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 Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:27 am
 He was snoring.
Marakl lay on his back, stretched out across a low, flat rock that looekd far from comfortable. The young hyena, however, looked rather content. His breathing was deep and occasionally he'd make the yipping sounds that gave away his dreams.
What was he chasing?
A rabbit? A deer? A lion?
No...a dancing bone floating in the sky. It danced mere centimeters from his nose but everytime he leapt for it the bone jerked upwards as if being pulled by a string.
Marakl growled and with a loud and sudden sneeze woke up. He attempted to roll on his stomach, forgetting himself, and fell from the rock onto the ground. A cloud of dust choked him briefly before he got clumsily to his paws and glanced around.
"Eh?"
Where was he again?
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:45 am
Up from the restless child, Marzi found herself trying to get some of her own sleep. Her ears were flopped over to keep some of the sun out of her eyes- but combined with the dream squeals of the young hyena, neither seemed to be allowing her to rest. What on earth was he after? Whatever it was- he didn't seem to have caught it.
Looking down at the confused child, Marzi took the opportunity to itch one of her flopped ears. "What on earth are you doing?" She remarked. "I don't think I've known anyone who's louder when they sleep then awake."
Pulling her paw back, the scrawny looking wild dog gave it a careful once over with her tongue, before settling it back down beside her narrow hips.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:53 am
"Was...chasing something." Marakl replied drowsily, smacking his lips hungrily. "A bone. The biggest bone I ever saw! Where'd it go anyways? Did you see, Marzi? Did you see where it went? Huh? Huh?"
He shook his head and tottered towards her. He was a scraggly youth with a mass of tangled fur and an unusually narrow face. He was rather gaunt, in fact, having lost the puppy fat long ago - or so it seemed.
However, despite his roguish, dirty looks, the boy wasn't as unfriendly as his kind were stereotyped to be. Yes, he had the habits of a hyena. He was a creature of few brains, a creature who couldn't hunt even if he tried. Yet what he lacked in smarts he made up for with words.
Marakl...loved to talk.
"Damn, I'm so hungry. I can't believe I lost it. It was there, just by my nose and then it was gone." He reached up and wiped the slobber form his maw with a foreleg. "I'm soooo hungry, Marzi. Ain't you supposed to be taking care of me or some-ink?" He grinned up at her.
She was older than him after all.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:26 am
The tawny creature shook her head. "What? No, ain't seen any bones." She said, her face twisting in confusion. "Not like they can run off on you-" But, by then Marakl was already babbling on about something else. The coiled energy in his voice alone was enough to bring the lanky dog to her feet, giving a slight back stretch as she did. At least Atreyu wasn't around to heckle them today.
"What?" Marzi remarked as the child continued, feigning confusion. "I thought it was you that was taking care of me." It would be nice though...! In any case Marakl's instinctive nose for dead things had come in handy on several occasions; but, hopefully the kid wouldn't start getting any ideas from it. This was her little pack, after all.
"Eeeh." She sighed in exasperation, and gave the pup a few shoves on the bum with the end of her nose to get something other then his mouth moving. "Well, you kept me up all night. You'd better not get any fatter or I'll have to eat you myself." She teased, and hopped off the rock pile.
"Come on then. We'll go see if we can get Atreyu to pull some weight around here for once."
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:53 am
"Well you must have been looking the wrong way or some-ink. I dunno." He shrugged and bounced back as she got to her paws. His bright eyes lightened with interest and one heavy ear lifted expectantly. So she was going to take care of him after all?
Brilliant!
"Me?" He muttered. "Come off it, Mar. You got the smarts of the operation here, remember?" He whisked his tail as if swatting flies and turned to face the opposite direction. He was thinking of his stomach again and his tongue was lolling. "D'yah reckon that bone woulda gone far?" He sniffed the air as if expecting to catch its scent.
She shoved him forwards then and he gave a yapping sound, quickening into a fast trot; short tail waving high. "Dun blame me for nothing. That bone kept me awake. Damn, my legs hurt from all the chasing. I'm pretty sure I got no sleep, either." He shot her a look, tongue lolling. "Eat me? Peh, I'd taste awful. Unless you left me to rot a few days. Might taste better than, yeah?" He laughed, a high-pitched cackle of a laugh.
The laugh was cut short.
"Atreyu?" He moaned. "Well...he'll have more meat on his bones than me. Maybe we can have him for dinner?" He yawned.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:06 am
"Probably." Marzi remarked half heatedly, her leggy gait bouncing the small creature about as she tried to slow her pace for the smaller hyena. Fluffing her ego did lengths to improve the sleepy wild dog's mood- almost immediately after it was said, the creature spread a long grin across her face and eagerly wagged the end of her tail.
"That's right," She purred. That said...she still wasn't sure what this bone was. But she was damned if he was going to find out she didn't! "Er....I'm sure it can't get that far. Bones don't have legs."
Unless it was a leg bone. "...well, I mean. On their own."
"Baah." She chided. "Atreyu isn't that bad. After all! He's got those claws in for something. But...I guess he was a bit cross with me last time." She floundered, a scowl crossing about her narrow face. In fact- she wasn't actually sure if the big lug was still on speaking therms with the little group.
"So, look sad. Really sad. He might be mad at me, but he can't say no to a cute little sad dying hyena puppy, right?" She explained, trying to mimic the sad expression on her face. "Emphasis on the dying. And sad!"
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:15 am
He didn't mention that the bone had been flying. She'd say that bones didn't have wings. So, he decided to let it rest. He'd keep one eye out, though, just in case it bobbed by and gave him another chance to attack.
He licked his lips and quickened his pace to keep up with Marzi, trotting at her flank with a gait that he probably wouldn't be able to keep up for long.
"Cross?" The hyena let an ear droop questioningly. "What'd you do to him, Mar?" He was apparently oblivious to the emotions going on in their little 'pack'. It was an odd pack, but a pack none-the-less and Marakl was proud to be a part of it - though he'd never say that out loud unless absoloutely necessary.
He slowed his step a little, then, arching his brow. "Sad? Dying? Pah, no probs, Mar! Look at this cute little face of mine. I got the sad, puppy eye thing down to perfection, yeah?" He snorted and then put on a little cough. "Ugh...dizzy. Need...food." And he let his tail and ears drop, letting out a pathetic little cough.
He glanced up and a grin stretched across his face. "See? No probs!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:33 pm
Marzi shook her head, the ends of her ears flopping as she did. “Who knows. He’s always a puss face over something.” She grumbled. Actually- she knew what the reason was. But she doubted Marakl had any idea about relationships, let alone one as taboo as Atreyu seemed to be suggesting. Besides, with Marakl, she had enough to worry about.
“That’s brilliant!” She had to admit. “I don’t think anyone would be able to survive that face. That’ll be our trump card. What am I going to do when you stop being cute?” She balked, shaking out her chestnut fur.
It didn’t take too long to scout the lion out. Despite being cross and a grouch face, Atreyu hadn’t had the heart to get too far from the strange little group. It was just like him, she thought bitterly. He didn’t seem to get the picture that she was perfectly capable of managing herself AND Marakl without him. The irony of the situation was a bit lost on her.
The pair found the firey hued beast slumbering lazily underneath a banyan tree. Marzi was quick to remedy the situation.
“Hey. Wake up you.” She spoke, her voice sharp. “Instead of following us around all the time, why don’t you get us something to eat? Look how sad Marakl is?” She dramatized.
Sluggishly, the young lion rose his head. “Wha- Marzi?” Compulsively, his grey eyes went to the hyena pup. For the moment, the kid seemed alright. What was she getting at? “…You have to be kidding me." he growled. "You want me to get you food? I thought you said you didn't need me? I'm not going to help you." He retorted, looking aside with as much bitterness as he could muster.
"Well, that was before Marakl started dying." She yelled, putting a heavy emphasis on the dying.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:47 pm
"Well we'll give him some-ink to bloody complain about." The little hyena replied with a little, toothy grin.
"Wha-- hey!? I'm always gonna be cute. What the hell is that supposed to mean, eh?" He puffed out his little chest and quickened his paws in an attempt to overtake her. "Just cos you lost your cuteness don't mean I'm gonna lose mine." He laughed then, a full-out laugh as if he'd heard the most amazing joke ever. Then, remembering he was supposed to be dying he clamped his jaws shut and composed his 'sickly' face.
He trotted sluggishly behind the wild dog, falling behind and letting his head and tail hang low. At the prompt he breathed out a soft whine and gazed up at them with large, liquid eyes.
He took a small step forwards, ears drooping around his face and waited for the lion to agree. Hell, there was no way anyone could resist a face like his, right?
Wrong.
The hyena gave a louder whine and took another step forwards. Then he opened his mouth and tried to speak but the words were muffled by a dry cough.
And, at Marzi's declaration it took all of Marakl's effort to keep the smile away. Damn she ws a good actress! He widened his eyes and moved forwards to nose the lion sadly, whining like a lost pup.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:02 pm
Atreyu pulled aback, watching as the child started his antics. Impossible! He’d just seen them running around earlier…! For a moment, it seemed like he might not have bought it. Everything in him was certainly telling him he was being fooled- but when the little pup gave out a haggard cough his resolve wavered. The fact that Marzi had her scrunched up little face right in front of him didn’t help either. Why did she always have to treat him this way?
But another look at Marakl, and his face fell. “...Fine.”
Marzi grinned from ear to ear, and continued the act by fawning over the pup. “To think he wouldn’t believe us,” She lamented. “I’ve been trying soo hard to get him to eat. But he’ll only eat-“
Suspiciously her eyes darted around. Just what could they work out of him? Clutching her paws to her chest, she propped up Marakl against her. “What was it you said you’d only eat?” She asked, hoping he’d get the hint that the more extravagant was the better.
Atreyu shifted uncomfortably, and peered at Marakl.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:12 pm
Come on. Come on. Buy it, you stupid lion! Ha, ah! Yes!
The hyena wriggled in an attempt to stop his paws from doing a happy dance and to cover up anything that might show he put on another long whine to settle him back into character.
He looked up at Marzi with a pathetic little expression and nodded his snout slowly. He wasn't sure he could trust himself to speak in case he fell into laughter. This was rather hilarious, after all.
He fell against Marzi with a sad little huff and peered sadly at Atreyu with his puppy-eyes. He was, however, rather surprised when Marzi prompted him to speak and with a little squeak he lifted his head to shoot her a worried glance.
What?
How was he supposed to come up with something?
He coughed again and reached up a limp paw to wipe at his muzzle. "Only eat...zebra. Need zebra or..." Cough, cough. "I think I..." He fell against the wild dog again. "Marzi, my head hurts and my legs are shaky." Were those little fake tears in his eyes?
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:49 pm
“You see!” Marzi balked. “He only eats zebra now! How am I supposed to catch a zebra?” She sighed, her ears flopping down over her face. Now it was her turn to do a little acting! She looked back at Atreyu with a sad and weary frown, and gently batted her paw in his direction. “I’m just a poor lady! With a kid no less. You know that. It wasn’t like the gods gave me claws or sharp teeth….”
Atreyu gave a sigh. “Only zebra, huh?” His tussled mane fell over his face. Didn’t she have other people to harass? Why did it seem like the closer they got, the more insincere she got? Was she trying to drive him away? Bitterly, he sniffed.
Marzi continued her babying over Marakl. “Shaking? Oh no! Just hang on, zebra will be coming soon! Just don’t go to the light-“
Exasperated, Atreyu groaned. “Fine, fine. I’ll go already.” With some agitation, he shot a glance towards her. “I don’t suppose you’re going to help?”
“Well, someone has to stay and look after Marakl, right?” She squeaked, feigning surprise at the suggestion.
He didn’t say anything else; but with a grunt he turned around and padded off. Marzi continued her babying until she was sure the red lion was out of earshot. As soon as she was, she released her hold on Marakl and yipped with delight.
“Ahah! Fantastic!” She grinned. “That was well play Marakl, I don’t think I’ve had zebra since-“ Well, since the last time they’d fought. “Lets see what junk he’s got lying around while we wait.”
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Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:08 am
He nodded. Zebra. His mouth was slavering at the very thought of it. Juicy, fresh meat. Oh, what a treat! If he knew being sick had perks he'd have acted up long ago!
"Light?" He peeped fearfully. "Mar, I think I see it!" He covered his eyes with a paw and shivered. "D-don't leave me all alone." He continued in his mournful little voice. "What if the light comes to get me?"
Then Atreyu was padding off and the little hyena smothered back a yip of glee until he was out of earshot. "We totally fooled him Mar. See, lions ain't all that. We totally outsmarted him." He bounced little circles around the adult wild dog, his short, brush of a tail wagging back and forth.
"Zebra, too, Mar! What a treat. Damn, my mouth is watering." A long line of slobber was swinging precariously from his lower teeth as he bounced. Then, with a happy nod he skittered after her. "Maybe there'll be some bones we can chew on whilst we wait." And as if in agreement, his belly grumbled appeasingly.
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Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:22 am
Marzi gave a lopsided grin. "That we did. It's too bad he's so easy to fool though! Otherwise we could have really had a challenge." Her tail wagging, the nosy dog trotted towards the tree's trunk. Atreyu always had a nice cache of good stuff buried around... hrrm.
Curiously, she started to dig in one spot that looking appealing. "Probably better then bones, knowing him. Keep a look out, will ya?" Eagerly, she started to nose around in the dirt. "Don't want him coming back and seeing us all up ins his things. Not like he has much, pff."
A couple of turn overs, and Marzi managed to pop out a few bones. Something from an antelope the red brute must have eaten earlier- [and not shared!]. But no, this wasn't what she was looking for! Finding another place, the dog started to dig again- leaving the bones she upturned to Marakl, should he notice them.
"Come oonnn. I know you have something good." Marzi grumbled into the earth.
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Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:32 am
Marakl let his tongue roll lazily from the side of his mouth and chuckled to himself. "The more we trick him the easier it'll be, huh? Unless...unless he catches on. Then it could be a challenge." He moved after Marzi, wriggling with anticipation.
"Look out?" He gave a dissapointed whine. He had wanted to help dig too! He loved flinging mud and dirt and things up into the air. Mess was wonderful and even more so when you were the one causing it. "Pfft, fine." He wrinkled his snout and turned to look across - in the direction the red lion had dissapeared. "Look out is boring, yah know. How comes you get to do the good stuff and I get to stand here looking for stupid red lions! He'll make so much noise that we'll hear him coming anyway." It was very apparent that he was actually not 'looking out' at all. That actually he was talking too much to be paying any attention what-so-ever.
He turned his head to glance curiously back as Marzi nosed through the objects she had uncovered.
"Bones!!" He pounced on them as if they might run away. "I wonder if this was the one that got away from me earlier..." He mused as he took it in his teeth and began to chew contentedly. "Sure doesh look like it." He continued with his mouth full.
"So what exactly are yah looking for, Mar?" He asked, pausing in his chewing, "Treasure or some-ink? I don't think Atreyu has anything like that."
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