#sunshine character

Mala 'Stevo' Stevenson: an oc moodboard for my series

Suddenly, a blur of gold and black swept through the brush. With a fierce, precision bite to the throat, a cheetah intercepted the boar, killing it instantly.

Shit, the caracal cursed silently. Damn big cats, always stealing a meal. Might as well leave before he decides I’m dessert.

The caracal began a slow, careful retreat back into the grass. But then—snap. A dry twig broke underfoot. The caracal froze, ears pinning flat against its head as the cheetah’s head whipped around. Those piercing, deadly eyes locked onto the caracal immediately.

The cheetah began to prowl forward. Panicking, the caracal spun around and "booked it," heart racing as it scanned for an escape route. But, weakened from not eating for a week, it was no match for the world's fastest cat. The cheetah closed the gap in seconds, pouncing and pinning the caracal to the dirt with a heavy paw.

Desperate and cornered, the caracal twisted back and sank its teeth into the cheetah’s leg.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" the cheetah yelped, pulling back in surprise.

"Aren’t you gonna kill me?" the caracal asked. It remained pinned down, breathing heavily, adrenaline surging through its veins.

"No," the cheetah replied, sitting back on its hind legs with a look of pure confusion. "Why would I do that?"

The caracal narrowed its eyes. "Well... don’t you cheetahs get real protective of your food? Aren't you guys supposed to be, like, super territorial?"

"Not all cheetahs are like that. Only the males are territorial, for your information," the cheetah said. It paused, glancing back at the boar. "Well, I mean, the 'protective of food' part is usually true—but that’s not me. I have a little something called morals." The cheetah lifted a paw to its chest, looking off to the side with a proud, toothy smile.

"Right," the caracal said, the sarcasm dripping from its voice. "That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. So you're telling me you’re a male cheetah who has morals and isn't territorial? Ha! I never thought I’d see the day."

The cheetah’s head snapped back toward the caracal. "HEY! What makes you think I’m a male?"

"Well, you’ve got that mane on you," the caracal explained, finally standing up and vigorously shaking the dirt off its fur. "Females don’t have those.”

"Well, this one does!" the cheetah huffed, dropping her paw to the ground and standing up with an offended air.

"Well, sorry. I meant no harm by it," the caracal muttered, already turning to walk away. "Um, so I guess this is where I leave."

"Wait!" the cheetah called out, her tail flicking. "I'm not going to eat all of this by myself, and I can tell you’re hungry."

"No, I'm fine," the caracal began, but their stomach let out a loud, traitorous rumble that echoed in the quiet grass. Dammit, curse my body, the caracal thought, closing their eyes in frustration before finally looking back and nodding.

The two cats settled in by the boar and began to eat in silence. After a few minutes, the cheetah looked up, her golden eyes curious. "So, what’s your name?"

The caracal swallowed a bite of meat and responded coldly, "Em."

"Em, huh? You don't really sound like an 'Em,' but it’s fine!" the cheetah chirped.

The caracal glanced up, waiting for the other cat to offer a name in return.

"Oh! Right," the cheetah realized, blinking. "My name is, uh... Jay. Yeah! Jay."

"Well, Jay, thanks for the meal," Em said, finishing up and turning to walk off. To Em's surprise, Jay immediately fell into step right behind them. Em sighed, but secretly, she didn't really mind the company.

"So Em, tell me about yourself," Jay chirped as they walked. "Any hobbies? Family? Anywhere you live?"

"I live in a den too small for you. Now shut up before I die from all your yapping," Em snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Right, got it. Being quiet now," Jay whispered, though she couldn't help but wag her tail.

They continued walking until the moon was high, finally reaching a hidden den tucked away in the rocks. Em turned at the entrance, her expression stern. "I’m going to bed. You keep watch and make sure nothing kills me. Understand?"

"Got it!" Jay said, sitting down in front of the den with a heavy thump.

Em slid into the darkness of her den. Despite the peace, she found herself getting more and more weary of her new companion. What if this is a plan to eat me? she wondered, her mind racing. What if she’s just saving me as an amusing snack for later?

Her dark thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a soft, rhythmic sound coming from the entrance. It was a snore.

Em sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Stupid cat can't even handle one job," she mumbled to herself. "At least her size will scare others off, so that's a plus."

Shaking her head, Em curled into a tight ball and finally fell asleep.

Someone help me I cannot stop making memes