It had been a while since the hazy leopard encountered a rather pleasant mirage. She was rather playful, though perhaps maybe too playful for his or her own good. However, he had split off, not exactly having concern over consequences of said encounter with a breathtaking mirage. It wasn't every day that one walked and talked with a waterfall, or even had a night of more... intimate fun. But that didn't phase him at all. Oblivious to anything regarding the female, the only lament he had was that she wasn't livening up more of his days...There were, however, much more company out there to be had that he never had the chance to meet before. This he knew, and he also knew that there would be a greater success of seeking out his next companion to talk to by a watering hole. So, with slight enthusiastic steps, the gray leopard made his way to the closest source of water he could find. It was hidden through a blanket of trees, but he still found it nevertheless. Upon arrival, he stared across the water standing between him and a shape beyond it. It was black, though the day had just started, which indicated a very ebony pelt.
"Is it that black leopard guy?" he muttered to himself, then shaking his head; this one looked much more smaller, despite being off in the distance, and with a different body structure.
Curious, he began padding his way around the perimeter of the watering hole, looking towards the middle to see if there were any worthy fish swimming around to try and catch.
The black hyena did indeed exist to soak up the sun's rays and remain black as ever as a sight during the lighted hours. His thick tail swayed, idle and bored, and his gaze was blurring as it looked at a faraway place. Ears were, however, up and in an alert position, yet it took a while for the male hyena to realize he was being approached... by a light gray leopard.At first, he eyed the oncoming feline warily, eyes narrowing and body tensing in caution. Each step the stranger leopard took, however, indicated that he wasn't here for a fight or threat. The hyena was still cautious, however, despite wishing for the company of... another. A feline wasn't the type of company he would have expected to be a good one, though, but he supposed he got what he desired. Reflective thinking time was over.
Frozen in place, he attempted a very small smile as the gray leopard was within hearing distance, and called out, "Hey, fellow, what are you coming here for?"
The feeling of a threat in the air couldn't help but come to the black hyena; he already didn't talk to others of his own kind much, and having lived a harsher life than normal, it made him susceptible to being more paranoid than he should be. This smaller leopard shouldn't have posed much danger, but he still put up his guard.
"Huuh," he said flatly, noticing that the black figure he saw earlier was not a leopard, or even feline.
He was encountering a hyena.
He had seen some, but never really directly talked to one. They usually congregated in packs, never really separating to be an individual. But this one was; he didn't even have one other to accompany him. However, the same could be said for the gray leopard, though he supposed his kind were more solitary, though he desired more company most of the time.
"Yah, I thought more would be here..." he started, looking around in redundancy, "Seems you're the only one. Right?"
He twitched his head once more around; if he had in fact stepped into a heinous hyena trap, he would only be able to pray to escape. It seemed peaceful enough, though.
The black hyena nodded in an answer, indicating he was alone. Though he, like the leopard, didn't exactly want that. Maybe the leopard would make a good ear to speak to in the meantime.
"No, I thought I would find someone else here... I don't know. Another hyena, maybe. But looks like this watering hole is well deserted," he sighed out.
"I'm Otieno. You look a little lost, though, if I can't help but say," he continued, stepping forward to the water that was right in front of him.
Deciding that he wasn't in any real danger, then, Otieno bent down to quench his thirst. He had been traveling as usual, though not very far, and he felt like he had been almost going in circles. He wasn't very lost himself, though; one couldn't be lost if they really had nowhere to go, unless one found themselves in the desert and had no oasis on which to survive. This was not that case, however.
"I'm not lost," the black eyes of the leopard blinked when he spoke, "I've had a few last days that made me feel a little like that, though."
He walked some slow steps towards Otieno, then, stopping whenever he thought he was going too fast in hopes that he would gain the hyena's trust.
"I'm Goshi. Well, I think I'm glad you're not a walking mirage... or another feline female. I think I have to take a break for a while. Though... your coat kind of makes you blend a little with things at night. So maybe you can be a moving mirage then."
His eyes gazed upwards, speculating on that single strange thought to make him pause. "Huh, it's nice to meet a hyena anyways."
Otieno was rather confused yet entertained by the peculiar leopard. On an average day, he would have thought that the average feline would be aggressive, threatening, and usually blundering through the grasses scaring off all traces of prey. But this one was gentle, perhaps a little childlike in mannerism, and not very... straightforward. He was beginning to like the lad, anyways, and listened to him until his words ended. He then took another sip of the water, meeting his thirsty needs, and leaned back on his haunches, against a boulder that had been next to him.
"I'm Otieno. And it's probably best that I blend into the night, because my name means I was born in the night. Something my foster mother gave me, anyways," he replied kindly.
He paused, then asking, "So... I gather you've had some atypical greet with a lady? Hah, well, I think there is something to be said about those entrancing females. Not feline ones for me, though, I hope you'd know."
Snapping back to focus on Otieno, Goshi opened his mouth with a hesitance to say something, but wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say. Was his meeting with Poromoko considered atypical? That one needed to be checked off for sure. Entrancing would also be a check.
"How did you know!" Goshi then gave in brief excitement, whipping his tail to the ground; it was as if Otieno had been there during his time with the other cheetah!
"Yeah, girls are strange, especially when they come out of the blue. Then, you're unsure when they leave the blue. This one, though, isn't what I'm worried about. I'm alright if I don't bump into her again, but if the same thing happens with every one I bump into, then... Well, huh."
Goshi drifted off, losing himself in thought and the sight of the overhead clouds.
As Otieno listened to Goshi, he nodded solemnly, though feeling more mirthful than he should that a random leopard was spouting out more or less the same way he himself felt. Ironic that the two should meet at the very watering hole, especially at such a time.
"Yeah... Minus the last part," he added, not quite realizing his feelings.
Maybe he should try harder to warm up to others. With an isolated upbringing and alienation from other hyenas, Otieno was not one to build relationships with others; friends even came and go, and several minute chats were the closest he had ever gotten to another aside from his foster parent. It was hard to change that life, but perhaps it was time to make the change... for someone.
"Sorry for the briefness, but I'm going to go... I'm going to look for something. It was good to meet you, Goshi. Good luck on your ah, affairs?"
"Hmm," Goshi replied, still not totally there from looking above, "We'll both be cool. Was cool, Otienooo. I'm staying right here, so luck with you too."
And as Otieno moved to leave, Goshi went towards where the hyena had been, and looked into the water. He took a paw into it, testing its quality, and smiled. It was good. This would actually be a nice place to be alone in until someone else came by looking to quell their thirst. It was perhaps like a mirage in itself, except it was real, and not on a feline.
"Goodbye," he said, then laying on the ground to put the bottom half of his face into the water.
Otieno made the move to get up off the ground, starting a walk away from the watering hole. He turned back to give a small smile at the leopard he was leaving behind, but he was sure the two would find better aid elsewhere, or if not, then surely they would meet up again in some strange designated body of water. It was where most of these sporadic yet interesting moments seemed to happen for Otieno, anyways.
And as Otieno loped away, he began a faster pace, and for Goshi, he was soon out of sight. His dark figure simply vanished into the horizon, replaced by the present workings of insects and smaller life surrounding the area.
