[PRP] Belly of the Beast [Windchill x Jade Fire] [FIN]

[Chrystali]

The fog was heavy that morning, low and cloying, but she loved it. Jade Fire enjoyed the way the cool, wet air dampened her fur, the way the tendrils of grey miasma whispered around her hooves as she walked and toyed with her short hair. She moved through the fog with ease and familiarity, a soft green phantom in the dark of the swamp, searching for the fine fungi, flowers and rarity that grew in such weather.  

[Aric Val]

He woke up merely minutes ago, a little dazed, tired eyes heavy as he navigated the fog. He could only grasp but a memory of a feathered friend, but no one was there beside him, everything seemed overwhelming and unfamiliar to him.

"Hello?"

Windchill called out gently, hunkering down then when he was answered only by a gust of wind. The white fog followed him, the buck finally finding a spot under some foliage, of what colour he couldn't really tell, lowering himself under and fitting perfectly underneath.  

[Chrystali]

Her delicate ears lofted when she heard what sounded like a rather meek call, her long tail swirling around behind her. "Hello," she called back into the heavy fog, her voice soft and not carrying very far. Accustomed to moving in the dense moisture, she flicked her ears to and fro, trying to find the owner of the voice.  

[Aric Val]

Windchill's ears perked up, body tensing then, not sure if what he had heard was real or not, blinking slowly around for a while before he bravely (well, for him), moved out from the foliage he was in.

"Who are you?"

He said rather defensively, light steps moving on the ground making very little sound. As skittish as the pale buck was, his movement was always elegant. His blue eyes adjusted to the fog a little, making out blocks of colour, mostly muted dark scary shadows -- that he did not like. But he walked a little bit more, eyes widening as he saw a gentle light colour in the distance.  

[Chrystali]

The accusation was not lost on the doe, prompting the lithe Jade Fire to come to a stand still, head turned in the direction of the voice. She listened to the soft squelch of hooves on the damp foliage, the shift of dead leaves and soft, wet pop of branches audible even with the dense fog. "I am Jade Fire," she replied in her soft voice, attentive. "Are you well?" Her query was as soft as her introduction, nonthreatening and touched with concern.  

[Aric Val]

"Jade Fire..."

And quickly enough her gentle voiced soothed him, walking slowly towards her silhouette-- but then his steps faster until she was only a few steps away from him. It was still the thick fog separating them, it was hard to really see her clearly at the moment. But surprisingly Windchill spoke with the same gentleness, innocence in his voice.

"Jade Fire, come with me, it is not safe for us both to be alone in this." His antlered head turned to the sides. "Stay with me."  

[Chrystali]

Her soft green eyes remained focus on the moving light-pelted form in the fog, and once he was close enough, Jade Fire took in the larger male's appearance. He was broad of build, much taller than she, colored like a healthy growth of tree. His words, however, made her scaled brows lift in amusement, a smile forming to echo her inward thoughts.

"If it suits you," she replied easily, not asking for his name or why he thought they weren't safe. She knew well enough that they were, but the detour from her daily routine was not unwelcome. Jade Fire was all too content to see what this new day would bring, in the shape of a large but seemingly skittish buck. She closed the small space between them, partially in front of him, moving towards his side to indicate he should lead.  

[Aric Val]

He looked over to her slowly, immediately moving close to her as if it was imperative to, nodding his head. "Are you hurt?" he asked, even though Windchill did not answer when she had asked him, too nervous at this big white monster around them. "Come, come, I have found a place to hide." And he did lead her, not far away from where they stood, under the tall strong branches of an aged tree, how far up it went, you couldn't see, and below that was the foliage that the buck had hid himself in.

Bright blue eyes turned to this gentle-coloured doe. "We shall be safe here, the white beast shall leave soon." he paused, bowing his head, "..I hope."  

[Chrystali]

Jade Fire tilted her head to the side inquisitively. Hide? From what? "I am fine, good ser, merely taking a morning stroll." But with his gentle insistence and urgency, she obligingly followed the nervous buck, looking up at the tree she was very familiar with. It was part of her territory, after all.

Circling the slightly less damp leaves beneath the great tree, she folded her legs in beneath her small frame and laid down, looking up at him. "It will pass," she assured him the best she could, soothing the nervous male with the only words she had. "I promise." Shaking her damp hair, she breathed in deeply of the mulch and thick scent of leaves, exhaling with a satisfied sound. One Kimeti's monster was another's dearest friend. "Are you from around these parts?" she posed her question, trying to turn the direction to something he could focus on.  

[Aric Val]

"The white beast." He said gentle, tucking himself in the plants with her, eyeing her more closely this time. And if they brushed coats, Jade Fire would feel that the buck was ice cold, he always was.

He was quietly staring at her, actually offering a nervous little smile. "You promise it shall pass?" the kimeti repeated, lowering his eyes. "Somehow.. I do believe you. You feel safe." She looked more vibrant than any flower or plant he'd ever seen, admiring softly with his gentle eyes.

The question made his ears lower though, shaking his head. "I do not know," he paused, and then as if suddenly remembering. "I am Windchill. And... I'm looking for my companion."  

[Chrystali]

Jade Fire curled her tail comfortably around her side, opposite of Windchill, head tilted to look at the buck and give him her undivided attention. "I do promise. When the sun is high enough to warm the land, the beast will depart." She felt the chilly fur against her own rather warm body, despite her smallness. "It is not a fan of heat, you see. It only comes when it can soften the land and prepare it for new growth."

She smiled a little at his words, though his confession made her ears stand up straight with surprise. "Have you lost someone?" The doe didn't recall seeing or hearing anything new, but if the companion in question wasn't prone to noise, it was easy to miss in the fog. "And you came to find them on your own? That is brave, Windchill."  

[Aric Val]

"..I believe you." he repeated, contently putting his hooves together, still a bit tense but loosening up a little, the doe's encouraging words soothing him. "And together... we're safer this way. Thank you." It was not lost on him that Jade Fire was warm and he was not, though it didn't really bother him. "Perhaps it comes to me because I am cold." He pondered, moving his hoof to brush against hers.

It was a strange question him, mainly because he realized he didn't exactly know what he was doing there or who he was looking for. "Blue.. feathers." he said softly, "A friend that was by my side, I do not exactly remember.. It's confusing." He frowned a little at his inability to remember. "You think I am brave?"  

[Chrystali]

"Perhaps," she commented thoughtfully, "the misunderstood and life-giving beast recognizes one of its own?" Jade Fire stretched her leg to slightly press her hoof against his in return. She was unafraid, rested and at ease, enjoying the soft swirls of grey that danced around them, their little niche beneath the tree not as dense as the fog that surrounded them. It was like they were apart from the world, or watching it without partaking. It was not unusual for her, but perhaps disconcerting for Windchill.

Blue feathers...that was most curious. "I've seen nothing like that, but I'll keep an eye out. Sure it would stand out among the grey." His unhappy inquiry made a soft, warm sound escape her, tail swaying elegantly from her legs to the opposite side, blanketing his flank. "You've come to the belly of the beast to find a companion that you're not even certain of. It would be foolish if you never tried, but it is brave to face such uncertainty to find the answer. So yes, Windchill, I think you brave."  

[Aric Val]

"..Perhaps." those words made him wonder what exactly he was that attracted the beast, but for the first time in a while he seemed more at peace than nervous. Windchill then --as if it was natural, laid his head against her hoof, looking up at her even though he was larger than her, she seemed-- bigger than him. And another visible gust of air pushed the fog against them, the male shivering.

"It's ... a bird. Yes, I remember, blue--feathers. She always loved the water." he murmured, smiling a little when he felt the contact. Bright blue eyes looking at the comforting doe. "You are brave as well. You are with me within the beast. You are kind."