Rarimouse and Friends 10/8/13

>You're staring at the calender.  There's one more red slash running across a day than yesterday.  You've got about nine more marks to make.  That's right.  Nine more days.  You can make this.
>An eager but contented smile has been stuck on your face all day.  A clock ticks to itself in the other room.  Nine more days.
>Well-manicured nails clack on the hardwood floor.  The taps turn loud and sharp as a batch of needles falling on their heads before stopping behind you.  She sighs, but you don't pay attention.
"And what game is it this time?"
>Your brain off-handedly acknowledges that she is saying words in your direction.  It sends a lazy signal to your mouth to respond with a "Huh?"
>"You've been staring at that calender all day and night as though it's a pin-up of yours truly."
>Those last words grab your attention like a hair tug.
>"Wait, what?" You cover an ear.  That was louder than you'd like it to be.  Rarimouse laughs and runs a paw between her hair and ear.
"Now that I've brought you into the wondrous here-and-now."  She leans forward and speaks very clearly.  "Please tell me what game you are waiting for before you drift off back into whatever pleasant fuzzy void you currently live in."  She blinks dramatically, her eyelashes wafting like bedsheets.
>You lean against the wall.  "How do you know I'm waiting on a game?"
"Because you have had that receipt clenched in your hand for the past two weeks.  Please let go of a it for a while dear, you're going to get early onset arthritis."
>"I haven't been holding a recei-" You look at your hand.  Well you'll be damned, there it is.  You place it in your other hand because you realize your bones feel ready to snap.
"That and you usually stare at silly things when you get excited for something."
>She's right.  May as well tell her.
>"It's Pokemon X.  It's coming out on the twelfth."  You start to get excited.  "It's going to be great.  There's a pokemon that looks like a keychain and it's all in 3d and you can change your clothes and-"  You're not even talking to her anymore when she interrupts you.   She raise a finger in the air.
"Clothes?"
>"Yeah, you can customize your character."  Your sense of shame has left you.   She licks her lips.
"Customize, you say..."
>Now she sounded distracted.
>"Yeah, and this one is supposed to have more Pokemon than any other game ever!"  Oh god, it's going to be the hypest thing that was ever hype!  Nine more days.  Nine More Days!  "NINE MORE DAYS!"  You jump in the air and clap.
"Ah, yes, wonderful!"  She lowered her ear and winced.  "Erm, tell me dear, what is a Pokemon?"
>The word rolled around her tongue like something foreign and not entirely stylish.
>Wait, she wants you to talk about Pokemon!  Oh this is gonna be great!
>"Well," you say in smooth tones of a man who knows what his business is.  "They're these small little fuzzy animal things that get into fights with each other and they got wicked sick powers and you catch them in balls and stuff."
>Her nose twitches and her eyebrows curve like a wave as she chooses between humoring you or walking away.
"Small little fuzzy things?"
>"Some of them.  There are other big scaly things.  Or feathery things.  Or things on fire.  I like those."  She 'ahs' silently to herself and puts her hand to her chin.  "But the games are really fun, Rare, trust me."
>She looks at you and then looks down at herself and stands on her tip-toes while smiling, showing her almost-bucked teeth.
"Well I do believe I'm a small fuzzy thing.  Does that qualify me for being a Pokemon?"
>You don't know how to respond to that.
>Wait, yes you do.  "No.  You are not a Pokemon.  Those things have crazy tricks an-"
"I know a good share of tricks.  I can keep you looking half-civilized, tell me that's not a borderline miracle."
>Oh, she's peppy today.  "The only growl, or say their names over and over.  No talking, unlike you.  Much unlike you."  She crosses her arms and taps her foot.
"That doesn't sound too difficult.  I can do that as well."  She clears her throat. "Rarity.  Rarira.  Rarararity.  Rare.  Rare.  Rarity!"
>She covers her mouth and giggles.
"Oh, I do believe I'm having fun."
>"If I can't be a Pokemon Master then you can't be a Pokemon."  And for a moment you're relieved you can say that.  The beating in your chest is almost strong enough to qualify as assault.  She hops towards you and stretches up again, fully intent on shaking your scaffolds.  Her tail twists into a malicious curly-q.
"Are you certain?  I surely won't debase myself with fighting, but I can say with utmost confidence that there's no foe who can stand against my intellectual prowess and"  She flips her hair  "Unbeatable charms."
>She hops on your shoe.
"Rarirare!  Rarity Rare!"


>Alright this is growing beyond your threshold for weird.  And you have a threshold so high you need to adjust for altitude pressure to get to it.  "Kay you can stop now."
"Rari!"
>"You're not a pokemon!"  She refuses to get off your shoe, and you definitely can't kick her away.
"Rare Rarity Rare Yes I am Rarity-ty Rarity!"
>"I'm going to stick you in a hamster ball!"  You try to say as threateningly as possible, but she refuses to be phased.
>She starts climbing up your pant leg like a mad insect.
>"You can cut it out now!"  Oh God, why can't it just be the twelfth already?
"Rarity Rare I will do no such thing Rare!"
>She breaks into helpless giggles as she reaches the back of your neck.  You stumble and squawk across the floor as her sharp little nails start scratching your scalp.  Tiny bolts are sharp lightning spread across your skull and down your back.
>"Wait no stop that seriouslythattickleshahtsotopcutcutitcutCUTITOUTI'MSERIOUSSTOPIT!"  She's too fast and dodges your hands as you try to grab her.
>Gravity conspires against you and pulls you to the floor. She doesn't stop.
>"THIS ISNT FAIR!"
"RARITY!"
>You don't like Rarimousemon very much.

-

>You're getting better at this.
"I really like the seasonings you put in this!"
>She hold the pork roast up to her mouth.
>"And the aroma!  You've got skill, I like that."
>You've haven't felt the urge to run to the restroom and throw up all your organs in disgust at all!  "Glad you like it."
>She bites into the meat with shiny black mandibles, injecting cell-destroying poison and liquid evil into her meal, rendering it into a horrific slurry that she promptly slurps up.
>And she's -clean- about it.
>Because spiders don't like to leave evidence.
>She wipes her mouth with her napkin.  Three other arms are readying the next piece of meet for gut-wrenching liquidation.  She notices your stone stare and frowns.
"Are you alright?  You haven' t eaten any of your food."
>"My eyes are more hungry than my stomach I guess."  She puts four arms on the edge of the table.  The sharp claws that she uses as fingers tap nervously on the edge.  "But don't worry I eat."  Like a mammal just the way God intended.  "Go ahead.  Don't mind me."  The tone of your voice refuses to change.
>You're being dumb.  She's not a T-rex who's going to ravage you if you move.  Go ahead and drink something so she doesn't feel so awkward.  You reach for you glass and take a sip.
>"Mmm.  Refreshing."
"Anon."
>"Yes?"
"Your glass is empty."
>You look at your bone dry glass.  Oh.  You were so pre-occupied with eating dinner with the giant, perfectly nice spider girl that you neglected to pour yourself something to drink.  Silly you.
>"Silly me."
>You make no motion to pour yourself something.  Your hands fall to your lap instead.  Spide Twi looks nervious.
"Here, let me get you something.
>Long arms with many joints and covered with dark purple hair reaches across the table like spears arcing towards soft, penetrable flesh.
>You supress a girlish scream as she grabs the pitcher of tea and pours yourself a glass.  She places it on the table and nudges it towards you with calculating dexterity.
"There you are!"
>She smiles and shows her sharp, glistening teeth.  Several of her eyes close.
>"Thank you."  You arm reaches slowly out to the glass as she goes back to rending down another morself of meat.  You drink very slowly, so as not to spit it out through your nose.
"Sorry I haven't touched the salad, I'm afraid my diet can't handle too many vegetables."
>Spiders are weak to salads, remember that.
>"No problem.  I love salad.  So much I could sleep with it."  Clutching a head of lettuce like a gun.  Or a bundle of stakes.  She looks at you oddly, then brightens up.  The hair on her front sternum bristles excitedly.
"Oh, I know what I can do for you!"
>Grant you a quick death when she descends from above in the black of night?  "What's that?"
"My mother showed me this absolutely amazing recipe when I was a spiderling.  It's something we can share with other...erm...species."
>Your chair starts to shake. "Oh...so there's spider cuisine.  That's really..." You stare at the window, wondering how much it would hurt if you hurled yourself out of it.  "I can't wait."
"Some of the ingredients might be a little hard to come by, though."
>She twiddles her fork between two legs and rests her head on a third.
"Can you order insects through the mail?"
>You one-shot your glass of tea and pour another.
"Nevermind, I'm resourceful, I'll find a way.  Don't worry Anon, you're going to love it.
>You drink directly from the pitcher, trying to hide your tears of fear from her.

-

>"Don't freaking talk."
"I got better things to say than you, I'll talk all I want."
>"If you talk then they're gonna think you're some freak-o mutant or alien."
>Rainbow Wolf looks at her decidedly blue fur and compares it to your no-fur.
"I kinda am."
>"Then the government or PETA is going to come and take you away."  Wait.  You'd be rid of Rainbow Wolf.  She wouldn't bother you anymore or eat your shoes.  "You know what, talk all you want.  I'll buy you a microphone so you can sing them all a song or something."
>She snaps at your legs.
"Listen Stretch, you ain't getting rid of me that easily."
>Flutterwolf catches up to the two of you.
"Why would we want to get rid of you?  We love you, Rainbow!"
>The worry in her voice is the more sincere than anything you could conjure.  You and Rainbow look slightly guilty.
"I'm not going anywhere, Flutters.  Me and Beast Master over here are just having some fun is all."
>"Yes.  Fun."
"Oh, thank goodness."  She trots beside you, but never daring to step in front of you or Rainbow.  "It's hard to tell when the two of you are just playing."  She nuzzles against Rain's side and then your leg.
>You think Flutterwolf would've been better suited to be born as a lap dog, like a Yorkie or Lhasa Apso.  The cosmic dice made a strange roll indeed when she came out as a yellow flying talking wolf.
>The trio of you make it to your car.
>"Alright, so we're going for a drive.  To a park.  Because you two drive me bananas.  That means that there are going to be people around, so I'm going to need your cooperation to make sure no one tries to scoop you up and take you away."
>Rainbow scoffs while Flutters ears fall to the wayside.  She looks between the two of you and speaks up.
"Do we really need to go out so far?  I like it hear at your place.  There's lots of trees and no one around but the three of us..."
>"I know, our set up is so perfect it's almost like destiny."  You open the backseat door and pull out a box.  "But you two really, REALLY need to get out.  But don't worry, it's a big park, and odds are there won't be a lot of folks out there this time of year.  All the same."  You open the box. "We need to take some precautions."
>You pull out a pair of sweaters.
"What the crap is that crap?"
"Oh, are those ours?"
>"Yes.  They are.  For disguises."  Rainbow gives you a look that clearly states her intentions of tearing every strand apart with her teeth the second she gets the chance.  "These are to hide your wings.  If you don't wear them then we're staying inside all day and I'm watching Moon no matter how much you complain."  Rainbow falls to her haunches and howls.
"But that flick's so DULL!"
"I like Moon...."
>"And that's why you're the good one.  Now let's see how these fit..."
>After some difficult minutes and snapping you've managed to corral Rainbow into the sweater.
"My wings itch."
>"It's called will power.  You'll live."  She gnaws at the fabric.  You bop her nose.  She growls heavily.  You growl back until she kicks snow in your face and hops ontop of your car and flattens her ears in disgust.
>Fluttershy was much more amiable.  She slid into her sweater like a seal into water.  She yipped happily as her head popped out the collar.
"Does it look cute?"
>Her eyes lit up like a christmas tree.  "Uh.  Yes.  Adorable.  Right, Rainbow?  Cutest thing that ever graced the Earth."  Rainbow's forepaws dangled over the roof of the car.  She rolled her eyes.
"Yes."
>She wouldn't look directly at Flutterwolf, so you knew she was telling the truth.
>"Oh right, one more thing."  You pulled a pair of beanies out of the box.  "We gotta hide those manes."
>Rainbow popped up and banged on the metal roofing.
"And what the hell's wrong with MY mane?"
>"It's looks like a bowl full of froot loops, that's what's wrong."  Flutterwolf digs at the snow.
"I like froot loops."
>You wipe your nose.  "I know, but stil, this is way less distracting.  Just wear them, it'll make all our lives so much easier.  Don't fight me too much on this and when we get back I'll cook those steaks I've been saving."
>Rainbow stares you dead in the eyes and sniffs deeply, trying to smell even the slightly trace of deceipt.  She found none.
"Deal."
>Both in the beanies.  You had to fight the laughter.  Oh wow.  They belonged on the Christmas card of some lonely 57 year old woman.  You pull out your phone.
>"Hold still for a second."  Rainbow cocked an ear.  You half expected a bullet to pop out of her mouth when she barked at you.
"I know what you're trying to do!"
>The camera on your phone flashed.  "Hah!  Too late loser."
>You took a second picture.
>It was of Rainbow jumping at you, wings tore through the sweater fabric, jaws wide open and going for the neck.  Flutters was covering her muzzle with her paw.
>You ended up framing it and sticking it on your dresser.

-

>Snow covered the old coniferous forest, providing a near perfect monochramitc landscape if it weren't for the blue wolf zipping across the fields and between the trees in a green sweater.
>Let her run all she wants, that only means she'll sleep longer once you get home.  Meanwhile you sit on a thick fallen log with a thermos in hand, it's contents have long since lost it's warmth.  You took a sip.  Still good though.
>Rainbow leapt and sprinted, doubtless chasing after an imaginary rabbit.  Her sweater bulged out occassionally whenever she attempted to spread her wings out for a glide.  She would snarl at the constriction and relieve her agitation by running faster.
>Half the forest is covered in wolf tracks.
>You take another sip as she jumps up the side of a tree and barked wildly.  A flock of birds fled in terror from the blue thing with sharp teeth.  She whooped and cackled, jumping and snapping in middair.
>Snow slides off the top of the log as Flutterwolf perches next to you.  You give her a lingering glance as she settles into a straightened posture and holds very still.  Her eyes steadily trace Rainbow.  Her nose quivers, sifting through the scents of frozen water, chilly pine leaves, and tiny animals buried deep beneath the ground.
"I haven't seen her this happy in months."
>A small smile turns up her chops.  Rainbow dug into a snowbank.  "She's going to be at this for hours, isn't she?"  Flutters doesn't nod, instead simply replying with
"She is."
>"What about you?  You're not going to join her?  You've just been sniffing around trees and poking your nose into burrows."
"Me?  No, I'm fine."
>"So there's no boundless energy you need to bleed off?  You don't have any instinctual urge to go cartwheeling after birds and stuff?"  She looks down at the light-blonde fur of her paws.
"Not me.  I've never really had the heart for that kind of...sport."  Her head bobs back up and follows Rainbow's flurries.  "But I do like watching it from time to time."
>"Hm."  You put the thermos down into the snow, not caring if it got any colder.  You rub your hands together.  "It is quite a sight."  Her sweater ruffled as she turned to you.
"But don't get me wrong, I'm glad you took us out today," she reassured "I like getting out and seeing new places.  And Rainbow does too.  A lot."
>"You two deserve it."  She laughed in a way that translates to 'thank-you.'
"I think she needed it more than I did."
>"How so?"
"Well...you know.  She gets...antsy.  And jumpy.  And loud...y."  She stared into your blank face.  "Moreso than usual."
>"Yeah.  I assumed that was her default state."  You put your elbows on your legs.  "So has she always been this way?"
"For as long as I've known her. "  She digs her paw at her blue beanie covering up her head and most of her ears.  You'd still rather have them keep it on just in case some stranger does wander through.  "Back home she'd rarely stay in her den.  She'd only sleep there if she used it at all.  Otherwise she'd be out, playing with friends or chasing something down.   Hmm."
>Her ears flicked out of the corner of her hat.
"But every once and a while she'd get an itch.  She'd start looking up at the sky and stop talking.  That meant she was ready to go for a walk."
>"A walk?"
"A long walk.  She would just pick a direction and start moving.  It worried our friends a lot whenever she did that.  She would be gone for days, or weeks sometimes, but she always came back."
>That did not surprise you at all.  "Did that worry you?"
"Of course it worried us.  Our friends would get nervous and scared for her.  Rainbow is strong, and she's so smart, but still, the thought her just wondering off alone so far away...." she shuddered.  "That's why I always went with her."
>Now that surprised you.  "Really?  She would just pull up anchor, sail away and let you tag along like that?"
"She did give me some funny looks when I first followed her.  But she learned pretty fast that I wasn't just going to let her scamper off like that anymore.  I think she enjoyed the company after a while, even if she didn't say much on those little...trips."
>You wonder what would motivate Rainbow to do such a thing.  You yourself would sometimes get bitten by the urge to throw a bag of clothes in a toothbrush in the back of your car and drive off, but you never actually did as much.
>Did you even know why you'd want to do that? You asked Flutters where Rainbow would take her.  She thought for a moment and looked around as scenes played before her eyes.
"We saw...rivers.  And mountains.  Forests where all the trees smelled so different from the ones I was used too.  Flowers full of bees and pollens that would get stuck on my nose and make me sneeze."  She laughed softly.  "A lot of birds with different colors and calls.  But Rainbow would chase after them before I could get a really good look."
>Her tail brushed lazily away at the snow on the log.
"It could get a little scary sometimes -just the two of us so far away from home.  I had trouble sleeping some nights after we found a cave to stay in.  I saw cute little birds, but I also saw some bigger scarier things that lived out there..."
>"You do know that you're a wolf, right?  You're one of the biggest and scariest things on the food chain."  She shook her head at the statement.
"I'm not that big..."
>"You can still fly."
"I'm not that fast."
>"Then why would you go with her?  If you knew it was dangerous out there and you could be hurt, especially with someone as nuts as Rainbow, then why risk it?"  She answered in a measured, factual, sincere voice.
"Because I didn't want her to be alone.  I needed to know she was safe.  If she ever needed help then I would be there for her.  That's why I was with her.  That's why I'm with her now."
>Quiet seeps in.  You speak and the silence ripples.  "And I'm guessing you were on a jaunt whenever you two showed up in my backyard?"  She nodded.
>"Are you still glad you came with her?"
"She would be in a lot of trouble if I didn't."
>You laughed deeply and took a drink out of your ever-cooling thermos.  "That she would.  Oh man, she would.  So.  Did Rainbow ever say why she'd go running around in the first place?  Was she on some mystic journey to find her innerself, or just real bored or...?"   Flutters 'hmm' to herself and said
"I think she just likes seeing things she hasn't before.  She's an explorer, I guess.  Flying and running as far as she can and as high as she can.  Whenever we came home she would be happier and laugh louder.  But she did always come home."
>"So maybe that's why she's been so antsy.  She hasn't been able to go home yet."  That sounded more serious than you intended.  "Um."
"It's okay.  Can I tell you something?"
>"Go for it."  She picks her words like flowers.
"Rainbow will not stay anywhere I don't feel safe."
>"Oh."
"And I won't stay anywhere Rainbow doesn't feel safe."
>That made things pretty clear.  "Good to know you trust me like that."  You screw the lid of your thermos back on slowly, deliberately.  You had to process this.  "Even after I tried to beat Rainbow away with a bat when she chased me to my back door after I first found you two?"
"We were all a little nervous that night.  You were the first talking thing we ran into for days."
>She sounded apologetic.  "Hm."
"But thank you for keeping us safe, and letting us stay in your den."
>"I was getting bored by myself anyway."  She smiles just enough for her teeth to shine.
"Then it's good we showed up."  Her ear pops up from under her hat.  "We all just match perfectly together."
>Rainbow chose this moment to trot up, dragging something big and heavy in her mouth.
"Ey ook wha I hound!"
>You and Flutters stare at the big, craggly black branch in her mouth.
>"That's a branch."
"I think it's a branch."
"Es a ransh!"
>She preened over her prize.
>You looked supremely unimpressed.
"It's a very nice branch."
>She spat it out of her mouth and wags her tail.
"I know, huh?"  She motioned to you.  "Hey dude. Guy."
>"Oi?"
"You bring any food?  I'm starving."  She sits on her hind legs and gestures wildly with her foreleg.  "I mean, I COULD catch some decent grub for us if SOME paranoid jerk would let me take this dumb shirt off."
>"Ya can't take the shirt off."
"If some STUBBORN paranoid jerk would let me -"
>"I brought some food with me, but it's back in the car."  You stand up and stretch, dusting off the light patches of snow that has settled an your shoulder and legs.  "We can eat there and...turn the heater on, I think my ears are going to fall off."
"I won't eat them if you're worried about that."
>"Thanks for reassuring me."  Flutters giggles.  Rainbow jumps on the log next to her and sniffs around her neck rapidly.
"Come on 'Shy, we have to eat all the food the fashion designer over here brought!"
>She returned the nuzzle.
"Oh, I'm not that hungry."
"More for me, then.  Let's go anyway!"
>Rainbow jumped off the log and the bulge in her wings betrayed her expectation to glide away, but she was simply betrayed by gravity and fell ungracefully into the snow instead.
"Ugh."
>"Hah."
>Flutters steps gingerly off the log and you begin the trek back to the car.