Marlee breathed in deep, inhailing the rich, earthy scents around her. She had gone on a walk in the woods, a modest stretch of trees not far from her house, and stopped seemingly out of nowhere to enjoy the moment.
She took another breath and the fluffy red ears atop her relaxed into a down tilt and she used her humen ears to listen; something the fox girl preferred, really. Though her fox ears, things seemed so much louder and sharper, every small sound making them flick and twisle and prick. Marlee let nothing demand her attention now, simply letting herself exist in the sounds around her. Gentle leaf rustles, soft bird calls and the sloshing of a small Brook not to far ahead of her. Turning inwards, Marlee counted her breaths and let her heart beat lull her.
One last breath before she opened her eyes and took in the woods. The valvit greens and pail blues. Rugged bark and soft petals.
It was as the fox girl took in what was ahead of her that she notices them. Foot prints. Those of a child if the size was anything to go by. with curiosity, Marlee crouched down beside the trail, her fluffy fox tail lifting up behind her as she did. Dirt pinched between two fingers, she sniffed, opening her mouth a little to free her sceant glands.
Yup. Humen child. Four or five. Atleast to young to be out here alone. Marlee looked around but their was no evidence that someone else had been with the small child which only made the small knot of worry in her belly tighten. She had better find this kid before they got themselves hurt.
For a trail set by a small child, Marlee had an impressively hard time tracking. The footprints weaved, circled and just dissapeard in some places. She had even wondered if the child was actually some kind of Neko but their scent was distinctly human.
After alot of wandering and bashing into things with her head down, Marlee perked her large ears. The sound of sobbing, gentle and genuine, filled her ears before a small clearing came into sight. Her heart fell. Just off to the side of where Marlee stood was a fox trap. It seemed the poor little one had wanderd into it. They were awful things. Hunters would dig holes and cover them with branches and leaves. Marlee would mark as many as she could as dangerous to warn the foxes of the woods.
As the fox girl approached, the crying fell silent. A little boy stared up with wide, teary eyes. "Hello" Marlee seid in the softest voice she could manage. She daintaly hopped down into the hole, making the boy flinch a little. "It's okay" she tryed to assure, raising both hands. "I'm here to help"
The boy used a fist to rub him eye and nodded. Carefully, Marlee aproched and checked him over. Just a few scratches and bruises. He would be fine. Takeing him in her arms, she lifted him out of the hole before leaping out herself.
Suddenly, the little boy let out a laugh that melted into a giggle. Marlee looked confused, one ear flicking. He answered with a big smile and pointed at her tail. "Fox" he seid happily, clapping his hands. Marlee smiled back, her ears tilting down.
The fox girl crouched to address the boy, though he mostly just followed her tail again as it swoshed behind her gracefully. "My name is Marlee"
"Fox Marlee" he repeated. Though yes, it was socially correct to tag a nekos species on the front of their name, Marlee expectind this little one was simply associateing words, as children do.
"What's your name?"
He stopped grabbing at her tail and looked up at her, blinking. It seemed to take him a long moment before he joyfully responded "Tommy!"
Standing up again, Marlee put her hand out for Tommy to take. He did and began waddling next to her, babbaling " Marlee, Tommy, fox, fox, fox" as if he'd never heard any of those words before. Then again, Marlee was not a common name.
Letting out her own small giggle, Marlee began back the way she came. Wanting to exit the woods without getting lost before trying to find out where Tommy came from.
"Come on then. Let's get you out of here"
"Tommy, Tommy, Marleeeeee, fox, fox, fox!"
"My thoughts exactly"
