It did not need to be said that the man knew what it was like to be caught up within the depths of one's own mind. While such moments were often left to the quiet confines of his small hotel room, a place where he knew letting go of his awareness would not welcome the chance for anything or anyone to catch him off-guard, there were many nights both restless and not where his mind would wander back to the one place it always did. He would lay there on the covers of that queen-sized bed, strong and defined arms up Tony allow for his hands to knit together behind his head that would rest within the embrace of the singular pillow as golden-hazel eyes would look up to the stark white ceiling of his silent room. Eventually, the sounds of the city would fade away into nothingness, not even registering within the lion's mind as background noise. The near constant honks of ill-tempered and impatient drivers so foolishly seeming to think yelling at the vehicles in front of their own might make things move that much quicker. The roar of countless cars, trucks, and semis would just seem to stop as the were is so entrapped within himself to such a point that could very nearly be considered lost to the world just beyond the door that divided him from the rest of Sacrosanct. Those eyes would close then as the hotel room fell away and he allows for his thoughts to take him back to another time and place altogether. Just last night, before he had been able to find any semblance of sleep, it had carried him to a small town in the middle of nowhere. Here, everything seemed to be stuck in time, the roads made of dirt and gravel rather than hot pavement and the rank stench of far too many machines all trying to get to where they were determined to be. The air was fresh here, a deep breath drawing into the lion's lungs with such a satisfying and invigorating freshness that fell so terribly short when compared to the rank and overpowering scents of the city which the man was still learning to grow accustomed to. In this place his heart knew so well, there was an effortless peace and tranquility, people walking among the roads and offering a warm smile to those they passed. Hjarta had been the one and only place the lion had ever mused the idea of settling in, even though he knew such odds of his pride breaking away from their nomadic lifestyle was frightfully small. It had been a one-in-a-million chance, following that hardly traveled old road flanked on both sides by wilderness, the trees there growing tall and proud as they offered shade shelter to the wandering pride on that summer afternoon, only to end up discovering the small were community that called Hjarta home.

Existence within the embrace of that world hidden away from the eyes of others who did not know it and there had been a quiet and content one. One would have been almost entirely certain that the Lionels had finally, after always living life ready to abandon their home on the smallest, slightest hint suggesting the dark hunters had managed to catch up with them, after all those years of always looking over their shoulders with expectancy to find a shadowy figure watching with dangerous interest, the pride had stumbled into a place where they could finally live out their lives safe and sound. In all of the lion's years, there had never been a place quite like Hjarta in beauty or warmth. How easily he could remember the way the sun seemed to caress his skin and somehow touch his spirit, how the gentle summer breeze would whisper through the trees as the leaves would rustle with the disturbance of those branches overhead. Those open fields of wheat and hay would dance as unseen, yet certainly not unfelt zephyrs would usher over them, almost giving the impression of a lake whose waters were made of soft and shimmering gold. The wooden fences marking where one's crops ended and another's began had been a strangely beautiful sight, some painted white and others left to show their natural wooden hues as a small and varied number of livestock would be grazing idly on the lush pastures just beyond the furthest reaches of what few old and worn yet charming buildings there were to rise from the rich soils the safe haven Roman would have never believed to exist before. All this, encircled by thick forest in every direction, the trees even seeming to stand alongside the buildings where they did not allow for those crops to flourish undisturbed... it had been captivating, breathtaking as golden-hazel eyes drank in the view, finding no street lights - likely because there had been only one main roar among but a small handful of side streets - or tall skyscrapers made of cold steel and glass. There, in that small rural town a world all its own, Roman's journey could have easily ended. Maybe he might have been able to convince his pride that Hjarta was the place for them, that there would be no other part of the world where they were among their own kind and had little to fear or worry about. Surely, if those natives had been settled there for so long, it was safe and hidden from the almost gluttonous eyes of those who hunted them? How simple life could have been for the lion and his pride... but, as fate would show him, they were not meant to stay there. Like, clockwork, his family gathered up their things after the passing of two years, and left Hjarta behind to become only a fond memory he would visit often.

..."Ro? Do you think we'll ever have a house?", Trinity has asked the lion one day, perhaps only a week or so after they'd left the comforts and shelter of that small rural town. Roman had smiled down to his youngest sister, meeting those usually fierce milk chocolate hues which had been then been soft and sorrowful. Clearly it had been a thought on the young lioness's mind for some time, having been just as hopeful to make Hjarta the one thing they'd never really had in life. The man reached out to his sister then, resting his hand over the top of her head only to caress her golden hair. She leaned into his side as they sat there on a bench in some park while they waited for the rest of their pride who had gone off to gather what few supplies they would need to replenish before moving on to the next place they would make temporary settlement in."Of course we'll have a house in the next town, Trin. I'm sure mom and dad don't want to try and fit us all in an apartment", he said gently to the twenty-year-old young woman sitting beside him. He'd wrapped his arm around her shoulders then, unable to keep his smile from softening further when she narrowed her eyes upon the man."That's not what I meant and you know it", she'd replied, her usually bright and sweet voice close to a low growl. Even as a woman, he could always see the lioness in his sister, her heart and spirit so much like his own. A soft chuckle rumbles through the man's chest then as he squeezes her ever so slightly tighter to his side, golden-hazel eyes gleaming."Yes, I know", he said in reply then, as the amusement that had flickered there with his gaze only moments ago faded into thoughtfulness. He is silent for a moment, studying the expectancy in his sister's face as she waited for him to provide the answer she was after."It's hard to say, sister. The future has a strange way of keeping things from us unless we chase it", he murmured quietly before casting his attention briefly over to the tattered playground where the twins, a pair of twenty-three-year-olds acting as though they were half that age, challenged one another to see who could swing the highest on that old, rickety swing set."Well... I guess I'll have to do that, then. I want a real home, Ro. Not a hundred temporary ones", the lioness had said that day, such conviction and determination in her every word. The man looks back to the young woman again, golden-hazel eyes meeting milk chocolate so alive with the fire he adored her for. He worried for her, being alone in the world... and yet a part of Roman knew that if it was what she wanted for herself, if leaving the pride and starting a life all her own was what she wanted, then he would only ever want the same for her. He smiled lovingly to her then, blinking softly as he regards her in that moment, the perfect image of a spirit that would shine like the brightest of stars in dark night sky."Then, if that is what you want, chase it. Just promise me that you'll be patient, wait for when the time is right", he whispered quietly to her, even though there wasn't really anyone around that would have been able to hear them. Trinity smiled brightly, gently up to the man then, an image in his mind that he could never unremember."I promise"...

But only one of many memories, it was so often this one that had the power enough to keep a sound night's sleep from the lion. He wonders when the day might come that Trinity would call him, tell him that she'd finally found the house, the "home" her heart and soul had always wanted. Then again, perhaps she has since found her place within their pride, the dream of such a world all her own gone like a passing fancy... and yet, a part of Roman doubted that she would have shared with him that dream if it hadn't been one she wanted more than even he knew. Whatever or wherever she was, he only ever hoped that she was safe, well, and happy. That was all that, as her older brother, the man could ever ask for from whatever divine being might be watching over the world they'd created. However, in this moment, as she slides into the seat across from the beautiful woman who's been so enraptured in her drawings, Roman is mindful to push these ever-present questions to the back of his thoughts for now. Her voice reaches him again, as soft as silk... her laughter, sweet light wild clover honey to match her seemingly warm nature. It is impossible for Roman not to allow a soft smile to touch his face as she speaks, a fleeting pause coming between them as he extends his hand and name to her, she eagerly returning his gestures."The pleasure is all mine", he replies courteously then, golden-hazel eyes resting softly over her. Fiora. He cannot help but find her name to be gentle, like a soft summer breeze brushing lightly against his mind and his heart where it would be remembered, and as her hand is nearly hidden within his own, the man is unable to ignore the softness of her hand in his."Fiora. That is a beautiful name. Do you know of its origins?", he murmurs warmly as he releases her hand and allows for strong fingers to curl around his coffee cup. As he brings it to his lips and savors that first drink, the lion hardly misses the way her blue-gray gaze seems to watch him curiously before a smile dances onto her lips, her words following shortly just as he places the cup back onto the table, a soft chuckle coaxed from the lion so easily in that moment."I don't usually treat myself, but I'm certainly glad that I did this morning", he remarks in turn, pausing only briefly."Are you an avid coffee drinker?", he asks softly, wondering if perhaps being up this early and finding herself in such a place as this up-beat café was part of the young woman's typical routine. Most people seemed to partake in such a start to their day, but was she one of them? Or was this just as unusual for her as it was for him? It was a question he did not find himself thinking about someone he's only just met, and yet he could not help but wonder about her.

Again, she laughs in time with the lion, and he finds himself wanting to hear it again, enjoying the musical note to her voice. When she replies to his honest answer he'd given her, there is a warmth that fills his golden-hazel gaze."I am sure they would surpass any of my attempts by far", he remarks kindly in smooth tenor tones, pausing thoughtfully for only a moment as he allows for her words to settle over him."I certainly agree with you, though. I've never considered such a passion for myself and yet, I would not be opposed to giving it a valiant attempt someday", he says thoughtfully. While it hadn't been something that the man ever really considered or yearned to do in his life, the idea of exploring such a world as the one that Fiora seemed so enthralled by would hardly be an experience that he would find himself regretting. However, his attentions are quickly drawn from that curious pondering when the sound of her pencil clicking against the wooden table pulls him from the depths of his thought, concern flickering across his features, though it is quickly shifted into surprise at the sudden awe and intrigue that illuminates her face. He does not need to ask her if she is alright, Fiora suddenly flowing like a babbling brook as she speaks of a place she'd purchased which was in need of fixing. But, it was not the words that spoke, rather how it was she spoke them, that captures the lion wholly. There is a passion in her silken words, and it reminds him so much of the same fire that had filled his sister's gaze that day. There is determination there in those syllables, excitement and so much hope that Roman cannot help the nearly affectionate smile that finds his chiseled features in turn."It is easy to see that this place means so much to you already", he says warmly then, feeling a part of himself truly moved by the way that the woman truly seemed to feel whole-heartedly and completely about this dream she has."I would glad to help you, Fiora. Don't worry about rate. Whatever you can afford will be more than enough", he says gently. The man was far from concerned about how much she could pay him, simply privileged to help this dream of hers, this passion she felt with what seemed to be every part of her soul, would be rewarding enough for the man. Besides, if there was anyone who know what it was like to have little money for just the bare necessities, it was Roman. After being what one might consider homeless through the last few years, surviving on odd jobs had become a staple for the man. And, unlike the woman before him who was very much human, Roman was able to provide many things for himself that most humans could not, his need for shelter easily adapted to a burrow or brambles, his requirement for nourishment just as easily sufficed by his ability to hunt.

A sheepish expression falls over Fiora then, the lion's own softening in turn as he finds her all the more endearing for the timid modesty that was very much becoming of her. She turns the page back then, openly describing to him what it was that she had been working on before offering him the sketchbook. Accepting the invitation, he is mindful, careful to as his hand reaches for the paper and lifts it from the table so that he could better admire it. Though it was unfinished, still the man found those strokes serving the purpose as they brought the young woman's vision from the depths of her mind and onto the material his hand gently grasps."You certainly have a natural talent for this. I can see the care you've placed into every line here", he comments warmly, golden-hazel eyes lingering over the figure that she'd mentioned looked much like her older brother. He smiles gently then."There is a lot of thought put into this one. Your brother looks like a fine young man. Perhaps in a way, he almost reminds me of my younger brother", he remarks then, almost wistful in the way those words usher softly forth for only Fiora to hear. Upon her next words, with curiosity encouraged, he careful turns through the pages, though there is amusement that flickers through his gaze as another soft chuckle falls from his chest at her subtle humor before glancing with interest over the various landscapes and figures etched into the stark paper."Your work is very beautiful, Fiora. I can easily see your passion in these pieces", he says then when he's looked over the last of the sketches within those pages, tenderly closing the book before offering it back to the woman. He takes another sip of his own coffee, finding it a much more pleasurable temperature that allowed for him to take a much large drink this time, only to set the paper cup back onto the table."So, where is this place that you've purchased?", he asks then, seeing this question as perhaps the next most sensible one that he could ask. If he was to help her, then the man would certainly need to know where it was that he would be traveling to. There were of course other questions the man had, and yet he does not wish to overwhelm her. When she would like to get started, what things he might need to bring and where they would be getting materials, that would all come in due time. And, though he did keep in the back of his mind the banana nut muffin he intended to bring to Maeve this morning, there was still plenty of time for the lion to enjoy his coffee and the warm company of the woman he shared this morning with before he would need to depart. and yet he does not wish to overwhelm her, instead waiting patiently for Fiora and allowing her the chance to release as much or as little as she so desired.