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Arrogant almost to a fault, Brajan holds little sacred aside from family. He has a soft spot for foals, but a sharp tongue and an extreme intolerance for immaturity, particularly where it endangers others. Driven, he has to be the best, and he holds himself to high standards. He has his own code of honor and will not deviate, no matter the cost to himself. Likewise, he will never abandon another in need, even if he curses their name until finally free of them.



















Natsuhiboshi is fairly quite and reserved when meeting new Kirindae (usually). Since she has lived a mostly solitary life, she is still a bit clueless about what one would call 'social norms'. Nevertheless, this mare is kind and affectionate, and would do anything to protect the ones she loves.

Username: elfstar89
Kirin Name: Tinuviel
POTO reference: the music of the night
Prompt Chosen: 3
Prompt Response:
Tinuviel got to her feet, startled. Her parents were shouting to run away. She didn't want to run away, though her sisters were running; Tinuviel wanted to stay and help, even though she was too little. She shook her head. Even if her parents wouldn't let her, she'd still watch the fight. Where, though? She tried to find a hiding spot as she ran. She found a big hollowed out tree to hide in and watch the fight.

Her parents were good fighters, and Tinuviel was proud of them. She wanted to be just like them. She did not, however, notice the scent of one of the two cats, the more battered of the pair, until it tried to leap onto her and missed. Tinuviel skittered away with a barely contained whimper. Wasn't this one of the cats her parents were fighting? How had it gotten away? She vaguely remembered in her terrified mind the sight of one of the cats, the one that had been beaten almost to a pulp, drag itself away into the bushes, but now was not the time for that. The cat was picking itself up.

Tinuviel was shaking all over. Great. Her first battle and she was terrified. As the cat approached, squinting its remaining good eye, Tinuviel lashed out with one of her tiny hooves and grazed the cat's shoulder. Yay, a hit! Nevermind that it was hardly worth mentioning, and the cat looked very, very angry now. She continued to flail at the cat until a dark, sharpened horn rammed into the cat and it collapsed. Startled, Tinuviel looked up into the eyes of her furious and worried father.

She flinched. The last thing Tinuviel ever wanted was to make her father angry. He was scary when he got angry. Her mother squeezed past to start nuzzling Tinuviel, obviously frightened. She proceeded to scold Tinuviel, while her father's deep silence began to bear down painfully on her. She quivered and whispered in a tiny voice, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to help."

Finally, they sighed and decided it was time to look for her sister. She followed them out of the tree, hanging her head low. Sure, she'd held her own in her very first fight, but her father was furious, her mother frightened, and her sisters had sensibly run away from the battle to safety. Tinuviel was in a lot of hot water, but she'd done well, for a young inexperienced filly against a seriously injured big cat.

(As a note, I'm entering just because the third prompt is so juicy. xd The name...kinda random that it suits the eggu, and the code phrase.)

Username: Loki Saimar
Kirin Name: Ahanu (if it is male, which means He Laughs in Alongquin) or Aponi (if it is female, it is Cherokee for Butterfly)
POTO reference: the music of night
Prompt Chosen: "Your mother set out a couple of hours ago to get a drink of water while your father stayed behind to watch the eggs. Starting to grow worried, he sets off in search for her, leaving you and your siblings alone. Naturally, this is the time that you decide to be the first to hatch. Do you stay by your unhatched siblings' side, or do you wander off in search of your strangely absent parents? What happens?"
Prompt Response: The sounds within the dull shell of a home had begun to grow more coherent as the young soon to be hatchling came closer to being ready to hatch. Soon the moment would be upon her to break out into the world, and to suit that emotion, she began to tap against the egg. Each rap became more forceful until finally the hatchling emerged, bits of shell still attached to and hanging from her body, as she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly in the suddenness of the light. At first, the young female merely stood there, blinking, not quite sure of what is to happen, and not yet accustomed to the light. Soon the pupils grew smaller and the young kirin took her first good look at the world around her, an awe-inspiring glance that made her smile.

With a toss of her head to shake off what she could from egg remnants, she took in a deep breath, relishing in the first scents of her life. Little Aponi could smell the life in the two eggs next to her, and slowly reached out her nose to nudge them, wanting to greet them upon realizing that they would be hatching soon, too. Soon, however, the newborn kirin came to the stunning realization that there appeared to be no bigger versions of herself around. Although this did not entirely throw her off, it did spike her curiosity, and so the youth made her first real attempt at standing. The shaking of her legs deterred her just a little and she collapsed to the ground in a comical heap. With an abashed look at the two eggs near to her, Aponi couldn't help but sigh with relief - they aren't hatched yet, so no one saw her fall.

"This is good", the young kirin decided, before making a second attempt. A much slower attempt, but one that is successful. Tentatively the kirin moved first one foot forward, smiling at the way the ground felt beneath her feet, before carefully lifting and placing the second one forward. It was a slow process as Aponi learned to coordinate her walking, but by the time she was several paces out from the eggs, she was walking with an air of confidence that left her feeling daring and bold. Quickly the now brave Aponi found some tracks, and, after comparing them to her own tiny feet concluded it had to be someone like her that was ahead and she gleefully headed down the trail, trying to make a game of sneaking up on whomever lied ahead.

"I wonder who I will find! I bet I can surprise them!" The jubilant kirin thought to herself as she tried to move stealthily forward, head bent low to the ground as she carefully compared each footprint to her own with a neverending amazement at just how big they were. Finally Aponi reached the end of the tracks and upon glancing upwards, discovered first the long brown and white leg of a tall kirin. With a startled gasp, she leapt backwards, caught completely off guard by the sight of someone that big and when a second, more lithe one moved forward, she couldn't help but stare in awe. Something within the hatchling told her that they were her parents, and once the shock was gone, she moved forward towards the dark blue one, wanting to nuzzle against her for the warmth and security for she had suddenly realized she was quite a ways away from where she had started.

The other kirin, however, moved a long, slender leg into her path and glowered down at her. Aponi could see that he was not happy with her, but she was unsure why until he finally expressed his displeasure. She had wandered when she should not have, and had left her soon to be born siblings alone in the world. At this, Aponi could not help but feel both guilt - and a very light bristling of anger. Had she not been left alone to greet the world on her own? Why could they not handle it, then? With a glower to match that of her father, she took a step back to look him in the face, "I was left alone to hatch, they should be fine to come on their own!"

And while she thought her father would growl at her and lecture her, it was the mother who stepped in and suggested they all return to the eggs. The thought of being The Big Sister was new to Aponi, and she happily agreed to such an idea. Secretly, however, she remained angry at her father and hung back from her parents just enough so that she could shoot looks at him. When he turned his head around, she would hang her head and try to look meek, she wasn't sure she wanted to see him truly angry. Indeed, he seemed more relieved that she and the two eggs were all right, and when nightfall came they all curled up together with everything forgiven. Come morning, Aponi would not remember being angry or resentful of her father, only that there were more sights, sounds, and tastes to discover and she would be sure to share in her discoveries with her siblings and her parents.

For that is what family is for, is it not?

FIN

(Oh dear, I got a bit carried away, do forgive me! sweatdrop )

Username: Cornetified
Kirin Name: Kellan (male)
POTO reference: the music of the night
Prompt Chosen: Prompt 3
One night while you and your family and getting ready to sleep, two large cats attack. Your mother and father immediately leap up to fight them off and tell you and your sisters to run away. Do you listen to their orders, or does your fear keep you rooted to the spot? What happens?
Prompt Response:

Kellan had just been tucked into the apparently shrinking nest next to his two sisters. Their closeness and warmth made him drowsy quickly along with the comforting presence of his parents settled protectively in front of them. He had just started to doze off when he heard a horrid yowl, one like those big cats from over the hills. At first, he thought he was dreaming, and he curled into a childish protective ball, much like a human child would pull their blanket over their heads to protect themselves from night time monsters. But this was no dream. It wasn’t until his sisters jostled and whined fearfully that he realized something was wrong. He blinked rapidly to focus his eyes on a terrifying sight. While his sisters sat next to him in the nest, indecision on their faces, his mother stood over them yelling something he couldn’t decipher. His father, Brajan, was only a few dozen feet from the nest, fighting off two large cats by himself. “Dad!” He yelled, jumping up before feeling his mother push him toward his sisters. Finally he understood. Run!

He wanted to help, but what would he be able to do? His father had repeatedly told his children to never abandon family, and now they were asking him to do that very thing? He looked up at his mother another second, reading the concern in Natsuhiboshi’s glowing eyes before she bound away to help the stallion. He knew now what to do. He was the youngest, but was determined to protect his sisters, like his mother wanted him to do. He would honor his parents. “Come on!” He urged softly, nudging his sisters while trying to not draw the cats’ attentions.

They had just started entering the bushy border of their home when Kellan heard his father cry out angrily. Looking back, he saw Brajan holding one of his legs into the air, and one of the cats running at the children with open jaws. His mother was still fighting the other cat, though her gaze looked on in horror at the loose feline. “Run!” He yelled to his sisters, who had already started running after they had cleared the bushes. But they were foals still, and not fast enough. When he had nearly caught up to them, Kellan knew he had to do something. Fear clutched at his heart as he tumbled to a halt, rolling a couple times before jumping up and facing the feline and its teeth. He had only a small horn, but it was something. He couldn’t let it reach his sisters. Seeing his father run up behind the cat, Kellan knew the adult would be too late to reach the cat before it reached him. Wincing, he lowered his head and ran forward at the cat.

Not expecting that move by the child, the cat tried to slow down and growled in anger, yelping in pain when the small horn stabbed into its chest.

Kellan had only a moment to feel proud of his success before feeling sharp teeth sink into his back, pulling him away from the feline body and getting hit away with a large paw, the world going black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When he finally came to, the sun was peeking up over the horizon in morning light. He rolled his eyes upward and groaned softly. There was a dull pain in his back, and a sharper pain in his head. Even the warm light of the rising sun seemed sharp to his eyes. Suddenly a couple high squeals shattered the still air, making Kellan groan even louder as his ears rang. He yelped when his sisters pounced on him lovingly. “Get off!” He whined to no avail. He heard a softer giggle nearby, and he had to twist his head to look up at his mother, curled protectively next to him.

“Rise and shine, my brave little guy.” She said affectionately, bending her neck to lick her son’s mane. She had a few cuts on her face and body, but they were shallow and would heal quickly.

Kellan wrinkled his nose, feeling trapped between the females of his family. From the corner of his eye, he saw Brajan sitting off to the side, watching them, resting in a cool and shaded pool. When their eyes locked, Kellan sensed relief in his father’s gaze. Relief, and pride. Pride in him. Kellan sighed contently and instantly settled back down, letting his sisters climb all over him and his mother coddle him. He had helped his family. He wasn’t a disappointment. He felt capable of anything. Right now, he was making his family happy, and since that was all he was able do for them at the moment, it made him glad.

Username: hawaiiancat2007
Kirin Name: If a boy-Wulfric. If a girl-Ariana.
POTO reference: The music of the night
Prompt Chosen: 1
Prompt Response:

Dark. All was dark. Not that the dark was bad or anything, it was just a bit repetitive.

Cramped. Small space. Alright, I have to admit to that. It's not too comfortable being in here.

Warm. Nice and fuzzy. Something good about this, it's nice in here. I don't want to learn how to shiver, I don't think it would be too pleasant.

Boring. Nothing to do. Well, what can I really do inside an egg? Wiggle? I've been doing that for ages. It's incredibly draining, I assure you. Puts me right to sleep.

That's it. I've made my mind up. Today is the day I break free. I don't want to be stuck in here, wherever this is. I'm going to fight, brave the unknown, face everything outside of this space. I mean... there has to be something out there. The world can't be in this small cavity. I won't fit much longer in here. I'm already cramped.

The odd thoughts swirled around Wulfric's mind. Life in an eggshell wasn't exactly fun, or easy. He had nothing to do and was stuck wiggling around. Come on, that's about the most boring thing you can EVER do. Wiggle. He wanted out, now. Sure it was warm, but he heard things from outside. They were muffled and he didn't know what was being said, but he could hear odd sounds. There were no sounds inside. It must have been more fun out there.

With a determined expression, not that anyone could see it, he attempted to stretch. At first, he could feel the eggshell strong against his back. No use. It wouldn't give up. Then, there was a sharp crack. Sound. Something he had dreamed of for so long. Sweet, blissful sound snapping through his ears. He pushed a bit harder, his scales catching on the partially broken shell.

Light flooded in, making his stop and blink. Blinking. Another thing that was new to him. He squinted, trying to understand what was going on. He could... see? He could see! Everything was a bit blurry, and far too bright, but this shocked him almost into stopping his escape. Sight. So easily taken for granted, now a miracle.

Next came the smell. Oh! Sweet scents poured into him, each unique. Even though he didn't know the name of anything, he could smell the dew on the grass, the lull of the wind. Everything smelled so much to a point of clarity so pristine the little one was rapt. Wulfric blinked again in shock. What was this? He'd never had any of these senses in his shell.

He almost wanted back in. This place was scary, yet it seemed to wonderful and so promising he couldn't go back. He was being drawn out. It wasn't even his will any more. After feeling, seeing, smelling all this, how could he ever turn back? A few seconds can have a huge impact on one's life, they say. Well, it's true.

Blinking once more, he gives a final push and is free. Truly and honestly free. Closing his eyes, he can suddenly feel how alive this world is. He knew nothing out here. It was weird. His eyes shot open. The shapes were no longer blurry, but had sharp and defined edges to them. Looking around, he could see odd green things from the ground. Grass. Weird brown things rose high in front of him, topped off with more green stuff. Trees.

Opening his eyes wider, he grew accustomed to the light. The breeze was nice as it ran it's way over him. Next he noticed where he was. An odd blue thing lay behind him, that must have been where he'd been trapped before. A few more lay around him, none of them open. There's more like me? He pondered for a moment, trying to understand. He couldn't.

Sniffing the air, he smelled two more scents. Both reminded him of safety and love, and echoed the warmth that he had felt before. His parents? But where were they? He shrugged slightly, rising on wobbly little legs. The first time, he only managed to get up a few millimeters, the second he fell, and the third he finally rose to stand up. If felt weird, not being curled up anymore, but in a good way. He could stretch. He was free.

Suddenly overjoyed, he let out a large buck, which of course sent him toppling to the floor. Picking himself back up, he looked proudly down. He'd stood up! Twice! It was getting a little easier now. But it still wasn't enough. He'd only just acquired a small taste of the world. He had to see more!

Taking a tentative step forwards, he found himself able to move. Wow. Starting slowly, but gaining speed as he went, he began to stumble in a random direction, trying to take everything in. It was so... big. And green. Not dark. Not cramped. And it wasn't too cold either. How nice. Of course, it was most definitely not boring. No, it was as far from boring as you can get.

Suddenly, two huge shapes loomed before him. Uh-oh. Instinct kicked in and he began to race back towards his nest. His mind had registered it as safe. His little heart pounding, he dived back amongst the bedding, quivering. Slowly, he realized they smelt familiar. He jumped back up, feeling embarrassed.

"Mama? Papa?" He struggled slightly with the words, they were tough, but something told him they were right.