From fog to night (Charis x Yani)

[Reoakee]

Charis circled the forest twice before heading away from it all on his way back to Phoenix city. It would be a long trek back to the tribe and going between his girls and the tribe was hard and took a long time. He couldn’t just abandon his children thought. Raust and Northland were capable parents but it wasn’t the same as seeing them himself. Even though he loved the tribe he was wavering on whether or to he wanted to stay there. He had no mate and the tribe felt stagnant to him. He was considering leaving it, but a part of him was unwilling to do so now because the tribe had helped him get over Azreal disappearing and coming back only to leave him again. It had been painful. Right now visiting Karistal and Nil had helped balm his wounds and made him feel mostly whole. Raust and Northland were understanding and supported him seeing the girls as often as he wanted or needed to. There was a small fog out right now as the day drifted to evening. He might only make it a part of the way back to the tribe before he would need to land and find a place to sleep.  

[NymiiNym]

Now now, his mother wasn't too happy with Yani's last stunt. Not in the least. What was maturity? Okay, so he did hit on that fine lady, but she hadn't told him she had a mate! How was he supposed to know? She batted her eyes right back and giggled that little giggle girls gave when they wanted you to keep going.... so of course he kept up the game and flirted with her! When her mate fluttered down and chased him out he ran straight home, like the mama's boy he was, and tried to stay home to hide for a bit. Of course, that hadn't worked out very well. His mother had kicked him promptly out, as any respectful mother would have. His poor mother, stuck with a son like him... Well, at least he was good looking?

Hrm.

Don't get Yani wrong, he wasn't a sleeze. Okay, he was a playboy and flirt, yeah, but the boy knew what love was! He was actually very vulnerable with love... a romantic and the kind to love too honestly... this was what made the male avoid it. The women he met were quick to use men, and the men he met hadn't really been into him... So flirting was the second best option! When it didn't mean you needed to avoid a certain forest for some time because of an angry Daeva....

Currently, it was a foggy evening and Yani had claimed a cave for his own for the day. The blue and back male was perched outside the cave, tail swishing as he glared at the horrible excuse of a fire he had tried to make and the barely cooking fish. Maybe he was weird for liking cooked fish... but.... it tasted better then raw... if only it wasn't so humid.

 

[Reoakee]

The growing darkness made Charis uneasy. He should have landed half an hour ago. He knew it was silly but he had wanted to cover as much land as he could on his way back to his tribe. He hated to be alone at night. That was when he would stop and think and reflect. It didn’t really do him any good and just made him feel more like he was walking on a rope between two human dwellings with his wings tied behind him. A small little light ahead of him caught his eye. Humans out here? Well that was a surprise, still he had been around the city enough to know how to deal with them. There was just one little problem. Humans tended to panic and attack if swooped down on, but he couldn’t’ really land in the dark and risk breaking a wing just to saunter up to them. Gah if only humans could talk instead of making those strange sounds. Sighing he figured he should try and land in a tree close to the human’s fire and then approach calmly without making any threatening gestures. That might work.

Changing his flight to an easy slow glide he aimed for a tree hoping that its distance from the shadows didn’t make him misjudge the distance to badly. He had tried to pick one that was far enough from the flames that he wouldn’t be seen by the humans to quickly so he could compose himself, but close enough the feeble little flame they had going would give him some clue as to where to land. He thought he saw a fox by the flame as he started to get close enough to land. Turning his head to look more was of course a mistake but a natural one. Slamming into the side of the branch he grunted and scrabbled to get a hold so he wouldn’t fall. All pretext of silence was more or less shot to snot at this point but still Charis hopped the humans wouldn’t come out baring their fangs so to speak. Clawing his way onto the branch he gave a pathetic whine of self pity. There couldn’t have been a fox it was just the night playing tricks on him. Humans and foxes didn’t live together. He lived in the city tribe and knew that much.  

[NymiiNym]

Now, Yani hadn't expected to hear demonic scratching noises from a tree close by. His eyes snapped up and locked on the suspected tree. Was he going to die? It was times like these he cursed the deities. Why give Modidaeva's flames and horns yet Modiphims had nothing but two wings and a reputation for being "perfect little angels". Seriously, He could go for having a horn right now!

However, the whine happened and he realized almost immediatly it was a creature not meant to hurt him. Viewing his pitiful attempt to cook, the male sighed and extinguished the flames. He'd never get anywhere in this humid fog anyway. Finally, directing his attention to the "demon tree", the 'Phim rose and padded right to it, glancing up at the branches above to see a dark but obvious shadow of a fox.

"Are you okay? Stuck? Unless you're gonna eat me I can help you, if you want?"  

[Reoakee]

The sudden darkness made Charis wince. The humans were… wait was that a voice? He listened to two other questions having missed the first one in his nervousness. So there was a fox with humans? It didn’t sound mean after all how many mean foxes offered help? He cleared his throat before answering. “um I’m not in the habit of eating foxes so as long as you’re a fox I think were safe. I’m not stuck per say I just sort of botched my landing a bit.” A lot. “I saw flames earlier the humans here wouldn’t be the type to attack first and question later would they? If they are I think I’d be better served to stay in the tree all night.”He peered into the darkness below and couldn’t make out much other than a large shadow at the base moving a bit. He unfurled his wings to stay balanced on the branch while he craned his neck to get a better look. What was down there?  

[NymiiNym]

Humans? The other had thought.... Glancing at his now dead flames he smirked at the male within the tree, wings extending and flapping playfully. He couldn't see the other, yet, but he could only imagine the expression!

"Humans? There's no humans. The fire is by me! Wasn't it awesome?" He puffed his chest out, proudly shaking his fur and wings. He had seemed to forget that his fire had not only been faint but also weak as a lighter flame. His long hair flicked over his shoulders as he viewed the shadow above, still proud. "I was trying to cook the fish I caught... But that didn't exactly work out. Hey, I have enough to share! Want some?" The friendly male wagged his tail gently, stepping back to allow a landing if the other choose to join his side for a meal.

 

[Reoakee]

Hearing flapping he wondered if it was a deava below him. “It was pretty I noticed it like a little glimmer when I was in the air. It’s why I came down.” He almost asked if he could do it again. If it was a deava then the other fox could do it easily. How else would a fox make fire. Not only that, but it would make it much easier to come down the tree. He wasn’t worried because the other fox seemed very nice. Excited and nice. “um if it’s not to much trouble. Could you make another flame? It’s pretty dark and I don’t wanna hurt myself coming down.” He scouted back toward the trunk of the tree. “I think I could get down in the dark but I don’t wanna land on anything.” What there a bush or something at the base?  

[NymiiNym]

Another fire? Oh.... s**t.... Well, he'd try! For sure! Flapping his wings gently, again, the blue and black male headed right back to the now dead flames.

"I can try." He called back, grabbing the strange rock he has discovered to make fire if one bashed it just right, he attempted, again, at his feeble attempt to create fire. It honestly took way longer than it should, but eventually a light, weak fire started. It fluttered and threatened to to go out, the 'Phim tried to shield the flame from the wind as he glanced back at the tree.

"There. It might go out soon, so I'd take the chance now. I hope you don't mind raw fish. Most don't, but you'd be surprised." He still couldn't actually see the other, but he saw faint traces. They looked like a 'Phim! Oh, that was good. He liked flying foxes, they were easier to hang around with. He liked flying, and while he liked most foxes he liked flying a lot. It was comforting , but a shame normals couldn't experience the wonders.

 

[Reoakee]

Hearing flapping and other things going on Charis was beginning to realize how odd it was to be without sight. It was like every sound he heard was amplified to make up for it. It was more than a bit unnerving. When the fire did start it made him feel much better being able to see something of the fox that was speaking to him. He could see the feathered wing quite clearly. Or at least and outline of it. He listened to the phim and crawled down the tree as best he could. It took some finagling but it he got down safe enough and headed toward the fire.

“Raw fish is fine with me. I do have cooked food from time to time, but that’s while I’m at home…. Er rather one of my homes.” He shook his head at the guilt he had when he said home meaning the tribe and not the forest he had come to know so well where his daughters lived. He moved a bit so he could see the other phim across the fire. The dark was playing tricks on him for certain. The other male looked like he had stars on him.  

[NymiiNym]

Reoakee

As the other finally came down the starry male grinned towards the shadowy figure. His wings fluttered and head tilted, moving to the side to grab a few fish for his new acquaintance and set it down before the other, tail wagging a mile a minute. It wasn't everyday he met others.

"Oh? Where do you live?" Yani asked, head tilting. He himself lived in various places mostly because he was either causing trouble and constantly had to move or he was trying to hide at his mothers. Oops. He really needed to stop getting people mad at him... But it honestly wasn't always his fault. Yani was just a bit playful and sometimes others hated it... Or he flirted with the wrong person...

But that also was only because the boy, while scared of love, was seeking it. It wasn't like he targeted taken foxes, it was always an accident. Hmpf. Last time a Daeva almost roasted his feathers!

 

[Reoakee]

“um.. I’m sort of living in two places right now.” He watched the other fox cook the meat. “I am part of the Phenoix City tribe. It’s in a human city very busy.” He looked back the way he had been coming from before he landed. “And I suppose I live in a forest not too far from here where my daughters and the two mates who raise them are.” He shifted his weight he thought about his life. In some ways it was a mess he knew. He really needed to sort it out. Azreal’s image popped in his head and he shook it firmly. He was not going to relive the past. He was different now. He took a few deep breaths. “Sorry, my mind’s kind of a mess. My name’s Charis. Thank you for sharing your fish with me.” He smiled at the other male. He had seen humans cook before but had never tried it himself. How did this fox manage? He was curious who this fox was, perhaps a tribe member in a different human city?  

[NymiiNym]

Reoakee

He didn't ask further, though a part of him was curious. Why would someone be going through two places if they had a tribe? Ah hell, he had no right to ask. Oh. Then Charis decided to explain his daughters. Ah, okay, that made sense.

"It's okay~ No need to apologize, we all got messy minds" Oh jesus did that sound weird... Swallowing hard, the male nervously laughed at the realization that he probably was being creepy. He hadn't had company in forever... he really was far behind on this socializing crap. "Hm? Oh. I'm Yani. Also, no problem. I like sharing, and it seemed you needed it." A gentle smile followed, tail wagging lazily before he poked the fire with a stick. It crackled and threatened to vanish, but luckily stayed firm. For now...
 

[Reoakee]

He smiled at that comment. Wasn’t it the truth of the matter at times. Everyone had their problems from time to time the trick was finding a way through it all. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet. Perhaps he should leave the tribe, but he really did love living there, still staying in the tribe full time meant loosing contact with his girls and he couldn’t very well ask Northland and Pan to move to the city with him.

Yani was a nice fox though. Charis shrugged and watched Yani stoke the fire. “Nice to meet you Yani. So how did you learn to make fire? It’s not something I see done by a phim everyday. And it’s definitely a skill that’s useful for cold nights.” Charis was used to just curling up in a ball unless he was in the city. There were places that emitted heat and he liked to lay by those.  

[NymiiNym]

Reoakee

Ah, good. The male seemed to be cheering up! Yani's smile mirrored the others as he poked the fire. With a gentle flick of his head, the male glanced up at the question and then addressed himself to the fire for a sliver of a second before once more paying attention to the 'Phim.

"A fox taught me." His tail flicked lazily at the memory, eyes glancing at the stars before he decided to give up with the fire. "I was shown what rocks to use and what kind of wood. However.... I'm not nearly as good as her. My fire always dies within minutes..." As if on cue, the fire crackled once and died. Yani grunted in an annoyed, genuinely confused tone. What had he done wrong this time? He had followed her instructions perfectly! Ugh... go figure.
 

[Reoakee]

Now drowning in the instant darkness it took his eyes a few moments to adjust. The sky was dark enough that while he could see that there was someone next to him Charis would have no idea it was Yani had he not been speaking to him moments before. Unable to stop himself Charis laughed at the situation. “You know that seems like the same thing that would happen to me anytime I tried something new in Phoenix. The first time I actually tried to distract a human I ended up nearly getting caught by a bunch of other humans that I didn’t even realize where there until the little ones started to pull on my feathers.” It was a pain to disentalge himself from the death grips the little humans seemed capable of producing. Still he had at least distracted the human he had wanted to so that Charis’s tribe mates could steal the food the human was keeping guard over.