All alone, care to cuddle? (Arrin x Cari)

[jinxgirl5]

Cari laughed and turned her head to wrinkle her nose at Arrin. “Well what I bring in is mostly meat. We’re all so high energy and always running around during our free time even that I wonder if we even need hunters. We’re always off hunting ourselves!” She giggled a little, and it was certainly true enough. A timid or quiet sleddog might make a good gatherer, but most of them were loud and boisterous and preferred chasing things to collecting.

Cari sighed and shook her head, though when she spoke there was a tinge of admiration in her voice. “Little fuzz ball. I can’t believe it took us all afternoon, and we’re both decent trackers when we put our minds to it,” she said. “I don’t remember what excuse she gave us when we caught up to her, but I think she did it on purpose. Never met a bigger ball of mischief!”

Never met, only because she was conveniently forgetting some of her own kithood days…  

[Reoakee]

He laughed. “Well you know not all the foxes in the tribe are hunters. Those who are just members of the tribe like me are pretty hopeless if someone didn’t hunt for the likes of me then I’d be surviving on roots and berries alone and probably starve.” He rolled his eyes joking for the most part. He smiled hearing Cari talk of kits. What had been the excuse Rois had given? She had been practicing some run or something and fallen asleep curled up in the snow. “Well she might have done it on purpose but I don’t think it was to be mean. Can you imagine little Rois actually being mean? Even her daughter Violet is sweet and kind. Possibly to much so.” He shook his head. “I think it must run in their family. Kind of like how I bet hyperactivity would run in yours.” He chuckled imagining little Caris’ bouncing out of trees. It was a scary thought indeed.
 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari considered that. “Only met one of her kids, but her daughter seems…,” she paused, trying to find the right word and failing; well, she was more a fox of action. Finally she just shrugged and reset. “Like Rosie just seems more spunky to me, ya know? Course we only see Vi every now and then and she spends most of her time with Roís while she’s here and I’m usually out somewhere, so guess I can’t really judge for sure on that.”

She grinned and swiped a pawful of snow at Arrin. “Hah! Well maybe you’ll get lucky and it’ll skip a generation! Both my parents seemed pretty calm to me. Dull fun-killers, wouldn’t let me do anything!” Once again she was conveniently forgetting that her idea of “fun” as a kit had also coincided with the word “hazardous”. It was hard to judge if you had energetic parents when they had to constantly chase you around and snatch you out of the jaws of death every other day!  

[Reoakee]

Arrin listened and laughed. “I’ve spoken with her before. She is very quite and polite if that’s what you mean. Of course Rois is a bit more forward, but she knows us and grew up with us. I’m sure Violet would be more open with us if we spend some time with her on her next visit.” He smiled at Cari thinking it a simple enough thing to do but ended up getting a face full of snow. Shaking his head he spit some of it out. Using a paw he wiped off most of his face before setting it down seemingly to just be done. Then he scooped and flung some snow back at her.

“Well I know I won’t let a little one do anything dangerous but that doesn’t mean I’ll be a stick in the snow.” He stuck out his tongue at her. Arrin’s own parents had been quite calm and grounded overall and he took after them for the most part. Though he was less forward then his parents which was interesting. He hoped any kits he had would be braver. “Can I lay down now?”


 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari giggled. “Sure, go for it,” she said, plopping her own rear down, thinking about it for a minute, then standing back up again to energetically dig at the snow. When she was done she’d cleared a decent spot, the smell of dirt and damp, decaying vegetation adding its rich scent to the autumn-chilled air.

There! That would be less cold to sit on! She plopped back down again. “If any kids we might have get a sleddog level of energy, I think you’d be seen as a stick in the snow regardless,” she said, restarting their conversation. “Probably not all the time, but in a kit’s brain dangerous usually equals fun.”

Not that Cari didn’t agree with that thought. She’d discovered that a lot of dangerous stuff was super fun for that energy and adrenaline high you go. She just didn’t think kits or youngsters of any kind should try it cause they tended to get into stuff that required a far more advance skillset that they possessed, and they seemed completely unaware of the fact.  

[Reoakee]

Laying down he wasn’t sure if Cari’s idea to walk had been the right one. He still felt like he had been dragged around and kicked a few to many times. He considered moving nearer to Cari, but the snow under him did feel pretty good against his sore muscles. So he settled for just enjoying the smell Cari had kicked up.

“Well that part of your brain never shut off, so I wouldn’t just say it’s limited to kits.” Smiling he looked at her. “Though I suppose to me you’ll always be eternally young and beautiful, and precious so it could just be bias on my part. Since anything that could even scratch you I consider dangerous.” He shrugged. Cari would always be Cari to him, spunky and fully of life.

Taking the chance to roll over and let the muscles on his back relax in the cool snow he took a deep breath. “Cari I don’t even know what having kits would be like, still I think I’d like to have a few one day.” He tilted his head to look at her. “What do you think? I know we are in a tribe and should ask our elder and all, but if she said yes, would you want to?”

 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari frowned, though not at Arrin. It was the idea of having to ask anyone for permission for something like that. She could understand if Arrin wasn’t in the tribe, or they were in separate tribes or something, because then that affected everyone in a lot of ways that could be inconvenient, but if the foxes in question where in the same tribe she didn’t see what business it was of the Elder whether or not tribe members could have kits. Like hell she was letting something like permission stop her if she wanted a family!

“I don’t really think we need to ask permission for it since we’re in the same tribe,” she said, giving voice to some of her thoughts. She wiggled around in the dirt, warming muscles and getting a few itchy spots in the process. “I mean I don’t care what anyone says, when I decide I want a family then no one’s opinion is going to stop me.”

She looked over at Arrin, and had to giggle at little at his position in the snow. “We’re both like big kits, though you’re more responsible than me,” she said, then sighed. “I mean I would love to have kids one day, I just worry I’m not exactly the “mom” persona, you know?”

More like an overly energetic big sister…  

[Reoakee]

“Yes but at least letting the carer of the tribe know to expect more kits would be the nice thing to do.” He had worded that badly and shook his head hoping she understood what he was trying to say now. He wondered over her other comments. Did that mean that Cari didn’t really want kits? One of the reasons why he had wanted to steal Cari away was so that perhaps he could find some time alone with her so that they might be able to start on having a chance to have a family one day.

He sighed and closed his eyes in thought while his muscled grumbled at him while he rolled on his side. Taking a deep breath he slowly opened his eyes looking at her. He knew she was right. He should try harder to become more mature before he started to think about kits. If Cari couldn’t even see him as an adult then why would she want to rely on him as a mate and father of kits. “I suppose your right, but I know you’d be a fine mother. You’re so kind and understanding that the little ones would like to open up to you and could tell you anything. That kind of trust would be impossible for other parents. Still you can be stern when you need to be.”

 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari chuckled. “I dunno, I don’t think I could give up my kits to have a carer look after them,” she commented. Then she stopped and thought about it for a moment. Four to six hyper-active little balls of energy and fur running around all over the place? “Huh. On second thought, probably would be better to have a ton of eyes and ears looking out.” She laughed. “I think with our luck we’d get only one calm child, and the rest would be constantly running around in every direction intent on causing mischief!”

Cari smiled at Arrin from an upside down position on her back, which probably looked a little weird and comical at the same time. “They only get along with me so well cause I’m like a giant kit myself,” she teased, though she was touched by Arrin’s reassurances. “You’d have to be willing to be the authority figure, cause I bet they could talk me into getting in trouble with them if the idea sounds really fun.” She grinned a tad ruefully, since it was probably true.  

[Reoakee]

“Just had the mini Cari’s running though your mind too huh?” He could tell from the way her eyes glazed over in thought before perking up again to their normal level of cheer and energy. So she wasn’t adverse to having kits of was she? Arrin didn’t think he had ever been more confused in his whole life then when he tried to figure out what Cari had on her mind about a subject. He could always ask but that seemed a bit rude to him, and he couldn’t stand the idea of being rude to Cari. “I’m sure with our luck we’d get two small calm kits and then the rest would be balls of mischief intent on taking over the whole mountain. As long as they wouldn’t try riding a bear I think we can manage any other trouble they try.” He rolled again on his stomach to look at Cari. She looked so cute and innocent. “That’s I why I said letting the tribe know. The carers could keep an eye on you and the kits and then myself and everyone else could take up the turn of authority and try and keep you all in line.” He winked. He didn’t know how well he would do with scolding the kits. If they were like Cari he would be wrapped around their paws in no time flat, and he knew it too.
 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari giggled. “Oh, that would be a funny sight to see too, I bet! An assorted number of fuzzy little trouble-makers, all lined up, and one fuzzy big trouble-maker at the end of the line, heads hanging and ears drooped while Mika chews us out. Or worse, Nika!” Cari chortled again at the mental image. She was also quite sure that the look of guilty shame would be nothing more than a front so that the group didn’t burst out laughing and congratulating themselves at a prank well-played and thus entice more wrath from the leaders of the gang.

It would be hilarious if their deeds were so bad that they attracted the attention of a Deity to come down and give them a talking to. Even funnier if the Deity actually found them amusing and the lecture was just a ruse. She’d never met a Deity personally, but she was sure they had senses of humor!

Belatedly Cari realized she was wool-gathering and brought herself back to the present with another giggle. “Well, we’ll just have to see what happens when it happens,” she said, giving another vigorous wiggle to scratch at her back before rolling over onto her stomach. “How’s your legs feeling,” she asked.  

[Reoakee]

Arrin could just see it too. Nika chewing out the little ones and Cari right in line. Sighing he dreaded that image since he would be sitting by Cari the entire time. He listened to her words and wondered. Did that mean she wanted kits after all? Standing up his legs tingled on him but he figured it would be alright to travel. He wanted to know her thoughts on the matter. “Cari I’m doing just fine. We should be able to continue without an issue.” He raised a paw to wave at her to prove his point. He knew that he would have to be more careful on the trip though. His muscles had already been exhausted once and he didn’t want to go through that again. Shifting his weight he looked at the way he wanted to head. He had been foolish to try that hoping but still a part of him wanted to be able to do it perfect which was why he was considering trying it again. Still he shouldn’t until he got closer to their destination so he didn’t end up collapsing and having to be carried the rest of the way by Cari. Not that that wouldn’t be a fun experience but he didn’t want to have Cari have extra work.
 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari just chuckled and stood up, shaking the snow from her vibrant fur and trotting over to her mate to nuzzle him. “Well that’s all for the future then, eh? We can get back to the present here-and-now, and make sure you don’t end up with muscles cramps that make you wish you didn’t have legs and make me have to carry you if we’re going to get anywhere,” she teased Arrin.

Teasing aside, she did take a moment to look down and examine his legs. They seemed fine for now, but she was sure that before they reached their goal they were going to be screaming in pain from the unaccustomed movements. That’s how exercising new muscles went. “Probably no more hopping in your immediate future,” she judged, wondering just how far Arrin was planning to lead them. You’re not feeling the true extent of pain yet. Much later tonight you will, tomorrow at the latest.” She chuckled. “Muscles like to take their time and gather up every single complaint they have with you before they formally lodge them.”  

[Reoakee]

Sadly he could just see himself being hauled around on Cari’s back. He held still while she inspected him. He wished he could argue with her but she was right and he was sure of it. He trusted Cari for these kinds of things. He wished he hadn’t been so stupid and tried to hop today. It should have waited until the way back. “You’re right. I’ll take it easy.” They still had quite a ways to go today and he was sure if Cari said it he was going to be a wimp and cry tomorrow. Not really the manly image he had wanted to give her. He started to keep going where he wanted to and tossed a look back at Carai. “My muscles might whine, but I’ll do my best not to because I want you to have a good time on our little trip alright?”

For a time they traveled in silence and he gathered all his thoughts and memories. “Cari do you remember when we first met and you thought I was some kind of hero. Then went we joined the tribe and you found your love of running? Somehow we floundered through and admitted our feelings to one another.”

 

[jinxgirl5]

Cari laughed and snuggled up to her mate real quick. If she knew where they were heading she probably would have bounded around a bit, but she figured that maybe she should save her energy just in case she would need it. “Of course I remember! You freed me from that annoying sack and totally saved me.” She had to resist the urge to snuggle up to Arrin again; it would be best to make as much time as they could today, and her pressing up against him wouldn’t help.

“That’s why you were my hero! Like my knight in shining armor,” she said, favoring Arrin with a huge smile. Suddenly the smile turned impish. “Course I already knew you were my prince at that point, it was just trying to win you over without scaring you off.” She giggled and winked. “I’ve been told my personality is a bit forceful sometimes.”