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 Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:50 pm
Beautiful.
That's the only word he could possibly use to describe it. The way that lioness took down her kill was inspiring, it was a work of art, it was-- interrupted by the insistent growlings of his stomach, the slate-hued lion huffed and shifted his position restlessly before continuing to reflect upon what he had observed.
The way she'd erupted from her cover had been masterful, he had to admit. The economy of movement she showed, using the lay of the land to herd her prey since she was hunting alone, taking advantage of the shift in the wind's direction to mask her approach until it was too late. He'd been watching her for a short while now, waiting to see if her hunt would be successful. And, fortunately, luck was with him. Her, rather. Luck was with her.
The herd of springbok has calmed now that one of their number was taken, so the sudden appearance of a lion does not bother them. Hiding his cautious fears behind a mask of bravado, the lion approaches the successful lioness, stopping upon a nearby slope.
"Ahem," Mavunde clears his throat politely, tilting his head to the side and offering a rakish grin, "Oh dear, isn't this an awkward situation."
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:15 pm
To say that she was pleased would have been quite the understatement. There were so few things in life that she felt truly accomplished at, but hunting was one of them. Many might argue that it wasn't exactly a unique skill, but with such a simple life as hers, with simple expectations and simple pleasures, her ability was something she treasured. It wasn't something someone could take away, and neither was it something that someone could copy exactly. They could attempt to replicate it, sure, but it was all her own. It was a simple pleasure, all hers.
Thus, as she sat, licking the stain of blood from her maw and basking in the glorious aftermath of her kill, she was quite surprised that this oh-so-personal time was being cut in upon by someone else. Pale lavender eyes swept up in the direction of the voice, narrowing lightly as she tried to think if she'd ever seen him around the pride before. Not that it would mean much if she hadn't - the Pridelands were a very large pride and she supposed she was probably pushing the borders at this point, if she hadn't already crossed them.
"Uhm, what.. what's awkward?" Her brows finally furrowed, head tilting lightly to the side. She hadn't the foggiest idea of what he'd be there for.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:24 pm
Captivated for a moment by the patterns made by the blood upon her muzzle, Mavunde pauses and simply stares. But then his story comes back to him swiftly enough, and he tosses his head back (sending his glorious mane into a silky cascade of fur).
"Oh, dear," he repeats himself, tut-tut-tutting under his breath, while he pads closer to the kill, "I'm so, so very sorry to have to say this. But..." And he fixes his brilliant orange eyes upon hers, holding her gaze for as long as he dares, "that kill was mine, you see. I was tracking that springbok myself, and you stole him from me."
The intricately-patterned lion seems to be genuinely remorseful, hanging his head low and showing all signs of being submissive. He scuffs one paw in the dirt, pulling his gaze away to look towards the now-alert herd. If he were to go after them it would take over a day for the herd to grow relaxed enough for another successful hunt, any decent hunter would know that.
"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, beautiful, I didn't realize you were hunting the same prey as I." Mavunde croons, his voice caressing the words with his silken tones.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:36 pm
"Oh?" came the word, said with a questioning tone, though it was lower and more to herself than to the stranger before her. Her furrowed brows had, by this point, knit themselves into a deep 'v' and her mouth was working silently as she replayed the kill through her head. Every step, every angle. "I don't recall seeing you at all," she said softly, her tail twitching behind her as she brought her pale eyes back up to stare into his own.
It did, however, make her feel awful that he might not get to eat. She normally wasn't one to share, at least not with strangers, as she normally took whatever she had left home to her twin. Still, if he had been tracking even just that herd, it would take forever for them to calm down enough for him to land a kill now. Still, she wouldn't just give it to him, since she had done the work. That did leave her in a pickle, didn't it?
"I'm sorry," she said with a little sigh, one paw placed protectively on the still warm carcass before her. Her face did show a margin of concern for him, though. "I didn't mean to ruin the hunt for you, but I'm not sure it's very mature to claim a kill just because you saw it first." It wasn't a very sound argument, as wit wasn't her strong point. It sounded more or less like she was accusing him of claiming 'finders keepers'.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:45 pm
"Mmm," he replies, his voice low and ... almost sultry, "but I saw you." Mavunde would purr if he could, but instead he settles at a respectful distance and continues to watch her - frank admiration in his gaze. What he doesn't reveal, of course, is that he's a far more adept 'hunter' of lions than he is of prey beasts.
"The speed and elegance with which you moved, well," Mavunde coughs, turning his head away, "it was breathtaking. I couldn't help but watch as you hunted, rather than take the prey for myself." And even as his words ring with admiration for her skills, his confidence in his own skills is discretely clear - if he had tried, he is almost saying, he could have taken that kill for himself.
He does show some concern at her protective gesture, however, and the words that follow it. "Oh, no," Mavunde shakes his head emphatically, "no, I lay no claim to that kill, I mis-spoke! The kill was yours, my lady. I merely meant that you and I had both marked the same target."
Bright fangs are bared in a charming smile, while he watches her intently.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:23 am
She dipped her head slightly as he began to speak, and if she could blush, then her cheeks certainly would have been burning quite vibrantly. It wasn't very often that she had someone shower her with praise over her skills, no matter how much faith she had in them herself. Hunting really wasn't a skill often recognized unless one was outstanding, as most knew how to do it, and how to do it efficiently.
"Oh, but it really wasn't that grand," she offered, playing up modesty so she didn't come out of this sounding like her head was too big. She could think she was skilled all she liked, but bragging about it was entirely different. There were certain degrees of confidence that were acceptable, and those that were not. As it were, she did seem entirely incapable of detecting these inappropriate degrees in anyone but herself, for his implications were entirely lost upon her. "I suppose it was my luck that you were preoccupied then, wasn't it?" She followed that with a nervous laugh, her tail twitching behind her lightly.
The faint smiles and nervous laughter faded momentarily as he denied wanting to claim the kill, making way for a mask of confusion. "Well, if you aren't here to claim the kill, what difference does it make if we both had the same target?" As proper as she tried to be, and as modest, she couldn't claim to having the quickest wit, or the deepest thoughts. She was truly lost, and it showed in the way she stared up at him so questioningly.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:34 am
"Your modesty is quite becoming," he purrs, caressing the words as they trip from his tongue. All the while he keeps his gaze locked on hers, staring so intently that it is almost embarrassing. It's as if he can't get enough of her, can't bear to look away for even an instant. Somehow, just through his gaze, he seems to be saying that she is the only thing on the entire savannah that he feels is worthy of his attention.
Her question does bring a quirky little smile to his face, a smile that dances behind his eyes. "My dear lady, how could I be anything but preoccupied when I was watching you--" and he pauses, the smile growing wider, "--your obvious skills at hunting, of course." Enjoying this little game far too much, the lion suppresses the urge to smirk with satisfaction at her nervous laugh, and subsequent confusion. All that he presents to her is that same pleasant and charming facade, and his rogueish smile.
"And I came, my dear, to congratulate you on the kill and share my admiration of your skills." Mavunde dips his head in a bow, keeping his gaze steady upon her. "The similarity of our targets was an amusing trifle that I noticed, nothing more."
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:28 pm
She could feel herself becoming more and more uncomfortable, reclusive as he wore on with his compliments. It was such a bombardment, with such a sweet voice, so smooth and skilled. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, something ridiculously stupid was going to come out. Like, for instance, how did one respond to a compliment of modesty? If she tried to be modest, and deny it, wouldn't she be saying she wasn't modest? So, she simply smiled and looked at the ground, pawing lightly at the earth and stealing shy glances up at him.
"Your compliments are very kind," she managed, her voice lower than she would have liked, though it was that or risk her voice being shaky altogether. "I'm sure I don't deserve half of them." She managed another laugh, filling space with laughter instead of the words she couldn't find.
"Well, thank you very much." She lifted her head a bit to try and appear grateful for his congratulations, her eyes watching his, although the merest glimpse of them sent her back into that uncomfortable squirm. "Perhaps next time you will be so lucky as to land a kill, instead of having a lioness beat you to the punch." She was just making small talk now, what else was she supposed to do? His presence made her.. well, she wasn't entirely sure. It made her something.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:50 pm
Mavunde watches in silence, head tilted just a little to the side (which makes the forelock of his mane drape across his muzzle at a rakish angle), his smile and gaze unwavering. Keen eyes take note of her discomfort, and he ponders. Is she becoming too nervous, is he laying it on too thick? Or are these the nervous actions of a lioness who is about to crack? The balance between the two extremes is so delicate - this part of the game is the most challenging, and the most fun.
The comment about being beaten he ignores, for now, but he prepares a jocular response to that just in case she mentions it again. It wouldn't do to have her think that she's bested him, oh no. "I make it a personal policy, my dear, to avoid needless lies and exaggeration." A quiet little chortle escapes him as he rises, bounding down the slope towards her in a cautious yet effortless stride. Fairly certain now that she won't attack him outright, Mavunde makes a slightly more bold move than he usually would - he reaches forward to touch the same earth her paws had just disturbed, lowering his head to look up at her.
"However, I fear I must apologize," he begins, his tone low and serious, and he strokes the ground again - his paw nearly touching hers - in an attempt to make her drop her gaze once more, "for I realize I've been dreadfully rude."
"Mavun--" And he coughs delicately, a little grin slipping free, "--ahem. I mean, Mavu. You can call me Mavu. And you are...?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:00 pm
She certainly wasn't prepared for him to bound down the slope but, although she did tense slightly at the sudden closing of space between them, she didn't attack him. If she had known that he had been so sure of that, she would have questioned just how predictable she appeared to be. Terribly so, as it were. She pulled her smile a little wider, a reaction to be confused and nervous all at once, for she still had no inclination where this little meeting was headed and such a strange character put her nerves on edge. She'd like to think it was natural, but something in her claimed it was just because of how uncultured she was.
"Oh, no.. no I don't think you've been very rude at all," came the words, breaking at one point despite her best attempts against it. Just as he had intended, her eyes dropped to where he was putting his, her own inching away just slightly from the discomfort of having her personal space infringed upon. Still, she sat there so baffled that decisions couldn't be made, thoughts were muddled. Surprise seemed to be her worst enemy.
"Mavu?" she repeated, still staring at where there paws were placed upon the ground, her eyes a bit wider than normal. Finally, she swept them up suddenly, as if she had only just remembered herself, and offered him an apologetic smile. "Kaia, my name is Kaia," she said nervously, laughter spilling over into her voice, "it's a pleasure to meet you." Although, she wasn't sure really if it was, or if she was just saying so out of habit and good manners.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:10 pm
Perfect.
This really could not be working any better. He's managed to judge everything she will do, up to this point, and react accordingly. The fate of the springbok has yet to be determined, resting next to them as it is, but Mavunde is happy enough with the results of his game so far that he will consider the day won even if he does have to make his own kill later on.
His grin widens just a little before the expression shifts to a soft smile, and he remains just as he is - paw outstretched and in her space - for just a couple heartbeats longer than is comfortable. And then Mavunde pulls back, sliding his foot away to rest beside its neighbour as he settles upon his haunches. Now that he is closer she can see that he is a little smaller than average for a male lion - still a bit larger than her, of course, but smaller than most males nonetheless.
"Kaia," he speaks her name softly, staring into her eyes, "As contrived as it sounds, I assure you that the pleasure is all mine."
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:21 pm
Kaia, for her part, was completely oblivious to his intentions, so much so that for every passing moment, she became more and more uncomfortable. She was certainly not used to dealing with this sort of character, because most of the pridelanders she was accustomed to spending time with were just your normal, run-of-the-mill sorts. What he did or said was completely beyond her scope of prediction and she found herself at a disadvantage. Why being at a disadvantage was bad in this situation, she wasn't sure, but she never liked losing the upper hand or her grasp on something. But then, who did?
She had to admit that once he pulled away, back into his own little bubble of personal space, she felt a small weight lift from her. She settled back more comfortably in her position by the kill, but she was wary of him by now, no doubt. She wasn't quite so relaxed as she had been, not quite as at ease.
"That's very charming of you," she managed, though her smile was growing tighter with each passing moment. It was hard to maintain a happy demeanor when one was so uncomfortable. "It's been lovely chatting," she finally attempted, "but if it's all the same to you, I'd like to eat my meal now." It was her polite attempt at asking him to leave her alone. She was hungry, but then, she also just wanted him to leave so that she didn't have to deal with the stress of his presence.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:35 pm
"But of course," he murmurs agreeably, dipping his head in assent. Sometimes he can get them on the first go, and sometimes he can't. Unfortunately for him (and his empty stomach, which chooses this precise moment to emit a little growl of protest and reminder) it seems that this is one of those times. "I should be on my way, at any rate." To a hunt of his own, is the unspoken reason for his departure - not because she asked him to.
Mavunde grimaces in faint embarrassment at his stomach's vocalization, and shrugs. "Mmm, sorry. Has a mind of its own at times." He's managed to avoid looking directly at the springbok all this time, keeping his gaze on her. And even now, with his hunger plainly evident, he is watching her. As odd and off-putting as he acts, it really does seem as if Mavu's primary interest all this time... was her.
The dusky-spotted male rises, stretching languidly before he begins to pad away. "Enjoy your meal, Kaia," he calls over one shoulder, "perhaps I will see you again."--fin--
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