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 Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:59 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF OCEAN!
turtle ocean chicken magic creation dragon mushroom firewater smash monster running beauty
Kin Name: Long-Held Breath
Drabble:
Though she loved swimming, she had only ever experienced the torpid waters of the swamp. Lazy rivers and flooded tidal plains, maybe a clear deep pool when she found one, but nothing that could properly be called a lake, let alone the ocean. The ocean. Just the thought of it filled her with excitement, waters so vast and deep that no kin could reach the bottom of them, or the other side. Dangerous and temperamental as well, the totoma had heard, but she took that as a challenge. Finally, one day, Long-Held Breath decided to see these waters for herself. She walked east, and walked east, and walked east some more, and then suddenly the trees thinned and she was staring at an intimidating sand dune.
She groaned and flopped over. Was this...the desert? Was it possible she had gotten it wrong? Long-Held Breath was never good at geography. Still, she could not believe that she had been wrong. "East" and "west" were easy directions to follow. She gritted her teeth and labored up the sand dune, expecting to see nothing but sand on the other side. Her breath caught in her throat when she reached the top, and what she saw instead was - more dunes, gently sloping down to a rocky, windswept beach, and the whole, vast ocean, in front of her. With a whoop, Long-Held Breath ran the rest of the way and plunged into the sea.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 3:56 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MUSHROOM!
turtle ocean chicken magic creation dragon mushroom firewater smash monster running beauty
Kin Name: Long Ago
Drabble:
"A merry mushroom hunt, a merry mushroom hunt~! We're going on a merry mushroom hunt!" Long Ago sang as she strutted next to her pile of assorted familiars. "Mushrooms for you, and mushrooms for me, and mushrooms for...every...body?" She furrowed her brow. That line needed some work. Ice crunched under her feet as she walked and she peered into the dark hollows of trees in search of cozy microclimates. It was deep in the cold season, but the swamp had a temperate climate and a lot of hidden pockets of warmth and moisture. The frost made these areas easy to spot by its absence, and she soon had a sling bulging with late-growing fungus.
"That's one for you, and one for me," she sang to her companions, as she divided up the loot: small, low-quality mushrooms for the pigs (who had been eating all day anyway), slightly better ones for the mongoose, larger ones for herself. The slug was in hibernation, avoiding the winter chills. Of course, the biggest, best mushrooms of the harvest would go to her employer. She piled those into a large tortoise shell and secured a second shell over the top. "And now, for the good stuff!" Long Ago these days was more discerning with her fungus selections, but that didn't mean she didn't spend most of her time high as a kite anymore.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 4:31 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF CREATION!
Kin Name: Atone
Drabble: She wasn’t a saint—never had been, never would be—so it came as no surprise that she was, more often than not, a destructive force. She had been innocent once, lifetimes ago, and that had been manipulated into ending, knowingly and unknowingly, until she accepted that life was out to punish her. And if she was going to be punished, she may as well deserve it. A hard thing to come back from, impossible really, as everything seemed to be an irritation or a nuisance. It had not taken long for her to search out a safe haven. A secret she shared with no one (not that there was a single soul to share it with). Atone, for all her faults, was gifted.
In the heart of a section of the swamp that had been given more to rot than growth, she had cultivated out a glade. The ground had been dug at for weeks, near even a month, until the firmness had become soft. Fallen trees that were so delicate they crumbled at her touch were broken into the soil to become mulch. And when it was ready, she had let it sit. She had bid her time and after much thought, she had sought out a sapling to transplant.
It had been tall but not at all strong. Indeed, her sharp eyes had noticed it was ill. With carefulness that belied her penchant for death, she had dug the specimen up and ever so gently taken it to her haven. In the center of the glade, she planted it. (Now, almost three years past it had blossomed into a fine fruit-bearing apple tree.)
After that, she had with great attention to detail plotted out each future section. Sunlight was not an issue and neither was water—provided she was there to fetch it—but she would not always be and so she had to choose sturdier specimens than the more fragile plants that some kin may favor. If she could get them through the first year, they’d likely be able to be left alone without concern. Unless some catastrophe happened, she’d narrowed her eyes at the thought. (She’d kill him if he came here.)
At the borders, she’d cultivated an outer circle of maiden grass. It grew quite tall and wide to lessen the view into her sanctuary. After that she’d used a plant called angel wings to line the three paths that led to her prized apple tree. Snowmound and lily of the valley plants had done some much filling in, followed by snapdragon and daylilies. The last two plants she’d introduced were quite common: lavender and, a certain strain of, holly. The completion had been nothing more than a small breather as she’d still had much work to make sure each grew.
Now—the summer coming would mark the third year since its creation—it flourished. Perfumed year-round and enveloped in a sea of colors, she felt some semblance of peace that she had known since she was born the first time. It saddened her, to know, that when she died it would become overgrown and may even follow her. That was a worry for another day; spring would be coming in two cycles of the moon, near about, and she’d need to trim and weed lest all the hard work was choked. And despite her destructive-streak being more than wide enough to swallow the swamp, in this place, only her gift as a grower, cultivating creation, was nurtured. (It helped that all the nuisances were picked clean and left to the birds.)
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 7:03 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF BEAUTY!
Kin Name: Sylph
Drabble: Young bucks were oft infuriating, he found. They shouldn’t have been, really, as he had once been one. He didn’t quite recall this need to feel better by cruelly labeling others as inferior. Rather he had always taken that groups were an audience and he’d flirted; alone, he’d seen no need of it. Then, he supposed, he hadn’t felt the need to feel superior—he’d only ever wanted to wear a mask that hid the secrets he wished to hide. Ordinary was not usually what others flocked to or sought to unravel. And that was his ideal. It was clear, that such a ideal, was not one they shared.
It appeared these young bucks—still clumsy as they became aware of their lithe limbs—had decided that only achas who sung were worthy of being called beautiful. (To be fair, the young doe sounded like a perpetually glum frog whenever she tried it.) It was a strange argument as the foursome had nothing to sing but sounds. Pretty, to be sure, but hardly anything to remember.
In favor of the doe, she had words. He’d heard her before the bucks had forced themselves to be heard. She, unlike the others, was a poet, it seemed. And he wondered at their vehement upset that anyone should find the spoken word lovely. (At least until it became apparent that they lacked such a skill; typical.)
Sylph, tired of it, inserted him between the doe and the bucks.
“You realize, of course, that if you were kind to her, she might allow you to sing her words?” he pointed out with eyes narrow, dubious that they had any such idea at all. “Or, you could provide the appropriate ambiance by singing while she speaks?”
The bucks were hasty to swallow their discontent, flabbergasted at the suggestion. Perhaps a little unnerved, as he stared at them unimpressed. Eventually the boys began to whisper and with bright shame, bowed their heads. And under Sylph’s direction, the achas were nudged into various assemblies.
He’d given them a chance to sing her words but they were unused to it and the attempt fell flat and was so out of tune a caiman basking on the bank had scuttled off.
“The second option then,” he muttered, when his ears stopped ringing and he’d quashed the urge to bury his head down a crocodile’s throat.
Rearranged in an arc behind the doe, he instructed them to listen to her words and try to summon the proper notes. It was a long afternoon of trial and error after error after error but watching the five of them finally discuss the composition was certainly worth it. And when they, finally, began to sing as she gave her heart in words—it may have been the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.
“A fine performance,” he complimented them and had been content to listen as they continued to perfect their new concert piece. It became a lullaby that lured him into relaxation to the point that he felt as if he’d gone deaf when they stopped. He’d almost forgotten what it was like when they were quiet.
“Very nice,” he decided. “In fact, I’d call it a beautiful.”
He wasn’t the least bit surprised when they’d decided that their group should be called: Harmonious Beauty.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 7:52 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MONSTER!
Kin Name: Breach
Drabble: It was out there, somewhere beneath the raging waters. A predator that swam in the ocean’s depths and had so named her while she dreamed in her sac. She wondered what it was, wondered if she might ever see it in reality. It existed, of that she was sure. What it was… She had yet to figure that out.
She knew it was a predator as she had been inside its body while it laid in wait. It was powerful and dauntless. A creature of great terror and reverent beauty, it was fast when its sight was set on prey and she felt the water part as its smooth form sliced through straight up towards the shadow in front of the sun. It had no wings and yet it had flown, launching itself up and out of the water. She remembered the way it had felt to hit the point of exhilaration and then to plummet down in a crash against the water’s awaiting embrace. She’d been enfolded and seen blood waft in crimson plumes. If she was a hunter, it was an assassin.
Breach stared out atop the frothing saltwater and wondered what that glorious beast was. She knew precious little about the open sea or the world it possessed. She knew there were fish, of course. The crabs and crawfish, potentially the jellyfish, may have lived beneath the waves as well. Otters, turtle, caiman, and crocodiles might as well be at home in such an environment. None of those, however, were the mystery solved. If anything they were only food sources. A thrilling and terrifying thought, crocodiles as food. She felt a grin threatened to split her mouth in two.
Oh, how she wished she’d gotten a glimpse of it rather than only seen through its eyes. She wanted to know this creature’s name and be taken into its fold. She wanted to soar again and taste that sweet lifeblood—nothing had ever tasted like that in her waking life. She desired to live a life unlimited like the idol that hid unseen but felt in reveries. And yet it was out of reach unless she could breathe underwater and find it. Kin were not suited for such, she knew, and she was no different.
She could watch, though. She would keep her eyes to the sea and hope to see the rise of a gleaming body that towered over the ocean as it threw itself into the sky. It would ignite with power, prey caught tight in fierce jaws, before slamming back down into the depths. And she would know then. She would finally see it in all its glory. One day, one day soon, she would know its name.
Breach’s thesis was interrupted by the monstrous growling of her stomach. She gave an exasperated sigh. It was time to find dinner. A feat, she knew, was easier for the creature she longed to know. She was still learning what, and sometimes how, to catch the prey that resided here. She couldn’t afford not to try and so with one last aching glance, she turned her back to the turbulent waters.
Off in the distance, as the sun the water to flame, the muscular lumbering form broke the surface. Its momentum maxed, fleshy blubbery seal trapped in sharp teeth, it fell back into the ocean.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 8:50 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF CHICKEN!
Kin Name: Fervent
Drabble: “Ow!”
Fervent’s enraptured mooning was punctured, sharply, by a chicken beak that dug firmly into her flesh. She scrambled to put distance between herself and the, apparently, ferocious bird. Weren’t chickens supposed to be friendly? Did the bird think she had eaten one of her eggs? (She hadn’t; she hated eggs of any sort!)
“Stop that,” she yelped when it scurried forward and began pecking at her once more. She turned, quickly, and felt a hot burst of indignation as it grasped onto her tail. “Hey!”
Its black mask swallowed its beady little eyes and she scowled at the creamy yellow feathers that matched its vicious little beak. The urge to stomp on its plump body rose and she had to remind herself this was probably a pet. Still she wouldn’t mind tossing it wildly into the air and hoping its blue feathered a** was caught by a caiman, for all the niceness it was showing her.
The chicken squawked as if it could possibly know her not-at-all nice thoughts and she flinched. It was probably that lovely buck’s chicken, too. He was so handsome and she really wanted to say hello and maybe have a hundred babies that combined their likeness in some way or another. Was that really so much to ask? A tap against her shin told it was.
“Now, you, listen here! I only want to say hi!”
The chicken eyed hear and let out a skeptical bawk said it didn’t believe her.
She huffed. Perhaps she could lead the chicken astray and sneak back without it knowing? He—the buck, not the chicken—was marvelous. She couldn’t just leave and give up. To be run off by a chicken, of all things, it was ridiculous! She’d never heard the end (of the laughter) if anyone found out about it, either. What did chickens even like, though? It wasn’t likely to follow her without some coaxing.
Desperate to at least stop the relentless attacks for a moment, she backed up until the chicken seemed to think better of following and ceased its forward movement. Well that was something at least. She watched as it wandered and pecked. It was rather fat and the colors weren’t terribly appealing, in her opinion. Perhaps the buck only put up with it for the eggs. If that was true, what an awful reason to be stuck with such a terror for a pet. She wondered if it pecked him, too.
When the chicken seemed preoccupied, she took a measure step forward. It didn’t so much as pause. She tried another. Again, it paid her no attention. Good, maybe she could finally get without proper speaking distance now. She giggled at the thought, eyes flooding with dreaminess, and began to skip forward. She was well past the chicken and just about to call out to the stud when the sound of feathers ruffling caught her attention. She froze and felt terror.
The chicken landed in a loud cacophony of noise on her back. Without preamble it began to snap its beak at her hair. Oh, to hell with it; no buck was worth this! Fervent reared and broke into a canter, putting as much distance as was possible between herself and the blasted bird.
(Perhaps someone should have told her she was covered in the remnants of a tomato and that was the chicken’s favorite food.)
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:18 am
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF CHICKEN!
Kin Name: Roses In Bloom
Drabble:"...It's an egg," Rose hedged, glancing up to the acha.
"Yep!"
"And you cooked it.”
“With fire!” The acha agreed brightly, pushing the cracked-and-cooked egg over to the older doe. Rose thought herself an open and willing doe, but this way something beyond her. Never in her life had she considered the possibility of taking a chicken egg… and cooking it. Wasn’t an egg a grand treasure of a meal anyway? Who would’ve thought to cook it?
Well. She rather liked the taste of fowl, and she rather liked the taste of an egg as well. Who was she, if not the new Roses in Bloom, to avoid trying something offered to her?
With a delicate bite, Rose took a n** of the cooked egg, and chewed it gently. She swallowed with an owlish blink, and turned quickly to the acha.
“This…”
“Yes?” The acha piped, smiling hopefully.
“This is AMAZING!” Rose squealed with delight. Trying to balance her excitement with being a lady, she ate the remainder of the cooked egg. How wondrous! It was such a grand thing that she had tried! When she was done, the older doe sighed blissfully. Yes, visiting this Rise and Shine was a great idea.
“I just have one question.”
“Yes?”
“Is there any way I can get one of those chickens for myself?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:23 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF FIREWATER!
Kin Name: Drunken Lullaby
Drabble:
“One more, my dear friend!” Drunken Lullaby hiccupped and stumbled towards her turtle shell of firewater. To the passerby, she was talking to a blueberry shrub, but to her it was a short, buff kiokote buck with quite a few twigs in his full mane. The doe took a knee, grabbing the shell in mouth and tipping it up.
She shivered as the burning firewater hit her tongue. The doe was an addict, and the origins of her addiction were unknown. What was known was that without her precious firewater, Drunken Lullaby was a mess. Her ability to function reduced greatly and she was definitely hiding from…something. She won’t talk about it.
There was a twig the cracked behind her. The doe swung around, splashing firewater out of the shell. With a groan of dismay, Drunken Lullaby drank up the last drop before letting the shell fall. Standing before her was another kin. This one looked rather familiar. “Why, hello, there!” She sidled up next to him.
But he grunted and stepped away. “Mother.” Wild Cry sighed and shook his head.
Now she recognized him, Drunken Lullaby giggled before she went back to her shell. “Dear Wild Cry! Did you bring me more?”
He grumbled and just stared her down. Her drinking was a point of argument with them often. And he never supplied. “Of course not, mother.”
“Psha!” The doe tilted her head. “Then I shall go find some more. My friend here just ran out.” Drunken Lullaby lurched forward to go off in sight of some kin that would get her what she wanted. She knew exactly where to go… now if only she could find it.
Wild Cry followed a few steps back, carrying the food he brought her. He would get her to eat.
WC: 298
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:21 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MAGIC!
turtle ocean chicken magic creation dragon mushroom firewater smash monster running beauty
Kin Name: Tar Pit
Drabble:
Tar Pit found that if you asked five different kin what was magic, you would get five different answers, so it became a bit of a hobby of hers to ask.
"What is magic?" she asked.
And the answers: "Love, perhaps?" Well, perhaps. Nobody could explain where emotions came from, after all.
"Nothing but superstition and lies." An answer that annoyed her mightily. She supposed she just wanted to believe.
"A story for kin to believe in." But putting it so directly annoyed her as well.
"The awe and horror of a chosen kin transforming." She thought this might be offensive to the chosen ones, but at the same time, it did seem a little mystical.
"Saying hello to your child for the first time." She had no comment on that.
"Something that has no explanation." It seemed to her that most things had no explanation. So then, the sun rising in the sky, and tides in the ocean, the way plants and kin alike were able to grow and change...was magic? That seemed kind of pedestrian.
"The Motherfather, maybe, if you want to get technical." She felt like the Motherfather maybe belonged in her own domain, like the moon or the weather, but at the same time she couldn't refute this idea.
"So what is magic?" Different kin interpreted the vague phrasing differently, and Tar Pit found that more intriguing than the answer.
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:34 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF TURTLE!
turtle ocean chicken magic creation dragon mushroom firewater smash monster running beauty
Kin Name: Bite
Drabble:
Be like a turtle, they said. Slow and steady, they said. The best offense is a good defense, they said. It made no sense to him in the least, but he preferred the idea of defense to aggression, and anyway, he wasn't very good at arguing whenever someone told him to do something. When the worst comes, just curl up in a ball inside your shell and ignore it.
...That last one struck him as bad advice to anyone who wasn't a turtle. Or at least a totoma. Bite didn't have a shell or even a whole lot of scales, so he wasn't sure how he could follow that advice and not end up the worse for it.
And honestly, where was all this weird, turtle-related advice coming from? Was that how other kin saw him? Slow and dull and good at hiding? Most likely to live longer than everyone else? How mean.
Though, he privately admitted, it was better than how he thought other kin saw him. He wasn't an ant or a rabbit or a scared little mouse. That was hopeful, right?
And so Bite resolved to improve his image by whatever means possible. He just had to figure out what those means were in the first place. He didn't want to be...mean. Nice was good. Not scared of everything was better. That last one would be tough.
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:37 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MONSTER!
Kin Name: Wicked Game
Drabble:
A creeping, grinning smile stole over Wicked’s face, teeth showing broadly as he peered down at the pretty little…whatever it was. He really hadn’t cared to pay close attention to his latest companion conquest roll in the hay or swamp as the case may be. It truly wasn’t an important bit of information to retain really. Or even pay attention to from the start. He wasn’t picky after all.
He was devilishly charming when the need arose…which was quite often really and yet...when it all came down to it, he was nothing like the buck he passed himself off. Far from it, in fact. Sometimes, though not often he thought about changing his ways, and becoming the buck he presented to people, but he always decided it was much too fun to be Wicked.
A gnash of teeth, a flash of hooves, and the pretty he’d put his attention on this go round was no longer an issue for him, temporarily concussed and oh so wonderfully pliant. They had been agreeable before anyhow, it’s just that he had opted to no longer play nicely, and to have a little fun with things, as he was want to do.
To him, matters of the heart were indeed nothing more than a trivial pastime and full of frivolous fun for him. He wasn’t one to form attachments, he got what he wanted, no matter how attached another may grow to him. He didn't return those feelings. Ever.
He grinned again. Monster his mind supplied at him, and he agreed. He was a monster. He was nothing like the things spoken of in stories and legends in the swamp. He wasn’t some nameless, faceless horror. He didn’t even look like a monster which was the best part of all, and yet he knew that’s precisely what he was, and he couldn’t help but revel in it. It was utterly perfect as far as he was concerned. He loved the flash of fear in the eyes of his victims prey oh so willing partners, and momentary distractions, when he decided to start playing his little...games.
Oh yes. He was indeed a monster. This wasn’t about to change any time soon, if ever at all and yet…he found he couldn’t even begin to care about this fact. Not when life was far too entertaining to him this way.
 Let them tell stories of me in years to come. The Wicked monster of the swamp. Preying on buck and doe alike, showing no mercy, or preference. No way to tell who would, or would not be safe. Who might just gather my unwanted attention. Let them whisper in horror of the things I did (or did not!), and pass it along to their offspring, embellishing the tale with each retelling till I am more than a story, more than a tale. Until I am something horrific and legendary.
I will go down in infamy, never to be forgotten.
Yes…that was what he wanted. He wanted to be remembered, and he would make sure he would be.
After all, everyone loved a monster story.
Right?
WC: 518
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Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 6:44 pm
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MAGIC!
Kin Name: The Loveliest Lies of All
Drabble: The buck was an old soul. Born ages ago, he was as much a part of the swamp as the Motherfather was. But his time had come- the both of them knew it. He was breathing raggedly, the light leaving his eyes. Loveliest Lies knew all too well that he was being called back to the Motherfather’s side. She brought him to a grove with water and shade, and remained by the elder’s side. A lovely thing, he was. While a part of her mourned the loss of such an old soul, the spirit soother in her knew that this was a great part of life.
The Loveliest Lies of All closed her eyes, and laid her head upon the buck’s side. Gentle and soft, she sang to him the song of the swamp, the one she had known from birth. It was tragic, and beautiful- just as life was. But he would live on, just as they all would. Their stories would be told on the tongues of the unborn, and their bodies would give life to the future generations. Plants, rabbits, fish… kin, too. All of them would profit and live on from the death of those before them. Her voice warbled on the last note, and as tenderly as she could, Loveliest Lies kissed the buck’s eyelids to close them.
Sad, yes. But there was a kind of magic in death.
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:33 am
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A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MUSHROOM!
Kin Name: Fallen Whisper
Drabble:
 Fallen Whisper walked slowly through the damp cave, shivering in the cold despite the heat outside. As she cautiously made her way to the back of the stone tunnel, she looked behind her to confirm she had not been followed.
When she was positive the coast was clear, she nudged a rock aside with her hoof and uncovered her stash of singing mushrooms. With a second glance towards the entrance of the cave, she dipped her head into the small pit containing her treasured mushrooms, and nibbled on a small blue one.
As the miraculous magic of the fungus began to seep through her body, her eyes began to glow slightly, and she began to tremble. When the mushroom was completely consumed, Fallen Whisper lifted her head and began to sing.
She sang to the day and night. She sang to the trees and the rocks. She sang to the heavens and to the seas. She sang with a voice borrowed from the beautiful mushrooms.
When the magic of the mushroom ebbed away from her, her voice disappeared, her silent sorrow returned, and the quiet darkness of the cave surrounded her. She turned to the mushroom stash and gazed longingly at them, then sighed without a noise, and once again concealed them with the rock.
She began the long trek back to the cave entrance, her hooves leaving hushed memories in the soft soil. When at last the Sun shone on her eyes, and the cave was behind her, she took one last look at the stone mouth that hid her greatest joy, a single tear falling from her eye.
It would be several days before she returned to the dark cave, before she experienced the wondrous joy of the mushrooms, and before she heard her muted voice once more.
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:42 pm
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((I'm writing these as if another Kin happened upon the group, and happens to have these things, or shows them these things, or describes these things, and then asks how they feel about each Drabble.))
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF Turtles!
Kin Name: Soar
Drabble: The interviewing party first set out a small, relatively docile-looking painted sea-turtle of considerable size. He didn't say much, but the creature rose slowly, slipping its head out and peering about, seemingly drowsy. The first to step up to talk about it was the playful Soar, hopping about in place and then crouching a little to get a good look at the thing. It was low to the ground, with elegant fins, a wide, flattish shell with blue and green on cream patterns, glimmering black eyes. How cute it looked, for a living rock!
"Oh man, what's this moving rock? Why's it got flappy things? Can I stand on it?" Soar, the excitable little thing, hopped up on it before anybody could stop her, and the turtle seemed... displeased. He reached up, and clamped onto her hair, giving it a rough tug. "OH. OH NO THEY BITE. OH IT IS A BITEY MOVING ROCK. THIS IS NOT GOOD. PLEASE LET GO OF MY HAIR. No. No! Bad, bad moving ro- turtle?" The interviewer had interrupted, barely muffling his chuckles as he told her the name. "These are called turtles? And they... oh. They don't like being stood on. They swim? Well, that's fine and all, but they can't fly so that's kind of sad. Oh well. It's ok, little not-flying-moving-rock-thing. I forgive you for biting you. Here's a ki-MTONGUE. ITH BITHING MTONGUE. ELP." The turtle had decided enough was enough, and quite cruelly latched onto her tongue when she went to give it a kiss on the snout. Her first reaction was to pull back, but that only hurt worse, so she ducked her head back closer, and squirmed, hopping a little bit and then flopped onto her side. She tossed her hooves up into the air and squeaked in distress, eyes darting around pleadingly.
With a small chuckle, the interviewer walked over to assist the young filly out of her situation, dodging her flailing hooves and carefully removed the turtle, shooing it back away from the filly, and then simply stood over it, and watched it retreat back into its shell. Silly little thing. Soar's tongue stuck out for a little bit, and she pouted at the turtle, then thanked the interviewer before bouncing up and running off to get a cold berry from Free.
When she returned, she'd brought a few of the others from the herd, and sat down. "My final thoughts on turtles? Oh, that's easy. They look like moving rocks, but they bite like snakes. I don't like snakes, but I do like rocks, and I think that turtles are pretty cool. And I like their shells. It looks like it's in bits, and I kind of want to get one for myself, but then I probably couldn't fly. Actually, they kinda remind me of..." she paused, and looked about, "that scary buck, Abandons Fear. He has plates on his back like that." Soar cast one more look to the turtle, and then stands up to follow the interviewer to the next area.
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF OCEAN!
Kin Name: Soar
Drabble: Next, the interviewer lead the small group of kin through the swamps and off to a gorgeous beach, with lovely white sand, froth gently lapping at the shore. Soar's eyes widened in excitement as she hopped and skipped closer, curious.
"Hey, what's this? Where's the other side of this big lake? Can I swim to the other si- WAIT. LET'S THROW THAT LIVING ROCK IN. TH-THE... WHATCHA CALLIT. THE TURTLE. They like to swim! So maybe it can swim with me and show me how to get across because it looks pretty deep." She was so hyper about it, hooves at the wet portion of the sand. She stepped out further, humming a bit and going out to chest-height, and then hopping in, trying to swim a bit. "I don't think I could touch the bottom, either... maybe. Lemme... NOPE. OH WHAT IS THIS SLIMY THING TOUCHING MY HOOF. Oh. Oh gross. Nope. I don't think I like this thing, nope." Sticking her snout into the air, the filly calmly saunters off... after shoving the turtle towards the water, of course. There appeared to be a bit of seaweed wrapped around one of her back hooves, and she panicked a little when she accidentally flicked it forward, and it wrapped around her other hoof, and tripped her up.
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF CHICKENS!
Kin Name: Soar
Drabble: After helping Soar free, the interviewer and the rest of her herd went back into the Glade. The interviewer made its way over to a basket, and pulled out a bantam hen in a basket. Soar instantly stepped up and then grinned happily, crouching and then reaching out a hoof gently to pet the chicken. It dodged her hoof and glared a little, fluffing up.
"OH! Oh, it's a little birdy, and it has feathers like me! Hey, little birdy-buddy, you wanna go fly?" The filly prances around the chicken, who seems more content to sit there and bawk at her, and Soar pouts a little, flopping down and rolling onto her back, hooves up in the air. "C'mon! You have wings, we could fly together! Promise! ... You don't like to fly, do you. Fat little birdy... that's ok. You do you, lil thing." The words were met with a blank stare, and then the chicken leaned over, and pecked at her ear. "O-oh! Ow. Hey, now. I was bein' friendly!" she pouted, and then rolled away, huffing a little bit. She rose up, and the stretched, yawning a little. She was getting pretty sleepy. Maybe it was time to let somebody else talk to the stranger...
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MAGIC!
Kin Name: Dream's Desires
Drabble: "What're your feelings on magic, my good buck?" the interviewer asked, settling back on his haunches beside the chicken and the turtle, a sly smile on his lips.
Dream's Desires shifted his weight a bit, lifting one of his back hooves to rest it as he tilted his head. "...What do you mean by 'magic'?" he queried back.
"Why, my good ser, I mean magic. A doe that can turn into a gryphon, or a buck that can make fine items out of pelt and tie knots without the quick fingers of a mongoose. Things like that," the interviewer clarified with that same smirk. Dream's eyes narrowed slightly on him.
"Those are tricks. Can't possibly be real- little foals' tales," he dismissed quietly, looking away. Still, it brought to mind a memory of a few creatures he'd seen on his hunts. A song-bird that didn't sing, just stared. A hawk that seemed to laugh at him and didn't startle when he'd stomped at it. The way some kin just... knew... things. "...Can't be real. We'd see it all the time if it were." He repeated it more to affirm it in his mind than for the interviewer, who chuckled faintly, and then rose to go to the next member of the herd. The words felt... oddly hollow in his mind, though.
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF CREATION!
Kin Name: Flowing Freely
Drabble: "Hello, my lovely lady, what might your name be?" the interviewer smiled, moving on over to the red-and-blue doe with the lovely glowing eyes. She glanced around, as if panicked a moment, and then focused on him, swallowing. "Yes you, I didn't mean to startle you," he added, voice a little gentler.
Flowing Freely smiled a little sheepishly, and then murmured, "Most just call me Free. I'm the caretaker of this Glade..." She shivered a little, and adjusted the ruff of fur around her shoulders a little more, and then looked to the interviewer once more. "...You have a question for me?"
"Indeed I do, Ms. Free! Tell me, what're your feelings and thoughts on... creation?"
"Well... Um.. If you're asking me... creative kin are rather talented folk. Look what kinds of things they bring forth... Painted skulls, carved wood- don't know how they get so intricate sometimes- it's like the MotherFather itself is whispering in their ears. It's so lovely to watch them work, too- makes a body wish they could do the same..." She seemed to come alive a little as she spoke, eyes brightening and a smile playing over her snout.
"Not exactly, actually. I'm looking for 'something from nothing' kind of creation," he clarified gently.
"Oh... Well... that's something for the MotherFather, then, isn't it?"
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF DRAGONS!
Kin Name: Snaptwig
Drabble: Next the interviewer approached Snaptwig. She had a couple spatters of berry juice staining her hide, and she had a caiman's skull at her hooves, partially painted. "Hello, there, lass! I see you're an imaginative type. Care to talk a while about... dragons?"
"OH MAN. Dragons are those little things with the lizard and the batty bits? I want one! They look so cute and clever and playfu- wait, not those kinds?" Snap paused, canting her head to one side. "Do you mean Snapdragons? Because I like tho- no?"
"Ma'am, I am referring to massive beasts. They could swallow even a totoma whole if they had a mind to, and melt rocks and burn forests with their fiery breaths. Their scales glitter like gems in the caverns, and they have great big wings that make the gentle tusslings of the MotherFather's winds pale in comparison with each flap," the interviewer explained.
Hm... Big, scaly things that breath fire? ...I don't think I like those. Maybe Abandon and Dream could hunt them, but... I doubt they alone would be able to kill something like that..." Snap lifted a hoof, and rested it on the caiman skull quietly. "A whole totoma, you said? They're pretty big, though... You sure?"
"Very, ma'am," the interviewer replied, and then flashed a grin. "Of course, that's just an old story, you know?"
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MUSHROOMS!
Kin Name: Path to Madness
Drabble: With a chuckle, the interviewer left the red-eyed doe to ponder on the topic of dragons, and peered about for the next person to ask questions of. This question was accompanied by a small grip of mushrooms wrapped in a leaf- perfectly harmless, completely safe to eat. He grinned a little as he picked up the leaf, and made his way to a black-maned doe with gorgeous butterfly markings.
"'Ello, miss!" he greeted as he set down the leaf-packet, keeping it closed a moment. "May I ask a question or two of you?" Glowing blue eyes turned to him, and the doe smiled.
"Sure, sure, m'name's Path to Madness. Sup?" she purred, settling her weight towards him a little, eyeing that packet at his hooves curiously.
"Tell me, miss... what are your feelings on mushrooms? Have you ever eaten them? Do you prefer them cooked?" he asked, tapping the leaf packet and letting it open. The doe's face dropped, and she reared up and wheeled away, eyes wide.
"NO. NEVER. AGAIN. GET IT AWAY!" she bleated, and then fled off into the woods. Her father sighed, and then muttered an apology before turning to go follow her. She'd calm down eventually on her own.
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF FIREWATER!
Kin Name: Abandons Fear
Drabble: A little shaken from the rather... enthusiastic reaction of the doe to just a few harmless mushrooms, the interviewer took a half-moment to recollect himself before looking around. Who had he not spoken to yet..? Ah, there. A skull-and-bone patterned buck who seemed to be spattered with blood-red markings here and there. The way he stared was disconcerting to most kin, but not the fellow who'd come a-calling. The totoma didn't back away when the buck approached, and met his gaze calmly. Definitely not something right with either of their eyes, but neither was going to back down. "...Hello, there. I've just a question or two for you, friend... Tell me, what are your thoughts on 'firewater'?"
After a few moments of silently staring, the Totoma blinks, and shakes his head. "...Water should not be on fire. If it is, you are probably dreaming..." Although, perhaps that was the name of some unknown-to-him kin somewhere out there. "...Is that a name, perhaps? I don't know it if it is..." he added.
"No, no... I meant a drink that burns the throat like fire, but settles into the gut warmly, and softens the mind a bit," the stranger explained.
"...Then it should be avoided. The Swamp is many things, but entirely safe isn't one of them. You need a sharp mind at all times... And sharper eyes."
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF SMASH!
Kin Name: Snaptwig
Drabble:"Ah, you. Yes, you, m'dear! Your name is... Snaptwig, right? Yes. Just a few more questions for you and the rest of the herd, and I think you'll like this one!" the interviewer grinned, stepping back up to the lovely green doe, who had begun to moosh berries against the caiman skull, staining the bone a bit. She looked back up, stopping a moment, and canted her head, listening. "What do you think of... Smashing?"
"Oh, oh! Smashing is like snapping, and I like that sound, but smashing is louder!" Snap grinned, hopping up and then wandering over to a twig to demonstrate, snapping it with a tiny stomp. "I heard Abandon likes to smash trees down sometimes. I even heard he smashed a big log into bits. Wonder what it sounded like! Maybe I'll pester him a bit..." After looking to the Totoma, she looks a touch less enthused. "...Maybe not." He had been listening, and his hawk was staring at them both silently, almost judgingly.
"Maybe not, m'dear. Thank you for your time! I've just a little more to go, and then I'll be out of all or your herd's fur, and on my way!" the buck cooed softly, and then looked around. Who next..? That blue-hided buck looked like a good one to ask this next question...
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF MONSTERS!
Kin Name: Twisted Thoughts
Drabble: After Snap's enthusiastic response, the interviewer stepped away with a laugh, and then coughed a bit, moving to the next member of the herd, who was studying him a touch warily. "Hello there- you are... Whom?" the buck asked.
"...Twisted Thoughts... You know... you have something in your shadow..." the younger buck murmured quietly. That seemed to trouble the interviewer just a moment before he put it from his mind.
"That's rather interesting, Twist- may I call you Twist? I'm asking for your thoughts on monsters, actually, if you've got a moment or two to spare?" Who could say no to that friendly smile? There was something not right about that buck's eyes though, especially when he grinned- or so Twist thought. After a moment, he nodded, and then closed his eyes to think.
"Those exist. That little thing at the corner of your eyes, that twitch you thought you saw in the darkness. That's a monster, probably. Doesn't make them scary, though. I kind of like to imagine that they're just... there. At the edges of the mind. I wish they'd get up front so I could see them better..." He opened his eyes again, then nodded. "...Good luck with the thing in your shadow."
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF RUNNING!
Kin Name: Harm Undone
Drabble: "Hello, there, ser Acha! A moment of your time, may I talk to you? Just a few moments on the topic of Running? I know Acha are incredibly graceful in nearly everything they do," the interviewer purred playfully. The pink-scaled buck rolled his eyes, flashing a wide grin, and sat beside him a while, thinking of it a half-moment.
"Y'know, as an Acha, I like running. But it's really tiring, you know? Kiokotes never seem to tire of it. I wonder how the keep going for so long and so far sometimes. It's gotta take a lot of stamina- I'm better for short bursts. Like when I need to outrun Abandon when he gets into one of his moods... Accidentally stepped on his tail once... But running is great exercise, y'know? Makes the body lean, keeps a kin's hooves trimmed down nice. It's alright, I suppose."
"Thank you. What was your name?" the interviewer asked, memorizing his response quietly. He nodded, and then grinned widely at him, canting his head.
"Oh. My name's Harm Undone. A pleasure to meet you, my dear!" Harm grinned, and then bowed low, quite happy. He straightened, and then winked before turning on heel and sauntering off happily.
A DRABBLE ON THE THEME OF BEAUTY!
Kin Name: Abandons Fear
Drabble:The interviewer returned to Abandons Fear once more, a lazy grin on his face. "Hello again, Abandon, just one last question and then I'll be out of all your hides! What, pray tell, do you think of beauty?" Abandon stared at him a moment, fidgeting. Was... was he supposed to answer this, too? In front of the entire herd? He didn't feel comfortable, but he did his best to shut out the voices in his head telling him he ought to just walk away.
"...Well..." His eyes slide to the side, and he sits down to think on the topic of 'beauty' a moment. "...I find some things quite beautiful. The way an eagle's talons curve around a branch. The sound trees make as they grow. That brief moment in the middle of the night, just a little while before dawn when the darkness yawns and the whole swamp falls silent just to listen to it and wait for the sun to rise..." The totoma fell silent then, and looked away- the others were... staring. He could feel it. He snarled a little, and then looked away. "...Don't stare. It makes my hide itch..." he grumbled.
"Thank you, Abandon. Thank you everyone, actually, for your time. I am going to take my leave now, thank you."
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