Nephthys knew she would break soon. Either physically beneath his paws as he squeezed tighter or emotionally from having to sit there and suffer through the whole ordeal. It was a toss-up with which would come first, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be the hug of death. She couldn't help but wiggle a bit more, trying to unseat his massive paws from her shoulders halfheartedly. If she was going to commit to the betrothal, she needed to get away from him as quickly as possible. He'd already swayed her one way before and she couldn't let it happen again, but his grip was too tight and she, too weak.

No, it's not someone from Wolfbron. It doesn't matter who it is, they don't feel the same way. I just didn't want to spring it on you in the future, thought.. now was better. She could have been wrong, though. Maybe she should have already had a man lined up waiting for her hand in marriage before divulging the information, but she didn't want whoever it was to mysteriously disappear. You know, in case Bhas decided to take matters into his own hands. Paws.

He wouldn't let her go, he said, and she heaved a sigh. Of course he wouldn't make things easy, why would he? Bhaskar had never been timid about expressing his disdain for the idea of a betrothal and there she had gone and done exactly what he didn't want. At the end of the day, however, Nephthys was a selfish woman who only thought of her own self preservation. She was the only one she could count on not to let her down, to protect her, to be her own best friend.

Come on, Bhas, you're squeezing me to death.

Bhaskar certainly was never a timid man when it came to any matter and he expressed his emotions without a second thought. What he said was the truth, albeit true in his own mind. And while @Nephthys may be selfish, he was three times more selfish than her. The colossal was ready to twist this valley's rules if it meant keeping her safe from the loveless life ahead of her. If it meant keeping her for himself.

The maroon girl keeps denying him an answer and he grows more frustrated with each second. He could feel the control slip from his grasp and he hated the feeling of being in the dark. If it wasn't someone from the Bluffs, then who was it? Did she lie to him? He gritted his teeth. Fine. I'll find out myself. Once more disregarding her emotions, the mottled man was ready to snoop around by himself. Sooner or later he will know.

The deep sigh of helplessness and her plea fails to soften his heart, and the beast only glances back at her intensely. I'll let you go, He says finally. - only if you leave Wolfbron. An ultimatum. He is merciless. Selfish. Greedy. The storm inside him drove out the worst qualities he held. To him, though, he was exactly what he always wanted to be: a protector to his loved ones. The approach didn't matter, it never did. He was ready to be bras and brutal in order to keep Neph.

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Something in him shifted -- and it made Nephthys worry. She had seen the man grumpy before, but never outright angry. He had always been playful and kind when it came to her, and the idea that she could possibly incite something worse made her stomach twist into knots. When she'd said that he could be angry all he wanted, she didn't mean it. Nephthys couldn't handle the idea of him being so unhappy with her, but what choice did she have? The cat was already out of the bag and there was no going back now. She could only sit and wait for things to settle -- if they ever would. Nepth was at his mercy.

Seriously, you're wasting your time trying to figure it out. Don't bother. The scarlet lioness groaned, rolling her eyes as she prepared for another onslaught of questions. Couldn't they just go back to playing in the snow? Didn't that sound fun? Nepth could almost reach some, maybe she could reignite the playfulness and reset the mood a little bit. It was worth a try, wasn't it? Worst case scenario it would just piss him off more, so.. yolo.

As she moved to scoop snow up, however, he presented her with quite a request. She was shocked, to say the least, and stared down at him with a confused surprise. Leave Wolfbron? Why? You want me to get claimed by some asshole? It made no sense, the ultimatum. Nephthys couldn't figure out the reasoning behind it and so she squinted at him, waiting for an answer that would bring clarity. Hopefully.

Telling Bhaskar not to bother a moment after dropping that bomb on him was like telling the winds to stop blowing or the fire to stop burning. It was a pointless endeavor and @Nephthys would soon learn that once he had something in mind, he would see it fulfilled. The red haired lion wasn't planning on asking anymore questions nor commenting on that topic, because he knew that no answer would be given. Nephthys was unwilling to share even a hint of the man she loved. So be it, then.

Her surprised stare didn't phase him and the intensity written over his expression only grew stronger, as if to pressure her for an answer. His arms remained wrapped around her like a steel chain. Bhaskar expected her question and he was prepared for it from head to boot. The plan had long formed in his mind and his baritone voice spoke it into the world. A friend of mine has started a little band here, in this jungle. It doesn't work like the typical prides. We will see if he has some place for us, if only to shield you from claim. He wasn't sure if Gawain had more space for him and Neph, but it was worth a try. Everything to tear the maroon Tollaire from the Bluffs. He will forever remain suspicious that the man she loved was from Wolfbron or that she would find someone to marry there.

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It didn't make sense regardless of how many times she turned it over in her head. Why on earth was the singular path to her freedom from his grasp to leave Wolfbron? She frowned deeply, her brows knitting together in thought. While she wanted to agree and leave Wolfbron behind, that wouldn't help her. Nepth felt properly backed into a corner and clueless on how to navigate through the maze he had presented to her. What would it mean if she told him no? That she wouldn't leave Wolfbron and join him in whatever band he was talking about? Did he keep her right there until they both died from starvation? The scarlet woman grumbled under her breath, steeling herself for what was to come next.

I can't do that. There, it was out. She couldn't just leave Wolfbron like that and agree to live with the man she was trying to avoid. Undoubtedly he would ask why she resisted, and so she offered the reason before being prompted: If I did that, I'd only be moving in with the guy I had feelings for. I know that band. Nephthys did not know that band, but she figured it would be a piece of bait for him to go off and chase down someone involved. Maybe demand answers from clueless strangers. It would be amusing to watch if she could be there as it happened.

Do you really not get it? Or was all of it just.. an act?

The intensity in his glare and the firmness in his tone was an evident sign that he was not merely suggesting for her to leave Wolfbron. Bhaskar was full-on instructing, as if Neph had no choice. His plan to protect her was impeccable, all he needs now was to act on it.

But she denied him.

He couldn't say he didn't expect the denial, the mottled paladin was prepared for that too. It didn't shift him from his path, though. He was going to see it through even if she didn't want to. The maroon Tollaire didn't seem to realize the awful life she was submitting to. He will make her see. His iron-clad gaze burned brightly, his stubborn mind preparing to pressure her more. Nothing will stop him, nothing will shake his belief, nothing-

Nothing prepared him for @Nephthys' following words.

At first, he was shocked. Then confusion began to sweep in his mind and he glanced to the side in an attempt to process what she said. Only her warm body pressed against him managed to keep him grounded. A lot of assumptions went through his mind, but they were all stupid. What she was saying seemed clear as day... and yet he wasn't sure if it was real. "Do you really not get it?" Bhaskar's eyes snap back to her as if pulled away from his doubts, shattering them. You... me? He hadn't realized it yet, but his heart was raising like crazy once more. He looked at her face, studying her response carefully. Was he just making it up? Was she joking? But she looked serious. She looked certain.

Suddenly his meeting with Drakon comes back to him and so does the subsequent meeting with Neph. You have feelings for me? At the mere thought he felt the butterflies in his stomach cheer, while his heart skip a beat in more fear and anticipation.

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She supposed it was possible he just squished her to death right then and there. It was a fruitless endeavor to try and wiggle free when he had such a powerful grip, but she trusted him (to an extent) not to simply hug too tightly. Hopefully that trust wasn't misplaced -- famous last words of the scarlet Tollaire.

Nephthys didn't know what to make of his silence, nor did she understand what the stunned look on his face was for. She certainly hadn't anticipated him picking up on her context clues so quickly, so either he was genuinely thinking that she was engaged to her father or..

You.. me?

Well shit. Maybe he was a bit smarter than she'd given him credit for -- or he'd taken a lucky guess. Either way, he'd hit the nail on the head and thusly sealed her into a coffin of embarrassment. She wanted desperately to break out of his grasp right then and there, ascend to the treetops and never be seen again.

But of course, she couldn't. The only thing to do was face it head-on (quite literally) and embrace the pain and grief that was to follow. RIpping off the bandage was the onl way to move, and so she sucked in a breath and muttered: yes, you. Nephthys couldn't hold eye contact with him for more than a fleeting second, embarrassed as she was.

but i know you don't feel anything for me and it's just a stupid one-way crush, so you don't have to say anything, okay? i just need some time and space and it'll go away. and then they could possibly go back to being friends? was such a thing even possible? maybe once she was married off to another family she wold have room in her life for a man she would never be with, but now? now it was far too painful to even consider seeing him every day knowing that eventually he would find a bride that was far less .. nephthys.

Her amethyst gaze stubbornly avoided his, slowly but surely solidifying his assumption even before she muttered her response. His grip began to loosen. Bhaskar felt his memories with @Nephthys replay in his mind and fear overtook him. The threat of nothing ever being the same between them hung heavy in the air, suffocating him. Or was that just Neph's weight against his chest? He wanted to keep her close, to cherish and protect her much like he wanted to protect the rest of his friends. It felt like the rug had been pulled out beneath him.

Drakon's words ring clear in his mind, burdening him with feelings he was so unsure of. Somewhere beneath all of his denial laid an old wound that he didn't want to reopen if he allowed those feelings. Bhaskar had spoken his truth when the Tollaire Patriarch had suggested that he was in love with the maroon lioness. He stands now by his words, using them as a shield to avoid. It was just part of the story, though. He wouldn't realize it was love even if it slapped him in the face.

Neph asked for time and space to make it go away. Make the feeling go away as if it was a quick cold that one could get over. He wouldn't admit it but it stung him, his selfish side wanting to keep her love sick for as long as possible. Neph, I love you. He began with a sigh, gazing up at the white skies. I love you like I love Aries or like I loved all my other friends. I would do anything for you. He was unaware of how this response might affect her, but Bhas felt the need to tell her how he thought he felt. He didn't want to lie to her, at least not consciously. His paws slipped from her shoulders, freeing her completely.

Then he softly let her slip from atop him, the frigid air slowly replacing her warmth. But I- He began to try and get up, to move a few steps away from her. I need time to think. There was this odd pressure now hanging heavy on his shoulders and it was creating a gap between them that he couldn't fight however he tried. Why was it so difficult to leave when he wanted to leave? He was both being pulled away from the red lioness and pulled towards her. And he, as a man who was unafraid of expressing his emotions and showing his affection, couldn't differentiate between romantic love and the other types of love. It had never been an option and now it tore him in two.

He wanted to go now, but even at this moment, he didn't want to leave her alone. I'll walk you home. He said.

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There was a piece of her that felt excitement at having finally voiced her feelings. She could only think of the fairytales all little girls listened to growing up of princes and heroes come to save the day, how everything always worked out in the end. Her mother had been considerate enough to inform her that the stories were just that -- stories, and that nothing was ever as magical as someone might want it to be. The love story between her parents had been lined with anger and pain, too, but they had come out on the other side no worse for the wear.. right? But there were things she didn't know about them -- the violence, the infidelity, the lies and the heartbreak each had suffered at the hands of the other. Nephthys was blind to all of it, and so all she could see was two lions that cared deeply for one another making it work despite the hurricane of bullshit they had been through together.

So when Bhaskar inhaled and began with I love you, it was a childish dream come true. For a moment the grin that spread along her face was genuine, and in the next it was stomped into the mud alongside her heart. She had allowed herself the freedom to feel, had let this man worm his way into her heart and listened when he said she was worth more than a betrothal to some nobody. Nephthys stared in horror as she realized it had all been a game to him and she, a toy to manipulate and play with until such a time as this.

The lioness slipped from his grasp and landed on the ground with a muted thud, her heart splintering and her ears flattened against her head. What kind of monster broke a girl's heart like that? What kind of man said he loved someone and then took it back, adding the caveat that it was only as a friend? She took a step back from him, too shocked to say anything out loud. Too embarrassed to have fallen prey to the one thing she had tried so desperately to avoid. Nephthys was nothing more than a fool. A puppet staring down her master as he still tugged her heart along behind him, saying he needed time. Her hackles raised along her spine at the audacity. Time? He thought time was going to fix what he had just told her?

you can have all the time you need, bhaskar, because i never want to see you again. she warned, claws digging into the earth with a low hiss. he offered to walk her home and she snorted with an empty laugh. no, you don't get that privilege anymore. you don't get to come into my life, tell me how to live it, decide what's best for me and then say what you just said and then -- and then fucking walk me home. fuck you, bhaskar. you were the biggest mistake of my life.

and she made no attempt to be graceful as she turned to leave, unwilling to let him see how broken she truly was. she didn't want him to see her cry because she was a fucking tollaire and tollaires were strong -- nephthys was strong. he didn't get to see the tears because he hadn't earned the right, and so the scarlet lioness made for home to leave behind her one and only friend.

exit unless stopped

The red-haired beast's heart drummed with anxiety and anticipation for what was to come. No, not for @Nephthys' reaction, which was far from pleasant, but for the future of their friendship. He felt it chip at the edges, much frailer than he had thought it to be. Hot breath swirled in a fog, evaporating above him with every rushed breath he took. His steel gaze watched as the maroon girl laid in the snow alone where he had once held her in his arms, sorrow and yearning hanging heavy on his heart, but he made no move. Even if he was a selfish bastard, he couldn't string her along with lies just to keep her around. He knew that wouldn't end well.

But at this point, what would end well? Nephthys only dug a deeper gap between them and Bhaskar could feel his heart shatter, wishing that she'd never expressed her one-sided crush. Perhaps then she would've gotten over it like the common cold and they would remain best friends without the overcomplication that was love. The Tollaire's words were words he never wanted to hear. The mere thought of never seeing the one good thing in this valley was destroying him inside. But what could he do? Lie to her about his feelings? Say he loves her the way she loves him? No, he couldn't do that.

Neph-

She didn't stop then. More words thrown like daggers sank in his heart, making his brows furrow at the painful blows. It left him silent, unsure what to say, uncertain how to proceed. Bhas could only stand in the snow and watch the one good thing in his life leave and he was powerless to do anything. The clash of feelings beneath the stone-cold surface that was his exterior was tearing him apart. He loved her, he wanted to keep her, and yet he couldn't offer her what she wanted. He knew those facts, knew that it was probably best he let the girl live her life without burdening her with his presence. However, Bhaskar may be uncertain when it came to a lot of things, but he was certain in one single thing: he was never going to give up on Neph. She was his best friend, his soulmate.

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