[PRP] Changes (Nephthys/Zeruaren)

[Fairy Snails]

When Zeruaren had returned from his last Viking, he had been tempted to find another band in order to leave the pride instead of suffer the hunger. He knew that some had gone out to fight in a battle against another pride. There was no glory for him in that. He did not know the pride and honestly did not care.

However he was glad that he did stay. The winds had shifted in the pride. It was clear that the new ways were being washed away and being replaced by something similar to how they were when he first joined the pride. Zeruaren couldn’t be happier. Females would be expected to live in the pride and raise the cubs properly. No more of that female reaver nonsense.

He walked through the pride with a stronger sense of purpose. Soon he would have to find a wife himself. It wouldn’t be long until he became a captain. A captain certainly needed a wife. With the changes he hoped it would be easier to find someone fitting of his ideals. There were plenty of eligible lionesses in the pride. He just needed to be more social and ask around. As he walked around, he casually looked around to see if anyone caught his interest.  

[SilverLutz]

Another day, another dawn in the lands of the Stormborn. Nephthys was glad time was rolling on as usual, no longer having to worry about the plague of never-ending hunger upon those that remained within the boundaries of the pride. There were those that had escaped the famine through Vikings, but there were some like her that weren't able to even consider the idea of leaving for a brief stint of time. Some females had gone off to become Reavers, but the thought alone turned her stomach so much that she had hardly had an appetite despite the curse. When the hunger had finally left for good, though, her world was brightened considerably with the new Warlord and his shifting of ranks.

Although Nephthys' father was a Captain, he wasn't originally a Stormborn. Nor was she, having been born elsewhere and had returned to the pride with her father once she could walk. Despite not being old blood, Nephthys felt like the Stormborn had something going for them years ago when females stayed home to mind the dens and the Thralls. She was pleased, therefore, when a new rank was introduced. Wife.

For years she had dreamed of being a kept lady, a lioness that was brought treasures and fine things and Thralls while she kept the den tidy and raised a new, strong generation of cubs, teaching the males to be powerful and the females to be smart. Nephthys was glad she had waited to find a suitable mate until now so she could see the true colors of those in her pride. She wanted a male who wished for a wife and now was the time to seek him out.

So intent was Nephthys on her thoughts, her plan on how to find the perfect male, that she didn't notice the Reaver almost directly in front of her until she bumped into his side.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said with a little laugh. "Forgive me for my mistake."

Fairy Snails

 

[Fairy Snails]

It would seem that his search was not going to take too long, he thought as he looked at the lioness that bumped into him. Zeruaren did not recognize her, though with how massive the pride was, it was not that big of a shock. It didn’t help that he had a tendency to stick around his Viking band. He kept a stoic expression as he casually brushed his side.

“No harm done. I am used to getting hit when out viking.” He responded and gave her a sly smile. “Though no one quite as beautiful as you has got me.” Zeruaren was never the smoothest or most flirtatious lion. He had never cared much about romance or falling in love, even before he joined Myrsky Syntynyt. His passion always belonged to fighting and being the strongest. Now days though, it felt that if he did not find a wife sooner then later he would die in battle leaving no legacy to his name.

“By the way, my name is Zeruaren. I don’t believe that we have had the chance to meet before.” He said, bowing his head politely at her. His life prior to Myrsky Syntynyt was nothing but polite small talk. He preferred letting his claws do the talking these days, but with the right company, going back to his old ways was natural.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Giving herself a moment to collect her composure, Nephthys surveyed the male she had bumped into. She hadn't seen him around before, but that wasn't a surprise. The pride was huge and was always collecting new members. The way he carried himself let her know he wasn't a Thrall and probably not a Freeborn. Reavers and Captains tended to have a swagger to them that couldn't be ignored and Nephthys was very keen on that swagger. She hid a little laugh behind her paw as the male complimented her, a coy look on her face as she smiled.

"A pleasure to meet you, Zeruaren. I'm Nephthys," she said, offering her name in return with a little bob of her head. "I haven't seen you around before...are you new? Or just out a-Viking more than you're home?" There, that would give her the answer to her rank question. She was always on the lookout for a handsome face, after all, and the higher the rank, the juicer he became.

Fairy Snails

 

[Fairy Snails]

“I came from a distant pride, but Myrsky Syntynyt is my home. Since I got here I have been out Viking every opportunity that I have gotten. It was a gift that I was able to find and be welcomed to this pride. The least I can do is prove that I am worthy of being in the pride.” Zeruaren said proudly. He was still just a reaver. It had been slightly frustrating for him following the orders of someone he felt was beneath him. However, he knew that it would be soon that he would rise in ranks and become a captain of his own band. The day just could not come quick enough.

“It has been a while since I have actually stayed in the pride for a decent amount of time. As embarrassing as it is, I missed the duel between Zjarri'fol and Warlord Ushindi. When I returned here everything felt almost unfamiliar. But in a good way. It has just been hard to settle back in.” He explained. After learning of the new warlord, Zeruaren had been joyous. The pride was shifting toward his own ideals, making it feel more like the perfect home.

“I have been waiting for a chance to explore the pride, to see what else has changed since I have been gone. It would be an honor to have someone as lovely as you to escort me around and remind me of all the wonderful things I miss while I am away.” He said in an attempting to be flirtatious.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Neph gave a soft 'ah' as the winged male explained himself and she found that they were quite similar. She had been born to a mother who lived in a distant pride, but Phosphor had been eager to keep at least one of his children with him. So although she hadn't been born here, the moment she'd been able to travel, she had come to live here and had been raised as a Stormborn lion the majority of her life.

"Most of us missed it," she admitted. "It happened quite suddenly and outside of the traditional time to challenge for the title. Things have changed since you left. Although I wasn't here in the older times, it seems the ranks have switched a bit to how they used to be. Females can no longer be Captains, the highest rank they can achieve is a Valkyrie which...is similar to a Reaver? But of lower rank...oh, I don't know. All those females that want to go out and fight confuse me," she added with a shake of her head. The new ranks didn't concern her much... with the exception of one. 'Wife' was a very tantalizing rank she'd been delighted to hear existed with the coming of the new Warlord.

Zeruaren's request was spiced with just a bit of flirtatious tone and word, but it was enough to make Neph's interest perk. He seemed to be a driven individual who was working hard to claw his way up the ranks and she could appreciate that. Her father was a Captain, after all, and any potential suitor would need to be at least striving for that rank to catch her eye.

"I would be happy to," she returned, her tone and body language suggesting not only an interest in being his guide, but also being very open to the attempts from the other lion to flatter her.

Fairy Snails

 

[Fairy Snails]

The more Nephthys spoke the more Zeruaren found her attractive. The old ways of Myrsky Syntynyt were what he admired about the pride. When lionesses were joining reavers on their vikings outside the pride, it felt like being slapped across the face. He grinned as he thought about his own band, with the single lioness in their group and how badly she would take the news. Later he would have to do some more research into the ranks.

“That is excellent news. I am sure that it stirred up some drama, but the result will undoubtedly result in our home becoming stronger. With fewer lionesses leaving the pride, the young will grow up healthy and strong. It is the right change for the pride.” He said confidently. The pride always had subtle shifts when there was a new warlord. These changes though were much larger than the ones in the past. Hopefully, most in the pride would be accepting of the changes and find their place in the pride.

When she agreed to show him around, Zeruaren smiled. He could not be happier with how things were unfolding. “You know, you are making me realize just how much I miss when I am away from home. I am a bit tempted to stick around the pride for a bit longer than I normally do, assuming that you would not mind sharing some of your time.” It was a bit forward, but Zeruaren felt confident. “Though, for now, I will settle on the tour. I am sure that a pretty lioness like yourself must have a busy schedule.”

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Neph nodded slightly as Zeruaren spoke her thoughts exactly. While she had no trouble at all with confident, strong-minded females (she was one, after all), she did think that so many taking up the title of Reaver and even Captain had been excessive. They needed those strong ladies to raise the next generation and if they were out gallivanting and breeding with lesser lions, what was the point? The Stormborn were the cream of the crop, after all. Take your mates from within to produce pure, strong lions.

"Oh no, not assuming at all," she said with a little grin. She was glad to know Zeruaren found her a suitable lioness to spend a bit of time with as he was certainly right up her alley in terms of what she was looking for in a mate. Strong, looking to climb the ranks, out a-Viking more often than not...it would set a good example for any children she may have and she certainly didn't want a mate who was wasting his time goofing off in the pride.

"Please, follow me. I can bring you to the heart of the pride, our new Warlord is often seen mingling there."

Fairy Snails

 

[Fairy Snails]

For the first time in a long while, Zeruaren was looking forward to sticking around the pride. To think that they just happened to bump into each other. If he had taken a different route earlier, there was a chance he would have now been making plans to go out viking.

“That would be perfect. Before I leave, I would like to properly introduce myself to him. I want to meet the lion who is finally leading our pride in the right direction.” He said. “Perhaps after our tour, I could quickly catch something, to repay you for your time and generosity.”

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

"I think it would only be proper to do so. He'd like to meet all of his Reavers," Neph said with a little nod, 'future Captains' hanging heavy in the air between them. The offer to catch her something made her smile and as she fell into step beside him, she gave Zeruaren's shoulder a little bump with her own.

"I'd be a fool to turn down such an offer, although spending time with a lion like you is certainly reward enough." Turning on the charm a bit? Perhaps. But Nephthys was one to cling to what she wanted and Zeru was turning out to be quite a fortunate lion to have bumped into. She led the way from the border of the pride to deeper within, more than happy to escort him and show him around his home and to point out what had changed.

Fairy Snails

Fin!