[Chr24] Christmas Prompt: Stalking In The Woods // Maverick's Newest Discovery

Stalking In The Woods // Mavericks Newest Discovery

With the chill in the air coming through Ttatkor and the sun starting to set earlier in the day, Maverick turns the lights of his shop, Reprigrade, on and the heater running. Shinya, Malek, and Tarek all take a hum of comfort in their corners of the shop when the warm air hits them. Maverick walked by Shinya to which he was stopped. “Hey Mav,” Shinya started, “we should decorate the shop this year.” Maverick looked at him with his stone-cold gaze, but Shinya knew no malice was behind it. “Think about it,” Shinya stood up, wrapping an arm around his best friend's shoulder. “It’d be a nice touch to the shop, and it would engage customers when they see it from the outside.” Maverick looked at Shinya, slowly squinting his eyes at him. Shinya sighed a laugh. “Look, so you don’t have to, Malek and I can do all the decorating.” Maverick's eyes loosened up as he gave a small smile. Shinya grinned widely and shook Maverick by the shoulder. “Atta boy, that’s what I’m talking about!” Maverick’s smile faded as he pushed his friend away and fixed his jacket. “The thing is…” Shinya started. Maverick looked back at him with his eyes squinting and eyebrows furrowing again. “We need a new tree. The one you got when you first opened, has seen better days.”

Shinya gestured for him to follow. Maverick obeyed and followed, the both of them heading to the storage room in the back of the shop. Shinya opened the door to find open boxes of past Christmas decorations and a small 4ft tree that had honestly seen better days. Maverick looked at it for a few seconds before looking down and sighing. He looked back up at Shinya and said, “So where do we get a new one?” Shinya smiled and closed the door. “I know just the place.” He whipped around and ran past Malek and Tarek, grabbing them by the back of their jacket collars and choking them in the process. “Pack it up, boys! We’re closing shop to find a new tree to decorate the shop with for the season!” Shinya said as he shoved them in the waiting chairs up front. They both grunted, Tarek hitting his head on the glass and rubbing it. “Why do we have to join in?” Malek asked, fixing his shirt and jacket, and getting comfortable in the chair. “BECAUSE we need a new tree AND it’s a good team-building exercise!” Malek and Tarel both looked away from Shinya’s happy-ass grin and looked at Maverick who simply just shrugged his shoulders.

They both groaned. “Will we get paid extra?” Tarek asked. Shinya scoffed and looked at Maverick, with a look that said “Can you believe what he just asked?” Maverick looked at Shinya with lidded eyes and back at the Dune Burrow and Armorless Dreamrider. “I’ll buy you both lunch tomorrow.” Tarek stood up immediately after Maverick said it. “Oh hell ya, free food! I’m in.” Malek looked up at him confused and angry, but eventually sighed and stood as well. “Fine. I guess it’s better than nothing.” Malek said. “That’s the spirit!” Shinya said, grabbing his things from behind the counter. “Grab you’re stuff and head home and meet back here in 20 minutes. We’re going up north.” Everyone grabbed their things and left, leaving Maverick and Shinya to lock up.

✦

They all met back up at the agreed time, bundled up and ready for the adventure. Maverick was waiting outside in front, leaning against the door with his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. He heard voices and footsteps approaching him, making him look up to see Malek and Tarek walking side by side together talking to one another. They came up and stopped a few feet away from Maverick. Malek looked around before asking, “Where’s Shinya?” Maverick shrugged his shoulders and looked away, waiting for his best friend to show up. Malek crouched down, swaying his tail to make the leaves move and chomping it to scare the bugs. Tarek shoved his hands in his pockets and wished he was a buckleo. Having fur on your hands and arms must be nice. Just then Shinya came running and yelling something. He stopped in front of the group and panted, catching his breath. They all looked behind him to find a Glacial Twiwa flying up from behind, resting on Shinya’s shoulder as he finally caught his breath.

Maverick looked at the Twiwa with disgust and looked back at Shinya with the same, if not more, disgust on his face. “What?!” Shinya said. Maverick didn’t say anything. “Look I know you don’t like him, but he can help us! He’s gotten a lot better since you last came over, trust me.” Maverick looked at the Twiwa again and put his hand out slowly. The Twiwa cocked his head to the side before trying to bite Maverick's fingers off. The sundire reacted in time, pulling his hand away and shoving it in his pocket, looking away with a pout on his face. Shinya laughed a bit before looking at Malek who asked. “What’s that?”

“This is Nevio, my twiwa. I adopted him when he was just a small little thing. I needed some company when my boyfriend isn’t around so I got him. He’s quite the agitator, he doesn’t take well to most things but I trained him well enough to be good…” Shinya looked back at Maverick who was glaring his way. “... enough. Hehe…” Shinya said nervously. “But he can help us! I went down to this grove of trees like 5 clicks north of here and there are so many beautiful trees over there. I thought we might go down there and get one. And this guy,” Shinya said, petting Nevio’s head, “can help us from above.” Malek and Tarek nodded while Maverick was still looking away with a sour look on his face. “Alright Nevio.” Shinya said, pulling his arm out so the twiwa can walk and perch on it. “Hoot if we’re on the right path and bark if there’s danger.” The twiwa just looked at the Kaeraa Arctic mix with its big blue eyes before flying off when Shinya moved his arm up. Nevio cooed out, finding his way off the land before hooting and flying in the right direction. Shinya, Maverick, Tarek, and Malek all followed the bird-like creature north.

They chatted as they followed the Twiwa. The city skirts soon became barren land and eventually the beginning of the forest. Nevio hooted from above and kept going beyond the forest line, making the bucks follow in. The snow crunched below them, the sound around them nearly dicapating as they proceeded. Snow chunks fell off tree branches and hitting the snow below, followed by a loud CRUNCH! “This is where the grove of trees start. Spread out a bit and look for the perfect one!” Shinya said. They all shifted to their feral forms and spread out, looking for a good tree. Malek and Tarek looked together going east, sniffing each trees roots to make sure it was safe. Shinya went further north while Maverick went west. Maverick walked for a bit before running into a good tree. It was a decent size and looked to not be damaged in any way. He howled out before shifting back to his humanoid form. Everyone came running, shifting back as well.

“Oh! Good eye dude.” Shinya said as he approached the tree. Nevio landed on the tree, making some snow fall on the ground. “Nevio seems to like it too!” He said with a smile. “Alright,” he looked around before finding an ax stuck in a stump. He walked over and grabbed it. “Let’s cut this baby down.” As Shinya was about to swing, Maverick looked behind him, hearing a snort come from further in the woods. “Wait.” He said. Contact wasn’t made when Shinya stopped and looked at his best friend. “What?” He asked. Maverick looked around the area the sound came in but didn’t find anything. Just then, a fast shadow whipped by out of the corner of Malek’s eye, making him turn and raise his tail, opening its mouth. “Something else is here with us.” Malek said. Tarek looked around, on guard as well. Shinya, still holding the ax, looked around before putting the sharp weapon down. They all went quiet before hearing a rustle come from the same area Maverick heard the snort. They all faced the same direction, shifting back to their feral forms and getting ready for a fight. Teeth barred and low growling filling the air before a large cluster of reetles came out of the bushes and ran past the group. Everyone was startled but didn’t attack. “A cluster of reetles?” Shinya asked, looking at them as they ran past.

Nevio barked and flew towards the cluster of reetles, playing with them like they were mice. Everyone shifted back to their humanoid form as the cluster vanished to the other side of the trees. They looked at each other and shrugged, Shinya going to lift the ax again. But before he could, he noticed Maverick didn’t shift back and was looking at something. Shinya walked towards him a bit to find Maverick staring at a young reetle who looked to be injured and caught in a bush branch. Maverick shifted back slowly and grabbed the helpless one, breaking and moving the branches so it could be free. He held it in his hands; so small, tiny and helpless. It looked to be a newborn, and a runt at that. The reetle looked at Maverick with its big red eyes. When Maverick didn't say anything or put the bug down, Shinya stepped closer to get a better look, only to be shocked at the look on the sundires face. His eyes were wide with wonder and interest, curious about the creature in his palms. He moved one hand away and put his finger on its head and scratched it. The reetle melted into the touch, chittering about. Shinya’s eyes went wide when he saw the look on Mavericks face. After all these years Shinya has known his best friend, Maverick: The loner, the stoic, the unamused. For once, he showed the brightest smile to the smallest creature in his palm.