[PRP] Woolgathering

[Twiddle]

Tari'alla Mila was, as she put it, woolgathering. She was laying on a large, flat rock, watching the clouds and doing nothing productive. She picked out shapes as the wite puffs rolled by lazily. A cool breeze brushed her small mane aside, and she close her eyes with a smile on her lips. The wind was one thing she could never get enough of.

Tari was thinking, the thing she seemed to always be doing. She was wondering what she would do with the rest of her life, something she thought about more than naything else. She wanted to find what her parents had; love. But she had no idea where to look for it. She knew now that she was different from other lions, not everyone could see words like she did. She and most of her sisters had special talents, and Tari had begun to hide it well from strangers. She was self-conscious about her 'disease', even though she knew it was just who she was. But other beings tend to judge, and she knew that well.

Tari opened her pale eyes again, now seeing different shapes in the clouds above. She had escaped her sisters for once, finally finding some solitude. She loved her sisters dearly, but sometimes you just needed to be alone. This was her favorite woolgathering spot, and she enjoyed every moment of silence that came with it.  

[Basil Brett]

Nearby, a large dark lion strolled across the savanna, as if without a care in the world. And perhaps, for today, he was. Kubwa'eusi couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed a day like this. Maybe it was the good night's rest he had gotten, a rare blessing for him. It could be the weather, a sunny, warm day. Or maybe it was just one of those days you feel healthier, stronger, and happier.

Whatever the cause, Kubwa walked leisurely, his paws crunching the soft grass lightly, as he hummed a random tune. Pale blue eyes lazily scanned his surroundings. His gaze fell upon a younger lioness lying on a nearby rock. She didn't seem to be in any sort of trouble. Kubwa shrugged to himself and trotted over. He enjoyed a good conversation, something he hadn't had in a few days.

"Hullo there," he called out politely, his voice a pleasant husky baritone. He stopped a few yards away, not wanting to startle her.  

[Twiddle]

Tari had been so lost within her own thoughts that the deep voice made her jump slightly. She glanced over with pale eyes at the lion she had never seen before. What a lovely coat he had, so dark and handsome. She smiled plesantly at him, sitting up on her rock and looking down at the dark stranger.

"Oh, hello. Beautiful day, isn't it?" She said, jumping down gracefully from the rock. She didn't think it polite to look down upon anyone, even if it was just because she was literally higher up than them. "I'm Tari'alla Mila." She said with a lavish bow, her head almost touching the ground. "But you are welcome to call me Tari."  

[Basil Brett]

The older lion smiled. She was a pretty lioness and Kubwa was impressed with her manners. He glanced up to the sky then back down at her.

"Yes, it is very lovely today. A perfect day to enjoy the weather."

He sat and gestured at the rock with a tilt of his head.
"Please, no need to stand. I'm Kubwa'eusi, though everyone calls me Kubwa. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tari."

A breeze ruffled his dark mane and caused the grass around them to dance. He closed his eyes for a moment and grinned before his pale blue eyes returned to the lioness.

"So what brings you out here on this fine day?"  

[Twiddle]

Tari smiled at the older lion, sitting down in the grass. "Oh it's quite alright. I was just woolgathering." She said, watching her violet words hit the ground. Kubwa's words had been dark purple, and she was glad to have seen that. It meant he was happy and carefree at the moment, and she felt the same.

"The pleasure's all mine, Kubwa." She said with another light smile. Her smile grew when she noticed how he enjoyed the wind as much as she did. Another breeze picked up, ruffling her small tuft of mane, and she shook her head so it would settle again.

"Oh, I was merely enjoying the solitude of nature. Listening to the earth, basking in the glow of life." Her pale eyes watched him as she spoke, her smile never leaving. "And yourself?"  

[Basil Brett]

Kubwa chuckled, his pale blue eyes twinkling with mirth. He grinned as he responded.

"Oh, I suppose I was doing the same, though it wasn't quite so poetic in my head. "

He breathed in a deep sigh. He loved days like this above all else. The sun, the clouds, the breeze... On days like these, he flourished. He had spent so long in the dark, that the sun had become like a medicine to him.

"I must say, you seem very mature for your age."

He meant it as a compliment, and hoped she took it as such.  

[Twiddle]

Tari looked away, blushing. She was easily embarrassed by any compliment, even one as inocent as his. "Oh, well thank you." She said bashfully, her pale eyes still averted. She had been told many times that she had a poetic way of speaking, but never before by a stranger, especially a handsome one like this.

Trying to fish for somehting else to talk about, she looked up at the sky, the clouds morphing and changing above the pair. She watched them for a few moments as her mind scanned her thoughts for something to say.

"Are you traveling?" She asked, her pale eyes finally meeting his again. Traveling was always a question that ended up opening more windows for further conversation, and she was glad to see it. She saw her words fall from her mouth, still violet but with a hint of reddish yellow, still embarrassed as she was.  

[Basil Brett]

Kubwa saw that she was embarrassed and grinned to himself. Tari was still young in some ways. So he allowed himself to be diverted to another subject.

"Yes, it seems traveling is all I do lately. Oh I enjoy it most of the time. Being able to see new places, meet new people. I've seen quite a lot in my time."

He stretched, his muscles enjoying the change of position. He settled back into a comfortable stance.

"And yourself? Are you a traveler? Or is this near your home. To be truthful, I don't know quite where I am. I wouldn't be surprised if I were to stumble upon a pride."  

[Twiddle]

Tari's eyes lit up at the mention of seeing new places and meeting new people. She had only ever traveled with her family, and hadn't seen much of the world. She was sometimes overtaken with wanderlust, and she went for long walks by herself, pushing the limits of how far she traveled each time.

"Oh I would love to see more of the world." She said, smiling brightly. But she knew she didn't want to leave her family. At the end of the day she loved coming home to the big jumbled mess they were, and piling herself right on top of it.

"Me? Oh no, I live very close to here, actually. Me and my family." She said with a nod. "And you just may. There are prides everywhere it seems. Are you traveling alone, or do you have family with you?" She ascked, wondering how anyone could possibly spend so much time alone. Sure, you met new people, but what about at night? When the darkness took over, didn't he want someone there beside him?  

[Basil Brett]

Kubwa grinned. He was happy that she had a large family. He often longed for one, to tell the truth. He had had what some might call a family. A rather large and powerful one, actually. However, he had never considered them family. They were too proud, too selfish to think of anything but their own selves. He had had enough of it, and had left when he was really young.

Ah, but why was he reminiscing on such unhappy times? He had several pleasant memories, and a select few he truly cherished. He pushed the thoughts from his head.

"Ah, no family, really. At least, none that I've been in contact with for a very long time. The world is a very large, sometimes scary, but often wonderful place. You should make sure to see some more of it."  

[Twiddle]

Tari nodded a little, her pale yes watching him curiously. "Oh, you don't speak to them? Why not? Don't you miss them?" She asked, her head tilting to the side. She had never really learned to mind her own business, since she felt as though her life was an open book she just ssumed evryone was that way.

"Oh yes, I really would love to see more of the world. My mother told me stories of the places she's traveled through, and they seemed very exciting. Although a little scary, as well." She said with a thoughtful expression, remembering her mothers sotries of when she had been a slave as a cub.  

[Basil Brett]

Kubwa felt slightly awkward. His family was the last thing he wanted to discuss, but he couldn't slight the girl for inquiring. She was just curious.

"Uh.... I don't really get along too well with my family members. We have... differing views over certain things."

The words were polite enough, but the tone of his voice pretty clearly stated that it was more than a disagreement. He hoped she left it at that. To aid in that direction, he pushed the conversation in a different direction.

"Yes, it can be a bit scary at times, especially when venturing somewhere you're very unfamiliar with. But it's very fun meeting all sorts of new people."  

[Twiddle]

Tari pursed her lips slightly, wondering what his family and he disagreed on that would make him not want to speak with them. It must have been something big, something very touchy. She watched his words go to the ground, and realized they were brownish-grey. He definitely didn't want to talk about that, and she dropped the subject.

Instead she gave him a smile at his next words, "Oh yes, I would love to meet lots of new people. Have you meta lot of interesting characters?" She ventured, tilting her head to the side. "I can only imagine, since it seems you've been traveling for a while."  

[Basil Brett]

Kubwa chuckled, various memories flooding back. He had indeed met many interesting characters, both for the better and the worse. Luckily for him, more of them were the former rather than the latter.

"Yes, quite a few. I met a little female wild dog a while back who had absolutely no sense of direction. Turns out she just had a litter of ten. And then there was this hare that was determined to run as fast as a cheetah. He had nearly been my lunch, but it's hard to eat someone after a story like that."

In all truth, he couldn't eat anything once it said something to him. It was just too weird.

"So what's your family like? If you don't mind my asking?"

He found himself really enjoying his time with Tari.  

[Twiddle]

Tari smiled at the tales, laughing lightly. "Oh my, they sound like interesting people. Ten children? I cna't even imagine that!" She said shaking her head a little. "Though, my mother had six. All girls." She grinned.

As he asked about her fmaily she smiled again, sitting down. Her tail curled around her legs, "Oh, my family? Well yes, I have five sisters. I live with my mom and dad. We're quite a... motley crew." She chuckled.

As she watched the dark lion, she wondered about his own past. But she didn't ask, instead continuing about her own family. "My sisters and I have inherited a trait from my father that is... unsusual, to say the least." She smiled at that, watching her words fall to the ground. "You see, I can see words when they're spoken. They're just clouds of different colors, the colors usually matchig the person's feelings t the time they speak." She hardly ever felt comfortable speaking of her 'curse', but with Kubwa she felt as though he wouldn't judge her. She hoped she was right as she waited for his response.