Welcome to Gaia! ::

The scent of a fresh meal hung loosely on his mane, and the chubby male waddled his way down the beach. A small, yet smelly burp slipping through his lips. It had been quite some time since he'd had such an enjoyable meal, and well, he'd rather enjoyed it! But now after the hunt, chase, kill, and meal were over he found himself with a new situation.

He had no idea where he had wondered off to.

Not that he'd had much of a clue in the first place, but as was becoming more apparent he did not like this new place all that much. It reeked of many lions, which could only mean one thing.

A pride.

Something he had not prepared himself to walk into, and now he feared punishment from them. The idea of taking a kill from a pride's lands ... he'd heard rumor of others who had been harmed for doing such things. He didn't want to be a part of those things at all! Shivering from head to toe, the male kept his nose to the ground and his ears open for any information that might lead him in the right direction.

Beaux's ears twitched in curiosity as a weirdly metallic smell hit his nose. It was strange, yet familiar, something he felt he knew, but couldn't quite place a paw on. Raising his nose to the air, rather than down to the ground he tried to follow it the best he could.

It wasn't long before he came across a female blocking his path. For a moment, she appeared to be asleep, and he had slowed his steps to a tiptoe. Should he walk around her? Simply go on about his way ... but! But what if she woke up? She would be startled and possibly attack! No, no he definitely didn't want that.

But lucky for him, he didn't have to! A final glance revealed that she was looking right at him. He froze, unsure of how to react as he kept looking at her. Doing the first thing that came to his mind, he smiled warily at her and lifted a paw in greeting.

"Umm, hi? Don't let me bother you, just a dopey lion who lost his way. Nothing to see here!"

Chortling under his breath he tried his best to look non intimidating.

Beaux shuffled his paws uncomfortably as the female before him yawned. He wasn't sure why, but he got the impression that he wasn't welcome here. Granted he was a stranger, and that in itself could be enough to wish him gone. But he honestly meant her no ill will. He merely wanted to find his way again, once he did so, he would be out of her hair.

Ears wiggling, he perked them just a bit at her offer. A small but friendly smile spread across his face, and he took a cautious step closer. The strange metallic smell still wafting through his nostrils. Where was it coming from?!

A few short glances in either direction gave him no immediate clues, but it seemed the odor only seemed to be getting closer and closer. "M-Maybe you can!" He laughed, allowing his fluffy tail to swish easily behind him.

"You wouldn't happen to know where exactly we are ... would you?"

Beaux couldn't help but let out a short gruff laugh at her comment. She was quite the smartie wasn't she? But he couldn't complain, he had asked her exactly where they were. He was starting to like her a bit more, well at least they way she thought. Lifting his head, to brush his fluff away from his eyes he shot her a friendly smile before stepping closer. Slowly though! He didn't want to approach her without her approval.

"Fair enough!"

Another step, and he paused as the lioness began to stir. But she was only stretching! Beaux let out a soft sigh of relief, before taking another step. This time finally realizing where that metallic smell had come from.

"OH! Y-You're bleeding! Are you OK? You seem OK! But that could just be that you're in shock?! No, you can't be in shock!

Wait!

...

Can you?"

Now an entirely different lion that he had been just a few moments ago, he forgot all about his shy disposition and darted straight for her. No longer worried about her, so much as whether she truly was alright after all.

His ears twitched a bit at her laugh, it was music to his ears to hear the sound of not only someone else's voice again, but laughter at that! He always had enjoyed a bit of laughter, and after being alone for such a long time this was quite the treat. His worried expression softened into a dopey grin as she turned over her foreleg to offer him to relief. He inspected her thoroughly, despite her own confirmations that she was indeed fine. "Hmmm you're right, there are no grave wounds here." Looking up once again, he winked at her happily, and took in the full effect of her comment.

'good sir'

Ah so he had been dense enough to not introduce himself hadn't he?

"Oh! My apologies Miss! I am Gumbeaux, but you may call me as you wish!" Dipping his head lightly, he meant for it to be a polite gesture. Though it only served to make him look goofier as his messy mane ruffled in the breeze and blew every which way but the correct one. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your's in return?" He hummed happily, his tail flopping back and forth behind him as he awaited her answer.

"Bloodkeeper is it?" Mulling the name over in his head for a bit, he decided he was just too curious about that name to just allow it to slip by. "Well normally I would compliment your name .. and of course don't get me wrong it's quite interesting! Though I feel inclined to ask - that's quite exotic for these parts! Is there a special meaning behind it, or is it simply a tradition of your's to name your children names from exotic places?"

Tilting his head to the side, he didn't want to seem too offensive, so he decided it best not to touch upon her other names. If she wanted to speak of them she would have, it was just that simple. "I-I don't mean to offend, it's just a fascinating thing to come across! I've never come across another with a name quite like your's. You my friend, are quite the special sand grain!" Chuckling at his own terrible joke, he sat in silence at last. Finally taking the time to take in the lovely lioness before him. She was very lovely, if he did say so. He hadn't seen many females in his travels ... but then he normally wasn't the type to stop and pay attention. Truth be told, if he hadn't been so hopelessly lost he may never have even met Bloodkeeper here today.