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 Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:09 pm
 It had been a while since her chat with Bekeli about the pups, and Bahari was making good on her word to seek out other males. She didn't want to stray too far from home, though. Actually going out and tracking down a male seemed like a huge effort. So she idly wandered around the borders of their little territory, keeping an eye out for any signs of strangers.
The white and red male hyena had been a pleasant surprise, but all he wanted to do was talk about some brain-damaged hyena he had picked up. Bahari would have been pleased to add the male to her collection, but she didn't really want an idiotic adult female in the bargain. And seducing the fellow seemed like just as much effort as tracking someone down. So she bid the hyena on his way and watched him go, not realizing that she herself was being watched.
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:17 pm
 The air was hot and dry against his ears and nose, but the warrior paid it no heed. He was on a mission and an important one at that. His quest: to find the male his ladylove was making kissy-faces with and to slaughter the fiend! There could be only one! The warrior would not go down without a fight! The warrior was big, handsome and strong and --"OUCH!" The shriek was one that could be heard from miles away, and after a quick rustle from the deep labyrinthine innards of a bush, Bekeli tumbled out rubbing his cheek with a dusty paw. A huge fly had taken what felt like a chunk out of his cheek, and Bekeli bit back a loud whine. Had Bahari noticed him? Had she heard him? Maybe there was still time to clamber back into the bush where he'd been lurking?
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:48 pm
Bahari really wasn't expecting something to start screeching right behind her. She jumped and whirled, astonished and ready to fight. What on earth could it -
Oh. Bekeli.
Bahari let out a sigh that sputtered into a laugh. She should have known. No one could make an unearthly noise like that, no one but Bekeli. The grey female eyed Bekeli, waiting for her racing heart to still. She didn't want to snap at the poor pitiful fellow, not after hurting his feelings. He was ... delicate. Like a small, smelly flower.
"Were you spying on me?" Bahari asked finally, with a trace of amusement in her voice.
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:01 pm
Bekeli rose to his feet and shook the dust out of his coat. He'd been spotted, what could he do now? Run away? Dive back into the bush and pretend he wasn't there? At least she'd laughed at him. Well, he supposed that was a good sign.
Looking over her shoulder off into the distance he could barely make out the red and white male that Bahari had been speaking with. A dark frown eased over Bekeli's face before he turned his attention back to Bahari. His chest was puffed out and his ears perked, almost as if he were trying to make himself appear larger.
Really, all he was doing was looking stupider than usual. Stupider than usual with a huge welt causing one side of his face to swell.
"Who was THAT," he asked, jerking his head toward the barely visible male hyena.
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:13 pm
Bahari wasn't sure what Bekeli was trying to do, puffing himself up like that, but that wasn't anything new. Many of Bekeli's bizarre quirks and antics were inexplicable to her. It was kind of like watching the head-bobbing of a lizard, or some similarly weird little creature.
Bahari didn't realize why Bekeli sounded so irritated. It didn't occur to her that he might be jealous of the stranger. Remembering Bekeli's reaction when she suggested having more pups, Bahari didn't see any reason why Bekeli should be jealous of her speaking to a strange male. She shrugged amiably. "Just a male. He was just wandering by, no thread to us."
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:25 am
No threat? No threat? Bekeli's lip curled just the slightest as he mulled that over in his mind. Oh, the red and white hyena had been a threat, but thankfully Bekeli had been here to keep an eye on things. He was surprised that the male had been able to control his more ...carnal urges around a Queen as beautiful as Bahari. Bekeli wouldn't be surprised if the male had been a clueless wimp. Bekeli imagined that he himself was a far superior male to the one that had obviously just walked away from the most beautiful and generous Queen on the savanna.
"You should have protection when you wander alone, my Queen," Bekeli whined in the most manly voice he could muster. "I would be happy to escort you."
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:49 pm
As usual, it took Bekeli a moment to come up with a response. Bahari could almost see the strange, inscrutable little wheels turning in his mind. Come to think of it, she should have known that Bekeli would be grouchy at seeing another male. He had been extremely displeased when they met Sudaj. The poor scraggly male thought no one was good enough for Bahari and Dikeledi. It was ... sweet.
Bahari's thoughts were confirmed when Bekeli spoke. Protection. Yes, it was just as it was when they had met Sudaj - he wanted to protect Bahari from the strange outsider. Bahari didn't need protection from Bekeli, but it was an oddly charming notion. She smiled slowly, amused by Bekeli's earnest offer. "That's kind of you, Bekeli." A nice thing to say, but ah ... to tease him was so tempting. "If I see another likely male, I may send you back home though."
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:54 pm
NOOOOO!
Just the thought of another hyena mussing up Bahari's beautiful pristine fur, just the merest inkling that another male dare touch her sent Bekeli into a ... well, into a tailspin of despair. She seemed honestly considering taking another consort, and Bekeli didn't know if his heart could take it.
"But... what about our pups? They're so... pretty!" He had no idea what he was getting at.. maybe by bringing up their pups he was hoping she would see there was no need for another male, that he would give her all the damn evil demon-pups she wanted. He was all the male she needed! Why couldn't she understand that!!!
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:35 am
Bahari had never heard Bekeli say such things about their pups, and for a brief moment her jaw dropped in astonishment. Then she let out a laugh, utterly tickled. She had struck a nerve for sure. Dikeledi would probably have been outraged it Sudaj dared to get uppity about her possibly taking a new consort, and charged out and done so purely out of spite. Bahari felt a little more sympathetic towards poor Bekeli. She was totally within her rights to go out and find someone else, but ... well ... she did feel a twinge of pity for Bekeli.
"Yes, they are pretty," Bahari mused. The prettier for not having any of their father's blue, actually, but she probably wouldn't be able to dodge that bullet twice. "I would like more pretty pups. I thought you hated them, though," she reminded him. "Didn't they try to kill you?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:29 am
Bekeli's nose twitched as he breathed in and out in little huffy puffs. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't cry. No. His lower lip trembled as he fought for self control. This wasn't the time for bawling! This was the time for manliness! He had to charge forth and reclaim his lady! If he did not, she would find another to fulfill her need for more pups and Bekeli would not stand idly by while he watched her give pretty smiles and twittering giggles to another male!!
Put his pups... they were so terrible. Foul, awful monsters. They had tried to kill him, yes! But for his Queen... for his Queen he would do anything! Unless, that is, she didn't want him any longer... and then all would be lost!!
No, Bekeli would not let that happen. He could not let that happen. For now, Bekeli did the only thing that he could do.
He cried.
"MY QUEEEEEN!" He sobbed, throwing himself at Bahari's feet. "I give my life to you! I will raise another litter if it makes you happy! I don't want to see you take another consort!" The tears that ran down his furry cheeks caught the plumes of dust he kicked up with his writhing, causing muddy tracks to inch down his face. "Please!" he gasped, dark eyes pleading with her, "Give me another chance!"
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:08 am
Good grief. Teasing Bekeli could be very amusing, but this ... this was just awful. Bahari didn't know what to do to shut him up. Smack him? No, that would probably just send him into further hysterics.
Bahari was a little bit tempted to just leave him there, but she knew she would have to go back for him at some point. Bekeli was just too ... well ... she didn't want to leave him on his own in his current state, that was for sure. She sighed. She didn't want to make promises to Bekeli to get him to quiet down. The idea of solely pledging herself to Bekeli as though they were mates was a touch stomach-turning. Still, she had fondness for the scraggly hyena, and didn't want him to sink into despair.
"I won't be taking another consort for now, at least," Bahari said, a bit grudgingly. She took a step back, trying to avoid churning dustcloud that now surrounded the muddy, filthy, miserable hyena. "Maybe we will have some more pups." Not in Bekeli's current state, however. Eurgh. "You should clean up first though," she said, her tone kinder now. "And take care of your face. Did a wasp sting you?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:18 am
Her words soothed his shattered heart. Sniffing most pathetically, Bekeli peered up at her from his position on the ground. She wouldn't be taking another consort (for now, though he chose to completely ignore this part) and that was all that he wanted to hear.
"Yes," he said wistfully in response to her question about a wasp. "It hurt," he added, just laying on the ground on his side. He would get up but right now he was just too busy thinking about how wonderful and beautiful his Queen was. The best Queen. The most superior Queen.
"I will take a bath," he said brightly. The idea didn't make him happy, but for his Queen he would do whatever was asked of him. "And then I will feed you." It was getting a little harder to talk with the swelling on his face and his thrashing about in the dirt hadn't done much to help the bug bite, but he'd been so hysterical he hadn't been able to realize that his eye was slowly swelling shut, agitated by his distressed actions.
"And perhaps then," he said slyly, voice carrying that nasally whine that he was known for, "if my Queen desires it..." He trailed off, watching her hopefully out of his good eye.
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:41 am
After all that wailing and thrashing, Bahari had worried that it would take a long while to calm Bekeli down. Thankfully, just a few kind words from her had worked wonders. It was a good thing for Bekeli, as Bahari didn't know if she would have had the patience to cajole him out of his fit of self-pity.
It was good that he would take a bath, and without any fussing. Bekeli was even dirtier than usual. Much dirtier than usual. She regarded him with a rather blank stare when he mentioned what might come after bathing and fetching her something to eat. There were a whole range of expressions that she might have worn. Distaste, horror, amusement, nausea. In his current state Bekeli was probably the least appealing hyena on the savanna. Still, she had only just calmed him down, and she didn't want him to go into another fit of hysterics.
"Herm ... well, let's see you take that bath first." Bahari said, as brightly as she could manage. "And some food, that sounds good. You really need to rest that ... your ... your face." Bahari wasn't sure how one rested their face, but if anyone's face had ever needed resting it was Bekeli's.
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