Our Future is Bleak [PRIVATE]

[zorayda]

Eeve nodded at the panther's instructions and padded silently behind her, eager to eat a decent meal for once. Her stomach was now growling in a long, uninterrupted stream of grumbling sounds, and her mouth began to water with the thought of new, fresh meat. Then... there! The gazelle wasn't too far off, the silhouette of it against the near blackness making it almost impossible to see.

When Nyeusi gave further instructions, Eeve nodded again and moved swiftly to the right, her pawpads silent against the silky sand. Immediately after moving out of Nyeusi's shadow, the animal perked up, noticing the lioness's strange light, and spooked away from her... but not in the right direction.

"NO!" Eeve roared desperately. This hunt was not going as planned--again, another failure. The lioness tried feebly to run after it, but before she could even try to catch up--WHAM! A solid figure suddenly appeared from nowhere, snarling and slamming straight into the hapless herbivore. It was a large figure, and after a few seconds of discerning the shape from her own light, Eeve determined it to be a powerful lion.

"That was ours!" Eeve shouted hoarsely, angered at her failure and loss and irritated that another had gotten it so easily.

The lion didn't answer for a minute, busy trying to suffocate the gazelle until, finally, the light left its eyes and it died in the lion's jaws. He let go and gave the two females an appraising look.

"I'm sorry," he said, flattening his ears. "I saw you two hunting, and I was going to ask if we could share, but then it came straight at me, so..." He shrugged his shoulders, the rest of the story self-explanatory. "Would you mind sharing with me? I haven't eaten in a while..."

Eeve didn't answer him, and instead looked the large lion over. He was humongous, with a uniform sunset pelt and a wild, spiky blonde mane. His eyes were a warm brown, and though there was a spark of coldness that resulted from the hardships bestowed upon all of them, Eeve could see that he was able to be trusted... for now. The tawny lioness nodded in agreement before looking over at Nyeusi for confirmation.

"I'm Kobi, by the way," he piped up, smiling.

"Eeve," the lioness said softly, dropping her gaze from his.

-----

"Whoof!" Taraji slid forward quickly with the momentum of her pull, and when the cheetah became unstuck, she landed flat on her face in the snow. She scrambled to her feet and snorted the ice out of her nose.

"Are... are you okay?" The young snow leopard asked shyly, now aware that she'd have to introduce herself and speak to the cheetah. Taraji was very painfully shy, and now that the danger was over, it was time to learn how to socialize properly. "I'm... um, I'm T-Taraji," she stammered quietly in her girlish voice.

[SnowyCheetah]

Nyeusi was rather surprised as the lion suddenly came out of nowhere and tackled the gazelle, nearly taking her out on his way to leap. Just managing to dodge his hind paws as they rushed by her head, she found herself standing still as the gazelle died in the suffocating grip of the lion's powerful jaws. She carefully listened as Eeve conversed with the lion, then looked to her. The panther nodded back to Eeve in agreement that they could share the food. "It seems only fair, considering in a sense, we took it down together." she said to the giant cat, partially to be friendly and partially to remind him that he wouldn't have caught the gazelle if she and Eeve had not come along.

Returning to Eeve's side, Nyeusi slowly approached the dead gazelle and began to eat, her eyes constantly fixed on the lion, to make sure he wasn't going to try anything surprising on them. It was be tough or die out there and if the lion decided to attack she and Eeve, Nyeusi wasn't very confident in their combined ability to fight back and win.

----

Tabasamu sighed in relief and wiggled her toes as she laid on the ice, finally free. Letting go of the snow leopard's tail and keeping her front paws tucked safely under her to keep her pads from touching the ice, she looked up at the fluffy cat. "Thanks so much, I'm just fine now." she said. "I'm Tabasamu." she said, in reply to the shy feline's introduction. Rising to her paws, the cheetah awkwardly walked out of the tunnel, making sure only to her her fur and claws touch the ice, keeping her toes curled, until she reached the snow. Beginning to shiver, she realized how cold it was outside. "I don't know how you can stand this cold, Taraji..." she said, her breath almost like pea soup fog coming from her muzzle every time she spoke or exhaled.

[zorayda]

Kobi grinned in relief, his teeth slightly yellowed from the lack of care and nutrition he'd suffered from the environment.

"Thanks so much!" He said, politely waiting for the two females to eat first. However, as he spoke, Eeve noticed something very strange.

"Uh... is your tongue green?" She blurted. Eeve immediately felt ashamed for asking and blushed, but Kobi just laughed.

"Yeah. I have a poisonous bite," he explained. "But I've also figured out that it heals stuff, too, in smaller amounts. Watch this," he said, and extended a single claw. He scratched a line across his forearm, making Eeve cringe. "It's okay, I can heal it," Kobi reassured her. Sure enough, he bent to lick it, a line of saliva covering the fresh, bleeding wound. Within seconds, the blood had clotted and the wound closed itself slightly, until the scratch looked days old. "It doesn't fully heal stuff, but it'll save a week or so in the process," he said, smiling. He glanced over at Nyeusi, aware of her tension. "You don't have to be scared of me, you know... I really hate fighting," Kobi sighed, his spiky blonde mane falling into his brown eyes.

Eeve was still staring at the cut in amazement. Here, she'd thought that she was the only freak around with weird powers... and yet, this lion was poisonous, and could heal wounds nearly instantly? It was a lot to take in... the tawny lioness's eyes sought Nyeusi's, her silent message saying Well... that was pretty weird.

----

"Oh, I'm glad you're okay," Taraji said softly, curling her tail around her small body. She smiled when the cheetah asked how she survived the cold, glad to have something to talk about. "Oh, I just have lots of fur, is all," she said modestly, blushing. The young snow leopard tucked her chin against her chest to keep her face warm.

"Um... are you... hungry or anything? I, um, haven't eaten in a while, and I was wondering..." Taraji's words were soft and hesitant, as if Tabasamu would lash out and say something angry. "I was w-wondering if you... maybe... would, um, help me to h-hunt?"

[SnowyCheetah]

Nyeusi watched the lion in awe as he first inflicted a wound upon himself, something unheard of in a world where perfect health increased one's chances of survival exponentially. But when he licked the fresh cut, with a tongue she had just now noticed was green like her own whiskers, she was amazed to see the wound do a long time's worth of healing in only a few seconds right before she and Eeve's very eyes. "That's amazing!" she said, before taking a small bite of the fresh kill. "Do help yourself." she said, noticing that he was waiting until she and Eeve had begun eating to take a bite himself.

----

Tabasamu, shivering a lot, was trying to keep herself warm by curling up into a ball and tucking her nose and paws together inside her tail. Slightly muffledly, she replied, "I would be perfectly willing to do that, as I'm hungry myself, but we must wait until daylight. It's terrible weather for me to hunt in." She had adapted to the frigid temperatures in such a way that she could continue to live in much colder temperatures than any normal cheetah, but at a point she began to grow sluggish, like a cold-blooded creature, and that was what was happening to her at that time. "I'm... slowing down, I'm afraid my infamous speed is not going to help us right now when I can't produce it." she said, showing one paw briefly and moving her toes as fast as she could, which was quite slow to show the snow leopard, before tucking it back inside her curled tail. "Feel free to stay with me, though. We could share warmth."

[zorayda]

Kobi blushed at Nyeusi's comment and kindness, unused to others being so nice to him.

"Oh... thank you," he muttered quietly, ducking his head and flattening his ears.

Eeve found herself smiling at the reaction. Isn't he just adorable, she thought to herself, but then frowned and bent to take a bite of the gazelle. The meat was tough and scant, due to the gazelle's lack of food and demand for strength, but it was food nonetheless, and she was grateful for it. She scarfed down an entire haunch all by herself before she was satisfied, and had to sit down and rest for a few minutes because her belly was so full and tight.

Kobi, on the other hand, ate very slowly, chewing thoughtfully between each bite and watching the two females. He noted Nyeusi's unique whiskers and Eeve's natural bioluminescence, fascinated by their abilities.

"So, um, Nyeusi, was it...? Do you have any particular... powers or abilities? I just noticed that your whiskers were strange colors," he asked, licking a paw and moistening it to wash his muzzle.

-------

Taraji nodded in agreement, never one to argue with anyone. What Tabasamu made sense, and she curled her tail around her paws as the cheetah demonstrated her lack of speed.

"Oh, I'm sorry you're so cold... I can lay next to you and keep you warm," she offered kindly, feeling sorry for the cheetah's obvious lack of protection from the freezing temperatures. "Um, that is, if you don't mind others being close to you..." she finished, averting her blue eyes and blushing. "But I'm okay with sharing the protection of my fur."

[SnowyCheetah]

Nyeusi was soon finished eating and sat back, in a condition similar to Eeve's, where she was more or less immobile due to the size and weight of her stomach. "Thanks for helping us again." she said to Kobi as she rested her front paws on her tight belly. Never before had she gotten the opportunity to have such a good meal, as most of the times she'd eaten were if she'd happened to stumble upon an animal that had died of starvation. She stayed close to Eeve, still not sure about whether or not to trust the lion they'd only just met. "What do you think of him, Eeve?" she whispered very quietly into the lioness's ear, as she kept the eating lion in the corner of her eye.

----

"I don't mind at all." the cold cheetah replied, her sluggishness now reaching her lips, slowing her speech. "I appreciate it." she said, unable to move much to adjust her position against the snow leopard who had so kindly helped her out of her possibly-deadly predicament in the cave. "If there were one thing I could change in life, I'd make my feet stop getting stuck to ice... There's so much of it around here I almost can't go anywhere without getting stuck somewhere. It isn't a nice feeling, your paws, your very means of moving around, immobile."

[zorayda]

Eeve circled around the meal to get close to Nyeusi, keeping the cat she trusted more at her side. She flicked an ear at the panther's whisper and didn't answer for a few moments, watching Kobi to see whether or not she did, indeed, trust the new lion.

"I'm not sure," she finally answered, equally as quietly as Nyeusi had. "My gut me that we can, but I don't wanna bank on that..."

Kobi was happily eating away at the prey, not really noticing the whispered conversation between the two females in front of him. Intelligence... was not one of Kobi's strong suits. However, what he lacked in brains, he made up for in personality, looks, and brawn. The brightly colored lion was strong, and on top of that, his added ability to kill his prey with the substance in his saliva made him nearly invincible. He licked his maw as he looked up and grinned at the pair of felines before him.

"So... what do we do now?" He asked innocently, coming to a standing position.

Eeve was strongly reminded of how... huge Kobi was as he stood before them. She tilted her head at his question, unsure of how to answer. The lioness knew only to survive, to keep living through the harsh lands... but now, with partners, perhaps they could accomplish more. But what? Create a mish-mash of felines in a small community?

Eeve turned to Nyeusi for an answer, not really sure if any of them could come up with something for the lion.

---

Taraji blushed when the cheetah allowed her to get close, unused to physical contact that didn't involve prey after so long. So without speaking, the snow leopard snuggled up close to Tabasamu's back, her nose facing the cheetah's tail. She curled her own long, fluffy tail around so that the cheetah could snuggle her nose in it if she so wished. With a long sigh of exhaustion, Taraji closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep, warmed by the body lying close to her.

[SnowyCheetah]

Nyeusi wasn't sure when Kobi and, without speaking, Eeve, asked her the same question. "What do we do..." she muttered under her breath in deep thought. "I think for at least the time being it is best if we stay in a group. We don't have to be together at all times but we should remain acquainted at the very least. Considering our present lack of companions, I think we could all use some familiar company." she finally said, hoping that Eeve was ok with the decision. She expected that Kobi, having asked the question in the first place, would agree. While waiting for his answer she, hoping Kobi wouldn't really notice, leaned close to Eeve once more. "Are you ok with this?" she asked very quietly.

----

Tabasamu was very grateful to have Taraji there, whose tail provided a warm haven for her cold nose until the day came.

Several hours later, Tabasamu woke from her slumber and found her flexibility had returned. It was still early morning, but the temperature had become bearable now and she was able to move around freely once again. She rose to her feet, trying not to wake Taraji in the process of removing her nose from the snow leopard's tail and getting up. She stretched, yawned, and enjoyed the crisp morning air. As she was turning to walk off as she usually did, she stopped. "Perhaps..." she thought, "I should stick around." she didn't want to give up a chance to have some company, after having none for so long.

[zorayda]

Eeve nodded in agreement with Nyeusi's words. "Yeah, I think we'll survive better if we stick together, too," she said to the two of them. Kobi grinned, happy to have some kind of company.

"Great! I guess since we're all fed and everything, we should find some kind of water hole..."

Eeve perked up at this, remembering her promise to the black panther earlier. "Oh, I know where one is. Follow me," she said, and took off at a steady trot.

----

Taraji yawned when daylight peered into her face, the temperature of the sunshine making the lands more bearable. She noted Tabasamu, standing and looking a bit more alive than last night.

"Hi," she said shyly after stretching a bit. "Did you... want to hunt yet?" She asked quietly, flicking her bushy tail.

[SnowyCheetah]

Nyeusi perked up at the sound of the words "water hole" as well, not only having grown thirsty after the meal but also remembering Eeve's promise to lead them to a water hole. "How far is it?" the panther inquired, curious about how close water was to an area where food sometimes turned up.

----

Tabasamu had laid down a short distance away. Getting up once again as Taraji did, she answered, "Now is as good a time as any, I think." she said. Looking around, she saw a tiny movement on the horizon. "This way!" she said, beginning to trot quickly in that direction. "If we get there in time, there might be a scent trail we can follow."