[PRP] Something Sweet ( Tamu x Jola )

[Polette]

The cool afternoon air seemed like the perfect ending note to the hot day. Tamu had wandered out a bit farther than usual, slowly padding through the tall grass. He felt at ease and fluttery, made happy just by the beautiful day that he awoke to this morning. He didn't feel suffocated or guilty because of his mother, but still felt the slight pang of loneliness.

It had been a little while since he had made this pride his permanent residence, but he still felt a tad unsure when he ventured deeper into the pride. Being the only cheetah in the whole pride, he sometimes felt a bit outnumbered. Not that he didn't trust them, but sometimes he really wished that he had another cheetah there with him, to make him feel not so alone.

His brown eyes were bright and lively, and he continued to trot along, half-heatedly looking for things that he could use to make for the pride.
 

[Polette]

Bending down in the grass for a moment, Tamu inhaled the remaining scents of a long-forgotten pawprint. I was large, probably lion, but it held no threat to him. As he rose his head slwoly, his brown eyes caught sight of something dark. His ears went up, head still low, but he wasn't frightened. He was in a safe place, and he knew that if anything threatened him, he could just run until he reached the deeper parts of his pride.

Flicking his tail to the side, he decided to go towards whatever it was. As he came closer, the dark figure morphed into a cheetah. "Hey there." Smiling, he quickly ran his eyes over the other cheetah; her markings reminded him of his grandmother, but only faintly so. "You seem a bit nervous out here." He let out a huff of laughter, having never seen someone with any trace of fear on the savannah. It was just a survival instinct, he supposed, to always show a tough side. He kind of liked that about her, though.
 

[Polette]

"Makes sense." Closing his eyes, Tamu grinned. He didn't get too much closer, so she wouldn't frighten too much. He didn't want to completely scare her when they only just met. "My name's Tamu." Curling his tail, he lowered himself to the ground, so he was now in a comfortable sitting position. "You know, I used to be as nervous as you. It was mainly my grandmother pumping fear into my system, but once I got out into the world and found something that made me comfortable, I got to be how I am now." His brown eyes stared at her, still glancing over the female's smaller frame. It had been a long time since he had seen a female cheetah, and he'd almost forgotten how sweet they made the world. Like an added touch to something already beautiful.

"What are you doing out here? I've never seen you before." His words drifted off, before he started rambling. "Not that it's a bad thing you're here. I-in fact, I'm glad you're here." Turning to the side, he squinted, trying to hide his embarrassment.
 

[Polette]

"Oh, no, it's just that my pride is near this area." The words spilled upon one another as they came out. Tamu was a tad anxious, to say the least. He wanted to make a perfect impression, as it had been so long since he had talked with one of his own kind. "But they're all friendly. I'm the only cheetah, though, so it gets a tad lonely." He smiled, but there was a somber tone hidden in his smile.

Looking down at his paws, his mind jumbled up a bit with so many thoughts. Opening his mouth, he looked at her, but lost his nerve and quickly snapped it shut. "You, um...what's your name?" Finally settling on that question, Tamu let out a huff of nervous laughter.

He felt a little strange around her, but lately, he felt strange around everyone. Even after talking to the King, he couldn't get up the nerve to go deeper in the pride. He felt more and more lonely, so the appearance of this other cheetah was a chance he wasn't going to pass up.
 

[Polette]

Eyes calm, Tamu's expression seemed to be glued on. "Lions are fairly frightening things." He chuckled to himself, seeming to be older and wiser than he actually was. "But when I think about it, I'd rather be here, with these lions, that I know will protect me from the bad lions out there than alone and unprotected." He glanced over at her, a small smirk on his maw. "Because, you see, I'm not the most masculine or strongest cheetahs out there." He bent his paw up, flexing his slender leg a bit, laughing at his own fragile frame.

"Jola's such a pretty name." He smiled, tail sliding back and forth in the grass to keep his mind from wandering. "I'm Tamu. I guess you could say that I have a thing for short names." Thinking back on it, it had been a tradition in his family to have short names. Noti, Jini, Poza, and Tamu. But all that seemed so far away now; Jini, he'd heard, was off near the Duma'Chama, and Poza was with his mother, of course, because of her blindness. It felt like it was worlds away, and the fact that he was alone here, in this pride, made him feel even lonelier about the whole situation.
 

[Polette]

"Well, then she really named you appropriately." Running his paw across his nose, Tamu turned to the side. He liked giving others compliments, but it just felt a tad awkward this time. She was kind, and she seemed to be pretty down-to-earth.

"Ah, I see. I just haven't met anyone with a long name, I suppose." He laughed, mocking how small his world had actually been. The few lions he had met here, namely the king, had a relatively short name as well. He couldn't imagine having to remember so many long names, and they didn't sound like they'd be as endearing.

"How long have you been on your own out here?" To him, a female being all by herself seemed a bit out-of-the-ordinary. It was probably due to the fact that neither of his sisters had ever been by themselves- Poza was blind and couldn't leave, and Jini was swept away by a male. He had left at an early age to prevent a loss of his sanity.

 

[Polette]

"Oh..." Tamu looked a little sad, hearing her words. It was one thing to choose to leave his family, but she didn't get a choice. It made him feel a sting of guilt after saying what he had said.

His ears perked up, though, at her next comment. "So you like it here?" His face grew happier and happier as he thought about it. Maybe she'd like it enough to stay, and he wouldn't be the only cheetah here.

"If....if you've no where else to go..." Gulping, he tried to gather his words. His face felt a little warm, because he'd never asked anything like this of anyone. "Well, would you.....would you like to stay here for a little while?" Glancing up, he felt the pit of his stomach turn. "I mean, I could show you around, and you wouldn't be alone while you're here." Turning his head to his paws, he curled his tail around one, hoping she wouldn't get made by what he said.

 

[Polette]

"Really?" Tamu clutched at the dirt below his paws, trying to contain his excitement. "I mean..." Dragging his eyes from the ground up to look at her, Tamu smiled. "I'm glad." He laughed a little, kind of relieved that she said that. He had to admit, it was rather lonely being the only cheetah here. The lions and other creatures were friendly and all, but it wasn't the same as the company of fellow cheetahs.

"I hope you like it." Truthfully, Tamu hoped that she would choose to stay there, but he couldn't say that. It'd be too weird.