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 Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 10:10 am
There's quite a crowd in the middle of one of the bigger platforms in the enclave where Brightling the bard will soon hold her performance.
(Edited on request from gift, Brightling is not on stage yet)
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:50 am
Mulberry made her way through the crowded fledglings, making full use of her as of yet quite small size, slipping under wings and between bodies until she had sneaked, slipped and pushed her way to the very forefront of the "stage".
As she cleared the last older fledgling and finally had an unobstructed view of the platform, her ear tufts sank back in disappointment. With all the excitement going on, she had been so sure that there would be something here, but there wasn't even a really small bard - there was nothing. She glanced around at the other expectant fledglings, but since none seemed about to leave, she decided to give it another chance and wait for a while.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:59 am
Fiachra frowned, his small frame being tossed every which way in the sea of small-yet-bigger bodies. Even loosening his wings would just get them packed tight in again, and to be honest he was quite uncomfortable, on top of not being able to see anything. Taking a few wobbly steps in the general direction of the front of the stage, he nearly gave up when he saw how far he'd have to make it.
And he was definitely not going to say anything to anyone.
The last time was a fluke- there was a storm going on and he was going to die, well, close to and he was just so scared, and then this adult comes in and all of a sudden everything's so okay...
He just had to say something.
But that was wrong of him, he realizes now. Catching an auburn flash in between wings, he almost reels back in terror, except the density of the gathering doesn't allow it.
It's the girl. The girl that yelled at him, screeched at him, goodness... what was her name again? Mul-something? Mulberry, that was it.
Narrowing his eyes, he indiscreetly took a few steps away, wondering how he'd ever make it to the stage without being spotted.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:27 pm
Aspen usually felt comfortable huddles closely to the bodies of Adults and Minders alike. This often got him called ‘baby’, among other habits he had, though he couldn’t help but stray from them. However, he was not feeling comforted by the swarm of bodies that pushed and shoved around him. Each moment he was nudged in one direction and then roughly pushed back again, losing his already unsteady balance and sending him down to the ground. He often fell but he hadn’t felt this unsure on his feet since he was a hatchling and he couldn’t even bring out his wings far enough to steady himself or flap to regain his balance. It was enough to make him cry out, but he doubted he would be heard above the chatter.
He was in dire need to get out to the edge of the massive crowd and he wormed out, praying to Noctua above he would not be tramped and dodging wings and talons alike. Despite being a Wildtype, he didn’t feel very big or powerful. It took a eternity for him to break free and he finally reached the edge of the platform, breathing deep and letting his lungs fill and expand with the reward of space to do so. Stretching his wings, he looked down. Even though he was learning to fly, being this close to the edge scared him. Slowly stepping back, he turned to look at the front where they where all waiting for someone.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 7:54 pm
“Oh, bother,” she said, feigning surprise and dismay. “Lackaday, it seems I have misplaced my bells.” Looking around, she walked quickly from one end of the platform to another. “Not here, nor here, no, nothing.”
Sighing heftily, she paused to preen a wing, and with a hoot of pleasure extracted both sets of talon-bells, apparently from her own primaries. “Ah, that was where I left them!” she called aloud, laughing and going to fasten the bells onto her feet. Then she started looking around for the rest of her bells.
“Hmm, now,” she began. “I had three other bells. Tell me, have you seen them, little fledgling? What's your name?”
Mulberry was closest, so it was to her that Brightling went first.
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 1:24 am
Mulberry's waiting was very much rewarded. The big Wildtype lady flew in over her head and made her duck in surprise, but when she produced her bard bells out of thin air, Mulberry was already hooting with laughter and bobbed her head in appreciation.
"Me?" The little fledgling's eyes glittered with pride at being chosen, and she straightened up as much as she could. "I'm Mulberry!"
The excitement made it difficult for her to stand still, and she shifted her weight back and forth between her feet, having just enough space to unfold her wings a little bit. The bright colors of both performer and companion filled her with delight. "You're pretty! I don't know where your bells are!"
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 8:41 am
Brightling smiled widely at Mulberry. "Hello, then, Mulberry!" she said, but her happy expression faded when she said that she hadn't seen the bells. "Oh dear," she said after a moment, then looked around. Blinking solemnly down at the excited little fledgling, she seemed to look very seriously at her.
"Are you sure you haven't seen them?" she aked, inspecting the little one. Then her expression grew startled. "Wait! What's this?" she asked, and leaning in to preen the little one's wing, she drew forth one of her three bells. Laughing with glee, and tossing the bell into the air, she quickly preened both of Mulberry's eartufts. "You've found one!" she said delightedly, catching the bell with her Will and slipping it over her head.
Still smiling, she thoroughly inspected Mulberry for more bells. Finding none, she lightly and affectionately cuffed the little one with her wingtips and moved on. This time, her attention went to Fiachra. "How about you, little one? What's your name?"
Leaning in, she said to him in a conspiratorial stage whisper, "I think you might be able to help me find my bells."
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 1:54 pm
Fiachra blinked in surprise when the radiantly dyed Sentinel came whooshing over all of them, a kind of subtle strength reflected in her every flight feather. She just looked so... stunning, swooping through the air with such magnificent skill. He bet his parents were as skilled in hunting as she was in entertainment, and that sudden thought sent a wrenching feeling through his gizzard.
Watching in awe as she produced bells from almost nothingness, flaxen eyes grew wide in amazement as the performer stepped off stage to greet Mulberry. And like magic, more bells appeared, sending him almost into a smile.
He was in a rather good mood today, though, with all the bright lights and sounds it almost felt like it'd be okay to talk to a few people today. It took the chaos of the storm to make him realize that, though...
But as the golden-feathered Sentinel landed right in front of him, he sank back in fright, not sure what she would say to him or what she might want. His name came out stuttery despite himself, and as she leaned in and he felt her hot breath ruffling his feathers he shrank back even further, a kind of guilty resentment in his eyes.
"F-f-fiachra. I d-don't know where your bells are, but I c-can help, I think..." his voice petered out until what he had offered registered in his brain. Had he really offered to help another Sentinel, no matter how much it was for entertainment?
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 3:32 pm
OOC: Pssst... Fledglings! Brightling will not answer again for a while, but you can play here during the weekend.
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 7:22 pm
Brightling smiled a bit at the surprise and interest in Fiachra's face, and was curious when he seemed suddenly afraid and upset by her. Her manner softened, becoming less overbearingly cheerful but just as curious nonetheless. "Well, hullo then, Fiachra."
When Fiachra's mouth opened and she heard him offer to help, she smiled and interestedly wandered around him. A few gentle nudges with her Will, typical of an adult testing a new fledgling, and she was done with what she wanted. Tutting, she returned to her place in front of Fiachra.
"I think perhaps you should look at your tail, little one," she offered, keeping the knowing smile and giggle out of her voice. "It would seem that you left some feathers out of alignment when you last flew."
Keeping the attention on herself, with her bright feathers and curious attitude, had been quite easy. Easy enough that she had no trouble lightly tangling the leather thong of another of her bells into Fiachra's tail under the ruse of inspecting him.
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 8:21 pm
Fiachra's stony demeanor softened quite a bit at the smile that graced the bard's beak, her actual beauty hitting his mind suddenly. She really wasn't that bad, and he was sure that things would go smoothly, though opening up to other Sentinels just seemed so... hard. Caught off guard by her reply, his was short,
"H-hello." he quipped, avoiding her bright eyes as she tested him with her Will, his breath held- half terrified, half curious as to what she was doing, and why. Squeezing his eyes closed with the terrible gut feeling that echoed in his frama as she explored, he let out a sigh of relief when she finishing, coming up with the courage to actually look into her gaze, though with some hesitation.
At her suggestion, his eyes grew wide, and, rather excited but not wanting to admit it, he spun his head quickly to catch the sparkle of more golden bells, hidden in his tail feathers! Giving them a slight shake that rung them with a jovial flourish, the clanked to the ground melodically. Shuffling around in his spot, Fiachra bent down to pick it up with the strip that held them in his beak, his eyes twinkling with glee.
Offering them to Brightling, he forced a stiff, lopsided grin, the best that he had ever shown anyone.
"Phere! I pfound your bellf," he announced in a quiet, distorted voice through the strips in his mouth, the happiness apparent in his eyes.
Maybe it'd get easier over time.
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Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 3:00 pm
"That you did!" she cried joyfully, very pleased that she had gotten the peculiar little fledgling to smile, maybe to open up just a little bit. Reaching out to take the bells, she laughed, slipped the thong over her head, and then looked interestedly at the last one, a little Widltype.
"Well, then," she said slowly, shuffling over towards Aspen. "We've gotten one of my three bells from Mulberry, and one from Fiachra. That's two out of three..." and she laughed a little bit. "I'll bet you think you know what's coming next, huh, little one?" she asked, then frowned suddenly. "Oh, fiddleheads! Where are my manners, eh?" Giving a low, flourishing bow, she deftly used her Will to slip the last bell into the position she needed it to be in. "I am Brightling, what's your name, little one?"
And the last bell was carefully in place: tucked into her skirt of feathers and ready to be slipped under Aspen's feet when he least expected it: just as he was speaking to her.
{{OOC: I'ma need you to frame your next reply as if he suddenly feels the bell under his feet AS HE'S SPEAKING, if that's okay, MK. <333}}
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Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 9:25 pm
Aspen had been watching the display with wide awe. He was taken back by bright colors, sweeping gestures, something hard to do for a fledgling who was awkward on his own two feet and even worse in the air, and wide displays of grace. It overwhelmed him to such an extent that he was left speechless and in such a frozen state, nothing more than taking everything in and hardly having time to process before something more amazing caught him, that he was left on pure instinct alone. One of which left his beak hanging unhinged and his body twitching, wings raising up with excitement with each bell that was found, as if my magic. He was sure that this was one of those Mystics that he hard heard the other fledglings talk about, though she hardly looked like the terrifying kind that the others use to tease him to no ends, scaring him and saying that the old Mystics would find him at night and turn him into a skurri before eating him.
It wasn’t until he noticed Brightling turn his way that realization set upon him. She was hunting down fledglings to find her bells and, looking about, he found he was one of the few left. He was the only one left!! He wanted to back up so he could hide back into the mob of adults but it was too late and he was already spotted. Her towering form approached and she smiled to him. He knew what was coming and, though he laughed to see the others find theirs, he did not want the attention. All eyes where on him and he could hear snickering from the adults as they parted back to make room, watching with amusement.
He was just as terrified as Fiachra had been. His feet kept moving back, wanting to hide away but making sure not to get too close to the edge. Remembering his manners from his minder Liam, he gave a curt nod. At the sweeping bow, he stiffened, stopping his movements as he halted.
“I’m Aspen.” He gulped, his word barely a whisper and a high pitched squeak of a whisper at that. “I don’t think I have your bell.” He raised his wings and adjusted his tail to feel about. No bell. Already he felt each feather puffing and he was sure he was bound to either pass out from the attention or just hyperventilate. He didn’t’’ even want to blink!
What he did notice was that while he hand his wings up to show he had nothing, he felt himself hard to balance and he felt his body off. Talons adjusting, he noted a cold feeling under his foot, only slightly warm from contact. Looking down, he was astonished to see the bell. Right there! He swore it was no way near him and there it was, appearing out of thin air. It was settled. Brightling was a Mystic.
Looking up, he couldn’t even formulate words to say it was there. “I….I …it….”
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 11:55 am
Mulberry hooted with bright laughter when the bard lady made the bell magically appear out of her half-unfolded wing, bobbing her whole body with excitement. Unable to remain still while the bright bard moved on to other fledglings, Mulberry shifted from foot to foot as she turned and followed the bard's progress, eyes shining brightly with amusement.
For a little while, the young wildtype only had eyes for Brightling, but soon she realised that she recognised the next fledgling that was subject of the bard's attention - it was that silent boy... the one that had been there during the storm... when they met Fletcher! What was his name again... F-something? Flitter? No, that couldn't be right... Oh well. She was sure it was him, whatever his name was.
She bobbed again, this time trying to catch the boy's attention, and all the while with a huge, excited grin plastered on her face. Her body language all but screamed Hey, I recognise you! Isn't this AWESOME?
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:11 pm
Fiachra let out the caught breath he had been holding in, all through all the attention he had gotten and the attempt to find the bells on him. In all honesty, he knew he wasn't built or raised for excitement, just always quiet and in-the-back, but somehow he didn't find the feeling bubbling in his chest unappealing, either.
As Brightling sidled her way to the last fledgling, Fiachra's eyes grew wide at the obvious discomfort the child was in. He seemed a lot like himself, actually, what did he say his name was? Asp... Aspen? He looked like a cross between deer-in-the-headlights and pure, raw awe. Fiachra held back a subtle frown. He would have liked to meet him, but, somehow... talking to people just didn't seem right. Not yet, anyway. What he needed was a new Fletcher, he laughed to himself in his head. Another Fletcher and another storm, it'd get him going.
He just wasn't sure why he had wanted to get going in the first place.
Turning his head, he realized Mulberry was actually sending him a ginourmous smile that spanned from one side of her face to the other, her body movements methodical and a little goofy. Unsure of what to say and a little frightened by her earlier behaviour, he forced the tiniest of smiles and gave a curt nod, trying to indiscreetly peel his eyes away and end their impromptu exchange.
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