[PRP] On the Border [Sikio & Gealach Scath]

[Cajanic]

Sikio didn't normally roam from the pride lands, but somehow, she had been bitten by the exploration bug. Perhaps it was all the stories she heard from and about her father. The times he had spent in the wilderness, all on his own. While his clumsy antics didn't make it seem like a haven, it did sound like being out and about, all alone, could be exciting. It was a life she had never known.

And not one she was going to consider keeping, all things considered. She didn't like not seeing familiar faces every day, or having to worry about angry strangers trying to take her food or push her out of their territory. Half the time she wasn't even aware she had wandered into a pride until she was being chased out of it.

She sighed to herself, looking around the new land she had found. She could smell a lot of lions around- had she wandered into another pride? Oh boy.

Maybe she needed to get out of there before the trouble found her.  

[mouselet]

Gealach hated feeling like he was in trouble. Which gave rise to the very good question of what he was doing out near the pride borders in the early afternoon, when most of the pride was sleeping. True, as a Lord he didn't have the same responsibilities as most of the pride, but that just meant that the Royal Guards looked at him all the closer.

It was unsettling. And only when the sun shone brightly and the young lion came so far from the pride could he breathe freely once more. A niggling voice in his head asked why he didn't just leave the Mwezi'Johari entirely...but what if the world outside was worse? Besides from what history he'd learned, things could change, and there was no telling when. He'd certainly rather stay home and wait.

Movement caught the black male's eye. Something to take his mind off his melancholy thoughts! Not giving a thought towards his own safety, Gealach headed for the movement, calling out "Hello there!"  

[Cajanic]

Sikio could have leapt out of her fur when she heard someone call out from seemingly no where. Of course, it wasn't like it had been a ghost- she had just been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she had forgotten to actually pay attention to the world around her. How funny to be so worried about getting into trouble that she would forget to keep an eye out for it.

Luckily, it seems it was trouble after all- it was a rather friendly-looking lion. Had she found a pride that wouldn't immediately chase her off their lands, or was he just another rogue like she was?

Regardless, she smiled, offering him a polite nod of her head.

"Hello! It's nice to see a friendly face! My name is Sikio. Do you know if this place is a pride or not?"  

[mouselet]

"Nice to meet you Sikio," the dark male replied. "I'm Gealach Scath and this is the pride Mwezi'Johari," he returned cheerfully. His tone was slightly forced as he made himself focus on the here and now, and stop fretting about the King!

"You won't see a lot of us out right now, since it's daytime, but come nightfall there's a lot of us around," he continued. He didn't mind the darkness, really!, but he'd noticed that a lot of former rogues had found it difficult to adjust.

"What brings you here?"  

[Cajanic]

“Oh! Well, I’m sorry if I’m not supposed to be here!” Though it seemed like it was alright- she wasn’t already on her way out, so this was already going better than some of her other visits to prides that she had experienced. She smiled, listening to him with interest.

“So this pride enjoys the night life? I suppose that makes sense with the name!” She chuckled lightly, “that’s really interesting. The pride I come from doesn’t really prefer one time or day to the other, but I’ve grown used to wandering around in the day and doing my sleeping at night.”

When he asked what brought her there, she smiled. “I guess I just wanted to have a look around, you know? I love my pride, but listening to stories other lions have to tell of the outside world… I wanted to see it for myself, if only for a day. Maybe it’s a bit childish.”  

[mouselet]

"Oh no, you're fine," Gealach hastened to reassure the lioness. Strangers were still guests, at least for a day or two. Beyond that, of course, they'd have to want to join the pride in order to stay. Or they'd be politely asked to leave. He was about to add all that in, when Sikio mentioned that she was from a pride. As in, a current member. Not someone who'd left. At least, not on more than a short trip.

The black lion opened his mouth to ask why she was out here if she was from another pride, but the lavender lioness kept talking in a stream of cheerful babble. He ended up nodding dazedly at what she said. Then she stopped talking and he shook himself a little, to wake up after that long not-speech.

"No, I don't think it's childish at all!" Gealach replied hastily. "It's kind of cute, like a grown up cub." He flushed then, the surge of blood nearly invisible against his black fur. "Sorry...I didn't mean that the way it came out."  

[Cajanic]

SIkio grinned from ear to ear. "That's okay! I guess I am kind of like a cub, still," she didn't think it was such a bad thing, so how could she be mad about it? Embarrassed a little, maybe. He looked like he was embarrassed, too, which wasn't helping.

Shifting on her paws, she chuckled faintly.

"Well, tell me more about yourself! I promise I'll listen more and talk less," she offered, "were you born here?"

mouselet

 

[mouselet]

Gealach offered a shy smile and settled himself a little more comfortably while composing an answer to what the lioness asked. How much did he want to tell her? Better question, how much did he actually know to tell her?

"Yes, I was born here. Like my mother, and her parents, and my great-grandfather was once the King. He gave it up though, to marry a low-class lioness." The black male paused and offered a sheepish smile. "I'm told it was very romantic and all that."

"But what about you?" he pressed in turn. "I'd love to know more about you, Sikio."  

[Cajanic]

Sikio smiled. "Oh, that does sound romantic," she said with a dreamy sort of look in her eyes. She could just picture it- a royal lion giving up everything in the name of love. Oh, it was the kind of thing every young lioness in a pride dreamed about, wasn't it?

Or maybe it was just her.

He asked about her and she smiled thoughtfully, "Well, I don't really have a lot to say. I was born in my pride too, but I don't think my history goes back as far as yours, and there's no royalty in it! My family is actually known for being kind of... clumsy," she chuckled lightly, "my grandfather is the God of Failure." She wasn't sure that was really something to brag about.

But it wasn't like she intended it to be a bragging moment, anyway. She just thought it was the only interesting thing she had going for her, really.  

[mouselet]

Gealach was smiling and nodding before his black eyes widened and narrowed in confusion. God...of Failure? What? How could a god have grandchildren? Sikio certainly looked like an ordinary lioness...but he couldn't figure why she'd tell such a ridiculous story.

The black male opened his mouth to protest that there was only one god, the Great Lion, and He had no children, but closed it without speaking. He didn't realy want to ruin both their days by calling Sikio a liar and making her angry. So...he'd just pretend he hadn't heard that. At all.

"Eh, it's a fairly distant relationship at this point. Worth mentioning, but no more than that," he offered the lioness a smile. "Enough about bloodlines and history. What do you see in your future?" Not that Gealach actually thought for a moment that she had the ability. He was more interested in what she planned to do.  

[Cajanic]

Sikio smiled thoughtfully, considering the question.

"Well, I think I wouldn't be against spending more of my future time here," she chuckled lightly, oblivious that she might have said something about Gods that she shouldn't have. As far as she knew, it was perfectly normal to have Gods in your bloodline. Didn't most lions?

Was that another fail face thing?

"If you don't mind having me around for a bit, of course." She didn't want to be too demanded, but she did like the idea of exploring a little more, and spending time with the rather interesting male. That was about as far ahead into her future as she could really look.  

[mouselet]

The black male smiled back. She was certainly friendly enough. And seemed nice. He was still a little weirded out by the offhand remark about a strange god, but decided it would be best to just ignore it and maybe she'd forget she'd said something.

"I certainly wouldn't mind your company for the immediate future," he replied. In fact, he wasn't sure he really wanted to think beyond the near future. Everything was in such chaos, even if things had settled down...it was so much easier just to focus on Sikio.

So he did.