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 Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:27 pm
 She was finding herself drifting off from the safety of her pride's lands more often lately. Today she was taking a solitary walk on a rainy day. No sun to warm her back this time. Sadly, it suited her mood. She plodded along, eyes downcast, gazing at the muddy earth and her paws setting ripples across the shallow puddles she happened across. The floods were supposed to be a good time of year, but she diddn't feel the surge of joy and life that they were supposed to bring. No, not at all.
There was no warm nuzzles for her to come back to. No greeting of a family in a den. Her belly did not swell with generations to come. All she had was herself, and it honestly wore her down more than any hunting or caretaking of others cubs ever could.
Exhausted of heart more than body, she finally stopped beneath the sparse cover of a stunted tree. She sprawled there in the mud and rain and desolate sadness of the sky and wept. For once, just once, she put her paws over her face and allowed herself to bawl, her tears hidden with the raindrops and muddy tracks of soil across her hide. There, safely alone, she felt she could let go and let out all the mournings of her heart.
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:08 pm
Dysisni'mbus stared up at the sky as he walked, eyeing the sky distrustfully. It looked as though it would burst at any second, sending freezing water done on his already worn body. He growled when he felt the general air pressure change, warning of rain coming soon. Damn it.
Unfortunately for Dysi, the sky opened up just as it had threatened to do but didn't send down hard rain, simply tiny droplets that hit and soaked his furs steadily. Scowling heavily, he padded through the puddles, trying to avoid the mud which soaked his paws and made them a dirty brown. It was ruining his beautiful coat, he realised, shuddering at the thought of his beautiful coat being stained.
Spotting a tree, no matter how small it appeared to be, he jogged towards it, hoping to get out of the rain. Because of the dark grey sheen to the area, he didn't see the female at the tree until he was fairly close. Slowly, he stopped and stared at her, spotting a minute trembling to her form. Was she cold? Or...was it...tears?
"Are you in trouble, Miss?" He said, before he could think twice.
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:23 pm
Upon hearing the decidedly male voice while in the middle of her reckless abandonment of all decoroum, Shani probably could have climbed even the tallest tree in Africa. She bolted straight up in the air, all four paws launching her upwards stiffly as the fur along her spine stood up in fright. She whirled to face him with wide, frightened eyes, clearly ready to bolt. Here at her most vulnerable moment, a stranger had snuck up on her. Despite the rain, she was certain teartracks would give her away. Wildly she looked around for some out, some means of escape from this horrifying situation. Just what exactly had she let herself into by giving in to the urge to let all her sadness out?!
Seeing no way to eject herself from this nightmare, she gave a small sound of despair and plopped her hind end back down in the mud. Her head hung low enough to nearly brush the puddle, which caught the tears that now flowed more openly. There was no hope for it, she was caught and well. She simply had no thought for what to do now except bear the brunt of the scorn of this stranger. Or perhaps he'd just sniff and pass on, seeing what a mess she was. She imagined such a cold shoulder and dared to hope that he might do something eually distant and aloof. Miserable and confused, she peeked at him from beneath her lashes and still said nothing at all, though she couldn't help sniffling a bit.
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:39 pm
When she had spun around to face him, Dysi had been shocked. He had spotted the tear tracks on her cheeks, despite the rain. It was tears then, she was crying, but why? Was the rain making her sad, or was it something more? And what's more, what was he supposed to do about it? When his sisters had cried as cubs, he had simply brought them flowers and they had stopped.
When the female lowered her head, seemingly resolved to crying in front of him. He peered around. The nearby surroundings weren't bursting with plantlife but he could see a slight burst of colour in the distance. Glancing back at her slumped figure, he wondered if she would enjoy it as much as his sisters had. Turning, he padded towards the flash of colour, not saying a word to her as he went. It was a fair distance, but didn't take him long, to reach the flowers. Staring at them, he grabbed a red flower, and moved back towards her.
His pace was slow as he approached her, dropping the flower down before her in the puddle she cried into, so she would see it. "Don't cry. The rain will stop soon," he said, hoping it was as simple as that.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:14 pm
There now, he was leaving! Her breath caught on a lump in her throat, making her gulp convulsively. He was leaving without making a fuss. She was certain this was what she had wanted, but a queer pain in her chest that she couldn't explain. She gave another gulp and an almost-hiccup, daring to raise a paw as he moved away from her to wipe her face. She heaved a deep breath, trying to still the trembling of her limbs. She'd be alright now. She'd have a chance to get control and return to her life...
Except he wasn't gone. Here he was again! Her head came up in alarm that he was returning, and every inch of her shook. She wasn't so much worried about physical harm as she was about emotional. She felt so very fragile, so easily broken just now. She wouldn't be able to bear it if he... but no. He wasn't. He dropped something in front of her. It lay in the puddle, glowing with a warmth all its own. A flower. Her eyes rose to his in astonishment. Completely missing his encouragement about the rain, she stammered, "F-f-for m-me?"
It was so unexpected that she wasn't sure what to do. The rain was subsiding, now just a pleasant pattering against foliage and earth. A few light drops struck the delicate petals and clung there, glimmering like jewels. She gazed at it, then gently scooped it into her paw, still staring at it in awe, glancing up at him once in a while as if she were certain he were an apparition. Carefully, gingerly, she tucked it behind her ear. Unbeknownst to her, it echoed her eyes prettily, highlighting them in a striking manner. She blinked at him amidst the soft sprinkles. Softly, so softly, she spoke once more. "Thank you." But much hung in those words. It was more than just a nice gesture to her. It was momentous.
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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:19 pm
Her astonishment was written all over her face, which startled the male. The gesture was a small one, he had simply picked a flower. Sure, the flower had been picked specifically for her, because it reminded him of her, but it wasn't that hard to do. Surely she had been given flowers before? He had picked them all the time for his sisters when he was younger. He inclinded his head when she questioned whether it was for her or not, eyeing her in curiousity.
When she tucked it behind her ear, Dysi smiled slightly to himself. She was a beautiful creature, he decided, even when she was crying. The flower made a wonderful contrast to her light fur, making her eyes shine. Glancing up at the soft sprinkles of the rain that glittered around them, he returned his light pink eyes to her.
"You deserved it," he told her, replying to her thanks. Everyone needed a pick-me-up sometimes and flowers were a wonderful way of doing it. "Are you alright?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:30 pm
Well now, how to answer that question? She looked anywhere except directly at him, debating with herself. Should she be honest? Should she demure about it? Or should she spill her heart? Hesitantly, she let her eyes slide across him and past again, trying to take his measure for how she should act. No, she decided fearfully. A random stranger met out in the roguelands wasn't likely to be the best individual to bare one's whole heart to. But she didn't wish to lie either. What to do?!
"I don't...," she began, then stumbled to a halt and tried again. "I haven't... noone has ever...," she trailed off in a soft sigh as she halted again. She gulped against the leftover lump in her thraot and gave her rippled reflection an agonized look. Perhaps a little of the truth, hinting at her troubles might work. Nothing too revealing, just enough to ease her heart. "Noone has ever given me anything like this," she began again, eyes pinned securely on the red bloom's image in the rain-sprinkled puddle. Oh, how her chest hurt from that ache she couldn't name! She sucked a deep breath, trying to make it less shakey than it wanted to be. Yes, focus on the flower, that would work well. "Thank you," she repeated again, and suddenly flashed her eyes up to meet his, so that he'd hopefully believe how thankful she truly was.
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:26 pm
Her hesitating and silence had begun to worry the leopard, to be honest, when she did not immediately reply to his question. Was she unwell or still sad, he wondered, curious as to why the answer of how she was was not an immediate one.
When she did beging to talk, it took him a moment to realise what she was getting at with her fumbling statement, a sad look passed across his face. No one had ever given her a flower? But it was such a simple pleasure, the idea of giving a flower to a girl was an old one, to show how much you liked them or to simply make them feel better. Why had no one gifted such a pretty girl a flower?
"It was my pleasure," he said, honestly. There was something more there then just the flower, he knew. Had he helped her somehow, in someway he had not known he was helping her? Either way, he was happy that it had helped. He kept his eyes locked with hers, making sure his were soft and glowed warmly, rather then reserved like they usually were. "The flower suits you," he told her, softly. "You and the bloom are equally pretty, it seems."
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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:54 am
She swallowed another shuddering sob, rising from her chest at his astonishingly kind words. Such a simple sentiment and it undid her! She inwardly shook herself, trying to get a hold on herself. She sucked in a slow breath and let it out just as slowly, setting aside the implications of his words. She simply wasn't ready to deal with that yet. Not after the shock of being discovered in her private moment of despair.
Instead, she turned her focus onto him. For the first time, amazingly, she realized he wasn't a lion, but a leopard. This was something new for her, to be sure. She tipped her head as she gazed intently at him. "Why are you so kind? I am a stranger to you," she whispered, swallowing hard again, fighting down the grief that threatened to overwhelm her once more. A stranger, even of another species, had to be the one to comofort her, without even knowing each other's name! "What makes you so different?" She hadn't exactly meant to ask that, but it had squeezed out of her heart and past her lips. She had no room to feel chagrined, trying to keep such a tight rein on her unhappiness. She kept her thoughts and her attention firmly on him, steered away from her own inner turmoil.
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:37 pm
Dysi peered at her, worried about her state of mind. It seemed like the whole world had collapsed around her, and he felt horrible that she was feeling so horrible. He wanted to take away all her sadness, and take it onto himself instead.
"Everyone needs some kindness some times," he said softly, gazing at the pretty lioness who seemed so horribly sad. To Dysi, it would have been crazy for him to pass her by when she was so obviously sad. He would have never forgiven himself for not trying to help. "Stranger or not, you are still as important as a friend would be."
Different? Dysi? He wasn't different, he thought, with a slight smile towards her. He was honest, that was what he was. He would do anything within his power to cheer someone up, even if it meant hurting himself. It was what he had learnt growing up with his mother and sisters, and he hated to see tears from any woman. "I'm not different," he said quietly. "I'm just trying to help as best I can, which is what most people would do. Is there anything more I can help with?" He smiled at her, tilting his head with a warm look. "I'm told I'm a good listener."
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:56 am
If she wasn't torn before, she certainly was now. One part of her longed to spill her troubles before this gentle-voiced stranger. The other half of her, though, was adamant that her sorrow was as private as could be and that no stranger should ever learn of her heartbreak. But perhaps... only a little of the truth? Just enough to let some of the pressing unhappiness ease some. She glanced down at her own reflection again, not even realizing the rain had reduced to only an occasional drop.
"I.. I...," she haltinginly began, still only in a whisper. "I have noone," she hazarded. It was true enough, in its own way. She had a pride, certainly, but she had noone for herself within it. She felt completely alone, even when surrounded by her fellow pride members. She was invisible, and felt it in every whisker, every hairtip, every ache of her heart. She was acknowledged, but not included. Seen, but not related to. Present, but not there. And strangely, it shamed her to her core. The tears tumbled free again, blurring her image in the puddle.
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:26 pm
It was something more than simply being alone, Dysi knew, watching as the tears filled her eyes again and his heart went out in sympathy to her. He couldn't fix this, it was not something tangible that he could simply remove her pain and allow her to be free from this private agony.
"That's not true," Dysi said quietly, watching her closely. He felt horrible for her pain, it was such an honest and raw emotion and he wanted to take that away from her. "You have me now." He smiled lightly, looking a little amused at the idea and added, "it's not much though, but you can't be truly alone now." He wasn't as important as some, and he was only meeting her in passing, but he was someone she was with, and therefore not alone.
It was a simple way of thinking, but Dysi disliked the thought of this lioness being all alone.
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 4:48 pm
She gave a great gulp and shook her head. "No no, you misunderstand," she replied softly, managing a bitterly wry smile. "I am not alone. I have a pride, I have family." She gave a deep, shuddering sigh, drooping visibly. "I merely have noone. Noone for me. Noone for just me." Or anyone who would calim she was for them either. "I am alone in spirit, but not in company." This time the smile she shot him was a little less sad and a little more warm. "You make good company."
It was a means to avoid the subject. A means to deflect him from the issue without seeming to, an instinctive defensive maneuver. It allowed him as one thing, but not the other. A gentle wall of smiles to keep him from getting too close, delving too deep, but still giving him something friendly. She calmed outwardly, but walled herself off inside, where noone could peer and see. Better to wall it in than to let others access to the pain.
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 10:57 pm
He looked saddened by her words. She was alone in spirit, what a horrid thought! How lonely would she be, if she believed that true. He shook his head and eyed her quietly. "You will find someone," he told her softly, "you are too pure to be alone for the rest of your life, you are too kind." She was not the type of person who would do well alone.
He tilted his head to the side and smiled at her, warm and kind. "Thank you," he said, in response to her compliment. "You do as well." He was pleased to see a slightly happier smile, it was warm and made him want to smile even more. "You have a wonderful smile," he told her, honestly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:40 am
She smiled in response to his words, but took them only at face value. It didn't feel safe to do otherwise. To take them on a deeper level, to put meaning into the phrases, meant to examine herself further, to look at her short comings and see the pain. No, now was not the time.
She inclined her head in thanks to his compliment, now swiftly regaining her equillibrium of distant mellowness and subservience. She kept her eyes lowered from him, shutting herself off from him emotionally. Her outward expression was still of gentle welcome, but she had closed the doors he'd caught open with tears. "You are too kind," she murmured demurely. "But now I think I am likely to be needed back at the pride again soon."
It was not a fabricated lie, though it perhaps was a convenient truth. With the rainstorm done, the cubs were likely to be a pawful, splashing in puddles and rolling in mud. An extra minder was sure to be welcomed gladly, and she needed a safe escape. "I wish you safe travels," she whispered with another bob of her head, rising to her paws and turning towards home, hoping for a swift and clean exit from this most disconcerting encounter. He had indeed been very kind, overly so. She simply wasn't prepared to face such friendliness from a stranger.
It hadn't even occured to her that they'd never spoken their names. He'd seen deeper than her name, seen the shredding fabric of her heart. Names were unimportant in the face of such revealing intrusions. She would however remember this with fondness, and perhaps a touch of wistfulness. For a time, anyway.
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