Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by GathersIngredients » Thu Jan 12, 2017 11:12 pm

Lauren felt both alarmed as well as confirmed in her estimate about the duckbills by what happened to Henry.

She hadn't expected the situation to get as pear-shaped as this - because she hadn't anticipated that Henry would go and "sneak up" on one of their young - but she had very much assumed that the herbivores, while being far from harmless or unable to defend themselves, if need be, would refrain from taking advantage of a downed raptor, from going in for the kill. Unlike another meat eater, who would probably not miss out on the chance of finishing off a prone opponent in order to eat them later or at least to eliminate the competition, they just would defend themselves and retreat.

Which made them a good choice for potential allies. She felt Itogg's searching gaze on her, and while she didn't feel like she deserved the amount of trust in her abilities to smooth this over, nor did she particularly fancy the idea of the burdens of leadership, she acknowledged that she had started these negotiations and that she had to do anything she could to try and save the chance of that still happening.


So she gave a little nod, folded the feathers of her tail neatly and started to move, very slowly, towards Henry to check on him. Her posture was attentive, straightened up more than she would for a running motion, but by no means aggressive. She held her arms slightly spread, the feathers dangling downwards idly from them and walked with patient, very measured paces, radiating calm and peace with every step. She raised her voice - more than she would in order to talk to a single conversation partner, but not as much as to be perceived as yelling or to draw attention to this place and the creatures in it from outside the clearing - to reach every duckbill in the herd (and every present raptor as well) and told them in Fivlnoaa speech:
"There is no need for this. Calm your tempers and your fears. I believe this to have been an honest mistake - on both sides. I will not blame an entertainer for striving to elicit smiles, or even laughter from a crowd. Nor will I blame a mother for looking out for her little ones."

By now she had reached the albino raptor and was very relieved to find him not only stirring and able to stand up on his own, but also aware of what had gone wrong and apologetic to the Fivlnoaa. The little hot head Ambrose surely would have reacted differently, and she shuddered to think what Gilroy might have done.

Lauren accompanied Henry to the water, walking kind of sideways, her arms slightly upraised now to shield any herbivores from him, deliberately ignoring every instinct that screamed to her she shouldn't turn her back on them now, after she had seen what they could do and by keeping her front always towards Henry, demonstrated to the herd both that she trusted them and that they could trust her, as well as a certain concern for her "pack mate".
When Henry was clean, she could see that nothing serious had happened. He would be sporting a few bruises for a day or two, but no lasting damage had been done. At least to Henry's body.


So Lauren turned towards the Fivlnoaa again, approaching Itogg, the mother and her child slowly and respectfully, watching especially the body language of the younger two and halting at a distance that would not make them nervous or uncomfortable. In a voice that clearly carried concern she asked "Have you or your child been harmed?"



After waiting for her reply, if any, Lauren urgently seeks Itogg's gaze to tell him something, trying to get him to step aside a little, perhaps; her voice a slightly quieter this time, but not so silent that she could not be overheard. She didn't want to keep secrets, but neither did she want to stir up panic.
"To prevent this situation from escalating any further, I feel there is something that you should know. There are 4 more of 'us' around," Lauren takes a moment to describe the looks of the 4 raptors who went scouting the kill site, "they went to go check out the fighting grounds between a big teeth and a spike-tail. They are bound to come here for water sooner or later and meet up with us. I'm am telling you this not to sow fear, nor to threaten you, but so you know I was - and am - not planning to ambush you and yours. And while I have no means to control them, rest assured that I will do anything I can to convince them that attacking any of you is not in their best interest."
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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by SamWiser » Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:39 pm

Sam is shocked at how the situation turned sour so quickly. He turns to Itogg. Uh... uh... I'm sure he's okay. Sam turns to find Henry standing up slowly. He motions to Henry. See, he's okay. I don't know him well, but I don't think he's the type to hold a grudge. I'm sure everything will be okay.
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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by Mereneth » Fri Feb 10, 2017 3:18 am

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Gully Stream:

Itogg remained tense as he watched Lauren approach the dowed raptor. He could feel his hearts rapid beating shake his frame, waiting for the encounter to explode into violence. While he was positive this pack was different than most Ikarn, it did little to reassure a lifetime of experience that demanded he remain cautious, even fearful of such a situation. This experience was new, terrifyingly so; any other time the sun shone on his herd and a pack of Ikarn in the same space usually meant he and his would leave as a smaller family and possibly with the blood of the ones left behind on their hides.

Slowly the situation seemed to relax, most notably in his herd as the female who struck the albino stiffly shook her head at the query if the young one had been injured in the encounter. Watching her muscles ease and her defensive posture begin to settle as Sam and Lauren spoke with her while tending to Henry did much to lower the stress of the others. No, he noted, neither side had suffered lasting injury, short of pride, perhaps. As the raptors turned away to clean up the albino he could feel his own tension lessening, only to briefly snap back into place as he caught movement in his peripheral. As the raptor youth who had leapt into the water before came into view he relaxed once more and watch as she sought to reach the others.

Why had he forgotten her? It baffled him why there seemed to be no sense of hostility coming from the little raptor whatsoever. Even as clumsy and odd as these Ikarn were, he could feel the hunger of the forest in them, even when he was not looking directly at them. Yet, the diminutive Ikarn did not even spark a single concern as he followed her with his eyes.

Short though the moment had been, it felt as if he had stared for an age until he caught Lauren's attempt to gain his attention. With the situation under control he took careful steps forward until he could hear her clearly.

Others... there were more of them. They would truly pose a threat to his unless they struck the deal immediately. If they were not already waiting out of sight and scent he would need them to co-mingle peacefully when they did show or risk another possible confrontation.

"If what you say is true, then my path is clear. Until our... misunderstanding occurred I had hoped to speak longer before asking what I now must for the sake of my herd. You asked about being taken as a hatchling among us, admitting your peculiar faults as a major weakness that you hoped to compensate for by seeking some form of safety among my kin. I would ask that you and your pack, whether you wish to admit you are one or not, look after me and mine."

He took a moment to breathe and gather his thoughts, putting to words what had only been a concept when he first recognized the potential for such allies,

"You would swear to never attack any of my pack and assist in its defense against all aggressors. In kind, we would lead you to safe water and direct you away from hunting grounds of other Ikarn, large and small, that you might become stronger without the risk of conflict and injury. If either needs help, they may ask for it. My herd cannot be expected to help you hunt, though we can give you information of our rivals and where they feed and rest.

If any of my pack suffers a grievous wound that I or they decide will lead to their demise in short order, they will offer themselves to your pack that you might feed easily on the condition that you end them quickly. Until I believe you are able to meet this term, though, it will remain unavailable. Even if they are to die of their wound, I do not wish them to suffer further wounds from clumsy claws and teeth that cannot quickly end their suffering.

For however long our truce lasts, you will swear that upon its end you will leave my herd alone afterwards until the end of a second springs growth has passed.

Is this acceptable? Is there any term you would like to propose we add?"


He could feel the presence of his herd as they fanned out behind him, curiosity outweighing their dwindling fear enough to let them creep forward to listen to the conversation. He could feel pride swell in his chest and shove aside the fear still clawing at his heart as his Fivlnoaa showed their own strength to overcome their fears in order to become a better, stronger family. It was enough to make him want to stand as tall as he could so that these Ikarn would feel his pride, too, though he was unsure how they might take the gesture at this point in their diplomacy.

Lilly had taken little time in beginning to clean the albino's hide upon rejoining the others. Awkwardly she scraped away at the mud on his hide before settling for allowing her instincts to show her how to help, leading her to preen his feathers clean and lick the earthy, moss flavored mud from his head and spine.

"I don't think they like magic too much, maybe it should only be something for us? You can even do some for me later!"

She chirped happily as she worked, trilling with the pleasure of having something useful to do. Her books hadn't really covered how a dinosaur might treat a magic trick; for once her knowledge of dinosaurs didn't have an answer she could share with her pack-mates.

The markings the others had left on the trees made for an easy trail to follow, leading them to the shroud of foliage that blocked the view of the stream. However, one of the three was missing upon their arrival, lost along the way without the others noticing.

Voices can be heard, though it is masked by the sound of running water enough that it cannot be made out from the other side of the foliage.

Hammond shook himself to try and dislodge the itchy, flaking dry blood from his hide as they finally came to a stop. While Bjorn's attentions to the blood on his face had helped tremendously he still found it difficult to see. The salty crust of blood and sweat on his outer eyelids burned when he tried to move his eyes to look around, limiting his sight to wherever he pointed his head. While he doubted he would ever need to commando crawl through the guts of another dinosaur again, he hoped he never would find himself in such a position again.

"Are there any more marks to follow? Have we reached the water the others went to? I believe i've had my fill of blood for a few lifetimes and would kill for- no, I could really go for being clean again."

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Fri Feb 10, 2017 5:36 am

From the sound up ahead of running water, hope swelled within Bjorn's chest as he looked back at the group, proud that he was able to lead them to the water. His hope quickly died as he noticed that one of their party had gone missing. His mind pushed the feeling aside, now was the time to regroup, the missing would have to survive on their own until later. "I hear water in the distance, let's get you cleaned off Hammond and perhaps find me some food. The sight of you two showing down has done little to calm the growls of my stomach." He patted his stomach as if to prove his point.

Taking up the lead again, Bjorn led the two remaining raptors toward the sound of water. When he comes within sight of any of the others, he'll hail them from afar. "Hail Friends".

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by Arch Lich Burns » Fri Feb 10, 2017 7:20 am

"I should have expected it to not go well but I forgot that I am a terrifying machine. Unfortunally many tricks are preformed with various props and I am not quite sure how to replucate those yet." Henry looks up when Bjorn and the others come back. "Hello. Did you get anything for us?"

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Fri Feb 10, 2017 7:30 am

Bjorn looks toward the raptor who spoke and came closer to the others, intent on telling them what they had seen and heard. "Both of the beasts are dead and there is enough food to feed a village many times over." He stops, in deep over how to explain the danger of what they found. "There are many other beasts of which kinds I have never seen before picking at and eating the meat, but they were of various sizes and didn't seem bothered by our presence." Bjorn stops again, picking his words carefully. "But there were other ones....similar to us, but saying strange things, that we are children in adult bodies." Bjorn stops and starts again, eager but careful about what he is about to say. "They were not many, but more than us, and they threatened us to leave for them to eat first. I was prepared to stand up for myself and the others, but one of them is a výlva and I became afraid of her powers. She shook a bangle upon her arm and three raptors who looked dead in the eyes approached us with an aggressive stance." Bjorn pauses in his story, looking at the alien faces of the others in an effort to judge how they were reacting to his words. "If we, all of us, were to return, assuming any of you are hungry, I think we will pose enough of a group that we could eat to our fill. But, in an effort to be careful, we could circle around to another side from where we ran into these native raptors."

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by Arch Lich Burns » Fri Feb 10, 2017 7:40 am

Henry looks at Bjorn with a cocked head. "What is a vola? And you are sure these raptors were...dead?"

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by SamWiser » Mon Feb 13, 2017 8:15 pm

Sam turns to Lauren for a moment, surprised at Itogg's offer. It seems perfect for them! He (she, whatever) turns back to him. We'll most likely need to talk to the rest of our group before we agree. I don't want to say yes, only for some others to mutiny and attack you guys anyway. But, know that I will be your champion. The benefits we get from your offer are amazing, and you seem an honorable sort. Protecting you and your family is the least we can do for all of the help you would be giving us.
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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by GathersIngredients » Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:06 am

Lauren is way too concerned what the others will do, once she sees them arrive, to listen to what Sam is saying. She rushes towards them, intent to keep true to her word and make it clear to them that hostility to the herbivores here is neither necessary nor in their best interest. But as she hurries to meet them, she notices that something is wrong.

"Why are there only 3 of you? Where is Katherina?"

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:31 am

Bjorn looked at the raptor that asked the pointed question and hung his head in shame. "I don't know, she was right behind us and then...when we got here she wasn't anymore, but she was acting distant when we got to the kill sight, I only looked away for one second." He then turns to the other raptor who looks like he had been recently roughed up, perhaps by the large creatures near the bank of the water.

The language barrier of understandings and words seemed more obvious now than they had ever before and Bjorn fought for the words to say. "A výlva is a daughter of Freya, whose power runs in their blood, to give prophecy or command that the winds be in good fortune for the raid ships, they are not to be crossed, lest you are cursed by them."

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by GathersIngredients » Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:00 am

Lauren sighs and shakes her head slightly. The sooner I get to be part of Itogg's deal, the better.

Out loud she says "We have a great opportunity on our hands" she looks down her front and corrects herself: "- claws - here.
Itogg,"
she points out the elder by cocking her head, "the leader of this herd of herbivores is willing to take us in for a while at least, and help us to learn about the land and keep us away from other predators. In return he wants our help against aggressors and that the members of his herd be save from us. Maybe he can repeat his terms now that we are all here. Well, most of us, anyways." Lauren shoots a stern look at the three who lost Katherina and didn't even seems to care enough to look back whether or not she followed.
Then she realizes, that with all the other bigger, more experienced dinosaurs around, and the ones who know how to actually be a pack, she isn't too eager to go out there - possibly alone - and look for the lost one, herself. Especially not when she has found a potential haven of safety that she might have to give up, if she went on a search and rescue mission now. Her features soften and she gives the three ones that have returned a small, but reassuring nod, indicating them that she is glad that they -did- return.

After everything with the other raptors is sorted out (OOC:I'm leaving room for more RP from co-players here, but I want to make sure to get this in before the next update), she slowly walks back to Itogg. "I would like to be part of your deal. But as I said before, I can only speak for myself and... whatever the others decide... I would like to ask that each individual raptor is held responsible for their own actions only for a short initial period of time, at least.
We are still getting to know each other and I don't fancy the prospect of the whole "pack" being cast out because one of my travelling companions that was bestowed on me by fate or randomness or whatever other power did this to all of us made a stupid mistake, or misbehaved deliberately. We are all strangers to one another, so I cannot fathom what any one of the others would do.
Like this little incident with Henry? I was completely surprised by it, and I had no way of stopping it.
I did my best to smooth things over and I will continue to do that. But I cannot vouch for my peers. Not yet, anyways.

Would that be acceptable for you?"
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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Tue Feb 28, 2017 5:36 am

Bjorn raised the equivalent of an eyebrow. Teaming up with another group made sense, but not when his body kept screaming FOOD! everytime he even dared to look at one of the large creatures. With the thought of food on his mind, he raised this point. "An alliance sounds well and good, but what food are we being offered in this deal, I would imagine that this body is unable to eat grass and leaves, we will need meat and blood in order to survive."

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by GathersIngredients » Tue Feb 28, 2017 5:49 am

"Surely you're not suggesting that the herbivores are supposed to get us our food, or worse yet, be it, are you? Keeping ourselves fed will remain our own responsibility, as it would, too, if we don't go for this deal. I'm sure there's plenty other creatures around we can hunt and - if successful - eat. Only the members of Itogg's herd are off limits." Lauren tries to explain to Bjorn.

Also, after a noise that she can only imagine it being his tummy rumbling, she notions over to the severed leg by the stream that she had brought with her.
"...and if you're hungry now, and don't mind eating Gilroy, there's a bit of him still over there." she tells him very quietly, a little embarrassed at the whole cannibalism incident, hoping secretly that Itogg maybe won't be any wiser about which species the leg is from and that using the individual's name will not give it away. She feels heat rising into her cheeks and wonders if her new raptor self can blush.
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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:28 am

"I was not suggesting that they get food for us" Bjorn shakes his head at the thought. "Merely that this sounds like a one-sided alliance in which these creatures gain all of the benefits. While only a brief run away from here is enough food for us all to eat our bellies so that...none of us accidentally turn on the very creatures we have allied to protect." Bjorn thinks deeply about his ability in the old world at tracking and then responds to her again. "At this point, I believe, seeing the lay of the land as it is, that I can easily traverse between here and where the great beasts fell, I suggest we make haste to the site, eat our fill and then return. I am fine with an alliance, even with plant eaters, but to truly be at our best, we must eat."

(Is it possible for me to determine how far (in time) it takes between the river and the kill site, if taken at a run?)

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by GathersIngredients » Thu Mar 02, 2017 2:10 am

"Wait a minute. You want to go back there NOW? After telling us that there is another pack of raptors there, who told you to get lost? Raptors that can do magic and raptors that are undead and with the witch actually controlling the revenants?!" Lauren normally would have shrugged the very idea of someone doing real magic - not the tricks that someone like Henry was capable of - voodoo and zombies off as someone's overactive imagination, but today definitely didn't have anything at all to do with "normal". The mere thought of being controlled by someone else's will - posthumously or not - scared Lauren more than she was willing to admit.

"Which by the way made you lot come back here, tail between your legs and minus one of us. For all we know they could already have devoured Katrina. Or killed and recruited her. So you want to go back? You and what army?

If you need reminding, you already had all the male raptors in this 'pack' - and mind you, by using this word I'm really stretching its meaning to new extremes - with you, save for junior here, maybe." Lauren
indicates Henry with a motion of her claw. "And if I heard you correctly earlier, you seem to think all females are good for is making more babies. I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not quite ready to deliver." Lauren says very pointedly and smirked.
Since she didn't tell anyone about the situation she had been in, before she got turned raptor, Lauren very much assumed that the others wouldn't pick up on her pun. But there was little enough to enjoy about Lauren's current situation, why not have a little private joke at her own expense?

"So, in a nutshell, if you think the deal this herd of duckbills is offering it one-sided, that's fine, you don't have to be part of it. And if you want to go back there,.. well, it's not like I can stop you from going any more than you could make me tag along. Good luck, because you are gonna need it."
With that, Lauren turns around to walk away from Bjorn so swiftly, her tail feathers swish by very close to his face, but don't actually connect. In her agitated state, not even Lauren could say whether or not that was deliberate.
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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Thu Mar 02, 2017 5:26 am

Bjorn snaps his teeth in irritation at the highstrung female who attacks him with her cutting words. Some of the words she uses and the phrases she seems to intend, go over his head, but from the entirety of her words, he understands the gist. He knew all too well the kind of women who were similar to this one. The chief's wife was one such. A woman who thought of herself much wiser than her peers all the while attempting to make herself appear to be more humble. As she turned tail and walked away from her, feathers flying in his face, he ignored her. He began to wonder what her age was and perhaps what the age of maturity in her time was (as odd as thinking about other times were). In his youth, at the mere age of 10, he was already hunting on his own and by the age of 16 he had already been on 2 summer raids, one of which left him with a rather nasty scar.

Bjorn took the high-road and looked around at the others who were there. "There is food to be had and while yes, there are enemies who would seek to stop us, the food that I am speaking of, is taller than the very trees themselves and longer than several long-ships tied end to end. If we circle around them, we could find ourselves a place where they are not, and our numbers would be greater than theirs. You cannot tell me that you are not hungry."

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by Arch Lich Burns » Thu Mar 02, 2017 7:49 am

Henry looks at the argument in horror, trying to think how to calm them down. "Ahem! I think the agreement is thus: we protect each other, they help us with the area and get us to know our new form. We must hunt or scavage on our own but if one of them dies we can eat them. It would be foolish to refuse, espessially since there are murderous raptors around. We have already ate our fill."

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Re: Raptor at Heart - Lost with the Wild

Post by BadgeAddict » Thu Mar 02, 2017 7:57 am

Bjorn continues to get aggravated and his foreign body begins to quiver slightly in expressed frustration. As he listens to the foolish words that he hears, he begins to take in the size of things with his eyes. (I'm trying to get a feel for how tall I am, against the others and then against the grass eaters).

Having heard enough from the bickering children, he gingerly approaches the plant eater that the others had identified as Itogg.

"Greetings plant eater, I am hungry but I do not wish to stomp so quickly upon whatever alliance that these others have formed with you. Tell me, where can a meat eater such as myself fill his belly with flesh? For I am hungry and having seen meaty flesh but not having partaken in eating it I am becoming ravenous."

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