Post by wyanet on Jan 23, 2010 21:57:11 GMT -5
Maul - F Adol Cougar
Thrash - M Adol Cougar
Calm River
================================================================================
A small, small shift in the river brings the channel to bear in a wider, calmer body of water. This area is clear of brush and the riversides are low and show clear evidence of being traveled well and frequently, ranging from simple signs to footprints in the bank both fresh and old. A few berry bushes litter the western side closer to the fallen log, stopping just before they get there but offering a quick meal to any creature so inclined. Because of the lazily-running current, many fish seem to have made this particular spot their home.
=================================== Exits ===================================
[East] to the Marsh [North] along the Stream
[Northeast] to the Path [Southwest] to a Fork
[West] to a Fallen Log
================================================================================
There was only the slightest sliver of a moon when she left her home. Since then, the moon has reached its fullest point, then begun shrinking again, until once more there is just the slightest little sliver of it. Another day, and she won't even be able to see that much. Maul wanted her freedom so much, but that was before she had learned about such things and thirst and hunger. It's why, this late at night, she is up and moving instead of lying in her "territory" by the river. She's too hungry to sleep. The girl isn't at risk of starving, but it has been a long time since she has gone more than a day without eating, and she doesn't like it.
Having left his home not so long ago as well, Thrash', or at least, that is what he is calling himself these days, lumbers through the high grass, looking to smash each block of blades between his large paws, and flaten them to the ground. From bitch to bull, it seems that the runt of his litter shot up like a tree, and thickened like a boulder, having lept his siblings in girth. He looks filled out, easily passing for an adult, save for the handful of spots along his frame that is slowly fading away. Having just ate himself, there's still a bit of meat left over by his favorite tree, that of which he is heading towards, and in which Maul is approaching. The smell of fresh elk fills the air, warm, juicy.
When the scent of meat reaches Maul's keen nose, her hunger nearly gets the best of her. If only she were back home, she could sidle up to whoever had caught the animal and, in just a few minutes, have them offer her food. Okay, well, maybe that's not quite so true anymore, but it was certainly true when she was younger! The adolescent girl remains still for just a moment, before she begins creeping forward again. Inside her are two warring voices. One says that she is wasting time on a dangerous mission, that she ought to turn and seek food elsewhere. The other insists that there is no harm in looking. Just looking.
Upon making his way towards the large tree, Thrash circles it a few times, making sure to embed his scent into the bark, followed by a fresh slash of his claws into it's trunk. With a heavy flop down into the grass, he drops his chin down across his paws, tail twitching sporadically back and forth in anxious energy. Bored. It's always bor--wait, what is that? His ears zip upwards, and he slowly raises his head out of the grass to spy a female approaching through the darkness. With a sniff of the air, he confirms what his eyes tell him. It's not a trick. Putting on a bolstering grin, he calls out in his deep, throaty voice, "Good evening, beautiful lady... care to enjoy a bite with me?" He asks, his gold eyes shining.
Maul doesn't walk slowly enough, or look hard enough, in the dim light. In fact, it would be impossible to tell whether she sees or hears the male first. Either way, as soon as she sees him, her back arches and she digs her claws into the ground before stiffening up, freezing for the moment in her place. Finding that old cougar the other day was a different matter. At least she could have probably gotten away from him, if he attacked. This cougar... If this one attacks, she won't be getting away. She knows that. Seeing treachery in that grin and hearing it in that voice, the girl finally manages to respond, in a tight voice, "No." She is betrayed by her own body, as her stomach picks that moment to rumble, but she pays it little mind and refuses to take her eyes off of the unknown male.
"Woah, woah.. calm down pretty eyes, you got a fire in you, huh?" Thrash says with a grin on his face as he continues to casually lay there in the grass, watching her with his own gold stare. He doesn't seem too bothered by her antics. She's smaller, a bit on the frail side, she'd be an easy stomping if she attacked. But, his ears do prick at the sound of her stomach rumbling, and he can't help but grin even wider. "You're hungry." He states the obvious, then reaches out with a paw to shove the small elk forward through the grass towards her. "I don't care if you get a bite or two. I'm already full. So, what's your name?" He asks with a roll of his tongue across his lips.
Maul absolutely does not plan on attacking what looks like a full-grown male. She doesn't even move any closer to him, much less move to attack. Oh, what a wonderful job her father has done of inspiring a completely irrational fear of males in her. Though she does not move closer, she does stay put, instead of running off. "My name... I'm Maul. Who're you?"
"Maul, huh? That's a hot name." The male says with a wide grin upon his boxy muzzle, looking amused as he taps his tail in the ground. "I'm Thrash. Looks like we have similiar titles, huh? Maul, and Thrash. All we need now is a Maim, Slaughter, Break, and maybe throw in a Smash." He says as he sits up a bit straighter, sniffing the air a bit more. "So, you gonna come over and join me for dinner, or what? I'm in a sharing mood, pretty lady. I won't bite, promise... unless you're into that, then hey.. then tonight's a party." He says with a chuckle. Typical bone head. "Seriously though, get some food. All the herds are moving on, and I got lucky that this little guy was slow."
Maul does not appear amused by Thrash's attemps at joking. If anything, it makes her appear to want to take off again. In the little over one year of her life, Maul has known exactly three adult males, since her brother certainly doesn't count, and Thrash is like none of them. After only a short while longer, though, Maul's hunger gets to her, and she leaps forward to snatch the elk up by a bit of flesh to drag it several feet further back from Thrash. She doesn't quite take off with it, but the most distance that is between them, the more comfortable she will be.
Watching her drag the food off, Thrash grins a bit to himself, ears twitching forward to her. "So, you're a chatty one, aren't you?" He asks with a deep rumble in his throat. Half lidding his eyes, he leans into the thick trunk of his tree, rubbing up along side of the bark slowly to work an itch out, and perhaps to show off his large frame. Muscle hunk for hire.
Once Maul stops moving backwards, she tears out the chunk of flesh that she held in her mouth, enjoying the flavor for only a brief moment before swallowing. It takes some effort to keep her eyes on Thrash, instead of devoting herself to tearing into the meat. It takes even more effort for her to respond to Thrash in between her first bite and her second. "I talk when I have something to say." Defensive much?
"Well, you could try saying 'thank you', or .. wow, you are quite handsome, Thrash, or maybe.. I dunno.. something. I am feeding you after all. I'm bored, been out here on my own for some time." The male cougar lets out a soft huff, ears flattening back against his skull, before turning around to dig his claws into the bark of the tree, giving himself a long stretch of his frame, muscles rippling beneath his pelt.
He's right. Of course he's right. Chastised, Maul says, "Thank you, Thrash." She would have remembered eventually, she's sure. Since she didn't before she was reminded, though, she accepts only one more bite from the elk, and that much only because she felt half-starved, before backing away from the carcass, embarrassed by her complete lack of manners. If this were in Amaranth, and she witnessed someone else speaking to Thrash the way she has spoken to him... but then, this isn't Amaranth.
"Think nothing of it, honey tree." Thrash says with a smile over towards her, then pauses as he watches her back away. "You aren't done eating, are you? There's plenty of meat left on that beast. Go on.. if you're hungry, eat. I already got my fill." Of course this isn't the Amaranth. He doesn't appear to be upset in the least. "So, Maul.. you out here on your own?"
"I'm fine. Thank you." The few bites Maul got took the edge off of her hunger, at least. There is more distance between them now than when she first noticed Thrash, but she doesn't continue to back away. She is reluctant to answer his second question, though. Even someone who enjoys being alone as much as she does understands that there is strength in numbers, and so, instead of giving a straight answer, she finally says, "I'm on a quest, for my family." No mention of how close that family may be. Or, rather, how far away...
"A quest for your family, huh? That's good, because I'm on a quest to get away from mine." Thrash says with a laugh as his tail curls back, and forth around him in a teasing manner. "As far as possible. I'm ready to take over the world, and forge my own path." He says with a flop back upon his haunches. "So, while you're out on this quest, you need a sidekick? Maybe some muscle at your side incase anyone tries to pick a fight with you? I'm strong." He says, giving a flex of his chest as if to illustrate that point.
Wouldn't it be nice to have someone strong nearby she could trust? But, well, how does she know she *can* trust Thrash, and besides... "I'm suppose to do it alone." That much was made perfectly clear to her. It's why she's away from her home in the first place. Because having others around is supposed to be distracting, not helpful, or something like that.
"Oh, well, alright then." Thrash says with a falter of his ears backwards, before deflating his chest a bit as he gives his nose a bit of a twitch. "I suppose I'll just take over the world by myself, without a beautiful girl at my side." He says woefully. "Shame, for you are the prettiest girl I've ever met, I was hoping you would enjoy a stud like me around, to protect you, and sweep you off your paws, and romance you with flowers, and fresh meat." He says, motioning with a paw in the sky, in a playful bit of dramatics. "Well then, Maul, if you're done eating, and bored with me already, I suppose you'll be off?"
His offer is so very tempting. On the other paw, Maul *will* want to go back home someday, and without finishing this quest she's on, she won't be able to do that. "Do you... Are you staying here?" Some hopefulness she didn't mean to let out slips into her tone. How could she possibly be blamed for loving the idea of having a strong protector and provider around again?
"I don't know, Maul. The empty road is my bride. I don't have much reason to really sit here, at this tree. I just like it because it's a big, strong tree. We have a lot in common, he and I." Thrash says fondly as he looks up towards the large plant, tail swaying back, and forth. When I climb it's branches, I can see heaven." With an amused grin upon his face, he splits his jaws into a loud yawn. "Why do you ask? You gonna 'maybe' come back here again? I've heard that before, lady." He says with a laugh. "I once sat in the same spot for two weeks, waiting for a nice girl to come back as promised. I never saw her again." With a stretch of his body, he tips a wink to her. "I wish you luck on your quest, Maul."
Can Maul actually promise to come back? Does she even trust Thrash to not do something, well... bad... to her, sometime? Well, it was a pleasant fantasy, for the couple seconds that it lasted. And since that final statement is clearly a farewell, or so she believes, she nods and says, simply, "Thank you. Thrash." After speaking, she backs up a few steps before turning to walk away. maybe now her stomach will be quiet enough that she will actually be able to sleep for the rest of the night, at least.
Watching her go, Thrash rolls his tongue once more along his lips in a thoughtful manner, then glances upwards to the bows of his tree. "Well, Tonka, looks like it's just you and me again for another lonely night." He says, then leaps upwards to sink his black claws into the trunk of the great tree, then starts climbing upwards to the waiting branches where he will allow himself to sleep. Maybe he'll wait a few days to see if she comes back. It'd be a nice thought if she did. For a moment, he was hoping she'd ask him to come along. For all his bravado, and bolstering, he's as lonely as this tree, bored, and impatient.
Thrash - M Adol Cougar
Calm River
================================================================================
A small, small shift in the river brings the channel to bear in a wider, calmer body of water. This area is clear of brush and the riversides are low and show clear evidence of being traveled well and frequently, ranging from simple signs to footprints in the bank both fresh and old. A few berry bushes litter the western side closer to the fallen log, stopping just before they get there but offering a quick meal to any creature so inclined. Because of the lazily-running current, many fish seem to have made this particular spot their home.
=================================== Exits ===================================
[East] to the Marsh [North] along the Stream
[Northeast] to the Path [Southwest] to a Fork
[West] to a Fallen Log
================================================================================
There was only the slightest sliver of a moon when she left her home. Since then, the moon has reached its fullest point, then begun shrinking again, until once more there is just the slightest little sliver of it. Another day, and she won't even be able to see that much. Maul wanted her freedom so much, but that was before she had learned about such things and thirst and hunger. It's why, this late at night, she is up and moving instead of lying in her "territory" by the river. She's too hungry to sleep. The girl isn't at risk of starving, but it has been a long time since she has gone more than a day without eating, and she doesn't like it.
Having left his home not so long ago as well, Thrash', or at least, that is what he is calling himself these days, lumbers through the high grass, looking to smash each block of blades between his large paws, and flaten them to the ground. From bitch to bull, it seems that the runt of his litter shot up like a tree, and thickened like a boulder, having lept his siblings in girth. He looks filled out, easily passing for an adult, save for the handful of spots along his frame that is slowly fading away. Having just ate himself, there's still a bit of meat left over by his favorite tree, that of which he is heading towards, and in which Maul is approaching. The smell of fresh elk fills the air, warm, juicy.
When the scent of meat reaches Maul's keen nose, her hunger nearly gets the best of her. If only she were back home, she could sidle up to whoever had caught the animal and, in just a few minutes, have them offer her food. Okay, well, maybe that's not quite so true anymore, but it was certainly true when she was younger! The adolescent girl remains still for just a moment, before she begins creeping forward again. Inside her are two warring voices. One says that she is wasting time on a dangerous mission, that she ought to turn and seek food elsewhere. The other insists that there is no harm in looking. Just looking.
Upon making his way towards the large tree, Thrash circles it a few times, making sure to embed his scent into the bark, followed by a fresh slash of his claws into it's trunk. With a heavy flop down into the grass, he drops his chin down across his paws, tail twitching sporadically back and forth in anxious energy. Bored. It's always bor--wait, what is that? His ears zip upwards, and he slowly raises his head out of the grass to spy a female approaching through the darkness. With a sniff of the air, he confirms what his eyes tell him. It's not a trick. Putting on a bolstering grin, he calls out in his deep, throaty voice, "Good evening, beautiful lady... care to enjoy a bite with me?" He asks, his gold eyes shining.
Maul doesn't walk slowly enough, or look hard enough, in the dim light. In fact, it would be impossible to tell whether she sees or hears the male first. Either way, as soon as she sees him, her back arches and she digs her claws into the ground before stiffening up, freezing for the moment in her place. Finding that old cougar the other day was a different matter. At least she could have probably gotten away from him, if he attacked. This cougar... If this one attacks, she won't be getting away. She knows that. Seeing treachery in that grin and hearing it in that voice, the girl finally manages to respond, in a tight voice, "No." She is betrayed by her own body, as her stomach picks that moment to rumble, but she pays it little mind and refuses to take her eyes off of the unknown male.
"Woah, woah.. calm down pretty eyes, you got a fire in you, huh?" Thrash says with a grin on his face as he continues to casually lay there in the grass, watching her with his own gold stare. He doesn't seem too bothered by her antics. She's smaller, a bit on the frail side, she'd be an easy stomping if she attacked. But, his ears do prick at the sound of her stomach rumbling, and he can't help but grin even wider. "You're hungry." He states the obvious, then reaches out with a paw to shove the small elk forward through the grass towards her. "I don't care if you get a bite or two. I'm already full. So, what's your name?" He asks with a roll of his tongue across his lips.
Maul absolutely does not plan on attacking what looks like a full-grown male. She doesn't even move any closer to him, much less move to attack. Oh, what a wonderful job her father has done of inspiring a completely irrational fear of males in her. Though she does not move closer, she does stay put, instead of running off. "My name... I'm Maul. Who're you?"
"Maul, huh? That's a hot name." The male says with a wide grin upon his boxy muzzle, looking amused as he taps his tail in the ground. "I'm Thrash. Looks like we have similiar titles, huh? Maul, and Thrash. All we need now is a Maim, Slaughter, Break, and maybe throw in a Smash." He says as he sits up a bit straighter, sniffing the air a bit more. "So, you gonna come over and join me for dinner, or what? I'm in a sharing mood, pretty lady. I won't bite, promise... unless you're into that, then hey.. then tonight's a party." He says with a chuckle. Typical bone head. "Seriously though, get some food. All the herds are moving on, and I got lucky that this little guy was slow."
Maul does not appear amused by Thrash's attemps at joking. If anything, it makes her appear to want to take off again. In the little over one year of her life, Maul has known exactly three adult males, since her brother certainly doesn't count, and Thrash is like none of them. After only a short while longer, though, Maul's hunger gets to her, and she leaps forward to snatch the elk up by a bit of flesh to drag it several feet further back from Thrash. She doesn't quite take off with it, but the most distance that is between them, the more comfortable she will be.
Watching her drag the food off, Thrash grins a bit to himself, ears twitching forward to her. "So, you're a chatty one, aren't you?" He asks with a deep rumble in his throat. Half lidding his eyes, he leans into the thick trunk of his tree, rubbing up along side of the bark slowly to work an itch out, and perhaps to show off his large frame. Muscle hunk for hire.
Once Maul stops moving backwards, she tears out the chunk of flesh that she held in her mouth, enjoying the flavor for only a brief moment before swallowing. It takes some effort to keep her eyes on Thrash, instead of devoting herself to tearing into the meat. It takes even more effort for her to respond to Thrash in between her first bite and her second. "I talk when I have something to say." Defensive much?
"Well, you could try saying 'thank you', or .. wow, you are quite handsome, Thrash, or maybe.. I dunno.. something. I am feeding you after all. I'm bored, been out here on my own for some time." The male cougar lets out a soft huff, ears flattening back against his skull, before turning around to dig his claws into the bark of the tree, giving himself a long stretch of his frame, muscles rippling beneath his pelt.
He's right. Of course he's right. Chastised, Maul says, "Thank you, Thrash." She would have remembered eventually, she's sure. Since she didn't before she was reminded, though, she accepts only one more bite from the elk, and that much only because she felt half-starved, before backing away from the carcass, embarrassed by her complete lack of manners. If this were in Amaranth, and she witnessed someone else speaking to Thrash the way she has spoken to him... but then, this isn't Amaranth.
"Think nothing of it, honey tree." Thrash says with a smile over towards her, then pauses as he watches her back away. "You aren't done eating, are you? There's plenty of meat left on that beast. Go on.. if you're hungry, eat. I already got my fill." Of course this isn't the Amaranth. He doesn't appear to be upset in the least. "So, Maul.. you out here on your own?"
"I'm fine. Thank you." The few bites Maul got took the edge off of her hunger, at least. There is more distance between them now than when she first noticed Thrash, but she doesn't continue to back away. She is reluctant to answer his second question, though. Even someone who enjoys being alone as much as she does understands that there is strength in numbers, and so, instead of giving a straight answer, she finally says, "I'm on a quest, for my family." No mention of how close that family may be. Or, rather, how far away...
"A quest for your family, huh? That's good, because I'm on a quest to get away from mine." Thrash says with a laugh as his tail curls back, and forth around him in a teasing manner. "As far as possible. I'm ready to take over the world, and forge my own path." He says with a flop back upon his haunches. "So, while you're out on this quest, you need a sidekick? Maybe some muscle at your side incase anyone tries to pick a fight with you? I'm strong." He says, giving a flex of his chest as if to illustrate that point.
Wouldn't it be nice to have someone strong nearby she could trust? But, well, how does she know she *can* trust Thrash, and besides... "I'm suppose to do it alone." That much was made perfectly clear to her. It's why she's away from her home in the first place. Because having others around is supposed to be distracting, not helpful, or something like that.
"Oh, well, alright then." Thrash says with a falter of his ears backwards, before deflating his chest a bit as he gives his nose a bit of a twitch. "I suppose I'll just take over the world by myself, without a beautiful girl at my side." He says woefully. "Shame, for you are the prettiest girl I've ever met, I was hoping you would enjoy a stud like me around, to protect you, and sweep you off your paws, and romance you with flowers, and fresh meat." He says, motioning with a paw in the sky, in a playful bit of dramatics. "Well then, Maul, if you're done eating, and bored with me already, I suppose you'll be off?"
His offer is so very tempting. On the other paw, Maul *will* want to go back home someday, and without finishing this quest she's on, she won't be able to do that. "Do you... Are you staying here?" Some hopefulness she didn't mean to let out slips into her tone. How could she possibly be blamed for loving the idea of having a strong protector and provider around again?
"I don't know, Maul. The empty road is my bride. I don't have much reason to really sit here, at this tree. I just like it because it's a big, strong tree. We have a lot in common, he and I." Thrash says fondly as he looks up towards the large plant, tail swaying back, and forth. When I climb it's branches, I can see heaven." With an amused grin upon his face, he splits his jaws into a loud yawn. "Why do you ask? You gonna 'maybe' come back here again? I've heard that before, lady." He says with a laugh. "I once sat in the same spot for two weeks, waiting for a nice girl to come back as promised. I never saw her again." With a stretch of his body, he tips a wink to her. "I wish you luck on your quest, Maul."
Can Maul actually promise to come back? Does she even trust Thrash to not do something, well... bad... to her, sometime? Well, it was a pleasant fantasy, for the couple seconds that it lasted. And since that final statement is clearly a farewell, or so she believes, she nods and says, simply, "Thank you. Thrash." After speaking, she backs up a few steps before turning to walk away. maybe now her stomach will be quiet enough that she will actually be able to sleep for the rest of the night, at least.
Watching her go, Thrash rolls his tongue once more along his lips in a thoughtful manner, then glances upwards to the bows of his tree. "Well, Tonka, looks like it's just you and me again for another lonely night." He says, then leaps upwards to sink his black claws into the trunk of the great tree, then starts climbing upwards to the waiting branches where he will allow himself to sleep. Maybe he'll wait a few days to see if she comes back. It'd be a nice thought if she did. For a moment, he was hoping she'd ask him to come along. For all his bravado, and bolstering, he's as lonely as this tree, bored, and impatient.