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04-18-2013, 11:58 PM
 Her smile makes you wonder where she's been Warriors do not have the luxury of thinking, merely the one of reacting. A lioness does not behave as a kitten when surprised, regardless of whether it is her mate or her killer that shocks her so. Lean sapphire body gleamed healthily beneath the dancing lights, illuminating at odd, indecipherable moments the deep plum of her gaze. Long legs may be lean, with a deceptive frailty to them, but there is no physical fragility in her heart. It roars and beats as heavily as a Native's drum within her chest. Small she may be in comparison to the threat she has not yet categorized, but pride will not allow her to fall beneath someone larger than her simply because she is half their size. It is a tense moment in which the air falls still, and the trees dare not breathe for fear a stirring leaf may change this moment drastically as fate unraveled her silken threads between these two figures. Lakota would never forgive herself for attacking someone without placing their face or questioning their presence, and she would never allow herself to live again had it ended up happening to the gentle giant standing mere lengths away, gazing on in surprise. On a day far older than this, he had seen the crushed velvet remains that were her heart upon the frigid, alabaster background of snow that was her defensive personality. It was impossible for her to hide that weakness from him now, when his eyes had already seen her form at what she considered its worst. And now he saw her again, ruffled but ready to attack, after having been playing about like a fool. Would she never give him the right impression? Mindlessly she scolded herself. Why the hell should she care what impression she gave off? She never had before! And shockingly it was that sentence that scared her the most. Thayne was a gentleman, a patient soul with the sweetest eyes she'd ever seen. Perhaps they did not twinkle with mischief like Ithrim's, but Kota would die of heartache if she ever met somebody who held such a gaze. Falling seemed not only foolhardy, but impossible. There was surely no love left in the broken vase of her heart to give to anyone, much less a brute she still hardly knew. Gaze so soft, so open that she just wanted to fall into it and let him wash away everything bad about herself that she had put up in the attempts to drive others away. But no. She was not that weak, and though her form melted like thawing ice into beauty and not danger, inside she began telling herself that this soul surely had to be rotten somewhere too. If she didn't...she feared she might actually make a friend. But of course, even the largest glacier melts under consistent attention of the sun. Lakota mused that she must be one small glacier if the sheepish apology that tumbled from his dark maw had her giving a ghost of a smile in return. Her own light, surprisingly feminine voice reached a soprano octave when she was not roaring or growling like a bear to threaten others. Maybe she had a little man complex. Surrounded- surprising as it was- mostly by females in her band, the depth of his voice shook her like thunder without ever touching her. Such simple things that can touch the mind and change the thoughts within. But then she was struck by the irony of the estrogen in her herd, and realized they were rather like female Amazons, and lost all danger signals within her internal laughter. And oh who cared if she marveled out how he talked? It wasn't bad, by the Gods! Though Aodaun sure was giving her a queer stare... Stupid polar bear. Pointed look and flash of fang told her he'd heard that. Eh, he knew she loved him. Of course little Ao cared far more for the praise showered onto him than on Lakota's internal strife, and turned towards Thayne with a growl of clear pleasure. Fur spread, puffing out like a house cat to the largest size the cub could manage, dark violet eyes just a few shades deeper than her own gleamed with joy. Lakota couldn't help the fond smile on her lips, and found she didn't truly care to erase it in Thayne's presence. Blame it on what a good day she was having. She found no urge to speak as Thayne entertained her child, the babe indulging far too much but Lakota unwilling to order him out of it. He looked too peaceful in this state. When vocals began to work again, her gaze had flickered up to meet Thayne's, royal lilac gaze framed by lashes that fluttered like the soft touch of a butterfly's wings with the constantly swaying light in the trees. Smile on his face took her by surprise, and the one that had already formed halfway upon her visage upon viewing her babe's delight quivered in confusion. This was a dangerous game she was playing, being friendly with him, but turning to a suddenly different personality would not make him feel any better. So instead she managed to smile back, a tinge of shy awkwardness that had never really left her as a filly, back when Ithrim had swept her off her delicate hooves with his charm. "You're far from intruding. In fact, I would venture to say that my companion is rather a fan of your flattery. That, or you will soon have a bonded of your own should I dare to tell him we must leave," she chuckled. Aodaun sensed her thoughts and growled unhappily, biting at Thayne's tail playfully and exploring those funny mops at the end of his hooves. Why were they so delightfully furry? Ah yes, the ever-changing mind of children. With a shrug of small shoulders she waved away his apologies, knowing it was merely situational. "Do not apologize. I should have been more alert, not so indulgent. It is a pleasure to see you again, are you well?" Oh yes, you may think this is strange, how Lakota is being so flawlessly kind. Benevolent, even. There are two reasons to this behavior, one which caused Kota much pain to walk down memory lane with. Princessitude or whatever the hell they called it was not a life of sugar and splendor. Propriety was your life, and if you had no mannerisms you were a soiled patch upon the pristine length of royalty. Killers and savages they may have been in her old home, but they had also had a mighty kingdom. Lakota knew words better than her own soul, could spin them like silk and buttercream off her tongue. This is where the second comes into play. Thayne made it too easy, made her feel like what she said was actually sincere. And...it was nice. So long as it did not interrupt her duties as a part of the Grey...surely she could indulge in the pleasant company of another? His own apologies come flowing directly after hers, and obsidian audits flickered up in clear surprise. It's nearly comical how normally foxily slanted irises could look so youthful when shocked, but the vixen was astounded that Thayne did not only refuse to judge her for her terrible childish antics, but even encouraged them! Surprised pleasure flourished on her face before she could hide it, and had she the ability her cheeks would be flushed a light shade of pink. But even without the color being revealed upon her cheekbones, the emotion itself was glaringly obvious like the rapid blooming of a rose on her features. He had been concerned for her? He felt joy, merely in seeing her happy? It is hard to adjust to such kindness when all you have experienced for so long is brutality, lies, deception, and contempt. Breath left her in a little exhale, almost as if she had been lightly bumped and taken by surprise. Even so, distrust and wariness slid cruelly into her gaze. They lurked beneath the joy she tried to revel in, that somebody might actually care about her and not just her fighting abilities. Was he lying? Was he trying to gain something? Before she could help it words fell from her muzzle, shock and delight lacing her tongue like the sweetest sugar she'd ever tasted. Someone might actually care, might actually see past the prickly spines she had glued so diligently to herself. "You were worried about me?" Oh how she hoped she didn't sound too hopeful. Begging for herself to sound nonchalant, even politely surprised, but with how fast it had slipped off her lips she doubted it would go as she desired. Surely it was just Tallsun that made her feel warm in the face. Thank goodness his soulful eyes did not remain on her, for his were surely the largest windows to the soul she had ever seen. Lakota wasn't sure she knew yet if she liked it or not. It was certainly...intense. Not that anything revealed to her made her suspicious as to his character, of course. He was perhaps the most flawless being she had ever met, and for the shattered mercenary that was a hard thing to navigate. So instead she latched onto the life preserver that was his question, Ao turning dark twin irises to her in clear question of her tangled emotions. He, too, was unused to the tangled mess of emotions inside her. They both seemed rather adrift in the tidal wave Thayne created in her. Pride groomed Aodaun well though, and he tumbled about in the cage of Thayne's feathered legs at the prospect of his title being relinquished to a stranger. A friend, of course, to him. This rolling about caused him to brush and bump the draft's legs, and though Lakota surprisingly did not fear for his safety, she feared for Thayne's patience with his childish energy. "His name is Aodaun, though I call him Ao." Sharp, excited yips similar to a canine escaped then. Clearly her furball of a babe was pleased to hear his name, and pressed awkwardly huge paws against Thayne's right foreleg. Standing and preening for attention. Lakota could not hold back a hybrid between a laugh and a snort at his demands, thinking of him like a prize stud that glowed beneath knowing they were gorgeous. The relaxed posture that Thayne so clearly displayed had her following, almost desperately seeking the affection and kindness he so freely gave. It made her hate herself. Yet his amusing words kept her laughing softly, unable to reconstruct her guard with every new blow that landed so gently against it. How could she ever compose herself around such blatant benevolence? Even Lakota was not that cold, though she had tried her hardest to numb herself with the coldest of weathers. "It's terribly hot, isn't it? Poor Ao felt as though he was dying, though the two of us are no better off with our darker colors!" Grin slid wider, hopeful. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Smiling was only movement of facial muscles, right? That couldn't mean she wanted him as a friend. Nope. No way. Timid little smile he flashed her melted her heart. How could she say no to him? It was like saying no to a foal, and Lakota had always been a sucker for the innocents. Hana was proof of that, regardless of their shared blood. Lakota loved foals, loved innocence and had vowed to protect it. Surely spending a day with him was protecting it! And company did sound rather enticing...but that sheepish smile had sealed the deal. Again that little exhale of breath, the uncomfortable shuffle of her ears, the darting of her eyes as quick as a hummingbird's wings. Oh by the Gods, when had she become so obvious? "I'm sure there would be no harm..." And though she tried to sound as if she had other places to be, it was a total lie. Lakota had free reign as far as she knew, and would only return to Ktulu's side when she was needed. Lavender eyes flicked to him, and her own shy smile came. It showed every insecurity she had with this agreement set between them, to spend the day together. She was scared he was fooling her, that she would have to respond with fire to hide the burn she would receive on her own heart should she let him in too close. Terrified that she was losing herself, that she did not command his respect. Scared mindless at the idea of losing control, of letting him help her. Be her friend. Do anything remotely positive that had to do with her. And it was all there, right on her face, when she accepted his offer with that same courageous heart that had prepared her for a battle ought not to have been thought of. "I...well if you don't mind us ruining your plans...I'm sure Aodaun would love to. And...and I would like that, too." Yes, she was awkward, but quiet hope had written itself in her eyes. Nobody was around to judge her for this weakness, so there would be nothing written. No witnesses. Should this break her further, there would be nobody to spread the word of her failures. Now she turned her relaxed- if jittery- posture to Thayne and moved closer in the fluid grace she could never rid herself of. Turning slightly so as to offer him the view of a half-turned left shoulder, she waited with curiously tilted ears for him to join her in a stroll. Muzzle quivered as if desiring to touch his, exchange scents in a mark of friendship that meant more to her than most others. Gaze flickered from his muzzle, to Ao at his hooves, and to those soft spring eyes she marveled at. Good lord he better know how to handle her, because she was a trainwreck and didn't even know how to handle herself. Much less conduct the both of them in a manner that wouldn't leave them both tangled in the mess of her emotions.  |
