Phango woke up early the next morning as always, generally he was woken up due to his restless mind, but as he blinked tiredly he noticed that Nangi was n longer in front of him. He tilted his large cranium and looked around. She was no where to be seen but he could definitely smell her close by. He stretched cracking stiff joints and shook the dust out of his pelt before venturing after her smell. He was soon greeted by a rather large watering hole and as he looked around he noticed the female leopard quietly drinking by the bank. He hesitantly began approaching her, of course, she knew he was coming. However, in the middle of her drink she quickly back up.

"Back away." She warned and almost like magic, Phango noticed a hippopotamus surface, glaring at the two leopards, it's ears beginning to flap with anxiety and aggression. "Greedy bastards... There is a whole bloat of them down there and with this water hole getting smaller they're trying to conserve water... But unfortunately no one can stop them... Go ahead and drink... I'll warn you if they try anything." Nangi stated and Phango listened intently to her warning before nodding silently before carefully padding towards the water and lapping up what he could before Nangi gently bumped his shoulder with her own, signaling it was time to leave.

With that, the two leopards continued their quest onwards towards the pending migration.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Nangi asked after about a half an hour of silent walking.

"I'm not... I've never really joined forced with another of my kind... I normally just kill them." Phango said with a warning tone, telling her not to prod at him for answers, Nangi however, didn't mind of course.

"... Why is that?" She asked.

"It's history." Phango growled softly as he walked past her.

"History still has an explanation, Phango." Nangi said gently as she caught up with him.

"... I was always the out cast because of my eye... I was abandoned, so as I grew stronger, I got my revenge." He explained quickly, short, sweet and to the point.

"... It wasn't as fulfilling as you thought, was it?" Nangi asked and frowned, stopping as Phango turned to glare at her.

"Of course it was." He lied, it wasn't, he always hungered for more, wishing he could kill them over and over again.

Nangi saw that she wouldn't get the truth and continued walking.

"... My mother loved me." She sighed as they walked, she had remembered telling him the night before but she felt this was a more appropriate time. "... She wanted to raise me despite my disability but once the clan saw me as a weakness... I was sentenced to death. They told my mother to take me out and kill me so that I wouldn't hold the clan back or get anyone hurt because f my lack of smell... What is a leopard without smell..? I've always wanted to know what it was like to smell... The smell of fresh prey, the smell of your kin... The smell of flowers... I know it's silly... But I've... Never experienced those things, the simple things." She said and looked to the floor as they walked, Phango observed her expression and frowned a bit as he saw her sadden a bit... That longing she felt... He could see it, no pun intended... He felt the same way about a mothers love.

"I know how you feel." He said a tad gruffly, he wasn't trying to come across as not caring but he lived his life with only one ambition in mind, and that was kill... He had never really conversed with another animal, ever, he had interrogated, threatened and frightened other animals but he had never conversed, however Nangi smiled a bit and gently bumped him with her hip.

"Smooth tiger, don't flirt with me." She teased and trotted ahead, causing Phango to stop in his tracks and stare after her, she was definitely insufferable... But she made him feel something he had never felt before... Accepted, that thought intrigued him and his stout and serious expression softened into contentment as he caught up with her.


The small destruction of savannah cats settled for the night underneath the shelter of a large, almost out-of-place tree as night fell after the fourth night of travel. Nangi could tell she was getting somewhere with Phango despite his apprehension, he seemed less serious and less hostile and more calm and open. She stretched and listened around for any potential threats before she began scratching around on the thick bark of the tree, Phango peered over and watched her, her back arcing and her muscles rippling... He soon turned his head away and laid down quietly as Nangi expected. Perhaps she could try her experiment now?

"Phango." She announced, the male picking his head up lazily and peering over at her in silent acknowledgment. "... Want to play?" She asked with a devious glint in her green gaze.

"What?" He asked in confusion, he had heard the word before he had no perception of what the word really meant.

"You must know what playing is Phango..." Nangi chuckled as her chest laid against the floor and her tassel swaying in anticipation.

"I don't." He mused, looking at her with suspicion.

"Then I will teach you." Nangi said and stood back up, her chest puffed out with pride as she held her head high. "Up, up." She ushered and gently bumped the side of his head with her snout, to which he reluctantly did so. "You know how to hunt, it is basically the same concept but you don't kill your partner and you do your best not to hurt them... Rough housing is one thing but intentionally hurting someone is another." She said, though as she spoke she saw Phango's expression got more and more confused. "... The idea is to pin your partner down, like this." She said and suddenly tackled the larger male and pinning him down with ease, she giggled as she looked down at his shocked expression. "See..? I didn't hurt you... Cubs generally play to practice hunting and fighting in a safe environment." She explained while still partially laying on top of him before she got off of him.

Phango laid here in disbelief for a few moments, she was right, she didn't hurt him at all... This was supposed to be fun..? Perhaps if he tried it... He quickly got back up and tilted his head as he watched her walk, however as she turned her head, he raised his brows... It was that unreadable look that always gave him butterflies.

"... Wanna try again..? I bet I can pin you down with ease." She mused and grinned before turning her body back towards him. "... Go ahead and hunt me... But keep those claws in." She snickered and waved her tail towards him in a beckoning fashion.

Phango quickly straightened himself up and furrowed his brows before he began circling her, he suddenly felt this ball of anxiety in his stomach, but it wasn't a sense of panic it was a sense of... Readiness. He felt a smirk crawl onto his lips before he unsheathed his claws and began planning his attack. However before he could, Nangi lunged towards him, no fangs bore, no threatening features, she was smiling. This time he jumped out of her way and lunged towards her, managing to knock her away before she collided back with him. They wrestled for a few minutes before indeed, Phango was on the ground again.

"... I believe I just won..." She mused softly, forcing him to listen closely, her smirk obvious in the darkness.

Phango huffed softly and Nangi giggled, she casually laid on top of him for a few moments before hesitantly forcing her frame off his and walked back to their tree, they had made quite a bit of ground in their first play session. Phango would sit up and watch her walk away before hoisting himself up and walking after her. As Nangi laid down, Phango laid next to her about two feet away, she smiled and reached over, gently poking with her tail.

"You'll get the hang of it." She said and gazed towards him before he rolled his eyes and watched her drift off into slumber peacefully.

Phango sighed and frowned as he picked his head up and peered over at Nangi. He suddenly felt this overwhelming need t protect her from all harm... He wanted her to be safe and not to be hurt... He wanted her to keep that smile on her lips... With that thought in mind he hesitantly laid his head back down and allowed himself to get some rest.


Nangi awoke the next morning and blinked looking over and smiling at the sight of a fast asleep Phango, this was the latest that he had ever slept before and she was happy to see he was getting sleep. She didn't want to wake him but she knew they should begin moving. She stood up and stretched before carefully moving over to the larger leopard and gently pressing her forehead against him and gently nudging him. The other leopard's eyes fluttered but he gasp and quickly sat up, looking around.

"Phango, it's just me." Nangi said and frowned, the other sighing as he actually woke up.

"I'm fine." He said quickly and nodded.

"... You sure..?" She asked and tilted her head.

"Yes..." Phango said a bit distantly and began walking.

Nangi sighed... She thought he could at trust her a little bit.