High upon a rock face the goddess sat and watched over the savannah. She inhaled deeply the warm air around her and puffed out her cheeks with a grin. She blew out and puffed out a cool breeze that wound its way down over the lands. Just a simple chill that would soon give way to the warm rays of the sun. It was fun to do on occasion, as certainly things got to warm around here for her liking.
Yepa chuckled to herself as she opened her wings and lept from the ledge. For a moment she fell as swiftly as a rock before her wings found the air and broke her fall. Drifting over the grass lands the Goddess continued to make little puffs of air as she went, little cool breezes. Winter was on the winds.
He usually would have been sleeping by now, but Uzalishaji was on a high like no other. It had taken all of his effort to even fall asleep the night before, especially when he was laying next to the lioness he loved. All he wanted to do was profess his love over and over again, just to hear her return his words. Oh, he did not doubt her feelings for him one bit, but it was oh so /good/ just to hear them. It made his heart swell, his red eyes prickle with the threat of tears from sheer joy.
Needless to say, Shaji considered himself to be the happiest lion on the savannah. It had taken all of his effort to even pry himself away from Kiasi's side. But, today he had the desire to visit his father and all of his little half-siblings. Maybe he would tell his father what it felt like to be in love, so Ezeoha could recognize it himself when he found the lady of his dreams.
The golden lion shuddered suddenly as a chill entered the air, the idea of winter making him frown. He liked the season well enough, but it was just cold.
The goddess smiled as she watched the world below her, a sea of golds and browns with an occasional spotting of green or blue. It really was a beautiful sight. Something caught her attention below her though, something more golden yellow than the rest of the world. It was a mortal lion, and while the goddess normally wouldnt stop for every lion she saw Yepa found herself in quite an odd mood today.
Dropping from the sky she grinned to herself, for she loved this part. Flying had its own thrills to be sure but the thrill of falling and watching the world rush up at you towards the end had to be the best. She droped roughly to her paws, a bit less gracefully than she would have liked behind a small scattering of trees. Now, would it be best to come as she was, or should she appear as a normal lion? She had had this discussion with the goddess of the Lost but still she found herself teetering on the choice.
WIth a shrug she stepped out from the grove of trees leaving a dusting of frost upon the ground where her paws as been. It melted almost as quickly as it had formed as the suns rays and the very warmth from the ground itself desolved it away to nothing.
"Why hello." she said as she approched the mortal lion, curious to watch his reaction.
Shaji had almost made it to his father's when a voice greeted him, and it was clear to tell he wasn't the quickest of lions (but he made up for it for being unwaveringly sweet and devoted), because he blinked in confusion, having not noticed the lioness -
Oh, correction.
Goddess.
His red eyes widend, and he very nearly gawked at the nearly pristine white goddess. He took a few seconds to look her over, from the tip to her nose down to her paws, which left momentarily lasting frost in their wake. He was shocked, utterly and stupidly shocked. But, he couldn't let his surprise get the best of him. He blushed in embarrassment, shyly ducking his gaze so he wouldn't be tempted to gawk at her further. Man, she would already think he rude, and he didn't think it was a good thing to make a goddess think poorly of him.
"Hello!" His voice came out in a squeak, and he quickly darted a gaze up at her, before it became glued to the ground again. "Well... it's uh, a nice day. A little chilly out, but very nice." He had no idea what to say, because his father hadn't given him the lesson on how to talk to a goddess.
Yepa surpressed a giggle as she watched the mortal male, she had taken him by surprise it seemed, Such often seemed to be the case, which she found quite funny as she didnt try to most of the time. Idally she wondered if she would be treated any differently if she didnt appear to lions this way... perhaps one day she would give it a try to see exactly how she would be treated if they didnt know she was a goddess.
She smiled at him, he was trying to hard to be respectful and she almost giggled again as he voice cracked and came out in a squeek. "Ah well its the time of year for chilly now isnt it? Dont you care for the cold? " she asked him with a tilt of her head. "I rather think it gets too hot sometimes."
He was a little confused as to why a goddess wanted to talk to him, but maybe they just liked to talk to mortals every once in a while. He didn't have the right set of mind to think himself special for Yepa talking to him. Shaji just found himself embarrassed, uncomfortable, and yet somehow eager to please her so she didn't end up with a bad impression, and going back to talk to all of her god friends about how troublesome mortals were... Then again she didn't look like the kind of goddess to do that. She seemed nice, really. He was probably getting ahead of himself, anyways --
And he was thinking a little too much, and not listening well.
"Oh, well, sometimes the cold is good. On hot nights, it became miserable when we, Kiasi and me, had to fit all of the cubs into one cave. It got hot and stuffy, and everyone just began to kick one another. But, if it's too cold now, there's only Kiasi and me to fight off the chill." He frowned then, something tickling the front of his mind... poking at him, trying to rouse his senses so he could start thinking and not sounding like and idiot.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Uzalishaji, but I like it when others call me Shaji... though you don't have to, if you don't want to!"
Yepa had a strange fasination with the mortals, if only because they varried in temperment as broadly as they did in color. Their lives where short compared to hers but it was them that really shaped the world. Sure it could be said some of the gods would use them as pawns for their own amusment and goals, but it was the mortals whom made their own choices. It was this reason that Yepa enjoyed watching them, and on occasion meeting with them.
"Well, Shaji.. My name is Yepa." she said and with a smile she added. "The goddess of winter." as she had chosen at the last minute to tell him of her profession. "And I can see what you mean, but down here in the flat lands I dont think you have much to worry about the cold...now if you where in the mountains that might be a problem for you and your family.. Keeping warm that is."
"It's very nice to meet you-" Oh god, how did he address her? She had given him her name, and told him what her domain was, but that didn't solve the question of how she wanted to be addressed. So, he took a little stab at the air, trying not to wince in the case that he got scolded (or worse). "It's very nice to meet you, Yepa." There, he inwardly grimaced, because it seemed like it was too personal. Sure, he addressed other lions by their names, but she was a goddess, surely that meant different rules applied?
"Yeah, it doesn't get cold here often at all. It's why I love living here - I don't think I'd survive in a winter climate. My toes would get frozen off in no time, my fur is so thin." He smiled in his dorkish, shy, but charming manner. Really, he just wanted to make a good impression on her. He always wanted to make a good impression, it was just in his nature to be as nice as possible.
The goddess smiled again, he seemed slightly nervous around her when all she really wanted at this point and time was to be treated normally. She wanted to observe. Yepa flicked her tail slightly causing it to rustle against the tall grasses. She didnt scold him for calling her by her name, while other gods may have found that offencive she didnt mind at all.
"well than I suppose its a good idea to live down here then. " She smiled. "Well Shaji, I seem to have interupted you in some task earlyer. I should let you continue what you where doing." she nodded.
"Oh - no! It wasn't any interruption at all!" He was stumbling over his words in a frantic attempt to prove to her that she wasn't bothering him, or interrupting him. It was always nice to take a little break from the day's events. "I was just on my way to my father's, and then I was going to visit some of my half-siblings. Really, they can wait, I'd hate it if you thought you were interrupting me. Really, it's no problem at all. I enjoyed talking to you, I've never met a goddess before, and it's so good to see that they're nice and not something to give little cubs nightmares and --"
He blinked then.
Was he rambling?
Oh. Crap. The golden lion smiled sheepishly, the look even apologetic, though an apology spilled from his mouth moments later. "Sorry, I tend to talk a little much. I'm really sorry. It was nice to meet you. Really nice. If you have something to do, I would like the opportunity to say good-bye?"
Yepa let herself giggle this time, though she hoped it would not come across as she was laughing at him. It was more she was laughing at the effect she had on him, or maybe it was just the way he always was. Reguardless she thought that for a mortal he had a kind heart.
"I would hate for you to put me before your family Shaji, I am sure that they will be happy to see you, as if you are going for a visit it sounds like you dont see them as often as you used to. Fairwell for now Shaji, perhaps we will meet again sometime."
Her blushed a little at her giggle, because he could not interpret it. But, he couldn't assume the worst of her, rather he could only assume that she was giggling because he entertained her in a positive way. Shaji had never been able to think of the worst of people. He only saw their highlights. He saw their best features and honed in on them, refusing to see anything else, because he was convinced that the good of a lion was all that mattered.
"Ah, no, I moved in with a good lioness to help her raise her cubs a while back. I see my family now and again. But, yes, I suppose I will be on my way. It was a pleasure meeting you, I hope to be able to see you again." He smiled sincerely at her, and with a respectful bow of his head, he was trotting off again in the direction of his father's den (he was scared he'd only embarrass himself further the longer he stayed in her presence - he hoped that leaving quickly enough would make his impression a good one).
