(FIN) Daktari & Setsuhana

[Tara de Draiocht]

It had been a long night of storms, the rain finally looked like it was slowing down, and the moon was becoming more visable through the clouds. It was lucky for Daktari that he had found this cave just in time, it wasn't even a minute before the rain had started pooring. His fur was dry for another day! Purring to himself, Daktari stretched out his body as sprawled his bulky body in the semi-warm cave. It was kinda dark, it was times like these he was glad that he had good eye sight, so he wouldn't bump into things.

His paw had begun to scrap at the stone ground to sharpen his claws. He liked to do that every once and a while so they didn't get dulled. His tail thumped the ground every now and again as he continued to watch the light rain fall from the mouth of the cave. He was in enough that he didn't get wet.
 

[Satsurashi]

It had been so long since Setsuhana had been out on her own. She loved being in the company of others most of the time, and she couldn’t have been happier living in her pride, but before she had joined she was a rogue, and as such she was still getting used to living in a group.

Today she had gone out hunting, alone. She wasn’t hoping for much, mostly it was a chance to get out and get some fresh air - and get away from the other lionesses. She was so fond of the, but could end up feeling a bit claustrophobic if she didn’t take little breaks every now and then to recharge herself. Even Baika, her klipspringer companion, had been left at home, with the pretense of letting others know where she had gone in case they came by her empty den.

Despite the fact that her intention was to go off alone, this wasn’t the best day to be wandering about. It had been raining when she’d left, but she thought it would clear up. It hadn’t. She was drenched, but since the goal was to have herself a little “me-time,” she couldn’t really grumble. Still, she was getting cold…

Ahead, she saw an outcropping of rocks, and what looked like a cave. It wasn’t until she got closer that she saw it was already occupied. So that was her choice; be on her own and cold, or dry off with a stranger. Assuming he was friendly, she thought she wouldn’t mind the company for a bit. At least she didn’t know him - it was a change of pace.

Approaching carefully, the lioness called out a greeting to the pale-colored male. “Hello! Is this your cave? Would you mind company while I dried off for a while?”  

[Tara de Draiocht]

A sound broke Daktari out of his blank staring of the forest. Moving his bulky head in the direction of the voice, he took in the appearance of one wet and cold female. Blinking slowly, he at first thought he was seeing things, but when she spoke again he stood up with his ears perk forward. " Hello," His deep voice seemed to rumble a bit, echoing off the cave walls. Daktari gestured with his left paw for the female to come in out of the wet and cold wind.

"No, I just found it on my rounds of surveying the land." He chuckled and smiled. "Sure, I could use a bit of company while waiting for the rain to stop. There's not much to this cave but at least it is a little warm with a roof over our heads." He paused as he watched with his mismatched eyes as the lioness came over and sat down. " This is not my home, I was just borrowing it for a little while until the rain stopped. Ah, but it looks like its coming down harder again."
 

[Satsurashi]

Setsuhana was not the untrusting type. She lived in a pride full of lionesses who knew how to take care of themselves, so she wasn’t nervous around the stranger Daktari, and approached the cave without hesitation upon being invited. Once out of the rain she sat and began to groom herself, eyeing the male unabashedly as she did. He was big, she noticed, and she liked those odd-colored eyes. All in all, he was pretty handsome, she thought, and wondered if he was traveling alone. Was his lioness out hunting, maybe?

“Do you have a family?” Setsuhana asked, her light voice barely causing an echo in the cave, “I live not far from here, my pride is the Ongozana’Ke. Heard of them?” She mostly said this because she was curious to see what he would say. Some of the more “chauvinistic” minded males around might not like the idea of a pride where lionesses rule and males are kept around in a communal harem. Although the pride’s males didn’t complain, there were a lot of others out there with totally opposite ideas about how males should treat females.  

[Tara de Draiocht]

He watched as the lioness beside him groom herself, unaware he was staring so blatantly. It was like he was hypnotized by the movements, he started when she spoke. " Family? Well yes I do, but I haven't seen my mother and father for sometime now. I decided to travel the land a bit to see what was out here you know?" He smiled and continued to listen. " Ongo-ongo.. hm hehe sorry I can't say that I have heard of them! Such a long name."

He looked down at his paw to see it needed cleaning, so he began to groom himself as well. He paused in between cleanings and tilted his head in a cute-child like gesture to ask, "Why? How come you came to the rogue lands? Did you come here to meet someone? Do you have family? What's Ongoz'key like?" Unaware he completely butchered the females prides name. " Oh! My name's Daktari by the way! Nice to meet you!"
 

[Satsurashi]

Setsuhana had never been a shy girl. She noticed Daktari staring and, flattered, she stared right back, even winking at him when she saw he was looking.

“My manners are terrible, I’m sorry,” she told him, sounding, if not actually sorry, at least friendly, “My name is Setsuhana.” The lioness couldn’t help but giggle as Daktari struggled to repeat the pride name she’d told him, but she wasn’t bothered by it. It sounded as if he was just passing through, so there was no good reason for him to have heard of the matriarchal pride she lived in.

“Oooh yes, traveling. I might like to do a little of that one day myself, but I must say living in a pride has it’s obvious comforts. I’m actually just out here today to get away from the noise a little. The other lionesses are like sisters to me, but you can get tired of being crowded all the time even by sisters. I have no real family in the pride for now…”

Setsuhana looked the male lion over again, being blatantly flirtatious about the way she did it. She liked him, and really liked that he was polite when speaking to her, as males should be, so she wanted to see if was feeling interested too. The males of the pride were wonderful, she had no complaint about them, but it was more of a challenge to attract an outsider, wasn’t it? After all, the pride’s males were sort of obligated to say yes to a lady if she fancied them. Not that they minded… but still! There was no danger of being rejected.

“So, Daktari…” Setsuhana purred his name, watching him eagerly for his reaction, “Maybe I did come out here to meet someone. But it was no one specific. I’m just seeing what’s out there.”  

[Tara de Draiocht]

Daktari felt a faint blush creep up onto his face when he noticed her watching him watching her. " Nice to meet you Setsuhana!" He beamed out a goofy cheerful smile. "Oh," He blinked in awe. "So a pride that is all females huh? Or are their males in their too? Ah, a noisey bunch huh? Sounds like fun but.. it could rackle nerves quite a bit over a long period of time." Daktari nodded. "Yeah thats the one thing thats nice about the rogue lands; the freedom...but after a while it gets rather lonely to be a pride of your own."

Daktari felt his eyes widen and then grow heavy lidded as she purred out his name. " Someone..meet...mmm" He mumbled out as if in a trance. A nearby sound popped his lusty bubble. "A-ah, oh someone you say? Who?" Curious and a little bit angry at the thought of someone stealing Setsuhana's attentions. Then her next words registered, no one specific. ' Good.' He thought with a nod. ' No fighting needed.' He was more a lets-all-get-along type of guy, but when it came to something he really liked the Daktari wasn't afraid to let others know it.

He looked down to the ground and played with a pebble that was near him. "So... ah you have a mate or male 'friend' in that pride of yours?"
 

[Satsurashi]

Setsuhana watched Daktari bat the pebble around and giggled again. She really liked his big guy and his sweet ways! “I do like being in the pride, but I guess I’m just not used to being around so many others at once,” Setsuhana admitted, shrugging, “It takes some getting used to, but the females are all like sisters to me. And no, I have no mate. I don’t need one, either! We believe that females should be free to choose whomever we like.”

Then she stepped forward, boldly, and circled around him, moving close enough so that their pelts could almost brush. Setsuhana was a girl who wasn’t afraid to go for what she wanted!

“I like you,” She told him in a low, sensual voice, “So if you’re interested I wouldn’t mind getting to ‘know’ each other. I’ll have to go back to my pride in the morning of course but… Well, tonight I’m free.” And in case her intentions hadn’t been made completely obvious by her statement already, she leaned close and licked his cheek.  

[Tara de Draiocht]

Daktari's ear swiveled towards Setsuhana when she mentioned the 'no mate' in her sentence and he found himself smiling at the possible chance of starting a relationship with this female. " Oh I see," He started to continue before Setsuhana brushed against him and he suddenly found himself lacking in words. Eyes heavy lidded he found himself enjoying this interaction. " I-I like you too!" Daktari began to purr once he received the kiss and he found himself responding. He was never one to be spontaneous, but this time he wanted to be. "Shall we take this else where?" He nuzzled Setsuhana with affection.
 

[Satsurashi]

Setsuhana was pleased by his response. She hadn’t expected him to be disinterested, but the fact that he may have been, that it wasn’t a sure thing, made it exciting for her. She hadn’t felt this kind of rush, or this flutter of excitement in her chest, ever before. It was kind of like hunting… but the reward was much more pleasant than a good meal. Daktari was the kind of male Setsuhana might see herself falling in love with one day, but since he wasn’t a part of her pride, she would be happy to settle for something briefer.

“As you wish…” she replied, grinning, and with a flirty swish of her tail she turned and padded into the cave, to where the sun didn’t reach them and they could remain safely until the next day. Setsuhana knew that by morning she would have to return to her pride, and then she may never cross paths with Daktari again… But she’d probably never forget it. And if she had anything to say in it, neither would he.