[PRP] Drenched (Akir, Aggra)

[Talencia]

Talk about a freak thunderstorm. This was not the season for them at all! Nor was this the warm, nourishing rain that made the plains so green during the late spring and early summer. No, this was frightfully cold. And very, very wet. Akir was completely soaked, and was not at all comfortable.

He'd been plodding through the downpour, hoping it would stop soon. It hadn't. Not only that, but there had been no cover to speak of for the last hour. His mane was plastered to his head, and rain was dripping in his eyes. Usually his thick mane was enough to keep the worst of the moisture from his vision, but this... this was a different matter entirely.

He'd spotted a pile of rocks and thick shrubbery from a distance away, and had angled to make for it. His pace was slow and sluggish, his paws caked with mud. His head was low and his tail hovered just above the ground, drooping but held just above the level of mud in an attempt to keep it from also becoming laden with mud.

However, all that dropped away when he spotted a form ahead. It too was drenched to the skin, but more noticeably... it was clearly a heavily pregnant female. Alarmed, Akir picked up his pace and hurried toward the figure of the pregnant leopardess.  

[mouselet]

It was wet and horrible out. Not that Aggra hadn't weathered such storms before - she wasn't some pampered pride lioness! - but she certainly hadn't been pregnant during one. It made what would be a rather uncomfortable day rather more uncomfortable.

A flash of lightning illuminated the landscape, revealing something more solid up ahead, possibly a shelter of some kind. It also showed her another form that appeared to be coming closer, though it was hard to tell in the pouring rain. She considered calling out, but a rumbling roar of thunder made that impossible. Still, the form was moving much faster than she, and would soon be near enough to be heard. As long as they shouted.  

[Talencia]

Lightning shattered the sky above them as he reached her, making speaking impossible for a few painful moments as the crack and boom of the thunder pealed directly overhead. So instead, he gestured towards the shelter ahead and moved to stand on her windward side. It didn't help much truthfully, but he hoped it would keep the worst of the wind and rain off of her as they finished the trek to what he sincerely hoped was a cave.

He didn't bother trying to talk, even when it was possible, so long as they were still inundated with rain and thunder. He did his best not to fling mud everywhere with his big paws, but the good news on that was how likely it was that the rain would wash away any particularly wayward splash or clump of mud. The rockpile loomed close after what seemed a ridiculous amount of time, and lo and behold, there indeed was a cave, screened by thick scrubby bushes. He pulled aside the brush to let her enter first before following her, shaking his streaming mane from his eyes.

"Are you alright miss?" were the first words out of his mouth when they got deep enough that they could speak more easily.  

[mouselet]

Huzzah, chivalry wasn't as dead as some would have her think! Aggra was grateful that the male - and yes, it was a male lion - let her get into the cave first. She was still soaked through and cold, but at least the cave protected her from the buffeting winds and driving rain.

"Why, yes! Thank you," she added.

The leopardess busied herself with getting comfortable and trying to avoid getting too many other surfaces wet before finally lowering her gravid body to the ground.

"Ugh, I wish the weather would have held off a bit longer," Aggra muttered, more to herself, glaring down at her body. The timing was quite poor.  

[Talencia]

He paced around the cave, checking the boundaries for anything unwelcoming. All they needed was for a snake to leap out in anger that they had disturbed it! He kept one eye on the leopardess as she lowered herself into what he hoped was a comfortable position. Certain now that the cave was secure, he returned to her side, gazing at her worriedly.

He wasn't really all that naive about pregnant females, but he'd never actually been around one long enough (or paid enough attention) to know what needs one might have, or what dangers to be watchful for. He shifted from paw to paw for a minute before asking anxiously, "Is there anything you need? To protect the babies? Or keep you safe?" Clearly her welfare was foremost in his mind, and he was almost dancing in his desire to assure she was well and safe.  

[mouselet]

The lion seemed...nervous. Not an emotion she was accustomed to seeing on the larger type of feline. He kept looking around and moving around as if he expected something fearsome to jump out of the solid rock around them. She supposed it was possible, but right now Aggra couldn't bring herself to care quite enough to consider abandoning this shelter from the storm.

"Anything I need?" she mused aloud in response to his question. "Well, I'd love to be dry, but that seems like something only time will cure," the leopardess continued with amusement.

"How about your name?" she asked, eyes twinkling. "Mine's Aggra."