[PRP] Hearing Music (Ta-lem and Kusisitiza x Melodiah)

[Rennekae]

"Tiza, I'm fine - honestly. Stop fussing."

Ta-lem shook his head, seemingly irritated, but the hint of a smile belied his affection for the raspberry-and-cream patched wild dog that accompanied him. His messy, bright yellow mane settled haphazardly in front of his pale green eyes, though the curtain of hair did little to impede his vision, as Ta-lem was born blind. While he walked with apparent confidence, in actuality, each step was cautious and calculated - and guided by Tiza's constant unneeded warnings.

"Fine, trip over a rock and crack your pretty nose! It won't hurt me any!" Kusisitiza retorted, but her obvious concern negated her sass.

She loved her grumpy companion, even if he could be stubborn. Tiza knew that he felt his way before committing to a move and that he almost always sensed upcoming obstructions, but sometimes she just couldn't help herself - it didn't look like he was going to notice them, and she couldn't just watch him get hurt.

Ta-lem suddenly stopped short, his facetious expression fading and his witty repartee forgotten. Tiza stopped a couple of steps ahead and turned back, tilting her head quizzically as she waited for Ta-lem to explain his abrupt halt.

"I smell something. Tiza, is there someone around us?"

Tiza looked around but came up with nothing. Raising her nose to the air, she sniffed thoughtfully with her ears perked forward, straining to hear anything. She thought she could smell something, but Ta-lem's senses had always been more honed than hers. She made her way over to Ta-lem and pressed her flank against his, for both of their comforts and so that he could feel her shrug her lack of findings.

Henry_Kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

Melodiah had been wandering about quietly, lost in deep thought over the past few days of travel. A rather unpleasant run-in with an intimidating male had left her fairly unnerved. She hadn’t been positive whether he’d attack her or not, thankfully they’d parted without much issue but it did leave her wary for a full day.

Now though it was a new day. The cheerfulness was back in the way she walked, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her maw.

It wasn’t until two forms caught her eye that the wariness returned from the other day. Not one, but two others stood as if awaiting her approach. How long had they known? Slowly she stopped wanting to give a fairly wide birth, especially upon seeing it’s another male lion in the pair. “Uh...hello.” Her posture gave way her nerves, yet not a single shred of fight cake off. Maybe being more talkative would make this easier. “I’m Melodiah, I’m not trying to have a fight or anything. I promise.”  

[Rennekae]

Ah, there you are.

The fact that there was only a single lioness relieved Tiza; in her past experiences, lone females had rarely tried to cause harm. Still, when Tiza finally noticed the stranger, she subconsciously stiffened ever so slightly - slight enough that she didn't even notice. Ta-lem, however, did notice. Her flank was still pressed gently against his and the tightening of her muscles made him furrow his brow in concern. The wild dog wasn't tense enough to cause alarm, but it certainly meant something was going on. He turned to face her, his eyes narrowed, and she correctly interpreted the expression as a question.

"Surprise, you were right," she said quietly to Ta-lem with jesting sarcasm. "There's a lioness ahead. And it's too bad you can't see - she's quite the looker." Tiza finished with a shoulder nudge to indicate her teasing.

Ta-lem was about to respond when an unfamiliar female voice reached his ears. When she finished, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Greetings, Melodiah. My name is Ta-lem," While he couldn't see her demeanor, he could certainly sense her worry. It amused him to think how silly she might feel about her fears if she knew his condition. "You have nothing to fear from us. You're safe from everything but Tiza's sharp tongue."

The wild dog shot him a glare with her odd-colored eyes and pulled a face before turning back to their company.

"I'm sorry; he likes to think he's funny. But, really, you don't need to worry, Hon. You're welcome to walk with us a while if you've nowhere to go and would like some company. It would be nice to have someone new to talk to." Her words seemed harsh, especially accompanied by her hard stare, but there were undeniable undertones of affection and amiability that left no doubt that Tiza was only poking fun at her companion and the smile she offered Melodiah was warm and friendly.

Henry_kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

Rennekae

At first she makes no move to come closer, instead watching as the two figures talk back and forth. The more she sees how they act with each other the more comfortable she feels, finally slowly padding closer with a slight smile shown. This male is nothing like the one she'd met previously, and the wild dog gave such a warm expression it was hard not to feel safe in their presence. "Ta-lem and Tiza. Well, it's nice to meet you, I'm sorry I was so wary at first. The last male lion I ran into was very...there could've been a fight when all I was doing was wandering."

A wild dog and lion traveling together, it seemed odd to her yet a very pleasant change as well. At teh mention of joining them on their walk Melodiah visibly perks up, that smile broadening a bit. "I'd like that quite a lot actually. It gets lonely out here, though it seems like you two are close! Do you mind if I ask how you met?" She caught on to the playfulness in their body language so she remained relaxed, now all ears as she joined at whatever pace the two decided to set. All she did was travel, may as well do so in good company after all.  

[Rennekae]

Both the lion and the wild dog nodded their understanding at Melodiah's explanation; after all, they'd both had their fair share of run-ins with ornery loners. It was Tiza that spoke first.

"Well, you don't need to fret about that with Ta-lem. He's a big teddy bear." The maroon and dusty-pink female couldn't help the smirk that crept across her jaws as she pretended to ignore Ta-lem's glowering. In truth, the male really was relatively harmless - being blind, he tended to avoid starting unnecessary fights - but he was definitely not as cuddly as implied. Even though his attitude had improved drastically since the two had first formed their unnatural pairing, there was no denying he could be a tad prickly.

When Melodiah asked how they'd met, Tiza immediately looked to Ta-lem and stayed silent. The story potentially involved admitting the large feline's blindness and might embarrass him a little, so she thought it best to leave the answering up to him.

Ta-lem's ears folded back slightly and his tail flicked with obvious displeasure. He could feel Tiza's gaze and was grateful that she had allowed him the option of disclosing the story. Begrudgingly, he figured there was no harm in telling the truth. If she asked any questions that led to him confessing his sightlessness, so be it. She would probably have found out sooner or later anyway since she had agreed to travel with them.

"I had gotten my paw caught in a rope snare," he said curtly, lifting his forepaw to show her where the wound had healed but the fur was still visibly growing back - according to Tiza's constant check-ups. "Tiza got me out."

His surly behavior and short answers were in no way directed at Melodiah; he was just a little sour at having to admit that he couldn't release himself when he had been trapped. The snare had tightened so intensely around his paw, and so quickly, that it wasn't possible for him to properly feel how it worked with it embedded in his flesh and covered with his fur. Without being able to see or feel his way, he had been hopelessly stuck until Tiza had come along. Acknowledging his helplessness still made him quite frustrated.

Tiza turned her eyes toward Melodiah, hoping to express with a look that she shouldn't take Ta-lem's anger to heart.

Henry_kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

“A teddy bear? Well, both of you have a comforting presence so I’ll take your word for it.” The look on the lion’s face had her guessing there was some sort of joke going on, something between the two of them that she wouldn’t understand so she simply answered honestly. It was so nice and refreshing to have such a pleasant conversation. She wouldn’t completely drop her guard of course, she wasn’t foolish, but having it lowered a fair bit could allow for some fun.

The reaction she received from her questioning them meeting put her off, nerves tending in her stomach as if she’d already upset the pair somehow. She couldn’t have known, but that didn’t stop the lioness from blaming herself just a little. “Oh-“ Melodiah flinched visibly, Brows furrowed together in sympathy as a rope trap was mentioned. She’d never experienced something like that (knock on wood) but had seen it in action and it was brutal. A critter had gotten caught in one and couldn’t escape despite her tries to help it. That was a rough day. It was no wonder Ta-lem looked so unhappy about the whole thing. “I’m so sorry. Not that you two met, but about the trap. Those devilish things are sneaky...At least it gave something positive out of it?” She was trying to put a positive spin, maybe push past a topic that obviously disturbed the nice pair.

For a moment she pawed lightly at the ground before her, claws carefully kneading through the dirt. For a moment she couldn’t think of a different subject, it wasn’t her strong suit to lead conversations that much. “So, where are you headed? Or are you like me, meaning wherever your body takes you?”  

[Rennekae]

Ta-lem heard the sorrowful note in Melodiah's response and realized his demeanor had upset her. Prior to meeting Tiza, the prickly young lion wouldn't have cared in the slightest; but now, he had become more conscientious about he treated others and made an effort not to spread negativity. He paused and shook out his overgrown mane, trying to shake off his chagrin in the process. He smiled, somewhat forcibly, and tossed a mischevious look at Tiza.

"It remains to be seen whether this whole thing is positive," he retorted with a smirk, wishing he could see the wild dog's reaction as well as he could sense it. He was sure it would be amusing.

Tiza stopped and glared at him with one eyebrow cocked. "Oh, please. You'd be lost without me, Kitty Cat - literally and emotionally." To Melodiah, she smiled warmly and replied, "We have no destination. Happy nomads, we are. Ta-lem has been in prides before, but I've been on my own since adulthood when I left my mother."

Tiza bumped her hip against Ta-lem's, trying to encourage the male to make a real effort - and maybe playing matchmaker a little bit. Call her pushy if you would, but when Tiza had an idea, she ran with it.

"So, uh, have you ever been in a pride?" He certainly hadn't picked up on Tiza's intention to have him flirt, but he understood her nudges to get him to be sociable. Melodiah seemed nice - and had a pretty voice - so he decided to go along with it and make friends.

Henry_kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

Relief flooded her as that banter between them started anew, her posture relaxing. She hadn’t even realized she’d grown tense. Truly it was clear the two were quite close and she adored seeing it, especially between such different species.

Nomad. Finally, she had a word for what she was. It’d never really occurred to her that there was a title for it. “Then we’re even more similar than I’d first thought.” When the now more comfortable looking male spoke again it was her turn to falter slightly. She didn’t want to bring down the mood so a forced little smile plastered across her maw, her eyes showing a storm. “Oh I was, it was a long time ago though. It’s long been gone.” She’s clear her throat then, keeping the details to herself. How the pride her family had been in was lost and she’d had to grow on her own. They’d only just met, it wouldn’t be fair to drop something so heavy on them. That’s what she told herself, at least.

“I’ve always had an adventurous spirit though so it’s been alright. I don’t usually stay in one place very long, it’s given me the chance to experience a lot of different environments and meet varying creatures.” Thinking of the positives helps to alleviate and bury the negatives, at least for now. She’d deal with that later on. “It lead to us meeting after all, didn’t it?” Finally she padded closer, still giving space but now allowing more of her guard to lower. If they wanted to take her down it probably would’ve happened by now. Up close she took in their features a bit more, not really noticing his eyes as her gaze fell on his pelt instead. “You have such lovely markings..” She then looked over Tiza with a smile, tail swaying with excitement. “I love the patterns you have...oh your eyes! I’ve never seen that before..”  

[Rennekae]

He didn't need to be able to see to sense the change in the lioness when he asked about past prides. Add to that the fact that Tiza, who could see the cold eyes and false smile, had tensed awkwardly, and Ta-lem was sure he'd struck a nerve. Which is why when she answered shortly, he wasn't offended and simply offered what he hoped was a comforting smile. Ta-lem himself had been ejected from his mother's pride, the pride he was born in, when he'd reached age, and when he had found his father and joined the pride the God had led, it had fallen apart and disbanded. He understood the pain of losing your home and was content to let it lie.

When Melodiah mentioned their markings, Ta-lem felt his pelt warm self-consciously. He didn't even know what he looked like. He had been told he resembled his mother more than his father, and he had seen them both in his visions, but he had never been able to see himself. He had been told by one who had tried to teach him to use his powers that it was because of some inner turmoil - something about not wanting to see himself. Still, he was left at a complete loss for what to say. Tiza, though, he had also seen using his powers, so he decided to just stick to her pelt.

Before he could speak, Tiza burst into laughter. The wild dog was just about incapacitated by her mirth, both at the fact that someone was complimenting Ta-lem and that he had no idea how to react.

"Oh my!" she gasped when she could manage to speak. "Thank you for that! I don't think I've ever seen anything so amusing as Ta-lem's poor face just now."

Feeling his fur grow hotter still, Ta-lem glared at Tiza from under his fringe of mane. "Yes, her heterochromia is quite lovely," he said forcefully, trying to steer the subject away from himself.

Turning his attention back to Melodiah, he focused his abilities and tried to call forth an image of the lioness. What he got at first was just a jumble of colors, but slowly they split and shifted to where they belonged, markings and details seeping into existence and coloring her pelt, as blood would soak to the surface of fur. What he ended up with was the image of a brown, blue-green and gold lioness padding next to him, with a marking of spreading branches on her flank and a flower on her ear, who had eyes of a beautiful, startlingly pale green.

"That little flower on your ear certainly is endearing," he ventured, hoping his vision was accurate.

Beside him, Tiza started, always surprised by his Seer abilities, no matter how many times she saw them in use. The wild dog quickly collected herself and beamed at Melodiah.

"Yes, it is. And your eyes are just stunning!"

Henry_kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

Melodiah couldn't help but have to bite back a laugh as the male's fur showed hints of possible embarresment or shyness. She found it to be quite endearing...cute, even though that thought would be kept to herself for the time being. It's Tiza's laughter that sets her off finally, a musical lilt in how it shifts in pitch. "I didn't mean to fluster you Ta-lem! I meant my words though."

With a soft happy sigh she tilted her head to just take in the glances the two shared, a very friendly aura coming from them that brought her own heart a strong warmth. It was so nice to see. Very quickly though it's the lioness's turn to feel the skin beneath her floral-like pelt to heat up a fair bit, suddenly flustered to the point of silence. Nobody had ever really complimented her, not like this. It felt different coming from the male, just as it did coming from Tiza who seemed very pleased with herself over this.

"Th-thank you. You're sweet." Her voice came out a bit softer than before, not upset but a bit shy. A sweet smile tugged at her lips as she felt her tail sway slowly behind her, a warmth she couldn't explain nor understand starting in her belly. It was strange but not unpleasant. "Thank you, I got them from my mother."  

[Rennekae]

Ta-lem chuckled and Tiza rolled her differing eyes, knowing what was coming; he had always found humor in creatures describing inherited traits the way Melodiah had just done. It made it sound like they had received them as they would an item which, while a little on the grim side, amused him. This was a fact that Tiza knew well, having heard him express it several times, and the sassy wild dog prepared herself to have to hear it again with an exaggerated sigh.

Unfortunately, before he could make any remarks, he stumbled - hard. Beside him, Tiza made a move to his aid but stopped herself short. Ta-lem was known to have a poor reaction to assistance in the face of his blindness on a good day, and his mood was likely to be quickly souring considering current events. Even more unfortunate was the reason for his stumble. A large branch had lain across their path, a branch which both females had easily noticed and sidestepped. But not Ta-lem. He had been distracted by his conversation with Melodiah, and the bright-maned male had unknowingly strode right into it, catching his paw underneath and nearly ending up with his nose in the dirt. The dark blue lion was lucky to catch himself, but the realization quickly dawned on him that his secret was probably out. Melodiah would surely ask questions and Ta-lem was not one to lie.

Henry_kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

Once again the expressions on the two had Melodiah biting back a soft giggle. It made her feel happy seeing how close they were, a very nice thing to see in a somewhat lonely place. Her focus shifted to the male, then as it looked like he was about to speak. Instead she let out a sharp gasp, acting on instinct first though she’d stop short when he caught himself. Suddenly a look of confusion crossed her face, brows knitting together. Ta-lem had described her coat pattern just fine, he’d commented on his companion as well...yet the branch so clear in their path...?

A thought made her eyes grow wide, voice softer than before. “Ta-lem?” She spoke cautiously, head canting to the side. “Are...do you..” He couldn’t be blind, how had he seen her? Yet.. “I hope you understand my confusion...about how you described my appearance yet didn’t see the branch. But first, are you alright? You didn’t sprain your paw did you?” Looking to the leg he’d tripped with she tries to inspect it without getting into his bubble of personal space. She’d had genuine worry in her voice.

Rennekae

 

[Rennekae]

Tiza froze, her muscles stiffening, as Melodiah simultaneously questioned Ta-lem and tried to examine his paw. While Ta-lem had certainly calmed down since they'd first met, and was more than accustomed to Tiza's own fussing, he hadn't had a stranger try to help him in a while. She braced herself for the coming outburst while also readying herself to step in if he got too hot.

Ta-lem couldn't stop his face from crumpling into a snarl as he sensed Melodiah's intentions. Luckily, he did manage to keep the growl quiet, nothing more than a silent rumble in his chest. He pulled his orange-dipped paw away from Melodiah and tucked it to his chest, though he still allowed Tiza to investigate - he knew what would happen if he tried to stop her. It was throbbing and sore, but he hadn't actually injured more than his pride.

Concluding the same, Tiza pulled back and watched the two lions, searching Melodiah's reaction to the awkward silence while she waited for Ta-lem to respond, and to Ta-lem in general.

Forcing himself to calm down and respond, Ta-lem lowered his lip and eased his face into a more neutral expression.

"My paw is fine," he started sharply, then paused as he realized he still needed to adjust his tone of voice. He took a deep breath then, pointedly not facing Melodiah's direction, continued. "I was... distracted. Too distracted to properly sense my surroundings. Which can be dangerous for one who.... for one who cannot see in the conventional sense."

Ta-lem prepared himself for the usual barrage of questions and fretting and annoyances, while Tiza waited anxiously for a much different response. The wild dog had high hopes for this one and expected something wonderful - she didn't know what, but she just knew it would be wonderful.

Henry_kunz

 

[Henry_kunz]

The look Melodiah was given made her pull back while flinching as if he’d struck her, not expecting such a reaction after how pleasant and fun the male had seemed previously. Still, somewhere inside it made sense to her. Despite the nice conversation she was still a stranger and the last thing anyone would want is to be seen as injured. Especially a predator. It still hurt though and she couldn’t hide it very well, the snarl putting her on edge with slight fear. At least he let Tiza inspect it, she’d truly just hoped it wasn’t a bad injury.

As silence grew longer her ears folded back at the tone he started with. The lioness wore her heart on her sleeve so to speak, and didn’t even realize her reactions were so visible. The change in tone was noticed though and that had her relaxing a bit, though still a bit nervous. His response sent her mind flooding with questions, taking a moment to try and make sense of the situation. Perhaps partial blindness? But he’d said it wasn’t of a way like others. Taking a deep breathe to ground herself she spoke softly, a tad too soft at first until it returned to her normal tone.

“Then I’d consider you far stronger than many others I’ve come across. That can’t be an easy thing, and I wouldn’t understand what it’s like, but it’s wonderful you’ve made a life and found a friend so close to you despite it.” Pausing for a moment she gathers her thoughts. “I’m...admittedly curious as to how you saw me, could describe my appearance so spot on...Thank you again for noticing the flower...But I don’t expect you to answer me, ok? As far as I’m concerned you’re still the same lion I’ve had a wonderful time with and this doesn’t change anything.” With a shy smile she adds. “I promise.”  

[Rennekae]

Ta-lem's ears folded back with irritation but he kept his opinions to himself. His logical mind knew that Melodiah was just being nice, and she hadn't spoken to him particularly delicately, but the piece of his older self that still remained couldn't help but flinch at the possibility of coddling. His former bitterness tried to tell him that her tone for the statements she made was condescending, but he knew that wasn't true. He forced himself to brush it off, though his ears stayed pinned to his head. Her questions were more pressing than the minute chance that she might treat him like he was a hapless kit.

Tiza smiled approvingly at Melodiah's words and watched as Ta-lem struggled with an answer. The two had been companions for a long time now, so she knew his story and its complications. Ta-lem was a child of a mortal and the God of Chivalry, and as such had inherent powers that made him what was commonly referred to as a Seer - ironically enough. It could be challenging to explain just his heritage, let alone his abilities and how they worked. She felt proud that the navy male was at least considering telling Melodiah, even if he decided for some reason not to.

Reaching a decision, Ta-lem asked, "Melodiah, do you know anything of the Gods? More specifically, their children?"

While he wasn't necessarily against telling Melodiah the truth, Ta-lem felt unprepared to deliver a lesson in demigods and Seers; however, if she was already halfway to the answer, he didn't mind providing the finish.

Henry_kunz