[SRP] Wild Wild Whisper (Al-Hattal/Siris)

[Meepfur]

This was so exciting. SO EXCITING. All the time. Out and about in the great big world, seeing everything there was to see and meeting all kinds of creatures! Just yesterday she'd met a cheetah - a very pretty cheetah, all long legs and lovely blue stripes - and they'd had a very nice chat and even a race! Siris had lost, of course, but winning hadn't been the point. The point was that she'd had fun! And she and the cheetah, Kilindi, had had a good long laugh, and later they'd hunted together, eaten and rested.

They'd parted ways this morning, and although Siris knew she would probably never see her new friend again, she wasn't sad. She was happy that she'd met her, and eager to see what new experiences today would bring. Maybe, if she was lucky, it would bring her another new friend!

For the first few days of her pilgrimage, the young lioness had been a little homesick, but as days drew into weeks and weeks into months, she thought of the swamp less and less. She wasn't sure anymore that she would ever go back, not with as much fun as she was having. She did miss her family, that she had to admit, but she was so happy living her life out here! She understood now why some pilgrims never came back.

Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't, but not before she saw the sea! She'd heard stories about it, and that was the new goal she'd set for herself.  

[Meepfur]

Another day, another long walk without a destination. Some people might have gotten tired of it, or bored, but Al-Hattal didn't. He never had, and he never would. Day after day of aimless wandering - well, sort of aimless - but he continued on as he always had, never stopping for more than a few days at a time. Even a few days was rare, and even then he only stopped for that if he'd found especially...compelling company. In all honesty, it had been quite awhile since he'd stopped for that long.

And, also honestly, he was maybe just a little bored, but not with the wandering. Bored with the lack of female company he'd had recently. It had been his own choice, a long detour to explore an area he'd not travelled to before, and it had certainly been an interesting and worthwhile trip, but he preferred it when his journeys included...distractions. Pretty distractions.  

[Meepfur]

The problem with setting goals, of course, was that actually keeping to them could be difficult for Siris. She had a tendency to get sidetracked, and while she did eventually - usually - get back on course, getting something done (or getting somewhere in particular) could take her longer than it might take others. She could simply never resist stopping to smell the flowers - literally, if there did happen to be flowers.

Today, though, it was mostly just grass. The usual old savannah grass. It had been fascinating when she'd first ventured out of the swamp, but it was pretty much ordinary now. That was why she was going to go to the sea! She wanted to see some part of the world that was more than just grass, and the sea sounded much more pleasant than the desert, although the desert did sound interesting...

But considerably less hospitable. So the sea it was! Thinking about her destination added a skip to Siris' step.  

[Meepfur]

...well helloooo pretty distraction! Pretty, skipping distraction. Oh yes, he liked the look of that one immediately. No one skipped unless they were happy, and happy was always good. Happiness worked in his favor. Other emotions could do so as well, but sadness or anger had to be handled very carefully. He liked a challenge now and then, but he would always prefer a happy female to a troubled one. He never enjoyed having his mane cried into, even if it did eventually lead to more enjoyable activities.

Al-Hattal was a terrible, incorrigible lion, and he liked it.

"Hello there!" he called to the lioness as she skipped along, her path conveniently crossing in front of his.  

[Meepfur]

The voice coming from several feet to her right startled her, turning her skip into a little jump; while she was startled, however, she was not perturbed, and gave a wide smile and little giggle when she spotted the black lion who'd called to her. If she had been the suspicious type, his size and color might have intimidated her, but appearance was never something that held much sway with her when it came to forming opinions or judgements (although he was rather handsome!).

"Oh, hello!" she said brightly, her tail wiggling with interest behind her. "I didn't see you there. Guess I should have been paying more attention. Hi!"  

[Meepfur]

Alright, so happy had apparently been an understatement. She wasn't just happy, she was downright bubbly, a state he found contagious, as always. After all, how could he not be happy in the company of a pretty, cheerful lioness? They were pretty much the best kind, in his not so humble opinion.

The god chuckled and returned her smile, his own tail swaying a little. "My apologies for startling you, miss, but I couldn't help but notice that wherever you're going, you seem quite eager to get there. Might I ask where?"  

[Meepfur]

"I'm going to the sea!" she was all too happy to share. "I've heard a lot about it, and I want to see it for myself. I want to see sand, and waves, and crabs too! Kili said they're good to eat, if you watch out for the pinchers."

"Have you ever been to the sea? I'm going the right way, aren't I? I think she said it was this way, but I get turned around sometimes..."  

[Meepfur]

"The sea, is it? I've been there many times, and I can assure you, you won't be disappointed. Words never do it justice, no matter how many you may have heard. It has to be seen to be believed." She was young, excited, endearing. His favorite. If he had ever been the type to settle down, it would have been with a female like this, but that had never and would never happen. But Al-Hattal was always particularly drawn to them.

"Almost," he answered with a good-natured laugh. "You need to turn a little more east. I could accompany you for awhile, if you'd like? I'm headed in that general direction anyway."  

[Meepfur]

"You are? Would you? Oh, that would be wonderful!" Siris bounced up on her forepaws, unable to contain her enthusiasm. "That way, I won't get lost! And it'll be so much better with a friend along! Walking gets a little lonely, otherwise."

"Oh, I'm Siris, by the way! What's your name?"  

[Meepfur]

"It would be my pleasure, Siris." The dark male bowed dramatically before rising with a smile. "My name is Al-Hattal, but you can call me Al-Ha, if you like. Come, then, and I will be your escort to the sea."

And he would be true to his word. He did not often travel with companions, but for this effervescent lioness, he would make an exception. Whether or not it led to anything, it would be a welcome change of pace.