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 Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:14 pm
What it is.. or rather what it had been, was the question that left Hatari's companion perplexed as she canted her smooth head and craned over the prone form. Belly up, shriveled under the sun and baring what appeared to be a number of teeth marks, it certainly wasn't the most dignified way to go. Toshka flicked her tongue, then immediately regretted it.
It smelled. Horrible. But was it another snake? That as difficult to tell given how badly mauled the hide was. First there was that creepy encounter with a snake-eating lion who Hata had idolized as "the Poison King"--as if a lion could claim a title that was clearly meant for a snake, tsst---and now this. It all gave her a bad feeling. Like maybe sticking close to the leotah wasn't the worst idea she'd ever had, of course that thought in itself made her feel like less of the threat she knew herself to be.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:22 pm
 Beaked creatures didn't have the same sense of smell as many others, but their eyesight tended to be superior. So it was with glee that the vulture saw something clearly dead and dessicated lying out in the open. There was something nearby moving, but Lanista was unconcerned by the other animal. If it knew what was good for it, it'd leave before she landed on the scene. If not, well, things would get very interesting. The white vulture had decided long ago that she much preferred living in the rogue lands to the Mwezi'Johari. Her father may have had some tie to the pride, but it seemed to mean that she and her siblings got to eat whatever was leftover when the lions were finished. Not for her! She'd rather find her own well-aged dinner. Lanista began to circle downwards lazily, her view of the bodies below getting better by the moment.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:46 pm
Circling the body a few more times in search of clues for just what had caused the unfortunate beast's death, Toshka reluctantly pushed a coil of her body towards the corpse, giving it an awkward shove. It moved, stiffly. Skidding across the ground like a dried up twig, though there was more weight behind it than that. A body filled with muscle and organs that were probably wrinkled like old fruit by now. She felt relieved that she only caught live prey as the idea of having to devour something this putrid made her stomach turn.
Lifting her gaze from the body, a frown carved across her features at the familiar shadow of a bird as it looped across the sky, casting an imposing shadow. As a baby she had learned birds could pose a huge threat with their frighteningly lethal talons. As an adult Toshka knew her fangs to be equally as fearsome weapons. Added size was a bonus that helped her stand her ground now.
She might not have any plans to eat this thing, but she wasn't done trying to figure out the mystery of what it had been yet and wasn't about to give it up to someone else until she was!
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:50 pm
As she descended, Lanista could clearly see that the live creature was a snake. The corpse, however, was old enough that its former form was still a mystery. That was okay with the vulture however, she knew what its next form would be.
Dinner.
And as for the live snake, she wasn't at all afraid of it. The white bird gave a piercing caw as she stopped coasting and began to dive, right for the dead animal.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:59 pm
Glaring up at the sky, somehow the fact that she was staring at the form of a vulture surprised Toshka not at all. The thing was intent on making a meal of her discovery and though she had little interest in keeping it for herself the sudden idea that this thing was something someone else wanted made it suddenly much more valuable to her.
Reluctantly, she slithered over the body, putting herself between it and the bird that swooped maliciously. Be damned if they were going to have it for themselves! She had found it first! Hey! Hey! Toshka says get lost!
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:03 pm
Lanista flared her wings in startlement at the snake's unexpected action. She wasn't used to the scaley creatures trying to get in between her and her meal. Jackals, yes, they'd definitely go for corpses. And hyenas, well, a vulture was no match for the big canines. But a snake? What in the name of blue skies was going on here?
Landing, the vulture considered the black snake sitting on top of her dinner.
"I don't know that we need to argue about this," she offered. "After all, we both know you're not going to eat it." It couldn't hurt to try diplomacy first, right?
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:12 pm
Well, at least the vulture was sensible enough to try and snatch her up along with the cadaver. Glassy eyes stared unblinking and unflinching as the large bird yielded it's dive abruptly and came to squat upon the ground looking rather perplexed by Toshka's actions.
She nearly snorted at the feathery nuisance when she made a clear attempt to reason with her rival over the body. Amused because she was right, more than because she was trying to coax a stubborn viper off her meal though admittedly, both accounts were funny in their own right. You can't eat! Toshka learns what it is first!
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:20 pm
The vulture blinked. Then blinked again. The snake wanted what? The black creature seemed to be implying that it wouldn't let her eat dinner until it had discovered what the corpse had been in its former life. That was...annoying. Lanista was hungry and didn't exactly want to wait forever for her meal.
"Look, maybe if you get off of it and let me have a look, we can figure it out together and then I can eat it?" The white bird had considered attacking the snake, but that seemed like unnecessary violence to her.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:36 pm
Never in her life would Toshka have considered accepting the aid of any bird, let alone a vulture. Yet as she eyed the bird warily, weighing her options, she seemed less reluctant to remove herself from the body as she had been to climb on it in the first place. Getting off it would be a blessing considering the stink, and it certainly didn't feel good beneath the long scales of her belly either. Only look first!
Tosh warned, baring her fangs purposefully. She could strike in the time it took to blink an eye. How fast could this bird move? Fast enough to avoid being struck? With a certain sense of self confidence, the viper doubted it. Slowly edging out of the way so that the length of the sun-roasted creature came completely into view. Watching the scavenger's expression closely before stating with impatience. It's a snake?
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:42 pm
Lanista had rarely met any creature so full of themselves as this snake! She hardly knew how to react to the small black reptile! It was just...so utterly foreign to her in so many ways. Then again, the vulture made a habit of dealing with dead creatures. They didn't talk back, they didn't argue, and they certainly didn't make threatening gestures. Not that she was really afraid of a little snake. But it might not be politic to say so.
Instead the avian nodded. "Just looking." Though of course she did have to step closer to the corpse in question. Ungainly though she might be on the ground, it was still only a couple steps. Blue eyes blinked as she considered not only the body, but the snake's words.
"Yep, it does look like a snake," she agreed.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:56 pm
Damnit! She'd been afraid of that! Grimacing at how quickly the bird agreed with her observation, even if it was questioning at best, Tosh couldn't help but wonder if the vulture was only agreeing to get the matter over with quickly so that she could eat whatever it was. Reminded of a scavenger's strong stomach and undeterred appetite made her stomach roll over in disgust. She tried to remain on task though, raising herself up tall. Body weaving back and forth, controlled by strong, lean muscles. No! It's not snake! Look again! Again!
Staring down at the body and then back at the hungry bird, her frantic tone seemed to almost edge on pleading. The idea that there could be more than one animal feasting on snakes was almost too much for Toshka to bare. It couldn't really be a snake! It had to be something else! Do it again!
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:01 pm
Okay, now this was confusing. Why was the snake saying that the dead creature was one of its one kind one minute, and then insisting it had to be something else the next? All Lanista had done was agree with the first observation, that was all!
Sighing, she tried again.
"Look, I don't see any limbs anywhere here. And it's very long, if curled in on itself. I don't know what else it could be, okay?" She was tempted to add "now can I eat?" but decided that wouldn't be very...diplomatic.
But if this nonsense went on long enough, she might have to. The vulture was fairly hungry after all.
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:18 pm
Feeling her heart sink when the conclusion proved no different the second time the viper considered making the vulture look at it a third time.. or even tasting it to see if it tasted different. Eventually she decided against waiting around for such an outcome. Whatever had killed this snake had clearly done it simply for the enjoyment of it considering her companion seemed to feel there was still enough of it left to make a meal. Toshka was reluctant to stick around to run into such a vindictive predator, thrashing her tail in outrage. Okay? Okay?! Not okay! Stupid bird! Don't follow Toshka!
Flicking her forked tongue in a clearly frustrated hiss, the deep green serpent, banded in neon highlights gave her dead brethren one last hateful look before slithering away, back to Hatari. Just because that one had been stupid enough to get caught, didn't mean she would be! Anyone that tried to disrespect her in such a way would get what they deserved! Just let them see!
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Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:24 pm
Lanista snorted to herself as the indignant snake left. As if she'd had any intention of following live prey. It was...well, it was a waste of time and energy, particularly when there was something already dead and deliciously aged lying on the ground before her.
The white vulture watched the black snake long enough to verify that yes, it was truly leaving, before settling in for her delayed dinner.
Mmm...delicious half-rotted snake corpse. Her favorite!
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