+5 Observe and study a new scent

His journey across the land of Amaryllis finally took Kiton to the cover of trees. Having spotted the greenery from the heights of the peaks, it was with great haste that he made his way toward the place he remembered seeing it from up above. He was led by his nose, the scent of lush greenery and unknown creatures enough to have his heart racing with happy wonder.

The awning of greenery was growing nearer as he trudged along, eager to see what beasts might live in this fertile land. While it was not his most familiar biome, Kiton was content as long as he could avoid the glaring sun of a summer day.

"speech"

code by corvus

currents pull me under

she wasn't exactly a very social creature.

let that be known to all. her half mane trickles behind her as she walks, the short yet lean woman walking the jungle with little care. she moves fluidly, jumping over foliage and avoiding thickets like a ghost. she was attempting to track something down, something food-worthy... Vesper squints against the dim light, pale blue eyes focusing on movement ahead of her.

another lion.

the last time she was seen by a male, he had claimed her into the Lagoon pride. she seeks to spend as little time as possible around Gwyn; so she opts to travel here. moving along the heavy scented foliage now, she brushes against it, trying to conceal her scent but still follow the man. it was his tracks that she followed. she flicks a long tail behind her, dusting her own footprints.

"she speaks"
5 exp - conceal scent - ranger
5 exp - track footprints - ranger
5 exp - cover tracks - pathfinder

but you held your hand out

code by corvus, bg by unsplash

+5 Observe and study a new scent

He continued on with his nose raised slightly upward in an attempt to catch whatever scents possible, his tail waving behind him in beat with the rhythm of his steps. He thought he could smell lions in the area, though judging by the number and the distance of the scent, Kiton concluded that it probably meant there was a pride of lions living nearby. He made a mental note to watch out for a scent border and to try and figure out where it was if he could.

Silently, the lion wondered if he would be able to find a comfy spot to settle in and take a nap. He had been diligent about making the rounds in recent days and ultimately wished to curl up somewhere soft and snooze for a while. It was a lion's privilege, after all.

"speech"

code by corvus

@Vesper @lackadaisy

currents pull me under

as she continues to track the lion ahead of her via his footprints, she also flashes her tail over the ground to cover her own footsteps. he does not seem to notice her. as she rounds a fallen log, she brushes against the mushrooms to conceal her scent further. perhaps she was slightly childish, but she wanted to watch him a moment longer.

the man pauses, visibly thinking about something. Vesper ducks down, placing her paws on the earth and ready to strike. maybe she would pop out at him? maybe surprise him, scare him? the thought was enough to be thrown back out. no. she did not hold charisma, but she didn't think she'd like it if someone did that to her. instead, she brushes against a heavy leafy foliage. enough so he'd know she was there.

popping her head out of the flora, she stares openly at him. he isn't something special to look at - some sort of coat color she hadn't ever seen before though. "hi" the young woman says simply.

"she speaks"
5 exp - conceal scent - ranger - 2/2
5 exp - track footprints - ranger - 2/2
5 exp - cover tracks - pathfinder - 2/2

but you held your hand out

code by corvus, bg by unsplash

His head filled with thoughts of managing a nap, he was jolted by surprise at the sound of something moving in the brush right next to him. He flicked one ear to the side, disbelief and shame washing over him as he realized that he had not been properly aware of his surroundings at all.
He turned sharply to angle himself toward the source of the noise, further surprised when a head popped out of the brush.
“Hello,” he echoed back the greeting, quick to respond in kind rather than tacking on his usual formalities which would require him to be more collected.
“Who are you?” Kiton questioned, again more direct than he would have liked. He twitched his nose as he tried to collect whatever information he could about it via scent but came up short, his eyes failing him in equal measure since it looked nothing like another cat he had seen before.

@Vesper

code by corvus

currents pull me under

she didn't think this through, obviously. staring dumbfounded at the man, she says nothing. not at first anyway. maybe she was deciding whether to talk to him more, or just turning the other way and being on her way. that Gwyn fellow had no tact, but that didn't mean this guy didn't. he at least greeted her nicely.

"Vesper" she introduces herself in her slightly quiet tones. never one to yell unless needed, she was a silent individual. she wondered if she was bothering him - but frankly did not care. not exactly. there was a fleeting thought and poof! gone. "new here?" her sore haunch was still healing, but at least Europa and Lilith helped with that.

thank the goddess of hunt for women. the moonstone falls to silence, staring. not really expecting a detailed report from him. nobody liked to share their life story with strangers anyway. so the casual conversation would remain casual. though she was acutely aware of sticking to the foliage where he couldn't see her. the small elf roamed around the bush, her pale coat a stark difference.

she sat a cautious few feet away from him, though was quite ready to jump up if all hell broke loose.

"she speaks"
5 exp - conceal scent - ranger - 2/2
5 exp - track footprints - ranger - 2/2
5 exp - cover tracks - pathfinder - 2/2

but you held your hand out

code by corvus, bg by unsplash

She offered him a simple introduction, Vesper, which he could only assume was a name because he had given his own. Kiton swallowed a lump of anxiety in his throat and straightened slightly, assessing the creature with a quizzical gaze and noting that she communicated very much like a lioness.
"Pleasure to meet you," he offered, returning to some of his characteristic formality. "I am new here. Are you affiliated with any of the prides in Amaryllis?" Kiton questioned, trying to make his tone more conversational than interrogating as he was inclined. What are you? Why do your ears look like that? Why are you staring at me? He had numerous questions his upbringing simply would not allow him to ask.
He shifted his pink gaze to follow her as she moved to sit, instinctively lowering his own rump into a sitting position a few feet away to show a mutual trust for the moment. Truce.

@Vesper

code by corvus

currents pull me under

"the Lagoon" she replies, her answers short and to the point. some men didn't like to have their time wasted, even if he was being courteous and friendly... she didn't understand that much. well, not just men. women too. she just assumed all women were soft and lovely. men were... difficult at times. her long ears angled toward where she knew the pride was located. "bastard leader claimed me."

she scowls. Lilith and Europa were kind women though. she hoped they hadn't been claimed against their will either. well, Europa probably had been. Lilith was Gwyn's daughter to her knowledge. when she moved, he would also sit. fine. whatever. having a conversation was better than following him suspiciously. he didn't seen to pick that up either. good. "what about you?" Vesper asks Kiton. he smelt like a rogue, but she didn't hold it against him. she'd be a rogue if not for Gwyn.


"she speaks"
5 exp - conceal scent - ranger - 2/2
5 exp - track footprints - ranger - 2/2
5 exp - cover tracks - pathfinder - 2/2

but you held your hand out

code by corvus, bg by unsplash

He nodded immediately at her answer, interested to hear that yet another lion he came across was a member of the lagoon pride. He had previously met one of their nobles recruiting, as well as Hera, whose company had been delightful. He thought that this Vesper and Hera seemed like very different kinds of lionesses to be living in the same circle.
Bastard leader claimed me. Kiton raised his brows with surprise as he read the context of this comment, coming to understand that she was there against her will. Were all of them, he wondered?
"Are you alright there?" He questioned through thuds of his racing heart. Immediately, he felt some responsibility to her--to make sure she was safe and right whatever wrongs had been done to her. Yet, she hardly seemed to fit into the archetype of a damsel in distress. It was no matter, for a man could easily force her into this image.
"I'm alone, for now. I have not found anyone so eager to take me in like that," he snorted sarcastically as she settled in for their conversation.

@Vesper

code by corvus

she doesn't know what to make of his concern. Vesper wasn't used to men caring even in a subtle way. she knew the ways of their realm. females were claimed - she didn't expect it to happen when she called for help though. males got the longer end of the stick. it happened. not much one could do about it. "he hasn't done anything to me, if that's what you mean." the woman huffs quietly. just let him try. she didn't like Gwyn, didn't like being stuck in his pride, but he made some fleeting promise to release her when she healed.

fat chance of that.

she rolls her eyes. "aren't you lucky" Vesper comments, amusement creeping into her tone. he wasn't pretty, probably handsome by some standards, so someone would want him eventually. it wasn't a strike against him though - she just preferred women over men. they had, what was the saying, curves in all the right places. men were all sweaty and not elegant. "I came to their border for help. hurt myself" she didn't even look at her still-healing leg "and I got claimed." if women like Lilith and Europa were there though...

she could do with worse eye-candy.

@Kiton