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Post by Shinko on Jun 8, 2018 20:26:26 GMT -5
The cry that echoed over the beach was like a lion’s roar mixed with the moan of a humpback whale. It drowned out the gossiping calls of the birds, and sent all of the smaller animals in the immediate area scurrying to hide. And yet, despite the primal fear instilled by the gutteral noise, they could not help but ponder the fact that they’d never heard Quicksnap the kaprosochus make such a mournful sound before. The boar crocodile was finally forcing himself to move away from the thylacine’s lifeless body. Why? Why, why, why, why hadn’t he listened to her? Why hadn’t he taken her concerns seriously? So convinced had he been of his own immortality, of the idea that no fool in their right mind would try to hurt him, that he’d failed to consider just how very fragile other animals could be. Especially the soft skinned warm-bloods like Beech. Unlike most of the other animals on the island that were hearing the news of her death, Quicksnap had known Beech. He’d known her quite well. She’d approached him for the first time when she was just a joey. He’d come down to the shore to trade for his weekly supply of giant ocean fish, and been rather startled by the tiny thylacine pup that, despite her short fur being puffed up with fright, had stalked towards him growling and gape-jawed. Trying to frighten the big scary predator out of her family’s territory as best a toddler could. Amused, Quicksnap had bent down so that his muzzle was parallel with the sand and growled playfully back at her, gently nudging her over with the end of his nose. This had frightened and startled her at first, but when he didn’t chase after she ran away, curiosity got the better of the little joey and she’d come back. Before long, she had started to wait for his visits to the beach, eagerly engaging the huge reptile in mock-battles and chasing him around the sand. When she was old enough, she even occasionally sought him out in his home range up the meadow near the woods. Boar-crocodiles were big and terrifying creatures, and most smaller animals didn’t want them anywhere near their young. It was too bad, really- Quicksnap liked kids, and he’d relished the odd uncle-niece bond he’d shared with Beech. Now it was gone. She was gone. Trembling, Quicksnap roared again, long and low and anguished. Then, slowly, he started to walk away, long tail dragging in the sand. His yellow eyes flashed, grief mingling with something else altogether- fury.The ones responsible for this would pay.Say hi to Quicksnap! A little time is spent reflecting on the exact nature of his friendship with Beech (spoilers, it was cute) and he roars very loudly in his grief. Characters nearish who might hear him include Te Tai Thorn, Dog Avery and maaaaaybe the dilophosaurs Tiger
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Post by Coaster on Jun 8, 2018 22:09:55 GMT -5
What would be a rather bedraggled-looking feline dragged itself out of the river, shaking vigorously--"would be", in that the natural robe befitting a cat, which typically would be keeping its owner rather unpleasantly soaked in such a situation, was noticeably absent, and had been since the feline's inception. Irony of ironies, an obligate carnivore being bred and born so ill-equipped for hunting or outdoor survival in general, but perhaps that is why the island took pity on Genevieve, this bare-skinned Sphynx cat: despite the overbearing sunlight which often bathed the more well-traveled routes along the island, she could always find enough shade for refuge from its burning rays; despite the fact that the fish which so fascinated her hunting instinct supposedly couldn't sate her entirely, she never needed to stoop to such a revolting practice as stealing away a crying rodent from its (often understandably very protective, given the nature of the island) family; and apparently, despite her lack of coat predisposing her to difficulties of hygiene, her frequent bathing seemed to keep any buildup of detritus at bay. ...Of course, she would prefer if all the baths were voluntary, rather than the result of attempting to sink her claws into a river fish that was just big enough to carry her away into the flow with it and leave her shivering, as in this particular instance. To be fair, she really ought to be going anyways; after the successful snatching of a couple minnows earlier in the morning, she could afford to make the rest of the trek to the area the (admittedly rather incessant by this time of day) birds were beckoning every creature to for the meeting, the nature of which would have increased her trembling were she not currently at her maximum capacity of trembling already. And, as she (still somewhat chilly and damp) turned to follow the riverbank once more, she wished she had thought to bring along that wonderfully drapey, suitably soft, viney mass which fit well enough as a mantle to shield her from the breeze. Or, moreover, that like a creature of sensible design, she might have been gifted with a-- "Oh, what a luxuriously lavish coat!" She found it difficult to restrain herself at the sight of the marvelous, glossy pelt shining in the magnificent hues of a hoary sunset mountain, riven by bold streaks in the shade of some shiny black rock for which she currently lacked a name but which, upon her finding of a shard of it, had been so coveted by a tree-dwelling creature that subsequently offered the aforementioned mantle in exchange some time ago. In any case, now shaking from enthusiasm rather than from chill, she rapidly approached the mysterious, much larger, apparently-also-feline beast. "Such a majestic creature as yourself, surely you wouldn't mind if I nuzzle for warmth just a little bit?..." Meet Genevieve, the rather pathetic adaptability-challenged but well-cared-for hairless cat. She accidentally took a bath, but then spots Nova (Makell) in her travel and goes YAY FASHION and tries to glom. Also makes reference to having had at least one dealing with Liou (Dara) in the past, if that's okay.
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Post by Draco on Jun 8, 2018 22:18:16 GMT -5
Kuzen floats down the Winding River on his shell asleep. He liked to relax and float. He would sometimes start in the woods and end somewhere near the meadows. It was relaxing and one of his favorite pastimes, next to lounging on the side of the river, and eating. Today was no different as he continued to float. "Hey. Hey! Turtle thing!" The voice reached Kuzen's ears, waking him, but he didn't really want to listen. "Did you hear about the meeting?" Kuzen thinks, and he does recall hearing about it. It didn't really interest him. He just wanted to relax and maybe munch on a nice cool cucumber later. "Fiiiine, ignore me. I guess you're just dead anyways, floating down the river like that... About to go over the falls." The kappa's eyes open wide. Was he moving faster? The water was also starting to get a bit rougher and louder. He looked around wildly and noticed he was indeed further down the river then he wanted. He flipped over and tried to swim as hard as he could, but it was already to late. Kuzen the kappa fell down the falls, over the edge a frowning quokka watched him fall. Luckily for Kuzen, this wasn't the first time he has fallen asleep and fell down the falls. His shell saved him more times then he could think. He climbed over to the edge at the bottom of one of the falls and gave himself a look over. "Well I seem to be ok." He looked up and sighed. He started to walk back to the meadow, "Might as well see what that meeting is all about while I'm at it. Plus maybe I can see that fuzzy guy." Kuzen the Kappa floats down the river, ignoring someone talking to him.
He falls down a waterfall.
He decides to head to the meeting to find that quokka.
Location: Around the Basins or along the river by the Meadows.
Quokka is nameless right now XD
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Post by Thundy on Jun 8, 2018 22:24:33 GMT -5
SOME TIME AGO:NEW HORIZON PHARMACEUTICALS
PERSONAL DATA LOG: DR. █ █ █ █ █
***CLASSIFIED DATA***
3/6/█ █ █ █
Today we began our experiment with the goal of increasing human intelligence. Our test subject, separated from the control group is a Rhesus Macaque, length of 53 cm and a weight of 7.7kg. He will undergo the experimental surgical technique developed by Drs. █ █ █ █ █ █ and █ █ █ █ . We hope to measure a detectable increase in the intelligence and problem solving skills of the subject. I have named the subject “Algernon”. Despite the eagerness of my superiors focusing on the commercial application of this procedure, I believe that we would be able to achieve much much more than simply turning an even bigger profit. As odd it might sound, I hope Algernon can show them their own humanity. Maybe I'm only dreaming? Still stuck with that idealistic streak I had in grad school. Who knows?
***END OF ENTRY***PRESENT DAYAlgernon awoke on a limb of his tree, as he always did. He gave a yawn and sleeply looked towards the eastern horizon. The sun was roughly 20 degrees above the edge of the canopy. Slept in again, but who cared? The island was a paradise, a world away from a time he wished to forget. Being late might tick off René a little, but he'd bring him an extra apple. René liked apples and was easily bribed. He climbed down from the tree and ate some berries from the bushes surrounding it, they always made for a fine breakfast. Afterwards he climbed back up and made his way through the canopy, leaping from tree to tree. The sky was partially cloudy, with a slight wind from the north. Could mean rain, he thought to himself, usually did. Almost abruptly he swung from a palm tree to a deciduous copse. It was here he snagged a few apples for René. A few minutes later, he reached the small clearing. “You're late.” Squawked René, a scarlet macaw with bright red plumage, and a scowl on his face. Algernon shrugged. “I slept in, my bad. Maybe this will settle you out.” He tossed an apple at René's talons. René eyed the apple. “Heh, you know me too well,” said René smirking, he took a nibble of the apple. “Have you heard the news?” “I've told you before René, I don't care much for rumors. Shall we continue our game?” Algernon asked. Since arriving on the island, he had mostly just socialized with René, the one time pet of an academic before his untimely demise, with whom he frequently met to discuss matters of life and philosophy. He also introduced to René the one thing he still enjoyed of his past life, chess, although they could only play the moves in their minds. “Certainly. Pawn to E4. However this news is quite sensational.” “Pawn to C5. How so?” “Knight to F3. Somebody's been murdered, Algernon.” “Pawn to D6. Nonsense, René. Murder is an evil human construct, much like war.” “Pawn to D4. Ah, but you cannot deny that war is an exclusively human evil, does not the ant engage in such ventures?” “Pawn takes pawn, D4. I'll concede that point to you.” Algernon stated a matter of factly, René looked at him slightly perturbed, not only for losing a piece but for having his remark sidestep. “I did not say they were exactly the same, however. Whereas war is used to accomplish a common goal, a murder only serves to accomplish a more selfish, personal goal. However, the result is the same, needless death.” René squawked to himself. “Knight takes pawn, D4. Nice play, Algernon, but you won't get me to back down so easily. So, you would conclude that the needs of the group are above that of the self, but what of our natural instinct of survival?” “Knight to F6.” Algernon scratched himself under his chin. “Murder is not required for survival, therefore, the argument is invalid.” “Knight to C3.” René nibbled a little more on the apple and then quipped back. “You make a fair point. However, if you wish to see this discussion played out among the residents, there's a meeting being held over it. Everyone's welcome.” “Pawn to A6.” Algernon mulled the thought in his head, it would be interesting to hear the others views on the subject. As fun as debating René was, when there was only two sides to a discussion, it tended to end in an impasse after a while. “Could make for some more engaging discourse?” René pretended to be offended. “Pah, to think the great primate should find me, the lowly avian that I am, insufficient company is the worst of insults,” he squawked and grinned. “Let's go check it out. Bishop to e3.” The two paused their game, and began to make their way to the meeting point through the Highwind woods. Meet Algernon and René! Algernon's a Rhesus Macaque with a shady past and René is his Scarlet Macaw partner in argumentative discussion and chess. They meet up for breakfast and head toward the meeting point through the forest.
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Post by Twillie on Jun 8, 2018 22:28:26 GMT -5
“Murder! Murder!” Peace and quiet….“Murder at the falls! Not again!” .... Maybe not today.Kasai couldn’t help but crack open his eyes against all the chatter going on around him. The red Kitsune stood near the edge of Overlook Bluff, hoping that the cool winds and crisp morning air would aid him in morning meditation. Instead, the heightened chatter of the birds that day pierced through any prospects of peace he could have, instead leaving his already scattered brain distracted. With a couple flicks of his tail, Kasai slowly lifted himself to his feet with a sigh and turned back to the forest, disappearing into its shadows against the morning light. Stealthily running, climbing, and leaping around brush and trees, it didn’t take long for him to find the usual tree. An ancient, thick oak that dug its roots deeper than Kasai could ever dig spread its tallest branches to the top of the forest’s horizon line. From these branches down every foot of its bark, dozens and dozens of critters of all kinds forged some kind of home within it, all the way down to the hidden burrow formed between two thick roots. Kasai silently slipped into this hole. “Back so soon?” A groggy voice greeted him, “And when I was finally getting some good sleep again after your crashing around earlier.” “Well, you do know that most of us can’t spend all day meditating.” Kasai snorted, “Not everyone can focus like you.” Kasai’s denmate, Seishin, rolled over onto his back, his silver fur glinting in the light that poked through the burrow entrance. “You’re distracted.” Kasai dismissively waved his tail in Sei’s direction, trying to ignore the grave tone in his voice. “Well, it’s not like I can focus anyway with all the commotion all that has caused. Those birds are chattering everywhere.” Concern slipped into his voice though as he quickly followed up asking, “And how are you doing?” “I…” Sei’s head lowered, his brow furrowing as he rested his head between his front legs. He softly gnawed on one of his claws, a tell that nerves were getting to him. “I’m worried. It’s keeps happening, a-and no one knows why, and I…” He shuddered a little. “I’m scared.” Kasai’s ears drooped at Sei’s helpless expression. A flame inside of him suddenly flared. “W-well, you should know that I’m always here, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you!” Kasai insisted, his tail puffed up as he tried to assure his partner, “I can protect you, and even if I’m not around, you’re more capable than you think! You’re fast, good at hiding, and you’ve got enough to fight with! Whatever’s going on, we’ll get through it together, I promise!” Sei’s head perked up as Kasai started going off. At first blinking in slight surprise, a look of amusement soon replaced this as he recognized Kasai’s usual over caring nature. He chuckled softly and replied, “I know I always have you.” Kasai noted the weariness that still laced Sei’s voice, however, and settled his fur again. Padding over to the small silver form, he gave a soft lick to Sei and a brief nuzzle. “Are you going out today, do you know?” Kasei murmured. “Are you?” Sei quirked an ear, “With another… With it happening again so soon, I’d rather not take any chances today.” “Well, there’s this meeting happening later today, down by the forest’s edge near the river,” Kasei told him, “They’ll be talking about everything that’s been going on and what to do about it. I want to go. This is something I’d rather not stay in the dark about.” Sei remained silent for a minute, his eyes studying the ground as he thought about it. “I’ll… I’ll see later today,” he eventually answered, “Perhaps I’ll feel better once the news has worn off a little.” “Fair enough,” Kasei flicked an ear in acknowledgement, “And in the meantime, I was going to go for some food gathering, maybe catch some prey or two while I’m at it. Which I’m sure you’d like to sit out?” “Yeah, you have fun with that, my bed’s still calling,” Sei barked in laughter, “Just… be careful, alright?” Kasei let out a soft chuckle. “Of course.” “Really.” He stopped at the burrow entrance. Letting out a small sigh, Kasaei couldn’t ignore the sincere conern in Sei’s voice. Slowly turning around, he padded over to Sei’s nest, lowering his head to the silver Kitsune. Before Kasai had a chance to do so himself, though, Sei suddenly reached forward and brushed his nose against the fur of Kasai’s neck, rising to his feet and gliding himself down the side of Kasai’s body. Kasai returned the gesture, nuzzling close to Sei before settling his head on his silver nape and intertwining their tails. “I’ll be back soon,” Kasai promised. The young Kitsune, Kasai, is out on Overlook Bluff trying to get in some morning meditation by the seaside. However, with the latest murder having just happened, all the birds chattering about it keeps him from focusing, so he heads back home instead.
Back at his burrow in Highwind Woods, Kasai wakes up his denmate and partner Seishin, who notes how distracted Kasai has been with the latest murder. Sei as well admits how frightened he is to go out on the island when no one knows what's causing these murders, but Kasai reassures Sei that he'll always be there to protect him (if a little overzealously).
Kasai also mentions the upcoming meeting and his desire to go, and before he heads out to hunt for the day, Sei and him have a quiet moment together amidst all the worry and fear spreading across the island.
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Post by RielCZ on Jun 9, 2018 1:13:34 GMT -5
"THE END IS NIGH! REPENT FOR YOUR MISDEEDS AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER, AND YOU SHALL BE REWARDED IN THE KINGDOM TO COME!" Rui Tianma gingerly trotted past her "grandma", trying not to be seen. Si wasn't her real grandmother -- but she was born long before the teenaged (in longma years) Rui, and the moniker was a sign of respect. Si was by far the eldest amongst the island's tribe of longma -- but certainly not the wisest, at least in the adolescent dragon-horse's opinion. Si had always seemed... well, batty -- not of sound mind. Rui mostly managed to live her life to this point without speaking much to or thinking much about Grandma. But it was becoming hard, now -- Grandma had become increasingly apocalyptic, especially over the past few weeks, shouting assorted revelations and incantations. All the longma knew Si probably did not have too much longer on the island. But Si was the eldest, most respected, most revered, most etc., and the least Rui and the other longma could do would be to let Si do her thing while Si still had a thing to do. At least Si had long since lost her power of flight, and her cryptic, irrational messages could not reach the greater public. "ROY," Grandma called out to her. Drat, she'd been spotted. "Rui," Rui corrected through gritted teeth. "THE ISLAND OF NAUTILUS IS DOOMED! THE HALLOW HILLS WILL FALL, AND THE MISTS WILL TURN TO DUST!" "Naelus," Rui corrected with a sigh. "Good bye, Grandma." "THIS IS NOT THE END -- IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING! BE PREPARED TO LOSE YOUR PLACE, AND YOU WILL GAIN SO MUCH MORE! SPREAD THE WORD!" "Yeah, right," Rui muttered under her breath before taking to the skies. It was morning, and she loved how the sunlight caught her scales and made them glint almost rainbow in color. She loved the sun. Soon she soared high over the stretch of land connecting the Highwind Woods to the Hollow Hills, the stretch home to most of the island's longma population. But she, among others, enjoyed catching fish in the winding river and grazing in the endless meadow -- she was headed there now. Rui was excited -- this would mark the first time she had left the comfort of her tribe's glade in almost two weeks. Teenagers have so little spare time, Rui thought with a flip of the long hair on her mane. Flying over the meadow, she encountered BIRDS. Their cacophonous sounds seemed only ever to bring bad news. Where was the good news these days? Not with Grandma, anyway. Wait... are they calling death?...Death? This is death? Meeting about death? Curiousity got the better of her. Who would have been murdered? Senseless murder on the island wasn't a thing -- couldn't be a thing. And then she heard a loud wail, like a lion and a humpback whale. In a display of aerodyanmic acumen, she flew towards its source and circled around in the air above the Waterfall Basins. There it was. A small dead quadraped, obviously not killed for food. So it was true... Fear and anxiety gripped the longma and she started to panic. Murder, Grandma, end of the island...... Doing the first thing that came to mind, Rui flew haphazardly through the air, shouting, "THE END OF NAELUS IS NIGH! THE END OF NAELUS IS NIGH!" In an intro post with little in regards to interaction-ability...
THERE IS SOMEONE SCREAMING IN THE FORESTS! "THE END OF THE ISLAND IS NIGH! REPENT, FORGIVE EACH OTHER, AND YOU SHALL BE REWARDED IN THE KINGDOM TO COME!"
Rui (an impressionable teenage longma) doubts her "Grandma", Si. Si by far the eldest of the longma, and has been loopy for as long as Rui has been alive. Si has recently become apocalyptic.
Rui mostly disregards her about actually everything
She leaves longma territory for the first time in a few weeks to go grazing in the meadows, but mid-flight hears the BIRDS. She goes exploring and encounters the body.
Fear grips her and panic strikes -- and without thinking, she's shouting the same thing. "THE END OF NAELUS IS NIGH!"
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Post by Ginz ❤ on Jun 9, 2018 1:27:09 GMT -5
"Ahh!" exclaimed Inara, rearing slightly. She was startled by the sudden appearance of the dangling tree octopus. She took a second to compose herself before responding. "Oh, hi, Dara! I'm relieved it's you!" she said with a smile. Despite the initial surprise, the octopus' compliment hadn't gone unnoticed. It put her in a good mood. "Why, thank you! I'd love snack," she said, nibbling to take a few pine nuts from the pitcher plant. "Did you hear the news?" she asked, her expression turning somber. No reply was necessary. Naelus was a small island, and news always travelled fast. (Those birds sure loved their gossip!) You would have to literally live under a rock not to hear about important happenings. "I was making my way to the meeting near the river, are you planning on coming? If you're heading there too, I could give you a ride on my back," she offered. Inara is started by the sudden presence of her Tree Octopus friend! She accepts some of Dara's pine nuts and asks if they're going to the meeting, offering to let them ride on her back if so. Tagging Liou
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Post by Celestial on Jun 9, 2018 5:29:22 GMT -5
Kopi jumped and Svar jumped at the same time, little tongues of flame spitting from the edges of his wings. Was it a predator? Had they been ambushed? The firebird looked to Kopi for guidance only to see the cunicanine relax. Oh, of course. Kopi was reacting to him. Svar fluttered back down, though he still kept his distance. He nodded in sympathy as Kopi spoke before Tash interjected. The firebird listened to her, though his distrust of her words were obvious by the way his crest flattened and the irises of blue-grey eyes narrowed. "Nothing is safe, Tash. It never was and it certainly never will be," he chirruped, his tone annoyed. It must have been nice to not anticipate danger at every turn. If a human snuck up on them, they probably would not regard the cat as a great prize, exotic as she was. Cats were well-liked by the humans anyway. They might have even given her a pat! "Don't get me wrong, I do want to go. It is important we find out what is happening so we can protect ourselves, and there is safety in numbers. I am just worried that whoever did this will take the opportunity to attack us all while we're gathered together," the firebird hunched down on his branch, looking around. He did that a lot, often making him look smaller than he was. As he did, he heard a rustle in the trees. Somebody was there. Somebody upright. Svar screeched. "A human!" he took off into the air, screaming and screeching, his tail fanning out behind him. A single feather fluttered to the ground but Svar did not care. He just wanted to be far away. Except...humans did not have long ears. Or a tail. Or fur, except on their heads. They were another Naelus creature. Though Svar could not recall their name, he had seen them before. Granted, he had seen most creatures on Naelus before: most of them he was around when their grandparents were born. Forcing himself to relax- not an easy feat for someone as high-strung as him- Svar, settled down on his previous branch. "Come out, and don't lurk like that! If everyone is on edge, what do you think we're like?" he called to the beast that was obscured by the foliage. Turning to Kopi, Svar crooned. "It's okay. I just got spooked. I think it's another one of us." ***
As the creatures of Naelus made their wake to the meeting, deep in a burrow somewhere, a small, round furry shape stirred in a nest of leaf litter. It was mostly varying shades of brown, though there were black streaks in the colouring marred by the occassional grey that marked this creature as old, or at least old for her kin. A big nose poked out of the leaves and loudly snuffled, taking in its surroundings. A face with two big, dark eyes and even bigger ears, lamb-like and oversized, poked out, along with naked, scrambly feet. It was rare to see a haggis on the plains. A population lived on the Hollow Hills, and another, smaller one, lived on the High Hills, but they rarely intersected due to a quirk of biology: haggises had uneven legs to help them run on uneven surfaces, but this made them very poor at navigating the flats. This female, however, was a rarity among her kind. Born with even legs, she was free to go anywhere, and so she did. Most of her own kind was hardly welcoming. Not that it mattered: it just meant she could make more friends! Her tiny size, friendly nature, advanced age and very tasty flesh should have made her a target for predators as soon as she stepped outside, but everyone knew Morag. Nobody wanted to be That Predator who ate the old lady. As a result, Morag happily wandered around, oblivious to most things except all of the lovely creatures that she met. The haggis gave another very loud snuffle, trying to identify where she was. "This is not my burrow," she said to herself, as was a habit of many creatures who reached an age as advanced as hers. "Oh dearie me, I must have lost track of time last night." She scuttered around, sniffing some more. This burrow was currently unoccupied but it smelled wonderful. Morag realised she was quite hungry. Perhaps she could snuffle out some breakfast at some point. Using her tiny claws for leverage, the haggis crept out of the burrow and approached the nearest creature, who she assumed was the occupant. "Excuse me, but do you have any idea where I am, dearie?" she asked. Her eyes flicked as she caught the birdsong filling the air around them. "Those birdies are very agitated today, aren't they? There's been another murder? Of young Beech? Oh dear, that's not good." Svar talks to Kopi and Tash( Rabbit ♠), sympathising with Kopi and envying Tash a little for not being so paranoid. However, he picks up Lacintell( Kozma) in the bushes and panics, mistaking the procoptodon for a human. However, he soon realises his mistakes and chastises Lacintell for sneaking up on them, as well as reassuring Kopi that it's fine, he just over-reacted. Morag, meanwhile, wakes up with no idea where she is or what is going on, which is par for the course for a haggis as old as she is. She gets out of the burrow and asks the nearest creature ( Shinko, would that be you?) what is going on. She is a little senile, bear with her.
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Post by Jayeee on Jun 9, 2018 6:30:41 GMT -5
“Your new leader - Calix - is a shining beacon in the Shadowed Pines. No, not just the Shadowed Pined, but all of Nealus. No more do we need to be shrouded in mist, for Calix will lead the way to a brighter future! Let us welcome him to the watering hole with open paws, claws, beaks and whatever else you lower beings possess!” After finishing his grand speech, the Nemean Lion bounded into the trees before strutting back out to his previous position. “I’m not shocked that you’d all think this way,” he announced, his shimmering gold fur creating light in the otherwise dim forest. It was the main reason he’d chosen the pines to spend most of his time - his fur lit up any area at the best of times, but when it was dark? Nobody could keep their eyes off of him then. As it was meant to be. “Truly, I am amazing.” Calix paused and turned to the only person in attendance to his practice inauguration - a three-head dog. “Tell me how great I was. Did I shimmer in the darkness, will my words reach every corner of Naelus? Will the females fall at my feet? Tell me Nicos, I must hear just how glorious I am!” Two of Nicos’ heads nodded enthusiastically. “We are in complete agreement - You are going to make Naelus into a place of beauty!” Calix narrowed his piercing eyes. “Why didn’t he nod?” he motioned towards the third head. “LIFE IS A MEANINGLESS VOID!” it announced. Nicos’ middle head jerked to the left and headbutted the third. “He’s going through a rebellious phase right now - refers to himself as OBSIDIAN NIGHT.” Calix had stopped listening and had instead taken to shaking his mane roughly - for maximum sparkle. “I can already imagine it: those birds won’t be waking me from my beautiful dreams - last night’s was a real winner by the way, I had a whole group of female predators offering their prey to me with such pride! - with news of death and woe, but will be announcing that Calix, the Nemean Lion has made Naelus into a strong and stable environment for everyone!” “How exactly do you plan on doing that, though?” Nicos asked, somewhat meekly. Calix struck a pose and stared at the sky. “That’s for everyone else to sort out. I’m here to look good - and boy, do I look good - and inspire confidence and determination. Maybe even some lust too, if you know what I mean.” Two of Nicos’ head howled in agreement - the third howled in eternal pain and despair. “Then I had better start making my way to the river. I need to get there and give the others an opportunity to conversate with the savior of Naelus.” Before bounding away to light up the island with his presence, Calix turned back to Nicos. “You’re coming too, right?” “Of course, we wouldn’t dare to miss your grand acceptance as Naelus’ leader. I bet they’ll beg you to help them all.” However, instead of walking beside him, the three-headed dog began racing around in circles on the spot. “On second thought - maybe you should go without us. OBSIDIAN NIGHT wants to stay and contemplate the meaninglessness of everything, and I can’t pilot this body without full compliance!” Calix raised an eyebrow, but then leapt into the thickness of the forest while calling back, “Don’t worry, i’ll tell you how much they love me when I get back!” He grinned to himself as he neared the edge of the forest. “It’s time to Make Naelus Great Again!” Calix is ready to lead Naelus into a better future! One of strength, stability, and greatness!
Nicos, his three-headed dog friend is in almost complete agreement but a slight psychological hitch with one of his head's prevents him to accompanying his new overlord.
Calix is left to make his way to the meeting alone - a leader walks a lonely path after all!
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Post by Shinko on Jun 9, 2018 8:09:57 GMT -5
There is a legend about the shadow on the face of the moon. It tells the story of four friends, a monkey, an otter, a jackal, and a rabbit, who swore an oath with one another on the day of the full moon that they would practice a life of great generosity. One day an old man who was starving to death begged the animals for food. The clever monkey gathered fruit from the trees, the swift otter caught fish from a river, and the sly jackal stole a roasting lizard and a pot of milk curd from a nearby village. However, the rabbit only knew how to eat and gather grass, which it knew the man could not eat. Selflessly, the rabbit flung itself into the man’s fire, offering itself up as a meal. The old man then revealed his true identity- he was a god, the ruler of all the heavens. He did not allow the rabbit to be burned by the flames, instead drawing it out of the fire and painting its shape into the moon so that all might see and honor it. The goddess of the moon then took the rabbit into her kingdom, teaching it the art of preparing rice cakes with a hammer and pestle, so that it need never give it’s flesh to a hungry stranger again. It was given the name Jade Rabbit. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, similar narratives exist about the shadow of a rabbit on the moon. Some tell the story of a rabbit who offered herself to Quetzalcoatl when he lay starving, and was elevated to the moon as a reward. Some tell of the cowardly god Tecciztecatl, who hesitated three times to give up his earthly life and become the moon of the fifth rebirth of the world, and had a rabbit thrown at his face as punishment, so that his light would always be dimmer than that of the sun. Still others have a story of a young rabbit who wanted to ride the moon, and convinced a crane to carry him up to it. Now, as is often the case, there is more to the stories than any of those single narratives. Anyone who knows anything of rabbits can tell you that all you really need are two in order to find yourself with a small legion of them. And with so many rabbits- some virtuous, some curious, some merely in the right place at the right time- finding themselves in the kingdom of the moon, it soon came to be that the kingdom was host to a thriving population of lapines who served the gods and spirits there. These moon rabbits grew to be very much different from their earthly counterparts- and so when the kingdom of the moon was lost upon man’s landing on the moon- killing most of the spirits there, as humanity “proved they weren’t real”- there was no place upon the earth for the fallen moon rabbits. They entered into a dark time, and their numbers dwindled to almost nothing. That was when they, like so many before them, were called to Naelus. Little Mochi had grown up on these tales- the rich heritage of their people, the Moon Rabbits. There weren’t many of their kind left even on the island, but the magic of the spirit would never let them die out completely. As long as their story was passed down, mother to kit, they would remember the beauty of the moon kingdom and the virtue of the Jade Rabbit, even if the rest of the world eventually forgot. Mochi themself, however, preferred not to dwell on such things. The fate of the moon rabbits was a sad story- Mochi greatly disliked sad stories. They preferred to go into the world armed with a pawful of mochi, or dango, or kue, and chase everyone’s sorrows away with sweet treats. They had woken early, when the first of the birds began to cry out in sadness and alarm. Mochi, their magical kine hammer in paw, had emerged from their warren to figure out what all the fuss was. The news had not been good- it had been horrible in fact, just the kind of news Mochi disliked most. Beech, the curious and friendly thylacine who Mochi had told stories and taught rice-pounding songs, was murdered. For a brief time the rabbit sat at the mouth of the warren, grooming themselves and pondering if they should bring some of their stock of mochi out to the coastal thylacines as a gesture of solace. Then, a new message was sung on the breeze- a meeting to be held at the edge of the woods near the winding river. If Mochi had any shrewdness in them, they could surmise that there would be a lot of fear and bad feelings at such a meeting. Which meant that there would be a very great need for comfort food. Mochi had thumped back down into the warren at speed, darting past their sleeping-chamber- still occupied by a guest who’d spent the previous night there- and into the wide, spacious part of the tunnels where they stored rice, as well as a bowl-like stone for grinding that rice. Hammer in paw, they set to work. “O-mo-chi-o tsuk-i-mash-o O-mo-chi-o tsuk-i-mash-o Pet-an-ko, Pet-an-ko Ko-na-te, Ko-na-te, Ko-na-te, Ko-na-te, Ko-na-te, Ton, ton, ton, ton, ton, ton, ton, ton-” Singing softly to themselves, Mochi worked well into midmorning, until they had a huge pile of mochi in as many flavors as they could manage from the island’s various fruits and nuts. They rolled each small piece in seaweed to keep them from sticking together, then gathered up the whole bundle into a very large, flat leaf for carring. Finally, they tied the ends of the leaf in a knot around their neck, and hopped back out to the mouth of the warren; they were ready! “ Exuse me, but do you have any idea where I am, dearie?” a soft voice warbled, making Mochi pause and look around. They’d almost forgotten about their little houseguest. " Those birdies are very agitated today, aren't they? There's been another murder? Of young Beech? Oh dear, that's not good." “No, Granny, it isn’t,” Mochi agreed, their soft, fuzzy nose twitching to take in the smaller animal’s scent. Even though they were technically older than the haggis, they called any animal elderly for its kind ‘granny’ or ‘grandther’ out of respect. “You spent the night in my warren after you lost track of the time. We’re near the High Hills.” They put a paw up to the knot holding their leaf-pack in place. “There’s going to be a meeting tonight- I’m going so everybody has something sweet to snack on while they’re there.” Giving a wide, buck-toothed grin, they added, “But if you’re hungry now, I have just the thing.” Mochi leaped over top of the startled haggis, scooting swiftly back into the warren. A moment later, they emerged with three small clumps of mochi with various toppings. They set one down in front of the haggis that appeared to have been rolled in dandelion petals. “I make these ones special for the haggis around here,” Mochi explained cheerfully. “I’ll hold on to the other two in case I meet anybody on the way- don’t wanna lose all my fresh stock before the meeting!” Turning to go, they said, “You can come along if you want!” Shinko spends close to a thousand words explaining the various mythos around moon rabbits and letting Mochi do their mochi-making thing! Then finally Celestial’s Morag wakes up and toddles out of the warren. Mochi greets her, offers her noms, then invites her to come along with them to the meeting. (Anybody is free to accost Mochi and/or Morag along the way, and probably will be offered a rice cake if they do, lol.
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Post by Tiger on Jun 9, 2018 13:24:11 GMT -5
Taakeyrr and Soaitsae hadn’t made it far, only almost to the river, before the sound an enormous roar echoed up the cliffsides. The two dinosaurs stiffened; Taakeyrr broke out of it first, backtracking a little to approach the waterfall’s edge and peer down the slope. “It’s Quicksnap,” she said, spotting the huge reptile with little difficulty. No surprise a sound that loud had come from a creature that stood to the dilophosaurs’ shoulders. “...He’s heading back this way.” Soitsae stepped up to join her. “He must have known her. The thylacine - she was part of the coastal pack. And the body was found under the Basin…” Taakeyrr’s feathers prickled uncomfortably. “He must have found her.” Soaitsae rumbled in agreement. “...Should we stay here? Or go on ahead?” Taakeyrr asked, eyeing the crocodile’s dogged pace and not-unthreatening prowling. “I’d like to speak to him,” Soaitsae said. “You can go on if - “ “I’m staying,” Taakeyrr insisted. “...You don’t think he’s dangerous?” “To us? No.” Taakeyrr supposed it would have been obvious by now if a giant crocodile had been behind any of the murders; they called the kaprosuchus Quick[/i]snap[/i] for a reason, and bite marks from a mouth that big would be unmistakable. Soaitsae stepped away from the edge of the falls and started for the slope. Taakeyrr followed, a few paces behind just in case. The dilophosaurs stopped a respectful distance from the huge crocodile, though Soaitsae took a slight step forward before calling out, “Quicksnap? We heard you from the falls…” He let the unspoken question hang in the air. Taakeyrr and Soitsae are heading to the meeting when they hear Quicksnap’s ( Shinko) roar. Soaitsae wants to go speak to him; Taakeyrr comes along with.
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Post by Thorn on Jun 9, 2018 15:04:48 GMT -5
"Nice to meet you too, Roda. What a lovely name." Kohimu's tail curled as another wail split the air. As far as he knew, Quicksnap had been with Beech since the news broke, if not before. The taniwha hadn't personally gone to see her. He typically observed the custom of half-remembered days spent among the humans: visiting the deceased to pay his respects and remember the time they'd spent together. But Kohimu didn't want to see his friend all cut-up and bloodied, and especially not with Quicksnap mourning so vocally. She hadn't deserved to go like that- not so violently, and not so young. It was cowardly, he knew, but he just hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. "Safety in numbers," Kohimu repeated, pulling himself back to the here and now. "You shouldn't be alone right now, let's go to the meeting together. Something killed Beech for the sake of it, which is the scary thing, but there's always something we can do! If we band together we'll quickly discover who did this, and put an end to their nonsense." Kohimu hears Shinko's Quicksnap being sad, and reflects a little bit. Then, he continues his conversation with June Scarlet 's Roda.
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Post by Shinko on Jun 9, 2018 15:11:23 GMT -5
Quicksnap glanced around at the sound of his name. He recognized the two dinosaurs standing a slight ways off- he often passed the dilophosaurus family when they ventured into the Endless Meadow to fish from the river. The giant flightless birds were cordial enough without being terrified of him like most other creatures he met, and they’d shared a few amicable conversations in the past. “You’ve heard the news from your tiny kin, I’d wager,” he rumbled, looking away again. “Her name was Beech. I met her two years ago, when she was just a joey. Cute kid. She tried to scare me out of her territory when she was fresh from her mother’s pouch." He hesitated, taloned toes digging into the turf underfoot. "I just… I just spoke to her a few days ago. She was asking about the murders, and I told her n-not to sweat it so much.” His jaws parted in a noise that was like a hiss, but louder and with a hint of a snarl behind it. For fifty-seven years Quicksnap had lived on the island, and in all that time he’d seldom been known to get more than mildly annoyed. Being as big as he was came with a heaping helping of self-confidence, and he seldom took what others said or did where he was concerned much to heart. Why should he, when he could have easily bitten their heads off with a single swift chomp? But there was no doubt whatsoever that he was angry now. No, not angry- furious. “Stupid, arrogant, blind,” he seethed, before shaking himself roughly. “I’m sorry. I just… Well. I’m sure you know.” Quicksnap acknowledges Soaitsae ( Tiger), explaining that he has FEELS and hinting that he knows the two dilos might understand his feels.
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Post by Liou on Jun 9, 2018 17:42:38 GMT -5
"I was making my way to the meeting near the river, are you planning on coming? If you're heading there too, I could give you a ride on my back," she offered. The tips of Dara's arms fluttered and curled. "On your back? To the meeting? Together? Really? What a brilliant idea, Inara - though that's only natural, coming from you." The octopus slid onto the unicorn's head without needing to be told twice. As soon as they had made contact with her glossy coat, flecks of pearly white began to dot their russet mantle. "What with everything the birds are yelling, it certainly sounds wise to travel with more than one pair of eyes. I shall keep a lookout for you if you wish," Dara offered while coiling into a comfortable heap behind the unicorn's neck, pale enough to blend in. They certainly did not mind the warmth of the equine beneath them or the silky texture and clean taste pervading their suckers. What safer ride was there than a peaceful unicorn? Dara soon found themself lulled by Inara's pace. "Many of the families will probably be travelling together, and of course I could have asked the other octopuses to take me," they chattered in an effort to stay alert, "but, you know, it's always a bit odd, talking to someone you haven't seen since your hatchday." Dara gave a wriggly laugh. "It won't be a very cub-friendly meeting anyway, will it. No point in me bringing the rolly toys that jangle. Might not be a good time to trade food either. I didn't hunt yesterday, no time - too busy working on building my traps." Starting a family was always the last thing an octopus did in their life. Until such a time came for Dara, they made the most of the other creatures' families, crafting new toys for the cubs, pups, kits and joeys of Naelus and watching them play instead of the hatchlings Dara would never meet. "Perhaps I should keep my tools with me anyway. Never know when I might need them. Maybe share a few if someone needs. Inara dear, if you happen to walk near my storage-tree on the way, might I trouble you for a quick stop." Dara's intro, part 2! I get to ride a unicorn, yaaaay thanks Ginz ❤ . c: The octopus does feel much safer riding on a unicorn than not riding on a unicorn and is quite comfy where they are, casually chatting to Inara on the way. Dara compensates for their lack of a family by trying to be an auncle / Santa? for other islanders' families.
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Post by Tiger on Jun 9, 2018 19:04:10 GMT -5
The dilophosaurs let Quicksnap speak without interruption, not that Taakeyrr would have known what to say to comfort him, anyhow. She could hear the anger and the sadness in the kaprosuchus’ voice and see it in his body language - crocodiles were far easier to read than the mammals; it reminded her of a too-familiar combination of emotions. The grief, the shock, the anger… Though at least Kassisssis and Sretash hadn’t been murdered. Taakeyrr wasn’t surprised Quicksnap looked like he wanted to put those massive jaws to use.
“I’m sorry. I just… Well. I’m sure you know.”
Soaitsae dipped his head a little. “Yes - we felt the same when it happened to us. I’m sorry for your loss - especially...” his nostrils pinched and his lips curled back a little, revealing the points of his teeth. “Especially in such a cruel way.” Taakeyrr nodded her agreement. Death was bad enough when it was for a natural reason.
“Are you going to the meeting, too?” she asked. “Somebody there could know something, and we can take them down before they attack anybody else.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be that simple; if anyone had seen the murder happen, the birds would be screaming it all over the island. And how else would we know for sure?”
Taakeyrr rumbled a little in obviously reluctant agreement, before turning her attention back to the kaprosuchus.
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