Open Vulpinsula & Surroundings The Changes Upon Us

[Talinn Ryalor]

Talinn paced around nervously as he waited for his wife. They had started their process of reconciliation, slowly but surely, but things were still a bit new, and raw. He knew, of course, it would take a while to repair what had been broken, little by little. When one smashed a glass vase, one had to pick up the glass, and inevitably get cut in the process. He was still in the process of picking that up, before he could begin to piece it back together in the manner of his homeland, kintsugi, it was called. Just like he had repaired his family’s fall from power, he would fix their marriage, and then, hopefully, do what he could to do so with his children. It would just be extremely painful to do so.

Is that not what the Kitsune said, nothing without a price?

As she came in, he saw her laugh and smirk, and his first instinct was to turn around and say something to the affect of “fine then, leave!”, but, after a few breaths, he realized it was the first time in a long time Dusk had genuinely laughed in his presence. Something of the younger, intelligent, beautiful vixen he had married and enjoyed time with before things had gotten so...complicated. It always was.

My pride is not worth hurting her, not after I have already done so much. It’s something I wish you had understood more in life, Uncle. Pride was what killed you in the end, even if I were the instrument. Pride that I have to swallow if I am to secure a safe future for my family.

“Is it truly so bad?” He asked, a little sullen at her reaction nonetheless. “I could always have my personal stylist cut it again like always, but...I am tired, Dusk.” He moved over to sit down on the chair before the mirror, glancing at himself. “It takes effort to go against the grain, and such little things...are they worth the effort, when I could save the energy for greater pursuits...and battles…”

The summons will be coming any day now.

@Dusk Rainblade

 

[Dusk Rainblade]

Dusk felt her smile die away, her face falling into sympathetic worry as she stepped forward to stand behind Talinn's chair. She leaned down, embracing him from over his shoulders like she used to do when they were younger. She recalled so many times when he'd been up late into the night working on his reports, and she'd playfully distracted him that way until he came to bed. She didn't have to wonder what had happened to make them this way; she knew immediately. Still, she wondered if that was her pride keeping her stubbornly in the past as much as Talinn's pride haunted him now. It had hurt her pride so deeply, that her husband would do what he did. It felt like I wasn't enough, she reflected at long last, finally willing to introspect after a decade of willfully holding to her hatred of the todd. I felt that, if I were enough for him, he would never have said yes to her.

That was the pain that clawed at her from within, gnawing upon her soul: the insecurity, the same one that had put her at odds with Tanya for so long. She'd tried to steal away Falun, steal Marie, steal her father's attention back... And yes, if she was being honest, she'd stolen Talinn too, though that was the one secret she would take to her grave, if only because all of the guilt Talinn held would displace upon her with the fury of a thousand suns. Still, for those twenty years he'd been hers and hers alone, and she'd given him the best of herself, her talents, wit, and intellect, not to mention four kits.

Five. She paused in stroking her paw down his chest as that ugly thought resurfaced. They hadn't talked about it since the opera house; it lay festering between them, an open wound that neither would touch lest something ugly come oozing out. She'd spent weeks rehearsing her justifications, practicing it upon Thistle and Kaii, preparing herself to have her shame laid bare between them. Even now, she still didn't feel ready for it.

She gently kissed her husband's cheek, fluffier than it normally was. "You don't have to keep hiding yourself, shaping yourself into what you aren't," she murmured in his ear. "You keep trying to make yourself someone else - Falun, Alexei, I don't know, but it's not you. At least, not the you that I get to see. Maybe instead of trimming it all away, you could just let yourself be for once."

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Finn grabbed hopelessly at clumps of fur as he rolled upside down again. The ground was full of obstacles and other dangers, and at any moment he could smack his head into something protruding upwards -- a monument, stairs, a fence! Gates, that'd be quite the welt, wouldn't it? But as the ball rolled on, there was a flash of something red, and then the biting on his tail suddenly stopped.

As little as he wanted to be bit again, the poor little weasel might get swept away if no one rescued it. Swimming horizontally through the fur, Finn looked for signs of movement. "'ey! Where'd you go?" he called out, before seeing a little brown wriggly thing. Worming his way closer, the foxkit reached out with his paw, and caught a hold of the small thing, and cradled it close to his chest. "I gotcha~! Hold on!"

Though he wasn't a terrible swimmer, moving through this fur was nearly impossible. But using a modified sidestroke, Finn eventually swam his way to the surface of the sphere. Panting, he held the little beast out to examine it. Curious little thing, Tizzi was! "Alright, you think you can ride on my shoulder so I can grab onto something? Or sit on my head?" he said, catching his breath. "Will free up my paws to try and grab onto something!"

As Tizzi relocated, the pair rolled up across the equator, and eventually became the north pole of the furball. Caught in a corner, the ball rolled along against several buildings, causing the pole to wobble off axis. Several times, Finn tried to catch railings, banisters, and rain gutters -- but they always slipped through his paws. Finally, he caught ahold of a railing, and tried to pull himself free. The static cling was strong though, and the ball simply wouldn't let him go. The mass began to roll away, but Finn held on tight with both paws, trembling as his grip weakened.

"Rrrgfhhh! You better hop off here, little fella... I don't think I can hold on much longer!"

@Tizzi Poof @Cricket

 

[Tizzi Poof]

Tizzi held still at first, eyes wide and body shocked with a... pleasurable...? sensation. Being held. Distant memories of some past life flitted through its mind. A soft, femenine voice. Warmth. Claws lightly brushing ears and fur. A full belly. Softness. Such softness.

The little weasel's beady eyes gazed at Finn through the frizz of the furball and their connection deepened, souls entwining...

Yes, this little fox was both a good hugger and a perfect noble steed. Tizzi tchk-ed with a burbling trill as it climbed aboard Finnian's head and took hold of his ears in each grubby little paw. It would release an ear only to grab fistfulls of thick head fur and yank, or boop a claw into the fox's noggin and scalp, as if inputting commands into some kind of fuzzy console.

Wee! This was fun.

What was this?! The fox-steed was trying to escape? But... the ball was warm and safe!

Tizzi stood up on Finn's shoulders and took stock of the situation in one quick twist of the neck. Back where they'd come, metal stomping sounds indicated the orange firebeast was still steadily and resolutely jogging after them. Slightly off to the side, there was some kind of small lizard advancing at a faster pace. Ahead of them, beasts were still fleeing. And the ball, while slow, was still moving, and Finn's body was stretching, paws clinging to railing, arms at their limit, chest and the rest pulling back into the ball...

Tizzi wrapped its grubby legs and short little tail around Finn's neck, and whispered in his ear, "Is okay... Tizzi help..."

And then it reached out along his arms and pried Finn's fingers free of the railing.

"We go! Pooooof! Bye bye!"

A tiny cackling rang out as they were sucked back into the static, Tizzi once again gripping Finn's ears to guide him.

 

[Eskila]

And Eskila gamely stalked her prey down the streets, huffing. Shield slung over her back, arms pumping, head down, leaping over cabbages - though they seemed less and less now. She was gaining on the ball. So far, no fires. Also, the streets in the wake of it were noticably... cleaner? Apart from the cabbages... Dust and grime seemed to get swept to the side by its passage. It was almost... nice. The Slups behind looked so much different than the Slups ahead.

She saw them then. A fox kit and some brown wormish thing oozing out of the ball to unclasp his paws from the railing he desperately clung to. Then they were gone, and the ball was moving again, faster.

She took a deep breath and urged her stubby musteline legs to sprint, to catch up, to do the one thing she lived for: rescuing beasts and eating spaghetti.

And she was all out of spaghetti.

Somehow she found herself running alongside a little gecko. "Lizard!" she chirped. She liked lizards. They were interesting and, in the winter, about as fast as she was. Except this time she was beginning to pass the gecko, and her instincts told her to slow down so they could run together, but... the other instincts told her to go faster.

"Jump on my back!"

 

[Talinn Ryalor]

“Perhaps you are right, my dearest.” he replied, squeezing her paw with his right one and emphasizing the last words in a soft, loving tone. It was a true statement. She was his dearest, and he had not been lying during the Festival of Sorrows when he said that she was the one he had freely chosen. He had hurt her, and deeply, with the arrangement that he had to make to secure their family’s future, and he had been confused and lost for such a long time, but the incident on Urk, the real, imminent face with death, had brought things into stark relief for him, and what he truly valued.

He sighed, looking at himself in the mirror and reflecting on her words. He had done so much in his life for others, not for the sake of himself. Either for his family or his people. And he had made mistakes, mistakes that had cost him and others so much, in his pursuit of either. Maybe he should just try being himself more-but what did that even look like? He had been groomed to be Falun’s backup since his early kithood, and then he had been forced to do so much to keep his family safe. Who was he?

“I confess, I do not know who that beast is these days. Things were...are... so...confusing...to figure out...and I’ve made so many mistakes.”

He squeezed on her paw again. He had not missed the flicker of worry that Dusk thought she had hidden-he knew her too well. And he knew very well why that was. Neither of them had talked about Mina Rose, his daughter that he did not know that he had. It kept a distance between the two, separate from other things, and one he was loathe to keep there. They needed to be united, unbreakable, before going to Amarone, if they were to stand a chance, and, to be honest, it stung him that she had hidden one of his kits from him emotionally.

“I…” He paused, turning around and looking at her, his pale blue matching up to her green, tears forming in his eyes “Am I such a monster, a danger Dusk? Or am I too weak to protect her, that sending her away was the best option? If you truly think so, I do not blame you for your decision with Mina Rose.”

The tears began to flow harder as his voice grew more ragged. He was far from a sinless fox, but he loved his kits, even if he had not been the best father. The thought that one of them was beyond his protection, outside of the family, scared him more than anything else.

@Dusk Rainblade

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

A knock sounded at the slightly ajar door to the ruins, and Mina Rose poked her head around it, commenting, a bit redundant and belatedly, "Knock knock." She beamed as she spotted Kaii, and she slipped through the door. She was wearing a nice brown coat, weighted for autumn, that Kaii had purchased for her on a previous outing together. It was sturdy and reliable, which generally complimented the earthiness of her personality. Mina Rose had worn the coat every day since.

The vixen approached Kaii, beaming as she saw his in-process grooming. "Oh, good, yer trimmin' yerself," she remarked, her shoulders sagging in relief. "I was hopin' so." She blushed a bit as she shrugged out of the coat, draping it over her arm instead. It was clear that her heavier winter coat was coming in, perhaps a bit thicker than normal; between that, the light sweater she was wearing, and her general lack of height, the effect was to make her look what her mother would have charitably called 'plump'. "I ain' used t' 'is cold," she explained, gesturing to indicate the curves that the extra fur was only accentuating, "an' I think m' body's overreactin'. Ya reckon y' can 'elp wiv' at?" She blushed, averting her gaze, whether from Kaii's deficit of clothing or awareness that the same would be required of her, she could not say.

~~~

Dusk tensed as, for the first time, the topic of Mina Rose was broached between them. She felt even more wretched than she could have anticipated. Seeing her husband cry - her husband, the unshakable, those whose enemies and detractors claimed that he didn't even have a heart - always filled her from the footpaw to the tip of her nose with roiling, caustic anxiety, as if her spirit were being distilled from her within the vessel of her own flesh. She'd expected rage, indignation, acrimony; she hadn't been prepared for the guilt and pain on Talinn's part.

Dusk squeezed his shoulder, trying to let her own pain seep through the gesture. "We're both monsters, Talinn," she whispered. "You know how badly we did with her siblings. I don't know where we went wrong, how we turned those bright eyes dull with pain, but it happened. Maybe it was the world that hurt them, like it hurt us, and we just failed to protect them from it. Or," she allowed, "maybe we threw them onto the pyre and sculpted the ashes into the shape of princes and princesses. However it happened, Talinn, I couldn't do it again. Not to another of my kits. Seeing her destroyed would have destroyed me."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. "I can't stop you from talking to her," she allowed. "I can't stop you from telling her the truth, or whisking her away to Westisle, stuffing her in a dress, and marrying her off. I just... She deserves to be happy, Tal. I know you have a good heart, I know you want our kits to be safe and happy. Surely, if there's one gift we can give her, it's that."

 

[Cricket]

As she drew closer, prepared to seize upon this wonderful bounty of fur and fluff with which she could line her winter retreat, Cricket became aware of its halted progress. It was checked not by a wall or edge as she had expected but rather…paws? arms? a little face?

Oh. Oh no.

“Finn?!” It was difficult to tell whether her tone carried itself as incredulous, delighted or horrified for she was all three. How in ‘Gates did the todd manage to get himself into every scrape possible for being such a good kit?

Before there was any chance of catching up some little creature, like the spectre of impulsive behaviour made flesh and fur and grease, slithered out from the morass of shed fur to loosen the unfortunate todd’s grip and away the ball went with a crackle.

“Hey!” Again she was off down the cobbled streets in its wake, joined by an older mustelid who seemed tall, friendly and as determined to catch the errant furball as she. Briefly the crested gecko inclined her head to listen to the shout. It was a solid, sensible plan and a kind offer: it would certainly save her short legs. Unfortunately the shout came from an adult, directed towards a teenager who held no trust with anybeast older than herself. For all she knew this stranger didn’t only want the fur for herself but could intend to get Finny into trouble: there was no way she was going to let Finn come to harm on her watch.

“I can run just fine!” she shouted back, putting on an extra burst of speed she’d regret later to try and surpass the sable who had slowed to match her pace. She needed to rescue Finn from whatever else was in that ball. “That there’s mine!”

 

[Eskila]

"Okay," said Eskila, huffing along. She let her legs stretch to their fullest and began to outpace the gecko once again.

Not for long. The ground began to slope. A curve in the street brought the harbour into view above the buildings ahead, a thin line of blue over the drab, mottled colours of the Slups. Eskila realised she knew this street. It was a horrible street, a joyous street. In a few weeks, maybe even days, there would be brown slush-snow piled so high that walking was impossible - at least until enough beasts had slid on their rears enough to thaw the snow to the cobbles again, giving somewhere to wedge a toe claw for the trek uphill.

The 14th Fire Brigade had lost at least two water wagons to this hill, and the previous Captain probably still had a limp. But there were kits in the furball. Doing this was non-negotiable.

"Last chance," she called to Cricket. "I'm going to stop running, it's not fast enough."

Eskila slung her shield off her back and, still running full tilt, heaved it in front of her with a leap, tucking it under her knees. "Sorry," she said to the shield, gripping the inside handle and kicking the street behind her for more speed. She narrowed her posture, musteline body adopting an aerodynamic aesthetic. The weight of her armour would be just the thing to close the distance.

"Wee," she said, without a hint of excitement.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii wasn't startled by the sudden appearance of the voice he got very familiar with ever since he got to first meet Mina. He put down the scissors and the little comb he was using to precision cut his tail fur and stood up with the smile, one that was wider than his usual, small lift of the edges of his maw.

"Hello Mina, Pleased to see you coming in... though I apologise for both sorry state of my estate and myself." He first spoke while observing as she shrugged her coat off, taking it from her paws after a moment to put it upon his own clothing, assuring that it wouldn't get dirty from the destroyed flooring. "How are you faring?" He had asked politely, looking at her with warm, soft gaze that he found himself naturally showing around Mina more and more often nowadays.

At her request Kaii nodded and with no hesitation picked up the tools he had been using before. "But of course! I still need to finish with my tail and back, but I will first take care of you gladly. Please, remove your clothes and come sit on the pillow I was at." The marble fox politely requested, and turned for a moment to take the broom and clean the area from his own fur, making space for hers. Before he reached it, he did however notice her blushing and averting her eyes. Over the moment he had spent sweeping the fur, he pondered why was that a case. Was she ashamed she needed help? Bashful due to his presence as sometimes was the case? Unsatisfied with the fact he was living among the ruins that had no roof or walls for the most part?

It was only after a much longer moment that he had realised that requesting of a femme, even one that he was courting, to get bare, had implications... especially as he himself was lacking clothes this whole time. Giving himself a moment to refocus his mind from more primal desires that came naturally, he decided to ask politely. "I suppose I ought to ask... should I put on some garments?"

@Mina Rose Brewer

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose blushed at Kaii's request, spoken with so much calm control, as if he were asking her to bring him a cup of water, not to strip herself for him. Her mind flashed back to one of her mother's particularly dirty novels, which featured a scene between a young vice minister of commerce and his secretary alone in his office. Mina Rose certainly didn't think she'd have been able to successfully jot down his dictation under the same circumstances. Part of her wondered if Kaii would approach other aspects of their relationship with that same level of absolute self-control.

She moved to the pillow, her blush seeming to engulf her entire face as he stood above her, himself wearing far less than any male had ever worn in her presence - at least, less than any male in proper society should have been wearing in her presence, since her mother would have said that what Mina Rose and Geremy had done together was decidedly improper. She put her paws over her eyes, but couldn't help peeking through to admire his form. He wasn't quite as over-muscled as the todds in the illustrations of her mother's books, but he at least rivaled Geremy, who had also been a blacksmith, and he was far more well-groomed than Geremy had been. Fastidiousness had its appeal, it seemed.

As Kaii seemed to realize the implications of what he'd asked and offered a small form of mitigation, she squeaked, "No! No, it's okay." She reached down, and, grabbing the hem of her sweater, pulled it up over her head. In a way, it was a relief; the sweater suddenly felt far too hot for her, and the rush of cool autumn air on her fur felt delicious. She set the sweater aside, self-conscious as she knelt before Kaii in only her long skirt and the short jump that barely served to cover her unmentionables. Her fur, growing thick already, poofed out over the lines of her jump and beneath over her stomach, where it bunched above the hem of her skirt.

She blushed, realizing she'd been looking over him again, and averted her eyes. "D'... D'ya need me t' take more off?" There was something in her, beyond the fear and conditioned modesty, that almost sounded excited for the possibility.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii was now at a situation he considered difficult. He still was able to quell his growing primal desire without shutting off his emotional system. But it was getting difficult. Kaii himself had little problem with showing fur. But the way Mina acted was making him hyperaware of the fact it was more a result of who he was and absolutely not a norm. Thus he decided to kneel down and level his muzzle with hers, looking into her eyes.

"Mina," He started softly. "that is up to you. If you want me to give you full trim, I would ask you to do so yes. But know that I do not have such expectation of you, not that I am seeking anything perverse in doing so. I was raised with acceptance of seeing and showing one's fur, as part of my family's culture." Kaii then gently brushed his fingers through the fur on her shoulder and sighed, chuckled and blushed slightly as well. "I would be a liar however to not mention that seeing you gives me more primal desires, but I am a beast after all. My nature is there, but I do my best to control it..."

He then stood up and made sure that the scissors are working properly. After a moment, he was ready to start. "So the decision is yours. And should I do anything you do not feel okay with? You can always tell me to stop."

@Mina Rose Brewer

 

[Talinn Ryalor]

The Duke of Westisle looked more in pain than he did during his entire recovery from the fight with the direwolf as he listened to his wife’s words, putting his paw over hers and squeezing tightly as he listened. He could not hold back the flood of tears from his eyes as he listened in-he let them flow freely down and into his newly floofed up fur, dampening it a bit. He was not angry with Dusk, as much as she might expect, he was hurt. He knew that the two of them had been monsters, he knew they had hurt their children, much as he knew they did not intend to. Surviving multiple civil wars and intrigues took a toll on everyone in the family to get to where they were today. But they were still family.

He choked as he tried to speak, then stop, and collected himself, whispering quietly as he did so.

“I understand...why you did...what you did. I am…” he paused to look up at her, so she could see the pain, not anger in his eyes “not...angry. What was going on back then, with the famine, plagues, wars both on Westisle, here, and more...it was not...safe. We were…we could not run away like Tanya and Jeshal. We had to to things that..."

His voice dropped even lowered us.

“...debased us, even more than we were, to survive. But...we did the best we could...with the paws we were dealt with at birth. We are not...monsters...Dusk...we’re just...broken. Broken by this world that punishes any weakness. But...as you have been introduced to the practice of kintsugi...what was broken...can be fixed and made beautiful again, with care.”

He actually stood up, and, looking at his wife, who looked so scared, embraced her, holding her tightly and close to him in a way that he had not for years for some time, saying nothing, but just feeling her warmth next to his. She had stood by him, through it all, and he had not shown her as much appreciation as he should have. His experience with the Kitsune had indeed changed him.

There’s more to say about Mina, but, for the moment, I just want to enjoy this.

@Dusk Rainblade

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose blushed down to her toes at Kaii's forthrightness, a dozen emotions at war within her. She wanted him; she was scared of wanting him. She hadn't wanted Geremy like this, hadn't enjoyed his company nearly so much, clothes or no clothes. He'd simply been there and she'd been bored out of her mind, trapped on a little island; coupling with him had been a way to pass the time. With Kaii, though, it was different; she loved seeing and hearing the way his mind worked, all those brilliant thoughts spinning about like the gears in a clock. She loved the moments when she could see him working through some problem, and she loved even more the moments when he set all those shiny thoughts aside and focused wholly on her. It made her feel valued in a way she had never been.

Of course, the ease with which she'd fallen for Kaii scared her too. She knew that she wasn't as brilliant as he was, and a part of her worried that, as soon as the novelty wore off and he solved the puzzle she presented to him, then he'd leave. Worse would be if his honor demanded he stay with her, even as the attraction between them grew cold and stale. Mina Rose had seen how her parents, for the most part, had acted more friends and colleagues than lovers, the spark of attraction between them a dying ember; she feared that, when this bond between them had frayed, Kaii would find her to be a weight around his neck, a burden to be borne, not a companion on the long road of life. Mina couldn't think of anything worse than to look in his eyes and see disinterest, even contempt, written there.

She took a deep breath, all of these considerations fighting for dominance within her. Would it be better if she kept in at a distance, prolonged her mystique, drew out the attraction for as long as she could? Or, if it was going to end, was it better that they burn bright now, when there was still time for them both to walk away from the ashes and find happiness in other beasts' arms? Another thought entered her mind then, a thought so stunningly clever that Mina Rose was almost blinded by her own brilliance.

"Tell ya what," she suggested, shifting so that she faced him a little more directly, "I'll take off mah skivvies for ya an' let ya groom me like one a' yer Alkamarian gals," she hoped the reference to a famous romance novel wouldn't go over his head, "if ya talk ta me abou' wha' projects ya go' goin' on while ya do so. 'At way I know yer mind is stayin' sensible an' ain' thinkin' abou' other things." Her eyes gleamed at the challenge she'd presented. She knew how much he valued his rationality, and framing herself as a temptation, a test of will for him to resist, was the best way she could find to keep herself interesting while also stoking the flames of his baser instincts.

~~~

Dusk blinked, suddenly struck with a strong sense of maternal pride toward her youngest from out of nowhere. She brushed aside the out-of-place emotion and focused instead on her husband and his pain. Ultimately, that had been how he'd won her over in their courtship. At first he'd just been a mark, a safe place for her to hide while she planned her next move. When he'd actually opened up to her, let her see the pain behind those eyes, poured out his grief and his fears... That was the moment she fell for him, and she'd never gotten back up since.

She accepted his embrace, melting into his arms and burying her face in the warm scruff of his neck. She was shocked at how soft and cozy he was like this; if she'd known that this was what winter coat hugs felt like, she'd have asked him to stop cutting his fur decades ago. More than that, though, there was his scent, the musky aroma that was uniquely him, uniquely home in her mind. She felt the tears coming to her eyes as the dam she'd erected against her loneliness crumbled and flooded into her soul. "I missed you," she choked out, her arms squeezing him tighter. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the aroma of him. Any last resentment she had for him was washed away by the relief of having him back. "I forgive you," she murmured into his neck. "I forgave you long ago; I was too proud to say it, and too scared to beg forgiveness of my own. I'm sorry, Tal. I never should have kept you from her. I shouldn't have kept me from you."

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

When Finn had held Tizzi in his paws, he similarly had warm fuzzy feelings as he looked into Tizzi's eyes. Feelings of Giftsmas morning, with a warm fire and snow dusted windows. Waking up, knowing that the school days had ended, and the summer had begun. The night aboard the Hide, when Silvie had him up on his shoulders. The feeling of running about the quarterdeck like he owned the Hide.

All of those feelings were promptly dashed in the most bitter of betrayals. As the weasel pried his fingers one by one off the railing, Finn cried out in despair. "Wait, no! No no no, we have to get off this thing!" he wailed. Bip. There went his pinky and ring finger.

"It's too fluffy, there's too much static! We might not --" Point! There went his middle finger.

"-- we might not get another chance! Nononoplease! Just... just... just hop off, yeah? Hop onto the balcony? See? Balcony! Safe!"

> "We go! Pooooof! Bye bye!"

With a cluster of pleading (followed promptly by cursing), the fox lost his grip. Finn strained desperately to catch hold of it again, fingers quivering with effort as he swiped at the railing only inches from his fingertips -- but the ball had started to roll backwards, and Tizzi had grabbed his ears.

"Nnnnohohoooo... OOOWHH. OWWWH MY EARS, HEY!"

Finn rolled atop the ball for a moment, and... my goodness that was a beautiful view up among the roofs. You could see all the Slups from here. The Misertross gulls roosting for the evening, the chimneys starting to waft up their warm spiced smoke, the geckos running along the...

"Cricket!?" he called out in surprise, before disappearing behind over event horizon of the all consuming fuzzball.

 

[Cricket]

Admitting defeat was not in Cricket’s nature, not even as the road began to slope and the cobbles grow colder underfoot. She was determined, and determined independence had kept her alive up until now: she’d not fall prey to presuming some adult knew better.

But there was the furball, there – briefly – was Finnian, and there was possibly the strangest form of sledding she’d seen yet. Of course most kits through the winter had enjoyed the activity (she’d watched them from her warmer alcoves jealously many a season): even those who could not afford sleds had improvised with board or crates or stolen trays. Never had she thought she’d see a shield used, let alone by a beast everyone would have lectured her endlessly should know better.

Huh. So there was room for some fun after all.

Cricket desperately wanted to find a device of her own to match the sable but there was no time. Despite her grumblings the crested gecko knew she really had one chance to keep pace. Gathering her strength and speed, she launched herself after Eskila and managed, more by grace than ability, to land with a thump on her back. Initially she shrieked, first at the contact with freezing cold metal and then with glee as the added weight and momentum carried them forwards.

“Faster!!”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii was not beast to hesitate much, if anything he took moments to consider. But not in this case. He simply nodded and gave Mina a gentle lick to the side of her muzzle. "If such is your desire to feel that my intentions are right, I can not do anything but agree to your request." He spoke quietly and then moved aside to await for her to get improper. He was by all means however looking at his tools, not at her as she did so. It was solemnly to help her understand he had no malicious intent with her.

Once she was ready, he moved close and started brushing Mina's puffy coat. He didn't however forget about his promise, as such, as soon as his brush touched Mina, he started speaking with enthusiasm, his tail starting to wag as he truly believed that Mina was also interested in hearing of his work. He knew well she wasn't understanding many things that he did, but he was enamoured by the fact she wished to listen and that she tried to understand them, asking questions and showing interest was more important to him. He felt seen and valued due to that, something he only now saw that he missed.

"Well, as of now I am repeating all naval knowledge I have obtained. The Hide departs soon and I, after all, am responsible of its technical operations. However, aside from working, I do spend whatever spare time I have now to do some experiments I will not be able to do on the high seas. Namely speaking, I am back to observing how electricity can be used to move metals. Sparing you the technical details, I have observed that a charged piece of metal, under specific circumstances, can make another piece of metal move, even if it wasn't magnetic, that is able to attract metals, before..."

He continued his explanations, while slowly working around Mina's body. After brushing it all down, he used the comb to gather and cut the fur to be evenly trimmed alongside the natural curves of her body. While he was not shy at all to touch her in anyplace, it was always professional, in amounts needed to trim the fur around it.

@Mina Rose Brewer

 

[Eskila]

The giant furball loomed. Compared to the momentum of one full-grown sable running full-speed combined with the momentum of one half-grown gecko running full speed - even though the friction of shield on cobbles was not optimal - the weight of one fox and weasel kit off-center in a large, soft sphere of fluff mostly driven by gravity and slopes was significant. Which is to say, the sledding pair easily gained on Finnian and Tizzi.

Eskila rose to her haunches, one paw letting go of the shield. The blurry shape became clear again, and she knew it was time. Her other paw let go. She trusted the lizard on her back to hold tight, and summoning the grace and courage of all her ancestors, the sable leapt -

Leaves brushed her cheeks, the wind riffled through her tail, paws and claws spread in eager anticipation of the branch far below. Her lithe body stretched to its limit, ears flattened against the rush of air...

- they landed atop the runaway fuzzball, their weight immediately sinking them into it. Darkness enveloped them as fur clouded their vision, lit only by the crackle of static electricity. Eskila's training kicked in. No shield, but arms spread with elbows out, feet planted as they sank and spun. Smoke or fur made no difference. There were kits to rescue.

Through the tingling shocks, something brushed her paw. With a snap, she snaked out and grabbed it. Cloth - the foxkit's clothes. She held tight, gritting her teeth, her other arm reaching behind her to clasp the gecko tightly as well. With a roar, she threw her spine back, counteracting the rotation of the fuzz. Boots finally sank far enough to hit something. Street! She twisted, throwing herself forward and back towards the slope of the hill. Couldn't crouch and roll, not with the gecko on her. But the fox in her arms now, hugged tight to her chest, couldn't squish him. She landed on her side, hoping paws and limbs and tails wouldn't get pinched by her armor.

With a sudden gasp, one final burst of zippy-zaps, the furball peeled away, slower and deformed now, cleaved almost in two but still rolling. Her shield tumbled towards them, spinning out of control. Eskila kicked and rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding it, still trying not to crush the kits.

Then it was over.

She let go of Finnian, and just lay there, half dazed with triumph, her breathing loud inside her raggedy orange helm.

 

[Tizzi Poof]

"Poof," said Tizzi, in the saddest little voice imaginable.

The creature stood off to the side, watching its beloved furball collapse down at the bottom of the hill. Bits of variegated furs still clung to the brackish muck coating its own body.

Tizzi had taken a leap themselves, abandoning its noble steed as the wall of orange came crushing down upon them. With nimble strides and a spine like a spring, it had bounced from Finnian's shoulders to Eskila's helmet, and up through the hole the sable had plowed through the fur, landing sprawled and ungainly on the street. It had been a moment of sheer panic, not knowing if the sudden intruder would cause harm. And now its home lay in ruins.

It turned and hissed at the frazzled trio, then pounced away, further out of reach. Before long, however, it glanced back, beady black eyes searching for its friend. Soft ears. Delicious tail.

Tizzi placed a paw on its chest and clenched, the other rising to its brow in a salute.

One day, they would be reunited.

Then, with a prickly tchk-tchk-tchk!, it bounded into a nearby alley, out of sight. It would make its way to the bottom of the hill via rooftop, scavenge what little bits of fluff it could from the mess below. It would rebuild. Bigger. Better. Softer. Faster.

Until next time...

 

[Jeshal the Ironclaw]

Catching Tanya’s ogling, intentional or not, Jeshal smirked at her reflection where it peeked over the top of his own’s shoulder. She, too, looked different. Cuddlier than she ever had been in his memory, not that he would have said so while he wanted to keep her good mood. To him she was beautiful in any season.

“See somethin’ ye like, missy?”​

@Tanya Keltoi