[PRP] You make me nervous (Baik'hati x Hate'dogo)

[- Mynsed -]

Why, why, why. Crouching low in the grass, he watched the leopardess nervously, uncertainty crossing his mind. She didn’t look that threatening. But she could be. And he did leave his treasure nearby. And unless he waited until she passed by... No, it’ll be fine. She could be nice. She could be.. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, not realizing how obvious his pink mane looked sticking out from the grass, like an odd plant. He really could leave his treasure and just find another in the world. He didn't have to get it now. Maybe she wouldn't find it. He hadn't attempted to hide it, since he hadn't plan on being long gone. But apparently, he had been gone long enough. Just do it a voice snapped in his head. Oh, how he wish he could be as confident as his inner self.

Legs slightly wobbling, he moved closer, ready to cordially greet. Just a passing hello. That was all. All you have to do is be polite, say hello, go on your way, Hati tried to reason. ”H-Hello-” Suddenly, his legs functioned wrong, paws crossing... and his muzzle met the earth. Freezing, he stared up at the leopardess in horror, mortified by what had transpired.


Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

What an absolutely marvelous meal! Hate'dogo crept down the narrow trunk of a slender-limbed tree, all but purring as she leaped the rest of the way to the ground. A full belly, and a successful hunt - what more could a leopardess want in life?

She paused mid-stride. Her smile quirked a bit to the side, somewhat ruefully: had it been a good hunt, really? She hadn't exactly been looking for the badger. She hadn't actually been hunting for food, if she was completely honest with herself. She had, in fact, been playing a rousing game of 'the dirt is lava' and managed to jump on the ratel as it slept. Only by reflex had she actually felled the critter. But what did it matter! Hate'dogo tucked her head, unable to keep from just giggling at herself. It was her instincts that killed it. So she was a little lucky - a hunt was a hunt!

And now, her instincts were telling her something new. Mostly that ferns didn't come in pink, as far as she knew. Mouth open in surprise, and just a bit of wonder, the grey feline slunk into a crouch. Hate'dogo was just about to say something - some playful noise of conquest, maybe, her paw outstretched to bat at the strange pink brush - when it spoke first! Her eyes snapped open, a pair of golden moons widening to full. Not only did it speak, but it...bowed?

She leaned forward, slowly. Silence seemed to sift into the shock between herself and the not-frond; it wasn't too often that Hate'dogo didn't know what to say. "You're...a lion," she finally gasped, peering down at the facefirst feline in astonishment. How nice that - in a crisis! - her brain had apparently gone straight for the obvious.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Oh geez. He had tripped. He wanted to cover his head with his paws. No, he wanted to sink into the ground. Wake up from a dream. Something that would help him escape the embarrassment.

But… this leopardess wasn’t commenting about it? Baik felt a bit better, straightening himself off the ground. His massive size was spoiled by his nervous hunch and ducked head. He hesitated for a moment by her outburst before nodding shortly. Did it bother her that he was a lion? He would understand. He also didn’t like to be around other lions. Too intimidating and large. His eyes slid past her to the little hole where he hid his stuff before snapping back to her, eyeing her cautiously. ”H-Hello,” he began, voice hoarse. He cleared his throat, fidgeting slightly. ”I… am a lion.”

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

The leopardess giggled through her grin. "You are!" She agreed, perfectly happy to be correct. If she had noticed his fall at all, it would seem to have gone unmarked. She was, after all, far busier noticing more obvious things. "I hardly caught it, you know?" Hate'dogo trotted a circle around her newly-discovered friend, beaming at him all the while. He was enormous! She couldn't see it all that well, because he was still kind of bowing. Did he know how big he was? "Since you were on the ground, and all. Did you do that on purpose? Oh! Are you hiding how large you are?"

Coming around to his front once more, Hate'dogo stretched. Her forward reach sent black paws sneaking towards the lion through the grass, claws just peeking out at their tips. No sooner had she done than she sat across from him, her rear hitting the ground with an audible fwump! "I hide my size sometimes, but only when I'm hunting. Are you hunting, then?" And picked up her prattling without missing a beat. Clearly, embarrassment was an emotion that flew right over this cat's head, and kept on going afterwards.

- Mynsed -

I'm so sorry for the long wait on this, Myn! I definitely lost the RP. So sorry. orz

 

[- Mynsed -]

Baik was very confused. ”Caught… it? Caught what?” he asked with the barest hint of a frown. She was confusing him and making him even more nervous. ”I’m… not that large,” he mumbled lowly. He didn’t think he was too large. His father and their pride had been so much larger when he was growing up. And comparing his size to his hare family that he eventually found wasn’t an accurate comparison.

He shuffled back a bit when she stretched, giving her a bewildered look. ”Um… n-no. I’m not hunting,” he murmured, ducking his head lower. ”Will you be here long?”

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

Hate'dogo cocked her head, still smiling - but the grin was looking a bit static now. He wasn't smiling with her yet! Usually folks were, right about now. Had she said something wrong? "Well, caught that you were a lion, silly! I mean I didn't notice. That you were a lion! At first." There we go. Surely, now that she'd clarified, everything would be alright.

The plush grey head tilted the other way. Or maybe he was bashful about his size? He did keep denying that he was enormous, when he very clearly was. Most lions were, compared to such a petite specimen of leopard. Yes, that made sense - he was shy about it! Hate'dogo was immediately abashed. How could she not have noticed it sooner? She'd certainly say no more about it, to spare his tender feelings.

At last, her head straightened at his question. The smile lost some exuberance along with it, replaced with sudden contemplation. Would she be here long? Hate'dogo hummed, the heart at her nose wrinkling a bit as she looked away from her strange companion to briefly take stock of the surrounds. That probably depended largely on where, exactly, here was. "I don't think so..." she began, the words drawn out in that lilting way that implied she wasn't so sure. Her attention meandered back to him in a sudden, bubbly burst of giggles. "But I don't really have plans to leave, either. I just kind of go, you know, wherever!"

That would probably change, if only she had somewhere to stay for any length of time. She didn't, though. She hadn't had a place like that for quite a long time. "Why do you ask? Would you...like me to leave?" And the slightly pained smile she could feel creeping its way over her features was exactly the reason she didn't like to think about that.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Oh no, he had offended her. Or hurt her feelings. His eyes blew wide, mouth going slack for a moment, unsure what to do. ”I-I-I’m sorry!” he blurted out, stepping a foot closer, anxious. ”I don’t need you to go, you can stay however long you like!”

He had hurt her feelings. Obviously. He felt worse than dirt. His guilt was overcoming his shyness. Might as well fess up. ”I had stashed my stuff in between those rocks there and had left for a little bit. I was… nervous. Not everyone is kind,” Baik pointed out before giving her a hesitant smile. ”But you seem kind. I… I’m sorry for hurting your feelings.”

Anderleit