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 Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:22 pm
 It was hot. Almost unbearably hot. There were cracks in the ground where there had recently been a water hole and the carcasses of fish were sunk into the cakey mud where the last of the water had been. At the edge of the depression, Taonga stood with a look of disappointment on his face. This place had shimmered in the heat... he'd been so sure....
Huffing, the bright blue lion wandered over to a parched tree and dropped to his belly beneath it, taking solace in the meager shade it offered. Water would be really nice about now... he knew he shouldn't have wandered so far. A large figure trotted over the plains like a rolling cloud of dust, not affected in the least by the heat nor sun.... Or at least he pretended. Corsa'lion's ever-present smile was strained and sweaty as his fur too was now plastered to his skin. The lion was trying to make the best of the sweltering heat by searching for water for he and his mate, but it was to no avail.
But he refused to let any sort of failure weigh down on his spirits, and he trotted on, ever searching for a redemption of this regrettable afternoon of a day.Taonga, ever observant and ever curious, caught sight of that trail of dust and perked. Tossing great red mane, the lion squinted into the light to try to figure out the source.... he hadn't seen anyone recently, just prey animals. Mmn... prey. Maybe it was a stupid water buffalo.... come for a drink but bone weary from the heat. An easy meal, that.
Eagerly, he shifted to crouch in the bushes and wait, hoping that the dust trail would draw closer. "Be a buffalo... be a buffalo..." Of course, this would be easier if there was actually water to hide in... but one had to make due after all.Corsa paused to observe the ground beneath his feet. Cracked. He tilted his massive head, his pink mane flopping around his eyes as he observed the ground. His tail waved hopefully and for a moment, his smile was earnest. Maybe water was nearby! He trotted forward hopefully, casually throwing a glance at a dry tree and scraggily bushes around it, taking them from the corner of his eyes that he was right, and oh so hopeful. Oh. A lion. Huffing, Taonga stepped out from said bushed and shook his head, "No water. Don't bother looking.... though there's old, hot fish in the mud over there..." He gestured with a paw and flopped back onto his belly with a sigh. "I wanted a buffalo... not a lion." Taonga seemed downright disappointed.Corsa shied back as he was startled. An inner part of him forced a laugh from his chest. "Well.... I didn't expect a lion either!" He fidgeted his paws in the hot dirt as he looked at the bearer of bad news. "Oh uh, I'm Corsa'lion, and you're right, not a water buffalo. Sorry!" As he spoke, he half bobbed his head in an mixture between an apology and respect.
Curling his tail around him even before he sat, Corsa seated himself a small distance away from the blue lion, smiling and expecting a nice conversation to at least come from their ill misfortune. "Taonga." He replied, frowning, "I haven't found water anywhere near... and you look about as parched as I am." Taonga laughed ruefully as he eyed the other. "Where'd you come from? I'd go back there... don't want to die of thirst out here." Gruff and to the point, Taonga shrugged as he tossed his head once more, "Mind if I come along? Don't want to die either." A wry smile played across his lips when he finished speaking.
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:25 pm
 Corsa then shifted his head back as he thought. "Uh, well. I came from back there." His smile was crocked and his shoulders with a chuckle. He then raised a paw to help his point. There was no trace of his path, the dust settled and the ground indifferent to any traveler. But he knew the way back to Zuri.
But that Taonga wanted to go back? It was a surprise. There were scare resources there too. His deep blue eyes blinked once, twice. "Uh. If you want!" Surely Zuri would be happy enough, so long as he could groom his pink mane.Taonga blinked at that. He'd been half joking... "Ah. Alright. I just want some water... and some buffalo. That's from the way you came?" He peered off beyond the other, as though expecting his desires to simply appear in the place Corsa was pointing. "Huh. There's only the tricky fake water waves... You sure?"Corsa had been sure.... Had been. He squinted his eyes and tried to see beyond the illusions. "Yeah, I mean. Should be." His tail flopped on the ground in frustration. "Hmm." The pink lion muttered to himself and tilted his head. Of course it was.
"I'm not so sure there're water buffalo there. But its nice with Zuri." Even behind his pink cheeks and through the great heat, Corsa could almost feel himself blush. "Mmmmrr... the last time I followed the waves, I ended up here - lotta good that did me." He miuttered, making no move to rise. However, at the fondness in the other's voice, Taonga perked; his ears turned forward and his tail flicked little a mischievous cat's. "Oh? Who's Zuri?"He tilted his head. "I think the scent would stay around on the dirt long enough to follow it back... Hmm."
Corsa chuckled "Oh, Zurinuri my mate." It still made him a little nervous. Of course, he was utterly oblivious that Taonga may not approve of his 'alternative lifestyle'. "He's a leopard, and a few shades of blue darker than you." To Corsa, it seemed like a pretty fine explanation. "Oh. Probably... like hoof prints or a stream." He nodded then blinked, "He? Leopard?" Taonga sounded confused. He'd run into a lot of leopards... but hadn't really even thought about them being /mates/ before. "Huh..." It was a thoughtful remark, though, as he turned it over in his head then shrugged.Corsa looked nervous for a moment. "Uh, yeah. He's really great...." He fidgeted his toes a little in the dirt and nodded. He was still shy about it. But maybe he just needed something to distract himself. He stood and stretched a little, watching Taonga to see if he would go after all, or maybe just follow later. In the midst of his stretch, he shrugged to himself.Taonga raised a paw then bounced it against the ground and watched the dust curl out from the impact. Not much here.... With a shrug, he rose and shook himself out. "Eh. I'm sure he is. Met lots of leopards... didn't ever think of them being mates though." He chuckled and shrugged, "Whatever keeps you happy I guess. Which way did you say?" He lowered his head to sniff at the ground, trying to find the path Corsa had left.Corsa stared for a moment, he wasn't quite comfortable with the way he phrased that.... But he shrugged that off too. He leaned over to press his nose to the ground, and he snuffed the dirt for the direction from whence he'd come. It was faint, but he thought he had enough of a bearing. Again he pointed for Taonga and nodded. "This way. If you go long enough, there's a big hill, and on the other side of it is a stream." In the midst of the afternoon, Corsa wished he could be there.Taonga moved over to where Corsa had pointed and dug his claws into the ground - the length of the scratch marks pointing in the direction he should go. "Alright. Go on ahead, I'll catch up when I won't be roasted alive, thanks. I have a good spot of shade right here." He nodded, having not expected the other to head back right now - it was too hot!Corsa nodded to his new friend. "Enjoy it while its here! I'll see you on the other side!" He smiled and trotted off in the direction he'd pointed to, every so often pressing his nose to the dirt stirring up larger clouds than his large paws.
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