#sallom

[askthehiddencaste]

I JUST REMEMBERED I HAVE NEW SPRITES!!!!!! Judge Meme!!!!! Lets see what this little shit Sallom thinks of your characters!! SALLOM IS A CHILD. SEND INTERACTION WITH HIM ACCORDINGLY PLEASE!!!

[askthehiddencaste]

Sallom have you caught any of the yule decorations on fire so far?

"I-i don't really wanna talk about it" yes. the answer is yes.

[askthehiddencaste]

(continuing off the reblog I hope this is ok!) Sallom seemed to droop heavily as she replied, though that was quickly replaced with new excitement at the comment of his hoodie. "Yea!! Dad said it was an axe-soul-potter!" he stated excitedly, bouncing on his toes as he reached up to hold onto the 'gills' on his hood "They breathe through these things like seadwellers do!" he continued, turning the brightest little smile up to her again.

[askthehiddencaste]

==> Sallom:Hatch

its finally time!! Avonis belongs to @memurfevur and I thank him so so so much for allowing me to write a drabble with such a wonderful character!!

too tight.....want to stretch The room was dark in the corner Shuska had left her grubs cocoon. The darkness compounded inside the silken cage that housed the pyrite blood. Little arms pressed against the silk he had spun so carefully to keep himself warm. need space! Need air! With every bit of energy he could muster, Sallom managed to tear a crack in his coon. Fresh air came trickling into the darkness and causing him to gasp thankfully for the cold that evaded his warm space. A thought dawned on his sleepy little mind. Cold....Mama....cold * * * * *

"Shuska darling~ I'm home! You wont believe the specimen I found for our collection!" Avonis stepped into the apartment he shared with his matesprit and family, a bright smile on his lips as he sat his prize on the dining room table. "Shuska? Are you in here?" the jade searched their apartment, finding that everyone was out doing their own things. "Guess I'll have to show her later" he sighed to himself, wandering back towards the living room. papa? hear papa? Sallom whined, unsure on how to use the new form of his mouth quite yet. The sound was quiet, muffled, but keen senses were a gift that a jade would have even without turning like he did. With a quick little chirp of his ears, Avonis stared at the closed door he had stopped near. Was it finally time? "Sallom, are you awake?" he crooned in a soft tone. The answering cry was almost instantaneous. It had been a while since he had done hatch duty in his old caverns, but the familiar knowledge was there when he called for it. "It's alright, I'm right here little one" he crooned, stepping into the room and quickly gathering what he needed and making his way to where the cocoon was settled. "Come on, I can see those little fingers, you can do it." Sallom heard his voice, louder now, and was filled with determination to be freed from his self imposed prison. A pitiful cry escaped his little form. This was more effort than he thought he would need, but his papa was right there! It felt like hours to him as the little troll fought his way from his coon, though through it all, Avonis kept up his patient encouragement. "You're almost there little one, come on just a little more!" So....tired.... Sallom had split the coon enough to reach his little arm out and groped for something, anything that could help. Avonis gave a proud little smile when the finger he had offered had a little hand wrapped around it and holding tight. Through the cracked cocoon he could see a bright grey eye and his heart gave a pained squeeze. The last time he had seen such a fresh little face it had been his own. Another pang, this one of guilt for the past, was coupled with a new wave of pride and hope. He had another chance to help them grow up. To help a troll he considered his own to grow and learn even if they didn't have his blood running through their veins. Sallom fought against the coon and finally managed to pull himself free, taking his first deep breath as not a grub, but a troll born anew upon the planet that he would learn to fear and fight. He let out a wail, a natural response to the sudden rush and shock of cold after the warmth he had kept himself at for so long. "Shhh, It's alright" Avonis couldn't help but smile as he bundled him in a towel, wiping stray bits of hair and silk from the pyrites face. "Welcome to the world Sallom" he hummed, holding the babe close. "Welcome home my sweet boy"

[askthehiddencaste]

It's Time

Sallom sleepy the pyrite grub grumbled to himself, looking around from the half burnt corner of carpet he had claimed so long ago. need dark.... He chittered softly and took a few steps towards the chair in the kitchen before standing still where he was. mama make there bright..... He turned again, trying to stop the yawn that had his eyes screwing themselves shut before opening them and settling on something he hadn't noticed before. A box with a hole just small enough for him to crawl into dark......seepy..... Sallom scurried himself into the box and sniffed around lightly. Inside there was an old blanket, and once he was inside the space quickly rose in temperature due to his own natural heat. warm.........seepy now

With that last thought, Sallom worked himself into a cocoon, the barest flash of silk being seen hiding that last little space of light from where he had crawled in. He would be found soon enough by Shuska, though for the first time she wouldn't cry for missing her child, knowing what was to come, knowing she had someone at her side who would understand and sit with her should she start to miss her little one. "Avonis..... I think he's gone to sleep finally" she hummed softly, stepping back out into the library with a whisper to her mate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ammare

mama go nini.....me too Ammare crawled out of the nest she had been napping with Ashoal for the past little while. She could tell he was sad, but she was so, so sleepy. The little jade had been searching out her special space for the past few nights, knowing she would have to get herself bundled up before Ashoal woke up. dada manket.....papa hair..... Tiny legs struggled to carry their owner as she dragged an extra hip scarf that Rutaci had left in the nest room as well as a hair ribbon from Viktor. She had been slowly amassing her nest behind Ashoal's standing garden, the little flowers and plants speaking to her in a soft whisper that urged her to sleep. nini mama..... i seepy too.... papa an dada make happies. go seep wif dems Ammare completed her little nest atop one of Ashoal's sweaters, a tired little smile on her lips. she would be safe here, surrounded by what made her happy. Ash would wake up a while later, curiously calling out for his grub only to spot the bright strands of silk intertwined with vines and leaves. He wasn't ready for her to be gone so soon, but with a heavy heart he went out to warn his mates that they would be a family of three for the next little while. ~~~~~~~~~

Mentioned: Avonis and Rutaci belong to @memurfevur Viktor belongs to @stuckstucktrolls

[askthehiddencaste]

==> Wake Up

A soft heartbeat.

The heaviness of liquid pressing in on a soft body.

Everything suddenly felt too cramped in this place.... it's time.

Little legs began to move, scrambling and pressing against the hard walls of the thing that held it.

After a few minutes of struggle, a crack could be heard and the cool feeling of the outside began seeping in.

"Mom....MOM! The eggs's hatching!" Cerium cried, scrambling to her feet and abandoning her handheld game. Bare feet beating against the hard wood as she rushed out into the main hall of the library. "Mom! Where are you?!" she called out, Shuska suddenly seeming to appear from nowhere as she came to Cerium with a worried expression.

"Cerium! Nibbles honey, what's wrong dear? I'm right here" she cooed softly, reaching her hand out to cup Ceriums cheek with a soft smile. "Mom! Mom the egg's hatching!"" she retorted excitedly, Shuska lighting up and hurrying to their apartments. "Watch the library!" she called over her shoulder, getting a soft 'right' from Tannos as she passed by.

Shuska smiled and knelt down to carefully remove the egg from its heated nest, sitting it down on on a soft towel. "Come on little one, mama's here" she whispered, watching the little egg start to shift and crack further.

Cerium would poke her head in and watch as Shuska cooed and urged the grub to break free, to escape and come out for its first true breath. She glanced to the hallway, Dancer's thin form seen peering out as well in curiosity to see what had cause the others to shout. ==>Push

Shuska could see the grub doing its best to break the shell.

"Come on...you've got this little one" she encouraged softly.

==>Recognize the voice

the grub squeaked from inside the shell, butting its head against its cage as hard as its little body could at the sound of Shuska's voice, its mama's voice. It didn't take much more before a piece of the shell broke out completely.

==>Breathe

One deep breath later and the grub inside squealed its little heart out, struggling and pushing more and more of the shell apart until Shuska gave in and reached out to finally help.

"There there, mama's gotcha" she cooed, pulling the shell away and releasing a small pyrite colored grub."Well hello there~" she cooed, those bright eyes blinking up to her without much movement.

Shuska reached over to pull another piece of egg from the grubs hair. The little thing squeaked and attempted to follow the hand, the entire egg shifting and tipping him out with a frightened little squeak.

Shuska couldn't help but chuckle as she took the shell from the freed grub. It was only after she had turned to put the pieces in the trash that she noticed Dancer and Cerium both watching from just behind her.

"You don't have to be all the way back there you know" she cooed softly, the grub yawning and laying its head down as Dancer stepped closer. "I-it's so small" came his soft voice, Shuska gently picking her newest child up to cradle him to her chest. "Yes, he is.... but so were we when we first hatched "

"Can...c-can I come see him closer?" Dancer asked again softly, Shuska smiling sweetly with a nod. "Of course, come meet your little brother. "She hummed, turning enough for Dancer and Cerium to both get a good look at the grub and his dual set of nubby horns, still small to fit inside his egg.

"Welcome home, Sallom" She cooed softly, finger curling under the grubs chin as he curled up properly to rest.

Sallom ==> Feel Loved

[askthehiddencaste]

"hey sorry for The waiT had some lasT minuTe work aT The shrine. I Think we can make up for losT Time if you leT me carry you once we're ouT of Town >;J"

Shuska perked up the moment her pitch stepped through the door, a smirk on her lips. "and here I thought you left without me!" she chuckled, grabbing a cross body bag and knocking on the door behind the desk. "how about if you can keep up I'll let you carry me for a bit hmm?" she teased back, coming around the desk in a black pair of travel pants and a dark blue tank top. Over it she wore a black jacket with a matching blue lining that showed as she tucked a letter into an interior pocket. "let me just relace my boots and we'll go" she hummed kneeling down by the door and smiling when anvala came out to wave her off, a sleeping Sallom in his arms.

It didn't take long before shuska was up and opening the door for them both, a final wave to her son before heading out. "I take it the shrines really coming together since you've spent so much time on it?" she asked curiously, looking up to Teagan as they started the journey.

[askthehiddencaste]

Golden Fields

Winged Lotus drabble

Avonis belongs to @memurfevur

Shuska enjoys a soft, quiet moment with her youngest and her daughter before struggling with herself on what to say in her next letter

“Come now little one, you're burning up.”

Shuska frowned down to the golden hued egg she had been caring for. It has psionics, that was for sure, but the kind was still mostly unknown. 

Though Avonis seemed to have the best idea on what it could be. And to be honest, Shuska was starting to believe much the same.

“Let's turn off that heat miser, you won't hatch if you keep this up Sallom” she hummed softly, gently lifting the egg from its little nest and cradling it against her colder form. 

Thin fingers trailed up over the golden hue of the egg, her eyes lidding half way as she watched for any form of movement from the grub inside.  It had been in her care for almost a sweep at this point, and for Cerium even longer. 

Avonis had explained how the color would stop darkening close to the hatch date, and this pyrite gold shade hadnt changed in almost a week. The lime moved to sit on the couch beside the small nest.

“Sallom  you're scaring mom with how warm you are” she whispered to herself, eyes closing and a soft purr rumbling in her chest. Shuska wouldn't admit it but these soft quiet moments held to herself with a grub, or in this case an egg, held to her chest were her favorites. This and standing out in the fresh falling snow. 

The soft, gentle tapping and scratching within the egg was the only sound in the house while everyone slept. The quiet sounds of life that hardly anyone got to hear. Shuska smiled, her eyes opening just enough to look at the egg in her arms.

“Maybe I should sing to you? Would that settle you down enough to rest?” she whispered, kissing the shell and perking up when the scratching seemed to concentrate at the point of her kiss.

“What? Liked that did you?” she chuckled, leaning down to press another kiss to the shell only for the same reaction to repeat. The lime couldn't help but smile at her grub and settled back down.

“It's time to rest little one” she hummed, softly starting to sing a lullaby for the little gold in her arms.

As quiet as she was, Shuska’s singing always seemed to wake her daughter, Cerium coming out to sit in the hall and listen to her mothers song. 

“Mom?” she asked softly, coming out properly to see how Shuska was holding the youngest of their cobbled together family. 

“Hmm? Oh, cerium. I didn't mean to wake you” she hummed, shifting over and allowing her daughter to sit beside her. 

“It's okay…what were you singing?” she asked as she reached over to touch the egg. Shuska couldn't help but smile at how gentle she was being. 

“It's called ‘Fields of gold’. I was taught it long ago when I was out at sea” she answered. Though she failed to mention why she was out there, Cerium already knew. “Back on the first time?” 

“Yes, the first time. There was a beautiful teal that taught me and a few others as a way to keep hopes up” 

A soft silence settled over them, cerium listening to Sallom’s movements with a bright smile on her lips.

“Mom? Can you teach me?” cerium asked, breaking the silence and bringing a smile to the older limes lips. It had been a long time since she heard cerium ask that. 

“Of course I can… i'll always help you learn” 

***

The next hour was spent with Shuska softly singing and letting Cerium play roundabout with the lyrics until they were both singing and swaying softly with the tune. 

“I think Ann could write a tune that if we worked on it” cerium hummed, yawning softly as Shuska got up. She nodded as she sat the cooled egg back in its nest. 

“Shh… we dont want to wake him up again, i just got him  to cool down” Shuska whispered, cerium nodding and covering her mouth as she got up.

Shuska couldn't help a soft chuckle as she put a hand on ceriums back as the younger gave another soft yawn. “How about you go lay back down, it's the middle of the day and you must be exhausted” she cooed. Cerium nodded and let her hand drop finally,  a smile returning to her mother.

“Yea… try to get some sleep too mom…okay?” she asked, stopping in her doorway and letting Shuska continue down the hall without her. 

“Of course sweetie. Sleep well” she hummed back, stepping into her bedroom and closing the door with a soft click.

Shuska sighed and looked to the ceiling, thoughts straying back to the song and the jade she had been thinking of before.

“Avonis…. I wonder… Could I convince you to wander the fields with me?” she asked the silent room, her hand moving up to gently run over the gemstone of her bracelet. 

She sighed after a moment and turned on the small lamp at her desk, pulling out a scroll of plain paper and spreading it out. 

What could she say? It had been only a perigee since their last letters, since her wriggling day….

With a deep breath she brought out their legend,starting to write in their secret language.

Avonis, 

Forgive the rapid sending of another missive, but I must address a crucial bit of information to you. Last we spoke it was completely for our own entertainment, but this must be addressed as quickly as possible.

Shuska stared at the almost cold words on the page, frowning at herself with a huff.  She shouldn't want to speak to him so warmly, he was dedicated to his duties and according to the cavern the outside world should be denounced and pushed away. 

“Should I even continue writing this?” she asked aloud, a moth in its little container fluttering as though to answer her. She looked at it and chuckled. “You're right. He deserves to know… this is his special secret as well” she hummed.

She crumpled the initial letter and set to trying again:

My Dear Avonis, - 

A disgruntled sigh escaped as she cut the top of the paper off.

“He's not mine to address like that!” she hissed to herself, looking at the cut off words. “Why is this letter so hard to write? What's changed between us?!”

Shuska sat there for a while before blinking. “I changed… Do I really feel like this? Is this actually me?” she frowned “ or is this just… a want for someone to hold me again…?” she sighed again and put pen to paper, trying not to think on what she was writing as she let the pen guide her hand. 

Avonis, 

Forgive the rushed correspondence but I needed to get this information to you. Since we last spoke, Sallom’s shell has darkened as you advised, but the color has stopped growing darker. 

Your first instincts of his hue seemed to be correct. Sallom is a dark pyrite gold and his psionics seem to be heating him almost to overheating while he is active in his egg. 

I feel that he will hatch within the next two weeks at most and i am afraid that i may not be ready to bear the struggle of his psionics when they properly develop

While I know you are busy with your own duties, it would be a blessing to have a visit or even a response via worm to possibly get a bit of instruction on how to best work with a grub on his psionics. 

You are a great help to me in these times of uncertainty and I appreciate every letter you send me.

Shuska read over her writing with a small smile, signing off with a stamp of a leaf beside deer tracks.

She stared at the letter for a few more silent breaths before taking a chance and writing a soft little continuation at the bottom.

P.S.- Thank you for the Yule gift. It helps alleviate how much I miss you when I see it

Shuska could feel her heart racing in her chest as she wrote it but she couldn't stop now, her hands already rolling the page into a tight tube and tying it closed. She gets the moth out and carefully helps tie it to the creature's abdomen.

“Make sure this gets to him safe. Fly swiftly little luna” she whispered, opening the window a crack to let the creature out into the alley that would soon be plunged into the darkness that life thrived in.

With a knot in her stomach, Shuska went to bed. All her hopes now sat in the grasp of a swift little moth.