Panya listened intently, hanging onto each word Bacchus said eagerly. She realized she liked hearing what he had to say, and felt rather bad for her alleged ‘rudeness’.

Copying him, the lion squinted with focus and examined as many nooks and crannies as she could see. Unfortunately, though, her inexperienced eyes failed her. She frowned a little, shooting Bacchus a glance.

”I can’t find nothing.” Panya complained, scuffing her still muddy paws into the dirt once again. Beginning to grow impatient, she hurried forward and began shoving her face in between rocks and near the roots of shrubs. She whirled, giving Bacchus a somewhat more exasperated look.

She wasn’t sure how to convey her insistence for movement, but she definitely thought just looking around for whatever creatures they were looking for wasn't working. “Nothin’ here at all!”

@Bacchus

The cub was surprisingly charming, in her own way. Panya was the first child gembound Bacchus had met since he was himself a child, and he had not expected to find her anything more than a brief curiosity that he witnessed hatch and then promptly moved on from.

He considered correcting her grammar, but this was not his child.

...Oh, that was an intriguing idea, was it not? He had not considered ever having his own children, but he instinctively had known it was possible. But it was a possibility that had not appealed to him, until another thought had occurred to him: Children, as well, would be a legacy.

Not now, of course. He had to gather plants for the organization's garden, at the moment. However, in the tentative future... The idea appealed.

"Then we must move elsewhere," Bacchus smoothly told Panya, not giving his thoughts away. "The prey may have been frightened away by our voices, as they are sensitive to sounds, so we must be quieter," He added, as he began to prowl forward, his gaze sweeping over the area.

And he sees a mouse. He glances towards Panya, trying to catch her attention, then nods at the mouse to indicate that this is, indeed, prey.

@Panya

Panya was surprised, rightly so after all that searching, to notice Bacchus' find. Her first day.. alive.. had been awfully busy for her, despite not doing anything much of importance. It was all a tad overwhelming, but she thought she was handling rather well. Still, though, she was determined to accomplish this task before anything else. Perhaps after she'd have a nap, not that she knew what that was.

Shaking off her thoughts, Panya mimicked Bacchus' crouch. Haunches folded over themselves, maw parted ever so slightly, she was running off instincts she didn't know she had. Almost without having to look at her larger, much fiercer companion, she crept forward. Unnoticed by the little girl, her paws weren't as silent as she assumed they were. There was a rumble in her gut other than hunger, and while she felt it- nothing came of it.

She finally broke her intense, predatory stare to swivel her small head in Bacchus' direction. She, thankfully, had understood the need for quiet and kept herself from speaking. Her eyes were questioning, as her intuition ended with her posture. She didn't know where to go from there, and he'd have to help her.

@Bacchus

If it had not been clear by her feline shape, it was clear from the cub's expression that she was indeed a carnivore and therefore had the instincts of one. Her overall posture was mostly correct, even if her steps were not quite as quiet as they would eventually be. Such could be forgiven, considering the freshly hatched state of the cub.

Considering the distance, Bacchus decided to speak though his words were in a whisper only for Panya to hear. "You must approach quietly, in a posture akin to your current posture, while trying to stay out of their sense range, which includes primarily sight, hearing, and smell." He obligingly demonstrated the correct posture using his own form.

"When you feel you are close enough to pounce, do so. Use your claws or teeth or even both to dispatch your prey. Sometimes you may need to chase prey as well, but that is typically larger prey in my experience. Mice such as this one can be killed in one bite if you are skilled enough. If a mouse runs, it is very quick. You may or may not be able to chase it successfully," The leopard gives guidance and warning both in his hushed voice.

@Panya

Panya nodded along silently to Bacchus' explanation. Once he was done, she continued her slow approach forward. Her paws, while still not necessarily silent, were much quieter once he'd pointed it out. She was now more aware of her posture, and her legs wobbled a bit as she tried to get as close as possible without the mouse noticing- though, she didn't really know how close that distance would be.

When Panya thought she was ready, she tensed. Her eyes narrowed in on the rodent, and her tail flicked thoughtlessly behind her.

With one leap, her claws clasped onto the little critter's thin hind legs, and with that Panya tumbled right over it. She didn't know what the hell she was doing, obviously, but she tried her best to remember Bacchus' suggestion of teeth and claws. The mouse now well within her front paws, she brought the struggling thing to her jaws and closed them around what she hoped was its head. When she heard that satisfying crunch, she let go and watched the limp body drop. Bouncing up happily with a huff, she turned to Bacchus.

"Look at it!

@Bacchus

It seemed he was an adequate teacher, Bacchus thought to himself with amusement. He had never imagined that such a trait was in his skillset.

Perhaps teaching was another way he could leave a legacy, though he imagined there were students he would be unable to tolerate. Panya, however, seemed to be a delightful pupil.

She had finished off her prey somewhat clumsily but nonetheless, it had gone quickly. She seemed to have taken his words to heart, and even now she looked to the leopard for approval. "You did good, Panya," He warmly praised her, using her name for emphasis.

"You should eat it before it gets cold or turns to oil," He advised.

A purple gaze contemplated the cub. "What will you do with your hunger sated?" The leopard inquired. It seemed a shame to Bacchus to part from this creature that so easily listened to him and his advice.

@Panya

Panya preened with the Bacchus' approval, tail flicking- a visual of her enthusiasm.

"Oil?" She questioned, her mind blank at the word. She also pondered his question, thinking silently as she bent to munch on her catch. Pausing, she snapped up the rest, leaving a little leg behind- she didn't know how much or little creatures of other size ate, so her idea of a fair share was... less than accurate.

She tossed the scrap toward her friend- and she felt comfortable, now, considering him a friend- with a beam. The girl then tilted her head in thought once again, carefully picking through her limited words to decipher what she really wanted to say.

"I.. Don't know. Maybe I will hunt some more. Or see new things? I like to hunt. I don't like being alone," She murmured. Her legs straightened with an idea, and she quickly leaned forward, entering Bacchus' personal bubble- as close as she could, so long as he didn't make any moves to push her away.

Panya took a long, awkward (not to her, never) sniff before leaning back on her paws. "There! Now I know you," She chirped. The word she was really looking for was remember, but she hadn't garnered a term for it yet. "..Maybe I will do what you do," She added, almost hopefully.

@Bacchus

Bacchus was puzzled by the mouse leg tossed his way for but a moment before the realization occurred to him. This was the child's idea of a gift. He carefully held back a chuckle, not wishing to offend the cub. "Thank you, Panya," He warmly encouraged her instead, and then he leaned down to consume the mouse leg in one bite.

The leopard considered Panya's response carefully, purple gaze gleaming with ideas. But, he was briefly distracted from responding as the cub leaning up to sniff him. He chuckled and sniffed near her nose in return. "And I shall know you, as well."

Her hopeful words were exactly the opportunity he was looking for. "I am to be a founding member of an organization, a group of several gembounds, that procures what other beings want, whatever that may be. While I myself focus on plants, I imagine there could be a need for hunters as well. If you joined, you could both hunt and have others to socialize with," He suggested, his tail swaying lazily behind him.

"I am certain there are many other skills you may learn as well in such a group, if you are interested?" He added a questioning note to the last part, not wanting to seem as if this not a choice.

Still, he was not opposed to tipping the scales somewhat. "Personally, I would be delighted to have you join us."

@Panya

Panya's sass, her immature rudeness, was long gone. Her mood changed quickly, this would be apparent to anyone who could come to know her, but as of right now her mind was set on adoring Bacchus. During this little hunt, she'd felt very proud of herself and very pleased with the leopard- she learned something from him, he didn't make fun of her, he ate her mouse leg- so who was she to say no? After all, she did mention that she'd hate to be alone. He made a very compelling argument, not that it was really needed.

Bouncing on the balls of her paws, the cub nodded. "Yes yes yes! Let's do that. I will join. We know each other very good!" She trilled, prancing in circles around Bacchus. She didn't exactly follow everything he said with the ideal amount of focus.. but the words hunt and others appealed to her, as of right now, few goals.

Anyways, the girl was happy. Her belly was full, her mind cleared, and she'd earned herself a new companion and possible community. Plodding towards the leopard, Panya prepared to follow Bacchus wherever he went.
- exit -

@Bacchus

The leopard held back his usual rumbling purr from emerging, not wanting to startle the child like he had done before when he had made such a noise. Nevertheless, his purple gaze was bright with his delight.

"Then we shall do that," He agreed, pleased. "I am glad to have your company, Panya," He sincerely told her.

Bacchus might have been a sadistic individual, but he was as equally social as he was sadistic. He genuinely enjoyed the company of others.

And, the idea of a mind that he could mold from this cub that followed him... That appealed too.

[Exit Bacchus]

@Panya
tagged for visibility