Sunbeam Lair See, you almost would be gone if you couldn’t wait for me

STORY TIME / HISTORY LESSON
Everyone should be in attendance, and prepared to either listen or spin a tale or two of their own. ^^ There is no posting order, but please do not exceed a total of two posts per day—there will not be rounds, since this is just for fun.
∞ @Ukko @Avannon @Hisaya @Bonnie @Shiori @Airi @Kaori ∞
Kae, you do not have to partake if you’re unable to post. There’s some PP of the hatchlings having gone along with Asterr, but lemme know if any of you guys would like that changed!

For some time now, the hatchlings had been old enough to meet the rest of the tribe. She knew not if any of them might have happened upon others whilst she was away from them, but she knew that she’d yet to bring all of them together in order to greet the girls. It was time now, though, for that to be corrected. Each child had been nudged—either to wake them or simply to get their attention—right before Asterr exited the den, motioning for them to follow her. She would wait until each one had followed her out before leading them off in a new direction, one of which that had previously been forbidden for them to ever venture in. With an adult, they would be fine, and so she hadn’t thought twice about taking them to the lake. Thus far each of the children had proved to listen well enough, which left her without anything to worry about. Besides, if they were to grow curious, there would be plenty of adults there to pull them back.

As the lake was reached, she brought them to a stop away from the water’s edge. They were close enough, still, to see the lake, but far enough away that someone could intercept any wandering children. As she settled down, her gaze drifted across the three young dragons, a smile on her lips. “You will each be meeting the tribe today, but none of you should fear any of them,” she announced. “Keep away from the water for now.” The rest of what she had planned would be shared once everyone else had arrived. Should the girls have nothing to say, Asterr would lift her muzzle towards the air and loose a howl, summoning those of the tribe.

Even if they didn't talk much, he felt they were at least getting along well enough for the sake of the girls. He'd grown fond of them but he only assumes because of the time he spends with them rather than a familial bond he lost the day of their birth. As much as he tries not to think about it, he knows their relationship has been tainted and whether or not he can fix it, he's uncertain. Maybe, as expected, he'll simply be a terrible father and the thought alone unsettled him.

He knew of the move and instead of helping shuffle the girl's, he stayed near the lake to make sure it was safe for when they arrived. When a location had been secured off, ready for their arrival and call of the rest of the pack, Ukko paced the length of the bank.

It is when they arrive that his attention turns, unable to hear the words the mother gives their girls but a soft smile appears. Even when his eyes settle on Asterr, his gaze does not harden and a wag of his tail his given. His attention drops no more than a second later and he steps up to nudge each of the puppies and a murmuring purr from his muzzle with each one. "Are you guys excited?"

Her mother and father, 'kasan and 'tosan, brought them near the lake, to Airi's annoyance. They were to meet the commoners. To her knowledge, limited as it was, there were no samurai, no scholars. They were all just...poopy-butt-heads. Vulgar, but it worked.

She frowned as she sat near her parents, looking up at them both, ignoring her sisters, with annoyance. No, She answered her father levelly, holding his gaze, Don-wanna, She said with conviction.

Avannon heard Asterrs call, and stood up slowly. Ears flicking she pinpointed the location of her voice and set forward to meet up with her leader. Wondering briefly why she had been summoned she picked up her pace, arriving soon after. She looked at Asterr and then down at the three small black forms located near her. It took her a moment of shock to realize that the young girls were Asterrs little dragons, her children. A smile formed on her maw, and all remnants of bad feelings toward Asterr vanished "oh Asterr...they're beautiful" she gushed, her voice a whisper. Crouching down to their level she met their gaze "hello, I am Avannon. You can call me Ava if you wish. May I have your names?" she introduced herself to them, in turn asking for their own names even though Asterr had told her them once before. Besides, she wouldn't have been able to place the names to their faces anyway.

Bonnie was quick to the call, loping against the ground toward Asterr. Once she arrived, she examined the scene, a sudden glint of joy lighting her eyes. Children! Three little fluff balls (though not much smaller than Bonnie herself in all honesty) stood before her before the Chieftess and Chieftain, thus it was assumed that this was the litter Asterr spoke of on the day of their meeting.
She yelped joyously and with childlike excitement, lowered herself to the children's eye level. Hello there! I'm Caroline, she introduced, but y'all can call me Bonnie. Can you say that? With one final grin, she lifted herself up to the same height of Ava and her superiors, greeting each of them individually with a nod.
They're so cute! I had no idea that they'd be this sweet! Well, I wasn't expecting them to be anything but adorable, but this is just too much! Still in the early ages of her own adulthood (she'd only just become a yearling in the past months), she found almost no difficulty in exposing the innocent side of her personality. It was the aggressive side that she chose to keep hidden.

Bonnie showed up next and was immediately gushing over the children, causing Avannon to smile even more. The woman made remarks on the children's cuteness and Avannon laughed "Hey Doc. Aren't they? They are remarkably beautiful, I mean..look at her eyes!" she commented on the daughter with exquisitely silver eyes. "I knew your children would be nothing but remarkable"  she said,words once again directed to Asterr. Her tail thumped rapidly against the ground, showing her excitement. She looked between Asterr and Ukko and her smile dimmed slightly at the distance between the two. She could almost sense some tension between the two, but then again she could be imagining things too. "so, what are we gathered for? If you don't mind me asking." she questioned eagerly her blue eyes darting between both of the obsidian colored adults.

Oh my god they weren't.

Airi cringed as she was crowded by the two females. She wheeled backwards, a scowl marring her face, her lip curling. Get away! Uglies. How dare these commoners. Seriously. Mother and father better work out whatever was going on and get back to disciplining the chattle.

Avannon lifted a paw and sat down staring at the girl with shock for a moment before a wide smile formed on her maw "Attitude. Spunk. Its wonderful. Refreshing actually. Alright right then young lady. I will speak to you like the respectable woman you are. What is your name?"  she said gaze falling upon airi with interest.

She knew she had been painfully absent in recent times, though still she upheld her duties, the trade she had so wished for was still not one she officially possessed.  days ago, she had woken groggy and sore, and stayed a distance from the rest of the fact as she waited for her cold to abate, a cold she felt may have had something to do with the incident in the river a few days ago. she was many things, yet not a fisher. 

she arrived rather late,  to her dismay, to the summons, in time to see one of the children which she had met already, Airi, expressing her disgust at the two wolves fawning over her. she bit in a laugh, though her eyes were bright with mirth. she had no mind to join the two in disturbing the children,  so she merely sat a short distance away, greeting her sister with a respectful nod and a smile, watching the pups as her gaze settled on Airi moment to grin a sympathetic smile. "They have grown" She commented idly, glancing to the Cheiftess with a sincere smile, proud of her nieces.

she was content to watch as Avannon tried to achieve the pups graces after the little one seemed to so obviously dislike her, and decided she would meet the pups later, when the others did not crowd them and she could perhaps speak to them and learn of them. and she was in no way going to risk giving them traces of her lingering cold, and thus she stayed shy of them, though the happiness at their presence here was apparent.

Thus far she had avoided the public gaze, hiding behind her sisters, mother, and father. Airi might have been pleased to badmouth these big strangers, but Shiori was more cautious. She was inclined to believe that they were friendly. After all, hadn't her mother said so? And kachan had never led her astray before. Wide-eyed, Shiori was content to watch until her curiosity got the best of her and she stepped from her mother's shadow.

I am Shiori, she said softly, every inch the demure little princess her sister was not. Her gaze turned to the wolf called Ava, or rather to a point just above and to the left of her eyes. Thank you, she said, because that was what one did when they were complimented. She lacked the vocabulary and wherewithal to identify anything to compliment in return.

Most breathtaking was the new array of sounds, from the water, whose sweet susurrus was cold and blue, to the new voices of Bonnie, Hisaya, and Avannon. It was quite a bit for her to handle, for the overlap resulted in a visual cacophany the likes of which she had not experienced for a long time, if ever. Still, she was nothing if not curious, and though she wished to hide again in the shadow of her parents, she wanted to see what she could learn.

The expected discomfort of being around Ukko was not there, and she’d not felt it even after he’d approached the girls. Still, not a word was said and her attention was eventually diverted back towards her daughters, smiling at each of them—until she’d heard Airi. Not a word was said, she’d merely frowned, hoping to herself that, as the gathering progressed, the girl might change her mind. It was meant to be an exciting day, not something to be dreaded or rushed through. It was a worry of hers that her eldest might encourage such a thing, though she hoped to end her negative opinion before it had a real opportunity to develop. As the others started to arrive, she’d looked passed her child’s comment and focused on them, greeting each of her tribe members with a smile and a nod of her head.

For why they had gathered was questioned, and the Chieftess had been ready to answer. The only thing stopping her had been Airi’s words, and then the response she’d received; it was not a belief of hers that praising bad behavior would assist in putting an end to it. “Airi, you will apologize,” the dragoness stated, holding her gaze on the child. “They are members of this tribe, and therefore members of our family. You will not continue to speak to them as you have.” She could not recall any of her family members acting in such a way, nor had she ever heard stories of her own choices being similar to her daughter’s. It was new to her, but not something that she wished to observe and learn about. No, she wished for it to cease, and for each of her hatchlings to act as respectable members of the Draconid line. She’d thought to separate the girl from the rest of them but, after hearing Shiori speak, she’d decided that it might be better for her to remain there and learn from her younger sister.

A glance was tossed in Hisaya’s direction, a silent message given through the look in her eyes. No sooner had she done so and her gaze was sweeping across the others as she said, “We are here in order to share and hear stories.” To spin tales and learn from others. She continued, then, by saying, “As well as for my family’s history to be shared with all of you. I am reminded each day of how many of you are not from my former tribe, and how not knowing its history can affect us all negatively. For that reason, and so my daughters may learn, I wish to share with you all the story of my blood.” Everyone would have a chance to share a story, assuming they’d like to, though the primary reason for the meeting was to learn.

Other wolves gathered in no time and he scans each one, despite Airi’s objections to wanting to be there. Avannon arrives and a wolf that introduces herself with two names but settles on Bonnie. Then Hisaya, whom he’d brought home to Asterr, and he offers her a glance despite her distance. He nods his head once but refocuses his attention on the girls as they interact with the pack for the first time.

Shiori speaks politely and eloquently but soon Asterr is reprimanding Airi. He shifts a little to stand behind them, lowering his rump to the ground and inviting them into his embrace if they don’t want to engage with the others. Being a parent in a not-so-traditional family leaves him at a loss most of the time, uncertain how he’s doing as a father and if he’s doing them any justice. For all he knows, he could be doing more harm than good.

Asterr speaks again, announcing the purpose of the gathering, and he puts his attention on her as the floor is opened up. Since their separation, he realizes how little he really knows of the woman and perhaps this will give them a chance to come to an understanding.

Avannon's blue gaze landed on Shiori as she politely introduced herself and thanked her. A warm smile was the response as well as an inclination of her chin to the small girl. She gave Asterr a quick grin as she was greeted at last and took a few steps back from the girls, giving them some breathing room. She held still as Asterr scolded the other child and she shuffled awkwardly."I apologize for crowding you, it must have overwhelmed you." she said, this time looking at Airi and speaking to her with a more adult tone.


It was then that the reason for being summoned was spoken and Avannon's head tilted with curiosity and interest. So they would learn of Asterr's lineage and history? That would be quite interesting indeed. She paid attention as it was also stated that they would be allowed to share a story too, and she began to piece together a tale that would enchant the children while also teaching them something.

A quiet little part of her found vicious satisfaction in being the good child, but that sentiment never made it so far as to appear in her expression, and she merely ignored her sister getting reprimanded. Indeed, she stayed silent, though polite, observing the adults gathered with bald awe and curiosity. She wanted to talk to them, to learn what she could of them and from them. Yet even this desire was lost in the face of her mother's announcement.

Her demure little smile gave way to a brilliant grin, excited by the prospect of hearing stories. Plural! She could think of nothing more exciting, even if Airi didn't agree. Shiori turned to look at her father, smiling at him to convey her pleasure.

She hated the fact that Shiori had to upstage her by being the good one. Airi scowled at her younger triplet, then up at her mother. No. She had no reason to apologize. Because they were family? She didn't even treat her family right. Because they were members of the tribe? What did that mean to her? She would not apologize for speaking her mind, for speaking the truth.

Stories bored her. She did not want to hear them, especially if they were anything like the ones Chi-chi told. Always with some meaning jabbed at her. Always with stupid fanciful events. Why listen to fake stories when she could listen to real ones? About battles and conflicts? Oh, right. Because this tribe was full of pansies.

Avannon looked at Airi hesitantly, uncertainty in her gaze. The little girl made her nervous, but there was no reason to fear a pup right? Yet as the little girl refused to apologize, and stood up to her mother Avannon had a little niggling feeling of dread creep up her spine. Forcing a smile on her face she backed away and simply lay down on the ground, paws out in front of her.

Whilst the attention of each member had been acquired, her own had drifted between them and her eldest. As the girl refused to apologize, Asterr’s frown morphed into a scowl, eyes narrowing in on the child. Truly, she could recall none others of her bloodline having ever behaved in such a way, and thus the blame fell onto their father—nature had triumphed over nurture, it seemed. The longer she watched the child, the greater her frustrations grew, but she’d yet to act upon them. Someday, she’d come to learn that her actions were most unacceptable. Extreme measures could, and would, be taken if need be, though her hope was that it might never go that far. The Draconids were peaceful beings, favouring knowledge over physical power, but their roots were anything but pacifistic. For from the dragons had they come, and, with that origin, they’d encountered great battles. All of it was history now, but that instinct still existed somewhere within them; the need to fight to survive, to burn the world around them with their will alone. The family’s beginning had been terrible, but still did the blame of Airi’s attitude fall upon Damien, as the mother refused to believe that they could possibly go back in time and act in such barbaric ways once again.

Turning away from the hatchling, Asterr regarded the rest of the tribe with a look of appreciation. Though one of her children might not be interested, she found peace in knowing that the tribe as a whole was. Thus, it was after she’d nudged Kaori close to Shiori that the tale began, each word having been remembered with great ease. “Long ago—long before any of our births—these lands housed wondrous beasts that we know today as dragons,” she breathed the last word, already having lost herself within the memory. “They had claimed both the ground and the sky, taking refuge within the peaks of mountains and then soaring through the air like birds. Many believe them to have been vicious by nature, but it was only ever out of necessity that they had filled the world with fire.” She closed her eyes, envisioning the flames and the warmth they'd produced. “The wolves had never appreciated the reign of the dragons, and it was that hatred that had brought together three of the strongest families. It was with their combined efforts that the dragons had been driven from this world, leaving only two gifts behind to prove that they had been here.”

Opening her eyes, she looked from one face to the next, curious to see their reactions. Afterwards, she’d continued by saying, “Their first gift had been the ability to fly, which they had bestowed upon the birds. No longer do the dragons possess wings, having given them up so that there might exist another species with the capability to assist their children someday.” The children of the dragons, the only remnants of their blood; the thought made her fur stand on end and pride swell within her chest. “Those children were the second gift left behind. Only one dragon, Draco, had been able to leave behind an egg, from which the first Draconids had emerged.

“The three families had not been pleased when they had discovered the children of the mightiest dragon, whose bodies had shed their scales and replaced them with fur. No longer did we appear as our ancestors had, but had instead been given the same form as the ones that had chased the dragons away—it was as if some cruel trick had been played.” Shaking her head, Asterr drew in a breath and then looked up towards the ceiling. “A war raged on, the dragons against the wolves. For how long it had lasted, no one has ever been sure and the spirits will not give us a clear answer, but it had ended with a victory for the Draconids,” she’d finished, deciding not to share the fate of the three families. So much had happened since then, much of which had contributed to the development of their now peaceful natures. Once again, the dragoness found herself looking around at her tribe members, wondering about what sorts of thoughts might be going through their minds.

Ava had still been casting uncomfortable looks at Airi, but had moved her attention to Asterr when she began to speak. She settled down on her belly, paws stretched out in front of her as she relaxed herself. The first sentence of the story had Avannon's thoughts racing. Beasts that could wander both the skies and land? Her eyes widened in awe, as she thought the story so far to simply be just that, a fictional tale. When Asterr hit the part about the three families of wolves who brought war against the dragons, she clucked her tongue and shook her head in distaste. War was so unescassary. The blood and death that it brought always made her shiver.


It was when Asterr hit the part about the Draconids, that she blinked in surprise and stared at the woman dumbfounded. Born from a dragon? Could it even be possible? She knew nothing of evolution at all of course, so she simply chose to accept it rather than puzzle over it for days. Maybe that was why Asterr seemed so wise and strong, a woman comprised of Self control. She nodded her head in approval, at the trick that the dragons seemed to have played on the wolves. When Asterr had finished she realized she had a question "Are there any descendants of the three families of wolves that had originally hated the dragons so much?"  she asked curiously. For surely if there was, they could indeed bring trouble for the female Draconid if they ever met face to face.

Troublesome Airi continued to do what she did best, while Shiori was left burning with embarrassment. Just apologize! You don't have to mean it! she thought, sending Airi an imploring glance as though sheer force of will could transmit her message to her sister. But once Kaori was crowded in close to her, Shiori shifted her attention to the matter at hand. A story!

There were a great many things Shiori loved about her mother, but her voice was chief among them. It was like the currents of the sea, beautiful and wild, patterns that dictated life. When her mother spoke she saw these patterns arrayed before her, a color that Shiori had never seen anywhere but in her mother's words. The story fascinated her (though she couldn't imagine a time before Asterr, who seemed so old to her.) Awestruck, Shiori listened, unable to imagine what a dragon looked like but certain that they were amazing. And when her mother finished, another member of the tribe spoke up, asking a question that Shiori hadn't thought of, but certainly wished she had.

Going to wrap this up so that we can make room for any potential new activities. Thanks for sticking with this for so long, guys! ♥

Though the story had been drawn to an end, the effects of the words had remained. To see the way in which her tribe had responded to the tale filled her with a feeling of comfort, knowing that they truly were of her family; not her blood, but definitely family. She’d expected verbal responses, to a certain extent, meaning that she’d not been prepared for questions. When such a sentence had fallen from Avannon’s lips she’d looked in the other female’s direction, but said nothing. The fate that had befallen the three families had been merciful indeed, and yet, she’d found herself hesitating prior to delivering an answer. Perhaps, she considered, it was because she felt as if the fate bestowed upon them was unlike anything that might ever be expected from a Draconid. It had been terrible after the war, she’d heard, but now… well, everything seemed fine, so perhaps answering would not be a terrible thing to do.

“There are,” she began, each word to be selected carefully. “When the war was won and the three families fell, my ancestors spared them their lives in exchange for their servitude. Those that had denied the offer were killed, along with their immediate families. To this day, descendants of those that had been wise enough to accept the offer walk the Earth, as well as serve my family unconditionally.” Whilst they were still only servants, the way in which they were treated had changed drastically throughout the countless generations. Peace had calmed the fires burning within each dragon and thus allowed for them to better treat and understand the three families. It was a practice that the vessel had been brought up with, having even acquired for herself a personal servant from each of the families; said servants had been sent back to their homes prior to her leaving the tribe, for Asterr had wished not to bring them along with her on her journey.

Thereafter, the tribe had been dismissed, the telling of her family’s history having taken a lot from her mentally and emotionally. She’d bid her farewells to each and every member before having left, and then gathered up her hatchlings and led them back to the Chieftess’ den. In the future, she would bring them all together once more, for the sharing of histories could be a glorious thing. For now, however, the dragoness saw her children off to bed and then laid her own body down in order to rest along with them.