Yeah, nope, no way.  Fire was avoiding Nevouku like the plague because she kind of wanted to forget what happened and avoid the conversation entirely.

But inevitably he sought her out, and she couldn't just run away from him like a pussy.  

'Sup.

She really didn't want him to start up again, and it caused the fur along her spine to raise in surprise for a moment.  No! she shouted hastily, It's fine, really.  Don't worry about it.

Because if he started hallucinating again, she was Morally Obligated to take care of him, and it was weird enough the first time.  You didn't know.  There's a difference between doing something maliciously and doing it because you don't know any better.

Mostly, you just cried, she said, laying it all out on the table for him.  You were talking to someone that.. wasn't me.  But it's okay, she added quickly, hoping to assuage him.  Her ears burned in embarrassment (although she had no reason to be), and she averted her gaze somewhere way off in the distance.

Whoa, dude, please calm down.  No, I mean like, you were seeing things that weren't there, I think.  She swiped a paw over the ground and pointedly looked anywhere but at his intense, hawkish face.  

She bristled defensively, her lip curled back to reveal her pearly incisors.  Her body language read clear: keep your distance, and although even this dude outranked her at the moment, punishment was the furthest thing from her mind.  No.  I'm not sure of anything.  Her words came out more defeated than anything.  But maybe, yeah.  There was nobody else around.

She scrutinized him, watched him back up.  Her posture and expression changed to something vaguely more submissive but entirely less threatening.  Yeah, sounds good to me.  Did I ever even get your name?  I'm Ceara.

Of course he did, right?  This dude was like.. a giant ray of sunshine once he warmed up.  He was about the same age as Siarut, maybe a little younger, and she wondered what had scared him so bad in the first place.  The way he carried himself..

Well, whatever.  Well, thank ya, Nev.  Looks like it's about to rain, do you wanna find some cover with me?  If he screwed up, it was the last time she'd offer him company.. but she didn't really want to wait out the rain alone, either.

They found shelter easily, since they had started looking in enough time.  There was enough room for both of them to move around comfortably, not too close to one another.

Really?  She had not met very many with her bright orange pelt, but she was not that surprised there were others.  Interesting.  Were you close?

She shrugged, unperturbed by Nevouku's scatterbrained ignorance.  Dude, you met her once.  No need to feel bad.  I don't know the names of half of my family, or even some of the people I've met.. I don't know, a lot.  Should she have been more ashamed?  Probably.  Was she?  Ha ha hahaha.  Haha.  No.

So, you've been around a while then?  She would've asked why he hadn't moved up in ranks, but, well....

She guessed she could see where he was coming from.  Well, you're back now.  And they seem to treat us pretty well here, so we've got that going for us.  She chuckled.  Outside, the rain began to fall.

You're right though.  It is good to hang onto memories.

f u c k

Why this?  Why did it always have to be her??  Maybe she should just leave and then she won't have to deal with this — she had embarrassed herself once already taking care of Nev (and one with Screech, that made her stomach burn) — did she really have to deal with it again?

Looks like it!  N-nev? she tried tentatively, trying to rouse him back.  What's up?

Ah, the naiveté of youth.  She had no qualms about going straight up to Nevouku and positioning herself to where she was blocking the wind (even though she did think it was cold) until the fire in her belly came to life.

Which, ew, this dude was like.. an old coward.  But it was there anyway, because her body was undergoing changes and unfortunately they'd both be subjected to them.

Quietly, she asked, 's that better?