[SRP] Walk By (Al-Hattal/Tolu)

[Meepfur]

There were so many benefits to being a god, benefits Al-Hattal doubted most gods were capable of fully appreciating. But as a lifelong rogue who'd been getting up there in years when his 'benefactor' had chosen him as his successor, Al-Hattal appreciated the benefits very much. All those years of wandering had taken their toll, given him creaks in his joints and various other aches and pains that he had never, ever admitted to. He loved the free life, but it had also been a hard life. Now? Now it was easy.

He could roam to his heart's content without aging bones ever slowing him down, traverse the whole world on his own four paws if he wanted, or just think of where he wanted to go and be there. He could even fly if he wanted, but to be perfectly honest, he found that a bit awkward. It was rare that he did much more than levitate, and that he used mostly as a trick to impress others...or to convince them that he was actually a god, since he still looked perfectly normal. ...Well, mostly normal. He was quite large.

Being a god also served to make him even more appealing to females - not that he'd really been in need of help in that area, he'd done quite well as a mortal! But there were times now that he didn't even have to expend much effort when it came to wooing ladies; for some of them, the very fact that he was a god was enough, because they wanted the superior cubs that he would produce. And he was always, always happy to oblige.

All in all, though, his life was much as it had been, just easier. And today was just another day of glorious, arthritis-free wandering.  

[Meepfur]

Tolu was on a mission, and not the kind she liked. Unfortunately, she wasn't seeking glory or looking for a fight at the Burkuteshti's northern border; no, she was across their southern border, not in enemy territory but in rogue lands, on the hunt for a orgue male...but not to fight one. She would have preferred that, actually. What she needed was a male who could give her strong, healthy cubs to add to the Burkuteshti's ranks. She had found one once before and had a large, successful litter, and the time had come to try to repeat that success.

The cubs she looked forward to. Finding a suitable male...not so much. For one thing, it wasn't like she was tripping over the selection out here - this wasn't exactly a heavily-populated area, at the fringes of the desert. For another, she was picky. Not just any male would do, she needed the right one.

Finding the right one was an annoying, frustrating hassle.  

[Meepfur]

With all the time in the world to spare, Al-Hattal had let his wanderings take him farther north and west than he usually travelled, and he was enjoying his explorations thus far. New places were always exciting, especially now that there was less risk involved in visitng them. If he was met with hostility or danger, intimidating his way out of it had gotten easier as well - and, failing that, he could always just magic himself away to safety. He was not too proud to flee, if it saved his handsome skin. He preferred to keep it unscarred and in one piece.

...but oh, what was this? Something else - someone else - was pacing the arid landscape. A female someone, which in his opinion, was the best kind of someone. Other males were so boring!

After a quick check to ensure that he was indeed looking as dashing as ever, the dark lion strode in the lioness' direction, calling amiably, "Good afternoon."

It always paid to be polite. There were some rather unsavory types out there, and he didn't like to be mistaken for one.  

[Meepfur]

Tolu saw him long before he called out, or even headed her way. Even if she hadn't been trained to always be on the lookout, he would have been difficult to miss. He was positively huge, compared to the lions who inhabited the Namib. An intriguing trait, to be sure. Of course, he was also very dark, every inch of him black, and that was considerably less...exciting. In fact, it pretty well negated his appealing size. Damn. Perhaps he had other redeeming qualities. She would have to find out.

"Good afternoon," she replied when he was closer, watching him carefully. She was out here to look for rogue males, yes, but she certainly didn't intend to trust any of them. "You're awfully cheerful for being in the middle of nowhere."

Friendliness and idle chatter were not Tolu's strong points, and her attempt was a bit blunt.  

[Meepfur]

Oof. Okay, maybe he'd come across as a little too friendly for this one. Since all he'd done was say hello, that was a good indication that this lioness might be one of the grumpy ones. It was a fun game, sometimes, seeing if he could get them to come around to his advances, but sometimes it didn't end so well. He was going to need to be careful.

"Cheerful? I suppose so," he admitted. "To be honest, it's been so long since I saw anyone out here in the middle of nowhere that even a hyena would have been a welcome sight. A lioness is practically a dream come true. But where are my manners? My name is Al-Hattal, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

...she had scars. Lots of scars. Huh. Emphasis on needing to be careful.  

[Meepfur]

Hmph. A charmer, was it? Just what she needed. The muharip looked - and was - unimpressed. "Tolu bint Saye," she replied matter-of-factly once he'd finished his introduction. "If you don't like being alone, what are you doing all the way out here?"

She eyed him critically, noting that his hide was unmarred and his fur clean. Too clean, almost. She didn't like that.  

[Meepfur]

"Tolu bint Saye," he repeated. "That's quite a name. May I ask what it means?"

"A fair point! I'm something of an explorer, you see, a chronic wanderer. I can't help myself. But what about you, Tolu? What brings you out here?"  

[Meepfur]

"It doesn't mean anything important," she answered, vaguely annoyed by the inane question. Of course he liked her name - she got the impression that he would have said the same regardless of what her name actually was. Nosy, overly-interested male.

A 'chronic wanderer.' What a ridiculous thing to call oneself, and his admission that he couldn't help himself was another strike against him. In the course of a few minutes, she'd already eliminated him. Big, but too dark, too slick, too clean, too...good. No wonder she had such a hard time finding a male she liked: she was damn judgemental.

But she needed to be. "Looking for something, that's all. I don't think I'm going to find it today."  

[Meepfur]

Ooh, ouch. Gruff. This was not going his way, but maybe he could salvage it! "Looking for something? Perhaps I could help, if you'd like the assistance, or even just the company? It's lonely out here."  

[Meepfur]

"No, I think not." Tolu dismissed the offer of help with a flick of her tail. "It's a kind offer, but I need neither your assistance or your company. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make the msot of my time if I am to find what I need, so I'll be on my way."

"If it's company you want, I'd wander back the way you came. North is not a place for travellers."

And, just like that, she was done with him, and turned tail and walked away, leaving him to stare after her.