[PRP] Onwards, Minion! (Lanka/Merope)

[Epine de Rose]

He was at it again, but it was safe to say he was much more confident in himself by now. He had even managed, with some help, to gather materials he deemed more stable and suitable for his next test run. Given he wasn't entirely satisfied that the bridge would hold yet he wasn't about to subject his new 'minion' to a death defying walk into a chasm...and instead he had conveniently dug a hole in the sand.

...Actually he'd spent the better part of his day digging the hole, making a little river to it, and filling it up so that it looked like a petite scale model of the chasm with a much sturdier bridge over the top. All things considered it certainly didn't look like it would wobble quite so freely as the last one had so his 'minion' would probably be safe this time.

He had a good feeling about this one as well.

In fact, something told him this might be the one, but first he needed to test it and then... well, he'd present his findings to the King and see what happened from there.

Would Shui even be willing to listen?

Evidently he'd been living under a rock and hadn't been aware that Ram had returned. His presentation might go a little easier if he became aware of that...

oo DeD

 

[oo Ded]

Merope might not readily admit it, but since their first 'outing' this whole venture had taken up a not insignificant amount of real estate in her day to day thoughts. A part of her was probably annoyed that a silly lion with a silly plan had come to occupy so much of her head space, but an even larger part of her was eager to see what he would come up next and—ultimately—what would come of all their 'hard work.'

She'd even offered to help gather supplies her him. Her. Merope, who often took orders like an invitation to do the opposite just to show that she could.

So when she found her pink paws drawn to the edge of Lanka's hard-earned little chasm, she was hardly surprised. No, she instead found herself smiling toothily down at him. "Hard at work, huh?" she called, flopping over and dangling her chin over the edge next to her paws.

Then, almost despite herself: "…Need help with anything?"

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Minion!" He sounded positively delighted as he swept round the chasm and towards Merope. He was rather proud of his work so far if he dared say so himself, but what was a good chasm without someone to test the bridge? He wasn't entirely finished with it just yet, but he did size the lioness up thoughtfully for a few moments. It hadn't been long since they'd seen one another and she had been decidedly helpful, but all the same...

"Wonderful you look like you've maintained the same weight ratios," he mused and gave a quick series of nods as he bustled back to his bridge and began to tug at several of the vines. He'd made some improvements since the last time to say the least. The panels looked like they were more firmly strapped together and he seemed to have managed to tighten the knots on some of the planks.

...Had he learned a new technique?

Or had someone had Merope's best interests at heart when they intervened to educate the eccentric architect...

"We're so close to success, you and I!" he pulled away again and grinned. "We just have to get this prototype functional and then I can present it to the Royals, granted it might need spruced up a little but cosmetics are always the final touch."

A pause.

"So, what say you, are you ready to make a name for yourself?" He asked. He'd say hello properly at some point, eventually, he just had other priorities right now.

oo DeD

 

[oo Ded]

'Minion!'

Merope's ears pinned to her head almost instantly. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe she could pretend that someone was calling to her from somewhere and wander of before she got too invested?

Then, he made the comment about her 'weight ratios' and something bubbled beneath her skin. Oh, no. He wouldn't make it out of here that easily. No, she'd see this whole thing all the way through to the end and then she'd teach him a lesson about the proper ways to speak to a lady.

The lioness sucked in a breath between her teeth and followed him as he made his way to his newest creation. She watched him warily as he tinkered with the vines, and some visceral part of her, deep down, told her to run. Surely, at the end of all this, she'd have some sort of unresolved fear of vines and planks…

"Only if you think your creation is worthy, Lanka." she mumbled, cautiously setting a paw atop one of the planks. It did look better, this time. Could he… could he actually be making some serious strides here?

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Our creation, Ms. Minion," he corrected without missing a beat and as she stepped on to the planks he peered at them. Keen eyes determining if they would bow under the pressure and yet they seemed to hold this time. The weight ratios were right, his math seemed to be working and that meant that if he scaled it up then maybe it would actually be able to carry them that far over the void!

"I wouldn't waste anyone's time if I didn't think there was anything to show," he added, leaning in to inspect some of the vines before smiling. It was time for a stress test and in those moments he gave a wave of his paw. "Jump on it, land as hard as you can, lets see if this snaps or stays in place," he instructed.

If it held, then the next step was for him to get on to it as well and see if it could hold more than one lion. He was feeling positive, this was promising and all being well this might be the one.

...He remained unaware of the lesson he might be taught later.

oo DeD

 

[oo Ded]

"Land as hard as-"

Merope cut herself off and bit her tongue. You could tell tha she was tallying up all the transgressions and was planning a follow up. What sort of method, she thought, would be sufficient to teach some well-needed lessons...

All the possibilities were swimming through her head as she neared the bridge. It seemed like the only train of thought that kept her distracted as she, grumbling all the while, approached and leapt...

And it held! She looked flabbergasted. Amazed.

"...what...?" She mumbled, despite herself. As though she was SURE she was going to fall through.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

A delighted laugh erupted from the lion as Merope did as instructed and was rewarded by not taking a nice bath in the mini chasm. It was with just as much enthusiasm that he bounded on himself and in a fashion similar to that of a cub, bounced around several times himself. The bridge, miraculously, held... and whatever he'd done to the vines seemed to give them just enough slack to bend ever so slightly - somehow he'd managed to build in a little flexibility to this thing.

"Utterly fantastic," he declared, raising a paw to slap the lioness merrily on the shoulder.

"My dear girl we must receive an audience at once, summon them here and demonstrate once more. All being well we may even get the approval for a larger project, a true prototype," he couldn't hold in the excitement as he bounded back off the bridge.

"And if this one works then we can move on to the biggest and most ambitious of them all - we're geniuses, geniuses!"

He was already barrelling towards the centre of the pride as he spoke, voice raised in his usual fashion. At some stage 'minion' had been lumped into the lofty ranks of 'genius' as well, safe to say that Lanka's grasp of what was and wasn't an appropriate nickname may have been a touch lacking, but at least his heart was in the right place?

However he did remember to double check over his shoulder and abruptly glanced her way.

"Well, are you coming?" he asked and raised a brow.

oo DeD

 

[oo Ded]

Merope was on a roller-coaster of.emotions that was far wilder than anything she had been preparing for today. On one hand, she was still reeling at his... Uh... 'Unideal' choice of nicknames and was thinking of what sort of revenge she could I act (a dunk into the ocean might not have stuck. He probably would have just seen it as more research). Maybe some other kind of scare.

On the other hand, she was genuinely excited about the stability of the bridge, and not just for the reason that it meant she wasn't taking a plunge!

And as if she didn't need any other things to get worked up about, Lanka seemed to think it would be a good idea to join her?

The pink lioness did her best to back away quickly, but she hadn't been expecting him to so eagerly run up and join her. So Merope was probanly still looking at him with an expression of panic when he bounced around beside her.

Despite herself, she left out an excited "Hah!!" And gave a couple of bounces of her own.

She was about to congratulate him when the lion was off again. Oh right. This was just one part of the builder's grand scheme. How could she forget? How could she think it would be over this easy?

The lioness gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes before bounding off after him.

"So, boss, what comes next?"

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Well, my dear," he grinned. "We present our findings to the King and request that he allow us a team to build something on a much grander scale," he replied merrily.

"Small prototypes are all well and good, they may even work, but if we are to truly succeed then we will need to ensure it can be reproduce on a grander scale and I have the perfect location in mind," he continued. It was with a vague wave of his hands towards the scattered islands, separated by high tides at this time of day.

...Evidently, he wanted to try and build across it.

However that really couldn't be done by the pair of them, they would need much more help to achieve it.

He was still chattering incessantly at her and to no one at the same time as he bustled towards the pride's inner circle. She could have wandered off for all he knew and he would have been none the wiser, but he seemed to be under the impression she'd stay with him for this one... and why wouldn't she, surely she wanted credit for her good work too!

oo DeD

Off they go! Closing post from Lanka. <3

 

[oo Ded]

First, Merope responded with an impressed hum. "The King, huh? Can't say I've ever had the honor," she mused, her voice trailing off as she watched his gesturing.

She looked towards the direction of the islands, seeming to get his little hint. She had questions about why exactly he aimed for this for be their pursuit, but she didn't seem to have it in her to cut off his chattering.

Lanka's indiscretions from earlier seemed to have rolled off her back. For the time being, anyway. When she was first unwittingly roped into this project it seemed like she was mostly humoring the builder, but she was invested now! Merope wasn't really one to take things very seriously, so this was a rather new feeling for her. She wanted this to work out!

After all, if it all worked out then she would have some more leverage to work with when she tried to teach the poor sap some manners. Or at least, that's how it all worked out in her head. First, mission success. And she would ride that wave with a good smattering of etiquette lessons. Maybe she would work that in, somehow, with how manners would be necessary to pitch his future plans?

All these thoughts and more swam in her head as she followed at his flank, absent-mindedly nodding along with his statements.

All in due time, she mused quietly to herself. All in due time.

Epine de Rose

fin!