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 Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:11 pm
Heskil was nearing the centre of the town where she chose to spend the months when the snow was thickest on the ground. She always left before the snow in the higher, more mountainous regions became too thick for convenience; although she'd never yet had to travel alone. She was popular with the humans for the warmth and hope she brought to their cold, dark nights.
In many ways this, to her, was a sort of pilgrimage. Bringing joy to new people, seeing new faces, immersing herself in a town much more populated with her kind than she was used to. It was a change of social situation in a larger sense- immersing herself in a society rich in Maneki Neko, in their Spirit Guides- in the rich energy that surrounded them and filled this place. It was wonderful.
She turned her vivid green eyes to the sky; patches of blue peeped between the clouds which were periodically sending flakes of cold down to the earth. The sun occasionally shone on her white fur and silky mane, but it wasn't too cold without it- the wind teased the tops of the trees but not the people living at their bases, only occasionally catching at her mane or tail; she was perfectly comfortable as she walked on, the snow crunching under her hooves.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 4:51 pm
 •°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•
It didn't take long for him to reach the populated and busy center of town. Akio was too fascinated by the mounds of snow to pay attention to those around him. The little red kitten decided to run up the tallest, deepest pile, but as soon as he reached the top he sunk into the loosely packed snow. Not knowing what to do, Akio panicked. He kicked and flailed about as he tried to call for help.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:12 pm
Heskil noticed the tiny kitten long before he noticed her. She loved kittens- indeed, who didn't?- but she wasn't sure this one should be outside alone. Beyond glances and cooing sounds, the humans mostly ignored it (him, she thought, but was too far to be certain) and it was clear there wasn't one looking out for him.
She wondered if it was alone in the world- she certainly hoped not, but she was aware of the sad truth- that it did, on occasion, happen. Either way she wanted to keep an eye on the kitten until she knew he was safe- not that such a task could be boring. With that deep red fur, white underside and white and gold markings, it was very sweet little kitten who would surely melt all but the hardest hearts.
She watched as the kitten scrambled up a surprisingly large pile of snow- and then sank in. Heskil almost smiled, but then the kitten started squirming, clearly distressed, and she stopped being an observant.
She trotted quickly over, her front hooves sinking into the mound as she reached it. She tugged them free and pushed one further up for support; lifting the other and using it and her nose to shift away the snow, giving the little kitten room to climb out.
"There now, little guy," she cooed comfortingly. "It's okay. You don't need to worry... There, you see, you can get out now!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:40 am
•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°• Akio let out whimpering mews as the snow was moved out of the way. That moment of being confined no matter how much he struggled completely terrified the young kitten. Tiny tears had formed in the corner of his eyes. Even after being freed, he still cried until a gentle voice could be heard. His panicked aura switched to a much calmer one. Akio fixed his gold eyes upon the beautiful Maneki Neko who helped him. She was unlike anything he had seen in his short life. Her thin, sharp horns and long, silvery hair coming from her head stuck out the most to him.
The red, gold, and white kitten moved closer to his savior and got up on his feet. He extended his front right paw up to try and brush her bangs out of her eyes. Where they both bright green or did she have another unique feature? Akio was very curious to find out.
Unfortunately gravity interfered. The poor little guy lost his balance in the snow and was about to tumble down the slope of the mound.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:46 am
Heskil couldn't help but smile once the kitten had calmed down and he blinked up at her. Although they were damp, his golden eyes were incredibly striking. He seemed to have forgotten about his scare entirely as he got to his paws in the snow; and Heskil had her free hoof ready in case he sank in again- but he seemed relatively stable now.
At least, he did until he reached a paw out to her face. She chuckled warmly, moving her face closer to him to let him pat at her- but he swayed, looking about to fall.
Heskil didn't want to grasp the scruff of a strange kitten who had already had a scare today- although that was her first impulse, she pushed it aside in favour of quickly pushing her hoof into the snow just beneath the kitten, hoping it would stop him from sliding or rolling down the pile of snow. If there had been any danger she would have acted on her impulse, simply grabbing his scruff in her mouth; but she knew that a tumble into the snow wouldn't hurt him. It might scare him once more, however, and she didn't want that.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:10 am
•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°• Barely slipping down the snow pile, Akio gently leaned on Heskil's leg. Suddenly, he wrapped his paws around her fuzzy limb for support almost as though he was hugging it for dear life. Once the kitten realized it's safe, he cautiously looked up at the maternal figure. The next thing to mesmerize him happened to be the ribbons with what looked like beads around her body. Akio began to lift his paw up to touch them, but suddenly remembered what happened the last time he reached out for something. Nope! Not this time. Gravity wasn't going to get the best of him now. He quickly retracted his arm and clung to Heskil.
The small, deep red Maneki Neko emitted a slightly nervous aura and would continue to do so until he was safely on the solid ground.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:33 am
Heskil smiled at the little kitten hanging on to her leg. She carefully crouched, lowering herself close to the ground and carefully sliding her hoof down the snow pile, lowering the kitten to the ground relatively smoothly.
"There you are", she cooed. "Safe on the ground! You can let go now, hmm?" She smiled gently at him as she waited for him to detach himself.
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:58 pm
•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°• While Heskil calmly placed her feet on the ground, Akio tightly closed his eyes and held on to the best of his ability. When he heard her comforting voice, the young kitten slowly opened his right eye to make sure what she said was true. At last his paws could be on solid ground! Akio released his grip on Heskil's leg one limb at a time until he finally stood on the cold pavement. The little one cheered and trotted around happily.
Suddenly he stopped. Remembering his manners the red neko with gold and white spots approached the unique adult. He rubbed up against her nuzzling affectionately as gesture of thanks. That's how they show appreciation, right? From his window he had watched other Maneki Nekos snuggle like this so he assumed it was appropriate for this situation.
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:27 pm
Heskil beamed as the cute little guy slowly let go of her, settling himself on the ground. He seemed much more relaxed to find his paws on- well, still on snow, but snow that was much, much thinner on the ground. He let out an utterly adorable mewing cheer and Heskil couldn't help but chuckle as she watched his happy prancing.
She knew that, whilst some kittens were shy, others were very bold and forward; so she wasn't too taken aback when the little red kitten nuzzled up to her. She chuckled again and shook her head, setting her long silky mane swinging as she peered down at the kitten.
“You're very friendly, aren't you!” She lowered herself to the ground so she could communicate with the kitten in ways he was more likely to understand- body language and actions, rather than words. She wasn't sure how much he understood this young- although perhaps he would respond to some familiar words.
“Where are you from, little one? Where is your home?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:32 am
•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°• Akio paused to listen as Heskil asked him some questions about where he lived. That word was very familiar. He heard it so many times in the past. "This is your home now, Akio." "Welcome home, Akio!" "I hope you enjoy your new home, Akio." Did this lady want to see his home? Is it her home too? The kitten wasn't sure so it couldn't hurt to lead her there.
With confidence, he started walking straight ahead. After a minute or two, the surrounding became strange to him. His pace slowed down almost to a stop before he decided to turn completely around and head in the opposite direction. It didn't take long for this scenery to become unrecognizable as well. So he began to walk down a different path again and again until at least something would look like he was on the right track. It didn't seem to work. Akio's crimson ears drooped down.
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:51 am
The kitten seemed to understand at least some of what Heskil asked and started heading off. She climbed to her hooves and went to follow him; but he quickly stopped, changed direction, stopped again, and kept repeating this pattern in a way which said to Heskil as clearly as though he could say the words, “I'm lost- and I've only just realised it.”
She was relieved he wasn't alone in the world; such a way of life was so hard for a kitten, especially as they grew older and needed to learn the hard way to feed themselves. But now that he was lost... Well, the worst case scenario was that she would have to comfort him until he grew exhausted and faded back into his figurine. But she didn't want him to be that stressed out by what should be a wondrous experience.
“It's okay, little one,” she cooed reassuringly. “You might be lost, but you're safe! I'll look after you!” She looked up and down the road- she had come from that direction, and had first seen the kitten coming from that direction- so maybe that would help. He might not have been paying the slightest bit of attention to his surroundings- but maybe, hopefully, they could find something that helped him find his way home. She started in that direction; looking at him to suggest he should follow her.
Either way she was determined to stick with him until she knew he was safe.
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:36 am
•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°• Instinctively being lost was the last thing Akio wanted to admit. That's why he kept moving in random directions. Eventually he had to get it right. Maybe. Hopefully. Frustration started settling in until Heskil's soft coos subdued it. The little kitten stared with big eyes as she figured out the way to go. Noticing her begin to leave, Akio quickly ran to catch up. He didn't want to be left behind even though Heskil had no intention of ever doing so.
During the walk, Akio stayed close to his silver-haired companion. He trusted her completely. After all she came to his rescue once, what would stop her from doing it again?
The young feline gazed at all of the buildings the two were passing along the way. They looked kind of familiar, but the world seemed so big now that he was actually paying attention. He couldn't be all to sure.
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:09 am
Heskil trotted a little way; her hooves leaving shallow but distinctive marks in the snow as they travelled. It was too bad that the little one didn't leave such marks, she thought; that would certainly help, especially given the way he had been leaping into the patches of snow in his path. Instead, they had to do it the hard way, and try to rely on something jogging the little kitten's memory.
She walked as far as she was sure the kitten had come; after that, no matter if it was likely she could guess the direction he'd travelled from, she couldn't take the risk that he'd taken a lesser travelled path. So she went to gently nudge him, slowing her walk right down, in the hopes that he would lead from here.
“Go on,” she said gently. “Do you know where home is now?” She wasn't worried about the safety of the kitten, as much as his peace of mind. She didn't want his play time to make him stressed and scared; she knew that if he was too distressed it could make him dislike this weather, and that would be a shame. She felt glad she was with him to keep him cheerful.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 12:25 am
•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°•°o.O O.o°• Akio curiously looked around at their surrounding. Things were beginning to look similar to what he pasted on his way earlier. They were definitely on the right track. He remembered jumping in those snow piles there next to those stairs and running around in circles around that lamp post. Paw prints were so much fun to leave behind. He liked leaving his mark on the clean snow. Speaking of which, Akio glanced back and noticed that Heskil left different kinds of paw prints. They were weirdly shaped and completely different. The little kitten was fascinated.
He ran over to one of the spots he had played in. Akio mewed playfully, calling Heskil over. She should leave her mark next to his. It'll be fun.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 12:41 am
Heskil was glad to see that her tiny companion was looking much less lost and anxious as he looked around this time. She could only assume that that was because he recognised where he was- although she knew that she could be wrong, and that he simply wasn't worried about being lost any more. Either way was a positive outcome, although one more so than the other.
She kept a close eye on him as he looked around; looking back the way they came, and at his surroundings, before running over to a pile of snow. Slightly confused, Heskil tilted her head to one side, setting her silky hair swaying slightly. What was he...?
But when he turned to her, playfulness in his stance and meow, she let out a little purr of a chuckle. So he wasn't quite done with his exploring and enjoying the snow! Good- she was glad for it, it always filled her with joy to see others find happiness in the season she loved.
She walked over to him; her hooves sinking a little way into the edge of the pile of snow. She wasn't sure what he wanted of her; so she lowered her antlered head to be closer to him, waiting for him to communicate what he was after with her, if he could.
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