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 Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 9:58 am
Maiko wasn't really sure how to reply. Of course she liked Derez, but she hadn't known him long. How could she be sure that he could be trusted? Derez didn't look like he was lying, but had no reason to like her really. Even if he did like her, he hadn't said much in the last few minutes that really impressed her.
"Of course I'm just me. Why would I want to be anyone else?" She stared at him, trying to figure out who he really was. "I'm forgetful, and happy, and I love racing, and the snow but you already know those things because they're who I am. I don't know anything about you. You either don't show anyone who you are or you are what I see and that's a very conflicted fox who hides in the back of the crowd, to afraid to live his life how he wants." Her words coming from any other fox may have seemed harsh but her tone was easy and almost filled with pity instead of malice.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:04 am
Ouch. The dark male could tell Maiko was trying to be nice and speak logically and although her words were soft, the reality behind them still stung. She was right, but not just about of her accusations but both. He didn't let anyone see who he was. And because of it, he had become a coward, pretending to be someone he wasn't in fear of being rejected.
Ironic, he thought. He became the way he is because he was afraid that foxes would reject him otherwise but here he was being rejected by the cutest fox he'd ever seen because he wasn't being himself. The universe must hate me, he thought as he hung his head.
"I wanted to be someone else to fit in." He stated, his voice full of regret. "And you're right. I don't let foxes know me. I do hide." He looked up at her, his voice turning hopeful. "But I can break out of that. I can let you know me. The real me. And then you could decide if you like me too."
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:16 am
Maiko was thinking about answering his statement about wanting to fit in with a lecture she had received from her mother when she was little but the lecture was completely erased from her mind when she heard his proposal.
He would show her the real him? Would he really be so different? Maybe the real him was fun... Her mind began to race with "what if's" about the real personality of the dark blue and black male in front of her. It could almost be like their little secret. Oh how Maiko loved secrets. And she knew others loved telling her secrets because she was great at keeping them! Most of the time at least... Or at least she thought so... Maybe...
She realized she had gone off in a daze and brought her attention back to Derez. "Okay." She said finally. "Show me the real you."
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:24 am
Derez blinked a few times at the vixen before answering.
".....Now?" He asked looking at her questioningly. He wasn't sure what he had expected and supposed he should have expected this. Maiko's mind worked differently from other foxes, of course she would take him seriously when he said he'd show her the real him. But who was the real him? Derez sat staring at her. He wasn't sure who he really was.
"Well... I would but... you see.... " He racked his brain for a way to explain such a complicated subject to her. It was strange, she seemed to understand some of the most complex feelings or situations but at the same time, it didn't seem like she really understood anything. "This isn't the right environment. We're to close to the tribe. They put me on edge and make me pretend again. I can't be the real me around anyone else."
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:31 am
For a split second, doubt filled Maiko's mind. It almost seemed like Derez was making up excuses not to show her the real him which made it easy to doubt that there was a real Derez. He had probably pretended so long that he had turned into the pretend Derez instead of the real one.
Buuut, as she thought about the possibility that it might just be their current setting, her mind took off with places she could take him to make him real again. There were so many places she had explored in the area that she hadn't told anyone about. Mainly because no one had asked, but also because she forgot how to get back to many of them. She was pretty horrible with directions.
"Well then. We'll just have to leave." Maiko spoke with a tone of finality and gave one short head nod as she hopped up and began to trot past Derez.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:36 am
Derez had expected Maiko to give up pushing him for the real him but to his surprise, she did just the opposite.
"Wait, what?" Derez said jumping up after her and dashing to her side. "Leave? Just like that? You're just going to abandon your tribe, your friends, everyone?" His disbelief was clear on his face. Of all the things he thought Maiko would do, this was definitely not one of them. She was way to social, surely she wouldn't really want to run off with him. And what about him? Was she really expecting him to just run off with her? Leave everything and just... leave?
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:42 am
Derez was one strange fox, Maiko thought. He wants to show her the real him but he can't because he has to leave to do it but then doesn't want to leave? That made no sense at all. But that was her life, surrounded by silly foxes who didn't make any sense. With a sigh, she turned her head towards Derez as they walked.
"We're not abandoning anyone." She said with an over dramatic roll of her eyes. "I disappear all the time. Nika just passes it off as I've gotten lost again." She paused turning her head forward again. "Come to think of it, most of the time I go off I have gotten lost again. But that's not the point. The point is, it's okay to go off sometimes. As long as we come back. The tribe only really needs us for racing and that's not happening for awhile." She turned her head back towards Derez. "Our friends will be fine, they have each other. Sometimes you need to take personal time away from the tribe and it's clear you need some desperately."
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:46 am
She was really serious. Derez wasn't sure what to do now. Maiko was actually serious about leaving the tribe with him. Just the two of them. So that he could be himself and not afraid no one would accept him. But would she accept him? He was beginning to feel as if he was grating on her nerves, even if she did agree to leave the tribe with only him.
"Yeah but..." He trailed off looking for the words to say. "But what if you don't like the real me." He said in a small voice. "What if you leave the tribe with me and it ruins our friendship because you find out that you don't like me at all and in fact you hate me." He kept his eyes on the ground has he walked and spoke. Maiko was known for loving and accepting anyone but what if he became the one fox she couldn't handle? What if he was really that bad at making friends?
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:55 am
A laugh exploded from Maiko and she had to stop walking and bury her face in what little melting snow remained on the ground. It took her a moment to compose herself. She looked at Derez who was staring at her in what almost seemed like shock and busted out laughing again.
"I-I'm s-sorry!" She said between laughing gasps. "That's just- that's just the silliest thing I-I've ever heard!" Another wave of laughter rolled through her. After another moment of uncontrollable laughter, she straightened up and turned to face Derez, a wide smile on her face.
"Sorry." She said again. "But you're talking crazy fox talk. I mean, I could have sworn I heard you ask if our friendship would be ruined if you actually acted how you want. And that's just so silly. Of course our friendship wouldn't be ruined. Derez, who could being happy ruin anything? If you think happiness is a bad thing for you to have and that it comes with punishments and stuff then you're in the wrong place altogether. I'm sure there is a mentally deranged tribe out there for you." She was walking again, talking as she did so.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 11:00 am
His first reaction was shock, had he said something funny? Or was there something on his fur? But as she continued to laugh and say his fear was silly, Derez couldn't help but feel hurt. Hurt that he had just confessed a fear that she laughed at. But he could see her point. If someone had said that to him, he would have thought them, for lack of a better word, silly as well.
"You didn't have to laugh like that though..." He said very softly, trying to hide his hurt. "And it's not that silly. It could happen. I mean, you might not like how I act without restraining myself, without holding back the real me. Because you don't know the real me and you don't know how I like to act or what I'd do." He puffed up a little at the end, feeling like he had something to prove to her. He wasn't some cheery go lucky fox. No, the real Derez was confident, smart, daring, he thought. Yeah, daring and bold. That summed him up well he thought. Or at least the fox he wanted to be.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 11:06 am
Maiko threw a sideways glance at Derez walking beside her. He seemed hurt. Had she been to hard on him by laughing? Nah, how could anyone find laughter insulting? Laughter was always fun. Foxes had laughed at her her entire life but she didn't mind. It's good at least that they had one thing in their sad lives they could laugh about.
Derez's tone caught her attention though. "Oh really?" Maiko asked the smile still wide on her muzzle. "And it doesn't seem like you know everything I will say or do, does it?" She dashed and jumped in front of him, blocking his path. They locked eyes and she stared at him daringly. "Do it. Act like you want to. Stop holding back and just be you. Do what you want to do. And then we'll see what happens to our relationship." She challenged him.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 11:11 am
Derez was taken aback. She had done it again, surprised him. He had once thought she was very predictable but the past twenty minutes of their conversation had completely surprised him in almost every way. Here she was, her face just inches away from his, blocking his path and telling him to do what he wants to do without social pressure. Maybe he didn't know the real her just like she didn't know him. Was it possible that Maiko hid part of herself?
After a moments hesitation Derez finally said "Fine."
Then, as quickly as he could, he closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her... And gasped as his face plunged through empty air. And gasped again as a snowball smacked his muzzle, leaving his face stinging and momentarily blind.
He blinked continuously in surprise.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 11:19 am
Maiko let out another laugh, this time it was more of a giggle. She curled her tail around the snow again, snaking it around, and crushing the snow into a tiny ball. Once it was firm, she rolled it onto the fluff of her tail easily with her back right paw.
"Tsk, tsk." She said still smiling at Derez. "If you want to surprise a girl with a kiss, you can't go for it right after you finish confessing your feelings. Besides, my Momma told me to never kiss a fox before you've seen their den." She launched the second snowball at Derez. It hit his shoulder just below his neck.
"The first was for trying to kiss me. The second was for taking so long to try it." She giggled again and dashed off, kicking snow in Derez's face playfully.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 11:24 am
What....Just....Happened? Derez was trying to make his mind work but his whole body felt numb. He couldn't process what was happening. Slowly, ever so slowly, the wheels started turning. He hadn't given Maiko enough credit. And she wasn't only cute and bouncy, she was actually so smart when it came to feelings and how to handle them. She was true, pure, and full of such unconditional love. Derez stared after her. He hadn't even noticed the second snowball hitting him, it was hardly big enough to be called a snowball really. The first one had only taken him by surprised because he was expecting a kiss, not snow to the face.
"I... Uh..." Derez tried to make any words come out of his mouth but the words wouldn't come. Realizing that Maiko had dashed away and had at least a five second lead on him, he dashed after her at full speed.
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 11:37 am
Maiko didn't stop to see if Derez was coming after her, she just assumed he would. Not many foxes can turn down a snowball challenge after getting hit in the face. But Derez didn't know that she was the snowball queen. It was her favorite thing to do besides race... and burrow.... and play hide-and-seek.... and--
She cut off the thoughts, trying to stay focused on the game. She could now hear the faint crunch of a fox barreling through the snow behind her. As quickly and silently as she could, she dashed up the nearest tree and perched herself on of the lower branches. Poised like a cat, she waited until Derez was under her. Once he was in position, she gave one hard bounce on the tree branch and sent a branch's worth of snow sloshing down on him.
Knowing her hiding spot was ruined and that the snow would buy her only a few seconds of time, Maiko jumped from the tree and broke into another run, giggling as she did so.
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