Prompt Opportunity 02 - Completed

[Prompter]

PROMPT THREAD

SITUATION

In the wake of extremely high autumn winds, cocoons containing the native species have been swept from the trees of the Orchard. Other newborn canine and felines species attempt to rescue the cocoons.

CHARACTERS

No character limit, characters must be newborn (having not made IC posts prior), each character posts a minimum of three times.

PRIZE

Thirty EXP to all participants.

NOTES

Please be diligent in taking turns posting.

[rayel]

When her cocoon fell from its nest resting high in the branches of a tree, Rayel was more than ready to begin her life. She had been restless for a while now, squirming in her pod, frustrated by her inability to move. Even though she could see and hear nothing, she knew that there had to be something more than this empty existence; and so, she had waited restlessly for this something more to begin. Until now.

Her pod hit the ground and immediately started to roll. A large gap had cracked open in her shell on impact, and the bright sunlight that filtered in dazzled her eyes and disoriented her. But the movement! She loved this movement! But still she knew that this was not it, that there was still something more, and so she scrabbled at the slit, forcing her paws and then her legs and muzzle through the hole, watching the world turn end over end until her pod came to an abrupt halt against the base of a tree. The painful impact made her yelp – that was her! that was her voice! – but she wasted no time in scrambling her body the rest of the way out of that blasted cocoon.

She landed on the ground on her feet, willing the slight trembling in her legs to stop as she took in her surroundings. She was quickly adjusting to the light, enough so to make out the many various trees in the orchard, the grass underneath her, the clouds in the blue sky, the sun high overhead that blinded her when she looked straight at it. But the wind took her longer to notice. As she took her first few steps forward, away from the tree base, the gusts of wind made her stumble and collapse unwillingly to one side, her fur whipping in one direction as the cold gusts sliced through to her skin.

With a proud toss of her head, she stood up again with some effort; her low-set frame gave her some resiliency against the wind. A sound near her made her aware that there could be others in the orchard, but when she glanced toward the noise she saw another cocoon – very similar in appearance to hers, she noted, so no originality there. Then the pod started to roll like hers had, but when it rolled past her with seemingly still no movement from inside, she had her first inkling that this pod could be in danger. Maybe the animal inside the pod was not ready to come out yet? Without thought, she began to trot after the pod, then run to catch up with it. "Help! I need help!" she shouted, too distracted to realize that these were the first words she had ever spoken.

[roux]

The world grows as the mind understands the boundaries of land, sea, and physical potential. In the cocoon of a tree, the world is much different to the young than to the old and matured. Darkness, singularity, a steady heartbeat paves a sense of comfort and familiarity to the small soul encapsulated within this primordial overture. The darkness is much more than the absence of light, or the atrophy of the bright world that lay beyond the husk and membrane of which the particular creature within slumbered. The world had a way of growing large and daunting very quickly, as if it enjoyed testing the limits of one's perseverance or confidence. For Roux, her small realm was no longer her home, and by some instinctual jolt her limbs and mind raised above the quiet animal warmth of darkness and singularity in some sudden urge for room, perhaps even something new for her unseeing eyes to see.

Roux felt the shiver of the stem beginning to tear away from the branch it had grown from as her small claws took purchase in the cocoon wall. Though the word didn't immediately come to her mind, she seemed to curl into herself in preparation for what would happen after that worrying noise, looking blindly around the cocoon she had been at peace in as it detached from the tree and plummeted to the ground. The impact was almost anti-climatic aside from the husk splitting from where she had been able to scratch away, but as honey gold light filtered into the sections of broken pod, she found herself emerging from what used to be safe and into a place of color and life.

Her legs, dainty and new like the first roots of sapling in spring soil, shivered with the initial weight of her body. The feathering of thick fur ruffled at even the shortest point upon her ankles, the sensation a jolt from the usual constant warmth of the cocoon. Roux looked down in a moment of uncertainty at the small toes splayed out in an odd fashion. Everything around her seemed too much of everything, from the colors swirling around in their usual placement, to the feeling of lush grass between her sorrel toes. Her expression was pinched, awe struck and unsure, amazed and perturbed. The cat with the green yellow eyes and ears pitched forwards, took her first real steps away from the tree that bore her, wanting more of this beauty wrapped in a foreign skin. Roux felt truly majestic, even her small chest puffed out in a wondrous, proud stance as she stumbled strutted towards the other trees.

Until she was swept her head over tail as soon as she left the safety of the tree that had blocked the brunt of the wind that became a sudden, daunting force. Her face scrunched up in confusion, her eyes looking down her nose and past her whiskers at the upside-down world. Much like a rock she stayed in this up-ended place, deciding if it was safer to make a break for her tree again or just play proverbial dead until the wind ceased. She been deciding on the latter when she heard a voice, far away and rather warped by the gust of wind carrying it to her lopsided ears.

"Help! I need help!"

Help was a word that took no moments to process, the tone that it had been said in related to a panic, something not right. The force of the wind was forgotten, and she felt herself refusing to let such a thing hold her back. Roux got back onto her feet, and began to make her way to the owner of the voice on unsteady legs that gradually became much easier to manage as her strides closed the distance. Though it was arguably the first canine she had seen, the difference of species didn’t bother her in the least as she attempted to match the other newborn’s speed. Her furred tail swayed this way and that as she found her springy gait and its ineffectiveness in the wind. The feline had been worried the owner of the voice was injured, though her mind was going through new words, motions, ideas at a dizzying rate, her eyes widened as she got closer and saw what the canine seemed to be chasing.

A pod. It rolled as if the wind had taken a hold of it by teeth and claw, softly and yet it was frightening to see something so delicate in creation rolling about with no indication of the creature inside was alive or trying to escape. The wind hadn’t picked up again, but it became very apparent there were more pods than this one taken from the tree branches above by the tenacious force of nature. Having caught up to the canine enough, running parallel to their flank as her newborn legs were being pushed, she wasn’t sure she would be of any help but she would soon learn that trying would never be good enough on her conscience if it didn’t lead to success. She veered slightly to the right, her small pads sinking against the green emerald grass drenched in sunlight, hoping she would be able to stop it if the wind changed, or keep it from rolling away from the much larger, resilient canine she didn’t have a name for, only a plea.

[rayel]

Once she reached the cocoon, it was easier to keep pace with its motion; still, Rayel panted heavily as she trotted alongside it, her legs weak, her muscles protesting this sudden physical demand after a life of inactivity. With another stubborn head toss, she vowed that she could do anything she set her mind to.

But how to achieve her goal? She thought of ducking in front of the rolling pod, then quickly dismissed the idea as probably a bit hazardous to her health (even though she imagined it would, in fact, stop the pod’s motion). Her lungs began to burn for more air as her eyes roved her surroundings for inspiration or aid; she found neither, but she no longer had the strength to call out again for help.

Abruptly, a plan formulated in her head. Her brain had not fully processed all the details yet but her body reacted instinctively; with a low growl of effort, she lunged sideways, slamming her shoulder against the pod to direct it toward the tree she was approaching. The pain of impact shuddered through her, and between that and the wind and the fatigue, she crumpled to the ground beside the pod that had, against all odds, bumped squarely against the tree trunk and come to a stop. She rolled onto her side, panting, ready to pat herself on the back for a job well done.

But now that the pod did not occupy her full attention, she quickly registered the chaos all around her. Horror showed on her face; how could she possibly save all of them? But then her gaze focused closer, on the feline near her, and she smiled automatically and with relief. How long had she had this most welcomed companion? "I don’t know what to do," she admitted, forcing herself back to her feet. Her tail wagged hesitantly behind her as the gears turned in her brain; she was overwhelmed, yes, but she was also determined to keep on fighting. "Do you have any ideas?"

[roux]

Roux had nearly sprung at the same time as the canine despite her plans to be a preventive force in case the wind changed, if not for her innate sense of thinking things through, she would have collided with this new found canine, possibly crushing the poor pod and making a fool of herself all at once. Instead she eased her frantic pace from a haphazard springing sprint to a trot. Her dark nostrils flared in both fatigue and a breath of relief, the dense fan of her whiskers on either side of her nose rising up with her spirits. This one little pod was a small victory in the raucous happenings going out of the usual scheme of birth and life. It would be safe, nestled in the root and grass labyrinth of the tree trunk.

The canine had the same look of exertion, as if neither were built for the testing limits of their bodies just yet. Already she felt that small sense of being overwhelmed, an emotion she could relate to as the wind tore through such a serene place. Roux lowered her diminutive head a bit as she came closer to the canine, large green eyes filled with a friendly kind of curiosity and round pupils that contracted and dilated minutely with each quick blink.

“I don’t know what to do, do you have any ideas?”

Her raised whiskers seemed to droop as she looked around. At the moment, there were no ideas popping in her mind miraculously. It was very apparent that the two of them were stuck in a situation that took more than they seemed to possess, being so young and new themselves. Even the sound of talking, hearing the friendly voice of the canine and the words were amazing to her, especially as her brain processed and understood each letter, syllable and sentence.

“I don’t know.” Her voice wasn’t meek, and yet it was a soft spoken, odd thing to hear bounce about in her skull. She seemed to frown further in thought, maybe even in apology, her head twisting to look around. She didn’t want to do anything until there was a plan or some hope of a solution. The bending grass and swaying tree branches above threw dappled shadows and molten light upon the pair, and a faint idea came to her brain. The wind had been steady all this time, blowing in a steady direction over the land. “The wind. We can, we can follow it.” Roux’s tail flicked from where it had come to rest halfway to the ground. “If we know where they’re going, we can get ahead of them, can’t we?” It made sense to her, in her thought process that an object like the small pods would be fairly easy to intercept at a later point. Instead of chasing, they were simply waiting for them to fall into their paws, relatively speaking. However, even her own words and logic were a step ahead of her, and her point was shaky at best, and it was rather nerve wracking to be asked such a question by a new face so early in her existence. Her eyes narrowed a bit as the gusts picked up once more, the cream and light reddish brown of her coat sifting in the same direction of the wind. Whatever would happen, she was sure they could help, even if it meant chasing down every single one of those little pods.

[arooix]

The bundle of the gentle cocoon's embrace hugged the life form that was within it's protective shell. Arooix was positioned safely inside, her haunches and body crunched together in a fetal position that had been well formed to the cocoons birth. All was well, dangling upon a slight brown branch that held her until it was her time to open her eyes to the world. Though Arooix knew not what she looked like, nor what she sounded like - she felt in her the vibes that processed throughout the canal of the cocoon. Something was going to happen, and that something was happening now. At first the cocoon swayed in a mythical, slow paced gait; that was until a handsome gust of wind tugged upon the stem that held fast to the branch. A twitch of strain ran through the particles of her burrow, until finally there was no more strain. The sound of a snap echoed diligently, from there on out the weight of the cocoon increased as force pushed the sack towards earth ground. Thankfully the fall that would begin her life was not a long drop down.

Once the cocoon made impact, Arooix jolted forwards. A shallow, fresh gail of cold air tickled what she believed to be known as her nose. Now, this unfamiliar sense proved to be foreign. Investigating where the close wind had came from - Arooix pushed with her paws and eventually found the opening, also known as the source of the wind. Wasting no more time starting her life, she scrambled fiercely at cocoons interweaves; tearing them further. Soon enough there was a gaping exit that Arooix pushed through, her bones cracked as they stretched and relieved the cradle position she had adopted ever so long ago. It wasn't easy, stumbling blindly the being forced her eyes wide open. Trembling in the delicate green grass, the pup stood and peered at her alien form. It seemed she had thick, long black and white fur. Unlike most her larges trait were her over sized paws.

Blinking, Arooix peered about - her glazed eyes clearing so she could see her surroundings. All around there was green life, plants, trees and bushes. Scents flourished to her twitching black nose that inhaled the new found oxygen with greed. Nonetheless, Arooix soon realized that she had nobody - and to make matters worse she had no clue what to do. Determining this was the time to use her vocal cords she opened her jaw and tested her quiet voice "H-Hello? Is anyone out there"". At first her voice cracked but then became strong. Shaking; Arooix stood using her limbs the way they should be used. Taking tender steps forward, the large pawed babe stumbled onwards. Face wrinkled in fear and curiosity she called out once more "Anyb-body?". Shivering, she stood alone for quite some time until she took the initiative to seek out the presence of others.

Taking one last glance at her broken pod, Arooix left it behind as she trudged through and down the grassy slope. It was a wonder how the world was such a beautiful place. Pawing at a unique purple flower, her first ever smile peeled at her lips. Such amazing things the land had to offer, not to mention the beauty that danced in front of her unbelieving eyes. The wait inside the cocoon was worth every second of the life out of it. To feel the yellow orb high in the sky supply one with undignified warmth, the breeze brush through ones fur and the lullaby-like sounds that flowed with tune. But beyond that tune there were two unbalanced voices. It did not take time for Arooix to notice, perking her stubby ears; she stretched her limbs and felt the blood flow deeply through her veins as she ran with a weak pace.

Slowing down - Arooix narrowed her eyes. Hiding behind a stout bush, it appeared from her view that the voices belonged to a canine and a feline specimen. Padding with a clumsy stealth Arooix left the shadows of the bush. "Wait! Wait for me..." she whimpered. Stopping, the black and white canine twisted her head and looked at the strangers - she could tell they were on a mission to save the other cocoons, and Arooix to wanted to help. With her ears drooping she paced and waited to see if the others would accept her or if they would flee and abandon the newborn to her lonesome.

[kunabee]

Warm, dark, safe. This is joy and this is peace.

And then she was rolling, speeding along, down, over, up, a confusing swirl of neverending change. She could not cry out, she could not think nor function. All she could do was feel it run along, a wild tangle of change. She gave a silent cry, her mouth opened in a plaintive worry. She didn't want to come out, but dang the wind, it forced her to freedom. She felt herself slammed against a tree, and clawed at the small break in her pod. Instinct took over, overriding her will to stay into safety. And at last she opened it, took three steps forward, and then was knocked over by another pod. But it was odd, this pod. She had silence; the pod had an aura that spoke of its newness. Her eyes widened to hear voices, and she tilted her head into the direction of the noise.

"If we know where they're going, we can get ahead of them, can't we?" and "Wait, wait for me!" She didn't understand such words, not yet, but she knew them. They were faint memories; no, not memories, faint recognitions of future trailings. And so she braced herself in the flying wind, watching the too-new pods swirl off of branches. She trailed over towards the voices, guessing they were planning to do something about the pods.

She was ready, though she didn't want this freedom. How could such youth respond to a startling, thundering escape from Home and Safety? She must help the others. Must. Must. Must.

So she crept forward, eyes on the others that pranced about just out of her weak little reach. She was delicate and found herself battered by the wind, though she crawled on her stomach. Her small, silver stature was no match for the violent invisible wind or the strength of such a green world. But she crawled forward.

"I'll help too," she spoke, her blue eyes wide. The words were too soft, however, so she tried again. "I'll help save the pods. I want to save them." This time it was loud enough, and so she continued to crawl on her belly. She really was shaking, her eyes refusing to tighten against the wind, staying wide saucers of bright color in a washed-out face. She had no time to admire her beautiful, ladylike appearance, no thought to admire the world around her. There were pods that needed saving.

[rayel]

Almost as soon as she asked it, she regretted her question. Her feline companion looked distressed at the pressure but, seeing as how there was no way to undo her words, Rayel guiltily averted her gaze and scanned the orchard. As her heartbeat slowed and her breath regained steadiness, the situation looked less bleak (although still rather hopeless); what had seemed like a thousand helpless pods was actually only a few, and of those, several of them were already safely nestled at the base of a tree or rocking gently forward and backward as wind battled a bush or an incline. When she strained her vision, she thought she could see her own cocoon in the distance. It seemed implausibly close to her – the distance had seemed so much greater during the journey her newborn body had struggled to make – and she wondered just how large this orchard was, how large the world outside this orchard was. Her jaw clenched and her tail arced high and proudly behind her, marking her decision to surpass her youth in this crisis and go on to become the kind of animal that could thrive in this mysterious, beautiful, expansive new world.

She glanced sideways at her companion when she spoke, looking thoughtful and then nodding slowly. “I see what you mean,” she began, tilting her head slightly as she pondered this idea. Her mouth opened to continue but instead she whirled around to meet an unexpected voice, her hackles raised and her body slightly crouched in a defensive position. Seeing another canine – it occurred to her here that she was a canine, not a feline, and that these were two very different species – she immediately relaxed, suddenly aware of her curled lip and ashamed because of it.

To make up for her initial unfriendliness, she wagged and offered a sincere smile now, “No worries, we’ll wait.” Then, because of her vantage point, she saw another newcomer approaching: a small feline, from the looks of it, looking so frail against the merciless wind. Not worrying if her action might make the feline feel self-conscious, Rayel instinctively positioned her body between the feline and the wind, parallel to absorb as much of the blast as possible, then crouched down to her level. But Rayel was beginning to feel the time ticking and grew anxious. “We need to act,” she declared, although she did not rise from her protective stance yet. “I agree that the pods seem to be headed in the same direction. We should split into groups, one to catch the ones coming, and one to run ahead and catch the stragglers.” She glanced around for reactions, surprised at her own orders; but if they dawdled then she feared there would soon be no pods left to save.

[luke]

The cocoon was safe, quiet and warm. It'd held him gently through the entirety of his life, which was a short span that he knew nothing of. His body was just starting to awaken, his limbs slowly unfurling from the tight position he was curled into. Lavender eyes started to open and pointed ears were roused to life by a creaking noise. The cocoon was swaying, no, rocking. Creaking and cracking noises sounded outside. The newly awakened feline struggled to move his sluggish body, something he couldn't describe was filling him up. He couldn't stand it, his heart was pounding, his blood pumping. This wasn't the quiet, slow life he was use to. Excitement, fear, curiosity. The words drifted into his mind, putting a name to what he felt welling up inside of his body. Shakily, he placed his soft paws on the side of his cocoon, his almost completely formed claws slipping out to pull at the substance he was encased in. Just as he did this, there was a crack. The newly aware feline flinched back into himself, worried he had done something wrong. Before he could give this much thought, the cocoon dropped, pulled from it's tree by the winds outside. The winds he knew nothing about.

A sick feeling replaced all others and his small body braced for an impact he only vaguely knew was coming. When he hit the ground, his cocoon absorbed most of the shock, leaving the lightly colored feline safe, but shaken around. As he tried to move around yet again, he was shocked by the sudden cold air around him. The warmth of his cocoon was sucked away from him and as he scrabbled around, he quickly saw why. A large crack in the husk. Bright, golden light was filtering in, shocking the new born. He lavender eyes went wide despite the mild pain the brightness brought him.Instinctively, he started to scrabble at the gash, forcing it opened inch by inch. As his claws tore at his former home, he was suddenly sent head over tail. A squeak left his mouth and for a moment he was shocked still by the noise. Was that him? He couldn't ponder it for long, he was again sent rolling about in his cocoon. He could hear the wind outside. Was it... pushing him? Sudden panic crashed through him and he redoubled his efforts to escape. His movements were awkward and slow, his limbs flailing about helplessly as he tried to take full and sudden control of his motor skills. It took a lot of work considering how much his one-time was moving, but he soon got both of his front legs out of opening. He dug his claws into the grassy ground and swiftly dragged himself our, his legs shaking as he worked the muscles in them. The wind helped, tearing the cocoon away from him and leaving the feline clutching the ground.

His senses were instantly overloaded. His large, lavender eyes were so wide they seemed to take up his whole face. The light all around him stung them, but he couldn't bring himself to close them. The strong wind rushing by him caused them to water and he finally snapped them closed. The smells and sounds flooded his mind and his thoughts were whirling as he tried to process everything at once. Finally, he opened his eyes again... just in time to see another pod rolling right towards him. He let out another squeak, but this time didn't stop to think about the sound. He ripped his claws from the ground and jumped up. He wobbled, almost fell over, but still managed to stagger to the side. The unknown cocoon went rolling by and Jace found himself almost flipped head over tail again. The wind was stronger when he was standing and his long tail was dragging him back. His shaking legs gave out and he squished his body against the ground, his eyes wide and his chest heaving. He was not coping well with the situation. Still, he slowly turned around before standing up again. He wobbled forward a few steps, keeping his tail low to the ground as the wind blew his fur about.

"H-hello?" He whimpered quietly, hoping desperately that he wasn't the only one around. Another cocoon rolled by then and Jace realized there was no movement from inside. The situation came crashing down then and he realized that what was going on right now was dangerous. Squeaking, he lunged for the non-moving pod that had just gone by and dug his claws into the tough exterior. He was flipped once and his body screamed with pain, but his weight managed to stop the pod from rolling. Awkwardly, he scrabbled over to the nearest tree and rest the pod at the base before flopping down next to it, panting heavily. Still, he pawed softly at the pod before carefully resting his face against it. Was it alright...? The creature inside, that is. He hoped so. As he tried to process everything that was happening, he noticed a small cast of felines and canines nearby. He was swept away with all the different looks and his words died in his throat. Were they talking? He could hear snippets of conversation, so he slowly got up and took a few staggering steps in their direction, hoping desperately that they were friendly.

[roux]

She had been paying attention to the canine she had first met, relieved that her thoughts were understood and she was able to contribute something to the situation. It was clear this canine was a force to be reckoned with under pressure, for she showed distress and yet had the capacity to move through it and show productivity. Roux was startled as well, as the large black and white canine came into view. One would have thought her used to how much larger the canines seemed, or even new faces, but even so, her small feline frame crouched down slightly, ears skimming the air to lay flat on her skull. Her large eyes were glassy with alertness, switching from the two canines in a slow, almost curious pace. The feline didn’t blame the canine’s reaction to the newcomer, not when stress seemed the dominating factor in a time where they were so new to the world. However she did recover, her body language resuming a friendly and relaxed appearance as she raised her small head, the crinkling of her eyes and rise of her whiskers indicating a smile of sorts. She was so glad there were more willing to help; it made her feel happy to an extent. The overwhelmed feeling dissipated even more as yet another newborn’s voice carried softly over the harsh wind, who seemed to be having even more trouble than she had traversing the chaotic force of the gusts taking hold of the orchard. If not for the lightly brindled canine helping her to more manageable sanctuary, she was almost certain the diminutive cat would have been swept up just like all the pods.

“We need to act. I agree that the pods seem to be headed in the same direction. We should split into groups, one to catch the ones coming, and one to run ahead and catch the stragglers.”

Roux nodded quietly in agreement, glancing around the group with a small hope they would find this method in fact agreeable. She even offered the silverish fellow feline a slight nudge of comfort as she crossed over to the first pod the first canine had saved, using her small paw to make sure it was secured between one visible root and a collection of thick grass sprouts. As she waited for the others to respond, her attention was caught by yet another small form approaching out in the emerald expanse of grass and tree.

“We have another helper it looks like.” She said, more to herself than to the group, and her tone was hopeful, perhaps even happy. However, she would only be truly content when all the possible pods were nestled safe like the one she was tending to.

[arooix]

The look upon the newborns face as the canine turned to face her with a snarl on the females snout made Arooix flinch. It took a moment for her to realize that she had gotten the same response from the female feline. Once the two realized that she meant no harm their faces faded and were blanketed with a gentle warmth, and glancing to the cat she thought she could see what looked like a crinkled smile. The other canine held an ashamed look, but to recover from her impolite hello she wagged her tail. Returning the gesture of a quick smile and a brief wag of the tail - the black and white mongrel approached the two carefully, and came to stand at their sides. From the front, another newborn entered the scene - a shaking silver female feline with temperate blue eyes. Why was she shaking? Arooix pondered to herself as the cat proclaimed that she would help save the pod. Dipping her head, Arooix sought as the brown colored canine blinked and then padded to the side of the silver feline - acting as a shield to the wind.

The act was admirable, and with that Arooix perked her ears to listen "I agree that the pods seem to be headed in the same direction. We should split into groups, one to catch the ones coming, and one to run ahead and catch the stragglers,” announced the female canine known as Rayel. But her sentence was lost when from the corner of her pale blue eyes, Arooix caught the sight of a struggling feline; male with a coat of white with a slash of silver tips. Snuffing, Arooix padded towards the cat - her steps soft but her face showed that she was concerned when he cried out in pain from saving a rouge pod. When seeing the creature push the pod safely towards a tree, Arooix loosened her stiff shoulders. Shortly after placing the cocoon against the tree so it would not roll, she watched as he flopped on his side panting.

Rolling on the pads of her paws, she sniffed the panting animal lightly. Seeing that he had no fatal pain - from what she could tell, Arooix pulled back and dipped her head in respect. This tiny being had saved a life, something that she hoped would happen many times today. Twisting her head to look at the cat known as Roux and opened her maw "I want to help as well," she muttered. If they were to help, they had to hurry before the winds increased the gusts and plunged anymore pods to the ground.

[rayel]

Crouching in front of the silver cat, Rayel could feel her legs beginning to protest the prolonged exertion; yet she dared not lie down out of worry that she would find the ground as comfortable as her pod and return to the dreaded state of lethargy she had just escaped. Her gaze roved the group searching for a reaction to her suggestion. Before she noticed any reply, however, she grew distracted by a small figure nearby – a feline, currently grappling with a pod. Without thinking she bolted upright, floppy ears pricked with alarm, unsure if the cat had been flattened.

Her uncertainty dissipated and she let out a soft sigh of relief when the feline stood and gently guided the cocoon to the base of a tree. She glanced around at her companions, eager to see what expressions they would have following that act of bravery (and for that matter, what did her own face look like?). The other canine had walked over and now looked solemn with respect; then she looked back at the group and spoke of her desire to also help. Well, they all seemed willing and – hopefully – able, so Rayel took a few steps forward, out of the tree’s shadow, bracing herself against the full power of the gusts of wind. Even so, she stumbled slightly backward before she adjusted by hunkering down.

Turning her head back around to face the group, she again gave orders that may or may not be well-received. “You,” she said, indicating with a gesture of her muzzle toward Roux, “and me will follow the wind.” She briefly nodded her head in the direction of the wind before glancing back. “You three will fan out and make your stand here, saving as many pods as you can and warning us when there are ones you can’t.” She doubted her words a little even as she spoke, although it did not show. For instance, she had chosen Roux somewhat arbitrarily, partially because she wanted a canine in each group – it was easy to see that they were larger – and partially because Rayel had met her first and felt closest to her. She took another couple steps in the direction of the wind expectantly.

[kunabee]

Never doubt yourself.
Finally, as yet another joined them, she felt the tingling of her name. Sylo. She was Sylo. But she could not bask in the wonder of having a name, for there were pods to save! She nodded as Rayel gave the commands, the canine seeming to be a natural-born leader. Upon being told to pan out, Sylo narrowed her eyes and stood straight. She was the smallest out of all of them, but she could still do something. So, taking a deep breath, she stepped into the wild winds. She was pushed over, but after a few brief moments of laying still she stood back up. This time, it was a success.
During her time of laying down, she would perhaps hiss and nip at - without her teeth actually making contact - anyone attempting to help her. She knew she needed to do this herself. If she didn't make it up on her own, how could they really and truly help the pods?
But at last she was standing, at last she was on all four paws, and without further ado did indeed spread out. The pods were heading that direction; that was the direction she aimed for. And then she turned around, feeling the wind scrape against her narrowed eyes. She held firm, her tail fluffed out and her paws digging into the ground, claws scraping at it.
"We're going to save you," she said, her voice soft and quiet, thrown away by the wind. But she would save the pods. And she wasn't alone. Of course, she had time to be grateful later.
There were pods to save.

[Twilight]

Those voices...

Their outside...

Must get out...

No air...

Have to get out...

A pod, having just been blown out of an orchard tree, landed heavily on the ground. It began to roll away like the other pods, but this one wasn't underdeveloped. It had been ready to drop. This became immediately clear as a spotted cream paw burst through the side, still slimy and covered in pod goo. Soon the feline's claws tore the side of the pod to shreds and out walked a thin, yet tall feline. For a moment she caught her breath, then looked around, her fur getting blasted by harsh wind. Around her, she saw others scrambling around after pods similar to her's. No, they were not similar. None of them were are lovely as her pod had been and likewise none of them were as lovely as her!

"What are you all doing? Running around, looking silly, how is this going to help the pods?" she hissed, not yet old enough to know how to hold her tongue when she didn't need to speak. Growling, she ran after the groups of podlings, and their missing pods. She had long legs, which were clearly good for running.

[luke]

When the canine approached him, the feline's eyes went wide, once again practically taking up the entirety of his small face. This was the first canine- no, the first creature- he'd come in contact with. He swallowed thickly, his silvery ears swiveling back when the slightly larger dog sniffed at him. Once she nodded to him, his stiff body loosened and his ears slowly crept forward again. Tentatively, he stretched out a bit and sniffed at the black and white creature. She had a nice, soft scent about her. He wondered if that was characteristic of newborns? Then again, he wasn't even sure this canine was a newborn! As soon as he had gotten her scent in his nose, he pulled back jerkily, ears flattening again as he watched for a negative reaction from her. However, when she spoke he scrabbled a few paces forward, still a bit awkward on his feet.

"I-i want t-to help!" He squeaked, his voice louder and more uneven than he intended it to be. He shuffled his paws awkwardly, hunching up his shoulders and dropping his face a bit. He didn't know these creatures, so he wasn't sure how they would react to an awkward, squeaky-voice kitten such as himself. All the animals there seemed young, like himself, and he wasn't getting any threatening vibes. But, his ears still flicked backwards and there was obvious hesitation in his large, lavender eyes. He forced himself to scrabbled closer to the group, though, listening to another canine giving orders. His eyes widened as he watched her, she seemed like a natural leader in a way. He looked at her and opened his mouth, closed it again and then quickly spoke.

"IwanttohelpwhatcanIdo?" He scrunched back again, looking at the brown canine expectantly. He wasn't even sure if his breathy mass of words was understandable, but he couldn't bring himself to say them again. A gust of wind tugged at his tail, threatening to draw his body with it, but he dug his claws in and hunched down slightly, holding his group as he looked awkwardly to the brown female. He was vaguely aware of the dull pain in his body from his tussle with the pod, but he found it just a bit thrilling. He was alive, that was what it told him. He looked quietly around at all the different creatures, still blown away by all the different looks and smells. Still, he was a tad too scared to move, so he waited to be accepted b the others. He heard a hiss from another feline and nearly jumped out of his skin.