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Too small. Too many edges. Too…is that poop?
Finding the right stone, the perfect smooth, shiny and beautiful pebble might sound for any other intelligent being unnecessary. But not to his kind. Not to the Adélie penguin.
His mother told him that his father brought her the most beautiful thing she ever saw. It might have even been a gem. And that pretty much started the obsession of his search for the most stunning piece of stone there is.
It took him through all of the colonies, but every piece was just as bland as the same. Not that they were any less special. But nothing stood out. At the time he didn’t even know that the will and want to have it, was to impress his future partner for life with it.
“What are you doing in there?”
He turned his fuzzy head towards the young voice at the mouth of the small cave he currently resigns. Again, on the search.
“Looking for the perfect stone”
He shoved his beak between the rough terrain. Scraping his young and still growing mouth.
“Why?”
That question made turn his head.
“It is important…when you are an adult, so i heard” he dropped his voice at the end. “But I just like to find something special, something which screams ‘WOW’!”
He flapped his wings, making the downy feathers fly in all directions. Their time to leave is upon them, and he was still not successful.
“Hmm, well, I don't care for the adult stuff much. But…I know where some shiny stones are..”
That made the young explorer wide eyed. “You do?!” He hopped towards his conspecifics. When he was finally in front of the less fluffy but smaller penguin he noted that he was not from his colony.
“C-can you show me?”
“Sure”
He turned and began to lead his new friend towards another cave.
“By the way, what is your name?”
“It’s Viktor”
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He is finally an adult. An adult with a mission. He and Viktor became fast friends. Their search for Jayce's goal for the perfect pebble was addictive in an environment full of dull colours and death above them. Skuas picking at them, some strange other penguins calling them out and screaming at them. Maybe that is why nature gave them his black line on their neck. To chill out.
But now, finally, young and all grown up, they can venture out. See the world.
But the world was dangerous. “There are leopard seals, and Killer whales and maybe some other dark mouths which would love to eat you all with a bite”
The words of old and small Adelia named “Heimerdinger” left a bitter taste in his wake of joy. But there sure can’t be so much danger out there! There are so many Penguins. How can a few teeth get him.
It was when he was once again on the ocean floor, picking and searching stones. All he heard was a water drowned scream of his friend. Caitlyn was a few meters away and making erratic movements. Viktor next to her, with such fear in his beautiful eyes, all he heard was the beginning of his name when he felt it. A mighty grip on his beak from above. Teeth scraping his muzzle and one tearing thru his brow. He used his legs to jump away from the maw. A leopard seal. With hastily flaps he dodged the attempts of the beasts to turn back. But Jayce was smaller and more agile. And the Seal was too close to the shore to use its snake-like body. With speed he never used before, he swam with Viktor and Cait to land.
With a few jumps they were far away from the water, no seal could ambush them without making its flapping sounds.
As soon as the group catched their breaths, the youngest started:
“oh my Life, that was too close, Jayce, you nearly died!” Caits furious cry of fear and anger didn’t faze him. He was himself, still shocked.
The only hope was Viktor being comforting.
As soon as he opened his mouth he felt a slap on his flipper.
“You stupid-! Why didn’t you look out!” Viktor's beak was way too close and sharp to his own.
He tried to save the situation with a light chuckle. Fake, but he tried.
“You know why, I was distracted, all these had potential..”
“What good does it do when you're dead?!” Now that hurt.
“Viktor…” He felt warm liquid run over the corners of his mouth.
“I support your search for perfection. I always had. But you are..” He stopped himself, something he wanted to say was stuck in his throat. Instead he cleaned the blood from his feathers. He seemed easier than talking from the heart so it seems.
“You should just stop, really, stick to the land at least. The Mouths are in the water, no harm will come on here” Caitlin's volume was normal again. It seems Jayce was punished enough.
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The time was here. The time for partnership, mating, chick raising and being never alone again. When it comes to some of his fellow Adelia Penguins, being morally good was an option they ignored.
There was cheating, stealing pebbles and violence.
But he learned from the best. His mother and father were happy together and never left each other's side, except when it came to fishing and caring for him. He knew he wanted the same. He wanted that. He should.
But he already had that. Viktor was always on his side since they were barely adults. When he was deep into his “perfect stone” search, when he got attacked by the leopard seal. And he was there for him when they heard of Viktors parents death or when he started to limp.
“Nobody wants a mate who can’t even walk” he said.
“I want you” he replied.
And maybe on the way to this very point in their lives, this is all he needed. A friend, a partner, a mate for life in any form he got Viktor.
And yet no damn pebble.
He deserved this, at least a pebble of equal beauty.
“I don’t know what to do..” His head stored in his neckfat, making himself small and fluffy. No easy task for a larger than average penguin of his species.
“I assume you mean the stone thing? I suggest you get one, for a start. Maybe .. that one?” Vi, the mate of his little sister, pointed at a random stone.
“You act like you didn’t fret over this as well”
“Well, my mate loved me before, so i guess it was more like traditional way of saying: Wanna bang, but official'"
“Wow, so romantic" Jayce mocked.
“You know what I mean! Also, glad you finally make a move”
As soon as he turned to Violet, he saw Viktor slowly making his way to them.
“Oh look at that!” Before Vi could say any more he slapped her side, not hard, but hard enough to get his point across. ‘Don’t talk about-’
But Vi grew up with three siblings and was taking none of his attempts of silencing.
“Did you hear that Jayce is going to ask his chosen out?”
Viktor froze, his eyes shining. Millions of thoughts seem to pass through his brain.
Jayce feared that he-
“That sounds wonderful, good for you Jayce. I hope to meet this special one after they said yes”
Something seems to shift. A dark pressure in his ribcage. Viktor himself also looked rather struck. Yet he held himself up. “I need to go and make my nest as well, i will see you two later”
And with that he turned and fled. Because there was no other way to call his attempt to run from this situation. He made Viktor uncomfortable, or Violet did. He gave her a hard stare, and even she could see the damage she did.
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“Why did you mess with them?” Caits voice and feather pulling on Vis head were little use to Jayce struggle.
“I have to have the perfect stone. Now. Like now now.”
“How about the stones of Viktos Colony-side?” Vis's struggling cry echoed through the small cave.
That was a good idea. Even when he couldn’t find a perfect stone, he could find something that reminded Viktor of his home. But the side was a day walk, and he has to be fast. Others could see Viktor and see the precious being he is.
“My Dad’s friend has many in his nest, maybe he gives you one of his.”
“You mean Benzo?”
Jayce remembers the older penguin, he was more wide than high, but he was filled with love and adopted Ekko when he was still an egg. That would work.
Without a word Jayce ran to him, hoping that the older one would take pity.
“BENZO”
The bird in question turned his graying head.
“Jayce? What can I do for you lad? You aren’t here to offer me a pebble, right? I am a bit too old for that.” He could see Silco and Vander one nest over, snickering at the humour of their friend.
“No, no” he laughed “I was wondering if I could take a pebble from you? One of Viktors old colony sides? I want, you know…” The older one looked at him sympatically. “I want to ask him to be my mate for life, but I need a pebble, which just fits his very being. Shining, bright, clever, beautiful…”
Out of breath and close to tears, he waited for the answer. After a few seconds, Benzo turned, moved something around and presented the most stunning piece of bedrock he has ever seen. It was blue, shining so. And was the thing he searched for his whole life.
“I give you this” and he put it in front of Jayce with a sigh. “Because, you two remind me of myself when I was young. Now go, make yourselves happy” He laughed with such joy, he could cry. He picked it up, nodded and ran.
Just in time so it seems. Viktor sitting in his nest, crowded by Salo, a cheating fellow who didn’t care for anyone but himself. And Viktor, seemed not disgusted. No.
Using his bigger size he moved Salo away with hefty flaps of his wings. Hissing and pecking, Salo went at the end.
Viktor just stared at him, His voice in shock or in wonder, he couldn’t tell. But Jayce made himself bigger and presented himself. Turning, flapping his wings and putting the gem right in front of his love.
“Jayce…”
“Viktor, I..” He bowed his head “ I ask you, if you would like to be my mate for life.”
“Why?”
That was not what he expected.
“W-why?”
“Yes, i am far from perfect Jayce. This Gem, should be at someones-”
“..like you. There is no one else where this gem should be. You deserve this, all, every single beautiful stone there is. You give me so much. You are so much. Nothing is on you, which makes me think otherwise.”
He moves closer, beak to beak. “I love you”
Maybe Jayce searched all the time in the wrong places. Because right now he saw the most perfect gem in front of him.
“Will you be my partner for life?”
Viktor chuckled. His light laughing combined with joyful tears made Jayce nuzzle his neck and head feathers. Putting his forehead to his.
“Yes, i will”