[JRP] Seeking Shelter [Baharini x Tsi'hilu Waya]

[ShinosBee]

It was utterly soaking out tonight. Normally Baharini was all for water, especially when that meant a swim in a cool lake...but torrential downpour from the heavens was something slightly less enjoyable. At least the rain was warm, she considered as she hunkered further into the sheltering lee of a large upright stone. It had been a miracle she'd found it at all in the dark and the squall, and she'd been a bit surprised to find it vacant. Well, her gain! It didn't completely hide her from the needling drops but it was better than laying low in the tall grasses. A little padding around and tamping the growth into a slightly less soggy bed and she could curl up almost entirely out of the rain!

The blueish cheetah sighed deeply as she stared out into the gloom. All this water, it washed scents away easily. She could faintly smell some life, that this rock hadn't been totally abandoned, or not for long. She'd nearly stumbled face first into the open mouth of either a tunnel or a den when she'd first encountered the stone, but the mouth of the opening was aimed into the slant of the rain, and smelled much stronger of life. If she was hiding on the far side of the rock then she might be let alone. Tramping into somone's home was slightly less forgivable.

Never mind that the rock itself was entirely inside a pride's territory. Shelter was shelter!

Dark Fire Angel

Sorry I had no idea how to start >_< My brain is sluggish today.

 

[Daffupanda]

Tsi'hilu Waya was still getting used to how things had turned out. Everything was different now, and though she wasn't adverse to change, having had to suffer it even from early on in her childhood, deep down, the small lioness was still a little shell-shocked, tell truth.

Long gone were the dry plains of her previous pride. Long gone was the roaming, migrating from here to there; instead, Tsi was greeted with humid lands, rivers and a lake. Still, she was used to mapping out her home, knowing every small corner, and not even her new title managed to keep her holed inside the Water Palace.

Mizu-Ren had reprimanded her a couple of days ago, telling her that walking alone, outside without escort of any sort was clearly dangerous, but Tsi'hilu had looked blankly at the Saiho; after all, she'd willingly allowed herself to become Sennin, if only for political reasons. There was no one, in this kingdom or the others that was scarier than the Mizu-Ou and Tsi herself did not fear him.

Thus so, what was she to fear then, if not scariest creature in this kingdom?

Still, avoiding Mizu-Ren had been dificult and Tsi'hilu had had to sneak out upon night time. What she hadn't counted on... was the nearly torrential rain outside, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time, nor the last that the tattooed lioness would make her way through harsh weather. Letting out a small sigh, the lioness made her way out of a tunnel in the palace and into another, working her way downward towards the pridal lands until a presence up ahead made her pause short.

A few feet away sat a cheetah hunkered in on itself and looking for all the world as miserable as the weather itself.

"I do not know you," the words were spoken softly as the small lioness drew nearer; it wasn't an accusation, and it wasn't harsh. In fact, if anything, the lioness sounded intrigued, "You are...?" the words were accompanied by a small, ghost of a smile, almost encouraging.

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As a random note, Tsi'hilu is TINY for a lioness. She's a pure blood ela, which makes her tiny already, and then there's the fact she suffered severe malnutrition in childhood, due to having to fend for herself and hunt a merely a cub. SOOoooo she probably looks less of a threat than most lions xD

 

[ShinosBee]

Baharini had nearly gotten comfortable enough to start dozing (though that was probably terribly unsafe) in her little rain-free nook when a soft voice startled her. She leapt up, springing away from the assumed direction of the words and in the process back into the raid. What little amount she'd dried was resoaked in a blink and she gaped openly at the tiniest lioness she'd ever seen. It was hard to tell in the gloom, but soaked through she was almost sure they would nearly match, pound for pound. How...how odd! Her white fur stood out like a beacon, and when she didn't exactly surge forward to attack or demand she leave, the cheetah began to relax. She didn't dare slink back out of the rain though.

"...Baharini, m-ma'am," She ventured, minding her manners after a thought. "I'm sorry I came near the den, I just wanted to get out of the rain. I don't mean any harm, and I'll be gone by morning, honest. Or as soon as the rain stops, if it's before then. I promise!" Her words came tumbling out as fast as the water was coming down, and she coiled her tail under and around herself. Probably she could outrun the lioness if she had to. It's be miserable to try to flee in the dark and the storm, but ti was better than being torn apart. At least it seemed like for the moment she wasn't in extreme danger.

"If...if maybe I could just borrow the side of that rock for the night, I'd be forever grateful, ma'am. Or if you'd rather, I can go right now...?"

dark fire angel

 

[Daffupanda]

Tsi'hilu watched as the cheetah jumped up from the place she'd obviously been dozing at and into the rain outside, soaking her pelt through to the bone. Tilting her head somewhat, the small, soft smile still gracing her maw, the lioness drew nearer, "Tsi'hilu will do," she told the frightened cat, coming to a stop just a few inches away from the den opening, enough that the rain outside was coming hard upon her tattoo-marked pelt, "No need to call me ma'am," technically, she was the Queen, and Mizu-Ren would have honestly had something akin to a heart attack if she'd heard the petite lioness speak that way, "I mean you no harm; you may rest inside if you so wish to."

Once inside the den herself, Tsi'hilu shook her pelt dry, drenching the ground in turn, "I was on my way outside, actually; I climbed down from the top levels. Most everyone's up there, and it's late at night... so I doubt you'll find anyone else," she turned her head towards the cheetah, waiting for her to come inside, "I was sneaking out, technically, so... you should find yourself facing anyone else than myself."

In all honesty, the cheetah was quite lucky it'd been her she stumbled across, instead of the king, but... Tsi'hilu didn't wish to frighten her. She'd always been a sweet creature, and the idea of making others uncomfortable or frightened upset her. She'd had to learn the hard way not to speak to her food, for in her youth she'd actually made friends with a waterbuck because of it, "You may rest," she smiled, "If anyone asks... you say I allowed it. There should be no problem if you say my full name; Tsi'hilu Waya."

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

That she wasn't immediately chased out or assaulted went a large way towards calming the alarmed cheetah. The invitation to join her inside the dens was even more amazing. Such a friendly place...! She hastened after the tiny lioness, careful to shake off far enough away so to not spray her new companion. She listened keenly, bobbing her head rapidly and murmuring the name to herself, "Tsi'hilu Waya, Tsi'hilu Waya..." It wouldn't do to be accosted and then forget who'd given her permission. She wondered who she was talking to that would have such authority - now that she was inside the dens it smelled very well lived in, but not unpleasant. Dry and warm were more important anyway than a lion-y smell.

"T-thank you ma'am," She chirruped as she found a little corner to coil up in. "It's very kind of you. Most places don't take too kindly to others in their space...especially when the stranger isn't their own kind." she tilted her head to one side, looking in earnest curiosity. "Can I ask why you're so nice? And what this place is?" If there was a safe haven she knew would allow her to rest a while, it'd be good to know what it was called. Then if she was ever in the area...

A huge yawn caught her off guard before she could finish the thought. She'd worry about it later. This place was, aside from rather wet, the nicest she'd found so far already. The idea of offering some sort of recompense for being allowed to stay came to mind...but she didn't really have very many skills to offer. Hmm.

Dark Fire Angel

 

[Daffupanda]

Guiding the cheetah inside,Tsi'hilu allowed herself a small smile; it always felt good, helping others. She'd come to the conclusion, long, long ago, that one should not take more than one needed from the land, and should always give plenty back, in any way, shape or form. Be it by helping those in need or some other way; it was a strange way of thinking, for one that had grown up alone, practically starved to death due to her own inexperience hunting, but at the same time... she'd managed to survive not just because of the skills she'd acquired, but due to others' generosity. More than once, rogues had spared a part of their meals for the strange, lost young one.

As such, now that she could, she was simply giving back.

"I believe in Karma," came the initial reply to the cheetah's question, and upon realizing the irony of her words, Tsi'hilu smiled again, "This land... it's called 'The Mandate of Heaven', and we welcome all species. You are currently in the Water Kingdom, and we host a leopard in our midst," she nodded off towards the distance, the border that lay beyond sight, "The wind kingdom's host to many cheetah. There's also a few wild dogs," her gaze turned back to land upon her obviously sleepy guest, "Species is of no consequence here, though... something tells me you're more in need of sleep than a story," a pause, "Am I keeping you up?"

Her ears flicked, first towards the rain outside, and then towards the inside of the den, as she idly pondered if she would be able to make her way back to the inner chambers from where she stood, given she was still mapping the place. On one hand, Jelani might miss her soon, on the other she didn't feel entirely right, leaving the poor cheetah alone here. After all, she'd invited her in, but not all members of the pride were as particularly forgiving as she was, "Hmmm..." turning her attention back at the cheetah, she drew nearer, "Would you mind some company? Just for tonight? My..." and here she hesitated, because she wasn't sure what to call Jelani. Her king? Her... something...? Not mate, given the fact she'd only taken the title of queen because, quite honestly, somebody had to, and everyone else seemed scared witless, "I believe they can do without me upstairs for one night. I feels most rude, leaving you all alone down here."

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

Karma? She'd heard of that, but only really in passing. Do something good and something good will happen to you, or something like that. Right? It sort of made sense - but some people, especially in the rogue lands, were more prone to taking than giving. Even when you did something nice first. Well. So far things seemed okay. If the pride was going to harm her...well why not sneak up on her half asleep out in the rain? It made more sense that she'd lucked into meeting someone genuinely nice.

"Not really. I'd rather know about where I'm staying, even if I am tired. Wouldn't like to put my paw in my mouth because I'd rather sleep than listen for a bit." She really didn't mind either. Something seemed...well, inviting about the place. Like it'd be a good place to rest her pawns a few days, or maybe more. Oooor maybe it was just nice to be out of the rain. She'd have to think on that more in the morning. If the others in the...was it a pride if there were other animals than lions too? More and more questions.

"I don't mind at all. You shouldn't need to ask, I mean. I'm here at your kindness." She shrugged teal shoulders and swished her long tail over the smooth hard ground. There was ample space. And this way if someone found her and disapproved she would have someone literally at her back. "So this place is like, what, a bunch of prides? Water Kingdom? Wind Kingdom? How's that work? And why....why don't you just let lions in?" She'd seen other mixed groups before, but some times they didn't work out. Why might this place be better?

Dark Fire Angel

 

[Daffupanda]

The small lionesses' head tilted to one side as she regarded the cheetah, "Well, if you're quite sure, alright then," she paused and a small smile blossomed, "I won't lie; not everyone is exactly like me. There's... different people, and different opinions, obviously. But regardless of that, you should be perfectly safe. Specially if I remain with you, and spend the night here," she closed her eyes and shook her head, her smile still remaining upon her lips, "Some... still have a lot to learn," she was referring to the king, but the cheetah didn't quite need to know that.

Having drawn nearer, Tsi'hilu lowered herself to the ground near the other female, close enough that they could share body hear if the rain and night time got too cold for comfort, "Mmm..." she looked up to the ceiling of the cavern, as if pondering her answer, "I think... that yes, you could consider this pride to be a group of prides," she unsheathed a single claw and drew on the ground, a circle, surrounded by three circles on the outside, "There's the central pride, Kasai... fire. And then, on the outside, Water, Ice and Wind. We're currently in Water," she poked one of the outer circles, and then pointed at the inner on, "Kasai is the central backbone of the kingdoms. It is the true center of the pride. That's where the gods live," she lifted her head and smiled at the cheetah, "Karma, Peace and Psycopathy live there. Karma reigns supreme as holder of balance. You might see him tomorrow if he descends from Kasai. He's quite the sight; very big, with four brightly colored wings. And he's quite wise."

She allowed that information to sink in, knowing that not everyone believed in gods. After all, not everyone had been privy to their existence or had seen them before, "Peace is very small, very sweet. He rarely descends from the central kingdom. And the other...." her brows knit, "She's large, a behemoth of a lion, black as night, and she brings misfortune upon those kingdoms that are not ruled correctly. She rarely leaves Kasai either, but I've seen her before," as she spoke, she'd been drawing on the ground; crude doodles that only just slightly resembled the gods she described.

After a few moments, her paw lifted off the ground and she turned to offer the cheetah a smile, "You must think me insane. Still, If you stick around... I'd wager you'd see for yourself. As far as allowing every species, well... these kingdoms were founded with the notion that peace is sacred, and that any creature, regardless of species should be allowed to seek it's refuge."

ShinosBee

Sorry this took sooo long. I should be back on track!