[prp]Sand... really?

[laefe]

This world was strange, it was like he was staring into the sun from all directions. Not only that, but the ground beneath his white tipped paws had changed the further that he walked. What was going on?

Sioda had travled... why he didn't know. It felt strange to be outside of the Pridelands or the Bahari'Mtoto where his best friend was. Vuai wouldn't be happy that Sioda was traveling, but there was nothing that the big brick colored lion could do about it right now. A smile flitted across Sioda's muzzle when he thought of Vuai. They had a dance to the pair of them... sometimes friend, sometimes more.

He had to admit that he liked the more.

So why was he wandering again? The lion tilted his head and looked up at the clouds in calm repose for a moment... that slowly stretched into a long moment. It wasn't until a feather flipped past him that the lion blinked and moved. He chased after the large white feather until he caught it, wholly focused on it. The feather was large, larger than any bird he'd ever seen before.

What did it come from?

Pondering, Sioda picked up the feather and drew in the sand with it, using his teeth. He drew... well he wasn't sure. It was really just squiggles, but it made him smile toothily around the feather. Once done, he threw the feather into the air, maybe to inspire another squiggle drawing from another being. Lions had no sense of pattern in their heads most of the time, Sioda was no different than any other. He had no pattern or style into most of what he did.

But everything that he did made him happy! Not this sand, but the experience on the sand of course...  

[Chi Sohma]

She was getting older and the temperatures were hot but bearable more than other days. Her mother had dressed her out completely in robes to leave the temple. "Ma~" She whined, and lifted her paw that had a draping cloth all the way down to the floor, even with it raised! Rolling her eyes, it was taxing with her over protective mother. Everything was to be approved, even going out for an extended amount of time. She was pretty cool though, just over protective. It must have been the nanny side of her coming out of course. "Thanks mother." The moment she left, she took off almost all of them except for her headdress. Covering over her face so she could see beyond. Her personal objective was water.

It had become so valuable to the pride..She had to make sure that her mother had enough water for her medicines. Especially thoughs that cooled down the hunters. It was especially important and though she would rather be playing pranks on others and doing her own thing, making her own potions and experiments. She was smart, but mischievous, especially when noting someone from the rank she was heading for. Mother tried to push for medicines but even she knew, that Ha'deh was destined for something greater..

"Water." She set the mission in her head. "Bring mom back water, use some of that water to make red water. Cool to drink, makes the energy go longer.. I like it. Fake blood~ oooo thats good." Muttering to herself as she continued on, and in the distance, she saw a form.. and she stopped abruptly before she sunk away. Her father was a guardian so sneaking was in her blood.. Lowering her body and watched.. "Ooooo.... Someone on the boarders?" Smirking to herself with her tail wagging. This is gunna be exciting- her first rogue interaction on her own.. is it a bad guy? Good guy? Wanderer? Someone whos lost~~~ Ooooo fun... She could hardly contain her excitement and while each second past it felt like her mission was becoming an adventure... and thats JUST the way she liked her days to be. Contemplating on what to do next.... Encounter- trick- prank- lead to safety- fight him- so many to choose from! All her intelligence used for evil.  

[laefe]

Maybe if he was a little more... attentive... Sioda would have noticed that there was a lioness out there in the sands with him. But the lion was somewhat innattentive and massively untrained when it came to the finite machinations of hunting and protecting himself. The lion didn't know that there were dangers in the world that he should pay attention for, that there were things that went bump in the night and in the day.

As far as Sioda was concerned the world was all sunshine and rainbows. Really, sunshine and rainbows and all happy lions. This was the sheltered life he had lived while with the Pridelands, knowing only happiness and protection from the pride all around him. Even with the Bahari'mtoto when he was around Vuai, Sioda was still protected from the outside world and sheltered by the love and protection of those around him. Nothing would have happened to him while with the Bahari lions, Vuai's mother Khepri and father Nahoda'kota would have kept him safe with their own lives.

So he didn't pay attention when a snake slithered between his white tipped paws, didn't notice when a mint colored lioness appeared and then ducked from sight and he really didn't notice that he was headed towards a pride. The scent was there as the marking from the pridal leader, of course. Sioda was just blind to it after years of not paying attention to any borders but the Pridelands, and he really didn't even have to pay attention to those.

Flicking his brown tail around, Sioda rocked back on his hind legs and sat down in the sand. He wasn't tired, he just felt like peering around at his settings and looking for something fun. Admittedly the lion was getting a bit thirsty as time went on, but he could survive for a little while longer without water if he had his way. Sioda's body was used to traipsing from the Bahari to the Pridelands and back again. It was nice to have friends everywhere!

Maybe he could make some new friends out of this as well?  

[Chi Sohma]

She studied closely his movements, and with a growing excitement, she could hardly tell if it was fear or not... But something was driving her.. Lowering her body close to the ground, and her chest falling and lifting rapidly. She had good legs, strong legs- she could out run him if her were hostile. From the looks of it, this beautiful sand she had always lived on was different from him. She noticed him trying to take soft steps, but oh that wasn't gunna work here.. Maybe near an oasis where the sand was softer..

"So.. I go this way and ..ohhh.. this is gunna be good."

Then a little something slipped in to her fingers, and immediately she retorted her paw, and found a lizard.. "Oh.. oh.. this is getting good..." She popped her head up like a submarine, Snatching the lizard with her tail before she crawled completely away.. then went right back down, crawling over to a good spot, lizard in tail before

Her head went up again, then down- following after was the lizard being slingshotted in to the air.. Putting her chin to the ground and her whole body soon followed suit. Hearing for a shout- something to egg her on her antics. Where was her twin when she needed her! Wouldn't THAT be a trip... oh... oh... make him believe.. ohh....

Her tail got even more excited with the sudden thought. Wouldn't that be funny, she had done that to many many of her pridal members.. use her identical twin to make them believe they were seeing mirages.. Now.. only to find out how to bring her sister,.. or if she even have time for that now that she already threw the darn lizard! Damn. No matter.. she could do this! ALL on her own!  

[laefe]

The sand was always harder than this around the Bahari where he was used to walking, the sand here pitched and slid under his paws, causing his feet to nearly slide out from under him at awkward angles with each step that he took. It was the strangest feeling he'd ever felt. Other than well....

Sioda slid his butt a little over the sand and felt it shift so that his left foot fell further down into the divet that was growing under him. What was this bizarre feeling, it was as if the world wanted to move under him.

A thud sounded through the air around him as a smacked the mocha colored lion in the face and wrapped around his nose. Sioda would have reacted like a fool if he wasn't completely intrigued with the fact that it was a lizard around his muzzle. Sure he couldn't talk with the thing there, but his eyes crossed and he bound to his white toes. Brown tail nearly wagging from excitement, the lion stretched out his muzzle to make the lizard relinquish it's hold.

He was a child at heart, truly. All the male lion wanted was to play with the lizard.

Then a thought dashed across his mind, lizards didn't fly? Or did they? Surely if a lion could fly and become a god then a lizard could.

"A god lizard!?" Sioda cried out to the surrounding area as he finally got the thing to release his muzzle. It snapped at one of his marshmellow white toes and fled across the sand as fast as it's reptilian feet could take it. "NO! Come back!"

Sioda barreled after the lizard, not knowing that it was taking him towards a strange face. The little thing was green, like the strange tufts of grass that he had seen growing along the rivers and oasis in this desert. Maybe that's why it was colored like that, though why would it be so far from one of them then? It slithered and danced across the sand with a speed that Sioda wished he could match with his long legged loping. Instead he was forced to stick his belly closer to the ground to keep the lizard in his sights, nose nearly in the sand and tail swishing to keep his balance like a rudder.

It looked like a very odd sight to see such a large lion chasing what could have been nothing across the sand like it with a desperation that most wouldn't have taken into account. Sioda just really liked to make friends and if a lion as lacking then a lizard would have to do.

Leaping over one of the sand dunes that the lizard dashed over faster, Sioda landed in a heap of legs and tail, fur going everywhere as he attempted to disentangle himself from... something? Whatever it was it was probably just as surprised as he was!  

[Chi Sohma]

Ha’deh was JUST close enough to hear, and she kept an ear out JUST for the moment… Little did she know that the moment could soon be lived physically as well. Right when she heard God-lizard.. her ears went up in a ‘no way’ sort of look. Then lifted her head up like a submarine.. then back down as she almost DIED laughing! That only lasted a few short seconds of hushed laughter before she thought. Wait… God Lizard!? Well it could happen… Then her grandma would REALLY hate her!

That crazy kook. Either way, she let the dune hide her just enough before impact. Popping her head out one more time before the immediate body fell right on top of her, literately scared the fur off of her as some of hers flew in the air along with sand! “FWAH~!” The mirage of ‘rain’ flew around them like a dust heep, the only thing she could manage to say before flailing her arms around. ”DON”T EAT ME FIEND!” She screamed but then when all the rustling stopped and thr olling off the slope, she was looking up at the male…

To her surprise she would see the lizard come right out of the lion’s mane’s front. ”GOD LIZARD!~” Slamming her paws right in to the lion’s face then slapping it a few times around his face in miscellaneous places before pushing up forwards enough to get ground beneath her to follow the lizard on top of the lion’s back, grabbing his face and pulling down as she hoisted herself up. Her back paws slipping off his ear fur. ”Come back! I’m sorry! HEY WAIT! YOU LITTLE~ ARK DAMN! WAIT! NO! AHHHHHH!!!” Quickly crawling off his back and right in to the heep of sand again before the lizard carved his way right out her digits!

Then in to the sand.. where she screamed.. and whimpered.. ”Mum is gunna kill me…” Literately almost forgetting the huge chunk of meat behind her, which she crawled over. ”Oh.. ahh..” She smiled nervously before turning to him and quickly taking a few steps back. ”Good lion~ BAD! Don’t make me! Or.. Or~! I’ll get my da- I mean.. Im the ruler and you will obey my sands! Any hostiles will be taken prisoner.. don’t you touch me!” Riling herself up for no reason really, but to make sure she didn’t get herself in to too much trouble. She knew father was probably within yelling distance, especially if he knew. Wait- cried wolf too many times.. – DAMN! ”So are you friend or foe!” Getting her chest up and her attitude just enough to show she wasn’t scared of NO rogues. WHAT so ever! She betted him to touch her- he’d get it for sure! Her seafoam colored hair dropped across one eye.. Those eyes, looked more determined than scared but one could sense how childish she was just by her look. Her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Her paws become tight enough for in a hostile situation... she would be able to run... Behind her, the sun casted the colors of the brightest lavenders..

The evening was about to go in full swing soon enough.. But not quite- the afternoon had much too much mischief to play first.

 

[laefe]

Disoriented and confused, Sioda twisted his body on the sand as claws raked across his sides in shock and then with a suddenness that rivaled the entanglement for shock, a pair of paws slammed him square in the face and knocked him even further into the sand than he was before. How was that even possible!? When his head was grabbed by the ears and slammed down into the sand Sioda knew that there was something very off about the whole situation, the lizard seemed to be the target of... whoever was hitting him... as well! And here he'd just been chasing it because he was bored. Was it some kind of special lizard?

"Wha...?" Sioda could only manage not even half a word before he was cut off by a rambling the likes of which he'd never heard before in his life. She was either really riled up or really scared. Either way, at least now he knew that she was a she and not a something. A female lion from the looks of it too, brown and a lot darker than himself with shots of color through her that should have stood out upon the sand. But if she were a native to the sands she probably knew ways to avoid being seen by now, at least he hoped anyway, or she'd be lunch.

When the rambling ceased Sioda sat picked himself up and sat down on one haunch, leg kicked out to the side and red eyes quizzical. Was he like this when he got started? Maybe mother was right, he really did need to tone it down some. The female before him was young, probably still an adolescent to his ongoing years as an adult, but she seemed to know this place very well. As long as her father didn't rake into his sides the way this girl had, Sioda would be fine. It wasn't as if he were going to try anything anyway. Though she was very pretty.

Lifting his crimson eyes to the sky, the patterns of the dimming sun cast a certain glow on his pale coat and tinged him with their paintings. It was his favorite time of day, as Sioda had always wished to be brighter like some of the other lions that he knew.

"Friend." Sioda said, lowering his eyes to hers finally and lifting an eyebrow. "What are you doing panicking little butterfly? And please don't take me prisoner? I'm still pretty hungry from traveling, I mean you no harm."

He figured if he didn't throw it out there right away she would probably continue to ramble and possibly hurt herself or his brain in the process. With no current intentions to grab or touch her at all, Sioda simply sat and gazed at her, looking her up and down. The wing markings were interesting, which was why he'd called her butterfly, and her amber colored eyes made him smile. They were warmer and more determined than he'd seen in a while, determined for what he didn't know, but most lions had a cause that they were for. Either a cause or a purpose. Sioda's was to have fun and enjoy the moment.

Or at least it had been thus far.  

[Chi Sohma]

She hadn't ever met a rogue that wasn't already a full time guest in their pride, which probably caused her reaction. Her level of adrenaline was so high, that when he complimented her- she bursted with- "OMGDONTTOUCHMEAHHH!!!!" Jumping up and that's when she finally realized- He had sat down. A stare down was initiated, then finally... after a few moments of starring her rump hit the floor. Stomped that he wasn't as vicious as she thought and tilted her head like a wondering bird.

"So your not some vicious blood thirsty rogue wanting to slash my throat and drag me in my parents home to plaster around my orga-" But she stopped then after figuring she was probably rambling ( which she was ) and using her paws as a decorative description of what she meant. Imitating the guts getting pulled out then was just dumbfounded. "Well. Wait. your voice! Your not a GOD LIZARD!? You had the same voice as that lizard~ oooh your bad.. your bad." She squinted her eyes and gave him an approval nod then jumped back to her feet to examine him head to tow now.

Big. Bronze that's for sure. He reminded her of Utsuki, whom was told to be called 'Uncle', he was good natured. This guy gave off the same vibe, and she- like she did with Utsuki, jumped on his back and crawled up it only to look down at me.

"Yea know- for a rogue~ I think your ok!" Putting a paw on his face and rubbing it down like a noogie- which she hadn't encountered anyone she absolutely hated yet- their lives were pretty sheltered after all, and her pale teal hair fell down her face, looking like the new 'cool style'. But even after talking she still stayed on his back and pushed up on his shoulders, putting her snout on top of his, looking him straight in the eye but upside down of sorts. An awkward position.

"Friend. I was panicking because your a rogue." Blinking when she answered his question innocently sounding now, though beneath that was a mischievousness being lurking to catch you off guard...

"If you are a good prisoner- I'll get someone to feed you. You know- being a rogue and all you probably have had a rouge life huh." Her snout pressed against the gap between his eyes.

"And.. well... What are you called again? Waving her paw and lifting her head up to roll her wrist around to maybe figure out the answer. "And my pride is big and vast- if you did hurt me ...no doubt they'd track you down." Giving him a heft chuckle and laid her chin on the top of his. "I'll tell you what- since you decieved me with your God Lizard~ take me home and I will surely reward you lone traveler~" How long would she be able to keep up the Queen act- well not for too long.. If they planned on heading to her pride. That would be a mess but totally worth it for this prankster! Those soft amber eyes, a giggle was let out surprisingly showing a playfullness inside her orbs.. The wind was had changed direction, and she braced herself against his back.

"Or find shelter. Just in case a storm comes this way~ see angering the Gods isn't a good job." In which she puckered her lips and reared them to the side of her face.. In a thinking cap.