[PRP] Talk of the Trials (Juu x Dineo)

[demon_pachabel]

Times changed and yet as constant as the finality of life, the N'ezi-ozu persisted. Though as with time, so had they changed. The stories of his parents - and even grandparents, before they too had passed on through rituals he had stood watch over - told of how such things had come to an end. Sometimes, Dineo thought longer and harder about such things. More often than not, however, the matters of what was happening in the then and now held precedence. The plague had all but passed, and now?

Now they had more than simply trials of the pride, but the Trials of the King as well. Though perhaps that would weigh more heavily on the mind of some than others - and as he made his rounds, being extra vigilant in his checking up on all in the pride to be certain they were well and had not seen anything of concern, it was he who found himself idly entertaining it.

While perhaps her brothers would have been considered more easily recognizable, Juu, in her posture of something that resembled melancholy, was not a lioness that Dineo would have considered a completely unknown face. Not a friend, but someone you nodded at in passing, and occasionally dropped in to give well wishes upon when something good was happening in her life. Which also meant that checking in when one was looking glum was also completely within social acceptability as well.

"What thoughts are sent to the sky this day, Juu?" he inquired in a low and unintruding voice as he approached, kicking along the same pebble she had before taking up a seat some paces away from her, looking on with as much interest as his serious face could muster.  

[demon_pachabel]

"Hope, hmm?" he held onto the notion briefly, turning his own gaze up to the sky thoughtfully. Certainly, throwing such a thing up into the sky wouldn't launch it very far, but it did depend on where you were wanting it to land. Close by? Perhaps upwards was as good of a direction as any other if that was the goal. "Hope is good, and we have plenty of it being sent out towards others within our lands." They had more young lions that made it to adulthood and they were beginning to be able to focus on the smaller things alongside the larger ones.

Progress, perhaps?

His attention turned back towards the lands he had been taking his paces through at her inquiry, before he looked back to Juu and shook his head slowly. "Nobody has raised any concerns with me yet, and at the borders all I find are vultures and other birds that wait for time to repeat itself. I dare hope that it will be some time yet before they get another body from us."

AstoriaFallen

 

[demon_pachabel]

The trials were indeed a thing, and Dineo would quickly admit; "I haven't put as much thought into them as other's have, perhaps. As I am not participating, I try to not romanticize or make light of what may happen during them when I cannot experience them. I can only have my confidence in that things will go well and do what I can to make sure the pride stays protected and safe in the interim." While others may have had strong wishes on where they hoped the result of the Trials would leave them all, he.....

Well, he would be content to live under the guidance of either brother as their leader.

"Do you worry for them, Juu?" he inquired softly. Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if she did - they were, after all, her family. But did she have more reason than some did to worry?

AstoriaFallen

 

[demon_pachabel]

He rose to pace after her, though he lingered several steps behind. "There is no fault in worrying. I cannot tell you not to, because I do not own your feelings. They are your family, after all." It was perhaps a safe answer, but that made it no less true. He could do his best to reassure her, but in the end, he couldn't take away her thoughts. "You worry out of love, after all."

Dineo couldn't say what the trials consisted of, though. But would their pride really have endangered their ruler to be with such things? It seemed more likely a way to determine succession when they had two likely heirs - or more. Children were born in litters.

"Things are getting better, and they will continue to once your brothers finish what has been put in front of them."

AstoriaFallen

 

[demon_pachabel]

And there she was, looking up towards the sky again. Was she sending more thoughts of hope out towards it? Or was she sharing more of her worries? Certainly, while he'd been willing to take on some of her burden - was that not part of his job in caring for their pride? - there was only so much he could make her hand off to him.

"Only for a time, Juu," he assured. Someday she would look back and wonder why she had ever worried.

Her offer was surprising, perhaps, but Dineo took little time to consider it. "If you wish to, I would not mind the company." It would perhaps give her time to see how the others of the Pride were feeling about current events and even take some solace in knowing how they were feeling about mysterious events as well.

AstoriaFallen

 

[demon_pachabel]

He nodded in turn, taking up stride next to her. "Very well," his voice was low and quiet as he jerked his head the direction he was going to walk in before he began to walk. It wouldn't be a particularly interesting round in terms of excitement, but there would at least be plenty to see for those who looked.

AstoriaFallen

Sure! I'm down/up/sideways for anything smile <3