+5 Use the terrain to your advantage
+5 Practice running or speed
+5 Study the landscape of an area
Ants go marching, one by one, he hummed the tune, sprawled on his back, watching a line of ants march across the ground. Some carried bits of leaves, or twigs, or small pieces of things he couldn't identify but assumed were either food or meant to be used within the colony. Wherever that was. He could continue to follow the line, he supposed, but it had been roughly half an hour of that already and he'd grown bored. Thus the upside-down flop in the middle of a game trail. Forepaws bounced at the wrist, in time with his humming for a few moments, before the dark male huffed and rolled back to his paws. Rising, he shook out his fur and mane and turned his attention to taking in the scenery instead.

It was with only mild surprise he realized he was in a forest. Evergreens, minimal undergrowth...He paced to the nearest tree to sniff at the bark, a single claw reaching out to scratch a groove into the tree. It didn't tell him any more than what he could observe by sight alone. It was slightly satisfying, though.

Head tilted slightly, and he lifted his front end, reaching and stretching as high as he could up the trunk of the tree. Claws hooked into the bark, and he dragged downward, senses flooded with the renewed scent of the living wood. Once his paws returned to the ground, he stepped back and considered his marks. Another step back, and another, and soon he was running at the tree from several yards away, leaping to press paws into the bark - a careful nick from a claw left in his wake - and push off to land a few feet away. A satisfied noise came as he spotted his mark, a little higher than the original scratches.

Sherlock glanced behind him, then back to the tree. There wasn't a lot of space between each large plant, but there was enough to gather a bit of speed. He backed up farther than the first time, repeating the process of leaping at and marking the tree.

Soon, he found himself running between two, keeping the momentum from his run, and the push off one tree to rush at the other and do the same, the marks made higher and higher each time. If nothing else, he found it was doing a reasonably decent job of helping to control the bored, restless, maddening energy that had been building in him all day. At least this time, his impulse was less destructive. The trees would be fine. Not like the time he'd accidentally set off a surprisingly large rock slide back in his homelands. No one had been hurt, and so he'd pointedly ignored his brother's lecture afterward, tucking the experiment in the back of his mind on the list of things to maybe try again under different circumstances to see what happened.

code by corvus

Willoughby ,

she breathes in the natural musk of the forest. but that wasn't why she was breathing - the air in her chest tried to level itself as she tore through the wooded area. she had been here a few times already, with several others. they all flickered across her mind, their faces familiar. Willoughby runs and jumps, over the fallen branches and upturned terrain in some places. she barely registers the other lion. his coat is too much like the trunks of trees. she doesn't see him until it's too late.

the lioness stops, halting in her tracks. her peach body stumbles forward briefly before ricocheting back. panting, she allows the subtle cold air to wash over her. the grove is thick in places, but open in others. her silver eyes roam over her surroundings with a pleased look. perhaps she was getting faster? but, oh! she sees a flicker of moment and can't help herself. Willoughby moves closer, making no effort to hide herself. a young male is darting around - he seems to be practicing too!

she watches with wide eyes as his energy bursts, her jaw slightly ajar. the woman doesn't say anything, content to pick up some tricks from the man she could try herself one day.

she speaks

^{code by wallflower. manip by mono}

ooc; @Sherlock
practice speed - 5 EXP - 1/2 - pathfinder
study landscape of area - 5 EXP - 1/2 - pathfinder

Back and forth, back and forth, a steady burn slowly creeping in to his muscles with the exertion. When was the last time he'd slept? Ate? At least a day or so, he though. It didn't seem all that important just yet, but he expected he might regret expending so much energy later.

Oh well.

He could bear exhaustion far better than boredom, anyway.

It was a flash of movement that caught his eye at the top of a jump, a glimpse of pale fur and a small form as he twisted to plant his rear paws on the trunk and launch himself off once more. The last mark had been made lower than the previous, a sign he'd reached some sort of limit as far as this activity went, but that didn't mean he was ready to stop just yet.

"Do you intend to watch all afternoon?" It came between panted breaths, his run not so much as faltering a step and his voice casually neutral. Just a simple question, nothing more. He, personally, could think of many things more interesting to watch than one lion burning off a bit of restless, near manic, energy, but maybe she couldn't.

The quick glance he'd cast toward her raked in details at lightning speed, which were left to process in the back of his mind as he raced between the trees. Peachy fur - unique, but not in the realm of unusual - a pale stripe marking her face, bordered by a darker color also present in specks elsewhere. Silver eyes. Small, but not outside the normal range. She'd been doing her own running, but he wasn't sure if it had been for exercise or not (it was never his reasoning, really, but he knew some did that). She didn't seem to be carrying the scent of any others, so he assumed rogue.

Perhaps he was unintentionally blocking her planned path? Or maybe she was just surprised to see someone else out here? "Don't let me stop you if you want to continue your run." Again, it was light, neutral. If she wanted to continue on her way, he wasn't taking up so much space that she couldn't slip around and finish her own activity.

@Willoughby

code by corvus

Willoughby ,

oops. spotted.

Willoughby rises from behind the log she was looking from, staring at the dark man with what she hoped to be a friendly manner. "sorry" slips from her lips, a sheepish grin "I did not want to interrupt you" the maiden explains with a chuckle "b-but I always wanted to try those moves you have... so I watched. so I could do them later." there, she hoped that was a good enough explanation.

she hadn't met to stare, but she was transfixed by his speed. above her, the shade of the trees hadn't helped her hide. her coat was too outlandish. she tears her eyes from his face to stare at the trees he had been bouncing off of. subtle claw markings left a dent, but the bark would be stronger for it. she got an idea suddenly, and bounced to her paws. no longer did she crouch down. "do you want to race?"

if she raced against such a lion, Willoughby was sure to learn something new. a quick look around told her there were various paths to take in a rush. the logs and branches could be jumped. the foliage would smack her in the face sometimes though...

she speaks

^{code by wallflower. manip by mono}

ooc; @Sherlock
practice speed - 5 EXP - 1/2 - pathfinder
study landscape of area - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder

One last push, and his paws met the ground with the casual confidence of one quite accustomed to jumping over and off things, the dark male allowing himself to slow to a stop. As she spoke, he took stock of himself - elevated heart rate, quickened, heavier, breathing, burning muscles...nothing worse than his average state after a bit of exercise. Exhaustion was not yet a danger.

Attention shifted back to the trees, gaze tracking upward to the series of marks he'd been making. "Ah, right, I was trying to see how high I could reach." Most of the marks were spaced at semi-regular intervals as they went up, with the last few slightly more irregular, and descending, as his body had begun to fail him by allowing the effects of fatigue to impact height and speed. "I seem to have hit some kind of limit, though." Temporary, he was sure. With regular practice, he would be likely to improve.

Of course, that was assuming he didn't entirely forget about this spontaneous experiment the moment he latched on to something more interesting.

Her question had his eyebrows lifting, Sherlock not quite certain whether or not to be amused by it. Race? "You have me at a disadvantage," there was an undercurrent of humor in his voice, his breathing still hadn't settled back into a normal pattern and she didn't seem overexerted, currently. Still, he was surprised to find he wasn't entirely against the idea. Running was far more exciting when there was a reason behind it, something to trigger a burst of adrenaline to fuel the body - something chasing him, something worth running toward - but...well, his bouncing between trees had done little to temper the buzzing, restless, energy that had plagued him all day. "You'll need to give me a moment or two to catch my breath." Get them back on more even footing, the race wouldn't be fair, otherwise.

Options were considered for a second or two, the man glancing between the trees and the girl, "In the meantime, you could always try to imitate what you've observed." A sort-of invitation for her to try and implement whatever she'd gained from watching him, with the implication he might correct her where necessary. And an opportunity for him to see just how well she learned by watching. How clever was she?

@Willoughby

code by corvus

Willoughby ,

"don't worry!" she beams at him as she rises from her spot and walks closer "you can rest as long as you want." Willoughby tells the man, giving a few nods of her head. he supposes that she try out what she saw, but she wasn't sure how to do it without messing up. she didn't want to embarrass herself. but it was a good warm-up practice. she did it anyway.

approaching the trunk, she stepped back like she had watched the man do. then she leaped, trying to go as high as she could. it wasn't as high as the man, but she did a respectful leap all the same, scoring a mark a few paces below his own. "I did it!" she pants, kicking off from the trunk to land onto the ground. for good measure - and to make sure she was on equal footing weariness wise - she did it again. that was all she could manage though. soon she was out of breath.

she speaks

^{code by wallflower. manip by mono}

ooc; @Sherlock
practice speed - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder
study landscape of area - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder

By his estimate, he would only need a few minutes to return to his usual baseline as far as pulse and respiration. Muscle fatigue would take longer to dissipate, but she seemed keen enough to attempt replicating his activity, which would bring them to a more even footing as far as the fatigue went.

He seated himself a few paces away, to give her room to run without worrying about trampling him by accident. Sharp eyes tracked every movement, as she moved back, and then rushed forward, much like he had done at the start. Her mark joined his own, though not as high, and that was to be expected as well. She was much smaller than himself, and had gathered little momentum compared to what he'd build up when he'd been distracted by her presence, and her offer.

She seemed able to get the general idea of the activity from what she'd watched him do, which he supposed was an average expectation. Most could manage that much. He offered what could be interpreted as an approving nod as she landed, declaring her success, "It's easier to maintain momentum when using two, rather than using only one and having to pause or turn between leaps." Advice? An explanation? An invitation for her to practice on her own in the future? She could take the statement as she wanted, he was simply stating an offhand fact as he rose once more.

After quick stretch, he cast a glance at the surrounding landscape, and several paths stood out to him. Trails worn through the forest by predator and prey alike, the latter could always be trusted to choose the path of least resistance. So that left a few questions - keep to a path and, if so, which one? Or stray from the trails and take a chance? "Now, which path, if any, shall we take?" It had been her idea, and he was in a decent enough mood to allow her to make the choice for them, considering she had, so far, avoided annoying him in one way or another like so many others tended to do (staring, asking idiotic questions, failing to understand simple concepts without having them explained as if to a cub). Racing off the beaten path would be more of a challenge, that was almost certain, but maybe she was more the type to pick the safer option? It didn't really matter to him either way.

@Willoughby

code by corvus

Willoughby ,

his advice was appreciated, and noted, so she would begin to do what he said in the future. she smiles at the man, giving a nod to show she had been listening.

but first, introductions? "well" she sucked in a final breath before turning back to him, attempting to veer to his side so she took a 'starting line' "first, I'd like to give you my name?" it was a quick little thing so he wasn't left waiting. the least she could do for spying on his training! "my name is Willoughby, a pleasure." she doesn't care if he doesn't give his name in reply. she is ever polite, and courtesy is given to strangers anyway.

"and I like a challenge!" she giggles, wanting to see how much of a good runner he was too "off the beaten path?" she suggests to the man with a tilt of her head. she waits for him to agree or disagree. her gaze turns back to the path she chose, trying to map out the best places to run. even if she didn't win, it didn't matter! she was happy enough to take part in a race with him. perhaps she could make a new friend.

she speaks

^{code by wallflower. manip by mono}

ooc; @Sherlock
practice speed - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder
study landscape of area - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder

It seemed she'd actually accepted his...well, he still wasn't certain if he would consider it advice, but at least his statement of fact. Rarely did he offer the benefit of the doubt, but she seemed receptive enough so far that he felt safe assuming she would actually put the information to use in the future.

An ear flicked toward her when she spoke up again, an single, quick, blink following her question. Names. Introductions. Right. A somewhat tedious practice, but not so frustrating he had any good excuse to avoid it. His brother's voice was in his head, admonishing him to be polite, and he fought not to frown at the echo. "Ah. Sherlock." He offered his own in return, leaving off an abandoned surname (not yet ready to increase the chances of his elder sibling tracking him down even this far from home). The singular name was unique enough already.

The topic didn't linger on social niceties, for which he was quietly thankful, and he found himself nodding. A challenge. Yes. Maybe that was the thing to calm the buzzing that seemed to run through every fiber of him. "That works," but, well, a race was fine, it just needed an end. "What are we considering the end point?" A certain distance? Was she aware of a certain landmark in the distance? He couldn't be sure how much time she spent out in this area without observing her in it more thoroughly.

"I'd suggest a specific distance. Say, five hundred yards straight ahead? Or, as straight as the terrain will allow." A decent distance for a quick sprint, especially with both of them already moderately fatigued from their own previous activities. A sprint sounded more appealing to him at the moment than a marathon, anyway.

Whatever her response, he was poised and ready to begin. A glance was tossed toward her, a brow raised, "Shall we count down, or shall one of us simply shout 'go'?" The thread of humor had returned to his voice. Without a third party to start them off, there was a bit of trust required that one participant wouldn't cheat and start early.

@Willoughby

code by corvus

Willoughby ,

"Sherlock - a very nice name" she beams to him from the corner of her eye, focusing on what she knew of the landscape. he asked what was the ending point, and she shut her eyes to recall the times she'd been here. luckily, there seemed to be a clearing when he said the distance. "there's a small clearing four hundred yards ahead?" it could be seen from here, and it didn't matter what path a lion took to reach it as long as they went toward it.

he also raised a question. "Three!" she echoes, laughing "two!" the maiden crouches down, willing her muscles to spring when the time was right "one!" she hoped he got ready before she counted down, else she felt like she was cheating. something she never wanted to do. a quick glance at the dark male and she shouts "GO!" and they were off! Willoughby darts forward hopefully as Sherlock does, taking the right path toward the clearing in the near distance.

she speaks

^{code by wallflower. manip by mono}

ooc; @Sherlock
practice speed - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder
study landscape of area - 5 EXP - 2/2 - pathfinder