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 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:35 pm
He had wandered out of the jungle chasing after a small deer. It had been ages since Maua ate something other than birds or snakes. Snakes were alright, though a little bit chewy. They were by no means filling, and Maua often had to catch two or three to keep the growling from his stomach quiet. Birds were a different story. When he first caught a bird, Maua had expected it to have more substance than it did. Instead, Maua found himself clawing through layers and layers of feathers before actually getting to any meat. Not only did have hardly any food on their bones, but they were also extremely hard to catch. Maua had been overjoyed to see some real prey for the first time in months.
Of course, he had lost it in the chase. The lion had misjudged the height of a log and tumbled into the dirt, twisting his paw. Now he was sore, tired, and still hungry. The lion huffed, shaking off some of the dirt that now covered his legs and side. It didn't help much. It had been weeks since Maua had groomed himself. His fur was tangled. His mane, pink underneath the brown and green stains, was snarled together. His entire body was caked with mud and earth. It was hard to believe that underneath it all, Maua was stark white in colouring. He felt guilty about it too, having been groomed once by a lioness he had met in the jungle some time before. She had told him to start life anew but...so far Maua was having difficulty following her advice. It wasn't easy to just let go of past.
The lion sighed, getting back up to his feet. He supposed that he should find a watering hole to soothe his thirst before venturing back into the jungle to grab a few snakes for dinner.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:40 pm
 Rio had always been a stickler about her coat. Ever since she was a cub, the leopardess made sure that she was looking her best every single minute of every single day. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle being dirty. As a dancer, Rio was often falling down and getting her fur messed while practicing. When doing normal routines, it was fairly common for her to kick up large clouds of dust that usually ended up sticking to her coat. But her mother had taught her to clean herself up after every performance; after all, who would want to watch a dirty, mangy feline dance? It wasn’t just about looks either. Improper grooming could end up in illnesses that attracted bugs.
The leopardess lapped up water with her tongue, wetting her dry throat. She was still panting slightly from her last practice, muscles delightfully sore. Her red eyes glanced up at the sound of footsteps. She was taken aback at the sight of a filth-covered lion coming towards her, fur and mane sticking out wildly in a variety of angles. He seemed listless, grey eyes glazed over as he padded over. “Hola, amigo!” Rio called out friendly. “Here for a drink, no?”
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:42 pm
Maua snapped out of his thoughts. Had someone just spoken to him? The lion stopped in front of the watering hole he had come to, water just barely licking his toes. He looked up to see a leopard smiling at him cheerfully, black tail twitching back and forth. The lion regarded her carefully. She spoke with a strange accent, but she didn’t seem dangerous or anything. “Uh, yes…yeah, a drink.” Maua said hoarsely. It had been a while since he had spoken to anyone. It felt weird to use his voice. The lion lowered his muzzle to the water’s surface and took a few quick laps before standing up again, staring at the female across the pond.
The leopardess was beautiful, Maua realized. Her fur seemed to glisten in the afternoon sun, lying perfectly flat along her back and legs while fluffing on her chest and around her face. It made Maua feel ashamed of his own coat, caked with the mess of his travels. He looked away from her, ears lying flat against his head.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:46 pm
Rio smiled sympathetically at the lion. The poor thing was obviously embarrassed about his state of grooming. The leopardess felt sorry for him, but also curious as to how his fur had become so…well, so disgusting. Maybe he was running from something, or didn’t know how to groom himself properly. Maybe he was depressed and just didn’t care anymore. Whatever the reason was, Rio decided she had to do something about it. Her mother would have rolled in her grave if Rio just let this sad male wander off with a coat like that. She probably would have come back to haunt Rio too, just for the hell of it.
She stood up and waded across the watering hole, water lapping the bottom of her belly fur. “We’ve got to do something about your fur, chico. You sit right on down there and let Mama Rio do the work for you.”
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:48 pm
Maua took a few startled steps back from the leopardess, staring wide-eyed at “Mama Rio.” She wanted to do something about his fur? The lion glanced down at his paws, muddy and brown. It had been a very long time since he had taken the time to groom. And why should he trust this strange leopardess to do it for him? Why did she even feel like she needed to?
The lion frowned, staring at Rio intently. Just what was this female up to? “Why do you want to help me?” Maua asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:52 pm
The dancer rolled her eyes. The damn lion was afraid of her. She could understand a leopard being afraid, maybe even a cheetah. After all, they were more solitary creature. But these lion-types were supposed to live in groups! All the time! Shouldn’t a lone male be glad for the company? “My mother taught me to always do kindness as often as you can." She looked over Maua’s coat, exaggerating the action. “And you need a lot of kindness.” Rio frowned when she saw the lion was still scowling at her. “Listen, chico, you really think a little thing like me can take you? You big, strong. Me? Not so much.” She shrugged. “Now you can sit down here and let me fix you up, or I follow you where you going until you let me.” Rio stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to sit back down.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:54 pm
Maua sighed. She had a point. Multiple points, actually. He was practically twice her size. Even if she did manage to get the first blow, Maua could probably easily overpower her. Plus it might be nice to feel clean for a little while….
He sank to the ground slowly, resting on his belly and forelegs. The lion couldn’t help himself tensing as Rio trotted over to him. Maua watched as Rio chuckled and fretted over his fur, speaking so fast that he couldn’t tell the words apart anymore. Finally she sat down next to him and began swiping her tongue over his side, a fierce look of determination on her face. Maua let his head drop down to settle on his paws, watching the leopardess out of the corner of his eye as she worked.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:55 pm
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