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 Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 6:31 pm
 It was sunset, and Benibeni lay on the side of the sleeping lion below him, his best friend Leokaa, rising and falling with his breath. The shifting colors of the sky were just barely visible between the jungle trees and hanging vines, and Beni watched idly as the vines and shrubbery wavered in a faint breeze. The chorus of the jungle--the hoots of the monkeys, calls of the birds, croaks of the frogs, hum of the insects--sounded like a beautiful music to him.
And yet... the grey-and-red ratel found himself bitter. It was unlike him; he'd always been very much the go-with-the-flow type. But it was true. A thought had been plaguing his mind a great deal lately, and the thought was this: this world was owned by the cats, especially the lions. Those big predators dominated the African landscape, while little predators like himself were pushed aside, forgotten. Even though his own best friend was a lion, Benibeni was sure that the lot of lions were prideful, arrogant things that wouldn't allow any leeway to the honey badgers and other such creatures, not so long as they owned this landscape the way they did.
But... honestly... what was to be done? Benibeni couldn't exactly speak for himself, and it had been ages since he'd last saw one of his own kind. He began to suspect they might be dying out. Sighing, he pushed the thought out of his head and rolled over onto his own side, nestled in Leo's fur.
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:13 pm
 After digging and for days on end, the monochrome female had finally decided to see where her longest tunnel yet would come out. Needless to say, it was very far from her home in the graveyard, but she never imagined that it would be THIS far. The landscape was so... Different. Things were green, and what's more, the world seemed teeming with life even after dark. To someone who had lived among the bones and dust of deceased creatures all her life, it was more than a little unsettling. Still, the new place intrigued her, and so she decided to explore a bit before returning home.
She had only traveled a few meters when she froze in terror, gazing wide-eyed at a sleeping lion. The only reason she did not flee outright was the sight of a small creature nestled in it's fur... It looked like another ratel! Omoa blinked, and shuffled forward nervously to get a better look.
Sure enough, this red and gray creature was indeed a honey badger like herself, but what was it doing with the lion? Omoa had heard nothing but terrible tales of the beasts, and the last one she had met had tried to eat her!
"Oi!" She whispered harshly, trying to get his attention. "You there!" She took a small step backwards, ready to run should the enormous feline stir rather than the ratel.
"Are you mad? Get up and away from that beast!"
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:23 pm
Benibeni had almost been lulled to sleep himself by Leo's own rhythmic breathing when a voice hissed at him from below. Leokaa slept like a rock, but Beni was a light sleeper. He cracked open one eye and glanced down. Well... fancy that. Another honey badger, and here of all places, just when he'd been thinking about his species. He'd be delighted, if the girl weren't acting so paranoid and badmouthing his friend.
"Hmh. Hmph mmh hmm mm mmhmm mhm," he squeaked. What he was trying to say was something along the lines of 'Hey, that's my friend you're talking about'... but Beni's vocal cords were frustratingly underdeveloped and not made for speech. He glared a little and patted Leo's side and hoped his point got across anyway.
And the lion continued to sleep soundly.
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:37 pm
Omoa eyed the other ratel suspiciously, and took a few tentative steps forward, constantly glancing at the slumbering lion to be sure that he was indeed asleep. She did not want any unpleasant surprises.
As Benibeni attempted to speak, she merely blinked, unsure of what he meant. She could only guess, however, that this lion was, for what ever reason, a friend to him. She also assumed that he might be trying to reassure her that he was sound asleep, and that she had nothing to fear. Not that it would stop her from being afraid anyway, but it was a comforting thought.
"Um... My name is Omoa." She said softly, "Can you speak? I mean, can you tell me your name?" It was odd for the female to be so fearful, but being raised by the graveyard pack of hyenas had instilled a deep hatred for lions. Normally if one showed up, she could always run off and find one of the many hyenas who she lived with, and they would gladly dispose of it. But out here, she had no such protection. While she was a decent fighter, she would not kid herself into thinking that she could survive a fight with a truly determined lion.
Why any ratel would trust one enough to sleep at his side was beyond her, but Omoa supposed that it was not her place to judge him so quickly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:00 pm
Benibeni was pleased to note that, at least, the other ratel seemed to have a vague understanding of what he was trying to tell her. he couldn't even get that much from some creatures... it was a blessing that he'd ever met Leo, who to his surprise had been able to decipher his little squeaks without any trouble at all. Usually Leo would act as interpreter, if needed... but he was asleep now, and Beni wasn't about to wake him up and make her even more uncomfortable than she already was.
And so, he slid off the lion's side and hit the ground, clearing away the fallen leaves in front of him to explose the ground. Then, taking a stick in hand, he scrawled a few quick messages in the dirt. First, he simply wrote his name, "Benibeni", with an arrow pointing to himself. He then drew another arrow to Leo and wrote "Leokaa. Don't worry. He's a selfish doofus, but he's harmless." That done, he dropped the stick, nodded firmly, then extended a paw to shake. Just because he couldn't talk didn't mean he didn't have manners, after all... and since this was the first member of his own species he'd met in a long time, he wanted to be accomodating to her.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:19 pm
Omoa was glad to see that Benibeni had found a good way to communicate. It made things so much easier on her. "Benibeni... That's a nice name." She nodded thoughtfully and read the rest of his writing, her eyes shifting nervously to the lion.
"Harmless? If you say so..." She shrugged, and extended her paw and shaking his politely. If there was one thing Omoa had learned from being raised by hyenas, it was that good manners were a good way to avoid trouble. She had found that both lions and hyenas were a bit more hesitant to a creature who said 'please' and 'thank you', and even more so if you addressed them as 'sir' or 'ma'am'. Omoa did not feel the need to be so formal with Beni, but she would still be courteous to him.
After all he was, in a way at least, her kin. She had met very few ratels in her time, and most of them were her family.
"So, what is this place?" She asked, glancing around. "It is so strange. Everything is alive and making so much noise. Where I come from, the land is dead and quiet."
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 3:14 pm
Benibeni smirked briefly before breaking into snickers. He had to wait a moment to control his amusement before hastily scrawling into the ground, "It means 'Awry'. Better than 'Bean', though. That's what HE calls me." He jerked his head towards Leo and rolled his eyes. Bean... honestly. He shrugged it off though and reached out to brush clear the ground before him for more writing.
He smiled encouragingly at Omoa as she returned his shake. She was so nervous... it was a damn shame. He wondered if it was just her or if it was becoming a species trait. Honey badgers were supposed to be fierce... he'd hate to see his kind reduced to such meekness. Not that Beni himself had any claims to being fierce. He was the first to bolt whenever Leo started another fight.
He was pulled out of his musing by her question, and quickly jotted down the answer for her. "Jungle," he wrote, with arrows pointing out in all directions. "Where you from?" He sat back and rolled his paws. His wrists were starting to cramp from all this writing... there had to be an easier way.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:49 am
Omoa giggled, "Well, I still think it's a nice name." She offered politely.
In most situations, Omoa was bold and fearless. A fact that Beni did not know, but one she didn't feel the need to share. In the presence of a lion, though... She simply melted into a shameful state of cowardice. That fact she was quite sure that Beni had picked up on.
"Jungle..." Omoa tested the word on her tongue, pondering it for a moment. She had never heard of a jungle before, but it was a seemingly alien world to the female. "I'm from the Graveyard." She nodded, "Y'know, the Elephant Graveyard, where the hyenas live?" She rather hoped that Beni had heard of it, but did not expect that he had. Living in such an odd place that she had never heard of, she wouldn't be surprised if her world was just as strange to him.
She watched as Beni rolled his paws uncomfortably, and frowned. Being unable to speak must make things awfully difficult on him.
"I could only ask 'yes' and 'no' questions if you like." She offered, "And you could just nod and shake your head. Would that be easier for you?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:31 pm
Benibeni smirked. Still a nice name, eh? Well, she could think that if she liked, he supposed.
But soon enough that smirk dropped straight off his face, replaced by an expression of beady-eyed shock. The Graveyard? This girl lived in the Elephant Graveyard, and she was scared of the Jungle? Beni recalled once traveling through the place with Leo on one of their many adventures. Never again, they'd agreed. Shuddering involuntarily, Bean scrawled on the ground, "That place creeps me out." He dropped the stick and began compulsively grooming himself with his paws and teeth at the thought of the place. It was all dead things.. dead things and angry hyenas...
But he calmed down long enough to field Omoa's suggestion, and he sighed with relief. That would be easier. Granted, it was a little embarassing, having to simplify a conversation due to his crippling communication defect... but Beni was highly in favor of taking the path of least resistance wherever possible. He nodded eagerly and leaned back against Leo's leg.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:40 pm
Omoa tilted her head to one side confusedly at his reaction. To her, the graveyard was home, and she saw no reason to be afraid of it. Still, she supposed that everyone was different and had their own places where they enjoyed living. "It's not so bad. Sure, there's a lot of dangerous stuff there, but there are also lots of really good places to hide." She nodded, "And I'm really good at hiding in the bones."
Omoa smiled as he accepted her suggestion, glad that he wouldn't have to strain himself too much to communicate any more.
"So, do you know any other ratels? You're the only one I've met in a long, long time." She asked curiously, fearing that perhaps her kind was beginning to fade away. There simply was not a good way for them to survive as independent beings, what with all the large predators around... It was hard enough being small, but being all alone as well? It was a wonder that there were any of them left.
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:52 pm
Beni pursed his lips a little and briefly glanced away. Clearly there were some things they just weren't going to understand about each other... but that was okay, he supposed. Bean was open minded; he didn't really care what others thought so long as they didn't force him to go along with it. But his eyes shot back at her after he spoke. Places to hide? Places to hide? He goggled at her and flailed his paws at all the trees and shrubbery and fallen logs. Now those were places to hide. Graveyards were places to go to die... but he wouldn't say something like that to her. And not just because he physically couldn't.
When she asked him if he knew any other ratels... he cast his eyes down and shook his head slowly. Granted, their kind tended to keep to themselves and underground a lot anyway, meaning they were rather less noticable than the congregating animals... but it made him wonder sometimes just how many of them were really out there. He figured in all this time wandering around with Leo, he would've seen a few other honey badgers.
Well, there was...
He closed his eyes. No, he would not think of that.
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:14 am
Omoa glanced around as Beni waved his paws around, seemingly trying to indicate all the strange plants and such. She watched him with a puzzled look on her face for a moment and shrugged, "I guess you could hide in those too, if you wanted to. But..." She waddled over to some nearby shrubs and pawed at the leaves. "They don't seem all that strong. I mean, if you hide under there, you could just as easily be stepped on." She cringed at the thought, resenting the fact that she was so small. Once, just ONCE she wanted to be big enough to be able to stand up for herself in the face of a larger opponent... Hiding just seemed shameful to her, though it was a good way to stay alive.
"Oh." Her ears flattened, disappointed. She had hoped that perhaps Beni was in touch with their kind, but it seemed as though he had as little luck as her in her search for more ratels.
"Hey, are you alright?" Omoa tilted her head at him, a worried look on her face.
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:24 pm
Benibeni sighed and his ears drooped. Oh well. If she wanted to play and live in a wasteland of death, that was her prerogative. He shrugged and shook his head and brushed the subject off with the flick of a paw. It was no matter to him, none at all.
However, he seemed startled when asked if he was alright, perking his head up and raising a brow. By this point he'd gotten so good at repressing the memory that he'd forgotten anything had upset him in the first place. He nodded quickly, to assure her that, yes, indeed, he was fine.
But he wondered about her. She seemed a little sullen, down. She was probably thinking the same thing he was--there just weren't enough of them. That the two of them had never really seen any other ratels was a shame, a damn shame, but what could they honestly do about it? They were just two little creatures in a very big world.
And yet... and yet they both covered so much space. Bean, well he traveled everywhere with Leo, and Omoa seemed an expert at creating long, far-reaching tunnels. Furrowing his brow, Beni put a paw to his chin, pondering, losing himself in thought briefly and forgetting his company as he went through the calculations in his head.
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:43 pm
Omoa shrugged, seeing that Beni didn't seem to want to talk about hiding places or graveyards any more. That was fine with her, and she let it roll off her shoulders.
She smiled as he nodded, glad that he was alright. She wasn't entirely convinced that nothing was wrong, but she did not want to pry. Especially with the difficulties of communication at the time, it may not even be worth the effort it would take for him to explain. For now, she'd simply have to trust him.
Sitting patiently for a while, Omoa quickly realized that Beni was deep in thought. As much as she wanted to be polite and wait for him to do something, she simply HAD to know what he was thinking!
"Whatcha thinking about, Beni?" She asked softly, her tone curious.
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:56 pm
It was growing increasingly obvious to Benibeni; he and Omoa couldn't be the last ratels. They just couldn't. The simple fact that they'd met each other ought to be proof enough. Certainly they'd been born from other ratels who had been, and if the two of them were truly the last ratels alive, then the odds they should've met would be astronomical.
No, no, there had to be other ratels out there--they just weren't looking for them hard enough. But the two of them... if they found even two more ratels, well then... well then they could tell another ratel, and they could tell another ratel, and soon enough...
Benibeni's little black eyes widened, and he grinned. Taking up a stick in paw again, he scrawled one phrase on the ground, simply: "We need to organize."
That was it, wasn't it? That was what the ratels lacked that kept them below the lions and other large beasts: that they were solitary. But if they could organize themselves, if they could find a common belief, a common language, a system by which they could communicate, connect, and support each other...
Why, then the ratels could take their rightful place among the top predators of Africa. After all, they may be small, but they were tough, and even when Benibeni fled from Leo's fights he knew he was a force to be reckoned with... he just didn't care enough to clean up the lion's messes for him.
Yes, yes, of course... it was so obvious! Bean was grinning so wide it was all he could do to keep from laughing.
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