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 Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:55 pm
A rustle of twigs, a fluttering of leaves, these were the sounds Jester, the not so nimble not so sweet-voiced bard was now weaving into a sonnet....or rather trying to weave.
He had been up since sundown, his mind racing around, almost as fast as he was. The poor wildtype was fighting with a rather stubborn loose branch he found dangling a few trees over from the willow. It was refusing to bend.
Jester had gotten it into his head to start a nest for Twilla while she slept. Start being the operative word. At first glance it would appear to look more like a pile of twigs, leaves and loose branches, but upon closer inspection. It still looked like a pile of twigs, leaves and loose branches much to the dismay of the bard. But Jester was determined, and tugged a bit more at the branch with his talons.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:02 pm
Rustle.
Rustle. Rustle.
At first she thought that Auze and Tikki were up to no good, why else would she be hearing funny noises in her hovel?
But she dismissed it at first. They were probably just having some fun. They were hard workers and they did what she wanted, so why ruin what they did in their free time?
She had been surprised by just how exhausted she had been, although her sleep had not been easy. It was plagued with nightmares of angry neighbors, angry relatives, hungry hatchlings, and Cliffside, which resulted in an exhausted gatherer the next sundown.
Rustle. Rustle.
Finally, she shifted from her roosting position.
"Auze? Teek? What are y'guys doin'?" She asked tiredly as she parted her eyes, only to see Jester struggling with the pile of twigs, leaves, and loose branches.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:22 pm
Lifting some leaves with his will to stuff between the few branches he had, Jester continued his work. Upon hearing the soft question behind him, Jesters eyes went suddenly soft from their determined glare at the uncooperative branch.
Glancing towards where he left his mate to roost, promptly forgetting the sideways sticks clamped in his beak. "Fiff foo fweep fell?" he inquired. Then realizing his mistake, set down the sticks, "I meant, did you sleep well?"
Ever so slightly embarrassed at his not quite complete nest, Jester stepped in-front of it. "Um...I'm not sure where Auze and Tiki ran off to but..I was um, a bit busy." The wildtype seemed to beam with pride as he looked at his mate through slightly hazy green eyes. Scurrying over to stand next to her. "I wanted to surprise you," he made a sweeping motion with a wing at the pile of twigs, "it's a nest."
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:57 pm
"Uh-uhm... Okay, I guess." She replied quietly as she blinked her eyes a few more times in an attempt to wake herself up. She promptly went about preening her feathers and stretching out her limbs before she spoke again and actually peered at what it was that Jester wanted to surprise her with.
No doubt Auze and Tikki would be back later, if not, they wouldn't get a cut out of whatever she gathered later on.
Her icy orbs traveled behind Jester, to the pile of leaves and twigs. So he was thinking about it! It sent a small chill down her spine and rekindled some of the doubt she felt, yet at the same time she could not help but to be excited. Soon they would have their very own little ones to feed and care for. She would be a mother and he a father of their very own brood!
"So it is! It's a wonderful surprise, Jest! We can start building it together." She leaned over and gave his eartuft a gentle, loving preen.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:17 pm
Jester puffed in pleasure at her praise of his..nest. Then, realizing what she said, Jester looked confused. "I have already started one," Hopping over to the pile he hopped into it, and preened nervously. "although I admit it needs a little more work before its ready."
Hopping back to Twilla's side, to preen her eartuft tenderly. The bard was excited for her, and himself.
A burning question brewed in the bard's head, but he wasn't quite sure how to ask it. He was worried how he would fair as a father to their chicks. His eartufts flattened slightly as the concern grew. He knew Twilla would be a wonderful mother, but would he be a good father?
Not wanting to burden his mate with any more negative talk, he lifted some more leaves with his will. "Shall we get to work?" He inquired cheerily.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:03 am
The still sleepy Shadow gave a soft chuckle. "Yes, I see. Sorry, we'll finish it together." The mass of leaves and twigs had appeared to be just that, a mass, but now that she was inspecting it more closely, it definitely had a shape. He had to of been up very early in the evening to have put together that much! And just to surprise her, too. She gave a soft, happy hoot as she stepped around the nest. It was roomy enough, that was for sure...
And she couldn't help but to wonder how many they would have, or more difficulty, how many they would be able to raise by themselves. She had doubts, but mostly of her own capabilities.
"Yep, yep! And once those two rotten companions of mine get back, I'll get them to get us something to nibble." Twilla stated with outward happiness, before she lifted a branch with her Will.
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:07 am
Jester was very pleased with himself, he was even more pleased that Twilla liked what he had done for her.
He wasn't the greatest nest builder, but he poured love and effort into it.
Hopping in and out of the nest almost like a fledgling, adjusting this twig, moving that branch, into what looked like a dance. In all of this the bard's muse was roused to sing.
"In a great nest where I was laid
(Weave away), haul away
In that great nest, hidden in shade
We're bound to start our own brood
Weave away, haul away
Weave away, you'll hear me sing
We're bound to start our own brood
As I looked up there at my mum,
(Weave away), haul away
Because of her I would become
Anything that I choose to be
(Weave away), haul away
And she would always be proud of me!
We're bound to start our own brood
Weave away, haul away
Weave away, you'll hear me sing
We're bound to start our own brood"
The male thought the song was only in his head, little did he know that some of it crept out his beak during his nest building dance.
yes Jest is singing to sea shanty tune
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:14 pm
His voice was not, by any means, fit for serious barding, yet he was a charming sentinel. He was a comedian, even if such things had not initially been his intentions in the barding world, and she loved him dearly.
The night before had been extremely taxing and the stressed, saddened Gatherer was feeling down. This little surprise was enough to restore some of her perky nature and drew a genuine smile onto the edges of her smoky gray beak.
So he wasn't the greatest nest builder and he didn't have a soft voice.
He was hers. She felt lucky to have found such a charming male.
As he sang the shanty tune and hopped about the nest, placing leaves and branches, she found herself doing the same, only without the singing. She didn't know the song, but the tune was simple enough. She hummed along with him as she placed leaves and limbs that were in reach. This was a new esperience for her and she was glad she was sharing it with him.
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:04 am
Jester hadn't realized his singing till, amidst his hopping and weaving, he hopped a bit closer to his mate as she worked.
"Oh my! I'm sorry I didn't even realize..." The bard fluffed a bit, unsure of continuing his song or not, he hadn't realized it was falling from his beak. After smoothing his feathers slightly, he decided to hop out of the nest to look at their handywork.
The nest was slightly lopsided, leaning ever so slightly, but there were no holes and it looked warm and safe. "Do...do you think thats large enough?" Jester asked, not realizing what he was insinuating. Just how many eggs would they have?
As the thoughts started to cros the males mind, his green eyes went sullen for a moment. Would they be able to raise them all? Or would some go to minders? Jester's tail feathers shook slightly as he thought.
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:13 pm
"Oh, no, Jest! It makes it fun! Er, more fun!" Twilla spoke quickly and with a laugh as the fluffed Bard apologized for his singing. In truth, she did find it fun and the fact that he was putting so much effort into it... Her icy eyes sparkled with joy, masking the pain and worry she had felt earlier and still felt somewhere deep beneath her dark plummage.
As Jester stood back from their masterpiece to inspect it, the Shadow joined her Wildtype mate and tilted her head to the side. Lopsided, yet homey. She could always build that other side up, so wandering little ones would have a slightly harder time scrambling out that edge.
"It's lovely, I think... Plenty of room... And if not, we can deal with that when the time comes." She hoped her words were reassuring enough for the male and she shared in his same sullen thoughts. Would it be enough? There were many things they would have to work through, keeping the neighbors at bay and raising the little ones were just two of them.
She turned her blue eyes to Jester and gave him the best grin she could muster before she preened the male's wing lovingly.
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:03 am
The loving preening brought the bard back from his worried thoughts. Glancing between his mate and their nest, a flood of pride and happiness filled his being once more. He knew they could do this, and would do it well.
"I'm sure we'll all be very happy in it." Jester sighed, as he gazed at the nest. All that work had made the male realize his hunger. Slightly bashful in asking, "Um..do we know where your companions may have wandered off to?" not wanting to be to forward with his stomach's needs.
Bending forward slightly to preen Twilla's dark ear-tuft lovingly. He knew she would make a wonderful mother, and he would make a good father. But the one thought he couldn't shake from his being was 'what would the neighbors think?' After all of the recent hullabaloo of Sterling and Moondark's little fluffs, Jester was hopeful for his brood.
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:54 pm
She shook her head slightly and turned her gaze from her Bard of a mate to the lopsided nest once more. Fortunately, his words were reassuring, as was his presence. The others would still gawk and whisper and Cliffside would still be angry, but at least they did have eachother.
His preening of her eartuft caused her feathers to rouse comfortably and she found herself smiling again.
"They should of been here by now." Twilla hooted with more annoyance than worry. Evern since she had gotten that skurri... Auze had been a rather efficiant mus and Tikki was useful, but the little dark skurri had the unfortunate habit of tucking a little too much food away for herself. This, in turn, upset the little gray mus, which led to much bickering and squabbling when they were supposed to be working. She was about to waddle right out of the nest to give the pair a warning hoot, when she was startled by a noise.
Auze plodded in sheepishly, followed closely by Tikki, and both of them held a few berries in their small mouths.
"More, bringing in." The mus chimed cheerily after he dropped the berries between Jester and Twilla. The two did not know exactly what was wrong, but they could tell that now was not the time to misbehave.
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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:16 pm
Jester eyed the ripe berries now between his feet, with a happy look in his eyes. With a thankful hoot to his mate's gracious companions he snatched a berry up with his will as if it was going to run away. "They look delicious!" the bard nearly sang as he bit into the juicy flesh of the berry.
His stomach rumbling its quiet thanks for the nourishment, Jester turned his attention to Twilla. Another thought flew into his head, this was happening more and more frequently recently.
"How do you think they will take to our brood?" Jester questioned, gesturing his head to where Auze was a moment ago. Having never having companions of his own, Jester was unsure of how companions often acted towards new hatchlings and their needs.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:06 pm
"They seem to take to you alright." Twilla hooted jokingly as she popped a berry into her beak via Will. It tasted just as good as it looked, fortunately. The pair had become rather reliable, something which she was very grateful for.
"You fine with little ones, Auze?" The shadow asked as she gave the little companion an affectionate and very careful preen. He bobbed his head in response and scurried swiftly up the Gatherer's back to take his place between her wings.
"I bet they'll be useful. It never hurts to have a pair of paws around." That she knew well from her seasons of gathering. Companions were definitely useful, because their paws could do things she could not.
"I... Can't help but to be excited." She mused as she ate another ripe berry.
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