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 Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 10:44 pm
The sun’s glare beat down on the Savannah, harsh and unyielding. The little rivers and tiny watering holes had long since dried up by now, leaving behind only hard baked earth under the bright orange sun. At least it was fading now. That was something to be thankful for, or so Latasha thought as she peeked out of her current playplace. This was the farthest she had ever wandered from home, and it was… it was exhilarating, actually. Frightening, terrifying, and exciting. Now she could understand why her bolder sister, Xinavane, would wander off so often. If it always gave this feeling, then she had every right to wander about. The mostly-white juvenile wandered among the rocks in amazement, looking at everything closely.
The sudden movement of a grasshopper made her scramble in fear and dive behind some rocks before she realized what it was. Oh. Just a grasshopper! She laughed nervously and crawled back out, still looking around a bit anxiously. Maybe she was a bit too far from home. She honestly wasn’t all that far, at least not distance-wise. Maybe a mile, or around there. Still, it was the farthest she had ever been… maybe it was time to go back, before she got even farther…
But her sister had gone farther before! And they were like reverse-twins! And she couldn’t go back home and tell Xin that she had gone further today than ever before and then came back home. That just wasn’t right.
“And… and nothing ever happened to Xin while she’s out here…” Latasha spoke to no one at all, the wind stealing her words away. “S-so… So why would anything happen to me?” Because I’m not her occurred to Latasha, but she shoved the depressing words away. The world was simply too large and fascinating to be observed from behind the backs of others. Xin always had such fascinating stories to tell… it would be nice to have some of her own.
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 11:07 pm
It was a wonderful day for a run! The sun was shining and… uhh… the sun was… uh… shining… ah, Hell, it was a horrible day for a run, and Kayin knew it. This explained why the cheetah was moving along at a smooth trot instead of a run. Why run if you didn’t have to? Especially not when there was so little water around… he was beginning to suspect that leaving the more sheltered areas, the smooth grassy plains, and the nice shady copses of trees was a mistake. After all, he didn’t have to leave Ishi that quickly. The lioness was pretty sweet and very gullible… she probably wouldn’t have caught onto the trick too quickly. But the fact was, he was almost feeling bad about taking advantage of her. And when you started feeling bad about things, well, that was when you grew a conscience, and that would always end in pain.
Wait… what was that? Kayin’s steps slowed slightly and he squinted, thinking he saw something white on the horizon. Wait, wait… there was definitely movement! The hungry cheetah licked his lips and lowered his body to the ground, suddenly realizing how long it had been since he had eaten. What sort of preybeast could be pale, he wondered. It looked fairly large. Perhaps an impala of some sort, but a very big one. Hmm.. it would be tricky to sneak up on it in this harsh glare. Being black and white ruined that, which was why Kayin usually got others to hunt for him.
Luckily for him, the prey wasn’t looking at him. It looked like… like… he squinted slightly and tried to make out the details. It was looking elsewhere. Well, best do it now, before it was looking at him. Sure, it was big, but if he was fast enough---and he would bet he was---then it would work out just fine.
The cheetah burst into action, his legs pumping. He was practically flying by the time he was finally able to identify his prey. His violet eyes opened wide and he struggled to stop, but to no avail. Cheetah and juvenile lion went tumbling for several feet.
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 11:23 pm
Latasha blinked in curiosity as the sound of footsteps suddenly entered her range of hearing. What was that? It sounded like footsteps… but, no one else was around, except for that rapidly approaching cloud of dust. Wait, what?! Rapidly approaching?! The juvenile lion panicked and started to run away just a moment too late and what appeared to be a pile of black and white fur ran into her. The ball of cheetah and lion rolled for several feet, completely confusing everything until they both ran into a rock.
Dislodging herself quickly---and scratching whatever had attacked her---Latasha quickly ran and hid behind a rock. Panting, she tried to figure out just what had happened. Why would someone attack her?! What did she ever do?! And why wasn’t it attacking now? Hesitantly, as curiosity overcame her, she peeked over the top of the rock at what appeared to be… well… a mound of black and white fur. It was clearly feline, but beyond that, she couldn’t quite tell what it was. It was clearly still alive, because it was standing up now and shaking its head.
“Hello?” she asked cautiously. She had a feeling that she probably should have just started running… but, she was very curious. And Xin once mentioned meeting a leopard! Maybe that’s what this was?
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 11:39 pm
Oww… being made of weaker stuff than lions, it took the cheetah longer to recover from the blow. Kayin unsteadily got to his feet and shook his head, and tried to ignore the little stars spinning around his head. Sure, they were pretty, but annoying. Very slowly, he stood up. Very quickly, he sat back down, once he realized that things were still spinning.
“Hello?
A voice? Wait, what happened to the lion? The lion! Right! He had attacked a lion! Oh dear… that wasn’t good. A lion against a cheetah was an easy match for the larger cat. Cheetahs simply didn’t have the muscle mass necessary for a real fight and Kayin had less of that. And, now, he was dizzy. And slightly bruised. And not at all intimidating, except perhaps to a very lonely lizard somewhere who had been raised in a dark room. Wait, there was the voice! Again, Kayin shook his head to clear it, and failed.
When his vision finally cleared, all he could see were two large, orange, and concerned eyes looking into his violet ones.
“AUGH!! Don’t eat me!!” was the first thing to come to his mind and leave his lips.
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 11:45 pm
Deciding that the black and white cat---whatever it was---wasn’t a threat to her right now, Latasha crept closer, curiosity urging her on. Never before had she encountered anyone she wasn’t related to. Maybe this was a lion, she realized. It could be. The only lions she knew were in her own family and maybe other lions looked different. Or maybe it was a leopard! Curiosity nudged her in the back and she cautiously approached the clearly dizzy and confused creature.
“Hello?” she said again, this time putting her face nearby the other cat’s. “Are you alright?”
“AUGH! DON’T EAT ME!!”
Now that was not the response she had been expecting. Startled, the lion backed up and ended up tripping over a rock that had inconveniently placed itself in her path. Naturally, this scared her more. “AUGH!” she screamed right back, clearly frightened. “I don’t want to eat you! You’re the one who attacked me!”
Hey, that’s right! He---and, judging from the voice, it was definitely male---had attacked her! Why was she being ashamed?
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 11:55 pm
Of course, when the lion screamed, Kayin became more nervous. And why wouldn’t he be? A cheetah up against a lion always had the short end of the stick. He struggled to his feet once more; it was easier this time. That is, he managed to stay on his feet for longer than just a few seconds. Still, his rear encountered the ground a good deal earlier than he would have liked. For now, he decided, it would be better to avoid running. Just for a bit. Just until he could at least walk. Yeah, that was a pretty good idea…
“I didn’t mean to attack you!” he tried to defend himself, well aware that he was the one in the wrong here. It wasn’t often that he admitted guilt, but… well, it was unavoidable in this case. For once. If the damn lioness would just stop yelling, Kayin felt sure that he would get to his feet more quickly. And maybe everything would stop ringing. Eugh… goddamn lions… they really were trouble, no matter what age they were. Those cheetahs in the south had something right, they really did. Keep all the cheetahs safe and get other species out.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:01 am
It wasn’t in Latasha’s nature to be cruel or snide, but even she couldn’t let that comment pass by. Didn’t mean to attack her?! How could he ‘not mean’ to attack her?! What, did she have a fly on her pelt or something and was he just being a good Samaritan and trying to get rid of it? Oh, yes, likely story! And the moon was certainly made of cheese and everyone could have a slice!
“You did a really fine job of not attacking me, what with running at me and tackling me to the ground,” she snorted. Almost immediately after she said it, though, she felt bad. Whatever he was, it was clear that the other feline was in poor shape. Look at how skinny he was! Why, he looked as if he was all legs and back! Where was the meat on his bones? And he didn’t have a mane. Now that was just weird. “What are you anyway? I’ve never seen anything like you.” Now that it was clear that neither one of them would be eaten---indeed, Latasha doubted that this critter had a stomach at all---the young lion was far calmer.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:08 am
Kayin’s ears pressed back against his skull at the female’s tone and he couldn’t help but let out a quiet snarl. Of course, it was only quiet because being too loud made his head ring and because it was always unwise to snarl loudly at those who, at any moment, could possibly hurt you and then kill you. Any sort of damage to a cheetah’s speed was deadly. “I didn’t mean to attack you,” he reiterated. “I don’t eat lions. I thought you were something else. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten and this damned sun hurts my eyes. They’re very delicate, you know.” He turned that violet glance on her now, the purple eyes that had softened many a heart in the past.
Wait, what? He blinked those wide violet eyes in confusion. What was he? What sort of question was that? Pouting slightly, he tried to figure out a good answer. Well, he was a cheetah. How much more simple could things get? Everyone knew what a cheetah was… but, judging from the confusion and curiosity in those orange eyes across from him, at least one lion didn’t know. It would just be his luck to meet someone who didn’t know what a cheetah was.
“I’m a cheetah. A feline, like you.”
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:14 am
“Oh.” A cheetah. Well, that answered everything, now didn’t it? Actually… it didn’t answer anything. Latasha looked at the self-proclaimed cheetah, still trying to figure out what that meant. He might as well have called himself the snuffalapogus for all she cared. It would have made just as much sense. Although, a few things were clearer now. At least now the lack of a mane was explained, as well as the weird body structure.
“I’ve never seen anything else besides a lion before. Although… although my sister says she once saw a leopard!” Latasha’s voice was tinged with pride here. She honestly was proud of Xin for going out and meeting a leopard, all on her own, even if she herself felt it was too scary to do, especially for a small cub. Although, they weren’t cubs now, were they? “Is a cheetah like a leopard?”
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:18 am
‘Is a cheetah like a leopard’? Just what kind of moron child was this? Kayin was mildly miffed that the lioness wasn’t immediately falling under the spell of his lovely violet eyes, but he was willing to let that pass. If she was simple, then of course it wouldn’t work. It only worked on intelligent folk, those who were smart enough to actually… uhh… actually… now that he thought about it, it didn’t make much sense. Clearly, the bump to his head had muddled his brain a bit. Well, that was ok. It would get better with time.
“No, not exactly like leopards. Leopards are felines too. They live in trees. You know, those big plant things that are in the ground and go upwards with lots of leaves on top and brown on the bottom. Cheetahs… we’re more graceful. Elegant. We are truly the lords of the Savannah. Not a single creature alive can keep up with us at top speeds.”
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:22 am
Once again, Latasha’s inner snarkiness took over. “Yeah, you sure looked all lordly when you were lying in a heap over there,” she said sarcastically. It honestly wasn’t like her to be like this… but the condescending explanation of what a tree was irked her more than a little. “I know what a tree is. I’m not stoopid,” she said plainly with a slight sniff. “Just because I’ve never seen a cheetah or a leopard before doesn’t mean I’m stoopid. I just don’t like to leave my family much. We were being chased for a long time.”
Alright, maybe she was trying to impress the visitor by throwing in that last little note. She was very proud of her family, not just her sister. Her father and her mothers won her eternal pride by running away from their old home. Imagine, for a moment, leaving everything you knew, everyone you knew, things you loved, your home, your family… imagine leaving all of that, just to be with someone you love. Two someones, actually, but Latasha wouldn’t think too much on that. That was amazing, when you thought about it. Utterly, utterly amazing.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:32 am
Kayin gave her a Look. There were many Looks since the beginning of time, and this one definitely took the cake as an Old-Fashioned Look. It had fossils in it, living fossils, up and cawing and making a racket. Unfortunately, the cheetah could tell that it was lost on the lion, so he gave up with a sigh. How could he explain the superiority of cheetahs when in such an undignified position? How could he explain how elegant a cheetah was in motion? Or how it was to run and feel the wind under your very feet? It was impossible to explain this to a non-cheetah, especially one who had just seen a cheetah trip and fall. Now that he was feeling more sure of himself, Kayin got to his feet and stretched out a little. Hey, he could walk! Horray! Still, he wished he could come up with a good retort. He would, sooner or later. Unfortunately, the perfect time for it had juuust passed. Well, damnit.
“It’s not easy to explain. You’ll know it only when you see a cheetah in motion, while we race a falling star. We are the fastest creature in the world, lion. Lions have the brains, leopards can climb, but we have sheer speed on our side.” And brains too, but, since he had brains, Kayin decided not to mention that to this lion. “Being chased, eh? If I were you, young lioness, I would go back home. I am a Seer. And I can tell that you worry about your family a lot. You wouldn’t want to be the one to doom them, eh?”
Pfft… nearly everyone worried about their family, so this was hardly a competition. Besides, she mentioned her family so often---and in such tones of pride!---that she was clearly fond of them.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:44 am
A Seer?! Latasha jumped to her feet, eager to help the visitor in any way possible upon that news. A Seer! She had heard of them, same as everyone else, but she had never imagined that one would be standing here in front of her! She had to admit, this… cheetah certainly looked the part, even if he was skinnier than a stick. His pelt was gorgeous, a pattern of black on white, that was very striking and exotic. And his eyes, a light violet, really was beautiful. If someone was to be a Seer, Latasha instinctively felt, then they ought to look the part.
“A Seer?! I’ve never met a Seer before! Or a cheetah… so, I guess that’s two things for today in one go!” she laughed nervously, suddenly feeling all anxious again, this time about her family. A Seer was telling her that she ought to go home… that sounded bad. Pawing the ground fretfully, she tried to think of a good way to say good-bye. “Umm… I’m very sorry for leaving suddenly, but I shouldn’t be this far from home. It was very nice to meet you and I’m sorry for running into you and I’m sorry for leaving. Um. Bye!” With that, the young lion turned on her feet and started to run towards home, hoping nothing had happened in her absence. A Seer! And a cheetah! She couldn’t wait to see Xin’s face when she told her that!
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