[PRP] Listening For More (Magnificent in Shadow x Sweet Hereafter)

[HuniPi]

It had not been a good day for the young colt. Magnificent in Shadow woke up to his siblings already off doing their own thing and getting into all sorts of adventures and troubles that their mother would allow them. But not him. No, they had to go and leave him behind just because he wanted to get in a few more hours of sleep. It wasn't fair!

Though it wasn't as if he would have joined them (he wouldn't have, he wasn't in the mood) but they didn't even wait for him to ask! Well, he'll show them! He'll show them all! He was going to run away from the den and he was going to go into lands where there weren't very many shade so his mom can't find him. Of course he'd get there through the tunnels their father made or found or maintained but by the time they realized he was gone, he'd be out there on his own!

Pleased with this decision, the young kimeti set off on his own without telling anyone where he was going and when he'd be back. Why should he? He was running away! He'll be fine, his father taught them all how to hunt and his mother showed them about safe plants and how best to find shelter. And while Shade couldn't remember all of the steps or all of the details, he knew enough.

Finally set something up!

[Beejoux]

It was happenstance that had the young buck wandering so close to the Death family's territory, and that young Hereafter was out and about within that territory, rather than back home with her parents and siblings. Instead she was exploring, as far as she dared, accompanied by her mom's(in title more than anything else) faithful foxbun, Life.

While she wandered she was singing quietly to herself, the melody and lyrics impromptu, long tail make pleasantly soft swishing sounds against the dried leaves as she nosed at a curious looking mushroom on the side of a fallen log, or a colorful flower taking advantage of a dappled patch of sunshine.

She was unaware of anyone else wandering near by. As lost in her own thoughts as Born of Death tended to be. The apple didn't seem to have fallen far from the tree.

[HuniPi]

There was a saying that a little knowledge was a dangerous thing, which in Shade's case was proving quite true. Somehow he'd gotten lost after failing to remember enough about the paths he'd taken, only now realizing just how much he often kept an eye out for his sister's glow as a beacon. And while he managed to scrounge up some food for himself, it was nothing like the game his siblings could catch on their own.

He thought he knew it all when it turns out the young colt knew so little. Had he always just been coasting by thanks to his siblings? The revelation was a massive blow to his pride and Magnificent in Shadow couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. His sulking was only interrupted by the grumbling of his stomach.

Or at least it was the first thing to interrupt his sulking.

Because his ears soon picked up the faint tune of someone singing. Oh thank goodness another kin! And if they were the sort to allow for their presence to be known, they must be kind and helpful. With this in mind, Shade started to track down the source of the melody and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was another young kimeti. Someone his age, or thereof wouldn't immediately assume he was lost, right?

He could still salvage his ego yet!

He quietly approached her but didn't take particular care to hide. In fact, he went so far as to say out loud, "You sing pretty."

this took me 3 tries to post ;v; but I finally managed!

[Beejoux]

The filly startled. It was rare anyone wandered into their territory, and she hadn't been gone long enough for any of her sighted siblings to have come looking for her, so she hadn't expected to be disturbed for quite a while yet. More surprising, the one that'd wandered over to her appeared to be very close to her own age, a young buck. Bright ears had laid back before flicking forward as she looked him over curiously.

"You startled me," she pointed out, scaled tail swaying slowly behind her. "But, thank you." It had been a compliment, after all.

She stepped gingerly closer to him, eyeing one of the intricate markings on his hip as she moved slowly around him. "Where did you come from?" Did the family have unexpected visitors she wasn't aware of? That seemed unlikely. Her father was a protective one, and he'd have sent Haven or Sanctuary to fetch her, or come find her himself.

[HuniPi]

Shade was glad that the other kin had not assumed he was lost. All he had to do now was maintain this assumption while also figuring out a way to ask how he could get back to his family's den without admitting to it. "Sorry about that, startling you, I mean," "My father's been training me and my siblings to be good hunters and one of the first skills was avoid being spotted."

When she approached, the colt straightened himself up as much as he could to let the filly get a good look at his markings. It was a rare thing for Shade to be seen without his twin, and when he was with Glorious, the attention tended to focus on his brother. And as much as he usually found comfort and familiarity in being part of a set, maybe he might like being one of a kind.

"I'm Magnificent in Shadow but you can call me Shade. My siblings and I are practicing our tracking skills. It's my sister's turn to look for us while we hide. If it's not too much trouble, may I hide here? Not for too long! Promise!" Did he sound too desperate? He hoped he didn't. His father and sister would say it was unbecoming. Would this filly think so too?

after 50-million years ;;

[Beejoux]

"I'd say you're a quick study, then," she remarked, smiling coyly at him over her shoulder as she continued her slow walk around him. His markings were intricate things, sweeping and complex. More so even than some in her family, and they were not known for appearing simplistic. His shoulder scales were unique as well, like her father's.

As she came around to face him again she gave him a thoughtful look. She rather doubted her father would be keen on the idea of a stranger lingering in their territory, even a young one, but it was rare they had company, and Hereafter had barely interacted with anyone outside of her immediate family. Curiosity ran thick through the filly's blood. "I don't mind, but if you hear someone coming you have to hide, okay?" Who knew what kind of trouble they'd be in if he was found there.

"I'm Sweet Hereafter." She didn't have a nickname to share, not yet.

[HuniPi]

Shade found himself a little surprised to hear praise from someone other than his mother and twin. The best he'd ever gotten up until that point was an acknowledgement that he hadn't failed. He grins at the filly, beaming at her a little and studying her more with more intensity that earlier. It struck him how slender she was, delicate actually but not frail. No one who could sing that well could be frail in Shade's mind.

He bowed to her, mimicking how his father often greeted his mother, "It is my honor to meet you, Sweet Hereafter. And I'll make sure to make myself scarce if we hear someone coming."

He straightened up from the bow, hoping he made a favorable impression on her with is display of elegance. At least he thought he was elegant, as a colt he was still gangly and growing into his body, maybe he looked awkwardly endearing? No, he was elegant. He had to be.

"My siblings are likely to be coming from the direction of our den, um, maybe I can know what direction your family's territory begins so I know the limit of my hiding area? I wouldn't want to risk you getting in trouble for not making me go away immediately."

[Beejoux]

The bow wasn't entirely graceful, but to the young doe it was quite the dapper greeting, and she giggled softly, tail sliding serpent-like through the fallen leaves. Politeness ran in the family, encouraged by both her parents, and Hereafter dipped her head in return, hair falling forward along blue dashed cheeks.

"Is your family den in the direction you came from?" She wondered, glancing back over his shoulder, as if she'd see more kin that looked similar to the young buck in front of her. "The center of my family's territory is that way," she said as she nodded over her shoulder. " So if you head behind you, you'll my siblings or parents, if they wonder out here."

"We're close to the edge, I think. Life wouldn't let me go any further, at least." Hereafter gestured down at the foxbun lingering quietly close with a dip of her head.

[HuniPi]

Shade could feel a small hint of pride bloom in his chest as Sweet Hereafter returned the greeting. So he did do well. Excellent! And knowing the direction which he shouldn't head toward at least gave him a better idea of how to reorient himself back to the direction of his family's den. Now knowing he was at the edge of the other family's territory, he figured it wouldn't take that much time to return home.

He could perhaps stay just a little bit longer. If only so he could keep listening to the filly speak.

"I greet you as well, Life," he says to the foxbun. "My mother has a small collection of famies too. But I don't think she has one like Life." It seems that no one has corrected Shade of his mispronunciation.