[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Amuza and Shrike saw that Lina was not getting baited yet, but didn't give up. "Yeah. Come on, let's see what you've got now!" Shrike said eagerly, standing up. He knew that it will be rude to be the one to initiate a fight, but he still wanted to get ready should Lin change her mind about not fighting. At the back of his mind, Shrike thought that Lina might even be better, as she was hunting now, but he didn't care. He wanted to see how good of an idea trying to pin her again was.

Delano watched Kasi's friends with interest, thinking that they were making a foolish mistake in trying to fight Lina. While he never actually saw her fight before, and was quite interested in seeing how good she was, he didn't want to be the one to find out if she was really good.

---

Umeme smiled and looked around. "It really is a nice place," she repeated, "how long have you lived here?" While she wasn't certain, it looked like Hatari only lived here for a short while. The cave and the waterhole looked quite untouched, short of the tracks of various animals that came by for a drink.

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina could already tell that Amuza and Shrike were not going to let her off the hook until she wrestled one of them if not both of them right after the other. Well, at least she got her answer to the question she was curious about the most. "What, you want to see what I've got and I have to come over to you?" It would be much more amusing if Shrike would be the one who would charge as a result of losing his patience and not her.

---

Gakuru noticed that Muroki wasn't really taking part in the conversation but was taking the opportunity to take a better look at the place, giving Umeme a chance to ask all of her questions. "Not long." it had been a month or two since the underworld was eliminated, so at least he could tell her that and know that he wasn't lying about something.

[DGFone]

Amuza grinned and nodded vigorously. "Why of course!" He was hoping that it meant that Lina will accept his challenge eventually. "After all, didn't you say that all we do is just sit around and talk? Well... that's exactly what I am doing now." He smirked at Lina. "Unless you do something that will convince me to do something else-"

---

Umeme looked around the place some more before turning her attention back to Hatari. "So if you haven't been here for very long, where did you come from?" she asked, "Muroki mentioned that you didn't like the idea of living closer to others, but he didn't really say why." She shrugged. "I don't know, but living alone, can get quite lonely, no?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina rolled her eyes, realizing that Shrike didn't understand that if he wanted that wrestling match so badly he would have to make the first move himself because there was no way she was going to be the one to engage in that silly game. She only smiled, "I'm quite fine with that." it made her more determined to not give in, because with the way she knew Amuza and Shrike it would eventually drive one of them if not both of them crazy.

---

Gakuru, while having not plan to actually encounter other lions and talk to them, did make himself some sort of a backup story before hand. "I'm from nowhere specific, I've been walking for most of my life." he couldn't help but agree with her that it was lonely, but there wasn't much he could do to change that. And even if there was, he knew more than well how much he did not deserve it. "It's not that I don't like the idea of living closer to others... After trying to find a pride so many times and getting chased out I finally have this place and I don't want to risk losing it."

(( I'm letting you know that I'll be gone for two days ))

[DGFone]

Amuza frowned. Looks like Lina was not going to initiate the fight, but he already knew that he won't. "Very well," he said after a while, clearly annoyed with her, "guess we won't be finding out how good you are then." Next to him, Shrike grumbled in annoyance, and Amuza decided to give it one last attempt. "And I will simply assume that you don't want to fight because you are afraid of losing." He made sure to sound smug and confident when he said this, knowing that it will try Lina's patience and will.

---

Umeme remembered how Muroki mentioned that Hatari got kicked out of the few prides he tried settling into. "Why were you forced out all the time?" she asked, hoping that it wasn't a too sore subject for Hatari to talk about. "Do you not get along in large groups well, or is it something else?"

((no problem))

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina shook her head with a smug grin of her own. "I'm just too lazy to actually get up, and since it's you who's so desperate to do this then you can't really expect me to do everything for you." her tone clearly said that to her it looked like he was afraid of losing himself because he didn't do anything despite getting Lina's approval that she wouldn't mind making him eat his words. Not to mention that their clear annoyance was also very amusing.

---

Gakuru shook his head, "No, it's not that. They never really gave me a chance so I don't even know what it's like. Most of them weren't too nice while doing so..." what he meant to say was that he ended up nearly getting killed a few times and that he didn't want to try getting into another pride not only so to not lose the place he was living at now but also for his own safety.

(( I'm leaving tomorrow in the morning so I might be able to make a post before I go ))

[DGFone]

Amuza sighed. He wasn't willing to be the one to start a fight, but not doing anything will mean that Lina will win. But if anything, accepting defeat is the harder of the two options, so he will show her that he too grew up at least somewhat. "Alright then, we won't do anything," he said, "you win. Happy?" Even though he wanted to sound like he didn't care, it was obvious that he did.

---

"Sounds like you tried to join up with a rough pride," Umeme said, trying to add some humor. "Not everyone will kick you out. I ma sure that there are some prides out there that won't mind having you join them. Sure, they might be hesitant, but they will at least give you a chance." She didn't know if she was pressing it too far or not, so she didn't add that she thought that it might be a good idea for him to try and living in the kingdom, where she knows that everyone, if they don't help one another, at worst just avoid each other. Hostilities are rather rare.

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina never really cared whether they turned out to do Amuza's silly fight or not, even if beating him would annoy him more than not doing anything. "Yes, I'm very, very happy. I'm delighted." it was clear in Amuza's tone that he was upset, despite the fact that he was trying to sound like he didn't. Shrike's clear annoyance despite the fact he wasn't saying anything was also amusing.

---

While Gakuru knew that Umeme was only trying to help, he also knew that if he actually went back with them he won't be kicked out but killed on the spot. "I tried to join up with more than just one rough pride. This is pretty much the first time Ive been able to stay in one place." it wasn't really true, but it was true that if he ended up having to leave he'll really have no place to go to.

(( cya ))

[DGFone]

Lina was clearly enjoying being able to win the little stand-off, so Amuza forced himself to back down. The more he will hold on to the small bit of hope that she will actually go and fight him, the worse it will get for him. Amuza sat down next to Shrike, trying not to fume to visibly. "Well then I'm glad that you're delighted," he told Lina, ignoring her amused smile.

Delano watched Kasi's friends and Lina, wondering if what was supposed to be a playful fight might turn more serious. While it looked like Lina was finding it amusing, Delano was starting to get worried that either Amuza or Shrike might lose their temper and attack anyways.

---

Umeme nodded. "So I guess that this is the best place for you then," she said, "just far enough away from others, quite isolated, but still within reach. Wouldn't you agree, Muroki?" She wanted to bring Muroki into the conversation, seeing that he knew Hatari more than her, and it would be better for them to all talk together.

((okay. Cya!))

[TheWhistlerify]

Having amused herself enough already, Lina decided to change the subject. After all she came there with the purpose of talking to them and not getting on their nerves. "So what do you guys do in your spare time now?" she knew that they were probably hanging out with Kasi all day, but she wanted to know whether they were still up to their shenanigans or whether they had found something else to occupy themselves with.

---

Muroki, who was inside the small cave and busy examining it, haven't really been paying too much attention to the conversation that went on between Umeme and Gakuru outside. He peeked outside with his head, "What" he was more curious about checking the place out, despite how small it was, rather than listening to what was being said.