He didn't know why Ritonai's words stung. They weren't directed at him, which honestly surprised him, considering his behavior. And she didn't accept his apology either. Then again, if he was in her place, he probably wouldn't either. However, her insults at Kera seemed unjust. She was kind, she was nice, and she was treating the wounds she had inflicted. ...well, maybe that was the problem.

Either way, he didn't appreciate the fox's tone, nor did her appreciate being called 'little cougar boy'. He hissed lowly at her words, but restrained himself - he would rather not get in another fight, especially since he had lost the last one.

Instead, he tried to ignore her and muffled his hissing, allowing Kera to finish cleaning his wounds while he continued to ponder how he was going to teach her to grow plants. As he thought about how exactly he would explain it, he inadvertadly released his own magic into the earth. A few sprouts of plants appeared and he happily dipped his face to nuzzle the leaves. Maybe he could teach Kera to love plants as he did. Maybe she would teach him to like mushrooms (he wasn't sure how much he liked them at this point).

"I supposed I could try to teach you,
but I'm not sure I know how to explain it. I'll do my best. But, please..." At this, he turned to Kera, suddenly becoming very serious. It was at this moment he realized how much this meant to him - the fight, the explosion in the cave, all the times he had raised his friends from the earth, they all amounted to this one feeling that he needed Kera to understand above all else. "Please be kind to the plants. If you are kind, they will be kind to you."

He couldn't bear to look at Nai as he said this. If only, maybe, he has said this to her instead of attacking, things would have turned out differently.


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Kera @Ritonai
notes: here

Kera's eyes flicked up from the brown-gold fur, briefly, to glance at Rift's face. At length, she shook her head. "I think it's the same with mushrooms," she explained. "I won't hurt plants or mushrooms. I don't know how to."

She briefly cast her thoughts back to Dragon and his fire. She wondered if he would intentionally hurt plants or mushrooms but he seemed more than content to have the light-mushrooms around his... pile. The alligator was likely to obsessed with his father and survival to bother anyway, perhaps.

Yet, a part of Kera wished she could vomit flames at will. Shaking her head again, her tongue rasped over Rift's fur for a final time, gaze flicking briefly to Ritonai before she got up. "If you can move, we should go see Giggle," she said.

"We can teach you how to make mushrooms and light, and you can teach us how to make plants?" Her tail swayed briefly with the thought-- of seeing Giggle and telling her about all the lights she had made.

She started to move out, only briefly waiting to see if Rift was coming with before she turned to pace out of Canis with her tongue lolled contentedly out of her mouth.

@Rift

Rift nodded at her response. Yes, perhaps plants were like mushrooms. He probably would not hurt mushrooms either. He wasn't sure if they were alive, but still, they didn't deserve to be treated badly. He wondered if mushrooms were as smart as the plants. He would be interested in learning how to grow them too. And make light? He wasn't sure if that was as interesting, but still, learning new things was cool.

As he thought about this, magic unconsciously spread across his skin and hyacinth flowers started blooming across his skin. He looked back at them and smiled. He didn't know why he did that sometimes, but he guessed that the plants were trying to tell him something. His magic merely channeled them, right? Perhaps these were meant for something.

As he turned to follow Kera, he paused. He turned around and carefully plucked one of the purple flowers from his skin and placed it in front of Ritonai. "I really am sorry and I hope you can accept my apology," he murmured. After hesitating for just a moment, wanting to say something else, he changed his mind and bounded after the wolf.

-exit


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Kera @Ritonai
notes: here

All of the little fox's anger subsided at the cub's kindness. He apologized and ran off. Ritz was speechless. He was nice to her, even after she had beaten him up and stuff. Of course, he started it, but still. Carefully shoving the flower onto the top of her head, Ritz used her paw to nestle it safely by one ear. She'd keep it there until she could give it back.

Running off in the direction the cub had gone, Ritz was determined to find him again and repay his kindness.

-exit