[Archaeopteryx.]

Tell me a story about the sun.

Max 500 words, up to one art piece or extra allowed.
Ends July 26th at rollover.



Code: Select all

[b]Username;[/b]
[b]Archive;[/b]

[b]Prompt;[/b]



Eye Color; Behold the Red Sun
Phenotype; Ivory brindled whirlpool okapi red panda long curlyhair with frog leopardtail
Genotype; blbl brwbrw dd okpokp rdprdp FrFr leoleo Cc wsw ll cucu Hrhr Ttp

notes;
Origin; Planetside

[Knickknacks]

Username; knickknacks
Archive; Ir'alda

Prompt; [317 words]

According to the outworlder, there are worlds in which the sun is too warm. Worlds where it is close enough to burn, to melt ice and turn leaves toward it. Worlds where it is something more than distant.

What that must be like, he wonders.

Here, there is a sun. The outworlder says that, according to their researcher's measurements, their sun is gigantic, burning hot and blue and white. But their icebound world is so far away that the heat is hardly felt.

He knows it is not fair to be angry at the sun. He knows, according to the outworlder, that the sun is not a thing of living flame, but a thing that burns without life. He almost wishes he did not know this. It is easier to have something to blame for the state of the world he lives in, for the cold that pierces everything, and everyone.

His parents had told him stories about the sun as though it was alive. He recalls their tales of a long winter, where the cold bit harder than before and the winds howled louder, cut sharper. He recalls the awe in their voices as they talked about the clouds, the gloom- and then the faint sun that had cut through them. Not close enough to be truly warm, but- enough, at least, for some small relief.

If the sun were alive, he would shout at it, try to provoke it. Maybe by calling out as though it could hear, as though it could understand, he could rouse it to anger, make it burn hotter with rage and melt the ice they wade through.

(He thinks of his own anger, a cold pebble lodged at his center. No, perhaps that would not work after all.)

He glares up at the sun. The outworlder shivers against him. The sun shines on, faint and blue.

It is not enough.

[Rylf]

Username; Rylf
Archive; Storage/Archive
Name; Galin (Gah-leen)

Prompt;
There's a popular story passed down from generation to generation about the creation of the universe, of how a Creature of Darkness discovered and fell in love with a Creature of Light, their union forming life as we know it. But many do not hear the rest of the story. Today, I will tell you the whole truth of that dark time so long ago. Unbeknownst to the Creature of the Dark, a larger, intangible Being had been observing him in his slow descent into meaninglessness and had come up with a solution.

Using the vast power they possessed that we could not even begin to understand, the ethereal Being created a tiny ball of heat, its scorching brilliance pushing back the emptiness of the space surrounding it. They spent millennia nurturing this heat with love and care, watching her grow and form before their very eyes, pleased with her progress and content that she would be the Light to bring Darkness out of his stupor. The Light, however, did not agree with this Being, avoiding all attempts from them to convince her to approach Darkness. She feared him and what accepting him could bring, and even fled upon his first signs of interest.

Several decades passed before the Being gave up their goal of convincing Light, melting back into the empty void as if they were never there in the first place to let the two sort out their own situations, simply observing now. Light mourned the loss of the Being who had raised and cared for her through all their bickering and disagreements. She grew lonely and unsettled, alone in the abyss with no one to comfort her. Her own brightness began to dim just a bit. Before long, however, she spotted a new light. No, many new lights. All smaller than her and in various colors and hues. She was dazzled by the sight, taking several moments before recognizing that it was Darkness who now approached. She no longer fled, no longer feared, simply remaining transfixed by the array of beauty before her, allowing Darkness to lay himself against her side and form two halves of a perfect whole.

The Being smiled, content, as the universe expanded and formed a multitude of wonderous new things.

(378 words)

The story of the creation of the universe if you're reading this and got curious.

[kise .]

Username; kise .
Archive; ✿
Name; Soleil

Prompt;

In a realm of celestial brilliance, the Sun, a celestial orb of unparalleled splendor, cast its radiant gaze upon the Earth. Its golden rays illuminated the world, awakening life and bestowing warmth upon all. Yet, amidst its glorious radiance, a profound sense of melancholy enveloped the Sun.

For centuries, the Sun had witnessed the beauty it brought forth. It watched as flowers blossomed, birds soared, and oceans sparkled. Yet, its own existence was a solitary one. Trapped in its endless orbit, it could never fully experience the wonders it created.

As the Sun watched the Earth's inhabitants revel in its warmth, a pang of yearning stirred within it. It longed to feel the touch of a gentle breeze, to caress the petals of a rose, to hear the laughter of children. But fate had decreed otherwise.

And so, the Sun continued its eternal journey, its heart heavy with unfulfilled dreams. Each sunrise brought a glimmer of hope, but each sunset became a reminder of its isolation. Through the eons, the Sun's radiance became tinged with a subtle sadness, a testament to its solitary existence amidst the vibrant world it sustained.

But, surely this fate is meant to change?…

[miraphoenix]

Username; miraphoenix
Archive; Dreamhaven Station
Name; Astrolabe

Prompt;

The day began like any other; a gentle breeze through the canopy setting the crystal chimes to singing, the squawks of other forest inhabitants, and the last-minute shuffles of aktego finishing their tasks before the sun made her appearance. Up on the Station, that ominous and oddly-comforting leviathan, the day was similarly mundane as several aktego gathered water from the purification taps, tended to older members of the community, and watched the moon below turn through the observation windows.

Two hours had not passed when the cry of confusion were raised on Dreamhaven Station. Something was wrong; it wasn’t time for the sunset yet!

Aktego flocked to the windows of the station, watching with equal parts curiosity and alarm as, starting on the eastern horizon, a wave of deep shadow began to paint the moon’s surface in midnight tones. A cone of darkness was forming and moving quickly across the land below the windows, heading directly for the main camp. Many onlookers clutched glowing crystals tightly in their paws, vanishing to warn the aktego below of the oncoming darkness.

On the surface, the camp had already noticed something strange. The sky was at twilight already, and the night chorus of the forest were starting up dreadfully out of time. When members of the station contingent arrived in a flustered rush, a quick council was convened to try and make sense of what was happening.
A cool wind blew, ruffling ears and fur. All eyes turned to the sky as the darkness swept in, and a collective gasp caught in the throat of all present. Some cried, some wept, and some could only stare.

The sun was gone.

The sun was gone, and in its place was a thin, beaming halo, scintillating with every color imaginable. The stars were out like the aktego had never seen before, and above it all, the Station gleamed in the unnatural light. From the faint halo where the sun had been, strange tones of ultraviolet light cast the scene in odd glints of neon color. The air was cold, and sounds seemed oddly muted, as if the world had been caught mid-heartbeat.
For what seemed an eternity, the aktego above and below held their breath, caught in the silent spell of a day with no sun.

From the far distance, the gentle touch of light began to creep across the sky, the sun hatching from the halo. The aktego on the station saw it first, as the cone of darkness passed across the camp below, and a cheer went up from all watching. Those on the ground saw the returning light not long after, as the wind resumed and the warmth flooded back into the day.

In the days and weeks that followed, the aktego of Dreamhaven Station had many long debates on what had just occurred. While no conclusion could be drawn, all agreed to mark the day with no sun, and to watch again for the cone of darkness and that coruscating light.

wordcount: 500/500
(safety note; please don't stare at an eclipse,,,)

[I Like Bees]

Username; I Like Bees
Archive; Here

Prompt;

Her birth was witnessed only by the sun.

Its warm blue light shone through the walls of her sanctuary, calling to her. She felt innately drawn to it, as if it were her parent, welcoming her into the world with open arms of fulfilling light. It tugged at her soul in a way she couldn't quite describe, sang to her as if it -- too -- were about to become alive. When she pulled herself free of the eggshells, she kept going, moving herself nearer to the window through which the sunlight shone.

Exhausted by her ordeal, she simply lay there in the light, the sun filling her with warmth and a sense of peace. That light was her only friend in the world right now, and she loved it, and felt loved by it in return. It was just her, alone in a tiny spacecraft drifting through space, and the blue sun. And the four other eggs behind her - but this wasn't their time. This wasn't their sun.

This time was for her, and for the sun. Her sun.

She slipped into her first slumber beneath its blue light. And as the small craft began to shake, entering the murky atmosphere below, the sun slipped inside of her. Changing her.

They called her Sun-Blessed, her powers of prophecy a gift. But as she grew into that sun-inflicted change, seeing and hearing disasters that no one else saw or heard, she couldn't help but think of herself as Sun-Cursed.

[ArithMedic]

Username; ArithMedic
Archive; Survivors

Prompt; The sun. Many many decades ago, the Aktego had first been bred on Earth and taken on explorations of the Sol System. The Sol System was named after its singular sun, which granted life-giving warmth and light to the home of the humans. However, as humans traveled further and further beyond their home, there was no longer one sun but instead many. Aktego were born and died and they knew nothing of the sun called Sol.

One exploratory space craft had a malfunction which caused a lethal gas to fill the oxygen filters and all of the humans aboard died. The Aktego survived but knew nothing of how to manage the ship, having been only companions of comfort or occasionally trained to aid the disabled. Instead they hurtled through space, passing many suns which went unobserved by all but the eyes of the Aktego.
Eventually, the craft flew close enough that it was snagged by the gravitational pull of a pair of twin stars, thier pulls balancing the craft just right for it to crash land on a planet, which luckily happened to be lush and filled with life.

No aktego currently alive remembers Sol or any of the other many suns which they had passed, but they all remember and love thier twin suns. Human science was passed down as long as it could be, but after many generations the substance was forgotten. They knew enough to not worship the suns as deities, but they grew to have many different astronomical theories.

None could recall how they orbited the suns, instead the primarily belief was that the suns chased each other across the sky in an eternal heavenly dance.

[Griff]

Username; Griff
Archive; Here!

Prompt; The small aktego looked up at their clan's storyteller, eager. "What is tonight's story?" she asked, eyes wide and bright. She loved the stories told more than anything, learning something new with each one told. The ancient aktego before her considered for a moment, before nodding.

"I think... I think you're finally old enough to hear this one. I want to tell you the story of the sun, and how it brought light to a clan once beset by darkness." The storyteller seemed hesitant but for a moment, regarding the young one before them before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"Once, in the time almost forgotten, there was a clan of aktego who found themselves in dire straits. They were growing weaker, older, and as time passed it was almost assured they would die out completely along with their history and stories. Their clan leader, a wise aktego, prayed to the lands. 'Bring us light and we will cherish and protect it, nurture and foster it, and ensure that it not only survives but thrives.' At first, he thought his prayers unanswered. But then, one day, there was a cry heard in the nearby woods. All rushed forward towards the sound, finding a tiny baby aktego, gold like the sun itself. New life, hope, and light had indeed been delivered to them, their prayers answered. Together they worked in unison to preserve this ray of light, this future, and ensure they had everything needed to thrive..."

"Sol, you are the child the clan found that day. You... are our future, our hope, our sun. The child given to us by nature itself. What you do with this knowledge is up to you, but know that you are loved, you are clan, family... and a light to us all." Sol blinked a moment, head tilted as they processed this before giving a warm smile.

"Then I'll shine brighter than any aktego ever has and ensure this clan lives on through me!" They exclaimed proudly.

[kise .]

Bumping ^^

[Archaeopteryx.]

Apologies for the wait!

Username; miraphoenix
Archive; Dreamhaven Station
Name; Astrolabe

Prompt;

The day began like any other; a gentle breeze through the canopy setting the crystal chimes to singing, the squawks of other forest inhabitants, and the last-minute shuffles of aktego finishing their tasks before the sun made her appearance. Up on the Station, that ominous and oddly-comforting leviathan, the day was similarly mundane as several aktego gathered water from the purification taps, tended to older members of the community, and watched the moon below turn through the observation windows.

Two hours had not passed when the cry of confusion were raised on Dreamhaven Station. Something was wrong; it wasn’t time for the sunset yet!

Aktego flocked to the windows of the station, watching with equal parts curiosity and alarm as, starting on the eastern horizon, a wave of deep shadow began to paint the moon’s surface in midnight tones. A cone of darkness was forming and moving quickly across the land below the windows, heading directly for the main camp. Many onlookers clutched glowing crystals tightly in their paws, vanishing to warn the aktego below of the oncoming darkness.

On the surface, the camp had already noticed something strange. The sky was at twilight already, and the night chorus of the forest were starting up dreadfully out of time. When members of the station contingent arrived in a flustered rush, a quick council was convened to try and make sense of what was happening.
A cool wind blew, ruffling ears and fur. All eyes turned to the sky as the darkness swept in, and a collective gasp caught in the throat of all present. Some cried, some wept, and some could only stare.

The sun was gone.

The sun was gone, and in its place was a thin, beaming halo, scintillating with every color imaginable. The stars were out like the aktego had never seen before, and above it all, the Station gleamed in the unnatural light. From the faint halo where the sun had been, strange tones of ultraviolet light cast the scene in odd glints of neon color. The air was cold, and sounds seemed oddly muted, as if the world had been caught mid-heartbeat.
For what seemed an eternity, the aktego above and below held their breath, caught in the silent spell of a day with no sun.

From the far distance, the gentle touch of light began to creep across the sky, the sun hatching from the halo. The aktego on the station saw it first, as the cone of darkness passed across the camp below, and a cheer went up from all watching. Those on the ground saw the returning light not long after, as the wind resumed and the warmth flooded back into the day.

In the days and weeks that followed, the aktego of Dreamhaven Station had many long debates on what had just occurred. While no conclusion could be drawn, all agreed to mark the day with no sun, and to watch again for the cone of darkness and that coruscating light.

wordcount: 500/500
(safety note; please don't stare at an eclipse,,,)

Congrats on the new aktego!