Chanoch (Mogami)
Nyota'Angavu (Kitsune Mistress Nyoko)
Mogami
Chanoch sneaked out of the den as silently as he could. It was dark and the blue-eyed cub knew better than to move too far from the safety of his home. The slave, at the very least, had noticed his stealthy departure but as far as the dark cub was concerned none of the others had nor had the white lioness showed any intention of warning his adoptive mother. So he walked just a little farther than usual and settled himself on one of his usual spots, on top of a small rock formation from where he could watch the pride activity in silence and peace. His brilliant blue gaze travelled from one lion to the next, lethargic but unyielding.
Kitsune Mistress Nyoko
It had been a few days since Nyota had last visited his mother, and with an empty den he had a lot more freedom to do so these days. He'd been on his way to her den when he'd spotted Chanoch atop a rock formation. A frown crossed his face then, golden eyes narrowed in suspicion as he made his way towards the cub. It was rather early in the night for a cub of that age to be out, especially unsupervised.
Mogami
The cub’s head turned with a sudden jerk to inspecting the approaching shape. An adult, mostly black with some blue. He reminded Chanoch of his siblings. He stared in silence, narrowing his gaze until his eyes were nothing more than two tiny blue slits. His whole body seemed relaxed and his tail danced behind him at a constant rhythm, giving the impression that the cub was comfortable and at ease. As the adult drew even closer, Chanoch imagined a thin line all around the small rock formation delimitating his personal space, but the cub didn’t think the black lion would cross into it.
Kitsune Mistress Nyoko
Oblivious to the cub's potential agitation, Nyota stepped closer. He delicately sat down right at the base of the rock formation, glancing up at the dark cub with gleaming orange-amber eyes. His eyes flicked briefly back to his mother's den before returning to the cub, and his frown deepened slightly.
"What is a youngster like you doing out and about without supervision?"
Mogami
As the adult moved even closer, Chanoch realized the lion not really black like his siblings but a very dark shade of blue, even darker than the cub’s mane. It was a good color, Chanoch though and he might’ve delved on the subject a bit longer if only the adult didn’t do the unthinkable (to the young cub, at least). He crossed the line. More than that, he was actually close enough to touch if they both leaned forward. The words went unnoticed and unanswered. The blue-eyed cub jumped from the rock in an instant and with cub snarl and unsheathed needle-like claws, Chanoch sprang towards the lion’s face.
Kitsune Mistress Nyoko
Nyota's eyes narrowed the second the cub moved, and a snarl ripped out of his throat when the he sprang forward. He knew the difference between play pounces and legitimate attacks, and he didn't hesitate to swat the younger cub right out of the air. He didn't give him a chance to retaliate this time, pinning him to the dirt with a paw to his chest and bending down to bare fangs nearly the size of the cub's head.
"You do not attack your elders," he rumbled, fur raised and tail lashing at his haunches. "And you especially do not attack Tarenai without provocation."
Mogami
The cub gave a snarly whelp as it was tossed in the air like a nosy fly but deep within him the desire to get back up and attack again was already growing even before he hit the ground. When a massive paw pinned him down he felt the air violently leaving his lungs but that didn’t stop him from snarling back at the adult whose rank he dismissed – not because he’d just barely heard the word over the intense snarling but because his youthful ignorance still caused him to get all the ranks mixed sometimes. When wiggling out from under the adult’s paw proved to be impossible, Chanoch leaned forward to snap at the adult’s face, paws trying to scratch him with his paws at the same time.
Kitsune Mistress Nyoko
Nyota returned the snap with a threatening snap of his own jaws, a warning for the cub not to push his luck, before pulling back with narrowed eyes. He was careful to make sure he wasn't within reach of the cub's teeth or claws. His tail lashed once again, and for a brief moment he almost considered doing something rash. But no, that was the old him.
"Snarling and attacking me mindlessly will get you nowhere, Zera'ni."
Mogami
When the adult snapped back, Chanoch pulled his head back so quickly that it hit the ground with a loud thud. The cub winced but kept snarling even if not quite as fiercely. The wiggling continued but the weight of the massive paw still hindered his escape. His strength beginning to fail, Chanoch put all his efforts into pushing the paw, squirming under it like he was possessed and his growling suddenly grew louder again. Frustrated by the lack of success, his limitations and dying strength, the cub made his final move and dropped his head quickly to bite the paw that was holding him.
Kitsune Mistress Nyoko
The only real reaction Nyota had to the cub’s bite was to curl one lip back and give a low warning growl. He’d received his fair share of cub bites over the time he’d raised his own children, and had received far worse injuries in his confirmation ceremony with the now-deceased Iartuupe. The pain from tiny cub fangs sinking into the flesh of his paw was mild at best, but it would certainly warrant a talk with his mother about this cub’s behavior. Not all demons would be as forgiving of a rather blatant attack upon them.
“Mind your teeth, Zera’ni,” Nyota rumbled darkly, ears pressing back against his head. His paw flexed briefly in the cubs jaws, claws slipping out and pressing briefly into fur before receding once again. He wouldn’t go so far as to actually harm a cub, but the message was clear enough.
Mogami
Chanoch winced when he felt the sharp end of the adult’s claws but they didn’t pierce the cub’s skin and he slowly began to settle down. He was exhausted, having depleted all his energy and efforts into his failed attempt at driving off the demon away so he just lay there, still biting the massive paw – if biting it could still be called. He merely kept his lips tightly around the paw as he was too weak to use his teeth, panting heavily out of the corners of his mouth, eyes steadily closing into a drowsy state.
After a few moments, the cub made the tiniest turn of his head to look up at the adult, his gaze meting the orange glow of the adult’s eyes. He growled, very quietly, still panting.
“Let go.” He said under his breath without looking away.
Kitsune Mistress Nyoko
Nyota remained in place for a long moment, simply eying the cub beneath him as if he could somehow see whether or not he would try to attack again. But after a long moment he lifted his paw and stepped back, lifting it to his face and carefully grooming where the cub had bitten. For all intents and purpose, he appeared utterly bored with what had just occurred, and it was a long moment before he said anything.
“My name is Nyota’Angavu. Yours?”
Mogami
The cub seemed to regain his composure the second he was released from the larger lion’s grip. As the adult – Nyota – stepped back, he did the same and leaned against the rock formation. For a moment it seemed he would try to return to his spot but he sat down instead – most likely because he couldn’t jump or climb just yet.
“Chanoch.” He answered still staring into the bright orange gaze. Though more comfortable now that there was some distance between them, the cub still silently wondered if he should simply remain quiet. It might make the adult go away… but it also might anger him again and Chanoch wasn’t too keen on testing Nyota’s patience again just yet.
(...)
