[PRP] Fluffiest Meeting (Athena x Maysa)

[Dame NightFury]

The dawn was beautiful and Maysa knew it shone on her luscious coat well. The sun was indeed a loyal friend and lover. He may not be able to say the compliments on his mind, but he shone to the advantage of her beautiful fur so that it was obvious. She didn't need a mirror, whatever that was, to know she was the fairest in the land. Well, one of. She had seen a few females that had to be related to her in some way because they were beautiful as well.

She had had a nice meal the evening before and felt strengthened. Even without Jael beside her, Maysa's confidence and everything were healing. Maybe she'd go and find him again. Show him what he'd missed. Take him back after an apology or a declaration of love and admiration. The thought was both amusing and at the same time not. The thought of Jael in that position made her skin crawl. He was better than that.

Maysa would settle for the declaration of love then. He didn't have to mention how he admired her beauty. He could do that silently. Especially if there were other males around to express it.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena fluffed himself up as puffy as he could go and padded off to get some alone time in. The other adults would all be fine watching over the two litters of cubs. Zenoba seemed to love watching over his 'brothers' and 'sisters' as much as the females. Athena felt that the young lion was just as capable as himself or Zenobia really. Athena loved Zenobia's son as if he was his own and it was nice that the young male shared the affection the older male had for him. It was nice to have family even if it was adopted family.

Athena could not be happier with how things were turning out for him. Three litters of cubs, one adopted son, one female that stuck around all the time and a few others that came and went as the pleased. He was never lacking for company. That was a reason to rejoice if there ever was one! Things were just so nice now that he had company in his travels. Athena could not keep the bounce out of his steps as he went off to find a drink, a nice rock to contemplate his good fortune, and perhaps some random company. That was always the best part of his 'alone time', finding random company.  

[Dame NightFury]

The field of poppies sprinkled the colors that were Maysa. Yellows, golds, oranges, reds. In a way, they reminded Maysa of the desert that she was so used to, but at the same time it was almost foreign. The beauty of the sun and dawning light as well as the field of flowers made Maysa feel connected, not nearly as alone as she had been feeling since the murders of her family. At least until Jael. Even then there were times she felt isolated. But here in this moment, She was one beautiful thing connected, enhancing and enhanced by other beautiful things.

Maysa gently settled herself amongst the poppy flowers and bathed in the glorious light of dawn and strengthening sun. If only Jael could be here now. He wouldn't be able to anything but love her. Every inch of her. Here in this field and moment of pure beauty and confidence.

Maysa pushed the depressing thoughts of Jael out of her mind for the moment and closed her eyes, smiling. She rubbed her nosed into the blossoms and inhaled their scent. Everything in that moment was ....

Beautiful.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena was ever so quiet as he padded along and hummed to himself. New cubs, just as his last litter grew out of cubhood, and his first got to the age to start looking to reproduce themselves. It was so nice, so perfect. Ah, there was not a thing he could think of that would make his life better, except more cubs of course. He was certain that he would get more cubs too. At one time he had worried he would never have cubs with anyone, now he was confident that he would have more and more.

Athena jumped up onto a rock sticking out of a poppy field and settled himself on the rock. The flowers were pretty, but he had other things on his mind than the poppies. Beautiful females and adorable cubs filled his fluffy head. The lion almost missed that there was a lioness in the field with him, and just as he was settling to think about a nap, he saw the difference and chuckled. "A flower among the flowers. How fitting for such a beauty." He made sure his words carried to the lioness.  

[Dame NightFury]

She didn't just jump. No she didn't, because she was more dignified than that. She had more confidence than that. Maysa didn't jump. Or startle. Or whatever. ... Maysa groaned inwardly. Okay, maybe she had a lot more soul searching and confidence building to go before she'd be back to her normal self. That last encounter with a male lion hadn't been the best and that voice was definitely a male's voice.

Maysa sat up straight and looked around for the voice's owner. When she spotted him, he couldn't be persuaded to think he meant her any kind of harm. But still she ready herself to run if she had to. Again.

Maysa really hated feeling like prey. And that's all she'd been feeling like since she'd parted ways with Jael.

At least this male looked less scary. He was fluffy and soft looking. Less scars, in fact Maysa couldn't spot a scar on him. That could be because she wasn't close enough to see any. Or they could be hidden under his fluff. Or maybe, just maybe this male wasn't a fighter, wasn't violent.

At least, even if he wasn't as pleasant as he looked, he had good taste. My her ancestors and twinkling family members, she had to be a fool. That was the only explanation. Please! Please, let my instincts be right. Please let me be listening to them this time.

With that plea sent to the heavens, Maysa gave the stranger a small smirk. "Lucky you were able to catch a glimspe. Or skill." She really did blend well with the poppies. Yep, at least she'd found a pretty flower to make her favorite.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena returned her smirk with a kind smile and a charming laugh. "Perhaps a bit of both. Every hunter has to have a good bit of both to be any good. I tend to spend as much time hunting beauty to admire as I do hunting food. Such an exquisite sight as yourself is a rare thing indeed. Are you trying to hide your pretty pelt away from the world's view in all those flowers?" He fluffed himself up and made himself comfy on the rock. He did not figure he would be moving from it for a while. If the female wandered off, he would just use it to sleep on, if not, he would use it as a nice perch from which to have a conversation. Rocks were wonderful spots in his opinion.

Athena ignored the fact that the lioness had jumped. He got the feeling from this female that she would not appreciate if he pointed out that he had sneaked up on her, even if it was only to apologize for the act. He was usually very good at finding the right things to say based on watching those he encountered. "I do hope a lioness like you does not have a reason to hide from anything. You are the kind of rare flower that should be shown off and cherished by all those around you." Ah yes, the typical Fluffy charm. If Zenobia had been present for this conversation she probably would have giggled and told him he was too charming for his own good. Come to think of it, she might have been correct.  

[Dame NightFury]

Maysa shrugged. Without jael, there was no cherishing. There was only the fear that was growing with each passing day. The two-legged poachers entered her dreams at night accompanied by that scarred lion and other nightmares that her imagination could supply. Especially nightmares about Jael getting hurt or worse by those two-legged poachers or even other lions.

So yes, she was acting like prey again by hiding. Lying to herself that she was admiring her new found favorite flowers, poppies. "I hide from those that do not deserve to see. The two-legged ones that would skin and display my coat amongst others or their kind. The ones that would cage me. The lions that try to use force to get their way. I rather not deal with any of that at the moment, so I hide with the flowers and I admire the flowers."

Maysa tilted her head and looked at the fluffy lion as he made himself comfortable on his rocky perch. She had no problem with the male admiring her, as long as he didn't turn into a lion like the last one. In fact his admiration might help calm her down, yet her fall back into herself and her self confidence. Maybe this was her family's message of support, by sending this male to her.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena listed to the female intently and nodded. Those were valid fears, and he could understand anyone having them, not just this female. He also thought it a shame that anyone would have reason to have those fears, as this female obviously did. Either someone had told her of them and scared her with such things, or she had seen them herself and been scared. Athena was not sure which would be worse, seeing such a horror or listening to someone else tell of it. Others might stretch the tale and make it bigger than it was, but then depending on how horrible it really was to see, they would not have to stretch the truth at all.

The male tilted his head to the side and smiled kindly. "I have wandered the rogue lands my whole life... ever since I was weened from my mother... some of it with my siblings, but most of it alone." He hoped this would lead into what he wanted and make him sound encouraging, instead of off-putting and self centered. He liked being the sweet, loving fluffball not the depressive, self centered one. "I have never seen these two legged hunters in all that time, though I have come across very rare individuals that have. Some speak of being caged and given good food all the time in exchange for being looked at constantly, others have gotten scars from it." Athena shrugged as if to show that these stories did not bother him much.  

[Dame NightFury]

Well, he seemed to be listening. That was an improvement, but that didn't really ... respond to her statement. Maysa continued to look at the fluffy male waiting for the thought process to complete itself because obviously, it wasn't complete. It didn't really ... address anything she'd said except to give her information that the big lion had led a safe life. Maysa was happy about that, but that only made her more aware of the less than happy life she'd had before Jael. And then that made her sadder because Jael had made her happy and now she was back to being unhappy. Not sad, just not happy.

It was obvious that the lion didn't want to hurt her or upset her, so Maysa continued to wait for the second half of that statement. Something to finish it with because as it sat, it was rather upsetting.

Should she point that out to him? What could she say to that? I have been wondering the lands for many a year after my entire family and extended family were hunted and killed by the two-legged creatures and striped of their coats? That she had had a similar run in not that long ago, when she'd first met Jael and he'd rescued her? Wouldn't that be worse?

So Maysa looked, her look becoming a stare really, and waited.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena took her silence as an invitation to continue his little soapbox moment from his rock. "There are those like myself that have never seen these two legged creatures, so perhaps instead of hiding here, you should walk proudly among those that have not seen the two legs. Then these creatures will never find you and you have no reason to fear." It seemed perfectly logical to Athena that this should be true and give the lioness comfort. He certainly could see no valid reason to hide among the flowers.

Athena thought she was so beautiful that many lions and non lions would love to have her around them and protect her from these things she feared. So he endeavored to make her feel better so that she would not feel the need to hide among the flowers. It was something he just HAD to do. He had to make her feel better, had to make her want to be out in the open and show off her pretty pelt! That pelt was too beautiful to hide away even among pretty flowers. It should be shown proudly to everyone.  

[Dame NightFury]

"Maybe you're right, but I'm traveling alone. If I can't fight off several two-legged ones, or a determined full grown male, I - " No. Those were just excuses, and Maysa realized it the moment she started talking. No, she couldn't fight off many poachers. And no, it wasn't likely that she would be able to defend herself against if she kept thinking like this. This way of thinking and doing was going to make her dishonor her family and ancestors. It would never impress or make Jael pride.

Maysa sighed, sitting up straighter and looked at the lion square in the eye. Yes, she would be scared sometimes in the future, but Maysa wasn't scared right now. And it was unlikely that this fluffy male or many of the others that she would meet would scare her either. If she found one again or one of the determined males found her, Maysa would have to fight or run or talk her way out of whatever nastiness they had in mind. "You're right. I shouldn't be hiding. I let fear, and - and my current situation with my - with Jael to dictate my actions and reactions. I do my ancestors a dishonor. Thank you for reminding me of - Well thank you."  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena had been starting to think the female might be a lost cause, so stuck in her fear that she would never find her way out of it. It made him quite sad to think that anyone had gotten to such a point, but all the more so when it was a beautiful female like the one before him. He had wanted so badly to make her feel better and yet it had seemed to do nothing. Just as he thought there was no hope for her, everything in her stance and words changed, and Athena brightened again. He HAD made a difference!

Athena grinned at her words and gave a happy purr. "I am just glad to see that you are not upset anymore. You are too beautiful to live in fear. I have a feeling your ancestors would understand if they were here." He nodded his fluffy head and gave himself a stretch. "Perhaps this Jael needs to be spoken to? If the situation you speak of with him is leading you to be sad and fearful..." The way she talked about the other, he didn't think it was someone that she feared, just that she was upset over. "You could come join my little group for a bit of relaxation... as much as one can with cubs all over." He winked at her.  

[Dame NightFury]

Cubs. As in more than one. That scared Maysa. Did the lioness want children? Yes, of course. Jael's cubs in particular once she could find a way to resolve this situation, but ... this is ... CubSSSSS.

Cubs.

Maybe she could go and find Jael again and talk out this situation. Maybe that would be better than - cubs. TIny, breakable, cute, delicate cubs. Cubs that weren't hers. And would never be hers. Or Jael's.

A bell seemed to go off in her head with that last thought. Loud and clear. Maysa was so focused on Jael, he was the source of her happiness, anger, sadness. He brought out passion in her. And - he meant well. But sometimes it was dishearting or worse hurtful. But he didn't mean it. Not in that way. Maybe she was just too sensitive since she had been alone for too long. WIthout her pride, her family. But when she focused on life. She wanted be to with Jael. Now.

And that left the fluffy male. The very nice fluffy male. "Thank you, but I think I'm going to go and seek my own happiness now. I'm not going to hide from it anymore. From him." Maysa stood shook herself off and bumped her head against the fluff of the lion in gratitude and hopefully friendship. "Maybe Jael and I could visit you and the cubs in the future?"  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena returned the lioness' affectionate guesture with a headbutt of his own. He had made a new friend today and that was always a nice feeling. The fact that he had helped this lioness through something troubling was an even better feeling. "I am glad you are going to seek your own happiness. You deserve to have it. I would be happy to have you both visit anytime. I always have a group traveling with me... even when there are not cubs about our paws." He hoped there would be cubs for a long time to come, though.


Athena watched his new friend depart and sighed to himself. It was time to get back to the group and make sure the cubs were not driving any of the others nuts. They were a bit hyper, so it took a lot of effort for the adults to keep the cubs from getting into trouble. His paws would be missed by now, so it was a good thing he was going to head back.

Dame NightFury

fin