Private: DGFone and VitanisMate

[VitanisMate]

Nzuri, having lost her will to travel much longer, began to faint on the dirt and grass of the savanna and began to talk to herself, having gone without food or water a number of days. She began to wish for an end to her miserable existence. She soon noticed water was present with a twist of her ear towards the direction and started to head that way. Soon, she began to lap up the fresh water with such efficiency that it was obvious that she was parched of thirst from her two days without water, a dangerous feat for any lioness. She began to tell herself how things were unbearable under her father, the leader of the pride of which she left, and began to wonder if that act was such a good idea. 'Of course it is!,' she told herself as she took out her feline tongue and began to get the dirt and grime off of hersel, courtesy of a few days wear of dirt and grime, from her golden-brown fur; giving herself a bath in other words. The lioness began to wonder why she saw no signs of life out this way and what the future will have in store for her. The land around her was nothing like home, her father knowing how to always make sure the Pride was well-fed and watered, however she immediately reminded herself of other features that made it unbearable to deal with.

She knew it would be hard to explain this to anyone without her coming across as spoiled however. Having seen no signs of life within a few minutes, Nzuri began to notice that the air began to change, becoming more arid than it had been previously. This experience was completely unfamiliar to her, having come from a home that was never this dry. How unhappy she would be to return however! How it would be unbearable as her father was a tyrant. Yes it has been heard right, a tyrant! While he kept his pride of lions fed, he abused her in some of the worst ways possible, that she did not even want to think about it in her mind. She soon noticed that the change also began to change in another way.

For the first time, she noticed she noticed the noise of another animal there and left to investigate. She very quickly hid behind the bushes and saw a young, handsome male lion getting some water on the other side of the waterhole. She noticed her appearance and immediately regretted herself being in such a disheveled appearance. She questioned how she would approach this male and wondered if he was anything like her father.

[DGFone]

The lion in question continued to drink from the waterhole, pretending not to have noticed that he was noticed by the new arrival. Due to having lived on his own for a while now, traveling from place to place ever since being run out from his old pride, Delano had learned a certain weariness when it came to approaching strangers. A little gift he received from the last time he ran into a lion still ached occasionally, but was on the whole healing well.

Still, it's not like Delano wanted to get into another confrontation just yet, and so he continued to drink while ignoring this latest newcomer.

Although, as he stole another quick glance up, he couldn't help but notice two things: The first, was that the stranger was a lioness. That could either mean that he can continue to relax and not worry about having to fight off another male, or it could actually mean that soon, a whole pride would be on its way to give him a bad time. Considering that this waterhole was the first real respite he had in a while, he really wasn't looking forward to that option.

However, the second thing Delano noticed was how the lioness seemed to eye him curiously. Deciding that he had enough water to drink for now, Delano looked up more properly and decided to try out his luck. After all, it had been too long since he had company that didn't immediately try to either run away from him, or attack him. Flashing a cheeky grin at the lioness, he sat down, trying to appear as friendly as possible, while still tensing for a possible confrontation - it never hurts to be too careful. "So you gonna just stay there and look at me like that, or you want to come over and say 'hi'?" He motioned at himself with a paw. "The name's Delano."

[VitanisMate]

The lioness was surprised at his noticing of her, having thought her cover was perfectly camouflaged against this cautious brute. She was at a loss for words for a few seconds, before she gulped and began to speak for the first time. She tried to flash the most pleasant smile at this male in front of her and said, "Hello, it is nice to meet you stranger, my name is Nzuri." She paused for a moment before she looked around curiously and turned her attention back to the male in question. "Uh...," she tried to recall his name in hesitation, "Delano..." that sounded right she believed; "Is there no food out this way? I have been traveling for several days alone." She decided not to tell the young lion about the story of her past, after all it was none of his business anyway. She shifted her feet, prepared to hear of his answer, concerned what he might say or what the intentions were of this male. As she waited, she decided to think some more.

She noticed what a strong male he was, probably a result of him being alone, by himself, for many many months. She began to notice an idea of cold calculation begin to emerge in that scheming brain of hers. What if, after enough prodding, this young male would become a perfect warrior to take down her father; again, she could offer him a place to call home, away from hunger and loneliness, and use that to bring about the prefect seed of her own plan, the destruction of her good old father after the onset of his oppression of her. Now he would know the consequence of crossing a lioness as intelligent as her he dared mocked as stupid and as a child! As the idea began to open in her head she began to hide a smile and begin to form things she could say to the male to arouse his sympathy and his own attraction towards her to pull off this dirty deed.

[DGFone]

The lioness's, Nzuri's, introduction left Delano stunned for a moment. Lions traveling alone was one thing, and a rather common one at that. But a lone lioness? That was almost never heard of. "Alone, you say?" he tried to think of what to say as he still pondered the chances of stumbling into the one lone lioness the area. Normally they stayed with their prides... "No, no there isn't much in terms of food back that way. Well, I just kinda came from there and I didn't see much, so no, I can't say there is much."

Delano eyed the lioness closely. Sure, she claimed to be hungry, but he couldn't really agree that she looked it. Maybe it was a trap? But if it was, why would she ask about farther away from where she came from, rather than closer to her potential pride? No, it didn't sound like a trap. But then again, another part of Delano's head reminded him that he was alone for too long, and this was a chance for at least a temporary reprieve from that, so perhaps he really ought to be a little less paranoid. Just this once.

"So do you live around here, or also just passing through?" he finally asked, "because if you're not from around these parts, chances of grabbing a meal will be better with two of us..." he frowned, somewhat lost in thought. "...If that's alright with you?" Even as he said this, Delano was busy wondering if he just made a good decision, or one of the stupidest in his life.

[VitanisMate]

Nzuri paused for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase her answer to his question. Her ears drooped as he claimed there was no food where he was. Will her misfortune ever end! Yes it will, she thought, it will with this male lion in front of me. She paused at her thinking to ponder how to best set up the lion to exact her own purposes in the affairs of her doing. He was strong, she gave him that, but was he capable of being cunning, having great intellect and having a problem with killing? She got on all four of her legs as she pondered this.

As he asked his next set of questions, she paused and considered how to respond, figuring that sympathy was the best manner to approach this lion. "Oh thank you for allowing me to go with you," she said in a sentimental tone trying to show feelings of appreciation and also sadness. "No I am not from around here. I ran away from my father as he abused me. I only want to know what kindness feels like, but I do not know if I ever will." She paused as she used her next answer to flatter the male, "Yes I feel like I should go with you. A strong guy like you is likely to scare away any male," as she flashed a seductive smile at him, hoping her charms will work. She immediately stopped herself however and said sincerely, "I have no where to go and I am not going back."

She began to have her mind wander at the deeds she could get this lion to do and wondered if she could have the nerve to help with the deed herself. Of course I can! she thought.

[DGFone]

While Delano wanted to believe the lioness about her past, he had too many recent experiences of being deceived to simply lower his guard over a sob story. But at the same time, Nzuri sounded sincere, and hadn't he had just offered to help her out and let her join him? Plus, he did feel a hint of pride at how she described him, although Delano was quite certain that part was mostly to win him over. That being said, he did manage to survive long enough on his own, so he too had some confidence in his own abilities. If he didn't help Nzuri, who would?

"Alright," he finally agreed, "you can tag along with me, at least until we can find some food. And then," he paused, again looking her over, "we'll see what happens then." Perhaps the two can go off and live on their own together where others won't bother them, that was always an option. Compared to simply wandering around own his own, letting Nzuri go with him, assuming there wasn't something else sinister behind her, safer than being alone. Finally motioning away from the waterhole, he asked, "So, shall we?"

[VitanisMate]

Nzuri smiled as the male lion said she could go with him and tried to figure out what next to do in that cunning mind of hers. She got back on all fours and started to walk in the direction Delano was pointing as she strategised how best to pull a plan like hers out. She paused as she formulated how best to get herself closer to the male, deciding that sincerity will work for now. She imagined back to her home life...knowing her ambition easily overshadowed such good feelings about that sort of thing.

"So Delano...tell me a little about yourself. What brings you out here? Do you have no pride? What's your background?" She paused as she awaited his answer, seeing how best to formulate her plan next. Should she try to make him sympathise with her against her father. Should she continue with the small talk? How should she proceed? As she awaited his answer she noticed how arid this place was and said to him, "Delano...maybe if we go to a more fertile area we can catch something like a warthog..."

[DGFone]

Delano frowned, and paused to rub his head, trying to think of an answer to the questions he found himself on the receiving end of. "Pride? Yeah, I have one," he frowned, realizing that the answer he just gave didn't quite appear to match reality, "well, I used to have one." It wasn't exactly a topic Delano liked to talk about, but Nzuri also seemed to have just dealt with something similar... Well, not exactly, but it's not like he had many others to talk to. "I didn't get kicked out - I didn't want to leave, and the rest of the pride didn't want me to go either."

He wasn't sure if he was making sense or not, but Delano hadn't had much of an opportunity to explain his recent past before. "But some strange lion showed up, leading some others, including hyenas. I've never seen anything like it before, but well, long story short, I got run out, and have been on my own this then." Delano felt a sense of anger rise up from within him. "I don't even know who that lion was, or what he did to my pride, but if I ever find him..." Pawing the ground, frustrated, Delano let out a sigh. "All right, I don't actually know what I will do. I doubt I am strong enough to take him down. Wasn't last time. When it mattered."

At Nzuri's mention of food, Delano's thoughts were distracted away from any homesick thoughts of his pride. "I guess we can," he muttered, spirits lifting slightly, "but it might be a long walk until we find anything." Scanning the area around them, he motioned at a direction that looked promising. "That over there might work. Come on!"

[VitanisMate]

At Delano's story, Nzuri quickly tried to use that story to her advantage, taking in every detail of his sad tale. "Oh Delano, that is horrible," she said using a sympathetic voice. To push the lion closer to her, she quickly added, "My father sounds exactly like this horrible lion you have described." She quickly paused for a moment, as she again measured her options and awaited for a crafty way for her thoughts to become words. She again said with sympathy, "I'll make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again."

She quickly did a false face of embarrassment and guilt as she did an embarassed cough and said, "I apologise for saying that, good sir. I just wanted to make you feel better." She then began to sniff around and began to whisper to the lion in a soft voice, "Delano, I should tell you, I smell antelope." She then began to ponder how she would tell him the bad news, that her pride never taught her how to hunt. She quickly looked down at her paws, again feeling embarrassed in a genuine matter this time.

She quickly said softly, "Delano, my family never taught me how to hunt so I will be of no help to you. I am no hunting lioness." She again awaited his response, pondering how to bring this lion into agreement with her if he answered in a positive or negative matter with her statement. If positive, she would congratulate and stroke his ego more; if negative, she would arouse his sympathy.

[DGFone]

At the mention of possible food, Delano paused and concentrated on smelling the air around them. Sure enough, he was also able to catch the scent of possible prey. Plus, with Nzuri now with him, getting a meal should prove easier. That is, until he almost missed her almost quiet comment on her hunting ability. "What do you mean you don't know how to hunt?" Was that even possible? "You- you're a lioness. I thought you all were supposed to know how to hunt."

From what he could tell, it didn't look like Nzuri was faking it, either. She really did look very much emberrased to admit that fact. "All right, all right," Delano grumbled, "I'll see what I can do. But I gotta warn you: no promises." Following the scent, he stayed low to lower the chances of ruining the hunt before it could start. As he walked, he couldn't help but mutter to himself. "Way to go, Delano. Of all the lionesses you could have run into, you get the one who can't hunt. And you thought life would get easier. What a day..."

A part of him knew that he really shouldn't be blaming her for her pride's failure at teaching her how to hunt. Still, now with the possibility of needing to provide for two mouths made things worse. Delano was almost barely able to feed himself, let alone another fully grown lioness. Perhaps, maybe, just maybe, she was a fast learner and this was only going to be a temporary issue. At least, he hoped.