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 Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:29 pm
It'd been days since Persaon had seen any life form worth communicating with. Traveling alone sometimes had it's perks - silence, solitude, peace. Yet, he was quick to realize that sometimes those very same perks could turn around and become the very things that could drive a leopard to the brink of insanity. It wasn't even really that he needed intelligent life with something pretty to nab, no, just any form of intelligent life would have been a nice break from the endless grasses that stretched on for miles.
Persaon frowned to himself as he drew his mind away from his thoughts, staring down at the kill he'd been trying to enjoy. Trying, that is, until his mind began to wonder if he should have killed it or tried to hold a conversation. The situation really was desperate when he was considering playing with his food. It was too late now, however, as he'd decided that basic instincts were clearly more important.
"I suppose I could always talk to it now," he muttered, poking at the head of the deer-like creature, it eyes glazed and tongue lolling. "Not like there's anyone around to call me crazy, is there?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:37 pm
Oh, but that was quite the contrary. There was in fact someone around to watch the strange little leopard make a fool of himself by talking to the food he was eating.
The purple lioness was crouched low in the grasses, her bright indigo eyes staring out at the paler figure from between the blades. She was being careful to observe but not be seen, judging her prey as she waited. He seemed to be a little on edge, which could swing either way for her. It could make him easier to manipulate, or make him a complete wild card. Either way it went, she reckoned she'd get a good deal of fun from the ordeal, and that simple thought alone made a wretched smile twist her maw.
What had originally brought her in this direction was the scent of blood - that promise of a meal. Blood also meant the predator that had brought down the prey, but she rarely thought about that until she was face-to-face with them. She was an unnerving creature, though, and it seldom went badly for her. She hadn't expected to come upon the leopard, face smeared with blood form his kill, jabbering at his dead prey. Crazy? Perhaps, but she had a lot of experience with dealing with the crazies.
She pushed herself up a little onto her paws, albeit still crouched, and began to wind her way through the grasses to get a closer look at him - and to get herself into position. With luck, she hoped she could be right on top of him before he ever noticed.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:41 pm
Unfortunately, even if Persaon appeared crazy at the moment, that didn't mean he actually was. Starved for attention, perhaps. Maybe even bordering on depressed. However, he was certainly not crazy, and neither was his judgment impaired. With his line of work came a particular set of skills - honed and always at the ready.
Thus, as soon as she began to move again, Persaon's head whipped up at the faintest sound. For a moment, he thought perhaps it was just the wind, and indeed he had finally snapped from his isolation. Then, he recognized the tell-tale sign of a lioness snaking through the grasses and an immediate growl rose to his jowls. It wasn't uncommon for a lioness to try and snatch a kill from a leopard, but he'd be damned if she was going to steal from a thief.
He pushed himself to his feet quickly, moving to hover over the carcass, eyes locating the parting of the grasses where she was slithering along. "Game's up, doll." Although, that probably wasn't the wisest choice of words in his opinion, once he'd had a split second to think. Not like he could take them back though.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:44 pm
Damn it. She sneered to herself as she heard his growl and saw him starting to stand, knowing without doubt that she was found out. Despite that, she continued to move forward as quickly and quietly as possible, hoping to gain as much ground as she possibly could before he forced her out of the grasses.
Game's up, doll. The nerve of some creatures. Her eyes narrowed at the phrase, her claws raking through the earth beneath her paws as she considered bolting for him right then. She didn't appreciate being spoken to in such a degrading manner - she'd have had his head if this weren't such a delicate situation.
"Careful what that flapping tongue says, boy," she said with a hiss, pushing her body up over the grasses so that he could get a good first look at her. He already knew where she was, so her stealth was blown. Why not unnerve him a little? She offered him her best smile, displaying a full mouth of sharp teeth - not much of a smile at all, really.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:49 pm
As she stood up, he had to fight back an involuntary urge to step away from her. Whatever or whoever he had been expecting to pop out of those grasses, it certainly wasn't this female. He had expected a normal, every-day lioness, not this.. beastly looking creature. She was all muscle, sinewy and taught, albeit the fact that she had an almost careless appearance to her fur. Ragged, almost, like she'd been thrown around recently. Then that devilish, smile and those hollow eyes - like she'd kill him without a second thought, without any remorse.
For the first time in a long time, Persaon found himself unsure of what to do next. He was a thief that lived on the thrill of adrenaline, but this was not in his daily routine.
"I, uh," he began, moving to hover more closely over his kill, eyes narrowing and jaw setting in what he hoped was threatening glare. He couldn't think of what to say, so he was hoping for simple might - despite the fact that she was bigger than he was. She still would have been bigger than he was, even if she hadn't had all that extra buff.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:52 pm
There, she'd seen it, he'd hesitated. Never show fear, it shows weakness.
Her smile faded from a devilish teethy one to an almost demented smirk. She turned sideways, eying him from the corners of her eye as she tilted her head and began a slow, torturous walk around him - inching so slowly inward that is was barely noticeable at first.
"All that babbling before and now you've nothing to say?" Her face faded away, her expression a mixture between sadness and confusion. "What's the matter, love, cat got your tongue?" She paused her walking at that point to let out a shrill peal of laughter, her tail whipping behind her with pleasure at the mental image.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:56 pm
A shiver ran down his spine as her laughter rang out. Any other lioness at any other time and that one line would have been the corniest thing he'd ever heard. However, staring at her, listening to her speak, and he could only imagine all the implications that went with that. She had to be the single most unnerving creature he'd ever met - and he'd seen a lot of different creatures in his lifetime.
"No," he said with a nervous gulp, finding that he was less sure of his decision to guard his kill. "I'm just.. not sure what I'm supposed to be saying to you." Honesty, since when did he ever go with honesty? He needed to get away from this loon with his dignity and (most important) hide still intact.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:59 pm
"Oh, I see," she said with a small nod, picking back up her pacing, her circle closing in closer and closer to him. She stared up at the sky as if she were trying to decide what they should talk about, when suddenly her head whipped back down and her eyes focused on him.
Her eyes were wild, the snarl on her maw viscous, and as she spoke there was a growl to her words. "How about you say nothing, and I let you leave with that pretty little face unmarred?" Still, even as she made the promise, she had settled back down into a crouched position and was preparing to lunge. It was a threat - if he didn't leave in that instant, she was going to attack.
He had a matter of seconds as far as she was concerned.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 2:03 pm
He watched her, realizing too late that the circle she was walking was slowly bringing her closer and closer to him. When she finally stopped, he realized that she was all too close - close enough that she could attack him with a good lunge if she wanted to. As her head whipped down with that horrifying look on it, he realized that she was probably planning to do just that.
He'd backed away unintentionally as she first looked at him, but her words certainly gave him the last bit of encouragement he needed. He turned and burst off in the opposite direction from which she'd come (he certainly didn't want to risk running into her again). He'd barely managed to scrape by, he reckoned, because he felt the air of her lunge as soon as he took to his feet.
He didn't stop until he was sure she was well behind him, out of site behind the horizon. His breathing was hard, his chest constricting, but he didn't rest until he'd secured himself a place up in the branches of a tree and well out of her grasp - like he would for many nights to come. "Wretched b***h," he panted, squeezing his eyes shut. It wasn't so much the fear, or the pain of exertion that hurt, but his injured dignity. At least there was only the two of them to see it.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 2:06 pm
She'd lunged just as she'd seen him poised to bolt, his body shifting away from her claws at the last second. It was a shame really - her dinner would have gone so much better with a side of leopard.
She watched him bolt frantically into the distance, staring after him and laughing under her breath. Then, with a small sigh at her loss, she turned to settle down and the devour the remainder of his hard-earned kill.
At least she wouldn't have to share anything with Do'al's adopted little urchin tonight.
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