The next morning, Ja'ren was sound asleep, normally he'd already be awake - cleaning up, preparing for the days tasks, but after staying up late because of 'Big Red' - he thought he'd sleep in a little. Sadly, his rest was short lived as a group of 7 squirrels, plus Big Red, surrounded him, with Big Red climbing atop the boy's head, close to his ear.
"Squeek! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"
Big Red 'yelled' right into Ja's ear, which woke him with a start, knocking Big Red off his shoulder as he sat up, looking dazed. "Wha- What..the hells.." His eyes slowly focused, the squirrel troop coming into view, and his expression slowly changed to that of shock mixed with amusement. "You have GOT to be kidding me. I was certain the Alchemist was pulling my leg, but here you are."Â
Big Red rolled his eyes at the cat-boy, signaling for him to follow, and scampered off into the forest, the troop following behind him, in line. Ja' watched them go for a moment, before giving in, grabbing his bow, and slowly tagging along. This was going to be one interesting day.
~A few hours later~
Ja'ren was leaning up against the Guardian Tree, his face morphed into a very large, toothy grin. He looked a bit wild, fierce with his fangs showing, but the large gathering of squirrels and other forest creatures seemed to not mind, or care that he was there. Big Red was sitting on a rock at the base of the tree, squeeking out what sounded like orders to the gathered animals. As they received their objectives, they bowed low to the rust colored squirrel and left to complete their tasks. Ja'ren still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Why in the WORLD were all these animals deferring to the small squirrel? He was hardly an imposing figure, nor did he look like he could provide any sort of 'protection'. Heaven's sake, the majority of the animals were much larger and stronger than the tiny squirrel.Â
"I don't get it. Why? Why do they listen to him.."
Hearing Ja', Big Red turned to look at the boy, the little animal's face seemed to say, "Be quiet! I'm -trying- to run things here!" Ja' chuckled, he was slowly picking up on the red squirrel's little mannerisms. When you got down to it, the little guy was very good at conveying emotion through body language, facial expressions, and paw movements. Something he probably picked up from watching the Alchemist and other people within the forest. Finally, all the animals had received their tasks, and left. Big Red slowly seemed to deflate, like all the talking he had done had drained him of energy. His entourage, which consisted of the same 7 squirrels from earlier, gathered around him, chitter-chattering in concern, but Big Red merely waved them off, motioning to Ja'ren.Â
The group looked over to the boy warily, but slowly turned to scamper off into the forest. Ja' looked down at Big Red, one eyebrow raised in a question, but the little animal just pointed to himself, then to Ja's shoulder. "....I'm not a chocobo." Big Red rolled his eyes, and pointed again, making a hand gesture that looked like someone drinking a potion. "You..want to go back to the Alchemist?" Red nodded enthusiastically, and clapped his tiny paws together as if to say, "Good! You aren't as dumb as you look!"
Ja'ren stared down at Big Red for a moment longer, before running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "Fine, you can hitch a ride. But this is -not- going to be a thing. Got it?" He knelt, reaching out so Big Red could more easily climb his way to Ja's shoulder, and the two set off into the woods for the Alchemist's hut.
"Squeek! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"
Big Red 'yelled' right into Ja's ear, which woke him with a start, knocking Big Red off his shoulder as he sat up, looking dazed. "Wha- What..the hells.." His eyes slowly focused, the squirrel troop coming into view, and his expression slowly changed to that of shock mixed with amusement. "You have GOT to be kidding me. I was certain the Alchemist was pulling my leg, but here you are."Â
Big Red rolled his eyes at the cat-boy, signaling for him to follow, and scampered off into the forest, the troop following behind him, in line. Ja' watched them go for a moment, before giving in, grabbing his bow, and slowly tagging along. This was going to be one interesting day.
~A few hours later~
Ja'ren was leaning up against the Guardian Tree, his face morphed into a very large, toothy grin. He looked a bit wild, fierce with his fangs showing, but the large gathering of squirrels and other forest creatures seemed to not mind, or care that he was there. Big Red was sitting on a rock at the base of the tree, squeeking out what sounded like orders to the gathered animals. As they received their objectives, they bowed low to the rust colored squirrel and left to complete their tasks. Ja'ren still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Why in the WORLD were all these animals deferring to the small squirrel? He was hardly an imposing figure, nor did he look like he could provide any sort of 'protection'. Heaven's sake, the majority of the animals were much larger and stronger than the tiny squirrel.Â
"I don't get it. Why? Why do they listen to him.."
Hearing Ja', Big Red turned to look at the boy, the little animal's face seemed to say, "Be quiet! I'm -trying- to run things here!" Ja' chuckled, he was slowly picking up on the red squirrel's little mannerisms. When you got down to it, the little guy was very good at conveying emotion through body language, facial expressions, and paw movements. Something he probably picked up from watching the Alchemist and other people within the forest. Finally, all the animals had received their tasks, and left. Big Red slowly seemed to deflate, like all the talking he had done had drained him of energy. His entourage, which consisted of the same 7 squirrels from earlier, gathered around him, chitter-chattering in concern, but Big Red merely waved them off, motioning to Ja'ren.Â
The group looked over to the boy warily, but slowly turned to scamper off into the forest. Ja' looked down at Big Red, one eyebrow raised in a question, but the little animal just pointed to himself, then to Ja's shoulder. "....I'm not a chocobo." Big Red rolled his eyes, and pointed again, making a hand gesture that looked like someone drinking a potion. "You..want to go back to the Alchemist?" Red nodded enthusiastically, and clapped his tiny paws together as if to say, "Good! You aren't as dumb as you look!"
Ja'ren stared down at Big Red for a moment longer, before running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "Fine, you can hitch a ride. But this is -not- going to be a thing. Got it?" He knelt, reaching out so Big Red could more easily climb his way to Ja's shoulder, and the two set off into the woods for the Alchemist's hut.
