[clouds-move-on]

Kalons-- a species with soft manes and even softer hearts.

Monitored in forests across the globe for years, these animals
have recently been declared naturally tame as well as sapient.
Scientists are asking the general population to consider adopting
Kalons for further study in their capabilities of intelligence.

Their shining tails are used for identification and showing off,
which is helpful when spotting another Kalon from afar. This
association with other Kalons is why they are head-over-heels
for any shiny or colorful item that they come across!

Been in my saved drafts for awhile now! As its' an uncommon I had to wait a bit to post. c:
As suggested by people on the suggestion thread!

hair edit (standard)
custom ears (uncommon)
longer fur (common)
custom tail (common)
shine edit (standard)

For those who don't know, Duolingo is a free online language course site. This guy is inspired off their mascot, with a few changes because the design is pretty simple!

However this shall not be a language learning contest, rather, one based on folk songs (preferably from a country/state other than your own!). For this one tell me their favorite classic folk song! It can be from any country, in any language (includes English), has to be a real song (and a classic one, not recent, all songs should be all age appropriate). Also tell me about an experience they've had while traveling - why where they traveling? Was it to another country (real or fictional)? Did they know the language there? Was it a happy trip, or disastrous?

I'll be judging on your story and the song chosen as well, bonus points if I've never heard the song. The story's word limit is 1,000 words! You have 1 OPTIONAL extra which can either be art (1 only, or mood board if desired, since I have been asked this in past contests) or an additional 200 words.

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Favorite Folk Song:[/b]
[b]Traveling Story:[/b]

No extras besides the 1 and this ends August 20th, 5:00 PM EST.

Edit: By "folks song", I mean traditional song, examples being "Scarborough fair" (English ballad) or "Arirang" (Korean folk song). Because the term is a bit open ended, my suggestion is to find a song that existed prior to the 1930's. Sorry if this causes any confusion! If linking to a youtube recording it can be covered by any artist or be any variant as long as the variant is cs appropriate. ^u^

[faunsie]

Username: inkdragon|Name: Milon|Gender:Male|Favorite Folk Song:Where have the flowers gone-THE KINGSTON TRIO|
Traveling Story:RES

[Softea]

Username:
Name:
Gender:
Favorite Folk Song:
Traveling Story:

[TheHongWay]

Username:
Name: Noctura
Gender: Male
Favorite Folk Song: Song Sohee - Tomorrow | 송소희 - 내일
Traveling Story: He was abandoned by his owner but didn't know what to do. He just walked from place to place and kept traveling.
Then one day he visited America and in all his travels, he learned a bunch of new languages. A man wanted to learn Korean to go to South Korea, so he taught him. Then, they set up a website to teach others how to speak multiple languages and that was the start of DUOLINGO! lol thats my story

[crackerbox_palace]

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● ｋａｌｉｎｋａ！●　ｋａｌｉｎｋａ！●　ｋａｌｉｎｋａ，●　ｍｏｙａ！●
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user; IKEA Lordxx

name; Emilxxxxxx

gender; Malexxxxx

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxfavorite folk song;xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx[Kalinka][instrumental cover][lyrics]xxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxx...xxxx[i found translation one to be most accurate]
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Traveling Story;

This was it. On this very minute, one kalon, a pelt of vigorous green, lowered his toes to the earth. And, with one last effortless stride, off the small plane he was. Now on Russian soil- our kalon, Emil, stood in Yekaterinburg. The wind whispered a cold breath of air onto his face, and now the sunless, winter sky began to browbeat his sinuses. Emil wasn't very overjoyed to be in Russia; he was a journalist, having been sent here to do his job- interview & write. To him, a new country delved into was only another day at the office.
•∙∙•☆•∙∙•
Emil strongly presupposed he only had time to get to the metro stop and wait. He only cared to focus on joining his tour, several miles to the north. Emil was not one for extensive cities; he certainly did not want to stick around Yekaterinburg for long. This trait of his does contradict to his career of journalism. Emil has a tendency to under perform in a large crowd. His ideal workspace; an eminently wooded, quiet village. And that's exactly where he was bound to go. The outskirts of Tobolsk, Russia. Disregarding all of Yekaterinburg's golden, glowing structures, and the lively buzz of chatter & traffic, Emil had only one aspiration; to get out of the miserable, frozen wasteland he had once believed Russia was, and as soon as possible.
•∙∙•☆•∙∙•
It was now Tobolsk that shared it's particularly simple and silent atmosphere. Emil padded down sidewalks blanketed in snow. Alongside him, busy civilians efficiently lifted and stacked what looked like they could be the heaviest logs of raw wood in the world. Riders led their horses through town, while snow was delicately lowering from the white sky. Nevertheless- it was rather freezing, and Emil couldn't care more about hurrying along, meeting his tour, and returning to his warm, heated apartment room in Wiesbaden, Germany.
•∙∙•☆•∙∙•
Everything the tour guide said, only a muffled nothing to Emil. No matter where he was, no matter what he'd have been doing, he could not in any way bring himself to focus on the now. Write something, go home. Why can't I visit.. Italy? or, Spain? Before he knew, the tour group was already on the move, and progressing out to the woods. Emil rushed to pick up the pace, dashing through the dirt trail, surrounded by thick borders of black pine and evergreens. Abruptly- Emil saw in front of him, a split path. Which way could the tour have gone? Emil peered over his shoulder. Follow that path back, and ensure he could securely get to his motel, forgetting the tour. But in front of himself, a chance he would be forced to take, go west, or go east. I'm not going to let myself flee from the woods. I will not turn back. I cannot turn back. And with that, our ambitious Emil gallantly trekked to the east.
•∙∙•☆•∙∙•
Emil heard no sound ahead of himself- aside from the occasional, alarming rustle of the frozen bushes. Now, he was very adamant about trusting himself, and only himself. The split paths were not done here- numerous encounters with the paths left Emil no longer perceptive of where he was headed. Emil, was lost in the Russian Taiga- but he certainly did not want to face that fact, and proceeded to haul himself further.
•∙∙•☆•∙∙•
Emil had not slept for nearly 24 hours, and he was indeed beginning to recognize, what he thought was determination was foolishness. His ambition to find the tour placed him here. And unfortunately, here, was nowhere. In a force of hopelessness, Emil gave in to the cold, hard ground. Collapsing down, his cheek pressed against the solid and icy soil. Never fall asleep in the snow, He repeated to himself in a desperate scramble to stay awake; and alas, his vision blurred. A blend of whites and blacks were all to be left in Emil's vision. Asudden- a glimmering red peeked from behind the thick brush of black trees and bushes. Like a moth who had spotted a beacon, Emil pushed himself forward, dragging along the pine needles and twigs that lay off the trail. With one last buoyant inch through the bushes, Emil was met with one elegant, incredible sight that had him truly believing he had freezed to death, and this was heaven.
•∙∙•☆•∙∙•
Ahead of himself, Emil saw the whitest snow, and through it, peeked lively lichen. He saw the tallest black pine, looking as if it could stroke the northern star at night. Red berries jeweled in glistening frost introduced themselves as a much needed picnic. But what had Emil's jaw to the floor through it all? A herd of reindeer- a suprise oddly to the south. Was this heaven? Was this heaven on earth? Emil could only correct himself. No, this is Russia. This is the land I had doubted. The land who's woods had punished me. And I apologize to it. And there he was, desperately seeking forgiveness from a land. He stormed himself with guilt for a while, until he finally began to nibble on the snow berries. Emil rested, facing the wondrous, lively clearing up front of him. A scuffle in the snow behind him caused Emil to turn his head over his shoulder; and that's all he had the time to do before velvety antlers collided with his shoulder, knocking him onto his belly. Emil looked to see what hit him. A baby reindeer stood proud, locking eyes with Emil. Emil stood, and the reindeer shook itself playfully. Never had anyone looked at Emil the way this reindeer did- with hope and trust. With that, Emil reached out his paw, and as he placed it onto the reindeer's forehead, felt warmth and compassion.

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Today, I am back in Germany- thanks to the farmer of the reindeer who had fed and hosted me.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And I am happy, thanks to the baby reindeer, and the glistening red berries.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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[1,000/1,000]

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● ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｓｎｏｗｂｅｒｒｙ！●
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[DragonCave]

Res w/ Dutch folk song + travel story

[onionraptor]

Username: archipelago.
Name: Mika
Gender: Female
Favorite Folk Song: Happy Together - The Turtles
Traveling Story: wip


h o l y r e s

[sparks!]

Username: kumquat.
Name: Ryoko
Gender: male
Favorite Folk Song: Sakura, a Japanese folk song
Traveling Story: Born in Hokkaido, Ryoko has almost always been traveling throughout Japan. His mother or father would go with him when he was younger, but they eventually let him go on his own. He has been spotted so many times that it has almost become a game online. In the game, people have to guess where he is and where he will be next. Very few have ever gotten it right.

I'm doing a moodboard as an extra.

[cocogerber13]

Username: cocogerber13
Name: Rowlet
Gender: Male
Favorite Folk Song: The Fox
Traveling Story:

[kittykore]

Mark