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The roguelands were very.... boring.

Jabari had little care for loneliness- perhaps it was time to settle his wild oats and find a pride to join, settle with a nice lioness, break a few hearts when he grew older and less satisfied... Gain a purpose, a guard, or something just as physical. Prides tended to have such.. excessive names and ranks for what was essentially all the same, but there was a charm to that, wasn't there? There was even a charm to most of the imagined religions and customs practiced. There would be just as much charm in playing along...

Once he decided to settle, that was. He still wasn't entirely sold on the idea- there was a freedom to his life, even if he was on a straight path to nowhere, padding through the cool savanna evening without a care. He was not entirely fond of the idea of little brats running around- not nearly as fond as of the thought of an adoring mate, though he supposed he'd have to put up with it at some point.... That was discouragement enough to grimace and put the thought to the side for now- maybe in the coming weeks, perhaps even months, but nothing to consider right now.

It was then he spotted a dot of movement in the close distance, and instinctively, Jabari crouched, striped grey pelt blending nicely with the tall grass- he'd have either a meal or the joy of giving someone, anyone, a scare... or he'd be noticed as he crept forward, ears perked on the sound of movement, and he'd know to practice his stealth for the future. Pausing once close- he assumed it was close, and he fancied himself a capable enough hunter, he took a moment to gather himself before leaping, growl caught in his throat- he didn't need to snarl, there was no territory to defend and it was simply dramatic. For what? A meal or a fright or a nose in the dirt? Too excessive...

Of the many things Jabari had expected and prepared for, that unholy screeching was not part of his expectations. His ears pinned to his head as he landed and skidded to a stop, small, screeching... creature crouched between his paws. His claws dug into the dirt to keep himself from smacking- screaming was rude, but by the count of what she was screaming, well-deserved smacking would likely serve nothing more than encouraging more yelling- he almost swore it echoed on the largely empty savanna.

The moment she mostly finished wailing, Jabari lifted a paw and attempted to bat lightly at her head, "It's no lions' lands, sweetheart. No one's intruding anywhere," He sighed- a skittish one, she was, but not entirely unpleasant to look at. Perhaps just the distraction he's been looking for, in fact.

"Now, stop being sorry- had you looked more like a lion and less like a bow-legged gazelle, I wouldn't have pounced. Come on now, up up, like a proper lady," Jabari urged, voice gentle as he attempted to prod the silly thing to her feet.

"Ah... Well, I suppose some do," They were the idiots, though- Jabari let that jibe remain unsaid, though. Only prides had the power to back up a claim. Taking a territory alone- even with a handful or small family- was asking for trouble. Sooner or later, a bigger fish came to swallow you and your tatty territory. "It's better to wander," And he left it at that, head cocking to the side as the lioness nervously prattled on.

Gods, she was somewhat annoying as she was now, wasn't she? He'd have to fix that. There's nothing like simpering that bred quite so much contempt in him. "Your father was cruel and power-hungry, then," Jabari sniffed, poking the skittish thing's nose, "You have claws and jaws, same as me. A mane makes it harder to grip the throat, but you can gut a lion easy as you can gut a zebra, and if memory serves, lionesses are traditionally the ones who take part in the gutting," True enough- males had bulk, perhaps, but that didn't mean females had no muscle or defense to speak of.

Truly, Jabari didn't understand the morbid fascination he knew other males had with power fantasies over their female counterparts that... Well, ended as such, if they sunk their fangs in early enough. Being adored was so much more lucrative- and entertaining, really. You couldn't do much when a lioness was too afraid to so much as look at you.

"Ah-huh," Jabari answered, unable to really stop the bite of the incredibly unamused answer. He didn't recall asking for the lioness' entire life story, and yet here it was, laid out at his very paws. Perhaps the dryness was not exactly in favor of his end goals, but hey- young girl, giant, glaring daddy issues, the bar wasn't exactly high. Big, world-wise bad boy like him? She'd be eating out of his paw in no time, sympathetic or not. She'd convince herself that because he gave her the time of day, he had a heart of gold and put on a tough guy air over it, he was calling it now.

"Forgive my lack of sympathy for your former plight, but everyone has a story in the roguelands, sweetheart. A fair few in the prides have one, too. You can cower and whine about it, or you can take the lesson and move on with your life, because last I checked," Jabari tossed a glance over his shoulder, eyes surveying the horizon before cutting back to the shakey lil thing, "You and I are the only ones out here, and I know for certainty I've never been part of any pride. So, again... Up, up. Cowering doesn't suit a pretty lady like you."

It certainly didn't- the damsel thing wasn't really doing it for him, they'd have to fix that, first, much as it could. He wasn't sure how long his patience could stand a lioness that jumped at her own species- and he didn't have terribly much of that to begin with. "Your father was the king of this pride, you said? Then that makes you a princess, slave or not. Chin up, lets see you act the part, sweetheart."