[B] Loud and Proud

[Lutz]

Dance into the New was excited. It was a state of being that she was usually in, really, but today she felt like her hooves were barely touching the ground with how delighted she was. The weather had been perfect, the longest day of the year had just come, and she was expecting! How much better could her day get?

She frolicked happily through a flower field, pausing to sniff and then munch on some of the colorful petals and buds. Bugs of various sizes buzzed around her, celebrating her joy and eagerness. Oh, she wanted to meet them already! She knew it would take time, but could you blame her? It was her first clutch after all! Not a trace of worry clouded her mind as she took her time enjoying the sun, the flowers, and the feeling of excited anticipation that filled her.

Dance recalled overhearing kin talking about seeking a blessing from a powerful kin called a Legendary and she'd considered it for a while before actually finding herself pregnant. Today seemed like as good as any to try to seek one of these kin out! How, she wasn't sure, but from what others had said if you wanted it badly enough, one would find you. She wasn't trying too hard, but every now and then as she enjoyed the day she wondered about what a Legendary kin might look like, what might have given them powers to bless a kin with healthy or strong or happy offspring, and if one might truly find her.

Laying down in the meadow, she gave a happy little sigh as she gazed up through the flowers. Even if one didn't find her today, Dance wasn't too worried. She could always try again tomorrow!

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Strange Creature loved the summer solstice, but this year's was extra special because she was seeing it with a lizard's-eye view. The world looked so different from down here! Everything smelled more intensely, cicadas were somehow even more delicious, and there was no shortage of kin to observe. Even the most familiar thing was new and exciting when seen with a tegu's gaze- but she suspected that what was drawing her to this doe had nothing to do with that. No, this was the other thing she'd been told would happen. There was more than a pinch of magic in what she was now, and she was going to share it.

The doe- an acha with a dramatically rainbowy tail- was prone in the grass, perfect for an exceptionally large lizard. "Thllp," she went, sticking her tongue out and looking at the doe. She smelled... different. A side effect of the pregnancy, or a side effect of being a lizard? This needed more investigation. She flicked her tongue again, her kimeti shape nothing more than a flickering shadow standing behind her. "Thllp," went the tongue as her head wove from side to side. She hoped she looked friendly- lizard faces didn't go much in for expression, although the glowing golden eyes might help add some warmth.

[Lutz]

Dance closed her eyes for a bit, enjoying the warmth on her fur, when she heard a rustling in the grass. She opened her eyes again and observed a surprisingly large lizard nose its way through the blades, a forked tongue flicking between its jaws. Dance lifted her head a little, startled by the tongue, but when it flicked out again she had to laugh.

"Hello to you too!" she said with a giggle, leaning in a little closer to the strange creature. She'd never seen a lizard quite this large before!

"Nice day, huh? Bet you're enjoying it even more than I am," she went on, even though the lizard couldn't respond. It seemed friendly enough so why not chat with it a bit? "The sun must feel so nice on your scales! It certainly feels nice on my fur."

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"It sure does!" she tried to say, but all that came out was "Thllp! Thllp!" as she flicked her tongue. She snorted- right, she couldn't actually talk in this form. Guess there had to be some drawbacks to the most delightful form of life. Annoyed, she rolled to her side, pulling herself back into the Kimeti shape. "It is so nice on the scales, you have no idea!" She was laying parallel to the doe in the grass, flopped on her side. Her tegu form was far more solid than her kin form had been as it trailed her. "Longest day of the year and the sun is just delightful. Hi. I'm Strange Creature. Normally I'm a lot less sideways, but this grass is just perfect for flopping in, isn't it?"

[Lutz]

The excited tongue flicking was taken as a 'yes', but when the lizard rolled and turned into a kimeti Dance couldn't help but stare with her mouth open wide.

A bug flew in. She coughed.

"Whoa! You were just a big lizard!" she said once she was done mildly choking on the insect. It was then she noticed that the lizard was still there, close to where Strange Creature lay. Was she-

"So perfect," Dance agreed, clearly over her surprise as the conversation turned to how nice the grass was. "It's so soft and smells so sweet!" Another delighted giggle left her before she fixed her gaze on the doe. Although it was clear she was a kimeti, she'd never seen one quite like her before. There were differences, ones she couldn't quite place, but a sense of being in the presence of something much bigger than herself came over her. She quieted down for a moment, looking into Strange Creature's golden eyes.

"I'm Dance into the New, nice to meet you, Strange Creature. Are you...a Legendary kin?" The question was spoken with a hushed tone as if saying it too loud would spook Strange Creature away, never to be seen again. It was all she could think of! Or...perhaps she'd eaten a flower that was making her hallucinate. That could be it, too.

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"I think that's what I am? It's.. new. I'm still getting used to it- it's kinda like life, y'know? There's always something new and unexpected. You're... probably pretty aware of that by now. But that's the beauty of life, I think- that there's always something new and unexpected around every corner. Some kin run from it, but in my experience, leaning in is usually worth it. And if you lean in enough, who knows? Sometimes the Motherfather sends you a weird dream and the next day you wake up, and you can do... this!" Strange Creature rolled once more, shrinking into her lizard shape. Deliberately and carefully, she positioned herself nose-to-nose with Dance into the New...

and flicked her right on the nose with her tongue.

She morphed back into her kin-shape. "I think it worked. This... is my first time ever trying to uh. Bless someone. I mean if you want that! I'm not actually sure how this works! You- you ok with that? A blessing? Gosh, sorry, I should have asked first. Fish said when someone wants one, you get a gut feeling- but I've never blessed anybody before!" What if the doe didn't want one? You can't just un-boop somebody you just booped... right? This was all so complicated!

[Lutz]

Dance listened with a slightly tilted head as Strange Creature spoke, taking in what was said. She could agree with that: adventure and learning new things were definitely fun! She didn't actively seek out new things but when she came upon them she regarded them with curiosity and wonder. And then-

"Oh!" The lizard was before her again. How had she missed the change? It happened so fast, even quicker than she could blink! She stared at Strange Creature as she moved forward, holding her unblinking gaze until that tongue flicked out again and booped her right on the nose!

A laugh left the doe as Strange Creature shifted back, clearly delighted at the strange sensation. As soon as Strange Creature began to fret, though, she reached out to gently boop her in return, a smile on her muzzle as she did so.

"I'm very honored to be your first! And yes, I was hoping I'd run into someone who could do just that. It's my first clutch, I'm very excited." She wasn't too sure what the blessing would result in, but she was thankful for it all the same. "Thank you! I think you did wonderfully."