Priya stared up at the night sky. Why was being in love with someone else so difficult for her? The lioness sighed and closed her eyes as the memory of the young couple walking down the temple steps together haunted her. Instead of chasing each other around through jibes and attacks they were openly kissing and pressing up against each other. Almost as if they were sewn together at the hip. The thought made her smile. If her life was ever like that then it would be a miracle indeed. Stretching an arm out the lioness draped her body across an old broken down wall from the ruins. It was odd really how she had taken to practicing out here at night. Of course many pride members roamed the ruins, but this area…well maybe it was just too close to the red desert for the comfort of others. A wry smile lit the lioness’s face. That was fine by her. After what she and Vincenzo had gone through to get here then well it was hard per say for the desert to really terrify her.
But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t superstitious or easily spooked. As soon as the shadow of a lion loomed over her and a soft male voice spoke the lioness started with a jump. “Hey. Are you okay?” A pair of lilac eyes blinked down at her and the lioness slowly nodded. “Okay good.” A low chuckle, “I didn’t mean to startle you that badly.” A slight pause before his smile flashed white in the darkness of the ruins, “Afraid I was a ghost?”
“Yes!” Priya flushed instantly at her reply, “I mean…it’s kinda easy to get spooked in here.” She turned her gaze down and looked at the ground sheepishly. Oh look. She really could move quickly when she needed to. The thought made her smile. If only her instructors in dance could have seen her fly off of the wall and land on the ground just now.
“Understandable.” A light thump to her left made Priya look up. Oh. Her flush intensified as she noticed the stranger for the first time. It was hard to tell at first, but now with the moon lighting his features Priya could make out a rather handsome lion. Vaguely he reminded her of someone else that she had met out here in the ruins, but she couldn’t quite put a paw on it. “But are you alright? You didn’t hurt yourself when you slipped from the wall did you?”
Priya shook her head, “No. I’m alright, thank you.” She smiled up at him, “You just caught me studying the sky and wondering about things.”
“Sounds fun.” He flashed her a smile, “You thinking about life as well?” The male tilted his head back to stare up at the sky, “I often come out this way when I’m not training to just spend some time thinking. So much happens here that I find it’s hard to focus on the quiet unless I’m alone like this.”
“Me too.” Priya’s smile brightened. “Every day it seems I’m so busy learning so much and practicing my dance…well it’s hard to focus and to ponder some things.” Or in her case someone.
“Ah.” He nodded, “I’m glad I’m not the only one with that feeling then.” He closed his eyes, “But are you an artisan then?”
Priya nodded, “Yes. Why?”
“I was just curious. I’ve been meaning to see an artisan about making…” Here he paused and Priya could have sworn that there was a faint flush on his cheeks, “a request for a special piece of jewelry for someone.”
“Oooh.” He was taken with someone it seemed. How nice that must be. Instantly she wondered if someone would ever ask for something special to be made for her, but the lioness quickly pushed the thought aside. “Are you going to propose or is it an anniversary?”
The lion blinked at her in surprise, “Umm…well she’s just a special friend. Nothing really-“
“Liar.” Priya grinned up at him with a chesire’s grin, “You’re in love. It’s obvious.”
“Is it?” He sighed before shrugging innocently, “I never really thought about calling it love before. At first I thought I was just doing my duty as a guardian by being her protector. Then it was friendship and now…well I can’t imagine living without her by my side. I want her to be happy and I want to be the one there to give her that happiness. But I haven’t been able to propose really…how do you even go about that? Do I just take her out one night and ask? Should I shower her in presents first? What if she just sees me as a friend?”
“Woah.” Priya held out a paw, “You’re trying to hide from such a simple truth. Does your heart warm when she’s near?” She paused and smiled as he nodded slowly, “And does she smile when she sees you? Trust me. Only love can put help place the most beautiful smile on a female’s face. Nothing else can compare to the feeling we get when we see our beloved approaching.”
Here he smiled, “It seems you have a love as well then, miss.”
“Huh? I-I”
“Your smiling with such a radiant expression. I may be new to love, but your face just radiates a feeling of happiness. What a lucky male to have captured the heart of a female like you.”
“I…well maybe.” She shook her head, “But we’re talking about you here! Just propose kay? I’m sure she’ll say yes.” Priya nodded. She would say yes if her…well it would probably never happen. The thought made her heart clench. But there was no way that she would make the first move with him! Not gonna happen.
“I suppose I’ll propose then. But I wonder how?”
Priya laughed softly, “Don’t worry you’ll do fine. Just take her out somewhere as peaceful as this place when the stars are shining and lighting everything with a dream like feeling.” She nudged him lightly, “You’ll do wonders with the moon decorating the sky for you.”
He laughed, “You have a point there.”
“Oh I know I do.” Laughing she looked back and winked at him, “I better be off myself to make sure that my own heartache is alright.”
“G’luck.” After a few steps he turned back to look at her, “Hey! Thank you miss-“
“It’s Priya!” She smiled, “And you’re welcome.”
“Well, thank you again. I’m Runako by the way, miss Priya.”
“Ah. Good. Well I wish you the best of luck once more Runako.” Smiling the lioness turned back and started her way back towards the temple. This time, however, her step was much lighter than before. It was amazing what love could do to a person. Even to her.
((WC: 1140))
But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t superstitious or easily spooked. As soon as the shadow of a lion loomed over her and a soft male voice spoke the lioness started with a jump. “Hey. Are you okay?” A pair of lilac eyes blinked down at her and the lioness slowly nodded. “Okay good.” A low chuckle, “I didn’t mean to startle you that badly.” A slight pause before his smile flashed white in the darkness of the ruins, “Afraid I was a ghost?”
“Yes!” Priya flushed instantly at her reply, “I mean…it’s kinda easy to get spooked in here.” She turned her gaze down and looked at the ground sheepishly. Oh look. She really could move quickly when she needed to. The thought made her smile. If only her instructors in dance could have seen her fly off of the wall and land on the ground just now.
“Understandable.” A light thump to her left made Priya look up. Oh. Her flush intensified as she noticed the stranger for the first time. It was hard to tell at first, but now with the moon lighting his features Priya could make out a rather handsome lion. Vaguely he reminded her of someone else that she had met out here in the ruins, but she couldn’t quite put a paw on it. “But are you alright? You didn’t hurt yourself when you slipped from the wall did you?”
Priya shook her head, “No. I’m alright, thank you.” She smiled up at him, “You just caught me studying the sky and wondering about things.”
“Sounds fun.” He flashed her a smile, “You thinking about life as well?” The male tilted his head back to stare up at the sky, “I often come out this way when I’m not training to just spend some time thinking. So much happens here that I find it’s hard to focus on the quiet unless I’m alone like this.”
“Me too.” Priya’s smile brightened. “Every day it seems I’m so busy learning so much and practicing my dance…well it’s hard to focus and to ponder some things.” Or in her case someone.
“Ah.” He nodded, “I’m glad I’m not the only one with that feeling then.” He closed his eyes, “But are you an artisan then?”
Priya nodded, “Yes. Why?”
“I was just curious. I’ve been meaning to see an artisan about making…” Here he paused and Priya could have sworn that there was a faint flush on his cheeks, “a request for a special piece of jewelry for someone.”
“Oooh.” He was taken with someone it seemed. How nice that must be. Instantly she wondered if someone would ever ask for something special to be made for her, but the lioness quickly pushed the thought aside. “Are you going to propose or is it an anniversary?”
The lion blinked at her in surprise, “Umm…well she’s just a special friend. Nothing really-“
“Liar.” Priya grinned up at him with a chesire’s grin, “You’re in love. It’s obvious.”
“Is it?” He sighed before shrugging innocently, “I never really thought about calling it love before. At first I thought I was just doing my duty as a guardian by being her protector. Then it was friendship and now…well I can’t imagine living without her by my side. I want her to be happy and I want to be the one there to give her that happiness. But I haven’t been able to propose really…how do you even go about that? Do I just take her out one night and ask? Should I shower her in presents first? What if she just sees me as a friend?”
“Woah.” Priya held out a paw, “You’re trying to hide from such a simple truth. Does your heart warm when she’s near?” She paused and smiled as he nodded slowly, “And does she smile when she sees you? Trust me. Only love can put help place the most beautiful smile on a female’s face. Nothing else can compare to the feeling we get when we see our beloved approaching.”
Here he smiled, “It seems you have a love as well then, miss.”
“Huh? I-I”
“Your smiling with such a radiant expression. I may be new to love, but your face just radiates a feeling of happiness. What a lucky male to have captured the heart of a female like you.”
“I…well maybe.” She shook her head, “But we’re talking about you here! Just propose kay? I’m sure she’ll say yes.” Priya nodded. She would say yes if her…well it would probably never happen. The thought made her heart clench. But there was no way that she would make the first move with him! Not gonna happen.
“I suppose I’ll propose then. But I wonder how?”
Priya laughed softly, “Don’t worry you’ll do fine. Just take her out somewhere as peaceful as this place when the stars are shining and lighting everything with a dream like feeling.” She nudged him lightly, “You’ll do wonders with the moon decorating the sky for you.”
He laughed, “You have a point there.”
“Oh I know I do.” Laughing she looked back and winked at him, “I better be off myself to make sure that my own heartache is alright.”
“G’luck.” After a few steps he turned back to look at her, “Hey! Thank you miss-“
“It’s Priya!” She smiled, “And you’re welcome.”
“Well, thank you again. I’m Runako by the way, miss Priya.”
“Ah. Good. Well I wish you the best of luck once more Runako.” Smiling the lioness turned back and started her way back towards the temple. This time, however, her step was much lighter than before. It was amazing what love could do to a person. Even to her.
((WC: 1140))