Scout loved the flower fields. It made the area smell nice, look pretty, enticed little winged creatures near he could chase, but most of all made his human happy. That was the most important thing, he had decided some time ago; because when she was happy, he was happy. And when they were both happy together, he was more likely to get lots of scratches and yummy treats from the humans’ kitchen. Yes, Scout loved the flower fields because they made many good things happen.
Another thing he loved was the swing on the porch. Not only was it shaded by the awning, keeping it cool and protected from the heat of the island sun, but it also rocked him to sleep. It was the perfect place to take an afternoon nap.
It was on that swing that Scout dozed; the swing kept in motion by the gentle breeze blowing off the ocean, tickling his fur whenever it passed over him. The sensation was rather distracting, because whenever it happened it would rouse him from an almost dream; and just when he managed to doze off again, the breeze would come back and the cycle would start once more.
Again the breeze blew across him, rousing him from his slumber; but something was different this time. His nose twitched, picking up a scent that didn’t belong with the sweet fragrance of the fields. His eyes opened and he sat up, sniffing the air.
There was something there - mixed in the the smell of human and flowers - that caused an uneasy curiosity to stir within him. Was it dangerous? He didn’t think so, it didn’t smell violent. Was it close? Much too close, he needed to investigate. He had to make sure this foreign entity wasn’t a threat to his human.
Jumping off the swing, he paused by the door long enough to confirm his human was still inside, before trotting off in the direction the scent was strongest. It didn’t take him long to find his target hovering at the far edge of one of the fields, sniffing at the newly bloomed flowers. A human lingered behind it, seeming much more cautious than their four-legged companion.
As Scout approached them, he took his time sizing up the other creature. It wasn’t any bigger than himself, with made him feel more confident in his ability to defend the territory should a fight ensue. It also had many tails, which was strange, and its fur was nearly as red as some of the flowers his human grew. All in all, it didn’t look too threatening; the only thing about the creature that caused him to be on edge was the strange burnt smell radiating off of it - like a fire was smoldering nearby.
They were quick to notice him as he drew closer, the strange red creature jumping in front of the human behind it protectively. The action from the other creature caused him to halt his approach; he knew better than to approach another creature’s human without permission. But even so, it was still a fact they they were on his human’s territory; and even if he respected the creature’s claim, he still had to make sure it knew who was in charge of this area.
He sat on his hind legs, trying to appear both nonthreatening yet commanding, and let out a stern bark. It was a warning that coming closer was unacceptable, but also a inquiry about their presence there. The creature responded in kind with its own strange barks. They weren’t here to cause trouble, from what he could gather; but still, he wasn’t willing to allow them any closer. Even if the creature claimed their presence peaceful, it was still a fact that they were strangers; even if he could accept the intentions of the creature, the human had yet made a move to prove he wasn’t a threat.
His human was weak and timid; it would be easy for the male-human to overpower her. She was typically more cautious of the male-human’s anyway; if he allowed them any closer he would be failing in his duty of protecting her.
But even as he decided this, a familiar voice calling his name caused his ears to perk upright.
“Scout! Lunch is ready!” His head turned in her direction, almost forgetting about the strangers at the call for food. “That’s strange … where did he go?”
Food! He was so hungry; he hadn’t eaten since early that morning. He stood up and pace a bit in her direction, tail wagging happily at her appearance - but was quick to return to his original spot when he remember the strangers. His conflicting desires cause him to whine pitifully, the sound easily carrying over to her.
When the pup’s whine reached her ears, Elanor turned her head to the right where she easily spotted a fidgeting Scout - who sat restlessly halfway down one of the dirt-path’s running along the length of a field.
“What’s wrong? What are you doing over-?” It was then that she noticed that her companion wasn’t alone. She spotted the man first, his dark hair a striking contrast to the vibrancy of the fields, before her gaze lowered to the small fox-like creature standing defensively in front of him. Instantly her eyes picked out the multiple tails flared out behind it, and knew that it wasn’t a normal animal in the slightest.
‘W-who is that? What is that?’ When her eyes drifted back to Scout, her entire body froze and a cold sweat broke out down her back when she found something missing that should have been there.
‘He’s not wearing his bandanna!’
With a twitch of her damp nose, Hotaru straightened herself out to puff out her chest at the canine; her tails wagging slowly behind her as she watches him. He’s not much bigger than herself - in fact, they’re nearly the same size, and that breeds conviction within her. She isn’t typically the confrontational type unless Kashuu needed her to fight, but she couldn’t accept getting bossed around by this dog. From what she could gather from his rather stern bark, this was his territory, or it belonged to his master (hmp, he wasn’t worthy of such a beautiful land as far she was concerned; not when he looked like such a troublemaker to her) Well, if that was the case, she would just have to defeat him and claim this land for her master - he was far more worthy of such lovely flowers; something she concluded in mere seconds and without seeing the canine’s master. She disliked fighting, she was quite the coward, but with her master right behind her to back her up, she wanted to make him proud (he would be happy if she could beat this canine, right? Surely that would make him proud; oh she’s caused him so much trouble on the way here she had to do something for him to make up for it).
Digging her nails into the ground, she braced herself for a fight; the taste of smoke and ash lingering on her tongue as she felt the back of her throat heat up. She could do this, he wasn’t very big and he wasn’t nearly as terrifying as the beasts who had attacked her in the past. With a low growl, she gave him one last warning - stand down or she would be forced to fight him. She hoped he took the bait as she tried to shimmy up onto the tips of her tiny paws in order to make herself look larger than she truly was. That ought to frighten him, right? He wouldn’t dare try to fight her if she managed to make herself look bigger (then she could take this field, and give it to her savior as a gift). She hadn’t come here with the intention of picking a fight, but she was blaming the canine for picking one with her.
To be frank, Kashuu hadn’t a clue as to what Hotaru was plotting or how to view the other beast. He remained kneeling; however, not wanting to startle the other creature into attacking Hotaru as the situation seemed to take a turn for the worse. He could see the vulpine tense, as if she were bracing herself for a fight (hadn’t she just been trying to make nice with the canine; ah, she really wasn’t good at befriending anything - he should have been aware of that by now). His hand shifts to rest on the hilt of his sword in the event that things get ugly - Hotaru isn’t much of a fighter, she’s been skittish since he had found her, only regaining some of her courage as she spent time with him.
It’s only when he hears a girl’s voice call out, noting how the pup’s head turns in the direction it had come from, that he puts two and two together. This creature must belong to her, and she likely owns these fields, as well. As if to confirm his theory, a petite, young woman with blonde hair comes into view. And, even from where he’s crouching, he can tell she’s frightened; freezing in place the moment she spots them. “All right, that’s enough,” he sighs (the last thing he wants to do is upset her more than they already have) as he stands up. In front of him, Hotaru whines, her gaze shifting from Kashuu to the canine (she really wanted to beat the canine for him, but he doesn’t seem to like that idea too much - oh, she knows, maybe the new human is threatening him; well she’ll just have to take care of - )
Kashuu manages to catch her by the scruff of her neck just as her legs bend to leap into the air, ending her would-be pounce before she can land on the canine. Her little legs failing helplessly the air beside her startled growls as he lifts her up. “Everything’s fine,” he chides the fox, gathering her up in his arms and holding her to his chest to keep her from wiggling out. He only hoped he was making the right choice; he didn’t know if she and the canine were truly a threat, but instinct and the fear written all over her would lead him to believe they could be reasoned with, and, thus, a fight could easily be avoided. Assuming the spirited bundle cradled in his arms didn’t try to start something again, but, for now, he was going to accept her disgruntled and unenthusiastic huff as a sign of her willingness to cooperate for the time being.
With Hotaru safely secured in his arms, he turns his attention to the young woman who had come out, but doesn’t take a step closer. He imagines Hotaru’s earlier leap had likely put the canine on edge (not to mention his caretaker, as well), and he wanted to defuse the situation - not make it worse. “I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention to trespass or upset your...dog.” It wasn’t a dog, but that was about the only thing he could compare the other strange beast to. “She saw your flowers from the road, and wanted to look at them.” He gingerly rubs the top of Hotaru’s head, as if to indicate he’s referring to the vulpine in his arms. “I have no intention of harming you or your friend.” He’s not sure; however, if she’ll take his word for it. With how things are, he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t believe him or if Hotaru’s actions had startled the canine into becoming hostile.
