[PRP] No Sympathy for the Weak (Dione x Bjorn)

[Epine de Rose]

Her brother had gone off the previous evening following their discussion with more on his plate than he probably anticipated. Credit where it was due, he was taking the whole challenge well, but she still hoped that the responsibility on his shoulders would be temporary. Suffice it to say that she actually loved her parents and the prospect of one of them suffering a fatal blow was not something she wanted to dwell on - Destati best show his face in the future so that she would have her nerves settled!

Nevertheless, in order to provide herself with a distraction the lioness made the decision to pursue something else. Nanabe might have been making progress on some of her research but she hadn't yet completed all the preparations - as such, the lioness wasn't prepared to notify Dione that it was time to commence the second part. Dione might have been particular, but Nanabe beat her by far when it came to meticulous set up.

Thus, her target?

Bjorn.

She wasn't quite sure why, but something hadn't sat well with her the previous evening and rather than ponder over it she had decided to take the bull by the horns. As dawn drew round she had set out to locate the bumbling drunkard and she had eventually located his home. There was no way he was awake at this time of day, not in the state he had been in before - but he would be.

She gave herself a few moments to set up and prepare, then took some additional time to ensure no one was in the immediate vicinity. Fortunately most seemed to be early risers and as such she was free to make as much noise as was physically possible...which was exactly what she started to do.

She hadn't started to serenade him yet, but if that was what was required she would bring her tone deaf voice into the mix.

Mysses Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The large sleeping form of Bjorn was nestled quite nicely into his den in such a way that the noise suddenly erupting from just outside his dens entrance echoed seemingly directly into his head. Ears pinned back and eyes squeezed shut he rolled to face away from the wall and peer outside as best he could, brow furrowed while he tried.

"What the hell, have the Gods decided to rain upon us in holy terror!?" He grunted to himself and decided that perhaps this one time would be worth his getting up to check out. See what all the commotion was, perhaps stop it? His plan was simple - kill the noise maker. Upon further inspection, as he reached the mouth of his den, it was that blasted pale lioness that he could only recall fleeting memories about from the day before. "What in the hell are you doing?" Eyes narrowed to blue slits, brow furrowed and it was clear as day he wasn't a happy camper - he barely even noticed a few onlookers who seemed to get the hint that they ought to move on with their lives.

The burly blue lion moved slowly forward, aiming to get into the lioness' personal space, maybe startle her? Had he been paying attention he'd have realized that his pelt was a disaster, there was a string of drool connecting from the corner of his lip to his mane - all in all he was the picturesque 'morning after' a little to much ale to drown out sorrowful memories.

"Will you step away from the noise makers? Or do I have to make you step away from the noise makers?" A growl rumbled deep in his throat, his anger was beginning to boil into a white hot rage.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Good morning!" She chimed in a voice that would have given her mother's merry tone a run for its money. She had come fully prepared for this reaction and even as he began to stride towards her she didn't budge... On the contrary, she knocked at a few more of her little drums and trinkets as if to make the point that he should absolutely step away from his den.

It was only on closer inspection that she realised he was a complete mess.

Ah, alcohol had to be the least pretty morning after picture she had seen, although Bjorn beat her brother hands down when it came to the temper tantrums and appearance. What stood before her was an absolute vision of beauty, simply staggering, every female would fall at his paws and every male would want to be him. She wasn't being sarcastic at all!

"I've given it some thought," she said finally and ceased in playing with her trinkets. "And after much consideration I have determined that you require instruction, so you will be coming with me. So chop chop, let's get cracking - in the words of my beloved brother, 'Tally ho'!"

Mysses Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"Good wha- ... ?" He was stopped in his tracks as she battered the quieted space with more sounds that immediately rang through his sore head in such a way that he cringed uncontrollably. In a whole the action stopped his movements all together and nearly knocked him on his a** - instead he held it together, though with a small sway. "Is this your idea of a- ..." Bjorn tried again to finish a statement, thinking he'd been talking relatively fast and yet he couldn't seem to keep up with her rapid speaking.

Instruction? He thought this with utmost concern.

Blue eyes stared at her in disbelief, but he had to admit that perhaps there was a problem, this was the first morning he'd awoke to the distinct parenting voices. Explaining how he could have so much more if he just drank so much less. The thought made him fearful, to go a period of time without drinking himself into the ground? He wasn't entirely sure he could do it - yet he felt compelled to hear this lioness out.

"I'll go with you -hic- .. but you must promise you'll not bring any of your loud, obnoxious 'instruments' with you and never say 'good morning' like that again. This is the morning, but there isn't a damned good thing about it." He was still standing and had full intentions of following her when she met his demands.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

She banged her little drums again to make a point.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe this was about me receiving instruction," She eyed him critically and lifted up one of the more transportable drums. "As this is required for your instruction, we will be bringing it with us," she stated and motioned for him to follow. Truth be told she expected obedience, if he tried to retreat into his den again she would be singing him the song of her people and if he thought the noise was bad now...

Well, he hadn't heard her sing.

Frankly no one here had, it was probably because Tethys had banned her.

"And it's barely sun up, there's still plenty of time for it to be a good morning, so get your chubby a** moving, we're on a tight schedule and right now I'm not so sure you'll be able to manage it," she stated and strode off with her head held high.

Mysses Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"This is what hell is like. I promise I'll be a good lion."

Bjorn mumbled the little prayer to just about any god that would be listening as he silently moved to follow her in a defeat topped with agony. His hell was on earth and named.. hm. The thought occurred to him that the individual he had talked to more in the past couple of days than he had the last month hadn't even told him her name, nor would he ask it.

"Chubby a**?" As he had already begun to move to follow her he'd be up and felt like perhaps he was following her incredibly awful rules. With a quizzical gaze he peered back at his a** with a half asleep look of what the hell. "It's not thaaat big." He complained like an over grown child.

"Also, your idea of a good morning and mine, are two different things entirely."

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Hell is significantly more grey actually," Dione retorted as she moved away from his den and completely bypassed the township, it was clear that he was going to be taken away from the very thing he seemed to be inclined towards. In fact, she seemed to be heading directly to one of the rivers that led towards the ocean.

"Let's not mince words, your a** is fat," she added as she caught him admiring it. "Much fatter than it should be for a Reaver," she pointed out and quickened her pace deliberately. Eventually she was going to be doing more than a trot, she was gradually and subtly increasing her pace to the point that she would eventually be jogging and even though he might have been bigger than her, he was still going to have to quicken his step to keep up.

"My mornings generally don't involve being hungover after being piss poor drunk the night before," she called out over her shoulder at his final remark.

Mysses Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Damn, he'd been heard.

"More grey, or are you color blind?" His nose wrinkled as though he'd smelled something foul, yet he followed along with not much more than he whining words. "Okay, perhaps you may be right, for a Reaver."

The pace suddenly changed as he admitted that perhaps his habits had likely caught up to him, particularly in the rump area. Bjorn was able to keep the pace without struggling, sure he'd packed it on, but he wasn't entirely awful - or so he had convinced himself. A few huffs into the change of pace and he found that he'd been lying to himself and likely his family as well. Their concern began to feel just a little more real.

"And what is -huff- your morning routine, devil spawn."

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Get up sober, have my breakfast and then commence my studies for a time..." she spun round and began to jog backwards as she regarded him. Honestly, the guy had a damn fire in his belly so why was he in such a ridiculous slump, was it really over some lioness who had upped and left? She had yet to fall in love, but she imagined she would be much more practical about someone simply getting up and disappearing.

First of all, she would find something else to do rather than simply waiting all day for someone who had vanished.

"Visit the town, check in on what other reavers have brought back in case they have anything I want available. Take a quick jog to stretch out my legs, make sure nothing is too tight," she continued to list things off and then raised a brow. He was breathing a little more heavily now, so she at least had his blood pumping. As for his reference to hell, well, she wasn't done with him yet.

"Hm, maybe it's a little more white than grey," she mused. She righted herself and broke into a run, pressing on up towards the ever steepening slopes that let to the tops of the cliffs. Given how early it was, the fog would still be there, and perhaps the chill would give him the jolt he needed.

Mysses Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"Blah -huff-, blah -huff- .. okay you might have a damned point." Bjorn wasn't about to give up, but s**t could he use a break - what was he doing this all for anyway? His life had gone to the pits and surely that wasn't going to change, though if only he'd been able to see the future and what this lioness' brother may have him join to accomplish. Then and only then would he be convinced that there was a purpose to this blasted running.

"White seems a lot more accurate now." Narrowed eyes glared her way and he found when he did glare at her that it wasn't directed to her rump, instead she had turned to face him - when on earth had that happened! Perhaps he shouldn't hangover and 'jog'. Then suddenly she was changing her jog to a run and Bjorn fought to keep up with her - he was pleasantly surprised by the result as he began to maintain a speed that his legs hadn't seen in ages and as they set paw into the higher parts of the cliff he was refreshed by a fog that still linger.

Okay, perhaps he could stop the little voice in his head that suggested he leap from the cliff to his death, this wasn't entirely so bad. Though he'd never in a million years admit that to 'White Death' - he'd sooner tell her he was drinking all over again, encountering a relapse. Day one and he had already shocked himself with a relapse thought - was he going to do this? And for some lioness that had happened upon him during a good day for her while he was at his worst?

Far to much to think about.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"I always have a point."

The voice came from somewhere, but somehow the pale lioness had managed to shroud herself in the fog that still lurked on the cliff top. She had originally set about bugging him, such was her boredom, but as he had complied with her and shown a hint of what he used to be underneath, she felt inclined to find out exactly what it was.

He was a shadow of his former self and if a lioness had managed to do this to him then she was worthy of the greatest respect. Well, respect in the sense that she commanded such passion and loyalty, not so much for the fact she had vanished without a trace. Regardless, she wasn't about to let the spark she had detected go completely out; maybe it was the influence of her father, but he had never been the sort to let someone wither away for foolish reasons.

"Do you know that at this current point in your life, you are most assuredly the definition of pitiful," there was a peculiar sound, almost like scratching. Truth be told, while hidden, the lioness had leapt up onto a little perch and had lay down. "Or you were at least."

"You should probably wipe that saliva off your mane by the way," she added. Suffice it to say that she recalled his state from when she had woken him and it wasn't as if she'd given him a moment to clean himself up.

"I don't know who it is that you're pining after, and nor do I care on a personal level," she paused briefly. "But I am going to take a stab in the dark and assume that she didn't love someone spineless, are you sure she would be inclined towards you now if she were to return from wherever fate may have taken her?" she hadn't asked it, so much as demanded the information.

"Quite frankly, she would have every right to be appalled."

Mysses Greenie

 

[Epine de Rose]

Mysses Greenie (FROM AIM)

“You do, eh.”

Somehow, with all of his huffing and puffing plus slowing himself down he’d lost track of his pale companion. The voice had alarmed him, but it helped that he was much more alert for the morning and so he was able to form a sentence, no matter how short.

At the pitiful comment he grunted and brought a paw to his mouth to wipe away the mess, gave his mane a toss to clean it up and then straightened himself out before seating his fat a**, as was determined, on the ground. He still looked a touch ruffled, but looked much better than he had at any other point in time that she had known – perhaps he would get something out of becoming a pet project afterall.

Bjorn felt his head drop rather quickly at her comments – she wasn’t wrong. “My heart breaks to agree, but you’re probably about as accurate as you could be without me give you any more information.”

“What do you want from me?”

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Nothing," She replied.

A silence fell on the area in which they now resided and for a while there were no disturbances save for the bluster of the wind and waves. Wherever she was perched, she seemed to be comfortable and had no intention of moving at the time. However, now that she had been posed the question directly she did have to be honest with him, strange as it might have sounded she wanted nothing from the male... She already knew there was nothing to gain.

If she had been an ambitious young girl perhaps she might have sought to steal him? Who knew, but for the time being he seemed to lost in his grief that even the most ambitious would have failed. No, what seemed to have happened to the lioness was something her father did often. As a youngster she had never understood it, what was the point of it... now she began to see the merit.

"I am curious as to what you want from yourself though," she continued at last and clucked her tongue. "Were you truly defined by this one individual, or were you something before?"

Maybe that was what she wanted; she wanted to see him find himself... To reignite that spark that was dangerously close to sputtering out.

Mysses Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"What I want from myself?"

Blue eyes closed, listening to the sounds around them - the hum of the river and the scratching of her claws against a material she had been seated on. It was clear she was perched at a higher angle than himself and so there wouldn't be much he could do in the way of tackling her off her 'high horse'. So instead he was forced to sit there and really think about her question - think about himself without his partner.

"I'd like my daughters approval." He almost threw up trying to say that, but he barely knew the lioness in front of him and his exhausted brain had figured that there was no way this would go anywhere, but here. Of course he ran the risk of being mocked later. "I had the chance to do something, many many moons ago - join a warband, become something my cubs could have been proud of." Instead he had begun to wallow in his depression that seemed to take over so quickly, he barely even knew he had been sad.

"Pitiful sounds about right."

His head was hung once more, the shame making his entire body feel incredibly heavy.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Interesting," Dione continued to stare at the lion from her perch and clucked her tongue. How long did she intend to stay up here? Not long she surmised, it wasn't as if it would serve any purpose. Thus, with that in her mind she dropped back down behind the larger lion with a quiet thump and released a delicate sigh.

"So what's stopping you from doing that now?" she enquired curiously.

"There are plenty of warbands, more than enough would take a seasoned Reaver," she swept passed him and finally gave him what he deserved, eye contact. He had answered her honestly and she saw no purpose in drawing it out. Mysteriously, she had also lost her drum... It was probably up on the perch, but she didn't appear to have seen the need to bring it with her.

"So what obstacle, exactly, is currently standing in your way?" she challenged.

Mysses Greenie