Dragging her paws tail touching the ground though she usually held it just above, she walked on, head down, eyes down, pink nose sniffing at the air now and again to make sure she wasn't being followed. She hadn't had any luck, and now she was alone again. Loustearha had wandered off away from the pridelands, away from Shin, who had offered to help her, and everything felt as if it was going fuzzy. Should she move on, was it time t make new memories?
She had heard of a pride that was somewhat secluded, or exclusive, in one way or another. The things she heard made her want to see it, see more, get away and find herself instead of trying to find what, evidently, was lost.
So much time had gone by and, nothing much had been done.
Utomo had carelessly moved from the Pridelands to the lands surrounding it; he followed game, and a zebra herd had recently moved out onto the plains. Lazily, the gray feline had followed. He had become quite the hunter in the last few months, with a kind of ruthlessness that made it easy for him to take down meals. That's all his life had become: sleep, eat, travel. And the dreams, of course ... there had been more of them as of late. About two strange lionesses, and his brother - but an older version of his brother, not the adolescent he had last seen Kayin as. He wasn't entirely certain why, but the visions bothered him, reminded him somehow of his mother and the father he'd never seen, and never wanted to.
The male is currently snoozing in the grasses, but the other passes close enough by that he jerks his head up, dozily, blinking in the sunlight. His white mane falls in cascades around his gray, sleepy features as he squints at the other.
She could have died from a heart attack just then, or passed out from the movement she was not expecting. She hadn't even sensed anyone nearby, and fr someone to be that close and she unaware, how many thers could have, or had gotten that lose to her with her not even realizing it? Loustearha was not a fighter, she didn't know how to fight the 'right way,' she knew how to run when everything was getting caught up in her face though. But something, something was having her stand and stare at the male, searching around his mane to see his face.
That familiar mane, those eyes, that color, "Utomo?" she asked almost as if her voice was so uncertain he wouldn't hear. This couldn't be possible, could it, of everything or anyone se could come across, would fate be so kind as to let her be in the company of someone she had met and befriended before?
The male looks slyly amused that he's managed to register such surprise on the other's features; he smirks, raising a brow at her as he gets up onto his haunches, shaking out his shaggy mane. The male's violet eyes fall upon her again, tail flicking against the ground as he yawns and stretches. Mmph. Morning, although it's actually mid-afternoon.
She looked rather familiar, however. He scourged his memory; a vision hovered in front of him, and he's not certain if it's a true vision or of it's just his memory. "Hey, Lous."
"It is you!" she exclaimed with glee in her voice. She rushed forward to close the gap between them and she got close enough to lean against his shoulder, her cheek against his mane, her ears fell back, it was obvious that she had wanted to find someone she knew, so that she wouldn't be alone. So man things had gone wrong and not gone the way she planned, she was just so happy to see a familiar face.
"I wasn't sure if it was you or not, look at your mane," she said smiling, pulling back from the contact against his shoulder. So fluffy, she smiled, manes were so fluffy all the time, though his was a nice color as well. "How have you been, feels like ages," she said with a nod. Though the back of her mind pawed at her to ask why he was out here alone.
You didn't get a girl flinging themself at you every day, and Utomo is bright enough to realize the fact, although he's rather taken aback. He purrs, slyly offering her a nuzzle, one brow raising. "It did rather grow in," he murmurs, smirking. "And I've been fine; just living," he says, rolling a very lazy shoulder. "Following the wind an' the food an' all that sort of stuff." Belatedly, he realizes that something should be offered in return. Manners were not something he was used to using, and his dealings with females were rare in any case, so he was rather rusty. "Uh, what're you doing out here?"
Lous gave him a smile hearing him purr, she never had heard a male purr before, she thought that perhaps, since they were so strong, and they were male, that they wouldnt do such an act. But she smiled, glad that what she thought was untrue, either that, or Utomo was different from the rest of the males of the world, which was good also.
"It sounds nice, to be able to follow something," she had been following something, but it had gotten ou of her reach, and now, now she was just here. "I'm wandering again, I thought I was going to find her, my mother but, I was wrong," she said having her ears fall back in disappointment.
"I heard of a pride, that sounds interesting, I'm heading that way, sort of, and now, I'm here with you," she said with an enthusiastic nod.
He throws his head back and laughs. "G'luck with the pride; I've never bothered with such things." Another shrug. "Someone ordering you what to do? No way. Give me the rogue life, anyday." He sniffs. "Don't have your own life in a pride; it's decided for you, or at least restricted." The distaste is clear in his voice. "What you can do, who you can be, who you can breed with, having enemies just because of who you hang with ... bah." A pause. "Sorry y'didn't find your mom, neither." He never had found Kayin again, but based on the dreams, thought he might be close.
Loustearha arched a brow at him, his words seeping into her mind, all he said was true so... now what? Her brain rattled as she tried to consider what to do. She wasn't sure if she was going to join the pride, she just wanted to see it, see the markings that were special to the pride, something about tattoo looking things.
"I'm just going for a look, I don't know if I'll stay but...isn't it better to be around others instead of being alone?" she asked in all seriousness, though he might have a different view. Lous had been alone since her second mother had left, and she was tired of being all by herself day in and day out. She stayed off the topic of her mother though, thinking of how she failed punched at her heart.
"Fair enough," he murmurs to the gray tiger-striped female, an ear twitching. "And if you need company, I guess. I never really have." The slight inflection on his tone suggests that he pities anyone who is of the other opinion. He missed Kayin, but he couldn't stand his mother or Hodari; they had quite quenched his liking for most anyone else. "Don't mind company for awhile, but living in a group forever? No way. Pawloose and fancy free, that's my motto."
"'Cause you're a stong one," she said with a wink at his comment. Utomo seemed like a male that could be on his own without worry of what the next day would bring. It was obvious from his statements that he was used to the rogue life, and that he was doing well, which was great to hear.
"So you like being alone?" she asked tilting her head to the side in question. She flicked her ears, she'd think that he'd want company, being alone for so long was, well, depressing, at least in her eyes. She laughed at his motto, "Well, as long as your happy with it," she said with a nod and a smile.
A ghost of a grin flits across his features. "Aye, I am," he replies, amused. "And yes, I do. Company's fine for awhile, but I'll never settle down, me." He flops on the ground again, rolling onto his side and giving her a cheeky grin underneath his fluffy white bangs. "It's too beautiful a world to stay in one place forever, don't you think?"
"Just for a while? So you'd rather have your alone time too?" she asked, watched him as he rolled onto his back, and she mimicked him, doing the same, lying on her back next to him, looking up at the sky. "Yea, I guess your right but, I'd think you'd have more appreciation for certain places if you had someone to go with you, to ahve a memory with, so you wouldn't just reember a place, but something that might have made it special." all Lous knew was that one day, she'd like to not be alone, and just, just have somewhere and someone to be with, or go with, and not have to always be cold and worried at night.
He laughs again, his canines flashing. "Not necessarily. Chasing the wind and watching the sunrises and sunsets, knowing you've survived another day and can make it through another night; that's what makes it all worth it. You don't need company if you have the whole wide world 'round you, girl; how can you ever feel truly alone?" Feeling suddenly playful, he tries to grab at her ear with his teeth to tug on it, amused.
"True, the world is around you, the wind can caress your cheek, he sun can warm your back, the moon can light your way but," she said giggling, feeling the tug at her ear, adn she bat at him playfully,, she rolled herself over, her face above his, her free arm draped over his chest and somewhat on his fluffy mane, "Isn't it just nice to have someone to talk to, someone to have with you? Someone who can chase the nightmares away and make you feel like you are someone important?" she asked touching her nose to his and smiling.
He purred again, watching her out of the corner of his eye, and easily taking the bat with another smirk, carelessly buffetting it away with his muzzle.
"I have these for my nightmares," he says easily, popping out one clawed paw and flexing it; the little pinpricks bob in and out. "And I already know I'm important. Don't you think that of yourself?" He querries in retaliation, then concedes slyly, "It may be nice to have someone to talk to every now and again; if I get bored, I start talking to preybeasts, and they're not that great of conversationalists, to be honest."
She smiled at him and rolled onto her back again, settling herself in a way that her side was touching his, but her eyes were up towards hte sky now, "You seem to be able to fight off nightmares a lot easier then me," she said somewhat softly. Monsters, shadows, screams, being left alone, she couldn't fight those off with claws, oh no.
"Sometimes I do," she said in all honesty, other times she felt as if she was just another piece of something wandering around, searching for some purpose. She giggled at his statement and curled her tail up, "No, I'd suppose something your about to eat wouldn't be having the most insightment conversation with you."
He eyes her for a moment, then reluctantly shifts his gaze upward, to the sky. Evening is just starting to settle onto the savannah, and the vivid colors of the afternoon sky and savannah are starting to fade. "Mmm," he murmurs, thinking of his own dreams. He can't keep the stupid things away; they're like flies that he longs to swat, but he cannot find them to do so. "Comes with practice," he says, flopping his head down upon her back, using it as a pillow. "Well, you should think it a bit more," he adds, lazily winking at her. "And hey, sometimes they do; facing certain death tends to reshuffle one's priorities alarmingly. But they aren't what you'd call happy to see me."
Loustearcha smiled feeling his head on her back, and its not an awkward feeling at all. Utomo is a male that has been in her company and not acted like a ravenous hyena, which was great. She'd had terrible nightmares of dark rogue males that were horrible but, Utomo seemed so different, he purred, he felt alive. She smiled, yawned and turned on her side, his head could still be on her shoulder but she snuggled her back against his chest and sighed contently. "Maybe I will." not letting the second phrase soak in. This was better than being alone, so much better indeed.
He relaxes, purring softly, his ears tipping back and disappearing into his milky white mane. Yes, yes, this was much better than he had thought this day would go this morning. "Good, then," he murmurs, nuzzling her forehead, enjoying her touch. "You're rather more beautiful than I think you realize; you should remember that, too.
Loustearha smiled and cuddled next to him, glad that she had come across Utomo today, it was so much better having some company than to spend another night alone. She sighed contently feeling him nuzzled her forehead, her eyes half opened, this was what it should be all the time. "You're just saying that," she said with a soft laugh. Beautiful was something distant, at least in her eyes, something beautiful had to be something worthwhile, something breathtaking. " I knw you like to be alone Utomo, but, can I stay here with you for a while, please?"
He looks rather indigant at that; the look is probably lost, however, since Lous's eyes are half-closed. "I am not," he protests diligently. "As a rogue, I've been able to go a lot of places an' see a lot of things, girl. I know what I'm talking about." Her next question makes the little tiny bit of his conscience wince at him, but he breeziliy shrugs it off, and he's able to answer her casually. "For tonight, yeah, I don't mind the company."
Lous just smiled, and closed her eyes, feeling comforted, "Thank you," at least now she could have one night where she wouldn't feel like she's lost and alone, at least one night where she wouldn't be afraid of the nightmares came. One night, right now, thats all she really wanted. (end)
