Carja flew through the trees of Cetus with a Hallowed Caller in her jaws, carefully making sure no feathers escaped, even going so far as to go back and pick them up, ending up with handfuls of feathers. She landed down and set the bird on the ground before getting to work.

Feathers were crushed between rocks and the dust and color left behind spread along her scales. She left anything colored on display, like the vents on her neck that were like eyes, or her paw pads, claws, and the webbing of her wings. Her back was a little difficult, but she got it after a while, and once the bird was plucked and the color painstakingly spread across her scales, she walked forward.

"Sunny? Voidmother?", she called out, "I want to speak with you, please!!"

She stopped where she was and listened, waiting for her friend's little voice to appear.

@Voidmother

The Voidmother had only recently finished settling down into her new home. Realizing another group lived here had been a bit of a shock, but they'd been rather kind and had been courteous enough to allow her family to stay as long as the Voidcrawlers respected their space. That was amenable to Sunny, so she'd set to getting herself a little den dug out in the roots of a tree while the rest of her friends settled nearby. This, however, made her easy to find (that and the glowing, bright blue kooru trying nervously to disguise her glowing in the murk of Cetus). At the calling for her, though, Sunny strained towards the exit of her den.

"Carja-friend?" she said, and then stretched out her tentacles and eyestalks excitedly. "Carja-friend! It is good to see you! What do you have for saying?" She made a gesture to allow Carja to settle down nearby and wished she had something to offer the dragon to eat, although it looked like Carja already had a meal clutched in her jaws.


@carja

Carja wiggled in excitement and galloped over, meal in her jaws before she realized she couldn't really speak around it. She quickly snapped it down in a few juts of her neck, sort of like an eagle and a snake, and bent her head down, wings folded.

"Sunny!! Voidmother!! I want to join the Voidcrawlers," she said, "I love my family and I want to stay with them, duh, but I want to be with you guys!! I want to be chaotic but in the best way!! And... I want to protect my friends."

She bent her neck, her head many times the size of Sunny by now. The last time they'd seen each other, she was barely the size of a small doe, maybe. Now she was enormous, with massive wings, a long tail, and long legs. Built for running, flying, and whatever else she truly pleased. But instead of the soft grey her scales had been, they were black. Some places were missing dyes, and other places didn't have enough, and it looked like she ran out at some point, but the thought counted.

"As much as I love them... I can't sleep around all day waiting for something to happen," she said, "I want to represent the Voidcrawlers in the best way! To show everyone that chaos can be good and fun!! And also to help transport you guys too- 'cause I know you can't get around like everyone else."

Carja grinned her toothy grin, tail wagging a mile a minute, completely contrasting the admittedly scary colors she'd taken on.

@Voidmother

Her eyestalks perked up. "Erm, you look different! But it is good to see you." A beat, and then, she grinned (as best she could, really). "You wish to join us?! This is excellent! You will always have a place in my family, and I am sure in yours." Her features softened, like she was smiling. "You are a trusted friend, Carja -- and I would welcome you as my Voidwing, if you would have the responsibility that comes with it. But I must ask, what is with the black?"

Sunny had never really seen dye before. It was generally dangerous for her to wear it, anyway, and she was curious about what was happening here. Is this what Carja meant by 'in the best way'? The color was striking in comparison to her blues, but it did make it much harder for Sunny (who already had poor eyesight) to see her.


@carja

Carja grinned and clapped her hands, tail swishing back and forth behind her, "Voidwing! I like that! Voidmother, Voidseer, Voidwing- It's so cool!!"

She flopped down on her belly and grinned, "I'm going to visit my family every week for a few days- they're still my family family, and I need them to know I won't forget them or leave forever."

"But! I turned myself black because I thought it fit the theme, and I don't want to eat goo or go to that scary cave- I want to keep my magic as it is. I think it'd be more useful. But I thought the black would help me look more menacing in case I have to protect you guys," she said cheerily.

It would help her blend in and sneak around Cetus as long as she kept her vents and extra eyes shut, though her nostrils and main eyes still glowed obviously.

@Voidmother

The Voidmother nodded. "That is okay. You are not having to do such a thing -- I am content." The black was explained a bit more now, but Sunny's eyestalks wavered. "Are you sure of the blackening? I am liking it, but, ah, it may be permanent." She didn't comment that the theme was more purple and yellow than anything else, because she wasn't exactly planning to dictate to everyone what they could and could not do (beyond the obvious requirements for being associated with her, like not needlessly harming others and being polite to each other).


@carja

"I like it," she insisted, though she looked away, "But it's not the only reason. An entity called mother tried to take my family a while ago. I have to go after her. I'm going to show her that nobody messes with my family."

Carja reared and growled menacingly, eyes narrowed as she looked off towards Polaris and Ursa, flashing her talons, "Maybe you could call it... war paint."

She looked back to Sunny, "I'll be back before I leave to say goodbye to everyone, but I have to go. I can't waste time."

She leaned forward, her nose ever so gently bumping Sunny, as soft as she was all those months ago as a wee one.

"Don't come after me," she said, "It's very dangerous, were I'm going, and very cold. You and most of the others would be very uncomfortable there. I'm going alone- though I'll pick up allies on the way. I love you."

Carja took to the air and waved, wings flapping powerfully as she quickly rose into the air and took off above the trees of Cetus, off on an important mission- one that couldn't be halted by anything. Her family was counting on her.

@Sunny for vis

Exit Carja?