The family was growing yet Blackberry's patience with them was running thin. The training fights weren't happening enough, they weren't terrorizing others as much as she wished they were, and it seemed that nobody yet knew the fear of her family that she had always dreamed. She was disappointed. She was bored. She was sick of sitting around and watching her family pass here and there. She was ready for something...new. And, yes, the arrival of all her new children, especially Cloudberry, was rather exciting and breathed fresh life into the family, it wasn't quite what she was thinking of. No, she wanted to play a game.

She turned towards Jayberry, who stood at her side. "If you've done your job well, then the family shall gather very soon. If they do not...then they will have our wrath to face." She snapped her beak firmly and swiveled her head to stare at the entrance of Polaris...and then Orion, Polaris, Orion. They would come soon, those that weren't already gathered her. They better come soon.

@Blueberry @Elderberry @Baneberry @Jayberry @Kitaka @Dewberry @Snowberry @Hellberry @Cloudberry @Yewberry (let me know if I'm missing anyone!)

This is a required family meeting. If you or your character, for some reason, cannot make the gathering, please let me know or Blackberry will be very angry with them. And it's alright if your character comes in and just listens - just let me know so we don't wait for you in the post order!

Huckleberry hadn't even step foot in the family cave for some time. Fear for both themselves, in case they slipped up around Cloudberry, and fear for Shiny, who could be subject to Mama's wrath, in case she didn't approve of them having her. So when she reached the mouth of the tunnel she froze, her legs feeling like they'd turned to stone. Why do you hesitate, Huckle-friend? Shiny was perched on their back and as she spoke through the mental link, she began to groom the fur on Huckleberry's scruff. The soft rasp in their ear and the soft feeling of her tongue soothed Huckleberry and they were able to calm down enough to take a deep breath and continue forward. "Nothing...it's just been a while."

They felt oddly still, their brain so nervous and anxious that its usual chaos and calamity had gone completely numb. They were hyper focused now, ready to catch themselves once Cloudberry arrived. They couldn't slip up. They couldn't.

As they reached the place where Mama and Jayberry were, they found themselves relaxing just a bit for some reason. Maybe it was the familiar spot, the smell of home, or just seeing her mother again not looking super angry. They released a breath they didn't realize they had been holding and stopped before the two. "Hi, mama. Hi, Jayberry. This is my new friend." They could feel Shiny's nervousness through the link and they felt a flash of pity. Their minds were connected so the catsquirrel knew all of Huckleberry's fears - she saw all their memories and all the violence. Meeting the family was a huge step. Nonetheless, she climbed down Huckleberry's side and stood in front of Blackberry, crouching to the ground in submission.

The cockatiel glided into the family cave, trilling quietly to announce their presence, before landing on a small rock outcropping nearby. It was just barely wide enough to fit a bird of their size- they wobbled quite a bit, wings out to steady themselves and make sure that they didn't fall, especially after the momentum of flight- but they managed.

A thrill rose up in them at seeing Blackberry and Jayberry. "Hi!" they greeted, a note of excitement in their voice. They were attending their first family meeting, after all- it was new, and thrilling, and they were going to be there to witness it all!

So distracted were they with their own thoughts of excitement, they didn't register the other Gembound that entered the cave. Instead, they were busy entertaining thoughts of what the meeting would be like. Perhaps they would be introduced to the rest of the family? Perhaps, maybe, Heart-Song would-

Their train of thought derailed, their daydreams extinguished almost instantly. That's right, they were given a new name by Blackberry! They were Acaiberry now! Their tail wagged even more eagerly. Such a pretty name, given to them by a Gembound they genuinely looked up to. They repeated the name mentally like a mantra, steadily getting more and more distracted.

Jayberry had long become Mother's task-dog, and she didn't mind in the least. It made Mother happy, and kept peace among their family, so she was glad to do it. She kept an eye on the others, kept an even closer eye on Huckleberry, and passed on messages.

Most recently, she had gathered the family. Running and running, sniffing them out, until she had tracked them all down. They had been told, in no uncertain terms, that they were to present before Mother soon.

And now she stood beside Mother, head high and ears pricked, tail wagging lazily. Any of the family who acted out would be punished by her fangs at Mother's command. And at Mother's words, she grinned. "I will make sure they won't forget their mistake." even her own child, Yewberry, wouldn't be spared. Any who dared not to show their face, or to be late, would be left with a scar to show their shame.

First to show up, to her surprise, was Huckleberry. Maybe they realized the line they were dancing on with Mother. They had a Lesser with them, and Jayberry nodded to both. "Hello Huckle, hello catsquirrel." she said, although she deferred to Mother's judgement for the Lesser.

Next was the white-feathered bird, Acaiberry. "Hello Acai," she said, offering the bird a smile and a wag of her tail.

She was starting to grow angry that Yewberry, her own flesh and blood, wasn't beginning to show, though.

"She speaks." 'She thinks.' She does.

Cloudberry quietly approached the gathering, listening to Jayberry speak as xe tucked xirself underneath Mama's wing. Xe listened, quietly, offering no words on the matter. After all, part of xir mind was still focused on xir being unable to properly express how much xe loved xir family.

However, even despite xir distraction, xe acknowledged Huckleberry and the newcomer- Aceberry, perhaps? Xe couldn't quite remember their name- with a tilt of xir head and a small smile. At least that was working, for now.

( OOC Note: Cloudberry will just be listening to the meeting and snuggling with Blackberry unless something extreme happens. )

Yewberry strutted down to the gathering of her family, tail plume in the air. She was still small, but she was growing, and rapidly. Soon, she hoped, she would be bigger than mother. Then, she wouldn't have to listen to her any more. Her, or anyone else.

She didn't care that she wasn't the first there, or the last. Mother was there, first, of course. Fucking suck-up. So was the coward, and that worthless bird, and the snake. She sneered, and sat down away from the group, head high.

Mother wanted her to be here. Not just her, but the entire family! Sister and Other Sisters and Father would be there too. Sister Jayberry had said it, so it must be true. It would be a family meeting. Family meeting. Weren't they lovely words? Dewberry didn't remember much about her hatching, but what she did remember was Mother honking. Mother had probably meant something through those sounds, but Dewberry would never get to know that meaning. The memory was too hazy, and there was no way she could piece together everything.

Now, though, she wouldn't have that problem. She knew lots of words and could understand everything Mother and Father and her siblings said! It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. "Family meeting," she whispered to herself as she slithered toward the growing gathering of Gembounds. It made her think of soft, warm feathers, thick black fur (also warm), and Father and magic and everything else she loved about the Bloodberries.

Oh! So many were here already! Among them were some she hadn't met yet. Dewberry hadn't realized the family was so big! "Hi everyone!" she exclaimed. Though it was loud compared to her usual volume, it would probably only be considered normal compared to the others' voices. "Wow! There are a lot of us! I am Dewberry. I am so happy to meet you all!" She slithered over to Mother, making several circles at her talons until she was all curled up. "Mother? Can I go on your back, please?"

Blue had sensed his mate's restlessness, her boredom with how slow-moving things had grown. And yet he had done nothing to stop it. He had done nothing to try and rtally the family into a battle. Blue had done nothing. It had begun to weigh down on him, but he brushed it off ansd slept. That's what he had been doing most of the time.

Blackberry's summons had woken him from yet another nap, and he shuffled towards her, facing her and Jayberry. The two had grown quite close, and it pained Blue. He had been the one to save Jay from the perils of the cave and bring her into the family, and yet it seemed they rarely interacted. It seemed that Blue rarely saw anyone these days.

"Jayberry, Blackberry. How are you today?" He asked, ignoring Yewberry and Dewberry and Cloudberry and Acaiberry and Huckleberry. They were family, but they were not close to him.

____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: @Blackberry
Notes: here

Jay looked up as Yew walked in - her quickly becoming estranged daughter. Their eyes met in a tense stand off, both enthralled, before breaking off as the hybrid sauntered off to find her seat.

She relaxed, some, as the little snake that she was quickly becoming attached to appeared. Dewberry greeting everyone, and Jay wagged her tail at her, saying, "It's good to see you again, Dewberry. How have you been."

But then Father appeared, and the wolf leaped to her feet. Despite her attempts at appearing severe and put-together, she couldn't help but to grow excited when she saw Father. They had once been close, but now seemed to be growing apart. Even though he had helped to save her life. She loped forward to greet him - "Father!", twining through his legs like some odd, overgrown cat. "I've been well, Father, and you?"


@Blackberry @Blueberry

"She speaks." 'She thinks.' She does.