"Hmmm."
Eisa was sizing up the Inselelo. There was a part of her that wanted children, but she also felt strange being the last one of her family here. She had only one sibling, and she had not seen her sister or mother in quite some time. Probably wandered off to wherever her father had come from. Eisa didn't have that urge to leave, even if she didn't really feel much loyalty to this pride. So if she had her own litter, perhaps her mind could shift from mild bitterness to contentment.
Except none of the males had interested her. At all. The newest inselelo were either pale (which, no thank you), or just....rather strange. Ugly? Would a make that ugly as an acceptable insult?
"Can I.....help you?" Giruvegan had been making his rounds, checking in one some of the lionesses that were just about healed from the stampede. Eisa had come out unscathed, so he actually had mostly ignored her. She had never made an attempt to speak with him, and he didn't like to always initiate contact when it may not be welcome. The way she kept staring at him with her gold eyes was starting to unnerve him.
"You're rather.....ugly. Has anyone actually said that to you before?" Eisa asked with complete honesty, her eyes staring straight at him as she awaited his reply.
"...excuse me?" Giruvegan replied, and then laughed. The grey around his mouth was rather entrancing, but Eisa still didn't see any of the charm in the rest of his markings, his forepaws included. His mane was a bit dark, including is a**, but... it still just didn't feel dark enough. Was he really as strong as some of the other females implied? Part of her wanted to test that theory, but she still wasn't all that interested in him. At this point, she just wanted to see what the gossip was all about.
"I have never been told that, no," he replied, taking this all rather lightly. "Though you're not the first one to blatantly stare at me, and I don't think you'll be the last one. My sister, Cerobi, seems to blend in better than I do. It is probably the boldness of my fore paws," he replied, lifting up his paws to flex his claws. The golden markings were so much like a hawk's, and yet that was probably the reason he had never really had a passing conversation with one. It was probably unnerving to any hawks that took a long look at him. "Were you hoping to offend me somehow? I am afraid to be a disappointment; I've looked like this my entire life."
Eisa gave him one long look before narrowing her eyes. "That is not the response I expected. You do seem to live up to your reputation, however."
Giruvegan was honestly a bit shocked. He was sure that the lionesses gossiped, with how the way the pride was structured, but he hadn't really thought about the fact he would have a reputation. "What....what do you mean?" It was clear that this was the first he was hearing of it. Even Cerobi hadn't said anything to him about it. He trust her enough to know that she would share anything with him. Perhaps some of the other lionesses kept it from her, assuming that she would share it with him?
"You are different than some of the other inselelo. More concerned about safety and health, rather than procreating. I've even heard you're a bit...shy about it." Eisa had to prod, since it was rather strange. Some of the males in the past were very good at it, as she recalled how many pale lionesses that one silver male seemed to create.
This again. Was it really so strange? "I came from a place that normally had some form of marriage," he replied carefully. "And although I would never call myself a romantic, the way of life here is rather different than the ideals and morals I was raised with. It doesn't make them wrong, but it reminds me that I am living in another pride, and that my services are part of the deal to continue to offer strength to this place." He cleared his throat, hoping to move past that awkward part of the conversation quickly enough.
"Still...that doesn't fully explain it all..." Eisa couldn't really think of anything else to tease him on. He actually seemed rather decent, if still somewhat ugly. "But fine. I guess your reputation is still intact. I have no interest in you myself, I just wanted to see what the fuss was about. I suppose you're decent enough." She offered him a nod before deciding to leave him. Part of her wanted to go clear her head with a good hunt, and she was certain there were some other lionesses that would join her. There were enough younger females that probably could use more guidance and practice with hunting...so she wandered off to go find some, leaving the inselelo alone.
Giruvegan watched the female leave, not really sure what happened. His heart felt a little strange, realizing that there were many layers to all the lionesses that lived here. It was impossible for him to have all of them think of him favorably, regardless of the work he put into his duties. Disappointment nipped at his heels as he himself decided to turn and leave, wondering if perhaps he could check in with Cerobi and see if she was doing all right.She had seemed to be doing well, but he was also hoping that there weren't any that were excluding her just because of him...and his strange coat. He did know the dark mane was something going for him, along with the darker elements of his coat. If some of the lionesses were a bit more focused on looks, he knew he wasn't a complete waste.
Well, he had made enough connections here, and they felt worthy. He just had to remind himself that not everyone was the same, and that was....ok. If all else failed, he could just find Umutsuz and she could slap him with another affectionate insult.
(1,030 words)