With dusk settling out and over Amaryllis, it was no surprise that the creatures built of the night come out to play. Namely a large-for-her-age cub that was more than prepared to embark on a wild journey across the expanse of the land. Being stagnant had never been a part of her and she surely was going to let anything stand in her way of doing what she wanted to do. Parent or adult or anything in between or lesser; Ember Galloway was not going to be complacent. Willed away into the wild world of rules and regulations but keen on pushing the boundaries around her to see how far she could go. Sure, the Mountain that she had found was proving to be a rather difficult challenge as she tried (and damn near struggled) to continue to climb. She'd made pretty decent progress but she could only hold onto that pride until she looked back down at the path she would have to follow to get "home". For now, she was happily riding that high of doing whatever she wanted and doing it with style.

_{art by yumpy}

So, climbing a mountain hadn't been on his mind this morning of ideas of things to do. He wasn't the sort for wild, hare-brained shenanigans- not really, but he'd been following the scent of prey. Always on the hunt- because a male his size... really did need to eat a lot. It was probably fortunate that he enjoyed hunting.

So, as he climbed, he took in the landscape around him- noting the narrow trails that led up the mountain, and where those trails deviated into something larger, like larger groups of prey had passed through. He hadn't left his trail- following the musky scent of goat. He moved as quietly as his large form would allow up the side of the mountain, slowly growing out of breath with the effort it took- when his trail veered to the left- he halted.

He could scent another here, and so he deviated to the left instead, searching out the scent of another lion/lioness, and as he drew around a corner- he spotted them. A large sized cub. Well, that wasn't likely to be useful to him in assisting with the hunt, but that nagging curiosity... drove him forward.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for a cub to be out here alone?" He spoke as he prowled closer, his muted pink eyes studying the young lioness.

@Ember

"what i speak"

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Her exploration continued.

Ashtoret was devouring parts of Amaryllis voraciously, committing parts to memory in an attempt to no longer feel like a foreigner. She'd secured a home, begun to learn the politics of these lands. But there is freedom in her exploration. Today it was a mountain, tomorrow maybe she'll finally have the gull to jump into the ocean for a swim weather permitting. Ash finds her smaller stature is good here, being able to wind and twist with the trails keeps her on her toes. Unexpectedly, she finds two peculiar scents this day. On the wind it carries, prey and predator alike--and so, with the same drive as before, she has found her curiosity cannot be satiated. The lioness moves with grace along these rocks, positioning herself above the source with careful meticulous footing. One wrong slip, and she could find that gravity is a cruel mistress. There were two from what she could see--though she made no attempt to really hide. Ash had the high ground here. A rather large cub and a young lion, his voice caught her ears.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for a cub to be out here alone?"

A wicked grin came to her mouth then, a challenging glint in her eye as she arrogantly let her body lay on the rocks above them. "Is it not dangerous for anyone out here alone?" she asks plainly "Is he bothering you, little dove?" she asks, more softly than before to the child but her voice still carries the rough gravitas as before.

code by corvus II Art by Drifty

Tag: @Ember @Eskel

Ember was not at all stupid when it came to the dangers of the outside world. She just... did not care. Too often did she feel like she was some prized child if only because several of her littermates weren't even present anymore. They had gone and she had stayed; it felt so frustrating to be left behind. I'm not alone anymore now am I, big guy? she sneered back at him with the grace of an hippopotamus. What a stupid question to ask... he could do better than that. Obviously it was dangerous for a cub to be all alone but did she care? Not in the slightest. Only more of the idiocy follows a dark brown woman arrives onto the scene to give sass to the dark male but also to turn her way and put on the charm as though she was oblivious to adults when they tried to ease her. You both are. It was one thing to make an obvious statement to her that had an obvious answer, but to turn your voice simply because she was a child only proved to frustrate her all the more.

@Eskel @Ashtoret

_{art by yumpy}

He eyes the cub, noting that for a young lioness she is very large. Would she grow to be as prodigious as he was? When she speaks, it lacks tact and grace- unbefitting of any youngster when speaking to a strange adult, but he finds it amusing the smirk says so as he listens to her.

”No. You’re not.” Simple words, and as his eyes rove over her, he studies the world around them. Before he can say more, another appears- a very uniquely marked up lioness. At her words, he cannot help but extend his smirk to her. Did she think if he was bothering the child that she could stop him?

The cub, it seemed, lacked manners, because when the lioness speaks- she replies in a rude manner. So they’re both bothering her, hmm?

He sits back, showing in that movement that he had no interest in walking away any time soon. “You speak rudely to those who dwarf you- if not in size, than in age. Who raised you, child?” He asks, curious about how she seemingly knew nothing about manners.

@Ashtoret @Ember

"what i speak"

ART COPYRIGHT IRISH

The other lioness remained relatively silent for a longer moment than Ember had anticipated thus leaving her to focus almost entirely upon the dusty brown lion. Sure, he was far older than her but it meant so little when she had such a big personality. Pirates. She states pointedly, but honestly. They had raised her and had shown her that she was meant to be strong, opinionated and to never let herself feel small. I could say the same to you, sir. You approached me and yet didn't even bother to offer your name. Now that seemed like a rather rude thing to do, was it not? Perhaps if @Eskel had been more forthcoming into introducing himself instead of stating a stupidly obvious question, she might've been a little more productive in how she talked to an adult that was four times her age.

_{art by yumpy}

What a sassy young lioness! His tail flicked in what probably looked like annoyance but was really amusement, as he studied her. Mentally he lingered on the word that she mentioned about those who had raised her. “Pirates? What are pirates like as caregivers?” He asked innocently, legitimately curious to know what they were like and how she felt about it.

“Call me Rabbit.” He says with a shrug as he offers her the fake name. “Not very original, but I guess my mother thought I was brown like one.” He says as smoothly as he can manage, and with a grimace. He tried a slight change in tactics with her hoping that this would yield a more productive sort of conversation.

@Ember

ART COPYRIGHT IRISH

Growing up for the most part solo and alone, she had learned a few things about herself. Things that most others might not know until they were much much older but Ember had found out that she didn't much care about the rules or manners. The likes of which strangers typically found out within a matter of seconds. @Eskel was no different but at least he seemed intrigued and asked more about the Pirates that had taught her. Ruthless.. Cunning... to name a few. They were smart, quick and conniving when they needed to be and that was exactly what she intended to be, too.

Eyes narrowed and one peaked, staring into his eyes with deep daggers. Your name ain't Rabbit. She practically threw the words right back at him, for there was no way anyone was going to call their child "Rabbit". How dumb -- parents were smarter than that. OR maybe... Or maybe your mother just didn't like you. She blurts out without remorse, for she would've hated to be called something as simple and weak as a rabbit. She gon' chase you down for dinner or something? Stupid, she thought in reference to whatever mother he had had and how it was a wonder that he had made it this far.

Ruthless and cunning reminded him of his father. The King of his home pride, had been anything but doting and loving- to him at least. From a young age- Eskel was a male and therefore a threat. So Eskel had worked to make himself invaluable to his father- a male that wouldn’t be cast to the wayside simply for being male- and he had, had no inclination to lose the relationship with his sister.

So he became a spy-master for the king, and worked his ass off to become good at it- only for a mere child to sass at him. The idea was ridiculous, and he half wanted to swat at her, and half wanted to laugh at her.

“My name is Rabbit, perhaps my mother wasn’t very original.” He added with a wry grin, trying to nail the lie home. That was the name he was going to go by here- whether or not, others wanted to readily believe him.

“What is your name?” He asks, bouncing the question back to her, trying to keep some sort of conversation going so that he could suppress the urge to growl at her antics. She was at least- very amusing, if a little rude.

@Ember

ART COPYRIGHT IRISH

The brute was unbelievable and seemed to truly believe that his name was Rabbit. Wanting her to believe that it was simply because his mother was not as imaginative or original, but she hardly believed it. Maybe a tiny part of her felt bought-in to the lie that @Eskel weaved but she was distrustful by nature and "Rabbit" seemed too odd unless he was meant to be a meal. Meg, she offers in a lie but oh, is it believable. Her faces does not give anything away nor her posture, she takes her sisters name (a sister that did not belong to Amaryllis anymore) and turns this moment into an interesting chess match. Megaera, if you're my mother. Which by the looks of it he wasn't anywhere close. Lexa was very small and very light-colored, whereas "Rabbit" certainly was no such thing. What's your reason for being out here? she asks, not fully expecting him to have any decent or honest response but so far, aside from interrupting her shenanigans, it wasn't half bad for company.