(AIM log between Sabra Knight and I.)
It was another lovely afternoon and the lion was actually enjoying himself without being worn down from a fight for once. His companion had gotten separated from him again, but like usual Xennek was in no hurry to track him down. Rather he was just idly passing time. Though now that he had been at this ‘doing nothing’ for a while it was finally starting to get boring. Where was a good fight or lioness when you need one? Xennek sighed as he rolled onto his side. He was so bored.
Unlike Xennek, Safi was immersed in exploring every last inch of the rogue lands that he could. Already he had seen his first pridal boundaries, and albeit a little incident, everything had gone off rather smoothly. He just wished the loneliness wasn’t eating at him as badly as it was, but it would fade away quickly enough. Mani was waiting back with the family for him.
Looking all around him, the young leopon spotted something odd, and comforting at the same time. Maybe he could strike up a conversation with this lion? “Excuse me,” Safi queried, stepping closer to Xennek. “Are you…okay?” The more he watched the other male, the more concerned he became. It looked like he was dying a slow, painful death.
His eyes closed and the lion began to breath lightly before noise jolted him back to attention. Who was there? Xennek sighed. Watch it be Sekayi. The younger lion would be all over lecturing him about his lazy ways or at least rant about how he never seemed to know the words ‘traveling companion’ not leave behind companion. Groaning Xennek slowly rolled away from the other feline before realizing that the scent didn’t belong to Sekayi. Though something about it was oddly familiar.
Opening his eyes Xennek studied the leopon. For a second he might have mistaken the smaller frame for a female’s, but no he recognized the male as a hybrid. “No, no I’m not.” Xennek moaned before finally adding, “I’m dying of boredom here.”
And…Safi was officially amused. He simply gave an all knowing grin, and then sat back on his haunches to watch the scene unfold in front of him. “Sounds tragic.” How any grown male could act that way was beyond him. It was funny, but still so…weird.
“Maybe you should get up and do something, you know, before you kill over.” Or something comes along to eat you. Safi thought sarcastically. The rogue lands were full of strange creatures.
"It should." Xennek chuckled before pushing himself from the ground, "Do I look like I'm going to kill over anytime soon now?" He frowned before shaking his head, "There's no point in moving if there's nothing to move for." No fights, no ladies, no fights or ladies, and no Sekayi to torment. This was absolutely horrible. Xennek suddenly looked over at the leopon with a faint trace of hope. Was it possible? "Can you...do you fight by any chance?" He was quiet for a moment before laughing, "Never mind." This one looked too much like a slender female for him to take seriously. But maybe he could still help ease the boredom.
In response to his first question, Safi merely snorted. Anyone who was older than him was more likely to die, anyway, so why bother lying?
“Can I fight?” Safi’s eyes widened. He shifted his weight and sat up higher, showing a muscular frame that he had worked so hard to achieve. The leopon frowned, and rolled his eyes at Xennek’s laugh. “Just because I don’t look like you, doesn’t mean I’m not as strong. My father didn’t raise pansies.” He snorted.
Hearing the hybrid's snort, Xennek had to bite back a retort about hearing hybrids lived shorter life spans than any pure species. Not that it was really true - hell he'd never met many hybrids before to know that- but it would be interesting to see how much he could tug this one's strings before making him angry. After all anger normally lead to fights. And fighting was far from boring...usually.
Eh, it wasn't worth it.
But it looked like he already got this one agitated. "Oh, I didn't say that you were weak." He replied bluntly, waving off the argument. "I just don't want to break you." Pausing Xennek studied the leopon. He looked like one of those lover types, not a fighter. "I bet you have several lady friends though having a build like that an' being pure white like you are."
"You would have to push pretty hard to even crack me." Safi grinned confidently. Even if his twin could whip his a** across the floor, he was still an accomplished warrior in his own right. Limited experience or not.
The young leopon raised his eyebrow, giving the lion a questioning stare. He wasn't sure if he was being teased, or if Xennek was being earnest, so he chose a safe answer. "You could say that. Though, looking at yourself, I'm sure that you aren't lacking in female company either."
"Oh?" Xennek grinned at the leopon's confidence. So he was a tough one eh? Maybe he should challenge him since he felt so confident about it. The thought made the lion chuckle softly to himself. Perhaps another time.
Xennek laughed at the compliment, "I guess you could say that as well." The large lion grinned mischeviously, "I've seen my share of females it's true. I like you cub." He paused and gave a playful bow of his head, "The name's Xennek. You?"'
Safi stretched out on the ground, his languid body a stark contrast with their surroundings. Only his orchid eyes betrayed the innocence of his posture. "I feel so honored, having an old timer as a fan." He grinned, obvious in his teasing. "My name's Safi; nice to meet you, Xennek."
In truth, he was envious of Xennek. The male posessed a natural lionine grace that Safi could never touch. It would always be out of his reach, now matter how full he fluffed his mane or how small he stripped his tail. He loved his life and all that was given to him, and still..."Tell me, Xennek, are you a father?"
"Humph." Xennek rolled his eyes at the teasing though a bit of a jolt went through him at actually being called an 'old timer' in this way. Almost just like he always called that ole timer. So that must be what it feels like to be Fiore. The thought made the lion chuckle softly to himself. "Safi, eh? Nice to meet you as well, I 'spose."
"A father?" The question took the lion by surprise. Was he? There had been times yes when he had been with females...many times in fact, but had he stayed to see if they had birthed cubs? Never. "I hope not." He replied with honesty, "I've no mate, but I'm not the cleanest lion out there so I suppose it's possible. But in the sense of a true father - no, I'm no father. Why do you ask?" A master with an apprentice certainly at times, but not a father.
Safi shook his head. "Simple curiosity, I guess." The leopon stretched his paws before him, and after shaking out his mane, decided this was the part in the conversation where he got packing. "I should get going before someone comes looking for me."
He nodded in ways of a goodbye, and started to walk off, then stopped and called over his shoulder, "Watch those genes of yours. One slip up and it's Daddy Day Care for you." And with that, the hybrid was off, feeling both sorrowful for being the way he was, and grateful at the same time.
But then, such was life.
(( WC: 1,297 ))
