01-04-2012, 03:29 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-23-2012, 09:46 PM by Immaterial.)
==
Kumatora smiled to herself as the wolf-eared girl in her arms stiffened but slowly relaxed at the unexpected but welcome embrace she had given. She always enjoyed such close contact, giving her the feeling that at this moment, she has Chikane all to herself. And almost always, as if on cue, the temptation to push her best friend down would rise up, to do whatever she wanted to the wolf-girl, to deepen that feeling of possession she had. But, she forced those feelings back, deep into the deepest recesses of her being, reminding herself doing such would risk everything she was to Chikane.
“Hai. It’s me, Chikane-chan….”
The blonde lion-girl giggled softly as she nuzzled herself closer against the smaller girl. The scent of oranges getting stronger; her embrace getting tighter. Yes, she wouldn’t be herself without Chikane.
“Mou~ You didn’t have to creep up behind me like that, Kuma-chan…”
The Channeler in training pouted but did not attempt to release herself from the taller girl’s embrace even if said girl attempted to pull down the hood of her cloak. But the lion-eared girl stopped herself just in time. Kumatora glanced at her surroundings, realizing that revealing the identity of Chikane in such a place would only warrant them unwanted attention, from the villagers and any possible Elder Guardians on patrol. She grinned as she whispered into the wolf-girl’s ear.
“Hold on tight.”
“Eh?”
Chikane blinked, eyes open wide in confusion but could only squeak in surprise as the lion-girl reached under her knees and scooped her off her feet. Not after did the Guardian trainee took a step, reaching full speed with the next and began to run across the crowd in the marketplace. With her momentum, Kumatora took off, jumping to land on one of Sakura village’s main tree branch. Another jump and her booted feet landed on one of the main tree’s platforms. One of the village’s higher vantage points.
It was one of the best places in the village, offering a panoramic view of the entire village and then some, with the right conditions. Given the view it provided, it usually was a favorite spot for those romantically acquainted but to Chikane and Kumatora, it was their refuge; a place where one or the other could stay to think, to relax or just plainly get away from the pressures brought by their respective responsibilities.
“Mou, Chikane-chan, if you had wanted to wander around unsupervised, you could have just asked me.” The blonde lion-girl sighed as she leaned on one of the railings of the platform. Her tail swished from side to side as she frowned, deep in thought.
“I happen to know where the Guardians patrol so it would be easy for us to make it out without them being the wiser. I wouldn’t mind you waking me up for that, just as much as I don’t mind you sneaking into my bed uninvited. ”
She sighed again, her lion ears drooping.
“Sorry, Kuma-chan.”
Chikane giggled, lowering her hood as she did so. She did her best to giggle as naturally as she could, to hide her own nervousness. The sudden feeling of the lion-girl scooping her off her feet just like that has caught her off guard and also there was the fact that Kumatora’s present was still with her as she had no chance to hide it properly. Her robe sleeves will have to do for now. She closed her eyes for a moment, shivering as the cold morning breeze blew past. The wolf-girl took a step forward beside her best friend.
Silence. The two enjoying the view the platform provided them. The perennial rain of Sakura, being blown gently by the morning breeze over the village; a sight that never failed to take their breaths away.
**
Moments later, Chikane blinked, realizing something.
“Ne, Kuma-chan, today is the Guardian Initiation Ceremony, right?”
The lion-girl’s ears perked up, as if suddenly taken aback by the question then dropped back again, a guilty look on her face. She was surprised really, as how can the wolf-girl know, as she never said anything, not wanting to be Chikane to be aware of her own training. However, the Channeler in training just giggled at the lion-eared girl’s expression.
“Well, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I heard it from Cyrene-sama and Shiue-san, “ She brushed her hair from her face as the breeze blew again; a rain of Sakura this time surrounded both girls, “I know you don’t like talking about training. “
But that doesn’t mean I am not worried about you.
A memory of Kumatora wrapped by bandages flashed into her mind. The silver-haired wolf-girl just forced a smile, clutching the small pouch in her robes tighter. There was nothing to worry about really. From what she saw, the lion-girl had come a long way, acting, moving and speaking more like a Guardian everyday but something, something she can’t really tell what was making her feel so uneasy. Maybe she should talk to Kumatora about it but as it was, the chance never seemed to appear.
“But, I am pretty sure you won’t have any problems, right?”
“Of course,” Came the taller girl’s reply, a confident grin on her face as she tapped the sheathed katana by her side, “If anything else, I think it should be those who will stand in my way that would be having problems.”
Kumatora laughed, doing her best not to show any hint that would make the wolf-girl beside her worry, especially since the Eightfold way demanded so much from those who would take it. If Chikane even had a hint of what she was going through, who knew how much it would upset the wolf-girl. That was something Kumatora wouldn’t want to happen. That was why she kept her best friend in the dark about her training, as much as she could. No matter how tempting it was to share her pain to the girl, as Chikane has that effect on her, calming her way more effective than anything else.
“Sou…well, I wish you luck then,” Chikane smiled disarmingly, reassured by the lion-girl’s words.
“Thanks. But it’s not necessary, really.” Kumatora laughed despite the slight shiver that coursed through her frame. No, it was a lie. She needed all the luck that she could get. This last step to be a Guardian will be the toughest one of all compared to the previous trials she had endured and triumphed over. This was it. The final threshold to the path she had chosen, to be a Guardian worth protecting her liege.
To be worthy of protecting the one most important to her.
To be worthy of protecting Chikane.
To never again lose the wolf-girl. That incident in their past being the first and would be the last she would ever have to.
Never again.
And the Guardian’s Horn was sounded, shaking the lion-eared girl out of her reveries. The sound signified that the ceremony was starting. Grinning, letting her own temptations get the better of her just this once, Kumatora reached for Chikane with both hands; her hands then pinched the shorter girl’s cheeks, not too soft nor too painful and breaking off before said girl could even react. With a giggle, she jumped off the platform, moving in direction of the village’s center.
I’ll show them. I’ll show them ALL. Chikane is mine to protect alone.
==
Kumatora smiled to herself as the wolf-eared girl in her arms stiffened but slowly relaxed at the unexpected but welcome embrace she had given. She always enjoyed such close contact, giving her the feeling that at this moment, she has Chikane all to herself. And almost always, as if on cue, the temptation to push her best friend down would rise up, to do whatever she wanted to the wolf-girl, to deepen that feeling of possession she had. But, she forced those feelings back, deep into the deepest recesses of her being, reminding herself doing such would risk everything she was to Chikane.
“Hai. It’s me, Chikane-chan….”
The blonde lion-girl giggled softly as she nuzzled herself closer against the smaller girl. The scent of oranges getting stronger; her embrace getting tighter. Yes, she wouldn’t be herself without Chikane.
“Mou~ You didn’t have to creep up behind me like that, Kuma-chan…”
The Channeler in training pouted but did not attempt to release herself from the taller girl’s embrace even if said girl attempted to pull down the hood of her cloak. But the lion-eared girl stopped herself just in time. Kumatora glanced at her surroundings, realizing that revealing the identity of Chikane in such a place would only warrant them unwanted attention, from the villagers and any possible Elder Guardians on patrol. She grinned as she whispered into the wolf-girl’s ear.
“Hold on tight.”
“Eh?”
Chikane blinked, eyes open wide in confusion but could only squeak in surprise as the lion-girl reached under her knees and scooped her off her feet. Not after did the Guardian trainee took a step, reaching full speed with the next and began to run across the crowd in the marketplace. With her momentum, Kumatora took off, jumping to land on one of Sakura village’s main tree branch. Another jump and her booted feet landed on one of the main tree’s platforms. One of the village’s higher vantage points.
It was one of the best places in the village, offering a panoramic view of the entire village and then some, with the right conditions. Given the view it provided, it usually was a favorite spot for those romantically acquainted but to Chikane and Kumatora, it was their refuge; a place where one or the other could stay to think, to relax or just plainly get away from the pressures brought by their respective responsibilities.
“Mou, Chikane-chan, if you had wanted to wander around unsupervised, you could have just asked me.” The blonde lion-girl sighed as she leaned on one of the railings of the platform. Her tail swished from side to side as she frowned, deep in thought.
“I happen to know where the Guardians patrol so it would be easy for us to make it out without them being the wiser. I wouldn’t mind you waking me up for that, just as much as I don’t mind you sneaking into my bed uninvited. ”
She sighed again, her lion ears drooping.
“Sorry, Kuma-chan.”
Chikane giggled, lowering her hood as she did so. She did her best to giggle as naturally as she could, to hide her own nervousness. The sudden feeling of the lion-girl scooping her off her feet just like that has caught her off guard and also there was the fact that Kumatora’s present was still with her as she had no chance to hide it properly. Her robe sleeves will have to do for now. She closed her eyes for a moment, shivering as the cold morning breeze blew past. The wolf-girl took a step forward beside her best friend.
Silence. The two enjoying the view the platform provided them. The perennial rain of Sakura, being blown gently by the morning breeze over the village; a sight that never failed to take their breaths away.
**
Moments later, Chikane blinked, realizing something.
“Ne, Kuma-chan, today is the Guardian Initiation Ceremony, right?”
The lion-girl’s ears perked up, as if suddenly taken aback by the question then dropped back again, a guilty look on her face. She was surprised really, as how can the wolf-girl know, as she never said anything, not wanting to be Chikane to be aware of her own training. However, the Channeler in training just giggled at the lion-eared girl’s expression.
“Well, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I heard it from Cyrene-sama and Shiue-san, “ She brushed her hair from her face as the breeze blew again; a rain of Sakura this time surrounded both girls, “I know you don’t like talking about training. “
But that doesn’t mean I am not worried about you.
A memory of Kumatora wrapped by bandages flashed into her mind. The silver-haired wolf-girl just forced a smile, clutching the small pouch in her robes tighter. There was nothing to worry about really. From what she saw, the lion-girl had come a long way, acting, moving and speaking more like a Guardian everyday but something, something she can’t really tell what was making her feel so uneasy. Maybe she should talk to Kumatora about it but as it was, the chance never seemed to appear.
“But, I am pretty sure you won’t have any problems, right?”
“Of course,” Came the taller girl’s reply, a confident grin on her face as she tapped the sheathed katana by her side, “If anything else, I think it should be those who will stand in my way that would be having problems.”
Kumatora laughed, doing her best not to show any hint that would make the wolf-girl beside her worry, especially since the Eightfold way demanded so much from those who would take it. If Chikane even had a hint of what she was going through, who knew how much it would upset the wolf-girl. That was something Kumatora wouldn’t want to happen. That was why she kept her best friend in the dark about her training, as much as she could. No matter how tempting it was to share her pain to the girl, as Chikane has that effect on her, calming her way more effective than anything else.
“Sou…well, I wish you luck then,” Chikane smiled disarmingly, reassured by the lion-girl’s words.
“Thanks. But it’s not necessary, really.” Kumatora laughed despite the slight shiver that coursed through her frame. No, it was a lie. She needed all the luck that she could get. This last step to be a Guardian will be the toughest one of all compared to the previous trials she had endured and triumphed over. This was it. The final threshold to the path she had chosen, to be a Guardian worth protecting her liege.
To be worthy of protecting the one most important to her.
To be worthy of protecting Chikane.
To never again lose the wolf-girl. That incident in their past being the first and would be the last she would ever have to.
Never again.
And the Guardian’s Horn was sounded, shaking the lion-eared girl out of her reveries. The sound signified that the ceremony was starting. Grinning, letting her own temptations get the better of her just this once, Kumatora reached for Chikane with both hands; her hands then pinched the shorter girl’s cheeks, not too soft nor too painful and breaking off before said girl could even react. With a giggle, she jumped off the platform, moving in direction of the village’s center.
I’ll show them. I’ll show them ALL. Chikane is mine to protect alone.
==
I can only comfort you through your dreams. When you are wide awake, all I can do is smile and enjoy your presence.
