Submission (#6317) Approved

Loki's travels had taken him far, but his mind would wander even farther. That was his mantra and the studious kittom had been looking forward to curling up with a good book all day. After a long day of studying rime beetles in the field with his guide, frigid Strynhalde's teeth had bitten deep. Loki had made quite the fuss about not being disturbed as he strode with purpose through his quaint lodgings, selecting a volume and settling down by a roaring fire. Light and heat lapped gently on his fur, illuminating the page as his eyes settled on the top of the page and he began to lose himself in the tome's spell. The dancing flames brought deep shadows among bookshelves standing tall, flickered in the porcelain of a steaming hot drink which perched on an oaken stool beside the young scholar. They also happened to dropping the occasional ember by the soft purple rug on which Loki laid his tired body. 'Bit unsafe, that', he mumbled before pulling his mind back to his studies. Crackles and pops punctuated the evening silence as snowflakes fell behind metal-sashed glass, while deep, relaxed breaths through a tiny nose took in the scents of charring embers, fresh coffee and parchment.

This was Loki's idea of a perfect evening. That is until, the still air gave way to a rapping upon the hardwood door. Loki sighed. 'I had specifically asked not to be disturbed!' he mused. Eyes began to droop once more upon the top of a fresh page, but the noise found Loki's ears once more. This time he answered with a groan and pushed forcefully with his paws against the rug. Pawpads found a begrudging march and he made his way to the door with a furrowed brow. After fumbling with the latch, the solid door swung outwards, peppering the green kittom with a flurry of errant snowflakes and the lidded blue eyes of his visitor, twinkling softly as the firelight pierced out and into the evening gloom.

'Loki'. Fu's voice spoke as always with a confident softness as the white snowy kittom addressed the confused scholar. The words met narrowing eyes as Loki pondered her business with him at this hour. He retorted as cordially as he could muster his patience to do so with her name in kind, pondering how to address the interruption.

He did not get his chance. 'Follow me'. Upon uttering this, Fu turned on her heels and began to head steadily towards a patch of nearby spruce trees. All at once, Loki's senses seemed to desert him. He was incredulous. It was as though his mind was flung casually across a frozen pond, flailing frantically as he attempted to address exactly where to begin to address the audacity that had been brought to his door. To interrupt his reading time, to ask him to step into the cold night's snow without first donning his boots! To give no context or cordial greeting! The nerve! Eventually his thoughts found traction like claws on the ice. At first it was a stammer, then the questions about what exactly was the nature of such intrustion followed behind. By the time Loki had composed himself, Fu had pressed on a solid 20 feet and paused by the trunk of a solid looking tree. She paused and gazed back in his direction, her head lilting slightly to the side. Was her invitation and motioning not enough for Loki to get the message she had something to show him, perhaps?

The deluge of questions fell upon her ears accross the blanketed yard. They were met with only a sigh and the momentary shuttering of those deep blue eyes, blinking closed as Fu remembered the nature of her bookish companion. She opened them anew and gazed softly at Loki. 'Follow me, please.' Surely manners would do the trick. Sure enough, it did. Loki knew that Fu was not the most vocal of nin, choosing to speak with actions over words. The gesture of her pausing to consider how best to relate to him in his confused state assuaged Loki's doubts. His mouth closed and he took begrudging steps into the evening snow. Crunch. Crunch. The cold bit harshly once more into bootless paws and Loki grimaced. He pressed on as he watched Fu pass into the edge of the forest, her tail swishing gently from side to side. The snow did not trouble her as it did Loki, she was a local in this harsh climate. Born and raised, a skilled forager and his guide to this harsh landscape.

Tall evergreens loomed overhead and swayed gently as they were buffeted by the Strynhalde weather that the two nin had both come to know at different paces. Lights gently bathed the edge of the forest from the town and the gentle chatter of nin could be heard from some of the houses.

'This had better be the biggest rime beetle I've ever seen, Fu'. He plodded through thicker snow between the trees and found his companion seated, eyeing glowing insects which bustled among the low spruce branches industriously. Her head turned to regard him. The soft glow of the insects glimmered in the deep blue of her horns and crown, mixing with the soft firelight still piercing out through the open door. 'Are these why you disturbed my reading time? They're pretty, Fu, but they aren't rime beetles. You know I need my rest after our excursions' Loki protested. Fu only stood and took a few more steps, revealing a wrapped box which had been concealed behind her form. Loki's eyes fell upon it and he began to piece together what this was about.

Fu glanced towards him, at the box, then looking away. She raised a paw and pushed it gently towards him. The box tipped and tattered. 'Here.' The green kittom's eyes widened with surprise. 'For me?!' Loki drew a paw to his mouth and gasped with a joy he had not felt in some time. 'For you' came a soft reply that seemed to both point out into the forest and be directed to him all at once. On top of the box emerged her flustered pomu, pointing towards Loki and gesticulating as if to encourage Fu to acnowledge him during such a generous moment. 'Pomu! Pomu!' cried the tiny familiar, but she simply looked further away. The soft fluffs on Fu's ears however flicked backwards towards Loki, listening for signs of him opening his new gift.

'Are you... Blushing?' queried Loki. He had not observed Fu to be the delicate type. She was often cold, firm and calm. His question was met with a combination of silence and her tail beating firmly against the snow. He decided it was better not to press and fumbled with the neatly tied ribbons, assisted by her eager pomu.

The ribbons fell to the side with the lid of the box and Loki's breath was taken away. He pushed his paws into the box and his delicate beans were met with the sensation of soft wool. It was so warm. His tail began to flick excitedly and he let out a chirp which was far out of character for him. Fu's ears noticeably flicked as she fanned her ears and glanced back, cracking into what could be an almost imperceptible smile. 'A hat and scarf!' smiled Loki. 'And they match my coat!' 

'You complain too much about the cold' chided Fu. 'I was worried. So here. It's tradition'. Loki was touched by her kindness and reached out to embrace Fu, but remembered her temperament. He lowered his outstretched paws back into the snow and cleared his throat. 'Thank you, Fu. I have been admittedly a little too wrapped up in my studies and I had quite forgotten the seasons.' The gift had done more for Loki than he first reallised, it reminded him that there was a depth of culture he had tended to overlook, and of the companionship shared between nin in the changing of the seasons.

'Care for some cocoa?' grinned Loki. Fu's ears bounced excitedly and she let out an excited gasp before clearing her own throat. Her tail flicked excitedly and her hooded eyes opened with a little extra brightness that caught the fireflies and twinkled brightly. 'Only if it's not too much trouble.' Fu could barely contain her smile this time and Loki tilted his head away to conceal a wry chuckle The two nin padded back through the evening snow, pomu in tow as the wooden door shut itself to the night air with a resounding thud.