|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:46 am
Ugh, what a day, thought Everel, twitching an ear as an inquisitive fly buzzed about his head. Not only had it been overcast and gloomy, he'd managed to trip and land face first in a mud puddle. And now the stuff was drying faster that he could clean it off. And when one mixed drying mud with fur... well... the results weren't terribly pretty. But they were itchy.
Heaving an exasperated sigh, the blue kitsu glanced around the patch of woods where he'd taken sanctuary from the day. One comfort to all of this. At least no one was around the see what a fright he was.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:55 am
Aqua was singing. Badly and off-key. But that didn't matter. It was a lovely (if a tad cold) day and she was out to enjoy it. She had managed to overhear a bit of the music her strange two-legged pet enjoyed playing. And while the little female couldn't understand the words to the song, the deep, thumping rhythm and the melody had infected her soul. She didn't even needs to sing words. The music itself was enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:35 am
Ears perked, then went flat against his skull as the sound of..... well, HE wouldn't call ti singing. More like imitating the dying howls of some forgotten beast. Rearing up in alarm, Everel looked wildly about, trying to determine if he was about to eb attacked by some dread monster.
It was only when he caught sight of a small, oddly dressed female that he relaxed slightly.
How is a sound like that coming from a living throat, he caught himself wondering.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:58 pm
Aqua, for her part, was happily lost in her singing, occasionally adding an odd wriggle to her walk as the music inspired her. Every once in a while, the wind picked up and tugged at her hair playfully.
So lost was she in her play that she almost missed spotting a rather bedraggled and mud spattered male. Halting a foot or two away, she cocked her head to stare curiously at him.
"Well," she finally said, "you look a fright. Would you like some help getting that mud off of your face?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:04 pm
"I... I beg your pardon?" Everel stammered in affront. How dare this little female call him a fright when her singing was likely driving the birds from the woods in sheer panic! Flattening his ears even more against his skull, he had a sneaking suspicion that he was looking rather like an offended old maid.
"I wouldnt' go about calling other kitsusagi's a fright, missie," he growled softly. "Particularly when your voice could deafen a dragon!"
There, he thought smugly as he resumed picking dried mud from his fur. That will teach her!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:14 pm
Rather than being offended, Aqua ducked her head and chuckled. Then, she moved closer and without asking began to help pluck bits of dried mud from between the male's ears.
"My voice is kinda bad, isn't it," she stated cheerfully. "But really, saying I could deafen a dragon is going a bit far. Maybe a horse, but a dragon is going too far."
Oh, this poor fellow was in a mess though. Short of sitting out here picking away or ducking his head into a stream for an hour, he was never going to get this mud off.
"Please hold still," she said before moving quickly to gently pin his head down on the ground while she carefully began to lick an ear clean. Pausing for a moment to delicately spit damp mud from her mouth, she chuckled again.
"I'm Aqua, by the by. Your name?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:27 pm
Freezing in sheer mortification as the female held his head down while she fussed like a mother over him, Everel barely managed to answer her question intelligibly.
"I... I'm Everel..."
If a beast were capable of blushing, he would have been practically glowing bright red so great was his embarrassment. Struggling to get up, he wondered why the gods had chosen to bless him with such luck today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:48 pm
Oblivious to her new found companion's discomfort, Aqua continued to clean until at least one of Everel's ears was clean. Taking a short break, she flopped down across his back and smiled to herself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Everel. How on earth did you get so caked in mud?"
Feeling her moment of respite was up, Aqua wentt o work on the other ear. It was amazing how tenacious dried mud could be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:49 am
"I... tripped and landed head first in a mud puddle. Not that it's any of your concern. And would you please stop doing that!?"
Voice shrill, he struggled wildly to back away as she started to lick clean the top of his head. He knew she was only trying to help, but gracious gods, it was embarrassing! He dreaded the thought that someone else would see him like this.
Casting his eyes to the barely visible sky, he sent a soundless inquiry to whatever gods were listening.
Why me? Why?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:55 am
Aqua sighed as her companion began to fightt o get away. Why was it that males simply could not stand to have assistance of any sort? Moving back carefully, she came back around ot sit in front of him, tails twitching in unison.
"If you landed head first, I'm rather surprised that your eyes and nose and sealed shut. Though," she continued thoughtfully, "it owuld have been easy enough to snort mud out of one's nose and paw it from one's eyes."
In fact, now that she looked, she could see evidence that somethign had wiped and smeared the mud around his eyes. So, perhaps he wasn't as helpless as her initial impression had led her to believe.
"Look, are you quite certain that you don't want help? Maybe I can find a pawful of leaves ad I could try to clean the mud off that way."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:10 am
Relaxing a mite now that Aqua had moved off of him, Everel ventured a creaky smile. Wincing as he managed to pull a rather large chunk of mud from his fur, he said, "How would you even hold the leaves? We don't have those whatchamacallums that humans do."
Sitting up, he scratched at his newly cleaned ear with a hand claw. Then sneezed at the motion set loose a tiny cloud of dust.
"But," he sighed after a moment, "I do need some help. And you are the only creature who's offered to help. Just.. please refrain from actign like a mother hen over me?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:19 am
Grinning, Aqua gave a nod and wink.
"I think I can manage to not do that to you."
Then sobering for a moment, she narrowed her eyes in thought. How were they going to get the rest of the mud off? She couldn't just pull, since that would hurt Everel and potentially leave him bald in spots. No, this was going to take some cleverness. Both in the removal and in keeping Everel's touchy dignity in tact.
"I think I have an idea. You'll have to come with me though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:24 am
Blinking a bit, Everel nodded assent and stood, tilting his head to stare expectantly as Aqua. She was clearly thinking, and she seemed competant in spite of her horrendous singing and tendency to mother.
"Certainly. Where are we going? And is there any way to avoid having any others see me liek this?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:30 am
Smiling in approval, she turned and began to walk slowly. Looking back over her shoulder to make sure he was keeping pace, Aqua chuckled.
"No one will see us, since I tend to enjoy a bit of privacy myself. As to the where, I have a little den where i like to sit and think. There's a tiny spring there and a lovely patch of grass. I had thought, perhaps, that if we get the mud wet enough, you can roll and scrape on the grass and get it off that way."
Really, it was the only possibilty she could think of.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:21 am
Brightening at the thought of finally getting himself clean, Everel hurried after the female.
"I didn' think there were any springs nearby," he began. "The only real body of water I know of is the river. How far away is it?"
Now that he knew he wouldn't be mud-caked for the rest of the day, his spirits had lifted and he'd become almost giddy with relief.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
