by ToxicShadow » Mon May 09, 2016 7:50 pm
"It is not safe to go outside at night," the young male Juymara kip, Misaki, warned his companion, Aysu, as she headed for the mouth of their den. He did not make a move to follow after her. No, the night was a dangerous time. It was more difficult to see potential enemies in the dark of the night, and that was only one of the dangers.
The two of them had not met all long ago. However, both of the young kips were in the same horrible situation. Neither of them had adults to look after them, although their circumstances may not have entirely been in the same. In fact, they had not shared their past stories with each other, as of yet. Strangely, though, the two had faith in one another. They did not believe that the other was lying to them. No, they were both absolutely certain that the other was being truthful with them, always.
"Everything will be fine, Misaki!" The female kip retorted, turning back only halfway to look at him. "I know this area better than you do," she reminded him. "It's really not all that dangerous. I don't plan to be outside for all that long." Aysu tried to be reassuring, but Misaki's unpleasant expression did not change in the slightest, nor did he take a single step toward her. Noticing such, the female sighed.
Their den was not all that large, but it was well concealed. When they had found it, it had long since been abandoned by whatever had made and used it. The entrance was carefully concealed by a significant amount of brush against the hillside. It was clever, really, and one of the safest places that they could call home. Misaki, in particular, reveled in the security it provided them. If it was up to him, they would never set a single foot outside during the dark of night.
"I want to show you something," Aysu tried again. "Please come with me."
A long moment of silence loomed over the two of them. Aysu awaited his answer, while Misaki was trying to find one. He felt bad for denying her wishes over and over again, but he wasn't all that fond of taking unnecessary risks just because she wanted to do something she considered fun. Why, exactly, was it that this fun thing she wanted to do could only be done at night?
Misaki met Aysu's gaze with uncertainty still reflecting in his strangely sparkling eyes, but he conceded with a nod of his head. "All right," he gave in. "I'll go along with you, but make it quick."
Hearing his answer, the female was delighted, and it was very evident with the expression she wore on her face. "Hurry," she told him, as she turned away from him and continued on the path toward the entrance.
Misaki shook his head, once she had turned away from him. Just what was he getting himself into? Despite his thoughts and his better judgement telling him not to go, he said he would, so he trotted along quickly, catching up to her.
Outside of the den, the world was dark. There was not a single cloud in the night sky, so the stars were shining incredibly bright over head. They illuminated everything beautifully. The two kips could see the stars through open spots in the canopy of trees above them, but Misaki didn't pay them any mind. He simply followed closely alongside Aysu, wondering where she was leading him, and believing that there was a good chance that he would regret leaving the safety and comfort of their den.
They stalked along carefully, not speaking to one another, and making very little noise. It was a habit that both of them developed with being on their own, not drawing attention to themselves. Of course, sometimes, that was easier said than done, especially with the male kip's especially bright coat.
Eventually, they wound up at a small hill overlooking the stream that provided the area's inhabitants with food and water, the two of them often included. What could be so special about this place? Misaki really had no idea. It was just their fishing grounds!
He male kip had stopped when he realized where they were, but Aysu had already began to ascend the hill. When she noticed that he had stopped in his tracks, obviously doubting her, she called out to him. "Come on! Come to the top of this hill."
Misaki sighed once more, but bounded after the female anyway. They reached the top of the hill together, and Aysu immediately sat down. The sight before them was something beautiful to behold. The light of the stars reflected off of the surface of the water, making not only the sky above them glow, but the ground below, too. The scenery at night was certainly something that the male kip had not stopped to appreciate.
"I love the stars," Aysu told him after a long moment of silence. They silence had not been awkward, since they were both enjoying the charm of nature, but she wanted to explain herself. "Just look at them." Her gaze was turned upward.
As she told him to look up, Misaki did. Were the stars ever this bright before?
"I wanted to show them to you. I wanted you to see how lovely they are. Something about them, I find them fascinating, and I just like them. They're always here at night, watching over the world. They're not as bright as the sun, but that's great, because you wont get blinded by looking at them." Aysu was half rambling away, speaking the words that came to her mind without putting much thought into them. It was natural for her to just say what she was thinking and feeling without stopping to noticing if she was making any sense.
"It's sort of strange, actually..." she continued. "But, Misaki, you remind me of the stars."