(me and moose..again.)
Lulu grinned to herself, humming in her head as she cut through the water like a fish. Unlike many of her bretheran, the dark cat LOVED the water and would nine times out of ten be found soaking somewhere. Today she was in hunt of those oyster shells that she could break up to make pretty pieces for her jewelry. All that was easily visible of the female was her shocking red foremane and ears.
Safi loved floating water; water that he could lounge in all day, and not feel any kind of current tugging him here or there. This water...this water he hated. It swept up the beach like some kind of war, taking everything with it, so he was content to stay as far away as possible. That is...until he saw the red. Was it a fish? It looked kind of like fur, but that didn't make a lot of sense to him, so, he picked up a rock, and swatted it out to the bobbing thing.
"OW!!" A dark head snapped up out of the water, scowling in the direction the rock had come from, gold eyes narrowed an annoyed set in the grey masked face. "What did you do that for?!"
To say that Safi was surprised to see that it was not only a feline that he had attacked, but a female one at that would be an understatement. His eyes only widened to see how beautiful she was, caressed by the water. "I'm sorry, but from this angle, you looked like a poisonous fish. I really didn't mean to hurt you." And that, at least, was true.
Lulu blinked then bursted into laughed as she swam for the shore. She was long limbed and slender, looking as if perhaps she had some cheetah blood somewhere in her. "No worries stranger, it is not as if I am bleeding...am I?" She ducked her head, twisting slightly so he could see her ear better.
The pale leopon smiled and walked closer, his stride as languid as any lion's. She looked like a radiant goddess in this light. Truly, a sight to behold! "Here, let me get a better look." Taking this as an excuse to touch her, he cupped her head in his paw and looked over her head, then slipped back. "You've got a little bump, but nothing too serious. If you don't mind me asking...what were you doing in the water, anyway?"
"Looking for shells." She held up a paw drawing his attention down to braclet wrapped around her leg. Seaweed and the pearly insides of the shells glinted against her dark fur. "It is my gift."
Safi leaned in for a closer look, his orchid eyes drinking in the sign of her leg. Then, almost on a whim, he remembered what he was actually supposed to be looking at and had the good graces to look up. "And what a gift. Have you always been this talented?"
Lu laughed as she moved away from him some to shake her fur out. "I was fascinated as a child, my mother took me with her on travels and I learned from others how to craft goods such as this."
"Have you crafted more than bracelets? And does it always involve shells?" Finding himself generally curious now, Safi plopped down to sit and listen to her.
"Oh yes!" Lulu's orange-gold eyes brightened to her subject. "I had the honor once of making a full hide for someone in the pride who had been badly scarred.
"Oh my!" Safi exclaimed, his eyes widening with surprise. "How badly were they scarred? And what pride do you belong to? I wasn't aware that I was so close to one now or I may have been watching my steps."
Her eyes turned sad, "our pride is no more. I just..I haven't found a reason to leave yet." She shrugged her slender shoulders.
Safi grimaced, his ears flattening back against his head in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard to be on your own." He gave a pause, then continued, "Would you...want to come with me? My sister and I are traveling together, and we could offer you protection, a place to sleep, food...whatever you need to get a head start on your new life."
"Really?" Lu lifted her head with a surprised smile, "I mean..yeah I think I would like that. I have been on my own quiet awhile."
"Really." Safi smiled. He stepped back and gestured back the way he came. "I came down this way to explore the water, but I left her in that direction. You're more than welcome to stay as long as you like, so don't feel like you have to leave right away."
"No, likely I shouldn't. Might be mistaken for a fish again." She teased with a smile stretching as she stood. She HAD to have some cheetah in her with those long legs and that willowy build.
He laughed, forcing a blush to his cheeks. Sometimes he like to pull the tough guy act to bring in the girls, but this one didn't seem to need that. And Gods above, those legs! They were going to drive him mad before the day was out. "Would you like to go now? Or do you want to say goodbye first?"
"There is no one to say goodbye too." It could have sounded all self-pitying and pathetic, but she said it in such a practical way, just stating the facts.
He just nodded, taking that into account, and turned on his paw to walk off, the waves creating a soundtrack behind him.
Lu was humming as she padded along side of him. "So are you and your sister close?"
Safi nodded. "We're twins. We've been inseparable since birth."
"Nice! I have never had a sibling..well that I know of. It was just me, mum and grandda."
"Really? I can't imagine my life without my siblings. There were six in my litter, and then there are my three older brothers." Of course, he knew there were probably more siblings running around out there, but those were the only he was aware of.
"Really? I think I will like being part of a large group again." She beamed at him as they walked along.
Isith heard voices, rolling her eyes when she heard a feminine laugh. Great, just great. Safi had found a broad for the night and would want her to split. Well poo! She was comfty.
"Of course." Safi smiled. "Being part of a large family is similar to being with a pride, except everyone is related." As he started to walk along and chat, he noticed Isith. Good Lord, how was he supposed to hit on her with his sister around? "Oh Look, there she is now."
Isith looked up with a scowl though the look faded till she looked like she had been struck over the head, her violet eyes wide and fascinated.
Lulu blinked, then smiled warmly, "Hi there."
Safi was...stunned. What in the world was wrong with Isith? If he didn't know any better, he would think that she...No. No, she couldn't be, could she? "Isith, this is- I'm sorry, but I never asked your name."
"Luludja, but you can call me Lulu." The red, grey and black female had yet to look way from the stunned leopon female. "A pleasure to meet you Isith."
The words jolted Isith from her daze, causing her to shoot Safi a stricken look before ducking her head, Safi would know it for shame, though it could just as easily been a greeting.
A part of Safi reared it's ugly head in the form of a sneer. It wasn't because of his sister's recent, at least for him, sexuality, but for this. This competition that was now set up between them. It would figure that the one time he was sure something good had come his way that Isith might stand to take it away. He had to stop himself, though. She wouldn't do that, and he knew it. The question was, was he willing to let her have a shot?
"Lulu will be staying with us for a while, Isith, so make her feel welcomed."
She gave her head a sharp nod, giving Lulu a shy and bewildered glance before getting to her feet. She brushed past, Safi nuzzling him for comfort as she had when young and scared before going to patrol their camp rather than face the mixture of emotions swamping her.
Lulu looked after her with both interest and curiosity on her face before looking to Safi, a clear question in her eyes.
Safi nipped his sister's ear as he had when he was a cub. He'd started it when he was injured and unable to do much else, but now...now it was sign that he was always with her. She needed her space, so instead of answering Lulu right away, he made sure his sister was a good distance away. "Just give her some time; I'm sure she'll come around soon enough."
"Does she not speak?" Lulu tilted her head sitting down.
"Not since the attack." Safi murmured softly, turning his head just so so. He didn't normally talk about what happened in his childhood, but for Isith's sake, he knew he'd have to.
"Attack?"Her voice was soft and questioning, full of understanding and compassion.
He took a deep breath before continuing. "When we were young, my sister went off by herself. We were playing, and she was just being a cub. She was found by a demon-" Safi sneered, his eyes turning sharp. "-thing that started to attack her. I found them, thank the Gods, and protected her. Unfortunately, I was...injured and she blames herself for it. She shouldn't; it wasn't her fault! But she...she just..."
"blames herself since you came for her." She nodded in understanding murmuring softly, "poor baby." She gazed in the direction isith had gone then back at Safi with a gentle smile, "Well I will make sure not to make things harder for her. Promise."
Safi's frown turned into a soft smile. Yes, this was going to work out perfectly. "Thanks. Maybe you can talk to her sometime, get her to open up to someone else? So far, she's only been showing her "true" side to my father and I. I think it would be good for her to have a friend that wasn't related."
"I will defiantly do that." She cleared her throat looking away, " Is she..well..does she have a mate?"
Safi's eyes widened. "Isith? Gods, no! Like I said, she barely talks to strangers and she's been closed off since she was a cub, so there's been no amount of romance on her end." He grinned. "Why do you ask?"
"She is lovely, it just seems a shame she is alone is all."Lulu smiled.
"It is. I keep telling her that, but she doesn't seem to believe me."
"you are her twin, yes. You are suppose to tell her such things."
"Not like she's ever going to listen to me." He sighed, and stretched out on the ground. "She thinks she's beyond love. What she needs, though, is someone kind, affectionate, and smart....Someone like you, actually."
Lulu blinked then ducked her hide with a smile, "Well, we'll see." The smile she gave Safi was just as warm.
