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Resimus was growing very tired of Jarila. She'd shadowed him since she was a baby, and was very attentive to how annoying she was to him. There really was no escaping that particular family, and Resimus wasn't sure how much more he could take.

The current topic was Dyre, and Jarila really wanted to make sure that Resimus knew that Dyre had a crush on him - and had, in fact, since they were both youths.

Dyre was the most tolerable of the bunch; this wasn't really saying much, as none of the lions were tolerable.

"Jarila. Go find some way to make yourself useful."

"No."

Jarila pouted.

"I won't. I want to talk to you about stuff. Important stuff. Stuff about Dyre. She won't stop talking to me about you. Daddy says I should listen because she's like my niece or something, but I think she's just stupid, and how can I be her aunt when she's so much older than I am?!"

Jarila wasn't sure how that worked. Tyr was Dyre's dad, and Tyr was Jarila's half-brother; they shared a father. So, in essence, that made Dyre Jarila's niece, and it completely baffled Jarila as to how that worked.

"Dyre's old."

Jarila pouted.

"I'm older than Dyre," Resimus didn't sound offended. More like a teacher, really, patient to a certain extent. He found his patience waning quicker than it had in days past, and Resimus attested it to the simple fact that he was feeling much better the older he got. The sickness that had always lingered as a cub was gone, and Resimus felt healthy and well.

As long as Jarila left him alone.

"Don't you have a job to do, Jarila? Something that isn't pestering me about your aunt? Who, by the way, really isn't all that bad, and I don't know why you insist on tormenting her the way you do."

Jarila looked scathingly offended.

"I am not pestering anyone, I am just trying to let you know what Dyre says about you all the time because she's always talking about you and pining after you and maybe you should try and be nice sometime, Resimus, it really might suit you better than being a big old butt like you always are!!"

Jarila stomped her foot.

"My daddy says your daddy is a traitor," she continued proudly, "and that he left with Ru when Ru got exiled. Left you all alone with only your brothers and your cousins, and your stupid uncle that had a crush on my sister, Ulrika!"

Resimus stopped walking and turned to glare at Jarila. Of course she'd bring his father into this. It really only made sense that she did. He still didn't know if he'd ever be able to forgive his father, leaving the way he had. Resimus had done his best to shoulder the family responsibilities, looking out for the others. Things certainly hadn't gone south, so he liked to think he'd done a good job.

"Well, Taraxa is right. My father did leave with Ru, but not as a traitor or a supporter. Just as a Reaver who wanted to go viking."

He paused.

"There's no shame in that, so you can tell your fat, lazy father I told him to piss off."

Jarila's mouth dropped open, and she seemed to take a long time in coming back with any sort of rebuttal.

"You can't talk to me like that," the lioness shrieked, bristling. "My family is important. We've been here since the beginning! You're nothing but a stupid outlander!"

That train of thought pleased Jarila, and she continued in the same vein.

"You aren't a real Stormborn. Not like my family. We're all proud of our heritage, but you don't even know your mum, or your gran, or anything about them!"

Once the words were free, she looked a little contrite.

Resimus paused and glanced over at Jarila. He could see the way she instantly looked just a little ashamed about what she'd said, and he sighed softly. Everything she said was right. He'd been born in a different pride, and had come to this one as a cub with his brothers. His uncle was a worthless Thrall who had willingly joined the pride as a slave so that he could get closer to Jarila's sister, Ulrika.

It was maddening, really, to have his dirty laundry aired right in front of his face; Jarila looked upset with herself, though, and Resimus remained silent.

"I'm sorry," Jarila blurted, feeling like an a**. "I shouldn't have said those mean things. I just."

She was fond of Resimus. She might have even loved him, and when Dyre went on and on about the blonde lion, Jarila couldn't help but feel a little envious.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, looking at Resimus from the corner of her eyes. "My temper, I get angry and I talk without thinking about what I'm saying far too often. Daddy tells me I've got my mother's mouth, and I think he's right."

Lifting her head, Jarila watched Resimus carefully.

"Do you accept my apology?"

"Of course I do," Resimus looked a little taken aback by the fact that he'd gotten an apology from the lioness; her family wasn't known for being the most apologetic, and for a moment Resimus had to wonder if he'd misjudged Jarila entirely.

"You do have a big mouth," he joked lightly in an attempt to brighten the mood, make her smile, make her see that there were no hard feelings harbored between them.

"Come on. Lets go get some food. But no more talk of Dyrebar. Promise?"

He turned to leave, not waiting for the lioness to answer his question.

Jarila followed at a slower pace, looking a little bemused by his invitation. He'd gone from asking her to leave him be to asking her to join him for lunch.

Dyrebar would be so jealous.

A huge grin parted her maw, and Jarila's step picked up.

"I am a little hungry," she whispered softly to herself. Maybe they'd pass by Dyrebar, and the lioness would see Resimus walking with her. That would be the very best thing, and Jarila found herself hoping against hope that that was exactly what happened.

She still felt foolish for being mean to Resimus, but it appeared that he'd forgiven her; she'd try harder in the future to be more likable, and maybe she'd find herself with the prize at the very end.