[PRP] A meal and some comfort [Mez and Mlinzi]

[Yin-Bug]

After what seemed like forever of not going with a meal Mez's belly was finally full and she was feeling pretty good again. Mez was never taught to hunt when she was younger, she had spent many times trying to figure out how to do it but she could never truly figure out what exactly to do. She often scavenged and this time she found someone who was kind enough to invite her into their pride so that she could eat. She had helped the apparently blind male out of a hole and she then let him convince her to wander into the borders.

The awkward lioness was unsure of what to think of the whole situation. The pride was full of kind creatures, but she noticed something as she walked around the pride. there were many coughs and sneezes that she heard, it seemed like it was coming from every direction. The lioness was nervous, afraid she was falling for some kind of trap. Did he pull her into some kind of trap where she was going to get killed because she was going to get sick in some way? She wasn't sure at this point but she was trying her hardest to ignore her feelings so that she could be as polite as she could while she was in the pride that was welcoming her so sweetly. She was stil a little on guard, scared of something that could happen.

She finished up eating what she had in front of her before looking at Mlinzi. "Your pride is very hospitable to me." she smiled sweetly before looking around and back toward him. "It seems like every pride around here is different, what is the story of yours?" She asked him, her tail still swaying behind her as she spoke.  

[Depawsit]

Mlinzi's heart was soaring as he sat beside the female, whose name he still did not know. There were many times during their walk that he had debated asking her name, but at no point did it feel comfortable. He could still feel the tension in the air, she was obviously still guarded to some extent. He wasn't going to push her, she would tell him when she felt the most comfortable. He did have hope though, that she would tell him. The fact that he had managed to get her to come into the pride felt like a huge milestone! Especially given her insecurity about coming down into the hole to help him out.

As he sat there next to her, he had no feelings of hunger or exhaustion. No, his mind was too busy running over all of the things he'd been through. Everything from the seer who sent him looking for her, to her arrival, and everything in between.A sigh parted his lips as the female spoke up for the first time in a while. He loved the sound of her voice, it helped him imagine what she looked like. Though her looks were not important to him, her heart was what mattered. And despite her uncertain nature, he could tell her's was true.

"Yes, we are a very hospitable pride. But it doesn't hurt that one can not say no to one who was kept them alive far past their years." Mlinzi nodded gently, hardly paying attention to his words, that likely made no sense to the female.

"My pride?

We have a very strange story ..."

Mlinzi inhaled deeply, fearing that if he told her, she would bolt from these lands without a second glance.

"If I were to tell you the story, you must first promise me that you will not be scared away by it. You are perfectly safe here, and I would allow no harm to come to you. Of that, I promise you."

With those words, Mlinzi went silent. His milky eyes staring off into space as he awaited her response. The damage had been done, and if she were going to run, now was her chance.

Yin-Bug

Oh my goodness, i'm sorry for the wait Yin!

 

[Yin-Bug]

Depawsit

No Worries! <3

The lioness chowed down as she waited for the male's answer. She knew that he could tell how tense she was but then again it wasn't often that she had company and not only that but she was normally pretty afraid and shy around the company that she came across. This male was no exception. But she was extremely happy and grateful to have a full belly and alls he did was extend a kind paw to this male. She waited for his answer wondering what he was going to say, when he first started to talk she was both confused and surprised. What was he even talking about? What did he mean?

She paused thinking over what he had said before she got distracted by what was to follow. "Where are you going with this..." She paused, she just realized she didn't even catch his name. She was being so silly even though she wasn't a fan of company she normally at least tried to catch another's name when she got the chance. "I'm sorry I didn't even get your name." She was a little embarrassed at that fact but she was hoping that it wouldn't get in the way of their conversation. But even more importantly she was hoping that he wasn't about to tell her something crazy, something like she'd never be able to leave again. She didn't want to find out that she was trapped here. Sure its eemed like a nice place but she was still scared, which was pretty normal for her.  

[Depawsit]

Mlinzi reached a paw over near to where her voice was coming from and patted around for her paw. When he found it, he gently patted it with care before lying his paw down beside her's. "Calm down my dear, as I said before, I will not allow any harm to come to you. So you have nothing to fear, I only meant that my pride has a very strong story behind it. And some don't really approve of it." Mlinzi paused and exhaled a heavy breath. "Our lives can be quite disturbing to an outsider. I would hate to scare you away, when we've only just begun to get to know one another."

It seemed like an eternity that the two sat there in silence, but finally his new friend broke it. Mlinzi offered her a relieved smile and shook his head low in shame. "Oh you must forgive me for that, I guess I got caught up in the moment and forget. Definitely not my most proud moment.

I am Pumbaa'Mlinzi.

But you may call me whatever you'd like."

Yin-Bug

 

[Yin-Bug]

Depawsit

Mez wasn't that sure of what to think of all of the hype with the pride. What was so interesting about this pride that it made others uncomfortable? She had no clue and he was wishing that he would just get out with it but he was explaining it pretty slowly she was feeling pretty tense. Her tail was flicking around behind her nervously and she flinched a little as his paw touched him. She paused and then smiled a little at the male, she knew he couldn't see her but she was hoping that he could almost feel the happy that she was giving off.

She stretched herself out a little listening nervously as he started to talk. He wasn't going to harm her but yet it seemed like there were many afraid of this pride. She paused for a moment and then looked at the male once again as he told her his name. "I'll go with Mlinzi." She said with a small laugh, remembering taht it was a good idea to tell him her name. "My name is Meztli'tunde Anjali." She then paused she wasn't as laid back with her name. "Don't call me Anjali but you can call me anything else." Her second name wasn't her favorite. She generally didn't like her last name because it wasn't a good name. She got the name because she was shunned from her pride when she was younger. "So... what?" She asked trying to encourage him to explain what was up with his pride.  

[Depawsit]

Mlinzi chuckled happily at the female as she chose her desired nickname for him. "Ah A fine choice indeed!" He mused, allowing his tail to flick eagerly behind him. "Meztli'tunde Anjali." Mlinzi nodded firmly at the name, deciding that he approved of it. It was a bit longer than his own, but still he enjoyed the way it flowed off the tongue. Or at least, he had enjoyed it until she spoke against using her secondary name. "My apologies, if it is all the same with you, i'd like to call you Mez. Though if I may speak my mind, I find your name in it's entirety to be quite lovely."

As he mulled over her name, and silently hoped he hadn't offended her he seemed to lose track of the conversation at hand. Which led to a bit of confusion at Mez's next words. "So what?" He questioned with sincerity.

"OH RIGHT RIGHT! Sorry my dear, got a bit side tracked there." Another swish of the tail, followed by a wave of his paw.

"Well as i'm sure you heard while we were within the pride, there are many sick lions here. And as you definitely know, I am a very praised apothecary for this pride." Mlinzi paused a moment allowing his words to sink in.

"Well to make this very long story, very short. My pride - the Kitwana'Antara, are 'blessed' by the goddess of pestilence. Within the inner boundaries of our prides we carry a disease, that is fatal to nearly all who inherit it. " Again he paused, allowing time for a certain realization to hit him.

"OH BUT DON'T YOU WORRY! You have not contracted it!" Mlinzi waved his paws around wildly as he shook his head. "There are a very limited number of ways to contract our disease, none of which are simply being around the infected."

Yin-Bug

 

[Yin-Bug]

Depawsit

Mez nodded to the male's apology. "No worries," but two his second comment she felt her cheeks flush with warmth. If she could blush it would look as if the sun would be starting to rise on her stary face. She had never really been complimented on anything ever before, and it was probably pretty obvious as well. She shuffled a little uncomfortably trying to find the words to answer the male's compliment. "T-thank you. I don't mind at all." She then tried to play off her embarrassment. "You can always speak your mind around me, I rarely get upset over things." She nodded once again and waited for the male to explain the pride.

But as he started to explain she couldn't help but to get a little uncomfortable. Everyone was sick? It made her eye around to the members in the distance. Oh no what if she got sick? She was already bad enough at hunting. The goddess of Pestilence. "Fatal?" She repeated out loud. She didn't mean to and she sat with her jaw slightly open and a small panicked look in her eye. she knew she shouldn't have trusted the male he brought her into a pride and now she was going to die! She stiffened until she heard what he had to say next.

She arched a brow a little unsure and uncomfortable "Are you sure?" she asked him a little upset. She wanted to trust him but he had already taken her into a pride of sick lions!  

[Depawsit]

Ah yes, the reaction was just as he had expected it to be. She was going into a panic, he didn't need to see her to know it. Her silence was telling him everything he needed to know. Then came the slight increase in her breathing, she was most definitely taking this as badly as he had feared, despite her assurances.

He wanted to reach out and pat her paw, to assure her that all would be well. But to provoke a nervous lion was not a smart idea. Her words hit him like a ton of bricks and he could feel his heart sink in his chest. It was as though every bit of air in his lungs was simply vanished, he had to make a come back from this. He wasn't going to let her slip from his paws, not when he had only just found her. He would never allow her to escape again, he would do every rational thing in his mind to keep her by his side. She was meant for him, and he was meant for her. If this foul curse stole her away from him, he would never forgive the goddess or her willing followers.

"Fatal."

He mumbled, though his words were very shaky. He had only just found the air to fill his lungs, and the word stung as it came out of his mouth. It was like a venom, and he wanted to spit until every ounce of it was gone from his system.

"Most positive." He mumbled, before attempting to clear his throat of the lump within it. "MY pride has carried this burden for many generations, our discoveries on its mechanisms are not to be taken lightly." Mlinzi nodded his head solemnly before turning to her.

"I understand your fear, but you must understand - if there were any doubt in my mind, I would never have taken you inside. If you were ever to believe a word I said, I would hope these are the ones you would choose."

Yin-Bug

 

[Yin-Bug]

Depawsit

The lioness sat and thought. After all of his words it was really all that she could do.She was a little angry at the male for leading him into a diseased pride but then again it was apparently safe? She wasn't sure if it actually was but either way she was still pretty nervous. How was she to know that she wasn't going to get sick? She was surrounded by lions that were sick and some of them could die any moment. It was indeed... fatal. The word made the fur on the back of her neck stand. She would have never thought a pride like this would have existed.

Then again as she thought was it kind for these lions to hide themselves away from others so that they too could not get sick. As she rested further back on her haunches in thought, her quiet was probably a little frightening. She stared a the male unsure of what to think of his words. Was he going to die? Was he blind because of this sickness? She wasn't very sure that was all that she knew and she also knew that as she looked around including at the meal in front of her she couldn't help but to think that everyone that she had talked to including the male had been pretty kind. Was this one of those tricks that were like in the stories. The stories of cubs following witches into their houses being bribed with good treats like fermented fruits to get the cubs to follow them into their dens and eat the cubs up.

All of these thoughts raced through her mind and she couldn't help but to think about the male's kind actions to her and his words. She wasn't that sure but something told her to listen to him. Her tail lashed behind her and she finally thought she gathered an idea of what to say. "Okay."

That was a good way to start a conversation. She acknowledged what he said. Why not give it a chance? She didn't want to be like one of those lions that ran off and hid in fear from something that she didn't know. She was normally like that but she didn't want to be like that in front of some one she didn't even know. And these lions seemed kind enough. She was at the point where she wasn't sure if she was being ignorant or she was being hopeful but she figured she would give it a try. "So... tell me more about your pride then." She said simple as she continued to eat the meal in front of her. No matter what at the end of all of this she was still hungry and she wanted to eat.  

[Depawsit]

Mlinzi was holding on by a breath as he waited anxiously to hear Mez's words of anger. He knew she was angry with him, and he had no one to blame but himself. But he wanted her to be safe, and his pride was safe. She was in no danger there, so long as she was not attacked - which she would never be. He would not allow it, and anyone who went against him would have hell to pay. He was far too important to the pride for someone to be so thoughtless.

A soft and gentle 'Okay.' finally escaped Mez's lips and in turn allowed Mlinzi to exhale the breath he had held in for so long. He was sure she had heard it, and with it, he released a soft chuckle. "Thank you for understanding. I would never willingly put you, or anyone under my care into danger. I would sooner give myself to the danger than the one under my stead." He dipped his head politely to her, knowing she was likely eating, and trying not to interrupt her too much.

As Mez requested more information on his pride, he smiled fondly at her. Before sighing once more, but this time it was more a mix of sighs. One of relief, but also one of tension. "Well as you know, my pride is blessed by the goddess of pestilence. We carry our disease as our burden, throughout our lives. Some of us are lucky enough to not inherit the illness, while others inherit the full blown disease. It is not a pretty story my dear, nor are there many happy endings. But myself and the other Apothecaries do our best to lessen the sad days." For a moment he brightened up, and a smile crossed his features before he continued. "As I mentioned before, the disease is not one you can catch simply by being near us. Our disease is a blood disease, meaning it is only transferred through the blood. One can only get it if they are attacked by another, and their system is not strong enough to fight it off. Or, like most of us, you are born with it." Again he paused, turning his attention to Mez once again, "Now do you see why I so heavily assured you of your safety from our sickness? No one here will harm you unless you intend to harm us. Of which I am very certain you have no intentions of doing."

Yin-Bug