Captive's Struggle [PRIVATE: AC & SinChei]

[AustralianChaos]

Kulinda continued smiling as she got to work bathing Daxis' belly. The repetitive nature of her task was actually relaxing her quite well, and she hoped Daxis was finding his bath rather relaxing as well. He had seemed tense and ready to struggle when she had bathed his head and mane, but had managed to avoid struggling. "You know, most cubs I've ever seen always tried to struggle during baths like this...but you seem pretty calm. Why is that?"

As she posed her question, she gave Daxis one last look-over. Finding him completely clean, she pulled her head away and nodded. "All done, big guy!" she said, releasing her grip on him so he could wander off if he wanted to.

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Tanga watched as Makali left to find something to hunt, before walking off, heading for the gate into the enclosure, completely unaware that he was about to stumble on Kulinda and Daxis once more.

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Tyson sighed as the lioness finished bathing the cub, hearing the sounds of Shane in the kitchen, he got up and made his way out there, finding his friend just as he was leaving.

"Good morning!" he called cheerfully as he grabbed himself something to eat. "You won't believe what I saw on the observation cameras just now!" He was a little sad that Shane had missed it, but at least he could tell his friend about the adorable sight. The fact that it had happened near the gate suggested that they may get a chance to observe the creatures up close today.

[SinChei]

Daxis tried to abort his struggling and waited until Kuoinda finished bathing him before repling still between her two forlegs didn't want to get away of them. But he rolled onti his belly again and watched her again with a smile trying to explain why he didn't do it.

Well it was the first time someone bathed me and... I hope it wasn't the last time. I just didnot want to struggle because i didn't want to annoy you that you don't do it once more... i cant promise i won't next time but please don't be mad at me then

He said while snuggling in her forpaws and curling himself up into a little brown ball with red head.

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Makali hoped that the humans brang in some new animals to hunt because he was not the best hunter at all. He followed the scent of some while wwandering slowly through the grass try to not make a sound.

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Shane was still half asleep and looked at tyson with only half open eyes and mouth. Chewing his breakfest bored in his mouth. But his eyes opened a bit more as tyson made him more curious about what happened a few minutes ago. He gulped the food even if it was still to big for his throat and grimaced.

Ouch!

Shane shook his head in disgust and looked towards tyson while getting up from the chair and walking past him.

What where tell me!! Did the poachers come back?!

[AustralianChaos]

Kulinda stared at Daxis, shocked. "That was your first ever bath?" she asked. "But...what about your mother...or even your father? Surely they bathed you?" she asked, completely unaware of Daxis' past, and therefore the possible pain such a question might cause.

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As Tanga neared the gate, he noticed Kulinda was there...and she had the cub in her paws. smiling at the sight, glad that, even if the cub still did not like either himself or Makali, that he had at least found someone he could go to for comfort and companionship. "Morning!" he called, getting their attention as he walked towards, moving slowly to avoid causing more pain in his wound, silently wondering how the cub would react to him after last night.

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Tyson grinned as his friend's anxiousness. "Calm down, there's still no sign of that poacher!" he said, grinning. "I checked the cameras just a minute ago, and saw the lioness and the cub near the gates...and she was giving the aggressive little guy a bath! And the cub wasn't struggling one bit...he actually seemed to like it!" He shook his head in wonder. "The cub seems to have become really attached to her...I could barely believe it when I saw it just before."

[SinChei]

Daxis really was hurt because he had to remember some things and just looked down on the ground. He remembered everything. His fathers paw beaten him several times his mother who just cared about his stronger brother everything.

I have no mother... or even a father... these lions bathed me yeah but in an endless sea of punches and kicks when i didn't do what my older brother told me to do. She just cared for him. If i had not found out how to bathe in a waterhole i had completely lost my fur. i was so skinny at some spots i looked awful... i wish they had but when i was young my mother did not even feed me with milk... i don't know how i survived but it was horrible. And the worst thing is ... look at me im still a very small cub... now you can imaghine how young i was i couldn't even speak. Now i am as big as half of your forleg that time i was as big as your paw. And they have beaten me up...

He said while tears running down his cheeks. He heard tanga in the most improper moment for him. Daxis let out a growl and couple of hisses towards Tanga mixed with the sound of a crying cub. He still wasn't thankful that tanga saved him last night and even if he had been it wouldn't interest him in this moment he jst wanted him to go as sson as possible.

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Makali spotted a few zebras the humans had bring in the enclosure a few days ago. Makali was proud of himself he didn't make a sound and could crawl to them very close. Then he waited for the perfect moment and jumped out of the grass dashing towards one of the smaller zebras. He tacjled the zebra with fullspeed to the ground and quickly bit in his neck.

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Shane just made big eyes and just watched at his friend.

No that is freakin awesome Tyse! That means maybe he will get used to the enclosure and we don't have to do something! Oh yes! YES!

Shane was shouting through the whole house and took his glass of water to drink it all at once. he was not reall believing it but he knew his friend would never lie to him when it is something special like that. He went through the door and headed towards the obervation room hopung it would e stil as awesome as tyson told him but he just could see the cub in his typicall aggressive manner.

Ohhh great... here he goes again

He said disappointed to see the cub angry again.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga froze as the cub growled and hissed at him, a little surprised at the sudden change in demeanour. The cub seemed so calm in Kulinda's paws, but the moment he drew attention to his own presence the cub got angry. But even from this distance, he could see the tears staining the cub's cheek fur, and realised that he had timed his arrival very badly.

"Sorry," he said, directing his words at the cub more than Kulinda. "I can see I've interrupted something. I'll just go..." he said softly, turning and beginning to walk off, trying to find another spot where he could rest for the day.

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Kulinda, still in shock from Daxis' explanation of his past, did not respond to Tanga's presence until he was already walking off. "Wait, Tanga!" she called, causing the golden-furred lion to halt, even if he did not turn back around. "Come back, stay here for a little while, I don't mind!"

As Tanga slowly turned around and made his way back towards them, Kulinda ducked her head low, whispering to Daxis so Tanga could not see nor hear her. "Daxis, I'm sorry about your parents, and everything you've suffered, I truly am...but you cannot treat Tanga the way you do, especially after last night. Think about it, your parents were horrible to you...do you really want to do follow in their paw-prints, and become a horrible lion like them? Look, I'm not asking you to like Tanga...but at least treat him with some respect, and try to get to know him. Please, Daxis, you owe him that much after last night...just give him a chance."

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Tyson followed Shane to the observation room, he sighed as he saw the cub, still resting in the lioness' paws, behaving aggressively as the golden lion attempted to approach them.

"It seems that the little guy only likes the lioness," he commented sadly. "He's still unhappy about the other two."

But even as he watched, he saw the male attempt to leave, only for the lioness to seemingly call to him, stopping him and even making him turn back, although it was obvious the gentle male was hesitant. "Hmm...now what's going on here?" he asked to himself, grabbing his bioculars and focusing on the scene by the gateway. He wanted to go down to the gate and watch this exchange close up, but did not want to miss precious minutes getting down there.

[SinChei]

Daxis was glad Tanga wanted to leave and hung his head until Kulinda called Tanga back to them. Daxis really wanted to give tanga a chance but this moment was not the best to try that. He couldn't still stop crying and so he just turned his back to Tanga and snuggled into Kulindas chest his face in her fur. He didn't want to growl and hiss at him again but didn't want to see him crying either.

Not now Kulinda he will see i am just weak let him go

The red maned cub mumbled in her chestfur again hoping she would hear it.

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Shane was still watching he same screen and looked confused as kulinda told tanga to stay. He scratched his head and lookd to his friend not knowing what he was seeing on the other screens and then trying to detect it.

What do you mean? i can't see something

He layed one hand on tysons shoulder and leaned over to the screen still trying to detect what tason made so curious.

[AustralianChaos]

Kulinda gave Daxis a sad look that the cub couldn't see with his face buried in her chest once more, but gave his head a brief nuzzle. "Crying does not make you weak, Daxis," she whispered. "Remember when I first arrived here, I was crying for quite a long time. Sometimes, you have to cry, you have to let your sadness out...because it helps. I don't know why, but it helps. But if you don't want Tanga to see, I can ask him to come back later, okay? I'm sure, if he knew why, that he would understand...and I know he does not think you are weak."

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Tyson pointed out the three lions through the massive observation window. "When Goldy arrived, the cub got angry, and he went to leave again, but it looks like our new lioness wanted him to come back."

He put the binoculars back to his eyes, trying to get a closer look at Kulinda and Daxis particularly. "Hmm...the lioness seems to have her attention on the cub at the moment, but he looks like he's trying to hide in her fur. He seems almost...upset, but I'm not sure."

[SinChei]

Daxis were happy about the words of Kulinda. everything what escaped her muzzle was exactly the opposite of what his parents told him. It was confusing but he liked it. Finally noone beat him or said he would cut him both paws if he wouldn't stop to play with them. Slowly Daxis stopped crying and breathed low and concentrated to not start a second time.

But.. i don't want to see Tanga. I never want to see him. And his friend too. Why should he stay here do you want to talk with him?

The cub was again completely against Tangas presence but said it in a calm manner this time and used his Name. As he did it he layed both paws on her chest and fought against it to look up in her face.

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Shane nodded and took a closer look too.

Yeah the cub seems... still not like goldy. but the Lioness seems to like him and wanted him to stay. thats weird or.. lets say it's awesome. But why do you think he is upset maybe he is just tired. He is a cub they are sleeping nearly the whole day

Shane tried to explain why the cub tried to hide in Kulindas fur and sighed because of it. It looked so adorable in contrast to his normal behavior.

[AustralianChaos]

Kulinda nodded at Daxis. She was proud of his ability to remain calm this time around, and not insult Tanga this time around. "Yes, I would like to get to know Tanga. He seems very nice, and I'd like to learn more about him. But look, if you don't want him around, I'll send him away for a little bit, okay?"

As she spoke, she looked up at Tanga and shook her head slightly, indicating that he should just wait a minute.

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Tanga stopped, cocking his head to the side, giving Kulinda a curious look. He quickly surmised that the cub still did not want him around, but Kulinda's look plainly said she would tell him if he had to go, so he sat down, still a fair distance away from the lioness and cub, and waited for them to finish their decision.

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Tyson nodded. "Hopefully, since the cub has taken to the lioness so well, she might be able to help him get used to the two older ones. I don't want to see our group split apart by this."

He then looked more closely at Daxis. "But I see what you mean...and I think the cub's upset rather than tired...I just hope he calms down and cheers up soon, that's all."

[SinChei]

Daxis nodded once again and turned his head around to look at tanga. He looked him in his eyes and just growled lowly with closed muzzle just in his chest so that he could not avoid it. But anyways it was so low that only Kulinda could hear it and even if she would be very quiet.
His head moved into her chestfur again and made him purr softly.

Yes please. I don't want him around and if you want to talk to him later then i can go anywhere else. Then you can talk to him i don't mind then.

He was mumbling into her chest again while breathing more calm after every fading second. He still had a light headache from the beatings of the day before and exactly on that hand which the poacher had beaten Daxis with was a ring which hit daxis head everytime and made the beatings even worse.

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Nahh sure he calms down i mean when i would be him and could lay between the forpaws of a lioness i would sleep like a baby

Shane said loudly and laughed loud after finishing and heading off the observation room to finish his breakfest. He just grabbed his cup of coffee and shook his head while grimacing.

So what are we gonna do to make the enclosure more safe? more cameras? or more people to patrole?