Love At First Sight.. As If.
An AIM RP between Shari'kai (Aris) and Utlwa Galu'nadi (Naita)
---
White paws padded against the ground in a muffled, rhythmic beat as Shari'kai the rogue wandered the Ela'wadiyi lands, though he had no name for them as of yet.. What was once an escape from his past became a journey of self-discovery in the many moons since he left the pridelands, his feet treading across so many pridal territories and odd locals that he found himself blissfully lost in. It was perhaps comforting to him that he was lost.. He would have no way of knowing how close he was to home at this moment..
Shari'kai was a cautious lion by nature, and his ears remained pricked forward in alert for the sound of danger, as he ventured further in towards the smell of prey, unable to ignore the growl of his stomach, despite the warning signs of lions nearby. Hopefully they would be accepting of his presence, or at the least, too slow or too weak to catch him..
Utlwa Galu'nadi was perhaps not the best guard on earth, despite her prickly ways, as though she was not ensconsed in the depths of Ela'wadiyi lands, she was flipped on her back in the shade of a tree. Eyes scanning the twigs above her in idle contemplation, Wally allowed her mind to wander.
Tsi was in love, sappy, sappy adoration, and didn't seem to appreciate the disgusted sounds her 'twin' had to offer this predicament.
What was the use of the emotion? It just ended up with brats like Palia to hang on one's paws, being bloody irritating. What the world needed was a good cub-trap. A big hole in the ground where they could sit until age made them less... yugh.
It had been a few months since Shari'kai had faced another of his species, or even a creature with any manner of sentience that wasn't destined to be his meal. Though as a youth he overcompensated for his status and percieved shortcomings with an overuse of decorum, he was starting to get rusty when it came to courtesy and for that matter, any type of socializing.
As a rogue, other lions quickly became his rivals for food and because of this simple truth, he rarely made a good impression, despite his best efforts. He wasn't afraid of others; in fact, he desired companionship, but finding a companion that wasn't trying to rip him to shreds was surprisingly easier said than done. For now, he was content with lone hunts, even if he hadn't had a lot of success.
But today was starting off well. No sign of imminent danger, the territory was very hospitable, and up ahead he clearly smelled the scent of... some sort of something. Perhaps it was a fowl. And clearly, it was roosting in the tree up ahead! Shari'kai licked his maw, then lowered himself to the ground and stalked closer..
Not the best guard, perhaps, but Utlwa was not one for strangers, and the scent of another pricking on the wind immediately flipped her from her relaxed state. Rolling onto her chest, the black lioness lowered her head to the ground and flicked her eyes to and fro. No bloody stranger would invade her spot. Hell, few members of her own pride, save her family or adopted family would have been allowed access to the area around Wally's person. Bloody idiots, the lot of them. And the kids? Better off in the pit she'd been thinking of a moment ago.
Now, where was that stranger?
Shari'kai prayed his brilliant white coat wouldn't give him away as he attempted to hide in the sparse grasses, having not even the advantage of the shade on the other side of the tree. As he drew closer, his ears swiveled forward, alerted by the sound of a snapping twig. His deep blue eyes darted forward. Not in the tree, but on the ground past it! There, beyond the tree lie his target; a large bird set down nearby, and began digging in the ground for a meal of its own.
Now was his moment; he had to take it.. He moved low to the ground, increasing his speed as the winged creature turned its back to him. This was almost too easy! All he had to do was make it past the tree, and with the shade on his side, clearly he would have an advantage. Just a few feet more..
Shari'kai salivated, his gaze unwaveringly pinned on his target as he halted his steps at the base of the tree and lunged at his target. His back legs propelled him forward into what he had hoped would be a glorious leap towards his victory, claws beared and front paws outstretched... But victory was not to be. At the threshold of his magnificent execution, a large object in the shade caught under his footing and sent him spiralling downwards in an undignified and uncomfortable ball of fur, the sound of which sent his prey into the sky.
Utlwa knew those outside her family were not to be trusted. Apparently, they couldn't be trusted even to have a firm grasp of gravity. As the pale lion landed upon her frame, winding the lioness, images of bloody murder flickered through her mind. She would start at the toes, and work up the major arteries. She would be slow, and this idiot would pay!
But first, she suspected, the heavy git would have to get off her.
"Do you mind, you great oaf?" she struggled to get the words out, her lungs suffering greatly from this meeting, and her claws itching for his face.
Despite his head spinning in confusion, Shari'kai was imediately spurred into action at the sound of another so close to him. He scrambled to his feet and backed away from the dark figure, his eyes wide and his fur standing on end like a cat being threatened with a bath. Though more concerned with the female he now faced, Shari'kai managed to steal a glance back towards the clearing in time to see his feast fly away, and realized he was destined for another day without food.. Not that he had much time to dwell on it.
More out of sheer dumbfoundedness than anger, he furrowed his brow and exclaimed, "What in the gods' manes were you doing?!"
At this, the lioness damn near made a lunge at his head.
"What was I doing? What was I doing? I was minding my own bloody business under this tree when an idiot landed on me! What were you doing is what I'd like to know. You're the twit who felt the need to squash me with your stupid self!"
Utlwa was almost panting with anger as she stared at the lion, eyes narrowed to slits. How dared this fool wander up, squash her, and then demand explanations of her?
The male's ears pinned against his skull and stepped a few more paces back in light of the female's hostility. "I apologize... I was hunting." He paused awkwardly, still very confused by how he could have made such a mistake. "Now that I know there could be angry lionesses hiding under every tree, I'll try to be more careful next time.." The sarcasm in his last comment was an attempt to diffuse the situation with humor, though in hind-sight wasn't the best idea considering the female's current disposition towards him.
Oh, of course. Hunting in the lands of an unfamiliar pride, and just happening to land on her? It wasn't even a decent excuse, for the gods' sake!
"And just what were you hunting? Lioness? Tree? Perhaps a filling meal of being a complete and utter idiot?"
Utlwa took a moment from her righteous indignation to run her eyes over the fool, taking in the largely white pelt. Well, he wasn't of the pride, so needed no respect. And he certainly wasn't showing any, that piece of sarcasm showed that fact, and led her eyes to narrow yet further, which had seemed impossible a moment ago. It was a wonder she wasn't left blind!
"And I shall be more careful not to lie in the way of buffoons."
Shari'kai's maw drooped into an exasperated frown. "Idiot"? "Buffoon"? He had already apologized, and proven he wasn't looking for a fight.. What more could he do? He'd lost his first meal in days because of HER, and yet he was the one to admit his wrongdoing. Wasn't she at least partially to blame?
He sighed. "Such words aren't needed, miss. It was a simple misunderstanding, no need for anyone to get their claws in a twist."
Now she was truly irritated. He was dictating to her? Telling her what to think and say? And what right had he? He was not her father, nor her uncle, nor anyone connected to her.
Utlwa let a low growl escape her throat, staring at his jugular, thinking entirely untoward thoughts, and enjoying them immensely.
"I'll decide what words I need, thank you, and place my claws where I wish."
She was, however, kind enough not to list the various parts of his body she wished to sink them into.
Did she just.. growl at him? The male was starting to grow weary of this female. Shari'kai looked the dark lioness over, noting the intricate tattooing on her pelt as he studied her stance to gauge her reactions. Had their meeting been on better terms, perhaps he might have noticed that she had an attractiveness to her, but for now he was blind to anything but the look in her eyes like she wanted to eat him alive.
He kept his claws out in case she decided to get physical, but for now he wasn't displaying any hostility in his movements. Even though he wasn't sure his behaviour warranted this kind of reaction, it -was- his fault, mostly, and he felt some responsibility to right it. His tone softened, hoping she would follow his example. "I think this is getting out of hand. Perhaps we should start over.. I'm Shari'kai."
Wally, he would have known had he not had the great foolishness to be a stranger, followed no one's lead. She continued staring him down, raising her nose a little in the air before announcing her name. She was a Galu'nadi, after all. He had only one name, how silly of him.
"I am Utlwa Galu'nadi. I have two names. Two good names."
That little hit may have been both low and nonsensical, but she was angry, and running out of insults to fling at the male that just kept standing there, damn his eyes.
Was it his imagination, or was she insulting his name..? Shari'kai cleared his throat and resolved to remain civil as long as it seemed like she was trying. The last thing he needed right now were enemies.
"Utlwa Galu'nadi," he repeated quietly through a slight, forced grin, while in his mind he hoped her pride was either far from here or friendlier than she was.. "That's nice.. Though a bit of a mouth full," he added.
Shari'kai found himself glancing her over once more, this time without the feeling of impending doom. He wondered idly how pleasing she might look without that sour expression.. And then he wondered if there ever was a time she was without such a look on her face.
"Well it fits my mouth perfectly well. Perhaps yours isn't put to good enough use."
As the male's eyes roved over her form, Wally thrust her nose a little higher in the air. She would not be put to the blush, nor follow his example. Her eyes didn't need to wander over white fur. He didn't even have any tattoos. Hardly a sight to take in. All he had were spots. She snorted slightly, quirking a brow at the stranger, at this... Shari'kai.
The white lion's smile faded, his expression replaced with one of slight agitation. He was fairly sure he'd never met such a disagreeable lioness in his life. At least if she was territorial, she would have attacked by now.. Instead she seemed perfectly content to strike at him with words. He exhaled sharply through his nose. "You're not making it easy for me, are you?"
Shari'kai pondered if this Utlwa Galu'nadi was simply lying in wait under that tree for something to happen to her so she could insult her offender. Perhaps she did this sort of thing for a hobby.
"And just why should I?" she demanded.
"You're in Ela'wadiyi lands, not of my pride, go around pouncing innocent girls, and then choose to have a silly name. Hardly reasons to welcome you with flower petals."
Wally had long ago perfected her sneer, and unleashed it now with full force. Turning this curled lip, these scornful eyes on the male, the lioness experienced a new sensation- that of being out of words. Damn, and damn again.
Shari'kai stared at the Utlwa, flabbergasted. Well, it was obvious that he had overestimated his influence on the lioness. He was mistaken to think it was he who had wounded her; it was clear that she had been an ill-tempered sourpuss long before he ever came into the picture. While Shari'kai wasn't usually one to get into a fight, he slowly felt his temperature rising. Maybe it was this one's attitude, or perhaps he was just grumpy from missing lunch. How could he mend their disagreement if she wouldn't let him? What exactly did she expect from him? And besides that.. Just what was wrong with his name??
"I've already already apologized for my misdeeds.. The same cannot be said for you." The male scoffed quietly.
At these words, the female blinked hard, before flattening her ears against her skull.
"MY misdeeds? And what were my misdeeds? Lying about in the territory of my own pride? Being angry when some complete idiot landed on top of me? Oh no, maybe it was something completely imaginary!"
This male was not only acting an idiot, but it seemed he had an active fantasy life, too! As if she were at fault here. It was entirely absurd, and she snorted at the very idea.
Shari'kai winced as the female's angry cries setting his fur on end again. "I understand that our meeting was on poor terms, but don't you think you're blowing things out of preportion? Clearly my apology didn't please you, and I'm not sure what else I can do! If you have any suggestions, do tell."
He returned her snort, not in an attempt at mockery, but at a genuine common aggrivation. At this point, the male didn't know whether he should be offended at the lioness' constant insults, confused about her mental state, or simply in admiration of her stamina. It must be exhausting to keep up that tone for so long.
If Wally wasn't mistaken, she was beginning to develop a twitch in her left eye, as the aggrivation this male was causing took it's toll.
"I never blow things out of proportion. NEVER!"
That screech was not, perhaps, the best way to example this point, but so it came out. How dared he insult her? He, who had proved himself an idiot, insult her? She was just astounded at the very idea that this... this Shari'kai had such gall!
A shiver jolted down his spine as her scream reached its high point and pearced into his ears, causing an instinctive, low growl to erupt from his throat. She was impossible! Not just irritating, not just completely irational, but.. Impossible. How was it within the realm of possiblity that such a lion could exist? She was astounding in her self-righteousness. Shari'kai stared blankly at the black femme, his eyes trained on her as the tension grew to such an unbearable point that he couldn't help.. but laugh.
Before he could stop himself, the rumble of a grow turned into a chortle. He knew it wasn't a wise action, but he couldn't help it. The more he thought on his predicament's absurdity, the more he continued to laugh. She WAS astounding. Her screech, as irritating as it may be, was definitely unique. Even the words she spoke were so amusingly contradictory. And he continued to laugh... Because if he didn't laugh, he would surely scream.
At this happening, the female's jaw simply dropped. Was he laughing at her? Was he laughing at HER?
It was too much for her, just far too much, and any number of extremely violent thoughts flitted through her mind. Shari'kai over a fire, Shari'kai down a pit, surrounded by noisy, stinking cubs, Shari'kai skinned in the Wolf Clan den... any would do.
"You... you deserve a PALIA!" she finally shrieked, wishing upon him the worst punishment she knew.
Shari'kai blinked. A what? Was that some sort of disease? Perhaps she cursed him in her native tongue with whatever brain sickness she was obviously suffering from. The lion's chuckles trailed off, ending with a sigh. He was a little put off by her 'curse', but doubtful as to what mystical powers this female could have besides talking someone to death, he decided to pay her 'hex' little concern.
"I can't say it's been a pleasure, Miss.." He paused as he tried to remember her unpleasantly long name. "Uh, Miss. I'm fairly sure we can agree at least on that. But if you'll excuse me, I think it's time we parted ways. I have to find another bird, as you managed to scare the last one away."
Glaring daggers at this damnable male, Utlwa nodded curtly. Yes, yes, go away, she would not wish him back again.
"Given your apparent blindness, careful you don't trip over a wildebeest next time," she snapped at him, before turning her head, nose in the air.
Stupid male.
