New chappie! Hooray!
As Gem swept low over the water, she caught a glimpse of a school of small krill swimming just below the surface, and she dove in without hesitation. She came up about ten feet away, beak full of the tasty little shrimp like creatures. Deciding she finally had enough, she perched on a nearby piece of ice for only a moment she shook her feathers off, before crunching down on her food for a moment, breaking the shells. She lay them on the ice before her for a moment, watching them flop around. She began cleaning them with care, ripping away the hard shells and revealing the soft meat. Aw, perfect. Finally she had enough. She hated having to go back and forth, back and forth, for food for her child, so she settled on the less popular but still very effective way of swallowing it all down whole and regurgitating it later. While petrels didn't usually do this, her mother had used it on her, and she turned up perfectly fine. So she saw no harm in it.
She swept gracefully into the air after gobbling down the meat, she honestly didn't think she could eat anymore if she tried. She flew back to the ship which was drifting lazily north, and it wasn't a long flight. She made sure no one saw her as she circled around the base twice, before swooping toward the side. She had a hole drilled there. It led down along tunnel just long enough for her to glide through, and at the end, a little cave. In it was a nice nest, made of rocks and sand, grass and leaves cushioning it. And there, lying there and covered up with a leaf blanket, was her single sleeping chick. He actually looked a lot like her at only four months old, his feathers gray and fluffy, with some black interwoven, his underbelly white and speckled. She herself was a lighter shade of silver with interwoven white, her underside black, her feet a deep cerulean. His own were the color of the sky. Her eyes were brown, but her sported the grayish blue eyes of his grandmother.
She landed softly and leaned down, nudging him awake. "Come now, awaken mon enfant." She had a habit of switching between French and English when she spoke. "Eet is time for votre repas." The baby yawned and cheeped at her, his eyes heavy. He clearly wasn't happy with being awake, if his crabby expression was any indication, but all the same, he hoisted himself up and clumsily waddled over to her, snuggling up against her leg. Gem smiled and lowered her beak to nuzzle him, his feathers so soft and light it barely felt as if she was touching anything. "Come on." She nudged his beak with hers. "Open up. I have nourriture." He obediently opened up, and she didn't hesitate to deposit a little sliver of food. The chick slurped it up, and while Gem couldn't help finding it a little disturbing, she knew partially-digested food was better for him. After every serving, she'd lick the bit of dribbling slime off his face. No sense getting him all dirty.
After his meal, she set him back down and just talked to him, telling him about the crew and the current generation he'd live with when he was older. She'd caught word the Jia had had her heir just the night before, but got especially cranky and snappy if anyone asked. She was spending most of her time down in the brig anymore, no doubt observing her temporary mate, wondering what he would look best as, a coat, a rug, a blanket? Because now that she had her child, she wouldn't need him anymore. Unless, of course, the joey turned out to be sickly and weak, and then of course she'd need another.
She told him of Captain Cutthroat, of Dice and her son Squint, of Sabi and how she was nearly bursting at the seams waiting for her litter of piglets to arrive. She told him of self-christened Sassy, Cutthroat's First Mate. The saber was scarlet and scary enough without her black-hole eyes. She could only hope her chosen baby didn't look like her. She believed talking to him introduced him to her language earlier, the sooner he started hearing speech, the sooner he'd pick up on it. She switched back and forth between English and French as she pleased, and sometimes even gave a word in both languages. She wanted him to be fluent in both.
It wasn't long before she noticed he'd fallen asleep. With a voice like silk, she lowered her head and whispered "Good my bebe. Sweet dreams." And she got up and flew out. After all, if she stayed in there too long, they'd take notice. They knew her heir was here, they knew she was out getting food and feeding it, but they knew nothing of it's location. Cutthroat respected her privacy enough not to order she reveal her nests location until she was ready, but still. She couldn't have them worried and looking for her.
As she arrived above deck, she came across Muhina and Dice in a brawl, the little ball of fluff that was Squint off to the side watching with big eyes. The tow women were no doubt fighting because Muhina had called her soft or cute or fluffy or something. Again.
"Take it back!" Dice shrieked.
"Never!"
"TAKE THAT BACK!"
"NO!"
Cutthroat rolled her eyes at the two from her place low on the mast, maybe five feet off ground, Gutt perched on her shoulder. He was gripping a handful of her hair for balance, which she had braided as per usual. He pointed. "'ots?"
She smiled at him and plucked him off her shoulder, lying him down in her arm on his back, he stared at her with big brown eyes, awaiting her answer. He'd only recently started practicing words, having reached about six months. "Yeah hon. They do that a lot."
"Oooooooooooh."
She smiled, her expression adoring. She just loved the way babies stretched out their syllables, trying to make them sound right. "Yep." She ran her fingers through his hair. "All the time. Ya get used ta it eventually."
"'Eawwy?"
"Nope."
Done! Please review! So yeah, Silas is hear, and Gupta is hidden away somewhere. We'll see him next I think⦠please leave a review! Thanks to everyone that has!
