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","description_bbcode_parsed":"Disclaimer: The characters portrayed in the series may be altered in terms of personalities for the purpose of the plot. ","writing":"Beneath the canopy of the thick leaves lies the wooden, thatched-roofed houses of the village of the Fox Faction, a tribe of foxes with furs ranging in all colors of the rainbow. They all wear the same outfits; bra tops for vixens and loincloths regardless of gender. Each piece covering an individual’s unmentionables have the same colors as their body and face paints, marking their personalities as different. \nThree foxes, wearing nothing more than loincloths, gather in a huge gap in the center of the village and talk amongst themselves. They cease their conversations when an orange fox, same gender and attire as them, walks by. His blue stripes on his face arms and legs comment the two arrows on his head and torso, pointing to the loincloth matching in color. The three boys remain silent as they watch him pass.\nThe quiet is interrupted when a scarlet fox in a magenta top and loincloth approaches the group. Yellow swirls mark her arms. “Hello, boys!” She exclaims with excitement. “Hi, Nick.” She wraps her arms around the blue fox with yellow and green paws and tail. Red paint lines his eyes, cheeks, and limbs, as well as an arrow on his torso. His loincloth’s the same color, covering between his legs. “What are you and the guys doing?”\n“Sh,” orders the blue and orange fox with bright sunset colors for his loincloth and painted stripes on torso, cheeks, and limbs. “Don’t yell so loud, Pauline… Zach’s passing by.”\n“Zach?” repeats the bright red fox. “The chief’s son?”\n“Yes,” answers the tangelo fox with green markings all over him and a matching-color loincloth. “Just pretend he isn’t there.” The three boys turn to each other as if re-engaging in their conversation. The single orange fox takes a glance at the group before getting near. “I swear, I’m not comfortable with him around.” \n“Quiet, Brainy!” utters the blue and orange fox. “Not so loud! He’ll hear us!” He looks up to notice him approach. “Stay sharp! He’s coming this way!”\nThe orange fox in blue stops before the four. “Hello there. What’s going on, guys?” \n“Nothing,” Nick states. “Nothing going on around here.”\n“Oh. You four talking about anything interesting?”\n“No,” responds the fox with green paint. “Just regular stuff around the village. Nothing too extreme.”\n“Can I join you guys?” \n“Sorry,” the blue and orange fox tells him. “We’re not staying long. We’ve got work that needs doing.”\n“I see… Do you need any help? Perhaps I can lend a paw.” \n“We don’t need you around,” he utters. “We can handle the job ourselves.”\nThe orange fox’s ears droop, along with his emotions. “Oh… Okay… I guess I’ll just… leave…”\nThe blue and orange fox crosses his arms. “Yeah, you do that.” He and the others stare at the other fox as he wanders away, disappearing behind the hut in front of them.\nBrainy looks to him. “Gods, Nate. I never knew you’d stoop so low like that… Takes courage for that…”\n“Yeah,” adds Nick. “Aren’t you afraid his father will force us to bring him along? Or rather, punish us?”\nNate faces the other blue fox. “Maybe so, but I have a feeling it won’t happen.” \n“Remind me again,” begins Pauline. “Why ignore the son of the chief? Is he evil or something?”\n“From what we know, it’s all from the chief himself,” Nick tells her. “According to him, Zach’s nothing more than a flawed fox; can’t do much of anything right and takes long for him to learn things. The chief even doesn’t even recognize him as his own son, all because of his flaw.”\n“What does that have to do with us?”\n“He ruins everything,” Nate continues. “He’s tried so many times in trying to win our respect, but he’s failed at it. And with that, destruction has followed. He’s more of a contained evil spirit, causing havoc wherever he travels.”\n“The Gods have forsaken this entire village with his presence,” Brainy comments. “We can’t he be banned?”\n“You heard the Council of Elders,” Pauline says. “He is one with the tribe, and we must band together against our enemies, despite differences.”\n“He’s never going to fight,” states Nick. “He can’t even hit a mousat with a bow and arrow. We’re going to trust him in defense?” \n“Perhaps he may be useful in being captured by the enemy,” says Nate. “Not like our brave warriors would rescue him or anything, right?” The others laugh. “That’s his only use there.”\nThe orange fox in blue, having hidden behind the wall to give the illusion of leaving and overhearing, droops his ears and frowns. He lets out a sight before officially taking steps away from the center. He takes a few paces away from the open gates of the wooden walls before being stopped by something else. \nBehind him, a dark red fox walks up to him. A brown top and loincloth show a feminine gender, but no paint anywhere on her body. “Hey, Zach,” she calls, placing her paw on his shoulder. “You all right? I saw what happened with those boys. You shouldn’t let them stomp all over you like-”\n“I understand, Amina,” Zach interrupts. “I’m just going to head into the jungle.”\n“Again? For what?” \nZach turns to her. “I just want to be alone…” \n“Okay, just be careful. You know the jungle’s full of jaggies and other vicious beats, as well as the other tribes. Here, take my bow.” She hands it to the orange fox, along with a satchel of arrows for him to wear on his back. “You’ll need them for protection. Don’t be long.” \n“Thank you, Amina. I’ll be back before sundown.” The orange fox heads toward the collection of trees and disappears.\n\n***\n\nCutting through the trees and jumping from branch-to-branch, Zach comes by a large river on his travels. As he looks down, he can spot a figure by the edge of the body of water.\nOn closer look, it is a warthog, sitting and staring at the reflection. A lavender loincloth and top reveal it’s a female. Painted arrows mark her face as well as a diamond in the center. Her limbs bear stripes and diamonds for her appearance. Parts of her head are bald, showing the scars that line the surface of the exposed location. The orange fox jumps down from the safety of the tree and eases closer to the warthog. He comes within two feet of the animal. She raises her head from the water. “Don’t even think about it, Fox Boy.”\nZach walks to her side. “Think about what? I wasn’t going to scare you or anything, Emmy.”\n“Course, you aren’t.” She turns to him. “Why carry that bow with arrows? You never bring weapons to our meetings.”\n“Amina gave it to me. She’s concerned for my safety. She’s the only one who takes pity of me.”\n“She’s worried for you, Zach. I’d be, too. Worried you might be mauled by a jaggy or captured by any of the other tribes.”\nZach sits next to her. “You know, I’m starting to wish that I had been.” He looks back at the gushing water. The warthog fixes her eyes on him and asks what troubles him. The orange fox lets out a sigh. “Emmy, why did the Gods make me flawed? What sins have I committed to be forsaken in this way? Why must I bear this curse?”\n“You are not cursed,” Emmy assures him. “What you have is a blessing; a mark you’ve received upon entering the realm of life. Just because the village views you the way they do, doesn’t mean you should.” She turns her head, showing him her bald area. “These scars were a blessing for me. Yes, they’ve made others judge differently of me, but I don’t let little things like this bother me. Why think of yourself as cursed?”\n“My father’s getting to me… He does nothing but lie and hurt. To him, I’m nothing but an annoying child. He’s got the whole village convinced I’m flawed.”\n“I am shocked he has your whole village into his fib. Shocked no one but Amina has done anything about it.”\n“Rumors are like wildfires, Emmy… They spread rapidly, covering every inch of fuel, and they’re hard to put out… The high flames also make it impossible to see, yet Amina is the only one who knows what lies beyond the burning walls. Why don’t those boys be like her?”\n“Boys?” asks Emmy. “You’ve been going near those other foxes again, huh?”\n“I just want to be their friend… Show them and everyone that the curse has little effect on me.”\n“Someone who’s mean to you isn’t a friend. You shouldn’t bother with those other foxes.”\n“I just want to fit in with the tribe… Just want to have people to care about.”\n“Don’t you care about me? I’m your friend, aren’t I? I mean, we’re different, but we’re together.”\n“Yes, you are indeed my friend. You’re a brave, tough, and friendly warthog. You’ve been there for me in my times of darkness. I feel the same way about Amina, too.”\n“Amina’s sweet fox,” comments Emmy. “I like her. She’s always looking out for you as well as I am. I just can’t help but feel jealous of that.” Zach asks her why. “My instincts tell me she does everything she can to get you to hold her in your arms. To plant a kiss on her lips each day. To bear more little foxes around the village.”\n“I don’t see Amina that way. She’s a good friend, and she’s looked out for me ever since my mother’s passing. She’s been my new motherly figure in my eyes.”\n“Zach,” Emmy begins. “I want you to know you’re very fortunate to have friends who care about you. Yes, your friends are no more than a red fox and warthog, but they care deeply for you and what you’re going through. We’ve got your back no matter what.”\nZach’s mouth bends slightly, turning into a smile. “Thanks, Emmy…” He’s quickly trapped by the warthog as she wraps her arms around him, pressing her body against his. The fox, having no choice, locks himself in her hug with his arms around her. \n\n\n*** \n\nZach appears, emerging from the trees and through the wooden walls of the village. With the sun nearly touching the ground, the fox hastily gets inside before the gates behind him close. The orange fox turns to the large doors, watching them swing closed to mark curfew hours. As he pivots himself from the gates, he gasps and flinches to see the dark red fox in front of him. “Amina! Gods, you scared me!”\n“I just want to know how you are doing,” she asks. “Came to see if you were all right.”\n“Yeah,” he answers. “Everything’s fine… You don’t see any scratches, so it means I didn’t get mauled by a jaggy.” Zach passes her and starts to leave. \n“How is that warthog girl friend of yours, by the way?” Amina queries. The orange fox freezes in his tracks and quickly faces the red fox with shock. “Yeah, I know all about your relationship with the warthog perfectly well. It’s against the tribe to befriend anyone outside of it, including rival clans.” \nZach sighs and tilts his head to the ground. His ears droop with shame. “Listen, Amina… I know she’s from the Warthog Warriors, but I trust her. Emmy and I share a lot in common; we suffer from our chieftain fathers and the villages which they command, all because they see us differently. Our friendship is a secret and shall not be revealed. Please, Amina… I beg of you not to-”\n“Not to what? If anything, I’m happy for you.” Zach lifts his head with ears pointing up fast, shocked to hear the words from her mouth. She places her paws on his shoulders. “Zach, it’s hard to find others who can be trusted, especially when they view you the wrong way. Your friendship with Emmy will not be brought to the fire. Besides, if anything, I’m against your father for his way of treating you. You have nothing to worry about from me. I have your back.” Zach forms a smile and utters a “thank you” to her. Amina takes back her paws. “You best be on your way. Don’t want to keep you from heading home. Your father might be worried.”\n“Doubt it,” Zach tells her. “He’s never cared for me. Most likely he’ll yell at me for being away from the village and all alone and such… All he ever does is find fault in me; a reason for him to denounce me…”\n“Bet it’s hard to put up with.”\n“It used to be, but then I grew immune to it… It doesn’t bother me anymore… Well, time to see what he’s going to yell at me for this time.” He heads off.\n“Zach, wait!” Zach stops again, turning to her. “Do you plan to see her again? The warthog…” \n“Why?”\n“Only asking, is all.”\n“I intend to. Why ask me about it, though?” \n“Just be careful,” Amina says. “That’s all I have to say. Goodnight, Zach.” She heads to one of the huts. \n“Amina, wait!” Zach slides the bow and arrows from around his shoulders. “Your bow and arrows!”\n“Keep them,” Amina commands. “I can always make another set.” She then disappears into the hut and closes the door. Zach remains in place for a brief moment before replacing the weapons around his shoulders. He thinks for a moment before tracing the path back to his home. \n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Beneath the canopy of the thick leaves lies the wooden, thatched-roofed houses of the village of the Fox Faction, a tribe of foxes with furs ranging in all colors of the rainbow. They all wear the same outfits; bra tops for vixens and loincloths regardless of gender. Each piece covering an individual’s unmentionables have the same colors as their body and face paints, marking their personalities as different.
Three foxes, wearing nothing more than loincloths, gather in a huge gap in the center of the village and talk amongst themselves. They cease their conversations when an orange fox, same gender and attire as them, walks by. His blue stripes on his face arms and legs comment the two arrows on his head and torso, pointing to the loincloth matching in color. The three boys remain silent as they watch him pass.
The quiet is interrupted when a scarlet fox in a magenta top and loincloth approaches the group. Yellow swirls mark her arms. “Hello, boys!” She exclaims with excitement. “Hi, Nick.” She wraps her arms around the blue fox with yellow and green paws and tail. Red paint lines his eyes, cheeks, and limbs, as well as an arrow on his torso. His loincloth’s the same color, covering between his legs. “What are you and the guys doing?”
“Sh,” orders the blue and orange fox with bright sunset colors for his loincloth and painted stripes on torso, cheeks, and limbs. “Don’t yell so loud, Pauline… Zach’s passing by.”
“Zach?” repeats the bright red fox. “The chief’s son?”
“Yes,” answers the tangelo fox with green markings all over him and a matching-color loincloth. “Just pretend he isn’t there.” The three boys turn to each other as if re-engaging in their conversation. The single orange fox takes a glance at the group before getting near. “I swear, I’m not comfortable with him around.”
“Quiet, Brainy!” utters the blue and orange fox. “Not so loud! He’ll hear us!” He looks up to notice him approach. “Stay sharp! He’s coming this way!”
The orange fox in blue stops before the four. “Hello there. What’s going on, guys?”
“Nothing,” Nick states. “Nothing going on around here.”
“Oh. You four talking about anything interesting?”
“No,” responds the fox with green paint. “Just regular stuff around the village. Nothing too extreme.”
“Can I join you guys?”
“Sorry,” the blue and orange fox tells him. “We’re not staying long. We’ve got work that needs doing.”
“I see… Do you need any help? Perhaps I can lend a paw.”
“We don’t need you around,” he utters. “We can handle the job ourselves.”
The orange fox’s ears droop, along with his emotions. “Oh… Okay… I guess I’ll just… leave…”
The blue and orange fox crosses his arms. “Yeah, you do that.” He and the others stare at the other fox as he wanders away, disappearing behind the hut in front of them.
Brainy looks to him. “Gods, Nate. I never knew you’d stoop so low like that… Takes courage for that…”
“Yeah,” adds Nick. “Aren’t you afraid his father will force us to bring him along? Or rather, punish us?”
Nate faces the other blue fox. “Maybe so, but I have a feeling it won’t happen.”
“Remind me again,” begins Pauline. “Why ignore the son of the chief? Is he evil or something?”
“From what we know, it’s all from the chief himself,” Nick tells her. “According to him, Zach’s nothing more than a flawed fox; can’t do much of anything right and takes long for him to learn things. The chief even doesn’t even recognize him as his own son, all because of his flaw.”
“What does that have to do with us?”
“He ruins everything,” Nate continues. “He’s tried so many times in trying to win our respect, but he’s failed at it. And with that, destruction has followed. He’s more of a contained evil spirit, causing havoc wherever he travels.”
“The Gods have forsaken this entire village with his presence,” Brainy comments. “We can’t he be banned?”
“You heard the Council of Elders,” Pauline says. “He is one with the tribe, and we must band together against our enemies, despite differences.”
“He’s never going to fight,” states Nick. “He can’t even hit a mousat with a bow and arrow. We’re going to trust him in defense?”
“Perhaps he may be useful in being captured by the enemy,” says Nate. “Not like our brave warriors would rescue him or anything, right?” The others laugh. “That’s his only use there.”
The orange fox in blue, having hidden behind the wall to give the illusion of leaving and overhearing, droops his ears and frowns. He lets out a sight before officially taking steps away from the center. He takes a few paces away from the open gates of the wooden walls before being stopped by something else.
Behind him, a dark red fox walks up to him. A brown top and loincloth show a feminine gender, but no paint anywhere on her body. “Hey, Zach,” she calls, placing her paw on his shoulder. “You all right? I saw what happened with those boys. You shouldn’t let them stomp all over you like-”
“I understand, Amina,” Zach interrupts. “I’m just going to head into the jungle.”
“Again? For what?”
Zach turns to her. “I just want to be alone…”
“Okay, just be careful. You know the jungle’s full of jaggies and other vicious beats, as well as the other tribes. Here, take my bow.” She hands it to the orange fox, along with a satchel of arrows for him to wear on his back. “You’ll need them for protection. Don’t be long.”
“Thank you, Amina. I’ll be back before sundown.” The orange fox heads toward the collection of trees and disappears.
***
Cutting through the trees and jumping from branch-to-branch, Zach comes by a large river on his travels. As he looks down, he can spot a figure by the edge of the body of water.
On closer look, it is a warthog, sitting and staring at the reflection. A lavender loincloth and top reveal it’s a female. Painted arrows mark her face as well as a diamond in the center. Her limbs bear stripes and diamonds for her appearance. Parts of her head are bald, showing the scars that line the surface of the exposed location. The orange fox jumps down from the safety of the tree and eases closer to the warthog. He comes within two feet of the animal. She raises her head from the water. “Don’t even think about it, Fox Boy.”
Zach walks to her side. “Think about what? I wasn’t going to scare you or anything, Emmy.”
“Course, you aren’t.” She turns to him. “Why carry that bow with arrows? You never bring weapons to our meetings.”
“Amina gave it to me. She’s concerned for my safety. She’s the only one who takes pity of me.”
“She’s worried for you, Zach. I’d be, too. Worried you might be mauled by a jaggy or captured by any of the other tribes.”
Zach sits next to her. “You know, I’m starting to wish that I had been.” He looks back at the gushing water. The warthog fixes her eyes on him and asks what troubles him. The orange fox lets out a sigh. “Emmy, why did the Gods make me flawed? What sins have I committed to be forsaken in this way? Why must I bear this curse?”
“You are not cursed,” Emmy assures him. “What you have is a blessing; a mark you’ve received upon entering the realm of life. Just because the village views you the way they do, doesn’t mean you should.” She turns her head, showing him her bald area. “These scars were a blessing for me. Yes, they’ve made others judge differently of me, but I don’t let little things like this bother me. Why think of yourself as cursed?”
“My father’s getting to me… He does nothing but lie and hurt. To him, I’m nothing but an annoying child. He’s got the whole village convinced I’m flawed.”
“I am shocked he has your whole village into his fib. Shocked no one but Amina has done anything about it.”
“Rumors are like wildfires, Emmy… They spread rapidly, covering every inch of fuel, and they’re hard to put out… The high flames also make it impossible to see, yet Amina is the only one who knows what lies beyond the burning walls. Why don’t those boys be like her?”
“Boys?” asks Emmy. “You’ve been going near those other foxes again, huh?”
“I just want to be their friend… Show them and everyone that the curse has little effect on me.”
“Someone who’s mean to you isn’t a friend. You shouldn’t bother with those other foxes.”
“I just want to fit in with the tribe… Just want to have people to care about.”
“Don’t you care about me? I’m your friend, aren’t I? I mean, we’re different, but we’re together.”
“Yes, you are indeed my friend. You’re a brave, tough, and friendly warthog. You’ve been there for me in my times of darkness. I feel the same way about Amina, too.”
“Amina’s sweet fox,” comments Emmy. “I like her. She’s always looking out for you as well as I am. I just can’t help but feel jealous of that.” Zach asks her why. “My instincts tell me she does everything she can to get you to hold her in your arms. To plant a kiss on her lips each day. To bear more little foxes around the village.”
“I don’t see Amina that way. She’s a good friend, and she’s looked out for me ever since my mother’s passing. She’s been my new motherly figure in my eyes.”
“Zach,” Emmy begins. “I want you to know you’re very fortunate to have friends who care about you. Yes, your friends are no more than a red fox and warthog, but they care deeply for you and what you’re going through. We’ve got your back no matter what.”
Zach’s mouth bends slightly, turning into a smile. “Thanks, Emmy…” He’s quickly trapped by the warthog as she wraps her arms around him, pressing her body against his. The fox, having no choice, locks himself in her hug with his arms around her.
***
Zach appears, emerging from the trees and through the wooden walls of the village. With the sun nearly touching the ground, the fox hastily gets inside before the gates behind him close. The orange fox turns to the large doors, watching them swing closed to mark curfew hours. As he pivots himself from the gates, he gasps and flinches to see the dark red fox in front of him. “Amina! Gods, you scared me!”
“I just want to know how you are doing,” she asks. “Came to see if you were all right.”
“Yeah,” he answers. “Everything’s fine… You don’t see any scratches, so it means I didn’t get mauled by a jaggy.” Zach passes her and starts to leave.
“How is that warthog girl friend of yours, by the way?” Amina queries. The orange fox freezes in his tracks and quickly faces the red fox with shock. “Yeah, I know all about your relationship with the warthog perfectly well. It’s against the tribe to befriend anyone outside of it, including rival clans.”
Zach sighs and tilts his head to the ground. His ears droop with shame. “Listen, Amina… I know she’s from the Warthog Warriors, but I trust her. Emmy and I share a lot in common; we suffer from our chieftain fathers and the villages which they command, all because they see us differently. Our friendship is a secret and shall not be revealed. Please, Amina… I beg of you not to-”
“Not to what? If anything, I’m happy for you.” Zach lifts his head with ears pointing up fast, shocked to hear the words from her mouth. She places her paws on his shoulders. “Zach, it’s hard to find others who can be trusted, especially when they view you the wrong way. Your friendship with Emmy will not be brought to the fire. Besides, if anything, I’m against your father for his way of treating you. You have nothing to worry about from me. I have your back.” Zach forms a smile and utters a “thank you” to her. Amina takes back her paws. “You best be on your way. Don’t want to keep you from heading home. Your father might be worried.”
“Doubt it,” Zach tells her. “He’s never cared for me. Most likely he’ll yell at me for being away from the village and all alone and such… All he ever does is find fault in me; a reason for him to denounce me…”
“Bet it’s hard to put up with.”
“It used to be, but then I grew immune to it… It doesn’t bother me anymore… Well, time to see what he’s going to yell at me for this time.” He heads off.
“Zach, wait!” Zach stops again, turning to her. “Do you plan to see her again? The warthog…”
“Why?”
“Only asking, is all.”
“I intend to. Why ask me about it, though?”
“Just be careful,” Amina says. “That’s all I have to say. Goodnight, Zach.” She heads to one of the huts.
“Amina, wait!” Zach slides the bow and arrows from around his shoulders. “Your bow and arrows!”
“Keep them,” Amina commands. “I can always make another set.” She then disappears into the hut and closes the door. Zach remains in place for a brief moment before replacing the weapons around his shoulders. He thinks for a moment before tracing the path back to his home.
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