A trail of blood left in the dust led towards a little shielded spot, where a ravenous but otherwise careful and precise man had a midnight snack. Crack, crack, the sound echoed against the stone walls of the giants that hovered above the land. A few hours ago the very same lion had dined, his fresh kill was plenty to satiate his extraordinary taste. However, he was not the type to waste food. No, not at all. Apollinaire, after thoroughly enjoying his meal, had carefully picked up whatever he could carry home.

He was not a selfish creature; he would store the leftovers where the cache was, generously leaving a whole haunch of the lion kind and a head of the same lion. Then he turned around to leave.

But midway, his stomach protested.

Okay, perhaps it wasn't his stomach. Perhaps it was just his mind. The slender lion pivoted, returning at the food cache. Swiftly, he grabbed the head of the poor, unfortunate victim and left to enjoy it. Why should he leave the best part for someone else? It was his, in the end.

Crack, crack. And so here he was, having his midnight brain snack with great enthusiasm, precisely and skillfully opening up the skull as to not damage the goods inside.

@Séverine

She almost always active in the hours of darkness, and when the lions of Wolfbron are quiet, Séverine stalks the territory. Watching, learning, becoming with each hour that creeps by. The smell of blood lures her now, like a moth to a flame; her nostrils flare with a slight sense of excitement, her intrigue piqued.

She knows little of him other than that he is some kind of family to her — a distant relation that doesn't much matter in the grand scheme of things. Séverine is less interested in @Apollinaire than she is with what he has, her sharp gaze landing upon his prize as she nears his resting place. The teenager is nothing if not selfish, and above that, entitled; the fact that he is older means nothing to her. The young Dieudonné's respect has to be earned, and until that point, she has every intention of taking whatever she wants.

Apollinaire is simply another victim of her girlish whims, and she slinks closer, her head snaking low in a predatory manner. She approaches from an offside perpendicular angle, hoping that he is distracted enough by his cracking and gnawing at the skull to not notice her until it is too late. A forepaw strikes out, attempting to snag and snatch his prize away with a low, determined growl.

_{BG — ART — CODE}

Crack, crack. The bone continued to break under his ivory predator teeth as the cannibal slowly but surely chipped away at his future meal. Impatience wasn't part of his personality, especially when it came to gourmet meals. He knew that what awaited him was sublime and it was certainly worth the effort. It wasn't his favorite part of the lion for no reason!

He gnawed and broke, his focus completely on the task at hand. He must be precise, otherwise, the beautiful mush that was the brain can get damaged and its qualities will quickly spoil. His fixation came at a price, for he didn't notice the approach of a certain somebody until a pale paw was reaching for his food with a selfish growl.

Immediately, the hairs on his back stood on edge. His lips peeled back to reveal bloody incisors, while his paw was positioned atop the half-chewed head. Talons grated against the flesh & bone, eyes narrowing in on the pale face of a girl. "How improper for a young lady," he hissed. "Didn't zhey teach you not to steal what you didn't earn, mademoiselle?" Apollinaire had not even a clue who this impolite little thief was, but certainly not someone he was willing to give his prized meal to.

@Séverine

There is no give to her pull, for his claws have sunk deep into the skull and he is unrelenting from such a snide little thief. Séverine, stubborn as she is, meets his glower with a curl of her lips and a flash of teeth, her claws still hooked in the flesh she has managed to grip. There is an obvious defiance in her, a silent demand for him to yield, even knowing that he will not.

"Non," she returns with an equal amount of venom, her tail lashing against her ankles. "Maman m'a appris à prendre ce que je veux," ( Mother taught me to take what I want ) the girl counters, her ears slapping aggressively against her skull. Did Amara mean stealing from her pridemates? Probably not. But headstrong girls like Séverine only hear what they want to hear.

_{BG — ART — CODE}

The pale little thief was determined to snatch his food right from between his teeth, flashing a threatening snarl in response to his own. Although there was little sign of it across his expression, Apollinaire was running low on patience for the imprudent child. Who does she think she is?

"Non," she began, his jaws unclenching and his teeth retracting behind his bloodied lips. "Mother taught me to take what I want." He kept his paw against the skull, his gaze now studying who was apparently a young relative of his. At least that explained the persistence and relentlessness. They were good qualities for a Dieudonne woman, even if just a second ago he wanted to tear into her pretty pelt and make her the main course. He let go of the skull, gesturing towards it. "Mange, alors" Eat, then, he smirked at the offer. The heathen wondered how she will proceed with the tough bone engulfing her meal. How patiently will she handle it? Or rather... how impatiently? He only watched with a mischievous glint in his eyes, tail lashing behind him.

@Séverine

It is, evidently, enough to convince him to relinquish his prize — in Séverine's mind, deferring to her dominance and further solidifying her belief that she is above him. He lets go, and her claws sink further into the flesh, pulling the head in a skittering fashion towards her; her chest sinks to the ground so that she can curl both forepaws around the skull, and her haunches slowly follow to settle her in an upright sphynx's lounge.

Of course, now that she actually has it, Séverine comes to the realization that he isn't submitting to her — he is testing her. The sly curl of his lips proves his amusement and that there is a right and a wrong answer. Séverine is the sort of girl who loathes the idea of failure, and despite her impatience in stealing from @Apollinaire, she takes her time now to sort through the puzzle that's fallen into her lap.

She imagines that there is a reason he had chosen not to just carelessly bash it against the rocks, or this task would be far more simple. Séverine rolls the skull upright between her paws, her talons holding it securely in place as she studies it with a purse of her lips. Ultimately, she tries to mimic his tactic, picking up where he'd left off to gnaw at the cracked pieces of skull. But Séverine, of course, is far younger than Apollinaire, and lacks the strength to be half as effective at this task — that hardly deters her from her determination, however, even if it will take her longer to crack it open.

_{BG — ART — CODE}

It was always amusing to watch the younger generation grapple with problems that the older ones have already mastered. It was always a given that the young Dieudonne girls were cocky and confident, and while he could admire and respect these qualities, they were often unfounded considering their inexperience. Appolinaire, however, was more than willing to groom them into the ruthless Queens ( and Kings ) that they must become.

At first, his crimson eyes watch her with mild amusement glinting inside. She was faced with a challenge and took it on with a purse of her lips. Thinking, he waited, curious to see what @Séverine comes up with. Instead of trying to use brute force and break like a barbarian, the albino girl mimics his tactic and begins to chew the weakened spot. Good, he observed, but not good enough. "Tch, tch," he rose to his feet, approaching and sitting near her. With a single claw, he tapped a weaker area of the skull that was starting to show just now. "Ici." ( Here. ) He directs her, hoping she will take his experienced advice if she wanted to enjoy her reward.

The teenager's tail swings to and fro behind her in a symptom of her excitement, pursuing her intent with the stubborn tenacity that marks most of her family members. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees @Apollinaire rise, tutting her, and the girl freezes for a moment, her claws gripping the head tighter and an initial curl of her lip offered. It's hers now, and she will not have it taken if she can help it.

Of course, her elder relative has no intention of repossessing her stolen prize, and she relaxes somewhat when he taps a claw against the skull, pointing out a weak spot in the bone. She adjusts her angle as directed — for Séverine, in all things, does so love to learn — and it doesn't take long for the cartilage to give way beneath her jaws, splintering in a most satisfying manner that audibly cracks against the quiet.

Séverine growls her satisfaction, her tongue swiping over pale lips as fleshy pink reveals the delicate bounty inside. This might be where a more humble or respectful girl would offer to share, considering that it was never hers in the first place, but Séverine is neither of those things; even amongst her siblings, she is more than willing to play the role of thief, and Apollinaire will not be lucky enough to find a generous side of her tonight.

_{BG — ART — CODE}

Her subtle warning was not left unnoticed, but the mocha-pelted lion shows no indication. Instead, when he points at the weaker spot, he seats himself back and lets @Severine test it out. The girl didn't protest or stubbornly deny his suggestion, which surprised him in a sense. He expected her arrogance to stand in her way of learning and taking advice, but the Dieudonne man was proven wrong. Good, good! He was fascinated by this pale promising child, and it showed on his face - a wide grin splitting his lips. She enjoyed her reward, and even if it was his to begin with, he would share it with the Princess. Indeed, it was an investment like no other. Mange, ma chérie. It was the greatest meal she's ever had._{BG — ART — CODE}