Greener on the other side (Mahajenn)

[Delashano]

Jenn grinned, thankfully the girl seemed at least somewhat confident in the idea of drawing what she had requested there had been a brief moment as the girl had taken to deep thought where Jenn had been worried that she would simply be unable to go through with the idea, she didnt need anything truly amazing artistically from the girl just a general idea on location and some idea on the appearance of her guardian(s) that way when they inevitably sought them out she could keep an eye out herself rather than blindly following the girl. But that had not been the case and the girl had quickly taken to scribbling on the paper. Of course there was no guarantee that what she actually put down would be of any help, but it was worth the effort at the very least and if the girl enjoyed drawing then it would perhaps go a bit further toward cheering her up.

And oh did it appear that she enjoyed it as Jenn watched the girl become more and more focused on her work but without any of the typical signs of frustration that came with making small errors, and as Jenn looked closer she began to see that the picture being drawn by the girl was FAR beyond what she had expected she took her work slow but even at her pace Jenn could see a truly impressive amount of skill being put into the picture and as the mintues roleld by the detail put into the picture only grew until finally the girl held up her picture for Jenn to take which she did with an almost stunned look on her face as she did her best to take in everything that the girl had drawn.

This was perhaps one of the most realistic pieces of art that Jenn had ever seen outside of works done using magic and many of those while done in an artistic manner did not take much actual artistic ability to create rather relying on mystical abilities. Even if she attempted to manifest a picture of the area they stood in right now the picture would likely have more flaws than the girls drawing of what seemed likely to be a memory. Jenn primarily focused on the man as without knowing the girls situation she simply assumed the park to be somewhere she enjoyed visiting rather than her actual home. He was an a not particularly old man, likely just leaving his prime. The picture was perhaps just as good as actually meeting the man in terms of her ability to identify him, heck Jenn was half certain she'd be able to shift into his shape from the picture alone. The fact that she had only drawn the man and herself however was a rather sad indicator, the girls mother was likely not with them anymore rather unfortunate and perhaps a decent indicator of why the girl was able to wander.

With only a single parent available the silent girl would have to be left to her own devices while her father did whatever it was he did for a living and friends and neighbors could be only so capable of keeping the girl from wandering. "This is an amazing picture, you're quite the talented artist." Jenn said preforming a much faster manifestation to produce a frame around the picture with a slightly stronger than normal glass casing in order to keep it safe "I'd say you're even better than I am and I've been practicing for... for a rather long time." Jenn said with a chuckle, she couldn't even personally remember how long it had been since she had taken up painting "Do you know where you're father is? I think it might be best if we went and found him, either that or perhaps we get you home. As much as I've enjoyed being around you as your quite a friendly girl this place is perhaps not the safest place for you." Jenn said hoping the girl would not be resistant to the idea of searching for her father or returning home.

[Vixi]

Vixi watched Jenn as she handed her the picture she had worked so hard on making, she made sure to draw everything just as she had remembered it, though she found the picture lacked the real beauty of the park as she had only one color in which to draw it in. It lacked the color of the actual park but she hoped that the great detail she put into the shadows, and other objects in the park would more than make up for the lack of beauty. Holding her breath she watched as Jenn looked over the picture the look of shock on her face confused the girl as she though that her drawing was not a good one, drooping her ears slightly at the thought she waited for Jenn to say something, anything on her drawing.

Relief finally came to Viki as Jenn noted with a tone of joy in her voice, perking her ears up at her words her face glowed with happiness that Jenn was impressed at what she had drawn. Just as the time before the blue smoke appeared much faster than the times before but this time Vixi didn't fall backwards but she did jump slightly at the suddenness of it. In a flash it appeared as though her picture was now encased in a box of glass which confused her, she had been such things in the buildings that lined the main streets but she never understood the point of capturing such beauty and placing inside a box; something beautiful should have been shared with the whole world too see. Vixi wanted to comment on such a thing but found that she had no paper in which to say it, sighing at seeing her art work now trapped she shrugged the feeling off, after all she had drawn the picture for Jenn and it was now hers to do whatever she wanted with it.

Mentioning that Vixi was probably a much better drawer than herself made Vixi smile once again, though she might never beat Jenn in a race, it looked as though she did have one skill that she was better at than the woman. Laughing slightly at the thought her tail ran back and forth between the grass blades behind her, it seemed like the more time she spent with Jenn the better of a time she was having, not to mention she had taught her that she could draw like a real artist. It was hard to imagine that such a woman couldn't draw the way Vixi could given the amount of time she said that she had been spending on it, the ability seemed to naturally to the fox girl and this was her first time even trying it, though it didn't seem like Jenn was upset about such an thing, rather she seemed happy that Vixi possessed such an talent.

Asking if Vixi knew where her father was at sucked all the happiness that had building inside of her away at the reminder that she had no idea was he was at. She had been looking for him for almost a week after she decided that staying at the park all day wasn't going to help her find him. The other words from Jenn hadn't even pierced Vixi's usually sharp ears as they drooped against her head, her tail no longer swishing back and forth against the breezy grass. Once again the tears been to pool in her eyes even as much as she tired to fight back against there force there was no help when it came down too it. Looking up she met Jenn's blue eyes as she shook her head as the tears rolled down her face, where once there was joy and awe all that Jenn could see was loss and despair. 

[Delashano]

Jenn chuckled at the look of confusion that spread across the girls face at the appearance of the frame evidently she had never had something of hers framed before which was rather a pity as if the girls skills were any indicator of how often she practiced there were likely many masterpieces that likely have succumed to damage at this point, it was also interesting to note that the girl was far less surprised by the manifestation this time around, perhaps because it had just been done quickly rather than with a ton of buildup as she had done before. "It's called a frame, it's used to keep pictures safe because paper can be damaged rather easily." Jenn explained taking another look at the beautiful picture. As she explained to the girl that they should next seek out her father or at the very least her home Jenn found herself curious why the girl had not looked to take back the picture, it was certainly something that should be hung up somewhere in her home or at the very least shown to her father.

Then the girls reaction to her suggestion came and Jenn bit her tongue to hold back a few rather 'bad' words over how big of a mistake it had evidently been to suggest seeking out the girls father, Jenn was quick to step forward and attempt to console the girl again attempting to pull her into a hug and allow her to cry against her shoulder or chest again if need be "Shhh shhh, it will be alright. What is wrong?" Jenn said after taking a moment to calm herself in order to ensure she didn't start talking too fast for the girl to potentially not keep up with, Jenn would then manifest a few more sheets of paper and if the pencil was not still within the girls possession another pencil "What is wrong with you're father? Is he hurt? Sick? I need you to be strong for a moment, I may be able to help" Jenn said carefully, she knew of course from the reaction that something was very much NOT alright with the girls father now she just needed to identify what it was and hopefully the girl would be able to calm a bit faster in order to 'explain'.

It felt unlikely that the man was dead, if that were the case then almost certainly this would have been the reaction to asking about her parents in the first place or unless the girls mother died very early in her life  then the mother would have also been in the picture. Perhaps with some small amount of luck the man was simply in a poor condition, while not GOOD in the traditional sense it meant that there was a very good chance that she could lend some aid to them, she could give the girl a note to bring to Kaladar, a brief explanation of her own situation and a request to lend any aid to the man that could be offered. Or perhaps even she could aid him herself, while not capable of mystical healing Jenn knew enough to patch up many physical injury's and a few ways in which to heal ailments. All she needed was a bit more information.

[Vixi]

Jenn had indeed hit a sour note that resonated within the girls heart, tears often found their way to her when Vixi's thoughts wandered to that of her father, it wasn't Jenn's fault as she was just trying to help the poor girl but none the less the idea of her father being missing was something that she just couldn't help but crying at, as the man was pretty much the whole world to her, the one who taught her, the one that fed her, the one that had given her the life she held within her very being, Vixi owned him everything she had and more for what he had given her. Weeping wildly she was captured once again in Jenn's embrace as the droplets of water escaped from her eyes, Vixi held nothing back as she pulled are arms around Jenn and cried into the woman, she felt bad once more that she was crying in front of the woman, which really didn't do much other than make her cry even more. At this point the air was filled with her sounds of her weak whimpers of sadness, Vixi's sobs and Jenn's calming words as she tried to soothe the crying child for the second time.

Through her closed tears filled eyes she heard the sound of Jenn making another object but didn't care much to look this time, her curiosity was dulled whenever she was like this, it was almost like she was another person than her usually happy, cheerful self. Vixi shook her head as her body shuttered as Jenn started asking her questions about her father, she didn't want to think about it anymore, she just wanted to be with him once again, when things were better, no more waiting and searching, she just wanted him back in her life. She would sit on the swing as she talked to her teaching her about the world around them, he would point out objects and tell her what they were, though she couldn't talk she would just sit and listen for hours in awe, he was so smart to her, he seemed to know everything about the world. Whenever she wanted to know what something was Vixi would simply point it out and he would tell her, he was like a computer with legs attached.

Noting that she needed to be strong for her, Vixi's memories flashed back to a dream she had a few nights ago while she was sleeping on the playground at the park. Someone had come to visit her in a world she was not familiar with, everything was white except her and this man that was there, whoever it was it looked just like her father but it wasn't him. It spoke her in his kind caring voice and told her she needed to have courage and be strong for herself and those around her, she hadn't thought much of the dream since that night until just then.

Sniffling she slowly pulled away from Jenn's embrace, her glazey eyes looking more tired than actually sad, and she was, she was so very tired of a lot of things...but she needed to be strong. The voice had told her too and Jenn was now asking her too, at this point she figure so owned Jenn at least that much, she had shown her a new world hidden within her own unknown talent, she had made her laugh and she even considered her a friend at this point. Even though she hadn't known her for long Vixi could tell she was a loving person; going out of her way to warn her of the dangers that lay ahead, helping her communicate through other means. There weren't but a few people that she had met that had gone as far as Jenn had for the young girl, and it warmed her heart just like her father did. Maybe if her father met her he would feel the same way... but first they would need to find him wouldn't they?

Taking a deep breath Vixi reached out toward the paper as the tears still pooled in the corner of her eyes, it was taking all she had but she was managing not to let them run down her face, though she didn't know how long it was going to last. Vixi though long and hard about how to explain where her father went as truth be told she herself didn't really know, the last words he had told her were 'Vixi I have to go for a few days. There are some things I need to take care of...and I can't take you with me. I wish I could but it would be even more irresponsible of me than it would be leaving you here, I know you don't understand and I wish I didn't have to do this but it's the only way. Be strong, be strong for me my little angel. I'll be back as quickly as I can, then...then we can be together forever and go live far away in a little cabin, just the two of us. I love you Vixi.' Then he kissed her on the head and left. She had been upset and she didn't understand, but she loved her father so she did as he asked of her...even know she didn't understand why he couldn't take her with him but he knew so much more than she ever would.

Looking at the blank page for a moment she wiped the wet streaks from her face and began to scribble on the page, but while before she had drawn one large picture across the page she drew two this time. Taking her time and stopping every once and awhile to wipe her eyes she drew vigorously away at the white paper, filling it in with as much detail as she possibly could imagine. Eventually she dropped the pencil off to the side as her art was done, though she didn't look nearly as happy about it as the first time. Glancing it over twice she seemed more than satisfied that it was the best she was going to be able to do given her state. Leaning back over to Jenn she handed the finished  picture over to her as Vixi embraced her once more her face buried in Jenn's chest, though not as loud as it once was her tiny sobs were mostly masked by the gentle winds that pushed by.

Just like the first picture it looked as though she was looking at the park once more as if she was actually there, however the paper was split between too different scenes as it displayed from the left to the right in order. The first scene showed Vixi and the man that Jenn knew to be her father as she sat on the swing as he was taking a knee in front of her as he kissed her head, even in the picture Jenn would be able to make out the tear marks that ran down her face and Vixi's father.The second sence appeared to be as if the drawing was from behind Vixi as it showed the man as he was walking away from her, leaving her there alone in the park. It appeared that him leaving was not something that either want of them wanted, but what could drive two such people apart as them.

[Delashano]

It was truly a rather disheartening scene to watch the girl trying her very best to pull herself together long enough to do as she had asked, were the situation any less potenitally dire Jenn would have never pushed the girl in such a manner but with how she had reacted and the possibility that the father was hurt it had to Jenn appeared to be a important enough situation to warrant it and much to her relief the girl was able to take up the pencil once again and begin drawing, the process was slower this time and broken up by her occasional efforts to dry her eyes. All the while Jenn rubbed her back soothingly trying her best to help her maintain her composure for long enough to provide a picture that might explain the situation.

Jenn wasn't entirely sure what she should expect from the drawing, she very much hoped that if it was a matter of ailment that it was something simple like a sickness something that potenitally just required a bit of work to get the man back to normal, if it was injury however then it would make the fact that the girl needed to draw what was wrong all the worse but that was an unfortunate risk that needed to be taken ESPECIALLY if the man was injured and potentially in need of immediate aid. Jenn watched over the girls shoulder as the picture came to life, even in her distressed state her skill with the pencil remained and at first Jenn found herself a bit perplexed by her efforts the girl was drawing in a manner that left a significant amount of space unused whereas her first drawing had encompassed the whole page.

The reason for this became more apparent as the girl continued her work adding a second picture to the page, Jenn wasn't sure how long it had taken for the girl to complete her drawing and sadly it was likely unimportant. The more she drew the more obvious it became that this was not a simple fix as the second image took form it became obvious that what was wrong was not that he was injured or sick, he was gone. Before the expressions had formed a rage her begun to boil within her but when the girl handed her the picture and she could take a better look the rage faded significantly, the expressions on the mans face between the pictures painted a clear picture of immense regret. Something had happened to FORCE the man to leave the girl behind Jenn let out a sigh as she looked over the picture once more and then back down at the girl who had almost immediately after completing it had returned to crying.

There was little that she could say without knowing more and the girl was neither in the state to give an explanation nor was it likely that an explanation would be an easy thing to depict through art, it was possible certainly if she was acquainted with whatever it was that he had left to do but now was not the time, for now she would just let the girl cry for a bit whatever the man had to go do it seemed likely that he had either been gone for a rather long time or that it was dangerious and either way it was perhaps likely in her mind that he was not coming back. Jenn knew ALL too well what it was like to lose people so close to the heart. Jenn pulled the girl into a tight hug both to hopefully make her feel better and to relieve some of her own sadness.

[Vixi]

Vixi clung to Jenn as her tears poured from her eyes as she cried into her chest, it had all been too much for the little girl. She knew she had to draw those pictures for Jenn to find her father but reliving those experiences over again in her mind had piled up the same emotions from that day upon the pain and loss that was already in her heart. Vixi had a unseen ability that she didn't fully understand, too most people they would call it 'photographic memory', she could recall every conversation, ever word she ever heard, relive every memory and ever painful emotion as if it was just happening to her once again. It was great talent for those lucky to be blessed with it, but not when they had such a life as Vixi's, often she was very good at blocking such memories out but in the darkness of the long nights they would flow back to her uncontrollably. Often it would leave her in the same state of which she was right now but at least this time she had someone with her to hold her, to smooth her wails of fear, of sadness, of pain, and in the end that's what she needed the most; just someone to be there for her when she needed it most. Vixi had hoped that person would have been her father through out her life but Jenn was the only one that seemed to really care about her at this point. She had no idea of where her father was or why he had left, she had longed to go with him but she could not, even if he was going to be in danger she would have rather stayed at his side than waiting up every night for him alone in the chilly nights of the city.

Sobbing her thoughts raced through her mind as the memory replayed over and over inside of her head, it was driving her mad with sadness but it seemed like no matter how hard she would try to block it out the same scene would keep replaying. She hated hear self, she couldn't speak, she didn't have full control over her full body, what was she? Why could she not be normal like everyone else was, she didn't care if she lost her powers, her tail, her ears; she would give that all away for just a normal life. Just her normal self like everyone else and her father, that's all she wished for...not this, not what she was. Her thoughts weighed heavy on her heart as though it was about to burst into a thousand of pieces as it sunk to the bottom of her chest, the only thing holding it back was the fact that Jenn was holding on to the little girl as tightly as she could.

Vixi didn't care that she had only know Jenn for a little while, she was as close as she had gotten to a person other than her father, as far as she was concerned she was her only friend at the moment and the only one besides her father that cared about her. Intelligent, kind, loving thses were a few of the quailites that Vixi loved to see in a person and it seemed that Jenn held all of them inside of her soul, in a lot of ways she did reminder her of her father, though she did lack this dark facial hair. Such thoughts zoomed around her head as she began to think about that deeply, it helped to distract her from the other images that danced inside of her mind.

Vixi didn't know how long she sobbed into Jenn but some time had indeed past since she finished the drawing, calming to down to the occasional shiver from her body, her tears had all dried up. Sniffling with her arms still locked around Jenn's waist she shifted her feet against the ground as if trying to think of what to do next. Her throat was soar with fatigue from the time spent crying, even if she had the ability to speak she doubted that such a thing was even possible at this point, let alone her howls or even whimpers. Releasing her grip from around Jenn she pulled back from her as she wrapped her arms around her self as she stared off at the ground her eyes red and glazed, though during the moment she didn't care if she was crying in front of Jenn, the embarrassment and shame had come back to her after all was said and done. She had never broken down like that before her in life, sure she had cried when her father left but with the added stresses and pain in searching for him had piled on making it all that worse.

She didn't think there was going to be anyway to pay Jenn back for what she had done, aside from her father she had given her more than anyone else, not by tangible mean but she gave her an outlet, to at least show her thoughts to the world, not to mention the time consuming cry season as she probably had released half of her bodies water through her tears. She was tired, there wasn't much else she could think about other than sleep at this point, even her usually loud stomach seemed to be quelled after the event, not wanting to upset the already unstable girl. Though her hair was usually clean and finely set it was now a tangled messed as if her emotional state had some how broken down her whole body, with the gentle winds blowing through it, flung around her head in a uncontrolled manner.

[Delashano]

My how things never seemed to go as expected, it was perhaps a foolish notion to believe that she could have anything resembleing a 'normal day' her life had long since progressed past the point where such a thing was a possibility and to believe otherwise was truly rather foolish. It was like the strange and outrageous were drawn to her in some way, the closest to 'normal' her life had ever been had been with Seikatsu, Astos, and Vitam and it was perhaps a bit silly to call living on the lookout with the protector of the Earth a 'normal' life. She'd give most anything to have that sort of normalcy again... Jenn sighed at the thought as she ran a hand through the girls hair as they embraced.

It was strange how quickly she had felt a sort of connection with the girl, it had only been at BEST an hour since she had hoped over the wall and yet here they were Jenn clotching the girl in tight hug as she did her best to sooth the girls emotions, it was a strange feeling to realize how quickly she had clicked with the girl and also a tad worrying, nothing to do with the girl personally but Jenn knew how this sort of thing tended to work. She grew close to someone quickly bonded with them and loved them with all her heart and then years would pass and there youth would fade and then they would die. She didn't LIKE thinking about it in that way but ever since Seikatsu had died it had always been a thought at the back of her mind, he'd been the first person she could honestly say she loved and the loss had hit HARD.

Without Astos Jenn kenw she would have likely moped for years before returning to any sense of normalcy, he'd helped he heal and with that he'd also done well to help lessen the future deaths such as his own it had hit hard but she had KNOWN he would not have accepted her acting as she had and on top of that Vitam had needed her still, of course he had been an adult by then and the Guardian at that but he still needed her to act as a Guide, to help fill in the blanks in what 'being the guardian' entailed that had been left by Astos' death after Astos had been Vitam and her world had come crashing down all over again, shed tried VERY hard to stay strong but it hadn't been enough. Seikatsu had been her love, were it not for there circumstances she was certain things would have progressed to a true marriage. Astos had been like family and friend combined, like a brother she'd never had. But Vitam had been completely different, he had been her son in all but blood.

Looking down at the girl Jenn felt torn, she liked her, something so very endearing about how excitable she was and protecting her came so easily. But a part of her wanted to pull away and not put herself in such a position again to not let her heart be torn at any more than it had already been. But Jenn knew there was no real chance of that, the girl needed help and she was capable of helping, if things turned out as they usualy did then so be it. All the good that came out of her lost loved ones FAR outweighed the pain. "You should rest, you've had a tough time and you look exhausted." Jenn said as the girl pulled away and clasped her arms around her legs. "You can stay if you want, I can set something up around here for you." Jenn offered seeing the exhaustion in the girls slowly drooping eyes.

[Vixi]

Vixi turned her head at the womans words, she was right she did need to rest after all the tears she had shed she felt as though she had been awake for many nights just like when she would wait up for her father to return to the park, the feeling was all to familiar to the girl. Slowly Vixi nodded her head at the idea, there wasn't much she really wanted more than just to lay down on the play scape at the park and sleep for days on end. As much as she enjoyed spending her time with Jenn (minus the crying) she knew that it wasn't the woman's responsibility to take care of her though she thought she had done a pretty good job of doing it so far. She wasn't looking forward to the walk about to the city, it had taken her over an hour to even walk to the castle walls and being as tired as she was now she didn't know if she was even going to be able to make it back before she would collapsed under her own tears and exhaustion. Her ears drooped against her bright orange hair at the thought of having to leave from Jenn's side, she had grown to enjoy the woman's company, it felt almost as if her father had never left her in the first place. She helped to fill the void Vixi felt in her heart but she knew that such relationships she made never lasted, people had other lives out side of the small encounters she had with them, and they would soon return back to them leaving her alone once again.

Sighing Vixi got up back on her own too feet, even though she had not been crouched for long her legs wobbled slightly under her weight, it looked as though her tears had taken more out of her than she first thought, the walk back was going to be more difficult than she first thought...oh well a ditch was still a good place to sleep.... Vixi had barely moved a few feet before Jenn mentioned that she could stay with her...she could STAY with her... the words filled her heart with joy once again. She would have jumped with joy at the idea but her body was beyond that point of being able to do such things at the moment rather her low handing tail began to swig back and forth across the grassy ground. Turning back around Vixi faced Jenn with little beads of tears welling up in her eyes though this time they were not tears of sadness but rather ones of joy, Jenn cared about her.

Not wanting to start bawling once again Vixi nodded her head at the idea that Jenn had offered her, she wasn't about to let such an opportunity pass her by. There was a mixture of excitement, sadness, and joy that filled her heart, it was confusing to her but she did her best to focus on what was happening in the moment rather than the the whole thing. On top of everything Jenn had already done for her she was giving her even more than she would have ever thought, a place to sleep, a friend and love. Vixi pounced forward and jumped into Jenn and once more gave her a hug as tight as she could as Vixi gave her a tiny yelp of joy, it hurt her throat slightly as she did so but the a little pain was something she could bare for Jenn. 

[Delashano]

Jenn felt a bit worried as the girl staggered to her feet, the more she watched the more clear it became that the girl was just in absolutely NO state to be out on her own at this point. While little actual physical exertion had occured during their encounter the emotional strain was evidently more than enough to take the wind right out of the girls sails, she could barely walk let alone climb the wall again and head back to wherever it was that she lived and on top of that she'd have to make such a trek ALONE. Had the girl chosen not to stay Jenn would have had to at least attempt to help her get back home, thankfully that was not necessary as the mere mention of her perhaps staying was enough to flip the switch and bring the girl back to a joyous state.

Still a few tears clung to the girls eye but the wide smile, wagging tail and sudden near-tackle hug made it clear that they were either joyful tears or simply the last remnants of the girls previous emotional state, Jenn held the girl for a few moments letting her have a bit of time to just be happy and content with the situation, she'd been through enough today and a few more moments of peaceful joy were necessary. "I suppose I should take that as a yes?" She said with a chuckle as she patted the top of the girls head. "Now if we're going to camp out here we'll need to get set up, I think here might be a nice enough spot. I will however need to stand for a moment." Jenn said before making slow motions to disentangle herself from the girl in order to return to her feet.

"Now you can watch me work my magic." She said with a grin as the familiar blue smoke began to emanate from Jenn twisting and coalescing around her arms as Jenn began to concentration on what it was she planned to manifest, it was rare she made an effort to manifest anything particularly large outside of weapons but she wanted a chance to show the girl something that would hopefully amaze. Once enough power was brought forth Jenn would begin moving her arms in a slow and methodical pattern seemingly tracing out something in the air, the smoke moved with her spreading out all around Jenn and the girl, slowly however as the smoke took form everywhere around them it rather abruptly stopped being smoke quickly replaced by a large tent around them complete with a strong wooden frame, for a moment things would grow a tad dark as the tent blotted out the ambient light however this was quickly rectified as a lantern formed itself attached to a pillar at the very middle of the tent, inside was a glowing yellow rock that gave off more than enough light for the tent.

"Do you have a prefrence for what you would like to sleep on? I can whip up a bed though that might require expanding the tent a bit." Jenn asked her tone making it clear that such a thing would be of little effort to her. "Actually... I might have a better idea." Jenn said as a grin spread across her face and in an instant the floor was flooded with smoke and from the smoke would spring numerous pillows, while it was difficult to remember times so long ago Jenn could distinctly remember that when she had been young and the world too primitive to provide a summoner she had often simply slept in a room made of pillows, with luck the girl would enjoy the idea as well, it certainly provided a comfortable means of resting.

[Vixi]

Vixi clung to Jenn with her arms wrapped as tightly as they could possibly be around the woman's shoulders, her words and been the best news she had ever had. Her life was usually filled with disappointments, people chasing her, her father leaving and having to escape from other lab once again, it seemed almost like a never ending chain of worries for Vixi. Though the situation she was in was probably only going to be temporary she didnt want to think about such things right now, even through all the trifles she experienced that day she was happy for the time being and that's what matter to her. Waggling her tail happily across the ground was really all the happiness she could display other than the hug, the emotional trial she had gone through had zapped most of her energy taking away from her usually joyful self.

Vixi nodded her head at Jenn question if her hug hadn't given her a straight answer then surely the girls face and furry ears rubbing against Jenn's face would. Laughing at Vixi's gestures she felt Jenn's hand pat the top of her head right between her fox like ears as the girl sighed happily at the feeling, she loved having her head rubbed, she didn't know why but the motion always made her melt like putty in someones hands. Facing turning slightly red Vixi gave a strange sort of noise out, the closet thing it could be compared to was that of a purr of a cat, and given her appearance it would fit the picture. However as quickly as the gentle pat had began it was over as Jenn motioned she would need to stand if she was going to set up a camp for which they would be able to sleep. Though disspointed that she would not contuine to rub her head she understood why, letting go of her vice like grip Vixi took a few steps back as Jenn rose back to her full height, Vixi had almost forgotten just how much taller Jenn was than her even in her boots she still had a good half a foot off the girl.

As tired as she was Vixi was always in the mood to watch Jenn perform her magical abilities but unlike the times before she was ready for whatever she would throw at her. As soon as the words had left Jenn's mouth did the mystical blue smoke appear once again, wrapping down her arms like a snake as they coiled down to the palms of her hands. Once the smoke had built up to a large enough mass she began to twirl and twist her arms in a repeating patterns in the air as Vixi watched with great intent on what she was doing. Such magic was still new to her and every trick that Jenn could do with it always amazed her, even her body seemed to be fully in tuned what she was doing it was hard to tell if she was leading the smoke or if it was leading her. Spreading out in all directions Vixi swatted at the smoke as she tried to capture the substance in her hands but found that it was fast and would slip right between her fingers. Almost in a flash the smoke faded as it was replaced with a large tent that they now stood inside of, where once they were standing out in a open field she now saw the inside of the canvas walls of the tent. Even though Vixi had been prepared for what Jenn was going to summon this thing she had no been expecting such a feat as she preformed in front of her, caught off by shock and awe she looked around the tent moving in cricles for a few seconds before she gasped out her high pitched yelp; it came out rather raspy from all the crying.

She was surprised at what talent Jenn had, it seemed just like when there wasn't anything else she could do to shock her in awe she would pull another trick out of her hat, it was almost like she had a never ending bag of tricks to show the girl and she really hoped that was the case as she loved watching her work her magic. Whipping back around she faded Jenn as a little twinkle of life and sparked back into her eye, it wasn't much but it looked as though she had recovered a small amount of energy just from watching Jenn, though it was most likely the adrenaline pumping through her system.

Asking Vixi if she had a preference for what she would like to sleep on Vixi's ideas of a suitable sleeping places didn't include things that most people would considered a bed such as grass, trees or a plastic tube and none of those places provided a great location of which to sleep in but it was were she usually would rest in during the long periods of the night. But before Vixi could shake her head in response Jenn perked up that she had an idea as the all to familiar smoke flooded the wooden floors they were standing on, waiting in suspense she knew that something good would come from it. In another flash the floor was litter with little multicolored bags, having never seen a pillow before she was confused at what she was looking at. Looking at Jenn with confusion she bent down to get a closer look at what had been summoned before her, she was sure that they were safe but like every time Vixi found something new that she didn't understand she began to sniff it to try and better understand it.

Whatever the bag were they smelled like flowers and yet they were clearly not that, what was this black magic! Vixi was confused by what these things she was looking at were, they smelled like flowers but looked nothing like them, how was this possible.... Jenn was magic so it was all possible she had turned a garden of flowers into these strange colored bags; tail flickering behind her Vixi did her best to cope with the new idea before her. Reaching out with her finger she cautiously reached out and poked the bag as it gave in relativity easy with her light tough, almost as if it was made out of the same material as he tail. Soft and plushy, were these things meant to be slept on? On top of never seeing a pillow before she had never even touched a bed, this new concept of having something soft to sleep on was a difficult one for her to wrap her head around.

[Delashano]

Jenn could not help but chuckle at the girls antics, every demonstration of magic resulted in some of the most amusing reactions from the girl and this larger display had not dissapointed. She'd even gotten a bit bolder this time and made an attempt at catching some of the smoke but the effort had been futile as just before she could reach out again it all suddenly became the fabric of the tent. While Jenn was no stranger to sleeping under the stars she was unsure exactly what the girl was used to she seemed almost a bit wild at times but it felt far more fun to create a tent and then fill it to the brim with the most comfortable pillows she could imagine. If the was unused to sleeping outdoors then she would likely be made far more comfortable by this and if not she was unlikely to dislike the addition and worst case scenario a bit od adjusting could be done to the tent to create a open top to see the stars, a bit of a stronger frame for the tent and some glass would do the job nicely but she would wait before doing that for now she'd let the girl adjust to the current changes to there surroundings.

Her reaction to the pillows had been nothing short of amusing, evidently such things were still a bit uncommon among 'common' people as they had been many years ago and thus the girls reaction had been quite similar to Vitam's though of course it hadn't taken Vitam nearly as long to decide that a pillow was something to sleep on, he'd examined it much like Vixi was now but then shortly thereafter plopped down on one and within a few moments been asleep. Of course Vixi had te disadvantage of not having things explained to her as thoroughly, she was unlike Vitam unable to question Jenn on what she was manifesting and why leaving her much further in the dark on the nature of the objects. "Those are called pillows, they are soft and good for sleeping on." Jenn said giving Vixi a reassuring smile and with that Jenn let herself fall backward onto a few of the larger pillows as a way of showing the girl that they were safe and comfortable.

"If you want I could make a bed for you instead, I'm not sure exactly what you're more used to sleeping on so I figured something fun might be the best option." Jenn said with a grin as she made herself comfortable, the pillows ranged in size varying from nearly as large as Jenn or Vixi to ones that were small enough to fit in one hand alone "Perhaps if you stick around for long enough I can teach you how to write, I'm certain there is so much trapped in that head of yours that you want to get out into the world." Jenn said as she looked at the girl, she was certain she could teach her if she had enough time the girl certainly understood what was being said to her which would go a VERY long way toward helping her learn to read and write. If only she had Astos around now, HE had been a magnificent teacher for Vitam when it came to such things refining a lot of what she had begun to teach Vitam while traveling. "Now unless you're still suspicious of the pillows perhaps it might be time to get a little rest, you've certainly had a rather intense day and from how you looked before I can only image you're only standing now because you're not quite sure of the nature of the pillows." Jenn said with a smile, she wondered for how long the girl would stick around for, she was certainly used to wandering though Jenn had no idea how long exactly she had been doing so as the pictures alone gave no indication of a length of time since her fathers departure. Finding the man would be a rather difficult task but one Jenn would put effort into once the situation with Kemuri was dealt with abd hopefully he was still out there somewhere and not gone already. 

[Vixi]

Watching the small colorful bags with great intent Vixis tail shifted slowly back and forth cuatiously as she did her best to make sense of what she was seeing in front of her, having never slept on a bed before this was the first time she had ever seen a pillow in her life. Inching forward like a prying animal, she walked around the closet once that was separated from the rest of them and began to walk around in on all fours in a circles, examining it from every angle to get a better grasp of what it was. After completing a full circle round the bag she cocked her head to side and gave out a small whimper of confusion, she had sniffed it, touched it, looked at it from many different angles the only thing to do now was too taste it, as listening to the strange creature hadn't resulted in it making any sound. Slowly but surely Vixi reached out to the soft bag and picked it up in her hands all the while keeping it at arms distance from the rest of her body, if it turned out the strange creature was dangerous it would have best to keep it as far away from her as possible. Bringing the bag closer to her face she had a almost bothersome look as she opened her mouth, deciding it was best to get it over with as quickly as possible she shoved part of the bag into her mouth. It really didn't taste like she was expecting it too taste like, where it had smelled like flowers its taste was no where near that, tasting more like cloth than anything else.

While the bag still hung from her mouth it was Jenn that popped the cloud of confusion that drifted inside Vixi's head, telling her that the little colorful bags were called "pillows" and they were great for sleeping on. Dropping her hands down to her sides the limp pillow hung from her mouth as she processed what Jenn had just told her, the blank expression on her face told Jenn everything that she needed to know as the gears slowly turned inside of her brain. Slowly coming to the realization of how silly she had been her face turned bright red as she let the now damp pillow fall from her mouth, landing with a wet smack on the floor leaving her to be embarrassed by herself.

Seeing that Jenn had fallen backwards into the mass of pillows Vixi though she would give it a try was well, since Jenn was doing it how bad could it really be? Plus she wanted to put that earlier embarrassing moment behind her and it seemed like a great way to forget that. Without needing a jumping start Vixi flung herself forward towards the nearest stack of pillows, praying that they were going to be as soft and plump as they really looked or it was going to hurt. Of course Jenn hadn't been lying about just how soft they were as Vixi landed in the mountain of mush as half of her body sunk inside of the now smashed pillow, leaving just her lower half sticking out as her tail wagged rapidly back and forth. Pillows were fun, to say the least; it was as if she was sitting a top a cloud that was ridding along the blue sky!

Though the longer she stayed half buried she began to notice that it was becoming hard to breath so she made her way back up to surface, almost looking as if she was swimming through a sea of plushy pillows. Coming back up to the surface just in time to hear Jenn's voice clearly, Vixi took in a deep gulp of fresh air, even going as far as gasping for added effect with a smile spread across her face. Asking if she wanted a bed Vixi leaned her head too one side to question what she was talking about, as it was another one of man's creations she had also yet to see at this point. Though she was sure that it was going to be at least as exciting as the massive amount of pillows she shook her head agasint the idea, Jenn had done more than enough for her for one day and she was more than satisfied with the current arrangement. 

Firing more words at Vixi she just nodded her head not being too sure of what writing was other than the little scribbles that doted books, papers and sometimes the big signs on sticks that where scattered through out the city; but Jenn seemed pretty happy about the idea so Vixi just went along with it as she seemed to have a good idea of what things were fun too do. Jenn had mentioned it earlier when they were still trying to get some kind of communication going, so it sounded like another way she would be able speak... at least in some mannerism, but every way helped her in the long run.

Mentioning that it was probably best if Vixi got some sleep she had almost forgotten just how tired she was after all the amazing magic spells Jenn had been casting had perked her up some, but now that the idea was back in her head she could once again feel the wear back on her body. Oh why did Jenn have to mention that, she was having so much fun. Sighing Vixi knew that she was right, she had a long day and she was sleepy, even now the fox girl began to yawn showing off her many large sharp teeth off, though not on purpose. Shaking her head to get rid of some the sleepiness Vixi crawled out from the stack of pillows she was in and made her way over to Jenn, even as warm as the tent and the pillows were she felt compelled to lay down next to Jenn.

Knocking a few pillows out of her way Vixi snuggled up next to Jenn as she did her best to make her self comfortable on the pillows that lay scattered across the floor. Finding the best space that fit her just perfectly she squeezed up against Jenn and closed her eyes, even though she was tired she knew it would still be a little longer before she finally drifted off.  

[Delashano]

Jenn chuckled at the look on the girl's face when she explained what the pillows were meant for and 'for eating' was not on the list she heard the wet squish of the pillow hitting the ground not long after she had let herself fall back onto the pillows to get comfortable, it had been a long while since she had done something like this... well perhaps 'long while' was a bit of a misnomer in the grand scheme of things considering her personal view on time. As Jenn relaxed she heard the sound of what could only be the girl pouncing onto a stack of pillows followed by the sounds of the girl digging around, it was quite amusing to picture what she was up to and Jenn was beginning to wonder if perhaps she had hit her second wind with the exciting revelation about the pillows. Jenn heard the girl burst up from beneath the sea of pillows and take in air as if she'd been actually swimming causing a brief chuckle from Jenn, she could scarecely imagine what went on inside that head of hers, it would certainly be quite an interesting day when the girl could finally express her thoughts properly.

Not long after Jenn mentioned that it might be a good time to get some rest as while the girl seemed to regain some lost energy it was really only a matter of time before she crashed again, Jenn had seen how tired she had been before and no amount of excitement could stave that off for long. TO her surprise she heard the sound of the girl digging through the pillows once again and then all of a sudden she was there next to her curled up against her already swiftly on her way to sleep. Jenn smiled as she tiled her head to look at the girl taking a few moments to brush a few strands of hair out of the girls face "Good night" she said softly and with that the lighting within the tent would dim and Jenn would be much like the girl fast on her way to sleep. Tomorrow would certainly be an interesting day what with the addition of the girl, perhaps she could begin working on teaching her at least some of the basics of written and spoken language.

[Vixi]

Already with her body pressed against Jenn the girl felt much more relaxed than she had ever been in the days before since her father had left her side, though it had only been about a weak it seemed that a few life times had gone by without any sight of the man, only with the few gifts he had given her, his faint musk and memories to enforce the burning image inside of her mind. Giving a small sign of relief she let her body go as limp as she possibly could as the pillows thats laid sowed across the wooden floor matched her frame feeling as though they were going to shallow her whole, but eventually their own structure kept her from sinking any further. Such an expreince was something that she had never felt before, it was so soft and plushy it reminded her of the few rabbits that had ran up to met her in the park, not knowing what they were at first she was reluctant to touch them but after watching them for a while she learned that they seemed not to be much of a threat to her. Warm to the touch and furry it filled her with a strange feeling though it was not one she was opposed too, the stranger fact about it though that such creatures were usually wary of humans but seemed not to pay much mind to Vixi stroking them. If it had not been for the fact that others had come along and scared them off she would have stayed there for hours to pet the furry creatures but they had scattered at the new sounds.

There was still plenty of things Vixi wished to do with her new friend but the sand mans embrace was becoming more than she could handle at that time, usually energetic that day in particular had taken more out of her than she had first though. It had been a long time since she had cried so much, but in a way it felt good too let all that emotion out all at once, stopping her woes from building them up, though it wasn't a permanent solution to said problems it helped to alleviate the pain in the short term. It was her hopes that she would come to a point in her life where such things wouldn't happen any more, her optimism told her that day was around the corner but her story was only just beginning and there were many years of her life ahead of her, whether or not they would happy or sad was yet to be seen; all that she really cared about was the present and finding her father, and maybe those two were as close as she was thinking.

Feeling Jenn's hand slide over her head a small purr like sound came from the girls throat, not one of her to control herself the act had a mind of it's own but it told a clear message that she shared with it. Having someone to care for her was something she loved, the attention, the care, extra attention, how anyone would live without it was a concept that she did not understand. She would have preferred it had been her father because of the emotional attachment she had towards him but Jenn seemed to be doing just as well if not better than him, still the longing for the man burned deeply inside of her heart. That was going to be an issue for another day, for now it was time for sleep. Her eyes had been closed the whole time but her mind had been active, tracing back everyday that happened to her, every happy moment, every snack, every tear, they weren't always the best of times but she was fond of most of her memories, as they told her story one of which she would never forget. The final thoughts too pass through her mind were that of her father giving her the amulet which she always kept strapped around her neck, the silver metal shimmering dully in the lights of the back ground. It was clear of were she was at in the memory but chose to leave that part out, as there was nothing good that came of thinking of such a place.

The last thing to drift through her mind was the imagine of Vixi laying next to Jenn in the sea of plush pillows, her looking more peaceful that she could ever remember. The sight warmed her heart and made her think she would need to draw this later when she got the chance.

[graderr]

Vixi: 5,255 pl awarded
Jenn: 4,318 pl awarded

Good read