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 Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 3:20 pm
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"What is it Sabia?"
The crimson lioness had approached Zjarri`fol and her daughter, Makuu, with excitement in her tone of voice and a strange smile. In all of her time knowing Sabia, Zjarri couldn't think of a single day that this particular expression had been worn.
"Well I've just finished an Askorun." The Warlords brows furrowed and appeared to grow unimpressed by the intrusion and it's silly reason. "Well Sabia I'd expect you to be handling any Askoruns requested by outsiders. You're not only a Reaver anymore, you're a Captain!" Her patience was dwindling on the subject, but Sabia simply grew a scowl and stood her ground. "You barely let me finish Zjarri`fol." The use of her full name had her attention and she focused her pink eyes on her trusted right hand.
"This lion bested me in the Askorun, to a point, and to be frank he was basically a wall." The crimson lioness had continued on telling her tale at this point and was clearly going to ignore anything that Zjarri was going to say - if anything would have been said. "I'd like you to have an audience with him." Now Zjarri couldn't hold her surprise back any long. "You know if I accept an audience with him that I'll have to do that with every new Freeborn that walks in from the roguelands. Do you know what you're setting me up for?" Her pink eyes narrowed and before Sabia had a chance to even open her mouth it was Makuu who actually jumped in to defend.
"Mom, why not? You know Aunt Sabia wouldn't ask you if she wasn't sure he wasn't something extraordinary." Makuu looked at her mother dead in the face with pleading eyes. Sabia had never been so proud of her niece. "She's right, you know that Zjarri."
"Damn it."
Zjarri felt herself crumble inside and eventually fold. The lioness had always had good judgement, how could she question it now? "Fine. Bring him to me and I'll talk with him, but if he proves to be nothing special I won't be able to promise the same exception in the future." With her threat she received vigorous nodding from both individuals and a smile from Sabia. Zjarri could feel her eyes roll a little bit. "Well cmon then."
Then she witnessed the crimson lioness disappear from the den entrance and heard some chatter outside. Whether that was Sabia and her lion or someone else she couldn't be sure so she turned her attentions back to Makuu.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 3:53 pm
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He wasn't sure what the customs of the pride were, but he found that being dragged along with Sabia to meet the Warlord was a little... extreme from a mortal's perspective. As a god, he would have expected the Warlord to come to him. But, he was trying to fit into a role, and that was one of a strong rogue lion (very mortal) trying to find a home. He was a little concerned with having to converse with more lions when he could barely fumble through a lie with Sabia. The god of warriors was convinced that Sabia hadn't believed him, though she hadn't given him any indication that she had caught on to his deceit.
Mkhai knew how ridiculously bad he was at lying.
In playing along with his new identity, he now found himself sitting outside of the Warlord's den. To say he felt awkward was an understatement, since he was left outside to his own devices while Sabia talked to the Warlord. Honestly, he had no idea what sort of lion he was going to meet. All he knew of the Myrsky Syntynyt was from whispers and rumors, and the promise of strong warriors. Perhaps he should have tried to collect a little more information about the pride he had gotten himself tangled up with, but he still believed that doing this himself was the best and most interesting option.
Sabia returned from the den to collect him just in time to save him from trying to think up of more lies and excuses to hide his identity. Mkhai entered the den, his eyes first focusing on Makuu. They lingered for a second before determining that she wasn't the one he was here to speak with. No, it was her. The blue lioness had the proper aura to her, one that made her more experienced and impressive. "Warlord Zjarri'fol." Thankfully he remembered her name.
He wasn't exactly aware of how to address her, or even how to act around her. It was a peculiar idea to him, having to tiptoe around mortal customs. "I am Mkhai." It was clear to see why Sabia was excited to have him meet Zjarri. He was a massive lion, and his own presence could be naturally intimidating. The god carried himself with purpose - it was only to his benefit that they hadn't witnessed him dawdling outside trying to figure out how to occupy himself during the brief wait. "I am honored to meet you."
It still seemed too strange for him, but he would have to get accustomed to treating others with the respect their ranks in the pride deserved. And she was the best, so she would receive the best from him.
He had forgotten to thank her for seeing him, but by the time he had realized it he considered that window of opportunity to pass. Mkhai could only push himself so far right now, anyways. If he didn't have his mortal illusion on, he wasn't even sure he could push himself into this den. He instinctively felt a little cramped. There was no room to fly here.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:13 pm
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Zjarri`fol wouldn't have entertained a rogue on normal circumstances, but these were unusual. It went to show that Captains may actually be able to make such a demand - it wasn't something she particularly excited about, but if it was important to them she would make time for it. Pink eyes went from her daughter to the entrance of the den where a commotion suggested that their visitor was indeed the individual outside.
Silently she and Makuu seated themselves while waiting for the lion to enter the den. To their surprise a large shadow accompanied by an even larger lion came into view and very nearly blocked the entrance, alongside Sabia. The crimson gave a fond nod to Zjarri. "I have to go and address a couple of Reavers about taking leave soon. See you all later." Her farewell was simple enough and Zjarri expected it. "Goodbye Sabia." Her pink eyes followed the crimson as she left and ended on the male that, when she finally looked at him, had eyes on her daughter. That quickly ended and soon she was addressed.
It still sounds so strange.
Her thoughts were echoed by a warm smile, but a stern appearance soon followed. "It's a pleasure Mkhai." Zjarri grew silent briefly as she began to size him up. His pelt was a scattering of white, blue, and black. He bore the stature of a warrior and wore the stern face of someone who might have seen a few battles in his time. He appeared disciplined and in many ways more prepared than Reavers who have been training their entire lives. In short, he seemed made to be in the ranks of Captains though he would simply be a Freeborn until his first Viking. "The lioness that just left was Sabia`deimos - she's a fantastic Captain and warrior, but not so great with formalities. The lioness to my left is my daughter, Makuu."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mkhai, welcome to the Myrsky Syntynyt."
The blue lioness couldn't have been a more proud mother with the way Makuu carried herself verbally. Nor did she shy away from showing her pride. "I can see why Sabia was intrigued enough to bring you by here." The lioness had little to fear in showing her appreciation for the male. She stood and strode over to him to get a better look at his form. "Where did you come from? She didn't mention anything."
Makuu perked up as her mother left her side to get a better look at the male. The dark lioness was intrigued by the new Freeborn and was even touched by a desire to know more. The rogue that joined the pride had always made her curious about what was out there to the point that she had even considered leaving - now she was glad she didn't. Instead of speaking up she remained a silent party to the conversation being share by her mother and guest.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:46 pm
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Mkhai seated himself, his posture relaxed despite his relative discomfort with the situation. He was under prepared for concealing himself within the pride. It was brash youth that had convinced him to leave his home behind and join a pride he had only heard rumors of. There were stories of other gods interfering with the lives of mortals, but Mkhai had never thought he would be one of them. Was he simply passing the time by amusing himself with the Myrsky Syntynyt or was his interest in the pride more genuine than that?
He still hadn't determined which it was for himself. The pride held promise, far more than he had anticipated. Mkhai was eager to get to know the pride, and see how long his interest would remain focused on it. "Ah, I didn't actually catch her name before," the large lion admitted. He had been distracted by the challenge, and names seemed unimportant when there was a fight to participate in. "I was led here directly afterwards, so time for talk was... not in excess." Mkhai wasn't a chatty lion either. His socialization skills were subpar at best.
"The pleasure is mine, Makuu," he answered the younger lioness. Green eyes settled on her for a moment, properly etching the memory of her form in his mind. Mortals tended to appear the same to him, and he wanted to make sure he wouldn't forget her. His interest in her seemed fleeting, as his attention was drawn back to the lioness' mother. He knew he was being evaluated, and he had to convince himself not to straighten his posture or try to look bigger than he already was. There was no reason to show off to Zjarri - he was who he was, more than she could know of him.
More questions, and Mkhai wasn't sure he could properly weave his way through the questions without giving away too much. "A land we call the Haven." He did not yet specify who 'we' was, since he was not asked to. "I am not sure if many other species know of it... they're a secretive bunch." He glanced away from Zjarri, perhaps uncomfortable with the close inspection.
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 10:54 am
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Zjarri`fol chuckled to herself as Mkhai confirmed Sabia's inability with formalities. Fortunately if he had to track her down by other means her unique adornments would be enough to let anyone know who he might be looking for. "Perhaps I should say, instead, that she doesn't talk much at all." Her mind immediately went to the first time she saw Sabia without that mask. The crimson lioness didn't talk and was usually hidden behind that mask, the only other ocassion it had been removed for public viewing was during an Askorun with a female that Zjarri had come to know as Azadi. Needless to say there was little shock in her voice or face as she spoke, though a smile tugged at her lips.
The blue lioness watched as the green gaze left her briefly to settle on her daughter, she was keenly aware of how long those eyes rested there. Her own pink gaze fell to Makuu as she was under scrutiny. Makuu, for her part, didn't squirm nor drop her gaze as the green eyes fell to her. In fact, if asked, she would have said that she felt empowered and proud. She soaked the feeling up with a deep breath, but didn't dare move from her spot. The moment seemed fleeting, but also seemed to last a lifetime for the young lioness - intriguing.
"The Haven?" Her ears fell back before perking up. "An interesting name. If they are so secretive then why are you telling me?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, it wasn't as though the lion had truly betrayed his own, but the look in her eyes suggested it was not proper. This didn't stop her from being curious or posing more questions, but she didn't have a chance. Makuu moved from her seated position to stand, opting to move a little closer to the lion that sat square in the dens entrance. "Are all of the lions as big as you are there?" The genuine curiosity was fairly clear. "What are they like? A hardy people?" Her pink eyes were wide and growing wider with each question. A whole secret society? It was worth investigating.
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 6:59 pm
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"Because even if you know of them, you will never be able to reach them," Mkhai answered so precisely that it would be a mistake not to believe him. His calm confidence was born from a lion who simply knew he was better than most. Among gods, he was strong, and among mortals he was even stronger. There was little he could be made to say that he did not want to, but he did want to have the favor of the Warlord. Mkhai intended to spend some time within the pride, make his mark upon it. He had to be accepted as a lion, because he knew any illusion of equality would be broken if he were revealed to be a god.
He wanted to see these lions at their best - not cowering before some god's strength.
The daughter spoke up again, and for a moment Mkhai paused, wondering if he should indulge the lioness' curiosity. She seemed to have become emboldened by her curiosity. Before she had stayed a fair distance away from him, but now that he had dropped some tantalizing information in front of her she was drawn in by it. The mother had a life of experience to curb her enthusiastic curiosity, but Makuu was almost refreshing. Mkhai was not so old that he could not remember that same youthful, naive curiosity.
"They are," he answered matter of factly. It was difficult for him to appear warm to others, but the fact that he was even answering her harmless questions was testament to the truth that he did not dislike her. "I am not the largest of my kin," he admitted with a small nod of his head. The lion remained sitting stoically, his gaze for now focused on Makuu since she had so many questions. "They are very... diverse. It would be hard to pin down a defining trait about them besides 'large' and 'imposing'." He had encountered a few gods that were... unimpressive. There were the meek and the strong willed. There were the ones that fancied only their self indulgences and barely bothered with anything else, and then those that cared greatly for the world.
Mkhai fit in there somewhere. In many ways, this was one great indulgence that he was embarking on.
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2017 2:46 pm
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Mkhai tilted his head at Makuu, emerald eyes burrowing down into her own pink gaze for a few long seconds. Humor was completely and entirely beyond him. Growing up, there had never been any of it, and now he had only captured glimpses of it. He recognized the attempt at it, but couldn't for the life of him figure out why it was supposed to be funny. The den was very small for him, and he was feeling a bit cramped. If he was any larger he would probably suffocate right there, wedged in the entrance. It was a serious and sad plight - certainly not a way for any lion to go out.
Too much time had passed, and Mkhai realized belatedly that the lioness in front of him was probably expecting some sort of response besides an intense stare-down. A smile, awkward and honestly unseemly upon him, was the best he could offer her. "Correct, I imagine it would be quite cramped trying to fit even one more of me in here." Ah, he was vaguely sure that was not how he was supposed to answer her attempt at humor.
His attention was directed back to Zjarri'fol, and this time he did not have to lie. The truth could be laid, bare and simple, before these two lionesses. "I was bored. It was a complacent life, and one I am ill suited towards. I hope to leave a mark here." He suspected the answer would be unsatisfactory, but he supposed she would have to settle for it. The world he had come from had grown dull and uninteresting. The real challenge was here, and he found himself falling prey to the desire to influence it. If given the opportunity, Mkhai would do his best to forge this pride into something more formidable - something to be truly feared.
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 12:58 pm
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Makuus expectation of how the conversation would have gone was to hear that big ol' bumbling laugh she imagined the giant to have, but no. Instead his emerald gaze fixed to hers and she felt herself shift a bit in discomfort, had it been anyone else she would have promptly turned to her mother to confirm how funny she was. However badly she wanted to do that she couldn't. The silence carried on far longer than she had anticipate, to the point that she wanted to shrink away into the shadows. Before she could manage to find a way to shrink into nothing his voice interrupted her.
"Wait.." Was he being ironic? Makuu was sure it wasn't appropriate to laugh, but a small giggle slipped out. "Oh. Wait.. you're serious." Her pink eyes widened in surprise, but she was saved by the conversation turning its attentions to her mother.
Zjarri`fol was very nearly snickering at her daughters inability to accept the way this lion was acting. It wasn't a personality she hadn't faced however and so it came as no shock when he didn't quite grasp the humor. To the youthful Makuu it would have been nearly taxing on her mind as she thought her way back around the jest time and time again.
"Complacent or not it seems foolish to leave a place that has kept you safe, and obviously well fed." Seeing as he wasn't so quick to catch onto a joke Zjarri felt safe teasing him a little. He wasn't fat, no, but large. If he took offense.. well maybe the Stormborn would be a seeing a new Warlord sooner than they thought. "I don't think you'll find this place to be boring by any means, but it is what you make of it." She spoke firmly, her tone changing to address the more serious note. "So if you put some effort in you will get quite a bit out of your experience." A small smile of pride tugged at the corner of her mouth. This was he home and she was proud of it.
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 1:51 pm
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Mkhai had to wonder if he managed to say something humorous without intending to when Makuu giggled. The sound was soft, almost sweet, but he couldn't discern what had encouraged it. Instead he glanced back over to Zjarri, weighing her reaction to see if there was something he had missed. There was no answer for him with her, and so Mkhai was left fumbling in the dark over the matter. The great lion frowned a little, but seemed to accept the laugh without offense. He must have said something funny, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. "I was certain that I was," he answered, as if she could have doubted that he was serious now.
"I need no place to keep me safe." The response was quick, his eyes for a moment sharp. If she had suspected him to be angry at the suggestion that he was too big, she was wrong. Rather, the idea that he could not protect himself at any stage of his life was far more offensive to the lion. However, he let the insult slide off his shoulders. He had harmed others for less, but Mkhai was doing his best to fit in with the pride. Attacking the Warleader, while tempting and fun, was not the grand entrance he wanted for himself.
He wasn't here to bring the pride down. Mkhai was here to raise it up, see it become all that it was destined to be and more. With a god's direct influence, the pride would surely become a formidable force. Mkhai needed a way for his presence to have a more lasting effect. While he wanted to amuse himself with the pride for a while, there was no way he would spend all of his vast lifetime here. He'd get bored very quickly, and there were always more interesting battles on the horizon. A passing fancy the Myrsky Syntynyt may be, but he was becoming invested in seeing it thrive in ways the pride could not have previously imagined.
"I intend to. With my strength, I know I can contribute much to this pride. I am very interested in seeing its future." He could do so much, but he couldn't let on to it without blowing his cover. For the moment, he was intent on keeping himself concealed. It was the best way to move about the pride and learn about it. His godhood would just be a hindrance now, though he was sure it would have made his welcoming go quite a bit easier.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 11:55 am
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Flabberghasted - perhaps the only way to explain the look that took over the youths face at his answer. She watched, with large pink eyes, as he spoke and grew quiet.. what more could she do? Makuu let loose a small sigh and pried her eyes from the hulking lion to look at her mother whom had begun smiling a little bit more largely at the sudden burst of defensive tones that followed a small accusation.
Zjarri`fol, unlike her daughter, was unphased by the reaction Mkhai had given. If he had done anything differently she would have questioned what he was even doing here. "Good. This place won't keep you safe. We work together, yes, but never expect to be coddled." Her tone grew dark and stern - a mother teaching her cubs the dangers of their river so to speak. "I don't think you were expecting to be coddled, but I don't want you to experience any surprises either." She informed him with a much lighter attitude.
"Happy to hear you wish to contribute. We will accept your desire to do so." He had already proven himself to the pride, most cases didn't even make it to her door. Sabia was right to do so though, he was unique, but she could place her paw on why. "You'll be wise to head down to training or perhaps seeking a Captain." Sabia would take him under her wing, if he would fit there, but Zjarri figured the lion would be striving for the title all his own.
"Go ahead. I have other things that need my attention - if you need anything I'll never be too far away." She remarked and encouraged him to leave. Makuu was looking to the lion again, just as curious as her mother, but wearing it all over her face. "See you later?" She asked merrily.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:10 pm
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If it wasn't for the mortal guise he wore now, Mkhai would have given himself away with his arrogance. He was an undefeated god, who hadn't suffered any major loss to make him feel as if he was incapable of taking on the world. Nothing on the mortal realm made him fearful. There were only a few gods that would give him hesitation, but he had yet to encounter them. Right now, he believed himself to be irrefutably the strongest within the pride. All he did was play at being weaker for the sake of blending in. He needed no protection, needed no shelter. He was a god, after all.
"You have nothing to worry from me in regards to that. I refuse to be coddled. I can be a fount of strength for this pride." His words were always blunt and to the point, resonating with confidence and power. Both of those traits he possessed copious amounts of.
The lion nodded his head at her advice. He could not see himself being taken underneath someone else's wing... especially when they did not actually possess wings. But, if this was the proper route to go through to rise to the top, then he would. "Then I will listen to your wisdom, and do so." So, he needed to find a Captain and join forces with them. Mkhai was sure that he could prove his worth quickly, and perhaps from there become a Captain himself. The only appeal of the position was the promise of power and notoriety.
They need not know him as a god, only as a mortal with unquestionable strength.
His gaze, in its unyielding intensity, shifted from Zjarri'fol to Makuu, taking each of the lionesses' dismissals in turn. It was almost amusing how formal the mother was, and how much the daughter had yet to learn. A smile appeared upon his face, smug and fleeting. He did think he would like to see the two of them again. "Yes, I suppose I will see you both later. I appreciate the meeting."
With that said, the hulking shape of the lion made an awkward turn in the den to exit. Zjarri'fol was right - it was very cramped in there.
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