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 Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:47 pm
Laini stretched lazily on her high perch, smacking her lips and blinking her eyes. Oh to just stay where she was and lounge contently. The sun might be unbearable at times but it did have a way of making her lethargic. Would she hunt this morning? She lifted her nose in the air. Nothing struck her as appetizing. At another time they might but she just wasn't in the mood for the prey whose scent had permeanted through the wind. However, now that she was up, she didn't feel like laying back down. Choosing a direction at random, she jumped off the large rock and set off, willing to let her day be guided by chance.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:09 pm
Muroki was tired and sore at the mouth from dragging his kill back towards the shelter of the trees. Red coated the fur around his mouth and nose and he longed to flick away the flies more effectively, but his burden prevented it. His throat was sore from growling at the lone vulture who circled, and no more blood flowed from his death grip on the gazelle's neck to sooth it.
It had been an easier hunt on the graslands that he'd have had in the dense vegetation of the jungle. He was getting used to it now in there now, and was planning to venture more into the hidden pridelands instead soon....but a lion had to eat and it had been not too difficult to make his kill. Dragging the food back however was prooving harder. Still, he was stubborn and he'd eat his fill in the shade soon enough.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:30 pm
Laini walked peacefully, thoughts on her mind, and overall, relatively unguarded in her actions. She didn't need a wall when there was no one around. What reason would there be? There was no prey in sight. ...unless there was a hare running around in the tall grass. But it was unlikely so she didn't bother.
As if irony was playing against her, the wind shifted, blowing gently in her face rather than her side. She soon detected kill coming from the direction she was heading. Her stomache rumbled against her determination to be content. Stop that! She thought with an audible growl. She would have none of that. Laini was in a dilemna as it was. If she kept going, it could be considered rude. She'd have to know that it belonged to some other predator. The wind was working against her. Despite her better judgement, she crept on her path. When the creature was in view, she crouched low, trying to see them without being seen. There was no real reason to need to know who they were but Laini desired some type of amusement, as low grade as she might be forced to get.
Low and behold, it was that lion she had met quite some time ago, Malawa. Would she bother talking to him? It could end up like last time if she wasn't careful. But she was so bored! Why not? Gathering her wits about her just in case, she popped up out of the grass and made sure to approach slowly. Wouldn't want to look like a theif.
"Fancy seeing you again."
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:55 pm
Naturally, he snarled as best he could around his mouth's hold, but the angry expression faded as soon as he recognised that lovely teal pelt. Oh, it was the 'soft cloud'. She didn't look like she was here to steal his meat. He lowered the gazelle's neck and licked his lips before raising his head to look at her.
"Greetings to you again, Laini. I didn't think you were going to stay in the area." The smile was genuine - he respected everyone by default and anyone who voiced their opinions got extra marks in his books.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:08 pm
Laini nodded to his greeting. She eyed the gazelle for a second and then pushed it out of her mind. It was there so she had to take it into account but she hadn't approached for food. She was perfectly capable of getting her own if she wanted some. Asking someone to share was a bit beneath her, a weakness she didn't desire to possess. "Well, I must admit that this is a pleasant coincedince. As it were, I find there's been a nice breeze around here lately. I'm not used to that. I'll probably leave after it goes. Funny thing is, I seem to have broken your philosophy about rogues." she said with a light laugh. "Or at least I'm pretty sure it's a philosophy. It was night time so it's possible I misunderstood."
It was in fact the wind that had caused her to stay. Maybe it was because of the weather that usually gathers around a jungle but regardless, the breeze was certainly something she couldn't remember in other places, or at least not for as long as this one was lasting.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:18 pm
"Oh no, I will talk to rogues. But only the interesting ones such as yourself. You should feel honored." He chuckled, his tone joking and light. Muroki clearly didn't expect her to ask about the gazelle, though he was considering offering to share - it was too much for one lion in one sitting, he thought belatedly, wishing he'd caught something smaller. But then, some lions took offense to such offers.
"But truthfully. It's good to see you, though I'll wish you a good journey in case this is the last time we bump into each other out here. Mists travel with the breeze, after all."
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:25 pm
Laini laughed at his reply. "Maybe I do," she replied lightly. She was also half-amused that the one's whose company she didn't mind she seemed to always run into more than once. She didn't recall there ever being a third time in any of the cases she could recall so she assumed this would in fact be the last. Only time could possibly prove her wrong, if anything. "I suppose the mist does travel on such a path afterall. I'd say enjoy your time in the pride, although from your current mood, I don't think you'll need any well wishings. Maybe one day I might find the need to join a pride too." She wasn't sure if she meant that last statement but it seemed like a statement that should follow the statement that preceded it.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:37 pm
"They don't seem like a bunch of witless ninnies, so I think I'll be alright. If I ever take a break from pride life, perhaps I'll see you again." He shrugged, hopeful on both accounts. Then, because they both knew how he felt about pleasantries, he came up with a prseudo-topic that was just a thinly veiled offer.
"Tell me, Laini, what's your policy on sharing kills with acquaintances? A lionness such as yourself is clearly capable of hunting for herself, naturally so perhaps it's a matter of pride or possible intentions - such a hoping to encourage a friendship - behind the offer that affects the anwser. If the one offered a meal says yes or no."
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:55 pm
"Maybe you will," she replied with a smile. She had the urge to make a joke out of it but resisted. It would have been an immature one anyway. "On sharing kills? Well, I suppose it depends on how deserving they are. If they are the lazy type obivously not. But if they have the means to make up for such, I suppose an offer could be extended. Of course, if someone were offering me some, well, if I didn't know them - like a pratical stranger - I'd probably take it as an insult." Why in the world was she being completely honest? "If I did know them and they me, I'd probably feel a tiny bit bad for intruding upon their meal." Was he trying to give her a hint she was almost not able to grasp? She decided it might be better to pretend to be daft in regards to that to make sure she wasn't jumping to conclusions.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:07 pm
"I did say acquaitance, so I think we can assume they've only met once or twice. An interesting opinion though...I would think that if they're offering me a place at the kill, I'm not intruding. But interesting." Muroki let it drop without losing his smile. It'd just been an idea he'd been toying with, a reason to get her to stay and talk for a while longer, but no matter.
Had he known she was being completely honest, it would have pleased the tawny lion. He was trying to stop his lies, to be truthful, deciding they were probably counterproductive to his desire to have some intellectual conversations and to develop friendships.
"To aide us meeting again, perhaps, one day...you should know my true name. My pride's custom was to take your sire or mother's name as yours to travel behind. I'm called Muroki, myself."
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:20 pm
"Hmm, well, I seem to have an issue with getting the concept right." She made a face to emphasize her realization at the mistake of not getting that it would be an interaction with an aquaintance. "Muroki..." it was unfamiliar in meaning and sound to her but she supposed it was better than a name meaning "flowers". She hoped he had taken his mother's name and not his father's. She'd hate to have to fight back laughter again. "Well, thanks for telling me." she replied with a smile. "Hopefully such a meeting wouldn't be under bad conditions." She hoped she wouldn't have to explain what she meant by that. Basically one of them forced to flee wherever they were and ran into the other. It could be bad luck to voice such and as cynical as she might be, she couldn't wish such onto someone who didn't deserve negative luck.
She looked down at the practically untouched gazelle. "You should eat some before it begins to rot."
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:28 pm
"It'll be edible for a long while yet...though I was trying to get it out of the sunlight. Eat in the comfort of the jungle shade as it were."
Another shrug. He moved himself so he could grab the gazelle again and get back to hualing it away. A small flicker of regret she wasn't joining him caused him to stall on staying goodbye. It was a same if they didn't bump into one another, even if it was seasons from now. But such was luck and the random chance of such meetings.
(*Snuggles 'He Came With The Dawn/Born of the Dawn'* )
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:35 pm
Shade she thought to herself. Yes, that'd be the best place. It would rot slower out of the sun. Then he would be able to eat at his leisure. If she were to never see him again, it'd be the least she could do to help him. "Here, let me help you." She grabbed one of the hindlegs that was dragging which would obviously be a factor out of the many that could make dragging a long chore. She was careful to grab at the bone so she didn't simply pull of meat, which was not her goal at all. He had the right to refuse but she was counting on him not protesting to a little bit of help. It made her feel useful rather than like a weakling forced to simply observe such actions.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:35 am
"Thankyou" He said quickly before taking up his hold on the gazelles neck once more. With two it was a much easier task, not only because of the extra strength but because the kill wasn't dragging so badly.
Muroki tugged gently, co-opperatively, to hint at the best tree to head for. This way, Laini.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:26 am
Laini found they were able to move quicker, and although it was a bit ackward walking backwards, she managed. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught his signal and pulled in the direction he had indicated. Truth be told, Laini had never seen the point of moving kill and had only done it once when she had been forced to avoid an angry waterbuffalo. However, it put her to thinking about how well dragging it to someplace better probably was.
When they reached the shade, she put it down and felt rather triumphant about the small feat.
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