Feed The World [Pic/Open]

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[atrb=background,http://i45.tinypic.com/xn9gs3.jpg] For as far as his eyes could see before him was a blanket of solid white. The winter had been particularly unforgiving in Hexasol this year, with freezing temperatures and the constant heavy snowfall. His paws disappeared deep into the snow as he walked, his hunt for food taking him deeper into the outlands and away from the safety of the city. He often wondered how other's survived out of the safety of the city and away from a clan. While it offered little in the way of food, apart from rats and other small animals, the tall buildings and their furnishing did offer some protection from the elements. His thoughts wandered to the smaller cats and dogs, who would disappear beneath the deep snow when they ventured out. And for the sake of his tribe members who couldn't take the chance of leaving the tribe lands when the weather was miserable like this, he went out searching for food. The energy to hunt in the blistering cold temperatures and trying to run in the thick snow would be too much, but thankfully the old tiger knew where to look. The barren lands were little more than dust and skeletons of trees at the best of times and the heaps of snow made it difficult to locate his prize. Tyranus dipped his head to the ground, his pink nose sniffing the top of the snowdrifts, all the time weary and aware of the dark shadows that lingered on the horizon. The hyena's weren't stupid enough to attack an 800 pound tiger, but you could never be too careful, especially when you were stealing one of their dinners after all. Tyranus' massive paws made light work of shoveling the snow, which turned to dirt and sand as he dug. Thrusting his head into the hole he made, with some hefty tug, he pulled the buried deer carcass from the ground. The freezing cold temperatures preserved it well. The pack of hyena's yipped and whined in the background, distraught at watching the tiger take their dinner. He ignored their plight, aware there were several more graves in this patch alone. The hyena would not go hungry. Pulling his prey out fully, he dropped it in the snow, laying himself down beside it. There would be plenty of food left for the dwindling numbers of their tribe, and considering he had to drag it all the way home, a quick snack would not be frowned upon. The meat was cold and almost frozen, only saved by the earth that was packed on top of it. Large fangs plunged into the open neck wound, tearing the meat from its throat, which he swallowed with a contented purr.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] "Speech" Denim stumbled blindly through the thick snow. The weather was bitterly cold and didn't appear to be getting any better. Denim had heard whispers that this had been the worst winter in years. Huffing out a misty breath, the young lion continued on his journey. He had passed several scavengers, all looking for one thing: food. It had become terrifyingly scarce in the past few weeks, and with the continuing plummeting temperatures, it was only going to get worse. Prey had all but disappeared; either hibernating or their dead bodies were hidden beneath the snow. Shivering violently from the cold, Denim hoped he wouldn't become another one of those bodies. He had already seen many die this winter, from both the cold and the plague. He was worried, yes. Ever since word of the disease had got out, Denim had been careful not to venture much into the centre of the city. He, Iri and Take stayed in the country, as far away as possible from civilisation. He was scared. The plague had already taken more lives. Every meal he, Iri or Take had, he was worried the meat was infected with the bug. He was worried that any stranger they passed on their travels was a carrier, that their disease was currently dormant. He couldn't lose either of them. He didn't know what he'd do if either of them contracted the disease and became sick. Would it be wise to stay with them and look after them, despite the fact he would probably get the virus as well? Shaking the thoughts away, Denim scoured the ivory horizon. A blanket of snow shrouded the ground. He saw nothing but predators, and even they were few and far between. Looking over his shoulder, Denim was surprised to see he had ventured further than he had anticipated. He was in Hyena territory now. Hyenas could bring down a lion. They worked together. Their teeth were vicious and sharp, and they wouldn't relent until they brought their prey down. Glancing around warily, Denim continued. They also had many food stores. The faint scent of prey caught Denim by surprise. Stopping, he peered down at the snow. Many of the bodies were now buried under the snow. It would take some time before they would thaw out. Denim wondered whether he had enough energy to get a frozen corpse out of the snow and drag it back to his strange little family. They were miles away now, safe and warm in some makeshift den. Shivering, Denim longed to be with them. His body wasn't built for such cold climates. He wanted summer. The scent of a tiger made Denim look to his left. Nearby, the large feline was digging into the snow with his large front paws. Watching curiously, Denim saw him pull the deer carcass from the ground and begin to eat. He glanced warily into the distance, where he saw a few dotted hyenas, desperately wanting to get closer and take their prey back from the tiger. They all seemed too afraid to attack. Chuckling under his breath, Denim shook his head. They were probably weak from the cold winter and wouldn't be able to bring the tiger down. In summer it was probably a different story. A gust of bitter wind made Denim snap out of his thoughts. He looked away from the tiger and continued his own search for food. He couldn't wait to get back into the warmth. The tiger was lucky; he was built for cold climates.

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[ROBYNASAURUS]

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[atrb=background,http://i45.tinypic.com/xn9gs3.jpg] Tyranus continued to tear at the throat of the deer, savoring each morsel that he devoured. When every meal in the city could be your last, it makes sense to make the most of it. Long gone were the days when his meals were brought to him every few days. Now he had to work for it. Sometimes, he missed his old life: a good home, regular food, near enough his every whim taken care of, his family. Mind wandered to his family. His mother and father, were most likely deceased, giving his own age, though he held a hope that they were out in the wilderness somewhere, just the two of them and a nice cosy den. He had not heard any news of his brother, had not seen him since the day he was quarantined. Maybe someday soon he'd make an effort to find the white tiger, when everything here had settled down. But now was not the time to leave his tribe. A new scent in the air caught his attention, dragging him back to reality from his musings. A lion, hm? He caught sight of Denim over the top of his meal. The tiger eyed him wearily. It seemed as though nearly every lion in this city was related to the infamous Florence in some way and it was hard to tell who you could trust. Tyranus had known Streiter. The personal life of their tribe leader was none of his business, but he had worried in silence that their 'relationship' could spell trouble for the tribe. God rest his soul. This one was young, he could only assume an offspring of one Florence's family. And while Ty had no dealings with the vicious lioness personally, he'd seen enough of what she had caused, enough to watch the young male with some cause for concern. When Demin chose to continue on, Tyranus was less concerned for his safety. He devoured another strip of meat, eyeing him with a slight intrigue. Naturally, the hunt for food was on every creature's mind and he watched Denim shuffle through the snow, only his shaggy mane to offer little protection from the element. It was the least he could do, he supposed. He wasn't going to let the lion starve. The tiger raised himself into a sitting position, lifting himself up on his front two legs while the rest of him splayed out. He tossed his head back with a loud grunt, motioning for the lion to join him. "Come on, there's no point in you starving before you freeze. The faster you eat, the faster you can go home".

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] Denim hadn't ventured far away from the tiger before a rumbling voice made the lion turn on his heel. Stunned, Denim gazed down at the frozen carcass, then back at the striped feline. He couldn't fathom why a feline would be offering a meal to him. Most individuals around here lived to survive. They showed no kindness to strangers. It was survival of the fittest, after all. He looked around, and saw the hyenas had moved away from the two big cats, knowing they wouldn't get their kill back. Frowning, Denim stumbled towards the orange and black tiger. Snow was like swimming through tar. His movements were sluggish as his paws trying to gain height above the fresh snow. He finally managed to approach the tiger. Cocking his head, Denim looked down at the slowly thawing deer. He couldn't eat now, when Iri and Take were back at the cave, cold and hungry. "This is your meal," Denim said, confused, "I know too well that a large cat like yourself could consume this sized prey within a day or two." He shook his head, looking at the well-preserved body. He couldn't eat. He had to find something that he could share with his friend and pup. Meeting the tiger's gaze, Denim finally breathed in his scent. Lexis. No wonder he was showing compassion and kindness. However, how had the tiger not been wary of Denim? He was a prowling lion who could have easily been part of the Iris Pride. Denim noted that he was, however, smaller than the tiger, and would probably lose in a fight with him. Especially due to the fact that Denim had no idea how to fight, other than the basics. Perhaps the tiger had smelled no Iris scent on him and had decided to show compassion to the hungry lion. Shivering from the cold, Denim gazed out to the horizon. Somewhere over there was Hexasol, but it was completely shrouded by snow and mist. It would be several hours before he'd make it back to Iri and Take. God, he was tired. He had barely enough energy to continue searching for food, let alone head back. Blearily blinking back down at the deer, Denim decided to finally accept the kind offer. He sank his teeth into the cold flesh. It was too frozen to get a decent grip, but he managed to pull off a small, thawed chunk. Chewing on the meat, the lion groaned in appreciation. Once he had swallowed the meat, he bowed his head to the tiger, "Thank you, but I am also hunting for my family. Unfortunately all three of us would get through a carcass like this in seconds." He chuckled, but there was little humour in his laugh. A violent shiver racked his body as he sat down in the cold snow. He had to rest before he began to take the long walk back into the city. He watching the hyenas from afar, chasing and yapping at each other. He wondered whether they had the same kind of politics that Hexasol had. Did they have wars like canines and felines do? Were they as intelligent as them? Denim wouldn't dare go near a hyena. He had heard they are vicious to those who aren't their own kind. They are motivated by food and often scavenge the poor souls that die out here. He couldn't believe he had ventured out so far. "You haven't been in close contact with the diseased, have you?" Denim suddenly asked, fear consuming his stomach, "I don't want me or my family contracting the plague." He decided not to think of the terrible consequences if Iri or Take were to die.

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[ROBYNASAURUS]

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[atrb=background,http://i45.tinypic.com/xn9gs3.jpg] "I could, but this meal is not solely for me. I've had enough to keep myself going for a little while longer" Tyranus replied, motioning for the weary lion to eat, uneasy at his reluctance. He had offered the olive branch to the lion and his delay worried the tiger. The last thing he needed was for the feline to steal his dinner, he was much too tired for a full blown fight. He settled again when Denim tore a small chunk of the deer for himself. "You're much too young to remember, in fact I doubt you've even seen a human, correct?" Tyranus questioned, cocking his head at the lion, but with no real desire to wait for an answer. "Around this time of year, when it gets cold and snowy, they humans used to have this thing called 'Christ-mas'", explaining the phenomenon as best he could, being a tiger and all. There is only so much you can begin to understand from life in a zoo. "They'd all meet up, exchange gifts and eat. They'd singing silly songs about feeding the world. Letting them know it was Christ-mas time. Though it seemed that they all knew it was Christ-mas so the song seemed rather null and void". It had dawned on the tiger that the young lion had no idea what he was trying to explaining and he pulled back from the anecdote. "My point, is this is a time for sharing, so have some more." "Hunting for your family, eh?", he asked, raising an eyebrow in question. "Surely a small group of lions would have little difficulty in bring down prey, even with the season". Surely a pride of lions, especially if they were the offspring of any of the older lions he'd known from Hexasol, would have surely been taught to hunt and fight from as soon as they could walk. "Settle down boy, you'll rile the dogs" Tyranus growled lowly at Denim's sudden panic. "Don't worry. It's been frozen. Beside's the deer has been a while dead, there's no plague you'll have to worry about here. Can't you taste that?". The lack of knowledge that Denim seemed to show surprised the tiger. He should be able to judge the meat. There was benefit in knowing how long something had been dead or how it had been stored. Eating the wrong piece of meat could have serious consequences for a cat in the wild.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] Denim's ears pricked up when the tiger mentioned humans. The only humans Denim had ever seen were the ones in photographs and portraits that were littered around the thousands of homes in Hexasol. Denim had been amazed that they had been able to capture a moment in time in a device called a 'camera'. Memories faded with him. Even now, he couldn't really remember what his mother or younger brother Orbit had looked like. He'd probably recognise them if they were there, but it was too difficult to form a memory. He understood why humans had created cameras to take photos. It had been ingenious and Denim knew that lions or any other animal wouldn't be able to create such a contraption. They didn't have the skills that humans had. However, although humans were clever, they were also cruel. He had seen Hexasol Zoo - the tiny cages that large beasts had had to roam in. What was the appeal of staring at animals through glass and bars? As the tiger explained something named 'Christmas', Denim frowned. He had never heard of such a festivity. It sounded like a happy time. Everyday in Hexasol was the same as the one before. There were no celebrations of birthdays, anniversaries or 'Christmas'. Denim listened with intent, before realising this tiger must have seen a human before! The older canines and felines were slowly dying off, meaning less and less animals had ever seen a human. Curiosity was too much for Denim. He rarely met with an animal that had been alive in the reign of humans. "It sounded like a good time of year for humans," Denim replied wistfully, "Does that mean you have seen humans? What were they like?" Denim asked quickly, eyes glittering with curiosity. He leaned down and bit off another chunk of the meat, chewing slowly. Chuckling, Denim shook his head as the tiger mentioned a group of lions, "My family isn't a conventional one. There is only three of us, and one is only a young puppy. Far too young to hunt." Denim admitted, wondering what the large tiger would think of a lion bringing up a puppy. He watched the tiger's expression, before the tiger suddenly growled at him to settle down. Denim narrowed his eyes at the tiger who was now treating him like a child. "Yes, I can taste the meat is clean, but the plague is airborne now. The plague can stay dormant for up to a week without being detected. I was just being cautious." He defended, voice quietening with every word he spoke. He looked down, feeling a little embarrassed, before leaning down to devour in more of the tender deer.

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