[PRP] It Takes A Tribe [Hiyoko/Gimpi] - Fin

[X Moon Fighter X]

It had been a few months since finding a little BCR in a lake, then having it become an adorable little kit. Gimpi still had no idea what to do with her. He had help of course, yet he wanted to be closer to her. Aponi was very close to her 'mother' and stuck to her like glue. Despite Gimpi trying everything in the book, including bribes, the little one still preferred Hiyo. Gimpi sighed and flopped over. "Why does she like you more?" He grumbled to himself. "I was the one who found her." He was feeling defeated as he stared at the little kit. Was that a smug look on her face? He stared even more, his eyes becoming slits as he near squinted. Aponi cuddled into Hiyo, watching him from the corner of her eye. He groaned... He knew it. "She's doing it on purpose..." He whined at Hiyo. He just wanted a little love from Aponi... try to be a good dad.

[167]  

[Renogoran]

Hiyoko layed with Aponi, She had been with her and Gimpi for a while, and ever since she had bee attached to Hiyo at the hip. Gimpi seemed to be a tad jealous though. "Im sorry Gimpi.Im sure she loves you too, I honestly dont know why she is so preferential towards me." she laughed a bit then looked down at the little kit, who was burrowed into her side. "You could just come lay with her. honstly It would probably be better that way since I need to get up to make my rounds soon and Id rather her not be following me for it, a few members of the tribe are sick and I need to get some medication to them, last thing I need is her to get sick." she smiled at the male and patted the ground next to her. "If you sleep next to me she cant get away from you, and she'll get more used to sleeping next to you." (167)  

[X Moon Fighter X]

Gimpi frowned. "That seems like cheating." He did understand that Hiyo had things to do for the tribe. He also knew that Aponi loved joining her. Gimpi had a feeling in his gut that the curious, little kit would get sick on Hiyo's rounds. Hiyo was a big girl and used to the sick. Aponi was young and definitely more prone to getting sick. He sighed. "Doesn't the gardens need weeds pulled?" He thought maybe the little one would prefer to go outside at least. He looked over to the kit. "Aponi... you want to help daddy today?" He watched as she looked between himself and Hiyo. More towards Hiyo, almost looking for some kind of approval. The kit then nodded and sat neat Gimpi. Huh...it actually worked. "Alright then. Hun, we will tend to that while you make your rounds. If we're not back before you, you should come join us." Just in case he needed back up. He was rather nervous. He never really had one on one time with Aponi and he was worried she would up and wonder off to find Hiyo out of shear boredom or dislike of him. He groaned to himself. Maybe he was just making this harder than it actually was.

[210] Total: 377  

[Renogoran]

Hiyo nodded, "Yeah that sounds like a plan. Alright Gimpi Im going." she turned around and headed off. when she was out of earshot she muttered to herself. " why did he call me hun? I mean were not really married, from what I understood he was just sticking around til Aponi grew up. Maybe hes just trying to keep appearances... Or maybe he actually does wanna stay." she still felt bad that he was pressured into helping Hiyo raise the kit now calling her mom. Hiyo grabbed some supplies she would need and started making her rounds. stopping at everyones homes to check on them, and deliver any medication they needed. After most of the homes were visited, Hiyo went to visit the outskirts where Her father lived to check on him.While she was there she was told Hanako would be over later supposedly she had something she needed to talk about.
Finally she had one home left, which she saved knowing that it was on the way back. "Hey Parrot you home? Either way Im comin' in..."
The place was a mess. Then again Raizo was dealing with his own kids 1 boy and 3 girls, one of which who he lovingly named Ross, (who the 2 agreed was a terror) acted nothing like her 2 mellow parents. the second she stepped foot inside, a blue blur darted behind her, one which she could feel shaking.
"Inugami what's wrong" Hiyo asked the small male. "Lemme guess your sister is being a bit too rough..." the small phim nodded. "well then how about you go ask your dad if you can come help me Gimpi and Aponi with the garden."
The kit jumped off her back getting a little air time before falling on his butt, and scurrying off for a moment before coming back and nodding. "Good I think some time away from home will do you some good, also a playmate would probably help Aponi come out of her shell a bit..."
(337-504 total)  

[X Moon Fighter X]

With that Gimpi gently lifted the kit up gently by her scruff and placed her on his back. "Hold on little one. We're gonna test out those wings of yours." He knew the little kit was fascinated with the pattern on her sides. The deities looked like they tattooed butterfly wings on the kit. She also really liked butterflies, maybe she would enjoy a bit of a flight. Hehe... He just hoped Hiyo didn't find out. She might not be to happy. He promised to himself he wouldn't fly too high. He felt the kit wiggle into his back and curl, little, nubby claws gripping into his skin. He didn't mind though. He spread his lopsided, mismatching wings and carefully lifted of the ground and headed toward the tribe's garden. As the flew he felt the young one uncurl and release his skin from her grip. She moved from his back towards his neck and found herself on top of his head. She layed flat to be aerodynamic with him enjoyed the scenery.

Once the landed, he smiled. He definitely felt like they had a moment of bonding. Something he knew he needed, what they both needed. It was a small step for Aponi to start liking him more. With that he nudged her toward the garden and as he thought she took off as soon as she saw a few butterflies. He sighed and chuckled to himself. He had a feeling he would be doing most of the work by himself. He sat and watched her for a while, a little happy to see the butterflies making a dart for it as to not get captured by the rambunctious little monster. Aponi then joined Gimpi. "Ready to get started?" Aponi nodded and waddled into the dirt. She sniffed around and yanked out a clover. "Good job, just be careful about which ones you pull. We need some of these to help our friends in the tribe." He showed her the peppermint and had her take a sniff. "This will help if you have a tummy ache." He watched her sniff it happily. "And it smells nice." He chuckled and let her explore. She mostly stuck to pulling the easy things like clovers and dandelions. He stuck to the things that needed to be pulled by the roots. It was hard work but he didn't mind. Though Aponi was getting rather filthy. A bath never hurt anyone... Right?

[408] Total: 785  

[Renogoran]

"Okay then runt lets get going... Hey Raizo Ill get him back before its too late" Hiyo scooped the boy up and placed him on her back."so were going to the tribes garden do you know where that is?" she asked inugami to which he shook his head."Okay then we'll go there now, then you can see."
Hiyo Made her way over towards the garden, with the small blue phim. the tribe was pretty much dead, nobody was really out most of them either sick or treating the sick. She Reached the garden and looked at the 2 "hey you two, Im done." she grinned."And I brought someone to help us out." She pointed to the Little Phim next to her, who Looked at the other 2 nervously. "Its Raizo's kid, hes a bit skiddish, so go easy on him Okay Aponi?" she said looking at the girl who seemed to be covered in all sorts of dirt and leaves.
"You look like you've been having fun, your all covered in dirt." Hiyo laughed."now go see what you need to do Inugami, you'll probably just be pulling weeds...Oh yeah Inugami this is Aponi, my daughter." she Said to the kit, who waved at Aponi, politely."Aponi this is Inugami, hes one of Raizos kids"
"Ok Gimpi where did you leave off..." Hiyo asked putting her things down, and starting to pick at weeds, letting Inugami start to see what to do, and follow after her. "There we'll be done in no time..."she said out loud but mostly to herself. "so what should we have for lunch? Any requests?" She could easily go get what everyone wanted or have someone,pick it up for her.
(290-794 total)  

[X Moon Fighter X]

Gimpi looked over, with a dirt covered face and paws and near soggy hair from sweat, to see Hiyo had finished her rounds. "Oh hey. I - ..." Well, Aponi did help.. a little. "...We are almost done here." He looked to at the other arrival that Hiyo brought with her. A little Phim kit that was know for being a little skiddish. Oh boy. Hopefully Aponi would heed Hiyo's advice on going easy on the poor kid. "A few extra hands wouldn't hurt." He watched as Aponi stop what she was doing and just watch the other kit. When Aponi is introduced to someone knew she just stares and waits. Aponi looked between each fox in the garden. If mom brought them here they must be alright. She waddlr through the garden and sat in front of the other kit. Staring them down. Gimpi watched, trying not to laugh. That poor girl was so socially awkward. She did get out, but was just glued to Hiyo during her rounds. She didn't talk much. Maybe bringing the other kit here was a ploy set by Hiyo to actually get the poor girl talking and out of her shell. At this rate, with her staring him down, she might just scare him away.

Gimpi got up and sat next to Hiyo. "I don't even know if she can talk... I don't recall her really ever saying anything to anyone." Maybe she talked to Hiyo. He shrugged. "I hope she'll say /something/." He rather forgot about the mention of food. "I don't care. I'm more thirsty right now than anything." He spat out a bit of dirt from his mouth. There was a stubborn weed that need a little wing power to get all the roots out. "Something simple I guess. It doesn't have to be anything huge." He watched as Aponi was still staring down the kit. Only to take out a sprig of peppermint and putting it up near his nose. She was apparently fascinated by the smelly plant and wanted to share it with the other. Gimpi sighed and slowly face palmed. "She discovered peppermint today..." There she goes, really showing how awkward she was. He looked to Hiyo. "So... How were the rounds?" He asked a rather awkwardly. "Is anyone feeling better? Hopefully the sickness hasn't spread." He was happy he hasn't gotten sick. He was a miserable blob whenever it did happen, it was rather pathetic really.

[408] Total: 1193  

[Renogoran]

Hiyo smiled, "It was all alright, foxes are starting to recover." She laughed when Inugami shook at the sudden scent change. "If your thirsty I could go fetch you some water." she said standing up. "Oh and my dad said Hanako would be coming by, said she had a big favor to ask... he wouldn't say what it was." with that she walked off with a bucket with which she ran off towards the lake to get some water. when she reached the lake she dipped the bucket into the water scooping some water, placing it to her side, she knelt her head down and got herself a drink. She sensed something watching her. something was nearby, but its scent was gone as soon as she really got a lock on it. When she grabbed the bucket she slowly turned careful not to drop it. and headed back not noticing the burn marks on one of the trees.
Inugami sniffed the mint sprig."it smells funny..." he muttered.Watching the still staring female. "you dont say much huh?"
when Hiyo arrived back at the garden she placed the bucket by Gimpi."here ya go" she grinned."I could go catch some fish if you want. I think its salmon season so I could probably catch some easily." Salmon actually sounded pretty good right now. the thought of the presence came to her but she quickly expelled it from her mind. It was similar to sulpher, however something was different about it.
(251-1045)  

[X Moon Fighter X]

"It is good to hear that others are recovering." His head tilted. "Hanako? Your sister?" He frowned. Hiyo's sister was a little more aggressive than she was, or so he heard, and he wasn't sure what she thought of him. Knowing how words spread he was sure it wasn't a good one. "A favor? Uh..." He looked away, then back at her. "Will I be needed for this favor? Should I go do something else?" Why was he asking... She didn't even know what Hanako needed. He sighed. "I guess if it was important something more would have been said." With that he gave a little thank you for offering to get the water for him.

As she left he kept a close eye on the kids. He had his fingers and toes crossed that Inugami would crack her shell... before she broke him. Aponi set down the mint and nodded that it was indeed smelly, but in a good way. When mentioned that she didn't say much she just tilted her head. Why would she need to say anything? She usually found things out on her own.. Eventually. She turned her back to the other kit and yanked a few more weeds from the garden. She soon grew bored of it and just fell over into the dirt, narrowly avoiding the other plants and getting more dirt on her coat.

With Hiyo's return he thanked her again. and took a swig from the bucket, swished it around his mouth and spat it out, along with a few chunks of dirt. After his mouth was washed out he too deep drink from the fresh water and exhaled. "Ahh... Much better. Thanks again." He frowned a bit. "Aponi is filthy." At the mention of salmon he nodded. That is actually a brilliant idea. "Yeah... salmon. We can take the kids to the river. Aponi can swim and get a little clean." He shrugged. "It would be more fun that sitting here pulling weeds for them. I can come back later this evening and finish it. It won't be too much trouble." He looked to Aponi in the dirt. "And salmon does sound pretty good." He gave another awkward smile to Hiyo. "I'll scoop up the kids." With that he walked over to the kits. "Let's go have something to eat. We were thinking Salmon at the river.How does that sound?" With a nod and a bounce up Aponi nodded and climbed straight onto Gimpi's back, expecting another flight.

[418] Total: 1603  

[Renogoran]

"Yeah Hanako is my sister, and I dont know what it is, all I know is that she needs help with something which isnt like her to come to me, especially for help, when she has a ton of people from that tribe she's in waiting on her hand and foot." Hiyo got increasingly more irritable as she went on with her explanation. "But You can stay if you wanna... I shouldn't need any help, and if I do you'll know, there will be a fire and a lot of yelling." Hiyo sighed, her sister didnt seem to like her family very much, to Hanako her sister was a pathetic weakling and her father was a traitor, hell she painted their mother as some evil demon who seduced their father despite Aurum telling her the story of how he had met Rinko. And in return for Hanko's treatment of her family the two sisters usually got into severe fights. Hiyo wanted to tell Gimpi that she didnt want him to have to be around another daeva like the one he had been following for a good time, but she knew that would probably cause him a lot more pain, and do no good.

When Gimpi grabbed Aponi to start heading towards the river Hiyo scooped Ingugami with her tail. while on her back Inugami started flapping her wings to try to get himself Airborne, but was having some trouble."dont worry Kiddo You'll get it eventually..." Hiyo laughed. She agreed that a trip to the river with the kids would give Aponi a chance to get cleaned off."Oh we just gotta remember to get at least three or 4 extra fish, one for sulpher and a few for Draigoch....Im sure they can catch their own food but I feel bad taking fish and not getting them something...well sulpher would flip with a whole salmon. I remember her trying to carry one one time and she bumped into every tree she went past, because she couldnt see where she was going." Hiyo chuckled.
when she passed by the rock she used to get away from everyone she knew they were close, the scratch marks she had put into its side all meant something, every bad memory she had, every failed relationship, every time she had to do harm to her own family, this was the place she had slept when she had gotten lost in the shinku woods."Ya know they say that if someone has a evil heart they cant find the tribe, they get lost and the forest will constantly turn them around and spit them out back at the entrance...I got lost here a long time ago, after I did something horrible. I let my anger get the best of me, in a time of weakness and I hurt someone who was only trying to help me, and I regret it every day." Hiyo would probably be just as hateful as she was back then if she hadnt met Gimpi. she would have refused to accept her own blood line, and would be a mirror of her sister."But eventually someone showed me something I needed to see, and I was able to make peace with it."
with that the group reached to river, the sound of running water was apparent, and upon closer inspection Hiyo could see the numerous salmon trying to swim upstream. "Okay guys lets try to be careful not to catch more then we need, these guys are going to go breed, so we need to allow at least some of them to make it so we can have more to eat one day..."

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[X Moon Fighter X]

"I see." He wanted to mention that she sounded a little messed up. He really had no room to say that someone else was messed up. "Maybe it would be important if she is coming to you for help. If you do need me though Aponi and I won't be far. I'm sure Raizo will keep an eye on her if need be." Gimpi knew the two had a good relationship, or at least he thought. He thought Raizo would grow tired of being called 'parrot' but he doesn't seem to mind too much. "Do you have any idea what it could be? Maybe her tribe life has gone down the drain and she wants to join you?" His head tilted as he asked. That question was probably far fetched to her. He frowned a bit. Family fights were not good to hear about. Then again, he did not have a family to fight with. (As far as he knew.)

He wouldn't look at her as she told him about her troubles. Troubles he caused. Others caused. Hiyo was special, he knew that. She didn't deserve the cause and pain he had put her through. He too, had troubles. Troubles that he was currently hiding from. He felt a little sick. He felt like he was using her to get away from it all. A place to hide. How he managed to find the tribe was surprising. He did feel like he was wondering for days until he collapsed. Maybe he never found it and it was by Hiyo's graces he even made it. He sighed, many thoughts swimming in his head. He kind of wished they were alone so he could really talk to her. They had two kits with them and didn't want either one to worry about him nor Hiyo. She did seem rather... okay with him being around. He had no idea if it was her just putting up a front to please Aponi. Then again... maybe he was too? He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking on this. When ever he did he felt torn inside and he couldn't handle it now.

He was relieved once they reached the river. He got low to the ground and allowed Aponi to jump down. She flopped over onto her side, disappointed no flights were had for this trip. She was nudge up by Gimpi. "Go on little one. Go play in the water." He smiled a bit as she ran off to swat at the salmon trying to make it upstream... Only to lose her balance and fall into the water. "What about you?" He looked to the other little kit. "You should go play too." He walked toward the water. "I'll get the fish, watch the kids." He easily took flight and hovered over the fish, some he helped up, others he tossed into the shore. He mostly helped up the ones that wouldn't make a good meal. After having six large salmon he returned to the shore. "I should probably take a dip to... I must reek of fish and dirt." He looked to Hiyo. "What about you, are you wanting to take a swim too?" He looked away as Aponi shrieked. A fish nibbled on her toes and she was staring into the river, appalled the fish would ever do something like that to her. She tried swatting the salmon but it was too fast for her, so she decided to take it out on the fish that we already caught. She swatted one hard in the face and it flopped into her face and back into the river, Aponi running away and colliding into Inugami.

[616]Total: 2219  

[Renogoran]

Hiyo shrugged "who knows...Hanako is , a special case. I think she has too much pride to just admit that she wants to switch sides, especially given her tribes history with the shinku." That woman who raised Hanako was the one responsible for them losing their mother. the 2 tribes had supposedly been at odds for generations. She knew alot of this from speaking with Sulpher, another former member. She really wanted some privacy with Gimpi, there were things she had been wanting to talk about with him. She still loved him, but felt he probably either hated her for forcing him to stick around, or still only saw her as a friend.
when asked if she was going to get in the water Hiyo nodded, before quickly smacking a couple fish out of the water, Hiyo swallowed hard and decided she should speak up."Hey Gimpi, I wanted to say that Im really..." Before she could finish Hiyo saw Aponi smack one of the fish back into the water, only to go running into Inugami, who simply toppled over."You two Okay over there?" Hiyo asked concerned. not looking hiyos foot landed on a salmon, whos quick sprint foreward sent her into a small panic only for her to go quickly side stepping into Gimpi.
"Im okay I just got startled, was paying more attention to the kids then to the fish.and one moved under my paw...Im a klutz." Hiyo felt really embarrassed from this. Thakfully the 2 kids didn't seem to be paying attention so Hiyo decided to use this opportunity to just say it. Looking at Gimpi in the eyes she took a deep breath and said softly so that Aponi and Inugami wouldnt hear. Ii wanted to say Thank you for helping raise Aponi, and I really want you to stay with me, not just for her, but for me. I still... I still love you Gimpi. I dont care about what you've done to anyone or how much pain you may have caused. I dont feel complete when your not here." She felt some weight come off her shoulders.
Inugami toppled over when Aponi ran into him. He let out a small nervous squeak on the impact and rolled backwards."Im okay" he said softly getting back to his feet."Aponi are you Okay?" he asked kindly walking back over to her. watching her for a nod or a head shake.

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