Welcome to Gaia! ::

✦ Step 1: Capture. ✦

Jiji sniffed the small slab of meat before him. Not much, but probably enough to get a hungry cub’s attention? He huffed and shuffled his feet before picking it up in his snout. It would have to do. He wanted that creature, perhaps now more than ever, as though failing only instilled a deeper desire to keep trying and eventually succeed. Was this the ‘stubborn’ or ‘hard headedness’ that his sisters so frequently accused him of?

Perhaps.

But, Jiji reasoned as he toted his ‘bait’ back up the trail and towards the baowi cave from earlier, persistence was what it took sometimes to win. Who knew how many times you might need to fail before succeeding, and how depressing was it to think that you might try so many times only to finally give up one try before the time you were destined to succeed at long last?

No. He would not be that person. No matter how many tries it too, he would proceed until victory, and that was decided.

Though, he amended mentally, if he didn’t succeed this time, he may well have to apply some more serious tweaks to his overall strategy. Perhaps a cage in addition to some bait? The idea of making use of such a thing unsettled him a bit — it seemed to be a very two-legger-esque strategy. Restricting and unkind to the creature in question.

But, he reminded himself, he was attempting to catch a wild animal of sorts with far less intelligence than himself and it wasn’t as though he would abuse it in any way. Fates, if he was successful at taming and training it, think of what an impressive pair they might make — all the adventures they could go on together. Certainly that future wouldn’t be a cruelty? Not to mention the fame and recognition he could get by mastering something so fierce as a baowi.

Giddy again and re-inspired just at the thought of what might be, Jiji hastened along his path and crouched low again as he closed in on the baowis’ resting grounds. Closer. Clooossserrr…

Nestling down yet again until his belly was practically scraping the earth, Jiji watched, and waited. What he needed was a good opportunity to distract the young one and lure it away from the pack. Then he could—

One of the adults stirred from its sleep, massive body barely twitching at first and then snout rising, sniffing the air. Sniff sniff. Sniff sniff. Jiji held absolutely still. Could it have smelled the meat already? Was he going to attract all of them this way? Mild panic bubbled up as more of the adults began following suit, rising up on their haunches and sniffing the air. When the first one glanced his way, Jiji swore from around the slab of meat, tossed it as far as he could towards them and began his third rapid retreat from the baowi cave.

Maybe next time.