[PRP] Friends Always Find A Way (Niade x Athena)

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena had picked up Zenobia and her cub Zenoba to travel with him lately, but he could not help but think of that pretty lioness that had helped him hunt a zebra the other day and that he kept running into occasionally. He was struck by how well they kept parting company, always on very good terms. And with the way the lioness could care for herself so well and yet work in a team so easily, he rather wished she would come back to stay.

Of course he was thinking about doing other things with her than just hunting. They had talked for a bit since that first hunt and he really liked what he saw of her personality. A bit playful, just the right amount of cautious, and if you knew what compliment to throw out to take her off guard she had a very sweet side in there too. In all, she would make a perfect mother for cubs.

The only problems with his thoughts were three he could think of. One, she had not stuck around even though he had seen her a few times. Two she had an older brother that would likely not appreciate such a thing. And three, she did not seem to desire cubs. He was not sure on that, but whenever he had mentioned it in passing, Niade had rather shied away from the idea completely.  

[Tygress Dream]

Another day, another missing brother. Niade would be getting tired of it, if it was not for her random encounters with the charming Athena. He was not too bad as lions went, just a bit too flirty for her tastes. He did make her laugh and they worked really well together when they took the time to hunt. She knew he was traveling in the company of another lioness and was sure he thrived on chance encounters like the hunt during which they had first met.

She growled at herself, wondering why she felt a strange twinge at the thought of other lionesses in his company. She had no claim on him other than friendship and wanted no other claim, right? Perhaps she was growing too used to having a lion for company and it seemed Athena would be more reliable than her brother. Her thoughts circled until her tail thrashed in frustration.

It was an irritated lioness that finally decided that some prolonged lounging in the shade of a tree was in order. She needed some cooling down...  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena padded around until he found a rock to lay on not too far from a rather nice tree. It was not yet warm enough at that point for him to mind the sun on his back and it was easier to see around from this vantage point that the tree in some respects. It was less tempting to sleep here too, or so he told himself. Sometimes he found that his self lied, thankfully today was not one of those.

He turned over the thoughts of Niade in his head as he laid on the rock. He loved all the felines he encountered lion, leopard, cheetah, male and female. He wondered if that would bother Niade even if she did decide to stay around. The thought of her being displeased with him made him sad. He was a flirt, he was a charmer, but in all he was clingy. He wanted everyone to love him and hated it when they did not.

As, the fluffy lion laid on his rock thinking and trying not to be agitated by the fact that he had no cubs of his own so far, in spite of his seemingly wonderful luck getting on females' good sides and how good he was with cubs in general. It was in the middle of this line of thought that he noticed Niade go over to the nearby tree and flop down. Speaking of females! He crept over as quietly as possible to catch her unaware.

Circling around the long way, he managed to stay out of sight and hearing as well as down wind. He crept up very cautiously as he approached the tree finally and the lioness beneath it. And without so much as a shifting rock to give him away, he stood behind Niade and licked her ear. Her being distracted helped, but him being wonderful at stalking also made this possible. "Hello, lovely."  

[Tygress Dream]

Niade was on edge and the sudden contact had her scrambling to her feet and slashing out before she could process the words that came with the lick. She recognized the lion just in time so that her claws brush across his leg just enough to draw blood rather than a more serious defensive blow.

"Athena! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she roared at him furiously. Of course her anger was just as much at herself for striking out at a friend. "You fluffy idiot," she said, tearing up and flopping to the ground panting from the startlement and exersion.
 

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena was prepared for a violent reaction, just not quite THAT violent. He did not get back quick enough for her swipe to miss him completely. He looked down at the leg, glad at least that she had drawn in her claws some and tempered the blow. Wow, she had some fight to her. That just made her all the more wonderful though!

Athena licked the scratch and looked over at Niade. "I was surprising a pretty lioness... and yes, I may be a fluffy idiot, but I am a cute fluffy idiot." He went over and nuzzled her, licking her cheek. "Do not tear up over me, lovely. I knew the risk when I took it... it was a wonderful blow, I might add." He grinned at her, his eyes sparkling.

He gave a little pout and sat in front of her licking his paw. "Such abuse I take! But worth every moment of it to be in such beautiful company." He purred and half closed his eyes as he looked at her. Eh, a scratch was a scratch, at least she was not too mad at him. Or so he hoped!  

[Tygress Dream]

Niade just stared at him. "I'm not tearing up," she said grooming her paws and face quickly. "And if I was it certainly wasn't for you." Her bad mood was quickly dissolving, after all he really was a "cute fluffy idiot." She lay there recovering and basking in the flow of compliments.

Finally feeling a bit more herself, Niade sat up and licked at the scratch. "You caught me in a bad mood and quite ready to strike out. Sorry that it turned out you that I took it out on." She continued to groom him, "Still maybe that should teach you not to sneak up like that."  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena looked anything but upset over the blow. He was at the very least amused. Of course he looked more blatantly smug than just amused. "I am sorry that I upset you, lovely Niade, but I certainly do not regret the blow I took. It is only a little scratch, and it seems you are in a better mood now. Perhaps you needed to hit something?" He nuzzles her as she licks the scratch.

Athena could not help but purr at the attention from her. She was cute when she was angry. He was not stupid enough to tell Niade that, though. "I may think twice about sneaking up on you... or I may just have to learn to dodge better." He grinned and chuckled at the lioness' obvious concern. "If I might ask, what has you so upset, Beautiful? Did I do something stupidly fluffy before I got here, that I should be worried for my safety?"

Athena started grooming her ears and touched his nose to Niade's. If he was the source of the anger, he certainly was not going to look forward to the tongue lashing he was in for. But something told him, he did not have anything to worry about in this case. Maybe her brother had done something again. For his own, fluffy sake, he could hope that the brother was to blame.  

[Tygress Dream]

It would be so easy to lay the blame for her mood on her brother, so very easy. Still it wouldn't be right, after all sometime the two lions would run into each other. Niade was approaching another crossroads in her life and it was still completely uncertain which path she would choose.

"You didn't do anything Athena. I've just got a lot on my mind," she replied finally. "Belial was gone again this morning, so guess I just have too much time to think."

It was all the fault of that other fluffy idiot. "Things would have been a lot better if we'd never gone to that darn jungle. 'Zimo wouldn't have left and Bel wouldn't be a broody idiot..." Of course they'd had to go to the jungle, their other friend had gone there and there had been the cubs. Niade really missed Clermeili-Pie. "It might be nice to be around at least one other lioness again too perhaps," she mused with a sigh.

"I'm sorry you don't need to here my problems. How have you been? And speaking of lionessess how are your other friends?"  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

"Your brother seems to brood a lot lately, but perhaps it is something he needs to come to on his own." Athena nuzzled the top of Niade's head and licked her nose. It would be so easy to use this as a reason to try to get her to join him, but Athena was not quite so selfish as that. "I am sorry that he keeps leaving you like that... I know it bothers you, beautiful." The purring was a bit softer now, along with his words, but he went back to grooming her ears and the back of her neck.

"Ah, but my dear, would Zimo have been happier if he had stayed? Even if we wish to keep someone around, and it would make us happy to do so, we must consider what will make them happy. Perhaps your brother needs time to come to this conclusion?" Or perhaps he never would, but Athena would stay to the positive side of things. Niade's musing got a head tilt and a nudge from Athena. He had to think about what he said regarding that, though. Too easy to be selfish.

"I may not need to hear about your problems, Niade, but part of being a friend is that I wish to. I wish to help you, I wish for you to be happy, and I certainly wish to listen to you if you wish to speak." He moved to half stand over her and cover her head with his fluffy mane. There were a lot of things he wanted to say to Niade to get her to come with him and stay around. But he had to force himself not to, if she was going to be happy she had to made such decisions on her own.

"I have been well, but missing your lovely presence and thinking about how lovely a mother you might make, not that I expect anything for that observation... Zenobia seems to be doing very well along with her son Zenoba. It is nice to have a cub around, it makes me happy."  

[Tygress Dream]

Niade felt a shiver move through her at his continued grooming and shrugged it off as nerves. "I dislike feeling like I've done something wrong. It really hasn't been all that long since I found him."

She allowed Athena's purring to sooth her. His presence was a comfort and she felt she truly did have a friend. "Belial knows it was a right thing and told Zimo that himself. It's changed the dynamic of things. Bel's the type to like having someone to take care of and well I'm not the type that needs that sort of care. He's not sure what to do with himself now... at least that's my best guess."

Niade knew Athena would love for her to join him instead of randomly running into each other, and it certainly was one of the paths available to her. She just wasn't sure yet what she wanted to do.

"Thank you, I'm glad to have you as a friend. I... I think I have a lot of thinking to do myself about what I want to do." She laughed at his mention of her as a mother. "I seriously doubt I'd be a very good mother, cubs are cute and all ... in small doses," she'd learned that much from being around Clerm's cubs. "You remind me a bit of my brother sometimes. He likes cubs, too."  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena gave her an affectionate nuzzle and lick on the muzzle from above. "Ah, but you know you've done nothing wrong, lovely, and I'm sure your brother does not mean for you to feel guilty. No one could wish such on you, beautiful." His fluffy presence and words were soothing her mood and he was well aware of it as he stood half over her. "I certainly can understand liking taking care of someone... I am that way myself... and the more the merrier for my affection... but each is special too."

"Perhaps you are right that it bothers him not to have someone to care for, perhaps it is just whom he lost. It is hard to know without asking him directly... but somehow I doubt he would give an answer." Athena kept purring and half lays on the lioness covering her with his fur. He was quite content to stay like this and love on her, but he knew she would get tired of it eventually. He pulled himself up and laid beside her.

Athena chuckled and licked the scratch on his paw. "Cubs have their moments of non-cute, but I find them worth every one of those moments overall."I think you would make a wonderful mother. You have a personality to make strong cubs, physical strength to lend them... and let us not forget your beauty, Niade. I certainly would wish to sire cubs from such a wonderful lioness, and I am sure there are many other males that would agree with me."  

[Tygress Dream]

"The more the merrier, huh?" she echoed with a laugh. "Glad to know we each have something special for you though." Niade felt a strange combination of being comforted and stiffled rolled into one. She liked his attention but the physical contact was sometimes too much.

Her tail twitched restlessly. "I could never talk to him directly about it; we're just not the type to talk things like that out really...." As Athena finally moved to the side slightly Niade flopped on her side and stretched out. She let him babble on about herself and cubs... The lioness stayed thoughtfully silent on the subject. It annoyed her that she wasn't just telling him to shut up. Would it really hurt to give a male she cared for the cubs he so wanted?  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena, his rambling rant done, laid his head on his paws and looked thoughtfully at Niade. "You do not like cubs at all, do you, beautiful?" She seemed so adverse to them, and yet not hateful. It was like she had it in her head that they were not worth having for some specific reason. Athena wondered if maybe it was because she was not fond of males. He did know she was not the most comfortable around most males, but could that be the reason she did not care to have cubs?

He hoped his suggestion had not offended her. He did not wish to lose a friend over something like wishing cubs. Perhaps he should not have mentioned it? But he did think she would make a good mother. Maybe just now was not the best time to say so, though. Bad timing could do more than just create uncomfortable situations, it could kill friendships! He really needed to work on that more, especially with Niade.  

[Tygress Dream]

"I never said I didn't like cubs," Niade replied defensively. "I just don't like how they tie a lioness down even if only for long enough to carry and wean them." She stood and walked a few steps away.

Niade stopped and sighed pulling herself together. "I'm sorry Athena. I just really have a lot I need to think about." She returned to his side and rubbed up against him with a purr. "It may be a few days before I see you." There was a bit of fear in her eyes that he might decide to move on... "It's important though for me to have some alone time. I really need to make a decision."

She paused a little bit leaning against him before she finally stepped away and quickened her pace... not quite running away ...