Welcome to Gaia! ::

Breakaway had been making her rounds through the area she called her home-- her territory. She had a sizable portion for herself which was made up most of the mangrove and cypress forests in the area, but which also branched out into the grasslands, which she tended to observe less since most kimeti didn't bother in the open flatlands anyway.

Just as she was coming up to one of the dryer areas, a loud, crunching-snap caught her attention. Her head swiveled quickly to the sound of the source, firey eyes glowing menacingly in the dim twilight of the swamp as she stepped lightly forward. The wind shifted, enabling her to catch the heavy scent of a male buck very near to her.

She wondered if he missed her signs, or simply ignored them. Another crash jolts the otherwise still-air just as she crested the small hill, and she looked down to see the large-horned kimeti slightly below and in front of her. For a moment, she felt almost-impressed at his shear strength, but then wondered just how intelligent he must be to have trespassed against her.

Rounding down along the hill, silent as the breeze itself, Breakaway sprinted, leaping in front of the buck with a savage snarl and a stamp of hoof just as he was backing away from the nearly-broken tree, catching him off guard, no doubt.

Ears flattened against her horn-less skull, Breakaway pressed nearer still, her voice a low, tenor husk,

"Who are you and why are you in my land?"

Breakaway eyes the strange, unfamiliar buck, her firey eyes narrowed threateningly as she takes another step toward him-- warning. It doesn't seem to phase her in the least that she is so much smaller than the other kimeti.

A low growl begins to threaten in her throat at the buck's denial, but she pauses at his apology. Still, her stance remains stiff, ears flattened to her head even as she raises her neck a little to better regard him.

"...Hnm. Breakaway. At least the Swamp seems to have taught you some manners, if not the sharpest of eyes." Her comment is smooth, tinged with a hint of sarcasm as she straightens herself gracefully, casting a look at the fallen tree. "You might as well finish what you were doing. No use in wasting it."

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Sorry about the tense switch but I'm used to writing in present tense xD I'll keep it present from now on :3

Still not completely at ease around the other kimeti-- but then she rarely was around others of her kind-- Breakaway moves a few paces off before standing watch. She eyes Iron Hoof while the other buck nudges at the heavy log, still so full of sap and water, and rolls her eyes smirking faintly as she snorts in amusement.

"Well, no wonder. You haven't given it any time to dry out," she retorts evenly, speaking a** if it was common sense and wasn't he just brillian?

Still... she watches the muscle strain across his neck and flanks as he pushes at the log a second time, and the smirk this time is of a different nature of predatory-- if only just a bit.

"I suppose I could help..." One of her ears twitches as she stares at him, and makes no move to do so, at least not yet.

Breakaway sighs and rolls her eyes before stepping forward. She pauses, rolling her shoulders and then casts him a sideways glance. She notes the bit of discomfort, and embarrassment, in his expression and allows a small spark of amusement to show in the barest twitch of her lips.

"Well, where did you plan on rolling this thing to anyway? Don't just stand there and gawk." She bends down, securing herself, and moves to shove at the large trunk.

Though small, the strength within her is evident by the wiry muscle sliding under her dark pelt, and with another sharp shove (with the buck's help) they manage to get it rolling. When it stops, or gets stuck on a rock, she simply shoves harder until it's going again. By the time they cover some distance however, her hide is beginning to slicken with sweat.

After another pause, Breakaway straightens, cracking her neck. "So, how did you manage to wander into my lands anyway?" She knew she'd set markings up, and she traveled the borders enough that it should have been fairly obvious. She isn't sure if she's still complaining or not, though. The buck was strong, and rather unusual with his large horns, spikes, and short tail-- but she doe not find it to be an unpleasant sort of unusual.

Even if he's not the brightest Firefly in the Swamp. In fact, she found his slight dim-wit to be more amusing than anything, though also somewhat annoying.

Stepping around the log, and around him-- her tail just barely brushing against his flank-- she moves into the Swamp with an ease of step that speaks of her familiarity with the land, and gives him one backwards glance as if to say 'well, are you coming?'.

There's a clean brook not far from where they stopped, and Breakaway lowers her head to take a sip of the cool water.

Breakaway straightens after taking one last sip and eyes Iron Hood with one raised brow. "Hm," she hums softly, and it's unclear if she has any comments to make or not. She says nothing for a few minutes, at least until the buck is finished drinking.

"I have been expanding my territory recently. I suppose it could have been an easy mistake.." but that teasing, sarcastic smirk hasn't left her eyes or her lips--- she obviously doesn't really think so.

"Perhaps your wandering mind made you less observant?" A simple prompt. She is slightly curious as she circles the other kimeti, and teases him deliberately this time. Her tail curling along his flanks and sliding up around and under his chin as she chuckles softly-- it makes it difficult to tell just what she means by 'wandering mind'.

Breakaway laughs softly, though at what in particular is hard to tell. It's honestly amused though, and despite any mocking that may lie behind it, is surprisingly sweet. Her eyes glitter with it, mischievous and unpredictable.

She pauses at his side, their ribs nearly touching, but not quite. She has to tilt her head up slightly, this close to him, in order to meet his eyes-- but she doesn't mind. Standing so near, she can feel the heat of his body, and their scents mingle in the heavy, humid air. Her study seems to go on for a very long time before she speaks again,

"Hm... your hoof seems to be bothering you. I noticed you messing with it earlier, too." Again, she pauses, shifting slightly to better face him, "Would you like me to look at it for you?"