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 Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 11:53 am
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Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:05 pm
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Only a week earlier a lost basket was rescued from a flooded river. The basket's family had been lost to the waters, but the little one had been saved by her bear protector, Spike; a passing Angenicorn, Maion; and his fox friend, Elijah.
The rescuers had then taken the basket back to their home and Maion's waiting mate, Sengdroma. Once it was determined the basket was indeed alive and well but alone in the world, Maion and Sengdroma vowed it would be alone no longer. Adopting the basket and her bear protector, from whom they learned the basket's name was to be Pele', the family settled down to wait for the new arrival.
Previous RP: Swept Away, Do Not Fear....
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Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:19 pm
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It had been a few days and Spike had almost forgotten about the horror of the flooded river now that he was here. This place was amazing, plush grass and clean water with fish the size of the basket he was curled around. Spike had eaten well, and often. His belly was rounder than it had been in quite a while.
He was half drowsing, not so much tired as relaxed. It had become his habit to curl up around the basket when he slept or sunned or otherwise was at leisure. Spike was accustomed to the humming and rocking of the basket. It was normal enough for this basket. But suddenly the humming stopped.
For a moment the basket was still, silent. Spike got up, a bit alarmed. It never just stopped, usually the movement and noise faded away, as if the young foal inside had fallen asleep. This time was different. A bit worried he watched the basket when suddenly it . . . jumped?
Pele was tired of this basket, she was big, to big to really fit anymore. It was warm, but she had been here for . . . ever. Wasn't there something more? She knew there were others on the other side of the place she was in, she felt their heat, heard their voices. She didn't understand the noises they made or their coming and going. But they were there. There must be something outside this too small space. And it was time to find out.
Having made the determination to leave this place, she was stuck with figuring out how. Well, she had these feet, and they really wanted to stretch out, she just knew they did. She didn't have room, but if she tried, what would happen?
Stretching wasn't enough. So Pele kicked. The whole world moved. Or, at least, her portion of the world moved. Okay, so that did something, but maybe down wasn't the direction to kick. Squirming in the too small space, she worked on getting her body pointed in the other direction. Next time she kicked, she'd kick with all four legs and she'd kick up and surely, surely she would have more space then. Maybe she'd even have a chance to move her legs like she wanted to. Her knees twitched as she wiggled, ready to have the room to dance. |
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Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:31 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:30 pm
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Maion and his little fox Elijah had decided to take some time out, stretch their legs and gather some rarer fruit for Sengdroma -and even Spike if he decided to join them. It was rare that Elijah was not with the basket, she had taken up her spot nicely, and wanted to do her bit to help keep the poor thing warm after all the hardness it had already endured... but still, the lure of Maion's hair had been too much.
Maion could feel her wiggling on his neck, warm and soft. He realised he had missed his little friend lying hidden there. He smiled as he picked up several more berries and flowers and placed them into the basket that Sonnet had made for him a while back..... Maion still didn't know how he felt about Sonnet, he could tell that the boy was infactuated with Chandra, but how far did their emotions truely run? Was it a childhood crush or more? Part of him really didn't like the idea of his youngest finding a mate.... of growing up and taking that final step. What was next... kids of her own? He shuddered.
Maion had just finished stashing his food in the basket loosely hanging around his neck when he heard the familar voice of his mate Sengdroma... a voice he would never ignore, laced with a hidden tone of sexuality that just screamed 'Sengdroma' and was all for him... yet now it was paniced... or perhaps excited? Maybe a little of both. Immediatly his head snapped in her direction, she wasn't too far away but still..... he spread his wings and took off, using all the speed and strength known to his breed to ensure the journey was swifted than most could muster with years of practise and training.
Then an idea cropped into his head... the basket? Was it time? He doubled his efforts and soon he landed with a soft 'thump' beside Sengdroma, just in time to see the lid of the basket fly off and four legs sticking up into the air. He chuckled. The small creature looked like an upside down turtle, he turned to his mate and nipped her mane affectionatly before commenting; "It seems our new addition is ready to meet us at last." Elijah wiggled, taking his words as her que to investigate. She leapt from his mane to the ground and sat beside Spike. "Oh looky.... her legs are almost as black as Maions." She grinned back at him and Sengdroma before returning her attention fully to the basket. "Oh... are they wings?" There were definatly golden feathers peeking out of the basket rim.
Maion was curious, he had never really been this close when a basket popped. With Renesme three children he had been patrolling the perimeter and scouting for a herb his eldest daughter Io had needed for her medicine to aid Alice. He had missed his own children.... an act that he still regretted with all his heart. Yet here he was.... witnessing the arrival of his child! For blood or not... this precious gift, Pele, was his child. The herd already knew that and accepted her as one of their own... would she? |
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Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:35 pm
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Pele had kicked with all four feet at the same time and suddenly - there was . . . too much. There was light and color and air moving and sounds were clear and there and the voices, she could hear the voices that sounded now like her own humming had always sounded instead of muffled and distant. And the light, it was bright and the colors, she wasn't sure what they were, but they were there and somehow important and part of the everything. Blinking, Pele tried to decide what to do next.
Her feet still sticking straight up into the air, she finally craned her neck up to look around. That was not the best thing to do. Moving meant the balance she had kept while accepting the new 'open' state of things was lost. Suddenly the world was moving, or she was moving, and she tumbled onto her side. The basket tipped with her, then continued, tipping over her and covering her head again. Her legs were still out in the open air and light peeked around the edges of the basket, but it was dark again, confined.
Blinking again, Pele thought for a moment, laying there, her legs splayed out to the side but her wings still tucked up against her body under the basket. Did she really want to go back out to that confusing mass of everything?
The moment passed, she most certainly did, it was new and different and wonderful. Pele scrambled with her feet for a moment, pulling them in and kicking them out a few times before she got them under her. When she straightened them again, she was rising from the ground.
That was a surprise, she wobbled, basket still on her head. She tried to stretch her wings out, but they were caught by the basket. Though the basket rocked and slid enough to expose one eye to the world.
Blinking she looked around. Her wings half up with the basket caught on them and her vision partially obscured Pele had no idea just how funny she looked.
Spike had been watching. This was the first time he'd seen a basket open and didn't know what to expect. He had been there when the baskets had gotten their precious contents, but this was different.
He watched as Pele kicked her way out of her basket, saw her for a brief moment before she toppled, and wondered just what this little foal was doing kicking her legs like that. Then he watched her stand. It was all very fascinating.
As she got her basket stuck on her wings, half covering her face, Spike laughed, "Pele basket funny."
Pele heard the laughter, and while she didn't know what it was, it was clearly the sound of joy. A huge smile lit up her face as she blinked some more. Clearly happy she . . . sang. It was just a single note - but it was defiantly a trumpeting note of song and not just a foal-ish neighing. Looking around, the basket fell back over her other eye, but it didn't bother Pele a bit, the world was big and wonderful and she was out in it.
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Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:54 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:32 am
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Maion watched with curious eyes as Pele made her entrance... or at least half entrance. He was just about to rush to her side when Sengdroma did, it probably for the best... since Maion had no idea what to do, or even how to hold his wings in a way that wouldn't just cause more problems for the little one.
Elijah chuckled next to spike, "Yes, very funny.... maybe we should name her basket head?"
Maion scowled softly at Elijah, yes it was a funny sight but he had no desire to punish his daughter -it felt so strange to call her that, in his heart he had already accepted her.... it just felt.... right. As Sengdroma called him he hurried to her side, taking the basket from her and placing it on the ground. "Yes, very determinded." He turned back, catching his first view of his new arrival.... and he froze. She was stunning, hair that seemed like liquid stardust, bright eyes and wings, and a pattern that shimmered over her pelt like lava. She was.... beautiful. "Yes..." he murmered as he stared at her for a moment longer, "...she is beautiful." He turned to his mate, with a smile that shone as brightly as the sun. "Just like her Mama!" He grinned, no one was as beautiful as Sengdroma in his eyes... but this new born foal was pretty close.
He kissed his mate before walking towards his daughter, his heart was all a flutter... he had never welcomed a new born into the world. Still.... "Hello there beautiful Pele. It is nice of you to finally join us." He smiled softly and kissed her cheek softly, "I am your Daddy and this...." he turned to Sengdroma with a smile, "....is your Mummy."
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:54 am
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Suddenly the basket was gone and the world was open before Pele. There was someone by her side laughing and warm and then another someone big and getting closer. Then she was touched. That was different. Warmth spread from the touch on her cheek, she didn't know what that was, but it was nice.
Then there was the voices, close and wonderful and they seemed to be directed at her. And the wind sang around them and the grasses danced with the breeze and the lake waters lapped at the shore in gentle harmony. And the voices sang without singing but she could hear the words ringing with truth and love and it was beautiful.
Pele smiled, as big a smile as she could manage. "Mumupapa," she said in a voice piping and pure. And she took a step, wobbly but determined towards the two who greeted her. And headbutted whichever of them was closer, not yet able to distinguish between the two.
Spike looked at Elijah, his head tilted to the side. "Pele basket not basket head, has Pele baby inside. See! Is Pele baby and basket is basket." Apparently with a lack of intelligence comes an inability to understand humor, at least where Spike is concerned. He's a very literal bear, but he's also a very caring bear and this family of his has all of his heart and he will do whatever he can to keep them safe.
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:10 am
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Laughter rang out across the lake of their home as Pele took in her new world. "You are beautiful, Pele. Welcome home." she gently nuzzled the little foal with a smile, taking her short mane and clearing it from her face with gentle movements. "We've all been waiting to meet you," she took a step back, gazing down at her daughter.
She looked over to Spike with a smile, "This is Spike. He is your protector," she motioned for Spike to go say hello. It was time the two of them properly met. She knew there would be a bond between the two due to their very short but dramatic history.
Leaning into Maion's shoulder, she rested her head against his neck. Her face glowing, her heart was singing, it was a wonderful day. She would have to gather Io, Chan, and Mal to introduce them soon. She wanted the family and herd to know of the joy that was Pele.
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:45 am
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Elijah turned and looked at Spike before patting him on the nose, "I suppose you are right.... Pele is not truely a basket head." She knew already that there was something different about Spike but she wasn't about to point it out for all the world to make fun of, afterall Elijah liked Spike... and never had he asked about her scarred body or her skittish nature at times, she liked that.
Maion watched as little Pele wobbled towards them and headbutted her mother.... the first word she had spoke was a combination of Mama and Papa which made him beam with pride and happiness, it was strange to see and hear such innocent words, especially directed at him. When he had first met Chandra, Io and Mal they had been weeks old already, each confident in their walking and just as confident with their speach.... such characters, beaming happiness and joy from every pour... even when they attacked him in an effort to 'protect their mother' from her would be attacker.... if he had known he would have done that differently as well. Still, he hoped the relationship between him and his son would one day soften. Mal had always considered Maion's lack of presence as a refusal to acknowlegde him, when in truth he hadn't known, had he he would have been there in a heartbeat. But even after they formed the Miakoda herd, and with all his effort to smooth out a relationship things were often.... tense. Things had changed a little since the skinwalker attack, Mal had fought side by side with Maion to overcome the threat, a task he did brillantly... and although he hated that his son had had to witness such crimes against nature he was pleased that his son had softened towards him a little.
Shaking those thoughts he turned his full attention to Pele and her soon-to-be familar Spike. "We have all been waiting for you little Pele..... do you like what you see so far?" Maion wasn't too sure what he should say or ask a newborn foal..... but he would learn, for this little one he would be the best father he could be!
He snuggled his mate softly, gently asking for reassurance as well as well as passing on a gentle strength to her. He knew she had been sitting up with the basket, talking and murmering with it until the early hours of the morning before allowing herself to sleep. When she set her heart on something she did it with all her heart and strength.... he loved that about her. He smiled before softly speaking to Sengdroma, "It seems I will have to give more flying lessons in the future." He mused over those he gave to Io, Chandra and Sonnet.... he rather enjoyed being a teacher, it was different to his usual stronger presence of a leader, a teacher could be gentler most of the time... but a protector needed to show he was strong so that others felt safe. Still.... there was nothing he would change about his position, he loved his herd and his family, and even if there were things he would alter about his past they had all lead him to this point, all made him the stallion he was..... for that he was thankful.
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:20 pm
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Pele, on being directed toward Spike, tried to take a step in his direction. She completely missed that 'Papa' was trying to ask her something. Her legs weren't as sure about moving as she was and wobbled. She started to tilt forward and to keep from falling, she kicked and bounced, but then she really was moving forward. Her legs suddenly alive under her, they kept moving forward to stay ahead of her weight. Suddenly she was . . . bounding, not running or jumping but somehow a combination of the two. The wind whipped her mane, small though it was, and the warm feeling of 'Mama' fixing it quickly was lost.
She passed Spike in a relative blur, her eyes still not accustomed to focusing to know how to adjust for speed. Spike, for his part, helped by scrambling out of the way. And then Pele was surrounded by grass underhoof and sky overhead. This was fun and free and . . . alone. Where was everyone.
In a sudden panic, though, truly she hadn't gone far, Pele tried to stop. She skidded and one hoof planted itself on the ground but the others kept moving forward and then she was turned about and everyone was in front of her. She'd have stopped to think about that if she'd had time, but all four of her feet were moving again, trying to keep up with her. She was starting to get the hang of this, but hadn't quite managed to stop bouncing long enough to get all her legs moving together at once.
But now that she knew she wasn't alone, Pele was free to feel the joy of movement as she rushed towards her family. Spike again was compelled to dodge out of her way as she came running back.
Pele had been still next to the larger 'Mumupapa' so maybe that was the key. She managed to fine tune her direction, sort of. She turned, but went farther than she intended and had to turn back, correcting a few times before her path towards her parents was sure. The large black and starry hide of her 'Daddy' was firmly in her sights when suddenly Pele's wings decided to join the party.
Wings popping out and up suddenly caught the wind, but not in any way resembling flight. Instead they acted to retard her forward momentum. Her feet, still moving at great speed, didn't compensate. And the head-butt she delivered to her father was nothing like the one her mother had received. This time she was on her knees, sliding, her momentum enough to daze her as she hit.
All this had take barely enough time to watch and, for Spike at least, not nearly enough time to react beyond the most basic of reflexes. That was not at all a safe way to travel. Not minding the older Soquili one bit, Spike walked up to Pele.
"Pele baby should not run, running is for big Pele, not small Pele, Pele's legs should stay under her and she should not fall and get dirty." As he spoke he pushed his head under her side and started lifting, trying to get her righted, not realizing that pushing from one side wasn't the most helpful of actions. His head under her belly, Spike's next words were a bit muffled, "Pele baby will scare Mummy Sengdroma and Daddy Maion running around and falling. Scare Spike friend and Elijah buddy too. Pele should stay safe and not fall in rivers or anywhere else." It's hard to tell how much of what Spike is saying should really have been internal monologue, but if he was a bit simple, he was all the more determined to help.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:45 am
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 6:41 am
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Maion watched with a chuckle in his heart and a smile on his face, the attack from the skinwalkers seemed so far behind them at this moment.....
He turned to Sengdroma for a moment, pausing to take in her utter beauty before he looked to a wobbly footed Pele once more..... only to discover she was bounding towards him. His heart leapt, the urge to protect her, to save her surfaced..... but when Sengdroma did nothing he too decided to take her lead, after all, she had been around foals before. He braced himself for the impact.... unsure if he should move or simply let her hit him, he didn't want her hurt... this delicate gift to them, brought to them by the water.
As he had done in the flying lessons with Sonnet and Chandra he opened his wings wide and lowered them slightly in an effort to use them as a 'net' if needed.
Sure enough, little Pele hit him with a force he hadn't realised a little one could possess, she knocked the air out of him and nearly rebounded off him once more had his wings not caught her delicate form. "There there little Pele, take it easy." He said with a chuckle as he joined Sengdroma in her laughter.
Elijah was laughing so hard that she wobbled as walked towards Spike, she sat beside him and said as reassuringly as she could, "Don't worry Spike.... Maion's got her, see! She is a strong little one." Yes, to have survived the cold water and still hatch as heavy as a horse.... well, it was a miracle.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 7:21 am
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Pele resisted the overly helpful Spike for a moment before his 'help' toppled her over on her side. She just sat there blinking up at everyone laughing. It was a happy time and she smiled, warm, as she tried to get her eyes to focus again.
Spike stopped pushing as Pele falls over, "Oops." But he had heard what the others said, she would be okay, she needed to learn. Of course, she did and he could stop worrying about her falling but . . . she was rather dirty now. With a thought, Spike hurried away.
Pele listened to the sound of her mother's nicker, her father's deep laughter and Elijah's higher peals of mirth. The sound of Spike running a natural drumbeat and the wind in the trees a soft counterpoint. The water lapping softly against the shore of the lake another percussion and the world was full of music.
This was what she had been missing in the basket. The range and depth of sound, she had only heard it muffled and much of the detail was lost. This what the world was, the open and free and beautiful.
But Pele didn't want to just hear it, she wanted to be part of it. It took her a couple tries to rock back upright and she didn't trust her feet enough yet to try and stand again, but this music, she wanted to join it.
Her little voice pipping and not quite sure, Pele sang. It was like someone with a flute trying out what the buttons did for a moment, then she found her voice. There were no words, but there was a melody set to the harmony of the world around her. Her small voice broke as she tried to reach a note too high and it dropped out as she attempted to sing too low. But she found her range and continued singing, even as other parts of the music came and went, adjusting her song to their absence.
Spike was used to random music, having lived with Pele's mother for a while before the river flooded. So he didn't stop what he was doing at the sound, finding it normal. Unless someone had been paying attention to the bear, his sudden return would have been something of a surprise.
But Spike had been busy as Pele righted herself and began to find her voice. He had run and collected her basket, taking it by the rim in his mouth. Without the magic that kept the young foal alive, it was much more delicate than it had been, but it would serve his purpose.
A quick trip to the lake and the basket was filled with water. A bit sloshed out as Spike returned to the small family with it, but enough remained. The song of young Pele had been winding through the air for a few moments when it was abruptly cut off by a basket of water being dumped over her head. The basket dropped from Spike's mouth as he grinned widely at his ingenuity. Pele baby was dirty and Spike had given her a bath. That she was now dripping wet and sitting in a quickly muddying puddle didn't really register.
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