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 Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:10 am
 Hantan'gang had learned the hard way that hyenas were weird at best and downright nasty at worst, and he usually just tried his best to avoid them. Today, however, he was out of luck. He had been on his way back to the tree he currently slept in, dragging a fresh kill between his legs. He preferred eating in the safety of a tree since he was far from the biggest or badest creature around. He had hunted quite far from the tree, and before he got back a gang of hungry hyenas spotted the opportunity. Given the choice of being beat up (or worse) or drop his kill and make a run for it, Hantan had picked the best of two bad things. In hindsight it would have been better to just drag the kill up another tree, any tree, instead of dragging it "home".
He could hear the hyenas fighting over his hard earned kill behind him, but he could also hear a characteristic laughter much closer. One of them was following him! What the? Why? Oh, those blasted creatures didn't need a good reason apparently.
"I'm not very good to eat you know," he shouted to his follower, but the hyena only laughed at him, and he could hear the others take interest and start to take up the hunt too. Oh, lovely. Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut?
Hantan was tired after the hunt, but he pushed himself to try to outrun his followers. He wouldn't make it back to his tree before one of them started gnawing on his tail, but he could see another tree up ahead. Good climbing tree, if he just pushed himself a bit harder he could reach it and have time to climb out of reach too. The striped leopard didn't know where he got his powers, but he managed to run even faster and almost flew up the tree when he reached it. And that's when the adrenaline rush ended and he collapsed on a branch, hyenas snarling below.
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:44 am
It was with lazy eyes that she turned her gaze on the ‘intruder’, her lips pursing just a touch to indicate her bemusement. It took a while for her to spot him, his striped coat camouflaging him reasonably well in striking comparison to her own vibrant coat. However, she eventually caught sight of him and his existence was further confirmed by the heaving breaths that escaped through both his nose and mouth – he’d run quite the marathon if the state of his breathing was any indication. She’d never really seen the appeal in this; after all, it wasn’t the best way to present oneself to the world.
Alas, Hantan could be thankful for small favours as this particular female was hard to offend – then again, getting her to do anything was quite a talent.
She held her silence for the time being, her tail swaying back and forth from her position on one of the thicker branches and it was only when he appeared to have settled that she finally spoke up, glancing between both him and the hyenas below. “You certainly keep interesting company,” she mused, a teasing tone creeping into her words. She meant no offence, but she was well aware of the sort of felines that existed in the world. She could tell others that they looked stunning and they would still act with hostilities.
“Although if you were a mouse, this game would make far more sense,” she added.
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 1:47 pm
Hantan was still so high strung that her sudden voice made him jump and almost had him falling down from the tree again. Now, that would have been awkward. After realising that he had managed to find an occupied tree, but that the leopard in it didn't seem to mind his breathing calmed down again.
"Ha, ha," he said dryly, "I try to stay away from the company of hyenas, but I obviously need to try harder. Those bastards stole my kill."
He could almost see his delicious meal in the distance, but vultures were already gathering. If the universe was fair the hyenas would miss their chance at a meal for chasing him, but that was probably not going to happen. Vultures wouldn't stand up to hyenas, even if they would surely try to sneak a few bites. Some of the hyenas had returned to his kill, but two still stood snarling under the tree. Hantan glared down at them, but there was nothing he could do about it. Just rest and try again.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:42 am
Tia took the opportunity to follow his gaze, the almost mounrful eyes of the male not lost on her. She would have guessed that he had put a great deal of work into catching it, the end result would even have been a hearty meal if luck had favoured him. Unfortunately the gods had not regarded in favourably in that respect and had promptly tossed him to the wayside. The leopard could only assume that they were after a little bit of bloodsport if they were sending other felines up her tree.
"Well, you can always go and get another one," she pointed out wrily, as if the most obvious answer had never been one he might consider. Well, if he hadn't been disgruntled already that might have been a surefire way to guarantee that his mood went in that direction. "Perhaps something smaller that won't attract attention," she continued. Her brow lifted at this and she returned her blue gaze back to the male who did seem to be regathering his composure - granted it was a slow recover but he was getting there.
"Like birds - " she paused at this thought. She wasn't particularly hungry but nor did she quite enjoy the sound of snarling beneath her. The sound was a disturbance and it wasn't a good one, certainly not good for any form of meditation she might opt to pursue. Therefore the feline came to a decision; she'd simply have to move to a different tree but before that was done, she might as well give Hantan a helping paw.
...Provided he wanted it.
"You do know how to hunt birds, yes?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:23 pm
Hantan was exhausted, and he didn't enjoy being teased. However, the lady leopard had every right to chase him from her tree so he just gritted his teeth. A fight in a tree with hyenas below was the last thing he needed at the moment. The question made him feel childishly insulted.
"Birds?" he said defensively, "Of course. Do you know how to hunt for fish?"
Never mind that he hadn't quite got the hang on catching birds after hunting them. Fish were easier, especially in the shallower pools. Augh! But he had spent a lot of energy on the large kill those hyenas were busy fighting over now. They were rapidly becoming his least favourite species.
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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:51 pm
It was an odd question and the languid leopard quickly discerned that it was said as a matter of pride. The male was being defensive and she couldn't really fault him, that was just how males seemed to be. Although, in retrospect, all felines that lived within the roguelands seemed to be that way. They were all too tense and easily wound up, the simplest suggestions were liable to set them off even if they were said without any intention of throwing an insult. Thus it should have come at no surprise that the feline quirked her brow at his retort.
"Of course I can hunt fish," she replied with a smile. Her expression remained mild and then she finally moved. It appeared to take great effort, the usually sloth like leopardess moving particularly slowly as she rose. She stretched, systematically extending and flexing each limb until each had released it's own little pop and she was content to relocate. By normal standards this probably took a considerable amount of time, but she'd never seen the point of rushing.
...Life wasn't something to stress over.
"But fish are on the ground and so are your friends," she observed in much the same tone as before. It was then she chuckled and motioned with a nod of her head towards the thicker canopies that led deeper into the patch of forest. "Therefore birds are the more viable replacement for your meal. Would you care to hunt? Or are we going to remain here to continue our appreciation of the hyenas and their serenading?" she enquired delicately.
Evidently she held little fear for Hyena (even in their great numbers) although one could probably ascertain that she had never really had to deal with them before!
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 5:51 am
There was something incredibly annoying about this leopardess and her calm manner. No, it wouldn't be very practical to hunt for fish now, Hantan thought and one of his ears twitched once. The mere thought of a bird hunt made his sore muscles scream, but he didn't want to show any weakness. It was too early to hunt again after his previous attempt and the mad dash to the tree, so he sincerely hoped that the female didn't assume he would be of much use.
"I might need some rest first," he admitted reluctantly and looked away. "I think I used up most of my reserves down there."
It was painful for him to admit this weakness, but at the same time he didn't want to fall from a tree because of not listening to what his body told him. That would be even more embarrassing, and potentially fatal if a hyena heard him come crashing down.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 4:22 am
So he wasn't completely ruled by pride and did have a reasonably sensible head on his shoulders. The female seated herself once more, the thinner branches seeming to bend a little precariously underneath her weight. Thankfully, she wasn't a complete fool and had spread her weight evenly to avoid any major hiccups. Lifting her paw, she rubed briefly at her nose and then regarded him with a little more interest - proud he might have been, but at least he had the decency to admit when he was beaten and to admit when something simply wasn't viable...even if he had deposited himself in her tree.
Not that she minded, company wasn't a bad thing.
"Well then," she mused thoughtfully, moreso to herself than to Hantan. If he wasn't exasperated by her before, he certainly would be in due course! Alas, it wasn't as if she intended to be irritating, some creatures just couldn't understand why she was so laid back in the face of the awkward. "Perhaps we shall do a little roleplay," she chrred, a hint of humour underlying her tone - while he was more than welcome to listen to the toneless serenade of the Hyenas she could do with a little escape from it.
"I'll pretend to be a divine lioness and bring home supper for the disgruntled head of the pride, no?" she lifted a brow, a little dare for him to oppose the suggestion. "Would you care for anything in particular, or will a tiny bird do just fine, hm?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 5:33 am
Hantan blinked dumbly a couple of times while he processed what she had just said. It took some time to weed away the confusing fluff and get the meaning behind it. Had she just offered to hunt for him or was it some kind of joke? Divine lioness... He'd heard of winged lions, gods and goddesses, if they weren't just fairy tales. What was the meaning of this? Was she mocking him?
"Like a goddess?" he asked with obvious confusion, and then he decided to ask her outright just to make sure he hadn't lost anything along the way, "Are you offering to hunt for me? Um... That would be very nice of you if it's not too much trouble."
This was not going well... at least he didn't think so. And he very much hoped that she wasn't just teasing him.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 2:39 pm
He took things way too seriously and she couldn't help but lift a brow just a touch at his immediate response. She definitely hadn't meant her remarks to be taken in such a literal fashion but, apparently, he was just one of those individuals. It wasn't long before she schooled her expression back into it's predictable and nonchalant state - well, she would have been naive to think that everyone could spot her humour. She'd been around for too long to allow herself to remain in denial, there would have been no genuine reason for such behaviour.
"Well, I have been told that I am as beautiful as a goddess," she replied smoothly, expertly dodging his slip up. She quickly forgave him for his lack of humour as well, putting it down to weariness, hunger and a variety of other reasons. In addition to that, the idea of holding a grudge was simply too bothersome and she had better things to do with her time, for example, she still had to work out the inner workings of making flower chains!
"However I was offering to hunt for you, your second guess is the correct one," she continued in much the same fashion as before. Casting a smile in his direction, she wiggled her brows just a touch and then gathered herself from her sprawled position across a number of branches. The branches bent in a precarious manner but still managed to sustain her weight. "I won't be long - try to stay out of trouble."
"If the hyenas learn to climb trees while I'm away, then you'll be in a very sorry state indeed!" she announced and, it was with that, that she bounded from one tree and into the next.
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:10 pm
Their encounter might have passed more smoothly if Hantan hadn't been exhausted, hungry and annoyed from the start. But then again, he would probably not have entered another leopard's tree if he hadn't been chased. He didn't feel very clever at the moment, and this female had a very confusing way with words. Beautiful as a goddess? He should probably say something. Something nice. Females liked that.
"I've never met a Goddess so I wouldn't know," he said. No! He tried again, "But they might be right, you've got an unusual coat. Um... and well kept."
He resisted the impulse to cower his head with his paws. This was not going well, not even when he tried to be friendly. But her comment about the hyenas actually made him laugh, even if it was a short and hoarse laugh. Climbing hyenas, wouldn't that be something? It would almost be worth the pain to see that happen.
"If hyenas learn to climb they can have my sorry tail," he said and grinned as he relaxed a little, "But I think that's just slightly more likely than that they grow wings."
He watched her go, and wondered if she'd come back, and if she was a good bird hunter.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 4:48 am
Unusual but well kept, eh? She would applaud him for his recovery if she possessed the appropriate appendages, but instead, the most she could do was chuckle. She wasn't quick to take offence, it simply required too much effort, but she did enjoy a compliment now and again...everyone did! Regardless, she was pleasantly surprised to see some semblance of humour creeping to the forefront, even if it was a touch morbid and directed primarily towards his potential demise! It was a conversation to be picked up again when she returned.
Having leapt off to acquire his food, she was absent for quite a while. Leaving him to the company of the Hyenas, it was about twenty minutes or so before she returned. At first, it would have been difficult to detect her, but the closer she drew, the louder her paws became. Bouncing from branch to branch, the shuffling wasn't easily masked and as such, her approach was obvious. It wasn't long after this that she burst through the canopy and deposited herself comfortable on the branches opposite, her mouth occupied by the limp but reasonably sized bird.
She waggled her brows in greeting, paused, and then promptly dropped it out of her mouth to rest in front of him. Supported by the smaller branches, there was no immediate risk of it plummeting into the grasses below.
"I couldn't find any Ostriches, they're not avid fans of forests," she offered wistfully.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:55 am
The hyenas below showed no signs of learning to fly or climb and they soon grew tired of keeping Hantan company. He heard a fight break out near the remains of his kill, but soon all scavengers had left the scene, leaving him alone in the tree. Not even a bird to be heard, but that wasn't very strange considering the circumstances. They tended to get very loud or fly away when they spotted a predator. He had time to wonder if the other leopard would come back, but just as that thought entered his head he could hear her coming.
"I don't care for Ostriches anyway," he said, and he managed to keep a straight face for a few heartbeats before starting to grin, "Perhaps we should start this over, I'm Hantan, it's nice to meet you."
His mood had improved just from the presence of food, and he started to pluck the bird carefully using his teeth, stopping now and then to spit out feathers and down. Hantan might have failed to learn much from his mothers bird hunting lessons, but he had picked up how to eat one without choking on feathers.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:21 am
"Just as well really, they've got a phenomenal kick," she confessed as though voicing a past experience. In truth though, the young leopardess had never been subject to any vicious assaults from tempermental birds - it was fortunate for her, considering an attack from an ostrich was liable to be lethal. Regardless, she was pleasantly surprised to find his mood had lightened considerably upon her return and she attributed this to a number of complimenting factors.
For a start, the hyenas had finally taken their leave and as she gave the occasional kitten sniff, they seemed to have no inclination to return. The second of these complimenting factors was bound to be the fact that he was in the presence of food. No matter who she met, or where she met them, food seemed to be the most appropriate thing to offer another individual...simply because it got you off on the right paw - it wasn't just the way to a creatures heart, it was simply common courtesy.
"Oh, well it's nice to meet you," she replied with a warm smile, shuffling about more comfortably on the branches, it was only when she had found a strong supporting branch that she rolled backwards and flopped onto her back, her tail coiling lazily around her hindlegs. "My mother named me Tia'Moyo, but most simply call me Tia," she continued, providing her own identity in the process.
"You're not from around here, are you?" she observed after a few moments and lifted a brow.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 3:43 pm
"Tia," Hantan repeated and nodded, "I have a longer name too... Hantan'gang, but the end part tends to get dropped along the way."
When he was satisfied with the state of the now naked bird he started to eat. The fact that Tia watched him made him slightly tense, but as the bird disappeared so did the tension in his muscles. It was impossible to stay stiff when she looked so comfortable. He polished off the last bite of food and stretched out more comfortably. Not on his back, however. He wasn't quite ready for an entirely upside down conversation.
"Mother told me not to talk with my mouth full," he said sheepishly, but then answered her question, "No, I'm not from around here. I wander from place to place... And I like that. I haven't found any place I like more."
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