[Trade] Courtship Troubles

The morning air was crisp, the beginnings of sunlight painting the land in a variety of soft colors. Snow still lingered here and there across the forest floors, just barely beginning to melt and clear away. Winter had run its course, it wouldn’t be much longer before the Spring blooms began.

It was time, Viper thought to herself. The stone floor of the cave she’d slept in was… uncomfortable at best. She’d have preferred to sleep outside on the soft grass, but with how heavy the snowfalls had been lately, it hadn’t been an option. Viper huffed as she pulled herself from the floor and to her feet, taking a moment to stretch and shake herself off. Her reddish brown skin seemed even darker in the low light, exaggerating the brightness of her blue-tinted banding patterns. The acro sighed as she lifted her head and looked around the cave, settling her gaze on her very brightly colored temporary companion. Wonderful, she was going to have to work together with the other acro if she wanted everything to go as it should. Ruin had a rather short temper, that much Viper was sure of, the fire-y looking acro would snap on a dime. Viper wasn’t a fan of Ruin’s behavior in the least, but she’d put up with it, for reasons even she couldn’t quite place.

“Ruin, wake up,” Viper spoke calmly as she peered down at Ruin. Admittedly, the other female was rather pretty. Dark browns framed her entire body, various shades of orange and rusty reds decorating her sides and face. She truly did resemble a wildfire, personality and all. Still, regardless of how pretty she might be, Viper could not let her sleep in, they had work to do, a nesting site to search for—assuming that Ruin met her expectations. Viper craned her neck and dipped her head, nudging Ruin with the tip of her snout. “Ruin.”

Ruin grumbled and growled in annoyance, blinking her eyes open slowly. “…Huh? What?” She replied tiredly, lifting her head as her senses readjusted to the world around her. Recognition flickered across her expression as she lifted herself off the ground with an amused snort. “Ah, Viper. You’re still here.”

Stretching in a similar manner to how Viper had earlier, Ruin opened her maw wide in an exaggerated yawn, her gaze drifting to the cave's entrance before returning to Viper. “I suppose you expect a show or something?” She sneered, tilting her head in the most infuriatingly condescending way. She sighed dramatically, all but pushing past Viper as she walked over to the cave opening with heavy steps, stopping only to look at Viper over her shoulder.

“You promised me a worthy courtship, Ruin, that is all.” Viper replied, following after Ruin. She rolled her eyes at the air of confidence that radiated off the fiery acro. She stepped out of the cave, shuddering as she adjusted to the outside temperature and began to walk away. “So far, I’ve only seen arrogance.”

“Arrogance? Excuse you?” Ruin hissed, moving to catch up with Viper hurriedly. She growled in annoyance. “I will make good on my promise, obviously. But why must I be the only one attempting to prove themself? What reason do I have to court you of all the others on this island?”

“…A valid question, I guess.” Viper hummed, turning her head slightly to look at Ruin as they walked. “How about this, I find us a nesting site and build the nest, and you retrieve us a meal. If your hunt doesn’t meet my expectations, or my nest isn’t to your liking, we’ll go our separate ways and forget we ever met. Does that satisfy you, Ruin?”

“Tsk. It’s… a decent enough compromise." Ruin agreed, albeit extremely reluctant. Why did she have to do all the hard work while Viper got to walk around and throw a bunch of sticks together? Either way, the quicker she got to hunting, the sooner she’d be free of Viper’s company. Though not for nearly as long as either of them might have liked. Ruin turned and split off from Viper without another word, figuring it was a job best done quickly. She had to track something down and make sure it was a suitable meal for two adult acro’s after all, and preferably something her new partner wouldn’t inhale in one go.

As Ruin trudged deeper into the forest, Viper turned her attention to the task at hand. Finding a suitable location for the nest, which was easier said than done. Viper had always appreciated a nice clearing in the midst of the forest, a nest tucked between some overgrown plants would work well. She began her search, the minutes dragging on and the sun shifting until it was high in the sky above her.

Eventually, she found it. A small cave, just a hole in a rocky wall, really. Maybe a little cramped, with only one exit and entrance. It was just barely large enough to fit the two of them, but it’d work for the most part. They weren’t going to be staying too long.

With a satisfied hum, Viper began clearing the cave of the debris that had blown in, using her tail and her snout to push them to the front of the cave and out onto the grass. Mostly smaller rocks, too-thin twigs, anything that wouldn’t be helpful in building her nest. She then took on the task of gathering larger dry brush and flexible twigs, weaving them together to create a plush nest that would be large enough for a whole clutch of eggs. Though they'd likely only have two or three, it didn’t hurt to be prepared.

As Viper added the finishing touches in shaping the nest, she caught the scent of something dead. Deer, maybe? She could only assume Ruin had returned and tracked her down. Sure enough, she heard Ruin’s voice only a few moments later, albeit a bit muffled.

“Viper, are ya’ in there?” Ruin called out, her steps heavy as she dragged her meal toward the cave entrance. A cow moose. Large and heavy, plenty of meat on it for the both of them. Hopefully, it was enough to impress Viper, because if it wasn’t, Ruin had just wasted hours of her life hunting for someone who wouldn’t even appreciate it. She stopped just outside the small cave, releasing the moose from the grasp of her jaws as she lifted her head to look into the cave. Ruin’s gaze found Viper quickly, shifting to the nest the other female had created in her absence. “Hm. Not… awful, I guess. It’ll work.”

Viper huffed, tilting her head as she eyed Ruin’s catch. She hummed quietly in approval, taking a step toward Ruin. “And you didn’t do as badly as I thought you would. Maybe there is a brain in that head of yours after all.” She chuckled, moving aside to allow Ruin into the cave. “Come on. Maybe this’ll work out after all.”

Ruin didn’t seem to appreciate the joke as much as Viper did, glaring at the other acro even as they settled around the nest together. A successful courtship, all in all. And when their clutch hatched, they could part ways without worry.