[ORP] Old Bones Make New Blooms [ALL ARE INVITED!]

[Chrystali]

It took all sorts, didn't it? Grave cast the big fellow rooting around aimlessly a dour look - scavenger - but only briefly, carefully lifting a small bone. A foal's, no doubt - they were easier to construct than the adults. Returning it to drier land, he turned around, pausing when it seemed there were suddenly a dozen kin where there had been none.

Vultures. Not that Grave actually knew their purpose, but surely, none were noble. Surely, they were more surveyors than purveyors.

And then there was the burning owlcat. He had no idea what that was about, but would just as easily cast it off as a vision from swamp gas. It was easier than thinking it was just another beast for the meal of the dead.

There were Zikwa, the first he'd seen since their emergence -- and a worm that made him feel a bit unsettled. A doe walking in a path that seemed thought out, a doe that looked like skeleton bones were writ into her fur, and two bucks - one an Acha - that seemed leery of everyone else's presence. At least they seemed as untalkative as he was. That was a bonus.

Shaking out his spined back, he bowed his head and resumed his rooting for certain sized bones, tail swaying to catch any floaters.  

[Araucana]

Clear as Day nodded at the welcome, and then again at each of the other zikwa in turn as they were introduced.

When the young one, Locust, cooed over her appearance she couldn't help but smile, she was a bouncy, bright light in her mind's eye, happy and full of youthful wonder. Clarity briefly pondered that while their were very likely near aged, she felt she'd never felt as young as the doe before her. Perhaps she was more mature than was normal for other zikwa, she had certainly been the most so amongst her own siblings.

"Thank you, I am Clear as Day, or Clarity." Clarity replied, glad that this custom didn't allude her. Then casting her eyes upon Epitome she continued. "They are such beautiful creatures. To me, Epitome is incarnation of the passage between life and death."

Clarity became distracted by a flock of song birds landing in a tree a few yards behind them and only heard Take Root's last few words, sing to the dead. It gave her need for further pause, why might they do that?

"I had come to see the void for myself." She answered surely at first before tentatively inquiring. "Singing?"

Ruriska

 

[Blinded By My Silence]

There he stood, still as the dead around them, with his head ever so slightly turned and his long legs poised. Watching. How long he had been here, he was not so sure, but when he had seen the great maw of the swamp open forth, he knew this was where he needed to be. And so, there he was. Watching. Waiting.

- - - - -

Pestilence did not know where he was entirely, but that did not bother him in the slightest. No, right now, he was more curious than anything as he followed in the hundreds of footsteps of his Cave Worm companion with surprising speed. Where was he leading, Stil wondered as his little workers clung tightly to his mane and fur.

His question was answered soon enough. After a day's worth of traveling away from his pools, Worthwhile's sudden activity was, well, worth while. Pestilence stood staring in a mix of awe and horror at the gaping maw of the swamp that stretched before him. Embedded in it's teeth were skeletons of all shapes and sizes, just haphazardly thrown in the mud. It pained his heart to see such chaos. And so, he knew immediately what to do. Stil pushed away his aversion to new kin and set to work looking for the stickiest muck he could find.

 

[Aric Val]

The dark acha was creeping in quietly from the sides, eyes focused on the dirt ground and seeing some remnants and signs he could identify of some poor passed kin. He did not really hear much of what was going on with the other live kin who had come to investigate this event. But he wasn't one to eavesdrop, one ripped ear gently moving as he and his sanddogs got to work for this one corpse beside a tree, the familiars systematically digging into the ground for burial for these remains.  

[Shaddaling]

Blood looked up from where he was examining a skull, unlucky thing, feeling eyes on him and shoot sharp grin and gave a teasing little kick his direction. Perhaps a tad flirtatiously. "Going to stare all day, big fellow, or do something about it?" He called.

He left the skull behind, looking for something he could bring back. Something with teeth, and not kin. He wasn't that much of a b*****d to disturb someone grave, sure he'll didn't mind causing the death, but eh, let the bones lie. And it wasn't like Compile would be pleased if he did. Now a large caiman skull, that would be worthy. He always crushed the skulls when he hunted.

Chrystali

 

[Ruriska]

They didn’t say it but there was a definite air of approval from Take Root and Buried Alive when Clarity spoke of her Cave Worm, both elders giving a minute nod of their heads.

"It is one of our oldest customs," Take Root explained. "We don’t all do it, though all those who came from the caves know them. Some prefer to simply speak their feelings quietly or celebrate with their family. It all depends."

Buried Alive picked up the conversation as Take Root finished. "But we choose to sing. We sing to the souls of the dead, though they have already passed on to their next destination. It is a song of love and safe travels, of rebirth and rejoicing but also sorrow that they had to leave their family behind."

Despite having heard some of this before, Locust was rapt. She listened with perked ears, clearly excited to have her chance to let her voice free.

Araucana

 

[Kaluna Skunk]

For days the cries of the dead had been so much louder. Whim always heard them, but not this loud, and not this many voices at once. She had also heard the rumors of the sinkhole and knew that it must be the cause of all the unrest, so she set out to see for herself what the geological activity had stirred up. "Some of these spirits could be ancient, perhaps even of creatures who no longer roam this land. I am so excited to meet them all!" she thought. As she made her way through the swamp she gathered as many flowers as she could find, skipping along happily. Meeting spirits and celebrating death was her favorite thing!

In all of her excitement to encounter the dead, she had forgotten that there would also be many living things there as well, other kin who had come to see the event for themselves. Whim had mixed feelings about this, she was indeed quite lonely and longing to connect with other kin but she was also really awkward and bad at talking. When she arrived at the sinkhole her excitement quickly turned to anxiety as she suddenly realized she might have to interact with someone.

She quietly creeped around the edge of the sinkhole, trying not to draw any attention to herself as she surveyed the landscape. The songs of the dead were deafeningly loud here. There were several zikwa gathered together, conversing it seemed. A couple of bucks were picking through the mire, and a few more kin seemed to be just there to watch. She also noticed a burning owlcat, which was a little surprising. Normally she was insecure about her morbid obsessions but she thought that perhaps these other kin wouldn't be disturbed by her shrine and ceremonies, since they all seemed to focused on the scattered bones as well. She spotted a small curled up skeleton, and crept closer to inspect it, choosing her steps very carefully on this unstable ground. "Hello little friend," she whispered.

Quote:

Sorry I took so long to get in on this! This is the best idea, I freaking love sinkholes and specifically that one in the video clip is something I watch pretty regularly. It soothes me when I'm anxious to watch the earth swallow trees LOL. Also Whim's goals here are to meet as many spirits as she can, and perhaps also make a friend or two with someone who's actually alive.

 

[Chrystali]

Grave paused at the soft steps of hounds in the water, glowing eyes flickering to the sanddogs that diligently dug in the mire. Their owner, a dark Acha, seemed to be picking around with a bit more respect than the others, earning only the briefest of considerations.

A voice that did not belong to the Zikwa reached his ears, something flirty, which surely meant it wasn't directed at him. Really, who was doing a mating call amidst all this -- much to his shock, the ornate buck was, indeed, talking to him. Did he mean the bones? Did he mean having looked at him? Grave froze with a 'this is not happening how does this happen' rigidness to his posture. He took a breath to tell the other that he was old enough to be his great grandfather and how weird that would be --

-- but he heard the three Zikwa's voices lift, stealing the indignant words from his throat. Tattered ears flickered and swiveled back to the three, surprise briefly overtaking his need to quip at the buck. Customs? Grave turned his head to stare at them heavily, unable to wipe the surprise from what could be seen of his jagged features. It shouldn't be a surprise - they were the First, if stories were to be believed - which meant many died before he and his kind came into being.

A faint whisper from a pink boned doe reached him, but it was not a disturbing sound, greeting the dead like an old friend. One ear swiveled to listen to those around him, but the other remained turned towards the Zikwa, listening, even if begrudgingly. Singing to the dead seemed almost as useless as Eve's methods... ... ... ...

...but it couldn't hurt to hear what else had to be said. For now.

(( HI I'M A WANKER AND INSOMNIA KICKED MY ARSE. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE. <3 ))

Shaddaling

Aric Val

Ruriska

Kaluna Skunk