Creative Corner

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {14}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Dried Cedar Branch] Writing[/center] [columns][indent] "Auntie Tree!" Gabi's voice cut through the clearing as he spotted the shape of his fallen friend among the flowers. He had tracked her scent through the air and past the trees to this clearing. Now he rushed forward, about to break from the treeline. From here, he could see that - [i]Oh! Something is strange about her wings... [/i] Luana halted him with one outstretched paw, stopping him in his tracks. The Tundra tripped over her, and nearly fell to the ground, but his Guardian supported him. He glanced at her, confusion and a brief spurt of anger warring in his eyes. "Careful, Gabi," Luana warned. Her eyes were slits as she stared past him to the clearing. She recognized it for the place where they had rested several nights ago, where Gabi and her had received their purple markings, when Treble had first met them. It seemed the Tundra did not remember.[i] We were only here for a spell,[/i] Luana thought to herself. And Gabi had been young, with no cause to remember a brief resting place. It felt like ages ago, but truly, hardly a fortnight had passed... Gabi pulled her back to the present with an impatient snort. "We need to help her." "Agreed," Luana said with some difficulty. "But there is strong magic in the clearing - it is not happy, good, magic. There is something - dark about it." The Tundra closed his eyes for a moment, before he opened them and looked again, his eyes a dark and shining green, green... Luana remembered with a jolt that he was a Nature dragon. This was his territory. His land. "It is not dangerous magic," Gabi said, but his voice carried a hint of uncertainty. "Luana, I do not feel what you feel." He was trying to reassure her. But the Plague dragon could read his unease. [i]Is that only out of fear for Treble?[/i] She could not tell. "Your magic does not mix well here. You should stay on the side, out of the clearing - in the trees, alright?" Gabi suggested, thinking aloud. "I can go in, and I can help Auntie Tree back out here. I can carry her if I have to. And you won't have to worry, because I'll just be right there - you can watch me the whole time. I will come back to you if I feel something change." He was young, Luana knew, but she could see now that he was learning quickly already. She gave a reluctant nod. It pained her to watch Gabi step into the face of danger - and although Luana would leave Treble alone in the field if she could, she knew her Charge would not allow such a thing. Besides that, she knew she could not control Gabi. He was no longer a young, defenseless hatchling. She remembered hearing from the other Guardians in her old Clan about the weight of a dragon-Charge. It was no easy task to guide and guard another living being... There was a thought to follow, but her mind flinched away from it. It was not a thought she could bare to carry at the moment. Instead, she turned her attention, with bated breath, to watch as Gabi made his way slowly, attentively, towards the fallen Coatl. [/columns][/indent] -------- @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy Today, I just finished a great high fantasy novel that may have influenced my writing style a bit lol! It's called The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay, it was recommended by a friend. The start was slow and a bit rough, but afterwards I couldn't put it down. ^^; I had a bit of a headache tonight again, so I'm cutting this scene shorter than it should be. Sorry for all the cliff hangers! :P I don't know for sure which direction this will all go in. If I get another familiar, then I can have a lot of fun with this field lol. xD We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Oh gosh, so much tension :o poor Luana! She is really struggling in this territory... and for the first time being denied by her charge... wow that must feel so harsh to her. I'm so curious what will happen!

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {15}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Shadow Serpent] Adopt a Dragon Breed Roll: 11, Nocturne Flight Roll: 5, Shadow[/center] [columns][indent] Luana hung back in the shadows, holding her breath. There was nothing she could do... Gabi, meanwhile, treaded carefully. He kept his eyes on the white, feathered shape before him. With every step, he scented the air and cast out his senses, trying to stay in tune with his element. Whatever he had told Luana, he wasn't as confident as he had seemed. His Nature magic was as strong as the next Nature dragons', but he was young, and had been traveling with two dragonesses, neither of whom were his element. He hadn't had someone to train him properly... But if the flowers were angry, at least he chose his path wisely. He reached Treble's side safely. He did not know it, but his Guardian breathed a sigh of relief at the edge of the clearing. "Auntie Tree? Are you alright?" Gabi asked, prodding her gently. She stirred beneath his paw, and he could see her eyes fluttering beneath their lids, which remained closed. His first hope - that she would wake, and he could support her as they made their way together out of the meadow. But maybe not. He leaned down, about to shift her onto his back. She was larger than him, though, and he could not bare her weight. He paused to think, and then moved around to her other side. He could half-drag, half-carry her. [/columns][/indent] [columns][indent][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=32315207][img]http://i.imgur.com/74Gcwqi.png[/img][/url][nextcol] "Do you need help?" A voice called from nowhere, and everywhere at once. Gabi jumped, nearly knocking into Treble. "Who's there?" A small dragon appeared from among the flowers, her red-and-white scales making her seem like a blossom herself. Her wings flared above her, so that she cast a longer shadow across the flowers. From the sharp features and waxy wings, Gabi recognized her as a Nocturne, although he hadn't seen one before. [/columns][/indent] [columns][indent] There was a smell about her, something familiar, stronger than even the pollen in the air. "You smell... like home." Gabi leaned forward, confused. His eyes crinkled, but he couldn't place her. "Have we met?" "No. You do not have a home anymore." The Nocturne flitted high, a sadness across her face. "At least, not that same home," she amended. "But I will help you with your friend. She fainted in my meadow. I do not need to harm her, but I wouldn't like her to stay long ... she's crushing the pansies." Gabi looked at where the Nocturne nodded. "And so she is," he remarked lightly, carefully. "So this is your field?" The Nocturne didn't respond to the question, but took a few gliding-hops towards him. "I mean no harm, unlike the others. But I'm not quite like them, I suppose you could say that." She was mumbling to herself, and Gabi wasn't sure if he was expected to respond. "So I will help you leave my territory, and you can return to your Guard over there." "Oh, Luana?" Gabi turned, suddenly aware that his protector might be unnerved at the appearance of this new dragon. The Guardian was standing stock-still, except for her tail, which lashed back and forth. Her eyes were narrowed. Gabi waved a paw, smiling at her. He didn't want to yell, but he tried to convey with his eyes that everything was alright. "You give her name too easily, my dear. But I don't want your Guardian to attack us," the Nocturne was continuing, "so please be assured that I give my word to help... I know it wasn't the Coatl's fault. I was here, watching. I saw the flower call to her - and in fact, it was gracious of your friend here not to pick a flower once having heard its song. Not many are strong enough. But clearly the flower made its mark. Oh, she'll be okay. It's just a little tiring to be marked like she has, but she'll be alright in the end. And if she ever wants her flower, well, I will gladly give it to her - you'll let her know that, won't you, when she wakes?" Gabi grunted in affirmation, not sure what else to say. The Nocturne kept up a steady chatter, without much input from Gabi, as the two of them shifted and carried Treble towards the edge of the clearing, where Luana was waiting. [/columns][/indent] -------- @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy Hilarious, Pink. I didn't actually expect to pull another familiar! (Especially on a day when I received 4 hatchlings from a spring egg-swap lol!) Turned out perfectly though, even with her gene. :p The lowest Shadow Nocturne on the AH was over 1kt over the price of this one, although adult prices are high right now (Nocs are today's breed bonus, maybe that's it.), so I scrapped the Flight roll. I really wanted a male, but the lowest male was 200 treasure higher, and another double too! so ... in the spirit of the game I couldn't go for him either :p Still, Maple should be a fun character. My partner (who doesn't play FR) helped me name her, he said she looked like a Canada dragon... I wasn't about to name her Canada, so I went for Maple instead :p

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {16}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Almandine] Writing[/center] [columns][indent] Treble slept all through that night, and well into the next morning. When she finally came to, Gabi was by her side. "Auntie Tree," he said, delight apparent in his voice. His eyes were still worried, though. "How are you feeling?" She pushed herself to sit, groaning at her sore muscles. She stretched her wings carefully, one at a time, inspecting them for any injuries. Gabi could see she was also admiring the new colour in her wings. "Just like the flower," he heard her say but it was a faint whisper, and he wasn't sure he had heard right. Then she looked at her with kind eyes. "Good. All is good." She paused and squinted past him. "Luana?" "Foraging," Gabi said. "She was feeling restless." "Worried for me?" Treble asked with a playful smile. Gabi chuckled. "I think so, although she wouldn't admit it." He paused. "There's something else. We had someone help us bring you back to camp yesterday." Treble's neck feathers twitched. "Oh?" Gabi quickly explained what had happened after Treble had fainted. He explained Luana's uncertainty - her fear - of the wildflower meadow, and how he had ventured forth to help Treble on his own; he went on to tell her about the strange Nocturne who had in turn helped him. "A Nocturne?" The Coatl tilted her neck in thought, then reached up with a paw to rub the base of her neck, where evidently a crick had formed. "I have not yet met one, I must admit. I have heard they are - tricky? Shadow creatures." The Tundra shrugged. "She was the first I met as well, Auntie. And, well, when we reached the treeline, Luana really wasn't happy. She didn't trust the Nocturne - well, still doesn't, I suppose - and almost snatched you right from the Nocturne's claws. Luana carried you all the way here, by herself. She wouldn't even let me help." The Coatl purred in amusement. Even though the Guardian seemed to dislike the Coatl, it was clear that she wouldn't allow harm to come to Treble. "The Nocturne followed us, which Luana disagreed with; she kept trying to chase the Nocturne away, although I was okay with - " Treble sat up fast, her eyes wide. "The Nocturne is here?" Gabi shifted his weight uncomfortably. Treble's tone of voice carried the same unease which Luana's had earlier. Gabi suddenly felt as if he had made a mistake as the older dragon looked down at him with shock and worry clear in her rustling feathers. "Well, no. She didn't stay the night," Gabi admitted. "But she wanted to make sure we reached our home safely, and..." "You allow a strange dragon into our lair? Luana allow this?" Treble, usually calm and capable, was upset by this notion. "No! No, we didn't - the Nocturne came only because - I didn't think it was a bad idea," Gabi said with a stumble over each word, no longer sure what was happening. Then his voice was low, a hatchling's mumble filled with guilt and regret at the sudden realization of consequences. "Are we in trouble? In danger?" "Where is the Nocturne now?" "She went back to her meadow," Gabi said quietly. Treble exhaled loudly. "Well, then. Luana thinks we are alright if she went out of camp." The Coatl did not like the thought of strange dragons approaching their camp, which was not yet properly fortified. This territory had seemed safe, but if they were to attract trouble... And although Treble had perhaps wandered too far yesterday, the flowers had not seemed to want to endanger her. The sense she had gotten from the field was that of a long-time friend wishing to reacquaint themselves with her. They had not hurt her seriously, and instead they had given her a gift - a marking - on her wings. What it meant, she did not know - [i]yet [/i]- but she wished to find out. Unfortunately, there was now the matter of the Nocturne, this dragon who seemed to own the territory in which the flowers grew. Treble would have to work around the Nocturne to return to the flowers; and it was not going to be easy if the other dragon now knew where their own home was. [i]She can easily attack us if she wanted to,[/i] Treble thought with worry. But Gabi stood before her, dejected and disappointed in himself, and Treble remembered he was still young, not quite understanding these nuances. She put on a friendly face for him, and reached forward to gently nudge his shoulder. "We will be alright," she told him. "Did the Nocturne introduce herself?" The Tundra shook his head, and then gave another her worried look. "She said something strange... about names. She said that I gave Luana's name 'too easily'. What does that mean?" Treble hummed in thought. "I know not what it means, Gabi. Did you name our names?" Gabi shook his head again. Treble turned the words over in her head for a moment, before shrugging her wings. "I know not," she repeated. Was there a phrase in Coatl about names? She didn't quite understand the Draconic expression, or its connotation. But if the Coatls had knowledge of this naming, this easy-naming, she wasn't aware of it. [/columns][/indent] -------- @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {17}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Lizardscale Cloth] Writing[/center] [columns][indent] When Luana returned from her foraging, Treble was asleep once more and Gabi was doodling in the dirt on the other side of camp. He waved his tail at her, but he wouldn't say much, and so Luana ate by herself. Any other night, she would have enjoyed the quiet, but tonight it felt strange, as if there was something in the air that prevented any conversation. Gabi felt it, and so did Luana. She retired to sleep early that night without saying good-night to Gabi. The next morning, Luana woke to some cheerful humming from Treble, who was just returning to their camp. The Guardian stretched lavishly, before sitting upright. Some sunlight trickled past the foliage to warm her scales. She watched as Treble sat down with a fish in her mouth; the Coatl placed the fish on a broad leaf she produced, using it as if it were a plate and she were dining at a high-Clan establishment. She said a few words in Coatl, and the fish cooked slowly and evenly before their eyes. Then the Coatl began to eat, nibbling on each small piece with a satisfied expression. Luana observed this with some interest, before she leaned over, her neck stretching out. She came close to the Coatl without moving a paw. Treble glanced over her shoulder and gave the Guardian a polite nod. "So, how are you feeling today?" Luana asked. "Better," the other dragoness replied. "I had to question you, though. Gabi was telling me of the Nocturne from the flower field." The Guardian frowned, but nodded. "Yes. What about her?" "I wondered. Did she seem off?" "You mean, like, strange? Well, maybe. A bit," Luana admitted. "She was very chatty. Kind of annoying." Treble shook her head. "No, not that way. I should say, was her magic strange?" Luana squinted in thought. "I can't say. We were a bit distracted, and I couldn't tell. Why? Do you think something is wrong?" Treble tried to find the words in Draconic, and then shrugged. "I think there is more than we do know here." She paused, and then said with some difficulty - not due to the language barrier, but because she did not want to say so, "I think you are right. This place is not for us, maybe." Luana's eyes flashed with something like triumph, but she was quick to repress it. She wanted to leave, yes, but not under such circumstances... Not if they were going to be bullied out of here by some scaly scrap of dragon. "Let's not give up, alright?" Luana said firmly, straightening her neck and squaring her shoulders. She looked away from the Coatl and towards the trees surrounding them. "You still have to complete your studies, right? And this is Gabi's -" She cut herself off quickly upon seeing a flash of orange in the verdant landscape. "Hey!" She jumped to her feet, filled with a blast of outrage. The orange was creeping closer, not hidden, nor attempting to, at all. And Luana recognized that [i]particular [/i]shade... "What are you doing here?" she called out, stomping to the edge of camp. "How did you find us? What do you want?" She had been so sure that they had returned to camp without [i]her [/i]seeing where they had went. Clearly, that wasn't the case. Treble watched, bemused, as the Guardian stood at the edge of camp with her tail lashing behind her back, her wings flared. The Coatl wasn't sure whether she should step forward beside Luana, or if showing that much support would offend her. Instead, Treble stayed where she was, although she rose to her feet, the half-eaten fish upon the crinkled-up leaf now forgotten. "Miss Luana," a voice called, before the Nocturne showed herself. She gave a small bow, although with such a figure, even a small bow for a large dragon involved her entire body. She nearly dropped the basket she was carrying. "I bring gifts, for I wished to see how you and your friends were doing - is the Coatl alright?" But then the Nocturne's gaze slid past Luana to land on Treble. "Ah, you're awake! Dear one, I hope you are well. I have your flower, if you'd like it. It's still rooted, to replant here, with you, if it would please you." The chatty Nocturne spoke so fast, though, that Treble did not catch most of her words. However, Luana stole the Nocturne's attention before Treble could say so. “You shouldn’t have come,” Luana growled. The Nocturne blinked in surprise. “Oh, dear. I didn’t think – well, I thought you would be more welcoming. I suppose you do not trust me so quickly.” The Nocturne fretted. It was almost adorable - but not to Luana. Treble could see there would only be trouble if she did not intervene quickly – Gabi, who usually quieted Luana, was still asleep in his underground burrow. It was up to Treble, it seemed. She shifted her wings and stepped forward slowly. Usually when a mediator was necessary, it was because Luana was mad at [i]her[/i]; but now it seemed Treble would be the mediator on someone else’s behalf. [i]We must pay our dues,[/i] she thought to herself, a little amused at the thought. And now that she had seen the Nocturne, Treble could see that there was something strange about her indeed – but strange in a good, light-hearted way, not in a malevolent way. It was clear the Nocturne was not to be crossed, but she was no danger to them, at least, not now. Her intentions were clear, as far as Treble could read from the magical aura around the little dragon. "Now, Luana," Treble started, humming between her words in an effort to soothe her great lairmate. "I do not sense trouble. Forgive my speech, but we are not in danger, although I know I appreciate your concern. You do well as a guard. For now, the little dragon is here in peace." The Guardian listened to the Coatl, but only just. She stepped back, allowing Treble to take the lead. The Coatl turned to the Nocturne. "Welcome to join us, if you like. I do not know your story, but if you look for a home, you might find one here." "That I am, and thank-you, dear one," the Nocturne said with a trill. She paused, as if in consideration, before she flitted forward, her wings carrying her closer to Treble than to Luana. Holding out the basket she carried, she continued, “These are for you. I am happy to help out, it gets lonely by the flowers. Oh, and don't get my wrong - they are wonderful company, but sometimes when they speak their language, the quiet gets to me. Anyway, I would love to join. I do not have to stay overnight if it would make you feel better, Luana." Having heard her name spoken, the Guardian bristled. "My apologies, I do not wish to upset you," the Nocturne said, catching on quickly. "I will stay just for the day, until things are easy between us. I am grateful for your welcome, though." "Yes, yes, alright. What's your name?" Luana said, holding back a growl. It was the only thing she could manage to say. "Please call me Maple.” Treble was about to introduce herself in turn, when she remembered what Gabi had mentioned previously. It was too late to save Luana's name, although Treble still wasn't sure what it quite meant. Still, if there was any concern, it would do well to tread carefully. She gave a quick hum. "And you can call me Auntie Tree." [/columns][/indent] -------- @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy Yeesh, I'm cutting it close to rollover. I need to start these earlier each night, instead of waiting... ^^;

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {18}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Twitching Leg Bones] Writing[/center] [columns][indent] Maple came back the next day, bright and early, before Treble had even gone out for her morning fishing trip. She was just getting up, and Luana was doing some morning stretches on the opposite end of the clearing. Gabi was on the edge of the clearing, examining the pile of plants which Luana had brought back from two days before and sorting through them with a careful paw. With all the excitement going on, most of the plants had been left alone, but the Tundra was eager to figure out what they had available to them, and maybe start a garden of their own to supply them with food. When Treble was ready, he also wanted to talk to her about her knowledge of plants, too. But when the Nocturne appeared, all three dragons turned towards her. "Back already?" Luana asked, a bit too much attitude in her voice. Gabi's ears twitched in his Guardian's direction, but he hardly looked at her. "Good morning, Maple," he called. "And same to you, Jay," Maple returned the greeting happily. The previous day, Luana and Treble had silently agreed to keep Gabi's name from the Nocturne, and so they had introduced him as 'Jay'. The Nocturne hadn't seemed to worry about the secrecy. And although Gabi was confused at first, Luana pulled him aside and told him quickly why he was suddenly being called a different name. He understood, of course, because he still remembered what Maple had said to him that first day. But now, in the light of the next morning, after a night's rest, it just seemed so silly to him. He would humour his elders, though. "I was wondering if you needed any help today with your camp," Maple was saying brightly. "Who said anything about our camp?" Luana grumbled. But Maple only smiled at the Guardian. "Nobody had to say anything. I noticed it was in a slight disarray. It seems as if you are fortifying the border. I thought I could help, in case you wanted to have the defenses built sooner rather than later to keep out any dangers. I'm small, but I can certainly help, Luana." Luana rolled her eyes. "The only danger here is you, Chatterbox," she said, evidently having given the Nocturne a nickname of her own. She wasn't sure if she believed in all the nonsense the Nocturne was saying, but it irritated her that her's was the only name known to the Nocturne. Maple opened her mouth to retort, her eyes sudden slits, but then Treble stepped forward. "Now, Luana," she said, waving her wing in the Guardian's direction. "We can gladly use any help offered." Gabi smiled at the Coatl. "I agree," he chimed in. "I was wondering if we should start to plan the details of the camp before we actually build anything." He brought up his ideas from earlier that day. "I was thinking we could have a vegetable garden nearby. Tre - Auntie Tree, I know your fondness for arcane plants. Could we combine a magical garden with a vegetable garden? Or perhaps have a separate plot for flowers, where you can grow what you'd like?" "Is this a suitable time for such a discussion?" Luana asked, scratching her flank scales with an idle claw. "I mean, I can't help with this at all. It's a waste of time for me." She blinked forcibly, reminding them of her element. "Oh, that's you and me both," Maple said. She was Earth herself, and didn't seem to have as much knowledge of plants. "The meadow in which we met is mine for now, but I just know that the flowers are pretty, and they enjoy my company. I don't quite have a greenthumb, though." Gabi thought about this. Treble gave him a knowing look, a quick smile, but said nothing. "Well then, you two can go and gather some supplies together! We'll need some wood, preferably strong logs, to start. I think we should also think about digging out our proper dens, and expanding towards the stream so that Auntie Tree doesn't have to leave the camp every morning to find her food." He wondered quickly what Nocturnes ate, and then shook the thought away. It wasn't important just yet - Maple was not officially a member, at least, not yet. When she was invited to sleep in their camp, then he could think to her food supply. For now, she was fully capable of feeding herself, surely. Luana was, as he anticipated, not pleased with this suggestion. Maple, however, seemed thrilled to spend some time with the Guardian. The larger dragon gritted her teeth, but upon looking at her Charge, she knew she could not say no. "Alright. As long as the Chatterbox doesn't step toe out of line - and no wings out of line, either," she snapped quickly before Maple could say anything. "We'll be back soon. Auntie Tree, take care of Jay, alright." "No harm shall come here," the Coatl promised deeply, knowing that these words would give Luana at least some small sense of comfort to hold onto. She would need it while entertaining Maple. The two dragons turned to leave the camp, one swooping in the air and speaking fast, her words too low to hear, and the other with hunched shoulders and irritation visible in her twitching tailtip. [/columns][/indent] -------- @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy Okay. I feel like I'm crazy, and I don't know if it's just me. I've noticed over the past few days... that when I pull a material from Pink, and I hover over the item to see if it's a trinket or material, it always says trinket even if it's not! But this only happens at Pink's page. When I go to my hoard, or post the item on the forums, the tooltip classifies the item properly. Which is why in the past I've confused writing days for art days. I almost did it again today! Argh. Taking a closer look at all my pulls, I've only actually had one trinket, when I thought I had 3. :c I guess I should see if this bug has been reported already. [b]Edit:[/b] Thanks to Silverhame for helping with this in the posts below ^^; Apologies for any mistake or silly sentences. I can hardly keep my eyes open rn lol. Still, I wrote a lot more than I expected to! I'm off to bed, g'night everyone. :3

@clarax

Loving the updates! Very interesting, Maple seems strange... I wonder if she is like the willow spirit? "Not like the others", odd.... and the names thing.... as well as Treble's pull to the flower.... Hmm. Very interesting!

@Silverhame Haha, great timing :3 and thanks for helping out! That makes me feel a lot better now. ^^

@Spottedleaf125 You're certainly along the right track, haha, although it's not quite as simple as that, Maple is certainly a dragon, not a faerie, but she has some odd... tendencies. :P I wanted to reveal a bit more tonight but family stuff came up, and now it's late and I'm exhausted (even though the last few nights I've been staying up til 3am and getting enough sleep, it's now 1:30 am and I can hardly keep my eyes open lol).

I'll do a bit of writing right now for today's pull but it won't be as long or informative as I had initially planned :P

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {19}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Granite Chunk] Writing[/center] [columns][indent] The morning sun shone over the camp, breaking through the trees above with a bright twinkle. [i]Up an' at 'em[/i], it seemed to sing cheerfully, calling the three lairmates awake. Gabi bounced to his paws, excited for the day. Treble followed second, more calmly but with eagerness in her spread wings, and Luana rose to her feet last. Her claws dug into the soil. "Do you need me to get more supplies today?" she asked quietly, perhaps a little sadly. Gabi glanced over, a bit confused at her tone. "What? No, of course not." He look hard at his Guardian for a moment, not blinking, before understanding kicked in. Shock filled his green eyes. "Oh, I hope you aren't upset about yesterday." He ran over to her quickly, stirring up dust, and nuzzled her. His fur tickled her chest scales, but she bent down to lick his forehead. "You were a big help, you know. I wouldn't have been able to do what you did. Thank-you, truly." Yesterday, while Gabi and Treble had planned a rough outline for the camp layout, working throughout most of that day and into the evening, Luana and Maple had done wonders. They had gathered a stack of logs nearly as tall as Gabi himself. The two dragonesses had shared an easy silence between them, having come to some sort of agreement apparently, as they delivered their findings. When they were about to go out for more, Gabi had called to them and asked for them to gather stone next. They now sat in a large pile off to the side; Maple, as an Earth dragon, had been especially happy to help with those. But now Gabi realized too late that Luana might have felt shunned, or dismissed, when he had directed her. His skin flushed hot with shame. Who was he to treat her as inferior? And he hadn't meant that at all, but maybe the Plague dragoness had understood it to be that way. Treble turned away to give the two some privacy. "Oh, Gabi," Luana murmured into his fur. "It's alright, hatch. I couldn't be mad at you. In fact, I'm proud of you. You're really growing, aren't you? I understand..." She trailed off, her thoughts going silent. [i]He's coming into his own. And look at him! He's smart, and sweet... It wasn't his fault, he was so excited to get started on preparing the lair... Our new home... Hmm.[/i] "So," she said, breaking the silence. She leaned back to look at him better. "What's the plan?" Gabi gave a big smile, and pride was clear in his posture. He waved over to Treble, who approached at a trot. "Treble already started on the borders," he said and pointed to where Treble had been busy many days ago, before she had fainted in the flower field, Maple's field. "Although she was just marking some lines in the ground, so what we thought we'd do is move the largest stones along there, to make a border." "A boulder border," Treble chirped happily. Luana chuckled. "Yes, exactly," Gabi continued with a light laugh, "and we'll have two lines going across both ends of camp. At the north end, we thought we could plant our gardens, the soil seems fine. We can have two plots - maybe leave room to expand as we need to. We can use half of the logs to line the gardens. The other half can be used to make a storage hut, so we can start to collect extra food and store it safely." He went on a bit longer, explaining the layout of some tunneled-out dens below ground, and the potential for above-ground nests. Luana listened with wonder, taken aback by so much planning. Treble and Gabi had worked hard yesterday, she realized, even if they had not been working physically. She wasn't sure how much of it was Gabi's own thoughts, but it was impressive nonetheless. It wasn't the Plaguelands, like she had wanted, but maybe they could turn this clearing in the middle of the jungle into a proper home. "Well, we have a lot to do, then," she said with determination. "Maple should come, yes?" Treble asked. The Guardian glanced around, realizing the Nocturne had not yet showed up this morning. "She'll be here when she gets a moment, she is excited to come back," Luana told the others. She was not keen to see the Nocturne again so soon after an entire day spent together yesterday, but she also was not offended by the thought of the tiny dragon joining them again. It was a complicated emotion. "But we shouldn't waste the day waiting. She won't mind if we start without her." And so they began the day's work. [/columns][/indent] -------- @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy Man Pink, you're giving me lots of material/writing pulls! As if you know it's camp nano and I need to finish my goal for the month lol :P

[center][size=6][color=green][font=Garamond]Day {20}[/font] [font=wingdings]|[/font]——————————————[font=wingdings]|[/font][/color][/size] [item=Discipline] Death Streak[/center] [columns][indent] Maple never appeared that day, and they did not see her again until well into the next day. Although the dragons were concerned, they put their worries out of their minds. They instead turned to their work, and they managed to achieve quite a bit over the course of a day and a half. The boulders were all in place - Luana was able to move them, although it would have been easier with Maple's Earth magic to help - and the logs were lined up along the garden plots as a fence. Gabi was eager to get started on planting, but he helped Treble instead with the storage hut. They busied themselves, hardly speaking. Treble hummed a lovely melody for the other two to listen while they worked, and soon enough some nearby birds in the trees joined in as well. They were happy with their progress. So when Maple finally arrived at the camp, it startled them all. "Maple!" Treble said, and stopped humming. "What happened to you!" Luana exclaimed. Gabi turned with his ears perked, his brow furrowed. The Nocturne wheezed slightly, her eyes squinting against the light. She had flown here fast, sticking to the undergrowth. She was covered in a fine layer of pollen, and had a few flower petals hanging off of her, some caught in her scales and spines. There was something yellow on her clawtips, dripping slowly. It looked, and smelled, like sap. "The flowers," she said, shaking her head. She smiled ruefully. "They needed a lot of help yesterday. There was something in the forest... well, it's gone now, so no matter. I didn't have a chance to come visit until today. I hope I didn't worry you." Gabi tilted his head. "We were wondering where you were, but Luana told us you would be here on your own time, so we figured we'd get started." He gestured towards their renovations. "Glad you are here, and safe," Treble purred lightly. The sentiments were true for all of them. The Nocturne's absence had allowed their initial suspicion about her to mellow, and the trio was surprised to feel pleased at the sight of her in the afternoon light. Maple eyed the camp, visibly impressed. "Wow!" She whistled, and then grinned with her teeth showing. "This place looks like a tornado hit it." Luana bared her teeth. "It's a work in progress." Maple laughed. "Can I help with anything?" "Certainly!" Gabi jumped forward, eager to show her his plans. "There's a lot to do." "Great. Let me get cleaned up, and then I'll start," Maple said, gesturing towards her messy claws. "This place will look like a home in no time!" [/columns][/indent] -------- Flip: [spoiler]Tails! No battle! Phew.[/spoiler]. [s]Will update soon... Have to get ready to head out now. ^^;[/s] @Crobbin @Fletcher @Spottedleaf125 @Zerohour @Silverhame @stenops887 @MoonlitLegacy