darkSpyro

Crocux says nervously "Mambo? Oh yes please come in"

Mambo entered, though still cautious.
"Hey you enormous, toothy thing. I feel like I haven't visited you in a long time. How have you been?" Mambo asked, trying not to bring the hippo into the subject until Crocux himself brought it up. He has never seen a hippo before, but like many, he has heard of them.

Crocux says "well I was fine until Guzma showed up, that damn hippo is going to kill us all, no where is safe" actually seems terrified still which as mentioned before seems like something that is impossible to do to him

Mambo tried to calm him down, signaling him to breathe gently.
"Easy now Crockie. The hippo just got here and he hasn't harmed anyone. He has no reason to hurt anybody, why why would he? Mistress Sybil will solve everything, she always do. Or the sweet Rose. Come on. The warblers keep saying that your kind and hippos don't get along. But this is a peaceful place. There no need to be enemies. I think all we need is a little calm demeanor." Mambo said kindly, not liking to see Crocux that way. He was possibly the strongest, or at least one of the strongest animals there, so it was really unsettling to see the crocodile that way.

Sybil was taking a brief nap, wanting to trust that Angel, Plumeria and Devon could handle the volatile hippo. The slumber was peaceful and pleasant... for a time.

Soon, she found herself in the Haven, except it was completely destroyed. The culprit? Guzma and his goons, whom he had invited after liking the place too much. They did with it whatever they pleased, and the small island's ecosystem couldn't take it. The place was in ruins. But that wasn't Sybil's biggest problem. They had begun with none other than Naga's territory, and once the hippo and his crew did all the damage they could do, there was the snake, right behind Sybil, for some reason thrice the size he was now. He was glaring at Sybil.
"You did this, didn't you? You ordered the hippo to destroy my home so you could convince me to leave and be on good terms with your precious warblers, didn't you?" Naga accused, with Sybil shaking her head fast.
"No Naga! I didn't! Look! Your home wasn't the only one destroyed." Sybil explained, but Naga looked at her disapprovingly.
"So what? You decided to keep the hippo around! And look what happened! Oh, but you! You just couldn't set limits, could you?" the giant snake scolded, and before Sybil knew it, she was surrounded. There was nobody else around. Not Crocux, not Mambo, not even Rose and her family. She was completely alone with the giant, angry beast, who dragged her away to be devoured in peace as revenge for what she has done. But before dying, Sybil could see Shadow at the distance, smiling. It took years, but he finally had his revenge, even if it wasn't exactly the way he wanted.

Sybil woke up suddenly, hitting her head with the base of her tree. She was terrified... and angry. It has been so long since she had a nightmare like that, but the hippo a arrival triggered all the uneasiness she had in the past. She just knew she wasn't going to have any peace of mind with Guzma around. It didn't matter if Plumeria could supposedly control him. It didn't matter if Angel befriended him, or if Devon was raised by him. She was going to keep a close eye on that animal or she wasn't going to feel any calmness.

Crocux says "no you don't understand he's a cold blooded killer! he murdered a child just because they were in his way!" at that moment Devon was passing by when he heard crocux's shout and decided enough was enough, marching right in there he shouts "listen here you cowardly croc! that so called child he killed was me! and he didn't kill me i was knocked unconscious! Guzma does't butcher children! he was training me! helping me get stronger! So quit being a lilly livered coward and stop acting like a frighted lost child!" Crocux just sits there stunned as he takes in the info as Devon storms off to find a good spot to call home elsewhere.

Mambo's brain tilted. He couldn't compute what was happening. For a moment when he saw the civet, he thought Sybil was changing her voice to male to do a prank, or perhaps that she was sick, but upon closer inspection, he could see that wasn't Sybil. It was another civet, just like her. How? When? He only knew about the hippo arriving, but not others. Another civet arriving was bound to spread like wildfire, especially with birds as gossiping as the warblers, so why hasn't anyone found out yet?
"Croc... hey! HEY! Hey big guy! Come on! React! React or I'll be so lost! I need you to react so you can explain to me what was that all about!" Mambo yelled, slightly slapping his snout with his talon to make him come to his senses. Everything happened so fast. But one thing was certain; Sybil had much explaining to do...

Crocux snaps out of it saying "oh Mambo apparently Guzma's goons showed up and brought someone i thought Guzma killed in cold blood, they must have arrived very recently because word of another civet like auntie would have spread like wildfire"

If that was true, Mambo knew the Haven has clearly become more lively.
"Well what do you know? From no visitors in years to plenty in one day. Talk about no balance." he said jokingly, not interested in getting to know this hippo and whoever he brought with him.

Crocux says "apparently, what's next?"

Mambo pondered the question, and had the answer quickly.
"Well first things first. We need to keep an eye on that hippo. That... other civet may believe he's harmless, but I've heard enough stories about those giants to be concerned. I'll send some of my keas to watch him. The warblers... aren't very reliable lately." Mambo pointed out, the snake being the only thing in their heads.
"I'll go talk to the keas. You go find Sybil. We will need some sort of perimeter if we want to do things right." he concluded, flying off. He really had been wanting to play, but with this new situation, it may have to wait for quite a while.

Meanwhile, some of the warblers watching Guzma had been calling dibs on who should approach the hippo. If one of them could befriend him, perhaps they could convince him to get rid of their past friend's killer and finally have the peace that has been escaping them. When one of the warblers lost, it was his duty to approach the hippo. It took several minutes, but at last he flew right in front of the large animal and introduced himself.
"Good afternoon sir. A new member of the Haven I see. On behalf of the warbler community, we'd like to welcome you to our humble island." the small bird greeted with a bow, knowing that he couldn't bring out the real subject out until the hippo could be befriended. No point of going straight to the point or the beast would feel used.

Guzma says "no I'm not helping you I'm only staying until Typhoon season is over after that I'm going home"

OOC: He never said anything about asking for help. But I'll leave it like that.

The warbler shook his head,meandering if it really looked like he was just asking for help.
"Who said anything about helping sir? I'm just greeting you." he assured, now knowing he had to wait to actually befriend him rather than just try convince him to help them out of he blue.

Guzma says "you birds are not very subtle with your chit chat, I heard you all talking about asking for my help to get rid of some snake, and even if I didn't I know you would all be to scared to just say hello, you obviously want something and that most likely is my help"

The warbler was frustrated about the conversation being heard. This hippo's hearing must be supersonic. Nevertheless, he decided to deny everything and make the hippo believe he misheard things.
"Why sir? Is this the way to receive a welcome? All we talked about is who should greet you first. The Mistress is kind enough to let you take sanctuary in our beautiful island, cause we care for the well being of the most needed." the warbler said sweetly, ready to get out of the way in case the hippo got aggressive. The last thing they needed is another Naga, and a hippo could be worse.

Guzma says "sure whatever you say"

The warbler knew he wasn't convinced, so he had to find other ways to appeal to him.
"How about a tour sir? We know your arrival here wasn't planned, so how about we show you around?" the warbler offered, knowing that if Guzma loved the place, perhaps he could give them a chance, and maybe even take pity on their plight and finally help with the snake problem, cause nobody else wanted to...

Guzma says "thanks for the offer but I'm not interested"

The disappointed warbler flew away, with his comrades quite upset. This hippo could've been their only chance to get rid of the snake, but he refused to be convinced. They left the place to go to the others and tell them the bad news.

At Crocux's cave, Mambo tried to play a game with the crocodile, but his head was with other things.
"I'm really worried about the Mistress. Poor civet has one problem after another, and... well she isn't getting any younger. One look at her and you can tell how much this situation has weighted on her." Mambo said, concerned for dear Sybil. This was suppose to be a Haven, where you are safe and happy, yet the place has become one with stress and danger.

Somewhere else, Sybil was having a snack. She wasn't in the mood for anything. No playing, no talking, not even some bonding.The only silver lining in this dark, tense cloud was Rose and her family. They were one of the few proof that you could have a family. There was a certain little snake of course, but she barely saw him anymore. She didn't know what to do anymore. She felt like going underground for a week to avoid getting insane, but she had responsibilities here. Perhaps for a few hours would do the trick? Thankfully, she knew of somebody who had that lifestyle...

Crocux nodded "I agree Mumbo it's not easy while Rose is set to take her place some day for it all to be on one individual is extremely stressful, that's why Dad insisted on there being more than one to be in charge, that way the stress can be cut down, I know this and I'm willing to take up the task but the question is, is auntie going to ever really let me? She treats me like I'm still a temperamental child from when she first met me but I've mellowed out, after all if I didn't I would have killed that snake a long time ago for taking advantage of her"

Mambo shook his head and grinned, Crocux saying that he wasn't temperamental yet saying about killing someone.
"Well the Mistress clearly wants the snake to be part of the Haven. She wouldn't want you two to engage into a battle." Mambo said, knowing that would be a disaster. There was no telling who would win, and could give a bad image to the Haven.
"After all, it's what a sanctuary is all about. It's horrible what happened to those poor warblers, but back where I come from, nature was quite harsh. This snake was simply acting out of instinct, and you got to admit that at least he stopped hunting the warbler's when Sybil asked. Sure... there's a matter of those bizzare game, but he has let our civet have it much easier lately. That is something." Mambo said, not wanting to be seen like he was defending the python, but Sybil clearly has put a lot of effort into him, not to mention he has helped keep the wolf threat at bay, so it was quite sad the stress poor Sybil had to go through due to the warbler's grudge.

Crocux smiles "that's true i suppose, as long as he behaves himself i see no reason to start a conflict with him"

Mambo nodded, agreeing. He was in a better mood now.
"Well, the warblers are masters of grudges, but perhaps I can double the effort to convince them to stop such nonsense. For now , it's time to distract ourselves. What should we play?" he asked, knowing Crocux liked many games, though catching others seemed to be his favorite, so he was prepared to fly away just in case he felt like capturing someone in those mighty jaws.

After watching the big cat family for a while, Sybil called Cairo, in the mood for a ride to change the scenery. As always, Cairo obeyed, aware of the situation and wanting to do anything he could to make Sybil happy. While he still didn't like Naga, he hasn't hurt any of the Haven residents for years, and that the warblers were the problem now.

ooc: merry christmas to all who celebrate it
Crocux says "hmmm good question, I'll admit i've been getting a little lazy these days and the Orcas could use some fun, besides doing the same thing all the time can get boring"

OOC: Merry Christmas to you too. Nice to see you again

While a visit to the orcas was always fun, Mambo had a better idea. It wasn't exactly fun, but it could be some great progress, not to mention it could help Sybil greatly.
"I know. Why don't we pay that hippo a visit? I know your kind doesn't get along well with them, but I can go ahead first and introduce you. If he's going to stay here, we might as well try to get along." he suggested, the kea leader not wanting the Haven to have more tension than it already had. Almost everyone got along, and the Haven would be perfect if it wasn't for the warbler's grudge and in part, the rumored wolf threat that apparently Naga was keeping at bay.

While Cairo gave Sybil a ride, she decided to make a quick stop at Hunted island. While she and Barloc didn't have the same ideals, they got along greatly. He and his flock were happy to see her, especially the cockatoo cousins. She was always welcomed, and expressed their concern about how badly things were going there due to the warbler's grudge. They knew well since many of them moved to Hunted island, afraid that the snake might strike again without warning. Barloc was with them, but at the same time didn't want to cause Sybil more stress. And when she told him about the hippo, he could tell how desperate the situation was. As much as he hated visiting the Haven due to the large number of predators, especially that snake, he still wanted to help Sybil make the island the peaceful sanctuary it once was.

Crocux got nervous at the suggestion, if it was some other Hippo he wouldn't mind but with Guzma he wasn't so sure it was a good idea

"Alright then. Let's go." Mambo said, rather exitedly. Hippos were notoriously aggressive, but since there was no reason for this one to be worried or afraid of anything, perhaps he will change his mind? He flew towards the wetland, making sure Crocux was just right after him. It was going to be quite the meeting...

After a while at Hunted island, playing with the cockatoo cousins, Sybil felt much better. It was just what she needed to release stress.
"Thank you so much." she said, receiving hugs from their part. While an aggressive hippo in her Haven had her quite concerned, the only thing that calmed her was that hippos were herbivores, so at least Guzma wasn't going to attack out of hunger.

Crocux really didn't like it, he looked like he was about to have a panic attack from the idea of going anywhere near Guzma, but he knew one thing, if something bad happened to him he'll know who to blame for the idea. Meanwhile Guzma was taking a nap just floating around in the water relaxing

While Sybil was returning to the island, Mambo lead Crocux to the wetland.
"Huh. This place is actually kinda pretty..." he said, barely visiting the wetland due to being Naga's hunting grounds. The antelopes jumping around were a nice touch for the place. It made it feel more alive, so it was a shame to think all those beautiful creatures would eventually have to be eaten to keep the growing snake satisfied.

He looked around the water for a while until he finally spotted the hippo.
"Well, there he is. What are you waiting for? Let's go." he said to Crocux, sensing his nervousness. It was impressive that even something as mighty and dangerous as a crocodile could have a fear. The hippo was intimidating alright, but Mambo hoped it was just the face of a thug and not being the same in personality.

Guzma takes notice of Mambo and grumbles "and it was so quiet too. alright what do you want?" Crocux refuses to get close just remaining in ear shot

Mambo hesitated for a bit, but after seeing Crocux, he knew he had to be brave for the both of them.
"Greeting good sir. Mistress Sybil told us about you. Beautiful place, isn't it? It's quite peaceful, and we can all be friends here." Mambo said rather meekly, sounding like an ordinary bird rather than the leader of an entire flock. Seeing Guzma up close, he could understand the fear. Hippos were notoriously huge, but this one took the cake. It made him grateful that they were herbivores, although they could still bite someone's head off with molars like that no doubt.

After resting for a while, Sybil took the chance to visit Naga in his home. Usually, the snake was taking naps at this hour, but what she had to say was quite urgent.
"Naga? Naga! We need to talk!" she called, though doubting she would get an answer. Years have passed, yet the warbler's still didn't accept him. She couldn't wait any longer. Even if it was drastic, she had to find a way for the birds to let go of the grudge and finally accept him. She wanted her Haven to be as peaceful as it once was.

Guzma sighs and says "if you're trying to make me feel welcome during my temporary stay then it's much appreciated, the name's Guzma and i'm familiar with the croc there but i'll admit he's grown quite a bit since i last saw him but his fear is understandable. Very few who've seen what i'm capable of who aren't one of my men could walk away unafraid."

Mambo looked at Crocuz with a smug.
"See? He ain't so bad." he assured, glad that Guzma could at least be so polite. Perhaps this was just a case of a big, thug like animal being misunderstood. Despite being smaller than the hippo, Crocux had to know what it felt like to be feared, and what's more, he was a predator.

Not getting an answer, Sybil spoke to the snake anyway.
"Listen, I don't know if you're sleeping or something, but just wanted to let you know we have a new, yet temporary addition. And... I'm still making sure the warbler's will learn to accept you, one of these days." Sybil yelled, wanting the echo to be heard from afar. Her Haven was once a paradise, full of hope and faith, and with no more deadly enemies like Shadow, she still believed in the possibility of peace. Return her beloved Haven to it's former glory.

Crocux doesn't like it still very paranoid about Guzma saying "I don't trust him, I don't care what you say he's a threat to be avoided" Guzma rolls his eyes saying "oh brother it was one punk child i ripped to shreads to get a point across get over it"

Mambo could sense the tension, so he tried to ease up things the only way he could.
“We’ll just remember, this is a Haven, so no need to fight, or... ripping out anyone. Mistress Sybil is glad to receive someone that needs a place to stay.” he assured, not wanting their beloved sanctuary to turn violent. It went through so much already.

Getting no response, Sybil decided to leave the snake’s place. She has been thinking for a while, what if she could find a better place for Naga? Somewhere more natural to him, where he couldn’t harm the ecosystem? This was an island, so a species like him could do much damage. He was a big snake, but he was still fairly normal for a snake his age, so there was room for more growth. What if he indeed got bigger? Snakes never stopped growing, and an island where there was no risk of human oppression or predators, so he could get to a size where it could overwhelm everyone. Also, he could try targeting the warblers again, which were already afraid enough for him as it was. It was bad enough that she needed to add even more animals to the Haven so they could fulfill the snakes’ needs, but even her beloved sanctuary had a limit. As much as she wanted Naga to be part of the Haven, the truth was that he might not be able to stay for long. She wasn’t getting any younger, so Sybil wanted to make sure this was a pleasant place for all the animals so that when the time came for Rose to take her place, she would have a stable, peaceful place to run.

Crocux can't help but grumble in response, Guzma noticed this and said "hey no need to hang around me, i get it, i'm big bad Guzma after all, by all means run scared" Crocux growled but knew he stood no chance and went to leave.

Mambo remained still, looking at Crocux.
“Well, if you can’t befriend him, maybe just stay away. This is a peaceful place. Let’s keep it that way.” he suggested, wanting to fly off from all the tension but deciding to stay to keep an eye on the crocodile. Poor Sybil had too much on her paws to let a brand new situation escalate. She was already under high stress levels playing prey to the restless snake. It was a good thing she had both him and Rose to help her with the island’s troubles.

Sybil talked with Peepers about her plan, and while he agreed, there was the matter IF Naga agreed.
“I know you want the Haven to suit everyone Mistress, but a snake that size belongs in a continent. Not a small island like this. If this Naga is too comfortable here, he might not want to leave.” he warned, knowing that while bringing the snake to it’s natural habitat was the better solution, he might not want it, since that would mean dealing with natural and possibly human oppression as well. Sybil already made his life more comfortable by letting herself get hunted and bringing new prey options to the Haven. It was going to be quite the task.