[PRP West] Tell me a story (Maddi/Jianyu)

[Fairy Snails]

Jianyu was lost in thought as he walked near the border of the pride. For the first time in his life, he had been unable to string together a story. Usually it would take him a matter of seconds to have an idea. He would tell his tale to anyone who would listen, though usually he told it to the young cubs. Usually he would talk about all sorta of adventures he had been on (though everyone knew he had never been outside the prides lands).

His muse was gone. He just hoped it was a temporary thing, because a day without telling a story was like a day without food. Others may survive a day without heating of the grand adventures he had been on, but he couldn't imagine living without his stories.

There must be something to spark his story writing flame again, he thought as his mind began to tinker faster. There must be a story he could craft that hadn't been told thousands of times before.

It was something that used to be so easy for him. He could draw inspiration from anything really. But today nothing came to him. Was he just out of stories to tell? He shook his head. That couldn't be it. If that was the case there would be no point in him being here.

“Oh gods, you play such a cruel game with me.” He said aloud. It was much easier to blame the gods for his lack of inspiration then himself.

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

Maddi had been using her need to explore her new home as an excuse to practice gracefulness. She had already been naturally so, but now that she had come here to this pride and taken a position that depended on her skills of movement and dance, she felt it important to constantly work to make herself better. She had taken to wearing flowing scraps of light and fluttery cloth, rightly believing that they accentuated her movements and her beauty.

She hadn't lost her vanity when she had lost her pride. She had mourned for a time that her chosen mate had not come back for her, but she had firmed herself and moved on, seeking a place for herself where she would be comfortable and could gather admirers for herself. She preferred to be gazed at with appreciation, to get attention for her beauty. Despite that inclination, she wasn't really the haughty sort. She had a kind heart and giving ways. She simply sought attention as others might seek a cool breeze or a comfortable den.

Just now she caught sight of a mighty handsome lion. She had been finding it difficult to consider any other male beyond her lost Altheus. He was a hard lion to compare any to, since she had picked him out herself from the choice of many. She still carried a great affection for him, but had been slowly convincing herself that it was time to move on. He was part of her old life. This was her new life. Thus, having seen a male who pricked her interest, she acted upon her interest.

"Pardon me," she said sweetly upon approaching him, "but I don't believe we've met as yet. My name is Madende. I must confess to being new to the pride, though I very much feel at home here already." She cast a fond glance about them. It truly was a beautiful place, and she loved it here. "Are you from here yourself?" she asked engagingly, turning her multi-colored eyes to gaze at him attentively.

R4gn0r0k IV

My deepest apologies for the delay!

 

[Fairy Snails]

Lost in thought, he didn't hear the lioness at first, only hearing her when she said her name. He looked at her straight in the eyes and silently thanked the gods. Perhaps all would be alright today? “Madende,” He repeated her name in a sing song voice. “It is nice to meet you Madende, I am Jianyu.” He bowed his head toward the gorgeous female. How many stories had he heard about lioness so beautiful? She didn't compare to the ones he described in his own tales.

“I was born here in the west house.” And he had never strayed to far from the land's borders. Despite his love of heroes in stories, he had never been able to find courage himself to leave the land. “If you don't mind me asking, what was it like outside the pride? Was it much different?”

New comers to the pride always held his interest more then anyone. They always had information to share. Their stories always seemed to ignite Jianyu's own inspiration. He could allow his imagination run wild when they spoke. It was a trip just hearing about places he would never get to explore.

“And what brought you here? Did you have family here or something else?” He asked curiously, wondering if she was spoken for.

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

She was quite used to being admired, and generally basked in such attention. She preened a little as he gazed at her appreciatively before answering his questions. Of course she was aware of her beauty, but it was always nice to have it affirmed. "Life elsewhere is very different than here," she told him genuinely, sitting and curling her tail about herself. "The roguelands are rough and fierce and cold-hearted." She gave a small, delicate shudder. Rogue life had definitely not suited her at all. She didn't mind hunting for herself, but having to guard against hyenas, fleeing the more aggressive prides or males... even the females had sometimes been unfriendly and territorial! No no, that had not been for her at all. "My previous home was overrun by miscreants who turned the pride upside down, inside out, and split us with controversy. We were a reasonably happy place before all that." She gave a soft sigh, eyes prettily distant and sorrowful. "I had a mate all picked out, and things were going to be lovely. I would have been his beybanu, you know. His first wife."

She paused with wide eyes, realizing she hadn't explained about that, but shrugged and opted to brush past it. She'd explain if he caught on to it, but she found it easier and more comfortable to not try to get into the nuances of banus and pads. "As to how I came to be here in this wonderful place," she went on with a charming smile, "I was lucky enough to meet a trader who had passed close by and does business occasionally with the West House. His tales of a place where art and beauty were held in high regard appealed to me. So here I am!" She gestured with a graceful flourish, eyes sweeping the beautiful landscape. "I don't think I'll ever want to go anywhere else ever again." To do so would require crossing the ugly, dirty, lonely roguelands, and that simply was not something she could stand to think of!

R4gn0r0k IV

 

[Fairy Snails]

A life of hardship was the life of the rogue land, he thought. A place even the noblest of heroes would fall apart. The story a lone warrior traveling through the wickedness of the rogue lands formed in his mind. A story that would have to wait to be told, he thought. He was in the company of a lady. Right now was not the time to be thinking up tales.

Her story was different than others he had met. He could not imagine living in a pride that changed so suddenly, with fights between pride members. And she lost her one true love. The words first wife caught him off guard. “First wife? You mean you could have more than one mate in your old pride?” It was such an odd concept to him. He could never imagine being in love with more than one lioness, having to shower them with equal amounts of affection, adoring them whenever you had a chance.

His heart was meant for a single lioness.

“It is an amazing place to celebrate the beauty the world has.” Jianyu said. “I am glad that you were guided to us. With you here, the pride seems to become even more marvelous”

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

The flattery was not at all wasted on the purple lioness. She preened beneath his words, beaming at him with a look of honest appreciation and gratefulness. It was one thing to know one was beautiful, but it was a whole different experience to have someone else recognize that fact, and she was deeply thankful for his praise. It helped to reassure her that her long trip and hard times had not stolen her beauty without her knowledge, or somehow sullied her gracefulness. But she supposed she owed him an answer about the wives.

"Only males could have more than one mate. They could have as many banu, or mates, as they chose. It made some folks quite happy, but many were unhappy, and that is ultimately what led to the destruction of the pride." She paused for a mournful moment, remembering. "I was happy enough to share, but other females felt like prisoners. To be completely candid, those unhappy souls had the right of it. It didn't matter if a female approved of or loved her mate. She was given no choice, most often. In fact, young males were sent out to bring back a female from the roguelands, often whether they wanted to come or not. Much abuse, much misery, and many misunderstandings all led up to the end." She gave a soft sigh, eyes downcast, ears canted at an unconsciously lovely angle.

R4gn0r0k IV

 

[Fairy Snails]

Jianyu's smile turned to a slight frown. He could understand why some of the ladies didn't want to stick around the pride. However it must have been devastating for the pride members who called the pride home to lose it. “I am sorry to hear about your old pride. I hope that, like you, the rest of your old pride found safety and new homes.”

The story of her pride sparked some ideas that he thought he could use for a future tale.

“Perhaps you might even run into an old pride mate here?” He said, thinking how nice it would be to have a familiar face in a sea of new ones. “Tianxia is a huge pride. I wouldn't be too surprised if you end up running into someone eventually. Such a kind lioness deserves a happy tale. At least if I were telling the story I would make sure it would be happy.” He said with a cheeky grin.

“Even if you don't find anyone from your old pride, I'll make sure you make some wonderful friends here. You have me for starters. From here you can only go up.”

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

R4gn0r0k IV

Apologies!

She raised her multi-colored gaze to his as he spoke, and smiled in warm gratefulness for his kind words. She honestly did worry about those of her pride, where they had ended up and if they were happy and safe. It spoke to her heart that he touched on the same concerns, or read them in her.

Her ears perked at his suggestion that she might meet someone in Tianxia that she knew from her old pride. Well, that was a happy thought! Her eyes sparkled with joy at the very idea, and her tail waved gently behind her. "That would be lovely! What a delightful surprise that would be!" She paused and leaned towards him earnestly. "If you hear of someone else from a pride like mine, will you come tell me?" Her eyes searched his for confirmation that he would do her this favor.

But as he offered himself as a friend, she smiled again, eyes sliding half shut in feline pleasure. "Of course, you are a friend! And a good one at that, too." It was only truth, for he had a knack for seeing right into her inner being and speaking to her heart. She tipped her head fetchingly and smiled faintly with a sidways glance at the handsome male. "A girl could always use a friend like you," she purred.  

[Fairy Snails]

Relief fell over him as she seemed to cheer up. As she leaned closer to him, he could feel his cheeks warm. “Of course I will tell you,” He said, giving her a confident smile. “Could I get the name of your old pride?” He asked, just in case he heard someone call it by the name.

When she spoke to him about being friends, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty. She was easily one of the loveliest lionesses he had seen in the pride. When he looked at her, he thought of the stories he could tell about love, sorrow and adventure. She inspired him. “I look forward to being able to spend more time with you,” he said, giving her a wink.

Talencia