Ibura:Lightning flashed through the sky as the heavens opened up and let loose a downpour onto the coast. A storm brought on by the cold front, the rain was unusually chill for the African coastline. All manner of animals were hunkering down in whatever shelters they could find.
And Ibura was no exception.
He was curled up in a hollow among the dense branches of an old tree, kept mostly dry by the thick foliage. Every so often, a cold drop of water landed on him, but he would take this over any other possible shelter. Ever since the tsunami, he'd stopped taking to ground shelters, too worried of drowning if the gods were angered again.
It had been something of a trial getting into the tree, but the hollow was large enough for himself and maybe someone else... if they were small and didn't mind being close to him.
"I hate the rain..." he grumbled, shaking his mane out. He didn't quite mind a nice, warm drizzle, but a full, cold downpour was something he greatly disliked.
Tisztességes:The storm seemed relentless. It gave no care to the intrusions it caused, or the inconveniances. Its rage was deafening, causing any hope of avoiding other means of danger to become cloaked in secrecy. Thankfully, most were seeking out shelter for themselves. Only someone desperate or mad would risk going out in such weather! ...or perhaps someone just a bit.. too carefree. Tisztess happened to be one of those individuals. Her entire blue body was drenched from ear to tail tuft, making the short fur cling to her form, and the fluff of hair residing on her head flatten tremendously against her forehead, covering an eye. Most would be aggrivated to be in such a condition, but the young lioness seemed... unfazed in the slightest. In fact, her expression was that of serenity as the rain pelted her small body. Tail dragging lifelessly behind her, onyx eyes lazily closed at a half-mast position, the female simply soaked in the weathers wrath. Everything looked so pretty... but, she did feel like stopping to watch such a performance. This concluded in her drifting towards the currently used tree, and settling herself at it's base, gazing into the merciless shower.
Ibura:
Ibura heard a sound beneath him and peeked down through the branches. To his surprise, it hadn't been a trick of his mind when he saw the lioness at the base of the tree.
"Didn' think there'd be a single creature left out in this storm," he called down to her, rain dripping into his mane. She looked absolutely soaked and the chivalrous part of him immediately perked up, demanding that he offer his shelter to her. He couldn't tell if she was upset over her state or not, but offering was always a good move, wasn't it?
His feathered headband keeping his own mane out of his eyes, he gave her a rather lopsided, easygoing smile despite his displeasure for the weather.
"Care to join me? It's a bit more dry up here and less worry of floodin' 'round your paws."
Tisztességes:
What a glorious sight to behold. The rain truly was a creature of its own. It was always strange too unable to hear the calls of birds, the creaking of bugs, all mute now as they huddled in safety. The wind was so powerful, the tree's canopy's pushed to their limits it seemed, branches swaying in a rythmic manner. Engrossed, Tisztess hardly even noticed the voice that called to her. In fact, the first comment the male made barely registered in her mind, at least not for a few moments to come. Round ear flicking, she finally lifted her head, tipping it up to look at him from an upside down point of view. Blinking, she offered a light smily, taking a pause before replying, "Oh, you do not enjoy the rain's embrace?" she asks curiously, taking her time to twist her body around so as to look at him right side up. Her ears twitched at his offer, pondering it awhile. It was rather nice out here, but her body was starting to naturally shiver as the chill crept to the tender skin beneath fur. But.. "Are you sure there's enough room? I would not want to steal the spot that you've taken to live in, mister. "
Ibura:
Ibura cleared his throat and glanced off, not really one to admit when he was displeased over something. He was supposed to be too laid-back to care about anything, a sort of shield he had made. If one thought about, he had a feeling a lot of his family members and the pride who knew him might say that he wasn't bother by or afraid of anything, that he didn't care enough about most things to be so. Which, of course, was a bold-faced lie, but it was nice that he had that kind of reputation.
"Not a fan of a chill, period, and this rain is much too cold for my taste," he replied with a shake of his head, then a jerk of a motion that told her to come on up. The path that he had taken to get up into his little hideaway was pretty clear by snapped twigs and leaf-litter his bulky body had disturbed in his climb.
"There's enough room for a little lady like yourself. If you don' mind some company." He added the second part quickly, making it clear that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. Or, at least he had no plans to.
Tisztességes:
Her ears flipped up as a strike of lightning took to the ground, giving it a low rumbling shake. It didn't frighten her, but it certainly wasn't something she was prepared for. Either way, the rest of her remained calm and complacent. With the male giving his reasonings, she let her eyes lower to glance at the dotting liquid just around her paws, acessing it intently. Yes.. it was rather cold... more so than usual. It was then that she decided she too did not enjoy such a condition. Peeking back up to the male above, she gave that carefree smile she always had to him, ears and thick hair dripping, she nodded in reply, "Ok. Thank you." standing onto all four paws, and crouching, she lept up to grip at the trunk before her, nails impailing the bark, easily scaling up the thick wood. Reaching to where Ibura was, she carefully stepped herself in with him, and curled so as to keep from squashing him; though she was rather small. Tail wrapping around herself, she let a very soft purr rise in her throat from just how comfy it was, slightly cramped or not, "You have found a nice home to life in, sir. It is quite comfy."
Ibura:
He chuckled with shake of his head when she curled up and spoke about his shelter.
"Not really my home, just a temporary respite from the rain. Usually I just sleep under the stars," Ibura replied, matching her carefree smile with his own lopsided grin. He sat back, lounging a bit against a thick branch going upwards behind him. It sat him comfortably and gave her a bit more room.
"I'm Ibura, by the way," he added, with a polite nod. He got brief flashes of her appearance in the lightning, what he saw reminded him of the ocean, dappled patches of light and dark caused by sunlight. Or, at least that what it looked like in his mind. She didn't seem familiar to him, was she new to the area? Then again, he didn't know many of his pride, and even less now that things were so crazy after the giant wave. Perhaps he just hadn't seen her before.
Tisztességes:
"Oh. I see." she murmurs, taking a good look at the little shelter, finding it charming. With the final little glance around, she lifted a paw and began to slowly groom herself, ridding her fur of the clinging water. With her coat slowly resuming its silky composure, tail flicking slowly to curl along her folded hind quarter, ears relaxing back against her head. Pink tongue following along her ankle, and further down to her toes, giving each individual one some attention.
Glancing up to him, his figure of course dulled from the darkness of the enclosure, she blinked curiously. "Ibura." she repeated, as if tasting the name. "That feels nice." she replies softly, a giggling repressed internally. "Ibura." She worked further up her arm, along her `ceps, and shoulder, "My name is Tisztességes." she pauses to think, "But you may call me something else if it is too difficult to pronounce." she offers, switching arms for grooming, "Do you like tree's, Ibura?" she asks casually, lifting a paw to run over one of her soaked ears.
Ibura:
One eyebrow rose when she giggled at his name, saying that it felt nice. Well, he'd certainly never heard that one before, but if that meant that she liked it, then he could be happy with that.
"Mmm, means mark. I have one that runs in the family and I guess it's what stands out most," he replied with a bit of a chuckle. He listened to her name and tried mouthing it a few times before shaking his head.
"It's a lovely name, but something of a mouthful. How about I just call you Tess?" he asked, hoping that met her approval. Ibura looked around at the tree and shrugged in the darkness. Another flash of lightning lit up the world around them and he waited for the thunder to boom overhead before he spoke again.
"I've come to appreciate them. If you'd asked me that a few moons ago, I would've said not really."
Tisztességes:
"Mark.." she murmured, smile lifting a little, "I like that." She pauses again, staring at his masked figure, "What is it a mark of? " her eyes roam a little as if she would be able to see it if she looked hard and long enough. But of course, she wasn't sure of what she was looking for to begin with. "I do not know if I carry any marks of my family. My mother carries none herself." eyes glancing down, her head tips to the side, "I wonder where I got my spots.." really mulling over this topic for awhile, but she's drawn out by his following comment, ears perking and swiveling forward. "Tess.." she grins lightly, "I've never been called that before. But you are free to if you'd like." she responds calmly, glancing to the heavens as light streaks along the sky, illuminating their surroundings. Now working on licking her shoulder, and the most of her back as she could, her tail loosened and laid like dead weight beside her. Head turned away from her company, but ears kept alert towards him, she smiled to herself at his response. Taking a break in her grooming, she looked to him with that faint expression, "Have you had unpleasant run-ins with tree's in the past?"
Ibura:
"Nah, not really. Just didn't pay much attention to trees..." Ibura trailed off a bit there, looking off in the direction of the ocean for a moment. A somber look crossed his face before he shook head head and relaxed again.
"A giant wave came to the beach and a number of my pride were swept away. We're not even sure if any of them survived it. Before that, I would sleep in caves on nights like this. I learned to change my habits after that."
The explanation was quiet, almost inaudible over the sound of the rain. But he didn't want to talk about that. It was a dreary subject and with the dreary weather he needed to keep cheerful. Besides, it would be poor entertainment to the lovely Tess if he were to recite a sob-story of lost pride-members and godly wrath.
So he latched onto something else.
"It's... just a mark, but it reminded my father of his mother. Here, I can show you," Ibura replied, and without a second thought, scooped up one of her paws. One claw unsheathed, he gently scratched the shape against her pads, outlining the mark on his hips with a touch as light as a mouse's steps.
Tisztességes:
Her usual calm and lax demeanor didn't change. Not even with the story that Ibura began to tell. It wasn't to say she wasn't effect, no not in the least. In fact.. she was more intruged than anything. A giant wave.... just the thought and mental image that contorted in her mind was astounding to her. How could something like that actually happen? It was absurd! But... she was intrigued. Watching him slightly intently, her head tipped just a touch to convey her interest, "have you lost your family then? " she asks straight forward, that consistant calmness remaining in her voice and stature. Such a catastrophe might have effected this fellow closer to the heart than he was letting on.
But. She didn't mind this sort of talk. Heck, she enjoyed most conversation period. It was all fastinating and interesting to her.
Simply giving a subtle nod, she just sat there, absorbing and piecing together the information he'd given. What a curious male he was. Even more so when he began the intiation. With her paw lifted, showing no mind in him taking such a forward approach, she stared at the interaction between limbs, ears flicking this way and that as she felt the pattern etched, "Hmm..." tipping her head the other way, she gave the briefest of giggles, faint and feathery too, "How interesting. Do you like being named after a feature you hold?"
Ibura:
Ibura set her paw back down with a care befitting something dear, his smile once more on his maw. All he gave her was a shrug.
"I suppose it's interesting, to be named for something that reminded my da' of his mum. But I wouldn' say I like or dislike it. My name's a name and it's not one I've heard of outside of me, so I'm content," he replied, sitting back again, but not as far away from her as he previously had. She had been chilled when he took her paw and he was rather dry and radiating warmth as males tended to do. He didn't mind sharing.
He'd let the question about the tsunami slide by him, not wanting to talk any more about the disaster. He didn't believe his parents were dead, just... missing. Yes, that was the pride consensus. If you weren't found after the waves, you were just missing. Someday they would return home, he was sure of it. But at least he still had his brothers and sisters. Well... most of them.
"But I'm dominating the conversation," he finally said, smiling at her. "What are you doing in these-abouts, and in a monster of a storm, no less?"
Tisztességes:
She was instantly interested in how he set her paw back down. So gently, and carefully. It amused her in some way, as well as made her wonder a bit just where he learned to treat someone so... considerately. Any matter.. With paw back on the ground, she placed it against its twin, dark eyes liting to watch the form before her with night vision eyes. "Hm." the smile on her face grew a small portion, "That makes quite a bit of sense. I've not heard someone else with my name either. Though. I have not met many others." even if she was a traveler. His presence closer was not viewed positively or negatively, as she held no qualms towards it. Though as the warmth began to make its way to her, she began to feel a bit pleased by it, making her attention subconsiously focus on the source of heat. And it didn't bother her either that he avoided her question. If he didn't want to reply to it, then he didn't want to. Showing no sign of even remembering she asked such a thin, Tisztess lifted a front paw to press onto the still drenched tuft of fur at the end of her tail. With his question posed, she gazed down to her captive tail, "I was traveling along here. For a few days now. The scent of the ocean enticed me, and so I let it guide me." she replied, tail curling slowly, "I got a bit distracted exploring the deeper area's of this place, and didn't give much notice to the thickening clouds."
Ibura:
The large, beach-bum lion finally let himself lie down, curling so that he wouldn't fall out of the nest-like section they were in. It ate up the rest of the space, but she didn't seem to mind his earlier contact. If she reacted negatively, he'd sit back up.
"Have you traveled a lot, then?" Ibura asked, tilting his head with his curiosity. He was the son of travelers who had left their home-prides to come to the sea, but he himself had never left. This was his home, he didn't think there was anywhere better suited for him. But despite this, he was still curious about the world outside of his and those who came and went about in it.
"When it stops raining, I could take you to the beach, you could see the ocean up close, if you haven' all ready?"
Tisztességes:
Not at all minding his new position, she remained the same in her own, feeling his warmth surround her a bit more. How nice. It was like being next to her mothers warmth. Ah, her mom.... with this train of thought it put her in a trance sort of state, remembering the brave lioness who raised her and her siblings without a father figure. Well, aside Tisztess's uncles.
Ears twitching as Ibura spoke again, she kept her eyes drifted astray, head tipping up a bit to watch the waving and bowing branches around them, "Oh yes. Very much. Since I was a juvenille, I'd say." She had left at a young age... it wasn't because she didn't like her family, she just... felt the need to go. To start moving, and seeing what was not yet seen! Smiling to herself, she nods slightly, confirming her words, "Yes. I've travled quite a lot."
Ah, the beach. "Hm. That would be nice." she replied, watching just how saturated the leaves were. So sleek and shiny now from the unstoppable water, "I have seen it already, but it would be interesting to see how others see it." she tacks on. Tisztess was a bit of an odd one, saying curious things from time to time, such as now. But... her imagination and curiousity always got the better of her.
Ibura:
Ibura let out a slow, smooth chuckle, completely relaxed despite the bothersome storm. He liked this girl. She didn't seem to say too much, but the things that she did say were new and pleasant concepts to his ears. He never thought of showing something to someone as seeing it as someone else did, but now that she had said it, he sort of agreed. When he would show something to one of his brothers, the thing's appearance was always colored by what he said, how he described it. Doesn't this flower look just like Mum's eyes? The vision was always changed by a phrase like that.
"That's awfully young. I hope it wasn' too hard for you, out on your own like that?" It was more of a question than a statement, prompting her to go on, continue. He wanted to hear more, if she was willing to tell it.
Tisztességes:
With the next question out there, it made her take a long pause again before speaking, "Not too much. Probably not as much as others, I'm sure." In truth it'd been, well.. rather easy for her to take care of her own. Though she had been fortunate numerous occassions in finding leftover kills, plenty of water, and many places to sleep and hide at. Of course there were predators, but she was more witty than she let on. Fast to boot! Unfortunately, not really having socialized al too much with others for extended periods of time, she was a bit oblivious to common practices and habits such as the one she was in now, leaving quite a lot of silence in between spoken words. And she certainly didn't know or even think to continue, "Did you travel here as well?" she wouldn't know one way or another. Even tough he had totally diff3rent fur from her own, due to adaptation, it couldn't be seen in the low lightning all that well, and simply lead her to believe he might have been a half-breed of sorts; which was an interesting concept in and of itself!
