"Your face, Vessel, is one I wouldn't call... handsome." Skokey remarked, studying the tan stag infront of him. "However, your situation is pretty cool. I didn't know you were a ladies man."

Vessel twitched an ear as he let Skokey speak, unable to retaliate. It was true, his face was rather strange. He had no need for a mask, it was already fairly decorated. Darker streaks lined his cheeks, eyes, and nose, in a kind of "M" shape. His peachy skin blended perfectly into his tan pelt, red scribbles forming from the backs of his ears down to his rump, and turning down into his back legs. He blinked his blank eyes. No pupils, no iris, just white. That's all there was, and all there needed to be. He wasn't blind, though. He had remarkabley sharp vision.

Besides his face, he looked completely fine. His tan and red fur was a perfect form of the Kabuki pelt. His antlers were sleek and black, flowing back horizontally, and perfectly rounded at the ends. The only oddity of his form were the two blue triangular jewels lodged in his shoulders. The same jewels found on the Kirin pelt, passed down from his father. Other than his antlers, those were the only thing really tying him to his parents. They glistened in the pinkish sunlight as the sun sunk lower and lower.

Vessel defiantly scratched something into the dirt. "I realize my face is not the best. It is scarred and marked, with droopy blank eyes. I don't need you to tell me that."

Skokey let out a chuckle, "Sorry, you told me to be honest. You should consider getting a real Noh mask if you don't like your face so much."

Vessel wiped off what he wrote before and scribbled curtly, "I have. I don't want to."

Skokey sighed, "Alright, alright, calm down. Now, you want my real answer?" Vessel nodded. Skokey walked around him a couple times, slowly turning his head up, then down. Vessel didn't feel quite happy with how he went about it. The butterfly stag trotted around to face the front again, his golden mask glinting in the slowly fading sunlight.

"You know what, Vessel? I don't think she'll give a crap. It's not about how you look, it's about what you're like." He looked behind him, seeing Fulu and Fenqua hop around in a flower patch. Sleek Secretary and Great Argus pelts shimmering and glowing in the sunset. Skokey smiled, "Although, looks can help. Anyway, this Xylia sounds like a nice doe, and I think you should get to know her better. If she's anything like Vipin, I'm sure you'll like her."

Vessel turned his head and stuck his chin out a little before writing some more. "She is nothing like Vipin. At least, not that I know of. She is more like Aspen, I would say. But... Xylia is just Xylia. I would not compare her, to be honest."

Skokey nodded firmly, shaking his key antlers a little. "I know what you mean. Now, I think you look fine. You're a little shabby, maybe a quick dunk in the Pond wouldn't hurt. Other than that-"

He was cut off by the sudden disappearance of the sun under the horizon, and the cloud of blue mist surrounding the stag infront of him. Tan turned to blue, red to yellow. Vessel's eyes became hollowed, and started to bleed. The loss of blood quickly turned his face pale, almost white.

Vessel let out a quiet sigh, little drops of ruby falling off his chin. Skokey stammered a little before saying, "Other than that, there's this whole Dream Stag thing... Are you sure there's nothing you can do about that?" Vessel nodded slowly, still looking down.

Skokey sighed, looking back at the horizon. Streams of dark red, purple, and blue painted the sky. The red becoming less visible as time wore on. "Well... If she truly shows interest, this won't be a problem, right?"

Vessel looked at his friend quickly. His mouth opened a little, before mouthing the word, "Perhaps..."

***

Vessel trotted through the forest the next morning. His cheeks were still pale, but slowly returning their normal peachy tone. He looked around, sometimes glancing back at the crowd of squirrels and birds following him. He passed by the Ruins, and spotted the poorly placed gravestone, jutting crookedly from the ground. Vessel bowed his head slowly before moving on.

He found himself at the Twin Gods statue. They had always been there to guide him, and he thought of them as parents of some sort. He gave the statue a quick bow, and walked along his path. It wasn't long before he found himself at the Pond. He found a few familiar faces, but two that seemed to catch his attention the most.

One was a doe, in a beautiful Peacock pelt, short antlers, and Magpie mask. Vessel would've blushed at her sight, but his cheeks were still recovering from the night before. Next to her was another stag, Lorak. His fluttering feelings seemed to fade at the sight of him next to her. The walked slowly together, having a conversation.

I am nothing like him, Vessel thought. He is much more emotional than I. He can communicate... He would be better for her. He nodded once at his thought. But that does not mean we can't be friends. I am sure we can hold that much.

Vessel walked slowly over to the two. Somehow, he got their attention, and they turned to greet him. Vessel bowed his head respectfully to each of them. A tiny trace of a smirk crossed his lips when he bowed his head to Xylia.

"Hello.. Vessel..." Xylia greeted. "Nice morning... Is it?..." Vessel nodded in agreement, and looked at the cloudless sky for a few seconds.

"Morning, Vessel." Lorak said politely.

"How was.. your Watching? Anything interesting?" Xylia tilted her head in curiosity.

Vessel scribbled, "No, nothing but the usual, I suppose."

"Your face... pale."

Vessel looked up quickly, and hid his face soon after. He wrote, "It is nothing to worry about. It is normal."

Xylia nodded worriedly, and Lorak looked at the small Kabuki stag, hiding his face. He looked down at what was written on the ground. It looked rushed, as if he was hiding something. Lorak furrowed his brow lightly at the thought, but looked back up to the stag, then to Xylia.

"Maybe we should... I dunno, go for a walk or something?" Lorak suggested, trying to break the silence.

"Yes.. Good idea, Lorak.." Xylia nodded, then turned to Vessel. "Care to join?"

Vessel, looked up timidly. He blinked his white eyes twice at the thought. He soon raised his head and nodded politely. He trotted over to the other side of Xylia, and the three began their walk.

Vessel felt rather out of place, the two speaking to each other, and he couldn't say a word.

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so yeah, another little something. i havent been really inspired to do Fluttering Feathers anymore. and of course, Hanging Flowers is on hold for a while. what else can i do?

im sorry about not responding much. i guess without the game, i cant really take part like i used to... hope nobody's forgotten about me