[PRP] The Princess and the Goblin

[Asparegus]

[AIM RP: Felyn & Ume]

Hisani did so love the birds. They were always willing to play her games, to talk and sing to her. As a matter of fact, she sometimes thought that she was a bird stuck in a lion's body. As within the beliefs of her pride, she adopted the name Cherero, which meant lovebird. It was so like her that she gleamed at the thought of it. As a matter of fact, at her shoulder fluttered her friend Ivadomo, a Lilac-breasted Roller. In her story, Iva was the fairy Obera, a maidservant to the Queen of the Fairies who had been kicknapped by bunch of hobgoblins who lived in the center of the earth. They weaved their wave around some trees after battling an imaginary foe, a hunter for the hobgoblins who would capture fairies to feed to little goblin children. The jungle was not far from her home so her adventures never took her far. But as it was, some might believe she was getting a little old for fairie tales. "Obera, you sure this is the way?" she asked. The bird nodded in the affirmative.

Streched out lazily across the like of an old, long-fallen log was the rather un-glamorous pelted leopard that went by the name of Persaon. Amidst the greenery of the jungle and the brilliant flowers that bloomed upon snaking vines, he stood out quite like a sore thumb in his gray garb. Not that any of this bothered him, really, for being brightly colored would have made his job extremely difficult - but these were the only thoughts he felt like thinking. Laying on his stomach, head down, he let his paws swing lazily off the side of the moss-covered log. With half closed eyes, he was letting words pour out of his maw in song, in a grumbly and slightly gravelly voice "if youwant a taste of madness," came a part, and then a very exaggerated, "you'll have to wait in line!"

She paused and exchanged glances with Obera. There was a voice not far from them but far enough that it could not be identified nor could the words be clearly made out. By this time, she was so completely involved with her fairy tale that she had completely tricked herself into thinking she was in this world. They inched forward, wary that at any step, they might trigger a trap whether set for fairie or ally. There was a suspicious bundle of leaves underneath a tree, more than what was usually found on the jungle floor. They grinned at each other with a look that said "as though we'd fall for that" and maneuvered their way around it.

They paused and looked around. Where was the owner of the voice? Was this his trap?

He was continuing on with his little song, picking his head up with shut eyes and singing it to loudly to the sky: "you'll probably see someone you know on heartattack and vineee" He chuckled, pleased with himself as he finished, laying his head back down. His snickers continued with his amusement, until he heard that rustle of leaves a little ways into the trees.

Picking his head up instantly, he glanced in that direction. Well, sitting here didn't show him a damn thing. Pushing up quickly to his feet, it took only one graceful leap until he was in the branches of a trees. A few more brought him face to face with the girl - and a smirk spread out on his maw. "What's a pretty thing like you doing out here all by yourself, sweety?"

Cherero crept to the voice slowly, her eyes occasionally scanning the ground. She had already spotted a fallen branch with an end sharp enough to be of some use if the goblin popped out before her and tried to capture Obera or simply to try and kill her. But there was always room to find something better. They had to save the Queen at all costs which meant she needed to stay alive. Obera too.

Suddenly he appeared before her, his face horribly wrinkled, grey and tough like an elephant hide. His eyes were half-hidden, a flap of skin hanging from each brow over his eyes. The mouth was brown and tight, cracked like dried mud. On all fours like a creature similar to herself, he was a little taller. Her heart wavered to think of what the height would be if he chose to stand up. Obera hadn't told her they could grow that tall, almost like a troll. His words were icky sweet as if laced with poison and a simple indulgence enough to kill. "Don't try to trick me with pretty words," she retorted with such an attitude, a saucy look on her face. "I know what you're doing and I'm here to stop you."  

[Asparegus]

He frowned at the girl from his perch in the tree limbs, a brow quirking as she spoke. Hell, he'd not come here to do a damn thing! Had his reputation preceded him? Well, he'd like to think that he worked in a rather low-key sort of way and he didn't even truly think he had much of a reputation at all with how far and wide spread his dealings were. He supposed there was a first time for everything. Of course, he didn't think that such a young lioness was a very good defense at anything.

"I've no idea what you're talking about, girl," he muttered, relaxing on the tree limb and peering down at her from a laying position. He flicked his tail, brow still quirked.

She blinked but immediately adjusted. He changed tactics but she wouldn't be phased. Not at all. Because the moment she slipped up, he'd be all over her and then she would have let both Obera, the King, and the Queen down. The fairies were depending on her. She couldn't fail. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't play games with me." She looked over to Obera who looked back at her, a look of high concern. "Cherero~," she said, her voice a warning for her to stop the game. But Cherero thought it was still in-character as though she were warning that Chereo might be baiting him into fighting her which she could very eaily loose. Except that heros weren't supposed to loose.

"Where are you hiding them? Tell me and I might be nice enough to let you live."

Persaon watched her, both brows now quirked, as he tried to figure out for himself just what was going on. Had the girl fallen and hitten her head, or did she somehow know that he was a thief? Hell, he knew he'd never left a name in the places he visited, and he didn't think he was quite so memorable otherwise. For now, no, he was taking the route that she had lost her mind. "I'm afraid you've got the wrong impression of who I am, sweet heart."

Of course, her next set of words made his heart thud. Hiding things? There was no way in the world she could know where he kept his goodies - hell, no one knew but him, and it wasn't even a place anyone was likely to come across on accident. It wasn't near here, to boot, but that didn't mean it didn't give him a bit of a chill. "I've not got anything - I'm telling you, sweet cheeks."

Obera fluttered nervously at Cherero's shoulder. Cherero looked at her, her brow furrowed and slightly annoyed at her friend's nervousness. But the goblin recaptured her attention. She watched the shifting of his wrinkles and sags of skin as his expressions changed. What was going through his mind? For a second a small smile creeped onto her face. She thought maybe she had won ...until he opened his mouth. She could not help but huff.

Cherero tossed her bangs out of her face. "Maybe you've underestimated the importance of the Queen. But recognize you've got everyone against you now. If you have any regard for your life, you will tell us where they are or show us the way." She heard Obera shifting nervously in the air. Yes, it was dangerous what she asked. But if they were on the lookout for an ambush or trick, they should be able to overcome it.

He let his attention shift momentarily to the little bird fluttering at the other's shoulder. He didn't think that it was quite as mentally unstable as the girl herself, but he couldn't see it doing anyting to pursuade her that he wasn't who she thought. Hell, he was going to have to try and wake the brat up himself, wasn't her?. Her next words, of course, showed him just how much of a job this was.

Momentarily, he considered getting up and jumping ship. He had no reason to stay here while the girl drilled him about whatever fancies had settled on her mind. Then again, she could always chase him, and he had no idea what that would come to. He found that the mentally unstable were often the most dangerous and he had know way of vouching for her otherwise.

"I've no bloody idea what you're rambling on about. I don't know any queen, and as far as everyone, I only see you and that little birdy there." He flickered his tail, pushing himself up into a sitting position atop the branch. What in the hell was wrong with the girl?  

[Asparegus]

Cherero frowned. He called Obera a bird. She wasn't a bird! She was a fairie. Obera however apparently maybe cared too much. She looked at Cherero and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Cherero." And with that she turned away and quickly flew back deep into the jungle. "Obera!" Cherero exclaimed watching her flee. What was she doing, leaving Cherero all alone? What happened to saving the Queen? Didn't she care? Unless... unless Obera had been a part of it. But no, none of this made any sense. Ivadomo and Cherero had talked the intro to the story over with each other before beginning and that wasn't it. Besides, it made no sense. What was going on? She stomped a back foot. "This isn't fair!" she exclaimed.

Persaon smirked lightly as the little thing twittered off into the trees. Well, at least one of the two of them had a little bit of sense left in their skull. He watched the figure dwindle off between the greenery, then heard that pouty little exclamation. He turned his pale eyes back to her, pushing himself up onto his feet. "I've no idea what isn't fair, but I think maybe you've fallen and bumped your head along the way somewhere, doll," he took a couple of steps along the branch, eyes still locked upon her, "maybe you should think about heading home before you get more confused - you could get lost."

She was in a mood now and in no mood to take anything from anyone. She wasn't even quite sure what he looked like any more or that she was playing pretend or anything like that. Her game was ruined and no one even asked her if she wanted to stop playing. "I certainly HAVE NOT hit my head. You're whatever I say you are. And I am NOT lost. I know perfectly well my way around and have friends to help me if I do get lost. But you're just a big ugly ....THING so you don't have anyone. So of course you couldn't understand. I hope... I hope you fall out of that tree."

He paused at her words, and then quite suddenly, let a roaring laugh boom from his mug. He jumped up a little higher, onto another limb, a smirk on his face as he turned to look back upon her finally. "I am anything I wish to be, and just because you've got it into your head to act like a spoiled brat doesn't mean that you can decide I'm anything other than what I am." His tail flickered, his paws drawing him along the branch, "and I am a leopard. Leopards do not fall from trees, so tough luck for all your hope."

"You see, I'm not a spoiled brat. You're a spoiled sport. Now I know why no one'd pick one of you." She cried, referring of course to muses. "You like to interfere with people's games and then ruin them. You're just as ugly as a goblin." She nodded as though she had just read the truth of his character. But then as though she were a seer, she looked away from him so that he got her profile, her chin raised, looking very much the snooty character. "But you'll get your come uppins. The bad guys always do."

But she had had it. And there wasn't much more she was going to put up with. Let him throw insults at her back as she walked away. It was more pathetic than saying them to her face.  

[Asparegus]

For a moment, all Persaon could do was stare. Half of what she said didn't make any sense, the othe rhalf of what she said just made him want to sneer at her. He didn't know what sort of pride was near here, but if they were all like her, he supposed he'd better get away as fast as possible. "Whatever lets you sleep at night, babycakes," he muttered, watching her, then pushed himself off of his branch and onto another.

He needed to get away. What if more of those nutcases came? Leaping from branch to branch, he dwindled off into the distance. Screw that.