Climbing up to a high point, Kosuke looked out across the desert. These were the lands of his grandfather, and his great-uncle, and great-grandfather. He imagined for a moment pure Firekin, wandering the desert, bringing in slaves... When he looked, he made a disgusted face. Impurity everywhere... The red lion sat down, staring out at it all, eyes narrowed.
Poking around the smaller caves, Shula looked for various desert animals. She smiled as she found a small family of desert rabbits. "Hello there!" She offered a paw to them, showing her lack of ill intent. As they scurried off, she sat back, looking around. The desert was simply alive with life! To the new-blood rogues, it seemed dead. But to her, she saw life everywhere. From the tiny desert scorpions and spiders, to the lions themselves, it was just... Wonderful! She took a deep breath, letting out a happy sigh. A light breeze tugged on her fur, whistling through the shell she wore.
Ears flicking, Kosuke looked around. What was that sound...? When he looked down, he saw a red shape. Focusing his eyes, he spotted another lion. She looked... Happy... Pleasant... Certainly not like most Firekin. He frowned, then went to climb down. Who was this? From the top, he didn't know who she was. Maybe he'd recognize the lion when he got down to the ground.
Finding a nice spot, Shula moved her paws, mimicing the movements she'd seen the Pridleand-born twins making when she first met them with her sister. She hummed to herself, turning the movements into a slow dance. "Dreams.. To dream... In the dark of the night... When the world goes wrong, I can still make it right... I can see, so far in my dreams... I'll follow my dreams, until they come true..."
Watching her, Kosuke couldn't help but be captivated. As he watched her dance, he realized her eyes were closed. He carefully stepped over, moving slowly to avoid being walked into. After a few minutes, he began to mimic her movements, moving with her in the slow, gentle dance in the shade.
For a moment, she imagined... She was dancing with someone, a handsome lion, that burned with the heat of the desert. "Come with me... You will see what I mean..." She motioned with a paw, eyes still closed. "There's a world... Inside... No one else ever sees..." Taking another step, she shifted, going another direction. "You will go.. So far in my dreams... Somewhere in my dreams... Your dreams will come true..."
The dancing was so fluid.. As if she'd always done this... Step for step, Kosuke matched it, keeping his eyes on her, and at the same time her paws, making sure not to step on her or be stepped on. As she shifted, dancing another way, he followed, keeping pace. The song was beautiful... And so was the dance, and this lioness.
Stepping in one of her prior pawprints, Shula stepped back into the earlier part of her slow dance. "There is a star... Waiting to guide us... Shining inside us.. When we close our eyes..." Unconciously, she leaned into the lion in her imagination, not realizing the lion was very real. "Don't let go... If you stay close to me, in my dreams tonight... You will see what I see... Dreams to dream... As near as can be... Inside you and me... They always come true..." She came to an eventual stop, still leaning into the believed-imagined lion.
Swallowing, the male watched the female, slowly stopping. It was... Her... The lioness from his visions... He stood there for a moment, feeling his heart flutter as he stared at her, leaning on him. After a moment, he leaned over, nuzzling at her, enjoying the feel of her against him, her smell.
In the beat of a heart, a simple touch, and Shula opened her eyes. When the feeling of leaning on someone didn't vanish, she looked up and found a very real lion there. She let out a gasp, stepping aside. She looked around, green eyes wide, to see if anybody had seen her. Somehow, she imagined, dancing and singing like that was very un-Firekin behavior, and if he was here... "Um... I... I have to go..." She turned and started to run, stopping to bow to him. "I'm sorry..."
He blinked in surprise, then started after her. "Wait... I don't even know your name!" Hurrying to cut her off, he looked at her, gold eyes staring into green. "What's your name...?"
"Shula." She offered no more, not waiting for his name, before she ran off, racing back to the den she'd taken up residence in since she'd grown. This was something to think over... And talk to her father about.
Watching her go, Kosuke let out a wistful sigh. "Shula..." It was a name he could get used to thinking and saying. Sitting down, he let out another sigh.
