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 Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:10 am
 Kaleth wiggled in place, trying to drive himself a little deeper into the cool, damp sandy soil. He was partially concealed underneath a bush, reveling in the combined shade from its foliage and from the trees above, and the coolness of the earth below that drew the heat away from his body.
He and his brother had only been wandering the desert for perhaps a week now, a far cry from their usual dark forest home. Kaleth thought that all things considered, he was adjusting fine. Then he would seeToreth striding around like he didn't even notice the heat and wonder if he was just delicate or his brother was just that impervious to physical discomfort.
Kaleth was just glad that Toreth hadn't raised any fuss at their need to travel only during the dawn or dusk hours when the sun wasn't blazing down on them. He could handle the heat that radiated from all the sun-kissed sands and stone, but not that and the giant gas-ball itself shining down from above. Of course some days they had no other option, and he really was starting to adjust, but given a choice Kaleth liked to sit in the shade during the daytime hours.
He sighed and wiggled a little further into the soil, head on the ground peering under the branches of the bush. Toreth had been particularly restless today and had gone off to explore. It was nice to take a break from each other every now and then. The boys were very much the same, but each had distinct, complementing differences; Toreth was far too restless to just sit and relax like Kaleth did, he prefered action.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:14 pm
 Kateri wanted to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the tribe, but she had to be careful; a lot of the foxes around here kept their eye on her due to her personality. She looked around to make sure none of her family or their tribe guardian was focused on her and slipped over a dune, sighing in relief. Even though she had been born and raised in the tribe, Kateri wasn't any good at socializing like her siblings were, so she slipped out on her own fairly regularly.
The middle of the day was usually the best time for her 'escape' into solitude; the majority of the tribe was either sleeping through the hottest part of the day or somewhere out of sight near the river or in the shade. Her explorations into the desert had built her resistance to the constant beat down the sun sent, so Kateri was used to it, though she tried to keep to the shade the dunes created. She knew where she wanted to go, a small oasis not too far from the main tribelands. She had wanted to play near the water too, but hadn't wanted to go through the uncomfortable feeling that crowds gave her.
Kateri could disappear into the background with very little effort, which was perfect since she was so painfully shy all the time. On the other hand, that meant she was always alone, even in a crowd...and that kind of hurt. The conflicting emotions always wired her up and made her even more tense; so she started to avoid other foxes all together.
A tiny gust of wind brought the scent of water to her sensitive nose and Keteri looked up, seeing the oasis not too far from her. Looking around one more time to make sure no one was around, Kateri dug her paws into the sand and shot forward, racing an imaginary opponent. Bursting passed a bush, she slowed to a trot and headed into the water. When she was up do her chest, she dipped her head and drank, traveling the desert was thirsty work, and she didn't need to get dehydrated.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:23 pm
Looking back on this moment in later years, Kaleth would like to say that he'd remained cool and calm. That he'd just laid there and watched the female that had come blasting out of nowhere without turning a hair. That he'd gauged the right moment and emerged from the bush, looking cool and mysterious and saying something charmingly witty that would enhance the effect.
He'd have liked to, but unfortunately that wasn't what happened at all...
He'd been dozing a little when something huge and fast came blazing past out of nowhere! He inhaled so sharply that he made a tiny squeaking sound. His muscles had locked up and froze, and he needed to breath but suddenly found he couldn't. That was when Kaleth panicked and tried to jump up, but forgot about the bush over his head. The only good thing about the struggle that ensued to free himself was the foliage was that he remembered how to breath again.
The end result?
The bush seemed to regurgitate a panicky, twitched, mussed up male, covered in dirt and sand and panting like he'd just run a marathon through the hottest part of the day.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:54 pm
Kateri startled at the sound of a violently rattling bush. Spinning, she saw what looked like a huge shadow trying to massacre a defenseless scrub tree; it was throwing itself one way then the other, ripping branches and making weird noises. Dear Osiris, there was a freaking monster in there. Kateri dropped into the water so that only the top of her head, from her nose up, was above the water and dropped her ears down flat against her skull to make herself less noticable. What was she going to do when the monster came out?
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Common Sense was yelling that there was no such things as monsters. Panick, however was not going to let Common Sense confuse it with logic.... And then the monster came tumbling out of the bush.
It looked...like a fox? Standing up and calming herself down a little, Kateri took a better look. Yup, even worse than a monster, it was a male of her own kind. And it looked like it was either dying or going insane. Maybe...maybe she should help him? Kateri headed to shore, but stopped far out of lunging distance. "A-are y-ou okay?" She called, she didn't know if he could hear her, though, her volume rarely went passed normal speaking range and was usually a mumble. Maybe she should poke him? The urge to giggle was building in her, but she was too afraid to let the sound out.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:45 pm
Kaleth felt a shot of alarm run through his system, both from suddenly being exposed and the equally sudden splashing sounds close by. Was it a crocodile?! Those things scared him!
Then, before his heart could beat clean out of his chest, a voice spoke. That gave him another jolt, but the realization that it was another of his kind (female, from the tone) helped to start the calm down process.
Of course that was the cue for embarassment to take over...
"I'm fine," Kaleth mumbled, trying to hide his face. "You just gave me a little bit of a scare. I was dozing, then loud noise, and I jumped, and the bush-," he trailed off feebly, realizing he probably wasn't helping his case when the feeling of blushing spread from his cheeks to his entire face.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:08 pm
Kateri wondered if she should go over there and shake the male...but she couldn't seem to move from her spot. If she were Kepi or Ocianna, she'd be able to do it. Then the male started to calm down a little. He rambled a little bit, but Keteri did catch one thing. She had been the one to make him get all tangled into the bush.
Kateri blinked and felt her face heat. It was her fault? She supposed it was if she had startled him when she'd run in here. Oh, gosh, no one was actually supposed to see that. Let alone get so freaked out by it. The last emotion she wanted anyone to feel was freaked out. "I-I-I'm sorry. I d-didn't meant too." She said, unconsciously hunching in on herself a little.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:22 pm
"Didn't think you had. If you'd meant to scare me there would have been dozens of things you could have done differently for maximum effect. That seemed more like an accident."
Kaleth felt his heart finally reach a normal rate. He extended his feeling down into his limbs, wondering if it would be safe to sit up yet. Hmmm, probably, but he could still feel his legs trembling. So sit up, trembling a bit, or stay splayed out on the ground like some kind of fish the female had washed ashore....
"My name's Kaleth," he said, slowly pushing himself into an upright sitting position.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:43 pm
Kateri nodded frantically; it was totally an accident. He probably couldn't see her from his position of flat on his side, but Kateri didn't care, she needed him to believe her. She didn't want him angry at her especially since she hadn't seen him, and she had looked before she'd run in like a crazy person. And who sleeps hidden in a bush? The irritated thought was banished as quickly as it came, barely even acknowledged by Kateri.
She watched the male sit up and, eyes widening, stepped back further into the water. She stuttered incomprohensively for a bit before biting her tongue and taking a deep breath. Her Common Sense was telling her that there was no reason to be so freaked out, he wasn't doing anything. Her Common Sense sounded like her sister. "K-kateri." She finally managed with very few stutters.
What was she going to do? Kepi was usually the one who dealt with people until Kateri could calm herself down. Kepi wasn't around at the moment, Kateri was stranded with someone she didn't know. What would Kepi do? ...Ah...maybe it should be 'what would Ocianna do'. Smile? Y-yeah...Kateri could do that. She tried to send a small smile to the male and felt like a complete moron.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:53 pm
Once Kaleth finished sitting up he got his first good look at the female. Surprise banished the last of his embarassment. "Oh deities, did I startle you too?" His face crumpled comically. "I'm so sorry! It was just really hot, and I'm not used to the desert temperatures, and the soil was so nice and cool under the bush I thought I'd just rest for a bit and I kinda drifted off so I wasn't paying attention, and-," Kaleth cut himself off before he continued his babling. It was a bad habit of his whenever he was really upset or startled.
He sat there, looking down at his feet and feeling really awkward. Great, he'd scared her and this female, Kateri, probably thought he was a huge creep or a stalker or-....
Great, now his thoughts had become rambling!
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:25 pm
Well versed in the language of apologetic rambling, Kateri blinked in surprise. He was...apologizing to her? That never happened. Kateri took a tentative step forward, biting her lip in consternation. "Ah...it's fine. I-it's not your fault. I didn't see you." She said softly. If she had walked in like a normal fox would, she probably would have noticed him sleeping in the bush and turned around. Instead she had run right passed him and nearly gave the male a heart attack.
She looked him over, finally, and could see why he got hot easily in the desert. Most of his coat was a dark grey. The white on his face might not be too helpful either if it caught the reflections of the sun off the sand. Maybe he should have stayed under the bush if he wasn't used to the heat. Or Kateri could invite him closer so that he could get some water. That would be uncomfortable...but her only other option would be to be rude and just stand there in the coolest place in the oasis. The fox bit her lip again, trying to pick; his comfort or hers.
"W-would you like a d-d-drink if you're hot?" she asked, her tail flicked nervously and made little splashing sounds in the water.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:41 pm
Kaleth hadn't noticed how dry his fear had made his mouth until Kateri had asked him if he wanted a drink. He blinked in surprise. "I....suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a drink," he said slowly, tilting his head a little as he considered his thirst and Kateri's reactions.
Moving slowly so that he wouldn't make an unexpected move that would startle her (and because his limbs were still shaking a bit), Kaleth stood up and approached the edge of the pool. He only took a couple steps into the water itself, then crouched and bent his head down to lap up some water.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:54 am
Kateri nodded at him and eased sideways in the water so that she was back on shore. Her anxiety eased a little bit when the water no longer restricted her movements. While the tribe did live near water, and even though Kateri played around the oasis, she didn't know how to swim. The river was infested with crocodiles, and Kateri had never asked for lessons. Paddling would not win if the male swam out to get her.
She wanted to tell him that he should drink often in the desert so that he wouldn't get dehydrated, but she didn't think that she'd get that out and be understandable. Telling him to 'drink a lot' made her sound stupid. Her ears drooped; why couldn't she be like her siblings? They didn't act like bumpkins around other foxes. The urge to slink off was growing, but...the male still seemed off.
"A-are you hurt?" She'd hate to think he'd wounded himself on the bush. But maybe he was hurt before? He was all trembly-legged and Kateri only got like that when she was super sick...or when she was terrified. He didn't look terrified; what the heck was she gonna do if he was sick?
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:59 pm
Kaleth had sated his thirst, but drank a couple more mouthfuls just for hydration's sake. He was lifting up his head when Kateri spoke; his expression turned thoughtful and he began to take stock of his body. He'd been so shaky he hadn't really paid much attention to potential damage.
Thankfully there wasn't much to report.
"No, just a small scratch or two, nothing serious. I think my fur protected me from anything serious." He let out a self-conscious, breathy chuckle. "I guess I'm still just trying to convince my body that there's no danger. I tend to get the shakes after a scare."
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:14 pm
"Sorry." Kateri reiterated. She knew exactly what he was going through, she would also get shaky when she was frightened. "D-did I really s-scare you that...bad? I'm u-u-usually not the scary one. I'm the one who always gets scared." She said, looking down at her paws, drawing loose circles in the mud. "A-always."
"E-even our tribe guardian scares me." she admitted, the corner of her mouth twitching. Kateri was disappointed in herself. She should be like everyone else; she wanted to be like every one else. Who else in their tribe was afraid of their guardian.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:55 pm
"Well, startled might be a better word than scared," Kaleth corrected, finally able to sit straight without a single tremor to his limbs. "Scared seems to imply you meant to, startled feels more like an accident." He grinned sheepishly. "Neither's a very dignified state to be in. My brother always laughs at me when he manages to surprise me."
He considered Kateri, mulling over her words. From her attitude and reactions to him, her stutter and what she was saying, she seemed extremely shy. Whether that was because he was a stranger or not he didn't know, but if she was scared of a Guardian (who, by their own nature, were protectors) he was willing to bet it was just an all-purpose kind of shy.
Kaleth felt himself soften to Kateri immensely; he could relate.
"That's not so unusual," he said thoughtfully, turning over what he knew about Guardians in his mind. "I mean not a lot of people ever see them, so they don't realize how huge they are. Bigger than a male Daeva, if the descriptions are right. I mean when you think about it they're meant to be scary, to warn others away and keep their tribes safe. Scary plus huge can be a little off-putting, especially the dragon-winged ones. I've heard Guardians don't have sterotypical personalities, aside from the protection thing, but Daevas have a bad rep and dragon-wings bring to mind Daevas and all."
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