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Post by Kadin on Oct 24, 2020 21:03:44 GMT -6
The shal puffed up a bit at being addressed directly. It thought over the question for a little bit before quickly shaking its head, but then it stopped again and nodded instead. "There's only one rookery!" It said quickly, shoving at the maki when the other hatchling made as if it was going to answer the question instead. "There's only one rookery, but there's different sections. Some of the adults don't like to spend time with us, so they get their own sections for a break sometimes."
The shal seemed disappointed by this, looking away after it said it as if it wanted access to the adults all the time. Kadin couldn't really blame it, it was an intelligent breed by nature. Perhaps it felt like it was losing access to sources of information by being cooped up in here. But now he needed to think of something to ask the maki. "Are you guys every allowed in the adult sections?"
The maki leaned back on its hind legs, thinking hard about the question as if it was a very important one to consider. Kadin let a slight smile onto his face, amused by how seriously these hatchlings were taking this whole conversation. "Sometimes! If we're invited. But we have a lot of energy so we have to be sure not to overstep."
The maki said the last bit rather importantly and sounded like it was quoting someone when it said it. Kadin wondered how many times it had to be told the same thing.
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Post by Kadin on Oct 24, 2020 21:07:58 GMT -6
"It's very polite of you to make sure the adults have their own space. I hope you get some space for yourself, too, sometimes. I imagine it can be very loud in here with all the hatchlings together." He made this observation to the whole group, inviting them to share all of their thoughts with him. The shal was especially nodding along, acting as if it agreed completely with what he'd said.
"It's not too bad." The maki said dismissively, however. "It's like having a bunch of brothers and sisters. If you ever get bored of one you can go find another." The shal also nodded along to this thought, too. Kadin had the feeling that these two had been sticking together for a little while now. Perhaps they'd been testing out the eideon to see if they wanted to include it in their little group?
He turned to look at the draconic in question next, waiting patiently to see if it had something to add. It looked up at him with wide eyes. Then it looked over to the other two, as if unsure what to say to any of them. Eventually, and carefully, it voiced its thoughts. "It's not so bad. There are a lot of draconic to meet here. I like meeting draconic."
It finished its words shyly, shrinking in on itself a little as if waiting for the other two to say something critical in return. Kadin gave them both a look, also waiting to see what they'd say to that.
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Post by Kadin on Oct 24, 2020 21:13:17 GMT -6
"A- and it's been nice to meet you!" The shal said quickly, jumping to impress Kadin, no doubt. "That's why we were trying to help you! All of you eideon showed up and it's important that we welcome you properly! You feel welcomed, right?" It seemed anxious now, nudging the maki as if to make it echo its sentiments.
"Yeah, we wanted to be your friend!" The maki jumped to say, glancing back at the shal to make sure they were a united front.
Kadin smiled at them, amused again. "That's good to hear. I'm glad that you all like meeting new draconic and making new friends. Maybe if you're all very good you can come back with me to my canyon and meet my draconic? I'm sure they'd love to meet you, too, and to teach you new things."
"Oh, really? Truly?" The shal said, scrambling to its feet and stumbling over to Kadin to place both front paws on his knees. "You think we'd be able to go home with you? To have a family? Do you have a lot of draconic in your canyon?" It asked in excitement, the maki quickly coming up behind it and shoving it out of the way a little to also get to Kadin.
The eideon, meanwhile, still by his side, tucked in a little closer to him. "Do you think they'll say yes?" It asked shyly.
Kadin grinned at all three draconic. "I think we won't know until we ask. What do you say, should we?"
The chorus of yes followed him as he turned to look for the draconic who watched over the nursery, a question clear on his face and on the tip of his tongue.
[done?]
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Post by NPC on Nov 2, 2020 5:39:00 GMT -6
Acethylka held back a laugh more than once as she listened to the little ones try to explain Draconic culture to Kadin. Their sweet innocence about it all made her smile, and they clearly were enamored with him right away. She had a feeling that he might have a hard time choosing which one to befriend, so it wasn't a shock when he turned up with all three and a questioning look on his face.
"Ah yes, such clever little ones, aren't they?" she asked. Her large tail swayed behind her. It seemed like she might not have made up her mind yet. She looked over the little ones and thought about how they had tried so hard to include each other. "Alright, then, these three can go home with you," she nodded sagely. "Let you all continue to share knowledge... and love," she said with a ring of finality in her voice.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 4:06:04 GMT -6
Silver was dead silent as they followed Acethylka deeper into the cavern. They really didn't know what to say or even think. This place was sacred and important, and it felt strange. Silver wasn't sure whether or not they were just imagining that part, though. They just wanted to be respectful and not upset any weird Draconic customs that they didn't know about. They were pretty good at making a fool of themselves no matter the culture, so they wanted to be extra careful with the first impression for the new hatchling.
It felt like forever before they got to the room with all the hatchlings in it. They thanked Acethylka with a low bow of respect, whether she expected them to or not. As they looked over the hatchlings in the room, they couldn't escape the pang of sadness that followed. There were so many! If it were up to them they would scoop up every tiny baby in the room and drag them all home, but they knew that wasn't how it worked. The little ones were here in part to seek out new kin, to spread their families out across the canyons, to seek out new adventures. At least that's what Koda said. They just had to believe that he knew what he was talking about.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 4:16:47 GMT -6
They had to focus. They were here to extend a single invitation. Zinyong wanted to raise a hatchling for herself, and Silver was happy to help her with that goal. They weren't so sure that it would work out as she expected, but they knew that the family they had built with Koda would be there for both her and the hatchling as it grew.
Silver must have been lost in thought, because they were very startled when a little Shalaya came up to them and gently tapped on their boots. "You okay?" he asked.
"Ah! Oh. Um. Yea, I'm okay," they said in a way that was entirely unconvincing. The little hatchling just continued to stare at them until they elaborated. "Well, ah, I'm here to adopt, adopt a hatchling, to be one of my kin, part of the family, and ah, I guess I haven't really though it out very well." They chuckled lightly at themselves. How did they always end up in these weird situations?
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 4:21:54 GMT -6
"Need help?" the Shalaya asked. Silver wasn't the least bit surprised to find that he could speak a bit of common. It wasn't unusual for young Draconics to pick up languages quickly. Koda was way better at it than they were, for sure.
"Ah, maybe? Do you want to help?" Silver really didn't know what they were doing, but they also didn't know of what help the little one could be. It didn't even occur to them that the Draconic speaking to them could very well be the one that went home with them in the end.
"I can," he nodded. He seemed very confident which made Silver smile. He was a little older than some of the other hatchlings, which might have given him a unique perspective on the adoption process. He had seen his share of the others coming and going, so he more or less knew how it worked. Though he didn't offer any particular guidance at that moment.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 4:30:02 GMT -6
Silver didn't know what to do next, so they just explained their situation and hoped that something would come to one of them. "My kin, her name is Zinyong, she would like to raise a hatchling... to be part of the family."
"Yes," the Shalaya nodded, suggesting he understood the problem.
"I guess I do not know what she wants, and I can't ask her now..."
"No," the Shalaya shook its head. "You decide." He thought that Silver should be the one to make the decision. Their kin trusted them with this decision, they must know their kin well enough to know who would fit in, and most importantly, they were the one standing here. They couldn't think too much about what Zinyong wanted. It was impossible to read someone else's mind, and it was even more impossible to know how they would get along with someone else. Not that he shared any of those thoughts aloud. Silver would have to figure it out for themselves.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 4:44:06 GMT -6
"Ah, alright," Silver said, a bit taken aback by the little one's blunt statement. "Well, I think that... I think someone would fit in well with our kin if they were curious and creative. Do you know anyone like that, little one?"
If the little Shalaya was going to say something, it didn't get the chance. There was a kerfuffle as many of the hatchlings scattered in all directions like scared cats skittering across the cavern. Silver looked around confused for a second but ultimately headed straight for the center of the outgoing wave of Draconics.
"Are you okay?" they asked a small blue and purple Makiyan laying alone on the floor. She stood up and shook her head as if she was trying to knock whatever just happened out of her memory. "It's okay, I can help you," Silver said. They kneeled down next to her and held their sparkling paw out to her, ready to give her a healing touch.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 5:29:36 GMT -6
The Makiyan snorted and pushed their hand away with her claw. She didn't need anyone's help. She pulled herself to her feet and flicked her tail. She was perfectly fine, all on her own! She even snorted again, just in case they didn't get the picture.
"Okay, okay, no magic," they said. They pulled their hands back to prove they weren't going to do anything else. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright, I can see that you can take care of yourself," they said. They hoped that's what she wanted to hear, anyway. They really hadn't meant to offend her. Though they were curious about her. There was something about her that they felt was strangely familiar. The only problem was that they couldn't recall meeting a Makiyan before, at least not for long enough to recognize them.
Trying to think about remembering things made their head hurt, so they closed their eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't the time nor the place to be worried about their inability to remember things.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 5:38:03 GMT -6
Silver thought about Koda and everything he had told them about the Rookery before they got there. When they thought about him, they felt comforted, and more importantly, they felt like they knew what they had to do next. Koda would tell them that they would know the right hatchling when they met them, and Silver was pretty sure they had done just that. The only problem they had no was convincing her that she should come home with them. They were a complete stranger to her, and they hadn't made a great first impression.
"Hey," they said, still squatted on the ground next to the Makiyan. "I just want to talk, if that's okay." Since she didn't swipe at them again, they went on. "You're here at the Rookery because you're looking for a new family, right? Ah, new kin. That's why I'm here too, to find someone new to join us. I guess I should just be honest, right? I think that someone might be you. What do you say?"
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 5:42:07 GMT -6
She reluctantly listened to what they had to say. Her eyes were narrowed into a sceptical glare. She had no idea who this person was and whether or not they were trustworthy. Then again, they rushed to her aid even though everyone else ran (or flew) away. In that brief moment, she felt something she had never felt before. Someone she didn't even know had genuine concern and affection for her. That was a hard feeling to pass on. Still, she wasn't sure if she could trust them. She had been here a long time, and there was a reason for that.
"It's okay if you want to think about it, or if you don't want to come with me, that's okay too. I understand. It can be hard to give up what you know to go somewhere new. I would be scared too." They were honestly a little scared right now. Scared of rejection, scared of doing the wrong thing. Could she tell how they felt? They weren't sure, but they were open to the possibility.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 5:47:04 GMT -6
"Oh! Where did you come from?" Silver asked with a smile. The Shalaya they had been speaking to earlier was sitting next to them, looking up at their face. "I'm sorry I ran off like that, that was rude of me. I hope you can forgive me."
"Yes," the Shalaya said with a nod. He found it interesting that they decided to reach out to this particular Makiyan. He had been here long enough to know her reputation, but he chose not to share. They should get to know each other with no bias from him.
"Thank you for helping me," they said. They weren't sure exactly what he had done, but they felt like he at least earned a little gratitude for trying. He was also willing to fly over and check out what was happening, even though most of the other hatchlings were settling down on the other side of the room, away from them.
"Oh my," they said after a long pause. "You're... you're here because you're looking for a family too, aren't you? I don't suppose. I'm sorry if this is a funny question, but do you want to come with me? To meet Zinyong, and my other kin? I guess I should have asked earlier, but I didn't even realize..."
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 5:52:51 GMT -6
Before Silver could make a complete fool of themselves, the Shalaya interrupted. "Yes please. I am... curious."
That was good enough for Silver. They reached out with cupped paws to let the tiny Shalaya climb up and he did so with little reluctance. Even though they had rudely run away from him in the middle of a conversation, he was so intrigued by them that felt like he had to give it a try. If this was their person, then those Draconics must be, well interesting at the very least. He liked that idea.
Silver frowned briefly, as the Makiyan hadn't made any indication that she was willing to answer their earlier question. The Shalaya had chosen to go along with them, and they appreciated that, but they couldn't help but feel a little pang of sadness about her. They weren't about to force her to do anything, though, and if she didn't trust them, then there was nothing they could do about that. She had to make her own decisions, just as they did, and as the Shalaya did.
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Post by Silver on Jan 17, 2021 5:59:19 GMT -6
Just as they were about to leave, Silver felt something tugging on their sock. This was not an unfamiliar feeling to them, as it was a common habit of puppies to grab their socks to initiate play. They stopped and gently turned around, as not to step on any little paws. When they looked down, they were surprised to see the Makiyan standing there. She was looking up at them with pleading eyes. She had changed her mind. She wanted to go with them. Would they accept her? She looked terrified to be standing in such a vulnerable position.
"Oh," they said softly. "It's okay, you can come too if you want. Is that what you wanted? To come with me... us?" There was absolutely no way they could ignore such a cute display. The Makiyan sheepishly nodded, eyes fixed on the stone floor.
"Ah, hello again, Ace... Acethylka," they were pretty sure they got that right. "I'm sorry, but I found two hatchlings that would like to come home with me, is that okay?" They sure hoped she said yes because there was zero chances that they'd be able to pick one to leave behind.
[Done!]
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