Something In Common

The Styracosaurus in question had been hanging around the Court for a few days now, long enough to familiarize himself with their scents and the colors of certain individuals. There had been one that had caught his eye — perhaps for the naturalistic appearance he sported, sandy brown with a dull, dusty red saddle, and thick black stripes along his midsection that cut the browns and whites in half.

Today, Scavar had found it in himself to approach this interesting individual, his much smaller form hardly deserving of the confidence in which he strode up with. A snort belted from his nostrils and his head tipped as far back as his frill would allow, blue eyes locked on the male with purpose. The young bull wasn't the kind of dinosaur to shy from another, even though that seemed to be a downfall of his, and his approach was brash, at best.

"My name's Scavar. Yours?" A very straightforward introduction. He was interested in learning more about this iguanodontid, and the place he was living in, and what better way than to just start up conversation? The towering male had hardly paid him mind at first, before the smaller bumped his ankle with that long nasal horn of his. That got his attention, perhaps in the same way the bite of a mosquito would.

"Hello? Oh- hello… small beast." The Iguanodon began, as if he'd already forgotten the question that'd been asked of him. He was more perplexed about the audacity this little creature sported, as if he weren't just about the size of a horse. He was reminded of the inquiry, however, when Scavar tipped his head slightly and fixed those stern eyes on him once again.

"My name's Tom." He emphasized the word after a moment of hesitation, as if Scavar wouldn't properly understand him if he didn't. The ceratopsian found this quite patronizing, and his offense was plastered on his face for all but a moment, before he puffed right back out in that cocky display. He had to look good for the stranger! What kind of bull would he be if he appeared as anything less than strong and impressive? Although, it was clear he wasn't that impressive to the newcomer… that was a different problem, however, and not one that he'd be currently dealing with.

The initial introduction was the easy part. It was sparking conversation that had the younger male shuffling his feet a moment, pawing the ground and wavering in his confidence for a moment. Conversation was for nerds! He didn't know if he had anything in common with this guy, and he certainly didn't know how to start a conversation with him! He didn't look like the kind to tear up roots for fun, at the very least..

"So- Tom.. what do you… uh… do for fun?" A very basic question, something that had him cringing visibly at its mundaneness. Scavar wasn't mundane! However, it was hard to prove that when he didn't have anything to talk about that would've hinted otherwise. Sometimes simple was better, despite the mental anguish small talk brought on to someone like the Styracosaurus in question. The iguanodontid simply looked at him for a moment, and that alone was enough to unsettle the young bull further. He was trying his best! Was that not enough?

"Lots of things. It's hot today, though… so foraging is usually my go-to." Tom finally spoke, breaking the terrible silence that had befallen them with something surprisingly relatable. Scavar seemed to light up at that, he had an in. That usual swagger returned to him fairly easily, his head tipping just slightly to the side.

"Foraging for… what, exactly?" There were a lot of things out here that weren't very common in his hatching place. Coconuts, colorful fruits that smelled so very different from what he was used to, and plants that were more vibrant than the foresty-greens that usually made up his surroundings. Whatever this guy was eating was a lot more interesting than a raspberry or something along those lines.

Tom hummed, watching the other for a moment longer, before one simple phrase answered the other male's question.

"Mangos."

"Mangos?" Scavar echoed, rolling the word in his mouth as if it was the food that was being described, letting it linger. He'd never had a 'mango' before. He didn't even know what that was! For all he knew, it was another animal, and this iguanodontid was more of a freak than he'd initially presumed.

"Yeah. Mangos." The confusion written on the younger creature's face was entertaining, despite it all. Tom found the ordeal more endearing than he'd initially thought, engaging with this headstrong little beast. The herbivore stretched his hind leg out, before beginning to walk off.

"Are you coming?" The invitation was very clear. Scavar was being pulled along to go find these 'mangos' with the newcomer, and honestly? It was better than sitting around all day doing absolutely nothing at all. Besides, walking sounded really good, having spent some time tied to a tree recently…

Tom seemed to know exactly where they were supposed to go, and before long, they stood beneath a tree. The fruit was low-hanging on the short branches, just barely outside of Scavar's reach, but no problem at all for the larger herbivore. The bright red and greens could be seen beneath the weirdly-shaped leaves, vibrant and eyecatching. Tom reared up, bracing himeslf on the trunk with one large foot, before snagging a branch with the thumb-spike of his other, dragging it down to his level to break off some of the riper, untouched fruits from their stems, allowing them to drop to the ground at Scavar's feet.

Scavar's head tipped away, heavy foot pawing at the ground as the unfamiliar, nearly floral fragrance hit his nostrils, thanks to the closer proximity of the fruit. This wasn't a staple where he was from, mangoes didn't rightly grow in the open plains in the temperate regions where he was hatched. The Iguanodon he'd come here with simply laughed at the young Styracosaurus' plight.

"It's not going to bite you." The iguanodontid nudged the fruit forward with his front foot, letting the object roll across uneven ground in an elliptical, bouncing at the feet of the other creature. Scavar wasn't entirely convinced.
The Styracosuar eyed him as if he were trying to poison him for just a moment, before widening his stance and lowering to the ground, beak opened wide to sink the sharpened tip into the soft flesh of the fruit, a satisfying crunch sounding as he tore a chunk from the new item.

Tom leaned forwards eagerly, glad to share a treat with a new friend, as he awaited the brutish male's verdict. The ceratopsian had guided his meal to his back molars, grinding it between strong teeth before swallowing, brows furrowed in consideration. It was a deal different than what he was used to, they didn't have things like this in the valleys he was from! His idea of sweet only extended to berries that grew wild in the treeline, nothing as compared to the tropical treats that he'd been subjected to finding since he started meandering about the island he lived on.
It took him a moment to consider before he decided that the food the Iguanodon had offered him was.. really quite good! It was different from the rest of the sweet fruits that he'd had growing up, and Scavar found himself quite fond of what the tropical areas had to offer.

"I guessyou've got taste, newcomer." Scavar tipped his head, attempting to feign nonchalance when it came to the fact that the young bull had to admit that someone else was right, for once. Scavar, in a brave show of generosity, nudged the item to the other to share, lowering himself back onto his hindquarters in a less-than-graceful sit.

That's how they remained for the rest of the midday, sharing sweet fruits and engaging in small talk. Scavar wasn't really going to jump the gun here, but he'd be inclined to say he'd made a new friend, if one were to ask him. He could only hope the Iguanodon thought the same.