+ 5 Scout a neutral territory [1/1]
+5 Use the terrain to your advantage [1/2]
+10 Explore a territory and find something useful [0/1]


Castus was not the type to place blame of incidents on others, unless there was a direct screaming amount of proof. And this was one of those situations where there was no proof, she was innocent. It could have happened to anyone, he gave a slight coughing laugh at her words. "Heh, I-I've b-b-been--" he started to chatter before sneezing in between his words, "sorry, through worse" he muttered the rest embarrassed of his little sneeze. When she quickly moved to press against him, any other time and he might have flinched out of respect of her. However he was a shivering mess, and had no issues with her closeness.

"It's ok, as long as you are ok?" he said with a little chuckle and a cough before moving to lightly nuzzle his head beneath her chin seeking comfort much like a scared cub would. He hoped she wouldn't mind but she was much warmer than he was at the moment. Castus made a mental note to offer himself as a blanket in the future for her if she required one.


"SPEECH."

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@Tuathla

Sometime between hearing the ice crack beneath her silken mitts and draping herself over the silver-pelted stranger, tension had woven a taut bracket across her chest. Adrenaline still laced her veins, less intensely than before, but the woman found herself trembling in the wake of the shock of the experience. The lion’s presence was a gift in this sense—even despite his near-catastrophic experience, that, given his waterlogged condition, wasn’t quite over yet—and as he had allowed her proximity, she would turn her muzzle into his mane, and seek to begin grooming the excess saturation from his fur. It was as much to benefit his condition as it was to soothe her frayed nerves.

He spoke of having been through worse, and Tuathla silently wondered what experiences he spoke of, or if he simply said it for her benefit. She did not voice aloud her thoughts- she was too busy trying to regulate her disordered feelings and breathing. “I’m ok…been better, but… we should be more worried about you. You sure you’re okay?” A quiver remained in her voice, unavoidable given her trembling, but she would exhale with an intentional effort to relax as he sought comfort beneath her muzzle. It helped—and if it helped him too, then they were all the better for it.

@Castus

table by sentinel / lion + meadow + flower

  

  

+ 5 Scout a neutral territory [1/1]
+5 Use the terrain to your advantage [1/2]
+10 Explore a territory and find something useful [1/1] (Cavern for shelter)

It had been a very long time since he had been close with someone, even longer since someone else groomed his mane. So when she did he did not reject it in the slightest. Not only was it warming him up it was calming his nerves as well as hers. A soft smile crossed his maw while he looked around them noting the mouth of a cavern nearby he looked to her. ""L-Lets get o-out of this wind?" he half asked his teeth chattering he started to rise wincing as the cold ached in his front left arm. Old wounds and cold did not mix well.


Waiting for her he would gingerly move towards the cavern, having to sort of walk on three legs to do so. Once they arrived he would collapse into the cavern wall breathing heavily, quickly gasping out, ""Im... fine..Really... he flashed her a smile moving to let his body lay down, hoping she would come warm him again. He had enjoyed the closeness.


"SPEECH."

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@Tuathla

Her soft eyes followed his, noting the cavern entrance with some relief – she was much too weary to feel chastised for not noticing it earlier. She nods in response to his chattered suggestion, her own shivering still exhibited despite the thick silk of her fur, the cold having a lingering effect over her that she hadn’t anticipated originally. The white-haired lion seemed well enough to walk, Tuathla noted absently the benefit of that; she could hardly carry him, although she might have tried. He might dismiss her involvement in their predicament, but she did not. She should have known better.

The walk itself was bitter, but her blood began to warm beneath her chocolate fur as her limbs moved, legs stretching and joints bending, her medium figure protected somewhat by his larger silhouette. And when the pair of them made it into the cave, beyond the frosted tendrils of the tundra, she might’ve felt optimistic. Only; he did not seem as well off, and concern layered wrinkles across her freckled countenance and she would step towards him. “You do not seem so fine.” She protested, her voice cracking with tension, and as he would lay against the cave floor she was quick to follow. Her earthen form would seek to press against his side, and she would drape her chin over his shoulders if he allowed. “We should be warmer here—you have a clever eye.” Body heat could only do so much when a winter wind was determined to see you cold, after all.

@Castus | I am very very sorry this has taken so long!

table by sentinel / lion + meadow + flower

  

  

The Shakti lad felt embarrassed, he should be providing an example and yet he was providing it a little too well. When she was quick to come to his side, he felt his heart flutter but shrugged it off as an symptom of falling in the lake. He chuckled through chattering teeth, "Ah, am I-I that s-s-see through?" he then sneezed and groaned. When her head tucked over his shoulders he felt his cheeks flush, but he did not protest. He was much alike his father, enjoying physical touch.

Moving his head to try and lay it close to her front paws he smiled, "I have a knack for finding hiding spots," he admitted with a small laugh. Enjoying the warmth their bodies created which helped heat the cold cave floor beneath them. "I am sorry I ruined your fun though," he added in a soft gentle tone, he felt bad that he kind of caused an accident.


"talk"

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@Tuathla

He allowed her proximity, her touch, and she draped across him with her thick, silken fur and could only pray to Maua that it would be enough to keep the silver lion off the sickbed. The chatter in his voice did little to assuage her fears, and her freckled expression wrinkled in a worry that she hoped he would not see-given the angle of her face. “You are not quite as see through, as I am familiar with the effects of the cold.” She explains after a moment, hoping it might ease his worries.

“You can hardly be responsible for the weakness in the ice.” She says then and would brush her cheek against the ivory silk of his mane, a quiet guilt interjecting itself into her mood. “I probably shouldn’t have been on it in the first place, honestly.” She admitted, as she would seek to nuzzle deeper into this lovely mane of his, the scent of him somehow familiar and, at that essence, reassuring. “I never got your name. Mine’s Tuathla.” She says after a pause, her muzzle still buried in his handsome white locks, her body softening and yielding around his silhouette to make the best out of his body heat, and whatever warmth she may offer him in return.

ooc | tuathla is pronounced “too-a-lah”

@Castus

table by sentinel / lion + meadow + flower

ooc: aww inner Castus is like "she smells pretty.. is.. is this a crush!?" Guilt swirled in his chest, he had known it wasn't safe but wanting to join in on her fun had caused this. He didn't want to be a stick in the mud, or he guessed snow in this case, so to speak. A rumbling purr emitted from him when she nuzzled closer, enjoying the warmth her body provided. Though he did feel his heartbeat quicken when she nuzzled into his mane. Castus would not refuse her though, instead moving to gently keep her close so she could use his mane if she so wished. he could almost hear the blood pumping in his ears and he felt his cheeks growing hot beneath his fur from becoming flushed. Voice cracked a bit so he cleared his throat to ease it, trying to not let his nerves show. He deeply enjoyed this closeness and was scared of making her go away. "You were having fun," he said gently with a smile, "It's ok to have fun. I should have probably just watched though," he laughed softly. His added weight probably had not helped. Lightly he pressed his nose against her neck and inhaled softly, enjoying the familiar scent and her oen unique one. Nuzzling gently he answered her, "I'm Castus. Clumsy Castus," he chortled at his own little joke, if he couldn't laugh at himself then he'd be a bitter old man! "I'm glad you were here to help me Tuathla" he added a little more seriously though his voice remained gentle. "speech"

@Tuathla

She could not tell if it was the cave that had grown warm, or simply just the air around the two of them, nuzzled closely together as they were, feeding off each other’s body heat. The wind howled beyond the sturdy walls of their sanctuary, encouraging the woman to feel all the calmer and cozier, as though she were impervious to the bitter touch of winter as long as she was tucked away in this safe little refuge with this kind stranger. In this moment, she never wanted to leave. He began to purr and the subtle vibrations that reverberated through him could be felt against her sides and chest and neck, serving to pull the woman into the doze that had been haunting the horizon of her consciousness already. Her eyelids drooped and her claws flexed and kneaded contentedly.

“S’okay,” She murmured when he spoke of being sidelined, her thoughts not quite sharp enough to form a reassuring retort that would explain if he was to blame, so was she – and she was no longer willing to accept that responsibility. Therefore, the only fault lay in the ice (no pun intended). That explanation simply would not manifest on her tongue, and the sound of his laughter was a pleasant reassurance that he did not take the situation too seriously. Now that they were both safe, neither would she. She hummed a bit when his nose pressed into her neck, inspiring a fluttering sensation in her belly that was completely off-track from the drowsiness that had claimed her earlier. Her eyes blinked open as heat rose from her neck to her face, and she would snake herself tighter around his form – certain this was a one-sided feeling that she should not act on. Her chuckle was light in response to his nickname, and there was a smile in her voice when she spoke. “Me too.” She replied, and then returned her muzzle to its place in his ivory mane and would close her eyes.

Exit?
ooc -- we should have a more recent thread with them maybe??
@Sekai @Castus

table by sentinel / lion + meadow + flower

ooc: Closer she curled into him and he felt his heart thumping almost painfully in his chest. What was this rush he felt? It was like a buzzing sensation in his toes all the way to the tip of his tail. Gently he pressed his muzzle against the top of her head allowing his eyes to close. The walls here would shield them well, and the shared body heat would help. Having a big ol' mane upped the chances even better. Castus would let her drift off to sleep feeling his fur start to dry, there was no rush to leave. He too would eventually fall asleep but his ears twitched in his mane listening intently for anyone who tried to disturb them. exit through sleep

@Tuathla