Walks wandered down the path, the day warm and new. He has no planned destination, just out for a walk. Well, maybe find some berry bushes or a pond to fish. But lunch is a ways away, and breakfast still fills his belly. So he just rambles on, taking in all the sights.
Even as he enjoys the swamp's beauty, Walks wonders if he should seek out someone to talk to. A day like this should be shared, though he has no true friends. Just a few Kimeti he's seen now and again. Wandering, and his often loud personality, have kept most others away.
With a sigh Walks turns off the path, flopping down in a patch of dappled sunlight. It had been a good day. Walks shakes his head, trying to dispel the mood, Kimeti come and go. Hold them as friends as they come and see them go with grace. Laying his head on his hooves, he sighs again. A true friend would be nice, though. One to travel with or seek out when ever he was in this part of the swamp. Still trying to rid himself of this mood, Walks closes his eyes, forcing out these thoughts to let his mind wander idly.
(Transferring this over from gaia)
Last edited by sheepcakes on Wed Jul 10, 2024 4:21 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 214
Daisy Chain was perched on the trunk of a crooked-growing tree, his hooves slipping and sliding off the sides. He knelt down, his belly now grazing against the bark, as he tried to slide down the trunk. Below him was a pool of swamp-water and he just had no intentions of taking a dip right now...Why did I even climb this tree? he thought to himself, before looking down at the flower clamped gently in his teeth. When he was young he'd collect these flowers for his mother, but now he was starting his own collection and hoped to add this one to the bunch. It wasn't exactly a tree flower, but more like a parasitic one that grew on the trees.
Sighing, Bud pushed his two front legs out before him and crawled with his back legs, trying to make it down safely until..
He slipped. His front legs swung to one side, and while overcompensating his balance, his hind legs flung to the other. Now perpendicular to the crooked tree, he flailed his legs, struggling to hold onto the tree and not get wet. A moment later, he calmed down, his belly having found the balance point as his legs dangled freely below him.
Seeing a familiar flash of bright pink, he blushed. I must look ridiculous... he thought, lowering his neck in shame, hoping that the kimeti hadn't seen his slip.
Eyes still closed, Walks had not seen the slip. He had heard it, though. Looking up he catches sight of a very familiar buck, and his mood brightens. "Hello Daisy Chain." He says, smiling at the other buck. "Gathering flowers for your mother, or are you starting a garden of your own?" He asks.
Walks pulls himself up, going over to the tree where Daisy Chain is. Planting his front hooves on the trunk he stretches up. "Let me help, I'm sure you'd get down easier with out having to worry about the flower's well being." Stretching further to bring himself with in reaching distance as he speaks.
"Uhh...muh unn" he mumbled, still clutching the flower, while turning his dejected head to the buck. His heart fluttered as he recognized Walks and he blushed again as he leaned in to hand the buck the flower. Almost a kiss, almost!!
With his mouth free, he repeated his answer more clearly. "This one's for my own. Blossom already has that flower...but I wanted one for myself. I didn't know they'd be so hard to get!" he said, wiggling his back legs as he tried to get them onto the trunk. Holding on with his front legs was harder than he thought, but there was no way he was going to fall flat on his behind in front of this buck. No. Way.
Hooves scraping against the old bark, Bud eventually managed to heave himself up and perch himself back in place. He then turned towards Walks and gave him a goofy smile, as if to say, I was just resting there, tooootally not about to fall into the swamp water .
Carefully, he made his way off the trunk and sat down on the solid ground nearby. "So.....what are you doing here, Walks?" he grinned sheepishly.
Walks takes the flower with great care, lingering over the almost kiss a moment longer then needed. He smiles at Daisy Chain as he pulls back, giving the buck room to maneuver.
His own mouth now full, Walks simply nods at Daisy Chain's answer. He wants to ask if he can see the garden, but is afraid to drop the flower. And looks at said flower pointedly when Daisy Chain asks him a question. Walks leans in, offering the flower back in another almost kiss, again holding it a moment longer then is necessary.
Daisy Chain hesitantly moves in to take back the flower, and when the moment seems to last longer than the buck expected, he blushes and involuntarily swishes his tail. Bud then plops down onto the floor and gently rests the flower on his front knees.
With his tail still swishing, his eyes look at everything but Walks, still embarrassed about the would-be kiss. He decided to keep quiet until the buck answered his first question before showering him with more. If he began rambling on, he'd make an even bigger fool out of himself! That can't happen, not in front of -this- buck!
With a wink he relinquishes the flower. There's only a slight pang of weirdness, after all Daisy Chain's mother is also the mother of Walks' children. But, so far at least, the other buck hasn't shown worry about it. Though.. Walks wonders if Daisy Chain even knows. He's said some things that might mean he's clueless to his siblings father.
Putting those thoughts aside, Walks answers the question. "Just out for a bit of a wander. It's been too long since I've been this way. Would you show me your garden?"
Bud's eyes lit up, his ears pricked, and even his tail twitched in excitement. After all, his garden was his trophy. He hoped it would be even half the size of his mother's. Even then it would be something to behold.
And although the garden held only a dozen or so types of flowers gathered from the swamp, he had pride in it. Picking up the flower from where it rested, he stood. With a bounce in his step, he led the way for Walks to see his little garden. It wasn't too far from the den he, his brother, and their mother shared, but her garden and his garden were on opposite sides of the den, giving the two spaces a good distance between each other.
Smiling with the flower still in his mouth, roots and dirt and all, he stepped aside to give the other buck a good view of the garden, hoping it would impress him.
Walks grins at Daisy Chain's energy, and follows after him. The path isn't familiar to him, since Walks usually comes from the other side. Though he knows the area well enough to know he was close to their den. So as he walks he commits this path to memory.
When Daisy Chain stops, Walks comes up beside him, taking a few moments to takes in the area before carefully picking his way through the garden. He stops now and again to gently sniff at a flower, or examine one closer. Plants aren't his area of expertise but they are beautiful and worth stopping to look at.
After giving the garden a good look over, Walks heads back, grinning at Daisy Chain. "It looks wonderful! The colors and smells are amazing." Walks is being sincere, but knowing the size and variety of Blossom's garden he hopes Daisy Chain sees he's being honest.
"Are there any particular flowers you are looking for? I'm no expert but if you describe them to me I'll keep an eye out." This statement both gladdens and saddens Walks. Doing something that would make Daisy Chain happy would make him happy as well. But the thought of leaving does - as always - give him a pang. It's obvious to the older buck that Daisy Chain has a crush on him. And walks likes Daisy Chain as well. But if he's going to let it go farther, Walks should settle down. It'd be unfair to both for him to keep wandering. Unless he only wandered during certain parts of the year. Or, maybe, Walks is over thinking this. A crush is not guaranteed to become more. Maybe he should just stay for now and see what happens.
Daisy Chain's tail thudded against the ground several times at the compliment. Walks said his garden was wonderful! It was wonderful! Beaming with pride, Bud immediately began to describe the next flower he sought.
"There's this one plant. It's kinda green with a little red. But it looks like a bunch of crocodile jaws! I even poked the inside of one that mom had with a stick. It closed up like it was chomping down on something! It was pretty cool. Mom says they eat bugs so I figure it'd be good to keep the flys out of here. And the spiders. I hate spiders..But other than that, they also make a really pretty white flower in blooming season! I think it'd be a great addition!"
He rambled on and on, only then replaying -exactly- what Walks had said and deciphered a hint of him leaving. "Wait," he added, "Are you going already?" Bud asked.
Walks listens to Bud, nodding. He had seen a flower like that before. "No, not leaving just yet. But in a while. You could come, if you want. Or at least part of the way, if you'd rather not leave your garden for long." He smiles at Bud. "I do know the flower you seek, not well enough to know it's habits but I've seen it before. I don't remember exactly where but I'm pretty sure I remember the general area I was in."
Bud's tail flicked excitedly at Walks's offer. His heart fluttered at the mere thought of accompanying the buck somewhere. Caught up in the moment, he blurted out, "I'd go anywhere with you! No matter how far!" and immediately felt a rush to his cheeks. He might as well have confessed his very love for the buck that stood before him.
"I-I mean my garden will be safe because Blossom visits it sometimes to make sure I'm doing it right and if it's for a new flower I'd do anything I totally didn't just tell you I love you or anything because I'm sure it's not like that because you probably don't even think of me that way or anything and I should just shut up now" he spewed forth, all in a single breath. His rambling left him panting a little. And his eyes focusing themselves on a pebble at his hooves after realizing that he had, indeed, just confessed his attractions.
Walks bites his tongue to keep from grinning, lest Bud think he's teasing him. The confession is sweet, and not so much confession as confirmation. Stepping closer Walks leans towards Bud and nuzzles him, and not exactly in a friends only manner. "Took you long enough." He says, with a small pang of guilt. He doesn't exactly love Daisy Chain, but Walks does care a great deal for him. More then any Kimeti - buck or doe - he's met.
Bud's heart fluttered at the closeness of the nuzzle. He held his breath and felt his cheeks heating up. It did take him a long time to say it. But he felt relieved now, and sighed with the satisfaction of getting it off his chest. And it didn't look like he was rejected! That was even better!
The smaller buck affectionately pressed his cheek against Walks's neck, just where it met his jaw. "Let's go find that flower, yeah?" he said with a soft smile, finally thinking of something to break the silence. He didn't want the moment to end, but felt that there would hopefully be more moments like this.
Walks gently nips at Bud's ear, blowing a puff of breath in it as he does. "Today lets just relax. Leave the long journey's for another day." He whispers, then settles down at Bud's hooves. Walks smiles up at Bud, a silent invitation for snuggles.
