Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ceremony began to stir and wake, as the last of the sun crept away from her thatched hut. Early to bed, late to rise. Night time is the time she rose. Eyes blinked as she lifted her head. Hair covered most if not all of her face. It didn't bother her. She found a crack in the strands, and peered out. Gazing over to her still slumbered familiar, she gave him a jack-o-lantern deep purple grin. Nirvana woke later still than she did. She would let her friend sleep. Quietly, she shuffled out of her old worn hut. The hut left over from whomever lived here before. the builder, she never met. All she did was join in with the current tenants, some hairy spiders that stayed to their corners. Every now and again, they would find their way into the strands of her hair. This didn't bother her, though it seemed to bother the spiders more, once she started to move around. They preferred a home that didn't have a set of legs. Still, she appreciated their visits, as infrequent as they were.

Stepping out of her hut, she scooped up a jar, nestled in with a few others. They had collected dew from the night before, shaded under the edge of the roof. They were emptied into a larger bucket, as one of a few types of water she kept on hand. As she walked the jar in her teeth over to her bucket, something amiss caught her eye. A dark eyebrow raised under her bangs in peculiar fashion. Then she returned to what she was doing.

Nirvana moaned, turning over to the disturbing swishing sound that filled his head. "Merrrrr." He put his paw over his eyes, and curled his head under his chin. The swishing continued to dance into his head uninvited. That is, until the sound became noticeable for what it was. Someone was sweeping! Nirvana popped his head out of his paw, perked his ears and turned towards the sound. Ceremony was up, and had started chores without him! Rising from bed, he smoothed down the places where his fur stuck and gave a stretch with a grunt.

Popping out of the doorless entrance to their home, he instantly dropped his jaw. the raccoon rose to his back legs, and stretched his hands out to the direction of the basket that was lodged in the flipping bush. He wanted to say, "What the crap?!" but wasn't disrespectful. What was it doing there? Further, why had she left it there. You couldn't miss it.

Ceremony stopped and shrugged at her brown furry friend, and continued to sweep. She watched for a moment as Nirvana dropped his shoulders in defeat, and walked over to the basket. "No leave eiiitttt!" she barked in a witchy tone, and stomped her feet in protest as the broom fell to the ground. She snorted at her familiar and stuck her nose in the air. Her voice was only witchy when she wanted her way, and would sometimes pout like an infant.

Nirvana stopped in his steps and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. He thrusted his little arms towards the basket. Ceremony didn't budge, keeping her nose in the air. He knew that look. She meant it. In exasperation, he tossed paws into the air and shook his head. "If you say so, though I don't think it's wise. Where did it come from Cery?"

Ceremony slightly raised her shoulders and pushed her lips together. She didn't have the answer to that question. But the strange little bird had found its way into the dead branches of a huge bush. She wasn't ready to disturb it, till she knew exactly why it was there. Going over to the bush, she relaxed her shoulders. Her mouth slipped open in a curious o, with her bottom jaw stretching down as she craned her neck to look. The basket, gorgeous and new, awaited her gaze. The stone on the lip of the basket, glowed with fire, yet didn't burn. How odd! Ceremony leaned in close, stepping in to get a better look. A dead branch popped under her hoof, and she jumped. Her curious manner returned to a serious one, as she looked over her shoulder at Nirvana. He smirked at the fact she got startled, and shrugged at her. "It's not going to fall. The parents must of set it there for safe keeping. Perhaps.." she tapered off, not convinced by her own words. "Let's see what happens by the end of the night."

And with that, they two continued on in their night. Both turning eyes to the basket periodically through the evening. The strange little bird, perched in the bush.