[B] On the Menu (Eat All You Can x Bitter Heartbeat)

[HuniPi]

[imgleft]https://www.matope-swamp.com/images/val ... uncert.png[/imgleft]It's not unusual to find Eat All You Can hunting for food, it was a habit he'd formed and the season didn't matter to him. He would have to hunt because he needed to eat. However that day, he was on the lookout for even more prey because he'd learned he would be having a clutch.

This would be his first and he wanted to make sure their needs would be taken care of. Which inevitably meant he'd have to increase his stockpile. Not that he'd give everything to them, they still needed to learn to be independent but having a back up plan never hurt.

[anemosagkelos]

[imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... ncert5.png[/imgright] Bitter Heartbeat toddled sleepily through the swamp. Fall was sweeping into the world again and the sprigs of a desire for hibernation from his bear soul were growing throughout his mind. He would not hibernate, it was not in his kin soul to do so, but it was tempting all the same.

He yawned largely and felt himself tire at the thought of hunting but it had to be done. His snout tilted up as scents wafted upon the wind and he felt the call of need. He breathed, deeply, and trundled on his way until he found the strange totoma.

"Hello, friend," he greeted the kin, a ghostly stag standing over a sleepy looking minibear.

[HuniPi]

Eat All You Can went stockstill at the ghostly sight of the stag. He'd only ever heard of them whispered among hunting parties and most of these stories involved giving an offering to ensure good fortune. How this good fortune supposedly manifested as food or some sort of gift in the future.

An idea struck the totoma. "Greetings," he responded, "You seem hungry."

Selfish as the intention may have been, the totoma pulled out a small leaf satchel containing a few fish and a small amount of berries that went well with the taste.

"Would you care for some?"

[anemosagkelos]

"That I would," the stag replied as the minibear snuffled its snout into the leaf satchel. "And in return, I will grant you a blessing for your clutch."

[HuniPi]

Eat All You Can barely kept his joy in check while he effusively thanked the stag-in-bear-form. He waited for the minibear to finish eating before retrieving the satchel for reuse.

[anemosagkelos]

Bitter Heartbeat finished the last of the berried to swallow down the fish and then, again, pushed the thought of sleep from his mind. He could take a nap later.

"What would you like for your children?" he asked.

[HuniPi]

A part of Eat All You Can wanted to wish for nothing bad to ever happen to his children but he knew such a thing would not be good for them in the long run. He also knew he could not do anything himself to protect them from the world at large, after all he wouldn't always be around.

"I would want for them the strength to overcome whatever hardships that are in store for them." It sounded like a good enough compromise on needs versus wants.

[anemosagkelos]

Bitter Heartbeat nodded, thoughtful, "Your children will be hale and hearty with enough perseverance and belief to overcome all the obstacles may arise."

He smiled, "Are you in need of anything else?"

[HuniPi]

The totoma thought hard then figured it couldn't hurt to ask what shifting forms felt like. What? It wasn't a request and he added that the stag needn't answer if it was too personal. But he was just incredibly curious.

[anemosagkelos]

"It's like stretching. There's a tension and then it feels like a cascade of warmth. It's strange at first but as you do it, it becomes comforting and second nature," Bitter Heartbeat explained with a small demonstration of the minibear stretching out and then appearing as a solid stag. He grinned with his sharp, protruding teeth that never seemed to be threatening to kin or animal.

"I shall bid you farewell, friend, and wish you luck on your impeding parenthood. I have a midday date with the sun and a tree to perfect the most marvelous pastime of napping," he winked and then sauntered off, assured that the totoma would be quite fine.