[manta rae]

oh this one is a cutie ; o ;
Marking to watch! <3

[Dragonets-of-destiny]

Mark!

[T h e M a r t i a n]

Username:

T h e M a r t i a n

Name:

Ragnbjörg
Scandinavian in origin
Means "advice, counsel"
and "save, protect, help"

Gender:

Female

Swamp critter GIF:
Croc
Extra(s):

[Stårry]

Username: Marki-Moo
Name: Liena
Gender: Female
Swamp critter GIF:
Extra(s):

[RedFur1322]

Username:
RedFur1322

Name:
Ryder Hash Helbender

Gender:
Male

Swamp critter GIF:

Extra(s):

note to self-
ends the 10th
only 4 extras (500 each)

2 art peices

res! c:

[Razors]

Username: Razors
Name: Loa (Birth name was Bait.) **Link will take you to Loa wiki page.*
Gender: Male
Swamp critter GIF:
(I had to double check. Otters do/can live in swamps.)
Extra(s):

The story is partially inspired by the song - Amos Moses- By Jerry Reed.
As always, inspired by my love of mythology, lore, and good 'ol superstitions!
Pre-story information...
Hoodoo Wiki.
Rougarou wiki


--Loa's Story.--


"Git down 'ere boy!" Bait's father yelled from below. There was a thick rope tied around Bait's right ankle so tight that he felt tingles in his foot from his circulation being cut off. " No! I ain't gunna let joo throw me to dem gators no more!" Striker hiss his words at his father. Big talk for a little viscling who had somehow managed to climb up to the top of a tree and was clinging to a branch for all he was worth. He knew that if he came down, either his daddy would kill him, or the gators would. One way or the other, he could not come down from his branch. "Boy! I said get down 'ere, now!" He could hear the anger in his fathers voice rising, the male becoming almost hysterical as he tug against the rope that had been tied to Bait's leg. Thankfully, on his way up, striker had tangled the rope around several branches, so his fathers tugging was just snapping and pulling on branches. Otherwise, he would have surely been tugged out of the tree by now.

--
Bait was a little viscling, no older than three months, at most. He was born to Jo and Amorette, somewhere deep in the Louisiana bayou. As much as Amorette loved Jo, Jo was not a viscet to share such emotions. As far as Viscets go, he was the meanest, cruelest, most hateful Viscet in the swamp where they lived. He made sport of rattlesnakes, gators, and alligator gar. Jo was well known for his inability to settle down, many females had their hearts broken by Jo, it's a wonder why Amorette thought she was any different, but she did. Poor Amorette thought that she would be the one to charm Jo and finally get him to settle down. In the end, all Jo did was get so angry with her he tossed her into the swamp, feeding her to the alligators there. This was, of course, just after Jo had learned that Amorette had lain an egg. Jo was not fit to be a father, and originally he had wanted to just break the egg or leave it where it sat. No one knows why Jo didn't destroy the egg, but he didn't. Soon enough, Bait was born, his daddy giving him a name that was sure to hint at what his life was to become. 'Bait'. "Joo ain't nuttin' but bait, boy! Joo ain't fit ta 'ave a real name!" his daddy would say. From the very moment he was born, Bait knew nothing but the swamp, his daddy not caring enough to actually feed him, Bait gets anything left over that his father does not eat. If his father completely finishes a meal, Bait will have to scavenge for food. The primary source of food for the two happens to be fish, small rodents, snakes, or...alligators. His father hunts gators more for sport than anything...but this leaves us returning to our spot....

--

"Boy! Imma come up dere an' kill joo m'self!" Bait's father rage below, thrashing about and stomping his feet. Bait knew his father meant it...If he had been able to come up, anyway. The branches were too weak to hold more weight than seventy pounds, at most. Bait had been pushing the weight limit, and several branches had broken on the way up, but he had made it! " Joo cain't come up 'ere, Jo! Joo's too 'eavy!" It was suicide to taunt his father, but he couldn't help himself. Offering a slight smirk towards the viscet below, Bait clutch the branch tight as his father gave a sudden tug that caused the entire tree to bend from the strength he used. " Imma kill joo, boy! Imma kill joo, den imma feed joo to dem gators!" It was now that fear began to set in, but instead of cry for help or plead for forgiveness, Bait took a page from Jo's book and threaten him instead. "No! Imma kill joo! You even try'n come up 'ere an Imma rip joo up!" Turning, Bait attempt to gnaw at the rope that bite into his ankle. He ignore his fathers ranting and raving from below, at least, until the tree bent again. This time his father had begun backing up, sloshing his way into the swamp as he tug the tree towards the earth. As thin as the little tree was, it wasn't going to last too long, and the more Jo tugged, the more Bait could hear the crackling of the tree as it began to break. " Joo dun it now, boy! Jus' wait till I get joo now!" Triumph was written all over Jo's face, as well as filling his words. He knew he had Bait, he was done arguing, and Bait was going to pay for back talking him the way he had. If that boy survived, he wouldn't be able to move for weeks!

As it seemed, Jo had enemies in the swamp, no wonder, with the way he treated everyone. But the enemies that stalked Jo at that moment were not viscets, but the gators which he made sport of constantly. The shouting had drawn their attention, and they had kept an eye on the two from a distance. The moment a distracted Jo enter the swamp, though, his attention on Bait, several gators decide that it was high time to get some payback. Bait was halfway through the rope around his ankle when the tree shot up. Like a catapult he was shot from his spot and sent flying forward. Still attached to the branch by the rope around his ankle, Bait felt his leg pop the moment the rope was pulled taut and his forward motion was stopped. Yelping in pain, he was jerked backwards by the rope, smacking into several branches along the way back, and soon, down. He fell, his descent stopped the same way that his forward motion had been stopped. The rope pulled, once again, taut, and leaving him dangling from a high branch that soon snap under the sudden forced weight down. His leg, which had popped out of socket, was further tugged and battered as he bounce and tumble down. He could hear screaming aside from his own, now. It wasn't until he had finally come to a stop, still dangling upside down, but now from a slightly lower branch. His poor abused body was located about ten feet off the ground, swaying back and forth. As he twist and turn, he caught sight of Jo, his leg caught in the jaws of one rather large gator, while his tail was clamped in the jaws of another, slightly less large, gator. Cursing and struggling against the two, Jo try and keep himself from entering the water. Everyone knew that once you enter the water with a gator on you, you were dead. Little to nothing could stop a gators death roll, and once it start, either, you drowned, or whatever the gator had hold on would be ripped off. Nasty either way you go.

Pain assaulted Bait, leaving his vision blurry and slightly darkening around the edges. He watched Jo struggle with the two for a short while before a third gator turn the tides. While Jo was scratching at the eyes of the one which held his leg, the third shot up and grasped his front paw. Between the three of them, Jo was tugged into the water...never to be seen or heard of again.
-------

"Ahh...whadda we got heeeere....?" Spoke Mama Sue. Mama Sue was a gnarled old colored woman. She was short and hunched over, but one could still see that once upon a time this woman had been devastatingly beautiful. Her hair was long and braided, having long lost it's black color, it was now pure silver. the woman's eyes were grey and held signs of cataracts, but she seemed still yet to possess some sight. She wore a simple orange and brown robe and held a similarly gnarled cane in her right hand. Now, the woman lift the cane and gave the dangling Bait a whack, sending him swaying sideways, but not yet coming to. " 'Eeey. I can see joo breathin'...joo ain't foolin' nobody...." She seemed to expect the hanging critter to respond, giving it a moment to do so. When Bait did not answer, nor did he wake, the old woman gave a heavy sigh. " Time ta be callin' in a favor...". Mama Sue hobbled away, the night having set in by now, it took some convincing for anyone to come into the swamp at this hour. Only Mama Sue was brave enough to wander the swamp at night. Mama Sue was a Mambo, or Hoodoo priestess, so she felt she was well acquainted with the night folk, both living and not. Finally convincing a young man to come with her to the swamp, she found Bait once more and instruct the male the cut Bait down. Once done, Mama Sue gave the man a charm of protection, gave him a whack on his butt with her cane, and sent him on his way.

Picking up the cut end of the rope, Mama Sue began dragging Bait along, tugging him all the way back to her little hut in the swamp. Her hut was barely big enough for her, let alone a little viscet. The hut was positioned on the top of several logs, that if it rained good and hard, they would float, causing her house to float. This saved her a whole lot of trouble when the wet season came...Mama Suu's home was filled with all manner of bones, papers, skins, herbs, jewelry, and other such things. Placing an unconscious Bait on the floor of her hut, she began working on him. "Oooh boi, who joo dun make angry, eh?" Mama Sue treat all the scratches and scrapes, popping the leg back into socket, and cleaning him up as best she could. Once she had finished, she began working on a stew for herself and Bait.

----

Bait woke somewhere close to midday, his body sore and aching and his surroundings extremely unfamiliar. The first thing that caught his attention was the bowl that had been set before him, the stew long gone cold, but that did not mean it was any less delicious. After he had gobbled the stew up, he lick his maw clean and took in his surroundings. He was still young, so he had never seen humans, nor really even heard of them, for that matter. All his father had really ever taught him about was snakes, fish, alligators, and how to be mean. True to that teaching, though, the moment Mama Sue enter the door with a pair of rabbits intended for supper, he turn on her. His fur bristle and teeth were bared, not pouncing, but his body lowered, as if he were about to. Before he knew it, Mama Sue's cane shot forward and whack him good on the top of his muzzle, causing him to yelp and draw back. Bait drop his head, rubbing his paws furiously over an aching muzzle, his eyes still not having left Mama Sue. " Wachu doin' boi!? Zat how joo thank someone for feedin' joo?! Joo in Mama Sue's house now, boi! Joo better be learnin' some manners!" The woman spoke while turning and moving to prepare the rabbits for later. A small piece of one rabbit was cut off and tossed to Bait, who turn his attention from Mama Sue to the meat. Having needed to scoop up anything he could when living with his father, he didn't even hesitate to pounce the meat and gobble it up. Laughing, Mama Sue nod her head, " Ya....joo really be needin' ta work on 'em manners boi..." She said with a nod of her head.


--------------------------------------------------------

Extra 1)

--Loa, today.--

A short time has come and gone with Mama Sue, Bait now just exiting his fifth month of life. Life with Mama Sue is a great deal better than life with Jo, and he was even given a new name. Bait no longer goes by Bait, but instead, by Loa. As it turns out, Mama Sue has become quite attached to Loa, thus she has not kicked him out yet. Instead, she finds great hilarity in the fact that, as he wanders the swamp and nearby town at night, some people have come to believe that a Rougarou is actively prowling about. Loa does not understand this, but business for Mama Sue could not be better! Selling protective charms is easy and quick, and boy, these people can be conned into buying all manner of other items while they are in her hut! Mama Sue takes good care of Loa, keeping his fur brushed and cleaned, though she has taken to decorating his face and head with paint. Again, he does not understand the reasoning behind this, but Mama Sue seems to think she's done something fantastic, so he allows it. Though he is still small, Mama Sue has taught him how to hunt for her, making her life so much easier when it comes to preparing meals for the two of them. Mama Sue has taught him far more than just hunting, though. Though Loa is still learning, he has come to know a great deal about Hoodoo. Charms are what he sees most, but he has viewed two rituals thus far, one being a simple full moon ritual, and the other being a ritual for love for a woman from town. Loa spends a great deal of his time around Mama Sue's hut, though since Mama Sue seems to be having a little more difficulty getting around, she occasionally tries to teach him to do her tasks in her stead. Herb collection is one of these tasks. Mama Sue will give him a basket and show him several herbs before they leave the hut, walking with him and pointing out to him the herbs they are seeking. This job is easy for Loa, since each herb seems to have a scent all its own, making it easier for him to find them. The night is his time, Mama Sue rarely going out at night unless she absolutely has to, Loa enjoys the swamp, but knows the dangers that lurk within. He tries to stick away from the water, having a slight fear of it due to having seen his father being dragged within. He loves his new home and he loves Mama Sue, though he is not quite domesticated, he does devote himself to her. When she is pleased, Loa is pleased, and he tries to keep her that way.

(472 words)


Extra 2)

--Loa's Personality--

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and in Loa's case, this may be slightly true. Though Loa is not as bad as Jo was, by any means, he does have quite a temper on him. He can be fairly mean, when given the chance, but he is not a bully. He simply is quick to anger, and if someone does him wrong or rubs him the wrong way, he will be sure to let them know. He seems to make up his mind pretty quickly whether or not he likes or dislikes someone, and once that decision is made, it is hard to alter it. He may seem to occasionally have a twisted sense of humor. This being something he might have gotten from Mama Sue. He loves scaring others, not in a way that is dangerous, but simply poking his painted face in an open window during the night, or jumping out of nowhere. He is still a child, and Mama Sue claims he has a good spirit in his body, one that simply enjoys all the fun of being a little 'un! Loa doesn't back down often, even if he knows he would loose a fight. The only exception to this would be if it were possible to loose his life. Loa will fight tooth and nail for anything he believes in, even if he may be wrong in a given situation. He doesn't exactly have a cuddly side to him, typically preferring distance when dealing with others. He does, however, like quiet company, not really needing to do much aside from sit with someone to be satisfied. Loa can be extremely selfish with food, but even more so with any items that he might come to fancy. He is not used to having to share, and so worried that others will simply try and take his things, he typically hides them. It does not matter what it is, even if it is a rock that he has come to adore, he will hide it somewhere, returning to play with it a while before hiding it again before leaving. He is not overly cautious when dealing with others, giving them at least a chance before he will decide if they are trustworthy or not. Sadly, due to his fathers reputation, most of his kind don't stick around him, and Mama Sue's reputation only makes things that much worse. If the humans aren't claiming he is a rougarou, the viscets think that Mama Sue will curse them.

(424 words)

[Fox,]

what time does this end tomorrow?

[Strudel]

Er, I'll just say about five PM CST, sounds good to me.

[Fox,]

alright, that's 6 for me, awesome. that'll be enough time :)

[Strudel]

First of all, I want you guys to know this was really hard to judge. I had three forms that were just really great for various reasons.
I told myself I wasn't going to do any runner ups, because I'm kind of covered up with other things and have a runner up to finish from a previous competition, but I feel like there are not enough abandoned batches as it is and I though, why not?
Anyhow, I'm actually awarding RU's to the two forms that I was impressed with that did not win.
And these RU winners can pick if they want theirs PPS or not ^^;
Bear in mind though, it may be a bit before I can finish them.

Ok, so the "second" runner up I am awarding is to Grifforik.
I loved your story, it's just beyond adorable ^^;
And of course the art was to die for, but also loved your GIF too.
So PM me when you have a spare minute or two and we can discuss the details.

The "first" runner up I am awarding to Fox,
I liked the character, and your comic was adorable~
You should PM me as well when you have a chance, we have some details to discuss too.

And the winner, that would be Razors.
Your form was just so interesting (though perhaps a little dark)
And I love that you stated your influence too, that was really cool.
I have to say just all-around I liked yours the best (and all the little touches you added <3)
So just comment on the thread when you have a chance to tell me whether you want it as a PPS or if you want it grown (the adult is already done, so if you want it to grow it's ready whenever you give me the go-ahead.)

Thank you all for participating ^^;