(PRP) You again? (Mitra/Malik)

[Painted Moose]

Mitra looked down at her reflection in the lake. She was frowning, tugging at the bottoms of her eyes to get a good look. Lately, her older sisters were putting more emphasis on looking pretty and some never came back. She didn't understand it. Of course she was pretty! But did that mean she was going to disappear too?

It made her panic. Mitra didn't want a pad! Life was good now, and if some boy came to ruin it all she would never forgive him. The only boy who wouldn't possibly do that would be- "No, no, no!" She shook her head with a shiver. That boy was the yuckiest of them all! But did that make him safe, because he couldn't take her?

She flopped down on the ground, one paw in the water, with a sigh. Couldn't she stay young forever?  

[Feral Mule]

Malik stretched out as he emerged from his den after having eaten, taken a nap and received a bath. He and his siblings had all given each other bathes, because they all felt they needed one at the exact same time. Either way, his coat was shiny now, and he was rested and not hungry for once.

Golden eyes focused on the pride members that were around and he gave a bit of a smile. Yes, there were still whispers of him and his siblings birth, but they had long since died down. Maybe it wouldn't be all that uncommon later on. Shaking himself out, he flicked his growing mane from his eyes and headed toward the lake for something to drink.

Since he'd played with the blue Banu, Mitra, Malik had been extremely happy these days. Maybe, just maybe, he could get her to be his Banu after he came back from his capture. Or even his Beybanu! That would be amazing; to have a Beybanu. It wasn't but two months ago he didn't think he'd even get a Banu. But she played with him, and seemed to warm up to him. Mitra made all the difference to him in the end.

Now, he wasn't going to say he loved her or anything. That would be too embarrassing. Way to embarrassing for him to handle. Those golden orbs locked onto a familiar looking back stripe and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Mirta?"

 

[Painted Moose]

"Hrm?" Mitra rolled her head over her shoulder curiously. She flipped her tail as she straightened up in shock. "Malik?....Is that you? You're....you're..." Bigger! She hadn't recognized the pink pesar because of how much taller he had become. And not only that, but he was as shiny as the sun itself. Surely this wasn't him! Couldn't be.

Ever since the last time she'd seen him, she kept imagining him differently in her mind. Darker eyes, a brighter coat, a different eye pattern; it never stuck because she wanted to remember the original. Now that she was faced to face with it she didn't know what to do. She smiled, and for that instant she was beaming to have him there.

Then overdrive kicked in.

She flipped her eyes back and looked around, hissing, "What are you doing here? Someone could see you!"  

[Feral Mule]

She hesitated? Oh, she didn't recognize him because he'd gotten taller! Right. His random growth spurt. Malik couldn't help it, he was beaming, his eyes were lighter with something close to affection and admiration, friendship even. When she spoke, he couldn't help but let out a laugh and he rolled his shoulders before coming up beside her and dipped his head. Tongue met the water with a few long laps and he looked back up at her, quirked a brow and finally answered.

"T-the rumors aren't... so bad anymore. I think they just... gave up on caring... where I came from." At least, that was the assumption he made by himself. Sure, he talked to Nessy, his sister, about it, but that was about it. It was Malik that figured it all out.

His face drooped a bit. Was she still embarrassed to be around him? Was he still a dirty cub? That would be an extremely low blow on the pink male.

 

[Painted Moose]

When he spoke, Mitra's heart immediately dropped. She didn't want to be the one to take that light from his eyes, but it had just happened. Frantically, she shook her head and stepped a paw forward. "No, I'm sorry. I mean...they have, I just...." Why was this so hard? After a little chat with her cousin, she was sure he wasn't dirty anymore, but that didn't really make him normal.

"I saw you." She nodded to where he'd come from. "You were smiling. It looks better on you then when you were hiding." Mitra grinned. Her sapphire eyes were warm despite their cool color. She wasn't embarrassed to be seen with him, just nervous. Even that died down in minutes.  

[Feral Mule]

So she liked it when he smiled? That alone made the pink cub smile brightly and he gave a small, embarrassed laugh. His cheeks were pinker than usual, too. Licking his muzzle, Malik shifted carefully and then pawed at the air in front of her, signaling her to calm down. "It's OK... I know I'm not exactly.. perfect. But that's quite... Alright. I have to learn to accept.... everything. I know I can... make everyone in the pride proud..." Malik was striving to be the best he could be with hurt feelings every once in a while. But that's how he knew he was alive; feeling pain and fleeting happiness.

Right now, his happiness was just being near her. She seemed to accept him, despite being hesitant. They had fun last time, too. "You.... look so pretty. I mean... You always look pretty, just.. more so?" Way to fail.

 

[Painted Moose]

She shook her head, suddenly upset for him. "No one's perfect, not even the Sultan. You just have to be a good you and hope for the best. I mean, if your going to be a weird kid you might as well be the best one, right?" Mitra shrugged. It seemed like an easy concept to her, to become the best. It was her only real objective when she hung out with her siblings.

Mitra paused, her cheeks darkening as she looked to the side in a hurry. "Thank you." She was used to compliments, but coming from him, it was odd. The nervous juv played with her claws in the dirt before looking up at him. "So, what were you doing? Today, I mean....I...do you want to hang out?"  

[Feral Mule]

Inside he was so excited. She actually wanted to hang out with him? Malik couldn't have asked for a better day, honestly! He nodded quickly and let his yellow eyes flash with all sorts of emotion before wriggling his rump and getting into play position. Malik wouldn't pounce her, oh no. He knew that it would be embarrassing for her to get caught touching him, but they could do other things. "Since it's hot, I was going to go swimming. Did you want to come with me? Maybe we could gather up some pretty shells!" While he didn't have a mother to give them too, he did have a shy sister.

 

[Painted Moose]

Malik was weird, even for a weird kid. When she'd first met him he had been anything, but awkward to be around, and now she couldn't think of anything better than playing with him. Her sapphire eyes crinkled as she smiled. "A'course! Oooh, do you think so? Maybe we can make some jewelry, like a necklace or something." Wouldn't that be great? To have a necklace or a pretty bracelet like her mother had?

She bounced up and past him, brushing up against him lightly before turning around just to pass him on the other side, head long into the water.  

[Feral Mule]

When she brushed against him, Malik was glad his face was pink, because he could feel heat rise to his cheeks and light up his whole face. Clearing his throat, the male slipped into the water to begin their hunt for some pretty shells to make a necklace out of. Malik wanted to make her a necklace of pinks and white to go with her beautiful blue coat.

 

[Painted Moose]

Mitra pounced the water like the great huntress she hoped to be. Half of the spray jumped at her face and into her throat. When it had calmed, she stood up with poise and shook the water out of her mane before focusing on the hunt.

"How about this one?" She held up her paw, displaying a little shell. What it lacked in size it held in beauty with it's salmon colored exterior.  

[Feral Mule]

Malik was right behind her and landed just a bit ahead of her, which would prove troublesome. When the pink male attempted to get to his feet, he realized he wasn't on the rocky part, but in the icky mud. His feet continued to slip out from under him and he coughed and sputtered, slowly inching until he got his footing again.

When that happened, he walked toward her, shaking his fur and coughing all the while. What a noisy little cub he was! But, he looked to the shell and grinned. It would look perfect against her fur; because of how pale of a color it was. "It's prefect!" His voice was strained, 'cause he'd been coughing so much, but the smile in his eyes and face would help Mitra figure out he truly meant what he said.

[XD I want to make a banner of the two! Alas, no PS for me.]  

[Painted Moose]

Mitra turned around and her smile drooped as she snickered. She tried to cover it by putting her paw up infront of her mouth, closing her eyes as she turned her head to the side. Some dashing Pad he was going to be!

Still resisting the urge to laugh at him, she turned her paw to let him see it more clearly as he approached. "Really?" She beamed. Of course it was perfect! She'd found it, after all. But it was nice to hear he thought so, too. "Let's look for some more. But..." She gave him a sidelong look as she dropped the shell off on the shore. "Next time, be careful, okay?"

(xD The sad part is, I think you did at some point, but I lost it, lol.)  

[Feral Mule]

Malik snorted a little, but nodded. He'd be careful. He had to be! To make Mitra his, (gods above, he was already thinking like she was, though tried not to) he would have to be Really great at something. Why not gathering shells? Hunting? He needed to start taking lessons from any male that would teach him. Maybe Pad Vu, or even the Sultan!

Well, the Sultan didn't really care for him. His thoughts were occupied like this as he continued to gather shells of all shapes and sizes.

Together, the two managed to gather enough shells for about two necklaces and he constructed a little pouch out of leaves to put them all in. "....Thank you for your help. ...I'll have a surprise for you tomorrow, if you come back here about this time."

It was getting late, and he promised his sisters he'd tell them a story today.  

[Painted Moose]

"A surprise? For me?" Mitra looked down into his little pouch, then back up into his eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes of any Pesar she had ever seen, and if anyone wanted to argue, then she'd make them believe. "Of course," she nodded. "Until then."

After exchanging goodbyes, Mitra paused, before ducking in to kiss Malik on the cheek a moment before bailing out.

(WC - 1,916)