Sphinx - normal
Kasai - bold

When the two arrived back at the den they both shared the lioness found herself fuming still, pacing back and fourth as she entered, her tail violently trashing from side to side. How could this happen? How could they have been so weak? With flashing fangs she hissed under chilled breath, stopping once she was finally able to face Aldan with a clear mind. It wasn't like Yorshka was upset at the winged male, if anything she held herself completely accountable for what had just transpired. Still, some part of the demigod's mind was uneasy, how could they live under rule of someone like Kristanf? He didn't own them, but it was starting to feel like he did. His hold over the two was toxic and Yorshka would do everything in her power to free the couple from his wicked grasp. Whatever it took - she would see it through.

Slowly her gaze turned to the ocean-kissed male, her eyes softer now. "Are you okay?" What a dumb question, of course he wasn't okay, but the lioness already felt a considerable amount of shame for the pain he just endured on her behalf. How was she ever going to be able to thank him? Again and again she seemed to put him in situations that brought Aldan nothing but misery, was she a curse? Was she no batter than Kristanf? Her lungs felt full as she coughed under the weight of the thought, sitting down with a deep sigh.

Yorshka could hardly look him in the eye. This was... so unfair.

The adolescent was lost in thought when they travelled back to his den. He had let the female enter first, expecting to speak with Ciro. However, the captain just shook his head, shooing him inside before he had turned around and left.

Aldan sighed as he entered the den, glancing towards the other as she seemed to be angry at the situation. He watched her tail thrash, tilting his head. He almost missed Yorshka asking if he was alright.

"Huh? Oh..." His gaze rose to her eyes as he gave a small sheepish smile. "It...it will be fine." In truth, he had lost all thought of the fight, his mind continuing to go back to what she had said to Kristanf. Was it true? Or...did she just say that just to make Kristanf angry (which, obviously it did...).

He took a few steps towards the female. "Did...you mean what you said? to...to Kristanf that is?" Aldan asked quietly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Of course!" She yelled, not at him, but at the situation. Her eyes were full of emotions, this echoed in her tone as she moved herself to sit beside him with a settled gaze, though the female was finding it hard to look him in the eye she did try, being a coward was a hard thing for her. He... he was her best friend after all.

"Oh... wait." The lioness paused for a moment. She hadn't put the two together until now. He was talking about... that comment. Yorshka's heart began to beat quickly against her chest as she made some effort to straighten herself out, her white face now covered in a blanket of red blush. How would the lioness ever be able to explain herself this time? So many conflicting feelings ran though her, if he looked her way this would obvious. She wasn't ashamed of anything she said, the female just wanted to make sure he didn't think she was... filthy... for saying what she did.

"I-I mean, I didn't hate it... and you already know I was glad it was you." How could she explain this properly? Yorshka fought herself on this for a moment before speaking again, her head tilting to the side.

"I would have liked it if had been more consensual, yes, but I didn't hate it, and I don't hate you--so," A long pause kept him company while the lioness did her best to tackle this question.

"If we could redo that moment again I am sure the weird feelings I have about that night would dissipate, you know?" Her blue eyes shifted as she tried to give him a faint smile, though it was turning into something far more embarrassing for her. Still, she... was trying.

Aldan listened to Yorshka, finding heat rising to his cheeks as she spoke. He wasn't sure how he felt after the event, but he was sure if the two were in a different scenario when that happened, he would have enjoyed it a bit more. But, never having participating in the act, he was green to it all as well.

"I...I don't think you hate me." He stated. "You keep saying you don't. I trust your words." It was rather a reliever to continue to hear it, but Aldan wanted to let her know she didn't need to keep saying it. He was beginning to understand it, even if he wanted himself not to.

Redo the moment? Aldan could not help but quirk an eyebrow at the comment. "Oh...Um.." He looked towards the den entrance, as if expecting to see someone enter it. "I mean...If...if you wanted...we..." Now Aldan was full out blushing. "I mean...we are stuck here because I for sure don't want to test Ciro's punishment...and...he did say we needed to get...acquainted?"

Maybe Ciro would regret saying those words to the pair.

"But only if you want to!" He quickly backtracked. "Maybe those feelings would go away...sooner?"

For a second she sat with a blank stare, her eyes dancing over his figure as she searched him over once, as if taking inventory of all the little injures he had acquired because of her. Aldan was starting to collect a few. Some part of Yorshka would always regret this.

"Aldan..." Her voice was masked with worry as she looked down at her paws, speaking again once she was able to compose herself better.

"I would like for that to be something I experience with someone who... loves me. Who is in love with me." As the female spoke she nodded and sighed.

"-- and if we did it just to... kill time, I am afraid we would both be confused by the meaning of it. It's important, to me, that when it happens... it comes from a place of love." The one thing her mother taught her was the meaning of love and being loved, and how important those feelings were - how powerful they could be. The lioness longed for that, to know what love tasted like.

"This isn't me asking you to force yourself to love me, or to lie to yourself about your own feelings, rather, a honest request. I... I know I am your thrall here, but, if we do that I can't feel like your thrall, I can't just be something you have control over. So..." Her words trailed off as she sighed in deeply, eyes flickering with passion.

"If one day you wake and your feelings for me have... changed--, tell me." She wasn't closing the door to this conversation, not at all, the pale lioness simply knew that in this moment his feelings for her weren't strong enough to change how they both felt about the intimacy they shared. It was hard to explain, but because it happened under a forced hand and between fast friends... what they experienced wasn't true intimacy, so the next time that happened she wanted it to be right for the both of them, even if he never touched her again. Whoever he choice to share that with... she wanted it to matter.

Aldan seemed to chuckle nervously as she spoke. "Right...of course, someone who...loves you." The act should be kept between two lovers. Aldan wasn't sure how much of that would be the way of the stormborn, his own father had litters with two different females. Did that mean he didn't love them? Or was it a different type of love?

One day the adolescent would figure it out.

"Even though you are...mine...I...don't want you to think I have control over you. You are still you...after all. As long as you are here, this is yours too." He made a gesture to the den they now shared.

"I...I get it. I mean, it was a stupid idea, I know." He looked away quickly from her, mentally smacking himself for suggesting it. Aldan didn't know if he would ever have feelings for her as he thought he once could. At least, it probably wouldn't be something that would happen in such a short time. Maybe when he was older, and less stupid could he find himself loving the former pridelander. Right now though, he was fine with being just friends. He just had thought if the 'weird' feelings persisted, this could be a way to stop it.

He shrugged his shoulders inwardly as he gave her a awkward glance. "Sorry for even mentioning it..." he found himself murmuring. "I...just want you to feel comfortable here."

He tried so hard to find the right words to say and Yorshka could see all his effort. Her eyes settled back to his face and neck as he spoke. The lioness batted her eyes and smiled under a soft chuckle. Aldan might not understand what she meant in this moment, but maybe someday he could look back and laugh while he admired his own personal growth. Maybe someday...

"I am comfortable with you." She confessed softly before moving herself to sit a little closer to him. Her eyes were like pools of crystal clear water, ebbing as she gazed into his.

"Hey...." Yorshka paused, clearing her throat before she spoke again.

"Lie down..." The question felt more like a soft demand, yet her eyes never left his as she struggled with the the emotions the moment brought. Even if they weren't close enough for that.... apart of the lioness struggled with her own feelings, the ones she felt toward him felt... more intense than the ones he might have carried for her, and that was alright.

She could live with that.

He nodded as she said she was comfortable with him. That was good, though, would she be comfortable with his pride ever? Maybe that was a battle to fight another day.

Errr...what? What did she just say?

Aldan blinked as Yorshka moved closer to him, then asked him to lie down. "Um..." He was staring at her with his jaw slightly agape. His head tilted as he contemplated. It was just a simple order...right? No harm in it.

He was silent for a moment before finally taking her instruction. "...okay...sure..." His body lowered to the ground as his neck craned to watch her. Aldan enjoyed the feeling of the small plush pelt on the ground. He couldn't help but purr slightly, continue to look at her, not knowing what he should do next. Ask her to join him? She seemed to have other ideas in mind that he didn't quite know of yet.

As he brought himself to the ground she smiled, allowing him time to settle before moving herself to stand over him, paws at both sides of shoulders. For a long while Yorshka just stood and glanced down, taking in every little scar and marking the male bore. In truth she hadn't spent much time admiring his beauty before, but in this moment she could see it. He was a alluring combination of color and waves, perhaps that's why he reminded her so much of the sea. Slowly the pale lioness moved herself down, low until her muzzle hovered just above his face. With a soft smile she closed her eyes and gently placed a kiss upon his forehead before speaking.

"Thank you." The words were filled with serenity as her cerulean eyes opened again, pulling to hover just above his own. Her heart held-fast in her chest as she spoke out again, her tone softer than before as it faded into a whisper.

"For everything..." Never before had the pale lioness espoused herself to someone like this, this... this was a new feeling. The feathered earring she wore danced with every small movement she made. Yorshka lowered herself again to kiss him on top of both of his eyes as he closed them, one kiss followed the other as she placed them down gently against his lids. Her lean frame still lingered over his as she pulled herself back up, gazing down at him.

The pendant she wore around her pale neck swung softly from side to side as she held herself over him.

Love came in many forms. Expressing admiration for the younger male felt natural.

Yorshka was standing over him. For once, he felt quite small. Still, he was curious as to what she was doing. As she lowered herself, Aldan couldn't help but close his eyes, feeling the warmth of her breath. Then, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

His eyes opened slightly, her voice calming him. His purr seemed to rumble a bit louder, his ears dancing atop his head as he listened. "You..you don't need to thank me for...anything," his tone was soft, quiet, as more kisses caressed him. His eyes fluttered open when she lifted herself off him. "...don't stop..." he whined, the purr still rattling his form.

There was a strange feeling in his chest. What was this? His heart was beginning to race, as he found his breath felt like it was catching in his throat.

His dark eyes glanced at the pendant her wore, watching it sway side to side as if mesmerizing him. His body shifted towards his side, patting the ground for Yorshka to lay.

"Tell me about your pendant..." Aldan murmured, feeling more relaxed than he had been in weeks since traveling home with Yorshka, and her becoming his thrall.

His reactions only helped ease her into another small kiss, this one fell faintly against the tip of his nose before she pulled back up, shifting herself over him and to his side with a slow nod. Yorshka would gladly lay beside him and talk, this was the first time the two had ever been like this before. Free from interruptions and chaos, the change was welcomed with open arms.

Though the past few weeks had been extremely disheartening and life changing, here in this place the two lost souls could just fade away. Shedding the weight of the world was such a beautiful experience.

"My pendant? My mother, Zimran--she gave it to me." Blue eyes narrowed as she rolled onto her back so that her eyes could search the den's ceiling for abstract patterns, something about these small distractions helped wash away the events from earlier.

"It's a reminder... I think, of her love for me. I know a few of my other siblings carry tokens like it. My mother is very... very sweet." Thinking of the pale Godddess this way would normally cause her to react emotionally, with tears or in longing... yet she was able to do so without any sorrow creeping in.

"Maybe someday you could meet her." The thought made her smile, regardless of how far-fetched it felt now that she was a thrall. In this place with just the two of them... she could pretend, she could dream.

"Do you like it?" The question came with a look over the shoulder as she gave him a small smile.

Another kiss was planted on his nose, Aldan felt his heartbeat quicken.

As she lay next to him, he found himself shifting up against her, enjoying the warmth she brought. He sighed contently, nuzzling his head into the ground. Whatever turmoil the pair had gone through in the day, week or almost month time frame was beginning to be forgotten. Maybe it was Aldan's lack of sleep making him forget in this time frame.

He felt Yorshka shift, as she spoke of the pendant being from her mother. "I bet she was beautiful, just like you." He whispered, closing his eyes, pressing himself against her once more.

"Maybe..." he murmured, feeling a blanket of sleep creep up. When she asked if he liked it, his eyes flickered open with a small hum. "I do~" he said quietly, rubbing his face on the ground, eyes closing once more. "It suits you well," he said softly, his tone drifting off as sleep began to overtake his thoughts.

"Beautiful?" The lioness blushed. This was the first time anyone outside of her family called her that. Watching the younger male drift off to sleep was so soothing, for the first time in a long time she felt at peace. Gently the pale lioness lowered her chin to rest on his side, lifting an arm to wrap around him. Yorshka pulled Aldan closer and allowed herself to close her eyes. They both rested against the pile of pelts, curled together in silence.

"Maybe." Yorshka repeated as the two drifted off to sleep. The future was riddled with questions and a fear of the unknown, but for awhile tonight they could rest together.