The way Tuli figured, if he sucked at hunting the normal leopard way--on land--then he'd try his paw at water-hunting.

The leopard had woken up that morning with a new goal in mind--fishing.

He'd seen other felines do it. Didn't look too hard...he could probably do it. Besides, what did he have to lose? Some energy, maybe. But he'd learn from it and get better, just like with anything else. First, he needed to find a place by the river that was free from prying eyes. Tuli was a solitary male, and he didn't very much like company.

The sun's reflection against the water's surface made it difficult for Tuli to select his ideal fishing spot at first, but he soon found it and began walking towards it immediately. The sound of his own stomach growling in his ears made him quicken his steps


While a leopard was preparing to get cozy by a river, there was a lone lioness planning to do the same.

Sanka was hungry and tired and completely lacking in the stamina necessary for tracking down a herd of anything.

Sanka was still very much surprised by how much she had learned about both herself and her hunting techniques in the time she'd been on her own, but the struggle of finding food had been weighing her down with stress and fatigue. It was a hot day, albeit cloudy, and the lioness wanted nothing more than to cool off in the river and see if she could catch a fish or two to eat.

With a jump in her step, the lioness weaved through a patch of grasses, caught sight of her destination, and headed for it. With the sun in her eyes, the lioness had no idea there was already someone in her fishing spot.


Tuli was oblivious to any incoming strangers as he huddled low to the earth and eyed the sparkling ripples in the water. His whiskers twitched each time a flicker of silver passed through his gaze. He'd catch a fish, he was sure. It didn't look too hard. He just had to work himself up a bit; stretch his legs and his claws--sure, he could do it. It'd work out.

Lapping a tongue over his fangs, the male eased forward over the bank a bit and pawed at the water, testing it. It was warm and a little murky, but at least it was downstream and far from the crocs.

Eyes narrowing in something like determination, Tuli relaxed his muscles fully and let his mind free itself so that he could become totally focused on spotting and snagging a fish. So focused, in fact, that he didn't even know someone was approaching behind him...


The river was very much in Sanka's sight, but the glaring sun caused her to look anywhere but the bank. It didn't matter to her, though. There was no one around that part of the river. She had been there a few times and it was always the same. This time, however, Sanka was wrong.

When she was within a few feet of the bank, the lioness stopped dead in her tracks and bit back a gasp. A male leopard.

Jaw set and red eyes hardened, Sanka took a few cautious steps towards the male, as if she had been presented with a strange, unknown beast. Okay, now what the heck was she supposed to do? Speak, or...walk away as fast as possible before she was noticed?


Unfortunately for Sanka, she wouldn't get to make the decision on her own. The scent of a lioness tickled Tuli's nostrils and his eyes snapped open. His body contorted as he turned around to face whomever was behind him, but in the rush of his actions, the leopard found himself slipping over the bank.

With a pathetic whining sound, Tuli fell right into the river.

The shock of wetness almost made him inhale underwater, but he broke the surface before that happened. In a flurry of gasping and frenzied splashing, the leopard scrambled clumsily onto the riverbank and sprawled out in a heap on his stomach.

He remained there wheezing like a fish on land for a few moments before he remembered there was a lioness right behind him. Tuli looked up, still gasping, wet bangs covered most of his eyes in a rather stupid fashion. He was more than sure that he looked like a complete and utter idiot.


Sanka's jaw was dropped and her ears had flopped to their sides.

She wasn't sure...what to make...of what she had just witnessed.

The poor, pathetic creature had been so startled by her presence--by a female's presence--that he had tumbled right into the river. It was completely bewildering. There he was, still lying on his stomach, limbs pointed backwards and hair sopping wet, staring up at her, gasping like a fish.

"Pff--" Sanka sputtered. Then she began to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. And laugh, until she was crumpled on the ground, willingly flinching with every muscular spasm that shook her frame.


Tuli was dumbfounded by the unexpected occurrence. Fang poking out of his open mouth and wet bangs covering almost all of his stare, he watched the lioness wincing in loud and uncontrolled laughter at him--him of all things.

Tuli grinned. Before he knew it, he was laughing a little, too. Why get worked up over something like that? It was funny.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a moron," Tuli drawled, slowly pulling himself to his soaking paws. He watched the lioness continue to laugh for a moment, sighed through his grin, and shook his entire body free of water.


The sudden spray of water, chilled by the air it had flown through, sent Sanka rushing to her feet in a defensive reflex. "HEY--!" she shouted, doing her best to shield herself with her arm. Then she laughed again.

Normally she wouldn't have laughed--not the old Sanka. But the new Sanka was becoming braver. The new Sanka...saw this male leopard as a mild threat at first, but now...for whatever reason...maybe because of his pathetic-ness...she felt so comfortable, she let herself laugh outright.

He didn't seem bad at all.

Putting her arm down, the lioness offered the leopard a smile.


Tuli blinked and swallowed, but his throat had suddenly become a little bit tight for some reason. Shaking the feeling off, he smiled back at the lioness.

She seemed nice enough. She had a kind of relaxed energy, much like Tuli himself did. He couldn't think why he had been so startled by her to begin with. Well, it worked out in the end, like a lot of things. Him being startled caused him to fall into the river, which had caused the lioness to laugh, which had loosened up the atmosphere.

"I'm Tuli," the leopard introduced, still scruffy and wet-looking. "I was, uh...trying to catch some fish..." He glanced at the water, grinning. His grin faded a bit and he looked back to the lioness. "Wanna help?"


Tuli...an almost cub-like name for a male. It was strange. But what was she saying? Why should it be strange? Just because he was a male or because he wasn't a lion...did it matter? The lioness couldn't find any reason why it should. So, she decided...Tuli was a very nice name. She liked it.

Smiling, the female said, "I'm Sanka."

Ears swiveling as she listened to the leopard's offer, Sanka felt speechless for a moment. Collecting her thoughts back to herself, the lioness nodded and walked closer to Tuli. "Sure," she said.

Following the leopard, she crouched down close to him and eyed the water for fish. With two sets of claws, they would definitely catch something together.

Definitely.


Fin