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 Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:19 pm
 To the outside eye, it seemed as if Ma'rihn was feeling down. The lioness was alone, and laying underneath the scant shade of a bush, eyes lidded so that the green of her irises were barely visible, did not help the impression. In reality, though, Ma'rihn was insanely happy. She had not been sure she'd ever find a place that felt like home, not after having left the Pridelands, and all the family that she had there, behind. But... the Ela was perfect. The clan she was a member of was small, more tight-knit than the Pridelands had been. She felt like she could get to know all of them, and they'd feel like family to her... if she ever got the courage too.
Rihn was unmistakably shy, and to a higher extreme, socially awkward. She stayed curled up in her protective shell, never daring to venture out from it. The most daring thing she had done in her life was make the decision to stay here in the Ela, instead of returning home. It had been a good decision, though, Rihn could not deny it. She was so happy here. It was peaceful, quiet. She did not have the playful banter of her siblings to deal with, and their constant pressure her for her to abandon her nature and get out and live a little.
Rihn was content like this. A small smile twitched at the corners of her lips before disappearing. This was the life. Rihn felt so comfortable here, more-so than she had ever felt in the Pridelands. Sure, her whole family was there, and she did miss them... but nothing beat this.
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:58 am
 Ahadi, like Rhin, had recently found happiness in the Ela'wadiyi lands. Not that he hadn't been happy in his original home, but this place really did it for him. Unlike Rhin, Ahadi was a social butterfly. He was glad to flutter about and make conversation! And today he had heard that the Mantis clan was nearby. And that was just a great opportunity to meet someone different!
And of course he'd spot Ma'Rhin, where she was lying. From his spot, he didn't think she could see him just yet, so he had a bit of time to mentally place her. Seen her a couple times, and she'd always been... quiet. Hmmmm. Yes, the joining ceremony, she had been quiet, and it seems whenever else he saw her she was. He also vaguely remembered her from the pridelands! Which was really interesting if he was right.
So he smiled and decided that today he would get her to talk! Just a bit, if she'd let him. So Ahadi happily trotted over and unceremoniously plopped down beside her. "Hi! I'm Ahadi! "
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:33 am
Ma'rihn was nearly startled to her feet when a golden lion decided to plop down onto the ground next to her. While she didn't actually jump up onto her feet, she couldn't help but give him a startled look. What... what was she supposed to do? Why was he sitting here, trying to talk with her? Rihn hadn't done anything to stand out... She had just been laying here, minding her own business (really, she was just too shy to seek anyone out for conversation all on her own - and for good reason, she had no idea how to talk with them!).
"Uhh... hi." She was far from disinterested by him, she just had no idea what to say. Rihn wanted to know why he had decided to see her of all the lions he could have picked to chat with. She was nothing special... "I'm Rihn, Ma'rihn." Even as she introduced herself, she seemed to be leaning away from him. Her personal safety bubble had definitely been burst. He was right there next to her.
Oh, what to do!?
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:40 pm
He blinked, mentally analyzing the situation. Maybe springing on to someone like that hadn't been the best approach, especially when he knew she was the quiet, and probably shy sort. Oooooouh. Well... He'd apologize, but that might make it more awkward!
"It's nice to meet you! I think I've seen you before. Where are you from? " Lets go with something she can answer easily!
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:41 pm
She was still trying to adjust to having someone in her personal space, let alone someone she did not know before. The only lions who had gotten so close to her were her family, and she trusted and loved them. This lion... was a stranger, a nice stranger, for all appearances, but still a stranger. "I'm... from the Pridelands." The Pridelands always had a distinctive coloration to them, rich golds and even creams. Really, once she looked at Ahadi close enough, he did have natural Pridelands colors. Maybe she should know him? His parents, his family, could all have very well originated from the Pridelands as well.
"Are you? Umm... it's just that you look like a Pridelander." She ducked her head meekly, thinking that she had probably been a little presumptuous. Ma'rihn would have to be more careful with what she said, watch her words a little more so she didn't make him as uncomfortable as she felt in that moment.
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:55 pm
Aha! He was right! But before he properly thought to reply to her reply, she made an observation. And then looked rather regretful of said observation. He smiled. "Right you are! " He beamed, puffing up slightly. He was happy to be born a pridelander, and sometimes he still wondered if he would have been as happy there as he was here.
"Wow, it's pretty cool to meet someone else here that's from there! " He observed happily. "Y'know, I've seen you around before but it never occurred to me to ask til just now. " He paused, thinking for a moment. This girl was clearly the shy sort, maybe he should give her something to work on.
"So, what brought you here? "
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:01 pm
Oh? She had been right, and he did not mind that she had made the assumption? Perhaps she wasn't as bad at conversation as she thought she was - or perhaps Ahadi was just that forgiving. She'd go with the fact that Ahadi was probably forgiving of her blunder, since it clearly had been a little blunder. "The Pridelands are... pretty big, a lot of lions live there. I'm not all that surprised to meet someone else who is from there, too." It was clear that Ma'rihn was beginning to open up. She had something to talk about that she had prior knowledge on, and Ahadi wasn't being all that disagreeable.
It wasn't... so bad, not yet.
"Oh? You've seen me before? I'm... not sure I remember you. I'm sorry!" She was flushing underneath her fur, and with a hesitant smile, she shyly ducked her head. "I... decided to venture out a little from home, but I got ill... and well, in the end I made it here, and it's so nice that I couldn't imagine leaving. I love it here."
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:41 am
"Oh, I suppose. " He nodded, she had a point. Pridelands, being so gigantic and all, there were definitely enough lions to go around. "I still think it's neat though! " He grinned his signature goofy-grin before paying attention to what she was saying again, and downplaying it to a smile. "Well, like you said, it's big! And we didn't... talk, or anything. I'd just see you sometimes. " He shrugged, he usually had a good memory for faces, maybe not so much names.
"Oh, you got sick? I'm.... not sorry it brought you here. But that still isn't too great. The getting sick part. " He stumbled there a bit, but simply laughed it off and stretched onto the floor. "Yeah, me too. It's wonderful. " And for a brief moment Ahadi seemed to forget he conversation and look thoughtfully away. He really did love it here.
He glanced back at the lioness, pondering something to say. It seemed he was at least getting her to talk more, and in that aspect Ahadi felt like this conversation was turning out to be a success! "Sooo... have you met a lot of people here? " He asked lamely, for failure of thinking of anything more interesting.
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Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:43 pm
Ma'rihn was slowly beginning to open up to Ahadi - not that she didn't send him a cautious or curious glance from time to time, and not that she didn't lean away from him whenever she realized just how close he was. But, it was an improvement, if nothing else. "I just wish I had remembered seeing you. I am usually... pretty good with that sort of thing. But, you do look a lot like other Pridelanders, so maybe I had difficulty telling you apart from others." Oh, snap, that sounded rude. Ma'rihn grimaced, and then contemplated finding some place to hide for the rest of the day. How embarrassing!
"It's okay now, I was a little disoriented in the beginning. I do appreciate that it's brought me here. There really is no other place I'd rather be. Home was nice - I had my family and my friends, but this place feels... more right for me." She smiled, a hesitant smile that seemed to beg for his approval of her words.
"Oh... uh, not really." Again that shy smile flashed across her face. No, she hadn't really met anyone else. Sure, she had talked to a few (if saying a bashful 'hi' was considered a conversation)... but she hadn't burst out of her shell to greet anyone and everybody in the vicinity. "I know a lot of names, but I haven't... really met them."
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:42 pm
He blinked, looked just like any other pridelander? Well... yeah, he kinda did. Except for his paws. He glanced down at them, briefly amused, just because he remembered wondering how the heck he'd gotten them. "You have a point! " He grinned. "A lot of us really do look a lot alike. "
He listened to her words, and Ahadi found himself agreeing quite readily. "I know what you mean!" He sighed. "I love my family, and my friends and the pridelands, but... this place just feels like home. "
Ahadi settled on his back, peering up at Rihn curiously. "Really? Well, I guess I know what you mean. " Unlike Rihn, Ahadi had no trouble really meeting people, but he hadn't gotten close to anyone he had met here, except perhaps any cub he ran into. Cubs were fun people. They knew all the cool games.
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Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:52 pm
Rihn knew that she wasn't being entirely open with Ahadi, not in the way that he was being with her. She just wasn't the sort of lioness to break out of her shell. It had been trouble even for her siblings to draw her away from the den to play. Rihn had never much liked their games of rough-housing (it didn't help that she lost most of the time). Despite some of her more outgoing family members, she had grown up into a reserved, quiet lioness. At the very least she was earnest, and truthful, and rather likable once she opened up.
It was the opening up part that was most difficult for her, though.
"They're all really very nice," she continued on softly, slowly drawing out of her shell to engage the other lion in conversation. "I just don't often talk to others. I enjoy my peace and quiet... to think, to wonder. I ah... it's pleasant when you're by yourself sometimes. I do like being with my family and my close friends, though." Of course, she had left them all behind, and now felt a little out of place still.
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Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:01 pm
Ahadi nodded. He supposed he could understand that! Even he sometimes liked to just relax by himself, not being the social butterfly he usually was. Especially since arrival here, though the Ela were very welcoming, he didn't already have friends upon arriving. That always made things easier!
"Well, if you ever need a friend or anything, you can call me up! " He offered cheerfully. "Us pridelanders, we gotta stick together, right? "
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Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:04 pm
She couldn't help it that her cheeks flushed at his offer, as if they very idea of having a friend made her feel flustered and anxious. But, slowly a smile drew across her face, and bowing her head she spoke in a soft tone of voice. "Right." It was hardly as peppy or eager as his own voice, but it was a little something special in itself. Earnestly, she would like to have someone to hang out with, though already she was worrying herself over if she did something wrong, or what if she did something right so that when something went wrong it would be worse...? Oh dear, she was rambling within her own mind.
"I would like to talk with you more often, if you don't mind, of course. I would hate to pester you." She spoke up, as bashful as ever.
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Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:14 pm
Ahadi was rather happy now. Well, not that he had been unhappy before, but it was great when you made friends! "Okay, " He nodded, then quirked his brows in amusement as she went on. He laughed slightly.
"Naaw, you wouldn't bother me! I like you. " He smiled up at her, still on the floor, before rolling back onto his paws. "So, I'm sorry if you already told me, but what clan are you in? "
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Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:18 pm
Her shoulders jumped a little with surprise at his laughter. She hardly knew the cause of it, and she was a creature that could be easily startled when she wasn't entirely in her comfort zone. Peering just ever-so curiously at him, her cheeks flushed darker at his simple statement. "Ah, I'm glad... you like me. I like you t-too, I mean, talking to you... ah, hanging out with you." It took her a few seconds longer before she could answer his question. She wasn't sure if he had asked her before, but she was more than willing to give him an answer.
"I am in the Mantis clan. What clan are you in...? I don't think you told me either."
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