It was amazing, really, how some things were the same across all species: how this creature that was neither animal nor man spoke a language he could so clearly understand, simply because he watched. He saw the hesitation, the uncertainty, the curiosity, and he recognized it from so many other animals that he had greeted. While some threw themselves at you, begging to be scratched or stroked, some rather thought you were going to eat them, and cowered away, but one thing they had in common (as long as they hadn't been abused, or were feral, of course): the curiosity. The moment when they went from leaning back, no matter how slight, to leaning forward, again, no matter how slight.
He let the fox take its time with sniffing his hands, waiting until it seemed it wouldn't shy away if he moved.
And boy.. was it soft.
Rory had never touched a living fox before; he couldn't charm them, obviously, but he'd come across a fair few of their pelts in his trade. It was one thing to touch those dead hides, quite another to touch one that still lived and breathed. There was warmth beneath the soft fur of its jaw, a pulse in its shuddering veins, a mind behind the watchful, blue eyes. Slowly, as the fox relaxed into his hand, a smile spread across his face, radiant and bright.
It seemed too unreal, but he wasn't going to waste the precious moment by doubting it. Instead, he took the fox's obvious enjoyment as all the encouragement he needed, gaining confidence, moving his hand around to try and stroke and scratch its cheek, perhaps even the base of an ear.
He let the fox take its time with sniffing his hands, waiting until it seemed it wouldn't shy away if he moved.
And boy.. was it soft.
Rory had never touched a living fox before; he couldn't charm them, obviously, but he'd come across a fair few of their pelts in his trade. It was one thing to touch those dead hides, quite another to touch one that still lived and breathed. There was warmth beneath the soft fur of its jaw, a pulse in its shuddering veins, a mind behind the watchful, blue eyes. Slowly, as the fox relaxed into his hand, a smile spread across his face, radiant and bright.
It seemed too unreal, but he wasn't going to waste the precious moment by doubting it. Instead, he took the fox's obvious enjoyment as all the encouragement he needed, gaining confidence, moving his hand around to try and stroke and scratch its cheek, perhaps even the base of an ear.
