[Atoli01]

Finally, he was able to get some fresh air. He hadn't been out for a while, and in fact, never even been to Aldrect. The city was sight to behold, it was a vast space filled with buildings and people, bustling city life. The inhabitants of the city were like him, always on the move. Enough energy in the city for him any day. He hopped onto a nearby bench, walked to the end and then hopped back off. Anything he could hop on, he hopped on it and ran aimlessly around the city. It was so much fun to be free. To have the wind blowing through his thick coat of fur, cooling him off. After about twenty or so minutes, he finally sat down for a break. He was so full of energy today. He didn't know what could make the day any better at this point.

[Kestrel]

After a nice, short, excursion in the Plains, the bustling city was a very different place. This was the first city Sera had been to that she could remember, and therefore was quite frightening. Ducking and weaving through the crowd, Sera once again wondered why she was here. Here there was no place to run, no place to jump, and everyone was pushing people, back and forth. You had to fight the tide, or go with the flow. In her case, she wanted to get to big fountain that was supposedly in the middle of the city. Unfortunately, the city was quite large, and moving into the inside, when everyone was going in the opposite way, wasn't very simple. But, since she didn't have anything else to do, she persisted. Many times, she was dragged backwards by the crowd, but soon learned that by ducking and weaving (since she was smaller than most of the people) she could get somewhere. She glanced across the street. There, people were moving the way she wanted, but it was too late to switch over now. Traffic rush had begun, and the air was full of honking horns and shouting people.

There it was! The "grand fountain" as the pamplet said. Squinting, she could also make out a Kuhna, a common one, it seemed, sitting near it. Was he the one she was suppose to meet? She had heard that from Mattina, who had been passing by when Seadust had mentioned the outing.

{5-22}

[Atoli01]

Tai sat there for a second watching the bustling crowd. He could see a few getting stuck in all the 'traffic'. He used his good balance to his advantage and jumped up on the back of a bench. He scanned through the crowd to the best of his ability. He glanced a Nautical Kuhna approaching him and he jumped down. This was probably the one he was sent to meet. Or at least he had heard his owner talking about it with one of his other pen mates. He put on a wide, nervous smile and walked up to the Kuhna. "Hello. Are you, by any chance, the one I was supposed to meet here?" he said as his smile got even more wide - and he got even more nervous. He had never really been around a girl except those in his pen.

[Kestrel]

As she got nearer to the fountain, ducking and weaving the whole way, while struggling to glimpse ahead, she noticed he was looking her way. Perhaps he was the one she was suppose to meet.
Finally! I'm here! she thought, pushing out of the crowd and into the empty space surrounding the fountain.
"Hi! I think so. How many other pairs of Kuhnas would be sent the the Fountain in Aldrect today, after all?" she answered cheerfully.
What's that... he's nervous? What's there to be nervous about? she thought, but didn't want to use the time pondering that.
"Do you know why we've been sent here?" she asked, tipping her head to the side. "All I know is what information my sister overheard while passing - that I had to go to Aldrect to meet some Kuhna. Do you know anything else?"
Maybe with his knowledge and hers, they could piece together the question. Not that it mattered to her that much, but it was something to pass the time. From her knowledge, people did not send other people out to meet someone and then have them remain silent the whole time. The world did not work like that.
He's nice-looking, I guess, she thought.
Her mind flashed back to another Common Kuhna she had met.
That was quite an adventure, what with the zombies, or whatever they were.
From that experience, she had also gained her three children, though were one of them was right now was unknown to her.
I wonder what trouble Malora and Nivium have caused up? Oh, and Viritra, of course.

{5-23}

[Atoli01]

She was certainly cheerful. He sat there smiling, waiting for her to get closer. He heard her response and smiled cheerfully. "Yeah. I mean, yes. I-I totally agree." he said nervously. What was he supposed to say to her? He was normally the energetic type, very talkative. But this was different. He had never really been taught manners or how to act around other girls - the ones not in his pen. He would so curse himself if this didn't go well. They always say stuff about first impressions and all. "Oh, well, I don't really know either. I was just well, sent. I heard my wner talking about me going to meet someone in Aldrect. I was rather curious to say the least. I was hoping you'd know." he replied as he shrugged slightly. He hadn't even introduced himself yet. Where did all his manners go? Right, he didn't - no, never had any. all he was doing now was trying to imitate what he saw in movies. "Oh, and my name is Tai. Yours?" he said politely.

[Kestrel]

"Sera. Such a relief for both of us to have short names, right? For instance, my sister's name is Mattina. I would shorten it, but nooooo, she won't let me!"
Now where did that all come from? She wasn't normally the type to chatter on and on about things. And he really did seem nervous. Was it her? Or just the fact that she was a girl? She had heard some people were nervous and fidgety around others of the opposite gender. Maybe he was one of those?
"Something bothering you?" she asked, just to confirm her theories.
While she waited for his answer, her eyes traced the water's progress. She couldn't see why people thought so highly of it. Sure, it was pretty and all, but asides from that, what was so great about it? Then again, she didn't really have an eye for these things. Maybe it looked better up close.
Walking up to it, she stretched her paw out to touch the water, but redrew it at once, gasping from the icy cold. She craned her neck to see the top of it. On the very top, there was nothing. Just... a top. That was when she noticed the clouds in the sky.
It looks like it's going to rain, she thought.
But weather was something she couldn't predict very well, so decided it was best not to say anything to Tai. The prospect of rain might make him more nervous.

{5-24}

[Atoli01]

Tai sighed. "Yeah, it kinda is a relief I guess. Try calling her Mat to see if she'll agree to that." He let out a small chuckle. "You seem like the one that people would easily agree to do anything for. Honest." He replied with a smile on his face. "At least to me." He said as he smiled again. But he wasn't really the type of guy that would be rude to a girl anyways. Not a chance. He had been raised better than that. His nervousness was starting to disappear. "Don't worry. Not even rain could spoil a day like this." He said softly as if reading her mind. Everything he was saying now...it was the good to honest truth. "So, um, what do ya wanna do then?" He said more playfully. He tilted his head and let a crooked smile come across his face.

[Kestrel]

"What are you supppose to do on these planned meetings, anyway?" she asked, glad he was less nervous now. "Mat. Hmm, I don't think she'll like that any better than Tina, but we'll see."
I wonder where she is now? Last time I heard, she said she was going to do some exploring of her own. Hmm...
"Do you know who your family was? Lots of Kuhnas I've met don't know."
This statement brought her mind back to her children, Malora and Nivium. She hoped they were OK. While she was too childish to take the full responsible of the role 'Mother', she did have motherly instincts, as most every female creature does.
"I live with my mother, sister, and children. My father, my 3 other siblings, and my other child live somewhere else."
Maybe that was a topic that would interest him, for the time being, anyway. As she sat on the bench, waiting for his answers, the feeling to do something grew stronger. She hoped up, looking around for something to do.

{6-25}

[Atoli01]

"I dunno. Just do whatever we fell like I guess...?" He replied. He let out a a small chuckle. "Maybe try calling her something completely different? Perhaps she'd like that." He said smiling. He jumped to his feet and stuck his paw out into the fountain.

Perhaps she thought it was cold...that's why she pulled her paw away? It didn't seem that cold just now. Maybe I have thicker fur or I'm more resistant to the cold... It's gotta be something like that.

"I-oh...I don't really have a family. I mean, there's some kuhnas that I consider my family, but no. I don't really have any family." He said as he glanced down to see his reflection in the water. He listened, interested, in what Sera said. "Does it...hurt...to not be able to see your father and three siblings?" He asked a little curious. "If you feel I'm being...nosy...then you don't have to answer, I don't mind. It's just that two of the other kuhnas at my pen...well they can't see much of their family ether. But they prefer not to talk about it. Well, actually one, since the other is still a kit." He added with a smile on his face.

[Kestrel]

"Well, since I never knew them, no, I don't really mind. I think it's mostly because I really don't take the time to stop and think about it. I like to be active, you know," she said, with a smile.
Walking over to Tai, Sera briefly wondered when she could go home, before sticking her paw out to the water. Maybe it was warmer now. He didn't seem bothered, anyway. She jerked it back.
Nope, as cold as ever, she thought ruefully, then gazed out into the crowd.
"Are you up for a race?" she asked, a grin lighting up her face. "Cause I am!"
In her mind, she plotted out the course she would take - and this time, she wouldn't be the only one running through the crowd, going the opposite way then the majority. That is, if he agreed. And why wouldn't he? Kuhnas who were total opposites weren't about to be sent out to meet each other.

{6-26}

[Atoli01]

He Shrugged. "I suppose that makes sense. How can you miss what you don't have, or in this case, see." He said with a smile still on his face. There was a leaf flying across the branch and he stepped on it. Brown, ugh. Why can it never be green? It seems like green leaves are a different species. Stupid brown leaves and heir no tree selves. He picked his paw up off the leaf and it was gone. He looked at Sera putting her paw in the water and laughed a little as she pulled it back out. "Oh, a race? Sure, that would awesome! Where will we race to? And is there any particualar stuff we have to do or a certain path we have to take?" He replied, almost bouncing up off of the bench.

[Kestrel]

Sera smiled. She liked his enthusiasm.
"We're going the same way I did. Backwards through the crowds. The finish line is that big apartment over there."
She pointed to the dull, gray building. It could be easily recognized, since it was the tallest building by far.
"We run through that crowd over there," she pointed to the flow of people heading in their direction. "And whoever gets on the doormat first, wins."
She rechecked her route, making sure it worked.
"Anything you'd like to add?"
More obstacles would make it all the more exciting. As long as it wasn't too dangerous. Just plain dangerous was OK, but not oh-so-risky dangerous, like jumping across a cliff. Without anything stopping you from falling. She'd never do that. Though it would be interesting watching someone do that sort of thing...
"Oh, how about, after we touch the doormat, we have to race across the street, and run back, against the crowd, here? Or is that a bit too much?"
The "crossing the street" part might be a bit risky, though, she added to herself, but decided to let Tai be the judge of that.
She jumped up and down, eager to begin.

{6-27}

[Atoli01]

He smiled with enthusiasm and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Racing against the crowd?" He smiled even bigger and nodded. "Okay, sounds fun. And the object of it is quite simple, but who said simple things can't be challenging?" He added. He just loved challenges. "Hm, anything I would like to add? Let me think for a sec. oh, I got it, at least if you don't object to getting a tad bit wet. How about we run through the Fountain along the way? And I don't ming running through the street." He said with his grin spreading even wider across his face now. He went back to rocking back and forth on his heels.

[Kestrel]

"Through the fountain? When we start, or when we end?" she asked, then thought of another problem. They'd need proof to show they actually touched the apartment's mat.
"We'd have wet fur to prove we went through the fountain, but how can we prove we touched the mat?" she questioned, continuing to think. Hopefully he'd come up with something. She'd rather move then think any day.
As she turned back to the crowd, she noticed the crowd was even thicker.
"Looks like there's even more of a challenge now," she said, not sure if that was a good thing or not.

{6-28}

[Atoli01]

"Where we start. This will be fun." He said. He jumped off the bench and pacing around the area, careful not to get stuck in the oncoming crowd - at least not yet. When the race began, that was exactly what he would have to do. "That's a good question, really." He said as he started looking around. His paw hit a rock and he scooped in his paw. "I think I may an answer to that one. How about you go and grab a rock as well. We could place them on the door mat when we run by." He said as he started throwing the rock up in the air and catching it again.