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+--- Thread: Lover's Lonely Kiss (/showthread.php?tid=4421)
Lover's Lonely Kiss - Chou - Oct 24 2017
Chou could hardly remember a time when he hadn't been alone in the world.
There was a vague feeling of warmth there when he cast back his lonely thoughts to the very beginning... as well as an aching sense of loss. Over the many cycles Cetus had been quiet, and on his own, in the darkness the Peacock hadn't flourished and bloomed, but he had managed to just scrape by. He'd peck at grassy stalks and pull up tender shoots of fresh growth, just barely managing to stave off starvation until the next meager cycle brought with it more food.
The small, malnourished peacock carried with him months worth of grime picked up from the muddy ground, and it was impossible to tell that he had once been a pristine and snowy white. The fur along his back was stained a muddy yellow, and along his chest a grimy green. his pink, scaled feet picked cautiously through the mud for a path and he was soon forced to cover more ground, soon becoming lost in the grimy depths and never knowing the way back to the place where he was born.
For many cycles, he journeyed in this way, patrolling those murky depths in his pitiful rounds seeking naught but the barest scraps.
And then everything changed.
RE: Lover's Lonely Kiss - Chou - Oct 24 2017
A short while ago, Chou had been grazing on a patch of solid ground, when there came the thud of hooves bounding close by, and rapidly drawing closer. The peacock, being blind, knew that there were a variety of creatures that roamed the halls of the caves, but what the bird couldn't see was that it was a tunnel runner; a cave deer that had strayed into the cavern by the entrance that was tragically close by.
The grimy peacock had continued to graze, his beak pulling at tender stems, oblivious to the cave deer's aggressive posture or the fact that they were now gunning towards him.
The peacock barely had the chance to raise his head in response to the thundering of hooves. Suddenly, just like that, his entire world became a spear of blistering agony. The cave deer's tusks bored into his chest and hard, herbivorous fangs crushed his hollow ribcage. The peacock's wings beat frantically, and suddenly he was flung. He sailed and soared, high into the air, and with a scream of agony, came down upon the ground. The bird's instincts came first and all he could think to do was run, tail feathers dragging behind him like the train of a ruined wedding dress.
Soon though, his strength failed him. his desperate sprint slowed to a crawl, and soon Chou was forced to drop to the ground, chest heaving. With every breath, pain sent him spasming, and even the pressure of lying down soon became too much. With a pitiful cry, the peacock managed to slump to his side.
Too dazed to do anything else, the peacock simply lay and felt the creeping numbness, the chill of the fog all around.
RE: Lover's Lonely Kiss - Kin-Kin - Oct 24 2017
Kin-Kin was stalking through the cave's tunnels when she heard a distant scream of agony. Her ears pricked up almost immediately, and figuring that a potential meal may be near, she followed the sound. She soon came to the entrance of Cetus; a cavern she'd rarely entered due to the mud and murk within. The wolf didn't think that anything within would be in a state worth eating, and she couldn't help but sniff distastefully.
A snort came from nearby, and Kin-Kin raised her head, meeting the gaze of a large cave deer.
Bloodstained tusks were bared warningly, and it was at that moment Kin-Kin caught the scent of blood on the air, causing a chill to run down her spine. Something was wrong; the blood didn't belong to a cave rat or a rival deer. Uneasily, Kin-Kin slid into the murk, water welling around her paws with each step into the gloom. She kept a wary eye on the tunnel runner, and it watched her closely until she was well out of its field of view. She heard the echoes in the mist of it dropping its head back down to graze.
Kin-Kin followed the scent of blood, which got steadily stronger until she came upon a shake in the mist. She heard gasping breaths, and a quiet whimper. Kin-Kin stooped over the being, nosing at their ruined chest and the gemstone nestled within.
Her stomach turned.
A greater Gembound.
Kin-Kin had always thought that she wouldn't have cared if she'd found the remnants of a gem like herself; that perhaps she'd feast, and move on. She'd never been bothered by the sight of bones and death, pain, and rebirth were just a part of life to her. But why then... did this poor bird send such chills down her spine?
Poor thing. It's still alive...
Kin-Kin didn't know what to do. She noticed them trembling, so against her better judgement, she lay down beside them on the marshy earth. Brackish water swirled around her chest, and she knew she'd have to groom well later. She gave a soft hum in the back of her throat, and noticed the bird raising its head only slightly. It had finally noticed her.
"In a bit of a state, huh kid?" Kin-Kin asked, with a hint of unsure sympathy. Her voice seemed to soak into the mist, with silence following close behind.
" speech "
A snort came from nearby, and Kin-Kin raised her head, meeting the gaze of a large cave deer.
Bloodstained tusks were bared warningly, and it was at that moment Kin-Kin caught the scent of blood on the air, causing a chill to run down her spine. Something was wrong; the blood didn't belong to a cave rat or a rival deer. Uneasily, Kin-Kin slid into the murk, water welling around her paws with each step into the gloom. She kept a wary eye on the tunnel runner, and it watched her closely until she was well out of its field of view. She heard the echoes in the mist of it dropping its head back down to graze.
Kin-Kin followed the scent of blood, which got steadily stronger until she came upon a shake in the mist. She heard gasping breaths, and a quiet whimper. Kin-Kin stooped over the being, nosing at their ruined chest and the gemstone nestled within.
Her stomach turned.
A greater Gembound.
Kin-Kin had always thought that she wouldn't have cared if she'd found the remnants of a gem like herself; that perhaps she'd feast, and move on. She'd never been bothered by the sight of bones and death, pain, and rebirth were just a part of life to her. But why then... did this poor bird send such chills down her spine?
Poor thing. It's still alive...
Kin-Kin didn't know what to do. She noticed them trembling, so against her better judgement, she lay down beside them on the marshy earth. Brackish water swirled around her chest, and she knew she'd have to groom well later. She gave a soft hum in the back of her throat, and noticed the bird raising its head only slightly. It had finally noticed her.
"In a bit of a state, huh kid?" Kin-Kin asked, with a hint of unsure sympathy. Her voice seemed to soak into the mist, with silence following close behind.
" speech "
RE: Lover's Lonely Kiss - Chou - Oct 24 2017
The trembling form of Chou suddenly felt a warmth in the darkness. Something pressed against him in the dark, and although there was pain, it was soft, and a great relief swept over him. A lump churned in his slender throat and he croaked gently, the words barely manifesting themselves, no matter how hard he tried.
"N-Nora... Is... that you?"
He heard her voice. A warm, feminine voice. It was different, but Nora's voice was so lost to the folds of his memory, that he recognized it as the voice of the one he'd loved so long ago.
"I'm so glad... to finally find you. I've been looking... for so long. I've... missed you."
The bird was fighting for every breath, but suddenly, the bird was determined to stay awake. Not for himself, but for Nora. He'd missed her so much. He wanted nothing more than to be with her again, laughing and playing, hiding and guiding, just like they had when they were chicks.
His breaths rattled in his throat, and moisture seeped into his ruined feathers.
"Nora..."
RE: Lover's Lonely Kiss - Kin-Kin - Oct 24 2017
Kin-Kin opened her mouth to reply to the peacock's desperate plea, and in a moment, closed it again. She fluttered her eyes closed, breathing out a sigh through her nostrils.
"That's right, it's me," Kin-Kin said softly, a lump rising in her throat. "Your Nora.... That's... right." Kin-Kin inched just a little closer, swishing her tail over the peacock's. "I missed you too."
She felt the peacock growing agitated, and used her nose to gently press the peacock's head back down onto the ground. "Shhh, there's no need for that," she murmured. "Just relax. Sleep... and I'll be right here when you awake. I'm not going anywhere."
Kin-Kin felt the avian do as he was told, head remaining down and eyes drifting closed. His rasping breaths became softer, more subtle. Her eyes pressed closed in concentration as she tried to think about the heart of someone she'd never met before. She fought against the pride in her heart to say what the peacock wanted to hear, despite the fact that she'd never known him and perhaps never would.
"I'll always be here."
" speech "
"That's right, it's me," Kin-Kin said softly, a lump rising in her throat. "Your Nora.... That's... right." Kin-Kin inched just a little closer, swishing her tail over the peacock's. "I missed you too."
She felt the peacock growing agitated, and used her nose to gently press the peacock's head back down onto the ground. "Shhh, there's no need for that," she murmured. "Just relax. Sleep... and I'll be right here when you awake. I'm not going anywhere."
Kin-Kin felt the avian do as he was told, head remaining down and eyes drifting closed. His rasping breaths became softer, more subtle. Her eyes pressed closed in concentration as she tried to think about the heart of someone she'd never met before. She fought against the pride in her heart to say what the peacock wanted to hear, despite the fact that she'd never known him and perhaps never would.
"I'll always be here."
" speech "
RE: Lover's Lonely Kiss - Chou - Oct 24 2017
Chou's breaths were growing ever lower, until they may as well not have existed at all. His eyes, though already blind, had flickered closed in anticipation of sleep. He felt no pain any more; only relief, and happiness, and...
"Nora?" Chou asked meekly, eyes flickering.
He heard a responsive grunt, felt the warmth shift. Somehow, he imagined her bill nosing at the soft feathers around his neck. the warmth of her hide against his own was the only thing he'd ever wanted, he understood that now. In all the cycles he'd lived, for the first time he understood why he'd kept going through the cycles, through all the dark, and the cold, and the hunger.
For the first time, he felt like everything was going to be okay.
"I... I..." Chou's words slurred together, his lungs were beginning to give out. "I... love... you... Nora..."
That was all he could manage. In the warmth of his perceived lover's embrace, Chou drifted away. As he did so, the magic from his gem drained away into the soil, and causing small shoots to break through the marshy ground.
After what seemed like forever, his grimy body began to cool.
-exit Chou-
RE: Lover's Lonely Kiss - Kin-Kin - Oct 24 2017
Kin-Kin knew that she was alone long before the warmth began to leave Chou's muddied form, and she'd known from the first moment that she'd laid eyes on the bird that he wasn't going to make it. But still, feeling the pathetic mass of feathers cooling at her side brought an ache to her heart the likes of which she'd never felt before. She couldn't help but wonder who the peacock's lover had been; where they'd been, and why the peacock was now alone.
It took a long while before Kin-Kin finally staggered to her paws and turned to leave. But somehow, something caused her to turn back, looking back at the lifeless form whose final moments she'd shared. It felt wrong to just leave him here.
Kin-Kin slowly approached, and with a delicate stoop, picked up the limp form into tender jaws. The marshy ground squelching under their combined weight, she felt the bird's tail dragging beneath her paws. And then, breaking into a trot, the wolf passed by the tunnel runner as it stayed grazing, and left the chilly, misty cavern of Cetus behind for good.
-exit Kin-Kin-
" speech "
It took a long while before Kin-Kin finally staggered to her paws and turned to leave. But somehow, something caused her to turn back, looking back at the lifeless form whose final moments she'd shared. It felt wrong to just leave him here.
Kin-Kin slowly approached, and with a delicate stoop, picked up the limp form into tender jaws. The marshy ground squelching under their combined weight, she felt the bird's tail dragging beneath her paws. And then, breaking into a trot, the wolf passed by the tunnel runner as it stayed grazing, and left the chilly, misty cavern of Cetus behind for good.
-exit Kin-Kin-
" speech "