Ngu had been poking around the area for a while. The lion didn't really have anything keeping him currently nor did he have anything pulling him elsewhere. The lion had never really belonged anywhere or had any family so to speak.
Today he felt lonely though and like he needed something to do or someone to talk to. One could only spend so much time on their own before they started going a little nutty. So with this in mind he began to move about looking for someone.
A lioness was also in the area, poking about; except she was looking for new plants to experiment with. Meltem had grown tired of her current stock. She wanted something new. Something exciting! Only way to get that was to find herself some new plants. The lioness browsed among the plants, passing by those she was already very well familiar with.
It didn’t take her long to realize that she wasn’t alone. Meltem looked up to see a rather striking lion walking through the forest. Well. She didn’t see that every day. “Hello? Are you lost?” He must be to be wandering around here.
Ngu smiled when the females voice rang out to him. He was thankful at hadn't taken him long to find someone to talk to. She had appeared like she had been attempting to do something when he had walked up.
"No I am not lost. Just passing through." he told her. She spoke as if this land might be spoken for he was mildly worried he was encroaching on a pride's lands. "Do you live here? Am I in your territory?" he asked taking a step backwards. He wanted someone to talk to but didn't want to risk his own hide for a good chat.
Meltem paused to quickly re-evaluate the situation. He wasn’t lost. She brushed dirt and bits of plants from her paws as she thought. “I live around here yes. Not quite yet, but you’re getting close.” She smiled reassuringly at him. “Don’t fear. We’re not violent, usually.” Some she knew might be more proactive in protecting the territory, but mostly they just tried to scare others off non-violently.
She didn’t mind meeting others at the edges of the pride territory though. “Anything that brings you out this particular way?” Meltem asked curiously. She stooped a moment to check under a very bushy plant.
Ngu let a little breath out he hadn't been overtly aware that he had been holding it but once the female spoke to him in a generally friendly voice so he figured he wasn't in immediate danger. "Nothing in particular. I suppose loneliness more than anything." he told her with a tilt of his head.
"My name is Ngu by the way." he offered hoping that a name exchanged might help their conversation along. "I noticed you were looking for things when I came up was there something in particular that you were looking for?" he asked, perhaps he would be able to help her
“Sounds like you need someone to talk to.” She smiled with sympathy at his lonely state. “I’d be happy to spend some of my time with you if it’d ease your burden.” Her plants could wait, she told herself. A lion in need could not.
“Meltem at your service!” She chuckled as she realized he’d noticed her looking. “Plants mostly. Well ones I don’t normally use, so I don’t know where they are. I’m looking for new things to make, which means I need new plants. Honestly, I got bored with the old ones. Same old recipes all the time.” She wrinkled her nose in amusement at herself.
Ngu smiled relief washing over him when the lioness agreed to spend some time with him. He let out a chuckle when she admitted that she too got bored of the same old things.
"I am glad you have time to talk!" he said his smile growing larger. "Tell me more about the land here?" Ngu had never lived in a pride or with a group at all actually it made him curious about what it was like being on the other side of things.
The lioness smiled seeing the relief wash over him. It had been the right choice. She looked around until she spotted a spot where they could relax comfortably. “This way,” she said as she gestured for him to follow her the short distance.
Meltem settled herself and waited politely for him to do the same. “Me too. I should take more time for it, except my pride mates are rather demanding.” She chuckled. “It’s very nice here. Pleasant and dense forest with water and plenty of prey to be had. My pride is a bit on the reclusive side truth be told. We like being secretive.”
Ngu looked around as she described the lands. It did seem like a lovely place to live, something he didn't tend to notice most places he went. He had never really thought about staying one place so it was never something that had appealed to him.
He had wanted to ask more questions about her pride but he swallowed them back when she told him that her pride was a secretive one. "I suppose I won’t get to see it then?" he said. He still had his laugh in his voice. He was a light hearted lion never taking life too, too seriously.
The lioness considered his question seriously. She could tell he was joking, respecting her pride’s secretive ways. What he didn’t know was that they were a small group still. They were looking to recruit more to Najwa’s way of the ninja. She could take a chance and see if he wanted to join them.
“Do you want to? Nothing secretive of course. I could show you around a bit. We’re still very tiny and looking for more members.” She looked at him hopefully. Some might scorn her for bringing in someone who wasn’t pledged to the ninjas yet. Meltem thought you wouldn’t know if you didn’t try.
"Really?" he asked a wave of excitement washing over him. He hadn't realized how much he wanted to see the pride till he suddenly had the offer. "Yes please." he said getting to his feet a little too quickly causing a bit of a head rush.
Blinking his eyes a few times he got his bearings again and turned towards the pretty blue lioness. "Can we go now?" he asked. It was somewhat strange for him to get so excited over something he had normally found trivial, clearly he had been alone for far too long. He needed to make sure that he got out a little more and met others.
She chuckled and rose to her feet after him. It’d be nice to show someone new around. It might liven up the others. Sometimes she felt that they got too gloomy. “Yes, this way.” Meltem watched him with amusement. She turned with her internal sense that told her which way home was.
“Stay close to me so they know you’re with me and not trying to sneak in,” Meltem warned him. Wouldn’t do to have her pride mates trying to scare him off when she was bringing him in. She realized this was probably the best the thing she could have offered the lonely lion. Inside she felt a warm glow.
WC: 1,235
