|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:29 am
Mate.
Sentinels have big eyes, but at this particular moment Cliffside's practically filled his entire face. He probably looked funny with his feathers fluffed around those gigantic golden orbs, but this joke of Twilla's didn't strike him as hilarious by any means.
"You never were good at making plans, Twi. Looks like you're not very good with jokes, either."
He'd attempted to say that lightheartedly, but once again his voice was strained.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:20 am
Jester was halfway decent...no, no he was piss poor at telling jokes, but he knew that Twilla would never, EVER joke about this. Not his Twilla, not the lovely female that helped him when his tree fell to the storm, not the kind hearted sentinel that let him share her hovel and who's companions respected him.
To hear this remark from the beak of another male, was outrageous! Most things rolled off Jester's back feathers but this got under his skin. Jester didn't want aloud outburst rolling out of his beak, he didn't want to insult how Twilla thought of Cliffside.
So puffing his feathers and stretching up tall in pride and intimidation he spoke clearly, "It is not joke, I'm a bard and I cant make this a joke, and certainly not towards Twilla. My plan is to remain with her, as her mate."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:54 am
Cliffside's strained voice revealed just what the gatherer was worried about. It seemed her friend would not take well to the news at all.
Her feathers sleeked, making the already small shadow appear smaller. She parted her beak to speak, but Jester spoke first. It took all the self control she possessed to keep from keening quietly. His words were strong and gave her a slight hope; maybe Cliffside would see the potential her chosen had.
"As he says, it isn't a joke.
I chose him, he chose me. We are together and we are going to stay that way."
That was all she managed to force out of her beak before clamming up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:16 pm
And so, in a melodramatic, life-ending sort of gesture, the darkened sky crashed down on the panicked keeper. One of the best friends he'd ever had, gone crosstype. It was the end of the world, never mind life.
Cliff couldn't even think straight after those two (as he saw it) ganged up on him, as if he was the one in the wrong! He repeatedly puffed up and sleeked down as he alternated between outrage and desolation. Not exactly the most mature or delicate of reactions, but Cliffside... Let's just say he's not exactly all grown up yet.
He kept his gaze mainly on Twilla, still desperately trying to convince himself he'd heard wrong. It wasn't working.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:50 am
Jester sensing the unease of his chosen, took a step both towards and in-front of Twilla. Not wanting her to stress, or even possibly even be attacked, Jesters mind was racing, what was the other male going to do. Watching him carefully, Jester puffed his feathers in a preemptive evade of what the other male might do.
Deep down Jester didn't want to fight Cliffside, he was Twilla's friend. He made up his mind not to right then and there, letting his feathers go back to normal but still making sure to stay slightly between Twilla and Cliff.
"Well...." Jester had hoped for more words to come to mind, but that was all that was able to drop out of his beak.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:36 am
"Cliff..."
Twilla poked her head out meekly from behind Jester's protective shield between she and her friend.
"Cliff... We're happy together. I know you aren't big on crosstype pairing... But he is good to me. I wanted to tell you because..." She closed her eyes as she forced herself to speak even this much.
"Because you're like family."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:39 am
Cliff wasn't bad. At least, he didn't intend to be. He was horribly, horribly confused now, especially since Twilla had called him family. If she thought of him as family, then wouldn't she have known he felt it was wrong to mate outside your own type? And if she knew, then why did she go and do it? And then rub it in his face?
If an avian could understand nakedness, that's how he would have felt. It was cruel of her. Cruel and, well... unforgivable.
He hardly even noticed Jester's defensive display as he stared into Twilla's eyes, trying to connect with her, to convince her to change her mind. But he saw no hint of compliance there. Clearly, she was as sure of her own ideals as Cliffside was of his.
She was lost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:11 pm
Wanting very much for Cliffside to leave at that moment, and debating on weather to force him from the willow. Jester worried that Twilla would think ill of him for such a rash action.
Jester sat at an impasse, fighting with himself internally, ear tufts flattened to his head and stood up in succession.
He knew not to open his beak, this wasn't between him and Cliff, this was something Twilla needed to work out on her own. But he was going to make it perfectly clear to everyone in the willow that he would support Twilla in whatever she deemed a worthy course of action.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:18 am
Cliffside's silence only added to the tension of the hollow, which felt thicker than mus meat.
What is he thinking...
What is he thinking...
What is he thinking...
She caught his gaze with her own worried one and the small shadow's feathers were sleeked.
"Cliff... Please... Just take it slow and think about it..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:13 pm
Think about it? Think about it? That’s all he’d been doing since Twilla’s confession!
Cliff felt like he was about to burst from the pressure. He released some of it in a hiss, ending with a guttural squawk at Jester to warn him to keep his distance. There was no way, for all of his puffed up displays and unswayable convictions, that he would have the courage to fight the other male.
But the Wildtype found it impossible to stop there, now that noise was finally able to come from his throat. He turned on Twilla, skirting past Jester to get to her. He acted not in anger, but in desperation. “You’re being stupid,” he spewed at her face, “you’ll regret doing this! Everyone will be against you! And if you can’t think of yourself, think of your children! You know how aberrants are treated!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 2:52 pm
The close proximity that Cliffside came to Jester, earned the other male a hiss in return. The last thing in Jester's mind normally was to fight. But from somewhere deep inside he found the thought, he was ready to.
Cliffside's pleading with Twilla, earned an intense heated stare from Jesters green eyes. Something had changed in Jester, and he wasn't to keen on the squawk he had received from Cliff to keep his distance.
Stepping slightly closer to Twilla, but keeping Cliff directly in front of him, Jester puffed up and stated plainly, "Perhaps it is time you left for now Cliffside." His statement ended with a low hoot for intimidation. Jester was worried that Twilla may have gone through enough stress and nerves for one day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:14 pm
Jester was correct in guessing just how much stress that his chosen mate was under. The female shadow seemed so much smaller than she had when Cliffside arrived. Her feathers were sleeked and she was making soft keening noises as the wildtype pleaded with her. Her eartufts quivered, but remained close to her skull.
"Times are changing, Cliff. We'll do a fine job raising them and they will be useful members of society, I promise you that. They'll be just as good as any other chick in these woods. The only sentinels that hold tight to those beliefs are wildtypes with sticks jammed so far up their vents." Her last clutch of words came out more heated than she had intended them to, completely opposite of her worried and sorrowful demeanor just a moment ago.
It was true, so it seemed. Times were changing. There were so many cross type couples and aberrants popping up now a days. And how would this change continue if types were to lie to themselves about their feelings and conformed to the old ways of thinking.
A sudden flash of regret shot through her. She had not intended to be so harsh with Cliffside.
Jester's suddenly imposing presence made her feel much safer and she was glad she was not facing her old friend alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 1:59 pm
When a pair of Sentinels stand at odds, one inevitably has to back down. Tonight, faced with two opposing forces, Cliffside would be the one to beat a retreat. This time, he heard Jester’s words clearly, and stared at his puffed-up form with the beginnings of hatred. He would never hate Twilla, not sweet, dear Twilla, but this male, the one who ruined her, was the perfect receptacle for his contempt. He wouldn’t hate Twilla, not ever, but tonight, he had lost the battle… and her friendship.
Wildtypes with sticks jammed so far up their vents…
If that’s what he was to her, then Jester was right. He had to leave. He couldn’t argue anymore, anyway. He may as well have been a witless four-toe for all his eloquence. So he left without another word or even a glance, dropping from the branch so fast that he left a few feathers swirling behind.
Several trees away, he landed heavily on a thick limb. He’d stopped so suddenly because he found himself inexplicably wanting to apologize. He hadn’t changed his mind. It would take a lot more than what happened this night to convince him to do so. He just didn’t want to end it like this.
He thought about going back. Maybe just close enough to shout to her. But he was scared. More than he would ever admit, he was afraid of Jester.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Cliffside left his perch and headed for home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:15 am
Unsure of what exactly had just occurred, Jester resigned to figure it out further later. What mattered to him at that moment was to be there for Twilla. Exhaling a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, he watched the wildtype fly away without so much as a grunt or sigh. Jester puffed and swelled with something different, pride.
He realized that he had done something he had never done before, he had intimidated another. It felt good. His attention immediately turned to his mate, moving closer to her to n** tenderly at her cheek feathers to reassure her.
"I'm proud of you Twilla." Jester cooed to his mate. "I know it was difficult for you to stand up to Cliffside, but I'm here to stand next to you." The bard could only guess as to how difficult it had been for Twilla to stand up to the other male whom she apparently loved like family. "I'm sure Cliff will come around." Jester wasn't to sure of the accuracy of his words, but he felt it's what his mate needed to hear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:59 pm
"I hope so..."
Twilla's response was soft, almost a whisper. She stood completely still, allowing him to carefully preen her cheek feathers. In all honesty, she did not feel like she could move. The entire ordeal had been taxing and she felt like she had lost a sibling. First her father, then her mother, now Cliffy.
But she still had Jester. She reminded herself of that as she pulled away from him and pushed deeper into the depths of her Willow, with her back to the exit. Her feathers were still sleeked and her eartufts still drooped low, but she was trying to toughen this out the best she could.
She still had Jester and maybe he was right. Maybe her friend would come around.
"I shouldn't of been so harsh on him, maybe. Maybe I should of said something different."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
