It wasn't until sunset that Tai'li stirred back into the waking world, blue eyes opening to a rather beautiful scenery that usually went unnoticed by him. It still did even then, and he yawned and ignored the oranges, purples, and pinks that tinged the sky and the clouds above it. Instead, his eyes traveled to a dark blue lioness that lay just a few feet to his left, whose eyes were closed and breathing steady - normal indicators of sleep. He let out a little laugh and stood up to stretch and shake out his mane, the side of which felt ridiculously flattened against his face. He must've slept for quite some time. While he stretched and roused his still sleepy muscles he heard his stomach grumble, and naturally so as he hadn't eaten since the night before, making it almost a full day since his last meal. So, after he stretched he glanced around to make sure that there was no immediate danger nearby, he sauntered off to hunt for dinner.
He was back soon enough, having caught two hares - one for him and one for her, should she wake anytime soon - and, after setting her share down next to her, he settled down a little way's away and started eating. Occasionally he would look over at the sleeping figure of his now-companion, smirking as he remembered the previous night. It played out much like this, which was a little amusing.. well, maybe only to him. After he finished his meal, which was hardly anything as he was a fairly large lion, he buried what was left and contented himself with appreciating the surroundings. There wasn't really much to appreciate considering it was nightfall and he couldn't really see much of anything in the distance, but he had little choice so he sat there and simply waited for her to wake up. If she woke up before daybreak, that is.
"Aelin.. huh?" he mused, rolling her name on his tongue to get a better feel for it. A nice name, no doubt. He repeated it a few times after that, deciding that he rather liked a name and enjoyed saying it.
He was back soon enough, having caught two hares - one for him and one for her, should she wake anytime soon - and, after setting her share down next to her, he settled down a little way's away and started eating. Occasionally he would look over at the sleeping figure of his now-companion, smirking as he remembered the previous night. It played out much like this, which was a little amusing.. well, maybe only to him. After he finished his meal, which was hardly anything as he was a fairly large lion, he buried what was left and contented himself with appreciating the surroundings. There wasn't really much to appreciate considering it was nightfall and he couldn't really see much of anything in the distance, but he had little choice so he sat there and simply waited for her to wake up. If she woke up before daybreak, that is.
"Aelin.. huh?" he mused, rolling her name on his tongue to get a better feel for it. A nice name, no doubt. He repeated it a few times after that, deciding that he rather liked a name and enjoyed saying it.
She'd been awake for most of the day actually, and she spent most of it sitting around watching him sleep. Aelin wasn't the sort to get bored too easily, but really, it wasn't even midday yet when he fell asleep (or rather, when she found that he'd fallen asleep after returning with their lunch as promised) and so she'd spent over half the day watching the clouds, or the passing herd in the distance (where she'd found lunch), or birds fluttering past. Some of the time she just watched the horizon, all the while thinking, "How the heck did he do this all night!?" It was around sunset when she finally gave in and once again resorted to sleeping, this time to escape the boredom that had finally set in.
It was around when she started having a really nice dream about being free from this lion, whom she still owed a meal, and frolicking carelessly across the savanna with no one else around, when she heard him say her name and she furrowed her brow when she realized that her dream had gone and she was awake. She feigned sleep for a while though, and simply lay there and waited to see if he would leave her. It wasn't likely, so when he started saying her name just for fun she felt her brows furrow again and, after about the umpteenth time he said it she finally got up. Of course, she had to pretend like she was just barely waking up as it wasn't her plan to let him know that she'd been awake the whole time, so she let out a fake yawn and got up to stretch a little before looking over at him.
It was already dark out so she greeted him saying, "Evening," before glancing sideward and noticing the hare laying there, limp and lifeless and rather...appetizing. She blinked a few times before settling down in front of it and starting to eat.
It was around when she started having a really nice dream about being free from this lion, whom she still owed a meal, and frolicking carelessly across the savanna with no one else around, when she heard him say her name and she furrowed her brow when she realized that her dream had gone and she was awake. She feigned sleep for a while though, and simply lay there and waited to see if he would leave her. It wasn't likely, so when he started saying her name just for fun she felt her brows furrow again and, after about the umpteenth time he said it she finally got up. Of course, she had to pretend like she was just barely waking up as it wasn't her plan to let him know that she'd been awake the whole time, so she let out a fake yawn and got up to stretch a little before looking over at him.
It was already dark out so she greeted him saying, "Evening," before glancing sideward and noticing the hare laying there, limp and lifeless and rather...appetizing. She blinked a few times before settling down in front of it and starting to eat.
"Evening," he replied, a little surprised that she just suddenly got up and started stretching as if on cue. He tried to keep the surprise from showing though, so instead smiled through the little shock and simply watched her eat. Didn't seem as though she wanted any conversation so he didn't press her and went about his own business as well. That is to say, he just sat there and looked toward the mountains that were, at that moment, just dark blobs that rose above the horizon. She seemed content to take her time, he noticed, but soon enough she was done with her meal and buried what was left of it much in the same manner as he. Tai was surprised yet again, as he'd never met another lion that buried his meals before. He did it out of respect, actually, but she probably had her own reasons so he just let the subject go.
"Hope you had a good rest," he said once she had patted down the patch she lay the hare to rest in, slowly getting up onto all fours. "I know I did." Tai smirked at that and padded over to her, narrowing his eyes a bit as he stood over the lioness. "I don't plan on lying around all night though, so I think I'll be going." The male paused then, as if deciding between two options, and took a seat. "I don't suppose you'd like to join me?"
Tai rather liked her company, actually, so part of him was hoping she would say yes. Of course, he wouldn't force her to come along with him. They had just met, after all, and judging by how she acted during their first meeting he doubted if the feeling was mutual. All the same, he still wanted her to come along. A lion, no matter how accustomed they were to traveling along, could always use a good bit of company ever once in a while. He just happened to be lucky that his was a lioness who, despite it all, was a rather striking beauty with an interesting (at least he thought so) personality.
"Hope you had a good rest," he said once she had patted down the patch she lay the hare to rest in, slowly getting up onto all fours. "I know I did." Tai smirked at that and padded over to her, narrowing his eyes a bit as he stood over the lioness. "I don't plan on lying around all night though, so I think I'll be going." The male paused then, as if deciding between two options, and took a seat. "I don't suppose you'd like to join me?"
Tai rather liked her company, actually, so part of him was hoping she would say yes. Of course, he wouldn't force her to come along with him. They had just met, after all, and judging by how she acted during their first meeting he doubted if the feeling was mutual. All the same, he still wanted her to come along. A lion, no matter how accustomed they were to traveling along, could always use a good bit of company ever once in a while. He just happened to be lucky that his was a lioness who, despite it all, was a rather striking beauty with an interesting (at least he thought so) personality.
While she ate Lin glanced over at the other lion every now and again, when he wasn't looking, trying to figure him out just a bit. He didn't seem as though he had his own agenda, though usually one wouldn't be able to tell that sort of thing without having already known the other party for quite some time. Granted they just met the day before it was safe to say that Lin wasn't the easily trusting sort. He seemed honest enough, actually, but her initial annoyance with him hadn't completely dissipated yet. He stuck around though, even gave her two meals including the one she was currently having, and kept watch while she slept. She owed him something, she knew that much at least. The lioness had already decided she would do something to repay him; she hated being in debt to another for any reason.
After gulping down that last of her meal she buried the leftovers, her thoughts preoccupied with what she could possibly do to return the favor. Her ears then twitched as he started speaking, which interrupted her train of thought, and she felt the annoyance slowly returning. His invitation surprised her though, and while she would have turned it down flatly had she not been in his debt, as of that moment she still was and so could not. Still, the blue-pelted lioness didn't give her answer right away. If anything it would at least leave him hanging for a little bit, maybe even make him squirm a little. That'd be amusing, she thought, then smirked.
"I guess I could," she said with a shrug, lazily getting up and, after moving away from him a bit, stretching out. For someone who just spent most of the day lying around she was feeling rather exhausted and not much up for moving around, but she wouldn't get left behind. The chances of her running into him another time was slim to none at best, and if she ever wanted to repay him for helping her out a little she really didn't have a choice but to go with him. For now, she figured, it'd be alright for now. "Alright then, Tai, lead the way."
After gulping down that last of her meal she buried the leftovers, her thoughts preoccupied with what she could possibly do to return the favor. Her ears then twitched as he started speaking, which interrupted her train of thought, and she felt the annoyance slowly returning. His invitation surprised her though, and while she would have turned it down flatly had she not been in his debt, as of that moment she still was and so could not. Still, the blue-pelted lioness didn't give her answer right away. If anything it would at least leave him hanging for a little bit, maybe even make him squirm a little. That'd be amusing, she thought, then smirked.
"I guess I could," she said with a shrug, lazily getting up and, after moving away from him a bit, stretching out. For someone who just spent most of the day lying around she was feeling rather exhausted and not much up for moving around, but she wouldn't get left behind. The chances of her running into him another time was slim to none at best, and if she ever wanted to repay him for helping her out a little she really didn't have a choice but to go with him. For now, she figured, it'd be alright for now. "Alright then, Tai, lead the way."
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