the vital miasma

Arodion,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by Naboo

---

Murky waters stained the soft creme of his toes and turned them a pale hue of ashen waste, a color that seeped up the strands of hair until it seemed even his wrists were covered with the evidence of his travels. The unpleasant smell of decaying trees and bubbling waters creating a lackluster aroma that hung pungent in every which direction he turned. Flaccid and waterlogged branches occasionally dispersed beneath his feet as he stepped deeper and deeper into the miasma, red piercing eyes looking forward and unable to tell what time of day it was, for even though the midday sun felt as though it was overhead, it seemed as though a pale hue of blue and dread hung permanently like a fog. Without understanding what had possessed him to venture into this downtrodden and downright rotten land, it was surprising that a part of him felt at ease here among the undisturbed and pure earth. The strands of mane along the upper ridge of his mane began to droop over the sides, the pale chocolate hairs collapsing from the density of the humid air around it, brushing even against his shoulders and for a second making his eyes turn to the side as his head craned and his ears perked forward. Had he seen something, or was it just the odd sensation of his mane brushing where it normally did not reach?

_{art by munk, code by naboo}

Abraham,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by ResidentRowan

---

Abraham creeped through the swamp very slowly, careful to try and avoid making an absolute mess of himself, although he had very little success thus far. He was only successful in being silent in the water. Which hey, maybe he could sneak up on some poor prey stuck in the waters, who knew. The environment didn’t bother him too much, he’d definitely trudged through worse in his time traveling. Now was simply a matter of getting back to dry land. His brain and body were both on autopilot as he continued to move.

The water sloshed quietly around his darkened paws, he was thinking of other things, like how he was going to get clean later. His appearance was important to him, he always wanted to have good first impressions, and didn’t want to subject anyone to a less-than-adequate pelt. Suddenly, he saw a figure out of the corner of his eyes.

He took a double take, making sure his sanguine eyes were seeing correctly, and sure enough, a sandy figure was making their way through the swamp as well. He started to saunter his way in an awkward way towards the other lion. As he got closer, realizing the figure was male, based on scent. He’d seen a few maneless lions in his time, so it wasn’t the strangest thing he’d seen, but surely rare.

“Howdy there,” he nodded solemnly to the stranger, “found yourself stuck in the swamp too?” It was more of a rhetorical question. He kept his distance from the other, in case he didn’t actually wish to speak. In which case, they could always go their separate ways. He noted how much bigger the other was, and was hoping he wasn’t aggressive, but then again he might be able to take him.
speech

Go West young man

manip by ResidentRowan (me) | code by twesh

@Arodion

Arodion,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by Naboo

---

He'd been here in the past, for he'd been born in this land and experienced many corners of it - barring the tundra - but it felt different recently. As though the influx of lions and other creatures here had stirred something deep within the belly of Aesseldar itself. He had heard rumors of the spiritual energy that had resumed once more, but not witnessed it himself. Perhaps coming to these deep and dangerous corners of the land was his way of trying to invoke some sort of reaction from this earth.

Carmine eyes glanced towards the stranger, for once seeing the same colored eyes reflecting back at him, odd and almost endearing to find in someone else. This stranger seemed more meticulous than him, for a while he'd attempted to stop the mud from caking against his pelt, but had given up only a few minutes prior when it became too much of a burden. The fallen appearance of his mane which was usually more crest-like and rigid hardly appealing at this point. It took him a moment to look at the other lion and to take in his features, focusing on the freckle-face which he found most intriguing. The stranger's voice was rather calm, matching his own mellow baritones which resounded deeply to cut between the distance that remained.

"For some reason I always expect to find something different, but end up in the same predicament." A smile tousled at the edge of his lips. Though there was a sizeable difference among their heights he turned his body towards the stranger, lankly limbs half buried in the sticky, thick waters. "Were you looking for something, or someone, in particular? I'm likely a disappointment if that was the case." Charmingly he chuckled, ears slightly rotating forwards. "I'm Arodion."


@Abraham

_{art by munk, code by naboo}

Abraham,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by ResidentRowan

---

Now that he could see the stranger up close, he had to admit, he was quite attractive. Although Abe would never say such a thing aloud, especially to someone he barely knew, he found something about the stranger appealing, though he couldn’t place his paw on it. He could now see a small mohawk on the taller male, realizing he did have a mane, it was just short. He noticed the trailing of dots up the strangers temple, which was something unique he hadn’t seen before. This surprised him, as there were few markings or combinations of them he hadn’t seen.

The other seemed talkative enough, which Abraham was grateful for, and his voice showed no hint of ill will. Abe’s shoulders suddenly relaxing, having not even realized he had been so tense. The dark lion found the other’s smile a bit infectious, and returned it in kind. He continued to look up at the male as he spoke, waiting politely until the other was done to speak himself.

“Aw, no, you ain’t a disappointment, I’m always happy for some company.” His lips twitched upwards as he nodded a bit, “I’m Abraham, nah, I wasn’t lookin for anything in particular, I’m new ‘round these parts, just tryin to get to know the place.” He continued to walk through the mud, realizing his legs had gone even darker than they normally were, almost looking black as pitch at this point. “This place is mighty dreadful, though, don’t ya think? Incredibly dirty, at least.” He made a few more steps.

“Right now I live up around that lake, but I’m afraid I’ll have to move soon, two different prides have been lingering around there, and I’m not sure if I like the looks of the new one, to be honest.” Abe shook his head in displeasure, prides always had to move in eventually, he supposed, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t been in a few himself, but he didn’t like big prides coming in and acting like they owned the place. Hell, he didn’t really even own his little cave, but that didn’t mean it bothered him any less that they were always claiming everyone’s land.
speech

Go West young man

manip by ResidentRowan (me) | code by twesh

@Arodion

Arodion,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by Naboo

---

Funny how things could work out that he would find someone to have pleasant conversation with in the swamp of all places. Here where the retched waters bubbled and boiled, where the stench occasionally seared the nostrils, and the darkness seemed to permanently envelope it, he had never expected to find things which equated to comfort. For all his life he'd simply been one to go with the ebb and flow like the waters gently drifting the sand back and forth at the shore. While he waited for the other's response, he simply found himself indulging in what he was seeing. Silky caramel fur with fine coffee-creme accents on his mane, the darkened blaze on his nose accentuating the freckles which seemed to also cover his shoulders, if it hadn't been for the waters he may have noticed the darkened stockings as well, but once more he found himself attracted to Abe's eyes; jewels of carmine.

While he began to close the distance between them with steps taken through the duration of his words, he stayed put where he was, relaxed shoulders slacking a little and only moving so that his body was fully facing the other. The gentle glean in his eyes remained, as did the soft smile on his lips. "The swamp is certainly unpleasant, to be quite honest I question if it isn't haunted sometimes." The ridges of his brows dramatically rose for a moment and he let a small chuckle slip by. "I wish I were joking, but there are legends about this place, about odd occurrences, though not just in the swamp." Teasing out bits of the truth he simply left it at that, a lifelong resident of here had made him question what was truth and what was fabrication, but surely there had to be something embedded in the tales of old? "As long as it's not the tundra, though, I'll take my chances with the filth over the cold." Ohh... how he loathed the tundra and yet he suckered himself into going far more often than he should.

"To be honest I've never been outside of the lands here, nor have I been part of a pride until recently." His ears flicked forward with interest and he idly shifted his front paws. "Tintalle laid claim to a part of the woodlands, a pride now named Ithilien. She seems quite peaceful, and I have hopes that she will be an honest ruler. If you're ever interested, I could take you there." For a moment he questioned how rude that sounded, how out of the blue or perhaps how one might feel pressured. With an apologetic shake of his head he sighed. "I apologize, I don't mean to be forward about that. There is never any pressure, but if you don't mind... where do you come from?"


@Abraham

_{art by munk, code by naboo}

Abraham,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by ResidentRowan

---

Abe stopped once the pale lion ceased his steps, and was a bit grateful for the break, churning through the deep waters and mud were not exactly what he’d call… fun. But conversing with this fella was definitely much more enjoyable. His tail tip lightly skimmed the grimy dark waters. The shorter male stared slightly upward at the tall man. He couldn’t say he liked being on the more average side, especially in situations like this. It made his confidence falter a bit, which he didn’t like, it really shouldn’t matter his height, it stayed in the back of his mind.

The other man’s lips shaped words of ghost stories. Abraham wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, a small, an amused smile crossing his own face. As he continued, Abe still looked a bit unbelieving, but he wasn’t one to tempt fate. It’d be just his luck that spirits would lurk and curse him if he didn’t take them at least semi-seriously. Not like he hadn’t heard of haunted areas before. At the mention of a tundra, he shuddered, “gotta agree with you there, heh, I hate the cold, honest.” It seemed to him a mountain should be much more haunted than a swamp, but what did he know.

Interesting, another man who wasn’t interested in prides, Abe nodded along as the other spoke, showing his attention, meeting his own eyes reflected back at him. As the other continued, his lips seemed to twitch to a more neutral state. He wasn’t exactly fond of pride members trying to get him to join, especially upon first meeting. Although he had to admit, he was a bit eager than normal, he liked Arodion, and he was easy on the eyes. His head tilted a bit, as if thinking on it, “let’s talk some more, perhaps I’ll join the pride, if the right lions convince me,” he looked at him directly then, was that a bit forward? Yes, but the other was being forward in other ways.

Ah yes, the dreaded question he always got. ‘Where ya from?’ He tried not to look impatient, but it was one of his least favorite questions. “I’m from here and there, never really had a true ‘home’ . I don't remember where I was born either,” he said gruffly, “my ma, dad, sisters and I were sort of nomads, without a reason like most nomads.” He didn’t want to mention his dislike of prides was instilled by his father, especially not yet. It was a bit too personal, and some were snobby about lions getting disowned by prides. “So you say you were born here, your folks still around?” He asked, interest sparking in his eyes. He still wasn’t sure what pulled him so much to the huge man, perhaps it was the eyes, or his speech? He wasn’t sure.
speech

Go West young man

manip by ResidentRowan (me) | code by twesh

@Arodion

Arodion,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by Naboo

---

Perhaps somewhat to his detriment he suffered from a sense of oblivion. He was not always the best reader of others or judge of character, but his size had been a benefit in which he was rarely ever bothered with - pardoning the fact that he wasn't that great of a fighter to begin with. He was agile, more than strong, but his docile nature and the way in which he had drifted through life had done little else for him. He was pleased when Abe agreed about the tundra, he found the place loathsome and so for a moment he interjected. "Then I recommend you stay away from the northwest, the tundra is quite inhospitable and large." And just as suspected he perhaps had spoken too soon of Ithilien, though internally he wasn't trying to recruit so much as talk through the decision which he'd made. How could he have joined a pride? He still wondered if it was the right decision, but he was fond of Tintalle, she seemed kind, gentle, and perhaps, naive or not, he hoped that she would have a long reign for he craved some sort of stability and honorable leadership. He needed that example of what lions could be like, what prides could be like, for he'd never had it before.

"We can revisit the topic of Ithilien and prides later, but I do hope it would not need convincing; joining is always of your own volition." Here his brows softened once more and his smile softened, this stranger was easy to get along with, and it was something that luckily many of the newcomers he had come across shared. Though in Abe he saw something he hadn't quite in others, he hoped he saw what he could see blooming into more than just an acquaintance - in which way he didn't know, for much like the ocean he was ready to go where the tides pulled him. "Oh," A soft hum escaped him as he seemed to have hit a nerve, though he continued to move on with the conversation despite their stilled bodies, nodding lightly. "Well, I hope you enjoy the lands here, if you decide to stay." He wasn't sure that was enough to smooth it over but the sentiment was said in earnest.

And then came time for his story, with a somewhat more distant, almost sad smile he felt his eyes crinkle from the effort, his voice softening a little. "I do not know. I have been here since the time of my birth, but I have not seen my family since i was only a few months old." Still he wondered if they had abandoned him or if something dreadful had happened, he could not remember his mother's face nor his father's, to be honest he could hardly remember if he'd even had siblings. "Shortly after that Volcan found me, and we were raised together. So in a sense I have family here." Could he ever put into words his gratitude towards Volcan and her family? Perhaps not, and despite them being quite polar opposites in personality, they were still always bonded to one another. For once he knew not what to say in addition to what he'd already spoken, so he quietly looked back at the stranger, large eyes still bright and soft.

@Abraham

_{art by munk, code by naboo}

Abraham,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by ResidentRowan

---

Abe was glad to learn a new bit of information about the land, since he had stuck mostly to the Eastern portion of it. In his mind, he made a note to stay away from the northwest, thankful he wouldn’t stumble upon it, especially during the coldest season. Knowing Arodion thus far had certainly proved useful, learning new lands, prides, and the names of important people. Maybe it would be a smart decision to join this Ithilien, if only to stay with a smart lion, and have the offer of protection. It wasn’t as if his own stomach didn’t often go hungry, yes, he could scrounge up a meal most of the time, but he wasn’t the best hunter, mostly catching smaller prey. Even though he wasn’t a huge lion, he still needed fuel, and if he were in a pride… he put a pin in that thought.

Abe was afraid he’d made the conversation awkward, after the simple responses from Arodion, perhaps his story was boring to the other, it was probably a common one around these parts. Traveling, that’s how most of the other lions had probably got here as well. Arodion definitely had an advantage over many of the new migrants. He probably knew almost every corner of the place.

The freckled male tilted his head ever slightly as he listened, not bewildered but rather interested. Orphaned. Suddenly, Abraham was very thankful for the fact he had a family to depend on all throughout his childhood. Although, it sounded like the stranger had been taken in, thankfully, life as a cub alone was not a very easy one, and Arodion might not have been standing here before him if it weren’t for this Volcan and her family. “Well, I hope to meet this Volcan you speak of one day.” He smiled warmly at the other.

The silence stretched on for several moments, as he simply studied the other as time passed. It was very quiet, in the swamp, a frog croaking or a bird twittering sparingly. Though normally he was quite good at threading a conversation together, he was at a loss for words. It didn’t feel awkward per se, but Abe also wasn’t sure where to look, right at Arodion? Above him? Observe the scenery? He wasn’t accustomed to being flustered. Not sure he liked it, either. Perhaps he would let the other lead the conversation for once.
speech

Go West young man

manip by ResidentRowan (me) | code by twesh

@Arodion

Arodion,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by Naboo

---

Every now and then the natural flow of conversation swung into a lull. Whether Abe was comfortable or not in these moments he couldn't tell, nor was he particularly worried about it. He himself felt comfortable, at ease even when silence settled between the two, no matter how long the duration. It wasn't attributed to anything other than his solitary history in which silence had become an old friend; comforting him in the moments when words and thoughts could not. The silence lingered between them for a bit longer, and his ease did not diminish as his features softened a little further, brows coming together and a small chuckle slipped past his lips. "Hopefully you do not regret saying that some day." The intonation being that she was a lot to take in, but it was said in a most affectionate and warm manner.

Moving on his eyes widened a little and he pulled away his gaze from Abe's face for the first time in a while, looking towards the tangle of wood and swamp. "Perhaps we can explore the tale of ghosts, then?" Though he didn't begin moving away yet his body did adjust and turned so that he was angled to move closer to Abe, looking towards a path through the sparsely laden trees that would take them deeper into the swamp. As it was he was ready though, waiting for a signal from his companion as his eyes shifted between the two. The path that he could see though was only darker and darker, it seemed that even the water became more dense and that the fog was beginning to roll in and settle heavily.

He did not know if they would find anything, if there would be any merit to his tales, but he knew that he felt like it was different in there. Where the trees began to close in and become less sparse, where the debris in the swamp became concealed and more of a trap for unsuspecting paws. The only thing he could say that was decent, was that the water wasn't cold, the prior talk of the Tundra had reminded him that there was worse out there. In the distance from down the path he heard a low growl that heralded an answering hiss from the unseen, pale clouds ahead. It must be crocodiles for he could not see but the sounds had not been feline. The reptilian rasp of the distance brought both a strange sensation of nerves and wonder, though if Abe shared them he did not know.

@Abraham

_{art by munk, code by naboo}

Abraham,

Lion of Ithilien

Played by ResidentRowan

---

Finally, Abe seemed to regain some composure, deciding to just look directly at Arodion. It was rare, meeting someone with the same exact eyes staring back at you. More rare, he thought, to meet someone who you almost instantly felt comfort with. Abraham almost wondered what his comment about Volcan meant, but assumed it didn’t mean she was a bad lion, just perhaps lions often had mixed feelings about her.

As Arodion looked away, he followed his eyes, it was a bit intimidating, the thought of going even deeper into the dirty, wet swamp. But he didn’t want to seem cowardly in front of a new acquaintance. Abraham weighed his options for several long moments, although he wasn’t the most intelligent, and didn’t go as in depth as he probably should. “Aw shoot, why not?” He said finally, a small, determined smirk crossing his freckled face, his eyebrows knitted into a confident expression. The male nodded towards deeper into the swamp, “let’s get a move on then, amigo.”

As he heard the reptilian hiss behind him, he snorted, “well, seems the crocs made the choice for me, anyways.” He chuckled, “Let’s get going, ‘d rather not become a meal today.” His brown legs started moving, edging towards the path ahead, making sure to move with Arodion. He was nervous, sure, but they were two grown lions, he was pretty sure they could take on a threat, phantasmic or not. As he moved, his mind easily wandered, thinking of this or that, wondering just how curious his companion was. Abe was honestly more worried Arodion was playing a prank on him than worried a ghost would appear. He just hoped his mind wouldn’t play tricks on him. He settled into a more comfortable silence, not as eager to fill the silence now.
speech

Go West young man

manip by ResidentRowan (me) | code by twesh

@Arodion
(Sorry for the shorter reply)