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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:56 pm
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Astari grinned as he watched Morte trying to catch a meerkat. He was not sure what was funnier, the fact that she was trying to catch the thing, the fact that the thing was avoiding going into its tunnel, or the fact that she had not seemed to realize it was toying with her. The starry male chuckled to himself as he sat perched on a rock. It really was the most amusing thing, especially since Morte was only losing this because she was too tired to hunt decent.
"Are you ready to listen and get some rest yet?" Astari asked after she missed her mark pouncing at it yet again. She had to give in eventually. She really did. Even if she did not want to, the female cheetah was likely to collapse soon enough from her excursions. What Astari could not understand was why the meerkat had yet to get bored and go into its burrow with all its kin. It seemed just as crazy as the female cheetah chasing it was. Maybe the two should be friends? That was a really amusing thought.
Astari wondered how that would work out and took a few moments break from watching the futile chase to imagine it. He laughed loudly at it, and finally the meerkat looked over at Astari, as if just noticing him, and decided it was time to leave. Perhaps it figured the second feline would not be so much fun to bait. Then again, it could just have decided it was not fair odds. Astari went over to the silver, black, and white female cheetah as she collapsed to rest for a bit.
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:58 pm
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Morte had not slept in probably three days. She was not sure anymore she had lost count. All because she wanted to try to catch something to eat before she rested, and she was having a horrible bit of luck lately. Everything that she had tried to catch in the last few days, she had missed or tripped while hunting, and the creatures ran off. She usually was so graceful and sly, it made her angry that she could not complete a hunt successfully. She was going to drive herself until she got something!
Morte pounced at the meerkat again and again she missed. She suspected the thing was playing with her, but she would not admit it. Her pride and vanity would not allow her to admit that a meerkat was managing to toy with her, let alone live to laugh about it! And she held no doubt the thing was laughing at her. It kept grinning every time she missed. Stupid. Meerkats. Morte grumbled and pounced again. She would not lose. She could not lose. The blow to her pride would be too much.
She glared up at Astari for a moment. "NO! I will catch the damn thing!" Astari was an old friend she had crossed paths with again on one of her blotched hunting attempts. He started following her after that. She thought that was that morning, but again, her memory of time was getting a bit blurred by sleep deprivation. She did know however that it was nearly dark and she still had not caught the furry little creature that kept moving at the last minute. When it finally dashed into its home, she collapsed on the ground and looked over at Astari. "I blame you."
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:59 pm
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Astari jumped down from his rock and went over to Morte. "Well, old friend, I think you proved you are too stubborn for your own good. Yes, blame me, my starry hide can take it." He chuckled and nuzzled Morte's cheek. She really needed to rest, and he was about ready to force the issue if she did not quit soon. He watched her tense and start to rise. Yup, time to force the issue. He stepped in front of her and just like that she was blocked from standing up again.
"Rest, Morte. I will get you something to eat, and you can either sleep now, or sleep after you eat it." Astari looked down at the female cheetah as if daring her to argue. The two of them knew each other too well for her to protest that look. Astari might not have a very prominent stubborn streak, but when it did show, his friends knew not to push the issue because they would not get anywhere. A sigh from the female cheetah brought a grin to Astari's muzzle, and he leaned down to lick her nose.
"Maybe the meerkat and you should be friends, Morte. He seemed to like playing with you, after all." He trotted away to go find something for her to eat before she smacked him. Astari did not have to go very far before he managed to get a hare to bring back to her. When Astari, returned he laid the dead hare down in front of Morte. "There, you are, beautiful. You can eat, and rest, and perhaps when you have had a good sleep, you will have more luck hunting for yourself, eh?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:00 pm
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Morte laid on the ground and rolled onto her side to pant from chasing that meerkat. She watched Asteri jump down and sighed. His words were true enough. She was too stubborn for her own good, but she should have been able to catch that stupid meerkat! Same old Asteri, she blamed him for something and he gladly took that blame even though it was not his to take. Dang him anyway. He was always difficult in the worst possible way, by cooporating and agreeing.
"You cannot let anyone just be mad at you, can you? You starry oaf." The female cheetah watched him and has to smile. She could not stay mad at Asteri, and she certainly could not argue with him when he was being so stubborn. "Fine, I will rest, but you better not tell anybody about the meerkat... and i am NOT going to be friends with that thing!" She prickled up and glared after Asteri for a moment before smiling softly to herself. Okay, he had a point it would be amusing to let the little creature live now.
But for him to suggest it hurt her pride. Morte watched the hole where the meerkat had disappeared and huffed at it. To think a meerkat had giving her that much trouble and enjoyed every moment of it. She had to give the creature credit for brass. She looked up as Asteri returned and sat up only enough to eat the hare he brought before she started looking for a spot to sleep. It was quickly getting dark, so perhaps a bit of sleep was in order. She went over to an outcropping and slunk under it. "Laugh it up, Starboy."
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:01 pm
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:02 pm
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Morte grumbled under her breath to herself at Asteri's insistence on rubbing in the meerkat incident. His presence between her and whatever might come along while she slept was nice and quite comforting, but it still bothered her that her friend had seen her trying and failing to catch that meerkat. He would be making fun of her for a long time to come about that, she was sure. "Am I ever going to live that thing down?"
"I would like to think you will stop teasing me about that some day, am I wrong?" Morte wondered what she would do if Asteri started telling OTHERS about what happened. Maybe he would even tell her cubs one day? No, he could not be that cruel. Could he? She shuddered at the thought. She doubted her friend would do such a thing at least not without talking to her about it first, but she still wondered. She sighed and laid her head on her paws. "Let's keep this to ourselves for now."
"I know you do not often get to take care of me, starboy, but that is because I do not need it... thank you for the hare, though. I am sure that with time the meerkat will be much more amusing. For now, my pride says it is not." The female cheetah batted at Asteri's paw to make her point. It was a gentle swat, but it would get it through his head to drop the issue for the moment. That is what she hoped anyway.
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:02 pm
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Asteri lowered onto his belly to lay down so he could better talk to Morte until she fell asleep. She really was one of his best friends, but she rarely stuck around long before heading onward to who knew what. After the last time they had parted, he actually had not expected to see her again. They were both young and had headed in opposite directions. He grinned at her question and chuckled to himself.
"Perhaps one day you will live it down. It will take much teasing and good natured fun before I consider letting it go. Perhaps along the way you will learn that your pride is not worth all the fuss, hmm?" Asteri nuzzled Morte fondly and purred loudly. She was beautiful, intelligent, and a wonderful friend, but she needed to work on her vanity and pride. Today was only one of many occasions when she had run into problems because of the pride alone let alone her vanity.
"Might want to work on the vanity part too, beautiful. Not that you do not have good reason for it, but just the same, I do not want someone to hurt you because you are prettier than they, and know it." He smiled and closed his eyes about halfway in a most smug expression. Asteri shook out his mane to puff it up and fluff it out, managing to tickle Morte's nose with it in the process. He chuckled at causing her to sneeze. "Sorry."
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:03 pm
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:04 pm
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Asteri brightened at the sight of the wicked grin and the sound of returned teasing. His friend definitely was feeling better just from having eaten. Now if she would just sleep some. He was glad she did not take offense at the assault of her nose by his mane. Not that he thought she would, but he was glad regardless. "I am glad I did no harm and that your nose will survive the abuse that my mane caused it, beautiful. I would be quite sad if it was not going to survive. What would you do without your nose?"
Asteri fained seriousness. "The thought of you not being able to smell anymore think of all the horrors that would cause? Not being able to sniff out one's next meal, let alone who was trying to sneak up on you! Perish the thought of such! I would hate for my fluff to cause that strife!" He grinned in return to her, chuckling as he laid his head on his paws. "I am a silly starboy, but I am your friend the silly starboy. And you missed me."
He purred loudly at her and licked the paw on his muzzle, which made her jerk it back in surprise. "Mmm, tasty paw. It is a little dusty though. You might want to wash that... or just let me." He laughed as she started grooming herself in paranoia, before she stopped and gave him a look. "Yes, I was joking, but I made you do it anyway." He gets a gentle shove on the forehead from Morte's paw and chuckles again. "Yes, yes, silly starboy, I know."
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:05 pm
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