The Bush and the Ball (Aiko, Ryuu)

[Aiko]

Several wolf demons were, in fact, hovering around in a ragged semi-circle around Koga, Merodi, Tempa, and Hiroshi. The demons seemed faintly confused, an emotion that showed in twitching noses, whiskers, and ears, and in sidelong glances that were exchanged, as well as many intent eyes trained on the leader of the demons, as if waiting for direction. Normally, an intruder was chased out, but Koga didn’t seem to be chasing this strange-smelling invader away. But this newcomer didn’t smell quite right to their keen demon wolf noses, and while their thoughts were many and varied, they could mostly be summed up with one single, buzzing question: Why is Koga not being aggressive? The curiosity of the animals showed as they ranged around, thronging in that vague shape around the visitor to their land.

Koga mostly ignored the wolf demons. They weren’t attacking, and seemed to get the message that they shouldn’t. The wolf tribe leader would make some sort of formal announcement about Hiroshi being welcomed on their land… eventually. He’d get around to it at some point, but for now, he preoccupied himself by holding Merodi close as she posed her question to the vampire. The wolf demon alpha only turned away from them to sharply shake his head at Tempa for throwing her toy at their guest. [brown]“Don’t do that,”[/brown] the father scolded his daughter, then turned back to the vampire.

[Naraku]

"Besides I am fine, I feasted in the time I was gone and I am sure I can find something to do t occupy myself." His wings folded up around him and his body as he looked back over the area. "I see you have a large pack, its much larger then you would think. I also assume I am not seeing all of them too."

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Tempa pouted, not liking being scolded by her father. She was sure that Bushey didn't mind. If he did, he would have said something. She huffed, feeling bored with the adults talking and got up to wander off again.

Merodi watched the child, not particularly interested in the conversation but only in Tempa's involvement. Her eyes stared on the little girl before she went to follow her daughter when deciding Tempa was wandering too far again.

((sorry, it's a load of crap DX))

[Aiko]

[brown]“A large pack?”[/brown] Koga echoed, glancing around at the ragtag bunch of wolf demons that had gathered around. There couldn’t be more than ten in this group. Was that Hiroshi’s idea of large? Still, the leader of the wolves grinned at what he took to be a compliment, looking back at the vampire as he did.

And then his grin faltered a little. [brown]“Not as large as it used to be,”[/brown] he commented, his voice echoing with all of the pent up grief that he’d held inside his heart. It had been a long time since the incident had last come into his mind… surely it hadn’t since he’d taken Merodi as his mate. His lost comrades appeared in the eyes of Koga’s mind, followed by a cruel face that made the sadness turn to rage. Red-hot anger burned through the wolf demon’s veins for a moment, and though his eyes were on Hiroshi, he didn’t see the vampire. His jaw locked, because instead of Hiroshi, he saw the wicked face of Kagura, the wind witch who had murdered – slaughtered – his pack. The wolf demon’s hands clenched, and for a second he could swear that his vision, even though he wasn’t seeing that which was all around him, misted red.

The moment passed, and as Koga blinked, he saw again Hiroshi standing before him. The wolf demon’s tense hands loosened, relaxed limply by his sides. He worked his jaw for a moment, and it loosened, too. Koga glanced over at Merodi, who was following little Tempa as she wandered away from what she probably thought of as boring adult conversation. A new thought occurred to Koga then. [brown]“It’ll get bigger again, though”[/brown] he thought allowed, staring at his mate and daughter still. [brown]“Yes… someday, we’ll be a big tribe again.”[/brown]

[brown]I have to protect them,[/brown] Koga thought next, turning back to Hiroshi with distracted eyes.

[brown]“Come,”[/brown] Koga said, and without preamble, raced off. He zigzagged through trees, swooped around boulders, until he came upon a cliff face that was riddled with fissures and pockmarked with small caves. He turned to make sure that the vampire had indeed followed him.

[Naraku]

Hiroshi watches Tempa in the cornor of his eye. She seem so anxious that she kept catching his eye. She soon begins to leave as his full attention was release and back onto Koga. When his attention went back to koga he seen him giving him an evil glare which causes Hiroshi to slightly ready himself. It look as if Koga was getting ready to attack him. But before anything happens the anger left and Koga seems to respond to him, before mentioning about the past. Hiroshi knew then something happen to this tribe from that or he wouldn't of reacted like so. Before Hiroshi could make a comment Koga was already darting away. Hiroshi smiles as he quickly takes off running at his own high speeds. "You maybe faster then me, Koga but I am fast enough to keep up with you in such a short distance." He smiles as he seen Koga was turning back to make sure he was there. Hiroshi was just a small distance behind him already coming from the trees. "I'll have you know I am very proud of my speed." He said jokingly and with a slight smirk.

[Aiko]

[ooc: Don’t know when Sessh is going to have a chance to reply, so I’ll move ahead.]

Running had helped clear the thoughts and memories out of Koga’s head. He was totally calm again when the vampire broke from the trees. Though he was smirking like he was hot stuff, Hiroshi could, in fact, almost keep up with the swift-footed wolf demon. It was reason to be proud. Koga grinned a little. [brown]“I’m still faster,”[/brown] he boasted, and his smile widened just a little more. The wolf demon looked at the vampire for a speculative moment, and then said, [brown]“Hey, maybe sometime I should spar with you. You know, just for fun, see who’d win in a fight. Nothing serious. Wouldn’t want to kill you by accident!”[/brown] Koga laughed before turning around, walking toward a shallow cave in the cliff face.

[brown]“Here’s as good a place as any,”[/brown] he said, turning to face Hiroshi while slapping the stone beside the cave with the flat of his hand. [brown]“You can stay here until you move on. If you need skins to sleep on or anything like that, we could lend you one, so long as you gave it back. Otherwise I’d have to hunt you down and kill you for stealing.”[/brown] Koga said it matter-of-factly. It was what they would do, and there was no reason to hide it; Hiroshi should know that he couldn’t steal from the tribe without facing repercussions. It wasn’t meant as a threat, just a fact that should be understood. [brown]“At least you’ll have some privacy.”[/brown]

With that said, Koga had no more reason to stick around, unless he wanted to hover around like an anxious hummingbird, waiting to see if Hiroshi found his quarters satisfactory. Taking off at a slow jog that, for normal-legged beings, was more of a sprint, the wolf demon raced away from the pockmarked cliff face, heading back towards where he had left Tempa and Merodi.

[Naraku]

Hiroshi didn't say anything to the demon boost of speed. He knew he was faster, alot faster then Hiroshi figured he would be. He listen looking at the cave, it didn't mater to him, he was mainly just sick of sleeping in the rain. He continue listening to Koga as he inspeact the area, til Koga mention a spar as hiroshi thought to himself. 'That would be interesting, I would assume he would be a close range fighter, I would how well he does against magic users?' He lightly smirked as he turns back to him. and listen to him contently until he begins leaving Hiroshi then turns and makes his way inside the cave. As soon as he was deeper into the cave Hiroshi remove his shirt and coat dropping them onto the floor revealing constricting sutras covering his body.

[Aiko]

Gradually gaining speed until he was careening recklessly through the trees, Koga made his way through the woodland area, blindly following the trail left by his own scent through the forest back to his mate and his daughter. His feet skidded over leaf mold and slick roots; his hair rippled out behind him. And then he slowed, his feet pounding less furiously, until he was padding along at a walk. He knew that, had he kept running, he would have met the two females in a matter of seconds. Now that he was walking, he had somewhere around a minute before he burst upon them. The wolf demon breathed deep, trying to force the dusty, musty smells of his territory sooth him, ease his frazzled mind. The air beneath the trees was slightly cooler than outside the wooded area. The wolf demon paused at a chattering sound, but it was only a small animal that scampered on through the undergrowth.

Koga leaned heavily against a tree, letting his shoulder rest against the rough bark. It flaked slightly, and the wolf demon turned so that he was resting with his back against the trunk. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he reopened them, he tilted his head back, staring up through the green-dappled canopy. His fingers braced themselves against the bark of the tree, and he gritted his teeth as his eyes closed again. Memories crammed into his brain, crowding his skull. They beat against the insides of his head. Koga slid down the tree until he was sitting at the base of the trunk. All the while the memories attacked him.

Wolves, bodies ripped apart. Good demons who had been slaughtered like cattle, their bodies left broken and bleeding. His own body, being torn by a merciless wind, his skin sliced open. He could remember the pain of his skin being split apart, the blazing sting. He couldn’t begin to imagine the pain that those who had died had endured before they had passed on. One question kept resurfacing, bubbling up beneath the other images in Koga’s mind. Could it happen again? Could it happen to his other demons?

Could it happen to Merodi? Could it happen to Tempa?

Koga forced himself to his feet again, and taking off at a jog, reached the edge of the trees in seconds. He could see the soft brown forms of his mate and his daughter beyond the forest, but he hesitated under the cover of the foliage, staring out at them. Presently, he was aware of dampness on his cheeks, like the blood that had been spilt in the massacre he still remembered. He touched his cheek, but it wasn’t blood that was pulled away on his fingertips. Tears?

[ooc: Haha yay four paragraphs of bs!]