thehometree | Cat Rescue

| characters | One lost cat, her owner and the adventurers of the tree!

| date/time | Wednesday afternoon

| location | Outside the Tree, Mist Barrier

| rating | None

| summary | Someone has come looking for their best friend.

After two weeks with a cat hanging around the Tree, seemingly lost and hungry, today her savior will arrive!

...in the form of a little girl, no older than six. Struggling her way through the foliage outside, this small child can be seen outside the mist, alone and on a very special quest. Her determined face changes into a gasp of joy as she sees her little friend lying in the grass, safe and sound.

"Mittens!" Hurrying over and picking her cat up, the young gently strokes her precious pet's fur and nuzzles her face. The absolute happiness is easily picked out even through the haze of the mist. "I knew the faeries would protect you!"

Carefully holding on to her cat, the little girl leans down, digging around in the pockets of her cute little dress. Taking out a handful of things, she very carefully puts them down on a large piece of bark. "Thank you, fairies! I'm gonna tell my dad I was right!" Putting the piece of bark in the stream, she then giggles and waves excitedly. Then she is scooping her cat back up in her arms, almost big enough to drag on the ground but still purring in joy.

Slowly, the bark boat starts to float towards the mist, passing through into the Tree's area.

CONGRATULATIONS!
You have received:
1 Tiny Ceramic Tea Set
(4 Cups, 4 Saucers, 4 Plates, 1 Creamer Jug, 1 Sugar Bowl, 1 Pot)
1 Dollhouse Chess Set
1 Dollhouse Crib
1 Full Spool of Red Sewing Thread
1 Mood Ring
3 Green Marbles

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yoshitsugu huffed a laugh at that response, knowing the 'why' behind it; Takatora probably didn't have the slightest clue behind Yoshitsugu's reasoning, which was fine by him. Just another thing he'd have to pass on in the future lessons.

Angling himself carefully, he began to lift the 'treasure.'

"It will make you happy too."

His tone was as confident as Takatora's had been dubious.

He walked into a trap, but as for the nature of it? He could only speculate.

Instead he swooped in, focusing on the physical task at hand. They should at least share the weight.

"Impatient, aren't you? Where will we even put this?"

Yoshitsugu ought to know the value of having a plan in place, he thought.

Yoshitsugu did indeed have a plan... one that required very little effort on their part, by a happy coincidence. With both of them carrying the weight it was easy to slowly guide them back towards the land.

"On the grass, for now. All of the residents should look before anyone decides on location."

Best not to act like they were going to just run and hoarde this gift, after all. Even if anyone wanting to play would, after time to learn and adjust, find themselves against a very competant player.

(Yoshitsugu was pretty confident on that point).

"Don't worry; I'm not so possessive that you'll find me abandoning our room to come and guard this."

"You'd better not," Takatora said with mock-offence, "I'm not so pathetic that I would take it lying down."

Once the chess table was safely ashore, he stepped back and glanced towards the remaining gifts. Was it better to leave them there for someone else to collect? With a shrug, he turned back to watch Yoshitsugu.

"So you're saying you're only somewhat pathetic?"

With their prize safely ashore, Yoshitsugu immediately sat cross-legged beside it; he took one of the small silvery pieces into his hands so he could examine it in proper detail. That this was a game of two sides, of two armies, was clear enough. Something about the layout reminded him of shogi.

"That's fine. I can still make good use of 'somewhat pathetic,' Takatora."

Those wings of his were fluttering again; it seemed that they were quite active when Yoshitsugu was feeling excited about something.

"Good."

Takatora made his way over to Yoshitsugu's side and sat himself down there. Maybe leaving one side open would draw in someone who actually knew how to play.

"At least I'll know how to tell when your mind is on the game," he remarked, as he brushed one hand against Yoshitsugu's nearest fluttering wing.

Yoshitsugu almost flinched when his wing was touched, body shaking for a moment like he had just been tickled. Indeed, the sensation was pretty much the same; wasn't it odd, that these wings could generate such strong and natural sensations? They disappeared as quickly as one moved one's gem away from the body, and yet when connected were fully a part of it.

"You assume I... am focused fully on the game." Yoshitsugu sounded a touch breathless as he recovered and placed the small piece in front of him, picking up another identical one afterwards. "A big assumption."

Yoshitsugu's reaction was interesting to witness, and left Takatora smiling.

"So thinking about me leaves you aflutter? I'm flattered."

Which... was sadly the truth, even if the first portion of his words were just an intentionally bad tease. He touched Yoshitusgu's wing again for good measure.

That pun was enough to make Yoshitsugu raise one slender eyebrow; distracted from the game for a moment, he shot Takatora an obviously amused look. The touch earnt another, milder flinch (it had been expected this time, and thus had less impact).

"So you're expressing that flattery through touch? In an outside space like this?"

One didn't need to be able to see his face to know that he was smirking to himself right now.

"That's unusually inappropriate for you, Takatora. I thought myself completely familiar with your nature, but it seems I was wrong about that. Consider me educated."

Takatora managed to draw back his hand slowly, but the way his cheeks heated was beyond his control.

"W-what?!" he spluttered, embarrassed despite knowing that Yoshitsugu was exaggerating.

He couldn't help but react.

"Go back to your game," he huffed, and dropped back onto the grass, his palms pressed to his flushed face.

That could not have gone better in terms of getting a reaction. Takatora was only cool as ice if you didn't happen to be someone he was close to on a personal level; there was a wealth of feeling and emotion in that heart, to both his cost and benefit.

It made him oh so easy to tease.

"I'm just as engrossed in it now as I was before, Takatora."

Still smiling to himself, Yoshitsugu reached out to pry one of Takatora's hands away from those heated cheeks and pressed the playing piece he'd been holding into it.

"Hold your comrade."

Takatora took the piece and held it in front of his face, turning it between his forefinger and thumb.

"How is it my comrade?"

Which was walking walking right into another trap, but that was a common occurence for anyone who kept Yoshitsugu's company. The results never failed to be interesting, at least.

"It's a warrior involved in my game that knows the touch of my hand."

Turning his gaze back to the board, Yoshitsugu picked up a new piece; one that he could not know was a King, but could guess at being important.

"Try not to be jealous."

It was quite possible that he might stop teasing soon, but there was no way to be certain.

Takatora was tempted to throw the piece at Yoshitsugu for that terrible comment, his embarrassment ripe. Just what was Yoshitsugu insinuating, and so brazenly?!

Reigning in his imagination was difficult work, but Takatora mostly succeeded.

He propped himself up on his elbows, still flushed.

"Didn't you promise to put the game second?" he accused.

Yoshitsugu had to laugh at that, and so he did, though quietly. It was completely impossible for Takatora to consider himself neglected; the other samurai's worries meant that he was at Yoshitsugu's side most of time, a concerned and protective shadow.

Still, knowing the reason for it...

"You aren't happy about the time I'm spending with these warriors?"

Putting his playing piece back with its own 'comrades' for a moment, Yoshitsugu shifted so he could push Takatora back fully onto the grass and laid down himself, stretching out on his side and using his companion's shoulder as a pillow.

He reached over Takatora's chest to grab one of his hands.

"How... cute."

Cat Rescue

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