[Segie]

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Name: His name shall be Banshee, a name meaning "Screaming Spirit."
Gender: His gender shall be male, I find him to be quite masculine.
Reasoning Behind Accessories: Banshee only wears his accessories when he is performing witchcraft, which he only does alone. When in public he wears a different set of spooky (but less spooky) accessories.
Bird Skull -
Bird Foot -
Wolf Skull - He found this wolf skull in the forest, along with the rest of the skeleton. He is a smaller JBD and is about the size of a great dane. He uses the skull as a mask.
Horns - The horns are his natural horns. He gets a lot of strange looks over them, but he could care less is proud of the uniqueness of them.
To add: wolf fang charms, ...
One thing no one else knows except this bean: Nobody knows about Banshee's spell and witchcraft book or the secrets that are within it.
One thing no one else knows about this bean: Banshee has never told anybody about his strong belief in witchcraft, and he never plans to. (wip)
Art (optional):

[lost in time.]

Dropping <3 Though, he/she is amazing, I just don't have the time or devotion and I have decided to help a friend with her form instead.

[bellumii]

G E T __ T O __ K N O W __ H E R

W H Y _ T H O S E _ A C C E S S O R I E S ? w.i.p

W H AT _ S H E _ K N O W S w.i.p

H E R _ S T O R Y

A R T ;;

❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧ | ❧

Gender: Female
Reasoning Behind Accessories:
One thing no one else knows except this bean:
One thing no one else knows about this bean:
Art (optional):
-secretive
-reserved
-mysterious
-collector
-birds
-hates attention
-interested in magic/believes in it
-believes in myths/
-solitary
-doesn't like showing her face because of scars/she is self conscious
-is actually friendly once you get to know her
-she likes to help people
-almost all of her dialogue is strictly rhymes, this makes her mysterious
-a lot of beans are scared of her
-she likes to hide her identity
-her mask hides some scars
-self conscious
-she lives in the dark woods and makes strange things there, such as potions and crafts and accessories

Hopefully i can finish ;O;

[Moonskye]

Name: Necro
Gender: Male
Reasoning Behind Accessories: Necro is fascinated by voodoo and black magic. He is a shaman of sorts, and his accessories are fine specimens of some of his ingredients, and his prized possessions. They were found during significant times in his life, so he keeps them on him at all times to remember.
Mask:
Necro's mask was his father's. His family has a line of shamans, and the mask has been passed down through the family through generations. He uses it to add to the mystery that surrounds who he really is. No one but his immediate family has ever seen his true face, and the mask helps keep it that way. He'll always remember the day the mask was given to him, and the pride in his father's eyes. That memory is the main reason he leaves the mask on.
Necklaces:
His black necklaces are traditionally worn by his family, and he likes to keep up his family's traditions. His heritage is important to him, and he likes to show it. They were crafted by his mother, and she gave them to him when he was a child. She passed away, and they remind him of her everyday, so he leaves them on. He's very touchy about them, so I wouldn't advise asking about them.
Bracelets:
His bracelets were made by himself. They're made with strong rope he found. The bird skull was
found on his first solo collection mission, and it was quite a find. He wears it around his wrist as a symbol of his pride and talent. It's a trophy of sorts, in the shaman world.
Tail trinket:
Necrofound his trinket on his first trip to his family's home country, Romania. One of the shamans there gave him the bird leg for luck in his field. He treasures it, knowing that it's a one-of-a-kind gift.

One thing no one else knows except this bean:
Necro knows one art of voodoo the best out of his entire family. His strength is fire. He knows how to change the color of fire, as well as make fire into pictures. It's a rather mysterious talent, and no one knows quite how he does it.

One thing no one else knows about this bean:
No one knows about the scars that run across his face under his mask. He was exploring one day, as a young teen. His mask didn't fit quite right, and he got into a scuffle with some sort of bearlike creature. It knocked his mask off forcefully, while giving him four large cuts across his nose. He got away and put the mask back on, and not even his immediate family knows about them.

Art (optional): ouo coming.

WIP

[Wlyrout]

Will "pretty up" later

Name: ➥Hollow
Gender: Male
Reasoning Behind Accessories: At one point Hollow was empty inside, a colorful bean with no kind of colorful personality... he had no personality to speak of. It seemed that he was a shell with no joy to fill him, and whoever he crossed picked up on his emptiness. They called him Hollow, for his lack of being. And then, one day, Hollow found a sparrow's skull and foot nestled in a canine's skull. The sparrow had been killed by the canine, just as the canine had been killed- likely by a hunter. This made him realize how precious and fragile life is. He placed the skull over his own face, and it fit perfectly. The skull might as well have been his own. That animal... that dead animal, it may as well be him. He knew that he had to start living life, before he was as dead as the skull over his face. He kept it there on his face, always wanting to keep it in his sight as a constant reminder of that day. The sparrow's skull he tied to his paw, so that the sparrow was always beside him. The foot he tied on his tail, so that it would drag along the ground behind him as he walked, almost as if the sparrow was walking along with him.
One thing no one else knows except this bean:
One thing no one else knows about this bean:
Art (optional):

I don't think it's quite the same
Just running out to feel the rain
Staring as the stars parade
Are they telling me it's gonna be okay?

You've got to live your life
While your blood is boiling
These doors won't open
While you stand and watch them

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[AuroraBeast]

wip

Name:
Gender:
Reasoning Behind Accessories:
One thing no one else knows except this bean:
One thing no one else knows about this bean:
Art (optional):

[slurm]

Name:

• Locket
• Nicknamed Lock

Gender:

• Male

Reasoning Behind Accessories:

• His mask he got for Halloween when
  he was a young teen. He likes creepy sorts
  of things and often wears his mask no
  matter the season.
• His Birdskull bracelet he got when he was
  around 16 or 17 from the same shop he got
  his mask a bit after that year's Halloween
  had passed. He saw it and loved it, it would
  obviously go with his mask well and he rarely
  take it off now.
• He started wearing the thick black stings
  around his neck, wrist, and toe a little after
  he got his Birdskull bracelet because they
  seemed to go well with his other accessories.
• His Key is a goodluck charm he found
  when he was nine, he used to keep it in his
  pouch but tied it to his tail when he got the
  black string.

One thing no one else knows except this bean:

• Nobody knows that this
  Jellybean dragon's horns are real!
  Everyone assumes that they are part of Locket's
  mask but they are not.

One thing no one else knows about this bean:

• That he truely believes key
  goes into an important lock. He just know it, he
  feels like he saw something somewhere about it
  but just can't put his paw on it.

Art:

• WIP

[Dr. Paine]

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A small note: the songs originally used in these headers have been replaced with voice clips provided by the wonderful Graham, who was an absolutely immense help in working out Zdenek's accent and sharing information about the Louisiana landscape I plain just don't have (the furthest south I've ever been is Mississippi, and I have virtually no memory of it xD).

"Aah, welcome to my humble home cher, make yourself comfortable. Mind the bones though, some of them are hard to come by in these parts! Sit yourself down, would you like some tea? Maybe cookie or two? I've got quite a sweet tooth, there's more than enough to go 'round. Hm? Aah, how rude of me to not introduce myself! Zdenek's the name, now what might yours be?"

Zdeněk-- Czech variation of the Slovak name 'Zdenko', which means 'to build, to create'. I felt such a name was fitting, given xyr hobby and career hope... and, I'll be perfectly honest, I've just wanted to give a character of mine a Czech name for a while now, due to my ancestry; and this bean just seems to fit the bill. (Though I guess it sounds kind of odd now with where I've put xym, but eh. Parents were just really eccentric? xD)


"Hm? Ah... I feel more a girl today, to be honest-- not so much yesterday though. Some days boy, some days both or neither or some mix of it all. It's like the river, y'know? One winding shape and form, but always a little different every day. I'm Zdenek all the same though, so what's it really matter?"

Though designated male at hatching, Zdenek identifies as genderfluid, and most of the time asks that others use the 'xe' set of pronouns. That said, xe doesn't really get too miffed if the odd he/she (since xe does have a fairly androgynous look and can be found in virtually any sort of clothing, whether it's a dress or formal suit and tie) is in there, it only becomes an issue if it's clear someone else is doing that specifically to annoy xyr. Zdenek is content with xyr body though, and does not feel the need to tell anyone but xyr doctor (and mate, should xe ever have one) what xys physical traits are.





''Aaah, now you're in for a treat. Each of these little things has a story cher, and I am more than pleased to share them with you.

Surely the first thing on your mind was 'why is Zdenek wearing half an old skull on xyr face?' Or, 'what kind of skull is that?' Don't worry now, I get that one a lot, I'm used to it. This skull is what started my life-long love of all things old and broken, you see...''

Shrill yips echoed in the heavy night air, drowning out the soft hoots of owls and high peeping frogs. Zdenek grew still, barely even breathing in case such a slight sound would disturb the magic of the moment. Xys tail twitched slightly, though-- it was hard for a nine year old to stay still for too long after all-- and xe very slowly padded through the brush, ears alert for the slightest sounds. Coyotes weren't all that rare in the swamp here, but xe had never actually seen one before-- in fact, tonight was the first time xe'd really heard them all that clearly. Zdenek's fur stood on end when xys paw slipped, landing too hard on a stick and breaking it with a sharp crack. Blood pounded in xys ears, and xe could swear there was something moving nearby, something rustling...

A squirrel popped out from the leaves, chittering and barely glancing at Zdenek as it scurried up the tree trunk and into a hollow. Zdenek let out a soft breath of relief, laughing softly to xemself as xe continued thorough the brush. The coyote calls had started growing fainter, and Zdenek could hear soft, distant sounds of branches snapping and rustling; the pack was on the move. Zdenek rushed ahead, breathing heavily, xe just wanted one look, just to see one clearly, it didn't even have to be up close! Xe burst through the trees, into a marshy clearing lit up all silvery-blue by the full moon overhead to find... nothing. Xys ears drooped, and xe paced around, a crestfallen look on xys face. All that running, all that time following their howls, and... nothing! Zdenek laid down on the ground, tears of frustration pooling in xys eyes. Xe quickly blinked them away, shaking xys head. Xe could cry at home if xe really needed to, and... well, it was very late, xe needed to get home as soon as possible. Zdenek sighed, pulling xemself up onto his paws, when something caught xys eye.

Just by the trees that lined the clearing, Zdenek could see a few tufts of mottled brown-black fur. Xe carefully padded over, eyes going wide when xe realized just what it was. Only those few tufts of fur xe'd seen remained on the body, which was almost entirely rotted to the skeleton, it barely even had a stink and was half-sunk in the soft ground. Zdenek stared at it, fascinated by the joints and how everything fit together just so-- indeed, it took all xys self control to not reach out and touch it. Zdenek quickly made a note of the area, and as xe made xys way back home, gouged careful claw marks on the trees so xe'd be able to find xys way back in the morning. The bones were incredible, still so perfectly put together, and hadn't they just been learning about anatomy in health class? What better project could xe have, then, than learning all about the different bones from a real skeleton?

It took more time than Zdenek thought to get there, though-- xe was able to lead xys father to the place the next day just fine, but it wasn't as easy as picking up the skeleton and taking it home. There was work involved, and Zdenek wound up with a first-hand lesson in making sure xe had the proper permits to even keep the bones, and then... well, then came a crash course in learning how to properly clean the bones, so they'd look good and be safe to handle. Finally, Zdenek and xys father were ready to take on the task of learning how to articulate the skeleton-- at least, until they found they'd inadvertently weakened the bones while cleaning them, to the point where all but the skull wound up broken and unusable. But that made Zdenek treasure the skull even more-- at first, xe simply kept it in xys room, but after that Halloween, when xe'd dressed up as a skeleton, Zdenek took to wearing it nearly all the time. Why? Well...

"I might have ruined my first skeleton, but I was determined to find something else to work with, something I could recreate. Until then, I had always feared death, y'see. My ma was very ill, when I was young, and passed away before I had much memory of her, and my father... he believed that this one life was it, there wasn't, could be nothing else; he... he wasn't a religious type. But in that coyote, I found... I don't know how to describe it. I know it sounds strange, but that was the first time I felt... that there could be something. That creature was dead, but in a sense... we could help it live again. And if I can piece bones and skin back together, who's to say there isn't something bigger out there piecing minds and souls together as well? So, that is why I wear the skull-- not just for luck in my projects, but to remind me that... nothing truly has an end, and things can always be given new life in some form or another."


"These things... they're a reminder. I told you last time, the coyote started openin' me to the idea of there being something else? The bird... it furthered that. Not exactly in a good way, not at the time, but... it's changed me for the better, I believe..."

Zdenek swatted through the cloud of mosquitoes and gnats, flattening xys ears against xys head to keep the pests from crawling in and biting there. If there was one upside to having such long fur in the swamp, it was that the bloodsuckers couldn't cause much damage. Xe gave a low snort, dipping xys head lower to the ground in case anything had gotten covered by mud or moss and blended into the ground. Zdenek had come across a few intriguing shapes so far, but couldn't be sure if they were perhaps a bird's spindly ribs or simply some tiny twigs poking out of the soft ground. Of course, there had been more shapes appearing, the further xe went into the clearing... perhaps it was time to pick a place and start digging?

The wind picked up then, howling through the trees, tearing through the flaming red leaves and needles and sending them, swirling, to the ground. Zdenek's fur stood on end, but even then, xe still shivered in the sudden autumn chill. For a moment... for a moment, Zdenek felt the wild urge to turn tail and run, but that thought died down along with the wind-- it was probably just the weather, it had been overcast and gloomy all day, Zdenek was always rather on edge during gloomy days. Xe swept the fallen leaves away, xys nose nearly touching the ground as xe searched for some sign of... something interesting amidst all the worn-out old stones. It didn't take long before that sign appeared-- it was badly decayed, certainly broken, but that was clearly some creature's claw sticking out of the dirt. Zdenek grinned, eagerly scraping at the dirt with xys own claws to see just what hid below. The broken leg was followed by a second, more intact one; ribs, one and a half wings, and finally... a surprisingly well-preserved skull. Zdenek sat back on xys haunches and took off the coyote skull to better examine the bones-- definitely a bird skeleton, but Zdenek couldn't tell exactly what it had belonged to.

The bones were partially sun-bleached, it was clear they had only rather recently been buried; and aside from the missing toe on one leg and some missing wing bones, not a single flaw, they were gorgeous. A perfect candidate for reconstruction. Zdenek sifted through the dirt one last time to make sure xe hadn't missed anything, and found only a few soggy scraps of... well, xe couldn't figure out exactly what they were, but it was clear there were no more bones. Zdenek carefully gathered up the bird's skeleton, depositing the bones in a small box xe kept in xys pouch for transport. Just as Zdenek was counting the ribs again, a monstrous clap of thunder pealed through the clearing. The wind rose up with a roar, sending leaves, twigs and driving sheets of rain everywhere. Zdenek yelped, jumped to xys paws and bolted, scrambling over stones and pitfalls, the fallen logs xe usually took so much delight in.
It wasn't until xe had gotten home and cleaned most of the mud out of xys fur that Zdenek realized only the bird's skull and damaged leg remained in xys pouch. The rest-- including xys beloved coyote skull-- were still out there.

Zdenek didn't sleep well that night, eventually giving up on the idea entirely and sitting at the window, waiting for the rain to stop and the sun to come up so xe could go out and at least bring the coyote skull home. The hours passed, but the sky remained dark as ever, and the rain either became a little lighter or quite a bit heavier... but it didn't stop. By that evening, Zdenek and xys father had to leave the house entirely, forced out by the rising flood. It wasn't the first time that had happened, Zdenek was used to visiting the shelter at least three times a year, but... almost never so late into autumn, usually by then they were safe from the worst storms. Something about it just felt... wrong, a feeling that Zdenek's dreams did not help to shake. Xe didn't dream often, but... lately, there had been some bad ones. Getting lost in the swamp while the storm raged all around xym. Xe had the coyote skull back, but it felt like it was searing into xys face while something else ripped at xys back; and when Zdenek turned around to see what it might have been, xe saw an owl with only a skull for a head and a ruined leg, pecking and scratching until Zdenek fell into the water-- and that was when xe woke up, always as soon as xe gasped for breath only to find water flooding xys lungs.

It was three days before Zdenek and xys father could return home. Their house had been spared, only minor water damage they could repair, but xe hadn't really been concerned over that. As soon as xe was able to get away, Zdenek worked xys way through the mire, until xe came across the clearing; now just a puddle of muck and mud, the red needles and leaves long washed away. Twisted shapes poked up-- the usual stones among them of course, but other shapes. Zdenek tore at the ground, mud catching in xys long fur and soaking xym through, but that did nothing to slow xys search. Finally, after nearly half an hour of digging, Zdenek saw a flash of white in the ground. Xe wrenched the object up with all the force xe had, eliciting a muffled crack as xe pulled up the coyote skull. Part of the nose had broken away, as well as the nearly everything behind the eye sockets. Zdenek sat back on the ground, dumbfounded. It... it was broken. Not totally shattered, but... xe wasn't sure if xe would be able to keep wearing it, if it would even be good to display any more.

Zdenek didn't cry, though. Xys eyes stung, the threat of tears was there, but something caught the young dragon's attention before anything else could happen. One of the stones seemed... cleaner, Zdenek could see odd indentations in the front. Xe carefully placed the skull in xys pouch, leaning down to get a better look at the indent... not indentations, they were words. 'Eggie; ??? - 1990. Eggie was a good bird and kept the mice out.'

A grave.

Zdenek's fur, where it could, stood on end as a chill washed over xys body. This... it was a grave. Zdenek scrambled over to one of the other stones, wiping away some of the muck from the front. 'Laika. Good dog. 1985-1995.' Chilled to the core, xe cleared the moss from yet another. 'Speedy. Now you can run! June '90 - August '90'

It was a cemetery.

Zdenek stumbled over xys feet, bolting out of the clearing as quickly as xe could. Xe had stolen from a grave, that was the only thing xe could focus on during the run home, all xe could think about the rest of the night. But when asked, Zdenek just... shrugged it off as best as xe could. How could xe explain it to xys father? That xe'd disturbed some creature's spirit, and at this point, was convinced it had started haunting xym?

"Now, I was still kinda young then, idea of an angry bird trying to haunt me was a pretty logical thought. Nowadays... ... well, I still think the poor bird's soul was angry, but not entirely 'cause of me. The bones had already been scattered, I... I was probably just the last straw. And after the storm... poor thing just had no peace at all, with the rest all washed away. So why do I carry the foot and skull now? Just to make sure the last couple of bones can stay together, and maybe give the poor thing some form of rest. And... well, to remind me that... you always gotta check where you dig. You've gotta be careful and make sure you're not disturbing something that don't want to be brought back."



"Aaah, the strings! Well... to be perfectly honest? The strings are just string... and a few very thin wires. When you do the kind of work I do (I... ah, see I'm not just a taxidermist, I kind of... I kind of make costumes and such), you always need thread or wire on hand, less you come up short and lose all the momentum on a really great project. The strings on my wrist are for sewing, very thin little ones y'see; the loops around my neck are thicker braids of wool yarn-- there are knitting needles in my pouch as well, in case I ever get stuck in a line somewhere and just need something to do, you know? No real big story for these things, sorry to say... but ah, you're gettin' bored of these stories anyway, eh? Let's move to something else now..."




"Now I don't like to claim I've got some kind'a knowledge only I'll ever know. That's just plain untrue-- there's billions'a others out there, someone knew it before me, someone else knows it now, and it'll be known long after I'm gone. But... I do know things that aren't such common knowledge I guess. Now don't go tellin' anyone else about this, okay? See, I live on the edge of the bayou here, all 'round me there's nothing but water or swamp. But there's this place... little piece of heaven on Earth, I swear..."

While Zdenek does love the modern world and often spends time in New Orleans and other large cities, the only place xe ever feels is 'home' is the humble ramshackle house on the edge of a swamp. The paint peels, where there's even paint at all; and Zdenek still hasn't quite gotten around to fixing up a leaky spot in the roof, but it's cozy, and more often dry than wet, so it does its job. But there's another reason Zdenek won't leave.
If you walk through the house and out of the back door in the kitchen, there's only a yard or so of solid ground before it gives way to muddy peat, soon followed by dirty, brackish water that reaches past the chest of full-grown men and beans alike. Zdenek does keep a small raft to get through, though sometimes xe will walk if the water is low. It's a messy journey, the muddy bottom riddled with pitfalls that could break a leg or pole, but after enough tries, a solid enough path makes itself known; and after around ten minutes, the water starts to go down. The ground becomes solid again, but even on clear days, even in winter, it's dark. Bald cypress trees grow thick and tall and close, breaking the light into needle-thin splinters further swallowed up by thick-hanging drapes of spanish moss that keeps the light out even during the few short hours of day during the winter. Very little else grows there, but a few small pecan trees have struggled up in the dark, their little green catkin flowers hanging low enough to brush the head of anyone passing underneath. Most days, the air is thick and humid, buzzing with mosquitoes and bees and cicadas or that loud stillness that comes with the summer noon; and smells of centuries of decayed plant life... but it's not overpowering. Indeed, it's almost comforting (if not slightly unsettling), the scent of ground that escaped the rapid expansion of civilization and more or less looks the same now as it did three hundred years ago.
It's easy to get lost there, but a path is marked... if you know where to look. A rabbit skull hanging on the lightning-split tree. A bundle of feathers arranged against a gnarled root. Moss draped around a stump so it looks like a hooded figure; small signs leading through the green darkness and towards a faint glimmer of light. And just like that-- the thick trees end, giving way to a wide clearing. Smaller trees, covered in sweet, light-scented white and pink flowers grow along the pond's bank, sweet honeysuckles visible on the other side. The sun blazes high overhead in a clear blue sky, and the only sounds are those of a rare few small birds who've made their homes among the trees.
At the edge of the pond, underneath a lone willow tree, there is a stone-- it's rough and cracked, but clean save where the top has been covered with magnolia and water lily petals. If you kneel down and take a close look, you'll see something carved upon its face--

In memory of Anastazi
Devoted musician, wife, and mother
May you lead the angels in song
1942 - 1986




"If I told you, that wouldn't be a secret, would it? ... but I guess you won't be satisfied until I tell you, eh? Alright..."

Zdenek doesn't really have many secrets-- xe believes in living as honestly as possible, and is generally good about not lying, rarely even indulging in little fibs. However, when the subject of religion comes up, Zdenek tends to become somewhat... aversive, and wriggle out of the conversation any way xe can. The truth is, Zdenek is actually deeply religious, though xyr beliefs are mostly built on personal experience/opinions rather than coming from any one established faith.
At the core, Zdenek is certain that there most certainly is some higher power that is ultimately benevolent; that the deceased-- animal, human, or otherwise-- are not gone forever and can be spoken to (and sometimes even talk back, in their own way. At least, that's what he says he's experienced), and one must always give thanks for the blessings in their life... and that both God and whatever spirits may still be lurking in this world can, and will, cut down the wicked; those who willingly go against the basic core of being good to their fellow man (or dragon, depending) and refuse to change their ways.
Zdenek keeps this to xemself though, mostly due to a few bad experiences in xys youth-- xys father, while not openly disapproving, always thought it to be misguided; and Zdenek quickly learned that talking about a guardian angel or owl who didn't want its body moved got little else aside from weird looks and people calling you crazy. Even worse was when someone wanted to get smart and started calling xym a 'witch doctor', pretending to suffer some curse whenever making so much as eye contact. Zdenek does acknowledge that what xe has experienced may not be 'real', but the experiences are real enough to xym, and they've served to make xym a more humble, honest bean. So how much harm could there be in it all?




(Note: Special thanks to Graham, again, for allowing me to include a cameo of vis Deersert, Shedim. Shedim's status as... real, here, is kept ambiguous-- while Zdenek doesn't have any magic or anything like that, I'm not entirely sure how a clearly supernatural ice cream deer would count, so I'm playing it safe xD I'd also like to apologize for all the writing in this form-- despite my best efforts, I've been able to come up with a grand total of zero art pieces, so all I've got are my words. I just hope they paint an interesting picture of Zdenek and xys character <3)

"No... no, aw, come on!"
Zdenek slammed xys paws on the table, soon followed by xys head... which was, in turn, followed by an audible crack and plink of something falling onto the polished wood. Zdenek groaned, raising xys head just enough to see that, sure enough, another piece of xys horn had broken off. Sure, they looked wonderful and grew faster than usual... but the things, especially the points, were so much more brittle than a normal bean's, always breaking or chipping.

Not unlike the antlers Zdenek had just been working with, which now laid in a splintered heap in front of xym. The rabbit mount, at least, was unharmed; xe probably would have just tried setting all of it aflame if that were the case... well, probably not. But the temptation was there. Zdenek sat up and sighed, closing xys eyes and taking a deep breath, just trying to center xemself and examine the facts to see what xe could do. The client had said that they only cared that the jackalope had decent looking antlers, it didn't have to be pronghorn specifically. They seemed more concerned with the actual novelty of the piece, not... well, what counted as 'historical' accuracy for these things, and they wanted it by the end of the week. Zdenek could probably find replacement antlers before then, but... it took a while for them to get out here, longer still if xe wanted to ensure they were the right size. The dragon sighed again, glancing out the window. It was a clear night, the moon was full... and, well, most of the young bucks had probably shed their antlers by now, they'd be the perfect size...

"And it's not like I haven't done this before now, right?" Zdenek chuckled to xemself-- xe loved night walks, especially during the winter months. So Zdenek lifted off most of xys strings and laid them on the table, only donning xys mask and grabbing xys lantern, lighting it with a quick jet of pale blue and violet-tinged flame before setting out. The air was pleasantly chilly, and Zdenek smiled as a breeze ruffled through xys fur. Xe paused, on the porch, looking up at the star-studded sky. So far, everything felt good, but... well, it still just felt wrong to go without a small prayer. So Zdenek bowed xys head and closed his eyes, offering a short prayer for protection, for wisdom to know what xe should and should not take, and luck in finding something that could fit xys client's request. A minute passed in silence, broken only by the soft 'who who, who-cooks-for-you?' call of an owl some ways away. That seemed like a good (or neutral) enough sign, so Zdenek curled xys tail through the lantern's hoop, and set out into the night.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, turned a rich, velvety blue by the moon overhead, shining as full and bright as could be, even drowning out most of the stars. Long shadows crossed the ground, a little dryer than usual for this time of year... but it had been an especially cold January, there had even been snow sticking to the ground one morning last week. Actual snow. It had melted almost as soon as the sun rose, and there had only been a tiny trace of frost since then, but it had still been quite a sight to see the skeletal, moss-draped trees all glittering and gleaming like crystal...

'C'mon Den, you've gotta focus,' xe told xemself. Zdenek turned xys gaze to the ground, trying to find any hint of passing deer-- there were a few tracks here and there, tell-tale broken branches or trees stripped of bark. Xe sniffed at the ground, but there wasn't any solid scent... or was there? Zdenek snorted, sitting back on the ground with a puzzled expression. There... was a scent, but... xe couldn't figure it what it was. It almost smelled like smoke, perhaps it was just from xys lantern? But there was something more to it, something... cold, almost sweet in one way, coppery in another in a way that made Zdenek recoil, xys ears flat against xys head and xys stomach twisting. Hunting season wasn't over yet, so... perhaps one had been wounded and stumbled along this way, but... well, Zdenek knew the smell of blood, and this? This... just didn't quite seem to fit.

"Now now, you're gettin' worked up over nothin' Den," xe said, shaking xys head. The tracks were becoming more frequent, deeper... and Zdenek grinned, noticing they were spaced in a way that suggested at least one buck had been passing by. Zdenek walked a little slower now, eyes peeled for the slightest hint of what xe was looking for. Xe felt hyper-alert now, every sound making xym freeze in place, and it felt... just a little like something was watching. Probably just the owls though, nothing xe had to worry about. There were bigger issues, anyway-- the longer Zdenek walked, the closer xe got to water, and a thick mist had started to form over the ground. Scents were faded, tracks harder to find, and it was becoming near impossible to tell if it was antler poking out of the ground, or just a fallen branch. Zdenek shifted to carry the lantern in xys mouth now, the light barely extended a foot ahead before being swallowed up. And despite xys best efforts... Zdenek was getting the creeps. Sounds were muffled, the moon that had seemed so comforting before now cast eerie shadows, looking almost like monsters ready to leap out and attack; it was becoming hard to keep xys breathing under control. It was the kind of feeling that had sent Zdenek home empty-pawed before, but... something told xym to keep going, that this was... just the weather. Not a bad sign, not really.

As if to confirm that thought, Zdenek's paw brushed over something hard lying on the ground. Xe paused, looking down, and only just caught xemself before xe gasped and dropped the lantern. An antler-- small, only three points, but intact and just what xe had been looking for! Zdenek scooped the find up, and slowly started circling through the area; its match was likely to be nearby. Sure enough, after the fifth circle, Zdenek saw a tell-tale prong tangled up in a bunch of moss on the ground. Xe set the lantern down and carefully worked the antler out, careful not to let even a trace of moss remain (xe had learned the hard way, long ago, spanish moss in the pouch meant a week of agonizing, itching rash). The dragon let out a victorious laugh, sweeping xys tail back and forth as xe carefully stored the antlers in xys pouch so they wouldn't cause too much discomfort. Zdenek picked up the lantern, holding xys head high as xe walked...

And promptly dropped it a moment later. The fire went out with a faint hiss, but Zdenek barely noticed it, nor the muffled tinkle of broken glass. Xys eyes were wide as saucers, trying to take in just what was there. It... it looked like a deer, at least in shape, but... it couldn't be. It was pure white, but... something dark seemed to be hovering around it, pouring from it; red dripping down its... nose and mouth as it... 'oh heaven no.'

It was looking right at Zdenek, eyes black as coal with red, glowing points deep within, strange horns growing from its head. Zdenek felt frozen to the ground, xe couldn't even blink, all xe could do was hold the creature's gaze. It... Zdenek couldn't tell if it was just in xys head or something real, but... it seemed like the creature wasn't angry, more... questioning.

"I..." Zdenek's voice came out in a shaking squeak, xys heart racing wildly in xys chest. "I just... took antler sheds. N... didn't hurt nothin', I don't h-hunt..." xe said, barely able to spit out the individual words. "No harm. I... I don't mean you or anythin' else here harm, I swear."

The deer-- creature-- it held Zdenek's gaze a moment longer, but then slowly turned away... and then, seemed to just vanish into the mist. Zdenek collapsed to the ground, shaking all over, it was several minutes before xe could pick xemself up and start home. Xe couldn't even summon the energy to flame and try clearing the fog, xys mind reeling, trying to figure out just what had happened. The only thing Zdenek knew was that... whatever that was, it was... nothing xe had ever experienced, ever thought xe had experienced. That wasn't a deer angry its bones were being moved, that was...

'No. It was just... just the mist.' That was what Zdenek told xemself once xe had returned home. Xe still felt numb, barely aware of what xe was doing as xe took out a pot and set the antlers inside, filling it up with water and setting it to boil. Xe had seen things in the swamp before, had friends who'd sworn they'd seen Bigfoot or some other kind of monsters, and it was just... maybe a rare deer? That was it, xe decided, xys heart finally starting to resume a normal pace. There had been talk about a white deer around here, Zdenek had been among a number of folks trying to find someone to get the hide. Xe had just been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the rare creature, it was just the mist and xys own paranoia making it look creepier.

Still, Zdenek didn't sleep that night; simply staying up all night to finish cleaning the antlers and set them on the rabbit, making sure xe had a proper jackalope for xys client. And after that, xe simply laid on the rug by the fire, eyes fixed on the door just in case anything decided to come knocking, until the sun rose and xe finally nodded off, unable to keep awake a moment longer.

[lvxe]

Reserve

[please delete .]

Definitely reserved with the name Tarot Xeno Calabasa.

Name: Tarot Xeno Calabasa

Gender: Male

Reasoning Behind Accessories:

One thing no one else knows except this bean:

One thing no one else knows about this bean:

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