:: thunderstorm

[Lassiel]

Lothril leaned into his body when he appeared on her side. Having eaten her fill, she turned and helped to clean his face and muzzle with her rough, pink tongue. She would have loved to stay there pressed him against him for longer, but the vultures were already circling in the sky. With a sigh, she heaved her gorged body up and nudged him. If you are finished, we should leave. Turning, she took off at a slow pace toward the nearest group of trees, leaving the torn and bloody carcass behind them.

[wahots]

:: Ibalo went trailing after her, his pace not too fast because of the vast amount of food that he was carrying in his stomach, which felt obscenely bloated and made him want to do nothing but sit in the midday sun. His tounge was lolling out of his mouth slightly, almost as if he was a canine, but he was breathing heavily to keep his food down after running. As he reached the trees, he finally slowed down and slowly lowered himself to the ground. Once he felt his stomach touch the ground, he eased the rest of his body into the soft ground. Ibalo carefully rolled to his side to allow his stomach room to move without restrictions or pressure. Yes, he was a bit of a glutton sometimes, but he hadn't eaten that well in a while and decided to take full advantage of the situation.

He kept his head raised long enough to make sure Lothril came back okay, before leaning his large head against the trunk of one of the trees. His eyelids dipped slightly and his mouth parted as he yawned which was audible for more than just she and him. He stretched long and hard, watching the vultures swarm around their old kill through barely parted lids.

[Lassiel]

Lothril stretched out beside him, full and wanting nothing more than to just sleep. The hot sun was beating down on her, warming her pelt and making that sweet dreamworld harder to resist. In her hazy mind, she found herself thinking over how her life was changing--and how it would be changing in the future.

Although they had not spoken of it, there was not doubt that they would mate soon, and with cubs came new responsibilities and dangers to look out for. The storm that had so suddenly come upon them had pushed those thoughts from her mind, and the need for food afterward had done the same. Now though, safe and with a full stomach, there was nothing else needing their attention--accept for sleep.

[wahots]

:: Ibalo knew that he wanted to mate with Lothril, she was his queen and he wanted nothing more than to expand his pride with cubs. He knew it would come with new responsibilities, and the idea that once the males were old enough he would have to overcome and paternal bond he felt to them and kick them out to secure his place as king for another few years. He dozed off for a while, his mind wandering while his body rested. The pride he imagined was large, many females with several cubs each. It was happy and he sat at the throne of it all. He rolled with a low growl as a bird emerged loudly from the tree over his head, a stick twirling through the air and landing on his rump. Annoyed that his dream had been interupted, he rolled back to his stomach and stretched out again.

The sun had started to slowly dry the land; well...dry was a relative term. It wasn't mushy for the moment, and the skies had decided that they were going to take a break from raining down hellfire. The grimace that was on his face when he awoke faded when he realized that Lothril had slept beside him. He pulled his legs underneath him and stood up slowly, then lowered his head, the tips of his mane dragging over Lothril's back. He then tilted his nose down and gently nuzzled her, his pink tounge extending a bit to lap at her fur that was glimmering in the sun for him to view.

[Lassiel]

The sound of a bird bursting from the trees caused Lothril to flinch slightly and the low rumble from Ibalo registered in her mind, but she quickly shrugged it off and returned to her nap.

The short snooze didn't last very long. A soft, ticklish feeling drifted over her back and her muzzle twitched. Following it, she felt Ibalo nuzzle her before lapping at her fur. A small smile formed at her mouth. Apparently sleeping was over with.

She stretched languidly, giving a large yawn that showed all her glimmering fangs. Rolling onto her back, she watched the large lion above her. A very...cub-like feeling came over her and reaching up, she batted his face playfully before withdrawing her paws. What? She purred innocently.

[wahots]

:: Ibalo watched as she rolled over, and snorted as dust flew up his nose when she batted at his muzzle. He grinned at her and placed his front paws on her to pin her down. He didn't place much weight on her, most of it was balanced on his back paws, but if she wanted to play, he could be a giant cub too. He darted his head in to lick her nose, before nuzzling her neck and then removing his limbs from her shoulders. He stepped back with...not a whole lot of grace, but eventually sat before her with the same childish grin on his face.

[Lassiel]

Lothril struggled briefly at the weight on her, but gave up when Ibalo's tongue swept over her nose. She closed her golden eyes momentarily when he nuzzled her again, but quickly opened them when he backed up. She rolled to her side before standing up, a grin on her own face. Pouncing toward Ibalo, she stopped short of actually running into him and instead rubbed her head under his chin. Her side pressed against his chest as she turned and rubbed the length of her body against him. Sitting beside him, she was quiet for a moment before speaking. We are the leaders of this pride--even if it is just us--and...do you not think it would be good to have cubs? We must have members to be strong. She glanced at him, not knowing what else to say.

[wahots]

:: A shiver went down Ibalo's spine as she ran her body along his, he glanced down to see the short strands of hair mingling together, and felt the warmth of her skin up against his. It was an utterly pleasant feeling, and as reserved as Ibalo was, he couldn't help but feel his heart reach out to Lothril. It wasn't an emotion he fought either; which was an entirely new feeling for him, because he had spent the better part of his life supressing and ignoring emotions to the best of his ability. But she somehow complimented his strengths and made up for his weaknesses. He exhaled quietly as she broke body contact with him and sat beside him. He was just as quiet, and nearly completely still. His eyes and ears kept up their constant radar and survelilance of the territory, making sure it was safe and secure for his small pride and all future prodigies.

He could tell that Lothril was a bit unconfortable; for while she was always quite eloquent or at the very least...well spoken, right now she was limited to almost a rambling tone. It nearly sounded shaky, as if she was unsure of what his response would be. He tilted his head to look at her while she spoke, his ears tilted towards her and his expression clearly in tune with everything she had to say. Although Lothril seemed slightly uncomfortable with the idea, for reasons he didn't know...maybe she was afraid he'd say no? A smile poked at the corners of his mouth and he closed his eyes as he pressed his head against Lothril's and nuzzled her. Of course I think it's a good idea... He stopped speaking there, he couldn't say that it was only a good idea if she wanted to. For while he cared about her immensly it was only a matter of time before instinct outweighed his heart, and though he didn't want to fight her for it...he knew if it came down to it the pride needed to be expanded. Ibalo pushed such negative thoughts out of his head and glanced at Lothril, hoping she wouldn't put him in a such a position.

[Lassiel]

Lothril watched carefully for his reaction, not quite sure why his response meant so much to her. Of course he would want to enlarge his pride. Was that not the goal of lions? To claim an area and have a strong pride? To, for a few years at least, be the king of a powerful domain before another lion, young and in his prime, defeated the reigning monarch? At that, the sudden, horrible thought of Ibalo leaving her entered her mind. It was a simple fact that at some point in time it would happen. She had watched her own father, once powerful and uncontested, limp away from a new victor.

Why did the same happening to Ibalo terrify her so much? Was it for the same reason that she was so worried about his answer? Looking up into his kind golden eyes, a revelation hit her. She cared for him--cared for him more than was wise in this dangerous environment, most likely. If he were to ever be defeated, she would try her best to follow him.

And that was why his answer meant so much--did he care about her as well? She did not expect any male to ignore his instincts, and she would never dream of asking Ibalo to do that. It was all for the good of the pride, and she must do her part. But--it would be nice to know that he would regret forcing her.

His answer echoed in her mind. She could almost hear the unspoken part, and knew why he was stopping. He could not promise such a thing...but it did sound like he hoped it would not happen, and that was enough. Lowering her head, she pressed against him, nuzzling his shoulder. I am ready then. A thrill of anticipation filled her. She had always loved cubs, and the thought of having her own excited her.

[wahots]

:: The idea of someone coming into his home, did enter his mind from time to time. It was a vague conceptual thought in his head -- he was in his prime now, he knew there were many more litters to come before he was no longer the biggest and the best in the land. Even if he did survive a fight like that, and the male wasn't decent enough to kill him on the spot, it would result in Ibalo living out the rest of his arthritis filled days in exile...alone. It made his stomach turn just thinking about it, and what of Lothril, where would she be when that day came? Threatened by someone when Ibalo was no longer capable of protecting her. More bad thoughts at a time when only happiness should be spreading through his mind. He had half a thought to kill off any cubs that were male, both from his union with Lothril and any other lionesses. But when Lothril looked up into his eyes, he knew he'd never be able to bring himself to do that -- purely based on the fact that he cared for her to the point that it was infact dangerous.

He was broken from this trance by a warmth on his shoulder again, and he lowered his head to nuzzle Lothril, his mind suddenly taken from something wholey depressing...and refocused on the joyous occasion at hand. He was going to be a father for the first time (to his knowledge) in his three years on this planet. The pride was going to grow bigger and stronger and be an uncontested force in the area. He stood up slowly, his muscles protesting the movement, and nudged Lothril softly in the direction of the breeding lands. He didn't want to rush her in the least, but he was just as eager to start a family with her and there was only one way to accomplish that. He lapped adoringly at her back again, pressing his head into her with a firm nuzzle as he inhaled her scent deeply into his lungs.

[Lassiel]

A happy smile rested on Lothril's face as she rose from her position at Ibalo's nudging, the press of his large head against her filling her with contentment as she purred lowly. She turned, her pink tongue giving his cheek a slow, loving lap before heading toward the outskirts of the marsh where the breeding ground were located. She was ready for this, for the new life that would be brought into the world from their union.

With an easy pace, she left the trees and the carcass of the buffalo far behind her. She carefully avoided large areas of water as best she could, knowing that Ibalo didn't care for them like she did. Soon, the edge of their kingdom came into view and she flicked her tail excitedly.