[PRP] Oh how the tables have sorta turned [Hila x Orm]

[Vashtya]

Hila's current displeasure was proportional to her sibling's glee - and was due to the exact same announcement. She'd restrained herself in the new Warlord's presence, to a large degree, but the announcement had hit the adolescent (and her longstanding dreams of becoming Captain of her own band of reavers) hard.

Oh, sure, the warlord had tried to placate, adding two new female-only ranks, but even the new rank of Valkyrie, the only one that would allow a lioness to go along on Vikings, was a slap in the face of sorts, because even they lacked the autonomy to do so without a male to lead the band. In a flash of incoherent rage, she had immediately thought of leaving, but had rejected that idea almost as quickly as it had occurred to her. She had family, and even...a friend or two in the stormborn who she wasn't willing to give up because of the actions of a misbegotten whoreson of a Warlord.

Besides, it wasn't as though some lions hadn't already felt that way - she'd only been on one viking with lions she wasn't related to, and had definitely been driven to more than one eyeroll, and had felt the pressure to work harder than her peers (not that she wouldn't have anyway, since she had had a plan to work towards), as though she was somehow proving that she deserved to be there.

The only thing that had held her back from expressing her ire in a more...explosive fashion was that the new Valkyrie ranks could still leave the pride lands - giving her at least some of the freedom that she craved. And maybe, just maybe, things would eventually shift to allow qualified females to regain some level of authority other than within the home.

It wasn't that Hila lacked respect for lionesses who opted to focus on running their homes with an iron paw, focusing their attentions on the home, rather than outside of it like so many of their male counterparts...it would just bore her to tears, never getting to see the larger world, or the plunder (and maybe even one day, immortality in the stories that were passed down) that came from exploring it.

It was thoughts like these that had finally driven her from her den, before she took out her frustrations on her still-injured thrall. She paced, unconsciously gravitating toward the rocky, stark beach that had become one of her favorite places to go when she needed solitude. Tense, like a rubber band on the verge of snapping, her lip lifted in a silent snarl as she heard her brother's voice, practically a crow, really, as he yelled for her. s**t. Just what she wanted to be greeted with - a smug brother disturbing her peace. Given their last...conversation, she could make an educated guess as to why he was bellowing insistently for her.

Much as she was half-tempted to avoid him, her pride wouldn't let her do so.

"Stormlords, brother - I am not some thrall, to be summoned by your yelling!" She approached him purposefully, although to someone who knew her well, ste stiffness of her movement made it obvious that her temper was on a short leash.

"And yet, as you see...here I am." She continued, her maw curling into an unconvincing (truthfully, rather terrifying) attempt at a nonchalant smirk. "Why the impatience to see me, Orm?" When in doubt, particularly with siblings...play dumb.

Alpaca Chobi

 

[Vashtya]

Hila rolled her eyes, wanting to wipe the smirk right off of her brother's face. Ugh. Dealing with him really was the last thing she wanted to do right at this minute. She prided herself on her self-control, but right now...it was not what it should be. She felt like an exposed nerve, where everything was scraping unpleasantly at her mood, making her want to lash out in pointless rage.

Lifting her lip in an ugly sneer, she immediately went on the attack. "You could have fooled me, screeching like a saltwife."

From the sheer joy he was radiating, diversion wasn't going to work, but she had to admit to a stab of satisfaction at the verbal jab. As he continued, her expression shifted into a snarl, lip curling back across her teeth, even as she practically ground them in frustration.

"I was at the gathering our new Warlord called for, yes." Every word was sharp, so sharp it was a wonder they didn't cut her brother to ribbons, and her claws dug deeply into the earth beneath her paws, as if she were trying to anchor herself to prevent her temper from slashing at him.

His words hit home, biting deep - a reminder of just what had been taken from her, the wound still so fresh it was practically bleeding. Goals she had been working towards since she was a cub, goals she had been on the way to achieving, now practically meaningless.

"Much as I appreciate your concern, Orm..." she began, narrowing her eyes to slits. "I earned that title, even if I can no longer bear it." Her voice, harsh even to her own ears, trailed off into a rumbling growl, as if she couldn't prevent the obvious sign of her anger, made that much worse by his prodding at the sore spot.

The aggressive tone didn't change what her words were: the powerless whine of an adolescent who had never before hit a real roadblock to something she truly wanted....until now.

Alpaca Chobi

 

[Vashtya]

Something ugly surged inside her, bitter and acrid, at his words. As nature intended? Surely her own brother didn't really believe that garbage?

"As intended, brother? Ahhh, yes, you've done so well by comparison, to this point!" Her voice rose, a tangible sign of her escalating temper. Unable to stop the words from spilling out, she pressed on, snarling. "It's always the lazy, useless males, I've found, who are the most vocal supporters of females 'knowing their place'! After all, it must be embarrassing when we outshine you!" She stepped marginally closer, her posture threatening, as if she was a heartbeat from resorting to a physical response.

His words hurt that much more because she'd already seen the evidence that she would have had to work that much harder than her male counterparts to earn respect - something she had known she was capable of (let it not be said that she lacked self-confidence...even when it wasn't deserved)...and now, even that had been yanked away, tantalizing and yet kept just out of reach.

Alpaca Chobi

 

[Vashtya]

Her expression chilled, her temper running from hot to cold, giving way to sly thoughtfulness, and an intent to wound. Later, the words would hurt again, but for now, her anger, like an icy storm front, was overwhelming. She drew herself up to her full, not-unimpressive height (a little silly, given her brother was still larger than her).

"I'll have to get to work? I've already been working - I have two successful Vikings to my name, and a thrall of my own! But you wouldn't know what that's like, brother, so I suppose I'll have to forgive your ignorant, antiquated opinions, since they are likely a symptom of your lacking experience of the world..." Every word was a sharp claw, chosen carefully to cut as deeply as possible.

Unlike her brother, Hila's motivations were internal, driven more by a desire for independence, and curiosity of the world outside of their borders...fame and riches, of course, wouldn't be remiss, as far as she was concerned, though.

Alpaca Chobi