[PRP] Title Later (Deker x Kianga)

[nessiaing]

Velveteen Angel

Deker was moving through the trees swiftly. It had been a few days since the prides big meeting and things were still a little unsettled. The purple leopard was doing his best to settle any worries that came up. He understood that the colony may feel a little uneasy about how everything went down, and in a way he felt bad about that, but in truth he was honestly trying to do only what was best for the colony.

Sighing Deker made his way towards the heart of the colony, where the meeting had originally had taken place. He felt like he had been putting out fires all day and he was hoping that the centre of the pride would be pretty calm this time of the day, most of the colony would be heading towards their dens and settling in.  

[Velveteen Angel]

Kianga walked slowly, her pace measured and calm. She hated what was happening to the colony; they were afraid. Afraid of shadows now. The lions were to blame for this fear though, and while she disliked all the politics of the colony's leadership, it was a turbulent time for all.

Viorica, her serval companion, wandered by her side, chattering away like the youthful familiar she was.

"You alright, Kianga?" Viorica asked, seeming to notice her companion's complete silence.

Kianga blinked and glanced down, offering a gentle smile. "Of course, Vi, I was listening, please continue," she offered, but she had not heard a single word of the story. It seemed to placate Viorica though, and the serval launched back into her latest story.

They were approaching the center of the colony, and a familiar purple pelt caught her eye.

Ah.

The new leader.

She hesitated, not sure if she should speak to him, or if she should just walk on by. All the while, Viorica was chatting a million miles a minute.

 

[nessiaing]

It would have been hard for Deker to miss the movements of the leopard through the heart of the pride, made even harder by the brightly coloured chatty serval she had along with her. Deker offered her a polite bow of the head.

He was sorry to say that he didn't now the leopard by name just yet, he was trying his best to know all the members of the colony, their numbers were small after all. He recognized her as a Scholar though, he was pretty sure a Mind Reader. He stayed back slightly he was happy to talk to her but he decided it best to let her to come to him. He didn't want to seem like he was seeking approval by talking to every single colony member no he would wait till she came to him if she wanted to.

Velveteen Angel

 

[Velveteen Angel]

It took Kianga a moment to make the decision to speak to Deker, and she, unknowingly, spoke over Viorica because the serval was still prattling on about something or rather.

"Good Evening Councilor Deker," Kianga said cautiously, her tone measured but her eyes flamed with curiousity.

Viorica huffed at being cut over and she scowled at her companion. How rude! She glanced towards the Councillor though, and nodded her head in respect, because the serval was not stupid enough to talk bad about the leader of the pride in his presence. Gossip about him later? Of course, but never in front of him.

 

[nessiaing]

Deker smiled he was glad that Kianga had decided to speak to him though he sensed that the spotted leopardess was holding back. One day he hoped that the colony would accept him and recognized that he was trying his best to lead them and do the right thing. He let out a small sigh, he would work on it one leopard at a time starting with Kianga it would seem.

"Good evening Kianga." he said in a smooth calm voice. There was no need to push his worries and concerns onto the leopardess who had greeted him. He gave a nod to the serval who accompanied her.

"I hope that you find the evening to your liking?" he asked her calmly. He didn't want to start a political talk if that wasn't what she was looking for he would be happy just to have a normal chat, something hat hadn't happened in such a long time.
 

[Velveteen Angel]

Kianga inclined her head but her shoulders shifted in a shrug also. "It is a fairly plain evening," she remarked simply. She had been talking to a few of the pridal members today, but that was all. She felt odd prying into people's lives so soon after the major discussion. She was fascinated to see how they were feeling but it was still a fresh wound. She would wait.

However, this specimen before her seemed quiet relaxed. Her curious eyes flickered across his figure.

"How are you finding the evening?" She asked, though her question felt laden with more than just that. What was he feeling now? She couldn't restrain her curiosity. The mind was truly fascinating to her.

 

[nessiaing]

Deker smiled happy that the female was willing to engage him in what seemed a polite conversation. It would seem that everyone in the colony either wanted to engage him in a political debate or in general avoided him like the plague.

"I am find the evening finally quiet thank you." he answered her honestly there was no point in lying about it. "It would seem I am not the most liked leopard in the colony." he told her. He hoped that perhaps she could be friends with him. He really didn't know where to start anymore. He let out another sigh.
 

[Velveteen Angel]

Kianga raised a brow in sort of rye amusement. "I wonder why," she said dryly. "You have not been the most quiet sort," she pointed out. "Is it hardly surprising that the colony is discontented at you making such waves?"

She was still slightly bitter at his ideas of planting traps. Rogues were this pride life-blood, they would die without them. Their colony was not large enough to be self-sufficient.

 

[nessiaing]

Deker felt his stomach drop out his hope that he and the leopardess might got along where pretty much defeated. He let out another sigh, apparently he had become a sighing machine.

"I did not mean to cause wave, I only want to help. I want this colony to succeed. We already have some new leopards who have come in... things will get better.... this can work." he went off on a rant. It was unintentional but it had just been such a long day and there was basically no one in the colony that seemed to believe in him.
 

[Velveteen Angel]

The mini-rant was the first time that Kianga saw Deker as something other than a power-hungry jerk. He seemed almost deluded, or rather willingly deluding himself that he was doing what was best; that he was helping the colony. It was fascinating to watch.

"Wanting to help is fine," she pointed out, her tone a little less bite-y. "But if you try to help too much, all you do is suffocate."
 

[nessiaing]

The purple leopard stared at Kianga with large eyes, she made sense. How had he not seen it, he was trying to hard, doing too much. He had to take a step back and let the colony work things out on their own a little bit.

"So I should stop? I don't want to leave the colony hanging. The last council did that, or some of them did, and the colony is now in turmoil. I just want to make things better."

He wasn't sure if the spotted leopardess would have any advice that would help but at this point he figured it didn't hurt to ask, she was pretty much the only friend that he had here.
 

[Velveteen Angel]

She seemed to have struck a nerve because he seemed a bit stunned at her comments. It gave her a tiny thrill of power, because she was right and he was wrong, but their authoritative differences in ranks should have meant it was the other way around. It was a little bit of a thrill to be right over this male.

"You can't stop now," she said simply. "You're in too deep, but you need to trust that we have survived this long without you." She shrugged her shoulders. "We are not as helpless as you seem to think we are. Council or not, we are not idiotic leopards who will destroy ourselves without thought." Well some of them were, but Kianga was ignore those few for the moment.


 

[nessiaing]

Deker slowly collected himself as the female spoke to him. She was right he needed to give the leopards here a little more credit and he would just beef them up where they needed it. He could do that.

"I shall take your advice into account." he said with a very kind smile. "I may have to seek you out for more advice in the future Ms. Kianga you are very smart." He told her with a nod. "I should get going though I believe I have had enough political talk for the day I shall hide in my den for the rest of the evening I think."

He rose to make his leave giving the serval who had remained so silent the whole time another nod and Kianga a smile that could dazzle anyone.
 

[Velveteen Angel]

Kianga was surprised at his smile. He seemed...almost nice. It was odd. She hadn't really thought about him as 'nice' before. She was also rather startled by the compliment he gave her. She wasn't really sure what to say to all of that.

"Ah, goodnight Councillor Deker," she said, feeling a little out of her depth but nodding to him respectfully. She would be lying if she said she was not a little bit dazzled by his smile.

She continued on her path to her own den, Viorica watching her from the corner of her eye.

"What?" She asked the serval upon reaching the den, tired of the quiet judgement.

"Nothing," Viorica said with a smirk.

"Right. Nothing." Kianga repeated firmly.

"Uh-huh."

Why did she have an assistant again?