[PRP] The importance of "Specialness".

[~Masamune~]

Contrary to what others may think, the God of Fish didn't spend all of his time by the sea. Sometimes he liked to travel in-land to interact with mortals that he hoped would appreciate him just as much as the mortals by the sea did. In his mind, it was obvious that all the creatures living on the coast would think that he's great. There's even a Pride of lions named after him (apparently). In-land mortals were just a bit slower in noticing his specialness.

Smiling contently as he eyed his own reflection in the watering hole which he had chosen as his in-land base, he considered putting a few of his own creations into the water there. Sure, they would be a bit secluded, but at least in-landers would have a small preview of what his domain was all about.  

[Kaytla]

A large yawn split the scruffy leopard's maw, and he stretched on the thick branch that supported his body, claws of his forepaws scratching at the rough bark. His dark golden eyes opened slowly and he blinked up at the sun poking through the leaves above him. Another pretty day to laze away at this quiet, unpopulated watering hole. He felt he deserved a few after travelling so long and so hard.

He stretched again and dropped down from the tree with more grace than he looked like he had, his tail swinging lazily behind him as he meandered toward the water for a drink. It was only as he reached it that he realised he wasn't alone, and his eyebrow rose just slightly as he looked at Bahari. Sitirika had to assume this was one of those gods... After all, regular lions didn't have wings - especially like those - did they? Or... spiky whiskers like that. Or tails that ended in what reminded him of a fish's fin.

But, unusual as this sighting was, he wasn't really intrigued enough to start up a conversation. He wasn't even mildly social at the best of times; he had to be coaxed into talking usually, like Kwaruza had done. Hell, she'd gotten smiles and compliments and even a few laughs out of him. Not something easily managed. And so, once his eyes had taken in Bahari's odd appearance, he turned his attention to the water as he leaned down to lap at it.

 

[~Masamune~]

As the leaves of a nearby tree began to rustle, the God glanced brefly towards it. Perhaps an Avian of some kind had come to bask in his splendor? Unfortunatly, he was mistaken, as a rather scruffy leopard ejected itself from the tree soon after the tree had begun to stir.

Bahari'nswi looked at the leopard as if he had never seen anything like it in his life, which was funny considering he was a God. The fact was, he had seen many leopards throughout his many lifetimes, but he had never seen one that didn't maintain some sort of standard when it came to their coat.

"Ew."  

[Kaytla]

Sitirika heard the God, but chose for the most part to just ignore him. It bothered him not in the slightest that Bahari'nswi's opinion of him was 'ew'. Why should he care what some big and ungainly fishy lion God thought of him? The answer to that was... he shouldn't. So he did not. He just drank his fill from the cool water and then sat back to have another long stretch.

Slowly he laid himself down, rolling onto his side to soak up the sun's rays a bit, his eyes closing as he flicked his tail around lightly. "It's considered polite to keep one's opinions to oneself if they are not complimentary," he said mildly after a moment of silence, shifting his head around on the ground to get it more comfortable.

 

[~Masamune~]

"Looking like you do, you should be grateful of our critique." The God replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. The leopard didn't seem all that interested, which caused Bahari'nswi to frown a little. "It wouldn't kill you to make some sort of effort, especially around someone as special as us."

The God of Fish wasn't really used to other beings not acknowledging his Godly-greatness, so it confused him more than a little that this leopard wasn't 'oooh-ing' and 'aaaah-ing' at him.

(( X_x; Sorry it took forever. ))  

[Kaytla]

Sitirika laughed, a condescending element travelling in the undercurrents of the sound, and opened one eye to peer lazily at the 'almighty' Fish God for a few moments. How full of hot air this one was. He needed a razor sharp tongue to cut down that ego of his, in Sitirika's opinion. If only the laid back leopard could be bothered to be the one to do it. Lions weren't worth his time, Gods or not.

"And yet somehow... I don't appear to be. Funny, that." He gave a lazy stretch, rolling shoulders still a little achey from long travel. "Special? Us?" he continued scornfully. "I don't see more than just one of you, and I certainly don't see anything worthy of being called 'special'." He snorted in derision, blowing up a mini cloud of dust with it, some of which settled on his coat... and he didn't even care. In fact, he found it amusing, since his scruffy state seemed to upset this pompous windbag so.

[I should smack you for it! xD Over a month! Tsk, tsk, Masa.]  

[~Masamune~]

Failing to pick up on the leopard's sarcasm, the God continued to speak in the same matter-of-fact tone of voice. "It's not funny at all. It's strange and slightly disturbing." The fact that the God thought so much of himself that he found it disturbing when others didn't was simply beyond belief. That was just how he was though.

At the leopard's accusation of not being special, he looked almost horrified for a second, but managed to maintain his reletively neutral expression. "Clearly you wouldn't know specialness even if it came up from behind and gave you a good grooming." At that point, he didn't even know why he was still there, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to leave without convincing this leopard of his fabulous specialness.

"What is your name?"  

[Kaytla]

The leopard gave a long, slow and luxurious stretch of his muscles, and slowly let himself roll onto his other side to get more comfortable. Of course, this action put his back to the stuffed-up Fish God, the worst insult he could do Bahari with the minimal effort of thinking and movement. "Obviously you don't have the intelligence to detect sarcasm when it's waved under your overlarge nose. Why am I even wasting breath and precious moments I could be sleeping speaking with the likes of you?"

His ear flicked to ward off a pesky insect, and he yawned. This God was boring him with his arrogance, and he'd much, much rather be sleeping than listening to this windbag blow hot air. "Or perhaps you're not as special as your swollen head leads you to believe." Let him chew on that for a few moments.

"My name is my business, not yours."

 

[~Masamune~]

Bahari'nswi just blinked in disbelief as the leopard turned his back to him. "We are far more important than sleep." He murmered, unsure how to proceed with this clearly insane leopard. Anyone who was completely oblivious to his greatness surely must have something wrong with them. However, the God had never encountered a situation like this before, so it troubled him deeply.

At the leopard's next comment, Bahari's jaw almost dropped to the ground. "Not special? Are you completely insane? Just look at us." The God remained calm, despite his internal distress at this leopard's condition. In an effort to show the leopard the light, he flexed his wings and spread his spines out as far as they would go. As the sun shone through the pink flaps of skin between the spines, they bathed the God of Fish and everything in front of him in a gentle pinkish glow. He knew he was fabulous, it was just a matter of time before the leopard would see that.  

[Kaytla]

Sitirika's jaws opened in a deliberately obnoxiously loud yawn of boredom, again communicating with minimal effort that this god didn't interest him in the slightest, and never would. "Obviously you're not," he said lazily in reply, "because sleeping is infinitely more appealing than talking with you."

The pinkish glow Bahari was inconsiderately radiating was working its way under Sitirika's eyelids despite his best efforts to keep it out, and eventually he shifted his head around and half-opened one of his dark golden eyes to look at Bahari. "If I were you, I wouldn't be drawing attention to the fact that I look like a rather unattractive and smelly catfish." That said, he moved his head back to how it had been before, closing his eye again. "And that detestable colour never flattered any living creature, so you're only managing to make yourself less appealing, which is quite a feat."

 

[~Masamune~]

For once in his many lifetimes, Bahari'nswi was speechless. He had never met anyone as blind and obnoxious as this leopard and he had absolutely no idea what to do about it. The God of Fish had never regarded himself as violent, so that wasn't really an option. Yes, he had killed a few dolphins and whales in the past, but then, all marine mammals had it coming. This leopard certainly had it coming, but a part of him still had to believe that the leopard was just insane. If that was the case, then he had to try and help one more time.

With his wings still outstretched, the God got to his feet and began walking around the watering hole to where the leopard was lay. When he reached him, he sat down once again, with his head tilted. "We think it would be best if you lay in the shade, and maybe took a dip in the water. Your brain seems to be completely worn out." Of course the God had been offended by the leopard's hurtful comments, but maybe it wasn't the leopard's fault. If his brain was frazzled like Bahari'nswi believed it was, then the leopard couldn't help being crazy.  

[Kaytla]

A sound of utter annoyance rose up in Sitirika's throat. Not quite a growl, but he was getting there. Why couldn't this arrogant fish go and hang around a different watering hole? Why did it have to he his watering hole? Why did it have to be him who always got bothered by company? He didn't want anyone around here. He didn't want to have idle chit-chat, and he certainly didn't want deep conversation. Listening to this lion god blow hot air was a definite no as well. He just wanted to be alone... forever alone. Was that so much to ask of fate?

He rolled over again so his back was once more facing Bahari, but this time the movement was fast, sharp, expressing his irritation. "Do you have fish eggs for brains? I don't care what you think. I don't have any interest in you. Since you're obviously starved for attention, why don't you go somewhere else to get it? Leave." He refused to be annoyed into leaving this place; he had come here first, he was the one who had made it his temporary home. Bahari had no right to come to this watering hole and harrass him.

 

[~Masamune~]

Bahari'nswi suddenly realised why the leopard was acting so mean and anti-social. He was lonely! Completely ignoring what the leopard said this time round, he reached out a paw and petted the leopard as if he was a cub. "There there. We know it isn't all that fun being alone. The reason we don't like being alone is because that would mean that there's no one around to appreciate our greatness." The God frowned slightly. "That can't possibly be the case with you though, as you lack greatness."

After a few moments of silent thinking, Bahari'nswi nudged the leopard. "Would you like a hug?"

(( rofl heart ))  

[Kaytla]

A low growl rumbled up in Sitirika's throat, passing through his teeth and out into the open air by the slight gap his small snarl made. He didn't like to be touched, not by anyone, ever, and he was more than happy being alone, thank you very much. His eyes opened to narrowed slits of burnished gold and fixed dead ahead of him. "Never, from anyone, especially not a cold and slimy fish lion."

He rolled away from Bahari's paw, barely managing to resist the urge to bite it, pushing himself to his feet and rounding on the god. "Listen to me, and listen carefully, if words can penetrate the layers of idiocy around you. I don't like you. I think you're a fool; a dense, egotistical, self-absorbed fool. I'f you're looking for appreciation, go jump in the sea and play with your scaly friends. Leave. Me. Be."

With that said, the leopard turned on his paws and walked away from Bahari, to lay down with his back up against the tree he'd climbed out of before.

 

[~Masamune~]

Bahari'nswi pulled back his paw, though not before dipping it in the watering hole for a quick wash. "We tried our best to help you, but clearly you are whale-brained." He said finally as he got to his feet. He had a good mind to smack the leopard over the head, as that was the only way marine mammals could be dealt with as well.

Deciding he had wasted enough of his precious time here, he lowered his wing spines and moved towards the watering hole. Another thing he had decided was that the leopard needed a wash. Without a moment's hesitation, the massive God dived into the watering hole, creating a massive splash that completely soaked the leopard.

(( xd I'm thinking you can either finish it in the next post, or we can do a couple more each. ))