Meaning and Purpose [Closed to Julie_Skywalker]

[Carl]

"I agree, you can't stay here," Vitani told the mongoose, "You'll drive him, if not the rest of us as well, mad. You need to go somewhere else."

Then the lioness turned away from the creature and moved back over to the carcasses they'd brought back. The other lionesses and Shuja were already eating, and as hungry as she was by now, she quickly moved over to join them. While she dug in, she tried to figure out what the mongoose had meant. Simba was dead, that much was clear, but before it had sounded like there would be a war against Kovu, and now it seemed as though that may not be the case. She pondered what it could have meant. Was it possible it was completely accurate? Was it possible the mongoose was right at all? Should she even give any credence to the creature's crackpot ideas?

As she finished eating and licked her lips, she decided it was best to ignore the little creature and just continue with life as normal unless something should come up, and just wait and see what was to transpire. It seemed to be a more logical decision than sitting around trying to decipher that thing's words. Stretching, she realized she hadn't battled Baya yet. He'd be disappointed if he didn't get a fight, especially since they'd missed their fight a few days in a row now.

She couldn't just walk over to him and say, "Hey, I'm ready for a fight." No, she had to be more creative than thatㅡ she needed to get his attention. So instead, she crouched, and slunk nearer very slowly, as if she were stalking her prey, and just before he'd turn and spot her, she pounced, landing on his back with all of her claws extended. Due to the very nature of her sneak attack, she allowed herself to be thrown off, and crouched in front of him in a fighting stance when she was on her paws again.

"The arrangement comes to an end if I don't fight you, right?" she said with a smirk. She bit her tongue to stop herself from adding, 'Unless you've gone too soft.'

[Baya]

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[Carl]

She grinned slyly and roughly licked his muzzle, remaining tensed and ready for the next attack. Her breathing was heavy, her heartbeat rushed. She felt more alive than ever in this moment, wounded and sore, exhausted from the hunt as well as the fight, and entranced by her opponent. This... this feeling, it's what she'd lacked in the Outlands, she realized. Noㅡ it was everything she'd known there, but kicked up another notch. When she was with him, she almost didn't miss her mother or Nuka.

"No," she said as soon as her tongue had returned to her maw from the nearly lightning-fast lick she'd given him, "It's not like good old times. Like good old times would entail us running around like cubs, laughing and not drawing blood. I think you prefer it this way."

She pressed her head under his chin swiftly, and then pulled back and slashed him across the foreleg, watching the blood drip down slowly. She grinned, then leaned over and licked the wound a few times, gently. Then she struck him again, all the while careful of any attacks he might try to land on her, dancing out of the way. She backed up a little ways and spoke again.

"Which sensation do you prefer?" she cooed almost seductively, "You'll say the wounds no doubt, but I think we both know that isn't the case. You reject the gentle touches because they are foreign to you. Not because they are a sign of weakness."

She anticipated a raging retaliation, expected him to lash out both vocally and physically at her in rebuttal of her claims, and so she readied herself for it. She had her feet planted firmly against the ground, and her body was tensed and ready to spring into action at an instant. A realization had dawned on her, that maybe Baya wasn't changing as much as his perspective was changing. That was something she'd wanted in some degree from the first. If she could help him to be more caring and rational, he'd still be the same lion, only he'd make better company.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

Vitani grinned sadistically, proud of the progress they'd made. He wasn't only becoming less insane, he was also becoming physically stronger. She really needed him to be in top shape, mentally and physically, if there was to be a war. She still wasn't sure what all the mongoose had meant, but if it was right, a dark time was in its early stages, and she wanted to be sure they were as prepared as possibleㅡ which also meant she'd need to occasionally battle her lionesses and Shuja as well to keep them on their toes and powerful.

She lunged at Baya, her wicked grin spreading wider across her muzzle as she slapped him forcefully across the face and then sank her fangs into his shoulder. There were much better places to attack, but there were also worse ones, and with him, any opening was a good place to attack. She wrapped her forelegs around him and buried her claws into his flesh, pulling backwards and toppling them to the ground.

They began rolling about, thrashing, gnashing, and slashing, trying to gain the upper paw. The two didn't let up as here fangs met flesh, here claws drew blood, here a flailing limb bruised. It was a difficult struggle, despite the fact that it had been going on for a while now, and they covered some distance more while they were at it. Finally, they stopped moving as Baya pinned Vitani, she kicked at him and tried to scramble away, but she wasn't fast enough.

Right next to them, a geyser erupted, singing the fur on the sides of their faces. The burning lasted for what seemed like ages, and Vitani began to let out a mad cackling laugh rather than the howl of pain she would have done in another situation. As the eruption died down, her psychotic laugh did too. Then she stared up at the male, her eyes dancing.

"Let me guess... you could kill me right now, snap my neck..." she murmured with a wicked grin. "But you haven't the urge." Staring into his eyes, she was mesmerized, she felt... strange. Her chest and stomach felt light and aflutter. Those emerald green eyes were so familiar, and yet, so very new.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

The feeling of him nuzzling her sent a shiver down her spine. She smiled, and fought to hold back a purr. He was powerful, a good protector, he was smart, when he wasn't trying to be insane. He was fun, and he made her heart dance. She'd never met anyone like him before. She'd lusted after some passing lion here and there, but she'd never felt this for anyone. He was special. When he commented about carving their initials into the wall, she laughed at the very idea.

"Don't be ridiculous. You'd never be able to carve anything of the sort into anything!" she said with a snort. "Such a thing is much too tedious for someone like you. I could do it though."

She grinned maliciously as she made the offer. It was a joke of course, and intended to get a rise out of him. To soften the blow, or maybe further provoke him, she wrapped a paw around the crook of his neck, her claws and toes getting tangled in his mane fur, and pulled him close again so she could give his cheek a quick lick.

[OOC: Sorry it's so short, I didn't know what else to type. .____. I can edit it if you want.]

[Baya]

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[Carl]

Vitani stretched and yawned, grinning up at Baya. She flexed her claws and flicked her tail as she slowly rose on her paws, feeling rather playful this morning.

"A story?" she asked mischievously, "Whatever for? All we did last night was fight... and happen to pass out by one another."

As she said this, she reached up with a paw, grabbed his face beneath his chin and let her claws pierce the flesh ever so slightly. She turned his head to face her straight on and then roughly licked the front of his muzzle, her tongue pulling at his lips and nostrils before her teeth snapped shut on his snout, not hard, but not gentle either. She relinquished her grip a moment later and started walking away, her tail swishing as she glanced back over her shoulder at him with a smile.

"They really won't think anything else happened, our battles take us far sometimes," she pointed out, before turning her head back forward and trotting away. She knew he was following, but she didn't glance back again. As the two finally returned, the other members of their little "pride" were still lounging about as if nothing had happened.

"There you two are!" Sauda barked, "Did you get lost?" At her remark, N'gora cuffed her.

"We fought for so long and ended up going so far, that we just rested where we were. One of us was too battered to do anything but pass out," she said, deliberately leaving it vague. Sauda rolled her eyes and huffed. She could see the difference in their demeanor, and she knew the others could as well. Maybe nothing had happened of real import, but these two were getting much closer to one another, and she didn't like the sound of that at all. She shrugged.

"Well, you're both alive, so that's what's important," she said, turning around and flopping to the earth.

"Don't mind her, she's just jealous," N'gora chimed in an innocent voice, wearing an innocent smile to match. Sauda cut a sour face in her direction. Then, N'gora rose, approached Shuja, and smiling at the youngster said, "Hey, why don't I take you on a little practice hunt for small game in the land close to here, hmm?"

[Baya]

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