Release (Private saraiya & Lyonize)

[saraiya]

Kela is admittedly tired, but she can still sense the tension between the young lions. Opening her eyes, she looks up to Zoba. "Ignore him. Whatever he does is barely worth your retaliation."

"Shouldn't I be saying that about you?" Razu asks, walking a bit closer. "I almost question what your motives are. You build a wall to keep me out, leave, then drag back this stranger who has barely spoken since he got here." He snarls, cutting a direct glare at Zoba. "And worse, you act like you didn't even leave and when you return, you leave your new toy in the care of another lioness."

Kela snarls, yet remains where she lays. "Zoba is no toy. Just I felt nothing for you, doesn't mean I feel nothing for him."

"I wonder." He rolls his eyes. "Tell me, Zoba, what makes you so much better than me in her eyes? It can't be strength, she strong enough for her own. She can hunt alone, lead alone, fight alone. Why would she need you?"

At that, Kela stands and steps between them. "If you say one more thing out of line, I'll claw your tongue out." She snarls. "Your choice." By then, the whole pride was watching in interest at the standoff.

[Lyonize]

Zoba barely acknowledged Razu as he spoke to Kela. He acted like a cub who had never been disciplined. That would certainly explain his behavior. He thought of his words as nothing more than an annoyance. The names he tossed about bothered him as much as a gnat would.

"Tell me, Zoba, what makes you so much better than me in her eyes? It can't be strength, she strong enough for her own. She can hunt alone, lead alone, fight alone. Why would she need you?"

Zoba looked into Razu's eyes for the first time since he arrived. With a bored stare, he replied. "Why don't you ask Kela?"

[saraiya]

Razu turns to Kela and snarls. "So, then tell me why. Why did you reject me and leave your own pride out to fend for themselves?"

"Because I wanted a choice." She answers. "Zoba gave me a choice. He was my choice and still is." Kela sighs and lays back down. "This is exhausting. Wake me up when you actually have something worth saying to me."

Razu huffs and walks past the pair, but not before pausing next to Zoba. "You better keep her safe. She's likely to place your life before her own." He whispers before walking away.

[Lyonize]

Zoba waited for Razu to be gone and for everyone else to stop staring. When the atmosphere had calmed down, he walked over to Kela.

"Let's go for a walk." He said softly enough that only Kela could hear. He dragged a paw across her shoulder affectionately.

[saraiya]

With a small purr, Kela looks up and smiles. "Yeah. A walk would be nice." Standing up, she leads Zoba down a simple path into the jungle.

"So, did you want to talk about something? I know we've only been here for about a day, but it feels like so much longer." She takes a deep breath, starting to unwind.

[Lyonize]

Zoba followed her through the jungle. Somehow it made sense that his was her home. Her dark fur and green eyes matched the landscape. Once they had gotten to a clearing, Kela began the conversation.

"So, did you want to talk about something? I know we've only been here for about a day, but it feels like so much longer."

Zoba stopped to look around briefly and replied. "You were right. I'm not a toy." He paused to inhale a bit and looked down. "So I need you to trust that I can't be stolen." Zoba said as he looked back up to her eyes. "I trust you. I know you'd never leave me for someone else." Zoba gave a reassuring smile. "I just want the same trust from you."

[saraiya]

"I know and I'm sorry. I trust you. I really do." Kela says, stepping forward nuzzling into Zoba's chest. "I guess I just reverted back to how it was before I left. Back to how I was." She steps back and looks into Zoba's eyes.

"Father always instilled control and responsibility into me, to become a good leader. If I didn't know where all the pride members were at all times, I failed. If I didn't set clear boundaries, I failed. I guess that sounds kinda stupid now, huh?" She lets out a dry laugh. "It's impossible to control everything. But, growing up, that's all I knew. To have control and to be strong enough to enforce it."

Then, she shakes her head, as though clearing her thoughts. "Well, I promise to try and relax while we're here. Do you want to see something? It's a place I used to go to... get away, so to speak." Kela says, then starts back walking, taking a smaller path than the one before.

[Lyonize]

"Father always instilled control and responsibility into me, to become a good leader. If I didn't know where all the pride members were at all times, I failed. If I didn't set clear boundaries, I failed. I guess that sounds kinda stupid now, huh? It's impossible to control everything. But, growing up, that's all I knew. To have control and to be strong enough to enforce it."

"Hey." Zoba cooed. "I understand. It makes sense that you'd naturally go back to trying to control things like you were taught, even after being away for so long."

"Well, I promise to try and relax while we're here. Do you want to see something? It's a place I used to go to... get away, so to speak."

Zoba smiled. "I'd love to!" Zoba never had a secret place to retreat to. He never really needed one since he was always on the move. Any annoyance or hardship was temporary to him since he was always going from one place to another, though, he did enjoy the little secluded places. Peacefulness was always a welcome atmosphere.

[saraiya]

Smiling, Kela weaves between the trees and branches. It was a bit of a walk, but Kela remembers every step to get to the destination.

After walking for a little while, she leads Zoba to a waterfall. "As pretty and slightly cliché as this is, it's not our destination." Kela smirks at Zoba, then walks through an opening in the side of the waterfall, hidden by a large, fern-like plant.

"Come on, Zoba!" She calls from within. "It's in here!"

[Lyonize]

Zoba had a bit of trouble keeping up with Kela because of his size and the restrictive density of some of the foliage but he was getting the hang of navigating through it. He was much better in rocky terrains with large boulders. He could nearly keep up with a mountain goat when he was on his A-game.

Finally, Kela lead him to a waterfall. It was like many he had seen before. "This is pretty." He said.

"As pretty and slightly cliché as this is, it's not our destination." He was slightly confused at that until Kela walked through a large fern and disappeared behind the waterfall. Zoba's eyes widened. "Come on, Zoba! It's in here!"

With a quick look around to make sure nobody was watching, he padded up to the opening. He wanted to make sure Kela's secret place was kept that way. As he entered, a bit of his shoulder caught the edge of the waterfall. Zoba wiped the water off with his paw and walked inside, his eyes adjusting slightly to the dimmer light.

[saraiya]

"This. This is my hideaway." Kela says, looking around the area.

It's a large cavern with shiny stones nearly glittering with the moonlight filtering through the small openings in the walls and ceiling. The very air was several degrees cooler than the air outside and the smell of damp earth and rocks soothes Kela.

"I missed this place." She nearly purs, running her paw down a set of jagged claw marks on the wall. "And this. Did this number the first time I argued with Razu. Thought he was the most arrogant piece of pelt I've ever met.

"And here, fresh water comes in from the waterfall outside." She pads over to a small spring near the wall and laps at it. "It's still so cold and good. Never could figure out where it goes out at. I mean, it has to for it not to become stagnant, right?"

Kela smiles happily at Zoba. "This cave is my favorite place. I used to come here a lot when I needed to escape. Would lay here and daydream for hours. Maybe spend days here. No one ever found me, or this place. I always thought it was perfect. However, now that you're here too, it's like a quiet paradise. No pressures. No demands. Just freedom."

[Lyonize]

As Kela moved into the cavern, Zoba's eyes lit up with amazement. The moonlight filtering through gave the space a beautiful glow. In the sunlight, it would be just enough light to see everything perfectly. But from the outside, it was perfectly hidden. The little spring shimmered in the light. The stone above shown like stars with little bits containing some shiny materal. The moss that carpeted the floor in certain patches felt soft beneath Zobas paws.

"And this. Did this number the first time I argued with Razu. Thought he was the most arrogant piece of pelt I've ever met."

Zoba came up next to Kela and placed his paw on the wall, on top of the claw marks. Somehow, running his paw down them felt like he was with her in that moment in the past. Where was I when this happened? What was I doing? He wondered and smiled. Probably wrestling with Uriah. We did that a lot... Still do. Zoba's smile widened as he reminisced about his own past briefly.

"This place is beautiful." Zoba said as he looked around.

"And here, fresh water comes in from the waterfall outside. It's still so cold and good. Never could figure out where it goes out at. I mean, it has to for it not to become stagnant, right?"

"That is a little odd. Maybe it's a magic fountain of youth." He joked.

"This cave is my favorite place. I used to come here a lot when I needed to escape. Would lay here and daydream for hours. Maybe spend days here. No one ever found me, or this place. I always thought it was perfect. However, now that you're here too, it's like a quiet paradise. No pressures. No demands. Just freedom."

Zoba walked up to Kela. "Thank you for showing me." He said as he looked around. "It's beautiful..." Zoba looked back down and his orange eyes met hers. He looked deeply into them. "So beautiful." He said, almost whispering, no longer talking about the cave.

[saraiya]

"I'm gonna go out on the limb and guess you're no longer talking about the cave?" Kela smirks at Zoba, then licks the front of his muzzle.

Stepping away from him, she looks around the cavern a bit, as though contemplating something. "Say, this cave is quite spacious, don't you think?" She asks offhandedly, letting her now extended claws lightly grip the ground as she walks around.

[Lyonize]

"I'm gonna go out on the limb and guess you're no longer talking about the cave?"

Zoba blushed a bit as Kela licked him. He wasn't sure what he was saying. It just came out, but at the same time, he meant it. He was normally good with his words but sometimes, when he spoke to Kela, his words just sort of spilled out before he even bothered to think.

"I uhh... heh." Zoba chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

"Say, this cave is quite spacious, don't you think?"

Zoba watched her as she stepped away and looked around. He looked around with her. "It is. Big enough even for me." He smiled and looked back at Kela. He then noticed her extended claws and blinked, a little confused.

[saraiya]

"Would you say it's spacious enough to see whether or not I could beat you without you getting distracted?" Kela grins as she playfully crouches. "Personally, I'm betting on me."

Honestly, she didn't fully accept how she 'defeated' Zoba last time. It could have been considered a fluke by some.

"Come on." She baits teasingly. "I might go easy on you." Her tail lashes at the air.

[Lyonize]

"Would you say it's spacious enough to see whether or not I could beat you without you getting distracted? Personally, I'm betting on me."

Zoba's eyes narrowed on Kela and he grinned a little wider, approaching her slowly.

"Come on. I might go easy on you."

As her tail waved out, Zoba caught it in his paw. He pulled her back towards him and leaned closer to her ear from behind her. "Please don't go easy. You know how much I love being pinned by pretty lionesses." Zoba joked, quoting Tuli.

[saraiya]

Batting his paw away from her tail, she turns and tackles him to the ground.

"Well, I plan to be the only pretty lioness to pin you down." Kela smirks. "If this is all you can do, then I may have to end up saving you a lot more in the future." She teases, pressing her paw against his chest.

[Lyonize]

"Hm. That'd make you the only lion to ever pin me." Zoba growled half playfully. Without blinking, he pressed a paw against her chest and lifted her whole upper torso off the ground. He tossed her aside and used his momentum to hop up to his feet. He then tackled Kela the same way she tackled him, this time, he pressed his paw against her chest. Zoba rested almost all his weight on her but he wasn't worried about hurting her. She was tough.

"I'm not going to let you win this time, but... I hope you do." Zoba was serious this time. Kela was an impressive lioness already. She was so strong, brave, and loyal. He would be proud to be with the only lioness who could beat him in a brawl.

[saraiya]

Putting all her four against him, Kela lightly grips Zoba with her claws and jerks them both sideways, switching the positions again and pinning him to the ground, pressing her weight on him.

"Is this my win?" Kela asks, panting slightly. She's hardly tired, but the wind was knocked out of her a little bit. "I think I rather like being the only one to get you in this position." She smiles.

[Lyonize]

"Is this my win?"

"Oh, like I'd be done this quickly." Zoba was only getting started.

"I think I rather like being the only one to get you in this position."

Zoba grinned mischievously. "All you have to do is ask." With that, Zoba reached up with his paws, grabbing her shoulders and pulled her chest down to meet his and with his hind legs, he kicked up. He rolled over backwards, head over heels and landed on top of Kela, now placing his paws on her front legs, just past her shoulders.

[saraiya]

Kela blinks quickly. "That was quite the doozy." She smiles up at him. "And I'm starting to think you like pinning me down as well." She adds, then smirks. "Too bad I don't like to lose, despite loving this position."

Bringing her legs up, she kicks him up, but then rolls from under him before he could fall back on her. Once on her feet, she turns and jumps on his back, and bites down on his mane, using the momentum to get him on his side. Once getting him on his side, she straddles his side and uses both paws to pin his massive shoulder. Then, she leans down and whispers in his ear. "Wanna admit defeat yet?" She asks, then licks his cheek.

[Lyonize]

"Wanna admit defeat yet?"

"So badly." Zoba said, putting on a fake voice of desperation. In an explosion of effort and strength, Zoba Pressed a paw against Kela and one against the stone floor of the cave. As he brought his hind legs up to stand on the ground, he placed both paws on Kelas shoulders, facing her. The two lions were now locked in a grapple with each other, standing upright, face to face, paws on each other's shoulders. Zoba began to push, attempting to drive her back.

[saraiya]

Kela growls softly, knowing that eventually, she'd succumb to his strength. However, she also knows the cave far better than Zoba.

In a small act of desperation, she allows herself to fall backwards and as he falls over her, she kicks up, sending Zoba over her head and into the spring. Knowing that that won't keep him down long, she turns and pounces on the fallen lion in the spring, getting them both soaked.

Looking, she's sees she has him pinned once more. "Hey. You good?" Kela grins down at Zoba.

[Lyonize]

Zoba tried to stop but his momentum was continued by Kela and he was thrown into the water. Before he could get up, Kela was back on top of him. He turned his head up to see her grinning down at him.

"Hey. You good?"

Zoba returned the grin for a split second before spewing a mouthful of spring water in Kelas face. While she was preoccupied with the water in her face, Zoba reached up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, kicked his leg up over her hip, and rolled her over in the water so that he was on top of her now.

"I'm good." Zoba paused, noticing the scruffy way her ears and muzzle looked. "You're cute when you're wet."

[saraiya]

"What are you talking about? I'm always cute." Kela sticks her tongue out at him. "What's it gonna take for you to give in?" She asks, taking a moment to catch her breath, before planting her feet on his underside and pushing him off of her. Then, she pounces again on his fallen state.

Looking at his now dirty and damp fur, she lets out a small laugh. "Now we're both filthy. Hold still for a moment." Kela orders, the starts to lick and groom Zoba, starting at his shoulder.

[Lyonize]

"What are you talking about? I'm always cute."

"A different kind of cute, then." Zoba stuck his tongue out at her.

"What's it gonna take for you to give in?"

"Total exhaustion." Zoba said. He was breathing heavily but he could keep going. If Kela made him work harder, he'd only have another ten minutes left in him. He rarely ever had to fight longer than that. Once again, he was back on the ground with Kela on top of him.

"Now we're both filthy. Hold still for a moment."

Kela's tongue met his shoulder as she began smoothing his fur over and he began to do the same to her shoulder and neck. In this moment of peace, he could feel his own heart beating under Kela's paw. He brought one of his paws up, pressing it against her chest to feel her heartbeat.

[saraiya]

Kela knew her heart was still beating kinda fast from the work out, but relaxing like this is good. Zoba's heart is also pounding beneath her paw.

"You know, I should call this my win, since I did get you to stay on the ground." She laughs. "But, I'll call it a draw, that's slightly in my favor." She adds, dropping her head against his chest. "I think we can sleep here tonight, finish bathing in the morning, then head back."

[Lyonize]

"You know, I should call this my win, since I did get you to stay on the ground but, I'll call it a draw, that's slightly in my favor."

"Pshh. Whether you pin me or I pin you, it still feels like a win to me." Zoba laughed with her and took a deep breath and sighed. The rising and falling of his chest moved Kela with it.

"I think we can sleep here tonight, finish bathing in the morning, then head back."

"Sounds good to me." He replied as he put a paw on Kela's back.

[saraiya]

"A win for both of us, honestly." Kela yawns and her eyes droop to a close.

"You're always so warm. That makes me happy." She smiles and nuzzles closer into Zoba's fur. "I love this. Being happy with you, I mean."

[Lyonize]

"I love this. Being happy with you, I mean."

"I love it too." He said quietly to her. With that, he yawned and closed his eyes. The sound of the waterfall just at the mouth of the cave was soothing, and soon, he was asleep.