The yearling was adrift once again, the stability of the lagoon descending into chaos as the borders faded and interlopers once again attempted to claim it as their own. Only this time they had succeeded, with the turmoil of myriad battles to herald their reign—none of which were to the benefit of any of the former lagoon members, it had seemed to Haruki at the time. So the yearling boy had slipped away, preferring not to engage in the war and thinking it a wise decision at the time, only now it left him without tethers. The young lions had no friends or allies to lean on or follow to a new pride, and he was secretly too intimidated to seek out his former king or her menagerie of supporters to see if he could join them. It would be too bold of him, considering he had little to offer at the moment, in the wake of such a loss.

So, the yearling traveled in vague directions, the bitter wintry winds slipping cruel fingers beneath his thickened lilac coat and still-growing alabaster mane, his pace steady and determined despite his lack of direction. The young lion found shelter when necessary, but when the sun was out and it was warm enough, he ventured out in the open—such as today, where he found himself walking parallel to the lake. Crystals danced off the surface where the sun reflected, and birds coasted overhead and cried to each other in their hoarse voices, and the lion moved at a lazy pace encircling its banks with his turquoise eyes flitting over the scenery. His belly was empty, but winter was a poor time to hunt alone, so Haruki hoped he might get lucky and happen upon something easy.

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Small paws barely indented the snow under the Merle woman, she carried with her the body of a large bird, grasping it's neck with her teeth and dragging it along with her, her amethyst eyes stopped and stayed on the lilac form. A young male, most likely a yearling either chased from his pride or trying to make his way home, she set the bird down and gave a few chuffs.

She hoped he could see her, her body was small and her colors helped hiding her when she was in the shadows, but did nothing for her if she was out in the open, the woman had father's the bird for a ritual but seeing this younger male and how hungry he looked, she decided she could just get Another bird later.

@Haruki

image by moogle/code by saph

The lake offered a dazzling display, tugging and holding the young lion’s attention and subsequently blinding him with the brilliance of the sunlight radiating off its surface. He blinked away the dots that muddied his gaze, simultaneously hearing the sound of chuffs that summoned his attention and his muzzle tilted in their direction, away from the water. The young lion makes out a lioness, her small silhouette shaded in pale peach and steely blues, the colors fractured by the same darkness that currently pierced his vision. Haruki blinked again, his dark pupils contracting amidst the turquoise of his irises as he focused on the stranger.

His vision cleared and his belly grumbled at the sight of the bird that she had settled between her dark forelimbs, but his focus fixed quickly to her countenance – both wary and shy. He returned the chuff after a moment, a formal acknowledgement that his staring might not have otherwise conveyed, before his mouth opened to speak. “Hello.” He greeted, a lilt in his tenor suggesting either a question or uncertainty. Who was this woman?

@Laveau

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Laveau knew what it was like to go hungry, and she didn't like to let others do it if she could help it, so after he gave a hello in return, she picked the carcass up and trotted over, holding her head high, trying to lift the bird. She dropped it at his feet and smiled, Recluse and Poltergeist would just have to wait for her to find more food. "You sir, need to eat. I could hear your stomach from a mile away." She joked, her thick Cajun accent was husky yet feminine, but not unpleasant.

Her stub tail wagged a bit⁹, like a doe, her big lilac eyes also very doe liked looked him over with concern, she was very maternal even though she'd never had cubs before.

image by moogle/code by saph

The young lion was both hungry and uncertain, and this left him with the precarious decision to either stand his ground or retreat when the smaller woman picked up that tasty looking bird and trotted towards him. He decided for the former, or at least, his body decided for him – his limbs were motionless, and his vision was still clearing from the mistake of admiring the sun-dazzled surface of the water. Before he could truly contemplate anything, she stood before him and was offering him her meal in a husky voice that was lilted in a way he had never heard before. His belly growled again as she spoke, emphasizing the truth to her words, and his turquoise eyes shifted from her to the bird and then back again. “I… I couldn’t take your meal.” He insists after a moment, his gentle tenor made tight with the courtesy inflected into his words, although they lacked any significant conviction. Haruki wanted to take the bird; there was nothing more he'd like to do than to satisfy the dull ache in his belly. But to him, it felt rude to simply accept her gift at face value, without having anything to offer her in return. “Unless…” He hesitates for a moment, before pressing forward. “I could pay you for it.” He suggests after a moment, one brow raising slightly.

@Laveau

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