Not looking your best

Kotori hadn’t needed her to feel sorry for him, as he looked at her he felt humbled and guilty for having ignored her.  What would be worst? A crazy angry bite or being alone in the miserable shape she was in?  It probably depended on how hard he bit, probably.   The fuzzy thoughts that were not generally his own offered up the notion killing her would be a kindness with the shape she was in.

Kotori gave his head a shake, splattering some ooze on the ground and shaking away they thought at the same time.  He had no intention to hurt his black and white princess.  With her words of not giving up, she showed Ikigai could fight in her own way, even if not the physical sense.  

Kotori watched Ikigai, trying to keep feelings out of it as he considered her situation.  A faint smile at her gratitude for it to be him.  He didn’t respond right away though as he was pondering where her head was stuck solidly in the ground, locked in by crystals.  However, her head wasn’t against earth but locked in the crystal that flowed down into the ground.  There was space in between that could be torn.  It wasn’t a lot though and a mistake would hurt.  On top of that when others had tried biting crystals or mushrooms out of other animals it had caused them extreme pain.

Kotori furrowed his brow, struggling to focus solidly on this one fact. A back leg stretched forward, scraping at an ear to pull out a bit of ooze momentarily.  What would be better?  Crunching teeth or slashing horns?  Biting and eating crystals was away some wolves got the sickness.  Slashing with his horns might be better.  It would be harder to just cut with one and less likely to not cut her with the other.  

So, how much did Kotori like his little princess?  Sacrificing himself for another wolf who wasn’t even in his family.  The young man let out a slow exhale, “Ikigai, this is probably going to hurt, and if you feel like you can move please don’t.  I’m going to get your head free.  You're too pretty to die like this so, let's make sure you don't.  I'm not losing you.”

This was going against everything Kotori had aimed to do since the sickness started.  The brownish wolf had done all he could to avoid contact with the crystals but now he stepped up next to her, lowering his front half to the ground, legs in the air as if some playful position.  The young man was face to face with her,  looking in her eyes for a moment before putting his attention on the crystals.  He wasn’t asking her opinion.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care for her opinion but it should be done and if she didn’t want to then there would be a debate, letting her continue to suffer in this fashion, or ignoring her preference.  Kotori twisted his head sideways and gently mouthed about the crystals till he was sure it was all crystal in his muzzle instead of Ikigai.  Would he get the crystals growing out of him next?  Kotori crunched down on the crystal, dense and thick he snarled, tensed his muscles, and crushed through it.

Kotori Fatalis