[PRP] Going Swimmingly (Ur x Thuraya)

[Talencia]

Ur and Thuraya had been spending quite a lot of time together since that first day. Truth be told, Ur was spending all the time he wasn't sleeping or on patrol by seeking her out for one reason or another. To his mind, at this point, there was no question that she was the lioness for him. Her warmth, spirit, and love of life filled him with joy and an amazing amount of fulfillment.

Today he had enticed her into something they hadn't done just yet. Though she had, of course, learned to swim well enough to join the pride, she hadn't ever seemed very comfortable with the ocean. He wasn't entirely fond of the sea himself either, but he thought maybe together they could change how they both felt about the rolling waves.

He'd had her meet him on one of the more distant beaches, and was waiting there for her when he spotted her lovely blue form approaching. His heart sped up to a quick thump, and he let it. It was exhilarating to feel like this, and he wasn't about to deny himself the enjoyment that being with her provided. As she got close enough to greet, he beamed a smile at her. "Ready for some adventures?"  

[nessiaing]

Thuraya had little butterflies in her stomach. It was a feeling she liked though and one that came around every time she was with Ur. She hadn't really felt this giddy since she was a young girl in her home pride. That being said though this time was entirely different, not just a youthful crush and a desire to be in a harem.

"Hello friend." she greeted the male warmly. She wasn't sure she was really ready to go into the ocean, she avoided it when she could, but she trusted Ur to show her some tricks and she thought just maybe with him it wouldn't be so bad.

"I am ready if you are." she replied shyly her nerves seeping through. She moved towards him giving the blue male a nuzzle before she turned to regard the ocean.  

[Talencia]

He moved to where the waves lapped gently over their paws, then gave her a intent look. "I want to show you how it is easier to swim out further," he told her candidly, "but it means you'll have to trust me entirely." He also had plans to show her how beautiful the ocean could be, both while they swam and when they got where he intended them to go. "You'll be holding on to me at first, while we swim. We'll be going underwater once in a while," he added, a warning ahead of time so she'd know exactly what she was getting into

He flashed her a smile in an attempt to reassure her. "We'll be safe, I promise. And it really is beautiful." He couldn't help it, that last statement had a double meaning, as he gazed at this lioness that had so taken over his thoughts, heart, and life. "Ready to trust me that much?"  

[nessiaing]

It wasn't a stretch for Thuraya to trust Ur implicitly she smiled warmly as she watched him describe the place he would take her. She didn't catch the males second meaning when he was talking about beauty. Though hearing his excitement helped her get over her fears.

She moved further into the water. She did like the water, and enjoyed the feeling of it lapping on her feat, it was once she was suspended that she was less confident and she hadn't really gone underwater at all yet. She wasn't sure she would like that experience but she trusted Ur to get her through it safely.

"Ok lets go." she said moving to hang onto him as they swam. It was a little awkward as she found a way to hang onto him but she enjoyed being close to him. She hummed a little as they moved out into the water.  

[Talencia]

He shifted around as they hung in the water, settling her weight along his back. "Grip my shoulders with your claws... don't worry, that's what the mane's for after all!" He cast a smile back at her. "The waves are still small now, but when they get bigger, I'll tell you to hold your breath, and then we'll go under the wave rather than over it!" It was a trick he'd been taught long ago, and it definitely helped when wanting to go out into deeper water. Otherwise, you just wore yourself out and got waterlogged trying to struggle against the powerful waves.

Once they got out far enough for the rolling ripples to become crests, he called back to her, "Okay, hang on, hold your breath, and open your eyes when we're under!" Without any more warning than that and the incoming wave, he sucked in his own breath and dove beneath the oncoming wall of water. It wasn't huge or anything, but substantial enough to merit swimming under.

One of the few things he loved about swimming were moments like these. Suspended in a turquoise world, the sun shimmering and wavering above, the dark depths below their paws, all sound muffled. Bubbles trailed from his nose back towards Thuraya, and he hoped she was doing okay. The moments underwater were brief, but he knew it might be frightening. He broke the surface and blew water out of his nose in a spray. "You okay?" he asked a little nervously. If she hated this, he'd be unable get her out to the tide pool rocks!  

[nessiaing]

Thuraya maneuvered her paws into Ur's thick mane. She found a way to support her weight on his back and actually found herself enjoying the swim out. When they started to approach bigger waves she felt herself get nervous but she kept her paws on Ur's shoulders and did her best to relax.

When he told her to hold her breath she sucked in a quick breath and shut her eyes. Once she felt her head fully submerged under the water she blinked her eyes open. For a moment the salt stung her eyes but it was quickly outweighed by the beauty all around her. She did her best to look around while still hanging on to Ur. She enjoyed looking up and seeing the light filtering down to them, they weren't under deep but it was still a whole new experience one she quite liked.

When they broke the surface she gave her head a little shake clearing the water from her ears and nose. "That was beautiful." she said her voice filled with wonder. She still had no idea where Ur was taking her but she was immensely enjoying the journey.  

[Talencia]

Her reaction lifted his spirits so they were soaring with the seagulls high above. It meant an immeasurable amount to him that she was not only willing to try this, but enjoying it as well. They went under once more before it all evened out into faint swells. "Okay, now you can let go, it's safer out here."

The water was surprisingly warm out here. The horizon stretched wide, like it had on the plains when he was a cub. He glanced over to gauge her reaction to having the horizon broken only by juttings of rock nearby and the distant island where their neighbors lived. "We're heading for those rocks there," he said, pointing with his nose towards a grouping of rocks that rose out of the water almost like an island. "Think you can swim there?"  

[nessiaing]

Coming out from another wave Thuraya wasn't able to hold back her laughter. The older lioness felt like a cub again. "I think I am good." she told Ur slipping from his shoulders to swim along side of him. Out where they were the ocean felt calm, it was entirely different from the waves that came into the beach area.

She paddled along swimming like an old pro. She was doing her best to keep pace with Ur and found herself enjoying the swim. It was strange she had never thought that she would enjoy swimming this much. She wasn't entirely sure if she was enjoying the swimming or just the time with Ur or both. It didn't matter though this was the best time.

Reaching the rocks she pulled herself up on them giving her blue coat a shake she looked back over towards the beach to see where they had just swam from. "Its beautiful." she said her voice filled with wonder.  

[Talencia]

"You have yet to see the best part, though!" He grinned at her with youthful enthusiasm. He wasn't so young anymore, but she made him feel like a cub sometimes... all full of wonder, energy, and joy. "Here, let me show you!" He scrambled up a little higher on the rocks, careful to keep an eye on Thuraya to be sure she didn't slip too much. "Careful, the rocks are slick," he cautioned her, adding, "It helps if you steer clear of that stuff." He waved the tip of his tail towards green, fuzzy growth on the damp rocks.

There were puddles of seawater everywhere, some just a thin sheen on the rocks, enough to reflect the sky. Others were little cups of water, and others deep crevices. Everywhere around them, you could see the sky mirrored beneath their paws, having a dizzying effect. He led her to one of the deeper puddles and motioned for her to crouch at the edge with him. "Look, and watch," he instructed her.

At first the erratically shaped notch in the rock just looked to be filled with some seaweed looking stuff and a variety of rocks. However, one of the 'rocks' moved, slowly making its way across the bottom. Tiny limbs could be seen under what turned out to be a small brown and white shell... a hermit crab! Then a couple tiny fish darted past the crab, leading the eye deeper into the shade provided by the seaweed. There, flashes of color revealed other oddities... a fat starfish, a cluster of tiny pink anemones, as well as more little fishes that flashed in the water like metals of all colors.  

[nessiaing]

Thuraya followed closely behind Ur. She paused looking into bit of puddles here and there liking seeing her face reflected back at her. When they got to the deepest of the pools she had seen she dropped down to stare into the puddle. She was quickly amazed when she saw all the life that was living it. After a few minutes of studying it she stoop up and looked at Ur.

"How did they all get in there?" she asked her voice filled with wonder. She had never lived by the water before and seeing all this life in such a little space seemed a little nuts. She had only seen fish in the ocean and large lakes and running rivers, this though was nothing more than a glorified puddle.

She turned her eyes towards Ur studying the face of the male. It wasn't easy to admit to herself but she was falling for him.  

[Talencia]

Ur gazed adoringly at her as she leaned to look into the crevice full of life. The time had come, he decided all at once. It was time to declare his heart, and hope he hadn't misread the look in her eyes.

"The ocean brought life and beauty to the empty puddle," he replied, his voice deep with emotion, "just as it brought you into my empty life." He swallowed hard and hoped to convey with his own eyes to her just how much she meant to him. "I have had a good life, but with you in it, it has become...," he paused, searching for the words. With a small shrug of his shoulders, he gestured to the tidepool. "Bright, colorful, joyful, vibrant, and full of wonderful things."

His stomach felt as if he'd swallowed those little fish whole, and they were swimming in his insides crazily. He wanted to move closer to her, but held himself still, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to lose all that, not ever." After a pause, he took the plunge, which was a good deal scarier than when he'd attempted the swimming test as a youngster. "Please... will you stay with me, high tide or low?" It was a lot to ask, and though part of him was in terror that she'd refuse him, his heart swelled to bursting with hope at what he felt she was likely to say.  

[nessiaing]

Thuraya turned to the male she had been spending all her free time with lately. He had showed her a whole new world that she had never known existed. It had been amazing. The longer he spoke the more she felt her eyes fill with tears. At first she wasn't sure where he was going with this but then she realized her hopes were correct, he was asking for more... he was asking for her. She took a deep breath trying to blink back the tears before she spoke.

"Yes" she whispered. It was hard to raise it above a whisper. "Yes Ur I want all of that, I want you." she told him before she moved in and gave him a nuzzle. It felt natural and as if it was always suppose to be that way. Her life had taken a lot of twist and turns but Thuraya had NO doubt she was exactly where she belonged now.