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 Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:08 am
It was time. Asli had known all her life that she would go to live in the North House one day, to be mated to one of the Dukes there. Although she wasn't displeased by this, she wasn't precisely eager, either. She had to leave her home! Not that it was terribly far away or terribly different, not like having to go to another pride entirely, but...it still wouldn't be the same. On the other hand, she would have lots of new lions - male lions, most importantly - to acquaint herself with. Hopefully, they would be amenable to her feminine charms, of which she did have many.
Hopefully Kito would be, as well. She'd encountered him at gatherings from time to time, but had never bothered to really get to know him very well. He was attractive enough, at least, and didn't seem to be a complete idiot, so she did have good reason to hope that he wouldn't be a total bore.
After fussing with her head- and tail-tufts again to make sure they hadn't gotten mussed on her way here, she stepped over the border into the North.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:27 am
That could be a problem, considering he didn't know his future wife that well. Which meant she probably didn't know him that well. So he was a little nervous about this. Today she was officially "moving" to the North house. They wouldn't actually be wed for another week or so, he supposed, and the idea was to get to know each other a little bit better before the actual special day.
Which was why Shan was alone when he went to meet her. And probably why she was alone when she crossed the border. Really, the duke was a little late, because he had intended to accompany his bride across, but by the time he arrived, she was already within the North House. So much for him doing something charming!
...And now for the fun to begin. "Shen Xue!" He greeted as he approached, putting on his best look-I'm-totally-charming! face. He had been mentally preparing himself for this encounter for a couple days now, since he'd have to keep his ridiculous habit at bay. It was a little terrifying, really. It was too easy for him to screw up! "It is so good to see you again." So far so good.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:46 pm
From the moment her husband-to-be appeared, she was watching him as intently as subtlety would allow. While he had occuppied himself with fighting, she had taught herself how to read people, how to react to them in just the right way so she could get what she wanted. She had deliberately allowed herself to remain something of a mystery to her arranged partner, and hopefully it would pay off by drawing his attention more now.
He greeted her well enough, with a charming manner, but there seemed a slight tension that she couldn't place; she wasn't a mind-reader, after all, so the things that fueled someone's body language were difficult to tell unless you knew them well. "Oh, Shan, there you are!" she said, sounding relieved. She held her head inclined down slightly, to look up at him from under long lashes. "It's good to see you, too. I'm not used to being by myself..."
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:50 pm
As far as Shan knew, he was putting on a good act. So he was pretty oblivious to the fact that his future wife had already picked up his tension. He had never spent much time observing people, at least not in this way. He could tell in a flash when someone intended to hit him, though.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He said with a small frown. "I p-" Well, that just didn't sound very regal, but at least he hadn't gotten to his stupid lies yet. "I can assure you you needn't be alone much longer." In a way, Shan was actually kind of enjoying playing the more charming, knightly fellow, since he wasn't usually seen that way in his family. His siblings were much better at being proper than he was.
Honestly, Shen Xue should be flattered he was making this much of an effort for her! "The North is very happy to receive you, soon you'll find it hard to get any alone time!" Actually, that was a lie, but it was a more natural one. North lions weren't really too chatty, they were supposed to be busy.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:14 pm
"I feel much better already, now that you're here," she assured him, breathing a light sigh of relief. He seemed to be buying it - not that she was surprised! - so she thought herself to be off to a good start with her semi-helpless act. She was a perfectly capable lioness, to be sure, but she much preferred to have others wrapped around her paw and giving her attention.
"Will you take me to see my new home, then?" Shen asked with a bat of her eyes and a hopeful tone.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:27 pm
He was a male, all in all. So that sort of talk probably did have the desired effect, and he looked at her rather dumbly, and swallowed. Oh, boy. Would it be like this every day with his wife? Would she always act so... pretty? Because Shan really was not good at keeping his cool in this sort of situation, no matter how much of a liar he was.
"No. I mean, yes! Certainly! Come with me." He said, trying to appear calm and like he had control of this. So he turned slightly for her to get beside him, and they coould walk. All proper and pretty-like.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:42 pm
And that was exactly the sort of reaction she'd hoped for, that typical male look he then tried to cover up. He even seemed to get a little flustered, just enough to mix up his words. This was definitely something she could work with, much better than the occasional male who was too oblivious or even a little too smart for her to charm.
"Gladly." Shen Xue fell in beside him, walking close enough to be just inside his personal space, but not close enough to touch. "I trust you've been well, Shan?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:08 pm
At least she hadn't seemed bothered by his cluelessness, which made Shan believe he wasn't completely botching this up. He began to walk at an easy pace once she was beside him, and somehow managed to not appear tense.
"I haven't... a reason to complain." Whew! He saved that one. So far so good. "And you, Shen Xue? I hope things are well in the West!"
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:16 pm
"Boring," she answered, lashing her purple-tufted tail for emphasis and so that it might brush against him. "But I think anywhere would seem boring, when you're waiting to be married."
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:38 pm
He couldn't help but tense slightly as her tail bumped him. The fact that such a tiny gesture could have such a reaction was probably a good indication of how nervous poor Shan was. Her words also caught him. Now he was going to be worried about being boring! Great!
"Well, I hope you can find more things to entertain yourself with here! You can watch the training-- er..." He hesitated there. Would Shen Xue even find such a thing entertaining? "And there are some nice sights, too." He added, hopefully.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:38 am
Excellent! She observed his reaction with quiet satisfaction, swinging her tail back in the other direction. Yes, she would have plenty to keep her entertained here, she was sure. "Training? That sounds...strenuous. Do you train, too?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:06 am
"Oh, yes. Everyone trains. Uh, you don't need to, unless you wish it. But here in the north, we are Tianxia's powerhouse! Gotta stay strong." He could at least be proud about that. Yes, indeed, should Tianxia ever have any military troubles, it was his house that would swoop in and save the day. Shan was less determined to be a great warrior than perhaps some of his siblings, but still.
If only they could get a few more members. He was hardly about to point out that the West House had more lions than the North. They should definitely work on that, sometime.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:29 am
Her, train to fight? Oh, for heaven's sake! She believed she could, if she really wanted to, but she most certainly did not. While it might be an interesting experience, it would sabotage her image of being a delicate lady. Shen Xue allowed her eyes to widen. "Oh, I don't know if I could do that. But maybe..."
"Just with you, if you promise to be gentle?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:45 am
If he were capable of blushing, Shan would probably be a deep shade of red. Ohdeargoodness, this lioness would be the death of him. "N-no! I mean, uh, yes, of course! If you want me to, I mean... uh, yes." Very smooth, Shan. He was practically king of smooth.
He tried to regain his composure, and somehow managed not to be totally pathetic at that. "Ah, are you tired from your trip? Perhaps you would like a nice place to rest?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:59 am
The innuendo had been a little overt, even for her, as ordinarily she was a tad more subtle...since, ordinarily, she didn't intend for her flirtations to turn into anything more. Shan was going to be her husband, though, so certain eventualities were a given, and being a bit more openly suggestive wouldn't harm anything. In fact, it would probably do the opposite.
She hid a smile at his response, though she couldn't quite keep the amusement out of her eyes. He was kind of cute like this, really.
"I would like that. Do you have anything you need to attend to, or could we rest together awhile? I've never slept away from home before - ah, away from the West," she corrected.
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