[PRP] Tenticles and heavenly bodies (Orpheus & Aurora)

[Syrius Lionwing]

He was an adult now. His bright pink mane had grown in and though he was still a little long of leg his body had started to bulk out. Still he was a young adult and his true calling was yet to come to him. His mother had been one of the many bahari ladies to have cubs around the same time, everyone knew it was the baby boom season, it had meant that he had grown up around a lot of other youngsters so, to say the least, he was well socialised.

Still there were times when just escaping from his rowdy siblings was nice, time to walk away and just, think. Today’s deep contemplation was upon the stars. He had found the absolutely perfect perch to sit upon and stare upwards in to the sky. The sun was slowly setting and though he could already feel the chill that whipped off the sea he was determined to stay and watch the stars appear in the sky.

Taking a deep breath he lifted a paw and blocked the last of the light that turned the sea from perfect blue to blood reds, orange and yellow. It was a beautiful sunset, as always, but he really wanted it to be down already. He really wanted to see the stars “Hurry up.” He huffed in to the sky, the sun really wasn’t moving fast enough.  

[demon_pachabel]

The ocean would forever call Aurora in a way it's call came and went for her mother just as the tide did. Though she had not entirely grown out of playful youth, with growing adulthood, a certain sentimentality about the pride of her childhood - both so similar and so different from how it was now - had begun to creep in. Leboya had called it 'maturity'. Aurora had called it slightly inconvenient.

Sometimes, the wistfulness sent her off to think - and she knew just the place. It wasn't far from the beach, but just far enough up that as it grew darker in the evening, most wouldn't make the climb up. Aurora could watch the sun set over the ocean and take the moment to feel a little too old. Not so old as to not enjoy the simple little things, however. Still, she was surprised when there was already somebody in her place.

For a moment, she watched him in silence. Until he started talking to the sun. Then, she couldn't help but laugh, taking a seat leisurely behind him. "My mother says to not rush the already too-short things. You'll wish you had more of them later," she said, looking first at Orpheus, then at the setting sun with a deep sigh.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

demon_pachabel

So intent had he been on watching the sun sink down below the horizon that the sound of another’s voice, that certainly wasn’t his own pulled him out of his reverie with a shock. “Buh?” Was his very intelligent answer to her statement.

It took him a few moments of blinking the last rays of sunshine from his eyes to realise that he wasn’t in fact being approached by a dark spirit from the sea but by a lioness. He also wasn’t going completely mad, he could smell the living creature smell that all beasts here had. That smell of ocean and fish and days spent on the sand. It was most pleasing to know that if in fact his voice had echoed back to him, giving him some sound advice, that it wouldn’t return as a ladies voice.Most pleasing indeed.

Seventy percent of this most perculiar tangent happened in a split second the other thirty left him with a dull expression on his face which eventually slipped in to a most goofy, rather toothy grin. “Uh..Yeh, I guess you’re right, but I really wanted to carry on naming the stars.” This sounded silly even to his ears, but sometimes his mouth outran his sense and this was certainly one of those times. He shrugged to himself well, he had put that particular statement out there now he could hardly take it back. “If I can remember where I am up to of course.”  

[demon_pachabel]

Aurora chuckled at the ever so eloquent response she got from the young lion, just watching him with the slightest inclination and absolute patience as his brain processed her presence. It was at least nice that he hadn't turned on her with violent surprise at her unexpected greeting.

"The stars don't hide simply because the sun is up," Aurora said, rising again to pace closer. Though it wasn't quite by Orpheus' side, she sat again, this time with her back towards the sunset, and off towards the already darkened sky that she'd previously been turned away from. The Jellyfish-marked lioness nodded towards them. "Unless of course you'd named these ones already?" she asked with another slight incline of her head. "What are their names?"

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

demon_pachabel

Well, it didn’t seem she was laughing at his response, that was a good thing at least. “I..Never really thought about it, its always easier to see them and name them when the sun has gone down.” He pursed his lips, he was very unsure if she was making fun of him but when a question was asked of him he couldn’t help but break in to a ramble about his passion.

Now the sun was finally tipping completely below the horizon and the sky was starting to shine brightly with their navy backdrop. Searching the sky he looked for a star that was always familiar, a star with a red glow, he always looked for this star when he started his nightly ritual because it stood out against its millions of glistening brothers.

“There, that one with the red glow around it, it’s always where I start and I call it Hermit, cause its on it’s own and a bit red so it reminds me of the little crabs in the watering holes.” He paused for a moment and tilted his head at the dark lioness. “I’m sorry I don’t know your name.” He mused. “I’m Orpheus, uh, nice to meet you?”  

[demon_pachabel]

Aurora scanned the skies, trying to find the star that Orpheus was describing to her. It wasn't a particularly impossible find at least. Not many stars in the sky seemed to glow red. But there was something about the name that made her giggle, holding a paw up to her mouth before she managed to compose herself enough to explain; "It's red because the Hermit is getting red in the face telling everybody to leave it alone." Would he find that as amusing as she did?

She bowed her head slightly at his introduction. "I'm Aurora. It's nice to meet you, Orpheus. Do you do this every night?"

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

demon_pachabel

The young male chuckled at her observation. It had never occurred to him before that hermit crabs could be red because they were mad. “Do you really think hermit crabs are red because they are mad?” It was a naive question and he quickly wanted to take it back, but instead he chuckled quietly.

“I guess that’s as a silly question.” He looked at her a little embarrassment in his gaze. “Yes I come here every night, I love to look at the sky it’s so, so, mystifying.”

He paused for a moment before opening his mouth once, and once again without a thought in his head he let his mouth do what it did best, “Aurora, thats a beautiful name! We should definitely name a star that.” He turned his gaze to the sky and searched very intently for a few moments before he spotted a particularly shiny star “That one, I’v been looking for just the right name for it. That one should be Aurora.” He nodded an affirmative and looked at the lioness a look of hopefulness in his gaze thats eh would approve of his star choice.  

[demon_pachabel]

The innocence of the question was charming in it's own way, and Aurora simply smiled. "I think they could be red for whatever reason they want it to be. They could be blushing for all I know, but they are certainly very red just as the sky is full of stars. Though I wonder if a crab would answer you if you asked," her attention turned briefly down to the beach, pondering if in the shallows she could find a crab to ask as the sun set. Would she remember to ask in the morning, otherwise?

His enthusiastic reply to her name made her puff up a bit, pleased by the compliment. Orpheus was a very frank boy, and she liked that. It was a good way to be at the very least. As he began his hunt for a star to name, she moved closer, settling in next to him to follow the turn of his head to see if she could spot where it was he was looking.

Aurora wasn't certain she'd spotted it when he deemed to name whichever star he'd noticed after her, but nodded none the less at the honor. "Well! I think any star is a compliment in and of itself, so a shiny one is even more!" she nodded in approval of his choice, even if she wasn't sure which it had actually been.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

demon_pachabel

Sorry for the wait! busy work times!

Orpheus smiled at the deep lavender coloured lady and tilted his pink maned head. He looked at her for a long moment. She hadn’t laughed at his question, she’d even answered it seriously. He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone who didn’t just laugh at him when he asked questions that didn’t really make any lick of sense to anyone but himself.

He grinned broadly, he definitely hoped anyone would be happy to have a star named after them but he knew not everyone would take him just deciding to name a random, though very shiny, star after them. The lioness he decided was amazing.

“Why havn’t I ever met you before? You’re amazing.” He stated his deep, baby blue eyes dancing happily. She was certainly the first creature that wasn’t his mother who said he was anything but a silly youngster. Aurora hadn’t laughed at his dreams. “really amazing.” He reiterated his smile never wavering.  

[demon_pachabel]

Aurora smiled at his question - or perhaps his compliment. They were both very nice, after all. "I don't know. Stars didn't align?" she smiled at her own joke, clearly pleased with it. She wasn't always on point with such humor, but it felt just right for the current situation.

"What of the others? What have you named them?" now she was at least invested enough to stay interested in his passionate hobby.

Syrius Lionwing

Sorry for the uber late on my end AND now a short tag, OTL

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

demon_pachabel

Ditto <3! Work has really been kicking my butt!

Orpheus chuckled, he couldn’t help but appreciate her little joke. He smiled widely and slowly settled down to his belly. He decided he could relax around the older female and with a light sigh he gave an honest reply “Well I’m glad they aligned tonight.” He beams crossing his fore paws.

“Do you want to stay for a while? I sleep up here sometimes. Mother calls me a night owl.” He chuckles, it wasn’t entirely untrue, he spent most of his waking time at night sleeping the day away while others frolicked in the sunshine and surf. “I mean, if you want to.”  

[demon_pachabel]

As Orpheus relaxed into a laying position, so did Aurora, stretching herself out before all but throwing herself onto one side. She considered his inquiry, looking up at the stars, then down towards the beach where she could still see the bright pelt of her mother. Was she doing well? Not many lions lived to be as old as she was and over time, she began to worry more and more.

She swallowed down those worries for the time being as she looked back to Orpheus. "I don't mind staying out for a while. It's a warm night, no reason to huddle up in a den, right?"

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

demon_pachabel

Sorry for the wait but think this is ready for a wrap.

The deep purple male smiled. “yeh, its a beautiful night.” He gave a gentle bod of his pink maned head. He was certainly glad to have met this lovely female. There were so few lions who understood his obsession with the sky.

He was just glad she hadn’t laughed at him, she had simply accepted his quirky behaviour. He watched her for a long moment before turning his gaze back to the sky. It seemed he had definitely made a friend.