And They Call It Puppy Love (Valentine's Day Bonding)

Available Creatures

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways Angel Familiar Cariad

Mindspeech: #ffcbdd

Taking the shape of a Shih Apso, albeit one with paws that look like they have been dipped in pale blue powder, Cariad is always happy to share what they love most about those precious to them, whether that be their beloved mate or their bonded. Should someone ask Cariad what their favorite thing about their mate is, or why they even wound up mated to a hellhound of all creatures, it opens the floodgates - at the very least, it wouldn't be far off to compare Cariad to a brass mottle dragon for all of the talking they do, and it's all in devoted adulation of their beloved. You see, before meeting their beloved Cariad was quite naive as far as Angels went, and perhaps a touch too trusting. Meeting their beloved admittedly didn't change much about their personality, but he was definitely the one who taught them to be a little more worldly and how to be able to survive even when all they can do is steal scraps of food. But Cariad knew a lonely soul when they saw one, and it was not only that loneliness that drew them to their beloved but also the desire to be the one to stick up for them despite being on the fluffier and certainly less threatening side in terms of their own appearance.

Mated to I Can't Wear It On My Sleeve Male Omega Hellhound

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I Can't Wear It On My Sleeve Male Omega Hellhound

Mindspeech: Bold #ca4040

The dark gray hellhound with black paws was used to being the bottom of the heap, always having to fight with other omegas over food or being pushed around by higher-ranking members of the Terror that he'd been part of. His ill health due to malnutrition didn't help either, but when he met Cariad things seemed to be slowly changing for the better. Granted, he was annoyed by the familiar's presence at first and their kindhearted nature - kindness breeds weakness, or so he was taught - but he couldn't simply ignore the effect that spending time with Cariad had on him. While he taught them how to be less gullible, they in turn not only encouraged him and stuck up for him when he was being bullied by higher-ranking hellhounds, but helped him find food so that he wouldn't need to rely on leftover scraps. His first full meal consisted of an injured and sickly doe, but it was the best thing that he'd ever eaten in his life. While he normally doesn't take Cariad on hunting trips nor is he exactly fond of public displays of affection, he'll often curl up with Cariad at night since 'they clearly can't defend themself, just look at them.'

Mated to How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways Angel Familiar Cariad

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Wild Nights Should Be Our Luxury Female Fantasma Volan

Mindspeech: Italic de1503

Sporting features that cause her to resemble a white German shepherd, albeit one with attached wings rather than forelegs, Wild Nights is possessed by insurmountable passion for everything she does and all whom she loves. She stands at approximately nine and a half feet tall, easily towering over most creatures. This includes the one she holds closest to her heart and whose welfare takes precedent above all others. Though one might be hard-pressed to say whether a volan could ever be truly loyal to anyone outside of their pack, that is not the case here. She single-mindedly loves one other with all of her being and come hell or high water will protect her mate above all else, even her own Bonded. As per her name, Wild Nights is in her element after dark and tends to sleep during most of the day though she is a light sleeper and will awaken immediately if she believes her other half is in distress. She is by far the more aggressive of the pair, though she ultimately defers to her mate under usual circumstances. But even with that in mind, it's not uncommon for Wild Nights to be the one encouraging her fellow pale-furred beauty to slip away into the night to go hunting or play.

Mated to A Melody That's Sweetly Played In Tune Female Cloud Mistwatcher

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A Melody That's Sweetly Played In Tune Female Cloud Mistwatcher

Mindspeech: bef1e0

As her title might indicate, Sweetly Played is just as fond of music as she is anything or anyone else, with the sole exception being that of Wild Nights. She's roughly the size of an English sheepdog, give or take a few inches, and like most others of her rank she has eyes as pale as ice and a diamond-like forehead gem. Unlike others of her kind, though, she seems to possess irregular patches of darker silver amidst what would otherwise be stark white fur. She's an avid nocturnal hunter, Sweetly Played, and while Wild Nights might defer to her in all things in terms of social interaction and otherwise non-violent occurrences, it is she who defers to Wild Nights to take the lead on hunts as not only does her mate have the size advantage, but the stamina. Sweetly Played was previously a 'runt of the litter,' so to speak, and was used to being overlooked - that is, until she met Wild Nights. The volan seems to believe that she holds all of the celestial bodies in her smaller paws, even when she occasionally lags behind in hunts and is always keen to bring her the choicest selection of meat so that she can build up her strength. When she and her mate join voices in a victory howl over a successful hunt, it's a sound that could easily be described as a feral symphony.

Mated to Wild Nights Should Be Our Luxury Female Fantasma Volan

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A Lovely Apparition Male Tellar Illaro

Mindspeech: Bold c3a78f

Smaller of build than other males of his rank and age, Apparition is approximately eighteen years of age and sports dark brown fur that only darkens further to black upon reaching his paws. This in turn makes his markings all the more visible and, given his mannerisms, there is no doubt as to why he was born into the rank he possesses. You see, Apparition is unflinchingly and unfailingly polite to all that he meets, even those who might greet him in turn with aggression or sarcastic remarks. He is a master of verbal discourse and can mask insults as compliments with the other party coming away not realizing they'd been insulted in the first place. When not involved in social situations where his decorum is required, Apparition tends to follow the 'work hard, relax hard' mentality and can be difficult to distract from any activity that he's chosen...unless, of course, that individual attempting to get his attention is his mate or bonded. The former is far more likely to find success than the latter, as Apparition's beloved has dealt with his wonderful but occasionally exasperating mate since they were little more than pups.

Mated to With Drowsy Head And Folded Wing Male Dust Mistwatcher

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With Drowsy Head And Folded Wing Male Dust Mistwatcher

Mindspeech: Underlined df2f1c

It really was no wonder that Drowsy wound up mated to Apparition - the two of them were always together, even from puphood, but unlike his fellow canine Drowsy is known for his reluctance to get up and actually do anything. It's not exactly because he's lazy, but rather because he suffers from a form of narcolepsy - basically, he'll fall asleep in the most bizarre of circumstances. He's even fallen asleep standing up every now and then. Luckily, Apparition's always there to pull him to a softer surface so that he's in no danger of falling over or otherwise getting himself hurt. Despite his lack of desire to move, he's always willing to make time for cuddling his mate or playing with him, even if that means falling asleep while in the middle of tug-of-war. When he's not otherwise occupied by Apparition's company, he can usually be found dozing in the sun with his head pillowed on his paws. Drowsy is on the larger side of mistwatchers of his rank and if not for his wolfish features his fur would have him easily mistaken for a brown-furred doodle. His eyes are amber in coloration, much like the gem that sits on his forehead.

Mated to: A Lovely Apparition Male Tellar Illaro

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Ancient Histories of Pain Male Defteros Ylz

Mindspeech: Bold 7b7878

Though love can indeed be wonderful, love can also be quite painful. This is especially true in the case of this particular Defteros, who bore the faint markings reminiscent of an Igetis and yet rather than usurp her simply wished to become her mate. This was received about as well as expected by the Igetis in question, let alone the other members of the crowd. After a thorough mauling by the ruling Igetis, Ancient Histories was left for dead. He managed to drag himself away to lick his wounds when he was discovered by a canine Scrimshaw whose family line had long died off. After what happened with the Igetis of his former crowd, Ancient Histories was naturally wary of getting too close to the Scrimshaw in question for fear of getting attached. He still bears the scars from that altercation but the scars on his heart have slowly lessened despite his reluctance to admit any form of attraction to his longtime traveling partner. He also tends to get quite protective over her when she needs to rest and recover in her inanimate form, growling at anyone who he might perceive as getting too close for comfort.

Mated to Love Alone Can Lend You Loyalty Canine Female Scrimshaw Sumine

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Love Alone Can Lend You Loyalty Canine Female Scrimshaw Sumine

Carved in the form of a golden retriever, Loyalty would at first glance appear to be a highly detailed but otherwise inanimate figurine. When she's activated, of course, she lives up to the breed's gentle and affectionate temperament. While typically calm, she prefers to be active and so spends a lot of time with her much more cynical canine companion and it's not uncommon to witness her trying to coax him into playing with her. Her trusting nature can get her into trouble though, and that's part of the reason Ancient Histories is so overprotective of her. She is quite tolerant of young of any species and enjoys playing in the water when she's able. Loyalty also possesses a keen sense of smell and is able to easily pick out the scent of Ancient Histories even when presented with several different canine trails. She was the one to initially discover him injured and she would not only hunt down and bring him back food but keep him warm during the cold nights by sleeping next to him, even despite the danger presented by the possibility of the Igetis or one of the other crowd members returning to scavenge what was left.

Mated to Ancient Histories of Pain Male Defteros Ylz

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All That's Best Of Dark And Bright Female Quessar Illaro

Mindspeech: Underlined e43e12

Sporting a coat of cinnamon-red fur along with golden-yellow runes circling her neck, All That's Best is very much of the opinion that one cannot judge a book by its cover. After all, if she assumed that her current mate was simply a cruel creature who could not feel any semblance of love, then she would not be quite as happy as she is now. Despite being a mature female she is infertile and therefore incapable of having pups, but that doesn't bother her seeing as she was never really invested in having pups in the first place - frankly, she simply doesn't have the patience to raise puppies. That's not to say that she doesn't love them, far from it. She can simply only withstand them for so long before longing for peace and quiet. All That's Best has a bit of a soft spot for poetry, especially classical love poetry, and has on occasion come up with her own. Most of this is shared only with her other half - despite any grumbling about how such a thing is for the ridiculously sentimental, she never fails to get a tail wag or two out of her mate and that alone is enough to make All That's Best feel as though she's just been given the world on a silver platter.

Mated to Leave A Kiss But In The Cup Female Alpha Hellhound

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Leave A Kiss But In The Cup Female Alpha Hellhound

Mindspeech: c45ea5

Black from nose to tail tip, albeit with the exception of two red scar-like lines over an empty eye socket, Leave A Kiss prefers discretion when it comes to public displays of affection. Being an alpha, especially of a Terror, meant that one had to put up a strong and unshakeable front in all circumstances and she has crisscrossing scars covering her entire body to prove it. When the time came where she knew her Terror was clamoring for her beta to replace her as leader, she opted instead to give her Terror one last gift to remind them of her dedication to making the Terror strong and to pass the torch, so to speak. It was during her travels that she met up with All That's Best, and from that point the two of them were traveling companions, albeit grudgingly at first on Leave A Kiss's part. At three years of age this Alpha hellhound is still technically in her prime, though the injuries she has suffered have taken a toll on her body. She'd never admit it, but it's nice to have someone around who can keep an eye on her blind spot...and who she doesn't need to worry about stabbing her in the back in order to wrest her leadership away.

Mated to All That's Best Of Dark And Bright Female Quessar Illaro

Nadira hadn't been to an official bonding as yet and somehow she had a small army of creatures Sigrith was at her side as the dragon was almost always nearby. But she wasn't actually at the Bonding just sort of close ish, Nadira hadn't really ever realized how having something in your head could be so reassuring and yet so terrifying. She walked up to the area and nodded to the various creatures, "Hello" She said to them as she stood off to the side, it was interesting to see the animals in question.

"I hope that I didn't have to bring an offering. If I did I'm sure I could ask Sigrith for help." She added almost in a softer voice and then looked at Azari, "Hello I'm Nadira Todd." The one time vigilante was learning how to introduce herself to new people that were not villains or other costumed people.

The food that Reprise had brought with them went down a treat, Cariad perking up and sniffing the air. They were the first of the canines to approach, carefully taking a mouthful of meat before bounding back towards the hellhound that they called their mate and setting it down so that he could eat. And eat he did, devouring the offered meal like he hadn't eaten in quite some time - or at the very least, was afraid that it would be taken from him by one of the higher-ranked canines.

After appraising the candidates that had shown up for, including Nadira and Kemori, it was the Quessar illar who spoke first. We would like to thank you for heeding our summons. As you may have guessed, we are here to seek those whose hearts resonate with ours. In other words, finding our Bondeds. She tilted her head. We will be asking you a series of questions in descending order of rank. Therefore, my mate and I will begin.

She stepped forwards alongside the alpha hellhound, but rather than the female illar speaking it was her mate. The hellhound growled out If someone you loved was in danger, be they family, friend, or lover, how would you respond? And if it was caused by someone else, how would you deal with that? With their question still hanging in the air, the Alpha sat down next to her mate, her burning gaze drifting over the three candidates. There are no incorrect answers, the Quessar added, hoping to assuage any anxiety or nerves that might arise.

Questions. Kemori could do questions, and as the Illar and Hellhound stepped forward he gave them his full attention.

Their question brought up a memory, ironically from about a year ago. He and Jeremi had gone into a Tunnel of Love that had brought them to a rather terrifying confrontation with the undead. Jeremi had been understandably frightened. Kemori's response was quite natural, as was his answer when Nadira had given her say.

"Those of the Kitsune Clan, my Clan, are quite loyal creature especially when it comes to our family, lovers, and friends," he said by way of answer after a respectful bow. "As it has happened, I have been present with something threatened my lover, so my answer to your question is quite easy: When those I care about are threatened I will ensure they are safe through my magic and my martial skills. I have spells that protect them, and if they cannot be put into a position of shelter from the threat I will protect them with hand-to-hand combat if I need to." He drew out one of his war fans and flicked it open in demonstration before lifting it to hold just beneath his eyes; they flared purple as his magic welled up within him, giving him a mysterious and powerful air.

"And if that threat was from a person, or any sentient source, well.... Though Kitsune have a reputation of being tricksters and playful, and at heart we are, we are also quite capable of lethal retribution when angered. There is a reason that for all of our antics no other clan, not even the mighty Dragon Clan, has sought to eliminate us. Touch those I cherish, and it will be brought back upon the trespasser a hundred fold."

As the three hopefuls gave their answers, the hellhound and illar pair simply listened. Nothing about their expressions nor body language gave anything away though some of the other canines present had begun to murmur amongst themselves, likely discussing the responses that had been given. But the show must go on, so to speak, and the next pair to step forward were the ylz and the sumine. As the sumine obviously couldn't speak, it was Ancient Histories of Pain who took the lead.

You have spoken about how far you would go to protect those you love. How do you show you care in everyday life?

As he spoke, the sumine that stood at his side pricked her ears and pressed against his side, wagging her tail. Perhaps she was giving them a demonstration of how she showed her love for the one who stood by her side, even though she couldn't vocalize it? The Defteros turned his head to give her a surprisingly gentle nuzzle in return, and the golden retriever Scrimshaw's tail wagged even more. She licked his muzzle and yipped cheerfully.

By this point the other canines present had stopped murmuring and were simply listening. Perhaps it was possible that some of them had been deliberating on who would be the best choices for their bonded based on their initial answers, but it was still quite early in the game and perspectives could most certainly change based on the answer to the question presented to the small group.

Regardless of who chose who in the end, however, it was highly unlikely that any of the candidates would be leaving this place without having bonded to one of the mated pairs.

Nadira looked at them and sighed heavily, "At home I'd make sure that everyone's equipment was cleaned and tended so they wouldn't have to. I also made sure that we all got our homework done." She said to the one asking. "But here? I'd help keep them safe and a roof over their heads. I actually have to work here I'm not just a rich billionaire's adopted child." There was something almost sad about those words but they were true, she wasn't good at showing affection but she did try, her entire life she had been trained to be a member of the League of Assassins and then she met her father and everything changed. Jason Todd was a good father but not a very good role model on affection despite her best efforts.

That was an interesting question, though Reprise could see how it was a relevant one - after all, everyday life was far more frequent than someone harming someone cared for, in theory. Admittedly, that wasn't true everywhere, but this place seemed relatively peaceful so far.