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 Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:49 am
 Hantan'gang was going to be a father. A father! That in itself was overwhelming... His own father hadn't done much to help after making his mother pregnant, but she hadn't seemed particularly upset about him not sticking around. Saskiranel had offered him a place in her pride, but he had declined politely. He had promised to visit, however, and he panicked a little at the thought.
She was a lioness, he was a leopard, they had... ahem. And now she was carrying HIS cubs. There had been a time not long ago when he had been fairly sure that hybrids were just fairytale creatures. And now there were going to be little lion-leopards looking like him running around in a pride he had only heard stories about. It was overwhelming.
"Tia," he called, after putting down the fish he had been carrying, "Are you up there?"
He could feel her scent in the area and he hoped she wouldn't have moved to another tree since he last saw her.
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:13 pm
Tia rarely wandered far from her original 'nesting' spot. She was rather attached to her most familiar haunts and as such, she may not have been in the same tree, but she was certainly close by. It was for this reason that Hantan's presence didn't escape her, and more importantly, he happened to be in earshot whenever he spoke. There was a considerable pause, a moment of delay in which the leopardess slowly but surely knocked herself out of the worst of her slumber and then sure enough, a paw dropped down from a branch off to his right.
Shortly after, the languid form of the spotted feline appeared, her other forepaw balancing her precariously in the tree. For all intents and purposes she appeared to be hanging upside down, fortunately, she did have ample grip with her hindlegs, even if this wasn't immediately clear. She had even more to be thankful for as well, given that she had managed to hang herself in a manner that meant that she could see him without considerable discomfort - the gods knew that she wasn't really in the mood to shuffle into yet another position.
"Hantan!" she announced with a sense of familiarity, her mouth lifting into a quirky smile as she regarded the male. Well, all in all it appeared he was relatively intact... There was just one thing that didn't quite add up, for some reason he looked flustered and given there were no hyenas in their immediate radius, she couldn't quite figure out why this would be.
"Well, always nice to see a familiar face, isn't it?" she mused and tilted her head to the side. "I say, you are looking a little uh...startled, if I dare say. Had another run in with the hyenas?" she continued, hazarding a guess that he might have out run them this time.
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Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 6:53 am
Luckily for Hantan Tia popped out of the greenery not far from the spot he had last met her. It looked a bit awkward hanging like that, but she was clearly not disturbed by being upside down. A friendly face was just what he needed right now, and Tia didn't seem to mind the unannounced visit.
"Not hyenas," he said, still looking a bit wild eyed, "Lioness. Very friendly lioness."
If he was completely honest he hadn't minded the... ahem... friendliness. It was what had resulted from it that had freaked him out. The fact that he had somehow scored with a lioness would have taken some time to get used to on its own. Cubs, hybrid cubs on top of that had broke his brain a little. She seemed certain they were his, but he was scared to go there and see for himself.
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:29 pm
Now that piqued her interest and she raised a brow quizzically at the flustered male. She was no prude and as a result, her mind immediately went to the less appropriate assumptions. Now, either he had politely rejected this 'friendly' lioness or she had completely blown his mind in some way or another. She was sure there were probably a few other options, but these were the simplest set that came to mind. Nevertheless, as her mind continued to dwell on the 'explanation', she did lapse into silence and it was only when she had reined her thought processes in that she spoke again.
"I would usually say that a friendly lioness is suitably more appealing than a hungry hyena," she murmured and then shook her head. Patting at the tree trunk with her paw, she hazarded a bemused smile and nodded upwards with her chin. As much as she loved to converse, she was getting dizzy now that she had been hanging upside down for such a length of time... it was a sensation she didn't particularly enjoy.
"I sense a story though," she continued and pulled herself back into the tree, briefly 'staggering' as the world spun and righted itself once more. "Would you like to come up? It's always a good idea to get that sort of thing off your chest, you'll feel so much better after!"
...And she would have heard some fabulously juicy gossip!
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:43 pm
Hantan didn't need to be asked twice. He was up in the tree in two leaps and settled down as best he could. It always felt better to be off the ground and he sighed deeply as he relaxed into a comfortable position on the branch. Yep, this was much better. There was just something about watching the world from above instead of sneaking around below.
"Yeah," he agreed, belatedly, "Hyenas really stink... I don't think I've ever met one that wasn't aggressive or at least seriously touched in the head."
He extended his claws and dug them into the branch a couple of times. Tia's calm manner was catching, and he did want to talk about it with someone. He always liked listening to stories, no matter what they were about, and perhaps this was a time to tell one of his own. It was a good story, even without the unexpected happenings at the end.
"See, I met this lioness," he started, "She travelled with a lion to keep track of him while he looked for... plants. Some kind of medicine. I'm not sure I really got that part, but anyway... They were from a pride where all kinds of animals live together so they weren't hostile to me. I ended up travelling with them for a while. It's always interesting to meet new people."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:30 am
"I've met...one hyena that wasn't 'touched in the head'," Tia murmured, recalling a very brief encounter with a lost hyena. Admittedly that hyena had been without a pack and as a result, probably wasn't inclined to follow the vicious example other packs liked to set. All in all, it had been a relaxing conversation, even if the hyena had possessed no gossip at the time. "It was a pleasant experience, but a rare one," she concluded.
It was only after Hantan had settled into position and started to tell his story that she fixed her gaze properly on him and listened. Unsurprisingly he started off slowly, setting the scene and explaining his reasons for being in that particular region. It was how everyone tended to begin their stories, particularly the awkward or embarassing ones. Sometimes Tia wondered if it was a defensive method with an underlying 'don't judge me' message. Fortunately for Hantan, Tia wasn't the sort of leopardess who made such remarks.
"Sounds interesting," she agreed with a small nod. Not her cup of tea to travel everywhere as her sloth like tendencies preferred to doze in a tree but she was intrigued. "And never hurts to make a couple of new friends here and there," she added. She lapsed into silence for a few moments and then smiled.
"So I take it you enjoyed yourself while you were there?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:06 pm
The way she said that. Hantan realised he must be much easier to read that he thought. Or perhaps Tia was just that good. He decided on the second option, if only to pretend that some of his dignity was still intact. Well, she wasn't going to chew his ears off so he might just spit it out and get it over with. He was already feeling a little bit better about that part at least. A lioness. And he totally tapped that! Never mind that she all but talked him through it.
"Yes I..." he smiled sheepishly and then started to laugh, "I guess you could say that. Ah, it's pretty obvious what happened, no? It was surprising to me at the time... I knew about hybrids but I hadn't really thought about the... err... process."
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 4:52 pm
It didn't take a genius to know whenever a male had been laid, there was a certain spring in their step when it happened and she wasn't blind. Alas, she hadn't been expecting him to confess that he had then proceeded to father cubs from the very same one night stand, that little confession caused the feline to raise both eyebrows and regard him with significantly more curiosity than he was probably accustomed to... Well, well, well, wasn't that an interesting turn up for the books?
"You didn't think that sleeping with another feline would cause hybrids?" she sounded amused and she chuckled soon after. There was something to be said for sheepish males, their expressions were both adorable and entertaining - she didn't get to see such things often which was a bit of a shame...perhaps she'd make it a pet project to get that expression more often though she wasn't quite sure how she'd pull that off just yet.
"To be honest you should take some pride," she said after a few moments and motioned to him. "Testament to your fertility if you happened to have a successful one night stand with a lion," she pointed out without a shred of embarassment.
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 4:51 pm
Hantan was flattened out along the branch with his legs hanging down on either side and he seemed to deflate even more as Tia teased him. He had a hard time meeting her gaze. Well wasn't he an awkward looking leopard-rug... It did sound a bit silly, didn't it? Of course he knew that certain actions could lead to cubs. But... His ears seemed unsure if they should lie flat or perk back up, and the end result was betraying his confusion and embarrassment.
"I know about hybrids, I'm not stupid," he said, flustered, and stared at the bark between his legs, "I just never guessed it would happen so fast."
He stopped watching the branch he was lying on and stared at her instead. Fertility? Whaa? Was this the sort of thing to be proud of, or was she just trying to make him even more confused? And was there anything at all that would surprise Tia or in any way shock her?
"Whaa?" he said, "Now you're just messing with me. Right?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:44 am
"Haha! No, in all honesty it's a testament to your fertility," she gave a quick burst of laughter and raised a brow at his body language. She'd only ever seen cubs shrink themselves to such a size and she couldn't work out if he was embarassed, upset or angry. All in all he seemed ever so slightly unsettled by the fact that he was now a father... Frankly, Tia couldn't see what the issue was, it wasn't the end of the world at least.
"But seriously I wouldn't worry about it," she shrugged loosely and then tilted her head to the side. He seemed to already know what he intended to do but she might as well ask. "I'm assuming you'll visit them again, but so long as the mother is just as happy with the kids then I think you should be too," she pointed out and then smirked, a tiny twinkle in her eyes.
"Besides, this is the perfect opportunity for you to be the cool, awesome and exciting dad with the amazing stories, you know?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:46 pm
He wasn't entirely sure that Tia wasn't trying to mess with him. He was completely sure, however, that he wouldn't go around boasting his fertility anytime soon. The last thing she said... Hantan mulled this over for a moment.
"I can do that I suppose," he finally said, "I just don't know... I never had a dad telling stories. Mom told some, and I've been figuring the rest out as I go along."
Fenja had told him lots of stories, some true and some too fantastic to be. Perhaps that was a part of growing up... Stories. He had learned a lot from the pale lioness, and not just practical skills like fish hunting. He probably wouldn't have got the idea that one could mate to a lioness in the first place if it wasn't for her. Just as Tia guessed Hantan was in the progress of figuring out what he wanted and needed to do.
"I will try that," he said, "The cool dad thing... But there's someone I need to find first. Can I... Can I hang out with you for a while before I go?"
Tia seemed to radiate an aura of calmness. It was nothing magical about it, but something about her calm outlook on life made it very hard to stay frazzled. It was nice, and it made it easier to think and figure everything out.
"s**t!" he suddenly said and sat straight up, "The fish, I brought a fish for you. I must have left it down below."
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:23 pm
[*Snerks* At some point Hantan is going to have to meet Tia's kids now she has some too!]
"Of course you can do that," she murmured encouragingly and offered a wry smile. When it came to stories she had heard plenty, both from her mother and from passing creatures. She had built up a large collection of tales and most of them were rarely told for the simple reason that she typically lived in the 'a** end of nowhere', not that she minded, in fact she would even go so far as to say that she preferred the quiet life... After all it seemed that everyone in the world was either in a rush or panicking about something, no one ever just took a deep breath and relaxed.
A bit like now really!
"You don't need a parent to tell you stories," she mused, distinctly recalling that her father was absent from her life too. "What you need is a little bit of creativity - even something really 'plain' can seem awesome to a kid whenever it's told the right way," she pointed out and chuckled, motioning with her paw to the horizon. "For example, you can tell them wierd and wonderful tales about what lies beyond the horizon - I always find owls do the trick." She paused briefly.
"Did you know they can almost turn their head the whole way round?" she enquired suddenly. "Was the wierdest thing I'd ever seen," she confessed.
Nevertheless when he switched the subject she didn't elect to question why he wanted to relax and unwind, by the sounds of it he needed it and she definitely wouldn't say no to his company, he was fun (in a flustered way) and the break would probably be good for him.
"Of course you can stay," she replied easily, rolling her shoulders in a loose shrug, "You really don't ask for permission for that," she pointed out before raising a brow. "As for the fish, we have two choices...we can ignore it or we can retrieve it. How much do you fancy scrambling down a tree again?" she mused, indicating that as usual she was rather comfortable where she was!
...Ah, but it was a miracle she didn't starve.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:55 pm
Hantan wasn't going to give up his present that easily. In a move that mimicked what Tia had done earlier, and he swung down to be able to poke his head out from the foliage. There was no sense in climbing all the way down if some opportunist had already snatched the fish. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the area, and then promptly dropped from the tree.
Luckily he had dropped on purpose, and he actually made a fairly graceful landing. Unless Tia was lighting fast she wouldn't catch what was going on below, but she should be able to hear a low growl and a loud squeak. Moments later the leaves rustled and Hantan struggled back up. Fish and a bonus rodent in his maw. He laid down his price with a sheepish grin.
"Didn't know these little buggers ate fish," he said, "Sorry it's kind of nibbled on."
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:55 am
He had a grace that she couldn't rival, that was for sure! Tia was more likely to slam into the ground if she attempted to land on all fours after that move. It was for this reason that she generally climbed down the tree normally, while there was rarely anyone around and dignity didn't tend to feature much in her thought processes, she did have a preference for avoiding injury. Had she been able to see his acrobatic skills she would have provided him with applause but alas, she remained oblivious to what had occurred below.
...Minor growl and surprised squeak aside.
"Oooh," she responded as he returned to his place in the tree, her head tilting to one side as she regarded the fish and the rodent. So that was what he had been up to - all things aside it looked fairly appetizing despite being nibbled on. "Well they could be like boars, they could eat pretty much everything," she mused after a few moments and stretched out a paw to pick up the rodent.
"Though this one really has no excuse," she held it out and pursed her lips. "It's not as if the jungle is subject to drought," she pointed out and shook her head before setting it down.
"Thank you for the meal, Hantan!"
There was a pause and then another head tilt.
"So do they have names? These children, I mean..."
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:33 am
Epine de Rose I suck! I had completely missed this tag! We can probably end it here if you want to. It was nice to play Hantan again... I miss him!
"You're welcome," he said. Pleased that his gift was well received. He tensed up a bit when she asked for his cubs names, but the urge to run away screaming wasn't as strong as it had been. How many would it be, would there be boys or girls, and what would Saskiranel name them? He might never know, but the questions made him more curious than anxious.
"I don't know actually," he confessed, and sighed as he settled in a comfortable position, "I guess I should start with the beginning, huh?"
And he did. He told Tia about the pair of lions he'd met. One that wasn't sick, but that could make other lions sick, and the other a healthy lioness that was with him to make sure he wouldn't infect someone. The lion looked for a cure, or at least relief for his suffering pride. A pride were lions and lion hybrids were sick. A pride where his cubs would be welcomed and loved because they desperately needed new blood to replace those that didn't make it... A pride these two people loved, despite the fact that many lions in it died young, and probably with a fair bit of suffering. It was strange...
The lioness had been pregnant when he last saw her, and she'd told him he was welcome to visit. Leopards weren't at risk to catch the disease. He might, or he might not... Perhaps they'd meet sometime, somewhere. He wouldn't mind seeing her, or seing his cubs, but a pride... So many animals all in one place...
He glossed over the how and why. Tia must know how cubs were made... But it was evident that the lioness had made quite an impression on the young leopard. Hantan realised with wonder that he had told his friend a fantastic story. And one that was true at that.
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