|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:36 am
 A large, chocolate-brown coated wild dog padded his way across the savanna, eyes trained on nothing in particular. So far the day had been, as usual, rather uneventful. Obi had woken up that morning in a bit of a stoic mood, caught his breakfast, walked. Then had lunch, then walked. And now he was getting ready to hunt for dinner, as the sun was well past it's highest point in the sky and on its way towards the horizon. The male was heading in the opposite direction of the sun, and as he walked his eyes now focused on the shadow that he was casting.
His tail was wagging, thought a bit low to the ground, and his ears were lax and not on alert. He wasn't particularly hungry, actually, so he might just skip dinner and start looking for a place to stay for the night. Despite the many moons that he's been traveling, he still wasn't used to sleeping out in the open.
It was at this point that Obi noticed a small bit of brush and a small tree up ahead, and he smiled a small smile. That would be good enough for him to sleep well, and he was happy that it didn't take him too long to find. With a boost of energy Obi ran for the area, salmon eyes looking at nothing else. Which...probably wasn't a good thing, since he wouldn't noticed a streak of white that really stuck out if you were paying attention.
And he wasn't.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:45 am
 The newly grown juve was training, as he did everyday, and well into the night on occasion, and the poor little tree before him was his latest victim. The scratch marks on it made it very obvious that Han had been whacking away at its trunk for most of the day. He'd rested very few times, and for only a minute or two, before continuing. It was a regimen that he stuck to, no matter where he was. If there was nothing he could use as a training dummy, he'd resort to running - and lots of it - to work on his agility. He'd always been the resourceful type, and keeping busy kept his paranoia at bay. Which was always a good thing.
At the moment the hybrid was panting, brows furrowed and eyes focused on the marks that his own claws had made on the trunk. It was time for a short break, he knew, but he refused to stop. Nightfall would soon come, and before then he wanted to get as much out of the day's training as he possibly could.
However his focus had been broken, as the sound of someone approaching reached his already alert ears. Han averted his gaze to a large sack of meat that was making its way toward him, and fast. So, without much thought the juve jumped into the brush, not wanting to get in its way in case it was only passing. And if not, he'd come out slowly, so as not to anger it, as it was significantly larger and would probably be able to knock him out with ease.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:50 am
It wasn't until Obi sat in front of the tree that he realized that someone else had been there very recently, and could very well still be there but in hiding. It didn't make him nervous though, as he was very confident in his ability to outrun most felines. All but the cheetah, of course. The large male exhaled deeply, to catch his breath, then slowly looked around for any inconsistencies in the immediate surrounding area. Particularly the brush.
He didn't catch any though, which was probably because the daylight was beginning to fade.
So instead he decided it'd be better to calmly coax his hidden company out into the open. If they proved themselves to be a threat he'd make a break for it, if not...well, he was always happy to have some company. Traveling alone wasn't very much fun anyway, and he had yet to run into anyone today. So why not?
"You can come out now," he said slowly, ears alert for any sound at all - specifically for rustling. "I'm not gonna hurt you, if that's what you're worried about.."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:56 am
Bright blue eyes were staring at the strange creature before them, and his brows were furrowed in both confusion and curiosity. He'd never seen anything like this before. It had a bushy tail, pointed ears, and a long snout.....what was it, exactly? Maybe a hybrid, like him? Or another strange mix of felines? Or...maybe not a feline at all? Was that even possible? Weren't there only felines running around the savanna?
The sound of the creature's voice sounded friendly enough, so Han carefully left his hiding spot and sat out in the open, head tilted slightly. He continued to stare at the brown...thing...that was right in front of him, brows still furrowed, though not in anger.
"I wasn't really worried about that.." he started, lifting his eyes so he met the larger male's. "Just..I've never seen anything like you before."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:01 am
He heard a soft rustling to his left, and when he turned to see what it was his eyes were met with...a little white creature that he'd never come across before. It was feline, he could tell about that much but...well, this would be the first time he's ever seen anything like it. However, the curious expression that crossed his maw just now didn't last long. Obi chuckled a bit at the little one's statement, shaking his head and smiling in amusement.
"I could say the same about you," he replied simply. "You look a little weird, you know that right?"
And he didn't mean to be rude, or hurt the little guy's feelings. It was true though, and he couldn't help but point it out. He looked like an odd mix of two different species, and it was a little funny. Or, at least it was to Obi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:04 am
The chuckle made Han smile, as it reminded him a bit of his father, but the follow comments sparked up a bit of anger in him, and his face clearly showed it. He hated it when someone said he looked funny, and despite everything that his family told him, he couldn't help but let it get to him.
"No, you're weird! You've got a long snout, a bushy tail, and your ears are too big!" he shouted angrily. "You're probably the weirdest cat I've ever seen!"
The juve panted a bit, his anger simmering down now. He wasn't smirking, as this weird looking thing in front of him didn't seem to lose its smile. He wanted to hurt its feelings, just to return the favor, but his own insults didn't seem to phase the other.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:08 am
Obi's smile got a little bigger, as he brushed off the insults. The little guy's never seen a wild dog before, which wasn't strange for someone his age, and it didn't surprise him. He found it funny, actually, but he kept himself from laughing so as not to hurt his feelings anymore. He didn't mean to, the first time. Actually, he didn't think it'd upset the little guy all that much.
"That's because I'm not a cat," he explained calmly. "I'm a dog, and there's plenty of us running around out here. Not all as nice as me, so you'd better be careful with what you say."
With that Obi yawned a little, and lowered himself onto his belly. He wanted to get comfortable, since he figured this little one would run home sooner or later. In the meantime, he hoped to continue their conversation...if the other wasn't too upset anymore.
"I'm Obi, by the way. What's your name?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:14 am
Han lost his anger almost as immediately after the brown male explained that he wasn't a cat at all. So they did exist! Curious looking creatures, these...dogs, but the warning that came after the explanation didn't phase him. He forgot about Obi's insults for the time being, a stoic expression crossing his face now.
"I'm not scared of what I'll run into, but thanks for the warning," he said, then nodded to acknowledge Obi's introduction.
"I go by Han. My full name's a little long...no one but my mother bothers to say the whole thing." Speaking of which, it was about time he got back to her...but......this was too much of an opportunity to pass up. It wasn't everyday that he got to talk to someone so different from him.
"So..you're a dog, you said?" he then asked, standing and moving a bit closer as Obi got more comfortable. "My mom's never mentioned anything about your kind. Are you all big and brown?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:17 am
"No," he chuckled, glad to see that Han forgot about his prior accidental offense. "We come in all sizes and colors, but we're the same general shape - long snout, bushy tails, and too-big ears."
Obi's eyes drifted to the setting sun, worried that Han might get stranded away from his family for the night if he didn't leave soon. He wouldn't force him to leave though, but he couldn't help but worry. The parents might take it the wrong way, considering he wasn't one of them...whatever they were. The thought piqued his interest, and he carefully worded his next question.
"So what are you, exactly?"
Or...not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:21 am
The juve brushed the bluntness of Obi's last question aside, figuring he owed the dog that much for kindly answering his question.
"My mother's a cheetah, my father's a leopard. They're separated now, and he has his own full-leopard family. I don't mind though, considering my mom's side of the family is pretty huge. And a lot of us are only half-cheetah, so I fit in perfectly with that lot. Not so much with my dad's..."
Han caught himself just as he finished his little ramble, and he smiled sheepishly at the older male.
"Sorry.."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:24 am
Obi shook his head and raised a paw, so as to dismiss Han's apology. "No need to apologize Han, I know what it's like with separated parents and the sort. My own split up, and they were both dogs. You can imagine how me and my brothers and sisters felt." He smiled kindly at the younger creature, then glanced back at the sunset, then up at the darkening sky.
"So your cousins are mostly half-cheetah too, huh?" he asked, just to keep their conversation going. It really did interest him, as he had no idea that it was even possible for felines to cross-breed.
"Do you look alike? Or are they a little different from you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:27 am
"My brothers and sisters look like me, but my cousins look a little different. My uncle's a lion, so it makes sense that we don't look alike." Han's smile was wide now, and he took a comfortable seat right nearby where Obi lay. The male was nice, and he seemed to relate to Han's feelings are far as his parents split-up was concerned. Though Obi seemed to have it a little worse, seeing as his parents looked the same but still separated.
"So why'd they separate?" he asked, noticing a small trend in Obi's movements during their conversation. "Your parents, I mean."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:30 am
Ah, that was it. That was as far as Obi would let their conversation go. The topic of his own family was always off-limits as far as acquaintances were concerned, no matter how similar their situations. At that Obi sat up, his smile lingering, though at this point it appeared a bit more hollow. It took a bit of effort for him to make it more convincing, but so the little one wouldn't worry he put in the effort.
"I...don't really like to talk about it," he answered quickly. "So isn't your mom worried about you Han? It's getting pretty dark."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:34 am
That tone was familiar to Han. Adults used it all the time when they didn't feel like talking about something, or when they wanted to younger ones to go away or stop asking questions. His assumption was confirmed when Obi admitted that he didn't want to talk about it, and Han nodded with understanding. He also didn't like it when people pried, unintentionally or not. It was uncomfortable one way or the other, so it didn't matter. At the last question Han's eyes moved to the setting sun and he jumped up onto his paws, a surprised look on his face.
"Oh, crud! My mom's gonna kill me!"
At that the juve turned around, making a break for it toward his home, stopping and turning once to look at Obi, the smile returning to his maw for the moment. "It was nice meeting you! Bye!!"
And he was off, racing back to avoid getting scolded. Though, that was inevitable at this point. He was supposed to be home ages ago, so boy was he in for an earful.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:36 am
Obi laughed loudly at Han's sudden reaction to his question, and watched with a huge grin as the little white hybrid ran off. The brown-coated male waved a paw in goodbye when Han turned around to bid his farewell, and then he lowered his head down to his paws and closed his eyes.
It felt like a good time to go to sleep, even though it was still really early so why not? The worst that could happen was that he'd wake up in the middle of the night...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
