He had to admit, the lion appeared far more approachable when they smiled. That dark absence of color only made the flash of teeth stand out in stark contrast, a beam of brightness and warmth where there had been none only a second before. Instantly, Jet warmed to his new sparring partner, relieved to note the good natured temperament beneath the cold determination that had so enveloped the stranger while in the midst of their battle mindset. Thank goodness it hadn’t been serious. Thank goodness they could still laugh about it now.

First time? Jet’s brows lifted and a look of respect settled onto his pale face. It took a considerable amount of willpower to wander down into the pit spoiling for a fight. He’d done so much too early on, while still a cub, and had regretted it instantly, returning home with even more determination not to try it again. Only he’d begun to outgrow that laziness as he aged—okay, maybe not entirely, but he was getting better at managing it—and had recognized the potential benefits to his small family. “Oh yeah,” he answered through a chuckle, giving his chin one last pass with his paw, “and, worse yet, my sister’s going to give me hell if she sees me hobbling from it.” Lazaris had always been stronger, tougher. She easily put him to shame, and he had no doubts that would only continue.

To his pleasure, the lion picked up the pleasantries where the boy had left off at the beginning of their bout, offering a name, a pride, even a rank as explanation for their fight. Ah. That was excellent motivation—not that Jet was overly familiar with the weight of responsibility yet, although he hoped to be, but he could at least understand it. “Well, it was a pleasure to be tested by the Barony of the Plains,” he answered, inclining his head in a mock-formal bow that only managed to smart the soreness in his side and make him visibly wince. He tried to laugh it off and was only half successful. “I hope you leave half as memorable an impression acting for your pride as you do fighting down here, @Merrill. You probably won’t stay as just Barony for long.”

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I've sworn thee fair & thought thee bright

Merrill stretched as @Jet spoke. They moved slowly, listening attentively while also testing the limits of their newly earned aches and pains. How far could they go before the pain made itself known? Were there any serious injuries? At the comment about the pale lion’s sister, the barony offered a grunt in response. They never had to deal with siblings, but they knew about overly judgmental pride mates from before they’d come to Amaryllis. "I’m sorry to hear that your sister might give you trouble. I’ve dealt with some of that. Sort of. It’s never easy.“ A shrug.

"But that’s neither here nor there. This was quite a spar. I’d be happy to do it again some time. Just…not any time soon.“ Another flash of a smile, a small chuckle. "I haven’t explored many other pride territories. Didn’t want to end a friendly trip by crossing into the wrong area and find someone else spoiling for a fight. Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?“ Learning more about this land was the next priority for the barony. It should have happened before, but better late than never.

who art as black as hell, as dark as night

code x art x inspo

“Ah, it’ll be fine,” Jet assured flippantly, smiling even thinking about Lazaris’s response to learning he’d made the trip down here to test himself in battle. Good-natured ribbing, teasing, everything one could expect from a sibling—at least in his experience. “She’s gentle enough about it. Teasing, mostly.” It felt pertinent to make that clarification on his sister’s behalf; he couldn’t go around slandering her name simply because she took enjoyment in poking fun. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

To his surprise, @Merrill offered the suggestion of another bout—at another time, of course. Jet’s brows rose over his dark-rimmed eyes, fighting a sudden, sinking sensation somewhere in his middle. Oh please no. “Of course,” he answered instead, his tone deceptively cheerful and pleased despite the slight wavering in his thoughts about the idea, “I’d enjoy that!” He was sure to have his tail handed to him in a second fight, but then again he did still need the practice. Later, he assuaged himself, hopefully much later.

Until then, he was happy to entertain simple conversation, and smiled more easily when Merrill asked after his home. “The Andal Oasis. It’s a lovely remote spot hidden in the desert.” Well, maybe hidden was something of a strong word to describe it. Still, its location didn’t make it any less exclusive and desirable for the young lion—especially given how rarely they had lions join or even wander out in the direction by happenstance. He smiled proudly. “Little crystal blue lake surrounded by palm trees, reeds, and rushes. Red rocks, golden sand. Can’t ask for anything better. Though I'd mind the dunes if you did go out that way. Easy to get turned around there.”

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