[PRP] The Escort

[Zingling]

Aki and Shahla

It wasn't everyday that Aki traveled with a companion, generally she was too whimsical to be followed around. Yet there she was, travelling with a dark pelted lioness who had been all but lost when she was suddenly shoved from her home lands. Aki couldn't just turn down a girl in need like that, especially one who seemed so... off as it was. She'd surely be attacked or taken advantage of.

Glancing sideways at her new companion, Aki's face split into a small grin. This was actually a bit of fun, even if Shahla was a bit quiet for her tastes. Perhaps she would gather a group and travel all together as a big family of protectors.

"Umm... What are you thinking about?" The soft voice of Shahla drifted over to Aki, she was wondering why her companion had suddenly stopped and was daydreaming with a goofy face all over her. Once or twice Shahla had wondered why she still stuck with the orange and red lioness, but she subconsciously knew that answer already. Companionship. She felt it while in a harem, so she certainly would want to at least attempt to reconstruct that feeling out in the rogue lands.

Aki flicked her eyes back at Shahla, this time paying a bit more attention to her. "Ah! I was just thinking how amazing it would be to have more companions with us. We could help those in need, adventure and take down tasty creatures easier than ever!" Her voice was nearly bursting with energy as her eyes lit up with excitement and passion.

Shahla just smiled, a soft laugh tinkling about the air. Aki seemed to always have so much energy and passion. It almost made Shahla envious, however she pushed that feeling aside easily enough, content with just being around all the energy. "You are always full of energy."

Perking ears, Aki smiled wider. "Of course! How else are we going to find your friend."

Suddenly Shahla's face fell a little as tears weld up in her eyes. Harb... Was she ever going to see him again? "I.... Yes." She was about to start breaking down into sobs when she felt herself shoved into the warm breast of the orange lioness.

"It will be alright. Here, we should stay here tonight. Perhaps someone will wander pass?"  

[mouselet]

Not too far from where the two lionesses were walking, a leopard was lying on his back, studying the sky above. He was trying to figure out when it would rain next. Arundo had come to the conclusion that he preferred wet weather above all else, and so he eagerly tracked the clouds and winds, looking forward to the rains they would bring.

Unfortunately for him, that season was not yet here. However, the voices he'd heard nearly were, so the leopard supposed he should be polite and greet them. After stretching out all his limbs, the lavender male flipped over onto his front and levered himself up.

"Good afternoon to you lovely ladies!" he greeted them charmingly.  

[Zingling]

Emerald eyes darted quickly to the source of the voice, instantly judging the situation she was just placed in. There was only one lone leopards standing in front of them, a friendly demeanor easily apparent allowing Aki to lower her guard. However, her companion, Shahla was stiff as the dead, probably from fright at being taken off guard so quickly.

Deciding it best to call out a greeting of her own, Aki let go of Shahla, moving closer to the stranger and guarding the dark pelted lioness as well. "Hello! Are you from around here?"

As Aki worked her magic, Shahla stayed still, curious of the situation but still startled and attempting to calm her rapidly beating heart. Taking a deep breath in, she exhaled for several seconds, then repeated. As soon as she was calm and her nerves stable she too would greet the stranger.

Sure enough, after a couple minutes passed, Shahla was better and now looking fully at the leopard and Aki's back. "H-hello."

Aki looked back at the lioness and smiled, proud that Shahla had managed to pull herself together so quickly. "That girl there is, Shahla. I am Aki. Who might you be, stranger?"  

[mouselet]

It was pretty obvious, even to him, that the one lioness was protecting the other. Well, neither had anyhting to fear from little old him! Both were larger than the leopard, and he had absolutely no hostile intentions towards either.

"Well, it is my honor to meet you, Shahla, Aki," he replied, graciously bending a leg to each lioness in turn. "I am Arundo, from Around. None of this Here or There business," he explained with a grin. "But just from Around." It was his personal joke about how he couldn't, even if he wanted to, find the exact place where he and his siblings had been raised.

"How may I be of assistance this afternoon?" he offered jovially.  

[Zingling]

Aki's eyes drifted back to Shahla after Arundo made his introduction and offer of assistance. She would be lying to say that another companion wouldn't be interesting, however she was afraid for Shahla, whom was less extroverted than herself. Attempting to communicate to her partner through facial expressions, she asked if she was ok with the company.

Dark blue eyes gazed at the leopard for a long time, she knew Aki was staring at her, but she was fixed on the leopard. He seemed interesting for sure. They had leopards around the pride she was from, but very few. How did they react to their environment? What were they like?

"From around... So, um, what do you do?" Shahla's voice wavered at first, but got louder and more confident by the end. Curiosity was her greatest characteristic, one that both helped and hindered her.

Holding in a laugh, Aki pulled a weird face, attempting to hide the fact that her companion seemed so confused about the situation. At least she wasn't freaking out...  

[mouselet]

"Well," the leopard began with a grin, "I travel Here and There, but never Nowhere, and usually Somewhere." The lavender leopard held his pose and grin for several long moments, humor lighting his amber eyes. But at least one of the ladies seemed unsure, so he supposed he should be less obtuse.

"I don't really do anything interesting. Hunt, eat, sleep. Chat with anyone I find," Arundo added with a wink and a slight bow to Shahla, as she seemed to be the one he needed to convince. Aki looked to be enjoying herself well enough.  

[Zingling]

Shahla looked to Aki as the leopard explained himself, not really sure what he was getting at. Then as if understanding her confusion, he shifted to something more digestible. He was a wanderer like they were.

"Does it ever get lonely?" Deep sapphire blue eyes looked into grey-green of the leopards. Had she not found Aki she Shahla knew she most definitely would be lonely, with Aki however, she was incredibly happy.

Aki bumped into the dark lioness, raising a brow at the question she had present the leopard. It was a bit... tackless, but at least she was removed from her shell.

"Sometimes we like our time away from others, other times.... not so much." Smiling softly, she looked at the leopard and gave him a reassuring look and apologized for the possibly tender subject that had been opened up.  

[mouselet]

The leopard rolled his shoulders in a shrug at Shahla's question.

"Life's only lonely if you let it be that way," he explained. "You can go where you know people are, or you can avoid them. You can talk to the people you find, or you can be silent. Loneliness is a choice." And frankly, not a choice Arundo cared for. He liked people, liked meeting them and talking with them. It was part of why he chose not to remain in one place.  

[Zingling]

"I definitely agree with that statement, Arundo." Wiggling her brows she looked at Shahla, bumping shoulders again. "This life, that of a rogue, might seem strange and scary for those that grew up in a pride. However--" Aki straightened up, rolled her shoulders ands teetered side to side on her paws for a brief moment. "You are more likely to come across things that a pridelander wouldn't even fathom."

Shahla watched both entities, but decided to remain silent. Something gave her the hunch that she'd learn more without contributing her voice.

Quickly picking her body up from the ground, Aki moved towards Arundo until she was standing beside him. "I bet this leopard here for instance has met and done more than half of your pride members. I bet he is even friendly with the wild dogs." As she spoke of the wild dogs she gentle elbowed the leopard in the front leg, a sign of affection and camaraderie for her.

mouselet

 

[mouselet]

"Wild dogs?" Arundo made a show of pondering the statement. "I don't know, I've met some dogs before, but I'm not sure they were particularly wild. Hungry, yes. Bad breath, definitely. But not really 'wild,'" the leopard concluded.

"As for accomplishments...I honestly couldn't hope to compare to a pridemember," the lavender male went on in an offhand manner. "It's like comparing bushes and trees."