Date Night

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

Inori gently wrapped one arm around Bambi, hugging her to her side, as the two walked through the woods. It wasn't one that was nearby her home. She thought someplace more foreign would feel a bit more... romantic. She did, however, choose to get them there in a more magical way. The teleportation magic she had performed left her a bit drained, but she couldn't help but feel it was worth it, and she was sure her favorite Deer would have thought about her needs ahead of it.

She was glad it was well into fall. The trees had already changed colors, giving vibrant yellows, oranges, and pinks. Some of the trees, perhaps a bit more unusual, gave some deep blues. She wasn't quite sure of the reasons behind it, but it gave the area it's own little charm.

The way Inori moved it seemed like she still had a destination in mind.

Number of Tails: 9  

[A Caracal Yokai]

Bambi, dressed warmly but comfortably for the weather, blushed lightly at how close Inori was holding her. A part of her had mixed feelings, if it had something to do with a possible drained effect of their travel, or perhaps the kitsune was just eagerly awaiting to get frisky…though a part of her hoped it wasn’t the latter. Not that the deer minded, as she enjoyed making love to the other woman…but at the same time, this was a foreign area to her. Who knew what or who might show up out of the blue.

But she would give Inori any and all support that she could, all while toting a large basket in her free arm. And it was needless to say that the atmosphere was indeed breathtaking. “We are not in your pocket dimension, are we? I do not believe I have ever seen the change of seasons within it. Where are we?” She asked, shifting the basket in her arm so that the weight of it would not affect the circulation of it much.

Vucas

 

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

"No, we are not in my pocket dimension. We're not even on Gaia." Inori commented with a soft smile. "Though I'm surprised that the seasons here follow so closely with what we know there." She commented. Yes, she had taken her to a whole other world. She glanced down at her Deer, watched her shift the large basket she carried.

"You're sure you don't want me to carry that for you?" She teased. Just another attempt to see what was in the basket. She always did like Bambi's surprises.When she wasn't appearing out of nowhere, of course.

Number of Tails: 9  

[A Caracal Yokai]

Oh…how often it seemed that Bambi would drop into Inori’s pocket dimension out of nowhere. The deer knew it to be a safe place, a place of comfort, a place of love and rest. At the mention of the basket, she quickly shifted it again and inched away from the kitsune. “I am sure. I have it.” She said reassuringly with a gentle smile.

She turned her head to look around even more. “I did not know you were able to teleport into other realms. Have you visited here before?” Bambi inquired, only knowing from personal experience that she could not go to another realm unless she either had already been there, or she used a specific set of runes on someone else to get her there. And the latter was something that caused her much grief in the end, as it caused her to go back in time, get bound to an unpleasant spirit, and left her hand with an unpleasant black hole of magical doom. Ok…that last part might be a bit extreme, but still…it made her worry from time to time, especially whenever she visited Inori in her pocket realm.

Vucas

 

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

Inori gave off one of her playful smirks to Bambi as she inched away, only to close the gap herself. It was worth a try at least. "I've done so quite a few times on accident. Not through my own power, mind you, but still. I've seen many other realms. I needed to check in with a few spellbooks to try and find a way to get here. I don't actually have any ability to teleport other than through advanced magics."

Inori remained quiet and thoughtful for a few moments after Bambi asked if she had visited here before. Finally she said, "I more than visited. This is... actually where I raised my children." She told her just as they stepped out of the wooded area into a beautiful lake that stretched out for a couple of miles in both directions. What looked to be wildflowers, some yellow, though some other warm colors such as red and orange, covered the overgrown grass of the area. There didn't appear to be any structures around the lake.

She glanced down at her Deer to check her reaction.

Number of Tails: 9  

[A Caracal Yokai]

Another blush and a few blinks of her violet hues at the mention of this being where Inori raised her children. And she wanted to share that with Bambi? She bowed her head a bit, feeling a mix of honor and shame, as she was reminded by a conversation with a certain spirit that teased her at the thought the kitsune only thought of the deer as a child…an adopted daughter. Granted, Bambi was fully aware that such thoughts were not true! What with all they did with each other in private, but…still…that memory and those words still stung her a little.

But such thoughts would soon be wiped away at the sight before them. Violet eyes widened as a field of wild flowers stretched out before them, and further ahead a glistening lake of such beauty and calmness. Bambi almost dropped her basket of goodies, which caused her to yeep momentarily as she fumbled with it just to keep it from crashing to the ground and possibly breaking any glass bits inside. Once she was certain that she had a firm hold on it, the deer would look up towards her lover with a beaming grin. “This is amazing! How ever did you ever learn of this place?!” Besides through a spell book!

Vucas

 

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

"I thought you'd enjoy seeing some of my history. You always did have brighter expressions when you've learned more about me." She said affectionately, seeing her reaction. Then came the question of how she ever learned of this place.

"We came upon this place by accident. I already told you that I jumped realms on accident multiple times due to varying circumstances. Most of them beyond my control. I set up another pocket dimension here in place of a dwelling just like in the forest near the Brewery in Gaia and connected it to a settlement several miles to the east."

She then gestured at the expanse of it. "Pick a spot for us to sit. I'll clear us up a spot."

Number of Tails: 9  

[A Caracal Yokai]

Bambi’s lighter blushes grew subtly darker at the mention of her own expression always brightening when learning more about the woman she loved. Inori had a way of seeing right through the deer, even if she couldn’t really read her thoughts. But it was like she knew what made her tick, and she found it slightly embarrassing from time to time, but other times she found it breathtaking.

She would ask more questions as she walked to an area where the air seemed the most refreshing, and asked more questions as Inori cleared up the spot. “How did you know that the area would be safe? I mean…I guess you could figure it out over time until you found a way back to your home realm, but…” Bambi rubbed the back of her neck, trying to clear her thoughts a bit better. “…how did you learn to trust other realms and the people that inhabit them?”

Vucas

 

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

"I believe you have some experience in that regard." Inori said as she cleared up the space, the long grass shortening and the wildflowers disappearing. It left enough space for a the two of them to share a blanket.

"You just have to, otherwise you spend your time in paranoia. I came here on accident three hundred years ago with my children, give or take a few decades. By then I was already used to finding myself in different realms and hadn't been in my original realm for centuries."

She then made a show of looking around the area. "Of course, I didn't have much in the way of faith in the people when I decided to settle down here. It's a remote area, better to stay out of the way."

Number of Tails: 9

Pleasantly Ridiculous

 

[A Caracal Yokai]

Yes, Bambi did have experience in it…but it didn’t mean she wasn’t curious as to how other people handled similar problems. She liked understanding another point of view, because it helped her gain perspective on various situations and how to handle them. She listened to Inori’s explanation, watching, waiting, before setting the basket down at the edge of the clearing. Opening it up, she pulled out a large, soft picnic blanket that she unfolded, whipped a couple of times to make sure the folds hadn’t creased, before spreading it out upon the ground.

Three hundred years ago…but the eldest daughter had five tails. And if Bambi remembered correctly, each tail aged the kitsune by a hundred years…right? “How long does it normally take to raise a kitsune child?” She thought to ask, pulling the basket to the center of the blanket so she could start unpacking it. First came some plates, cups, and utensils. Then came the food storage bins. In one bin was Cajun style macaroni and chicken salad, served cold with some very basic ingredients but still had quite a kick to it. Then came some vegan style spring rolls, made primarily with chopped vegetables, with a spinach wrap instead of the usual flour or rice made wraps. The deer made sure to bring along little containers of sauces and dressings for dipping, just to add a bit of extra flavor.

For something that was a bit heartier but didn’t require a source of heat to serve, Bambi made up several meat and cheese filled hoagies, made with a wide variety of thinly sliced salamis, hams, turkeys, beefs, cheddars, provolone, goudas, and some herbal mayo and mustards. For one’s sweet tooth, the deer packed cupcakes and cookies, and for beverages she brought some bottles from the brewery, that included some mead, cider, wine, and sake…as well as plenty of water and some fruit juice. How she managed to get it all to fit in the basket was a bit of a secret, though one with magical ingenuity might see some well-placed runes within the basket’s interior.

“It is understandable living in a remote area. I am glad that you were given the choice to…do…so…?” Bambi paused as she held up a plate for Inori. She noticed how the kitsune was purposely looking around, which forced the deer to slightly recoil and start listening for anything out of the ordinary. Were the sounds of birds typical of the area, or should there be something to be worried about? Bambi didn’t prep for a fight! She prepped for a picnic! Crap…did she remember her boot knife at least?!

Vucas

 

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

The Kitsune hadn't expected that question. She had to think back, as that was a rather more complicated concept. "A Kitsune child generally matures physically in forty to fifty years. Magically it could take anywhere between a hundred to two hundred. You'll know when they receive their second tail."

She showed a more mischievous smile and said, "Mentally... well... that could happen at any point in their lives. Early or later on."

As her Deer started speaking again, it took a couple of seconds for her to look down, just in time for Bambi to start trailing off. "I too am glad I was given the opportunity." She told her love. She knelt down and finished with, "Don't worry, I was just having a look around to see what else remained the same. There's a lot to this place and I want you to see all of it."

She reached for the held out place, leaning in a bit further to give Bambi a peck on the forehead.

Number of Tails: 9

Pleasantly Ridiculous

 

[A Caracal Yokai]

Bambi blinked momentarily, blushing from the peck on the brow while she processed what was said and what had happened. Ok. So…there was no immediate danger. Good. Blink. Kitsune children mature differently in various ways…and generally take longer than humans, more than likely due to their inherit magic. Ok. That’s understandable. Blink. And there was more to see…? She blinked a few more times. “Oh…ok!” The deer smiled softly and a subtle wiggle, giving Inori the plate before picking up the other one.

“So…I made a pasta salad, and some sandwiches, and…um…oh, there’s some cookies and cupcakes…and lots to drink.” She explained as she scooped some of the chicken macaroni onto her plate. “You looked a bit exhausted when we first arrived, and I figured you might need some extra protein or carbs or something to help you regain some of your energy.” Bambi continued to ramble on as she loaded up her plate with a hoagie and a couple of veggie rolls. “And I saw this recipe for a vegan spring roll that looked like it would be perfect for a picnic…oh! And the pasta salad is spicy…like, Cajun style spicy. Hmm…maybe I should have brought rolls or a different kind of bread than what I used for the hoagies…” And there she goes, getting side-tracked.

Vucas

 

[Vucas]

< ^ Inori ^ >
< ^ ~ The Nine-Tailed Kitsune ~ ^ >

The Kitsune happily took the plate Bambi offered and as well as started putting food onto the plate. She basically grabbed a little of everything and piled it onto her plate while she listened to her Deer excited talk about what she had brought with them and the recipes she had discovered. She always did enjoy her cooking.

"What kind of drinks did you provide for us?" Inori asked, a very affectionate tone and expression beaming toward her love's direction. She ate a bit more slowly then she might have normally. She wanted to enjoy the moment.

Number of Tails: 9

Pleasantly Ridiculous

 

[A Caracal Yokai]

Bambi licked her lips, being slightly distracted by Inori’s question about the drinks. Another blink of her eyes as she reprocessed what it was she talking about and what it was she supposed to be talking about. “Oh! Right!” She popped the last bite of the veggie-roll into her mouth before she set her plate aside and leaned over to fish the bottles out of the basket.

“Ok…we’ve got…um…” She took a moment to read the labels…as the deer was feeling a little absentminded with the sudden song that decided to pop into her head. “…a bottle of Apple and Blackberry Cider, Edward’s homebrewed mead, a bottle of sweet Riesling wine, and…” Inside the basket, she saw to strange figures singing gibberish that caused Bambi to hesitate in picking up the last bottle. Her left hand shook for a moment, which kept her from uttering the words that would have made the hallucination stop…but she had only just started reducing the amount of the energy potion she had been using to calm the hand’s cravings. She didn’t want to undo what she had just started.

With a shake of her head and a sniffle, she reached past the hallucination and pulled out the last bottle. “…and a bottle of Mun Sake…as well as some lemonade and water…” She declared quietly with a weak smile. Looking back towards Inori as the song quietly came to its end, her eyes brightened a bit more at the radiant sight of the exotic woman she loved. “Which one would you like?”

Vucas