[Log] Craving || Azula & Tamu'meka

[Tahja Estes]

((In the process of being logged! @_@))

Tamu moved swiftly over the dunes, headed straight for the paradise he'd been to only days ago. Was it perhaps he was expecting to see Azula there? Not of his knowing, and yet consciously he felt his gut clench for her figure. He simply wanted to see her again, if not just to walk past.

He wasn't, by no means, worried of her safety, or whether she'd run off with another male for the two had not yet shown loyalty to one another, so that was beside the point--for now. It was, in fact much like lack of water; when you were thirsty, you had to get a taste of cool liquid running down your throat to quench it--to feel better, he had to get a visual of Azula to feel more content. His body lunged through the foliage, half expecting the lioness, half not--whether when he popped out the other end he'd find her was up for discussion, but as for the moment, as he moved with a lean form through the bungle and onto soft ground, all that clouded his head was nothing...

Simply nothing.

She sat there preening her hind leg with an apathetic look on her face. She had been avoiding Tamu'meka ever since the day that they'd mated one another. From the start, ever since meeting Mrost, she'd planned this. She knew that once the two slept together he'd be craving more of her attention, more of her time, more of her affection, none of which she was quite so willing to give right now. There was a chance, a good chance, that by one of the males at least she was pregnant by now. How it frustrated her, not knowing. Why couldn't nature take it's course a little faster?

Though, waiting -did- give her the advantage of time, time to plan, time to scheme further. If the cubs were Mrost's hopefully it wouldn't show, and she could pass any of his markings off as her mother's side of the family. Then there was the possibility of conning some poor male into helping her raise the little monsters.... ah, yes, and right on cue here came Tamu'meka.

The female looked up from her grooming only to move the attention elsewhere, asking: "Well I haven't seen -you- in a while, Tamu'meka."  

[Tahja Estes]

There, she was there, in all her glory--yet still as always, in a sour mood. His tongue slid over his muzzle, nose gaining moisture with the lick. 'Azula...' He cooed, his ears shooting back in surprise to her comment.

His body flexed slightly, shrugging of her displeasing tone, as he moved towards the water, dipping his head and licking gently, taking in the refreshing taste before turning his gaze to the lioness, her body glowing with satisfaction.

'It has been a while hasn't it...Dare I ask where you've been without coming across as nosy?'

His head craned innocently with the question.

As she'd suspected.

Abruptly, her tongue stopped it's cleaning motions, eyes popping open only to stare coldly at her own fur, glancing towards the male from the corner of her eyes.

"I've been about. Not the exciting answer that I assume you were hoping for, right?"

Perhaps she was a tad bit touchier than she cared to let on...  

[Tahja Estes]

His body quivered--something wasn't right about Azula, she seemed off kilter; definitely different then her usual self. Last time she'd acted as such, he'd gotten to close to her comfort zone. Perhaps he was doing so again, without realizing.

Quickly, Tamu snuffed the words. How could he reveal his feelings without seeming...too childish, too wanting--too clingy. Which, honestly he wasn't clingy all the time. Pulling grains of sand between his toes, he shook his mane, allowing his eyes to gaze, coldly. 'I see. And, by these outings you've managed to leave no notice of hello's or goodbyes too. What a shame, for not even you can accept friendship.' he bit his tongue, still balancing on all four paws.

'Not that I waited for you, no Azula. I didn't even expect you to want me--I realized my youth bothered you, annoyed you, but to the point of disappearing all together?' He chuckled, morbidly. 'But I see Azula, I see. You've been about. I see.'

He cared, it was obvious, but as to why he cared when the two had shared little love more then they did witty come backs was beyond conversation. He was simply far to aggravated at this point to realize his words probably made little to no sense at all.

Azula lowered her leg to turn, looking to the young adolescent as she rose to all four paws, thinking how best to handle this. He wasn't making sense to her. Had she wound him too far too soon?

"Tamu, you have untapped potential..."

Which was true. Raw, untapped potential, which lashed out in the wrong places in the wrong ways due to his inexperience. The lioness began an almost predatory circle around the male then, speaking in a soothingly calm voice at first, but ending on a sudden and abrupt note of certainty.

"Your youth takes away the element of control. Even now you're surely wondering what you've done wrong to make me so cross, aren't you?"

All speculations, but she prided herself on reading others. It was a part of surviving, after all.  

[Tahja Estes]

At first, it was to watch that he stayed and breathed heavily, adrenalin rushing feverishly. His cheeks flushed as she pinpointed his weakness, what he was thinking all together, and as she did so, he moved out of her circle quickly, turning about to face her again.

'I am...' Defeated in attempts, he leaned on his haunches, eyes watching the lioness, but body at a total loss of what to do. His thoughts wandered as he stood, head canting with the passing words.

Tell me how else to handle this Azula...Tell me how else to handle you, one who seems to only want the use of another, to benefit the self...tell me how to be more like you...

The female's gaze tried to hold a cold flame as they so often did for those to which she spoke... but to realize that she had such a direct impact on him didn't really bring the satisfaction that she'd expected. Damn it all, had she actually taken a liking to him? What to do with him now?

What do you mean, "what to do with him?"? Firekin don't show weakness!

"The Firekin don't show weakness." She then said sharply, repeating her thoughts for him to hear as she looked at him sharply, warring with herself even now. "You should spend this time focusing on becoming the best that you can become. You owe me that, remember? I only settle for the best."

~So take this hit now and put it towards our long term goals. I told you I wouldn't give you special treatment, Tamu....... and I meant it....... Become the best you can, then... maybe-~  

[Tahja Estes]

Tamu's lips parted, a soft growl escaping the slit. She was telling him to change...for her, and normally he'd be ok with it--ok with altering himself, especially since he knew he'd grow out of this stage of his life, yet as she said it...how she said it, all of it seemed like a load of boar crap. And Tamu never took that.

'...Azula, you are a proud female, and I envy that above all else--the pride you hold in the Firekin, yourself--it all. When I prosper into the best I can become, as you say, I will be sure to let you know--for I know where my priorities lie now...completly and utterly for you.'

With a smile, wicked as it may have been, he turned on his heels quietly and moved off into the foliage. He was done with her for now, much like she would be with him if it had taken a completely different turn--yet no matter how helplessly angry he felt, his heart sunk with the guilt of passion...Tamu felt for Azula like no other, and being angered with her was like being angered with the goddess--the more you were, the less you felt.

It stung, surprisingly, realizing that he'd misunderstood her intentions, which, for once, hadn't been completely selfish. To chase after him now though, would proove her to be the weak and clingy one, and that just wasn't her. No matter what, he was the one that had to do the pursuit, why?

Because Azula didn't want to be in his place, feeling the burn of rejection.

Her back turned to the male as he left, just as much to disguise her urge to call him back as it was to quell that urge.

The potential that she'd first caught glimpse of in him, was it still there? She wasn't sure anymore, because she'd been the first to show weakness. She should never have mated with him in an attempt to cover up her being with Mrost. That was when she began to realize that she wasn't as indifferent with him as she should have been. So he should go, she should just let him go, before things got any messier.