The long, cool days were a welcome relief to the traveling lioness. For the briefest of moments she was free of Elam’s company, and able to wander as she pleased. It was nice having someone to talk to after so long alone, but Eris had never been a socialite. She craved adventure, lore and riddles; company came last.The grey lioness walked with the most practiced of ease to the center of a rather large log that spanned across a tiny gorge. It was becoming a habit for her; this was the second time she had crossed such a walkway over top of this very river in the past moon cycle. Still, this one was low enough so that once she stretched out upon it Eris’ paw could touch the water. It was nice, soothing…and incredibly dull.
Bored out of his gourd, Bhaskara took advantage of the cool day to go exploring. When he found a herd of gazelle lazily eating, he grinned. A snack would surely perk him up! Crouching down, he crept closer to the herd. Haunches wiggling, he darted out from the tall grass. The gazelle kicked up a fuss and bolted, while one particularly skittish member darted the other way. His eyes focused on the lone target, going after it full bore, paying no mind to where they were running. Suddenly, the gazelle stumbled and skittered to change directions, nearly heading right back to Bhaskara. The cheetah blinked once with confusion, and then once more with surprise, taking his turn to stumble to a halt at the edge of the water, front paws nearly going over the edge. Heart beating hard from the sprint and the surprise, he took a couple steps back and looked around. The gazelle was long gone... However, there was an odd bump on a nearby log crossing the water... "Hi!" he chirped through panting, tail giving a twitch.
There was a moment of noise where Eris thought about moving to check it out. Though about it, being the key phrase. It was a passing notion, one that didn’t take hold. Today was a lazy moment, one she intended to spend napping by the water.
However, the noise came to her. Eris lifted her head curiously and watched the end of the scene play out. She was sure the cheetah would fall into the water himself, but he was lighter on his paws that she had estimated. Eris smiled and lifted a paw in a cheerful little wave. “Hello there. That was a close call.”
Bhaskara looked down at the edge, and then back to the female with a grin. "And that's why having fast reflexes is important." He chuckled lightly and then cocked his head a little. With a little sigh, he dug at the top layer of ground to reach the cooler layer underneath, and settled himself down. "Mind if I join ya?" he asked belatedly, smiling again.
“I suppose so. You’ve already settled down.” Eris grinned. The show of teeth and fang seemed to stretch across her entire face, giving her a very Cheshire-esque quality. Eris turned slightly upon her log so that she could look at the cheetah fully.
“Do you live close by, Running Sun? I feel as if I would have known if the sun had touched the earth in this area.” Rainbows and suns were very closely connected, after all. Tilting her head, Eris continued to speak, “It’s a shame, really. If you had fallen you could have run across the crocodiles basks and pretended to walk on water. Wouldn’t that have been fun? I’ve never tried it myself; my friends have warned me against it.”
Nodding in appreciation, he stretched his legs and paws with a rather wide yawn. His ears perked at the description. Running Sun? ...Well, if he could get that to stick, that would be neat! "I am not the whole of the sun though, as it clearly lingers yet in the sky." He stretched again and rolled onto his back playfully. "I am but a drop of it, and, as you could see, inherited the grace of the sun gliding across the sky~" He chuckled lightly before rolling back over. "There's nothing to say I couldn't still run across crocodiles. I might be a bit too mortal for running on the water by now though."
“A ray of sunshine, then?” She chuckled a little at the over used pleasantry. He certainly was skinny enough. If he stood straight towards the sky on his hind legs he might very well reach the sun. Eris enjoyed his play on words, and listened attentively, with the sweetest of smiles. “Or you could be a God in disguise. What mortal would know the difference? It would give credit to your tales of running across the sky.”
How very wonderful would that be? It would certainly make for a tale of intrigue. “Maybe I’m a Goddess as well, spending a lovely afternoon in the mortal plane speaking with a charming drop of sunlight.”
Bhaskara chuckled. "Rays of sunshine are far too common to describe me, don't you think?" His ears perked at the suggestion that he might be a hidden god... The thought was quite a delight to play with. His head lifted a little, and his grin rose further. "Oh? A goddess of the rainbow that peeks out among the rain has come to visit with me? Have you come to take me back home, or just for the pleasurable company?
“Oh ho!” Eris laughed and sat up a little straighter. “I had not thought of that…you certainly do shine brighter than any ordinary ray.” The lioness had to wink a little. Normally she wasn’t in the mentality of being so outwardly charmed, but there was something about this cheetah that put feathers in her heart. Little wings that would flutter with each word and almost took flight.
“I wouldn’t dare take you home. What if someone were to take you from me?” She all, but purred. “I’m a selfish Goddess, and the company of the Sun is mine and mine alone.
It sure was nice to have someone different to talk to. Someone willing to play along and have fun. Often, others would look at him like he had been dropped as a cub. His brow rose with the surprising reply, but he just smiled and inched a little bit closer. "Well... I think that would not be such a terrible thing~" he replied softly, tilting his head with a cute smile. He couldn't help being absolutely delighted to have found the company of this lioness. "After all, everyone gets to see the sun plenty... they won't miss a simple drop such as myself."
He was a sweet male, truly he was, and one that was relatively close in age to her. She doubted he had half the history she did, but Eris truly didn’t have a clue. Wouldn’t that be interesting, though, if he did? Perhaps he really was a God in disguise, or a secret Prince….
“If you’d like perhaps we could find someplace a little darker, so we might brighten it with your light.” It was a terrible pick up line, Eris knew it, but she wouldn’t be terribly disappointed if he said no. The conversation alone was enough to please her.
The cheesy offer made his brow rise a moment, took another second to ponder if she meant what he thought she might mean, and had to hold back an amused chuckle. It would be rude to laugh, and he certainly didn't want to chase her off! "Considering how much you alone have lit up this simple river, I would be a fool to turn down seeing how much light we could make together." His smile grew, but it remained warm and open. "After all... when rainbows shine, the sun finds its equal... I'm sure you shine the boldest of them all, and that is something I would not want to miss."
Her smile simply grew. "You have quite a way with words." As Eris rose, she curled her tail behind her, and motioned towards the other end of the river. Her paws may have been sauntering softly on the log, barely bouncing when she reached the opposite shore, but she was aware of what would be following her.
And of the experiences he would bring.