[LOG][PRP] That One Time Falling [Povu x Riu]

[- Mynsed -]

"POVU!" Riu hollered as loud as she could, going towards where she usually found the Abungu. Once he had given her the permission to call him by his name, Riu had taken it as an agreement of friendship. And, since such happened, the adolescent took it upon herself to try and visit Povu daily.

This time, however, she had a reason. She was covered in scrapes and scratches. "Povu, are you here?!" she shouted, looking around. She couldn't wait to tell him about falling out of a tree.  

[- Mynsed -]

Povu heard his name being called and started quickly, only to realize who that voice belonged to. It was Riu, of course. Easily the loudest of all ninjas, he couldn’t imagine how tricky her stealth lessons would be when her Tenzin came to them. Sending her teacher a silent good luck for their future efforts, he exited his workshop, only to find the youth standing a bit away from his workshop and looking rather disheveled, as well as eager. His eyes roamed her body for infected wounds while his mouth formed the question. “What happened this time?”  

[- Mynsed -]

Her face brightened up when she saw the abungu. It always did, when seeing the man. "A tree," she said offhandedly, skipping over to him happily. "The branches and bushes broke my fall, though. No broken bones! No gashes! Injuries that don't need an Eir. I'm lucky, right?" Riu asked him with a toothy grin, sitting in front of him.  

[- Mynsed -]

Povu sniffed at the wounds and nodded. What was a cheetah doing in a tree? Trees were for leopards, an open space were for cheetahs. Maybe he ought to have a talk with her Tenzin about putting her into dangerous tasks, he thought, stretching his claws before he caught himself. There was no need. She was fine. She was still here. “Indeed. Wait here.” He slipped back into his workshop, retrieved two salves and one powder. Minor cuts and scrapes were considerably easier to treat. “You know, Riu, one might start to suspect that you’re getting into all of these scrapes just to come and see me.” He huffed and added. “Stand still, this might sting.” As he applied the first salve. He let it set into her wounds, she was practically coated in the stuff by the time he was finished, when he started applying the powder, which would provide a layer of protection, so the salve would dry faster. He had meant his earlier remark as a joke, but now that he was thinking about it, he added. “Really, Riu. You do seem to come to me for everything. Rumors get around in our pride of spies. Perhaps you ought to see Meltem for a bit, to ward away false information.” He started to apply the second salve, which was watery and would give her coat a nice shine. It was something he had created for himself, but it certainly looked better than the grey-brown powder on her coat before. “My mother is a grand Abungu, anyone would be happy to be treated by her.”  

[- Mynsed -]

Riu waited, though she curiously watch the male slip back into his workshop. She's yet to go in there, though she was determined to get at least one foot inside eventually. She could only imagine what it looked like on the inside. When he returned and remarked about the suspicions, she gave him a large grin. "I don't need an excuse to come and bother you, Povu," she told him cheerfully, obeying and keeping still as he applied the salves to the scrapes. It did sting and she winced. "Besides, I don't think I'd want to put myself through your stinging salves every time I wanted to see you."

"What sort of rumors, Povu?" she asked, curiously. Seeing his mother was the least on her mind at the moment. Maybe later. But really, she liked going to bother Povu and only Povu. If she wasn't loittering outside his workshop, she was training. Or being treated by an Eir after being directly escorted to them due to her habit of seeking out Povu instead of getting actual help.  

[- Mynsed -]

Povu flicked his ears uncertainly at her question, before sighing. It was probably better to explain things clearly to her. He would hate for her to misunderstand and go about spreading false information. So, as he dabbed the remains of the second salve onto her leg, he replied. "The rumors that suggest we may be romantically involved, whether it be considering one another to be mates or already at that point." He replied. "As this is not the case, such rumors may make our lives difficult, especially if we take interest in others." He paused and his eyes lowered from his work to the ground. She had been coming around so often... She couldn't have possibly taken an interest in him, right? Besides, he was so much older than she... But he wouldn't leave room for error. He needed to make sure why she was visiting him so much. "Riu, be honest with me, please. Why is it that you come to me so often?"  

[- Mynsed -]

Riu's eyes widened. Romantically involved. Like... mates? Instead of being bashful or immediately saying one way or another, she sat there, considering it. Did she want to be mates with Povu?

And then, he wanted to know the reason why she visited so much. Well, that one was easy to answer. "I like visiting you," she proclaimed loudly before waving a paw at him. "Hush, I need to think." she told him. She didn't want to stop visiting him. It was a favorite hobby of hers, coming to bother him. If she couldn't anymore... there would be nothing to do on her downtime!

A thought occurred to her and she turned around, ignoring the slight ache and peering up at him, rather close. She had a large, triumphant, grin. "Why don't we just be mates then? That way, it won't be rumors and you don't have to worry about it," she told him happily  

[- Mynsed -]

Povu shouldn't have been surprised, really. He had spent so much time around the adolescent that he knew her to be quite the rambunctious sort, but to get such a sudden proposal so abruptly... He gaped at the other. "I..." He shook himself. "Riu, you know this is a very serious decision. You are still young... what if another feline comes around whom you are more attracted to?" He asked, looking rather dejected despite himself. Still, the notion wasn't entirely unappealing and he looked up at her. "If you are true in your offer and not just making it to dissuade any such rumors... Then, alright. I would be content with having you as my, er, mate." It had come about so suddenly. This wans't at all how he envisioned his day to go, but here they were. Now what?  

[- Mynsed -]

Riu shrugged. Mates wasn't such a big deal. At least, to her. She was a ninja, first and foremost. A mate was secondmost. "I wouldn't be able to see you if I found someone else, though," she pointed out simply with a large grin, still peering up at the older and larger male.

"I like your mane, as well," Riu decided to add on after a moment. "It looks comfy." She stretched and then treaded around him. "Since we're mates now... can I go inside here?" she asked, gesturing to his workshop, eyes bright with curiosity that was bound to be followed with mischief. Povu had just engaged himself to a pawful.  

[- Mynsed -]

"I suppose that's true." Povu replied with a small smile coming over his maw. "Well then, I'm happy to have you with me, Riu." He wasn't the most touchy feely of lions, but he briefly touched his nose to one of her ears, before pulling away. "My mane?" He echoed, glancing down at himself. He hadn't really thought about it. It kept him warm during the night, sure, but it was such apart of him, much like any of his legs, that he hadn't realized that to a cheetah like Riu, it would be a novelty. Then, she asked a very different question. He gazed at his workshop and then at her scrapes and scratches. Would they make her stumble and break his tools and organization? Or would she be more chaotic when she was healed with all of her energy? He decided to take the chance. "If you promise me that you will tread slowly, carefully and not touch a thing, I will show you my workshop." He told her.  

[- Mynsed -]

She... was rather shocked and bemused by the display of affection. She stared at him, slack jawed, before grinning widely. "I guess mated couples do things like that too!" she told him before moving over to him and putting most of her weight on her back paws so she could stand up a bit and be at eye level. With a grin, she licked him. Right on the nose. She had seen someone do that before. So it was bound to be alright.

Going back to all fours, she practically dashed to the workshop, ready to see the world inside. Oh, how excited she was! "I'm going in!" she announced before going inside.  

[- Mynsed -]

Riu's sudden licking of his nose caused him to freeze up, both physically and mentally. He couldn't think, couldn't process what was going on in the slightest. Until she suddenly announced her actions and then darted inside. "W-Wait!" His cry was strangled with the panic arising in his chest and he hurried after her, careful to poke his nose around the edge. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dimmer lighting of his workshop. In that time he heard a crash. "Riu..." He asked, the panic fading, but not yet gone. He couldn't see her just now, but he slowly tread forward as he had wished she had done. "What was that crashing sound?"  

[- Mynsed -]

In her haste, she didn't think to slow down and tread carefully in the dark workshop. It wasn't until her leg hit a pot that she tried to correct it, only to cause even more pots to fall. Shocked, she backed up... right into more.

By the time Povu had come in, she was admist broken pottery, looking rather bewildered. For a long moment, she was silent. And then, finally... "Oops." she winced before shaking her head. "It's too dark in here, Povu! I'll catch some fireflies for you soon," she told him.  

[- Mynsed -]

When Povu’s eyes focused and he observed the damage, his claws unsheathed. “How dare-“ His anger halted at a thought. She wasn’t an acquaintance anymore, not even a friend. Through some change, she had become his mate, which meant he had to treat her differently; more kindly. He let out a long sigh and his expression became distant and sorrowful. So much work, so much organization and the pots were a task to find as well. Finally, he took a breath and his eyes rose to Riu’s. “I told you to promise me that you would be careful in my workshop and you ignored me. You broke several important things, both to me and to the good of the pride. I will not be able to tend to others while I am sorting out this.” He waved a paw at the mess, but did not break her gaze. “If we are to be mates, you need to listen to me and show me that you can make and keep promises. For the meantime, we will start with this: you will promise not to enter my workshop again without my explicit permission and when you are inside you will be more careful here than if you were out working in the field. This may change when I feel like you can behave yourself. Until then, it’s more than fair.” He narrowed his gaze slightly. “Do you promise?”  

[- Mynsed -]

Riu's ears flickered uncertainly. Povu seemed.... angry. Frowning, she ducked her head and tried to look properly contrite. "I'm sorry, Povu," she mumbled before looking up.

Perhaps... he forgave her? Her eyes widened hopefully. Oh, she hoped so. "I promise I'll be future!" she chirped, moving to quickly go to him... and nearly knocking another pot over in the process. She gave him a sheepish glance before more carefully picking her way across. She was quite proud! Only her tail smacked against a pot and though it threatened to tip, it stayed upright! "I have training to get back to! I'll see you again later, alright?!" and with that, she bounded out of the workshop. Her tail must have hit something on the way out because she heard a crash from behind her. Whoops. She'll have to apologize to him later.