So far, Auster had done nothing but impress him. Rolling hills, vast expanses of land, and a myriad of felines that had crossed his path. Humbled by the arrival and settling in nicely, Raumr makes his way to find an early morning snack. The sun rises slowly, warming dewy grass through breaks in the cloudy sky. It was colder here than he expected for the time of year, but he wouldn't let it hold him back. He was somewhere completely different now and would need to become accustomed to their locale.

The stark scent of briny shellfish piques his interest. Fiery amber eyes peeking over a sand dune, hidden expertly behind tall grass. His tail flicks behind him as he examines the pools of water laid out before him. As was his luck, the tide had just rolled out, waves lapping gently at the far end of the cove. Tide pools rose from the depths revealing crabs and other aquatics animals. The question was... did he go for the smaller critters or wait to see if someone else came by that he could snag for a bigger meal ticket?

Raumr Regalus, the Third

table coding by bunni ♥
photo credit unplash.com

Bayode was, admittedly, feeling a bit like a drowned rat. He'd somehow washed ashore only about a day ago and based on how well that had gone he was probably going to have to cross out swimming on his list of skills. Based on his growling stomach it seemed fishing would be along shortly. He'd arrived only a little ways off, and frankly would have chosen not to keep skirting the sea if it weren't for the strong canine smell that told him some sort of group had set up shop there. So instead he was now plodding on the beach, scanning the tide pools as they'd started appearing and trying his damnedest to catch something, anything. All he'd gotten for his trouble so far was splashing himself with more water. The wind was blowing towards him and he caught a somewhat familiar scent. It was both somewhat comforting and very much not. Another feline. Another lion? He wasn't sure... There was something not totally lion about the scent, and he certainly didn't know its owner. And when he finally spotted the form on the horizon Bay had to fight down the urge to take his chances with the dogs. Holy was the stranger ever big. Bayode knew he wasn't exactly a giant amongst lions but he'd never seen one quite that large. Bayode decided he'd rather not risk getting into some sort of territory dispute. Wasn't even sure where he was right now and the last thing he needed was to step on another male's tail. So he started to swing wide. To move around behind the stranger. But maybe he didn't quite go wide enough, curiosity was a strong thing and the closer Bayode got the more curious he felt. Not only was the stranger big as heck he had markings Bayode was not used to seeing... Spots? Sure, he'd seen those before. Cheetahs, leopards, even some adult lions didn't lose them. But this amount of striping? Unfortunately for Bayode his focus was so on the guy he was trying to look at while avoiding him that he missed the obstacle about to give his position away. The stone couldn't have been that big, but it seemed almost perfectly shaped to get right between his paw pads. To his credit Bayode did manage not to vocalize the pain he felt. But he couldn't stop the sound he made when he fit the ground, face first. It was the soft whump of a form hitting sand, and the splash of his head hitting water, landing half in a tide pool. He'd have probably also let out a gasp of some sort if his nose and mouth hadn't been full of salty water. Bayode spluttered, quickly avoiding drowning in a small amount of water but absolutely making a ton of noise in the process.   "Speech"

Base by Reviro

The shift of the wind would take it away from Raumr. Thankful that he didn't have nostrils full of salt, it also meant he didn't scent the other male making a wide berth around him. His focus is too intent on the tide pools in front of him to really notice. Muscles tensed, poised and ready for the right moment to snatch up a good snack. He even takes a moment to lick his lips, paws kneading into the dense sand as his stomach growls quietly.

At last, a few birds land upon a cluster of stones. Their beady eyes watch beneath the surface of a deeper tide pool, clearly interested on something below. With their attention distracted by their next meal, Raumr knew that this would be his chance for a meal. Inching closer, slower and slower, he readies to pounce, revealing his position from the brush when the sound of stones clattering and someone hitting the ground startles the birds.

As they light the air, Raumr still attempts. Rushing forward, he jumps into the air after the birds, but clearly misses the target. A growl rumbles in his chest as he turns to see what had caused the disruption in his hunt. Narrowed eyes of fiery amber see the drenched male sputtering and recovering from near drowning. Unlike the brutes of his homeland, Raumr does not stay mad. For as much as his instincts want him to be aggressive and attack the male for allowing his prey to escape, he doesn't see it that way. Clearly, this was not intentional.

Taking a calming breath, Raumr approaches slowly and cautiously. He keeps his head up, but tail low and slowly flickering back and forth. "Are you alright?" His deep rumbles of sweet honey are pleasant to anyone's ears as he gives a gentle smile.

Raumr Regalus, the Third

table coding by bunni ♥

For a moment Bayode's worries about the other feline were forgotten as he started trying to haul himself back up to his paws, his mane was soaked, dragging his weight down and he struggled for a moment to get a good grip on the ground enough to really start lifting himself. He'd only just managed to start getting his chest off the ground when a shadow fell over him and a voice rumbled, not unpleasantly, close by. Stopping halfway through the man tilts his head, turning to look up at the male that now loomed (though it really only felt like looming to him) over Bayode. It took a moment for the question to really process and when it did Bay was even more embarrassed. "Yes I uh- Just wasn't watching where I was going." Bayode finally pushed himself all the way up and grimaced, fighting down the instinct to shake himself out and get the stranger with the spray, which only left him feeling still pretty weighed down. It wasn't comfy to say the least. Still he tried to chuckle weakly, unsure exactly what situation he was in. "Speech"

Base by Reviro

Tension hung in the air. A charge electricity that had Raumr's hair bristling for a moment. As the other male hovered close to the ground, bright blues assessing him carefully, cautiously, Raumr began to feel... nervous. It had been a bit since he'd been around or interacted with another male, especially one closer to him in size. The sensation that rippled through him forced him to take a step back even if the other lion's answer was weak, timid, and definitely not intimidating. Did the other male think he to be the threatening one?

A wistful sigh left his lips, amber eyes sweeping over the male a second time. Ah, it was clear that he was waterlogged. Taking a few more steps back, Raumr dips his head to him. "Please, I don't mean to encroach your space," he speaks humbly, if only a tad embarrassed himself. "I am Raumr, and you are?" He inquires respectfully, head canting slightly.

Raumr Regalus, the Third

table coding by bunni ♥

Maybe it was just that his best point of context for other males was his father and the few lone ones he'd met before arriving here but there was something confusing about the way the male backed up... But Bayode decided that was a problem for future Bay to puzzle over. He waited until he felt he wasn't likely to get the other feline before finally shaking himself out, certain that all this salt water was probably going to be terrible for his mane... An ear swivelled towards the stranger and Bay grimaced slightly. "No I just uh-" He just what? Assumed poorly of the man? "I'm Bayode." He tried to smooth past his failed start. Standing now he could clearly see that Raumr was bigger than he was, maybe bigger than any other lion he'd ever seen? Not like, gigantic but certainly large. Despite himself he felt his gaze lingering slightly, admiring... Before he caught himself and he flashed his gaze away. "I'm uh, kinda new here. Not really sure what's expected..." Maybe Bay was fishing for information, or maybe he was just trying to wave away why he'd been so wary. "Speech"

Base by Reviro