Zapalito just HAD to check this out. Visitors to the pride were rare to begin with, but this one was apparently the physical manifestation of a god. Not THEIR god, of course, but a god regardless. That was fascinating, and between that and the recent windstorm revealing new ruins in the sand...well! Seekers just like Zap would be all paws on deck to make new trinkets and find bits of cloth for the pride. Surely SOMEONE would want something themed for their spiritual visitor! Probably not a lot of them, as he certainly wasn't the Goddess Atop the Mountain, but still.
The pale hooded lion wasted no time in finding a spot to watch the god mingle from. The flaming wings were beautiful, and would be tricky to find representation of...maybe a bit of cloth attached to some metal or stone? No, cloth was so precious and too rare to waste on anything but a scarf or hood. Sometimes the bones that the wind and sand revealed had been adorned with charms though. If he was very lucky, maybe he'd find something fitting. He should probably also figure out just what he was god OF. It'd be bad luck to give a mislabled charm, after all!
Following his talk with Msafiri, Daima had joined her in meeting the rest of the pride for a feast. The welcome had been warm, and the festivities had been just what he needed after the long search for the pride. He'd been bombarded with questions, as expected, and had enjoyed his time thus far. But as the festivities began to wind down, he'd noticed on particular lion had been eying him from afar for most of the night.
He finished his conversation with one of the pride's seers, a young god-blooded lioness who'd joined up with the pride some time ago, before politely excusing himself. It took him a few moments to pick his way over to the lion, his wings carefully tucked against his sides as he leaned down to give him a curious look.
"You know, it isn't very polite to stare."
Oh, great! He was coming over here! Zap'd half hoped his hood would have hidden his interest. Guess not. He sighed, mentally shrugging, and rose to half bob at the god's approach. "Busted, huh?" He chuckled. "Sorry, you're a bit unusual. Was trying to think up how to best represent your wings, since I figured that'd be what people want if they asked for trinkets or charms for themselves about you." A real shrug this time. "You don't have a scarf like our Goddess, so cloth won't work. 'Fraid I get a bit focused when I'm thinking about work."
He slid off the perch without hesitation, not at all ashamed of having been busted staring, apparently. "Zapalito. Best Seeker in the pride, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Pleasure to finally meet the talk of the evening!" A wink then, "I'm sure you're tired of having your brain picked though, so I can move off if you want. You're all anyone's gonna talk about for a moon and a half anyway, I'll hear all the stories and answers by this time three nights from now, and make no doubt about that."
Daima mirrored the lion's chuckle with one of his own, glad to have his teasing taken for what it was. Being able to joke around with someone was refreshing after answering so many questions. So he was perhaps just a little surprised to hear just why the lion had been staring. To be represented in some kind of token was certainly something to be flattered about, and after a moment he gave a soft rumble of thought. But it wouldn't last for long, as it seemed introductions were in order.
"Oh, the pleasure's all mine. I'm Daimaishi, but if you've already heard that by now you'll have to forgive me." He gave a low purr in response to the wink, not-so-subtly glancing over the lion in front of him. Oh, he was attractive. And if flirtation was where this was going to go... Well, he was certainly in favor of a spending the night with someone else by his side. "I don't mind answering questions. One of my favorite topics just so happens to be myself."
Well now! That was a nice enough surprise, if he did say so himself. Who was he to turn down the potential interest of a GOD anyway? Everyone else could have their questions and stories, he might just manage to have the god to himself, if he played his cards right. Wouldn't THAT be worth bragging rights? Forget the gossip they'd already started, that would take the proverbial cake!
Luckily enough no one in the pride gave two gazelle tails over what genders mingled here. The pride's members rarely had the luxury of true privacy, and when you lived inside each other's pockets you learned how to accept everything and anything or you learned to look away and cover your ears. "I have heard that...but I think you can convince me to find some forgiveness..." He laughed harder then, shaking his head at himself. "Well I don't suppose you can think of any good way to make trinkets of yourself? I can get some feathers, but they're not too common here. I figured your wings would make a good icon but..."
Daima indulged in a laugh of his own at Zapalito's terrible joke, easing himself down to sit on the sands as his amusement subsided. Luckily for the lion, he wasn't exactly shy about his affections, and the lack of privacy would hardly be a deal breaker for him. In fact, were he to be completely honest, he might even admit it had some appeal. A little bit of a thrill he didn't normally get to indulge in.
He made a show of humming in thought at the lion's question, stretching one wing out to glance at it for a long moment. And then, with a mischievous grin, he added his own input. "Well, I suppose feathers would work quite well. But why should they be just any old feathers?" That said, he delicately shook his wing and focused on the sparks of fire the motion sent flying. It only took a touch of will this time, not the creation of tokens like he'd given to Msafiri, but ensuring that the sparks took on physical shape.
And take on shape they did. With that little bit of focus, as soon as the tongue of flame hit they sands and burned out they left downy feathers in their wake, little puffs colored like the very fire that made up his wings.
To say Zap's eyes went wide would be an understatement. Anyone nearby was also struck speechless, in awe of the show of power. It was like fireworks, not that any of them knew what that was. As soon as the sparks faded the hooded lion made a great effort to grab them all before a stray breeze could snatch them up. "These will work PERFECTLY! And they're your feathers too...that'll make them powerful, I expect. Can't say I've ever made anything out of something from a god before."
He was nearly prancing when he rejoined the god, quite pleased with his newly gathered materials. He'd stuffed the lot into his hood for safekeeping, and they would no doubt be sticking at every angle out of his mane later. "So! I can't imagine that little show was free of charge. I'm afraid I can't magically make fur or claws or anything like that appear out of thin air. And I'm sure you've seen more of the world than I...Huh. Well, a bit of an unfair offer, isn't it?"
The clear amazement was payment enough for Daima. It wasn't often he got to show off so visibly, but it was always a treat when he was able. And for all the more feathers he'd lost, his wings showed no sign of having any less flames than when he'd first come upon the wandering pride. It was just one of the perks of being sustained primarily by belief - as long as there were creatures who believed in him, he wouldn't lose any of his power. (Of course, the reverse was also true. The fewer believers there were, the weaker he would become.)
But he had a feeling the lion before him wouldn't accept such an answer. So instead, he rolled his shoulders and settled his wing back against his side. "Well, I wouldn't say that. A night of company would be ample repayment, I think." It was an easy way to bring up spending the night with him, he supposed. Of course, the other lion was free to turn him down if he wanted.
Weeeell now! They'd been dancing around the issue for a few minutes, both flirting but not really moving along with it, but that put things right out on the proverbial table, didn't it? Oh yes, he'd have his gossip to spread up and down the march line tomorrow, that was for sure. It did get so cool on the sands at night after all. "I suppose...there IS a nice dune nearby, if you don't mind a bit of sand in your fur. I know I don't."
He had no preference when it came to company, and no hesitation either. It was all in good fun in the end, and anyone who said otherwise was just jealous, he figured. With a tip of his chin towards a certain semi-sheltered sand ridge he sauntered off without looking back. The god would come along or he wouldn't. Either way, he'd have his story, and his trinkets to start working on in the morning.
"I think I picked a bad place to stay the night if I minded getting sand in my fur, don't you?" Daima teased, chuckling softly and watching appreciatively as Zapalito moved over to the dune he'd indicated. He took a moment to bid the rest of the pride a good night, leaving them with a saucey wink before following the other lion over the dune.
He was looking forward to a hopefully long night.
