It makes the Forest taste bitter and hot. The air turns heavy when it breathes. The light dares not touch it, so it has no shadow.
A frozen face approaches the budding life, bony claw extending to touch it. The sensation is heat and cold and shock, all at once, but it is harmless. For now. The creature waits in the eaves of the Oak for the egg to hatch. It should be sooner, now.
A small, scruffy black deer notices the egg in passing, and nudges once at it with a hoof. After looking around to ensure there's no parent nearby, he scrapes up some more dirt and leaves to pile around the egg, making it a little more safe and secure in its nest. A couple of feathers are dropped in for good measure before the deer trots off again, muttering, "That'll do it." under his breath.
The raptor sees the upturned soil and gathered leaves and feathers long before she figures out their purpose. She's quick to spot the white of the egg hidden within the "nest" as she draws nearer, however. At first, she hesitates, unsure if this egg belongs to one of the Forest's inhabitants. No one seem to be around, however, so she paces forward, taking a few curious sniffs at the egg.
Whomever it belongs to, this egg seems to be well protected, at least. She ponders taking it and bringing it to her pack, where she's sure it'll be protected, but decides not to. If this egg does have a parent, after all, they'd be rightfully incensed. Instead, she curls around the nest for some time, hoping to provide the egg with warmth. She notices the assortment of feathers gathered atop the egg; after a brief bit of thought, she gently tugs out one of her own feathers and adds it to the pile. It's not really a measure to further insulate the egg so much as a "memento" of her presence here, perhaps; one feather isn't going to do much to keep it warm.
The Hatchling stands after some time, her legs having grown stiff from sitting. She stretches out, looking around. At least things are quiet right now. Still, she knows all too well of the dangers that the Forest hides. As such, she takes another, longer, glance around before she leaves, her golden-red eyes giving the shadows a hard stare, as if she's challenging the land itself to try anything. Then she vanishes--though not before turning to the egg for a final time.
The stag would always laugh when his friends would call him a mother hen, after this morning however he knew he could never tell them how literal that was now. He came upon the nest by chance on his morning run, immediately curious. He noticed the makeshift nest of leaves and feathers, giving all of it a good sniff, trying to determine if it was being taken care of. He discerned that a few passerby had given some care to the lone egg, they must have left the feathers and leaves. The stag looked around, ears perked towards the trees, hoping he'd find signs of the egg's guardian. He was concerned at finding it on the ground, most birds of the Forest preferred the trees, but no nests in the branches, and no angry bird parents swooping down on him confirmed that this egg was all alone. His nurturing nature kicked into over drive, he gently knelt down beside the nest, nestling it between his front legs, his neck gracefully arched over it, alert and protective. While kneeling there he started grooming some of his summer coat that was beginning to shed, depositing the dark blue fur around the egg for more warmth and padding.
He stayed there the rest of the morning, eventually falling asleep beside it, determined that it have even a little company and safety. When he woke mid afternoon, the stag gently shook a few jasmine blossoms from his antlers, adding to the tokens already in the nest, giving a clear sign that this was being watched over.
He promised to come by later to check on the nest, saying a quick prayer to the Twin Gods to watch over it until then...
Akan isn't really one to care about any eggs he's seen. Memories of breaking open a few still lay hazy in his mind, making him almost crave another--so when he sees the nest, he happily prowls towards it, grinning down at the thing.
...But it's so big. Some overwhelming feeling is swelling up over him, horrified at the idea of breaking open this thing and potentially coming across an unborn creature. There's a kid in there, somewhere. Little scamp deserves a chance. He touches his paw to it gently, realizing that it's rather cold. Within seconds, Akan plops down next to it, tucking it gently under his scruff fur.
Heck, it's more of a chance than he got. This makes him feel...better. About the contract, about everything. Instead of taking life, he's helping it, and there's something distinctly empowering about it. After a few hours of sitting, the serval pulls himself up, touching his nose to the egg in a meaningless farewell before darting off to mischief.
Day after day, neglected with solitude the heavy egg grew colder and dormant.
The nest of assembled gifts of the forest, let it keep the heat it held within, protect it from the harshness of the moist woodlan nights. In a time where it, the one who lay within... could not yet fully grasp it's destiny.
Helpless, weak, unable to change it's situation.
Dependant.
Even the nest will be lost over time, the coldness will fully embrace the one so dependant on the care of passing fauna.
But that is to come, for now the egg went colder, but it's core still warm and beating.
The Forest still held fast to the rain and mist, the air becoming slightly more chilled.
The stag was still nursing his own dampened spirit, trying to find some proper shelter to hole up in until the downpour let up. It was on one of these wanderings that he once again tripped over a nest. He paused and, realizing what he'd once again found, he nearly kicked himself. In all the happenings of the Forest, he'd forgotten this egg still lay lonesome in a nest, and by it's cold temperature, it had lain forgotten for awhile. It confirmed his fears that there were no parents around, and he knew where he'd spend his day now.
He carefully tucked the nest of hodge-podge materials back around the egg, replacing anything that was too damp. Then he once again knelt and cradled it near his extremely fluffy chest, arching his neck over it to block the rain. The egg could have whatever heat he still had left, and he would shield it from the damp and cold for however long, at least until another kind soul came by to help.
Once more he would be caught in the storm, but this time, he didn't really seem to mind.
Nothing good ever happened when it rained. An irrational thought to have, perhaps, but the Raptor's belief in it was ever steadfast. What good was the rain, anyway? It served only to mask her vision, dripping down her brow until she was forced to shake it away.
The rain was not the only thing clouding her eyes. Her mind, too, served to blind her to her surroundings, entrapping her in a maelstrom of anger and worry. Again came the thoughts that she wasn't strong enough, or fast enough, or smart enough to protect her pack. The persistent rain seemed to have brought out the storms of her heart, something normally allayed by...well, who knew, really?
And then she saw the egg.
This time, it was the thin tinge of white against the gray that caught her eye. She made her way over, scampering as quickly as dared through the peaty grass. The egg seemed to be well protected in spite of the rain--most of the material covering it was dryer than she would have expected. Perhaps someone had redone the nest.
Again, she found herself wondering if this egg had any owners. Something told her that it didn't--after all, why wouldn't they have moved it to a safer spot, like the Oak?
Unless they couldn't. The thought made her shiver and draw closer to the egg. She wrapped herself carefully around it, reluctant to dampen it. Still, perhaps she could provide it with some shelter from the rain. She set her head down carefully atop the egg, careful not to disturb the leaves and feathers that shielded it.
There were children in this forest no bigger than the egg that sat here now. It was hard for her to believe; harder still for her to deal with the fact that they were just as likely to be targeted by bigger creatures. Or perhaps not. After all, it was only natural that the bigger would hunt the smaller to survive. Who knew would fate would have befallen this egg had it not been protected by the nest?
"Yu gonna survive." She finds herself whispering. It seems a foolish thing to say, but somehow, she's sure of the truth. Normally, this egg would have died long ago, but this place is not normal. If the others could survive, so could it.
Eventually, the rain soaks into her feathers, forcing her to get up. She carefully arranges the materials of the nest to ensure that the egg is well covered. "Wen yu hatch, gotta find us. Will protek yu." She doubts that the creature inside of the egg can hear her, nevertheless understand her, but she does not doubt the ability of her pack to keep it safe. And thus, she vanishes, her conviction still hanging amidst the droplets of rain.
The white male quite quickly noticed the gathering of items on the forest floor in front of his path. This wasn't his usual route, he just decided to have a longer stroll on that day. Slowly approaching, Nathaniel caught the scent of various creatures. Since the white of the egg shell seemed unharmed, he deduced that most of the creatures, if not all, had a friendly or indifferent attitude towards the nest with one single inhabitant.
Among the scents, he caught one that was familiar to him and the feather which was different from the rest confirmed his assumption. ”Hatchlings stick together, huh?” It was a sarcastic remark on Nathaniel's side since he happened to be a hatchling too and hasn't seen Steini in ages. He didn't have a beef with that, no. It was only him to blame that he didn't fit in as smoothly as he probably should have.
Towering like that over the egg, the Sakura Rooster might have looked like he was considering devouring it. Which wasn't true, he just tended to appear angry when he was deep in his thoughts. Which shifted from his Forest life to the time when he was in an egg himself. During that period of his life he could hear and sense. That made him believe the creature inside the egg could do all that too. Also he didn't question the absence of adults around. He had been left alone a lot too.
”I know it gets boring there,” he started as he had nothing to lose, right? If the creature didn't hear him, then he was just talking to himself, which wasn't that unusual in his case. If the creature did hear him, then he could give it a piece of advice. Something he wished he had known when he was about to hatch. ”But don't make the mistake to think that you're going to be born when you hatch. You are already living. Use the time you have wisely because once out of the egg there is no protection shell.”
The deer stood silent a couple of minutes, pondering if he should say something more but decided not to. He didn't want to interfere too much and thought that the creature should find their own way to use that time they had. So without any more words, he slowly walked away.
_______________________
(Creative idea! Added my part to the story c: )
It didn't take long for the Honeybird to approach her new find after staying away for a while in case a parent was near. As visitors came and left and the big egg remained without permanent company, she deemed it safe to come nearer herself, excitement putting a fawnish hop in her step as she approached the bundle of gifts.
As others have done, she curled comfortably around the egg, the warmth of her body held in by the soft drape of her hair and feathers. Underneath that fuzzy canopy soft words were layered onto the egg as well, small welcoming nonsense one usually babbles at new life mixing with whispered stories of what a hatchling quick and clever could hear and see and race in this forest.
She so loved the new ones, the small ones, her babies and hatchlings with wrinkly skin and delicate bones that have not yet learned how to hold themselves off the ground. The way they announced their hunger loudly to the world and the way the world kept them fed, if one was quick and clever and lucky. She couldn't tell at all what would come out of an egg so big and alone, but if this one's fortune held she was convinced it would be wonderful.
She lay coiled around the egg for a long while, letting blessings spark on her tongue and spill from her mouth, before leaving too, softly, softly, when her own hunger called. The egg was left with a gift of even more feathers, arranged in a snug cover, and however good luck and magic one could fit into a wish.
All is quiet, calm, peaceful. She might never have noticed the little egg settled comfortably in its nest, but for the strange mingling scents of so many different deer. Lowering her head, the blind doe sniffs carefully at the little object, recognizing it for what it is as soon as her lips touch the smooth, warm shell. A little smile emerges on her face, and her tail wiggles.
Lemon sinks gently down to the ground, curling her body around the egg, providing it with much needed warmth. She lays her head down and closes her eyes, snoozing peacefully beside the egg.
After a few hours, the little doe gets up and stretches her stiff limbs. For a moment she hesitates, not wishing to leave the little egg on its own, but knowing she had her own child to check up on, as well. Finally she bends and shakes loose the poppy that had been tucked behind her ear, laying it gently over the top of the nest. She pushes some of the nest material up around the egg for insulation, and gives the egg one last careful nudge, before going on her way.
May I?
_______________________________________________________________________
Sniff. What was that?
Sniff. Sniff. Was that...?
Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Was that what she thought it was?
Standing on a rock, Shikatori kept inhaling the air. A perfume of jasmine was tickling her nostrils. Yet, somehow, it felt as if there was something important behind it. Curious, the deer-bird joyfully hopped on one hoof then on the other while flapping her wings as she was heading to its source after she had idenfied it. She made her way through the Forest, singing her melody as usual. Then, not long after, she spotted a nest. A pretty nest, with feathers and leaves, and fur, and soil.
Shikky walked closer, tilting her head and lifting her left leg as she curiously stared at the little thing placed in the middle. But as soon as she recognised it, she hopped around with excitement.
An egg! An egg!
The female hybrid had long not seen one since she arrived at the Forest, and having the chance to have a look at it today was a happy moment for her. She trotted to and around the small thing before starting to brood it with caution. However, in her excitement, she did not even look or try to know if the parents were around. She was so glad at the sight of the egg that she did not care if it actually had any parent or not. In fact, even if there was anybody near her, she would have not paid attenton to them. She did not even noticed the poppy on top. The only thing that she wanted was to take care of the unhatched little creature.
Shikky spread her legs a bit to take another look at it. "No worries!" she loudly started to say. But realizing she was too noisy for the baby, she lowered her head towards it and whispered: "No worries. I will take real good care of you." Then she removed one of her colorful crest feathers and put it next to it, but not with the others, as she wanted it to be distinct from them. Even though its rainbow colors were already making it different.
Because standing still was not part of her skills, being immobile made her feel sleepy. And without even knowing it, she dozed off. Her body eventually slipped off the egg as she was peacefully dreaming.
((giving this another bump and a quick check up C:))
This time Atiq knew what he was looking for. The nest was easier to spot with the new bright red poppy and feather on top. He smiled at how bright and happy the nest looked and all the new friendly caretakers he smelled in and around it. He felt better knowing how many good souls were looking out for the vulnerable egg, especially now that he could tell it was getting closer and closer to hatching. Atiq quickly tidied up the nest making sure everything was all snug, before bending in close to gently whisper to the sleeping egg within.
Don't fret, little one. You're well looked after, don't ever fear that you're alone here.
and with that, the dark stag melted back into the shadows of the trees.
The small Bunnydeer was wandering, still taking in the sights of the forest, for her sight was back! She nearly toppled over as her sensitive paw brushed against the small nest on the ground. She hadn't disturbed it, thankfully, and knelt down to nose the feathers and leaves back into place. She sniffed at the egg, her small whiskers brushing against its white surface gently. She stood up and wriggled her snout, she knew what this was, a baby. Like a birds egg, only bigger. She let her blurry gaze wander for a moment, before hopping off and returning with a passion flower. She received the flower from a friend, a quiet creature named Strega, who told her the flower is everlasting and would not wilt or decay. She nestled the small bud next to the egg, careful not to shift anything around it. She breathed in all the scents the egg had picked up, some she had smelled before, though now with her vision, they've become less pointed and sharp, more faint. She proceeded to lay next to the egg for a while, trying to share her warmth with the nest, and occasionally leaving to find more plush moss or leaves to add.
It's been a few days since she has visited the little egg, nestled safely in its pile of feathers and flowers and other forest debris. She approaches cautiously, her ears swiveling in all directions as she tries to ensure there's no one else around. Finally, once she's determined that it's safe, Lemon smiles and steps close to the little round object.
"Hello little one," she whispers softly, touching her lips briefly to the warm shell. It has grown warmer since she's been here last, as if it's growing stronger.
Lemon lays carefully down beside the egg, letting it rest gently against her warm belly. Laying her head down, she closes her eyes, and drifts off to sleep.
Some hours later, the little doe wakes. She gives the egg a curious nudge, and she can't help but wiggle her tail happily. She's clearly quite excited to see what might come out of this egg, and she's determined to watch over the little creature whenever she can. Lemon adjusts the nest a bit, so that it better hides the egg, arranging the feathers and other debris meticulously. Finally, stepping back, she whispers a soft goodbye, and vanishes again.
This time, the stag had been actively seeking out the nest, and fortunately that was easy to do because of all the gifts of flowers and feathers others had left there. He smiled brightly thinking about all the kind hearts that had taken the time to help take care of the egg. Atiq trotted up to the nest, sniffing around it, checking to make sure everything was fine, and he was pleased to see that it was. He bent his head down and gently nuzzled the egg, ears flicking forward in interest when he caught the tiny movement he received in return. It had to be getting close now, and then they'd finally get to welcome the little hatchling into their Forest.
Once more Atiq settled down beside the nest, sharing his warmth and company for awhile. As he lazed in the sunlight there, he hummed a quiet song he didn't remember the words too, but felt it might have been an appropriate lullaby.
I shall be the last to interact! :3
_____________________________
Shikatori's ears got a soft music. She slowly opened her eyes to see she was lying down near the nest.
Looks like she dozed off...for quite a while. Oops.
But she quickly felt relieved when she saw a blue star-pelted cervine beside the nest. At least, someone took care of it while she was asleep. The deer-bird got up and approached them with a smile, then settled down on the opposite side of the deer. Listening to their lullaby, she felt an unsuppressible urge to sing along. It did not take a while for her to learn the melody and let her birdish voice follow in unison.
The time has come. Hatch, little egg. The world awaits you.
The egg suddenly cracked...A little pink and tan beak would soon poke out.
With a few more thuds and loud cracking sounds, the little animal showed it's face to the world.
Greeted by two...well he wouldn't know what they were at this moment of time, so he just curiously watched at the two that were...a colour he doesen't know the word yet for...
Hmm. But all he knew...he could trust them.
The little child tilted it's head, and gawked. It's eyes blinked slowly as it clumsily stumbled out of it's nest.
First order of business:
Ignore his hatchers and nom a jasmine petal.
A pair of piercing golden eyes watched from a distance, watching as the little bundle of feathery, beaked fuzz hatch from it's nest. Her gaze is curious, eyeing off the little brown helpless thing as if it were something desirable sitting on a shelf.
Her large grey and white form begins to move towards it, however her approach is not a fast one, strange coming from a large predatory bird-deer like herself infront of a possible prey item. Instead she nonchalantly strolls up to the little creature, her orange crest moving up and down slightly out of interest once she stops infront of it, her head tilting once...twice. She feels slightly akin to the little beaked fluffball but she doesn't know why. The Axebeak's beak opens slightly to give a gruff, quiet caw.
Then out of intruigue she lowers her bone crushing beak to give the small brown fuzzy a small nudge.
The lil one would stand up on all four, and plop it's fluffy behind back on the ground as it turned it's head around just to see another beaked one approach him.
But this one had four legs!
The little one opened his mouth and began breathing very audibly in a small, childish tone.
Petals that were previously present in it's mouth fell down. Not like it really mattered...they Weren't really appetizing...even Though they smelled really nice.
He eyes the new four legged beaked lady as her face came closer and closer.
He tilted his head, chirped very softly and bopped her beak with his own.
Atiq smiled when the deer-bird joined him at the nest, the expression only growing deeper when she joined in his lullaby.
They sat that way, peaceful and lyrical, for a good while, before the stag cut off suddenly to turn his attention to the egg, he knew he felt it move. He gave a nudge to his companion to bring her attention to it as well, they shared a look with one another of utter surprise which quickly turned into happy excitement.
When the egg finally hatched Atiq let out a short whoop of joy to see the...well...he wasn't sure what it was exactly but that didn't matter at all, this was the most beautiful child he'd ever seen and they were finally here! He laughed warmly as the child tottered over to one of the jasmine blooms he'd left earlier and promptly ate it, he knew they wouldn't taste very good like that but that it wouldn't harm the little one to nibble.
When the Axbeak showed up both watchers tensed a little at first, she was just so large, and the new baby so small. But Atiq could read her curiosity and made room to let her nudge the little one, still ready for trouble but inviting her gentleness all the same. He smiled at the child's bravery as he was unfazed by the towering stranger and returned her gesture.
Atiq bent his own head down next to the child and nuzzled him, the entire side of his face making contact with the small body, smile stuck fast to the overjoyed stag. "We're all so glad you finally made it, you're a brave little soul."
It was only the third time she'd come to check on the egg, though she thought about it quite often. Sometimes she would pass by, taking the note of the fact that someone or other had nestled up beside the unborn one, content in the knowledge that others were helping to keep the egg safe even when she couldn't. It was during one such occassion that Lemon realized something had changed. She had noticed that there were a few visitors already crowded around the nest, one of which being her dear friend Atiq. But there was something else -- the soft rustling of some tiny creature! Could it be? Could the day have come?
Lemon approached the nest carefully, coming up beside Atiq and giving him a slight nudge as a greeting. Her large ears were trained forward on the little one, her eyes wide behind her mask. "Has it hatched?" she asked no one in particular. The excitement was obvious in her voice.
Oh Shikky! Sorry for what she's doing. XD
_______________________
Shikatori had remained silent the whole time, watching the scene. So much emotion rising within, she could not contain it any longer! And after a long "hmmmm", she let it go! She hopped everywhere, singing a random joyful song as she was flapping her wings and doing nearly impossible stunts (not really, just exaggerating).
The overexcited deer-bird dove her head into the ground, right under the baby whom she lifted and carried while she was still bouncing around the strangers. It lasted for a long minute before she procceded to 'introduce' the child to each of the three creatures. First, the four-legged bird, then the blue star-pelted stag and finally the grey peacock-feathered doe. She stopped in front of each, rising or lowering her head depending on their size to show them the small brown being.
The small child opned it's mouth as he was picked up by the little deer birdy. He looked around, smiling with and open mouth as he was introduced to each any every one in the vicinity.
In the end he wrapped his bent hands around shiki's nack and tried clapping them together.
The little one giggled.
It appeared he liked the ride and attention.
She wasn't the least bit amused at the approaches of the other beings, even though they'd been there before her, but said concept fell on deaf ears to her. To her, everyone was below her. Everyone. And they'd play by her unspoken rules...However she didn't act out, tolerating those around her, the little fuzzy was happy she supposed she was happy too.
Until that other bird critter picked up the fuzzy and thrust it excitedly in her face.
She recoiled slightly, crest flattening and her beak opening a fraction out of irritation and shock at the sudden movement. Axebeak did not approve, even if the baby seemed to be enjoying the ride. Golden eyes bore into the yellowy bird deer as if to say excuse me, rude, don't you dare do that again.
Satisfied with her glare, her attitude did a complete 180 and she returned to her casual, aloof state, sitting down beside the nest to investigate what had been left there.
He was so caught up in the moment, Atiq didn't hear when Lemon approached. He jumped slightly at her nudge, but surprise turned to elation when he saw who it was, and he bumped her shoulder gently with his head in return. "Yes! Yes the little one has finally hatched," he tried to keep his voice even and gentle, but the smile was still proudly evident in his voice. If it didn't seem so ridiculous, Lemon could have sworn she felt him actually vibrating with excitement.
Atiq couldn't help but laugh at Shika's antics, and the child's amused reaction, this was exactly what he'd hoped for for this little one's first moments. When Shika presented the child to him, Atiq promptly greeted him with a gentle nuzzle on the nose.
He gave pause at Axebeak's reaction, however slight, his gaze immediately honed in on her, waiting for any escalation. There was none, yet the stag still fixated on her, the calm smile never fading from his face...yet the fact that his completely golden eyes did not blink once the whole time he watched was perhaps slightly concerning.
He watched her poke around the nest, not fazed that this meant she was nearly in his metaphorical lap at this point. Atiq casually turned to the other two adults as they cooed at the baby, eager to dote on the little one once again.
"So," he began tentatively, a small frown forming, "am I right in assuming that none of us have seen anyone around that might look like they're this one's parents?"
Lemon couldn't see exactly what was happening when the child was lifted off the ground and paraded around, but she could hear the delighted giggle of the little one, and she knew all was well. When the baby was brought to her, Lemon nuzzled her nose against it and laughed, her tail wiggling with excitement.
One ear tilted toward Atiq as he spoke, and her smile faded a little. "I haven't noticed anyone, no," she confirmed. "I've noticed lots of deer caring for the egg, but no one seems to be the parent. I guess for now, that makes us the parents." She turned her head toward the Axebeak, ears flicking forward as she heard the stranger shuffling quietly through the nest. She offered a pleasant, shy smile. "So maybe we ought to introduce ourselves. I'm Lemon."
"Shikatori! But many prefers calling me "Shikky" for short! Hi Lemon!" The deer-bird cheerfully introduced herself before even greeting the doe. "Are you a lemon inside a doe's body?" She asked her, after a quick faint gasp, without really thinking twice. She had not even noticed the four-legged bird's reaction; she just kept hopping on her spot. Not really waiting for an answer, she jumped closer to the blue stag. "And you? And you? What's your name? what's your name? Hi there! Beautiful pelt you have!" She was hopping on her hooves alternatively with a smile.
She had almost forgotten about the baby who was still on her head. Her big rainbow feather crest lifted upwards as she was really excited and happy about the situation. She did not even think a single moment of the responsability of parenthood. That would not be hard after all, would it?
[Gonna bump in case of, because idk if we go on or...]
The little one would raise it's head, clicking a bit with it's sturdy big beak.
The one the little birde was facing now.
And then it opned it's beak again, "Emon," it spoke out at the pretty lady doe.
(I stopped a bit cause i was trying to draw something in time but oops. xD)
(:U!!! this is legit the
track~ ^^)
Something lurks near the
It makes the Forest taste bitter and hot. The air turns heavy when it breathes. The light dares not touch it, so it has no shadow.
A frozen face approaches the budding life, bony claw extending to touch it. The sensation is heat and cold and shock, all at once, but it is harmless. For now. The creature waits in the eaves of the Oak for the egg to hatch. It should be sooner, now.
Wake up with a smile, and you'll die with one.
Tracking for later! c:
Profile picture by ahimsa ♥
Pixel Wis by squeegie~
A small, scruffy black deer
( This is a super cute idea I love it. <3 )
omg this is so cute ;o; track
The raptor sees the upturned
Whomever it belongs to, this egg seems to be well protected, at least. She ponders taking it and bringing it to her pack, where she's sure it'll be protected, but decides not to. If this egg does have a parent, after all, they'd be rightfully incensed. Instead, she curls around the nest for some time, hoping to provide the egg with warmth. She notices the assortment of feathers gathered atop the egg; after a brief bit of thought, she gently tugs out one of her own feathers and adds it to the pile. It's not really a measure to further insulate the egg so much as a "memento" of her presence here, perhaps; one feather isn't going to do much to keep it warm.
The Hatchling stands after some time, her legs having grown stiff from sitting. She stretches out, looking around. At least things are quiet right now. Still, she knows all too well of the dangers that the Forest hides. As such, she takes another, longer, glance around before she leaves, her golden-red eyes giving the shadows a hard stare, as if she's challenging the land itself to try anything. Then she vanishes--though not before turning to the egg for a final time.
"Gon hav ta protec yu, huh?"
Profile picture by ahimsa ♥
Pixel Wis by squeegie~
The stag would always laugh
He stayed there the rest of the morning, eventually falling asleep beside it, determined that it have even a little company and safety. When he woke mid afternoon, the stag gently shook a few jasmine blossoms from his antlers, adding to the tokens already in the nest, giving a clear sign that this was being watched over.
He promised to come by later to check on the nest, saying a quick prayer to the Twin Gods to watch over it until then...
Akan isn't really one to care
...But it's so big. Some overwhelming feeling is swelling up over him, horrified at the idea of breaking open this thing and potentially coming across an unborn creature. There's a kid in there, somewhere. Little scamp deserves a chance. He touches his paw to it gently, realizing that it's rather cold. Within seconds, Akan plops down next to it, tucking it gently under his scruff fur.
Heck, it's more of a chance than he got. This makes him feel...better. About the contract, about everything. Instead of taking life, he's helping it, and there's something distinctly empowering about it. After a few hours of sitting, the serval pulls himself up, touching his nose to the egg in a meaningless farewell before darting off to mischief.
made by foxofthestars!
-bumps- must hetch bebby
must hetch bebby
Day after day, neglected with
The nest of assembled gifts of the forest, let it keep the heat it held within, protect it from the harshness of the moist woodlan nights. In a time where it, the one who lay within... could not yet fully grasp it's destiny.
Helpless, weak, unable to change it's situation.
Dependant.
Even the nest will be lost over time, the coldness will fully embrace the one so dependant on the care of passing fauna.
But that is to come, for now the egg went colder, but it's core still warm and beating.
Yearning for a tomorrow.
damn, I totally forgot to
--------------------------------------------------
The Forest still held fast to the rain and mist, the air becoming slightly more chilled.
The stag was still nursing his own dampened spirit, trying to find some proper shelter to hole up in until the downpour let up. It was on one of these wanderings that he once again tripped over a nest. He paused and, realizing what he'd once again found, he nearly kicked himself. In all the happenings of the Forest, he'd forgotten this egg still lay lonesome in a nest, and by it's cold temperature, it had lain forgotten for awhile. It confirmed his fears that there were no parents around, and he knew where he'd spend his day now.
He carefully tucked the nest of hodge-podge materials back around the egg, replacing anything that was too damp. Then he once again knelt and cradled it near his extremely fluffy chest, arching his neck over it to block the rain. The egg could have whatever heat he still had left, and he would shield it from the damp and cold for however long, at least until another kind soul came by to help.
Once more he would be caught in the storm, but this time, he didn't really seem to mind.
She hated the rain. Nothing
Nothing good ever happened when it rained. An irrational thought to have, perhaps, but the Raptor's belief in it was ever steadfast. What good was the rain, anyway? It served only to mask her vision, dripping down her brow until she was forced to shake it away.
The rain was not the only thing clouding her eyes. Her mind, too, served to blind her to her surroundings, entrapping her in a maelstrom of anger and worry. Again came the thoughts that she wasn't strong enough, or fast enough, or smart enough to protect her pack. The persistent rain seemed to have brought out the storms of her heart, something normally allayed by...well, who knew, really?
And then she saw the egg.
This time, it was the thin tinge of white against the gray that caught her eye. She made her way over, scampering as quickly as dared through the peaty grass. The egg seemed to be well protected in spite of the rain--most of the material covering it was dryer than she would have expected. Perhaps someone had redone the nest.
Again, she found herself wondering if this egg had any owners. Something told her that it didn't--after all, why wouldn't they have moved it to a safer spot, like the Oak?
Unless they couldn't. The thought made her shiver and draw closer to the egg. She wrapped herself carefully around it, reluctant to dampen it. Still, perhaps she could provide it with some shelter from the rain. She set her head down carefully atop the egg, careful not to disturb the leaves and feathers that shielded it.
There were children in this forest no bigger than the egg that sat here now. It was hard for her to believe; harder still for her to deal with the fact that they were just as likely to be targeted by bigger creatures. Or perhaps not. After all, it was only natural that the bigger would hunt the smaller to survive. Who knew would fate would have befallen this egg had it not been protected by the nest?
"Yu gonna survive." She finds herself whispering. It seems a foolish thing to say, but somehow, she's sure of the truth. Normally, this egg would have died long ago, but this place is not normal. If the others could survive, so could it.
Eventually, the rain soaks into her feathers, forcing her to get up. She carefully arranges the materials of the nest to ensure that the egg is well covered. "Wen yu hatch, gotta find us. Will protek yu." She doubts that the creature inside of the egg can hear her, nevertheless understand her, but she does not doubt the ability of her pack to keep it safe. And thus, she vanishes, her conviction still hanging amidst the droplets of rain.
Profile picture by ahimsa ♥
Pixel Wis by squeegie~
The white male quite quickly
Among the scents, he caught one that was familiar to him and the feather which was different from the rest confirmed his assumption. ”Hatchlings stick together, huh?” It was a sarcastic remark on Nathaniel's side since he happened to be a hatchling too and hasn't seen Steini in ages. He didn't have a beef with that, no. It was only him to blame that he didn't fit in as smoothly as he probably should have.
Towering like that over the egg, the Sakura Rooster might have looked like he was considering devouring it. Which wasn't true, he just tended to appear angry when he was deep in his thoughts. Which shifted from his Forest life to the time when he was in an egg himself. During that period of his life he could hear and sense. That made him believe the creature inside the egg could do all that too. Also he didn't question the absence of adults around. He had been left alone a lot too.
”I know it gets boring there,” he started as he had nothing to lose, right? If the creature didn't hear him, then he was just talking to himself, which wasn't that unusual in his case. If the creature did hear him, then he could give it a piece of advice. Something he wished he had known when he was about to hatch. ”But don't make the mistake to think that you're going to be born when you hatch. You are already living. Use the time you have wisely because once out of the egg there is no protection shell.”
The deer stood silent a couple of minutes, pondering if he should say something more but decided not to. He didn't want to interfere too much and thought that the creature should find their own way to use that time they had. So without any more words, he slowly walked away.
_______________________
(Creative idea! Added my part to the story c: )
It didn't take long for the
As others have done, she curled comfortably around the egg, the warmth of her body held in by the soft drape of her hair and feathers. Underneath that fuzzy canopy soft words were layered onto the egg as well, small welcoming nonsense one usually babbles at new life mixing with whispered stories of what a hatchling quick and clever could hear and see and race in this forest.
She so loved the new ones, the small ones, her babies and hatchlings with wrinkly skin and delicate bones that have not yet learned how to hold themselves off the ground. The way they announced their hunger loudly to the world and the way the world kept them fed, if one was quick and clever and lucky. She couldn't tell at all what would come out of an egg so big and alone, but if this one's fortune held she was convinced it would be wonderful.
She lay coiled around the egg for a long while, letting blessings spark on her tongue and spill from her mouth, before leaving too, softly, softly, when her own hunger called. The egg was left with a gift of even more feathers, arranged in a snug cover, and however good luck and magic one could fit into a wish.
*bump*
All is quiet, calm, peaceful.
Lemon sinks gently down to the ground, curling her body around the egg, providing it with much needed warmth. She lays her head down and closes her eyes, snoozing peacefully beside the egg.
After a few hours, the little doe gets up and stretches her stiff limbs. For a moment she hesitates, not wishing to leave the little egg on its own, but knowing she had her own child to check up on, as well. Finally she bends and shakes loose the poppy that had been tucked behind her ear, laying it gently over the top of the nest. She pushes some of the nest material up around the egg for insulation, and gives the egg one last careful nudge, before going on her way.
a bump for joo~
May
_______________________________________________________________________
Sniff. Sniff. Was that...?
Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Was that what she thought it was?
Standing on a rock, Shikatori kept inhaling the air. A perfume of jasmine was tickling her nostrils. Yet, somehow, it felt as if there was something important behind it. Curious, the deer-bird joyfully hopped on one hoof then on the other while flapping her wings as she was heading to its source after she had idenfied it. She made her way through the Forest, singing her melody as usual. Then, not long after, she spotted a nest. A pretty nest, with feathers and leaves, and fur, and soil.
Shikky walked closer, tilting her head and lifting her left leg as she curiously stared at the little thing placed in the middle. But as soon as she recognised it, she hopped around with excitement.
An egg! An egg!
The female hybrid had long not seen one since she arrived at the Forest, and having the chance to have a look at it today was a happy moment for her. She trotted to and around the small thing before starting to brood it with caution. However, in her excitement, she did not even look or try to know if the parents were around. She was so glad at the sight of the egg that she did not care if it actually had any parent or not. In fact, even if there was anybody near her, she would have not paid attenton to them. She did not even noticed the poppy on top. The only thing that she wanted was to take care of the unhatched little creature.
Shikky spread her legs a bit to take another look at it. "No worries!" she loudly started to say. But realizing she was too noisy for the baby, she lowered her head towards it and whispered: "No worries. I will take real good care of you." Then she removed one of her colorful crest feathers and put it next to it, but not with the others, as she wanted it to be distinct from them. Even though its rainbow colors were already making it different.
Because standing still was not part of her skills, being immobile made her feel sleepy. And without even knowing it, she dozed off. Her body eventually slipped off the egg as she was peacefully dreaming.
((giving this another bump
This time Atiq knew what he was looking for. The nest was easier to spot with the new bright red poppy and feather on top. He smiled at how bright and happy the nest looked and all the new friendly caretakers he smelled in and around it. He felt better knowing how many good souls were looking out for the vulnerable egg, especially now that he could tell it was getting closer and closer to hatching. Atiq quickly tidied up the nest making sure everything was all snug, before bending in close to gently whisper to the sleeping egg within.
Don't fret, little one. You're well looked after, don't ever fear that you're alone here.
and with that, the dark stag melted back into the shadows of the trees.
.
The small Bunnydeer was
It's been a few days since
"Hello little one," she whispers softly, touching her lips briefly to the warm shell. It has grown warmer since she's been here last, as if it's growing stronger.
Lemon lays carefully down beside the egg, letting it rest gently against her warm belly. Laying her head down, she closes her eyes, and drifts off to sleep.
Some hours later, the little doe wakes. She gives the egg a curious nudge, and she can't help but wiggle her tail happily. She's clearly quite excited to see what might come out of this egg, and she's determined to watch over the little creature whenever she can. Lemon adjusts the nest a bit, so that it better hides the egg, arranging the feathers and other debris meticulously. Finally, stepping back, she whispers a soft goodbye, and vanishes again.
boop! up you go!
So close!
I'm gonna hatch this egg if
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This time, the stag had been actively seeking out the nest, and fortunately that was easy to do because of all the gifts of flowers and feathers others had left there. He smiled brightly thinking about all the kind hearts that had taken the time to help take care of the egg. Atiq trotted up to the nest, sniffing around it, checking to make sure everything was fine, and he was pleased to see that it was. He bent his head down and gently nuzzled the egg, ears flicking forward in interest when he caught the tiny movement he received in return. It had to be getting close now, and then they'd finally get to welcome the little hatchling into their Forest.
Once more Atiq settled down beside the nest, sharing his warmth and company for awhile. As he lazed in the sunlight there, he hummed a quiet song he didn't remember the words too, but felt it might have been an appropriate lullaby.
I shall be the last to
_____________________________
Looks like she dozed off...for quite a while. Oops.
But she quickly felt relieved when she saw a blue star-pelted cervine beside the nest. At least, someone took care of it while she was asleep. The deer-bird got up and approached them with a smile, then settled down on the opposite side of the deer. Listening to their lullaby, she felt an unsuppressible urge to sing along. It did not take a while for her to learn the melody and let her birdish voice follow in unison.
The time has come. Hatch, little egg. The world awaits you.
The egg suddenly cracked...A
With a few more thuds and loud cracking sounds, the little animal showed it's face to the world.
Greeted by two...well he wouldn't know what they were at this moment of time, so he just curiously watched at the two that were...a colour he doesen't know the word yet for...
Hmm. But all he knew...he could trust them.
The little child tilted it's head, and gawked. It's eyes blinked slowly as it clumsily stumbled out of it's nest.
First order of business:
Ignore his hatchers and nom a jasmine petal.
\o/ we diiiiiiid
he's so cute, look at his little face ;~;
@Kamaya lol looks like we're all parents now |D
tracks thing ------ (tries
------
(tries to write thing)A pair of piercing golden eyes watched from a distance, watching as the little bundle of feathery, beaked fuzz hatch from it's nest. Her gaze is curious, eyeing off the little brown helpless thing as if it were something desirable sitting on a shelf.
Her large grey and white form begins to move towards it, however her approach is not a fast one, strange coming from a large predatory bird-deer like herself infront of a possible prey item. Instead she nonchalantly strolls up to the little creature, her orange crest moving up and down slightly out of interest once she stops infront of it, her head tilting once...twice. She feels slightly akin to the little beaked fluffball but she doesn't know why. The Axebeak's beak opens slightly to give a gruff, quiet caw.
Then out of intruigue she lowers her bone crushing beak to give the small brown fuzzy a small nudge.
The lil one would stand up on
But this one had four legs!
The little one opened his mouth and began breathing very audibly in a small, childish tone.
Petals that were previously present in it's mouth fell down. Not like it really mattered...they Weren't really appetizing...even Though they smelled really nice.
He eyes the new four legged beaked lady as her face came closer and closer.
He tilted his head, chirped very softly and bopped her beak with his own.
!!
Atiq smiled when the
They sat that way, peaceful and lyrical, for a good while, before the stag cut off suddenly to turn his attention to the egg, he knew he felt it move. He gave a nudge to his companion to bring her attention to it as well, they shared a look with one another of utter surprise which quickly turned into happy excitement.
When the egg finally hatched Atiq let out a short whoop of joy to see the...well...he wasn't sure what it was exactly but that didn't matter at all, this was the most beautiful child he'd ever seen and they were finally here! He laughed warmly as the child tottered over to one of the jasmine blooms he'd left earlier and promptly ate it, he knew they wouldn't taste very good like that but that it wouldn't harm the little one to nibble.
When the Axbeak showed up both watchers tensed a little at first, she was just so large, and the new baby so small. But Atiq could read her curiosity and made room to let her nudge the little one, still ready for trouble but inviting her gentleness all the same. He smiled at the child's bravery as he was unfazed by the towering stranger and returned her gesture.
Atiq bent his own head down next to the child and nuzzled him, the entire side of his face making contact with the small body, smile stuck fast to the overjoyed stag. "We're all so glad you finally made it, you're a brave little soul."
I shall reply
@phantomhelsing: Yep; Though I hardly see Shikky as a parent. More like a big noisy sibling. XD
IMPLODES FROM THE ADORABLE
It was only the third time
Lemon approached the nest carefully, coming up beside Atiq and giving him a slight nudge as a greeting. Her large ears were trained forward on the little one, her eyes wide behind her mask. "Has it hatched?" she asked no one in particular. The excitement was obvious in her voice.
Oh Shikky! Sorry for what
_______________________
The overexcited deer-bird dove her head into the ground, right under the baby whom she lifted and carried while she was still bouncing around the strangers. It lasted for a long minute before she procceded to 'introduce' the child to each of the three creatures. First, the four-legged bird, then the blue star-pelted stag and finally the grey peacock-feathered doe. She stopped in front of each, rising or lowering her head depending on their size to show them the small brown being.
"Babu! Babu! Babu!"
The small child opned it's
In the end he wrapped his bent hands around shiki's nack and tried clapping them together.
The little one giggled.
It appeared he liked the ride and attention.
(idk what order we're going
She wasn't the least bit amused at the approaches of the other beings, even though they'd been there before her, but said concept fell on deaf ears to her. To her, everyone was below her. Everyone. And they'd play by her unspoken rules...However she didn't act out, tolerating those around her, the little fuzzy was happy she supposed she was happy too.
Until that other bird critter picked up the fuzzy and thrust it excitedly in her face.
She recoiled slightly, crest flattening and her beak opening a fraction out of irritation and shock at the sudden movement. Axebeak did not approve, even if the baby seemed to be enjoying the ride. Golden eyes bore into the yellowy bird deer as if to say excuse me, rude, don't you dare do that again.
Satisfied with her glare, her attitude did a complete 180 and she returned to her casual, aloof state, sitting down beside the nest to investigate what had been left there.
(BIRB SASS)
Axebeak be like *hoards
Miiiiineeeeee. hiss.
xb
she is LOL "my fuzzy
"my fuzzy :\\\\"if you've ever owned parrots large or small you'll know LOLlmao Draak such a feisty bird
He was so caught up in the moment, Atiq didn't hear when Lemon approached. He jumped slightly at her nudge, but surprise turned to elation when he saw who it was, and he bumped her shoulder gently with his head in return. "Yes! Yes the little one has finally hatched," he tried to keep his voice even and gentle, but the smile was still proudly evident in his voice. If it didn't seem so ridiculous, Lemon could have sworn she felt him actually vibrating with excitement.
Atiq couldn't help but laugh at Shika's antics, and the child's amused reaction, this was exactly what he'd hoped for for this little one's first moments. When Shika presented the child to him, Atiq promptly greeted him with a gentle nuzzle on the nose.
He gave pause at Axebeak's reaction, however slight, his gaze immediately honed in on her, waiting for any escalation. There was none, yet the stag still fixated on her, the calm smile never fading from his face...yet the fact that his completely golden eyes did not blink once the whole time he watched was perhaps slightly concerning.
He watched her poke around the nest, not fazed that this meant she was nearly in his metaphorical lap at this point. Atiq casually turned to the other two adults as they cooed at the baby, eager to dote on the little one once again.
"So," he began tentatively, a small frown forming, "am I right in assuming that none of us have seen anyone around that might look like they're this one's parents?"
(also birb: what is personal
(pfft, at least it's a good
Pffff~ Hey Vessan, here's a
Hey Vessan, here's a little pixel Babu for you >>
Probably not really accurate, because don't know if they can talk yet or not.
;w; Oh my god, the babu is
Oh my god, the babu is impeccable. Cute precious thing.
Glad you like it! Isn't it
Isn't it supposed to be lemon's turn by the way?
Aaaah yes it's me, I'll be
Lemon couldn't see exactly
One ear tilted toward Atiq as he spoke, and her smile faded a little. "I haven't noticed anyone, no," she confirmed. "I've noticed lots of deer caring for the egg, but no one seems to be the parent. I guess for now, that makes us the parents." She turned her head toward the Axebeak, ears flicking forward as she heard the stranger shuffling quietly through the nest. She offered a pleasant, shy smile. "So maybe we ought to introduce ourselves. I'm Lemon."
"Shikatori! But many prefers
She had almost forgotten about the baby who was still on her head. Her big rainbow feather crest lifted upwards as she was really excited and happy about the situation. She did not even think a single moment of the responsability of parenthood. That would not be hard after all, would it?
[Gonna bump in case of, because idk if we go on or...]
The little one would raise
The one the little birde was facing now.
And then it opned it's beak again, "Emon," it spoke out at the pretty lady doe.
(I stopped a bit cause i was trying to draw something in time but oops. xD)