ooc:
Saul’s curiosity for the Nomads was dismissed with a flippant whisk of her tail. Of course he wouldn’t know of them, there was only a handful that did and even then the name of the travelling congregation was forgotten over time. She did not want to talk of them now and rekindle their lively and unique spirit. She was keen to understand what the young male had meant about her mate… the life he led before she came to know him.
It was not by selfish need or jealously that pricked her ears and caused the woman to lean forward with interest, but genuine curiosity. Unlikely Saluce would confess to this interesting fact all his own, nor would his Nomad mate see to inquire about the proclivities he’d once dabbled in. But when it was offered willingly (or accidently in this case) it was not in her nature to let an opportunity as rich as this slip by without first placing a claiming paw on it. This vein surfaced by the young male was more a treasure than he could possibly understand. Where knowledge was a commodity held in high regard to the Nomads, information of interest was more a personal reward reserved for the individual alone. And for this woman, it was a reward worth having.
“Please understand,” She lowered her head at the tail end of his explanation and paused for a moment to process in bouts what all she had heard. “Nomads do not function culturally as many other packs do. I have heard of pairs growing bitter with each other and parting because they were not what the other wanted, or they seek vengeance because of breeched fidelity or the like. I am interested to hear even of the love life he has had before me… because it is something I have never experienced. We do not seek our mates, but our Shepard- the lead of our family- select the most able mates for us and we breed with them to bring about the next generation. We would not dismiss our intended because they are weak or not able, because we are to trust in the judgment of our Shepard to make the right decision for us. And even then, it is unlikely we would have the same mate for another year unless our Shepard wills it.
“And there was no concept of love to invoke defiance to our Shepard’s wishes. Or rather… there was no cause for possession to have us keep whomever we were mated to.”
“It was not until I came here that I stood aside and saw how closed of a world I lived in, void of endearment to a single being, discouraged from touching as beautiful and as complicated of an emotion as love. If it were not for Saluce there would have been no reason for me to try and understand it or feel the emotions that came with it. And so I am interested to learn of his life, of your life and your relationship with him, the relationships he’s had with others than me. Because I know that these are experiences I had yet to have. My life before here has been terribly closed off… and I intend to grasp every bit of light that I can even if it is not my own.”