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The huntress stalked low through the underbrush. Her claws dug into the damp soil, its scent mingling with that of her quarry. She grinned, already tasting the promise of her prize on her lips. Tail lashing in anticipation, she scarcely noticed the broad-winged shadow that passed overhead with a whoosh of displaced air.
It was nearing daybreak, but the forest’s thick canopy protected the huntress from the sun’s terrible rays. Soon enough, it would not matter. Soon enough, she would have her treasure. Ever forward she crept, eyeing every tree and crevice with caution, for to purrloin from a dragon was a risky endeavor indeed.
With feline grace she slipped between the dense foliage and rocks, deeper into the darkness, until she reached the cavern in which her spoils surely lay. The darkness was immense, but her keen vision was just enough to spot…
There! Tucked away amongst craggy stalagmites was a suspicious bundle of leaves, arranged as though to conceal a secret – but not well enough.
In her excited haste, the huntress failed to consider whether, perhaps, this was intentional.
From behind came the heavy sound of a mighty landing; the huntress turned, frightened, to find herself snout-to-snout with the dragon whose den she had just infiltrated – a majestic, magnificent beast with eyes of burning red and blindingly multi-hued scales. She yowled in surprise and tripped over clumsy paws, falling into the muck and utterly ruining her pristine fur –
AC: :33 < no i dont! youre godmodding again!
AC: :33 < if you k33p doing that i wont play with you anymore
GC: 1M JUST TRY1NG TO M4K3 TH1NGS MOR3 1NT3R3ST1NG
GC: 1 C4N ONLY DO SO MUCH FROM H3R3
GC: 4ND 1 TH1NK 1 H4V3 B33N MOR3 TH4N F41R G3TT1NG YOU TH1S F4R >:]
GC: B3S1D3S TH3R3S NO S3NS3 G1V1NG UP WH3N YOUR3 4LR34DY TH3R3
Nepeta scrunched her face at her palmhusk.
AC: :33 < fair? you led me in circles all night just to find a cave that wasnt even that far from mine!
AC: :33 < but i suppaws you are right about that last part
Nepeta approached the package. It was about the size of her head, and wrapped in the purplish leaves of Terezi’s tree. Her blood pusher leapt with exhilaration as she picked it up, running her fingers across its surface. She was touching something Terezi touched! This was the closest they’d gotten to in-the-flesh contact! She was about to start unwrapping it when her palmhusk buzzed again.
GC: W3LL >:?
AC: :33 < oh right! sorry!!
AC: :33 < *ac saunters over to claim her prize, her tail flicking the dragons snout as she turns*
GC: S4SSY >:0
AC: :33 < *she lays a paw on the mysterious parcel and unsheathes a single claw*
AC: :33 < *carefully, she peels away the leafy covering to reveal…*
Oh! Nepeta squeaked with delight.
AC: :OO < omg you didnt!
AC: :33 < *is what ac says*
GC: DO YOU L1K3 1T?
AC: :33 < this is amazing! how did mew make this?
GC: K4N4Y4 H3LP3D M3 MOD1FY TH3 P4TT3RNS
GC: TH3 B1GG3ST CH4NG3 W4S TH3 T41L
Nepeta hugged the plush doll before turning it this way and that for a proper inspection. She admired its pale green fur and blue button eyes. It had clearly been made using a Scalemate pattern as a base, but altered to have a rounded snout, a fluff-tufted tail, and the most delightful little kitty ears atop its head.
There… might have been more than a few tears in her eyes.
AC: :33 < *ac pounces and gives gc a big kitty kiss right between the eyes!*
GC: *GC L3TS H3RS3LF B3 KNOCK3D OV3R BY TH3 POUNC3, THOUGH H3R M1GHTY DR4GON BODY COULD 34S1LY H4V3 R3M41N3D UPR1GHT*
AC: :33 < *ac curls up on gcs scaly belly and begins purring happawly*
GC: OK4Y TH4T ON3 F3LT 4 L1TTL3 STR41N3D
AC: :33 < hush i am in snuggle mode
AC: :33 < i mean
AC: :33 < if thats ok
In reality, Nepeta was sitting on a rock clutching the plushie tight against her chest as her body rocked gently back and forth. A soft warmth had settled over her.
GC: HMMM
GC: TH3 COUNS3L W1LL 4LLOW 1T
GC: *GC STR3TCH3S 4N 1MPR3SS1V3 L34TH3RY W1NG OV3R H3R F3L1N3 FR1END*
GC: *4ND L1CKS 4 SL1MY DR4GON K1SS 4CROSS H3R F4C3*
Nepeta giggled and pulled her jacket tighter around herself.
AC: :33 < thats not how dragons kiss, silly!
GC: OH >:?
GC: 4ND YOU 4R3 TH3 3XP3RT?
AC: :33 < a dragon would give a nice little kiss with its beak
AC: :33 < maybe make it warm with some magical fire
AC: :33 < but not too hot!
GC: WH3R3 D1D YOU L34RN TH4T, DR4GON SCHOOL?
GC: N3RD >;]
AC: :33 < well
AC: :33 < i cant be pawsitive
AC: :33 < its just what i think would make sense!
GC: 1TS 4 SOUND 4RGUM3NT
GC: TH3 D3F3NS3 W1LL H4V3 4 H4RD T1M3 R3FUT1NG TH4T
Morning light was beginning to speckle the forest floor, which signaled to Nepeta that she ought to start the short trek home, before Pounce got too worried. Palmhusk in hand and the doll (whom she was considering naming something like Mellisander or Veriwind) tucked securely under her arm, she headed on her way.
GC: 4LR1GHT
GC: *GC PL4NTS 4 W4RM Y3T M1GHTY DR4GON K1SS 4TOP 4CS H34D*
GC: *1T 1S SUR3LY 1MBU3D W1TH 3NOUGH M4G1C TO GR4NT M4NY W1SH3S*
A hot flush crept across Nepeta’s face. She nearly stumbled over a felled branch, one she had easily avoided earlier.
AC: :33 < *ac doesnt n33d to wish fur anything more than what she already has*
AC: :33 < *except maybe…*
AC: :33 < to be able to hang out in purrson?
Her pusher hammered in her chest as she waited for a response.
AC: :// < i mean
AC: :(( < i know its too far fur either of us to travel
GC: 1 K1ND OF H4D 4N 1D34 4BOUT TH4T
AC: :OO < really?!
GC: 1TS ST1LL 1N 34RLY ST4G3S SO DONT FR34K OUT Y3T
GC: BUT VR1SK4 ROP3D YOUR BOYTOY 1NTO DO1NG SOM3 T3CH WORK FOR OUR FL4RPS
AC: :33 < equius? but he doesnt pawprove of Such f001ishly reckless pastimes…
AC: :33 < also we havent been togefur in ages!
GC: OH >:\
GC: SORRY TO H34R TH4T 1 GU3SS
AC: :33 < dont be, were still furiends! we just didnt f33l that way about each other anymore.
GC: 1 S33
AC: :33 < you do??
GC: H4 H4
GC: 4NYW4Y
GC: VR1S H4S H3R M3THODS
GC: SH3S V3RY PURRSU4S1V3
AC: :33 < h33 h33!
GC: SO W3 W3R3 TH1NK1NG
GC: M4YB3 W3 COULD 4D4PT SOM3 OF OUR ROCK3TY T3CH 1NTO F4ST3R MOD3S OF TR4NSPORT
GC: M4YB3 3V3N F4ST 3NOUGH TO G3T FROM MY H1V3 TO YOURS
GC: OR V1C3 V3RS4
AC: :33 < omg really? that would be clawsome!
AC: :33 < id love to s33 your hive
AC: :33 < mine isnt much to look at…
GC: TH4TS OK4Y, 1 DONT DO MUCH 1N TH3 W4Y OF ‘LOOK1NG’
AC: :33 < oops!
GC: BUT L1K3 1 S41D, 34RLY ST4G3S
AC: :33 < right
AC: :33 < well im sure youre brilliant enough to figure it out!
GC: W3 SH4LL S33 >:]
Nepeta bounded the last few steps to her cave, and even did a happy spin at the entrance. Pounce rose from her bed of furs and pressed her head to Nepeta’s shoulder.
“Aww, hi Pouncey.” She gave her lusus a gentle headbutt, nuzzling at her soft white fur. “Sorry I’m late; Purrezi’s game took longer than I thought. But look!”
She held out the doll. Pounce sniffed it curiously.
“It kind of looks like you, doesn’t it?”
Pounce circled Nepeta twice before nudging her towards the fur pile.
“Okay, okay, give me a sec!”
AC: :33 < well im home
AC: :33 < and pounce says i n33d to get ready fur bed
GC: OH TH4TS R1GHT
GC: YOU 4CTU4LLY H4V3 4 B3DT1M3
AC: :33 < yes and im quite late fur it already!
GC: H4H4 N3RD
A soft ache in her chest reminded Nepeta of how alone Terezi must feel in her hive. Sure, she had friends she could see in person – but having nobody to come home to sounded sadder than Nepeta felt like thinking about at the moment. One day, she resolved, Terezi would visit, and Nepeta and Pounce would make her feel truly at home.
The idea turned over in her head as she pinned up the heavy pelt that kept out the light. Her stomach stirred as she changed into her sleep shirt, and it was to the image of Terezi gleefully drawing on her cave walls that Nepeta settled into the soft furs of her bed.
AC: :33 < mew should go to sl33p soon too
GC: 4ND M1SS OUT ON 4LL TH1S FR33 SCH3M1NG T1ME? 1 DONT TH1NK SO.
AC: :33 < you can scheme more tomorrow
AC: :33 < even fearsome dragons n33d to sl33p
GC: *G1V3S YOU 4 M1GHTY DR4GONY POUT*
AC: :33 < *baps you on the nose*
GC: OUCH >:[
AC: :33 < *kisses it better*
GC: YOURE 4 FUNNY ON3, L31JON
AC: :33 < i am?
GC: 1N 4 GOOD W4Y THOUGH >:]
AC: :33 < h33 h33 so are you!
GC: SO 1V3 B33N TOLD
Nepeta yawned as Pounce crawled into bed behind her. The full night of activity had left her pleasantly tired, and she was looking forward to a long, restful sleep.
AC: :33 < hey
AC: :33 < thanks fur the present
AC: :33 < and the scavenger hunt
AC: :33 < and being a good furiend!
GC: H3Y NOW SOM3 POOR FOOL 1S GONN4 H4V3 TO CL34N UP 4LL TH1S MUSH
AC: :33 < i know you are just pretending not to like the mush
AC: :33 < *huggles you*
GC: OH
GC: *HUGGL3S YOU B4CK*
GC: *M1GHT1LY*
GC: (FOR TH3 R3CORD 1 DO NOT TH1NK ‘HUGGL3’ 1S 4 R34L WORD)
GC: NOW SL33P T1GHT
GC: DONT L3T TH3 CHOL3RB34RS B1TE
AC: :33 < oh they are too afuraid to come in here anymore
GC: R1GHT ON
AC: :33 < talk to you tomeowrrow?
GC: Y34H
GC: ‘S33’ YOU SOON >;]
Nepeta fell asleep with Pounce curled against her back and the plushie tucked under her chin. Tomorrow, she would have to make some additions to her shipping wall.