Tikahn enjoyed being a rouge. There was no one to answer to, no lands he had to stay within, and no sights to get bored of. He liked the option of roaming and meeting new people, but at the same time he knew the rouge life wasn't one he wanted forever. While he was young and strong he could do as he pleased, but once he got a bit older he had the feeling settling down would be in his mind. Starting a family, perhaps, finding a nice mate. For now, though, he could roam where he wanted, find the pretty girls of the savanna and prides alike, see different sights...there was so much to do!Recently his travels had brought him to the sea. It was very nice to look at, but at the same time he didn't like the way the salt curled his fur and mane. He set off from the ocean, blue eyes bright and happy, wondering what sort of adventure would find him next. Little did he know that adventure was watching him from a small pile of rocks.
Sebor didn't take kindly to males in her pride for the time being. They were rather rude to females and had very twisted views on what a female should do. Lately she'd been aching for conversation with a male that didn't talk down to her, so going to the borders was a good idea, she figured. It took a while for someone to walk by that didn't seem to know the pride wasn't far off - most in the area knew of the Stormborn and the challenge that was required to get in to the pride. Unless someone was very serious about it, they'd keep clear. This fellow obviously didn't know what he was walking into, so he must be from far off."Hello," she said in a calm enough voice, just a bit of her normal gruffness to it. "Enjoying the day?"
Tikahn stopped short as he heard a voice - female certainly, but rather rough around the edges - and slowly turned back in the direction he had come from. Sure enough, there was a female lounging on the rocks. Well...maybe not lounging, but certainly laying nonthreatening. She was rather pretty, too, if he did say so himself, so he lifted his ears and smiled at her in return.
"Yes, actually! It's very nice. The breeze from the ocean comes in far enough inland to keep things relatively cool." He slowly approached her but kept his distance, not wanting to seem threatening. "I'm Tikahn," he added, grinning a little goofily at the female. "What's your name?"
Sebor nearly rolled her eyes as the male turned to approach her. Oh dear...one of these males. Interested in nothing but a quick romp, she was sure, with the way he was looking at her. While he wasn't hard on the eyes, his demeanor alone was enough to put her off the idea. "Sebor," she returned, not wanting to be rude. First impressions were important, but she could give the kid some slack. He seemed to have just filled out his mane, so that lingering awkwardness of adolescence was probably still filtering out of his brain.
"You must not be from around here, Tikahn. You're on the borders of a very powerful pride." She paused and arched a brow to see what kind of reaction she could get from the younger male. Either he'd show surprise or nod in agreement, and from that alone she'd know if he was from around these parts or, as she suggested, from far away.
The new did surprise Tikahn, and for a moment he lost the power to speak. The male looked around slowly, ears twitching to catch any sound, but none came other than when Sebor spoke or shifted on her rocks. "Really?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the lioness. "Wow...I didn't know that! Are you their queen?" She gave off the aura of one you didn't mess with, and held herself very nicely on the rocks. SHe even had that air of reality to her! Wow...a queen! He shifted slightly, making to bow to her, but a harsh laugh made him stop in his tracks.
Sebor shook her head as her laughter dided away. "No, Tikahn, I am not their queen. And I don't envy the female that is. I am as basic a rank as you can get, I suppose, with no chance to prove myself. Females are not given that chance here, as the males are. We need to find our own way to prove ourselves, which is highly unfair, don't you think?" She eyed the lion carefully, waiting to see his reaction. She knew it was common for one gender to find the other inferior, even in slight ways.
The words that followed and the question made Tikahn swallow nervously. It wasn't the question that made him anxious, it was the idea of forming a solid opinion that did. He hated being strongly for or against something, as it created conflict, and if there was one thing he disliked above all else it was fighting. It made making big decisions hard, so he tried to stay away from them all together. The direct way Sebor had asked him made the male take a few shy steps back, his tail flicking nervously back and forth behind him.
"Well...I....ah...it is rather rude for the males to do that I suppose but...maybe they don't want to see their pretty females getting hurt?" he suggested with a weak smile, avoiding giving a straight answer.
Sebor gave Tikahn an unamused look. "That didn't answer my question," she said flatly as she shifted to rise from the rocks. "Are you of the same mindset as them, then? That females are things to look at and protect and shouldn't be allowed to fight or hunt?"
The question made Tikahn freeze, and when the female stood he gave her the only answer he was most confident with: he turned and walked away. It was best to simply remove oneself from a situation before it escalated. He made his walk into a little trot when he heard a snort of disgust behind him. Ha...best to leave this place and never return. He was sure there were less confrontational places out there!
FIN 1075 wc