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 Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:28 pm
Drip.
Blood caked on the bark of the tree, though it was not limited to that specific area. Greedily it clung to Mchanga'Alfajiri's lips, and the slight tingling sensation of blood cooking underneath the mid-morning sun woke her, made her jaw open wide in a yawn, sending flakes down to the dry earth beneath her. Night had ended so long ago, and she missed it dearly, because above all else Alfajiri was not a leopardess who enjoyed the daylight hours. But, with a parched throat and tingling lips nagging at her senses, she stood up, balancing perfectly on her branch. Leaning forward, she stretched out her ill-used and tired muscles. Then, she was climbing down the tree head first, leaving the remnants of the carcass to bake on the branch.
She did not make a sound as she landed on the seemingly dead earth, and as she moved on ahead she blended in perfectly with the natural environment. Her coat was the color of wet sand, left to dry underneath the sun for a half of an hour. This proved to make perfect camouflage, and she was only seen when she wanted to be seen. When she finally abandoned all cover, it was because she had no other choice and needed to sate her aching thirst.
Out from under the brush she came, padding softly to the end of a small pool that would - she hoped - survive through the rest of the dry season. It had not failed to give her a source of water for the years of her life, but this season was particularly hot and she feared for her water hole's life. Bowing her head in a smooth arch, she eagerly lapped at the edges of the water, blood wetting and dripping back into the pool, swirling and mixing with the water until they disappeared completely in the murky liquid.
Ah, this was better, water to wipe away the heat of the day.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:44 pm
 The grass cracked softly beneath a solitary lion's feet as he trekked across the plains, constantly on the move. Rest had provided what little comfort it could to one such as himself, never feeling welcome in any inviting location, something that alpha males could greatly afford.
Moyenda raised his neck, putting his nose to the wind at the familiar scent of carnage. It was old but weakling that he was, he couldn't afford to be picky. He hadn't eaten as of yet. With high hopes, he picked his way through the grasses, eyes focused on the tree up ahead.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:55 pm
(( I'mma give you little hints about how to roleplay while we go along, 'kay. :3
Your first post is actually rather well in the few sentences you have, nice and descriptive. But, comparatively, it's short. Add a little more of Moyenda's thoughts into the post. Also, in the first sentence you could rephrase it so the 'grasses' bit doesn't seem repetitive. Overall, very good first shot. :3 ))
She raised her head from the water, droplets dripping from her maw back into from whence it had came. Her drink was finished, her mouth now cleaned of all bood, and her thirst satisfactorily quenched for now. Still her muscles did not cooperate with her, making her trek back to her tree long and tedious. With each step she ached, and the longer she remained in the sun's rays she become more discomforted. It was hot, and she wanted nothing more then to curl up in the shade of her tree and take a nap next to her kill.
But, when she returned to her tree she saw a looming, larger figure heading towards it as well. Alfajiri growled slightly in irritation, and though she was not hungry, she was not willing to give up her meal. She doubted such a bulk of a male lion could climb up into her tree, and so she did not worry terribly much. In fact, she calmly climbed up to the lowest branch, yellow eyes peering thoughtfully at the form growing larger as it neared her tree. She was quite tempted to jump on the creature's back and give him an unpleasant shock...
But she did not, and simply waited for the outcome of such a meeting.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:11 pm
((ok, thank you ^^))
He licked his maw imaging the taste in his mouth, if a bit exaggerated. His eyes surveyed the scene eagerly, expecting to see signs of a carcass lying about. From the distance he was at, he could see nothing on the ground. No carcass visible or stains of blood on the brush and no vultures or other scavangers lurking about. He could not think that he had deceived himself. His eyes had already fooled him when he thought he saw movement on the tree but a second glance told him it could not be so. It had to be there. It had to.
Moyenda hunched his shoulders and crept forward, slowly but anxious. He tested the wind again. The smell was still there. There were other smells too but he would bother himself with them later. Silly to worry over such a thing but Moyenda had no one to tell him so. He would find the blasted carcass.
Spotting a water hole, he altered his course slightly, feeling that was as good a place to start as any.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:27 pm
(( Now /THAT/ was beautiful. Wonderful job. <3 ))
He was here, and mentally Alfajiri weighed her options, then groaned. If he managed to get up the tree, she could not stop him from stealing what was rightfully hers. He was almost twice as large as she was, and though she was built of pure muscle, she did not doubt that he was as well. In an even match he would win, but if she could turn the tables a little and make things lean in her direction there was no doubt that she could would win, and perhaps without a scratch.
She balanced once again on that low branch, walking to the point of the branch of where it could barely hold her weight. The lion was about to head away, but she did not doubt he would be back, and so things would be set in stone now. He would not mess with her, or he would find his life to be quite short. It was safe to risk a leap from her branch, and so she did so, landing steadily on the ground, and turning around, she greeted him with a cool expression.
"Hello, I hope you have found your day to be..." and her voice came out in a low, smooth purr, "enjoyable."
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:42 pm
So intent was he on his prize that he had failed to observe his surroundings. Dead undergrowth, tree, water, yes but not to the full extent that should have been taken. Slowly, he began to realize the situation until it was a bit late to avoid it. His first clue was at his feet: soft paw prints in the ground that belonged to no creature of prey but one of a feline nature. They were fresher than the scent he had concentrationed on so readily. Then a sandy leopardess landed gracefully onto the ground shaking him from his thoughts and he could not help but be startled. His head jerked and his eyes widened but he quickly recovered from his slip-up, knowing he was possibly heading for some deep trouble.
Her comment didn't sound friendly in the least. Enjoyable? His day was turning out to anything but. What Moyenda needed most was a cover-up.
"Oh quite enjoyable, thank you," he replied putting on a friendly smile. "Sorry to burst into your home like this and all..."
His brain wasn't functioning fast enough to suit him but he hoped she wouldn't notice.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:50 pm
She was the ever-calculating creature, from the moment she landed he was under strict observation. From the information she gathered, she smirked slightly, and then cooly began to stride up to him. She had seen his reaction, his surprise, and he was either young or had not learned anything in his years of life. He had noticed, too late, that he was not alone. He had not considered the possibility that the meat would be well guarded. This had been a foolish mistake, and so she did not worry about putting herself in close proximity to him.
She would strike first.
Now she was so close that there was barely an inch of space between the tip of her nose and his'. It was an intimate closeness, intimately filled with danger and threats. Moyenda had thrown himself into a dangerous situation, tampering with a leopardess with the potential to be more dangerous then he. "My home... Yes, this is what I was about to get at, you know. What, pray tell, brings you to my lovely tree?
...Is there something special about it, or was it a... say, whim?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:05 pm
The close proximity, the dangerously slanted eyes, the tone of voice. This was where he was supposed to become nervous ...and it was working. His brother had left him to wander on his own for a reason. And Moyenda knew he was going to die.
This is it. I'm going to die. My life's flashing before my eyes. Look, there's my mother telling me to stay close and my sister playing just off to the side near the stampeding wildebeast. Wait, my name's not Kobe. That's not my life. What cruel irony is this?
But there was no time to lament. He was supposed to say something now, say it gracefully with pizaz. He couldn't say how lovely her tree was. That was foolish and the truth was perhaps even more so. He was coming up short. Mo cursed his brain and lack of wits.
"Well, I'd like to think there was a purpose, you know, as all things are supposed to have one. But it just so happens to be on my route, uncharted as it were," He said as confidently and comfortably as he could manage.
Oops. He'd done it. For the lack of better words, he'd done himself in.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:14 pm
His mental stability was deteriorating, and though she knew not what was going on his thoughts, she knew he had lost focus. Her sudden appearance had unsettled him, and the close proximity had only worsened his condition. She had him on the edge, and she had to do was take a few steps forward and... Push. Him. Off.
She began to circle him, tail lashing her side at uncalculable moments, intending to unsettle him further and push him closer to that edge, that final destination. "Dahlin', you're being... an idiot. Do you not realize how long I've been here? Do you not know that I have seen you lingering at my home with your nose in the air? I am not a particularly stupid leopardess, in fact, I would go so far as to say I am intelligent." She paused then, in front of him once again, eyes slanting and focusing on his own eyes.
"Now, are you willing to come up with a more believable lie. Or, shocked as I am to think this, are you going to tell me truth so that we can move along. To what we move along to, I do not know. Perhaps your actions will predict it."
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:29 pm
Moyenda laughed nervously on the inside and watched her circle. It might have been easier if her words didn't have a steel edge to them that had already cut and left him bleeding. He tried to weigh his options as fast as he could. Was it worth popping out another lie or telling the truth and risk being mauled anyway?
He gave it his best shot, figuring he hadn't got much options left.
"Ok, well you look like a very capable leopardess so it's easy to say that you probably have last night's meal lying around somewhere nearby. It's probably only half-eaten too but what do you care? You have all the time in the world to eat it and no need to worry about threats. And along comes a lion, as capable of taking down a full grown waterbuffalo as a lone adolescent, forced to pick off the sick and the elderly if on prey that size at all. Let's assume he's hungry - hasn't easten in days. He's wandering around, hoping by some miracle his next meal will just wander by. Smelling a dead carcass and not seeing any life about, is it presumable that he could trick himself into believing he's safe to claim it as his own?" he said pacing, finding it more comfortable than standing stockstill but at the same time, staying away from her tree, guessing exactly what it hid. "Should he be severely punished for a simple mistake although recognizably one he should try to make up for?"
perhaps fault could be found with his wording but it had come out of his mouth and he couldn't easily take it back.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:38 pm
Her laughter was rich, and it was almost so rich as to ease Moyenda's nerves. But, unfortunately for him, there was malice in that laugh, treacherous glee over the fact that he had finally confessed his reasons to hanging around her home. The next few moments would determine whether he survived or not. To Alfajiri there was no doubt that she would win. He had admitted to be hungry, and was clearly shaken by this confrontation. If she wanted him permanently out of her life and maybe even in her stomach, she would have him gone in an instant.
But she didn't, and in fact sat down and smiled at him in mock mirth. "Good boy," she purred, the muscles of her body relaxing, giving the illusion that all was well. Perhaps it was, for Alfajiri's mood had brightened. Truth had wiped away some of the malice, but it was still there, just well contained.
"I do not think you should be severely punished, you young males have a rough time until you get situated into a pride." Her ears flicked back, and her face took on that of serious contemplation. "But, punishment is still in order. You have... ruined my day, in a sense, and now surely my meal is rotting."
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:51 pm
((thank you for RPing with me 3nodding ))
He was shocked to find that she did not strike him down there and now. And although he knew she was getting some sort of sweet satisfaction out of his shock, he could not completely remove the traces of it from his face. More importantly, he couldn't will himself to move. He was curious and suspicious of what punishment she had in mind. And he had half the mind to run away, as nimble as he was, even though it was a little late to do so. Plus, he felt the need to appease her - and of course, there was always the risk that she was faster than him.
Like a cub subservient to its mother, he bowed his head to her. "What do you have in mind?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:29 pm
(( You're welcome. XD Sorry about the delay. ))
"Yes, what do I have in mind?" She asked herself, eyes becoming distant as ideas ran through her head. There were so many things she could do to a lion who had such a weaker personality then herself. But, still his body was stronger, and if she harmed him he would retaliate. Her only choice then would be to flee up her tree, and that was such a degrading act that she would rather get mauled then do it. On her little list of ideas, she mentally crossed off anything that dealt with physical harm, and moved on to the next idea on her list.
She could climb right back up into her tree and eat in front of him. Alfajiri could swear that she could hear the lion's stomach growling from where she was. But, she had a feeling that Moyenda would sooner leave then watch her gorge herself on some meat, and the idea was not particularly pleasing to her. There was something disgusting about it, and it would show absolutely poor manners to eat so much. Her stomach was full already, and she would not fit another morsel down her throat.
"Well, what do you think you could survive?" She finally asked, a sly chuckle making her chest rumbled with barely contained mirth. Yes, this day was becoming quite more entertaining now that she had Moyenda here.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:20 pm
((no biggy))
The long pause the leopardess created made him anxiously as he watched. Just how clever was she? What exactly could she think up that would ....well, not be pleasant? Her eyes certainly said she wasn't there. How vivid was her imagination?
Hmmm, well, what could he survive? Mo had to think about this one. He had survived living in the wild by himself even after being labeled a weakling by his family before they abandoned him. Wasn't that good enough? He had no clue but oh well. It was worth a try. "I think - well, ok, I know I survived living in the roguelands by myself. What could I survive?" Was her imagination vivid? Talk about his. He couldn't think of the worst things she could do. They started here and skipped all the way to where he's gutted and laying lifeless on the savanna. Not very lovely at all. "To be completely honest, I don't know what I can and cannot do." She probably wouldn't be very happy with that response. He awaited the retaliation and the punishment, his heart thumping with fear.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:37 pm
He was fearful of a leopardess who was perhaps twice as small as him, and something about that thought made her chuckle in good humor. She had no idea what he thought she would do, but she knew her own limitations. Mchanga'Alfajiri was no monster, and this meeting was nothing more then a game to her. Blood and guts were not on her mind tonight, and if she were to assault him, it would only be psychologically. She would have him in such confusion and fear that his mind would burst.
"Then you give me no limitations as to what I may do. If I break you, you can only blame it on yourself." These were intelligent words, ones that would usually not be spoken by a monster. It either left her as the greatest monster of the all, or a trickster.
Her eyes narrowed, watching him, and flickering with what could be interpreted as malice, she lunged forward without a sound. But, it was not an attack, and rather nothing hit him at all except for the soft, but firm, thud of her tail against the side of his jaws. She had /hit/ him, with her tail, and now she was walking away to lay underneath her tree, gazing at him in mild humor, before she proceeded to ignore him, in a sense.
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