It had been a few weeks since Fragglerock had joined The Golden Eye, and it was truly starting to feel like home. Sure, things had been rough in a couple of areas, especially considering the opinions of others on his species, but he could deal with that. Especially when one took into account the friends that he had already made, such as Arlo, Aesior, and Vincent. Hell, he was even beginning to warm up to Damion when the other wasn't threatening him. However, even though the place was beginning to feel like home, didn't mean that he knew the ins and outs of all the rules. He'd joined in a rather skittish state, and considering things in the group were still just beginning, Arlo hadn't exactly had a chance to educate him on ground rules. This meant that, when Frag ended up stumbling across one of the ziplines installed around the territory, he wasn't aware he shouldn't have even considered using it. After all, he was still so very young, and there was a lot of risk involved, especially when one took into account just how fragile he was. A drop from a great height could shatter him to pieces, and yet... curiosity prevailed.

It took a minute before he was able to climb up and grip onto the zipline handle, essentially gripping it with his entire body. He could hear his heart pounding rapidly in his ears already, but he still wanted to continue onwards. He wanted to see what it would be like for the zipline to carry him. So, with a quick shove of his back foot, the boy was descending downwards, the zipline letting out a sharp noise into the air as the metal grip slid against the rope. The wind whipped urgently around Fraggle's form, throwing back his ears and rushing through his fur. Even with how anxious he had been initially, he could help letting out a whoop of joy as he continued downwards, driven on by adrenaline – as well as the inability to stop. It seemed as though everything was going fine, and it wouldn't be long until he reached the bottom of the zipline, especially considering the speed at which he was moving. But then, disaster struck.

He wasn't sure what it was that made him lose his grip. Perhaps he simply got distracted, or maybe the metal grip was just too smooth for him. Either way, Fragglerock was only a small ways from the bottom as his body began to slip, and he found himself filled with panic. He began to mutter frantically, urgently trying to pull himself back on, "No, no, no, no, please!" It was too late, however. The rabbit soon found himself in free fall, entirely convinced that it wouldn't be long until the ground rushed up to meet him. A shrill scream left him as he fell, a million regrets running through his mind at once. Ultimately, he could only shout at himself in his mind for being so foolish, letting his curiosity drive him before his common sense. Dying certainly seemed like a harsh punishment for his idiotic actions, but it wasn't as if he could argue with the universe now. He only had a few seconds before the impact, and then there would be nothing but darkness.

Then, his feathers caught the air. It honestly could've been considered a miracle, if one believed in those. The feathered appendages that laid over Fragglerock's ears had been spread wide as he fell, mostly as a result of the air pushing them upwards. It seemed as though fate was smiling down on Frag, considering the "wings" atop his head managed to stop his sharp descent, instead sending him in a slower spiral towards the ground below. He was given little time to consider what was happening, just keeping his "wings" outstretched as his legs kicked out frantically. When he eventually did find himself on the ground again, he was out of breath and shaking, seemingly stunned that he was still alive. His ears fell flat once more, feathers thoroughly rustled from the wind that had been passing below them just a moment ago. He stared at his own feathered ears in shock, deathly silent for a moment before he began to... laugh. It was a frantic and breathless laugh, more out of genuine joy and relief that he had survived, rather than any kind of amusement.

It took only another brief moment before the youngling fell forward onto his belly, still taking several large breaths as he attempted to process what had happened. Glad to be on the hard earth once more, Fraggle mumbled softly to himself, "I am never... ever doing that again." Well... at least not anytime soon. Perhaps once he was older he would be more prepared for the ziplines, but he had certainly learned his lesson this time.

[div style="max-width: 600px; height: 24px; background: #b0a089; padding: 5px; line-height: 15px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; color: #943c3d;"][align=center] — [b]DRACONIC FELINE - GOLDEN EYE - VANGUARD - TAGS —

Perhaps Arlo would blame himself for the mishap that happened here today, late in the night nursing some kind of drink as he rested by candle light. Perhaps it was something he should have seen coming, but it was too late. Far too late, too little. Arlo was above patrolling once again, his eyes half closed as he let the winds carry him. No new scents had breach the border in a fair moment, and he had confidence that whatever was going on beneath him he need not worry about.

But then came the screaming.

Arlo's eyes snapped open, pupils narrowed and head craning down. He saw that figure, painted like a brush stroke against the deep greens and blues of the ground. A curse left his muzzle- whoever it was, they were falling fast. Arlo's wings beat, and within a heartbeat, the dragonic feline had banked and was diving. His wings were pulled in tight, front paws outstretched and back legs pointed backwards. A perfect dive- and yet, suddenly he was passing Fragglerock on the way down.

Arlo's massive wingspan snapped open, beating wildly against the ground as he landed. His head tossed back upwards at Fraggle, his heart pounding. He watched the male glide past, and Arlo made the hike after him. His head turned, hearing the massive booming of Aesior's elementals in the background of his head. Something was on fire in his chest, screaming in his head. Arlo came to the both of them, his chest heaving and his wings trembling. The dead-stop had taken a toll on him.

"You.. weren't allowed on them in the first place.." Arlo panted out, his ears pressed backwards and flattened against his head. "Maybe.. I should post.. signs.."

"speech"

There was a lot going on at once, wasn't there? He supposed it made sense, considering all that had just happened in such a short time frame. It still seemed almost impossible to the rabbit that he survived, even though he was alive, sitting safely on the rocky earth. Aesior's frantic telepathic call was still echoing in his mind, and he honestly wasn't sure what to do, raising one of his paws only to find it shaking before his eyes. He was about to open his mouth – intent on calling for Aesior and letting the other know he was alright – but the feline was already upon him, looking utterly petrified. The press of Aesior's nose against his head was a comforting one, and he let out a shuddering breath as he slowly closed his eyes. With the adrenaline leaving his system, he suddenly felt rather exhausted, much to his own chagrin. He was really just surprised that he didn't feel like sobbing, considering the ordeal that he had gone through. Either The Golden Eye had made him stronger, or the entire thing had been such a shock to his system that he didn't have tears to shed. Either way, he was silently glad not to be crying in front of everyone.

Once he felt as though he had finally caught his breath, the rabbit raised his gaze to look Aesior over, pretty plainly noticing how worried the feline had been. It warmed his heart, but it also made him feel guilty, not wanting to practically give Aesior a heart attack. He spoke up in a gentle tone, his small claws curling lightly at the ground beneath him, "I'm... I'm okay, Aesior. Definitely a little... shocked... by what just happened, but I'm okay. See? No injuries." He stretched out a front paw and a back leg, showing off that he hadn't sustained any injuries from what had happened. Nothing more than some bruised pride and a few treebranches stuck in his pelt. He doubted that would be enough to entirely put Aesior at ease, but... he would let the other check him for any injuries as much as he wanted, if he needed to. The other was the closest thing to a medic that The Golden Eye had, at this point.

Arlo and Vincent were the next to approach, Arlo with a bit more urgency, but Vincent clearly worried as well. Fraggle waved a paw at the both of them, his eyes vaguely drooping as he did so. The exhaustion fully had him in its grip at this point, and he wasn't sure whether to thank or cursed his own adrenaline. It had no doubt kept him alive, but now he felt as though he could sleep for days. In an effort to keep himself awake, he responded to Arlo slowly, "Didn't realize I wasn't allowed... I definitely see why, though. Don't worry, I won't be doing that again." He glanced up at the ziplines high above wearily, a frown pulling at his muzzle. Signs definitely seemed like they would be helpful, and he was somewhat relieved when Vincent offered to put them up. That meant the task wouldn't be putting more pressure on Arlo's already heavy shoulders. Nodding lightly in Vincent's direction, the boy agreed, "That sounds like a good idea to me... It shouldn't take that long, just going to the different ziplines and putting something up." It would probably be easier with wings, since you could just fly from zipline to zipline, but he was also certain that Vincent was capable.

The last to arrive was Cleopatra, and her presence alone was enough to make Fraggle wince. He knew that she would be disappointed to see he was alive, and he initially sent a half-hearted glare in her direction, figuring she wouldn't say anything. After all, he had nearly died, and both Arlo and Aesior were pleasant, along with Vincent. None of the others had been particularly shy about their disapproval when it came to her comments. Yet still, she felt bold enough to open her mouth. Another flare of anger rose up within Frag, even through the exhaustion, and he replied in a short hiss, "And felines that can't shut their mouths might just lose their tongues." In this case, that was a thread that Fragglerock could actually follow through on. Some sharp object, a sleeping Cleo... it was honestly a tempting prospect, but his brain was admittedly scrambled by adrenaline and drowsiness. So, once he had snapped back at her, he found himself leaning his head back against Aesior's chest, his eyes heavily drooping with sleep.