[BORDER] A Pretty Flower (Azora & Dysi)

[Velveteen Angel]

Dysi had decided that since his cubs were quite a bit older now, he could afford to wander a bit further. He had told Maleficar to not expect him home for a day or two, and had wandered further than he had done in a very long time. He loved it. His paws had missed wandering, and the smell of new scents crossing his nose.

He had no idea where he was, but that had never bothered him before. Instead, he was humming, a pep in his step that hadn't been there a few days before, as he walked across the landscape. He loved his family, absolutely adored them, but he loved to walk. Exploring was his life, after all. He couldn't wait until his cubs were old enough to travel with him, and then his life would be complete.

He started singing softly, a gentle song with few lyrics. "Oh I saw a flower bloom, it's colour matched your eyes. I picked the flower for you love, but it's beauty was a lie. Oh, it paled in comparison, to the sparkle in your eye~"

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

Azora didn't often venture this far from the safety of the dens. Well, she certainly spent plenty of time away from said dens, but usually not this far. But this oddly placed garden was still within the borders, just barely, and it still needed tending. It was clear right off the bat that it hadn't been very well looked after, likely due to its' far-flung position. The quiet lioness resolved to remedy that and visit the garden more often.

She was carefully tugging out the unwanted plants and refreshing the soil by kneading it with her claws when a cheerful voice suddenly broke out in song not very far away. She'd had her head buried in the plants with her eyes on the soil, and thus hadn't noticed the approach of whomever it was. Startled, she froze for a moment, allowing her to take in the words of his song. Well, at least it was about plants? Cautiously she raised her head and peered about.

It was a leopard, and not someone she recognized. Her eyes went round as she realized that this might be someone who had slipped past the guards, intentionally or not. She sucked an instinctive breath to warn him away, but held it in. Foolish girl, she admonished herself, he wasn't in any danger! He was a leopard! But still.... how and why was he here? Curious, she inched to the edge of her little plot of herbs, gathering her courage. "H-hello?" she managed softly, ears registering dismay and anxiety.

Velveteen Angel

 

[Velveteen Angel]

Dysi glanced up, pleased to hear another voice; a feminine voice. Dysi was nothing if not a ladies man, and he enjoyed female companionship far more than any other type. The lioness that was before him had a rather ferocious looking mask across her face (in the form of a marking) but her tone was tentative and cautious. She seemed shy, and Dysi immediately wanted to put her at ease.

He gave her a bright smile, his tail staying down and remaining a submissive pose that was attempting to show that he meant her no harm.

"Well hello miss!" He greeted her happily. "I do hope I'm not intruding. I don't want to be rude!"

Talencia

Wow! SO sorry for the delay in this one! Are you still interested in this fling? <3

 

[Talencia]

Azora blinked a little at the unmitigated cheer of the stranger. It practically rolled off of him like a mountainside shedding water from a storm. She gave him a tentatively smile in response to his friendliness. It was pleasant, at least for the moment, to find someone willing to talk to her. It wasn't that her pridemates were unfriendly or neglected her. It just was that her reputation for being reclusive tended to reinforce that reclusiveness.

"N-no," she stammered a bit, casting a look back over the little neglected garden plot. "You aren't interrupting. I was just.. g-gardening." She ducked her head self-consciously, feeling stupid for doing something as odd and grimy as this. He'd think her a slave or something! It couldn't be helped, for Azora was the truthful sort, and not inclined to embellishing just to gain approval. "N-not many come out here to care for it," she hastily explained, and then could have slapped a paw to her forehead. Why oh why did she just tell him that? Now he knew she could be vulnerable and alone out here! She cast him a nervous, miserable glance, feeling all the more ridiculous and like a failure. Her tail trembled and her whiskers were flat with chagrin.  

[Velveteen Angel]

She seemed shy, but that didn't phase Dysi, as he enjoyed the company of all types of creatures, not just the ones that matched his level of enthusiasm for chatting.

"Gardening?" Dysi repeated with a broad smile. "I have never been very good at taking care of plants. I fear I kill them more than anything else. I do love flowers though, and I have always wanted to keep my own flower garden." He would love a big field of flowers that he could keep in bloom for as long as possible.

"That is very kind of you, caring for what many people overlook," he remarked. "My name is Dysi, may I know your name, Miss?"
 

[Talencia]

Well... he certainly didn't seem to be the marauding sort. And if she was truthful with herself, even she would probably be able to either fight him off or flee if he somehow took it into his head to attack her. She took a deep breath and strove to get her fears firmly under control. He'd given her no reason to think him evil. Quit the opposite, he was likely one of the most charming individuals she'd met yet! Such enthusiasm and brightness wasn't as common in K'A as she might have liked. She tucked that thought into a mental corner to mull over later. Perhaps it was worth considering adding a touch of his spirit to her own demeanor, to bring sunshine to others.

She smiled a little again at his polite introduction and kind commentary. "P-pleased to meet you, Dysi. My name is Azora." Again she smiled, this time a little less nervously. "I'm good with plants. They like me, listen when I whisper, and never scold or frown at me." Hesitant but enboldened by his up-beat personality, she dared a little silliness. "Some do bite, though, but they hardly can be blamed, since usually I'm trying to pull off a leaf or uproot them when they bite." She offered a sheepish grin, shakily hoping he got her weak joke.  

[Velveteen Angel]

"Azora?" He repeated back at her, his smile continuing to stretch across his face. It was a rare day nowdays that Dysi didn't have a smile, especially when he was in the company of the feminine gender. "What a beautiful name. It suits you!" He never lied to females, even though sometimes it seemed he was over the top. He thought her markings, though confronting to some, were beautiful. Her colour shone, and her mask did nothing but highlight her golden eyes.

Dysi chuckled warmly at her joke. "Well, I suppose we would bite too if someone tried to do that to us!" He enjoyed the joke, even though it was obvious that she was not used to making them. "Do you sing to them? I've heard they enjoy songs, but I have never dared do so!"
 

[Talencia]

She tucked her chin to her chest shyly at his compliment. She was not at all used to that sort of reaction. Due to her muted nature, she often was overlooked and brushed aside. Not cruelly, of course, but folks just couldn't help dismissing her. She was quite used to it, though it did tend to sadden her heart sometimes. But this bold, bright leopard was the complete opposite. He wasn't even shifting his weight as if he was ready to leave her behind! The attention both intimidated and enchanted her.

His question and statement drew her out of her shell a little, though. "W-why not?" she asked, delicately tipping her head to one side inquisitively, curiosity clear in her gaze. If he could sing, and liked to sing, why not dare to sing to the plants and flowers? "They probably would like it," she added with a small nod. "They seem to like the frogs singing. Frogs and plants seem to go together." Almost as an afterthought, spoken aloud by accident, she added ruminatively, "Frogs don't bite, though."  

[Velveteen Angel]

Dysi chuckled. "To be honest? I was afraid that my singing would be so terrible, I would watch them shrivel up before my eyes. Imagine that - I would never dare to sing again after that. My fragile ego could not stand such rejection!" He shook his head. To be honest, Dysi's ego was anything but fragile - he was rather confident in his older age. When he was younger, he had been quite delicate, but years of travel had strengthened his sense of self.

"Ahh, that is something that plants and I have in common. There is something soothing about the serenading song of the frogs at night! Especially on a full moon, they seem even louder then." He smiled, quite pleased with their lighthearted conversations.

 

[Talencia]

His light-hearted melodrama teased another smile from her, this one more mild delight than uncertainty. It warmed her eyes and caused her body to relax visibly. Yes indeed, this was no marauding despoiler. She'd heard tales of big lions with braids and wicked smiles that swept in and carried females off to their faraway pride to serve them however they chose. She was timid enough, such an experience was likely to be the end of her... and her being diseased would be the death of them! But this leopard was of entirely different stuff.

"You like frogs too?" she suddenly said eagerly, her volume rising to a more normal level. She leaned forward, tension and withdrawal gone in the face of such a revelation. "I love the frogs. They are so welcoming and friendly. They listen when I...," she stopped herself before she finished with when I cry. She stammered to a halt, swallowed, then pressed on with a sort of determination. "I mean, they are very good company when I feel alone." She hung her head a little. "Their voices cheer me up," she added, then looked back up at him with a hint of a shy smile in her eyes, "like you do."  

[Velveteen Angel]

Dysi watched her come out of her shell, just a little, listening to the increase in volume of her voice and he was stunned at her beauty. She had been pretty before, but as she grew more relaxed, the change in her was just...beautiful. He smiled at her, his expression warm and almost loving. Dysi was a romantic at heart, and his heart was very impressed with this female before him.

"I am glad you have such good company when you feel alone, then," he said warmly. "Everyone deserves something to make them feel joy on the darker days." He felt his heart flutter at her comment, and his smile grew wider. "As does yours, Miss Azora. But I must admit, it's your eyes that make me the happiest ; they're like two beautiful suns, warming my heart."
 

[Talencia]

His kind remarks warmed her. She still felt that lingering sense of being alone, but the longer he talked, the more distant that feeling was. Just sitting and talking with him like this was a balm to her soul that she had badly needed. For just a moment, she found herself wistfully wishing that he would stay, and always be her moment of sunshine when she needed it. But then he surprised her with a compliment that went beyond mere kindness.

She blinked those eyes in startlement, looking rather like a gazelle suddenly nose-to-nose with something she isn't sure is going to eat her or not. "I... make you happy?" she asked in bafflement and wonderment. "Even though we just met?" As incongruous as it was for him to make her happy in that amount of time but the reverse be a surprise, she simply could not fathom that anyone would find her company that welcome, much less say that her eyes warmed his heart.

Stunned, she blinked again. "I... don't know what to say," she admitted with bewilderment in her eyes. She didn't know what to do either. She found this leopard's company enticing and delightful, and it floored her that he felt the same way about her. What to do now?! But by some miracle, she hadn't retreated into herself again. She merely was poised in confusion and a sweet sense of attraction that she'd never experienced before.  

[Velveteen Angel]

Her surprise at his compliment was almost heart-breaking. Did she not realise how beautiful she was? Even just thinking that, he already knew the answer. She had no idea that she was a burst of sunshine all on her own. "I am not lying," he said softly. "I would never lie to you. You are a beautiful burst of sunshine and happiness, and I am grateful to have met you." He smiled at her, softly.

He took a step closer to her, careful to keep his pace slow and his expression gentle. "You make me happy." He smiled softly, his eyes sparkling with affection. He moved slowly, placing his paw over one of hers. "You are beautiful, Miss Azora."
 

[Talencia]

Her face heated as he came in closer, breathing words she never thought she'd hear. She stared deep into his eyes as he called her beautiful, and didn't even jump when his paw touched hers. Somehow, hit all felt right in a dreamlike way. With a feeling like she was flying (or falling?), she leaned towards the beautiful stranger and let all her worries go, letting herself bask in his attentions for however long he chose to bestow them. Here and now, which was all that mattered, life was very, very good.