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 Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 12:28 pm
Jove had written letters back and forth to his caretaker ever since he started school. It had become so natural, he could express himself more thoroughly in writing than he ever did vocally. The pup would write down what he had done that week, what his foxfires were up to, his brother's latest escapades, how his schoolwork was going... Pretty much whatever came to mind.
And his caretaker always wrote back. Whether it was assurances or kind words, or even a dry and boring account of the old vampire's day, just the sight of those signed letters made Jove's ghostly heart feel all warm inside.
But what was even better, was when those little packages arrived. A toy or a treat, sent with love, from his caretaker. He would unwrap those gifts reverently, enjoying the scent of the manor that had been sealed in alongside the treasure. And then he would share the special item with his squirmy, happy foxfires.
Today was no exception, the pup wiggled almost as excitedly as his pets as he pulled out the small package of rawhide sticks. One by one he gave them to the little barky foxfires, until the only sound was the busy munching and gnawing of tiny teeth on the tasty treats.
And with just one left, Jove eyed the door possessively. No, he didn't want to be interrupted in the middle of his most favourite guilty pleasure. It was something that required alone-time. The pup dashed over and clicked the lock. There, nobody would accidentally walk in on him during what was undoubtedly the single most pleasurable activity his short life had yet to offer.
Jove flopped on his back on the couch, stuck the rawhide twist in his mouth, and began an afternoon of smoky meat flavoured rawhide heaven.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:28 pm
He had not seen Jove in too long and Ren was suffering from Jove Withdrawals.
This was a very serious case.
Pushing his hair back away from his face, Ren ambled cheerfully across the school grounds with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his trousers and his tail flicking merrily from side to side behind him. When he reached the ghost dorms, he took the stairs two at a time, disappeared down onto the lower floor, and found his little brother's room quite easily.
The door was locked. Why was the door locked.
Frowning at it, Ren stood with his hands on his hips and surveyed his options. He supposed Jove could have been out, perhaps with Tybalt or one of his other friends, which meant that he could come back later to visit.
Or maybe Jove was just sleeping, which meant that he was fair game for visitation. Shrugging his shoulders, Ren dug around in one of his pockets until he found the little silver key the foxfire had given him all those months ago, and fit it into the lock, twisting it around until the door opened.
"JOOOVEEEE BIG BROTHER'S HEE - what are you even doing."
Jove was here, all right, but he wasn't sleeping. In fact, he was lying on the couch, munching on something thick, brown, and small that looked suspiciously like -
"...is that a what I think it is."
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:37 pm
The moment the door swung open, dozens of pairs of eyes were suddenly on the intruder, the soft munching noise silenced. They glittered ominously in the dim light.
Then the sound resumed as most little poofs went back to their task, happily gnawing away at their treats. Only Jove continued to stare, his expression a mask of horror as he whipped the rawhide out of his mouth and shoved it under the cushion he was lying against. No, he didn't want Ren to know he did such... doggy things! That was his own personal thing, his me-time, that one thing he really didn't want anyone walking in on him while he was enjoying it, and Ren had done just that!
Sitting up quickly he tried to look nonchalant, but there was no mistaking his earlier expression, or the blush that crept across his freckled cheeks. Why couldn't the gryphon just accept a locked door for what it was? And how had he... Oh, right. He had a key...
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:42 pm
Ren was looking Very Suspiciously at Jove, standing in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest, wings settling down against his back.
"Hi, little bro," he said cheerfully, and took a few casual steps into the room. "I just thought I'd drop by and say hello, you know, since it's been a while and all."
Another step.
"And I know you were sick before, so, you know."
One more step.
"I just thought I'd say hi."
He was right next to the couch now. Ren smiled brightly at Jove.
Then he dived for the cushion.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:47 pm
That look...
Jove didn't take his eyes off Ren. There was suddenly something not right about his brother's behavior. That slow pace. The suspiciously unsusupicious expression. It was all too-
"HEY!" Jove barked out the exclamation as he dived in the same direction, trying to block Ren from finding his hidden treat. He ended up flopping onto his brother's hands, shoving the rawhide farther back before trying to push the gryphon back.
This was TOTALLY NOT a good way to say hi!
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:05 pm
For the next several seconds there was a silent but furious scuffle between big and little brother as neither one spoke but both attempted to retrieve whatever it was that was hidden beneath the couch cushion. After a great deal of squabbling, fluff, feathers, pushing, and squawking, Ren triumphantly held up the object in one hand and used the other to pry Jove off of him.
"Aha - I knew it. This is a rawhide, isn't it?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:27 pm
Jove whined and made grabby-hands for his precious rawhide, but he was no match for Ren's arm length. Not even with his reaching, tugging, tendrils of ghost essence was he able to retrieve the treat.
The soft and invisible claws pulled at Ren's clothes and the pup whimpered piteously. Did he really have to say yes? Admit his guilty pleasure right there in front of his brother? It embarrassed him to no end, and he wanted nothing more than to simply get the rawhide back and hide it like it was never there in the first place. Well, chewing on it was an even stronger desire, but not in front of Ren!
Jove backed up on the couch, a reluctant, longing Sit, for just one moment before turning and darting under his bed.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:33 pm
Little wispy tendrils were tugging at his clothes, but Ren leaned farther away, out of reach, and eyed the brown object in his hand with a raised eyebrow.
"I had no idea you were into these th...Jove?"
The tendrils had disappeared, and so had the puppy. Ren blinked, slightly nonplussed, and whipped his head from side to side, trying to figure out where his little brother had gone.
He finally found him under the bed.
"Jove," said Ren conversationally, lying on his stomach on the ground as he peered beneath the covers, lifting them to see a familiar pair of glowing blue eyes staring back out at him. "Whatcha doing?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:40 pm
The eyes blinked, and then were gone as Jove turned to face the wall. His blush lit up the small space quite well, as though he had a small flash light hidden with him back there, along with the blue glow of the mushrooms around him. When Ren's eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, he'd notice a blanket and pillow had even been tugged into the small space at some point, making it a perfect haven for the little pup.
The pup who promptly pulled the blanket over his head, extinguishing a good portion of the light.
Clearly he was sulking, but Jove hadn't the words or the desire to say as much.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:50 pm
Ren frowned. Jove was sulking, for reasons unbeknownst to Ren, who wiggled forward a little until he was halfway beneath the bed as well, his fingers grappling in the dark for Jove's tail - which he promptly tugged on affectionately.
"What's that pouty face for, eh Freckles?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:55 pm
Invisible fingers pushed Ren's hand away, and the pup tugged the blanket more tightly around his upper body. Nope, he wasn't going to let Ren see his blushing expression.
A couple curious foxfires squirmed under the bed alongside the Ren, settling in little piles of fluff with their own rawhides to watch as they gnawed. Apparently the gryphon was a great source of dinner theatre. The fluffs were joined by more, until the small space was filled with the sounds of foxfires chewing and the scent of preserved hide.
Jove's mouth watered from under the blanket, but he didn't try to come out and make another attempt at rescuing his own rawhide.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:02 pm
"Rude," Ren gasped indignantly, as ghostly tendrils moved his hands away, but he wasn't really irritated at all. This was classic Jove behavior, after all (especially when dealing with Ren), and he laid his head to the side, resting against his hand. Beside him there were snuffling noises as a few of Jove's foxfires nestled beside him, munching on their own treats, and Ren couldn't help wrinkling his nose a little at the smell of the meat, exhaling out a sigh.
"Why are you hiiiiiding," he whined, and tugged on Jove's tail again. "Come on, here, I'll give you back your treat." Even though meat is gross.
Except those words were better left unsaid, and Ren merely tugged on Jove's tail again plaintively.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:09 pm
Give him back the treat?
There was squirming in the dim light, and a hole appeared in the blankets to reveal big, blue eyes, and the bridge of his nose still lit up with a blush. Just because Ren was willing to give it back, it didn't make being caught with it any easier.
What if his other friends found out he liked to chew on rawhide? It certainly wouldn't appeal to Tomoko's sense of good behaviour, and Tybalt and LW would probably laugh. He didn't want to be laughed at, or treated like a puppy...
Hesitantly, he held up a finger against the blanket in that "our secret?" gesture Ren had used with him in the past.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:35 pm
There was a shuffling sound, a few squeaks from the foxfires, and then Jove's glowing blue eyes were back, bright and luminous in the darkness under the bed. Even with the shadows, Ren could see the spots of pink on his pale cheeks, and Ren leaned against one hand again, lazily dangling the treat from his fingers in front of Jove.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your little secret," he said, and lifted his free finger to press against his lips, smiling, mimicking Jove's movements. Then he offered the pup the rawhide, wrinkling his nose again.
"Why do you even like this stuff, anyway?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:53 pm
Jove's eyes followed the rawhide as it was waved in front of him, and then, ever so gingerly, it was tugged from Ren's grasp by invisible tendrils. The pup let the blankets fall from around his face as he clutched the precious chew in front of him, giving the gryphon a nervous look before placing the already slightly mangled end in his mouth.
He couldn't explain why he liked it. It wasn't as simple as one word, one little description. It was everything, the taste, the smell, just the feeling of having it between his teeth, chewing on it... It just felt so natural. All puppies liked to chew on things, why should he be any different?
The soft sounds of Jove's teeth worrying the rawhide joined the rest of the foxfires, and he watched Ren much the same way. Maybe wondering what his brother was going to do next, or maybe just enjoying his treat.
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