The First Step [OPEN]

[Deleted]

Beginnings could be such scary things. They marked a transition from the known to the unknown, a change in the scenery, a new path to follow. One could argue that beginnings were beautiful and necessary; that without them, the world could not keep turning. Each new story in a creature's life kept the momentum going, the heart beating, and life flowing in and around and through everything it touched. Every step touched somewhere new, somewhere different, someone else and changed the environment. Every creature forged their own path, fought their own battle, walked their own way. Meetings happened when the journeys aligned, when fate decided that two stories must combine for moments, however long or brief they might be.

Others could bring up another idea: that a new beginning, that change was horrible and to be avoided at all cost. Venturing into the unknown, where each step touched somewhere new, somewhere different, someone else and changed the environment. It was a bad idea, nothing good ever came of it. Each new place discovered was full of unseen dangers, threats, and concerns. How could proper caution be observed if the area was not familiar?

Still, there were others who did not see the world in such blacks and whites. Their world was one colored in shades of grey, where each situation had different values of black and white combined to make a color so perfectly mixed for its tenants. It matched the highlights and lowlights, the hidden shadows and stark truths, blending everything together until nothing was discernible and everything was up in the air. 

It awoke to a world of black. The darkness was sharp; it felt it could reach forward and cut it apart to reveal a layer underneath. But what could it cut with? It was just an entity, a consciousness surrounded by a world of black. The black pressed in on all sides. Desperate to escape the confined of this black...thing, it expanded its consciousness. Slowly, the black faded into a dull shade of grey, and it felt more than just a being. Sense flowed from the center of its thoughts, down to reach forepaws, hindlegs, and tail. Whiskers twitched, ears strained. Claws unsheathed, toes wiggled. Tail swished, back arched. Eyes opened.

The grey faded into a lighter shade, white with a hint of black left. A thick substance confined it, kept it cramped inside of some prison. It felt mentally aware, but unable to bring limbs in tandem with mind. A command to a paw sent a twitch to a tail. It wriggled inside its cocoon, struggling to bring physical manifestation into harmony with the mental representation of its self. Suddenly, claws unsheathed when commanded, and paws ripped through the suffocating grey when ordered.

White.

The world it had known, the small, confining place of grey, gave way into a flash of light before details came into view around it. It lay there, a heap on the ground, drinking in the new, vast openness of the world around it. It lay there, waiting for something to change. It could not be a beginning until it took a step, but it did not have the will to take a step. It needed an impetus, something or someone to come along and convince it that a new story awaited at each pawprint it made in the ground before it. Once it began that journey, it could not go back.

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tags: open to any
word count: 578
notes: tormund is currently unaware how different it is from the other creatures. this post will see it develop the personality listed in its bio.

[Deleted]

Seraphi was taking after her mother, it seemed. The canine that had contributed to her birth frequently returned to the life-giving trees to welcome any new beings she came across. Seraphi didn’t return quite as often, though she did find herself curious about the place at times, and that curiosity sometimes led to her leaving the shelter of the maple forest and crossing into the orchard to see what – who – she could find.

Usually, the trees weren’t producing pods when her curiosity won over everything else, but today was an exception. Pods containing creatures in varying states of development hung heavy on the trees. Some were burst and empty. Others had fallen to the ground already. Scents mingled in the air and on the ground. Some of the births had been recent! Her mother would be happy to hear that.

Rustling in a nearby bush distracted her from the pods, and she pounced. The rodent she found managed to wiggle between the roots and escape, and Seraphi struggled out of the bush, shaking leaves and bits of branch out of her multi-hued pelt. She then looked around, and her eyes locked on the equally multi-hued feline. She padded over, swishing her tail in what was almost a wag. She’d hoped she’d get to meet a newborn!

“Hi there!” she called out happily. Her eyes widened a little as she took in the scent. It wasn’t male or female…did that happen? …Apparently so. Eh, that was fine. After all, Seraphi had her own weirdness – she was neither feline nor canine, though she resembled both. “Welcome to life! It’s nice to be out of the pod, isn’t it?

[Deleted]

Pods hug ripe from tree branches. It looked about, taking in the sight of the cocoons. They look like fruit, it thought, unbidden. Wait. I can think? It blinked stupidly at the new thoughts running through its mind. It felt torn in a million different directions as its eyes, ears, nose, and touch flooded its brain with information. Its own scent washed over its nose as it looked at the fallen pod next to it. The outer shell that kept it in blackness looked...different to it. The other hanging pods seemed perfectly formed, housing the creature inside safely. But its pod? The husk was rippled, scratched almost and it didn't have the same pristine innocence about it. It frowned, feeling an unknown emotion well up inside.

"Hi there!"

It spun its head as a bright, chipper voice penetrated through the cacophony of thought. Standing over it was a creature of many different colors. It looked up at the animal as the voice continued on.

“Welcome to life! It’s nice to be out of the pod, isn’t it?"

It looked back at the already withering shell and nodded slowly, agreeing with the sentiment. It struggled to rise onto four legs, managing only to sit up and look less like a heaping pile of fur on the ground. It looked closer at the other creature, drawing the scent across its nose. Female. The answer to its unasked question came to its mind quickly. It had to get used to having knowledge it did not know it had. A question for the female across from it formed in his head. When she did not reply, it realized that what it had been saying was inside its head, where others could not hear it. It tried again, then, to get its message across.

"Is place what this." The words came out jumbled, as if inside the pod again. The command it sent was not the action rendered. It growled in frustration, but cut the sound out short when a harsh noise reached its ears. What was that? It sounded threatening. It glanced at the female, eyes narrowed in suspicion, but her demeanor had not changed. It growled again, but this time experimentally, and the same harsh noise filled its ears again.

I did that. The new ability pleased it. It learned to express a new emotion without using words at all. Perhaps it could do the same with thoughts, getting its meaning across through natural noises, expressions, and gestures? It could not talk; that it was sure of. It looked at the female again, this time filling its face with an expression of curiosity and innocence. It threw its thoughts at her wildly, begging her to understand. It had mastered thinking, but not speaking, and it could not communicate well. It only hoped that she would have the patience to deal with what a fool it was.

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tags: seraphi // ree
word count: 477
notes: whee i love tormund already!

[Deleted]

The other creature turned to her as she greeted them and nodded. The poor thing looked so confused…he/she/whatever would find their feet soon enough

The feline spoke, and they were words Seraphi recognized, but the order of them confused her, and it took time to figure out what her companion had just said. Too much time, apparently. A growl startled her and she backed up a step, watching the feline. She had never met anyone aggressive – not that she could remember, anyway – but she knew such creatures existed and were best avoided. The feline didn’t look aggressive, though.

Seraphi’s ears twitched as the growl came again, this time less menacing. What was going on here? Then the feline seemed pleased with itself. She stepped forward, thinking she understood now. The creature was new, and that meant everything was new to them, even making sounds. So it wasn’t aggression, just testing a new body.

Her companion looked at her, looking more curious than confused now. Seraphi smiled and wagged her tail – more of a swish than a wag thanks to her feline half. “I know. It overwhelmed me when I first came out of my pod too. I had others there to help me, though, so it wasn’t too bad.” She’d had her parents, and Silva and the rest of her pack shortly after. She didn’t state that much, because the last thing she wanted to do was confuse the feline even more. They needed to get familiar with the basics of life first, and then they could work out things like packs later.

A thought then occurred to her, and she glanced around. “How are you doing, by the way? Some creatures are energetic and ready to explore right away, but not everyone. If you’re hungry or anything, I can try to teach you how to hunt or find the edible plants – whichever you’d prefer. Or I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.” She then remembered the attempt at speech from earlier. “Or…maybe help you talk? Words are a bit complicated, but you should learn fast enough.” She paused for a moment, trying to remember the words the feline had spoken earlier. “You were asking where you were earlier, right? This place we’re in now is called The Orchard. It’s where all new lives start. It’s part of a much bigger place – the world. There’s other lands that look so much different. Not far from here, you’ll find a river garden, a plain covered in blue grass, and a forest covered in red and gold leaves.” And…hopefully her new friend understood at least some of that. She was dumping a lot of information. She’d have to remind herself to slow down for everything else.

((Sorry for the lateness. I'm visiting relatives this week. I'll be faster once I get back home.))

[Deleted]

“I know. It overwhelmed me when I first came out of my pod too. I had others there to help me, though, so it wasn't too bad.”

Was this what birth felt like? A whole new overwhelming experience? It looked at the female again for a few long moments, organizing its thoughts.

"Thank you."

The words came out correctly, with the right tone and intonation and pronunciation. It purred loudly, proud of itself and also as part of its thank you. This other creature didn't have to come out of her way to help it, yet she did. It was going to try speaking again, to practice, but she spoke again.

“How are you doing, by the way? Some creatures are energetic and ready to explore right away, but not everyone. If you’re hungry or anything, I can try to teach you how to hunt or find the edible plants – whichever you’d prefer. Or I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.”

Questions it had plenty of. But then she continued, offering to help with speech. That it would greatly appreciate. Suddenly she launched into answering its earlier question. The words slipped over its head, but it caught one phrase that answered its main question. The Orchard. It was in the Orchard. What did it want to do first? It looked at her and suddenly wondered what it looked like. She was full of color, and from what little of its pelt it could see, it almost looked the same. It wanted to look at itself.

"See myself." The words sprung from its mouth, but at least it could talk in the proper order. It stood slowly from its sitting position, waiting for the wobbling to stop. It was grateful for the compassion this stranger had shown it. It was new to the world and knew nothing. She didn't have to come by to help it find its way in the world, but hopefully the time spent with her would speed its acclimation process.

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tags: seraphi // ree
word count: 332
notes: tormund is so bumbling and awkward xD you're fine, too. I understand~

[Jair]

Kaolin moved through the brush of the Orchard with very little balance and grace. Though she had mostly gotten the hang of speech thanks to Nerah and Fer.((this is an assumption to how Wanderings is going to go, I can always change it later)) She had enjoyed her time with the two canines. It was her first experience ever talking and they were the first creatures she had ever met. It left a lasting impression, one that she would never forget.

At the moment Kaolin was enthralled with her surroundings. The different colors and smells, the fruits and vegetation, even the feeling of the brush and grass against her fur. It was all so stimulating! Her mind shot off signals in every direction to every part of her body. These feelings were new, but also had a sense of familiarity to them, just as speaking and moving did. Neither of them were very easy for her, however. In fact, it was quite obvious she hadn't gotten walking down yet as she slammed herself into a tree and toppled over onto her back with a yelp.

So there she lay on her back, blinking up at a tree filled with pods that hadn't hatched yet. A new sensation... Pain? That was the word her mind attributed to it. Curious, how could she know of something she had never truly felt before? She wondered the same thing about moving and speaking. How had it come so easy? Well, relatively of course, she wasn't very good at either yet as stated before. After a few minutes of deliberation and contemplation she arose and began to walk once more, staring off into the distance but not actually looking where she was going.

Of course Kaolin took another fall. The dark furred Canine tumbled down a small hill and shot out of the brush beside Tormund and Seraphi, actually rolling past both of their faces, into the tree that had birthed the genderless feline. Another yelp escaped from her throat, the sound rather androgynous. Where she had come to rest was on her back, her rump in the air and her head crooked to the side on the ground. The confused creature stayed there for a few moments, simply flailing her legs every so often. She seemed oblivious to the two that had just been so violently interrupted.

[Deleted]

Her companion thanked her, and Seraphi purred in response to the other creature’s purr. Already, they were doing better with talking! She wished she had a proper pronoun for her new friend, though. Females and males were easy, but neutral genders had…well… “it”, and that didn’t seem very polite to use. “It” referred to objects, after all. “They” seemed a little better, but it was a bit awkward to use. Maybe the genderless feline had a pronoun they preferred? The feline would have to master talking before she could ask, and she’d have to find a polite way to bring it up.

The feline then made a request – to see itself. Themself? Eh, either way, that was simple enough. She wagged her tail and gestured to the west. “There’s a stream around there, I think. There was last I checked, anyway. We can—” But at that moment, a dark shape tumbled out of the brush nearby and nearly bowled them over before crashing into the tree. Seraphi winced. That looked rather painful, and the yelp confirmed the pain the creature was feeling.

“Er…one moment,” she said to the feline before taking a step toward their new companion. A tentative sniff told her this was a female canine, though it was a little difficult to tell. She frowned and examined the canine, checking for injured. It wasn’t easy in her current heaped pose, and she wasn’t entirely familiar with the herbs that grew in the orchard, if there were any, so she didn’t know how much help she could be.

“Miss?” she took another step toward the canine. “Are you all right? Do you need help?”

((Kao's meeting the mother and daughter soon after each other. XD))

[Deleted]

Tormund waited as the animal in front of it processed its request. It had been awed by its companion's colors, and it desperately wanted to see what vibrant colors graced its own coat. While she mentioned a stream nearby, she did not get a chance to finish her thought as a wild flurry of animal tumbled into their midst. Tormund backed away suddenly, scrambling to get away from the lump of fur. Once it realized it moved without falling, it sat a little straighter than normal, proud of its controlled movements. It seemed as though every breath the feline took in its body gave it more control over all its faculties, and it took more pride in that than anything else.

As its companion approached the animal that interrupted their meeting, it took the time to actually inspect the intruder. Their new companion was a canine, and dark furred. It sniffed deeply, finding a scent that identified the canine as female. While similar in lilt to the scent of its current companion, it was also different... Its companion seemed to be a mixture of its own scent and the canine, while the canine had a completely distinct scent of its own. Tormund turned to the brightly colored, mixed-scent female and studied her carefully. Noticing the features she shared with itself and the canine, it came to the conclusion that she was a mixture of a canine and a feline.

It looked at the canine and a form of compassion came over it. "You okay?" it asked quietly, concern gracing its features similar to that of the other standing animal. "I'm--" it stopped, caught in a sudden moment of self-reflection. What was it, exactly? It was certainly alive, but how could it refer to itself? A word came to its lips quickly, and it spoke it without hesitation.

"Tormund."

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tags: seraphi // ree | kaolin // jair
word count: 311
notes: and it finally has a name! sorry about the wait

[Jair]

So there she was! Laying there, waiting for the dizziness and nausea to go away. She realized now that her head hurt, perhaps she had hit it? Or maybe it was just an adverse reaction to tumbling headfirst down a hill? Either way, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Eventually the feeling subsided, but not before she missed everything that had been said by the others. She looked up and saw a new creature that she imagined to be a feline. She didn't know why she knew this, it was another one of those wondrous mysteries that got her brain juices flowing. Then she looked a bit to the side and saw a mottle amalgamation of Canine and Feline. She looked oddly familiar.

Kaolin suddenly twisted her head and then her body to the side, rising to her feet, and took a few steps forward towards Seraphi. She got so close that their noses nearly touched. Her tail was wagging quite profusely. "Nerrlll... Nerr..." A sudden pause as she took in a breath, then another one, and third one yet deeper. "No. MMrr... Different." The wagging contraption on her rear slowed for a moment as Kaolin took the time to process things. The creature smelled a bit like Nerah, even looked somewhat like her, but in every aspect was not exactly the same.

Kaolin took a few steps back and sat on her haunches. She looked over to Tormund now, unfortunately having missed his name. Her head cocked to the side and she stood up again, walking close to the feline this time around. A few deep breaths. So this was what felines smelled like? The creature also had a smell a lot like Kaolin did when she was first born and Fer. Perhaps it was a newborn? There was a peculiar smell to it, but she just attributed it to the creature being a feline, not to the fact it was genderless.

"Hellr... Hello!" There went her tail, back to wagging swiftly.

((Really sorry for the long wait! Also, Kaolin meeting Nerah and Seraphi right after each other was not planned in the slightest. xD))

[Deleted]

Her companion seemed to back away a bit. She glanced back at them, purring in reassurance. Fortunately, they seemed more curious than scared. Curious, and a bit concerned. At least, they were asking if the canine was okay. That meant this was a good-hearted creature, which would make things much more pleasant.

Then the feline introduced themselves. Tormund…not bad. Not bad at all. She smiled at the feline, happy to finally have a name for them. That would make things so much easier.

The canine twisted to the side and rose to her feet before approaching them. Seraphi’s tail wagged in response to the canine’s own tail, and she tilted her head to the side as the canine spoke. What she said confused her, though. Nerl? What was that? Then she said something about something being different. It didn’t occur to her that the canine was referring to her mother. It wouldn’t have surprised her, though.

Now it was the canine’s turn to look curious. She walked to the feline and sniffed. Seraphi backed up a couple steps and shifted to get out of the way and so she could better watch her companions.

The canine then greeted them, and Saraphi’s smile widened. “Glad you're okay. I’m Seraphi. What’s your name?”

((No worries. ^.^ Sorry this is short. Being rushed out the door.))

[Deleted]

Tormund purred at the two animals with it, glad to see that they were both nice. Seraphi, it thought, glad to have a name for its companion. It settled back to let Seraphi look over the newcomer, as it didn't think it could be of much help while it was trying to learn its new body. It sympathized with the canine, though, because it still felt awkward and bumbling in its own body. Being born was a weird experience, it decided, although a completely necessary one.



Looking around, the Orchard displayed its beauty tenfold to the new eyes of Tormund. The trees, hanging rich with pods in different stages. Bushes filled with berries. Bright, colorful flowers. Small creatures scrabbling in the underbrush. The entire world around it teemed with life, and it felt like a small piece in a vast universe. It, Seraphi, and the newcomer were just parts of the world.



The scents it smelled brought it back into a confusing state of mind. It smelled feline; that much it knew. The newcomer smelled distinctly canine, and Seraphi was a mixture of the two. She had to be a mix of canine and feline. Seraphi and the newcomer were female. It did not share the scent. What did that make it? Male didn't seem exactly right, but it knew for certain that it was not female. That made male, the opposite gender, the only natural conclusion, right?

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tags: seraphi // ree | kaolin // jair
word count: 241
notes: i am sooooo sorry about that. i lost muse for a while and then vacation and meh :c i'm back though!