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 Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 5:38 pm
 To the south, she knew, the Kizingo'zaa were reveling, celebrating... While the Bahari lands were a bit... Wet. She knew from observing that storms didn't always hit the coasts the same. Being more northward, the Bahari, it looked like, were getting the storms that had already previously drenched their southern neighbors. Part of her envied that they weren't being soaked to the skin anymore.
She couldn't fault the Rain God or Goddess, though, for such a thing. It was just how the storms moved, traveling up the coastline. Soon the Bhanu would, surely, get hit, too, after the Bahari. The dark lioness walked on the beach in a brief period where the clouds didn't shower them. Everything was still wet, though, and her paws left prints in even the sand that wasn't licked by the sea. Now and then she happened upon a dark shape - A spiral here, a square pouch there - and sent it back to the waters it came from. She stopped, though, at the giant beast on the sand. She wondered, for a moment, how it would taste.... Probably fishy.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:05 am
He could only handle the festivities of the Kizingo'zaa for so long - they were so boisterous that he was often left feeling dizzy and disorientated. Granted, on this occasion it might have been courtesy of whatever 'drink' he had been persuaded to try, but it hadn't rendered him completely incapable of intelligent decisions. On the contrary, the moment the lion had felt himself grow dizzy, he had offered a polite farewell and made his way (albeit carefully) back to the Bahari'mtoto lands. It was his good fortune that the long walk and the progressively worsening weather, had provided him with ample opportunity to 'sober' and wake-up.
Ah, but it was the rainy season (again), and while the lion had long since grown accustomed to it raining frequently on this particular part of the cost, there was something decidedly exasperating about just how wet it seemed to get at this time of the year. If anything it seemed to get weather, leaving him in such a perpetual state of disarray that this foreigner-come-leader was now beginning to look a lot like a local. When he had first arrived his coat had been soft and smooth; now his main was displaying that signature curl and his fur was becoming rougher to protect his skin.
...In a way, he was no longer a delicate 'flower', he'd become battered and weathered in what could only be described as a good way!
Still, as he wandered deeper into the Bahari it appeared the weather was letting up for a short period of time and he was afforded a brief respite from sogginess. Admittedly this wasn't much of an improvement as it would start to rain again by the time he was even remotely 'dry', but heh, small favours and all that, right?
Padding along the shoreline, it wasn't long before he wound his way through the sand dunes and stumbled across a familiar figure. One of the lionesses of his pride, and one of the few who led the efforts to maintain the dens and various structures that existed in the pride. That being said, today she didn't seem to be building anything, merely staring at whatever was currently on the sands in the distance...
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:21 pm
Athena placed a paw on the carcass, digging her claws into it. She'd seen far more putrid things wash on shore in the past year, so the smell wasn't bothering her so much. She struggled a bit to move her claws along it, scowling. "Stupid thing... Why... Won't.. You... CUT?!" She removed her paw, then repeatedly struck it. It didn't even jiggle.
As she turned around, she spied a storm-and-sky colored lion approaching. "Hello, Ram. Got tired of our neighbors and their boisterous ways? Or did you catch wind about this thing being out here?" She looked at it. "If we can get the bones out, we can use them to fortify things up at the dens..." Never mind how much meat it would provide! They'd not have to hunt for a while if they found a way to stop it from rotting!
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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 6:35 am
Credit where it was due, Athena was very astute and he afforded a small chuckle at her observations. Drawing nearer, he inspected the carcass as he considered how best to respond to her queries without insulting their neighbours. It wasn't that he didn't like the Kizi, but they certainly had a way of giving him a minor headache...they were all so boisterous and excitable, he wasn't always certain of how to handle them sometimes.
"Their eccentric ways got the better of me," he replied at last as he came to a halt, "But I suspect that might happen for anyone my age," he confessed. With a small nod, he then glanced back to the carcass and pursed his lips in thought. "I hadn't the slightest idea this was out here though," he added and raised a brow. "Have you tried using your teeth?" he hazarded. "It may require a single slice before it can be pulled apart with paws...?"
Nevertheless he did afford a small moment to expose his naivety, "Although I'm not entirely sure of what it is..." he confessed.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:31 pm
She eyed the dead creature, then opened her mouth and placed it against the giant grey wall of flesh...
And found her teeth a bit stuck. She started to struggle, pulling back as her canines only seemed to dig in better. She placed both front paws against the rubbery skin and tried to push back, soon finding she needed to use her hind paws as well. After much pushing, the flesh finally tore and she fell back into the sand, a chunk in her mouth. The flesh underneath had a white color to it.
Was that fat...?
She removed the chunk from her mouth, then held it up with her paw. "Success!" She sat up, looking to Ram. "The gypsies are at least a good set of neighbors... They don't try to take cubs anymore, at least, but I'm personally not one for their... Revelry." She chewed on the chunk of flesh a moment, then huffed, removing it again. "This thing is chewy. All I know for myself is that it came from the sea, it's a bit LIKE the dolphins but NOT..." She stared up at it. "I wonder if we should get some baboons to come help us take the flesh off... They have THUMBS..." What had this thing been like alive, though? Whatever it fought, it had left giant rings in the skin.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:13 pm
Her remarks were diplomatic, or at least her choice of language was. He doubted they would be overheard out here and she could say as she pleased, but he believed she was being genuine on this occasion. The gypsies were good neighbours to them, considerate in many things and they certainly gave the younger ones an excuse to party and enjoy themselves. As relaxed as the Bahari'mtoto were, they were not always inclined towards such loud and raucous festivities! No one would blame an adolescent for exploring their options on an occasion like this...
"It has it's moments," he remarked with a small smile. "Though I can only appreciate it in small doses," he added and returned his attention to whatever it was that the lioness had found. It was like nothing he had seen before, but when she gave him a description of what it was he couldn't help but feel a touch concerned. Something at the back of his mind was bothering him, something to do with traditions and superstitions but his mountain-dwelling mind couldn't quite put a paw on it just yet.
"You believe help from the baboons would be advisable?" he asked after a few moments of examining the beached object. "You risk them selecting to take this for themselves," he warned, indicating that every now and then their baboon neighbours liked to take liberties, particular if a lion was outnumbered. Nevertheless, an extra pair of eyes might very well provide some clarity on whatever it was that she might have found. There was just one little thing bothering him...
"Although I do have to ask how you aim to store this?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 3:07 pm
Removing the blubbery chunk of meat from her mouth, she contemplated the beast, then glanced down the beach toward where the gypsies lived. It was but a distant glow on the southern horizon. "I know the feeling, though I've never been much for the whole... Party thing... To each their own, we could have worse neighbors who do worse things." Her mind went, momentarily, to another neighbor further north, a leopard named Thona. He made her, admittedly, wary now of leopards in the lands, but she also knew that each was an individual to be judged on their individual actions, not on where they came from, who they were related to, or what their species was.
This included the baboons, even if they were a cheeky bunch. "You have answered your own question before you asked it, Ram. What the pride can't eat, we let the baboons have as payment for helping us clean this up. As to how we'll keep it good... A passing cheetah once told me of some flat-faced baboons with no tails or hair that walked on two legs... They would put meat out on sticks and dry it for later consumption..." She scratched her throat with a forepaw in thought. "It'd hopefully keep for a while, especially if we dip pieces of it in the sea water first... The salt would dry it out faster, maybe make it last longer..." The real challenge, though, would be the bones - How would they move bones this big?
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 2:05 am
She had a great deal of faith in an animal that he still didn't entirely trust. The baboons in this area seemed okay, but he had seen their brutality in other regions before and it did not instil him with confidence. While requesting their aid was a logical step, if they elected to simply chase he and the lioness off, there was little else he could do about it at. Admittedly it would ensure it got cleaned up either way but he would sooner it was done on better terms!
"I see," he said finally, flicking his gaze towards the mound of flesh and pursing his lips. "My relationship with the baboons is a fleeting one," he continued and cleared his throat. "If you believe they would be willing to provide assistance, and that they will not bring harm in the process, then I have no issue in reaching out to them." His tone was measured as he continued to examine the flesh - if they were going to request help then he also had another condition.
"However they will need to inform us of what it is," he said finally and tilted his head to the side.
...The question posed regarding the bones was a good one.
"The bones will require more than just you and I, a baboon is unlikely to be able to support their weight either," he mused and furrowed his brow. "We have members of the pride; hunters; that are built in the correct manner to carry something of this size between them," he said finally.
"Perhaps we can gather them to assist, the Bumani are our best option but they are so few in number that our Hunters may be a secondary option..."
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 3:35 pm
Athena let out a huff, glaring up at the great dead beast on the beach. For a moment, she thought she heard the sounds of their neighbors' revelry, as she mulled over the lack of Bumani at present.
And then she had an epiphany. She turned and looked over her shoulder, south toward their neighbors. They had a LOT of lions... A lot of STRONG lions... In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if they had some lions hailing from the desert, as the Bahari had a few of their own. "What if... We ask the baboons for help cleaning it... Once it gets to a point we won't be able to do it on our own?" She stood up, walking a few steps past Ram. "What if we ask our neighbors for help?" She looked at Ram. "They could help strip the meat off, as well as take care of the issue of excess meat... Both prides would feast for at least two days, with our combined numbers. It would also foster further brotherhood between the Bahari and the Kizingo... And on OUR terms!"
She'd begun to pace, waves washing over her paws now and then. "And they can help us move those bones! The Bahari has to be at least half the size of the Kizingo'zaa right now, and it would be a fair price for the meat we allow them to eat!" She plunked her rear down. "The baboons can help with the final clean-up... But if they don't get their fair share of the large quantity of meat, what would we pay them with...?" Her brow furrowed in thought. This might take time to figure out...
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:15 pm
She'd been inspired, he could see that much, she'd even managed to come up with a possible solution in such a brief period of time. The ability to foster diplomatic relations was one that he was in full support of and one day, he aimed to expand it beyond the borders of the Kizingo'zaa. He had lofty aims and he would take them on step at a time, but in the end he would have liked to have the pride in a position where it could trade for more 'exotic' materials than it currently had access too.
"It is a solid idea," he agreed after a moment of consideration, taking a seat as he regarded the mound of meat. The party couldn't be interrupted at this time, but afterwards there would be no harm in making the offer. Food after they had gestated the fruits that made them all a touch 'silly', as it were. "However," he said at last and returned his gaze to the lioness. "As the idea was your's, would you care to take charge of it and co-ordinate the efforts of each pride?" he enquired.
"Recognition is deserved, that includes calculating the rewards for the baboons if we should require their assistance after all is said and done," he finished. He wasn't sure what they could gift the baboons at this time without hunting for more fish, which wasn't a difficult task, but he was certain there were probably other bargaining chips available.
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Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 1:28 pm
She let out a puff of air, frowning. "I'll have to think on what to give the baboons later... We have plenty of time, at least." She got up again, stretching. "Well, this'll be here a while, at least..." She offered Ram something that for her was rare, though increasingly common since her transition into the Bahari. She gave him a smile. "I'd be happy to organize it, and get our neighbors to help." She started to walk, tail flicking. "Until their revelries die down, though... I think a walk is in order. Was there anything else, before I go?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:31 pm
He shook his head - there was nothing, to his knowledge, that he needed to address at this point in time. He would leave this in her capable paws and ponder over the success later. He was curious as to how this would turn out and the level of success she would have. Suffice to say that for once, he was more than happy to allow another to flex their muscles and display their skills!
"I place my trust in you," he replied with a smile and tilted his head to the side. "I look forward to seeing the conclusion," he added and glanced briefly to their peculiar 'guest'. "Enjoy your walk, should you need me, I have no doubt you will be able to find me." He finished.
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Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 8:38 pm
Athena gave a nod, bowing her head a bit to Ram. "I will see you later, then. I may actually pop over to our neighbors tonight... Mongolia was expressing curiosity about them." Without another word, she walked off, head high but not too high - Just high enough to not look like she was skulking, but still low enough to not look like she looked down on the world. Just the right kind of high.Epine de Rose And I think we can call that done heart
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