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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:11 pm
She nodded with a smile, "If you want, stand still and I'll brush the rest off for you. You do look rather silly with them on, after all." Still, the image of him as a Halloween bush monster would remain imprinted on her mind for the following days. It would be too funny to pass up for anything else.
Following his lead, she was glad the pond was in fact where she remembered it. He seemed rather thankful he finally got his long awaited drink. Akari gazed at him with a gentle smile, as always. She merely sat a couple steps away from him, watching him drink.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:38 pm
After finally drinking his fill, or perhaps more, since his stomach had started to hurt, he pulled away from the water. A few flicks of his tongue stopped the dripping, but he still had a moist ring around his maw. As if to further enjoy the satisfaction of a cooled throat, he stretched, tails flicking aimlessly out behind him as he let out a simple yawn. Blinking yawn-induced tears from his eyes, the dark male stepped further from the pond and back towards Akari.
A smile signaled he was ready to take her up on her offer. "If you wouldn't mind," he said politely, holding his smile from turning sheepish once more. Instead, he stood perfectly still, save for the rise and fall of his form that came with breathing. "The leaves are kinda annoying..."
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:55 am
She chuckled lightheartedly at his carefree request. Even if his smile still revealed his shy personality, it was still rather innocently cute. "I think if you leave them on you for a while longer, they'll start to take root and eventually a tree will sprout from you!" She joked with a grin upon her maw.
Akari lifted up a paw, lightly brushing the leaves, twigs and whatever else off his back. Eventually a small pile of flora scattered on both sides of Sere as she continued to brush the remaining bits off.
"That should do it," She said softly with a smile.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:30 pm
Although he'd done his best not to, Sere couldn't help but look a bit bothered by the idea of sprouting a tree from his fur. How heavy that would be! "I'm glad I have you here, then." He doubted his weak frame could carry something like that for very long. Of course, it would never happen, the logical side of his mind attempted to assure him. Still, his expression was both thoughtful at the idea and equally thankful that she was removing any chance of a large, heavy tree growing unwanted on his person.
"Thanks," he said genuinely when she'd finished. He shook out his pelt, sending the leaves at their paws gently fluttering away with the wind he created. When he'd settled again, black fur still stood just a bit, fluffed out by the action.
For a time afterward, he stared at the ground, watching a few of the leaves still dancing and unable to find rest. Suddenly, he felt a little restless himself. Shifting from one paw to the other, he lifted his gaze to the femme. "I, well... appriciate it..." he muttered in continued thanks, the ghost of the self he was trying to strengthen reappearing once more. However, he pushed it away as best he could, taking the tiniest step closer and giving her a lick on the cheek.
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:57 pm
The lick on her cheek to her was a totally innocent gesture. She, of course, was probably oblivious to what Sere was trying to send through that "kiss" of his. Normally one would think of it as a gesture shared only by very close friends or even mates. In Akari's mind, however, it was like any other gesture. Her thoughts simply didn't...flow that way. Not unless acted upon by an outside force, of course.
In her outside conscience, she only saw Sere as a friend, a close friend. Unless Sere made the first move, Akari will always think of him as that, nothing more. The same went for anybody else. Of course, if Sere said something to make her think otherwise, her thoughts might take a detour elsewhere in which she would've never made herself.
"That's what friends are for, right?" She replied back happily.
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:15 pm
The dark male's head tilted slightly as he backed off. "Right..." he responded, smiling as best he could. If nothing else, he was the less oblivious of the two. There was something about her tone, completely friendly, that threw him off. He was aware that she didn't quite understand what he'd been trying to say. That, or she just didn't feel what he was starting to feel. The confusion made him a bit self-conscious. He shrunk back a bit more.
It didn't help that he wasn't the most forward of Kitsu. Other males would probably just come out and say it. In fact, wasn't it the normal occurance, stereotypical or not, that the male made the first move? Sere didn't quite feel up to the task. "Friends..." he muttered, bowing his head slightly so bangs covered amber eyes. It was then he remembered her words and how hard she'd tried to get him to stop acting so skittish and quiet. Sucking in a deep breath, he rasied his head.
With a smile, as genuine as he could manage, he nodded in the direction they'd come from. "Now that I got my drink, wanna keep walking?" He asked, sounding rather happy. "Or we could go back to the HQ, if you'd prefer."
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:55 pm
Aside from the fact that Akari was as oblivious as a brick wall, anyone else with some sort of common sense could see, or at least suspect Sere's feelings. The female, however, never experienced such things. She always thought in her oblivious little mind that everyone was a friend. Certainly, there were ones that weren't as openly friendly as others, but in her mind they were still friends to her. Anything beyond friends was truly non-existent since she never traveled down that road. Perhaps if she had some parental guidance or other friends who could enlighten her in the situation she would come to understand sooner rather than later.
Though the female always felt slightly...different in his presence. She of course, acted the same as always. Cheerful and friendly was her motto and way of life. Even so, she always felt...warm, maybe even safe around him. His friendship was dear to her, more treasured than anything else. Perhaps one day she would come to realize that Sere, above all, was her most treasured person.
Her golden eyes stared at him curiously as he went from sulking back up to a little-less-than-regular Sere. Though the smile threw her off for a bit there. "Sere's smiles were always the best," She threw out simplemindedly, "And I don't have a preference as to where we go. So as long as I'm with you I'll go anywhere," she nodded happily and genuinely. Those were rather...embarrassing remarks, but of course she wouldn't know such things. Akari simply spoke her mind and nothing more. Her words didn't really have a deeper meaning, though most would think otherwise.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:08 pm
Maybe it was wrong to be confused, but that was certainly how he felt at this point. Dark ears slid back, but didn't remain still. Instead, they flicked restlessly, moving back against his skull, then rising again to a normal level. That was always a sign of real thought. In his mind, he saw images of his father, shaking his head with a sigh. And his mother and brother, each grinning at him as if they knew his every thought and were overly amused. Huffing, he shook the sights away. His mind was escaping a little too much into the unrealistic and away from what currently mattered.
"You..." he stopped, not exactly sure how to answer. Part of him wanted to hide under a rock just because of her innocent statement about his smiles. "You think so?" he finally got out, amber eyes playing between excitement at the basic idea and sad understanding that she likely didn't mean anything by it. Slightly shrinking in a playful manner, he laughed his nervousness away. "I think your smiles are nice, too," he told her honestly. The only sign that he meant more by the compliment was the awkward sway of his tails.
"Really nice..." he said mid-laugh as he looked away, eyes catching their surroundings so he wouldn't have to view her unknown 'rejection' of his feelings. Thinking of her last words, he sighed, staring ahead at nothing in particular. If she would go anywhere, maybe he could lead her far away so neither of them could ever find their way back. He grimiced bitterly. Such stupid, selfish thoughts. That wasn't very Sere-like. "I guess we can keep going, then," he decided, turning back to flash a quick grin before starting away from the pond.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:03 pm
Akari nodded with full confidence. Sere's smiles always made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. His smiles for some reason seemed to radiate into her heart, warming her all over. They were the light of her world. Correction, he was the light of her world, though she would not come to realize this anytime soon.
"Thank you, I like smiling," She laughed cheerfully. Smiles were what made the world go round, or so she would like to think. Her eyes weren't as observant as they should have been, but even if they saw the awkward swaying, she wouldn't have thought much of it.
"You think so? Well, I think your smiles are better," She nodded firmly. At his command, she continued their way away from the pond. Midway through the bushes, she twirled around to ask, "I forgot to ask, but where should we go? Is there somewhere you had in mind?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:39 pm
Sere was certainly glad she liked smiling. After all, the more she liked it, the more she would do it, right? It was a nice thing to think about. "Well, I think your smiles are better." But really, who were either of them to say? It's not like they could both look in a mirror at the same time and have a smiling contest. Then again, it didn't much matter. They would both probably still say the same thing.
On the way through the bushes, he was extra careful to avoid as many clingy leaves as possible. There was a point he thought about letting a few cling, though. Then he might have to ask for her help again, which he didn't much mind. But those thoughts were interrupted by her voice. "I dunno. I really don't know many places." He stopped just outside the bushes, looking thoughtful about the subject. Maybe, if he could just think of somewhere nice and solitary to take her, he could find the courage to express how he felt. Just the idea made him immediately embarassed and he began to fidget. If only he wasn't such a coward.
Shaking his head, he laughed, smiling sheepishly. "Let's just keep walking. Maybe we'll... find some place nice."
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:51 pm
Akari didn't know too many places outside of HQ, either. All her travels were usually either around HQ, or back at her human's home. It's usually a direct path from there to here. There have been times when she wanted to veer off course a little bit, but she didn't want to miss the chance to meet new people. It seemed this time she did veer off course, though, with a little help from Sere. She was glad for that, of course.
"Hmm, ok. Maybe we could find some place nice to watch the sunset. It'd be nice to watch it from a new place. I'm sure at that new place, the sunset will seem more beautiful than usual," She smiled happily. She have seen sunsets from many different places, and each of them she thought was more wonderful than the last. That's just the type of kitsu she was. Because everyone was so wonderful, it made the world wonderful in return.
"I'm sure if I watch it with you, the sunset will seem even more wonderful than if I watch it myself," She smiled innocently. Her meaning was no deeper than the surface. She was sincere, of course, but there was nothing hidden under her words, she knew nothing but the surface...Well, she did, she could beautiful everything and turn it into a positive, but aside from that, she didn't know of the type of love Sere was searching for in her...At least not consciously.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:33 pm
Watching the sunset. It was like one of those things from a romance novel. Something that made Sere feel slightly uncomfortable and all too foolish. And yet, he couldn't back down now. Perhaps she would be upset with him if he were to voice his fears about her idea. Besides, it was a good one, especially considering the constant stampede of ideas his brain was pumping out on good ways to tell her how he felt. Even if she was too busy watching the sunset to hear what he said, at least he would feel better knowing that he'd said something at all.
"Sounds like a good idea," he agreed with a smile, glancing around. If he was correct, there was a clearing of sorts nearby. Something his father had told him about when he was a kit. It had to be true. His dad didn't venture outside enough to mistake one place for another.
"This way," he muttered, afraid he could be wrong, but not enough to keep him from looking anyway. It actually didn't take as long as he thought to reach the place India had mentioned. It wasn't a large clearing, but the trees formed a large enough ring that the sky was visible. It was like looking though a natural window up at the already changing scene. The sun had just begun to paint the clouds different colors as it prepared to sleep until the next day.
Taking a seat, he wrapped his tails nervously around his paws, wondering what to do. The sky didn't seem to have any answers as he looked up into it. Sucking in a deep breath, he decided he would only wait until Akari got comfortable. The 'right thing to say' kept swirling and changing over and over in his mind. There was always that underlying fear that she wouldn't feel the same. Always that fear that saying the wrong thing could ruin their friendship. But it was too late to turn back now. He'd never felt so strongly for anyone before. He couldn't just ignore it any longer.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:43 pm
At first, the pale blue female was a little confused as to where they were going. She just assumed her friend remembered a good place to venture off to. Part of her expected it to be a good place to watch the sunset, as she mentioned earlier. Seeing a sunset with Sere would mean the world to her right now. He was her closest and best friend so far. It was more than friendship, she just couldn't quite grasp it right now.
Silently, she followed her dark furred friend with her tails wiggling behind her excitedly. She couldn't wait for what wondrous surprises awaited her. And quite the surprise it was. Despite the ring of trees, she could see the already partially painted sky. In fact, the ring of trees made it stand out more. As if it were encasing the sky into one focal point.
Sitting herself next to her friend, she smiled excitedly. How glorious! The painted sky with all its brilliant colors, and to see it with her friend, Sere! It was like killing two birds with one stone. Her eyes for a brief moment wandered away from the beautiful sky, "Thank you, Sere. It's gorgeous! And to watch it with you makes it even more so!" She couldn't contain her excitement anymore. It was all just too wondrous.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:01 pm
For a long moment, the male's gaze remained trained on the sky. Even when he was spoken to, he did nothing but smile. Finally, he lowered his eyes to the ground, smile just barely widening and eyes narrowing in a gentle way. "I'm glad..." he said quietly, just enough so the air would catch it and make it audible. All three tails twitched as if debating movement.
The grass seemed the most interesting thing for a time longer. Still, his mind raced with ideas about the right way to say something. However, the more he thought, the more he realized that there would never be a right thing to say. Not really. The best thing would be to keep it simple, right? Simple, simple. It was like tiny sprites were giving him a pep-talk in his head.
Sucking in another deep breath, he finally went for it. His tails moved in an almost automatic fashion, wriggling and intertwining with hers as he'd seen his mother and father do many times. Internal images of both extreme and little importance flashed madly in an indiscernible jumble. And then his mind went blank, leaving nothing but that last push. "I really like you Akari..." he started, barely pausing. "I like you as more than a friend. You make me feel special. No one has ever made me feel more like it was okay to be me." Amber eyes left the ground, searching for her eyes. "I love you."
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:49 pm
His first words just simply made her smile, but it seemed like the calm before the storm. While his words made her feel at ease, it also made her feel anxious at the same time. She had no idea why she was feeling anxious. Her friend was right there next to her, but she couldn't help but feel something bad might happen. It felt as if Sere would tell her something terrible, like for whatever reason they couldn't be friends anymore. If that were to happen, she would not only be at a loss for words, but would undoubtedly shatter on the spot.
When his tails touched with hers, she couldn't explain it...but she could feel her heart racing faster and faster, so if about to burst from her rib cage. Not only that, but internally she felt warmer than usual, as if an internal oven just heated up within her. It was such a strange and unusual feeling...yet she couldn't help but find herself enjoying it. She longed for it...such comfort. Never had she ever felt such warmth in her life. She grew up never knowing a parents', or a siblings' love. Her only family wasn't of blood, so sometimes it got awkward for the others. It wasn't the same. No, even when she was with her father for that one brief moment after her birth, it didn't feel as warm as this.
He left her speechless; what was she supposed to say in response to that? Nobody ever advised her, and she never learned from anyone else. Right now the only most natural was to allow these warm, salty liquids to fall from her eyes. Sere had done nothing wrong, she wanted to assure him, but found herself unable to express anything in words. It was the first time she experienced such warmth...the warmth that she missed her entire life up until now.
Rather than trying to choke some words out of her unwavering voice box, she leaned in closer against the dark male, her face temporarily buried in his neck. She wanted to stop her tears, but found herself unable to.
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