darkSpyro

"Come on Mistress. Lady Rose should be at the beach right now." Edith said, hoping Rose would find Crystal in her place. If they were lucky, one of the flowers would be the one that was needed for the caracal's ritual and they could all be rid of Shadow's nightmarish tyranny once and for all...

It only took two minutes after Rose and Crystal arrived for Edith to come with Rose at the beach. After arriving,mother civet rubbed her eyes, still a little sleepy.
"Alright. I'm here... Crystal?" Sybil exclaimed, when she saw the two pelicans behind her.
"Hey, aren't you two part of the expedition?" she asked, when both ecstatically opened their beaks to show Sybil the precious cargo. She almost collapsed in happiness, but it was briefly, for there were so many flowers in there.
"Oh Crystal. Is one of those flowers the one you need?" she asked, not counting them, but they were so many of them. Her flying friends really outdid themselves, so Sybil prayed one of those flowers was the one and only at last...

The two pelicans looked at each other, having expected Crystal to look through them at that very moment. They were sick ad tired of carrying that bunch of flowers in their beak for so long and now they had to carry them again. They were about to complain, but one scolding look from Sybil was enough for them to listen to Crystal. Since they didn't know where she lived, they followed her on foot, knowing the foliage of the trees would slow them down anyway if they flew.

As Crystal and the two pelican disappeared, Sybil was left alone with the kea.
"Well then, it's time for us to return home Edith. Let's go." Sybil said as she began walking, with Edith following closely behind. She could reach the kea tree quick, but decided to keep Sybil company for a while given how her home and the kea tree were more or less the same road. Sybil wanted to catch some good sleep to prepare for the hard day tomorrow, and since she doubted Crystal was going to finish her search tonight, she didn't think she would be missed.

"Oh Rose. I thought you left." Sybil said, assuming Rose was on her way already.
"I don't know. The den isn't very big to begin with, and since there are four of you, I don't want to overcrowd it." Sybil expressed, not wanting to impose. It would be nice to have all of the cat's warmth and company, not to mention that it will probably help Sybil stop those horrid nightmares, but she really didn't want to be an inconvenience. The kea on the other hand, was secretly wishing Sybil would accept. At least that way they would all know where the civet was, and if lucky enough, Rose or her mate could see where Sybil is disappearing to lately.

Sybil believed Rose wasn't going to take no for an answer, so she decided to oblige.
"Alright Rose alright. If you're so insistent. As long as your children don't bite my ears..." Sybil said as a joke, following Rose home, while Edith proceeded to do the same.
"Well, so long you two mistresses. Better catch some good Zs for tomorrow." the spunky kea said, as she proceeded to fly away.

Near Crystal's home, the two pelicans were starting to have ached feet.
"Sheesh. How far does this caracal lives?" one of them whispered to the other, getting tired of the pace. Not only they weren't use to walking, but they had beaks full of water to avoid the flowers from spoiling, making them weight more, thus bringing more pressure to their poor, webbed feet.

"Easy you little bundles of joy. I'm here to stay the night, not to play." Sybil said, mostly to Snow, who appeared to be on the verge of tackling her. She knew cats were nocturnal, so it must've been hard for the poor little darlings to get use to sleep during the day. Sybil's species was nocturnal, but she adapted herself to a diurnal style for the sake of the warblers, a task almost all of the rest of the Haven residents gave to themselves.

The pelicans didn't understand how that would help, but they did as they were told. It was such a relief getting that bunch of flowers with water out of their beaks, their tongues feel numb with the taste the flowers left to the water. Now it was all a matter of waiting. The pelicans looked at each other and then Crystal. They were going to be so disappointed if it turned out neither of those flowers was the one she needed. They knew how urgent it was to be rid of Shadow if they wanted peace of the Haven again, or at least part of that peace considering they believed they still had the python to worry about.

"Alright, but just a hug! No tricks." Sybil expressed, like Peepers, seeing how Snow may be the sneaky, plucky little type. That's just the air she gave. She might as well get use to seeing the cubs this small, for she knew they didn't last long that size. She still remembered how puny Rose was when she first arrived at the Haven, and now she was even slightly bigger than her own mate Sayan.

The pelicans were hoping Crystal would find the correct flower tonight, for they were anxious to know if the right flower was among that messy bouquet they brought. Nothing they could do except object, but they were too tired to bring up an argument that late in the night, especially considering Crystal was still a stranger to them. Not wanting to walk or fly, they decided to spend the night there, but only that once. They weren't forest or jungle birds, so those surroundings felt too strange for them. The feeling didn't last long though, for it didn't take them too long to sleep considering how exhausted they were.

Sybil remained silent for a while before responding, not knowing what to answer.
"Certainly. Tomorrow morning. But... just for a while, alright?" Sybil replied, not giving much explanation. She would have wake up very early in the morning if she wanted to have a heavy breakfast AND play with Snow, since she still had that schedule with Naga. If only she hasn't promised that. She didn't want to break a promise to that snake.

One of the pelican wasn't in a deep sleep yet, and he was glad Crystal decided to find the flowers at the moment. He and his companion believed they were going to leave the search for tomorrow, but tonight was much better. Not wanting to interrupt the pair, the pelican kept his eyes closed and proceeded to sleep.

The pelican who was still awake despite the hours, heard what Crystal said, and it was noticeable how awake he was when he couldn't help but smile.
"There is no need Miss Crystal. I heard. This is wonderful news. But please, my companion and I had a long journey and we need our rest. But don't worry. The search party is resting on a small island near Indonesia, waiting for our news." The pelican explained, knowing how happy the birds from the expedition were going to be once they found out the search was successful. They were resting on that small island, putting their journey on hiatus until the two pelicans returned with the news confirming whether they had the correct flower or not...

Meanwhile, Sybil was lying down, surrounded by the warmth of that cat family. It was much warmer than her tree, but the ground was nothing compared to the soft, mossy trunk of the inside of her tree. She had a little trouble sleeping, but when she finally shut down, the nightmares stopped. She was right. Sleeping with the family helped her stop thinking those dreadful things about Naga...

Sybil could feel the pressure of the cub's head, but she didn't wake up. She was so used to sleeping either at her tree or at Crocux cave that it was quite surprising that she was able to catch her sleep quite soon in this new environment.

"You tell her that, or your friend raven there. Me and my companion will leave first thing in the morning to break the news to the rest of the search party. Can you tell the Mistress instead?" he asked, knowing it was going to be a busy day tomorrow. He then proceeded to try to sleep, knowing how horrible it was to begin a day still sleepy. He envied his companion, who was in such a deep sleep, he was even starting to drool.

The pelican went to sleep as well, giggling after just getting Crystal and Diamond's connection in names.

The night went as quiet and serene as many others. The kea guards never stopped their sentry work, still worried for the warblers. It's been weeks since Sybil struck the deal with the python, and even though the snake hasn't violated their deal, they still didn't trust him. Since keas were nocturnal, many of them didn't mind being vigilant through the night and sleeping through the day. Sybil on the other hand, was having a pleasant sleep. Despite the overcrowd, it was still a comfortable place to be in, and the nightmares never returned. If Rose invited Sybil again, she wasn't going to bring any objections this time. Sleeping in the warmth of that family was certainly doing wonders for the civet.

OOC: More new characters? You'll have so many like me
Remember that you'll later have to explain how they arrived there.

The hours passed and no one's sleep was disturbed despite the two uninvited guests. The pair's presence didn't go unnoticed though, for one of the keas keeping watch saw the two white figures moving away through the foliage. He couldn't pinpoint what type of animal they were, except that they were big. What Haven residents were white? They almost looked like ghosts moving around. The kea didn't know about any white Haven residents asides the lonely polar bear living in the high, snowy mountain. But he never ventured there, and these were two figures. That much the kea could tell. The Haven was so full of foreign residents that the kea believed it was probably just another pair of sanctuary animals. At least it wasn't the python. Still, the parrot felt uneasy about it and was going to report his findings just in case.

OOC: Wolves and dingoes in the same habitat? I wish you could've consulted me. There are no wolves in Australia or Indonesia, which is where the Haven takes place more or less. How did they arrived there? You'll need a better explanation than that, cause those wolves are certainly not endemic. Remember that this RP keeps real facts.

Sybil continued sleeping, losing track of time. She originally intended to be the first one up as soon as the morning sun was up, but given how she had trouble sleeping at the beginning yesterday, and how her slumber was interrupted, she still didn't wake up, and since she was deep in the den with the cubs covering her, she couldn't feel the rays of the sun yet, which was usually what woke her up...

Sybil slept for a while longer until she felt the pressure of one of the cub's head on he ribs. She lifted her head suddenly to see the two of them close. She looked outside of the den, and could see that not only Rose was already up, but it was bright daylight. She was expecting to wake up before sunrise.
"Darn! I'm late!" Sybil complained with a whisper, carefully removing herself from her spot, making sure not to make any sudden movements. She was very late, and it was hard to catch a big fish, which was certainly going to take her some time. She decided to fish on Sayan's den, and if lucky, maybe Rose would share whatever she caught to win time...

"Go. I'll watch over the kids.," said a now awakened Sayan.

"Good morning Rose." Sybil managed to say before Diamond arrived.

"Thanks Sayan." Sybil said, heading off with Rose and Diamond. She had almost forgotten about the flower. Did that mean the correct one was among them after all? This was the best news in a long time. It meant that Shadow will be out of their lives as soon as today is nothing else came up.

"Can I father? Please...?," Exclaimed an excited Hunter. "Alright-- come along but stick close.," Sayan said inviting the cubs to follow.

Sybil almost cried at how that Rose and Sayan managed to have a family of their own. They weren't the first of course, since there was Skaliscin and Voracivenom, but she barely sees them now. And maybe there were others she didn't know of, but the point was that her Haven made that happen. Both Rose and Sayan had such miserable pasts. Sybil sniffle at the fact that they both had a second chance in happiness, all because she founded that sanctuary.

As Sybil and the family headed to Cystal's cave, Sholeh was just waking up. She slept so well last night. Her new friendship with Naga was doing wonders for her self esteem. Using a puddle near AJ's tree that was almost always full, she combed herself, wanting to look presentable for when she visited the python.
"Oh yeah. Who's gorgeous... oh heck, I really need to lose weight." Sholeh said as she saw her reflection, just noticing how much weight she gained for accepting freebies from the margay. She would have to exercise, but in the meantime, it was time to visit Naga. She almost couldn't wait to hear what the reptile had to say about her special gravy...

"Yeah. Never better." she replied with a big smile, wanting to guarantee to Snow that everything was more than fine. She continued walking with the family, feeling very protected among them, a feeling she knew it wouldn't last. She still had her meeting with Naga at noon, so she hoped the ritual didn't last long. She still had to play with Snow after that, and she would hate to disappoint her.

Just at the edge of Sayan's territory, Sholeh was arriving to meet with her new friend. She hated her current, chubby appearance, but she knew that walking to the python's domains covered some of the exercise regimes she meant to give to herself.
"Naga! Naga dear, where are you? It's Sholeh!" she called, repeating the words a few times in case he was nearby. If he takes too long to answer, she was going to the wetland instead, and perhaps catch him on the act on using the gravy. Sholeh would love to see his expression...

"I'm... I'm here.," said a mysterious but familiar voice. Naga soon came into site, seeming to come from the shadows themselves or more likely a tree hidden within the shadows. After the previous games-- he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a certain civet, but was no less disappointed to see Sholeh instead. He wondered what the mongoose would think if she knew about his recent activities...

"It's nothing, really." Sybil assured, feeling a little uncomfortable on how attentive Snow was being. She was glad for the concern, but she preferred to keep those pleasant thought to herself, for she didn't want the cub to get all mushy on her and get her tempted to stay with her and play. She still had that appointment with Naga, and that was a task she knew it wasn't wise to fail.

Quote: redwes

"I'm... I'm here.," said a mysterious but familiar voice. Naga soon came into site, seeming to come from the shadows themselves or more likely a tree hidden within the shadows. After the previous games-- he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a certain civet, but was no less disappointed to see Sholeh instead. He wondered what the mongoose would think if she knew about his recent activities...

Sholeh didn't suspect a thing. For her, Naga was a lonely python that could use her company. She knew Sybil had visited him, but believed it was strictly for business and nothing more.
"Naga darling. Yours is always a welcoming face, unlike those stupid Haven residents. Always with their rules and restrictions." Sholeh complained, having needed to get that little detail off her chest. She then looked at Naga's body, but didn't see a bulk anywhere. Either he hasn't eaten yet or ate a very small pigeon. Nevertheless, she couldn't wait to ask.

"So then, have you tried the gravy yet? Good stuff, right? I believe I haven't lost my touch after all these years. I can make you more if you want after that batch is over." Sholeh claimed, feeling remarkably kind. She was very polite to Naga, more than she has ever been to the loyal Warren, or anyone else for that matter, not because she was afraid of him, but because they were both lonely outcast despised for what they were.

"Right sis!," Hunter said nudging snow back.

Elsewhere, Naga responded to a very eager Sholeh. "Ah... indeed I have. And I found it to be very-- delightable and smooth on the way down. And... and I would very much appreciate it. It makes all of this just a little bit easier.," he said complimenting the mongoose's work. When it came to Sholeh; he found that he spoke more from the heart and less from the ego. He appreciated Sholeh for more of a friend and less of an opportunity.

"Well, I haven't done that gravy in years, but I remembered how to do it. I figured you could find more use for it than I." Sholeh replied, really appreciative of Naga's friendship, and more than willing to continue making that gravy. Not only was it useful to the python, but it would give Sholeh something to do to kill boredom. She then had something very important to tell him.
"By the way, I had the most pleasant of dreams about you last night. I dreamt that you carried me with your head, above all this foliage, and showed me the most beautiful sunrise ever." Sholeh commented, wanting Naga to know how positive their friendship has been to her. Before he could reply about that, she spoke again.
"Of course, I would never ask you to do something like that. It's too much to ask. plus, it's morning already anyway." she quickly pointed out, believing Naga was slightly too proud to do something like that. She knew he somewhat valued their friendship, but him doing that was probably going too far. Nevertheless, it was ironic how Sholeh, the one who was always cautious, was having pleasant dreams about her new friend while Sybil, who took many risks, was the one with the nightmares.

Sybil said nothing, but anyone could see in her face how happy and exited she was. She looked just like one of the cubs. Finally, after all this time, they were going to get rid of that Shadow menace. The one that was preventing peace from returning to her beloved Haven once and for all. She would still have Naga to worry about, but he was no threat compared to the misery Shadow brought, both alive and dead.

Sybil blushed at the fact of being so obvious about her excitement. She felt a little bad for actually wishing somebody's soul to be destroyed, even if it was someone like Shadow, but the thought of having the Haven being the peaceful place it always meant to be was just too great to keep to herself.
"Well, um, shall we begin?" Sybil said, avoiding Crystal's question. She was still being too notorious though. She even forgot momentarily that she still had her schedule with Naga, and that was the most vital activity at the moment if the peace was going to last...

Sybil's expression dropped drastically. The smile was wiped out, almost as if it was slapped away. She was about to complain, but she desisted. After all, Crystal has done so much for them already. She knew that urging her would be asking too much.
"Oh, ok then. Take your time." she finally said, when she turned to Snow.
"Well then little Snow, it's almost time for our game. But first, there is something I must do at the kea tree." she said to the cub, remembering that she still had to talk to the birds if she wanted help in finding suitable prey for Naga. She alone couldn't do it, especially if she had to entertain him. As soon as she resolved that issue, she was going to play with Snow for a while, the problem was, time wasn't on her side this time. She couldn't see the sun, but it indicated that she only had one hour until noon. That was very little time left. Sybil overslept at Sayan and Rose's den. She was still going to visit Naga, but chances were, she was going to be very late...

Quote: Felines

"Well, I haven't done that gravy in years, but I remembered how to do it. I figured you could find more use for it than I." Sholeh replied, really appreciative of Naga's friendship, and more than willing to continue making that gravy. Not only was it useful to the python, but it would give Sholeh something to do to kill boredom. She then had something very important to tell him.
"By the way, I had the most pleasant of dreams about you last night. I dreamt that you carried me with your head, above all this foliage, and showed me the most beautiful sunrise ever." Sholeh commented, wanting Naga to know how positive their friendship has been to her. Before he could reply about that, she spoke again.
"Of course, I would never ask you to do something like that. It's too much to ask. plus, it's morning already anyway." she quickly pointed out, believing Naga was slightly too proud to do something like that. She knew he somewhat valued their friendship, but him doing that was probably going too far. Nevertheless, it was ironic how Sholeh, the one who was always cautious, was having pleasant dreams about her new friend while Sybil, who took many risks, was the one with the nightmares.

"Perhaps one day.," Naga simply said before continuing. Sholeh was right and in his current state-- his own ego and idea of self-image would probably prevent that idea from occurring so soon. "I.. I think of you as well. When it feels like the walls of morality and regulation are closing in around me-- you.. you are the one bright spot that keeps me going. And... you give me hope.," he then said reflecting his own thoughts on the mongoose-turned-friend.

Sholeh flinched at the comment, not having visualized Naga as the type to say such mushy things. She was proud that it was probably her the one that was giving him such a mellow personality. The mongoose was under the impression that nobody, not even Sybil, would ever want to befriend him, so she truly believed she had the python all to herself.
"Well, it's the only thing we can both do. We only have each other. In this island where hypocrites rule." Sholeh said, believing that if Sybil was so keen on accepting anybody, she should've accepted both her and Naga the way they were from the very beginning. She then realized she was drifting though negativity again and decided to change the subject.

"Oh there I go again speaking about those infernal Haven residents when this is our time. So Naga, what do you feel like doing? Want to bully those dumb pigeons? I can help you hunt one." Sholeh suggested, still believing Naga didn't have any breakfast yet. Sholeh knew pythons could usually go days or even months without eating depending on how large the prey was, but considering Naga's size and his small choice of prey, Sholeh imagined her poor friend had to eat constantly to support himself.