Sowing Seeds

[buon_giorno]

"Come here...isn't your paw hurt?"

Giorno had full intentions of stealing a mid-day nap, but Croccante was high on one of the broken pillars beside the door to his room. The white cat eyed him but didn't come down. Giorno sighed and rubbed his head. Just looking up for too long was hard when he had been on his feet for longer than an hour or two.

It had been just two days since he cured Joseph. He had slept almost the rest of the day through and that was all he was allowing himself after making himself so scarce for a whole week. At some point doubt would creep into the community gossip and that was the last thing he needed to manage.

Giorno leaned against the pillar and put some of his energy into the ivy vines that crept up it. The flowers burst open, surprising the small cat, and urging her to leap down--right onto his head. He quickly pried her out of his now-mussed curls and inspected her paw. A little splinter poked out of the pink pad, and he squinted to pluck it out--and missed. And tried again--and missed. His hands were shaking. Croccante's tail was swishing in irritation. He summoned all his focus and managed to fix his fingers around it to pull it out, and the fluffy cat bolted out of his arms not a moment later.

"Yes, yes...you're welcome." Giorno watched her take off down the hall.

Comments

[julibahana]

"What?"

[scholarandaprincess]

“Oh…you hadn’t figured it out? That’s why he forbade you for having anything to do with organizing it.”

[julibahana]

Juli's brows furrowed as she messed with her bangs. "But why would he do that for me?"

[scholarandaprincess]

Zelda hummed loudly. “Well…even if he’s not using his words, he’s still trying hard to convey his feelings.”

[julibahana]

"I'd rather he use his words. This is way harder to interpret than any solid."

[scholarandaprincess]

Zelda brought her hand to her mouth as she giggled. It wasn’t often Juli was blunt, but it was fun when she was.

“So, if he committed himself plainly to you tomorrow, you would say…”

[julibahana]

"I seriously doubt he would do that. Not when he has an entire community of people to fret over already."

[scholarandaprincess]

“Put that aside. This is a hypothetical.”

[julibahana]

"If this were a more normal situation, then I'd say yes without hesitation."

[scholarandaprincess]

Zelda looked to the sky in thought. She could see the sunlight peaking through the leaves at last. “He did ask you to accompany him to the festival. Would him taking the next step be so surprising?”

[julibahana]

"I think it's easier for people to do things like this when there's an occasion for it. I don't know when we'll have another such occasion."

[unchill_chuck]

‘Shouldn’t I be saying something?’ Even if a tall-man’s ears couldn’t make out what they were saying, Chilchuck’s could. ‘Nah. I’m leaving it be.’

Even if nothing ever good came out of teammates getting romantically involved, he’d just cross that bridge when he came to it, if it needed crossing at all. Juli was doing a good job of pumping the breaks already.

“Just so everyone’s aware…we’ve got a follower.” He spoke up, pointing his thumb behind them. The fox from earlier was following at a distance, its bushy tail swishing curiously.

[shepard]

Shepard glanced over her shoulder. "You interested in adopting?" she asked Chilchuck with a smirk. "I think he likes you."

[unchill_chuck]

“More like he smells the food in my pack.”

The fox’s nose twitched in reply and it hunkered down low beseechingly.

[julibahana]

"I don't mind carrying it for you."

[unchill_chuck]

“You’ve got your own stuff you’re carrying.” It was just a sling filled with extra supplies for Zelda’s field research, but still. “C’mon, let’s just keep walking. It’ll get bored eventually.”

[scholarandaprincess]

Even as they continued their trek back to camp, the fox padded along behind them. Zelda glanced back every now and then.

“I wonder….given the state of things, perhaps the ecosystem has been disrupted and its food supply has dwindled…?”

[julibahana]

"When you frame it like that, I feel a little sorry for it."

[unchill_chuck]

Oh, no. This was how it started. “It’s a wild animal. No matter how sad it looks, we’re not helping it out by feeding it.”

[scholarandaprincess]

The fox chittered quietly as if it heard the group discussing it. It tentatively stepped forward on a black paw just a little closer than it was before. Zelda stopped again.

“Foxes are social. This one has walked quite a long way with no sign of a family…”

[julibahana]

"So it might be an orphan?" Or worse... "What if it was separated from its family and friends like we were?"

[scholarandaprincess]

That was all Zelda needed to hear. She turned to Chilchuck and straightened up. "As the leading expert on Hyrule ecology, I decree that this fox and all other keystone species be preserved wherever possible."

[unchill_chuck]

"Uh...okay." 'Why're you insisting on this to just me?' It felt just like talking to Puckpatti but with more royal flourishes.

[scholarandaprincess]

Zelda spun back around to Juli. "Can I count on your help in convincing Giorno to assist in starting a wildlife preservation project?"

[julibahana]

"Of course!" Juli had no idea why it hadn't occurred to her that the animals here might be just as displaced as they were until now.