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 Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:24 pm
 A soft breeze caressed the tree tops, rustling their leaves like a gentle mother would run her fingers through her child's hair. The hush noise that came from the forest would sound beautiful and wondrous to anyone who came to relax in the clearing. Nighttime was falling over the land of Nippon, and Mother Nature was preparing her children for slumber. The soft, whispered lullaby of the nearby river could cure any ill thought. Soothe any troubled soul.
Except for one.
A pair of solemn indigo eyes peered out across the river that looked as if it were set on fire by the setting sun. The mind that held those eyes pushed past any beauty that was trying to register, and processed the image as just a trick of the foolish gaze. The river was not on fire. Nor would it ever be. It was only the reflection of that ball of orange light. It would never be anything more than rushing water... But how come, if that was to be true, how come the image cast a sense of incredible sadness over the lone soul in the clearing?
Vidar, the ever faithful son of Sazanami, cleared his mind of all thoughts and emotions as best he could, but there was no hiding from his mixed feelings about the morning to come. As a pup, he had decided that he would follow his mother wherever she went... And she had always spoken of traveling to Kyushu. That day had been so far away only a little while ago, but here it was, looming over him like a black cloud on an especially beautiful picnic. V had never thought that he would have trouble leaving Honshu, considering he had planned not to make any emotional connections here (Emotions were just a silly tangle of threads that only tied you up, anyway).
That plan had obviously gone horribly wrong.
Enter Chishiki, the petite female he had asked to meet him in that particular clearing that evening. He had met her as a pup, and for whatever reason, had taken an immediate liking to her. Whether it was her curious personality, or her odd understanding of Vidar at such a young age that got him to care for her, it remained a mystery to the tall male. But whatever she had done, he had opened up to her and she had grown on him to the point of... Well, that's what V was hoping to understand that night. What was it exactly that he felt for Chishiki? The older male already knew that he cared for the petite girl like he did for his own mother, but there was something there that was unrecognizable to him. Something he didn't understand, and it drove him crazy.
In any case, he was waiting for her with a small parting present of his own... Hoping that maybe a small gift would make his leaving any easier.
In the back of his mind, Vidar knew it wouldn't help.
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:36 pm
 Paws bid their time thoughtfully, stepping into a particularly squishy patch of moss. Despite the feel, the female didn't recoil. Instead, she lowered her nose closer to the strange smelling growth, sniffing until her muzzle scrunched. It was rather unpleasant And yet, otherwise unphased, she rose back up and continued on towards the promised destination.
A subconscious realization started to form and her tail picked up a sway. Observant or not, she had been oblivious to the reasons behind this meeting. In her mind, it was just another chance to be with Vidar. Those times were always her happiest.
Perhaps, she tried to decide, they were going to do something particular to the nighttime. Usually asleep at a decent hour, Chishiki hadn't done much exploring in the dark. It would do quite well to add some night-knowledge to her mental repertoire. A little bit of sleepy feeling in the morning would be worth it and maybe it would be best to get used to staying up late. She wasn't a pup anymore.
Coming out of a stretch of trees, she lifted her head to the sky, viewing the slow changes that had taken place since she'd begun her trip here. The once bleeding sky had begun to dull into a deep purple. Still, over enjoying the sights, she wondered why it happened, how it worked. Her mind was always running.
Lowering her gaze, she spotted a back in the distance, the one she was looking for. She smiled gently, maw parting to call out. "Vidar!"
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:46 pm
At any other time, the sweet call would have cheered the forest green male right up. But the weight of delivering the news to the gentle female hung heavy on his heart, and he had to force a small smile to his face when he turned to greet her.
"Chishiki." He stood from his place in the clearing and moved over to press his nose to her shoulder in a small hello. Vidar was beginning to think that he didn't have the guts to tell her that he was leaving in the first place. But wouldn't it be worse if he just left her wondering what happened to him? Shaking those thoughts from his head, he sighed and pulled back to look at the small female, a wider smile on his face. No matter the situation, she was able to make him happier without fail.
What in the world did that mean?
"I'm glad you could make it..." V almost forgot why he had invited her out to the clearing in the first place. Maybe it was the smallest part of his mind trying to swallow the reality of it all. Chi tended to bring that part of him out. It was small and fragile, and quite innocent. Ignored, most of the time. Nothing could come out of being weak and fragile anyway. His tail swept across the grass as it swayed in an uplifted mood, and it was hard for Vidar not to focus on Chishiki's fur as the sun burst through the trees to give her a fiery orange aura. Like the river, somewhere in his rational mind, he knew it was a trick of the light again, but from that now dominant, dreaming side of his mind... V saw it as real. Like she was his little charm that brought him luck and life, and the aura was nothing short of showing how important she stood for him.
But then he blinked and realized that no matter what she was to him, he was still leaving tomorrow, and it would not change a thing.
His smile slipped a bit, and the realistic side of his mind took hold again, making him shiver from the sudden rush of cold nerves throughout his body.
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:52 pm
Around her friend, she seemed smaller than the average petite. And it was even truer when he stood and she was forced to lift her chin more. It hardly seemed to bother her, however. By now it was something she had grown fully used to. At his greeting, she leaned a little, her neck and fluff brushing his ear for as long as he remained. When he pulled back again, she hesitated only slightly, eyes on his paws as he spoke.
"Of course." She returned her gaze to his face, her own lips turning up further. "Wouldn't miss it." What that 'it' was, she still wasn't sure yet. It was easy for her to let him know she would never turn down such a request from him, though. There was an innocent honesty in the way she stared up, tail still swaying. In some ways, she was not so different than he. Most of the world saw her gentle face, but he and few others saw the plainly trusting one.
Chishiki looked ready to speak again, looking for an explaination of what their night would be. But his silence grew heavier on her and her eyes narrowed. At his back, the world was growing darker. Even so, her observant self was sure it had caught something.
"Are you okay?" she questioned, as she had on occasions before. She wanted to think he was just tired again. It became a priority to make sure, somehow, that he got enough sleep this night, even if it meant they would have to end their trip earlier than planned.
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:10 pm
Vidar should have known not to let his guard down for an instant around Chishiki. She was much smarter than any other Kuniku he had ever come across, and could only expect such observance from a mind as sharp as hers. The only question, though, was if he should answer her honestly. He had always been taught that the truth was the better option... But if it hurt someone he held dear, would it be okay to lie?
It brought V back to the original question: Could he deliver the news to Chishiki?
With a small shift in his posture, everything was made clear. Vidar was not okay. In fact, nothing was okay about this. He felt like he was going to vomit his knotting stomach up and onto the grass at his paws. The tall male didn't understand why he didn't think he could handle seeing Chi's trusting, knowing... Beautifully innocent face falter, then fall into an expression of sadness upon hearing the news. Sazanami had not told her son how long they would be gone, so Vidar could not tell Chi how long he would be away from her, and that was the part that he knew would weigh heavy on the both of them.
Not going with his mother was not an option. Vidar had already committed to her from the time he could talk... And besides, he had to make sure she stayed safe throughout the trip. There was no backing out. Taking a deep breath, Vidar focused his eyes on Chi's own, and shook his head.
"No. I'm not okay, Chishiki." His stomach churned and he felt his heart and mind clashing in how he should feel about this situation. His mind screaming to stay calm, considering that he would most likely feel fine within a few days, and so would Chi, if he just got this over with and moved on. His heart pleading to break open for her and spill his raw emotions there in the clearing, so that he would have nothing to regret, should he not see her again. Currently, his heart was winning.
"The truth is," Vidar felt his heart leap into his chest. The time was now. The older male took his time to take in the last glimpse of a calm, satisfied Chishiki as the sun finally set behind the trees before he continued speaking.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Kyushu."
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:18 pm
Maw sealed shut, Chishiki let the silence grow between them again. Something about this silence was different than usual. There were times when she could talk up to Vidar with a smile, not expecting or needed vocalization in return. In the short time between his revealing movements and next words, she began to grown strangely uncomfortable. And when they finally came, she felt herself stiffening despite the previous anticipation.
She didn't like the idea of him feeling unwell. Had that been why he called her here? Lips parted a bit and she readied to speak again, to ask why, to see if there was something to be done about it. Even with the warning signs, she didn't expect the news to be as unwelcomed as it was.
"Leaving...? she hesitated as if, for once in her life, she was unable to even try and understand something. Paws scuffed against the ground as she processed, unsure how to react.
"You're going to Kyushu?" Leaving. The female mulled over the word in her head. Leaving. "You're going on a trip?" But now it seemed she wanted to understand. Things came back to her now, reminders of the time they had spent together. He had said they would see the city sometime. When would that be? Why not now? Why was... he leaving her now?
"Why didn't you say something before?" Her expression had turned sullen, the wag of her little tail completely gone. It hurt. And she didn't like this idea at all.
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:59 pm
The sudden fall of Chishiki's smile cut Vidar deep, as he knew it would. Indigo eyes watched carefully as he saw every muscle in the petite female tighten, and the familiar sound of her wagging tail ceased to exist for his ears. Every part of him (finally including the rational side) wanted to scream that he was kidding, that he was going to stay here with Chi forever to explore and learn and...! But it was not true. It could not be true. Emotions welled up inside of him, threatening to explode from his lips, but nothing would come out. He knew she was hurt, and V didn't know how to help her. He didn't know what would make her feel better.
It was the most miserable feeling in the world.
"Chi... My mother told me two days ago." Vidar lowered his head to Chishiki's level, but his eyes refocused themselves on the grass beneath his paws. "I promised her as a pup I would travel with her when she decided it was time to go. I can't back out on her... I didn't..." The words stuck in his throat and threatened to choke him as he tried to speak. But he had to tell her. Vidar needed Chishiki to know why he wasn't staying with her like he so badly wanted to.
"I didn't expect to create... such... An attachment to anyone. I didn't expect... To need you as much as I do." And it was at this moment that the feelings caged inside of him were finally understood. They finally made themselves known, and they finally presented a name to Vidar. So this is what love felt like. It scared the tall male just as much as it enthralled him. It was so strong that it forced the proud, intelligent Kuniku to the ground below him in misery.
"I'm sorry...!" His voice was small and weak, and totally unfamiliar. He could only pray that Chi would forgive him.
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:34 pm
She was forced to bite her lip. Otherwise, she was positive she would start to cry. It wasn't fair. Chishiki didn't.... she didn't care what he had promised to his mother, as shallow as it made her. In this instance, in the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care about anything else but herself and the miserable look on Vidar's face. There had never been such a vastly sharp feeling in her chest before.
"I don't want you to go." she said under her breath, unable to come up with anything else now. The intelligent side of her had given up on understanding. "I thought that-" What had she thought? That they would always be together as they had been...? Without realizing, the friendly wag of her tail he always earned had become something more excited. She had begun to want to meet with him more than anything. Even more than she wanted to learn.
Tears finally showed themselves at the corners of her eyes, undaunted now, and dampened her fur. Did he really feel as she did? "Do you mean it?" she finally asked, head dipping low. Her small frame shivered, eyes shutting and opening a time or two. Whether she expected it or not, she didn't wait for the answer. She leaned to him, setting her chin messily between his horns.
"Please don't be sad," she choked out. "I can't be... I can't be happy if you aren't." Even regardless of her own feelings, it hurt even more to see him this way. This was not a side of Vidar she wanted to see.
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:10 pm
A swell of emotion surged through him at the sight of Chishiki's tears, and he felt even worse than he had before. If that were even possible. But through the sadness, he heard her voice again, and the question that formed there in the air before him finally had an answer. Did he mean what he said? That he needed her, cared for her, craved her... Loved her? Before he could open his mouth, her maw was on his head, and he felt at peace. For a single moment, he wondered if there was possibly a way to stop time, and just to pause everything. There obviously wasn't. Carefully removing his head from under Chi's, he moved forward, curling his neck around hers. He had to bite back his own, rare tears as he spoke quietly to her.
"Of course I mean it. I couldn't lie to you even if I wanted to." Taking a deep breath, he pulled back only to nuzzle her small face with his maw. "You mean the world to me." It took guts to say it, but he meant it. With a small lick to her ear, and an arm around her back, he peered down at her, bringing her close. "Chishiki, I don't ever want to see you cry. Please don't shed your precious tears over me." The words spilling from his lips were foreign to him. They were scary, unnerving, and it made him fear that he would never see her again.
So for the first time in his life, Vidar opened his maw and spoke a little white lie.
"I'll come back. I promise." The clearing was now completely dark now, only lit by the glow of the waning moon. Offering a small, pathetic smile, he pulled his tail around to him, where a pair of similar glass pendants hung from ribbons. Carefully, he unwrapped the top one from his tail and placed it around Chishiki's neck, smiling quietly when it glinted in the light from the place on her chest. "And even when I'm gone, I'll always be with you." As cheesy as it was, Vidar had decided that the necklace would serve as a good reminder to Chi that he would be thinking about her the whole while.
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:51 pm
A soft sound rose in the female's throat. A smile slipped to her face despite herself, though it couldn't quite lose the twinge of sadness. I'm glad, she wanted so say. I'm glad, me too. But it wouldn't come out at first. One of her eyes slipped shut as he nuzzled her face and she bowed into affection.
"Thank you..." she muttered, still trying to get something else out, to let him know that it meant a lot to her. Chi pressed her face against his fur for a moment before slipping a paw into his embrace to wipe at her eyes. "Me too. Vidar is the most important to me." Her gaze left him only momentarily to graze the water before returning, the sparkle of something catching her attention.
She grew silent again, staring blurry-eyed as he brought his tail and the trinkets into view. It was around her neck before she could even think to speak again, her curiosity bringing some of the light back to her expression that had faded in her sorrow. "They're so pretty..." she finally sighed, pressing her chin to her chest as if trying to look at the one he had given her. It didn't work so well.
"I'll wait for you to come back," she told him then, not looking up right away. Still, her body shook again with a half cry, half sheepish laugh. "Just promise you'll be safe." She lifted her gaze back to him.
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:23 pm
The necklace had made her happy. It had worked, even if only a little bit. Vidar watched her inspect her necklace, and his tail managed to wag slightly at her curiosity. It was that curious intelligence that brought V close to her in the first place, and he cherished every second he had to watch her explore. He noticed that the light blue of the necklace seemed quite fitting for the small genius in front of him. "I'm glad you like it. I... Didn't know if you would think they were... Stupid, or... I mean..." And there he was, tripping over his words again, unable to completely express himself to the petite blue female. Hopefully she would understand what he had meant.
Taking a quick glance up at the stars, he sighed quietly, knowing he would have to leave very soon. His ears perked up at the sound of her quiet declaration, and he peered back down at her, just in time to meet her gaze.
There was no way he could promise that he would stay safe. He had no control over what was going to happen, but he would try his damnedest to stay safe. For her. And as he lied before about promising to come back... He would lie again. For her sake. "I promise. I'll be safe. I'll come home without a scratch." Iris eyes fell over Chishiki's moonlit form and Vidar's emotions surged, causing him to make a split-second decision. Leaning down carefully, he touched his nose to the fae's own for a moment, his heart slamming hard in his ribcage.
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:54 pm
Her head shook slowly. As highly as she considered him, there was no reason he should worry about any such thoughts. In fact, she found herself still flattered. Receiving a gift would have hardly meant as much from someone else.
Canting her head, her smile shifted into something a bit less upset. "Not a scratch." She would hope his word held true more than anything else. Chi was not foolish, she knew it would be difficult to keep such a promise completely. And yet, coming from him, she was more inclined to believe. Vidar had never done her wrong before. If he would just try to be careful and come back soon, she would be satisfied.
"I'll be sure to check when you-" Her warning was halted by the surprise of his nose pressed against hers. Eyes widened. She hadn't at all been expecting it once she had begun to calm from the earlier stress and emotion. A warmth spread through her, causing a strange shiver. Letting out a little breath, she returned a bit of affectionate pressure.
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:39 am
For whatever unexplainable reason, Vidar did not let up the small touch until he was fully convinced of the thought that Chishiki would not forget him, should he not see her for an incredible amount of time. Though he hoped it wasn't the case, he could not stop Fate from working his plans now, and he would take whatever the world threw at him... All little by little in order to come home to Honshu to be with Chi again. This time, he did not lie about the promise in his head. Something inside of him told him that he would be reunited with the light blue fae some day. And despite all of his logical tendencies yelling at him, he believed it.
Without a step backward, Vidar released the pressure that held their noses together, and he brought Chi back into a warm embrace, wrapping his neck neatly around hers for what could have possibly been the last time. He stood there in the moonlight for a few moments before letting go of the younger Kuniku, taking a few steps back. Now was time for the 'escape', his mind said, before his heart could leap out of his throat and claw its way back to Chishiki. V had to go now or it would create a situation in which he didn't want to star in. He didn't want to see Chi cry ever, ever again.
"I'll come back for you." He tried to verbalize his internal promise, but it came out soft and mournful, and not at all how he wanted to sound when he parted from Chishiki. But that was that, and with a last sorrowful glance at the small fae, Vidar rose up and bounded into the surrounding forest, not wanting to ever have to do something like that again. And for the first, and quite possibly last time in the tall Kuniku's life, tears slipped from his eyes, forcing a sky-shattering howl from his lips.
There was absolutely no way he could ever get to sleep tonight.
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