Welcome to Gaia! ::

There were many things in the world that got under Zuraya’s skin, but among the top ten at least, there was getting wet. She hated it, actually. Her fur would look bedraggled, she’d be cold, and to top it all off it’d take hours of grooming afterward to get her coat to lie perfectly flat again. So she wasn’t thrilled when it began raining, and even less so as it progressively got worse by the moment.

When she spied a cave under a large, rocky overhang, she didn’t think twice, she just bolted for it. Once she’d already covered the distance and was crouched under the overhang’s shelter, that’s when she first noticed that she wasn’t alone here. Someone else apparently had the idea before she did.

“Oh,” she uttered in surprise as she saw the leopard, “Didn’t see you there. Do you mind if I hide here for a while?” Of course, if he said no, she probably would try to stay anyway. Asking was just her way of seeming courteous. As she looked him over and appraised him, she smiled. “I’m Zuraya!” She introduced herself brightly, “Looks like we’ll be here for a while?” She looked doubtfully out across the savannah beyond the cave, where the sky looked ominously gray.

Zuraya wasn’t one not to take up a generous offer. she herself had no clue how to make a fire, so it was just good fortune that Kiros did. As she stepped closer to the fire she admired the way the light danced over the numerous colors on the leopard’s pelt. It was lovely… but wait, was she feeling attracted to him? The thought surprised her but she also wasn’t terribly worried. She was open-minded, and besides, there was no harm in looking, right?

She lay down next to the fire, opposite Kiros, and grinned at him. “Kiros,” she repeated, as though trying to remember it, “I like it. And well, I guess you could say that I have been roaming around for some time, so I don’t really have a den to call home. I just find shelter and leave when the sun comes up.” She glanced past the fire, watching his cool green eyes. “What about you? And where did you learn to make a fire, anyway? That must be a pretty useful thing!” Like tonight, for example, as otherwise she’d be shivering, but now she was plenty warm, and her fur was already drying. She stretched out luxuriously, enjoying the heat… and also showing off a bit.

“King?” Zuraya echoed, a smile of amusement passing over her features as she listened. “It suits you. Now I wish I knew what my own name meant, but I never found out.” Hardly deterred by this, she kept going, her eyes dancing over the leopard as she spoke. “Moving from place to place is the only way I’ve ever lived, and I love it. Staying in one place too long makes me feel… restrained, somehow. And I like having no one to answer to but myself. Who wouldn’t?”

Nodding as Kiros finished, Zuraya seemed impressed. “Ah, well then, you’ll have to pass the knowledge of fire-making along to your cubs. Or… your mate?” She was blunt, but that’s how she rolled. Frankly, she wanted to know where things stood with this male, because she was entertaining the notion of flirting with him and seeing where it went. Sure, it could be considered a taboo… but she was always the kind of girl who bent the rules. It never even crossed her mind that he could reject her if she tried; she was way too vain to consider such things.

Zuraya’s reaction to Kiros’s words, at first, seemed that of disappointment. She was sure he had just said he was mated with cubs. Sure, she could still flirt with a taken male… he’s spoken for but not dead, right? But somehow the thought of innocent ones being potentially hurt by her actions took the fun right out of it for her. Pity.

Then he added that he was single, and Zuraya had to suppress a smile. The feeling was like having food withheld and then finding out you could eat it, after all. Zuraya was all the more attracted now because she had thought for a moment that it wasn’t going to happen. But she still wasn’t completely sure he was interested…

“I’m not looking for a mate,” Zuraya told him, truthfully, “I have a little trouble with commitment. But I do like to have fun. Don’t we all?” This last wasn’t really a question, but did invite comment, if he wished to. “I do have many talents… Though I wouldn’t teach cubs half of them.” This was a complete lie, Zuraya had no special talents or skills to speak of, besides the ones she only thought she had. But it sounded intriguing and flirtatious, and so she lied a little. Why not?

When the sound of the thunder crashed through the air, Zuraya leapt to her feet too, fur bristling and eyes wide. She regained her composure in a moment, sighing deeply and allowing her fur to lie flat again, but it had made her heart race. She glanced over at Kiros, embarrassed for the way she’d reacted when startled, but was relieved to see he’d done the same.

“I hate storms,” she told him, grumbling as she glared out of the mouth of the cave, “I’m really glad I don’t have to be out in that right now, too.” She was able to settle back down in her initial spot again, but when she heard his words she paused to consider him for a moment. She liked her males bold, and that he certainly was.

“Sure… if you don’t mind,” She replied, smiling seductively. She was attempting to come off as demure, but it probably wasn’t working; Zuraya could be brazen when she wanted to be, and she certainly wasn’t shy. She moved to his side and settled down, purring softly and pressing her fur against his. “The storm doesn’t look like it’s letting up,” she told him, her voice low, “I think I may be here all night. But ‘m sure we’ll find some way to pass the time.” Zuraya was forward; she was a girl who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it.