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+--- Thread: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? (/showthread.php?tid=4581)
Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Livius - Dec 08 2017
In the depths of the fallen city, nestled in a dark and crumbling alleyway, a glittering orb of stone red as blood began to creak. The creature inside, although they barely squirmed, was simply growing too big for its walls to hold. Soft creaks and groans were audible for a long time before a crack finally marred its smooth surface.
Crack...
Red fluid oozed from the newly-formed hole in its surface, as though the child inside was long perished. But, on feeling air against its paws, the tiny one pushed, and pushed, and pushed. Finally, a tiny creature, only an inch in length, sagged out, brown fur and white fur alike stained blood red. Whereas usually a baby would soon be tottering to its paws or lifting its head to take in its first sights, this one remained still.
The pains which unconsciousness had kept safely away finally came flooding in. Tremors racked its sides, its only movement for a long time. And then it gagged, and red fluid came flooding out, further adding to the bright pool in which it lay.
Finally, it opened its mouth and cried a weak and feeble cry, only one- and into that cry went all the strength it had left.
@Aaliyah
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Aaliyah - Dec 08 2017
Li had wandered into Orion after spending some time in Tunnel N. She walked cautiously through the area, unsure of what to do. She was torn between finding someone and sticking to herself, or seeing if someone would approach her. She wasn't sure if she could trust herself anymore. No, she knew she couldn't trust herself. She has to keep her emotions in check and not get angry like she did with Kallista.
While walking, it wasn't long before a crack caught her attention. Turning, she saw a tiny creature tumble out of a broken stone. She wandered close, but something kept her away. Was that...blood? Or was the inside of the gem just that color? She felt slightly sick getting close, but she ignored it and observed the small creature.
It was tiny, so, so tiny. And it let out a feeble cry, just once. She blinked and looked around, unsure of what to do. Should she leave it? Should she...help it? What could she even do to help? She'd never been near a newly hatched gembound before. She had no idea what to do. So she sat beside it, a little hesitant to get too close, and observed it.
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Envy
notes: here
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Livius - Dec 08 2017
As the newborn's feeble cries died down, it was barely aware that it wasn't alone anymore. Its breaths came in ragged gasps that heaved its sides and occasionally there came another cough and spray of red.
Another tiny whimper. There was the flash of softly lilac eyes amidst the sea of gooey red. They darted, hazy and unfocused in the dark. Finally, they lingered on a hazy shape, a form blurry in its newborn gaze. Then its eyes closed.
Its stomach, empty now of fluid, let out a tiny growl, and it swallowed, trying to get rid of the metallic tang. It opened its mouth, poking out a tiny pink tongue and for a moment baring tiny needle-like fangs.
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Aaliyah - Dec 08 2017
Li shifted her paws, still not sure what to do. It whimpered, and she watched as it opened its eyes and she saw a flash of lilac among the brown, white, and red. She watched as they closed, and then heard a tiny growl. Was it hungry? What would it even eat? She'd never seen a creature like this one before, much less as one newly hatched.
She continued to shift her paws and looked around. Was there something here for it to eat? The only thing she knew of were mice, and that would probably be too much for the small thing. And she didn't know if it would even eat a mouse.
She watched it for a moment longer. Maybe she could...clean it? Its fur was stained with the red liquid. Perhaps things would be better if she licked it clean. She hesitatingly walked closer and bent down. The same feeling of sickness as before washed over her, but she ignored it. Slowly, she gave an experimental lick. Immediately, she reared her head back. The taste was indescribable. It felt like it burned her tongue, but she knew she had to persist. Whatever that gem was, it had clearly affected everything. She had no idea a gem could be like that.
She bent down again and licked it, cringing against the taste. She continued, however, grooming it and getting all of the red liquid off.
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Envy
notes: here
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Livius - Dec 08 2017
Its breaths had just about stabillized, although its sides still heaved quietly. The unbearable silence was broken however as the little one let out a tiny squeak, a reaction of surprise at the feel of a rough tongue. At first it squirmed and squalled but was unavle to get away- until finally, its strength once more failed.
The little one let itself be cleaned, its fur slowly revealed as a soft sienna, with a black stripe down their spine. Its eyes opened again, and this time as it peered around its gaze locked on Aaliyah for the first time. A tiny whimper escaped its lungs as though in fear of the massive face so close, but it seemed also to be comforted by the rough licks, even though it still lay on its belly in a pool of murky red.
Although it was still weak and frail, it was clear that, for the moment at least, the wort had passed. And beneath that frail exterior, a piece of itself seemed to click into place. Its mind grasped at pieces just out of reach, and it opened its mouth as though to speak.
"I don't like it," the small creature said nervously, its ears twitching and body curling as best it was able as its stomach started once again to growl. "Th... the feeling. Is being awake always like this?"
Then the moment of lucidity was gone, and it collapsed into a fit of coughing and retching.
@aaliyah
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Aaliyah - Dec 08 2017
Eventually, Li had cleaned every scrap of fur of the tiny creature that she could reach. She leaned away, watching it for a moment while she tried to get the taste out of her mouth. She stayed like that until it spoke. At its words, she blinked and stopped. How was she supposed to react to that? What could she say?
"Uh. N-No. I don't...think so?" She was at a loss of words, not knowing what at all to say. She grew silent as the creature began to cough and retch some more. She once again had no idea what to do. Should she try and find food? She still had no idea what it would eat.
Thinking back, she recalled seeing tiny, sharp teeth as it opened its mouth. Would it eat a mouse? It was certainly worth a try, surely. She just hoped it could eat. She looked around. There was surely a little mouse around here somewhere...but she didn't want to leave it alone. Should she carry it with her? She looked down at it after looking around briefly and sighed. She leaned down and carefully, trying not to hurt it, picked it up. It seemed to hang limp in her jaws, and she was reminded of how tiny it was. Carrying the creature, she began to search for food.
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Envy
notes: here
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Livius - Dec 08 2017
The little one blinked slowly taking some time to process the larger creature's reply. Then their eyes flicked away. They didn't seem wholly satisfied with the answer, but they seemed too weak to protest. They closed their eyes to slits, and then entirely.
"O-okay. I hope it goes away soon."
It felt its consciousness drifting again, although the situation this time was far less dire. Its throat and nostrils still burned, but it was beginning to grow used to it. It hated the feeling, but maybe this was how the first moments in life always were. Maybe everyone went through this. Maybe it would all be okay.
The young one needed to believe that.
It felt itself dropping back into consciousness as it was lifted from the wet rock it was lying on, and let out another little chirp. Its head drooped on a long neck and finally, it had a good opportunity to view its surroundings even though its vision lingered mainly on the ground that seemed so far away.
But, against its will, it felt that its limbs and tail hung limp, however much it wanted to shriek and thrash. It could only hang dumbly and peer around at the huge world.
"What are you doing?" it asked, its voice managing a little more strength and a trace of indigence, especially now that it was away form that wretched stone. "Why?"
@Aaliyah
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Aaliyah - Dec 10 2017
Li carried the creature until it spoke, and she paused. She couldn't talk clearly with it in her jaws, but she had to answer it. Looking around, she decided there should be a couple of mice or rats around here. Carefully, she set it down. "I was, uh, carrying you?" It sounded like a question, and she hated that. "You need some food and, well, I wasn't going to leave you there while I went hunting."
With that, she began to look around. There had to be something somewhere...aha! There! A mouse, and a relatively small one. She glanced back at the weasel. "Uhh..Stay there. I'll be right back." She quickly slunk over to the mouse, crouching down and keeping her pawsteps light. All this made her think of Imperia, and how the two had stayed in Orion for Li's first cycle. Was she going to have to do the same thing for the other?
Clearing any thoughts of Imperia, she focused once more on the mouse, preparing to leap. She was tense, preparing to strike, when something seemed to alert it. It looked up, saw her, and began to ran. Li growled and chased after it, catching up to it after a moment and pinning it down, where she quickly killed it. She picked it up and headed back to where she left the weasel, dropping it by him. "Uh. There. Fresh mouse."
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Envy
notes: here
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Livius - Dec 10 2017
The little one didn't seem satisfied by the answer, with everything drooping and legs kicking vaguely. They heaved a quiet sigh of relief with the fur down their spine bristling seemingly in humiliation as they were finally put down, although they didn't say anything, their ears perking eagerly and head lifting at the mention of food.
Simply watching as the large cat looked around, the small one nodded mindlessly in response to their command, even though they were far too weak to venture very far, hardly daring to even sit up. as it was they lay on their long belly, shivering softly, trying to lick the metallic tang out of their mouth. Their eyes followed Aaliyah in fascination as they stalked, and then successfully killed the mouse.
And then as the cat began to return, the tiny weasel picked themselves up, shuddering with the effort, their mouth watering as they caught their first scent of the kill.
Then it was dropped close by, and the little one stumbled closer, their legs finding the strength at last. They sank tiny, needle-like fangs into the still-warm flesh of the mouse. They tore strips loose, and then tried in vain to gulp it down, but with every swallow something hard stuck in its throat, preventing the food from going down. In ever-increasing despair, the weasel spat what it had tore loose already onto the ground, tongue lolling out as it tried to cough out the blockage, only to find that it wouldn't move.
A shudder ran through them again, the fur along its spine once again standing on end. The little one again took a bite, a smaller one this time. it chewed until it was mush, and finally, after a few failed attempts, managed to choke it down. A shudder ran through its small body. With yet another sigh, it crouched before the body and instead began to lap at the fluids still oozing from the mouse's open wounds, preparing itself for another solid mouthful.
@Aaliyah
RE: Mommy, can I be big and strong like you? - Aaliyah - Dec 11 2017
Li frowned as she watched the weasel attempt to eat. Could it not swallow? It seemed as though something was in the way as it coughed, almost as if trying to get something out. A thought occurred to her, and her eyes raked over the tiny thing. She couldn't see a gem anywhere. Was it possible that it was...in its throat? With the way it was acting, it was certainly possible. Her ears lowered. That had to suck; she couldn't imagine not being able to swallow properly.
She sighed, watching as it just lapped at the fluids. What could she do now? Was there anything to do? The poor thing could hardly eat. She didn't know how to do any of this. She was raised to fight, not help. But she didn't want to fight, so she had to help. But she had no idea how. All she ever seemed to do was hurt others.
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."
tags: @Envy
notes: what's a Li post without at least a teensy bit of angst?