[PRP] Falling in the Cracks (Shika/Zuura)

[Meepfur]

Just another day in the swamp. Another hot, sticky, miserable day in the swamp. Accordingly, Hal-shikasta had found herself a slightly-less-hot-and-miserable pool of murky water to lay in. Small, shallow, and barely big enough for her to actually fit in, but that was a good thing - she wasn't some idiot who was going to splash around in a deeper pool of water where there might be a crocodile.

To tell the truth, she was rather surprised she'd never heard of a swampie being killed by a crocodile, especially the new ones. Maybe it really did happen sometimes, and they just kept it hush-hush somehow...

Hmm. Maybe.  

[[Eskimo]]

It was a hot, sticky, miserable day, all right. But fortunately for Zuura'rju, there were many places in the swamp that offered relief--slightly-less miserable spots of shade and puddle and mud and...filth...well, just less-miserable spots. One of his most favorite areas was quiet and offered a little bit of solitude, away from--...

...Damn...

Someone was already there. Well, it wasn't like there weren't other patches of water or even shade scattered throughout that general area, but Zuura was more shy than he'd ever let on and wasn't particularly comfortable with being around others he wasn't familiar with (heck, sometimes even ones he was familiar with). The result was a stopped-in-his-tracks Zuura staring awkwardly around the area at anywhere but the lioness.  

[Meepfur]

By the time the patchy purple lion showed up, Shika was well into brewing over her new conspiracy theory - because really, how could so many lions occupy the same territory as some big, lurky crocodiles, and none of the lions ever get eaten? It just didn't make sense. Of course, if she asked someone, they'd probably pass it off as spirits protecting them or some other mystical thing.

Hmph. The thought of getting such an answer irritated her almost as much as actually getting it, and that sense of irritation carried over into her voice. "You just gonna stand there all day?"  

[[Eskimo]]

Zuura was just making up his mind on whether or not to slowly (but casually) turn and walk away when the lioness spoke to him. If it startled him, he didn't show it, but his eyes did narrow slightly--out of habit more than anything else.

"No, I was figuring out...where to lie down," he replied dully. Well, splendid. Now he had been roped into sharing the same area as someone else. This wasn't normally a bad thing, but if you had been planning on spending some time alone and then those plans were crushed, you'd be disappointed, too. Especially if social situations weren't your strong suit.

Walking calmly forwards, he chose a spot to the lioness's right (a fair distance away, but not so far as to make him seem antisocial) and reclined.

Awkward...silence...

At least, awkward for Zuura.  

[Meepfur]

If only he knew! Shika knew exactly what it was like to plan alone time and then have those plans thwarted...because it was happening to her, too! Of course, she preferred most of her time to be alone time, but that didn't make it any less annoying when someone intruded. When the lion picked a spot nearby to lie down, she laid her ears back in dismay. She'd expected him to just move on, not hang around!

"Really?" she grumbled, her tail causing a splash as she lashed it back and forth. "Isn't there anywhere else you could be?"  

[[Eskimo]]

Maw twitching once, Zuura struggled to decide on how to proceed--close his eyes and pretend to be relaxing (maybe if he pretended hard enough, it would become a reality), or keep his eyes open and try to converse with the girl. The decision was made for him, however, and so he began to examine something invisible that was apparently clinging to his front-left paw as he answered, "I'm sure there is, considering how large this swamp is."

Maybe that wasn't the best response, but replies of that kind were built into the male's character. Continuing to casually examine the invisible entity that clung to his paw, Zuura tried to enjoy the feeling of water against his fur.

But something told him that his conversation with the lioness was far from over.  

[Meepfur]

What an infuriating answer! And it was made even more annoying by the fact that it was hard to tell whether he was being intentionally sarcastic, or if he was just dense. A low rumble she couldn't help rose in the back her throat, and she lashed her tail with another splash. Her ears dropped further, flattening back. "Well then what are you doing here?"  

[[Eskimo]]

The second splash resonated in Zuura's ears and he wondered if he had done something to upset the girl. Then again, maybe she just had a strange habit of lashing her tail? Cutting the female a sideways glance (direct eye contact was less favorable to him on most occasions), he thought about the question for a moment before replying. The truth of why he was there was...well, sort of embarrassing, not to mention slightly rude, the more he thought about it.

Sure, he'd just open up completely and tell her, 'I'd wanted to be alone, but you were here, and I thought it would've been rude to just turn around and leave and--' he cut off his own thoughts and shifted his tail slightly. It was pointless to think up a response he didn't plan on giving.

"I like this spot," he answered.  

[Meepfur]

"Did it ever occur to you that I might be here because I want to be alone?" she grumbled, although there was a little less of a cut to her words this time, as she doubted now that his initial response had been meant sarcastically. Even so, that didn't mean she wanted him here! Nevermind that he hadn't spoken until she'd baited him, it was the principle of the matter.  

[[Eskimo]]

...Wow. What a surprise. Her tone made her sound serious, but if she was as sarcastic as Zuura could sometimes be, she might've just been making conversation. Hopefully...? Zuura had never intended to make her upset. If anything, his lying down in the same location was to prevent the girl from potentially becoming upset. Just turning around and walking away would've been rude, right? Damn social etiquette. He could never get it right.

"No, actually..." he said after a pause, turning to look at the lioness fully for the first time. "Sorry." He didn't have much practice with apologies and gave them out rarely, but the situation was far too awkward for him to leave without giving one now.

"Would you prefer I leave?"  

[Meepfur]

Shika was used to people snapping back at her, responding to her attitude in kind, so when he didn't...it surprised her. She blinked at him for a moment before turning her head away, tail lashing again. This time, it was equal parts agitation and indecision. She practically made it a point to be irritated by everyone, mostly to give herself an excuse to keep them away, but even she got a little tired of being alone all the time.

"Fine, you can stay." She flicked her tail one more time. "Just keep quiet, will you? I hate small talk."  

[[Eskimo]]

Huh. He had something in common with the girl. The thought put Zuura considerably more at ease. That paired with her permissive response and Zuura was feeling much less awkward than before. He might've even sighed out loud with relief, but his introversion told him that it would've been overkill.

"Me, too," He replied, trying to hold back a smirk. With that, Zuura settled a bit deeper into the muddled water and rested his head on his paws. If both of them disliked small talk, then they could both enjoy some quiet "alone" time, even if they weren't technically alone.

Maybe being around someone else didn't always have to be so bad?