Meaning and Purpose [Closed to Julie_Skywalker]

[Carl]

Vitani was taken aback, but she smirked and wrapped her forelegs around the male's shoulders, pulling his face down closer to hers. Were she thinking much, she might have realized just how crazy this moment seemed. She might have realized that there was a potential for danger here. She might have been a little more cautious. Had she realized, and bothered to care.

"You surprise me," she whispered, "By rights, you should be killing me."

The lioness licked his cheek roughly and then leaned up a bit, rubbing her head against his as she moved her muzzle closer to his ear. She purred very slightly before hissing, "Don't worry big guy, I won't tell anyone."

---

Ghinjo nodded at Mrithi's words, "Affirmative, sir."

She took a bow. She would have to be very careful, and reduce her reports back to him. She knew those others were suspicious of her, they had to be having followed her on that hunt. She must have been too obvious. She'd do what she could to erase that suspicion and bring them over to her side. She'd have to use her brains more than she'd initially thought, because she could see that this pride had cleverer lions than she had anticipated.

"I will be extra careful from now on. Don't expect my reports back to you to be as frequent as before. The lionesses that came back with the king's brother are already suspicious of me and I need to win them over," she told him, "Fortunately, I'm smarter than that male, and they aren't that suspicious of me. Those girls are somewhat suspicious of almost everyone it seems. It's so odd though, they hate Kovu..." The last part was just her musing aloud to herself.

Realizing that she'd been rambling she cleared her throat and bowed again, "I'll be getting back now, before they notice I'm gone."

With that, she turned and vanished back into the grasses she'd come from, already knowing her excuse should anyone notice or ponder at her absence. It wasn't difficult to find her way back to the body of the discarded spy and she stood there for a few moments, putting a a disgusted and shocked face. When she felt she'd gotten it perfect, she began padding back up to Pride Rock.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

"No one exists only for death and destruction. No one has no choice in their life," the lioness muttered, "Life is what we make of it, not what it makes of us. The circumstances of life can make us hard, bitter, and negative... but if we choose, we can make ourselves happy even in that life, we can make ourselves find a place where we belong, and we can find something in between the boring peaceful life and the carnage from whence you came."

As she finished saying that bit, she purred and rolled over, rubbing her back against his underbelly before slipping out from under him and pouncing around to face him. She dropped the front half of her body to the ground in a somewhat playful pose that she intended to be a little more on the seductive side in this case.

"And for what it's worth," she purred, "I think you're quite the handsome lion yourself. But I ain't soft either."

She was smiling at him, and she realized suddenly that this must be what it was. This was the feeling that had turned Kovu against Zira, this was the feeling that caused so much peace, and so much destruction. This was not some passing attraction, nor was it a simple friendship like she'd had with the lionesses and her brothers. No, this was something much more, this was something she dared not describe even to herself. Her heart was aflutter, and though she determined not to let it show, she was very nervous, and her cheeks felt warm.

This male, as infuriating as he could be, as stubborn and thckheaded as he was, Baya meant something to her. More than all the other lions and lionesses she had ever met. And she knew now, this feeling had started to form early on. This feeling had been why she'd revived him after Kovu had tried to have him killed. This feeling was why she'd been so upset when he'd declared they weren't friends, it was why it had bothered her so much that he kept attitude with her and refused to be reasonable when they'd come here.

"No one's ever made me feel like you do, so forgive me if I'm... a little weird around you," she murmured.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

Vitani shuddered and stood up to look Baya in the eyes, her heart hammering in her chest. This was all happening so fast it seemed, but she knew it had taken quite a long time in reality. It was like the world was ending and beginning all at once and she couldn't find her voice. She stood there, shocked, wondering how to respond, what could she possibly say to him in this situation? She knew what she wanted to say, but how? She was frozen silent and her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth.

How would the others react? Kovu, the lionesses, the enemy? They wouldn't be surprised, she figured, but what would they do? Would Kovu attack? Would their enemies use them against each other? Would that be any different than now and did any of that matter? Was this a smart decision? Could she know he would do right by her? Was there a reason to hope for him to? Wasn't his insanity and unpredictability part of what she liked him for, even though it gave her trouble sometimes?

She felt held by his emerald eyes, and felt like time had stopped. Her knees felt weak and her legs were shaking. This was all so weird. Why hadn't she felt any of this before if she was going to feel it at all? She'd been feeling this way towards him for a while, but it was only when he suggested this that anything came of it. It was only when he asked her to be his mate that she had felt so truly feeble and crippled by her feelings. It had to be because she'd never expected anything really to come out of it except battling. Whatever the reasons behind it, she hoped that this would end soon.

She pulled her eyes from him and gently placed her head beneath his chin, inhaling the scent of his mane. She was shaking even more now but felt somehow steadier being closer to him. She let out a short sigh and then at last managed to find her voice and answer him with a single word, "Yes."