[JRP] Life's full of shocks, isn't it? (Haggy/Gyps/Bala)

[Andranis]

To say the least about anything, Hagryphus was... Surprised. When she'd woken up, she'd been greeted by choruses of welcome to the high class. Somebody like her was... High class. It was, as she kept thinking, a surprise. In her old life, back in the Motoujamii, she'd been a Huria, not fit to the pride's standards. Here... It was very different. How you looked didn't matter. What mattered was the moon phase. It seemed... Delightfully random. She paused, sparing a glance up at the moon above.

Gyps himself felt... Somewhat relieved. When he'd woken up, he'd found himself a class down from Hag. Because of this... He could be a guard, following her and being over-all protective of her. She was like a little golden desert flower to him... Just being around her was intoxicating. As he moved a branch aside for her, his ears flicked, before dark eyes turned toward the sound and smell of another lion. Only when Hag was clear of the branch did he let it go, turning toward the source of the sound and smell. "Who's there?"  

[Mtorolite]

Bala'tan emerged from the shadows toward the two lions, and bobbed her head. "Good evening, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I - well, I was looking for a place to make a den, not that the Great Lion has recognized me. I don't really know the layout of the land, yet."

Bala'tan was a bit embarrassed about barging around the pride lands without any clue where she was going; she was recognized as a high class lioness, but she knew nothing about living in the pride. Even as a huntress, she didn't know where all the pride borders were. She was to go out with a guide in the next few days, but until then she bumbled around aimlessly.

"My name is Bala'tan," she said, as an afterthought. "I just arrived recently."  

[Andranis]

Haggy nudged Gyps, giving him a warning look with her eyes. Her attention then turned to the other lioness. "Sorry if Gyps is short.. He's... Not used to others so much. Or... Not used to the lions here, at least. Give him time, he'll warm up..." Then she hestitated. "We're, um, new, too, so..." One ear twitched. "Oh! I'm Hagryphus!" She then motioned to the male. "This is Gyps'fulvus."

The male bowed his head. "My apologies about my tone a moment ago..." He looked up, dark eyes flicking. "As my, ah... Friend... Has stated... We're new as well... And I'm afraid I've spent too long being wronged by others, so I'm testy about others, as it were..." He eyed her, then, as if wondering if she would try something. Clearly, while he was being courteous, his guard was still up.  

[Mtorolite]

"You aren't the only ones who have been wronged in the past. Few prides are as accepting as this one, and it's hard for those of us who lived outside to forget everything. But the Great Lion is watching over us now."

Bala'tan was more than willing to let others adjust to her. She needed to adjust to them too, and everyone else, and being guarded by the deity who really cared about them. It was a big change for her.

"Do you know if the high class lions and lionesses have dens separate from the rest of the pride? Or does it matter?"  

[Andranis]

Haggy opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it, closing her mouth in thought. After a moment, she took a breath. "I agree with how accepting not only the pride is... But the Great Lion, as well... Where I came from, my father told me, once upon a time they looked to the Goddess, Finar-si.. She was... Somewhat forgiving of some lions, because according to an old lion in the pride, there was a brown cub born once... I don't know what happened to her... But when the pride turned its back on Finar-si, they turned their backs, too, on those born within the pride with coats not of reds, blacks, whites... The odd gray..." She looked down sadly. "My father often wished I was born with a red or gray coat, so I could stay... But... I think I was meant to be born like this... So that Finar-si could send me from the desert, to here, to be in the care of the Great Lion..."

Gyps listened to Haggy, even smiled a bit. Whoever this Finar-si was, she'd obviously sent the gold lioness for him to protect. He then glanced at the gray lioness. "We're... Not entirely sure ourselves about the den thing... We've just been looking for one ourselves..." Dark eyes looked around. "Though I'm not even sure where the dens ARE..." He spared another glance at Bala'tan. "Um... Would you happen to know where they are...? At all?" He just wanted a bit of light shed on their location.  

[Mtorolite]

Bala'tan shook her head. "I was pointed in this general direction, and I didn't want to be a bother for more help. I figured they wouldn't be that hard to find, really. I guess I was wrong."

As happy as she was to be here, Bala'tan was tired, and she wanted someplace of her own she could rest. Someplace warm preferably, with a comfortable floor. She didn't feel like finding the necessary grasses to line it and make it liveable. All she wanted was rest.

"Would you like to look for it together?"  

[Andranis]

The gold lioness gave a nod, then looked aroundd. "I suppose it'd be around where the high class lions live, wouldn't it?" Or did the lords and ladies sleep elsewhere from the guards? If that were the case... Well, Gyps wouldn't be happy. Come to think of it, neither would Haggy. "I think I saw some higher-class lions over here.." She pointed with a paw, before stepping in that direction.

The male let out a puff of breath, finding no choice but to follow the gold lioness. Oh, the things he did for.. Her... He wandered a bit to the side, looking around, until he unceremoniously tripped over an opening in the ground. As he sat up, very loudly cursing to the sky above, he looked at what he'd tripped on. Huh... He poked his head in. "I think I found an empty den..." There was little evidence it had been inhabited any time recently, at least.  

[Mtorolite]

Bala'tan stood back to let the other two look into the den first. Whatever the den situation was, she felt that those two should have the opportunity to pick something out before her. It looked like they would need a larger den then she would.

"How big is it?" she asked.  

[Andranis]

Gyps climbed back out, almost literally popping out of the hole. "Not big enough for us..." He looked at Bala. "But I'd wager it might be big enough for you. I mean, Haggy and I, we're too big each on our own... Two of us crammed in there together..." And maybe, some day in the future, cubs... It'd be too tight a fit for even just Haggy and ONE cub. He looked around, dark eyes flashing in the moonlight as a hm passed from his throat.

The gold lioness covered her mouth with a paw, giggling as Gyps popped out of the hole. As shy as she could be, she found that incredibly funny. Then her ear twitched, followed by an eye, as the smile vanished and her eyes took on a distant look. After a moment, she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head while pointing. "Try over there, Gyps."

The male didn't question, he simply did. And then fell in another hole, head-first and tumbling. "Oh yeah, bigger hole..."

Recovering fast from her vision, Haggy began to giggle. She already knew he'd fall in... She just found it funny, in a twisted and weird way.  

[Mtorolite]

Bala'tan was a bit puzzled at their behavior, but didn't get involved. She looked into the hole Gyps had fallen into first. It would do for her, for now.

"If you don't mind, I'll take this den for now. I might move, later, but this is a good for tonight. I need some rest."

She hoped the two lions would find a home that would fit them both, and soon. They looked tired, and felt that it had been a long journey for all of them, lately.
"I hope you find a suitable den soon."  

[Andranis]

Haggy noticed the way Bala'tan was watching. "It's a bit hard to explain, but I get these visions... One told me there was a den over here, so... Um..." Suddenly she felt a bit... Ashamed. Ears folding back slightly, she smiled sheepishly, then coughed a bit. "Um... I.. I think I'll go... That way now..." As she started to head another way, she gave Bala'tan an apologetic look. "It's not you, it's... It's me..." Then she was gone, hiding in a bush somewhere, unsure of how others would treat her.

Gyps let out a sigh, watching Haggy go, then looked at Bala'tan. "Sorry about that... I think we've fallen into a routine when she gets visions... It's habit now to just not ask for me, and I've forgotten that others might ask." He motioned with a paw. "I hope you sleep well, Bala'tan." He then turned, finding Haggy and dragging her into the larger den. "Come on, you, it's time to sleep..."