[PRP] Of Good and Bad Days

[Meepfur]

Hal-shikasta was not having what she would be inclined to call a good day - though, to be perfectly, bluntly honest about it, she pretty much never had what she would be inclined to call a good day. The closest her days got to 'good' was when she managed to spend them entirely, blissfully alone. Those were the tolerable days. This might have been one of them, if she hadn't stumbled and twisted her leg while chasing after her dinner.

That had completely and utterly ruined what would have been a passable excuse for a day, and now she was gimping her way up the mountain to her favorite sleeping spot. She'd just sleep this off and try again tomorrow.

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Tiana and Naveen had joined the Jini-msemi when the swamps were lush and their biggest concern was crocodiles. They had seen a lot happen in the pride since then. The drought had startled and worried them, and the fire had almost driven them from the home they had come to love. Finally they were forced to choose, to stay or go, they chose to follow their pride but adjusting to the mountain was tough. Tiana had nice memories of the swamp, swimming with cubs, meeting a God and she and Naveen being given their new names. She tried to think that the mountains would soon yield happy memories as well, but for that to happen she and Naveen had to start interacting with their fellow pride members.

When Tiana spotted Hal-shikasta limping along she saw the perfect chance at helping. She hurried down to the other female and called back to her mate over her shoulder.

"Come on Naveen, I think she's hurt..."

She walked over to her and looked down at her leg.

"Hello, are you alright?"

For Naveen the experience since joining the swampies had been tough. He'd already been a wary male, fearful of angering the spirits. The drought and fire had made him fear hat he was cursed, but the whole pride had suffered and Tiana assured him it wasn't simply because of them. He had followed the pride to the mountain but he and Tiana had remained isolated from the others, he was still worried about his luck.

He couldn't avoid his fellow pride members forever though, and when Tiana called he followed her to the females side.

"Care for a shoulder to lean on there cheri?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Step, hop, step, hop - it was an easy, if irritating and rather uncomfortable, rhythm to fall into, and Shika became so focused on it that she didn't notice right away that company was headed her way. When they spoke, she jerked her head up and fixed the distinctively swampy, frog-colored pair with an affronted glare their offer of help certainly did not deserve.

Damn it all! All she wanted was to be miserable in peace, but now she had a couple of nosy goody-goodies who thought that she needed help. And worse, wanted to help. Ugh. She hated nice people.

She had, however, mellowed into a slightly - just slightly - less surly lioness than she had once been. Instead of snapping or cursing, she simply grumbled, "I don't need any help."

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Tiana just offered the female a sympathetic smile certain that her gruffness was due to pain.

"Come now, it looks like it's gotta hurt."

She was used to dealing with cubs and their appreciation of her tender nature. The thought that this injured female wouldn't want their help was simply inconceivable to her. Everyone needed a paw sometimes, but maybe her pride the issue.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, things like this happen to even the most surefooted and besides the terrain up here is...different."

The tone in the females voice was enough to keep Naveen from coming up beside her to let her lean on him. The glare put him off entirely and he glance at his mate, usually she was the one nudging him not to say something foolish. He was fairly certain that she was making a mistake in trying to coddle this huntress like a cub.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"Of course it hurts," the pale lioness replied with a grunt, "But I still don't need help, and I certainly don't need to be coddled." Those who knew Hal-shikasta better - though no one truly knew her well, as distant as she was - would have been impressed with the improvement in her restraint. Still rude? Yes. Still generally awful to spend any length of time with?. Oh yes. But at least she wasn't chewing out the froggy lioness for trying to help her...yet.

Tail lashing and ears canted slightly back, Shika started to move again, hoping the overly nice female might take the hint. At least the male seemed to have heeded her glare.

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Tiana was starting to get the hint, especially once Naveen withdrew from the females side. He was charming enough once he got started, but he didn't look like he wanted to start with her.

"Well, at least let us walk with you. Where are ya heading?"

Naveen could tell Tiana wasn't going to let it go, she couldn't just walk away from the surly limping female.

"Be practical cheri if you limp your way up here you'll save your pride but probably just hurt yourself worse. You don't want a permanent injury do you?"

He hoped he could at least get her to relent enough that Tiana could see her comfortably somewhere and then let her be. He never thought he'd find himself wishing for the company of cubs instead but even the most difficult cubs were still easily pleased with a ride on his back or playful tumbling.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Shika's ears promptly went from canted slightly to flattened, and her scowl deepened. It looked like she was going to be stuck with her overenthusiastic pridemates, unless she got really nasty. It was tempting. It was very, very tempting...but it had been made fairly clear to her that if she didn't at least attempt to coexist, tolerance of her bad attitude and poor behavior would eventually reach an end.

"If you're that desperate to come along, fine. But don't expect me to be grateful." Or anything approaching polite, but that went without saying by now. "It's just that way," she indicated with a quick jerk of her head.

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Tiana's nose wrinkled a little at the more blatant hostility and then she sighed and moved in to one side of the female.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but I would feel pretty bad if you fell and hurt yourself even worse. Besides maybe you've also hurt your head, only excuse for having less manners than a cub..."

She mumbled the last but she'd already offered her assistance and she would not be intimidated away.

The dark green male almost chuckled at the expression that came over his mate's face. If the other female hadn't been injured he had a feeling Tiana wuld have shoved her. He came up and very gently touched his side to the female letting her lean some of her weight on him if she wanted. He had a feeling he was going to get shoved away, but he did suspect if she limped along like that she would only further compound her injury.

"So, what do they call you Cheri? I am Naveen, and my helpful mate is Tiana."

Better he offer her their names before she called them pests or worse.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Shika was utterly unphased by Tiana's disapproval of her lack of manners. If anything, she actually found it rather satisfying. The other lioness was imposing her 'help' on her, and so the least Shika could do was give her the full pleasure of her company. "No, I did not in fact hit my head," she clarified proudly, "I'm always this charming."

When the male came alongside her, she veered reflexively away from the contact and shot him a warning look, lip curled. She would have liked to smack him, but- no, that was guaranteed to get her in trouble.

"Shika," she answered gruffly. "Hal-shikasta."

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Tiana gave a faint snort at the female's retort, but she could handle her bristly personality. It did sting a bit though, thus first attempt at interacting with the adults in quite a while and she had to run into the stick in the mud.

She moved in closer to the females other side so that moving away from Naveen would move her closer to Tiana and vice versa. It was a petty pleasure to box her in with their kindness, but Tiana couldn't feel any guilt over it.

"So Shika, how did you hurt yourself? Slip on something? Don't fret everyone has clumsy moments."

Naveen had to hold back a laugh at the way Shika veered but he managed to school his expression and offered her instead a glance of sympathy.

"If you are feeling unsteady on your paws I can carry you Cheri?"

He could feel Tiana smiling at him over Shika's head and tried not to grin in return.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Now they were both infringing on her personal space! Shika hated when anyone she didn't like (which was just about everyone, save for a very few fwmily members) got physically close to her. She didn't know them, didn't want to know them, didn't trust them! The lioness' hackles rose and she stopped in her tracks, stifling a low growl. "Don't. Just...don't. Come with me, fine, be nosy, fine, but if you can't keep your distance just go away."

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Both lions moved away from her at the same time but Tiana frowned and approached slightly closer again.

"Alright, don't get your tail in a twist. I'm sorry, really...I'd just hate to see you really injure yourself. We'll get you to where you can rest and leave you be alright?"

The male ensured he kept his distance he had no desire to arouse Shika's anger...further. He frowned and wondered if they shouldn't just go, it was obvious they wouldn't be making a friend here.

"Do you perhaps have someone you would prefer as company Cheri? We don't mean to be nosy simply to offer our assistance."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Shika seemed to settle once the two were at a more respectable distance, fur smoothing and tail slowing. That was...better. Acceptable. She could tolerate them so long as they weren't in what she considered her personal space.

"No, not really," she answered, some of the edge gone from her voice as she started to move again. "I don't like...company, and any 'company' with sense doesn't like me."

Roxy_roxanna2

 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Since Shika seemed to calm down once they weren't pressing close Tiana could only assume the female had some issues with touching or personal space. She tried to keep that in mind, she liked knowing about her fellow pride members. Before she had met Naveen she could remember what it was like to want personal space. She couldn't quite relate to the female's distaste for company though.

"I guess we have no-sense then...but really anyone injured with a lick of sense would take help."

Naveen could only chuckle at the blunt female, he still maintained his distance but he relaxed as her voice lost some it's bite.

"Why stay in a pride Cheri? You sound as though you would enjoy a life of solitude not the bustle?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"If I actually needed help, I'd take it," Shika grumbled back, continuing to limp stubbornly along. Of course, the truth was, it would probably depend on who was offering the help and how badly she needed it. Case in point, she currently had three good legs, so she didn't really need to be carried. If she were down to two...maybe then. Maybe.

The lioness hesitated before andwering, and was quiet for long enough that it might have seemed as if she'd opted not to answer at all. "...This is my pride. That's all."

If she were to tell the full truth - which she would not - she was utterly terrified of being completely alone.

Roxy_roxanna2