A Lark Is Not Always A Bird...

The Only Reason...



To be honest, Kimba wasn't set on having her. Sure, she was attractive, but they'd only just met. Interest on his part. Her challenge, just one thing out of many about her he found interesting enough, yes, he wanted to learn more. To see if she could "be the One". Be his "Only". Reason enough to be here, with her. Though, to also be honest, he was set to win her affections. What she'd done to him with her touch.......

Kimba just couldn't help thinking about her and their potential future kits. So, the only reason he was here... the potential they could gel together as mates.

The Dream, in other words. Not a sure thing. But Avira had made the challenge!

And yes, her words... and her movements... got his heart beating faster. His future with her would depend on this night. On what he said and did. Best he could do... be himself, warts and all. Even though he didn't have any actual warts. Just fur, feathers and scales. And...

... "I don't know how." He sat back on his own haunches, giving his own feline impression, eyes cast toe-ward for a moment as he considered. Then, he looked up and met her eyes with his. Floofed a little, shroudruff poised off his back slightly, feathers spread...

... "I do know my neighbor Deen's throwing a barbecue tonight, and I'd like you to come. With me." Kimba reached up to his neckpouch and slipped out his little gift. Held it out in a shaft of fading light through leaves and blossoms, all so it would "catch fire"... "I wasn't sure if I should give you this now or later... but I've decided now." Kimba fluffed up a bit more... "I never got a chance to thank you for your... drying efforts."

That slight hesitation and cheeky grin... Kimba found himself loving this moment. Romeo she wanted, Romeo she would get. But Kimba would never let her forget him. Whether she accepted his gift or handed him his nads.......
 
Her ears perked upwards as she listened to him, tail pulled close to her and draped over her feet simply out of habit. And yet again, her attention was caught on the mentioning of food. If it was involved, you could certainly expect her to be present at an event. And now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten much at all that day, and just the idea of food began to curve her appetite.

"How thoughtful of you. It'd be rude of me to turn down such an offer."

While she was speaking honestly to the male, of whom she observed every detail of his slightly changing posture quite carefully, she wasn't quite sure what to say about his little gift to her. She recognized the material of the stone, but she'd never actually seen any and it certainly had her at a loss for words. In fact, her expression showed just how shocked she was, her mouth was agape slightly, her ears now rather laid back against her head, and her eyes widened a bit more than usual, her gaze glued to the necklace.

All she could do at the moment was take it from him, examining it as it glowed with the colors of fire, and then it stopped when it was removed from the fading suns rays. It was a gift that Avira honestly didn't thing she deserved, and it quite flattered her.

"A-ha... Thank you... Kimba..."

It seemed she couldn't put a proper sentence together, and, fortunately, she hadn't seen close enough to notice the engraving that he had so kindly put there just for her. But again, she didn't know what to think of this, she she just accepted it and began to wonder how she would possibly compete with such a gift.
 
Thanks In Return...



Kimba's ears went up, back, then forwards. His own tail swept across his toes. A lick between all four of his nostrils. Avira had accepted his gift. Hadn't handed him his nads for being so bold. Looked.......

Her thanks.

Kimba slipped close. Reached out. Gently took the gift from her. Expertly spread the chain and slipped his gift over head and ears, till it settled around her neck. The iburnium nugget and its two "teeth" hanging in the center of her chest, just under her clavicle arch. Settled against her chest ruff. Close to her heart...

... "You're very much welcome, Avira."

Before she could react... before he could again consider whether she would accept or castrate... he gave her a cheek-lick. Then pulled away, grinned, and took something from Deen's "playbook"...

... "Race you to dinner!"

With that, he took off for Deen's place, his tools glinting in the sunset's light.......
 
For a second, her breathe caught in her throat, and this time, she was playing the flustered role. Where as, last encounter, it was Kimba being the flattered one. But, of course, the mood quickly lightened and her ears shot upwards when he took off, declaring a race to Deen's 'house'.

"Hey, you cheater! Wait up!"

And with that being said, she bursted into a full on sprint across the terrain, grass blurring beneath her feet as she wove between the trees, the wind rushing through her fur, soon nearing Kimba while she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she wasn't a slacker that was for absolute certain. The precious metal the hung on the chain now round her neck had a little bounce to it as she ran, the light coming and going as it would occasionally come aglow and then fade again.

And as far as Kimba cheating was concerned, well, she was referring to the fact that he had taken it upon himself to be so bold as to use affections against her. Something she found rather admirable but also slightly agitating as it provided him with an unfair advantage in this race, giving him a bit of a head start on her.
 
Romeo On The Run...



Avira had said...

... "I'd like to see you try and win me over..."

She hadn't said more than that. Hadn't given any rules. So, yes, all was fair in Love, as in War. And this was a battle for her affections, if not her love, at the very least. Kimba intended to use every trick in the book. Well, everything he knew, anyway. Having never read any books on the subject, funny enough. So he kissed. And then he ran. Just with pure muscle, not tapping into any chi. Because he wanted Avira to catch up. Wanted her to see him move. Yes, he loved to move. As in the meadow before his "encounter" with Honalee's ball. In the same way he'd danced around the petals just a few minutes before...

... Kimba made a show.

Wind through fur and over scales... over and then under his shroudruff feathers as he unfurled and clamped against back with every flex of spine. Threw his limbs just so. Raised his tail in flag, so she could get a good look. Shouted. Keened. Pretty much made his dash insane, like an out-of-control kit hopped up on.......

Well, love did things like this to a male. Love? Kimba didn't know if he yet felt that, but he'd chosen love as his goal. Chosen Avira. And this race. It would tell him many things, however it ended. But... he would play the Romeo Avira had named him. Let himself loose. Risk looking the fool, just for a chance. So he not only ran, he danced as he ran. Sang. Shouted. Made other Nism look his way as he ran through Rum, past his place...

... and found he had to slow down.

Because Deen's barbecues did indeed draw crowds. Not everyone in Rum, of course, but enough, Kimba had to slam on the brakes, so he wouldn't.......
 
Avira finally came neck and neck with him, nearby passing him by and then doing so only to whirl to a grinding halt after vaulting a fence to prevent slamming into it. She had in fact, noticed the wild display he provided her, and it nearly made her laugh. She found it painfully amusing to watch, and when it had to end, she almost wished that it hadn't needed to. She enjoyed seeing him do everything he could to express how determined he was, she quite enjoyed it.

But, she too came to a sudden stop, but a second too soon and she had to leap over a fence so her head didn't meet it firsthand, which would have left her with quite a goose-egg on her forehead, and would probably give her a headache for a few days. So, she had vaulted over the fence, giving Kimba a rather surprising image of her. She was a bit more agile and energetic than she looked at first glance, her hind legs launching her up and over and into the yard beyond where, fortunately, nobody was to break her landing. And she had given an audible yelp when she had propelled herself into the air only to land back onto the ground with a quiet thud.

Nothing too... feminine... would have been seen unless you were facing her as she jumped, but even from a sideways but still, behind her, vantage, it was quite a captivating thing to see. Not only that, but when she landed, she hit the ground on all fours and skidded to a halt, turning around and promptly sitting down, her head spinning slightly from the sudden course of events. And she had to navigate around the fence and back around to Kimba after a minute or so had passed, a more... nervous... kind of smile across her muzzle, her ears laid back a bit and an occasional glance behind her showing that she hadn't at all been expecting that.

"Oops..."
 
Vantage Points...



The males of many species, especially birds, tended to be very showy. Nism males weren't any different. From her vantage point behind Kimba, Avira wouldn't have missed two very noticeable "objects" on display, what with raise of tail and other antics. Wouldn't have missed the roll of muscle under skin and fur and scales, care of his leaping about. His shroudruff display. Even a bit of his scent... the smell of male along with fresh apples, care of his two recent showers.

Female Nism, more specifically, kept things pretty well covered, not having much to show, and having what they did have to show covered by a ruff of fur. Normally. Of course, what with Avira also leaping about... what with her having vaulted fence right next to him, Kimba... his own sudden halt necessitated by her distracting him... well, yes, Kimba couldn't help turning to watch when Avira came neck and neck with him. From his vantage point, as he skidded to a halt, no, nothing too "feminine", but indeed, her display very much captivating, when her fur flew. Witnessed by the adult male he'd almost t-boned, not to mention other males and a number of females... a few whistles, a few cheers, a number of tails in the air as commentary.......

Dipping his head in apology towards this older male (and receiving a grin in reply), Kimba... also down on his butt... simply watched as Avira recovered her composure, walked around the fence with that expression on her face, and gave her "Oops..."

Kimba hadn't been expecting any of this, either. Seems they had something in common. And yes, he'd learned quite a bit about her. Both... heh... anatomically and personally. Fair trade, what with all she'd seen of him, all he'd shown...

... "If that was an oops, I'd like to see what you'd do with a wow!..."

Of course, he said all this while looking quite a bit sheepish, himself. Head down, his own ears back, half-grin on face. Even though he...

... "At least my brother wasn't around with his camera......."

That said, he perked up, and... bold to a fault... moved close. And gave her a warm hug.......
 
Once again, caught off guard, Avira sat still for a moment when she felt a weight against her, that weight being Kimba. She wasn't a very 'huggable' kind of Nism, and she wasn't all too fond of such a close contact seeing how they had only just started their game of romance. But it wasn't but mere seconds before she reacted, standing up and giving a little shake to remove the male from her, stepping to the side slightly with a more wary expression now.

"Don't get ahead of yourself..."

She stated a simple and fair warning, plain as day, not a chance to be mistaken for anything but. As was said before, she liked a challenge and she found this one to be quite humorous, but there was a fine line between what she was comfortable with and what was out-of-bounds with her. She would make that plenty clear to him, no doubt many times in the future, but that didn't and wouldn't change the fact that there was a soiree to get to, and Avira wasn't one to be a drag. She liked to get to places either a bit early, or right on the clock, precisely when she needed to arrive. She hated to be late for anything.

Her tail now held a dip, bringing it closer to the ground only for it to perk up and curl at the end, her ruby red eyes analyzing what all was close by to her, including Kimba, she noticed the slight crowd that had been attracted, not that there wasn't already a small crowd anyway. But now some of the focus was on herself and Kimba, something else she wasn't fond of was being in the spotlight. While she liked to get attention, there was such a thing as getting too much attention.
 
Cooling His Jets...



Unlike Avira, Kimba happened to be a very hug-centric Nism. His mother had hugged him all the time. He'd even been hugged by females not his mother. Though, unlike his mother, they called him "cute", gave him a noogie, and walked away. Because, well, he'd been a bit too young when all that happened. And it was quite possible they'd been relatives. Aunts. Cousins. A very confusing time in his life, to be sure.

So he hadn't meant any harm. Avira had looked like she needed comforting, and comforting had always come with a hug. Except... well, Kimba got the message. No hugs. Slow down... cool your jets.

Well...

... if that was what she wanted.

Kimba didn't take any offense. In fact, he gave Avira a very warm smile, to compensate for the short hug. She'd felt... smelled wonderful. For those few seconds, their hearts had beat very, very close to each other. He'd felt her heartbeat. Her breath. Her warmth. Maybe he wouldn't be cooling his jets, but he would respect her desire to slow down.

It would be another challenge...

... "You looked like you needed it."

Kimba had a bounce in his step as he stretched from sit to all fours, and trotted onward. Quite a few others in the "crowd" were heading in the right direction. But he knew a shortcut...

... "If we go this way, we can avoid the crowd."

He hadn't missed Avira's reaction to said crowd, their antics having attracted undue attention. But, as the light continued towards sunset... well, it was, indeed, a beautiful evening for a barbecue. They didn't need to go far.

And yes, sharp ears could hear a familiar voice call out greetings. And yes, again, "shortcuts" are relative. Can be a bit tricky.......
 
Avira felt quite amazing indeed, with the amount of care and dedication she put into her grooming, it was no surprise. Her fur felt finer than any satin or silk one could come by, comparable to some of the smoothest cashmere and lace imaginable. She held a nearly constant lingering scent of roses and sugar, for whatever reason why, it was quite a delightful scent to experience, but only in small doses so it wasn't so overwhelming as it could be if too much of it was had at once. It could be a bit overpowering at times. But it was very pleasant and appealing nonetheless.

She simply pranced along after the male, her tail held a bit higher in the air, trailing along behind her in a brown and reddish streak with an eccentric orange plume at the end, standing out like a beacon, it too often attracted the attention of kits.

Her tail was such a bright color compared to the rest of her simply to act as guidance for any future kits, in case they lost sight of her they could easily find her not only by memory of scent, but by the bright orange color of her tail, individual to her. every female Nism of the Ekkalli bloodline had a specially brightly colored plume on their tail, a starburst effect if you will, and the male's had more of this starburst effect across their fur in bigger patches, to attract a female. But enough about bloodlines...

Avira was simply imagining the taste of everything, she could smell and hear the event from where she paced alongside Kimba, it had her on edge, anxiety and anticipation ruling her thoughts at the moment.

"Lead on... I'm certain to follow..."

Well, funny thing for Avira to say that. It seemed she was prone to follow Kimba around by now, she wasn't familiar with the city, and he basically was a guide for her in her lacking of knowledge in this particular situation. So she would likely be stuck with him for a while...
 
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Short, Cut...



Satin or silk was not what came to Kimba's mind... more like "mink" or "chinchilla" or... something else thick and fluffy. And alive. The alive portion was very important. Because "mink-chilla" wasn't something Avira wore, it was her birthday suit. Permanently attached. Well, she hadn't suffered an accidental skinning, yet. But the sentiment was there. Or something... ahem!

For male Nism, whatever their Bloodline, it wasn't their tails that attracted attention. Female attention, anyway. Kits, perhaps, though female tufts were more fun to play with. And so got most of the attention. Though male Nism also found female tufts... attractive. Following Kimba, most of Avira's "distraction" would focus on his half-grown shroudruff feathers, the way they moved with each slide of muscle, their color and flash in the sunlight. And in the same way Ekkalli females had bright tufts on their tails, Taavittik males had notable markings on their nads. Also tended to catch female attention. While female Taavittik had similar marking patterns above and/or on their groin ruffs.......

....... yes, enough about.

Kimba also imagined the taste of everything. Well, more like remembered, since he'd been to these "events" before. Nose and ears also perked up at the stimulation. Ears especially at Avira's words...

... "I went this way all the time as a kit..."

And yes, he lead. Funny enough, not far beyond the poor fence Avira had almost crashed into, Kimba turned left and trotted ahead. After running into Honalee... finding out she was Deen's daughter... he'd been intently curious as to what his elder friend had been doing. Other than "making" a kit. Though, to be honest, somewhere in his deeper thoughts, the idea of "making" a kit sounded.......

....... oh, yes! There was the tree! He ran up to it, stood on twos, laid his hands on the trunk's oak-treeish bark, brought up one foot then the other... and started walking up the tree. Nothing unusual for a Nism to do. Walk on walls. Walk on ceilings. Walk up trees as casual as walking down a level path. Chi tricks like this as natural as breeding... ummm, heh... breathing. Out on a slender branch, on tip-toes...

... leap to a roof... to another roof... down the side of said "house"... through the garden (don't trip over the "parsnips")... duck and crawl through underbrush... up another (very tall) tree... out tippy-toes on a slender branch, then...

... leap down!

Yes, they arrived through the "back door" just as the music started playing. And yes, this "shortcut" had been the long way around... hey, kits like having fun!... but he'd been very true about "no crowd". They'd been the only two coming this way.

And yes, to be short, and to cut to the chase, this had also been a test. Because Kimba looked like he'd rolled in a pile of leaves and grass-clippings. And Avira looked like.......
 
Avira followed without a word, but she had started humming some unidentifiable tune, something that she had long since forgotten the words to. she only recalled that it was a family thing for her, something her parents had sung to her when she was a kit. But, again, she had long since forgotten the words to this tune, and she only recalled the melody now, which she pleasantly hummed to herself even if she was completely unaware that she was doing such.

Upon arriving in the expansive yard that belonged to Deen and his family, when compared with Kimba, she only had a few snares in her fur, those of which she could and would most certainly brush out with relative ease. While he could pass as a bush himself, it seemed that Avira had managed to come out without so much as a single leaf or twig in her fur.

She looked directly at Kimba, surveying his appearance and making the decision to 'fix' what she was looking at. As said before, she figured that he could very well pass himself off as being a bush with the leaves and twigs he had gotten caught in his fur.

With a sigh and not a single word, she started removing every single stray part of any plant tangled into his fur, leaving them in a small heap in the grass, taking care not to pull at any of his fur, she knew all too well how painful it was to get out particularly mettlesome tangles, it wasn't pleasant.

Eventually she had him looking a bit more... well... presentable... and she smoothed out his fur, finding it to be quite appealing to her, the way it felt under her finger tips. It was a bit coarser than her own, but she liked it all the same.

"I'd appreciate it if you at least tried not to make a mess of yourself... You look so much nicer when you're not covered in thistles and leaves..."
 
Mess of Himself...



Kimba had indeed made a mess of himself. Not deliberately, no. Mostly due to his chosen path being easier way back in kit-hood, when he'd been much, much smaller. That, and he'd been eager to reach their destination, so he could see just how Avira had handled herself. Quite well, it appeared. She certainly had grace. And apparently didn't like making a mess of herself. Another challenge! He needed to find some way to loosen her up... see if he could get her messy. He'd never thought himself a prankster, but... well, for later.......

.......Hmmmmmm.......

He couldn't help purring shortly after Avira started her grooming efforts. Eyes closed, body "presented" for her attentions. Yes, to be honest, he'd hoped to initiate a mutual grooming with his "shortcut". But this would do, for now. Not as romantic. Certainly a means to deepen their relationship. Still, Kimba came to realize he was simply pushing too hard and fast... needed to let things happen naturally. Which seemed to be happening, anyway.

And then she said what she said, after smoothing his fur. And he said...

... "You'd look fine even covered in mud." He picked up a "spray" of leaves from the "pile", moved in and tucked them behind her left ear... "A little nature now. Consider it a reminder I owe you a mudbath."

....... *FLASH!*.......

"Nice sentiment, Kim-bro. Don't think the chicka will respond to it."

Kimba sighed and looked over at his younger brother, who, as usual, had camera in hand. Obviously here not only to grab some nosh, but to photo the "event"...

... "Hi, Rass... throwing caution to the winds again, I see."

Other Nism started arriving, along with...

... "Rass... great to see you again! Kimba... long time, no see!" Adult male on all fours, blue-tipped, blood red feathered shroudruff, fur of bronze and tan, from dark to pale, deep bright eyes of forest green. Scales to match. Grin to beat all grins, as he latched eyes on Avira... "Haven't seen you before..." Eyes and grin turned on Kimba... "She looks quite the catch..."

Kimba rolled his eyes...

... "Avira, this is Deen... Deen, this is Avira."

Deen moved closer, sat back on his haunches, back a little bent at the waist as he held his shroudruff tight, reached out, took her hand...

... "Pleasure to meet you... you'll have to tell me just how you two met. I'm sure my Sweetness will love that story."

A soft peep-coo sounded from underneath Deen's shroudruff.......


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"Mud huh? Interesting choice of words..."

The female recoiled a bit at the sudden flash of Rass' camera, seemed to have caught her off guard, but she quickly collected herself, her ears swiveling about with the increase of noise, picking out individual voices, those belonging to Deen, Kimba, and Rass, along with some others that she couldn't put a label on.

She didn't quite sit, more like she knelt, if such a thing was possible considering her leg's structure, but she held herself up without putting her hand son the ground for a second, her tail resting behind her quite comfortably in the grass, bright orange tuft still very noticeable even against the bright green of the grass.

Her ruby red eyes easily found the source of the new voice, the one belonging to Deen, whom she gladly greeted the same way she had greeted Kimba, with a very quick and firm shake of hands and then a retraction back to her side. It seemed she liked to keep herself... well... to herself...

"Likewise. And, as I'm sure you can guess, since you haven't seen me around, I'm not from here."

She assumed that the male was carrying a kit under those closely pressed feathers, it definitely seemed so, considering the sound that emanated from that particular spot on his back, but she left him to choose whether or not to display something so precious. Kits were a careful and precarious thing to tend to, so she could imagine that if this one was especially young, it might be kept under his shroudruff, where it was safe.

"Yes, quite an interesting story how we met... I suppose you could say it was just a twit of fate..."

For a moment, if you paid attention to her, she tensed and cut a small glare towards Rass, but then she quickly regained her kind composure and completely sat down in the grass, her ears relaxed now and her tail swishing back and forth in the air behind her, curled upwards slightly, displaying a more calm and collected sense of mind.
 
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Babysitter...



Rass.......

It seemed Avira had been distracted by his little brother's camera flash, said flash... and Deen's arrival... interrupting their "moment". Her, just a brief yet loaded remark in return for his "I owe you a mudbath" promise, but nothing about the "gift" he'd tucked behind her left ear. Perhaps later? So much for furthering his "Romeo" aspirations, at least for now. Hmmmph.......

A brief stare at Rass. Indeed, just a twit of fate.

Deen's tongue stuck out in a fit of humor... Heh! Like this girl already. And also indeed, he hadn't seen her around. But suspected he would be seeing more of her in the future, what with that bit of Kimba Art around her neck...

... "I'll be sure to record everything..." His shroudruff raised up, revealing a rat-sized male infant underneath. Sweep of tail swept this tiny kit off back and into hands, said hands holding said kit out to Avira... "This is Peet... could you hold him for a moment?"

"Dada!" Deen had barely turned before Honalee rushed up, leapt, and thumped against his chest. At the "impact", Deen fell over with a Whoof! Only to lift her up into the air right after, splayed out on his back, grin filled with a father's warm affections...

... "Hun! What's the rush?......."

"Mum's all's a'doners with th' greeterings! Is a'time-time for th' grillin' and stuffers!"

Deen hugged daughter to chest, gave a lick to her forehead badge, then somehow managed to stand up on twos with daughter still in arms...

... "Rass..." Deen waved his tail about... "Go take some pictures."

Camera clutched to belly, Rass stood up straight and saluted with his own tail... "Yes sir!" Slick as butter on a hot griddle, Rass slipped away into the "crowd". Deen next turned his attentions on Avira...

... "I know I said 'for a moment'..." Deen slipped close to her, breath in her left ear, just under the sprig... "but could you watch Peet for a bit longer?"

Honalee wiggled. Deen set her down and gave her a scritch between ears...

... "Go let Mum kno....... oh, hello, Sweetness!"

Deen's shroudruff went up and out in full display, fur all over his body ruffled to the max as he almost grinned his face in half. Yes, Thoee stood there with a warm smile, her own fur quite fluffed in all its glory, tail's tuft held between her and her mate.......

Honalee slipped away, edged up to Kimba, forelimbs clutched to chest, puppy-eyes looking up...

... "Sorrys againers about hittin' you's below the belters..."

As for what Avira would think of all this.......


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The female simply soaked it all it, carefully holding the tiny Nism in her hands, very gentle with such an action as holding someone else's kit, especially one as young as Peet was, he was hardly the same size as Avira's hand, he was so small. She paid no mind to Rass as he vanished into the surroundings, her gaze instead glues to Deen and what she too to be his mate from the way he addressed her.

A sweet smile flashed towards the pair, her tail now pulled around her and still curled upwards, that bright orange tuft hanging lazily, drifting to and fro with the slight breeze. She was already being introduced to a wide array of Nism, and a family at that, it was quite a lot of information to process and remember. But she would make a fair attempt all the same.

"You certainly seem to be quite the pair, I'm honored to meet such a family, I've heard a few tales around home about you're cooking. "

Almost as if she felt a bit... ah... what's the word...attached... to Kimba, her own shimmering coat flared just slightly, her ears perked upwards, full attention on Deen and the female who had just arrived on the scene. It seemed that being crowded near so many made her feel a bit... threatened... almost, she liked to have her space. Although,she tried to make this fact as unnoticeable as possible.

This was one of those times when she needed someone to back her up, a bit of a second defense if you will. She wasn't one for wild socializing, and she'd very rarely been introduced to so many at once, so she was a bit shaken by it all, it happened so quickly.
 
Attached At The...



Kimba felt very glad Honalee didn't have that blue ball in her little hands. He also felt Avira's discomfort. She just didn't act the touchy, feely kind. Not a hugger. At least in this situation... a social event. So. A running test. A following test. It seemed Avira would be tested again, just not by him. Not often he'd encountered a Nism uncomfortable with other Nism. Perhaps she just wasn't used to events like this. Rum did happen to be a major community, what humans would call a "capitol city"... center of Bloodline Rurrumm Territory. Being in a Center Community when you've spent your life in small "towns"...

... well.

It wasn't that Kimba knew her all that well, let alone knew her mind. Her thoughts. But, being Nism, and having a chi sense, made hiding things difficult, if not impossible. One reason clothing never mattered much, when no one's body held any secrets. Wrap a Nism from head to toes to tail, and their body would still be as revealed as if buck naked.

So, yes, Kimba noticed. If anyone else noticed, they made nothing of it. Free Spirits, and all that. Deen... Thoee, most especially... had the grace to...

... well.

As a male vying for her affections, Kimba made the decision to again throw any caution he may have had to any winds available. First, he gave Honalee a scritch, just as her father had. Little Honalee took that as acceptance of her apology, sqee'd her delight, then noticed other kits about. Scamper away she went, to play with others her own age.

Thoee...?

Her movements exuded grace and poise as she stroked her tuft under her male's chin and placed a clawed finger between his four nostrils.

Her male...?

Deen couldn't help but enjoy the attention. And though he clearly heard Avira...

... "Yes, Young One... My Love cooks many things with great skill."

Kimba's own coat flared just slightly at the implications, the tone of Thoee's words. So, for second, as his eyes met Avira's...

... "I could tell stories for hours about those two..."

And then for third, Kimba slipped close, almost as if playing point guard, and "attached" himself to Avira, close enough to snuggle. Close enough to curl his tail around the space she knelt in. Then he covered mouth with hand and softly spoke into her ear...

... "Heh... they have a reputation."

Indeed they did.

"I heard that." Yes, even from his state of near drooly bliss, Deen hadn't failed to pay attention to his guests... "My Sweetness and I could tell stories for weeks."

....... *Thwap!*.......

Thoee's tail tuft affectionately delivered a swat to her mate's head. Deen mock-winced, ears down and back. Grin on face as he rubbed his "injury". Thoee...

... "My Love, you have a meal to cook... no, don't expect them to help. They are our guests." Yes again, she did indeed know her male, him having barely turned his eyes on Kimba and Avira. Barely opened his mouth. She also knew something was going on between those two. Something that required "private" moments. Though, at present, "private" was indeed relative. Eager young male, slightly nervous female...

... ahhh, young love!

Peet peeped, started to lick then chew one of Avira's fingers.......


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The female gave a quiet sigh and couldn't help but let her space be invaded by Kimba, close enough that they were beyond her comfort zone, but she silently assured herself that it was fine, and he was only trying to help, which he was doing an excellent job of.

Her tail dropped closer to the ground, her body relaxing and becoming much less tense with the close proximity of herself to Kimba, and she honestly found it a bit alleviating of her anxiety. yes, she had anxiety problems. when she was younger, she would never sit still, which made grooming nearly impossible. She was always running about and frolicking about her own home, constantly pouncing on her mothers tail and tugging at her fathers ears every chance she got. She had loved the attention. This anxiety and over abundance of energy had faded as she grew, but if the proper situation presented itself, one would quickly become familiar with her anxiety.

"I'm sure you have many stories worth telling, and as nice as it would be to sit and listen to them, I suppose you're right about the urgency of cooking at the moment. There isn't a second worth wasting."

Avira was careful when choosing her words, making sure to show no disrespect to the older couple before her. She showed absolute respect to anyone who was above her, and that included all mated pairs no matter the age. So she was sure not to seem 'out-of-line' when she spoke to Thoee and Deen.

Her crimson gaze fell to the kit in her hands, noticing that it had taken to nibbling at her finger, and she nudged it into one of her palms, so her other hand was free to occupy the kit, gently stroking it from the top of it's head to halfway down it's tail. While she wasn't fond of kits all that much, well... Not when they got to the age of wanting to stay up and play all night at least... she couldn't keep herself from letting a small ghost of a smile cross her muzzle, she found this one to particularly cute at the moment. But she would have to hand Peet over no doubt, it wasn't hers to grow attached to...

"I assume you'll be wanting your kit correct? I don't think I'm very fit to care for any kit at the moment..."
 
Above and Below...



In Nism society, no one was above anybody else. Not that younger Nism couldn't feel below their elders. Or otherwise choose how they responded. Whatever their "specifications". Sometimes overenergetic kits did indeed grow up... well, "tense" would be a good word to use. Even Nism could feel anxious, for a variety of reasons. Hakuna matata didn't always sink in. The whole teenager/puberty thing confounded many species' youth. Perhaps this was just something Avira hadn't yet outgrown. Perhaps... perhaps not anxiety so much as a lack of confidence. Or perhaps experience.

Deen, for instance. Wild child. Impulsive. Always trying new things. Getting into trouble for his whole "No worries!" attitude. Thanks to his parents being the Nism equivalent of "hippies".

And ohhh, yes! Thoee! So stiff and formal. So "by the book".

But then they met, not unlike Avira and Kimba. Though they met when much younger. Grew up knowing each other. "Dated". Thoee learned to loosen up, to have fun. Deen learned moderation, tempered his wild side. A perfect pair. Each learning from the other.

Avira? Kimba?

In many ways, Avira resembled Thoee. Though Kimba wasn't anything like Deen... well, to be honest, he had that Deenish verve for Life, his capering in the meadow before Honalee's "attack" something Deen would have done, himself, back in his teen years.
So maybe in some ways Thoee and Deen were "above" Avira... more mature. More settled. "Married, with Children." Yes...

... there had to come a day when Avira would find her anxiety gone, her confidence so strong she could break bricks with it. Perhaps her relaxing, with Kimba... with a male her age so close... yes, perhaps this was her start. She'd made a romantic challenge. With that challenge, she'd opened herself to someone else, put herself into a relationship that would test her comfort level.

Hmmmm... well.

Kimba's amber gaze also fell to the kit in Avira's hands. Noted how she handled an infant only a few weeks old, at best. Then...

... "Yeah, urgency... no seconds to waste... quicker I get cooking, the quicker I get to desert......." Deen's grin followed his face as he ducked down to all fours and dashed off to do his hostly duties.......

Thoee sighed and rolled her eyes, tail's tuft a-twitch...

... "My Love... ever a one-track mind." Her warm smile made her comment affectionate, her affection made her hands and eyes drop for a moment to her belly, just above her... "Young One..." Her attention turned to Avira, while not failing to note Kimba. Or how both of them reacted to her and Deen's newest kit... "You are more fit than you think."

Peet peeped again...

... "But our Little One needs nursing."

Thoee stepped close to Avira and Kimba's "huddle", oh so gently reclaimed her son. Lifted him up. Kissed him on the belly, receiving a squeal of delight in return as her Little One wiggled in her hands... "Thank you for watching over him." Like Deen earlier, her tongue also stuck out a bit before... "Time for you two to mingle. Enjoy your stay......."

With a bow of grace, she swept away on twos, tail whipped behind her as she paced herself through the "guest pool", mouth open, both milk tongues extended, so her Little One, Peet, could choose which to suckle.

Kimba couldn't help watching her go before he turned his own attentions back on Avira...

... "Like I said... stories."

His expression spoke volumes. Of course, the innuendo spoke even louder.......


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Another sigh escaped her, and it seemed that she had been holding her breathe, it seemed. She hadn't, but that's how she looked. She gave a very long exhale, her body relaxing significantly and she almost laid down right then and there, arms bent at the elbow and her legs pulled up to her sides, her tail laying lazily on the ground, swishing back and forth through the grass idly.

She often tensed up around anyone who was older or more experienced in life, so to speak. She had been raised with a nearly bi-polar father, and a care-free and free-spirited mother. Her father was sometimes cheerful and overly affectionate, and other times he was a bit more strict and quiet about things. It was difficult to tell when was which though, but overall he had well taught Avira to be respectful and mindful of others, that she wasn't the only Nism in the world and that things didn't always revolve around her. Her mother had given her an optimistic view of life, a way to always find a bright side to any situation, which Avira often used to her advantage.

But, her parents weren't really around to monitor and advise her anymore, she was on her own at this point. With a home of her own and her own little role in her home community. So yes, she wasn't so well exposed to social events, she spent a lot of time in her own little city, and when she did go out to explore, she stayed out for maybe a week or two and then she went back home.

"Yeah... Stories..."

She then got up after a few moments had passed, giving a turn full circle as if she were examining herself, and then she looked past Kimba to see just who all had come. Of course she didn't recognize anyone, well almost didn't recognize anyone.

Childhood friends had the strangest way of finding there way to the present. A female that was just a tad smaller than Avira, with a sleek silvery coat that turned white at her nose, a deep purplish black at the end of her tail and the tips of her ears, and with pale blue eyes. She literally threw herself at Avira, tackling her sideways to the ground right in front of Kimba with a loud squeal from the silvery one and a startled yelp from Avira.

"Get off you lunatic!"

Avira wasn't speaking in an insulting way, in fact her one was very friendly and playful as she pushed the other off of herself, getting herself upright and back sitting in the grass as the silvery one did the same, her pale blue eyes wide and bright with excitement and curiosity. However her eyes soon found their way to Kimba, and a sweet smile upturned on her white muzzle, her tail waving back and forth in an excited manner.

"You got yourself a guy Avvy, lucky. Hey a little bit of advice to ya'. She's real fickle about grooming, so try not to get her too dirty. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Prim. Who're you?"

She certainly was one to ramble...
 
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