Her world had shifted once more, gone was the familiarity of her den (for now) as she was yet again chewed up and spit back out to the land of Amaryllis. Hattie had become quite comfortable in the Lagoon despite the absolute savages that had taken over the land. The small strawberry mouse had become so accustomed to living there that she would have liked to turn a blind eye upon everything that was happening. But with the latest challenge for the land Hattie had come to the realization of just how brutal the individuals she had lived in a "pride" with were. With the new ruler in the Lagoon she had been booted back out once more and simply hadn't had the courage to approach the borders just yet. She could vividly remember how she had been jumped the last time she approached Scilla, so for now she would wait and let the dust settle some before trying to return to her den. On this day the sun was bright and warm above her as she moved across the land, searching for a source of water. Ruby gaze couldn't help but notice the sudden appearance of what seemed like thousands of pink birds. Thankfully the flamingos didn't seem to bother her any, probably because her own coat was so similar to their own. She skirted her way through the cluster of birds to make her way to the pond, lowering her muzzle to the water to take a sip or two before slowly allowing her gaze to rise so she could survey everything around her.

@Wylodine

image by irish/code by saph

the summer heat is unkind to her, but wylodine soldiers through. she follows the dappled shade for as long as she can until there is no more coverage, and then steps out into the sun. the pond is a bit of a walk from where she resides but she goes regardless, enjoying the stretch of muscles and the sunlight before it becomes too much. the siren call of water brings her forward, and once she’s close to arriving, she smells a familiar scent. one half-known but certainly never forgotten, and wylodine hones in on it like a bloodhound.

@Hattie is easy to find but almost blends in among the pink-feathered birds. almost. fortunately for the strawberry mouse, though, this cat has keen eyes. stepping up behind her quietly, wylodine puts a little effort into scuffing her paws — not wanting to startle the mouse too badly. still, though, the crow woman smiles with too many teeth, a rattlesnake strike. You look just like them, accented vocals lilt with something close to amusement — poking fun at Hattie's expense, but meaning well. It's not her fault, then, that she's as well socialized as a rabid dog.

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She was content taking a drink, completely focused on the water before her that she hadn't even noticed the approach of @Wylodine. It didn't help that she was surrounded by flamingos, they were blocking her view of damn near every angle until the woman was practically upon her. "You look just like them." The accented voice was vaguely familiar and immediately she turns quickly, ruby gaze landing on the form of the woman. "You." She says softly, mostly because she remembers her from a time long ago. Hattie hadn't spent much time with her, after all she had run from her the first time they had met, but she had a sense that the lioness didn't want to harm her. "What's your name.. I need to know it if we are going to keep running into each other." She said then, her voice hardly louder than a whisper as she spoke.

image by irish/code by saph

The little mouse speaks with an appropriately squeaky voice, her whispered words almost lost among all the flamingos squawking. Wylodine has half a mind to chase off all the annoying birds, lest she miss a single sound uttered by @Hattie -- but the idea requires too much time and effort. So instead she angles her ears forward, intent as Hattie continues. Her demand is met with a curious look -- wylo almost finding delight in the smaller girl's tiny voice and big words. She needed to know her name? Wylodine might find the smaller woman curious but they certainly weren't close enough for that. Still, the corner of her mouth lifts -- too many teeth, maybe, but a smile nonetheless. You need only ask, she croons, an alligator purr thrumming behind her words. I am willow. not quite, but it will do for now. ears tip forward then, silver eyes flicking across hattie's face -- curious, considering. calculating, maybe, if she were the type to harbor any ulterior motives. what can i call you? a name would be nice, after all these months -- a name to put to this strange, red face.

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Her grin was toothy and predatory but shockingly Hattie did not feel fear as she locked eyes with @Wylodine. "You need only ask, I am Willow. What can I call you?" Willow, it was a pretty name. Hattie by this point had lowered her haunches to the ground to sit, meanwhile her large ruby eyes just couldn't seem to tear away from her face. "I'm Hattie." She said it simply as if it wasn't anything all that great to begin with. It was only then that she truly glanced around them, ignoring the large pink birds that mingled nearest to them. They were alone aside from them and it oddly felt .. comforting. "Do you think we could be friends?" She said innocently enough; after all there must have been a reason why they kept running into each other. Maybe they were just meant to be in each other's lives one way or another.

image by irish/code by saph

the little bird lowers herself, bright limbs folding up underneath her. the fact that she is sitting and not running means something, sparking an ember of interest in the woman's chest. @Hattie introduces herself then, the name sweet and simple -- a little like the girl herself. a thoughtful hum rumbles from her throat at the sound, marking it to memory. as for her question, well. slinking forward the wraith seeks to close the distance between them, though still leaving a buffer of about one stride between them -- ears tipped forward, silver eyes bright. are we not already? she asks, head tilting to the side. their paths had crossed certainly enough times; though no meeting had been particularly meaningful, her face has been familiar enough. and there was always something about this hattie,that wylo just couldn't put her finger on. it was intriguing, if nothing else, and gods knew wylo was far too bored to let such things pass. but, yes. i think so. she says; please, she does not.

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"Are we not already?" @Wylodine asks and for a moment Hattie's breath hitches in her throat, afraid of disappointing her. "No.. I.. I just wanted to make sure we were." She offers quickly because it is natural for her to beg for forgiveness if she's inadvertently wronged a master. And was that what this was? Did Hattie feel drawn to Willow because she could sense the predatorial nature of the woman? Did Hattie feel drawn to her because she could sense the potential danger that lurked beneath the surface? Or was it simply just a natural attraction that couldn't be fought? When Willow confirmed that they were indeed friends Hattie couldn't help the rumble of a purr that echoed in her throat. "Good. I'm glad." She informed her with a soft smile. Willow was everything she was not and yet Hattie felt more at ease with her then anyone else, how strange. "When can I see you again? You don't live near me.. I would have noticed if you did." She says then, making it a point that she had missed catching her in random intervals.

image by irish/code by saph

another more experienced lion might catch the hitch in hattie's breathing, might recognize it for what it is. but, alas, wylodine sees only what she wants to see -- though marred gaze does not drift away from the strawberry mouse for even a moment, she misses what is plainly before her. we are, she says with a quiet hum -- the purr echoing in her throat like gravel. a quiet, rough noise, there and gone and probably not comforting in the slightest. @Hattie seems to take it well, though, offering a small smile that gives wylodine pause. her head tilts slightly, gaze not quite shying away from the smaller girl but certainly... pulling back. if only for a moment, before she nods. there is a strange emotion curling in her breast; she is glad that hattie is glad -- though she couldn't hazard a guess as to why. the little mouse is nothing more than a stranger -- but, no, that's not true, not anymore. they are friends now. pinky promise'd, blood pact, spit in their palms and shake. it's this warm, curling feeling that spurs her forward when hattie asks her question, providing her the confidence to declare: whenever you want. no questions asked, she thinks, and does not bother to think why. i live in the rainforest -- do you still call the lagoon home? she thinks she can smell the oceansalt on her friend's fur, even though she'd thought she'd seen hattie trying to flee from there during a pride challenge.

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"Whenever you want." She says and Hattie is hyper vigilant to the fluttering in her chest. Was this what it felt like to be enamored with someone? Perhaps it was foolish but she felt a natural pull towards the darker feline and who was she to ignore such a thing? She smiled a genuine smile up at Willow, batting her large doe-like eyes in a rather innocent matter. Perhaps she was being naïve but if this was wrong she didn't want to be right. "I live in the rainforest -- do you still call the Lagoon home?" "Y-yes.. I tried to leave but .. I've grown attached to it. There is a new man ruling it now, he's nice." She says softly but briefly Hattie wonders if eventually she could join Willow in the rainforest. "I'd like to visit you in the rainforest.. I've never been there." She says softly, looking up at @Wylodine with pure interest. Even the racket of the large pink birds around them couldn't distract her, not one bit.

image by irish/code by saph

@Hattie is little more than a field mouse, demure and soft — even here, surrounded by all the vile birds. when she smiles, all sweet and soft, it certainly doesn’t help the visage. dark ears twitch idly as the girl speaks, curious. so she had been trying to leave the lagoon at the challenge, when wylodine had seen her — perhaps she’d changed her mind? and grown to like her current sovereign, it seemed. that was… good, wylo supposed. she had no real feelings towards her own king, one way or another, and wasn’t aware that loyalty to a person was expected when living underneath a pride’s banner. even if she had been aware, it wouldn’t have changed much. you could come see it, wylodine agrees with a soft thrum, accent lilting even as her expression remains deceptively placid. certainly the little mouse wouldn’t make any trouble in firnen. wylodine could, too, go see this lagoon of hers — though maybe after hattie visits. the girl wanted to see the rainforest, after all; wylodine only wanted to see her. a thought strikes her then, curious: have you always lived in the lagoon? her muzzle turns then, dark features sweeping to focus solely on her. curious to hear of her life, before their paths had decided to entwine.

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