Daybreak Peaks genesis

Adora, a vulture appears to have started following you, waiting to scavenge food.

There was a whole other mountain! Adora admittedly felt excitement at the idea. She could perhaps have her cake and eat it too. She had adored the the things they had discovered on the pass, but these peaks were new and seemingly untouched by much of anything.

Yet as they traveled along today, she noticed that someone had come with them. Er, something maybe. A large bird had seemingly kept up as she led them close to a water source. At first she had thought it a crow or raven but it didn't look right. @Mika , She huffed out the name between long strides. Do you see that bird following us?

Mika didn't really get the excitement, but they were happy Adora was happy. Another mountain wasn't anything special to them, but from what they'd been able to gather, Adora had had some negative experiences on the one they'd been on before, so maybe this one was like a fresh start somehow.

They were getting a little tired, though, and their leg had begun to ache. Still, they managed to keep up with their companion, casting glances now and then to the large shadow that stalked them from the skies.

"Yeah," they panted, brows knitting together. "S it a bad thing?" They hadn't given it too much thought before now, but maybe it was some kind of dangerous mountain bird they hadn't heard of before. Trying to lighten their own mood, they offered Adora a smile. "'Re we bein' hunted by an eagle bear?"

An eagle bear! She laughed warm and vibrant, recalled what felt like so recently but had been...months. It warmed her deeply when she thought of it in a way that bled into her gaze as she looked towards Mika. Steadfast, reliable, wonderful. Adora realized just how much she was enamored with the figure at her side.

Maybe it's a eagle bear cub, looking for something. She knew it wasn't, but her heart hurt to think about it. Some kind of baby clinging to them for food or guidance... She had no children this year and she had certainly not felt ready for it anyway! Yet something of a maternal line kicked in her.

Do you think if we settle down, it'll settle too?

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

An eagle bear cub... honestly sounded pretty cute, when they pictured it. The spring season had come and gone, and pups and cubs and kits were probably being born everywhere. Mika hadn't been old enough this year to experience the season, really, and they were grateful for it. Not that it was never in the cards for them, but the thought of being a parent, this early...

They were glad to have been born just a hair too late. Even though the idea of having pups wasn't as weird now as it had been just a few months ago. It was crazy what some time and new emotions could change.

"Maybe," they agreed, still glancing up at the bird. "Was gonna say we should rest a bit, anyway? Leg's givin' me some trouble." It didn't affect them as often as it used to, with some time putting distance between them and the initial injury, but it was still a nuisance sometimes.

Mika looked over at their companion and was hit with the same wave of affection that always took over them when they looked at Adora these days. "Maybe if we feed it, it'll stick 'round."

Her features turned sharply away from the possible eaglebear cub and focus solely upon her...what were they? A question for later! Labels were messy anyway but - I'm sorry. And she meant it, as she reached to offer tender touches along shoulders and hips if allowed. Adora wished she remembered much healing so that she might find something to soothe the aches.

You pick the comfiest places for you, yeah? Then once we're settled I can root around for something for the...baby? Half questioning as she looked back up towards the sky. The winged creature had not vanished yet.

If it stayed, did that it make it their baby? Awkward.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

"Don't apologize!" Mika said immediately, brows creasing in concern. It hadn't been their intention to make her feel bad, and it wasn't her fault in the first place. She hadn't been the one to put the scar there, after all. They held still at her touch, tail giving a tentative wag even as her nose ghosted over their damaged leg, trusting her implicitly but unable to wipe all traces of apprehension from themself. It was a sore spot, physically and metaphorically, but she could hardly know that. "Its not bad, I promise. Jus' a little sore, 's all."

For the baby?

Mika's face burned hot and their heart hammered in their chest at the sudden thought of miniature Mikas and Adoras running around. It wasn't even biologically possible, but they had the active imagination, and could picture it clearly. Did they want that, someday? Did Adora?

It wasn't a thought for now, they reminded themself, slowly calming down. Later, they might actually have to talk about it. But for now it was just pretend.

"Okay," they said obediently, offering her a small smile. "I heard eagle bear cubs eat a lot." They touched their nose to her muzzle before stepping back. "And the mama might still be 'round here somewhere, so... be safe."

She don't know why she was wounded at the thought of the Mother Eagle Bear coming back. Maybe because this felt like something just for them and to have it taken away would feel like a slight. Even if the baby would be better with its proper mother.

She had no concept on how to say any of this, so she simply didn't and only nodded with a warm smile.

"Safe as ever," She meant to kiss Mika now, sincere in the action and full of...love. It would be a sealed promise to her words. Adora had something — someone! — to return to now at the end of every day, every adventure.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Waiting was difficult, and Mika would've much preferred to follow their companion wherever she wanted to go, but that damn leg of theirs just didn't want to allow it today. But they were riding off the buzz of the kiss Adora left them, so maybe the waiting wasn't all that bad at all.

It gave them some time to reflect, at least. They'd been trailing after Adora for months now, and there was nowhere in the world they'd rather be. She was... far more than they could have ever hoped for, and there was no way they were going to take her presence in their life for granted. What they felt for her was different than they had felt for anyone else before in their life, but it wasn't a scary feeling at all.

In fact, Mika had never felt more secure.

They couldn't quite keep themself from meeting her halfway when she returned and greeting her like an excited pup, wriggling beneath her chin and nearly knocking whatever she was carrying out of her mouth.

The bird had followed her as she had left. She doubted it truly knew but some part of her wondered if it understood their words, if it knew she went for food.

She had been lucky enough to find an old coyote hunt stored away for later. A meal only big enough for one, the picked at remains of a fish. Which also told her that a water source must be close enough. Good news all around.

Only it seemed by the time that she was returning, the baby eagle bear had given up. Some part of her heart broke to see it go but she had no way to make it stay. Perhaps if she had laid the fish out away from her, but the thought had come too late.

So she returned to Mika with what would now be their own dinner, that leftover fish, and missing the eagle bear cub. The wiggles of greeting helped soothe the unexpected yearning absence in her heart. She dropped the fish just so she could grapple Mika closer. Prepared to kiss them more now that they were reunited.

It was funny how what had surely been no more than an hour felt like days.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2024, 11:06 PM by Adora.)

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

She'd brought back food, too, Mika realized belatedly, too wrapped up initially in the excitement of seeing her again. They wondered if it was normal, to care for someone else this much - enough that they'd ignore food just to greet them. It certainly had never been like this before, when they'd been part of a group. There was no one there they'd ever felt excited to see.

After a few kisses, Mika pulled back a little, yellowish eyes bright. "Ya found food," they said, tail still wagging. It wasn't a lot, but it was definitely better than nothing, and it meant there were probably more fish nearby.

Peeking up at the sky, Mika offered their companion a sympathetic smile. "Eagle bear cub didn't stick around?" they asked, trying not to sound disappointed, themself. It was the strangest thing to feel that way about, but here they were, a little down about an imaginary creature.