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 Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:55 pm
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 The cold didn't bother Tikahn much. He frequented the rouge lands often to escape the wary stares his pride mates gave him due to his pelt and dealt with the heat well, but there was something about going home for a few moons to relax and reunite with friends that always made him smile. The cold was a welcome respite from the oppressive heat, too. When the first freezing weather had descended on the island pride, Tikahn had been surprised and a bit upset. Now, though, he loved coming home to the ice and snow.
Today was no exception. The rouge lands had been extremely hot the past few days and his paw pads were incredibly burnt from walking for so long on the broken, hot ground. The ice on the lake that surrounded his island home had soothed away the pain, and now as he walked through a light dusting of snow he grinned. Sinking his claws into the white fluffy stuff, he allowed himself a moment to flop to the ground and roll around, leaving imprints behind.
He got to his feet and shook himself free of the snow, laughing softly to himself as he looked at the mark he'd left, his breath hanging in the air before him. The imprint looked like two lions joined at the back. A rather funny thing to see, for sure! "Ah...I missed this," he said to himself as he turned to head further inland. He was sure he'd find a familiar face or two that would be glad to see him. |
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:15 pm
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Queen Elsa was not feeling particularly upbeat, and it was not difficult for her to understand why not. She was a curse to her lands, and though she was meant to rule, there were many who questioned her claim to the throne. Her family was gone, and only she remained. Most did not even believe she was the true heir, or even had the blood of the last rulers in her. And she had no real proof to dissuade them with, or to prove their doubts incorrect.
For all she knew, she could be the imposter, the curse they thought she was.
She was padding along with all these thoughts in her head, weighing down her shoulders and making her tail and ears sag a bit. She looked down at the ground as she walked, eyes misty and distant, her mind very clearly somewhere else. She did stop, though, when she heard some laughter, and it made her glance up in surprise.
Someone was enjoying the snow?
She was standing rather close when he turned his attention from his snow imprint and made to walk, which was not the best place to be. She bounced back, but she accidentally bumped him, feeling sheepish for getting so caught up in something as simple as someone enjoying himself in the snow.
"I-I'm sorry." |
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:24 pm
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Tikahn was too caught up in his fun to notice someone was coming, even though the wind was blowing her scent directly to him. He was used to having strange smells around, so this one wasn't any different. He was surprised, however, when he turned around to find the blue lioness directly in front of him. The little bump and her apology made him shake his head quickly, blue eyes bright.
"It's all right! I should have paid attention to where I was going," he said with an awkward laugh. hoping she didn't see the odd lion imprint behind him. Oh, this was a bit embarrassing now. "I haven't been home for a few moons so I was just...enjoying the respite the cold weather brings. It's hot out in the rouge lands all the time!"
The blue, snowy coat the female had let Tikahn know she wouldn't be judging him for his own wintery one. He kept his love of the snow secret from those who looked at him warily because of his coloration, but to fellow 'snow coats' he was pretty open and honest about it.
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:59 pm
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Elsa smiled at him, nodding her head.
"I was... well. I saw you enjoying yourself, and wanted to see what you were laughing about. Your little snow form is very nice." She nodded her head toward the double lion, looking as though she were gallantly containing her laughter for his sake. It had lifted her spirits rather well, her mind moving away from the doom and gloom and focusing the happier things before her.
She looked him over, seeing the swirl on his pelt, the brown and the white. He looked like a winter storm, something she rather loved watching. She loved the weather, the snow, much more than most of her pride members would agree to. It was beautiful, and it regularly enchanted her.
"I'm glad you're back, then. The rogue lands can be a little bit tiring. I uhm. I was going to go out and enjoy the snow, myself." She smiled serenely, composed now, and watching him with a gentle expression. |
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:20 pm
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"Oh..." Had he been able to blush, Tikahn certainly would have been turning red at that moment. He glanced behind him at the imprint, chewing his lower lip nervously. Ah, he should have erased it or trampled it when he had the chance. What adult flopped around in the snow like a cub? He did, apparently. The lioness seemed genuine in her words, though, so when he turned back towards her to look sheepishly through his mane, there was a tiny smile on his face.
"Thanks. Not my best, but I'm out of practice," he said, trying to keep the mood light and brush off his embarrassment with a joke. He nodded his head in agreement as she went on - he did enjoy the time away from the pride if only because no one looked at him funny in the rouge lands, but at the same time the constant heat and having no consistent friends around was a bit of a drag.
The lion's ears perked up in interest as the female continued on. It wasn't often he found a lion that enjoyed the snow and would openly admit it, even ones with pelts similar to theirs. It wasn't as if he enjoyed the hardships the cold weather brought, like the lack of food and the dangers the cold presented, but the snow itself was enjoyable, especially when it wasn't raging in a storm. "Would you like some company?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes. "I'll be sure not to lag behind."
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:38 pm
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"Well, you'll have to practice a bit more, then," she laughed lightly, swishing her tail behind her gently. She looked at him with a gentle, sincere expression, not wanting him to feel like she was judging him in any way.
If she could get away with it, she would play with the snow far more often.
"If you'd like to join me, I wouldn't mind!" She never got to hang out with others, and it was a delight to have someone offer. He lived here, so surely he knew who she was, right? And he was just being kind to her, regardless. That was important to her, though she did not consider that he might just not know who she was at first glance. She moved away from the island area, out toward the snowy valley around them.
She looked back at him, sweet and a little embarrassed.
"I really do love the freshly falling snow. I think it's beautiful, and gentle. It can be dangerous, but I don't think it's something that needs so much derision. It doesn't earn it. It's judged unfairly, I suppose, and a lot of creatures seem to hate all snow, now, instead of just the storms that blow it around. Uhm. I'm sorry, I'm babbling a bit." |
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:46 pm
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"I guess I do," Tikahn said with a little laugh, following the lioness without hesitation as she started to walk. They moved from their island along the frozen lake, heading in the direction of the mainland. Every so often one of Tikhan's legs would slide out from under him and he'd have to pause to get his balance back. Even growing up here couldn't prepare him for the slickness of the ice, nor walking with his claws out to grip the slippery surface.
As the lioness spoke he nodded in agreement, eyes lighting up as she spoke. "Oh, no! It's quite all right. I feel the same way. Although I must admit, I didn't really appreciate the snow until I left on my first mission in the rouge lands," he said with a little nod. "I thought it would be nice to have a break from the snow but...I was so excited to come home, the first time and every time after that."
He lowered his nose to the snow and began to nudge it as they walked, forming a little ball that slowly grew until he couldn't push it easily any more. He left it behind, the snowball the only shape on the flat ice. "I think it's very pretty," he added in agreement as he caught up to the lioness, snow on his nose. "And silly that some lions hate it. Sure, it's cold, but I'd rather have cold paws than hot ones!" Although, he thought to himself, that might just be him.
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:01 pm
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Elsa had no trouble walking across the ice, and almost didn't seem to notice the way it was slick and dangerous. She was used to it, really, and she looked at him when he slipped in surprise, until she realized what had happened. She smiled at him and tried not to laugh again, not wanting to embarrass him further. She knew he was not too pleased to have his snow lion discovered.
She walked along after that, not looking back at him until they had reached a nice spot of soft, new snow. It was untouched, looking pristine and white, just beautiful as far as she was concerned. She looked at him, opening her mouth to say this spot was perfect, but the words ran out of her head emptied when she saw him.
He had snow on his nose, and behind him there was a ball of snow. She smiled at what he had been doing, then moved back to the ball. She took up pushing it, to the lovely snow.
"Let's build something!" she said brightly, bouncing to start a ball of her own, gathering it up. They could build a lion out of snow, if they wanted. |
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 1:01 pm
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The blank snow before them was a blank canvas, ready to be trampled and played in, but Tikahn held his ground. He had just finished listening to the lioness say how beautiful snow was, and he got the feeling she wanted to appreciate it a bit before they continued through.
He was surprised, therefore, when she turned and headed back onto the ice to get his snowball. The suggestion to build something made his ears perked up and his tail twitching in excitement. "Sure!" he said with a grin, watching as she put in in place in the pristine snow. He tilted his head this way and that, trying to get a good idea of what part of the body that could be. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the lioness rolling another ball. It was already getting big, so he started working on a smaller third.
"Should we have her laying down?" he asked as he nudged the ball, packing it in with his paws. "That might be easier than making her stand. Or him," he added, although he figured a snow mane might be a bit of a project to try to do.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 1:16 pm
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"He or She should be laying down, yes," Elsa laughed, looking at him with snow on her nose now. She shook her head but did not mind too much, bending her head back down and nudging the snow along again. She got a large ball over to him, the snow loosely packed but still clinging, and she paused.
She wanted to form it into the body of the lion, male or female, but it was a big job.
"Can you help me with this?" She asked, pushing the big ball of snow to meet the other one. She was a little winded from pushing it around, but the amount of fun she was having outweighed that vague feeling of tiredness easily. She smiled at him sweetly, looking youthful and excited. It had been a while since she was able to just let go and have some fun.
Especially in the snow.
"I don't think I got your name yet? That's rude of me, I'm sorry." She was still running on the assumption that he knew who she was. |
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 1:33 pm
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Tikahn nodded and began to nudge the head towards the ball that was already there, standing back to look at it once he finished. It looked to be about the right size, which was good. He was about to start piling up some snow for the legs when the lioness spoke again.
"Oh! Of course," he said, grinning as he noticed the snow on her nose as well. It was inevitable when playing, really. His mane and tail had tiny snowballs in them how from all the rooting around he'd been doing, and were he in the cold constantly instead of heading into the rouge lands as often as he did, he thought they'd have made nice little decorations.
He moved to stand beside the lioness, helping her push the large snowball to meet the other two. "Oh gods, did I not introduce myself?" he asked, ears flattening against his head as he wracked his brain. No...no, he hadn't. Way to go, Tikahn! Making new friends and not even telling them who you are...or asking for theirs in return!
"I'm Tikahn," he said as he pushed with his paws, getting the snowball to its final position. He patted it gently to help get the right shape, glancing at the female with a grin. "What's yours?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:25 pm
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Elsa smiled as he came over to help her, chuckling a bit at the snow that was clinging to him. She had snow in her fur, as well, but it looked like it was meant to be there, somehow. Not a flake looked out of place. She shook her head anyway, bashful, and loosened some of the soft little flurries and let them fall back to the ground.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tikahn," she said with a warm smile, closing her eyes for a moment and just reveling in how happy she felt. She felt that warm feeling run out of her a bit as he asked her for her name, opening her eyes and blinking at him in surprise.
It caught her completely off guard. He did not actually recognize her? He was just being nice to her because he was a kind stranger, and not because she was the queen. She debated for a moment too long if she should answer him, the awkward silence stretching to a near painful gap. She cleared her throat.
"M...my name is Elsa." She hoped that wouldn't change how he felt about building a snow lion with her. |
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:57 pm
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Tikahn continued to pat the snowball into place as he waited for her name, and when he finished he realized he still hadn't been given one. He turned his gaze to the lioness, a slightly concerned expression on his face. Surely she remembered her name? He was about to let her know that it was okay if she had forgotten when she spoke.
Oh.
"Q-queen Elsa!" he stammered, the shock clear on his face if it wasn't in his voice. He froze in place, stunned at the discovery. He had grown up in the pride and knew of the queen, of course, but he had never seen her. As a cub she hadn't been in power, and as an adult he was out in the rouge lands so often he barely knew anyone in the pride anymore. He did know, however, that the queen was the only one in the pride with that name.
He quickly bowed his head in respect, nose pressed into the snow as his heart hammered in his chest. He'd been laughing and joking with the queen! He knew that there were those in the pride that weren't fond of her for bringing such harsh conditions to the pride, but, as he had said before, he didn't mind the snow and cold. He loved it, actually, and was thankful for it. Elsa was certainly nice, he thought to himself as he trembled just a bit. But there were things you should and shouldn't do around royalty...right?
"I...I'm sorry I didn't know who you were," he said, wincing just a bit as he realized how horrible that must seem. He didn't even know his own queen when he saw her!
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Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:01 pm
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Elsa looked at him bashfully, watching as the realization of who she was settled on him like a ton of rocks. His expression shifted completely, shock and probably horror lighting his eyes up.
She felt guilty, heavily guilty. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything, then he wouldn't feel whatever it was he was feeling now. He could go on liking her for their little encounter, and not suddenly realizing he was standing with a cursed lioness who had damned the pride by her simple presence.
or so most of them seemed to believe.
"You don't have to bow..." she said quietly, watching him with her ears drooping a bit. She motioned with her paw and scooted a bit closer, nudging him so he could relax a bit. She didn't want him to think he had to treat her differently now that he knew her name. It was just a name, right?
"Most don't know what I look like, except by rumor. I don't go out very much and that's not your fault. Please, you've done nothing wrong. If you don't wish to build this with me, I understand. It's a little strange to play in the snow with the cursed Queen..." She smiled sadly at him, but she had already accepted that he would want to leave her company now, and bowed her head graciously as she backed up a few steps. |
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Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:19 pm
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The quiet words reached Tikahn's ears, and he hesitantly lifted his head, snow stuck to his nose. He kept his head low for a few moments, unsure of what to do. He'd never been in the presence of royalty before, but all the stories he'd been told as a cub had lots of bowing and kissing paws and pledging your life to the ruler. Those were all fairy tales, of course...perhaps things were different in real life.
He slowly lifted his head, once again standing normally, although it was obvious he didn't know what to do. Elsa...she was the queen! The queen many weren't fond of, but the queen all the same. Tikahn didn't think the other lions were very fair to her, though...surely it wasn't her fault for all the wintry weather they went through. If they didn't like it, he thought to himself, they could always leave...he left often enough to prove how easy it was, even when the lake wasn't completely frozen over.
The little nudge broke Tikahn from his thoughts and he blinked in surprise as she continued. So many things were running through his head all at once, but the most important one was what thankfully came out of his mouth. "N-no! I...I've been having a lot of fun so...so I'd like to keep building the snow lion," he said, stumbling over his words. "I'm sorry, Queen Elsa. You...you just caught me by surprise." He went to bow again but caught himself, and instead turned the motion into rolling another ball of snow towards her. The little slope of the hill helped it roll to her feet, resting against her leg.
"It's all right if you're cursed," he added as he lifted his head, the idea of Elsa being alone for so long starting to get to his softer side, the initial shock wearing off. She probably didn't have any friends...
"I like this weather," he added, trying to smile normally. "So...um. Don't go?"
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