+- ORIGIN (https://origin.boreal-nights.space)
+-- Forum: IC Archives (https://origin.boreal-nights.space/forumdisplay.php?fid=50)
+--- Forum: Year 4 Archives (https://origin.boreal-nights.space/forumdisplay.php?fid=54)
+--- Thread: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) (/showthread.php?tid=5826)
I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Dewberry - Aug 09 2018
Near the shore of the crystal river sat a blue chrysalis. The snake within thrashed restlessly, desperate to escape the walls that held her prisoner. A crack appeared on the surface of the chrysalis as she struggled. Sensing an opportunity, she threw herself at its general area. As more and more cracks emerged and spread, the wall weakened until a flailing tail punched a hole in it. The snake's struggles stopped abruptly.
Slowly, a burnt-orange head peeked from the hole and held itself there, forked tongue flickering back and forth. The snake's gem, a teardrop-shaped larimar, was visible on the side of her face. After many moments of deliberation, the rest of the snake slithered from the chrysalis, revealing stripes of black, orange, and bright turquoise. She apparently decided the world too exciting for her liking, and retreated back until only two inches, or about a third of her body, was visible, tongue still flicking wildly.
@Blackberry
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Nameless - Aug 09 2018
Blackberry was strangely subdued this day. She was more than a little concerned about her inability to get back the piece of fur that once bounced at her chest and Huckleberry's betrayal still shook her. She had created that child with her own life. She had raised them. And what good did it do?
Brooding, angry, but not feeling any kind of aggression, she simply roosted under the shadow of a stone not far from the river, the lull of the waves making her sleepy, but at least distracting her enough.
A crack split through her thoughts and she looked around until she caught sight of the little snake peeking out of a gem. At first, her thoughts flew to Winter and the times that the accursed snake had bitten her and immobilized her. But this snake looked a lot different. It was smaller and much more colorful. Perhaps it was a different kind of creature.
Slowly, she rose to her feet, not really in the mood to torture anyone today, and made her way over to the snake. Perhaps this was another one that she could raise with the family. One that could perhaps fill the void in her that Huckleberry had left.
But she made no move to try and introduce herself. She simply sat herself down, in full view of the snake, and waited for them to get used to the world.
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Dewberry - Aug 09 2018
A movement caught the snake's attention, and she turned her head to see a very spiky goose. It was very spiky. And it looked very scary. So she did what any creature with a sense of self preservation would do - she shrank back into the broken remains of her chrysalis as fast as she could, leaving only the tip of her nose revealed, tongue flickering in and out furiously.
Still, the snake thought wistfully. It would have been nice to meet them if they hadn't been so terrifying. Those feathers looked awfully warm and soft, once you got past the spikes. She would love to be warm. The tiniest tentative movement forward, just enough so she could keep the goose in her line of sight, and she immediately decided it was a bad idea. What if she impaled herself on those spikes or those talons?
@Blackberry
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Nameless - Aug 09 2018
Blackberry watched with mild disappointment as the snake disappeared back into the remains of the gem. So they were scared of her, were they? She wasn't exactly the scariest thing in the caves. To be fair, though, she wasn't scared of much so she had no idea what a new hatched gembound would think of her.
But she had too many things on her mind to be sitting around waiting for some baby to get brave enough to face her. If they were so terrified, then they had no place in the family but if they needed time to find the guts, then she couldn't stick around to wait.
After another moment or so, she stood up and walked towards the edge of the gem and peered inside, her eyes narrowed.
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Dewberry - Aug 09 2018
The goose got closer, and the snake barely stopped herself from shivering, from more than just fear. They were... warm... Before she was aware of what she was doing, she forgot what she was doing and leaned toward the warmth. It was beautiful, comforting, the best thing ever. But then the moment passed, and the snake remembered the spikes, and her attention snapped back onto how much of a threat the goose was. It was making some strange noises, though the snake had no idea what they meant. The goose moved back, so maybe it meant no harm, but she was still hesitant to approach it. Instead, she flicked out her tongue again, trying to get a better idea of what lay out there.
@Blackberry
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Nameless - Aug 09 2018
Impatience is one thing that Blackberry couldn't stand and this snake seemed to tease her - coming out a little bit more before going right back in. Growing frusterated by this, she reached forward, grasped the gem with a talon, and speared downwards with her beak.
She chipped away at the shell until there was a much larger hole and she could see the snake clearly. She didn't quite break it open, knowing that they would probably bolt if she did, but it was enough to make it much easier to the snake to leave.
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Dewberry - Aug 09 2018
The snake flinched as the goose stabbed downwards with its beak, but luckily every time it seemed to miss and hit the chrysalis shell instead. What did the goose want with her? It was honking. It had honked before. Perhaps it wanted her to honk back? Tilting her head, the snake tried her hardest. "ss-s-sssSSss?" Frustrated at her complete failure to honk, she drooped her head in shame, unintentionally moving farther away from the goose. She could practically feel its warmth drop away, and immediately wanted to go back, but it was too intimidating a task for her.
@Blackberry
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Nameless - Aug 09 2018
Why was this snake so stubborn? Why weren't they joining her in the world? Hadn't she done much for them already? Keep them company and open their shell even more? She didn't know about the snake's craving for warmth, nor their fear of her and her spikes. All she thought was that perhaps the world frightened them.
Blackberry, whose impatience was becoming too much, almost turned around and walked away. But still, she thought that it might be good to stick around. There was still some hope. What else did she have to do anyways?
So she simply stepped back a bit and sat down again, staring at the opening in the shell.
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Dewberry - Aug 09 2018
The goose backed away, its form disappearing from the snake's field of vision. Oh, it was lonely in this shell, with nothing but the blue of the gemstone to keep the snake company. And the goose was warm, and it hadn't tried to harm her. Surely taking a look wouldn't hurt.
The snake uncoiled herself and slithered out of the shell. Being newly hatched, she wasn't particularly big, reaching only seven inches in length. As the last of her tail flopped out of the shell, she lifted her head to look up at the goose. Spikes seemed to be everywhere - on its head, on its back, on its belly, on its toes. The ones on its toes pointed downward, though, and seemed the most harmless. Hesitantly, she slithered a little closer, tongue flickering in and out of her mouth.
@Blackberry
RE: I'm not venomous, I promise (unless you're a frog) - Nameless - Aug 11 2018
Blackberry waited for what seemed like an eternity. It hadn't taken her this long to wander through the world, did it? No, she could vaguely remember it, stuck behind the haze of Hell and how long ago it was. But she had taken her first steps confidently and eagerly. She suddenly felt a pang of longing to be back in those days. Perhaps she hadn't been innocent, but she had been so full of life, free from the madness that she felt eating at the edge of her consciousness. But she couldn't. What was done is done.
As for the snake, she had to stop herself from moving as it got closer. Better to let it explore her and get comfortable with her presence before she scared it or moved too quickly. So she sat still, her eyes following it as it got closer.