[Kyar]

Reminder!
There are two full days left to finish your forms!

Getting your ideas down (and not having a form labeled "wip" lol) is more important than style if you're pressed for time to finish. Remember - I'm judging primarily on your ideas for each kit!

[~Levi~]

Possible mark
~Levi~

[Jippy]

Mark, maybe

[friggin' foxes]

username: 9tailedfox

name: khepri

gender: male

who have they become?:
khepri is a vain, confident, persistent, and an observant kalon who takes pride in his looks and enjoys the beautiful things life has to offer. he has the habit to chase after things he believes to be beautiful and will outwardly display his masochistic behavior when someone hurts him lightheartedly. behind these foolish acts, however, he hates being pursued by others and values his freedom more than anything.

[kanadensis]

Username: kanadensis
Name: Sebastian (Seb)
Gender: male
Who have they become?:

Never regret thy fall, O Icarus of the fearless flight
For the greatest tragedy of them all
Is never to feel the burning light.
- Oscar Wilde

Lighting cracked across the sky, shattering the darkness in an explosion of light. Sebastian strained to stay above the vicious currents that swirled around him threateningly, grasping at his drenched fur and wings. Why didn’t I stay back? He reprimanded himself as another gust battered his small frame. Why did you send us away in the first place... A deafening boom shook Seb from his thoughts, bringing his focus back to the obstacle ahead of him.

He had suspected something when Solace approached him and his siblings that morning. Observant and curious, Seb could often perceive someone’s motives long before others could - and the solemn look on his mother’s face betrayed her. The locket had hung heavy around his neck, carrying with it the weight of his family’s expectations. Seb had never been one to seek out glory and adventure. He envied his brother Dea who could continue to enjoy the comforts of home - he knew the wingless boy would much rather be in his place. While his siblings seemed more enthusiastic than ever to explore the world, Seb left feeling confused, bitter, and frightened - though he would never let his fear show. The feeling of abandonment continued to gnaw at him no matter how much he convinced himself of his mother’s love, a voice at the back of his head continued asked “Why?”.

The storm continued to worsen as the last wisps of energy seeped from his muscles. He ached to rest, but he knew that descending through a storm was more dangerous than anything - strong currents could tear the wings from his back, and a downdraft could send him crashing down into whatever lay below, may it be jagged rocks or stormy seas. Having never ventured this far away from home, Seb hadn’t the slightest idea where he was. He knew needed to stay above the clouds until the storm passed, something that was becoming more difficult with each passing minute.

Hours had gone by since he had left his home flapping with all his might to distance himself as quickly as possible - he didn’t wanted anyone to see his tears. Soaring above the clouds Seb had eventually decided to descend for a rest, but upon breaking through below the storm was already in full force. The rain was relentless, and his wet wings and fur weighed him down. Barely able to keep his eyes open, it would take only an unexpected gust to catch him off guard and send him tumbling out of the sky. To be exact, it took a little more than that: Seb felt it before he saw it, the fur on his entire body standing on end. The sliver of light sliced past him, sending a shock through his entire body. It took only a moment, for when his wings froze up he was swept aside by a gust so strong it felt as though he had been punched. Too exhausted to recover, the smol child fell toward the ground, plucked from the sky by the hands of fate. Fortunately a thick forest lay below, and the trees helped break his fall. Battered and disoriented, Seb slipped into unconsciousness just as the clouds began to clear.

***

Seb found himself in a foreign land, surrounded by trees and curious woodland creatures. The storm had long passed when he awoke, and the sun had just began its lazy descent through the sky. Battered and bruised with feathers strewn about, one might imagine what they would think stumbling upon such a hapless creature. It was a young kalon, an inhabitant of one of the many villages that dotted the great forest, who was first to set eyes on him. He was taken in and nursed back to health, though his battered wings would take some training to regain their full strength.

Seb had decided on staying in the village, at least until he was back to full strength. He would have time for the great adventures he was promised, though truthfully did not want to take part in himself. The kalon who had saved him, a young girl by the name of Rika, had begun to show him the beauty of her world. She was a herbalist, following in the footsteps of her late mother, and behind her small cottage a vast garden sprawled into the woods filled with flowers and other plants, many of which Seb had never even heard of. They would often go out foraging together, leaving at dawn down well-trodden paths that wound through the forest until they came across one of Rika’s mane secret spots. There they would spend hours in each other’s company, collecting plants, chatting, and exploring the land. As the months went by, Rika became the light that Seb awaited every morning.

The forest was something Seb could never have imagined would fascinate him. Through Rika he learned the names of the different trees, how to identify them, and which animals liked to nest in them; he learned how to track other creatures, learn their habits, and speak to them with growls and whistles. He witnessed a fawn grow up from a yearling to a buck, and a nest of birds learn to fly under their mother’s watchful eye. By the end of the year he could grow his own vegetables, and by two years Rika finally allowed him to tend to her own garden. As more time passed Seb became an integral part of the village. He knew everyone by name and made friendships that would last a lifetime - or so he hoped.

While Seb loved his life with Rika, he could not let go of the reason why he had left his home in the first place: to seek adventure, and to return home with the stories and experiences of his travels. He wondered what his siblings had achieved, all the people they had met and the stories they had heard; whether they had discovered new lands, the people they had helped, or monsters they had defeated. What would they think of him? Landing in a village in the middle of nowhere and spending his days in a garden - it would pale in comparison to their adventures. Nevertheless he knew he had to return home eventually, and it pained him to think about leaving Rika. She had become someone he could confide in, someone who could cheer him up no matter the situation. Would he ever find someone like her? Seb was sure that he would not meet his mother’s expectations, and he dreaded to await the look of disappointment on her face.

The day he finally drew up the courage to leave, he did so without notifying Rika. She would do everything she could to stop him, he knew. In the early hours of dawn he left their home, leaving a note explaining himself, and took off for home. He knew he might never see her again if his mother was not happy with what he had achieved, she might send him off somewhere else to see the world as she had intended. With a heavy heart and tense with anxiousness, the winged kal soared home.

Upon his arrival he was greeted with open arms by both his parents, though his brother was off on his own as usual. His mother recited all the great stories they had heard from his other siblings, and he could feel his stomach drop when it came time for him to tell his own. He lowered his head and told his story, from the thunderstorm to living in the village to falling in love. To his surprise his mother did not reprimand him - instead, tears welled in her eyes as she listened. At the end he began to express his regret for not continuing on his journey, but she quickly cut him off.

“My child you have experienced more than I could have ever wished you would. You did not travel to far-off lands to meet all the creatures of the world, nor did you seek great glory or fame.” She shook her head, hair soft white hair catching the setting sun. “You saw the things that make this world beautiful, the small things that only someone who opens their heart can see. And you fell in love my child. Having loved makes up for a lifetime of adventure.” Her warm smile melted all of his insecurities away. “You must go back to her Sebastian and experience the great joys which that life will bring.”

It took him a moment, but Sebastian realised why she had sent them off. He had experienced the world as he should, living in every moment and developing an appreciation for the small things that were more often overlooked. With his parents’ blessing and a hop in his step Seb left home for the second time with more hope and happiness than he had ever felt before.

[1483/1500]
Character Rika (x) owned by poland0202, used ooc with permission.

[Kyar]

Oh boy - where to begin?

Everyone had such incredible ideas for this contest it became nearly impossible to choose. I loved all the different personalities, all the different timelines and stories and all the ways your kits interacted with the world - chose not to - loved - lost - forgave - sought revenge… the list goes on and on. I'm endlessly amazed with the talent in this community.

And as per the usual - making this final decision was agonizing.
I wish I could spend all the time in my day going on about all the forms that I loved - which included such a great number that I couldn't choose.
If you have any questions at all as to why your form wasn't chosen or want feedback from me - please feel more than welcome to PM me about it!! All I ask is that these kinds of conversations come to me via PM rather than on the thread. I know you all worked incredibly hard and so many of you deserve great praise for it!!


I suppose that's enough talk - without further ado… the winners of the kits!!

Coming Storm goes to…
Marsh

Bleak Thunder goes to…
Sixbane

Shattered Dawn goes to…
MrBoodle


To keep a very very long story brief - I adored how you developed each of your kits through their struggles and how they chose to face them - both alone and together. The elements of sibling bonds that stuck were unforgettable - but it was each individual character really coming through that ended up being the final push for this form. Reading through each story I got to know Tagiane, Telantes, and Tabbris as unique individuals with their own goals and their own way to go - as well as the ties that preserved their bond and reunited them all in the end. The effort put into your forms was absolutely evident and I wish you all the very best for your kits - and whatever future they may hold!!


Now of course there were a great number of forms who came immensely close. I can't award HMs or RUs but I wanted to acknowledge a few more users whose work was unforgettable and so incredible to read!! In no particular order except that generally it's in the order the forms were posted per kit - I'd like to give shoutouts to this crowd!! :)

kacchan, - Phina D Wolf - marya d. (partners!!)
FluffyBirdie - sicknasty (partners!!)
Takk
Dreamlight
neongraveyard
Fiern
Diamond Sapphire
waffle02
Peppermint Mist
hanzo.
caius
Mima
Vagabond
Silver Pandorica


And then very last of all… these forms came so darn close I felt I had to give you something for your dedication. I can't offer much but if you'd like a piece of artwork from me please PM me with details!! I'll do a small digital sticker-style drawing of any character of any species (humans are fine too!) Thank you so much for letting me share in your great work!!

sun struck
Incomprehensible
kanadensis


I think that's everything… Thank you!!! Winners will be added to the respective refs asap and I'll post in the archives as quickly as I can manage here! Please feel more than welcome to contact me with any questions, feedback, or even suggestions for future readoptions I'm sure I'll do down the line!! Thank you all so much!!