Keir had done his part, and as he watched the feathered birds take flight would he also catch sight of @Vitala lunging into the air. He would watch on baited breath as she picked on out of the many, a soft gasp being released as he watched her cling to one of the flamingos before gravity brought the two of them back to the ground. Her disbelief was just about as much as his, keeping him speechless for a few moments before he finally released his breath in a chuckle. "We will make a fine hunter out of you, yet!" A wide grin would spread across his lips, body moving through the water to get back onto dryland and toward Vitala. "That was amazing to watch. You should be proud!" With a quick shake would he send droplets in every direction, a gust of cold wind causing for him to involuntarily shiver.

by cloudynight

YOU LEFT ME LIVING WITH A LINGERING SOUL

Vitala was never one to really know how to take compliments very well, if and when they were given. She smiled back at him, shifting in her position to remove herself from the bird. Now that they had scared the rest of the birds away there was far more silence that lay over the pond. She looked over her shoulder at the pond as the water became placid and glasslike.

Water droplets flinging into the air, gently batting her face, stole her attention back to @Keir. "Thank you! That was really fun," she said, letting out a satisfied exhale. "I feel like I've been pretty dormant and lazy since winter arrived, so it feels good to move my body." As much as Vitala enjoyed the snow, she tended to find herself less active. Staying in the confines of the lagoon and helping with the hunts there. They were doing rather well for the season she felt. "How have you been?" she wondered aloud.

Keir felt like he could relate with being rather relaxed and lazy during the colder season. It wasn't his favorite only because he really didn't like to be cold all the time. And, despite his dark fur and mane, the lion enjoyed the warmer weather and being able to cool off in a body of water if he needed to. And just like @Vitala, Keir had also been keeping himself closer to home with hunting, not only because of the cold but also of him healing from his challenge for the Hollows. He was healed completely from that battle, leaving him with a couple of faint scars on his front leg as a reminder of his first ever fight. "I guess I've been doing okay," he would begin, shifting a little and now kneading both of his front paws onto the ground idly. "After that pride challenge I felt a bit... off." Embarrassed was more of the word he was looking for but he didn't want to admit that in front of her. "My mother came by the Cove, though, and offered me Heir if I was interested. I told her I would take her up on the offer. But..." His voice would trail off, shaking his head for a moment as a sheepish smile then etched across his lips. "Ah, enough about me though. How have you been doing, Vitala?" He was never good at talking about himself.

by cloudynight

YOU LEFT ME LIVING WITH A LINGERING SOUL

As @Keir began to speak, Vitala shifted herself to stand closer to him, sitting at his side. She listened intently as he divulged how he had been feeling as of late. Her brows knit a little when he mentioned feeling off. "I thought you fought very well," she complimented, lifting a paw to 'punch' his shoulder, though it was more of a soft boop of comradery. "I'm glad you're okay." She added, noting that at least he wasn't too badly wounded.

When the dark lion spoke of his mother coming by the cove, she tilted her head in wonder. What it must feel like to have a mother living nearby to see on occasion. Vitala felt a pang of near jealousy, but it was subdued and subtle. She parted her lips to speak on it, but when he trailed off and dismissed the conversation's attention on him she refrained from pressing further, for now.

Vitala looked at him silently for a moment before drawing a breath with a smile. "I've been well. Though, I can't say I've been up to anything interesting. I have to admit, now that I think about it, I've been pretty bored lately." she confessed, reflecting on her life within the lagoon. "What do you do when you feel stagnant?"

The compliment mixed in with her soft jab to his shoulder caused for Keir to become a little flustered. Okay, maybe more than a little, squirming a little bit at the sudden rush of testosterone and his cheeks beginning to heat up a little. He wasn’t sure what in the world was going on and he had no idea where to even begin on trying to figure it out. But here with @Vitala’s presence he knew was not the place. If only he were a little smarter to realize she may be the reason he was feeling like this… “Thank you,” would be his only comment to her compliment, always unsure how to react when he’s given one. His ears would prick forward as he listened to her as she spoke about what she had been doing during the colder season, and by the sounds of it she didn’t think she were doing too much of anything and instead was rather bored. Her question would catch him a little off guard, simply because he wasn’t really expecting such a question. But it wasn’t a hard one for him to answer. “Well,” he would begin, now shifting his body so that he were moving toward the flamingo that laid before them. With a front paw would he manage to dislodge one of the flamingo’s pink wing coverts. Dipping his maw toward it would he then grasp the end of it gingerly, maneuvering so that now he were closer to Vitala. With a gentle touch would he then attempt to place the feather behind the lioness’s ear, hot breath softly wisping around her own ear as his whiskers twitched. “I like to collect things. Things that stand out to me or are unique.” He would pull his face away as he spoke, not realizing that he had gotten waaay to close into the woman’s personal space without asking.

by cloudynight

YOU LEFT ME LIVING WITH A LINGERING SOUL

Vitala watched him with a curious gaze as he moved from her and towards the flamingo. He maneuvered carefully and plucked a feather from the bird. Scarlet eyes narrowed wondering what he was getting after, how this would answer her question. If that was even what he was doing. But what he did do had surprised her.

He had began to walk back to her. Closer and closer until his breath mingled in her fur, a warmth and closeness she hadn't anticipated. Her breath stilled as @Keir gently placed the feather behind her ear, twitching at the soft touch. In this position, she was really able to pick up the salted amber that was threaded in his dark fur. Vitala briefly closed her eyes as he donned the trinket in her fur, fluttering them open again when he pulled away from her and spoke.

She stepped away from him to stand closer to the water, leaning in to peer at her reflection. Her cheeks were flushed under her fur, shifting her attention back to him. She'd never experienced such kind gestures, her stomach knotting when she looked back at him. "It's.. beautiful, Keir," her smile was soft and kind, "Like these?" Vitala asked him, lifting a paw to faintly graze the feathers of his own; her touch careful not to dislodge the accessory.

He watched her with anticipation as @Vitala moved toward the waters edge, glancing down to look at her reflection. A rather proud grin would spread across his lips as she spoke about it, feeling his heart flutter a couple of times within his chest. "It is beautiful," he would respond in a soft tone, perhaps one that was too soft for her to hear. He couldn't help but appreciate how the pink of the feather seemed to compliment the coloring that adorned her face, the speckled appearance something that was beauty in his eyes. But as she moved back over toward him would he clear his throat a little, his tail flicking to the side. He would then watch her as Vitala lifted a paw to gingerly touch the feathers that were in his own mane, giving her a nod to her question. "Yeah, like these ones," he would begin, his eyes glancing in the direction they were positioned but obviously not being able to see them like she could. "I wear feathers so often that I usually forget they're there. I like to collect the ones that really stand out, too." Like how the stark blue both complimented his eye color and gave a pleasant contrast against his dark mane and pelt color.

by cloudynight

YOU LEFT ME LIVING WITH A LINGERING SOUL

She leaned back from him and took a couple small steps back as if to take in the whole picture again. "They look good on you," she complimented him, "And I'll be hanging on to this." Vitala gestured towards the feather he placed behind her ear with a flick of her scarlet eyes. A veil of silence would fall over the two for a moment before she let out a breathy, content exhale.

"I should probably get home," her gaze shifted to the sky for a moment before falling back to @Keir. She wanted to stay longer, but she had promised to see her sister in the evening. She stretched her legs and shook her pelt loose, nodding towards the flamingo. "You can take that back to the cove, if you want." Orienting herself to begin walking back in the direction of home, she called over her shoulder to him. "Hope to see you around, Keir," before disappearing into the brush. exit.

Her compliment would cause for more of the flustered feeling to engulf his body. He was used to mother or friends saying the feathers in his mane looked good, but @Vitala? Something about the way she said it made it different to him and he couldn't figure out why exactly. "Good," he would respond whenever she mentioned she was going to keep the feather he had placed behind her ear. He hoped she kept it for a long while and wore it often, but only time would tell. The lioness would soon then speak of needing to leave and Keir felt his heart drop a little. He didn't want her to go so soon, enjoying her presence and their conversation. But he knew that there were much more important things to do other than sit and waste time talking to a lion like himself, so he would give her a nod before speaking. "I had a good time today. Until next time." He would watch until her figure disappeared from view before letting out a rather heavy sigh, staring down at the flamingo briefly before picking it up by the body and heading back off toward Caladan. exit Keir.

by cloudynight