Jivutatia:Jivu had left Dani at home with Nayasi and Adina. At least, Adina had been there when she had left. It had been easy enough to hunt with Dani in the jungle, her prey didn't usually have a chance to run when she got the drop on it. But here in this new place, though some of the area was forested, it was nothing like her cubhood home had been. She was finding herself thinning out from running so often in pursuit of prey much larger than she normally would have hunted. She needed to, since she was effectively feeding herself, Adina, and Riad, and all three of them were really just eating what they needed to survive. It was hard, but she liked a challenge. It was just days like this that she wished she had someone else to help her.
It was hot, she felt like she was drying out here. Her only comfort was sleep and occasional swims in the huge lake that bordered the pridelands on one side. But she had to hunt now, no time for relaxation.
The dark lioness found herself stopping in a shady spot formed by a small group of trees and couldn't help but sit down. Her eyes, the only color on her besides her very pink nose, closed slowly as she took in the slight drop in temperature. Just a few moments, she told herself, and then she would go back to the hunt.
Riad'niam:The day had been hot, enough to be a scorcher and he had been panting quite a bit. The sun warmed him far more than he would have preferred.. But he was happy. He had what he needed. He had his three banu, and he would protect them. Of course, it was a bit scary to think that their duty was to produce cubs. He didn't know if he even wanted cubs anymore. He was too afraid to lose his banu.. He had lost everything before, whats to say it wouldnt happen again? Maybe he did something wrong when it came to making babies.
He pushed the thought out of his mind. He wasnt sure how you werent good at making babies but he supposed it was possible. That was a thought he'd prefer to ignore. With a yawn, he stood and started stretching his muscles for the adventure out into the savannah. He wasnt sure why he was going, but he figured maybe Jivu could use some company in her hunting mission.
He hadn't traveled long before the ebony lioness came to his vision and he smiled. She was by far his favorite.. That was an understatement, but still. Jivu was a good girl. With a smile, he headed towards her.
Jivutatia:
Her ears perked up when she heard the sound of someone approaching her. Oh, she hoped it was Adina or some other female. She was in a snarky mood and the weather was quickly turning off her brain-mouth filter. She had a feeling that a male would just get a mouthful from her and if it wasn't Riad she would get in trouble. Not that she really cared, she could handle trouble. But there were others that needed her and, well, much as she didn't like being pushed around she didn't want to let them down, too.
Her eyes opened and she turned over her shoulder to see that, thank gods, it was Riad and not someone who could get her in trouble. A sarcastic comment got caught in her throat and she just smirked a bit in relief, closing her eyes and turning back with a sigh.
A moment passed before she spoke.
"I'm not running off, if that's what you're thinking." Ah, there was the sarcastic quip. She didn't even pretend to have a serious tone of voice when she said it, the smirk still on her face.
Riad'niam:
"That was my first thought." He teased back, a smile playing on his charming, handsome features. He hadn't been thinking that at all, in fact if there was anyone he trusted it was Jivu. She was the last one on his mind that would try to leave. She had wanted to come with him after all.. He hadnt forced her. He wouldnt have forced her.
"You look tired." He said affectionately, approaching closer so he could sit with her under the shady tree. He saw the fatigue in her and he frowned yet only slightly. And only in worry.
"Am I working you too hard?" He asked curiously.
Jivutatia:
"Don't think too highly of yourself, Riad. World doesn't revolve around you, you know," Jivu replied with a small snort of laughter. Her face softened, though, and she slowly shook her head.
"It's more the situation, less you, you know that. It's hard hunting by yourself for three full-grown lions. I can't even begin to figure out how my parents managed when we were weaned but not old enough to hunt for ourselves. I have six brothers and sisters," she explained with a sigh. She wanted to ask for help, but she was too proud to do so. She wouldn't ask him to help her, wouldn't ask for him to get help for her. If he provided it, then she would take it, but she would never ask.
"But I can do it, I'm no weakling," she added with a small growl, head held high.
Riad'niam:
He frowned, looking down at her since he was a rather average size lion. He was still tall, and still bigger than the female next to him.
"I never said you were a weakling, now did I?" He chuckled, and yawned, his tail swaying in the dust and creating little clouds around the tuft.
"If you need help, you know all you have to do is ask. Im sure that one of the banu could have helped. If not myself." He said, looking at her with his shining eyes. He knew she was too proud to ask for help, but everyone needed help sometimes.
Jivutatia:
"That doesn't mean it didn't need to be said," Jivu huffed. She wasn't about to be underestimated, that was for certain. Of course he would say that all she needed to do was ask for help. She rolled her eyes as if it was the most idiotic suggestion she had ever heard.
"I'm the one helping you, remember? If anything, that would certainly be in bad form to ask for assistance," she added with a bit of a teasing tone. In truth, she just wouldn't admit that she couldn't do what she had set out to do.
Riad'niam:
"We are your family, and we are your support. Regardless of how you feel about doing things yourself, sometimes asking for help isnt as bad as you make it out to be." He winked, and stood, stretching out his muscles again. Oy, why on earth was he so tired today?
"Come on. Lets go hunt something, you and I. You dont even have to ask. Unless, you know, you want to." He teased with another wink.
Jivutatia:
Jivu sighed and stood along with him.
"I'm more stubborn than you are," she shot back, making it clear that she wouldn't ask, though she did rub her cheek against his neck in thanks for saying he would help her. She didn't quite consider them her family yet, her true family was her family still, and Dani. Riad and Adina... they were her friends, maybe. She wasn't really sure what to classify them as. It was annoying to admit that she was attracted to Riad, but she was. He was a good lion, large and strong. There were lions here that were larger than he, but she wasn't stupid. There had been such a significant difference in her parents' sizes that her mother had been very weak after she and her brothers and sister were born. Jivu wouldn't make the same mistake.
Regardless, it was merely an attraction. Nothing like what her mother and father had.
"Hunting is so different here," she said after a moment, as if to excuse how difficult it was on her. "In the jungle I usually got the jump on my prey. Here, I most often have to chase it down."
Riad'niam:
He knew that the feelings between them were lacking. He knew that he hadn't taken the female out of love, though he really wanted to love one of the Banu he had taken. A wall had been set up between all of them in a way, as if he lost them, then would it hurt less? He didn't know and it wasnt intentional. But sometimes Riad just found himself thinking the worst.
However right now, his mind was in the mood for a good hunt. He had always been a rather decent hunter. His mother had taught him well, despite his fathers urging not to. It was womens work to him. He was thankful his mother had done so.. So that he could help their little 'family.' Not that that was what he was sure they were..
"It takes more talent, and skill, to hunt here." He chuckled, teasing and flicking his tail against her leg.
"What is it you want to hunt?"
Jivutatia:
Jivu leveled a glare at him.
"Mmm, and I've done pretty darn good for myself," she replied, her response dripping with confidence. She wasn't being overly confident, not in her mind at least. She knew her limits and honestly she was nearing them. If she would admit she had reached them when she did, to herself or to others, would be the determination of her pride.
She nudged her shoulder into his in retaliation for the tail-swat.
"How about finding a hoofed prey and then deciding to hunt it? A picky hunter is a dead one."
Riad'niam:
He ignored her glare. He knew she was fiery and strong willed. Thats what he liked about her. He wasn't really a protector or anything to her, because she could defend herself. He wanted to be more though. He wanted to have that.. affection for another being. He hadn't had those feelings since his last banus and.. He wanted it again.
"Ah, true. So. Lets go looking." He grinned, rubbing his shoulder into hers a bit softer than she had done to him.