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

Bunta Marui | Prince of Tennis | OTA

[volleygenius]

Owl Egg Hunt

[ Some people are practically positive emotion generators and Marui happens to be one of them. Couple that with natural big brother energy and finding these eggs is no trouble. Carrying them? That's another matter.

The first egg alone is an armful, and rather heavy for someone of his admittedly unimpressive strength level. So when he finds-- or rather attracts-- a second one on his way back, it's a bit of a pickle. ]

Hey, perfect timing. [ He calls out to a passerby, a bit of strain in his voice. ] Try and carry one of these!

Owlet Panic

[ After delivering the two eggs back to the plaza, Marui goes wandering in search of another. However, what he finds instead is a rather distraught owlet fluttering around and causing tornado-like winds that make it impossible to approach. Marui tries shrinking in on himself for less wind resistance, but even that isn't enough to keep from being blown back.

Its screeching seems to have attracted the attention of someone else. With one arm in front of his face to shield it from the wind, he calls out in a raised voice so the sound will carry. ]

Any ideas?

Owlsitting

[ The baby owls are as chaotic as they are cute, which is pretty much the combination that defines some of Marui's favorite people-- both in Songerein and at home. It's an adventure to keep them out of trouble now that they're safe in the company of their mother. One of them has blizzarded some ice patches onto the ground while another causes tremors with every step despite its size.

Then there's the tornado machine. Marui has managed to get that one to settle down with him and is bearing the clamp of its claws into his legs as well as he can. It hasn't drawn blood (yet), but those talons are still sharp! Even so, better to have this one stationary given the kinds of winds it makes when it flaps around. He's petting down its back to keep it calm. ]

Like a convention of balance stealers, isn't it?

Wildcard

( Hit me up with whatever! )

egg hunt!

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato--at least when she is not hindered by crippling self doubt--also has positive energy to spare. Unfortunately, recent events have left her spent in more ways than one, and by the time she hears the SCREEECH coming from the plaza, and the commotion--she just wants to go home.

She's not one to ignore such a direct call to action though. She blinks, too tired to say no. ]

Huh? A, Alright... [ One of what, she wonders? She's holding her hands out, but then sees what he's talking about. Of course.

Two of them, already? ]

[volleygenius]

[ Marui passes her the egg he's holding that feels more like a giant watermelon. Not terrible to carry for a short while! Trouble is it's already been a short while and then some for Marui. With an audible sigh of relief, he lets himself have a few seconds to shake out his arms. ]

Ugh, that's better...! Thanks. Now this one...

[ He bends down and hefts it up with a grunt. ]

There. Better get these to the plaza before another one rolls out. Hey, you been here long? I haven't seen you before. [ He says as he starts to walk again. ]

[judicialassistant]

[ There's about a half-a-second while Marui passes her the egg that she's able to brace herself for its weight. It's not impossible for her by any means, but she does stumble, nearly toppling over before straightening herself with a gasp.

What's funny is that they probably feel like the eggs should be even heavier. There is a living, breathing thing inside, and there seem to be a very attractive shine to their shells that seems hard to look away from.

Well, she's certainly more awake now. She trails behind him, perhaps a pace or two behind. ]

No, I don't believe we've met. I, I think it's been... just under three months? It hadn't yet started to snow at the time. [ She adjusts her grip on the egg before it threatens to slip out of her fingers. Gosh, is she getting winded already? Nah--it's all in her mind. ] ...What about you?

[volleygenius]

[ Marui lifts a brow as she nearly fumbles taking the egg. Will this really be all right? Well, hopefully that egg is ready to hatch should gravity make the decision for it. He certainly can't carry both himself. ]

About five for me. Name's Marui-- nice to meetcha. [ He says with a wink. ]

[judicialassistant]

[ She smiles a sort of polite smile, and purely out of habit she sort of nods her head a little as a substitute for a proper bow. That said, she still sees the way he looked at her a few moments ago. ]

Susato. Nice to meet you as well. Don't worry, I promise I won't drop it.

...They're rather pretty, aren't they?

[volleygenius]

[ If Marui notices anything about her reaction, he doesn't signal it, instead looking forward and continuing to chat as they walk. ]

Yeah, they kinda sparkle don't they? I wonder how close they are to hatching. I felt something move in that one a minute ago.

[judicialassistant]

R, Really?

[ Susato hasn't felt anything, but now that he mentions it, she can feel a bit of a gentle heartbeat (though she wouldn't be surprised to learn she was just imagining that). She doesn't think that's what he means, though. Regardless, she keeps on walking and chatting too.

The sooner they get back to the angry mother, the better. ]

I don't think she or Santa ever said if they were. Do you think she'll be angry if they start hatching before we can get them back to her?

[volleygenius]

[ This sure gets heavy fast the second time around...! Honestly, he'd have enjoyed rather more of a break than just those few seconds, but he's not going to let that mama owl down. He can still hear that heart-wrenching cry reverberating through his mind, her grief and desperation. When he thinks about that, the muscles in his arms don't burn quite as much. ]

All she wants is to have her babies back, isn't it? It's fine. She's just going to be glad they're safe.

owl sitting~

[ragingscoopaholic]

[What could be so hard about watching over some baby animals, she thought. As if she had completely forgotten that this place doesn't breed normal animals, or even normal sized baby animals. Apparently. But even if she had been more prepared to undertake this task, she still wouldn't have turned it down. They're absolutely adorable.

And absolutely a lot of work.

Between their size, their somewhat (unintentional) destructive abilities, and their personalities, her and Marui certainly have their hands full.]

Seriously. I never thought I'd get so winded taking care of baby owls.

[Literally, as she's fixing the mess that has become her hair now that the one 'tornado machine' has been subdued by Marui.

Once she's satisfied that her hair is out of her face, she kneels back down, distracting another owl with pets. For however long that'll last.

They really are cute...]

Though it's too bad we can't take one of these little guys home.

[Okay, technically not little, but they're babies so... they're little-ish.]

[volleygenius]

[ The saving grace of the owlsitting is having Leia around to help. Kids he can handle no problem. Disaster birds? That's an adventure best shared. ]

You think? Well, not that we couldn't handle it, but after all we've done to settle in, it'd be a pain to have to start over.

[ Yes, he is very much suggesting their home might not survive one of these owlets as a permanent resident. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[They already have a potential disaster residing in their home, two would bring it to the ground and leave nothing remaining.]

It wouldn't be that bad! I've trained animals before. [gently, she pulls the one she's watching over closer, facing him towards Marui.] Just look at him, how could anyone say no to this face?

[Okay, she isn't seriously suggesting that they adopt one. But then she also kind of is.

As if on cue, the owl makes a loud screech and breathes out a wisp of fire. While it is, at the moment, behaving, it should be clear that fire and wood would be a terrible combination.]

1/2

[volleygenius]

[ Wow. That sure was just a literal fire-breathing bird. ]

[volleygenius]

[ Anyway, Marui gives Leia a relaxed grin, playing along with this serious-only-not hypothetical. ]

Then it's lucky his face isn't asking.

"Hoot!" [ Comes a cry from the owlet Marui's holding. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

And what if this face is asking?

[She smiles sweetly, indicating her face. And conveniently ignoring the fact that this baby owlet just breathed fire.

Hypothetical. Of course. Though she wouldn't mind a pet of some sort...]

[volleygenius]

You'd be asking the wrong person, wouldn't you? You'll have to check with Mother Owl about how willing she is to part with one of her babies. Good luck.

[ Because Marui's bets are on Not Very. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Marui, please. She's seen the angry mama bird. Just humour her. Sometimes a girl just wants to hear her boyfriend call her cute too.

She sighs.]

While you do have a point, I meant hypothetically. Taking care of these guys kinda makes me miss having my own pet. And there's all sorts of strange, cute animals here that might need a home. So, how about it?

[Would you allow more potential chaos into the home?]

[volleygenius]

[ Somehow, this pest has managed to attract and secure a relationship with an incredibly cute girl who probably does not hear just how cute she is as often as she deserves because he's too preoccupied with showing his affection through teasing instead.

He hears the more serious question in there, though, and shrugs with a warm smile. ]

I don't mind a pet. Wasn't there something about corgis a while ago? Maybe you can get one of them.

[ "Hoot!" says the owlet he's holding in his lap again. ]

Owlet Panic

[lethechained]

[ Although Naminé's been putting forth an effort to help locate the eggs, she arrived a bit late to the adventure and hasn't done much finding so far. But it seems like there are plenty of other problems to assist with, like the one she happens upon when the sound of a screeching owlet calls her attention; the lass arrives just in time to get a face full of wind as the sharp gust nearly tosses her hair off of her shoulder and her feet off of the ground, her arms not quick enough to raise and keep it from blasting any part of her.

She's a tiny thing, and easily moved - though Naminé has the good sense to grab onto a nearby pole with one slim arm to keep herself from being blown over entirely. Still clutching it, she squints against the wind when she hears the voice of another person. Relieved though she might be to see she hasn't discovered this situation alone, she can't help being concerned, too, for this fellow's well-being. She tries to call back, finds her words blown away; she tries again, louder this time. ]

A few...! [ Her brow is scrunched, face tucked behind her arm, though it might still be obvious that she's frowning when she adds, ] But none that I think it'll like!

[ And causing further distress is not exactly the goal, here. Shifting to hide more of her body behind the pole so as to struggle less against the wind, she directs Marui an, ]

Is it a friend of yours--?

[ Because if so, she'd have more faith in his ability to reason with it than in her own. ]

[volleygenius]

[ Marui is pretty petite himself for a teenaged boy, but he's at least got the benefit of athleticism on his side. He knows how to plant his feet to stay balanced, and while the winds are fierce, he's managing to hold his own without grabbing on to anything. It's concerning to see the girl struggling to not simply be blown over. Partly to offer some shielding and partly to make it easier for them to hear each other, he fights his way over and stands in front of her so there's a bit less directly hitting her.

How much the owlet liked what they tried would be a lot less of a concern if they didn't need it to be calmed down to be manageable. She's right, there are a few ideas that could work but weren't likely to succeed in making things better. ]

Heh, not right now it isn't!

[ Maybe after it stops flapping around. Eventually, it should get tired, especially being so freshly hatched, but who knew how long that would take.

Oh. Hey. ]

Let's try and sing a lullaby! That might calm it down enough to reach it.

[lethechained]

[ Although Naminé has become somewhat more accustomed to physical activity in the past year or so, the fact remains that she was too long a shut-in to really be steady on her feet now. Other people who have lived more normal lives have several times the amount of experience with even mundane walking, and in a situation like this she's hopelessly outmatched so far as maintaining her balance is concerned. Watching Marui come closer, the girl examines him with concern, wondering whether she ought to offer help somehow as he takes the treacherous journey, but well aware she's not equipped to provide it.

He makes it to her, in any case, and Naminé winds her second arm around the pole as well as she shifts to face him, frown still very much in place. Nodding at his response, she admits, ]

I was afraid of that.

[ Already she's considering their other options, none of them she likes - 'til Marui's suggestion makes her perk, head tipping up so that she can fix him with a look of surprise. ]

Wh-- a lullaby? [ The practical issues with doing so aside, after a moment's thought she can at least agree, ] I guess it is a baby, but...

[ She's self-conscious enough to hesitate, and has to remind herself that there are more pressing concerns at hand. ]

I don't really know any lullabies. Or-- how to sing one, at least. [ Or how to sing. ] I'm not sure I could even shout loud enough for it to hear...!

[ Still, that's not a 'no'. It's probably the least violent option at their disposal, which makes it the best in some sense. ]

[volleygenius]

[ Just from what he hears of her voice now, Marui can understand her concerns about being heard that far. It's definitely going to take some strong projection to reach the owlet. Their options are limited, though, especially if they're going to reach it without hurting it, which is out of the question. ]

How good are you with that dreamotion energy? I can sing, but some help carrying the sound waves to it wouldn't hurt!

[lethechained]

[ The girl gives a soft 'oh' of understanding which immediately gets pulled away by the wind. Perking, she offers a louder, ]

I can use a little of it...! I've been practicing.

[ Quite a considerable amount of practice, in fact. Soon enough, however, her expression scrunches. ]

But I've never done anything with sound before. I--

[ The 'I don't know if I can help,' falls back down her throat. She's been making an effort not to be helpless lately, hasn't she? So she'll swallow her uncertainty and say instead, ]

I'll-- try my best. [ Still contemplative, ] I think I might have an idea of what spell to use.

[volleygenius]

Okay, give it all you got! [ He says, his voice cheerful and encouraging. Whether she can or can't isn't a concern of his; they'll either succeed or they'll find another way. ]

Here I go...!

[ He takes five seconds to mentally shift gears. Think of a lullaby, remember the key it's in, and project a voice that's less energized from his usual-- something more like what would be used to calm a crying baby. ]

Hush-a-bye, Hush-a-bye.
My boy is a good baby
Sleep, baby sleep...

[lethechained]

[ Looking somewhat preoccupied, Naminé frowns a little as she nods in response. Mentally running through her own checks, the girl holds more tightly to the pole as her attention turns inward. Perking at his indication that he's going to start, the girl responds with a, ]

Right...!

[ Carefully unwinding one hand from her support, the lass lifts it, fingers curled. It takes 'til a few words into the song before she's ready, but once she is, ]

Aero!

[ A burst of air from her direction catches against the wind, the two gusts cancelling each other out for a moment. It's unsteady, but whatever current her magic's producing seems to be fighting against the one conjured by the owlet, calming the air around them somewhat. The radius, however, isn't large enough to reach the bird directly; Naminé can hear Marui more clearly now, but, ]

I'm not sure it's enough...! [ Already contemplating alternatives, ] Maybe if you sing louder...

[ Although that's not very calming, is it? ]