The prickling of warm rays between the trees awoke the small girl quite early, pale golden gaze opening the view the world outside the den as the sun began to peek it's way over the horizon. She would lay there for a few moments, contemplating closing her eyes and returning to slumber once again, but the shifting of colors in the sky would catch her attention instead. From where she lay, rich orange and pink hues his behind the foliage above, the young Noire cub quietly scrambling to her feet and slipping from the den, careful not to wake her mother and elist her ire. If she were even home, that is; she had not bothered to look.

The ground felt damp beneath her dark toes, early morning dew wetting the silky fur around her paws as she searched for an opening in the canopy to see- ah. There. Above head, as the trees parted, the sky was painted in rich color. Pink, purple and blues melded into one another, a mosaic of beauty for overwhelming to the cub that she truly stood there in awe until finally the sun broke the horizon fully, the color shifting to dull gold and blue, quickly the color fading to just another norming sky. But for a moment, she had seen something magical.

As the passage of time allows Roussel to slowly begin growing into his over-sized ears and paws, so too does the boy's curiosity about the world grow to a size that even his new home can't fully contain. He knows the dusty, crumbling cliffs of the Bluffs and the golden dunes that surround the Oasis where he now bears the extravagant title of 'Prince' - but surely there is more to see than just sand and rocks, oui?

He wanders away in the early hours of morning, before the desert heat has the opportunity to sap away this rare burst of energy. He's a bit disappointed at first, when his initial explorations just lead him to more sand, gold shifting to red which then shifts to a browner, thicker soil. But that soil is the first sign of something quite novel to him indeed.

A seemingly endless array of green, towering trees, a forest overflowing with shrubs and leaves and flowers, a strange pungent smell overlaid over everything. (The scent of pine, though he does not yet know the name.) Has he ever seen a place filled with so much life? Maybe not. The subtle sound of rustling leaves and the warm scent trails of various prey animals scattered amidst the underbrush is quick to draw his attention, fledging hunting instincts leaping to the forefront of his mind.

It would be impressive if he could bring a souvenir or two back to the Oasis, wouldn't it? A couple of mice, or - a whole rabbit! If he's to present Helah with a gift, it should be as large an offering as he can possibly manage.

So when he his pointed ears catch the sounds of something conveniently rabbit-sized pushing through the foliage ahead of him, of course Roussel doesn't think twice. He retreats from the fluttering light of dawn dappling his pelt to hunker down in the shadows, bobbed tail wiggling with anticipation as he waits for his prey to present itself before him.

However, his 'prey' soon proves to be another cub, smaller and younger, soft pelt painted in shades of rose and mahogany. Not really an issue, perhaps, if it didn't also happen to be a girl cub.

Alas, Roussel had already pounced.

@Bonnabelle

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The moment would pass, the smaller girl letting out a sigh of disappointment as the sun began to fully rise, the cub's interest in the sky faded as she began to go on her way again to find something entertaining. The rustling of leaving and the whoosh of another body leaping in her direction would pull her to look around, the form of a much larger strawberry boy leaping right upon her the last thing she saw before she was thudded against the ground with a yelp. Dust flew into the air, and the blossom sneezed, scrambling to get back into her feet and confront her assailant. She shoulder slightly throbbed from the impact against the forest floor, but otherwise no harm had been done. Beast! What if you had trampled upon something much more willing to bite you? She huffed, feeling mostly embarrassed and undignified as she brushed off her rose hued pelt.

@Roussel

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In truth, the boy would agree that the softly bleeding colors of royal blues and purples and golds pooling across the morning sky made for fine companions indeed. He'd spent many a morning basking beneath the beauty of dawn himself.

But today, Roussel is a man of action!

In his defense, had there actually been a rabbit beneath his claws, it absolutely would have been toast - he's sure of it! Perhaps @Bonnabelle might have been too, if only the sight of her rosy, speckled hues hadn't poisoned his claws with hesitation. He crashes bluntly into her with an 'oof!' of his own, balance wobbling enough beneath the sudden weight of his indecision that he ends up rolling across the dusty earth in a strawberry heap of lanky limbs.

For a moment, he curses his uncertainty. But the girl is a rather pretty creature, so perhaps he could be forgiven.

"Désolé, mademoiselle..." He mumbles in his father's tongue as he pushes himself up onto his feet, pointed ears drooping in a (possibly exaggerated) display of contrition while he primly shook the dirt and filth from his fine coat. "But it is not my fault zat you are as petite as a rabbit." He adds with a sniff, common words adorned with the lilting accent that's been taking root in his youthful voice.

A beast? Him? Preposterous!

Yet all the same, a smile both amused and bemused curves his lips in response to the rosy girl's question, for is the answer not an obvious one? "Zen I guess I would bite zem back." He tilts his head then, curiosity gleaming in mismatched eyes. "Why don't you?"

His sisters would not have hesitated to taste his blood. That was simply how their kind played.

---

1. Sorry, miss...

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Steadied upon her dad mahogany paws once again, dull orange gaze would scrape over the larger cub, noting his paler strawberry hues paired with white smudges all over. The words the boy uttered were almost sharp to Bonnabelle's ears, the French ringing clear as common tongue. Of course, after all, Orchid spoke to the trio in almost exclusively her mother tongue. And for that, she almost hated it. But perhaps it would come in handy, some ways. Excuses acceptées. Apology accepted. she would return with a small elegant smile, brushing a leaf from her side. But it seemed that wasn't all he had to say.

Bonnie's forgiveness fell from her face as he mentioned her lack of size. The corners of her mouth turned downward, the smaller girl rolling her eyes with a slight huff, And I suppose it's also nobody's fault you're such a lumbersome creature? She muttered.

Gold orbs turned attention back upon her assailant directly, listening to his explanation of simply returning the favor if encountering someone with ore aggression. His question in correspondence would leave her considering a response, how to explain she was simply forbidden. You don't deserve to suffer so much for such a simple mistake. She would state instead.

@Roussel

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She seems to observe him in much the same way that he observes her, and Roussel subconsciously stands just a little bit taller beneath the weight of @Bonnabelle's ember-like gaze, his chin lifting upwards in what he imagines is a dignified pose. His father might think he's perilously close to looking prideful, but perhaps he that can be forgiven when he's outside the presence of the Dieudonne? He rather hopes that the girl finds him fine-looking, even if he doesn't know exactly why he might want such a thing.

Did she find his spotted cloak of strawberry as lovely as her own?

It doesn't seem so strange that the rosy girl knows his father's tongue, at least not in his mind. Shouldn't everyone be familiar with such a superior language? He barely notices the curious detail, his thoughts too busy recoiling in offense at the muttered insult. "I don't 'lumber.'" He protests mulishly, pointed ears drooping above frowning lips. "See!" He prances around her in a very necessary demonstration of his high-stepping gait, returning to his original place with a sniff. "I'm the most graceful hunter there is!" If he'd had any bangs yet, he almost certainly would have tossed them dramatically.

...Moving on.

The answer that the speckled girl offers to his question is quite interesting indeed. It is an answer that he doesn't entirely understand, and his brows furrowed into an increasingly bemused expression while he considered it in his mind. "Non? How much should I suffer then?" His family knows no limits when it comes to the art of retaliation, and the thought anyone measuring out different levels of 'deserved' is a curious one.

But then again, girls were supposed to be better at deciding such things.

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The dark rose child's observation would not miss the prideful stance the taller boy would take, the girl holding back a smile at his need to show off to her. She hadn't met a boy that didn't try to put her down yet, aside from her brothers. It had almost seemed to her that they would be the only non-aggressive men she would ever know. Though he tackled her, he clearly hadn't meant it, and his quick apology had Bonnabelle considering him for friend material.

Quickly, the mottled boy would defend his honor, prancing around with as much elegant purpose as he could muster. In return, Bonnie giggled, covering her dark muzzle with a mahogany paw. Okay, okay! You don't lumber, mister graceful hunter. She would relent, allowing him to have such a claim. His longer legs did make him seem quite so, anyhow.

The subject would shift towards the topic of punishment for misdeeds, and it seemed @Roussel was curious what he would deserve for his actions. Bonnabelle would blush, never having been put on the spot of deciding fate before. How much should he suffer? She wasn't hurt, and it was simply an accident. In the end, nothing happened. You don't deserve to suffer, you apologized. If you weren't sorry, then maybe. She concluded.

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His elegant display draws a delicate giggle out from behind the girl's chocolatey paw, which is...a good thing, maybe? Or is it a bad sign? Roussel's expression pinches with momentary indecision, before smoothing out with a highly pleased smile that bloomed beneath her praise. Yes, it was a good thing then, the chiming sound of her laughter.

Whether or not her acquiescence was merely meant to humor him, the strawberry boy stood taller with pride regardless. "I told you." He purrs, spinning in one final flourishing twirl, tail twitching with vindicated delight. "Had you actually been a rabbit, you never would have escaped!" And soon enough, he's sure he'll be able to hunt down even bigger, more impressive trinkets than mere rabbits to present to his Queen.

Much, much bigger.

But enough about that, for now. He is curious about why @Bonnabelle seems so different from all the others he has come to know, an impression that is only further proved by the answer she gives him. A simple apology is truly good enough to fix his transgression, hmm? "Alright." He accepts her apparent lack of aggression with a slight shrug.

"So zen, if I say zat I'm 'really' sorry..." Mismatched eyes gleam mischievously as the boy suddenly drops into a playful bow. "Will you come and hunt with me?"

It's not often that the child finds someone he thinks he can play with.

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He seems happy enough as the rose girl relents, accepting his boast with muse and watching him prance beneath her acceptance. It was a strange feeling, watching a boy's emotions seemingly hanging on the tips of her words, how her simple compliment raised him up from the insecurity she had also planted within him by calling him lumbering. With just a few words, she made him feel things.

A small sense of satisfaction found itself within her as she realized this, a smile lifting higher on her maw before she turned her attention full to @Roussel. Certainly, no rabbit could ever escape the great Roussel. Bonnabelle giggled.

He accepts her explanation for not choosing violence, happy enough to be forgiven it seems, even going as far to offer a further apology in return for her company on a hunt. For a moment, she hesitated, curious as to whether sharing prey with him could end in a fatal disaster. But she supposed that would be a problem for them, wouldn't it? Well, if you insist, I suppose I wouldn't mind showing you some tips. She grinned mischievously, giving him only a moment to process her cheeky comment before dashing into the foliage for him to follow.

//Exit

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Though the desert royal is all too eager to apply descriptors like 'elegant' and 'sophisticated' to himself, the reality is that he is far too oblivious to even hazard a guess at the complicated revelations circling through the other cub's mind. Never does it dawn upon him that he has fallen yet again into the same trap that was laid down before all the men who shared his blood -

Effortlessly wrapped around a girl's paw with barely a nudge.

Not that a rosy girl he'd just met in the woods could compete with the bottomless loyalty he held for his mother Queen, but there was something to be said about how @Bonnabelle was far less intimidating to talk to.

Her praise comes easier too, and Roussel beams proudly, dark lips curling smugly when she acquiesces to his game. At least until the teasing nature of her words sunk in fully. "Hé, attendez une minute- !" Hey, wait a minute-! He huffs indignantly with pointed ears pinned back to his skull beneath the bluster of his irritation, mottled paws soon scrambling to give chase before she could disappear fully into the greenery.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to call this her game now.
 
/exit Roussel

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