[PRP] Pretty in Pink (Isobana & Umkhombo)

[In Good Faith]

Meepfur

Isobana stretched her body until she felt the bones along her back crack in response. She was still a young lioness but she hadn't been as active as she had once and she was beginning to notice the effect. Letting out a yawn which ended with a muffled "wuff," she rose from her brush pallet and smelt the air.

She was going to attempt to hunt this morning while the sky was still dark but lightened just enough that her eyes would benefit while not hindering her camouflage in the brush. Food was scarce as of late, though no one was by any means starving. It'd been a few days since she'd eaten herself, though. Feeling that hollow pang just now, she shook the dust from her pelt and marched into the brush, nose to towards the ground.  

[Meepfur]

Though he hid it well, and none outside his closest allies would know, Umkhombo was unsettled of late. And why not? The past several months had been...eventful, to say the least. Strange things had happened left and right, and were still happening on a regular basis - to the point that many of them had ceased to seem strange. Lights in the sky, unusual weather patterns, even the odd unearthly whisper here and there. It had become the new normal. The earthquake, however, had inflicted permanent damage on the land that would significantly alter their traditional migratory way of life.

And, of course, the Firekin were dealing with a very persistent freak sandstorm so they'd been 'neighbors' with the foray stranded outside the desert for some time. And there was Turiya, the amabassador, and her cubs. Their cubs. Yinqaba never had been found, and two weeks after he'd gone missing, the green cub had long since been given up on by the few who'd bothered to look at all. Whatever had happened, whether he had run away or simply gotten lost, he was almost certainly dead.

These things did happen. Still, Khombo found himself continuing to look - not actively searching, but now and then a movement would catch his eye, or he would hear a rustling, and wonder maybe.

It was never anything, but still, the sound of movement in the brush nearby caught his attention, and he swung his gaze that way. But the one responsible was brown, and far too big.

"Oh. Hello, Isobana," he offered politely.

In Good Faith

 

[In Good Faith]

Isobana froze by instinct, taken off guard by a voice that was distinctly male. She recognized the voice, however, before her body had a chance to catchup with her thought process, her heartbeat returning to a steady thump. Thawing, her head swiveled the direction the voice had came and she easily picked out a pair of pink eyes. If she hadn't known he was there, he would have been nearly impossible to pick out in the darkness.

"Oh. Hello," her voice matching his politeness. She was actually surprised he remembered her name. Had they ever had a conversation before? She couldn't recall, though she'd admired him from a distance on numerous occasions. She knew his smell, that was for certain. She took a deep, subtle whiff of the area. Very much male but it wasn't accompanied with any other lionesses. With that thought, her eyes swept around him and was unable to discern any company he had with him. "Taking a morning stroll?" She asked with a touch of a smile on her maw.

Meepfur

Is he calling Iso fat? D:

 

[Meepfur]

"Something like that," Umkhombo answered, gaze skating over the Busisa and then into the distance. Always watching. It was practically impossible to be Umholi and not 'on' all the time, always with an eye out to what or who might be off in the distance. And always knowing who was who: it didn't matter how many Busisa, Abazingeli, Ehluke, and assorted others there were, if he didn't know them by name, it spoke poorly of him as a leader. With the cubs, he had wiggle room, but by the time everyone was an adult, he'd best be able to identify and name them.

"You?" Small talk wasn't exactly his strong suit, but well, here he was.

In Good Faith

rofl no, but compared to an underfed cub, she is quite a bit bigger. XD

 

[In Good Faith]

His demeanor caused her smile to spread a little more. It was gruff but was an obvious attempt at being polite and mannerly, which she appreciated. "I've always wondered how you males keep all us lionesses straight." It sort of just came to mind and right out her mouth. Forgetting she was shy, it surprised her that she spoke so freely. She choked off the last bit, feeling heat creep up her neck and into her face. She thanked the gods her fur was dark and thick. And it was dark.

"I, uh. Mean... I was going for a hunt. Would you... care to join me? Or we could... just walk?" No wonder he'd never had a conversation with her before. She was terrible at it. At this point she just wanted to bury herself under a rock and tell him to leave and never speak to her again. Again, thankful for the darkness that might had hid some of her blabbering, she coughed, and looked away and into the night. Stop. Talking. Right. Now.

Meepfur

Oh lawd, two lions that are bad at small talk. Also, I sat here for a solid five minutes trying to think of a clever RP title... did you get it? xD;;

Also. Iso atm.

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[Meepfur]

"Practice," he answered with a shrug and a deadpan tone that would make it difficult to tell whether or not he was being serious. "What did you think we talk about when the three of us all sit together?"

Umkhombo made an amused noise in the back of his throat when she invited him to join her on her hunt. "If you're aiming to hunt, I'm a poor choice of partner. There's a reason everyone laughs when there's a Kwa. ...And why there hasn't been one in a long time." That was a tradition that could just quietly fall out of practice, thank you very much. "So if you're interested in eating anytime soon, I should probably be on my own way."

In Good Faith

I will admit to being half-asleep and in a state where everything just flies over my head rn.

 

[In Good Faith]

Well, drat. "Oh, please don't run off." She'd taken a hurried step, as if he'd turned to leave immediately. "I'm in no hurry to hunt." Well that was true. Her appetite had evaporated in nerves now that she was talking to him. "It's... it's nice to actually have an opportunity to talk with you." That last sentence came out softly, her head lowering itself some in her shyness. In fact, this was the first time she'd had the opportunity to speak with any of her the male leadership. Odd that it was Umkhombo of all of them given he was certainly the most intimidating. Well, at least he was to her.

She took a more slow, purposeful step towards him though her muscles felt like they were pulled tight and immoveable. "Please?" Now that was a whisper, though she'd managed a small smile.

Meepfur

I couldn't tell tbh. :3 Pretty in Pink I used as a reference to his eyes.

 

[Meepfur]

The first 'please' gave him pause, the second - following mention that it was nice to have the opportunity to speak with him - filled him with a certain sense of dread. Between her phrasing and demeanor, he could certainly guess why she might want to talk to him. Well, Sands. This was going to be one of those days, wasn't it? As cool as he always remained about it, this just always felt weird, and while it was a weird he'd gotten used to...well.

Pretending to be none the wiser, however, he ducked his head in assent. "Of course. A walk it is, then. Was there something in prticular you wished to talk about?"

In Good Faith

Ohh, I see! <3

 

[In Good Faith]

Isobana, rather pleased with herself smiled. "Well, actually. Yes." Gods help, she wished there were some of those fermented grapes she'd has once. It would have made this conversation much more tolerable. She saddled up to the lion's side and began walking him into the brush, surprised that her mind seemed to vibrate. It was as if her shyness was ebbing away in the wake of her more powerful emotions, namely excitement... and something else that was somewhat new and exciting in and of itself.

Meepfur

Oh hell I'm dying. This poor gigolo, acting like baby makin' is a chore. xDDD We can skip the actual... conversation which would end up just being a very blunt request. >3> You can respond in the immediate or do a closing epilogue. Your choice! xD;; SO AWKWARD OMG.

ALSO

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[Meepfur]

Of course there was something, and of course that something would be cubs. Which was fine. It was part of being an Umholi, always had been and always would be. He'd grown up here, and he'd known perfectly well what coming back and taking over would entail. Adjusting into it was a different matter entirely, however, as it was such a disconnect from his time within the Qyrhyeshti, with Aribak. There would always be a hurdle here, and the need to remind himself that this was necessary and expected, nearly as critical as his role in protecting the pride. And it was flattering, and an honor, to be the one a female chose to sire her cubs, when he was only one of several she could have approached.

And while elements of the situation might be odd for him, he reminded himself that for her, this was important. He pushed down any disquiet, any conflicted feelings, and followed where she led.

In Good Faith

THIS IS AN AWKWARD JOB TO HAVE OKAY