[PRP] Big Bad (Karaliskas & Samael)

[Princess_Feylin]

Lissa had always enjoyed watching viking bands return to the stronghold. When they were successful it was a joyous, exciting time. Even when they weren't, it was still interesting. There were still stories told and mint consumed and some measure of celebration, even if there was some solemnity. For example, if someone died on the viking. However it turned out, Lissa loved it.

Today, however, she was doing her best to avoid it. Her half-brother Brenning and his wife, who was one of her best friends, were celebrating the promotion of two of their offspring to the rank of captain - the highest rank anyone in their families had achieved in the pride. It was quite the accomplishment and they had every reason to be proud. She just wanted no part in it. Brenning was her brother by the wrong mother, and she got tired of constantly lagging being Lyti in terms of accomplishment.

Instead of celebrating, Lissa was wandering the pride, watching the shadows lengthen as darkness fell. It was a good time of day for brooding.

Tanakako

 

[Tanakako]

The black paint reaver limped along the path, headed away from the stronghold and its many celebrations. Their last Viking had been brutal, Captain Ragnvard's ambition was well known, but the sheer height of it, the Captain's audacity, was beyond belief. Samael wasn't at all sure if the lion he called Captain was entirely sane. The band had set out as usual and quickly found a group of rogues. However they had clearly been experienced fighters, and they had outnumbered the small raiding party three to one. Ragnvard had refused to leave them alone and ordered an attack. The Stormborn Lions had triumphed but the toll had been high. All of them had come away with injuries, some of them serious. The rest of the band had been thrilled with the fight, and we're at that moment deep into the mint and fermented fruit, singing of their individual victories and showing off the loot they had won. While the thrall they had dragged back served them fruit and meat constantly.

Samael wasn't so sure of the entire fiasco. Lucivar would never had made such a reckless move and Sam was starting to appreciate the differences between the two Captains. Sighing heavily he paused and licked at the deep bite wound on his foreleg. The pain wasn't the worst he had ever suffered, but it was more than enough to keep him sober and troubled.

Princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Were it not for the lion's pale mane, Lissa almost certainly wouldn't have noticed him moving through the lengthening dusky shadows, but once she had noticed him, using the pale mane to help her pick out the rest of his silhouette, she also noticed that he was moving with evident discomfort. That could be a touchy thing, particularly among reavers, who paradoxically liked to boast of their wounds while at the same time refusing to acknowledge that they could be wounded.

She decided she wouldn't mention it unless he did, and then wondered briefly when she had decided she was going to talk to him at all, though she didn't dwell on the latter question, as she was already thoroughly sick of introspection and brooding. Probably, if he hadn't turned up, she would have told her sour gut to shut up and gone to her friend's party like the good friend she was. Maybe she'd decided to speak to him to avoid doing that.

"Good evening," she greeted the lion, making sure she was placed so that she would not appear to have been stalking him or anything weird like that.

Tanakako

I'm trying to decide if she should ask him to go to the party with her.

 

[Tanakako]

Unlike the lioness, Samael didn't pay attention to his surroundings, nearly running right into über before her voice broke into his thoughts, drawing up sharply he squinted against the darkness. His front paw held up off the rocky ground, clearly painful.

"It is a good day to die." He returned, gaze finally locating her in the darkness only for his eyes to widen slightly. She was gorgeous! Her coat holding a very fine purple and black colouring, with a stunningly slim physique. In fact she was so pretty even in the shadows that he almost swallowed his tongue. Forgetting his injury he bobbed his head in a bow, one of the things he remembered his old Captain doing that the ladies always seemed to appreciate from the big brown Captain. Maybe it would work for him too. "What is a beauty like you doing all the way out here? The pride calibrates tonight..." His tone honestly curious, for once lacking the slimy suggestiveness he typically employed.

Princess_Feyln

He won't mind going if she asked him to. X3

 

[Princess_Feylin]

"It is," Karaliskas agreed automatically.

It didn't occur to her to apologize for startling him, because she was accustomed to reavers who didn't like to admit they could be startled anymore than they liked to admit they could be hurt, but she did actually feel remorse for startling him. It couldn't be fun to stop suddenly like that with an injured paw. or leg. Or whatever was causing him to limp.

She completely lost track of that thought, however, when he asked her what she was doing all the way out here and called her beautiful. She had never doubted that she was attractive, but she had the misfortune of being friends with two lionesses who were more so, at least in the eyes of the pride's males, it seemed, so she had not received a great many compliments to her looks as long as Lyti or Naaja was around. Stormlords. Even when they weren't around, she used to be asked to intercede with them on some lion's behalf if he was too flower-blooded to make a move himself. She would never agree to help those lions.

"Actually, I really ought to be there," she admitted. "I just...don't really want to be?"

Probably it had been a mistake to say that, as it would prompt him to ask why, and then she would sound like a terrible friend when she explained herself, but she'd already said it and couldn't very well un-say it. Maybe she could distract him by asking him questions about himself instead. In her experience, males loved to talk about themselves.

"What happened there?" she asked, nodding toward the leg he favored.

Tanakako

 

[Tanakako]

Sam grinned as he saw her look of surprise, and was that a hint of pleasure in her expression? Surely she had been told many a time just how pretty she was, for she was indeed glorious. But maybe other males were just too scared to tell her? Pondering that thought for a moment he surprised himself with a flash of possessiveness. He wanted to be the one telling her how lovely she was, and no one else. Not a very flattering trait he was sure, most females seemed to prefer the very strong, or honest ones. Resisting the urge to wrinkle his nose at the thought of Lucivar, Ragnvard or any of the males who attracted females so easily, he smiled at her again, ears pricking at her reply.

"Is anything the matter?" He asked in an uncharacteristic moment of generosity. "You don't have to be anywhere you don't wish to be. And if anyone else says different, just let me know." He added, pulling himself up a little before his paw suddenly pulsed with pain again, reminding him of the recent injury. Wincing he glanced at the offending limb, sighing in reply as he shrugged faintly. "Bitten by a flea-bag rogue. It'll heal, its just painful to walk on."

Princess_Feyln

Sorry this took so long, Storm Imogen killed my net.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Lissa smiled when she considered his question and realized that there wasn't really anything the matter. She was being childish and sulking was all, and she didn't have to be. Probably if she made the decision not to sulk, she'd enjoy herself and her evening a great deal.

"Nothing's the matter," she told him. "Just a dark mood. But it's passing."

If she was aware of the fact that her words might be taken as flirting, she didn't show it. The fact was, flirting or not, she was being truthful. Her bad mood was dissipating in the face of a good-looking lion telling her nice things. Sometimes something simple like that was all it took.

"I'm glad to know it'll heal," Lissa responded. "Perhaps some mint will take your mind off the painful part for a bit?"

The next thing she said actually took considerable courage, since Lissa had never been particularly inclined to make the first move, but she wasn't really thinking of this as making the first move. She was just making the decision to bring someone interesting to a party she had every right to be at. If he wanted to come.

"I know my friend's party will have some decent mint, if you don't want to break into your own stores of it. I could introduce you around, if you don't already know people there."

There! She did it! Ha!

Tanakako

No worries. I'd've tagged you sooner, but Gaia didn't give me the quote notification.

 

[Tanakako]

Her smile felt like a hammer blow to his chest, but instead of pain, a warmth spread there. She had actually smiled, and no in that way of most females when he spoke to them, as if they were humouring a slow cub, or simply trying to disguise their anger. No, her's was genuine and to his surprise, he felt an answering smile curl across his muzzle.

"I'm glad. No one as pretty as you should feel down." He replied, voice a touch softer than before, his revelation bright and tingling in his mind. She likes me. He had trouble getting past that fact, but managed to avoid making a fool out of himself when she asked her next question. Glancing down at his paw, he briefly wondered if he should thank Ragnvard after all. For otherwise he would have been unlikely to run into this beautiful female.

"Mint sounds like a very good idea..." He mused after a moment, looking back up to meet her gaze, a warm and welcoming grin on his muzzle. Moving forwards to stand beside her, his limp still noticable but his mood considerably lighter, he tipped his head, indicating for her to lead the way. After all, he hadn't been invited to the party and didn't know where they were going. "Maybe I could persuade you to introduce yourself first?" He suggested with a softer smile, gaze playful. An expression few ever saw on the patchy male. "I'm Samael, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Princess_Feyln

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Lissa would have blushed if that were possible for lions. Being called pretty so often by a lion who was by no means bad-looking himself, and not apparently seeking a favor from her was a somewhat novel experience and she found herself wanting to giggle like an adolescent. It was almost embarrassing how easily he was impressing her.

"Stormlords, I'm sorry," she exclaimed when it was pointed out that she had neglected to introduce herself. That was...not the worst thing in the world, and certainly better than if she had introduced herself and he had forgotten her name already, but it was still a little embarrassing.

"It's good to meet you, Samael. I'm Karaliskas Hinokosdottir. You can call me Lissa, though. My friends all do."

She did take a moment to wonder what sort of a name Samael was. It sounded like an outlander name to her ears, but then, there were sometimes surprising similarities between traditional Stormborn names and the names chosen by outlanders. Lissa's siblings' names ranged between the two, although more tended toward proper Stormborn names, so that their integration into the pride would be easier, despite having two outlander-born parents.

"Shall we go?" she asked, matching his smile.

Tanakako

Probably we could call this done with your next post, if you like.

 

[Tanakako]

His laugh surprised him as she appologised with such an embarassed and scandalised look on her face. It was perhapse the first true laugh he had uttered in a long while. Refusing to allow thoughts of his current dilema to sour his mood he grinned at her, teasing yet warm. Laughing with her, not at her.

"Karaliskas Hinokosdottir... That is a very impressive name." He returned, dark eyes twinkling. "Lissa..." He repeated, tasting her name on his tongue and finding that he liked it very much. His grin flashed again as he motioned with his wounded paw -it was already held up off the floor anyway- for her to lead the way. "I shall follow you, my dear." He replied, equal parts shocked and surprised at the turn of events this evening, but beyond pleased with it.

Unaware that she was wondering about the origin of his name, he would have had to disapoint her, for he had never thought to ask and his parents ahd both died some time ago.

Princess_Feyln

Sorry this took so long! Been struggling to keep up with the ORP after my net croaked out at home. Think this is done now. Can't wait for them to join the party!