darkSpyro

Nia was super extreme compared to her cousin. She flew around Snow, pulling her fur and whiskers ocasionally to make her go wild.
"Easy Nia please! She's just a cub." Angus scolded, not standing how frustrating his cousin could be. She was the complete opposite of her father, whom was the most cautious of animals when it came to any type of predator. Only Angus knew that she has been close to be eaten by the orcas just so that they could get Nia to stop bothering them so often. It was very lucky that most of them were so patient.

That didn't stop Nia, and continued pulling even harder... until Angus pulled her out of the way.
"NIA! Please. I already told you! Take it easy!" he scolded harder, really being no limit to Nia's energy.
"Come on! I was just having fun." Nia excused, hating when Angus limited her.
"Want me to tell uncle Barloc what you've been doing to the you-know-what?" Angus said, blackmailing her into taking it easily. That was enough for Nia to stop, so Angus went and play with Snow instead like they've been doing before, showing his naughty cousin how it should be done...

"See what you've done?" Angus said, scolding Nia again. The spunky cockatoo knew Snow was a cub, but she didn't think she was that delicate. Maybe she just complained easily, but nevertheless, she decided to play gently this time.
"I think it's better if you try our playground Snow. It's almost afternoon and it will be full soon." Angus expressed, postponing their little chase game for the time being. Snow was still young, and if Rose was going to bring her constantly, there was no hurry to play now.

"Try the big swing. Or the water slide. They are the best for me." Angus said, but Nia interfered.
"You're kidding? Try the trampoline. Or the merry-go-round. The best hardcore birds use them." Nia suggested, hoping that would make Snow hardcore as well.

Less than one hundred miles away, the pelicans with the delicate cargo of volcanic flowers were on the way home. To pass the time, they even made a bet; one of them said they were going to arrive later tonight, while the other said they were going to see their home at the crack of dawn. They knew how important it was to get rid of Shadow, so they were extra careful with the flowers. However, one of them doubted Crystal could even do the job...

Meanwhile...
Quote: Felines

Sybil looked up, following the direction of the voice. All she could see from Naga was a silhouette, so she couldn't see the gravy he was carrying, merging very well with his body. The only time she has ever seen him completely was when she escorted him to Crystal.
"Oh... hello again Naga. Just so you know, I'm not here on business... I... figure you might get lonely from time to time, and... well, I just wanted to know if you needed some company..." Sybil explained stammering, wanting to be completely honest with Naga, and demonstrating him how she was willing to try to befriend him and even trust him if he gave her the chance. Although Sybil was smart, it never crossed her mind if he already had a friend, since she was under the heavy impression that nobody ever wanted to be near him considering how deadly a python was, especially considering him, someone that almost brought an entire species to extinction with that monstrous appetite.

"I see... that.. that is a tempting offer and unexpected. Yes-- give me a moment to prepare and... we can talk, socialize, for as long as we can tolerate it. Stay here, but be careful. If you still decide that you are up to it when I come back-- we.. we will talk my dear civet.," Naga responded from the shadows after considering. The silhouette then seemed to disappear once again-- as Naga went to hide the gravy elsewhere before returning. He observed that Sybil had only been getting braver as time went on-- perhaps a good thing especially with mysterious forces always hiding and watching from beyond. Or so he thought at least...

Elsewhere-- another pair was bonding... that between father and son. "Come on-- you can do it!," Sayan encouraged as the two moved on to slightly more difficult fish and another favorite fishing hole of his.

OOC: Nice!

'Perhaps. And quite an unusual offspring if I do say so myself... tigers, leopards. Who knew that they could successfully breed and.. and I doubt they adopted.,' Naga thought to himself finding it intriguing to say the least.

OOC: I'll join as soon as I come up with a good character

Although Sybil could only see the silhouette, she could tell Naga was deep in thought, similar to how he was distracted back when she was escorting him. She pretended not to notice though, but it did kinda bothered her the reason why he had to leave before talking to her. She decided not to mind his business and continued talking, still very nervous. Pythons were quite the mighty predators, and Naga's voice didn't help either.
"Well then, let's talk..." Sybil said, taking a deep breath before continuing, since it was quite a speech she was going to give...

"Listen, I know you're probably struggling with my rules, and that maybe you're getting tired of this solitary existence... that's why I want to give you a chance. I created this Haven to give animals the chance to live a happy and prosperous life, and even though it wasn't your choice to live here, I still want to give you a chance to experience what this sanctuary is all about. Heaven knows I gave Shadow many chances and he took none." Sybil explained, still regretting to this very day how she was unable to redeem him. After a brief pause, she continued;

"It's going to be hard adapting, but I know that given the time, you could roam freely around the whole island without causing terror to everybody, especially the warblers. Once you believe that you can overcome the temptation of hunting them again, then... you can come see me at my tree and you can meet the rest of the Haven residents, and hopefully, become an official resident." Sybil said with a forced smile, believing that was going to be the hardest task to accomplish in all the years she has been administrating the Haven.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"I'll try both!" Snow said.

Nia and Angus stood aside to watch Snow play, but it was already past noon and wondered why nobody has arrived at the playground yet. It turns out that many of the cockatoos and warblers that were arriving stayed by the edge of the playground, hidden by the surrounding foliage. They were murmuring to themselves, appearantly talking about Snow. Since almost nobody knew about Rose and Sayan having offsprings of their own, Snow's presence was very confusing...

"Well that is strange. Usually at this hour, many of our neighbors come in flocks." Angus expressed, wondering where was everybody. Only Nia noticed there were some birds around the canopy, seemingly spying on them, but why?

Quote: Felines

"Listen, I know you're probably struggling with my rules, and that maybe you're getting tired of this solitary existence... that's why I want to give you a chance. I created this Haven to give animals the chance to live a happy and prosperous life, and even though it wasn't your choice to live here, I still want to give you a chance to experience what this sanctuary is all about. Heaven knows I gave Shadow many chances and he took none." Sybil explained, still regretting to this very day how she was unable to redeem him. After a brief pause, she continued;

"It's going to be hard adapting, but I know that given the time, you could roam freely around the whole island without causing terror to everybody, especially the warblers. Once you believe that you can overcome the temptation of hunting them again, then... you can come see me at my tree and you can meet the rest of the Haven residents, and hopefully, become an official resident." Sybil said with a forced smile, believing that was going to be the hardest task to accomplish in all the years she has been administrating the Haven.

Naga listened to the proposal and was intrigued by the idea, although he could sense the fear within Sybil. And yet-- another part of him was thinking how he didn't need permission to roam and that Sybil had been lucky so far. However-- both sides agreed on one thing and that was that he wasn't going to follow in the same footsteps as the dreaded Shadow. In separating himself from the mythical being, he had decided to make his own choices and to follow his own path. So far... he and Sybil had an unsteady truce and the civet leader had shown that she was willing to help albeit motivated by fear/hesitation.

"I'll... I'll consider it and I appreciate the offer. I know that... that it has not been easy for you to come here, my dear civet. From what I have seen and heard-- this Haven has had its ups and its downs... time and time again. And I know that this Shadow had caused the residents a great many harm. It.. it has not been easy for me and I've had much to think on since my arrival here. But... I will give you a chance as well as anyone else who is willing.," he then said his inner conflict siding more on the good side.

Sybil, relieved to have gotten all that out of her chest, was glad that Naga has been very respectful and very willing to listen to all of her speeches. He was very patient and polite, and Sybil wanted to keep it that way.
"Ok... ok... so then... in order for this to work... I need... I need to know what are the things you like. A particular activity or something." Sybil asked, willing to make Naga feel welcomed and entertained. She was afraid however that Naga would caught on that she was doing all that more to keep on his good rather than an actual desire to befriend him. Deep inside, she still couldn't forgive how Naga so gluttonously hunted down so many of her warbler friends when he could've chosen a much bigger and acceptable prey. Why he would choose such a small prey to sustain that enormous body was beyond her, but it was a fact that still infuriated her. Nevertheless, Sybil knew she had to keep all those feeling to herself, for she still knew the danger Naga represented, and now that Crocux was gone, she knew they were all potentially defenseless...

"A particular activity you say...," Naga replied seeming to need to think it over. The first thing that came to thing and the thing that he had long lived for-- would have been hunting. However, he could already sense the fear without Sybil and doubted the civet leader would very much like that response. Hunting was what his instincts told him to do and when he wasn't doing that-- he was eating, sleeping, scheming, or purely lost in thought. Of course, he now the chance for some actual conversation every now and then... even within his own head.

That, however, didn't answer the civet's question and he didn't know himself ether. "To answer your question-- I have no real answer. For someone such as myself, I live for the hunt and for the enjoyment to which it brings to a otherwise meaningless existence. And while for a time I thought I had a purpose, I.. I no longer know what that purpose is. To ask what I consider... what I consider fun is the only thing I know and mostly definitely a sore point in the minds... in the minds of the others. So to answer your question-- I respond with another question. What.. want do you like to do when you are not hunting, eating, sleeping, or engaging in social obligations?," he responded while providing no clear answer.

Naga's replied clearly worried Sybil. It showed how limited the snake's life was, and that his only true activity was hunting. She also couldn't help but notice a hint of sadism when he said the word.
"Me? Well... that's easy. I mostly take strolls around the beach, play on the sand, do some swimming, jump from tree to tree and do games with the other Haven residents like the keas. They have fun games, and they like to play pranks." Sybil answered, that not even being half of the things she did to keep herself entertained. She kept her playtime with Crocux and the orca game a secret due to Sybil being afraid that if she told Naga that she lets herself be hunted on purpose for the sake of her friend's entertainment and exercise, Naga might want to do the same, and she didn't want to risk that game becoming the real deal to him.

"I... I see.. from what I've seen, they can be quite a handful. At times.," Naga commented almost with a little bit of a laugh. "Keas, Warblers... they keep quite busy. They treat every day like its their last and no matter what-- they always make sure to have the last laugh. It's.. it's an admirable trait. I can see that they help you and.. and that they help serve as a distraction. You're lucky to have that you know, to have company at the least. Ever since coming here and after everything that has happened-- I have seen how helpful such a thing can be. I.. I cannot say rather I would enjoy any of those things, but I would be willing to try. I will try what you see fit and... and I will remember those things. For future possibilities.," the large python then added changing tone midway and seeming open to whatever Sybil would suggest. Part of him was aware or at least suspected Sybil's true intentions. However-- he was actually starting to open to change or at least the possibility of it.

Sybil pondered as to what the python could do without scaring anybody to death. After his actions, it was going to take a long while for the Haven to adapt to his large presence. Then, after seeing around, Sybil had a very good idea on what to do first.
"Listen, why don't you come to the beach with me? Receive the rays of the sun. Feel the waves. That's my favorite pastime." Sybil suggested, knowing of a place near where Marina was staying that was almost never visited by the orcas, especially with the dolphin nearby now. Marina was probably going to be busy with the seal pup, and at the moment, it was near time for the marine bird to go out fishing, so there was a very low chance for Naga to be spotted.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Snow meanwhile slid down the slide having the time of her life.

"Perhaps they are hiding?" Rose said.

It's been almost half an hour now, and while Snow was having fun, a cockatoo called Rose from a nearby branch.
"Lady Rose, can you come here? We need to know something." The cockatoo said, behind him a large group of warblers and other cockatoos that almost looked at the committee. They seemed like a mysterious bunch...

"I'll... I'll come with you.," Naga simply replied accepting the civet's decision.

Elsewhere-- Sayan was quite impressed with Hunter's progress. "You did it! Now... let's take a little break and enjoy the fruits of your labor.," he said with a smile. Hunter happily followed as they each grabbed a fish and ran off somewhere else.

"Great then. So... let's go." Sybil said, deciding to head near the forest first before heading to the beach. There was no way she was going to navigate that unforgiving swamp. As Sybil escorted Naga, she couldn't help but to look behind her from time to time. She didn't want to, for she wanted to show Naga that she was willing to trust him, but due to his past actions, and including the fact that Sybil's species was preyed by many animals, it was as if her head was moving against her will. As hard as she was trying to deny it, she was still afraid of Naga, and it terrified her to think what he would do if he found out that Crocux, the only one that could give him a fair battle, was gone.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"Yes? What is it?" Rose said.

A warbler a little older than Peepers stepped forward and spoke to her.
"Lady Rose. We've been talking, and you see... we warblers have travelled all around the world and have seen many animals before, but her..." the old warbler said, pointing at Snow;
"... we have seen nothing like that cub." he finished, still staring. Very few birds, including him, had their suspicions on who that young cub was, but the fact was too unbelievable to conceive without a confession.

Naga followed and avoided making any sudden movements to startle Sybil. He couldn't exactly blame the civet leader for being so cautious, but also respected her for having the strenth/will to be willing to do this in the first place.

'What did you do to pass the time when you were still alive?,' he asked the voice called Ender within his head.

Sybil continued to give occasional glances behind her, despising herself for being unable to avoid doing that. All this time, Naga has meant her no harm, and it was becoming clear to her that he wasn't evil or selfish like Shadow was, just a misguided soul looking for a purpose. It wasn't his fault being born a predator that required large amounts of food, and Sybil was somewhat grateful to Naga for respecting their deal and having stopped his warbler hunt. Even though Sybil didn't believed Naga to be evil, she did believed he was very unstable, which was the reason of her urgency to keep him at his good side.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"Who? Snow? She's my daughter." Rose said. "

A lot of murmurs and whispers began to stir around the crowd. Many were happy for Rose, others were confused as to whom was the father. It couldn't be another tiger, so they knew who it was, but didn't believe it was possible. While another group, all cockatoos, believed it was outrageous to produce a hybrid. A few of them were obsessed with purity, with an air of royalty, and were under the impression that two species producing a mix was against the laws of nature...

Sybil, unlike last time, failed to noticed that Naga was deep in thought yet again, for there was something that was bothering her from their conversation earlier, and since it was still going to be a while before they arrived at the beach, Sybil talked;
"Mr... Naga? You said earlier that the only activity that thrilled you was hunting. What did you mean by that?" she asked, for there were many potential answers to that particular question. Was it the stalking? The killing? Or the eating afterwards? So many more answers that may be unpleasant to her, but Sybil had to know. Naga already assured her that the warblers he hunted didn't suffer, but she was having doubts about that and believed Naga may have lied to her to keep her mind at ease.

OOC: Ok SC, delete that OOC post so we can have more space. I deleted mine

More whispers among the birds, for the father has been revealed. The old warbler was tired of all that, for some of the conversation wasn't pleasant.
Enough everybody! Lady Rose finally had a beautiful daughter of her own. Now let's all be polite and give her the greeting of her life." the warbler suggested, motivating the majority of the birds to finally reveal themselves at the playground, while a small group of cockatoo simply left home, angering the old warbler.
"Oh well, let them miss the moment. Forgive them Rose. Now then, show me show me. I want to meet the cub." he said with a smile, being so proud of Rose. He has seen her when she first arrived at the Haven as a cub almost as small as Rose, so it really was emotional to him how she had a cub of her own. That nonsense about purity that some cockatoos had was just a idiotic outlook, so he ignored them.

Quote: Felines

Sybil, unlike last time, failed to noticed that Naga was deep in thought yet again, for there was something that was bothering her from their conversation earlier, and since it was still going to be a while before they arrived at the beach, Sybil talked;
"Mr... Naga? You said earlier that the only activity that thrilled you was hunting. What did you mean by that?" she asked, for there were many potential answers to that particular question. Was it the stalking? The killing? Or the eating afterwards? So many more answers that may be unpleasant to her, but Sybil had to know. Naga already assured her that the warblers he hunted didn't suffer, but she was having doubts about that and believed Naga may have lied to her to keep her mind at ease.

"To someone such as myself-- hunting provides an experience. It's not the kill itself that matters or the reward that it brings, although a more satisfying kill does lead to a more satisfying conclusion. Rather-- it's the act itself and the work that it can require. It... it gives a certain feeling of doing something and not simply being given your food or otherwise cheated out of the experience. I hunt to survive... but also to live and to experience..," Naga explained hoping it wouldn't disturb the civet leader too much.

Sybil was a hunter herself, so she kinda understood, but she specialized more in fish, which she imagined wasn't the same thrill as land prey. She knew many animals hunted to survive, that was obvious, but in the Haven, if you had the option to eat fish or insects, that's was you went for. If red meat was your only option, then only the pigeons were allowed, which worried Sybil.
"And the pigeons... do they give you the thrill... and experience you seek?" Sybil asked, expecting the answer. She has seen the pigeons in action, and they were dumb and slow. Only few had fast reflexes. Sybil knew that the only other red meat available were the rabbits in the high mountain, and that was no habitat for a python. If only there was another suitable land prey...

"The pigeons-- the pigeons provide a food source but not necessarily a experience. In that regard... they are adequate and at least one part is fulfilled at the end of the day. That... that is something I can make due with and not something I've hadn't done before.," Naga replied trying to carefully phase his response. The pigeons were slightly more satisfying then simply being given your food, but only slightly. And part of him still desired more.

As they were near that special spot at the beach, Sybil went deep in thought as well. Despite the many years she has lived on the island as of now, she still hasn't explored each and every corner of it, not to mention that Hunted island has more animals than she expected when she was living there, so perhaps there was still a chance for her to find an animal that would give the challenge Naga seeked.
"So... you believe that prey harder to catch will make your life a little more worthwhile? Because..." Sybil asked, being that the conclusion she has drawn from Naga's replies. Having been caught in the moment, she almost made the rash decision of offering herself as that challenge in order to give Naga the thrill while she found the other prey for him to choose from, but she shut her mouth at the last minute, not wanting to engage in that activity with him. She only gave that liberty to the orcas and Crocux in that sense, and that was more than enough...

"If.. if there was a alternative food source or some other means of getting the same results-- I would be greatly interested. At the very least, I would be willing to try it whatever it may be. If there isn't-- I understand and can live with that. I understand that the Haven has its limitations and with so many different kinds of residents under its protection..... that there are only so many options.," Naga responded noticing how Sybil had almost suggested something else.

Sybil was glad Naga didn't noticed she was about to say something else, or at least she thought that. She was relieved he didn't ask anything. At only seconds away from their destination, Sybil spoke again.
"Well, I'm very sure there are other animals you can hunt. I'll explore the Haven a little more to see if I can spot something... or maybe I can ask for help in moving some Hunted island animals here so you can have variety." Sybil suggested, hoping she could find some new animals there at the Haven, for moving them from Hunted island was going to be a long and hard process. One thing was certain; hunting one animal alone was boring and tasteless. She knew she would feel the same if she had to eat the same thing each and every day, so in that sense, she sympathized with Naga and was genuinely willing to help him with that particular problem.

Like the old warbler, some of them have seen Arose when she fist arrived at the Haven at that age, a few having even been recently hatched when that happened. They greeted Snow with politeness and kindness, some even welcomed her to play. The cockatoos that came to the playground maintained their distance after hearing what Rose said about Barloc, so instead, they gave Snow a warm welcome by forming a line and moving their crest in unison as a welcome. It almost looked as if their feathers were dancing. That was the way they greeted cockatoos coming of age, a ceremony Nia and Angus witnessed just a few months ago, and were happy to see to again.

Quote: Felines

"Well, I'm very sure there are other animals you can hunt. I'll explore the Haven a little more to see if I can spot something... or maybe I can ask for help in moving some Hunted island animals here so you can have variety." Sybil suggested, hoping she could find some new animals there at the Haven, for moving them from Hunted island was going to be a long and hard process.

"I... I would greatly appreciate that. T-Thank-you, Sybil.," Naga responded seeming to have not expected such a response. "So-- this is the beach you were referring to?," he then asked noticing their sandy destination ahead. He spent most of his time in the swamps or the wetlands, or sometimes the forest. He had never thought about walking along the beach before, at first because it would've revealed him too early and later because he didn't really think about trying anything new. 'This.. this should be interesting.,' he thought in his head.

Sybil then walked ahead, their destination finally being reached. It was between the rock pillar and the marine bird's homes, a small corner between the rocks, but just big enough for both Sybil and Naga. The waves produced a soothing sound when they crashed with the underwater rocks below, and the rays of the sun were just perfect. Sybil could see at the distance storm clouds, indicating that there may be another downpour soon, but it was still quite far, and if it turned out that cloud was coming their way, they had at least half an hour of sunlight before they had to return.
"Well Mr. Naga, this is it. I suppose you haven't felt sand or waves before. This is a great p,ace to relax if you ever need the time off." Sybil said with kindness, lying down on the sand herself, but keeping a close watch on the python. She still didn't trust him quite completely yet.

Naga slowly slithered onto the sand, as if he were unsure of the ground beneath him. As the waves hit him... he backed up a little as if he were surprised but then he allowed them to continue to do so. "This... this is different. Different, but almost relaxing in a way.," he said laying down just on the edge of the waves and keeping some distance from the water itself. At least at first...

Sybil watched as Naga experienced the sand and waves first hand. No doubt this was a new experience to him, and Sybil hoped that was a good change for him. Naga needed new distractions to keep him happy and feel welcomed. It was a time to be quiet, but as Naga tried to learn to relax, Sybil had other things in her mind.
Should I? Or shouldn't I? she continued saying to herself, wanting to help Naga with his boredom. The pigeons weren't a challenge for him, and she was afraid that if she couldn't find him another prey animal in time, he may get tired of pursuing them and find another food source, maybe a forbidden one. Crocux wasn't at the Haven anymore, and the orcas weren't going to play until Shadow was rid of forever. Rose and Sayan had their cubs now and other more important things to do, and their son and daughter were still too young to play that intense game. So one question remained; should Sybil play the notorious predator and prey game with the python to keep him entertained while she searched for his next food source? Or was the risk too big?

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"H-hi!" Snow said smiling.

The birds could tell Snow was a shy one, so in order to avoid making her feel uncomfortable, they let her pick the toy she would use while they used the other ones. This was going to be a fun day, but the stormy cloud that Sybil saw at the distance was going to reach them first at that rate, and it will probably create a lot of fog, not a problem for them, but one must wonder how Snow would handle it...

Since Snow was busy with the ball for the time being, the warblers and cockatoo began to play like they've done almost every afternoon ever since the playground was done. The sudden chill in the air indicated there was gonna be fog soon, but that was a usual event there at Hunted island, so that didn't worried them at all...