Small Kalmin and Cortez Meet

Hooking bony talons into the side of the building, Cortez was slowly climbing his way higher up the wall now. He could see a light up above on the next floor, but this wasn't what he was aiming for. Being caught by a room that was clearly occupied was a horrible plan, instead, he was going for the roof of the building. Hoping there might be some better covering in a nook or cranny for when the winds changed direction.

Sadly, the noodly warpa didn't make it nearly that far. Just crawling up to the side of the next balcony, he was about to go around a window when it suddenly flung itself open. A black and white ball yeeting itself out as well, startling the youngling enough to make him jump. The talons unhooking, he flailed as he fell back towards the ground, twisting in just the right way that he caught himself. Normally not the best decision, but the bony warpa merely lost a hand on his landing in some bushes. Something that hurt very much as it tumbled out into the open, but something he could reattach as soon as the strange penguin escapee went on their way.

Flopping down into the bushes below, Kalmin was standing up and shaking off when he looked over to the wet furry noodle that he hadn’t noticed there before. Blinking his multiple sets of eyes, he cooed as he set his gaze on the stranger he had never seen before. Was it a wild animal? Was it an intruder? Kalmin wasn’t sure as he sank lower to the ground, head bobbing a little as his interest was taken away from the town to the stranger before him.

‘Hello there, who are you?’ he asked the youngling, rubbing his face against the wet noodle as his warm face touched him. There was a jump that had Kalmin jump before he leaned back into headbutt at the other like his mother did with him when younger. It seemed to be a scared child if anything, big eyed and scared as Kalmin looked back to the rainy sky, but gave a defeated shoulder slump as he picked up his new wet noodle and waddled away.

The town would have to wait, it was inside time... He could hear Denzil and his family calling for him which meant it was noticed he was gone, and saying he saw something outside was a good enough excuse for why he vanished and flung himself out the window, right? Hell, Kalmin hoped so.

‘Father! I found something!’ The youngling called as he went back through the front door, towards the voice that called for him, weak but worried and close to his brother's voice.

“Kalmin, you know you should pick up stray--” Stopping as he stared at his son, he squinted at the stout that was in Kalmin’s flippered arms.

Quickly grabbing his hand when he wound up spotted, Cortez slapped the bony appendage right back on as he ducked down in his hiding spot. Looking left and right quickly, he wasn't sure what to make of the larger bird, but.. it was a little reassuring when they sank lower to the ground as well. 'C-Cortez?' he responded after jumping slightly at them bumping against his forehead. Gentle enough to get him to mimic the gesture like some sort of greeting, he followed the penguin's gaze upwards.

There was shouting and calls on the inside, but they weren't for him or anyone he knew, not thinking it might be what seemed to be another warpa. It made Cortez wiggling when they picked him up, but the flippers were squishy and warm, and he was just oooh so tired from running so far from home. Crawling up to be comfortable around the strange penguin's neck like an odd bony talisman, he made big eyes at the person they had brought him to. Rattling his tail at them, he did his best to hide as behind as he could get on the penguin.

He might be a stray apparently, but it was nice and warm on the inside. He didn't want to be kicked out right away.

Excited to have a new friend, Kal was quite fast for waddling the way he did. He was, granted, very large so bigger steps were had. He didn’t make noise as he moved though. Rather quiet aside from calling out to his father.

Holding his furry scarf as he scared up at his father, the lavishly dressed male rubbed his face. He knew his son had a knack for collecting the stray animals that just ‘looked so cooooold outside’ but this was a new one. The older adult could tell this was a small warpa child, granted a wet one that looked lost and scared.

‘Can I keep him? His name is Cortez! I can dry him in my rooooom!’ Making the biggest eyes he could at his father, he saw his brother come jogging over to scold Kalmin a little for running off without telling anyone but noticed the black noodle so nicely around his neck and in his arms that he stopped and stared at what was Kalmin’s new ‘stray’.

“Sure son, just make sure to bathe him too. Have Denzil help you...”

“Father...” THe pair were off though, Kalmin more than happy to waddle off to his room and towards the distressed calls that hadn’t stopped. Denzil was always so good at helping him! This would be no different.