[JRP] Combing the Beach. (Uzuri and Pirato)

[junglerunner]

Uzuri was more at home along the beach than anywhere else in the world, there was something terribly comforting to listening to the sound of the waves lap at the shore and the white speckles of foam that fizzled into the sand created patterns the amused her, almost like waiting the clouds and fashioning shapes and creatures from them. This enjoyment of Uzuri was no indicator that she was idle within her life simply that she saw the beauty in everything about her and if there wasn't a visual beauty she saw inner beauty that was there to. She was promenading along the tide line at present, her paws sinking ever so slightly into the golden sand.

Walking the tide line was something she had found always to be fruitful, early morning was always best before anyone else came down to the shoreline and pillaged what the sea had offered up to the shore. The sun rose quickly this time of year and Uzuri preferred to be back into the growth of the topical plants and tall palms before the sun reached it's zenith. She was coming to the end of this stretch of beach having found little of value when she stumbled across a rare find, a mermaid's purse. These little pouches dog sharks hatched from were rare finds and terribly useful, once dried out the top where the shark had emerged could be used as the opening to a useful pouch wore about the neck. Uzuri picked it up in a graceful swooping manner and then turned and began to head back into the coast land colonised by greener plants and life.

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

Today was like every other day for the male. He was quite happily milling away in the warm sand, rolling back and forth on his back so that he sunk in a bit. When he felt that he had done enough of the rolling, he quickly rolled back over and stood, shaking out his body. Sand particles flung here and there, and he didnt stop shaking until he had reached the tip of his tail. Soothing a bit, the dread maned lion sauntered to the waters edge, dipping in his paws, and then splashing in it a bit. He was feeling particularly playful today. Or at least antsy. He supposed that meant it was time for a new adventure.

His ruby eyes glittered in the sunshine, and he stretched out his paws and looked out around him. He heard nothing but the crashing of the ocean on the shore. He saw the seagulls, or what he called seagulls, flying overhead, diving into the water to get their morning meal.

"I have quite a life." He said happily.  

[junglerunner]

Uzuri had found more and more activity in the area of late though she had been living as a rogue along this stretch of coast line for a few months now however each day brought new signs of others frequenting the area. She was unaware at this stage however that there was a pride in this area, perhaps not directly on top of the area she roamed but certainly close enough to venture into the territory she roamed daily. Neither was she aware of the nature of the pride and it's desire for treasure and unashamed pillaged of items of value it was simply habit for Uzuri to stash away her valuables carefully, for if one was a rogue and lived alone one could not always carry everything around.

She felt the ground grow more solid below her paws are she walked up from the sandy beach to the beginnings of the jungle. She rarely ventured into the jungles depths, such things weren't always wise, the deeper you seemed the go the more stranger things you came across and Uzuri was still relatively young and ill experienced of the wider world, thus she kept to the more open and less dense vegetated areas of the coast. She knew the area well enough though and smoothly wove her way about the palms and other plants to find a known tree, the tree itself was dead and heavily rotten in certain parts however thick mature vines had grown over the original form and now formed a solid lattice work structure, this aloud for Uzuri to store certain objects secretly within the dead husk of the tree.

With the Mermaid purse stashed away she pondered on what was the best was the best way to spend the hottest part of the day before it cooled enough to allow her to ideally begin hunting for something to eat. She turned from the treasure tree and began to walk in a similar direction she had come from though instead of going back to the beach she began to climb the steep rise of the coast line as it rose quickly from her secluded beach to form a rocky cliff before twisting around the headland and crumbling down again to the next beach along the coast. She often climbed this part of the thinly vegetated area, winds made it harder for some plants to grow, however these winds were welcomed by Uzuri in the summer at mid day as they kept her cool.

Breaking the rise she looked out to sea and stood revelling in the freedom, looking at the vast expanse of blue and smiled contently as it brought to her a relieving breeze tainted with the smell of salt. She stood for a while, her mind happily void of thought when she began to trace the edge of the cliff and down to the next beach. She narrowed and focused her eyes then as she saw the outline of another lion down at the waters edge.

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

Pirato didn't notice the female, but he really didn't notice much when they weren't close. He was far too invested in his alone time that he rarely got when it came to pridework. He always had to keep a weathered eye on everyone. The first sign of mutiny, and he'd be on it. However drunken brawls? Those happened quite often, and usually involved him sitting back to watch the antics. If it involved him, well that was just a plus.

The waves hit him mid leg, and he closed his eyes, lifting his nose into the air. He loved the salty sweet air of the world in which he lived. He couldn't be away from the water for long before his heart felt alone. His love was with the sea, he wasnt sure he could ever love a female the way he did the ocean.

His tail swatted at the water, and he watched the little fish, he called not such nice things usually. They nipped at his toes with their little mouths, and he lifted out one paw, and then another, alternating paws to keep them from nibbling. This is why he ate that fruit. Because some things just annoyed him.. He was sober right now though. Not a very common find most times.  

[junglerunner]

Uzuri watched as the male seemed to be dancing from one side to another, whatever he was doing down at the waters edge was had no clue but it intrigued her. She'd had no interaction with another lion or other such creature for a while now and she was longing some form of meeting, after having run away from her home pride she had been rather lonely, content at times for living around this stretch of coastline was up lifting and for filling however it couldn't replace the companionship of another lion. She stared down at the deep red male and then finally decided she'd venture down for a closer inspection.

She took one last look at the vast expanse of ocean and a deep lungful of the salty area and then slowly made her way down the cliff. She was eager for interaction and conversation however not enough that she'd begin running down this cliff in the mid day sun even with the shattered cover of the palms above and though they offered shade they also hindered the sea breeze from reaching her so it grew more humid amongst the thickening growth as she moved inland before she could round the rocky cliff edge and break out onto the beach.

It wasn't a vast distance to cover however she didn't know the others business and where they would stay long but when she wove her way out of the jungle she stood on the last patch of grass before it gave way to the salted sand which prevented it's evasion of the join between land and sea. She stood in the shadow of a mature old palm and stared down the beach at the male whom seem to be paddling with little purpose in the warm waters. Apprehensive now, she hung back and debated weather to be bold and go down and introduce herself when she stopped focusing on the unknown male and to the sea. The sea drew her and she left the shelter of the palm and sank into the sand and walked gracefully to the waters edge where she dipped her paws into the water and then twisted her head and looked shyly at the male.

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

He honestly knew he was never alone. Everytime alone time came around, there was always someone occupying the beach. He wasnt sure why he felt this time would be any different. But he lifted an eyebrow watching the sandy female seemingly come out of nowhere and head down to the waters edge. She was a very pretty girl, the color of sand and shells. He found himself looking her over with appreciation before the thought to speak to her came up. He was a true male, that was for sure.

"And to what circumstances should I be thankful for?" He asked her with a grin. "That such a seashell might walk into my vision?" He asked. He wasnt normally a charmer, but sometimes he attempted. Even if his lines were just that.. Pickup lines. He was the Pirate king, he never worried about others wanting him. If they didnt, well he didnt care. It was fun to try though.

She was a smaller female, and he half considered what she could be to him. A pleasant corsair for sure. But when she looked at him shyly he felt a charming grin leave his features. But charming smile, to him, was his same old lopsided half smile that almost made him look drunk. Though this time he wasnt.  

[junglerunner]

Uzuri met his blood red eyes and then flickered them away and looked down at her paws which where being lapped at by the tide, slowly she raised her eyes and looked out across the sea, 'I do not know, perhaps the tides of chance, luck or fortune.' Her voice was soft, gentle and almost musical; with the same effect of pressing an ear to a large Conch shell and listening to the air move inside, the same beckoning sound and comforting noise of a calm sea. Luck and fortune would suggest she was also under the belief he was gifted with her company and such a comment would seem strange coming from someone who had at first seemed so shy, both characteristics however were true. Uzuri was aware of her beauty and the attraction males saw in her however she did not use this as a selling point, she didn't gain favour or think herself about others for it and she was shy by nature but overcame it in certain circumstances, she was a puzzle and yet simple to understand.

A smile blossomed on her face and she turned her seashell pink eyes back on him and they held a sparkle like that of the sun of the waves peak, 'In all honesty I'm a lonely little seashell and when I spotted you from the cliff top I just had to come down and say hello.' True she enjoyed the life she'd made for herself since being outcast from her previous pride however she missed the interaction with her own kind.

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

He watched as she looked across the ocean, and he used that chance to look her over. Oh yes she would make a fine addition. A beautiful corsair to rival all other corsairs. He smiled at her, his lopsided goofy smile that was pretty much all he was ever capable of. She held herself rather nicely, showing that she knew she was lovely, but she didnt flaunt it. He could respect that. He liked to flaunt himself around though, so he didnt much understand the notion.

"Ah, well we just can't have a lonely little seashell now can we?" He asked, chuckling and sitting down in the sand. She did indeed resemble a seashell. That was his initial attraction towards her. He loved the ocean, and anything of the ocean was beautiful.

"My name be Pirato. King of the Pirates."  

[junglerunner]

She felt his eyes roaming over her whilst he attentions were upon the sea but she was no fool, she simply allowed him to have this moment to take her in, she didn't flaunt in a brazen manner but in a delicate suggested manner and though the idea of having eyes roaming over your body is often unnerving, a male observing a females form is often a particularly different and often pleasant feeling. She felt his eyes leave her, the tingling sensation of being watched, observed or look up left her and she shivered slightly in its absence but was drawn back to the conversation going on between them as the male introduced himself, 'Pirato. King of the Pirates.'

Uzuri took a large intake of breath that sounded like the tide as it pulled back across the shore, hissing against the drag of the grains of sand. Pirates, though she'd lived alone must of her adult life, which wasn't much as she was still young, she'd heard rumours of pirates in her old pride and they never spoke of them in the best light. There was a romantic notion of them of course, the freedom and free will to take and do as one pleased but the truth generally was they were cut throats, they killed easily to gain treasures they valued highly and stolen valuables of others without thought, they focused on personal gain and satisfaction. And here she sat next to the pirate king himself.

She kept one eye on the gentle roll of the sea whilst the other took in the male lion from the corner. His dreaded mane, an assortment of coloured beads worked into mane, he wasn't large but most standards but the light in his eyes told her she didn't really wish to cross him any time soon. But that drunken smile and his easy manner, she couldn't but help feel at easy with him it was part of his charm, part of that romance you had whilst you were young of pirates and the freedom it granted. Her voice came softly, without the musical tones just simply of the alluring sound air swirling within a shell, 'My name is Uzuri.' Her name came slowly and lingered, creasing the ear and then the musical notes of her voice returned and she carried the conversation, 'So Pirate King, are you going to hoard this little seashell, hmm or let it return to the ocean?'

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

He heard her sharp inhaltion of breath and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. So she had heard stories of the pirates, aye? Well odds are she heard very distasteful ones as that tended to be the majority of what anyone ever told when it came to pirates. With a chuckle, he rolled his eyes but tsked his tongue.

"So you've heard of us then, love?" He asked, grinning and winking at her when she looked back up at him. Luckily he was one of the better pirates of the pride. He wasnt out to hurt anyone but he couldnt deny that there were some that merely waited for the excuse to lash out. It was a dangerous world and you had to hold your own. Mutiny was always a chance, and danger was around every corner. Even from your own pride, but loyalty was something that was respected and so most tried hard to remain as such.

"I do not care what you do, Seashell. I have my mission that I will be hopefully fulfilling before the day is through."
He had to gather the fruits that he wanted to take back to his den. He knew that the friendly hyena he had met was amazing at stockpiling the fruits and making her own concoction of drinks. But he really just wanted the fruit right now, not really the concoction part.  

[junglerunner]

She caught the clack of his tongue and guessed at it's meaning before he injected with the question of knowing of pirates. His grin and that suggestive wink of his didn't set her on edge, there was something oddly attractive with this males mannerisms and she warmed to his company quickly. At the mention of a mission however she due back a bit and her eyes widened though her voice still rang musically, 'A mission? Are you waiting for a particular thing to arrive, or a time? You seemed in no rush of reaching a goal before I arrived at your side.' The idea of a mission in a pirates mind should of alarmed her a little as to the nature of what it was a pirate such as Pirato might want to achieve but rather than be a little worried she was some what more curious, wondering if every rumour about pirates were true.

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

He knew she wasn't offended by his mannerisms by the way she looked at him. She was curious, and that wasnt uncommon.. Though this time he was happy for curious nature. She was too pretty not to try to coax back to the pride lands..
He thought of her statement and chuckled. Rarely ever did he tend to be in any hurry to finish any goal he ever set in life. This time was no different. But he smiled and shook his head.

"I am in no rush." He said with a grin. Though his ruby orbs ticked her direction and he caught himself looking her over. He had indeed been sidetracked. He really should be going..
"I am going to be collecting some fruits as a matter of fact. They are in no hurry to get away, so Im in no hurry to collect them." He said, his accent thickening his words.  

[junglerunner]

Uzuri felt his eyes roam across her once again though she didn't mind and she smiled slightly to herself, he was so easily distracted it was a wonder he could of earnt the title of pirate king when he was side tracked from what he had first set out to 'capture' that day. When he mentioned fruit however she was somewhat puzzled, what did a lion want with fruit, that was something other creatures consumed. The musical notes in her voice were tainted with her intrigued and she questioned him openly, 'Fruits? What need have you of fruits?'

 

[Buffy_the_Bloody]

"Ye have never tasted a fruit a bit past its prime?" He asked in disbelief. Maybe he believed all pirates and lions took part in the past time, but he had also only assumed as much. He grinned at her, shaking his head.

"Come with me, and I will show you." He said, standing and motioning her to follow. He would teach her about the fruits, and enlighten her world. When he had learned the difference between each fruit, it had been the best day of his life. Perhaps it could be hers as well.