"Oh, I hadn't thought of it that way." Heart murmured, "The MotherFather must have lived for quite a long, long time. It does make sense that this long night is a culmination of all past sins made. And isn't inaction a choice we make ourselves?"

The doe's thoughts were abuzz with situations and possibilities, "What do you propose we do to appease the MotherFather that won't go against Her will? Um, also, I realize I don't know your name?"

Ruriska wrote:

He enjoyed amenable kin. All he really ever needed was someone to take the time to listen. It had been a while since he’d been coaxed out of the tribe to personally spread the word but these were unprecedented times.

“You’re quite right!” He praised. “My thoughts exactly! She exists on a timeline we can’t even begin to comprehend. After all, the Swamp contains death in multitudes, just from the passage of existence. She would no doubt understand making a necessary sacrifice, even if those who suffer are pure of heart.”

Chosen One made a show of being deep thought. He couldn’t tell her yet that his solution was to simply to kill anyone who defiled the MotherFather’s will. Once their blood had soaked deep into the Swamp, then he knew She would be satisfied.

“That is where the trouble begins. What is the right action to take? Or should we simply allow things to take their course and make no action at all? If she has taken the sun from us, there must be a reason. I have spent my whole life trying to comprehend the mysteries of the MotherFather but I still fall short."

He stopped, taking a second to clear his throat.

“Oh - right, of course. How remiss of me! My name is Chosen One.” He dipped his head in a little bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you...." He the words hanging, a deliberate pause, waiting for her name to fill the space.

HuniPi wrote:

Steals Fire inclines his head in the direction of the discussion of the Motherfather's will.

"Some might say that we should not bow down to the will of a tyrant." he says calmly. "No matter how large a tantrum it throws."

Their ear flicked at the sound of his voice in their ear, and there was something to it that made the spreading warmth within them linger just a little longer. Born could t have put their hoof to it, but all the same, the corners of their lips tugged up and their tail did an airy little flick.

As Death stepped forward, requesting they stay close, Born nodded eagerly. "Yes." Haven was there to help them, corralling the dainty Zikwa with soft barks and gentle bumps to their thin legs. It'd keep them from accidently straying and getting lost, and once they got into it and he saw how it was done, the sanddog could help with the more catching as well.

"Are they fast? The things weren't meant to be catching?" They didn't see Haven's keen eyes tracking one of the dancing lights as it drifted past the pair of them.

kuropeco wrote:

Air gave a small nod in response to Steals Fire, turning back to Air with a shrug. "Well, I guess it's just luck and skill but maybe we'll learn more or get a good method going."

She moved away from the soup, letting others in the queue have their fill. The world was dark but her belly was full and warm, the feeling of the memory making the world not look as dark. She stood by the zikwa's side, watching the motes flitter around the grove. They really did seem like insects and Air thought how easy it would be if she could turn into a spider and spin a web to catch them.

"Should we just go for it?"

Ruriska wrote: ↑Tue Oct 03, 2023 5:20 amsorry for smol tag i am vyer tired ha.......

Merry hadn't yet realized that her son had lingered back to share concerns or doubts with others, not had she yet realiZed that Consume had made his way to the clearing as well. She had a a goal in mind, a will and a want to fix this, and she would waste no time worrying over what to her seemed like trivial things. Either this would work or it would not. Either these kin were here to help, or they were not. Either way, they couldn't afford to do nothing. If this didn't work, they would pivot.

The Motherfather would guide them should they need it. Of that she was sure.

So she made a snap at one of the motes, missed it, then set off at a run the chase the thing on a winding path through the clearing and surrounding trees. It was fast, determined to avoid capture, but Merry was faster.

However, once she caught it, it felt like the dark world had tilted, just a bit, on its axis. Mote held tight in her jaws...beak? The doe...former doe, looked down at her paws a little befuddled. She was fairly certain her feet hadn't been feet before, but they definitely were now. She wiggled her tails, humming in amusement around the mote in her mouth. Then she was prancing back towards the clearing and the helps to deliver the mote she'd caught to the lantern.

Strange things happened in the swamp, the Motherfather worked in mysterious ways. Perhaps this was just one more example of that. She didn't mind being an eaglehound.

--

The next mote was easier, and through at some point during the chase she became aware that she was, in fact, no longer an eaglehound, the mote she caught in careful jaws was much larger than the first

Did this mean something? She didn't know, and she didn't question it as she spit the thing into the lantern with the others. Instead, she turned on a hoof and raced off towards another

--

Oh, this is different.

The thought slipped through her mind as she stood, almost literally rooted to the earth, a new mote captured in careful teeth.

Everything felt like it was moving slowly, and when she looked down, where her legs had been, she found instead thin trunks with roots buried deep into the coop ground.

The doe hummed thoughtfully, unsure for long moments what to do. If she called for help the mote would fly away, if she didn't? Hmm.

While she was thinking, as time passed, she noticed a little belatedly that her hoof was tapping as she mulled it over. With a start she bounced up, prancing with relief in a giddy little circle before heading back to contribute one more mote to the hoard.

3: Your kin imagines they have become a type of familiar!
10: You capture an exceptionally large mote with no consequences.
5: Your kin imagines they are made up of one of the four elements!

Spoiler

1: Your kin imagines they are very, very tiny!
2: Your kin imagines they are huge!
3: Your kin imagines they have become a type of familiar!
4: Your kin imagines they are a tree and cannot move!
5: Your kin imagines they are made up of one of the four elements!
6: Your kin imagines their shadow has taken on its own life!
7: Your kin imagines they are a different species of kin!
8: Your kin imagines they are in a different climate (plain, mountains, desert, caves)!
9: Your kin imagines they are completely covered in motes!
10: You capture an exceptionally large mote with no consequences.

prolixity wrote:

Fisheye nodded along as she took notes internally. It was a shame he didn't have more information on why this happened but the fact he had any sort of story about this was curious, fascinating to think about really. It was reassuring, as well, that even a story would allude to a solution.

Stories are often mangled through time but all of the stories agreeing on a solution was key if you asked Fisheye. She was amenable to using some time on this for it was a better starting point than anything else.

"Well, I am hopeful that all the stories agree on the solution. It's a great starting point so thank you for your time."

With that she was done with him and she promptly turned to Brother Shark again. She stuck close, certain not to lose him in the crowd and darkness.

"What do you think, Brother Shark? I think there is certainly merit in the overlap of stories here, definitely a promising start."

Baneful wrote:

Beejoux wrote:

Soup? Shrine was curious as a dark and violet doe announced that food was ready. Some seemed to hesitate going forward but SHE did not. Shrine wasn't one to pass by food, poisoned or not she was gonna die full if so. The dark doe with blue markings helped herself to some and recalled a moment with her Cult mates. They had been together since the beginning and had put a lot of hard work into the careful creation of their Clan/Cult. A smile form across her maw and she truly wondered if they would show up at all.


"Father, Food!" Once Pleasant Dreams said excitedly now that they were done hunting some motes. They were quite lovely and she couldn't help but watch them dance around in the little cage that bore them. "I'm surprised you're hungry when I was the one doing all the work." He teased. The two of them approached and Once Pleasant Dreams smiled at the helper. "Thank you for this." She said and the two of them shared some of the soup and felt energized and full as the pair recalled some past memory.

Taste of Darkness glanced over towards the Soup Train and figured he'd pass for now. He wasn't particularly hungry and was quite content in his shadowy location for the time being. Though, with the foods arrival he now had an excuse to walk away if someone approached him.

A world without light was rather beautiful in her opinion. To stay in the darkness and live among the shadows and spirits seemed like a wonderful existence. It was an existence she was already living most of the time anyway. Still, she was a curious creature. Her curiosity had led her to this swamp in the first place. Now, she was among other curious creatures in this semi-lit grove in the woods. Her new friends floated close behind her as she explored. She had no interest in soup, merely in observing... for now. Her eyes were keen to track the Helpers and wandered often to the unusual Zikwa among their group.

---

"They TOOK the SUN!" Tricks yelled for what seemed like the hundredth time. "How do you take the sun??? Could I have taken the sun? Oh oh oh maybe next year I can take the MOON? Do you think we can take the moon?? Maybe revenge can wait until we take the moon...."

She turned to her companions. "Maybe we can make one of those flying contraptions the badgers had,"

They could FLY to the moon. Was that how whoever they were stole the sun? Could kin fly? She could totally fly if she had the tools. Why was she here again? Oh, was that soup?

---

"No." :l

---

"Are you talking about the vines and sticks that you jumped off a cliff with?" Over asked. "I saw your landing from the fishing pond. It was not impressive." He and Mud always had to be the voices of reason in this group. He still wasn't quite sure why he was here. He couldn't say it wasn't endlessly entertaining, but when the sun was missing, you had to be serious, right? He sighed. "We should probably talk to others and see if we can help or if they can help us ... do .... something,"

---

"LIKE STEAL THE MOON!"

---

"NO!"

The darkness was her hunting ground. The sweetest time when the shadows seeped across the landscape and draped the world in black and blood. Endless darkness, now, that was something to ponder. Her food supply wouldn't be terribly affected... she didn't eat vegetation after all... but her prey needed to eat something before it was caught in her web. Weak and frail, starved prey was just... not fun. She had a family to provide for too.

She hummed to herself as she silently trailed the edge of the grove, her children slithering and buzzing behind her. Her two anglerfish bobbed up and down like haunting, glowing motes themselves.

Returning the sun would be low on her priority list for now. The swamp would not fall in a day. Instead she would gather information, survey the gathered kin, hunt in the darkness a bit, and perhaps... oh....

Her silver eyes tracked the movements of a familiar Zikwa.

Perhaps this little adventure to return the sun would be Illuminating after all....

Pale eyes widened a touch at the familiar voice joining the conversation taking place. Clash blinked in the direction of Consume's glowing eyes, his ears flicking back as he listened to the other buck present a counter point. "Hello Consume."

It did make sense, what he was saying, and the dark buck fell quiet as he mulled it over. Probably the soup wasn't poison, that seemed counterproductive to whatever goal these strangers had in mind, but that still wasn't proof they were only there to help, or that they hadn't somehow caused the problem in the first place.

Clash just didn't know, and that led to indecision.

kuropeco wrote:

dizzy_kat wrote:

prolixity wrote:

"Oh, that all makes sense. Being very about the MotherFather, with a name like Chosen One. Some Kin got given different names. Some kin are named Butt. I know a fellow."

Bath did know a fellow named Butt.

"I just don't know if the MotherFather is strictly as wise and just as all that. Sometimes, frankly, they come across as a smidge arbitrary."

Ruriska wrote:

The longer Breaking waited, the busier the clearing continued to get. She heard something about sins and the MotherFather (and wasn't that a concept), greetings and disagreements, and even had spotted some rather interesting (and okay, fine, terrifying) familiars trailing around a totoma. As she cast her eyes about, she even thought she might've seen a buck she had seen near her dad at Winter Market, although she was too far away to even try to consider anything.

Amongst the hustle and bustle though, she heard the call of soup, and decided that she would start there. Food was always good, and if she was to accomplish anything, it would be after that. She might even be able to ask the doe for some information! Plan made, Breaking started making way for the soup, taking care to try and avoid the larger crowds of kin and more towards emptier spots where she could squeeze through.

Unfortunately, it was still rather dark, and distracted as she was with the thought of food, Breaking ran straight into a kiokote who she had thought she might squeeze past. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She said, backing up immediately to check up on them. "Are you okay?"

Lutz wrote:For Hang the Moon <3

And with one simple sentence, Chosen One marked Steals Fire for death.

His head turned, eyeing the Acha. He had already been on thin ice, as the leader of this farce, but now his fate was assured.

Chosen One smiled pleasantly. “Suggesting our creator is a tyrant and Her actions as a tantrum is certainly a bold take.”

But he had to move on, his attention shifting to Mud Bath. Like everyone else he knew of and had encountered some of the ascended, however this fellow had clearly achieved something different. He was darkness and thorns. Quite pleasing to look at.

“Of course it would appear arbitrary, when Her mind is beyond our comprehension and on a scale well beyond our lifespans.”

He didn’t make any comment in regards to the Butt but that did seem like a rather unfortunate name.

Toshiful wrote:

Baneful wrote:

Huni Pi wrote:

“Yes,” Illuminating agreed with a nod. “Let’s give it our best shot!”

Thankfully the glowing motes were easy for her to see, standing out in the darkness, just begging to be scooped up. It was nice to be able to seek out the light, when there was no sun or moon to turn to.

She turned towards the closest one and as she did so, a new arrival caught her eye. Who could miss that Totoma with her hoard of companions. Illuminating instantly felt her body heat rise, from her hooves to her head, her cheeks flushed, her mind full, memories of those endless trips through the maze, her bloody determination and that smile urging her on.

“I-I’m going for it,” she announced again, this time stuttering and stumbling.

A few hurried steps and she attempted to get her mouth around the first mote.

ROLLED:
5: Your kin imagines they are made up of one of the four elements!
3: Your kin imagines they have become a type of familiar!
9: Your kin imagines they are completely covered in motes!

And the world shifted.

Very suddenly her perception of the world changed. She was burning but not dying, consumed in flames that came from her core. Wild and free, hungry. She wanted to touch everything, try everything. She wanted to ravage the world as a mighty wall of flames and also to remain contained, warming cold bodies in the dark night. She was a miniature sun, casting light, giving warmth. It felt good, it felt right. It - it... was over.

Illuminating was left cold and bereft.

She stood quietly for a moment, the mote still caught in her mouth.

Before it could escape, she returned to the camp and deposited it in the cage. Then returned to Air to give her warning. “Be careful, there are some... strange effects. For a moment there I thought I was made out of fire.” She shook her head ruefully. “We need to be prepared for anything.”

lolternative wrote:Nothing wrong with small tags! <3

Yuki wrote: