[PRP] Heretics and history (Kin/Nyeusi)

[Andranis]

He really didn't ENTIRELY want to be here. Kin wasn't above fighting, of course, even as a historian. He had a few scuffs and scars from the times he'd helped Najisi and Nina-dini try to put somebody in their place that was a little TOO vocal. Nobody they couldn't handle, of course, but he was still very much not looking foreward to this.

Nyeusi was, at worst, a nuisance.

He paused in walking, laughing to himself. "Nyeusi the nuisance..."

She was harmless enough, but then her spouting had made others start to DOUBT Shangyue, start to consider REBELLION. And rebellion was something he wasn't keen on having happen. History, after all, was written by the victorious, and the victorious would always taint the name of the one who lost, taint their actions, make claims of falseness. So out here he was, sent to kill her.

The question was, could he actually do it? Could he kill Nyeusi?  

[mouselet]

The black lioness was sauntering casually through the pride, taking note of patches of moonflowers that hadn't been there mere days before. Sadly, most of the ones she'd planted had already failed and died - apparently there was some trick to it. Whatever, she hadn't exactly been thrilled when Kimondo had tapped her for this job, protesting that she was a Huntress, not a gardener. She still wasn't entirely certain why she'd agreed in the end. Probably because the kid had pleaded so much.

Oh well. She was absolutely not planting more flowers until she'd had a chance to talk to Kimondo about it. What was the point, after all, if all her plantings were going to die?

She didn't take any particular note, as she walked and thought, of the lions she passed. They were all pridemembers after all. Not even when she'd gotten up in their faces to inform them how the Great Lion had turned away from the pride had any of them even considered injuring her.  

[Andranis]

Ah, there she was! Kin looked about, noting what lions were and weren't around. Blessedly, there appeared to be nobody present. He rounded his shoulders, prepared to head in to make a strike, only to pause. It tickled at his paws, almost distracting him. The long, silky fur he'd taken to wearing on his back would surely become damaged or dirty if he wore it into a fight. It was best to not take it with him, and he carefully draped it on a bush.

Okay, now he was ready. Turning, Kin walked up and batted at Nyeusi's tail. "Nyeusi! Your heretical talk has become too much! By order of His Majesty... It's time for you to die."

Gods above, he sounded STUPID, and yet THIS was what he had practiced saying. Admittedly, the tail batting had mostly been to get her attention.  

[mouselet]

Nyeusi looked up at the sound of her name. Not many people were looking for her, and this particular lion was not actually known to her. She might have frowned in confusion if not for his next words. She considered laughing in his face, but it wasn't that funny, more ironic.

So she smiled coldly at the brazen male before her.

"What took him so long?"  

[Andranis]

"Um, well..." Kin wasn't really prepared for her indifference to the situation. A flight born of fear, or a fight born of anger, but not outright indifference. Did she not care that she was going to die? How was he supposed to even REACT to this? He just really wasn't sure. Did he... Did he just go after her? Claw her face up, bite her neck? Or did he... What? Chase her from the pride? No, that wouldn't work, it'd put her right in Meschach's paws, wouldn't it? And that could potentially be dangerous.

His attention and train of thought derailed when he heard his name, turning in surprise. There stood Vesper, one of his many... MANY... Cousins... How many did he HAVE, exactly? Good thing he was a Historian, or he couldn't keep track of them all! "Vesper?" He blinked almost owlishly, then looked at Nyeusi, before turning back to Vesper. "Um... I don't think any of this is going how I expected it..."  

[mouselet]

Nyeusi was surprised to see Vesper was that close by, but she certainly appreciated his presence. The lion, Kin, outweighed her by quite a lot, and she wasn't confident that she could defeat him...or escape from him. But with Vesper to guard her, the Huntress was much more confident. Especially given how the Guard's sudden appearance had unsettled the would-be killer.

"You mean, you thought I'd roll over and die for you?" the black lioness asked sarcastically, taking a step forward to stand next to Vesper. "Because, I'm sorry, but neither of us will be doing that tonight. Even if the Great Lion's eye is closed."  

[Andranis]

He cringed, "Actually, I was expecting either you'd run in fear for your life, or attack me to defend it. Not... The reaction you DID have..." It was that indifference that had so surprised him, stopped him in his tracks. A killer he was not, though. He was good for getting into fights, but there was just no stomach to murder another lion. He glanced at Vesper, hesitation in his movements as he shifted his stance. "I can't just walk away, though. I..."

If Vesper had voiced his thoughts, they would be on the head. He didn't stay loyal for long out of genuine loyalty to Shangyue, it had warped into a sense of duty, and now fear. If Shangyue had no qualms about ordering the murder of his own uncle, or lions that were as seemingly harmless as Nyeusi, what would he order if Kin failed in his task? "I didn't even want to come here tonight... Or any night." He took a deep breath. "But if I didn't... I'D be the one getting killed." He didn't think Najisi would hesitate to try and kill him, despite the difference in size. He also didn't doubt that Nina-dini, as blindly loyal to Shangyue as she was, would also try to kill him without any hesitation. There were probably countless others, and it did in fact scare him.  

[mouselet]

The lioenss listened calmly to big lion's ramblings of fear and duty as he attempted to explain why he'd even consider trying to kill her. She was, to put it mildly, unimpressed. Unimpressed with Kin, and unimpressed with Shangyue's ill regard for her, if he thought she'd be killed by this failure.

"Kin...don't you think there's something wrong with that? If Shangyue was worthy of the Great Lion's attention, why should you fear for your life just for failing to obey his orders?" Nyeusi asked reasonably. "But it's not too late for the pride. We simply need to put someone on the throne who deserves to be there. Whom the Great Lion will bless and, by extension, bring back His Glory to the Mwezi'Johari."  

[Andranis]

He hesitated, shifting from paw to paw. The clouds on his front legs almost seemed to ripple, even if they didn't ACTUALLY move, showing his inner turmoil. Finally, he looked at the sky, ears back. "No... No, that's NOT right..." One ear twitched, listening to Vesper, before he simply tucked his legs and collapsed to the ground, covering his face with his paws. "Gods, I've been a fool..." He lifted one, toes spreading out in a gesture of exasperation. "I only joined out of a sense of familial loyalty to Nina-dini! I thought SOMEBODY had to stand with her!" His paw flopped back down as he lay there, cringing to himself. Finally, he looked up at Vesper and Nyeusi. "Can I... Ask one favor? If I join the rebels instead of tucking tail and running?" He hoped this didn't sound stupid. "Just... Vanish. Hide from view, make it LOOK like I killed you? If I just vanish, wouldn't that mean he sends somebody after me?"  

[mouselet]

The black lioness had been fairly encouraging and easygoing as Kin seemed open to what she and Vesper had to say. However, there were some very firm lines drawn and cloud-marked lion had just crossed them. Nyeusi's blue eyes narrowed as she focused in on her would-be killer again.

"Why on earth would I let a coward like you even attempt something that ridiculous?" she asked, volume and pitch rising. "I have never, ever been afraid of the probable fate Shangyue would like to deal me! I absolutely refuse to pretend to vanish - and look how well that worked out for Prince Meshach! - so that a scaredy-cat like you can take credit for my death!" The lioness' eyes blazed as she glared at Kin.

"Not to mention that our regicide of a ruler would certainly want proof of my death, in order to prevent something like Meshach, since you can bet I wouldn't go far," she pointed out. No way was she going to pretend to die. If she did fall, it would be for real and it would be final. But until death came for her, Nyeusi was going to continue to stand up for what she believed in.