The sky was dark, almost as if it was going to storm. Yet the entire pride knew that no storm would come. These lands seemed to scream darkness and despair and it was almost as if the sky knew that. The large black male hated it here. He knew he could take Roth if he tried but Roth was strong, and he didn't want to test his own abilities.. Not on him. Sixx was large for a juvenile male. He had God blood, and it tended to make him larger. Though if you spoke to Roth, he got his size from him. Neither male knew that Roth wasnt blood family. Sixx had been raised that way, and Roth believed nothing else. He had had a pure black son, and a seer one at that. In Roths eyes, he was God. But Sixx still found no enjoyment out of being the favored son. He was favored merely for his skills, as his hunting and fighting skills were hardly up to par. Roth kept him protected, fearing in his own paranoia that someone would hurt the brute, and he would no longer have the skills of sight, which he longed to have like Sixx himself.
He sprawled out under the blood moon and lay his head against the stone earth that he called home. Green eyes far brighter than anything out this night, sparkled under the darkened moon. He looked almost like a black cat, the limited light catching his eyes making them gleam while he stayed blended in with the shadows.
Jini felt a strange calm, one that she hadn't felt in... well, she couldn't remember ever feeling such a calmness. The night pulsed with a violence that Jini loved, one that she'd never experienced in her life. It was refreshing, enjoyable, and it relaxed her. She was home, and though she'd yet to make friends other than Balia and Jr., Jini knew that this was where she should be. Nevermind that she stuck out like a sore thumb because of her bright pelt. It didn't matter to Jini what was on the outside... what mattered was the darkness that she harbored on the inside, a darkness that she was starting to embrace and cherish.
It was her demon, she was sure of it.
With a smile, a devious one meant only for herself, Jininajisi seated herself near a large stone and turned her gaze to the moon. The pock-marked orb gleamed eerily in the night sky, and Jini admired it. She had no idea that another lurked in the shadows nearby.
When she first had taken a seat on the large stone near him, Sixx had thought her to be a star. Why else would she stand out like something radiantly bright next to the darkness? But when he looked at her a little longer he realized she was just a lionness. From the looks of it, she was likely a slave lionness. He wasnt sure if she would fit in with the demons with a coat so bright. He stood, pushing up with his heavy black paws. He was a kind male, one that really had no right to be where he was. But leaving would mean death, and so he'd never leave. He was also from a family that hed never have to worry about being a slave either..
"You there." He said, just enough firm behind his voice to allow someone to believe he was a dangerous as the rest within these pridelands.
Jini was mid-stretch when she heard a voice call out, and instinctively she turned towards the commanding voice. Narrowing those vibrant purple eyes she peered into the shadows, catching the merest gleam of the moon glinting against shockingly green eyes. Though he looked slightly younger than herself, he outweighed her by... well, by a lot. He was huge, and unexpected, but Jini was feeling a bit cocky about her newfound positing in this pride and she wasn't going to let herself be talked down to.
No more of that, never again.
"You're speaking to me?" She asked, eyebrows raising snidely. He might be big, and likely born into the pride considering his dark pelt, but Jini didn't care. "Can I help you?" This was said sarcastically, voice rife with something that could be considered disrespect for his firm tone.
She had alerted rather easily, and when she glared at him with her violet orbs he blinked. Wasnt everyday a slave talked back the way she did. He realized quickly she was likely not the slave he thought her to be. He looked at her features, and noted the anger that tickled them. He groaned. Great. Someone he had managed to piss off, all while trying to be who he wasnt. Sometimes he wondered what others would think of him if they really knew so he kept the secret close to himself.
"I was thinking the same thing about you." He responded in answer to her question. If she was no slave, she was in dangerous territory right? He shrugged, he was tired of figuring things out.
Jini calmed the slightest, warily watching the male. "I am a new member to the pride," she said haughtily, tossing her mane back from her eyes. "I am Jininajisi. You may call me Jini," she offered, still a bit peeved by his approach but soothed by the lack of heat in his voice. She didn't want a fight, she really didn't. She did crave friends, though, and one didn't make friends by being difficult to get along with. "I am not a slave," she thought to add, thinking that he might be put off by her bright pelt.
"What is your name?"
She had a commanding tone. One that his sister Flye had mastered. Flye never did anything for anyone.. But she would be damned if youd get away not doing something she wanted you to do. She'd been spoiled rotten by her father that was for sure. But he put Flye out of his mind. Though he respected her, he still disliked her a great deal.
"Good. You had me fooled." He responded. His voice was still rather deep even if he was still rather young. He knew he was getting older, and signs like his voice told him so. He stood a bit taller, trying his damndest to make sure she didnt see or realize his secret.
"Im Sixx. Son of Roth, seer of the family." He said with a bow of his head. He usually threw that last bit in there to gain points with others. Most would see straight through his personality unless he gave htem more to think of.
A seer. Jini wanted to sneer at that. Her sister was a seer. Her sister had been a terrible lioness, wicked and calculating - something to respect, certainly, but not when that wickedness and heartlessness was directed at you. Jini held back that sneer, though. She didn't want to be like Kizi. This was a fresh start for her, one that Balia and Tavar had given her and she would be damned if she threw it away. No, this Sixx had been the first lion she'd met that had spoken to her, and there was a strange sort of kindness in that.
"Sixx," Jini repeated, "It's nice to meet you." She didn't seemed impressed by the fact that he was a seer. He was being polite enough, bowing his head at her and the like, and Jini enjoyed that little show of respect. "Do you know Balia?" she asked, trying to find some sort of common ground with him.
He watched her watch him, and knew he was pretty much on parade at the moment. He cursed himself for making the first move. Dammit.. She was likely just as mean as any lionness he met here. He had been fooled into thinking she was a slave. That was his first mistake, and it could have very well been his last had she found it offensive.
"I know of Balia, yes. Her family is quite important here." He responded with a nod, taking a seat and letting his tail flick side to side. He just had such a hard time staying mean. He had no mean or angry bones in his body, despite the abuse he had taken from Roth as a cub.
"Its a pleasure to meet you Jini, though you dont seem like you belong here." He said once he realized she was being kind to him.
"Balia is ...my mentor," Jini explained. "I've known her my whole life. She is interested in my father," she continued with a look on her face that said she obviously found the thought distasteful.
Oh, if he only knew the truth of his words. Her whole life she'd felt as if she'd never fit in, but here, in this pride... she actually felt as if she did. Jini decided that she'd do best not to reply to that idle comment. She merely offered him a smile before she posed her next question.
"Is your family of importance here as well, Sixx?" She asked because she was curious. There was much to learn of this prides hierarchy and culture, and Jini was hungry to learn it all. Her voice was absolved of all heat and there was genuine curiousity in her voice. This wasn't so bad, a simple conversation.
He scoffed, and shook his head with a chuckle. His first true moment that he had had since speaking to her. "If you ask my father, he'd say we were next to run the place. But.. no, my family is of no importance. Unless you count numbers as importance, as father has sired many, many cubs, and most if not all live here. Hes never actually said anything of cubs anywhere else." He said, unknowing that fathers two newest cubs were of a litter of four.
"Your mentor..likes your father? Seems a bit off. I mean, if shes your mentor she must still be quite young, yes?" He asked. He knew his words made him sound too intelligent for his own good.. But he felt the need to be honest with her, and this.. This was how he truly was.
"Everyone likes my father. Best be wary of him, else hes likely to take you as his own too." He chuckled. He never knew his real mother, but something about Jini's yellow made him smile. He had no recollection that his mother, had too been just as bright yellow as the female in front of him.
Roth was sounding more and more like her own father - rather, what her own father wished he was. Angra's children were mere minions and it disgusted Jini. "Yes, Balia believes my father to be worthy of her attentions," Jini snorted, obviously unable to understand Balia's choice of men. "Balia is a bit older than myself, actually. My father is the opposite of what I want out of my life, but perhaps he treats Balia differently." She shrugged, offering a small smile.
"That being said, it sounds as if your own father is the opposite of what I want out of life, hmm?" She let out a rusty chuckle, "I do not see myself having cubs, not yet." She was too young to even think about starting a family as far as Jini was concerned. There would be plenty of time for that later.
"Besides, who is going to want to take me as their mate?" She grinned again, unable to stop herself. "Me with my bright fur..." A laugh this time, not forced and yet just as rusty as her previous chuckle.
Her family life seemed about like his. He was tempted to ask where her mother
was, but for fear of hurting her he left those questions alone. He blinked at her as she spoke
and nodded. Okay, so Balia had poor choice, though most saw the dominance his own father, and apparently her father,
showed was attractive. He could see why, he supposed. They were good protection ifyou were in a bind. But still..
"My father wouldnt care. From the sounds of it my mother wasnt wanting cubs either.. But father had other ideas." He nodded. His father had raped his mother, t hough he was unsure of the details. All he was ever told by Roth, was that his mother wasnt a willing participant. He hoped his father never got his claws into the yellow female in front of him. She was pretty, and she made his heart pound. He had heard it described as a crush..Was that what this was?
"I like your fur." He said honestly. Something about her color just.. appealed to the cub-like side of him. "You remind me of someone... I cant remember." He said, and figured he sounded stupid with that comment.
"Remind me to avoid your father at all costs," Jini would give Roth a wide berth. She didn't want to be forced to give birth to cubs - it sounded completely unpleasant and even painful to her ears. Even knowing that Roth would do such a think put a bad taste in Jini's mouth, one that she couldn't get rid of no matter how much she swallowed. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully on Sixx. Was he his fathers son? Would he take advantage of a female like his father had? Somehow she doubted it. He seemed too gentle.. he seemed like he didn't belong here. Even Balia, though nice enough to Jini, had her calculating side. There was something ...off about Sixx. Something she couldn't quite put her paw on, but she knew there was something different about him.
"Well.. thank you," Jini replied to his off-handed compliment. Could it even be considered a compliment? Jini didn't know, but she decided to take it as such. "I.. I like your eyes." She felt as if one compliment deserved another, "They're so green." This was weird. She'd never experienced something like this before. Jini didn't want to think about it too much, though. Later, when she was alone. Not now.
"I... remind you of someone?" That was strange. He couldn't remember? How could she remind him of someone he didn't know and couldn't remember? Perplexed, Jini decided that the best thing to do would be to just ask. "I remind you of someone, but it's someone you don't remember?"
He didn’t know why he couldn’t remember the familiarity between the yellow of her pelt and the color in his mind. He supposed somewhere deep back in the recesses of his brain it was likely a dream. One that ended a long time ago. He wasn’t sure if he would ever really know. He snorted, shaking his head with the confusion. He had seen a yellow hero.. One in his visions.. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, this female was the one from his visions. It had to be.. after all, he had no idea his mother was yellow.
“I don’t really want to talk about it, Jini.. Im too tired, and just.. lets go home.” He said, sadness on his features as he smiled through it. Motioning her on, he stood, and headed back to the lands.
Intrigued by his response and yet reluctant to pursue it because of the chance it might cause him distress, Jini merely offered a little smile and followed Sixx back to the pride. Perhaps another day she would bring this up again and he would be more willing to talk about it. Until then she would bide her time and get to know him better before bringing the topic up once more.
