A Wise Man's Heart Is Seldom Glad

This was the second instance in which Claw found himself exploring the eerie recesses of the Badlands. He had been drawn, this time, to the place in which the birds of decay had been seen circling time and again. He knew that he would find death, decay... he knew that it was most likely the place in which elephants and other creatures would come to take their last breath. What he didn't know, was how absolutely RANK it smelled even a mile or so out!! Even from that far he had begun spotting remains of smaller creatures, or creatures that had decided not to go all the way into the depressing, disease ridden place that was the belly of the boneyard.

Still, his curiosity spurred him onward. He wanted to see if there were any lions who came here. And he wanted to see if anything or anyone made their home in this place. If he was being completely honest, he expected to see a few... hyenas. Hew as unsure if he was ready to face those vile creatures yet... but he may soon find out either way. His fear was not going to send him away from this opportunity to learn about the culture of death in these lands! After all, it was an important part of life... the end.

@Thana and anyone else who wants to join!!

code by corvus

Thana had returned to the boneyard once again. It was the least populated place she could find. Plus, the bones created so many shadows and hiding places, and the scent of decay disguised her own. She had the bathe every time to maintain her sister's sensibilities, and even she had to admit that taking some baseline level of care of her coat may have some advantages, even if it was just soaking in fast-moving water until the smell was gone. Still, that didn't mean she actually groomed herself with any significant regularity. All the debris in her mane probably helped with camouflage or something. Yeah, that's what she was going with. Camouflage .

The smell of the boneyard didn't bother her in the least. If anything, she felt safer here. But today, another smell was invading it. A male.

She had figured she'd encounter them before too long, but that didn't mean she had to br happy about it. Suddenly, she wished her sister was here. She was much more adept in these situation. Despite the warning in her brain to run, she simply stayed where she was, tucked against an elephant tusk under the shadow of a skull.

@Claw

A Wise Man's Heart Is Seldom Glad

WARNING: Slight Gore... And Vomit :3 Sorry

He continued on with his investigation of the place, simply making note to breathe from his maw and not through his nose. If he did... well, he'd vomit... though he was quickly becoming aware that tasting a smell undeniably existed! His stomach churned, but he would be fine. He had seen a rather interesting pile of bones near one of the elephant skulls that he simply had to examine. They looked the correct size and shape of a young giraffe... Interesting that not only elephants, but giraffes and other small creatures found themselves coming here for their final hours. He had never known of this behavior in giraffes in particular until now! Fascinating!

He put his paw upon the bone pile, pushing away the loose remains of the Giraffe. The smell suddenly worsened as he uncovered the body of a small hippo. It was swollen, and it seems it had been intentionally buried beneath these other bones. Interesting...

With a moment of morbid curiosity, Claw slowly poked at the creature's swollen body with a claw. Oh, what a mistake that was! A mysterious rank liquid came rushing out, and the young male was too slow! He became drenched in the dank liquid from head to foot. He was stunned, his paw remaining suspended in the air where he had poked the now deflated creature. His stomach churned, and rumbled and suddenly he couldn't help himself.

He turned away and vomited, thoroughly disgusted and perhaps even a bit traumatized at what had just occurred!!

@Thana

code by corvus

The black lioness lifted a lip at the sudden assault of a new smell... and then another. A bumbling attempt at learning, she supposed, but if she let him go on unattended, he could gas himself out. But was it really her responsibility to prevent that?

With a sigh, she took a step towards him. "Congrats, you released toxic gas." She'd seen small mice accidentally puncture bloated animals and then die in the gas release. Not a fun experience. "Might want to take a few steps away from it." She wanted to sound older, maybe a little intimidating, so she dropped her voice a little. She was large for a lioness, but he was a big lion, making him larger than her. But if he didn't even know about bloated carcasses, he couldn't have too much combat experience, she she could probably overpower him if it came down to it.

A Wise Man's Heart Is Seldom Glad

He coughed and gagged some more, eyes watering at the smell and pure distaste of it all. As he retched, a female came out from god-damned nowhere to begin talking down to him as though a parent would talk to a cub. He scowled as he looked up at the blurred figure of the female, blinking to clear his vision.

"Oh, Gods no... I was planning on going swimming in it's entrails."

He said sarcastically, as he moved away from the carcass. It was obvious he was going to be backing away from the filthy carcass anyway... he simply had to stop retching first! He shook his head, nose perpetually wrinkled as he wiped his mouth on a paw. He was still dripping, drenched in filth. Damn, he'd have to sit in the stream for weeks just to get all this out!

"And what do you mean, Toxic gas?"

He barked as sternly as he could, though the gagging made his voice break a few times. It was true, Claw had next to no experience at all when it came to the process of death and decay. He had only seen one dead body in his entire life (apart from his food of course), and he was not interested in remembering any part of that experience. He had no clue that the gas that built up inside the body was toxic. Even now he was skeptical. Was it truly deadly, or did she mean 'Toxic' in the sense of absolutely and completely rank? If it was the latter, he could agree with her in a heartbeat!

@Thana

code by corvus

"Hm, I wouldn't suggest that," she replied, a hint of a joke in her voice. "But congrats! Now you can sneak up on any pretty without them knowing you're a lion. They'll just think you're a hippo corpse."

She stayed more than a safe distance away, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger, but his next question was too fun not to answer. She'd spent nearly two years studying death, and was intimately familiar with the process. "When a carcass is bloated, it's because the insides are rotting and all the goo and gas is trapped inside. You just released... all of it. The gas released can kill small animals that are directly in the path." She paused to wonder how large of an animal would have to die to kill a lion. If they were trapped in a small space with the creature, probably not as much as one would think. "The first thing to rot is the stomach, by the way. The belly turns green."

@Claw

A Wise Man's Heart Is Seldom Glad

He rolled his eyes at her retort, though he felt himself softening to her with her tone having changed from holier-than-thou to more that of a mischievous youth.

He had barked at her a minute before for her arrogance and disrespect... though all of that anger he felt toward her dissipated as she explained to him what she had meant. His eyes (though still squinting with the stench) gleamed with interest and thirst for knowledge. So... it really was the 'deadly' kind of toxic? In fact, not only did she share this tidbit of information, but she continued to explain that the first thing to turn rotten was the stomach... and even the signs in which to tell.

"Green, eh? And truly, the gas is deadly to small creatures? Wow... I wonder how much of it would be needed to have the same effect on a lion..."

He pondered, grimacing slightly to himself as he looked back at the female. Hopefully more than what he had just been subjected to!! He supposed if he died, then at the very least, they would know.

"You seem to be quite savvy about death and it's... processes. But more importantly, where the Hell did you come from?!"

He questioned roughly with a slight scowl creeping into his features at the last comment he made. His tone was now calmer than his bark from before, back to the stoicism he was well known for. He wondered if there was a relatively sad reason she knew so much about all of this, and he wondered if he really wanted to press her about it. Perhaps not. She didn't seem like the type...

@Thana

code by corvus

Thana pretended that she hadn't just wondered about the amount of gas needed to kill a lion just moments before. Knowledge was power, power was safety.

"I'd imagine it depends on the space. Out here, quite a lot. In a sealed cave... a hippo could make you real sick at the very least."

Thana's ears flattened and she took a step back at his change of tone, eyeing him cautiously. She'd share knowledge, but if he turned on her she was more than ready to bolt.

"It's night, I could come from any shadow. But tonight, I was over by that skull." She waved her tail at a skull only a few meters away. He really had gotten shockingly close without noticing her.

@Claw

A Wise Man's Heart Is Seldom Glad

It was an interesting concept... a hippo carcass dragged into a cavern. Something that might actually be useful knowledge. He could think of many ways it might work as a defense if the pride were to find themselves at war with another power. At the very least, it as an interesting scenario to toss around.

She looked a bit weary of his change of tone, as though he would pounce upon her at any second. Even so, she answered him... gave him her hiding place, and he had no reason to disbelieve her answer. She sounded quite genuine.

He looked over to the skull she pointed out, and hiked a brow. He was impressed! She could be so close, and yet, he had been none-the-wiser.

"Well... I commend you for your skill in the shadows, Miss. I would have been in some serious trouble if your intentions were any more malicious than simply letting me entertain you."

He mused jovially. It was true, that was a terrible attempt at a joke and one may not even realize it as such due to the lack of a smile to accompany his jest.

"Why do you live out here among the dead and rotten, if it is not too bold of me to inquire?"

He asked as he kept his eye on the skull nearby. He was now returning to his not-so-shocked and more Claw-like demeanor. Inquisitive and polite.

@Thana

code by corvus

Thana simply nodded in reply to his statement. She could have killed him a hundred different ways if she had so desired. Though if he'd poked an elephant instead of a hippo, he might have managed that himself. Then, he asked a question that gave her a moment's pause. The dead and rotten. She considered her answer before replying, but then noticed him watching the skull.

"No one else is going to jump out at you, it's just us." She regretted her words almost as soon as she'd spoken them. She'd given away a valuable bit of information. But there was no taking it back now. "I don't live here, but it is a frequent haunt. It's a unique place, and less populated than the rest of the land." She decided to turn the question back on him. "Why don't you live here?"

@Claw