A meeting or an arguement? (kari x taku)

[Lethrossen]

The growls coming from the male were starting to make Kari nervous, but it wasn't as if she could immediately stop her laughter. But then he roared, and that had helped the process quite a bit.

Ah! He was angry again, though Kari hadn't honestly been trying to upset him... it just sort of happened. He was just too touchy, she had decided right then. She rolled her eyes at his words and snorted. "Oh excellent. Bet the reunion will leave you in a bloody heap. Can't believe some lions get off on that sort of thing.." She sneered, but she was already stalking into the Kusini woods, just past the treeline. She was doing this more for her own safety, she didn't want to be attacked but she was pissed that he was pissed. Couldn't he take a bit of joking?

Still, his words bothered her a little. She really didn't like him, seemed to be all brawn and no brains... so he seemed to be perfectly suited for miss firekin. They could go meet up again and rip each others' throats out for all Kari cared! "What do you think I was doing?" She snarled out when he told her to piss off, not at all pleased he'd been able to tell her to leave before she could do it on her own. "Like I wanna stick around!" She was still visable, just behind the first row of trees.

Her eyes widened and her lip curled at his last insult. "Me pathetic?" what a jerk! He was a big stinking idiot, really! "I'M not the one who got beat up by a female!" She spat at him, all the while she was heading backwards slowly so she could get a head start if he decided now was a good time to lunge at her.  

[Lethrossen]

Taku was trembling with anger - why was she being so mean!? Even Kalama hadn't been this mean to him, and she'd been a Firekin! He felt tears begin to rise in his eyes, but fiercely blinked them back, determined that he wasn't going to cry in front of such a stupid girl.

See! Such stupid, snide comments like that just weren't necessary! Before she'd even finished the sentence he'd interjected, taking a rather menacing step forwards. "SEE! You feel the need to put others down to make yourself feel good! You're just a pathetic bully!" he spat, disgust clear on his face. "Why do you have to say such horrible things! I bet you don't even have any friends - you've scared them all away!"

A small smirk crossed his face at her outburst, though - it was a minor vitory, but one he savoured. And snarl was soon back on his face, though, the only thing keeping him from leaping and slashing at her now not being Amanzi, but the fact that she was in a forest - a forest owned by a pride of lions he didn't want ganging up and attacking him.

"I did NOT get beaten up!" he roared - his loudest one yet - using all willpower he could possibly find to keep himself on the spot, without his paws around her throat.  

[Lethrossen]

She'd stopped in her back tracking almost immediately when he said that she was putting him down just to feel good about herself. Shock flashed across her face, mixed with hurt and then confusion. What? she wasn't doing that? Was she... had she really been that mean to him? But he was being a jerk too! That wasn't fair.. a bully!

And she did TOO have friends! Her sisters.. and her cousins and... oh.. were family allowed to be friends with each other? Did they count? Her mouth worked to try and shake off his claims but she couldn't say anything. She looked just as equally ready to cry as he'd been feeling.

She frowned deeply but she was still too dumbfounded to say anything. She winced at the roar, wishing he'd just shut up. "You did too, and you have those stupid scars to prove it. I don't want to ever see your face again." Her words were mean but they were quiet, almost as if she'd given up in the arguement. was she really a bully? With no friends? She'd never thought of herself that way, it wasn't as if everyone she met made her as pissed as he did, and she'd never really... oh she felt horrible! She hated him. What a jerk... that was probably really why that firekin had beat him up!

She was stomping angrily through the woods, and at least her mind had been taken off the ghost stories for now.  

[Lethrossen]

Taku growled - he really had to learn to start controlling his anger. Oh...she was storming off now. And the scars were just shows of his strength - he'd been scratched, not beaten up! There was a big difference!

"I...Hey, wait up!"

He hadn't meant to get so angry! He just...his name meant fire. And he was a very fiery individual with a veyr short fuse. Growling, angry at himself, he jumped up, chasing after the female, feeling a little guilty now. "I was just angry! I didn't really mean it! I just...you were saying some mean things! What else was I supposed to say!?"  

[Lethrossen]

When she heard his shout she began to move faster but she knew it wouldn't be helpful, she didn't know her way around the woods and it would take her a very long time to get back to her family den.

But he didn't sound like he was coming after her to beat her up for being a bully. Even just thinking of herself as so gave her heart a small pang of hurt. Well if what she had said was mean he was ten times the bully! She whirled around to face him because he was getting too close at this point, but she was a little embaressed. Tears had started spilling out of her eyes because she was so upset.

"What, I can't get angry either?" She yelped out, trying to calm herself down. She really just wanted to insult him some more, hurt his feelings for making her feel this way. She was surprised that such a stranger could make her feel so bad. She didn't even know his damn name! "I'm not allowed to think you're some bad crazy lion because of those?" She jerked her chin at his scars but she felt like an idiot even saying it. "It's not my fault, I'm not a bully! And so what if I don't have real friends, my family loves me!" She spat out, her words slightly panicked as if he'd told her she was the worst lioness in the world, not just that she was good at insulting lions. "What about you, I don't see-" But she broke off the words, realizing she was doing exactly what he'd said. She'd been about to insult him again, try and make him hurt so she could feel at least a little better in her situation.

She looked horrified for a second. "Oh gods above I am a bully!" She suddenly wailed out, her tears becoming more hysteric now as she stood there.  

[Lethrossen]

When would she stop!? She seemed to keep running forever, until she finally stopped, wheeling around to face him in a challenging manner. Taku slowed, keeping his distance, watching her warily. His anger had run out - he didn't feel angry anymore. Guilty? Apologetic? Curious? Maybe, yeah. But not angry. But...wait. She was crying? Taku swalloed a lump in his throat, taking a step back as she turned on him, shouting at him.

But...he didn't feel angry. It was weird. Like the rare occassions when Amanzi got angry, and he realized that instead of shouting back he just had to let her stand there and shout at him until she felt better. 'Cause it was the only thing that could work. A hurt expression crossed his face at her insults, but he just sat there, watching her with his bright blue eyes.

And suddenly something seemed to click. Takuma winced as she suddenly broke into louder sobs, a little unsure of what to do. Amanzi he'd move up and hug her, just holding her until she calmed down. But he couldn't do that with this girl - he dind't know her! But...she certainly seemed like she needed a hug. Rather awkwardly he approached Kari, awkwardly reaching out a paw with which he patted her shoulder, before eventually shuffling closer, ignoring any protests she might have made. Eventually he was sat directly beside her, perhaps a little too close for comfort, and he reached over to lick her tears away.

"I'm sorry. You're not a bully - I was just angry." he spoke, pausing before he spoke again, "...I'm Taku. Who're you?"  

[Lethrossen]

And now this made it probably the most embaresing event of her life, bawling like a cub (or perhaps worse than a cub) in front of a perfect stranger that she'd just bullied! She felt like such an idiot, and a big jerk. She didn't hear him as he approached, she was actually hoping that maybe he'd gotten uncomfortable and just left her to her own devices because she was so- she suddenly felt someone's paw patting against her shoulder and she took a deep, broken breath through her sobs so she could open her eyes and stared wide eyed at the male, surprised.

This in itself was odd enough for her tears to almost stop. She sniffed and shifted slightly backwards as he came even closer, still too confused to speak, but he continued to move with her. So she stopped trying and sat, almost mirroring his movement as he sat himself. He... wasn't mad any longer? Maybe this was some sort of- his rough tongue against her cheek sent her into such another shock that she yelped slightly and pulled her face just a bit away, and then felt incredibly embaressed. "I'msorry." She mumbled, staring down at her paws, wondering if it was normal for strangers to help groom you.

She was used to her family doing such things but... well, that was her family. And now her heart was thundering in her chest, though she still couldn't figure out what was going on. One minute thinking he was some scary brawler and now he was trying to comfort her when she was being a pratt! "No... I was being really mean.." Again she spoke softly, refusing to look at him because she was ashamed. "I... haven't ever met anyone besides family before so.." As if that was an excuse!

She glanced sideways at him, almost secretively. Taku, huh? A sudden small bubble of laughter passed her maw. They hadn't even known each other's names! "Ah.. Mng'Kari.. Kari is alright though, s'what my sisters call me." She said, it was obvious she was already cheering up.  

[Lethrossen]

She seemed to feel awkward, but he did too, so maybe it was alright? Her yelp caused him to giggle a little - a manly giggle, mind - Taku flashing her a cheesy grin before finishing drying her face, sitting back and watching her. ...He had been supposed to do that, right? He'd only been trying to make her feel better! He really hoped he hadn't crossed a line, and given any wrong impressions...he'd been trying to cheer her up, was all.

She apologized, and he shook his head, beaming a smile down at her. This felt better than fighting - he liked making friends. "Nono, my fault. I was rude too. ...I mostly hang around with Amanzi. She's my twin sister, so I haven't met many besides family..."

She laughed, and he frowned, confused. What was she laughing at? And then she introduced himself, and he smiled again, nodding. He'd be sure to remember her name...or at least the Kari bit, He butted his head fondly against hers, purring. He didn't realize such signs of fondness were for strangers, since it was all he ever did with Amanzi, and that seemed to cheer her up just fine. "I'm sorry then, Kari."  

[Lethrossen]

He didn't stop cleaning her face though, and privately she was actually quite a bit pleased by that. It was nice to be comforted when you were upset, even if it was your own fault that you were upset.

Who was Amanzi? Probably another girl he'd gotten into some love-fight with.. oh! His sister! She was actually glad he couldn't hear what she was thinking, and she wasn't sure why she'd jumped to that conclusion. "So you spend time with your family too!" She chripped, and it seemed to more than please Kari. She thought family was something very important in life. "So... she looks like you?" Her head tilted as she studied him. "I have a pair of twins in my family too. They look exactly alike!" Luckily they had a different gender, otherwise it would get much too confusing.

Her ears flicked back as she saw him frown and she felt embaressed again, should she explain herself? Ah, seemed to be no need. Suddenly he butted his head against her, again it was a famaliar action that she shared with her family members, but it made her heart patter a bit differently when the strange male did it. She swallowed and just offered a nervous grin, not aware her own purr had begun to rumble from her chest. It must be alright then.. she just hadn't met anyone outside of her family, but maybe it was that all lions did these things. "Me too Taku!"  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Oh, spending time with family was good? Well, obviously Taku already knew that, and he loved his sister dearly. He didn't know where he'd be without her - he still felt bad that she'd felt compelled to leave the Bahari'mtoto with him. He nodded to her question, flashing another cheesy grin as she mentioned her own pair of twins, in her own family. He'd never seen another pair of twins before - just him and Zizi. But that made him think he was special, and so was Zizi. So it was all good.

"Me and Zizi don't look exactly alike," he corrected her, although how was she supposed to know? "All my pink bits are green on Zizi." he spoke, indicating the pink band of fur on his paw, as if to show which bits would be green. He soon realized she probably already knew that, though, looking up with a bright smile. The smile was soon broken by a yawn, however, his maw stretching wide, showing all of his sharp teeth before it snapped shut again, Taku shaking his head as he blinked his eyes drearily, managing to smile down at Kari as she purred back. ...She wasn't actually that bad.

"Ugh, I'm tireedd...."  

[Lethrossen]

So they did not look exactly alike... just a color difference? Her eyes danced across the pink band on his paw, sniffing a bit more as the last of her tears had ended. She smiled slightly but kept her thought of pink being a really girlish color and green being a really boyish color to herself, because she thought it might get him mad again. Her gaze flicked up to his as he smiled at her and she suddenly felt very warm and comfortable, so she shot her own smile back.

He was yawning though and said that he was tired, her tail flicked a little. "Maybe you need to go back to sleep?" She said softly, wondering why she didn't want that at all. She thought maybe now that they weren't screaming together he might help her find her way back! But she wasn't about to ask him when he was so cute and sleepy!

Her thoughts froze suddenly in bewilderment at the word cute, though she could only think that perhaps it was the same way you thought a newborn cub was cute. Must be!  

[xo -- k a i r i]

She sniffed, and his groggy eyes shot open, afraid he'd somehow managed to offend her again. He was reassured when he noticed it was just the last of her tears, though, flashing a sweet smile instead. He was glad - he didn't want her crying again. He'd felt really bad and, like...guilty, when she'd been crying.

Sleep? Yeah, that was probably a good idea. He flashed a cheesy grin and a nod, shaking his head shortly afterwards in an attempt to stop himself dropping to sleep straight there and then. Ugh - where was he going to sleep, though? And he couldn't go wandering and finding Zizi now. It was dark, and he'd barely get out of these pride lands before he dropped asleep. And that could be dangerous - some fat old lion could come along and think he was food!

"Can I sleep here?" he asked, a little sheepishly, cheeks flushing pink underneath his chocolate fur, "Or, more like...is there anywhere here I can sleep and not get into trouble with like, your pride?"  

[Lethrossen]

As his cheeks flushed so did hers, but she wasn't sure why his question made her embarrassed also. "Here?" She squeaked, looking around a little before bringing her attention back to him. But what about the spirits and monsters? Of course... she didn't really believe in the spirits lingering in these woods but the idea of them still made the area very creepy. "You're not afraid?" She said, her voice was in awe.

Her tail flicked and she just grinned at him. "I don't think my pride would be mad if they found you asleep here... most of us are very friendly!" Of course, they had horrible tempers and weren't all very bright. But there were many acceptations to those labels, like her father who never got angry or her aunt who was also the queen but was probably the most intelligent lioness that Kari knew! "If... if you aren't afraid then..." She gestured with her paw around them but shuddered because she was afraid. Would she have to stay here with him?

"I'm also afraid i don't know the woods very good so I'm not sure where would be a good spot to sleep.." she looked at him, frowning slightly because she wasn't being helpful at all! Darn, she should have been offering him her spot in her family den or something... of course, she doubted her father would like that very much.  

[Lethrossen]

Afraid? Of what? His forehead creased, Taku watching her with mild confusion. What was there to be afraid of? It was just a forest - the onyl things in here were rabbits and bats, neither of which he found particularly frightening. He quite enjoyed chasing bats, actually. He flashed a goofy grin, trying to edge away her fear - he didn't like it when others were scared. And he didn't like it when they teased him, so he figured Kari wouldn't much enjoy it either.

But they wouldn't get mad? Well, at least that was a good thing. He glanced around, glad to find a mossy rock that looked quite comfortable, and would make a decent bed for him. He trotted over to it, clambering on top and laying down with another grin. Why couldn't he stop grinning? It was kidna funny, and...nice.

"I'm not afraid of woods! And this is comfy enough - I'll be fine here." he spoke, beaming a smile down at her. She seemed quite wary, and although he quite wanted her to stay and keep him company, it was clear she'd rather not. So, it was with a more reassuring smile that he spoke again.

"You don't have to stay. I'll come find you in the morning, if you like."  

[Lethrossen]

At his goody grin Kari couldn't help but feel a little silly about being afraid of the rumored spirits that haunted the forest... but strangely enough it wasn't a bad sort of silly, it was more like he was helping he lift those fears a little.

of course he wouldn't be afraid of the woods, he didn't grow up hearing the stories! She wouldn't tell him them though, why put his mind at unease? Plus she often found them to be just that- stories. But how could you not believe them just a little when you were by yourself in such a big, dark forest? She moved toward the rock and placed her front paws up on it. "Really?" She said, sounding delighted.

If he'd actually come find her... that meant he wanted to be friends! Her first friend... oh she couldn't wait to tell her sister about this! "It's a deal!" She chirped. "I'll find my way to the boarder again... alright?" She said softly, tail flicking. "But... maybe I should go now then... I don't want my mama and papa to get worried... so... i promise to meet you again!" She said with a small laugh before reching up to butt his shoulder with her forehead, a little gesture of goodbye.

She turned and moved through the woods, the easiness she felt around him creeping back into unease as she moved farther away. She hopped at least Sesere would find her or she'd come back into the more open Kusini lands soon. "Have a good rest!" She called back over her shoulder, glancing back just once more to reassure herself.