[PRP] (Mng'aro x Siri)

[Vashtya]

Life had settled into an oddly comfortable sort of sameness since he'd joined the N'ezi - as weeks had bled into months, and no one else had found themselves short of breath in the face of exertion, all but the most firmly entrenched had begun to tentatively greet him with a small smile, or an inclined head, and the ex-swampie knew that a large part of it was likely due to Itiri, who had so plainly spoken to him to better understand what limitations he had, but had never treated him as being wholly less capable as a result of them.

He'd always been inclined to push himself, and while he had long since been forced to recognize and work around his difficulties, he'd often been made to feel (unintentionally) like a burden when others sought to remove obstacles from his path, as if he were still requiring of protectiveness from everyday challenges, like the sickly cub he'd been born. It felt strangely liberating, to have been approached and asked to set his own limitations; particularly since he no longer had to spend the majority of his days dealing with the day-to-day minutiae of staying alive as the lone male he had been.

And so he found himself leaving the common area to head back to his den, murmuring the occasional distracted greeting with a gentle smile fixed on his face, although if he'd been asked who he'd spoken to later, he doubted he'd be able to name more than one or two.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

The reaction from the pride was mixed, and Siri'wasii realized that not all the members of the N'ezi-ozu were eager to have rogues joining their ranks. She really could not blame them from the snippets of their history that she had overheard. It was worse than her own had ever been, and she had thoroughly believed that she had it bad. Somehow it was... comforting? She was not sure that it was bad of her to think so, but seeing a place endure such tragedy and still remain standing was reassuring.

Away from the rest of the world, in this little bubble of potential paradise, perhaps she really could live out her life in peace. Maybe she would not ruin things for herself this time, as it seemed to be in her nature to do.

Her family, now, seemed fairly accepting of her. It was odd, to consider them as such but that was what they were now. She was headed back to them now when she saw an older male, pale with a nice, dark brown mane and... Siri shook her head, casting away such thoughts that had already gotten her into trouble in the past. She was not some lovesick fool to throw herself at every handsome male who just so happened to walk by her.

She was better than that now.

Having never seen the male before, she simply assumed he had been a member of the N'ezi-ozu since birth. It did not stop her from approaching him with an easy and pleasant smile, "Good day. I don't think I've run into you yet and I'm trying to make sure I get to know... most of the lions here. I'm Siri'wasii, Siri if you please."

Vashyta

 

[Vashtya]

Seeing a vibrant (almost stunningly so) lioness moving in his direction, her pelt an indicator that, like him, she was not a member of the N'ezi-ozu by birth, he inclined his head courteously in greeting, his smile easing into a slightly more natural mien when she spoke.

She was lovely, he couldn't help but observe, although his notice was almost clinical, as he had long since given up any presumption of ever having...relations of a romantic bent.

"Good day to you also." he replied, his tone soft, without being particularly difficult to hear. "If you haven't, it's likely because I have found it to be an...adjustment, being a part of a pride again - and as a result, I have possibly been remiss in introducing myself." At this, he met her gaze squarely with his own before continuing. "I am Mng'aro, somewhat-newly of the Odachi family."

"It's a pleasure to meet you though, Siri." The words emerged naturally, as a courtesy, but he was surprised to find he meant them. "Were you part of the...rather large first wave of us who joined, or is it more recent?" Because while they hadn't spoken, he would be surprised that he hadn't noticed her in passing before now, if she'd joined at the same time he had.

Krysin