[PRP] I'm Claiming You (Madende, Altheus)

[Talencia]

Maddi had been considering her options very carefully. The pride offered all sorts of males, running the gambit from the abusers to the push-overs. There were handsome and seductive lions, right down to the plain and uninteresting. With such a wide variety, she had been very intently examining possible Pads since first achieving adolescence. She had pondered appealing to those of the royal family, but most of those already had banu. She was finding she was more inclined towards those closer to her own age, those who would need or want a banu before or just after coming back from their quests.

That had narrowed down the field, of course, by quite a lot. Vain to a fault, she had immediately disregarded those without visual appeal. Of those left, she had spent time nosing about, asking tactful questions, and watching them from afar. She nearly was adult now, and would find it shameful to not have obtained a Pad by then. Her parents doted on her, and would not let her go to just anyone who asked for her. Thus it was up to her to determine the male who would become her Pad. And as of ten minutes ago, she had chosen.

Not one to delay or hesitate, Madende took action once she'd made her decision. It took some time to track down the chosen one, but now she'd caught sight of him and was weaving her way through the dens to accost him. She marched right up to him, pretty red head held high, and placed herself firmly in front of the adolescent male. She knew he would be leaving soon to go on his banu quest, and she was determined to capture him herself before he left.

"Altheus, son of Pad Nav'hian, you will be my Pad." It was a statement, a fact. She was very calm about it, looking him boldly in the eyes. She wasn't entirely sure how he'd react, but she at least knew he would not punish her for it physically, nor was likely to snarl at her either. Interested, she watched him with brightly shining, multi-colored eyes.  

[Tanakako]

As was often the case lately, Athelas's mind was on his approaching banu hunt. He had been scared at first, what with his brother's incessant chatter about the outside and what the roguelands were going to be like, and his worry about finding the right female, Athelas had been concerned about finding any female.. He didn't consider himself particularly impressive by any stretch of the imagination. He was handsome enough but not striking, with his golden patchy coat and deep blue mane. He could hunt, but was not the fastest nor the strongest of the males in his age range. He couldn;t see a single reason why any female would give up her independence and choose to follow him, but like all young lions in the pride, he had no choice but to try.

Lost in his thoughts he walked through the pride's area with a slightly distracted expression, never spotting the female that approached him until she blocked his path. Stopping in his tracks he had just opened his maw to greet her when she spoke, and turned his world on its head. Blinking in surprise he gaped at her for a moment, before snapping his jaw shut, realizing he was staring like an idiot. Working moisture back into his mouth he flailed around mentally for a reply but the words spilled free having bypassed his brain.

"Greetings Banu Madende, daughter of Pad Kwea. ... I am...?"
 

[Talencia]

She nodded firmly, red forelock falling across her eyes. "Yes, you are. You are the best option. You are not cruel, you have good breeding, you are very handsome, and you have no banu yet." She smiled in serene arrogance, certain in her position. He was extremely unlikely to discard this opportunity. She had very good breeding herself, after all. There was no question that she was lovely enough to entice him... wasn't she? Sudden alarm flashed through her, particularly considering his apathetic response.

"You DO think I'm pretty, don't you?" she demanded suddenly, her back suddenly bolt-straight and her jaw clenched. What if he didn't? That wasn't possible! Everyone knew she was beautiful. One only had to look at the resemblance of mother and daughter to assure that her beauty would be passed on, too. She would make an excellent banu. In fact, an excellent beybanu. But one thing at a time.  

[Tanakako]

he may have appeared outwardly calm, but inside he was a mess. Not really because he didn't want a banu, for he most assuredly did, but he hadn't expected it to happen today, or for the female to walk up and announce it in quite such a brazen manner. Blinking blue eyes at her he tried to digest this sudden shift in his life and future. Her flattery was unexpected but warmed him just the same, even if he didn't really agree. To have a female like her think such of him was certainly welcome and offered a much needed boost to his ego.

Her sudden tight expression and the barked question made him startle. As if she would even question such a thing. Smiling he dipped his head in apology. "Of course I do, you are beautiful, no one could say otherwise. I am sorry if I seem a little shocked, I just did not expect to be chosen... " Aware he had probably made a bad first impression on the lovely if spirited female, he smiled warmly to her, dropping into a polite bow. "Pardon my rudeness, I would be most honored to become your Pad."
 

[Talencia]

She beamed at him, clearly very pleased with herself. There now, that hadn't been so hard, had it? "Now of course you'll want to go talk to my father and ask for me as your...," she paused, eyed him thoughtfully and calculatingly, "beybanu, so that he'll be certain you'll take good care of me." It was part truth and part ploy. She wasn't sure he'd make her his beybanu or not, and she very much wanted to be the top female in his harem. She'd have a least one other female to compete with, and starting out on top would be the most advantageous position. Her father clearly would prefer his daughter be beybanu than just plain old banu, too, or so she assumed. Wouldn't any father?

"And I would like to meet your mother," she added imperiously, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for a girl to have demanded this upon having claimed him as her own. It seemed rather lost on her that the pride was based on the idea of the males being dominant and the females less so. Still, she wasn't being actually aggressive, nor was she truly trying to seize power from him. This simply was her spoiled, princessy way. In truth, she had a great deal of respect for the males' role, as well as contentment in her own future role. It just came out sideways sometimes, due to her feeling highly important and admired.  

[Tanakako]

Now that the shock of the situation was wearing off, he settled a little more easily on his feet, watching her with a polite smile. Her calculating look wasn't missed and the way she said Beybanu made his smile widen a touch. While he hadn't truly though of taking a full beybanu, he knew one of the two females he took, the lovely Madende and which ever rogue he managed to persuade to join him, one of them would take the rank. But he fully intended to let both lioness' have a fair shot at the position, as he fully believed it would take more than just words to form such a close bond as the one he truly wished to share with his eventually beybanu.

Still, he hadn't been born yesterday and he simply nodded to her comment. No sense arguing when her father had not even agreed yet, and it was true that meeting the older lion was now his next duty. Her second demand made him chuckle and he dipped his head. "I am sure Mother would love to meet you." He briefly though on Furaha, his beloved mother, wondering what she would make of this spirited young banu. Still, he was warming to Madende quickly, her confident attitude made him want to verbally spar with her, test himself against her metal. Well.. at least I have something to look forward to upon my return. He grinned to himself, pleased with how things seem to be turning out.
 

[Talencia]

His calm acceptance of things both reassured her and left her with little else to do or discuss. How... awkward! It was a bit dismaying to realize she had nothing else to offer immediately for conversation. Embarrassed, she tried to cover for her lack by launching into casual conversation. "So, when will you be leaving on your banu quest?" she asked brightly, before adding in belated thought, "surely it won't be until after you ask Father for me, right?"

As assertive and confident as she seemed, she did have worries, and did have a strong desire to be desired and treasured. It would have broken her heart to end up in a dull situation with a Pad who didn't care about her or her looks. Her spirit would have been crushed. This was partly why she'd been so careful about picking who it was she wanted to become her Pad. Her need to be appreciated was very strong, and left her with a vulnerability that could easily have been exploited.

"What kind of banu do you want to catch?" she asked then, afire with curiosity. Nevermind that she'd just put herself in for beybanu status, essentially telling him she'd be his favorite. She ignored the fact that she'd not even asked if he wanted her before jumping in with all four paws. No, now that he'd agreed, she wanted to know more about him, most particularly what kind of girl he'd be bringing back!  

[Tanakako]

He didn't seem to notice her momentary uncertainty, though in truth he did but was too polite to make any motion to indicate it, instead he smiled gently before answering her. "Soon I think. One of my brothers has left already, and the other is making noises about doing so soon. I was going to accompany Roz to the border, then we will split up for our searches." Pausing he smiled reassuringly. "I will go see your father today if you wish."

He couldn't see a reason to delay, he would go seek out his parents and talk to them first, then he would be free to seek out Madende's father and arrange the transfer. He didn't want her to fret about it either, for despite her forceful attitude, he could sense the nervousness behind it and he did not want his first banu to be fretful while he was away.

Her second question surprised him and he looked thoughtful. "I am not sure really.. someone pleasant who will be a good support for my future family. Level headed I suppose, and a good huntress. I do hope to have many cubs once the time comes." He almost blushed at that, scuffing the ground a little. he was young yet and while he did want to be a father, he did not see it for a very long time, once he felt less like a little cub himself...
 

[Talencia]

She was privately trying to hold herself up to those criteria when the mention of cubs caught her attention. He wanted cubs!! Despite how vain Maddi was, she saw being a mother as one of the best things a female could do. Her own mother was wonderful, as were all the other mothers in her father's harem. Although she loved cubs, it hadn't occurred to her until this moment that becoming someone's banu meant... well.... it made her blush. It meant they could and would have cubs! Her lashes fluttered prettily as she absorbed this delightful but unexpected news.

For a moment, she dropped some of the half-pretense she tended to exude. The girl who looked back at Altheus wasn't the shallow, conceited, arrogant Madende that most people perceived. Rather, it was a serious-minded, earnest banu, opening a small part of herself to her mate for the first time. Quietly, almost in a whisper, she replied, "I want cubs too. Very much." She lowered her eyes again, hiding behind those lashes, taking a moment to imagine herself with tiny, mewling little lives, all curled up beside her. She shivered her hide, a warmth rising through her. It would be wonderful. She looked up again and smiled, and again whispered, "This could be very happy."

But just that quick, the moment was gone. Her frivolous manner returned, bright-eyed and self-assured. "But please don't be gone too long," she stated firmly. "Find a girl and come home. I really don't want to wait very long, and you never know, some other male might swoop me up while you dally with some rogue." She flipped her tail airily and waved a paw to make her point, though her eyes didn't meet his. It was pretty transparent that she had no intention of being stolen away by anyone, no matter how long he took.  

[Tanakako]

His ears pricked forwards as her manner seemed to shift slightly. The young banu that gazed back at him for a split second seemed like a completely different lioness and she took his breath away. For the first time he felt... grown up.. with her gaze on him so seriously, he felt as if the world was no longer such a scary place, but somewhere that held a place for him, a place he could raise a family with quiet confidence. With her by his side, he felt less concerned for the future.

Even when she returned to being her direct, bossy self, his smile didn't fade. He had seen past that wall now and knew that even though the situation had been unusual, he hadn't made the wrong decision in accepting her as his banu. Smiling softly he took a step forwards, letting his warmth envelope her without actually touching her, subtly offering reassurance. "I will be a quick as I can, my Madende." His voice was low and soft, pitched only for her to hear.
 

[Talencia]

Her eyes grew wide when he'd leaned close, her heart nearly stopping with some unnameable sensation. His words, soft as cub's fur, caressed her, outside and in. She quivered, all electricity from the tips of her whiskers to the tip of her tail, and trilling like mad in her heart. She didn't even try to tell him to call her by her familiar name, as she normally would have with someone she felt comfortable with. Instead, she just kinda hung there in mid-air, eyes starry, glowing inside from the way he'd said her name, and called her "his". The moment seemed to stretch forever... him being so close, her being enraptured. All unknowing, she again dropped the shell and just gazed at him with adoration and, yes, love. It might not have been the tried and true kind of love, developed of trust and experience. But it still was love.

Then everything seemed to move again, and she gasped a breath, not having taken one for far too long. "Oh my!" she exclaimed, all motion now that the moment passed. "I must go tell Mother!" She bumped her head under his chin in a quick affection, almost completely without the intimacy or connection they'd just shared. She flashed him a last smile before turning to bound off, calling back over her shoulder, "I'll be waiting for you!"  

[Tanakako]

The expression she wore for that fragile, fleeting moment, warmed his heart. He knew now that even if she had been the one to pick him, he would not let her go now that she had. Even if she did go to another pad while he was on his quest, he would get her back, for she had stolen a piece of his heart with those star-struck eyes.

Then the moment was broken as she bubbled at him, almost bouncing on the spot. Chuckling softly he nodded his head at her exclamation. Smiling as she bumped him briefly before racing away. "And I'll be looking forward to coming home to you.." He murmured softly as he watched her vanish from view.

Smiling, feeling far less worried about going away for his quest, he shook his head at everything that had happened before bending his steps towards where his own parents should be at this time of day. he had news to tell them and he hoped they were as happy as he unexpectedly found himself to be.