[PRP]Little Girl, Keep Yourself Upon the Trail....

[TormentedAngie]

Upon the trail she stood, secretly waiting for another. Her mist-like coloration blending in with the mist in the rising moonlight. The one she waited for, a shadow slinking through the darkness. Darkness and light, like opposites attracting.

Pridal matters were set aside for once, patrols went unmade this night. The lands were quiet, nothing drastic would happen in the course of one night. Tonight was hers to enjoy, a break for them to share together. Now if only her shadow would appear.

Crystalline eyes searched around her, he wasn't late was he? He didn't forget about their meeting on the path behind the waterfall, did he? Worried glances cast from side to side, the Queen began to second guess herself and him as well.


Since the first day I was alive,
Feared we would meet here, in the misty outside
Wanted to run, wanted to hide, wish I could breathe...  

[Vashtya]

He made his way swiftly up the path, dark pelt blending seamlessly into the shadows. Even his teal-and-gold markings were hard to pick out. As he drew near to the specified meeting pace, he slowed, silently drawing closer.

As he caught sight of her, his posture eased, and he approached from slightly behind, and off to her side, seeming to emerge from nowhere. Simultaneously, he gave a low, rumbling greeting--the closest he'd ever come to a feline purr.

He'd been half-afraid that she wouldn't show, or that something would come up to otherwise occupy her attention. Bowing his head, he watched her carefully, waiting to see her reaction.  

[TormentedAngie]

Her ears swiveled in tandem as she heard the great paw-steps and rumbling behind her. Gracefully, she turned and gave her own soft wuffing greeting, her face lighting up in relief. The silvered lioness stepped shyly towards him, offering up a short nuzzle, lifting his head from the bow he offered.

"I'm glad you came. I was almost afraid you might not." She smiled, and settled herself down beside him, gazing out into the cascading water before them. Out past the roaring curtain, the stars slipped out of hiding to twinkle as bright as the moon above. It was almost as if the stars were giving their approval for the 'interstellar rendezvous'. "It's so peaceful here, it's like nothing bad could ever happen, as long as you're sitting right here in this very spot..."

Blushing, she amended her statement slightly. "Of course, I know better than that, but still. I can't help but feel.... like everything will be okay, when I come here to think, or for a break." Masika turned her head to him, pondering thoughtfully.

"That's why I asked for us to meet here."  

[Vashtya]

Smiling, he nudged her lightly with one large paw. "Of course I came." It sounded cheesy, even to him, and he cleared his throat awkwardly, allowing silence to fall between them for a moment.

When she continued, he looked over at her curiously--this slightly fanciful side of her was one she rarely showed, and he found himself leaning a little closer, the action completely unconscious on his part.

Shrugging, he stared out through the water, at the sky beyond. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that He was finding it easier, being in the company of others--and he even enjoyed it, especially these stolen moments with her--but having spent so long on his own, he'd learned more about silence than about what words to share, especially in a situation such as this one.

Finally, the words sounding tentative, he looked away from the sky, turning so that he looked at her directly.


"Thank you for sharing this, with me, my queen." Looking to break the seriousness, just a little bit, Makadara bowed his head once again, only the slightly mischievious expression in his eyes an indicator that he wasn't being wholly subservient. She would always be his queen, but as he slowly felt closer to her, he was finding that if he wanted to get to know more about her, he was having to see her as something more than that, as well.  

[TormentedAngie]

The playful expression was not lost on the young queen, and she batted at his nose in equal mirth. "You're most welcome. Although I do have to say, I haven't shared this with many. In fact, you're the first I've shared it with, myself. I know others know of the place, but it doesn't seem like many venture here often...."

Of course, she realized too late how silly the whole thing sounded, and she turned her head demurely away from him. Awkward silence ensued from her, she didn't know quite what to say after that. Normally words seemed to flow fairly easily for her but it seemed like when she was around him, nothing came out quite right. She enjoyed the company of Makadara immensely, don't get her wrong, but there was something about him that... Almost caused flutterbugs in her stomach, though she didn't quite know why. The way he looked at her, no matter whether he was trying or not, always sent her heart a-flutter.

Masika didn't take notice, however, of his close proximity and how he'd closed the gap between them ever so slightly. Her thoughts were on trying to find something to say without sounding silly like she'd just managed to do.

Little girl, keep yourself upon the trail
If you stray, you'll become a cautionary tale
With these arms and with these fists, I'll keep you safe and sound
Through the forest and the mists, run down
This dark and twisty road.  

[Vashtya]

Chuckling, he didn't shy away from the light swat, instead rubbing his nose against the pad of her paw before she withdrew it. Directing his attention back to her, he took a moment before responding, his tone thoughtful. "It's the sort of spot, I think, that requires more than a surface glance to catch the timing to really appreciate it." he observed, his tail swishing lightly back and forth.

When she turned her head away from him, he shifted. Again, a nervous sort of silence fell between them. Deliberately, he bumped his shoulder up against hers, before stepping a few paces away, loosening the tension the only way he knew how. It was one of those rare moments where he really wished that he hadn't been on his own for quite so long--it made it difficult to find the right words, sometimes, for situations such as this, where subtlety was important.  

[TormentedAngie]

Masika blinked in a bit of surprise at the odd gesture from Maka, having taken the time to rub his nose against the delicate and indeed most sensitive part of her paw. It wasn't something she was used to, but she wasn't going to argue, regardless. A small blush crept across her cheeks but thankfully her fur kept that in check.

She turned to study him, about the same time that he bumped her shoulder then moved off a few feet. She could also feel the awkwardness and tension, but also couldn't quite put her paw on a way to ease it. An idea struck her suddenly though, and she fell into a stalking position, waggling her rear in anticipation. To her, the easiest way to make them both feel a bit more comfortable was to lighten up and have a bit of fun. She leapt to just the one side of Maka, and pounced on his swishing tail before hopping away again. "C'mon slow poke. Show me what you're made of!"  

[Vashtya]

Eyes widening, Makadara hopped back in surprise, staring at the renewed space between himself and Masika before slowly grinning. "With all due respect, your highness, unsuspecting prey is always a much easier target." His voice was a playful rumble, the tone offset by the steady, taunting flick of his tail as he crouched down himself, eyes narrowing with mock-serious concentration.

"Are you sure you're up to the challenge, milady, now that I'm aware and expecting it?" he continued, careful to still maintain a respectful inflection even to his joking. She'd given hm an outlet for the uncertainty--after all, even he could well remember playing with other cubs, during his own childhood.  

[TormentedAngie]

"Easier target I'll give you, but much more fun to startle and surprise. I'm fully up to anything. However, do you have the ability to keep up?" With a sound that was more like a snicker than a chuckle, the lioness turned her back on the male, darting a look over her shoulder in playful taunting.

"Let's see what you can do!" The game was more instinctual than anything, to either of them. Playing was a good way to hone one's skills, since a rabbit or bug provided only so much 'challenge' when one was by themselves. Bigger prey helped, but sometimes it was better to be facing equally matched claws, so weaknesses and such could be determined and fixed prior to a need for it.

For them though, that was the furthest thing from their mind. A simple bit of pleasure amidst the business of the pride. A time to relax, so to speak, if but for a little while.