Ruts and Routines

[morningreport]

[A certain Hornbill can be seen slowly flying over the land, his eyes wandering. It's unsure if he's looking for someone, or just keeping watch over things, but he seems to be extra huffy this morning.]

...Now where is everybody? Normally the giraffe would be out at the water-hole at this time of day...and there isn't even a meerkat to be spoken of.

An empty Savannah is unheard of, so where the devil is everyone?

[He circles around one more time before landing on a rock, sighing heavily before folding his wings at his sides.]

Surely something wouldn't be going on without me knowing about it, would it?

Comments

[morningreport]

Hmph. What you might consider constant nagging, I consider being helpful and organized.

[Unlike some others he knows.]

[ikilledmufasa]

You really are the only one who thinks that way. Come on, if they aren't at Pride Rock we'll need to think of somewhere else we can look.

[morningreport]

Apparently.

Somewhere else? There isn't anywhere else. Everywhere else I've already looked.

[Weren't you listening? Well there's still the Elephant Graveyard, but you'll drag Zazu's unconscious body there before you get him to go willingly]

[ikilledmufasa]

[That can be arranged]

Must you be so pessimistic?

[morningreport]

I wouldn't be if I knew what was going on.

[ikilledmufasa]

We're not far off from Pride Rock. What are you going to tell everyone when they discover you've lost track of every last one of them? Assuming, of course, that your approach doesn't scare them away.

[morningreport]

[Good question. He scowls, his feathers ruffling a bit at his last comment.]

Well there- ...there obviously has to be some sort of explanation for this.

[i_killedmufasa]

Zazu, I'm certain you don't believe that they've all simply vanished.

[morningreport]

Of course I don't. But there has to be a reason I can't seem to find anyone. This hasn't happened before!

[i_killedmufasa]

[Scar grits his teeth for the briefest of moments, before smiling again.]

Is that worry I hear?

[morningreport]

....Of course it isn't. Everything is still under control, this is just- ....just a minor setback.

[i_killedmufasa]

The whole Pride Lands disappearing under your beak is only a minor setback? You really must have everything under control.

[morningreport]

Oh do be quiet! I know what I'm doing, it's just all a matter of finding everyone again!

[i_killedmufasa]

You're doing such a marvelous job.

[morningreport]

[Scar doesn't get more than a loud, angry grunt in response from the bird before he flies up a bit higher, squinting at Pride Rock looming in the distance- ...hoping that's where everyone has disappeared to.]

[i_killedmufasa]

[Scar can't help but chuckle. He really did have to give his brother kudos for doing such a good job with today. The bird, of course, would see Pride Rock soon, though how things would go from there is anyone's guess.]

[morningreport]

[And how is Zazu? ...internally, he's freaking out in a pretty grand fashion. Scar had made a good point- ...what would Mufasa say when he had to admit to him he'd lost track of the WHOLE of the Pride Lands?]

[ikilledmufasa]

Anything yet, Zazu?

[morningreport]

Mmph. Not exactly. I can't even see anything from here, and we're nearly at Pride Rock.

[That was not only perplexing, it was unnerving. Normally he'd be able to at least see the heads of the giraffe over the horizon, or an elephant or two. But there's literally nothing.]

[ikilledmufasa]

You must see something.

[morningreport]

Well if I saw something, I would have told you now wouldn't I?

[ikilledmufasa]

[Mufasa hadn't bothered to talk about just how this would go. Perhaps he was expecting Zazu to be right up at Pride Rock before starting everything.]

Why don't you fly in closer?

[morningreport]

Mmm...

[Still emanating an obvious air of disdain, the bird flies even higher than before, swooping down over the hill so Pride Rock would be in plain sight. Of course there it was, plain as day- but no animals. The lionesses weren't even lying around the cave like they normally were this time of day.]

Absolutely no one to be spoken of!

[But of course- that wasn't the case.]

[i_killedmufasa]

Why don't you try around the back?

[There weren't many places one could hide giraffes and elephants. How the devil did Mufasa pull this off?]

[morningreport]

[Tilting his head slightly, the Hornbill does as he is bid, circling the area once before flying around the rock to the other side.

The sudden outcry Zazu lets out is proof enough that well- ...he found the animals he'd lost.]