[PRP] Circle of Meh [Aketch x Nemanja'janan]

[Uta]

Alpaca Chobi

Apologies for the brevity of the post. I'm still dusting him off, haha.

The earth may have been scorched, and the land unpleasant, but it wasn't devoid of life. Not really. The dark maned god had found himself in the scorched lands, and he was not at all concerned about the heat, or the inhospitably. A place was a place was a place was a place, as far as he was concerned. This place was no different than any of the other places he had been before; there was ground, there was air, there was sun, there was night -- honestly, every place looked about the same from the god with the all black eyes.

Step...
Step...
Step.

One paw in front of the other. The large god didn't know where he was, but he didn't care. The heat? It didn't matter. The dust? Meh. Honestly, Nemanja'janan didn't care where he was, or why he was here. But he did care that he was still standing, and he could tell his threshold for caring to move was diminishing.

He heard a few protests and complaints of a group of nearby vultures, but the god barely noted their existence on his radar. Thankfully, the vultures didn't seem to worry too much about him, either; while they moved to the other side of the corpse to finish gorging, Nemanja'janan paid them no heed. Instead, he managed to walk past the scene, before flopping his paws gave up, and he flopped down hard on the cracked earth.

Let he vultures think they had a new free meal. Nemanja just didn't care.

 

[Uta]

Alpaca Chobi

Nemanja'janan did not expect to meet another fellow god in such a place, but he also did not care. Similarly to the vultures, the sudden appearance of a goddess hardly registered with him. Even as he lay in such a flopped state, the spike-tailed creature said nothing, and did nothing, as the other circled him. He stare out before him, breathing in and out, though when the lioness settled in front of him he did allow his black eyes to slow, ever so slowly, look up to see who it was.

The goddess was not one he immediately recognized, but that was just as well. When had he last been back to the Gods Haven? He'd left its realm as a young lion, and had bothered to return only once when he met up with Blood. Though he made no motion when Aketch reached out with a talon, he kept his gaze upon her. It was the most effort he could muster. Whoever she was, she wore the face of a skull, and had claws the likes of which he'd never seen. An unusual creature, but who was the spikey lion to judge?

After getting a look, he let his gaze relax, and went back to staring at her feet and where she sat. Trying to make eye contact was just too much effort for the likes of Nemanja'janan.

So, he said nothing, and remained still as the grave, as if he'd all but given up the ghost. Whatever Aketch wanted, she could have -- he didn't care. Let her attack, let her peck at him, let her leave him be -- it was all the same to him.

 

[Uta]

Alpaca Chobi

Nemanja would not have objected even if the vultures had begun to pick and peck. Honestly, he did look a mess -- his mane was tangled, his feathers in a constant state of molt, and his thick, plush coat was always in need of grooming. He was not the most handsome of gods, but he didn't care. Why go through all the effort of grooming? He was not in the habit of making good first impressions, or caring to impress at all. Here, as a collapsed heap, was no different.

Still, when the goddess spoke, one of his ears did give a small twitch. For perhaps a bit too long he said nothing, considering her words, and debating whether or not he had any desire to respond. Would it really matter if he was cursed by someone? Was it that strange for a god to be left alone in a heap? He wasn't sure how long he lie there in silence, but manners eventually bubbled to the surface. He had once been a polite lion, and had once been trained to at least speak when spoken to. He had not always been so consumed by his domain, and a hint of the old Nemanja'janan bubbled to the surface.

His voice was deep, low, and a bit gravelly from lack of use. "No." It was about as much as he could manage, for now. Maybe in a few more moments, he'd summon energy enough to say something more than a simple refute to her query. He was not cursed, nor was he hurt, or wounded. He simply was.

 

[Uta]

Alpaca Chobi

The lion considered the goddesses words, an internal war happening. Past all that apathy, the large lion was not necessarily a bad sort -- or at least he wasn't rude. He had been raised to grow to be a good and powerful lion, and for some time, many years ago, he had been a good god. But life has a way of crashing down, even upon the gods, and Nemanja'janan had wrapped himself up in his domain. Caring was what lead to hurt, and the black maned lion never wished to feel such pain again. Passion, creativity, kindness, consideration, all went out the window the day he shroud himself n his domain.

Unfortunately, if it were meant to be a temporary reaction, the god had rather lost his way. At this point, he saw no reason to care, no reason to answer. Why talk? It wouldn't matter. But the goddess had asked about him, had even perhaps been foolishly worried. A small, tiny, sliver of life poked through that armor, and the large lion let another ear twitch. Slowly, slowly, the beast finally rolled heavily to his feet, so he might at least face the goddess. He was, of course, a mess, and another large, black feather fell from his molten wings. He slouched, almost as if the weight of his greasy and tangled mane was holding him down like a chain, and his black eyes showed no warmth. It was clear just sitting up in such a fashion took effort.

"Nothing is....the matter," he finally spoke, pausing for too long between each word. "Existence takes much effort." Besides which, he did not care to walk, or fly, or go much of anywhere. What did he care that this land was hot, and seemingly dead, and generally unpleasant? It was what it was -- a place, as the rest of the world was a place. He did not care if he was comfortable or not, hot, cold, surrounded by others, or alone. Nemanja cared little about anything, at the end of the day.

Finally, almost grudgingly, the lion showed some sign of consideration. "Hello."
 

[Uta]

Alpaca Chobi

Nemanja'janan listened to the lioness, and actually took the time to consider her words. Vultures? Meh. He hadn't entirely realized that there had been birds nearby, or a kill; honestly, he hadn't even realized the lands were unpleasant to most but that was because he didn't really care where he was. One land was just like any other; if this one was hotter on his paws, and harder on his body than others, did it really matter? No. Not really. Very little did, if here were honest.

His spiked tail gave a little flick, and he slowly looked over to where some of the vultures stared at them and then slowly looked back at the lioness. Strange to find another goddess here. He didn't really know what to say concerning nothing being the matter. Nothing rarely was the matter with Nemanja-- not anymore, at least. A small part of him knew well that things could be horrible if he let them -- but those thoughts, those memories, that grief and pain, stayed buried far beneath the shroud of apathy.

It was just easier this way.

At her query, he knew he would have no choice but to reply. "You need not... worry..." he stated slowly, his usual lethargy present. "Here is simply a place I happen to be. I have no where to go, and no place to be." The lion couldn't remember when he'd had such a lengthy conversation. Each word almost sapped his energy, but he would not stop talking until the lioness wished to do so. "I did not... intend to tempt," he explained. "Their presence did not... seem important to note... until now... But even if they had... Their interest would have waned...in time." If he gave the smallest of shrugs, it was difficult to say; it might well have simple been a shift of his position.

"I am the . . . god of apathy," he explained. Perhaps she would now understand why the vultures would be no threat. Even if they started to peck and pick, they would have to get through his greasy mane and knotted fur first; and by that time, they might well be too apathetic to care. Indeed, for any vultures that were too close to Nemanja, even now, might begin to feel a wave of disinterest wash over them.  

[Uta]

Alpaca Chobi

Sorry Nemanja is such a . . . apathetic blob. gaia_pawstamp

A small part of Nemanja was surprised when the goddess released a sigh of relief. The black eyed god had to wonder if she had really been so concerned and alarmed -- all over a stranger, too. Was she naturally so curious or was it just that there was little else to do out in the wastelands? A question almost bubbled its way to the surface, before his usual apathetic nature shrugged it off. There was likely not sense in asking follow up questions, since he knew the goddess would more than likely be on her way soon. Very few hung around the lion for long... and that was probably just as well.

Still, when she said he might not care, he did let his spiked tail tip give a small thump. A slow blink, followed by a lethargic reply. "I might not... care... but it is interesting to know," he stated with a shrug of his shoulders. The action was too much for one of his wings, and a large feather fell from where they were loosely folded. "All is well here." He confirmed.

Well, about as well as it could be. While Aketch turned to watch the vultures fall from their perch, Nemanja seemed to slump even more from where he sat. "... I suppose....it would be.... prudent for me to... move." He finally confessed. Given her domain, he doubted the lioness would care to find the local scavangers inadvertently killed by his presence. It would be easy for another to come along and eat them, or they might will simply let themselves wither away as the days passed. While it didn't bother Nemanja'janan what the vultures did, or who succumbed to their apathy, he was smart enough to know it might bother others nearby.

But getting up sounded like so much effort. Mph. In a minute, perhaps... he needed to build up his willpower.