=--------------------------------------------------------------------------= ___ _ _ ___ ' | ` |__| |__` oooo | | | |__, .ooooo. o 88 ---------------------------------------------------- o8" `"o8 88 ooo oo888oo ooo ooo ooo oo ooo ooo ooo d8' " 88 8 ,8' `8. 8"8 8 8 o8' 8 8"8 8 d8 88 8 88 88 8 8 8 8o' 8 8 8 8 88 oooo 88 8 88 88 8 8 8 88o 8 8 8 8 88 di 88 ,o 8 `8. ,8' 8 8.8 8 `8. 8 8 8.8 `88. ,8i o88ooooo'o8o `"ooooo"' o8o o8o o8o `8o o8o o8oo o8 (c)"88oood' =--------------------------------------------------------------------------= The Lion King is copyright 1994 by the Walt Disney Company. This MUCK in no way constitutes a challenge to this copyright. =--------------------------------------------------------------------------= [ January 21, 2006 ] KISHUSHI Leopards tend to be fairly stocky cats, but Kishushi isn't the best example of that trait; as well as being rather smaller than the usual, she is reasonably delicate, with a long curve her neck and back. Her spots are thickly clustered there, blurred black trailing along her spine and the upper side of her tail. On her flanks and the upper part of her legs, the pattern is one of close black rosettes, with a deep gold showing between them, and a slightly more brownish tint within. The looser fur on her belly, as well as up to her throat, is a muted, grayish shade. This also edges her muzzle, and smudges around her eyes. Her eyes are a cool grey that leans towards green or blue as the surrounding light changes. Her expressions tend to change with a similar slow shift, round ears turning forward or to the side, but rarely back, to match her patterns of interest and mood. DARWUZI This simple creature, whose pelt is void from all colors, looks to be the average length of 7 feet, including tail. His black pelt is tussled in various directions, showing that he rarely cares to groom himself or that he's purposely keeping it fray so light doesn't reflect of his pelt easily. He stands at an easy 3 feet from ground to shoulder. Most muscles hidden under his loose skin to make himself appear bigger than normal. To anyone that glances at him, he appears to be just any other panther roaming the lands. If someone were to take a closer inspection, however, they would find clear distinctive marks that seperate this panther from another. Red eyes surround his black pupil instead of the common gold corona. His muzzle, though average in many physical ways, sports white whiskers that extend 7" or so. Intelligence can be seen in his eyes, and by the way he moves and looks, there's a soul to direct the intelligence correctly. The row of black dots along his whiskers signifies his name, though one must know it first. It's tricky to see such a marking, though. It's been several days since the leopardesses crossed paths. Though Darwuzi didn't notice or feel any tension in the air, he did sense some afterwards. Ramia became exceptionally close to him after Kishushi's arrival. They may be a few days travel out of the way, but Darwuzi is knowledgable enough to know not to escape any nearby water sources. He's happened to find a river on their travels, which is something they've been following for the past day. Right now the panther is seated by the river-side, not fishing like he was before, but just staring into the liquid. The other leopardess, Ramia, is nowhere in sight nearby. Kishushi hasn't been trailing the pair, particularly not with them acting to that extent as a pair, but she hasn't gone off on her own travels, either, and her occasional checking the ground for scent-trails has been successful today. Remembering the male's question at their initial meeting, she decides on casual boldness for this one, and moves down to the river, not even trying to conceal the sound of her paw-steps on the slightly damp ground. Then she dips her head to drink, some three lengths or so from Darwuzi, and with a twist of the watercourse in-between--but on the same side. The sound of paw-steps would normally be muted over the sound of the river, but it isn't white-water rapids by any means. Darwuzi is able to pick out the soft steps and pan his ear towards the other female. His eyes squint for a moment, only to try and pick out the distinct characteristical marks on this other, then lifts his head up a little higher. He recognizes her, but he can't be absolutely certain until he recognizes her scent or hears her voice. Calling out to her is a safer option. "Hello," he greets. He tries to keep his tone light and friendly, though pushes almost a voice of familiarity. Unlike her, he doesn't want to seem bold. At least not yet. Kishushi spends a few long moments lapping before she lifts her head, a few stray droplets fallng from her dampened muzzle. "Hello again, Darwuzi," she says, with more familiarity in her tone than strictly warranted by one conversation and however-many-days trailing--but it's friendly, if perhaps overly so, rather than insolent, and there's a small smile playing under her bristled-forward whiskers as she looks to him. Yep, that's her. To keep himself relatively modest in appearance, he straightens his back a little and plants his forepaws in front of himself, wrapping his tail over his pawdigits. Finally the smile surfaces and he gives a polite nod of his head. "Our paths cross again. What brings you out this way?" he asks. Without Ramia nearby, the panther is a bit more open, but still retains the loyalty to his travel companion. But still, he wants to find out more about this female than he was able to previously. A paw lifts and beckons her over nearby, just so he isn't shouting or calling out too loud. That might wake up Ramia, and she's deserving of a nap. "Water, for the moment," Kishushi answers, with the beginnings of a shrug, but she responds to the beckoning gesture, and her slow walk over has the roll of her blotched shoulders transmuted to the way the whole of the female moves, a rippling down her back to the sway of her haunches and long tail. When she stops, it's almost so close as to be touching, only a few steps left between her stance and Darwuzi's seated pose. "Which accords with you, I s'pose," she says then, concluding her answer. Water is a part of Darwuzi's natural existance. He may not realize it himself, but wherever there is water, there is Darwuzi. The panther simply enjoys the rain far too much. "It's a pleasure seeing you again, Kishushi," he replies with an honest smile. It quickly fades as his face changes into a different expression. One that looks more confused than the previous. "Er, I mean, it's nice to see you again. Pleasure to meet you, but we've already done that." Yes, he's fumbling, and he doesn't often do that. Darwuzi's eyes keep fixed on the female as he scans her up and down thoroughly. Kishushi's immediate reply is a stretched purr, the rumble working its way up into words. "I find it good to see you again." She is distinctly pleased by Darwuzi's apparent fluster, and shifts a little under his gaze, her head tilted slightly towards him even as her ears remain cupped in that direction, and then her front paws pressing a little more firmly to the ground, her forequarters dipping ever so slightly. By the look of the female's posture, he'd guess she's about to settle down. For that, he can be at ease as well. He never expected her to attack him or make some sort of pounce, but it never hurts to be cautious. Even if it makes him seem a little more stiff than normal. Surely she appreciates and understands his caution. "Thanks. It's good seeing you too. What direction are you headed next?" he asks with a pleased smile. Darwuzi relaxes his paws and hindlegs a little more, not bothering to recline or lay down, but just open his stance a bit. "I haven't thought about it much," Kishushi admits, squinting slightly as she assess Darwuzi's small motions. For her own part she slowly lowers herself, stretching out on her belly on the grass. Her hindlegs--and ever-moving tail, of course--are extended behind her, but she tucks her front legs in under her fluffed chest, so as not to infringe on Darwuzi's space. "Not been going anywhere in particular," she mentions, in a manner that leaves open whether she is referring to her own plans or to Darwuzi's. Being no mind reader, he assumes that the later addition is a part of your statement. "When in doubt, follow the water," the male replies. "That's what we've been doing. Haven't seen anything terribly exciting, but I'm hoping something comes up. I think Ramia's beginning to find that adventures can be relatively boring and exhausting. Things need to happen, you know?" he says with a grin. The panther finally steps up and advances in the female's direction. Rather than step over her, which would be a rude gesture, he slides his tail across her side while he bats a ball-sized rock out of the earth. He begins to roll it back to his seating position, spending another slip of his tail against your body, then settles down again. "So, tell me about yourself?" Kishushi watches Darwuzi's antics with the rock with some curiousity, but forebears asking about it, in part because he was the first to get in a question. "No real adventures to tell," she says, slowing down a little as she considers how to phrase things. "Raised up, wandered on my own. Tried settling a time or two, but have yet to find a good place for it, or much of a reason." She quirks her mouth, the tip of her pink tongue briefly visible as she swipes away the last of the damp from the river. When he settles back down in front of the female, a little closer this time, he begins to roll the rock lopsidedly between his paws. It isn't the most perfect toy in the world, but it'll keep his paws busy. "No family, no ex-mates, no... home?" he asks softly. Though she's already answered his questions, he's more or less re-stating them for his own memorization. The rock is rolled towards Kishushi, giving her a chance to play with it. "So you did have a mate, once upon a time?" he asks curiously. He's curious about the attempted settling downs. Kishushi says, "No family once I'd grown past home being with my mother." The Leopard sounds faintly uncomfortable as she continues, "As for mates, nothing lasting." She doesn't make any move to shy back from Darwuzi, and indeed taps lightly at the stone he rolls towards her; it's fairly easy to sense that it's the past she minds, rather than this talking of it. To avoid a stale conversation, or a conversation from going stale, Darwuzi extends his claws and kneads the ground to create little grooves. "Do you hope to raise a family someday? When you find the right mate?" he asks. Imagines of the relationship between Itikadi and Royathi flash in his mind, causing him to extend the pronunciation of 'mate' a little longer than normal. If he were to say male, it would've had a concrete implication. It's odd for a panther to be so concious of such things, but growing up around the servals changed him a little. "Or do you enjoy the wandering life?" "I don't mind it," she answers, "but I can't say I've quite chosen it either." A pause, and a tilt of her head, away from Darwuzi and then back, glancing at the furrows he's made. "I think I'd like cubs--" Kishushi falls silent quite abruptly, as if cutting off something she originally intended to say. Instead, she alters the topic somewhat. "I don't know about having a mate. My father wasn't about and it didn't fuss me much, or my mother. But of course I'd need one for the getting of cubs," she concludes quickly, and with an almost forced-sounding little chuckle. He isn't sure whether or not to take this as flirting or strictly and explanation. Either way, it has Darwuzi's brows lifted and an amused smile on his face. It's starting to come together, but he won't jump to any conclusions just yet. In the back of his mind, he's enjoying the idea that she might be chasing him, in a way. This puts an interesting twist on the triangle of companionship these three are having now. Darwuzi finally settles down on his belly, then rolls to his back so he's looking upside down at her. "Would you want the male to stick around? "I'm not sure!" Kishushi replies, and this time her laugh is easy and honest. "I've yet to meet one it seemed wanted to." Her eyes narrow slightly as she looks into the distance,--over Darwuzi's turned pose--with her stiff shoulders and, behind, faster-flicking tail betraying some unease at the thoughts of some past meetings she has had; time spent with a less agreeable companion than this Darwuzi, most likely. "Trust is the most important thing," he says with a soft purr. He tucks his paws in against his chest and closes his eyes, looking as if he were to take a nap. "But I'm sure you already knew that." Darwuzi tries to not implicate that he speaks more from experience than wisdom, but is rather offering friendly advice. "I thought I found someone once, but it turned out to be false. Anyway, that's why I'm adventuring with Ramia. She came along and I thought I'd go with her." He tries to keep his voice as light and carefree as possible. He isn't tied down to Ramia, but she isn't forgotten about either. "Mm," is all Kishushi's response, a quiet acknowledgement of what Darwuzi has said, and at least a little of what he's implied. She's returned to the here and now, enjoying much of this unexpected conversation, and the simple facts of the physical setting, the fading afternoon sun warm on her back now that she stops to notice it, and the flow of the river a soothing background noise. =--------------------------------------------------------------------------=