[PRP] The Awkward Encounters Continue. (Aberforth and Ngao)

[Cajanic]

Boy things were getting really awkward.

Aberforth wasn’t finding himself to be a situated as he would have liked after returning to the pride. He could hardly remember names and faces, most of the time forced into asking anyone he happened to be talking to who they were, even though they had already made it quite clear that they had known him previously. It was such an irritation for the boy who already had enough of a problem dealing with other lions. He hardly needed fuel thrown on the fire of his unsocial behavior. Still, maybe it was just better to stay away from the others until he could remember them on his own. This whole ‘forcing himself to ask’ thing was getting very hard on his poor nerves.

Uchungu was getting upset with him, however. When he told her he might like to take a break from getting to re-know the others she had looked at him like a mother catching her son breaking a rule. After mentioning that he also felt that there was no need to introduce himself all over again because he hadn’t been that well liked as far as he could remember, she peaked him on the head and instructed him to stop being an idiot. Because she was something of his mother, he knew he couldn’t betray her desires.

So here he was again. Out. Trying to see if he could meet a new face only to discover himself the fool for not actually remembering it to be a familiar one.

Moving to the lake he had found the other night, Aberforth planted his butt against the ground, sighing heaving down at his reflection. His awkwardly grown mane swayed lifelessly from side to side, reminding him that he wasn’t just a forgetful dork- he was an ugly forgetful dork.

He frowned at himself, trying to will the rest of his mane to grow in.  

[Ary Keeyara]

It was hard being blind. Certainly that was something anyone would assume, but to actually experience it was something different. Worse still was facing the reality that you had to completely change the way you did everything if you were to be a use to anyone. So Ngao, not only the youngest Captan of the Guard, but sightless from the recent events, was making an attempt to navigate the lands without the help of her companion.

Foolish perhaps? Sometimes she thought so. But she knew that if for some reason Hofu, her most devoted friend, was not there she had to be able to make due on her own. So she was memorizing, relearning the land by touch and smell and souch. She even counted her paces, anything to keep her mental map strong.

She had been to this partiular lake twice before in her new state, so while it was not the most familiar she was able to notice someone else's precence rather quickly. So she stopped her walk, Hofu circling idly above as she stared at nothing, at the place she thought someone was.

The air was too dry and motionless for a good scent picture and, gruffly embaressed she murmured, "Hello?"  

[Cajanic]

Aberforth, startled, looked over at the female. He had complete sight to guide him and still he had not seen the lioness approach him. Blinking, he looked at Ngao, confusion plastered over his white face. The male wasn’t sure whether he recognized her or not. Since his return to the lands he had gotten quite used to not knowing who he was speaking to even though they seemed to know him. This time, though, things seemed quite reversed. She seemed familiar to him. All that fluff in front of her face, the various shades of blue on her frame. There was no doubt about it this time; he knew her. But her name, what was it?

“Ngao?” he offered with a great deal of uncertainty, this being the first time he tried to remember someone without any prompting, “is… that you?”

But wait; there was something different about her that, even with his sub-par mind, was easy to notice. She had scars over her face he couldn’t remotely recall. There were others marks of battle on her body too.

“Uh… it’s… well, my name is Aberforth,” he added awkwardly after too long a pause. He wasn’t sure if she really remembered him. He felt he was easily forgotten. Plus, it had been quite some time since he had been there. Not so long, maybe, that he would have been completely forgotten. But in his mind long enough.
 

[Ary Keeyara]

"Yes, it's me," she answered automatically, wasting no time confirming that he had made an accurate guess. She didn't bother to think it was because he didn't remember her. She made no real assumptions on it at all; so much had happened, so much had changed. Doubt could be anywhere, she supposed.

"Aberforth? I'm glad you've come back. So many haven't yet," she murmured. And so many wouldn't return, either. She didn't realize she might need to explain to him why she hadn't recognized him right away. Instead she just tilted her head a little, ears twitching, "I hope you're alright? After being separated from us?"  

[Cajanic]

With confirmation that he had gotten her name right, Aberforth’s whole day was brightened. It was further confirmation that he was actually getting better at remembering things- something he had thought near impossible at this point. Perhaps one day he would be able to remember the way his mother had looked or how many siblings had been with him.

Not to mention what happened to them all. Uchungu was mute on the subject.

Blinking, he noted the unsure nature of her tone. It seemed strange to muse over his name when he was standing in front of her. She could see that it was really him. Or could she? She did have scars on her face. Oh, now he was feeling uncomfortable again, the churning in his stomach rearing its ugly head. How was he supposed to ask about something like that? After a few seconds of deliberation, he decided he would just have to try and wait for a good moment to ask. Maybe when they were both talking about what they had been doing when they were apart.

He could always make faces at her and see if she got pissy with him, but the thought of upsetting anyone was more than he could stand.

“Yes,” he ventured, “I’m alright. I get confused at times, there’s a lot I don’t know about that seems to have happened while I was away, but other than that I’m good. Slowly piecing together information. How about… you? Are you alright?”