[PRP] A nice day for a stroll (Itrailde x Falk) [FIN]

[demonstration_evil]

There was no possible way, shape, or form that Falk could hate his current location more than he did at present. It was dusty, it was windy, there was sand in his mane, and with the dirt caked on him he very nearly looked brown.

"Oh, follow the setting sun, your vision says. There's something worth perusing out there, it said. I say it was probably just a dream and not a vision at all. That's what I say. Thanks a lot." He looked up at the sky, cursing nothing in particular really. However it did also mean his mouth was now full of sand.

"Oh that's just perfect." He grumbled, spitting and gagging. There HAD to be some kind of watering hole around. Or anything that WASN'T where he had somehow wound up.

He didn't even notice he wasn't as alone as he'd previously thought.  

[demonstration_evil]

Falk nearly jumped a foot in surprise, spinning and looking at the lioness who had somehow snuck up on him. Yes, clearly snuck up on him. A master of stealth. No other way he could be caught unawares like that.

No. Other. Way.

"Yes... I... sorry. To sneak up on you. Yes. Falk is my name. Pleasure to meet you." He said, bowing and still trying to get the sand out of his mouth. "I don't mind at all. I wasn't... I didn't... Falk. Like I said. Is my name." He glanced around, "Look uh... this is going to sound really stupid, but I have literally no idea where I am. I'm looking for a pride or... stories?" He had no idea how he was supposed to take advantage of this. "Are you... from a pride or... have a story? Or... I tell stories." Badly, but he did tell them.  

[demonstration_evil]

"Yeah, you and me both. I figured I could be a wandering storyteller or mistral or something but... so far I've got a catalog of stories that I'm not good at telling." He couldn't even get cubs to sit down and listen for more than a few minutes. Apparently he was 'boring' even though he was SURE the stories were interesting. Who didn't like history? Everyone liked history.

...right? He liked history. Other creatures couldn't possibly be that different than he was. Maybe he just lacked the finer points... bad tone and inflection maybe? Or maybe he was just kind of crap at this, but he couldn't really think of anything else he'd rather be doing.

"You can't be worse at it than I am anyway, so if you want to tell a total stranger your pride's history, I'm willing to listen... but if so maybe we should do it somewhere that's less dirty." And now it sounded like he was trying to hit on or possibly abduct her. Perfect. Just. Perfect. "Sorry. You're pretty and now I sound creepy. I'll see myself out... away."  

[demonstration_evil]

"Me? Uh, no I don't think so." Falk blinked, rubbing a streak of sand off his face. "I mean... I think I'm pretty normal. Except for the... not being able to talk, clearly." He said, really not sure how else to respond to that. "And it's alright.... if you don't have any stories. I can pretty much... keep looking. It's what I do."

"Would you like to... get out of the sun? There're some trees over there and I think it'll probably be more... well, I'm less likely to pass out anyway. So I'm heading over there... you can come if you'd like. And all." He shuffled away, trying to make himself sound like less of an idiot. Or at least feel like less of an idiot.

It wasn't working.  

[demonstration_evil]

"Oh... really? Do you have storytellers and the like there?" They might actually be able to help him. He wasn't terribly concerned about being attacked, she was friendly enough so that... probably meant that they would be polite? He didn't think he exactly looked threatening. Not exactly the brave looking warrior he'd fancied himself as a cub.

"I mean, no offense but you seem as good at telling tales as I do." Not that it mattered so much if she didn't want to be a storyteller like he did. Maybe time to consider different career options... "What do you do? I mean, like... hunting or guarding or cub-sitting? That's all stuff you guys have to plan out right? In prides." He'd never been in one himself, but that seemed to be more or less how those worked.  

[demonstration_evil]

"Oh..." Falk trailed off. He was vaguely aware that 'nobles' existed but he'd never really understood what that meant. "So like... nobles are leaders, right? Like Gods but normal lion folk who make sure everything works, yeah? I've been... well, a wanderer my whole life, so I've heard of them but I don't actually know what they do."

That could be useful to storytelling, couldn't it? He knew about pride leaders and warriors and such, but he was also vaguely aware of nobility sometimes not exactly being respected as a 'good thing'. He was pretty sure that was why his family had never joined a pride. Ita seemed like a decent enough lioness though, so she was maybe one of the not-lazy lions.

"I mean, I expect they're supposed to make sure things run smoothly. Do you do that?"  

[demonstration_evil]

"So... you just kind of... what? Hang out?" Falk asked, not meaning to be rude but also probably being extremely rude. "Doesn't that get kind of boring? I thought prides were supposed to have a big group and... stuff?" He actually had no idea what most prides were like outside of stories he'd heard.

"I mean if you're a noble and you're supposed to lead and do stuff, shouldn't you practice at it? I mean I guess. I don't actually know how any of that works, but it seems like it's maybe... practical, right? Or I guess you could step down and do something you like better." Could nobles step down? "Can nobles step down? Would you want to? Is that allowed?"

All good questions really, he had no idea. It was probably something he should know for his histories.