"What was it like before you came here, love?"
The bright yellow bird who spoke fluttered as he came to land on a low branch, his little feet wrapping around the wood and gripping it tight. The shadows of leaves above made dapples over him and the surrounding area, shifting as a warm breeze from out over the ocean blew in to rustle through them. Below, an equally bright lioness lounged in the shade, her pink eyes nearly closed as she felt the relaxation sap her strength and leave her languid and lazy. The sand that stretched before them seemed to glow in the light of the sun and the blue of the ocean was so deep and pure that it made the lioness nearly ache to see it. Some day she would have a mate that color, she decided then, a smile curling over her mouth as she slipped into a day dream of what her future lover would look like...
An indignant squawk from above startled her out of it and she blinked up at her muse, giving him a sheepish smile.
"I'm sorry, Mwimbaji... I got lost in ocean dreams." She said, giggling softly. Lately, 'ocean dreams' seemed to come more and more frequently... or just more easily. Maybe it was this land... she hadn't been outside of it in a while, and now that her cubs were grown and living their lives, she had very little to do, but feed herself and her muse. Maybe it was time to think about venturing out to do her 'job' for a while... it might help with the way her mind kept wandering. A warning clear of the throat pulled her back yet again and she struggled to grasp the question he had asked her just a short while ago.
"Oh, um... Different, I guess. Less scenic and... quiet, I guess. There always seemed to be something to do and somewhere to go... and my sister was always there, reminding me how silly I was being and telling me I should grow up and act like an adult." She laughed softly as she shook her head, stretching her paws out before her to kneed at the sand. "She was always more mature than I was... and life back then seemed more hectic and exciting than life here. Not that I don't like it here! I love the ocean and the kind pride that took me in. Its just... lazier here. Its not important when you get somewhere, just that you get there eventually. There's no hurry, little responsibility... you can live however you please."
The small bird hopped down from his perk to land on her shoulder, bouncing up to tug and nibble at her ear with his beak.
"I know how life is here!" He chirped. "I wanted to know what you were like before I graced you with my presence. This is the first time I heard you had a sister! For all I know, you materialized out of the sunshine... I want some juicy details, girl!" He laughed as he danced out of her way as she tried to n** at him, both of them knowing that even if he hadn't moved her teeth wouldn't have gotten near him.
"Its not like it was all that interesting!" She grumped at him in pretend. "I was a flirt, just like I am now... I ran all over the place, collecting males and dropping them just as quickly. Nothing was all that serious or important and it was fun to make my sister flustered over me. Half of the things I did were just to get a rise out of her..." A chuckle rolled from her as she shook her head. "Sybarite would kill me if she heard me admit that... she was so serious, but she was kind too, and took good care of me when I let her."
