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 Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:03 am
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Why was it necessary that he attend anything remotely council related? All that it had served to do was sour his mood considerably as certain nobles sparred with one another over their own sense of entitlement and tried to otherwise press their own ideals upon the more vulnerable. Even from his place on the side lines, where no opinions were afforded, he could already detect the tell tale signs of faction splits and even a hint of malevolence.
There were those who sought to influence more than just the vulnerable, regardless of how they might have phrased it, the Justicar's heir had been well aware of their intentions. As his brother sought to find a more compassionate path towards peace, there were those who very much sought to persuade him of otherwise... Or at least they would try to show him that it was all pointless.
After hours of much the same nonsense he had finally been released, and sympathetic to his mood, Gideon had allowed him to take the rest of the day off. Politics was not for everyone and the scheming could be exhausting, the spotted male was one of those who definitely didn't live for such things and as a result the break was much needed.
Where he aimed to go though?
Eh, given he was so close to the sparring rings within the Red District, it made sense for him to at least watch the show. He may not be permitted to participate but it was always interesting to see how others conducted themselves, even from a training perspective... and at least they didn't actively try to kill their subordinates to ensure they were prepared for the worst!
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 5:24 pm
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 Braith let out a slow breath as she headed out to face the day in her new pride. She'd been without a place to call home for so long it was a bit nerve wracking to be back in a pride, but she really did feel most comfortable in one. The Al-Siq was quite large, larger than her previous home, and it was a bit overwhelming to try to learn the land. There were different factions, so many creatures milling about, and if she'd picked up on conversations here and there it seemed there was a bit of unrest within this place. Still, the overall feeling was one of safety and security, and she was glad to be here if still a bit unsure about where she fit in all of this.
If Braith was one thing, though, it was eager to learn. There was much to see and experience and she wasn't going to let a bit of worry get in her way! She decided to head to the Red District, having been there a few days prior and finding it quite exciting to watch the dueling lions practice and spar. On her way there she spotted a male lion who seemed to be heading in the same direction she was, though he didn't seem as excited as she was to be heading there. Might as well try to get to know the locals, yeah?
"Ate some sour fruit, did you?" she asked as their paths intersected gradually, bringing them to walk side by side at a respectable distance. "Or smell something unpleasant? Surely that's not your normal resting expression."
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Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 3:42 pm
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"It might be," Nyc's sour expression remained as he continued to walk towards the sparring grounds. Despite that, he did seem to have the good manners to converse, match her step and ensure his attention was on her. With enough spatial awareness to step out of the way of on-coming 'traffic', he did well not to hit anything on the way.
"Give it time and it certainly will be," he added and raised his brow. A brief glance towards her chest to check for her charms seemed to indicate that he knew she wasn't local. Well, she might have chosen to become a more permanent citizen, something he still considered an oddity in the current climate, but she didn't sound like she was born here.
"Do I get a name from the one who has chosen to open a conversation with observations regarding my otherwise questionable appearance?" he hazarded. "Generally we start with something a little less direct here, we reserve the verbal jousting for later in the evening," he added, just a touch of humour hidden in the depths of his tone.
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Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 5:50 am
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The male's response might have scared off someone else, but Braith was well-versed in reading the entire lion: tone of voice, subtle changes in their posture, even down to quivering whiskers and fluttering eyelids. In her old pride it was a skill she valued highly considering how well others could act or, in her opinion, lie, and being able to sense when someone wasn't being honest was a boon to be sure. She could apply it to other situations such as this one where the tone of voice didn't really match the mood of the lion. Sure, he sounded grumpy, but it wasn't as if he was trying to scare her off.
He drew a laugh from the lioness with his comment about her opening question, her own body language relaxed and open, friendly and pleasant. Her tail was gently moving side to side behind her with her rolling gait, her ears forward to catch what he said, muscles of her face relaxed when not pulled back in a smile.
"I suppose I can give you that for weathering my observations so well," she teased, the humor in his voice hidden but certainly noticeable. Polite pleasantries and small talk were weapons in their own right, allowing one to gauge a situation and someone's disposition safely, but Braith enjoyed diving right in when she didn't need to be cautious.
"Braith is my name," she added. "And I do apologize, I'm afraid I'm still learning the customs of this place." Though her apology was sincere there was still a bit of an impish smirk on her face, clearly expressing she wasn't here to stumble over her paws in hopes that she hadn't offended him. If he was truly that easily put off she'd find company elsewhere. She was fairly confident she was in good company, though, so her stride remained true and her gaze was steady on her new companion.
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:49 am
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"Nyctimus," He offered in return. At least her name was easy to remember, it was succinct and he didn't have to practice it. He'd met some diplomats where he'd had to practice for hours to pronounce one syllable to ensure he didn't cause offence, suffice to say, he'd take her name over that any day.
"Or Nyc," he added after a moment of thought.
It was rare that many afforded him the use of a nickname but that didn't mean he lacked one. His own siblings were partial to it, but when it came to official proceedings and the 'general public' it was clear that they saw it as wholly inappropriate. It probably wouldn't have come at any surprise to her to have realised he wasn't terribly interested in that type of social nicety and didn't necessarily enjoy how stuffy things could be.
...Probably why he enjoyed the sparring rings so much, there things were raw and real.
"And I knew you weren't from here, you haven't made that hard to spot," he pointed out with a shake of his head as they wandered through the archway. The faint roars were growing at this point, but he could still talk at a comfortable volume. "But you picked a rather unusual place to set up shop," he added and raised a brow.
"Visit or long term?" he asked at last. Travelling merchants he was used to, the same with curious souls, he remained more baffled by those who chose to remain indefinitely and while she had her beads, that didn't mean she wouldn't change her mind after a few weeks here!
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Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:59 pm
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"Nyctimus or Nyc," Braith hummed thoughtfully, turning the names over in her mind. Back in her old pride there'd been a few lions with long, important sounding names and while Nyctimus wasn't terribly difficult, she did have to admit Nyc made him a bit more approachable. She'd probably flip back and forth between the two should he prove to be a good companion, one she sought out to spend time with, but since the nickname had been offered she'd use that for now.
"It's that obvious?" she asked with a little laugh. "I thought it was doing pretty well blending in." She'd gotten her beads, after all. Other than still getting a bit lost and being rather extroverted she didn't see why someone could pick her out of a crowd. Maybe this lion was someone important, someone that didn't usually get casual conversations thrown their way.
"Long term if things continue as they have been." One ear swiveled in the direction the roars were coming from and her head turned a moment later, a little eager bounce in her stride. It sounded like there was definitely some sparring going on!
"So far it's been good. There's lots to see and do, many different animals to meet and get to know. My pride before I came here was strictly lions so to see so many species intermingling is quite enlightening. What is it you do here, Nyc?" she added, looking back at the other lion with a curious smile. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself, how I'd like to contribute."
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 4:59 am
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"Most don't tend to approach one another with quite so much familiarity unless they are friends here," he pointed out. If that was the only thing that made her stand out then she was doing well, and to be entirely honest, they could have done with a few more who were willing to bridge the distance and start the conversations. If his brother's aims were anything to go by then they were a fairly fundamental part of ensuring success.
Nevertheless he wouldn't press for her to change, she was an outsider with an interest in staying here and in the end, her external viewpoints and expertise might well be exactly what they needed. He was neither here to judge nor demand change, well, not yet anyway...and even then he would need a very specific set of circumstances to end up involving himself directly in the political games of nobility.
"I am Justicar's heir," he replied after a moment of consideration. "In summary, nothing more than a noble with several more extra curricular activities for the time being," he explained. Given he wasn't considered to be ready yet and his father remained in good health, there was no reason for him to take up the position. In time he would be expected to do so but for now he was simply in 'school'.
...Given the choice, he'd prefer the more physical elements rather than the academic side though.
As they arrived at the sparring ring and were greeted by several lions in the duelling arena, he returned his gaze briefly to the ring before flicking his gaze back towards the lioness.
"We generally take a career at a young age, one normally complimentary to our talents. Surely you have some of those to help assist in your decision for long term contributions?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:18 am
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Ah. Well, that made sense. Braith had been the one to initiate all her conversations and relationships thus far and she'd gotten the sense that this pride was a bit more introverted than her former one. Nothing wrong with that, of course! Perhaps she'd just have to tone down her outgoing nature a bit so as not to scare off potential friends.
When Nyc gave his title she tried not to react too intensely, though she couldn't help her ears turning forward in surprise. He'd lead the pride some day? Not any time soon from the sound of it, but still! She felt a little waver of confidence within her as she kept in step beside the male but Braith pushed it down. Before she'd know that Nyc was just another lion to be friends with. Why should that change if he was willing to chat with her? Having a stuck-up, solitary heir wasn't good for any pride. Having one that was willing to walk among the members freely and talk to anyone boded well for the pride's future.
"Extra curricular," she echoed with a little laugh to her voice. "Yes, I suppose that's a good way to gather everything you must do into one concise term." She could only imagine all the responsibilities he was learning to undertake. It was both daunting and exciting in her eyes.
As they reached the sparring area Braith peered down into the arena, watching as two lions took a break from their duel. The whole place was full of electric energy and noise, making her smile. It was nice to see so many gathered for a good time.
"I hope so," she said, turning back to Nyc. "I was a Scholar in my former pride and I hope there's something I can do in a similar vein here. I'm not...er...well...you won't find me down there," she said with nod to the sparring ring. "I can hold my own if I need to but battling for fun isn't something I'd do. Something more...politically involved? Perhaps historical? Teaching the younger generation, assisting with the more intellectual side of things?" She really had no idea what sort of positions were open or needed here, but Nyc seemed the lion to know what was up in that area.
"Of course, if nothing like that is available, I'll fit into whatever hole that needs to be filled." She was happy to be here and would do whatever she had to to be of service. If it was something that delighted and captivated her, all the better.
Epine de Rose I LIVE! SORRY FOR THE DELAY!
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