Glitching and Dreaming

[Gl!tch~]

I promise to post more than just the ones that I literally won contests with

[Gl!tch~]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]If you don't look it can't get you
If you don't look it can't get you
If you don't look it can't get you

But it hungers
And it follows

Shadows, shadows; someone else's shadow
Anyone's shadow
Will do
Will have to
To bait it away

The other faces in the dark look about with fear
And hope as the stranger passes through
Their naive quivering will suffice

Two words, no looks back to the sacrifice

[Gl!tch~]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]
During her efforts to escape an attack, a young totoma stumbled upon the remains of a nearby kill. She paused in the snow, then rolled around in the blood at her hooves. Then, as the party approached, she remained still, looking dead for all intents and purposes. The attackers soon left, the chase over. Although bloodstained, she survived that day.

[Gl!tch~]

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The group needed food. He knew this lake had fish. He crashed into the cold waves, seeing the retreating forms and he leaned in to catch them.

[Gl!tch~]

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When the swamp kin seemed wary of her totoma brethren, she receded into the surrounding bogwater while no one was looking. Then, as tensions grew between the groups, she emerged from the tides, momentarily terrorizing the locals. With the dripping plants draped over her horns and mud the on her face, she looked much like a monster needing to be defeated. The other totoma quickly stood to protect the other kin. In that moment, she made them heroes. A detriment to her own valor, but she would gladly take it on to help the herd.

[Gl!tch~]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]
The weather looked quite arduous, and seemed like it would only get worse. Deliviries would have to be stopped for the time being, even important ones.

She, however, had other ideas. Trade was important, and Totoma were made to get through the worst of things. On top of that, it was her favorite foods: the sweet things. The swamp needed more of those. Despite the tense air, she volunteered to brave through the challenge.

They had little hope of seeing her again. The same could be said of the other side.

So imagine their great surprise when the delivery came through after all on her orange flanks.

"There she is!" came a cry. "She bears the sweet treats!"

And so, she gained a very specific, yet noble, reputation.

[Gl!tch~]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]
He shuffled his hooves in growing irritation. The bickering around him was getting on his nerves. They had a mutual journey to make, foes to engage with. Incessant arguing splitting the group was just delaying them further. Staying silent so long made him seem complacent. Who knew how long it would go on if he kept his mouth shut?

He exhaled out his nose, then stomped his hoof down. In the startled silence, he pushed his voice to go as high as the trees. "Enough fighting! Leave it aside for now. Dark is approaching us! There is little time left. We must band together!"

[Gl!tch~]

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The snowstorm turned into a total white-out. A known possibility, but most of the troops were still young. Nameless. The march was barely organized as-is, and once they lost sight of each other, communication began to break down. Everyone began to shout and go every which way. At this rate, they would be heavily delayed at best, lost at worst.

Tired of all the noise and getting bumped and shoved, one of the largest among them took a deep breath. And let his own voice start to warble. It rose and went, farther and farther, soon echoing through the pass. The others hushed one by one. The loud hum caught their attention, and gave them a rallying point. He would be the one to lead them through the blind white with his voice alone.

[Gl!tch~]

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From an early age, he baffled his elders. A polite young buck, just about to the point of letting others take advantage of his kindness. Very unusual among his totoma peers. He took the bullying, all the claims that he was weak. But he never changed. He always stepped to the side to let others pass him during mountain marches. He willingly shared his catches, and even let others just take from it without retribution. But he also trained as hard as everyone else, and he refused to break.

It all came to a head one day during his first big match. Like with everything else, he let his opponent strike first. As they barreled down, he stepped to the side. As their flank passed, he headbutted into their exposed side.

One of the watching elders laughed, and stated, "How polite!"

[Gl!tch~]

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She went with her brother the first time he went to pay his respects to the life he ended. As she tread on the re-buried dirt, she wondered about the who-died-honorably Totoma of the world. Her brother had his guilt, but how many others were tended to after they passed? As she thought more, she fought less, and eventually put all of her efforts into treating the dying and then remembering their places of rest after they were gone. The living owed that much when it came to respecting the deads' hard-earned honor.

[Gl!tch~]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]
A social lamb, she started life out trying to schmooze more than fight. In fact, she would try to talk her way out of them entirely. She did not seem a coward, as she would fight when left no other option, but her parents witnessed her odd interest in the challenge of winning other Totoma over. As she grew, she developed her charm further. By adulthood, she would enchant bucks and does alike, friend and foe alike, to get what she wanted. She knew the right compliment, the right threat. Truly, she was a dazzling sort.

[Gl!tch~]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]
It wasn't until they reached the dam of branches and twigs that they realized it was an ambush. While their leader called for them to prepare to fight for their lives, he instead turned and started ramming into the wall of wood. As it started to give, one by one the others joined him, until they broke their way through.