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[A plant person with a graceful but purposeful gait, determination in the set of his shoulders, is walking along the street, with a leashed cat in his arms.

No -- not a cat. It's too big to be a cat. That's a baby lion. The lion's yawning contentedly with a tiny little squeak, pressing one paw to the nymph's be-leafed shoulder, and the nymph -- dressed in black and steel from head to sandalled toe, studs and spikes like artificial thorns, warnings against casual conversation and the fashion police, striking a sharp contrast against his soft petal-hair, his Venus flytrap eyelashes, his glittery sundew toes -- is murmuring to him, chastising.]

Someday, I won't carry you all the way back when you get tired, you know. You need your exercise, and not just the kind that's digging your food out of your puzzle box!

[But the little lion catches the scent of the big one, walking down the street in front of them. The fur fluffs up on his head and back, spooked: Tybolt's not certain if this is a friend or an enemy, and he doesn't smell exactly like lion, but neither had the other manticore Tybolt encountered behind his dad's back, and that guy had been OK. He's not sure what to think!

"rrRRRrraH??" the baby lion asks, squeakily. Who are you? What do you want? Are you friendly?

Meanwhile, Atem spots the urban megafauna, far from its natural habitat, and guesses it is probably a monster...odds are about a thousand to one that that's somebody's travel form.

But there is that one out of 9,999.]

Good morning!

[he calls, down the street, to the pacing animal. Is that a tiger? It looks mostly like a tiger, but not quite right...

If it doesn't answer, well, Atem can worry about dealing with a wild animal then.]

[The sound of a much smaller lion calling to him was certainly not what Adrian was expecting to hear across the street, but boy. BOY.

It sure sets off his instincts in a bizarre way, pretty much immediately.

Though he can't quite understand what's being said- it's almost there, like someone's whispering but he can't quite make out the words- just the little cry alone is enough to make his tail lash, his head lifting up as he stares straight ahead until he spots the source: a Nymph carrying a lion cub in their arms. The Nymph...had called to him too, didn't they?

He shakes his head briskly as if to reorganize his thoughts, his ears laying back so far they almost disappear into his mane.]

...there's no way somebody's travel form is a baby.

[Oh. He thinks it's....]

What--?!

No--

[The speed of Atem's cognition, at least, hasn't been affected by his temporary change. He's still quick on the uptake, and he realizes that baby isn't a reference to his height or his Venus flytrap eyelashes, but to Tybolt.]

No, he's not a monster. He's a real lion!

[A real lion. He knew monsters were strong, and some are in fact a little nuts, but he didn't think any of them were confident enough in their own abilities to just be carrying wild animals around. And not even considering that, like...

Adrian makes a face, which for this form looks a lot like he's tasted something bad.]

A real lion. A wild one. On a peninsula. That you're holdin', for some reason.

Well..."wild" is debatable.

This guy...a monster who isn't here anymore got him from Mana two Decembers ago. Because he's from Mana, he hasn't grown past this size. But it's still dangerous for him to be around other cats and dogs...so, instead of living in a back room at the animal shelter, Tybolt lives with me!

[Which is why there's a real lion on a Scandinavian peninsula.]

[Man, Mana will just give people anything, won't they? Also don't look now, Atem, but Adrian's getting closer...his whiskers twitching as he sniffs the air near Tybolt. He doesn't even seem to fully realize what he's doing, the curious cat part of him starting to take over.]

So you keep him as like...a pet?

[Just how "lion" is this guy? Warning bells are going off in Atem's head: does Tybolt read to this liger as person, not animal?

Atem can understand...he feels similarly about trees, now. But he won't be dishonest in order to protect himself: all OOC jokes aside about Atem's mane of hair and custody in the divorce, Tybolt's a pet.]

I guess so. For a long time, I thought I was looking after him until someone better suited to it came along...but, recently, I realized that he was an important part of the home I made.

[Tybolt makes another squeaky roar, and reaches out with a paw. He's been taught to keep his claws in around other monsters, so even if Adrian gets close enough to have his nose bapped, it won't hurt. Tybolt smells like happy lion, like fresh meat and the grass he's walked through. He's put on enough weight to be healthy for his age, and his eyes are bright and engaged. This guy hasn't been left alone to be depressed; work's been put into habitat enrichment.]

Though I do board him at the shelter each month, starting on the 13th. If the fog-trouble isn't bad, I'll get him back, but if I'm not able to take care of him, then he's safer at Poundmates until the fog clears.

[Atem is right to be concerned, especially when Tybolt reaches out a paw and just...manages to bap Adrian right on the snout with it. It doesn't hurt at all, not even a tiny bit, but it does surprise him and cause him to lean back a little. He snorts. His ears lay back against his mane for a moment.

...then he settles, looking less agitated and about as resigned as an animal face can be.]

...well you should be more careful. Ain't everybody gonna know what to think about a lion walkin' the streets.

[He knows he's one to talk, the irony is not lost on him, but at least he can speak. Tybolt, meanwhile, can't.

He thinks.]

[Atem fusses at Tybolt a moment, for that no-thoughts-head-empty bap: Adrian will hear something about manners, be good, and Tybolt will be held more closely to Atem's chest.]

Don't worry! He doesn't go out alone. Either Ryou or I always go with him...we'll keep him safe.

[If Atem's going to be Tybolt's keeper, long-term, instead of this being a fostering situation...then, he has to take the best care of Tybolt that he can. No one will get the wrong idea, or hurt him, or try to take him away. If they did...they'd be plant food.]

[Adrian isn't about to comment on someone keeping a baby lion as a pet, not when the people themselves can be lions, tigers, bears, and everything inbetween. The lines may as well not even exist anymore, and honestly...he doubts there's any proper life he could have on the peninsula in the "wild". The environment just isn't suited for it, not with the types of predators he'd be not only competing with, but trying to avoid just for his own safety.]

What 'bout when he gets older, hah? You know he ain't gonna be tiny forever.

If he does...we'll find a bigger place to live, where he can run around. But, because he's from Mana, he might not...

[Tybolt lets out a big yawn, with a tiny squeak at the end. He walked a long way today! (it wasn't that long, he's just a lazy boy lion) and he's tired! If they're not walking, he's going to nap! He pushes himself up so that his head and front paws can rest on Atem's shoulder, and settles in to sleep.]

Tybolt's already been here for a year and a half, and he hasn't grown past this size. He may well stay this way forever! But, if he doesn't, then...I'll take responsibility for giving him a good life, for as long as I'm here to take care of him.

[He adjusts his arms to hold the baby lion more comfortably.]

Unless -- do you have any ideas for his care, Mr. Lion? I've consulted the people I know who know the most about animals, but you might have a different perspective...

Edited 2022-08-21 20:35 (UTC)

...Uhh.

[Shit. Maybe he should have kept his big mouth shut. He huffs, which causes a small stream of smoke to exhale from his nostrils that Atem might notice.

Weird.]

Nah, I...I ain't seen a lion in person before. Not until I came here. Just cause I am one don't mean I'm suddenly an expert.

[He's a Manticore, but also still learning the ins-and-outs of being one. It's...taking a lot of getting used to, unsurprisingly, and is leaps and bounds away from being an insect.]

And the name's Adrian.

[Pleeeease never call him Mr. he might die]

Mine's Atem! It's nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll see each other around...the monster community isn't that big! And we tend to wind up thrown together during the mid-month fogs anyway...

[He does notice the smoke. Is that a usual manticore ability....?]

[Good question! Only one way to find out...]

...Atem. Nanami mentioned you. She said she talked to your flowers, or somethin'.

[Makes more sense now that he sees this guy is a nymph.]

That's right, she did!

[He seems to brighten; even his flower-petals seem a little more vibrant, a little more interested. If Nanami's friends with this guy, then he's probably okay...]

You know Nanami?

[The lion nods- as best he can in this form anyway- his tail sweeping the sidewalk with his stinger occasionally clicking against its surface.]

Yeah. Hell if I know why she's stuck 'round me this long, but I know her.

She's a kind person...it's easy to be friends with her, no matter who you are!

[Even if you've done terrible things...she'll try to understand, and to be there for you anyway.]

But, if you're nice to her, then you can't be that bad, Mr. Adrian.

[Adrian curls his lip at that, which ends up looking sortof funny since he has a lion face. It mostly looks like he has to sneeze.]

You'd be surprised.

[Look at him he's a big scary mean lion >| he's totally bad, the worst ever etc]

She kinda just found me the moment I crawled outta that sinkhole. Didn't seem bothered by me at all, bein' a complete stranger n'shit.

She's hard to scare. Or, maybe it's that a lot of things that usually scare people don't scare her, because she thinks they're interesting...

...and, she seems to really like everyone she meets.

Yeah...you ain't wrong.

[Nanami is someone that Adrian genuinely doesn't want this place to ruin. She doesn't deserve it...especially not compared to some of the others living here, like himself.]

I just hope nothin' happens to change that, yaknow.

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big cat time big cat time BIG CAT TIME

BIG! CAT!

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, PLAYER1. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 10.11.0.0.01 * PLAYER1 has joined 10.11.0.0.01 <PLAYER1>** If you're looking for someone you knew as Yugi before June, you've found him! It's Atem, leave a message.