{PRP}Hybrid Bones{Diffudi x Nuing}

[magnadearel]

It wasn't often he left his home range since he'd arrived. On occasion though he decided to go and search for something new. While the area around his home was literally covered in bones, the same old thing got boring after a time. He didn't have to put effort into finding bones; thus his den was becoming clogged with bones he had no real attachment to. Nuing had cleaned the bones out of his den, with only a bit of misgivings, then settled his packs across his shoulders.

He would travel out and look for some worthwhile bones. One of the bests spots he knew from his previous travels was in deserts. Packs ready, he set off. He did his best to ignore the bones he frequently passed and made it out into the wider world. It was several days before he reached the terrain that would suit his purposes. Once there, Nuing nosed among the sand and looked for dried up water holes where animals may have died waiting for water.  

[mouselet]

After the...questionable fun of mountain-climbing, Diffudi had been more than ready to go somewhere flat for a while. Maybe a year. Maybe the rest of her life. Well no, not her whole life. But certainly a while. So she'd headed for the desert.

Who made it so that dunes were so big? And you had to go up and down, just like the foothills of the mountains! What a stupid way to design terrain.

But she was here now and by the gods she was going to stick it out. If only it wasn't so hot. Her black fur didn't make this any fun at all.

A ways away, she saw something moving. Curious, the leotah headed over to investigate.  

[magnadearel]

He had been doing well. Bones were where he was expecting to find them. Not many of them had been worth taking home though. Nuing had sat down for a rest when he noticed something moving over the tops of sand dunes. He watched for a time, and realized it was a living creature. Not something that really interested him usually.

When he realized the creature was getting closer, he kept a better watch on it. Nuing wondered why it was coming this way. There wasn't any prey or water here. Confused or lost, he thought it most likely. When it came into hearing range he called out, "no water here." Nuing rather expected it to turn around and leave right then.  

[mouselet]

Unfortunately for the other creature, Diffudi wasn't in the least thirsty. At least, not yet. She had no doubt that she would get there eventually, but for now it wasn't a problem. So the leotah ignored the warning and came closer.

Finally she could see what had been somewhat disguised by the dune behind it. Oh sure, the green mane and tail had stuck out for miles, but the brown body had mostly vanished in front of the sandy hill. He was a hyena! How exciting! She hadn't ever met a hyena.

The leotah came even closer, to a reasonable speaking distance. "I'm not looking for water," she informed him simply.  

[magnadearel]

The hyena was very baffled by the creature. He could tell she was one of those felines and very much alive. She didn't look ill or injured. He remained sitting where he was as he watched the black and blue female approach. Nuing was further confused when she said she wasn't looking for water. He looked around as if he might spot what it was she was looking for. The silence closed in awkwardly around them.

"So... um what are you looking for?" He had to ask. If an animal wasn't looking for water it was odd. A horrible thought was that she was looking for bones too. There was of course plenty here he could share as long as she didn't want the ones he wanted. With any luck she wouldn't have any interest in his bones.  

[mouselet]

A mischevious smile crossed the leotah's face at the somewhat confused sounding question, lighting her green eyes. This hyena seemed to be the sort who could only see what was in front of his face. She loved playing with people like that.

"Amusement," Diffudi answered. And the brown male was just the sort of person who would provide her with quite a lot of it. She came closer, hoping to encourage him a little more.  

[magnadearel]

The way of the living often didn't make sense to him. He figured he'd let her go about her business. It wasn't any fur off his back. He sat there a bit more as she came closer. Honestly he didn't see what could possibly be amusing, but he didn't say anything. To each his own. Finally he stood and began walking around the dried out watering hole. Curiously he investigated several obvious bones. In pulling one up he found a smaller one that he would like to keep. It went into his pack as he laid the other bones aside.

Occasionally he glanced at the female. He couldn't figure out why she was still hanging around, though she wasn't really bothering him. He only watched to see what she might do.  

[mouselet]

She was watching the hyena, waiting to see what else he'd do to brighten her day. He seemed to not want to talk any more, even though she'd left him a perfectly good opening for a question. Instead he was...picking up bones. And looking at them. And then putting them down. Except for one that was set aside in a container.

That was...weird. Seriously. Why on earth would anyone bother collecting bones?

"Those aren't good enough?" Diffudi asked snidely, referring to the bones that had been discarded.  

[magnadearel]

Nuing had nearly forgotten the creature that had joined him as he became more focused in his search. He looked up and blinked to see she was still there and watching him. "No, those aren't what I'm looking for. Good bones, but not suitable this time." Maybe he'd come back some other time and get them if they were still here. If he had a den big enough and a way to carry everything, then maybe, but alas he didn't. There was only him to carry bones back.

"Do you know anything of bones?" Since she had to ask about the others he doubted it. Though he'd give her a chance to ask or tell him more, although he didn't think she sounded respectful of the bones. He was always willing to discuss his passion for bones. Not many at his pack shared his passion quite so fondly.  

[mouselet]

He was looking for something specific? Well, Diffudi supposed bones did come in different shapes and sizes. But the ones he'd discarded had very little in common aside from the obvious - they were all bones. So she couldn't see what had made the one bone good and all the rest bad.

"What's to know? They're bones. Everyone's got 'em. Marrow's tasty."

Really, what else was there to know about bones?  

[magnadearel]

Yup she was utterly clueless as he'd thought. He left off his search and returned near her to sit and talk. It'd be interesting to see how much she wanted to learn about this. "They have uses. The use of a bone is directly affected by its state. I don't want one with half rotted meat on it in my den." That would really stink. He wrinkled his nose a bit about the marrow comment. While he'd seen other crack the bones into tiny pieces for the food, it wasn't something he encouraged. Whole bones had a fine use too. Still when one was hungry...

"I can many animals just by looking at their bones." There was a touch of pride there. "For instance those are wildebeests. Of course there's those different feline ones." He didn't often get to encounter the different felines and their bones. It was an oddity. Maybe he should look into getting some more of them if he could find a willing donator."  

[mouselet]

She was surprised when the hyena came back over. Even more so when he started talking. A lot. Apparently she'd hit on something here. Unfortunately it wasn't nearly as amusing as she could have hoped.

Diffudi listened, but her heart wasn't really in it. Who cared about identifying bones or how its "state" affected its use?

"That's weird. You hoard bones for some unspecified reason. There's better things to collect." The last was said with no little disdain as Diffudi stepped away. She didn't think the hyena's obsession was catching...but who knew?  

[magnadearel]

"I hoard them because I like them." Nuing allowed doubt to cross his muzzle at the mention of better things for collecting, "unlikely." Now she didn't seem so interested in him. He stayed where he was sitting though. Her movement gave him a good chance to get a closer look at her. She was different, he thought. It was hard to say for sure. Slowly he leaned toward as if trying to see the bones under her pelt. "You look like you have interesting bones for whatever you are. Would you mind if I collected them once your dead?" Normally he'd never ask but the rare chance was just too good to pass up.  

[mouselet]

Having decided that the hyena was not particularly interesting and his bones were stupid, Diffudi wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to what he was saying.

Then he asked if he could have her bones once she was dead. The leotah sat up straight from the tips of her ears to the tip of her tail and whipped her head around to look the male in the eye. She gathered herself so that she at least wouldn't curse him out.

"No. You may not." The hybrid gathered her dignity about her and got up to leave without even a backward glance. That was it. No more stupid bone-obsessed hyenas!  

[magnadearel]

Nuing felt he was loosing the female's attention until he popped the question. He almost laughed at her stiff posture. Instead he leaned closer with a creepy chuckle.

"Are you sure? I'd take very good care of them. And I'm sure they'd be very pretty." He gave her a creepy grin, just for good measure. Alas it was for not as the female upped and left him. Nuing sat there a moment then got up and started to root among the bones and again.



(Lol all I can think of is the worm from Corpse Bride. XDDD I'd say fin!)