[PRP] Friendly Faces (Maelewano x Judoc)

[RuIerr]

It was strange. Maelewano came from a massive family, within a large pride, and yet she still didn't have any friends. She was sitting upon the edges of Lake VIctoria, just beyond the black soil, and reflecting on her time here in the Nchi'mahadhi. And all it was doing was making her sad. Although she had so much opportunity to flourish within the pride, she was more or less sinking into the background. It was about time that changed.

Even so, she wasn't sure she wanted to change that immediately. Maelewano was, after all, enjoying her place in the pride. Admiring the others of talent and monitoring the food supply, contributing in every way she thought she could. What did it matter if she didn't put herself out there to make friends? She was rather content with the way life was going. Except it was strange to watch her siblings, her litter mates, growing so much more than she had. They were shrouded in a maturity, a grown-ness that Maelewano was quite sure she would never experience. Foolishly, she'd expected that to fall into her lap. But it seemed growth to that extent was something she needed to seek out, something she needed to create from experience. Perhaps it was time for a change.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Change had certainly come for Judoc and the Kuta, the group of lions that he was a part of. They had once been mercenaries for hire that were looked at with reverence and fear for their prowess, but now they were a motley crew hiding within the ranks of a peaceful pride for both their own safety and that of the Nchi. There was a group of non-lions out there that killed lions for sport and hopefully, as a joined group, they'd present too difficult a pride to attack.

For Judoc it was strange to be in one place for so long. The lions here were very kind and there was plenty to see and do, but he was starting to get a little stir-crazy. His whole life up until now he had spent on the move, after all. His solution to his wanderlust was to walk by the lake that the pride touched, sometimes going for a swim. He knew better than to leave the pride grounds, of course, but his walks could last hours if he really tried.

He was surprised to see a lioness sitting by the water by herself. The Nchi were very social and it was hard to find quiet time away from them, so to see someone off on her own was rather strange. Curious, he headed in her direction to see if she was alright.

"Hello," he called out to announce his presence. "Everything all right?"

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

Entirely lost in her thoughts, it was not surprising that Maelewano did not hear the strange lion approaching. Although this was even more unsurprising, given his rather interesting past. Hearing a voice call out, the red lioness' ears twitched and she turned her head, cocking it a bit. Upon seeing a lion she did not recognize, a small bit of alarm raised within her, but she saw how comfortable he seemed to be padding along the lake and settled down quickly. "Hello, she said kindly, rising from her position to walk forward. As she reached him she bowed her head, glancing up to notice flashing green eyes set against a rather plain pelt. Striking.

Bringing her head back up, she smiled genuinely. "No, I'm quite alright. Just taking a break from all the..." She struggled to find a word for the activity of the pride that didn't sound disdainful, as she hated to convey something she didn't feel. "All the buzz. It's a bit much, don't you think?" It was then that Maelewano realized that he, too, was alone. If he was concerned for her being by herself, it would make sense that there was concern for his own status. "Is everything alright with you...?" She blushed a bit, ashamed she didn't know her own pride members' name. Not only did she not know most of the pride, she had an absolutely terrible memory when it came to names, which dumped her into some pretty awkward situations on occasion.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Judoc was glad nothing was wrong with the female. He had realized a bit belatedly that he could have opened a can of worms in asking - sometimes if someone was alone for a specific reason it wasn't something that could be solved with a quick smack to someone else's face. The female didn't seem distraught though, so he breathed a little sigh of relief. He might be a good fighter but he wasn't the best at solving problems verbally.

"Ah, yes," he agreed. Ever since the attack and the joining of his little band of lions with the pride there had been quite the bit of activity and buzz in the pride. Lots of lions would come up to talk to him and that was part of the reason why he needed a break from the pride.

The return of the question surprised him quite a bit and for a moment he stared at the red lioness with a rather dumbstruck expression. Had she just asked him how he was? No one had ever asked him that outside of their ruler after a battle, and that was more of a formality.

"Uh...um. Yes, actually," he said as he finally let a tiny smile break. "Just out enjoying some peace and quiet, like you." As soon as he said that he realized he was interrupting her peace and quiet. Whoops.

"Sorry...just realized I might be bothering you. I'm Judoc, by the way. I'm not sure I've seen you around yet."

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

The male looked a little slack-jawed at her response to his greeting and Maelewano couldn't help but fear that she'd offended him. Perhaps she should know who he was? It was a terrible habit, stalking so far on the edges of the pride that she often missed out on the big going-ons that she should be privy to. Once again, her mind reveled on how much she needed to change about her daily life. Just another way to better herself. In the future. Sometime. Maybe soon.

"It's strange, isn't it? All this quiet." She gazed out onto the lake, rippling softly in the breeze and smiled a bit. "Nothing like the Nchi I know," she stated with a tinkling laugh. It was strange; although she hadn't inherited any of her pride or family's musical ability, she had the most melodic laugh. The only thing about her that really seemed to fit into the pride, save for her devout admiration for everyone else's talents. "Judoc," she repeated his name, her method of attempting to store it in her memory. "No, I don't believe we have met yet. I tend not to be so... active. That'll change soon, I've just been in a strange, sort of detached mood... but nevermind that," she said hastily, flicking her tail. "Maelewano's my name. Feel free to call me whatever, but no one's seemed to come up with a halfway decent method of shortening it yet." She smiled and shrugged.

Recognizing that a member stalking on the edges of this pride probably shared her same "knack" for musical talents, she then inquired, "What is it you do here? I, ah... hunt, more or less. You just... don't seem like you enjoy sitting around and beating drums. Correct me if I'm wrong," Maelewano added with a slight downward tilt of her head, embarrassed at making her pride's livelihood sound so... menial. She truly didn't mean it that way, but the look in the eyes of those musically-gifted within the pride was so whimsical and this male, Judoc, did not have the same kind of glint to his eye.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Judoc nodded a bit as the female gave him her name. Maelewano...there was lots of potential for a nickname, but he honestly wasn't the lion to give it to her. He'd just still with the full name for now.

"I'm a guard, I suppose," he said as he was asked about his position. "I came with the Kuta, though. Ah...the muscle for hire that joined a while back." Realizing she might have been on the outskirts of the pride for longer than he had been here he pressed on a bit. "There was an attack near the edge of your pride by a group of non-lions that had severely depleted our own numbers. What remained of our group joined the Nchi both for your safety and ours. From what I gathered when we first joined you are a fairly peaceful pride...something those murderers would take advantage of in a heartbeat."

He had to pause to get his now snarling face under control. He wasn't used to losing and the attack had been both a surprise and an incredible failure on their part. He wasn't ready to admit defeat though. If he saw one un-tufted tail from those cheetahs and leopards he'd kill them all for what they had done.

"Sorry. Still gets my ire up," he said quietly. "But no, you're right in thinking I'm not content to sit and sing songs around the fire. It's nice to watch and listen to up to a point, but I'm used to roaming and fighting. This is....a nice place to take shelter. But at the end of the day it's a bit too calm for me here."

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

Maelewano smirked at the other's non-committal answer, finding it funny that he wasn't quite sure of his place in the pride. Sometimes she felt the same. Then came his explanation, and it made much more sense. She'd heard of the Kuta in passing; there was quite a rile up when they joined - not because of their band of warriors, but because of the circumstances that led to their joining the pride. At his comments, she bowed her head in apology. "I did hear of that happening, I'm... I'm sorry for your losses. You must know we appreciate the help. Although we have our guards, they may not be as, ah, well-trained as you and your friends." Though she had full faith in her guards, the Nchi were a peaceful pride, and outsiders knew that. Even those who didn't know already could sense it immediately upon approaching the pride, like an aura.

Once she raised her head back up, her eyes focus on the snarl that had overtaken his face. His teal eyes seemed cloudy, muddled with anger, for which she could not fault him. The Kuta had lost many of their own, and Maelewano could not imagine the pain and hatred she would feel if her own were viciously attacked.

At his comments on the Nchi, Maelewano let out a small laugh. "I can understand that. I do adore my pride and all the joyful, perhaps quirky, aspects of it. But a joining rogue, especially of such a different background, you can't really be expected to enjoy all of... this." She flicked her tail and nose outwards at the same time, indicating "this" to mean the whole of the Nchi'mahadhi. His next comment made her quirk her brow involuntarily. "Oh? And what would you prefer to be around, on a day to day? You... enjoy all the fighting?" Being from such a friendly, peaceful pride, Maelewano could barely picture two lions actually fighting. She rarely even witnessed arguments, let alone anything coming to blows. How on earth could Judoc enjoy all of that? It didn't seem like something anyone could enjoy.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Judoc nodded slightly at Maelewano's condolences. He was thankful for the Nchi for letting them come in to regroup. Without them he wasn't sure how they would have fared. How the mighty had fallen...

Her question brought him out of his thoughts and he had to chuckle quietly. She seemed a bit appalled that he had suggested fighting was enjoyable. She didn't seem to be fond of the constant 'thereness' of her pridemates, yet the thought of someone seeking out fights wasn't a concept she had heard of. The poor thing, caught between worlds.

"Not just fighting, but yes, I do miss it," he admitted. "But being mercenaries we get to travel. There's so much to see out there and being in one place for too long gets rather dull. The same lake, the same horizon day in and day out...some find it comforting, I know, but my paws were made to wander. I also miss meeting new lions, although I suppose today that particular craving has been satisfied."

Offering her a little smile once more, Judoc tilted his head a bit to the side. "What about you then? What is it that keeps you here if you seek out solitude so often?"

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

At his explanation, Maelewano began to understand just why this gentle-seeming lion enjoyed and missed his old lifestyle. Although she was positive the Nchi wouldn't be opposed to anyone traveling outside of the pride, she was also sure they wouldn't quite understand it. Particularly with who her family was, how prominent they were within the pride. Not so much because of any stature they held, but simply because of their sheer numbers. It'd be unthinkable for any of them to leave the pride, even temporarily.

"That makes a lot of sense," she said, nodding with a soft smile. "It honestly sounds wonderful. This place is beautiful, but the stories I've heard of other lands..." Maelewano trailed off, her eyes staring out over the lake in wonder. She'd been told tales of waterfalls and glowing forests and endless deserts... although some of them didn't sound so desirable, she had always wondered what else was out there.

"Oh, me?" She laughed flippantly, rolling her eyes a bit. "I love this place, honestly. My whole life's here. My whole family." Mulling it over in her mind, she realized the two were synonymous. Her family was her life - she didn't have much more than that. "I suppose that's really it. I feel... comfortable here. I couldn't really imagine just not being here. Sounds kind of pathetic, doesn't it?" She added with a mildly sad laugh.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Jodoc listened politely as Maelewano spoke. He knew he and his little nomadic group were the strange ones, never settling down and moving from place to place. Home was where his friends and family were, not a specific location on the savanna. He knew that other lions didn't feel the same way that he did, and he was sure that if he had been born into a pride he'd have similar sentiments.

"It sounds a bit boring, but not pathetic," he said diplomatically. "The same thing over and over must get dull, but dull usually means safe. We lead an exciting life, but...well."

He trailed off, his tail flicking back and forth in irritation at the reminder of his fallen kin. "It's not the safest of lifestyles, that's for sure." Glancing over the water, he tossed his head slightly to push his mane from his eyes before turning to the shores of the lake. "Well, I'll leave you to your quiet. It's been nice talking with you, though. I hope we'll cross paths again."

Ruler of Everything

Last from me!

 

[RuIerr]

Maelewano nodded, understanding what he was saying. Sometimes the Nchi did feel a bit safe, a bit too contained. But it was just the nature of the pride itself - the peace, the calm - it all came with the territory, so to speak. And could she really hate on that?

Smiling, the lioness nodded. Although it was a brief exchange, Maelewano felt she had learned a great deal about the male. It was rare that she could connect so well with someone, but Judoc seemed like a very trustworthy lion. Even if his past did sound a bit too seedy for her liking. "It was wonderful meeting you," she agreed with a genuine smile. She felt much the same, believing genuinely the two of them could become quick friends. Even with his plans to leave soon. Rising, she bowed her head once more at his figure, and padded off into the center of the pride lands. Something about this conversation had made her want to seek out the more exciting parts of the pride.

SilverLutz

Just quoting you so you know it's over~