white night fantasy {private}

[vae]

It was so tiny, so fragile, so innocent. The exact shape and color of the moon. Smooth, unblemished, it was perfect. It sat safely within a hollow, unharmed and untroubled. Nothing disturbed the tiny little orb on the cloudless night. It was naive, and soon, it would be his.

Not his, per-se, but more accurately belonging to the St. Aggie's Eggorium. It would hatch and begin its new life of discipline and order, and maybe it would end up just as the owl that was about to snatch it away did. Years from now, this very egg could be watching another hollow with another family, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch another egg.

Custos had been waiting for less than ten minutes, and he was already growing impatient for the family of Masked Owls to leave their hollow for the nightly hunt. He could hear them shuffling about inside, talking in excited whispers. First-time parents, no doubt. They were all the same. Clueless and dreamy, waiting for the perfect hatching of the perfect clutch of perfect little owlets. The idea of it made Custos want to yarp his rat up right there.

Finally he heard them getting ready to leave. The moon hung low in the sky, an infant night. After the quick egg-napping there would be plenty of time to snatch something else. Perhaps an owlet this time, Custos was strong enough to carry both without dropping the egg, or the owlet.

The parent owls left, not noticing the massive Eagle owl watching them leave their sole egg behind. When they returned, their egg would be gone. It would be a tragedy, but not a surprising one. Custos had been snatching from this forest for too long for any parent, new or not, to be surprised then their egg was stolen. It's their own fault for leaving their egg behind unprotected. Frinking idiots. Custos thought to himself has he lifted off his hidden spot and flew silently down to the hollow.

He landed on a branch near the hollow and reached his foot into the opening, feeling around gently until he felt the smooth egg tap against his foot. Swiveling two of his talons backward, he gripped it firmly in his foot and plucked it from the hollow like a ripe berry. This owlet was now an Orphan. He backstroked, pulling himself away from the tree and landed on another tree away from the now-empty hollow. He held the egg in front of him, gazed at it for a few moments before mumbling. "Welcome to St. Aggies, young'un."

[Saiko ♫]

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[atrb=background,http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/20/nymbusmid2.png] The night was cool and crisp, perfect weather for a flight. The Ablah General drifted silently through the starlit sky, his silhouette, rather than being a shadow like figure, lit up the darkness around him. Although his feathers were grundged and stained the moon's light rippled neatly through his back feathers. The Ablah General was not alone that night and, on the contrary, was not flying for the sake of relaxation. Flapping his powerful wings every so often, he made sure the very tips of his wing feathers brushed lightly against the snow owlet that paralleled his flight. Dragonfly, the rumored favored owlet to the Ablah General, flew silently next to the large brute of an owl. Determination and shrill excitement seemed set in her eyes and the Ablah General could not help but chuckle, the sound was stiffled by his armor. "You fly well 10-2" The owl gruffed. Compliments were hard to come by when with the General but he gave them commonly to the owlet which he could not explain why. As the trees became denser down below the owl tilted his bodice slightly downward, peering back every so often to make sure the chick was still present. He trusted her to a point but it was how he was raised, keeping everything piece in postilion. He clicked lightly, his call to his supervisor, Custos, and once he heard the responsive clacks he started in that direction, easily dodging trees. ooc: I believe its frost's turn and then moon because moon is the one being napped.

[frost]

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[atrb=background,http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l65/Jade_Pheonix90/GaHooleT-mid1.jpg] OOC: Yuppers. :3 I am here!

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The chill of the eve ruffled the young owlet's feathers as she worked steadily to stay aloft, her dark downy fluff hindering the white and black primaries that tinged the ends of her wings. She flapped a bit here, and flopped a bit there, before finally locating an updraft on which she could simply glide. The orphan she-owl was not nearly as silent as the older snowy beside her, though the starlight above did many of the same things to her smaller form. She wobbled a little with each brush of the Ablah's wing tips, not quite as steady in her path as she would like. Alas, perhaps this was why he stayed so close to the determined owlet. Her eyes burned with fiery excitement as the Ablah General seemed to chuckle beneath his armor. She huffed a bit at his amusement, but did little else, the dreamy world behind her burning ember gems placing the pair in a vast world of shadowy danger and grasping cold.

Chuffing slightly, the snowy owlet weebled a bit in her course before righting herself. "Racdrops. If I flew well, I'd have no trouble staying straight on this path." She retorted equally as gruffly, though the amusement lacing the underside said otherwise. Ten-two was rather glad she had grasped the attentions of the highly ranking male- he taught her to fly, after all- but she inwardly prayed he would never place her high up in the ranks after she grew. She still dreamed of Guardianship, though those hopes seemed as dashed as her reflexive stunning.

As the denseness of the trees grew, Dragonfly's wobbly flight pattern became still more so as she used Nymbus' wing drafts to stay aloft over the reaching monsters that were the branches. She practically flew over top of the General as he started off into the trees, following the respondent clacks that marked Custos' existence. She found herself floundering on the lack of updrafts in the line of trees, and momentarily ended up dancing over Nymbus' wing to get back into the air. Really, she needed to fly more often. Her wings were tiring already from the recent lack of travel. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[moon]

Eira sat in her little hollow, her body hurt. Her mom had hit her into the corner while she was fighting, luckily nothing was bruised or broken. She sat there, dazed. Her parents moved the fight behind the hollow, leaving poor little Eira alone. She hobbled over to the edge of the hollow the wind rushed in. "Fun!" Was merely all she said.

She sat near the entrance of the hollow and remembered when all her siblings were playing guardians of gahoole. "I'll soon be with the Guardians!" She whispered. She heard her parents say something. "Eira... Go...." Eira was merely to young to no what that meant but those were the last words she would hear of them....

[vae]

ooc: I have no desire for an epic skin. Call me old-fashioned haha.

Two new noises hit Custos' ear slits almost simultaneously; one was the sound of owls fighting, the other was the call of the Ablah General. Nymbus' call had become a noise that Custos didn't think he would ever be able to forget, no matter how long he stayed away from it. Custos sent back the conformation that he had heard, and he could just barely hear the sound of an owl flying toward him. In that moment he knew the General wasn't alone, as Custos wouldn't be able to hear him from so far away if at all.

No doubt it was the young owl that, for some reason, the General had taken an unusual interest in. 10 something, Custos couldn't remember her exact number, but her companionship with the General was bizarre. Shaking off the thought, he turned his attention to the sounds of owls fighting.

He used his hearing (not nearly as good as a Barn Owl's but still good enough) to locate where the fight was coming from. It was a hollow located not too far from the spot he was perching at, maybe a six-second flight. Deciding he had enough time to check it out before the General arrived, he lifted off in the direction of the noises.

He nearly hooted with laughter as he saw an unguarded owlet leaning outside of her hollow. Her parents had been the owls fighting, squabbling and making enough raucous to wake a scroom. They paid less than no attention to her daughter as she practically begged for Custos to take her.

He curved his flight so that he approached her at a slight angle, she couldn't see him but he could see and reach her. He came in fast and silently, and stretched out his unburdened foor at the last moment. Timing it perfectly, he felt the owlet's legs become trapped between his huge talons. With one powerful backstroke, he pushed away from the tree and back toward the spot where the Ablah General expected to meet him.

Casting his eyes downward, he looked at the owlet that had just been snatched, dangling upside-down in his talons. She was nothing more than a frightened puff of down, but could no-doubt grow into an owl of great worth. She had potential, just as every snatched owlet and egg did. He clacked his beak a few more times to alert his arrival, just in case the Ablah General had landed in his absence. He lighted down on a branch large enough for him to put the owlet down without having to worry about her falling off and held the egg in his foot while standing on the other.

"Good evening Nymbus, meet our two newest Orphans." Custos said, the irony in his tone unconcealed. He motioned toward the owlet and the egg he held clutched in his right foot. "The egg is a Masked Owl." He informed the Ablah General before turning his attention to the Genreal's tag-along. "Hello, owlet." He said blandly, giving her a mere nod before turning his respectful stare back on the General.

"What brings you out tonight, General Nymbus?" He asked curiously, but politely. Custos was experienced enough to be trusted on snatching missions alone, and Nymbus knew that. Custos suspected his reasoning for being out had something to do with the owl by his side, but he wasn't completely sure. Better to ask than to assume incorrectly, he thought.

[Saiko ♫]

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[atrb=background,http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/20/nymbusmid2.png] The owlet had her whits about her and a feisty disposition as well that made the Ablah General silently clack in amusement. As the two owls drifted between trees he could hear the frenzy of flaps from the struggling owlet atop of him. He didn't care to look back at the youngling for he knew she could find her way. As she lightly bumped against his back, trying to find her wings again, he sneered lightly. A short temper was his curse but it got him what he wanted and where he wanted to go. The pale moon shattered light through the thick trees making the trees and oblivion branches even darker than normal. His armor rattled at the unforeseen gusts of wind as the owls descended closer to Custos' meeting point. Nymbus did well at tracking, like other owls, but he was exceptionally good with all hours of the day. cocking his head in fast intervals he picked up noises around him. Filtering out the fuss of fluttering owlet wings he could pick up the bickering of nearby owls. Parents by the sound of them, and where theres parents there is--"Offspring..." Nymbus hooted inaudibly. He knew then Custos found his next potential St. Aggies owlet. He had no doubt in Custos' ability to bring in the hatchlings. He was loyal to the Orphanage and Nymbus for some time and he trusted the Old Owl. The snowy owl flapped less now and extended his talons and landed silently onto a large branch. He took a slight second to glance at the corner of his eye to make sure the owlet landed. She landed, but barely. She was doing well but she needed more practice, which he made a mental note of for later. He couldn't explain his attachment to the owlet, 10-2. It must be the past memories she brings with her when he sees the young snowy owl. He had a forgotten past and 10-2's presence brought back bits that filled Nymbus with painful memories. He hated to remember but the pain reminded him that he was still alive and perhaps his soul was not completely gone. The Ablah General shook his head softly, easing the thoughts away and focusing on his current reasoning for traveling. He watched behind trembling leaves to see the Old Supervisor land lightly onto the tree carrying his reward. Nymbus sauntered out from behind the foliage and nodded to the large owl. "What brings you out tonight, General Nymbus?" "I'm showing number 10-2 how good orphan collecting is done. You're one of my best and I wanted for the young one here to get a better idea. We take in these poor orphans for the greater good." Nymbus hooted darkly and then threw in a crooked smirk. He could tell his supervisor had some unknown disdain for the owlet. He partially understood why but his subordinates wouldn't understand. Afterall, he barley understood why himself. "Wonderful catch..." Nymbus hooted peering down at the hatchling. She was small but any owlet was good for St. Aggies.

[frost]

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[atrb=background,http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l65/Jade_Pheonix90/GaHooleT-mid1.jpg] OOC: Lalala...

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Quarreling reached the inexperienced babe's ears as they neared the expected location, and Ten-two began to wonder what it was they were fighting about. Parents, they seemed to be, judging by Nymbus' slight chuff. She heard not his words, but somehow she knew what he had meant. Custos was busy handling the fighting parents' little lost child, it seemed. But this was lost on Ten-two as she slipped into a slight swing in mood, automatically stunning herself. A colorful ditty danced through her mind but not out of her mouth, detailing the grand talents of the St. Aggies' workers and their establishment. Oh, ho the best place the orphans can go, whoa ho, the parents can never say no...

As Nymbus landed, Dragonfly swirled in the wake of his wings, weebling her way into an entirely ungraceful landing beside the much larger owl. At six moons, she should have been flying much more methodically- but a lack of practice was heavily evident and expected. St. Aggies preferred discouraging flight, after all. Perhaps the older Snowy would take her out to practice again later. A new fluttering of wings and set of clacks heralded the old Eagle Owl's arrival, his words not really registering in the dreaming owlet's mind. No, no, Ten-two was watching invisible fireflies circle the beast of an avian before she seemed to snap back to reality.

Custos offered his greeting to the general, only quietly mumbling a reaction to the snowy owlet. Ten-two did not huff as she would have liked to, no, instead she offered an equally bland response. "Hello, Supervisor." Came her honeyed voice, lacking much in terms of warmth or chill. Simple obvious acknowledgment was all she gained, and so it was all she gave. His explanation of the egg in his claw drew her attention, and she wondered what sort of masked owl this hatchling would be. Rumor had it that the Queen of Ga'Hoole was a masked owl of sort, though one could only wonder why. The ember had not yet been handed out, after all. Her attentions settled back on the conversation as it seemed to cover her existence in the situation, explaining to the skeptical Custos her lack of knowledge.

Good orphan collecting... for the Greater good... Thought the owlet, a touch wryly beneath her dreamy glee of helping the unfortunate. She knew what they were doing was not as... good as it was made out to be, both from the cues her company allowed and from what little she recalled of her family. Her family, that is, before St. Aggies. Sometimes, in her dreamy trances, the young snowy would see traces of her memories, those days before she became a number, before her name began to elude her... and when Nymbus himself had plucked her from her hollow. Perhaps that was why she so stuck to the Ablah General.

He was the last surviving part of her early memories.

She peered at the younger owlet in Custos' claws with a keen eye, the soft, blazing fire within them dying down a moment in favor of a kinder look. Ten-two would likely never be a perfect orphan collector- she was too soft, too capable of empathizing. But then again, perhaps that would be why she could be a great orphan collector as well- she could sympathize with the plights placed before her. Wonderful catch... Her gaze settled on the egg, the poor chick inside doomed to a life of never knowing its parents, never knowing love, never knowing the world outside St. Aggies. It was sad, really... but for the better. The fewer plaguing memories, the better. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[moon]

Eira was whispering to herself when a large talon reached out and grabbed her. She did not squirm or cry for help, she thought it was fun. She looked at the all the owl's faces, especialy the owlets. "Can fly again?" She asked, her voice soft and cute. She heard her parents nosily flying off in the opposite direction. Her body shivered under the branch and she kept peaking the twig, unfamiliar with it. She flapped her little wings, the air going right through the down. She nudged closer to Custos, keeping warm. "C-cold." she managed to squeak. She thought his talons were warmer then out here.

[vae]

ooc: Sorry it's so short!

Custos watched as the owl that had tagged along with the General landed ungracefully. She needed much more practice, her flying skills were... lacking, to put it mildly. She was practically tumbling head-ever-talons through the air. Granted, she didn't have much practice time or the luxury of learning to branch before learning to fly. All things considered, she was... adequate.

"You might want to teach her to fly before you teach her to snatch." Custos hooted gruffly in the deep, hollow hoots of Eagle Owls. He hadn't meant it as an insult, though. "How do you think she'll manage to carry an egg or even a chick if she can barely manage to stay up as it is?"

He nodded in response to the owlet's greeting, equally as bland and forced as his was. He didn't care much, but it irked him how she had enough opinion in her to be fiery. St. Aggies Orphans weren't supposed to be fiery, they were supposed to be obedient. Just then the chick he had snatched tried to snuggle up to him.

He glanced up at the other owlet, who gazed down at the younger one with sympathy. He nearly rolled his big eyes, seeing the warmth there. Using his talons, he shoved the owlet away from him, putting zero effort into gentleness, and towards 10-2. "Keep her warm, a dead Orphan is useless to St. Aggies." He commanded monotonously.

Turning his respectful gaze back to The Ablah General, a question in his eyes. "Do you want me to explain to her how to snatch?" He asked, casting a sidelong glance at 10-2. She would need to learn how to be cold, and perhaps have that passionate disposition ripped from her once and for all. Custos wouldn't mind that.