[PRP] The Chesire's Song (Nahasi/Eris)

[Painted Moose]

Eris pressed her hindlegs up against the cave wall and pressed, rising up off the ground long enough to rearrange her tail before flopping back down onto her back. To say she was bored would have been a horrific understatement. What female conversation she had was limited and stifling. What she wanted to do was go outside to talk to some of the males, but that train of thought hadn't ended well.

"Oh, hello."

A bug scurried up the wall around her toes, and passively, she manipulating his path by shuffling her feet. Eris smiled, content for the moment with her new friend.

 

[Fairy Snails]

Nahasi came down to the female's den to see his new acquaintance. Before coming he made sure his daily king duties had been fulfilled. He had checked with the diggers to make sure all the tunnels were being kept up and with the catchers to see if they were getting ready for their big firefly hunt and other task that he found a bit boring and repetitive. He didn't dare mention to anyone where he was off to. If they were to find out that he was sneaking away to talk to a female they would think he was bound to end up like his father, leaving the pride the moment he could with the female of his dreams.

Nahasi shook his head. Of course he would never do that. He had no interest in any females that way. This female only sparked his interest. She was a puzzle that amused him to no end. Quietly he snuck into the mouth of the den. He saw her instantly, playing with an insect. He had to stop himself from laughing.  

[Painted Moose]

Like a puppet in a horror movie, Eris turned her head to look at the King as he stood at the mouth of the den. Even as she looked at him upside down, she couldn't help, but to smile. "Would you like to play a game with us?" Even as she asked the question her bug scurried away, climbing further up the wall then she could ever reach. When Eris turned back to look, she laughed. "Run! Run until your soul finds peace."

As slowly as she had played with the bug, Eris stretched back out onto the den floor, slipping onto her side to look at the adolescent lion with ease. "You've come sooner than expected. How ever will you be able to hide these meetings when you visit so frequently? Or perhaps you wish to be found out?"  

[Fairy Snails]

He smiled back at her. Yea she was weird, but he didn't mind. She was as brilliant as much as she was odd. It had an interesting, if deadly combination. "I'll play a game with you even though your bug friends left, unless the game required the bugs." He said walking closer to her. "If it does I might be able to round some up."

He grinned at her question. It was sorta obvious that he was sneaking off to the female's den. He was worried what his fellow brother's would think, but he wasn't too worried. Juan would understand if he got caught. In fact Juan would probably ask to meet the lioness. He might be just as fascinated with her as much as Nahasi did. "I'll have to be more careful next time." He said nodding his head.

He looked around the den. "Do you like it here? If you want I could see if I could get you a den by yourself. I would have to keep it a secret. I think some of the brother's would be upset if I were to have a female outside of this den."  

[Painted Moose]

Eris' rainbow mane draped over her right eye, and even after she brushed it back with a paw, it returned. It seemed content to be just as rebellious as the tail that curled around her hip. The subtle signs of her discontent were mounting. The itch too blend into the shadows and leave was....strong, but she wouldn't think of leaving her new 'friend' without a proper good bye.

"A den is a den until it becomes a tomb." She grinned, taking her own look around the area. "I don't mind staying here, after all, it's only temporary." The way she said it was easy going enough, but the look in her eye gave a challenge. "This is temporary, right?" She asked sweetly, lazily stretching against the floor.  

[Fairy Snails]

Nahasi nodded his head. "You're aloud to stay here as long as you like, but I won't stop you if you want to leave, though I do enjoy your company. I would feel it a shame if you left so soon without me really knowing you, though I guess I probably will never fully understand you." He gave a quick laugh. "If you ever want a different den just tell me and I'll arrange it."

He sat down. "So what type of game were you playing with your little bug friends earlier before I interrupted?" he asked curiously. It was often he saw antoerh playing with bugs. He personally found bugs to be a bit of an annoyance more than anything. He would always have to get rid of them when he went to rest in his den. They found his corner with his bed, made out of freshly cut plant leaves to be an excellent spot to make their own homes.  

[Painted Moose]

"You learn quickly." She chuckled and rolled up into a sitting position. "I'll stay as long as I am hidden, but once exposed, I will flee." After all, Eris preferred the role of midnight visitor to whatever it was they called their females, anyway. Once he started expecting to see her face then she would leave. "Predictability is the downfall of society, after all."

Eris turned her crystal blue eyes upon the wall her bug friend had scurried up. "We were dancing. It was an ancient song, one that I had scarcely heard before, but he knew fairly well. I think he called it 'hunting'." She laughed. "Tell me, what kind of games do you play? Or do you, little King?"  

[Fairy Snails]

"Aw I haven't played games in a long time, not since I became heir. I used to do races around the tunnels with my brothers, but-." he laughed at himself remembering the old days. "But I always got lost in the mazes and a guard would always have to drag me back to my father. It was so embarrassing!"

He thought some more. He had to have played more games than that. Him and Jem played lots of times, but once he died. He shook his head now wasn't the time to think of Jem. There were other things to think about. "And I played hide and seek. My father prefered me to go to meeting over playing cub games. He would always give me a hard time when I would play games with the other cubs, saying that 'it might be my duty to protect the pride and if I was off playing games I would never be a good king'. It drove me crazy. I'll never be that tough on my cubs. When they are young I'm just going to let them enjoy the cubhood."

"How about you? Do you still play games or are you too old for that kind of thing?" He asked curiously. He often found himself wondering what kind of things she did while she was alone here. If he was stuck here with nothing to do he would go mad, but she was clever. She would think up something to do while she was here. He was sure of it.  

[Painted Moose]

Eris' laughed bounced around the den. It brought an innocent light to her eyes that was often swallowed by cunning airs. "If only I had been able to see that. Maybe I could have pointed the way, but then, maybe I wouldn't." She shrugged, a light hearted smile on her face.

She thought long and hard, pondering with an absent look before speaking in a soft voice. "When you're too old for games, then you've died. No matter the game, lessons are taught, battles are won, loves are lost, and hearts soar. Why wouldn't I play?" Eris shook her head. "....I will agree with you, little King. It's a cubs duty to have as much fun as possible before the burdens of life sit upon their shoulders. As they grow older, you can teach them then, but what's life without a little fun?"

Eris stretched her paws infront of her, sighing as he joints popped. When she'd fully limbered up, she stood, walking languidly around in a lazy path around him. "My grandfather detested games. He said they were a demon's gateway to a wasteful existence. To him it was the same as spitting in a God's face." She laughed. "My brothers and I played hide and seek as well. Not from each other, but from him. It was a game to see how far we could push him before he snapped."

Maybe it was the close quarters, or her general familiarity with Nahasi that had her speaking so loosely, but she didn't regret it. If anything it was freeing.  

[Fairy Snails]

"I could have used the help." he said with a laugh. He would imagine that she would confuse him more if she were to try and help him. "At least I didn't lose. I always got second or third."

He listened closely to her words and agreed with what she said. "I think I need more fun in my life." He realized as he thought about the last few days. It was almost pure work, except for his visits here. The trips was the closest thing he had to fun. Maybe when Juan was better he would see if his friend would take him some where to just relax. At the thought of his friend he smiled blissfully. He couldn't wait for Juan to get better and guard him again.

He snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke again. "Spitting in a god's face huh? Your grandfather seems like a pleasant lion to be around." He spoke jokingly. "I think my grandfather would be similar to yours. He was a tirant who rules before my father. He was cruel to everyone, but especially females." He shook his head with disproval. "From the way my father talked about him he was the type who hated when cubs played and expected them to join the work force as soon as they could."

Nahasi would be sure not to become a king like that.  

[Painted Moose]

That was why she stayed. It was for her amusement as well as for his own good that she relinquished her outside freedom to bring a smile to his face. In her days of capture Eris found herself growing fond of the young King, and the more he opened up to her, the more she found herself giving to him. "How true. The abscence of fun suggests blood, but the wanting of it brings out water. Why not have fun with a friend, hmm? Or someone your close to?"

Now that was an interesting thought. Who would this young King be close to? A brother, perhaps? An advisor? A lover? With what she had learned of the pride thus far she knew that the males preferred their own company, so what kind of male would steal his favor?

"A lovelier lion there never was." She spoke in an enchanting purr, though her eyes were blatantly sarcastic. "From the sound of it, they would have gotten along swimmingly. My Grandfather disapproved of my mother's choice in male, so he killed him, then her, and raised us himself. It wasn't that he disagreed with females, he thought us all equal in our stupidity, and if you failed him-" She took her claw and pulled it across her throat, then shrugged. "When perfection becomes an impossible task, the mind can become a strange thing."

For a moment, her mind drifted to past events, but it wasn't hard to pull herself back. "Let's play a game. What's something you'd like to do? How about your favorite game, or something you've never tried?"  

[Fairy Snails]

His ears warmed p when she suggested playing with someone he was close to. He could easily imagine playing silly little games with Juan. It would be fun, though Juan was so serious he doubt he would play any cubbish games. It would be fun none the less. Perhaps he should ask Juan to play with him, just to see what would happen.

Her life was so sad, Nahasi realized. He couldn't imagine a grandfather killing their child and their mate. It wasn't right. His own grandfather imprisoned his father, but he had no intention of killing him. He just wanted to force his father to view the world the same way he did. He wondered how their two grandfathers would have gotten along. Would they have been best friends or would they have clashed personality wise.

He was drawn back to her when she asked her question. "I would love to play a game. "I used to play hide and seek the most. I was an excellent hider." He said proudly. "Though we don't really have that much room to play it here in the den. Why don't we try something I haven't done. I love learning new things."

He watched her closely, wondering what type of game she might suggest. He hoped what ever it was he would be good at it. It would be embarrassing if he lost a game, especially in his own pride.  

[Painted Moose]

"If you'd let me out, we could play hide and seek in the tunnels." She prompted smoothly. "It would give me a chance to see your pride, and so long as you have a guard, we shouldn't get lost, right?"

Eris pondered, mulling it over for a moment before shaking her head. "Honestly, if I was to be let out, I wouldn't return. Newer lands would cal, and who would I be to ignore them?" She grinned. What she wouldn't kill for fresh air, though. A look at the sun above with a light hearted run would do wonders for her spirit.

"Oooh, I've got an idea." She settled down infront of him, and reared up, holding her paws to where he could see the pads. "Place your paws above mine. Once you do, I'll try to slap the top of your paw, and it's your job to pull away before I can. How does that sound?"  

[Fairy Snails]

Nahasi nodded his head. "I'll bring my guard Juan next time I come to see you so we can play," he said with a grin. Juan would get a kick watching him play hide and seek with the female. That would cheer him up once he's better. He couldn't wait till there next meeting.

He watched her paws. Her game seemed interesting. "I'll try it." he gently put his paws on top of hers, watching her paws for movements. His reflexes were decent, so hopefully he wouldn't be making a fool of himself.

He wondered how the female came up with the idea. Was she just that clever to come up with a game on the spot. Nahasi mind was wondering on this as he watched her paws for a slight sign of movement.  

[Painted Moose]

"Juan, hmm?" She grinned, her smile stretching as wide as possible. "The way you say his name makes me think he's special to you, but just how close, I wonder?" In truth, Eris found nothing out of the ordinary with the way he had said the guard's name, but it was just fun to tease him.

Eris waited under her breathing became nearly non-existant, and as fast as she could, moved her paws to slap the top of his.