Lion Head Mesa uvlaaq(-)

when he woke, he was warm.

there was red stone all around him. there was light filtering in through a crack in the wall. a warm fur of some animal he'd never seen before lay beneath him, and he was piled atop it like a rag-doll.

and when he woke, his head shot up and he was on his feet so quickly that he slipped on the fur and almost lost his balance. he corrected himself and found the corner of the room where he could wedge himself tightly, his tail tucked.

it all felt so solid, here.

how could it feel so real if he was dead?

before even his steps could be heard coming down the hall, the nobleman's clinking dogtag announced him, the light-stepping cat that was @Legend unheard in her accompaniment, the first mazoi gucci had laid eyes upon coming to visit the refugee.

if the young one were, indeed, that.

with sashay of lush tail and lifted chin, gucci entered the guest room.

for a moment, he thought the stranger had vacated it, as the bedfurs were scattered and empty. took a surprised moment to notice him covering in the corner off to the right, eyes like saucepans and tail tucked.

gucci put on his most harmless smile, sickle-tail brushing his backside in elegant wags.

eeeasy there, stranger. ain't nah-body gon' hurtcha. that right, mazoi? he cast a quick sideway glance toward legend, hoping to convey this were a delicate situation, for gentle handling.

what's gotcha frightened, huh?

My tags are being mean im so sorry!

Vajoojoo was her friend now! Even if small and tiny, and maybe weird, and she deemed him dumb just because he was tiny-- he was the best kind of dumb body! What kind of wolf was a wolf that brought her snackies if not a good wolf?

So, when the mazoi marched in the room with a puffed chest, she tossed an eye to Vajoojoo, incredulous. Why was he looking at her like that? And why was the new boy all huddled up? Good! Should be huddled up! This was Akashingo turf! PEASANT!

Vajoojoo looked more serious though. This settled the demon down, simmered as her mind slowly trailed. Gucci had been kind to her.
No interrogation today.

Mouth coming to an open with air sucking in her lips, she closed it quickly afterwards and perked an ear to the cornered man. A tilting head, perked up ears!

totally skippable, but Haizel simply cannot refrain from Haizeling himself into everyone's threads.

The flowerpriest stepped forth, hearing a commotion. Giant of a man held a small vessel filled with water; he walked silently to tend the flowers he'd put there. 

Blooms of yellow and white, his signature, a single red flower in their center. 

A gathering were here, it seemed. A newcomer to these lands. 

A curious thing, he watched from the corner of sunlit eyes.

the first to arrive was something small but loud, and their voice filled the space that their body could not. agakiggruk did not leave the corner.

the second flanked the first, and looked more like what a wolf should be; but this one was silent, her mouth hinged and eyes wide. agakiggruk was more nervous, and his tongue flicked out across his lips and nose, while he hunkered lower.

the last was a giant! as silent as the first. he smelled of tilled earth, and was the color that matched. agakiggruk thought, does the little one command them?

he had never been around so many strangers at once. the tension he felt, the fear, culminated in the snapping of his teeth to warn them away. he aimed another snap towards the small man, but at no point did he lunge, or move from the corner.

ho! gucci stepped back at the snap, but with his tail he signaled for the mazoi not to retaliate. he himself hadn't noticed the priest appear, but did now as he followed the refugee's eyes to the doorway.

hem haizel! the little man addressed, turning his body, trusting in legend if any outright attempt at their safety was made. we's git a guest 'ere, dontcha see?

be a kind soul, 'n' fetch 'em a meal, won'tcha? he offered a grin in exchange for this favor.

his attention was back on the stranger, still covering. his eyes swung then to legend.

mazoi, he said with less charisma. stand guard in th' corner.

he needed to make sure the poor thing wasn't crowded.

when legend removed herself from the immediacy of the scene, gucci tried again with the stranger;

see? we ain't gon' hurtcha. he smiled kindly, wagging his tail. did this'un speak their tongue, even?

ahm gucci. he said, pulling a paw to his chest.

you? he extended it toward the stranger's.