The maneless male is the first to react to your intrusion into
their space. He curls his lips back in a snarl, rising to his full height, chest out and shoulders back. He bears his weight strangely, keeping it off of his left foreleg.
"It isn't polite to stare," he rumbles in a clipped baritone, "unless there's something you'd like to tell me?"
He unsheathes his claws, tail twitching. His eyes are narrowed to slits. You growl back, fur bristling, but the maneless lion looks thin and old, heavily scarred and certainly not in a fit state to fight. You grunt, backing off. The lion huffs.
"That's what I thought. Now get out of my sight."
He lies down gingerly next to the piebald female, who snorts at him in amusement. Rolling his eyes, he lays his head down on his paws, frustration making his fur prickle visibly.
Later that evening, though, as you're padding through the treeline, you hear the murmur of voices. Your ears twitching, you crouch to listen.
"Sol? You're awake, right?"
In the darkness, your keen eyes catch the lioness shift onto her side. She paws at the male's neck, where his mane would sprout. He raises his head slowly, eyes gleaming in the gloom.
"Ridiculous question, my dear. What is it?" He says the diminutive sharply. You hear the lioness huff.
"Don't
dear me. You okay?" Leaning forward, she goes to nudge his foreleg gently. He bats her away, only sheathing his claws at the last moment.
"I'm
fine. Stop asking."
"I'm gonna try and take some of that kill from earlier. You want any, you miserable git?" Though her tone is a harsh whisper, the female's tail is twitching in amusement. You watch Sol blink slowly, considering.
"Well," he says, a clear hint of fondness in his tone now, "look at you. Blackice, the master thief. I'm rather certain that big oaf just doesn't have the guts to confront you. Or perhaps he's just too hopped up on marula to care."
You hesitate.
Should you tell the king? But as you go to move forward, you hear the lioness speak quietly again.
"Maybe he's just too dumb to realise. Have you noticed anything weird from
her, yet?"
"Apart from being a monstrosity, you mean? No. Nothing yet. But... I'm waiting for her to slip up. She's preening, since she managed to produce those cubs. Keeps them away from the pride. I doubt she's even noticed I'm here."
You detect a sour hint of fear from the male, at that. Your lip curls. But the lioness just gets up soundlessly, giving Sol a quick lick on the ear.
"When she does, we'll be ready."
And she pads off into the darkness.
//
If I'm an addict for dramatics
I confuse the two for love
You can't tell me that you don't beg
Liar, liar
If we're keeping score
Then we're all choir boys at best
(Intrusive and arrogant)
[It takes one to know one - taking back Sunday]
//
u deserved better my trashchild.
"One of the pride cubs was practicing stalking on some nearby pride members' tails. They looked extremely confused when they pounced on Sol’s tail and did not find the tail tuft they expected."
"Sol tried to shake his mane in a manly manner and you couldn't stop laughing at the sight."
