LETS PLAY IN THE LAKE ;; egg?

This is an archived version of FeralFront. While you can surf through all the content that was ever created on FeralFront, no new content can be created.
If you'd like some free FeralFront memorabilia to look back on fondly, see this thread from Dynamo (if this message is still here, we still have memorabilia): https://feralfront.com/thread/2669184-free-feralfront-memorabilia/.

    I COULD BE COLD

    ysmus / valhalla & kit / male [♂] / storage


    *:･ﾟ✦ He was a delayed hatch and was left in the mound. Set upon dry strip of land, the mound kept his egg safe. Even now, within the nest his egg lay. Stirring slightly as he was ready, but he was not heard. Faint chirps ignored by long gone mother.




    "Speech."

    ☾ ― Jailbreak was well aware of the types of creatures within the marsh. There were alligators, or crocodiles (he could never remember which), snakes and sometimes even large birds. While he could fend against the smaller animals, there was no way he'd be able to defend himself against certain creatures. He had nearly passed the egg, but with the soft chirps seemingly rising from the ground, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes maneuvered around the area, eventually spotting the egg, one that was alone and shaking ever so slightly. The High King approached, but kept his distance, wary of what might be inside of it.

    HOSPITALPATIENT

    Hos had been wandering the marshlands as well, and nearly stumbled upon Jailbreak in surprise. "O-Oh Jailbreak what are y-you doing?" He followed the leader's gaze to a mound where an abandoned egg laid. An egg? Was this a bird egg? It looked a bit large for a bird egg, come to think of it. He had arrived late so he had not heard the chirps from this baby that laid inside. "W-Where did this come from?"


    I COULD BE COLD

    ysmus / valhalla & kit / male [♂] / storage


    *:･ﾟ✦ A voice reached him and the male thrust his nose upward. The shell pushing out until it tore. Chirps more desperate now that he knew his mom was out there. He had to get out. The male shoved his face out and clear eyelids flicked in a blinking motion. Two faces looked down at him, but which one was his mother? Who had protected his egg and laid it? He supposed her would find out eventually. Yet, he was a baby alligator. These were anything but alligators. Deep down, his instincts told him to cry out. To seek his birth mother, the one that would shelter him until he was old enough to handle himself. Yet, he was sure that she wasn't gone, but was one of these two. Why else would they not kill or eat him? What other reason was there? The small reptile wiggled the rest of his form free of the egg. Flopping into the mound of dirt with a soft thump.




    "Speech."

    ☾ ― Jailbreak's ear twitched when he heard Hospital's voice sound from behind him, though he did not turn to face him. He instead kept his eyes glued to the still shaking egg, whatever creature within it attempting to free itself. The question that he heard next caused him to crane his neck in Hos' direction, lips parting to speak to the Sageling. "I.. I just found it here.." The High King's voice trailed off as he averted his attention back to the egg once he heard a small crack. Whatever it was would be revealed to both of them soon. He could only hope it wasn't some sort of predator, or something dangerous to them. Jailbreak and Hospitalpatient weren't the most prone to fighting, and he doubted that the other male was good at it, much like himself.


    When the nose of the creature finally poked out of the egg, Jailbreak grimaced upon realization of what it was. The small creature was an alligator. Fortunately, it was tiny and more than likely unable to do much damage to anyone, but in the future, it could prove to be disastrous. That was, unless, it grew up as a somewhat civilized tribe member. Jailbreak frowned as he inched a bit closer, attempting to inspect the baby gator.

    I COULD BE COLD

    ysmus / valhalla & kit / male [♂] / storage


    *:･ﾟ✦ The child registered the one closest to him as mom. One day, he may call this dad, but instinct said it was mom. He was a simple beast right now. Eventually, when he was older, he would understand more. Understand that his parent was adoptive and male, thus a father. That nipping anyone that was not his parent was bad. When mom got closer, the male let out that chirp and looked up expectantly. She must be moving him to the water. That was what he thought at least. It was what happened in the wilds. Mom carried the hatchlings to the water and then watched over them. He just didn't know that this was not the same.




    "Speech."

    HOSPITALPATIENT

    Hos jumped as the egg cracked and a head poked out of it. The creature was revealed to be a baby alligator. It had been a very long time since the medic had seen one, although he was no stranger to what kind of creature they were. Well, it made total sense of how it ended up here, since the marshland was the perfect place for gators. But how did one end up here, without anyone to look after it? "J-Jailbreak, you should be careful, it might n-nip you ..." the tom warned, uncertain. He had no idea how to take care of one, let alone know what behaviors a gator would exhibit. What did they even eat anyway? Would the two of them even be capable of trying to raise a lost baby?


    Shrivenshade took the position of opposition, contrasting Hospitalpatient's concern with selfish enthusiasm and grotesque fascination with the hatching. Pale eyes would flicker way across the alligator and she would say, "We're lucky to live in a place with an ecosystem hospitable enough for so many special creatures." It was not the warmhearted comment one might perceive it to be, as the leopardess was more appreciative of finding plentiful amounts of toads and lizards to chuck into her cauldron than anything.

    HOSPITALPATIENT

    Special creatures? That was really a strange choice of words. He glanced sideways toward the jet black creature with a look of what appeared to be a mixture of dismay and confusion. "I mean y-you're not wrong that alligators are perfect for t-this kind of place, but ...." he trailed off. There was a clear sign that he was about to say but and an argument for this seemingly problematic situation for the sageling. "It'd be dangerous for t-this one to be alone, but we don't really know how to t-take care of one ..."

    "Somebody will surely take pity on him and help rear it."

    Swiveling to look at the stuttering tom, she would wonder whether or not a single hatched gator was really worth getting concerned about, or for. Either the hatchling lived, or it didn't; if the former, it would certainly grow to be an asset, if trained properly, and if it died, well, the Valhalla would never truly know what it was missing out on. "I suppose we'll see what fate has in store for him in time," she added simply, offering Hospitalpatient a shrug.

    HOSPITALPATIENT

    He stared blankly at the gator child before turning to the sorceress. Well, she wasn't wrong, even if it was the hurtful truth of survival. "So we're just going t-to leave him here?" Okay, Hos definitely didn't really trust the gator that he didn't want Jailbreak to go near it, but at the same time, his kinder side wished to make sure Ysmus was going to be okay. A small frown fell upon on his maw, clear that he was conflicted on this subject. "I guess we could j-just put the baby in the w-water near our camp and see how it g-goes ..."


    "That should be fine," she would say in brusque agreement, sea hued orbs flickering over the infant gator once more. Perhaps she could go to the trading center and see if anyone had any books on the species; perhaps she could uncover a thing or two that would help ensure his survival. For now, though, she merely nodded in agreement with the herbalist. "I don't suppose you'll be the one carrying him, though," she added off-hand, sensing his nervousness from his warning comment to her father.