Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 31, 2022 16:02:10 GMT -6
Oh, the sapling.. The sphinx had a general idea of the overall contingent within the garden, but it still didn't help that half the time she rather forgot there was more of than memorized (and a vast majority of them were local regardless, who didn't so much 'live' in the garden as just habitually exist within it. She was pretty sure that if she ever moved the lotine to another location, the lola would just drift after her like a water-serpent pied piper).
And she was also distinctly spooked by the mammalian's presence, so.. first impressions weren't starting off great. "Oh, ah, hey there.." she unfroze slowly, keeping the voice as soft and calm as she could. No sudden movements, but likewise no movements too slow lest the sapling thought she was being stalked. "There's nothing to be afraid of, just a bit of noise.. Sorry about that." Her mind raced quickly, trying to go over a list of her pocket contents, before blinking. "Would you like a treat?"
(5) Spring Darky: 5 Matsu: 1 (0/5) / 1 (0/5)
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Post by Ashe on Apr 1, 2022 0:17:05 GMT -6
You found a couple of fish fossils! Wonder how old they are? Is that...a flower growing on your pet?
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Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
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Post by Yang on Apr 7, 2022 20:39:29 GMT -6
Something can be seen laying tucked under a loose pile of foliage...
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 9, 2022 7:20:44 GMT -6
The sapling, for her part, didn't seem just as inclined to unfreeze, as if hoping staying completely still eliminated any chance she might not be mistaken for a very peculiar bush. A fact which wasn't working very well as was, considering the sphinx was trying to address her directly, but points could be awarded for stubborn effort. With neither a positive nor a negative reaction, Darky spent a few moments considering options, before deciding to gamble on the treats regardless.
"They aren't much, but they could be tasty." Her hand reached into the pocket of (one of) her jacket and brought out a small pouch. Inside were small pale looking pellets, something most creatures would hardly consider a treat, but plant creatures might be quite fond of. She wasn't entirely sure what was actually in them, but many of the marketplace vendors were selling them and the overall idea seemed to be that they were definitely more intended for root-based absorption.
(6) Spring Darky: 6 Matsu: 1 (1/5) / 1 (1/5) r5Ajts3Z
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Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
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Post by Yang on Apr 9, 2022 9:54:21 GMT -6
Something can be spotted tucked away...
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 7:48:29 GMT -6
Admittedly.. she wasn't entirely sure if the saplings ate through their roots or through their mouths. Presumably, having a mouth indicated that consumption should happen that way, especially since the pachee were proof of the exact opposite of that. Whatever they ate had to be mushed down into the ground for them to absorb via their roots. But then again, contradictions also existed, such as the nyssa, who did have mouths but seemed just as content with getting nutrients through their roots as anything else.
For a moment, the sphinx hesitated, worried that perhaps this wasn't for the sapling after all. But the sapling herself seemed to change just that little bit, twitching her tail as if to understand that something else was happening. Perhaps this big two-legger wasn't really a 'predator' after all.. Vague memories told her she'd seen the mammalian in the garden before, and generally didn't really remember anything negative to go with it.
(7) Spring Darky: 7
Matsu: 1 (2/5) / 1 (2/5) EeIU8rTI
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 7:52:50 GMT -6
But that also wasn't the same as being 'safe'. So there was a bit of a conflict happening there, between her curiosity and her sense of self-preservation. A creature of the plants would have more concern than most to be cautious, considering how many things within the Labs ran around either able to create fire or be wreathed in it. It was rather like if the regular humanoid denizens were in an environment with plenty of flesh-dissolving acid monsters near them.
Fortunately none in the garden (not any more) but it paid to be cautious of interlopers.
From the sphinx's perspective, this was an improvement, even if only just. "Tell you what, I'll leave this here on the ground for you," and she placed a few of the pellets on the stone pavement, "And you see if you like them or not." before taking a couple of steps back, making sure to pick up the fallen rake before she did.
(8) Spring Darky: 8 Matsu: 1 (3/5) / 1 (3/5) hSb8ZzpN
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 7:56:51 GMT -6
This seemed to improve the sapling's disposition, though only some. Her nature was still very much cautious, but being given the opportunity (and the window of personal space) to investigate this strange offering kept her (figuratively) rooted to the spot. Otherwise, it would not have been a difficult thing at all to turn and run back into the bushes, putting distance between herself and this strange two-legger.
Darky, for her part, continued to back up a few more steps, before indicating towards the treats on the ground "Go on, all yours. And don't mind me, I just came to clean up a bit." With a parting smile, she turned to her left and began walking down another stone path, tools in hand. It looked like the sapling could use even more space, though she also suspected that if the offering was worthy of her tastes, she might be coming back around for another try.
(9) Spring Darky: 9 Matsu: 1 (4/5) / 1 (4/5) FLCvqV|4
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 8:00:51 GMT -6
Regardless, she was likely to be in quite a bit of attention, what with the rather loud entrance. As she glanced back over her should, she could see the sapling slowly approaching the treats, little nose sniffling and looking increasingly more drawn towards them. Whether the offering was fully accepted or not was unknown for a time, as she suddenly stopped when having spotted something under a nearby bush. Many of them were still only bare branches with soon-to-bloom buds, but few had already opened, leaving much of the garden still quite laid to bare.
And one such object laid to bare looked to be something else green, but not quite belonging to the area. With a curious tilt of the head, the sphinx crouched down and used the rake to gently roll it out towards her. When she picked it up and cleaned off the mud and stray old leaves, it appeared to be an egg.
(10) Spring Darky: 10 - (added) Matsu: 2 (0/5) / 2 (0/5) Jpl0A_Uj
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 8:06:04 GMT -6
Strange.. Nothing living in the garden laid eggs that she knew about. At best the lola came from little berries the lotine produced, but this was something quite different. With quite an.. unusual pattern as well. There were a few things in nature that could mimic others, playing on that natural ability to recognize unintentional patterns, such as faces in the clouds or figures in mottled shaped. But the design of this one was far too intentional to be an coincidence, or some natural occurence.
For a moment the sphinx wonders if someone had visited the garden and forgotten their egg behind, something Lab-made to account for the odd colours. It was certainly a possibility, considering the gate wasn't exactly locked. It would have been very much taboo to visit someone's garden without their knowledge or consent, but that might not stop some people. Plus, the sapling did look to be spooked by a sudden visitor.
(11) Spring Darky: 11 Matsu: 2 (1/5) / 2 (1/5) 6WJUjRs9
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 8:09:46 GMT -6
But surely Hyacinthe or the lotine would have noticed, and neither would have allowed trespassers to get very far. Their respective methods would have been quite different to one another, depending on if the lola were somehow threatened as well, but if nothing else the tat-lung would have let her know, as she's quick to be concerned. Outside of that, perhaps seeing a large silver tat-lung suddenly appear before you in a place you're not supposed to be in would certainly explain the dropping of the egg..
..Or even, perhaps, it could be hers to begin with. The tat-lung did lay eggs, though as far as Mear's explained it, it tended to be a particular process with an almost ritualistic nature. Somehow the sphinx didn't think Hyacinthe would have found someone to bond with so closely to follow through on that.. Oh, what tales a sapling could tell, of what she'd seen or heard.
(12) Spring Darky: 12 Matsu: 2 (2/5) / 2 (2/5) |BVq2yni
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 8:13:33 GMT -6
As the sphinx pondered the egg, she also pondered if it wasn't perhaps time to improve upon the overall connectivity between the different points of habitats. The kennel was on its own to the farm, which was on its own to the garden, which was on its own to the draconic cave (Which largely seemed more self-managed anyway. The main reason she hadn't been back there in a while was because it always felt like you were visiting someone's else's place, rather than one you set up yourself).
A rustling in the bushes nearby caught her attention, and she turned to see the sapling looking at her from beneath some distant ones. Whether the treats on the ground had been eaten, buried or something else she couldn't tell, as that specific scene had been missed, but the paved stoned certainly looked empty of where she'd left them before. And the sapling's gaze wasn't quite so fear-filled as before.
(13) Spring Darky: 13 Matsu: 2 (3/5) / 2 (3/5) jVWPZtZq
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 8:17:53 GMT -6
Perhaps that was promising.. though time would tell. In the meantime, she could smile to herself knowing that she had managed to make connection enough as to seem interesting to follow. Standing, she placed the egg into the bucket she had been carrying and continued down the lane of paved stones. The goal today was to clear out some of those old leaves that were left for winter, as they worked rather well for shelter for a few different type of creatures. But now, with the snows long gone and spring starting to pick up its pace, they needed to be cleared up as to allow the grass and other plants beneath to grow back up.
And to start with, she headed to the pond.
Much of that area was paved with stone slabs, but the bushes there were also the thickest. Areas with trees were easy enough to clear out, but some of the taller bushes could only be done before they fully bloomed.
(14) Spring Darky: 14 Matsu: 2 (4/5) / 2 (4/5) CwLe8hVG
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Apr 10, 2022 8:24:45 GMT -6
There were also some branches and general debris to clean up from the pond itself, from the various winter and spring winds that would have carried things to it while it was still frozen over, only to have them float freely once the ice had melted. Hyacinthe would have cleaned up the bottom of the pond well enough, so fortunately the sphinx didn't really need to contend with the idea of needing to take a swim. However, the sides of the pond where the boulders and rocks lined it were still more 'her' territory, than the tat-lungs.
Under the sapling's watchful gaze, who carefully hopped closer with each passing moment, the sphinx placed the bucket down and picked up the rake, stepping towards the edge of the pond. Some of the storm debris from between the stones would have to be picked by hand, but for now she reached out the rake and began to pull in and up any loose branches and larger pieces.
(15) Spring Darky: 15 Matsu: 3 (0/5) / 3 (0/5) mHA4ZeQK
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Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
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Post by Yang on Apr 10, 2022 21:49:23 GMT -6
Something can be spotted not too far off...
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