|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:06 pm
But two things truly frightened the young girl and her life choices predisposed her to both: being chased by persistent dangerous males and injuries. And right now she was dealing with one of those problems. Without any real strain, the bright lioness had somehow injured one of her front paws during her last hunt. It wasn’t serious (at least she hoped it wasn’t) but the truth was that she was hungry – not terribly so, but hungry nonetheless – and she was silently stalking a small gazelle that had strayed from the herd. Each painful step brought her closer to her target and finally she lunged and sprinted towards the beast. One step, two steps and suddenly… her paw refused to hold her weight any longer and the lioness took a dramatic fall, rolling and hitting things she couldn’t see, a cloud of dust rising all around her.
She stood up almost at once, not one to show weakness or stay out in the open for too long. The lioness watched helplessly as the herd ran away with alarm cries that would echo for miles before limping towards the shade of a tree where she promptly plopped down, looking rather miserable. Normally she would climb it and rest in safety but she was well aware that her paw couldn’t handle that kind of strain right now. It made her even more nervous, of course, because trees were usually her hiding spot of choice and she felt safe there. Not down on the ground… and especially not with a paw that wouldn’t allow her to run away if necessary.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:57 am
 A streak of red passed her, chasing after the herd quickly. It--a lion, it looked like-- jumped, bringing one of the stragglers down with a practiced movement that broke its neck. He stopped, looking around for a moment, then picked up the beast by the back of the neck and started for the white lioness. Why the hell was he doing this, Shibasa thought with an inward hint of self disgust. He didn't know this lady! But she had distracted the herd from him, which was no easy task with his bright red coloring. He stopped several feet away from her, placed his paw a little over the hips of the beast and ripped it apart. Or tried to. The damn thing refused to rip properly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:51 am
If at first Fenja could have sworn to have seen a strange red blur chasing after the herd but chose to ignore it, sulking all by herself wasn’t going to change reality. Still lying down, the lioness’ bright head rose a few inches from the ground just in time to see a full grown lion… moving in her direction. Fenja’s head lowered almost at once and she remained in a position that could almost be confused for resting if only her eyes weren’t so wide and her body so unnaturally still.
He had already seen her, obviously, but he wasn’t looking directly at her so the young girl hoped – a little prayer might’ve been involved as well – that the male continued to pay more attention to his kill than the bright lioness and she remained quite still, a glimmering statue on the dusty ground. She didn’t know why he’d moved closer or why he wasn’t looking at her but her mind was desperately searching her peripheral vision for an escape route.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:09 am
Shibasa flipped the kill over, ripping it again. This time he had a rough half in his mouth, the back half still lying on the ground. He looked over at her finally, tossing the front half in her direction. "Thanks," he said in a harsh voice. It was rough from disuse, since he hadn't seen another creature that wanted to talk in weeks.
No, that was a lie. Even now Nobo sat in the tree next to them, preening his feathers, which was a mockery for a vulture. Shibasa took a moment to shoot him a dirty look before turning back to his half of the kill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:58 am
Alright… now she was confused.
She’d flinched when the red gaze had landed on her but when nothing terrible had happened – on the contrary, he seemed to be willing to share the kill with her – she followed the lion’s gaze all the way up the tree until she spotted a vulture who looked very much like the red lion. For an instant she wondered if he was actually a God in disguise… he had wings (sort of) and seemed to have spawned a companion of a different species. Was that even possible?
“For what?” she asked cautiously, eyeing what appeared to be “her” half of the gazelle. His words were even more confusing than his actions. She couldn’t understand what she’d done to deserv his gratitude even if, on a more subconscious level, it calmed her a bit. One didn’t usually hurt those he was grateful to, right?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:13 am
Shibasa gulped down the piece of meat he had just pulled off, then looked at her again. "You distracted them. Red tends to be a pain in the a** when hunting." He finished off most of the meat and stepped away as his familiar fluttered down to finish off the rest of it.
"There a reason you're limping?" he asked, sitting down where he was, more than a few feet away from her. She had the hint of fear emanating from her, and he figured it might be because of Nobo... or maybe him. If it was him... well, hell, he was an ugly, scary looking b*****d, wasn't he? He'd noticed that the last time he found water. Had it been over a year that he'd traveled like this? Damn, he was full fledged adult now...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 2:45 pm
The lioness stood up tentatively, eyes fixed on the red lion but not quite as wide or fearful. She took one step towards the carcass. She could see he was keeping his distance which could mean he was aware that he looked rather intimidating (which she had to admit was a bit sad) or that he was trying to win her over for some unspoken purpose that she dare not think of.
“I could say the same. With the exception of the red, of course.” His pelt reminded her of the Firekin but it had been ages since she’d been near the desert and Fenja wasn’t too keen on returning there either. “Sunny days and full moons are the worst for me.”
She took a bite. A very slow and cautious bite. Her eyes remained on the lion as if she was testing his reaction, occasionally glancing to the large bird who was cleaning the remains he’d left behind.
“A hunt. Two days ago. I’m Fenja.” The bright lioness said before she started eating and her stomach welcomed the food with loud cheers. Despite Shibasa’s appearance, she was starting to feel, well, not safe but not threatened either. He somehow reminded of the scarred dark lion she’s met a few nights before. He too had also appeared rather scary at first but he had protected and even invited her to meet his family that night. “Thank you. You really didn’t have to share though, you did pretty much all the work.” Which didn't seem to stop Fenja from eating.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 2:55 pm
"No, I gotta share," he said a bit obscurely. "Trust me on that. Besides, you'll be healing up a bit longer, right? You need all the strength you can get."
She was pretty, he thought. It'd been a while since he'd ran into a pretty female. But why was she out here all alone? He looked around, wondering if she had a family hiding somewhere. Cubs, a familiar, someone?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:03 pm
Fenja didn’t really understand what he could possibly mean when he told her he had to share. She looked around when he did almost expecting to find someone else with them (maybe the one who was forcing him to do it?) but finding no one who could help her understand the meaning behind Shibasa’s words, she continued eating.
“Well, it’s nice of you. And not everyone around here is that nice.” He was right about her recovery, of course. She really needed this meal to keep her off her paw for at least another day. And she probably should stay off trees for at least a week…
Fenja was still eyeing the male warily as he reacted to her words. He didn’t introduce himself in return which was slightly off-putting and she hoped he would not do a complete change on her and reveal a cruel and calculating nature that could be hiding behind the gruff façade. I’m not really that nice, precious… she could almost hear it inside her head and she shuddered, doubling her caution almost instantly. Perhaps he would lighten up (which would certainly put a lot more at ease) with a bit of humor.
“At first, I thought you were a God… you know?” she chuckled, wondering if the male had ever seen one of the winged lions.
((any suggestions for the title? xD))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:14 pm
(Hmmm... The Lion's Share?)
Shibasa jerked, then snorted. "Man I hope not. I've met a couple, and while I didn't have much problem with the second, the first one screwed me up... royally." He started cleaning his maw, licking his paws and wiping at his mouth. "If a goddess named Ubuge shows up offering you something good, tell her thanks but no thanks," he added. "What about you? You ever have any 'encounters'?"
Nobo let out an evil laugh, flying over to them. "He traded a part of his soul for some dirty water and a weak little rabbit," he blabbed. "This guy's a real idiot!"
"Shuddup, Nobo," Shibasa muttered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:27 pm
“Ubuge? What was she the God of?” Fenja wasn’t familiar with that name which apparently seemed to be a good thing. “I’ve met… three. One when I was younger. And then Vár, the Goddess of Oaths and more recently Nemanja, God of Apathy. He was a weird one. But I don’t think any of them could be considered a threat…” honestly, she wasn’t even aware Gods could be dangerous to the mortals they ruled over.
The bird’s words had her frowning at first but Fenja’s eyes widened suddenly and she nearly suffocated as a piece of meat got stuck on her throat when she swallowed it whole.
“Your soul? She took your soul? How can... does that… how?!” she asked quickly between desperate gasps for air and a mad cough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:34 pm
"She didn't steal all of it, just a part," Shibasa muttered, feeling like an idiot. "She's the goddess of greed," he added. "I was greedy for food, I guess, cuz I was starving to death at the moment, and she took advantage--" Which made him sound like a complete girl, now that he thought about it. "Not sexually, or anything," he added, stupidly. "She ran a claw down my back and it was gone."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:30 pm
“Greed?! That makes no sense!” the lioness had stood up and moved a little closer to the red lion as he were an oddity worthy on being on display. “Greed is when you’re satisfied and still want more. If you’re hungry and want food that’s well, normal!”
It really made no sense. She’d been wary of the Goddess of Oath when she told Fenja there were punishments for those who failed to comply with the oath they had taken. But this was too much! She did take a step back at the word ”sexually” because that was the furthest thing from her mind at that moment but it serve to remind her she was getting too close to a strange lion. She returned to the carcass trying not to put too much weight on her injured paw and sat down next to half-eaten gazelle, narrowed eyes watching the lion carefully.
“Vár told me she punished lions who didn’t obey the oath they had taken. I guess it’s best to avoid any dealings with them. Ubuge sounds like a real trickster. Not that you had a choice…” she plopped down to finish her meal, looking rather thoughtful, occasionally glancing at the vulture as if to understand what the creature’s part in this whole situation. “Mmm… Does it feel… weird? Having a piece of your soul missing?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:36 pm
"It did at first, but that was a long time ago," Shibasa admitted. "All it really meant in the long run was that I felt less guilty about killing things to eat. But hell, that might have just been because I'd never really hunted for myself before leaving my pride."
She was right, he'd been screwed over royal, but... "Hell, maybe in a way it's a good thing," he said abruptly. "It gave me a goal. I travel. I get stronger. Uglier, too," he added with a rough laugh.
"Ain't that the truth," Nobo agreed.
"Hey, jackass, you might notta noticed, but you look a hell of a lot like me for some reason," Shibasa growled.
"I think a demon banged your mom and mine," Nobo said shamelessly. "We're secretly brothers. Who want to eat each other."
"Not in front of the lady!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:48 pm
“But… huh... isn’t that a good thing? We need to eat so…” the lioness eyed the gazelle and her white paws tainted with its blood, licking her dirty muzzle on reflex. As long as he didn’t feel less guilty to attack other lions, the consequences didn’t seem too bad. “Is it stable… is it getting worse?”
“You’re not ugly!” She said sincerely but honesty also prompted her to continue. “A little scary, maybe… intimidating. But there’s a pride in the desert that would love your colors. And your strength.”
It was very hard not to laugh at the exchange between the red pair and she felt a giddy excitement prompting her to join in. It was hard to restrain herself but this was the first time she was meeting the red lion and it wouldn’t do well to look like an impolite idiot with no sense of decorum.
“Well, I did think you looked related…” she stated plainly in mock seriousness, eyes searching for the male in an almost teasing sort of way. She was smiling more warmly not only because she knew Shibasa a little better now but because he’d called her a “lady” and that made her feel immensely safe around him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
