+5 Learn something interesting about a pride or family
+5 Explore a new territory and find something useful

Heavy steps cut through the mud and water that covered the majority of this area which once bore the scent of a pride. It was a shocking turn of events when Bhaskar had come down from his jungle home to check up on what usually was a very thick border scent and had discovered that the smell had washed away. Washed away were the inhabitants of this place too, it seemed. While he traversed the swamp he found no lion remains, but he did find plenty of rotting food that had most likely floated out of the pride caches. Truly unfortunate, he mused as he looked around. There were plenty of annoying insects that were the new residents of this land. Not so great now, are we? He hadn't even known the name of the swamp pride. It was amusing to see how easy mother nature squashed their structure and dispersed their numbers. The red-maned lion marched on in hopes he could find and scavenge any of their unspoiled food stashes.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. An assessing gaze flicked over the murk and debris dispersed throughout the tepid bog, unconcealed distaste glinting in their vibrant teal irises. The lion was hungry, as he always seemed to be these days, and his options for a meal lay strewn before him, tangled up in broken logs and laying stiff against muddied banks – all in varying stages of decay – like some sort of buffet of the cursed. It seemed a fitting feast for the fallen prince, and despite the quality being so painfully subpar, these easy pickings were what kept the titan anchored in this immediate vicinity, despite its other shortcomings and lack of appealing vista. For the moment, Giovanni remained seated on a patch of dry earth, tail flush against his haunches, wearing a thin frown but otherwise pensive expression. Absorbed as he was in thought, he did not notice that another had ventured into his line of sight until a flash of red caught in the corner of his eye, drawing it to the form of the flame-kissed stranger. Accustomed to isolation as he was, the lion felt a thrill of apprehension rush through him; was this man a visitor, or previous tenant? Giovanni was in no place or mood to participate in a fight, but he somehow maintained a keen sense of pride that refused to let him slip away into the green-gray backdrop that blended so well with his own murky palette. So instead, a chuff would sound from his chest to offer the stranger a neutral alert and wary greeting, while he otherwise remained seated for now.

@Bhaskar

_{ART — CODE}

+5 Learn something interesting about a pride or family
+5 Explore a new territory and find something useful

The sense of unexpected satisfaction came over him like a wave at the continual ruin of this pride land. He peered into the darkness of what had once been dens, but now were flooded holes with small useless items dispersed inside. The suffering of those that had lived here did not bring him joy, but he knew that sometimes from the destruction and ashes a phoenix could rise.

The light chuff of a stranger caught him off guard. Dull eyes fell upon the perfectly camouflaged onyx man, who seemed a bit older than Bhaskar. The sulking expression didn't shift. He was wary at first, unsure if that wasn't one of the fallen pride's ex-resident. "Hey." He greeted, cautiously approaching the otherwise neutral man. "You lived here?" The stranger didn't carry the distinct Mire scent, but then again the water had washed everything away.

@Giovanni

The flame-haired lion approaches, and Giovanni settles his paws deep into the briny earth to anchor both his thoughts and his nerves, as they jump beneath his skin. There seemed nothing untoward about the stranger in general; no signs of aggression or posturing to assert dominance, and the titan takes heart in this observation as he offered him a neutral nod of greeting. No, He answers the stranger’s question candidly, finding comfort in the fact that the stranger seemed in good health, with no evident signs of disease. Small victories for his battered soul, although he still hoped the stranger would keep a comfortable distance between them.

It also became clear by his question that this lion had not been a resident of whatever group had populated this land before, and Giovanni found himself wondering what brought the flame-haired man to this land now. Curiosity, perhaps? He kept his own to himself as he expanded on his reply. I imagine any who lived here before must’ve been washed away… with the rest of it. Perhaps they had been lucky enough to outrun the disaster, though. Either that or what was left of them lay beneath the swamp’s opaque surface, never to be seen again. Giovanni didn’t voice this part aloud, instead he gestured with his chin at the debris that surrounded them and let the stranger draw his own conclusions.

@Bhaskar

_{ART — CODE}

+5 Learn something interesting about a pride or family
+5 Explore a new territory and find something useful

The intense, constant sounds of the swamp wildlife buzzed in his ears. There were many of them that he didn't recognize and he felt obliged to keep an eye out on his surroundings in case the two men were not alone. Instinctively he also attempted to split his focus in two and keep in mind that the stranger before him was just that: a stranger. A big one at that. Rarely did Bhaskar meet anyone of his size caliber and he only came to the realization once he approached the chartreux cat. The man's answer seemed genuine: he isn't or rather hadn't been part of the lost Mire pride. At least that is what Bhaskar wanted to believe. There seemed no reason for the lion to lie. But then again, who knows? He mustn't put any trust in anyone. "I see." He cast a glance away towards movement in the overgrowth. Probably a bird.

"Most likely yes." He doubted they were prepared for the flood. Perhaps some of them had met their death. This was life... nature was unpredictable. "I wonder if there is anything left from their cache. Want to come and check it out with me? I could use another set of eyes and nose." He was going to enjoy the company, too. Any reminder that he was not alone against the horde of Amaryllis strangers was a good one.

@Giovanni

The earthen-toned titan follows the others gaze as it shifts towards the brush, compelled by his own natural suspicion and general wariness, but curious of the stranger’s perspective. However, the bird or whatever creature had caused the disturbance was not enough to maintain Giovanni’s primary focus, and although the flame-haired stranger’s answer had not proffered much to satisfy his budding interest as to why he was present here, he didn’t press him for more information. Chances are, the two men were present in this area for similar reasons, and Giovanni was willing to accept that conclusion for the moment.

His interest was further piqued when the stranger spoke of the remnants of the prides cache—that is, what was not already half-rotten and strewn across the brambles of the Mire. Being the scavenger that he was, he knew the benefit that two bodies, four eyes, and two noses could reap; especially in the terrain as murky and overturned as this swamp. It might also mean sharing what they found, which had the potential to spell tension, but that was a risk Giovanni was willing to take. Sure, He replied agreeably, lifting his haunches from the earth and stepping to the side. Forward, but not directly towards the other. Anything that is in better shape than what is out here would be a nice change… He paused as his eyes flitted thoughtfully over the swamp. …I doubt there will be much left though. He is candid in his prediction as his focus moves back to the stranger, ears pulling forward within his dark locks. He was unruffled by this low-risk low-reward expectation, and would instead wait for the flame-haired titan to direct their attention as it was his idea in the first place.

@Bhaskar

_{ART — CODE}

@Giovanni was quick to agree to the red-haired man's proposition, which pleased him greatly. He was a social creature and enjoyed the company, especially if it was a rogue that was so similar to himself. As the Chartreux cat moved forward, so did Bhaskar, who followed steadily but kept a respectable distance. Of course, that was not simply out of courtesy but mostly just in case. One could never be too careful, especially around another colossal stranger. Giovanni's remark may be true, but it was worth giving it a try.

The murk and debris were unpleasant to walk across, but the peach titan paid no mind to it. Instead, he focuses his attention on their surroundings both for any scent of meat and on the other hand for unwanted presence. "If you spot the remains of a den tell me. They may have kept their food in different dens across the territory." That was from past experience and logic. "I'm Bhaskar, by the way." An introduction was in order if they would be spending some time together. "Do you travel alone?" Maybe the peach lion was too nosy, but to him, that was just small talk. He was a friendly man all in all, albeit what his constant sulking expression would show.

Giovanni followed as the other titan set the pace, inwardly relieved that the distance between them remained respectable and that the other showed no signs of attempting to get closer. Wariness aside, it made sense for the two of them to be somewhat spread out; they covered more ground that way, and in the muck and mess of the decimated swamplands, every advantage counted. His teal eyes scanned the cattails and grasses, focusing on what remained at eye-level and above, as certainly everything else would have been either swept away from the floods or submerged underwater.

His ears twitched in the strangers direction when instructions were offered, and the earthen titan offered the other a brief nod to convey his understanding – words seemed unnecessary, and a large cluster of branches had caught his attention, their arrangement appearing too intentional to be debris. He shifted towards them as the flame-haired titan introduced himself, and he glanced at the other appraisingly before offering his own introduction. Giovanni, It was strange, to hear his name spoken aloud after so many moons of isolation. The titan approached the possible structure, ears flicking forward and back as he would shift so that he could see Bhaskar and focus on this side quest, allowing him to continue both their exploration and conversation easily. Nowadays, yes, although it hasn’t always been so. What about you? He asked, his gaze flicking briefly to the flame-haired titan before he returned his attention to brushing aside some of the swamp moss that had swept against the structure of branches. Perhaps this barrage had protected a potential den or cache - in the same way a beaver dam might - or perhaps it was simply a structure designed by another creature that lived in the swamp.

@Bhaskar

_{ART — CODE}

The murky greenery of the once-pride was difficult to traverse, especially for a man of his stature. He was convinced that his colossal Chartreux pal over there was also having the same thought. Silver eyes bounced from one side to the other, scanning the green swamp canopy while his nose inhaled the damp air for any pointer scents.

A large log not too far away, covered in mud and debris, caught his attention as Bhas moved towards it. "Came here with some friends," Some of them were nowhere to be found, and worry had begun to settle in his mind. Upon reaching the log he peeked down to find its inside was hollow. Unfortunately, it was empty. "... although they are quite feral. We ain't together all the time." He prayed that they were safe and sound. Looking back at @Giovanni, he realized that the man was peeking into what seemed like a pile. "Got anything?" He called out.

Although he did not say as much, the Santori was aware of Bhaskar’s attentiveness to their surroundings and found himself appreciative of it. The earthen titan possessed both perspectives of living within a group and on ones own, and understood the difficulties that solitude brought, even on titans such as they. Having the opportunity to shoulder that burden, even with a stranger, inspired a semblance of relief and enhanced his appreciation for the company. He was comfortable enough to focus almost entirely on his current task – dislodging the build up of sticks and muck, although his ears remained restless and attentive to the flame-haired lion’s words.

The adjective that Bhaskar used to describe his friends struck Giovanni as odd, and his brows drew together over a puzzled expression-although his face was currently turned away from the other. Feral? A number of explanations attached themselves to that description, but the Santori did not ask for clarification, and instead concentrated on the final heaves it took to remove a keystone branch from the pile of muck. It took some effort, and just as Bhaskar would ask if he found anything the lion would fall back as the branch came loose, dislodging most of the debris and sending a rush of water into whatever vacuum had been protected. Uh, maybe... He replied dubiously, glancing at the other as water rushed past his calves and into the cavity. It had definitely been a den of some sort, but the titan felt hesitant to explore it now that water rushed enthusiastically into its depths. He certainly wouldn't stop the other lion if he wished to though, but maybe they would get lucky and whatever goodies had been left behind would be flushed out by the current.

@Bhaskar

_{ART — CODE}