He’d never been to the pridelands before, and Soloren had to say this; there were a LOT of females in the pridelands – which was almost astonishing to him, as it wasn’t very often he would wander near a pride and suddenly be swarmed by the company of lionesses (okay, he’d run into one) and other lions – one of which he was in the company of, due to the fact he’d been ‘flirting’ with the male’s daughter.
Okay, Soloren had thought it was simple talking and that he’d just been kindly complimenting the female, but it seemed that from the point of view of a father, Ai’kunliu was far from being as ‘smitten’ with the words aimed towards his daughter as Rukia was; then again, Rukia was pleased with any real ‘companionship’ outside of that of her childhood rabbit-friend, Shirayuki. But when she’d been shooed away, Ai found himself rather pleased with how obediently she’d wandered off.
“Good girl, he’d raised her good and obediently it seemed.” He mused out loud, causing Rukia to frown over her shoulder, before looking away again to follow after the white rabbit (who had actually been the ‘start’ of the conversation).
Soloren looked to Ai and frowned lightly, before looking after Rukia; “I’m sure she’ll make you proud and bring home a nice male some day.” He said, nodding his head (and meaning absolutely nothing by it in implication of himself). Ai found himself frowning at the colorful male anyways. “If she chooses to bring home a mate some day, I will not be surprised. But I hold no expectation for her to fall in love as hard as I did with her mother.” He stated flatly, his eyes darting over to Soloren.
The colorful male’s brows went straight up at the words, but a grin came across his face at Ai’s words.
Was that so? Ah ha ha ha! Laughing out loud, Soloren nodded his approval as he looked to Ai. “That’s excellent. I’ve met too many females who have felt too anxious about having children as though they were required for them. If she wants to be an independent female, and feels satisfied without a man in her life, than all the better for her!”
This sudden declaration caused Ai to start a bit before he chuckled and smiled, nodding at the colorful male. Excellent, excellent! It seemed that the male he’d suspected was ‘coming on’ to his daughter was actually being a little…. Conversational instead. “Do you always fling that any compliments at a female?” he inquired to Soloren, receiving a nod in turn. “Oh, yes. I tend to be a little ‘friendly’. I just enjoy companionship, even if it’s temporarily with conversation; Perhaps I’ve been that way with males as well.” He chuckled, shaking his head back and forth to rustle his mane.
Ai was quite amused by the answer he received, returning the gesture of a chuckle and rustling of his mane. “Well, I’ve yet to have met a man who likes women yet thinks they should be independent in their wishes.” He mused, not sounding in the least as though he was..insulted with the suggestion; as long as Rukia remained free like a bird, as she wished, he would be happy. As long as she found her happiness, even if it did come with a man, he would be happy.
Though part of him was wishing she wouldn’t run off with a man to leave him alone, with his mate, who has lost significant interest in him as of late, and thus had turned his attentions to tending to work with his daughter, who was becoming quite the mighty huntress and ever so wise, while he tended after the youth of the new king.
A king he had watched grow up, as he had his own children, and had moved on to have them of his own; it was like having grandchildren again.
Soloren frowned at Ai’s sudden sobriety in expression, lifting a paw to press it against the male’s shoulder. Hnngh. “Are you okay?” Ai suddenly jerked out of his funk to look at the male and smile weakly. Ah, yes. He was being spoken to, he had company and was definitely ‘phasing out’ at the wrong time, wasn’t he?
Ah ha ha.
“Ah, it’s simply a thought I’d had.”
Soloren frowned lightly at the ‘coverup’ to Ai’s sudden somber appearance, but didn’t press the topic any further than that, allowing the monochromatic male his own ‘thought time’ to himself. Whatever floated the hunter’s boat. However, Ai wasn’t exactly keen on allowing this male to run off with his daughter if that had been her implication either.
He.. would be keeping an eye on this young man.
