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 Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:19 am
 Murdoc sat in the low branches of a tree, eyes narrowed at the bit of horizion in front of him. Life seemed to be going down hill lately. He'd lost the only person he'd ever really loved, or... at least he thought he'd loved her. She was the perfect girl. But she had to go off and have kids! Which... ruined everything, of course. Kids were icky and smelly and loud. Not that he could say anything. He stank to high heaven.
Even more so lately, since he was secretly too depressed to move much, other than hunt. So he just laid around getting thinner, mostly because he wasn't that great of a hunter. Like right now, he was sulking over the fact that he had failed to chase down an antelope for the.. well, who was keeping track now!
He grumbled under his breath and rolled over off of the branch, flopping onto the ground. The cheetah coughed a bit and shook his head, then glanced around. Surely there had to be a hare or dumb bird or something....
Kunfuju was having an interesting morning. She had been living in these lands all her life, and yet she had managed to turn herself around. Not lost, per se, but slightly off track, she had wandered a bit far from her usual territory. Sighing, the green leopardess walked softly, her paws barely ruffling the grass as she all but glided at a quick clip across the savannah. She was not colored well for this area, her green fur a bit obvious against the yellow grass. If she wanted to do some hunting, she would need to find a better area to hide in.
She drew close to a tree and stopped. What was that smell in the air? It was ghastly, though she only daintily showed her distaste for it by wrinkling her nose. Shaking her head, she looked up and spotted the source in a tree, tilting her head at the creature there and frowning. She could sense a depression in the air, and it must have been coming off of him as potently as the smell.
He rolled out of the tree and she crouched instinctively, standing behind it so that he would not spot her. She watched him, a soft expression on her face, for a long moment before moving out and carefully calling his attention to her.
“Hello, there, my friend,” she said, her voice warm, “are you doing well?”
He turned around sharply, mismatched eyes widening. "Jo?" He said softly and hopefully, then frowned when he saw a blur of green instead of pink. His ears flattened and for a moment he looked sad and disapointed... But it quickly changed to a guarded growl, glaring towards her. "Who are you?"
For a moment he wondered if she was some female from his past, the way she called him friend... But that was impossible. The only female that had given him the time of day was Jo, and she was gone now. Or at least she had not returned to their tree for weeks...
He continued to eye her, though not quite as defensively now. "Yeah... I'm fine enough... what do you want?"
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, smiling carefully, “I didn’t mean to surprise you. I’m Kunfuju, since you asked.”
She looked at him, stepping closer despite his growl, though she didn’t want to crowd him in any way. Her eyes were nothing but kindness, a gentle kind of warmth that was not overbearing or condescending. Just a natural glow that precipitated her friendly nature. She nodded at him, though she didn’t believe him when he said he was fine. Fine enough, she noted, was not fine.
“I was just worried. You looked… so sad. And you look… well, forgive me for being forward, but you look rather… hungry, I suppose. Like you’re not taking care of yourself. I’m sorry, I’m just… if I can help you, in any way, I would gladly.”
He eyed her doubtfully, frowning. He was not used to people offering to help him. Most females just ran away from him, though he'd never admit that. He had an imaginary womanizing reputation to uphold! He didn't seem too off put when she stepped closer, only more suspicious.
Then he smirked and shook his head. "Listen missy, I'm not in the mood for a roll in the dirt, if that's what you're after. Perhaps some other time, you are rather pretty anyway." Of course, everything in the cheetah's mind revolved around... that. Even though he'd never been able to successfully court a female before, not even his love...
Kunfuju looked distraught at the implication, taking a step back as if that might restore some of her dignity. She shook her head vigorously, attempting a smile despite her extreme embarrassment and the healthy amount of insult. Frowning, she tried to focus on his apparent mental hurt, and not the her own wounded pride.
“That’s… not it at all, I’m afraid. Though, who wouldn’t want to take a ‘role in the dirt’ with a smelly cheetah that looks like he might snap in half at the spark of some physical endeavor? My loss, I’m sure. I’m sorry.”
So she wasn’t the best at remaining friendly, despite her innate penchant for that personality trait. She was vexed by the curse of sarcasm, often using it without any conscious thought. She still did nice things, and helped who she could. She just sometimes happened to insult them in the process. But that was her own problem. She was working on it.
“I’ll keep you in mind, though, if you get some help for yourself. But since we’re talking about it now, why aren’t you in the mood. As you said?”
Doc didn't really look disapointed, but the sarcastic insult did make him twitch and look away, frowning. "Tch... Geez, okay, okay. Could have just said no..." He turned to trot away, head and tail tucked low, but her continued words made him pause and glance back at her, scowling softly.
"Why do you care anyway? Just curious? Or do you know her? Eh? Did she send you to torment me more? You can go back and tell her that I've had enough of her games!" On top of everything, Murdoc was also rather... paranoid.
Fuju blinked. Was she being accused of something? Another impropriety. She was incapable of lying or conspiracy! At least, not when she was aware of it. A couple of times she had been tricked into helping someone do something cruel, but only because she had been promised that she was doing something helpful. The right thing, it seemed, was a hard thing to be sure of.
“I… don’t know who you’re talking about, I’m afraid. Did who send me? Someone you care about, I suppose. Or… cared about? Forgive me for prying, but you seem so passionate. I’m sorry if you think I’m some… bad guy, but I’m not. I’m just a stranger who noticed a strange smell and found a damaged cheetah.”
She sighed, moving to catch up to him so that she was standing near his side. “I’m sorry. I know I come on a bit strong… but if you want to talk about it, I can listen. Or… we could go on a hunt?”
He frowned at her suspiciously, ears laying flat. Was she telling the truth? It seemed like it, but could he really be sure anymore? He continued to frown and mule over her words, but suddenly he snapped again and snarled towards her, eyes blazing.
"I am NOT DAMAGED!" He hissed and bent down a little, as if he'd pounce on her... But then he just crawled backwards into the tall grass, collapsing down into the dirt to curl up miserably. "I'm not damaged... And if I am, it's her fault! The witch..." He grumbled softly, his chin tucked down between his paws.
"Listen lady, really... Just leave me alone..."
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:20 am
 Fuju sighed, smiling gently. She shook her head and watched him as he recoiled into the grasses, taking a moment before moving after him. She circled around him at a close distance, sitting down next to him and watching him quietly for a long while. Then she lowered herself, placing his paws in front of her almost regally as she tilted her head at him.
“Not damaged, then,” she said, her voice smiling though her expression was soft, “just wronged? There are better ways to deal with wrongs than taking it out on yourself. I think you need some food, and maybe a bath. And an ear, if you’re ready, to talk to. Or just the first two.”
She looked around, having no intention of leaving him alone, “if I go and kill something, will you be here when I get back? It can be for me, if you don’t want it, but it’s always so lonely, not having anyone to share a meal with.”
What was this girl's deal? He didn't understand at all!
He frowned up at her, having ignored her for the past few quiet moments. Was she really sincere? He was hungry... Starving even, when he thought about it. But he'd never been offered something without demanding it first.
"Well, uh..." He pushed himself up a bit, staring at her before speaking on. "Yeah, I'll be here, I guess... If you don't mind." He looked down then, looking a little sorry. "...Thanks."
“I don’t mind at all, my friend,” she smiled and stood, apparently not noticing his expression. She trotted away, humming to herself as she went. She trusted him to stay there, as he said, because he had already thanked her. And it wouldn’t be much of a thank you if she didn’t actually do that which he was saying it for. Confident in this logic, she set about her hunt.
It didn’t take too long for her to spot a young animal, small enough for her to drag back but good enough for the cheetah to make a meal out of. She chased after the young zebra and caught it with some skill, though she was not proud of her hunting skills. It took her a good bit of time to drag it back, but she got it to him soon enough. She was just glad she hadn’t forgotten where he was sitting.
Pulling it up to him and letting it down gently, as if that made a difference to the carcass, she sat down at a small distance to clean her paws of the blood. As she preened, rubbing her paw against her face to be rid of the blood that clung to her muzzle, she spoke with her eyes closed.
“I hope that’s good enough for you. I forgot to ask if you had a preference of meat.”
Murdoc was still laying there, and it seemed he had collapsed into a sleep. BUt as she approached he awoke slowly, the smell of food making his empty stomach rumble.
"Ah!" He blinked slowly, looking over the carcess, almost drooling... Then, without anymore hesitation, he pounced upon it and tore into it. The cheetah obviously had no manners, blood and gore splattering all over his body as he burried his muzzle into the flesh.
He popped up after a moment, chewing slowly, smirking over at her. "Nah, this is great babe! Meat is meat... It all goes to the same place, as they say." He bent his head down to rip off another piece, eyeing her. "Want any?" He mumbled, his mouth full.
“Babe?” she laughed indignantly, “the last time I was called that I was just a cub. I think I preferred it in my past, actually.” She eyed him, but she was smiling and teasing. She laughed and watched him eat. He really was ravenous. She pitied him, but she didn’t let it show. It would have ruined the moment, anyway. At least he seemed happier now.
‘I find myself without an appetite, as it turns out,” she said, shaking her head and looking vaguely disgusted. She was a prissy thing, at times, capable of turning her nose up at things she found to be rude or gross. She tried to be understanding and open minded, however. So she didn’t stop others, she simply… tried her best not to partake. Besides, she had caught the thing for him, and it wouldn’t do for her to eat of it.
“You should take better care of yourself. I think you’ll be something formidable, for someone, when the time comes and you’ve built yourself up. What I mean to say is, whatever happened to you, I think you’ve got more left in you. Just don’t throw it, yourself, away.”
He didn't waste time after she turned the food down. He shrugged a bit and nodded, then continued to eat the carcess down to the bones, even taking a while to lick those clean. Waste not a bite, was his moto. He'd need the energy to help himself. For a long while he was quiet as he ate, savering the meal. Indeed, he did look a bit happier. After all, she had been nice enough to feed him. He was still a bit... anxious, but he believed that she had good intentions now.
Finally he rolled over onto his side, his belly swollen from the meal. One leg bone was placed between his paws, which he idily licked at. His attention now as on her, though he had been listening earlier.
"You sure like to put your nose into other people's lives, don't cha?" He shook his head slightly. "Not that I'm complaining. It got me a free meal... Still... It's not any of your business, so I still don't know why you'd care... And... well, I've been tryin' to get better. It's just hard to pick yourself back up."
“I like to help others. Or, at least, if I can’t do that, I like to listen and learn. Creatures around here, every single life, are fascinating. And so troubled. It seems no one takes the time to care for others. But what difference is there between a stranger and a friend? Two lives, two minds, two creatures who may need help. I don’t think if I know them or not should be factored into it. Besides, ‘sticking my nose’ into it is a quick way to make friends. Or enemies, I suppose. But so far it’s been working in my favor.”
She smiled at him, glad to have him at least share that much with her, “I care because… I want to, I think. I care because I don’t have any reason not to. I guess others see it the other way around. They need a reason to care about others. That’s not for me. But I can understand you having a hard time. I hope you’re okay. Or you will be soon. I don’t know what happened to you, and if you don’t want me to know that’s fine. But you’ll be okay, I think.”
She stood, smiling. “I don’t want to over stay my welcome. But if you need something… I’m always around.”
"Of course I will..." He grumbled softly under his breath, eyeing her. "Still... I guess... that's nice of you. Heh. There's not many people like that in the world. Or at least I've never met them." He stood then as well, glancing from the pieces of skin and bones, then to her. His belly was still bulging from his sides. It was probably the largest meal he had had in a long time.
"Ah, uh, my name is Murdoc, by the way. I... live around this tree, yeah. So, yeah. I'll be around too."
“I’m Kunfuju,” she said pleasantly, looking back at him and nodding her hello. A bit late in coming, but she hadn’t thought about it the entire conversation. She smiled, “it was a pleasure meeting you, Murdoc. I hope things turn out well for you.” She nodded again, this one a good bye, and then she turned away. She didn’t have any where to go, really, but she knew it was probably better for her to leave him for a while. She didn’t want to push her luck.
“I hope to see you again!” she called, picking up her pace, her lithe body sliding quickly through the grasses. She was content, happy to have met such a complicated creature, and to imagine that she had made some manner of difference, even if it was a small one.
Company and a meal were not to be taken for granted, after all. Some creatures, herself included, often went without one or the other more often than not.
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