[EVENT] Something Dark in the Woods

[Zosie]

Bataar nodded to Mapenzi. "That was just what I was thinking, to be honest." He bowed his head to focus his scarlet eyes on the strangers once more. "There's plenty of us, and some strong ones too." He wasn't particularly scared, I mean, the monster was surely something more to be scared about? It had caused actual deaths, and had been something that people had been scared of for a while, by the sounds of things.

He backed up Amali's words to the leopards. "We just want to know what you know about this.. monster." He still wasn't entirely sure if the monster would be a creature of nightmares, or something that had been misinterpreted and feared simply because the source of the attacks had not been seen.  

[Ravvlet]

Hel came to his senses after a couple seconds of staring, shaking his head. The monkey-et-al had to be more proof that this was bogus, right? After all, if there was a big bad monster, they'd be chewed up and spit out. Or maybe the monster just didn't like monkey meat. He made a face. Hel couldn't blame it if it didn't; that was nasty.

Well, at least he was less hungry now.

Er. Right. He tried to keep up with the conversation, glancing at Amali. "Yeah, er, what they said."

Smooth.  

[Mogami]

Pam looked absolutely shocked when the dark lion started making some suggestive comments regarding the leopardess. How could someone even consider that kind of pairing, what if they actually produced children?! She would forever be tainted as would the poor innocent cubs that came from such a reckless match.

“Stop that.” He told the lion in an uncharacteristically brusque tone. He could not remain quiet on the matter, not when the dark lion was reeking lust and lacking sense. Pam knew that there were rogues who didn’t understand the consequences of producing hybrids but he would often attempt to inform them when he was allowed. This was hardly the time for a educational moment but he was feeling terribly annoyed and uncomfortable now even though the other seemed to have calmed down on his... advances. maybe it had been a ploy to get closer to the leopards. Maybe.  

[Ravvlet]

Hel was surprised when another lion addressed him - he hadn't realized he'd been loud enough for someone to hear him.

He sat back on his hindquarters, running a paw through his mane idly. "Come on, you're no fun. I thought all cats liked to be told they're pretty." He blinked rapidly at him, almost batting his eyes. Honestly, he was just happy to talk to anybody, even if they were reprimanding him. Riding solo was taking its toll. After all, he was risking facing horrifying monsters and what was the first thing he did? Act like a complete lech. Way to go.

He couldn't help but add, however, nodding in the leopards' direction as if they weren't there, "Or are you just not into spots? I understand, it's not everyone's thing, right?" He then lowered his voice dramatically. "I know there'll be water hole chatter, but you can be honest with me, I won't tell."  

[Rainhowl]

Things seemed tense. Really tense. Hel's flirting, however, caused the tan and white hyena to crack a smile. Had he no sense of danger? Still, his lighter mood uplifted her own, even if he was being somewhat inappropriate. It was Pam's reaction that caused her to chuckle quietly to herself. Now was no time for that sort of thing, yet there it was, and for some reason it uplifted the young hyena's mood.

"C'mon, fellah, 'ere we are facing possible death. Gotta have your wits about you. Ain't no time to be thinking about that, amirite?" She chided, though the tension from her voice as of earlier let up somewhat.  

[Mimsey]

While An was surprised by Amali's decision, she didn't look too unhappy. When she had been doing her own investigation, she hadn't found anything to suggest the leopards responsible. She hadn't ruled it out, of course, but... it felt better to make nice with them than not. Still, his decision to disregard the group had sent a ripple through them. Hopefully it was not a ripple large enough to break their resolve.

Once he was released, the monkey seemed slow to get moving. Like he expected some trick. Then finally, he gave a weeping cry and dashed towards the blue leopard. The old monkey wrapped his spindly arms around the creature's neck, taking no notice of all the red paint he was getting all over his friend. As An scented the air, she wondered if that smell didn't help mask some of the leopards as they traveled silently through the trees.

The grey female seemed disinterested by the taunts. She did, however, nearly lose her footing when one of the lions started hitting on her. Her words were gone for a moment, before her eyes narrowed and she shook her head in disapproval. "Its bad enough that you rough up our friend, and now you suggest we are liars?" she said.

As if on cue, the rustling started.

"Want to talk?" Behind the largest group of the rogues and Firekin, a branch swayed. A sleek, black and white leopard with yellowed footpaws gracefully descended a tree.

One of her limbs drug along the ground next to her, useless and without feeling. It didn't seem to hinder her movement, or finess. "Or want a fight? They think we're bluffing, Feng. I say we slit them from nose to belly."

Behind her another leopard appeared, sliding eerily across a branch. "So much effort for a bunch of landfoots..." she sighed merrily. "What do you think Lyla?"

Another leopard, but this one's eyes were focused directly on Helel. "I don't know, some of them seem charming...~"

Feng growled and the other female pouted. Even as she did, a few more leopards clattered in the trees, one dropping to the ground to check on the monkey that had been their captive.

The silver leopard continued once her friends were situated. Her eyes were on Amali. "Since you did not bother to listen to the advice of your friends, I will honor you with my name. It is Krin. You should speak your case quickly. Else we shall leave you to your monster."
 

[Talencia]

Needless to say, Rimma was dismayed to realize how wrong she'd been. Leopards seem to drip from the trees, though there still weren't enough visible to rival a group as large as theirs in a fight, particularly considering how many lions they had. Her fur prickled and rose along her spine, pupils widening and ears swiveling uncertainly. Still, despite the element of surprise, none of these new individuals acted aggressive, or even worried for that matter. Rather, they wanted to actually talk. This was beyond the swamp-lion's knowledge. All sorts of negative things were said about other species, leopards in particular, in her home pride. But the tenderness expressed towards the freakish primate, the nearly cub-parent relationship, twinged deep in her heart.

Could a species so gentle with another species, intelligent enough to seek talking instead of fighting... could they be so bad. She glanced around herself uncomfortably, at those around her. Not all those here were lions, as she well knew, but she'd dismissed them out of hand, relegating them to being nearly useless. Her thoughts drifted towards unfamiliar and very dangerous territory, so she closed her eyes, shutting out the sight of the aloof silver leopardess who had already dismissed her. Inwardly, she struggled, but whether for or against her pride's teaching, even she couldn't tell.  

[Zosie]

Now there were more, Bataar doubted whether or not they could take them all down without any serious injuries.. or worse. They all seemed hardened by the jungle, and he was not keen to test their temper. His claws dug into the earth. He still preferred to state their case quickly, and use any information they had to spare in their mission. It was rather better than fighting their way out of this situation, which would be pointless and they would retrieve nothing from it. His red eyes, too, were on Amali, hoping he could deliver their mission statement smoothly. If not, he was up for the task, he guessed. Bataar felt they had to move very gently among these creatures..  

[Princess_Feylin]

Ah, hells. Sandor was peeved to discover he'd been wrong. He lived among leopards - and other species - for much of his life and he should have known that they would be keeping to the trees and he should have paid more attention to the trees. But how in the hells was he supposed to ignore the things that had been happening on the ground?

The fact that the leopards already knew about the monster they were hunting seemed to Sandor suspicious. He didn't recall anyone mentioning it recently, but he also had no way of knowing how long the leopards had been tailing them. Dammit, he hated having to work with amateurs. This wouldn't have happened if he'd just broken away from the group and done this on his own.

He was not going to contribute to the questioning to follow. He was watching, listening now to see if there were more leopards above than had made themselves known to the party. If the past could indicate the future, everyone's attention would be on the newest arrivals and they would neglect everything else. But not him.  

[Izzy Makani]

Shari was still irritated at Amali who had let the monkey go and she watched unafraid as more leopards appeared. Their numbers still did little to the group and she wouldn't have minded taking most of them out herself at the moment. She was already tired of this hunt and of these idiotic leopards. She was ready to go back to her pride and deal with the idiots she had to deal with there. Stupid Toka...  

[Andranis]

MORE leopards... Moshi scowled at them. "You should give us information because we SAID so!" He then turned to Amali, face contorting with rage. "WHY did you let that thing go?! It was a BARGAINING CHIP!" He shook his head, then glared at the leopards. He was getting madder and madder. This had to end soon, so he could go back to being himself. "What is this red stuff? And what is this monster? Do YOU know what killed the lion family in here?"

Jahina could only sigh, shaking her head and standing there. She had no words, since so many others had plenty of their own, for now.  

[Mogami]

“It’s not…” Pam had started answering the dark lion but he knew opinions regarding hybrids varied amongst rogues and he really didn’t want to start a debate that would cause a divide… especially not when it turned out that there was really no bluff from the other felines’ part. Pam was starting to get the feeling that leopards grew on trees with the way they seemed to be appearing so even though Helel was very hard to ignore, the young lion settled on just giving him a very stern glare.

“We heard of a deadly monster that lives in the area. We’re looking for it.“ He had no issues with talking to other species even though he liked to keep a good distance from them. While he frowned at the way Moshi was talking by the time he was asking the important questions, Pam was nodding. Yes, they had many questions and very little answers so far. Hopefully, the leopards would ignore the rudeness. And because no one seemed to have answered a question that was bugging him… “Why was that monkey slapping everyone?”  

[Dulcea]

Margulis was not one to make snap judgements so the fact that she had been wrong caught her off guard. It wasn't a bad thing, she quite enjoyed being proven wrong. Or she did when it didn't seem to put everyone in a dangerous position. She placed herself near Pam and nodded in agreement, adding her own voice to the clamor.

"We seek a monster who has viciously killed with no regard for kin or kind. You've heard tell of it, I gather, if you haven't seen it with your own eyes," she said boldly, her blurred eyes focusing between the black and white leopardess and the silver one who had come forward first. One of them was the leader of this band, she gathered, but she couldn't quite place which. The silver one seemed the more likely, she had a cool head on her shoulders, but she found these leopards surprised her.

Taking a breath she continued, "We meant no harm to your monkey friend, we are all wound up beyond the point of patient sense I fear. We need not spill blood for being mortal and feeling afraid." She paused, coming to a conclusion of her own, "You lot, you seek the beast too don't you?"