[PRP] Proceed with Caution (Tethys x Kupatwa)

[Epine de Rose]

(ICly he's going to be right on the outskirts of the pride so he doesn't intrude on anything.)

This particular pride was different; while he didn't know anything about them and he'd be provided with no details, even on his approach there had been something 'off'. It wasn't that he sensed anything evil or dangerous, only that it was well protected and by the demeanour of some of those he had observed from afar, it would be foolish of him to walk too far over whatever unseen border they had. Thus, he had been skirting around the border as he attempted to collate the information he had received.

It seemed like he had been 'right' so far in the sense that he hadn't stepped into their territory, or if he had, it had been fleeting enough for them to ignore him. So long as he continued with this, he imagined that he would be able to avoid any direct confrontation with them. Admittedly this did throw a spanner in the works as it was often difficult to gather some information without conversing with others...but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Thus the lion continued about his research, looking for signs of something on the outskirts that might give him any cause for concern. Honestly he'd seen quite a few pale felines and if he had seen them then surely his quarry had seen them.

...Whether they had been able to slip passed such a heavily guarded territory was another matter entirely though.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Things had been incredibly tense most of Kupatawa's life. With the murder of their king, the Rebellion, and now the overthrowing of the tyrant that had taken over, there had never been a dull moment. She had been a bit too young to understand anything that was going on, but once she finished growing the reign of 'terror' had come to a close. She had lived through it but had done nothing to help, which was a bit of a disappointment as she had been ready to side with the Rebellion, but she was glad that she had been here to live through it so she could pass the story along.

The pride was still in a bit of turmoil as those loyal to the king were being rounded up and either forced to leave or forced to promise they wouldn't try anything funny, and while it was all very interesting to watch, someone still had to stay at the borders of the land to ensure their safety. Today was the day that she'd be patrolling, so any further events would have to be related to her instead of her witnessing them for herself.

Kupa sighed softly as she pressed through the jungle, nosing aside leaves and grass. It was a quiet evening, as usual, and she had to admit being a guard was a lot more dull than she had originally thought it would be. She didn't want to go looking for trouble, but she wished that something might happen once on her weekly routes.

Suddenly a smell caught her attention and her ears and head both lifted, her body going still. There was a rogue. A white male with a dark blue mane and bright eyes was not two pounces away from her. He didn't look to be up to any good and there weren't any other lions that she could see, but she needed to be cautious.

"State your name and business," she said from her hidden place in the brush. "Please," she added, not wanting to be rude.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"And it had all been going so well," Tethys groaned audibly as he was spotted. If she hadn't been suspicious before, she was certainly entitled to be now! Nevertheless the lion did straighten and rather than cause her delay, he did turn to face her and offered a wry smile. "I'm not entirely sure that my name will be of any use to you but it's Tethys," he began and motioned back towards the center of her pride, or where he thought it might be.

"No one's expecting me in there," he reassured her, just in case that might be what she was querying. Suffice to say that he could look like an expected guest (unlikely) and she was simply there to escort whoever might be crossing the borders. "As for my business..." he pursed his lips thoughtfully as he considered how best to reply to this.

...Sometimes it was better to give as little information as possible.

"Would you like the full version or the abridged version?" he asked at last. If she had the capacity to creep out of the jungle grasses like this, then he was fairly confident there were a fair few of her kind lurking about. With that in mind it was highly unlikely anyone could have crossed this particular border unnoticed. It was at that moment that he gazed down at his feet, apparently he'd gone a couple of steps too far... or they'd just been putting up with him until now!

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Kupa perked her head up a bit at the little groan. It had all been going so well? What exactly was this male up to? A bit more wary now, she kept her distance as he turned to face her with a grin. She remained silent as he spoke, taking in what he had to say. He had given his name - Tethys - he had stated no one was expecting him - was that a good thing or a bad thing? - and he had given her two options, the short or long story of his business.

"Short," she said, still remaining in place in the foliage. It was clear that he had seen her, but she felt a bit more protected among the leaves and flowers. Just because he was alone right now didn't mean there weren't other lions trying to sneak in, and now that he had her attention she wouldn't be able to continue patrolling her area.

"Although I don't suppose someone wishing to make trouble here would tell me the truth," she added, a bit of suspicion on her voice.

Epine de Rose

I just noticed her name is missing and 'a' on her cert XD

 

[Epine de Rose]

"You would be correct, the vast majority of individuals who want to make trouble will always tell you lies," he tilted his head to the side and chuckled. "The puppeteers will tell you the truth and steer you along the course of option they prefer," he added.

Nevertheless, when she requested the short explanation he did exactly that, keeping the information otherwise vague. It would be short, sweet and probably tell her nothing, but it was what she wanted. If anything, it would probably sound like an average day in the roguelands.

"I'm looking for a number of individuals, we're not terribly fond of one another," he said and cleared his throat. "Not from around here, probably just passing through. Normally have some foreign plants with them and leave some strange scents behind," he raised a brow and then provided her with a half smile. "I haven't found any sign of them yet on the outskirts of your lands so I would go so far as to assume they just walked passed you."

"Fortunate, they're a messy sort," he mused.

"Now that you have my name and my purpose for being here, do I at least receive the same in kind?"

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Kupa held her ground as Tethys spoke, although she was watching him with wide, honest eyes rather than shrewd and suspicious. Surely someone trying to sneak into the pride wouldn't be so open and willing to talk, right? There were other guards patrolling so hopefully if this was a sneak attack they'd be caught while she held this one in place.

"Oh...no, I haven't seen anyone like that," she murmured, a spark of worry rolling through her. Troublemakers with strange plants certainly wouldn't be welcome here. Strangers in general weren't really welcome here right now as the pride struggled to regain its feet after the rebellion and upheaval of the past year or so. When he assured her he hadn't found any trace of them yet she relaxed a bit, her ears drooping as she let out a breath of relief.

"Oh! Yes, of course. I'm Kupatawa, and this is the edge of the Mwezi'Johari. This is my area for patrol," she added, nodding to the area at large. "I would advise against heading much further in this direction...things are a bit tense right now here and strangers are not terribly welcome."

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

Wait...wasn't this where Illoziya was from?

A brief glimmer of recognition shot across Tethys's face and then he quickly shook his head. Beyond the name, the Captain had no further knowledge of who and what they were, it would be a conversation he would have to have at another time. There was a reason Illoziya had left, perhaps the tension was in part to do with it...

"Duely noted, I'll make a point not to disrupt current events," he said with a wry smile and shook his head. Well, if he was accidentally about to head into hot water then he wasn't about to proceed further in... He really didn't need someone or something else hounding him. No, instead he merely tilted his head to the side and regarded Kupa thoughtfully.

"However if that is the case perhaps you might guide me towards a safer route," he suggested. "One preferably that skirts the borders just so that I can continue with my search, I wouldn't want to step on any toes..."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Kupa adopted a thoughtful expression as Tethys expressed interest in exploring the borders of the pride. She knew it wouldn't do to let him wander around alone - if he was spotted by other guards they would pass on the alert to others that a white lion was poking his nose where it didn't belong and he could possibly end up in trouble that way.

"I could guide you along the edge of our lands," she offered, stepping out of the bush she was still half in. "That way if other guards spotted you they would know you were not hostile and you wouldn't have to have this conversation every time you reached a new patrol area." Tilting her head a bit, she peered over Tethys' shoulder and into the foliage behind him.

"There is no clear mark for the edge of our lands and where the rogue land begins that I could tell you to follow. But I know the way," she added, looking back at the male. "And once you're satisfied with your search we can part ways. Or I can alert the proper lions within my pride to the fact that those you are searching for are nearby. We really....really don't need any more altercations right now."

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"That would be appreciated," he smiled warmly as the lioness offered him much of her time. If he had been intending to distract her and pull her away from her duties then he would have called this a success, however by the way she spoke, it was clear that while he might not be able to see them at a glance, this region had plenty of felines watching it. He surmised that her lands would therefore be safe in those moments, even if there was a small 'gap' in the invisible fence for a short while.

"You might even be able to point out that something might be local even if I think it might be foreign," he added with a small chuckle. The more of his suspicions she could dispel, the more she could reassure both of them, and she would be able to return safe in the knowledge that her already tense pride could settle its differences and find its paws again uninterrupted.

"That and the ability to dodge the same conversation over and over again will cut down the time considerable," he mused and shook his head. He could just imagine how bored he'd sound by the time he'd been stopped the final time, if anything his tone of voice alone would start a fight!

"Shall we?" he added and took a step back so that she might lead the way...

SilverLutz

Fin from me, I think? Seems a good place to stop. n_n

 

[SilverLutz]

Kupa nodded slightly, giving Tethys a little smile as she emerged fully from the undergrowth. If he was conning her he was very convincing and she'd learn from this experience, but she felt that she could trust him.

"We shall," she agreed, turning for a moment to give a series of short roars back in the direction of the pride to signal her departure from her post. A moment later she heard a soft response and nodded, glad that her post would be filled shortly.

"Follow me," she said, trotting off in a safe direction that would walk the line between pride and rogue lands.

Epine do Rose

Fin!