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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 22, 2021 15:53:02 GMT -6
It was winter now, and Fiera was going to try and make the most of it... as best she could. The humanish had bundled herself up from ear tip to toe tip in an attempt to stave off the cold, and she could only say that it was sort of working. She had shoved her ears inside the least ugly hat she could find, and had wrapped up her long tail in a soft silken cloth to try and insulate it a bit better. If she kept moving it wasn't so bad, but unfortunately gardening required a lot of standing around in one place. Who knew though, maybe she would find something more aerobic to do... or she would just go on a walk until she got tired of walking and went home. Of course, that meant that her entourage would have to cooperate with her, and she wasn't sure how well that was going to go. She had brought two pets instead of one with her to the gardens today, which meant she had twice the number of bodies that she had to keep track of. Thankfully, only one of them was feeling energetic enough to require the use of a lead. Fiera 6 Rachei 3.1/3.1 Aspen 0.1/0.1
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 22, 2021 15:58:15 GMT -6
Rachei was the one that required the use of it, with the tiniest harness Fiera could find (one usually used for rodents) and a leash that was more thread than rope. She could barely even feel it as the leaf scatter tugged on the line, trying to run off in any given direction. Most rodents this time of year slept away all their time, bedding down in warm burrows and snoozing until warmer days came by. Not leaf scatters though- probably because they were only rodents superficially, in reality being some sort of... lab modified plant. Fiera didn't really know about the science side of it. Instead, winter was when they produced seeds, requiring them to run around as far as they could wander in order to drop their fruits. Fiera was attempting to harvest that fruit herself- a particularly magic berry that had bizarre effects on creature breedings. It had other uses too, supposedly, but Fiera didn't know or care about any of them. Maybe she would later, but not now. She was simply interested in the results it could give her when she mashed two pachee together along with the other breeding berries that she usually threw into the mix.
Fiera 7 Rachei 3.2/3.2 Aspen 0.2/0.2 12
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 23, 2021 11:42:32 GMT -6
It could be difficult to convince a leaf scatter to drop its berries however, so Fiera brought another creature with her too to help pass the time... and because she figured they would enjoy this. Despite the cold, Aspen didn't seem bothered by it, though Fiera still threw a nightgown over them for her own comfort. The crossbreed was a very unusual one, a mix between a nyssa and a harachiu. They were about the size of a small person, but very different in appearance. They had the delicate, elfin features of a harachiu, the proportions in the face all different from a human. Their body however, upon closer inspection, was supple but with the texture of tree bark, growing harder on the outside of the limbs and along the back, and softest in the more delicate areas. Instead of a head of hair or a mane, they instead had a rustling mass of leaves and pink blossoms. Despite the cold weather, just being able to be around plants appeared to raise their mood greatly, Fiera thought to herself as Aspen walked along behind her. They brushed their fingers along a nearby bush, letting them push past the hibernating twigs.
Fiera 8 Rachei 3.3/3.3 Aspen 0.3/0.3 13
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 23, 2021 15:32:42 GMT -6
Fiera wasn't sure where they had lived before this, but it may well have been a regular kennel instead of a garden, if Aspen's rapturous face as was any indicator. As a crossbreed- and a sapient harachiu crossbreed at that- Aspen was sure to be a hot item, and yet Fiera had earned them with relatively little struggle, apparently beating out the crowds. She wondered if they even knew how coveted they were. Either way, Fiera was happy to have them, if just to ultimately set them free from their obligated servitude. She had heard that they were calling these crossbreeds "dryads"- an accurate description, to say the least. A perfect mix of hominid and plant... for all of the disturbing anatomy that came with it. Fiera suppressed a shudder as she saw Aspen reach out another hand toward a tree, only for their fingers to bend and twist, resembling the same branches of that tree, gently tickling its fellow as if intertwining fingers before pulling away again, a slight smile crossing their face. Fiera turned away. It was... well, kinda creepy. Harachiu weren't people (or at least not the same species of people Fiera was used to dealing with). Nyssa DEFINITELY weren't people.
Fiera 9 Rachei 3.4/3.4 Aspen 0.4/0.4 14
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 23, 2021 15:38:15 GMT -6
And yet, here was a perfect mix of the two, and it was small wonder that they seemed to have a distinctly alien worldview and frame of mind. Fiera couldn't blame them- she'd imagine a tree WOULD have a very different opinion on how the world should work, but here they were. Fiera hadn't heard a single peep out of them since she had acquired them. She wasn't even entirely sure that they COULD make noise- even when given something interesting or when they stubbed their toe on something, their facial expression changed, but no sound would come out. They were eerily silent... in more ways than one. Fiera could hear the dried leaves shuffling along the sidewalk as she walked along, and she could hear Rachei's tiny little claws scraping on the concrete as she ran alongside her owner. But Aspen's footsteps made no noise as they passed. The humanish glanced back briefly. She worried for a moment that Aspen might think it was odd that she was staring at them, but the dryad didn't actually show any sign at all that they had so much as noticed Fiera, so engrossed in the surrounding plants and greenery as they were.
Fiera 10 Rachei 4.0/4.0 Aspen 1.0/1.0 15
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Post by Nadia on Dec 23, 2021 16:28:31 GMT -6
The first growths of winter!
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 10:07:53 GMT -6
If Aspen held perfectly still, Fiera was sure that she would never notice the dryad's presence at all, as similar to a tree as they were. She was surprised that they were so cheery and active this time of year, however. The plants around them were quiet and still, dead under the chill of winter. Only the evergreens had any sign of life left, and yet Aspen seemed perfectly happy to "greet" all of the plants, regardless of the level of activity they were showing. It was actually slowing them down quite a bit, with Rachei dashing around Fiera's heels, impatient to continue. Fiera didn't dare put Aspen on a lead or hurry her along though. They were just as much of a person as Fiera was, and it wasn't polite in the slightest to tie a rope to someone's wrist and yank them along when they were walking too slowly. Or, well, she HAD seen that done before... on children. And Aspen most certainly was not that, standing tall enough to reach Fiera's chin. And as much as she would LIKE to sometimes, you couldn't treat another adult like that, even if they were slow and horribly unsocialized in comparison to other people.
Fiera 11 Rachei 4.1/4.1 Aspen 1.1/1.1 16
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 10:16:23 GMT -6
Perhaps it was best to find an area where they could both do as they pleased with Fiera capable of keeping a close eye on them. Aspen could sit and examine the plants, running their bizarre fingers over them in an act of mimicry, and Rachei could be given a longer leash, free to run around and find a good place to drop her berry. So she made her way toward an area that she knew would be pretty open, but bordered by thick greenery. Fiera continued down the path, the pebbles making it up crunching under her feet, until she finally hit packed earth instead and made her way toward the small pond she kept in the gardens. It was completely frozen over this time of year, thank goodness, though she didn't trust how thick that ice was. For all she knew, it was thin enough that even Rachei could go under with a single step, and that would WELL and truly ruin her day. She wasn't even sure if the friendly little leaf scatter would make it long enough for the humanish to bundle her up and rush her off to a veterinarian if that were to happen.
Fiera 12 Rachei 4.2/4.2 Aspen 1.2/1.2 17
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 10:20:55 GMT -6
...Or perhaps she would rush her off to a botanist. The line with garden creatures could be a little hazy sometimes. Still, that only meant that while they were free to settle down AROUND the pond, Rachei (and Aspen for that matter, but she couldn't imagine the dryad would be stupid enough to approach a frozen pond with no reeds left in it to say hello to.) would have to be kept a decent distance away from it. As they walked up to the pond, Fiera eyeballed the distance between the pond and a park bench that Fiera had left nearby. It was about ten feet, as far as she could tell. Nodding to herself, she let Rachei's leash out that far and kneeled to the ground, tying it around the cast iron leg of the bench in a solid knot. There. Now she wouldn't be going anywhere except where Fiera wanted her to. The humanish glanced up and to her left- above the pond was a terraced area, an outcropping that Fiera had spent many an afternoon tea using to observe the entirety of her garden plot from a distance. Nowadays though, it was calm and still, unneeded in the frigid chill.
Fiera 13 Rachei 4.3/4.3 Aspen 1.3/1.3 18
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 10:29:45 GMT -6
She turned back to look at her pets. Rachei was now safely tied off, but Aspen was still making their way into the clearing. It looked like they were just fine with sticking close to Fiera however, so long as the humanish brought them near enough plants... which there were, around here. Even though the clearing itself around the pond was pretty... well, clear, the damper conditions meant that there was plenty of greenery in the vicinity. There were even some bushes that hadn't dropped all of their leaves yet. Aspen was spending their time mirroring these perfectly, branching out their hands into perfect mirror images of these other plants, even if the leaves they produced all came out pink to match the foliage on their head. That didn't seem to bother them as they moved from plant to plant however, happy to make even their pale imitations. Rachei on the other hand, was... immediately trying to dunk herself in the pond. "Oh, come ON." Fiera moaned as she watched the leaf scatter, marching over to where she was on the border of the pond. The leash was pulled tight as the leaf scatter strained against it, her front legs picked up off the ground.
Fiera 14 Rachei 4.4/4.4 Aspen 1.4/1.4 19
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 10:32:40 GMT -6
Her tiny efforts were for nothing however, as she was still stopped about six inches from the pond, her back feet sinking slightly into the layer of soft soil that still sat by the pond. Her nose was sniffing up a storm as Fiera realized that perhaps she had never seen a frozen pond before. Still, it wasn't something that Fiera wanted her to be around. It wasn't safe, and the fact that the soil wasn't completely frozen here meant that there was a chance that Rachei could manage to get herself all muddy in her rampant curiosity. Fiera was glad that her measurement of the leash had turned out perfectly, however- Rachei was safe for now. "Come here." Fiera muttered as she walked up to the leaf scatter, scooping it up in her arms. Rachei squeaked plaintively as the humanish whisked her away from the dangerous shore, approaching the bench again. "There are other interesting things to sniff around here, you know." She said, looking around for anything that could prove the unplanned statement she had just given. "Like uh... that! There." She said with a nod, and walked up to the park bench that Rachei had been tied to.
Fiera 15 Rachei 5.0/5.0 Aspen 2.0/2.0 20
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 10:35:50 GMT -6
"See? Oooh." Fiera said with mock rapture, as if thoroughly impressed by the bench in an attempt to get Rachei to show some interest in it too. After all, the bench wasn't going to kill her if she touched it. The leaf scatter flattened her ears back, not impressed. Fiera had just recently repainted the bench however- maybe it WOULD be interesting to smell at least, if the paint was still fresh enough. Ultimately though, Fiera couldn't force Rachei to stay anywhere- she was thoroughly untrained and wouldn't respond to any commands that the humanish gave her. Still, she plopped the leaf scatter down on the bench regardless. "See? Isn't that much better?" She said to Rachei, who was already ignoring her and looking for a way down. She quickly crossed to the other side of the bench before climbing up the back of it and looking off the far side. At least Fiera had a few seconds here before she figured out how to get off the bench again. The humanish definitely didn't want to spend her whole day wrestling with a leaf scatter however, and she was sure that Rachei was going to get sick of Fiera micromanaging her.
Fiera 16 Rachei 5.1/5.1 Aspen 2.1/2.1 21
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 13:52:09 GMT -6
She wanted to find something else to do, but what was there? Things didn't exactly grow during the winter, so there wasn't any weeding to be done. The ground was too frozen to do any planting- she had done the planting for the plants that were harvested in the spring last autumn. It was far too late to do anything about them now that they were overwintering. Perhaps she could... "Ah! Pruning!" She said aloud, impressed by her own brilliant memory. Pruning was best done during the winter while all of her plants were "sleeping" anyway. It kept them from wasting too many resources on maintaining limbs that weren't producing any energy, and allowed her to make clear, well judged cuts on the branches. Her only concern was that it might upset Aspen to watch her lopping limbs off of creatures that she considered her fellows... but perhaps she would understand that Fiera was trying to help them? It was worth a try, at least. The pruning had to get done whether or not Aspen liked it anyway, so the dryad would just have to get used to it if they had any problems with how Fiera ran her plot.
Fiera 17 Rachei 5.2/5.2 Aspen 2.2/2.2 22
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 13:55:31 GMT -6
Fiera set her backpack down on the ground and began going through it. Behind her, she heard Rachei finally jump off the bench and land on the icy grass underneath it with a subtle crunching noise... followed by her immediately scampering back down toward the pond. The humanish sighed. That was, admittedly, pretty annoying, but so long as the leash didn't come loose she should be fine. Fiera had better things to do now. After a minute or two of digging Fiera finally found her gardening shears, pulling them out such that she didn't dump the rest of the contents of her backpack everywhere. She gave them a few test clicks and walked over to a nearby bush, about ten paces from where Aspen was communing with one of her skinnier trees. It had grown thick and wild over the course of summer and fall- which Fiera supposed was a good thing. That meant that it was vibrant and healthy, but she needed to snip down unecessary growth to make sure it stayed that way. She tucked the shears under one of the offending long, spindly branches and snipped it off in a single clean movement, drawing the shears back again.
Fiera 18 Rachei 5.3/5.3 Aspen 2.3/2.3 23
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Dec 27, 2021 14:00:55 GMT -6
The stick toppled to the ground at Fiera's feet, where she could collect it later. The humanish raised the shears again to snip off another branch, but a flash of pink on Fiera's right side nearly made the cat-woman jump out of her skin. "Aspen!" She yelped in surprise, her eyebrows flying up her forehead and her tail puffing wide. "How did you get here?" She said, glancing back where she had last seen the dryad. Noting the tree they used to be at, the harachiu crossbreed must have crossed thirty feet in mere seconds, all while maintaining their characteristically silent stride. Fiera held the shears close to her chest, but Aspen's facial expression hadn't changed. They didn't seem ANGRY at Fiera for harming a plant, but they didn't seem content to let her do it on her own either. "Uh... can I... help you?" Fiera said, offering an awkward smile at the dryad. Aspen blinked once, slowly, before reaching down and picking up the branch that had fallen to the ground when Fiera cut it off, resting it in the crook of one arm. Fiera waited for what would happen next, but Aspen didn't do anything after that, simply peering back at Fiera.
Fiera 19 Rachei 5.4/5.4 Aspen 2.4/2.4 24
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