Curious Soul
- Ceres Tales -
{Spike}
.:+:.
This little esk was such a strange and curious fellow.... perhaps a bit lacking in the way of words and understanding, yes- but a very kind and tender soul nonetheless. There was not an ounce of ill-content to be found in this little esk's heart, everything about his energy was simply upbeat, and bright, so very, very innocent.
Ceres peered quietly down at the small creature, his shadow swallowing Spike up entirely and their eyes matched in something of a deadlock filled with wonder, intrigue, and question. Ceres had been keenly aware of something skittering among the protruding rocks and plants, following him out of sight as he made his way through the sand. Ceres knew he was being followed, and even on some level he knew it wasn't an animal like a mouse or rabbit, but he gave it little thought. He kept walking, stepping carefully through the rocks scattered among the sand and ever aware of some bush rustling there, or a tumble of stone here- eventually whatever it was would either lose interest or show itself, he was sure.... Though even after settling on that notion, Ceres' still found himself somewhat startled when something tumbled out into the center of his path in a ball of tangled limbs and pale green.
The little esk picked himself up, covered in dirt and bits of rock stuck in between the needles poking up from the cactus that seemed to serve as a tail, red eyes matching with Ceres' own and so very, very intent. Ceres stopped abruptly, his head tilting slightly at the new arrival and the smaller esk mimicked the motion, his head tilting just as Ceres' did. Ceres paused, tilting his head the other way and the little esk mirrored it again, obediently almost, but not so much as just... curious.
Ceres dipped his head down, lowering himself to be more eye level with the esk and bending a knee too. "Hello." Ceres greeted the little fellow pleasantly, the smaller esk perking slightly at the greeting. The fellow let out a little trill, the noise dancing on Ceres' mind, bright and happy and eager. Ceres' greeting seemed to come across well enough, though there was no verbal response to be had from the other esk.
Undeterred Ceres dipped his head further and nudged his muzzle underneath the smaller esk, helping him back up and on to his feet. Spike sat back on his haunches as Ceres drew away again, shifting to bend both knees now and settle against them before the smaller esk, the ocotillo's crowning Ceres' head rattling slightly as he moved.
"My name is Ceres." The larger esk hummed pleasantly, the smaller's eyes glittering slightly in recognition of the words and leaning in for it, just a bit. "And who are you, little one?" Ceres asked lightly,
"Spike...! Spike...!" This time there was a verbal response, and a slightly giddy one, not that Ceres' minded- nor did he mind when Spike sat up on his haunches, his front feet landing on Ceres' muzzle and Spike's bum (and cactus too) nearly wagging like that of a pup with too much energy.
"It is wonderful to meet you." Ceres hummed, earning another trill instead of words, Spike's paws patting up and down against Ceres' muzzle as the small fellow bounced up and down a bit. "What brings you out here today?" Ceres asked, not really so much in the hopes there would be an answer (given a lack thereof so far), but more out of habit. There wasn't much answer beside another round of trills and squeaks and the like- the little fellow quickly growing all the more excited with the question, and Ceres stayed still, yellow eyes gleaming with the burst in energy and anticipation coming from the esk. Among the trills and the bouncing up and down there was a stringing of the word 'play' being repeated over and over, and enough Ceres understood quite easily what Spike wanted. "You wish to play?" Ceres murmured lightly, "I think I can manage that, little one."
Ceres pulled his muzzle away from Spike softly, forcing him to drop back down onto the ground (though he was still bursting with energy) and Ceres lift his head again, twisting slightly as the blossoms sprouting from the bottom of Ceres' ocotillos shifted, and a small, dusky-pelted kangaroo rat climbed it's way down Ceres' muzzle carefully. At the base of the rat's spine and above it's tail a bundle of needles and a bright colored fruit had taken root- just the same as the many prickly pears dotting Ceres' body. Spike's attention immediately snapped to the sudden appearance of the kangaroo rat- Ceres' Familiar- the little esk's eyes gleaming and now absolutely bursting with excitement.
The Familiar hopped off Ceres, using his muzzle like a spring board and launching right at Spike- the two of them bundling together and grappling as they rolled over backwards and began wrestling in the dirt, kicking up sand and squeaking and squealing in delight. Ceres pushed himself back up onto his feet, shaking himself out and watching for a few moments as Spike and the Familiar broke apart and began to run about. The Familiar hopped expertly between rocks and plants with Spike hot on it's tail (albeit a bit more clumsily in his pursuit), persistent in his attempt to play catch and tag and completely enthralled with the game. Ceres moved slowly, stepping off to the side and settling down into the sand beside a clump of rocks and cacti both, folding his legs underneath him and watching the two busy-bodies rough and tumble all over the area.
Ceres' settled in and watched, amused with the boundless energy Spike seemed to have and the clumsiness too.... He really did seem a curious, simple, and bright little fellow, so full of life and joy- and at something so simple as play. It was good energy all around coming from Spike in his play, and it was pleasant- Ceres was more than happy to wait awhile and let Spike have his fun..... After all, any chance to put more good energy into this world was well worth it.
It took quite awhile of constant running about and wrestling before Spike's energy seemed to start to drain, and already the sun was beginning to sink in the sky and cast a deep orange glow over the land. The smaller esk became more clumsy, and less enthusiastic- though perhaps a little stubbornly he seemed determined to keep going regardless. Ceres directed his Familiar to wind it down, the kangaroo rat slowing up and tussling less in a gradual fade- and remained steady in toning it down, even as Spike recanted 'play' more and more fervently to try and get it to return to the high energy pace. Eventually the Familiar hopped back across toward where Ceres was lying in the growing shadows, settling down at his feet with Spike quick to follow and press for more play. Ceres shook his head slightly, diverting Spike's attention from the Familiar long enough it could bury itself underneath Ceres' shoulder and out of sight.
"That is enough for now." Ceres told Spike coolly, and the small esk let something like a small whine out, the noise ringing in Ceres' mind along with another few insistent 'plays'. Ceres shook his head again, patient even under the small bursts of agitation and insistence suddenly blurring with the little esk's natural good vibes. "That is enough." Ceres repeated gently, prompting Spike into settling down into sitting and head lowering slightly, taking the hint but not so happy with it. Ceres bent his head and nudged the small fellow, pulling him closer and directing him to settle into the sand comfortably, motioning for it more with thoughts and gestures rather than words. Spike hesitated, slowly laying down once he realized what Ceres wanted him to do. Once Spike had settled in Ceres drew his feet further underneath him, musing for a moment to himself as silence fell between them for a few seconds.
Usually Ceres would have esk and animal alike gather around him to hear some story or tale- and first instinct would have been to do the same here with Spike... but Ceres paused, because he wasn't quite sure how much would get across if he were to tell a story. The little fellow seemed coherent enough of select words or intonations, but the nuances of storytelling might become a bit lost. A simple story might do, but Ceres figured something a little different might be better.
So, Ceres didn't say anything.
He simply started humming a low, slow tune that reverberated through Spike's mind and over the area. It was a song, one without words, but one that seemed to contain ghosts of words that stood at the edges of every change in tone and pace. It told a story without ever saying anything, and a story that was more left up to the imagination- peaceful and calm, and stirring up emotions and energy from both Ceres and Spike, and the land and plants around them. It even seemed to urge the growing shadows into movement, shifting so little it was almost imperceptible, but they did seem to mold themselves into shapes and creatures of a kind that could only be born of the imagination.
Spike found himself enthralled soon enough, after having at first been unsure and questioning of the sudden noise- it didn't sound like the words that most esk tried (and failed) to convey to him, it was different. This wasn't jarbled, or choppy, or incoherent.... it was smooth, simple, pleasant noise- and noise with purpose, and form, and life. Spike could feel some odd sort of weight behind it that was calm and pulsing, running through to his center and thrumming throughout his body and into the sand underneath him. In some weird, incredible way it was invoking images and colors in his mind's eye, and shapes and characters that bent and moved along with the rhythm- like feathers pushed and pulled by delicate currents of air.
For awhile Spike remained lying where he was, his mind not as still as his body while his thoughts became lost in the music and the world it was creating in his head. But eventually his limbs could stay no longer stand the stillness, and the little esk pulled himself up onto his feet. Spike started digging into the sand, wearing lines and trenches in with deliberate strokes and movements, intent on bringing forth all the things dancing in his mind. He began painting with the earth a picture that only he knew what it really was, but it didn't matter if it was nonsensical or not- it was fun, and almost cathartic, and it was just as enchanting an activity for the little esk as the playing had been, and the song seemed to be.
Ceres kept up with the tune all through Spike beginning on his drawing in the sand, watching the the other esk happily as he continued with his art and began adding more to it- positioning pebbles and rocks among the lines, picking up spare twigs and branches, and whatnot. Spike kept going long after the sun had set and the the moon rose up in a clear sky dotted with millions of stars, and it was only once Spike put that last stone in place and looked up expectantly at Ceres, did the larger esk pause in his humming. Spike gestured fervently at the mess of lines and stones and sticks, the cacti on his bum moving back and forth in his excitement. Ceres pushed himself up onto his feet, following Spike around to the other side of the art and stepping up onto a larger boulder (with Ceres helping the smaller up it just a little).
They both came to a pause on the top, Spike hopping back and forth between looking up at Ceres and looking down at his creation- all full of energy and pride with it as he watched Ceres looked it over quietly. Ceres wasn't entirely sure what it was meant to be, it was a mess of crisscrossing lines, with the rocks and twigs seeming to make some sort of patterning on the top..... It seemed a conglomerate of many things pushed into one, but even then he wasn't sure-
"You! You!" Spike chirped out of nowhere and Ceres glanced down at him, head tilting again and Spike mimicked the action as he had before, still bursting with excitement. Ceres hummed slightly,looking at the art again and nodding slowly.
Apparently it was meant to be Ceres.... it sort of did look like him, he supposed. On the top, like where his horn-like ocotillos were, and the pebbles as the blossoms.
"Ah, I see." Ceres murmured lightly, looking back toward the still bouncing esk. "Thank you for thinking of me as you work, little one. You did a wonderful job." Ceres dipped his head toward Spike, resting the end of his muzzle on the little fellow's head, the small rust colored plants tickling against Ceres' fur as he rubbed his nose affectionately against the top of Spike's head. Spike jumped up as Ceres moved to pull away, bumping his nose against Ceres' own rather roughly in his haste. The contact made Spike stumble back a bit, dropping down onto his haunches and rolling backwards in a flop. Ceres' let out a little nicker like a chuckle at the sight.
".... What a curious little soul you are."
.:+:.
Art to:
https://www.deviantart.com/star-squiddle/art/Big-World-779010474