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 Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:29 pm
In the weeks since Richard's change the population of trees bearing deep claw marks in their bark had taken an upswing. The phenomena occurred in a rough circle about a half mile in diameter. The marks were more dense in along the river toward the village. These fresh claw marks bore a scent, very faint but distinctive and feminine. It screamed predator to a sensitive nose and it had an unnatural under tone to it.
This new population centered near Richard's fishing spot on a tree perhaps 15 feet away from the bank of the river. This area nearly stank of her, so much that a normal human might detect a faint odor. Up in the branches Richard slept, nursing a hang over in the late afternoon. Her eyes sheild from the sun by a book balanced on her muzzle.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:07 pm
He was out on another one of his strolls, which seemed like it would be just like any other average venture into the jungle. He moved along at his normal casual pace, his feet half-walking on his toes, half bounding as the dasyurid-marsupial side of him told his feet that it was the proper way for him to walk. His banded tail was lowered with his relaxed mood.
He hummed to himself as he went along, checking his newly established territory around the more southerly side of the island where there was no unnatural development at all. He had discovered it weeks ago, and his senses told him that nobody owned it yet. So, he had claimed it as fast as he could, treading the scent from his paws and marking his paw prints into the ground wherever he could. He had left the river alone - that was Newt's. He respected the frog-man and concluded that everybody needed their own space.
With the area secured, he ventured further north back into older territory to check up on some of his supplies. He checked bits of disturbed ground as he walked back the way he had come, being able to determine what was his paw prints, and what he had deliberately dug in the last few weeks. He ensured his stashes of whiskey bottles were still buried, seeming satisfied to discover that they were all untouched. Everything seemed to be in order, so he was relaxed and calm. The animal-man's instincts were telling him that everything was secure, which only further fortified his calm mood.
With the newer and older territorial areas secure, the animal-man decided that it was time to venture back into the village and return 'home' to his duplex. He felt thirsty, so he made his way back from the south side of the island, up via one of his older territory paths that led along the river.
"Urr... urt-urt." A slight sound escaped his throat, which seemed to surprise even himself. But before he could ponder the situation, he found himself sniffing the air. The fine layer of fur on the back of his neck was rising with his mood, his tail raised and stiffened.
Something foreign was in the air, and it made him feel very uneasy indeed. He couldn't quite determine what it was, but... it was in HIS territory, and the scent was definitely NOT something he had marked himself. These facts made him feel quite edgy, but also mildly angry. Who would dare claim his territory after he had established it himself?
"Urrrr... rurrrrr!" He made a loud guttural ascending noise, sounding out a mild threat to the area around him, the thylacine announcing that he was angry and willing to contend with the territory stealer who dared intrude on his domain.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:30 pm
When the sound of the Seth's odd display reached Richard the foliage had muffled it to a faint whisper of what it had been. Still it was not a sound that one usually heard in the jungle and one of Richard's eyes popped open. It was immediately shut again as the sunlight lanced through her brain. The pain of the hangover headache immediately shot her into the waking world. She groaned as the book fell from her face and onto the forest floor below. Covering her eyes with a pawhand she blinked until the pain subsided to a dull roar.
She could still taste the vomit on her tongue from this morning and is made a digusted growl at herself as she tried to scrape the taste from her tongue by scraping against her teeth. It wasn't effective.
Groggily she watched the forest... for something. What ever it was she was pretty sure it had woken her up.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:04 pm
The sound of the book falling was easily picked up in the carnivorous marsupial's sensitive hearing range, and he bounded off to investigate, his mood still quite aggitated and angry. His eyes were wide and alert as he moved on, knowing that while charging in on ahead to face the intruder, there was a very likely chance he might be attacked or have to fight.
He quickly moved under the tree, picking up the book. He glanced at it for a moment, turning it over. Why would a book fall from the sky? He glanced upwards and immediately sprung backwards as he saw the giant animal-person in the tree, making a loud coughing bark in fright. It did not occur to him who it was at all at that point in time. The most prominent thought in his mind was the thylacine instincts telling him 'flee, flee, get back!'.
"What the bloody hell...?" He spat out, backing away several steps to make sure he was out of the animal's immediate attack range. He made a loud hissing noise and opened his jaw to it's full 100° capacity, showing the other an open and angry threat, showing off 42 white sharp carnivorous teeth. He made the loud hissing noise again and took another step back, wild eyes glaring.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:20 pm
Watches Seth charge in from the underbrush with a quizzical glare and a tail twitch but stays silent. Until she see him pick up the book she wasn't done reading. It was Her book! A low growl escaped her then as she shifted to drop out of the tree if need be. Her lips drew back in a snarl at Seth's display.
"Seth what one earth are you doing?" She spat the words out, annoyed at his barging in on her... retreat. Yes it was her retreat from the village, nothing do to with territory she told herself. Regardless of the curicumstance this idiotic islander had interrupted her nap and his noise making was agravating her headache. "Get the hell away from my... Tree."
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:38 pm
"Your tree?" He growled. "Your tree?!" It did not occur to him that this was Richard at all, the voice sounded completely foreign to him. Also, this creature looked different to anybody he had encountered before. He was assuming that this was another islander he had never met before.
"Bugger off, this tree is in my territory. Thus, it's mine, and so is this entire area. Nobody else claimed it, or any of the stuff in it since I got here, so I made it mine. Weeks ago, at that." He loudly snorted. "So piss off, because I claimed this bit long before you ever got here."
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:59 pm
Richard wasn't really aware that her scratching at the trees was a territorial mark it just felt good to run her claws through the wood. However this tree was a completely different story, she spent time both here and the fishing spot daily now and wasn't about to take any lip from what wasn't hers, especially today.
She hit the ground with a solid thump and wince when her breast yanked painfully on her chest. The pain only made her angrier. She snarled at Seth, displaying her wicked claws and tentacles. "Your territory? I've been coming here for months, since you were normal. And now you have the audacity to tell me this is your territory!" Richard's voice erupted into a very loud, "GGRRRaagggh RrrrrrrrAH!" sawing roar of a jaguar.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:22 pm
Seth initally backed off at the noise, but the carnivourous marsupial within him that was determined to defend and protect his territory caused him to stay and stand his ground. He pinned his ears back at the noise and winced slightly, although he wasn't completely deterred altogether. In fact, far from it.
He rose his head up, baring his teeth and wide jaw to it's full capacity once again. He made a threatening noise in reply, halfway between a grunt and a yell.
"Bloody oath it's my territory!" He snarled back at the other. "I claimed this bit months ago, and I certainly didn't see your name written on it anywhere on it. So don't try coming the raw prawn with me, woman. I know what I claimed, don't try tellin' me otherwise!"
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:43 pm
"Claim? You have no more claim than anyone else you stupid mutt. I just want to be left alone." She took a step towards him, her entire posture communicating dangerous, with her legs poised to spring she stood, her back hunched slightly to bring her tentacles to bare and appear bigger. Her muscular upper arms were stretched out to either side, their claws ready to rake flesh. "However," She growled, "If you can't comprend that wish then I suggest you consider this my territory now."
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:02 pm
"Mutt? I'm a marsupial you bloody moron!" Seth snapped. "You wanna be alone? Get the hell off my patch of land then, I ain't gonna contend with the likes of you."
He snorted, glaring back at the strange animal woman. He noted she looked angry now, and her claws were out. Although part of him was yelling at him to run, the thylacine instincts were telling him to continue standing his ground. This intruder must be fought off, especially if it was going to start stealing his food.
"This ain't your patch of land, I got to it first." He continued. "If you missed my territorial markings in the mud, then that's your loss. In any case, bugger off and find your own bit, because I claimed this first."
His tail was stiff and raised, his eyes wild and furious. The rush of adrenalin and his dasyurid instincts were clouding his sane thought and reasoning. He stood his ground and bared his teeth once again, a soft hiss escaping him. He stood tall, his feet in a defensive stance. If she wanted a fight, then she was going to get it this time. Although, he only wanted to defend what was his, so he would not make the first move. If he could continue to make visually threatening displays and scare her off, that would have a better outcome.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:18 pm
Richard's nostrils flared as she stared Seth down. The way she saw it the odds were in her favor. She was bigger, her claws where sharper and the only thing she really had to worry about where his jaws. She took another step towards him, one more and she'd be in tentacle range, 6 feet. There was absolutely no way to back down, the tree and its area was all the territory she had. If this scrawny thing thought it could stand up to her then so be it.
"Seth leave and don't come back. Final warning." She might have mentioned that she didn't want to hurt him, but she really did. This was her turf, her retreat from what had been done to her and nobody was going to take that away from her. Her tentacles quivered.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:54 pm
Seth bared his jaws and teeth once again, taking a step back as Richard took a step forward. He stared at the tentacles, seeming wary of them. This creature had six clawed paws, two giant... black arms which looked like they could attack as well. All he had was a jaw. He wasn't even that fast, either. The odds were seriously against him.
Could he afford to lose this patch of territory? It was valuable in the sense that it was near water. What would happen if he stood down from here? Would she steal more of his land? He couldn't afford to give much up, he needed as much space as possible to bury and hide things in. He didn't want to be forced off his land either. He pondered that once she claimed it all, she might come after him and kill him.
Seth made an aggitated snarling noise and backed off further, glaring at the tentacles.
"What then?" He snarled. "What happens after this? You bloody move out and you steal my other stuff, don't you." His tone was accusing and harsh. He made an aggitated noise, knowing it was better to concede to defeat. But if he did that, it would only end up worse one day.
"First a little nibble there. A big chunk there. Before you know it, you've hoarded the whole bloody island and won't share with anyone. That's what you're planning, isn't it?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:42 pm
Seeing Seth back away only encouraged Richard, she matched every one of his steps with one of her own. Her snarl turned into a triumphant grin. "What happens? You go away and leave me and mine alone! I'm not in the mood for negotiations!" There was not any evidence to be seen that she was bluffing, the malice toward the interloper clear on her features.
"I don't want your damn territory!" Mentally she added, for the moment. "But if you think I'm ever going to let you tell me where I can go." She ended the sentence with another growl and flexed her claws to demonstrate were this behavior would lead.
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:55 pm
Seth bobbed his head and made sharp, quick, and aggressive husky barks. His lips were curled back in a snarl, and he continued to bare his teeth. He remained torn between wanting to flee and wanting to fight. He didn't particularly want the injuries, but he was seriously riled. If he didn't stamp out this behaviour now, she would encroach on his other territorial grounds within days - that was adamantly clear by her actions now.
"Bugger off, woman," He snarled finally. "You can't tell me what to do. I ain't gonna let you tread on me - not for one second. Come near me with those things and I'll rip your bloody arms off."
"You want this bit? I had it first. MY pawprints are still stomped through the mud even, you look like you have a useful enough nose to sniff that out. Or did you just conveniently ignore it?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:26 pm
"I believe I recall you declaring you didn't want the river a few weeks ago." Richard snarled at Seth. Therefore its mine! If you'd like to continue to argue the point then just take a step forward." She shifted her stance, getting lower to the ground. Ready spring or defend. Her tail lashed behind her, her jaw opened to show her fangs as she calculated attack options. "I think you should worry about you own arms first my dear Seth."
Her tentacles quivered with tension.
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