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 Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:25 pm
Violet eyes took in the landscape, her tail flicking lazily behind her. Thus far she saw nothing but rolling plain, a few termite mounds, and various creatures grazing. They took note of her presence, but seeing she made her presence breezily known, weren't too concerned. She wasn't here to hunt them and that much was perfectly clear.
Thankfully, her plight to get out of the afternoon heat wasn't completely ignored. A few large trees sprouted out on the horizon, a welcoming sign to the leopardess. They would offer not just shade but protection from other creatures, their strong limbs large enough to allow her to lounge and doze away the afternoon. Honestly, it was just plum too hot to think about anything else. Even seeking out a local watering hole held little appeal as it meant more time within the sun.
Picking up her pace, the leopardess picked her way through the grasses and made a beeline for the trees. With luck, they wouldn't already be occupied.
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:49 pm
 Noon was a time when most would be scouting for the unsuspecting lunch; noon was a time when the sun strained for the peak of its path. But noon was not a usual time for the black leopard resting underneath the welcoming shade of the trees to be particularly active. A steady, regular rise of the body indicated a normal, undisturbed slumber for the large male, and for some reason, no other fauna had managed to dare wander close enough to interrupt it.
However, a well trained ear soaked up the sounds of potential threats or competition nearby, and in his sleep, the black leopard easily woke to the hurried crunches of twigs from an oncoming individual. Legs stretched out quickly, and claws unsheathed themselves and braced against the thick branch he had been on as the leopard made a move to sight the intruder through the pockets of view the leaves gave him. Immediately, he noticed the pale and creamy form running straight for him - though he was aware that he remained hidden. Perhaps it was time to make his presence known.
At once, the black leopard jumped down from his resting place, and made a motion to brace the female if she were to jump at him from her amble; he was well prepared to retaliate, if so. All the while, he kept his gaze focused and locked on her, wary that her lope told him that she was more formidable than her soft coloration expressed.
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Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:53 pm
The tree looked to be a perfect perch. Its shade was welcoming and her weary paws could indeed use a pleasant reprieve. Giving herself a bit of a running start, so she might need only leap to the lowest branch without the hassle of climbing, Uhuru couldn't possibly be aware of the stranger resting within. He was too well covered by surrounding limbs and leave while the shadows matched his ebony pelt.
So it was with great surprise that a large leopard suddenly (seemingly) appeared out of nowhere. Leaping from the tree and landing before it, the lavender eyed female quickly slammed on the breaks, skidding to a half before him. The scarred female was also on the defensive, uncertain of the black and white ones motives; she understood if he was defending his perch or a possibly kill dragged up within the foliage. . .but truly she meant no harm. Despite the scars that laced her pale coat, she was fairly gentle and quite peaceful. Confrontation wasn't something she enjoyed.
Allowing a cool smile to cross her feature, Uhuru dipped her head and gave a slight shake. She made a motion to retreat a step or two, body language relaxing despite the small twitch in her tail. Best not get too comfortable unless he turned out to be as agressive as a particular male she ran from. "Excuse me," she apologized, lavender gaze unwilling to part from the male. "I didn't mean to disturb your perch or chosen tree. I hadn't realized it was already occupied."
Thankfully though, it wasn't the only tree on the savanna. She could leave the other to his own devices without him needing to make an example of her. . . not that she would have let him though. Uhuru had long grown up from her younger days. She was much more independent and had zero-tolerance for violence.
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Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 2:10 pm
The black leopard noted the immediate attention the oncoming female gave to her surroundings, and was honestly a little impressed to see that she was able to completely halt her run right before crashing into him - not that he would have let that happen, anyways. He began to loosen his stance, satisfied that the stranger's reflex prevented a possible collision, and returned a smaller smile when the female expressed it.
He wasn't really sure what exactly she wanted or felt when she stepped back, and made anxious gestures with her lowered head. Had she wanted affirmation that he didn't mind her disturbance, or that he wasn't going to try something violent on her, he did not know, but he paused momentarily to see if she would say anything else. He didn't involve himself in many social interactions, which made her signs of apology and caution a little hard to read as well. But when she spoke, the male was appreciative that her gaze indicated a sincerity and assertion that came with her words.
A small, insignificant cough came, as the black leopard cleared his throat to speak, as he also began to lower his haunches to the ground to sit. "Easy mistake," he said, giving just one nod of the head in confidence, "I was... just sleeping the sun away."
He ended simply with that, displaying a tiny yawn as his tail flickered behind him lazily.
But then he added, "You looked like you were in a hurry, though. Anything chasing you I should know about? I can deal with it, if you can't."
Though his senses told him otherwise, he thought he might as well make the offer; it wasn't every day that a leopard rushes through an area in that manner with no purpose, anyways. And then he couldn't help but keep his eyes on the leopardess's coat, wondering if the scars meant that she had taken a lot of abuse, or whether she was indeed formidable and oft sought out trouble to be had. How would a male go about inquiring about a female's appearance? He stopped himself from asking for now in lieu of perhaps finding the right words to ask later.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 3:03 am
Uhuru relaxed as the dark coated stranger sat. She wrapped her tail loosely about her paws and sat straighter herself. No harm done, he didn't seem insulted or particularly aggressive at this moment and she herself wasn't looking to cause trouble.
Her ears did p***k lightly as he questioned her 'hurry'. Lavender eyes lit with good humor and she chuckled slightly, giving a shake of head. "Oh, while I don't doubt your physical prowess, I will say you needn't worry. I was merely running so I might make it to the lowest branch of this tree. I hadn't realized you were already in it." Furthermore, even if something had been after her, Uhuru was no spring chicken. She knew how to take care of herself even if it landed more scars on her once lovely coat.
Remembering her manners, the leopardess gave a dip of her head in greeting. "I'm Uhuru. . . might I inquire who you might be?" She had relaxed considerably around male leopards, though she still didn't trust their intentions. While she didn't mind playing meet and greet with them, she never allowed herself to dabble long with any. The longer she stayed away the safer she would be for while she COULD defend herself, she wasn't perfect and some were quite formidable in their power. It also didn't help they were frequently larger than her. Still, a spot of conversation never hurt though she did remind herself this stranger had been sleeping. . . There was a good chance she'd be on her way sooner rather than later so as not to further disturb him.
It wasn't as if he had the only tree in the savanna, after all!
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Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 3:40 am
As the female leopard relaxed, his own body released some tension as well; taking in her movement allowed his body to subconsciously form its response. So he listened to her explanation, small smile creasing his mouth, and then quickly matched her introduction with his own.
"I am called Jokaeusi," he simply stated, giving no further detail.
"So you were running from the heat, or hoping you would reach this spot before someone else who also caught sight of it came?" he queried as his dying curiosity began focusing on other things, "Whatever it is, it seems I have picked a good spot."
Then, realizing that Uhuru had come after scouting for a place to rest, he stepped to the side to leave a wide path for her before the tree. While he hoped she did not see him as a threat, he was aware that there were others of his kind who harbored ill intentions. Those were the individuals who Jokaeusi wanted nothing to do with; should their actions warrant a purge, however, he had all the capabilities of aiding that cause. Something about the leopardess told him she wasn't the naive type to trust everything she crossed, though. At the same time, it would have been good if she accepted his offer.
"It's all yours," he said, lazily dragging his tail across the ground, "I have had enough of a nap anyways. I needed the alarm. It has nice shade, should you accept."
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