The shoreline was mostly silent save for the slaps of the tide against the sand when it moved in and out, she scanned the area before leaving her little alcove of safety, stretching and shaking out her fur. Night had settled and with it a calm eerieness had came with it, to most it would have shaken them to the core, most bodies understand that feeling you get when your hair raises and spine tingles, that's time to leave, but not for the small Black lioness, her body moved with relative relaxation, she did not fear the night, nor it's monsters.

Her merle coat danced along the shadows of the waters that caressed her paws before being washed out again, and she ignores the flickering shadow at her feet, the moon played tricks on those that paid attention. Still as silent as it was, she couldn't help but feel watched, or at least as if something might be lurking around, her steps paused as she shook one of her black painted legs, shaking the damp salt water from her body.She had laid in the tide pools, against the sandy beaches, rolling in the scent of coconut and palm leaves, ocean salt and sand until she no more carried her family's scent, now she was merely just a small, rogue lioness and she could choose many paths to take in order to follow her betrothed's command.

Assassin's Exp:
+5 Practice covering your scent
+20 Fabricate and use a second identity (3+ threads actively using/establishing it)
@War

image by moogle/code by saph

The dark of the night washed the color from his abyss pelt, making him looking inky black beneath the shifting shadows of the moon as clouds passed over it. He blended in with the black sands of the shoreline, nothing more than a shadow passing over the landscape, save for the shallow prints he left in the sand.

The moon's light glinted on the waves as they gently lapped the shoreline. His bright blue eyes watched them, mesmerized, as he made his steady way along. The night was silent save for the waves. War fell into an easy state of calm, believing himself to be alone on the shore. He might have continued to believe that if it weren't for the briefest moment of movement that caught his eye. The soft shake of a leg, drawing his eyes to the body of a lioness who blended well in the patchy light. He might have mistaken her for a shadow if she hadn't moved. But now he could see the lighter spots of her pelt along the ink black that covered much of her.

He stopped, only a couple of yards from her, and watched, his blue eyes perhaps the only thing visible in the darkness, at least for now. Who could say when the moon might shine her light down on his pelt.

@Laveau

code & art

What most people don't say about the ocean is that it eats up every source of light, so along a black shoreline, with a dark sky over head, the moon barely brushed the darkness with her light. Sure there was a bit.of a glow around the area, but there was too much inky blackness that just sucked up the ghostly light, so for Laveau to be hidden well within the darkness wasn't a hard feat, but that meant that @War was also hidden well from her. Had she not looked around as she paused her shaking, and seen two distinct blue irises watching her, making her do a double take from the sudden realization there was someone there. She would have just continued on blissfully unaware, but now, she knew he was there and she couldn't just go back to being unbothered by the fact he had went unnoticed just yards away from her.

She turned to face him, the small lioness did not show fear, instead, she just cocked her head and her stubbed tail wiggled a bit like a white tail does would, "Do you like what you see?" Her accent and voice maybe didn't quite fit her small stature, but it suited her well enough once you actually got to know the female, she was powerful and strong in her own ways, she made up for her lack of height in many other ways.

Her eyes watched him, her own a bright amethyst in the darkness, she couldn't tell his shape from where she stood, he had the night on his side and he didn't quite have the spotting she did, which if one were to focus as he had, would give her away.

image by moogle/code by saph

It did not take the woman long to turn her gaze and meet War's sapphire eyes, shining in what little moonlight reached him, glinting off of the ocean's waves. If it weren't for his bright eyes he may have gone unnoticed in the black blanket of night that draped over him, hiding his true color.

She seemed confident as she turned toward him, no longer ignorant of his presence and now unable to ignore it. War remained still, watching and waiting. He stood taller than her, his muscular form standing strong against the bite of the cold winter air. He blinked once at her question, eyes roaming over her form, but not in a possessive or lustful manner. Did he like what he saw? He could see so little that he could hardly say.

"The ocean is beautiful beneath the moon," he commented, eyes flicking to the deep black waves and then the bright moon overhead. His voice was low and soft; inviting her to come closer if she wished. He wasn't a violent soul, despite his name. And how could he answer her question when she was so shrouded in darkness?

@Laveau

code & art

She narrowed her eyes, not in a judgemental way, but more.in a, I can't see you and I'd like to know what the hell I'm looking at kind of way, but she gave up after the moon did nothing to ignite him. Then he spoke and she cocked her head a bit, his voice invited her in and against her distrustful conscience, she turns her body towards him and moves closer, closing the distance between the two fairly quickly.

Now closer, she can see features, her eyes trail over him, she tried her best to do it politely and quickly, but she had a habit of taking in everyone's features to store for later. "Indeed, it is.." She finally agreed with him, now that she had stepped away from the inky darkness of the water, the Merle pattern from her coat, with the splashes of.pinks and lilacs and other colors were more vibrant when the mood touched them.

image by moogle/code by saph

He was mildly surprised when she did move closer, away from the inky darkness of the waves and into his direct line of sight. With her form closer now he could pick out the details of her pelt, though the colors were washed out in the darkness and minimal light from the moon. He could see that there were several lighter colors wrapped in black. She was pretty; probably prettier in the light of day.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere warm, asleep?" he asked her, head tilted in a question. Surely someone like her had a home and someone who cared for her. Ansella had a pride. Talitha had a pride. Why not this woman, too? It was a simple assumption to make for the lonely abyss man. And who wouldn't want the warmth of a den, a pride, or a family this time of year?

@Laveau

code & art

And here was the moment, she could be someone else to this man and it wouldn't hurt anyone, she didn't have to speak of anything, or she could speak truths but she didn't want him to see the true identity not the woman before him so when he spoke, she shook her head, "No, I quite enjoy the nights. Lonely as they may be." She stated softly, her stubbed tail again gave another wiggle, indicating she wasn't uncomfortable.

Sure, there was Poltergeist at home, well, whatever home was, but he made her feeling anything but warm, nor did he make her feel safe in any kind of way. Her eyes traveled back up to meet his, and she gave him a soft smile, "What about you?"

image by moogle/code by saph

He dragged in a breath, pulling her scent into his nose, tasting it to see what she smelled of. But all he could smell was the ocean, mixed with the scent of lion. There were no distinguishing features that told him of a pride. Perhaps she was as alone as he was. His head tilted, considering and curious.

He didn't ask any questions, the polite beast not wanting to pry. But curiosity sparked in his eyes as he watched her. She seemed at ease enough, despite their size difference and the unknown that hovered between them.

"The night can be beautiful," he allowed her, taking her words to mean more than she did not have a place than that she truly enjoyed the nights. Making assumptions, whether he was right or not.

"Hmm?" he mused in response to her question. "Its hard to sleep at night when you have nowhere to call home." He shrugged.

@Lavaeu

code & art

The small lioness sat back on her haunches with her chin tilted up to peer at the colossal male before her, she couldn't help but find beauty in the way he resembled Twilight skies, blueish black, only darkness, it comforted her to find something so similar to one of her favorite things. She inhaled his scent, nostrils flaring, searching for the scent of somewhere else, someone else.

She listened to his words as if he spoke the Gospel and she were a follower of his every hymn, she inhaled again, but this time she moved forward, just a bit, almost asking to come closer to him. She found his gentleness, hiss kindness welcoming, warm. She wanted to be close to him, as close as she could be. "Home doesn't have to be a place.." Laveau spoke softly, hinting to something that could be, she was but a breath away, if he dared to reach out, their fur would brush and mingle.

@War

image by moogle/code by saph

He looked at her with his blue eyes, drowning in feeling that he didn't show anywhere else on his face. Loneliness, sadness, pain. It was always there, swimming beneath the surface, threatening to overwhelm him and ruin everything he had worked so hard to move beyond. But each day alone was another nail in the coffin. Perhaps that was why, when she moved closer to him, he didn't push to move away. Lions could be solitary creatures, but that did not mean they had to like it. They might not be like wolves, but they still preferred to be near one another.

Those same eyes study her, knowing exactly what she is saying but almost incapable of closing the distance between the two of them. It was difficult to let himself go after so long. He was ever the gentleman, never pushing things farther unless he was absolutely certain it was right. And he could never forget them - all that he had lost. Faced now with a decision, he wasn't so certain that he could so easily move on as he had always wanted to.

"You don't even know me," he breathed to her, his head bending in closer, his mane just lightly brushing against her fur. He didn't know her either. Their names were a mystery. So what, then, did she want from him?

@Laveau

code & art