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 Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 2:18 pm
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 Jua Bwana was never one to stay in one place for long. He hovered around his father's pride constantly, but rarely did he spend time in the pride. There were too many there that would attack for no reason, just for the fun of it. While he could hold his own despite his smaller size, he had no fondness for physical brutality when it wasn't called for.
His bright blue eyes shone in the sun as he gazed over the rouge lands, looking for some form of entertainment. The urge to spread his genes was starting to grow again, as it had been almost a year since he had last found a female to use for his benefit. A few of the cubs had remained behind with him, but most had gone off with her. He cared not for those that left, but he had raised the ones that had remained to be as cold and calculating as himself was. Not to toot his own horn, but he was very proud of his accomplishments.
Knowing someone would have to come by sooner or later, he found a scraggly tree to rest under, the meager shade helping him blend even more into the parched ground.
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Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 7:05 pm
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Today was the first day in a long while that Mzuka had strayed away from her sister. After leaving their desolate pride, she had really felt like something was missing within her, and as much as she adored her sister, her presence alone could not fill that space. She needed something other than just wandering to do; she needed a purpose, and the dull monotonous lifestyle of just aimlessly wandering wasn't doing that.
Last night, just before she went to sleep, she decided that she would go off on a little adventure today. It's not like her sister was ever awake during the day - she left her under the careful watch of her dear snake, and by the time she awoke this evening, Mzuka would have safely returned. Flexing her paws in the soft dirt, she stood, blue eyes looking out ahead of her. She hadn't been this excited since she first left her mother and father so long ago. She didn't really know what to do, other than channeling her inner cub and running around in circles. It was still early, but she had already warn herself down; glancing around, she saw a little tree not too far off. It was a little sad looking, but shade was shade, and she really wanted to rest right now. Using a boost of energy, she trotted up to it happily, immediately flopping in the dirt.
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 3:54 pm
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Bwana reclined lazily, but nothing about his head spoke of laziness. His whiskers twitched in the wind, ears twisting this way and that to pick up noises, nostrils flaring to pick up new scents on the wind, and those bright blue eyes were constantly scanning the horizon. His kneaded the air slowly with his front paws, alternating from left to right, and his tail bumped lightly against the ground from time to time.
And then he saw her.
She was coming towards him in the direction the sun was beaming from, so her far-off approach had been missed. The wind was blowing from the north, keeping his scent from her and hers from him. Bwana remained calm, but an interested expression crossed his face. Who was this? Certainly not a creature he was familiar with. She had a tufted tail but was far too small and slim to be a lioness, and cheetahs and leopards alike didn't have tufts.
Bwana was familiar with leopons and letoahs. Some of his half siblings were hybrids and his father showed no discrimination between them. This, however, was a hybrid he'd never come across before.
She seemed to be heading straight for him, so he pushed himself up a bit on his paws, moving into a seated position so she'd notice him and not be startled away. A pretty creature, that was for certain...one Bwana wouldn't mind claiming for himself for the evening.
"Traveling alone in the rouge lands?" he asked softly, voice just loud enough to be heard but soft enough that it beckoned her closer. "A bit dangerous, wouldn't you say?"
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 8:33 pm
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Zoning out after she hit the dirt, it took Mzuka a minute to realize that she had company. She had been so used to pridal life that she had forgotten that she should really be a bit more cautious when wandering around by herself; after all, she wasn't really the biggest of cheetons.
"Oh!" Coming to rest on her side, she eyed the male that had spoken to her; thicker build, solid tail - he was a leopard all right. At first she was a little nervous; someone like him could easily immobilize and defeat her in a fight. But he didn't seem to be threatening her, so she didn't worry too much about it.
"I...well, yeah, I suppose so." She let out a laugh, glancing over his blended pelt; no wonder she hadn't noticed him. Both of their pelts could easily hide in the tall grass, but hers stuck out a little more than his did. His eyes, on the other hand, were very striking. She had blue eyes, too, but they were nothing like his.
"But you won't hurt me, will you?" She flicked her eyes at his, giving a small grin. It was an honest question, though she doubted she'd be in danger at this point.
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 6:52 am
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Bwana's eyes stared unblinking at the female, as he would when hunting prey. She was very calm, despite his 'sudden' appearance, and the tone of her voice let him know that she was too trusting for her own good. He put a smile on his muzzle as she asked him if he'd hurt her, but the grin didn't reach his eyes which remained cold and unblinking.
"There are those near here who might," he said, answering her in a round about way. "My pride is not known for its kindness." He paused a moment before blinking, letting his eyes remain half-lidded to give off a sense of relaxation and calmness. "But you are safe here. I have no intentions of bringing you pain or suffering."
And that was the truth. Bwana was more curious than anything, having not seen a feline like her before. She was fluffy and slim and had a rather adorable tuft of hair on her head that covered her own calm, blue eyes. Where his were intense and bright, like a cloudless sky at midday, hers reminded him more of a pool of water in the morning, still cool from the night and a welcome break from the growing heat.
"What's your name? And, forgive my ignorance...what are you?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:09 pm
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Keeping her eyes on the male, Mzuka wasn't exactly sure what to think; his demeanor hadn't signaled danger, but his words had a hint of threat in them. But, he hadn't attacked her yet, right? And at this range, if he had wanted to, there really would be no running away for Mzuka. Being a cheeton, she could run faster than most, but she wasn't big enough to fight off an attacker, and her speed could only hold out for so long. Besides, it was better to trust than to be suspicious, right? At least, that's what her father had taught her.
"Well that's good news, then, isn't it?" Her mouth widened in a grin, feeling a bit relieved that she at least had his word now.
"My name is Mzuka. And don't worry, I get a lot of strange looks." Letting out a light laugh, she was actually kind of glad that he asked; so many just assumed she was a freak of nature or something and gave her dirty looks. "My father was a cheetah and my mother was a lioness - so I guess a cheeton?" Flicking her tail around in the dirt, she sometimes forgot just how different she looked; as a cub, she was surrounded by hybrid siblings like herself, and her previous pride had had so many different species that she wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
"Now what's your name?" She looked at him, eyes bright with expectation and a small smile on her face.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 11:56 am
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As the cheeton relaxed again, Bwana knew he had 'won'. It was almost too easy with creatures like her. They were so trusting of others that there was no sport to keeping them on edge. Still, he knew he'd enjoy his time with her for one reason or another. For now, though, he needed to make polite small talk to further her sense of security and lure her into his eventual offer to stay for the evening with him.
"I see," he mused as Mzuka told him of her heritage. A father and mother of two different species wasn't unheard of, of course, but Bwana's father was a leopard - obviously - so his siblings were leopards, leopons, or letoahs. There might have been a few cheetons in the pride, but he had never run into any of them before. "Or perhaps they're giving you strange looks for other reasons," he added, licking his lips just a bit as he allowed himself another once-over. She was pretty, that much was obvious. He had seen some awful looking felines in his wandering - some of his step siblings were among them in his opinion, but he might have been biased due to their habit of picking on him when he had been younger - and he had come to realize that he preferred females with a simpleness to them. Outlandish colors were fine so long as they were in moderation, but Mzuka had the natural colors and subtle markings that he much preferred. That and her exotic appearance was incredibly appealing, too.
"Jua Bwana, but you can refer to me as Bwana if you wish," he said lazily, flicking at a fly with his tail. "Now then...are you truly traveling alone? There are rather dangerous areas around here," he warned, nodding back in the direction of his pride. "Where I'm from, strangers are generally not treated very well. I'd advise you to head in a different direction after you get a good night's rest so you have plenty of energy to put some distance between you and this place."
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 3:11 pm
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"Bwana..." She let his name linger for a moment, her tongue lightly touching the roof of her mouth. "I think I like that name." Giving a single nod, she had been comparing it to the names of some of her many siblings and half-siblings; so many of them had the strangest names, likely the influence of their differing mothers because he father was a pretty simple cheetah. For her, she liked the shorter, simpler names, and even though his was technically two words, it was still easy enough.
"I'm not technically traveling alone. I mean, I guess for today I am, but not normally." While she technically was travelling with her sister and her children, it really was little better than traveling alone, as far as safety went - they were wonderful company, but a group of cheetahs that were all non-fighters offered about as much security as a flock of birds. They could run all they wanted, but once you got them, they were done for.
"I hadn't really thought about whether or not other prides could be out here." Looking around, she let her eyes linger for a moment in the direction he signaled. She had thought that she'd be able to notice a nearing pride, but apparently not; her senses had really dulled since she moved into her former pride. "Well what kind of pride is it if they don't welcome strangers?" Looking back at him, she didn't really understand a pride like that. She had always thought that prides were supposed to welcome new-comers, providing them a place to stay if they proved friendly and suitable.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 3:37 pm
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Bwana's ear twitched slightly as Mzuka mentioned that she wasn't alone. His blue eyes scanned the horizon for just a moment, but there was no one else in sight. Whoever it was, they were fine with being on their own for a bit, he was sure. She didn't seem the type to abandon someone in need. Good...it would make his job a bit harder, which made things more interesting. Even if her traveling partner wasn't incapable, he was sure she wouldn't want to spend the night.
"Oh, there are prides that dislike certain things," he said with a sage nod. "Some are prejudice against hybrids, some leopards, others lions, some non-felines...here we welcome all types of felines, although it's predominantly leopards. It's just not a very nice place, even if you're born into royalty." His last words were a bit bitter as he was speaking about himself. Clearing his throat, he adopted a calm smile.
"But you're lucky to have stumbled across me. I'm one of the very few, if not the only kind soul here. I like to lay out here to ward off anyone that might stumble across the pride." A lie, of course. There were mild-mannered creatures within, and he was not laying out her for her sake, but rather his. But she didn't need to know that.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 4:40 pm
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"Oh..." Eyes dropping for a moment, she had never known that there was a pride that seemed to be cruel even to its own members. The idea of royalty was a bit foreign to her, too, though she knew its basic concept. Her former pride had been very democratic, and she had even risen in the ranks to be a Lieutenant.
"Really, now?" Flicking her eyes back to him, a coy smile formed on her face. It's not that she didn't believe him, it's just that it sounded kind of funny, coming after that description of his pride. "Well that's awfully kind of you." Her eyes softened, and her smile turned more sincere. She knew that even the worst of situations could produce creatures that shined, and she could have very well come across one from this dark pride.
"I guess I shouldn't linger in this place though, for too long." She was teasing, mostly, because she rather enjoyed his company, even if it was only a simple conversation. At some point, though, she knew she'd have to guide her sister and her children away from this direction. So this little getaway had produced some good.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:19 pm
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Bwana nodded a few times, being as sincere as he could manage, which was pretty convincing. He had lots of experience convincing the larger, more brutish members of the pride of one thing or another to escape their bullying. "Yes, it really is for the best, although I'm quite glad you did drop by. It's always nice to see a friendly face from time to time," he said with a soft sigh, letting his tail 'accidentally' flop onto her paws.
"I do wish you the best," he added, a wistful look in his eyes. "Are you heading somewhere in particular or...just rouges enjoying the free lifestyle?" He let his tail flick gently over her paws, a curious look on his face, this time completely genuine. He loved exploring the rouge lands, but he never went far from his pride. His father was all for extending his already long line of offspring, but it was hard when no one came in the dry, barren land that surrounded their home.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 6:07 pm
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"Before one of those not-so-nice-to-strangers pride members comes out and finds me here." She smiled, flexing her paws in the soft dirt. A slight tickle ran through her as his tail touched her; an accident, most likely, but it still made her a little anxious - in a good way.
"I...well, I was just kind of out roaming today, so I don't have too much of a destination. Just enjoying a day's worth of complete freedom." She let her eyes wander down the length of his body, getting a little distracted in his golden coat. "But, I mean, maybe if you were able to take a little break from your duties here, you could show me around this area a little." Her eyes quickly began to wander, her embarrassment heating up her face. It was just an innocent request, and she didn't want to waste her day of freedom alone laying in the hot sun. She wanted to explore a bit, and some company would be wonderful. "You know, to make sure I don't accidentally wander into your pride and whatnot. Only until dusk, of course." She wanted to make sure he didn't get the wrong idea - Mzuka didn't want him to get creeped out by her.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 6:43 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:04 pm
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