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Post by october ! on Apr 22, 2011 22:48:50 GMT -5
[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/taatablehead.png]Taabu grunted loudly as she hoisted the carcass over a bump in the terrain, all of her muscles strained to tug the dead weight that made up the zebra carcass. Another few grunts, and some powerful tugs later, she paused and lifted her head, panting. Amber optics scanned over the savannah, looking for anything that could either be taken as a threat, or help. She saw neither; no rivals and no help. That was good, and bad.
An exasperated sigh escaped the lioness. "It's what I get for hunting so far away from the others. Alone."
After making a mental note about never hunting this far out, all by herself, again, she reached down and grabbed the throat of her prey. She rolled her jaws to lock the body firmly between her teeth, then began backing up. She didn't get very far before she had to stop again, this time because something was coming. The lion could just barely hear faint pawsteps a little ways off. Taabu lifted her head and called out, ears swiveling to catch any sounds that she might have missed before. She could only isolate the footsteps and a series of low growls, but not the direction from which they came. Taab strained for a moment, until her ears pulled back. Narrowing her eyes, she twisted around and stared into the distance. What she saw did not please her.
A foul odor hit her full force, and she cringed openly. The smell of death, rotting flesh and unkempt fur alerted her that these were in fact her worst nightmare. Her eyes did not deceive her. Quickly, the lioness placed herself over the carcass and began sending out a series of loud, short 'roars'. Hopefully someone nearby would hear alarm, but if not... Taab let out a furious hiss. It had taken her forty minutes to kill that zebra, and she wasn't about to give it up without a fight. She didn't have the strength to take down another by herself without refueling first, and she didn't have the time to do that before the pack was upon her.
"Note to self, never hunt alone... Ever." The sandy lioness muttered, her eyes still trained on the blurs in the distance.
It didn't take long for the chaotic 'laughter' of the hyena's to reach her ears, and it took even less time for the hunched over creatures to reach her. They all broke into a run, and another few moments they were practically on top of Taabu. The lioness curled the few inches that remained of her tail over her back in a futile attempt to display her dominance. The hyenas broke out into giggles at that, and one attempted to take a bite of the kill. Taabu raked her claws down the face of the beast, another hiss escaping her jaws. It danced away from her grasp and fell in line behind its fellow packmates. Given the choice, Taab would have normally run from odds such as this. Five against one certainly wasn't fair, but she'd managed to pull down the male zebra all on her own, and her pride wouldn't let her give up so easily.
Two of the hyenas behind her lunged, and Taab twirled around, launching herself onto one of the brutes. She let out a furious roar and bit into it's shoulder, gaging slightly at the taste of mud, death and feces. Obviously enraged, the free hyena leaped onto Taabu's back, sinking its teeth into her scruff. The lioness struck the pinned hyena one final time, before flipping onto her back. It was a risky move, but she heard the telltale crunch of something snapping. She rolled onto her feet, stubby tail lashing as the squashed hyena yelped and limped off. One down, four to go. Or, at least, one incapacitated and four to go.
Taabu was filled to the brim with rage as the beasts began tearing into the zebra's carcass. They seemed to be having trouble, however, and that gave Taabu a slight advantage. Remembering her basic training, she leaped onto her carcass and bat away the hyenas. When they had stopped trying to tear at the skin and had backed up, she leaped onto the hyena that she'd battered around earlier. It was the weakest link, and obviously didn't seem prepared for another round. The pair rolled around in a mass of clawing, biting and snarling. Possibly confused or enraged, the other hyenas leaped into the fray as well.
A few bite marks later and Taabu was running for cover, the dog-like creatures hard on her heels. When she was quite a ways away she noticed that they were still chasing her for no real reason. Persistent little buggers. Taabu decided she had no other options, so she planted her feet and crouched. She winced as one of the hyenas crashed into her rump and laughed as the other three went rocketing by. Taking that as a hint, she spun around and clawed at the hyena who was now firmly latched onto her hips. It didn't let go easily, but she finally managed to pry the object off and bolt. This time, she ran towards the nearest tree. Luckily, it was as large as it was conveniently placed. Using her claws to the max, she clambered up the tree and settled onto one of the higher branches. She stretched out, wincing from the series of cuts on her hips and a gash right above her eye. The hyena's yelped and called from below, but when they tried to climb up they either fell by themselves or were knocked down by Taabu.
"Go on, get." The lioness snapped at them, and gave an extra roar for emphasis, but the hyenas still didn't budge. Odd. Normally they would have been all over the carcass by then, but for some reason, they figured treeing a lioness was more fun. Taabu sighed dramatically.
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Post by RICOCHET on Apr 23, 2011 17:43:34 GMT -5
[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/jajamid.png]Jabari was an independant male. Some labelled him a 'mummy's boy' simply because he and Taabu were close, closer than most mothers and their sons. But that was probably because most male lions left their birth pride when they reached the age of three. But because Jabari's father died during Jabari's adolescence, he never had to worry about being exiled from his birth pride. So he got the chance to stay around his mother a lot more than most males did, and this reinforced their bond tenfold. So when Jabari's pride disbanded due to low numbers, the male decided he would do far better off finding his own territory and starting afresh, and the only lioness that stood by him was his dear mother, it was fitting really. Mother and son journied across the savannah, and one day, they were ambushed. It turned dark, and the next thing they knew, they woke up side by side in a whole new land. And, well, they made it theirs. They found a nice large piece of territory, ready to accept lions into their pride and become a well established family group, defying all that stood in their way.
The sun warmed the back of the large beast as he trekked across his terrain. Yes, his. This was his home now, as well as Taabu's. They would be the pioneering figures in the Mabruke pride, and lead their family to success, and prosper. Well, all they needed was pride members first. The mighty lion parted his jaws in a rather loud and long-drawn out yawn, eyes squeezing shut and small droplets of liquid forming in the corners of his bright, round orbs. A fly that would not desist in buzzing around his ear was greeted by a growl and a swat of a large paw armed with sharp claws. Of course, he missed, but Jabari was never that quick. That didn't bother him though, his mere size and bulk made up for any incompitence on the speed and stamina side of things. Whenever Jasabi found himself up against an opponent, the fight either quickly went one of two ways. Either the cowardly bastard would run off, or they would grow a pair, actually take him on, and unless they rivalled Jay's sheer muscle mass, they were quickly seen off. In the distance, there was a commotion. A growl rumbled in the deep barrel chest of the big cat as he prowled forward, head ducked down and a silent snarl fixed upon his lips. The rancid odour of hyena lingered in the air, and he was not pleased about it.
He picked up the pace as amongst the scent of the disgusting canines - and this was surprising because the hyena's aroma was so pungent and could mask just about anything - he detected the hint of lion. A familiar lion. Taabu. Along with that, there was the tangy, metallic scent of blood, and his eyes widened, his heart thumping erratically in his chest. "Mother... Mother!" Long canines bore from their concealment underneath the charcoal lips, and a horribly chilling and alarming yowl escaped the lion as he charged forth. In any poor soul had been in his way at the time, he would have simply barreled them over. His eyes focusing on the horizon, he made out the shape of his mother being chased by a mob of the mangy mongrels. She managed to fight off a couple, but the ones that weren't immobilized for one reason or another managed to chase her up a tree. And as they attempted to follow her up the branches, Jabari felt anger and resentment for the lowly species bubble up within the pit of his stomach, threatening that this would end messy. And oh, how Jabari hoped it would, with hyena blood scattered across the sands. He no longer ran, instead, he stalked, as every carnivore did when approaching their soon-to-be prey. Here, puppy puppy puppy...
When he closed in about twenty meters from them, he broke out into a run. The nearest one didn't have enough time to react, and merely yelped in agony as Jabari leapt on top of it, ending it's meager existance with the sheer force of fully grown lion weighing down upon it's brittle bones. Evidently, the hyena had been deficient in calcium. But the male lion didn't bother with the corpse, merely kicking it aside as he span round to face the other canines, his fangs bared and eyes gleaming dangerously. "You heard what she said, vile creatures. Get." He took another purposeful step closer, not breaking eye contact with the largest of the remaining hyena in the group, which probably led the whole attack in the first place. And, well, taking one look at their fallen comrade, they did just that, scrabbling across the sand, their whooping alarm calls could be heard even once their figures escaped the glare of the lions. Jabari took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders back, before looking up at Taabu, a now softer look in his ember pools.
"Come down now, mother."
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Post by v i t a n i . on Apr 23, 2011 21:58:38 GMT -5
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The achromatic beast has intended to take station at the headquarters of Mabruke, and maintain a sort of sentinel rank while his leaders had been about. Having neither of his companions in his vicinity left his day feeling dull and wasted, as he lounged around on the sun bleached boulder. The sun beat down on him mercilessly, and the gnarled tree which hovered over him - a kind of mock shelter - provided very little shade to subdue the blistering heat. Thankfully, the bugs had kept themselves at bay for the most part, so his demeanor at the moment was one of contentment, though it as not without a hint of weariness. It was one of objection high on the felines list, to be alone. His cerulean eyes scanned the terrain, settling on the horizon line, though the only shapes made out in the distance were those of trees similar to his own - rotted, twisted, deformed. No clouds manifested in the sky, denying Caspian of both shade, and the recreation of counting them, or deciphering the shapes which the fluffy clouds kept secret. What he liked to see most of all in these clouds were the shapes of gazelle, antelopes, giraffes - anything edible. Or a nice shady rock, with plenty of space and shade for repose. He craved not only the palpable objects, but even the shapes of them to ease his mind.
Pallid pelted young lion soon became subjugated by intense boredom, the level to which one hopes some kind of spontaneous activity commences, just to fend off the relentless feeling of monotony. Despite the fact is was never wise to reveals one belly, Caspian felt at the moment it was a safe bet to roll over - to allow his back a respite from the obtrusive sunlight. He flopped his thick paws over his chest, hanging his head over the end of the rock, to view the Savannah upside down. This provided a few moments of entertainment, though the magic of this new activity was short lived. He found himself once more parting his jaws in an idle yawn, before snapping them shut with a click. How much longer was it going to be before Jay and Taabu returned home? The thought of Taabu, having gone to hunt for food, made his stomach growl, reminding him that not only was he bored, but he craved sustenance too. He made a truce within his mind - if nothing happened in the next five minutes, he would set out on his way to find his comrades. It was too much for the cat to remain alone, bored out of his mind, and hungry - perhaps another lion would settle for it, but not this one.
It was not but two minutes into his five minute interim that the whooping call familiar to any desert dweller ripped through the silence, reaching his ears in a matter of seconds. The cat jolted out of his bored haze, rolling over onto his stomach quickly in order to protect it. He did not despise the company of the hyaenidae, though they were not the best outfit. Their calls made it to him long before their silhouettes became discernible against the vast grassy backdrop. Hoisting all four hundred five pounds of his bulk into a sit, the large tomcat intently watched the approaching hoard. The thought most prominent on his mind was that of why the animals were approaching at such speed - the scavengers were known to commit the sin of sloth. Often seen creeping along, stalking, watching with their beady eyes, it was indeed a strange site for such a group to be hustling through the territory so quickly.
"Hello, my hyena friends!" he roared out to the approaching animals, as their details began to shape out before him - five spotted hyenas, one seemed incapacitated. "Would you like to join me for an evening discussion? I'd be glad to have you. In fact, any entertainment would sound good to me right now. Anyone up for a game of tag? Except you, my wounded sir.", the tom smiled a toothy grin, devious but sincere. The carrion feeders stopped to stare down the behemoth, before turning to each other in a general consensus of bewilderment. The lead hyena, having seen enough battle for the day - and the definite lack of food - was not prepared to associate with any lions. Not only that, but this lion carried the scent of both previously encountered cats on his pristine fur; how the animals could smell this above their own reeking stench was incomprehensible. Caspian, for the most part, held his breath whilst they were present, only taking in the air needed to sustain himself and not become lightheaded. Nonetheless, the dominant male creature shook his head in a dismissing action, though he uttered no answer to the cat. He led his crew away from the bleached rock, on which Caspian set atop. "I'll take that as a no," he called after the quickly disappearing group, and grinned devilishly when two or three of the hyena's peered over their shoulder at him.
The episode had provided him his much sought after revelry, though a few questions settled on his amused mind. Again, why had they been running so fast? Why didn't they want to stay for a scuffle? Why did that last hyena, limping behind all the others, seem to be injured? The injury was fresh, as hyenas were usually resilient, and would have been putting weight on that paw by the end of the night. A small whiff of the hyena smell, despite having been layered in the smell of fecal matter, dirt, dust, and general stink, Caspian smelt fresh blood. It smelled like that of a zebra - these animals had gone after a freshly downed pray, not their usual sun-dried jerky meat. Which meant only one thing - they had attacked the kill of a lioness - and the only female he knew out on the Savannah tonight was none other than Taabu. He couldn't catch her scent, but it would be worth the trip out there to find the matron. He already assumed Jay had found his way to his mother, if this really was Jabari and Taabu. Slipping off the rock onto all fours, the cat started his trek out through the yellow grasses.
Always the one to make a fashionably late entrance, it was no surprise that Caspian made his way into the mother-son social group after all the commotion. Luckily he had decided to make the expedition out here; though they seemed to have solved their problems before he even arrived, this was an opportune time to poke some fun at the momma's boy, and the treed lioness. The lion cocked his head to the side as a quizzical expression replaced his most often mirthful trademark. The corners of his lips were pulled into a sly grin as he gazed up the tree, to spot Taabu among the branches. "Now, why don't you come down from that tree, Taabu. Here kitty, kitty. Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall," he mocked lovingly, he did not seek to offend her, but perhaps make her smile, if her possible injuries and unfortunate situation had not made her pensive. Caspian's gaze shifted over to his mock-sibling, his head gesturing toward the feline upon the tree, "So, mind telling me what happened to your mum? Did this have anything to do with those hyenas I saw shufflin' around? They were pretty rude, Jay. Didn't even want to stick around for a lovely group discussion...". Casper silenced himself, to allow a retaliation from either cat. He was sure they were both, at this point, ready to give him a firm swat across the head. He subconsciously braced himself for the feeling of a paw battering the side of his thick skull.
For now, Caspian laid off the your mother jokes - those would go in his arsenal for later. Those two cats would never hear the end of this.
One Three Four Three | October and Ricochet | Longest Post In Years!~
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Post by october ! on Apr 23, 2011 23:51:05 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/taatablehead.png]Had Taabu spoken any sooner to the unintelligent canines,
she would have interrupted the dramatic entrance of her biological son. A massive roar told of his approach, and the sounds of fighting below made her look down and frown. At least he knew how to make an entrance, if nothing else. Jabari had come charging in like a herd of elephants, bashing skulls together and causing general unrest through the hoard of hyenas. They left shortly after his arrival. The lioness snorted and dug her claws into the tree. While she appreciated the back up, she was slightly resentful of her spawn and his ability to scare others into submission so easily. He was a terrifying sight, and if she could strike that kind of fear into the other races they lived with... Taabu would have been unstoppable. A Queen. Well, no matter. She was content as she was, for now. Males certainly held the most meat in the 'deal', so she'd deal with it... Once again; for now. Another drawn out sigh escaped the Mother. 'If only's' were for the weak, and honestly being a male didn't appeal to her. She nodded decisively to clear her mind of unwanted, silly thoughts.
"Good timing, Jabari. I was just about to make you a silly hat with those mongrels, but I guess that will have to wait." She called to him, peering down through the branches.
"Come down now, mother." Jabari said, looking up at her with his warm eyes. His fathers eyes, to be sure. Hers were none so luminous.
"And if I don't?" Taabu sniffed indignantly, her eyes darting to the side as another lion approached. The female nearly shot out of the tree and onto the 'interloper' before she realized it was only Caspian, her adopted son and Jabari's adopted brother. Oh the timing these two had. If she weren't so confident and proud, Taabu probably would have been a little embarrassed. However, they'd both caught her in more scandalous positions, so this was really nothing compared to those events. Nothing to be ashamed of... Unless Caspian decided to make something of it. Speaking of the brute... The white lion was staring at her like she was some sort of fascinating insect. "Now, why don't you come down from that tree, Taabu. Here kitty, kitty. Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall," He cooed, causing the lioness to bristle slightly.
"That's enough of that, Caspian." The lioness chided sternly, although her eyes glittered with unmasked humor. Part of her was tempted to call down; 'well, if you need something to catch.' and then proceed to do something very, very indecent. She didn't need their babying, but that probably wasn't the best way to let them know that... Of course, entertaining such thoughts only made her smirk grow wider, and more devilish. She wondered if they wanted to know what she was thinking, although she'd never tell them what she wanted to do, but wouldn't. Taabu loved and respected her sons to much to release her internal liquids all over them. Well, she probably could have done it to Caspian. He had enough flaws. Maybe a good dousing of yellow rain would bring some sense into his airy head. The lioness grinned again before she slowly began to climb down the tree.
Caspian had turned to her son, and they were talking in hushed tones. Obviously not hushed enough because Taabu cleared her throat and reached down with one paw to swat at the white lion, eyes sparkling. She looked a little ridiculous hanging from a tree like she was, with only three paws, but she didn't mind making a fool of herself... Just this once. As gracefully as she could the lioness pushed herself off of the tree, twisted in midair and landed between the lions, eyes flicking up to meet both of theirs before she padded off - towards her kill.
"C'mon, doves. We need to make sure nothing else has made off with dinner. Mommy would be very upset if some mangy jaguar managed to snag her catch while she was away playing with the puppies." Taabu cast a look over her shoulder, and then began to sashay to the place she'd last left their dinner.
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Post by RICOCHET on Apr 24, 2011 12:29:48 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/jajamid.png]Jabari's head was still reeling from confronting the hyena's moments before. Now, the male knew full well that his battleaxe of a mother - and he meant that in an affectionate, endearing way - could take care of herself, and if she had to she could probably have got herself out of that situation, but all the same, he was glad he'd been there to help her out, and by the look on Taabu's face when her gaze locked onto her son's facade, she was pleased about his arrival too. Even if she probably thought it was a little overdramatic. Ah well, always the critic, was his dear mother. Although in hindsight, more of lionesses than lions, especially lionesses she didn't know. Of all the females that Jabari had met and... bonded with over his six and a half years of life - but of course, the first year or so he wasn't particularly interested in the opposite sex, but once he hit puberty it was another story - Taabu had only genuinely liked a few, the rest she either ignored or merely tolerated.
But regardless of that, his mother was a warm and caring lion, and he didn't know what he'd do without her. If he told her that though, she'd probably think he was a big softie and scold him, albeit playfully.
"Good timing, Jabari. I was just about to make you a silly hat with those mongrels, but I guess that will have to wait." "If that's the case, Mother, I seem to have missed out on a treat indeed. I do wish you hadn't told me, you do tease me so sometimes." Jabari chuckled and shook his head, his large dark mane ruffling in the light breeze that swept across the sand and scrub of the terrain. "Now, why don't you come down from that tree, Taabu. Here kitty, kitty. Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall," Ah, he recognised that voice. The tawny pelted lion turned to face his alabaster hued comrade, and snorted at him. "That's enough of that, Caspian." Came the retort of the maturing lioness, and if Jabari peered close enough, he could just make out the fur on the back of her neck bristling. He suppressed a chuckle at the interaction between the pair. Instead, he turned to his wingman, a smirk on his lips. "You're such a wind up merchant, Cas." The response that escaped from the blackened lips of the brute was completely true, Caspian did take joy in teasing both Jabari and the matriarch of the Mabruke pride.
The large male rolled his shoulders back and yawned, and looked over at the other maned beast just in time to see him peer up at the tree curiously before addressing him. "So, mind telling me what happened to your mum? Did this have anything to do with those hyenas I saw shufflin' around? They were pretty rude, Jay. Didn't even want to stick around for a lovely group discussion..." Jabari's tail flicked at a fly that was hovering near his flanks, and flexed his paws, feline daggers attacked to the end of said paws digging into the soil in a rather bored fashion as he responded. "Oh, well how rude of them. But Cas, you can't expect mongrels to have any kind of manners at all, they're beneath such attempts of social etiquette. And my mother either decided that the view was much better up an acacia tree than it was on the ground with us mere mortals, or the puppies that were hanging around a second ago weren't best pleased that kitty didn't want to give up her meal so easily." Of course, his response was hushed, so Taabu didn't hear what he was saying. However, by the look on her face, she was aware that the two boys were conversing amongst one another.
Suddenly, a large sandy coloured paw flung downwards from the leaves and branches and with a swift movement, smacked Caspian's crown. Jabari snickered, before looking back up at his mother just in time to see her gracefully leap from her sturdy branch onto the ground between the two brothers. "C'mon, doves. We need to make sure nothing else has made off with dinner. Mommy would be very upset if some mangy jaguar managed to snag her catch while she was away playing with the puppies." Of couse she would. After all, no doubt the lioness had worked hard to catch the herbivore that lay somewhere amongst the scrub, hopefully not torn apart by opportunistic scavengers that took advantage of the absence of the lioness and her companions. "Alright, after you. Come along Cas, we wouldn't want you to miss out on the grub too." He stalked past his brother, and padded after his mother's heels, his tail 'accidently' batting at Caspian's chops. Lightly, of course, he wouldn't want to hurt the delicate little flower.
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Post by v i t a n i . on Apr 24, 2011 13:29:11 GMT -5
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Despite the bristling lioness' discontent with his mocking, Caspian couldn't wipe the ever present grin off his face - despite her reprimanding response, he knew she had found the humor he had accredited to the certain statement. A thought crossed the lions mind, to chime in with a solemn grinch; however, the urge was suppressed, or more or less oppressed, as his brother piped up. Something about a wind up merchant, had Caspian heard? Jabari always did have the weirdest names for his companion, Caspian could have settled for 'troublemaker', 'prankster', or even 'kitten' - but no, Jay always went above the call of duty with his monikers, "You're one to talk, Jay, look at you calling me all these nasty names. You're lucky I like you as much as I do, old boy, or we'd be gettin' in a duel now. Dare you challenge me, brother?".
Caspian reared up on his hind legs, jumping back away from his elder and batting at the air with his paws, perhaps swatting around a few pesky flies in the process. It was not his intent to hit Jabari, but rather to show off his new muscle; the young lion had been working on his strength, battering around old shrubs, climbing on trees to scout, even taking a few extra miles on his jogs. The pallid lion did all this, despite the misconception of lions constantly being lazy - though he would admit Jabari fitted that bill to a tee. Casper was no where near the slab of muscle his counterpart was, and he likely never would be, but that didn't stop him from working toward it as a goal. His expression was mirthful as he dropped back onto all fours, his paws battering the ground with a thud as his weight settled. The youngster shook his mane, and meandered back to his brother. The sandy cat just eyed his partner with a solemn expression, which gradually matured into a foolish smirk, and the older cat shook his head in disbelief, a baritone chuckle accompanying his movements.
Having got the laugh he had wanted out of the other cat, Caspian puffed his chest out and took a seat beside Jabari, to eye the old woman sitting atop the twisted tree, whose branches jutted every which way, causing it to look very dangerous. The aged lioness seemed to fit well into a scenery, as he imagined her making an address to the pride from atop the tree, her voice ringing out over the land - despite Mabruke being in the humble but capable paws of Jay, he always viewed Taabu as the true leader. After all, should Jabari make a wrong decision, his mother would be there to fix it, and smack the huge tom around a bit and straighten him out. Caspian was very in awe of her prowess, and the control she had over both of them - much like a mother has over her young children, though the two cats were grown, and fully capable of taking care of themselves. Truth be told, Caspian treasured the company and security provided by the mere presence of the matriarchal queen, and he was sure his brother did too. The two would be a jumbled mess if not for the organization skills, and the sterness of Taa.
He was snapped out of his illusions as he was directly addressed, "Quite. They didn't even have the courtesy to say 'no' to my invitation, they just made off as if their tails were on fire. Though, I suppose you are right, I am known for giving those carrion feeders more credit than they deserve," he mused, though he was rather happy that they had made their way across the turf anyways, as he would not have been here had they not, "Ah, I always knew Taabu was fit to be a queen. Well, I must admit, up in that tree, she does have a bit of a height advantage over both of us, brother. Maybe we are just mortals, Jay. I'm quite sure those hyenas are aware of their own status now, from the looks of it, you guys gave them a run for their money.". His gaze was once more cast up the tree, his eyes locking onto those of the female, "Well, I sure do hope Queen Taabu is interested in gracing us peasants with her regal presence. We have nothing to offer but our humblest gratitude for her visitation".
Caspian's invitation was not answered in the way it was most often, with a 'yes' or a 'no', but rather with a smack upside the head. Well, he was used to that too, especially from the lioness, but every time it seemed to stun him for a minute. His jaw slacked, and his eyes glazed over for a matter of seconds, while the female made her way from the tree to settle among the two tomcats. He shook his head, regaining his consciousness, and flicked his ears to listen as she spoke, and nodded in agreement with Taabu. Once more, his response was blindsided by that of the sandy lion beside him, his eyes narrowed only slightly to glare in a displeased manner at his brethren. He fell in line behind the two leaders, casually sauntering behind Jabari, until he felt the impact of a thick, furred appendage slapping him on the chops. He curled his lip as the tail rubbed against the tender whiskers, and attempted to nip at the other's tail, though his coordination was slightly off and he ended up missing all together. He settled on batting at the tail lightly with his paws, claws tucked in, of course, as they made their way to the place they hoped rested a meal to fill their bellies, "I'd never miss out on a meal, Jay", he said with mocked indignation, "It's like you don't even know me at all!".
Nine Eight Two | October and Ricochet |
Permission from Rico to powerplay Jay's response to Caspian's 'challenge'. ♥
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Post by october ! on Apr 24, 2011 14:05:09 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/taatablehead.png]With her sons at her heels, Taabu padded effortlessly over the ground, ears twisting back on occasion to catch her sons in the midst of wrestling about something. Of course, she preferred to keep herself blissfully unaware of what on earth they were doing, and kept her eyes trained on her kill. Now that it was within sight, she could see that nothing had managed to tear it open... That, however, didn't mean a bunch of vultures weren't trying. She sighed and flicked her stub of a tail, an amused growl escaping her slightly parted lips. Stupid birds. They needed the lions to tear it open before they could even think of getting into the zebras hollow cavity and dining on the organs. The circle of life was a funny thing, for the vultures would die without the lions, and the lions would also probably die without the wretched birds. No matter how the ball rolled, they needed each other.
The three lions drew closer; Taabu trotting silently and her boys less so. It sounded like someone was rolling around back there, or at least stomping around as if to make the trio known. They didn't need to be known anymore, for they had attracted enough attention to begin with. Nobody in the general area would have missed that commotion. The lioness glanced over her shoulder to finally see what all the racket behind her was about. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed that Caspian was ruthlessly badgering Jabari's tail - not very skillfully, she might have added - and the older tom seemed just as unaware as she had been. She locked eyes with her dusky son, then flicked her eyes to Caspian before turning back, a little smile playing her features. Part of the elder lioness expecting Jabari to leap onto Caspian and wrestle with him for a while, but from what she'd seen earlier Jay was in no mood. He had turned down Caspian's invitation for a duel the second he proposed it. A frown soon replaced her smirk, and she looked over her shoulder again. Worry lines dotted her forehead briefly before she looked back at the kill. Jabari certainly wasn't the most dominating of lions, but normally the two brothers scuffled about quite often; if only in play.
Taabu stopped a few feet before the kill to cast a wary glance around. When it seemed the only things around were the scavenger birds, she went around to the zebras neck and settled down atop the skull. She then proceeded to gnaw at the animals ear, eyes waiting for the lions to tear open the carcass and eat. The males always ate first, and while she knew they wouldn't object to her eating first, she would rather be respectful and let them eat. Also, it meant that she didn't have to tear open the carcass. Her boys could do that faster than she could, and that was her least favorite part about killing. She didn't know why, but she always had a bit of trouble tearing the carcass open. She always managed to spill something foul into the insides, or something bad like that. Plus, she was content with the neck, back or flank meat. The insides had never really appealed to her, although she had to admit she did like the liver and heart.
"Go on, eat." She rumbled, releasing the zebras ear and looking at Jabari and Caspian. "Don't just stand around and let this meat go to waste, I spent half the morning catching it."
Taabu tossed her head, accidentally scaring a vulture into flight. She glared at the bird, then raised a paw and attempted to smush its head. The creature squawked at her, and she growled at it. It backed up a few paces but continued to regard her with its dark, beady eyes. The lioness rolled her amber orbs.
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Post by RICOCHET on Apr 24, 2011 18:29:49 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/jajamid.png]Caspian had always been a cocky bastard.
Of course, that just made being around him all the more entertaining, because it was a nice contrast to Taabu's stern personality. She didn't really tolerate messing around and behaving as a cub would, and she's often voiced that to both Jay and Cas, but underneath her serious mask, she finds their playful antics amusing, her son was sure of it. His amber eyes gleamed as they flickered from Taabu to the alabaster hued impish male that stood beside him, his words hitting Jay's knotched ears. "You're one to talk, Jay, look at you calling me all these nasty names. You're lucky I like you as much as I do, old boy, or we'd be gettin' in a duel now. Dare you challenge me, brother?" Oh, this should be good. No offense to Caspian, but the other lion wasn't exactly 'evenly matched' with him. But the wingman had proved time and time again that he was full of surprises, so maybe this little outburst wouldn't be as ridiculous as he thought. Even though this little 'challenge' wasn't serious.
He watched as the other male stood up on two paws and batted the air in a comical fashion, and for about thirty seconds he produced an array of different displays, such as swiping at thin air, flexing and attempting to knock any flies in his radius onto the ground. Jabari would give it to him, Cas certainly was agile. He could see upon close inspection - as after all, his white 'brother' was only inches in front of his face - that the male was by no means puny, in fact, rather impressive muscles knotted and writhed beneath his pale pelt. Recoiling his head slowly and blinking in bemusement, Jay shook his head and chuckled under his breath. This was typical Caspian, showing off and just acting the fool. The clown of the pride, and he probably always would be. Jabari remained standing, his body motionless and his gaze unwavering. The other lion's voice broke the silence after a few seconds, and Jay's ears twitched backwards to acknowledge Caspian, as he did with his intense stare.
"Quite. They didn't even have the courtesy to say 'no' to my invitation, they just made off as if their tails were on fire. Though, I suppose you are right, I am known for giving those carrion feeders more credit than they deserve." "Too right you do. Why? You regard them in such a manner that implies that they're worth your time and effort. But I suppose you speak to them because you think you're a funny chap, don't you Cas? And in some respects, you are." A yawn forced itself from the thickset muzzle of the lion as a cheeky smirk tugged at his lips. "Ah, I always knew Taabu was fit to be a queen. Well, I must admit, up in that tree, she does have a bit of a height advantage over both of us, brother. Maybe we are just mortals, Jay. I'm quite sure those hyenas are aware of their own status now, from the looks of it, you guys gave them a run for their money. Well, I sure do hope Queen Taabu is interested in gracing us peasants with her regal presence. We have nothing to offer but our humblest gratitude for her visitation." "All the while I have known you, brother, you always seem to have a lot to say. In some situations, it's an asset, yet in others it's a hinderance. And right now, I'd say that saying that when the lioness in question is within earshot would earn you another box about the ears for your pisstaking."
He paused thoughtfully, turning to face his mother's rump as she started off down the path towards the kill, yet his ears were still twitching so he could catch Caspian's words if he decided to say anything else. "Oh, and Cas, mortals are all we'll ever be. You know that, as do I." He chuckled deeply, the chords rumbling from his chest. Soon, the corpse came into sight and he licked his lips eagerly. The metallic scent rolled off the body in waves and into his nostrils, and he hummed hungrily, tail sashaying from side to side as he eyed the food. It was Taabu who approached the carcass first, sitting at the head of the kill and chewing on the ears. Jabari looked on in mild astonishment. The ears of all things. It was like eating the tail for nourishment. "Go on, eat. Don't just stand around and let this meat go to waste, I spent half the morning catching it." "Of course, Mother. Thanks, I'm famished!"
That left the tawny lion and his white comrade standing and watching over the lioness and the kill. It was Caspian who spoke first. "I'd never miss out on a meal, Jay. It's like you don't even know me at all!
"Well, stranger things have happened..." His retort was directed at the younger lion, and he prodded his side playfully before going to plop his body down beside the zebra's stomach.
A tawny paw rested on the abdomen of the herbivore, and a sharp claw suddenly punctured the striped hide, dragging into the flesh and making a large incision. Soon, everything was exposed, including the stomach, heart, liver, intestines.... "Mm... beautiful." Jabari inhaled, and then quickly wished he hadn't. He took one of the lungs in his jaws and quickly pulled it out of the cavity, before he started to chew on it.
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Post by v i t a n i . on Apr 25, 2011 10:22:43 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/casmid.png]Though under any other circumstances, the denial of a playful battle would have unsettled Caspian. Nevertheless, considering there was food at stake, the young lion could put his ill ease to rest on that situation. Having derived the glee he seemed to thrive off of, it put his mind in a state of contentment. It had never occurred to him that either of them might not like his shenanigans, for it was who he was, and he could not have changed it even if he wanted to. However, when the eyes of the lioness met his, the blood which pumped through his veins ran cold. He dropped his hefty paw to the ground with a thud, and returned her gaze, a virtuous smile tugging at the edge of his lips. Caspian broke the eye contact, and looked innocently off to the side, as if he was just surveying the surroundings, and not attempting to hide from the suspicious eye of the madame. He felt the same uneasiness tailed by the gaze that he had when he made himself trouble around his own mother. Even the strongest of lions will quake at the antagonizing glare of their matriarch. It was no different in the relationship between Caspian and Taabu, biologically related or not.
He addressed his brothers earlier statements, having not taken the time between the rambunctious lions interjections to make a few of his own. "Undoubtedly I do love to entertain others, but I suppose I'm just a more gracious host than the rest of the Savannah, Jay. I feel company should be enjoyed, regardless of the quality of the league," he pressed his shoulders up, more or less rolling them in a mock shrug, "Albeit, they were incredibly rude. I doubt I'll be asking them again. At least that congregation of waste munchers. I'll not waste my time on those who will not have me". He spoke with such conviction, that one would absolutely take this for the truth, despite Caspian's wavering security on the principle. Amusement edged his disposition at his brothers next statement, the white cat having already said so much in response to his brothers first tirade, "C'mon, we both know Taabu is too sweet to smack me again - my ears are still ringing from that last one". Caspian shook his head, playfully insinuating that his ears were indeed ringing and he needed to clear the echoing sound, "As for the talking, my brother, it's just what I do. I have a vast vocabulary, and I like to put it to use. I'm tired of people thinking that just because us lions are big, that we're imbecilic too. That, and I like to hear my voice. It's a pleasant voice and you know it".
By now, Casper had certainly made the trip an easier one to take - they had reached the kill just as his spiel had drawn to a close. He eyes glinted at the last sentence that passed the lips of the other cat, though he nodded rather than start off again. He remained ignorant of the vultures, as it seemed the lioness had taken care of them for the time being - and either way, should one of them step foot near the prey, their small heads, complete with vigilant beady eyes, would be torn from their neck. The smell of flesh was much to overpowering, the mere scent causing his drool glands to work overtime. Drool began to froth in the corner of his lips, though for many minutes he simply eyed the prey, basking in the thought of the meal which waited for them just before his eyes. He felt his heart swell with pride, not for himself, but for the lovely curator of such a feast, Taabu. Despite her substantial size, stamina, and hunting finesse, to bring down a zebra on her own accord, no help from any other lioness, was nothing short of an amazing feat. He was certain she was already quite proud of herself, but if there was ever a time for compliments to fly, Caspian would settle right in - he loved compliments, and it was understandable that others did as well, "Excellent hunting, my queen. Thank you for catching this for us, we'll make good use of this banquet.". The loud rumble from within the confines of his stomach seemed to drive his point home.
Almost in a daze, he took the few short steps to close the distance between him and the zebra - the scent wafting around them. Though there were hints of foul hyena stench about, it did nothing to lessen the effect of a fresh kill. Having been left in the sun for the duration of the fight and arrival, the sun had started to bake the carcass, and it was almost overpowering. The drool edging his lips grew frothier, his stomach tighter as he lowered his head toward the prey, pressing his nose against the striped hide. It was never appreciated by his own mother, and certainly Taabu, for him to play with his food - but such a delicacy for a triumvirate of lions was something to be treasured. It was only when the razor-sharp claw of his brethren split the zebra's stomach flesh did the lion truly began to focus on what part he would most like to sustain himself with. Rising onto all fours, his gaze shifting from Taabu, to Jabari, and back to the equine. Pressing his nose gently through the gash in the side of the prey, he shifted the organs around, until he found his goal - the heart. The muscle, having only stopped beating shortly before, and the sun unable to reach it past the other organs, remained juicy and succulent.
It took most of his mental fortitude to not crush the bloody organ between his jaws, nonetheless, he worked with tenderness to disect the organ from the rest of the system, pulling it out through the small tear in the side. Once outside of it's confines, the white tom's eyes locked onto those of Taabu, his drool coated mouth grinning. It was a site to behold, truthfully, the face of the lion completely coated in blood, a devious grin on his lips, and the heart of a prey animal between his jaws. He sidestepped, to avoid his brother, and headed toward the aging lioness, dropping the cardiac organ on her paws - more or less an offering for her services to them. She had gone beyond her calling to take down an entire zebra, and not only defend it from the carrion birds, but also from the hyenas, which did not leave without a fight - this was evident from the healing lacerations on the lionesses flank. As well, this had been her kill - thus, the most important part, the heart, should be hers as well.
Though not the meatier, or best tasting part of the equine, nonetheless the proposition of the heart to the mother held a sort of sacred kinship between the animals. Caspian bowed his head to the elder female, and returned to the carcass, immediately dropping down onto his stomach. He latched onto the succulent flank of the beast, digging his teeth beneath the flesh, before tearing it away to reveal the muscle and tissue. The white cat contentedly munched on the sinew, small purrs and chuffs escaping his jaws, muffled by the flesh which filled it. Too much focused on the meal, he did not nod to his brothers appreciative statement, but notwithstanding, agreed with it completely. It was set to be a good evening for the Ménage à trois - full bellies, and the rest of the night ahead of them.
One Two Seven Eight | October and Ricochet |
Hope the post is good. I didn't get to it last night,
so decided to finish it up this morning. My brain is still kind of tired,
haha, but hopefully it didn't hinder the quality of the post.
I love this thread, and these three. What a great pride. ♥
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Post by october ! on Apr 25, 2011 16:39:09 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af101/Siberia_North/taatablehead.png]"Excellent hunting, my queen. Thank you for catching this for us, we'll make good use of this banquet."
The dusky lioness smirked at her white son's words and his vocal stomachs input; both seemed content making their presence known. "While I am certainly pleased that you find this adequate, such formalities are not needed at my table." Her table as she caught the food, or so was her reasoning. "Eat and silence that stomach of yours, it's enough to scare the vultures."
As if to make her point crystal clear, she let out a little grunt and swatted at a scavenger as it came too close. The bird took flight and quickly retreated back to its fellow carrion consumers. Taabu snorted and turned back to her pale son, a smile dotting her features.
although behind the sneer there was a thick sense of pride.
Fighting the urge to drool all over the carcass, and her boys, Taabu watched as Jabari skillfully opened the carcass
THIS IS A WIP.
D:
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