[Pualani]

       The sun's morning rays barely made it to the jungle floor, the canopy blocking most of it out with thick jungle leaves. The floor was filled with shadows that allowed even the most brightly-colored creatures to disappear within the dark's embrace with only small areas where the sun broke through. The ambient noises of the forest were serene with the occasional loud bird cry breaking through the rustling leaves and softer sounds of the jungle. This jungle was one of the few slices of  green left in the land under the hold of winter. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

       A small creature raced through the forest, spring-boarding off of tree trunks and nimbly hopping over obstacles as she moved through the forest floor. The few rays that caught her in their embrace glinted off of silver, grey, and dark grey fur with pastel feathers as sky blue paw pads pounded against the leaf-littered ground. The sun glinted off of the jewelry that she wore, the beads and the pendant on her neck made of gemstones that caught the light. One would think she was the offspring of bird and canine but that was not the case. She was of a proud species known as the Aviari.

       Pualani was on her morning run to keep her body strong and fit as well as expelling some energy that had built up in the naturally energetic female. She was quick and agile with her small size making it easier to navigate through the thicker portions of the jungle and with strong haunches that allowed her powerful jumps. A thrilled trill came from her throat as she cleared a log with a small flourish and loud whoops announced her presence to the forest as the Riverine daughter came to the end of her run.

       The pastel-feathered female made the most of the last stretch of her run as she leaped onto the log with an unnecessary jump that allowed her to bounce off of an adjacent tree trunk. A few paces later the female leaped off of another tree trunk and did a half-twist and stuck the landing perfectly. Finally, her sky-colored feathers and her monochrome body were enveloped fully in the sun's rays as she made it into the clearing.

       "That was amazing!" the dawn-colored damsel said to herself in a loud tone as she stopped to catch her breath. There was a good burn in her muscles and she panted to cool down. "I think I beat my best record." From above a loud, distinctive cry echoed, announcing the arrival of a pink fruit bat.

[Pearle]

PEARLE -- "Peep"

|«| el dorado |«|
the ingénue; Sparrow

The sunlight was her friend, it danced on her grays and silvers, made her eyes stand out vibrantly, and most importantly, brought a shimmer to her opalescent feathers that was hard to miss. Pearle liked to be hard to miss. The thought brought a grin and half-hooded eyes to her face, not quite a sneer—a lady didn’t sneer--. Eyelashes batted softly, each step placed delicately as she walked in a particularly high fashion sort of way. The Crystalline daughter rarely found it necessary to lurk in the shadows or in the ruins of the tribal lands, such things seemed unbecoming and inappropriate. She was no derelict and the last thing she wanted to do was run into the particularly nasty heathens that had murdered her mother. After all, such nasty beasts tended to creep in the shadows, didn’t they? Even if they’d supposedly won their “war” for social purification, they still seemed to creep. Though she shouldn’t be too awfully surprised, savages weren’t going to suddenly go pinky up after gaining rights, no… They’d continue to be savages, simply more empowered.

Tut tut. The young noblewoman decided to not trouble herself anymore with her fearful musings having already given to checking over her shoulder far too many times to be considered typical. Instead, Pearle stopped, delicately placed a paw to her chest and sighed gently, trying to ease her nerves. After a short moment she would settle again to walking in the sunlight, trying not to linger too long in the shade and mysterious. It would be unbecoming of her to be seen doing such a thing, lurking, meandering. A Crystalline daughter must do more than that, be more than that. Pearle was simply out to check to see if any of the trees had borne any last fruit of the season. Fruits were lovely ingredients in her teas and those that she didn’t use could likely be traded to a Magpie for a good or something to bring home to Miri to use in her own crafting.

It seemed as though her mission was going to be, well, pun-intended, unfruitful. There was no, well, fruition of her desires into reality. But perhaps better than literal tea ingredients were metaphorical tea ingredients and had one ever just caught her eye. I mean, how could Pualani not? She certainly looked all the part of a Crystalline daughter, and small of stature just like Peep was. Flipping about in the trees like some monkey, shouting praises to herself to be echoed in the squeaking of an animal companion. Very showboat-y, Pearle perked an eyebrow and… lurked in the shadows, but only for a moment. The girl prided herself in her knowledge of her bloodline and tribemates and this woman she most certainly did not know. Colorations of a Crystalline, feathers of a Crystalline, (slightly in need of work but) behaviors of a Crystalline. The Sparrow narrowed her icy blue eyes at the girl, should she know her? Should she feel bad that a name didn’t come to her? It would be quite rude after all, if Pua was in fact a Crystalline daughter.

Peep bit the inside of her lip for a moment before straightening up. As uncomfortable as she was being alone with a veritable stranger, a girl no larger than herself didn’t feel too much like an immediate threat. So… If ever an entrance of a living being had been the personification of a slow clap, it was that of the materialization of Pearle into the sunlight with Pualani. "Impressive, Ms…..?" She’d leave her own name out of it for now, and that was only partially bad manners…

[Pualani]

       Pualani's lips pulled back into a smile as she caught sight of the pink fruit bat that was her closest confidant and partner in crime. "Heirani," she said as the bat landed between her feather spreads and chittered a hello while clinging to her like a backpack. The bat had been with her as long as the girl could remember as a gift from her mother and helped her as she worked her way to the Ravens as her eyes and ears in the sky. They were almost inseparable and were the closest thing to sisters.

       The young Raven thought of her other companion, Tiamat, whom had been given to her upon her entry into the ranks of an emissary and spy. The snake had the colors of a Riverine but in the sun her scales became iridescent opal in the sun. Part of it seemed like a slap in the face for the Riverine daughter.

       From the moment the small Aviari was born, her mother always said that she was a Riverine. But when she fledged her feathers, they weren't the cool hues that her mother bore. They were opalescent like the sky at dawn and sunset and while the family was new and young, this wasn't their trait. Everyone saw her as a Crystalline, hell, she could have come straight from a family picture. But her mother was a Riverine and the female had no father, ergo, she was a Riverine. No matter what anyone said.

      The dawn-feathered damsel realized that she wasn't alone in the clearing as she spied another. The female in front of her could have been a distorted reflection of her with their similar pelts and plumage though the Riverine's fur was more simple than the stripes that the girl bore. The girl's appearance was like a neon sign, Crystalline.

      Entitled vultures that believed that they were the best and deserved everything the world had to give them. They were like peacocks, vain and annoying. The sky-colored femme’s eyes narrowed slightly at the female as her feathers flexed a little higher. The girl regarded her with a critical look before speaking. Was that a compliment she was hearing?

      The Wind-ranked woman eyed the girl, deciding what kind of response to give. “Pualani,” she said before adding, “of Riverine.” What kind of response was that going to get her? The female bet her feathers that the girl thought she was one of them. The silver-tongued spy paused and looked at her up and down before responding, “Perceptive, Ms….?”.

[Pearle]

PEARLE -- "Peep"

|«| el dorado |«|
the ingénue; Sparrow

She wasn’t surprised to see that the Raven didn’t seem excited to see her, that alone was the telling factor that Pearle needed to determine that this woman was in fact, not, Crystalline. At least not a Crystalline they’d be willing to accept, which is as good as just not being one. Pearle wasn’t phased, instead she continued to grin with her soft gaze of a loving caregiver looking down at a child; ages regardless. For a moment the woman with her pretty pink bat was silent and the tiny Aviari would allow the silence. After all, it was most appropriate that a lady consider her words before speaking, at least this one knew that much. When the nearly mirror image finally spoke her name and bloodline, Peep’s eyebrows perked playfully. Thankfully for her sake she was a practiced champion at holding a delicate smile despite what may come to surprise her. The Sparrow could hardly believe that this girl in front of her was a Riverine. Perhaps she had been stolen? Perhaps she was the result of… impropriety that Pearle would not ponder but she knew the blue and gray Jay was the of the same… breeding. Of course it was not appropriate to discuss such things in public with a stranger, and she’d rather ask her friends later on where she could speak freely.

Instead she just delicately batted her eyes at the older girl, smile blooming to a charismatic grin that would melt with it’s endearing nature. ”Pearle…” she’d reply with a soft, dreamy voice. What a lovely name her mother had bestowed upon her, far nicer than the interesting name this “Riverine” creature seemed to have. ”Of course, Momma called me “Peep”, so that’s just peachy with me as well.” Feathers and chest fur puffed up, as if she had a feather boa wrapped around her thin neck. She would blink icy eyes at Pualani for a few long moments and she carefully selected her words. The Crystalline girl would not allow her curiosity (and personal amusement) to allow her to act outside of what she considered to be proper. So instead she gently seated herself, wrapping her soft tail around her tiny front paws and eyed the companion of the fellow shorty. ”I don’t believe I’ve seen a bat of that coloration. It’s quite fantastic, do you recall who bred her? I’ll be looking for a companion soon when I become a Dove.” Of course she wouldn’t mention that there was no true ETA on when she would be becoming a Dove, but Pualani didn’t need to know that.

Instead Peep would wait a moment before finally bridging the subject she’d wanted to ask since the word “Riverine” had fell into the conversation. ”You know Pualani, the Riverine’s are a young family, they still have a wide variety in colorations, and yet, and perhaps I’m not the first to say,

your coloration is…. Atypical for a Riverine. Lovely most certainly, but atypical.”

[Pualani]

       Pualani didn't know what was with this girl but she was different from most of the Crystalline she knew. She seemed too nice which set off a red flag for the female who knew the difference between the high-class manners of the elite and someone being genuine. She'd had enough of the Crystallines giving her looks and some of her own bloodline doing the same as well, butthe reaction the girl had to her was just the same delicate smile on her face. Damn, this was one of the times where the argent-furred Aviari would have preferred a reaction instead of the mothering smile on someone younger than her.

       The Riverine Raven almost snorted at the name of the Crystalline: Pearle. Luckily, she was good at concealing her emotions - she wasn't a Raven or Riverine for nothing - and just nodded. She didn't exactly expect the kid to go on and then sharing her nickname with her, a so-called "low-blood". Though the puff of feathers easily brought the girl - Pearle - back to the Crystalline bloodline instead of some kind of throwback to when the "high-bloods" were nice. Yeah, sure, there were "nicer" ones, just like there were Sanguines that weren't dutiful but something about the Crystalline girl. What game was she playing?

       Then the tiny thing turned her attention onto Heirani who seemed to be close to falling asleep on the dawn-feathered damsel's back. She knew that the emissary disliked ones like the girl before them and paid the female no mind as she began licking her claws. The girl's use of "it" made a small, cunning smile appear on the Riverine daughters face that quickly morphed into the mask of a more friendly one. The fruit bat also took note of the word and knew what was coming next. "I dunno, maybe you should ask her?"

      With that, the bat looked up at the girl, her red eyes meeting the blue orbs. "I am Heirani. I was not bred but found by the honorable Leilani of Riverine," the bat said with a squeaky, sharp voice that was strong and almost sounded angered by the girl's assumptions. The pastel-colored woman had a satisfied smile on her face that she didn't feel the need to mask.

      And now for the subject that the silver and sky-colored spy had been expecting. The girl's words however made it easier to refute than most, probably due to her age. "Well like you said, the Riverine's are a young family and you probably haven't seen all of the possible colors a Riverine can possess; there's always room for surprises since we aren't set in our colors like some families." The silver-tongued spy paused, "Like your size is certainly atypical for your family, must have been a surprise."

Stock by Piigeonn | Dividers by Misstoxicslime

[Pearle]

PEARLE -- "Peep"

|«| el dorado |«|
the ingénue; Sparrow

The older silver girl seemed almost disappointed that Pearle hadn’t jumped or scoffed with derision upon hearing she was a Riverine, it was hard to read but she gathered it all the same. Did this Pualani enjoy people that were cruel? Was she some glutton for punishment? Weird fetish. Pearle nearly giggled out loud at the thought but refrain, ladies shouldn’t giggle at such things in public. Not that Pualani could possibly know what she was thinking… A slightly larger smile appeared for a moment, enjoying her small victory of Pua not knowing that Pearle was thinking such things about her. She’d never guess, not in a million years and even if she did, Peep was a lady and she’d never admit to thinking such a thing. Instead she simply smiled as the conversation turned towards the pink bat, it appeared that poor little Pualani had missed where she had also called the bat, correctly, ‘her’, no matter. As the Raven subtly commanded the bat to speak (for itself, ha!) Pearle simply nodded.

Leilani… A soft brow perk again at the word ‘honorable’ being followed by ‘Riverine’ but she had no qualms letting the little bat live in delusion.  Apparently it was insulted at the insinuation that it was bred by the guild. The Crystalline daughter was equally insulted at the notion that someone would turn their backs on the pack’s guild to steal some poor thing from the wild. ”Ah, lovely Heirani. Admirable coloration you have, though I believe when I search for a companion I will be a tribe member conscientious of the livelihoods of others…” It was one of those backhanded compliments that started nice but wasn’t really. The pink bat was an eye catcher that’s for sure, but the Crystalline had a loyalty to the tribe and it’s ways. Plus a breeder would ensure that there were no health or behavioral issues with whatever companion she chose (or had gifted to her). The little bat had an attitude that was thoroughly enjoyable, Pua could smile if she wanted but Pearle mirrored Pualani’s satisfied smile, keeping hers equally unmasked. ”Congratulations on your rarity none the less.”

Perhaps rather unsurprisingly, when Pearle breeched the conversation about Pualani’s coloration, the shit ass attitude score of the pair skyrocketed to an astronomical level. Pearle giggled a most derisive laugh before allowing a verbal ‘tsk tsk tsk’ in the direction of the silver Raven. ”Truly must be a Riverine with those manners. Shame, manners are so easy to teach.” Pearle pulled the most genuine face she might just make all night, pity, sadness, pure forlornness, placing a paw on her chest and shaking her head. The Crystalline felt bad for the Riverine girl, the low-blood didn’t realize that a little class could go a long way. Might help the Riverine’s a lot if they managed to conduct themselves more properly in society instead of producing bastards and playing in politics like they had power. Apparently the not-so-Riverine Riverine girl took her question as an insult—or was it the weird fetish?—and decided to try and insult back. Unfortunately, for Pua, Pearle couldn’t be shaken that easily.

”It would do you well to recognize a question from an insult girl. But if you’d like to take aim at my heritage, you have as much right as any.” The playful smile was gone but her resting face was peaceful and placid, icy blue eyes blinking delicately. She was a Crystalline, her breeding was never in question and any traits she possessed were entirely intentional and not even remotely surprising. In fact, a little genetic diversity always helped to keep their bloodline strong. ”I never said that I hadn’t seen every color a Riverine has come in. A young bloodline produces abnormalities from time to time but they’ve been established long enough that any atypical appearances produced should still look more like a Riverine than a daughter of another bloodline,” A clear comment that she was hoping the other would recognize. Either way, it wasn’t very far from the truth, most all of the current Riverines (even the bastard Jay) looked very much like a Riverine should with very little variance in that mold. Young family or not, a family of blues and greens didn’t produce a silver, opalescent feathered daughter lacking any blue or greens at all, without a little outside help.

”Me, on the other hand, am a Crystalline daughter. We are bred with high standards and consideration. As you should know, Aviari’s with beautiful full spreads tend to be smaller in stature than those without, as much of the body’s energy and life force is dedicated to forming them. Crystallines do often exceed this because of our excellent breeding, but not always. My father had the most beautiful full spread of feathers seen for a very long time. Brilliant swirls of silver and glitter, opalescent even in the dark; he was a short man, as was his brother. It is not a surprise he would produce shorter children than others.” Pearle’s father was not in the picture, but she knew who he was, whether he was actually short or not was a gamble, but with the confidence it came from the girl, it certainly could be the truth. A crooked smile would appear on her face then, studying the just-about-had-to-be-a-Crystalline girl. ”Perhaps you could enlighten me, were either of your parents silver? That would certainly solve the mystery of your lovely colors and put it to rest yeah?” The Sparrow would give the Raven an opportunity to lie just to see if she would, or if she really did enjoy being obstinate. And Peep was certain it would be a lie, since if one of the girl's parents had been silver, it would have been explained away already.