[PRP] True strength

[Light Atago]

What an interesting ride this life had been so far. Din could not remember being anything but an adult, stuck in the god's haven. Perhaps stuck was the wrong word- she had stayed there by choice. Either way, her conversation with the god of fish not long ago had brought her to some realizations- some during the conversation, and some lingered long after. She had pondered them so much that Aki, her maned wolf companion, had taken off for a few days, the goddess had been so quiet. She had remembered things that she had nearly forgotten about long ago. Perhaps she had taken some of this life and reacted wrongly. She had focused more on the falling aspect of her domain rather than the constant strength it held, even when things were at rest. Perhaps that had been the source of her unrest. Whether falling or at rest, her domain was always there, acting just the same. That was something that she had lost her focus on.

She had wandered fairly blankly, for once not really looking for anyone or anything. She rarely sought anything particular, but she did seek something. No longer, it seemed.

Her paws had brought her to a place new to her. While it was by no means cold here, it was chillier than the rest of the savannah. In the distance were mountains, possibly capped with snow. Either that or the mists from the morning were making the tips of the mountains before her look light in color. She stopped nearby to lap from a stream, rearranging her wings slightly in the morning light, wondering if she should head for these places. It was rare to find such mountains in this part of the world, besides the God's Haven…

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Light Atago

Recently, Vikali had been focusing more and more on making sure his family line lasted. His mind had been on the rogue lands, and the pride which he protected, looking for suitable mortals who might bear strong and lasting families for him.

He had not, though, considered the possibility of an immortal brood.

As a good, he knew that he would be around for a very long time, and thus it was not the God realm that needed to be reinforced. He never thought about it, but he was fairly certain in his blood lasting because he would, of course, remain.

Stretching his wings, usually hidden in disguise to blend into the pride, Vikali sighed and looked out over the snowy realm. It was beautiful, he supposed, but mortal beauty had always been difficult for him to see. He flew up and slowly moved away from the mountainside, out toward the savannah beyond their lands. It was a surprise to him to see something he had not considered: a god. When was the last time he had seen another God?

Circling for a moment, he decided to fly down to her, to at least see what she was up to.

"Good day," he said passively, as he settled into the grass.  

[Light Atago]

The dark goddess' ears twitched at a soft sound- someone landing not far behind her. She did not jump or startle, nor did she completely ignore the sound. It was familiar, a type of sound no mortal could ever make. Mortals that flew, after all, were small, and these sounds were coming from something much larger. She knew that it was another immortal before she turned, and a God when he spoke. She licked the water from her lips before turning to face him.

As she had thought from his voice, this one was not one that she ever remembered meeting. "Indeed," Din said simply, looking him over. It was always a habit of hers to try to guess the domain of any who she met. However, this god did not give away many secrets with regards to his domain. She supposed she did not either. "I had not expected to meet one of our kind out here, in such a…" she paused, searching for the proper word, "… arbitrary place," she concluded. Indeed, there had been no special landmarks or particular destinations that this place could be en route to. None that she knew of or remembered, anyway.

Introductions. "I am Din-tei, or Din. Gravity is my domain," she said with a nod. He had been polite, it only seemed reasonable that she do the same. While the goddess did not care whether or not she offended a mortal, she was always careful not to offend her fellow gods. They, after all, were the only ones who could truly understand one another. Even disguised as a mortal, few mortals could understand her motives for her behavior. Mortals were so… temporary. Here and gone again so quickly… How many of her own mortal cubs had she seen in her lives come and go again? So many that they became somewhat insignificant…

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Light Atago

"My pride is not far from here, in the mountains. I was not expecting to meet another God, though, either. I have not seen another one of my kind for some time."

He stayed in the Frozen pride to protect his half sister, but she was mortal, and there were none of his God family there. He had not seen any of them for some time now, though he could easily go and look for them if he wanted. Most of the time, he just did not think about it, as he ran under the assumption that they were living their lives, as he was living his, and that was how it was meant to be.

He was not exactly sentimental, though he had a soft side buried under his cold demeanor.

"My name is Vikali, God of Durability. It is nice to meet you, Din," he bowed his head stiffly. "What brings you to so arbitrary a place?" He could not help but sound a little suspicious. Not all Gods meant mortals well, after all, and she was heading toward his pride... he needed to be careful.  

[Light Atago]

"I see," she said, at his words of his pride. She often found it curious when a god joined a pride of mortals- she wasn't always sure what the reason would be. "Are you their patron? Do they worship you?" She asked smoothly, tilting her head towards the mountains without taking her eyes off of him. Other than worship, she had a hard time understanding why immortals would tie themselves down in a mortal's pride and live like one of them. Such gods were so rare, it was a good chance for her to possibly find out what the rationale might be.

Durability- she nodded slightly as she pondered the domain. A solid, probably revered one. Certainly one that could be doubted from time to time, but there were enough things in the universe that remained in tact that durability could be a powerful domain. She chuckled lightly at the hint of suspicion in his voice. "To this arbitrary place? Mostly, my paws and my thoughts. I had no purpose in coming here. However, I must admit," she said, looking the god in the eye to gauge his reaction, "that I had intended to visit and explore the place. Mountains and snow are so rare in the savannah, I thought our Haven was the only place to have it. I assure you, I have no intention to stay nor to interfere if I decide to go at all. Just to observe, if it does not disturb the locals." This was true- the worst the goddess had ever done to groups of mortals was watch, disguised as a mortal, and talk to them. What they quarreled over and believed in was amusing, sometimes interesting. She cared enough to watch, not enough to become involved.

"I suppose it must be a unique pride, having you about it," she mused as the thought arose in her mind. "So many mortal prides rise and fall naturally, but having durability amongst their midst must make it a little different." The lack of durability of mortals was one of the things she did not care for about them, so perhaps they were just a little bit better when touched with the god's presence.

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Light Atago

"No, I live among them in secret," he said slowly, as if considering if he wanted to tell her or not. He was very quiet, generally, and had never told anyone about his job in the frozen pride before. Maybe that was why he was telling her now, the back of his head argued reasonably.

Even he could not be alone all the time, right? Living in secret, staying in the shadows, hardly ever mingling with those that shared his home. Though he never seemed to care or notice, it was actually nice to be able to talk to someone.

"They do not know me as a God there. My mother had a mortal child, and left her in the care of the rulers of this pride. When I heard of their deaths, I came to the pride to protect my half sister, and ensure the success of her reign and the continuation of the pride. All things must last, in their way, and I am meant to see they do. As long as I am alive, Queen Elsa and her line will rule."

He nodded his head as she explained that she wanted to visit, though he had a feeling she was just messing with him. He tried not to let his fur get unsettled.

"You are welcome to visit, then, but mortals will be mortals. I do not interfere in most of their affairs: only when Elsa's rule or her family's lives are in danger. There are things I cannot protect them from, of course... and my own line must be preserved, as well. So I leave from time to time, like now. I hope, at least, you would not mind if I accompanied you if you did intend to visit the frozen isles."  

[Light Atago]

Din listened thoughtfully as Vikali spoke. It was to be expected, she supposed, that durability would seek to protect the longevity of his relatives. In a way, it was protecting himself. His reason was probably not a common one as to why gods disguised themselves in mortal prides, but it was a sensible one.

He spoke so much of preserving lines, it was not a thought that had crossed her own mind regarding herself. She had had a couple of mortal offspring under her guise of a cheetah. However, being just temporary mortals… She was uncertain whether their lines would continue on far. Besides being mortals, they were cheetahs, who had an even higher mortality rate than lions. She had not had them with her line in mind, she had had them with curiosity in mind…

Were they to be her representatives? Her only representatives? She would prefer if she had immortal cubs associated with her. She thought fleetingly of the god before her- he seemed equally concerned with such things. But that seemed like a rather long stretch- she had just learned his name moments ago.

"So you're preserving your line through your mortal half sister," Din stated to confirm. "I too have mortal ties. I often take the form of a cheetah you see- I have some cheetah offspring running around the mortal plain. I have long since lost track of them, mortals being so temporary… Are you considering her line your own?" She asked. Perhaps too forward- showing too much of her thoughts. She supposed siblings could carry on your own line, but nothing could substitute for cubs of your own.

"I might take you up on that," she said to his offer to take her to visit. "It sounds like an interesting place to see. I would almost prefer if you accompanied me," she said smoothly. "No better way to visit a place than with someone who knows it well."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Light Atago

"I am seeking to preserve my line through my own cubs, and that is why I leave my pride from time to time. I've not thought of taking another form, though, other than that of a lion."

He had not even considered the idea of his genes existing beyond lions, but he supposed it was all too possible. After all, they could take on whatever form they wanted, and if he chose to be a cheetah or a wild dog, so his line would carry on with them.

"But I have not had any cubs of my own yet, though I am seeking suitable mortals."

He watched her and seemed to catch on to her interest, blinking thoughtfully before nodding his head.

"And perhaps immortals, as well. I had not considered a God lineage."

He was the son of a God, though, and there was honor in that. He wanted his line, Glacier's line, to exist through the domains, like mortals through the years.  

[Light Atago]

"Variety is good, in case something should happen to one species, there are others. Though there is little stronger than a lion… Only us." She said. "To be honest, I had not thought about leaving behind a lineage for that sake. I suppose a great variety provides the strongest insurance that one's line continues. But in our unique position as immortals, we have another option altogether that does not rely as heavily on the success of future descendants…"

She glanced over to Vikali again to gauge his reaction. Thankfully, he had not thought it was too outrageous a suggestion. Or, at least, had not let it show if he had. He was not only suitable physically, but he had the willpower to stay with mortals to ensure their wellbeing for the future- a trait to be passed down to any of his own offspring. She herself, thanks to her domain, provided the trait of a strong, persistent constancy that few others possessed. Gravity would always be as long as there were two physical objects in the universe, perhaps a trait that would pass to any of her own cubs. They could certainly produce cubs that would persist through the eons, and through the infinite domains in the universe.

"It is a tempting proposal. Nothing is more permanent than our kind. I do not know what would happen if mortals ceased to believe in a domain, but neither of our domains is something that will lose belief over time… If we were each to create a lineage, given our domains, I would be extremely surprised if those cubs did not have stable, constant domains as well." She wondered what the dark god's thoughts on this were.

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Light Atago

"That is a good point. Perhaps I should take another form, and look to more than one species to extend my mortal line..." he looked thoughtful at that, shaking his head and trying to imagine what other sort of animal would be suitable for him. Not a hyena, certainly, and Wild Dogs were only slightly better. He was not sure he wanted his genes in with the canines, anyway. Perhaps a leopard would be fitting, as he knew them to be tough and lasting.

Not as much so as lions, but they were perhaps the next best thing.

He watched the other God and finally managed to really look at her. His eyes rarely shifted to look at someone an appraise their appearance, but he found hers to be rather appealing. Her color and coat were lovely, and her face was gentle, despite her best efforts to seem tough and detached. He could see in her, also, a strong heart. And of course, her domain was certainly attractive to him.

He actually managed to smile, though it was a rare sight and probably not one she would see often unless they had more moments like this. He felt oddly at peace, as if he had actually managed to find something he had been looking for.

"If you were not opposed to it, I could see our line being a strong and eternal one, even in the perspective of the Gods. It would be my honor, of course, if you would have me." He looked very serious for a moment, and there was a flash of something on his face. Youth. By God standards, he was not exactly old, and she was, in fact, the first lioness he had ever actually managed to talk to about this kind of thing before.

He would never admit he was nervous, though.  

[Light Atago]

Din gave him one more look over, though this time not looking for his reaction. He too was of a strong build, and had distinguished features, both when more stoic-faced and now, with a more peaceful expression. Though she had already thought over and approved of his character, she had not thought about his physical form. It was equally desirable.

It was also a rare moment for her, a soft smile came across her muzzle also. Such a good thing for the both of them simply could not be passed by. He also seemed like a good fit. "I can see the same- a powerful line to carry long into the future. I would be privileged to have you," she said with a small bow of her head. The goddess, too, had a small bit of nerves from it, which would only grow, she was sure. She had mothered mortal cubs before, but god cubs were a totally different thing. Her mortal cubs were honestly more from curiosity, but even at the thought of immortal offspring, Din was experiencing a more normal range of emotions. Love, excitement, expectation, fears. Was she prepared for all of that? She had truly grown in this lifetime.

She supposed nobody ever was, but everyone seemed to turn out fine. With that, she dismissed the concerns as best she could, for now at least. The goddess could tell she would have these thoughts weighing on the back of her mind with all of the weight they could muster.

Lithiasaur

Tag and finish?