Nocturnal

Nocturnal prowled through the wild land of Eskers. She was relatively new to these lands, so the terrain of these lands were like walking into the unknown for her. She left her mother and siblings a couple of months ago, going their separate ways as she and her siblings reached adulthood. She missed them, sometimes, but it was for the best.

The female's claws dug into the rocky terrain, her black claws gently tapping against the rocky ground. Her footsteps were soft and she held herself elegantly, looking for food was today was her top priority. Perhaps she could snag large game, it would be risky, but a large meal is what she needed. Then, perhaps, she could laze around for a couple of days.

Her neck lowered as she sniffed for prey, her keen eyesight searching the land. Perhaps a goat or a deer was around here somewhere. Both would equally do.

Summer Storm & -Coyotes-

A swirl of three distinct scents would greet Nocturnal's searching nose. A feline, multiple canines, and fresh blood.

The delectable aroma of blood came from the carcass of a bison calf that had recently been slain. The youngster's misfortune of getting separated from his mother had been a boon to a pack of coyotes that had managed to take it down. The rag-tag bunch, a pair of adults and three youngsters, were currently tearing into the flesh no more than two hundred yards from where Nocturnal prowled. None of them seemed aware of the midnight cat.

Neither did the other feline that was stalking the loamy landscape. A much larger feline of questionable pedigree, but whom looked more or less like an African lion, was stalking towards the coyotes from an adjacent slope. The auburn brute was a little on the thin side, with a pitiful mohawk of blond hair cresting along his neck, but his build spoke of power... if only he could keep himself fed and actually fill out his muscles.

At the moment, Summer was moving swiftly towards the coyotes, his murderous intention clear...

Nocturnal

The scent of multiple canines, blood, and another feline piped Nocturnal's interest. Her stomach gave a painful squeeze as the hunger pangs become rather unbearable and towards the scent of blood and canines she went. The other feline would have to wait.

Dark paws treaded on rocky terrain as she walked towards the delectable scent of blood, as she got closer roward the scent. She made out a five canines around a carcass that they were tearing into. That would do. The midnight feline was too hungry to pass up a free meal.

Her head lowered as she got closer, her snout wrinking up as her lips peeled back to reveal sharp canines and white teeth.

Summer Storm & -Coyotes-

The quiet, excited yipping and whining from the coyote family came to an abrupt end when not one but two large felines crashed their dinner party. The father of the group was first to spot Summer and alerted his family with a sharp, ringing bark before puffing out his tawny coat and baring his fangs.

One of the youngsters, wheeling around from where she was feeding on the kill, was the first to notice the black death that was also approaching their meal. She watched in horror as the feline's lips curled back, revealing sharp, glistening ivories. The young coyote bared her own teeth, but fear was abundant in her wide eyes as she inched backwards...

It was only now that Summer became aware of Nocturnal's presence. Amber-hued eyes flashed briefly to the female, carrying a look of amusement. It was the only acknowledgement she got, at least in this moment, before he suddenly burst forward and rushed full-tilt at the coyote family. The father barked again before leaping away, warning his family to do the same. The five attempted to scatter, but Summer snagged one of the younger males with a vicious paw swipe, and made quick work of the struggling creature with a bite to the neck...

Nocturnal

Nocturnal crouched before pouncing after the young female coyote, her right paw swiped at the hip of the canine. The sharp claws of the pantheress tore through the hip of the adolescent. The young female coyote yowled in pain while limping away, adrenaline coursing through the poor creatures veins as it ran away in fear from the large cat. Untimely, Nocturnal let it escape as she was more interested in eating the carcass of their kill. She turned to the Carcass, the male feline had killed one of the coyote pups. Would he share? Or would they fight over the rights to a meal? He was a strange feline as well, he looked nothing like her. While her pelt was dark, his pelt was light.

"Hmm," she eyes the coyote pup's carcass. "I almost feel bad for the poor thing." But, it was in the way of her dinner. So, it had to go.

Summer Storm & -Coyotes-

While he was releasing his hold on the slain young male, Summer's eyes followed Nocturnal's movements with idle curiosity. She'd targeted a youngling too, but one that was a little quicker than his own, and the female was lucky to escape with her life and a future scar to remind her of this fateful day. The black leopardess then turned her focus on him, and a comment to the slain teen at his paws.

"It's one less mouth to scavenge our food." Summer responded with a wry snort, showing his disdain for the canine species. There was no hesitation as he then approached the kill, stalking forward with the confidence of one who knew he wouldn't be challenged for doing so. Placing a large paw upon the calf's haunch, he used this as leverage to then tear into the meaty bits of the carcass, pulling off large, bite-sized chunks to devour. His gaze would shift between his meal and Nocturnal, giving her no real signals of aggression or invitation - the young male wouldn't admit it, but he was starving, and he was going to fill his belly before engaging with this curiously colored fae.

Nocturnal

The 'our food' did not escape Nocturnal's notice. She watched him eat for a moment before she itched closer towards the calf carcass. She wouldn't mind sharing, there was enough for both, but she was a little wary of getting too close to the male while he ate.

"Well, then. You wouldn't mind sharing our food..." She lifted a paw and placed it on a meaty part of the carcass, trying to stay as far from the male a she could. She watched him for a moment before dipping her head, her mouth opening a she tore into the bloody meat.

Summer Storm

The impulse to growl and rush at the female crossed his mind, but it was an impulse he easily ignored. There was enough meat on this carcass for them both, and after being on his own for so long, Summer had to admit that he sort of missed the hubbub and companionship of the pride he left behind. Besides, the female was being cautious and not crowding into his space or demanding a bite - had she done those things, that might have gotten her a swipe from Summer Storm.

"There's enough for us both." He agree after swallowing the latest bite of meat, and made no move to chase her off as she carefully tucked into the opposite end of the calf. He also spoke no more; this was Summer's first encounter with a female that was not related to him, and he simply did not know how to handle this situation. Unless Nocturnal struck up a conversation with him, Summer was content to stuff his belly and move on, and let his mind mull over this chance encounter.

Nocturnal

The darker coated female enjoyed her meal, she ate it fast to cull the pangs coming from her stomach. Nocturnal was so heavyily absorbed into eating the hip that, she momentarily forgot that the male feline was even there to begin with, until she slowed down. There was nothing but small bits of meat stuck to the bone, hip to ankle.

She glanced over at the male, licking blood from her lips, and then tore out a chunk of meat from the remaining hip. She continued to gorge herself on the carcass, solely for the fact that she didn't know when her next meal will be. Hunting is rather troublesome, afterall.

Finally full, she lifted her head and sat lazily beside the carcass and just stared at the male. He looked so different from her mother and her siblings, even with nocturnal being a darker colouration than her brother and sister. This male seemed even paler than them, bigger than her brother once he was fully grown, and had a strange mane that she hadn't seen before.

"Not to give offense, but what are you exactly?"

Summer Storm

Summer Storm shoveled more food into his belly, expanding his sides and filling the emptiness that had been gnawing at him for the past many days. As this hunger was slowly satiated, the liger began to take greater notice of the she-cat he'd allowed to share in his meal, watching her tear chunks of flesh away from the calf until she too had eaten her fill and finally retired to the side of the diminished calf.

A reddened tongue curled a few times around his upper muzzle, but it did little to wash away the blood that had settled into his coat, and Summer wasn't terribly invested in that now, anyway. The auburn feline had moved a few paces away from the carcass, now eying Nocturnal with more curiosity than before. His short ears perked at the sound of her voice, and a soft snort escaped him as he answered her back, "What am I?" He almost sounded incredulous at the question, but when a lengthy pause followed this, Summer realized he didn't exactly have the answer for her. He'd never met his father, who was responsible for the leopard blood he carried, and had never encountered a full-blooded tiger to know how vastly different one was to his mix-blood heritage.

"..I'm a lion." He eventually offered, sounding as confident and certain as he could, "Some in our pride just tend to have stripes and spots." The big male remained standing, rather than sitting down, "What about yourself? Your coat is darker than any I've seen."

Nocturnal

Nocturnal's coat was much darker than her siblings and mother, whom all had an orange to yellow colouration. While she had a much darker flank that was primarily blacks with browns throughout her spots – from what she could see from her rippled reflection in the water.

"A lion, hmm... are you sure that's all you are?" She had never seen a lion before, but she knew they had a much larger mane than he did... so she took his word for it, kind of. And continued staring at him with a thoughtful gaze.

Eventually, she spoke. "Well, I am a Jaguar." She offered. "We normally don't look like this." They also don't live in prides either, but kept that part to herself. If he knew what a Jaguar is, then he'd know that.

Summer Storm

His tail gave a light switch from one side to the other, highlighting a small prickle of irritation when she questioned his knowledge. Oh, she was on the right track, and Summer knew it too, but the brazen young liger didn't want to appear daft in front of this striking new fae.

"Of course I am." He titled his head up a notch, trying to strike a more regal pose that showed off a rather sparse, yellow-blonde mane that would never fill in to the impressive mantle of a pure-blooded lion. Still, it did appear striking against a coat of deep auburn, and the confidence he carried it with more than made up for its patchy appearance.

At least, he hoped so.

",B>Jaguar?" Summer tried the word out, "My grandma told me about your kind, when I was younger. She also told me you're one of the spotted folk, like the leopards and... cheetos?" He clearly hadn't paid close attention to all of her stories, at least where names were concerned. The spots though, he'd remembered that part. With a wrinkle of slight disbelief to twist his face, Summer questioned her in turn, "You sure you're a jaguar?"

Nocturnal

Nocturnal didn't miss the irritated twitch of his tail, she tried not to laugh at that, but failed as she huffed out a short laugh. "Oh, my bad, of course you are." She gave a subtle nod of her head.

He was amusing.

"I am," she'd grin if she was human. "I'm very good at camouflage... albeit, mostly when it is dark. We look similar to leopards, different spots. And it's cheetahs, I'm sure." Her mother told her stories about leopards, how similar they looked, and Jaguars are larger. "I like your mane, you're very fluffy around the neck." Compared to her, which there was nothing to compare to in regards to a mane, she found it quite... handsome. "Very charming."

Summer Storm

The not-so-discreet huff of a laugh from Nocturnal earned the slightest narrowing of Summer's eyes as he tried to figure out if she were mocking him or not. Part of him wanted to puff up a little more, perhaps mock charge this stranger and incited a little fearful respect in her. Show off his strength and ferocity, and burn off a bit of that pent up anger he still held against Layra. Thankfully, though, something about the midnight-coated female held him back. Perhaps it was her striking looks, or perhaps it was just a bit of maturity starting to take hold in the young liger, but either way, Summer Storm held his composure and heard her out.

"More of a night hunter, are you?" He commented, turning his focus away from his own slighted pride and to the faint spotting he'd noticed against her deeply colored fur. Her skull, too, looked particularly powerful. In fact, the more he observed of this she-cat, the more fascinated became in her. She was so different from the females in his pride.

-I like your mane.-

Whatever indignation he might have felt earlier was immediately dismissed by this compliment, "You like it?" He tilted his head a bit, tickled by her words. "You're not half bad yourself; you look.. sleek." 'Sleek? The hell kind of compliment was that? Oh well.' He took a step to the side, turning his body so it angled slightly away from Nocturnal. As much as he was admiring her looks - and enjoying her compliments - Summer Storm was not eager to get social with another feline just yet, after having separated under less than friendly terms with his own pride. "Might I be seeing you around?"