Author's note: Sorry for the loooong delay in updates... I was waiting for my beta to see the movie!

Thanks muchly for the reviews! -munches on cookie-

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Nausicaa... but I don't.

When Lord Yupa had first brought the little fellow, scared out of his wits and nearly catatonic with fear, in the pouch at his waist from the Toxic Jungle, Teto had been small. A mere pup, as it were. His downy yellow and sepia striped coat stuck out in all directions; his oversized ears nearly too big for his tiny head.

Two years had passed since then, and now a fully-grown Teto scurried into the dinning hall. He was a good size now; as big as a house cat. His fur gleamed in the light of the torch-candles. The fox-squirrel pricked up his ears, still large and sensitive as ever, sniffing the air and moving his head with small, jerking movements. Intelligent green eyes suddenly focused on the object of their search. Bushy tail thrust into the air joyously, he chattered and scampered like a puppy to the table, and, in a single leap, to his master's shoulder.

The red-haired girl he now perched on seemed used to this behavior, as she continued eating her meal with a calm air, occasionally joining the conversation the other people around her were having. After an initial sniffing and cocking of the ears, Teto paid no mind to the other people. They were familiar to him. What more pressingly grabbed at the fox-squirrel's busy intellect was the food on his master's plate.

Grain-bread, fruit from the fields, and a small bit of berry-green. Berry-green was a particularly drawing dish for Teto. Consisting mostly of crushed berries and spice, the food was pleasantly tart with an aftertaste comparable to cinnamon. Teto fixed his emerald gaze on the food. He new the rules about taking food from the table, but if he could somehow ask his master… He nuzzled his face against her ear.

A hand reached up and brushed his sleek coat, but no food was offered. Hm. Not discouraged, he continued nuzzling, slipping across the girl's shoulders to try her other ear. However, the only result was to be gently transferred to his master's lap. It seemed a different plan was in order.

He scurried back onto her shoulder and stared at the side of her head with unblinking determination. Her shoulder shifted under his weight. He was, after all, about the same weight as a house cat, and house cats are rather heavy on one's shoulder. His master was somewhat used to it by now, however. Teto chattered softly and licked her ear with his rough little tongue. Teto waved his tail to the right to keep his balance as she giggled. Her hand came up again to stroke him, it lowered briefly, then came up again with, Yes! Food!

Oh, but it wasn't the berry-green. He took it anyway, swallowing it quickly, then ducked through her orangey-red hair and began grooming her other ear. Maybe it would work a second time.

After a number of minutes, she brushed his face away and rubbed her over-groomed ear, reprimanding him in a gentle voice. Teto cocked his head to the side. Why was he being chastised? It was her own fault for not giving him the food!

He draped himself across the back of her neck, looking very much like a living scarf. All the while his little mind raced, concocting another plan.

Teto's nose twitched as he watched his master's hand travel from the plate, to her mouth. Ah, now she was using a torn-off piece of her bread to scoop up some of the berry-green! The hand moved to her mouth again. The bit of bread was eaten with the berry-green. Teto pricked his ears forward as this was repeated a second time. A plan was formulating in his clever brain. He flexed his paws, unconsciously pulling at his master's coat. Now he just had to wait for her to bring the bread back to her mouth once more.

Teto's ears cocked with annoyance as she laughed at something one of the other humans was saying. The man was making large gestures, nearly flinging his food across the room. Perhaps Teto would have had better luck getting food from him… but no. His master was cleaning the last of the berry-green from her plate with the bread. Now was his chance!

The astute fox-squirrel watched the food intensely as it approached his master's mouth. Watching. Watching. Then, just as her mouth opened, he clenched his paws and thrust his furry cheek against the side of her chin, causing her hand to go astray and smear the berry-green across her cheek.

"Teto!" There was a hint of laughter in her voice, though not as much as there was in the others around her. However, none of this mattered to the victorious fox-squirrel, who joyously licked the berry-green from his master's face.

Abruptly, he was swept into another human's arms and carried from the dinning room, to a door leading outside. There, he was set in the grass, "Can't have you disrupting dinner, now can we? Go run some of that energy out."

The door closed, and Teto was left outside. He twitched his striped tail. Shut away from the dinner table. Regardless of this, only one thought ran through his diabolical little mind as he sat in the grass, licking the last traces of berry-green from his whiskers: Success!

After thoroughly grooming himself all over, Teto trotted to the wall of the castle, scampered up the side, and slipped in an open window. There, satisfied with his adventures, he curled up on the sill and went to sleep.

I think this one turned out better than the first. Should I write another?