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He had moved from the desert to a greener area. If the former wouldn't keep people away, maybe the latter. Susurro was not the most social of creatures, not by a long shot. He went out of his way to avoid people, and for several reasons. But for some reason, he couldn't see far enough to avoid them.

Such as the one that was, knowingly or not, heading right for him. That just didn't make the leopard's day. He had no interest in meeitng new people, not that young leopardess, not this one either.

He watched the shape of the stranger come ever closer, and begin to take on color. Red, and black. Interesting colors, but he still didn't want to talk. Nor did the leopard care to leave his sun-warmed rock. Damnit.

Well. That wasn't exceedingly promising. Was this lioness trying to command or dominate him? He was having none of it though. Then again, the leopard still wasn't inclined to move. Susurro supposed he could reply. Then he'd see if the female truly wanted to talk to him, or if she just wanted to talk at him.

"And I should care what you want?" he asked dryly.

Well. This was probably the least well-educated person of any race whatsoever that Susurro had ever had the unfortunate luck to meet. His expectations for this encounter, already low, plummeted. He had to wonder how she had been so very isolated in her life that she had apparently never encountered any other races.

Purple eyes gazed out at the lioness calmly as Susurro sized her up. He supposed he should give her the benefit of the doubt and simply answer the question. Still, that would encourage her to stay and the leopard desperately wanted her gone already or, better yet, never come at all.

"I, you poor deprived lioness, am a leopard," he replied at last. His tail twitched and his eyes narrowed. The male's body language said, quite loudly, argue with me if you dare.

Well, there was a ringing endorsement to remain out here and away from the deep desert that had been his refuge until lately. If these weren't the Firekin's normal ranges, he should see fewer of them. Theoretically. Which then begged the question of why this lioness was here now.

"You seem to have the mistaken notion that anyone outside of your lukewarm pride is automatically inferior to you. A careless attitude that might just get you killed," Susurro added as an afterthought. He didn't necessarily see that for her, but that didn't make the advice any less helpful - if she was inclined to take it.

"The second assumption you've made is that I am unable to live in whatever lands you call 'home.' For all you know, I could be your neighbor that you've never met and am simply choosing to be elsewhere at this time." He overlooked the insults about size and fur. As leopards went, he was perfectly average physically and content to remain that way. It was, after all, the mind that determined life and its standards or death.

This was getting boring. He wasn't intimidated by the lioness, regardless of her size and attitude. And he didn't care to be talked down to. With a sigh, the leopard got to his feet, the rock allowing his head to clearly stand above hers.

"You obviously aren't listening to me, as you have some preconceived notion that your birth makes you somehow better than me." Susurro cocked his head and looked up at the blue sky. "I was enjoying myself, but you've effectively ruined that."

With that statement souring the air, he leapt down from the rock and walked off. His body language said that he had chosen to leave at this time by his own will, that the Firekin had had no bearing whatsoever on this decision.