[PRP] Basket Popping (List Inside)

[Phail Ninja]

These Soq are all allowed to post in this RP <3

 

[Phail Ninja]

The sun was warm as it poured its way down into the glade. It dappled across the leafy canopy, emerging as ethereal beams of light onto the dusty earth below. A light breeze wove its way through the branches, occasionally raising a dead leaf or two off the forest floor and sending them skittering around, a lasting momento of countless autumns past.

Towering oak trees stood infallible, their roots extending hundreds of meters under the ground. Their trunks were old and gnarled, carrying the scars of the thousands of storms they had lived through. Beside them soared the maple trees, their branches starting lower down the trunks yet extending just as high to blot out the sky.

On one side of the clearing, a pile of rocks made a cave that was the mare's home. Opposite this, a small pond flickered in the bright light, sending reflections of the mighty trees back at the canopy.

Sakura took a deep breath, inhaling the musty air of her home. It had just the right level of humidity, enough not to dry out her throat, yet not so much that the air turned uncomfortably sticky. This was the cave where she had been born, and now it was the birthplace of her own two children.

A glow spread within her, emanating out from her heart like the warmth spread by the dying embers of a fire. My foals. A grin spread across her face, her muscles twitching involuntarily. For so long she had wished for foals, so long, and now that dream was finally a reality.

Mum, dad. You're grandparents now. She sent a silent thought out to her parents, wishing them to be proud even though they were gone. The baskets have black on them, kind of like you, dad. Even the pain that her fond memories of her past could bring was stifled by the powerful emotion that coursed through her limbs at that moment.

Slowly, she clambered up onto her hooves, leaving a faint mark upon the ground where she had lain. Her wings fluttered out on either side of her, helping to stabilize her movements. She still couldn't get used to how much lighter her body felt now. Where before she had felt like a lumbering oaf, she now felt like a feather.

Turning, she paused to look at her baskets. "Come on, its a nice day. I'll take you out. The air inside those things can't be very fresh anymore." Her voice was soft, almost a murmur, yet laced with emotion. Ashen eyes wavered with tears, though she bit them back. They were not tears of pain nor anger nor sorrow, but of joy. This feeling was bliss.

Gently grasping her teeth around the first reed-woven basket, she proceeded to drag it out of the cave and into a patch of shade, in the shadow of a huge oak tree. Soon, the second basket joined the first. They were getting heavy and awkward to pull. A thrill shot through her heart as she realized they might open soon.

 

[Tygress Dream]

Adrian had acctually been absent during the latter stages of Sakura's pregnancy. He felt a bit guilty leaving her alone especially as she was growing discomforted with the experience. Still she had other friends and certainly a mare friend would be better to have around than the male who put her in the situation she wasn't enjoying. The main reason for his absence however had been his family. They'd chosen just the wrong time to pass through the area. They knew about his friendship with Sakura and the last thing he wanted was for them to find out about her condition. Not that he was ashamed of the situation, just that well he had some issues with his family.

So to keep them distracted and away from Sakura, he'd spent the time with his grandparents, well grandfather and grandfather's lifemate... and Aunt Niade had stopped by. Everyone talking about babies and baskets. He laughed a little at the irony of the lifemated pairs still waiting while here he was just helping a lovely lady out and starting a family. He was going to be a father. It was an amazing thing, but if he had his way the foals wouldn't know how closely related he acctually was to them; that way his own extended family couldn't claim them.

Well enough with such thoughts, he was approaching Sakura's home clearing. He came out from under the oaks to the odd sight of the mare dragging a basket. A basket!! he suddenly caught the significance of the pink and black basket and came forward. "Do you need a hand with that? It looks heavy...."  

[Thy Reaper]

((OOC: I hope this is alright. I've never popped out of a basket before! XD))

It was a soothing sound one that he had known for what felt like forever now. He had heard it for such a long time, though louder and a bit more distorted, alongside the sounds of drums before he was pulled from one warmth and placed in another. While he could not understand what the sounds were, he knew that they made him feel safe. That sound though, that voice, belonged to him. She as important to him. Somehow.

Something bright was shinning through the tightly woven cracks of his basket, the soft warm place that he had been placed, but only very faintly. He blinked those pale grey eyes and nosed at the sides of his reed basket, shifting in an attempt to get comfortable. It was just too cramped now.

Another sound drew his attention, and he stopped his shifting altogether. It was a different sound. A different voice that he had never heard before. Curiosity pulled at him and he shifted more, rolling himself this way and that, shaking the basket vigorously until it tipped over on its side and out he rolled. The dark foal blinked against the harshness of the light and whinnied in discomfort.

 

[caffeinecraving]

It was too tight... it was suffocating... He was struggling. And then sense of calm came over him... he heard the voice he was so accustomed to. He sighed and settled down slightly. However now he heard a different noise. It was someone's voice... He kicked carefully. He needed more space.

Snorting carefully he twitched his little ears. He needed to get out... He heard the breaking of something. He then got the lovely idea into his head. He needed to get out....

And that's what he did. He struggled and kicked and bit and fought and then all at once he was sprawled out on the grass. He snorted. And then made his discomfort known by wailing like an banshee. He snorted and whined and kicked up a fuss.  

[Phail Ninja]

It was only as her teeth gently unclasped from the basket that the familiar voice reached her ears. They twitched in surprise, her muscles jerking involuntarily, but a smile slowly spread over her face. Ashen eyes a-quiver with excitement settled upon the approaching handsome black figure, filled as though with a bright flame.

"Adrian!" She whinnied a greeting, but did not move from her place besides her baskets. Already fierce bonds of love and loyalty held her rooted beside them, caring for them and loving them with such a fierce, smothering emotion before she had even seen them properly. Shaking her head in response to his question, she raised her leonine tail and waved it in a beckoning motion. "Come and meet my- I mean our baskets."

It was a simple slip of the tongue, but she ploughed on anyway, her talkative nature skipping over her brief mistake with ease. "I'm not sure if they're colts or fillies yet, but I did see that neither of them had wings before they went into their baskets. At least, not that I could tell. The baskets have a lot of black on them, so maybe they'll take after you."

The mare paused, realizing that perhaps this was an information overload. "They were born not long after you left, so they've been in baskets for a while. Two foals." No matter how she tried, she couldn't hide the pride in her voice. Gently bending her neck, she leaned down and nuzzled the tightly woven reeds of the closest basket. It had white angular markings on it, similar to those on Adrian's rump.

What she didn't expect was that the basket would nuzzle back. Sakura's eyes flew open in shock as she recoiled, watching it quizzically. And then came the realization. It was time! "Oh..." The noise was involuntary, an audible exclamation of her surprise. The container began to move more furiously, as though with purpose. Her excited heart raced away, staring rapt at the tightly woven leaves. Muscles tensed up. Her hoof pressed against the ground furiously, as though straining to take a step forwards. Her tail twitched. Breathing faster. Heart pounding. This was it.

And with a sudden tumble, a small foal rolled out of the basket. Barely did she have a chance to even glance at it before the second one started tottering around, breaking free to reveal the second foal. Both male. Both undeniably hers.

"My.. sons..." Her voice was but an awed whisper.

And then the colts began to whiny.

 

[Thy Reaper]

The light wasn't as bright as it had been originally and the foal ceased to whinny. He gazed around him with curiosity that gleamed in his too pale eyes. What was this that he was resting on? He jerked down to nose at the earth and sneezed as dirt was sucked into his nose. The dark colt with his mothers eyes shook his head vigorously against the strange feeling of the sneeze before his eyes started to wander again. There was so much that he had never seen before in his small, warm and dark space that he had inhabited for what felt like forever.

Startled by a sudden sound the colt looked up, frightened, to meet the figure of his mother. Though he had never seen her before, he knew that she belonged to him. His heart raced in his chest and slowly he shifted to being his legs out from under him. She was too far away. He wanted to be closer to her. They wobbled something fierce for he had never used them before, but slowly he made them manage. He didn't take much notice of his sibling or the large male besides his mother. This little one only saw her.

 

[Tygress Dream]

Adrian came over glad of the welcome and stared down at the baskets.
"They're quite amazing," he told her ignoring the slip. "I think they show potential to be a lovely blend of us both." He really was amazed by them to be honest and even more so when they chose then to greet the wideworld.

He stared at them and looked back at Sakura who was radiant in her joy. Adrian wasn't sure at all what he should do in that moment. He'd really hoped to have a chance to talk to Sakura alone, but that certainly wouldn't happen now. He stepped back a little wanting to give the foals time to connect with their mother. He was there close enough to assist if requested, as he always would be.
 

[Phail Ninja]

For a few more moments, she remained rapt. They were... beautiful. And hers. Love's bud opened within her chest, blossoming out with caressing petals. She felt like she would overflow with this strange feeling. They were really hers? Hers? But of course they were. She knew. She would always know. They had been connected long before birth, when they were but tiny within her womb. She had felt them then and loved them. Now that they were here, physically embodied, close enough to touch, she loved them so much more.

Sakura's gray eyes settled upon the first foal. He was rising shakily to his feet already, attempting to move to her. "You're a brave one, getting up already." Slowly she leaned over, pressing her soft muzzle against his warm flank. He was so... real. She almost jumped in shock. A fierce, protective urge rose up within her. Leaning further, she nudged him up onto his wobbly hooves. "Come here, little one." She whispered gently. This one looked more like Adrian than she, though his belly and muzzle were pink. But he had small, heart-shaped markings upon his neck and sported a uni tail, like herself. She was there, within him.

"My son, I shall call you..." She paused, mulling over the thought. Of course, she had thought of some names which she was running through her head. And the second she thought it, she knew. "Blair. Your name is Blair." It was a tough name to bestow, being her former father's name, but it fit. "My Blair." She nuzzled him again, lovingly, tenderly.

When the foal was close to her, she turned to the second colt. "But of course I could not forget about you." Reaching down, she gently ruffled the patch of pink and white hair upon his forehead. "Hush, there is no need to fuss." Closing her eyes, she gently inhaled his warm scent. It was unique, and she was sure she had never smelled such a scent before, and yet it was so familiar it filled her eyes with joyful tears.

This foal bore none of her own Alicorn features, but was an equal mix of both herself and Adrian in terms of coloration. "I love you. I love you both, my foals." Her voice was barely audible, no more than a whisper.

"Your name..." She paused, but none of the names in her list seemed to fit. "Your name shall be..." A hint of panic filled her as she cast her eyes upon Adrian. "Uhm... Adrian, have you any suggestions?"

 

[Tygress Dream]

Adrian felt included and yet excluded from the whole scene. Here they were, his sons. Like most males he was quite proud that his first children were boys. Funny there seemed to be more boys in the family. He had an aunt out there somewhere but he himself was one of 2 boys.

Sakura was doing so well with them that he just watched in admiration. He rather liked the name Blair she chose for the first. He snorted in surprise when she turned to him, the look he returned was as panicked as her own. Him... choose a name.. He thought to his family names, ShadowBlade a descriptive name but neither would suit this boy who was such a blend of Adrian and Sakura. Darsha was acctually a shortening of Dragonshadow, which of itself was derived from Blade's full name. Argh why was he thinking of them, he didn't want these boys to be part of that...

"He won't be burdened by those shadows..." he said unintentionally aloud. When he realized he had spoken he quickly added, "He should have a name that's something of light and sunshine, like his mother," he said smiling at Sakura to cover his embarrassment. "Do you know of anything that would fit?"  

[Phail Ninja]

Sun... Sun... Sun...

Sun! Sakura's ears pricked upwards as she inhaled sharply. "I know just the one." She tested the name against the foal. Yes, it would fit perfectly. Her throat knotted up in pride for a moment, emotional tears springing to her eyes. "You.." She took a shaky breath, blinking away the moisture. "You shall be my Cassiel." She pressed her muzzle against the side of her newly named foal's head, feeling his warmth and life. "Thank you, Adrian." Her voice was barely a whisper. For everything. For the name, for the two foals. Thank you. She added mentally, though her throat was too clogged up to say the rest of the words.

She closed her eyes, her tail wrapping around the flank of her other foal, Blair, so as to be close to both of them. A single tear escaped the confines of her eye, tracing a silvery path down her cheek. The fur stained a darker pink, tinted by the saline liquid. But the tear was not of sorrow. It was a tear of bliss. This was all she had ever wanted from life.

"I love you." The words came unbidden out of her mouth, there was no holding them back. "Both of you. So much."