ORIGIN - Stormborn

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When Shango pushed between Ivory and her sister, she moved to make room with a small sound of protest. She liked Shida. She wanted to stay by Shid--ooh, banana!

Disappointment was quickly forgotten in the wake of hunger. She munched down the piece of fruit, peel and all, and then snuggled close to her rather thin, not-very-heat-insulating-father. The wing over her shielded her from the worst of the rain, but she peered around his front to make sure that Shida, too, was covered.

Then she fell silent, sparkling, as she listened to Shango's... questionable lessons.

Though Ivory's personality was yet to be formed, there was no reason not to listen. She struggled to keep up even with this simplicity, as young as she was, but he seemed, at least, to be helping. Contentment overtook any annoyance at wet and cold; she was fed, she was with family, safe, and listening to... whatever sort of information this was.

"No sand cave," she muttered dutifully, and nodded; the little horn-stumps on her nose and head bobbed along with her. When Shango fell silent, her mind turned over all that he had said. She wanted the best life--both for herself, and for Shida--and so she carefully formulated a question of her own.

"Which cave... is... best cave?" she asked, a little clumsily, her words tumbling over themselves a little.

@Shida

Shida grumbled happily when another piece of banana was presented to her. She quickly took in and devoured it quickly, savoring the sweet, wonderful taste of the fruit. Delicious. Father was saying something, a lot of things, actually, but she wasn't quite catching all of it. It was kind of a lot at once and her young mind was having a hard time keeping up.

At least she understood one thing. "Shida." That was her name. The other one, the white one, was Ivory and the father one was Storm. At least, that's what she'd figured out so far. She pressed up closer to Storm, making sure the entirety of her little body was sitting under the wing, pressed up close to her father's side. She leaned forward to glance over to make sure Ivory was covered as well, just as she did the same. Good. This was good.

She strung together what Storm was saying in her head. There were lots of caves. This, a forest one, a swamp one, one with water, one that was hot, one with sand that she shouldn't go into...was she missing a couple? It was hard to keep up. She shouldn't be eaten or she died. Died was not living anymore. This, what she was doing now - breathing, eating, seeing, feeling - that was living. She couldn't do that if she was dead. Okay. I'll make sure that I don't die and that Ivory doesn't either. Or Storm. This, she vowed to herself.

The thought of eating other things, though, creatures, didn't really seem all that appealing. She wanted to eat those bananas more. Could she live off of bananas? Or maybe...

She eyed the green around their feet. It didn't really look all that appetizing, but something in her head said that it would be okay to eat it. It smelled good, even in the rain. She leaned forward, curiously, nose twitching, before her jaws opened and she grabbed at the grass with her teeth. She ripped out a hefty mouthful, chewing slowly. Yeah, this didn't taste all that great, but it was certainly edible. At least, not as tasty as the bananas Storm kept growing for her. Still, the fact that she'd discovered something all on her own gave her a thrill of joy. She raised her head and looked up at her father. "I can eat green things, see?" She leaned forward to take another mouthful (a smaller one this time), just to demonstrate that she'd discovered this.

@Shango

When Shida pushed up, moved away and began to eat, Shango felt a sudden twinge of something new: apprehension, parental instinct. He was up in an instant, without intending to be, and crouching near or over Shida. He looked around, tail twitching, appearing for all the world like a worried mother cat.

With... feathers. And glowing eyes.

At length, he looked down at his leaf-munching child. "Good!" he praised, in a quiet, almost crowing croon. He then studied her for a moment.

"That's all you need. Food. Water. Don't die. And magic." Satisfied that he'd done his job as a parent, he turned and paced back away, curling with a flop to lay where he'd been before. Truly, he was a paragon of a father: his kids were fully-trained, and only a few minutes old. He'd done everything that he had to do.

Hopefully, they'd survive, and do well.

The hybrid then just laid there, content in the rain, waiting to see if the children had any questions. He had no intention of leaving them, just yet, and said as much: "If you stay near, I protect. From bigger things." He left it unsaid, though, that if they wanted to travel, they could--but he probably wasn't going to chase them around the caves. No; they were alive, now, and though he'd created them, they weren't his; their lives would be their own. He'd just sort of made them exist in the caves, and he was sure they'd survive just fine.

That was more than enough for him.

Ivory simply watched Shida, at first, as she licked the last banana from her own pale lips. Her sister seemed to be happily eating the green stuff, now, and she shoved up clumsily after a moment--startling when Shango was suddenly beside her, crouched--and plodded over to join the two.

As Shango talked, she tentatively tried a few leaves, herself. She found it as Shida had: not so appetizing as the fruit, but edible. Still glittering from her banana, she munched contentedly away; one ear rotated about, rain pouring down her hide. The thunder was still a little scary, but her family was here, after all.

As she swallowed the leaves, she looked to Shida. Though a little smaller, her sibling was already showing to be a little more bold, a little more explorational, and she wondered if the other would move on at all. She'd follow her, she supposed, if so--whether it was now, or later. The words Shango spoke resonated with her, somehow, and she looked back to him with placid, yet determined, glowing eyes.

"I protect... too," she decided.

She then gave Shida a gentle, friendly headbutt, more a slightly-overly-strong nudge, before returning to her leaves.

@Shida

Shida found that she very much liked it when Storm praised her. She was doing good, wasn't she? Both she and Ivory were doing great! She quickly scooted under Storm's wing-umbrella, the wetness seeping into her skin and making her shiver. She didn't much like this, but she could see (kind of) how Storm did.

She watched Ivory begin to munch away at the leaves as well before her eyes began to drift to the other plant life around them. There were all kinds of things - tall trees, different shaped bushes, grasses on the ground in all shapes and sizes...she'd try all of them! Find out which one she liked the best. Maybe she'd find more bananas out there or even something better then bananas!

She glanced back at Storm, narrowing her littler eyes a bit. Protect? Her? But she wanted to be the one to keep them safe! She glanced over at Ivory, a little surprised that even she was proclaiming it too. Not one to be left out, she raised her head taller. "I'll protect the best!" There weren't many feathers to puff out impressively, but she certainly felt more intimidating, even if it was a rather pathetic display.

She stumbled with surprise at Ivory's headbutt, turning to face her sibling, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. She suddenly lunged forward, bumping at Ivory's side with a little more force then the friendly nudge she'd just given her.

@Shango

Shango remained quiet, listening and watching. He listened to the children, and he listened to the rain; all was peaceful, at least to him. Despite the storm, despite the rolling thunder.

He lay his head at last on his forelimbs, quietly resting. One ear flicked at the quiet conversation of the children, but after a moment, his eyes slipped shut. He wasn't asleep--only listening. His tail, after a moment, dragged back to curl around him, its pointed tip safely away on the other side from the children.

Ivory, chewing quietly, was liable to just accept Shida's declaration that she'd do it "best." She wasn't sure why it mattered, but it didn't bother her much. Some part of her--a part too young to really understand--wondered if perhaps she wouldn't make a good guardian, then? For some reason? But before she could think on this too deeply, Shida had bumped her in the side.

She turned, blinking slowly. She was, perhaps, more lacking in the sense of humor and play than her sibling, and for a moment she thought Shida must have tripped, or fallen. She just stood there, chewing slowly, a puzzled expression on her face and with rounded ears swivelling forward, and then--with confusion--back away.

Once she'd swallowed her mouthful, she spoke, having to raise her voice a little to speak past a sudden, louder torrent of rain. Her tone sounded a little bewildered, rather than demanding. "-What?" she asked.

@Shida

Shida bounced right off her of sibling's side, a small giggle escaping her jaws, but it died quickly when she looked up at Ivory, turning to stare at her, perplexed. Did...did she not understand? Why'd she given a bump to her before, then? She backed away, the lightly-feathered wings ruffling. She stared at her sister, a little confused on how to answer that question.

She instinctively glanced over at Storm, as if he would give her any help with this matter, but he looked like he was sleeping. So she turned back to her sibling and, instead of responding, bared her teeth and crouched, looking rather silly indeed. She bounced around lightly, front hooves pattering at the ground. She bounced forward to bump her head against Ivory's side again, before backing off to see if she'd gotten the message yet. "Come on, play with me!"

@Shango

Shango watched indifferently. The two seemed to be getting along well enough, and there was no reason for him to intervene. He curled up closer, closing his eyes and settling his head down near his own hind leg; his scorpion-hooked tail, he lay over his snout.

It wasn't clear if he was sleeping, or simply resting, but either way his senses were still alert: that sort of parent half-awake that remains ready to lift a head at the strangest sound that might pose a threat to new young.

So long as they stayed close, and out of harm's way, he would get his rest.

exit Shango (unless anything Occurs)

Ivory's gentle movement of affection had somehow prompted play in Shida, and she shook herself, blinking a little.

Play..? she thought. After a moment's consideration, she decided that she knew what this meant; and she felt the contagious spark of mischief hit her. She wasn't as joyous as her sister in this, but perhaps simpler in a sense, and at once she forgot her food in favor of a game.

She leapt forward, toward Shida, her bird-like forefeet scuffing mud about her--then sprang back, clumsily lumbering in a rapid circle away from her sister. It was an invitation to chase--though the newly-hatched Gembound succeeded in falling over twice, skidding in the mud and soaking her white hide with black. She didn't seem to mind, though--but the one time thunder crashed overhead, her ears laid back and her pace picked up a little, until she was back in the cover of the underbrush.

@Shida

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