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 Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:47 pm
It was dark in the fringes of the jungle, with only the barest glimmer of light filtering down through the thick foliage overhead, the cold light of the full moon dappling Athari's spotted coat, giving him a rather chilling appearance--spoiled only by the light snores that emerged from his feline lips, the soft, rhythmic sounds drowned out by the usual background noise in the jungles he called home.
However, as an insect chirped mere inches from one rounded ear, the ear in question twitched once, and then the leopard cracked one slumberous eye open, yawning silently before dragging himself to a sitting position, raising one hindpaw as he ducked his head to scratch idly behind his neck.
The itch sufficiently handled, he got to his feet, lowering his head and slinking off into the underbrush, dark-colored paws making scarcely a sound.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:56 pm
 In another part of the jungle, not very far from where the leopard had been enjoying his nap, a lioness wandered, looking for food and water under the dappled moonlight shining down through the trees above, her melansitic coat of pure black offset only by her bright blue eyes shining in the dark, making her almost invisible in the dark underbrush.
She stalked the forest quietly, looking for something to fill her empty belly, pausing in her hunt only when she found a small stream at which she stopped for a long strech of time to drink from and rest, as she had traveled a long distance since night had fallen earlier that evening.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:09 pm
As Athari emerged from a particularly large bush, he stopped at the edge of a small stream, swivelling his mobile ears for any indication that danger might be present, even as his eyes scanned what he could see--which wasn't much, as the vegetation was particularly dense.
Lowering his own head, he lapped idly at the clear water for a moment, before raising his head once more, his whole body snapping to attention. Surely he hadn't just caught the sound of another doing the same thing. He remained still, poised to respond to...whatever he'd thought he'd heard--whether it be friend, foe..or nothing worth paying attention to.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:27 pm
Kailayna also raised her head in alarm after a few moments, hearing a strange echoing of her own lapping at the water.
Her black head swiveled around, and her ears perked towards the sound she had heard, trying to find it's exact direction. Was it a prey animal? Her stomach growled at the mere thought, it had been more than a day since she had had anything to eat, and would love to come across something she could kill easily.
However, the sound hadn't been like the delicate dripping noise that usually accompanied prey animals drinking with their small pointed mouths, it had sounded more like her own lapping at the water, a farmiliar noise she associated with other cats.
After several long moments of silence, cautiously, she spoke up quietly, her voice a low warning growl. "Is someone there?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:37 pm
Athari stilled completely, save for a slight widening of his eyes. Whatever it was certainly didn't sound exceedingly friendly. Warily, ears swivelling in the direction from which the voice had emerged, he spoke, his own tone lowering to match hers in tone--and perhaps to attempt to make him sound more large than he actually was. "I am." he replied, kicking himself for failing to come up with anything more clever than that. "I merely came to get a drink, and mean no harm." he continued a moment later, poised to flee if the other were to pounce.
As he'd focused on it, the faintest whiff of scent reached him. Lioness. If it were possible, he became still more wary--the females of the other species were nothing to sniff at, if they were so inclined to go after one of his kind.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 9:06 pm
Her ears swiveled directly towards the voice when she got a response, and she crouched lower, her head still raised, unsure of what she might be dealing with.
"And who is I?" she replied curtly. Unfortunately for Kailayna, the wind was blowing in the other direction, allowing the other cat her scent. She mostly just assumed it was a cat, though it could have been a wild dog, or even a hyena, she couldn't be sure with her scent being given away and not receiving any.
Her assumption was based on the fact that most prey animals would not speak to a predator, especially if they KNEW they were talking to a predator. Which, with her scent blowing towards them right now, they certainly would. If it were a male lion - it did sound like a male, that much she could tell - she could be in for trouble. She was close to being in season, and didn't feel like dealing with the advances of some rogue she had no interest in.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 9:44 pm
Athari remained wary, although his tail twitched once. "My name is Athari." he replied, moving out into the open, so that she could see him--and hopefully, he couldn't help but think, he'd be able to see her before he found himself a part of dinner, if her mind happened to stray in THAT direction.
"And you? Do you have a name yourself, or are you merely a figment of my imagination?" he continued, his odd sense of humor shining through, ever-so-slightly.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:14 pm
Surprised at the other animal's show of trust - or perhaps stupidity - she didn't immediately react nor step into the open herself. What kind of a leopard just revealed himself willingly to an unknown lioness? Although she couldn't answer her own question, she had never encountered many leopards. At least this one didn't seem agressive. If anything, he seemed slightly submissive.
Kailayna chuffed at the notion that she was a figment, and, showing a bit of faith in her own strength to reveal herself to a male cat of another species, stood up from her hiding place behind some brush, her pure black coat barely standing out from the dark brush although her eyes shore clearly out of the darkness, as did her pink tongue when she spoke.
"A figment? Are you prone to imagining things?" She laughed just a little. "My name is Kailayna."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:22 pm
The barest of grins curling at the corners of his maw, Athari shrugged. "It's never been an issue yet, but one never knows when one slips over the edge and loses touch with reality til its happened, no?" marginally, he relaxed, although he remained attentive to any other sounds or smells that might indicate that she had a pride with her, and so might still prove a hazard to his health.
"That's a pretty name." he replied, almost reflexively. He could only barely make out her outline, even with her having moved more plainly into his range of sight. She was a little larger than he was, which gave him the insane urge to puff out his chest and try to make himself appear larger--an urge that he mercifully resisted. "What brings you into the jungle? Your kind is a rare sight, in these parts." he observed, still cautious.
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Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:42 pm
Kailayna relaxed somewhat when the leopard grinned and visibily relaxed somewhat himself. It seemed he was as worried about being attacked as she had been, though he should be the one more worried, considering he wouldn't know if she was part of a pride or not.
Things could change if he found out that she wasn't, so she stayed on her gaurd mentally, if not appearing to do so physically. She wouldn't give up the fact that she was alone unless she had to. Even if he was smaller than her physically, let him think she had a pride with her, that was just fine.
"Thank you", she responded to the compliment regaurding her name. "I was trying to find some small prey. I thought it might be easier to find here than on the fringes. I haven't seen much however. I suppose that would be because you were lurking around." She tried not to sound resentful, however, she couldn't help it, she was hungry.
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:59 pm
Athari blinked. "Not necessarily. I'm far from the only cat in this jungle." he replied, slightly stung. It wasn't as though he'd been tramping noisily through the foliage or anything, after all!
His tail flicked back and forth, the only outward indication of his irritation. He was still far from at ease, but her prickly comment actually served to make him a bit less suspicious in her presence.
"If you'd like some help flushing something out, however, I'd be happy to assist, if you'll then do the same for me?" he offered, tail still swishing.
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:45 pm
Kailayna made a snorting noise, and tilted her head a little, raising her brow and twisting her ears forward. Was this leopard really serious? Asking her if she needed help hunting, and asking for her help in return?
"You're honestly suggesting we join up to hunt together?" She wasn't sure which was stranger, the fact that he would offer such help, to a lioness no less, or the fact that she was actually considering his proposal.. it HAD been a long time since she had hunted with anyone.. it would be nice for a change.
"How do you know I'm not with a pride?" He had to think she wasn't to ask a question like that. "And I thought leopards were solitary hunters?" She couldn't help the way her questions came out, acusatory and defensive. She did need want help, (a little) in all honesty, and yet she was clawing down his offer as soon as it had been made.
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:17 pm
Athari shrugged. "I figure if you were with a pride, I'd already either have had to flee, or they haven't detected my presence yet...also, if you were in a pride, you wouldn't need small prey--you would be hunting in a group for larger game animals." Sitting back on his haunches, he remained slightly tense, not quite sure he believed his own reasoning.
"And yes, my kind is usually solitary...but, a change from routine has never hurt anyone, in and of itself." he replied, opening his maw in a large yawn.
"But if you'd prefer to go our own ways..." he left it at that, not feeling social to the degree that he was willing to push it.
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:56 pm
She sat as well, huffing a little and looking away from him breifly. He hit it right on the head. This was one sharp Leopard she was talking to. In fact, Athari was the first Leopard she had ever talked to, now that she thought on it. She had seen others before him of course, but never very closely, and had of course had never carried on a conversation with one before.
Looking back in Athari's direction, the end of her tail flicked slightly in a little bit of agitation. "Most wouldn't admit being prideless, especially to another species, but you're right, I'm a rogue. You're observant Athari." She couldn't help the slight smile that creeped over her muzzle.
"So, knowing I'm on my own, and you're on your own, and we're both hungry... what do you say we both throw out any preconceptions of species and form a two cat pride for a few hours and find ourselves something to chase down and eat?" Her tail switched back and forth, and the playful smile remained on her face.
She should have talked to a leopard before. She liked this one.
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:44 pm
Athari chuckled. "When you have a lot of alone time, you come up with ways to amuse yourself." he said, in reference to his being observant. Tilting his head to the side, he smiled himself.
"I'd like that." he replied, one ear swivelling in her direction in a lazy, distracted fashion. "After all, you haven't tried to eat me yet, so I'd say we're off to a positive start." he replied, getting to his feet noiselessly.
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