Phoenix Maplewood and this is just losing

Arion gazed at the garden silently, as still as a statue. He gathered all the factual details he had of the garden: It was a nice garden, nicely made and well planted. He hadn't seen any gardens before, so he didn't know if it really was nice, or if he simply thought it was nice because it was the first one he ever saw. It didn't really matter, because that wasn't the reason he stopped to stare in first place. The reason? Arion didn't know. He just felt the urge to see it; it was strange, nothing he had experienced before and while he wouldn't admit it, it scared him.

The Greek was staring so intently that when Citali spoke, he practically jumped aside and assumed a combative stance immediately. His velvety chocolate ears flattened against his skull and his black lips were pulled back in a silent but no less ferocious silent snarl. It was only when he realised who it was that he relaxed. "Bloody hell," Arion grumbled as he licked a few patches of ruffled fur flat again and turned to look at Citali.

He remained silent for a moment, simply taking her in. She was large and furry, covered in beautiful shades of brown and had eyes of piercing silvery blue. She was pretty even though she was big boned and didn't have much curves. Perhaps her intelligence made her prettier; maybe she was ugly to others. Whatever. He shook those thoughts away. "Yeah, nice garden you got here," he said with a grin. "Guess you are smart, after all."