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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:47 am
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<<< a game of tag >>>
16 March 2009
Quote: Noelani flung the doors to Hytech open as she sniffed the morning air. It was refreshing and today was a lovely day for a hunt. Setting her bow and quiver down she took some time out to stretch and loosen her limbs; better to be prepared then get cramps for not warming up.
There was a small target range Kuu had set up for her off to the side, sliding over she began some minor target practice awaiting the King Cheetah Hyte's arrival. He said he would help and as promised she only brought her rubber tipped arrows. They were easy to bounce off skin. More or less they tickled if aimed in the right places.
She wondered what it would be like to chase the cheetah Hyte. Just how fast was he when allowed to cut loose? A smile slipped along her lips as she continued her warm up waiting for the Hyte patiently.It didn't take very long for Seth to locate Noelani after he arrived at Hytech- the target range wasn't too difficult to locate. In preparation for today's activities the Hyte was dressed much more casually than usual, wearing a simple shirt and pair of black pants. "Hello, Noe," he greeted casually, padding over to where the kuppy was warming up. He would need to do a bit of that himself if he didn't want to cramp. The Hyte then jokingly added, "So, should I strap a target to my back, or would that be too much?"Noe gave a soft chuckle in reply, "No that's quite alright. I think I'm about warmed up. If you want to stretch and move around a bit that's fine. I want to go farther out the way so we don't cause too much racket ..." She shrugged knowing how into her craft she often got. Pulling a bow from her quiver she held it out for him to inspect. "As promised non-live fire. It's a rubber tip. It will bounce off with no harm and I'm not so careless as to aim for any areas that might actually hurt." she giggled putting the bow back in her quiver and going to retrieve the rest of her stash. "Um.. thanks for agreeing to do this. I was a bit skeptical to ask but I guess I had nothing to worry about. If you want we can play a game of tag.. I haven't really gotten out much since..uh well... yeah." No need to think about him, he was gone now so time to move on but it didn't help the loneliness. Seth's ears perked quizzically at the awkward ending to Noe's statement, but he didn't address it. "Sure, that sounds fun," he replied with a smile, stretching a bit. "And I don't really mind. Haven't had a good run in a while anyway." The cheetah Hyte began carefully stretching his legs, showing himself to be quite limber. "Just lead the way when you're ready. Oh, and, uh, if you want to try shooting me when I'm running then you'll have to aim fast. Like I mentioned before, I'm more of a sprinter than an endurance runner. Just thought I'd reiterate that.""You got it, aim fast." She repeated giving the cheetah Hyte a little more time to stretch. "Well at any rate, my usual hunting grounds are a ways back from here. It's in the woodlands back that way... lots of pretty things and trees." She mused softly to herself then began a casual walk in that direction.
"How do you like being a full grown cheetah now? Bit different from the younger days wouldn't you say?" She chuckled softly. "I can barely remember being a kid it happened so fast."Seth strolled along casually with Noe as she headed off for the hunting grounds. "Oh yes, it is most certainly different from being a cub. I enjoy being the way that I am now, but I have to admit that I lost a lot of speed when I turned humanoid." He paused for a brief second before chuckling to himself and grinning at Noe. "Perhaps you should have asked me this back then, ne?" His Japanese lessons with Orenji occasionally slipped into his normal speech, but other than when talking to Hytes from the Japan batch this didn't happen too often. "What do you remember of being a kid, Noe?"Noe taped a pawed digit to her lip thinking a moment then shrugging with an answer, "I don't really remember much. A friend of mine used to always entertain me when no one was looking. He taught me how to hunt and use a bow." She gave a soft smile. "I do remember attacking my brother's a lot, they were such whimps back then; not much has changed now to be honest but they've grown. I guess I don't remember too much in detail just a bit here and there. Unlike you I was always humanoid so I didn't get to scuttled about on all fours unfortunately. Might have been fun." "Gen kids are humanoid?" Seth asked in surprise. He hadn't exactly been around then, so he wasn't aware of this little fact. He tossed it over in his mind for a second before shrugging. "I guess that makes sense." His tail swished lightly behind him as they padded along. "That must have been fun growing up with your brothers and the rest. Get to see them a lot?" The Cheetah Hytes hadn't really grown up with any 'batch mates' per se, other than Cobalt- whom at the time he usually took all measures to stay away from. The closest ones whom he grew up with were the Japan kids, but they were their own batch really. "It appears so for the Gen batch. All of us grew up as little humanoid babies. It was kinda fun from what I do remember but not much." She turned to gaze at the cheetah Hyte for a moment before turning her attention ahead of her. "I'm sorry. It must have been somewhat lonely growing up without any batch mates. But technically you do have them. Heavan, Hunter, Banyan and Cobalt. Give or take the strange way you all seem to be growing. I mean it seemed like just yesterday I was giving you petting and suddenly you turn into this handsome cheetah." She gave him a poke in his side with her elbow glancing at the thicket of trees before them.
"Oh and by the way... tag. You're it!" She called rushing off into the trees at top speeds. This was her chance to see just how fast he was on normal terms. Besides she was in a playful mood it would be nice to warm up with a little play and then she could do a bit of target practice at the same time.Seth had been about to reply to her previous remarks when he suddenly found that he was 'it'. Grinning, he gave her a few seconds head start before sprinting after her. He reached top speed within only three seconds time and quickly closed the gap between them. "Playing tag with a cheetah seems almost a bit unfair," he remarked with a laugh once he had caught up to her. He tapped her lightly on the back before throwing his tail to the side, abruptly changing directions. "You're it!" he called as he sprang off to the side with a grin. Yes, it certainly felt nice to run again.Well it was quite unfair but she knew these woods well and it was to her advantage to use them. Being tagged she giggled and slipped into the thickness around her. Giggling but not showing herself as she kept up as best she could. After a moment she stopped running sitting high in a tree as she kept her eyes trained on him; mindful to remain unseen. "You know you're right... it does seem unfair..." As she spoke the sound of arrows slicing through the air whipped past the cheetah bouncing off the tree just behind him. "Although you might want to keep running. I am hardly able to keep up but I have fast eyes and faster reflexes." Another giggle masked the sound of the arrows whizzing by with ease. Dang it, I can't keep up this speed for very long, he thought to himself, abruptly changing directions again in an attempt to possibly throw Noe off. He doubted it would be that easy though. The cheetah stared slightly as yet another arrow flew by his side. Stupid trees getting in the way. I do better in the open. When he felt himself loosing speed, he ducked behind a tree to catch his breath for a moment. Ok, I suspect I'll get hit any second now, but I need the brake.Thankfully Noe had been thoughtful enough to read up on the basics of a cheetah's ability. Sure he was part human now but there had to be some facts that still fit with his other half. Smiling it was easy to find that he was at disadvantage Good he's not as fast closed off. Fast or not, one could not move how they liked when trees, shrubs and other obstacles kept them from making that high speed dash. And for Noe naturally she liked to hunt, it was testament to her father's half. Heck all her siblings were hunters in their own way... Letting loose another string of arrows this time one just above the cheetah's head and another at his left to distract him from the open field that would be just beyond the cluster of trees. He's good though.. I'm already struggling even with an advantage on him. Hmm... better steer him away from the field. She though to herself jumping from her perch in the trees she landed with a soft thud, smiling at the cheetah Hyte. "Your good." She offered with a soft tap to his nose. "And you're also it." With that she hurried off using the environment to duck and weave out of his way.Seth chuckled and watched Noelani dash away again, making no effort to chase after her just yet. He'd resume the hunt after a small break. Instead the Cheetah Hyte took the opportunity to look around and familiarize himself with the territory. The area certainly wasn't very conducive to his hunting style, that was for sure. This would certainly be a tricky game.
After about a minute he padded off in the direction that he had seen Noe run, following her scent to track her down. He'd save the running for once he was closer.Heading to the clearing was really a bad idea but Noe wanted to see what Seth could really do. She smiled when she noticed he was following her albeit a bit slowly. Still she moved at a decent speed stopping short of the clearing while setting to higher grounds. Just hanging on a limb she fell backwards using her legs to hang upside down. "You know there's a clearing just beyond those trees. I'm curious to see you really let loose, and this time we can play a fair game of tag... well fair enough I guess." She shrugged letting go of the limb to fall before tucking and landing softly in front of the cheetah. "What do you say?"After following her scent for a bit, he eventually found Noelani hanging upside-down from a tree. A smirk crossed his face as he listened to her proposal. "I say that if you really wanted to see me 'cut loose' that we should have brought along Isoke or Julien." He chuckled to himself at the prey reference. "Just kidding of course. An open clearing sounds quite welcome. Though I am curious as to what you mean by a 'fair' game of tag. In what way was this not fair?""Oh so you weren't thrown off by the trees. That's impressive. Well tag is fair in all that you do really. Regardless of obstacles it generally depends on speed, timing, strategy... " She trailed off with a chuckle stretching her arms above her head as the trees cleared out to show a large meadow of flowers, grass and a small stream off to the right. "Thirsty? The spring is so clear and clean." It was the perfect time of the year to enjoy the crisp weather and all that this area had to offer. "You can stretch out more here and have a bit of fun running about.""Ah, that's what you were referring to," Seth replied as he followed her along. "Well yes, the trees were quite a bit of a hassle, but I figured that it was a fair handicap." When the two came across the meadow, the cheetah Hyte had to admit that he was quite impressed with the place. It was rather beautiful. "Wow, this is certainly a nice area to run about. How long ago did you find this place?" he asked the kuppy curiously. Most of the places he went were in the city, so he didn't really get to enjoy nature like this all too often."Oh when I was a teen actually." She smiled moving over to the stream. "I use to chase the field mice and rabbits that scurry about. I got better at catching them bare handed so I tried using my arrows but I don't like hurting living creatures if I can help it so used some things from mom's lab to make these rubber tips and arrow nets." Sitting down near the stream she flopped back looking up at the sky and the clouds over head. "It's really peaceful out here. Big difference from the HQ and in town."Seth nodded, padding over to the stream and sitting down as well. "Well, this place was quite the find," he remarked, still looking about and admiring the area. It was so serene... No Bytes and Lytes running around to pester him like at home. He smiled vaguely at the thought. Ah yes, the usual chaos that is home. It's nice to get out from time to time. The end of his tail flicked contently back and forth as it lay on the grass. "Have you ever brought anyone else out here before?""Yes, Felyse was here once, a friend of mine too. I wanted to bring Kiyone but she hasn't been around lately or I keep missing her." She smiled. "Not much to really hunt outside of the mice and rabbits. A few other game animals flock about but I'm not big on them." She turned on her side watching Seth a moment then smiled. "What do you normally do to get away from the others?""To get away?" Seth replied thoughtfully. "Oh, I usually just hole up in a corner with a good book, but I do that on a regular basis when I'm trying to pass time as well. Every now and then if I want to get away I'll go for a walk, but that's about it." He smiled as he looked over at her. "Discounting the Bytes- I see them almost 24/7- I usually rather look forward to coming and visiting. It's fun to visit with everyone and catch up on what's been going on. Then of course you can make plans to do things elsewhere." He picked up a small stone off of the ground and tossed it up into the air a few times, catching it in his paw every time. "Speaking of plans..." he started slowly as he got up and stretched. He tapped Noe lightly and smiled. "I do believe that you are now 'it'." He laughed cheerily as he dashed off through the open field, pushing himself to go as fast as he could. "Ah! No fair!" Noe cried out jumping up just as quick as Seth took off. She laughed and gave him a wide berth before taking off at top speeds. She was definitely fast but genetically Seth was faster. Not a problem as she kept up her steady pace the familiar whiz of arrows flew through the air to rain down like needles around the cheetah Hyte. Wondering if he was good at maneuvering as he was with a good run. She watched with a happy sparkle to her eyes.. maybe this was what she needed to get her spirits back up. It'd been hard to find something to focus on when she just felt lonely all the time.Oh yes, this was most certainly fun. He didn't often get to push himself. When the rain of arrows came down upon him, Seth made a sharp turn and continued to run. Not the easiest thing to do, and it cost him a bit of speed, but he figured that moving in a straight line might not be the best of ideas. Noe slowed her pace impressed by his ability to move at a drop of a dime but she did notice the drop in his speed for the sudden turn. Smiling she stopped dead in her tracks holding the bow steady. Watching Seth's every move, honing in on his rhythm she let fly a single arrow aimed percisely as it poked at the back of his knee. Another arrow flew right behind it to clip his heels; and another followed up with a soft thump against the back of his head."Ack!" he exclaimed as the arrows started hitting their mark. Although he was starting to running out to juice again, he attempted to speed back up to his previous pace. Not very successfully. "Damn," he muttered to himself as he conceded to his body's demands and slowed down. He held up his paws in the shape of a T, signaling a time-out to Noe while he caught his breath.Noe laughed pelting Seth with another arrow before catching his 'time out' call. "Alright lets take a break." She offered coming over to him with a soft giggle. "You okay? The arrows didn't hurt did they?" She asked with a slight hint of worry. With a much needed stretch she watched the cheetah for a moment then turned to look over the field quietly. Seth shook his head, panting lightly as he held himself up on his knees for support. "No no, they didn't hurt," he said with a smile. "I think I'm just gunna sit down a moment." He plopped down onto the grass and laid back, facing the sky now. As fun as it was to cut loose like that, it still took a lot of energy to do so. "You've got quite the aim. I'm impressed.""Thank you. I had a great teacher." She commented sitting down next to him. Thankfully she brought her small satchel that was wrapped neatly around her waist. Opening it up produced some jerky, cheese and melon bread that she loved so much. Even some pumpkin seeds had been stashed inside. "Would you like some jerky?" She offered holding it out; while reaching for a bottled water to hand to the cheetah Hyte. "I'm usually prepared for being out here all day but since I have company I figured we'd spend a little time here before heading back for a decent meal. Rest up, enjoy the tranquility.""Thank you," Seth said gratefully as he sat up to accept the food and water. He chugged down some of the water first before munching on the jerky. He chuckled lightly after a moment. "I remember you guys feeding me this a lot as a cub," he explained, smiling a bit. "Still as good now as it was then."Noe laughed remembering that herself. "I think jerky is Hytech's comfort food for the kiddies. They just about fed Kaede this stuff at one point." She laughed softly before taking a sip of water to cool down and letting the soft spring breeze cool her warm skin. "I've been thinking of taking my training to the next level. I'm studying for the secret service exam. I'm thinking a 'hytech" spy is in order. Espionage, subterfuge .. ahh... it makes me shiver to know I can hunt down fugitives or search for classified information." She shivered lightly smiling to herself. "What plans do you have for later?"Seth had to chuckle at the thought of trying to feed jerky to a koi. "A spy, eh? That's quite the career path." He paused thoughtfully when she asked him what he wanted to be. "I'm not really sure yet," he confessed, leaning back on his paws and looking up at the clouds. "Haven't really thought too much about it. Chronologically speaking I'm still technically younger than the Japan batch even." He smiled wryly at the thought. Time really had blown by so quickly. "In any case though, I've sometimes tossed around the idea of a soccer player in my head, but I'd definitely have to work on my endurance then. I'm still thinking about it though.""Well whatever you decide I could help out with your endurance. A little game of tag never hurt anyone and some ducking and weaving arrows would help with the way you move." She offered. Taking another sip of water she set leaned over to give the cheetah Hyte a quick peck on his cheek. "You're a sweet guy, Seth... but now you are it I believe." Jumping up she only walked toward the stream that was nearby kicking her feet in the water. A few fish were minding their business until she came along and quickly they darted out of the way, but she remained perfectly still, tail flicking behind her she quickly snaked a paw into the water coming up with a single fish, it flopped about for a moment in her hand. "I caught it!" she proclaimed but was instantly rewarded with fin in her face before the fish wiggled free and back into the water. "Well, I had it." She giggled moving away from the stream to stand before Seth. "You ready to go back now?"The cheetah blushed furiously when Noe kissed him on the cheek. "Cheater," he muttered to himself as she walked off toward the water. He watched with a smile as she caught the fish and couldn't help but chuckle as it wapped her in the face before getting away. He stretched and got up off of the ground when she asked if he was ready to head back. "Sure, let's go." He dusted himself off and started walking back toward the forest with Noe. "I had a good time. Let me know if you ever need help with target practice again," he offered with a light smirk. "I had fun too. I'll be sure to find you if I need some more exercise." Noe informed. Grabbing her satchel she walked casually along side Seth smiling at the cool breeze and the birds and other animal life chirping and buzzing around. "Let me know if you plan to take up soccer. It'd be fun to practice with you get a bit of feet eye coordination going. I'll go to your games and cheer you on if you ever decide.""Thanks," he replied, flushing lightly. "Though even if I don't take it up professionally we could always just play for fun. A little exercise never hurts." He stuck his paws in his pockets as they walked back and looked around at the scenery of the forest. "Um, I was quite paying attention where I was running earlier, so you'll have to lead the way back," he admitted sheepishly. "I'll pay more attention this time now that I'm not trying to dodge arrows."Noelani giggled taking up the front as she led him back. "I think a little fun with soccer is an excellent idea. We can get a few of the others to join us and make it a small little event some time." She offered, as they slipped through the trees it really wasn't all that hard to get back. It was more or less a straight line. Just with all the trees and shrubs one could get very disoriented if they weren't paying attention. Soon the Hytech HQ came into sight, and Noe turned with a very becoming and pleased smile. "Looks like this is where I get off. I really had fun, Seth. You're full of surprises... and here I thought you were going to be another book worm." Though nothing was wrong with reading she admired a studious person too. "I hope we can catch up some other time soon! Bye!" Waving him off she hurried past HQ toward home a lighter pep in her step from the norm."Bye Noe," Seth replied, watching her go. He really had enjoyed himself a lot more than he thought he would. The kuppy made for quite pleasurable company. With a pleased smile on his face, the cheetah Hyte began the casual walk to his own home. |
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:56 am
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<<< a day at the beach >>>
.: 22 March 2009 :.
Quote: Seth shuffled his paws nervously as he stood in front of the small beach store, waiting for Noelani. He had offered to pick her up and bring her to the beach himself, but the kuppy still had some last minute shopping that she said she had to take care of. So instead, they had agreed to meet here. For the occasion the cheetah Hyte had donned a pair of blue swim trunks, though he wasn’t entirely sure if they would even be going in the water or not. A part of him hoped not, but the other reasoned that if it was with Noe then it couldn’t possibly be that bad. Still, the vast wetness didn’t quite appeal to him.“Hey, look mommy! A cat man!” a little girl squealed excitedly as she and her mom entered the store behind him. “Lookie! He's spotted and has stripes down his back!” The mother was just the slightest bit freaked by the sight and quickly ushered the little girl inside. Seth flushed, his ears and tail flicking irritably. Yeah, seem to get that a lot in public. Oh well. He shrugged it off and resumed his previous task of looking about for Noe. After much fretting, Noelani finally found the perfect swim suit. She had spent a better part of her time preening in the mirror to make sure the suit was worn just right. A huntress should make a fashionable statement in all she does, even in play. Smiling she rolled her hair high into a ponytail letting it fall softly down her back as she tied a beach wrap around her waist and quickly picked up the other bags she had on hand. Never knew when you'd need to change swimsuits. She was an odd one that way but smiling she came out of the store all smiles. "How do I look?" She asked biting her bottom lip hoping she hadn't over done it. A two piece pokadot green swimsuit with a blue beach wrap was her choice clothing. "Is it too much, maybe?"Noe always looked amazing no matter what she was in, but at seeing her now Seth had to remind himself not to gawk. "Y-You look spectacular," he replied with a smile, looking down for a second to pick up his own bag he had set down in the sand. As usual he couldn't help the small pink rise that made its presence known in his cheeks. Damn it, why do I have to be so easy to read? the cheetah Hyte thought to himself, scratching the back of his head nervously with his free paw as he turned back to her. "So, um, ready to go?"He was definitely easy to read but it was so cute that Noelani couldn't help smiling. Peering at him with ears flicking curiously, she tilted her head to the side. He was so nice it threw her off quite a bit not regularly use to someone being so kind. "Thank you, Seth." She offered stepping forward she couldn't help teasing him just a bit more as she gave him a quick kiss on his nose. "I'm ready, where too?" She asked looking around in order to hide the pink that spread to her own cheeks. He's so adorable... it was like a mantra in her head playing over and over at everything he did.As expected, the cheetah’s cheeks flushed and even deeper shade of red. Now she’s just messing with me, he thought to himself, also turning away. “Well, um, we could set up our stuff on the beach then maybe walk around?” he suggested. “I brought a sheet that we can set our stuff down on so it doesn’t get full of sand.”"Sounds good to me. They have all kinds of eateries along the beach front maybe later we can grab something to eat." She offered following him to the sandy beaches, they looked around for a nice quiet spot. Finall settling near a small alcove of rocks that echoed off a large cavern just in the distance. Noe stood near the water looking at the crystal coast smiling to herself. "I never been to the beach before..." she commented absently rushing over to where Seth was laying out the sheet. Setting her things down she looked quite eager to explore the beach as much as possible. "I want to see if there are any sea shells washed up on shore... they say you can hear the sea in them if you find the right one."
"Really?" Seth replied back in surprise, turning to look at the kuppy. He had never been to the beach before either, so this experience was just as new for him as it was for Noe. "That sounds pretty cool. Any idea what these special shells are supposed to look like?" He padded over to the shoreline, looking down at the numerous shells washed up on the sand. "I'm guessing it'd have to be a decent size if you can hear the ocean in it. Hmm..." He squatted down and began picking gingerly through the shells, trying his best not to react when the tide pulled into where he was. Wet, wet, wet! Damn it, just don't think about it. Stupid cat side.Noe was thankful for both her halves not having a problem with water what so ever. Although her feminine half as a human was loathed to get in the water least her hair be ruined. Ah well such is the way of a kuppy huntress, maybe later she'd dip her toes in or actually take a swim; it just seemed a waste not to get wet when at the beach. Going over to Seth she bent down to pick up shells one after another each one promptly tossed back into the clear water. "No they have to be quite big. I saw a picture once, none of these will do but I'm also eager to take back a few shells for my students. I want to give them a project for their spring break, something fun." She smiled pushing a bit of hair back as her ear twitched lightly.Seth smiled as well, now shifting his focus to finding shells for the kids. "That's a pretty good idea," he remarked, collecting a few here and there. His tail waved idly behind him- though careful not to touch the wet sand. "What were you thinking? A collage? Or perhaps a mini beach scene?" Seth had a lot easier time talking with Noe than he did with the other Hytes (except for when she flustered him of course). She was always very honest and she had a good heart. The cheetah couldn't help but sneak up an occasional look at him companion as they collected shells together, quickly looking away again whenever she caught him. "How many kids are in your class?""I thought it would be fun to collect some things from our outting and make a story book out of it using the shells and stuff we collect. Kind of like a picture book. I want the kids to do the same when they return from spring break using whatever items they collect during their vacation to tell us how much fun they had." She smiled kneeling down to pick up another shell. Her own tail swayed; noting a hermit crab scuttling away from the water. The tiny thing was so cute but she didn't disturb it least it try to pinch her. Eventually the waves pulled in washing it back to sea where she giggled at the poor things misfortune. "I have 15 kids in my class." She answered smiling to the cheetah Hyte. Sitting in the sand she let her toes wiggle in the wet sand her attention on the sea but her mind shifting slightly. Ever so often she looked over to Seth staring quite boldly even when he noticed her looking. "Um..." Ack he's too adorable, stop that!
"Sounds like a good idea," he said with a smile, getting up for a moment to carry a collection of shells back over to the sheet. "Hey, did you want to walk around a bit or anything?" the cheetah asked as he returned. "It's pretty nice out, and perhaps we'll come across some bigger shells as we walk along." He wanted to ask her about something sometime today, but he was having a difficult time deciding when to bring it up. Not right now, we haven't been here that long, Seth thought to himself. I'll ask later. Let's just enjoy the day for now."That sounds like fun. Do you think our things will be okay unattended?" She wondered, hoping no one would run off with their bags but as long as they stayed within view and kept an eye on the blanket it should be okay. "I also saw a place where they had shaved iced, maybe we can get some later?" She offered hoping to try some of the ice flavors they had available. Without thinking much on it, she wrapped her arms around his own leaning against his shoulder with a happy grin. "We should also try kayaking, I hear it's quite fun, those boats over there they'll let us rent them for an hour or so... won't you try it?" She asked hoping that water wasn't one of his weak points but if it were maybe they could do something else that didn't involve the liquid discomfort."Um, sure, kayaking sounds fun.  " he replied, his ears twitching ever so slightly. We won't fall out, right? I mean, even if we do the worst that could happen is we get a little wet... We won't fall out. Nope, definitely not. "And I'm sure our stuff will be fine. I saw lots of unattended items on the way here. So, let's try kayaking then, shall we?" It didn't take very long for the two two get over to the renting area. "Ladies first," the cheetah Hyte offered, eying the craft warily. That looks awfully small... It won't tip over. We'll keep our balance. Yup. Won't tip over.Noe couldn't help shake the feeling that Seth seemed a bit nervous over something. Whatever it was she had to know, maybe a bit of soothing and encouraging words would set him at ease. Of course she wasn't aware that it could possibly be a cats hatred of water. Being part cat herself she might relate but her species of cat loved water thus did not have that unease. Smiling she stepped into the kayak taking the front half to balance out the craft. Looking over her shoulder she gave a reassuring smile not at all sure why but maybe Seth was a bit upset over the kayak. Seth hesitated for half a second before nodding back to her and stepping gingerly into the kayak. Ok, ok, so far so good. Just no tipping over. "Ok, um, any clue how to direct this craft?" he asked, picking up his paddle and looking it over. The cheetah Hyte was just the slightest bit stiff as he sat in the boat, but he tried to appear somewhat relaxed. It's just water, it's just water, relax... Just focus on Noe. He looked back up at Noe and gave her a small smile, relaxing just a bit. "I'm, uh, guessing we just paddle at the same time?""If it's like any boat then you paddle on the left while I paddle on the right. It'll push us forward. If we paddle on the same side we will turn that way..." She smiled her tail swaying excitedly behind her as she waited for Seth to get more comfortable. "Lets stay in the shallow end and practice a bit first. How about that?"Seth's tail remained coiled about his waist, but he nodded shortly a tried paddling opposite of Noe. So far so good. "Heh, this is actually kinda fun," he said with a small smile, getting into the rhythm of it as they paddled along. "Ah, look, a speed boat." Not too far from where they were a speed boat was passing by them. The cheetah Hyte didn't think much of it until the resulting waves smacked int the side of the kayak, nearly upsetting the balance and casting some ocean spray on them in the mean time. His ears pressed flat against his head at the splashing. "Ok, note to self: stay away from boats when kayaking."Noelani squealed as the boat zoomed past kicking up sea spray and waves along the way. It gave their kayak a nice little rocking sending them back the way they had paddled a good distance. All in all it was a close call and probably best not to go too far out where the speed boats were prone to play. "Lets go that way so we don't get in the way of the speed boats." Noe suggest, giving Seth a moment to collect himself before they began paddling to a safer area. Sure enough another boat zoomed past but it didn't cause them much disturbances as the waves only hit them much like the natural current of the water. When they were far enough distances from the speed boats, Noelani looked below them into the clear water squealing at all the cute little fish that were swimming around their kayak. "Look Seth aren't they cute? The water is so clear here you can everything." A turtle swam by stopping only a moment to peer at the Hytes before moving away along with a school of fish that seemed as curious as the Hytes to look into the water. "I didn't know water could be so clear like this, it's pretty."As much as Seth disliked the liquid substance, he had to admit that it was quite nice. "Wow," he said quietly, watching the aquatic life below. Bet Kaede and Quincy would love it here. Seth smiled faintly and shook his head at the thought of the mer-Hytes before glancing back over at Noe. He got a sudden mischievous inspiration that he knew would cost him dearly, but at the moment his human impish side was winning out of the feline dislike of water. "Yes, the water here is quite nice. Let's try some." The cheetah Hyte stuck his paw in the water and with a quick flick of his wrist sent a small splash her way.Noelani ducked from the splash of water, giggling softly at the cheetah Hyte's antics. He seemed more playful then usual which was fine with her as she dipper her paw into the water splashing the other back with just as much force if not more. It seemed the two of them liked to play quite a bit which wasn't a problem but when you had a cheetah that didn't like water and a kuppy that didn't like to lose from any challenge it was cause for an interesting turn of events. "I got you back, ha!" Noe called back with a giggle splashing more water toward Seth. With each dip she looked to move closer and closer to the water, giving the kayak a good rocking motion."Ack!" he exclaimed when the first wave hit him. Sure, he wasn't so foolish as to think that he wouldn't get wet in this exchange, but he had at least been hoping to wet her first. He dipped his paw back in the water and tried to send some more splashes back at her.
The entire exchange lasted less than half a minute before the small kayak was finally rocked off balance and the two found themselves fullly in the water. Argh! I'm soaked! >.< ... Stupid boat tipped over, the Hyte thought to himself as he paddled back to the overturned kayak and grabbed onto the side. "You alright, Noe?" Seth asked, looking over at the kuppy in the water with him. His ears were twitching a bit, but other than that he tried his best to hide the dislike for the current situation. Ignore the water, ignore the water, just focus on Noe... Argh, stupid worthless boat. Can't stand a little rocking? Focus!Noelani on the other hand didn't mind the toppling kayak, though she had wanted to keep from getting her hair wet, what was done was done. Smiling the life jacket she had on kept her above water enough for her to doggy paddle toward the small craft. Giggling she tried looking in the water for something that had tickled against her foot. Again she felt it and was rewarded with a cute turtle that had grown curious of the two in the water. "Look Seth, the turtle isn't scared of us." She squealed reaching a hand out, it moved passed them circling for a bit before coming up to poke at Noe's paw curiously. She smiled giving it a quick stroke of its hard shell before it moved away watching them from afar.
Turning her attention back to the craft she helped Seth turn the kayak upright before they would attempt to get back on. With his help to steady the boat she climbed on and did her best to keep the balance while it was his turn; least they topple over again.By the time that the two were able to get back into the small kayak, they had been in the water long enough for Seth to get get over the wetness (mostly). They spent the rest of the hour paddling around and enjoying themselves, pausing occasionally to watch the aquatic life below them.
On the way out of the kayaks Seth had accidentally slipped and fallen back into the water, and gotten wet yet again. Though not the most pleasant turn of events for the cheetah, at least it had provided a good laugh. "That was quite fun," Seth said with a smile as they padded back to their things together. He was still 'inconspicuously' trying to wring the remaining water out of his hair and fur. "Great suggestion, Noelani." As he looked over at the kuppy, it registered in the back of his mind that had it been any other Hyte he probably wouldn't have gotten in the kayak at all. At least not without a lot of persuasion. "Say, um, Noe," he started awkwardly, trying to figure out how to best ask this. "Well, the other day you looked like you wanted to ask me something, and uh, it kinda got me thinking about something I've been wanting to ask as well." Half of him screamed that this was a stupid thing to do while the other told him just to get it over with. Turning back to her with a faint nervous smile, he asked, "How do you feel about me?"
Probably an awkward way to phrase what he really wanted to ask, but at least the answer should still give him some insight. He hated to put her on the spot like that, but the question had been driving him crazy as of late. The others' innocent teasing certainly hadn't helped to drive it from his mind either.Noelani paused in her steps as Seth asked her his concerns. Her eyes darting anywhere but to him. "I don't know." She said honestly, sure she enjoyed his company and it was a great help in moving on since Dyre leaving. It was just that uncomfortable for her to talk about it. Taking a seat on the blanket she sighed looking at her paws. "Seth, I do like hanging out with you and I'm sure I've been more than affectionate on a few occasions but..." Sighing she looked up sadly then turned away. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea. I mean... I feel like I would be betraying him." "Betraying who?" Seth asked softly, moving to sit down on the blanket as well. Even though Dyre hadn't left until he was a kid or a teen, the cheetah had never heard anything of the faekat nor really knew of his existence. It was no wonder then that he was completely unaware of Noe's previous relationship. His tail swished slowly behind him while he watched Noe with concern. She looks upset. I shouldn't have asked..."I really don't want to talk about it. He's gone so it doesn't matter..." She breathed turning away she looked out at the sea watching the waves crash on shore. "It's just that you're so nice to me and well I needed some distraction... and then... he had to show up looking so much like him and..." Truth be told she couldn't ignore that Hunter held some likeness to Dyre but she wanted so badly to get over the pain that she thought she had suppressed it over time. Apparently she hadn't given herself time to accept anything that had happened up til now. "Is it wrong for me to still love him even though he's not coming back? My friend... he went back to his own world it was a while ago. Not very many people knew about him Maxwell and my family, I'm not sure about the others. He wasn't very big on showing his face to everyone though he did make me happy. Dyre was his name, he trained me to be a huntress since I was little." She gave a sad smile looking at the sand at their feet.
"Seth you're a wonderful guy, really and I do like you maybe a little in that way but I'm just not quite ready to take that jump yet. It hurts too much when I think about it." Sliding closer she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I just need some time... No clue how much but if we let things happen naturally who knows maybe that day will come. And I wouldn't mind being your girl if you treat me as you've always have up until now. I do enjoy being around you.. if that helps." She didn't bother looking up hoping she wasn't hurting his feelings in the process but there just was to much raw emotion still trapped under the surface for her. She just wasn't ready to take that final step forward. I'm sorry, Seth. Please just give me a little more time.Seth blinked in surprise at the sudden flood of information. Wow. He truly hadn’t had any idea. “I’m sorry, Noe, I didn’t realize- um, I’m sorry.” He gently placed a paw on her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner. If he had known any of this beforehand he wouldn’t have even thought to bring it up. Poor Noe... I didn't mean to upset her. “I understand. If a friend is what you need then I’m here for you.” He gave her a smile in hopes of cheering her back up. Somehow the cheetah couldn’t wrap his head around how or why someone would ever leave the kuppy, but it wasn’t his place to judge. “I, uh, brought some snacks with me. Would you like some?”"Thank you." She breathed thankful for his kindness toward her. Looking up she smiled at the aspects of food. Realizing that her stomach had been growling for a bit now. "That's a good idea, I am hungry. Although maybe later when it gets late we can go eat at one of the seaside restaurants out here. It would be such a shame to miss out on it."
"Sounds good," Seth replied with a light smile as he pulled some snacks and drinks out of his bag. Among the snacks was some melon bread. "I, uh, noticed that you seem to really enjoy this stuff, so I thought I'd bring it along," he explained sheepishly, setting out the small selection. Of course, figuring out where to find the substance had proved a small adventure. "Take what you like."Noe's cheeks went pink at Seth's explanation of the melon bread. She did come to love the stuff and it did take her quite a ways out to get it. The fact that he had realized this and even took the time to go get it was not missed. "Thank you, Seth." She smiled taking the bread. Unwrapping it from the wrapper she gave a soft nibble hiding behind the bread slightly. "Um.. you know.. I've read that Cheetah's don't normally like water. So I suppose I'd like to thank you for going kayaking with me. It was a risk that you'd get wet yet you didn't complain. So thank you again."The cheetah Hyte gave a small chuckle. "Eh, a little water wasn't going to kill me. Maybe. sweatdrop In any case, it was certainly an adventure," he replied with a smile, picking up a small bag of Doritos and tearing it open. "I had a good time, so thanks again for suggesting it." He would have mentioned that the company was the most enjoyable part, but he thought that'd be pushing things a bit too far at the moment. "So, after we eat did you want to look for some more shells? Or maybe we could try out some other 'beach' activities while we're here.""Actually I've decided to set up a field trip to the beach for the kids. We can all collect shells and enjoy the activities together. That way they don't have to worry about school work during their spring break." She offered instead. It was a lot easier to relax when school wasn't a major factor in a child's mind. In fact, she'd make a permission slip as soon as she got back and send them with the kids home so when they returned they could quickly have another fun adventure before settling down in school. Looking to Seth she smiled. "Lets try some other activities. Although I'm not sure what else they have. Do you know?""Erm... volleyball?" he offered up awkwardly, not really sure himself. "Swimming? Sunning? I don't really know." Seth mulled the question over as he munched on a few chips. "Well... I don't suppose you brought any of your hunting equipment, did you?" the cheetah asked with a short laugh. There was certainly plenty of space to run around here, though the soft sand might take some adjustment."We don't have to really do anything. I like hanging out casually anyway." Noe smiled standing to her feet to stretch a bit. "I didn't really bring anything worth hunting with but my usual protective needles and potions. Never know what dangers are waiting around the corner. But how about frisbee? It's should be fun." She said digging in her beach bag to pull one out. "You game?" Seth gave her a smile as he stood up and stretched as well. "Sounds good to me."
The two played for quite a while after that. Although he had never played before, it didn't take the cheetah Hyte too long to get the hang of it. Afterward they strolled about and chatted, simply enjoying the day together. Near evening time the two tried out one of the restaurants nearby restaurants (the food was pretty good) and chatted some more while they ate.
"Looks like we got out just in time for the sunset," Seth pointed out with a small smile as they padded back to their things. "Should be a much nicer sight here than in the city, ne?""It's been a lovely day." Noe breathed watching the sun set from their blanket. She smiled softly as the burning ball sunk slowly. "I hope I haven't been a bore. But I did have fun and this sunset is just amazing.." With a soft giggle she turned to Seth with a quick kiss to his cheek she turned away hiding her face. "Thank you for a lovely day, it's really been fun and I'd love to go again. We should probably invite some of the others. I'd be fun to have other and I think Kaede would love it out here." At this point she was just rambling buying time as the sun continued to set. It was sad to go but they could always come back another time.Would he ever be able not to flush when she kissed him? As his cheek gained their usual pinkish hue, he somehow doubted that. "Yes, I think Kaede would probably love it out here as well. It's certainly the perfect place for any of the fish Hytes." He turned his eyes away from the sunset and over to his companion, whom in his opinion was a much more beautiful. He reached out a paw and gently brushed a few stray strands away from her face. "Noe, would you like me to escort you home?" he asked, looking for a way to prolong their time together as well. "It's going to be pretty dark out after all."Noelani chuckled at his offer, she could take care of herself but didn't mind the offer one bit. It showed character and it was a nice addition to the end of their day. Maybe they could talk some more and enjoy the cool night air. "That's fine, I'd like that actually."Seth smiled, happy that she had accepted his offer. "Guess we should get packed then."
After the two had put away their things, they started off towards Noelani's home, chatting along the way. "So, what do you plan to do while your students are on Spring Break?" he asked with an easy smiles as they padded along. "Thinking of going anywhere or just relaxing at home type of thing?""I don't actually have anything drastic planned. I'll go and train some more out back test out some more of my weapons. Maybe I'll indulge a certain Rabid Prince and teach him how to hunt. I failed on my chance with Kiyone..." She chuckled walking along at a leisure pace, not in a big hurry to get home, least Kuu haggle her about her 'date'. She rolled her eyes skyward smiling impishly to herself. "For the most part I'll be nearby. There's really no reason to run off anywhere in particular and when the kids return, I'll be taking them back to the beach for some fun before we buckle down on school work." She nudged him in the side with an elbow smirking lightly. "What about you?""Already had it actually," he replied with a small smile. "Spent most of my time either at home or at the shop. Didn't really feel like going anywhere else." The cheetah Hyte chuckled briefly. "My mother actually had a few friends over in the beginning of the week. It was quite amusing to watch." Seth paused briefly as he looked about, making sure there weren't any shady characters around. "Ah, speaking of mothers, I don't suppose Kuuro will be harassing you for staying out so late, will she?" The last thing he wanted to do was get Noe in any sort of trouble.Noelani smiled shrugging, "Nah, Kuu sorta took a back seat to being a mother since I have one officially. She's more of my home care provider and such. Though she's been pretty cool growing up." She commented looking around as well. Her ears perked at every sound listening while keeping her attention on the cheetah. He was pleasant company and it would suck if anything happened to him. "As long as I'm home by a decent hour..." and as they walked they came up upon her home. "Seems like she's sleep or not home. Either way.. it's not late so I won't hear too much moaning. Though I wouldn't put it past her to come flying out the door with tea and crumpets demanding to know details about our date" She chuckled. "I really had fun Seth. Thank you."Seth had to chuckle at the image. Yes, he could see that too. "Thank you for agreeing to come. I had a great time as well." He raised up his free paw and gently cupped her face with it. Standing close, he asked in a soft voice, "Noe, would you object if I gave you a kiss goodnight?"Noe laughed though was caught off guard by the gentle paw on her cheek before she realized Seth had moved closer. The color of pink spreading across her cheeks was the only indication of her shyness as she blinked then looked down. "I don't know." She replied honestly, "I don't.. want to get hurt again."Seth smiled faintly, a tinge of sadness to it. "I will never hurt you," he promised, opting for a light kiss on her forehead instead. "Good night, Noelani." He withdrew his hand from her face and placed it in his pocket, padding off toward the sidewalk. He hoped that his moment of selfishness hadn't upset her.His words were so sweet, bitter sweet but she couldn't yet trust what others claimed. Not yet. She didn't think Seth would intentionally hurt her and upon kissing her forehead it only confirmed her ideas more solidly but for now she didn't call for him only watching silently as he walked away. She couldn't help wondering how many would walk away from her before someone actually stayed by her side. "Goodnight Seth." She whispered turning to slip into the house for the night. It was a quiet end to a otherwise wonderful day. |
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:17 pm
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:06 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:55 am
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<<< the letter >>>
09 April 2009
Quote: Noelani had been rocking on her heels back and forth worried about sending that email letter. She had only wanted to speak with Seth for a moment but for what she couldn't really remember... no no .. she knew she just was nervous. Everything was happening too fast that she didn't have time to react. Maybe it was a good idea to ask Seth about such things.
He was so easy to talk to, friendly and too damn adorable. The kuppy Hyte couldn't help giggling at all the times she remembered he had blushed. Be it a peck on the cheek, a sly remark or just a simple hug. It was so much fun and never had she known anyone to be so effected by what she said or did. "I wonder what he'll do today?" She thought out loud, looking around for the Spotted King."I'm actually been wondering that myself," Seth remarked with a smile as he came around the corner and into view. The e-mail had certainly been unexpected and had gotten him rather curious as to what the kuppy could want. Wouldn't she normally have just asked him something in person the next time she saw him around the shop? "I got your e-mail earlier. You wanted to see me?"Jumping slightly from the unexpected appearance, Noelani smirked giving the cheetah a side long glance. "I must be getting rusty with this Spring break. I didn't even hear you coming." She honestly didn't but that was okay. It only meant she was safe around him and wouldn't need to put up any alerts for his presence. "Well I called you here out of a curious thought." She spoke softly a light tint of red splashing her features.
"But you have to promise not to laugh. I just want to experiment. So um.. stand right here next to the wall." She commanded waiting for him to do as told. "You'll have to close your eyes too this is kind of embarassing."Seth arched a brow at first, but then shrugged and complied, going over to where she directed. "Your humble servant awaits his orders," he added dramatically, giving a bow before straightening back up with eyes closed, fighting off a smirk. Sometimes he just couldn't help himself.Noe gave him a pout but smiled when he closed his eyes. Watching him stand there she blushed lightly but stepped up to him. "Okay give me your hands." She replied taking his hands and placing them on either side of her hips. "Don't get frisky... okay. Um.. just stand like that." Frowning she noticed that he was a bit tall, only just now realize thing. "Hey when did you get so tall?" The question was rhetoric but if he answered it was fine just the same.
"Okay so I have to test myself with this and um... well it wouldn't work with just anyone. So.. um... " Leaning forward on slightly on her toes she reached up to give his nose a lick before actually giving him a soft quick kiss on the lips. After which she buried her head in his chest to hide her blushing. At first when she had placed his hands on her hips a faint blush spread across cheeks, as per the usual. He had almost replied to her remark about his height, but was quickly cut off by the kiss. His blush deepened and his eyes popped open as he gazed down in wonder and surprise at the head buried in his chest. Not completely sure of what to do at this point, he lifted his hands from her waist and patted her back comfortingly. "Well, uh, I'm honored to be your test subject," he mumbled, chuckling a little. "What brought this on?"Still half buried in his chest she gave a soft giggle. "Actually I wanted to test something I read in an article. About.. well getting over stuff. I wanted to see if I was ready." She ventured a look up but quickly looked down hiding her blush. "I was wonder is if... actually. Seth do you promise not to hurt me? I mean really promise! Just be honest with me and I'll respect you more." Looking up a soft sad expression spread across her features before she buried her face against his chest again. "It still hurt so much but I don't like feeling like this and you've been so kind to me that maybe I'm ready to move on... but please don't feel obligated or anything. If you'd rather not..." Cutting herself short she remained buried against him trying to sort through mixed thoughts and emotions. "You're such a good friend so if you don't want to then please stay my friend."Seth was quite a bit surprised, not having expected this at all when she asked to meet with him. "Noe," he answered softly, hugging her to him. "I would never hurt you. And I'm not saying this because I feel obligated or anything." He stroked her hair affectionately as he spoke. "If you want me, then I'm here for you. If you ever change your mind then I'll go. I don't want you to hurt anymore."Noe took a moment to mull over what he had said, her thoughts jumbled but not so much that a soft smile spread across her features. "I want to try." She offered, hugging the cheetah Hyte affectionately. "Can we do that? Is it okay?" She prodded looking to Seth with a hopeful expression."Of course," Seth replied back with a gentle smile. Did she truly not realize how strongly he felt about her? He had been willing to try for quite a while now. Just as soon as she was ready. "Now, do you mind if I experiment?" he added with a soft chuckle, gently lifting her chin up with his paw. "I won't if you don't want it though.""Hm? Experiment?" When he lifted her chin a blush fell over her cheeks as she looked down but then turned eyes upon him. "I want to try, Seth. You don't have to ask." She smiled biting her bottom lip. Seth gave a small nod before slowly leaning in and kissing her. It was soft and gentle, but with a bit of passion behind it. After a moment or so he pulled out of the kiss, watching her warily for a reaction. Would she change her mind?With a soft shudder of breath she opened her eyes giving a smile of reassurance though she quickly buried her face in his chest. "I liked it." She mumbled from her sanctuary unable to look at Seth without blushing bright red. "It was nice... not unpleasant or anything. Different..." Very different though she'd only been kissed once by another. Seth smiled faintly, a slight pink tint arising to his own cheeks once more. "Mm. Very nice." He returned to playing with her hair, not at all minding the way she was buried into him. Not really knowing what else to say at this point, he contended himself with simply enjoying her presence and thinking happily about the change in their relationship. |
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