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Rain and storms have become a common weather pattern for the Hermits. While summer showers were usually a welcomed change for the season, the frequency was becoming annoying to those living in the server. It's become impossible to build, explore and shop without getting a little damp or even soaked.
Pearl herself had been checking the clouds each morning. Waiting for a clear day to finally transfer the last of her flowers out of her truck bed into her newly built greenhouse without the petals getting damaged.
Finally it was a clear, cloudless day.
The air was already warm into the late morning as Pearl landed in the shopping district. Her wings felt at ease for the first time in days as they folded behind her. Flights with moth wings were never a great pair with the rain. The lack of humidity in the air made her sigh in comfort.
She moved for her truck, gardening gloves on and ready to move flowers when she spots something fuzzy and white behind her barrels.
Pearl changed course to go around the side and peer over the wood paneling that surrounded the bed and was surprised to see the white fluff was an arctic fox having a nap in her truck.
“Aww what’s this then? Someone leave you here little buddy?”
As the mothling reached over to pet the fox she saw movement that stopped her.
The breathing of another creature that she almost missed.
She couldn’t quite tell what it was, its face obscured by the fox, but its brown coloring blended in so well with the wood of the truck and barrels it was hard to notice. There were no brown foxes around as far as she ever knew and the tail was too different to be one. The rings on it reminded her of something familiar she couldn’t quite place.
Continuing her original goal to pet the fox, she did so gently as to not spook it. As the fox turns its head towards Pearl and look at her sleepily everything clicked into place.
Only one fox hybrid she knew had mismatched eyes and a scar above the red eye. Now she could also see the head of the tanuki that was hiding beneath. A certain tanuki with a patch of green fur at the top front of its head.
“Oh this is such a precious moment,” cooed Pearl. She couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. She had to tell everyone.
“Smile,” Pearl said as she snapped a picture on her communicator.
Etho did not smile, but did lay his head back down immediately after the picture to continue his nap. Pearl knew he wasn’t going to do anything when he’s already been caught. Joel on the other hand… Pearl was just glad he was tired enough to not notice her. She was pretty sure he bites, but she’s never seen him in full animal form before.
Pearl smiled giddily and opened her communicator to the main server chat.
Pearlesentmoon: Found these two fluff balls taking a nap in the back of my truck. Might still be able to catch them in the shopping district if no one wakes them!
Pearlescentmoon: image sent
Skizzleman: Does Etho know there’s a fox that looks just like him?
Skizzleman: Hold on a second
Tango: Figured it out buddy?
Geminitay: Oh
Geminitay: My
Geminitay: Gosh
Goodtimewithscar: I told yuo those two need to get a room tango
Pearlescentmoon: Looks like they found room in my truck
Rendog: I almost want to go full wolf and join them but I don’t want to crash the cuddle party
Zombiecleo: I’m saving this to for future blackmail
Gem and Grian were the quickest to visit the sleeping pair soon after the message was sent. Pearl had just left to move the flowers to her shop, leaving the two to place barrels as quietly as they could so they could see over the truck panels.
“This one is too heavy-” Grian complained before Gem shushed him.
Gem whispered back, “Move them quietly, we don't want to wake them.”
“You could help you kn-”
“Shhhh!”
Gem climbed on the barrels first and let out a quiet ‘Aww’ at the sight. The pair had moved slightly, Joel’s head came out from hiding in Etho’s fluff to now resting on his neck. Gem and Grian snapped a few more pictures of their own and sent it to the chat.
“Where are these fluffy furballs at-!”
“Shhhhhh!” Grian and Gem hushed in unison a Scar.
He was closely followed by Skizz and Impulse who had just touched down behind him.
“Quiet! Grian whispered harshly.
“We don’t want to wake them,” said Gem.
Impulse raised an eyebrow at the two, “You know they're still our friends and not real animals right? I don't think you're gonna spook them.”
“No, but you can embarrass them and then they’ll want to hide away from us,” said Grian.
“He’s got a point,” Skizz shrugged. “I still wanna see the little guys.”
With the commotion of 5 people all gathered around the truck bed it would be hard for the sleeping canines to not notice. Everyone in the group jumped back as Etho raised his head and let out a high pitch yawn. As his mouth came closed Skizz could see where Etho’s scarring cut through his mouth and a little tooth was showing.
Before they could get a good look over again, small growls and yips made them take another step back.
“Joel?” Scar whispered.
“Joel,” Grian nodded as he whispered back.
Too curious for his own good, Scar stepped forward first to look back over the panels. Both the tanuki and fox were watching his movements, but to his surprise Joel didn’t growl at him.
“I think we just startled him guys,” Scar said with a smile as he reached out his hand to rub the tanuki’s head. “Who’s a cute little- AAAHH ITS A TRAP!”
The others rushed over to see Joel’s teeth locked onto Scar’s hand and growling. Not knowing what to do, Impulse tries to pull Joel off, but Etho snaps his teeth at him.
“Come on dude we’re friends!”
Grian tries to pry at the tanuki’s jaws to no avail. “Scar, why would you even think of trying to pet Joel?!”
“Why are you mad at me? He’s the one biting me!”
The moment the first drop of blood drips down Scar’s hand, Etho sees and smells it. The fox latches his own teeth onto the scruff of Joel’s neck, causing the other to let go with a yip.
Scar pulls his hand back, rubbing the wound with an over-dramatic sob, “Are we sure these aren’t real wild animals that are pretending to be our friends?”
“How would real animals know how to look like our friends? We don’t even have other tanukis here,” said Gem.
“That’s what they want you to think.”
There were a lot of yips and barks coming from the truck bed as a scuffle broke out between the fox and tanuki.
“So much for not disturbing their nap,” said Impulse.
Skizz went back to the truck in an attempt to stop the fight, “Hey! Break it up you guys and apologize to- HEY!”
The tanuki and fox took off running out of the truck racing through the shopping district as Joel chased Etho. The group lost sight of them moments after their barks and yips were out of earshot.
“I didn’t even get a picture!” whined Scar.
●●●
Word had spread on the comms that the fuzzy pair were gone and everyone who didn’t get the chance to see them were sad except for one person. It wasn’t until late afternoon that Beef found them. He searched every nook and cranny of Etho’s base before searching Joel’s base and found the two curled up together in the axolotl garden just beside Joel’s house. From this high up magic mountain the cool breeze mixed in with the sun’s warmth felt great against his skin and now Beef knew why they chose this spot.
The bull hybrid tried his best to stay quiet, but the creaky gate to get in gave him away and very quickly there were two small sets of eyes watching him.The tanuki started to growl as he stepped closer, but Etho put his fore-paw over Joel’s head to push him down. That didn’t stop Joel from growling, but he stayed put.
The bull hybrid couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him, “Etho why’d you stop him? It’s almost like you know something.”
He knew there wasn’t any getting past the fox whose eyes were zeroed in on the basket Beef had in hand. It wasn’t often that Beef knew when Etho was going to be a fox for the day and never before was there someone else who joined him. But on the days Beef was around Etho in full transformation, he always thought it was funny to watch how much Etho loved and wanted sweetberries. It might be an instinct or natural craving of some sort kicking in and Beef could relate to some degree as a hybrid himself.
Joel seemed to stop growling once he was next to them, both his and the fox’s little noses sniffing the air.
“The others gave you a hard time I heard,” said Beef as he sat down near the two and pulled out a few sweet berries. He had to hold in his laughter as both of their ears perked up, “So I thought you guys might have tried to find a new sleep spot and thought you might be hungry. Looks like I was right.”
He tossed them a few berries to which the pair devoured quickly and looked expectantly at the bull hybrid for more. Beef didn’t hold back his laugh this time as he threw them some more. Joel snatched up the berries meant for Etho along with his own, causing the fox to nip at him.
“Hey don’t be greedy,” said Beef as he gave Etho more berries.
Once they had their fill and settled back down, Beef stood up with a groan and picked up the basket. He looked down at the tanuki and fox, the red berry juice made their snouts look like a murder scene. Especially on Etho with his white fur, but it looked like Joel was taking care of it, licking the fox’s muzzle clean. Etho seemed a little miffed about it but did nothing to stop the other.
Beef made a face at them, “You two are gross, but thanks for showing me this spot. I might have to visit you here more often Joel.”
The two didn’t pay much attention to him, but he heard Joel yip on his way out and Beef took it as thanks.
The fox and tanuki spent the rest of the evening lazing about by the pond for their off day.