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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:44 am
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Moving on had never been a choice -- he had to. It had been many many eons since the days when he felt his heart shatter under Sahaulifu's paw. It hadn't been her fault, no, but he had continuously stuck around hoping the story might change in his favor. It was a ridiculous one, now that he had retold it several times; he had fallen for a woman who had memory issues and forgotten she had a mate briefly, resulting in, when she fell pregnant, a great debate about who the father truly was. Was it he? Or the male she was betrothed to?
Utatu had stayed until the cubs were born, and then... stayed even longer, waiting to scoop an unhappy Sahaulifu off her feet as her own relationship crumpled into a miserable heap. Her partner had thrown threats around and tossed their love aside, and Utatu waited. Waited and waited and waited, feeling hope as the days turned into months and Sahaulifu began to seek him out. Began to ask him to spend time with her children. Began to lean against him and smile at him as she had during their "mistake".
But, again, she forgot, and suddenly her memory flipped once more, favoring the mate she had begun to claim she didn't want anymore. Utatu had left shortly after, leaving behind a broken heart and a story he knew he shouldn't have pursued. A story that took years to end, and even now he wondered if he had made the right decision.
No, of course he had. Would she have forgotten him too if they did lay claim to one another? Was it morally ethical to even attempt to sweep her off her paws? When would it be because she wanted him more, and when would it be because she forgot her mate? It was the right choice, but it had hardened him for years following. How couldn't it? Love never graced his door again -- he also hadn't tried to find it himself, but Utatu had begun to wonder if he just wasn't fit. If his past actions were due to a great inability on his part, and this was the road he deserved.
Whatever it was, Utatu had been alone for a long time, and he had learned how to flourish on his own. He wandered the rogue lands with ease, tending to his needs without anyone else to ask or question. Today was one of those days -- he was out hunting, crouched deep within a bush as he eyed an impala that had no clue of his presence. Any second now he'd take what was his and carry it off to his temporary den.
Any second now....
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:58 pm
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It happened all at once.
Something had tripped over him and sent him crashing with them, and with his fall the impala fled. A strangled grunt of frustration left him as he scrambled, long limbs thrashing for solid ground, untangling himself from the unknown creature and uprighting his body.
Oh. A leopard.
A pretty leopard, at that, but still someone unknown. Utatu shifted his weight onto his haunches and settled, glancing over himself with a soft sigh. The impala was lost, there was no helping that, but he wasn't going to be rude.
"It's okay," he answered, flicking his gaze over her. "Are you okay? I didn't know anyone was around; you're good at hiding your presence."
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 7:09 pm
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He examined himself, lifting one leg and then another before twirling slowly in place, fully selling the experience. Yup, all good here.
"All looks good," he couldn't help the cheeky grin at his own joke, tilting his head back towards where the impala had once been. They probably had sprinted far, which wasn't too much of a problem for the fast cheetah. He likely could track them down if he really put his nose to the ground for a bit, or at least head in the direction they had bolted to.
"Hm?" His attention returned to her, tail flipping softly. "Thank you. I'm not the strongest, being a cheetah, so I have to rely on my stealth. I just- well, I'm still terribly sorry you ended up tripping over me in the process." She felt bad but he felt equally as responsible; he really should have been paying attention. Now he had cost both of them a meal, unless...
She was a leopard, which meant she was more built for brute force than he was. They could work well together, if they communicated properly, and the mishap would have a welcome result. It was perfect, even! He nodded enthusiastically, stretching his long limbs until he heard a faint 'pop!'
"That'd be perfect, count me in. I'm Utatu, by the way." His eyes lingered briefly on her forehead, noting the intricate shards of color with a masked interest. Pretty.
"Have you ever hunted with a cheetah before? "
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 8:25 am
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