AW monolithic aspirations

Erenvel,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Naboo

---

It was early in the morning with the sun still hiding behind Mount Crescentia's tall spires and rigid, uneven crests that rose and fell on the distant horizon. In the shadow of the mountain she found her way through the Steppe, finding a path that seemed to wind itself up a wall of untamed earth, a ledge that had just enough of a path that she could comfortably step up through it until she was at the top. From here it seemed like she'd climbed no less than thirty feet up, and still there was room to continue upwards. But here she found a flat stretch of land that had pale grasses bent over with the weight of the morning dew. The chillier temperatures were not helped by the dark clouds looming above threateningly, rolls of thunder grumbled in the belly of the skies as occasional droplets began to marr her fur and make her look bathed in the dark swathes of blood. Her mane scattered across one side of her face as she reached a distant edge of the plateau, looking out onto the low grassland beneath and some distant rolling hills. The scene before her was gray and dreary, though her bright yellow eyes stuck out like guiding lights; casting her gaze upon all that which lay at her feet and wondering why no pride had taken this for their own.

@Muninn

_{art by ki-re, code by naboo}

Muninn,

Lion of Prideless

Played by Tyrannidae

---

The morning was a dreary one, overcast, dark and quiet save for the patter of indecisive rain and the snarling of thunder overhead. An atmosphere Muninn knew well. One might say too well, in fact, to the point where enduring consistant days such as this one seemed to ebb into his very nature.

The dark, dreary, overcast male moved quietly across the untamed earth. His large paws soaked in the heavy dew that coated the grasses, though they nevertheless carried his large and muscular physique gracefully forward. His silver gaze flashed suddenly upward as he detected movement on a ledge far above.

He could see a heap of dark maroon from his distant position, and he would regret to admit that curiosity took hold of him and compelled him onward. His stomach growled deeply, much like the thunder, as his mind explored the possibility of a kill being set up on that ledge. Perhaps he could manage to claim it for himself?

He got closer, and closer still, realizing now just how terrible his eyesight truly was. He thought he saw bright yellow eyes amongst the bloody mass... but he was now begining to doubt himself. Was it a kill, or another individual sitting there on that ledge?

speech

Of Mind and Memory

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@Erenvel

Erenvel,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Naboo

---

There is a sudden unease that she cannot attribute to the weather, as though something was watching her and it made her skin crawl. Claws lashed out and latched into the moistened earth, tilling it until she grappled the surface and turned her head to face towards where the dark mass was approaching from. Much like the weather he was occult; enigmatic in his own way and in his quiet, but she did not hesitate as her ears folded against her skull and her lips peeled back into a snarl, pulling to expose her fangs beneath and crinkling against her muzzle as her mane whipped towards her neck. A low growl rumbled threateningly within her chest, rising through her throat and expelling violently into the space between them. Was he stalking her? "Who goes there?" The tone of her voice dark, heavy and lacking any understanding until he would respond - in whichever way that may be. Her shoulders moved together as she toyed with the volatility within herself, wondering if she should just preemptively lash out or give him a chance to rectify the situation (was it a misunderstanding?) if he chose to do so. The dark weather seemed to only work against them as the clouds rolled further and darkness took a deeper hold of the space between them.

@Muninn

_{art by ki-re, code by naboo}

Muninn,

Lion of Prideless

Played by Tyrannidae

---

As he began to wonder more and more if the heap of bloody mess was just that or something more, he had become wrapped up in his curiosity. His eyes had narrowed and his ears had been perked forward in interest and all his focus... and then suddenly the dead mass sprung to life!

He flinched back out of instinct, and with all his being he managed to avoid crying out in surprise when the dead heap took the sudden form of a violently brash and rather angry-looking woman! What a mistake he had made! His mind was not right... perhaps he was too travel-weary for his own good.

The shock of the surprise and the embarassment of the instincutal reacion his body took upon itself caused the male to react in whatever way he could to protect what dignity he had left. His ears fell back to hide amongst his thick mane, his fangs flashed her in warning not to be too daring... but this was his mistake, so he sheathed them quickly to communicate he was not interested in threatening her further.

He held his head high as he turned away, attempting an aloof demenor now before his gaze returned to her. She had spoken.

"Muninn, a man of the desolate regions to the north of this place.

And what of yourself? Who are you to be sitting on high?"

He spoke of course of her position on that ledge as well as her bold and feirce response to his presence. It had been a mighty long time since he had been greeted with such hostility. He must admit, it was admirable of her... but of course he'd only admit it to himself.

His voice carried a deep bass, yet the words were spoken almost musically with a mild accient of the northern tounge. Scandinavian, specifically.

Of Mind and Memory

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@Erenvel

Erenvel,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Naboo

---

The stranger looked almost stunned as she unraveled herself and embraced the fury which lingered beneath the surface. Ever present and bold, unruly, she was moments from embracing her rage and wielding it against him but something tempered her back. She watched the way his body recoiled into defense and then released the threat from his face, watching his swarthy lips wrap around his fangs and expose them, and dare she say that for a moment, in that flash, there was thrill that coursed her own body. Excitement causing her fur to bristle though her face began to waiver from her threat. Then he spoke, and his words were quite honestly enough reason for amusement. Wickedly her lips turned into a smile, one that was borderline aggressive as the glint in her eye held a mischievous air to it, her mane tumbling lightly across the right side of her face though her voice held the same resolve it had previously.

"Erenvel. I am no one, yet, though soon all will know my name." How bold of her, presumptuous really, but she did not care for others' opinions of her. "And what brings you here Munnin, apart from judging whom I may be?" He was much more even tempered than her, and while she stood here opposite of him her body only marginally relaxed. Her eyes looking towards his dark figure, the rain beginning to pick up in fervor as the heat of her breath began to rise in stacks of steam from her parted jaws.

@Muninn

_{art by ki-re, code by naboo}

Muninn,

Lion of Prideless

Played by Tyrannidae

---

The aggressive female had the high ground, and that made Muninn uneasy. He felt that she could pounce at any moment... her untrustworthy yellow gaze reinforced that sentiment every time her eyes shifted. The dark male decided to rest upon his haunches. It would give him stability if she decided to release her self control and attack him instead of remaining civil. Clearly it was difficult for her, and he nearly scoffed at the thought.

He did not give any indication that he was concerned about what she might do next, however. His demeanor was aloof, cautious but unconcerned... though it picked up in curiosity when she spoke again to answer his question. His ears swiveled at her bold answer before she then turned the focus back onto himself.

"I simply arrived as a passerby a few days ago, dear Kvinne. I fancied these grasslands, and decided to stay. Perhaps I will move on, in time... but I have not yet found reason enough to do so soon.

I am none too interesting to speak of, however. I'd like to talk about you, and this confidence that all will soon know the name - Erenvel... was it?"

He smiled cunningly at her angry grin. He anticipated her next words. Just how much meat was fleshing out these claims of future grandeur? And if she seemed promising... perhaps they could work together?

Of Mind and Memory

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@Erenvel

Erenvel,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Naboo

---

The wilderness that had grown within her in the years since her youth was like a tempest. To try to tame the beast would be like bottling a tornado, eventually something would shatter that container and she would be unleashed once more unto the world with the same ferocity as before. Currently it was manifesting as that restlessness that continually drove her forward, and she wondered if he didn't see right through her - how could he not? She was bristling with rage and a lack of restraint, on the cusp of losing some sort of internal war that had torn her apart for years. Even the way he so pleasantly seemed to sit and be nonchalant irritated her, crawling underneath her skin in a parasitic manner that made her lips almost tremble, though surprisingly the urge to snarl was kept at bay. "Erenvel Tollaire." There was a deep seeded pride as she spoke her name in full, fancying that one day she would make father proud. Had he passed on by now? The thought that he may never see her at her mightiest ebbed in the back of her mind momentarily. "It seems these lands are full of lions that cannot hold their own for long, arrogant fools that stake a claim and can do nothing more than scrape by."

For a moment there was a darkness that crossed her eyes, an aggravation that finally released a low growl from the chasm of her breast. "They are not beings deserving of respect. Leaders should not be frail of heart with their courage scattered to the wind." There was a passion that arose despite the flashes of fury in her face. "They should lead by iron-will and set the example for what they expect." Like her father had, he had been an idol for her, courageous and at the same time calamitous. Though somewhere in the breeding she'd gotten more of it, she'd gotten something that she hardly knew how to contain anymore, and she couldn't withstand the thought of letting Arsynia, Vermillion, or Drakon down. Here she was supposed to be a guide, and she was nothing more than a loose cannon herself. "You speak a strange tongue - Kvine, what is this?" What are you? The words filled in the gaps suddenly, her eyes remaining fixated on him though she hadn't moved apart from a few expressions since the beginning of her side of their conversation.

@Muninn

_{art by ki-re, code by naboo}

Muninn,

Lion of Prideless

Played by Tyrannidae

---

Muninn was unsure what it was that he had done, if anything at all... but the woman's constant and relentless threat of battle diminished ever-so-slightly, noticed only by the dark male's trained eye. Had it been the posture he had assumed? Did she no longer feel he was a threat? Was she simply losing interest? He couldn't be sure.

She spoke, offering him a last name in a voice dripping with pride and malice. That name was one she held dear. She was proud of who she was... though, who was she really but a lioness twisting and coiling like a serpent on the face of a rocky outcrop?

She continued and the words she spoke next were words he could get behind. He agreed, he understood. He didn't know many others from this bit of land he had found himself on... and he had not traveled too far as of yet... still, respect is earned and leaders must be strong if they are to represent their pride to the highest authority. These were qualities expected of chieftains in the lands which he hailed from.

He found himself nodding along with her logic and beliefs... and then the topic turned. She became thoughtful for a moment after she spoke her last, then piped up again.

He smirked at her question. "Strange to a foreigner like yourself, perhaps." He chuckled, grooming a paw as he gathered his thoughts and placed them carefully before speaking again. "It means 'woman'. It is a word that can be used to define the most mundane of women... or the most courageous and ambitious of all. See, where I come from women can dominate prides, they can dominate men, and they can dominate battlefields.

It sounds as though you might have what it takes to be a 'Kvinne' of such status. Tell me, what is it that stops you from setting the example with your own iron will?"

Muninn wondered if she would take his prodding in the way he hoped she would. He wanted to rule as well... and to be in second place... he could bear it for a while.

Of Mind and Memory

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@Erenvel

Erenvel,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Naboo

---

Of course he wouldn't know her intimately, in the sense that he wouldn't know who she was, but Erenvel - unlike some of her more scheming family - had always laid everything on the table. She showed her cards and she played them because she believed in her own strength, and mental fortitude. Though in the midst of the focus on herself and the inward volatility she was keeping at bay she was finding it hard to remember to refocus back onto him. Saffron eyes narrowed slightly and focused on him, nostrils taking in his pungent musk and yet she could not move on from their conversation even as he spoke of being a Kvinne; strong, powerful, a woman that needed no others to hold her up.

"We share one thing, women are not limited by anything in my homeland." And again came that glitter in her eyes that was equal parts malice and pride, she would help Arsynia take their family to the next level if it was the last thing or only thing she ever did. "I respect my family. Our matriarch wishes to see the lands and gauge our competition - or allies - before we establish ourselves. My fury comes from those that play with the lives of others; those that have no courage with which to stand behind. We will rise here, but that does not mean that I have to sit by and watch all these fools take throne." The Ignis empress... well, they would see how that went, for now Erenvel found her alright. "Have you goals here? You seem quite interested in what I say." An alliance.. perhaps? Perhaps.. more? She knew not how to form opinions on the latter, but on the former she was well prepared.

@Muninn

_{art by ki-re, code by naboo}

Muninn,

Lion of Prideless

Played by Tyrannidae

---

She spoke of a family... and from the way she made it sound, it was a large and powerful family indeed. And at it's head, a female, no less! That was interesting to him. Perhaps the women that hailed from her birthplace were stronger than those that hailed from his. From what he had observed back home, though not limited, females opted to live in the shadows of their male counterparts simply manipulating events from the sidelines. Not in this family, it would seem. Color him impressed.

She asked him of his own ambitions and he flicked an ear back in a casual gesture. "I came here to live in solitude and exile. I am no longer welcome in the land of my ancestors, and so I had given up all interest in power and high rank... but in meeting you, the flame of ambition has rekindled in my belly with a vengence." His words melted together with a dark growl that rumbled from his chest, anger boiling when he admitted his exile and the hopelessness he had sunken into. He had become so weak! It was time to change this. "I will not allow any mortal soul to push my potential into the dirt. Kvinne, concider me an ally to you and yours. I wish to help you rise, I wish to take throne against those who call themselves kings but rule like commonfolk."

Muninn realized how dependant he now sounded to her cause. As though he required her assistance to build himself back into a man. That was not the case. He did not speak it aloud, but if she would deny him oportunity to trancend with her family... well, he would trancend against it.

Of Mind and Memory

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@Erenvel