Felyn
It didn't take the pair of males very long to mount the crest of the hill - it was a subtle roll in the landscape, not at all like the great valleys and mountains that he and Nyx had passed through only months earlier. It was lucky, too, as it meant it was a lot warmer. Nyx was never the sort to complain but even Roshan could tell that his daughter had not been particularly fond of the chilly mornings and snow-covered earth they had been forced to trample through.
Unfortunately, it took a bit longer for the lioness they were waiting on to appear in the shadow of the hill itself. Roshan passed the time with ease, telling Titere of the lands he had traveled with Nyx since they had parted ways and listening, enrapt, to the other male's tales. Their's was an easy friendship for all that Roshan had several years on his friend and he was glad not much had changed - he knew all too well how easy it was for the world to warp even the kindest of souls to distrust and wariness.
The first sign of his daughter was a flock of birds that spooked some few yards from the hill they sat atop. The light of the late afternoon cast long shadows but as he pulled his gaze away from his glimmering friend, he thought he could just make out her dark pelt as it slunk through the sparse shrubs. She was clever, no less now than ever, and he knew she was blending as well as she could on purpose.
"Nyx, love, hurry up!" From his vantage point he knew that they were alone and he was pleased to see her head perk up, though even from a distance he could tell that she gave a small pause at the unexpected site of him standing next to another figure. It was only minutes before her smaller, slinky form came into view atop the hill and when it did, Roshan saw the momentary confusion she wore give way to recognition and then undeniable happiness.
"Titere!" The distance between her and the two males was easily closed and she gave no thought to bumping his shoulder with her head affectionately, greeting him with unreserved familiarity. She stepped back only far enough to turn her eyes up to his, meeting them with a smile she couldn't have contained had she tried.
"You are the last lion I expected to see up here with Papa. Has he thanked you for showing me the way to him yet?" She cast a sidelong glance at Roshan who seemed for all the world amused by her predictable nature. It was good, though, amusement was much better than sulking. "He probably has, but regardless, thank you."
Unfortunately, it took a bit longer for the lioness they were waiting on to appear in the shadow of the hill itself. Roshan passed the time with ease, telling Titere of the lands he had traveled with Nyx since they had parted ways and listening, enrapt, to the other male's tales. Their's was an easy friendship for all that Roshan had several years on his friend and he was glad not much had changed - he knew all too well how easy it was for the world to warp even the kindest of souls to distrust and wariness.
The first sign of his daughter was a flock of birds that spooked some few yards from the hill they sat atop. The light of the late afternoon cast long shadows but as he pulled his gaze away from his glimmering friend, he thought he could just make out her dark pelt as it slunk through the sparse shrubs. She was clever, no less now than ever, and he knew she was blending as well as she could on purpose.
"Nyx, love, hurry up!" From his vantage point he knew that they were alone and he was pleased to see her head perk up, though even from a distance he could tell that she gave a small pause at the unexpected site of him standing next to another figure. It was only minutes before her smaller, slinky form came into view atop the hill and when it did, Roshan saw the momentary confusion she wore give way to recognition and then undeniable happiness.
"Titere!" The distance between her and the two males was easily closed and she gave no thought to bumping his shoulder with her head affectionately, greeting him with unreserved familiarity. She stepped back only far enough to turn her eyes up to his, meeting them with a smile she couldn't have contained had she tried.
"You are the last lion I expected to see up here with Papa. Has he thanked you for showing me the way to him yet?" She cast a sidelong glance at Roshan who seemed for all the world amused by her predictable nature. It was good, though, amusement was much better than sulking. "He probably has, but regardless, thank you."
Ctrl F Greenie
The walk up the hill hadn't be quiet and instead was filled with easy conversation about their travels around the roguelands and so on. He'd found familiarity in Roshan which made the trip that much easier and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to convince them to come along with him. The pride he headed towards would likely be a good home for all of them.
His eyes lit up as the birds, spooked, flew up into the sky and escaped whatever peril they may have come into contact with. Little did he know that peril was Nyx. Never would he have put those two things together - peril and Nyx - until his ears twitched at the call of her father out to her. "Nyx?" He questioned under his breath, heart racing briefly as he tried to catch sight of the blue female that haunted his dreams. Then he heard his name being called and his eyes grew wide to match the ever growing smile.
"Nyx!" He called out excitedly an accepted the bump affectionately. He felt so at home with these two and yet the lioness also turned him into a bundle of nerves to the point of near silence as he absorbed the fact that they were together again. "I promise his thanked me." Titere mused softly at her.
"He has been spending some of our time together to tell me about your travels. Welcome to warmer territories." He joked lightly. "I'm just on my way to finally settle down somewhere." He feigned a gasp at the notion of him settling down. "Hopefully it all turns out well. How are you doing though?" Jumbled, his thoughts had decided to dart this way and that. Perhaps the only explanation for his 'word vomit'.
His eyes lit up as the birds, spooked, flew up into the sky and escaped whatever peril they may have come into contact with. Little did he know that peril was Nyx. Never would he have put those two things together - peril and Nyx - until his ears twitched at the call of her father out to her. "Nyx?" He questioned under his breath, heart racing briefly as he tried to catch sight of the blue female that haunted his dreams. Then he heard his name being called and his eyes grew wide to match the ever growing smile.
"Nyx!" He called out excitedly an accepted the bump affectionately. He felt so at home with these two and yet the lioness also turned him into a bundle of nerves to the point of near silence as he absorbed the fact that they were together again. "I promise his thanked me." Titere mused softly at her.
"He has been spending some of our time together to tell me about your travels. Welcome to warmer territories." He joked lightly. "I'm just on my way to finally settle down somewhere." He feigned a gasp at the notion of him settling down. "Hopefully it all turns out well. How are you doing though?" Jumbled, his thoughts had decided to dart this way and that. Perhaps the only explanation for his 'word vomit'.
Felyn
Roshan seemed content to let his daughter and Titere reaquaint themselves. There was no missing the edge in Titere's body or the shy way Nyx's eyes slid away from the other male's. It wasn't even the gift of his family's foresight that helped him pick out these little nuances, he thought, just simple common sense. Younger lions, ah.
"Settling down?" Titere's feigned gasp happened in unison with the widening of her eyes and the small gape of her dark maw. It was surprising, she would admit. Rogues did not always wish to settle down. The thought made her cast a sidelong glance at her own rogue father, adamant that he was going to wander the ends of the earth until his paws fell off, all to make sure his presence caused no one else trouble. Oh, how she wished that it were so simple as just choosing to find a home. "What is this place like if it has seduced you so well, hm?"
She sat with a smile on her mug, staring up at him as her tail curled around her forepaws and tapped lightly again and again, her only nervous tell.
"I am doing just fine, apart from never, ever wanting to encounter snow again." She, too, laughed at this before ending her words with a shrug and another, more pointed glance at her father. "Though I must say I envy you the chance to settle down, it has been a long time since we have belonged anywhere."
For his part, Roshan just shrugged dismissively at her. He wouldn't be baited tonight.
"Settling down?" Titere's feigned gasp happened in unison with the widening of her eyes and the small gape of her dark maw. It was surprising, she would admit. Rogues did not always wish to settle down. The thought made her cast a sidelong glance at her own rogue father, adamant that he was going to wander the ends of the earth until his paws fell off, all to make sure his presence caused no one else trouble. Oh, how she wished that it were so simple as just choosing to find a home. "What is this place like if it has seduced you so well, hm?"
She sat with a smile on her mug, staring up at him as her tail curled around her forepaws and tapped lightly again and again, her only nervous tell.
"I am doing just fine, apart from never, ever wanting to encounter snow again." She, too, laughed at this before ending her words with a shrug and another, more pointed glance at her father. "Though I must say I envy you the chance to settle down, it has been a long time since we have belonged anywhere."
For his part, Roshan just shrugged dismissively at her. He wouldn't be baited tonight.
Ctrl F Greenie
"Admittedly it's my fathers doing." A chuckle sounded from the dark male as he considered his father. The lion had been basically a rogue his whole life - Ali-dido was a picturesque rogue, except he had a home. What was it again? Myrsky Syntynyt - the collectors. Titere thought on the subject of his fathers home pride with a smile, especially at the nickname Ali had given it. "The pride is full of life, rich with history, and welcomes outsiders to join. His stop was brief there, but in it he learned that the pride was settling down after a rather violent take over that ended with not one, but two kings dead." He babbled away with the story merrily, but put emphasis in that the pride had receovered.
"Sounded like a decent fit."
He shrugged at his remark before replacing his non-chalant look for one of shock. "Was the snow that bad?" He queried with widened eyes. Titere had never set paw in snow and so he had no experiences to connect with. He didn't envy her travelling there with her father though. If it was indeed frigid it was likely a much longer trip than normal.
He mused slightly at the lioness and had very nearly forgotten that Roshan was even there for a few minutes, but when her gaze left him to seek out her father he became all too aware of his presence. "Actually, I think the two of you might like the adventure. That or we at least travel together again and you can see me off to a new life." He smirked slightly. His tone suggested that he was partially teasing, but it held an ounce of truth. Titere could feel the way his heart pounded in his chest as he looked upon Nyx and he had heard his father speak of that as well. It meant things that he wasn't prepared to admit and had he been his fathers son to the core he would have simply gone off without settling down at all.
"Sounded like a decent fit."
He shrugged at his remark before replacing his non-chalant look for one of shock. "Was the snow that bad?" He queried with widened eyes. Titere had never set paw in snow and so he had no experiences to connect with. He didn't envy her travelling there with her father though. If it was indeed frigid it was likely a much longer trip than normal.
He mused slightly at the lioness and had very nearly forgotten that Roshan was even there for a few minutes, but when her gaze left him to seek out her father he became all too aware of his presence. "Actually, I think the two of you might like the adventure. That or we at least travel together again and you can see me off to a new life." He smirked slightly. His tone suggested that he was partially teasing, but it held an ounce of truth. Titere could feel the way his heart pounded in his chest as he looked upon Nyx and he had heard his father speak of that as well. It meant things that he wasn't prepared to admit and had he been his fathers son to the core he would have simply gone off without settling down at all.
Felyn
Both Nyx and Roshan listened to his brief little history blurb with rapt attention though their reactions different greatly for such similar souls when he mentioned that the pride had suffered through the death of two kinds and some great amount of turmoil. Roshan nodded, accepting of it in a way that suggested he too had seen the peace after a storm but Nyx herself gasped lightly in distant sympathy over the idea that they could have suffered so greatly. It was a wonder, Roshan thought, that she still believed so highly of the rest of the world.
"It does," he agreed pulling his eyes away from the dark pelt of his daughter and letting them rest on Titere again, "or at the very least it sounds like a place with a rich history. I would expect no less of you, old friend."
It would have been pleasant enough banter if Nyx wasn't well aware that it was a diversion - pick up the train of thought that was least important to avoid a decision. Her father was a crafty man, dancing around conversations, and even without his knack for it she knew how to identify. Good try, old lion.
"I think we could at least give Titere the pleasure of travelling with him a while, couldn't we father? I know we don't have a path to follow right now," she knew how he was likely to say no but the look he leveled on her in his silence was.. peculiar. Her heart felt like it was beating in her throat as she awaited his answer and she dared not look at the glimmering male standing near to her, lest she give away how badly she wanted to follow his footsteps.
Roshan, for one, simply sighed.
"I suppose that could not hurt, no."
"It does," he agreed pulling his eyes away from the dark pelt of his daughter and letting them rest on Titere again, "or at the very least it sounds like a place with a rich history. I would expect no less of you, old friend."
It would have been pleasant enough banter if Nyx wasn't well aware that it was a diversion - pick up the train of thought that was least important to avoid a decision. Her father was a crafty man, dancing around conversations, and even without his knack for it she knew how to identify. Good try, old lion.
"I think we could at least give Titere the pleasure of travelling with him a while, couldn't we father? I know we don't have a path to follow right now," she knew how he was likely to say no but the look he leveled on her in his silence was.. peculiar. Her heart felt like it was beating in her throat as she awaited his answer and she dared not look at the glimmering male standing near to her, lest she give away how badly she wanted to follow his footsteps.
Roshan, for one, simply sighed.
"I suppose that could not hurt, no."
Ctrl F Greenie
Having the attention of both father and daughter suddenly made him very aware of how much he was riding on what might be said next. Roshan didn't surprise him. "History is so very important and most folks often forget it. The things we can learn from it, not to repeat and to enjoy are vast." Had Nyx not been keenly aware of how her father operated the pair of males would have likely continued on down a path of chatter about history, but when his eyes found her and she spoke he grew quiet.
Suddenly the whole world seemed to still.
Nyx had asked the question, a simple one by most standards, but to him it meant the difference between a full life and a half life. As he listened for some sort of sound he discovered that he could hear was his own heart trying to beat out of his chest.
"It won't!" The silence ended with an answer he had very nearly thought would never come and in his attempt at patience he discovered he had none. Of course that wasn't true, but in this case he found himself suddenly feeling like a young cub that had just won some form of game - the prize? Nyx. There was still so much of the road to travel and yet he felt so much closer to their destination.
"I mean, it won't."
Calming himself took moments of slow breathing, but he got there. "There is nothing in the way of danger on our way there. It's almost as if the world surrounding the pride knows it has gone through enough these past moons." He smiled softly at Roshan and eventually allowed his eyes to eagerly fall to Nyx.
Suddenly the whole world seemed to still.
Nyx had asked the question, a simple one by most standards, but to him it meant the difference between a full life and a half life. As he listened for some sort of sound he discovered that he could hear was his own heart trying to beat out of his chest.
"It won't!" The silence ended with an answer he had very nearly thought would never come and in his attempt at patience he discovered he had none. Of course that wasn't true, but in this case he found himself suddenly feeling like a young cub that had just won some form of game - the prize? Nyx. There was still so much of the road to travel and yet he felt so much closer to their destination.
"I mean, it won't."
Calming himself took moments of slow breathing, but he got there. "There is nothing in the way of danger on our way there. It's almost as if the world surrounding the pride knows it has gone through enough these past moons." He smiled softly at Roshan and eventually allowed his eyes to eagerly fall to Nyx.
Felyn
Both pairs of watery blue eyes flickered away from their mirrors to the dark male instead, one filled with amusement at his outburst and the other reflecting only the same relief it saw plastered across his face. Nyx had not realized how deeply her admiration for Titere had been until they had taken separate paths those many moons ago and her father had not realized it until this very moment when he had his first glimpse of the two side by side.
He should have known.
"How far do you think it is?" Nyx wondered aloud at Titere; she was trying her best to hide her absolute excitement about the chance to travel with him again and her hope, peculiarly enough, that they were very, very far from the place he was trying to get to. It was ridiculous to even think but she wondered if she could, perhaps, convince her father to maybe stay..
"Let's not worry about that for now," the older male started, pushing himself up from the seat he had taken and leveling a pleasant smile on the pair of lions he knew were falling victim to something he knew much too well. "There was not anything on the perimeter of this hilltop, was there my dear?"
Nyx shook her head, "nothing."
"Then let us take a rest tonight, hm? We can start fresh in the morning."
He should have known.
"How far do you think it is?" Nyx wondered aloud at Titere; she was trying her best to hide her absolute excitement about the chance to travel with him again and her hope, peculiarly enough, that they were very, very far from the place he was trying to get to. It was ridiculous to even think but she wondered if she could, perhaps, convince her father to maybe stay..
"Let's not worry about that for now," the older male started, pushing himself up from the seat he had taken and leveling a pleasant smile on the pair of lions he knew were falling victim to something he knew much too well. "There was not anything on the perimeter of this hilltop, was there my dear?"
Nyx shook her head, "nothing."
"Then let us take a rest tonight, hm? We can start fresh in the morning."
Ctrl F Greenie
His mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of his future, one that seemed much more dim if he thought of it without her. There was plenty of time for that to happen, for him to do something so impossibly wrong for her to leave, but Titere felt confident that wouldn't happen. He and Nyx hadn't had a single moment where they had disagreed on something, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a healthy discussion, just meant they weren't idiots - in his mind.
Her question brought his thoughts to a stand still against his ears. Titere's gaze hadn't left her and briefly he might have simply staring with the smallest, happiest grin. "It's.." He wasn't given a complete chance to answer before his mind was at ease with the smooth tones of her father. They would have time together. That was what her father had given them.. did he know something? Titere felt himself blush almost uncontrollably.
"That sounds good, the pride is a little ways away anyway. There'd be no reason to begin our travels now only to have to stop and rest shortly after." Leveling his tones were difficult, finding that composure? Damn near impossible, but he was proud to say he had managed.
Another whole night would be theirs.
He grew giddy again just thinking of it.
Her question brought his thoughts to a stand still against his ears. Titere's gaze hadn't left her and briefly he might have simply staring with the smallest, happiest grin. "It's.." He wasn't given a complete chance to answer before his mind was at ease with the smooth tones of her father. They would have time together. That was what her father had given them.. did he know something? Titere felt himself blush almost uncontrollably.
"That sounds good, the pride is a little ways away anyway. There'd be no reason to begin our travels now only to have to stop and rest shortly after." Leveling his tones were difficult, finding that composure? Damn near impossible, but he was proud to say he had managed.
Another whole night would be theirs.
He grew giddy again just thinking of it.
Felyn
Roshan wanted to sigh at the pair of them in the most good natured way possible but contained it. In front of his eyes were two very excited young lions that did not even seem to quite grasp their attraction to one another and it felt bizarre to him, standing on the outside, especially being that one of those lions was his own, precious daughter. He should have been more protective knowing what he knew of smooth talkers and devious souls but he wasn't - he actually trusted Titere.
"Why don't the two of you go see if you can find a watering hole for the morning, hm? I'm going to stay here and get an early start on my beauty sleep."
Nyx cast her eyes sidelong at her father suspiciously, even as he laughed and dismissed himself to go curl up. His behavior was weird but she couldn't quite.. put her paw on it. Instead of dwelling she turned her face back to Titere and offered him a small smile.
"I smelled one a little east of where I was scouting, we should try there." She was already turning, giddy over the thought of a little time alone and the nights they might get as they traveled. Luck was sometimes with her.
"Why don't the two of you go see if you can find a watering hole for the morning, hm? I'm going to stay here and get an early start on my beauty sleep."
Nyx cast her eyes sidelong at her father suspiciously, even as he laughed and dismissed himself to go curl up. His behavior was weird but she couldn't quite.. put her paw on it. Instead of dwelling she turned her face back to Titere and offered him a small smile.
"I smelled one a little east of where I was scouting, we should try there." She was already turning, giddy over the thought of a little time alone and the nights they might get as they traveled. Luck was sometimes with her.
Ctrl F Greenie
One last tag from you, I think!
