Not looking your best

Kotori had known Iki was sick and had imagined it would be similar to how some of the other wolves in the pack were sick.  When he spotted her though his opened wide, staring in horrified shock.  For a moment any confusion in his mind was brushed away from the amazement at the sight in front of him.  Kotori leaped over a large root, skipped through a small stream to stop at her side.  “Iki…” The fist part of her name was all he could get it out for a moment as he looked her over.  What the hell was this?

“I’m sorry.” The words pushed out in shame.  “I’m sick too.” As if it wasn’t obvious, the ooze now coming from his own ears, nose, and back part of his muzzle like hanging thick blue drool.  “I was scared I might do something but, I had no idea.”

Even now Kotori could fill a strain to maintain focus but looking at how she was locked into the crystals and how they were growing from the ooze she produced was too startling to lose an overly large amount of focus.  Her question was almost as mind-numbing and what answer would he give for something like that.  Sorting through possible answers was confusing.  The moment he tried one, wasn’t happy with it and thought of another he had already lost the one before.  What the hell do you say to this?  “I don’t know.” He had to fill the silence with something.  “Prince nor princesses can give up though.” That sounded alright which was good since he hadn’t thought it over much first.

Kotori moved as if he’d lay near her but backed up, brow furrowing.  Kotori had done all he could to avoid touching the contaminated and none were more contaminated than this!  Kotori’s left front paw raked the ground with frustration.  Even if he gave in and was willing to lay with her and risk himself, what if he got stupid and attacked her over an unreasonable thing.  “I don’t know what to do.” Honesty, even if it was humbling, was becoming the answer to things since he couldn’t try to find a more polite way to say hard facts.

"Kotori Fatalis"