Lambicorns // Festival of Dreams • Dreamland

[Shadow Milk]

Explain yourself.
Username: Malitiae
Art/Writing:

[gremlin]

Explain yourself.
Username: gremlin

Art/Writing:

Lambent looks down at Nai’a. “My questions do not stem from confusion of the event itself, but confusion as to your intentions.” They step forward, looming over her. “was it always meant to further your feud with Grimm?” Each time they speak they step closer, their voice takes on a deeper tone, Nai’a is reminded how old this creature is, their voice carries the sounds of boiling magma and crumbling avalanches. “Did you think I would not find out what you did to Grimm after I fell?” Crystals begin growing uncontrollably at their feet, creeping towards Nai’a. “I have tried very hard to treat you well. I have dismissed your arrogance as posturing to cover up your gaping insecurities. I have attempted to play peacekeeper between you and Grimm.” Their voice grows louder, shaking the clouds around them. “Do your jabs fill the gaping holes in your soul? Do you really enjoy acting aloof and soulless? You struggle with the dreams you create. You refused help because you were afraid.” Nai’a starts to say something about not knowing but is cut off “I know everything I need to know about you.” Lambent turns away “I cannot bring myself to hate you, I only pity you. You are naught but a scared child hiding behind cruelty and trickery.” They stomp a paw and giant crystals shoot up through the clouds.

[EchoIre]

Prizes were determined by RNG! Don't like the prize you got? Not to worry! Some of these prizes will be returning at a later date c:<

- 50 gems
-Sparkling Horizon Gem (guarantees 3 lambabies in a dreamfusion; does not count as a ticket item, used when submitting a form)
-Stylish MYO
-Classic MYO
-Dream Fairy?? (random 'orphan' lambaby)
-Stardust Soul (adds glittering rings of stardust around your lambie's paws/hooves (up to two on each leg) and a halo of stardust above their head)
-Tiny Eye Crystals (adds up to four extra eyes anywhere on your lambie)
-Featherwishes (adds a pair of wings of any kind to your lambie, doesn't have to be on their back)
-5 Pastel Tickets (5 extra tickets for any Dreamland lambie of your choice, can be split however you like, but specify how many you are using and link the post to where you got them) (lambies will be posted at a later date)
-3 Pastel Tickets (3 extra tickets for any Dreamland lambie of your choice, can be split however you like, but specify how many you are using and link the post to where you got them) (lambies will be posted at a later date)
-40 gems
-Dreamland Frequent (adds a tired expression to your lambie)
-Dreamwalker Extraordinaire (Adds wispy clouds around the paws of your lambie)
-Friend of Nai'a (adds one of Nai'a's bracelets to your lambie)

@bakuraas.
Nai’a’s face grows more and more concerned the more you talk, though you don’t notice through your tears. When you hold the balloon out to her, she reaches for it, then hesitates. She glances down at you - at your tear-soaked face and the puddle of tears at your feet - then proceeds to gently scoop you closer to her in a hug. Her touch is light - either due to discomfort on her part or concern over squishing you - but her fur is exactly as soft and plush as it looks. Even if a hug from the troubled queen of dreams isn’t what you were expecting, it’s… comforting, in a way.

“The world isn’t always a happy place.” Nai’a’s voice is gentle, but it still reverberates through your bones at this distance. “I-... I can’t say I’m not a part of that, but you shouldn’t give up on it all. I won’t tell you what you said was wrong, but it’s... not so terrible as it seems right now.” She moves her paws, allowing you to move away if you wanted. “... I kept that little garden you made me.” She adds after a moment. Her voice is low, so the others don’t hear. “It’s by my window right now, getting all the sun it could need.” She smiles gently. “The festival isn’t over yet. There’s still time for us all to have fun as a team. Maybe your parents will come around too.” That last piece of reassurance isn’t exactly “assuring”, but Nai’a probably never had parents of her own to have those sorts of problems with. She sighs and begins to drum the clouds with her filed claws again. “I truly am very sorry for the distress this… ordeal has caused you. I didn’t want this to happen.” Her voice is quiet, but sincere. “Rest well.” With that, the clouds fade to white, then ease into an all-enveloping yet comforting nothingness. You wake slowly, and find a great bounty where Nai’a usually leaves you prizes. (+Sparkling Horizon Gem and Dreamland Frequent)

@DaniCalifornia
Nai’a chuckles flatly. “You never struck me as a direct type. I like it.” She straightens herself up more, but doesn’t stand. “Well, they’re both pretty nosy. I imagine it comes from being so old - they think they know everything about everything.” She’s scowling now, but her face softens suddenly. “Or, well, that’s what I used to think. Grimm and I haven’t talked for a while, but I’m sure they’re-” She pauses, as if remembering something. She makes a contemplative sound. “Well, Lambent-” Nai’a is silent for a moment, before shaking her head. “Scratch that. Still, I… I have some respect for Grimm. They were made to do something, and they’ve been doing it very well for as long as I remember.” You can tell by the weight in her voice that Nai’a is telling the truth. For a moment, you’re actually almost impressed. “Don’t tell them I said that, though, Aurorae knows we don’t want their head getting any bigger.” Nai’a rolls her eyes, and so do you, but not at the thought of Grimm.

“As for Lambent.” Her face darkens. “I don’t have anything good to say about them right now, but in light of recent events, I will be keeping such thoughts to myself.” Nai’a notices your concerned expression and is quick to wave it away. “Don’t give me that look, it’s not like that.” She gives you a strange sort of half-glare, but quickly softens. “They just… Grimm and I would have resolved things - in a way - without their intervention. They had no right to involve you so much in our feud, or to…” Nai’a shifts, pulling her forelegs closer to her so they’re hugging her in a way. “Or to show you what they did.” Her words are slow and measured. She doesn’t quite meet your eye; she’s quiet after, and so are you. Even under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be sure what to say, but even now you feel like you don’t have the whole story of this feud between elders.

Nai’a draws in a breath suddenly and shifts, catching your attention. “But, before that, I guess I had the same sort of respect for them, even if they were worse than Grimm…” She grumbles. “I… can imagine what instance they showed you. It’s not quite what you asked, but I was also worried when they disappeared. We were never really friends, but back then, lambicorns didn’t just disappear like that. It was strange, and even stranger still that there was no trace of them. I thought that them being back may be… nice, but so far they have proven to be even more problematic and… odd than before.” Nai’a shakes her head, caught up in her thoughts, before looking down at you. “I hope that answers your question.” The dreamscape begins to fade around you, soon leaving you floating in the soft blanket of an empty dream. You wake slowly, and find something strange - yet valuable - by your bed. (+Stardust Soul)

@Matilae
Nai’a is perfectly still as you lay across her legs. “That’s… comforting, I suppose, but there’s no need for ‘loyalty’.” She says haltingly. “I- I really don’t want a war with Grimm or Lambent, I just want them to leave m- hey, are you crying?” She, gently, pulls one of her legs out from under you, then just as carefully tilts your head upwards some and brings her own downwards so she can get a better look at your face. A few seconds of her silently gazing at you pass by before Nai’a draws her paw away. She turns her head away.

“If you have questions, please, ask them. You don’t need to forgive me.” Her voice is gentle, but firm. She huffs a brief laugh. “I’d rather you hate me than just… accept everything I did, push it away.” You wonder if that’s her core philosophy, but only briefly. “I won't ask you to be angry with me but just… really think if you’re ready to move on without any answers.” Nai’a turns back to you. There’s a strange sort of sadness on her face, something barely there, something you can't place. “You're welcome to continue participating in team activities, but if you ever change your mind about what you’ve said today, tell me.” The dreamland fades away as she’s speaking, finally falling away as she finishes.

For a moment, you’re suspended in a blank dream. With all the turmoil of the last few days, it's actually strangely comforting. When you wake, there’s a strange item by you, certainly another reward from Nai’a, but for what you’re not sure. (+Dream Fairy??)

@Gremlin
After all the softness and emotions displayed with the rest of the team, it’s clear Nai’a isn’t her usual self when you step closer. Her eyes widen as your voice begins to shake the sky. She scrambles backwards, shrinking in on herself even if only for a few seconds. For a moment, hers is the face of a lamb under the shadow of a lion.

Then, a toothy grin splits her face.

In an instant Nai’a is sitting regally with the same remorseless smirk burned on her face as she watches you approach. She only leans her head back to meet your eye as you stalk closer. She never stops smiling. She’s steadfast and eerie against your thunderous roars and piercing words - or maybe they’re not quite as piercing as you’d hoped. She barely flinches when the crystals surrounding her stretched in the sky. If anything, she only grins wider.

With some difficulty, Nai’a snaps her claws. You see the crystals surrounding her begin to totter before you yourself fall; you plunge through the layer of plush clouds and into a shrieking maelstrom below. However, some unseen force catches and holds you before you have time to register you were falling.

The sky is dark and tumultuous around you, and far below your feet an equally dark sea thrashes and riots. The wind buffets you from all directions, throwing sheets of rain at you mercilessly. And you feel it: the tug of the wind, the chill of the rain, the sting of salt in the air. Lighting reveals dark, strange shapes in the clouds.

“I was hoping you’d find out, actually.”

You whip around, finding Nai’a resting luxuriously on a dark, plush cloud. She holds a piece of your gems in one paw, squinting at it disapprovingly. She drops it into the sea before turning her attention back to you.

“I can’t say much about ‘gaping soul holes’, but I will say that I don’t think I’d be so good at acting ‘aloof and soulless’ if I didn’t enjoy it, if even a little bit.” Nai’a smirks. “Wouldn’t you?” She adds with a mockingly innocent expression.“That was all the questions you had, correct?” She tilts her head at you, blinking coyly. “Forgive me if I’ve missed one - unfortunately you’re not worth my time and I’m not worth your pity, so with that all out of the way - I think we're done here.” You suddenly feel… odd. Not in a ‘sudden wave of guilt’ way but in a ‘hey, something’s suddenly strange with the air’ way. You look up at the storm raging above your head, only to be met with brilliant violet light arcing towards you.

It fills your vision in an instant, momentarily blinding you. Suddenly, you’re awake and in your nest, and also very much not electrocuted. There’s a strange gift by your nest - from Nai’a, doubtlessly - but you wonder why she even bothered, or if you should bother to examine it. (+Dream Fairy??)

The new prompt will be posted in the morning! Sorry for the delay ^~^;

[EchoIre]

For the most part, the dreamscape is back to normal. The same pale, fluffy clouds surround you, and Nai'a is waiting for you on her usual perch. She beckons you forward with a slight wave of her paw. She glances over what remains of the team, as if looking for someone, before speaking.

"I'm hoping things can return to normal today." Even today, her voice is still missing its usual lilt. "I'm sending you to a place called the Starbreach. When you wake, there will be a map to guide you there. You must destroy it after today. Like the valley where the Aurorae's Heart lilies grow, this place is unique in the world, and what I am sending you to gather is rare, and would be abused by those who only see fragments of ancient magic as a method for their own gain." A few lambicorns beside you shift uncomfortably. You can see Nai'a roll her eyes.

"It's not like that. I've known of this place for centuries; if I were one of those such lambicorns, I would've bled the place dry long ago." She grumbles. You could swear you notice her hug her paws closer to her chest, but the movement is so small it's hard to tell from this distance. She huffs before continuing. "It's a wide tide pool in the stone surrounding a cove. There will be many tide pools there, but if you follow the map, you'll find the right one." Nai'a explains. "In the daylight, it won't appear any deeper than a normal tide pool. Don't go in. Wait until the moon is at its peak - or wait to travel 'til you arrive at that time. Then, the tide pool will appear much, much deeper. You will see the stars reflected in the water, and some will appear much bigger than others. Grab those, but never fully submerge yourself in the water. If you can't reach one before doing so, it's best you don't try."

Is there something in the water? You raise an eyebrow at Nai'a, though from the corner of your eye you can tell some of your teammates are much more fearful. "Don't look at me like that, there's nothing in the water that will hurt you." Nai'a says quickly. "The 'stars' you will be grabbing are actually pearls. The creatures that produce them are known as moon oysters, and were scavenged to the brink of extinction for their pearls centuries ago. This tide pool is the only place they remain, and was enchanted ages ago to protect them. There's only a small window of time when the tide pool is accessible and the oysters are open. You can reach in a grab a pearl without harming yourself or the oyster, but go in and you risk being sealed on the other side." After that strange magical history lesson, Nai'a pauses. "Maybe you should bring some rope to make sure you don't fall in."

Code: Select all

[center][b]I'm collecting star pearls![/b]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Art/Writing:[/b][/center]

You may now post for today!

[bakuraas.]

I'm collecting star pearls!
Username: bakuraas.
Art/Writing: [902 words]
[ feat. Iso ● and Draven ● ]

Iso grumbled as he shook off the water from his coat, his hair getting in his face due to it being thoroughly soaked. He had come along with rope in order to get down into the tide pool as much as possible, but even with the rope only holding onto his tail, the pearls were just out of his reach. He had planned to come up and think of something that might help him, like using a stick to make up for the extra distance or something similar, maybe even running back home to grab Azu and come back.

However, before he was able to get his bearing back and move all of his hair out of his vision, he heard a barely familiar voice. "Too short to grab one of the pearls, fairy boy?" Confused, Iso moved the rest of his hair away in one motion, revealing the lambicorn that was talking to him, illuminated by the reflected starlight. The lambicorn was smiling at him, but that wasn't what caught his eye first. First, he noticed that the other lambicorn had three pink horns. After that, he noticed the other's facial markings, almost as if hearts and clouds were painted on a blank canvas.

"It's you, from the valley! What are YOU doing here?" Iso asked, his voice turning accusatory as soon as he realized the other's identity. If he had last seen him trying to steal Aurorae's Heart Flowers, then who knows what he was doing here of all places. The other Lambicorn simply smiled, beginning to walk over to the other male while extending one of his paws, revealing a few star pearls comfortably sitting in his paw. "I'm grabbing these for Team Dream, of course. Same as you- silly." Iso nodded, though he squinted as he looked at the other, suspicious and clearly not trusting the other... but he did need pearls...

He reached out to grab them, putting them in his bag. "Thank you... I think. Say, why aren't you afraid? Last time I saw you, you saw me and high-tailed it out of the valley. It's...kind of strange that you're suddenly okay with me- and helping me for that matter." Iso spoke, walking around the other for a moment and looking especially hard at the large bag that the other had. Draven watched the other go around, his smile staying strong as he spoke. "Well, at first I thought you were a fairy trying to hex me- but afterwards I learned that you were just a normal kid... especially when you started crying at Dawn's Edge." That last part made him chuckle, while making Iso get a bit defensive. "H-Hey! I had a perfectly good reason to start crying!"

"Oh of course you did, but that isn't important now. What IS important is that you've got your pearls, five should be enough I think. That's how many I'm taking with me at least, it seems like a decent amount without taking too much." Draven spoke as if he was rushing a small bit, patting the other on the back in a playful manner. Iso however, still wasn't convinced enough to leave the other alone. He took a moment to think before coming up with something that would calm his mind. "Let me see the map that Nai'a gave us." The words were stern and serious, but Draven didn't seem phased at all, pulling out a map from his bag.

Yeup, that was the right map alright, and though there were two small rips on the edges, there wasn't any real sign that it was old or stolen in any way. Iso sighed, nodding to himself and watching as the older male put the map away. "Remember to destroy that map when you leave, Nai'a said to, remember?" Iso added, starting to walk away. Draven nodded in return, putting a paw to his chest. "Oh, of course! It's such a simple task to protect such wonderful creatures like these oysters!" Though Iso still didn't exactly trust the other male, he supposed this was enough for him to leave him be. Iso assured himself he had the pearls, tapping his bag for a moment before heading away from the tidepools, watching as the other lambicorn's figure disappeared into the darkness of night.

---

Back past the tidepools, Draven had long gone into the forests, looking at his haul and laughing to himself. "Haha...kid's got smarts, but still as much of a sucker as the rest of them." Draven caressed the Moon Osyter in his paws, knowing that his father would be quite pleased with his haul. Five pearls, as if. With how many lambicorns were in Team Dream, it's not like it would be too out of the ordinary for so many pearls to be missing now. And Oysters were sure to come and go as years went past anyways, so just two missing ones wouldn't be too awful. Sure they were closed, how could they not be after what had happened to them, especially with that hex that was eroding their magical protection- must be painful. However, it wasn't like that'd matter in the long run, especially not to his father.

And though he had ripped up the map that he had, he kept the pieces. Surely that still counted, right?
If not, he almost felt bad for the poor lambicorn that let him borrow the map... almost.

[Shadow Milk]

I'm collecting star pearls!
Username: Malitiae
Art/Writing: The tide pool seemed like any other, nothing special about it whatsoever. Athena curiously dipped her paw in the water, shivering at the cold sensation. “Definitely a tide pool... the map says this is the one. Time to wait I suppose,” she whispered to herself. She curled up besides the pool and dozed off, waiting for night to fall.
The soft glow of reflected moonlight awakened Athena from her slumber. The young Lambicorn looked down at the tide pool in awe, the stars appearing vividly against the pitch black reflection of the sky. Carefully, she submerged her paws in the water, grabbing for one of the larger stars. She felt it against her pads as she gripped it between them, pulling it out of the water and placing it besides her. She then notices a much larger star, brighter and more beautiful than all the rest. She reached for it, stretching herself as far as she can, though she was just a bit short of grabbing it. She huffed in annoyance, trying again. She stood at the very edge of the pool, reaching down further, when she began to feel her weight shifting downwards. Before she knew what was happening, her entire front half was submerged in the water, her hind legs kicking frantically. She panicked, managing to grab the pearl as she desperately wiggled her way out of the pool. “T-that’s...enough for today...” she mumbled, gathering her two pearls.
When Athena returned to Nai’a, she was a soaking wet, freezing cold, shivering mess. Her tail was tucked between her legs, which were trembling. Her wet hair felt as if it weighed a ton, some of it falling in her face and obscuring her vision. “I... g-got the... the p-p-pearls...” she stuttered, slightly terrified that Nai’a would shred her to a million pieces. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t get too many... I’m sorry...”

[EchoIre]

New prompt is up!

-Moonlight's Voice (adds up to three glowing markings to your lambie)
-Star Stealer (adds a glowing aura around your lambie's front paws/hooves)
-25 gems
-Depth Diver (adds up to four small to medium sized fins anywhere on your lambie)
-Star Pearl Jewelry (adds a piece of jewelry of any type (pendant, earrings, bracelet, etc.) featuring a glowing white pearl anywhere on your lambie) (string of pearls allowed)
-Magical Mermaid (replaces your lambie's tail with a large aquatic tail)

@bakuraas.
Nai'a gently takes the pearls from you carefully, rolling them over on her paw once before looking back to you. "I hope you didn't have any trouble getting these." You think back to the strange lambicorn you saw at the tide pools. He wouldn't have had the map if he weren't on Team Dream, right? Though, you couldn't recall seeing him in the dreamscape before... Though, it was possible you missed him. Best not to mention it until you were sue something suspicious was going on. "Thank you." Nai'a dips her head to you, and you're awake a second later. There's another gift from Nai'a by your bed. (+Star Stealer)

@Matilae
"It's fine." Nai'a says, still facing the lambicorn beside you. She turns to you and stops, surprise clear on her face. She quickly recovers, something like a glare furrowing her brows. "Aurorae's light - you fell in, didn't you?" She asks harshly. You cower further, afraid of what the elder may do. "Didn't you hear me say bring a rope? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Nai'a's voice is quick and sharp, each syllable only making you duck down more. "You-" She stops herself short, then sighs. "Don't apologize. Two is plenty, and it isn't your fault." Nai'a's voice is softer now, but she still sounds remarkably frustrated. "I don't need you freezing on me, though." You wake up almost in the exact same instant. You feel a bit more weighed-down in your bed than you did before, and a good deal warmer. You're still dripping wet, though. You wriggle out of bed and realize that someone put a quilt over your during the night. The fabrics are a mix of pale pink and dusty purple, and it's decorated with silver stars , moons, and glittery threads. There's a plush towel along with your prize in the usual spot. (+Depth Diver)

@DaniCalifornia
Nai'a is grumbling to herself as you step forward. "...looked like she thought I was going to eat her..." is all you manage to catch before Nai'a notices you're there. She straightens her back and clears her throat quickly. "That's perfect, thank you." Nai'a speaks before you dump out the contents of your bucket. Confused, you slowly hand over the pearls, though Nai'a doesn't change her mind, thankfully. "Thank you." She repeats. You find yourself awake in your bed the next beat. You grumble and roll over, happy to spot your new prize from Nai'a in it's usual spot. (+Star Pearl Jewelry)

You may now post for today!

[bakuraas.]

I'm finding feathers!
Username: bakuraas.
Art/Writing: [991 words]
Iso went into the forest during the early morning, a lantern by his side so that he could look around better than he would be able to normally. Logically, he thought that going so early in the morning would help him see any feathers that might have fallen down from trees, and that maybe the birds would just be waking up and might drop some while he was there. He was armed with his small bag, as well as a little bit of bird feed just in case something went wrong.

And of course, with Iso being Iso- something indeed did go wrong. At this point it almost seemed like misfortune was following him around. Thankfully it wasn't anything life-threatening, but it certainly did cause a bit of a detour. Specifically at detour as he was walking through the woods with his lantern, looking around for purple colors among the browns and greens of the forest floor. He had found a large area of purple a little bit away, and assumed it was a feather or two- but it was definitely more than two feathers, especially considering that feathers all on their own didn't writhe and move like the splotch of purple did as Iso got closer.

Iso put the lantern down next to the small purple figure, partially to get a better look, and partially to keep from dropping it if he got startled. While he wasn't startled, he was definitely concerned as he saw two bead-like eyes and a black beak make themselves known. The small cuttlebeak was struggling, and was obviously trying to nip at Iso without much success. Iso noted that the bird almost seemed to be stuck to the ground. The lambicorn softly moved to try and move leaves away from the bird on the ground, finding the reason behind the strange movements.

Well, Iso was right at least- the bird was definitely unable to get off the ground, thought the cause of it was a lot more gruesome than what Iso originally thought it could be. The bird's wings were tied down to the ground using something that looked like fishing wire, and one of the wings were definitely broken due to being like this for a decent amount of time. "Who on earth would do this to you?" He said, mostly to himself, paws quickly moving to try and find out a solution to let the bird go. The line was attached to something under the ground, and Iso didn't have any claws to dig with. He thought for a moment, considering both his safety as well as the bird's.

Once he thought of something he sighed, he knew that the others would see him afterwards and think he looked like a fool that didn't listen to Nai'a, but this was more important right now. Iso crouched down, opening his mouth and trying to use his teeth to break the fishing line. Of course, this caused the Cuttlebeak to panic, giving a harsh bite to Iso's cheek. The lambicorn yelped in pain through his teeth, but didn't let that keep him from eventually biting through the line. Once the line was loose, the Cuttlebeak immediately attempted to hop away, only to realize it was still stuck on the other line. Iso looked at the bird while he assessed the damage to his face, eventually settling on leaving the wound be until he got home. He also noticed that the bird had been laying on three Violet feathers- the coincidence was uncanny, but Iso didn't have time to really think about that, only being relieved that he wouldn't come back home empty-pawed.

The cuttlebeak at this point was looking over to Iso, flapping it's wings around- but definitely not struggling quite as much as before. Iso looked at where the other line was, expecting another bite as soon as he tried to get through it- but it didn't happen. Instead, Iso felt a decent amount of fishing line fall onto his face, eventually sliding off as he bit through the remaining line stuck into the ground. Almost in confusion, he looked over to the bird, who was now seemingly focused on getting the remaining bits of line off of their wings. And yet, even with this Iso still noticed that the bird's wing was broken to the point where he knew they wouldn't be able to fly.

It seemed that the cuttlebeak knew this as well, as Iso then felt small feet hopping up his leg and onto his back just as he was about to get up from the ground. Iso was...confused for a second to say the very least, that is- until the bird hopped into his small bag, starting to eat the seeds that were inside of it. For a moment he wondered if he should bring the bird along, but- then again he couldn't just leave the little guy out here with a broken wing, and surely his grandmother could do something to help. He sighed once more, picking up the feathers left on the ground and moving to put them in the bag, only for them to be grabbed by the Cuttlebeak inside and shoved into the bag next to the seeds.

Well, as long as they were in the bag, it should be fine. He picked up the lantern and headed back out of the forest. At some point he expected the bird to hop out and try to make a break for it back to their tree, but that also never happened. Instead, the bird kindly sat in the bag the entire way back home, sometimes making small chirping noises and not shutting up until Iso picked something up off the ground on the way back. Once he got home he had a total of four feathers, three VERY shiny rocks, and a stray necklace of wooden charms. How the cuttlebeak spotted that last one was beyond him.

[Shadow Milk]

I'm finding feathers!
Username: malitiae
Art/Writing: Athena felt terrible for the disaster that happened when she was looking for the pearls. She wanted so badly to prove herself to Nai’a, so she vowed to complete this task perfectly. She left for the forest immediately, quite excited for this particular task, as she absolutely adores animals. Athena has a way with even the most vicious of animals, and this skill would be quite handy today.
The first feather she came across was stuck in a bush. She grabbed the iridescent purple feather and stuck it in her tail for safekeeping. “Easy enough,” she whispered to herself as she continued searching.
Tears began to form in her eyes as she came across the second feather, along with the remains of a cuttlebeak that was unfortunate enough to become something’s lunch. One lone feather was in near perfect condition, a sharp contrast to the other gnarly, torn feathers. She hesitantly grabbed the second feather before placing it next to the first in her tail. “Poor birdie... but I suppose that’s just life.”
Chirp! Athena nearly jumped out of her skin, the sudden noise surprising her. She looked around for the source of the noise, only to find a mature violet cuttlebeak hopping towards her. She ducked, trembling in fear, bracing herself for the terror that bird may bring to her. Chirp, chirp? Athena slowly rose to her feet when she realized the bird was not attacking her. “...Why hello there, you’re a gorgeous birdie,” she spoke softly to the cuttlebeak. Chiiirp~ chirp! Athena smiled at that, almost as if she understood what it was saying. “Do you need something?” She asked, offering a paw to the bird. It hopped up on her paw, then on her head, getting cozy in her hair. “Hey! What are you doing?” She laughed. The cuttlebeak chirped loudly, jumping off, running across the forest floor and returning with some sticks. It put them into her hair, arranging them meticulously before making itself comfortable in her hair once again. “Hey, hey! Do I look like a tree to you?” She whined, trying to get the bird out of her hair. Chirp! Chirp... chirp... The cuttlebeak seemed sad, climbing down and picking at the ground with its beak. Athena suddenly felt bad for making it sad. “Aww, I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she whispered. “But a Lambicorn’s mane is no place for a bird to live. You need to go make a nest in the tree, where you belong!” The bird spread its wings, revealing one of its wings was missing several feathers. “Oh, you poor thing... you can’t reach the tree because you’re hurt. I’ll help you out.” Athena lifted the bird carefully and began climbing the tree nearby. She spotted a cuttlebeak nest up in the tree, which was currently occupied by a bird and... eggs? “You... you’re a mother, aren’t you? Is this your nest?” The other bird chirped happily at the sight of his mate, Athena carefully placing her in the nest. She chirped gratefully, snuggling up to her eggs as the male flew off to search for food. “Good luck with the babies!” Athena climbed down the tree carefully. She looked up as a third feather floated down from the nest. “Thank you!” She called out, placing it along with the other two.
Athena returned to Nai’a with a huge smile on her face. She gave her the three feathers, beginning to explain why her hair was such a mess. “I could hardly believe it- the poor birdie must have been so worried about her eggs! I’m glad she found me, but I’ll admit I was pretty scared when she randomly approached me. I didn’t dare go near any nests though, besides the one I helped her get back to.”

[EchoIre]

New prompt is up!

-Feathery Friends (adds up to three small Violet Cuttlebeaks to your lambicorn)
-Avian Ally (adds up to two feather accessories to your lambicorn of any shape/color) (feathers behind the ear, feather anklet, etc.)
-Song of the Cuttlebeak (adds violet wings to your lambicorn)
-Violet Extract (changes your lambicorn's eye color to a shade of purple)
-Magic Feathers (adds a small pair of feathered wings to your lambicorn)
-Clip on Feathers (adds a feather crest to your lambicorn or feathers around you their tail)

@bakuraas.
The feathers seem tiny on Nai'a's paws, but she carefully puts them away all the same. She thanks you and seems to be close to sending you away, but you quickly decide to tell her about the Cuttlebeak you saved; how you found it tied to the ground, and how your grandma was taking care of it now. Nai'a had told you that the birds in that area of the forest weren't afraod of lambicorns, so it didn't seem right that someone was setting traps there.

Nai'a's brows furrow at the news. "A trap? Broken wing?" She echoes. She makes a contemplative sound, drumming her claws against the clouds. "I'll look into it." She says at last. "Thanks for letting me know." With that, you're awake. You find a pile of decorative feathers in the usual spot. These would look pretty cool on your fur, you bet... Even if it's a little strange. (+Clip on Feathers)

@Matilae
Nai'a's raised eyebrow was what prompted you to explain your twig-laden hairdo, though the elder was smiling as you approached. She chuckles at your story. "It's concerning to know another Cuttlebeak had a broken wing, but thank you for helping it." Nai'a smiles. "Sounds like you made a friend. I don't think they'd mind if you paid them another visit, if you wanted." She's quiet for a moment, simply smiling softly and looking at you. "It's nice to see you can still smile." Is all she says in parting before you wake up. There's a few small shimmering feathers in the usual place. When you pick them up, you can feel a fsint hum of energy in them. (+Magic Feathers)

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