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 Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:58 am
 Yet another day in Africa and Mrasharasha had woken up with an almost unbearable itch to roam. She'd gotten right to her feet and set off, no direction or destination in mind: it was the same as every day really. For a short time she'd stopped to have a dust bath with some grazing animals (they didn't seems too keen on her though) and then later she'd tried swimming with some fish...they'd all darted away too. She even gave in and chased some hyenas around for part of the day!
"Hmm...maybe I should find some food! Or friends that won't run from me..." Those two things were always on Mrasha's mind, and as she jogged along through the high grass she didn't have much else to think about. "Or I know! I could get some food and use that to make a friend! That'd work I think. Now I just have to find someone to let me turn them into food..."
That part of hunting had always been hard for the leotah girl. She'd as soon befriend an animal as eat it. It was a good thing fish made such bad friends, and that she'd had a string of good luck with folks sharing their kills, or she'd have been long ago starved. "Maybe over there..." She noticed a sort of hillock with an opening in one side...a den? Well maybe she'd find some hares or things...She nosed her way in, trying to be oh so sneaky, despite that she was chanting under her breath, "Heeeere bunny bunny bunny...I don't wanna hurt you, I just wanna eat you, bunny bunny bunny....!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:00 am
For Gliri the day had been peaceful. Her brother Muscardini had left at dawn to hunt, since they had not eaten in several days and they were both getting short-tempered. Part of the problem with having only one other person for company was that a person could get tired of the other person's company and have no release from it. Fortunately, hunting provided such a release, and if Gliri was a little nervous being left alone, it was usually the case that nothing she couldn't handle came up. And if something did come up, she knew of several nearby places she could lose or ambush a pursuer.
And so she relaxed on her side on an elevated rock located a short distance from the den she and her brother shared. The dust tickled her nose, but she couldn't really be bothered to move. It was hot, and other than the dust she was comfortable. As she watched the tiny flecks of dust float in the sunlight, each seemingly illuminated by its own halo, she started thinking of a story for Muscar in which a lion had a cloak of glowing dust specks that he could throw at enemies and prey to confuse them, but otherwise just lay along his back and made him glow. There would have to be more to the story than just that, but it was a start.
While she contemplated what this be-cloaked lion would do, Gliri's ears swiveled back and forth, ever on the alert for a potential threat. The unmistakable sound of a stranger's approach caught and held her attention completely. It couldn't be Muscar: he always announced himself in advance to give her warning so that she wouldn't be startled by his arrival. He was getting much better at being stealthy. Sometimes she didn't hear him coming until he was six or seven metres away. But this wasn't him. Gliri rolled onto all four paws and slunk into the den, keeping as close to the ground as she could.
Not five minutes after she'd retreated did she hear a female voice calling out in cajolement for...a bunny? To eat. Gliri was no huntress, but she was almost positive that wasn't the way to go about procuring a rabbit lunch. If it were that easy, she would be able to do it and Muscar could relax more often. She felt guilty forcing him to look after them both all the time. She just...couldn't. But that wasn't really the main issue at the moment. The main thing was whether she wanted to retreat further into the den or declare herself and hope for the best.
Obviously her first instinct was the first option, but she knew that lions weren't prey once they got to be her size. And so she decided to act out of character and respond. But first she let her fur fluff out and extended her claws in an attempt to look more menacing if it came to that. She was definitely cornered, after all.
"No rabbits in here. Sorry."
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 5:26 am
Mrasha was busily wondering why this den was so very large, thinking of how huge the rabbit within had to be, when Gliri broke the news to her of its rabbit-less-ness. Aww, well at least that explained why all she could smell was lion! She started to retreat without a word, then froze. Dens didn't just speak on their own! that meant SOMETHING had to be in there! Curiosity made her tail lash back and forth, and thump against the den walls. She inched forward, trying to make her eyes adjust from the bright glare of outside and just get a better look...
Hey! That WAS a lion there! Well what do you know? She looked almost too poofy to be a lion though...oh! "Oh it's okay if there's no rabbits, heehee...Sorry if I scared you!" Mrasha's voice almost sounded like it was tripping over itself, her apology came tumbling out so fast. "I was just thinking that maybe if there was a bunny I could catch it and use it to make some more friends you know? Well I mean you MUST know, you're down in this hole too so like...I guess both of us thought there was a rabbit down here but like you said there isn't so I guess we're both out of luck but HEY now we can be friend if you want you know? Since we were both obviously doing the same thing that means we're the same and that means it'll be super easy and fun to be friends!"
All of this was said at a good solid rambling pace, and Mrasha came toddling toward the rather distressed lioness, a grin plastered onto her face. "I'm Mrasharasha by the way, your fur is pretty!" She reached out a paw to pat some that was on end back into place. "There! You're just so fluffy!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 3:45 pm
Gliri regretted her decision to alert the other girl to her presence at once, but she couldn't unsay the words that she'd spoken to alert the intruding girl to her presence. She knew that if she inched backward a few more paces the den would widen and she could turn around, but to no great effect. This den had only one way out, and it was blocked. That was something she would have to give thought to in the future. Maybe she could turn her idle days to digging. The mental image of a lion burrowing was ludicrous, but it was worth it to never be cornered like this again.
With very wide eyes, Gliri held her position and watched as the vibrantly-colored leotah made her way into the den. Gliri and her brother had encountered a few hybrids in their time, but this was a combination she'd not seen before. It was hard to see her as a particularly threatening figure, particularly since she was bound by the same confines as Gliri. At least she wasn't in any position to present much of a danger in the cramped space. Gliri was thankful for that. She'd not considered it before, but that was an un-looked for advantage to the den. It still needed a back exit, though.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm no rabbit." At least not physically. The way she was behaving wasn't well-suited to a lioness at all. She knew that. She just wasn't bothered much by it. It wasn't in everyone to be brave, and Muscar had gotten the lion's share of bravery in their family. She was the creative one who could tell stories. He was also the one who was good at dealing with people, unfortunately.
"You just startled me a little. I don't see many...visitors." Strangers was not a nice thing to call a person, even when that's what they were.
She wasn't quite sure that it was the wisest move, but she sheathed her claws. Her fur was already in the process of flattening back out when Mrasharasha reached out to touch her. Gliri flinched, but she steeled herself not to scuttle away. Mrasharasha's constant chatter was something of a sensory overload and it was all she could do not to allow herself to become overwhelmed.
"Thank you," she said, almost turning it into a question. "I like it. Keeps me warm and all. I'm Gliri."
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:30 am
Poor Gliri, Mrasha had no clue she was overwhelming the poor girl. She plopped her hind end down (unintentionally right in front of the exit) and went to work grooming the lioness' fur back into place. In her mind Gliri really was going to be a great friend, they had some of the same colors in their fur even and they both were down a rabbit hole and of course they'd just be best friends even without having to offer her a rabbit!
"So like I was saying I'm Mrasha, and Gliri is a really pretty name! I know you're not a rabbit though, you're a lion! Heehee, I'm not, but I'm everything else! Cheetah and leopard...so together we make a full set! Well how about that huh? That's pretty cool if you ask me! It's really a shame you don't get lots of visitors, this place is nice and out of the sun and you have GREAT tastes in rabbit dens you know? I've seen many before but none as nice and big as this, you really picked a good one. I guess I shouldn't expect any less from someone as neat as you though huh? Haha, I promise I don't just like you for your tastes in dens though!"
She prattled on for a little while longer, all the while watching Gliri expectantly, though not aggressively. Today was such a good day, she'd made a new bestest friend, no rabbit needed!
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:20 am
With Mrasha busy grooming her, Gliri's heart began beating so hard and fast that she thought it might actually come out of her chest. The grooming actually felt good, but the fact that it was a stranger doing it and not her brother was strange. The only other person in her life who had groomed her was her mother, and that had been so long ago Gliri couldn't remember how it felt, really. She knew that grooming was a friendly, social activity, however, and with a heroic effort forced herself to relax and focus on how nice it felt.
"Mrasha," Gliri repeated softly, trying to get her mouth around the unfamiliar sounds. It wasn't difficult, but she didn't want to give offense by mispronouncing the exuberant creature's name. Names were very important things to some people, Gliri remembered. At least, she thought to herself, Mrasha was so busy talking she wasn't likely to hear Gliri trying out her name.
Gliri's head lifted quickly from where she'd submitted to being groomed upon hearing that Mrasha was cheetah and leopard. That explained why she didn't resemble any creature Gliri had ever seen before. That is, she resembled them, but she didn't fit neatly into any one category. And now Gliri knew why. For some odd reason, that reassured the skittish lioness.
"I'm glad you approve," Gliri ventured when it seemed Mrasha had paused long enough in her monologue that she expected a response. "It never entered my mind that you might like me just for my taste in dens."
She wracked her brain, trying to remember any of the myriad subjects Mrasha had touched upon. Ah, the one which had made her head snap up. "Cheetah and leopard...Did your parents raise you as a couple?"
Since there was no way for her to really escape, she might as well settle in and let Mrasha talk herself out. If such a thing was possible. Since the leotah didn't seem to mean her any harm, Gliri could make a game of seeing how long she could keep her talking. Muscar would probably enjoy her immensely, if he could keep up with her rapid conversation and topic changes.
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:43 am
Of course Mrasha was too busy going on to notice either Gliri's heart pounding or her attempt to say her name. To be honest she wouldn't have cared if the lioness had called her something else entirely. Plenty of people had, and it hadn't bothered her! And after all, nicknames were cool, so stuff like 'heyou' and 'getout' and 'shudupshudupshudup' was way fine as far as she was concerned!
"Haha, well I don't! You've got pretty fur and you're nice and you're fun AND you have nice taste in dens! So there's all of that to make me like and besides I usually like most people because, I mean, I like to make friends, don't you?"
"Oh, no no, they didn't raise me together. Well they did, for a little bit, but I haven't seen them in a long time! I went to sleep over with my one friend and when I came home they were gone, but it's okay! I followed them for a while and all my brothers and sisters left too and then they split up so I kinda don't have any real family left but at the same time it's like I have family all over the place! I don't know where they all went but it's nice to know that I can probably find them if I go looking. How about you? You're all lion, right, so you must have had parents that stuck together. Ohh and a pride! Do you have one of those? I've always wanted to be in a pride you know!"
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:32 am
Gliri had to consider for a moment whether she liked to make friends. She didn't really have any friends. She had her brother, but did he really count? He was family, after all, and was in much the same position she was. That of knowing no one else. Gliri decided she had never really made a friend before, but if this was how one actually went about it, the process was far too nerve-wracking to be considered fun or enjoyable.
She didn't want to hurt Mrasha's feelings by saying that she was, quite honestly, terrified by all this energy and attention from someone she didn't know all that well. A wry thought crossed her mind, and that was that she could probably come to know everything there was to know about Mrasha if she just held still and listened long enough. It wasn't a nice thing to think, and she felt guilty about it, and so she lied in response to Mrasha's question.
"I think so," she said. "I like when people don't chase me off or try to hurt me."
Gliri had a difficult time wrapping her mind around the idea that she might be fun. Muscar liked spending time with her, but he was her brother and neither of them really had much choice. And even he got tired of her sometimes and vice versa, as with today. It was amusing to think that she might be considered fun. Could someone with the courage of a mouse be fun in any way except to be tormented?
"I have my brother, but the two of us hardly make a pride," Gliri said without rancor. "It's mostly been just the two of us all our lives. Our mother had other interests and preferred not to be tied down by cubs. She's in a pride now, I think, but she didn't take us with her."
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:14 am
"Oh oh oh, who dies like that? Mean people are just so mean, they shouldn't be so mean! It makes people think...think they're mean! Aww, it's nice you have a brother at least! I had one once, but I dunno where he is now. That's okay though, cause I'd know if something bad had happened. I think he's just fine, and having fun somewhere!"
"You know, I've always wanted to join a pride. Most don't like non-lions though. And lots REALLY don't like hybrids. I dunno why though I mean, look at me! It's not like I have six legs or one eye or anything! I'm just not quite a cheetah and not quite a leopard! But the parts of me that are cheetah are really GOOD cheetah, and the leopard parts are really GOOD leopard too!"
"But you know what, I bet you could join a pride! You're all lion AND all GOOD lion! Does your brother want to join a pride? Maybe that's where he went, to find a pride for you! Wouldn't that be cool? Oh what's his name anyways? You think he'll mind that I'm visiting? Something big brothers can be a hassle and super protective but it's just cause they love their sisters, right? Still I hope he doesn't chase ME away, cause I mean, I'm your friend! I like hanging out with you!"
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:31 am
"They're probably not mean," Gliri said reasonably. "They just don't want to have to share their territory. It's not like it's easy to get by, even without strangers coming along and hunting the prey you depend on for survival."
That didn't mean Gliri liked those who chased her and her brother away, but she could understand their reasoning. It was one of the reasons she and Muscar never actually tried to press the point. There had been instances where Muscar thought he might have been able to overpower or defeat the current occupant of an area and Gliri had dissuaded him, feeling a sort of kindred compassion for the weaker person who had managed to settle into a certain way of life and had hopes only for it not to be destroyed.
Gliri obediently looked at her guest and observed that she did not, in fact, have six legs or one eye. She wouldn't have expected that anyway, but she'd never really met a hybrid anyway, so she'd no idea what to expect.
She flashed a quick grin at Mrasha and said, "So you're very fast and...I'm afraid I don't know what constitutes a really good leopard part. I've not met many leopards." That is to say, she'd not really met any leopards, though she'd seen them on occasion. "Or cheetahs, really. I don't meet a lot of people. But I do have a hard time guessing why others should dislike hybrids. Upbringing, I suppose."
The sudden shift of topic back to prides startled Gliri a little, but she went along with it. "Muscardini's just out hunting, and I doubt he'll mind that you've been here, since you're nice. I'd be surprised if he came back having found us a pride. We're not really well-suited for that life, I think. Too used to wandering and not having to answer to anyone."
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