It was now Winter at the CLAMP Ecological Reserve. Just last month, the owner that helped take care of that particular land, a man named Shizuka Doumeki, received a young kitten, a very affectionate bobcat kitten that was named Fai. The kitten had been found after a powerful fire broke, destroying thousands of acres. The kitten had received second degree burns and was wandering lethargically about with infection. As it noticed the volunteers fighting the fire, it warmed up to them instantly, and rub affectionately against them, especially Captain Subaru Sumeragi. The firefighters looked for a mother bobcat, but it became quickly apparent the mother had abandoned the kitten. After receiving medical treatment, the kitty was transferred to his current setting. Fai had no fear of people, liking to cuddle with them, which was something Doumeki was doing his best to amend his overfriendliness to humans. It would do no good for Fai in the wild to be attached to humans.
Kurogane was the newest addition after Fai, a black wolf pup who'd had surgery recently from getting hit with construction machinery. He was not people friendly, growling menacingly and bearing fangs anytime Doumeki or another human approached. Doumeki had high hopes for his release by this coming spring. He had been there for two weeks now, and Fai had taken a liking to him as well. And while Kurogane was not friendly to people, he … was much more tolerant of the kitten. Since Doumeki made the kitten do his own hunting of small rodents, such as mice and rabbits, Fai would occasionally bring Kurogane a small food offering, sharing some of the spoils with the pup.
Fai had recently been given a pen outside so that he wasn't usually indoors, no matter how much he preferred the company of others; after so much rejection, he began to shy away, but was still friendlier than some others. He wandered out of his pen that evening, noticing the snow on the ground. The ground was covered with the white stuff, the moonlight casting a brilliant radiance to it and ran over to wake Kurogane up, gently pawing at the other, mewling to get him to rise. Kurogane stirred from his slumber, growling at Fai, wanting to sleep some more, and pushing him away with a black paw. Which only resulted in said kitten, slithering his way between Kurogane's legs and rubbing up against him, letting out a low deep purr, before pouncing on top of his chest, and pouncing around the other, mewing at him, telling him to get up and get up now. Which succeeded to get the canine to sit up, sending a piercing glare at the feline. Which the feline just made purring noises as it sat beside the puppy.
Noticing the snow, Kurogane was curious, slowly sniffing the air and the white stuff, while Fai jumped into a snow bank, yet as he landed in the fallen clouds, the snow was deep enough, Fai had to sit up to see over the snow layer of white, only part of his face visible. He let out a small mewl, tilting his head as he stared at the puppy. Coming, he seemed to ask.
With one steady paw, Kurogane took a step outside the roofed pen and onto the frosty ground. Fai waited, at least until Kurogane had stepped belly deep into the snow before prancing around the wolf, and nuzzling against his side and neck. The puppy snuffed at the ground, his muzzle and legs becoming coated with tiny icy particles. He didn't mind though as he had a thick coat of fur, perfect to insulate himself against the cold snow. Kurogane sniffed about, smelling things. The ground with its malleable blanket, the trees and woodpile – both places that Fai could be found climbed up in, while as the snow presented little heralds of unpleasantries, Fai skipped along after the puppy, following behind in the footsteps made by the other. Fai trailed along after Kurogane, mewling at the puppy, as they headed down a trail, Kurogane sniffing and smelling, and heading closer to the hilly meadow that stretched for miles around, only marked by small shrubbery and some low hanging trees, and during summer an expanse of green with bright blue flowers. Separating the closer - Reserve from the open meadows was a stream, which was often full and running with water. It often overflowed and ran over into the meadow. Today it was frozen over. Cautiously stepping on it, to test if it was steady, Kurogane slowly crossed over before turning around to face Fai.
Fai, who had tagged along, paused at the ditch that ran across for miles, before leading to one of the nearby lakes. Fai mewled quietly as he sat on the other side, staring back at Kurogane. Fai made one of those pleading kitty faces that made it so hard to resist those big bright eyes. Kurogane sat down, and waited on the other side, waiting for Fai to cross.
Fai purred happily, before taking a few steps backwards, and then took a running leap over the iced over waters, nuzzling against the wolf as he made the trek over the waters and onto the land on the other side.
After hours spent romping around in the snowy meadow with each other, playing small games like tag, Kurogane heads back with Fai. Fai let out a small mewl, rubbing up against Kurogane affectionately, purring as he thanked the other for the time. Kurogane rubbed his muzzle into Fai's fluffy furry neck, a silent welcome in response. Suddenly noticing a small rabbit outside of its home, Fai quietly stalked the furred creature, before claws at the ready, pounced on it, so it could be their dinner. Quickly ending the creature's life, with as little suffering as possible, Fai began to rip the rabbit apart to expose and eat the flesh of the leporidae.
Kurogane sat beside the kitten. He was polite and always let Fai have firsts, while Fai saved some of the really tender for Kurogane, nudging some over closer to Kurogane for him to know it was alright that he eat. After dinner, Fai licked Kurogane's muzzle and neck, and giving him a good tongue cleaning, which Kurogane would reciprocate… with some slight padded motivation, Fai gently pawing his paw when he stopped early, as Kurogane was a bit more reserved and shy. Mealtime then getting clean was after all one of the most important activity of the day. A good close was cuddly time.
After the exercise and meal, the two animals were getting tired. Kurogane headed to his area and lay down to sleep, and Fai stepped nearby, mewed softly. When Kurogane only offered a light growl, but did not fight or bare his fangs and claws, Fai padded closer and then gently nuzzled against him, and Kurogane would lift his front leg and Fai would give him a small kitty kiss, crawling beneath it as Kurogane lowered his paw, his leg now draped around the kitty, before Fai began purring in his chest and slipped to sleep. Kurogane gave the kitten a small kiss on his head, before going to sleep himself.