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Raccoon was on a mission.

In her opinion, she had been MORE than generous to the mysterious Someone Else that had moved into the neighborhood. She had left the Someone Else to their own devices for a long period of time, assuming with her oh so trusting and considerate nature that the Someone Else was merely passing through, or else trying to set up their own home, etc. It WAS a pretty place, with water and trees and the grasses and fruits that Mistress liked so very much. Why WOULDN'T a Someone Else like it?

All could have been fine, had the Someone Else not pushed their luck and encroached a little too closely on Mistress. Even more suspiciously, the Someone Else was crafty, and Raccoon had not yet been able to see him/her or any real traces of him/her, not even bits of hair. The fact that Someone Else didn't want to be seen increased the suspicious factor, and had resulted in Raccoon deciding that Someone Else was obviously a threat to Mistress.

Acting on that belief, she had been quick to support and encourage Mistress in her 'journeying', hoping that the Someone Else would go away in the meantime. Not only had Someone Else not, they had actually followed along! Obviously the time for subtlety was past.

Anelisse and Raccoon had returned to their riverside home refreshed and invigorated from their trip, Mistress returned to her usual glowing beauty and Raccoon, imbued with a strong sense of purpose. She was going to track down Someone Else and get an explanation out of them; a GOOD explanation. Otherwise, they'd have to leave.

Not that she knew how that would be accomplished, but it would happen, mark her words!

That was why Raccoon had left Mistress sleeping serenely against the trunk of a tree, her hair neatly arranged into a loose coil before Raccoon's departure. Framed by the black braid, she had positioned the Sparkly Shiny that Mistress always wore now, and after a quick survey she had taken to the trees, devoid of all her usual clanky trinkets and shinies. Today, she was...Stealth Raccoon.

And Stealth Raccoon was even more talented than she realized; not too long after she had left the clearing, she heard the sounds of movement and perked her ears. Something was moving nearby, rustling...

No, not something; someone. Someone Else!

With a bold chitter rather like an 'aha', she flung herself suddenly down out of the trees, landing on the back of a big, smelly Someone Else and immediately latching onto Someone Else's red mane.

Wait a minute. Red?

Well, at least on one point they were in agreement; Raccoon's face was crinkling with disgust almost as soon as she landed at the combination of body odor and skanky hair. The idea of bringing any back to Mistress was laughable and completely out of the question; heck, she wouldn't be able to return herself until she'd thoroughly washed.

However, she was no retiring flower, unwilling to take on a bit of dirt. Remaining as she was and clinging to the mane, she squared her shoulders and met Feng's gaze full on as he turned about, fixing him with her most imperious gaze in response to his inquiry. At least he wasn't playing stupid...then again, she had like Red One from their previous encounters, even if he DID annoy Mistress a bit.

Right now though, she wasn't going to cut him any slack, liking or not. After all, he was Someone Else, and as Someone Else he owed her an explanation. A GOOD explanation.

On that note, she slid to the ground off of Feng's shoulder, taking a fistful of his mane for good measure once she'd alighted before launching into a fierce frenzy of chittering, gesturing at Feng himself, then around at the area, then pointing the direction of the clearing Anelisse called home, pointing at Feng's general state of unkemptness, miming the whole 'skulking around' thing, and finally shutting up to give Feng a look that very clearly awaited an answer.

Who needed words to talk?

So much for him being a sensible and understanding type. Upon seeing the look of total confusion slowly overtake Red One's face, Raccoon could only sigh and make a huffy little impatient noise. Honestly, what was the world coming to when a clearly gestured explanation went by without being understood.

But she was patient. She was the most patient and understanding of creatures, and she would give Red One the benefit of the doubt once again. After all, the last time she'd thought he'd understood her, he had wound up aggrieved and in pain. It had taken Mistress and her amazing understanding of conversation styles to make sense of that muddle, but Raccoon couldn't' bank on Mistress right now. Even if she was HANDY, the last thing Mistress needed was to see Red One now before Raccoon had determined whether or not he was a threat!

So she started over, very slowly and very deliberately pointing at Feng, then at the surrounding, then shrugging her shoulders to indicate her confusion as to why he was there, then pointing towards the clearing where Anelisse slept, back to Feng, raising a brow at him in a querying way, and then lapsing into silence to give him a chance to explain. One thing at a time, after all...

Hallelujah, he'd understood. Obviously the trick was to go alone slow and steady, then you were BOUND to be understood if you were sensible and as easy to understand as Raccoon. There was a lesson to be learned here, not just for Raccoon but for all Mute Miming Miniatures the whole forest through!

However, she wasn't about to let her pleasure at being properly understood distract her from the Facts at Hand, which included the extremely unsatisfactory answer she'd just been given. At his answer of "why I am here", she had shaken her head vigorously, a bright beaming smile on her face, only to have that same smile turn into a very pronounced and scolding frown at the rather blase 'because I like it here'.

Silly Red One, there was no reason NOT to like it here, but that hardly excused Suspicious Behavior. Suspicious behavior that he was continuing to indulge in, what with his hiding behind his hair and all. What he needed was a good braid, or even a ponytail...AFTER he had a good wash. But as she didn't have the time to finagle such pleasantries, she merely made a face and snorted at that answer, then proceeded to point out the flaws.

Making a 'no' gesture with her arms, she flopped down onto all fours in an imitation of a Soquili, curving down her bushy tail for good measure. Some of the long red hairs she'd pulled from Feng's mane she tucked behind her ears and allowed to stream down about her face, clearly identifying the Soquili in question of Feng himself. Satisfied on that count, she promptly scuttled into the bushes, only to peek out her nose and eyes in a masterful NinjaRaccoon way. She then scuttled to another shrub, peering back over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed, then ducked to hide behind Feng himself before diving into another shrub.

Having completed this particularly brilliant (if she did say so herself) mime, she burst out of the bushes, shaking off the hair and making a very pronounced 'Well??' gesture at Feng. She was waiting for an explanation of his sneaking around, and it had better be a good one, ayup!

Wewt. Red One might be a little slow right out of the gate, but he showed significant promise with a little encouragement. As long as he was eased slowly into things, he wasn't really that stupid after all, and there was hope for proper communication.

At least, there was promise for proper communication as long as he didn't keep stubbornly reverting to canned 'non-answers'. At Red One's first repeat, Raccoon gave another dismissive snort, eying him with the same intensity she would eye a crafty crayfish under a riverbank. She might be a loving, adorable, and utterly wonderful creature that inspired nothing but love and affection in those around her, but she was also a Worldly, Practiced, and Combat-Ready Familiar to a mare that, when she felt like it, could be VERY uncommunicative. If Raccoon could get something out of Mistress when she was being taciturn, then she ought to be able to get something out of anyone else, period.

Much to her relief, though, Red One continued on after the banal 'I like it here'. That much was good, although his follow-through inspired yet another snort. Honestly, she didn't know where this Soquili got their weird ideas from half the time; Mistress doubting her own amazingness, Red One thinking Mistress hated him when Mistress was the epitome of all that was good and tender...Mistress causing ANYONE a headache...

Though Fenghuang would likely find Raccoon induced even more of a headache than Anelisse. After the huff, Raccoon had immediately burst into indignant and dismissive chittering, shaking her head vehemently at the idea of Mistress hating OR being a headache. Marching up to Feng, she tugged on his mane to make sure he was paying attention to her (as he was too tall for her to swat his nose from the ground), then chittered again, shaking a scolding finger at him at the same time.

However, after a short while she rethought that strategy. Perhaps he was feeling over-abused because of...some tragedy in his past life. Or maybe he was feeling victimized because of the way Mistress had gotten mad at him last time, never mind that she HAD been somewhat justified in getting grouchy and besides, he should be HAPPY that getting mad had made her happy again and not waste his time getting grungy and mopey and emo. Having come to that conclusion, she broke off on the chittering and went a different route. Crossing her arms over her chest, she cocked a brow at Feng and chirruped something very much in the tone of "are you SUUUUURE?"

Honestly, Soquili could be so insanely obnoxious when they wanted to be, it was a wonder that the world's familiars didn't simply go mad from the headache of trying to deal with them. Or maybe that was why familiars tended to stick close to their Bondeds; because everyone else was a headache to deal with.

Such were Raccoon's thoughts after seeing Red One once again revert into the stoic solemnity she'd just dragged him out of, and she couldn't help but punctuate her thoughts with a wry shake of her head and stamp of one small furry foot. What she WANTED from him was a proper explanation that didn't involve dancing around the point, and a bit of sensible behavior. Like, maybe a concession that Mistress was wonderful and he was hanging around because he was honestly worried about her welfare, etc etc etc. Or at least an apology for his shifty behavior and an offer to make amends by letting Raccoon give him a much-needed shampooing.

Normally, Raccoon had no qualms about her inability to Speak. When dealing with Mistress, she had never had even the faintest problem with being understood, and as their social circle was rather limited, her unique method of communicating had never been put to the test. In those rare occurrences where someone else was around, Mistress was a more than capable translator. This meeting, though, was a whole new frustration and even Raccoon was not able to wholly dismiss the frustration.

Sighing again, she flopped onto the ground, leaning against one of Feng's forelegs as she tried to consider how best to answer that question. What, indeed???

Now he was just being cruel, asking her to explain something that obviously needed more detail than a simple head nod or shake. It might theoretically be a yes or no question, but after their earlier "conversation" he had to know that she was not going to let him off that easily. Consequently, the only response he got to his query was another deep sigh and an increased slouch as she flopped down further onto the ground, resembling nothing at the moment so much as a sack of meal haphazardly braced against the orange stallion's leg.

But after a few minutes, she straightened up and once again turned to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him her most imposing look. If he wanted to play games, that was his business, and she still thought he was hiding something; but as long as he behaved himself, she would let him be mysterious all he wanted. It was probably better to have him lurking around than a more unsavory type...though she really had no way of knowing if he himself was really that 'wholesome' himself. Still...

Chittering again, she gave him an accepting shrug, then raised her fist in warning, pointing once again in the direction of Anelisse and giving him a 'if something happens to her you will suffer' sort of look. He was astute enough that he should get at least the literal meaning, and hopefully take the hint.

Having him handy might be helpful as well, seeing as how Mistress wanted to talk to him. Not right now, obviously, what with him being in such a state, but hopefully soon.

Though on that note...tilting her head, Raccoon very deliberately eyed Feng from head to toe, then wrinkled her face and held her nose in an unmistakable sign of 'man but you stink' before very deliberately pointing to the river. Having found him, the least she could do was contribute to making him presentable again...or at least smellable!