EMPIRE ANTS ⟡ o, seashell hunting

[FINNEGAN F.M.R.]

WATERFALLS COMING

OUT YOUR MOUTH,

WHAT THE HELL

ARE WE DOING NOW?

draconic feline . minnow . he/they

There was something about the sea that had always been so... compelling to the young boy. Finn didn’t know if it was the smell, the sound, or the way it seemed to go on endlessly beyond the horizon. Perhaps it was something deep within him that drew him near, but regardless, exploring by the water’s edge was a favorite past time of his. When he wasn’t trying to practice his flying or climbing skills (despite his asthma trying to tell him doing these things was a very bad idea), he had a rather strange hobby of hoarding different shells he found during his adventures on the beach. Today, he was determined to find a really awesome shell he could brag about to everyone, a shell that would totally blow all other shells away.

Trotting along the shore, Finnegan would allow his purple hued gaze to scan the sand around him, waves lapping dangerously close to where his paws were. It was currently lowtide- the best time to go looking for seashells. While it was rather early in the morning and he was still slightly sleepy, the young minnow was determined to at least find one cool shell. Picking up a small pale blue shell, a small, surprised yelp would come from Finn as a hermit crab poked its way out of the large opening at the bottom, causing the draconic feline to quickly drop it back onto the damp sand. “Ah! I’m sorry!” He exclaimed, taking a step backwards. The crab, seeming unphased, just scuttled off, presumably to bury itself in the sand once more. Sighing in defeat, he would pause his search to look around him. Was the tide really going to disappoint him today and bring him nothing? Even after all the trouble he went to of getting up early?

Just when he was about to give up, the water now starting to engulf his tiny paws, a glint in the sand before him caught his eye. Something shiny and pink was buried just a few feet ahead. Rushing over, Finnegan began to furiously dig out the wet sand, hoping this was something worth his time. Once enough sand had been removed, the kitten was able to tug the large treasure free. What was it exactly? A large cream and pink conch shell. “YES! Finally! The treasure hunter has struck GOLD!” He would exclaim as quietly as he could manage, eyes glimmering with triumph. Taking his prize, he would set it next to a small pile of shelves under a palm tree at the back of the beach, away from the waves. Maybe it was stupid of him to feel prideful of such a small achievement, but to him, it was like uncovering a buried treasure chest.

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11.5px; width: 310px; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]Ingrained poor habit and choice until he was subjected to their whim, among the more prominent those pertaining to proper rest. Short his time upon shoreline, simple the routine he fell into without need of thought for it felt as though returning to something had he been, heavy the disappointment that tugged when supposed familiarity was proven false, however. Once more had he forsaken the bed he had been generously permitted to use, pace slow as he walked alongside the tide. Comforting the hushed sounds offered to rising sun, cool that which lapped at short strands, briefly filled before taken the evidence of his momentum.

Soon it drew to an end, sight unexpected that which caught attention, fleeting as it had grown. Yet sole focal point the child that walked his own path beyond the reach brine extended along dampened grains, even as he observed the land around back was he always drawn. No other seemed within attendance, few the observations he may draw from such conclusion, further shortened by the early hour, begun once more his walk though it lacked the peace of directionless wandering.

"A…" Words died on his tongue, fell into silence as he watched with amusement etched into small smile pressed to his lips at the antics of the kitten, pleased by the most simple of things. Such were the days, drought with excitement derived from new discovery, free the mind from that more harrowing experiences left behind. His task supposedly finished Har approached, permitted space between for unknown this child and thus such brazen action may be viewed rather negatively, quiet his own voice, a harsh rasp though inflicted with a warmth further present in golden depths. "That is a very good find. Could you show me how to spot the really nice ones, I'm sure you are much better than I could ever be."

With each word further did his voice dwindle, muffled the cough that proceeded, downward travelling the paw used until it pressed to throat lightly. Too long had he gone without communicating in such a manner, accustomed instead to the simple signs devised in his own youth or mental based messages, intrusive the latter in a manner he prefer not inflict without prior consent. Sheepish now the slight smile he bore, incapable of voicing an apology for the display and was instead left waiting.

[FINNEGAN F.M.R.]

WATERFALLS COMING

OUT YOUR MOUTH,

WHAT THE HELL

ARE WE DOING NOW?

draconic feline . minnow . he/they

It seems his little one-man game had been discovered by another of his crewmates, hardly even noticing the bombay cat as he sorted through his pile of shells. Turning to gaze at Harland, there was still a slight smile on his muzzle, a sight that was rare to see on the kitten's face. "Yeah! Of course I can!" He exclaimed, as if it were a challenge. Jumping up from the spot he had been inhabiting for the past minute or so under the palm tree, the young Roux child would turn, pointing a paw towards the waves. "I think you have... you have better luck finding them right now. Cause' um... the low tide, exposes all the shells that are normally hidden under water!" That was what it was called, right? Low tide? He couldn't remember if that's what the adults referred to it as or not.

Tiny paws pitter pattering across the damp sand, he would scamper down to the spot where he had found the giant conch. "This is where I found Pearl- I mean! The big shell... under the sand here. It was kinda stuck in the sand so I dug it out! Sometimes, if you have uh, a good eye, you can spot the shells sparkling in the sand. That's how I found it." Finnegan would call, stuttering. He felt like he was repeating himself, but to be honest, he found his methods sort of hard to explain. Most of the time, he just sort of got lucky when the tide brought shells in, happening to stumble across them during his walks on the beach. Today was the first day he had ever strategically used low tide to find shells, and it seemed like the best time to go searching for them without having to dive under water or get your paws wet- for the most part.

[trojan g.]

[align=center][div style="bgcolor= black; width: 45%; font-family: times new roman;font-size:13px;text-align:justify;opacity: 0.7;text-indent: 30px;"]Paws too big for his body carried Torsten over to the sandy beach of the Typhoon, watching for a moment as Finnegan spoke to Harland, waddling his way over quickly soon after. "I wanna shell too Finny." The child would state matter-of-factly, head tilting slightly as he soon sat down, looking down at his paws and the sand as he worked his way through the small grains. "Can you help me?"

He would stand up again, looking towards his brother hopefully before speaking once more, "I want a green one, if we can find it."

[ROXANNE R.]

me dejaste, me dejaste en un tango

The Quartermaster was happy that her children had been born and already frolicking upon the sandy beaches, it often proved to be a bit of a challenge to keep track of all her babies though it was a relied that she had Diya to help her take care of them. After all, with her last litters it had been Roxanne that had needed to take care of her kids by herself and raise them without their fathers but this time it had been different. She was happy about that. It made her extremely happy to have the person she loved helping her raise the children they had brought together into the world, a soft breath escaping her slightly parted lips as she made her way over to the voices of her two sons.

"Hello there, my little ones." Roxanne would purr quietly as she got a bit closer until she was beside Torsten, she lowered her head a bit to start grooming between his ears. Her eyes would glance over in the direction of Finnegan before opening her maw to speak to her other boy "That's such a beautiful seashell, my love." Her whiskers would twitch lightly as she took a seat curling her tail over her paws neatly, she watched through half closed eyes continuing to speak "You have a real talent in finding them."

EN EL ALMA SE ME FUE, SE ME FUE EL CORAZÓN
YA NO TENGO GANAS DE VIVIR, PORQUE NO TE PUEDO CONVENCER
QUE NO TE VENDAS, ROXANNE

— Reggan

[APHRA CIPHER .]

[glow=grey,1,400]ALL EYES ON ME IN THE CENTER OF THE RING ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

Finnegan certainly had a point with low tide bringing in some of the more prettier seashells and of course, wherever pretty things lay, Aphra was soon there. She loved seashells, as surprising as that is, so of course the Cipher was around whenever she heard Finnegan yell. She winced at the loud noise, rolling her eyes as she thought to herself about how annoying children were.

"Don't you know how to shut up?" Aphra hissed, glaring in the direction of the little family reunion that was happening in front of her. She was bitter that she didn't have anyone to help her, but oh of course this child would have help. Spoiled brat.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[Keona.]

[table][tr][td]

keona sibéal ní faoláin.
the typhoon.
the blind dealer.
information.

[/td][td]

[div style="width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #2a4971; text-align: left; padding-top: 15px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px;"]Idir brí is idir muir, Tá mé i dtiúin

Seashells.  The tiny wildcat had a few.  Even though finding them came with more challenge, Keona loved seashells.  Tracing her paws over the ridges.  She had spent countless hours as a kit, running along the shoreline, finding them, bringing them back to her father with pride in her pale hues.

Independent spirit, she hadn't minded finding them alone, or together.  But she found the support Finn received sweet and smiled at the youth as she padded across the sand.  She scoffed quietly at the sound of Aphra's lovely voice, but kept her focus.

Keona hummed softly as she stepped closer to the water's edge, brows creasing as she encouraged some of the waves backwards.  Just for a moment.  She couldn't hold it forever, but perhaps there was a shell to be found among the uncovered sand.

[/td][/tr][/table]

© MADI

[roan ;]

SOOTHSAYER ❝ ROAN ❞ THE TYPHOON

It wasn't often that Roan found himself able to rest, even though that was usually his own fault. After all, now he had sages, which meant he had a lot more wiggle room to relax then when he was a lone healer. Unfortunately, he had been a constant worker ever since he was an apprentice, and he had never really managed to shake that – something he and his cousin had in common, he supposed. Still, when he did manage to finally pull himself away from his work, he often chose the beach as a prime spot for a nap. That wasn't to say that Roan didn't appreciate his bed within the temple, but he loved taking a nice nap on the beach. It was incredibly relaxing, just allowing himself to sink into the sand and the warm rays of the sun to bathe down on top of his grey-blue fur. He couldn't do it for long, unfortunately, because of his recent shape-shifting incident. The scent of death that clung to him was unpleasant when he wasn't baking in the sun, and he didn't want to subject the rest of the clan to warm rotting flesh.

Today, however, was one of those few mornings where he allowed himself some rest. The sun had just finally begun to rise over the horizon, and he settled himself into his little bed of sand, resting his chin down against the grains and closing his eyes. Galaga soon nestled down beside him, pressing into the warmth that Roan's stitched up fur offered. The soothsayer chuckled softly as he felt his companions nuzzling, getting quite comfortable and ready to drift off to sleep. However, it didn't seem as though he would be able to rest for long. The triumphant cry if his little brother caused him to sigh, scrubbing a paw over his face before he got up, knowing it would be useless to try and get anymore rest. Especially since it seemed as though others were approaching the kit as well, meaning even more noise.

As he made his way over to the gathering crowd, Roan opened his mouth to greet the rest, ready to put on a happy and friendly face – or the closest to it that he could manage. He cut himself off, however, when Aphra's voice reached him. With his ears flattening down against his head, the soothsayer silently grew close to the pure white felines side, reaching a paw out. He attempted to press his paw down on Aphra's spine, sending a weak but sharp electrical shock through her if he was successful. Regardless of whether he was successful or not, the medic then stepped away, offering Finnegan a toothy smile. Hoping that the scent of his flesh wouldn't push the newest additions to his family away, Roan said softly, "Ah, Finn... nice job. I've never been one for shell collecting myself, but it's a nice hobby. Especially when you find nice ones like that... maybe if you get some ones you don't like as much, you can save them for gifts." After all, Christmas was approaching in only a couple of months, and Roan imagined there weren't too many who would frown down at a shell from young Finnegan.

DON'T ASK FOR HELP, YOU'RE ALL ALONE
YOU'LL HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOUR OWN PRESSURE!

— Reggan

[FINNEGAN F.M.R.]

WATERFALLS COMING

OUT YOUR MOUTH,

WHAT THE HELL

ARE WE DOING NOW?

draconic feline . minnow . he/they

Head turning at the sound of his brother's voice, his tiny tail would wave in greeting, a grin spreading across his muzzle at Torsten's request. "Sure! Let's see..." Finn would turn, walking a few feet before stopping. "Oh! Here's one! I think I found a green one!" Luckily, this one wasn't buried too much and it was fairly uncovered, thanks to Keona's help. Picking it up, a small, yet beautiful, minty green spiral shell was clutched in his jaws. Making his way back over to his brother, he gently set the shell on the ground. "How about this one?"

At the approach of Roxanne, Finn would scamper close, attempting to nuzzle into her fur affectionately. "Hi Mamma! Thank you! Do you want one too?" He would ask cheerfully, a small purr emanating from his tiny chest. Even if her praise was one of bias, it still made him extremely happy to hear his mother's approval. Before she could answer, another's words cut through his happiness like a knife.

"Don't you know how to shut up?"

Turning once more the kitten's happy expression was gone as he looked at Aphra, pain flickering in his violet orbs. Rarely did he ever physically show his happiness aloud, and the one time he did, he was cut down for it. It didn't last long however, as he felt something like bravery well up inside him, the pain in his eyes turning to ice instead. Imaginary brows furrowing, the boy took a small step forward in the queen's direction. "How about you shut up? When did I ask you anyways?" Finnegan would retort, wings flaring and tail lashing before he turned back to his mother, ignoring whatever answer she had for him. Hopefully he didn't scolded for that but what right did she have going around and being mean all the time? He wouldn't stand for it.

"Hi Roan! Ooh! Gifts... yeah! Or I could set up a lil' store maybe... 1 shell for 1 gold coin each!" Finn would respond to his older brother, giggling at his potential profit. Finnegan wasn't exactly driven by money, but he did like to collect old things. Coins, gold or not, intrigued the kitten. While he was still learning to read things like dates, he knew many coins were old and it made him think- how many paws had these old coins been passed through? What was it like in the time period they were made? History was so cool... and he wanted to know more. He hungered for more.

[trojan g.]

[align=center][div style="bgcolor= black; width: 45%; font-family: times new roman;font-size:13px;text-align:justify;text-indent: 30px;"]Lots of others, lots of words, they all flooded Torsten's senses the more crewmembers came, and it was hard for Torsten to keep up with what was going on, but only for a moment. He paid no mind to Aphra - she was a big meanie and he didn't really like her - but Roan's response to the words caused slight alarm. Why shock her for mean words that she had said, instead of just leaving her alone? He didn't understand.

Attention was quickly drawn away as Finnegan spoke to him, and Torsten watched intensely as his brother combed through the sand, soon finding the green shell that he brought forth to the boy, and he would beam in response. "I love it, thank you Finny!" He would excitedly respond, taking the shell into his own hands and bringing it close to him. He wouldn't lose it, not ever, he would just need to find a place to keep it safe.