Deimos sighed as he slithered through the grass on his belly, eyes peeled for a potential next meal. With Ares off hunting for herself, food had become a chore for the pair of snakes to find as the two were so used to having their mice or shrews put down in front of them. A scowl begun to spread over his face at the thought of having to work. After all he had done for Ares and her old pride, the least she could do was hunt for them! This was just an outrage. Whatever the case though, he would find his next meal and whatever he found, he would release his anger upon it. Oh how he would enjoy swallowing it whole.
Phobos on the otherhand had apparently had much better luck then her darker counterpart in catching a meal. The female serpent laid upon a flat-top rock, basking in the sunlight in preparation for the chilling night while her belly bulged with what could likely be assumed to be several mice along with a few other bodies beside her coiled body in case of a sudden pang of hunger. A content grin splayed over her face, her tail flicking every now and then as she took great pleasure in her success. Even when she had had lions care for her, she had hunted for herself. The large felines never brought back anything that had really appealed to her and hunting for herself allowed her to choose her prey rather then someone pick it for her.
As the black serpent moved himself along the ground, his tongue flicking out almost constantly, he suddenly stopped. Something had...peeked his interest. With a sort of haste, Deimos moved quickly yet quietly toward the potential prey. What he found though wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. He had thought he would find a mouse sitting above ground, nibbling on some seeds or something. No, what he found was his lioness mistress' other snake; Phobos. Of course it was her. Why wouldn't it be her. Another sigh. She was always seemingly one step ahead of him in everything they ever did. Just like now. He was still hunting and there she was, napping with a full belly and extra beside her.
The white head of the female snake raised, golden eyes looking out into the grass around her resting stone. She could have sworn something was out there...Ah, there he was. The familiar black serpent that had been a nuisance since they had been hatchlings and new to the world. "And what do you want Deimos?" Phobos hissed out, spitting his name out like a venom. Even though they had been together for so long, she could barely stand the sight of the darker male. He had so little manners and it made him...unbearable!
"Uh..I..." He hadn't exactly planned on getting caught so quickly or so easily, but it seemed that it really was hard to get the upper hand on the white serpent. Deimos pulled himself up, trying to look dignified if that was even possible for him as he looked back out to her. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to share one of those mice you caught? A lady such as yourself always needs to watch her figure?"
"Nice try." Came as the response to the black serpent's attempt at a quick meal just before Phobos decided she was hungry and began to swallow one of the other mice down. Deimos watched in what looked like horror, his stomach growling more as the food that was so close was quickly taken out of his grasp. "You know..." The female snake said, looking down to the remaining rodent on her basking rock. "That's probably why you'll never find a female to have a clutch with."
"W-what?!" The statement had come as a shock. How that subject even come up?! All he had asked was for a meal, and suddenly she was calling out his masculinity.
"You heard me. You expect others to do the work for you, how could you expect someone to willingly come and do all of that for you while you do nothing in return?" Her words stung, as if they dripped with venom and her fangs had aimed straight for his heart. "You're selfish and unreliable, Deimos. I'm not sure what Ares' sees in you, but I sure don't see it."
The other reptile was horrified at what she was telling him. He was...selfish? Unreliable? It was sort of true though. Usually it was Phobos following through with a request that Ares made or had been the one responding to a border request for a snake back in their pride. He was usually too 'busy' to do it and that was usually because he was too busy eating mice and birds caught by the other pridemembers. Deimos looked down, his head hanging down in shame. Despite the sting of her words, they were all true. He was the same age as her, but he had no reason not to pass on his genes. She on the otherhand had every right to be as picky as she wanted. He had no excuse. No one to blame except himself. The pure black serpent turned, his tail not flicking as usual as he did so.
No retort, no witty comeback? That wasn't like him. Phobos's golden eyes softened as she saw her clutch-mate turn away in what seemed like a depression. Her words had been harsh. Perhaps she shouldn't have gone so hard on the boy. It was sort of the pride's fault that he had grown up so entitled and spoiled. "Deimos, wait!" But it was too late. The black snake had already slithered off into the grass and out of sight before Phobos had even had time to catch sight of him so she could follow after him. All by herself, as she had been at the start, she coiled herself back up, staring at the dead rodent on the edge of the rock. That's all he had wanted. Why did she snap so hard at him... Her eyes slid closed with that thought in mind.
[Word Count: 1028]
