This really was an unexpectedly fun game, his unease with the fiendish fruits' initial appearance swiftly being replaced with cocky amusement at how easy they were to run circles around. He was damn glad he had found someone with a bit more muscle to help thin their numbers, though; it wouldn't have been a good idea to leave them to their own devices once he started to tire and needed to escape. He was quick enough on his feet to lose them at a sprint, but they couldn't be good for the local animals and heaven forbid they cornered a child or got after domesticated animals in an enclosure... No, he owed the blond man a drink and a 'thank you' someday for this - perhaps when he wasn't expecting it. Jigano was, after all, in an unusually mischievous mood, and he let his tongue loll in canine laughter as he dodged one lunging pumpkin only to suddenly reverse direction and orchestrate a multi-gourd collision between the leaders and stragglers of his little pack of playmates.
The cry of pain got his attention abruptly and he looked to its source in swift concern. The warrior was getting overwhelmed with small but doughty foes, it seemed, but fighting back valiantly. Their numbers were thinning out, but the remaining gourds were redoubling their efforts, perhaps sensing weakness or simply encouraged by their late comrade's success. The white fox barked angrily to try and get their attention - and then yelped as the relentless calabash finally brought one mouth to bear on a back paw he didn't move fast enough.
He kicked back on instinct, breaking through the small gourd's rind-teeth with difficulty and a grim realization that if one of the larger fruits caught him he might be in more trouble. The foot was bruised, but not badly enough to stop him from using it while adrenaline flowed and dulled the pain, at least for the moment. He shook himself, sidling away from an acorn squash's attempt to roll him down, then scampered deftly back to the relative safety of his ally's legs. Taking up position he growled, white fur bristling and fluffing up to make himself look bigger. Attack his base, would they? The next small gourd that tried to ram Rory's legs would find itself head-butted off course by a very displeased ball of white fur and dainty fury.
It would have been more impressive if two more mid-sized squashes hadn't followed in its wake almost immediately...
The cry of pain got his attention abruptly and he looked to its source in swift concern. The warrior was getting overwhelmed with small but doughty foes, it seemed, but fighting back valiantly. Their numbers were thinning out, but the remaining gourds were redoubling their efforts, perhaps sensing weakness or simply encouraged by their late comrade's success. The white fox barked angrily to try and get their attention - and then yelped as the relentless calabash finally brought one mouth to bear on a back paw he didn't move fast enough.
He kicked back on instinct, breaking through the small gourd's rind-teeth with difficulty and a grim realization that if one of the larger fruits caught him he might be in more trouble. The foot was bruised, but not badly enough to stop him from using it while adrenaline flowed and dulled the pain, at least for the moment. He shook himself, sidling away from an acorn squash's attempt to roll him down, then scampered deftly back to the relative safety of his ally's legs. Taking up position he growled, white fur bristling and fluffing up to make himself look bigger. Attack his base, would they? The next small gourd that tried to ram Rory's legs would find itself head-butted off course by a very displeased ball of white fur and dainty fury.
It would have been more impressive if two more mid-sized squashes hadn't followed in its wake almost immediately...
