[PRP] All Talk (Iroh and Azar)

[Kimaria]

He was in that limbo stage, no longer juvenile but not quite adolescent, sort of hovering between. He was a stocky lion with shorter legs than most, sort of rotund with a barrel chest and a wide-set face. It wasn't clear yet whether he'd become a handsome lion with age. Perhaps he wouldn't. But he didn't seem like the type to care. For him it was all about showing-off and being handsome did nothing much to enhance one's skill at fighting...

...or guarding, since that was what he was apprenticed as.

And, finally, he was coming to terms with that. Being a guard wasn't all that bad. And, as Uuo had proved countless times before, being a guard meant knowing how to fight, too. Of course, all Firekin were taught the basics of fighting, but he was specialising in the more defensive approach. It suited him and his stocky build in the fact that he was hard to knock over!

Right now he was lying on his back, forelegs curled up against his chest, watching the clouds crawling across the sky.

What was a lion supposed to do when there was no lesson going on, anyway?  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh was in a particularly good mood that day. Granted, it was very difficult to find a day when he wasn't bright and welcoming, observant and patient. But today it was all in distinctly high levels, and he was smiling as he walked, despite having been alone for some time and not experiencing anything of note. He was just walking. But it was a pretty day, and his legs weren't aching from all the growing he seemed to be doing.

He had been getting a bit bigger. He was ready to admit that now, though he hadn't noticed it in himself. Others were pointing it out more and more, and he knew they weren't all in some great conspiracy to confuse him. So he was bigger! His legs did feel longer, though they were still stout. He retained his pudgy build, his full face more cute than anything else. His soft eyes and perpetual smile made him easy to approach and get along with, and they hadn't changed since he was a young cub.

Having left Yin-Li for the day, Iroh made his way across the sands in hopes of spotting a familiar face to spend the rest of the day with, and perhaps share his happiness. He spotted a form, laying in the sand a lot like he was fond of, but it didn't look like anyone he knew. Slowing, tilting his head, the adolescent padded closer and cleared his throat, so his approach wouldn't be seen as a sneak attack.

"Hello!" he called jovially, always happy to meet a new friend.  

[Kimaria]

An ear lifted and after a pause, Azar shoved himself up off of the sand. Streams of gold ran from his fur. "Hello to you, too." He narrowed his eyes a little. Boy was that male bright! The sun reflected off of his fur so vividly that it almost blinded him, in fact.

He raised a paw and draped it across his face. "You're pretty white for a Firekin." It was a fact, stated in his mean, blunt manner.

He sure was happy, too...

Azar'bijan wrinkled his muzzle and slowly dropped his paw back to the sand, eyes getting used to the vivid colour of his pelt. He'd met Zii, another white Firekin, but with her dark markings she somehow seemed to stand out less than this one did.

"What do you want?"  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh smiled warmly, sitting down near by and flicking his tail behind him. He noticed the other lion was squinting, and he laughed apologetically, moving himself so he wasn't in the direct line of the sun. Still, it was hard to avoid, considering how bright their home's sky regularly was.

"Yes, I've heard that a few times," he said with a genial tilt of his head, shrugging his thick shoulders a bit languidly. He spoke without sarcasm or offense, "I wish I could do something about it, but it's tough. I'm sorry."

Iroh had a way for apologizing for things he couldn't possibly be personally responsible for, like the color of his fur, and meaning it sincerely. If he could do something about it, he would. He didn't base himself on the color of his fur, after all, and if he could offer someone else some help in something he would find relatively painless, then why not try?

"I just wanted to say hi, and introduce myself. I didn't mean to make you get up, if you were comfortable and relaxing. My name is Iroh! It's a pleasure to meet you, ah...?" He blinked, tilting his head the other way curiously.  

[Kimaria]

He blinked. What, no anger? No irritation? That was...odd. He watched the lion for a long moment, head canted, eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what exactly had just happened there. Did the male not even realise that it was a bad thing to not be red?

"You're....apologising to me?" He curled a lip, confused now.

"Oh. Well. Don't worry about it. I wasn't doing anything. No training today. A rest day. Stupid, if you ask me." Yes, he was turning into a rather good student. Who would have thought it?!

"Azar'bijan." He filled in the gap and hesitated. "You don't look much like a figher. What're you apprenticed to be, huh?"  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh watched the other lion, impassive in regards to the others apparent confusion. He found he often made people wonder, and he didn't take it personally. Not everyone acted as he did, after all, and he couldn't expect that of them. He liked to get to know others without any pretense or falsity, though sometimes it made meetings a bit awkward, at best.

"Yeah, I know how that is, about rest days.. But I try to go out and do my own kind of training, anyway. Learning from others and making my own lessons, really. It sounds a bit lame... but it's not. It's definitely working," Iroh looked thoughtful, "Or, at least, I think it is." He laughed. Then blinked.

"I'm learning to be a Water Seeker," he said, nodding. He smiled, "but I've an interest in just about everything, really. I know I don't look it," he poked his stomach with his paw, rolling back on his haunches and grinning as he teased himself, "but I know a bit about fighting. I just like food a bit too much, I think. But who wouldn't? Don't you like a good meal, Azar?"  

[Kimaria]

Make your own lessons? Like what? Azar'bijan blinked and gave a sort of dismissive shrug. He found it hard enough practising what Uuo taught, let alone trying to teach himself. "Well as long as you think it is, I guess that's all that really matters."

And then Iroh answered his question. Water Seeker? That sure did sound like a bit of a pansy job. "Who's teaching you how to be one of those?" He asked. He wasn't good with names so he wasn't expecting to know who it was. He was just curious.

"Mum says growing cubs need lots of food." He replied. "Especially when we're training so hard." He blinked. "Can you really fight? If you can, why didn't you choose to be a soldier, then? Don't you want glory? You won't get much of that searching for water." His views on things were very limited. He didn't tend to see the bigger picture or the fact that actually water was a very important thing and without it, they'd not be able to survive.  

[Lithiasaur]

"My Aunt, Yin-Li," he said, purring. He had a very distinct purr. It was a broken sound, like his nose was stuffy and he was using that to make the sound. The rumble often stopped, though he never noticed, and just picked up again after a moment. It was how he always purred, and he didn't take any notice of it. It was so normal to him, but probably because he was always purring.

He knew Yin-Li wasn't his real Aunt, not by blood, but she was so close to him and his family he considered her nothing less than that. Probably more. He loved spending time with her, and visiting places with her, and learning everything she had to teach him.

Iroh smiled pleasantly, nodding, "I can, pretty well, I think. To the best of my own ability, anyway. I'm not much for comparing my own progress to others, though, since we all have our own paces. But... I don't seek out fighting. If I'm strong, I'll always be ready to do as I need to to defend the pride. But I like the idea of being helpful in the every day, too. Water is important for life."

He smiled, canting his head, "though that's not to say being a soldier isn't a very important job, too. Without the strength of soldiers and guards we'd be vulnerable."  

[Kimaria]

"Yin-li?" The name was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He'd heard that name before. But where? Well...the choices weren't very wide. It was either Uuo or Ursa. His friends didn't go much further than that two figure number and he wasn't even sure whether they were friends. Uuo was his teacher, an idol, perhaps. And Ursa...well...Ursa was Ursa. Their first meeting had had them scuffling in a fight and now the two were hesitant friends despite the fact that most meetings brought arguments.

He figured it was probably Ursa. Yes, definately her.

"I think I've heard of Yin-Li before." He replied, if only to follow up the slight questioning tone he'd used when repeated her name before.

He pulled his ears back suddenly at Iroh's next statement. "Well, of course. Everyone's important. Even Storytellers...apparently." He mumbled the last word. Ursa was going to be a storyteller, right? Seemed pointless to him. Water was all well and good. But stories? Peh...  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh's ears perked forward. He nodded, glad to hear that the other knew about one of his favorite lionesses on the face of the planet. She was always so kind to him, and he could do nothing but love her as his extended family. Plus, she was always nice to him when she gave him baths, and they had a standing tickle rivalry between them. Though it might have seemed that Iroh was too old to still remember that game, he was still actively waiting for his chance to pounce on her again.

"There's a lot of wisdom to be found in stories, you know," Iroh said, smiling, like he was mentioning how the sky was blue. He nodded, seeing the others point. It was difficult to see the importance of storytellers, particularly when one saw physical strength as one of the most important attributes a lion could have.

Not that he thought that way.

"I guess we just choose what we're apprenticed in by what we know. I like to think it's because we all have our own choice, but sometimes, I've seen in other families, that isn't the case. It's whatever they were exposed to, and how they were taught. I'm pretty thankful to have always been allowed a very open, sometimes too much so I admit, mind. But I have friends who are equally proud to be raised fighters. It's all perspective, I guess."  

[Kimaria]

"Wisdom in stories?" He clearly didn't believe it but he wouldn't say anything else to openly deny it. He didn't feel like an argument today and if this one was anything like Ursa when angry...well...he didn't want to relive that moment. "Whatever you say, I guess."

His ears lifted slightly then as Iroh continued to discuss apprenticeships. "My parents didn't force me into anything. They let me decide, just like you. I think they'd have been proud of me no matter what I'd chosen to be." He wrinkled his snout. "I didn't get my choice, though. I got put into a rank by the Regent because he thought I'd be better suited." He curled a lip. "Stupid know-it-all, sticking his nose in, like that."

He stood then and paced a little, angry at remembering the day when Kidondo had told him that perhaps he should consider becomign a guard. Oh the shame of that moment! And yet...in truth, it wasn't all that bad. He had a good teacher and the prospect of learning to fight. No, his job was pretty good now that he thought about it. It didn't make him any less bitter, though.

"So, if you're seeking water, does that mean you'll have to go a ways off?"
 

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh smiled, nodding.

"Or whatever you say, really," he said, not sounding whimsical despite the words themselves, "it's fair not to think what I think. But I'm glad you're parents sound so nice! I'm not so sure calling the Regent a stupid-know-it-all is fair, though. Because, really, how can you know it all and be stupid?" he laughed jovially, grinning broadly. He certainly thought his joke was honestly hilarious.

"Shame about not getting your choice, though. But I think you'll find a way to make this one work for you. I mean, you do like being strong, right? And the pride's guards are some of the strongest lions I've ever seen. You might be the strongest of them all, if you want to be."

He blinked.

"I'm not quite sure, actually!" he said, shrugging his chubby shoulders and poofing his patchy mane a bit. It was coming in oddly, though he wasn't too concerned so long as it all filled out in time. And even then, he wouldn't be too worried if it didn't. It certainly seemed like there was going to be a lot of it, though. "I was a bit late in figuring out what to do with myself, and we've only just begun."  

[Kimaria]

Azar growled. He didn't like to be teased and he didn't like to be made a fool of. Ursa did that. Ursa was a big know-it-all. She knew names and titles and all of that boring stuff and she liked to throw it into his face at times, too.

"He thinks he knows everything." He corrected, sounding flustered. "And he doesn't." He stood, stretched himself up as tall as he could go - in a lame attempt to bring himself closer to Iroh's height. "And of course I'm going to be strong. Strongest there is. I'll show that Regent and everyone."

He settled a little a moment later and sat back down in a cloud of golden sand. His jaw jutted a little as he regarded the white male. "Well, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it." He paused and glanced at the white lion thoughtfully. "Maybe we should duel later. I mean, not now. When I'm bigger, so it's fair. What'd you reckon?"  

[Lithiasaur]

"Glad to hear it! It's good to be motivated," he said, nodding. Really, he wasn't a very competitive young lion, though he did understand how competition was a good motivator. It kept other lions, like his friend Jua, strong and in constant practice. Dedicated to bettering themselves, just as Iroh was, but for a different reason. And just because it was different didn't mean it was wrong. Quite the opposite, in fact.

He watched as the other lion stretched, completely oblivious to his attempt to look bigger. Of course, Iroh was barely aware of how big he was, as far as turning into an 'adult' went. He knew he was round and pudgy, something other people liked to point out, but that was just part of his charming character. Or so he had come to believe it as. Still, he was impressed by his companion.

"You certainly look like you'll do just that, and show everyone. I have no doubt about that."

He blinked, thinking about his last duel. He and Jua had really thought it was going to be something epic, having trained together for so long, and it turned out to be... a little embarrassing. He had fun, of course, but ending a duel in a headbutt probably wasn't something to be overly proud of.

"I would be honored to duel with you some time! It would be good for both of us, I think. You don't seem too impressed by me, and I know I could learn a lot from you, so it might be fun."  

[Kimaria]

He nodded, flexing his whiskers and sitting down again, wrinkling his nose as the air clouded briefly with sand. When it settled he let his eyes lift back up to the pale lion. "That's it then. I'm gonna be the best guard and you've gotta be the best water-seeker. What's the point of trying unless you want to be the best? That's my motto, anyway."

He paused, pondering on the outcome of any duel they might have. Yes, okay, so he was fairly confident he would do well, but he also knew - thanks to Ursa - that he shouldn't underestimate anyone. Hell, he'd estimated her and ended up getting clobbered. That had NOT been fun at all and he'd be damned if he let it happen again.

"Hey, you're still Firekin. Fighting's in your blood just as it's in mine, right? Means we've both got an even chance." He paused, thinking suddenly that maybe he'd just made another friend. He smiled a little. "Okay, we're gonna be friends from now on, alright, Iroh?"