x - Another Beginning [ o p e n ]

[xx Zythen]

Zythen was content.

With the sun glowing on his strong shoulders, he looked down at the limp gazelle at his feet. Cerulean eyes shining with subtle pride, the mikashi grinned, not caring if anyone was around to see his childish expression of joy, as he flexed his claws in the warmth. His muscles were lean and hard, and his golden pelt glowed under the savanna sunlight. The three year old mikashi had survived another year, and while the dry season hadn't been easy with the migration of prey and drying of water sources, Zythen had made it out on top.

The dry season had ended now, and with the commencement of the wet season, an onslaught of prey had been brought. The gazelle, Zythen's newly fallen prey, was ample proof of the abundance of food and the arrival of good times. It was young to be sure, probably inexperienced as it had fallen without too much of a chase. However, it was supple and strong -- enough to keep the mikashi going full until he next chose to hunt.

Zy stretched luxuriously, arching his neck with his eyes closed to the soft zephyrs tossing his long, already windswept fur. A low purr rumbled from his throat, but the mikashi quickly subdued this, feeling his cheeks warm as he glanced around. No gazelle would ever fear him again if they heard him purr of all things.

Caressing his maw with his tongue, the blue-eyed mikashi sank into the tall, golden grass. The warm scent of his prey tickled his nostrils, and Zythen smirked to himself with pleasure. Hiding in the thickets by the lake, he settled down to eat and enjoy the weather. After all, even the Eden of the wet season didn't last forever, and he was determined to enjoy it while it did.

His fangs sank into the warm flesh of the gazelle, and he savored the taste of fresh meat. Any mikashi worth his salt will tell you that a huge difference existed between the stringy carcasses of the harsher months and the flavors of the wet season, and Zythen knew enough to enjoy this with relish. His lips curled back in a faint grin, and as he tore into his meal, his mind wandered to the whereabouts of the other mikashi.

Being Zythen, he'd taken to wandering about the lands on his own. He was a vagabond by nature, and his buddies had grown used to him disappearing without warning. Perhaps it was why they teased him constantly about never 'getting some' with the females whenever any were around. The mikashi shrugged. He wasn't the type to commit anyway. Still, with survival a dimmer demand on his mind, his thoughts trailed again to the other mikashi he'd hung around a few weeks ago. The wet season, the easier of the two, had relaxed even the most vigilant of hunters, and Zythen was in the mood to play.

[.x.a.n.d.e.r.]

Heavy footfalls sounded, evident of a male putting much force behind it. His frame wasn't that deliciously heavy, but the male was obviously pissed off about something or other. Teeth were out, visible to all those he was visible to.

Pity the creature that got Xander in this way.

Xander wasn't dangerous. Really. He was just horribly easy to set off. Insult him about anything. Anything. Of course, he wasn't always like this. But in recent times, his big brother had been bossing him around and telling him to grow up. But in the impression of other Mikashi, he had to keep a calm demeanor or he was liable to lose all respect from them all together.

A bloody scent caught him off guard and he sauntered towards the source. He perked an eyebrow as he became aware of the two scents that infiltrated his scent glands. Jesus. How had he managed to not be aware of that? One of his own kind and a dead animal; lunch time! As he kept moving forth he noticed the contrast of weather this wet season provided but he just shook his head and trudged on, giving a wary eye to the sky. White puffy clouds were moving across the sky. He hoped it'd rain. He did. Even if it was a bit chillier in this season, he hoped it to storm.

Finally the two forms became visible in his glare. He shrugged his shoulder, noticing a familiar look about the male Mikashi(but of course, why wouldn't he know him since they all lived together). Of course, that was Xander. He felt the mane on his head shifted as the breeze intertwined with it, bringing that relaxation he always loved.

Another little cutesy idea popped into the crafty mind of the rebel Mikashi, and he crouched down low in the grass. And Xander stalked foward, toward Zythen, tail flickering in amusement. He was just about to pouncing on him, had it not been for the meerkat hiding in the grasses. Once his paw had placed pressure on it, it let out its own little cry and bit him hard right on the paw before scampering away, leaving the adolescent to leap up and shout. Off balance, the youngster toppled over, licking the small bite mark with his sand-paper tongue.

So much for a sneak-pounce romp around.

[xx Zythen]

As the wind whistled and sang away, the mikashi allowed himself to sink almost into a stupor of relaxation. It wasn't altogether safe, and he knew this, but the afternoon sunlight was simply just too tempting, and the savanna winds practically a lullaby. Zythen rasped his coarse tongue over the fur of his jaw, cleansing the blood from his muzzle. His eyes narrowed in feline pleasure, and a purr inaudible to anyone but himself rumbled forth.

The half eaten gazelle laid before him, but before the mikashi could return to his meal, a high-pitched squeal and a loud cry of shock interrupted him, causing Zythen to jump half a foot, already spiked hackles called to full attention.

Then, the three year-old gave a snort, half of relief, and rolled his eyes.

Before him sat another mikashi, licking away at an obviously irritated paw. That was Xander alright. Zythen smirked, admiring the way the wind ran through both their manes before straightening his sitting position into what he hoped was more dignified. Not that he cared, but still. It was at least amusing, and finding a laugh was what life was about to his particular mikashi.

"Hey-hey, if it isn't Xan-xan," the mikashi jeered in a sing-song sort of voice. His twin pools of cerulean sparkled playfully as they fell on the younger mikashi. He knew the fit of rage Xander would throw if he felt that anyone was teasing him, but Zythen just couldn't find it in himself to resist. The invitation of Xander's blunder was too tempting for the feline prankster. Cocking his head, Zythen let a roguish grin spread over his maw. "Playing with the meerkats again? Don't tell me you forgot what happened last time already."

A smirk over his face, the mikashi male stretched his forelimbs, showing off in the sunlight and waiting for what he anticipated to be a very entertaining response.

[.x.a.n.d.e.r.]

Coarse, sand-paper tongue continued to work away at the small incisions in his paw, and the very grumpy owner of that tongue scrunched his nose in distaste. He took care to make a note on that little meerkat. He'd get him sometime, later, and teach him a lesson or two for biting his paw. That damned thing should have ran before he was even close enough to step on it. Why the hell was it so close to another Mikashi anyway?

The teasing note flowed easily from Zythen's mouth. And, like always, he booted the meerkat off to the back of his mind. The peevish tone hit Xander all wrong. He grumbled low, raising himself paw up onto all fours, all irritation gone away(as it wasn't that bad of a bite in the first place) and trotted forward, head held low and tail flickering in annoyance. The sun hit his back, warming him for a moment before the second comment weaved its way into his eardrums.

"Damned meerkat didn't see me coming. It's lucky I didn't end its life right then and there, the dumb little tart." Xander hissed lowly. The two-year old snuffed and flopped onto his back, squirming in the dirt before making himself comfortable enough. The sun warmed his slim belly as he basked in it.

And if he hadn't a care and knew he could, Xander would just lay there forever. Then there was the though of bigger predators that could harm him in such a vulnerable position. Rain would be an issue to. That wouldn't be fun, resting and warming in the sun, then getting drenched in a sudden downpour. It was the wet season, after all.

Eyes turned into little slits as they closed, an attempt at relaxing his rambunctious mind. Of course, there was the tempation at stealing a bit of Zythen's meal. That, or the occasional idea of getting up and pouncing on the older Mikashi. But the last idea of pouncing on him led to an embaressing encounter with the little 'Grass Rat', as Xander liked to call them, and he wasn't thrilled about doing anything like that again.

"I don't know what I like better... the dry season since it's warmer, or the wet season since it's not so dry..." Well, didn't that sound intelligent? More like the ramblings of a delusional moron.

[xx Zythen]

His head held leveled with his shoulders, Xander adopted an attitude of disgruntled dignity as he ambled toward Zythen. The older mikashi smirked in amusement, albeit a little disappointed that this was the end of the issue, and Xander chose not to pursue other methods of releasing his frustration. Ah well, perhaps he'd grown up a bit after all.

"It's lucky I didn't end its life right then and there, the dumb little tart."

Zythen laughed, drawing his tongue over his lips again as he gave his coat a light shake. "Yes, because meerkats have always been the most intelligent things on this earth," he agreed sarcastically, lightly teasing as if Xander had only been stating the obvious. "But they are such cute little creatures, Xan-xan. Surely your warm little heart couldn't bear that thought of hurting them!" Eyes sparkling with mirth, the mikashi rolled over onto his side, peering at Xander with his warm gaze.

As Xander's eyes narrowed, Zythen laid back, hiding the ghost of a smirk as the scent of the gazelle between them rose in the savanna air. He wondered if Xander was hungry, and although he had no problem with sharing what he was mostly done with, there was much more amusement in challenging his companion to a spar over the meat.

"I don't know what I like better... the dry season since it's warmer, or the wet season since it's not so dry..."

Interrupted in his thoughts, the mikashi male let out a snort of laughter. There was something vaguely contradictory in the statement, but he was far too lazy to point it out. There went Xander, pointing out the obvious again. A grin washed over his face, Zythen cocked his head and adopted a somewhat philosophical expression. "Oh yes...the wet season's nice but it's just so wet y'know?" Only the light in his eyes could have tipped anyone off that he was mercilessly teasing, but Zythen went on. "There needs to be an "in-between-season" or something. We'd be living it up then."

With a smug grin, Zythen rasped a few brisk licks over his fore paw and brought it over his ear, effortlessly grooming himself with an expression of contentment.

[.x.a.n.d.e.r.]

A grin, despite everything, creased his lips, and he turned his head around to stare curiously at the male. He returned Zythen's teasing words with a snort and the roll of his rich-amber eyes. Zythen was really what made his life fun, if he lived with just the old-fart Mikashi that couldn't tell their tail from a stick-in-the-mud more than likely he'd crumble and jump off a cliff.

That thought seemed funny to him, even though he wasn't the happiest Mikashi ever, he couldn't ever contemplate doing that. Yawning, he swat a paw at Zy, only to miss, content sliding across his muzzle. Though he had already slept a little, he was tired too and sit up and attempt to swat at him agaon, and only then did he answer his earlier statement.

"Tedious, as always. Maybe we should go find a place with an 'in-between-season'."

He yawned and shrugged, his shoulders barely moving. He wanted to sleep again, but he'd sustain the rest of the conversation at least, he didn't want Zythen to think he was that rude and insolent. "You care to share you meal? I haven't eaten in a while. My brother eats everything before I get a chance to get a decent enough nibble."

His tail flicked slowly behind. It, at least, didn't seem to be exhausted by the day's doings. Amber visionaries rolled around the plains. Auds perked up at a snap just ahead, but the owner, a meerkat(probably the same from earlier), streaked past and soothed his worry. He was getting too paranoid, too attentive to everything. He shrugged again, as if contemplating something or other.

He shook his head, to reassure himself. Everything was fine. Everything was rosy.

He always did this; always forced himself to remember that everything was fine. He did it when everything wasn't fine. He always did it. Xander was afraid of something shattering the peace. So paranoid it made him force himself to be naive. So paranoid he'd eventually destroy himself.

[xx Zythen]

As the mikashi laid in the grass, his eyes narrowed into a content expression similar to that of a house-cat about to take a nap.

"Tedious, as always. Maybe we should go find a place with an 'in-between-season'."

Zythen smirked, letting a soft bout of laughter escape past his lips. His blue eyes sparkled under the warming sunlight as his gaze fixed on Xander. "Exactly, good attitude, babe," the older mikashi replied with a roguish grin. Stretching, Zy rolled over onto his stomach, elongating his long limbs as a yawn parted his jaws.

As Xander continued on to ask for the remainder of the gazelle, Zythen nodded nonchalantly. He was far too lazy to actually challenge Xander to the spar as he'd planned to. Ah well, maybe another time. Yet, his eyes grew slightly sharper as the mention of Xander's brother brought a flick of his black-tipped audits.

It wasn't that Zythen didn't particularly like the aforementioned brother, but the mikashi was much different from his sibling, who the laid-back older male found more to his taste. Xander was just so much fun to tease.

Grinning loosely, Zythen reached over and returned the batting gesture, playfully missing inches from Xander's ear.

"Sure, go ahead," he agreed amicably, nudging the meal towards his companion with a mischievous glint in his eye. "As long as you help me look for that paradise of an in between season, eh?"

[.x.a.n.d.e.r.]

Gaze focused on the lean male, blinking slowly as he contemplated the thoughts that were surely going on in his head. Well, Xander figured Zythen was sort of busy thinking of ways to tease him. Key word being 'sort of'. He'd start a little wrestling match had it not been for the size differences between the two. Xander wasn't exactly a muscled hero. Wiry. Zythen was bigger. Probably quicker too.

A playful sat had been taking at him, and the runtish Mikashi almost jumped back, but the swipe missed him. "Good, because I was about to eat it without your permission." Oh-- he was mooching off someone else's kill. And here he was. Well. No time to dwell on it. He was hungry. Very hungry. Despite the fact that he had fed himself on the few little mice he happened to find, he was very, very hungry. Teeth sunk into the herbivore's flesh, and Xander ripped a large portion of meat from the gazelle's frame. And more. And more. He had meat now.

Anyway. After having gorged himself on the prey's innards, he laid on his side to rest his gently swollen belly, eyes blinking, half-open in pleasure. "Paradise..." he muttered, sand-paper tongue licking the blood from his lips. "You do know, a true paradise is impossible to find. There would always be something wrong with it."

There was definitely no tone in the way he said that. He was resisting the urge to take a playful leap at his companion. Talking was so futile. It was way more fun to bash heads in. Well, not really. But seriously. Fooling around and playing a little game of tag would be harmless. Ok, so the last bit wasn't really much of a fantasy but it was realistic.

Finally, a low purr rumbled in his throat, a paw coming up to thwap Zythen on his nose-tip. Crouching down with his chin nearly touching the savannah grounds, rump shaking mischieviously in the chilled, wet-season air, his youthful amber eyes glinted with a sort of childish mischief. And then he flashed away quite a few yards to distance himself from Zythen, resuming the same head-down-butt-up position he was in before, feathered tail-tip waving back and forth as he awaited some sort of a reaction.

[xx Zythen]

Zythen smirked characteristically as Xander made his cocky reply, but as a paw shot towards his nose, his eyes flew wide open as a yelp made its way past his lips.

Less than gracefully, the mikashi dropped to his stomach to avoid the assault, but by the time he rose into a somewhat more dignified position, albeit hair still fly-away and messy, Xander was out of range. The older mikashi took in his playful stance, romp up and tail twitching. Obviously, his friend was in no more of a hungry mood. It was evident that the Xander had forgotten all about any semblance of dignity.

Well, Zythen would have to oblige.

"You runty furball!" he challenged with a cackle before leaping across the savanna, aiming to crash-land atop the smaller feline and pin him into the grass.

Yet, as a call sounded across the plains, Zythen's attention was forced towards the horizon line. That moment of distraction cost him, and before he knew it, he had landed in a crumpled heap next to Xander.

Nothing hurt but his pride, Zythen picked himself up and gave his fur a shake, blowing the mohawk out of his eyes. Still smirking, he playfully shoved his shoulder against Xander and snapped at the air by the younger's ear. "Get off me, furry."

"We've got company."

Nodding towards the approaching form of what he scented to be a female mikashi, he lifted his tale in a wave and let out a similar call of greeting, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

[.x.a.n.d.e.r.]

Xander smiled at Zythen half heartedly (more like smirked); this was the reaction he was hoping for. The new name was thrown out before he began bounding on towards him, and Xander readied himself. “Is that so?”

Xander grinned. He had expected this initial reaction from the male so he had tensed his muscles to prepare himself for a wrestling match, and staring at Zythen to the best of his ability (seeing as he was facing the direction the sun was beating down from) he heard a faint call as well.

Of course, Zythen had fallen and Xander let out a bout of laughter, even as he had given him a shove. “Fine.” Xander snickered, looking in the direction Zythen had pointed. "Nice fall, by the way." The male snaked that comment in in the middle of his friend's call. He snorted and stifled a bit more of his chuckles that so dearly wanted to escape.

Though he had scented a female Mikashi, but the smell was vanishing with the cool. wet-season breeze. His amber eyes stared attentively in the direction of this so-called company. Where had she gone? Sighing in impatience, Xander rolled his shoulders back in boredom. He allowed his frame to drop to the ground to lay on his side.

"Were you imagining things, my dear Zy-zy?"

[xx Zythen]

As Xander's laughter taunted him, Zythen gave a small flicker of his ears before shrugging it off. His gaze fixed on the horizon, he waited a moment before tilting his head in confusion. The scent had gone, and no one was coming their way.

Xander was bored again, and as the older mikashi turned away from the supposed company to look at him, he let out a faint purr of laughter. Passing his blue eyes over Xander's reclined figure, he settled back onto his haunches, tail curled pleasantly around his paws.

"Were you imagining things, my dear Zy-zy?"

A smirk curled the corners of Zythen's lips. He gave a flick of the tip of his long tail and yawned, eyes half-narrowed in contentment.

"Would it please you if I had, Xannikins?"

The playful reply rolled off his tongue easily, and indeed, the mikashi was used to bantering with the younger feline. He extended his forelimbs, stretching them out under the savanna sun with a lazy expression on his face.

"Too bad for you though... whoever it was smelled new... maybe we coulda found someone clueless enough to give you a chance, eh?" The mikashi grinned, dropping down onto his stomach before rolling over onto his back, the soft spikes of his mane scattering over and blending into the thick grass.

[.x.a.n.d.e.r.]

An odd, pensive sensation washed over him. Not intensely; it wasn't like the waves crashing at sea. It was more like a pond on a breezy day, with little ripples flowing across the water's surface, carrying along whatever was there. His emotions were like that now, spilling over him in gentle trickles. Normally he was a very emotional mikashi. That was what made him so energetic, or so deeply angered. When he felt something, he really felt it.

And on this day his calm state was very... odd. Shifting slightly, Xander let out a heavy sigh and turned over on his side, one leg thrown across the grounds. Amber orbs flickered over to Zythen, who was jeering back, the nickname making him wrinkle his snout in distaste. He smiled broadly, a devious look taking over his face. It was just another way to tease him, and that's what the two normally did: they teased one another. To him, Zythen was probably quicker with coming up with clever little nicknames and shooting back a witty response.

'And yet I give him every oppurtunity to get away with it.'

The thought was a bit random, though not entirely. It made him pause before he flicked his ears back, bringing his gaze back to Zythen. His gaze then was turned up, toward the beautiful sky. Perhaps it was that very image that had brought the phrase to mind: him, lying on the ground, him feeling comfortable as he stared at the bright sky. Shafts of light glimmered down, scattered widely over the vastness above him.

Where had that thought come from? It certainly wasn't like he enjoyed being teased all the time. Perhaps it had happened so often it would feel strange to not have someone there to poke fun at him. He'd miss it if it were to disappear. Yeah. That made more sense.

Xander yawned a bit. It obscured his vision a bit, but cleared quickly. He wasn't sure how he felt right then-- or rather, he was feeling so many things it was hard to pick just one. He felt relieved, calm, drained of his usual tension, unusually thoughtful... and not irritated or annoyed in any way.

It was sort of... peaceful.

Ears flickered up at the final tease, and he snorted. "Puh-lease, Zy'. It wouldn't be a clueless one we'd have to search for because any female in her right mind would know it to be unwise to turn down such a... brilliant specimen such as myself." Xander drawled, a cocky little smirk on his smug face. "What we'd need to find is a female who can handle more than an ounce of me." Rolling onto his back, the feline stretched. Then a little thought crossed his mind.

"What about you? Have you an eye on any Mikashi in particular? Or have a stolen your heart." Xander snorted, finding himself laying back on his stomach.

[xx Zythen]

As the golden mikashi watched his companion, he sensed an odd change in the atmosphere. Although it wasn't entirely unpleasant, a faint layer of somberness had washed over the two. Zythen blinked, eyeing Xander curiously as he rested in the tall grass. The gleam, quiet and almost philosophical, was foreign and strange in the depths of Xander's olivine eyes, and the older mikashi looked on as if entranced.

Then, the spell that had washed over him broke as a smile broke over Xander's face to follow up the look of distaste that had previously occupied the mikashi's expression.

They were back to normal, again.

Xander yawned, and Zythen smirked faintly at the sight, amused as the way the younger mikashi's eyes narrowed as his jaws gaped, revealing glittering fangs.

"Puh-lease, Zy'. It wouldn't be a clueless one we'd have to search for because any female in her right mind would know it to be unwise to turn down such a... brilliant specimen such as myself."

Zythen snorted, pushing himself into a sitting position. He gave a lazy flick of his long tail and narrowed one eye at his friend. "Oh yes, a brilliant specimen. But you fail to mention what sort of specimen. You're certainly weird enough." Fangs bared, Zythen grinned across at him, cerulean eyes glinting under the sun.

His ears twitched slightly as Xander went on, and in response, Zy shrugged. A hazily disinterested expression spread over his features before he grinned teasingly. "Oh Xander-baby, you know you're the only one for me," he mocked with a quiet chuckle. "Ah c'mon. Do I look like a one-femaled mikashi?"

[Ikaia]

[xD I hope you don't mind if I barge in. Im a newbie but I made my char's bio.]