I'll choose not to choose you

@Kuhn, backdating it to yesterday, before her heat!

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After putting away the stone that @Quicksilver had left for her in the gardens, Reiko made her way to the opposite side of their lands where the water still ran free in the winter-scape autumn air. Frost clung to the edges of the rivers that she strolled along, trying to find a place that was shallow enough for what she had planned that day.

Fish.

A lovely treat for those who didn't know how to fish - and she certainly didn't know how to do it either. Did anyone in Shiroshika know how to fish? Would they like it if she brought one back for them?

Precariously perching herself along the creek's bend, the little Empress would wait for a flash of silver to try and snag... Here she would focus on the waters and listen to its soothing babbling. What she did know about fishing is that it took plenty of patience.

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While in near constant pursuit of food the cat had elected to follow a caribou herd northward. Feeling a sense of pride Kuhn gave himself internal congratulation in his decision. His alliance and friendship with both dominant packs in the region allowed him use of an absolutely massive swath of hunting land. Today it paid off, the caribou didn't respect the borders of wolves or cats. Now free of any repercussions, Kuhn followed the tracks northward.

To east he saw the mountains of the pack Shiro...something, and to the west Morjfall? Passing between the two, the tiger had to do a double take, as memories of the wolves of Hravasken flashed across his mind, eventually leading him to think about Valmua. He figured, he should see her eventually. But, for now he would have to keep himself fed.

Eventually wandering over the apex of a hill, two things where visible. The herd was here, miles in the distance and far from the massive lake that dominated this northern horizon. What was more curious, was a familiar white wolf, who appeared to be fixated with one of the streams that fed the lake.

Recognizing her as the empress of the eastern mountain, Kuhn resumed his swaying stride. He would have to pass by her to continue on towards the herd.

At first he didn't really want the even talk to her. If felt like she snubbed him last time, pretending she didn't know who he was, keeping herself hyper dignified and professional... She was focused on the stream, just like last time they met. Walking up behind a a couple of yards upstream the cat passed by, hopping the small stream to the opposite bank of the woman. He looked back over his shoulder, curious. What was she doing?
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Careful not to fall in, she would perch herself on a stone just within the water. Keeping her head down and body still until the right moment to strike. Every now and then a fish would swim by - but not close enough for her comfort. Not knowing how to swim, she was extra cautious in not finding herself in running water unless she was certain it was shallow enough to stand.

She didn't know there was an audience of one watching. With the current conversation with the feline, she was less concerned with danger lurking around Tsukiishi and was able to just keep her eyes on the water and —

Strike! Pearls touched the silvery scales of the fish, feeling victorious in her first fishing attempt. The creature flew with her momentum, teeth trying their best to hold onto the slippery thing. It flipped and flopped with strong muscles, stronger than she anticipated and with a mild panic backed up and out of the ravine.

The fish's tail slapped her a couple of times, its movements forcing her to let it go and as it flopped its way back into the water, would slap her a few times in the nose along the way as she desperately, and ungracefully would try to follow after it.

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So that was what she was doing... It never really occurred to the cat that one could even pull a sizable meal like that from the river.  He watched on in fascination, just on the other side of the stream.  Still it was a marvel that this wolf didn't notice him, this was the second time she could be caught unaware and she still didn't see him, and he wasn't trying to hide. 

All the while his ears perked, he hopped back over the river only to watch her drop the fish. The fish, flapping across the ground triggered his instinct to chase.  The way it was flopping was really weird and foreign to him as he scrambled towards it, unsure on what to do.  Taking a quick step back, his back legs splashed into the water as he batted the fish with a paw. It was still flapping, but unable to reach the river, blocked by the tiger.  This was fascinating, and he was in his own world now, and had completely forgotten about the white wolf in front of him.
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The fact that she was none the wiser is why she would have guardians after today... (not only bc people are yelling at her now and now needs a babysitter 24/7). She scrambled after the fish as it would slap her every now and then in the nose, painful, but she was trying her best to try and snag it and keep it away from the water. Snapping teeth and crossed eyes as she focussed on it kept the woman on its trail until splashing caught her attention finally.

It was Kuhn, the tiger who had caused problems between the other mountain wolves and Shiroshika by hunting on their lands and sharing with another group... What was he doing out here? Wasn't his hunting grounds further south according to him? No matter, they had already agreed on sharing their hunting grounds, she would not bring it up again unless it became a problem once more.

The feline took his own turn at batting at the fish while she remained out of the way. Winded and panting at her own attempt, she would not come in between the fish and those claws even if she was the first one to bring it out of the water. It simply wasn't worth it, worth the wounds that would come of it defending her "catch" or arguments that would come soon after between him and Tiberius.

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Slapping and flopping around the bank of the river, the motion was to hard to resist.  Kuhn's eyes where large and dilated, he couldn't resist.  His memory in this moment was failing him, forgetting all about Reiko and the fact that this was her fish.  After battering the fish with a paw, the cat pounced forward, sinking his fangs into it and lifting it up high. Continuing the flop in his jaws, even though it had been impaled, the fish thrashed surprisingly hard.  The feeling was alien to the cat. Not a fan of the unknown, he fearfully tossed it away.  Flying a few feet up the bank up to Reiko, it hit the ground with a wet thud, continuing its thrashing in a ever growing pool of strange tasting blood.

The tiger's eyes tracked his toy as it landed, before catching the feet of the empress in his tunnel vision.  Who was this!?  Looking up at her, he cocked his head, mouth still partially agape, sporting a set of dilatated grey eyes.  Oh... that's right...

"I um... are you gonna?" He stammered, tail flicking excitedly, eyeing between Reiko and the large fish.
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The way Kuhn was so agile with the fish, so powerful and would only lose his grip on the thing on his own volition for... some reason... was it the taste? The way it moved? Or perhaps it was the strange texture that he disagreed with. The fish flew toward her, a few feet away from her toes and began to stain the pristine snow in some odd reddish-pink gunk that didn't come off quite as blood she was accustomed to seeing.

While Kuhn worked on focusing on her, she on the other hand prepared to pounce on the beast. A quick hop and landing with both her front paws on the scaly fish, ears drawn forward and tail curling excitedly up and above her hips triumphantly. “I got it!” She'd breathe out loudly, tail lashing after a brief pause - only to bounce back again and away from the fish when it began to furiously flop around again under her pressure.

“Ah! No!” Another pounce to secure it to the spot, this time she would not be surprised with its movements. Drawing her eyes back up to the feline, his eyes focussed on both of them while she smiled in return. “I have it pinned - do you want it?” They both had a turn at catching the thing... so he equally had the right to the fish as she did - not to mention Reiko herself could be his meal too if she tried to "protect the kill" from this tiger.

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Luckily, it looked like the white woman had done this before, she seemed to skillfully handle the fish, holding it in position like  seasoned hunter.  To Kuhn it was the first time, it almost made him feel like a cub again, learning about new prey. Getting low to the ground the cat cocked his head to the side and sprawled out getting closer to the object of his fascination.  Moving his nose almost to touch he quickly pulled his head back, unsure.  Reiko was almost invisible to him at the moment.  

Moving his snout back to the object under the woman's feet, Kuhn snuck a taste, licking at one of the may puncture wounds on the mangled fish.  He liked what he was tasting.  He then moved in for another, answering the woman's question without words.
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A seasoned hunter? Hardly. She was more like a puppy playing with a toy and doing her best - the fact that to him she was coming off as anything ‘skilled’ was just an underserving compliment.

A part of her was uncertain with the way the feline acted. The way she seemed almost invisible to him was unnerving. Would she just be another object in his eyes to fixate on after the fish was gone? Reiko didn’t want to think that she was next on the menu but still that thought lingered in the back of her brain… those ‘what ifs’ that were always so pleasant to think of in moments where you weren’t quite at the top of the food chain.

He didn’t speak, but his actions spoke loud enough for her. He licked the creature once… twice, hungrily tasting it. It was she who fished it out… but she was not going to fight him for it. They were already in better spirits around one another from their last conversation, why risk it now by being greedy?

Stepping off and away from the fish, she’d give him space to eat it here or take it away. Only chasing to wait and watch as opposed to turning her back on him and walking away… finding this might be the better choice.

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— Total Words: 221

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He was still fixated on the fish, and the foreign taste of blood that it carried. After licking it a few times, instinctually he began to take it up in his mouth. He was about to chop through the tail of the fish with his rear teeth when he once again spotted the toes of the wolf at the edge of his tunnel vision.

Drooling, the tiger let the fish slide out the side of his mouth, hitting the floor with a wet thud. He remembered that this wasn't his, though she did seem to offer, he knew that wolves would often hedge their bets against him. He did not want an insinsere gift.

Laying on the floor with the fish, Kuhn looked up to the woman with drooping ears and a look of disappointment, "It's yours, aren't you going to take it?"

He now knew he was being rude, getting all over someone's kill, nonetheless he wouldn't stoop to scavenging from wolves.
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Just about to walk away as Kuhn seemed to be fully enraptured by the fish, it was when he addressed her finally that she paused in her brief movements. He'd lay down, an act that was soothing to her seeing just how large he was and now not on his feet seemed to come off as less of a threat.

No matter how friendly Kuhn tried to come off as, there would always be that inkling in the back of her mind that he was dangerous if he decided to be. Caution had to be taken, especially with their differences in species and customs. That didn't mean she disliked him or anything, but self-preservation was certainly a factor around him.

“You seem to be enjoying it — please, consider it a peace offering.” With a friendly wave of her tail, she insisted the man keep it. Even more so now that he was aware of what had occurred. It was evident he didn't mean to come in and take her fish from her. It was unfortunate, but if this meant to mend the past between them, it would be well worth one lost fish.

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The small leader of those great mountains, was treating him exactly how he expected.  She seemed to respect him enough, but also not want much to do with the striped beast.  First, she would pretend she didn't even know him, and now she would hedge her bets against him.  Especially after, he had more than once chance to take her as a kill, and yet he still hadn't proven himself to his new ally.  It was frustrating because the cat had a certain degree of respect for her reign, appreciating her for being a major force in keeping peace in these harsh lands.

Kuhn's displeasure was evident on his face, marked with a toothy scowl.  "Then - you will share it with me."  His tail danced to and fro as he seemed to command the empress, pressing his claws into the fish.  Not a bit enthralled by the fish, his focus had now locked to the pale woman, relaxed yet predatory. If she didn't want to break the ice than he would.
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The shift in his mood was noted. She wasn't certain what he was doing... if this was his way to try and gain her trust, he was doing a pretty poor way of doing so. By forcing his presence onto her, she only wanted to slip away more than ever before. His displeasure and toothy frown sent a chill down her spine. Those fangs were the largest set she had ever seen, and there was uncertainty if she could mend a bite from a set of fangs like that.

In response, her own features fell lightly. Not appreciating being ordered around when she thought she was being rather friendly. His claws dug into the fish, everything he was doing was more acts of aggression than anything welcoming. Counterintuitive to what he may desire. She was uncomfortable. Moments ago she was simply respectful to one she would see as a new acquaintance after a rough start - but now... she wanted to leave.

He looked at her like prey.

She'd shake her head 'no' in response. A complete shift from her own posture from friendly, welcoming to more closed off and evasive. Even taking a step back as her discomfort hit its peak with his gaze. How could she tell him that now he made her blood run cold, the way he acted, the way he barked at her and his posturing without aggravating him further.

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He understood, she didn't trust him, that was expected, not many did. On the outside his ear twitched, perhaps hinting at his own internal frustration, though he didn't attempt to be any more assertive with the wolf. It obviously wasn't working. Dropping his scowl it turned to a more tired expression, as he looked away from the empress, hoping to give her a rest from his stare.

"I won't take your gift, if you fear me your highness..." Figuring that it wouldn't be much of a gift if she was giving it to him out of self preservation. As good as this fish might taste, it would wound his pride to take tribute from wolves. He came here for the caribou anyway.

For the moment he would leave the fish, standing and walking a few paces away, before sitting again angling his body away from her. Perhaps this would give her some room to reconsider. Not that it would matter much she was still well within his range.
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Electricity coursed through her veins, ready to push her into immediate action and spring away from Kuhn if necessary. As much as she had hoped they would get along, if it wasn't meant to be, she could accept that. They came from different worlds and it was likely that distance could not be surmounted - and if it could be, it would take more than just a couple of meetings.

Then he looked away. The sizzling in her veins quieted down now that his intense stare wasn't focussed on her.

He also seemed and sounded... upset. No matter what worlds they came from, there was no mistaking that tone, the familiar defeated look. “Sir Kuhn!” She didn't want him to leave like this. Not upset. Not like everyone else lately she had dealt with. The Empress was tired of seeing that look in everyone's eyes.

“It is just Reiko... Please.” With a skittish approach, she'd walk around the fish and toward Kuhn's nearest paw print in the snow and placed her own print within his, angling it and herself so they were toward the same direction. “I am sorry if my apprehension insults you.” Stepping away from their prints in the snow, even she was often surprised by how large his paws were in comparison to any wolf's.

“I am not like Tiberius... I am small and weak, I need to take extra precautions - but I do hope we can learn to trust one another. With patience.” And not how he was going about it just moments ago.

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Kuhn by now was aware of his effect on wolves, he was seen as a beast and a predator, at least at first. Though he had no interest in hunting his lupine counterparts there was always a hurdle to climb when meeting anyone new. Generally, most would find him intimidating at first, but would quickly get over it, if only for they fact that they didn't find themselves in his Jaws. At least save for Val, who sometimes seemed to want to be.

Further, despite his reclusive nature, he found he was able to connect to almost anyone, generally finding something in common to talk about. But, with Reiko, he found himself at a loss. He still couldn't let go of the fact that she seemed to blow him off. In true feline nature, it only made him want to try harder, who was this bitch anyway.

Unintentionally, it seemed that she reacted to his pouting and his hurt feelings alot more than his show of fangs. He could respect that, she would like to see emotions laid out on the sleeve. So with a flick of his tail, he figured there was no more need for pretense. With a sudden change of pace Kuhn returned a smile, "Then please just call me Kuhn as well or Khun, either works!"

Shaking out his mane, he returned his glance to her, he couldn't help if it came off as predatory, he was just focused and it could be a difference in body language. "Yes, the apprehension bothers me, it's not like I plan to make you my kill or anything. In fact, I already do trust you. But, you pretend to not even know who I am." he said, insinuating at his own paw, hinting at Reiko's previous handy work.

"You know, I have a few friends out here, and most of them say good things about you, but you have always given me the cold shoulder."
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The new sudden change of expression, of feeling that radiated from Kuhn was at first a little surprising. It took her off guard to see him turn with a smile, more relaxed than he was just moments ago; a welcomed change despite her initial shock at the sight. Even if he did turn to watch her again, the mere difference in that stare wasn't as concerning... it was calmer, less... undressing as though he was peeling off her skin and seeing only the meat underneath.

“Kuhn.” She'd breathe, repeating the name as if she was putting everything behind them in this moment and just trying once more to start over again. “Will you please explain why you feel that way?” She beckoned, even taking a seat to indicate she had no intention of going anywhere any time soon. With ears drawn forward, all her attention was on the man who stood before her - completely ignoring the fish they had hunted together just moments ago.

How she made him feel was obviously more important. If she was at fault for how he felt, how his aggressive displays out of frustrations, she wanted to know why, and how to fix it if she could.

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Still, the woman seemed to play the fool, did she need it spelled out for her? or was something wrong with her. Looking away from her, he once again stood on his feet and began to pace venting his frustrations. Walking back and forth in a semi arc in front of her, he stretched his back, he cracked his neck, he shook out his mane, doing anything he could to comfort himself.

Still holding his stride his ear twitched back with a bit of tempered frustration. "It seems after all this time, you still fear me. Haven't we been neighbors for long enough. I haven't taken any of your kin. Wouldn't you figure if we where going to have a problem, you would have figured it out that day at the Everfrost."

Somewhere in the back of his head, her attentive demeanor told him she was ready to listen, and he was ready to speak, it wasn't often that the solitary beast had a platform like this. "No... I get it, I'm a monster right?" He continued dramatically looking to the sky and holding a paw to his chest.

"At any moment, he could snap and just rip off your head, right?" He elaborated, snapping his Jaws together while twisting his body around in Reiko's direction. Pausing for a moment, Kuhn let out a chuckle, deep and full of gravel, "Well I assure you, you don't have to worry about that..."
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“I did not say I feared you.” She corrected. Unsure why he was acting this way, why this man was so overly sensitive when he came off so commanding not too long ago. Intimidatingly so, and now he was self-conscious? Or... well, it was hard to tell with how he was acting. Laughing, twitching, pacing. She let him finish first, still keeping her eyes and attention on him should she need to move swiftly.

Any playfulness from her faded as she took on a more serious tone. Whatever Kuhn was trying to do here, she wasn't too thrilled. He took on the role of a victim, all the while threatening at the same time - knowing very well all these threats held more weight to them with the lack of trust between them. Even if he said he trusted her... Reiko did not feel that way.

“You can insist all you want Kuhn... but trust is earned through time, it is built mutually as quickly or as slowly as it needs to be for each individual. You cannot tell me how I should feel about you, nor anyone else, nor can I do the same to you. Friendships are like flowers, they will blossom when they are ready and the process cannot be sped up without killing the roots.” Hopefully, he could understand that example she gave him. The woman was beginning to run out of ways to help him understand her, for them to bridge that mental gap they had.

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Frustration had faded. Now the cat was only begining to feel disinterest. He said how he felt and was scorned for it, all told in her body language. Kuhn realized that his little performance was abrasive, and that by speaking in third person about himself, he may have, in a round about way scared the little empress, talking about ripping off heads. Honestly, he regretted that display a little.

She claimed she didn't fear him. From where he was standing, that appeared to be an obvious lie. She had hedged her bets with him since the beginning, was uneasy with his gaze, and prepared to flee at his every move. Not wanting to make this worse than it already was, he could only laugh with a toothy smirk.

Kuhn nodded in agreement to her basic monologue on what friendship was, it was almost insulting that she thought he wouldn't know that. He was getting nowhere with her. Unknown to Kuhn their first encounter had counted for nothing, he only assumed that she thought she was to good for him.

"You don't have to be my friend Reiko. It actually keeps it simple for me... But, I still owe you a little favor for your work on my paw, so expect me to repay sometime soon." He figured, if he never had to see her again he would be fine with that, as long as she didn't threaten his hunting he would continue to respect her rule in the north.

Kuhn opened his gate to look out to the caribou on the horizon. His mind however was still stuck on the little empress, perhaps Valmua was at least partially right about her.
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No, it seemed like the distance between them could not be bridged. No matter what she said, or did, he simply had an image of her that he couldn't look beyond. He said he trusted her, and yet he would continue to try and provoke her. To poke holes into everything she said and contradict himself in both actions and words. It truly felt as though Kuhn really didn't want to get to bridge anything between them, instead, he simply wanted to keep finding reasons to be frustrated, angry, and only speak in cryptic language.

“So you are the same feline.” He never really did answer her the first time she asked back when Tiberius had brought him. Again, Kuhn offered shallow answers, expecting for her to puzzle it all together like some magician. She only knew now because he confirmed he was the one with the paw. “I do not know why you did not make that obvious during our conversation with Tiberius. I do not expect repayment, only leave my people be.” With a sigh, she was beginning to grow frustrated with it all.

Frustrated with how little Kuhn tried with her. At how he was just set on being angry for whatever reason and constantly withholding anything that may be of importance. With his eyes already on some caribou in the distance, she took this as her opportunity and invitation to leave. No longer worth his time to try and bridge this thing between them. Taking a few steps away, she would turn to return to Shiroshika. A part of her hoped that he wouldn't approach her again in the future and that he would upkeep his side of their treaty in keeping the peace between him and her pack. “Farewell Kuhn.”

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This certainly hadn't gone the way the cat would have liked. Perhaps had to high of hopes for Reiko, perhaps he wasn't gentle enough for her or perhaps she was as weak and sensitive as Valmua said she is. Kuhn was only left with a mixture of disappointment in himself and anger for the little empress. Perhaps she was just a weak power mongrol who used openness and empathy as a weapon for her own ends. Nothing he heard come from her little maw was genuine in the slightest.

Was he the cat with the paw? Yes! Could she not remember people she met before? Was he supposed to spell that out, wasn't that just something people remembered when they met others?
"Ya..." He answered in exasperation, shocked he had to even say that.

When she insinuated that he stay away from her pack, he could only grind his teeth to busy his mouth, from spilling out more words he might regret. After all, he didn't have any real problem with them, it was the little empress that seemed to take some issue with him.

As if compelled by some otherworldly force, Kuhn's hind leg began to tremor, as if possessed. For a moment he simply watched Reiko take her leave. "... I'm sorry!" He blurted out suddenly, as if to release some internal struggle and attempt to absolve part of his fault in the argument.
Though his position hadn't changed, Kuhn knew how he could come off, though he didn't know exactly what he did.
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"Ya" was all he said, and Reiko was only growing more frustrated and defeated by all this. Why he was being so difficult with her was beyond her. She was nothing but honest with the man, cautious within her own right even if she apologized for it to be insulting to him, he demanded that all walls would be shattered immediately without any work done to bridge any previously formed gaps between them.

It was him after all who had caused tension between Shiroshika and the other mountain pack in the Tundra. A mess she had to clean up for him, and still, she had tried to keep things peaceful between all three groups and individuals involved. From the way he acted, it wasn't enough. He wanted more from her. Lacking any patience to work on re-building any trust that had been broken before they even met.

She would only pause for a moment as she wandered away, a sigh fluttering from her lips in an attempt to keep herself from coming off as frustrated as she was. “For what it is worth, I am too.” Even if it felt that he wouldn't believe her there either. No matter what she said he always seemed to turn it around on her anyway. Both meetings between them ended that way.

Leaving the fish behind without a second glance she left for Shiroshika.

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Exit!

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