Gods how she loved these lazy summer days! One could sleep the heat of the day away then awaken at dusk and still catch a decent meal. One red eye opened to see her little friend Lila was still asleep. A playfull grin crossed her maw as she decided to go fetch some of the mangos she had found for a breakfast for the honey badger.Rolling from her tree, Neeja streched lazily as she headed into the pride's lands. As always, the white and blue leopardess made pleanty of noise so that any listening would be able to hear her, after all it wouldn't do to be 'stealing' from her neighbors when the mostly didn't mind her going to the fruit groves.
Kohaku was venturing much farther then he had expected he'd go. He had almost lost the full scent of his pride, but luckily he knew where it was located. He was just curious on what the outside world was like, and wanted to venture just far enough to see the land around his, that he called home.
It didn't take long before the other noticed that someone was coming near where he was. He froze, at least for a moment. Curiousity crept up inside him. Someone who wasn't in the pride. Excitement, and fear both rolled over him. He'd never met someone that wasn't in his pride. Even his father was in the pride before he actually met him.
He moved towards the sound, as quietly as he could. Which sometimes wasn't quiet at all. He stepped on a weak branch, and it snapped. He didn't know how close or far he was to the other, but he figured he was pretty close, and the other would actually hear the stick break.
Neeja spun around when she heard the branch brake, her ears laying slightly back, not in anger but in start. Giving a weak laugh as herself, she straightened calling out in a soft but friendly voice, " Greetings sister or brother! I am sorry if I am trespassing, I only seek to go to the fruit grove for my breakfast."
Kohaku raised his head up, peaking threw whatever brush was in his way. Brother, sister? Did this... -um... what was she- have siblings that didn't like her? Of course he knew it was a female by the sound of her voice, and when he finally saw her fully, he could tell she looked very much like a female.
He was now in full view of her, well, it was kind hard hiding himself anyways. His bright fur was hard to cover up in a mass of dark greens and browns. He didn't know what to say at first, thinking it through carefully. "What.... are you?" He asked. Never having seen something quite like her.
Neeja blinked ruby eyes at the male confused. What was she? Slowly it came to her that this was the first time she had actually seen one of the pride's males, perhaps they were kept insolation for some reason or the other. He definatly seemed friendly enough.
Smiling warmly to show she meant to harm, Neeja sat down, "My name is Neeja little brother, and I am a leopardess."
Brother? He wasn't her brother? He was confused, but didn't want to show it. He continued to just look at her curiously. Neeja. That was an interesting name. "I'm Kohaku" He said with a nod. He wondered if she came in here often. The very edges of his pride. The scent of his pride was faint, but still there. He figured that'd worn off anyone.
He wasn't one who got out much. Only getting away when he figured he could. "Oh! I've heard about your kind." He said. Trying to remember exactly what it was. All he knew it was forbidden to have kids with them. Or something like that. Hybrids, they were called... Not allowed. He never thought if it was forbidden to talk to one though.
She chuckled softly catching that quick flash of confusion, " it is an honor Kohaku. I was on my way to get myself from breakfast, you may join me if you wish."
She didn't stray often into the K'n lands, but from time to time she had been found in the fruit trees and since she did not hunt in their lands, more times than not she was ignored for eatting the mangos.
He wasn't very hungry, but he'd enjoy a bit of company out here while he was out here. "What do you eat?" He asked her curiously. In case it was something he wanted. He could go for a rabbit, or something smaller. But if it was something bigger, he wasn't good at catching him. It didn't hit him that some feline creatures didn't fancy meat at all.
"I can't catch anything bigger then a rabbit" He told her. He wasn't a very good hunter. He was too fluffy, and he tended to make noise when he didn't want to.
She smiled as she got to her feet padding along the trail, " Well inside your pride's lands, I do not hunt. These lands and the prey belong to your people, here I only eat the fruit when I have a desire for something sweet. Outside, I hunt much as your kind does."
He tilted his head. "Fruit?" He questioned without realizing it and unable to stop it from coming out. What the? Fruit? He never thought about eating something like that. The smell of it didn't please him. Nor had he even tried to get close to something like that. They were mostly high up in trees, he figured. And Kohaku for one, was no good climber. "I've never heard of anyone but smaller creatures eating such things." he said almost amazed.
She chuckled, " Well this morning I am going to get some for my friend who is a honey badger, but I admit I am unusall as I do find the flesh of some fruits plesant to eat."
He wasn't sure what she was talking about. Some creature no doubt, that he'd never seen unless he accompany her out of the forest, which was probably not the best idea. He had come as far as the pride would reach, and that was about as much as he would do. He didn't want to get in trouble after all. Females were the ones who left the pride to go find stuff. Males stayed unless they were leaving the pride for good. Which he wasn't about to do.
"Oh, well that's understandable. I'd eat strange things too if I found them tasty. " Of course he wasn't about to eat whatever she was going to get. "Where are these things anyways?" He asked her. Hoping that he wasn't side tracking her too much on her quest for whatever was in his lands.
"Not much further ahead. It is on your land, but the few females I have met had no problems with me there long as I was only taking the fruit. If it bothers you though, I will go." She smiled gently at the bigger male. It seemed as if her first guess was correct. The males where sheltered for some reason and the females were in charge.
He raised a brow. "Oh, I have no say over who comes and goes if they said it was okay." He said with a chuckle. Males had no say in anything, and he was quite happy about that really. " I mean, I don't have a problem, but if I did... It wouldn't matter." He told her with a nod. "Plus you, yourself, are female." He told her. "Females are shown higher then male. Regardless of in the pride or not." or that's what he figured. He never really asked about outsiders and kept it to himself if he ever did fancy to ask. He was raised to treat females with the up most respect. Never said anything about species. He smiled.
She laughed softly, "I would not stay if it made you uncomfortable with the thought of a stranger on your land. This is your home little brother, and I am just a visitor." Her tone said she wasn't laughing at him, just amused in general.
He shrugged. He didn't know what to think about a stranger on his lands other then it was exciting and he was curious on what she was doing. And how she was going to do it. He'd never seen anyone climb before, and if that's what she was gonna do, he was all for it. "No, it's fine." He told her with another shrug. Curiosity was over powering in sometimes.
She laughed softly again in that generally amused way, " Very well then, come along if you wish to join me little brother." She headed downt he game trail towards the small fruit grove, the tip ofher tail twitching happily.
He was curious still on why she kept calling him little brother. He had no brothers... He was the only boy, even out of his half siblings. It was strange, yet he knew it was what his mother wanted. More females meant a stronger pride. He moved slowly behind her. "How do you plan getting fruit? Some are very high in the trees."
"Why climbing of course!" She smiled back at him. "You see how my hind legs differ from yours? It is because the gods made it so we, the leopards, can jump and climb trees better than lions."
Kohaku, not knowing any different, believe what the lioness said. Cruel gods to do something like that to lions. Weren't they just as good, if not better then leopards? Though, he shouldn't question the gods motives on creation. After all, they did create him and his kind. "Oh... I was told it was because our paws were made different." He had once heard it was something like that. Then again, he couldn't recall who told him. They obviously weren't leopards. So they must have been mistaken.
"That is true too. " She smiled, " Lions are better hunters on the ground, your legs are longer and you are bigger so you may take stronger prey. Leopards are better tree climber, while lions are better hunters. All things equal out." She smiled as she came into the clearing where the fruit trees grew. The thick scent of both fresh and rotting fruit filled the air. Neeja inhaled with a sigh of pleasure.
He wanted to laugh at that... For he wasn't at all good. She was probably a better hunter then himself. Though, he wasn't going to point that out. He just grinned at the irony of the whole thing. He kept himself from laughing though. Kohaku took in a deep breath but didn't find anything too pleasing. He was trying to sense what she did, but couldn't smell whatever it was she was enjoying. Or at least, he didn't enjoy what she was enjoying. It smelled like the normal land, nothing too pleasing in the sense of hunger. He looked at her and looked about. "Neato."
"mmhmmm," She shooked her head amused as she selected the tree she wanted. Crouching down, her rear end wiggled a moment before she gave a powerful leap, her thick claws catching in the heavy bark. Quickly scaling the tree,she streched out on a heavy branch, one paw darting out to snatch a ripe mango and pull it to her.
He raised a brow as he moved closer to the tree. Watching her jump up into it. He wanted to try, but he knew he'd get stuck in the tree. It wasn't something he wished to happen. He'd then have to explain to everyone why exactly he was in a tree in the first place. Oh, that didn't seem like it'd be fun. But the urge was there. Oh, it looked like fun. He put a paw on the trunk of the tree to look closer up then with all paws on the ground.
She smiled down at him, " Are you sure you wouldn't like to try some fruit?" Taking a big bite of the mango, she rumbled happily as the sweet, sticky flesh, the hanging tip of her tail twitching.
He shook his head. "no, I don't think I'd enjoy it." Which was true. He wasn't the type to try new things. At least when it came to food. He didn't want to get sick or something. Maybe they were okay for leopards, but what if they weren't okay for lions? Something she probably didn't think about. Which was not a problem. "I don't think my stomach could handle it."
"Ah, I am sorry to hear that." She quickly finished off the treat, making sure that she licked all the sticky juices from her muzzle and paws. "I can not eat many either, but my friend Lila loves them so I came to suprise her with one for her breakfast and snag me a treat at the same time." Carefully selecting the largest ripe mango she could find, Neeja snagged it in her maw, before leaping down.
He watched her curiously. Strange creatures, leopards. He decided that was the best way to see them as. He didn't think he'd ever quite understand them. Especially this female here. But it intrigued him. "Well, everyone to their own, no?" He said with a chuckle. Of course, he did some things that others would find questionable. And vise versa.
She laid the fruit down to smiled at him once more, " That is the way I have always seen it. It's been a pleasure meeting you, but I do not want to stay too long and cause trouble, plus Lila will be waking up soon so it would be best if I go. Maybe our paths will cross again some day, but until then may the gods bless you little brother."
"Maybe." It was time for him to go his way too. Seeing as he'd been away from his clan for a while. The other males he normally hung around were probably wondering where he was. He was the life of the party, or at least that's what he liked to pretend.
