AIM LOG between Velveteen Angel [Dysini'mbus] & Jikde Bonyac [Thi'Butte]
Dysi::
Dysini'mbus padded along the firm ground with a strong gait. His movements were graceful, much to his annoyance. He hated being graceful, because that was just one more thing that made him seem girly, but his mother had taught them all to be gracefully, especially when it came to hunting. This time, the leopard male wasn't hunting, he was just...walking. He had no where to be and all day to do it in, which meant he was getting irritated at his own company. Spotting a nearby tree, the male crouched low where he stood and within a few seconds, was racing towards the tree. Leaping up, he latched onto the trunk and shimmied his way up. He didn't particularly want to be up in the tree, but it staved off boredom a little longer. When he was half way up, he released his claws and allowed himself to drop back to the ground.
Thi'Butte::
Stretching out along the branches of the tree, Thi'Butte studiously worked to unwind the knots in her back, by means of knocking herself silly if need be. A particularly hard whack eased off the tension in her shoulders, and she yawned with relief. A slow day of watching the world go by below was just her idea of relaxation, and she planned to enjoy it from a completely loose composure.
But suddenly the sound of large claws on the bark had him all tensed up again, and she froze in place to listen. Something big was clambering up towards her! Big, and with claws! She nervously listened to it drop back to the ground, and slowly eased herself over the side of the branch to get a better look. Some sort of larger feline, it seemed. And with jaws as big as her whole head!
Dysi::
Dysi didn't realise he was being watched from the tree tops, sighing in irritability. He didn't really want to climb, but it was amusing to think he could. Maybe if he climbed to the tree top, he would be able to see if there was anyone else around. Someone to fight or talk to, he didn't particuarly care right now. Stretching, he weaved around the tree, rubbing his fur against the bark, to dislodge any itches that were plaguing him.
Returning to his spot a the base of the tree, he lifted himself up, so his front paws were part way up the tree, stretching his back. Peering up into the foliage, he tried to seek out a branch to aim for wen he climbed, but instead spotted the creature watching him. Narrowing his eyes he tried to figure out what it was. He hadn't seen one before.
“Greetings...” he called out, keeping his paws on the tree. “What are you doing up there?”
Thi'butte::
Thi'Butte's fur bristled as the larger carnivore spotted her. In her experience, these types of encouters tended to end badly, usually with her running for the nearest hiding spot. There she'd cower and pray that her bright blue tail wasn't sticking out and making her obvious target. But the bigger creature didn't seem aggressive yet, so maybe she could scare it off. She raised her forepaws and made wagging gestures like she'd seen birds do. "Beware, ground creature," she squealed in a high pitched voice, trying her best to sound mysterious and creepy. "For in this tree lies your dooooom!"
Dysi::
Dysi snickered lightly at the high pitched voice, not seeming to realise it was a defense mechanisim. He thought the creature was just messing around. Hopefully that wasn't it's normal voice, Dysi mused, else he wouldn't be able to talk to the creature seriously. Craning his neck up to see it was becoming a hassle though, so the leopard latched his claws into the trunk and hoisted himself up easily. It took very little time for him to reach the top of the tree and he flipped so he was balancing on two branches, not far from the odd creature.
Now up close, it looked even stranger. “What are you?” He asked, sounding curious and heavily amused. It was brightly marked, which he guessed would make hiding a pain, which explained why Dysi had been able to stop him from the ground.
Thi'butte::
Okay, that had not been a good idea! Now the predator was climbing back up! Thi'Butte scrambled to higher, thin branches and perched on one as it waved back and forth under her weight. Not having a better idea, she ran with her plan. "Who I am is not important," she squeaked, "For I am a mysteeeerious creature from beyond the mortal realm! Begone from the domain of these leaves, or I shall place a curse on you! And all your spots will fall off!"
When the carnivore didn't seem inclined to leave, she desperately looked around for some way to get her point across. She started snapping off twigs and leaves and tossing them at the feline. "Do not tempt me, or I shall unleash my powers on you! Yes, the powers of the... um... the Ooky Spooky Blackness of the world beyond the night sky where things go thump!" She whapped the feline with a twig between the eyes to drive the message home.
Dysi::
Not bored anymore, Dysi mused, crouching down on the branches so it was easier to balance as he watched the creature scramble into the branches. The squeakiness was making him think that it was actually the creatures voice. If that was the case, he couldn't help but feel bad for it. It sounded ridiculous. Tilting his head to the side as he listened to the threats. For all he knew, the creature was what she was saying, but he doubted it. It smelt like a savanna creature, so he doubted it.
He winced as the branches began to be pelted at him. “Oi! Knock it off!” He growled, whipping the branches away with a paw, the last one hitting him between the eyes. He snarled, looking frustrating. “You're lying! You would have cursed me already rather then throw branches at me if you were really some mysterious creature.” He scowled at him. “Now cut it off or I'll eat you, Oooky Spooky Blackness or not!”
Thi'butte::
Caught out in her lie, Thi'Butte sniffed and clung to the highest branch she could reach like a lifeline, and peered down at her adversary. "Yeah, well, maybe I'm just saving up my powers for a real emergency. How would you know? Maybe I'm just waying in lait! Er, in wait. Laying. In the wait. Thing." She stopped throwing things, however, in case the leopard's threats were realer than her own.
"Anyway, you don't wanna mess with me, big creature! You don't know what I'm capable of!" She flexed her tiny claws and snapped her teeth. "See? I'm all sharp and stuff. You try to eat me, and I'll scratch you up good!" Her tail flicked back and forth of its own volition, betraying how nervous she was. She had never actually talked to one of the bigger carnivores before, and she wasn't sure if this was how they played with their food or not.
Dysi::
He was starting to get annoyed at the small pipsqueak. She was bluffing, she had to be. She obviously wasn't a god, so he sincerely doubted she could 'curse' him. “Oh yeah?” He taunted, his tail flicking behind him as he watched her through narrowed years . “Curse me then. Go on. Do it.” He probably shouldn't have been tempting her, especially if she turned out to be telling the truth, but really. Never lie unless you can back it up with something, even if it's obvious lies.
He tilted his head to the side as he examined her. “You look more fluffy to me.” He grinned, purposely baring his own dangerous teeth and flexing his own claws, which were dramatically bigger than hers. He didn't intend to use them on her, he wasn't hungry, so he didn't really have any need to attack her, but it was fun messing with her. “Bet I could eat you before you even realised I was coming.”
Thi'butte::
Seeing such large teeth up close panicked the poor genet, and she let out an "Eep!" before she could help it. But she quickly got back into character in self defense. "Well, if I were to curse you, you'd never even realise it either, until it was too late. That's the best kind of curses, you see. You think it's a lie, and hah, you think you're all superior, and then some day in the future all your spots fall off and your tongue bloats up and pops! It's not pretty!"
The situation was looking pretty hopeless, however. She had completely failed to frighten off the leopard... in fact, she seemed to have done the exact opposite. Who knew big cats weren't scared of mysterious creatures and curses. It scared the stripes off her! She peered around for the best ways to get down from the tree in a hurry, but the cat was blocking most of them.
Dysi::
“Well,” Dysi said, stretching slightly in an almost bored fashion. “If my spots fall off, I suppose I'd have to thank you.” He hated the spots and the pink colouring under it. It made him look girly, and he hated nothing more than looking girly. “And my tongue popping would stop me from having to talk to people.” He shrugged, as if it didn't matter to him. The tongue popping thing did disturb him, but it had to be a bluff. Right? Right?! Calming himself, he lowered his head looking more bored now. “Can you tell me specifics about when it will happen?”
He seemed to realise her desire to get away, and stretched out his paws, and extending his claws along the branch. It made it easier to grab her if she tried to get away. She really didn't look that tastey, but he wasn't afraid to grab her if she tried to leave. This was amusing him.
Thi'butte::
Thi'Butte nervously backed up along her narrow branch as the cat stretched, and it got narrower the further she went along it. She wasn't sure if it would hold her weight, but it was better than being near those very large claws. "You shouldn't have told me that!" she declared as smugly as she could fake. "Now I'll have to think of something that you really wouldn't like. Like... um... maybe I'd make a huge elephant fall in love with you, and follow you around! Or I'd make your tail get very big and heavy and drag along the ground until you can't run!" She tucked her own tail underneath her; she was a bit selfconsciou about its size.
She licked her muzzle and thought hard, trying to see a way out of this mess. "Why'd you want your tongue to pop anyway? You'll talk to tree creatures, but you don't want to talk to other big ground creatures? Did they make fun of your spots?"
Dysi::
He felt a little guilty for sending her out so far in the smaller branches but it was her own fault for bluffing. “An elephant?” he said, snickering out loud now, showing his obvious amusement. “That would be hilarious. Maybe I could get her to carry me around, then I wouldn't have to walk,” he mused quietly. He didn't seem phased at all by her threats. It was starting to irritate him a little, but it was annoying having to deflect her threats. He watched her tuck her tail beneath her with a curious look.
“I talk to other creatures,” he scoffed. “I just don't enjoy it. If I didn't have a tongue then I wouldn't be forced to converse with them.” He rolled his eyes at her. “Of course they make fun of me. I look like a girl. Who wouldn't? I bet they make fun of your tail,” he pointed out, eyeing how she had it tucked under her.
Thi'butte::
"Who said it'd be a female elephant, huh?" She chittered teasingly with all the bravado she didn't feel. But she stroked her tail with a free paw, as if reassuring it. "You don't look like a girl to me. You just look big. White and big." And sharp, but she didn't add that part. "Nobody makes fun of my tail. They just try to take it off me. Big and blue and striped makes for an obvious target to chase after." As soon as she'd said it, she wish she could take it back. Why tell the carnivore how to hunt you better?
"Anyway, if you were gonna eat me you'd have done it by now," she scoffed, not completely believing it but hoping she was right. "And that's a wise choice on your part, ground creature." She nodded sternly, then froze as she heard the branch underneath her creak. If she moved any more, it might not be up to holding her any longer
Dysi::
Dysi laughed loudly at her comment. She hadn't mentioned a female elephant, but the thought of a male elephant falling in love with him? Hilarious. He clenched his claws into the tree, least he fell over. “Wouldn't that be awkward,” he said, chuckling. He glanced at her, looking surprised when she mentioned she didn't think he looked like a girl. “Have you ever seen a female leopard before?” He scoffed. He'd gotten beaten up for a large portion of his childhood, he knew he looked girly. Eying her tail, he had to admit, it was an easy target. “If you're trying to hide, should cover it in dirt to dull the colours, or mud to get rid of the colours completely,” he remarked off handedly.
“That's true,” he said, not bothering to deny it. “You don't look that tastey. Sorry.” Hearing the crack, he snorted and sat up, carefully balancing himself. “Get back here. You're no use to anyone if you're flattened on the ground.” He didn't plan to eat her, not anymore. She was too amusing alive then she ever would be delicious dead.
Thi'butte::
"Oh sure, sure, I've seen lots of female leh-pahrds. Lots of 'em, and you look nothing like them." Thi'Butte insisted eagerly, seeing an opportunity here. She'd never admit she didn't even know what a leopard was. Big cats looked all the same to her. But at his suggestion, she clutched her tail to her defensively. "Well, I suppose I could make it muddy," she mused, but she patted herself as she said it. No matter how much trouble her bright hues had caused her in the past, she was too vain to consider covering them with dull mud. Some nights she'd just sit and admire her tail. It was her gift and her curse, being so pretty.
She huffed at the cat's suggestion of coming down, though, and stayed perched, swaying with the light breeze. "Don't think I don't know that trick! You're all 'Come down, I won't hurt you', and then snap! Down come the angry teeth."
Dysi::
Dysi rolled his eyes. “Thanks for lying,” he said dryly. It wasn't that he knew that she'd never seen a leopard before, he just couldn't believe anyone wouldn't think he looked girly. It had been hammered into his head far too often. He yawned, unintentionally showing his teeth fully. “It's how the old warriors used to camoflage themselves,” he said, shrugging away her comment. He had never used the method, but it was supposably very effective.
Snorting, he said with a smirk, “you're pretty smart for a furball. Pity you misjudged this time. I'm not hungry and if I was, I wouldn't eat you. You're way too small. You're not even a snack.”
Thi'butte::
Thi'Butte's eyes went wide at the impressive dental display, and she swallowed quietly. But the words reassured her, even if she didn't fully believe it. "Yeah, well. You're really really big. I wouldn't live long if I didn't assume every really really big ground creature was out to eat me. They usually are! And you came shimmying up my tree just when I'd gotten all the knots out of my back."
The big cat seemed to be relaxed and more willing to talk now. Gauging her odds, she suddenly leapt off the the branch with a fierce squeal. She dropped onto the leopard's head, and off again until she impacted with the tree trunk. She scrambled downwards and fled into the grasses as fast as her legs would take her, her tail flashing like a beacon behind her. As she raced away, she hollered at the feline behind her, "May your spots turn whatever color you want them to be! Oogie boogie boodle, my curse be done!"
