The lion sighed, walking near the swampland's borders. He'd no idea where exactly he was, or even, more troubling, who he was. It troubled him and worried him at the same time. Not to mention the wounds spread over his body, and his head hadn't exactly stopped throbbing just yet.
He lifted his head gazing at the swamplands. The place had always looked so gloomy to him.. Wait, always? The male quickly tried to catch whatever memory he might have of this place, but when he tried.. nothing. Maybe he'd just walked by it in his past. He had to have a past, right?
With a sigh, the orange male flopped next to a tree just outside the territory.
He needed to think.
The lion wouldn't have much time to think, soon enough. A shape stumbled confusedly out of the swamplands.
This wasn't some mud monster or anything, no. It was just Avani-- she'd started coming here a lot, not simply because she liked the place, but because of someone as well. Gharadi.. She loved him, to put it bluntly and true. However, since he had his 'kids', she hadn't exactly 'moved in' just yet, and had just begun visiting a lot more often so they could start getting used to her first-- Avani didn't want to rush into their lives!
But another ting was inevitable-- she was a klutz to the very core. Some might even say it was intentional, and perhaps sometimes it was, but she'd always been clumsy-- or she liked to think so. Now she was covered in mud head to toes, though, for taking a wrong step, and with her paws muddy, wiping her eyes made little to no sense, she'd just cover them with mud again! And some had gotten in her eyes too, not just oer them.
Which was how she'd managed to stumble out of the swamplands. with a huff, she decided to just lay there a it, already tired of blindly stumbling around.
He tilted his head. What the heck was that? Wincing slightly as her sat up, the orange lion squinted to try and make out whatever figure that was that'd just flopped through the trees. "Hello? " He said, then remembered he was too far.
He wasn't afraid-- the lion simply didn't know exactly how to be afraid much yet. He didn't know what he was afraid of. To him, this was only odd. With a sigh, deciding it best to go figure out what the heck that was, the male stood up and walked over, taking his time. The blob of didn't didn't look like it was going anywhere.
Upon getting closer, he did seem to realize this was, in face, a lion. A lioness, to be specific. A whisp of a thought flickered through his mind, but he didn't even notice it as he bent over to look at where her eyes would be.
"Hello..? " He said, tilting his head. "Do you.. uh, need any help? " He curled his lips to the side slightly.
She blinked, almost jumping out of her skin at hearing a greeting-- moreso, a greeting so close! It forced Avani off the ground, only to stumble thanks to her slippery paws and fall to the side.
"Ah! Don't sneak up on people like that! " She gasped, though closed her mouth quickly. Ew, some mud had got in! It didn't taste at all pleasant, either. "Who's there? " She asked, looking promptly in the wrong direction.
He blinked, stepping back himself at the lioness' reaction, brows rising. "I'm sorry. " He sad quietly, folding his ears back. It was perhaps good she couldn't see him. He bit his lower lip at her question, though. How was he supposed to answer that, and not look like a weirdo?!
"I should be asking you the same thing. " Maybe she was distracted enough to forget about the name. "Do you want help? I could take you to water, if you want.. " He said, though somehow, it felt odd to be offering help.
Avani kept her eyes shut tight, not even trying to open them because of the terrible sting of mud in her eyes. It was cooler, better than dust, but it still was not desirable. She blinked, for a moment wanting to inquire again on his name at the lions hesitation, but forgetting as he asked her own.
"Oh-- Avani! " She said, struggling to her feet again and perking her ears in the direction she thought the sound was coming from. "And I'd love help! " She said, smiling beneath the mud. "I-if you don't mind, that is. I'm sure there's some.. clear water in there, but I can't find it like this! " She forced a smile.
He smiled at the muddy lioness, even hough she couldn't see it. Odd, odd creature she was.
But at her presentation, for a moment, he paused, a distant expression to him. I'm Avani, whats your name? How... No, she'd just introduced herself, he didn't know her! "O.. okay, come on now. " The lion said gently, nudging her side. "I'll lead. " Duh, a sarcastic, bitter voice whispered in the back of his mind.
It wasn't only the lion that'd felt something odd. Come on now.. it sounded so familiar.. His voice.. She blinked, not even noticing the mud that entered her eyes from that. No, no, it couldn't be. They just had similar voices. "Alright1 " She said, relieving herself as the lion moved away, stumbling to follow him at first.
"Um.. " She gaped, looking around. "Where are you, again? "
The lion blinked, looking back to realize the lioness wouldn't be able to follow him too well if he just walked ahead of her. With a sigh, he moved back, then brushed his side against hers. "Like this is easier, come on. " He said, then began to walk slowly into and through the swamp.
"Any better? "
She blinked, suddenly feeling a shape next to her. It wasa little awkward, but not that she could complain. This lion was helping her, after all. He hadn't said his name yet, but maybe he had a reason.. right? No one did things without a reason. Except that one guy.. No, she had to block that memory away.
"Alot better, thanks alot! " She said, smiling.
It wasn't long before they reached some 'clear' water, and once feeling the water-- it somehow felt sort of different. Perhaps cause she'd been mostly in mud moments before, Avani dove into it without hesitation.
The orange male blinked in surprise, stepping back as Avani shot off, twitching his whiskers in amusement. Had he ever done something like this? Well, if he had, he certainly didn't remember it.
.. Like everything else. Might as well mke some memories! Without much warning, the lion hurled into the water. Soon it'd get muddy, as there was still mud below it and they were kicking it all up, but it was enough for some fun!
Avani got busy emmediately, blindly crinsings her paws and brushing them against her face, getting all the mud out of her eyes then sitting up. "And now! " She announced, waving her free paw in the air. "Its time to see my savior! " She said, slowly unvoering her closed eyes and opening them..
Oh, she was right! Avani hadn't been able to see him just yet! The male sat up, despite slowly sinking a ways into the mud, trying to look at least semi-presentable, even though his fur looked pretty pathetic now, all wet and pretty muddy and dirty looking.
"Well? " He asked, smiling and not looking at Avani, more-so posing.
But there was no answer.
Blinking, he looked at the lioness who stared at him wide-eyes, frozen in her place.
".. you. "
