Laveau had slept peacefully next to the male she had just met during the night, her body had felt more rested than it had in forever, so when her eyes fluttered open and they found the form of the abyss-coated male, she gave a small half smile, she blinked away the sleepiness and stretched, yawning softly.

She was careful not to disturb him too much, and once she was done stretching, she curled back up and waited for him to wake up, the morning sun cast its light over them, and she was finally able to see all of him, her eyes traced over his body, taking in everything. She hoped once he was awake, he wouldn't be disappointed in the way she looked, but she didn't think he was that type of male, she purred as she wiggled her stub tail, excited for whatever they had in store for them.

@War

Though it was early, the sun was out chasing away the clouds that could often make coastal mornings dreary and cold. It was still cold, of course. The weather had barely begun to warm with the coming of spring. But it wasn't the kind of wet cold that came with the normal early morning clouds along the ocean. The sky was a bright blue, which gave the waves crashing against the shoreline some color. Meanwhile, the black sands of the shore stood out in stark contrast to the lighter colors that surrounded it.

Even beneath the rocky overhang where they slumbered the light was able to filter in. It was the first time he had slept comfortably in a long time, most likely due to the company he had found himself in. By the time he finally began to stir, Marie had been awake for some time already, though he didn't know that. He was drawn out of sleep by her purrs, his bright blue eyes blinking in the sunlight. As they adjusted to the new light he was drawn to the colorful figure beside him.

Her pelt was a soft grayish blue with black swirling markings, all mixed with bits of pink and peach here and there, along with the white of her neck and chest. It was a beautiful mix of color that he immediately loved. She lacked a full tail, but that was hardly abnormal and nothing that bothered the abyssal man. His gaze remained fixed on her, skimming over her smaller form and studying her in a way that he had been unable to do in the darkness of the night.

"You're beautiful," he murmured to her. From him it was a true compliment; he only spoke what he truly believed and he did believe that Marie was beautiful.

@Laveau

code & art

The small lioness had stayed perfectly curled up next to him, watching the sun rise even higher in the sky, though it was still a chilly morning, next to him, the cool spring air barely even brushed her. Her eyes watched the tide roll in and out, waves drawing sand out into the depths and then pushing the black particles back, it was because of this distraction, she did not notice when he woke up, so when the morning compliment was uttered from his lips, she gave a small inhale and looked back at him as if a compliment was something she had never heard before.

She felt her cheeks redden and get hot immediately as she became flustered, the lioness took a moment to process her feelings before she gave a shy giggle and bashfully looked at her paws, wondering how in the hell he could make all of the feelings inside of her happen.

Finally, once she had regained all sense, and wasn't reduced to a shy puddle of whatever these feelings in her stomach were, she spoke softly, "Thank you... Good morning.."

@War

It seemed like he had surprised her. She was staring off toward the waves, clearly entranced by something in the distance. Not knowing her well and also considering the fact that there was nothing besides nature here with them, he assumed she had just lost herself in watching the scenery. Whatever the case, his comment brought her back to him.

She went shy, even though she had been more forward from time to time during their interactions thus far. Her eyes drifted down to her paws and she giggled a little as if she had never been complimented in such a way before. If that was the case, then she needed to choose better company. She deserved such compliments from what little he knew of her thus far. Which was....very little if he was being honest with himself. Ever the gentleman was War.

"Did you sleep well?" he rumbled, beginning to shift himself and stretch his limbs one at a time without getting up. He gave his head the slightest of shakes, fluffy out his mane just a little bit.

@Laveau

code & art

Laveau softened under his gaze, her lavender eyes were dancing in the light of the morning as she took him in before she gently rose to stretch out her limbs now that there was no chance of waking him. Her back arched down as she reached with front paws out over the stone, her hips rose up and she gave a soft groan as muscles stretched and gave way to a pleasing kind of soreness one gets when unraveling their body after sleep.

His question caused her to flick her ear in acknowledgment before she repositioned herself so that she was standing, she gave a shake of her fluffy fur and smiled softly, "I did, how was your sleep?" Her voice showed genuine curiosity, hoping he slept well enough beside her.

He gave her a moment to stand up and do her stretching before he moved his larger frame to do the same, pushing himself up from the ground and stretching his limbs before finally finishing off with a shake of his body. He was larger than her, but he liked that. It made him feel stronger, like he had a better chance of offering protection. Perhaps that was a bit too masculine of him, but he had always been like that. The protective warrior with a kind heart.

"Peaceful," he answered shortly. "It's been a long time since I wasn't alone. It felt nice." Some lions led the rogue life well, but he had never been one of them. He needed - craved - companionship. And while spending the night with her had been nice, what War truly wanted at some point was a place to call home. A rocky overhang was no such place for that.

"Are you from around here?" he questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him. He was aware of so little here, other than a few vague ideas of the prides that existed. Perhaps she knew a little more and could help him find a place here. And, well, maybe he really just didn't know what to do next with the girl.

@Laveau

code & art

She would have to be blind to not notice the size difference between them, but she would also agree, she liked it, very much so. The men in the Blacks were not noticed for their great size, so having someone like this next to her made her feel safe, and comforted. The merle coated lioness turned to look at him as he spoke, giving her a bit of insight into how he felt, and she smiled softly, before nuzzling up and under his chin, "It was nice... having someone to sleep beside. And warm." She replied gently, purring as she rested under his chin.

His next question caused a stall in her heart, she didn't know why she felt so wrong lying to him, but she did, though, if she admitted to being in Caladan, he could trace her back to her actual life, and she did not want that. "I came to Amaryllis last year, after escaping a rough band of rogues who sought to sell me to make a good fortune, I've been wandering since." She spoke softly, she hadn't lied technically, just not opened up fully, though she hadn't spoke to anyone about what had happened when she had been separated from her family, not until now.

"Very warm," he agreed with a soft chuckle, enjoying the feel of her against him. There was an edge of hesitation to his feelings, though. He wasn't sure where this should go, or if it should go anywhere at all. They hardly knew each other, and that was strange to him. Was this going too fast? That was what pushed him to ask questions about the life she was living here in Amaryllis.

Her response took him by surprise. It was a troubling story, and the mention that rogues had captured her with the intention of selling her drew a low growl from his chest. In some ways, his story was not so dissimilar, but it was far more tragic. If she asked he wasn't even certain he would be able to give her a full answer. "They should die for such crimes," he growled, his anger sparking just a bit. Even angry, War was a mild tempered beast.

He softened, though, pressing against her almost protectively. "What are your plans here?" he questioned softly. Would she seek out a home or remain a loner? He was truly curious about what she might do, because he hoped to continue to see her after this day. Even if nothing came of this, he enjoyed her company.

@Laveau

code & art

The morning sun rose higher in the sky, allowing more light into the overhang which made Laveau purr a bit more as sunlight warmed her fur, she stayed under his chin though, only moving to peer back up to him when his low rumble vibrated through her. "They should have, but sadly they didn't meet their end, atleast when I escaped." She let out a soft sigh, ears pinning back tight against her head before she shook her skull, as if shaking away the memories.

Once he pressed against her protectively, she shrank tight against him, allowing him to envelop her in a safety blanket of sorts, his next question was slightly easier to answer, "Settle down, and just live with my chance of freedom." She spoke softly, of course, in reality, did she actually have any freedom? Mated to Poltergeist was like wearing shackles attached to the most pretentious asshole you could find... Some days he was more tolerable than others, but still, she was less inclined to trust him, after the endeavor she had faced with her first mate.

Thankfully she did not ask him about his own story - at least not immediately. He still wasn't certain how he would answer that, or if he even could. He grumbled a little, a low growl, when she mentioned that they had not met any sort of end as retribution for their sins. "If they come here they will," he promised, even though it was not the strongest of promises. After all, he may not remain in contact with the female over time, and therefore may not know if any of the rogues ever showed up here in Amaryllis.

He, too, wanted to settled down somewhere. War stood above Marie, acting as the protective presence. "Where will you settle down?" he asked, though she might not have an answer. Or maybe she wouldn't want to give an answer to someone who was a stranger. He wasn't certain. What he did know was that he wanted a home, and she would be welcome with him if she wanted to stay. The question was, where should the man go in search of a home?

@Laveau

code & art