[PRP] Round Him Up (Afya x Kione)

[Krysin]

It would be generous to call the time Afya arrived to pick up her unwilling companion for the day 'morning'. The sun had yet to breach over the cliffs, leaving the land cast in darkness. Considering how late she had returned from her hunt the night before, it was a miracle that she was up and about now. But, she was Afya, and rest was for the deceased. The lioness had things to accomplish today, and she knew that the lion she was going to pick up and bring with her would only slow her down. If she got any productivity out of him she would consider it a miracle.

She made her way to Kione's den, a shadow moving under dark skies. Her pelt was advantageous for hunting in the dark - her skill during the day decreased drastically. While there were groups of lionesses that hunting during the daylight hours, Afya simply could not afford to be one of them. She preferred the night, regardless of her coat color. The herds were tired, and less wary of their surroundings. It was easier for her to make a hunt successful, even if she brought back a meal large enough for just one lion.

Afya did not doubt that Kione had picked the carcass she left for him clean.

The dark lioness seated herself in front of Kione's den, her tail curled around her feet. The tuft of fur on her head hung over an eye, leaving a sole blue one to pierce through the night. "Kione..." she called out, the name followed by a long yawn. Ah, she'd be a liar if she claimed not to be a little tired herself. "If you do not hurry up I am stepping inside to retrieve you."  

[MangoMeow]

Even though he'd known that she wasn't the type to do so, Kione had been hoping that Afya would forget about that whole conversation last night. Maybe something would come up, or maybe she would decide that her day was better spent without him there. Of course, this was Afya we were talking about, and Kione's wishes were bound to be dashed.

That said, he still wasn't expecting stupid'o'clock in the morning to be when she'd come for him.

With an unhappy groan, the pale lion uncurled himself from his fluffy cocoon to blink blearily out the entrance of his den. The meal last night was incredibly good, and it had ended in him knocking out like a light, content with the knowledge that he'd get a good night's sleep. So why was he waking up now? Who was... wait, that sounded like...

And just like that, his sleepy face took on a look of horror. Tired horror, as he remembered what he'd promised to do.

Kione rolled over with a louder groan, seriously debating just ignoring her and hiding out somewhere, but she'd probably make good on her promise to retrieve him.... With a grumpy huff, he turned himself back over onto his feet and meandered over to poke his head out.

"Do you always get up this early?"  

[Krysin]

Afya was surprisingly patient as she waited for Kione to rouse from his slumber. There was an awful amount of groaning and shuffling coming from his den that Afya was slightly concerned. Did it take all lions this long to get up? If there was an earthquake or a rock slide Kione would certainly be buried underneath a bunch of rubble by now. That was a little worrying - after all, she wouldn't have anyone left to torment if he wound up dead.

Finally, a pale face appeared out of the entrance of the den, and judging by the expression on his face he was still quite reluctant to help Afya out. She considered it a small miracle that she had even gotten to see him. Kione had plenty of opportunity to sneak somewhere else and hide out for the day after his meal... that was, of course, if he didn't over-eat and pass out into a food coma.

"Always," she told him with a small, pleased smirk. While she blended into the night easily, he stuck out like a sore thumb... which would be trouble in and of itself but that was a bridge she would cross when they got there. "I like to scout the herds out early in the day so that when the other lions hunt later they have a good idea of where everything is." She had spooked a good portion of the herds last night during her hunt, but there were plenty that hadn't been assaulted for a week.

"...Now are you going to get out here so we can get the day started?" Okay, so she wasn't the perfect picture of patience.  

[MangoMeow]

Wonderful. He supposed it made sense that someone would scout ahead of hunts, but did they really have to do it so early? Or was this just an Afya-thing?

He shot her a sour look at her pushing, and then sighed, "Alright, alright." He paused to turn back and brush some of the bones from last night's meal out the entrance way - for all that he's a lazy lion, he's also a white lion, and cleanliness was required in order to not look like a total slob - and then made his way out.

Swiping a paw across his ear in an attempt to get his mane to not be so scruffy-looking, Kione squinted around them. While she thrived in it, darkness was usually not his friend. "... You have to know that I'm not going to be terribly useful on this outing." He glanced at her, "So what is it you're wanting me to do?"  

[Krysin]

"I know you're not," Afya confessed with a little dark laugh. While she hadn't stated as part of their deal that it had to be a successful day, she very much planned for there to be some sort of punishment if he failed to try his best. After all, she wasn't about to tote him around and watch him laze about all day while she did the hard work. No, there had to be a deterrent to keep him from following his nature.

"Just know, there is a punishment if you do particularly poorly today." Then, with that statement out of the way, and before giving Kione a chance to protest, she turned around to lead him into the early morning. He would be a fool not to follow her, mostly because Afya would make him regret it. She was a determined lioness, and well, very set in her ways. If she was going to do something, she was going to do it to her full potential. One could only hope that some of that tenacity would rub off on Kione.

"The food stock pile is pretty good right now, but I want to check on the herds anyways just to make sure they're following the same pattern of movement. If you spook them, we'll definitely ruin anyone's hunt for the day." Hunting was successful only a fraction of the time, so even if there were a bounty of food for others to claim, it was a good idea to keep trying to make more kills. That, and Kione could probably use the practice.  

[MangoMeow]

He gave her a hard stare, eyes narrowed in suspicion at her words. Just checking on herds didn't... sound too exhausting (this coming from someone who has never tried doing it himself, so that wasn't saying much), but the way she'd mentioned 'punishment' was a little ominous.

Still, the was a thinly veiled challenge. He normally didn't care for doing anything physical, but scouting herds didn't sound too bad. He was sure he could keep up with that, he thought with a sniff.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Kione said with a grumble, "So whatever you're thinking of doing, don't."  

[Krysin]

'Too late for that...' Afya thought, a small smirk gracing her features. It was good that it was still dark out, or else Kione surely would have seen the devillish expression upon her face. Normally she appeared to be a serious lioness, but with Kione her mischievous side had risen and grown to its full potential. At least, she was smiling when normally she would never be.

"Well, let's get hiking, then." If he thought this was going to be an easy trip, he had another thing coming. Afya led the way through the valley, her pace brisk as if she had to keep up with the rising sun itself. The terrain away from the rocky cliffs was not terrible, but the most strenuous part of the journey was just how far Afya was leading Kione. The dark lioness did not even blink an eye as they passed close to a small herd of antelope - it was close enough to the pride that she did not have to worry about losing track of it.

The herds further out from the pride were the real struggle to keep an eye on. By the time they even got close to their destination, the sun had begun its ascent across the sky, tinting the lands warm oranges and pinks. "Keeping up, Lord of the Holes?" she called out behind her, and now as she turned to look at him it was clear to see that cocky smirk, the mirth in her eyes. "Because if you're starting to struggle now we'll just have to call it a day and I can scold you properly for your failures."  

[MangoMeow]

Ugh, hiking. That was a word he never liked to associate with himself. Best to get all of this over with though. So with a sigh, the lion started padding after her.

As a surprise to no one, Kione really doesn't have good endurance, and added to Afya's brisk walking, he was actually having quite the time keeping up.

By the time they'd reached that first herd, he was puffing a little, but for the most part, felt pretty good about making it, but then Afya had kept going. Clearly not their destination then, he thought with a scowl, and then they just kept going.... and going... and going....

He was beginning to understand why she'd gotten him up so early (not that he liked it, only that he could see why), but as she spoke up, mocking him, he couldn't help but try to hide his exhaustion. The gasping for air and achy limbs weren't actually there, he tried to tell himself, they were just his body warming up.

So, ignoring himself, Kione glared back, "Yes, I'm doing fine." He pushed himself up closer beside her, "How much farther do we need to go?"  

[Krysin]

One look at Kione was enough to tell her that he was struggling, even if he wasn't willing to admit it. She wasn't sure if she should admire his determination to appear strong or pity him for it. For now, she reserved her decision and turned her gaze out over the valley. "Not much further," the dark lioness told her companion. The words were not intended to comfort him, but rather were a truth.

After waiting a few seconds to allow him to catch up, she continued the trek across the valley until she came to the exact spot she wanted to arrive at. The timing, in her opinion was perfect. She sat atop an outcrop of rock towards the edge of the valley, perched high enough to watch as the sun rolled over the valley. The dark lioness almost purred at the sight - while she loved the night, she enjoyed the transition from night to day even more.

There, in the distance, she could see the herds start to stir, wakened by the rising sun. While she would never admit that she had come out this far to watch the sun rise fully into the sky, she secretly rather enjoyed it. Besides, from this height she could see the herds well enough to make an accurate report back to the hunters. "Tell me what you can tell of the herds," she coaxed Kione, determined to at least put his mind to work while she enjoyed the sights.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

He waited until she'd turned around and continued walking before letting the grimace finally form over his face. This was a horrible morning. On the bright side, though, he was probably going to fall right back to sleep once it was all over.

... He supposed that was a bright side.

Sure....

When Afya finally came to a stop, he almost collapsed in place. Thank god. He was tired enough that he wasn't even paying attention to the sunrise. At least, not at first. Head raising back up when Afya said nothing to his antics, he blinked at the sight in front of them. The lazy male had never actually been up early enough to see it, having deemed it as not worthy.

Yeah, it was really pretty.

... But sleep was still more precious to him.

Ears flicking up as Afya spoke, Kione frowned and turned his attention to the herds. "Uh... they're still sleeping?" He envied them for that. "There are some little ones," but they probably wouldn't bother with them. He squinted, "and some old ones."

Truly a master at observation.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

She sighed, that heavy sort of sigh that let him know she was disappointed with him. Normally she'd come right out and say it, but she didn't want to ruin the nice sunrise that he seemed to be completely ignoring. Afya wanted him to be impressed by it, wanted him to be impacted the same way she was by it. But... he was completely oblivious to it, and to her. It meant more drastic measures would have to be taken, and Kione surely would not like it.

"Not really the most observant, are you...?" she questioned him with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. "They are all facing the same direction right now - away from the wind. It must have been a cold night for them because it's unlike them to be facing away from the wind. They'll miss the scent of predators. I expect them to turn around back into it soon. Any opportunity we had to hunt them will be gone by midday."

With a little groan, she jumped down from the rock she had perched herself up upon. What an utterly clueless male - it was clear now that her tactics weren't right for him. At least he had made the trek out here without much complaint, but she suspected that was just to protect his pride. "We can go back now."

...and she wasn't going to give him much of a break.  

[MangoMeow]

He scowled at her words, but before he could retort back, she explained some of what he'd missed. Furrowing his brows, he stared at the herds and contemplated her words. Honestly, how could she tell all that just from looking at them? Maybe it was coincidence that they were all facing the same way.

Before he could counter though, she was jumping down and... saying they could go back? Blinking in surprise, Kione hopped down after her. "Wait. Are we done? I thought this was an all-day thing?"

Not that he was against going back to sleep or anything, he just... thought this would last a lot longer, that she'd try to torture him with something or force him to run laps around a herd.

He was a little, well... put-out.

Not that he liked being dragged around! It was just... sometimes it was interesting, having someone plan a day with him. No one really did that with him.  

[Krysin]

Afya had to admit that she was a little surprised that Kione was questioning her decision to turn back. She paused and turned her gaze to the pale male, as if waiting for a thorough explanation as to why he suddenly did not want to be lazy. "It'll be midday by the time we get back," the lioness explained. She had been up most of the night, too, and her skills during the day were less valuable.

The next words were unusually tentative for the dark lioness. If he was not eager to be cast away... perhaps he wouldn't mind spending the rest of the day with her. She did not think it likely, and she did not want to really get her hopes up with him. Afya knew Kione, as Kione knew Afya. She was a very focused lioness, and he had absolutely no focus at all.

"Fine, come help me clean out my den then, and we'll have lunch after that." She had been about to let him off the hook, but since he insisted on aiding her further who was she to turn him away? Kione should have known that speaking up so would have landed him into more work than he was ready to handle. "That is, if you aren't too fat from the meal you ate last night," and she eyed him critically in that moment. His stomach was awfully round...  

[MangoMeow]

Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, he thought with a cringe. Cleaning someone else's den was not on the list of things he wanted to do today.

... but lunch sounded nice, even after her quip about his weight.

His tail flicking in agitation behind him, Kione threw her a narrow-eyed look. "I'm not fat. Just.. well-fed, so I suppose you can congratulate yourself on that."

The pale lion sighed, "It's not even my den though. Can't you clean it easier yourself?" He looked away then, thinking over what else he'd do today. Honestly, this was all he'd had planned (he ignored the little lonely pang at the thought) and that snark about his weight had him feeling like he needed to prove her wrong.

"... but... lunch sounds good." He harrumphed and started walking forward, drifting past her and throwing a "Your place better not be a pigsty!" back at her.  

[Krysin]

"That was enough of a meal for two lions, so, maybe I should congratulate you on a... healthy appetite?" she commented slyly. Afya had intended originally to give the meal to her brother, but he too needed to learn how to take care of himself. She couldn't be an overbearing sister forever, after all. Giving Kione the kill had been an impulse decision that she wasn't entirely sure had worked out for her yet. At least it made it clear that she still had some work to do with the pale male.

"...Uh, no, I can't." There, that nervous cough, something was off. Afya was a bit of a perfectionist everywhere... outside of her den. The den itself had become a bit of a mess after she moved into her own private quarters. If her brother saw it she would be ashamed. It was a good thing he did not make it over often.

Kione had agreed to help her, and Afya had to hide another nervous little laugh. Oh, he really had no idea what he was in store for. It'd likely take the rest of the day to clean out her den. It was quite possibly a task too torturous, and that was why she had left it out of her day's original plan. "It's fine! Just a little dirty - let's go." With Kione ahead of her now, Afya quickened her pace to keep up. It was definitely going to be an adventure.