Chel:
She came back to find the crown. Chel was planning on getting the gems off of it and leaving, even after the interesting evening she had with Tulio. So, this is why she'd slipped out just before day break, tip toeing to not wake up the dark maned lion, or alert any guards that might be on duty. Her presents didn't upset the pride, like it would some. She knew some prides watched new comers every breath, counted the hair on their manes if they were allowed. This one seemed a lot more relaxed, but at the same time she knew she was being watched.
Just a matter of who.
Still, she moved back to the spot she'd been in yesterday, praying it was still there. It should be. She hid it as well as she could with Tulio there, watching her, talking to her. So, she started to dig around for it in the sand, brows knitting in concentration. Would it be there?
Tulio:
No it wouldn't.
Unfortunately, her odd behavior in the conversation hadn't gone unnoticed by the dark maned male. She had made quite a fuss in coming in and she had displayed behavior that he found odd. She didn't want to be here- but that was typical for any prince that came into their borders without their own consent. But there was a hint of longing, parnaoia, perhaps even anxiety. So he had gone back to investigate just a half hour prior to Chel's bold escape from the prince's den. The lioness would find a few holes in the ground, freshly upturned earth, and a few scratch marks in the sand.
"Looking for this?" A sing-song voice chimed in from a large boulder just to her left. The male laid casually, twirling the trinket on his paw and smirking downward. "So this is what you were running off with. Someone has sticky paws."
Chel:
No. No. No, no, no. It was gone? She saw the holes, the claw marks, and she started to dig harder into the sand. "Where is it?" She growled out, using all four of her paws to attempt to dig. However, a smell caught her attention and then the voice.
The voice caused her to look up, startled before she saw it was stil Tulio. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she approached him slowly. "That's mine," she said, nodding a minute. "I'm actually queen of a different pride and that's my crown," her lie was smooth and silky, like her voice. "You do not want to mess with a queen's crown, do you?"
She circled him slowly, letting her tail brush against him as she did and then came back around to the front. Hopefully, this movement would be quick enough. She lashed out with one of her paws, attempting to get the crown back onto her own paw. "Give it to me and we'll forget you ever took it, hm? I'll be on my way."
Tulio:
"Well, sweetheart, I hate to tell you."> He tossed the crown in the air and caught it in his other paw, a playful show with a suprisingly capable pair of paws. Every claw moved as if it had a mind of its own. "Whatever you were in your home pride- you're a prince in mine."
He leaned against the back of his paw and leaned forward. "And... just to clear things up- that's not a complement. Here, a prince is pretty much a captive until you learn to live with our new ways. It's kind of a cruel irony- but I'll let the mummers que you into that whole thing."
He tossed the crown again, narrowly evading her attempt to snatch it back, only to catch it in his other paw. "You aren't asking nicely."
Chel:
When he didn't give it to her, she gave a little growl his words. Oh, he was being a tad annoying. "I'm not being held captive here," she stated with her fur prickling. When he tossed her crown from paw to paw, she ended up shaking her head and just looked to the side. Chel knew she didn't have the strength to take him on. He was a lion who was used to this pride. The guards would be here in a matter of minutes if she tried to attack, wouldn't they?
However, when he said to act nicekly, it got the wheels in her head to start moving. How nicely did she have to ask? Her whole body language changed as she sat down again. "Look. Maybe we got off on the wrong paw. That is my crown, and I would like to have it back," a breath, "... please." It was as nice was he was going to get unless he wanted her in a more physical sense to ask. If he did, then it wasn't worth that. She had more pride.
Tulio:
Tulio slowly raised the crown and with a fox's grin, placed the article on his head. It felt good. He'd not been able to swipe too much for himself, certainly nothing as heavy or as valuable as the crown. It was nice to finally have something that someone else wanted for a change.
Her posturing and gentle movements did gain his attention and turned his head a little more towards her. He did have an appreciation for the lovely. Unfortunately, he was a lion of two loves- lovely lionesses and lovely riches. Which he cared for more was still up for debate.
"Since you asked so nicely- no."
Chel:
Okay, now the lioness was just annoyed. It wasn't worth it. She liked her life trouble free, and the big, beautiful crown just wasn't worth all this annoyance and anger. Chel rose up on her paws and just let out an annoyed growl before she turned her back to him.
"Fine. Be that way. I'll just get another." Or she would just wait around for him to put the crown down so she could snatch it away and then make off with the goods. It annoyed her a great deal that he wouldn't give it back. "I earned that fair and square, just so you know. I hope you like stealing from a female. It's like beating up a cub. But hey. If you get joy in that, no problem, I guess, for a coward."
Tulio:
The male laughed lightly and shook his head. "Miss... I think you need an education about where you are. But... uh... well lesson one is that you can't leave. It's very easy to get in, but if you want to get out...we get a little suspicious. Especially if you're eager to do so."
He stood himself up from the rock and jerked his chin back towards the pride's denning area. "Their rules, not mine. I'm just not trying to change it."
Chel:
"Well you should," she snapped. What in the gods name did she get herself into? A pride where one could enter but not leave? What kind of pride was this? They hold any who accidentally wander into their lands hostage? Treat them like such? Give them a mocking name? They were more cruel than the rogue lands where she really grew up. Her tail flicked this way and that, annoyed. Dark brown eyes watched the male before she snorted.
He didn't think she could leave? Watch her. She headed for the borders without another word, finding his words faulty. No pride would be that cruel and go unwhispered about.What would they do if she tried to leave? Kill her? Ha! Ridiculious in her opinion.
Tulio:
"... hey I wouldn't do that." The lion hopped from his perch and trailed after her, his stride casual but brisk. He didn't want her to get too far- not with the patrons they currently had on guard. Gods help her if Straw Dog was on patrol. The guy was about as cuddly as an urchen.
"You should have been a little more careful. You came waltzing into a pride like this waving something shiney around and expected us to feed you, give you a pat on the head, and show you the way off? Hah." Maybe in the old days... but then again, she would have been wrapped up in their insanity too.
Chel:
"For your information, I didn't wave anything around. I hid it for a reason," she growled at him, still moving foward. What did it matter to him if she was attacked or something? She could outwit anyone. When she was in the proper mod is all. Letting an annoyed huff out, she turned suddenly in an attempt to throw him off balance enough the crown would fall off.
If it did, she would lunge for it and run. Make her grand escap and nevver have to worry about this ever again. This pride that was completely barbaric. If she has her own pride, she wouldn't force people to stay in the lands. "What is it you want with me, exactly?"
Tulio:
"You didn't hide it very well. But we'll work on that. You learn a few things when you-" He leaned back, reached up, grabbed the crown, and held it up above his head. "Live among thieves."
He smirked and took a step backwards. "I would rather not see a...nice lioness such as yourself get herself in trouble. We really aren't all that bad. Dirtbags, thieves, and ruffians, sure, but we want company. If you run off and blab- we all get in trouble."
Chel:
Drat! He'd caught the crown. Stupid quick pawed idiot. "It wasn't my fault I couldn't hide it well enough. Someone just had to come up and start talking with me. If you would have left me alone..." Her voice trailed off. She'd have to think of this another way. Her ears flicked this way and that as he spoke before looking at him. "I stole that crown fair and square. Isn't it a thiefs code not to steal from other thiefs?"
With that, she launched at him, kicking as hard as she could off her back feet. She wasn't aiming for him, though. Oh, no. She was aiming for HER crown. Stupid dirtbags!
Tulio:
Tulio raised a brow. A thief then? Well that was technically the law, but she wasn't one of their thieves so technically- and then there were paws. Tulio's eyes went wide and he managed to duck, but at the cost of his hold on the crown. The object went spinning through the air only to land a few feet away in the sand.
He looked over to the female, then to the crown and made a lunge for it.
Chel:
The crown went into the sand and Chel was on it like stink on a warthog. She grabbed the crown between her teeth, scooping it up, really, and headed off the borders. He'd have to tackle her to stop her now.
She was laughing quite whole heartedly at her find and then blinked, realizing she no longer knew where the border was. She'd gone the wrong way. Completely. Scrambling up on anything she could that was high, this time being a big fallen tree, the brown lioness looked around, trying to figure out which way she'd come from. Too many smells and paw prints in the sand to really tell, she was quickly becoming a bit panicked.
"Crap." she muttered around the object in her mouth and then turned this way and that. "Where is the border? Where is it?" This wasn't good.
Tulio:
Tulio swore under his breath as his paws came out empty and the female kicked up sand in her haste to retreat. Off she went and right on her heels, he came running in from behind. She was running...towards Lewenharto's den? Then she altered her course and started towards Shandor's. Realizing what was going on, the male laughed.
"Oh no! Whatever you do, don't make a quick left turn by the over-turned driftwood! We can't have you escaping!"
Chel:
Ha! Idiot had just given her an escape route! So, to the left she veered. Though, thinking on it, why would he tell her the way out like that? She slowed to a stop and then looked back at him with a not-so-amused face. Like, did you really just do that and did I fall for it?
"You are insufferable, you know that?" She called out to him, not even sure where he was at this point in time.
Tulio:
And Chel would find that she was now alone. Very alone in the middle of a pride filled with, apparently, thieves. Tulio had darted behind the nearest rock and had held his breath, practically vanishing into thin air. The poor lioness was on her own.
