Skylie Clearwater

Today's Seal Is: The Howler

((@katanamasako IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS))

“Eh, I’m used to it.” Karmal did crawl up onto Tucker’s hand, though, relishing the warmth that came with it. “So, mind telling me more about yourselves?”

Skylie got comfortable, watching as her brother held still for Karmal.

"Well, we've been living in foster care for a while now. Our parents died... Tucker is the only family I have left. We go everywhere together." Tucker nodded along with Skylie, cupping Karmal in his hands carefully.

Skylie happily flopped onto one hand, hugging his wrist, with Tucker following shortly after. The two children were very happy to see him~ They were smiling brightly and giggling to each other, hugging Alexander's wrists.

"We missed you!" Skylie was now rubbing her cheek against him like a little kitten. Tucker watched her with a grin. "Yeah, that storm was a bad one!"

“I’ve missed you two as well, but here you are, well and in good spirits and I’m happy for it.” He rumbled, his smile warm and inviting as he watched them nuzzle against his wrists and talons.

“I’m happy you two managed to keep safe during such awful weather, I would be beside myself if something befell you two. Speaking of which you pair ought to be famished after the trek here.” He gently scolded. Alexander had been working most of the morning, having closed all visits for the day to help tend to his grounds. Staying inside had him restless.

“ Are you two hungry, I know I am.”

They both nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, it's been a while since we last ate!" Skylie was all but bouncing for joy. She eagerly darted about, never straying too far from him. Tucker was more relaxed, staying by Alexander's side and keeping tabs on Skylie.

"So, how bad was the damage here?" Tucker asked, looking things over as he walked.

Karmal did admit it was a bit off-putting- though he wasn’t about to go saying that. “I can understand that. You humans call that… albinism, right?” He sat down himself, allowing the bandanna to cover his body more.

Tucker and Skylie both looked unhappy at that. "That's not nice of them... Well, you're safe when we're around." Tucker said strongly. Skylie nodding in agreement with her brother. Tucker offered his hand to Karmal, a gentle smile on his face. "You look kinda cold, buddy."

American Woodcock demonstrates "distal rhynchokinesis," the ability to flex the end of its bill. This allows it to grab earthworms it encounters when probing in soil. Other shorebirds, including Dunlins & Sanderlings, can bend their bills in this way. 😃

@todaysbird this is so cool! I didn't know they could do that.

It's always something with this funky little guy.

((My brain broke watching this))

Oh, Sam…

Karmal did admit it was a bit off-putting- though he wasn’t about to go saying that. “I can understand that. You humans call that… albinism, right?” He sat down himself, allowing the bandanna to cover his body more.

She nodded. "Tucker's partial albino. He's got patches of light skin. But only one of his eyes is like mine-- Oh hey Tucker! Watch your feet, I've got a friend~"

The twelve-year-old froze, looking down, then made like his sister and carefully got down on his belly. He was just as kind as Skylie. Just as thoughtful. "Hi... You okay?" Tucker asked Karmal, looking curious yet still treating him with the respect he was due. Like Skylie, all he saw was another person. Just extra small.

Karmal blinked. She was… letting him go? This wasn’t on the list of things to watch out for. He sighed. “It’s no big deal- I kinda liked being up so high. It’s like one of your human rollercoasters. Besides, your hands were pretty warm,” he admitted. “Usually I’m near-frigid with my lack of layers.”

Skylie sighed, relieved that he didn't seem angry. Though she grew worried when he said he was usually cold. "Oh no! Um, hold on..." Skylie was quick to find a little bandana she sometimes wore. And she carefully wrapped it around him, without picking him up. But still being extremely gentle. "Is that better?" she asked.

Well. This was certainly different. “Uh, yeah, I suppose so.” Karmal fiddled with the bandanna, as if it were a blanket surrounding him. “Skylie, was it? How come you’re so calm about this? Usually most humans would either scream, faint, or try catching me.”

"Well that's not nice of them to do... You're a person just like me. Just smaller... I know I wouldn't like being kept in a cage." She carefully got down on her stomach, folding her arms in front of herself and resting her chin on them. Pink eyes blinked back at him. "Me and my brother, Tucker, have people get scared of us a lot. It's cause of how we look. Me especially. Lotsa people don't like the whole pink-and-red eye thing." she sighed.

Karmal blinked. She was… letting him go? This wasn’t on the list of things to watch out for. He sighed. “It’s no big deal- I kinda liked being up so high. It’s like one of your human rollercoasters. Besides, your hands were pretty warm,” he admitted. “Usually I’m near-frigid with my lack of layers.”

Skylie sighed, relieved that he didn't seem angry. Though she grew worried when he said he was usually cold. "Oh no! Um, hold on..." Skylie was quick to find a little bandana she sometimes wore. And she carefully wrapped it around him, without picking him up. But still being extremely gentle. "Is that better?" she asked.

“No, I just left my pin in my room. And Karmal, if you must know.” The teen sat down with a huff- guess he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

"Oh... Um, do you want to go get it?" she asked Karmal gently. Skylie slowly stood up, cupping him close so as not to drop him. She'd feel awful if she dropped the little guy! Skylie wanted to make friends with him, not hurt him!

“Eh, not really- you’d probably catch me again if I ran away. So, what name are you giving me now? Pookie? Nugget? Tinytoes?” The boy fully expected the larger person to force him into becoming her pet- at least, that’s what most humans he heard about did to borrowers.

She blinked rapidly.

"No... I... You said your name was Karmal, right? Why would I give you another name?" Skylie was genuinely confused by this. Tilting her head to the side. Then it began to register. And her face turned bright red in shame. She'd just... Picked him up. Didn't even ask. Skylie knelt down and gently set him down.

"I-I don't want to keep you as a pet or anything! Oh gosh, no! You're a person, like me. Just... Really tiny... I'm sorry, I should have asked before I just picked you up like that!" Well there goes the idea of making a new friend... She wouldn't blame him for running off. Skylie looked very, very apologetic.

“No, I just left my pin in my room. And Karmal, if you must know.” The teen sat down with a huff- guess he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

"Oh... Um, do you want to go get it?" she asked Karmal gently. Skylie slowly stood up, cupping him close so as not to drop him. She'd feel awful if she dropped the little guy! Skylie wanted to make friends with him, not hurt him!

She blinked a few times, taken aback by that. But she smiled softly. "It's okay, I-I won't hurt you, look--" Skylie was very gentle, very careful as she scooped her hands under him. Staying on her knees on the floor in case he fell. She didn't squeeze him.

Welp, threats didn’t work- time to put his money where his mouth was.

“I WARNED YOU-!” Karmal reached for his pin. Well, where his pin should have been. Looks like he left it behind. Oops.

Skylie remained gentle despite his attitude. He was scared. And she just needed to show him she wasn't a threat. The albino tilted her head. "Did you lose something?" she asked, now looking for what he may have dropped. "Oh, my name's Skylie by the way. What's your name?"

She blinked a few times, taken aback by that. But she smiled softly. "It's okay, I-I won't hurt you, look--" Skylie was very gentle, very careful as she scooped her hands under him. Staying on her knees on the floor in case he fell. She didn't squeeze him.

Skylie and Tucker had been a bit spooked by events, but they too were wondering how Alexander was doing. They had just braved a violent storm overnight, and they made their way into the courtyard. They were both delighted to see the dragon lord.

Skylie was the first to initiate interaction. "Alexander! Alexander, hi! Ah, I'm so sorry we left the way we did, but things got scary for a bit there, but we just had to see if you were okay!" She pelted across the courtyard like an excited puppy. All smiles.

For a moment he wondered if he had summoning powers. Well…he did but he was thinking of Skylie and Tucker and coincidentally…here they are. Alexander’s ears flick and he dropped a log he was fixing to haul off with a heavy thud. His face lighter with a warm smile spread across it.

“Oh~? Well hello there child, I’ve missed you and your brother.” He bubbled, turning and settling down on the grass, he did not feel like towering over them, and a break was in order.

The monster spreads his hands out towards the paur to jump into if they wished, he was, as per the the usual, *very warm.

“What brings you two in today, I hope you were safe during the storm!”*

Skylie happily flopped onto one hand, hugging his wrist, with Tucker following shortly after. The two children were very happy to see him~ They were smiling brightly and giggling to each other, hugging Alexander's wrists.

"We missed you!" Skylie was now rubbing her cheek against him like a little kitten. Tucker watched her with a grin. "Yeah, that storm was a bad one!"

hamster link that i drew last year in anticipation for tears of the kingdom

I’ve got nothing left to loose, besides you