[FIN!] Now we cuddle! (Cari x Arrin)

[jinxgirl5]

This roleplay was originally named "All alone, care to cuddle?", but I changed the title when I moved it over to avoid confusing the two links. I'm going to copy/paste all the posts myself rather than Reoakee have to do it with me. Here's a link to the roleplay in the old guild if staff want to check the authenticity.

Total word counts
jinxgirl5: 5,207
Reoakee: 6,023

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 263

Arrin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Today was going to be the first day of his big trip with Cari. They were sneaking away, with permission, from the tribe for a few days while the weather was good. He had been embarrassed when he had first confessed to Cari that this trip he wanted everything to go perfect. The sun was out and the weather was warm except for the little chill at night. He didn’t think that there would be any storms for the next few days so this was the perfect chance and perhaps the last one of the year. He fully intended to take advantage of it. He chuckled to himself. Him take advantage of anything was a joke, but he had become more confident since he had started to stay with Cari so perhaps someday he would live up to the idolized version of him that she had in her head. Of course she had known him for this long and not run off screaming into the mountains so perhaps there was hope for him. A hope only Cari could see but that was enough for him. He loved his tribe but Cari was more precious to him then all of them. Rois was second since he had helped to raise the tenuous little vixen, and then came the rest of the tribe. He knew he was basis but he didn’t think it a bad thing in this case. Sitting down he waited for Cari to finish up her tribe business and come to leave with him.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 233

As though Arrin's thoughts had summoned her, a brilliant red ball of fur came bounded out of nowhere through a gap in the trees. For something so energetic is was amazing how silent she was, but with colors like hers she had to learn to be silent if she wanted to hunt. Mountain scenery wasn't exactly known for its color, after all.

"Arrin," Cari squeaked, nearly bowling her mate over as she flung herself at him, but pulling some of the force at the last minute. While the same size as normals and possessed of the same graceful movements (unless naturally clumsy), sleddogs were usually a lot stockier and more muscled, and thus were a lot heavier than they looked. They had to be, to pull large loads over (and sometimes through) the snow.

"Sorry I'm late! Mika was lecturing me about the training schedule." The perpetually cheerful vixen giggled. "You'd think a little vacation was going to doom us in the races forever more!" Of course Cari liked to win as much as any other fox and always gave everything she did 100%, but compared to the rest of her kind she wasn't very competitive; she took as much pleasure in other's victory as she did in her own.

She snuggled up to her mate, head tucked under his chin. "So where we goin'," she asked, voice alive with curiosity.  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 261

Out of nowhere Cari tackled him. He would never get used to nearly dying each time she did that. His heart slowed after a bit so that he wasn’t in imitate danger of passing to the next life right away. She scared him every time she did that but he loved that she was always so happy to see him. “Cari.” His voice was warm with love and affection as he licked her. “I don’t think it would matter much if you took a vacation, I think the team your on will win every time in the races.” Arrin was very confident not only in Cari’s skills but also the way that their team worked together in the races. It was amazing to watch. He found himself cheering for her whenever he sat down and saw her training and racing. “Still it’s good that Mika cares so much about your team. After all if she didn’t then where would the team be at?” He hummed a bit as he rubbed his head on her. “Well I heard of a nice quite out of the way spot from Rois a while back. She said there was a glade a day and half run from here. Though for a fox like me that’s a two day run.” He grinned at Cari knowing she could probably make it in a day. “On the edge of this glade is a nice little cozy back with an overhang. It might be a nice place to relax and get away so be by ourselves for a while.”  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 115

Cari laughed. "You just don't have enough confidence in yourself," she admonished. "Sleddogs are such powerhouses cause we were built to plot through the snow, but you've got those long legs that holds you above it! All we have to do is figure a running style that suits your build, and I'd bet you could make the same time I do!"

Her short, curly tail waved cheerfully behind her. "Maybe we can practice it or something on the way, cause you're going to have to lead for a lot of it!" She laughed again. "I'd go in front and help clear a path, but knowing me I'd probably turn us all sorts of wrong ways."  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 126

He was flabbergasted. To be as fast as Cari was just impossible for him. Rois might stand a chance but that’s because she had been running since she was a kit. “I don’t know about that but if it meant I could run and not lose sight of you on a run I think it’d be worth the try.” He raised a paw and used it to rub her leg. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. I hope I live up to your faith in me Cari. I’ll do my best.” He stood up and moved a bit so she could see his stand. “Any tips before we start out so I don’t end up curled up in pain?” He grinned at her only half joking.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 135

Cari bit her lower lip, thinking. She was more of a snowplow herself, and didn't quite know how exactly normal foxes ran through snow. There were probably a ton of different ways, now that she thought on it, cause not all sleddogs handled snow the same way either.

"Maybe a leaping style, like how the deerfoxes run," Cari suggested. "With long legs like yours I don't think you'd be able to stay on top of the snow or forge through it. Course bounding will probably be very tiring until your muscles get used to it, and if the snow gets too deep it might not work that well at all," Cari added with a thoughtful expression.

Then she shrugged, looking and Arrin and grinning. "We'll just have to experiment with it, find what suits you."  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 163

Arrin felt silly but he gave a start forward and a leap like a deer fox. It felt very strange to him and he nearly over compensated for his balance. After almost falling on his face he turned to look at her. “ah I think your right. It will take some getting used to.” Still he had the chance to practice on the way so perhaps this was a golden chance and not the dreaded training he was thinking it could be. “As long as you are willing to help me then I know I’ll be fine.” He tried a few more experimental bounds before he decided he should try it on the go. “Alright lets start out before I come to my senses.” He nuzzled Cari and took a moment to get his bearings. Picking his path out of the tribe he started out the journey. The sky showed no chance of a storm which he took to be a good sign.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 117

Cari giggled. "Just try not to face-dive on a rock," she advised as she watched Arrin. His movements still had the awkwardness of unfamiliarity to them, but with practice and some time she was sure he'd get good at it. At least good enough to keep pace with traveling deerfoxes or sleddogs, though probably not good enough for competitive racing.

Then again that might have just been Arrin's own conviction that was holding him back. Cari was fairly certain that if he really put his mind to it, he could be good enough!

But for now she put that out of her mind and plowed through the snow after Arrin, giggling at the lightheartedness of the moment.  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 137

Chuckling he responded. “Well I make no promises but if I do go face-diving I will try to find the softest rock possible.” As he plowed through the trek he had picked he tried to hop forward a few times trying to get used to the different muscles involved. It felt strange to him and he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Cari so he took several normal steps and then would try an experimental hop. He didn’t know if she would notice because he was trying to take only very small hops until he felt more confident about it. Then he would practice larger hops and really show Cari. She always seemed to think that Arrin could do everything in no time and while it wasn’t true he didn’t want to let her down.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 141

Since Arrin knew where they were going and Cari didn't, she stayed behind in a following position. Thus she had a good view of Arrin's little hops; it made his rear a bit more prominent, and Cari blatantly enjoyed the view of her's well-shaped hindquarters.

For all that she'd enthused about a hopping running style, she was very proud to see the tiny experiments her mate was trying. Handsome and smart! It was good to settle into a style rather than just trying to leap into something; that was a good way to get injured!

With that thought in mind, she took a moment to pay attention to her own running. Wouldn't do to hit a tree or rock of her own cause she'd been staring! Especially since it sounded like they'd be running a ways to get to their destination.  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 144

Muscles sore Arrin stopped doing his little forward bounds in face he slowed to a walk. “um Cari I’m pretty sure we are on the right track, would you mind if I took a moment to relax a bit. Today’s weather isn’t too bad and it’s not like we have a set time to be anywhere.” To be honest his muscles were yelling at him for doing what they weren’t used to and it was killing him. He didn’t feel like a young fox at the moment he felt like an old fox who got stepped on repeatedly. He just wanted a moment to curl up and groan for a bit. Still he didn’t want Cari to feel like she had to stop and wait for him. If she wanted to keep going then he would do it, he’d just pay for it later.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 200

Cari took a good look at Arrin, and instantly felt contrite. She should have realized that Arrin wasn't used to spending a good chunk of the day running through snow, let along trying to employ a new running style. She should have known better and called a halt before this, but she'd been distracted by how happy she was to be out here alone with him, feeling the chill breeze against her cheeks as she ran and the warm sun against her back.

She wiggled forward and nuzzled against Arrin. "Bad to stop right now, your muscles will all lock up," she said, examining his shaky legs and thinking. "It would be better if we walked for a little bit first, so your muscles can cool down. If we don't you're going to be really sore, and hurt lots more than you are now."

Cari bit her lip, thinking, then suddenly nodded. "Just point me in the right direction and I'll take point. It'll be easier for you if I break a bit of a path in the snow first. We won't walk for long, just long enough for your muscles to ease up a bit," she reassured her mate.  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 229

Cari pressing up against him felt both good and painful. He nodded and used his head to indicate a direction for her. His legs felt like they were rebelling against him and the last thing he wanted to do was walk but he knew Cari was right. How often had he watched the others in the tribe train for races? He felt foolish for not thinking about it. “Alright. Beside this gives us a bit more of a chance to talk. I know you’re very busy with training but what about the other parts of tribe life? I know it’s been a while since I followed you here and I feel pretty well settled into a rhythm of finding things since well it feels like forever, but um I was wondering how you were feeling lately Cari.” He was not going to bring up the possibility of a family unless Cari wanted one. In truth he wanted kits but he knew that he wouldn’t be much of a strong father type so if Cari didn’t want kits he wouldn’t try and talk his mate into it. He just considered it in his free time having watched other kits grow up in the tribe and turn out to be fairly happy healthy and good kits. He wanted that kind of warm upbringing for any family he had latter in life.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 208

Cari cast Arrin a smile and moved forward to take the lead, using her broad chest and strong muscles to clear through the snow so Arrin could walk easier, but was careful not to overdo it and tire herself out. That wouldn’t help either of them!

“Hmmm. Well mostly I do a lot of running and practice my speed and turn-point time,” she said, going over what life was usually like in the tribe. “Sometimes I’ll go hunting and gathering while I’m out there, since I don’t think we really have anyone officially in that kind of structure yet.” Did they? Cari couldn’t remember if they had official hunters or gatherers yet, since mostly everyone just did everything that needed to be done as it came up.

She turned her head around to look back at Arrin. “It’s actually gotten pretty settled down and routine,” she said, wrinkling her face. “That’s why it’s so nice to do this vacation, it’s a pleasant change and I get to be all alone with you for a few days at least!” As she turned back to face forward she did sign softly. “It’s a shame the kits grew up though. It was nice having babies around, they always make things interesting!”  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 232

Ouch that hurt. Arrin knew that he wasn’t the best gather in the world but he really did try for the tribe. It was true that others had to help out a lot since he was the only one who had it as a full time job but still the fact that Cari didn’t even know it was Arrin who did so much of the foraging was a bit disappointing. “Well I know that anything you bring in is always loved. We don’t really have any hunters other then who brings in food still all in all I think we do fairly well as a tribe.” He nodded watching Cari’s tail wiggle as she walked. “I’m more than happy to kidnap you for a while Cari it’s nice to be able to talk to you without fear of the wrath of Mika if I happen to be taking away from your training or races.” He stuck his tongue out just thinking about it. Mika scared him like there was no tomorrow. He knew the other fox wouldn’t hurt him but he liked to keep his distance just in case. He sighed himself thinking of how interesting it was to help raise little Rois. “Yes kits would be fun.” He chuckled. “Well as long as they don’t disappear into the snow. Remember when we had to spend the whole afternoon looking for Rois?”