[PRP] Petals on the Water... (Laela x Amai)

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

The night-navy coated female smiled to herself as she waded in the shallows of the river. Her bright-dipped feet pawed idly at the river rocks, turning the smooth-stone shapes over and smiling at the soft sounds they made as they tumbled beneath the surface. There was a certain song in the splash of the water and the scuttle of rocks, and while the day was warm enough to make her glad she was half-soaked by the crystal river, she couldn't bring herself to laze in the water any longer. so she stood and wandered along in the shallows, sending the occasional river-rock skidding over its brethren to see how far her strikes would go and admire the sound of the stones.

Her bright eyes and markings glinted against the midnight-water hue of her coat, and overhead the bright sun dripped golden light upon the land. 'A beautiful day.'

She didn't dwell on her memories of first awakening, of being lonely in the wide landscape... Feeling safe and at home beside the water, but otherwise unsure of everything around her. The river made sense, so she followed it without question. There was time for everything else later.

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Amai stood in the shallows of the river, watching the fish swim by his paws. He was hungry, but patient. The little fishes didn't interest him. He wanted something bigger, something big enough to share, if he wanted. If there was someone to share it with. The fishes nipped at his toes, cleaning his claws for him, but obviously not afraid of him. Of course, he hadn't moved for a while. They probably thought he was a branch or something. Silly little things.

But the little fishes would attract big fishes and... Yes. There. He pounced, water splashing everywhere as he wrestled a fish as long as his leg out of the water and onto the shore. He sank his fangs into it and snapped his head, dropping the dead fish onto the shore. Amai shook himself off, green orbs glowing from being in the water. He looked down at his meal when he heard a sound, and looked up, spying a dark coated female walking down the river toward him.

He put a foot on the fish and smiled. "Hi there, hungry?"

~Latonia de la Courtel~

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Laela wasn't entirely sure how long she had wandered before encountering another of her kind. It seemed the day had slipped by without much more than a ripple, her journey winding beyond her usual paths as she moved along in the flow of her own thoughts. She probably should have more of a care for where she was going, as it would be entirely too easy to wander directly into the path of trouble in her current state.

Thankfully, she only seemed to have wandered into the path of another Water Tribe member, a male with flower markings and a blush-dusk hue to his coat. His invitation surprised her, making her ears perk forward as she was abruptly returned to herself rather than the maze of her thoughts.

"Oh, forgive me if I have intruded." She murmured, pausing still ankle-deep in the shallows. She must have startled off the fish, though it seems not before he had made quite an impressive catch.

Her belly warned her she had not eaten since near dawn, and spent the entire day wading and walking along the river. "Oh, yes I am rather hungry. I seem to have wandered the day away..."

She laughed softly and shook her head. "Forgive me and my lack of manners. I'm Laela."

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

"The water is here for us all." He replied softly, "So how could you have intruded?" Amai smiled at her, trying to hide his eagerness to eat. He hadn't eaten since that morning, so he wanted to dig in. Not that he minded sharing, because he didn't. He would rather share a meal than eat it alone, but he was so hungry.

He was glad, however, that he'd made his catch before she'd wandered down the river, because she had indeed scared away all the fish. He wouldn't have been able to catch anything. But, well, her company might be better than dinner anyway.

With a sharp smile, he nudged the fish toward her. "Well, then. Come and eat with me. I have more than I could eat. Well, more than I could eat and still move afterwards." He laughed loudly, nudging the fish again. "I dislike eating alone anyway."

Amai nodded along. "No need to ask for forgiveness. I am Amai. It's a pleasure to meet you, Laela. Would you do me the honor dining with me?"  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

"That is true for sky and land too, but I do still feel bad if I disturb someone's hunt." She retorted with a smile and a hint of laughter. "So yes, the water is here for us all... But my careless arrival scared off the school of fish... And therefore I apologize for startling away the fish. I am glad at least your hunt did not suffer for it."

She inched closer, considering him and his catch for a moment. He was among the first if her kind she had wandered across, though she had crossed paths with a joyous Earth tribe female and watched some of the winds courting dances at a distance. Still, this was one of the first Water tribe members she had met. She was both excited and strangely nervous, but he seemed kind-hearted and glad enough of the company.

"I thank you again for your kind invitation." She smiled. "Even if it is perhaps only in defense of your fighting shape, which I cannot help but note does not appear in any kind of jeopardy."

He was handsome, athletic and sleek... She doubted a fish would change that.

"I am at least glad to be of service." She continued as she stopped at an easily conversational distance, the fish between them. "A pleasure to meet you, Amai; and the honor is all mine."

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Amai grinned at her. "Well, since my hunt didn't suffer for it, I still say, how could you have intruded?" He kept on foot on the fish he'd caught, just in case it decided to come alive again and fish-flop back into the water. With all the noise they were making, there was no chance that he would catch something this big again. At least, not for a while.

He watched her as she moved just a bit closer, and took the time to study her. She was the first of his kind that he'd met. He'd never even wandered close to the lake or their capitol. He would, eventually, he did want to meet others like himself, but the river just called to him. So, he ended up following it, in the wrong direction. Still, if he got the chance to meet an, admittedly, beautiful water tribe member like himself, maybe following the river wasn't all bad.

Amai laughed at that, loudly enough to scare off all the fish if there were any left around. "You are quite welcome, Laela. And thank you for your kind words." He continued smiling as she got closer, ducking down to push the fish toward her. "Ladies first."  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Laela laughed and shook her head, charmed in spite of herself. He truly was doing everything he could to make sure she didn't feel bad about spooking the fish away. It was kind, even unnecessarily so. She couldn't help but be charmed by it.

Hopefully others would be as kind as this stranger. If that was the case, she wouldn't mind meeting more of her kind at all. Still, she loved following the river, swimming and chasing the shimmering ribbon of it as it twisted and danced through the land. There was a freedom in the solitude she was not sure she could ever give up to settle with the Clan... But the constant company of a small few might well be welcome, one day.

He was handsome and charming and she was mooning about... What would her friends, the far-walkers and the wind-dancers, think? 'Pay attention, Laela.'

She grinned at his laughter, amused and somewhat pleased he found her entertaining. They were at least off to a lovely start, considering the circumstances of their meeting.

"You are most welcome, and I assure you I meant every word." She offered with a flicker of amusement in her bright aqua eyes.

"Thank you, Amai." With the swipe of a paw she sliced a section of meat out of the tail, both to ensure the fish was dead and to get herself more manageable bites... It wouldn't do to look completely rude in front of a stranger charming enough to share his meal with her. Lowering her head to tear a bite of the fish off, she began chewing, thoughtfully considering her new companion.

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Amai grinned at her, amused that she was interested in hanging around him. He hadn't had much interaction with anyone, more concerned with hunting and following the river that would lead him... somewhere. He didn't really know where he was going, but that didn't matter, because he just new he had to keep moving. Not running away from someone, or anything. He didn't know anyone to run from. He was just wandering around until he found what it was that he was looking for. Amai didn't know what that was, but he would know when he found it. For now he was content just wandering.

"You are very sweet, did you know that?" He smiled at her and stepped back a pace so that she didn't feel crowded as she cut into the fish at took the first bite. After she took that first bight, he stepped back in, cutting a small piece for himself as well, taking the lead from her. Normally he'd just tear into a fish, but he could have manners if he wanted. Not that he'd ever had a chance to show that off before.

"Don't hold back on my account. If you're hungry, eat." Amai nudged the fish. "I plan too. Eventually." Cracking a crooked little smile, he admired her. She was very pretty, her coloring reminding him of the river at night. With traces of the sun on still on her. He found that stunning. He didn't look anything like the river, looking more like one of the pink flowers he'd seen by the bank a few miles back. Amai wasn't sure in which direction right then. Laela was sorta turning his world on it's head. If this was going to be how he reacted to everyone that he met, he would have to change his world view quickly. Humming a laugh to himself, he took another bite.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

The smile he gave her made her flash one of her own, white teeth bright against her dark pelt. Her eyes glittered with unleashed laughter, mood high and bright at her wandering fortune. A new companion, the potential for new stories, and a meal. And all on a stroke of luck, strangely enough. Whenever she managed to tear herself away, she'd have to go tell Oriana everything. The other water-loving-female would never let her live it down otherwise.

"I?" She echoed in surprise after she had swallowed her bite of fish. "And here I was thinking that a strange male who had caught himself such a fine fish was most kind to share with me."

She gave him a wide grin and took another bite, continuing to eat with careful grace. Laela watched him follow her lead, amused at the display of manners. It seemed she was not the only one interested in maintaining a good impression.

"I thank you again." She murmured once her first piece of fish was gone, and helped herself to another. He was a bright, sweet sort of surprise in her day. She was intrigued by the flower marking on his shoulder and the similarity he bore to the soft blooms. Truth be told, she was rather fond of them... And perhaps growing more so by the moment.

"I hope I am not keeping you from anyone of importance." She offered carefully.

DarkenWoodWolf

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Amai was pleased with the smile. It was strange, since he'd never been happy to see someone else smile. Then again, he'd never seen anyone else smile. The only reason he knew what a smile looked like was because he often saw his own in the water. It was nicer to see her smile, though, that his own reflection.

He ducked his head, glad his fur was already pink, because he blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. I wouldn't want to waste it, and it is a large fish, and..." He trailed off, clearing his throat, a little embarrassed. Amai just wasn't used to this!

Taking another bite of fish, eating it delicately, he nodded. She didn't need to keep thanking him, he was sure she would have shared her fish with him if there positions were reversed.

"Anyone of importance?" He repeated, confused by the question. Who would he see? "No, I think the only person of importance around here is you." He offered with another grin, before considering that she might have someone she wanted to go see. Someone who wasn't him. For some reason, that didn't set well with him. Amai lifted his head and looked at her. "Am I keeping you from someone?"

~Latonia de la Courtel~