|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2023 20:35:45 GMT -6
| Xentus, | Currently Accompanied By...
| | Relevant Skills:
- Agriculture 3
- Plant Lore
- Berry Picking
- Expert Gardener
- Toxin-wise |
| | Supplies;
|      |
Posts
10/10 |
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2023 21:01:46 GMT -6
She was mad at him. And no amount of apologetic words or bribery with fish was going to change her mind. "Come now, Valii, this one did not abandon you", the man pleaded, "He has been... Busy. But still came to visit when he could!" His visits were brief and for only the minimal amount of upkeep in the garden, and he knew it barely counted. Getting absorbed in his work was no excuse for neglecting one of his wards - he knew this too. So every passing moment that the lotine refused to meet his gaze struck him to his core. The only consolation he had was the fact that the serpent didn't hide at the bottom of the pool while he remained present. That had to account for something. His best guess was that she truly missed him. And was mad. But, missed him still and had to let him know that his actions (or lack thereof) had consequences.
1
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2023 21:35:02 GMT -6
Pouting and ignoring him for now was the best she could do, and she could tell that it stabbed him directly. Which in turn did make her feel bad for putting him through it, yet at the same time, it was only fair. Valii would keep up the façade until she felt he learned his lesson. Xentus, wracked with guilt, resigned himself to be slumped at the edge of the pond repenting for his negligence. This wasn't even the first time this had happened. As fate had deigned it, there was far too little time for the man to spread his attention to all the creatures in his care within a healthy span while allowing him to be absorbed into whatever happened to be captivating his mind at any given time. Promises, promises were always made to remedy this, yet never kept. Still, he tried. Xentus wasn't sure how the other busybodies of this city managed to do this.
2
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2023 21:55:02 GMT -6
Sometimes, he felt that if he had a double, his repeating quandary would resolve. Then again, he had Xio to serve as his twin and he still struggled. The droid was fairly studious at maintaining his personal menagerie and running errands, but it would never serve as a replacement of himself for upkeeping the bonds he forged with his many wards. Then of course there was the option of letting some of them go off to better, more attentive homes... But that was something he never wanted to entertain. Call it love, call it a hoarding problem, the man couldn't find it in him to release anyone from his care.
"Find it in you to forgive Xentus, dear Valii", he continued to plead, dejectedly. A clawed hand reached forward to gently pet the serpent's head. Surprisingly, she didn't recoil from his touch. He felt her lean into it, a sigh escaping her as she turned her head to finally meet his eyes.
3
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2023 22:05:16 GMT -6
Her grey stare was dauntingly solemn. There was a look of resignation mixed with loneliness and mild anger to it that drove yet another spear through his heart. It was a look that loudly spoke 'how could you leave me alone for so long?'. The whimper that escaped the serpent only reinforced the sentiment. The torture from locking eyes was unbearable, but dared not look away. This was his punishment and he had to endure it. "There there, Valii. Xentus will never stray for so long again". His words came as both an apology and a promise. A promise which he knew he likely wouldn't be able to keep. It wasn't like the lotine could fully understand the meaning behind them anyway. Not that she was incapable of doing so, however.. A new item in his ever growing to-do list was added: teach Valii some better Common comprehension. Now, if he would even find the time to do that was a different story..
4
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 23, 2023 22:17:00 GMT -6
Valii was on a fairly lengthy list of creatures in his care that could learn to understand the spoken tongue on a level rivaling his own. Shame she couldn't speak it, he would've loved to engage her in spoken word sometime. Sure, there was some fancy collar that would allow this, but he wasn't quite looking to cough up the credits for that any time soon. That was another entry for the to-do list, he supposed. Now, with how things were between him and Valii at the moment, he did need to find some way to make it up to her. A pampering was in order. And so he found himself transporting the lotine to the breeding center. The facilities were aimed to give a creature the most comfortable environment, after all. While yes, for breeding purposes, he figured any conditions suitable for rearing young should be suitable for something akin to a makeshift spa day.
5
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 25, 2023 19:56:35 GMT -6
If anything, his heart was mostly in the right place. There was an ulterior motive to garner more lola out of this, yes, but he could admit that to himself and not feel too terrible about it. In his mind, if he focused on making Valii feel as spoiled and happy as possible, this would far overshadow any other intentions thus turning them into happy little coincidences. Lola came in so many different patterns and colors; he was thoroughly intrigued by them. The last pair from the lotine were like waves of chocolate with caramel swirls. Quite lovely they were.
The man mused about lola and lotine while making his way to the breeding center with Valii. The serpentine creature was somewhat excited about the venture beyond the garden. A stark difference between now and the first him dragged her here. She'd learned to appreciate a change of scenery (and the pampering that came with it).
6
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 25, 2023 20:16:38 GMT -6
The ritual was well established at this point. This was treated much like a picnic; he'd set up at one of the established ponds of the facility with a cloth, some snacks for both of them, and a radio for ambient noise. The scene was quickly set, and the leopard hand his ward settled in. The weather was nice for this; a warm, partly cloudy afternoon with a gentle breeze. The radio was set to a station that played quint piano music - it seemed Valii enjoyed piano the most. The lotine rested at the edge of the pool with her head resting on the man's lap. Xentus stroked along the top of her head and felt along the smooth, slick surface of one of her tendrils. His fingers massaged into her fine fur coat, taking care not to scratch with her claws. Soft humming sounded from the man's throat in tune with the music, finishing the scene.
7
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 25, 2023 20:37:16 GMT -6
It was almost intimate. The two were in their own little bubble, separate from the rest of the world and its worries. Valii had mostly forgiven the man at this point - the pampering was working wonders on that grudge she held. Pert of her resisted however, afraid that he would turn and leave her again at any given moment. However, the rest of her inner being was content to have all this attention to herself. The serpent nudged her face into the leopard's silk pants, making sure to thoroughly wet them as she did so. The humming was interrupted as an amused chuckle escaped Xentus. His pants suffered for her cuteness, but this he did not mind. "Ah how sweet", the man cooed, "Enjoying yourself Valii?" The lotine's grey eyes peered up to meet his for a moment. Now, he might've been imagining things, but she even seemed to nod.
8
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 25, 2023 20:55:46 GMT -6
A blink washed away the momentary surprise. Nod or not (and if so, intended or not), the lotine was clearly happy. She was now mostly propped up onto his lap, having gradually inched more and more of her body onto him. While it was absolutely adorable, she was nearly as large as he, and he was beginning to lose feeling in his legs. Xentus had an easy out though. He needed to simply declare that it was just about snack time. "Say Valii, how about something to eat now, hm?", he murmured gently to the lotine. He had her favorite packed, a rainbowed fish. Feeding her a snack with coloring of her likeness was a little disconcerting to him, but Valii seemed to mind none. She perked up with interest pawed at his chest, seeming to have a good idea what the question he asked meant. Food. Her eyes darted between his and the lunchbox anxiously.
9
|
|
|
|
Post by Xentus on Jul 25, 2023 22:06:25 GMT -6
"Hmm! Valii knows what's for lunch yes", the leopard mused aloud, a toothy grin spreading across his muzzle. He reached into the lunchbox and pulled out a sealed bag. Slowly and deliberately, he unfurled the paper. Valii whined from the anticipation and nudged his arm with her snout to encourage him to move faster. "Yes, yes, Xentus knows", he chuckled, "He only means to tease"
The lotine's wait lasted only a few moments more before the fish was freed from its confines and tossed into the pool. Valii's eyes seemed to sparkle as she near vaulted off Xentus' lap and dove into the water after the morsel. As if the man wasn't soaked enough, the serpent's wake splashed a healthy dose of cool water over him. Xentus resigned himself to his waterlogged fate long ago. This was the woe of working with semi-aquatic creatures. He let out a content sigh and watched the refracted image of the lotine swim about the pool.
10
|
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Aug 21, 2023 0:52:02 GMT -6
|
|
Oct 30, 2024 11:03:36 GMT -6
Oct 30, 2024 11:03:36 GMT -6
This song is one of the most common culprits for me, lol
Oct 23, 2024 13:48:09 GMT -6
*
This song is one of the most common culprits for me, lol
Oct 23, 2024 13:48:09 GMT -6
*