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 Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:28 am
 Dione had always been the proud sort, it was in large part due to her upbringing. Her father had been proud and dignified, and her mother... Well her mother had been dignified and proud in her own unique way. Dione could categorically say that she took more after her father than her mother, the 'goofiness' of their mother had been inherited by her brother.
That being said, it had been with a measure of frustration that the lioness had watched as her brother had leapt in head first, challenged her opinion on his methods of gaining respect within the pride, and systematically proved her wrong. It had been following their meeting with a red lioness that Dione had come to realise that what her brother had said, held some merit.
...No one in this pride was simply going to 'approach' you and claim you have talent. You had to state you believed you had talent, and then they would expect you to prove it.
She hadn't realised how insightful he could be.
However it had been his words that had struck a chord with her in those moments and she realised he had a point. If she were to raise through the ranks in her own preferred discipline, then she was going to have to take the steps to make those who would enable her to do so, aware that she actually existed. Thus, she found herself outside the High Priestess's den, it was a gamble, but she had agreed internally as to what questions she would ask if she was permitted entry.
She wouldn't take all of the High Priestess's time, that would be uncoming...
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 2:15 am
Beyond generating a 'to do list' for her companion she hadn't done much else, the herbs were arranged in a way that allowed her to easily access/identify them, the waters were full, despite her tasking Stylter to get more and she'd made head way on some bandage material. It had been quite some time since her last visit from a returning Viking band, but her luck couldn't hold out forever and in fact she was beginning to find the silence rather boring.
During one of her tours within the dens walls she spied a shadow on the floor, one reaching from the dens entrance. At her homes mouth she spied a lioness, pale in fur and a dark face. How long had she been standing there? The High Priestess was losing her touch, a fact that she would sharpen later.
Kluna stopped her pacing, letting the lioness stand there an extra moment or two before she opened her mouth to speak. "What brings you here?" The dark lioness sat and patted the ground next to her, indicating the space was open and welcome for her to be seated as well. Today was a fairly decent day to have wandered to her den - her mood was certainly up from making Stylters life a little harder.
It was the little things in life afterall..
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 2:28 am
Some lions may have been unsettled by Kluna's attempts to discomfit, Dione didn't blame her for this either as she probably would have done it too. It was a simplistic mind game and it often said a lot about another individual; if they reacted in a specific way then you would know how best to approach them going forward. Truth be told her father had often held a similar gaze and it wasn't so much that he discouraged his children from asking questions, he just preferred not to answer stupid ones.
"Advice," Dione spoke clearly after she had allowed Kluna to get a good measure of her. "And Direction, if you can afford a few moments of your time, she clarified. She was compliant as the lioness patted the ground beside her and padded forward to take a seat. She afforded herself a moment or two to gaze around the priestess's abode; suffice to say she had significantly more products than Dione.
...Food for thought, she'd have to give Tethys another shopping list.
"It isn't my intention to take much of it, I'm aware that you have more important matters to attend to," she added.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:08 am
The High Priestess raised a single brow at the simple response from the lioness that had smartly settled next to her without complaint or second guessing. It was clear that her pale companion would be quick to listen to simple tasks, this was a small joy since a majority of the lions she had come to see from afar couldn't listen to the simplest rules or instructions. Often times they sought to go above and beyond for something as simple as 'arrive on time'. It was such a small thing, but such small things peeved her.
"Make your inquiries worth my time. I shall afford what I believe to be worthwhile and should I lose interest I can promise you'll be the first to know." Klunas blue eyes followed her newest companions as she seemed to take in the surroundings, this solidified the fact that Kluna hadn't seen this lioness before and so she had no obligation to know a name - not that she'd have felt anything about having forgotten, no lion could expect her to remember.
Her paw raised and brushed aside the lioness' comments of her time being of better use elsewhere. "If you knew I had important matters to handle and you didn't think yours was just as important you wouldn't have come." The words left her maw in a stern, educating tone. "Now, why don't we start somewhere simple - what is your name." Her blue eyes looked to the lioness' face to meet with green eyes and she simply stared.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:23 am
Blunt.
Dione schooled her expression to ensure that her eyebrow didn't shoot up. This lioness was not his brother and as such she absolutely shouldn't be giving her attitude. Perhaps if they had been significantly more familiar with each other she would have humoured the idea but she was much more sensible than that. Instead, she made note that perhaps her phrasing had been off and her statement may have required more clarity.
"I say this with the greatest respect, but I was not implying that my reason for being here wasn't important," she replied. "What I had wished to convey was that I appreciate that you may have a different set of priorities. What you may deem important in the now is likely to differ from my own," she clarified and cleared her throat.
Now she elected to answer the question. There was no doubt in her mind that Kluna would make it clear when they were done, she had just proven that!
"My name is Dione, I recently arrived alongside my brother," she offered, giving no further detail as it hadn't been asked for.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:40 am
Kluna let a smile slip through, appreciating the retaliation much more than she had anticipated - the clarity was welcomed and though it had been a rough way to do, encouraged. "Thank you, Dione. I do appreciate your attention to where my priorities may lie and am grateful that you've mulled over your own priorities." Perhaps she was being to presumptuous with assuming the lioness had thought about her priorities before arriving here, but just based on the first few moments the High Priestess felt confident.
"You've come with family? A brother?" She inquired, reiterating the answers as questions to clarify. "Have you been here long?" Blues eyes never faltered from staring towards her companion. She was playing at this simply at first, but that wasn't about to last very long - in truth she hadn't encountered to many others that would have responded back to her brash speech and so the other already had her interest peeked.
"Please explain what it is you hope to accomplish here today."
There. The interest was set in stone, Kluna had an inkling as to where this all may lead - she could see a potential priestess in the lioness seated next to her. The look about her den and the way she carried herself were screaming at Kluna - however she wouldn't weigh in on that matter until it was spoken by the other, she'd not set a goal for someone who had no desire for that.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:48 am
"Only with my brother. My father instructed us to find place and purpose rather than wander without direction," She began and tilted her head to the side as she considered how long they might have been with the pride now. Her brother had been on a number of excursions, as a consequence it would have been a few months. "It has been several months since we arrived," she confirmed and gave a nod.
"While he has found aspirations elsewhere mine are distinctly more civilian," she continued to answer the lioness's queries, make sure she didn't go down any rabbit trails. It would serve no one for Kluna to receive the entirety of Dione's life story! Hell, if the darker lioness cared she would ask, she certainly seemed the sort.
"It has taken me this length of time to gain a solid grasp on how the pride functions, it's roles, etc... And it was during this time that I became aware of a position of particular interest." She raised her paw and motioned to Kluna, the dark lioness had certainly guessed her intentions, though to be fair it would have seemed unusual for an aspiring Lawspeaker or otherwise to trouble the priestess.
"I would very much appreciate it if you would redirect me to a priestess that might have room for an apprenticeship," she said finally. She knew that the High Priestess generally didn't accept students, but she might know which of the other priestess was available to do so.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:25 am
"Curious that a Father would impress such an ideal onto his children, but leave them to find their own way." Though the question didn't come out clear, it was suggested that perhaps Kluna was wondering what had happened to the Father. "Sounds like your Fathers instructions have worked out well for both your brother and yourself? Having found a home that can offer what each of you desire."
She meant that earnestly, sometimes finding a purpose in life could pose to be one of the most difficult tasks an individual can be faced with. To find that purpose was an achievement in itself.
Kluna listened to the rest of her spiel with mild interest, nodding where necessary, and becoming a touch more serious when the inquiry came up about apprenticing. "Truthfully." She began, stalling out the sentence. "I'm not sure any of my Priestesses have the time to take on an apprentice at this point." Now the High Priestess made a point of going thoughtfully silent - in her mind she'd already accepted the individual and so that wasn't an issue, she simply wanted to make her sweat.
"However." Blue eyes sought out Diones green ones again. "I would be willing to take on an apprentice, though you'd have to understand what kind of commitment this will be."
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:39 am
Destati's 'purpose' had long been a mystery to Tethys and Dione, in time they would discover what it was, but at this time Dione couldn't have given Kluna any further information regarding the fate of their father. Perhaps in time it would be a conversation piece, but at the moment she could do nothing more than shake her head at the High Priestess's query.
"He has always been a lion of great conviction, and one who found it necessary to stress that it was not his responsibility to dictate the path we walk," she pursed her lips. "You cannot take responsibility for all of your actions, if you can use the excuse that someone picked your path. I believe that might have been his intention when he told us both to 'figure it out'," she fell silent again.
...And then it was time to await the High Priestess's answer to her more important question - the actual reason she was here.
Alas, the initial response was what her suspicion had already been. The priestesses had all been exceedingly difficult to find simply because they were just that busy. That much was a given and Dione had already begun to make note of the time frame in which she might want to give it before she pursued the opportunity again. It was probably for this reason that she didn't seem terribly disappointed by the dark lioness's remarks, she hadn't written it off as an impossibility and as such she was already trying to work out how and when she could attempt it again!
It was then that her gaze snapped up to the High Priestess's face and she narrowed her eyes somewhat, had she actually heard that right?
"You?" she repeated and took a breath. "That is almost completely unheard of," she felt like she was stating the obvious, but it was something that really did need to be said. "The commitment and scrutiny would be considerably more."
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:56 am
Kluna thought on the response in regards to Diones father, they were wise words. Words she would have to remember when and if she ever started a family of her own - the thought entered her mind as quickly as it dissolved, she hadn't the time for the actions required nor parenting and patience was something she lacked for the time being.
When she had let the young, to be priestess down with the news of having no one available to train her Kluna had expected more of a reaction, but based on the calculated stare from her companion she'd already been prepared for the worst.
"It is almost completely unheard of, which is why I believe that it needs to happen." That reaction, that was what Kluna had been looking for. "All the political babble of should or shouldn't aside, would you be up to the challenge?" Blue eyes narrowed at Dione, scrutinizing the lioness' face during the thought process needed to have such a request sink in.
"Ideally I wouldn't want to turn away a perfectly capable individual just because the unspoken rule is that a High Priestess wouldn't take on an apprentice."
Kluna gingerly spoke the word 'unspoken'. Surely somewhere down the line it was noted that a High Priestess was to direct potential apprentices to other priestesses, but in the heat of the moment and knowing that finding a priestess to help was slim she felt it her duty to take on such a task. As a leader it's not out of the ordinary to help out the subordinates when there was an overwhelming amount of work.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:55 am
Kluna received a well deserved stare from the lioness. It wasn't because she thought the High Priestess was foolish by any means, but what she had offered really was something exceptional. At the most Dione had only hoped to be introduced to another priestess, in the mid-ground she had anticipated a redirection, and in the worst scenario she would have been advised that it simply wasn't a possibility at this time. Instead, she had received something that had gone far beyond her expectations.
"Yes," she said suddenly and cleared her throat. If she stared for too long the offer might very well be withdrawn and quite frankly, who was she to question the High Priestess? To say no would cause affront and to be perfectly honest, she'd have come across as a bit cowardly. So this was a challenge, a big one, and she was going to come under an incredible amount of scrutiny from not just Kluna but everyone else... But Dione believed she had what it took to come out of it.
"I would like to receive your instruction," she continued with a curt nod. "It won't be a waste of your time, I'll make sure of that."
Now wait until her brother heard about this!
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:30 am
The silence was nearly enough for Kluna to revoke the offer and find another willing patron to work beneath her, but the lioness almost startled her with a sudden response of acceptance.
"Good." The high priestess stood without warning and wandered towards her dens entrance. "Now you may take your leave. Be here, not tomorrow, but the day after - bright and early." Kluna had to plan and bring together some form of training regimen that would be appropriate for a priestess training beneath the high priestess - not simply just a priestess in training beneath a priestess. The challenge had been accepted and the high priestess planned to make it a challenge indeed.
"If you aren't here by sunrise I'll take no offense to it and consider your choice made to pursue other endeavors."
Sure, she had said she'd take no offense, but this wasn't a decision made lightly and she'd just as quickly cut the cord.
"Have a pleasant rest of your day."
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:42 am
Dione made a mental note of the specified date and time, she'd be there and if she had it her way, she'd surprise the priestess. She seemed to be a task master and probably made the vast majority of lions uneasy with her manner. Truth be told, if anyone was going to scrutinise the white lioness it was going to be her, and she'd probably be the most critical of them all.
...best to start off on a good paw.
"I'll be here," Dione replied confidently and gave another bow of her head. She took the signal that Kluna had made by approaching the door and didn't dally. Instead, she would collect her thoughts as she gained distance from the Den. Best not to darken the doorstep of one who might actually receive much more high ranking visitors than herself.
"I offer the same sentiments to you," she added as a parting phrase and took her leave.
She'd save the mental squeals of delight and beaming smile for when it was safe to express such a reaction i.e. most definitely not here where she might get smacked around the ears!
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