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 Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:36 pm
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It was a beautiful night - or at least Persaon assumed it was somewhere outside the wretched depths of the jungle. He could only see bits of stars above the tree tops, and he was almost sure he heard the ocean in the distance. He felt as if he had been walking for ages, ever since he had turned his tail and walked away from that loony lioness. He was thinking, however, that somewhere along the way he had taken a wrong turn and now he was trying in vain to find his way back. He couldn't determine directions anymore, couldn't begin to gather where he had gotten to, and it was starting to become a pain in the a** not to be able to see past all the damn trees.
"Ugh, where the hell am I?" he said with a groan, flopping down dramatically onto a log. He buried his face in his paws with a groan, letting his tail flicker behind him. He propped his head on his paws, narrowing his pale eyes upon a tree and staring at it as if it were the root of all his problems. |
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:46 pm
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Hadharani, on the other paw, was taking a rather fun-filled nightly stroll through the jungle lands she knew so well and loved more than anything else. She had grown up here, knew the layout of the trees and shrubs like the back of her paw, and could probably traverse it with her eyes closed. Of course, she'd never tried that, she'd never had to, but now that she thought about it seemed like it might be a really fun game!
As it were, she came upon the gray leopard as he lay there staring at the tree. Pausing near him, she glanced to the tree, then glanced around. Well, the trees didn't seem to have any sort of problem with the guy, so why was he staring at the poor thing like it had done something wrong? A slight pout fixed on her maw and she shifted her paws from side to side. Quite suddenly, though, she washed it away - she couldn't be mad at him without hearing both sides!
"Did the tree do something wrong?" she asked with a tilted head as she stalked a little closer to him. She stopped, tangerine eyes on him as she stood there waiting for his answer. |
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:53 pm
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Persaon blinked as he heard that voice. His ears swiveled slightly at the sound, his head turning slowly to find the female that stood there. For a moment, he frowned, and simply watched her. She was about the age of the other one, and he was in the same area - could they be related, or perhaps simply from the same pride? He didn't truly want to put up with another one of those girls, especially if this one was half as crazy as the last, but he couldn't just turn her away. Maybe he could appeal to her better nature and she'd.. show him a way out?
"I, the.. tree?" he said slowly, turning to look back at it. For a moment, he just stared, then turned to look back at her. What in the hell could the tree have done? She really must be related to the other one. "No, I just can't find my way around. I need to get OUT of the trees so that I can leave and be on my way."
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:01 pm
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Of course, little Rani had no idea of any of the things that Persaon was entertaining in his mind. In fact, if she had to voice her own opinion, she'd probably say that Persaon himself was a little crazy. The way he looked at the tree like it was nothing but an inanimate object was so bizarre! Didn't he know that it had feelings? The thought of him upsetting the trees made her want to sulk, but princesses didn't sulk, she was pretty sure of that! Plus, if she sulked, what would the stars think of her? Oh, they'd have a good laugh she'd bet!
"I can show you out of the jungle," she said finally with a smile on her face, trying to look as pleasant as possible. Nerida had once told her that not everyone heard things like they did - that some people had been so long away from the muses that they didn't know how to talk to them anymore. She didn't know if it was true, at least the part about forgetting, but this wasn't the first creature she'd come across that acted as if some of her favorite friends had no feelings. "I was going out to see my little treasures anyway, so it wouldn't hurt for me to help you while I do it."
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:09 pm
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Persaon let a soft smile spread across his maw as she finally offered just what it was that he wanted. A way out of the jungle! Hell, she might be crazy, but at least she was good for something. He supposed it was lucky that she had come across. He felt like he could deal with this one, for at least she seemed to be mostly connected to reality. The other girl acted like she had no idea where she even was - or who she was for that matter. He thought, for a moment, that he should maybe tell her that there was a confused lioness wandering around - but then he realized it really wasn't that much of a problem.
"That would be lovely," he said with a nod, pushing himself up and taking a few steps closer to her. "My name is Persaon, by the way, and you are?" he quirked a brow, waiting patiently for her introduction. Of course, that was until he heard that last bit. "Treasure?" he said with a slightly tilted head, wondering just what sort of treasure could be out here in the middle of the jungle - especially one that belonged to such a young female.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:15 pm
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She smiled at his introduction. Well, even if he wasn't the most polite creature to the trees, at least he had some form of manners. Now she wouldn't feel too guilty about helping someone that had been so mean to the trees - and maybe they wouldn't hold it against her too badly. Of course, they might also just want him out if he was going to be mean to them, so she could be doing everyone a favor all at one time!
"It's very lovely to meet you, Persaon," she said with a slight nod of her own head and a smile on her mug, "my name is Hadharani. You can call me Rani, though, if you'd like - everyone else does." She didn't bother to say who everyone was, most likely because she felt as if he wouldn't believe her. Sure, he'd believe her brothers and sisters, but if he didn't talk to the muses then he'd probably just think she was crazy.
She flickered her tail as she watched him, her smile spreading into a grin as he showed such interest in her treasure. "Yes, it's the greatest treasure in the whole world!" she said excitedly, bouncing slightly on her paws and forgetting for the moment that she was supposed to show him anywhere.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:19 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:23 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:27 pm
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He didn't really want to agree with her and say that she certainly did get a bit light headed. That would be rude, and what if she decided not to help him at all? Or worse, didn't show him the way to her treasure at all? Now that he had heard about it, he wouldn't be satisfied until he had gotten it! That, and he really did want to get out of this god forsaken jungle. If he had to stay there much longer, he was afraid he might go crazy - it all looked the same!
"It's quite alright, I understand what it can feel like to be really passionate about something," he did, in a way, but probably not in the same manner that she would probably think. He leaped after her, catching up, and settled in to follow along behind her as they walked. After a few moments of silence, his tail flickered, and he glanced ahead of him towards her. "So, tell me a little bit more about your treasure?" Sure, it'd seem like idle talk, but he needed to know what he was going to be in for.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:32 pm
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She walked along through the underbrush, winding her way through the trees she knew so well, leading the both of them towards the edge of the jungle - which really wasn't so far, he just didn't seem to know that. Of course, she was leading him to the edge that would bring him to the shoreline, but she felt that he was smart enough to follow that along until it brought him out into the open and away from the jungle. Even if it took him a while, staring out at the beautiful ocean night was better than being surrounded by all the trees, even as nice as they were.
"My treasure?" she said softly, turning to look at him as she walked along. She grinned, turning her eyes up to the canopy, staring as if she were staring off into space. "It is beautiful! It shines like the sun, sparkles with its own light!" she gasped softly, then giggled, turning her eyes to look back at him. "I can't even begin to describe how pretty it is - you'd have to see it for yourself to truly understand."
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:36 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:40 pm
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"Yes, it does!" she said with a soft gasp. Just ahead of them the trees were beginning to thin, the sky was opening up, and the ocean roar was becoming louder than ever. As she walked along, her steps got a little lighter, began with a slight bounce, until she broke through the trees and turned her eyes up to the stars. She paused for a moment, shutting her eyes, simply listening the the roar of the waves and feeling the salty wind lick her cheeks. The muses of her mother and father were always kind to her, so she always felt best when she looked upon her treasure near them.
"There they are," she said finally, opening her eyes and looking up at the stars. For a moment, she simply stood there, then, with a laugh she glanced towards him. "My beautiful stars, the greatest treasure in the world!" she gasped aloud, turning her tangerine eyes back up to the twinkling dots. She was beginning to look slightly distant again, though it seemed as if she probably wouldn't be drawing back from that for quite a long time.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:44 pm
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He had begun to get excited as they started to break through the line of trees too! Surely her treasure had to be out there, buried in the sand perhaps? Then, as she stopped and spoke, he almost felt his jaw drop. All of this hullabaloo for a bunch of stupid stars? He snorted lightly at her, deciding that she was just as bonkers as that other brat that he had encountered. Even if it was going to take him a little longer, he was just happy to be out of the jungle. The sooner he got away from them, the better.
"Yea, they're something," he muttered under his breath, taking a few side steps away from her. He turned, paused, and glanced back at her. "Thanks for.. showing me out," it was nothing but a bit of a mumble, but at least it was something. She had done what she said she was going to - he was just sour that he couldn't take away the treasure he had been imagining. He sniffed slightly and simply turned away, beginning to head off into the distance along the shoreline. He was never going to come back to this jungle again, that was for sure.
Well, not unless he heard about some real treasure.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:49 pm
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On some unconscious level, she probably heard what he said. However, as she stood there beneath the stars, their sparkling light shining down upon her, she could not spare any time for anyone other than the brilliant muse that showered her in its gentle laughter. Her maw parted, eyes reflecting the spots of light that danced in the sky.
With a slight giggle, she simply began to saunter down the beach in the opposite direction. Oh, if there had been anyone else around, they likely would have warned Persaon of her strange opinions and her own infatuation with her favorite thing in the world - the stars. As it were, she was simply the only one, and he'd have to deal with it all the best way he saw fit. For right now, she couldn't care if he had ever been there at all.
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