Aha, yeah. He has a good foot or so on me too. xD I can just imagine Ird's response to ducklings...oh dear that'd be adorable. Akhen would be more than happy to let it meet them.

Oh gosh yes, cuteness overload. Unfortunately my connection is a hit and miss. Sometimes I can connect at orange but more often than not I can't connect at all. Up for an Rp anytime though ^^

Sure! Totally up for it!

Akhenaton moved in a slow amble down to the pond, his head held low to keep the baby ducks in check. They enjoyed waddling about his hooves, little heads bobbing as they eyed everything about them. Sometimes they'd suddenly dart from one side to the next after something-Akhen had come to the conclusion they were so tiny they liked eating dust specks- and usually right where he was going to put his hoof down. The first few times they had done that he had nearly had a heart attack at the thought of crushing them. Now he moved slow enough to keep his balance, even if he looked more or less like a fool trying to balance on three hooves. He didn't really care. Anyone who made fun of him to his face was a fool that deserved death, as far as he was concerned...

The ducklings were a little older than when he had first brought them home. It made moving around with them less of a difficult task now. They waddled around with confidence, wagging their little tails, flapping their itty bitty wings or pecking at the feathers on his hooves. Moving with them was easier than moving them, he had come to realize that the first couple attempts at transporting them. They couldn't balance as well on his back; they easily slipped down his sides with every other step he took.

Slowly, with their constant happy peeping in his ears, Akhen lead them along to the pond. He slowed to a pause when he caught a green thing darting along the opposite side, eyes narrowing as he tried to come sort of decision about whether this was a friend or foe. More importantly who was it... or...what was it. The forest was home to a lot of strange things...well wait. Hold on. He knew this one. The odd way it darted around, the green stuff on its pelt...
Ird? Yes, that's who it was. Ird. In all the time he had wandered to the pond with the ducklings, he had somehow managed to miss the strange little creature until this time. Well...he must be quite a sight now. Drooping, weak wing and a little brood of half a dozen ducklings...yeah, quite a sight.

He smiled to himself and poked the nearest duckling's bill with his beak in a playful, gentle manner before picking a course toward the shallow end of the pond. He figured Ird would go by there at some point-if it hadn't already noticed him.

Ducklings, fluffball and Ird. The first two seconds would include cuteness regardless. xD

---

Akhen watched the little green creature out of the corner of his eye as he led the babies down to the shallow water. He didn't want to appear alarmed and spook the ducklings into running about in a panic. Though the thought that Ird's odd, erratic behavior might scare them anyway crossed his mind, but he decided to just...see. Ird was a friend, one that he hadn't seen in a while. He didn't want to just walk away.

He settled down once they were happily splashing about in the shallows, peeping and nibbling at everything within reach. The buff male didn't mind the mud much, his attention shifting from watching the little ones and watching Ird...wait where did it go? Oh! There It was. An ear flicked at it screeching a greeting, his attention quickly snapping to the little ducks to see them pause in alarm for a brief moment only to go back to whatever they were doing beforehand.

Akhen slowly rose to his hooves as the little creature drew closer, dipping his head in greeting, "Hello, Ird. It's been a while. I hope you've been well."

Oh dear god I would not be in that room with those spiders. No way. I apologize for the delay, I wanted to give a long response and I just didn't have the time or muse-time for the most part- to type long stuff the last couple of days.

---

Akhen slowly settled back down again, his amber gaze going between Ird and the babies as the little creature went to pains to not to spook them. Whether the ducklings understood that or not he wasn't sure. They seemed mostly unfazed by Ird's approach after their initial scare, though, so he took that as a good sign. Something that he was ultimately grateful for. He had hoped they would adapt and accept the forest deer as some form of their extended family or flock, just as he had hoped that they would accept Aria as another parent. Both they did over time-though leaving the ducklings alone with Aria was a feat he had yet to accomplish-, though the extended family had to give them a moment to realize the deer were there. They had gone back to playing in the mud, one or two of them wandering over to peck at the long fur around the owl deer's hooves. One of them had waddled a few steps in Ird's direction, head tilted as they fixed their little beady eyes on the green creature. All six of them hadn't stopped their happy peeping though, so the owl stag could only assume they were still content.

His gaze slowly fixed on Ird as the creature started to speak. It took Akhen a moment or two to remember that the creature was a chatterbox; there was no rhyme or reason to what it talked about within the subject they were initially talking about. He didn't really mind it. It was sort of a mental challenge to him to keep track of all the potential twists and turns within their conversation. A game. His attention shifted quickly to a duckling making itself at home on his hoof, but all he could do was gently nudge the little thing before giving Ird his attention back.

Kettu. He blinked, nodding as Ird attempted to show him the feathers the fox gave him. He was more than a little touched that the feather he had given Ird was still there. He wanted to butt in and point out that he still had Ird's flower...but he didn't want to interrupt. The stag hadn't figured out a way to keep the flower safe, not with him always rolling around in dust or sunspots...flower patches. He'd crush it. It was safer hiding in a nook in the cave his mate called home.

Had he met Kettu? No...but he did informally meet her once. Or wandered over to investigate her...what felt like months ago. At least, he thought that was who Ird was referring to. The fox doe. The feathers looked familiar at least. Akhen felt a pain of guilt at the newfound knowledge that Ird hadn't been doing so well. For a short time there he hadn't been doing well either, but that was weeks ago too. Ages, it felt like to him. But he could have easily wandered down to the pond to talk to Ird one of those times too. Easily. He had to come down for water at points. Maybe that was why he hadn't seen the little creature.

He slowly unfurled his healing right wing when Ird's attention shifted to coo at the ducklings, the rest of which had come up from the muddy shallows to settle beside him and continue their happy chatter. He gave the tight muscles a chance to stretch before slowly letting it furl back at his side. "They sound like they like you too, Ird." He murmured gently with a smile. He held it for a moment, only to let it slide as he added, "I'm sorry you were going through a rough time. I...I didn't know. I would have found you if I could. But I assumed I just missed you whenever I ventured down here. I apologize for not being a very good friend."

Ohhh I don't blame you. I'd be out of that room instructing someone to kill it immediately too. Gah. That sucks. :c

Ird caught the unfurling of the wing from the cornner of its eye sockects and smiled wider. Well, would you look at that. Three of its freinds had wings! The angel, the bird and now the butter! The only one who didn't have wings was Kettu and she was a fox with four tails! The creature felt unremarkable compared to all of their amazing freinds but knew they would disagree if they were asked. (That's what freinds did after all! Disagreed with you about yourself.)

All the ducklings were coming closer now! Not just the little brave one either, the whole....what did you call a bunch of ducks? A gaggle? Or was that a bunch of geese? The creature would have to ask the pair Bo had freaked out a week ago. It admired the ducklings too, they were so small! Full of energy and cute to boot! Their little eyes reminded it of Yara's. What if they were just learning how to swim? Could Akhen teach them? Ird certainly couldn't do that, it couldn't swim. Now that it thought about it....maybe living by a bunch of water wasn't a good idea if you couldn't swim.

When the other finally started talking it glanced up in suprise and frowned. "Oh no Akhen, don't appologize. You not a bad freind at all kay? How were you suposesed to know eh? Ird couldn't leave to go tell ya. Sometimes Ird can be kinda tricky to find too...sorta live in that cryingstone for a while. And well, you did come to visit. Even if you didn't see Ird, Ird appreciates that. Most good and never come back ever." It clicked to emphisise its words and was distracted once more by the peeping ducklings. "You're right Akhen, Ird thinks that they might like Ird! Look at them all cute and peeping! Where'd ya find the little things? Ird has only seen two ducks since time in forest and the angel scared them away when her wings caught on fire." It shook its head in disbelif rembering that, the past week had been so busy! "Almost scared Ird away too, Ird admits that."

It giggled as the duckling started to nibble on it, sure that hurt a little but goodness that was too cute! The grass would just grow back anyway. A quick look at the others showed that they were starting to fall asleep. Their happy noises were absolutely darling, it could see why Akhen had them around now. The idol spirit was glad that its freind would have company now when they weren't at the pond, loneliness was rather terrible honestly.

"Yep. Her name's Bo, her god set her wings on fire! What kind of person would ever do something like that to another? Ird don't care if your scared or feel threatened or anything like that! You can't just take everything away from someone and expect them to still stay by you. And it was her god that did that too! For Twins sake! C-c-can't picture someone who'd do something like that..." It had lowered its voice so the ducklings wouldn't be destuirbed by all the talking but it was rather apparent that it was upset about this. "Ird hopes...well Ird was able to fix her wings with help from the Twins and now...Ird just hopes that she can get a second chance here. You know....finally see what love is. And know that someone, somewhere cares. Ird knows that that makes all the difference in the world. To know someone cares."

They looked like a family. Akhen and the little ducklings together like this....for a moment Ird was jealous of this, its own family had never been anywhere close to good. And that was when they had still been together, before they had picked each other a part and everyone went away. It pushed those feelings imeadiatly, it had no right to be jealous of anything its freinds had. Jealousy changed people and it didn't want to be changed in that way.

The creature looked away from the orange one, gaze drifting around the pond and settling on the Twin statues in the distance. "Yes...Ird thinks she'll be good again. Maybe soon even." It glanced back up at the stag and half-blinked. "You think Ird's a good freind Akhen? Truly Ird meens like?" it asked softly, "Ird just doesn't feel like it somedays. Not really."

It smiled back hestaintly and shrugged. "Uh...well Ird's never there when Ird is really needed. Not leaving the pond puts freinds in danger and Ird can't help them if they aren't here." it replied softly. "What kind of good freind can't help others? There was a little one...Junalia, Jun....others in the forest attacked her. Ird doesn't know why they'd hurt a baby! But they did and Ird couldn't do anything and only found out when she came to the pond. Ird wasn't there when she needed Ird. And now...Ird hasn't seen her in many, many months. What if...if they ate her? And Ird can't go even go looking to find her! What kind of freind is that? Useless that's what." It sighed and shook its head. "Wasn't there enough for Kettu either. That's why she left. But also why she came back? Ird doesn't know."

(Thank-you Akhen, it needed that <3)

Expression shifted through many different emotions; sadness, confusion, hope and settled on an inbewteen mix of irrataion and releif. The other's words seemed true, worth believing. If only it could get rid of the voice in its head telling it that it wasn't worth anything at all...that would make everything so much easier. But who ever did anything without a little trouble and stife? No one, that's who.

The creature squared its shoulders and nodded bravely. It was time to try being a bit braver than it was used to. It was more important than it thought, now it just had to remember that. Like rain, small but powerful. Time to cause some floods. "Ird does want to get away sometimes. Just...fly away like, but not fly cause that's still kinda scarey. Ird don't want to be a pancake ya know? That's just not good at all!" It shuddered at that thought and grimiced. "Ird's seen some stars sometimes. Great big silver ones that fell out of sky on strings! Those ain't everyday normal stars right? And Akhen...thank-you. Ird knows your right. Ird can't help everyone all the time. Just need to remeber that everyone else couldn't do that either, Ird's not special in that way. Helping sometimes is better than helping not at all."

Let sleeping dogs lie little one. That's what the big blue one had told it before she'd gone off to some other place than what it was used to. She wouldn't take it to go see what that place was. But it knew what she'd meant. The same thing as Akhen was saying now. The past was the past. Maybe, just maybe, they had been wrong. What if Ird wasn't the bad seed? WHAT IF HE WAS? After all that time...was this its second chance? "Oh Akhen...thank-you. Thank-you for saying that. Really, don't ever think you could be a better freind to Ird okay? Cause you couldn't!" The idol spirit nuzzled the bird's leg gratefuly and looked up at him. "Ird isn't sure if Ird's ready to leave the pond...um....Ird honestly might just....what was that word? Disintagrate? Yah that's it, Ird cracks real bad if it gets too far away. Falling apart's almost as bad at getting eaten. Fustrated the creature spat a glob of blood into the water and shook its head. "Ird thinks that the not leaving might only be in the forest. Yara says that there's a 'portal' in the idol and she's gonna take Ird to 'human world'. But when she's better. She wasn't doing good, not taking care of herself but Ird thinks it mad her better. At least kinda. She'll visit and teach Ird to read too! Isn't that amazing? So Ird'll get a -what was it humans call it- a vacation? And that'll be so good! Ird really misses adverturning."

She had a dad? Oh that was interesting! Seems like they knew each other too, it wondered what Yara's dad looked like. Was he a butter too? Or something else entirely? The portal speak caused it to frown in thought and hum slightly. Interesting! "So portals are kinda like...gates right? Maybe there's some kind of key to getting where you need to go? Or maybe they like the sky paths the stars use to travel? Ird wonders if you need to talk them into taking you cause Ird tried to see the portal and didn't get anything from that. Just wet rock and that darn frog!" The green stag smiled at the thought of talking to a portal and wondered what language they might speak. "Ird's glad Ird was at the right place at the right time to meet her. Ird thinks it'll be good for all of us ya know?"

Magic. The smile stretched wider still, taking up most of the face now. This was why it didn't really mind not leaving the pond most days, this forest was just too interesting to get mad at. "Ya know that the portals are probably magic. Like the forest, maybe even like Ird. So Ird guess that you need to know certain ways of looking at things! Like finding the spiderwebs before they hit you, just kinda have to shift what you see until something catches the light. And once you see it...." The little one shrugged. "You can see others like it. Maybe even open up new passages if you look closely enough." There were endless possibilities really, they would probably keep Ird preoccupied for a few days at least. Now it would have something amazing to look forward to. "Ird's glad too. It's nice to be of use to someone, helping always helps. Ird knows that now. This forest's really kinda amazing isn't Akhen?" it smiled at the sleeping ducklings and at the other. It was glad that it had gotten to meet him that one day.

(I can just picture Akhen and Zazh arguing about something and Akhen just screaming 'MAGIC')

A small swarm of butterflies came from around the bend and swirled about them, drifting and swirling in the air. The sun lit up their thin, fragile wings and turned them into something otherworldly. A few gathered around the gift flowers the creature held in its tines and one actually landed. "There's so much to learn and see and touch each new day! Did you know butters taste with their feetsies? And see colors that we can't even imagine? Or that you never step in the same water twice? It's always changing. If you can see that change then...you're honestly never really alone at all!"

(Gotta love 'em, silly dears)

It smiled at the little ducklings reactions to the butters, probably the first time they had seen something so pretty. Even if it didn't know what ducks thought were pretty...butters were amazing. "Yeah. Unless they really are alone then well...they're alone. But that's probably only in space cause there isn't really even air up there!" it chirruped.

It squinted, head tilted to one side, slightly confused as well. "Sorta...Ird rembers learning that somewhere, somehow...before the forest like? Hard to remember. Maybe things work different way, way up there? Like its own kind of magic?" It shrugged and mumbled something unrecognizeable. It always found it embarrasing how knowledge seemed to shift away when it tried to locate its sorce. How it had known this....who knew? It certainly didn't. "Ird can't explain it." the creature huffed ruefully, "Embarassing...can't even remember Ird's own memories right. Sorry bout that Akhen. Ird don't honestly, truly know where Ird got that from but Ird feels like Ird's right? Birds Ird has talked to have said that they can only fly so far...."

It clicked in irritation and stamped a little bit. "Dissapointing ain't it? Get some wonderfully strange fact stuck in yer head and then when ya try to explain it..POOF! There it went! Irritating!" Oh how it wished it could explain this to Akhen but how could it? It wasn't even sure if that was true! It pawed at the ground and glanced over its shoulder. The butterflies gathered around its flowers finally lifted up and drifted away. Suddenly the creature gave a cry of suprise, "Why didn't Ird think of this before?! Ird can ask Yara! She must have a book about space somewhere saying somewhat right? And Ird can read it or listen to Yara read it and then Ird can tell you and then we'll know for sure!"

Instant track.

"Okay! When Ird sees her again.." Its smile faltered slightly, "If Ird sees her again....Ird will." Who knew when that would be? Could be very many suns and months.

Goodness I missed this fellow, it's nice to see him again. Lio'd get up to greet him but..he's being lazy and pretending to sleep while being groomed is an A+ reason to not get up.

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Need outside help with this character now. I've got him as far as I can on my own. He's very shy and scared, which makes him come off as aggressive. Any sort of interaction will do.