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 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:42 am
It was a normal day in the swamp. The temperatures soared, and the humidity was high. It was muggy, the air was heavy, and everything seemed to move more sluggishly than normal. The murky waters of the marsh stood still, refusing to move in such intense heat. Mudstripe was like any other Kimeti under such conditions. He hid from the heat. A wide swath of fronds provided a nice "umbrella" from the blazing sun, under which he lounged. Laying on one side, with all legs tucked up to his stomach, Mudstripe half-napped, half-watched the goings on of the swamp... Well, what little there was going on.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:51 am
Spring Sky had gotten tired of hiding in the tangled roots of a tree, and so left his shelter in search of a better way to stay cool. The mud that slid past his hooves and onto his ankles was just as warm as everything else, and terribly uncomfortable. He found a tree, the fronds of which held some sort of beaded dew, and knocked against the leaves with his horns. The dew sprinkled down, smattering his face and snout. It was cooler than the air, that was for certain, but it wasn't quite good enough. Spring snorted and stamped the earth in frustration.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:57 am
Having lived in the marsh his entire life, Mudstripe was used to the heat. But! That didn't mean he had to like it. The fronds he hid beneath provide ample shade to cover him, but it wasn't really much cooler than if he just stood in the sun. Movement caught his eyes, and the buck slowly turned his head to watch the light-blue colored buck try vainly to relieve the blistering heat. "Does that work?" Mudstripe asked, curious to know whether he had succeeded in providing relief, at all.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:01 am
Spring Sky shook his head, sending beads of water spraying in either direction. He heaved a sigh, his breath only rising to mingle with the unreasonable amount of moisture in the air. "A bit," he replied to the buck he had only just now noticed, "but not nearly enough."
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:28 am
It was somewhat of a let down to find out that the other buck's method of cooling down wasn't really helpful. A disdainful snort was given in response, and Mudstripe remained silent. The buck moved, however, rising to all fours and stretching out his body languidly. A longing glance was given towards the edge of the marsh, it's waters could provide relief. But that would mean leaving his shady retreat, and walking underneath the blazing sun -- and Mudstripe would rather avoid that.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:46 pm
Spring's throat felt dry, and so he went down to the shore of the marsh, sipping the water gently. It was dirtier than he was used to, more contaminated, but he didn't care. Moisture was moisture.
He felt bad for the darker-colored Bucks and Does in the swamplands. How the sun beat down on them, absorb into their fur, stay there, trapped and awful...
The thought itself made him feel warmer, and so he collapsed to his knees in the water, and then lowered his rump. Ooh...that was nice...
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:52 pm
Spurred to move by the other buck entering the water, Mudstripe decided to stop hiding in his shaded spot. With a glance around, to make sure that no Kimeti were lurking, waiting to steal his hideaway, the buck moved towards the marsh's edge. His hooves hit to cool water, and it pooled around his ankles -- it was nice. Forget the fact that it was dirty. It was cool, and refreshing!
Mudstripe took a few moments for himself, eyes closed as he stepped into deeper water. It rose up to mid-leg, and would go no further. The muck at the bottom suctioned his hooves, holding him in place, but it was of no matter. This buck wasn't going anywhere fast.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:56 pm
Spring Sky just wallowed in the shallower water, lowering his head and blowing dirty bubbles. His face was cooled, his nose, his muzzle, his head. When he brought his head up from the water, he spoke again. "It's wonderful."
The buck's back, is blue horns, glowed faintly under the water, the dirt turning the light green.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:59 pm
Mudstripe's hide was so naturally colored that he seemed to hide perfectly underneath the murky, dirty water. He refrained from dipping his nose into the water. Instead, he was satisfied watching the other buck blow bubbles. "Fun?" Mudstripe did not respond to Spring Sky's remark of how nice the water felt, but instead decided to touch upon his methods of self-amusement.
He was a buck of few words, for sure.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:13 pm
He certainly was, but Spring was a very understanding buck and accepting of others' idiosyncrasies, no matter how irritating. "Yes, a bit," he said, tilting his head, "I find it enjoyable to act like a foal again."
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:21 pm
Mudstripe didn't care that Spring Sky found it fun to blow bubbles. Blow all day, if you want! It just wasn't to his fancy. He was a quiet buck, keeping mostly to himself -- which is what he did. Nothing to say back to Spring Sky, to Mudstripe turned his eyes back to the water and muck at his feet, watching it swirl and cloud as he shifted his weight.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:25 pm
Spring walked out deeper into the water until it became impossible, and then he swam, kicking furiously. He seemed to be having a bit of trouble keeping his head above the water, but he didn't seem to mind much. When he made it to the other edge, he began back again.
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