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 Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:25 am
Unfortunate as it was, there seemed to be other impositions to having a diet that consisted primarily of venomous snakes besides the lethal toxins that Strychnos had become immune to over the years. It also meant that he was always searching for food, which though Africa seemed to provide an abundant supply of the legless reptiles, did not mean they were always easy to find.
This drive for such particular sustenance is what drove the rogue to travel the arid scrub lands where the only floral influence was dry looking bushes and scattered clumps of yellowing weeds. Like his paws, their slender bellies left distinct imprints upon the clay-like ground and it was these tracks that Strychnos had learned to identify and memorize.
Today he happened to be hunting a rather elusive cobra.
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:38 am
 No matter how hard she thought about it, there was absolutely no recollection as to why she was now wandering the scrub lands. Desperation had caused even, her, an intelligent and normally careful lioness, to try something stupid in order to not feel hungry. Word was that a plant that she had ingested a day or so ago (she hoped anyhow), would cure her of her hunger pain and give her energy to hunt. Only now, she was starting to realize was that, perhaps, she was really just ill and mentally unstable from the plant.
Huffing at the now annoying conclusion that she painted for herself, she continued to pad along. What the hell would be out in the area anyway? No normal sentient creature would wander this arid patch of land.
Or, so she thought. Squinting at the dark pelted lion, Hesper almost scolded herself out loud. She was wrong? Someone other than herself was wandering this waste, and seemed to be doing so willing. Perhaps she was 'half' wrong. He couldn't be in his right mind... But she didn't really care right now, better judgement or not, she would make herself known.
"HEY!"
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:59 am
Hunting snakes--of an species--was a practiced skill. Considering they didn't give off much of a scent and rarely made enough noise to give away their location. It required patience and finesse, all of which Strychnos invested into his tracking abilities to make himself the unexpectedly keen hunter that he was today. Conversely, it also meant that he didn't have much of either left to spare for social interactions which he typically chose to avoid.
Most days he was lucky not to see others of his kind in the heat of such unfavorable terrain when his prey was most active. On occasion though, the gods frowned upon him and he was forced to interact with another predator. Today seemed to be one of those days as his diluted gaze followed the slithering trail a ways until another figure impeded his view. Not only impeded, but seemed to be trampling her paws all over tracks he'd followed this far.
Damnit. Muttering under his breath, he lifted his head a notch higher indignantly when the female barked at him. Trying hard not to let the growl of disapproval seep through his clenched jaws. Quit yelling, I'm not deaf..
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:18 am
Seemed his social skills were less than to be desired, as she had vaguely suspected; This didn't mean she wasn't annoyed though. Quite the contrary, a character with the lack of skills when dealing with another pissed her off right quick. Nostrils flaring at his rude comeback, Hesper took a few seconds to just breathe and cool her already agitated nerves. Deep breathes pushed her chest up and down until her whole face recovered.
"Listen you, I was doing you a favor by calling out. I could have just stalked your sorry a** and jumped you when I got bored. Feel privileged that I allowed to you know I was here." Moving a tad closer to the heathen, Hesper made a quick glace over his body. He wasn't too bad looking, but he talked to himself... and also seemed to have a crappy personality. Crazy and rude were not her thing.
Shifting her body to blade it against his, she watched him, then glanced around the lands. Taking in clues as to what he was even doing in the area. Noting where he had came from and that there were no other tracks other than her own paw prints Hesper felt slightly safer. Just her, him, the fauna and rocks of the wastes.
"Now, why don't we try this again. Why are you here, what are you doing? Are you sane?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:02 am
There was definitely some irony to be had in the fact that the sooty pelted male, flashed with neon markings that typically stood as a universal symbol of toxicity in most creatures, was formulating a similar opinion of the unwelcome intruder into his afternoon. Watching her struggle almost invisibly with her rising irritation Strychnos was hardly surprised that she wielded what was no doubt an unsavory temper. The pretty ones always did. She appeared able to take command of it fairly well or at least well enough not to yell in his face he realized as soon as she opened her mouth. The stray was getting uglier by the minute.
A bland expression met her accosting assumptions, she certainly thought pretty highly of herself to be so presumptuous. Thinking that he wouldn't have noticed her in this landscape where there was no cover to shelter herself from his view. Even less to hide her celestial pelt which stood out in a gratingly abrasive way given the orange and yellow hues that surrounded them. The most inexperienced cub would have seen her coming from a mile away, clearly the heat had melted her brain. By the time he had a moment to get a word in edgewise Stryc's tone was already bored with this inconvenience. Ah, well.. in that case I'm just not sure how I'll ever repay your thoughtfulness.
Annoyed and made somewhat anxious by her encroaching upon his personal space Strychnos made arced steps away from the lioness who made no effort to hide her inspection of his lean, but healthy frame. He preferred the safety of distance, not in fear of the harm she could possibly bring him, but rather to avoid unintentionally inflicting harm on others. Only when she glanced away did he study her at length, uncertain as to why one wish such a dark pelt would travel here in this gods forsaken place. He realized she was probably wondering the same thing of him when their gazes met again. Pale eyes rolling in his head in exasperation. Why did she possess such an air of entitlement? As if he had no other choice but to answer her questions, though the venomous one was hardly so loose with his tongue. What's with all the questions? I could ask the same of you if I actually cared..
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:43 am
Almost happy with the retort back, the lioness half smiled, then quickly dropped it as her brain fully processed what was going on. He was humoring her... but what was more, she was making an a** of herself. How...? Shutting her eyes and taking another deep breath in to possibly clear the strange fog that seemed to be floating around her head, Hesper opened her eyes again. Nothing, it was still there, that strange sensation. What was happening to her?!? "Ahhhhh...." Looking at her paws, she zoned out, attempting to rake her memories for bits and pieces of her day, and what might have gone wrong. "..Dash it all!! That plant, that plant shouldn't have... I am making a wreck of myself, lost in a area unknown... and---!!!" Stopping herself from ranting anymore the dark pelted lioness just stared at her company.
Obvious confusion was written on her face now. Only half of her brain seemed to be keeping up. It worked well, she would admit, making sure she would be safe... but the other half. That one seemed to be getting confused and bringing out a rather unsavory side of her as well. No use trying to really fix the situation now though.
With the reply to the string of questions she presented the unknown lion, all she could do was shake her head. "I don't honestly care. I was... curious, out of my head, correction, I am still out of my head...." Pursing her mouth, she studied what she was going to say next. Perhaps she needed to think harder before she spoke while she was like this? "I... I need to know where I am. Or, where the grass lands are, bits and pieces of my memory...."
Not enjoying the idea of divulging anything else, Hesper fought with herself on what she should share with this unknown lion. Would he even help, did she want his help. ...Yes, yes she did.
"I must sound like a loon right now. First the rudeness, then the rambling... Let me start again. I am Hersper, I am lost, I ate something strange, lost my sense of self for.... no idea, and now have no clue where this is."
Knitting her brows together, she looked at the now distant lion and pleaded with him. "Help me?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:21 am
The serpent hunter wanted to feel concern for his unpleasant acquaintance about as much as he wanted to feel the fangs of a viper on his nose. After several minutes of watching her hem and haw with abundant confusion though, he could hardly help feeling something. Strychnos wasn't sure if it was sympathy or pity, granted he also wasn't sure if he could tell the two apart. That aside, something was wrong with the lioness and even she seemed willing to admit it--after she finished babbling to herself.
When she tried to explain the situation to him next with a nest full of cluttered thoughts, even the clear-minded male had trouble following the strands of information. Her tone had softened and the less than welcoming manner she had initially greeted him with had dissipated like so many drops of dew under the early morning sun though, which at least put her--Hesper she had called herself--in a more favorable light. Whether this was her real personality or some false cover Stryc couldn't be sure. As long as she wasn't turning up her condescending nose at him, it didn't really matter. Helping her on her way would also get her off his hunting grounds and there was nothing he didn't like about that. You're on the northwest side of the river... I don't run the grasslands, but it's greener to the south..
What was with all these damsels in distress lately? Pausing in thought he wasn't sure how to help given that he didn't know who or what she was aiming to find. Tacking on after several minutes of silence when he could think of nothing more useful to say. My name's Strychnos..
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Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 5:09 pm
With perked ears, Hesper nodded, looking off towards what she assumed to be south. Greener parts there. Perhaps she could find that nasty lion who gave her the herb and shake the secret to curing her out of him. However, that seemed like it would take more time than she had. The strange shifts in personality and memory blotches. If she continued to have them she would die in the rogue lands. No. What she needed more than anything right now was a healer.
Staring down at the sands, she attempted to string together just where she might go to find someone skilled with herbs. Looking up at the lion as he gave her his name she pondered it. It was something very unique.
"Strychnos... I have never heard a name quite like that. Does it hold any meaning?" Surely it did, it was rare for a character to not have a name holding some meaning. However... if he knew where the grasslands were...
"Pardon, again. But, perhaps you understand poisons, or know of a healer? Or at least a pride with a few healers in it. I... should get help. Probably."
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Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 9:56 pm
If it did, it probably isn't anything good. Stryc mused dryly at the question, when he finally got around to acknowledging it. For a moment his pale gaze was distracted by the apparent signs of distress that Hesper continued to show. The way her gaze occasionally lapsed into a far away look as if her mind were else where, considering thoughts very foreign to their current situation.
She tried to kill me as a cub. Almost as if to explain why he doubted the meaning to his name was likely to be anything worthy of taking pride in, the snake hunter's voice never revealed any hint of anguish. It was simply a fact and Strychnos stated it as such, whether his mother had been touched in the head or whether she'd had some inexplicable vendetta against him wasn't likely to be a mystery he would ever be able to solve and so.. he detached himself from from the memory emotionally. However, despite his stoicism towards what would have been for most, a traumatic event, he wasn't exactly eager to speak any further of it.
Adding with a contemplative tone, To some degree.. I'm uncomfortably familiar with bio-toxins. Snake venom, poisonous insects and things of that nature. If you seek knowledge of plants I'm afraid I won't be much help.. you would need an herbalist.
Gesturing to the desolate lands that surrounded them the rogue snorted somewhat derisively. Did he know of a pride? She had obviously mistaken him for a creature who enjoyed socializing. You've wandered into parts most would never care to inhabit, but it's my haven none the less. I don't meet many people out here. I prefer it that way..
Leaving his statement open for a long moment as he considered his options, the stark brute finally added with grave reluctance. I can lead you to the grasslands, if you need an escort.. perhaps you could find a healer in a place more populated.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 2:19 am
Hesper missed Stryc's comment, completely caught up in her own thoughts and world. She would have continued to ignore him as well, however his second comment caught her completely off-guard. Flicking cyan eyes over to the lion, her pupils dilated and she just stared at him. Then, without even thinking about the repercussions of her actions, her body moved closer to him.
Once she was a foot away from him, did she refocus and realize what she was doing, but curiosity was already heavily laden in her mind. It wasn't everyday that she met a character with a past such as that. And the questions of what if were now heavy.
...What if, what if, what if...
"Is this why you wander alone out here?" Pausing for a moment or two Hesper looked above the lions head out towards the horizon. She was doing it again, seeking answers to questions with little thought of how he felt. "...You don't have to answer... That was rude." Heart beating faster, Hesper watched Strychnos, hoping he would at least open up a little more... The need to know how he felt, being betrayed so young by the very thing he was to turn to for love and life; His mother. She wondered how her own children had felt, though they were incredibly young, there was still a possibility they could understand something, pass some sort of judgement.
Ears drooping, Hesper realized that she wouldn't be getting any useful information from Strychnos about that strange question that plagued her heart. However, he did have other information...
"If only you did... This could all be over and I could get back to how I was living." She left her voice slowly drift off as Strychnos gestured towards the sand lands they were currently standing. Normally she would have a sarcastic comment to attack him with after such a rude display of thoughts. However, now... she just took it and sighed; defeated.
And as the silence spanned between then, Hesper got ready to leave. Obviously put off by the whole situation she was now in. Her quaking legs slowly willed themselves to move towards the direction of the grasslands... only to stop at his voice.
Looking at him again, Hesper couldn't help but start crying... A sad, but incredibly grateful look painting her face. How long it had been since she had came across genuine generosity?
"...Please."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 9:56 am
Made uncomfortable by the sudden lack of space between them Strychnos craned his neck backwards, as if in an attempt not to breathe on her. His spine arching as he took a few well gauged steps backwards to give him the comfort of a well calculated distance. There was an unsettling urgency in her question that did little to settle the loner's nerves. Eyes averting for a moment with careful consideration before he finally answered. Stiff and with little more to say than the clipped note when his gaze found her again. No.
If only for a second, the Poison King considered asking what Hesper meant by "getting back to how she was living" before now, but the thought was discarded quickly. He didn't care. He didn't want to know. The less known, the better. Intimacy was often derived from learning such details and intimacy was not something he could afford to lose his sense to again.
That didn't mean he didn't feel for her situation though, a moment of reflection drawing the image of a familiar, black caped lioness into the back of his mind's eyes. She too had been lost, though not in as desperate a shape as this star-studded female. Whether she could have made it on her own or not was not a question Strychnos could comfortably ask himself and not feel ashamed of his own behavior.
Hesper's tears of relief and perhaps joy were all he needed to be convinced that, for once, he was doing the right thing. Offering a silent nod as he began to lead the way, careful to keep a respectably safe distance from the woeful stray that had appeared within his territory.
[ FIN ]
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