the Rift


[OPEN] Jumpin' Jumpin' [Hatching]

Johnny Posts: 161
Outcast
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 13 hh :: 10 years
Jellybean :: Common Griffin :: Molten Dagger Sarah
#1
sweet, sugar, candyman

Frostfall! Is there a more wonderful season? The only blemish on it is that this delightful season heralds the fact that I am one year older. Imagine that! Fortunately, I lost count a little while ago and no longer remember just how old I am. I know that it’s more than one, since that’s how long I’ve been here in Helovia, and less than fifteen, since that’s when the old witch told me I was going to die. But of course, it doesn’t really matter what the number is. The point is, I’ve decided today is my birthday and on my birthday - well, normally I’d find me a sweet little buddy to cuddle up with all day. But I had gone wandering yesterday (not knowing I’d be declaring today my birthday) and when I woke up in the morning I was all on my lonesome. No sweet-as-sugar Aisling or Tiamat to dance the day with, no delightful Ashamin or Rexanna to entertain me with delightful stories. I was all on my own!

Oh except for this darling squirrel that woke me up by sniffing around my face. Squirrels aren’t too fond of the sweet taste but they always seem to be curious enough to approach, especially when I’m sprawled out asleep in a snowbank (great survival instincts, right?). One time I woke up and there were FIVE squirrels examining me.

I try to make friends with this one but it ran off as soon as I sneezed when his little nose got too close to mind. It tickled the hairs there! It was woefully early in the morning when that happened, on a bright and sunny day - though fortunately I had fallen asleep in the shade and there was a cool breeze that promised more snow to come. I was rolling over, in the snow, rubbing my back and getting thoroughly coated in the flakes, when I noticed that there was something  sitting nearby that hadn’t been there before.

A present?!

Oh, no. I righted myself and found my legs again so I could move closer. It was an egg. “Well who do you belong to?” Despite having just gotten up, I sat in front of the egg, my face scrunching up as I did so, trying to solve the riddle. It was a little bigger than any bird egg I had ever seen - which was good, because a bird that could lay this egg could probably snatch me up right where I sat. And well, wanna talk about the size but there’s also the colours. Pink and red and white, all marbled across the surface. Like, it matches me?? Which is definitely the weirdest part about this entire thing and why I’m having a hard time leaving because something is definitely up.

And then it starts to wobble and move and I’ll admit, I shrieked a little bit because I totally wasn’t expecting that. I’m eyeing the thing a little more cautiously now as cracks start to form along the surface and I swear there’s something in there trying to get out but am I supposed to help?! Should I run?! I’m pretty sure there’s an entire franchise of movies talking about how you don’t want to be near some freaky little egg that’s wobbling like this - because then this weird spider alien is going to LATCH ONTO YOUR FACE and basically you’re dead within the next 5 minutes.

But it’s pink so I’m very confused.




JELLYBEAN HAS ARRIVED

@Tembovu <3
[Image: Johnny%20by%20Aud_zpsi3ssx2s1.gif]
magic and physical force permitted at all times
vigorous licking strongly encouraged
please tag in all posts

Tembovu the Elephant Posts: 805
World's Edge Captain atk: 7 | def: 9.0 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 18hh :: 10 HP: 77 | Buff: SWIFT
Mbwene :: African Elephant :: Ashen smitty
#2
Tembovu & Mbwene
The Elephant King stood in the icy waters— he had had to break a thin layer of ice at the Grove’s edge to wade so deeply into the pool. Generally, he avoided anything cold. He dreaded the cold weather, he avoided the frigid breezes up the Edge’s cliffs, he gave icy pools wide berths. But not, now he stood stifle-deep in freezing water (he wasn’t brave enough to submerge himself any deeper due to shrinkge).

Though it was mildly comically to see the giant, breaths shallow and back arched to keep his barrel from touching the arctic water, the reason for his frigid soaking was anything but. The burns on his knees from his deadly magic exploding in the Deep Forest had been severe— and one of them had begun to mildly fester, despite the cool weather. The elephantine stallion was concerned, the warm swelling was over his right knee, so close to the joint was a dangerous place for infection…

A sigh escaped his nostrils as a vaporous clouds, dark blue eyes lined with sadness sweeping to the shore to find Mbwene. She, in all her wisdom of youth, had deemed trekking into the cold water pure insanity, and he remained on the dry, icy banks. She had plunked herself on the ground, sitting in boredom as she cracked and molded ice with her trunk. Flapping ears perked as her blue gaze met Tembovu’s searching, navy one. Could they go now?

No. The giant’s head swung to she side and her ears fell back down in disappointment. Bored.

Though Tembovu’s eyes left Mbwene’s because his gaze was drawn to movement, and his ears perked as a voice floated into them. Likewise, his elephant companion spun on her butt, ears and trunk raising as some delicious smell floating into it.

And then a small shriek had the giant moving, leaving the water to go aid the peppermint pony. Legs were dripping icicles onto the soil before he realized that he had left the pond. Perked ears and sharp eyes ear and see the cracking egg, Mbwene far ahead of him as she had followed the alluring smell.

She stomped onward, straight up to the man inspecting the egg (the little elephant did nothing more than glance at it), with Tembovu in her wake. His flared nostrils caught the scent once again, it was familiar— from the evening of the turtle and tree? Before he had been distracted by Rexanna…

The sadness and darkness grew in his face, shadows of his mind extending to Mbwene and dulling her curiosity, outstretched trunk falling limply and waving ears collapsing alongside her head. Confused, sad eyes leave the peppermint man, swinging back to look at the Elephant King.

He sweeps his gaze to Johnny, focusing on the pleasant, delicious smell and excitement of a hatching companion, rather than the shadows that threatened to enshroud his mind and face. “Congratulations, it seems you soon will have a companion, as well.” His words, so usually filled with genuine sentiments, sounded hollow even to his ears. He gently rested his front right leg as feeling returned and throbbing began again in his knee.

@Johnny sad Tembo isn't as fun to write :[

Please tag Tembovu.

Johnny Posts: 161
Outcast
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 13 hh :: 10 years
Jellybean :: Common Griffin :: Molten Dagger Sarah
#3
sweet, sugar, candyman

If you think I shrieked before, it was nothing compared to what came from me when I turned and saw this little - um, well I don’t know what it is but it was CUTE! I was shrieking out of excitement, you see, because holy crap that little whatever-it-was was adorable. I just wanted to reach out to the little trunk that had been reaching out for me and ask what she was. But before we could get properly acquainted, a familiar and entirely welcome figure came up behind her. I was excited, you see, because I didn’t get the chance to properly meet him when we were all gathered around the giving tree - Rexanna stole him away! Just now, though, I got a look at that handsome face and I have to admit all that excitement rather crumbled away.

Good gumdrops I haven’t seen someone look so sad since my brother Jake took a nap in a sunny spot and his face melted into a permanent frown.

I don't feel any calmer about this egg I'm sitting in front of after being told the news in such a hollow voice. “You look as though you just told me I’m about to die.” I looked back to the egg, which was hard because the stallion and the whatever-it-was that had come up were pretty fascinating too, which was beginning to shake and a peek finally popped out of the shell - sending a pink piece shooting off into the distance over my shoulder. “Is having a companion that bad?!” I ask of this doom-bringer giant of a man standing nearby though my green eyes can’t be torn away from the fluffy little face now emerging from the egg.

Surely, if companions were like Lochan and this little trunk thing near me it couldn't be that bad?

It's almost completely out and I have no idea that there's a cute little puppy butt connected to the slightly-ugly bird that I could see now. “What do I do?!” I’m panicking just a little bit. Everything I am is weird, everything I know is strange, but this is probably the oddest thing ever to have happened to anyone.

A king, an elephant, and a candicorn welcome a corgi-assed griffin into the world. It sounds like the beginning of a very wonderful joke!



[Image: Johnny%20by%20Aud_zpsi3ssx2s1.gif]
magic and physical force permitted at all times
vigorous licking strongly encouraged
please tag in all posts

Tembovu the Elephant Posts: 805
World's Edge Captain atk: 7 | def: 9.0 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 18hh :: 10 HP: 77 | Buff: SWIFT
Mbwene :: African Elephant :: Ashen smitty
#4
Tembovu & Mbwene
Ears snap forward as the peppermint man speaks, great skull cocking somewhat as a ghost of a lopsided smile tugs at the corners of thick lips. Nostrils still flared— they would not be denied the deliciously refreshing and sweet smell of this small stallion. At the shallow wave of amusement the rippled between elephant and Elephant, Mbwene returned her attentions to the fascinating man.

Trunk outstretched, just barely brushing the peppermint forearm of the man before breaking out into an indignant trumpet as a pink shard of egg hit her squarely in the ear flap. The shrill reverberations of her annoyance had the Elephant King pinning his ears for a moment. Calf trumpets could be so piercing. His eyes squinted and his head jerked to also avoid any other flying egg debris.

“On the contrary, having a companion is both entertaining and gratifying,” navy eyes warm for a moment as they glance towards the still cross Mbwene, who was now warily watching the wiggling fluff through narrowed eyes. ”What do I do?!” cobalt gaze shifts back to the now-panicking man.

And (finally) a true grin warmed his broad muzzle. “You bond with it, you name it, you share yourself with it,” his low rumble was warmer now. Partially amused at the candyman’s reaction and partially humored at the awkward appearance of the newly hatched companion.

Mbwene, satisfied (perhaps erroneously) that no more pieces of anything would be flying towards her head, stuck her trunk into her mouth, tasting some of the powdered sugar that had transferred from Johnny to her. It was delicious. A brassy, appreciative squeak escaped her as she turned wide, round eyes back to the white and pink unicorn.

“This is Mbwene, and I am Tembovu. I don’t think I caught your name before?” introductions first, and then ask him why he smelled so damn delicious. In the face of such oddity, the shadows pushed to the depths of his navy pools and just barely manifested as small lines around his eyes.
@Johnny

Please tag Tembovu.

Johnny Posts: 161
Outcast
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 13 hh :: 10 years
Jellybean :: Common Griffin :: Molten Dagger Sarah
#5
sweet, sugar, candyman

This trunked creature was a wonder but MAN the trumpeting noise she made when she got hit with the flying piece of egg shrapnel - made me jump right out of my skin! My green eyes were bulging as I turned to look at her but, luckily, it just appeared to be the surprise of the thing.

And then someone certainly started to change their tune! Which was perfect because I was having a little bit of a crisis and no matter how pretty this boy’s eyes were, having him frown while he loomed overhead wasn’t going to help. He explained that having a companion was “entertaining” and “gratifying” which weren’t exactly the most encouraging words because that’s how I describe most of my meals. And I wasn’t about to eat this little creature.

“Name it!” Like it was a child! “Oh I can feel her, I think she’s hungry.” Oh. “HER!” I exclaimed as I made this connection, as though I just knew it. The “bird” squawked in response, wiggling out of the rest of the marbled shell and coming toward the sound on my voice. Uh.. waddling? Toward the sound? Honestly I have no idea how to describe how the creature was moving or how to describe HER because her front half is a bird and her back half is a puppy. There’s a tiny little tail wagging and it coos as it - uh, she -  looks between the three faces.

“Oh my gumdrops is that not the cutest thing you’ve ever seeeen?!” I start prancing on the spot a little bit, and then lower my head to sniff at the… thing and let it sniff me too. All of the uncertainty has just POOFED and I’m grinning like a damn fool when I look back up to Tembovu, as he introduced himself, and little Mbwene. Well if I just don’t love everyone here right now!

I need to give Mbwene a present. I turn my head back and flick my tail forward so that I can grasp a few of the strands with my teeth. A quick jerk and a couple of them come loose - bright red as I turn back and offer them to the little (elephant). “That’s peppermint,” I explain - I’m not just some nutter that goes around handing out strands of hair to companions for no good reason. I’m Johnny and this… is… Jellybean!” She chirps at me as I say her name which pretty much makes it official.




WOO YOU GOT JOHNNY'S 100TH POST
[Image: Johnny%20by%20Aud_zpsi3ssx2s1.gif]
magic and physical force permitted at all times
vigorous licking strongly encouraged
please tag in all posts

Tembovu the Elephant Posts: 805
World's Edge Captain atk: 7 | def: 9.0 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 18hh :: 10 HP: 77 | Buff: SWIFT
Mbwene :: African Elephant :: Ashen smitty
#6
Tembovu & Mbwene
His slight, lopsided smile grew to a grin and then an outright laugh as the peppermint man came to the realizations of bonding aloud. Navy eyes fell downward, watching the small bird-puppy totter towards her new bonded, drawn by both sound and the connection of souls. His deep laugh rolls again as Johnny prances in place while the little griffin wiggles its puppy-dog tail. “Indeed, it is,” his bass tone is shaken by his laughter.

Mbwene, still sucking the sweet sugar off of her trunk, watches the infant with interest. Large ears flap hello, but before she can go investigate the wiggling creature further, the delectable-smelling man is placing red strands of deliciousness in her face. Gleefully, she whips her trunk out to deftly grasp the peppermint strands, wasting no time in shoving them into her mouth. Bright blue eyes sweep up to the dancing man, a soft trumpet of thanks leaves her tiny body and her trunk reaches to brush Johnny’s knee. But then, gratitude shown, she turns her curious attentions on the fluffy and naked puppy-chick; her investigative advances are halted only when Tembovu calls, “Mbwene, let them have a moment, first.” She huffs a brassy sigh, but (suprisingly) acquiesces to the King.

“‘Jellybean and Johnny’— it rolls off the tongue,” his low rumble both agreed and complimented his naming choice of the new companion. “Though Jellybean is unlike any Griffen I’ve yet seen. But, you are also unlike any unicorn I’ve yet met. Are you— are you all peppermint? …and is she?” he cannot help the slight lean towards his red and white form as he can feel the delicious satisfaction from Mbwene as she munched on his hair. And his peppermint scent wafted towards him in such close quarters— just a reach of his corded neck and he could easily taste the tempting smell.

@Johnny 100th?! I'm honored :D

Please tag Tembovu.

Johnny Posts: 161
Outcast
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 13 hh :: 10 years
Jellybean :: Common Griffin :: Molten Dagger Sarah
#7
sweet, sugar, candyman

Mbwene accepted the offering of the peppermint strands, much to my delight, and munched happily on it. Apparently elephants like peppermint! Well who can blame them. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I come across someone that doesn’t like it. Or that is allergic to it?? But then is my hair really peppermint? Or magical peppermint?

Didn’t realize the existential questions that came into play when you were a candy horse, huh?

After her snack, Mbwene gets curious about little Jellybean and I shift a little bit so that she can get a good look - but just as I was doing so, Tembovu admonished her. “Oh I don’t mind.” I smile warmly at the little elephant even as she was backing away, following the instruction of Tembovu. But I guess he was her bonded so he called the shots!

“A griffin huh? Aren’t they supposed to big big, fearsome creatures?” Tembovu was right, Jellybean definitely didn’t look look like one of those. “Maybe she’ll grow into one!” She could be tiny, fluffy and pink while she was a baby but she could grow into one of those creatures of old!

I’d be a little concerned if Tembovu had met any unicorns that were like me. It was nice to be unique! “Oh uh… well not all peppermint! Just my mane and tail and horn and hooves I think, though I’ve never tasted them.” My green eyes look down to those bright red hooves as I consider trying it right now… but that might be a little weird. “The rest of me is regular old fashioned sugar!” Nothing too weird about that right? I look over to Jellybean, lowering my head to ruffle the feathers on her head and she chirps happily at the contact. “I don’t think she is though. It’s kinda hard to tell, everything smells like peppermint and sugar to me.” Unless I got really close to something so I could smell it proper. But all the little sugar particles inside of my nose (like, I guess even technically my snot is sugary??) means that I’m surrounded by these scents all the time.

There are worse things I could smell! And worse things I could smell like.



[Image: Johnny%20by%20Aud_zpsi3ssx2s1.gif]
magic and physical force permitted at all times
vigorous licking strongly encouraged
please tag in all posts

Tembovu the Elephant Posts: 805
World's Edge Captain atk: 7 | def: 9.0 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 18hh :: 10 HP: 77 | Buff: SWIFT
Mbwene :: African Elephant :: Ashen smitty
#8
Tembovu & Mbwene
His lips pursed in further, if sedated, amusement as Johnny (rather optimistically) hoped aloud that Jellybean would grow into a ‘big, fearsome creature.’ A black brow raised as his low voice rolled, “Perhaps she will,” though there was an obvious undercurrent of doubt in his words. “But I think her… charm fits her— and you,” his deep roll continued, while his nostrils instinctively quivered at the closeness of so delectable a smell.

Mbwene surged back forward to greet the griffin, having understood Johnny’s warm smile and felt the permission to do so flow from her bonded. She was curious to see what that naked skin and puppy-fur felt like. Was it was soft as it looked? Her trunk hoped so.

At his bright, exuberant explanation of his coat, the Elephant’s brows raised further, “Made of sugar and peppermint?” The redundant question was asked in disbelief— such delicacies were rare luxuries in Dorobo; they were one of the reasons the Makutano wanted to expand westward, towards the Plateaus. There, they had continual access to such hedonistic delights.

And so, the King, in his dark and shadowed state, did not have the mental strength to deter himself this small, harmless pleasure. With a last flare of his nostrils and a slow gesture of his head, navy blue eyes almost searching his green ones for permission, his muzzle drops and his soft tongue gently licks up the juncture of hoof and skin. Mint flavor floods his mouth, temporarily staining his tongue red, before the sugar-sweetness of his fetlock floods his mouth.

He cannot help the grin that spreads across his muzzle, “Indeed, your hooves are peppermint, my friend.” Finally the darkness shadowing his eyes lifts, leaving lightened navy pits that crinkled in the corners. There’s something about candy that just does that, you know?

His attention swings to the disappointed speak of Mbwene, who had promptly stuck her trunk in her mouth after thoroughly inspecting Jellybean. “And I think Mbwene is telling us that Jellybean is not,” the deep tone was laced with amusement.

An ear flicked backward as Mbwene suddenly fixed him with a bright, intense stare. It was time to go, he had obligations that he could no longer (should no longer) avoid in the Edge. “Thank you for sharing yourself with me, Johnny,” his brow creased just as a short chuckle escaped him, realizing just what he had said— but he forged on, “Though I must be returning to the Edge. A King can only shirk his duties for so long before someone notices.” With a dip of his horn and a half-hearted grin, he faded into the Grove’s trunks.
@Johnny

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