Now this looked familiar. Maybe the sands weren't in shades of fire and the salt hanging in the air didn't taste quite the same as it hit the back of her throat, but the sea carried memories for the tabby. Ones that she'd never be able to shake. Digging her toes into the sand, Flare closed her eyes and exhaled as chilled ocean water lapped at her paws. The winter made the sea harsh, but she grew up at the edge of it. Stinging cold or not, she couldn't help but bask in the familiarity of it after losing yet another home. Maybe this one would be more permanent. The saffron tabby pressed her paw into the wet sand, watching as the waves licked it smooth once more. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she huffed out a bitter laugh. "You won't get rid of me that easy."

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To his credit, he hadn't intended to watch the lioness for longer than a few seconds. Was it truly his fault that she was beautiful? He was appreciating her from a distance, wondering quietly about her and her past. She mumbled something under her breath that he was too far to hear, but it was enough to entice the man into motion. Pandora was somewhere nearby, he imagined, but he prayed she stayed away. There were shenanigans afoot and he was leading the charge, beginning with a low and amicable chuff of greeting. "Has the sea offended you? Shall I teach it a lesson for you?" Such a prince, that Crixus. If only he was valiant enough to actually step in if the sea had been an actual threat.

@Flare

Her mind had been somewhere else, even as she pressed her paw into the sand harder. She'd leave a mark it wouldn't wash away so quickly, one that left grit between her toes that bit uncomfortably but im the end was a small price to pay for a moment of immortality. That was when the sound of an unfamiliar voice reached her, thrumming over her shoulder to grasp her chin and turn her head in the direction of the stranger. Flare's senses were alert now as a prickle of irritation tickled the back of her mind, it was stupid to have allowed herself to be stuck up on. But she wouldn't show that, especially to whoever this strange male was. He couldn't have been more than a head taller than she, so, a fair enough opponent if he tried anything idiotic. "It knows what it's done," She replied evenly, turning to face in the stranger's direction. "And if I'm going to war I don't take tagalongs, kid." @Crixus

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Crixus felt the aura of irritation radiate off of her like steam; however, it didn't matter to him if she was bothered. These were public lands and he had committed no crime against her outside of breathing the same air, much to her dismay. It was only when she spoke that he chuckled darkly, terribly amused by the candor she spoke with as though she were wise beyond her years. Not only that, but referring to someone twice her age as a kid? Crixus snickered, shaking his head. "Kid? You look as though you were suckling at your mother's side just over a year ago." The lion studied her with an amused grin, canting his head ever so slightly. "Are you so offended by company?" Crixus couldn't see why, but at least he had someone to warm his bed when he returned.

@Flare

■Warning for language!■ If lions had brows, in the more traditional sense, hers would be raised sardonically at the male's retort. Charming. "And you look like you've only just been pulled off the teat long enough to speak, but here we are, boy," She purred coldly in reply. Her tail moved lazily, like a long stem of grass swaying in the breeze. There was no fear in her tone or face, but she wasn't a fool either. It made sense to stay at the ready. "I'm fantastic fucking company, thank you very much." Flare huffed, lifting her chin to observe the stormy furred lion. "Maybe you're just intimidated?" Alright. Maybe she was just a bit of a fool, but she couldn't find it in herself to hold back. @Crixus

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She was piss and vinegar and not much more, he mused quietly to himself. The feisty personality to shield her from the wicked ways of others -- likely men, he imagined -- who had wronged her in some capacity. She was so young and so bitter, it was a shame to see such a pretty face twisted into a an old crone. "A creative insult, hm?" he chuckled, commenting on the mere parroting of his own words. Perhaps she couldn't come up with the finest insults, but that was alright.

He peered down his nose as she taunted him. Intimidated? A curious way to phrase it. "Darling, I approached you for a polite conversation and you've done nothing but insult me. It's terrible of you, I might shed a tear." Crixus flashed her a wicked grin, studying her with interest. Was there more to her than just biting words, or was she as dull as the rest?

@Flare

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"That was mistake number one then, pal." One of Flare's shoulders rose in a half shrug, not at all sorry for her standoffish tone in their conversation. Her experiences with strangers varied from dismal to dangerous to chaotic, it was a wonder she hadn't gone into some deep cave to live out her days in solitude. Ah, to be a mushroom growing in a place that hadn't seen a breathing being since time immemorial. "Maybe I'm not here to be nice and make polite conversation, maybe I'm here to wallow in my silly little feelings by the sea," Flare hummed in thought for a moment, lifting a paw and turning it over as if mulling her options. "That or I just don't like you, but I wouldn't take it personal. I don't like half the creatures I meet." She grimaced briefly before her lips formed back into a look of bored neutrality. "You want me to put a name to your face so I can forget it with the others in alphabetical order, kiddo?" @Crixus

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Crixus was smug in the wake of her explanation. It was obvious his presence bothered her, and because of that, his presence would continue to linger. She was trying to desperately ward him off, but he hadn't any desire to do so. Nah, she was fun. "If you don't like me, my name doesn't matter," he rumbled, drawing his tongue along his muzzle to dismiss the notion of providing her that information. "Besides, you've given me more than enough names. You, however, I will refer to as Sassy." If she minded, he didn't care. Sassy was her name now, thanks. The lion stifled a yawn "You're very precious, aren't you?" Crixus grinned, completely unbothered by her attempts to deter him from lingering.

@Flare

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■ Crude language warning! ■ Flare half listened to the male's rambling, up until he decided to give her a name of his choosing. A boring one at that. Sassy? Perhaps, but it felt more like something a cub would name their pet rock. Something else like perhaps Firecrusher or Hellburner would have been better "I'm an absolute diamond in the rough," she asserted dryly. Daring to take a step closer to the blue furred lion, she gave him a glance over as if to appraise him. Whatever she found, it was enough to make what passed to her as an informed assessment of her next words. "Alright, I'm Sassy?" She lilted her head to either side as if in thought, weighing something. "I'll call you Blueballs, since you seem to absolutely bursting to have a conversation that you know is going nowhere! But hey, who am I to judge a harmless little deprivation kink," Flare cooed bitingly. @Crixus

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Crixus laughed a booming laugh at the name, terribly amused by her connection between sex and the need for conversation. He supposed if you were drunk and squinted then yes, there could be a connection, but the truth was she was trying so hard to get rid of him that it only made him want to stay longer. "My balls are technically blue, actually. That happens when you're a blue lion, hm?" Whether or not she knew how fitting of a name it was, Crixus would wear it with pride. It was, after all, just an observation of his coloration. "I could always show them to you, if you'd like." Crixus chuckled. "I should call you Penis since you're the one bursting. With anger, but still." She was positively erupting all over the place.

@Flare

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