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 Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:29 pm
Once all the males were done setting their offerings, Jazz stood up and the other females followed her lead. She paced slowly before the gathered males, observing their displays, though not really too interested in them. Some were really beautiful, she admitted that, the display of that one male caught her attention immediately.
It wasn't just orderly, it was practical. He gathered only what was necessary, no more and no less. There was a variety of food, different kinds of fruits and different types of mushrooms and other things, two different kinds of fish and overall a variety of flavors and textures to appeal to the different tastes of the females. It wasn't as exuberant as other displays, certainly, but this spoke of a male that tried to cover all the practical fields, and she definitely liked that. It meant the male was reliable to find sustenance without going overboard.
She continued her pacing, observing and rating each display but also taking notice of the reactions of the other females. Some allowed the prettier displays to sway their interest while others found the more practical offerings garner their approval. After the appraisal the females moved aside and the males gathered their offerings together, the food would later be consumed at the end of the day.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:48 pm
With the offering out of the way the next task implicated the keeping of a den and the duels among the males. Unlike female challenges, the combats among the male could turn out very dangerous and more than once a young male had been lost to the frenzy.
The mere fact he possessed weaponry was a bit disturbing to himself, he could easily hurt many other males with one shot of the weapon he carried with him. Having weapons wasn't uncommon in itself, there were more than a few males and even some females that owned swords, staves or guns. But not many possessed a weapon that involved acid.
One drop, just one drop, and he could incapacitate another minya for life. In the worst of cases he'd mutilate a minya horribly before the poor creature could be put out of his misery. It was one reason why Prowl rarely used his weapon, preferring to settle his disputes in other ways.
He discarded his weapon, concealing it on his back, and prepared to arrange a small bed for the females to appraise in a similar way as they did with the food offerings.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:05 pm
The next part of the games was perhaps the most boring in Jazz's opinion. Keeping a den required to maintain it clean, make a bed to rest on, gather materials to keep a nest for their offspring and overall just construction work.
Watching the males scatter around in search for the materials they required was perhaps the most amusing part of it all. Some of the youngest males were hard to differentiate from kits, they literally bounced and pranced around in search for materials, anything they could lay their paws on.
Again, her interest was focussed in the male she was pursuing, and she couldn't help but raise her brow as she watched him make fine use of his height and the advantage of possessing hands to gather the best materials. Tender branches to make the basic structure, resistant but soft enough to not dig against the skin. Longer, palm-like leaves probably to cover the branches, and soft, lush moss to make the bed soft and pleasant to lay on. She had to admit his choice of materials alone was impressing her, and much to her displeasure, she could quite tell she wasn't the only one.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:17 pm
Once he had all the materials he needed he began to construct his bed, keeping the materials close to him and keeping an eye on the other males, knowing they would try to steal materials from him if they found them useful. They could be terrible opportunists like this when it came to earning the favor of the females.
Following a blueprint in his mind, he proceeded to construct his small bed, trying to account for the size discrepancies of the gathered females in order to make his bed the more impressive and appealing.
He even gathered a few flower buds he concealed in between the twigs and branches to make the bed softer and warmer. Inspecting his work with a critical eye, Prowl stepped aside, thus declaring his bed finished. He waited patiently until all other males were done, keeping his watchful eye over his bed just in case.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:41 pm
When the males were ready, Jazz led the other females to the beds, it was customary to allow the quadrupedal females test the beds first, and so se watched the highest ranking quadruped female prance her way directly to that male's bed.
It was alright with Jazz, though, because she knew that female wouldn't be able to stake claim on him. She was the fifth to pick and Jazz knew very well what male she wanted from the very beginning, so she let the other female get her fun testing the bed.
The females usually took this chance to show themselves off a little, rolling around in the bed, making themselves comfortable, and some more did it for the teasing, trying to interest the males in themselves. And this female in particular was certainly trying hard to interest the males on her.
One by one the females tested the beds and when those standing in their hind legs took their turn, Jazz went straight to that male's bed, sitting down on it, already a little softer thanks to all the other females laying on it and testing it. She was expecting the bed to hold her weight fairly well concentrated in one point, unlike the quadrupled females who lay their whole weight on them, after all this male also stood on his hind legs. She allowed herself to lay down completely on the bed and wouldn't have minded a short nap in the comfy bundle, but there were other beds she had to visit and other events to partake in.
Jazz allowed herself to smile at the male she was pursuing, making it evident she approved of his construction skills.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:09 pm
Having that female smile at him made something in his insides flutter, but he couldn't be bothered to try to identify what did. He was too concerned at the moment with the upcoming event, where he was expected to engage in the duels with other males.
Unlike females who immediately conceded submission to those standing in their hind legs, males had to fight off for dominance regardless of their height.
The males issued challenges and Prowl found it surprising he was challenged head-on by one of the oldest quadrupedal males. Prowl knew better than to underestimate the quadrupeds, so he lowered himself, crouching before the other male to accept his challenge. His door wings drew back and pulled down close to his back, in an unconscious display of tension but also preparation.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:35 pm
She watched the combats, most of them were settle relatively quickly, but others prolonged for a while. The male she had her sight on was engaged with a seasoned quadrupedal male and neither was giving up an inch.
The chevron on the helm of the minyabot she was pursuing were being used as weapons and shields at the same time. The male used them to threaten the other male and force him to back off, keeping the other male constantly away from his face.
As minyabots they had the advantage of metal over fur that could be cut through easily with a good bite or slashed with sharp claws. With only their tails and faces not covered by plating, those were the evident parts where the attacks were concentrated. The male she pursued wasn't attacking as much as he was merely discouraging and deflecting the other's attacks, apparently intending to wear him out rather than attack him and force him to submit. She liked that, not only because it showed he wouldn't use his strength carelessly but also because it pointed to good endurance. Nevertheless, this male was making himself more and more appealing and worth her own little dose of violence to earn the chance to claim him.
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