Owl Rescue

[dreamposts]

✵ MINI EVENT: OWL RESCUE ✵

Late in the month, the blizzard has reached its peak and the skies seem strangely dark and ominous, a soft jingling of bells followed by deep, baritone voice echoes through the skies.

Gone away are the reindeer
Out to play are the dreamers
To lead their return, we gather in snow
All to bring the lost presents home

In the shadows we can build a snowman
To protect the sleigh that's full and bright.
Mimics will attack, and we'll say, "No, man!"
Only the real presents here will do!

We'll raise our mugs to the fire
Raise our voices higher and higher
Then we'll slash through our foes
From head down to their toes
All to save this Christmas Wonderland

In the city we can make some string lights
Beautiful and bright just like the stars
With a little magic, we'll be alright
And top everything off with just a Star

A star so big and bright
with magic all around
shining with all its might
making the world go 'round!

So come join us, all ye citizens
of this little festive town.
Guard your hearts with love and laughter,
and we'll bring this foul Grinch down!

With a mighty bellow the gusting winds clear and for a moment the morning skies seem beautiful and bright, as if the strange blizzard storm had never appeared at all. And then, in perhaps questionably late fashion, a large man dressed in red and astride a giant reindeer descends down to the central plaza.

"Ho ho ho! So this is where that bastard's been trying to hide, eh? I'll give it some credit—it chose a powerful world for its mischief…even if it could still use some work. And it's still just a baby—miracle it's lasted this long." The man, many of which will recognize as the fabled Santa Claus turns to look at the still run down buildings. For a man who is known to being "jolly" and full of holiday spirit, he looks as if he's about to head into war with the large axe at its his side and hardened expression. Just as he's about to say more, he clicks his tongue as a loud SCREEEEEECH is heard in the distance.

"But it won't be around much longer if you kids don't do anything about what's coming."

In the next moment, a large fiery owl large enough to overshadow half the town hovers in the air, the flames dangerously drifting from her feathers.

WHERE ARE THEY…

WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN!!

Her voice shakes the ground, the fire expanding outward as she gives one last heartrending cry filled with anger and agony.

PROMPTS

It's a confusing mess as two large figures have appeared at once, but it's clear that the owl's needs take precedence. With Santa's help, the owl will shrink small enough so that she can wait in the Plaza alongside and wait for those willing to find her eggs and owlets. But she watches over it with an anxious eye, the flames occasionally rising whenever there is a sound of one nearby. Everyone better work fast!

A. Talk with Santa. With Santa remaining with the owl, some may wish to speak to him while the others are working to find the baby owls. Although he plans to speak again once this is over, he will go ahead and answer any questions people may have. All questions may be asked in this thread, and as mentioned in the Game Notes, this will not be an IC thread. It is encouraged for questions to be asked now as it will help speed up dispensing information later.

B. Owl Egg Hunt. The eggs are scattered throughout the town Reverein, the nearby forests, and the lake. As if sensing their danger, the eggs have hidden themselves in various nooks and crannies, which can make it quite difficult to find. Hopefully no one accidentally tries to cook one. However, there are some clues. They will sparkle and will sometimes wiggle and roll out of their hiding place. They can also be "lured" out by friendly, positive emotions, or towards anyone that might exude a feeling of safety, security, and protection. However, if they're frightened the eggs will start to hatch. They sprout wings, legs, or even the beak to try and either escape or protect themselves. The eggs may also take on elemental characteristics, such as turning into a fireball, a block of ice, a giant rock, or a mini cyclone. Another threat will be the snoyotes as the sly buggers will follow would be rescuers to find the egg and try to snatch them and run off.

C. Owlet Panic. For the eggs that have already hatched, the owlets will be panicking and very emotional, causing a great environmental disruption around them. From fire storms to massive blizzards, the babies are out of control. Fortunately they're easy to spot—as well as hear. Their high pitched screeches can be heard from long distances. Calming emotions will be key in trying to soothe them, though dremoation abilities may be needed to get to them first.

D. Owlsitter. Whether already hatched or bursting out after returning to mother owl, the little owlets can be quite the handful. They're born already large enough to fly and while they aren't skilled, they will flutter about here and there. Essentially toddlers, they will get into anything that might interest them and cause mischief. With the owlets capable of casting elemental magic, that can pose a problem as sometimes it can go awry.

E. Snoyotes. The snoyotes are a cross between snake and coyote and they rely on their stealth skills rather than offensive power. They will stick to the shadows and can camouflage themselves well. When they do need to fight, they are tenacious and will try to sink their venomous fangs into their assailant. The venom is paralytic and is potent and fast acting. Although not always enough to kill, if enough venom makes its way to the heart then there might be trouble. As mentioned they will follow those looking for eggs to try and snatch them first, but some may be hunting other eggs. It's not necessary to kill them, driving them off to the Wild Canyons will do.

» BONUS: FANG COLLECTION. Although highly potent, the venom stored within the fangs of the snoyotes can be used in anti-venom remedies (and poisons). Collecting them will need some care. In addition, defanging a snoyote is one way to keep it away for those unwilling to kill. Their fangs will grow back so would be an effective way to farm fangs later.

[Mod Note: Details on this mini event can be found here and we request all thread submissions to be made here. Reminder that this mini event is opt-in.]

Comments

Diluc Ragnvindr | Genshin Impact | OTA

[disdelusioned]

[The arrival of this Santa figure--which Diluc doubted the very existence of--is shocking enough, but the fire-owl quickly grabs the entirety of his attention. She is a sight that is equally magnificent and terrifying, aflame with rage, and that moves Diluc far more than an angry man with an axe ever could. Other people can speak with Santa and gather information. He intends to act.]

I. RESCUE

a. Egg Hunt / Go Away, Snoyote, We Don't Want You.

[The first order of business is to retrieve eggs, as they are utterly helpless against predators and the environment. Luckily, even in cases where they're hidden the eggs themselves are not terribly difficult to spot with the way in which they sparkle and wriggle. The challenge is getting close enough to actually do the retrieiving, given the elemental protections they call up.

Diluc is currently standing near one such egg that's crackling with lightning and electricity. To approach with fire--either from his Pyro Vision or dreamotion energy--could trigger a nasty elemental reaction, so he's proceeding with caution.

Should someone get too close, Diluc will grab their arm and force them to a halt.]

There's something in the bushes. We need to be careful.

[That "something" is a snoyote, which is currently crouched in some nearby hedges and sizing him up. It's camouflaged well enough that Diluc doesn't know what it is, which only makes him especially wary.]

b. Owlet Panic.

[Of course, prioritizing egg retrieval doesn't mean he does so at the exclusion of the hatched owlets. As he comes upon the panicked creatures, Diluc will make every attempt to soothe and lure them to safety. One such owlet, currently perched in a tree and surrounded by frost, is glaring down at him.

This sort of situation requires words, so Diluc approaches with hands outward and no claymore in sight.]

I recognize that you're afraid, but I am no threat to you. I'm here to help.

[The owlet screeches at him in response.]


II. OWLSITTING

[After the worst of the chaos dies down, Diluc can be found trying to wrangle some of the owlets in the town plaza as a treat. Even as they cause mischief, he's keeping up with them and correcting behavior with a calm-but-firm voice and smiling with a warmth that very few people get to see. One of the owlets has more or less decided that it would rather sit on his shoulder and play with his hair, and he simply allows it to.

This is a man with a major soft spot for birds of prey. And it's clear that the owlets--now safe and with their mother within line of sight--have picked up on as much.]


III. WILDCARD

(( I'm down for whatever. Feel free to hit me up at asondeiru or asondeiru#9009 if you want to plot anything! ))

ii

[hearthwarming]

[ With said chaos having died down, Oriphi has likewise taken to watching the owlets after helping to locate or find eggs and already-hatched baby birds. She's been keeping some of the owlets occupied by helping them learn better command of their flight. To this end, she's shifted into the form of a giant owl. Giant Owlphi isn't nearly as impressive as the fiery mother owl, but this wild shape has certainly been useful throughout this whole ordeal in helping get fellow dreamwalkers around and in building trust with the baby owls, who may be starting to think of the flower-covered, bigger owl as a big sister owl of sorts.

She lands in the plaza near Diluc along with a pair of owlets, whom she's just flown around with for a spell. Now, the two seem to be rather caught with the idea of seeing what their sibling is up to with Diluc's hair, and Owlphi turns to watch them. She tilts her head inquisitively at the sight of the normally-stoic man letting birds play with his hair and even smiling about it.

She can't speak while in this form, but there's an expressive endearment visible in the large eyes of her giant owl form, and that says enough about what she thinks about it. ]

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc knows that Ori is helping with the owlets in big-sister-Owlphi form. She's been a huge help, both in handing the little ones and in being a shape that's so familiar to them. It's obvious that the owlets have taken a shine to her, and honestly he can't blame them. Her owl form is no replacement for her, but it's a beautiful form all the same.

That knowledge, however, does not temper the surprise he feels when he realizes that she's watching him. Even without his experience with falconry and interest in birds of prey as a whole, it's obvious that her expression is fond. So in response, he clears his throat and makes it a point not to look at her as two more owlets start scrambling all over him.]

I'm helping their social development by letting them play.

[Which is true! And he's not correcting the behavior because they're wild birds, not because he finds it cute. That's all.]

[hearthwarming]

[ It may be a small blessing to Diluc, then, that Ori cannot communicate verbally whilst in her druidic wild shapes. The way that she's so expressive, though, seems to carry through just fine regardless, and the gentle, cooing hoot she gives in response may as well be an audible aww.

She's happy to simply watch Diluc as he lets the owlets play atop his shoulders and his head, but soon enough, one of the owlets gets particularly excited and starts spouting small motes of fire whenever it happily chirps. And Owlphi, startled by the display, begins to wave her wings at Diluc in hopes of catching his attention.]

[disdelusioned]

[Please don't hoot an aww at him, Ori. You're making him blush.

Not that the owlets notice or care. They've content to continue playing atop him, and at first Diluc doesn't even register that one of them is starting to spout fire until there's a very close call against his ear.]

Careful, there. Just because I'm used to flames doesn't mean I'm fireproof.

[He takes the offending baby off his shoulder and sets it down in front of him. The owlet hops around in a little circle and stares up at him expectantly.]

Let's burn off some of that excitement, shall we?

[He reaches for a small ball that's under a bush nearby--apparently abandoned by a pet sometime earlier--and rolls it on the ground. The owlet watches intently, follows it, pecks at it a few times, and attempts to kick it back toward Diluc but mostly just succeeds in tripping itself up. It squeaks in surprise, letting loose a bit more flame but managing not to catch anything on fire in the process.

Diluc chuckles at it fondly.]

[hearthwarming]

[ Oh, but she has, and he cannot stop her. Relief is visible on her owl-eyes when Diluc notices the small elemental mishap, and she looks on with undisguised curiosity and awe as he then addresses the situation rather easily.

This is a side of Diluc that she hadn't quite known about, yet always suspected existed. He had been at once strong yet incredibly gentle when he comforted her in the throes of her own nightmarish despair, although... it surprises her to find that it's baby birds that most easily draw this softness out of him. With each passing day she learns more and more about him, and it warms her heart to do so, to see him like this.

She hops over to his side as he proceeds to redirect the owlet's energy with a ball, and tilts her head as she watches it play. And then tilts her head in the other direction as she hears Diluc chuckling at it rather fondly. The other owlets that had perched on him clumsily descend in turn, wanting to see what the new commotion is with the ball.

If giant owls could fondly chuckle, she thinks she would be doing just that as well. But in the interim, she'll settle for leaning over and resting her giant owl head affectionately on top of Diluc's newly-vacated head with another soft hoot instead. ]

[disdelusioned]

[As charming and adorable as the baby owls are, Diluc has no complaints when they all decide to climb off of him in order to investigate the ball. They aren't small, and the removal of their combined weight is a relief for his muscles. He rolls his shoulders once the last owl hops onto the ground, forgetting for a moment that he has a very invested onlooker in the form of a giant, flowery owl.

Not that she gives him long to forget. Almost as soon as the owlets are gone, Ori crowds into his space and cuddles close with an affectionate hoot. Part of him wants to squirm away, but he can't quite bring himself to do so. It's Ori, who he's quite fond of already, and she's a giant owl. He really likes owls, if that wasn't already obvious from how he's interacted with the owlets. If he didn't know better, he'd have guessed that this whole situation was specifically engineered to fluster him.

He leans back into her, his face nearly as red as his hair, and continues to watch the owlets play.]

Hello, Ori.

[hearthwarming]

[ He must really like owls - that much, Ori has gathered.

And she knows, by now, that Diluc doesn't tend toward physical affection so easily. She wants to respect his space, and as such gives him enough room to step away from her if need be— but he leans into her instead, and her chest puffs up as she gives a happy little noise in response. A few more lilacs bloom in her feathers, too, as she lightly nuzzles the top of his head.

The owlets, meanwhile, are happily preoccupied with the ball - at least until they hear their 'big sister' make a sound. At once, they turn their heads in the direction of the two, and then hoot inquisitively as if to say, what are you two up to? ]

[disdelusioned]

[Ori as an owl responds to affection much like Ori the person does. He expect no less at this point, and finds himself endeared rather than put off by it. The flowers that bloom in her feathers smell sweet and like springtime, which is a stark but welcomed contrast to the wintery air around them.

The owlets are only distracted by the ball for so long before they come stumbling back, curious about how he and Ori are currently arranged. The boldest of the bunch hops into his lap and hoots at him--setting of a small cyclone of excitement in response. The wind isn't quite enough to topple Ori, but it is more than enough to shove him over. Before he even realizes it, he's prone on the ground and staring upward as the owlets swarm in.]

[hearthwarming]

[ Owlphi startles when one of the owlets conjures a cyclone - a tiny cyclone, but a cyclone nonetheless - and even more so when it sends Diluc to the ground. It's not a far fall, given his previous stance, but it all happens so quickly that Ori can't help but panic for a moment as she quickly shifts back, assuming her normal form once more. By the time the transformation is completed, she's already on her knees, leaning over and looking down at Diluc as he's looking up from his prone position. ]

Diluc, are you alright?

[disdelusioned]

[Ori is treated to the sight of Diluc staring up at her with the sort of confusion that happens after a quick change of position is forced onto someone through no action of their own.]

I'm fine.

[He didn't hit the ground hard, and there's a few inches of snow to help cushion the fall. The only thing that's hurt is his pride, and even that's only a slight injury. Being knocked to the ground is not that great of an indignity, especially since she's seen him way worse off.

He'd sit up, but there are too many owlets in the way. They're trying to figure out why he's flat on his back and why Ori is no longer an owl.]

[hearthwarming]

[ She can sense the owlets' confusion, and she can't really blame them for it, but at the same time, if Diluc needs assistance she can only render it in her true form—

When he responds, though, a bashful warmth finds its way to her cheeks as she realizes that she might have overreacted. ]

Oh, okay. Good.

[ Still, being piled onto by baby owls in the snow can't be very pleasant even for someone who seems to be very fond of owls, so Ori reaches over and tries to usher the owlets into her lap to varying degrees of success, especially now that she appears unfamiliar to them. The few who do hop towards her seem particularly confused given the noises they're making, too.

Unfortunately, changing forms is something she can only do so many times in a day, taxing as it is on her, so ultimately she settles for a different approach with dreamotion. She closes her eyes and tries to convey a feeling of familiarity to the young birds; as such, feathers and flowers begin to appear in her hair, emulating her owl form. ]

See? It's still me. Now will you little ones let my Diluc sit up, please?

[disdelusioned]

[The owlets slowly move from Diluc over to Ori as they realize that she is the same big-sister-owl as before (just less owl-y). Once he has the room to do so, he finally sits up and starts brushing the snow from his shoulders and hair. And then he looks over at her.

Oriphi as an owl was a sight to behold, but this is the form he likes her in the most. She's stunning in a way that he cannot believe she doesn't realize--warm and beautiful, covered in feathers and flowers, overflowing with warmth and care. The owls like him well enough, but they're drawn to her. He can't blame them. He is, too.

So much so, in fact, that he doesn't even realize that his dreammotion familiar has manifested until the firebird is on Ori's shoulder, chirping and cuddling into her hair. Really, he ought to be used to how the creature gives his feelings away by now. At least in this case, it's not anything that they both don't already know.]

Your Diluc, hm?

[Don't think he missed that possessive pronoun before, Ori.]

i-b

[burnbrighter]

[ Of course, it’s still cold out, being winter and all, but Thoma couldn’t help but notice that the further he went in this one direction, the colder it got. A bit of trekking soon led him to the frosted over tree and the owlet within… and Diluc, of all people, trying to coax it down. ]

Hey there.

[ His tone is gentle, as much for the owlet’s benefit as Diluc’s - startling either of them would not help matters. ]

Need a hand?

[disdelusioned]

[The voice is a welcomed one, and Diluc glances over to where Thoma is approaching with a somewhat sheepish smile.]

It would seem so. The owlet is panicked, and yours is a much more comforting presence than mine.

[Diluc has his blind spots when it comes to himself, but even he can't make the argument that he's an especially warm person. No amount of wanting what's best for the owlet will make him a better candidate for soothing it than Thoma.

Speaking of, the poor creature ceases its shrieking to look Thoma over curiously. The interest is short-lived, however--the weight of the snow and ice snaps one of the tree's branches, spooking the owlet and causing it to screech once more.]

[burnbrighter]

That’s… actually quite sweet of you.

[ Thoma figures he can get away with a little open affection while it’s just himself and Diluc, with only a baby owl to bear witness. Thoma winces a little when the owlet shrieks again, stepping up beside Diluc to look up at the poor little guy. ]

I think you were doing a pretty good job, but maybe the two of us together can calm it down a bit better.

[ Which is to say he’s going to reach over to hold Diluc’s hand. Who knows, maybe the warmth of their feelings will help with this frost. ]

[disdelusioned]

I'm simply being honest.

[Don't make it weird, Thoma.

(Although there's a clear softening of his tone when he says that, and he twines his fingers in with Thoma's when he takes his hand, so maybe it's okay.)]

We just have to convince it that we aren't a threat. If you think it's something we can accomplish together, I'll follow your lead.

[Right now the owlet seems rather wary of them. And everything around them, up to and including the frost and ice that its own elemental energy is producing. At least it's stopped shrieking for the moment.]

[burnbrighter]

[ He’s not making it weird! But at least Diluc takes his hand without argument, and Thoma’s heart flutters pleasantly behind his ribs as their fingers slide together. ]

I’m just kind of making it up as we go along, but positive emotions usually do the trick so…

[ He leans over to press a gentle, brief kiss to Diluc’s cheek. Getting to dote on him like this is enough to make Thoma feel warm all over, and a soft glow starts to wash over him. The frost in his immediate area is already starting to melt. ]

Do you think your familiar would be able to comfort it? You know, like it did for Ori that one night.

[disdelusioned]

...

[In hindsight, Diluc really should have seen that coming.

He's not sure how much of the warmth he feels is dreammotion energy and how much is his own self-consciousness. Either way, his hand in Thoma's tightens slightly in his own sort of affectionate gesture. If Thoma manages to get a glimpse of his face, there's a small smile there.]

I'm not always successful at summoning it at will, but it's worth a try.

[Diluc closes his eyes and opens his free hand in front of him, imagining the little firebird and hoping that he's able to give it form. It ultimately ends up being a relatively straightforward task; there's plenty of positive emotional energy surrounding them both, and that's when the familiar is easiest to summon.

The firebird needs no direct order. It flies up into the trees and takes a seat on a branch near the owlet, chirping cheerily at it.]

[burnbrighter]

[ For whatever it might be worth, Thoma would never be so openly affectionate in the middle of a crowded street. He understands that out of all of them, Diluc needs the most time to adjust to these little acts of adoration, touches and kisses and whatever else Thoma and Ori wish to give. Even with just the two of them and a baby owl present, Diluc still seems embarrassed… but happy, and Thoma will gladly take it.

He watches with a broad smile of his own as Diluc summons his dreamotion familiar as easy as anything, and the little bird flies up to chirp at the owlet. The owlet seems to relax a little, finding something, well, familiar about the familiar. It hops a little closer to the firebird with a curious hoot. ]

[disdelusioned]

[The firebird chirps again, clearly pleased as it hops a bit closer. The ice around the owlet melts a bit, somehow both quickly enough to be noticeable and slowly enough to prevent another startling dump of snow. It's most likely responding to both the owlet's curiosity and his own warm feelings. He knows that it's technically an extension of him, unspoken feelings made manifest, but he swears that sometimes the familiar has a mind of its own.

Whether or not it does, it's succeeding. That's good enough for him.

Although it does beg the question as to what, if anything, he should be doing to help the firebird along. It's not like he's used to harnessing its power--usually it poofs in, does what it wants, and takes its leave. Should he be feeding it more dreamotion energy to keep it sustained? And if so, how should he go about producing that dreamotion energy? He could draw it from within himself, but his success with that sort of thing has been mixed at best. It would be better to do something with a higher chance of success. Which means possible depending on Thoma's cooperation, as the other man is more naturally adept at using the energy of dreams and emotions.

And... well, there's already quite a bit of it just from the affection they're sharing. No reason not to use that to their advantage.

If Diluc seems distracted for a few moments, it's because he sits there for several moments thinking all of this through. But he does eventually lean into Thoma and turn to press a kiss to the side of his head--a touch awkwardly, perhaps, but no less sincere.]

[burnbrighter]

[ Thoma is busy watching the owl interact with the firebird in the tree and doesn’t even realize that Diluc is running through a whole plan of action in his head. So, when the other man leans over and awkwardly, but sweetly, kisses the side of his head, Thoma’s eyes go wide for a second, a hint of color jumping up to his cheeks. He is surprised, sure, but he is also pleased. He warms all over again, from that simple point of contact all the way down to his boots.

Oh, he could get used to that. ]

What was that for?

[disdelusioned]

To make sure there's enough dreamotion energy to sustain the familiar.

[The firebird chirps down at them as if to confirm as much before going back to making friends with the now-defrosted owlet. The owlet, for its part, is drenched from the melt and shakes itself occasionally in an effort to dry off.

After a pause, Diluc realizes how cold that must sound. It's not like the gesture was merely perfunctory. Even though he's still adjusting to the very idea this sort of relationship and the affection inherent in it, he does like being close like this. He's just bad at feelings.

Thoma's smart enough to figure that much out, he's sure, but he would rather not leave it ambiguous.]

And...because I wanted to.

[burnbrighter]

[ True enough, Thoma doesn’t seem bothered by the way Diluc muddles through his show of affection and how to verbalize it. He shoots the other man a teasing, yet affectionate, little grin, nudging him lightly with his elbow. ]

Oh, good. I was hoping it was because you wanted to.

[ Above them, the familiar and owlet are chatting away, making fast friends it seems. ]

I think it’s working.

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc wrinkles his nose and elbows him back--although he can't quite suppress the smile on his face as he does so. Thoma's lucky he's so damn likeable. (And really, DIluc can afford to be teased into lightening up every so often.)

A glance upward confirms that the situation with the owlet is much improved. They could probably climb up and retrieve it from the tree's branches without too much trouble at this point, given how relaxed it now is by the firebird's presence. They should go up and rescue the bird, as a matter of fact.

Diluc comes up with a different idea instead.]

Since it seems to be working so well...

[He reaches over and pulls Thoma in for an actual kiss. It may take awhile for him to relax into it, but he's not immune to flirtation and attraction. Surely, they can steal an extra moment for themselves here.]