[PRP] Learning the Ropes (Eloran, Sway)

[Talencia]

Madakata had chuckled at the nervousness of the big brown and black male, but she hadn't been unkind. She had actually been of some help with it, directing him to seek out an older leopard male who was also a bouncer for the Vuli. Being the previous queen of the clan, she'd given him some advice concerning the aging bouncer. He ran over it in his mind as he sought him out. Thankfully Eloran wasn't one of those youngsters who had no patience for the aged. He felt great respect for anyone of older years. It took wits, wisdom, and wiles to live that long! Worth learning from, by his book!

Eloran finally spotted Sway some distance away. Picking up his pace, he ran a quick paw through his mane to make sure it wasn't messy. Appearances counted, as far as Eloran was concerned. If one wanted to be taken seriously, one had to take one's appearance seriously. Taking a deep breath, he took the final few steps. "Pardon me, Swaygha? Madakata said you might be able to help me."  

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Swaygha was spending the day lounging outside his den. His daughter was off doing who-knew-what. Probably something with one of her games if he were to guess. That meant he had the time to himself. The leopard stretched out his paws in front of him with his claws digging into the dirt a moment.

He flicked his ears as he listened to the sound of the current revelers. Something seemed to have them excited. For a moment he debated going to join. Either to join in as a celebrant or perhaps help the other bouncers. Big crowds could be hard to handle, especially when there wasn't enough bouncers to keep things under control. With a sigh he decided he'd stay right where he was. If the joyful shouts turn into screams then he'd go help, not until.

Sway spotted the lion as he observed everything going on, but only kept note that the lion was walking toward him. There wasn't an immediate threat, as anyone was allowed to walk by. He looked up as that same lion spoke his name. Shifting his haunches to the other side he carefully looked the male over. "What is it you need help with?"  

[Talencia]

Direct and to the point, Eloran mentally noted. He did away with his possible social niceties to fill time and got right to the point himself. He could appreciate this approach, not being terribly hung up on decorum. He didn't mind idle chatter, but he generally didn't have much to say when that's all a conversation consisted of. This, though, he could deal better with.

"My name is Eloran, and I joined only recently," he began forthrightly. "I met Madakata out on the pride borders and... decided to stay." He gave the leopard a steady look, laying out the fact that he loved the former queen, letting the fact sink in and allowing the other male to react to it. Of course, by now Sway might already know this, as he and Madakata hadn't been completely secretive about things between them. She had leaned rather heavily on him before the Ceremony of Harmony, in fact. Regardless, it was best to be clear and forward about it, he thought.

"I chose the rank of bouncer," he continued after a moment, "but I'd like a little training and information about it before our season comes around." He gave a small but warm smile. "I have, of course, joined Vuli." He was hopeful this would win over the old codger if nothing else did.

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[magnadearel]

Talencia

Swaygha lay quietly as he let Eloran talk. He gave a simple nod at the mention of the former queen, but gave no outward sign otherwise. What they choose between them was their choice. How much was the lioness and how much was his own desire could be debated. Not that he was going to. It was merely a fact being presented. The male had yet to come to his point.

Ah the bombshell. Now the leopard's mind went work. Pulling facts together and letting his mind sift quickly through the information. He rested sphinx style with his front paws out in front of him for a few breaths. "Why did you choose the rank of bouncer?" Sway opened an eye to observe the male. "To impress a lady?"

"That you come asking for information tells me this might not be the case." It really didn't matter which clan he came from. He would have asked the same question of anyone. "A bouncer is not the rank for the frivolous. A bad bouncer is worse than no bouncer at all." Again he stopped and watched the male. What the lion may not realize was that he wasn't just watching him, but observing all around him.

"Tell me. What is the job of a bouncer?"
 

[Talencia]

That wasn't exactly what Eloran had expected right off the bat, but settled himself to answer, having a clear conscience about it. However, the leopard kept speaking, so he remained silent, nodding occasionally with a simple dip of his head. Once he was given room to answer the last question, Eloran did not hesitate. "The truth of that, sir, is what I came to learn from you." No twist of his ears or twitch of his whiskers indicated any sort of humor in this statement. It was purely solemn truth. However, he didn't allow that to remain his only answer.

"To me thus far, the job of a bouncer is to protect and ensure the peace of both pride members and guests. But that is a very simple statement, and doesn't seem to properly cover the sort of responsibility a bouncer truly has." He wasn't trying to guess at what the older male was looking for, but answering from his heart. Eloran's heart spoke to him often, ensured that his actions were always for the good rather than selfish reasons. Perhaps he might have chosen his clan due to Madakata, but he chose his rank for the sake of all, and because he thought he could do the most good in it. He didn't entirely know how to express this in words, however, and thus fell short of completely revealing his thoughts to the other bouncer.

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[magnadearel]

Talencia

Sway gave a slow nod at the short answer. No wasting time begging or boasting. He listened intently to what the lion felt the job of a bouncer was. There was room to change his opinion should something arise that did so, he heard from between the lines. Overall it was a good, if short, answer.

He tilted his head and looked into Eloran's eyes. "A suitable answer. I have all afternoon, so go into more detail of what you think this responsibility is." The leopard was relaxed as he waited. He showed no signs of impatience. Clearly he meant what he said, and he was willing to wait for the lion to answer.

"What did you come to learn?" Depending on this answer, Sway decided, if he would teach what he knew to this young lion. Noble intentions or dark would be revealed in his answer.
 

[Talencia]

It appeared the old leopard was quite careful about his job, which was all to the better as far as Eloran was concerned. He settled himself into a position to match the smaller feline's, forelegs stretched out before him. He pondered the request, allowing the time to slip by as a breeze ruffled his mane. It definitely took some thought to put his feelings about the job into words. "There are two parts to that answer," he said finally, meeting the leopard's gaze directly. "There is what I feel about it, and there is what I've observed in the time I've been here." He really didn't want to cast any shadow over the performance of other clans' bouncers, but he also didn't think all bouncers took the job as seriously as he would be. "Which would you like to hear first?" That gave him the possibility that he wouldn't have to disparge anyone's performance of their duties, unless pressed to do so.

"I had hoped to learn," he said in reply to the other question, "what kind of challenges I might face as a Vuli bouncer. Is anything different about it than from being, say, a Demani bouncer? Does each clan face unique challenges due to the nature of their celebrations?" He paused to lick an itch from his paw before continuing. "I also would like to know exactly what I am expected to do. Do we patrol at night? Do we have shifts, or is it a more loose schedule? Who do I report to?" He blushed a little a that. He supposed he should already know some of this, since he was courting the previous queen, but he didn't tend to bother her with a lot of his questions. "I have many such question," he finished a little lamely, giving the older male an apologetic look.

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[magnadearel]

Talencia

Thanks for the reminder! Sorry my muses all ran off on me.

The leopard smiled to himself as the lion echoed his alert pose. He waited without a hint of impatience, not even his tail was twitching. A rushed answer might not always be the full answer. Sway was interested by his answer. It implied that they perhaps might not be the same. So there was something there. Anyone else would have jumped right into answer his question instead of giving him the option.

"Since how you directly feel about the job reflects in the way you preform I will hear this first, then by your observations. For they also will affect you but less directly." Sway found himself pleased with the questions. This lion had actually put thought into his new job and thought about possibilities regarding it. Thus he asked intelligent and relevant questions. The leopard let a brief purr be heard to show he approved.

"I will answer your questions. For questions deserve answers. Our main function as a bouncer is to keep the peace. We watch for those who come intending ill or harm and remove them. Since there are frequently many entertainments ongoing we must keep the level of excitement within tolerable levels. Should it break that barrier the crowds become a threat to themselves and us, so we must put restraints upon them until they come back to their senses." Now he paused and kneaded the ground a bit.

"Each Clan has its own set of challenges that go along with it as you suspect. For example, Mrao must deal with the snow and cold. You can go talk with other bounces to see what they feel their clan's challenges are. On duty you are to mingle with the crowds. Watch the Celebrants and guests. If a cub gets lost, stay with it until you find it's parent. Basically maintain a happy and joyful environment. Unless there is a specific event happening at night, most closes down and we sleep. A light patrol at night and nothing more unless you see something wrong. I prefer shifts, and working with a certain number of bouncers per guest count. This cannot always be maintained, but we try. Report to the bouncer in charge of that shift. He or she is the one directing and knows where everyone is, and the first to know if something is going wrong." He let his voice fade so Eloran could think. It was a lot to take in all at once.  

[Talencia]

Eloran listened intently, his posture still and attentive. He was glad he had come to the older bouncer, for he clearly was a fount of information. There was much to absorb, and not all of it was expected. It appeared that the pride's bouncers were less like the typical pridal guard than he'd first thought. He frowned thoughtfully, tailtip swishing slowly as the gears turned in his mind. Less an organized military force, and more roving peacekeepers. Well, that did actually tend to become the bridge between his thoughts on the rank and what he observed. He gave his tail a few decisive thumps.

"That actually helps things make more sense," he replied finally, nodding his head, eyes focused distantly. "My perspective on the job was more akin to what I had observed about guards in other prides. Regular patrols, defensive attitudes, constant alertness. That clashed a little with what I'd seen some bouncers doing here, but I think I understand now." His eyes re-focused on the leopard, alight with intelligent thought. "The truth of the job is somewhere in between. We are not a military force, but we still are the pride's muscles when they need to be flexed." He paused, mulling. "We are both more and less than a military force. We are the watchful, wise heads when others get out of hand, whether from joy or unhappiness. We are the safe person for the timid to come to, kind and gentle enough to not frighten the most meek cub. We are the force that lets others celebrate without fear, either of us or of anyone else." He stopped, ears pricking forward. "Have I got the idea right?"

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[magnadearel]

Talencia

Sway gave a pleased chuckle and nodded his approval. "Very good. I believe you have the idea now. Our pride focuses on parties, not military. Too much military presence might scare away the celebrants. Thus is your reason for the difference you have noted. I believe you will become an excellent bouncer for your clan." The approval was in his voice. This lion quickly grasped the idea and didn't hold to 'but-this-isn't-how-another-pride-does-it'. "Anything else I can help you with?"  

[Talencia]

He flicked his ears ruminatively. It was surprisingly a more complex idea than he'd originally thought the job would be. There was much to take into consideration. However, rather than be daunted or disappointed, Eloran found the change in perspective all the more intriguing. He rather liked the idea of being... a sort of facilitator rather than just muscle. A slow smile spread across his face, and he beamed at his leopard teacher. "I think I like this bouncer job," he declared in quiet triumph, "even more than I thought I would."

It warmed him to hear the approval from the older bouncer as well. It meant he had done well before he'd even begun. Getting the right idea about a job could be crucial to one's success at it. He, it turns out, was getting it right. "No," he answered in slow but firm decision, "I think you have helped answer all my questions and musings. Thank you." He rose and bowed to the smaller feline. "I hope we'll get to interact more, both on and off duty." With this as h is genial farewell, he turned and padded off. Time to observe the other bouncers again, now that his understanding was better.

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