The sun came up with its usual grace, sweeping light across the savannah and waking up the denizens of the realm. Tindika yawned and opened his eyes, sitting up and then stretching. His large wings spread out to their full length, the tips shaking as he stretched them, groaning contentedly as the burning feeling moved through his body, up and down his back, waking up his muscles. He yawned triumphantly at the same time, mouth opening fully and eyes closed before his mind finally clicked into place. He had fallen to sleep with company nearby, and he was making a lot of noise waking up.
He looked around, blinking in wonder.
Maskhara had fallen to sleep sitting up nearby, though not too near. She had been keeping watch over him, as she often did with the creatures she met, and allowed herself to grow a little attached to. She looked at him as he stood up, waking slowly with him, but jolted quite suddenly as his large wing tipped her over. She sprawled on the floor, looking in wonder at him. But she did not look offended at being forgotten, as it often happened. She was a very very quiet creature, after all, and if others saw her at all they quickly forgot she was there. Or so she had come to think of it.
Tindika frowned at her.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over like that. I had such a nice sleep and I was just enjoying the morning and I just… I’m sorry, I really didn’t think you would be sitting up like that. Is that how you sleep? Or were you awake all night? I hope you weren’t, I really hope. Did I hurt you at all? I really hope I didn’t do that either because I… uhm… I can’t even handle a morning stretch without making a big mess of it.” Despite himself, though, he started to laugh. He had not been lying when he had explained to her that he had come to take his failings in stride, and make the most out of whatever happened.
She very nearly smiled, but not really. Again. He wondered if he would drag one out of her some time.
The God of Failure sat back on his paws, his body finally waking up enough to be useful. He looked at the young lioness, a goddess sure but she seemed much younger than he was. Maybe that played into it as well, she was just a baby in the scheme of things. Still figuring herself out, who she was and what she was doing, watching others and learning from them. Or maybe she just wanted to be creepy? He did not want to assume that of her, though, as that was a little pessimistic. Not to mention mean spirited. And he was neither of those things, or at least not when he had a choice in the matter.
He smiled at her reassuringly.
Maskhara watched this strange god and tilted her head to the side. He certainly liked to smile and he seemed patient with her. He did not think she was weird, as far as she knew, and he was interested in staying around. Looking at her. That was what really intrigued her. She spent so long avoiding the eyes of others, like their looks would hurt her if she lingered in their sight too long, it was strange now to be seen. And his eyes seemed to be looking into her, through her, for something important. He wanted more than to see her, he wanted to know her. About her. She was not sure she knew how to talk about herself, if she were honest. She never tried before, and spent very little time doing it.
She stared at him.
“My name is Maskhara, and I am the Goddess of Camouflage,” she said, and he looked baffled. She had introduced herself to him the night before, but she was trying to tell him more than that and just needed a good place to start. He did not interrupt her, though, judging by her expression that she had more to add, and she was not just making sure he remembered her name. “I like to watch others… watch over them, guard them, but I like to see what they are doing. I do not feel alone… when I get to watch them. I feel like I am living their lives sometimes… vicariously. I say it, and wonder if that’s weird and I should not do things like that… I don’t think I would like someone watching me like that…”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Tindika chimed, “you’re not doing them any harm, and you said yourself, you like to guard them. The mortals need all the help they can get. Most of them can’t fly, and those that do aren’t the ones causing all the trouble. And are certainly not as interesting. You don’t mean it in a harmful way, right? I think the mortals kind of expect us to sit back and watch, anyway.”
She looked confused. He was being so nice to her, which was not completely abnormal. It was not that other creatures were mean to her: they just did not see her, and had no reason to pay her any attention. By her own design. She was not really sure how to deal with it now that he was noticing her. But she liked it. Maybe she would go and meet more gods, and see what else she could learn of herself and of others that way. Maybe sitting back and watching was not the only method, or the best one, for what she really liked to do. It was just what came naturally.
“You’re very nice,” she told him, and he fluffed his fur out.
“How about we go and take a fly around? We’ll find someone you want to watch, and you can show me what it is you like about it? Then I’ll show you what I do with my free time. We’re friends now, right? I’d like to learn more about you, Maskhara.”
“And I would like to know more about you, Tindika.”
(Word Count in Word: 1,037)
