Change. It was one of the few things in this world that almost always held a constant presence in one's life, and what was perhaps the most prominent characteristic of this part of living was that it often times came around whether you wanted it to or not. There was no fighting it on most occasions, and trying to struggle or rebel against it often made things that much harder. And yet, in the many years that he had lived and watched time and change work together as a fiercesome and inevitable force to shift the world and those in it, there was still a surprise that found hazel eyes while he watched so many continue to try and defy something that was so often beyond their control. Not everyone did, but those who were so stubborn and unwilling to let this natural part of life influence them... it was almost puzzling to him. Yes, he understood that it was frightening for some, these souls being the sort that were wary of anything they were unfamiliar with, and even more unsure of anything that they could not see the end result of. They preferred predictability, the almost false sense of being able to control what it was that happened in their little world they were determined to believe was only manipulated and shaped by themselves and the choices that they made. They didn't trust the shadows waiting around the figurative bend in the path, almost always taking the trails well-worn and traveled often by others. And then, there were the individuals that were simply stubborn and wanted things to remain the same. These beings, they hated the idea of change and how it could just come into their life like a storm on the horizon and at the end of the day, when it blew over, only fragments of how things had once been would be left behind. They refused to move, digging in their heels and battling every moment to remain stuck firmly in what was instead of simply allowing fornchsnge to happen and accepting what could be.

Understandably, it was perhaps an instinct of sorts to try and avoid change as it often making needing to take chances in unfamiliar territory. Traveling those uncharted waters and not knowing where it was that one might find themselves, it was something that Roman could bring himself to perceive as a fair enough reason for others to be cautious about the slightest of shifts in their life. Many were creatures of habit, cherishing their day to day routines and let me times being thrown for an unexpected loop when this normal pattern was disturbed. Like drops of fallen rain as they would break the still surface of a lake, such disturbances usually made things harder to see, took a clear mind and rattled it. What some didn't take the time to stop and realize when this happened though was that those ripples wouldn't last forever, and soon that glass-like surface would be still and clear once more. The whole idea of "cause and effect" seemed to be lost on the minds of many, a part of the world nearly having forgotten that every decision made it action taken could have a different outcome that it did before. Simply because one made the same choice ever day to walk to work did not mean that they would not be subjected to the natural elements of an unforeseen complication, like a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol that somehow loses control of the car and collides with that very pedestrian who took that exact route to their job each and every day. No matter how many times a soul chose one particular thing in their life, there was always that chance that change would take it and shatter all sense of familiarity. Just because one always decided to do the same thing every day in the same way at almost the same exact time each and every day didn't keep.one safe and out of change's way. Hell, if anything, these individuals would be the ones so profoundly effected by change and its unpredictability that it leave them lost and wondering where it was they'd gone wrong, failing to see at least for a time that it wasn't any fault of theirs that change happened. It just did sometimes, and the quicker one accepted its inevitable presence, the easier things tended to be - most of the time.

Despite the icy chill of the winter morning, the sun was shining unobscured for the first time in the few brief days since his arrival in this new city, and it was the desire to feel that weak warm seep into his skin that brought him here to biggest park in Sacrosanct. It was practically perfect for Roman. Wide open spaces, various trails cutting around or across the gently rolling hills... and the dense cluster of trees scattered all throughout, it was the one reason he'd decided to settle here. At least, for a while. It had been years since he'd had an established home, a place where he'd laid down roots and made a spot for himself. It wasn't that he couldn't find any reason to stay if he looked hard enough, but rather it was his being able to also find a good reason not to stick around that had him taking up the life of a nomad, hardly lingering in one place for long. Something had drawn him to Sacrosanct, though. And so, he'd found a hotel with rooms for rent, and found himself in that temporary state of settlement. Now, it was only a matter of time to wait and see how long it lasted. Having found a quiet little clearing where several large rocks sat beside a small, trickling stream, the beast made himself comfortable. It was on cold mornings like this that the were was thankful for that thick and glorious golden mane, the african lion male sprawled out on his side contentedly, almost lazily there across the flattest and largest of the boulders so perfectly placed in the sunlight that it was like it was meant for Roman. Gods, this feels amazing. He stretched his powerful limbs out to their furthest reach as massive paws knead momentarily with the delicious sensation of those muscles flexing and relaxing beneath short golden fur, his large and proud head rubbing in that very feline way against the smooth, stoney surface with eyes closed in quiet bliss as he flicks a single ear nearly hidden beneath those thick golden locks to catch the faint sound of winter birds chirping in the boughs above him. It is then that the beast slips into a peaceful doze, the deep and guttural humming of a lion content only just loud enough to be heard resonating throughout his morning basking spot while unable to carry past the trees that surrounded him.

For now, everything was perfect...