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 Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 11:28 am
 The sun's crisp rays felt warm and relaxing against the lion's dull golden hide, warming and lulling him into a false sense of sleep. False considering the male wasn't actually sleeping, and though his eyes were squinted and narrow he was far too aware of his surroundings to simply drift off in the open savanah. The afternoon was quite pleasant, he had to admit, and there was nothing tethering him to this world of bright sun and tall grass except for one little thing. Don'Zaraasir wanted to enjoy life as he saw fit. No ifs and or buts about it. That meant cutting ties to his family, having little contact with other lions or creatures that would want to befriend him in any sort of way, and simply remaining out of everyone else's business. This sort of thing was easily done for a lion such as Don, especially since he had no particular liking to any one individual so far.
It's not that he was an unlikeable fellow, that certainly wasn't the case, but he made no effort to restore or maintain any sort of relationship to any one being. What was the point in that? All you really needed to survive was yourself, adding anyone else into the mix complicated things beyond need-be. Don was all alone out in the rogue lands, with little a care about the world or what may be going on around him. Sure, he wasn't out right nasty to company, but the lion definitely did not give them a reason to stick around past their welcome. With a flick of his tail he lazily rubbed his head against the ground, scratching at an itch that was just too far for him to reach otherwise.
The problem with friends and family members? They got in your way, and at the same time expected you to be a part of every little detail or drama they called their own. All in all it was a haphazard recipe for chaos and uncertainty, and that was unaccepted for the large male. With no more than a grunt the male twisted his body sideways to lay on his back, allowing the sun's warmth to touch his belly. Don was in no hurry to go anywhere, and certainly wasn't about to be bothered by anything other than his own whims.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 2:07 pm
 Fenja had also been feeling rather content. It was a shame it didn’t last.
The bright lioness had managed to bring down a zebra. Granted, it was not fully grown and it seemed to be limping due some barely noticeable injury but Fenja was feeling quite proud nonetheless. She had taken down a zebra.
She forgot one of the most important rules of rogues: eat while you can. She waited for her strength to return, lying sluggishly next to the carcass a smug smile gracing her expression as she panted, feeling the comforting warmth of the sun. Then the vultures gave away her position and before she knew it, a pack of hyenas, around 15 as far as the bright lioness could count, had surrounded her meal. Still tired and very much hungry, Fenja tried to stand her ground, defend her kill. It was pointless.
She was sure she’d seriously injured one of the hyenas but it wasn’t long before she was forced to retreat with one bruised back leg, an even more bruised ego and a hungry belly cursing her previous inaction. Fuming, she stared at the beast that laughed as they started on the best parts of the carcass she’d caught.
“Stupid hyenas.” She whispered bitterly, sulking just a few feet away, wondering if there would be anything left of HER zebra. That was when she caught the scent of another lion, male she figured, right from where the hyenas had come from. Odd… maybe she’d be getting a little help soon.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 11:16 pm
It was definitely one of his favorite past times to laze around in the sun, for the larger than average male liked to conserve his energy whenever possible. He didn't exactly need to go flaunting himself around like a dolt. That was the only reason most males gallivanted across the savanna, right? He assumed that to be true, and he wasn’t about to join in on such foolishness
Unfortunately for the rather content lion he did happen to hear a bit of rustling nearby- something, a lot of them, were on the move. Luckily they didn't seem to be interested him, which meant he would be unbothered by whatever was going on. That wasn't quite the case; however, as the rustling soon turned into a commotion. It didn't take long for the scent of blood to fill his nostrils, and that was more than enough to spark the faintest bit of curiosity in the golden manned male. "Screw it", he muttered half-heartedly, rolling back onto his belly and raising his head over the tips of the tall grass. Well, he couldn't see much from this position, and was about to lose interest when a bit of a hyena laughter caught his attention once more. Ah. That certainly changed the situation, now didn't it?
With a huff and a grunt the heavy lion roused himself off the ground and back onto all fours, albeit slowly and with no ambition to pick up the pace. Now able to fully take in the details, Don noticed the little scene playing out not far from where he was standing. Hyenas had apparently taken down a tasty looking morsel- wait. Scratch that. The male's head fully turned in the direction of a bright, near white pelted lioness and with a moment to ponder the situation came into better understanding- sort of. Thinking wasn’t exactly his strongest suits, at least not when he was feeling this lazy.
Never the less, Don gave a mighty shake to his mane to clear his head and with a lurch began to shamble forward in both the direction of the lioness and the hyenas. His attention focused on the female as he drew closer, tail flicking out behind him in a gesture of apathy. He had noticed she seemed to be intently focused on that zebra, and that played into the bit of interest that still lingered around for him. "A bit outnumbered, aren't you?" he questioned her with hardly a rise to his voice, eyes now trained on the hyenas and the kill.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 12:08 pm
It really was a male. A big one, too. It was a while before she could spot him though because unlike Fenja’s bright coat, the golden lion blended almost perfectly with his surroundings. As he drew closer, Fenja’s spirits were immediately lifted. Even though the lion spoke a little coldly, the lioness dismissed as the result of a focused mind, assuming he was getting ready to intervene. No matter how big the pack, Fenja had never seen the hyenas stand their ground when in the presence of an aggressive lion and she’d heard that they usually suffered casualties when they tempted fate by getting drawn into a fight (though the inexperienced rogue had never witnessed such cases). Ah, she could taste the justice already.
“Apparently.” She agreed with an expectant smile, tail uncurling happily. “Can you help me push those thieves away before there’s only bone left?”
And by “help me” she meant “please show yourself and drive those things away for me”.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 3:00 pm
Don paused briefly in his slow pace to glance back at the white lioness, his brow rising just slightly at her request. "So you've given up trying to take it back yourself?" his tone matter-of-fact. He honestly didn't need her to answer that, it was obvious she had been defeated and had no further intention to go after the kill. That worked out rather well for the golden male. As far as he was concerned, that kill no longer belonged to her, it was the hyenas now. And though he'd never- correction, almost never- steal a kill from a lioness, hyenas were a completely different story. They were vermin, after all.
Without further interest in the female, despite her pretty near-white pelt, Don turned his attention on the hyena pack once more; his demeanor turned menacing as he started forward once more, this time with a brisk jog. The male's strides lengthened and came quicker the closer he got, his head lowered past his shoulders in an aggressive fashion as the beginnings of a roar rippled in the back of his throat before erupting into a thunderous challenge. It wasn't long before he was full out sprinting toward the group and the kill, claws unsheathed and teeth bared in preparation for the battle, for as soon as he got near one of them he'd sink his teeth into its hide as a warning for the others.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:12 pm
Well, that sounded a bit judgmental… it’s not like she had a choice. There were too many of those annoying cackling things and they were pretty confident against one lone lioness. She still felt the nasty sting on her leg, a minor muscle injury but nothing that wouldn’t heal quickly with adequate rest. As a lone rogue she couldn’t risk a serious injury that would incapacitate her.
Fenja fully intended on telling him just that – even though she feared there would soon be nothing left for them to fight for – but while she was considering her words, the male’s back had already been turned on her.
“Ah…” she forgot what she was about to say. Why ask something if you’re not going to wait for the answer? Maybe he was just trying to act cool. Yeah, that was probably it…
As expected the hyenas dispersed a bit as the golden lion made his move and Fenja quickly followed his lead, pleased that they took her presence a little more seriously now. The male had created a clear path all the way to the carcass. A couple hyenas stood next to the zebra stubbornly eating as much as they could but even those moved away as the lions approached. Fenja’s smile faltered when she saw the state of the carcass and she calmly moved closer to inspect it.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 5:09 pm
He hadn't realized the female had followed him, fully intent in wreaking as much havoc as possible with the hyenas in order to get to the kill. He had gotten a few good blows in when necessary, even managed to seriously wound one of the more stubborn ones, and that seemed to do the trick for the rest of the bunch. Needless to say, the last thing he expected to see was the lioness sniffing around the kill he had just fought to win, and a deep frown creased the male's features. In a quick jolt he made a move for the carcass, a warning growl issued from his throat as he did so. With one paw placed over it and his large head turned in her direction, the golden lion allowed another lingering growl to escape him just in case he hadn't made himself clear.
"What do you think you're doing?" There was almost a bit of surprise to his voice, and though the growl had meant to be firm, he had no intention on attacking her. Unless the situation escalated to her attacking him of course, but that was an unlikely outcome in his mind. Nevertheless, this was his now, he had won it and he was definitely going to be sure and finish off what the hyenas hadn't. To say the least it would be very cowardly and lowly of her if she expected to take part in any of it, especially since he had been the one to do the work. The male remained where he was, actually waiting to hear her out this time. Maybe he had just over reacted; it was possible she wasn't doing what he thought she was. As much as he'd like to believe that, Don couldn't help but get the feeling she had actually expected him to do all that for her. And if so? Well, what little respect he may have had would certainly disappear in an instant.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 6:39 pm
When the male growled, Fenja actually looked behind her back to see if she was missing something. The realization that he was growling at her hit Fenja pretty hard. At this point she wasn’t particularly afraid of the male yet as he had always seemed more interested in the carcass than the lioness herself and she was hungry… and tired… and a bit annoyed in fact. It’s not like she was going to fight him over the carcass, trying to take it away from him! She’d caught the damn thing, he’d drove the hyenas away. The bright lioness always assumed they were going to share it.
Still, she didn’t know this male and his cold demeanor hardly helped her understand his character. Fenja wasn’t one to mess with fully grown males she’d never seen before.
“It was… mine. Remember, I called them thieves…? They took it from me.” She started softly, holding his gaze, small hints of surprise showing in her expression. “I thought you were helping me get it back… I thought we…” would eat it together… I don’t even need the juicy parts… if there are any…
Some of her thoughts unsaid, she waited for the male’s reaction because this must’ve been some kind of misunderstanding… right?
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 9:00 pm
"I remember", he replied, though he did not budge from his protective position over the carcass. "However, it became the hyenas as soon as you gave it up. As you said, they took it from you," the male explained, rather firmly. This was going to turn into a thing wasn't it? The golden lion allowed the last of his growls to die down in a huff of exasperation, the last thing he wanted to do right now was listen to the pathetic whimpering of someone who was going to accuse him for claiming a kill they couldn't even defend in the first place. Yet here he was, stuck in that very situation, with a lioness who had seemed to take his actions the wrong way. Oh well, it was time to fix that.
"Help you? You expected me to fight through a hyena clan just so I could help you ?" he mocked, a twinge of disgust raising the corner of his maw. "I never agreed to such a thing", Don reminded her, the frown returning to his features. Was she honestly that dependant on others, that she would just automatically assume he would put his life on the line for her like that? He didn't even know her! Frankly he thought it polite of him when he had brought up the fact she had lost the kill to the hyenas, before going on the attack to claim it for himself. It disturbed him to think that she'd actually expect him to share any bit of it with her. There was no honor in that, especially for a rogue like himself.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 10:20 pm
“Not just to help me…” though others had done it before and she didn’t understand why this guy would be so against the idea. She hated to admit it but Fenja had a little vain streak to her. She’d grown used to older lionesses coming up to her saying what a pretty girl she was and males trying to help her whenever they could. Heck, she’d been raised by innumerous rogues ever since cubhood with whom she shared absolutely no familial bond. Maybe it was because she was fully grown now, maybe being an adult made things different.
Still, being hungry made her annoyed and the laughter behind her back only served to increase her aggravation. The male wasn’t looking particularly aggressive either so she wondered how he’d react if she just plopped down next to him and started eating. She tried to reason with him instead but there was low growl in her words as she realized he wasn't budging off the carcass.
“But I caught it and it wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me in the first place. And the hyenas would’ve gotten all of it if it wasn’t for you! So yes, I assumed we’d share!” They’d almost worked together in a way. It wasn’t fair! “But you can get off of it now! It’s not like I’m going to try and run off with it! Do I look that stupid to you?” Belatedly, Fenja realized she’d rather he didn’t answer that.
(btw, feel free to take a swipe at her anytime you feel she’s being too pushy xD)
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 11:05 pm
(xD I'll keep that in mind.)
"Honestly? I would say naive brat is the more the 'look' for you", Don reproached, shaking his thick mane as he bit back a snarl that threatened to spread over his maw. Sure, she was pretty enough with that bright coat of hers, but that had never come into question. If she relied on others to do what only she had the responsibility of doing, then life was only going to be cruel to her in the end. Might as well show her that now. The golden male still did not move from his spot over the carcass, but instead made a show of grinding his front claws into the dirt, as if to somehow ground himself. Still unwilling to outright attack her, he couldn't help but feel this was only going to end with nothing short of- well, she'd see. In the mean time the large male took a step towards her, in order to put more of himself between her and what remained of the zebra. At this point? It was more principle than anything to the rogue, and he was determined to drill the point right into the thick skull of this spoiled lioness.
"You gave up trying to get it back, you have no more claim to it than a scavenger would at this point!" Don's voice thundered with disapproval to her behavior. "So I suggest you take what daylight you have left and hunt something else", he told her harshly, the corner of his mouth tensing to show the tip of his fangs. "This is mine now." To Don'Zaraasir, there was nothing more pathetic than someone who expected you to do all the work for them, and then also expected half the reward. He'd hated it back then and he hated it now.
He wasn't certain if she'd be wise enough to take his advice, but if she wasted all her time and energy arguing with him than he couldn't be blamed for the lost daylight. It would only be her fault if she was unable to catch any more prey that day, Don was certain on that point. To force his point further the male flopped down on top of the carcass, both paws holding it possessively as he stole a quick piece of flesh from what remained of the kill, as if that had sealed the deal and his words. Whether she understood this or not was up for debate, but the golden male kept a keen eye on her as he swallowed the messy chunk.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 3:13 pm
Fenja felt she was being admonished like a little misbehaving child, the somewhat condescending reproach stinging her deeply. It didn’t help that she could see the logic in his words but the lioness wasn’t going to let that little detail get in the way, now was she? She didn’t like it when he moved closer and Fenja immediately stepped back, circling the male in one slow fluid motion, a low growl escaping her maw.
“Well, I caught that thing! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself so you don’t have to treat me like a kid!” she hissed, holding his gaze again, her stubbornness noticeable in her tone as well. Sure it had been an easy kill and she'd lost it through a combination of stupidity and weakness but, but... well, better not dwell even smaller details...“I’ve been alone on these lands since I was little cub and I got a lot of help but I spent most of the time on my own!”
Fenja held her ground defensively. The lioness eyed the golden lion’s unsheathed claws warily before returning the gaze again. She was pretty sure the hyenas were laughing at her now.
“I wouldn’t have assumed anything if I hadn’t done my share of the work. But it was my kill so I think I think I earned something! I’m no scavenger! It’s not like I came out of nowhere expecting to be fed! Granted, we’re rogues and we’re not related or anything but still…”
Maybe she had assumed too much and perhaps her judgment was clouded by her past experiences but in her current state of anger and in the absence of a physical threat she was too wired to just leave and look for something else to hunt. But the bright lioness was definitely learning something new today.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 9:34 pm
For a moment he sat back and listened to the words and growls that tumbled out of the female's mouth, leaving an acrid taste in the back of his throat despite the sweetness of the bloody meat that had recently slid down that exact path. Don'Zaraasir was more than certain at this point there was no other way to deal with her, and to be honest, he couldn't say he'd regret any of it with how she was behaving. Entirely childish and self-centered in his opinion, but then he was often biased with this sort of thing. When she was finished he made a show of licking what blood had stuck to his fur from his maw, keen eyes still set on the lioness.
The only hint to what Don did next was a loud rumble that vibrated from the back of his throat as the large male tensed his thick muscles. "Enough!" the golden lion roared, his body untensing suddenly as he propelled the entire 500lbs of himself in her direction from where he had laid down. He had come very close to landing right on top of her, but Don knew better. Supposedly she was lucky for that. However, that did not stop him from partially rearing back onto the pads of his hind legs and lashing out toward her with one large forepaw, claws partially unsheathed.
"Grow up!" he snarled directly at her this time, settling himself back onto all four paws, tail twitching in agitation. "If that's what you think, than start acting like you can take care of yourself and stop trying to get away with behaving like a cub! It's sickening." Don's maw twisted into a face of disgust as he said these words, as if it wasn't a beautiful lioness he was looking at, but a disgraced cub that had just run away from its own shadow in pure terror. What had quickly turned into a free meal without strings had grated on the usually relaxed male's nerves, and he wasn't exactly willing to let the issue go either. "You earned something alright, and I can guarantee you won't like the consequences if you stick around much longer," he growled, a look of ill-intent crossing his features as the male took yet another step closer. At the very least, he was hoping to scare her away.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 11:45 pm
Fenja was expecting the male to lose his cool and shout at her. Actually, she was quite pleased with it, finding his reaction the result of her own attitude. She was very happy to be annoying him enough to get him to raise his voice. Bitter success! It was his fault for stuffing his face right in front of her and being mean after all.
She hadn’t, however, expected him to lash out at her. The lioness was furious to see his paw coming and she didn’t even make an effort to move away. In her mind, she was just going to take his blow to prove to him she was tough and annoy him even more. Slight miscalculation on her part… despite his words, despite his reaction, despite her confidence in her own toughness, Fenja was still expecting this male to go easy on her, to measure his strength accordingly to his “opponent” – a pretty young lioness like her. She was assuming again... So the lioness was quite surprised and hurt (in more ways than one) to feel her head shake like tree branches during a hurricane as she hit the ground. He had hit her. He had REALLLY hit her.
“You… you! You’re a nasty piece of work.” She snarled bitterly rising back slowly to her feet, her posture sending very mixed signals – it would be hard to tell if she was about to back away or take a swipe at the golden lion. She didn’t know whether it was her skin or her pride that stung more. Eventually, something – her sense of self-preservation, perhaps? – told Fenja this was a fight she couldn’t win and the lioness slowly started stepping away without turning her back on male. “Have a nice day. Hopefully no one will spoil it for you.” Her expression, however, was clearly conveying that Fenja hoped for just that and that she was wishing him as much ill-fate as possible.
It wasn’t long until she finally turned and moved away in a painfully slow stride (as if wanting to impose her presence as much as possible) that probably made her look very childish. Still, thinking rationally wasn’t yet an option at this point and she walked away with a perpetual rumble in her throat that rose in volume only when she walked past the hyenas – earning her a few more good laughs much to her aggravation. Nothing the male said would probably stop her at this point.
In such a short bit of time, Fenja had learned many things. She wouldn’t forget any of them.
(I think this was her last post!^^)
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 7:32 am
(xD Same.)
The golden male watched in silence for awhile as she began to walk away, his posture firm and unrepentitive to his actions. He almost had half a mind to chase her off, but decided to refrain from involving himself further with the brat. As soon as she turned her back though, so did he, no longer watching that painfully slow retreat. If anything else, to add insult to injury for the lioness, as if to say she wasn't even worth his time any more. And as far as Don was concerned, she wasn't. Just like the incident with his brother not many days ago, Don felt little remorse for his actions and non-actions alike and still fully believed it was their responsibility to get themselves out of trouble, and not expect him to come in like a hero for the rescue. Such thinking was fool-hearted.
Though Fenja did have one lasting effect on the golden male, for he never did like striking blows to a lioness, especially one as pretty as she. Of course he never would have admitted to such a thing after the way she behaved, but Don had found her to be quite beautiful. Now if only beauty wasn't skin deep, it would seem. So as he sat down to enjoy his meal, he found the meat to be rather worn and bitter, whether from the hyenas tearing the carcass apart or some feeling that had went unsatisfied in the back of his mind he couldn't know. Perhaps if it had been a different situation- no, he wouldn't think like that.
With thoughts like that banished from his mind, the male finished what was left of the meat, leaving nothing but bone for the vermin hyenas to pick at. Don wore his usual expression of coldness as he moved away from the kill sight, in the opposite direction of the female of course, and found himself striking out against any hyena in the area that so much as looked at him wrong. It would seem his mood was far from relaxed, and that encounter had left him feeling quite disgruntled.
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