Day 48: Courtyard

[thatdamnedninja]

"I could tell you some stories," Yuffie suggested brightly, "of unquestionable legality." Illegality, that was. Petty little things like the law didn't usually mean very much to her, except for the times when she had to uphold it. Always fun for the breaking, though, the law, and messy for the clean-up. Just the way she liked it

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[flamingfurball]

[Papa? Scar!]Nanaki had panicked when the nurses came and removed Yuffie from the wheelchair, helping him back into it before leading them away in separate directions. He stopped panicking when he remembered the bulletin. He asked the nurse for a pen and pulled himself up to make a few edits to the note Yuffie had left

[longlivetehking]

Unfortunately for Scar, a certain woman refused to allow him outside unless he would at least add another layer of so-called 'clothing'. Because, apparently, it was cold. Oh right, humans lacked fur, therefore, the basic ability to keep themselves warm. The king had learned by now that this was the reason why these silly hairless monkeys needed these 'clothing'; to aid them or they'd presumably freeze to death or such. Then again, humans needed a lot of things to aid them. He had to wonder how they could even survive if they were so incompetent. Certainly not long without all of these helpful things. He almost wanted to have a human dropped in the Pride Lands just to see how long it would be before they dropped dead

[flamingfurball]

Nanaki had seen the man approach, but thought nothing of it, besides knowing that he'd have to be careful to move quick if he was attacked. When the man spoke, however, Nanaki took a little more interest.

"Suppose," he repeated, with a nod. "Yes." There was something about the man, he wasn't sure what though. Just something.... odd. Nanaki brushed it aside, all humans are odd.

Nanaki mirrored the man's position. He supposed it was comfortable in an unsettling way. It was as though his body remembered the shape and turn of his limbs.

"Have you been here long?" he asked. The creature seemed resigned to this place, to new people.

[longlivetehking]

Mirroring his position certainly seemed a little odd thing to do, Scar thought to himself. But now that the former lion observed him a little longer, there also was something about this boy, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. How irritating that he couldn't figure it out from just by looking at him.

The question made Scar pause slightly. The days tended to blend into one another after a while, making it difficult to say how long he had been here precisely. But it was a frequent conversational topic, however. At least not as bad as small talk of the weather...

"I'd say about three weeks already," the king said eventually. And he could have sworn that it seemed so much longer. "How about you?"

[flamingfurball]

"I see," he nodded. As he'd thought with Yuffie, it didn't seem like such a long time when compared with his own captivity. But it was still unpleasant.

"I arrived yesterday afternoon," he explained, getting up again, on all fours. He reached out his arms on the ground, pulling back in a long luxurious stretch before shaking it off and sitting on his feet. It wasn't so bad if he put his arms out straight and leaned against them.

"It's a very peculiar place," he pointed out.

[longlivetehking]

"I suppose that is another way of putting it," Scar said flatly. Then again, humans were part of the reason why everything was so strange.

There was something oddly familiar with the way the boy moved. And stretched. Atop of that, he had yet to observe any humans doing such movements. Not that he cared the way they stretched or moved or whatever, and he could hardly be called an expert, but it was still something that seemed...familiar. Something that definitely belonged to something that possessed four legs rather than two. Scar blinked. Perhaps...

"Were you something other than human before you arrived here, by any chance?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue. It certainly wouldn't be the first one other than himself...

[flamingfurball]

Nanaki looked like a teenager who'd just been caught sending a note about the teacher in class. Not that Scar would understand that look. Or Nanaki. Ok. He looked like a lion that just got caught piddling on Pride Rock. At least one of them ought to get that analogy.

"Uh-" Nanaki cleared his throat. "I'm not used to this body yet," he explained. "... are you something else?" He refused to think that he was no longer what he was. He was... just.... not physically...

[longlivetehking]

The response, in both both language and spoken language, translated to a very clear 'yes'.

"It'd be worrisome if you were, I suppose," Scar offered. Even he wasn't completely used to this body yet, and he didn't plan to get used more than absolutely necessary. It wasn't like he'd look like a hairless monkey forever...

"I am a lion."

[flamingfurball]

"A lion," he mused, "capable of speech and human thought?" Fascinating. He pulled himself a little closer, trying to picture the beast. "What sort of lion, where from?" He'd have to find them when he got back home. Although there was talk of new worlds. That would be a shame. A lion-esque creature that was like Nanaki. He craved that sort of thing! And to find one here, both of them in human bodies.

[longlivetehking]

Scar's eyes narrowed at that comment, as it seemed to imply that he thought lions were not capable of 'human' speech and thought. He managed to avoid a snide comment in response; antagonizing people would only be counter-productive in this place, he reminded himself. Still, it hardly prevented the sarcasm in his answer.

"One with fur, four legs, claws and a tail," he deadpanned. "I am from a savannah called the Pride Lands, not that I expect you to know where that is." Unless he was from the Pride Lands or had heard from it one way or another, though his response would be clear enough were that the case. Still, he asked:

"How about your species?"

[flamingfurball]

Apparently the lion didn't like being associated with human traits. Nanaki wasn't altogether pelased about it either, but humansw ere the only other lfieform that showed sigsn of intelligence and, while their intelligence was limited, they were the majority.

The creature was also sarcastic. Wonderful.

"I don't," he said, with a shake of his head. It was a shame, such a huge shame. "My species is difficult to explain and no longer carries a name with it. But I have been likened to lions in the past." He shrugged, it was an awkward movement, however.

"How old are you?" he asked. For a huma, he looked like an adult, a real one.

[longlivetehking]

"I see, a nameless feline species, then?" Scar answered. That hardly sounded practical, did it? Well, he supposed it wasn't any of his concern.

"Any particular reason why my age is so interesting?" he asked. "Let's say spring has passed about eight times ever since I was born, if you're so curious." Funny enough, this individual happened to be the first to ask about his age. The former lion had to wonder how the question was relevant to their talk of species, but perhaps he enjoyed hopping to different subjects.

"So do you have a name, or are you as nameless as your species?" he asked. This was almost starting to seem like a mutual cross examination, like a new question in exchange for an answer. "I am called Scar."

[OOC: Age has never been canonly stated, but I figured about 8 years old is pretty reasonable.]

[flamingfurball]

"Not exactly. I also posses canine qualities," he explained. He had no preference over canine or feline, but he felt it was fair to mention both aspects. Even if it helped to amplify his inability to find a place to fit.

Nanaki stared, blankly. It was hard to tell he was fuming until he growled 'Eight?'. That was hardly fair! Only eight years old and he looked like an adult. Here was Nanaki with 49 springs and he was not only treated like a child, but he LOOKED like one now too. "I... I think they made a mistake," he said, stiffly. "Your species must age quickly."

Nanaki relaxed a little, trying a new sitting position. "The nurses are calling me Nathan, I don't really care either way. Were you always called Scar?" he asked, looking at the man's, well, scar.

[Sorry for the difficult questions. I can always edit them out XD]

[longlivetehking]

"What?!" Scar exclaimed in surprise at the explanation, jaw dropping along with it. A feline with canine qualities? How could a species be a combination of both? How did that even work? How could that...ah...never mind. Forget it, for his own sanity it probably wasn't a subject he should pursue.

Oddly enough, Scar's age seemed to provoke some sort of fuming reaction. Short-lived, but still there. "Ages quickly compared to what, precisely?" He asked with a questioning expression.

"And I was actually referring to whatever you were called before arriving here," Scar pointed out flatly. "Whatever the nurses provide is denied out of principle, naturally." Unless he actually was as nameless as his own species.

"What do you think? Are there creatures born with scars in your world, or are parents generally able to somehow predict their offspring will receive one or more sooner or later?" And in case 'Nameless' here was of the particular idiotic sort, that meant 'no, he hadn't always been called Scar'. And no, he didn't plan on sharing

[flamingfurball]

"Yes, well. Human's are usually a little more surprised by the fact that I talk to really take great notice of it, but there it is. No explanation, just my existence." He shifted a little nervously, not quite thrilled at being the centre of attention. Especially with reactions like that, even if his own, regarding age, had been the same.

"Compared to humans who, compared to me, age rather quickly too," he said, a little sadness creeping into his voice. "I suppose it doesn't matter, if I was going to have them change this body, I'd want my own back in any case." It just wouldn't have hurt for them to let him appear older. Even if this was the equivalent, he wasn't a child... He was smarter than humans.

"I was called many things, but I suppose, for arguments sake, you may call me Nanaki."

His eyes narrowed a little at the continued sarcasm. "I was simply wondering what your name was before you received the scar and trying to ask politely." If he was anything like his parents, the eventuality of a scar would be easy to predict.

[longlivetehking]

Lions aged quickly compared to humans? The subject had never so much as occurred to Scar, and he could hardly be called an expert. He had to wonder how old humans generally became. Especially male lions generally didn't become much older than ten springs, though that usually had everything to do with growing weaker and less able to fend off nomads, therefore likelier to acquire lethal injuries or being ousted by rival males. If they are lucky, they survive a few more springs before finally being offed. It made the outlook on his own future rather bleak, even if he already hadn't been aware of the consequences of a certain hyena's trio failure to kill one cub. Now that he was aware, though, there was a chance to prolong it until his chosen heir would taken over. He knew it wouldn't be too many springs before he'd start aging and eventually unable to keep ruling, that's why he had already chosen a heir.

"What is the general life span of a human, then?" he asked curiously. "And that of your species