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

[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.

[shepard]

Shepard smirked. "Does that mean Chilchuck's going to have to give up his lunch?"

[unchill_chuck]

"Yeah, yeah." Chilchuck was already unloading his pack from his back. He knew when he was outmatched. 'A lot of evidence it took us to get to this conclusion.'

When he pulled out a bag of jerky, the fox's ears popped straight up. He tossed it a strip--and it bounded up to catch it in mid-air.

[scholarandaprincess]

"It's rather social with people already!" Zelda pulled out a notebook to begin taking notes.

[unchill_chuck]

"Most things will be if you feed 'em like this." It had demolished the jerky and Chilchuck flicked it a berry for it to jump up and catch. And another. And another. And another. And another.

[shepard]

"You must have a real weakness for the princess if you're being this generous."

[unchill_chuck]

The tips of Chilchuck's ears turned red.

"Look, I just know how to pick my battles," he said as he and the fox played a game of tug of war with another strip of jerky.

[shepard]

"I won't be surprised if he follows up home now."

[unchill_chuck]

Chilchuck released his hold on the meat and the fox went tumbling back. Unbothered, it seemed to laugh at ‘winning’ the game.

“It might as well…little freeloader.” Chilchuck stood and brushed his clothes off. “C’mon, let’s hurry back to the villa before Giorno settles in for his beauty sleep.”

[julibahana]

"...and so that was what we were thinking," Juli finished, explaining to Giorno what the rest of them had discovered during their outing.

"Did I miss anything?" She glanced over at the others, waiting for any of them to fill in any details she omitted that they felt were important.