[PRP] Bag Him (Kione x Afya x The Hole)

[Krysin]

Her little adventure with Kione hadn't gone exactly as planned, and when she had brought him back to her den for him to clean it... Well, it certainly hadn't gone any better. At least she had the benefit of having a nice, clean den now. Things would have just been better if Kione had gotten the point of helping her with her duties. It wasn't like she dragged anyone else around (besides sweet, susceptible Nyarai) on those sorts of tasks. She certainly never showed anyone the inside of her den.

Yet, here he was, completely clueless. Afya clearly had to take more drastic measures.

The lioness arrived at his den at a more respectable time of the day, when she suspected he would be awake but not yet quite-ready to face the day. Anxiously, she looked over a dark paw to make sure that a certain amount of dirt could not be seen on it. There was a little mud, but she did not suspect he would notice it. He was awfully inattentive, something Afya had definitely noticed.

She had her motives for all of this. He was fun to be around, and with rogues now entering into the lands she realized that she would never want any of them. They made her nervous, and well, she had settled her mind on someone even before the pride started accepting rogues. Once she set her mind to something, there would be nothing capable of stopping her. "Kione! Wake your lazy fluffy butt up. Let's go!"  

[MangoMeow]

Sure enough, he was awake this time, busy poking about at some trinkets laying around his den. Easy enough to clean up, but he didn't want to trip over them at some point. He wasn't expecting company, certainly not company he'd thought had been satisfied after cleaning her den.

And good lord, that den. If you could call it that, he thought with disgust. He'd been partially joking when he'd said that it "better not be a pigsty", and had not been expecting the sight when he walked into it. Afya was so in control of everything most days. How was... why was her den such a mess?!

The rest of that day had been spent cleaning, of course. He wouldn't have let her force him to leave until it was done.

Which begged to question what she was doing here now.

Kione looked out the entryway in confusion, and then padded his way over to poke his head out, a mirror of the previous morning but this time with a more awake Kione. "Go?" He blinked, "Go where?"  

[Krysin]

Now, this was probably the most difficult part of her mission... convincing Kione to leave his den. She decided that her best approach was to be as firm and demanding with him as possible. Afya could try to bribe him with the promise of food, but it was likely that he would catch on to that trick. It wasn't like Afya to be nice to him, and so to get her way once again she would have to be unkind.

He appeared, a little unkempt but awake. How he managed to look unkempt but clean at the same time was obviously the seventh wonder of the world.

"I need your help," Afya announced to the somewhat tired lion. At least he looked a little more with it today than he had the previous one, but that likely was not to her favor. If his mind was sharp, he might even catch on to what she was trying to pull with him here. Her best bet was to be convincing and quick, get him moving before he could really question her. "Hurry, it's important that I get this done quickly."

By giving him no room to ask her questions, she hoped that he would instead be inspired to follow her quickly. Hoping and betting that he would chase after her tail if she turned from him, she did so then. Taking a step away from the entrance of Kione's den, she glanced back over her shoulder almost nervously. "I'll explain on the way, let's just go!" She started moving then, silently chanting the mantra of 'please be behind me, please be behind me'.  

[MangoMeow]

"Wha-" And then she was gone. Kione sputtered for a moment, completely baffled at what just happened, before scrambling after her.

... Hey, she said she needed help. He was a lazy butt, but he wasn't immune to someone saying something like that. (And no, it definitely didn't have to do with the fact that Afya was the one asking for help. That'd be ridiculous.)

Of course, he had no way of knowing that this was planned.

With that ignorance in mind, Kione tried to get her to slow down and explain, "Wait, Afya, what's the big emergency?" He was struggling to catch up to her, so it was said with a few huffs in between the words. He was starting to wonder if he really did need to exercise more.

... Eh.  

[Krysin]

Afya didn't quite have an explanation for Kione, but to be fair she didn't think the lion would actually follow her out of his den. Everything was surprisingly going to plan. It shouldn't have surprised her - Kione was gullible, and while he was not stupid, when he was tired he obviously did not think clearly. "We have to hurry!" she instead ushered him on. The less details she gave him, the easier it would be for her to pull this off.

She led him away from the family dens, towards an area that was more secluded. After all, if this was going to work she couldn't have anyone interfering with her master plan. Her eyes scanned the ground ahead of her as she moved briskly through the terrain, looking for a familiar spot.

'Ah hah!'

Now she just had to get him into position. She paused, panting softly as she waited for Kione to catch up. All Afya had to do was coax him into the right direction and let the area around her do the rest. "I think... I think it's to the right of here..." Of course, she wouldn't explain what 'it' was. If he didn't naturally fall into her trap, she was very well going to shove him towards it... but she hoped he found his way into the trap.

After all, Kione had an affinity for holes. He was the Lord of them.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

When she finally came to a stop, Kione took a glance around them. There didn't... seem to be any emergency, as far as he could tell. She was so frantic to get him here though.

... and that put him on edge.

He threw her a suspicious look, and then started walking forward. "What exactly is here? You're going to have to give me more than that." Because honestly, how could he find whatever it was without knowing what it was? He shook his head with a sigh, "Afya, what's going o-"

You'd think he'd be used to that feeling of the world disappearing from under him.

But no. Kione let out an almighty yelp, as his view swirled in front of him, and then grunted as he hit the floor with a loud thump. Dirt fell over him, covering him in a cloak of brown dust, and he took a moment to collect himself before looking up at the high dirt walls.

... Again?

Again?!

"AFYA!"

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

'Just a little closer...' she thought, and put forth an earnest effort to keep the cat-like grin from appearing upon her face as he did just that. Kione had certainly caught on to something being off, but that only played into Afya's favor. He was too focused on her, too worried over what was potentially wrong to even care where he placed his own paws.

One moment there was a nearly pure white lion standing above ground, and in the next he was nothing but a blur as he fell into a hole. Where had the hole come from? Well...

Afya unsheathed her claws, picking at the dirt caught underneath them. She had spent a majority of her morning digging that hole and concealing it under foliage. It wasn't as deep as the last hole he had managed to fall into, but it was deep enough that he wouldn't be able to get himself out without assistance. Chuckling to herself over her master plan, her dark form appeared at the top of the hole.

Then, she laid down, a paw lazily swinging over the edge and hanging in the open air. She could hear the anger in his voice as he called out her name in an accusatory fashion, and she laughed. Blue eyes lowered to examine his poor, pitifully dirty form. "Well, well, well. I can't help but notice that you've fallen for me."

The cackle that followed was likely rather obnoxious, but she thought she was being rather punny.  

[MangoMeow]

He glared balefully up at the maniacal cackles above him. He should have known that this was planned. Afya didn't do anything without coming up with one, and as he was now realizing, her current plan involved tossing him into a hole. Her sense of humor needed work!

"Oh, hardy har har! Don't you have something better to do than put me in holes?" Then again, as he'd found out first hand, she normally operated at night. So she was probably off shift now. Why couldn't she go to bed then, like a normal person?

He wanted out. Kione had had quite enough of holes to last him a lifetime. So bunching up his legs, he tried to leap his way out.... only to fail miserably, scrambling against the side and then sloooowly sliding back down. He really was terrible at jumping (unless motivated by fear).

Grumbling obscenities under his breath, the white lion stewed in his spot on the ground. It was annoyingly similar to the previous hole he'd been in, and just like last time, he probably wouldn't be getting out without help. He wished he could say that he'd be damned if he'd ask the person who put him in here for help, but the truth of the matter was that, well... he didn't want others to see him like this again. He really would gain the title of Lord of Holes then.

Kione shot another dead-pan look at her, "Congratulations, you got me. Now let me out."  

[Krysin]

"Now? Not really," Afya purred. The more upset he grew, the more amused Afya became. She saw no reason to offer him salvation so soon as he struggled to get out of the hole she had dug for him. For a moment, she was a little concerned that he would be able to jump out. When he pounced against the walls of the hole, she leaned carefully back so that he could not try to grab onto her.

She did remember the last time she got dragged down into the hole by him. This time, she couldn't let it happen.

With no small amount of satisfaction, she watched as Kione slowly slid back down to the bottom of the hole, his chest and belly stained by dirt. At least it hadn't rained in a few days - the mud would have made it nearly impossible for her to dig a hole and for him to be rescued from it. "I... don't think so," she called down to him with a smirk.

Rising back up onto her feet, she turned away from the hole and took a few steps away. All Kione would see was the tuft of her tail swaying through the air. "Well, unless..." she led loftily, baiting him. There was no way she was going to let him get out of the hole until she got what she wanted. Afya would not have gone through all the effort of digging the hole and tricking Kione into it just for some cheap laughs. No, there was something more than she wanted from the pale lion, and she was going to get it despite Kione's protests.  

[MangoMeow]

"Wha... Why not?!" He felt a flare of panic as she turned to walk away. She wasn't about to just leave him here, was she?! He wasn't above screaming after her, whether it'd attract attention or not.

And then she paused. Kione narrowed his eyes at her swaying tail, immediately suspicious. There was a catch, just like a few nights ago with the food. There was always a catch. The question was: what could she possibly want from him now? What, did she want him to actually hunt now?

"Unless what?" He wouldn't agree either way until he heard what it was. If it involved physical activity, it might almost be worth it to just live down here. He wondered if he'd be able to dig his way out eventually.  

[Krysin]

Kione wasn't stupid, because if he was Afya would have had far less interest in him. She wasn't surprised by how quickly the pale male caught on that there was a price to pay if he wanted to be freed from his confinement. With a sly smile on her face she turned back towards the hole, making a slow circle around the edge. Afya had him trapped, and she did want him to know that right now she was his only salvation. He could scream for help, yes, but who knows how long he would be stuck there until help actually arrived?

It was a bold plan, the one Afya had concocted. "Unless..." She tilted her head to the side, bangs falling over her eyes as her gaze lowered down into the hole to focus on him. Poor, pitiable Kione. He just seemed to have a natural attraction to making a fool out of himself. But, that was okay - Afya was sure in time that she could make some adjustments to his undesirable personality traits.

Until then, he was always good for a laugh.

"You agree to my one request, only one, nothing more, and nothing less." She sat down, and couldn't help the nervous twitch of her tail. This was all or nothing for the dark female. "If you don't... who knows when someone will stumble upon you next and help you out?" A carefree shrug of her shoulders hid the anxiety she felt.  

[MangoMeow]

He had no way of knowing that this "one request" was actually a pretty hefty request, but what he did know is that Afya had clearly gone to great lengths to ensure she got her way this time.

... Then again, she always made sure she got her way. It's kind of just how she was.

Kione snorted, "And I'm guessing you chose this area because no one would stumble out here?" It was more of a rhetorical question by this point. The lion sighed and then looked at her crossly, "Well, stop beating around the bush, what is it you want?" He wouldn't agree to anything until he'd heard what it was.  

[Krysin]

She sighed, her disappointment hanging heavy in the air when he didn't take her obvious bait. If he had just agreed to her request before hearing it, this would be all the more easier. Now, Afya had to put herself out there in hopes of getting what she wanted, and for a normally confident lioness this was actually proving to be a struggle for her. She didn't want a 'no', she didn't want anyone to know she had been rejected by Kione after going through all the effort to claim him as her's.

There was no one else she wanted. Yes, he had his faults (plenty of them), but she had some too. No one lion was perfect. As long as she was more perfect than him, then she would be content. "That would be a pretty good guess, Lord of Holes," she cooed down at him, delaying the inevitable. She had to stop beating around the bush, had to just plunge forward into the depths of the unknown.

"Marry me, Kione."

She sat there, perfectly poised, waiting for his reaction. Everything rode on how well he took to being proposed to, all the while being stuck in a hole at the same time. Afya thought it was fitting, though she doubted the male would agree on that front.  

[MangoMeow]

He'd been expecting a lot of things - forced to go on hunts, let her mess with him whenever she wanted (actually, that wasn't far from the truth), clean her den whenever she was gone (also not far), really anything except....

"Wait... what?"

Kione just kind of sat there after she said that, unsure of how to process her words, unable to really process much of anything now. How did you react to someone throwing you into a hole to... propose? And why did she even want him? He was known as the crabby one, the anti-social guy who lives in his den and snaps at people when they get too close. She probably had a hoard of guys vying for her attention (he assumed, anyway).

So why him?

He ignored the part of him that was kind of... flattered, and a little embarrassed but mostly felt fluttery at the thought (what even was that feeling? Weird, he'd ignore it too), and instead tried to figure out how to deal with this situation. She was waiting for a response from him, and I'm sorry, I'm kind of having an existentialist crisis at the moment, please hold.

Thinking over it, he surprisingly wasn't... against the thought. It'd be nice to have someone to spend some time with, someone who'd actually take him out on walks and eat with him, talk with him, verbally spar with him (yeah, alright, he enjoyed their arguments. Sue him). And well, it wasn't like he hadn't, you know, thought about it before in the privacy of his own den.

So... well...

Kione paused, and squinted at her, "You had to throw me in a hole to do this? Why couldn't you have just asked me like a normal person?!" He tsked, "At least I'd be agreeing to it without being covering in dirt!" He continued grumbling to himself after that, muttering about "how long this is gonna take to clean" and "I'm gonna have a sore arm from landing on it now".  

[Krysin]

As moments drifted by without a clear answer, Afya's anxiety began to rise. Claws nervously shifted the dirt underneath her, and the smallest of frowns became visible upon her face. Perhaps from the depths of the hole he could not see it, but Afya was genuinely worried over being rejected. There was no other male within the pride that she could even come close to considering marrying. Sure, she hadn't expected to want to jump into marriage so quickly but...

Well, when she wanted something, she went for it completely. Afya did not hold back, and instead plunged straight towards her goal without any hesitation or regret. Now that she was waiting for him, she could feel that hesitation creep up on her. Doubt plagued her thoughts as she waited until he finally answered her.

It wasn't an absolute answer, nor was it hardly romantic. But, to Afya, that was certainly a 'yes'.

She laughed again, the sound light and airy. "I had to make sure you wouldn't run away from me! But, I guess running isn't your strong suit..." she replied with a toothy grin. None could claim that Afya wasn't thorough.

"Well, how about I help you get cleaned up, then." It was the most kind she could be, and the little bit of mirth and playfulness in her voice suggested that her helping him would be a trial as well. Turning away from the hole, she grabbed a sturdy set of vines she had stashed to the side in the case her mission had been a success.

Yes, if he hadn't agreed to marry her she would have just left him there.

"Stop your griping and get up here," she ordered him as she tossed the set of vines over the edge of the hole.