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 Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:27 pm
Night was just starting to fall over the pride and that meant Machholz had just awoken. The star pelted lioness moved to the border of the pride from her den in utter silence. Black bangs fell over her face and she paid them very little mind as a breeze hit her face and shuddered a little. It was cool. Fall was coming after a mild summer which meant the winter months were going to be old. Tongue curling as she yawned, the guard settled at her post and just woke up. Usually nights were calm. Usually. Lately unrest had seemed to settle over the pride with the rise of the new king and Machholz didn't know how she felt about it. She didn't know what wast true and what wasn't true, so she honestly just tried to stay a neutral party. Tried to, was the key phrase there. It wasn't easy when people seemed to ask what her opinions were. Oh well. It didn't really effect her right now unless she somehow dropped in rank.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:33 pm
 There weren't that many lions in the Mwezi'Johari whose pelts looked like the star-filled skies above. In fact, 'Varinen might have mistaken those lions for pieces of sky if not for the fact that they were clearly on the ground. It wasn't his fault though, they looked just like the sky! Regardless, it meant that he did know who they were, especially those whose ranks had "Guard" in the name. It tickled him to know that, as a Royal Guard, he ranked higher than any ordinary Guard. "Hi Mach-!" 'Varinen's greeting was cut off abruptly as his back paw caught against an unseen stone and he lost his balance as his forward motion was arrested. All that inertia had to go somewhere, and it kindly assisted his face to the ground.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:48 pm
Well, she knew that voice. Turning her head to look at the male, she nodded a little more and watched as he seemed to trip over a rock. Well then. She laughed a little and moved over to him, helping him up before laughing again. "Carefuly, Icky. Lots of rocks around here. We don't need you to get banged up this early in the night."
With that, she helped him back towards her post and just settled again. "I mean, I know you enjoy the ground, but please." She was teasing him now and just reached out to bat at his bangs. A comfortable companionship he was. At least for now. Definitely a break from the normal watching prey beasts.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:57 pm
He was accustomed to hearing laughter as he fell, but that didn't mean the monochrome male liked it much. 'Varinen picked himself up carefully, trying not to trip again...or at least not so soon again.
"You know, I wish you wouldn't call me that," he said plaintively. True, the hated nickname lacked the sting from Machholz that it would've had from most other lions, but that didn't make it much better.
It drove all thought out of his had about making some weak joke about his clumsiness. Which he would've at least tried to do.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:02 pm
Machholz didn't mean any harm by her laughter, it just happened. Sighing a little, she hummed at the don't call me that and she nodded a little more. "Well, your name is a right mouthful, but alright. I won't call you Icky again."
She looked out of the pride and then back to him before rolling her shoulders lazily, tail flicking as she tried not to tense up too much. "I'm getting a feeling something major is going to happen. Even more major than the King coming to his title." It was just a feeling in her stomach, a pit that was making her nervous and wanting to start preparing for something. How she was going to prepare for anything, she didn't know, because she didn't know what it was. Ugh, this was the worst feeling.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:06 pm
It was a relief that the starry lioness was willing to drop the nickname so quickly. Most wouldn't, so that made this instance all the more appreciated. Hell, he'd even been called "Icky" on the night of King Shangyue's coronation - how embarrassing!
But it was interesting that she'd bring up his reign now. Oh sure, 'Varinen knew that not everyone was happy, but he really hoped that they'd have gotten over it by now.
"Really? I don't see why, I mean, King Shangyue's been really great! He made us feel like we were people again - important people," the male added. He was, of course, speaking of his own low class. He usually spoke of it in the third person, regardless of the class of whomever he was speaking to.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:11 pm
"I'm not saying he hasn't. I'm just saying I feel like something's going to happen," she said gently, tipping her head lightly. Machholz looked 'Varinen over and then nodded. Her rank was lower than his, so she didn't feel the effects of the change of thrones. She was still a nobody in the pride, but she was alright with that. Mach didn't need the ego booster or limelight. She just needed to do her job; which she did well thank you very much.
"It's good to see you speak with pride. Not everyone in your rank does. Or if they do it's too much and makes me want to slap them." Not that she would.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:14 pm
"I'm...not sure what you mean," 'Varinen offered with a nervous laugh. He didn't know the tension she was talking about, nor did he see why she was happy to hear him be proud of his rank and still want to slap others. It didn't make much sense to him. Oh sure, some people were overbearing, but the monochrome male philosophically accepted that they'd be that way no matter what rank they held.
Some people just thought they were the center of the universe, no matter what anyone else believed.
"Maybe you're just imagining things," he suggested. After all, even if things were a little uneasy, they'd still settled down after the coronation. And there hadn't been any more deaths!
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:21 pm
"I'm not sure either..." Shrugging a little Machholz just chewed on the inside of her cheek. Maybe she was imagining it. She often got worked up over nothing. "Maybe I'm just not sleeping enough." It could be true. She often went and did things after her shift, winding back up at her den midday and then passing out until sunset.
As for not understanding things; he didn't think too much of himself. He just had pride in what he did but didn't try to rub it in people's faces. There as pride and then there was being annoying. "How've you been?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:25 pm
He was relieved when the lioness seemed willing to dismiss her unease. It probably wasn't very important in that case, and maybe she really was imagining it. That relieved his fears somewhat.
"You should make sure you get plenty of sleep! I know it's kind of hard when it's so bright out, but you have to try!" 'Varinen chided her, but his words faded off into nothingness as he realized that she had actually asked about his well-being. As if he was just another lion. This was fairly uncommon - he'd been made fun of as a youth and taken for granted as an adult, even after he became a Royal Guard. People just seemed to find him amusing, and not in a way that he appreciated.
"I...I'm fine," he answered lamely.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:33 pm
Her head canted and she just gave him a look that aid she didn't believe him. "Well, fine's good, I suppose. It's better than bad, but it's not as good as great. Or even good. So... something is troubling you?" That was her thought process and no one could tell her otherwise. Mach was interested in seeing how he was doing, how he was coping with things, but fine worked, too.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:36 pm
"No...why?" It was the simplest answer and the simplest question. Sure he wasn't great, but he wasn't bad either. And it really did surprise him that she would ask. Yes, he had a real rank now, but she was still in a much higher class than he, and shared in a real portion of the Great Lion's blessing.
Even though King Shangyue had given new meaning and prestige to the low class, 'Varinen still didn't see a lot of other lions that really cared about those who lived in the low class, unless if they had some really good reason, like a blood relation.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:22 am
"Well, I figure your answer wasn't great, or at least good, so something would be troubling you." Her tail flicked again before shrugging and sighing. They needed to start their patrol. Staying in one spot wasn't what they were supposed to do. Machholz glanced at 'Varinen again before chuckling. "No matter. Let's start the patrol. Hopefully it'll be an uneventful night."
Because that would mean no fighting. No fighting meant she wouldn't have anything to report which meant, if she had nothing else to do besides eat after her shift, she could maybe get some actual sleep. Getting to all her paws once more, the star pelted lioness stretched herself out and the gave a great shake. "Let's go."
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:37 am
The male sat still for several moments longer, attempting to figure out what he'd just been told. Oh sure, he understood the words, but he got the feeling Machholz was saying more than her words appeared to. Try as he might, he couldn't find the greater meaning hidden in the simple words.
Then she started moving to patrol.
"Wait! We're patrolling...together? But you're a Guard! And I'm a Royal Guard! And does that even work?"
Yep, 'Varinen was confused again. As usual.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 12:44 pm
"...Then why are you out here if you're not patrolling?" She blinked, tilting her head and stared at him. Machholz was just as confused as he was and it showed on her face and the way she'd stopped moving. "...Uhm.. Well.. I guess it could if that's what you were told to do, but I suppose.. Okay you can be on your way then?"
That's how this worked, right? She was actually embarrassed that she'd made that big of a mistake.
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