boredom

@Calbrach

Autumn was in the wilderness. It was early in the morning and it was very foggy outside. It was hard to see- she'd be lying if she said she hadn't already bumped face-first into a tree. A very light snow, almost frost, covered the ground, but it wasn't snowing right now. After bumping into evergreens several times she had finally given up and sat down. The snow melted quickly and made her fur a little damp. Soooo boooredddd... Her mind thought. She boredly observed a few cuts on her tail from incidents in which wolves had tried to eat or just hurt her. But of course, the thick fog made them difficult to see.

C A L B R A C H

"Excuse me, but are you alright?" Calbrach called out into the fog, as he slowly approached the small fox that seemed rather concerned with it's own tail. It didn't seem to be injured, but with this dense fog details were hard to make out, even to a big cat's keen eyes.

Getting just close enough to be within sight, but not so close as to scare the small canine, Calbrach sat on his haunches in the damp grass and began to strike up conversation.

"Just plain ghastly weather, if I do say so, myself."

Wow, I'm rather boring. No wonder I can't keep an acquaintance, he thought to himself. He really only hoped he didn't scare away the fox, seeing as the obvious difference in size and species. It would be nice to make a friend, after all, and the fox seemed the only thing as much a loner as Calbrach himself in this land of wolf packs.

She glanced up to the voice of a large feline. It was hard to make out his features in the fog, but he was cougar enough. His coloring made Autumn truly realize how odd Laksha's colors had been for a cougar. But cougars didn't scare her, long as they weren't trying to eat her. "I'm okay. Just a few cuts from run ins with wolves, that's all." She replied kindly. "Yeah. This fog makes it really hard to see stuff. I actually kept bumping into trees!" She admitted with a little giggle. "I'm Autumn, by the way." She added with a small smile.

C A L B R A C H

Well, she wasn't terrified, that was always a good start.
Calbrach laid down in the grass as he laughed along with the small fox. He, thankfully, hadn't had any run ins with the canine wildlife himself - other than this small fox, of course. Wolves, he knew, were quite territorial. Often tearing even each other to shreds at the slightest provocation.
"Calbrach, but you can call me whatever you'd like, to be honest. So, I take it you're something of a loner, like myself? Do you foxes stick together like the wolves, or more lone creatures?"

"Yeah. I am a lone traveler. Some foxes stay in groups- my family used to when we were younger, cause there were three young foxes- me and my two cousins. But once we got old enough we left the nest. Now my parents live together, nearby my aunt. My cousin Storm is near Black Feather Woods, while my cousin Vulpus is in Sleepy Fox Hollow. I guess some foxes live together though." Sometimes Autumn didn't realize how much she talked. Oh well. Talking wasn't always a bad thing, right?

C A L B R A C H

Calbrach sat quietly as the little fox told her story. He smiled when she finished, and did not hesitate in the slightest to respond.
"It's nice that you still know where they are. I'm afraid I don't have much family, just my mother. She's lurking off just south of Blackfoot Forest, but I visit when I can. Seeing as I never have much going on, I visit her quite a lot." He laughed as he finished, it had just a trace of sadness.

She noticed the hint of sadness in his voice. "That's okay. Me and my family have only had one reunion, but we are probably just going to meet once a year. So you don't have siblings?" She asked curiously. She wasn't sure if cougars had a litter like wolves or just one or two like a bear. She didn't mean to intrude into his personal family stuff, but she was just wondering, and she figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

C A L B R A C H

The little fox seemed more interested in discussing his family than her own - this surprised him. He was so used to being, well, ignored. It struck him as almost strange for anyone to seem so interested. He shrugged once he thought about her question. Realizing there was no answer that didn't sound absolutely sad, he was plainly honest.
"No. When you considered my size, I suppose it's a good thing I was a lone cub. Many more of me and mother would likely not have made it out of the birth alive."

"Oh... Sorry. Were you lonely?" She didn't mean to be nosy, but she was curious. She was used to a big family that were all very close with each-other. She couldn't imagine not having Storm and Vulpus there. They were a month or two older than her, though. For her it was almost opposite. If they hadn't been around, she might not be around today. Time and time again they had saved her from hungry gyrfalcons or bears or a cougar looking for a snack. Luckily Cabrach was not eating her.

C A L B R A C H

Calbrach's face sort of twisted into a bitter smile, followed by a high pitched laugh.
"Was I lonely? Why, of course. I'm always lonely," he said, as he continued laughing bitterly.
He realized he was being rather rude, however, and calmed himself to sound more ... sane. "I've always been a loner, I should note. I keep ties with my mother, but only so much as to know each other is still alive. I visit her more than any healthy adult creature should, to be frank." At this he shrugged, as though a shrug could downplay the - far too harsh - judgement of his own self and situation.

Weirdo, her inner voice chuckled as he laughed bitterly. She shushed it. No, he wasn't weird, maybe going a little crazy from loneliness? Nah. "I have a reunion with my family at Silver Tip Mountain every once in a while. Well, I've only had one, but we plan more." She said. Last time at her reunion she'd learned a few spanish words from Storm. She knew how to say fox in spanish- zorro, which was pretty cool. She hoped he would teach her more. Autumn also didn't want the family to drift apart over time, she loved them all dearly.

C A L B R A C H

"Your reunions sound rather lovely!"
In truth, Calbrach rather wished he could attend one. A gaggle of little foxes leaping about and celebrating. He wondered if he would be able to tell one from the other, but then shook away the entire notion quickly. Of course he couldn't invite himself to a family reunion of creatures he would likely scare the wits out of. He sighed.
"I must admit I wonder what distant relations I might have out in some vast wilderness, beyond this place that we call home. Still, a reunion of cougars, I imagine, would stir up far too many suspicions and worries in the other wildlife. Rather impolite, if you think about it."
He chuckled darkly once again.

Oh yes, our reunions are wonderful!
The vulpine told him. They would chat and gossip, eat, tell stories of all kinds, share their experiences and some stuff they had learned. They stayed up late into the night chattering like sparrows. Why suspicions? It's just a family gathering, nothing to be worried about. Autumn said. Yes, cougars could be scary, but they needed their family time together. Even if it scared small animals, they still had the right to get together and have fun sometimes.

C A L B R A C H

He smiled at the little canine's innocence. "I suppose it would be harmless, so long as nobody got any wild ideas. Then, of course, that's the silliest notion there is - we are, after all, in the wild." He chuckled at the thought of wolves, cougars, foxes, even a squirrel or three sitting at a picnic table enjoying a nice friendly meal of insects and greens.

Autumn chuckled loudly at that. What would they expect? The wild would proceed to be whatever it was. But she wouldn't want cougars getting ideas that weren't just wild, but mean. No insult to Calbrach- but she'd had a run-in with a cougar or two before at Silvertip, neither of who were particularly friendly to the fiery furball and her cousins. But ideas that were just wild, but not mean, were cool with Autumn. Wild ideas should be expected in the wild! She chuckled with a grin in response to the cougar gentleman.

C A L B R A C H

The little foxes laugh was refreshing - very light and cute. He smiled, raising a paw to scratch behind his ear. "Of course! Can't have wild animals acting civilized!" With that he brought his lips up into the most pained, unnatural looking snarl, glaring at the little fox in jest.

Autumn giggled at his obviously fake snarl in jest, a natural smile filling her face. No way, Jose! Next thing you know critters will start expecting us to walk to our hind legs and make well-planned homes out of twigs. She chuckled. Her father had told her myths of strange beings who did these things and were apparently civilized, which was her reference. Autumn didn't beleive in the myths, but they were an amusing thought to the fiery girl.

C A L B R A C H

He laid down, smiling broadly at the fox. He listened to her outlandish fear of living as bipeds in twig huts. He laughed hysterically, it was loud and jarring to most. So far Autumn didn't seem to mind. His laugh faded into a warm smile.
"Ah, yes. Can't have that. Though, to be honest, living in the trees couldn't be that different from just building a shelter out of the trees. As for walking on two legs - how would one not constantly trip on their own tail?"
His face twisted into a hilarious display of utter confusion at this last notion.

Autumn nodded thoughtfully when he said that a twig home couldn't be much different than living under the trees. As for the comment about tripping over your own tail, it was a topic she was all too familiar with. Once I tried dancing on two legs. I tripped over my own tail and fell flat on my face in the dust! She giggled at the memory. She felt the same about Calbrach, so far he didn't seem annoyed by her high pitched giggles or her too-optimistic personality, or her getting off topic. Most found these things about her annoying and shallow, but if Calbrach thought that, he sure hadn't said so.

C A L B R A C H

The small foxes story and giggle brougth Calbrach to his feet. Smiling like a fool he promptly stood on his hind legs, bracing his front paws against the nearest tree. With a groan he pushed himself away from the tree and took five wobbling steps toward the small fox. He laughed the entire way, until his balance finally failed him. He nearly landed on poor Autumn as he fell to the ground with a thud. He rolled onto his side, legs in the air as he laughed uncontrollably. Like a giant cub.

Autumn jumped aside with a high pitched little eep! Autumn chuckled at Calbrach on the ground, rolling around laughing uncontrollably. I'm glad we both joke well! She giggled, her orange eyes filled with joy. She really liked this Calbrach, he was a great friend- kind, a gentleman, and funny. The thought struck her that if he was a fox she might even have a crush on him, but being a cougar she simply couldn't feel like that towards him. Calm down, Calbrach, you'll practically kill yourself laughing! She chuckled again with a shake of her head and a smile. She glanced at the sky. It was getting late, around sunset. Calbrach... I think I need to go for the night. I hope to see you again- I won't forget! Goodbye! She said, slightly saddened at the fact that she needed to leave, but happy at her time spent with the cougar gentleman. She really did want to see him again- and hoped she would. With a final glance at Calbrach, she turned and vanished into the undergrowth of the forest, her fiery tail the final thing to disappear from sight.