The Bush and the Ball (Aiko, Ryuu)

[Aiko]

A laugh came from Koga’s mouth. The sound of it was loud, maybe a little brazen or coarse, but most definitely warm. The wolf demon held the ball just out of Tempa’s reach, close enough that her fingertips would feel the surface but far enough that she couldn’t recapture her toy. [brown]“Come on, Tempa!”[/brown] the girl’s father encouraged, dancing away a couple of steps, waving the ball temptingly. He wanted the wolf-deer child to follow him, to play with him. How long had it been since Koga himself had had a good, simple, playful romp with somebody? Not since he was a little brat himself, that was for sure.

With a slight but good-natured growl, Koga crouched, holding the ball out in front of him as if to offer it to his daughter. As soon as she was within his arms’ reach, though, he’d drop the ball and whisk his daughter into his arms to spin her around a couple of times.

[Naraku]

Hiroshi slowly places his creation into the bag he took. He slowly climbs to his feet as he looks around sniffing into the air. Before long he turns and heas to the scent and voices of the wolvies nearby. He carried the bag onto his side as he begins to exit the forest seeing a waterfall not far, as many wolvies was roamin about. "He looks around not seeing either of Koga or Tempa, but he was sue he would be spotted before long.

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Tempa worked hard to get her ball, a fierce look of concentration on her face. She tried to be quick in snatching her ball but he was always quicker. He growled and she growled back, working quick to grap the ball when she was snatched up, a yelp escaping her and she laughed holding onto him. She hugged him, and when the spinning stopped she paused, sniffing the air.

"Bushey!!" She yelled happily, giggling as she squirmed in her father's arms. At the moment Merodi had went to pick up the dismissed ball before it rolled too far away. She struggled until Koga put her down and she ran up to her mother, accepting the ball before running off toward the other wolves and the caves. She tripped and picked herself up again, seemingly unaffected.

[Aiko]

Koga laughed with his daughter as he swung her around, until he finally slowed to a stop and just held her. When Tempa squirmed and made her exclamation, her father let her down, and he watched with smiling blue eyes as she charged back to get her ball from her mother. The wolf demon breathed deeply as he watched her, wondering if his daughter was right and “Bushey” was around. Sure enough, he smelled their strange visitor, only now Hiroshi had the added metallic-and-salty scent of fresh blood on him. Koga’s heart still hammered against his chest from the rush of energy he’d had while playing with Tempa, and it was like liquid energy was being pumped through his veins. He decided to follow his daughter, who was headed in the vague direction of the vampire.

Trotting over to his mate, Koga took Merodi’s hand. She should come along and meet Hiroshi, too, the wolf demon decided. He strode after his daughter as she stumbled back in the direction of their cavernous home, the direction from which the vampire’s bloodied scent was wafting. [brown]“We have a visitor,”[/brown] Koga told his mate as they walked, turning to grin down at the deer demon while he said it. His facial expression would let her know that by “visitor” he meant someone who was welcome on their land. [brown]“Come on!”[/brown] He walked a little faster, not wanting Tempa to leave his vision while his eyes began to scan the land for the vampire.

There he was! Koga spotted Hiroshi, carrying some sort of pack. [brown]“Hiroshi!”[/brown] Koga called, raising his hand to wave while breaking into an incredibly slow jog while he dragged his mate along behind him. The wolf demon had lost his fear of the vampire; apparently, Hiroshi was after humans, not demons, and wasn’t going to pose harm to Koga’s tribe or steal their prey. In other words, he was quite welcome now, and Koga’s greeting this time was much warmer than before. The leader of the wolf demon tribe slowed before Hiroshi, grinning as he squeezed Merodi’s hand. [brown]“This is my mate, Merodi. Merodi, this is Hiroshi. He’s a vampire,”[/brown] he said in a knowing voice.

[Naraku]

Hiroshi looks over the are before he could her small footsteps running to him. He turns and looks seeing Tempa. He moves down onto his knees as she ran to him. "There you are little one." He smiles at her beofre looking up seeing Koga coming behind her. He seen the mother was a deer demon. He smiles and slightly waves towards Koga before having to catch Tempa as she reaches him.

He looks back towards Tempa as he whispers to her. "I have you a present little one. He knew it would first get her attention. Hiroshi finally reaches into the back pulling out the stuff animal he stiched together and slowly hands it to her. He looks back towards Koga and Merodi as he waited for them to get closer before he responded since Tempa was already reached him. "Its good to meet you, Merodi."

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Merodi frowned in curiosity. A visitor? Someone that Tempa and Koga knew, but she didn't? Was that the reason they had taken so long. She hid her curiosity well as she walked with Koga to follow Tempa. She could see ahead of them a strange man who her daughter ran up to. She was quiet though, wary of the stranger and his closeness to her small child.

Tempa's was very excited to see Hiroshi and she smiled, panting from her run. She sniffed in interest as she stuffed animal was given to her. "Present, present!" she yelled, and tackled the thing when it was given to her. For the moment her ball was forgotten as she held an almost death grip on the stuffed animal, growling and biting it's ear. She rolled around the floor with and Merodi frowned and took notice to all the dirt the poor girl was getting in.

Merodi turned her attention away from her daughter and the new toy and back toward the person named Hiroshi. "What's...a vampire?[/b]" she asked, looking up at her mate then back to the strange man. Did they just meet? How long had they known this man for him to be giving her daughter gifts?[/color]

[Aiko]

Even if Koga’s ears hadn’t been keen enough to hear Hiroshi’s whispers to his daughter (which they were, by the way, and he heard his every word), Tempa’s screaming, “Present! Present!” made it pretty obvious that the girl had gotten a gift. The corner of the girl’s father’s mouth twitched upwards in a smile. That was nice of the vampire. Tempa must have really grown on him, and why not? She could be a little bit of a pain in the rear end, but she really was a sweetie, somewhere underneath the biting. Koga, watching his daughter now, laughed as she mauled the little doll. [brown]Just like a little wolfess,[/brown] he thought with a swell of pride.

When Merodi asked her question, her mate turned to listen. [brown]“He’s not a human, demon, or hanyou,”[/brown] Koga answered, nodding like he was the expert on vampires. [brown]“He feeds on humans… their blood, right?”[/brown] At the end, the wolf demon turned to the vampire, raising his thick eyebrows in a questioning way.

[Naraku]

"Yes, I feed on human blood." He says as he looks up at them before looking down at Tempa who was still rolling around. Hiroshi slightly smiles before climbing to his feet. His eyes look back between the two. "Eh, Hope you didn't mind the doll." The wings on Hiroshi's back extended streching out, as they seem to get slightly cramped from being on his knees.

(Sorry small post)

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Merodi looked wide eyed from Koga to Hiroshi. Blood?! He lives on human blood?! The thought of it made her sick. She tried to compose herself. She blinked, hearing of the doll and she forced a smile. "Ah, no, I don't mind, she needed a new toy." Although she didn't need to get so dirty.

Tempa in that moment had tired herself out with wrestling with the doll and sat on the ground, sucking her thumb with the stuffed animal in her arms. "Tell Hiroshi thank you, Tempa." her mother said, smiling at her.

Tempa paused, removing her thumb from her mouth as she stared up at the vampire. she pouted, looking away. "Tank you..." she grumbled before placing her thumb in her mouth. She was tired and decided to let the adults talk. She watched them and listened to the conversation, staying on the floor.

[Aiko]

A grin was on Koga’s face as he smiled around at everyone. He was happy that Tempa was having fun with her new toy. He was happy that Merodi seemed to approve of Hiroshi, at least to some extent. And he was happy that Hiroshi had saved his daughter. Still, the wolf demon sensed a slight discomfort in his mate, which he could understand. He hadn’t exactly been at ease with the vampire at first, either. Koga released the deer demon’s hand he had been holding, only to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her closer in a protective sort of way. Just to let her know he was holding onto her. That she didn’t have to be afraid or uncertain about anything, because he’d be with her.

Still, Koga wasn’t the type to stand around making small talk with his neighbors. He was a man of action, not of conversation. He turned his face to Merodi, wondering what she wanted to do. If she wanted to hang around and chat with Hiroshi, Koga would stay just to be with her, but otherwise he’d go off and do something. Maybe he’d play with Tempa a little more. That was fun.

[Naraku]

Hiroshi smiles as he places his hand onto Tempa head gently petting her. ""Such a fiesty one." He said to her teasingly after her pout having to say thank you. He looks back up towards the two parents slightly now distracted. "I hate to ask, but would you to know of a cave nearby, or a place I could stay for the time being. "I been walking ever since flying over from the mainland."

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Merodi leaned against Koga, deep in thought and she stayed quiet, watching the scene between Hiroshi and Tempa. She didn't say anything, watching her daughter sit on the floor, nibbling the ear of the stuffed animal and being called something the girl probably didn't know. She had questions forming in her mind but she didn't say anything.

Merodi looked up at Koga, it wasn't her right to answer the question Hiroshi asked. Besides, she still didn't know the terrain well if there was another cave besides there own. Of course, Tempa didn't think in consideration like her mother did. "Bushey can stay with us. In our cave!"

[Aiko]

Koga grinned at Tempa’s suggestion, just because of how silly it really was. The wolf demon tribe wasn’t running a motel, even though it occasionally seemed that way, what with how Koga had occasionally brought in a wounded or interesting character and given shelter to them for the night. [brown]“Sorry, Tempa,” [/brown]the wolf demon said to his daughter, looking over at the vampire. [brown]“Not sure that Bushy – I mean, Hiroshi – meant that he wanted to stay with us. He’d probably rather have someplace to stay on his own.”[/brown] While Koga was pretty sure he was right anyway, he also sensed that Merodi would probably be more comfortable without a stranger like the vampire, who she was unsure about, staying in the same cave that they were. [brown]“There are lots of caves around here. I can show you one now if you’d like.”[/brown]

[Naraku]

"When ever you feel ready, I am in no rush, so you can do as you please in the mean time." Hiroshi nods looking around the area, his wings wrapping around him. The other wolvies in the area was now drawn looking back at him. He figure the fact he look no different the a pointy ear human, with wings to them. The thought made him slightly chuckle though.

"Besides I am sure you have plenty to do here, and i have no intention of getting in the wy."

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Merodi frowned, listening to the two and staring at the ground at the same time. She looked up where the wings appeared and was only brought into a deeper pit of confusion and questions. Tempa seemed just as interested as she took her stuffed animal and threw it at the new appendiges.

"What will you do until then?" she asked curiously, looking at him. No rush, and in that time was he going to leave, would he stay here forever, would he bring more toys for Tempa? But the question really on her mind...

Why bring the girl a present anyway with such familiarity?