Tree Jumper

Name: Tree Jumper
Meaning: Someone who jumps into, off of or between trees.

Age: Young adult
Gender/Sex/Pronounces: Genderfluid/Female/All (She/Him/They)
Sexuality: Pansexual

Life in the jungle is a bit different than on the low plains of the savanna. Here, the lions and lionesses don't exactly live in huge prides, but in small family groups and are constantly on the move. Coupled and their cubs move from one place to another in order to find their food, that most often is a monkey, bird, or a savanna dwelling creature who's gotten lost.

Three Jumper was one of five cubs born to her parents that season, and 12th in total. Being the runt of the litter, his parents didn't expect them to survive long. But little Jumper soon proved himself to be a clever little monkey. Literally. She would watch the monkeys as they jumped between the trees, picking fruits and scaring birds. Jumper did as he saw and soon his parents had to constantly climb up the trees to get him down. After their words of warning seemingly didn't work, they gave up and let Tree Jumper do his thing. Thus she gained her name.

Life in a pride of 12 cubs of varying ages and two wandering adults isn't all fun and games, of course. The parents are constantly hunting or sleeping. The older cubs are training their skills in survival, and the younger ones are playing. So there really wasn't anyone to teach the cubs about how to act in a moral, right way, especially since the parents were too lazy to do so. But Jumper wasn't a bad cub. She listened to the chatter of the jungle, and learned many things from the monkeys he observed and the parrots that flew by. He learned how to smell and hear danger, and how to tell bad from good. So it was very stressful for him when his siblings, who were not as eager to listen as she was, were playing too rough and only laughed at him when he told them to stop. And his parents would simply mutter something about "growing a thicker skin" or "letting his younger siblings just have some fun" and then turn to their other side when Jumper asked them to help.

Jumper was barely year old when he just... left. One too many bites of his paw, one too many mocking laughs from what was supposed to be his family. So, without saying a word, she decided to find her own way in the world. He knew how to hunt for himself, how to hide from trouble and where the water-holes and rivers were. He would be fine.

And he was! He met many interesting creatures on his journey, and learned more and more. He even met some lions, but most were young males who just wanted to... well. And he wasn't interested in that, not yet. He even found an abandoned egg, and hacked it into his now life-long friend, Peanut the Parakeet! Jumper and Peanut wandered the Jungle, until one day, they came to the edge of the Jungle. Quite frankly, Jumper had not known it had an edge. He saw miles of yellow grass, blue lakes and lonely trees. This was so exciting, she could not help but take a few steps closer to observe. And then a few more. And a few more. And before he knew it, the jungle was just a green speck behind him.

Hunting on the plains was harder than he had thought. Sure, she did see the prey better, but the prey also saw him! Sneaking and jumping was easy, but most of the things around her were three times bigger than her! And those that weren't were quick and observant, with deep holes to retreat to. Jumper realized he needed help. They needed a pride to hunt with him.

And he found some! But most were full. Or so they said. There were maybe five, six, seven lionesses at most in most of them. He had 11 siblings, and they had all been well fed! The pride lions talked about the drought coming. Jumper didn't know what it was, but apparently it was something bad...

To his dismay he learned he had been right. The drought came, making the sun hotter each day, and waterholes grow smaller. Jumper realized he would not make it on the plains and wanted to return back to the jungle. To his dismay, he had completely lost his way and didn't know where the jungle was. Peanut helped him find water and carcasses to eat from, but they both knew they would not make it for long.

Destiny is often tricky. And this time the trick was for Jumper to run into a pride of four lions that took him in. The leader of the weird group was a red-maned male with a single scar over his eye. There was also a white lion with blue mane and eyes with quiet, stoic nature. Two females, one grey and one brown were not her new pride-sisters. Unlike other pride lions, these guys were more jovial, more open to ideas. They all came from greatly different places and cultures, and he was not the newest addition to that trend.

Thus Jumper had found what he didn't even realize he was looking for. The one thing he thought he had had, but never truly owned.

He found a Family.