[PRP] A Legendary Surprise [Forgotten/Cue]

[Ruriska]

They didn’t fight often. Sure, they argued all the time, but they seemed to have gotten past ever being really angry with each other. So when Cue Queue had stalked off into the night, the Kiokote had expected her to return after a short moment spent cooling off. She did not. Once Forgotten waited; knowing that if she didn’t want to be found, there was no way he was going to stumble across her in the dark.

The sun rose and he blinked bleary eyes, barely having slept during the night.

A search of the area proved fruitless, calling did nothing but annoy the local wildlife and his final option, convince a wasp to search out its mistress, was proving exceptionally difficult. But he was determined, and he was soon busy attempting to mime what he wanted to a reluctant insect.  

[Jun D]

Who knew what thoughts resided within Twice Removed's chitinous skull as the Kiokote flailed strange gestures at it? The only thing that was certain was that they were not happy thoughts, as evinced by his furiously clashing mandibles, and, from the moment his mistress' departure seemed more prolonged than usual, the ever increasing volume of buzzing wings.

When all of a sudden, it all subsided.

Twice Removed seemed abruptly content, the thundering buzz now a low, almost pleasant hum in the air. Yet, the shadow of no Kimeti fell across the glade, only, gliding across the ground, tracking intently a faint rustle in the undergrowth, the slight form of a...strangely familiar-looking...owlcat?  

[Ruriska]

Once Forgotten stopped in what was supposed his impersonation of Cue Queue (which involves a lot of glowering) and stared at the suddenly content wasp. It took him a moment to notice the rustle in the undergrowth, even longer to realize that there was now a creature there.

The Kiokote stared at the Owlcat, ears pricked forward, curious. It looked remarkably like Cue. Those markings were hard to miss. He glanced at Twice Removed. Well, if Cue could have a pet that looked a bit like him, he could have on that looked like her. Pleased with that thought he took a cautious step forward, not entirely sure how to go about making friends with fuzzy creatures.

“… hello.” He said, feeling a tad silly, but also oddly uncomfortable by the odd Owlcat. Where those eyes… glowing?  

[Jun D]

Whatever the owlcat had been tracking in the bushes certainly realised it was not alone now, snapping twigs in a frantic dash as Once Forgotten bade his greeting. The intended target of that greeting stopped short, peered into the dense foliage, turned, and shot the Kiokote a very dirty...well. Glower. It dove into the leaves after the prey's mad flight; immediately the sounds of a brief but violent struggle erupted from the quivering brush...

...but it was Cue Queue who emerged from the green, a freshly dead mongoose between her teeth. Unceremoniously, she dumped it at his hooves. "Not the most exciting breakfast, but it'll do."  

[Ruriska]

Once Forgotten was disappointed. That glower made it very clear to him that he wouldn’t be making any Owlcat friends today. However, listening to the vicious death sounds from within the brush did take some of the edge off that disappointment.

He was still watching as the struggle ended and the greenery parted.

There was long moment in which Once Forgotten stared at Cue Queue with a frown that suggested his brain was having some trouble with the scenario.

“You’ve been gone for a while.” He commented, shifting and throwing his head back, expression still puzzled. When he looked at her again it was as if he was finally taking in the radical change of both appearance and even the aura she was giving off.

“I’m fairly certain you didn’t look like that when you left last night.”  

[Jun D]

She paused in the middle of preening her wasp and looked back at him, ghosting a wry smile over her lips. "Like the feathers? A bird died. A big one."  

[Ruriska]

“… I’m sure it did…” He said slowly, looking at the feathers and then back to her face. He met her gaze and his tail gave a fidgety flick. “But that wasn’t what I meant.” A part of his brain was convinced he was asleep and dreaming.

“Ah, there… was an owlcat…” Once Forgotten stared off into the distance, “… it looked just like you…” No, impossible.  

[Jun D]

She stood very still for a moment, her throat working vaguely as if there were something she wanted to say, but did not want to say. Then it was broken, and she looked abruptly away. "Just like me. Interesting." A beat - and then she peered back at him, something almost sheepish in her gleaming stare, "Do you...do you like owlcats?"  

[Ruriska]

"I…" Once Forgotten had the sudden impression that this conversation was akin to him standing on a cliff, one wrong step and he would come tumbling down, "… really like owlcats." Liar. He’d never had anything to do with them before. But he figured they were like little cheetahs and so couldn’t be that bad.  

[Jun D]

Immediately, the tension dissipated, and a rare, relaxed, actual smile settled upon her face (a sight perhaps more terrifying in its alienness than any scowl). Evidently, that had been the correct answer.

"Great," she said, "I like them myself. What say we go home for a spell?" Just like that, the subject was changed. "It's been a while. If we veer southwest, we'll cut through territory we haven't yet. Perhaps Weep will have learnt more in our absence. We can set out again after a rest."  

[Ruriska]

Once Forgotten smiled back; responding to her expression, but also from sheer relief. It felt, oddly enough, like he had passed a test. He’d said the right thing.

Seeing Cue gives a genuine smile was an odd experience, but it was a look the Kiokote decided he liked and although he was still puzzled over her sudden change of appearance, he did not remark on it again. Perhaps later, perhaps not.

"Home? Yes, of course." Home for Forgotten was an odd concept. But, he supposed, right now, home was wherever Cue was. "We'll go home."  

[Jun D]

"Yes," she repeated, starting already to lead the way back southwards, rather enjoying - when had she ever? Perhaps this was the first time - the gentle morning sun upon her face, wasp following close behind, "let's."

*******

[Hang tight, Ruriruri, I'll be switching to the brothers with Maxx and then Cue and Forgotten can enter the scene again. Do you think Forgotten figured out the change on the way back, or is he still adorably clueless? XD]  

[Jun D]

Only someone who knew him very well, who watched him intently, would have noticed the minute pause in his meticulous grooming of the foxbun known as Own. No such Kin was watching, and he finished the session without incident before releasing his pet and mentioning, quite casually, that, ”Cue is back.” Then, he rose to his hooves to contemplate the horizon.  

[Maxx D]

"Huh." Death said, having been napping on his long-suffering cheetah's back. "She's been gone for a while. I thought she'd skedaddled off with that Kiokote for good." 

Not that he was particularly fussed whether or not their sister returned to the arena, but the thought of her abandoning their spectacular duels and challenges to cavort with that lumbering oaf was simply too insulting to bear. His head returned to the furry pillow, and awaited their sister's arrival without much excitement.   

[Jun D]

Minutes later, the familiar blaze of orange and green across black pelt finally strode into sight, a tiny figure in the distance, with the bulk of a dark kiokote, and a dot of a wasp not far behind. It was much farther on, when the little party was sufficiently close for his one good eye to focus properly upon, that the...changes became apparent.

"Oh." He commented. He might have sounded surprised, had that been within his capabilities; it was not.