[jolteon]

Owner: SilverSamurai
Name: Kazuki "Kii"
Gender: female
Gender for breeding: female
Owned as of 6/2

yeeeee my bab for this event!! ^w^ based off of hummingbirds!
for this competition, you must answer the following prompt: "What do they look forward to doing when spring finally comes?"
you may answer this in 1000 words or less!

you are also allowed up to 4 optional extras, which may be either 500 words or 1 art piece c: (simple animations and comics up to 4 panels are allowed)

Code: Select all

Username:
Name:
Gender:
What do they look forward to doing when spring finally comes?: (1000 words maximum)
up to 4 extras allowed

prettying up is allowed and encouraged! off-thread forms are allowed as well, no off-site forms tho c:

end date is [strike]May 4th May 10th @ 11:59 PM CST[/strike]

mutations:
Underfluff - event rare
Petal tufts - roaming trait

[✦ nemuri]

( ；´Д｀) asdfghjkl; so pretty ;;;; marking to see winner

[padaleckii]

quietly marks

[kiffell]

resss

[SilverSamurai]

“Kazuki,” A gentle voice called, and I raised my attention to Nova, the goddess of all things good, standing across from me, “Your time has come, my dear.”

“But Nova, the war has begun. Deimos has started her push into the Mortal realm, I do not believe it is safe for us.” The dark Viscet laughed, her feathers shimmered as she moved, “And who should know that power better than yourself, Kii.” My cheeks burned upon hearing the goddesses comment, and my ears flattened in shame. My previous alliance should have nothing to do with my current status, or perhaps it’s what shaped Nova’s next words; “No one knows Deimos’ inner workings the way you do, Kii. That said, you’re the only one I can trust with this mission.

“Deimos has her eyes on Karna, a Mortal planet that is developing rapidly. There are too many Mortals that could fall to the Shinigami’s trickery. But you, Kazuki, have been trained as a Shinigami and know their trickery and abilities. You have also been trained by myself and are my most beloved Archmage. This is my first mission to you and your last." Nova took a deep breath, almost hesitant with her next words;

"Kii, I send you to Karna to protect the Mortal realm and uphold my name. Go now, and remember who you are.” (215)

[ _____ Kazuki "Kii" - female - Archmage _____]

“Kazuki,” the icy whisper shot through my skin, subconsciously causing my feathers to bristle. My gaze shot to and fro, looking for the source of the voice, but knowing all too well I would not find anyone near. “I know you can still hear me, it’s no use resisting any longer.” It was Deimos, goddess of darkness and all things evil, but above all that, she is Nova’s sister.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ignore the voice calling me back, but I knew it was no use. “Why do you resist me now?” she asked, the voice echoing in my mind as I traveled further into the portal. Letting out a deep breath, I slowly open my eyes to answer the emptiness, “I resist you now, and I will resist you for eternity. Things are different from how they were, and I regret my past choices.”

“But do you?” The voice chuckled, and it sparked something deep within me. Anger? Resentment? … Longing? I shook my head and didn’t answer. I stabilized myself as I draw closer to the Mortal realm. I murmur mostly to myself, “The icy claws of winter has harmed both myself and countless others. But things are changing, and Spring is drawing near. I hope that when it does, you, too, will see what blooms across the beings in this realm, and possibly in your own heart.” (233)

____________________________________________________________________________________

I cautiously stepped out of the portal and took my first steps on Karna. Glancing around, I seemed to be in a rather mountainous place, and on the horizon was a thick forest stretching wide. Without much hesitation, I headed off towards the thick woods. After some time, I reached the edge of the woods as the sky began to lighten, signaling the beginning of a new day. Following a trail into the heart of the woods, the scent of water tickled my nose before I could even hear it, and I unconsciously began moving a bit faster.

Upon finding the narrow river, I took a few moments to sit on the bank and recollect myself and think over my mission. Ruffling through the pouch of things I had brought with me, I pulled out a long golden chain with some feathers on it, resembling Nova’s feathers. Weighing it down was a long talon-shaped stone that appeared charcoal-like but glittered a rainbow within itself when put under light. It was meteorite, the essence of a star that contains raw power and is the source of most things though impossible.

I tied it around my neck and stood once more and followed the river, unknown to where it may take me. The sky grew lighter still, but the thick treetops kept out most of the light, except for streaks of filtered light to spot the earth in places. Another path appeared and I decided to stray from the river to follow it instead, and I really wish I hadn’t.

At the end of the narrow path lie a rather small clearing, the underbrush thick and entangled with thorns, but I pushed through and into the clearing, where the largest tree had ever seen was rooted at the far end. But that’s not what made my breath catch in my throat and my eyes narrow. Oh no, it was much more than that.

Chained to the base of the tree was a familiar figure of Lilith, a former partner when working under Deimos, and fellow Shinigami.

My ears flattened upon seeing them and I let out a low growl directed towards them, and they turned their gaze towards me, a toothy smirk greeted me when their cold green eyes fell on me.

“Why if it isn’t Kazuki the traitor. Have a change of heart, dear?” They scoffed, but the small Viscet made no attempt to move. “Never,” I growled back, but I took a few steps towards the reddish Viscet. “So this is where you were banished, quite fitting if you ask me,” I scoffed back at them, taking in the cold, mossy clearing we found ourselves in. “And you, too, it seems?” They quickly answered, but I shook my head.

“No. You and I are here on very different terms. You were banished from Deimos’ side and left to rot here, out of sight and out of mind. I am here to protect the life on this planet from Viscet’s like you.” Lilith let out a chirping laugh that echoed through the clearing, “As if you’re one to talk, kid. Deep down, you and I are the same, and you know it.” They got to their feet and the red Fate String bound them from moving further.

“I don’t have time for this,” I murmured and took a step back, turning to leave the clearing. “What makes you think you can change anything?” Lilith called to me challengingly, and I stopped in my tracks. I spun on my toes and lunged at them, earning a yelp from the smaller Viscet as they hit the ground. “Listen closely, Shinigami, I don’t care what you think. I made a decision on my own, and I’m not about to have a change of heart any time soon. I left your side ages ago, and I now see the toxic nature and corruption spread through the Old World faction like never before. Your side is being destroyed from the inside out, and I have no part in it any longer.” I hissed down at them, their green eyes wide, yet not a hint of fear in them.

I got off of them and let out a final growl before leaving for good, “This is over, Lilith. I do not intend to come across you again.” A chuckle from the small Viscet, and their reply echoed through the clearing, sending a chill down my spine, “It’s still Winter, Shinigami, and though I do not doubt Spring is drawing near, you, my dear, still remain as frozen as ever.”







After a few days, I found myself on a small island off the coast of the thick woods, not wanting to travel too far from where I started, but far enough away from… potential threats. The bottom half of the island was barren and dead woods sprinkled the area, but the farther north on the island the more rocky and mountainous it got, and I built a watchtower at the peak. It allows me to see across the water and into the mainland, but also provides a view of the stars above, where I spend more time than I’d like to admit gazing into the darkness, longing for whatever home I had.

At the base of the watchtower I built a small cabin where I began storing my belongings and collecting scrolls and runes. Now alone, I find myself able to practice my magic without feeling shame in it. As my previous affiliation with Deimos and a Shinigami, I learned a particular branch of dark magic involving life manipulation and soul-trapping. However, now I find myself using the same magic but twisting it with magic taught by Nova… allowing the soul to be bent, but not broken and lost. Truly a mix of the two abilities, but now used to do good rather than harm.

Unsure of where life may take me on this world, I feel an overwhelming sense of belonging for the first time. (998)

_______________________________________________________________________________

(extras 3+4, 500 words each)

A warm breeze ruffled my feathers as I found myself perched on the edge of the watchtower. Nearly a month has passed and I haven’t made any real progress on my mission, but I have pinpointed a few leads; Viscets disappearing without a trace in the King’s city to the west, a shadowy figure roaming the forest on the south side, and to my surprise, a rumor of a Viscetling with a strong yellow aura wandering on its own. It was the latter case that I decided to act on.

I climbed off the watchtower and padded into my small home to pack some supplies for my trip, but most importantly I grabbed the skull headdress and placed it on my head- the symbol of an outcast Shinigami that I could hide from no longer. After meeting Lilith on the mainland upon my arrival to this world, things have been different. I… I feel a new fire driving me, one that urges me forward and to see through my mission for as long as I can. Deimos still calls upon me occasionally, but her cries mean nothing to me any longer.

I tie a long dark cloak around my neck and slip on the meteorite fang over the cloak, pulling the hood over my head after in an attempt to hide my appearance as much as I could. I realized that I would need a disguise to hide my identity, as most who know of me only acknowledge my previous alliance. Swinging a small pack of supplies over my back, I head out towards my raft to chase my strongest lead.







I went out of my way to be sure to avoid the clearing with the large tree that trapped Lilith, not wanted to confront them again. Making my way towards a small village, I began asking around of the Viscetling with the yellow aura. Most who knew of him feared him and wanted nothing to do with him, but I have learned his name to be Aiakos, and he is not as young as I thought.

Taking their advice, I check the far side of the woods, where the trees were dying and ebbing into more mountainous land. Hours of wandering was not in vein, however, as I caught sight of a moving form in the underbrush. “Aiakos?” I called out cautiously, but the form startled at my call and took off. I rushed forward, not wanting to lose sight of the other Viscet.

The other suddenly stopped in their tracks and turned to face me, and I tried my best to stop as well but was not as successful. “How do you know my name?” The male asked carefully, and I got to my feet and brushed myself off, removing my hood and headdress, “Some rumors in the nearby village,” I responded evenly, but Aiakos’ ears flattened. “How much do you know?” He growled, lowering himself as if preparing for a fight, but I waived my tail in response.

Without a word, I cast a spell mirroring the yellow aura surrounding the young Viscet he almost instantly his feathers smoothed. “You… You can control it?” He asked, his eyes wide as the aura danced in my palm. “Of course, young one. Though I’m not sure what king of magic yours is exactly, mine is only a lookalike mimic of yours, you see.” “I responded, and almost immediately I was met with another question, “Do you think… you could teach me how to control it?”

I ceased my magic and thought about it for a second. While I’m on Karna it might not be a bad idea to have allies… Maybe even have him help with my mission… “You’ll have to enlighten me a bit on your magic a bit first… but yes, I will help you if you wish.” Aiakos’ ears perked up immediately and he almost wiggled in place. “Oh, thank you, miss…” “You can call me Kii”

“Unless you have somewhere else to go, you may head back to my camp with me. I can fill you in along the way back.” Aiakos nodded and eagerly followed. He didn’t speak for most of the trip, but his voice startled me when we stepped onto my raft to float back to the island. “Kii?” “Yes, Aiakos?” “What’s with your skull mask and cape?” What am I supposed to say, that I’m an outcast demon? “I… You see, an archmage like myself likes to lay low and keep to herself, if you know what I mean.”

When the male didn’t seem convinced, I added more of a hushed voice, “The headdress masks my appearance and makes me less likely to be approached by strangers, you see.” That answer he accepted, and he asked, “Can I have a mask and cloak too?” I chirped a laugh, “I suppose if you’re being trained by me I could make you one, sure.”

“And… I’m still confused about something.” “What’s that?” I asked, angling my ears towards him. “You speak a lot of this “Spring, but I don’t understand. What does the season have to do with magic?” I chuckled and lowered my head, understanding his confusion. I began carefully, “Young one, there is much in this world… in this universe you don’t and can’t understand. I won’t try to make you understand it, but there are some bad Viscet’s doing some terrible things… It’s been called an Eternal Winter, and has lasted several centuries. However, things are beginning to look up with thanks to those like me… like us.

“Aiakos, this terrible Winter is beginning to melt into Spring… and when Spring finally comes, new life will begin to pop up across the universe, and the evil will be but back into its place.” I look up to the stars before closing my eyes, “Ah, when Spring comes I hope my fellow sisters see the good blooming as well… Or perhaps that will be my new mission when the time comes.” (500 + 500)

[Lioashu]

Just gonna watch for now, good luck competitors!!

[WolfWinter]

◤Ａｎｔｈｅａ◥

Ａｎｔｈｅａ

◣Ａｎｔｈｅａ◢

▸FemaleXXXXXXX ▸Bird KeeperXXXXXXX ▸Gardener

►When Spring Finally Comes◄

Anthea reached frantically for the alarm that was blaring to life on her table. The bright sunlight pierced through her curtains, and she resigned herself to getting up. Today had been marked out as the beginning of a long process. First things first, breakfast. She walked out to the shed, and grabbed the cart. She put the buckets, and scoops on it, then headed to the feed shed. Dry goods in their respective buckets, she headed to the industrial cooler for the fruits vegs she had prepped the night before. Then it was off to the aviaries. The squawking, screeching, and other bird noises, was music to her ears. She closed the security gate behind and her, and one by one, fed all of her birds.

She'd never admit it, but the cockatoos were her favorite, followed by the pair of ravens her friend was trying to rehabilitate (they were thoroughly rejecting all of his and his team's attempts, much to his and the rehabilitation center's dismay). Zera, her only red-tailed black cockatoo, flew to her shoulder and perched there when it was their turn. Zera was very good at recall, so she went nearly everywhere with Anthea. Sadly, today was not one of those days where she could spend most of it with Zera and everyone else. She needed to plant her garden, and check on the plants in her greenhouse (bringing a cockatoo anywhere filled with delicious food was a recipe for disaster). She extracted Zera from her shoulder, and put her on one of the small trees in her aviary.

Back to the sheds, and on to the greenhouse. She inspected all of her plants closely, and determined which seedlings could be brought outside. She grabbed the barrel full of gardening supplies, and went to the very large patch of dirt she had prepared last week for planting. A few onions were already in the ground, planted in rows she had prepped even earlier. By noon, everything that needed planting or transferring was in the ground. Then, onto the most exciting thing of all. Anthea was one of a very small group of people who had private facilities large enough to take on birds for the Rehab Center. She was working on getting licensed to be able to handle the birds herself when needed, and not have to wait for someone to drive out to her.

She quietly walked around to the large aviary that had been turned over to a very special pair of birds. Well, to say it was a large aviary was an understatement. Strong, but temporary, netting was put in place on over five acres of her land. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. A wildfire had displaced the birds, and scattered the rest of their group. The male, who everyone called Timmy, had lost one of his toes from the fire. No one was sure if he would make it or not, but he did. This was a recovery area for them both. They were fenced in the stand of longleaf pine. Anthea saw that the team responsible for their recovery was already there, so she carefully walked through the gate.

An argument was going on, and she pursed her lips. Anthea prepared to intervene, but they broke it up on their own. She breathed a sigh of relief, and walked up to the group. She could clearly hear what the argument was about; when they should release the birds. One half of the team wanted to release them before April, when nesting season started. The other half wanted to wait a bit longer, to make sure neither bird would have long-term health issues related to the amount of smoke they'd inhaled. Now normally, smoke inhalation wouldn't be an issue, but the fire had been a manmade one, an accident. The reason both birds had inhaled so much smoke was that they had been nesting, and had been reluctant to leave. Now there were concerns about their long term survival.

Apparently they decided for another evaluation next week, and if they were given a clean bill of health, to release them the next day. She couldn't see the birds, but she knew they were there. Probably wondering what the large creatures were yelling about. Anthea walked the netting, making sure there were no holes, and then made the trek back home. The doves were cooing at her, and she couldn't help herself. She walked in and sat down on the stone bench. A few doves settled on her, one of them, Bob, insisted on perching on her ear. Soon it would be time to separate the breeding pairs out, prepare nest boxes, and do a final health check on all of them. Yes, spring was a busy time, but a quiet busy. That's what she loved about it.

Soon, the sound of baby birds would fill the aviary. She'd need to prep the adoption aviaries out front, and the people who'd be coming to look at or pick up birds. Then of course, the year-round commitment of taking in more birds and seeing if they could be rehomed, if not, then they'd stay here as permanent residents. She shook herself out of her stupor and went back to work. After all, there were still five hours left of pure daylight, and she had a whole list of things she still needed to do. This time, she could bring Zera, and the bird was more than happy to ride on her shoulder, or perch nearby while she finished up the day's tasks, because they were never a chore.

►Release Day◄

Everyone was wearing hats, and on the lookout for trouble. Today was the big day. Release Day. The Red-cockaded Woodpeckers were given a clean bill of health at their last check, and were being released before nesting season. Just to make sure they wouldn't lose out this year on a breeding pair of birds, they had prepared several nest hollows for them. Hopefully, they'd choose one of them, and there'd be a nest full of eggs to help the dwindling species. But first,t hey had to get to the site, which was already proving difficult. The tire blew on the jeep, and everyone was at a loss until they saw the huge nail embedded in the tire. Everyone groaned, and they jacked the jeep up to put the spare on.

The road was also very bumpy; some people liked to go mudding out here on the service roads and Anthea always grumbled when they found new ditches. Now that she was officially licensed to handle wildlife, she grumbled even more. She'd been handed the carrier with the birds to act as a second set of shock absorbers, and her shoulders were starting to get sore. Tom kept looking back, and said that they were nearly at the site.

She grumbled something along the lines of, "we better be, or it's your head," but Tom just ignored her grumpiness.

She had far more patience for birds than people, and everyone knew that. It wasn't until the sun started to go down that she realized just how long of a drive it was. She sank into her seat as much as she could. If she had waited a few seconds more, she wouldn't have been nearly thrown from her seat when Tom hit the brakes. He thought the look on her face was funny, and she was seriously (not really) considering taking his head. The birds were fine, and everyone crawled from the jeep.

The silhouettes from the trees made a beautiful contrast to the setting sun. Tom let her do the honors, and soon, the pair of birds were flying away. They'd both been tagged, so they could be tracked later. It was wonderful, and nearly magical. Then, all too soon, they had to get back in the jeep to head home. If all went well, there'd be a few more Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in the world, and they'd be one step closer to survival.

[Corvuss]

mark to watch ^^

[muttgirl310]

Username:
Muttgirl310

Name:
Flitwick

Nickname:
Flick or Flit

Gender:
Male

What do they look forward to doing when spring finally comes?: (1000 words maximum)
Flitwick has been called a small time artist in the garden, as he creates stunning combinations with the plants he picks for the beds. The waves of color as blossoms open and the movement of tall spindles of grasses and ornamental bushes greet his guests as they venture through his garden. Each garden plot has a specific purpose but they all work in such beautiful symphony together. There is of course the butterfly garden, planted packed full of all the favorite flowers of the native butterflies including milkweed, zinnias and agastache. The seed garden, packed full of plants for birds to collect seeds from, keeping all the songbirds well fed. But his favorite is the hummingbird garden planted up next to the cave entrance on either side. Wisteria connects the two gardens as it climbs the cave and covers it in beautiful flowing branches, creating an arch over the entrance. Each garden is then carefully planted full of flowers specific to hummingbird feeding, with reds and bright colors swaying in the breeze. Foxgloves, lupines, hollyhocks, columbines, verbena all growing together in a mix of colors and styles.

Flit loves caring for his gardens and enjoys the gardens during all the seasons but he certainly loves spring the most as that is the time to start pawing around in the mud to filling in holes in his garden and occasionally redesign them to his liking. Spring is when he gets to let his creative side out and plan out his exquisite gardens down to the very last detail, like what color does he want the groundcover phlox to be this year. That is probably one of his favorite things to do in the spring, plan out how his gardens will look that year and just imagine how the butterflies, birds and hummingbirds will be in his garden. He also loves planning out gardens for his guests the hummingbirds, butterflies and birds. That is the reason he planted a few birch trees around in his gardens, to providing nesting opportunities, mostly for hummingbirds, but also for the other birds as well. Various nesting boxes are displayed in his gardens and he even includes plants in his gardens that produce various nesting materials that the birds and particularly hummingbirds love. Bird baths scatter the property with some having rocks in the bottom so the hummingbirds can enjoy them as well. Some of them he will place pieces of fruit from his garden or even make them butterfly feeders by filling the base with his homemade nectar and places for the butterflies to rest.

Flit has built his entire garden around those that he loves most, but the gardening is also what he enjoys. Being able to get his paws dirty as he digs around in the soil, planning out what will go where, moving and planting the seeds and roots. Positioning bird baths, nesting boxes and stepping stones. The actual work to get the gardens set up for the next year is his favorite part. He loves planning out how the butterflies, hummingbirds and other animals will use his garden, and make it as friendly for them as well.

[Pacsaj]

Res (so pretty!)