Dormin = Green
Ment = Red
Bored bored bored...if there was one problem with living in a lawful pride that worked to keep the place safe and secure, it was that there was never anything to do. the villains of the immediate area had long been driven out or dealt with, and the land had come into a time of prosperity and peace...
But what good was that wehn you'd been trained to fight for good? Dormin attacked the tree trunk eagerly, clawing at it to get some energy out. She was always ready for a fight, ready to protect the weak and innocent...but from what? Antelope? Pah! Some threat. Even wandering outside the pride had turned up little in the past months. The pride was known as a safe haven, so very few disturbances happened locally. There was, literally, nothing to do, no one to save, and no adventure! It was just so frustrating!She lashed out again and then pulled back, whimpering. One of her claws...her precious claws!It had torn off in the bark!
Peremend'Ment was passing through; well, not really passing through, more like dilly dallying through at his own leisurely pace. He had nowhere important to be, and no one to answer to at the moment so he had no real hurry. The red and white lion stopped as he spotted something off in the distance, the wind being on his side, he could smell her easily. It was a lioness, which meant something fun to do in the mean time. And him being his game seeking self wasn't above riling up a lone lioness or lion for a small sparring match.
He took the initiative and slunk low to the ground, though with how bright his mane was, it wouldn't be too difficult to spot him if you kept an eye out on the horizon. Slowly, one quiet paw after another he began the stalk, his goal being to spook the lone female.
Oh now Dormin was really mad. Her precious claw! It stuck lodged in the wood at the end of one of several gouging wounds...she'd slipped it right into a knot when she'd tugged away that'd been what'd done it! She whimpered and lifted her bleeding paw to lick it clean. A moment of pity ofr herself and she lashed out again, thrashing the tree mercilessly. "That'll teach you, you..." Thankfully her mother wasn't around to hear the peculiar and vivid string of sentiments her daughter was spewing at the poor log. Finally feeling she'd gotten her vengence, she turned to leave with her nose in the air...just in time to see something bushy and red creeping into range. Still worked up from her mock battle, she leapt at it, what claws she had left ready to grab hold...Until she saw it was another lion of course. She tried to divert course but too late! With a thud she landed square on poor Ment's back.
He was caught off guard as he stalked his way towards Dormin, watching her small battle with the tree and her string of eloquence that followed. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at it, that was until out of nowhere he felt the full weight of a full grown lioness on his back and slumped to the ground with a groan. It would teach him to keep his head in the game, and not to be distracted with cute and amusing behaviors.
"Hello," He said, muzzle being held shut by a stray foot of the lioness that happened to have landed there. "Easily excitable aren't we?" He continued, though how most could make out what he was saying was a mystery, apparently he had much practice talking with his mouth shoved into dirt.
Well at least he was taking it well. She rolled off of the poor fellow with a huff and dusted herself. "You shouldn't sneak up on people you know, especially right near a pride. Not everyone would put their claws away like I did!" Speaking of, owww! She'd landed hard on the paw she'd lost one of her dear claws from, and it'd started bleeding again. She'd even gotten some blood on his white fur...but he had some red already on him too. Maybe he wouldn't notice..."So what're you doing sneaking around? State your name and your business here, and uhm...darn, how did it go? Aww hell with it. I'm Dormin, of the Matembezi...You're not tresspassing though, I'm just supposed to say that to everyone."
"Oh? This is near pride territory? I had no idea," Ment said, picking himself off the ground. He would not mind the blood on his pelt, as plenty got on his stark white fur went he went on hunt. How exactly he kept it clean was an absolute mystery though, aside from the usual bathing and dips in the water, any dirt and blood kind of just soaked off eventually. "I'm Peremende'Ment, I am of no pride. And I was sneaking around because I noticed a very distracted lioness and thought she looked like someone who enjoyed fun."
He had a cheesy grin on his face as he finished, his teeth showing in all their splendor. The lion was quite the character, and not someone easily forgetable after spending even a little time with him. Fun was his poison, and it infected everyone, or at least tried. Many were resistant and it caused terrible back lash from time to time.
"Distracted huh? Well of course! I was getting a good workout and then that stupid tree tore one of my claws off!" She scowled at the offending flora. "Peremende'Ment, huh? That's a mouthful, so you're Ment. And I'm Dormin. And yes, you're near a pride. Don't worry though, we don't kill rogues on sight or anything." She smiled. "As for fun..I suppose I could use some. Been boring around here for a while. We're a guardian pride, we fight evil...but because we're so good at it there's none left! I've got nothing to do, and lots of energy." She sighed. "I need something to fight for, you know?"
"A pride that fights evil? There is another pride out there that does that as well, at least from what I've heard. They battle demons," Ment commented, taking in the colors of Dormin's coat. They were very appealing so he looked over them for awhile, before returning to Dormin and his conversation, "Needing something to fight for is important in life. Dependent on the person anyway. I don't have to fight for anything aside from a kill, and that suits me fine for now. Don't you have cubs?"
Dormin perked up at mention of a demon fighting pride. "That pride!I know them! We're allies. One of the leader's sons is here with us now, in residence. That's a fight I'm really looking forwards to, I'm hoping they call us in when they do finally take on the demons. They sound like a nasty batch, definitely need handling." It was at this point she noticed him eyeing her. Wha...? Maybe it was just because back home she was known for her rough nature that the boys shied away, but she found this...fascination...with her a bit unusual. "Of course you kill to eat but...what? No! I don't have any cubs." She puffed herself up, obviously a bit insulted. "Why, do I look FAT to you? Do I look like the cushy mommy type? Huh?!"
"No. Usually pretty lionesses like yourself have had a litter by now. All the pride males clambering all over themselves at you, things like that," He said, raising a brow at Dormin's reaction to a question most lionesses wouldn't blink at answering. He couldn't help but try and hide a small smile at the reaction itself since he never thought a heartier lioness was bad looking, it obviously shows they have some serious hunting skills if they can eat that well. "You don't look fat, not that it would matter to me, but why would you seem to think that all mothers are cushy?"
Dorming coughed. Pretty? HUH! She didn't want to be pretty! She wanted to be fierce, and scary, at least to her enemies. And here this guy had the nerve to call her pretty?! The look on her face made it obvious what she thought of THAT little compliment. "More like they go clambering over each other to get away!" She smirked. "I play rough, let's say. And you'd better not think I'm fat! HMPH! I don't have time to go around babying little...babies! There's bad guys to fight and people to save, and I can't take that much time off! I'd get so out of shape, I wouldn't be recognizable!" She tossed her head from side to side vehemently. "I suppose YOU think all girls should want to settle down and have nice families for their males, huh?"
"No. But if you want the future of your pride to thrive, shouldn't the strongest and most desirable be the ones to breed? Once you pass, who will carry on your strength and determination? Who will take on your legacy? Wouldn't you say it is your duty to pass on that strength? If no females bred, the pride would die, wouldn't it?" Ment was completely enthralled with the fact she did not like being pictured as both a beautiful creature and one of strength. He wondered why it was that she perceived motherhood as something reserved for the weak, and feint of heart. Women were so complicated.
She snorted. "Listen here bub, I DO want cubs, but not now. I'll pass on my strength when I'm good and damn ready. Until then I'll fight for my pride. Once I'm done with that THEN maybe we'll see. And by then maybe the lesser males will have been picked off, huh? Or me, maybe I'll die in battle soon. I'd rather die than leave my pride with a legacy of weaklings." She listened to him prattle on and felt the heat rise in her face. Why was he so insistent on talking about this with her?! And why was he making that face and...oh. Ooooh no fellow, you are meowing up the WRONG tree here! With a snarl she swiped at him, trying to get him to back up, not do any real damage. "I'm a lioness looking for fun, huh?! One that should breed for her pride?! And I suppose you think you're just the male for me, hmm? Well I got news for you, bub, you need to grow some fangs and claws before the day comes that I let you into my gene pool." Obviousy she was the type of girl who played VERY hard to get.
Ment didn't move, letting her strike him across the face. It was the wrong move, definitely the wrong move. It was an irrational response to a genuine question, and now because of it he had a trail of blood down his stark white face. He could understand someone not being happy with his line of questions, as well as their anger and their want to not speak with him any longer, but physically assaulting him because he was interested in their reasonings was not something he would deal with or let slide. He let her finish speaking before he raised a paw and cracked her right back across the face, some fire showing up in his own voice, "I wouldn't breed with you if your pride paid me. I'D want someone who is proud of her strength and doesn't view her beauty as an inherent weakness. I'D want a woman who doesn't see MY desire to protect and take care of her as a threat to her own strength. Not someone SO INSECURE with themselves strike at people who genuinely are asking them questions with no motives hidden behind it. Because IF I wanted to get up behind you there, little girl, I wouldn't be sitting here chit-chatting with you. I'd just turn on the damn charm and let YOU succumb to it."
Well oops. She hadn't meant to hit him, just to scare him off a little. And now...well, she could tell right where this was going even before he started hollering. She tensed as he moved, and took the blow square in the jaw. Now they matched, both bleeding, and she glared right back at him as he verbally laid into her. With each insult her fur bristled a bit more, standing on end with clear agitation. Who the hell did this fellow think he was, anyways?!
He thought he was hot stuff huh? "Pfft, as if you could charm a hyena talking like that! I never said my beauty was a weakness, your'e the one who made inappropriate advances!" Even with a claw missing she was sure she could take him. Still, a voice in her mind nagged that this wasn't the sort of picture she wanted to present of her pride. "Why do't you just move along then, go chase some better tail, huh? CLEARLY no one around here is falling head over rump for you, and I don't want to have to lose another claw in your thick skull!"
Ment smirked, this girl was terrible at back talking. He knew he struck a chord as she attempted to shoo him off, as if she had things better to do, when he already knew she had nothing to do. His anger was subsiding already, as he had clearly already made his point since she was attempting to get out of the altercation, but he couldn't help but want to egg her on. "Your claws are so brittle they broke on the bark of a tree. A scratching post. I'm surprised they even made a mark on my flesh with how blunt they were. And no one may be falling head over rump for me, but you're sure as hell trying to keep yourself from doing so, Pretty Little Girl."
Oh. Alright, NOW she was pissed. This...this guy just thought she could be talked to that way? NO SIR. Even as the last word left his mouth she was after him, claws flying through the air and teeth glinting in the light. "You think you're hot stuff? You know why I never bred? Because no male was strong enough to beat me! You're so high and mighty talking about how foolish I am, but you can't even compare! I would never breed with a snake-tongue like you!" She swiped at him, aiming for any sort of white flesh she could get her claws into.
Ment was struck in the upper arm as he lunged for her, to tackle her to the ground, a roar erupting from his throat at her. It was amazing the people he had met over his years as the life of a rogue, but no one compared with this girl. Someone so obsessed with strength, and it being her only factor she had talked about in looking for a mate, or even breeding. "The truth hurts, doesn't it!?"
At first it seemed he was right, she went down hard under him, scrabbling at his chest and front legs but unable to get free. For the briefest of moments she looked almost afraid...and then a wicked grin parted her lips as she felt her secret weapon catch in flesh. She'd lashed upwards with her tail, the hidden spike of bone hidden in the tuft stabbig at his softer underside. Her tail might not be as string as her legs, but the spike was wickedly sharp, and she knew it'd done some damage. "You're right, it DOES." Hoping to have thrown him off guard, she kicked upwards to try and toss him off of her.
Ment gave off a half roar, half yelp as he felt the end of the bone pierce his backside, at the very least she could claim she ruined his perfect a** in the scrap as it was definitely going to leave a mark. He felt her legs kick up into his stomach and buckled over her, having some of his wind knocked out of him. He knew he couldn't stay in this position with her tail able to rip up his hind legs, because if she got him in the right place, he wouldn't be able to walk at all. He pulled himself off her, cracking her in the jaw once more as he prepared himself for her next move. He could handle her claws, and her blows, but that tail was something else.
Aha! She'd gotten him off, and despite being just slightly dizzy from the crack to her face, she was after him in a flash. With him being guarded towards her hind end, she could use her front again! As soon as he was off her she rolled to her feet and ran towards him, leaping at him to try to bowl him over, fur and claws flying...
- Lol. Fight goes on for awhile, and we got lazy about details. -
Well, if nothing else, the male had stamina. For the moment the two were apart, both batterend, both tired, but neither one had really gone down or out. It was, to her surprise, something of an even match. She'd gotten him good a few times, but so had he...She had to give him that. She glared at him sullenly and snorted before baring her teeth one last time. It was about time to finish this nonsense.
Ment looked as tired as he felt, and wasn't exactly sure how long he could keep up with her. He hadn't had an even matched fight in forever, he usually was being ran off by herds or stronger male lions trying to take his kill because they're lazy and already know he's depleted of his energy. Infact, eating sounded really good right about now, but he wouldn't move. He did not know her good enough not to think she would try and take him as he tried to leave. He noticed her bar her teeth, this was the look of a kill. He wasn't going to retreat without a small victory. He braced himself for her attack, knowing exactly what it was he was going to do.
Probably not what he was expecting, but she was too tired to run at him. Instead she just stalked towards him, a grim look on her face, and raised a claw to give him one last good smack before being on her merry way. She hadn't wanted this trouble today, but he was a better punching bag than the damned tree, that was for sure. So she supposed she could thank him for that much at least. And she hadn't lost any other claws, though she had suddenly found herself missing some fur and plenty of skin. Jerk. He's started all this trouble with his stupid talk. At least now she'd be rid of him...!
Ment bolted towards her with his last ounce of energy as she stalked, running into her, head to head. His small victory would probably cost him, but he didn't care, he'd still revel in it. As their faces were too close for normal comfort he stuck out his tongue and dragged it across her muzzle, licking her on the nose. When he was finished he tried to rip away as quickly as he could, so he could make his defiant escape.
Of course, a 'kiss' wasn't waht Dormin'd been planning on. She was stunned, to say the least, and froze almost long enough for him to get away scott clean. Almost, but not quite. The paw she'd raised to hit him in the face with instead came down square on his rump, leaving three odd claw marks across one cheek, and a gap where the fourth claw would have been. She roared after him as he ran, furious with him. "...JERK!"
