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 Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:13 pm
 Suffice it to say, Njiru was extremely frustrated. For what reasons, he'd never say, though one could easily guess that it had something to do with being a male.. Nevertheless, he breathed not a word of it to anyone and continued to absentmindedly pace, his head up in the clouds. He was glad that no one was out here to bother him, as he was far enough from the dens and the common meeting grounds. It gave him a chance to clear his head, perhaps try to straighten things out.
And his mind wandered, suddenly, to his conversation with Sini several weeks ago. She'd made no progress in her search, and he'd made no progress with his ambition. The thought made him sigh, and he finally calmed down a little and took a seat. "Blind ambition, she said," the former prince murmured to himself, then sighed again before lowering his head. Several weeks since they finally found a new home, and still no progress.
"Maybe she was right..."
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:24 pm
Ugh, how she despised the male lion right now. Her search had come to a stand still, because Njiru had dug himself into so deep of a hole that no one was willing to pull him out of it. No one wanted their reputation to be tainted by his, and so Sini simply couldn't succeed in her search for finding him someone to settle down and have a family with. It was too late for Njiru, and when she thought about it, she seemed to be the only person to pay him any attention. Everyone knew better than to hang around with the likes of him, who was constantly plotting to overthrow his brother. Sini was the only lioness in a while to have sat down with him and had some sort of lengthy conversation. It almost made her pity him, at least until she remembered how much he pissed her off. Sini was experiencing a turmoil of feelings for the black lion, none of which were really that good. But at least they were feelings, because no one else cared enough to have feelings for him. Maybe Njiru's brother, the leader of their pride, felt something for Njiru. Certainly disappointment and maybe even hate. So, perhaps he wasn't so bad off.
Did he really deserve her pity?
Sini had moved away from the center of the pride to give herself some time to think. It was only coincidence that she stumbled upon Njiru when he began to speak to himself. For a few moments she stayed in the shadows, listening to him doubt himself and believe her. It gave her hope, hope that he wasn't so ambitious as he appeared. Hope that he had changed, turned over a new leaf and would never attempt to overthrow his brother. Of course, perhaps that was too much to ask for. Releasing a soft sigh, she then changed her face to one of amusement as she moved away from the shadows and approached him.
"Is that me you were talking about when you said 'she was right', hmmm?" She smiled wickedly at him, a chuckle rising in her throat.
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:40 pm
A passing breeze caught his attention, and he lifted his eyes skyward, smiling a bit as the wind caressed his aching body. It was rather comforting - the sound of the wind's whispers, the feel of it against his coat, and then the quiet that followed once the wind had gone. He considered it to be the most pleasant moment he'd had in a while...and then her voice broke the silence all around him. That familiar voice that he couldn't quite figure whether he hated hearing, or was relieved to hear whenever he did. Njiru turned his head around to get a good look at Sini, eyes narrowed a bit before he shrugged off her statement. "I said 'maybe'," he answered simply.
The former prince turned back to where he'd initially been looking, not caring whether the priestess stayed or left. Another sigh followed, and when he sensed she was still there he decided to speak. No use wasting the opportunity, after all. "So," he started, a long sigh following afterward. "What brings you so far from the dens?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:52 pm
"That's an improvement from when I last met you. Are you, perhaps, changing your mind about things Njiru? It would be beneficial for yourself and everyone if you did." She continued to stroll forward until she was at his side, and by sitting down she showed to him that she was not going to be leaving any time soon. It was time for a new plan to be made. Njiru couldn't move forward in his attempt to become king, and Sini could not find him someone to settle down with. Something new would have to be conjured up in order to settle this issue once and for all. One of them was going to have to win, and Sini was determined for it to be her. Njiru's ambitions had to come to an end, and he needed to focus his life on something else. To their god, or to his job, or maybe to someone other than himself. Right now she was willing to settle for anything, so long as it stopped him from trying to get rid of Unyezi and take over his position. She wasn't desperate, not yet, but it was something that was needed to be done.
"I imagine that I'm away from the dens for the same reason that you are. I wanted to think. Of course, whenever I really need to think I run into you." She shrugged her shoulders, and continuing with a smile she said, "Maybe I should just stop trying to think." Perhaps the best way to rehabilitate him was to show him that he wasn't disliked by everybody, that someone found him useful, and if she had to be that person, she would. Though, she might be pretending just a little. So, it was up to her to show him he was worth something not as a king, but as a head hunter, as a lion. Just how... though, she wasn't sure.
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:48 pm
He smirked and turned to face her as she sat. "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, Sini. I'm a long way from changing my mind about anything." The statement was true enough for the both of them. Neither would relent until the very last minute, he knew. One of them had to win, but he was determined to be the one. If anything, he had to, at the very least, get close before he quit. And what made it worse, the more she spoke of the fact that he had to focus his life on something else, the more it made sense to him. It wasn't enough though, which relieved him. His ambition was all he's ever had since Unyezi had been chosen to be the heir..
Njiru's ears twitched as she spoke, as though unnerved as to what they were about to hear. He expected a quick answer to his question, then another long, boring lecture about how he should redirect his passion to something else, or someone else. But it wasn't what he heard, and his body laxed. She'd made a...sort of joke? The former prince turned to look at her, his expression clearly surprised that she was even capable of making a joke (much like himself).
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" he then asked as he looked away. "I'm in a bit of a similar situation, after all, since whenever I have to think...well, you always manage to show up."
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 5:43 pm
"You're more farther along to changing your mind than you have ever been throughout the duration of your life. It is quite the leap in the right direction, so I believe it is within my right to have hope for your future." Oh, it was clear that Sini was not going to give up. She just wasn't the kind of lioness that threw in the towel when things got too tough. Sini was determined and even head strong when she wanted to be. She'd not give up, not even if she had expended all of methods of getting him to change and had not seen a result. In the end, it came down to who had a stronger will. Would it be the lion who had not given up for years, or the Priestess that would rather lose her post than give up? Sini was almost positive that she would win in the end. Njiru just had to realize that he could not stand up to her will and give in to what she wanted. And, what she wanted was for him to let go of his silly little ambitions and do something useful with his life, instead of letting it waste away from bitterness.
The look that he gave her, the surprise clearly written on his face... it was too much for her, and she laughed sweet laughter, her face lightening up with her amusement. It took a while for her laughter to dissolve into giggles, and then disappear entirely. When she had recovered and turned her attention back to him, there was one huge and amused smile on her face. "Did you honestly think that I'm personality-less?" That was the opinion she was given by his reaction to her little bit of a joke. Sini arched an eye brow at him, waiting for an answer that would no doubt be as amusing as his surprise.
"I'm saying that you're a bugger for taking up my thinking space," she replied with a slight smile. Really, she was trying to lighten up the mood, and trying to get him to think of her not as a Priestess, but as a friend. He'd more likely listen to the words of a friend than he would a Priestess. It was only beneficial for him and the pride for her to befriend him and persuade him to put an end to his ambitions. "Then you need to stop thinking yourself, but I believe that would play into my favor too much for you to allow yourself to do it. Pity."
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:42 am
He quirked a brow and shrugged off the idea that he indeed was beginning to see what she had been saying all along. But was almost positive that he was a long way off from actually taking whatever it was she'd told him to heart, and refocusing all of his time and energy. It'd be years of wasted time and effort, years of what could've been a better relationship with his family wasted instead on growing spiteful and bitter toward them. And it'd also mean admitting that he was at fault, and he'd long since determined that he would dig his own grave before accepting that fact.
A fact, was it? The thought made him smirk.
Then Njiru turned back to Sini, her voice bringing him outside of his own mind and back into their conversation. "Personality-less?" he asked, still looking oddly at the lioness. "Well, no. I just didn't think you were the type to make jokes...or anything of the sort. What, with the way out conversations usually go, I don't see how I was wrong to think that." And he shrugged once more, dropping the subject. His ears twitched as she went on to explain her little statement, wondering why she was suddenly so casual around him. Nothing had really changed between them since their last talk, it was just business as usual around the pride. She did her priestly duties while he hunted and plotted his overthrowing of Unyezi. If anything, he expected her to be loudly criticizing him for his attempts, and perhaps even complaining about how she'd failed to find him a prospective mate.
Well, no use wasting the opportunity. It may well be his last, after all. He wasn't looking forward the next time this lioness chastised him for still refusing to listen to her.
"I'm the bugger?" he then went on to ask. "Me? Are you sure?" A bit of a smirk played across his maw, but for only a second. "I hapen to think that you're a bit of a bother to me, what with you always magically showing up while I'm trying to clear my head." And he smiled, just to show her that he meant no harm. "Well, I do believe you're right about that. I can't chance losing against you in this little battle of ours, now can I? So having you show up at particularly inconvenient times is...just something I'll have to deal with until I win." And he chuckled and turned to look at the distant horizon, the smile slowly fading from his maw.
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:57 am
When Njiru began to see how much his life had been wasted by his silly ambition, Sini would consider it a victory. After discovering that, surely it would not take Njiru long to realize that he still had a life to live, a life that could be changed and put to good use. Sini was certain that the bond Njiru had broken with his family could be renewed. Unyezi was not a lion that did not understand what Njiru was going through, though why Njiru was going through this was something that she figured no one would ever know unless Njiru himself told them. He felt cheated, yes, but he was going to feel even more cheated when he got himself banished from the pride for good. Njiru's path was that of self-destruction, and Sini could preach that to him over and over again. But, it would do nothing. She could only say what needed to be said once, and after that it was just pointless repitition. He would make his decision based on those first words, and though she could remind him of her major arguementative points, repeating everything would annoy him and push him farther down his path of self-destruction.
"I've come to realize that I've only been repeating myself in our conversations. If you're not going to listen to me, that's your choice, and I'm not going to waste my time on you." Of course, Sini would never let the subject drop without having a final say. It was just the kind of lioness that she was, and something that Njiru was going to have to get used to. Sini was never going to change for him, not unless he changed for her. "So, I've decided to act more normal around you, since obviously you won't let yourself be 'healed' by my words. I'm still a priestess, but I can't let my duty suck away my soul and personality. So, lucky you, you get to see some of it." She laughed softly to herself, imagining that Njiru wasn't going to enjoy getting to see the other side of her.
"It's not like I try to show up!" She exclaimed in mock-exasperation, willing to play along with him for the time being. "Why ever would I want to constantly run into you? You're old and grumpy all of the time." The 'old' part was a lie, but the grumpy wasn't. Still, she didn't mean anything ill towards him, and was simply playing along with the 'game'. "A smart lion, I believe, would give up now when he's going up against a Priestess with a vast amount of resources behind her," she told him in a light voice. "But, yes, if you do not want to lose, then you're just going to have to deal with me running into you at inconvenient times."
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:46 am
It was strange, to see this side of the Priestess. Strange, relieving, even a bit fun if he were to be completely honest. Which...well, he wouldn't be around Sini. At least not at the moment. At any rate, if she acted this way around him long enough, without saying a word concerning her opinion on his ambition, then he might actually be able to get somewhere with it. After all, the only reason he didn't get anywhere before was because he was distracted with trying to make sure that he didn't accidentally run into her. With that situation the way it was now, he could at least think at peace, knowing that any future run-ins with the priestess weren't going to be entirely all that bad.
"Old!?" he retorted, his tone changing ever so slightly. "Hey, I understand grumpy. But old? Do you think I'd look the way I do if I was old?" Again, he said it rather jokingly, standing and turning once before taking a seat again. Njiru felt his mood lightening quite a bit now, slowly getting used to the sort of atmosphere. There was no pressure, or tension. It was just..pleasant conversation. He almost smiled, in fact, but he kept himself from doing so, for it would show her that she was slowly seeping in. Very...slowly.
Her last few words actually did manage to get a chuckle out of him though. "Well then, call me stupid if you want. But there is no way I'll lose to you, Priestess." And his tone became a little more serious this time, as though the subject called for it. "Not after this long."
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:14 am
Sini imagined that it could be difficult to believe that she was a normal lioness at times. Sini took her duties seriously, but that did not mean that her duties took up the entirety of her life. There were times where she could sit back, relax, and talk with other lions about menial things. There were times she could forget that she was a priestess entirely (though she didn't, she liked to at least be respectable still even if she wasn't busy fulfilling her duties). Before with Njiru she had to be about business, because he could be a potential threat to the pride. Now, though, she wasn't so worried about it. He hadn't made any progress in his attempt to become king, so she could afford to relax around him and show him a different side of her. It would make him warm up to her presence, and that would then allow her easier access into his life if he ever made progress with his bid for kingship. It was almost exactly like the saying 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'.
"Yes, I do," she replied airily, giving him a teasing grin to let him know that she wasn't really that serious. "Just look at yourself! Your fur is dull, your skin is sagging, especially underneath your eyes, and when you walk sometimes you've got a little limp. All of those signs depict old age." She flipped her paw at him in a dismissive gesture, as if she had just closed the conversation with all of her overwhelming evidence. Of course she may have over-exaggerated things a little, but she would consider it artistic license, and thus it was concluded that he was old, or at least older than herself (that was all that mattered).
"Stupid," she said almost childishly, but there was a surprising sense of seriousness behind the word, as if she saw truth behind it. Njiru was stupid, at least stupid enough to pursue this ambition of his. Perhaps he wasn't stupid all-around, but some part of him was. "And there is no way that I would lose to you," she said on a lighter note, shining him a challenging grin. "Never will this priestess lose to a hunter."
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:30 pm
Njiru almost winced when she said the word. Of course, had he allowed himself any emotion aside from the exact same she was showing at the moment, she'd probably notice and jump to some random conclusion or another that he was seriously affected by anything she really said. He dismissed her words and let the subject die, figuring there was no point in continually saying that he'd never back down.
"So anyway," he said only moment afterward. "Since both of us know I'm terrible at keeping up any sort of meaningful conversation, let's stick to small, semi-unimportant things." He raised a brow and glanced at Sini. Maybe asking about her job after making such a statement would be going a little too far..
"So have you spoken with that dolt of a king of ours?" The former prince thought back to their first conversation on the new pridal grounds. "He called for Mitsuki last I talked to him. He refused to tell me why, of course, but I think I figured it out and just managed to irritate him enough about it.
He smirked after the last sentence, recalling what had happened before the two brothers parted ways. It was a sick sort of humor, he thought, but he got a chuckle out of it every single time.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 8:25 am
She noticed, belatedly, that she had struck a chord in Njiru's mind - not that she really cared, seeing as it was a good thing to be able to make some impact on the lion. It was a success to get a rise out of him, because even if they argued, it would be more like a friendly banter. They would get to know one another, and eventually he'd accept her as a friend and would take her words seriously. She knew now that he listened to what she had to asy, but the most likely thing he did was just shrug aside her own words. He wouldn't listen to some random lioness, even if she was a priestess. But, he would listen to someone who was close to him, a friend, or perhaps even a lover. But, he had no lover that Sini could try and influence... so that just left her with the option of befriending him and continuing to excerise influence over him. So, in order to become his friend, she would at least have to listen to what he wanted in some cases. So when he let the subject drop and practically asked to move on to something more interesting, she complied with his wish. "I don't think you're terrible, but if you want to talk about something else, go ahead. I'm listening."
But when Njiru insulted their king, she had to put her paw down. She could tolerate some things, but this constant bashing of their ruler she simply would not. She fixed upon him a stern, unpleasant look, a look that could tell him to 'shut up' more than any words could. "I would appreciate it that when you speak of our king, you speak of him with respect. You have no right to dishonor him and your family." The words were emotionless, plain and bland, which just showed how upset she was about it, and how much she would not tolerate it. "So why has he called for Mitsuki, since I can see you're itching to tell me about it? I never took you for someone who enjoyed gossiping so."
Yes, she was mad at him, but she still had to become his friend. In other situations she likely would have left with a stern warning to the accused, but in the case she couldn't. Njiru had to come to like her, and she did like him somewhat. He wasn't that bad of a lion, just headed down the wrong path instead.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 1:42 pm
The look on her face when she heard him insult their king was priceless, and the former prince couldn't help but laugh aloud for a moment or two, trying his best to recompose himself. Once he had, he cleared his throat and grinned back at the priestess. "I'll talk about my little brother whichever way I please, priestess. And if you'd rather not hear me talk of him the way I do, then you're free to leave." And he dropped the grin, shrugging and standing as if to give his legs a bit of a stretch. It seemed as though they'd been sitting there for hours.
"And I'm not 'itching' to tell you anything," he then continued, pacing and keeping his eyes trained on nothing but the ground beneath him. "I was asking whether or not you knew what he called Mitsuki for, that's all." Njiru paused, both in speech and movement, as a light breeze swept past them. "Hm...well I suppose it won't matter much in the end, whether you know what he's up to or not. I figure we'll all find out in the end, what with new little ones running around, if my assumption is correct."
Another pause, and he made his way back to where he'd been sitting a minute ago. "With any luck, you'll have your hands very full, and I'll be free to plot as I wish until you actually manage to find the time to come looking for me again." Njiru glanced back at Sini, a small smile tugging at the edges of his maw.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:03 pm
Her teeth gnawed together in irritation, and she could feel her mood becoming even more sour. She had been raised not to treat family in such a way, and had been raised even further to not disrespect her very king. Njiru was breaking both of these ideals that were firmly implanted in Sini's head. "It is a surprise that our king tolerates you, for if I was in such a position, and I had a gnat flying around my head, I would banish it for its impudence." Her words were harsh, spoken through anger and disdain. Sini was losing her ability to tolerate Njiru. Perhaps she had hung around him for long enough, because if her anger rose, she was sure to demolish any attempts at friendship with Njiru. No matter how angry she got, she believed that Njiru could change, that Njiru could become a respectable member of this pride. But, if she scorned him, turned him away because he was 'difficult', then he would never change.
"If I knew, I don't think it would be information that I'd disclose freely." But. they were both smart enough to know what it meant if Mitsuki was called. Sini wouldn't question anything until she was outright told, or had some sort of proof. She wasn't like Njiru, always wanting knowledge, always having to know what was going on with his brother. She didn't feel like it was information that she needed to hear, not until the cubs were born and were healthy.
She gave him a strained chuckle, attempting to allow some humor into the situation when she felt none. "I'll be sure to at least keep one paw empty just for you. I won't give up so easily." She began to walk away from the other lion, and slowly she looked back at him, her bright eyes awfully tranquil with an undercurrent of seriousness. "I should be going now - keep yourself well, and your ambitions obtainable." With that said, she walked back towards her den to calm her mind and rest her body.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:10 pm
He smirked. He knew exactly why Unyezi even put up with him, and it was enough, really, until he could properly attain his goal. But that wasn't really something she had to know. She'd figure it out eventually. And his grin only widened when he noticed exactly how much he'd irritated her. He was getting really good at that...freakishly good, almost. A shrug followed her third statement, and a sigh after that. He just couldn't shake that easily, not even by using her responsibilities to try.
"Goodbye then," he said as she left. "And my goals are obtainable, just...how to go about it is difficult."
The last bit of his sentence he had whispered to himself, and he began to walk in a different direction, back to his own den but by a different route. A walk with Sini was bound to be just as bad as their usual talks.
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