[PRP] Counting Stars (Bat x Ivy)

[Lirilei]

Bat had taken a short leave of absence from his little family, leaving Gray Son in charge of the rest of the kin he'd adopted from young ages and raised as his own. Raising so many on his own, for so long had left him in need of a little rest and relaxation. To be Bat in the Night, and not dad. Gray was more than capable of watching out for Singing Bird, Save the Day, and Hot Head, and keep things running smoothly in their family. To keep their little area of the swamp safe from harm and mischief from No Laughing Matter.

Bat couldn't remember the last time he'd done anything for himself until now. It'd taken Save coming to him with concern about how tired and run down he'd seemed lately. How he needed a little time away and so with a little persuasion on her part, and (and going behind his back to talk to Gray about Bat's well being), here he was, Gray having convinced him they'd be fine without him for a little while, and that he should go, and rest and not worry about the rest of them.

So here he was, walking through the swamp alone, and unsure if he liked it, or not. He was too used to his little family being around to talk to all the time, and more than once he'd gone to talk to one of them only to remember he was traveling alone. This made him realize why some kin traveled with an animal, and made him realize one might not be a bad idea.

For now, he'd been traveling hard since sunrise, and he was in an area he didn't recognize, and seeing that the sun was starting to get low, he realized he should find something to eat and maybe somewhere safe to sleep. Water too if he could find it, he didn't remember the last time he'd drank anything. He plodded along lost in thought, a bad thing in unfamiliar territory and it didn't take long before he walked face first into a low hanging branch which knocked him on his backside, stunning him a little and driving the breath from him as he landed. Now, he was glad he was on his own, that was embarrassing! With a low groan he got back up onto his hooves, swaying a little but not willing to tempt shaking his head to clear it. Not yet.

@MennyDeer

[MennyDeer]

A pair of eyes with a verdant glow to them watched the kio buck, chuckling under her breath when he smacked face first into a branch. It was low, smokey laughter, edged with something dangerous. 'Serves him right.' Nature always got the last laugh.

Not many wandered near her gardens. Not only was she fiercely territorial, but the plants she kept were as well. All manner of carnivorous, toxic, dangerous vegetation made up the majority of Ivy's gardens, and she didnt bother rescuing any foolish kin that wandered here.

Her babies needed to eat, after all.

And Ivy liked to play with their food.

"Well, well, well~," She purred, sauntering out of the shadows of the foliage like she'd been formed by the very leaves themselves, eyeing the buck with a cold, unkind smile. She'd met very few kin that weren't kimeti, so this new buck was something of a novelty.

"You're either very brave or very, very stupid."

@Lirilei

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[Lirilei]

He was caught off guard by the sudden speaking near him and he turned towards it, albeit a little too sharply to see who it was talking to him and he was pleasantly surprised by the pretty doe stepping out of the leaves. He swore for a moment it was as if she'd been formed of the vegetation around them, just to talk to him. He was pretty sure that was the smack to the face talking there though.

It was her words that gave him a moment of pause. "What if I'm both?" Probably not the best retort but it was all he had at this point. He'd paid little attention to where he was walking, and wouldn't have known if the plants around him were edible, or willing to eat him honestly. Though he gave her a smile. "Honestly, I'm just passing through. Or well attempting to. More like looking for a place for the night, to continue on in the morning." there was no sense in not being honest.

@MennyDeer

[MennyDeer]

"And funny too~ What a catch." She purred, appraising him from where she stood, though that cold glint in her eyes was ever present.

" You're quite easygoing, aren't you." She observed, the question rhetorical. She approached, circling him slowly, her tail swaying hypnotically calm behind her. " First you admit that you're alone, then you admit you're looking for sanctuary. In anothers territory no less. I wonder...do you often put your fate in the hooves of others?"

She enjoyed this cat and mouse, enjoyed the luring and the toying. The strong buck would offer a nice break in her routine.

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

"Not normally no. I've been told I'm a little too stressed these days and need to unwind. So, I'm trying a different approach to my usual behavior. It's been weirdly refreshing." it was like he'd shed a part of him, and embraced a new side to his personality. A calmer one. Or as she'd phrased it easygoing. It wasn't bad, just different.

There was a laugh from him at her question, watching as she circled him and he grinned. "Every day, actually. I put my life in the hooves of those I call my family as we watch over other parts of the swamp. There's a zikwa there, he pulls a number of pranks...some of which have hurt others. So we try to keep others safe from him...and each other safe from him. Sometimes, in another's territory."

He wasn't minding her playful manner, far from in fact. It was weirdly refreshing to him. His children were respectful, and while they could be playful yes, it wasn't quite like this.

@MennyDeer