04-18-2020, 01:22 PM
we wear the mask
that grins and lies
that grins and lies
Pleased that he had been able to land a swipe on the more experienced predator's cheek, Halycon echoes Titanya's roar with his own quieter one. It falls short, pressed into silence by the grin across his feline face and the deep inhales of his flared nostrils. The tiger adjusts himself to sit comfortably upon his muscled hindquarters and raises a front paw to rub at his ear as the woman grins back at him. He snorts his amusement at her question before shrugging his shoulders noncommittally.
"Yes, but usually they don't fight back," he says in jest, his lopsided grin widening, "That's why it's so quiet around these parts." He thinks on their first conversation ─ on his innocent surprise when the woman had mentioned his ability to kill things ─ and the memory draws some combination of excitement and dread to roil in the depths of his stomach.
He is distracted, though, by the harshness of Titanya's voice. He hadn't expected her to be searching for him, and though he wants to correct her by elaborating on his statement, the young tiger simply allows his grin to falter and his feline eyes to dart away from the woman sheepishly.
His embarrassment at the misunderstanding is short-lived. Her voice has softened, and it coaxes his feline eyes to return to the tigress. He watches as her eyes explore their surroundings until finally they come back to him, accompanied by a request that he is happy to provide.
"Of course," he says enthusiastically, his grin returning. He has been gone from Ischia for far too long, only just returning after a year in Loess with his family, and showing Titanya the lay of the land will allow him the opportunity to learn it again himself.
"Ready?" he asks as he stands once more, before bounding further into the jungle at a comfortable lope. He chooses paths that will allow them to run side-by-side, but hangs back in those areas that narrow to allow her to pass through in front of him. He leads her into the thick of the tropical flora, where vines intertwine and make for fun climbing, and maneuvers his tri-colored body through a tangle of them to reveal a hidden basin of water on the other side. "This is my favorite spot," he tells her candidly before offering a mischievous smile as he wades into the crystalline pond, "I don't think anyone else knows it's here. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can catch fish ─" his sentence is cut short as he turns his feline eyes to the rippling water in search for fish below the surface.
@[Titanya]
""
"Yes, but usually they don't fight back," he says in jest, his lopsided grin widening, "That's why it's so quiet around these parts." He thinks on their first conversation ─ on his innocent surprise when the woman had mentioned his ability to kill things ─ and the memory draws some combination of excitement and dread to roil in the depths of his stomach.
He is distracted, though, by the harshness of Titanya's voice. He hadn't expected her to be searching for him, and though he wants to correct her by elaborating on his statement, the young tiger simply allows his grin to falter and his feline eyes to dart away from the woman sheepishly.
His embarrassment at the misunderstanding is short-lived. Her voice has softened, and it coaxes his feline eyes to return to the tigress. He watches as her eyes explore their surroundings until finally they come back to him, accompanied by a request that he is happy to provide.
"Of course," he says enthusiastically, his grin returning. He has been gone from Ischia for far too long, only just returning after a year in Loess with his family, and showing Titanya the lay of the land will allow him the opportunity to learn it again himself.
"Ready?" he asks as he stands once more, before bounding further into the jungle at a comfortable lope. He chooses paths that will allow them to run side-by-side, but hangs back in those areas that narrow to allow her to pass through in front of him. He leads her into the thick of the tropical flora, where vines intertwine and make for fun climbing, and maneuvers his tri-colored body through a tangle of them to reveal a hidden basin of water on the other side. "This is my favorite spot," he tells her candidly before offering a mischievous smile as he wades into the crystalline pond, "I don't think anyone else knows it's here. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can catch fish ─" his sentence is cut short as he turns his feline eyes to the rippling water in search for fish below the surface.
""
Sorry for the wait! ♥