Backlog RP


"Who is that?"

"I don't know."

"It's bothering me."

"What is?"

"She's staring at us."

"Who?"

"There's a lioness standing over on that hill."

"So what?"

"Go find out who she is."

"No, I'm too tired."

"Well, tell your worm to go find out, then."

A loud hiss interrupted the back-and-forth and ended it. A snake slithered out from under her hiding spot of rocks and came to rest between a black lion's shoulder blades. She cast a reproachful look to a dark lioness some paces away.

"Watch how you speak to me, girl," the snake warned.

"I was speaking about you, not to you," the lioness scoffed, earning another hiss. The snake coiled herself tightly as if to strike.

"Enough," a low voice grumbled, and that was that. The snake settled herself back down between the male's shoulders.

After some moments, the lioness said, "She's still there."

"Who is?"

"The lioness from before, Vito, gods," the lioness snapped. Another hiss cut through the air. "Shut up, Lilith!"

"So whats the big deal, Crabanniel?" Vito mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

"The big deal is I don't like having someone watching me when I'm trying to sleep and my guard is down," she explained with forced calm.

"Then go find out who she is," the male slurred. He rolled over.

"You're completely insufferable," Crab spat as she turned. She could swear she felt two slit pupils watching her with glee as she stormed off towards the stranger. She bristled. As she grew closer to the lioness on the hill, her features became more distinguished. She was white coated with black stripes all over. Her eyes were blue and watchful, but hesitant. There was something strangely cub-like about her. Crabanniel didn't like it. "Hey," she called out, but her only response was a bewildered look. "Yes, I'm talking to you. What do you want? Why are you watching us?" she demanded. The striped lioness took a few uncertain steps backwards. Crab almost felt bad. "Who are you? What's your name?" the former Amazonian continued. She was used to this kind of interrogation. She didn't have the professional black-and-white manner of some of the guards in her pride, especially not her--...mother.... The black lioness shook her head and curled her lip, growing more and more impatient at the lack of information. "If I don't get some answers soon, you're gonna be sorry," she growled, stalking closer as the other female stumbled back.

"Crab," an easy voice called. She stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder, her expression making it plain that she was not pleased by the interruption.

"What?" she asked through her teeth. Vito didn't reply. Instead, he walked towards the striped lioness and stopped before her. They regarded one another in silence for some moments and, to Crabanniel's surprise, the striped female seemed to relax.

"You're a long way from home," Vito said to her. The stranger blanched and lowered her head. Crab watched them from the side with feigned disinterest, but her gaze remained fixed. That worm was helping him, she knew it. That slithery little creature could see things unseen. How she managed to do it, Crabanniel didn't know, but she didn't trust her--not completely. Vito, however, wore the snake like she was part of his own mane. "You want something from me?" the male asked. The striped lioness looked back up at him, searching, heartbroken, hopeful, disappointed...curious. Then she frowned and looked down at her paws. Vito pressed on, asking, "Will you tell me your name?"

"F...Faridah..." the lioness murmured without looking up. Crabanniel rounded on them.

"And why were you watching us?" she asked sharply. Faridah sank into her shoulders, shrugged several times, looking anywhere but at the dark female, clearly distraught. Vito cast his traveling companion a look, and she threw a meaner look back.

"Do you know me?" Vito asked Faridah, stepping in just enough as if to barricade her from Crab. The striped lioness relaxed a bit and shook her head in a messy shrug. She pawed at the ground and swallowed. Vito paused for a moment, and Crab could hear the whispery hissing of Lilith, though she could not see her from this angle. The serpent was no doubt feeding things into the lion's ear unseen. "I remind you of someone?" the male asked Faridah. Her ears perked, but she stared at the distant acacia trees. Vito sighed. He was tired. His naps had been disjointed lately ever since he chose to travel with Crabanniel. Actually his sleep in general had been terrible. He didn't have a reason for it, no stress to keep him up, no nightmares, and he certainly wasn't overworked. He didn't know why, but he was just on edge. Something always seemed to interrupt his sleep, but he didn't know what. He was tired.

Faridah moved in a bit, glanced around at Vito's coat, and made a motioning shrug before looking away once more. "You knew someone with a black coat like mine?" Vito asked, sounding vaguely interested, but his expression didn't quite match up. The lioness nodded nonetheless. Crabanniel sat down with a sneer, not understanding why the male's black coat was more recognizable than her own.

"I'm not him," Vito said suddenly. Faridah gaped, ears folding and face twisting into an expression befitting one who had just had their heart broken into a thousand pieces. Crab observed her closely, wondering, but didn't pry anymore. Faridah took a step back, then another. Finally her expression shifted back to normal--mostly. She nodded slowly, stood among them in silence for some moments, then turned to leave. Crab opened her mouth to say something to the lioness, but couldn't think what, so closed her maw again.

"Finally speechless?" a cool voice hissed. "What next, will the sky fall?" Crab glowered at her and took off towards their prior resting spot. She flopped heavily onto the grass and huffed, letting her eyes close. Although there was no longer anyone staring at her while she tried to rest, she felt even more unsettled than before. Distraught blue eyes. Crab opened her own and stared up at the clouds.

"Who was she?" Vito asked his demon up on the hill, his gaze fixed below.

"A princess, you could say," Lilith answered. "A fallen one, and a broken one. She is looking for her father."

"Can you See if she's going to find him?"

"No," the snake replied, "he's dead."

"Oh..." Vito stared down at the striped lioness and watched her figure grow smaller and smaller on the horizon until she disappeared.