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 Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 11:04 pm
Taking cautious steps, Avani was enjoying what she believed was one of her last day of true 'freedom.' Pumilio, her mate, was very interested in joining up with some other leopards, in some sort of group. Avani herself hadn't really cared all that much, feigning interest and support for her beloved. As long as she wasn't against it, she didn't really see a reason why she should keep Pumilio from his desires, and he had seemed rather stubborn about this one. He had always tried so hard to protect Avani, and keep her hidden from most others, so of course he jumped at the idea of added protection, and the idea of having 'other females' there was his idea of a social life. Not that it wasn't, or anything, but Avani could sometimes feel really suffocated by his wants.
That's why, today, she asked if she could just be with herself for a while. She knew that, if they really did join up with that other group, it wouldn't be like resigning herself to a cage or anything; she'd still see the same sky, feel the same grass, and be able to roam. It was just the suddenness of everything. Recently, so many decisions seemed to have been made with little consent from Avani, and while she'd never come out and say it, she really just needed a bit of a breather to take it all in and think about it. Some of them were pretty hard pills to swallow, and she could feel a tightness in her stomach even if the faintest thought related to any of it floated through her mind.
Shaking her head, she stared at the ground for a moment blankly. This was supposed to be her time, not his. She had been with him for so long, that she had forgotten what it felt like to be without him, and honestly, this break felt really nice.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 11:38 pm
Laying on her back, Areia stared at the little glimmers of light that sparkled through the spaces between her toes. She was alternating extending her front paws in the air, too bored to really think of anything substantial to do. She was still away from her beloved sand dunes - though, she had come to accept the fact that she probably wouldn't be returning anytime soon. She was in a bit of a lull since her last 'interest' brought her here, but something in her told her that she should stick around for a little while longer. She was hoping that another 'interest' would captivate her for a while, but she couldn't be sure what the feeling meant.
All she really knew was that this place wasn't any fun at all so far. What a place to lose interest in something and fall into a mental rut. Areia wouldn't deny that she was a lazy cheetah; that didn't help her situation at all. Though at this point, she was fairly desperate to find something to take her mind off the fact that she absolutely hated the landscape here. She was born on the sands, and that's where she belonged.
Rolling on her side, her green eyes caught a glimpse of something dark moving not too far off. Squinting, it looked to be a creature with a thicker body than her own - without a mane, it was either a leopard or a really fat cheetah. Letting out a sigh, she didn't feel any pulsating interest in it, but she'd give it a chance; really, what did she have to lose?
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:16 am
Lifting her head, Avani adored the feeling of the wind against her cheeks. Even as a cub, it was her favorite thing, and could usually lift her out of any bad mood. It seemed rather fitting that the breeze accompanied her out here; she saw it as something that would never abandon her, just as the sun in the sky would always sprinkle the clouds with light.
The wind also brought different things to Avani's attention. For one, she knew that she wasn't alone. The scent of another quickly filled her nostrils, and, while she wasn't frightened, it was rather unexpected. Well, she wouldn't really be against someone crossing her path, maybe for a nice little chat, but she was kind of hoping that she could just be alone...maybe, though, some words from another would be good. An outside voice could really help in settling her thoughts.
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:45 am
Bringing herself to her feet, Areia shook some of the dirt off her fur. No one would ever notice it, on her all-brown pelt, but she liked to think that she looked better with it gone. Step by step, she quickly increased her pace, slinking through the grass not too-secretly; she didn't want the other to think she had ill-intent. Now within just a few paces, she brightened her expression a bit, calling out to the other. "Hello?" Coming upon the other, she confirmed that it was, indeed, a leopard. Good. She didn't ever want the day to come when she would see such a fat cheetah.
"Ah, sorry, was I intruding on something?" She thought she'd at least ask. Areia might not have been the nicest girl out there, but she wasn't rude, and she never wanted to stay when she wasn't welcome.
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 4:11 pm
Standing still, Avani initially wasn't able to spot the incoming creature. It rattled her nerves a bit, not being able to find them; maybe they were hiding because they wanted to attack her? The idea disheartened her more because it would only be proving all of Pumilio's worries and paranoia true, and she would be forced to live with the consequences. But when the slender all-brown cheetah peeked through the tall grass, she let out a sigh of relief, letting a smile rise on her face.
"Oh, no no!" Grinning at the smaller female, Avani felt more at ease. Sure, she had wanted a day to herself, but she'd never turn a stranger away if they approached her with kindness. "I was just out taking a breather from things."
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:15 pm
Good. Not only was the leopard non-threatening, but she was willing to keep Areia's company for a little while. There was a part of her that thought that maybe the leopardess was just being kind, not wanting to push away a stranger out-right; but then again, if she was willing to lie about it and let her stay, then she should just stay and make the best of it.
"Well that's good. I was suffering from an extreme case of boredom today, but then I saw you and thought that maybe it'd be a good cure for it." Smiling as nicely as she could, she tried to not make it sound like talking with this dark leopardess was a last-ditch effort. "My name is Areia. What were you trying to get a breather from?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:35 pm
"Areia? That's quite the name you have there." Giving her a smile, the name sounded...foreign. At least, it didn't sound like anything she had ever heard. Though, even Avani's own name was from a more distant land. "I'm Avani."
"Well, I can definitely understand the yearning to get away from boredom." Letting out a laugh, Avani had generally felt similarly when Pumilio went off somewhere, demanding she not go anywhere or do anything while he was away. But, she was always a good little girl and did exactly what he said; now, looking at the freedom of this cheetah before her, she was wishing she had had the willpower to do the same.
"There have been so many things happening and changing around me lately, it all just gets to be a lot." Shyly smiling for a moment, Avani didn't really mind if she ended up giving this cheetah more information than she asked for - she had, after all, approached her.
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:39 pm
"Yes, I was named for the beloved sands that I was born on." Grinning brightly, the thought of her home really boosted her mood. "It's such a beautiful place, much more so than...this." Looking around, Areia wrinkled her nose. "Though, that could just be my personal preference, as I'm not really from an area like this." Laughing it off, she didn't want to insult this area or type of scenery if it was dear to the leopardess.
"Yeah, ever since I've come to this place, I've been obscenely bored. But I just have this gut feeling that I should stick around for a little while, and maybe something good will pop up." Grinning at Avani, she plopped herself down on the ground. "So this is what I'm doing until that something pops up. Not that you're bad company or anything. But, if you need a breather from things, is it because they've gotten bad?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:42 pm
"I've never really been to a really sandy area. I wonder what it's like, to just be surrounded by an ocean of it." Avani only let the thought linger for a moment; it wasn't the most pressing thing on her mind at the moment, so she didn't really want to waste any time with it.
"This place, it has its nice points." Looking down towards her paws, she ran her toes across the dirt. "I mean, it's really all I've known, but maybe that's why I love it?" Looking back at the female across from her, she follower her initiative and took a seat across from her.
"I know it probably sounds like that, but I could never bring myself to admit it." Laughing a little nervously, she knew that her relationship with Pumilio was, from the view of someone else, definitely unhealthy. But she had come to accept it, and even like the weird mess that had built. "I guess it's just finally getting to me that my beloved is making every decision about our future without saying a word to me about it beforehand." Furrowing her brow a bit, Avani felt rather frustrated. "But I guess that's just what comes with dedicating yourself to another, you know?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:01 pm
"I think things that are close to your heart, that have been with you for a good amount of time, those are always going to be special to you." Nodding her head at Avani, she could understand that kind of love, at least for something like the scenery.
"I actually...no, I don't really understand that at all, sorry." Tilting her head a little, she let out a small giggle. I didn't really make sense to her, why someone would compromise themselves for someone else. Maybe it was because she was young, but she couldn't even imagine it. "I've never really cared that much for someone else; I've had intense, fleeting interests, but I can't even fathom being tied down to another permanently like that." Looking at Avani directly, her words were honest, at the very least. "I mean, though, if it's bringing you to a point where you have to get away from it all, don't you think at least a small change should be made?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:18 pm
"You know, maybe that's the reason why I put up with it." Trying to laugh off a little bit of the awkward tension, she thought it a little strange that Areia felt so strangely about her being mated to someone. Avani had never met anyone who seemed to oppose the idea so strongly; though, it could just be that she hasn't come across anyone special yet.
"It's alright; I think everyone has their own ideas on things. I've known Pumilio from a young age, so it just feels right. Not everyone has that scenario in their lives." Smiling lightly at the cheetah, Avani knew that she could only wonder about her life. "But you do have a point, I think. Even if you don't quite understand the situation first-hand, that is definitely an excellent notion, hm?" Staring off in the distance a bit, she though about it for a moment. "I really...do think that something needs to be changed, if only a little. Maybe that's why I came out here, to try and think of a way to make things better." Flicking her eyes around, she eventually returned her gaze to the brown cheetah. "And then you showed up, and gave me this advice." Grinning broadly, it was kind of a happy revelation on Avani's part. "Maybe that's what that gut-feeling was about?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:02 pm
"Yeah, maybe that was it." Laughing a bit, Areia turned her head to the side. She knew it was a lie, that that wasn't the case at all, but she thought she'd at least humor this stranger; after all, they had been having a decent conversation up til now, so why ruin it?
"I think you'll be able to figure it out." Grinning at Avani, it was an honest opinion. Areia was a believer in willpower, and thought that anyone could do anything if they put their minds to it.
"I guess, though, I'll leave you to your thoughts, then? Since I've given you such fantastic advice." Giving her a wink, Areia came to a standing position, shaking the dirt from her tail and legs. In all honesty, she had gotten a bit bored with the conversation, now knowing that the two females really had very little in common. It served its purpose of distracting her from her boredom for a little while, but every extra moment she spent here meant less time spent trying to find something truly meaningful in this odd environment.
"Maybe we'll meet another day, Avani. Until then, I wish you the best of luck with your...home situation." Turning off in an opposite direction, she started to walk on.
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:15 pm
"Haha, yes. I've got a full day ahead of me, so it'd really be a shame if I didn't figure something out." Laughing, Avani again followed the cheetah's lead, coming to a stand. The dirt didn't bother her, though; she came to the conclusion a long time ago that it was really impossible to escape it here. "But thank you so much for your advice. It's really nice to hear an outside opinion." Smiling kindly at Areia, Avani found that reassurance was always a needed thing.
"I certainly hope we do, Areia. I hope at that point I'll be able to call you a friend." Watching the cheetah turn and pad away, Avani felt good about this meeting. Now, she turned slightly, going on her own path.
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