[~ Private RP with NukaKun ~]

[Applejack]

Vitani's eye twitched as soon as the creature mentioned Offspring. Did that.. thing mean that Baya was going to father her a cub? She shook her head and kept walking next to Baya, lost in thought. She shook her head and nodded. "Completely off the hook," she said, sighing. There couldn't be a dark future from her cub, could there? If she ever had a cub? She shook her head and slowly padded ahead of Baya, breaking into thought.

\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
Nuka nodded, giggling. "You really do know how to make a lion try, you know?" He smirked and tilted his head. "But you know what? I love it!" He smirked and stepped forward, pointing a paw downstream. "Down there, I've heard from a lioness that's been, theres supposed to be an Oasis that borders on perfect. Its supposed to make the falls look like nothing." He snickered, but then looked away slowly. "The only problem is that its supposed to be two days' travel away. I'm not sure you could risk that much time away from Baya, though."

[Baya]

Tupa rolled her eyes at what he said about Baya. "I'll just tell him before we go I guess. He wouldn't worry anyway. He never really does..." Tupa pointed out. She smirked as she gave Nuka a lick. "Ain't nothing wrong with trying, remember?" Tupa whispered into his ear as he gave it a courteous nip. She then began to make her way down stream, fighting the weak current without much effort.

//

Baya noticed she was in thought, and really hoped she hadn't gone silent because of what that crazy mongoose had said. "You know, that thing was crazy. Don't think even a tiny bit about what he said...There's no way he could tell the future..." Baya murmured. After all, what were the chances that he and Vitani would have off spring? It was way too early in the game to think of cubs for Baya, with Vitani no less. He did care greatly for her, but he knew it would take alot more time for them to get that close. Even so, Baya would make sure the cub or cubs did not end up like him. He'd make them strong, but tamed like Vitani. That mongoose really was out of his mind.

"We should star gaze tonight." Baya murmured randomly. "I used to do it when I was alone and bored in the desert. What do you say?" Baya asked in monotone, looking to Vitani at the corner of his eye.

[Applejack]

Nuka grinned as Tupa walked away, not bothering to rub his ear at all. The feeling her nips gave him was always something unlike he'd ever felt before, as though the warmth of a thousand fires had spread to all of his limbs. It kind of felt peaceful, but it was vicious and strong all the same. With an amused chuckle, he padded off to the crest overlooking the mound and lay there in wait, his tail slowly tracing in the sand. He glanced absently and noticed a small trace of Tupa's face. Quickly, he wiped it away, blushing, and stood up to prevent further things like that.

\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
Vitani chuckled and shook her head as though to get rid of all of the thoughts that clouded her mind. "You're right," she said jokingly, "Why would we ever have cubs? Its not like you to express that much passion for anyone." She looked at him with a small grin, hoping he would notice she was joking, and nodded as he mentioned stargazing. "Its been too long since I've actually taken the time to look up at the stars and see anything more than the star for direction." She padded back up next to him and smiled softly. "I'd be glad to watch the stars with you."

[Baya]

When Tupa got back to the termite mound with Nuka, she looked inside of it then a little bit outside with a confused look on her face. Usually by this late in the afternoon, him and Vitani were done their patrol and either fighting outside or resting inside. She sighed, and figured it wouldn't matter anyway. "Well, those two have gone missing...what to do..." Tupa asked with a frown on her face.

//

Baya looked to Vitani as she spoke her words. "That is unlike me. You are right." Baya murmured, feeling for the first time in his life, a bit crest fallen. He couldn't tell that she was joking, but he figured he wouldn't bring it up again. He and she walked a little bit further until they got to a patch of land that had SOME green grass with much dead grass surrounding it. By this time, the sun was beginning to set which meant the stars would be peeping out right about now.

Baya laid down on his side and rolled onto his back placing his front paws on his broad chest. "Gonna lie down or what?" Baya asked Vitani.

[Applejack]

Vitani slowly settled in next to Baya, hoping she hadn't overdone it with her joking. To justify it, she looked at him and said softly, "You know I was joking about the you fathering cubs thing. I'm sure that, given the time, and the choice, you can be a very sweet lion. Maybe, after all of this, who knows..." She sighed and rolled on her back, mocking what Baya had done, and looked up to the sky. "Its almost time," she said absentmindedly. Her tail brushed against him a few times before she let it rest inbetween the two of them.

[Baya]

Soon, the starts began to pop out, and Baya looked up to them. When he was a cub, he'd like to pretend that the stars were the souls of the departed and that perhaps his father was at least watching over him, where his mother did not. Though as he grew older, his focus was more battle and less at star gazing. Now, there wasn't any fear of being killed and they had completed their job, so that left time for Baya to finally be at peace again.

"I haven't done this in awhile." Baya murmured. "I liked to think that at least my father would take care of me from the sky when I was a cub. With each scar I received, I was put more and more to the idea that everything is as it seems. The stars are stars..." Baya murmured. "Though perhaps thats not the case. Perhaps someone up there is watching over me...and has led me and Tupa over here..." Baya muttered as he looked over to Vitani.

"To the only lioness that could put my fighting spirit at ease. To keep it tame." Baya said quietly.

[Applejack]

Vitani smiled as she listened to Baya speak about his past. More and more, it seemed, he was opening up to her, and that was good, wasn't it? Then, Baya got to the part about some spirits that were surely watching over him that had brought him to her. She couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush, but this time she diddn't look away. "Perhaps," she said softly, "There is more to life than fighting. After all, you came to my aide, but that was justified fighting. But," she said, trailing off in thought for a second. She then turned her muzzle to face Baya. "What happens when that lioness is no longer able to keep you calm? What if... that lioness just isn't enough to keep you happy?"

She turned her head slowly away, starting at the stars, and began to trace out patterns with a claw. Then, she quickly slid back a small bit to reveal a patch of dirt inbetween them. With deft motions, she began to trace out what she'd seen in the sky. Before long, in between Baya and herself lay a small heart with a tail and ears. On one side of it was a lion, reared for combat, his mighty head thrown back in a roar. It was a splitting depiction of Baya. On the other side of the heart was a lioness, crouched down in a silent stalking pose. Vitani, the fearless hunter. She chuckled and erased the two lions, drawing out two more forms. As she drew these out, a small, loving smile crossed her face. She traced out the same two lions laying down, side by side, noses touching in a sweet embrace on one side of the heart, then erased the heart and re-drew it around the two. Her smile widening slowly, she looked up at Baya, cocking her head.

"Then what happens?" she asked again, this time barely in a whisper.

[Baya]

Baya watched her drawings with great focus. His ears flexed back slightly as he was posed the question, wondering what answer she wanted hear. He moved her paw aside and very crudely drew a lion and lioness touching noses. Then between them he drew a much smaller figure of a cub. He remained silent as he looked to the stars again. "I'm not much of an artist..." Baya murmured as he placed his paws back on his chest.

[Applejack]

Vitani looked at Baya and her expression changed rather quickly from a questioning look to one of tenderness. Is that why his face had taken a small hurt look to her joke earlier? Her eyes held a new light, one that she'd never quite held before. "You want a cub..?" She ventured, intently staring at him, wishing he'd look back over at him. "Your art isn't that bad, Baya. It just needs refine. Practice. Just as a warrior must practice how to decapitate, one must also practice something that brings peace. I chose to learn how to depict things by claw in two ways." To demonstrate, she swiped at the air, then drew in the air with the same claw. "Death and Peace with the same claw. I could, if you wanted," she finished, "teach you."

[Baya]

Baya looked over at Vitani again. "You asked what comes next...what else could?" Baya asked with a slight look of confusion. He then looked away again, feeling a tad bit embarrassed. Of course, the cub wasn't on his to do list, but he figured that if he stayed with Vitani that it would be the only out come. After all, a creature could only fight it's urges for so long.

He watched her paw draw in the air. "I'm not an artist. I'm a fighter. I draw blood, not pictures." Baya murmured as he continued looking to the sky. "When this is all over, I wouldn't mind staying with you. Not at the slightest. I don't want to go back to the desert...not while I have a purpose that is far more important than battle..." Baya explained quietly. He looked over at Vitani. "Out of curiosity, did you want cubs?"