|
Post by clouds just clouds on Oct 29, 2014 20:21:23 GMT -8
Men? They were the most frightening things on earth. A large, cuddly kitty? Not entirely. Imani had to admit, she let out a small squeal. Imani stepped forward, but then hesitantly stepped away. Then, she finally gave in and walked to stand in front of Areus, "You're... beautiful. Oh Cadoc, you're amazing." Reaching up, she felt his thick fur, if he didn't look like he was about to chomp her arm off, and she laughed as her fingers went through his mane, if this was allowed.
"You're like a big cuddly... I don't know what to compare you to." Dropping to her knees, she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled her cheek against his neck. It didn't really care how he reacted, right? Because he wasn't real.
Even still, a blush filled her cheeks and she pushed herself away from Areus, scrambling backwards till she was a bit away from him. Her eyes were soft as she watched him. "Thank you, for showing me. I guess I'll show you too, but I'm not nearly as impressive."
Her body shifted and shrunk a bit. Then a small hyena in her place.
|
|
|
Post by Dina Doo on Nov 3, 2014 16:24:20 GMT -8
Areus had let Imani play with his fur. For obvious reasons, he didn't speak, but the warrior felt his chest swell with pride at the compliments he was getting. And when she transformed, the lion took a step back and not another moment passed until a warrior replaced the lion. Areus stared in amazement at the hyena that stood in front of him. He crouched, knowing well enough now not to approach her. She possessed the power, not him, and he wanted her to feel comfortable. "Wow," he said finally, chuckling. "You're so.. tiny." He laughed again. "I mean, maybe you're used to it, but that's small to be. What an adorable little animal." Like a curious kitten, Areus wanted to see what her fur felt like. Was it like silk? Was it smooth? Was it rough? He lifted his hand, nearly reaching a hand out, but he stopped, remembering. "Sorry," he said softly as he sat back. "So, is there any difference between the men and women when they transform? Like there is for us?"
|
|
|
Post by clouds just clouds on Nov 3, 2014 17:05:17 GMT -8
Imani watched him with a soft, curious gaze. Adorable? Thank goodness she wasn't in her other form without her mask, or she would have blushed. For his entertainment, she let out one of the hyena's most common noises: one that sounded like a laugh. Her eyes sparked with interest, except for when he reached towards her. Fear sparked her eyes and she fell down into a crouch, squeezing her eyes shut as if bracing for impact. Her heart beat quickened and instinct told her to run, but she tried to keeping telling herself: he's not real. He's not real. He's not real...
His apology had her glancing up in surprise. The softness of his voice eased her, except she stayed in a crouch. After a few moments, she tentatively stood and then transformed back into her human form, gently scooting away from Areus so she could wrap her arms around her legs and watch him through her mask.
"U-Um..." Her voice still shook. Reaching up, she pressed her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stave of the memories. After a few moments, she took calming gulps of air and continued to stare at the ground. "Yes... females tend to be larger than males. Except, I'm pretty small. There are larger females than me."
|
|
|
Post by Dina Doo on Nov 3, 2014 18:38:55 GMT -8
When he saw the way she reacted, Areus felt even worse. He didn't even want to think about what had to happen to make Imani so wary and scared. He glanced down, trying to think of a new subject to discuss. And he found it. The curious kitten leaned forward, smiling brightly, eager. "Oh, I have so many questions.. Can you tell me more about your tribe, please? Like stories or traditions? Holidays? Rite of passages? How come your tribe doesn't like men?" There, he thought, hopefully that was enough. Areus continued to smile brightly, even if it was hidden by his bronze mask. In some way, talking to Imani reminded him of his little sister. "What are your siblings like?" This question was much quieter, in tune to the warrior's somber thoughts.
|
|
|
Post by clouds just clouds on Nov 3, 2014 19:15:40 GMT -8
Imani felt herself smile at her curiosity. It was unfair, though, because she could just brush off his questions and then ask him the questions. Crossing her legs, she leaned back on her hands and eyed him with a playful look. Except, she doubted he would like it if she pointed out that he was acting like a curious kitten. Holding in a giggle, she said, "Umm, well, I'll start with stories and traditions. That explains why we don't like men..."
Because Cloudy knows that Shadow knows the story very well, Cloudy is going to skip over this part. Imani said the entire story, albeit with the enthusiasm of a great story teller, and the very end, she leaned back and crossed her arms. "They say as they tossed his head down the chasm that his laughter could still be heard.. and that his shadows could still be seen on the wall."
A smirk curled her lips. "What question next?"
|
|
|
Post by Dina Doo on Nov 4, 2014 7:21:27 GMT -8
As Imani told the story, Areus listened eagerly. She was quite the story teller, he had to admit. Whether or not the story was true or not didn't really matter to him. "Well, I guess that's reason enough not to like men," Areus mused softly. "Okay, my next questions aren't as important now. I'll ask them later. But," he raised his gaze to hers once again. "What are your siblings like?"
|
|
|
Post by clouds just clouds on Nov 4, 2014 11:20:55 GMT -8
Imani smiled lightly and glanced away, nervously playing with the beads on her wrist. "Well, I was kind of isolated from my other siblings... I guess you could say I was-am?-my mother's favorite because I was the oldest. She spent a lot of time with me..." Her voice died and she picked up a rock, throwing it up in the air before catching it. "Even when I first started seeing things, she was there for me. I don't really know what my siblings are like... Haji is a male, so my mother doesn't care about him at all. I sometimes see him around, but I've never tried to speak to him... I barely know Asya and forget we are related... I only know Shetani because she's the next in line and because we ran into each other..."
Imani sighed. "It is kind of a bit of a disappointment. My entire life I've been preparing for leading this clan and in the end it was all taken away from me, because of my own issues." She let out a light laugh that held no humor and shook her head. "I don't blame Shetani... I just don't know what to do anymore, and I'm not sure how long I can hide..." A sigh left her. "Sorry..."
|
|
|
Post by Dina Doo on Nov 4, 2014 14:49:53 GMT -8
"I'm sure you could become leader again if you really wanted to," he chimed, leaning back. "In my tribe, leaders can be challenged. When that happens, there's two battles to fight through. If the challenger wins, they're the new leader. And that's that. Or does the leadership here run in the family?" But the warrior paused for a moment, bit back anymore questions he had. "I'm sorry," Areus laughed softly. "You don't have to keep answering my questions. I'm done. Do you have any questions for me?"
|
|
|
Post by clouds just clouds on Nov 4, 2014 14:58:39 GMT -8
Imani parted her lips, "Yess!" She sprung from her sitting place and inched closer to him to the point that only two feet were between them. It was a bit too close for her, but at the same time... it wasn't. Not entirely, because Areus wasn't real. "But--well, it runs in the family. I'm not sure if I ever could... because I'm still not stable..." Her eyes flickered to the side. "And the tribe would never trust me... anyways, what are some legends from your place! Ohhh, if your males and females are equal, then do you guys marry?"
|
|
|
Post by Dina Doo on Nov 4, 2014 15:54:41 GMT -8
His smile vanished at her question about marriage. How would their marriage tradition make her feel? How would it make anyone feel? How does one even explain it? Areus decided to spare Imani the details. "Yeah, we do marry. And that's a big competition too. If you haven't noticed, my tribe's real big on competition and battles." His smile hadn't returned. "But we're not... entirely equal.." Areus rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away. "And I can't think of any legends at the moment. They're all probably about heroes anyway." Cadoc, he was feeling guilty for nearly mentioning the slaves of his tribe. Areus knew he would tell her if she pressed the subject, but knowing what problems she had, knowing she'd be right there with his sister if he was home... How would that make anyone feel?
|
|