HOME | DD

Description
“Hey, Spots!”

Fuli blinked. She had begun to zone out as she watched the Guard train, zipping in circles around boulders to gain stamina, and climbing rock faces to build muscle. Now Vitani’s voice drew her attention away, as she met the gaze of the lioness who approached her.

“You’ve been staring at us with those sad kitten eyes all morning,” said Vitani, "I get that you miss the Guard, but c'mon."

“Sorry,” Fuli huffed, “Didn’t realize I was bothering you.”

“You’re not.” Vitani flopped down by the cheetah’s side. “I like seeing your pretty face around more often.”

Fuli rolled her eyes, and Vitani laughed.

“If you loved being in the Guard so much, why’d you leave it?” she asked, “Why come home?”

Fuli shrugged.

“Alright, don’t tell me. I’ll just get back to training, and leave you all alone—“

“I don’t like the Tree of Life, okay?”

Vitani grinned, and made a ‘continue’ gesture.

“I should, but the whole time we were there for Kion and Ono’s healing, I just... I don’t know, felt trapped, I guess. I was always itching to come back to the Pridelands. It’s really close quarters there, y’know, rock walls on every side.”

“Then why’d you go back to live there in the first place?”

“Well, after Kion passed his job to you,” said Fuli, with an over-the-top glare of disapproval, “I didn't know what to do without my job.”

“Oh,” said Vitani, sheepishly, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be," said Fuli, waving her off with a paw, "It was my fault for being stupid, I agreed to move to the Tree without thinking. And even though I miss the adventure of the Guard, now—“ she flexed her claws, digging into the familiar grass beneath her, and smiled, “—I missed my home a lot more.”

Their eyes flitted back to the rest of Vitani’s Guard, who were still in the midst of stamina training. Kasi was, as expected, easily out-speeding the rest of the team—though still no match for a cheetah.

“Why don’t you come train with us, Fuli?” asked Vitani, jumping to her paws, “Show Kasi a few tricks.”

She shook her head, smiling up at the lioness.

“You don’t have to pity me, Vitani,” she said, “I really am alright.”

“No, I mean it. You have a lot more experience than we do, I’d appreciate having you around to help.”

“I—“

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t mean it,” she said, before adding with a wink, “I’m not just looking for an excuse to leer while you work out.”

Laughing, Fuli finally stood up, and raised a challenging eyebrow at Vitani.

“Alright, you’ve convinced me,” she said, walking past the lioness and letting her long tail swoop under her chin, “I’ve spent so much time leering while you work out, it’s only fair!”

Vitani’s jaw dropped, as she watched the cheetah walk away. Shaking herself out of her stupor, Vitani quickly fixed her hair tuft, before following Fuli down to the training field.

~~~

I’ve explained my headcanon already here , but in short: I just don’t see Fuli staying at the Tree, considering how badly she wanted to leave during her initial stay. Personally, I see her as leaving after a while ...Oh, also, I ship her with Vitani They came first in the poll of who my watchers wanted to see, so they're the first I drew

(It had occurred to me to write something about how interspecies romances are viewed in the TLK world, in my headcanon. But that didn’t really make a story, y’know? I'll leave it for a picture about that specifically. The jist is that it's rare, but not against the law or anything. ...Which I guess is obvious, considering how casual I've written their flirting )

Description
“Hey, Spots!”

Fuli blinked. She had begun to zone out as she watched the Guard train, zipping in circles around boulders to gain stamina, and climbing rock faces to build muscle. Now Vitani’s voice drew her attention away, as she met the gaze of the lioness who approached her.

“You’ve been staring at us with those sad kitten eyes all morning,” said Vitani, "I get that you miss the Guard, but c'mon."

“Sorry,” Fuli huffed, “Didn’t realize I was bothering you.”

“You’re not.” Vitani flopped down by the cheetah’s side. “I like seeing your pretty face around more often.”

Fuli rolled her eyes, and Vitani laughed.

“If you loved being in the Guard so much, why’d you leave it?” she asked, “Why come home?”

Fuli shrugged.

“Alright, don’t tell me. I’ll just get back to training, and leave you all alone—“

“I don’t like the Tree of Life, okay?”

Vitani grinned, and made a ‘continue’ gesture.

“I should, but the whole time we were there for Kion and Ono’s healing, I just... I don’t know, felt trapped, I guess. I was always itching to come back to the Pridelands. It’s really close quarters there, y’know, rock walls on every side.”

“Then why’d you go back to live there in the first place?”

“Well, after Kion passed his job to you,” said Fuli, with an over-the-top glare of disapproval, “I didn't know what to do without my job.”

“Oh,” said Vitani, sheepishly, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be," said Fuli, waving her off with a paw, "It was my fault for being stupid, I agreed to move to the Tree without thinking. And even though I miss the adventure of the Guard, now—“ she flexed her claws, digging into the familiar grass beneath her, and smiled, “—I missed my home a lot more.”

Their eyes flitted back to the rest of Vitani’s Guard, who were still in the midst of stamina training. Kasi was, as expected, easily out-speeding the rest of the team—though still no match for a cheetah.

“Why don’t you come train with us, Fuli?” asked Vitani, jumping to her paws, “Show Kasi a few tricks.”

She shook her head, smiling up at the lioness.

“You don’t have to pity me, Vitani,” she said, “I really am alright.”

“No, I mean it. You have a lot more experience than we do, I’d appreciate having you around to help.”

“I—“

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t mean it,” she said, before adding with a wink, “I’m not just looking for an excuse to leer while you work out.”

Laughing, Fuli finally stood up, and raised a challenging eyebrow at Vitani.

“Alright, you’ve convinced me,” she said, walking past the lioness and letting her long tail swoop under her chin, “I’ve spent so much time leering while you work out, it’s only fair!”

Vitani’s jaw dropped, as she watched the cheetah walk away. Shaking herself out of her stupor, Vitani quickly fixed her hair tuft, before following Fuli down to the training field.

~~~

I’ve explained my headcanon already here , but in short: I just don’t see Fuli staying at the Tree, considering how badly she wanted to leave during her initial stay. Personally, I see her as leaving after a while ...Oh, also, I ship her with Vitani They came first in the poll of who my watchers wanted to see, so they're the first I drew

(It had occurred to me to write something about how interspecies romances are viewed in the TLK world, in my headcanon. But that didn’t really make a story, y’know? I'll leave it for a picture about that specifically. The jist is that it's rare, but not against the law or anything. ...Which I guess is obvious, considering how casual I've written their flirting )