Welcome to the Misfit Pride!

[Zinsa]

She was hungry.

Her stomach twisted into a nearly painful knot and gurgled with a voice of its own.

And she loved it.

It was so primal, so raw. It was an instinct, something she didn't have to think about. Once she felt it, she knew what was coming next. She knew that she had to hunt. And hunting was the thing that she really loved. The way that she had to be face to face with the earth so her prey couldn't see her. The way her prey's ears would flicker when she misstepped. The way the wind would suddenly turn on her and nearly give her presence away to her potential meal.

It was so exhilarating.

Today would be no different. Today, she had her pray all picked out. Today, she would staisfy her hunger for not only food, but for hunting, for living.

She had spotted a small heard of Hartbeast about a quarter mile back and she tracked them mostly for sport. She could have just hunted them there, but what was the fun in that? This was how she played with her food and unfortunately for her meal, she was done playing.

Raising slightly from her crouched position, Zinsa began to advance. One step at a time. One paw at a time. One breath at a time. Then she waited. And waited--in a frozen step. There. Perfect. All of their heads where down, but just for a second. It probably was an accident, but Zinsa exploited it.

In one quick motion she sprung. Four out the the five looked in her direction, but the smartest of them just ran without looking who was coming. Zinsa wouldn't go after him. Two bolted to the left, two to the right. Zinsa's weight was on her left, so she took a hard turn. Following the duo was not an easy run. The animals where fast and had endurance, but Zinsa could keep up. She'd have to.

As soon as one began to slow down Zinsa forced herself to go just that much faster. Pushing forcefully off of her hind legs, she lunged at the second smallest of the five Hartbeast. She nearly missed, her ivory claws grazed the back of her hind legs. Zinsa landed with a thud and the resilient Hartbeast kept running. Zinsa looked up at it as it continued to flee. Excellent opponent.

She started running again. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she again caught up to the animal. Mostly, because it took a sharp turn in her direction-- she probably thought Zinsa was closer. The turn through the Hartbeast in Zinsa's path. She leaped forwards again, this time her whole body made contact with the Hartbeast. The animal made a noise, but it would be it's last. She clamped her teeth around the Hartbeast's neck and in mere minutes, Zinsa had a meal.

[Ghedi]

(I don't know how long it will last, but I'm throwing Cam in)

His heart was beating in his throat. The sheer beauty of her taking down a prey had him pinned as Hartbeasts fled around him.

His instinct was fuelled by the fleeing prey, plus his belly was rumbling. Lying down in the grass he looked intently at the animal coming straight for him. His muscles tensed, his behind wiggled ever so slighty before he jumped up and snagged himself his meal.

Holding on to the throat, he waited for the life to eb away, glancing back and forth at his mate.

As the Hartbeast died, Cam gave himself the oppertunity to get up and turn to Zinsa.
'Hi honey,' he called out.

[Zinsa]

She was suprized to see him here. She shouldn't have been, but she was. Zinsa had returned a few weeks ago, but had spent the time in crowded solitude. The Misfit pride wasn't as crowded as it once used to be, but there were still other lions around. Zinsa had been hanging out always in sight of other lions, but she scarcely communicated. She hadn't wanted to talk.

Today was different. She woke up and felt an urge. The urge to get over what ever rut she was in. For a first time in a long time, she actually appreciated the sun rising. Today, she promised herself, would be different.

Seeing Cam take down one of the Hartbeast made her heart flutter. "Hey, Big Blue." She cooed at him, dropping the kill from her mouth momentarily. "I didn't notice you there." The comment was said nonchalantly, but actually was quite a complement. Zinsa prided herself on being able to detect even the most quiet intruder. Cam had gotten past her radar.

"How long have you been there?" Zinsa questioned, licking the blood off of her lips. She didn't wait for him to answer, abandoning her kill momentarily, she walked towards him and gently bumped her head against his. "I've missed you." She whispered, her voice heavy with lust, "So much."

[Ghedi]

'Not half as much as I've missed you,' he said returning affection by biting her softly in the ear. He continued to nuzzle and lick her lovingly, momentarily forgetting about his kill. 'Where have you been hanging?'

Before she had a chance to answer, there was a loud thrashing of wings behind them as a pair of bald-headed vultures saw their chance to partake of the abandonded kill.

Instantly enraged by the bare cheek of the two scavengers, Cam let out a mighty roar as he turned around and sprung at the ugly creatures.

Screeching as though to chase the liger off, the two advanced only to receive a swiping blow to the head from the huge feline. A little dazed the two vultures decided that discretion was the better part of valour and quickly made themselves scarce.

Happy to have saved his kill, Cam picked the carrion up and dragged it over to Zinsa. 'Shall we take these into the shade?' he asked gesturing at her unguarded kill.

[Zinsa]

(Sorry this is go late, I was on vacation. )

"Oh you know," She purred, "Here and there." She left her answer ambiguous for a reason. That reason wasn't exactly clear to even her. Zinsa ha no idea where she had been. Physically, she had been all around the lands of The Misfits, but mentally she had been a place that she couldn't even recognize. "Does it really matter?" Her voice was low, rumbling, and flirtatious as she nibbled Cam's ear.

Her flirting was soon dismissed when a flock of annoying, preying buzzards interrupted the pair. Zinsa growled, not at the fact that the buzzards were there, but rather that they distracted her lover. Still, she watched in childlike wonderment as he chased off the pesky birds, her heart fluttering like a cub with a crush.

When he came closer to her, she honestly though he was going to say something else. What he would have said she wasn't really sure, but regardless she answered his question, "Yes, I guess we should." Zinsa let her eyes linger in Cam's for a second longer then necessary before turning around to gather her fresh kill. Picking up the hartbeast by the neck, the gray female lugged it underneath a lone tree about twenty five feet to the lions' left. Hunger leaving her mind temporarily, she glanced over at Cam and didn't say anything. She just smiled and thought to herself, "I'm glad he is here."

[Ghedi]

Oblivious to her flirtatious mood, Cam dragged his carcas next to the other and lying down, he gnawed on the skin between the hartbeasts hind legs, breaking it and gaining acces to the still warm flesh.

His muzzle deep inside the belly of the kill, he looked at her from the corner of his eye and noticed she wasn't eating. She was just looking at him, smiling.

'Is something wrong?' he asked muffled, then got his muzzle out of the carcas and swallowed a piece of thick flesh, looking back at her.

[Zinsa]

Zinsa was taken oddly aback by his question. Her smile fell dead from her face and she shook her head quickly, "No," Refraining from making eye contact with Cam, Zinsa quickly lowered her face to her fresh kill. Pausing an inch above the hartbeast skin, she glanced at Cam, and for a moment it looked like she was going to say something. She didn't. Her multi-colored eyes returned to the sweaty hide of her kill and she dug her teeth into it's warm flesh.

She didn't say anything for a little while, embarrassed at herself. What was she thinking? She couldn't force this relationship. She ran away from him, from the pride, from everything just to seek out an impossible reality. She betrayed him. She broke up with him. She was surprised that he even wanted to talk to her. No, she couldn't force it-- but she couldn't help that she wanted to.

[Ghedi]

Cam was happily eating away on his kill and he was so content his mind wandered off filling his head with images of Zinsa.
Zinsa, who kept looking at him, her low flirtatious voice, her nibbling on his ear.

The liger's mouth fell open and for a minute he wanted to crawl inside his kill and hide. How could he have been so blind? So stupid as not to notice. His tough girl had been making a move on him.
Sure she was his mate, but she had never....Silently he took his head out of the belly of the hartbeast and glanced over at the grey female.

They'd had some rough spots, he and Zinsa. She'd left him twice, the first time almost breaking his heart but he got used to her disappearing once in a while and this second time he hadn't noticed she wasn't around. Stunned he just stared into nothing. He had gotten used to her disappearing....

He looked over at her. He didn't want her to leave again. He wanted for her to stay with him. He loved her and it looked as though she loved him back.

Not wanting to catch her attention just yet, he slowly continued to devour his meal, but his stomach was full with nervous fluttering, so he turned to chewing on a bone inside the belly of the corpse, trying to think of someway to show her he loved her and that he wanted her close.

[Zinsa]

Zinsa was eating, but she had lost her appetite as soon as she felt the bitter sting of rejection. Because, honestly, as soon as she saw Cam Zinsa hungered for something other then food. She missed him and was painfully aware that she wasn't the most supportive mate in the world. Mate? Could she even truthfully call herself that? Was she his mate? Was she good enough for him? Had she done enough?

She knew the answer to the second question was 'no'. And with that realization she felt her stomach sink further.

Still, she continued to devourer the meal in front of her. She wasn't one to waist food. Plus, what would that prove? That she was heartbroken and starving? No, eating she knew she could do. This love thing on the other hand--she wasn't so sure.

The pair ate in silence and Zinsa did not look at the blue ligar once during her meal. The odd thing was, it wasn't really all that uncomfortable. Sure, her that thoughts that bounced in her head didn't exactly make for a romantic meal atmosphere, but him just being here made it okay. It always had.

[Ghedi]

Cam had completely lost his appetite and the dead silence surrounding him drove him mad. Zinsa had returned to eating, but he just couldn't anymore.

He felt like he had hurt her. He got up and looked at her, then arround him and in the little bush behind them he saw something. He darted off in to the thicket.

'Be right back,' he said as he vanished.

[Zinsa]

Zinsa had eaten her fill and the buzzards around her had sensed it. One brave one landed only ten feet from the fresh carcass. Zinsa eyed him and licked her lips. The bird hopped back one stride and Zinsa smiled. Lifting her head she licked her lips and turned away from the carcass.

Zinsa didn't protest when Cam said he'd be back. It actually seemed as if she had hardly noticed. Of course she did notice, she looked at him, but knew that saying anything would be fruitless. She had lamely said, "Be right back" herself when she knew perfectly well that it wasn't true. Not that she was saying that Cam was going to disappear, she was just saying that he could and Zinsa couldn't be angry about it. She deserved whatever was coming for her.

(P.S. I am going camping this weekend and will return on Sunday. )

[Ghedi]

The liger searched the thicket for what he had spotted from afar. Then he saw them. Impala Lily's.

He stood up against the small tree resembling a baobab and with his claws cut off a few branches with the beautifull flowers.

Cam took the branches in his mouth and looked around when he spotted some tall herbs with erect stems with opposite, 3-lobed, toothed leaves and elongated trumpet-shaped pale pink flowers. Wild foxgloves.

He gently picked a few more and arranged the foxglove with the lily so it looked like a nice bouquet. Then very carefull as not to break the somewhat poisonous foxglove, he took the bouquet in his mouth and went back to Zinsa.

He jumped out and with a big grin presented the flower bouquet to his mate.
'My love, pour vous.'

[Kiyoshi]

Alpha Aurora lumbered out in to the Savannah, she was getting on in her years, she wasn't exactly a cub anymore. Her bones clicked and cracked as she moved, she was stiff from laying in her den for a while, she had caught a nasty cold. Now that it was over, she was out, enjoying the fresh air. She spotted Cam and his mate, and walked up with a smile, " Good Evening, Cam, and to you, Zinsa. " She smiled at the bouquet, giving an affectionate glance to Cam, " How sweet, those are beautiful. " She looked around, seeing the empty hot savannah, " I suppose I should move on, how rude of me to butt - in on a courtship. " She bowed to them both, " Good Hunting. " And started on her way again.

[Zinsa]

Zinsa heard Cam near by, but that only caused the feline's thoughts to run more quickly through her head. What was he doing? Not saying a word, Zinsa stood up, abandoning her kill, and slowly slinked over to the near by thicket to spy on her lover. Ex lover. No, neither of those were right. Peer. Yes, that was the word. Zinsa stood up and slowly slinked over to the near by thicket to spy on her peer. She walked on quiet paws, as if she was on a second hunt, as to not alert Cam to her presence. What was he doing?

Before she knew it the lovable ligar jumped out in front of her. "Ah!" The grey huntress jumped back, startled, the fur along her spine raised on end and her claws extended, "Sweet Kanobik, Cam!" She laughed, eyeing the flowers. "Ohh, Big Blue..." She cooed, sliding up to her lover-- yes, lover had been the right word all along, and gently rubbing her forehead against his.

Their moment was short and interrupted. Hearing a rustle in the thicket, Zinsa flicked her head to the source of the noise. It was Aurora. The Alpha of the pride lands. Zinsa lowered her head in respect, her whole body inadvertently turning away from the crimson female. Zinsa hadn't always been a good girl on Misfit soil and she wasn't exactly sure how Aurora would take it. Hearing her name from the royal female, even though it was spoken in a sweet tone, felt like a kick to the gut.

When Aurora complemented Cam's choice of flowers, Zinsa couldn't help but to agree, "They really are gorgeous, Cam." She couldn't help but to smile and nuzzle the male affectionately, forgetting momentarily that Aurora was present.

Though she wouldn't be for long. The alpha quickly took her departure and Zinsa forced out a friendly so long, "And a good evening to you as well." The words felt heavy on her tongue, a obvious reflection of the guilt that Zinsa still carried. It was something that would never go away. Something that shouldn't. She had almost been a cub killer... how had she expected to live with herself after that?

(Sorry this took forever. I went out of town to visit colleges. I'm back though. )

[Ghedi]

Cam nodded in respect at the Alpha and watched her leave. Then he turned his attention back to his mate. He layed his bouquet at her feet.

'My sweet Zinsa,' he said as he nuzzled her and rubbed his body against hers. 'Please accept these flowers,' he continued and now looked her in the eye. 'And be my mate, my love, forever.'


(Gah so short. Sorry for being late)