[PRP] Spreading Cheer...Sort Of (Wing x Sitares)

[SilverLutz]

It was with heavy paws that Wing brought herself away from her pride. She had neglected her duties as a Crier during her own season due to her grief at the loss of her son, and it had taken some coaxing to get her to go out this season instead. She needed to keep her mind occupied, someone had told her. Who...she couldn't remember. Just a concerned voice with worried eyes. That's what everyone seemed to be now, just another voice and a pair of eyes. She could never keep anyone straight, because if she focused on them, all she could see was her son.

A shiver ran through her despite the heat as she trudged out into the rouge lands. It had been a few months, but still she could feel the lifeless body move under her paws as she nudged it. There had been no blood, indicating he'd died by drowning, but that hadn't made her feel any better about the matter. Drowning was a terrifying business, and she could only hope his last moments hadn't been in complete terror.

Shaking her head, Wing lifted her eyes to the sky for a moment to get her bearings before heading west. She was the western Crier for this round, and she needed to continue in this path until she made it to the Firekin lands. Then she'd turn around and head south for a few hours, then back east to her home.

Depawsit

 

[Depawsit]

Sitare wasn't up to much as of late, just taking a break from his family and friends ... a bit of an extended break if you would, but it was a break none the less. He missed them, indeed he did, but he really wanted to go out on his own and try to find his real family. Ever since his adopted family had found him as a cub, he had longed to know why his own Mother had left him. But never had he received his answer, which had led him head, to the middle of nowhere. Instead of warm and cozy inside a den with a nice mate and a couple of cubs of his own.

Sighing to himself, Sitare kicked some dirt around him and growled under his breath. Perhaps if he had even a single clue what he was doing with himself, or his life ... this wouldn't be so difficult for him! But that was just the thing! He'd left home with not a single clue, and he was still stuck in that same mindset.

He really needed to set his mind straight, or things were never going to go right for him.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Wing plodded along with her head down and ears against her head. Her thoughts continued to drift to her son. She really needed to find something to take her mind off him while she walked. Turning her gaze skyward, something caught her attention and she turned her head sharply to the left. There, walking almost parallel with her, was a white lion, easily spotted against the colorful background. Ears up, she paused for a moment to assess him. Part of being a crier was determining if someone was safe to approach or not: there were hostile rouges out there, after all.

The male seemed disgruntled but not dangerous and, with the hope of taking her mind off her sad thoughts, she broke into a very light run to close the distance between them. "Greetings, traveler," she called out in the formal greeting she always used when approaching a rouge she didn't know. "I come with happy tidings and an invitation, should you like to hear it and are not rushing off to be somewhere important."

Ah...it was nice to get back into the swing of things. She hadn't gone out since last year to invite others to enjoy the games and festiveness of her pride, and the normal pattern was wonderful to slide back in to.

Depawsit

 

[Depawsit]

Sitare hadn't expected to come across anyone out here, much less a cheetah! But he supposed that was part of the excitement of being in the rogue lands. He much would have preferred it to be someone he was related to, but he knew the odds of something like that were near astronomical. He could the weight on his shoulders grow heavier as he realized it was no one he knew, but as the same time he was intrigued by her invitation. Did he really have to be somewhere important right away?

Not really.

Sure he had to be somewhere...

When he figured out just where that was.

"N-No, I would love to hear your happy tidings, and invitations are always wonderful to hear!" He smiled warily, he knew the female was trying to be friendly, but he just didn't feel like he had it in him to be as cheery as she was. Though he had to admit, she was quite impressive in terms of her cheer!

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Wing winced slightly as she realized the lion was a bit taken aback by her cheerfulness. Honestly it was all an act that she had gotten quite good at with all her years as a crier. It was easy to slip back into the roll, and she forgot how sometimes cheerfulness in front of a complete stranger was looked at as odd. The lion bounced back after his surprise, though, and her ears lifted from her head in mild delight. At least she could carry on her good tidings.

"Wonderful. My name is Wing, and I bring a warm welcome from my pride. We are lovers of fun and games, and with the winter season upon us, we'd like to open our dens and extend our paws in welcome to any traveling near our borders. There will be games, food, and fun for anyone that wishes to come."

She paused in her speech and tilted her head, offering the larger feline a weak smile. It was still hard to force, but she was getting better at it. "I'm not sure if you're on a set path to some destination, but we always welcome travelers whether or not we have festivities planned. If you ever are in need of a friendly place to stay, our pride borders are never closed."

Depawsit

OHMYGOD SO MUCH FLUFF AND CUTENESS ;A; Ahhhhhhh Voddy and Fireheart are so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute ;3;

 

[Depawsit]

Sitare smiled a slight smile at the female, he'd never been the best at these sort of things. Being the serious sort that he was, smiling and laughing wasn't really something he did very often. But this female did seem to bring a bit of happiness out in him, at a time where he could really use it.

"Wing is it? I'll remember that." Sitare dipped his head in welcome to his new acquaintance and continued on. "Fun and games ... its been a while since i've had either of those. Not since I last saw my brother Bari ..." Sitare frowned at the name and tried to drown out the sound of his loving echoes of 'Si-Si' in his mind. Sitare watched the female as she smiled at him, noticing quite well the all too familiar forced appearance. Tilting his head to the side, he sat down slowly before her and allowed her to finish before speaking up.

"Thank you for that kind welcome, I would be most obliged to attend your pride's festivities. But if you wouldn't be so hurt by my request ... I wonder, what is the reason behind your broken smile?" He paused a moment, his head still tilted. "I ask only because, it matches my own. You don't see many with broken smiles, and when I do, I feel compelled to understand the pain that broke their's as it broke mine. Of course, I understand if you feel compelled to not answer."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Wing glanced to the side as Sitare thanked her for her offer, the question that followed making her smile falter completely. It had been a whole season now - her season - since the death of her son, but it still hurt. He had been the star of her life, and he had been taken away far, far too soon.

She warred with herself if she should tell him or not, but the comment just moments before about his brother brought a sort of kinship to her mind that she'd never felt before. This stranger had gone through something similar, it would seem. Perhaps there would be comfort there for her.

"No it...it's fine. I need to learn how to speak of it so I can return to how I used to be," she said very quietly. Wing used to be a very happy-go-lucky girl, with an infectious smile and laugh that could make anyone join in with her dancing and singing. Now...she felt like the shell of the cheetah she once was.

"Two seasons ago there was a very..very bad storm that hit our pride. We lost...we lost many of our friends and family." She took a slow breath and let it out. At least now she didn't cry whenever she spoke about this. "My son...he was just a month old. We were swept away in a flash flood, we got separated...he didn't make it. I found him under a tree. He looked...very...very peaceful," she added quietly, unsure why she did. "Which was a good thing. If he hadn't then I don't...I'm not sure how I could have gone on."

Depawsit

 

[Depawsit]

Sitare went quiet, only allowing his tail to flick slowly back and forth as he gave Wing his full attention. He could understand where she was coming from with her first comment, it was something his adoptive parents had always told him. He should be proud of his adoptive roots, explain to others what it meant. Never back down from it, and always be open to explaining his story to another. By doing so, his wound would close. Possibly it would never heal, but it would get better. So far their advice had helped him immensely, he was a stronger adult now though his hole still remained and they understood that.

Snapping free of his trance, he continued to listen to Wing's story. Not ever daring to make a comment, nor even a face. Her story was heart wrenching and he could see from her face that she was having no ease in speaking of it. "I - I can't imagine how that must affect you my friend. You have my condolences, and also my respect. Someone who can be so strong, deserves to one day be as happy as she is now miserable." Sitare frowned down at Wing before standing once more and walking over to her.

"You are a strong lady Wing, I am happy that your last moments with your son were peaceful. If for nothing else, you can be thankful for that." Slowly reaching up a paw, he placed it on her shoulder and smiled at her.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Wing glanced at her paws as the memories came flooding back. The little cub's cold body, soaked to the bone from the water. The search party coming to find her, and then finding out they'd lost a few of their leaders. She shivered when something touched her shoulder, and she looked up to find Sitare had come closer to touch her. She gave him a weak smile and nodded as his words finally registered.

"It is hard, but there are those who have gone through worse," she murmured quietly. "And you? What of your brother...if you don't mind my asking, of course." It seemed like a good time to share their stories. Perhaps this would bring him to her pride when she returned and she could play host for him. She had kept to herself the past season and it was just starting to hit her now how lonely she'd been. She really needed to find someone to help her recover and not fill, but patch the hole in her life.

What she really yearned for was a mate. Someone that she could take care of and be taken care of in return. Someone that she could start a family with and raise cubs together. Sitare didn't quite fit that bill, but she felt as though he could be a very dear friend with such similar stories.

Depawsit

 

[Depawsit]

He couldn't help but nod at Wing's comment, it was true. Just recently he had come across a female from a pride who's entire pride had gone up in flames. She'd lost a significant portion of her family to the smoke, and even more were scattered and lost among the wreckage. When you think of things like that - even his petty one didn't seem like much compared to Wing's or her's.

It took a moment for her question to register, but once it had he had to figure out what she meant. "My brother? Oh! You mean Bari! He's fine, I assure you, he's back at home with our parents. I've just been away for quite some time, and i'm beginning to miss them." He paused a moment frowning at his own words. "Well I guess the more accurate wording is, my adopted brother and my adoptive parents. My brother and I were both abandoned by our parents at young ages. We lucked out and found one another before we perished from our living conditions. I cared for him, and in return, he tried to keep me strong." Sitare had to pause a moment and regain himself.

"In fact, he's the one who found our new family. It was silly of him to run up to complete strangers. But he did, and we've been with them ever since. But, I still long to know of the family that forgot me. Even to just understand their actions ... perhaps that would be enough for me."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Wing's expression softened a bit as Sitare told her his story. While it didn't involve death, it did involve loss and struggle. The thought of little cubs wandering around in the open broke her heart, and she was very glad he had found a family with his brother.

"I'm very glad you found a good family, then," she said with a small smile. "Surely you could go visit them again?" Or perhaps not...there were some prides that cast out the males when they started to grow their manes. She hoped that wasn't the case, and that he was simply out in the rouge lands to find a mate, perhaps, or a friend, or just to see what was over the horizon. She knew all about wanderlust, and it got to some lions very easily.

"Are you far from home?" she asked after a moment, lifting her ears just a bit. "I'm going about my rounds right now, but if you head in the direction of my pride you'll get a very warm welcome if you tell them I sent you, and if you wish, you can stay with me in my den for a while as a sort of...vacation from the rouge lands."

Depawsit

 

[Depawsit]

"Oh yes, i'll go home again someday. Right now I suppose i'm just on a quest for answers. I guess when I left I was hoping that by some stroke of magic that I would run into my real Mother. But I think when i'm realizing now is that my real Mother has always been back at home, waiting on me to come home." Sitare smiled a little brighter as he looked up to Wing once again. She might not know it, but Wingng had just given him the push he needed to realize that his expedition was for all the wrong reasons.

"Uhhh I am far from home actually ... I would estimate a couple of weeks off. But some of that is me walking in circles, so perhaps a little less than that." Wing's warm welcome, and the welcome he expected to receive from her pride were enough to warm his heart a bit more. "I think I would like that quite a lot actually. Thank you Wing, can I expect to see you return home soon? I'd hate to leave without seeing you again."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Sitare's words made the ice and sorrow in Wing's heart melt just a little. Here she was with a son of some lioness that had lost him, whether on purpose or otherwise, and he had come to the realization that his adopted family was all he needed to be happy. It made her think of her own son, who she had lost, but was starting to realize that she could see him in everything around her: Sitare was quiet and gentle like he had been, and she swore she could feel him nuzzle her when the wind blew just right. Perhaps he wasn't really lost after all...

"Oh yes, I'll be home within a few days time," she said with a nod. "I go as far as the next pride, then return in a little half circle. Three suns at the most, I know the route well. If you walk all of today and a bit of tomorrow with a nice sleep in between you'll make it to the borders," she said, smiling just a bit, but with real happiness behind it this time. "It might be a little hectic, but just tell them Wing sent you and you'll be treated very well, I can promise you that."

Depawsit

 

[Depawsit]

Sitare's tail thumped happily at Wing's reassurance that she would return home soon. He had already promised her that he would return to her pride and wait on her. But to know that she would soon return, well it was exciting. He hoped the two could talk more and get to know one another a bit more. They seemed as though they were two birds of a feather, kindred spirits if you will.

"Well then, i'll head that way and await your return! Perhaps you can introduce me to some of your pride's festivities when you return!" Sitare smiled happily before walking slightly past Wing to head out. However something held him back and he turned once more to add one final comment.

"Chin up Wing, you'll be home soon. Don't let the past get you down ... i'll see you back home soon enough!" Dipping his head politely to her once more, he finally took his leave.

SilverLutz