𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

SNOWDROP

     I stand completely frozen for a moment.

     Is there- Is that? Slowly, I turn around. Standing right in front of me is another fox. He stands still, looking at me with a slightly skeptical, slightly amused expression.

     His fur is a different color than mine. Bright, strawberry red with black paws and a white tail tip. Just like Old Springtrap described other foxes to me. He called me an average fox for everything other than my color. But Old Springtrap was the only other fox I knew, and he was ancient. His patchy red pelt had lost most of its shine.

     I didn't even believe that other foxes could look like that.

     Stop thinking about him! I hiss to myself. But the memory persists, wiggling through the cracks in my mental defenses.

     It was my first spring. The forest exploded with colors and I was shocked. I ran among the trees and stopped at a bush of red berries-

     "Hey, ya OKAY? I said it looked like you weren't having trouble and you just froze."

     That breaks me out of my trance. "YES," I snap, unreasonably loud.

     "Oh, well then. I didn't know foxes lived out here in the Wolf Lands," the new fox says, his face scrunching up in surprise.

     "They don't," I reply instantly.

     The fox glanced at me in apparent confusion. "But clearly you live out here? Can you give me directions to the nearest Sulk?"

     I turn my attention back to the contraption I'm building. "Listen here, buddy. There isn't another fox around here for miles, so get lost."

     My mind is a screaming whirlwind. One half screams "FREIND! OTHER! KEEP HIM! LET HIM GO NEVER"! The other is trying to calm down. I DON'T NEED COMPANY I'M FINE ON MY OWN.

     The fox's tail droops. "O-okay," he stammers, blissfully unaware of the argument raging in my brain. "C-could I at least get a name?"

     WHAT NO STOP-REVEAL NOTHING. "Snowdrop," I say nonchalantly. WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?

     "Um... That's a nice name," the fox says, trying to keep me talking. Forcefully trying to ignore him, I tie a few branches together and pull back sharply, tugging the string.

     "I shared my name, so what's yours?"

     Stop-reveal nothing. Remember what happened last time you let yourself get too close to someone! I shriek internally.

     The fox hesitates. His ears lower slowly. "I-um. I kind of don't have one?"

     "Explain," I growl, snapping through a thin, brittle stick that's in my mouth.

     "Well, I have a kit name-" he starts.

     "What's a kit name?" I ask, blatantly interrupting him.

     "It's a name a kit receives as a temporary name. Once a fox becomes an adult, they get to choose their name, as well as if they want to leave the Sulk or not."

     "Your kit name?" I demand.

     "Hold on- I just clarified what that is," he complains.

     "No, nimrod. I mean what is your kit name, not what's a kit name," I bark. God, I haven't socialized with anyone other than myself for over a year and it's really starting to show.

     "It's, um. Promise you won't laugh?" He asks, looking embarrassed.

     "I promise nothing," I say hotly.

     He continues on, ignoring my last comment. "It's Yew." I let out a snort, and he huffs. "I told you to not laugh," he snaps.

     "I promised nothing," I giggle. "But seriously, what kind of name is Yew?"

     Yew rolls his eyes. "A dumb one. I was supposed to have a good kit name but then the Great Sara incident happened, and all respect for me was ruined."

     "What's that?" I ask. "And what's a 'Sara'?"

     "I'd rather not talk about it," he mutters.

     "Oooh, that makes me want to know," I say excitedly.

     Yew rolls his eyes. "Whatever, I can pick a name now, and it can be anything that I want! Nothing's holding me back!"

     "So go on then," I say impatiently. I open my pouch and start to rummage around in it again.

     "Well, all I know is that I want it to have R as the first letter," Yew admits.

     "Well, what'll it be?" I ask, thinking of as many R names as I can. "Robin, Red, Rocket... Um..." I frown. "Roach? Wait that's not a good name... Reed, Race, Rage, Roa..."

     "Roa," Yew says suddenly. "I like Roa."

     "Ya," I mutter, remembering myself. "Roa's a good name. Well, now that's out of the way, so scram."

     "Wait!" Roa yelps. "Can-can I just stay with you? Like, only for a few days? Please?"

     "No way Jose. Now get your lazy butt out of my forest," I snap, pulling out a small clay container from my pouch and opening it.

     "Just-Just for a few days? Please? Please? Please?" Roa begs.

     The small container is filled with a thick, greenish paste. I dip my paw in and carefully start to smear it over the wood. If I let him stay, then maybe I can prove to myself that company is nothing but trouble.

     Then I can stop being so obsessed.

     "Fine," I snap. "But don't make me change my mind."

     Angrily, I close the cap on the container, stashing it away where it belongs. I place the rabbit into the contraption and pick up a pile of foliage. I then dump the plants onto the contraption and storm off, walking briskly back towards my home.

     "You coming or do you want to freeze to death?" I ask.

A/N

Hello, it is I. I am back from the dark pit known as the internet to give you all another chapter. From now on, a new chapter will be poster every week.