It wasn't romance that brought Nephthys to one of the highest peaks in Amaryllis. Quite the opposite, actually, as the scarlet lioness had ventured to higher altitudes in order get away from as many others as she could. She hadn't allowed herself to feel anything but anger in the past several days; it hadn't been as cathartic as she'd hoped. Thriving off anger was exhausting, and she stumbled every so often as she ascended the rocky pathway to the top. The sunset had long since come and gone. She traveled her way through the blustery snow in the middle of night, bracing against the wind as she looked for somewhere to shelter for a spell. There was one reason she had come, but she needed safety before she succumbed to frostbite and became part of the landscape.

After spotting a gnarled old tree well beyond its years, Nephthys diverted her course and moved to curl up at its base. She was a large lioness but made herself as small as possible, ducking her head between her front paws into a ball. It was as small as she felt, in a way. Nephthys lay there for a few good moments in silence before she finally broke, hoping her sobs would be masked by the howling wind. She had never let herself cry over the heartbreak, and days of pent-up sorrow came spilling out as she clenched her eyes tightly shut.

And there she stayed, crying long into the night.

he was fucking tired of the winter, truth be told. the wind had picked up when he was out wandering, seeking some kind of somethingto entertain him. why the fuck he thought climbing a mountain would do the job was beyond him. let alone in the middle of winter. it was cold enough his bones had begun to ache, and he realized he wouldn't be returning to the comfort of his warm dessert home tonight. instead he sought shelter, much as @Nephthys had, and just so happened to spot the same tree. there wasn't a whole lot else up here, after all. approaching he realized he wasn't alone (her dark coat had all but blended in to the shadows) and worse he realized she was crying. there was little else he hated as much as tears, and he grunted in irritation but still slunk closer. with a furrow to his brow he towered over the curled up form, and then cleared his throat. "cold as shit," he muttered, "can i join you?" he could at least pretend to have some courtesy, though he wasn't against forcing his way in to her space if he needed to. the wind pressed rough against his coat and he spread out his weight to hold his place on the rock.

image by moogle, code by koi

Her immediate response to the voice was a low hiss of a surprise, but it was embarrassment that flashed across her face. Nephthys had specifically climbed a goddamn mountain in the middle of winter in order to be alone and let down her walls! What were the fucking odds someone would pop their head around the corner and witness her disgusting weakness? It set her on edge as she lay there, quickly rubbing the tears away with the back of her paws. Maybe there was a chance he hadn't heard the sobbing over the howl of the wind? She could only hope. It was dark enough to disguise the trail of tears down her cheeks as nothing but her fur color, so there was that at least. Besides, he hadn't said anything about it. Maybe she'd gotten away with it and this guy was oblivious. Nephthys could only hope.

But still, sharing her space? She frowned at the idea, wishing he would have kept walking and found himself somewhere else. It was quite rude, wasn't it? Didn't he know she'd come up here to be alone and sulk? Pfft. Nephthys had half a mind to tell him off, but the idea of company wasn't.. horrible, she guessed. "Uh, yeah, be my guest." She certainly wasn't going to move for him, however, and if he wanted to bowl his way in, he would need to accommodate her position as it was. Because she said so, that's why.

code by shelby | art by irish

it was a pitiful shelter, really, exposed on more than one side, but it was a far cry better than standing on the damn rock. he made a mental note to stick closer to home until winter let go of its icy grip -- though he supposed sharing a space with a pretty lioness wasn't exactly a bad gig either. "much obliged," he muttered, remembering how to play the role of the perfect gentleman quite easily. he moved to lay beside her, pressed with one side against the tree and one side against her, a grunted sigh of contentment at the warmth they now shared. assuming she stayed in place, that is. he knew damn well he was pushing his luck. still he couldn't help but flash her a grin and a tip of head head. "much better." now let's hope his personal space heater didn't go anywhere. @Nephthys

image by moogle, code by koi

For all her appreciation of physical contact, there was something quite alarming about a stranger yeeting himself into her personal space. She had welcomed him in, of course, but Nepth certainly hadn't anticipated he would make himself quite so.. comfortable. Her cheeks flushed as she felt his fur against her and she stared straight ahead as he wiggled and settled into place. Naturally, her thoughts went straight to Bhaskar and how his proximity wouldn't have been an issue. This guy.. well, she didn't know him from Adam.

He was handsome, though, in a rugged sort of way. Nephthys peered at him from the corner of her eye, curious as to why the man hadn't simply meandered on to more appropriate shelter. Didn't make a lick of sense to her, but whatever. It was a free country, he could do what he liked. "Cozy?" she asked, flicking her tail idly. "You look cozy." Nephthys was cozy enough despite the unnerving awkwardness of pretending she hadn't just been sobbing.

Totally normal day, right?

code by shelby | art by irish

he could practically taste her nerves. there was only the faintest glimmer of amusement in his poison green eyes, though for her he kept on the mask of the perfect gentleman. it was only a mask -- beneath it there was the temptation to simple take what he wanted and leave her with more tears upon her cheeks. "Cozy," he agreed, with a flash of teeth and a quirk of his lips. Her warmth was far preferably to the howling cold, and there was a new desire to simply drop his head and sleep through the worst of it. Silence looms for a long moment, him feeling little need (or pressure) to alleviate whatever awkwardness she may feel in the face of it. Eventually, though, he says - "Are you warm enough?" Much like a perfect gentleman would. @Nephthys

image by moogle, code by koi

Wonderful, they had engaged in polite conversation. Maybe now they could simply return to what they'd both clearly come for -- being alone. Well, perhaps he hadn't come for the isolation of the mountaintop, but she didn't feel compelled to inquire. The lioness shifted her weight, bringing a paw beneath her chest to keep the chill away from her toes. He acknowledged that he was cozy and she nodded, glad enough to hear it while simultaneously wishing she had denied his request to get closer. Nephthys found she didn't much care to cuddle with a stranger and would have much rather been spooning with Bhaskar, but that was why she was even there to begin with. Because Bhaskar didn't want the same things Nepth did, so why shouldn't she indulge in a bit of comfort from this guy? No one was around to stop her. She could stay right there for as long as she wanted and pretend they were old friends just catching up.

Denial was an alluring game.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. I like the cold more than the heat, so it's not too terrible up here." She absently rubbed her eyes with the pack of her free paw, washing away any of the dried tears that remained. "I'm Neph, by the way."

code by shelby | art by irish

He chuckled, low and dark, his sides shaking against her. "What is it with the women around here and liking the cold?" He was amused by it but endlessly confused -- "Give me the heat of the desert any day." But then, he didn't have a thick coat to keep him warm. "Or the warmth of a pretty lady..." His voice pitched low and layered in honeyed charm. A playful wink tossed her way as he said it, sensing that she would be the type to run if he did not play his cards right. Her paw ran over her face and he was no fool, he knew the signs of tears. But he said nothing, still -- if he wanted to talk about her pain he would listen but he would not go diving for information. "It is a pleasure, Neph. I am Alaric." His weight shifted slightly, an innocent move that somehow pressed him a little more against her. @Nephthys

image by moogle, code by koi

Nephthys' brow furrowed at the comment. Was it supposed to mean something to her? Shit, maybe she just didn't like sweating, homie. The lioness shifted her weight. "My name is Egyptian, so I'm sure it's quite a disappointment to my father that I didn't take to the desert. He was born there and adores.. well, Andal Oasis, now that I smell it on you." Curious. Did her parents know this man? She couldn't be sure if that meant they necessarily approved of him, though, so she did her best to maintain a steady dose of caution.

It was pretty lady that caught her attention, but not for the right reasons. It immediately set her on edge, brought suspicious thoughts to the forefront of her mind. What on earth? "Oh? Do you find yourself basking in the warmth of pretty ladies often, or am I special?" Nephthys watched him expectantly, intrigued by what she was sure would be a riveting response.

Ahh, okay, now he was closer. She held her ground, batting her eyes at him innocently.

code by shelby | art by irish

he was curious, too, but he does not ask. if she wanted him to know who her parents were she would have told him, and he was relatively new to the oasis. ish. or more truthfully had just made very little effort to get to know others that lived there. he did his duty and that was enough for now -- alaric was not there to socialize. a low chuckle, then, feeding off of the fact that he clearly made her uncomfortable. "from time to time," came his husky response, "but that doesn't mean you're not special." another brazen wink for the fiery girl -- how interestingly this evening had turned out after all. "i think you're very special." hell, he knew fuck all about her, but that didn't matter. she held her ground and amused the heck out of him -- in his eyes, that was enough. @Nephthys

image by moogle, code by koi