[PRP] Meeting of the Minds [END]

[Daffupanda]

While it was probably safe to assume Chi'pya, like many youngsters, had fantasized about becoming a princess or even a queen... never in her wildest dreams had she thought there'd ever come a day where the fantasy would become reality. Also unfortunately, with this reality came the actual leg work, time and effort that had to be invested to learn to carry out her new tasks. It was, in theory, about song; about managing to lift morale when it was down, and guiding those that were in the dark towards light. She was meant to counter the Story Keeper and offer a lighter, more down to earth perspective, and she was meant to question him when she thought he was wrong.

They were meant to work in tandem. They were equal in power and stability, and yet Chi felt anything but. This was less Shanhali's fault, and more the fact she felt unsure where she stood, new to a role and unwilling to forge the bounds needed with a Story Seeker that was undoubtedly going to change soon enough. After all, their new negotiations with the Bahari demanded a change of a ruler. They were, at the time being, focusing on switching Song Keeper and could not sink into switching out both rulers so fast, and yet, Chi still felt... unstable in her position.

She needed a partner she could lean on, and she needed, above all else, not so much a teacher, but a friend she could talk to. Conversation with other pride members had become awkward, and it was, again, less their fault and more her inability to detach herself from what was expected of her; left Nili standing along mid lesson because anxiety had overwhelmed her and she'd run off.

Night had long since fallen, and she had yet to return home. Granted, the young lioness was no longer amidst a mild panic attack, but she was still not doing precisely well either. The Demons entering the border had not helped alleviate stress either, and while it was true they seemed harmless, she had not missed the stories some whispered of the past. Aunt Matope did say that you could take the leopard out of a tree, but you would never take the urge to climb out of a leopard... Chi wondered if the wise, old lioness was right, or if she was, perhaps, a bit too paranoid, what with the past few years of events the pride had endured.

She'd also noticed a minor change in Muhali, whom had become a recluse to her cave, and though Matope assured her this was perfectly normal, mother behavoir, Chi was still concerned over the future. Everything worried her, but then, that was also to be expected when a young girl suddenly thought herself to be carrying the weight of the world upon her shoulders. She let out a soft sigh and turned her gaze to look at the water, softly reflecting the moon there before she looked up at it.

She had still to find her Muse... everything was overwhelming. She needed time.  

[LadyPipen]

Angavu loved nights with a full moon the best- the savanna was bathed in moonlight that bleached everything dark and silver. It was.... simply put, beautiful. Even more beautiful than he himself, unmarred by ugly scars, fur soft as feather down and impeccably kept mane.

It was little wonder why it was emblem of his father's house and first pride- though he had never quite fit into the latter- granted, he never tried, but then again, they were as stuffy as his father, and deep down he knew there would be no joy to be found there....

At least, there'd be no one eager to accept his brilliance and his beauty, and really, where was the fun in that? It was far more entertaining to travel, meeting pretty ladies and gazing upon pretty landscapes and simply existing- there was something fun around every corner, and really, he knew his father was approving of him- after all, heir to his house and prestigious lineage, it was simply necessary to gain life experience!
As so long as it didn't require getting his mane dirty.

And what a mane it was- bathed pink in the moonlight, it waved just so- that's how the pretty lioness happened upon his regality, in fact, gazing upon his visage in a gently rippling pond- not near so useful as a still pond, really, but it did make a lovely vision, hair drifting in the breeze, and all the better... For now, he had an audience.

"Well, good evening, sweet flower," He rumbled, chest puffing out in a very distinctly manly manner, to accentuate his lovely mane in the breeze, "What luck you have tonight, sweetling, for I, Anvangu, Prince of the Moon, have arrived to grace you with my presence," He posed, strutting in only the MOST dignified manner of course.

"And," he purred, stretching out his front paws, tail waving high in a surely seductive manner for the pretty little lioness, "If you so please, blessing your night. Surely no troubles can persist on your pretty face after such a wonder," He winked, prideful- but not particularly malicious- smile plastered across his maw, as if he fully expected her to swoon over his paws with nothing more than his declarations and couldn't fathom why she wouldn't be tripping over herself in his presence.  

[Daffupanda]

Chi wasn't sure what she'd been asking for in her earlier prayers, or if indeed they had been prayers at all, but... the male that suddenly came into view as if summoned was certainly not what she'd had in mind. For a moment, when he spoke, she couldn't quite seem able to conjure words and only gaped openly at him, eyed wide as she took a step back and away from him, "Luck?" she squeaked, "Moon?" she wasn't naive enough to NOT understand what the lion was hinting at, but at the same time... no one had really propositioned her before.

In the pride, she had always been viewed as the 'child', even if she was clearly anything but at that point in time. Most of the other members were moons older than her, and it showed in how they treated her; this stranger clearly had no problem presenting himself for her to admire, and oh, admire him she did, make no mistake. That's as much as she did though - she was not prepared to take a step further than simple, if startled admiration however. Not to mention she was still doing a rather interesting imitation of a startled, fish out of water.
"Are you one of the Demons?" this was blurted suddenly, though on second viewing of him, he didn't really look like one of them; they tended to be much darker, redder... edgier, as aunt Matope would have no doubt said, "I... who are you? Did you come here to talk diplomacy? If so, I must let you know that this is most unorthodox and that the other elders will be quite upset with me if I speak about anything with you alone," another pause overtook her, and the lioness blinked, looking at the seductively sprawled out lion in front of her, placed as if he himself were a 3 course meal for her to enjoy, and for a second, just a second mind you, Chi almost considered taking him up on the offer.

But no, that would... that would not be good. That would cause problems. Too much downfall for just one night of pleasure, surely, and that aside, pleasure tended to come with consequence anyways.

She was not ready to be a mother.

"I will not be swayed by temptation, foul Demon! Begone with you, shoo," she went as far as to try to shoo him with a paw before realizing that honestly, this was a full grown male and she a rather tiny lioness for her age. If he did not wish to move, there would be no moving him.  

[LadyPipen]

Angavu was beside himself. And not in the pleasant ways in which he should!

Scrambling, the large pale lion pushed himself to his haunches in a most undignified manner, face the picture of unabashed, horrified disgust, paw placed over his chest in clear, unapologetic offense.

"I beg your pardon, my lady!" He huffed, jumping to his paws and turning in circles so that she might see him in all of his beautiful, pale, and most importantly unmarked glory, "I am no rough barbarian! I am Prince of the Moon, future Moon Lord of Africa, and I do not consort with ruffians!" He declared, sitting himself right where he stood- now that he was getting rather dizzy with all this turning, swaying on his paws.

The look he gave her was none too pleased- expression of sheer distaste, ears pinned to his head and nose wrinkled with a pout that, really, could only belong to a lion with the disposition of an overgrown cub, presented with the fact that yes, he indeed must eat the less desirable bits of his dinner, "You," he huffed, "Are a very mean young lady!"

very pretty, but very mean- he was no longer quite sure what to do with her. As a gentleman, turned down or not, he couldn't very well leave her there.... Especially if there really were Aegnor'hini lions about, she was tiny and cute even if she was also presumptuous and rude. It simply wouldn't do to leave her in the wild with less desirables skulking about, but then, that simply left the confusion of what he should do with her.  

[Daffupanda]

A mild sense of confusion washed over her as she turned to gaze up at the moon for a second before sliding her gaze back to the lion's head, then body, then paws; all in all, this male while pretty... looked nothing like the moon. But then, wouldn't that be rude for her to point out? "Did the moon herself chose you as her her heir? What.... makes you the future moon lord?" a pause here as she raised herself from her place by the water and then slowly moved towards him, shoving her face into his mane to sniff at him.

His scent, while lovely to the nose, almost like Nili's in the way it was less musk and more fragrance, did not not denote anything that might point him to be related to the moon in any way, shape or form. Her own earlier words seemed to catch up to her and she took her nose out of his mane to look up at him, noticing his rather offended look at her, "That aside, if you are the future lord, whose the current one, and under what authority? Surely not mine!"

It was only when he turned away from her with the pout of a petulant cub that Chi's attention was grabbed because oh, Oh, that was actually cute, would you look at that. His words made her tilt her head in a quizzical manner, a small smile tugging at her maw, because she was quite sure that one of Aedeze's cubs could have come up with a worse insult than the one he had just offered her, "I meant no insult - there really are Demons in this land right now. I hear they've reformed. So they claim," she made a show of looking off into the distance, now that she felt quite certain she was dealing less with a lion and more with an overgrown man child, "Some were so ruggedly handsome too... such a pity. So strong, so manly, so attractive..." she slid her gaze over at him, waiting to see how the stranger would react.

She'd wanted some sort of diversion, and by the Gods, she was going to use this to distract herself. He seemed more or less harmless, if not utterly amusing. Decent to look at, too, "Whatever shall I do."  

[LadyPipen]

That the prissy little thing would march over and shove her nose in his perfectly manicured mane, well! The gall! of course, he might not have minded so if the circumstances of her mane-appreciation had been a bit different, but as such, she was getting entirely too close and none too welcome for it, and all the male could do was gape at the presumptuous little thing. Just who did she think she was?!

"Why," he gasped, shocked that any did not know of his large and downright prestigious lineage, "I am the firstborn son of Mwezi'moto, Lord of the Moon, of course," he sniffed, and tacked on as a second thought, "And grandson of the moon herself," Nodding seriously... At least until the next few sentences tumbled out of the girl's mouth.

No, she was not a mean lioness- she was a stupid one. "My lady," he gasped, fully serious in his intent as he continued to gape at her, "Such company is downright unbefitting a young lady, such a pride.... Murderers and slavers and..... And worse," He daren't finish that sentence- not to a young lady, rude or not, noble or common, it was simply not fitting. Not polite conversation or impolite, taboo for a very good reason- the Aegno'hini had a reputation for a reason.

Hefting himself to his paws, Anganvu stared down at the rude, tiny little thing for a moment more, head cocked to the side and disgruntled frown still in place, "I think," He finally said, blinking out of his internal debate on just what to do with the tiny girl, since he could neither leave her here all alone, obviously, nor bed her, "I should take you home." Little lady lioness, suggesting that some demon lion was a handsomer catch than he... the nerve! Humph!  

[Daffupanda]

Chi had... absolutely no idea who this lion was talking about. Which then again, didn't mean much given she'd lead a fairly sheltered life. She hadn't had her title, true, that was a new development, but honestly, the worst drama she'd ever seen was the coming of the muses, and that even had had a body count of zero to it's name. No one had even been mauled or even hurt in any way; there hadn't been much other conflict in her life. She'd been kept safe and the most she'd had to look out for was, well, the past couple of weeks, where she'd been expected to help make decisions and be an actual adult.

It was refreshing to be able to be stupid and say thing she otherwise wouldn't have to her family or other pride members. After all, this was a rogue, and those came and went, as far as she knew. He'd not stay long enough to really get to know her, she was sure of it, and as such, there was clearly no harm poking a little fun at him, now was there? Nothing wrong with a little teasing, and he was so, so pretty to look at. Not nearly as harmful as she'd been expecting from a previously amorous male.

He'd jumped straight from sensual into deep concern and Chi was actually not sure if this male had a mid way point. He seemed to go all out. There were no halves with him, and whatever he was feeling, he seemed to be feeling it at maximum power; it was vaguely amusing for her, given the most time she'd spent with another male was her uncle, and she often had trouble reading reading him, "I must say. I did not vote this Mwezi lion, as lord of the moon, and the moon, well," she stared up at it, "I doubt she did either. I know not this name you speak of, and feel you are sorely confused, strange but handsome rogue," the more she could wind him up, the better, she was sure of it. Watching him splutter was just what she needed to get her mind off of the Demons and the diplomacy.

Both problems could wait till morning.

"You know them personally, my liege, I take it?" she knew he likely didn't; she'd met the Demons earlier that day and while they did look like a ruffled lot, she didn't think they would go back on their word, "Oh, but, whatever will happen if we happen upon a Demon tonight? Wouldn't that be a problem for you? After all, your coat does look quote clean, and unscarred! Wouldn't a battle ensue?"

"What demon do we plan on finding tonight?" The new voice was deeper, much colder than Chi's, and out of the darkness stepped an impossibly large feline, her tail long and bushy like a snow leopard's but her frame much to large to be one. Two large wings rested upon her back as she approached the couple, and she took one look at Angavu and then one towards Chi, narrowing cold, dangerous eyes on the male.  

[LadyPipen]

Angavu found himself, once more, blinking dumbly down at the sassy child- had she not heard what he had just said? "She... She's his mother," he responded dumbly, "By rights of inheritance, he is Lord of the Moon, just as I am heir to the title." Was she daft? Or lower in hierarchy than he had assumed was required of a lioness with three paws in rogue's land... Or much, much younger than he had previously assumed?

His head cocked to the other side, silly as it looked, puzzling out this strange young lioness best as he could manage- or very well trying to, "Are... Are you unaware of the rights of egalitarian inheritance?" He asked, genuinely, before she rambled right on into demons, earning a grimace from the male. He suffered her foolish eagerness for the savage creatures- he was not keen, if she was to find herself intent on hunting them down... Though her jabs at his capabilities in battle rolled off his back- perhaps it would have been more effective had he had true interest in battle and violence, or if she didn't look the small, pampered sort that even an impeccably groomed male such as himself could fell by sneezing on her.

"I....," He had only begun to answer when the interruption came- the change in his posture was slight at first, pale eyes snapping up to stare at the newcomer- a goddess, and a deadly-looking one at that, and given the circumstances... A dramatic demon, he decided to assume, better to be safe than to find oneself sorry- had he been the only lion about, it would not have been quite so dire of a situation.

He did have, however, his little lady friend to defend.

"Run," he whispered, barely a breath and without so much as a glance towards the lioness, eyes locked on the demon goddess as his order turned straight into a snarl- a rumble that began low in his chest, ripping through the air in start contrast to his foolish, stuffy appearance gone, replaced with the outward appearance of a warrior- a young, untried warrior, but as he stepped over Chi, feeling her body press into his chest and belly, he was completely prepared to go to hell on a fool's errand to save a young lioness from a demon goddess- all the more the fool was he.  

[Daffupanda]

The sassy child in question was rather amused at the stranger. The moment she'd decided he did not pose a threat to her general well being and that he honestly seemed to mean well, deep inside, then all bets were off. His reactions were entertaining and just what she needed to put the recent drama off her mind, "Oh, I see, yes," she nodded sagely, "I was unaware that being a son of the moon earned you such a title - I may have to speak to Shan'li. Let him know he has thus been upgraded to lord too, yes," again she nodded, the small smile that tugged at her maw making it clear to any onlooker that she was teasing the male, but with no obvious ill will.

"Well, you see, in the pride, rulers are chosen not through blood, but through their merits, so I guess the concept is rather new to me, good sir," she waited for an answer but got none, for the male cut himself off and something seemed to come over him; his posture changed, and he looked over her shoulder somewhere behind her, no longer paying her his full attention. He whispered a single warning for her to run, his maw pressing gently against her ear for just the barest of seconds, and young as she was, she felt her stomach do a rather interesting flip, though if from fear or something else... Chi was not sure. All thought of teasing him fled in favor of becoming rather well aware of both probable danger behind her, and the body of the well groomed, adult, masculine lion hunched above her.

He did not know her. He'd spent bare seconds with her, and most of that time had involved her teasing him, and yet he was was apparently willing to face off against danger to give her a few seconds to escape.

That, in Chi's book, deserved praise.

The rumble of his growl vibrated against her side, his chest pressed against her pelt, and Chi finally managed to shift her position just barely enough to look over her shoulder at the threat. Her gaze landed upon a vaguely amused Maua, whom had stopped her approach upon the couple when the male's demeanor had changed; one of her paw remain hovering over the ground, as if unsure if taking one more step would trigger the male, and thus, instead, blinked and sat down, head tilted, "I was wondering where you'd gone, Young Queen... but it seems this brave knight has everything covered on this end. I was antsy due to the presence of our.... untimely guests upon the territory but I see my fear was for naught?"

The tension seeped out of Chi's frame, though curiously, the strange flip flopping of her stomach did not. Choosing not to examine the feeling too close for now, she placed a paw upon the male's chest, "Worry not, friend. She is no demon. Meet Maua - she is a Goddess whose mother has been a patron of our pride for many generations, and she means neither of us harm. Be at rest."  

[LadyPipen]

Chi's internal conflict went completely unnoticed by the lion standing over her- his attention was redirected entirely on the assumed threat that had approached, though the goddess had paused, for a few, calculated moments, Anganvu stood protectively- cursing Chi for her all her sass until, apparently, she froze in the face of danger- teeth remaining bared in a snarl, despite the lack of outright attack.

Strategy was a killer- were there others?

That's about as far as his thought process got before the goddess fell on her haunches, speaking- and Angavu cautiously listened to every word, moving nary a muscle until Chi's paw pressed lightly on his chest, speaking up for the lioness, and the pale male looked between the lioness under him, back to the goddess, and so forth for a few moments before straightening, stepping off of the tiny pink apparently-queen to flop to his side with an audible huff.

"I think," he pouted, "I've stumbled on the wrong pride. I was wrong to think it was just you," he pouted- back to being an overgrown cub in the blink of an eye, "All of you lionesses are mean, I see now. You're going to put me in an early grave, I can feel it in my little toes," he sniffed. Because no, of course he was not leaving- this sassy child clearly needed help, and there were demons in the area. He could stick around until the Aegnor'hini issue had passed, and then continue in his travels, and be more the wiser for it.

"Is that why you're queen then, tiny thing- the meanest lioness with the most barbed tongue. I pity your husband."  

[Daffupanda]

She watched the aggression melt out of him, leaving the sort of dopey idiot she'd been sharing the night with previously, and for the time being, Chi pushed aside the strange feeling that somewhat still lingered in her belly. She'd look into it in the safety and privacy of her den, for now though, well... if Maua was here, there was little doubt she was being missed back at the dens. It was probably time to start heading back, but at the same time, her gaze slid back over to were the nameless stranger had flopped himself down in a huff.

Maua watched the pair from the safe distance she'd retained, and only just managed to keep herself from smirking; what a strange, amusing little mortal. She also did not miss the way the young queen had looked prior to her breaking the spell of aggression the male had fallen under, and well, she may not be Discord, per say, but Maua did enjoy a spot of chaos now and then. She'd have to get up close and personal with the brave little mortal later on, if he stayed. See if that stirred the pot any, "I don't know," she said as she finally stood up, stretching her large, black wings to rid them of cramps, "I'd say you've stumbled on the right pride, but that may just be me," her cold, blue eyes turned to look at Chi for a moment, making a motion towards the trees,

"Do not dally long, Young Queen, or your uncle may still send a search party. Not very conductive for romance, that," with a small smile, the large bulk of the goddess vanished within the trees, and the jungle sang once more with the sounds of crickets and other fauna that had gone mysteriously silent upon her arrival.

Chi blinked briefly at the departing goddess, but didn't offer her much thought aside from a small shrug before turning back to the flopped over male. She watched him pout in a most inelegant fashion, but merely chuckled; it was probably not very nice to poke fun at someone that had been ready to launch himself into a lost fight just to win her a few seconds of life, "Now, we're not all that mean. After all, I'm hence forth extending an invitation to stick around the dens, and rest your weary paws tonight. Not even those Demons got an invitation to come to the dens," she offered him a small wink, and felt particularly brave enough, for whatever reason, to draw herself forward and towards him, "I admit to not knowing - after all, I lack both husband and mate, or intended. No one has wooed me yet," her nose came briefly into contact with his, and then her head lowered to offer him a mild caress along his jaw line. The movement was innocent in nature, almost a brush, but it was enough to set off that strange feeling at the pit of her stomach once more, and thus, she drew away.

"Come. You can make sure no Demons accost us on the way back, if it pleases you."  

[LadyPipen]

Angavu's tail a thump-thumped against the ground, something that suggested a deal of displeasure with these lionesses and their tricks- oh, he'd seen all kinds... Sweet ladies and warrior-ladies, but these trick-ladies were something entirely different. Mean things, incredibly pretty though they were.

He pouted- pouted at the Goddess' jibe, pouted at Chi- was she propositioning him? It took a moment of consideration before he decided that no, no she was not. She was very firm in her refusal, after all- but a pride was a pride, and surely there were some lionesses- less mean ones- who would appreciate his beauty.

"Well I would certainly-" Whatever quip he was going to answer with died on his lips as the tiny, sassy thing leaned in for nuzzling caresses- an action that sparked a fire in his ears and successfully killed any sassing he had back for her.

"W-WELL THEN," He blurted, nervously jumping to his paws and furiously shaking out his poor, dirtied pelt, "DEMONS SHALL SHRINK IN THE GLORY OF MY PRESENCE, THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR," Angavu bellowed nervously, bounding out in the direction the goddess had disappeared to, disappearing only a few moments before his pale head popped back out of the foliage.

"Which, ah, way is it?"  

[Daffupanda]

Chi turned away from the male with a small chuckle and a quick jump to her step. The night had not been spoiled after all, for she had derived a great deal of amusement and fun out of the stranger's arrival. Demons, no demons, at the end of that day, it did not matter, she was sure of it now, and as she stepped through the foliage, hearing the male pad behind her to catch up, she thought... maybe she had been worrying unnecessarily, "Just this way, knight in shining armor. I'll lead you some place safe and snug. No demons shall bother us, and if they do, well... I do have your word you'll protect me."

That said, both lions bounded through the jungle in the general directions of the Dens, first to introduce him to her parents, and then to find him a safe spot, away from the cubs, just in case.

One could never be too sure, even if her gut instinct told her this one was harmless.

-- THE END --