As soon as Hunter could walk, Hunter could run. He was fiercely independent and filled with wanderlust even as a child; wandering off at the soonest opportunity to explore the vast, brilliant scope of Eridanus's wonderful forest. He carried with him a small spear for protection, but he didn't think he really needed it. It was more for swinging about into the ferns, making cartoonish "Hy-ah! Hu! Take that!" At pretend villains and enemies that crossed his path.

He traveled down the Fern Trench, running his hand along bone and plant. He was on a mission, but he hadn't quite decided what it was just yet. He had a goal though-- to reach the end of the Trench, and he plodded along with eagerness until a bush filled with bright pink berries caught his eyes.

... Dad had warned him about eating strange berries, but their color was so attractive; maybe he could eat just one? He popped one into his face-- and it was sharp and much more bitter than he expected. "Yuck!"Immediately he spat it out, running his fuzzy pads over his tongue to try and wipe the taste out of his muzzle. So that was a no.

The color was really pretty though. He scooped a bunch into a little pouch he had brought with him, ears twitching as he worked. Maybe he could collect a whole lot of pretty things to paint with? Either way, bringing home treasures he had found seemed like a fun adventure!


pink berries obtained!

i need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me

Although Vivilene was still anxious most of the time, her new hobby helped keep her mind occupied. The alternative was letting it fester and grow mold. Often, it would lead to Vivilene getting anxious about her own anxiety. The possibility of annoying the people she loved with it nipped at her every night when she tried to sleep.

But, she was getting better, or so she hoped. Attikias planted the flowers she brought back around the camp and said they would grow. So, of course, she had to head out and find more to plant. The possibility of making the camp the best camp was the only thing driving her forward at this point.

So, there she was, stepping underneath ferns and looking for pretty flowers when she heard a resounding yuck! followed by spitting and rasping. Poking her head through the ferns she realised one of her sisters was there-- wiping at his tongue as if he'd gotten something on it.

Unusual, but par for the course as far as Hunter went.

He hadn't seemed to notice her yet-- Vivilene watched him stuff something away into a little satchel. She crouched herself down close to the ground, which might have been a good stalking tactic if she were more like her ancestors, and shifted forward.

The moss, at the very least, muffled the sound of her hooves underneath her. Enough so that she managed to quietly inch her way closer and closer-- and then she moved back onto her haunches and leapt for Hunter's back.

Unfortunately, her graceful attack was accompanied by "AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!" as she went. Just because she was mute doesn't mean she couldn't make alarming noises, and it sure as hell didn't mean she couldn't be a little bastard to her sister for the sake of fun.

"girl you know you gotta watch your health"

@Hunter

Hunter had finished shoving berries in his pocket, but there was something else in the brush that caught his attention. He reached his hand into the bush to try and get the shimmering red--

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Hunter screeched back at the assalaint as he was toppled over into the bush, twisting to flail and try to catch himself on anything. Rather quickly he realized it was Vivi, and rather than realizing that she had pranked him, the sister thought that they were under attack.

So overprotective big sister (nevermind that Vivi had hatched first) mode kicked into high gear. He grabbed for her arm, scrambling to his feet, and brandished his spear, all while barely able to get his feet under him. He bared his teeth, fur bristling down his spine, and flexed his claws.

"Wh-WHERE ARE THEY?" He yelped. It was hard to sound dangerous when your voice was still as about as intimidating as a squeak toy, but he yowled at all the same, "Who's chasing you?! I'll kick their butt!!" He waved the tip of his spear, gasping for air. "Don't come any closer to me or my sister!" He threatened the quiet, serene forest.

@Vivilene

i need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me

Attack successful. Sister pranked. Maximum scream achieved.

Oh yes. Vivilene was estatic. Her arm was grabbed but she remained on the cave floor, hooves in the air. She laughed loudly; gentle and tinkling like distant bells, which was as close as she got to absolutely hysterical cackling.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see her dumb pranked sister waving his spear around like it was a thing to do; yelling into the trees. Any other time Vivilene might have come screaming into the scene, she likely would have been anxiously running from something. It happened with Azure. It was more often than not that she realised, usually, she runs from nothing.

It was nice to be playful for once-- and Hunter should be laughing, too! Dummy got pranked!

Still laughing, the cervitaur rolled over onto her belly and pushed herself back up, shaking herself out to focus quietly. Magic was getting easier and easier to get a hold of but her voice never raised, even in telepathy. Fingers of magic grazed the back of Hunter's mind, feather-soft, never abrasive despite the inherent invasiveness of talking directly into someone's head.

"Nothing's there, fool," there was still humour laced in her tone. "You got pranked!" For good measure-- in case feelings were hurt, of course --she moved to wrap her skinny little arms around her little (bigger?) sister's chest and tug her back into a hug, murring contentedly.

She was very pleased with her efforts this day.


"girl you know you gotta watch your health"

@Hunter

Even as Vivilene's sweet internal monologue rolled into Hunter's thoughts, he continued to swish his spear at the air threateningly. Maybe her laughter sounded more like sobbing to the adrenaline-filled, dumby brain that braced for the worst? But slowly his brain processed the outside words that had crept into his head. He manually blinked a couple of times as he stirred out of his defensive posture.

"Buh-wuh?" Hunter looked back at his sister, only now processing the fact she had been giggling her butt off. His mouth hung open, but before he could muster up a response, she reached her arms out and pulled him down into the lush grass with her.

He really believed his sister was in danger! And she had lied to him-- as a joke! "Heyyy-hey-hey!" He protested, squirming in the kind of manner that made no real attempt to actually get away. "You tricked me!"

His face flushed, darkening to bruised violets from ear to ear, but finally the laughter seemed to be contagious, and he started to chortle back. He twisted around to playfully smack at her side, snorting with a gigglefit the whole time, hind feet kicking at the ferns that stretched around them.

It took him a few moments to catch his breath, but once he did, he knew he'd have to get his revenge. Hunter's voice dropped into a low warning chitter, every ounce filled with a mischievous energy, "I'm gonna get you back for that, you know..." Not that he could even think of a way to get back at Vivi; she was sensitive! He'd probably get in way more trouble for upsetting her than he would get satisfaction in doing so, but the threat was good-natured in the first place.

Actually, he had an even better idea.

"Unless... You make it up to me. Come on," He declared, squirreling out of her arms and scrambling up to his feet, extending a fuzzy palm to help her up. "Welcome to the Grand Quest!"

@Vivilene

i need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me

Was Hunter mad? No, surely not-- he was laughing, too! The little smack to Vivilene's side let her bound aside; a graceful little leap accompanied by more tinkling giggling. Her tail lashed, happily and playfully.

Playing was fun, she decided in the last forty seconds. She was having fun, and the fear was nowhere to be seen, and to the outsider's perspective she even might have looked like the average child-- having fun with her sister, not a care in the world, certainly not the type of gembound to scare herself with her own thoughts so bad that she couldn't sleep unless her father sang to her.

You know, a normal person.

The offer to make it up to Hunter did send some fear fluttering into her chest, however-- nervousness, perhaps. She had no idea what sort of thing that would even consist of. She couldn't distrust Hunter, however. He was her sister, and he wouldn't do anything bad to her.

... especially since Vivilene could get dad on her side.

Her ears flicked up and down for a moment as she studied the fluffy hand, before taking it in her own, stick-thin one. She bleated wordlessly in response (because how else would you respond when you're mute) and began stepping after Hunter in gentle steps, looking around.

A Grand Quest seemed fun, at least, and maybe she owed it to him after scaring him so bad.



"girl you know you gotta watch your health"

@Hunter