|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:30 pm
 It was a warm day even by summer's standards, one where the temperature climbed steadily with the sun and even the bustling wildlife decided that devoting a few quiet hours to a midday snooze wasn't completely out of the question. Griever had taken up a resting place beneath some shady patch in the uninterrupted canopy while giving the pine-sticky pads on her paws a thorough cleaning, the pink of her tongue complementing the dab of coloration smeared down her nose like a kit's first, foolish attempt at war paint. The only thing that the female had battled so far that day was a stinging insect, and they had both gone their separate ways with only the standard amount of fussy swatting and displeased humming. In retrospect, she remembered the ill-tempered little thing with something resembling fondness, branding it a successful encounter since she had run into very few living creatures in the forest that had bothered to stop and issue a greeting, rude or otherwise.
Still, the heat was starting to take its toll, and the light khaki-colored kitsusagi allowed her body to shift to the left so that she could sprawl out on her side, the tips of her tails flicking lazily. The steady drone of winged creatures that had served as a substitute lullaby for most of her life made her eyelids flutter partially closed, her breath deepening so that the smoky dawn fluff perched on her chest expanded and receded in soothing measures.
The area was safe, she knew, or at least wagered correctly at the moment with the lethargic haze still cloaking everything and everyone. There were no visible specimens of arguable danger sidling around in the shadows, mainly because even the extravagant green ceiling rolling and rustling overhead couldn't completely blot out the life-giving rays. Tiny plants were already prodding into her ribs and back, demanding she raise herself off of them so that they could soak in the sunshine and succeed their taller, ancient counterparts. Griever ignored the silent insistence for a time, certain that a little bit of exposure to warm fur alone wouldn't hurt, and that the soon-to-be saplings would eventually reach a height that would make their predecessors proud.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:52 pm
 Kedri picked his way lazily through the underbrush, wandering aimlessly. He had no particular goal in mind other than away; the heat had made Kounoh irritable, and Kedri had left the big nightmare digging a cool hollow in the earth under an outcropping of stone, grumbling and bristling to himself. Kedri's territory was not expansive, but he had not needed it to be. Today, however, he sniffed at the borders and continued on, exploring land he had rarely walked.
The drone of insects served as a backdrop to the quiet pats of his pads on the ground. He listened idly to the rise and fall of the sound. The insects that heralded the hottest days of summer were no threat, nor were they particularly interesting. He had eaten one as a kit, experimentally, and spent the rest of the day spitting and eating whatever else he could find to get the taste out of his mouth. He had not needed to repeat the experience. At the moment he was not particularly hungry. He had eaten midmorning, and felt no need to exert himself in the increasing heat.
A wisp of scent caught his attention, and he lowered his muzzle to investigate the ground. There were tracks faintly visible in the dusty earth, marked with a scent that was almost familiar to him. Someone he had met? It had been some time since he encountered anyone besides his adoptive parent and the kits in Kounoh's blind, possessive care. He altered his path to follow the trail.
In a small clearing some distance on, he paused in the act of stepping out into the open space. There was another kitsu lying quiet in the shade, sprawled out in concession to the heat. Kedri studied the other. Her coloration struck a chime in his memory. Yes, he had seen her before. How long ago? He padded forward, coughing softly to announce his presence, holding his tails in a neutral position to signify that he was friendly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:03 pm
Made inattentive by drowsiness and the distracting blanket of heat that had draped itself over everything, Griever didn't initially sense the approach of an equal-sized figure. Her nose twitched only occasionally when a stray blade of grass or a foolhardy bug tickled it, snapping her teeth playfully at the latter instead of focusing on scenting out her surroundings. Any stray thoughts of responsibility that entered her mind were instantly discarded, pretending at a kind of meditation that came easily and provided the only perk in the absence of others. She did enjoy company, of course, and she mourned hours wasted without it, but getting away from the bustle that threatened to overwhelm her was worth the trouble sometimes.
When the polite cough finally caught her attention, the light-scrawled kitsu twisted inelegantly onto her belly to reclaim the ground beneath her feet, listening to the resulting sigh as greenery she'd been crushing happily rebounded. The charcoal tipped minarets of her ears were held erect while intrigue sparked in the depths of her eyes, studying the newcomer openly and fearlessly, shaking even the barest hint of sleepiness off. First she traced the earthy black marks that ribboned over his forelegs and tails in hypnotizing patterns, the whiteness of his mouth and nose standing out in unabashed contrast like a bit of icy permafrost clinging to an otherwise green mountainside. Strange characters took up part of his ear, hitting a nerve of recognition deep in her consciousness and forcing her to mine for it quickly before he was close enough to speak to. It took a few seconds for the countenance to process, but when it did, she was already standing and bounding closer to him, a wide grin and a pleased laugh of surprise swirling through the air before her.
"Kedri!" She greeted the male by stopping just short of bowling him over, instead offering a light tap on his cheek with her extended tongue. "What are you doing here? Geez, you're... you look really different." There was no shame shown for her enthusiasm, even when it tripped up her hello. "Is Kounoh here too? Are you visiting? I missed you guys. Your fur is filthy. Do I have to give you a bath like old times, little man?" If there was an opportunity for him to catch up and slide an answer in edgewise, it wouldn't be for a while yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:55 am
Kedri was taken by surprise at the eager welcome, blinking in startled confusion for a moment. Automatically, he returned the quick touch, angling his ears towards the female. Her flood of words jarred his memory, and he broke into a wide grin as he remembered - playing with the dawn-streaked kit, sleeping curled beside her against Kounoh's flank, sharing lazy days. "Griever!" he answered. "It is you!" He bumped his cheek against hers, pleased to have encountered his old friend.
"Kounoh stayed behind. The heat made him snappy, so I came out to look around. I had no idea you would be here. It's been such a long time!" He laughed, his tongue lolling out. "Dirty, am I? I don't think you can pin me anymore," he teased. It might be too hot to wrestle, but the sheer delight of the meeting had made him forget the weather for now.
"Have you been living here long? How did you come to be here?" He didn't remember when it was that she had left, or why, only that there was a point in time after which she had no longer been there. A little flash of guilt flicked through him; he had not sought her out, had indeed almost forgotten. But that was less important now. He wouldn't forget again, he promised himself, and grinned at her. She had grown into a beautiful, strong adult.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:48 pm
"Of course it's me, kiddo. Who else would it be?" The old term of endearment for her childhood playmate sat strangely on her tongue even after she'd tossed it out, her brow furrowing faintly. He'd been younger than her by only about a day or so, but she had treated him like the baby in their tiny family of three, grooming and fussing while he'd kitten-growled by way of protest. The memories of that time were held precious, embedded in her past like jeweled feathers that fluttered and caught her at welcome intervals. But in the here and now with the grove tying them together in a knot of trees, it felt like a return to those days, as if the vivid plumage had coalesced into an immense bird that swooped, caught her up in gentle hands, and was quickly carrying her away. It was bliss, pure and simple, something that even the arid atmosphere couldn't wring the joy from.
Mention of Kounoh drew her back into the proper mindset, and she couldn't help but snicker at the thought of the surly Nightmare trying in vain to locate a cooler spot. "It really has... too long. And obviously you never learned to clean yourself properly after I left." She eyed the male mischievously, bending her front legs while the slow wave of her tails gave away her intentions. "Says who? Unless Papa Kounoh showed you how to tussle, I bet you'd still just thrash around like a kit with fleas." She winked and gradually straightened, settling down on her haunches to grant a false sense of safety while she waited for the sun to lower just a bit more. He would get his impromptu bath as soon as she had enough dampness in her mouth to do it right.
"For a while." Her response was delivered with a degree of consideration, eyes growing distant as she tried to pick out the less brilliant plumes that composed her other recollections. "I kind of wandered around - you remember how terrific my ability to follow in the right direction is, I'll bet - until I got picked up by some others. They let me tag along, helped me out, fed me, teased me." She grinned and reached out to paw lightly at his chest, trying to rock him back onto his heels. "Like I teased you. Why did you have to go and get so darn big though? That makes it hard on me, you know. It's really not fair."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:20 am
"Your doppleganger?" Kedri returned the teasing tone, chuckling. "But it wouldn't be the same." When they were kits, she had been bossy and just that much bigger, enough to pin him and make him squeak. It had never been a real struggle, always playing, always having a companion. Her playful attitude hadn't changed. It provoked a warm and affectionate smile from him.
He lolled his tongue out in laughter and shook himself all over, fluffing dust out of his fur. "I'm a male," he answered. "I'm supposed to be uncouth and uncultured. With nobody around to fuss at me, what would I do?" He patted his forepaws on the ground, bowing a little in preparation for a pounce that didn't come. " - I was lying in the dirt," he admitted. "It was cooler."
He sat back on his haunches thoughtfully. Maybe sometime he would meet these friends she had made. He found himself hoping that he would. With a bit of a start, he realized that he was, perhaps, a little lonely. Kounoh was a good companion, but it would be nice to see and play with other kitsu, to converse normally rather than speaking simply to compensate for the nightmare's near-deafness. Griever's light push surprised him, and he did rock back. "I'm sorry," he apologized, eyes dancing as the wistful moment passed. "Genetics, you know."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:33 pm
Her nose wrinkled slightly at the coy retort, trying to imagine just such a thing wandering around bearing her face and her mannerisms, faking her life on an intangible level. It seemed like a funny sort of reply, but then they always had been involved in a kind of offbeat relationship, raised by a Nightmare and on the back of one another, scrambling to the top of the pile when they needed it. The thought ebbed when she recognized she was paying it too much attention, snorting emphatically at Kedri's excuse for his dusty self. "Oh sure, blame it on gender, that's not overdone or anything. You always were a dirty little boy." She ignored that she wasn't much cleaner, sappy green smeared along one side and quite possibly just as much dirt hiding beneath the first layer of fur. Her own grooming could come later, however, since she had her tongue on her at all times and her friend appeared to have forgotten his was used for something beyond talking.
His sudden absorption made her go back over what she had said, trying to decide what it was that had triggered the response. Her touch did seem to revive him somewhat, and she smiled winsomely, almost wishing she was included in whatever it was he was thinking. The hope seemed misplaced, fitting itself among the other whims, but she did nothing to question its presence. "Very genuine," She laughed, sidling closer to take up a place on his left. "Maybe, if you got Kounoh's height or something. Or has old age shrunk him yet?" The kitsu stretched her spine to grab at the tip of one of his ears with her teeth, gentle not to break the skin even as she tugged it lightly, tails stirring while she went cross-eyed to read the symbols there. Even in adulthood she couldn't seem to decipher what they meant, flaunting some hidden message that she wasn't privy to.
"Huh." The exclamation was a little muffled around her mouthful, not so much disappointed as determined that she would learn to read the scribbles given time. Griever was by no means a scholar of any variety, but she made up for what she lacked in that department with sheer stubbornness, and she was rapidly choosing to apply such principles to her playmate's ear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:18 pm
So he had noticed the grassy film that matted her coat along one side, spiking the fur there in tiny cones to pay tribute to the surrounding woods. That he finally mentioned it made her tails thump fondly against the dirt, marking a point he had scored in a game they weren't really playing. He was getting much better, significantly improved from when they'd been young and he had pounced without any hope of actually catching her. Griever couldn't help but smirk a little at his response, wondering if taking him up on the offer would mean she could watch his face crinkle while he tried to sort the bitter plant taste from the sticky sap, overwhelming the buds on his tongue until he cried uncle and left her to the task.
The tan female let the wicked idea subside - along with comical thoughts of a grumpy, pygmy Kounoh trying to swat at a larger upstart of a kitsu - while she watched her friend's eyelids droop in contentment, resisting the urge to tilt her head and yank his relaxed face into something more aware. She merely nibbled lightly on the captive ear, not yet abandoning the decoding of the gleaming glyphs near her nose. Would asking Kedri for a hint be like cheating? More than likely, although she wasn't above a little bit of a head start. Besides, the female couldn't begrudge him for knowing more than she did about the marks he carried against his skin at all times, no more than he could have faulted her for inadvertently vanishing years ago.
She dropped the pointed tip she'd been ransoming after one brief, parting lick paid to the tender interior, giggling at the boy's expression. "Want to take a nap now, kitling?" The question was half purred as she bumped her head against his shoulder, resting there for a moment when she realized how tempting the proposal really was. The heat had sucked out much of the energy she'd recovered upon meeting her old companion, and his fur was soft and familiar as it tickled her mouth. "You taste like grasshoppers..." She mused aloud, relating the two flavors after listening to his strong heartbeat rustle against her cheek.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:23 am
He was still a dreamer and an idler, but of necessity, he had become more grounded in reality as he grew. Kedri answered Griever's lazy wag with a soft thump of his own tails against the dusty ground. His eyes closed entirely as she nibbled his eartip. A strong flavor of contentment wound through the heat of the afternoon; he let himself taste it, comfortable and happy. His tongue lolled out in a soft-edged smile. It was good to be here and now.
The final lick to his ear made him yip softly, ticklish. But it wasn't unpleasant. He opened an eye and peered at Griever, leaning against her as she bumped him affectionately. "Only if you'll nap with me," he chuckled, feeling the lazy inertia of the day catching at him again. It would be pleasant to curl in the shade with the dust-and-green-and-musk scent of his old friend's fur against him. "You've a nice comfortable spot, it seems!"
He laughed again. "Is that a good thing?" He had never minded that taste, himself, though he no longer often hunted the springing insects, finding the intent pounce-and-chase needed to catch the quick things to be too much effort for such a quick there-and-gone crunch between his teeth. Amiably, he turned his head to gently catch her eartip in his mouth, turning the gesture back onher.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:25 pm
A giggle that was almost embarrassing to the listener for its lack of self-consciousness spilled out of her, beyond pleased at the sound such a tiny lick had incited. If she remembered correctly - and there was nothing to imply that she didn't - he had been ticklish when younger too. Squirmy, like a frog draped in survivalist-slime, though not as difficult to catch. Maybe he was being purposefully still now, but that didn't diminish the entertaining thought in the slightest. There was only the warning light that blinked to say she should stop comparing her green companion to things she regularly snacked on, lest the gentle bullying become something more rough. She was curiously disinterested in anything but the easy, almost tender version of play that they'd discovered beneath the shade, wanting to keep it up for as long as possible.
"Me?" She asked at his suggestion, a private grin spreading over her features, unaware of the eye that swiveled to watch her as she fought to keep her neck straight under his slanting weight. "I guess I could make some time in my very busy schedule, though I don't want to hear any complaining if I kick you or chew on you while I'm asleep. I'm an active girl. And you are pretty comfortable."
His laugh sent a mirthful shudder down her own spine, feeling through her planted skull as well as hearing it. "Of course." She informed him in a tone of mock expertise. "They're little delicacies. It's especially nice to catch them straight out of the air. They taste different with a mouthful of grass and-" She paused when she felt muscles twitch to turn his head, warm breath on her ear before it was taken between the hard edges of teeth. The snared thing tried to flick with mild protest, but it only earned a low thrum of satisfaction from her mouth, changing the position of her paws and burying them so that she could apply more pressure to his shoulder in an attempt to delicately knock him over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:38 pm
"I won't complain," Kedri promised gravely. "I'm a patient person." The corners of his mouth quirked in a little smile. Laziness or patience, or a combination of the two? Did it matter? No, he decided. Her active quickness balanced out his quiet gravity. They had met somewhere in the middle.
"Grass, ick," he said playfully around her ear. "You and salads. I don't understand." As she leaned her weight on him, he whuffed a sigh of mock exasperation and let himself tip slowly over, surrendering to gravity and the push of her paws. The gleam of his eyes belied the false annoyance; he was not genuinely irritated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:23 pm
"You are? Since when?" Griever knew on some distant level that she was being unspeakably silly, but his reactions implied that it wasn't bad enough for her to take the time to rein it in yet. Either that, or he was actually appreciative of her humor, which would have been all the better. "And don't talk with your mouth full, baby boy. It's rude, especially when it's full of my ear." Her reprimand was less irritation and more chiming complacency, enjoying the reciprocation even if she hadn't started it with such an expectation. He was being careful, at least, his words shivering down the long, conical shape as though trying to breathe the same illuminated symbols that marked his ear onto her. The female's own obscure marks reshuffled as the fur was disturbed, her slate-pale eyes straining at their corners to watch him.
"It's not like I'm a vegetarian. If I were, maybe you could get away with wrinkling your nose at me." She argued with a snort, enthused when she felt him shifting with deliberate mindfulness toward the ground. The kitsusagi took his response as the last piece of a required invitation, coaxing her ear slowly out of his mouth so that she could crawl on top of him, her belly gliding over his ribs while multicolored tails wound themselves up in the opposing set. She beamed at the easily conquered territory, laying her head down so that her snout was in easy reach of his face. The girl's lips curled back, showing milky teeth before they began to softly graze along the pale fur near his mouth, cleaning the most obvious smudges that layered the whiteness there. "My messy, messy pushover." She murmured, the accusation honeyed enough to avoid becoming a slight. "Take me with you the next time you decide to get so dirty. It'll be more fun that way."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:16 am
Kedri thought about the question, and amended, "At least, too lazy to be too impatient." He nipped very gently at the ear in question. "But it's a tasty ear. I'm enjoying it," he said playfully. "And you understand me." That, perhaps, went deeper than the immediate. He liked that thought.
He let go of her ear without resistance, though. He had no desire to actually hurt her, and the angle would be awkward. "Oof," he said, complacent, as Griever's warm weight settled onto him. Sunset on shadow, her tawny warmth over his cool soft greens. He liked that thought, too. His eyes closed as she began to groom him. "Much more fun," he agreed. A low, soft chuckle escaped him. "We can share the getting dirty. It'll be enjoyable."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:25 pm
"That sounds more like it," She snickered, the wet circle of fur around one black-topped ear catching a breeze that the rest of her was oblivious to. He was probably hot beneath her, his thick fur plus her blanketing body hardly helped by their shady spot. The female would have to move before she suffocated him, but she could at least enjoy the advantage for a little longer since no complaints had been made. "You can have more later, glutton, but leave me enough to listen with, at least." Griever's lighthearted taunting was overrun by his last words, a gentler sentiment rising in the frozen waters of her eyes while she mused over the admittance. "Yeah, well, someone has to, right? Otherwise we'd both be misunderstood." Her tails swept over his, fur colors mingling and melding when the hairs crossed. "At least we have each other to lean on. And lay on. You're more comfy than you looked."
She took the dozing posture of her partner as a sign of unspoken pleasure, squirming a bit so that she could lift up a paw and try to cover the mouth she was working on. "Still no talking, buddy, you've got a stubborn bit of something sticky right here. I can't believe I missed out on whatever you rolled in to get it that way. And you better believe it, Kedri. I'll hold you to your word, so don't get any funny ideas about running off without me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
