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Post by Xentus on Jul 26, 2020 12:26:45 GMT -6
He wasn't opposed to trying the foods of a different culture. This town seemed to be on the poor to modest side, so gruel or porridge would be fitting for the denizens here. A well-traveled person such as himself had no room to be picky about meals anyway. A hot meal served in a cozy tavern was always to be appreciated. Sure beat having to hunt or forage, skinning your own catch, cooking it without seasoning.. There was always some delight to such naturalistic means of finding food, but there was a time and place for it. Here in the midst of civilization? He'd pass.
After taking a few more curious sniffs about the contents of the bowl, the leopard went in for the first taste. The white porridge was thick and seemed to consist mostly of rice, overcooked to the point of becoming mush. The bones barely held on to chunks of meat and seemed to be the often tossed bits; the wings and the neck. The spoonful in his mouth melted away into a deeply savory flavor, soupy, chunky, chickeny.. Hints of garlic and ginger. It was actually rather delicious. Before scarfing down the bowl to sate his growling stomach, he turned his attention to his seedlings. They kinda had to eat too.
Wind could be placed on his lap.. Earth went on the cobble floor. And fire would be most comfortable over by the hearth. The leopard carefully ferried the golem over across the room, delicately skirting around the other patrons and their chainmail contest..
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Post by Xentus on Jul 26, 2020 12:41:39 GMT -6
Xentus placed the fire seedling in a spot where he thought it wouldn't get disturbed, nor disturb anybody. Not that he thought anyone might be bothered by it. The creature was little more than an animate rock, which was awfully bad at the animate part. The seed within the creature began to glow as it parted its shell and began absorbing the occasional flames that licked close enough to it. He'd come back for it once he was done eating.
Back at his bar stool seat, the leopard resumed his meal. The wind seedling, now freed from the traveling case, opened its shell and fed on the surrounding air. It made a gentle current that drifted towards its seed. The earth golem on the floor spread its tentacles across the cobblestone, as if to root itself. It seemed to have a harder time feeding than the others, considering it usually was buried under some dirt. But it would make due. Overall, this was like some sort of odd family dinner. The leopard let himself get lost in the meal, the raucous laughter, and the occasional wolf whistle. As fun as the environment was, Xentus kept to himself, enjoying the noise as an outsider.
His ears flicked about the various voices and words that carried more loudly than their owners might've thought. A couple was drunkenly flirting. Some men who seemed to be farmers were discussing the recent lack of rain. Other less savory people were praising themselves over their recent victories in intimidation-bartering. An interesting array of people were present here.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 26, 2020 12:51:19 GMT -6
And he, among them, was some strange mammalian man who decided to bring rocks to eat dinner with him. He stifled a chuckle as he swallowed another spoonful of the gruel. Nobody seemed to be paying him much mind, though. Except for the barkeep, who offered him their special brew for the evening, a bubbly purple drink he called 'suckerpunch'. Xentus considered for a moment.. But ultimately felt it was alright to decline that one. The boisterous man only laughed and offered the drink to another at the bar, who seemed to have already downed a few of the odd drink. On any other day, the leopard might've given in and partook, but he wanted to set a good example for the young ones with him this evening.
After nothing but bones remained in the bowl, the mammalian man decided it was time to retire to his room. He wasn't tired quite yet, but having some relief from the noise would be nice. He thanked the barkeeper for the meal, then gathered up his rock-like companions. It seemed the poor fire seedling got pushed or toppled at some point; it was displaced from the hearth and struggling to get itself righted properly. Xentus to the rescue! He carried his trio up the stairs, away from the much too lively main room.
His appointed bedchamber was easy enough to find. He placed his golems down for a moment as he opened the door, the interior of which was only dimly lit by the evening light shining through the window.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 26, 2020 13:03:33 GMT -6
With a bit of fumbling, he managed to find the light switch. A single, uncovered bulb illuminated the room from the center, revealing a double sized bed, a nightstand to its left, and a table at the foot. A tall mirror was placed on the far corner of the room next to a coat hanger, and a rug covered most of the floor. Perfectly cozy enough for this leopard. He gathered his seedlings once again and placed them on the table, along with the travel pack and his backpack.
Now, where to put each of them? Wind could of course stay perfectly happy on the table, but he could probably check to see if the window would left a draft in. He'd likely need to light a candle for fire, which was fine, but it would be short lived.. And earth would be the odd one out yet again. It would get all the soil it wanted tomorrow morning though, so he didn't feel entirely too bad about it.. But still a little bad. Perhaps he would cuddle up with it. These golems all seemed to like receiving special attention. They always seemed to try to get physically close, as if to feed on his presence alone.
It strengthened his assumption that his will molded their behavior. He felt they should feel bad if he was hungry, so they responded as such. They were happy when he was, because he was. It wasn't any sort of shared emotion like he had some some of his other pets.. But he couldn't quite describe this properly.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 26, 2020 16:44:29 GMT -6
The bond he shared with the seedlings was still beyond anything he properly understood. It was hard to tell from the seedlings, but it was as if they absorbed his emotion, will, and intentions. He grasped the earth golem in his clutches, twirling with it as he flopped onto the bed. Its pseudopods writhed about, grasping him in return. The leopard stared hard through the little holes in the shell directly at the yellow floating seed. He couldn't get over how curious these creatures were.. To think, if he so much as willed for it, it would abandon its shell and body and start anew from a seed.
Such an odd concept. He was sure it wasn't an intended feature of their bond. Just an odd thing that could happen. To prove the extent the bond goes? He pondered about this often when he had the golems with him.. He had a sudden thought. He wished to play with this earth seedlings.
He thought that if he willed playing towards it, it would respond as best it could in accordance to his wishes. The leopard gathered the other two seedlings again, tossing the trio onto the bed. Then, he plunged his upper half into the soft mattress, a devilish grin on his muzzle. The golems all bounced up, then thumped back down onto the bed. Xentus laughed. He felt silly, but he was managing to entertain himself with such childish play. His blue eyes hovered each of the trio, examining them for a response..
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Post by Xentus on Jul 27, 2020 2:33:35 GMT -6
The golems clattered their shells in an odd manner.. Were they imitating his laughter? Were they trying to laugh. Oh, he only encouraged this! With a playful upper body pounce, he grabbed the wind seedling and rolled onto his back. He tossed the creature into the air like one would a baby, catching it gently as it fell back towards him. He giggled delightedly, rotating between the seedling trio. This was utterly ridiculous. But he was genuinely enjoying himself and this absurd play. Was he facing some sort of insanity, enjoying playing with what amounted to a bunch of terrestrial clams? He tried not to care. He only willed this fun and play and laughter toward the creature, hoping to solve a part of the mysterious bond they had.
He sure to what extent they reflected his behavior. Was it mimicry? Seen only on the surface, leaving the golems with no true emotions? Or was it genuine? A way to allow the golems to experience these feelings naturally.. He really couldn't be certain of either - what would tell them apart? Ah, so many questions. All buzzing around in his head as he joyfully tossed and pounced and caught and laughed. With nobody around to watch or judge, he felt much more free to amuse himself. The golems couldn't judge him if they fed off his will and being. Normally he would be sure he was on his best behavior, even if his audience consisted of only animals or beasts. He had to put on a calm, cool, and collected face for them too.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 27, 2020 2:42:00 GMT -6
Knowing every creature had thoughts and feelings shaped the way he interacted with them. It was always with respect, always within boundaries. Sometimes, like when training, his pets could use a little extra push to achieve the goals he set for them, but it was only for their betterment. Through his way with animals, he hoped to forge natural bonds of trust and love. This did make it hard for him to work towards preparing any of his pets for battles.. It always left him feeling conflicted thinking about it. He loved his pets, why should he send them towards harm's way on purpose? For them to earn glory and fame for him? He didn't need such things. To prove his skills in rearing them? Well.. That's what he tried to use as a reason, but it was so weak to him that it barely held water. To know that they would be able to properly defend themselves? Also fairly valid.. He did know that some creatures craved blood and battle. The sarane in particular came to mind. He wasn't opposed to preparing a drake to skirmish with another drake, because it was deeply ingrained in their blood.
The troubled thoughts swarmed.
The laughter and play came to an end as the mammalian man became serious once more. He sighed, gripping the fire seedling to his chest. Even these beings were in his care to fulfill a selfish desire of his. Was it right? The trio of seedlings picked up on the leopard's troubled state, ceasing their clattering laughter.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 27, 2020 2:52:25 GMT -6
Blue eyes stared deeply into the yellow seed of the fire seedling. It was one of three of a kind that he would order to cease their lives and create something anew. Even though he knew this is how these creatures operate. Even though he knew they were made to do this. Was it right? There was so much curiosity that they sparked. He needed to quench it. He needed to know what would happen. He needed to make them better. He wanted more. Utterly selfish. The leopard sighed. He could've sworn he heard the golems all sigh.
Well. A golem wasn't lost if it was regrown from a seed or fused into a new one. Yes the process starts all over again, but he thought that they might still be there. A part of them remains, functioning in tandem with another who bonded with him to make a new life that would bond with him as well. And wasn't that a rather miraculous form of life? It was different from his own. It was in-comparable with his own. He wouldn't live on in his progeny. No, he'd return to the earth. Perhaps he'd become part of a plant, which would become part of an animal. But he himself was no longer there. Nothing of his will would remain. But for the golems, their will would remain for it was his own. A cycle of rebirth like a phoenix from ashes.
... He supposed it was enough to quell the troubled thoughts.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 27, 2020 2:59:31 GMT -6
His frown shifted to a small smile, looking delicately at the golems. He tracked from the fire one held against his chest to the earth by his head, to the wind by his thigh. He'd set out to have an adventure with them, so that's what they'd do. It would be an interesting day tomorrow. Perhaps he should get some rest.
The leopard groaned as he rose from the bed and placed each seedling in the places he'd thought of earlier. Fire set by a candle. Wind set by a cracked window. Earth with him. He turned off the light and returned to the bed, curling up around the seedling in his clutches. He whispered to them goodnight, and settled in.
His mind wandered, thinking about his plans. He knew what he wanted to do with the golems. He convinced himself it was ok. He was still.. Mildly conflicted. He hated how selfish he could be at times. The culture of the city really rubbed off on him. Being able to tote around a large, dangerous beast as if it were a lapdog was one aspect that he loved. But also seeing animals as things to collect, tools to fight, or slaves to keep.. That was the part he didn't fully align with. He was in some form guilty of all these things. The culture around the city made it okay. But as an outsider, he couldn't help but to have moral conflict about it. It was a dangerous road, and he needed to mind himself or become something he would hate.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 27, 2020 3:09:46 GMT -6
Eventually, his mind drifted off into dreams. This nights dream was a simple stroll along inner city streets. Hungry, going to eat. Beside him, a golem stalker, gleaming white and keeping pace along side him. Diligently watching. Happy to be there. Nothing but undying love and loyalty. And he, in turn, loved it too. It was the shining example of the care and effort he put into his animals. Few, if any, could compare. They were jealous. They were watching. Eyes turning. Glaring. He was unaware, too hungry. Walking obliviously. Then, a pair of gnashing teach striking from eyes filled with hate and anger and jealousy. To kill. Him.
But his love glowed. His love shined brightly, thwarting the evil. And then it died. Leaving nothing but a seed.
His eyes popped open, peering into darkness. He could feel the earth golem at his hand, dimly glowing, flickering. His eyes hovered to where the other two were supposed to be, catching glimpses of their seeds pulsating softly. A pair of pseudopods curled around his fingers, seeming to offer a reassuring touch. Telling it was just a dream.
But.. It was a dream that could become reality some day. Or a partial reality of some kind. Not one that he wanted. But a possibility of a future. It wasn't a bad dream exactly. It felt like it was his mind trying to assure him that it wasn't wrong or bad, the path he was taking. Perhaps it would get recognized. Perhaps it would save his life.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 28, 2020 10:48:44 GMT -6
It wasn't until light beamed directly onto his face that he realized he managed to fall back asleep. His face wrinkled, a hand rising up to shade his eyes. Then a groan. And a yawn. No matter how much he tried to will his mind back to rest and prevent him body from waking, it was already much too late; he knew better than to waste sunlight. A blink, then another, and a ginger rub to remove the crust in the corner, and he was awake. He surveyed the area without moving yet. Three golems exactly where he left them, the window curtains fluttering with a gentle breeze, and an entirely melted candle. Everything in its place.
His morning ritual was always the same: try to catch another moment of sleep, fail, get up. After refreshing himself in the bathroom, he knelt and gave a quick prayer to the god of nature for safe ventures into her domain. Today was going to be a good day, he could feel it. The mammalian man packed away his various belongings and golems, eager head out. The trio of seedlings didn't seem to change any over night. Not that he expected such. After growing their shell and body from a seed in a mere 24 hours, he somehow thought their day to day growth would be a lot faster.. If anything, maybe their tentacles got longer or heftier, but it was hardly notable. Of course, compounding a little extra heft over a couple of weeks did result in finding oneself in the company of walkers.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 28, 2020 11:00:07 GMT -6
About half of his golems had shown such progress, and he was delighted to have the rest of the seedlings finally reach such a stage. Of course, it took time and care. And so that brought him to his adventure today!
Not without breakfast first though.
The leopard found himself downstairs in the midst of a quiet breakfast diner scene. It was a complete 180 from the racious scene last night. Attending the floor today was a blond woman with pointed ears. She wore a patchy dress, golden blonde hair up in a bun, and was in the middle of serving some awfully nice smelling bacon.. The meal was accompanied with hard cheese and what seemed to be yogurt, tomatoes, and strawberries. An odd combination to say the least, but it hit most of the major food groups, with plenty of fats and calories to keep a person going for most of the morning. Xentus seated himself and flagged the woman down as she passed by on her escape toward the kitchen.
"Just a min, hun", she called after herself.
While he waited, he decided to take the moment to unpack the seedlings again, just to have their company. They all seemed much happier out of the cramped quarters of the travel bag, stretching out their pseudopods and observing what they could. The trio was placed on the floor just under his seat to keep them out of the way. It wasn't long before the woman reappeared, ferrying a few plates balanced on her arm.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 28, 2020 11:12:56 GMT -6
"Brown ale or porter?", she asked while serving him - setting a plate with the same affair of food everyone else seemed to be getting this morning. Neither of the offered drink were exactly to the leopard's tastes, but the ale was the slightly more favorable of the two and he voiced this. The woman nodded and skirted over to another customer, asking them the same. Xentus decided to get a start on his meal after preparing a few credits to pay and the key to his room. The gesture seemed to be appreciated by the waitress, who gathered 10 credits and the key as she made her rounds.
The meal was about what he expected of such a place. The yogurt was sour, but not spoiled, and went well with the sweet-tart strawberries which were in season. Cheese and bacon was always a great combination, and paired just fine with the ale. No, it wasn't his favorite meal by far, but it served its purpose well.
With breakfast done, he gathered up the seedlings once again and head out. The streets were on the quiet side this morning. Perhaps the laborers were already off to work.. He wasn't sure what time it was, though it seemed early enough. Considering the small town though, most workers here likely started before sunrise. The leopard made his way beyond the outskirts of civilization and trekked toward the grasslands. He wasn't hoping to find anything in particular out here.. But he did know there should be a small lake around here, which was his intended destination.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 28, 2020 11:32:09 GMT -6
The hike there would be a long one. The grasslands were relatively flat with a few small hills warping the land here and there. Trees were sparse; grasses and weeds were the only definitive plant life to be seen. Overall, this made for a rather boorish landscape. To make things worse, the grass was tall - up to his waist - and were sharp edged. It was quite uncomfortable to wade through.. And it didn't help that he only wore silk pants as clothing. Or maybe better? Less to catch on, but his thin fur didn't provide much protection either. His discomfort was noticed by the seedlings apparently, as they began clattering their shells in an odd, alarmed pattern.
"It is alright, little clams. Xentus may not have thought this through that well, is all", he told them with a sigh. At a time like this, he really wished he could just fly over to where he wanted to go.. Papilio was left at home yet again. He definitely could've used it at least for a short while here.. Perhaps he needed to rear a baakir. Those long legs could glide effortlessly over the annoying saw-edged grass. Or he could've had his thundergug Giizav plow through and flatten it all without noticing..
All he had were a bunch of ill-formed elemental seedlings that could writhe or squirm. He loved them and their uselessness though. This journey was for them! And that's how they would fuel him. The leopard willed himself forward with a special sense of determination.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 28, 2020 11:50:39 GMT -6
Thankfully, the early summer sun did not threaten to scorch him with heat. It was rather temperate so far today, but he had no doubt that would change as the run rose over the sky. The clouds were fluffy and white, hinting at providing shade or rain. The morning atmosphere was proving to be the only enjoyable aspect of the hike.
Xentus journeyed on, leaving any trace of the village behind the horizon. The hike was proving to be mundane until he noticed strange grey shapes poking out from the tall grass over to the west. It was the first sign of anything out here that wasn't a plant. He could only guess that they were boulders? That would be much too out of place though.. Some kind of animal herd? But they didn't seem to be moving. There was only one way to satisfy this curiousity. He changed his heading.
"Now then, what is this?", the leopard murmured to himself on approach. Curiously, this finding revealed itself to be some sort of ruins. Only rubble remained from whatever once stood here. There was evidence of a tower, some kind of courtyard.. An old fort was his best guess. Though it seemed abandoned long ago, it now offered a nice spot to stop for a moment. The leopard released his seedlings once again, finding himself a nice worn stone to perch atop. Earth and wind were placed on either side of him, with fire on his lap. He helped himself to a drink of tea packed in his thermos to aid his short rest.
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