TIGER TIGER BURNING BRIGHT // open, hawk ceremony + mandatory event

Oh, right. This was a thing. Hearing the call, the small sylveon had arrived just in time to watch his leader raise her prey to the sku. Luca watched the hawk swoop down towards Littlestar with an expression of wonder, a single eyebrow raising in a display of slight disbelief. It was over quickly and Littlestar soon invited the next person to go up, but Luca was still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing. He happened to be the closest to the boulder when his leader left it, so with his mouth set in an unsure line he pulled himself to his paws and leaped atop the boulder with a practised grace. He felt like a lot of 'lesser' animals (like birds and rodents) didn't like him. It was like they could sense his demonic nature or something, and many forests fell quiet when Luca entered them. Still, it was worth trying. A flying companion could prove to be helpful, expectantly for things like hunting.

Luca curled a semitransparent ribbon around another vole, slightly thinner than the one Littlestar had pulled out. 'Sure hope they don't think I'm too stingy,' he thought for a second, raising the dead animal up and towards the hawks. There was a short pause, merely a breath of time that felt like centuries to Luca, before finally one of the circling hawks dived downwards. Luca blinked as it landed, obviously surprised that things had gone so smoothly, before slowly unfurling his ribbon and dropping the vole into his hawk's waiting beak. It was a beautiful creature, dark russet feathers with patches of lighter brown across the top of its body. There was little white along its feathers, small patches here and there on the underside of its wings and tail. A Harris's hawk, not that Luca could identify it. He patted its yellow beak with a small paw, eyes wide.

Finally he seemed to realise that everyone was waiting for him to wrap it up, so he thought up a name on the spot. "Cinnamon. That's your name," he decided, eyeing the red of his haw's feathers. It cawed and pressed its beak further into his paw, which Luca decided to take as a sign of agreement. "Okay. The contract's sealed, I guess," he muttered to himself, saying the familiar words mostly out of habit. Finally he leaped off the rock, silently inviting the next person to stand. Cinnamon fluttered down and settled next to where he sat with a rustle of his feathers, and Luca idly patted his new pet's back with one of the ribbons around his neck as he waited for his next clanmate to get their hawk.

TAGS ✘ — Right. Okay. The cloaked pine marten took his position atop the boulder, dark eyes watching the sky. Hawks weren't a friend of martens. He was just a snack-sized mustelid. Instinct warned him this was dangerous, but stubbornness kept him rooted. Besides, there wasn't much choice here. He offered a squirrel, a quick, plump one he had caught in a race through the branches. The other hawks seemed to have liked the vole offerings, but he hunted in the trees. It was what he was built for.

Patiently, the former Sith sat, quietly waiting, staring. A shadow fell over his head and he craned his neck towards the descending bird of prey. A brown raptor with white underparts, a dark, reddish bib on her chest and a splash of what on her throat and face. The wings had light linings and dark flight feathers. The tail, gray-brown with dark bands, trailed behind as she flew. A Swainson's hawk. Gently, he gave the bird the squirrel, watching as it swallowed it hole.

It's intelligent dark eyes met his own, and he nodded. Understanding. "Fable." The beautiful bird seemed to agree, cawing softly and following the marten as he bounded off the boulder. In silence, the two took their seats, wondering who was to go next and how it would go. He pondered his daughter for a moment, amused with the idea she might have had to go hunting for this; she probably hadn't, knowing her. Fable stretched out her wings before deciding to settle directly on his paws, seemingly content with limited Ren's field of vision. He let out an inaudible sputter, shaking his head in exasperation. This would certainly be an experience.

The sentinel had never thought of having a pet before, as it had always seemed strange to her. Although the hawks that would be with them today would not be something that was a pet - more like a companion - she still found it strange, though she wouldn't question it too much. She had thought the idea of having horses in Eden was interesting, so why not put that same sense of mind here. Rather than being able to ride the hawks, they would be able to use them to help them hunt, and use them to have someone to communicate with whenever necessary - so that was good. Vani watched as those before her did what they were doing, and her ears pricked as she watched each hawk come down to the HawkClanners, each one different and special in their own way.

It was now the maned wolf's turn, and she couldn't help but let out a shaky breath. The hawks were so small compaired to her, she didn't know how she would handle it, but she knew that many of the members in HawkClan now were the same size - if not smaller - than their own hawks. Most of them were rather large creatures after all.

Grabbing onto a piece of prey, Vani managed to grab a small plump sparrow, and she carefully placed it upon the top of her nose - the tallest place she could hold it up - and looked up towards the sky, watching as each hawk eyed her for a moment before looking up once more, continuing in their circle. She was about to have doubts when one finally started to come down towards her, and her eyes widened in surprise. It was a hawk unlike most of the others up in the air, and had been blending into the white clouds in the sky, and he was beautiful. A grey goshawk was the type that most would be able to identify him by, and as soon as he landed on top of the tall canine's head, he plucked the bird from her nose, and her head went down so that it was level before her maw opened, and she spoke his name. "Pahoja" She would speak, a small noise coming from the bird's throat in confirmation, before the female descended from the bolder.

WE'RE ALL MADE OF STARS — Poe — HawkClan — He/him

Poe could not express how excited he was. He loved having friends, and having a literal hawk follow him around and basically doing whatever he was doing would be awesome. Before he got lost, BB-8 used to be like that. Poe remembered the droid fondly and missed him on more than one occasion. Perhaps this new companion would help fill the void BB-8 had left in him. It was hard to not miss a constant companion.

Poe watched as April received hers and just about raced up there after she had stepped off with her new bird. The pilot reached the top of the boulder in a few easy jumps and produced a fish he had caught himself earlier that day. No one could say Poe Dameron wasn't prepared. The smell of the fish was a little obnoxious, but he was proud of it. His very own catch for his very own bird.

The stink also helped attract a hawk faster. Poe watched the circling birds for a moment, trying to pick out the differences in each one, before a particularly large ones began to swoop down. It looked about two feet tall, with an even larger wingspan. As it came closer, Poe could see its feathers were a white color, with dark brown markings and wide eyes. It was a stark creature, and one that definitely stood out. As it landed, it let out a short caw and took Poe's fish eagerly. It was an osprey, also known as a fish hawk. He should have guessed.

The canine couldn't help but grin at the fish hawk as it tipped its head to stare at him. It's gaze was wild and a little unnerving, but Poe loved it. This was his bird. And it needed a name. "Yavin." Yavin 4 had been his home planet; what better way to honor it? Yavin seemed to like it, giving a louder CAW before flapping his wings. Poe's grin only grew, but then he remembered he needed to move. The pilot leaped off the boulder, Yavin soaring close behind. This was the best day ever.

I TOOK MY LOVE AND I TOOK IT DOWN — lessa ren solo — many clans — she/her — info

Lessa loved all of earth's creatures, but there was an instinct, deep inside, that kept her anxious in the presence of birds of prey. They were relentless hunters, formable, silent... Impressive and beautiful and frightening. She often kept the company of gentler, more peaceful creatures. The petite pine marten was slow to approach the group, heeding Lit's call.

She sat in silence, watching each clanmate in turn, her fluffy tail curled around herself like a warm, relaxing blanket. Her chocolate hues were distant, gaining more focus, it seemed, when her father stepped forward. Fable. She liked that. The shaman smiled faintly, wondering how much of her anxiety he could feel flittering through their bond. Did she have to do this? She didn't like the feeling of so many eyes on her. She didn't want to touch a dead animal, prey or not, even as an offering of friendship.

It felt wrong. A lump formed in her throat as she stared at the basket, raising to her paws as Poe moved away from the boulder. Some had hunted their own gifts, some used Littlestar's collection... She didn't want to do either. When they tossed sacrifices into the volcano, she used a flower. A buttercup. Her favorite. Daringly, she disappeared through the crowd for a moment, bounding to the medical treehouse. She came back with a small olive branch in her jaws. Not what they were told to do, but she had morals, she had limits to what she did and didn't do, for what she was comfortable with.

Quietly, the shaman leapt onto the boulder, lifting her chin up despite her racing heart. Would any care to accept this kind offering, or would she be denied? And if none approached, what was she to do then? Was she acting out foolishly? Rashly? I am a healer, not a warrior. Time flowed slowly atop the rock that her metal claws scrapped on. Her stomach felt twisted in all kinds of knots as she inhaled through her nose. Steady.

She almost didn't notice the incoming hawk. Small with short, rounded wings and a long tail. The bird landed in a flurry of feathers, as if they were new to flying. A youngster, she thinks. Or a hawk only recently coming into adulthood. She smiled. His feathers were blue-gray, with narrow, horizontal red-orange bars on the breast. The tail too, had broad, dark bands. A sharp-shinned hawk, though she could not name him so herself. He seemed more than happy to accept her somewhat unorthodox offering, taking the branch from her to hold it in his strong beak. "Calum." Dove. A symbol of peace. Her eyes twinkled in gratitude, her head dipping ever so slightly in respect. Together the two left the boulder, Lessa leaping off with Calum gliding directly beside her, still carrying the olive branch she had given.

Still smiling softly, Lessa took a seat beside her father, Calum hopping directly on her back, small enough to do so without weighing her down immensely. It seemed the fear and anxiety she felt before had diminished into thin air. She was rather happy, with her new friend at her side, her heart glowing inside with the contentment of the start of a new bond.

Maybe it's a twisted kind of love, Maybe I'm not giving enough!

There were many traditions that Hanzo knew of but never decided to partake in. The different cultures that spotted the world were not slight in number, each with their own religions and customs. But Hanzo was from Japan, and it was his home... it was also the only culture he ever followed through with tradition and practice. Not to mention that the Shimada line had it's own separate traditions that many did not even know about. He hadn't even shared his spirit companions with the inhabitants of Hawkclan, and his clanmates never had a reason to know about them either. No battles had erupted, no chances or reason for the two spirits to ever emerge from underneath his skin. Once more, Southwind was no different than anyone else so far.

He followed different gods than those that Hawkclan did. He knew of the famine that had happened once those gods grew restless from the clan's lack of tradition, but he really could never bring himself to care much. He followed much older, more ancient spirits. Even the dragons by his sides were beings far older than many a god. They had been passed down from generation to generation, he being one of the lucky few that had been chosen to partake in such a tedious ceremony. The tattoo and the bonding of the spirits with his own soul had hurt like a bitch, but now they were one... he was them, they were him. To consider either mutually exclusive was beyond his comprehension.

Therefore to say he was deterred by the fact that he was supposed to get a Hawk companion for the sole purpose of appeasing gods he did not believe in was an understatement. He was close to livid at such a demand (for it was a demand, not a request) and he considered outwardly refusing Littlestar, telling her that he would not bow to things he did not believe in. He doubted that the Hawks would even choose him in the first place. He was already a bonded creature, spiritually and physically attached to another already. Such bonds were not simply ignored and were often cherished by creatures even graced by gods. A god knew when a sacred bond simply couldn't be infringed upon.

But he was going to try, if only to show Littlestar that he wasn't refusing a Hawk simply because he didn't want to follow her orders but rather that he was physically unable to get one. These creatures were more than mere pets, this he knew. If any bird chose to fly down to him it wouldn't be one who wanted to form any sort of bonds. A pet and a soul companion were two different things.

A tired sigh escaped Hanzo's maw as he watched Cas walk away with her own hawk, a sudden unease seeping into his bones as he realized he was supposed to go next. He knew it wasn't going to work, he could feel it in his soul and in the jealous sting that the two spirits who already had a hold of him were giving out inside of him. But he was going to try, his pride be damned. Littlestar had to see it as living proof that he wasn't able, otherwise he'd just come across as ornery. He wanted to follow her in this tradition... but it wasn't his to follow. He had already chosen a different path. Another sigh punctuated his thoughts, and he stepped past Cas, walking towards the cliff she had abandoned to pick up a piece of prey (a nice sized rabbit he had caught a few minutes ago) and attempt to do what everyone so far was capable of doing.

He reached the top of the rock everyone else had been on, looking up at the sky with a frown gracing his features and throwing subtle shadows across his eyes. He didn't look happy, that was for sure, even as he held up the rabbit as an offering to whichever spirit beast would want it. Except none of them seemed to care. Birds flew high and low, ignoring the food completely and not sparing Hanzo a glance. There was a turmoil inside of him, the dragons no doubt stirring and keeping every other companion at bay from their master. It was only what he expected, but he still couldn't help the sting of disappointment that jabbed him the moment he had been standing there for a few minutes with no luck. He felt like he was failing Hawkclan, like he was failing Littlestar. Like he was failing himself.

// tldr - he's standing there and no hawks are flying to him no matter how much he waits bc he already has a spiritual bond with dragons ;u;

This. This was the main reason she came to HawkClan. She thought it was really cool to have an animal choose you to be with for the rest of their life, to choose you to take care of them. Honestly, Hoodiepaw was so small any of these birds could easily pick her up. But that was okay - she was positive everything would be fine.

The black feline, clad in her signature pastel violet hoodie, made her way up to the stone, giddy and shaking with excitement. She couldn't wait to see what hawk chose her - she already had names picked out, for both male and female. In the pocket of her jacket, she had a freshly killed lizard. She had hunted it specifically for this.

Hoodiepaw held it out in her paw, watching the hawks up in the sky. Much like Hanzo, there were no birds too interested in her. They swooped lowly to check her out, sure, but none were actively choosing her or whatever it was that happened. Standing there for about 5 minutes, she felt her eyes starting to well up with tears. She didn't want to fail this - it seemed like she wasn't getting any interest, though. Maybe she had chosen the wrong piece of prey?

Hoodiepaw was about to step back, when suddenly, a loud call echoed through the trees. It sounded much like a 'kree.' It made her feel hopeful, so she stood silently and watched as the biggest hawk she had ever seen dived down, before landing right in front of her. It was bigger than her, at least 3x bigger. The feline looked at it, scared, but it cocked its head and kree'd softly, before stepping forward and taking the lizard from her paw.

It was a he, and he had very dark brown feathers, almost black, actually. They were speckled with slightly lighter flecks, and his stomach was only faintly lighter. There was almost no difference in any of his colors. He seemed to be completely dark brown. He was a Ferruginous Hawk. Hoodiepaw grinned, and reached up to pat his head. "Does Destery sound good to you?" she asked him. He seemed to shake his head, and she furrowed her non existent eyebrows, before trying to think of another name. She hadn't expected him to not like the name she suggested. "Lee?" Same reaction. "Andrew? Alexander? Hanz?" He kept shaking his head, and she feared he would leave, until a name popped into her head. The name of her dead grandpa, who had basically taken care of her.

"Ansel?" she questioned quietly. The hawk kree'd softly again, and dipped his head to rub against hers. She purred and went to jump off the rock, but Ansel took to the air and picked her up with his talons, alighting down to the ground and setting her down with him. She giggled, before prancing towards the edge of the circle with Ansel in tow.

He must have stood there for a good few minutes, with another approaching the rock and standing beside him to call upon her own beast. His muscles were getting sore and his pride even sorer, but he still did not step down, paw outstretched and the rabbit still firmly clasped in his jaw. Another minute, each second ticking by like an eternity, and yet still nothing. Just the swoop of wings as they fluttered in and out of his peripheral view, dipping in and out of the trees with little interest in the feline and his offerings. Even the dragons were silent now, and he couldn't help but let in the anxieties and demons that plagued him.

You aren't good enough.

You're a murderer.

THEY left you too.

The thoughts left him more winded then they should have, and a tired sigh escaped Hanzo as he squeezed his eyes shut, his strength both physically and mentally faltering gradually. There was no point to this, anymore. There hadn't been a point in the first place. He didn't know by now, with his mind screaming bitter lies at him, whether it was just that he already had a spiritual bond or if it was because he was the problem. No gods wanted to grace him with a creature, no creature wanted a bond with something like him. It was understandable, but the depression still seeped deeply into his weary bones, and eventually he just... gave up. Lowering a paw, Hanzo glanced down from the rock at where Littlestar was, offering her a small, bitter and sorry smile.

"It's not going to work, Littlestar. I'm sorry," he murmured out, before jumping off of the rock swiftly, walking past the entire group at a brisk pace and not leaving time for anyone to argue. He was done with this little show. He needed to go walk... and think.

littlesoldier g. d. just in case so you see ^_^