"Yes! It's still here!" Seduction celebrated quietly as she trotted up to the welcome sight of the turquoise and aqua pool in the sand. Oases appear seasonally, and it's quite rare to stumble upon one that hadn't already become crowded with other herds of acha looking for a refreshing escape. Seduction was glad the directions she gave Noxious Desire were good; she had been a little worried about the timing of the oasis's reappearance.

The glass surface rippled as Seduction stepped into the water. How lucky! As she looked around, it appeared that only a few things had been picked through, likely by some scouting acha who haven't brought their herds over yet. She hoped that they wouldn't arrive quite so soon, acha were not known to show restraint when it came to oasis resources. She paddled a little deeper into the pool and swam a small circle before stepping back onto shore and walking up the slope to where she would be able to see her friend's arrival.

Noxious Desire squinted as she emerged from the relative darkness of the caverns into the beating sun of the desert. Typically, she wouldn't bother to make the trip on such a hot and bright day, but today was the day she agreed to find and spend some time at an oasis with her friend Seduction. Noxious Desire had never been to an oasis before, but Seduction vouched that there would be a lot to do there, so the former doe acquiesced to the latter's invitation.

When Seduction gave her the directions to this oasis, it was obvious to Noxious Desire that the former was not completely confident about the oasis even being there. Noxious Desire had an idea as to the longevity of these oases and that they only really lasted for as long as they were ignored by the denizens of the desert. She hoped she wouldn't be finding her friend waiting for her on a barren patch of despoiled land.

If ever this oasis thing didn't work out, Noxious Desire was aware of multiple cavern openings near that location where both of them could just opt to head deep into the ground and get out of the sun. Though she never went through those openings before, as Zikwa, Noxious Desire had the uncanny ability to navigate the subterranean networks and always be going in the direction of exactly where she wants to go. A more introspective kin would probably attribute this to the instinctive adaptation of the Zikwa as a species, but Noxious Desire simply thinks she can do this because she is blessed with both stunning beauty and formidable intellect.

Fortunately enough, after a short walk, she spots a copse of fresh green trees in the middle of the yellow-orange sandy expanse, along with her winsome friend Seduction propped on a high slope looking out for her. As the two does make eye contact, Noxious Desire smiles and quickens her pace to the oasis, now excited to make her first visit to one.

Seduction stepped her front hooves happily as she saw her friend. Noxious Desire's silhouette and coloration was striking against the pale sand. Knowing that the desert climate was so different from the caverns, she was so grateful her friend agreed to meet her out in the sun. Seduction thoroughly enjoyed visiting her friend in the cavern streams before, and hoped that Noxious Desire would enjoy the oasis as well. As her friend approached, Seduction exclaimed a greeting.

"Hello my incomparable Nox! Welcome to the oasis. It seems that few or none have found this one before me, and it is open for our enjoyment!" Seduction gestured downwards towards the water, "not a single kin in sight! You have brought us incredible luck to your first oasis experience."

She waited for her friend to reach the top of the slope before she started slowly making her way down towards the pool, making sure she didn't rush ahead in her eagerness. She wanted to make sure Noxious Desire was doing okay with the sand. Seduction was overjoyed to see her dear friend; there were few kin she could gab and gossip with as much as Noxious Desire. Many of her acha friends care only for song and dance, which is well and good most days, but once in awhile Seduction just needed a good chat. Maybe it was a good thing that her friend was a Zikwa, otherwise, Seduction would do nothing else but chatter the day away. Whenever they wanted to see each other, one of them would need to traverse into unfamiliar terrain. Usually, it was Seduction who met Noxious Desire in the caverns, as they were generally more hospitable than the desert. Seduction had waited many seasons before an oasis close enough to the cavern entrances reappeared. She was chuffed to have gotten the timing so right.

"The water and shade will make this journey worth it. You will see why we acha spend so much time looking for these pools. The water temperature, the flowers, the fruits -- there is nothing like it."

doomsayer wrote: ↑Wed Aug 07, 2024 8:23 pm

Noxious Desire fell in step with Seduction as they walked down the slope towards the water's edge. She could already feel the difference in temperature in the air as they approached the small pool of crystal clear water in the center of this oasis. It was a welcome cooling after a hot walk.

It is quite a sight in the middle of the stark emptiness of the desert, very much comparable to your beauty Seduction. You are looking as fetching as ever! We're lucky this place hasn't been ransacked by your kind; I'm glad I made the walk.

Noxious Desire always admired the dark shade of Seduction's hide and hair which stood in such contract to the sands of her own home. Many Acha Noxious had seen before adapt their skin tones to disappear in the dunes--perhaps to be able to hunt better or to escape predators themselves. But when she first saw Seduction walking through the sands, it was like a droplet of starless night sky moving under the blinding rays of the sun, her flowing hair unperturbed by the swirling winds that whipped up the sands.

Leaning down at the water's edge, Noxious Desire took a sip. The water was clean and crisp. The ground was now grass instead of loose sand. All around her was color of trees, fruits, and flowers. She turned to Seduction, Well. What do we do first?

cashmeresky wrote:

What to do first? Seduction knew the answer to that.

"Mmmm, how about you take a soak first to cool your hooves, and I'll bring us some fruits and flowers? It's usually you inviting me, it's my turn to pamper you!"

Seduction flitted through the plants and trees. She overlapped two palm leaves and with a skilful quickness, loaded a variety of citrus fruits, figs, and blooms onto the leaves, citrus on the bottom, figs on top of the citrus, and flowers at the very top. She carefully dragged her little bounty back to Noxious Desire, leaving it right at the water's edge, and slowly stepped into the pool. Seduction submerged herself until only her eyes, ears, and horns were above the water, and then perched a little higher up, where only half of her body was in the water. She sighed happily. The harsh desert was not a place she would want to host her Zikwa friend, but who wouldn't love the oasis?

"All year long I look forward to fig season, try one! They are the green and purple fruit." Seduction picks one up and places it closer to Noxious Desire, "Aaand, since I met you I've always wanted to adorn your beautiful hair with flowers, may I?" Her eyes scan over the flowers and pick up a vibrant red bloom. She picks it up and looks to Nox, waiting for her response and planning how to arrange more of the flowers if she was amenable to that.

doomsayer wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2024 4:19 am

Noxious Desire had never seen this speedy, attentive side of Seduction before. Granted, it was her first time to visit the latter in the desert, but it was endearing to see Seduction so excited to show her everything that the oasis had to offer.

As suggested, she slowly submerged herself in the cool water of the pool, lying back so that her snout pointed to the sky while her own horns and hair could soak in the moisture. She gently kicked her legs to slowly propel herself through the water, the movement creating a gentle current that made the waters lap back and forth on her skin.

When Seduction came back with the fruit and flowers, Noxious Desire stood back upright, water cascading from her hair still wrapped around her conical horns. She looked at the variety that Seduction had gathered and was impressed. "It's amazing how such a variety of fruit bearing plants can grow together in such a small patch of fertile land! Your plain-hided neighbors really ought to take a lesson from nature about getting along," she snickered.

She took the green and purple fruit in her mouth and her eyes widened as she experienced a gush of flavor. The flesh of the fig was luscious, moist and sweet, and every bite released it's natural juices onto her tongue. Fruits were a great rarity in the subterranean tunnels, so Noxious Desire took her time savoring this delicacy.

She nodded enthusiastically to Seduction, both to express her approval of the fig and to agree to have the former put flowers in her hair. Noxious Desire put another fruit in her mouth as she herself selected a few flowers from the pile and started arranging them into a wreath she intended to put on Seduction's hair.

cashmeresky wrote:

Seduction carefully wove the stem of the flower into Noxious Desire's hair, making sure that only the flower was on show, then continued to pick out another one from the collection.

"Indeed," she said as clearly as she could while holding another flower in her mouth before threading it into Nox's hair, "Nature has so much beauty, yet bestows it upon so few. I suppose the burden falls to us who have so much of it to try and propagate this beauty where we can?"

Seduction picked a small citrus from the pile and chewed slowly, enjoying the mix of the bitter rind and the sweet center. She was happy to see that Noxious Desire was enjoying the bounty of the oasis. Not much seemed to grow in the caverns other than algae, so Seduction wanted her friend to try everything on offer at the oasis.

She thought about some of the bucks she flirted with recently and nodded, "While breath-taking beauty is still a rarity, it's helpful that we Acha have a rich culture of arts. Those who don't have looks can at least appreciate when they see someone blessed with them. The plainer looking Acha try to make up for it through efforts in song or dance however... they should stick to teaching rather than creating more plain-looking kin." Seduction flashed Nox a mischievous smile, "Anyway, I'm doing my best to make the desert a more beautiful place to be, with those deserving of my attentions." She shuffled closer to her friend, picked up another flower, and wove it into her hair. The small, red flowers were a perfect match to her eyes. "Tell me, have any bucks been lucky enough to catch your eye?"

doomsayer wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2024 7:56 am

Noxious Desire finished chewing on her third fig and placed the wreath of yellow and white flowers atop Seduction's head before she spoke. She wasn't surprised that her friend was pulling in so much attention with her own kind, she was her friend after all, and she only picked the most beautiful of friends.

"Truly, the plainer looking among of us are carrying out a great sacrifice. For if all of us were beautiful, then how would we distinguish what true beauty is? I'm sure you're getting much attention for yourself from your Acha admirers my dear, you certainly deserve it! As for me, well..." She leaned in, as if what she was about to say was some sort of secret she wanted to keep between them, even though there was clearly no one in the oasis but the two does.

Lowering her voice to a whisper, she recounted to Seduction; "It's been quite a while since I've met a buck that deserved my companionship, but recently my sisters and I have spotted a Kimeti buck traversing the deeper edges of the tunnels--the forbidden areas where the monsters are said to be. He is absolutely breathtaking; dark ebony fur with striking red accents, subtle textured markings on his rear, golden markings crawling up from his front legs, to his sleek torso, to his strong neck, and then framing his face, accentuating his glorious golden eyes. And his the hair on his head, subtle, short and clean all around except for the front where his perfectly coiffed in the front. Noxious Desire shivered slightly upon recalling the buck's features.

"We've tried to see if we could intercept him before he went into the depths, but he travels so adeptly in the shadows that we've only really ever gotten glimpses of him. What he does down there and how he gets in and out so easily just enhances his mysterious charm. Noxious Desire lifted her head and gave a look around the oasis, as though making sure that no one else was listening, before she continued, "Actually... I was thinking, after our time here today--when we're good and soaked and prettied up--you could come with me into the deeper tunnels and maybe we can spot him together. Perhaps, between the two of us, we can pique his interest." Noxious Desire smiled at her friend suggestively.

cashmeresky wrote:

Seduction paused her process of adornment to receive the flower wreath and listen to her friend's description of this seemingly otherworldly buck. And to her, he may as well be from another world, as she had never met a Kimeti before. Seduction kept her life pretty simple. Be beautiful and alluring to bucks of her choice, make gorgeous friends, and ignore or even forcefully repel those who were ugly or boring. Dance, indulge, sing, bask, nap. However, she did hear murmurings here and there about swamp-dwelling kin, kin she had never encountered before. As the desert was bordered by the plains and the mountains, she had encountered Kiokote, and seen Totoma from afar - not too close, as they were known to be quite an aggressive bunch. Kimeti remained a mystery to her.

Seduction couldn't lie, she was a little bit curious about these kin, but not curious enough to venture towards the swamp. There were quite a few herds of Acha she'd run into that she never saw again after they mentioned they were going to check out the swamp. The worst part of this was that some of those herds had gorgeous friends that she missed and stunning bucks she wanted to get to know more closely. In the best case, the swamp was the perfect place that no one wanted to leave. In the worst case, well, she didn't want to think about it, it gave her a weird feeling in her gut.

"Monsters? I hope you are not putting yourself at risk, your exquisite beauty must be protected!" She continued to execute her floral vision in Noxious Desire's hair, "Although, it seems your adventures may have been worth the danger, Nox, you had yet to tell me about any buck that met your standard. It does make me curious..." She had never seen her friend react in such a way about a buck.

Seduction put the finishing touches in her friend's hair and shuffled backwards a little to admire her work, "a dream stands before me!" She flashed a sly smile back at Nox, "If there were ever a time to begin a flirtation, it would be now, fresh from the richness of the oasis! Shall we go?" Seduction always felt her most alluring after her body was nourished by the oasis pool, and smelling of fruits and flowers. What could be a more irresistible combination?

doomsayer wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2024 10:24 pm

Noxious Desire hesitated for a moment. It was true that she did not introduce her friend to any lovers she deemed worthy of her companionship, but that was primarily because her gaze was always trained on bucks that did not live nearby--those that were on a trip from the Swamp or those who came from the mountains. This allowed her to keep them to herself--so easy to catch them in their weakest state after a dalliance and just keep them for herself forever.

She knew Seduction chose her partners from the local pool of bucks, so she was confident that their prospects would never overlap. And that was exactly what Noxious Desire wanted. One of the many reasons, other than their shared aesthetic excellence, as to why Noxious Desire chose Seduction to be friends with.

There was but a momentary pause before Noxious Desire put her finishing touches on Seduction's hair, adorning the area underneath and around the wreath with small sprigs of Baby's Breath which created a perfect accent between the bright colors of the wreath and the deep black hair on Seduction's head. Moving back as she finished her own work, "And you, my dear, are a vision that will take their breath away."

She gave Seduction a thoughtful look before she decided to explain, ""Well, there have been a few bucks that have matched my tastes, but unfortunately they were transients. They simply didn't stay in the area for long enough for me to introduce you to them. But this Kimeti seems like he lives in the lower tunnels, so I am willing to flirt with some small amount of danger to strike up an acquaintance. Perhaps, if we meet him together, then you'll see why I am so particular with bucks I deem worthy of my company."

Noxious Desire rose from the waters of the pool, her body feeling rejuvenated from the sweet fruit and the soak. She spun in place once, feeling satisfied of herself in her own skin. "This oasis turned out to be absolutely worth the trip. I'm very grateful that you invited me, Seduction. But I agree, now that we are both so fresh and alluring, let's head to the nearest tunnel opening and I can show you what my sisters and I have spotted. Perhaps we'll find some bright bioluminescent moss to accentuate those markings of yours on the way."

With this, the two does made their way out of the oasis and towards the nearest tunnel entrance.

cashmeresky wrote:

"I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the oasis! The next time I find one close to one of the tunnel entrances I'll be sure to let you know."

Seduction was plenty curious. The chance to potentially meet a Kimeti? How could she say no?

"Transients? And I thought encountering other Acha groups was a fleeting experience." Seduction flipped her hair over to the side, "Although, it feels like more and more Acha are becoming transients of the desert as well. We're all nomadic to some extent but... so many pretty bucks seemingly seem to disappear from the desert altogether..." She took a long exhale, then quickly changed the subject, "I hope I can meet this buck who has caught your eye!

Besides the possibility of meeting Noxious Desire's prospect, Seduction was happy to go to the caverns again. As much as she loves the sun, the cool caverns are a welcome change of scenery. And the glowing moss is so much fun, she only wished they continued to glow after she left the darkness of the tunnels. Her fellow Acha would adore the colors, but the moss dried up too quickly in the desert.

"Dear friend, tell me about these bucks who have caught your eye! It's always I who goes on endlessly about my flirtations. Please, indulge me!" Seduction gave Noxious Desire a nudge, a very gentle one as to not disturb the masterpiece of flowers in their hair.

doomsayer wrote: ↑Mon Aug 12, 2024 12:04 am

Noxious Desire gave Seduction a prurient smile. "Oh, I usually don't kiss and tell, but if it's just between us.... I suppose I could regale you with the time I've spent with my most recent suitors."

They walked side by side through the desert, with Noxious Desire leading Seduction to the nearest entrance leading down into the tunnels.

"It was only a season ago when I met this strong, sturdy Totoma that had made his way down from where the desert meets the foot of the mountain. He wasn't used to the heat, so he lingered at the entrance of the tunnels for some time as he traveled. He had the typical rough back covering of his kind, but the hair on his head sported two different shades of brown; the darker shade standing up like some sort of crown, while the lighter shade fell in front of his eyes, hiding his gentle, shy demeanor. At first I was wary to speak with him as I had heard that Totoma were mountain kin and highly aggressive. But this buck was mysterious and reticent."

"Seeing that he wasn't hostile at all, I struck up a conversation and slowly started to flirt with him. He seemed reserved at first, but slowly came around to spending more time with me. I let him stay with me in the upper reaches of the tunnels where he could escape the desert sun. We had only spent a week together before he had to move on to continue his travel, but he showed me much of what his kind were physically capable of." Noxious Desire's smile grew even more salacious as she narrated her experience to her friend.

It was a short walk to the nearest tunnel entrance before both does found themselves completely engulfed in the dim light of the subterranean world that the Zikwa called home. Noxious Desire purposefully guided them towards tunnels where the colorful bioluminescent algae grew to give them an opportunity to perhaps enhance their current looks even more.

cashmeresky wrote: