"now I've seen heaven without dyin'
met the devil without tryin'
and they both seem to want to talk to me"
Palm fronds rattle and shiver above your head, so low you could swat them with a small leap up. Beyond them, much farther above, is the sky somewhere between navy and azure. It's dark enough that you're grateful to be a feline, but light enough that you're able to see colors with relative clarity. The perfect time to hunt for an apex predator such as yourself.
Right on cue, a plump mallard duck flutters to the ground mere lion-lengths ahead of you, as if a sign from a higher power. Your stomach growls at the sight of an easy meal. You lower into a crouch, shuffling your paws until you're in a prime position to launch at the waterfowl without being noticed.
When the bird glances up warily from where it was grazing along the dirt, you spring into action, leaping at the prey with trained muscles and impeccable aim.
Before you can even process what's happening, a mass of fur, leaves, and muscle is colliding into your flank, knocking you away from the duck in midair wordlessly. You and your attacker tumble when your bodies hit the earth, rolling over each other until you finally skid to a stop and rise to your paws in a confused daze.
In front of you stands a... lioness? Presumably, at least, although her build and mane would suggest a gangly adolescent male more than anything. There are leaves, twigs, and mud sticking to her fur throughout her body, and you notice that she is distinctly long-furred outside of the typical mane. Her fangs and claws are also unnaturally long, hanging low below her lips and stretching far beyond their sheaths respectively. Her ears and nose have multiple golden piercings, clearly done by a trained artist. Her body is marred with countless scars, but her expression is nothing short of bored.
"I'm supposed to be on vacation you know," she begins with a hint of annoyance, soft voice a stark contrast to the scars of a warrior. "Two weeks. Nicky gave me two weeks off, and the second I step foot on the farm to grab some things before flying out to Texas, I'm back to workin' again. You know I don't get paid for this shit? I should just let you go to teach that son of a bitch a lesson. Maybe even show you our meatiest bulls to kill just to really piss him off. It ain't my job to stop you - I'm on vacation."
You don't get a chance to ask any of the dozens of questions running through your mind before she lifts a paw to examine it casually, flexing her claws in a thinly-veiled threat.
"But then again, if you ratted me out, he'd kill me. And despite how damn annoyin' the bastard is, I'd hate to piss him off." She levels you with a critical look, eyes briefly examining your body as if to assess the odds of her winning a fight against a lion much larger than herself. "Fuck it. I owe the guy a favor anyway."
She's lunging at you faster than you can dodge, massive fangs sinking deep into your throat without a second thought.
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