[PRP] Right at Home

[Rennekae]

Waiting on new certs

The couple was lucky to have found the pride when they did, for they were told that only days prior to their arrival, the moon could not be seen in the skies. As a result, they would not have been able to be initiated as full members, if they were even accepted at all under such concerning circumstances. Fortunately, they were able to be initiated soon after they were deemed sincere and worthy of joining the ranks.

Kel had been completely unafraid, but Phaes had to admit that she had been worried. Not about being placed in the lower class - she was more than willing to work to earn her place among the stars - but that the two may be separated and possibly encounter problems as mates stemming from their differing statuses. Still, they had stepped forward together and taken the moon flower at the same time, their last sights before drifting off to sleep being of each other.

Phaes had woken first. Everything felt blurry and fuzzy, and it took her a few moments to regain herself. Someone was speaking to her, but it sounded as if she were underwater and they were yelling to her from above the surface. After several heartbeats, things started to clear, and she realized they were saying her name and asking if she was alright. She almost remembered that this was one of the Mwezi'Johari nurses and they would have the answer to her fate.

"Yes, m'alright," she muttered groggily, and nodded lightly before realizing it definitely didn't do to be moving her head around like that quite yet.

"You've been asleep for three days, Hephaestus. But the Great Lion has called you back to us. You are of the upper-middle class. The effects should wear off soon, and we'll be with you here until they do. Let us know if you feel anything exceptionally unwell."

Phaes blinked her acknowledgment and dipped her head slowly, then watched the somewhat blurry shape of the nurse head over to inspect the equally blurry shape of Kel.

Kel.

Phaes was eager to get up and check on him, but her muscles did not want to respond to her at the moment. Instead, she blinked hard repeatedly to try to clear her vision so she could at least watch well. When she recovered enough to see detail, she could see that Kel was stirring, though he seemed as groggy and disoriented as she did. Even still, her heart soared. They were both okay, they were the same class, and they had a home.

••••

After they had recovered from their three-day slumber, a member of their class had taken them down to the center of the pride to move into a den. After showing them where the waterhole and any other important landmarks were, their new pridemate had wished them well - and suggested they take it easy - and left them to get settled.

It had been a few days since Phaes and Kel had joined the Mwezi'Johari, and the mated pair was adjusting well. They were greatly enjoying their new home - home, a concept they were both ecstatic to have found, in each other and their pride. It had always seemed so temporary and fragile and incomplete before, but now they felt as though they could finally feel secure in the knowledge that they had found it.

The couple strolled casually toward the waterhole, brushing their flanks together affectionately as they walked, Phaes having just returned from a hunt and Kel about to head out on guard duty. They reached the edge of the waterhole and stopped suddenly. Phaes' ears folded back against her head and she subconsciously took a pace backward, looking over at Kel as the fur along her spine bristled. Kel also had his ears pinned back, his pelt on edge, and his claws slid unsheathed. The two looked at each other uncertainly.

"What is...?" Phaes started, but didn't even know how to finish.

"I don't know. But it isn't... right." Kel replied, not fully knowing what he was talking about. Something just... well, it was wrong.

He stepped forward cautiously, sniffing at the water, though the Great Lion only knew what he was trying to sniff out. Phaes stepped after him, still keeping away from the water's edge, almost whining his name as her unease mounted.

Ecavi

They've started to check it out. n.n

 

[Rennekae]

"What the...!?" 'Kel snarled. He stumbled backward, sputtering, and promptly fell on his backside. He stared at the water, eyes wide, completely unsure what to make of the situation.

'Phaes rushed over, fretting and fussing. "Are you alright? Did that hurt? What was that? Was that just water?" The poor lioness was beside herself. There was no reason for that to have happened, and she made sure to keep the water in front of her and as far from her as she could while still being able to see to her mate.

Overcoming the shock, and the tension from his original unease mostly subsided, 'Kel shook his head - sending water droplets everywhere - and blinked. Then he laughed. A short, nervous chuckle, but genuinely amused. He wasn't hurt in any way and, honestly, had he witnessed that situation he probably would have laughed his way over to check it out.

He rose to his paws and advanced slowly toward the water again.

"'Kel! Don't go back there! You have no idea what that was!" 'Phaes protested, fear still spiking her pelt and making her voice rather high.

"No, but I want to find out. Come on, 'Phaes, it'll be okay." 'Kel tried to persuade, pretty much back at the water's edge by now. He kept low, his head tilting as he tried to see if there was anything under the surface, but he couldn't make anything out.

"My fur will turn red before I go anywhere near that!" 'Phaes refused, shifting uncomfortably on her paws as she watched her mate, her tail lashing and her ears pinned back.

'Kel laid down on his stomach and watched the water for a couple heartbeats. Then, when nothing happened, he reached out with one paw - 'Phaes declaring her disapproval from behind him - and gently prodded the surface. Lifting his paw clear of the water a few inches and holding it there, he stared intently at the area he touched.

Ecavi

 

[mouselet]

Floating beneath the surface, in clear view, was a lioness. Except this lioness was closer to Impikelelo's size than Hephaestus', and her tail seemed to end in a fin instead of a tuft of fur. Also she was grinning up at the lion. Leaning forward, the strange lioness allowed her head to break the water.

"Hi there! My name's Pallas and I'm the goddess of lakes!" she announced. Contorting her body, the lioness glanced around at the watering hole. "This isn't particularly big, but it is nice and clean!" The goddess wriggled again, luxuriating the feel of the crystalline water on her fur. It was so very much better than that awful awful lake she'd had to rescue those poor saps from. Not to menton she'd gotten a good series of naps in at the bottom of this one.

Rennekae

 

[Rennekae]

Peering into the water, 'Kel's eyes had started to make out the face of a lioness. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. Maybe it was because her pelt and mane blended so well with the color of the water, or maybe it was because his mind just couldn't accept that there was a lioness under the water.

He pulled his paw away and sat up, head cocked and eyes wide, as the lioness rose above the surface. Behind him, having been completely unaware of the goddess' presence, 'Phaes made a loud, frightened noise almost like a woof and jumped back, her fur spiking and her claws coming out instinctively.

'Kel sat silently for a few heartbeats, then burst into laughter. He'd never met a god or goddess before, and he hadn't thought he ever would, but never in a million years would he have imagined that this was how the interaction would go. Getting a hold of himself, he stood and sighed, smiling brightly.

"Well, hello there, Pallas. My name is Impikelelo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." 'Kel paused and looked behind him to his mate. 'Phaes had made her way back to his side and seemed to relax herself a little, but she still seemed to need some time to process what was happening, so 'Kel continued, "And this lovely creature is my dear mate, Hephaestus. Pardon her manners; I think she's just a little shocked."

'Kel smiled teasingly at his wife. 'Phaes looked at him and blinked, seeming to catch up to the conversation. "To put it mildly." She turned to face Pallas and offered a friendly smile. "I'm glad to hear our waterhole is so enjoyable. I didn't know there was a goddess residing in it."

'Kel nodded, looking to the blue lioness quizzically. None of the pride members had told them there was a goddess living in the bottom of the waterhole; maybe she, like them, had just moved in?

mouselet

Pallas is absolutely gorgeous!

 

[mouselet]

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," the goddess replied regally, inclining her head towards the two. It seemed clear as water to her that these two truly loved each other, and that was all a person could ask for in life, that they be blessed enough to find such love to support them in their life.

"I'm not surprised you didn't know I was here, I've been sleeping for a while," Pallas told the mortals. "But there's definitely some worse...so-called bodies of water out there, so be grateful for your clean and clear water." Not like that thing which had been the Lake of Souls - ugh! Her fur wrinkled just thinking about it.

A mischevious smile crossed the goddess' face. "But whyever would your mate be so shocked by me? I've done nothing to her. Yet."

Rennekae

You do know I don't get quote notifications, right?

 

[Rennekae]

"The pleasure is ours, I assure you," 'Kel responded, with a small but polite bow of his head. He wasn't sure how one was meant to treat Gods and Goddesses, but it couldn't hurt to be respectful. "We are certainly grateful to have such fresh water to drink, just as we are truly appreciative of everything we have in our new home."

'Kel smiled at Pallas' impish smirk and turned to look at his mate. Somehow he felt that saying "because she's a scaredy-cat" would get him quite the wallop, so he opted instead to allow 'Phaes to answer for herself.

"Well.. Uhm. I've never seen a Goddess before. And. Well. I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't think... Well. You have fins." 'Phaes stammered out the response and felt her face grow hot. She hoped she wouldn't offend Pallas, but really, she was just being honest. A lioness with fins was something she would never have imagined and - even though she would never admit it - her usual reaction to uncertainty and new things was a bit fearful, no matter how she tried to act.  

[mouselet]

“Yes I do,” the goddess replied to Hephaestus’ comment by showcasing her fishlike limbs. “Aren’t they beautiful?” They were unique among gods (or at least in her experience of her fellows) and helped a great deal with propelling her through the viscous liquids she most enjoyed.

“Really, more people should have fins,” Pallas continued. “It would make swimming so much more fun. Not to mention that you can do this!” Suiting actions to words, the goddess slapped her tail fin flat against the surface of the water, sending a spray of droplets all around, including on her conversational partners.  

[Rennekae]

Now that her initial surprise had ebbed and her brain was able to process, Pheas regarded Pallas fully. She found that she actually did like the way the fins looked on the goddess, and honestly thought she would look a little off if she didn't have them.

"They suit you very well," she responded with a smile, though she didn't think she would look nearly as good with her own set.

"They are very fetching," Kel agreed, personally quite captivated by the peculiar appendages. At Pallas' suggestion that more lions should have fins, he turned to look back at his own tail, swishing it the way he imagined he would use it in water if it were a fin. He turned back just in time to see the goddess' grand splash.

Kel laughed heartily while lifting a paw to shield his eyes from the sudden rain. Phaes jumped, noticeably startled by the loud smack of Pallas' tail against the water, then relaxed and giggled.

"That settles it; I want fins!" Kel exclaimed with a smile, earning himself an affectionate eye-roll from his mate.  

[mouselet]

"I'm not sure how you'd acquire any," Pallas admitted. "I was born with fins because I'm the Goddess of Lakes." She'd never really considered it before.

"Still, you should swim more!" the goddess told the pair before abruptly turning and diving down into the depths of the watering hole, ending the conversation.

She liked it better that way. Kept the mortals on their toes.  

[Rennekae]

Kel nodded and faked a sadly thoughtful frown as if actually considering how to obtain fins - like it was possible. Still... it would be cool.

"It was nice meeting you!" Kel called, after a couple of startled blinks at Pallas' sudden departure. He turned and gave his mate a hopeful look, eager to take Pallas' advice.

"No," Phaes answered immediately. No hesitation on her part - water was not her thing. "You're more than welcome to go in by yourself. I'll stand back, out of the splash zone, and watch you flounder about."

Phaes made the remark with a playful smirk plain on her face to indicate her taunting was all in jest.

"Oh, you think so?" Kel eyed Phaes mischievously and wiggled his rump, all the warning the dusty lioness taking off just as her mate leaped to chase after her, and the two happily zipped around in a cub-like game.