SETTING:Moss Rock Garden
Weather:Sunny
Hot
Midday
TERRITORY: Northstar Vale
TAGS: @Hotaru
Hot. Hot...
'It's so hot,' he thought with his jaws open and tongue lolling out. His mouth had dried up long ago—before the sun had reached it's highest point and the herds had taken refuge within the shade. Now the boy saught the same comfort within the inner depths of the Vale. A place he could relax and stop the disgusting sweat that built up under his coat and gave him a sheen of waxy-looking fur.
Luckily he had found the garden, lush and green and filled with soft spongy moss that was much cooler than anything else in the territory right now. Bliss.
Sweet bliss.
The girl could feel her legs and pads strengthening. Each day large paws carried the girl a bit further as she explored the vale. Never before had she made it far past the communal dens, but today she saw something different. Splotches of green and trees that towered into the sky. They were different from the green by her den and the blobs of trees in the distance. It was intriguing and curiosity drew her near.
Reaching the edge of the forested rocks, the girl paused to sniff at the spongey substance. It was musky, but not quite offensive enough to turn her away. Hesitantly she whacked lightly at the moss finding the surface soft and spongey. The sensation felt strange, but there was something nice about it and the coolness that seeped into her pads. Deciding that she liked it, the young Princess ventured further giggling at how her paws sunk slightly the moss.
A voice struck her ears, one foreign and free without the constraint of a body. Hotaru froze quickly glancing around the garden until she finally realized the grey man was not one of the rocks nor was he covered with the funny green substance. He was unknown and just like that other pup, looked nothing like her or her family. Had she wandered too far? Was this his home? He didn't seem mad at least, but she couldn't help but back up a few steps, Nehhhh!
Maybe she should leave, in fact, she probably would have had she not been so interested in the moss. It was unfair to come this far only to leave now after making a new discovery just because this guy was here too. He wasn't mad though and since she hadn't been carried away or scolded, maybe he didn't mind her exploration. Blue eyes stared unblinking, waiting for something to happen only to relax after several moments passed with nothing. Relaxing a bit, Hotaru took a few steps closer, nose low to try and sniff at the ground near the stranger.
The man lowered his head, perhaps relaxing himself as she drew near. Maybe...maybe it was her who spooked him? As she neared he spoke, the names familiar. Reiko— Takeshi— though she knew them as mom and dad, she had heard the words repeated enough to at least acknowledge them. Hotaru let her rear plop down on the soft moss as she glanced up to the man again, Weyko!
The pup's head tilted to the side as if a weight had pulled it. Most of his words seemed strange, but two other words seemed to strike a key in the girl's head Emp—Emperr comm—on—er.
Another giggle escaped her at her own success as a paw reached out to slap once more at the spongey substance.
Soon another paw joined hers drawing the Princess' gaze back up. The man once again said her mother's name, but she wasn't quite sure why. That's what she said? Then came a drawn-out word. Hotaru squinted, but she tried again Emm...mprr—errr
Had she done it? She expected some kind of praise just as her parents had given her in her feeble attempts at requesting songs.
Then he gestured to himself, drawing the girl's eyes back up. Clay. Then to the ground, Moss. C—Ccway— moss.
She wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but she did her best to at least repeat his words. Both were unfamiliar, but something about the way he pointed made her think they might mean something. Since his paw was directed at the moss between them she'd scrape at it with her own until a small patch of dirt had been revealed.
Again, the girl tilted her head as he started to gesture between the two. The word from before had been repeated several times as he pointed to himself. Soon she looked down at her own small and feeble body before looking back to the boy. Cway?
Was it him? She had never heard it before so it couldn't be her. Name. That was also a familiar word, although not as much as the ones repeated by her mother.
Hotaru looked back to herself as the boy...Clay??? left his gesture in her direction. Her...her? Hootahwuu
She identified with that at least. Whenever she received the attention of her parents it was usually followed by Hotaru. That was her name if she remembered that word correctly.
Clay frowned soon letting out a groan similar to her sister's after she had been dragged back to the den before...rolling and disappearing! The girl jumped to her paws as he fell out of sight, a small growl rising in her throat at the rock for swallowing what might have been a new friend. Though, soon she'd realize some of his limbs have yet to be consumed.
His voice followed shortly after. He was able to talk still? Maybe the rock had not fully consumed him... Her ears perked as he said her name, although kinda strange. Again the word name came up, to which she could only reply again, Houtawoo!
That couldn't be the final words of this boy. Tottering on stick legs, Hotaru approached the mossy rock, batting at it once before leaping attempting to get on top and defeat it as her brother and sister had done before.
There was a skittering noise as small claws scraped at the moss for some sort of grip, falling several times before she eventually scooted atop the rock with a small oof. Upon reaching the top, Clay was once again revealed earning an excited tail wag from the girl.
editing for an exit since Clay is now actually dead!
Hotaru waited, innocent eyes staring simply thinking the boy was sleeping, though after a long pause he seemed to take no notice of her. For a split second, an eye peered at her before closing once more to continue his ruse. To the young princess, she took it as an attempt to ignore her. That wouldn't do...she enjoyed their interaction! A small growl formed in her throat as the girl let out a warning bark and should she be ignored longer she'd fling her body off the rock using the man's side as a cushion, though seeing that he continued to play dead she would quickly lose interest and wander off to explore a bit more.