It's not You
This is story I came up with last night and I just barely typed it!
What if Cheetara hadn't chosen Tygra and gone with Lion'O instead? Tygra has a chance to talk to Pumyra. Maybe one shot or three shot!
Tygra gritted his teeth as he tied the loose bolt on the Thunder tank. Panthro loomed over him to make sure he didn't screw anything up on his baby.
"Tygra" the high pitched voice caused Tygra to tighten to bolt too tight and the thing broke.
"Damn it boy! I told you to ease up on it!" Panthro said pushing the tiger out of the way to take over. "You've done enough" the panther said leaning over the engine and loosening the whole bolt screw. Tygra mumbled a 'fuck you' then stalked off to a nearby wooded area. Once gone Panthro looked back up, "Boy you are too focused on that" he muttered before going back to work.
"Tygra- where you going?" Kit asked as she ran after the older male. She dodged all the high branches that he let swing back as he passed through. "Tygra? Tygra" she called again and again. When he didn't answer she stopped in tracks to pull out her flupe from her satchel but when she turned to look up the tiger was gone. "…Tygra…" her smile, ears and fluffy tail drooped.
Near the heart of the woods Tygra found an open field with overgrown grass. He sighed, if that's what he would get then that's what he would have. He sat against the wide tree bark and looked out to the open field. It was supposed to comfort him but all he saw was red and yellow; his brother with the cat he's loved since childhood. "I-You-you chose him over me?" he muttered.
"You're the older one" he looked up and saw the puma perching on a high branch, "You should take rejection better than you are"
"What the hell are you-"
"I'm younger than you but I'm no idiot; I know you and Lion'O had a thing for Cheetara" Pumyra smirked thinking back to how their supposedly 'private matter' was so easy to see through, hell even the kids saw through it.
"You put your nose in where it doesn't belong" Tygra scoffed hating that she knew.
"I can stick my nose where ever I want to"
"Why in my business?" Tygra was really annoyed with this conversation especially with the cocky refugee. "I don't even wanna be talking to you right now"
"But you have to talk to someone about this- if not you could end up doing something you'll regret" he thought closely about what she said before thinking what he really wanted to do to his brother. "You alright there, Tygra?"
"Beat him down to a bloody pulp- take the sword and crown from, that's what I want to do" his voice lacked emotion while his eyes hazed with memories of his and Lion'O's past. "I met her first-I was born first but in the end the boy-king gets it all" Pumyra listened patiently while putting her hands behind her head. "I'm trying- I've been trying to convince people that I deserve the crown even if I'm not a lion"
"You act as though you're the only one who's tried to convince people that you're more than they see you" the words rolled off her tongue like she said it many times before. Tygra shut up and listened to what she had to say, "I don't know you or your brother that well but he once told me that I deserved more. At first I didn't know what the hell he was talking about and I still don't, but it shows how loyal and caring he is"
"What does that have anything to do with this?"
Ignoring his interruption, Pumyra continued "-Your brother has tried his whole life trying to impress you and be like you since all our people favored you to be king. He wants to seem worthy and if it were up to me I'd say he did earn it" the puma finished by jumping off and landing on her feet in front of Tygra, "See it through his eyes, not just yours" then she walked off leaving him alone.
The tiger closed his eyes as he thought more about the situation. His fist balled on the ground and got dirt in his hand. His brows stifled and scrunched in anger, discomfort and sadness before the thinking became too much and he jumped to his feet and flung the dirt far. "Piece of shit! I deserved her! I loved her and you took her away from me!" he yelled at the top of his lungs before turning and violently clawing at the bark until his fingers bled.
Back at camp, Pumyra laid the wood on the floor were they usually started a fire. She saw that it was busy with the kits running around taking tools to Panthro, Lion'O concentrating on the sword and Cheetara practicing with her staff. It was very nosy but when a loud cry and crash was heard all stopped what they were doing and turned toward the horizon. Several birds seemed disturbed and flew away shrieking and cawing.
"What was that?" Cheetara asked holding her staff close.
"Nah probably some males fighting over territory" Pumyra dismissed the thought from their heads while knowing it was the lone tiger. 'You idiot' she mentally hissed. Then they all went back to work and after they finished they sat down to rest except Panthro who still wanted to work on the tank and the kits had gone to play in the woods. The three sat around the fire that had long died, with Cheetara next to Lion'O and Pumyra across from the two.
The puma felt slightly uncomfortable when Cheetara snuggled up to the king since she was the cat that brought pain between the brothers, while not even knowing it. "Pumyra are you okay?" Lion'O asked. She shook her head and looked up to see blue and pale red eyes on her.
"Yeah- I'm fine"
"No you're not, there's something bothering you" Cheetara interrupted earning a quick glare from Pumyra.
Lion'O hardly noticed the exchange and asked again, "Tell us what's wrong"
"It's-I'm not used to all this openness since I was usually closed in by a cell wall. And there was rarely any time or chance to talk anyone so it was basically always me" she lied. In reality she had gotten use to it just being her and her thoughts in the Pit.
"Pumyra can I have a word?" Cheetara asked getting to her feet and heading towards a secluded area. Lion'O's mouth fell agape since he didn't have a chance to say anything before Pumyra left too. He had a bad feeling about the two talking and took it out on his hair by pulling as his hand went through the red mane. A sigh escaped him, he'd just have to wait it out and see what happens instead of fretting over it. So he sat and waited to see how it played out.
