[PRP] Matters of Law (And Love) [Torbjorn x Stigtyr]

[Kaliforneum]

Stigtyr was no longer walking with his head hanging down near his paws, or slinking through the shadows to avoid other members of the pride. He didn't turn his face when other spoke to him, to hide the scars that cut through one of his eyes, robbing him of half his sight. Some months ago he'd been attacked by his own brother, an argument nearly turned deadly. The altercation had left Stigtyr badly wounded and only with one eye. Only the quick work of a healer, a personal friend, had saved the eye from becoming infected and rotting into his brain.
The grey male used to be ashamed of the injury. For quite some time he had been listless, with no motivation to strive for anything in his life. But after some time, Stigtyr had come to realize his passions. He'd been healed not only of his physical wounds, but of his mental ones, and now he was an apprenticing lawspeaker, something out of a dream.
Stigtyr was in search of one of his mentors. The male had a few questions that needed to be answered, and instead of bugging his usual mentor, Stigtyr was of a mind that one benefited from hearing the opinions of others.

 

[Annchen]

Torbjörn was busying himself with some light memory exercises. It was important to stay sharp with the influx of new members and new litters. He'd welcomed a new freeborn earlier today, forever committing him to the collective Stormborn memory. The pride was getting large, and every member couldn't be expected to keep track of everyone else. It was up to the Lawspeakers to remember those away on raids and outposts.

It wouldn't do to have a reaver or freeborn come back and be mistaken for a outlander.

"Stigtyr," he called when he noticed the other male approaching, "Quick, recite the Warlords, starting with Gunne!"

Torbjörn wasn't the only Lawspeaker training Stigtyr, but he believed that practice made perfect, and that it was his duty to keep the younger male on his toes. He'd only be happy when the budding Lawspeaker could recite family lines and laws in his sleep.

Kaliforneum

Short tag... I need to get the feel for Torbjörn again. Hint: pride information thread & announcement thread.

 

[Kaliforneum]

He snapped to attention, his mind instantly turning on and searching for the information requested.
The male imagined himself walking through a pathway lined with different caverns, each cavern holding a different piece of information. It was a memorization trick he'd been taught. If one visualized storing a piece of information in an area, they could then visualize themselves retrieving that information from the same place later one, making recollection of facts easier. Stigtyr saw himself continue along until he came to the area where the pride's important lineages were found. Once inside, the names and relations of the different Warlords came tumbling into his brain, one after the other.
"Gunne, succeeded by Aesir. Njal defeated Aesir in battle, and most notably banned females from being reavers or captains." Stigtyr had been born during that time. He was young, but he could remember his mother's frustration of not being able to go out on vikings. "The current Warlord, Ruzki, formerly Captain Ruzanski, fought and won against Aesir, and has lifted the ban preventing females from being reavers and captains." As it should be. It was silly to waste potential resources just because of gender. The pride was far too big for such ways of thinking.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Torbjörn's expression was neutral as Stigtyr recounted some of the pride's recent history along with the succession of Warlords. When the younger male was finished he nodded. He expected the other male to be able to recite these kinds of facts without much trouble by now. It was somewhat surprising that he had a little slip, and regarding recent history too. The additional information about the recent policy changes was an added bonus, and he was pleased that the young lawspeaker apprentice had retold them without adding his personal opinion about it. Neutrality was an important skill. You didn't have to agree with every decision a Warlord made, but a Lawspeaker needed to uphold the current law and keep his own personal opinions out of it. At times it was a daunting task.

"Ruzki never fought Aesir," he said, and toyed with the idea to give Stigtyr a harder task. Reciting Aseir's bloodline perhaps... He'd been very... ah... prolific. Maybe another time. "Are you a bit distracted today?"

"It's a good day to die," he said, offering the traditional greeting now when the little surprise quiz was over.

Kaliforneum

I wouldn't mind a full length RP. I'll try to be quicker with my tag this time... Thanks for poking me! EDIT: There... I hope that works!

 

[Kaliforneum]

Stigtyr opened his mouth then snapped it shut. Of course Ruzki never fought Aesir. Why would Torbjorn state something so obvious? Unless Stigtyr had said something to prompt it? But that would mean Stigtyr had been wrong, and Stigtyr was never wrong. Or at least, he wasn't wrong about such easy material such as the succession of warlords.
The grey male went over what he had said and groaned. He had]/i] said that Ruzki fought Aesir. "I'm sorry, Torbjorn. Of course I meant Njal. I apologize. I have been distracted." Stigtyr admitted, shaking his head in shame.
He had been so scatterbrained as of late. There was something clouding his ability to be cool, analytical, practical, and rational. Something that made him feel both scared and elated at the same time.
And it wasn't something that Stigtyr had experience with either. Perhaps Torbjorn....no, it wasn't a matter of law at all. But, on the other paw, Torbjorn was fast becoming more than just a lawspeaker mentor, a personal mentor as well. So maybe it wouldn't be too out of line to ask?
"Torbjorn, forgive, if I may, but..." The male paused and cleared his throat before continuing. It was a rather embarrassing subject. "Have you ever had female troubles?"

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Female troubles. Torbjörn nodded slowly, but didn't answer right away. The Lawspeaker didn't find females any more or less troublesome than males when he had to deal with them professionally, but to interact with ones that could be potential mates... Now that was a different beast. The burden of continuing his line and acting as a honorable member of his family weighed heavily on his shoulders. There were only two of them left, and as the older brother he felt an obligation to do justice to their ancestors. A good wife was an essential part of the package, and so far he'd had limited success in that kind of interactions. However, he knew better than to think that Stigtyr was worrying about the same kind of female troubles he was.

"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?" he said, instead of guessing or assuming.

Facts first. Or feelings if that was the case. After that he could better help his young apprentice.

Kaliforneum

 

[Kaliforneum]

Stigtyr sighed heavily, trying to find the right words to describe his predicament. Which, of course, was one of his issues. The grey male knew his way around a sentence or two. But whenever it came to Aaja, Stigtyr found himself stammering and stumbling over simple greetings. He was always just so afraid of saying the wrong thing. How did you tell a girl how you felt?
And she was always on his mind. When he closed his eyes, he thought of her speckled, cloud white and sky blue fur. When he awoke, her eyes were like the rising sun. As pleasant as it was, it was also terribly distracting.
But Torbjorn had taught him well. He needed to get his mind together in one piece , organize his thoughts, and then list the facts.
"As you just saw, I find myself often thinking of her when I should instead be studying. I can no longer focus for long stretches without thoughts of her distracting me." Stigtyr reported, much in the same way he would report the lineage of this warlord or that. He ignored the slight fluttering of his heart as he mentioned Aaja, yet another troublesome symptom. "And I find that I am unsure of what to say to her" Oh goodness, he hoped Torbjorn wouldn't think him childish. He was one of the few people Stigtyr would go to for help with something like this. It wasn't like he could go to his sister. Aaja and Dagny were best friends. There was no way she could keep this a secret. "I am hoping you have some advice for how to get over these symptoms?"

Annchen

Soooooooo.....how would Torbjorn react if Stigtyr named one of his kids after him? (Bjorn) Because that is a VERY likely scenario.

 

[Annchen]

Torbjörn listened as Stigtyr listed his "symptoms". He was no healer, but he had a hunch about the diagnosis. Getting over them was a tougher nut to crack, however. The lawspeaker wasn't sure even the best healer would be willing, or even able to take on such a job. He mulled over what his young apprentice had said before answering. Sort of. He couldn't provide a way to make the distraction go away, and he wasn't sure if that was what Stigtyr truly wanted either. He opted for something entirely different.

"What would you like to tell her?" he asked. No answers, no ready made solutions, just a question.

Kaliforneum

I think he'd feel honored

 

[Kaliforneum]

The male resisted the urge to groan. Of course, Torbjorn would answer his question with a question. It was the best way to get someone to learn but...still.
So, Stigtyr was left sitting there, pondering the question. What did he want to tell Aaja? That she always made his day a little bit brighter? That he thought she was brilliant and intelligent and smart? That she had saved his life, both literally and figuratively? That her fur reminded him of a bright, warm summer's day and her eyes shone brighter than the sun itself? That she made him feel like he wasn't completely alone in the world?
But he couldn't say any of that, could he? That would be far too embarrassing. Besides which, Stigtyr didn't even think he'd be able to get that many words out of his mouth if Aaja was around. Oh, what a disaster.
Maybe there was a shorter version to all that. Something he could tell her that would sum all of that up?
"I suppose, that I would like to court her?" He ventured, still questioning himself. But there was a fact that Stigtyr was leaving out, a detail that was vital to the situation. And if Stigtyr had learned nothing else, it was to make sure one had all of the facts before making a deliberation. "But I am...anxious about being rejected." The male finally admitted.

Annchen

Bahaha! Excellent! Totally happening now.
Also I changed the title because I am an adult and I CAN DO WHAT I WANT.

 

[Annchen]

Torbjörn nodded. He wasn't sure what advice to give, since his own attempts at courting hadn't ended with the result he had hoped for. But he knew one thing, and that was that without trying you would simply accept the failure before it happened. He would hate for that to happen to his young apprentice, and not just because his studies would continue to suffer if he just waited for a miracle to happen without making a move.

"What is the worst thing that could happen if you did tell her?" Torbjörn asked, forcing Stigtyr to put words on his worries.

Kaliforneum

Sorry about my lack of muse! Only one month and a day after you posted... *cough*

 

[Kaliforneum]

Annchen

I'll raise you 8 months!
I'm off hiatus now, and I'm just gonna go ahead and finish this one up, unless you think it needs another post or two. I'm more than happy for more RPs with Torbjorn though. Stig needs a good father figure in his life.

Stigtyr sighed, silently running through scenarios in his mind. "She could say no. Think me a fool and never speak to me again." The male grumbled bitterly. It was indeed the worst thing that could happen. Never being able to speak to Aaja again, it would be terrible. She was his oldest and closest friend, Dagny excluded.
Curse Torbjorn. Why couldn't he just let Stigtyr muddle away in his worries and pine like a normal young male? Then again, Stigtyr wasn't exactly normal by most Stormborn standards. And that hadn't seemed to bother Aaja all that much....it would be most uncharacteristic of the female to simply cut off all ties with him. Worst case scenarios aside, there was also a best case scenario. One in that Aaja let him court her. The male's ears burned. It was what he wanted most.
The male snorted at himself. He could read between Torbjorn's words. Nothing would happen if Stigtyr sat around and moped about the situation. The old lawspeaker was on the right track. Perhaps if Stigtyr stopped worrying about the worst thing that could happen and instead considered the best case scenario, maybe things would go more smoothly. But still, the worry of everything going terribly wrong would not go away, even though he knew that it was logically foolish. Aaja would never think him a fool. Or if she did, she wouldn't be cruel about it.
His thoughts were too muddled. "I apologize, but I believe I am too distracted to continue today. I must go and clear my head." The male admitted. He needed to go and clear his head. "Thank you." Stigtyr rose and began trudging away, head and heart heavy from his thoughts.
 

[Annchen]

"You do that," Torbjörn said, feeling very fatherly. He watched his young apprentice walk away, deep in thought. It wasn't easy being young and in love, but he was sure everything would work out for Stigtyr. His previous memory excercises forgotten he started to think about his own line. At the moment it ended with him and his brother, and that thought saddened him a little. His parents deserved better than this. Perhaps it was silly to try to honor his dead parents, but if he didn't do it he feared no one would.

He looked at Stogtyr again, now nearly out of sight. Smiling, he wondered when he'd get to memorize the next generation of the young males line. Hopefully soon, if the courting went well.

-fin-

Kaliforneum

I'd love more RP between them smile