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+--- Thread: Branch Out (/showthread.php?tid=4469)
Branch Out - Pippy - Nov 17 2017
The first experience of going out of her den had been rather positive, and Pippy was looking forward to going out there again. In spite of all of this, Pippy struggles to make another attempt to leave, for every time Pippy does her fear surges, with her instincts screaming at her the demand to not leave. Each time it happens Pippy just goes to sleep and, hopes when she wakes up, she'll be able to give it another shot. When Pippy wakes up again, she can feel her thirst build up more, and it becomes easier for her to try and leave, water being important. It still took some time, and Pippy escaped into her slumber once again after another failed attempt to leave, when she was right next to the exit of her den.
Finally at last, after one of her many naps, her thirst was acknowledged by her instantly, her mouth felt as if it was full of dirt; it has become too unbearable to ignore now. Pippy got up again, and moved cautiously to the entrance of her den and peered outside. Her instinct to sate her thirst, as soon as possible took precedence over her instinct of possible dangers, and she managed to take a cautious step forward outside. Seeing no movement in the deep white haze, except for the rustling of the flora around her.
She did it! Good good, now time to begin the search for water! Pippy crawled slowly, as she tries to recall her previous journey while using her nose and ears to help find water. Not paying too much attention to her other surroundings, with that she had not seen that something was observing her, with three eyes of a hunter perched on a tree branch from afar...
Pippy stopped recounting her steps, the surroundings now looking familiar, and she can smell and hear the water now. Eventually, her eyes could make out a familiar looking stream, she's gunning for it now, as her thirst felt like torture. Pippy practically dunked her whole head in the water when she finally reached it, drinking with large mouthfuls of it, it was more refreshing than the last time as the dry feeling started to go at last.
This was a job well done today! Pippy was about to explore more, but the instinct and fear stopping her from leaving earlier came back full force, now that she's thirsty no more. No... It felt worse than before, like a feeling sense of overwhelming dread and warning, the bad sign is making all of her nerves bristle. Something's very wrong! Bu-But What...? With panic rising Pippy books it back to where her den is, bad idea for it tragically provoked a chase instinct in the other creature. It takes off to the air, with its greenish, glowing wings, darting towards her in a dive bomb attack, claws out to get her blind spot. But Pippy heard the thrum beating in its wings and, saw from the corner of her eye the green glow while running. Quickly as she yelped in terror Pippy took a leap forward and, managed to reach inside the safe shelter of her den, where it couldn't get her. Despite this, the monstrous-bat-thing-with-three-eyes didn't give up, as it tried to dig its beak into her shelter to no avail, sharp teeth showing. But it effectively has trapped her, as Pippy moves to a corner of her den while wrapping her wings around herself, trying her best not to cry, unsuccessfully...
Scared...
@Equinox
RE: Branch Out - Nox - Nov 25 2017
Equinox was freshly emerged once again from her casing of crimson diamond, her skin once more coated with life-giving slime and her mind throbbing with quiet outbursts of emotion as she recalled in a blurred series of scents and images the moments right before her last encasing. she struggled to make sense of it all... the mild warmth, the shrieking sounds, and worst of all the pain, which she knew had been self-inflicted.
Fear dulled the ache in her heart which begged her to seek out company, and so her feet carried her away from where her heart lead; towards the boggy marshes which had coughed and belched her into the world. She followed a trail on instinct rather than memory, tracking trails which, if they weren't already, would soon be encrusted with a slick black slime from her many comings and goings. It didn't easily wash off.
She soon found water welling around her taloned paws and each step sinking deeper into the marsh. She pressed deeper into the fog until she could no longer see the tunnel entrance behind her, nor anything but the occasional tree looming out of the fog ahead of her.
A warble rose in her throat and throbbed out through the mist, almost seeming to be engulfed by the thick dampness. Equinox looked around, the cold moisture clinging to her, but she felt a pleasant thrill running through her skin at the feeling which manifested itself as a tremble rushing from head to tail. She flexed her claws, feeling the pleasant squelch of mud between her claws. she was close, she knew, to the water's edge; soon it would run deep enough to engulf her, keeping her warm and suitably moist forever.
As Equinox moved forward, she heard the cry of a creature on the hunt. her head snapped around in curiosity, drifting towards the sound. It was then that Equinox felt the hollowness in her belly. She hadn't eaten truly in many cycles, except for several swallowed shards of her chrysalis. All of that energy had soon been spent on yet another Chrysalis, thinner than the last.
A pitch-black tongue slid out and lapped some of the slime from her chin.
Tremors shifted through her skin from nose to tail as she padded towards the sound, quietly, materializing like a towering ghost out of the mist. To her, the comparatively large lesser gembound was a mere morsel, but still she eyed it with a keen diamond gaze, drinking in its scent with huge gulping breaths. it appeared to be too absorbed in its own prey to notice the presence of this new, and far more apex hunter. With a moment's pause, Equinox planned her attack.
Soon, Equinox felt as though she was ready. She arced her long neck back, pupils narrowing to slits as she focused all of her vision. And then, she lashed out, snapping forward, and dragging the being off into the mist. Without even giving it the chance to cry for help, she swallowed it whole. Then nothing; its struggles lost beneath a cover of mist.
Its prey was now safe, and, Equinox, her hunger returning full force, padded towards a tree looming out of the mist, craning her neck to pull the tough needles from the branches, unaware of the tiny life that cowered practically at her feet; a life that she had quite possibly saved.
---
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @pippy
notes: here
RE: Branch Out - Pippy - Nov 26 2017
The Kyte continued in its persistence to grab Pippy at all costs, shoving its head to try and get in his den more. It was repeatedly snapping at the air in hopes of plucking him out, but it still couldn't reach him with Pippy's shelter being such a tiny slit of an entrance and Pippy has scrambled to press himself against the wall of roots that are furthest from the corridor. Pippy looked in absolute horror at those fangs as despite failing to reach him Pippy can see that it is managing to get a little closer to him it couldn't get him still but the Gemling didn't expect it to get this deep in his den. Pippy was practically hyperventilating now with the occasional sob; he feels so vulnerable and unsafe.
As if the Kyte decided on another plan on catching Pippy, it tried to withdraw its head out the entrance of the den, only to find that it managed to get its head stuck. Angered as it let out a screeching hiss at Pippy, and aggressively trying to jab its beak at Pippy, more desperate than before to get him like it was blaming him for getting stuck. In response, Pippy stumbled back with his trembling form and, tried his best to press himself further again even though this is the furthest he can get unless he digs and the roots are somewhat sturdy for that to work. His whole body is shaking like a leaf, as they pressed their back against a wall. It is still trying to shove its head out despite it trying to grab Pippy again. No no no no!
Soon the ground strangely felt like it was shaking with tremors, Pippy doesn't know if that's just because he's trembling, but it certainly did feel like the ground was shaking with a timed pause each time. And then...
Swoosh!
Wait w-wha-? Pippy peeked a look out from his wings as he noticed that nothing was there anymore, the Kyte vanished! Ears perked up, he could hear the sound of something getting dragged away from his den, which Pippy would believe is the Kyte, and soon there was nothing but silence. W-What happened to the Kyte? He heard nothing from it when it disappeared besides the dragging, which gave Pippy some dread as to what happened to it. Or it could be tricking him?
Feeling the vibrations on the ground again, now Pippy was sure it wasn't just from his trembling... Pippy knows he shouldn't go back out there from what may have happened to the Kyte, but he needed to see what exactly is out there. J-Just goes a little out the exit and take a look and jump back in if it's something scary. With that Pippy finally stopped pressing himself against the wall and crawled out the doorway of his den and immediately saw the large black mass by the door.
Pippy just froze from what he saw, a claw, and that's all he could see the rest was towering above him. H-He know things were big here but not that big... Slowly he cranes his head to look up and could see more mass; he ended up falling on his back from to look all the way up. He finally saw the face of the other Gembound as he let out a very audible whine again and found himself completely frozen in place of what he is seeing.
O-Oh geez, that's a big Gembound...!
@Equinox
RE: Branch Out - Nox - Nov 28 2017
Pulling docilely at the prickly leaves of the pine and swallowing them without chewing, Equinox had soon cleared the lower branches and her neck grew thinner as she stretched further up. Drops of pitch-black slime cascading onto the swampy ground, she didn't notice for a long time that she had company, and when she did it was with a ripple of texture from head to tail. Her head swung down, and she at first scanned the thickening mist for any sign that she was being watched. Her foreclaws unhooked from the bark of the tree and with a deep and muffled thud she sank back onto all fours.
She backed away a step or two, and then she turned to scan the ground for dropped pine needles or flowers that she could feed from before leaving for the seclusion of the slimy swamp. It was at that moment that she realized she had company in the form of a tiny ball of fur. A ripple of surprise passed through her skin and she peered down, jaw almost resting on the ground and beak opened wide in order to gaze at them. They were so tiny that eating them was out of the question, and the thought didn't even cross her mind for the most part. But a closer inspection still revealed to her that it was a greater gembound looking back at her, and a dim flicker of recognition pulsed from distant memories, as well as a flare of unease. it was probably better for them if she retreated into the dark and let them live their life in peace.
Every time she'd encountered greater gembounds, it seemed, something had gone terribly, terribly wrong, and she couldn't let that happen again.
The draconian being bowed its head towards them, jaws closing and a rumble of farewell growing in her chest. Her head rising back so it arced above her shoulders, she backed away from the little one's hiding place.
---
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: "Pippy
notes: here
RE: Branch Out - Pippy - Nov 28 2017
Pippy knows she should move, but her instincts are in complete conflict with each other on one part her fear and instinct is bellowing at Pippy to get back inside right now. But her fear has made her body paralysed from all the stress that has taken place right now. So Pippy's just watching with wide eyes at the creature above her. Pippy didn't know what to think of this other Gembound, not precisely in the sense of how odd they looked, especially with their neck and the weird stuff on them one which dripped near Pippy. The only thing Pippy is taking note of, appearance wise is how gargantuan they were in contrast to her minuscule form which is a significant reason why she feels she needs to be afraid of them, at the same time she's unsure... They don't seem malicious although that could just be that they haven't seen Pippy yet, there's also the fact that the Kyte disappeared when they showed. Did they save her then?
The giant Gembound noticed Pippy and their head jerked downwards, neck snaking around in their search. When that moment happened, Pippy just flinched and shut her eyes tightly, trembling again as the other Gembound's large shadow looming somewhat ominously over her whole body, hearing the thud alongside the ground shaking lightly too Pippy's entire body just tenses up wholly, still not opening her eyes...
When absolutely nothing happened to Pippy, reluctantly she slowly opens her eyes again and was startled at the sight of its head right in front of her. Their beak wide open made Pippy by reflex try to jump back a little bit, but since she's still lying on her back, all she could manage was flailing on the ground. Their fear was starting to dim, as she cocked her head almost in question towards them and noticed their odd Gem, they haven't exactly tried to get her as that Kyte did, which she is frazzled over. It almost seemed like they were just curiously staring at her, wherever their eyes were anyway.
When they bowed their head, Pippy couldn't help but give them a sheepish wave with her wing as she finally picks herself from lying down, sitting up on her wings. But when they heard something from them and proceeded to move away from her, despite being scared of this one earlier and may still Pippy couldn't help but leap up and cling a little to one of its forelegs, almost like she was trying to hug them. Burying her shaking body in the leg they were holding onto dear life like they were some koala while letting out some whimpers, she doesn't seem to notice that the other Gembound's liquid is getting all over her fur, it looks Pippy doesn't want them to leave just yet.
"...D-D-Don't g-go... A-Another m-may get me..." Pippy pleaded them in a hushed, sobbing, hoarse voice, but she still strains it making it audible. Now that the dust has settled and she's alive Pippy realised just how close she could've had her life taken away if this other one didn't come it seems, so she doesn't want to be alone right now.
@Equinox
RE: Branch Out - Nox - Dec 03 2017
Equinox's neck jerked slightly in shock and her talons drove deep into the marshy ground as the small creature grasped one of her winged forelegs. A shudder passed through her skin, goosebumps rippling and shifting, texture changing between the little bat's touch. Pitch black slime now coated the small one's wings and fur, causing Equinox to rumble worriedly as she arched her head down so that she could peer at the tiny bat curiously, her slit pupil dilating and struggling to see the tiny creature properly.
As Equinox strained to listen to the creature's quiet words, it seemed as though a flicker of understanding passed over her, with the textured ripple receding to smooth sliminess in a matter of moments. Her jaws closed for a few moments as though in consideration.
Then, with another short rumble, the jaws opened again, gazing down at the small bat before reaching down and carefully attempting to nudge the tiny creature off her limb. Equinox felt another shiver ripple down her skin and her movements became more frantic, her beak moving in firmer motions, whilst still straining to be gentle to the tiny and delicate bat. Unknowingly though, Equinox's efforts would have only resulted in making the bat more slimy- which is what the draconian was worried about in the first place. In the back of her memory, she recalled roaring fires springing up, lapping at her limbs and chewing up her wings- taking root in the trees all around her.
Ingrained fear made her despise the sight of the pitch-black fluid pooling around her paws and worry for the small one below her, who she could see- from the gem they bore and the voice they used- that they were greater.
A gurgling sigh emerged from her nostrils as Her jaws once more flickered closed for a split moment before she continued to gaze at the small one, confused and concerned for them.
---
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Pippy
notes: here
RE: Branch Out - Pippy - Dec 04 2017
Pippy wasn't thinking when he latched onto the bigger Gembound's leg, while he knows somewhere that he really shouldn't be doing this. This action could potentially put himself in danger of provoking the other, they could easily crush him with just a claw, but he needed to do anything to stop them from leaving him alone. Did the little bat want to be protected for a bit, or comforted? He doesn't know, what he does know; he doesn't want to be alone right now.
So with that, he still didn't let go even when the large one's sludge started to slither around his tiny body in many layers, although it was scaring him when it happened, trying desperately to shake some of it off. When the other lowered their head, Pippy looked up at them with a scared, pleading expression and making squeaking sounds at them that made Pippy sound like a sad, tiny puppy.
"D-Don't go... I'm scared," he begs it again, refusing to let up on this; he's determined not to make them leave him until he felt a little better. So when from what he thinks was understanding, with how the trailing slime stopped looping around his body in response to his begging, he looked pretty relieved and was slowly starting to loosen his grip on their leg now. But when the massive Gembound tried to prod him off their leg, Pippy let out quiet whines of protest and, started to grip tighter than ever before.
He gives his head a shake in response, although he should be scared of how frantic the other is, Pippy is conflicted, but he still refuses to let go. The liquid on the other Gembound started to ooze more and engulfed around Pippy, scaring him more, he doesn't relent on his hold still. But then, it seems something finally clicked in his mind. What are you doing? Even if it didn't hurt you before, doesn't mean you should do this! Acting this way will give them a reason why they should harm you; it may look like you're trying to attack them! With that revelation, he finally let go of their leg and, was pushed back onto the ground when they nudged Pippy, and he curled up in a ball, quivering.
"S-Sorry s-sorry. D-Didn't m-mean t-to do that. P-Please d-don't b-be m-mad. I-I j-just d-don't w-want to be a-alone right now. T-There was this f-flying g-green thing t-trying to g-get m-me," his throat hurt now, as he tried to speak the two sentences in one go and, trying to make his voice audible. He felt terrible for grabbing onto them like that; he didn't elaborate on what the green flying thing was intending to do, not even Pippy himself knew, but from how aggressive the green flying thing was, it was most likely something gruesome, and had the intent to kill him.
Uncurling just a little as the other's head was close to him again "C-Could you stay for a bit? P-Please?" he tries to ask them and, lifts one of his wings up as if he's trying to reach out to them with it.
@Equinox
RE: Branch Out - Nox - Dec 06 2017
Equinox felt the little one's grip tighten on her slimy, rubbery leg, and another rumble began in her throat, again reverberating through her entire being. Whilst it may have sounded like a growl, her heart had tightened to a crux of worry. She opened her jaws nervously, watching them, her pupil wideninng, before dilating to a slit once more.
Again it spoke, and again the meaning took hold, though the words themselves were difficult to grasp. She clamped her jaws shut, a ripple spreading down her long neck. She bowed her head, primitive thoughts searching and clicking for what seemed like a lifetime. Then... she felt the pressure around her ankle slacken. The great beast opened up her jaws and watched carefully as the small one let go of her leg and curled up mere inches away from her claws.
She tilted her head slightly as they spoke again, and a questioning warble rose in her chest as she wondered curiously, why would I be mad? even as she struggled to put their words into feelings in her heart. She listened, and listened some more, and then her jaws clamped closed. Of course, she had no intent to leave; she knew that she could harm the little one with a mere flick if she so much as carelessly twitched a paw, and part of her was desperate to go. But a larger part of her wondered what chance had brought them into this cavern, which she thought may have been particularly dangerous.
But she needed to get the slime off of them; she could hardly see the brown fur beneath that cloak of tar and she was desperately fearful of that.
looking around, Equinox peered for water, knowing that she was surrounded by it, but she didn't want the little one drenched in a thick coat of mud. she needed to think about it more. for now her mind focused and strained, her throat contracting and convulsing as her jaws opened and forced out; "Black... slime... bad..." with a throaty, gurgling rasp, calling upon all of the feelings and the knowledge that she felt was in there somewhere.
The dragon then looked around, its moment of sentience seemingly passed.
Its head crept close to the ground, stretching out, and neck growing thinner and thinner as it pressed towards the nearest source of water from where it stood.
---
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Pippy
notes: here
RE: Branch Out - Pippy - Dec 07 2017
Pippy sniffed, rubbing one the wing that she was previously using to reach out over her face and eyes in hopes to dry some of her tears that are blurring her vision and getting some of the slimes that have draped over her eyes off so she can see a little better. She's feeling a little nervous now and hopes the other isn't upset at her as she looked at them while they did that thing of opening their beak which Pippy supposes their way somehow of staring she thinks. That's where their Gem is for one thing, and she believes that it is a Gem is how Greater Gembounds use Magick. Maybe they're using Magick on their Gem to be able to see? She's quite curious about that sort of thing, it's interesting to think of, but the curiosity of Magick can come later it's not a priority right now for Pippy in this situation.
"Mm?" Pippy copied the other Gembound by tilting her head herself in her wonder as to what they could be trying to ask her, not understanding their language of speaking. Maybe she should try to learn more dialects if possible soon?
But when the other closed their beak, Pippy looked at them with eager eyes as it all came to whether they'll stay around for a bit or not. While Pippy herself knows very full well how simple this one can harm her, even just from an accident but she tries to ignore that the best she can. Although she's not doing too well since she is lying before them and hoping they aren't mad at her even if her current frazzled attitude was more from that Lesser Gembound endangering her life.
She takes some more time to groom her fur with both of her wings to get the sludge off; it sadly was just about covered around her whole tiny form top to bottom and with how sticky it is Pippy wasn't making that much good progress on getting it off her. Good thing she doesn't want to uncurl from her quivering ball as she'll realise the stickiness may make it a little challenging although the silence is making her restless and is making her squirm a bit.
Pippy's expression lit up more in awe when she could hear the other speak the same language as her in reply to her words even if it was strained sounding, not that Pippy can judge most of her words usually sound hoarse. Hearing the words said to her through how the slime on them and Pippy herself is a bad thing made her worry. "B-Bad how...?" she asks meekly as she frantically tries to shake some of it off her head and Gem. Will the slime hurt her being on her skin and all?
When they stretched their neck out Pippy seemed more worried again about them leaving, but she noticed how they weren't walking away. It took some effort and time to realise what they were trying to do but understand that they seem to be looking for something which she caught in her eye was water she was surprised such a large body of drinkable water was so nearby, and she never noticed.
@Equinox
RE: Branch Out - Nox - Dec 10 2017
It would seem that Equinox's moment of lucidity had passed. She was not answering now as she scanned the area with her ever-extending neck, appearing to ignore the little bat for a time.
In all, Equinox's neck stretched to a length of 8 metres, stretching until it was only several inches wide and thick around the middle. Only when it would be nigh-impossible for Equinox to raise their head did it snap back with some force, elasticity reuniting her head with her body and causing her head to shake in disorientation.
With water welling around enormous paws, Equinox began to turn and wandered towards the nearest source of water that she could see, placing her paws carefully so that she didn't sink too deep. there was a slow-flowing stream around 20 metres away, and she pressed towards it until she stood at its edge. The immense creature then dropped her head, sucking up water until her gullet ballooned, and then padded back towards the little bat. She rumbled, the water she carried giving the sound a deep and throbbing bass.
Then, Equinox sank down onto her belly with paws folded beneath her chest and wings folded parallel with the rest of her. she dropped her head and let a small fountain-flow of water fall by opening her beak just a crack, soaking the ground nearby Pippy as she waited patiently for them to cean themselves. The water was slightly murky with mud and silt, but it was better than the slime that covered them now.
---
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Pippy
notes: here