren wasn't too sure what he was doing, but she knew it looked like it hurt every once in a while. Tilting her head to the side, she decided to move closer to the muttering one and picked a stick out of his hair. "You're so messy," she purred out at him, grinning wide. Her sister liked him well enough, so maybe he would like her even better than Shrew. "What are you doing, anyway? I keep seeing you fall in holes you've dug. If I didn't know any better, I would say you've lost your mind!" Naturally, she didn't know his name. Shrew didn't tell her that, but she did say he was nice to talk to. Her tail flicked to the side as her head leaned forward to pick more leaves out of his mane again. "Looks are important, you know. You're too handsome to be this messy!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:56 pm
Personal space was something of a lost cause with the lion. He'd often bumped shoulders or thrown a paw around necks in a friendly embrace without a word of permission from the receiving end of his gestures. So when a female, unknown to him, stepped forward and casually began to groom him, his biggest frustration was not that his person was being imposed upon, but rather that his delicate train of thought was shattered.
He looked up, his stormy blue eyes going wide as he considered the strange lioness. Rather than scolding her, she couldn't have known what he was doing, he smiled and gave a small chuckle at himself. Unsure how to handle complements, he latched onto the implication of insanity.
"I'm stable of mind, I assure you. At least by my standards." By others'...well he couldn't say. It wasn't his place to say.
"Oh this?" He looked to the holes. "Oh, I'm experimenting! I couldn't ask someone to jump in holes for me and I'm of average size- something between a common male and female in height and weight, I assume, and-"
He cleared his throat. "Pardon. I don't believe we've met."
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:11 pm
"No, we haven't. But you've met my sister, Shrew!" She just grinned a bit wider and looked to the holes, looking into them. Who would willingly fall in them? Her tail flicked this way and that as she thought about it. She supposed she could. Honestly, Siren didn't have anything to do today. Looking over at the bark he was scribbling on, she tilted her head and just ignored it after that. It made no sense to her.
"I'm her little sister. Siren, is the name I've been given," she sung, dancing light on her paws before wandering back over to him, going to dust off his mane. "So... We're both stable of mind, and we know Shrew, so we're not completely strangers, are we? You can think of me as a friend, too. She likes you, you know. She thinks you're interesting. She says you're drawings are good. I wanna see them too because she has!"
It was almost cub like, how she was talking and dancing about.
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:17 pm
Ah. So this was the sister Shrew had mentioned before. The lion's good-natured smile only widened. Well at least they had a good relation in-between them to bridge the gap so to speak. It made things a little less awkward and explained why she had sought him out. She must have been curious...or jealous given her next statement.
"Oh well, my drawings are back at my den. I'm doing an experiment here." He motioned to the holes. "There I go again, pardon." He cleared his throat. "I'm called Renaissance, but I've gained the nickname Leo from those who say that word's a bit of a mouthful."
Looking back to the holes, and politely ignoring her fussing, he motioned out. "Riddlemouth requested that I think up ways to protect the border. I wanted to find a way to protect the border while not...harming anyone too badly. As you can see, I have just a few injuries. Nothing that won't go away after a day or two. But I've not quite figured out the right sticks to use or the volume of them. The intention here is to create a series of holes, hidden, and if a rogue steps on them, they'll fall in. Mind, the holes will have to be deeper- and wider -but these are good for experimenting. I wouldn't want to trap...myself... in..."
He stopped and eyed the female. "...you really aren't interested about the holes are you?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:23 pm
After he said his nick name and began prattling on about something or other, Siren tuned out and just watched his face as he talked. He was excited! It was kind of adorable in that sense. A grin appeared over her face as he talked and glanced to the side when she heard a bird particularly close, cawing away. Maybe trying to get the dead fish that washed up on shore every once in a while. She tossed her long bangs out of her face before looking over at him when he asked a question.
Giving him a blank face, she stared for a moment and tried to recall what he said. "Not so much, no. I'm more interested in getting to know someone ... physically. Like, do you play? Wrestle or anything like that? We could have a go at it!" The grin on her face looked as though she might be plotting something else besides good natured play.
"What gave me away?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:42 pm
Not so much.
The lion sighed. Maybe one day he would find someone that would get as excited as he did in the pursuit for higher knowledge, getting their paws dirty with experiments and the building and breaking down of things, someone who- wait physical?
The lion's eyes went wide and his body went ridged. Physical. The word hung over the words that followed like a stubborn rain cloud, dark and almost sinister. He took a slow step back and forced his startled expression into a smile again. "Ah...I'm not the...ah...physical type, no. You see, I've never ...appreciated the....mechanics of wrestling."
He swallowed around a suddenly dry throat. "...well you were looking off a bit. A lot."
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:51 pm
The way he looked and stepped back told her everything she needed to. Another shy male who'd never dealt with a physical relationship. Honestly, she didn't want to waste her time with it. However, not to be rude and ruin her sister's friendship, she kept her expression cool and smiling, a mask she often put on when she was bored with someone. Well, now that he'd said that, he was just a boring old man who drew weird things and liked to fall in pits. How weird. Shrugging, she looked off towards the sea before looking back at him.
"Yes well.. I'm not one for experiments unless they're beneficial to just me and not everyone else." She was using his own word there. She couldn't come right out and say what she wanted, she might scare him away!
"I'm guessing this is what you do for fun? Your job is your fun or whatever?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:56 pm
"Ah... well it... it gives me some use here I suppose. I'm lost as a fighter and I have no stomach for hunting. I can, mind, I've lived this long but it's not something I delight in." He dusted his shoulder off a bit more and took a short look back to the pit. He'd have to find sticks that broke with minimal splintering... it wouldn't due to welcome would-be guests with splinters. A hole was bad enough.
"Well it benefits everyone to know more. If I can figure this out- imagine how much safer we would be! Any scouts or spies would fall into these traps. If they were hostile, we could calm them while they sat down there, if they are friendly, it's a small matter to get them out. Drop a strong branch and help them climb out."
He chuckled. "You can say that. I delight in learning. All the better if it helps someone else."
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:07 pm
Ah, right, thinker. She didn't have any use for someone who thought so much. They were usually not very fun and didn't want anything to do with her. She let out a snort at the thought and then stretched herself out. Ah, well. It seemed he wanted to get back to his holes or whatever it was. Honestly, when he prattled on like that Siren's ears were closed to him. He might as well be talking to a rock! His chuckle, however, drew her attention back to him.
"Right, so.... I guess I'll leave you to your thinking and your holes. I'll tell Shrew you said hello and send here here soon. If that's alright?" She asked, already heading back the way she'd came. He was a pretty male, but too bad he'd rather be using his brain than his feelings. Who knew, he might see how useless it was to think so hard one day.
She did stop to wait for his answer, however. Siren wasn't completely rude.
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:13 pm
"Oh, yes, that would be nice. See if you can't send her along, I would appreciate a second opinion on this." He offered the female a smile and a dip of his head. Strange company that one, little wonder Shrew was hesitant to go into details concerning her sister. If she had her way, she'd soon be fat with cubs and the gypsy king would have another litter of new-thought members for his pride. All the good that would do.
"Now... I should get back to work-" He turned his attention back to the woods behind his little experiment. Perhaps he would have to try some of the trees that grew in the grasslands. Short, strong, but dry. They would crack easier than the damp wood of the seaside..."
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