Welcome to Gaia! ::

How ironic that the newcomer had stepped foot in a place that most seasoned islanders avoided. Jamal didn't know if it was because they all knew that the jungle was where he hid nowadays or if their own fears of the lesser animals was enough to keep them away. Or maybe the memories of the lockout and of Aubrey's attack had something to do with it. Jamal didn't know and didn't care to know.

He'd abandoned his duplex nearly a month and a half ago and had been living his days out in the solitude of his section of the jungle, returning to the village only to eat and to check for any gossip. He was loathe to use anything the staff provided, including the duplexes and it's cafeteria. Now that his latest transformation had gave him the required weaponry to successfully hunt prey and the guts to handle raw meat in a much more satisfactory manner, his trips to the cafeteria were even fewer and far between.

The metallic tang of blood had yet to leave his mouth from his lunch when he heard movement in the distance and scented a strong stench of fear and an unfamiliar, but female, smell with it. Normally he would have ignored it, climbed a tree, and set to grooming the crusted blood from between his fingers and on his chest, but even Jamal found himself lonely. Among other things as well, but he refused to track Antony down for fear of her rejecting him or him trying to EAT her again.

He flicked his ears forward and shifted to an all four-stance...something akin to a Tarzan-like hunch...and headed towards the smell and sounds, pushing bushes and limbs out of the way as noiselessly as he could manage.

Jamal paused alongside a large tree and gave a crackling sort of growl as he placed a hand on the rough bark to steady himself as he stood as a biped again. All the shifted muscle and bone in his legs had not yet made him confident on his feet as a human, but he'd be damned if he was going to come out on all fours, even if that way was more efficient.

"Ya ain't even seen me yet 'n' ya already assumin' s**t," he drawled, a light lisp affecting his speech thanks to his oversided fangs. "Yer lucky I ate already."

Part of that was a joke...part of it wasn't. The aftermath of his transformation hadn't been pretty, but it was better for the woman that he regained as much control over himself as possible now and taken it out on some pig-like thing hours earlier.

He sniffed the air experimentally before shoving forward a bit. Not enough to reveal himself, but enough to where it pinpointed his position for the woman.

"Hard ta leave really if ya lost," he grunted flatly, unimpressed so far with this stranger, his fur automatically bristling upon her first steps forward. By the time she had stopped, Jamal could more ore less see her. The darkness didn't work to her advantage in seeing him, but it didn't bother Jamal at all. It was clear to him, being the observant male he was, that she was highly attractive and legal, not that the latter mattered much on an island with no law but Moreau's. He'd never seen her before. She had to be new.

Maybe if he was nice and helped her out, she could help him out. Ehehe.

After a moment of debate, he pushed forward again, sweeping a hunk of bush away with his arm, and came into view. "Good thing ya ran inta someone who lives out herr...I know da jungle like da back of my hand."

Now would be the real test. If the girl freaked out, then he doubted she'd be easily persuaded at any cost. If not, then perhaps there was merit in helping her out.

Oh good, at least the girl wasn't a complete loss.

"I guess I could," he drawled slowly, scratching his furry chin with one exposed claw, the statement dripping with a tone that read but why should I? "I'mma very busy man."

That was a bold-faced lie and he knew it by the smirk that crossed his feline lips. He had to give her credit for not running off screaming. Either she wasn't easily scared or she hadn't heard stories about him yet. It might even be that she knew how to work things to her advantage out of necessity.

"Who are ya exactly? I didn't know anythin' 'bout new ones gettin' dropped off." He paused, giving her a once over, which paused at length on her covered chest. "At least they made a good choice this time."

She wasn't stupid either. Another plus.

"Welcome to da ********' island," he said with an eye-roll that briefly displaced his icy glare from her boobs. raising his hands up in a grand, if not over-done, jazz-hand motion. "Da name's Jamal. I wouldn't be surprised if ya already been told ta watch out fer me. I ain't got too many friends 'round herr. I guess taking a chunk outta da staff girly scared a few people."

He grinned, lips parting over his already well-displayed fangs, and arched a brow too.

"I kin appreciate a smokin' hot woman, if dat's what ya mean," said Jamal bluntly. "It's been awhile."

"Not if da b***h is one the otha' islanders LIKE," he replied easily as he leaned back against the previously mentioned tree, crossing his arms across his mostly smooth chest.

Her seductive saunter was hardly unnoticed. If Jamal wasn't a total hornball as it was, the tiger certainly wouldn't have let him ignore the display. It had been a long time since he'd been graced with such company....he hadn't seen Antony or Kaveri in AGES....and like hell he was going to miss out on an opportunity from a woman who obviously thought along the same lines as he did. He remained alert to her every move, to every suggestive curve and twist of her body, but did his best to keep his cool.

"I might need a lotta help," he practically purred, gracing her form with another look over. "Could ya handle it?"

Jamal regarded her nonchalantly, even until she was practically leaning ON him, but his whiskers twitched as he was swept up fully by her distinctive smell and that oh-so-alluring countenance. He had to severely resist the urge to pounce.

"Well then," he finally said, lifting a hand and ever so gently placing the tip of a claw on the underside of her chin, which he then equally gently dragged forward so it was a slight tickle to her skin, then pried himself from his comfy position against the tree. "Then what are we waitin' fo?" He smiled ferally and liberally stared at her backside as he skirted around her, then motioned for him to follow. Jamal didn't want to drag this out any longer now that nookie was involved.