Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 11, 2022 6:55:36 GMT -6
While she hadn't been around the garden all too much in recent years, the amount of branches in the pond looked a little excessive even for her mind. Trees normally wouldn't shed branches so easily, but the recent seasons had seen a fair share of storms that shook or broke them loose, perhaps just that bit more than usual. Of course, another alternative was that one or more of the garden creatures were responsible, though to what purpose was anyone's guess.
The sapling didn't seem no more interested in bare branches than she'd be in bare stone, though now that the mammalian thought about it, perhaps Orchis had a bit more of a bird-like nature than she initially thought.. A branchaeopter making a nest for himself with branches, of all things? There were stranger sights in the Labs, though even she had to admit there weren't many. Perhaps a tuft of grassy feathers stuck to some would hold the proof, in that case.
(16) Spring Darky: 16
Matsu: 3 (1/5) / 3 (1/5) AlCSii8y
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 11, 2022 6:59:33 GMT -6
Instead of that, she got a pile of broken and water-logged branches, some of which smelled more of algae than anything else, and some of the pond-side muck. Dragging them up and out with the rake, she piled them together off to the side, moving on to continue along the shoreline one portion at a time. Though she didn't get far even then, when suddenly something pale was staring back at her between the stones lining the pond. It almost looked smooth like a river stone, but the size and texture were off.
Carefully stepping down among the stones, the sphinx reached out and plucked it from the mucky pond silt, finding it to be another egg.. But a different one, this time. This one could almost look to be natural, if the size and the weight didn't match the first one in all but colour (making her that much more disappointed the sapling could not share any thoughts on the matter).
(17) Spring Darky: 17 Matsu: 3 (2/5) / 3 (2/5) fcgOh127
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 11, 2022 7:04:06 GMT -6
Largely because unlike the first one, this one was grey and cloudy.. not entirely different to the colours of the silver tat-lung herself. A what with it being found so close to the pond, well.. Certainly correlations could draw conclusions, and the sapling having perhaps seem the planter of said egg could give the necessary confirmations. Or, alternatively, it could also belong to whoever lost that first egg. Increasingly more the sphinx is starting to wonder if she should consider posting missing fliers for these eggs, just to see who or what turns up to claim them. For now, she carefully climbed back up along the rocks and went to the bucket, placing the egg inside next to its fellow. A moment is spent considering this, before she turns her attention towards a nearby bush (nearly startling the sapling in the process) and brings some dried leaves to act as a lining for the bottom of the bucket.
(18) Spring Darky: 18 Matsu: 3 (3/5) / 3 (3/5) E|2RGqfP
|
|
Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
|
Post by Yang on Apr 11, 2022 22:42:47 GMT -6
Something can be spotted, tucked behind loose things...
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 12, 2022 18:17:31 GMT -6
Setting them on the bottom, she could then place the eggs inside, as to avoid them just rattling around against the metallic sides or getting cracked from sudden jolts or shudders as the bucket is moved from one place to another. She also realizes, just at that last bit of grass goes in, that it effectively makes the bucket unusable for the yard work, lest the eggs get covered in a variety of dried leaves, branches, dead grass and dirt. Fortunately the main loss in that regard is just in the convenience, as she can easily cover for the work itself through other means.
Case in point, leaving the eggs be, she returns to the branches and minor muck raked up from the pond's sides and pulls them more ashore from the water's line. Angling the rake, she uses that as a sort of 'shovel' to keep the bundle together, while she moves it further into the garden.
(19) Spring Darky: 19 Matsu: 3 (4/5) / 3 (4/5) folAmH6e
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 12, 2022 18:21:34 GMT -6
There used to be a pile of leaves to one side of the entrance, in an old broken down wooden bin. Presumably it was used for compost, once, and so the sphinx had continued to apply that philosophy until the bin itself no longer maintained any form of shape or form. Likewise, she never quite figured out where exactly the compost was supposed to go either, since not all plants or bushes needed additional bedding in the garden (and in some cases that might have actually hindered their growth).
More so, there was also the issue where the pachee kept getting into it to try and 'leech' some freshly mulched nutrients. It wasn't so bad if only they hadn't also dredged it all across the yard in their wake. And they weren't the only ones, either.. For all her finery and pleasant demeanour, the sphinx had managed to catch Matsu trying to snatch some of it up from the pin as well.
(20) Spring Darky: 20 - (added) Matsu: 4 (0/5) / 4 (0/5) cVxkA5WI
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 12, 2022 18:27:14 GMT -6
For all that she didn't otherwise mind letting the creatures receive a bit of a treat and fun, there was such a thing as too much. For all she knew the compost was like candy to them, and if too much sugar isn't healthy for a regular person, then too much mulch might not have had a good effect on them, either (At least the tat-lung seemed to agree as much on that).
So she had to make a new bin, one that came with a lid and some much more secure buckles and bands to keep it together, even under heavy loads. It was towards that said bin that the mammalian tried to carry the pile of pond debris, even as bits and pieces of it were still lost along the way. The sapling watched with quite a sense of wonderment and curiosity, as this didn't seem to be something that happened every day in the garden, if at all.
(21) Spring Darky: 21 Matsu: 4 (1/5) / 4 (1/5) Y8bsYE_Y
|
|
Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
|
Post by Yang on Apr 12, 2022 22:29:00 GMT -6
Something can be gleaned, not far away..
|
|
|
Post by NPC on Apr 19, 2022 11:44:15 GMT -6
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 22, 2022 4:44:57 GMT -6
The sphinx doesn't even make it to the bins all the way before something catches her attention. Strewn across the path look to be a few flowers, of a type and make she really hasn't seen before. Her head tilts and she places the debris down along with rake, to pick them up and examine them. Quite strange.. if she didn't know better, they might almost seem as though they come from the same folded blooms on the sapling..
A though that doesn't get much further, as a slight commotion sounds from the direction of the bins - A head poking out from behind one, curiously keeping watch of her, interrupted as a sudden black round mass crawls up and out of the bin, plops down onto the paved stones and quickly starts skittering off on small legs.
"What in the.." the mammalian stares after it in confusion, almost missing the curious look from behind the bin at first, since the black mass almost looks like compost-made-living (if such a thing even existed).
Taming: 1
(22) Spring Darky: 22 Matsu: 4 (2/5) / 4 (2/5)
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 22, 2022 4:48:47 GMT -6
But in addition to the black mass there's the bright face of something.. else. It emerges slightly, to get a better look, and reveals itself to be a pachee (of a sort), before quickly ducking back behind the bin. If the sphinx thought the strange compost potato was odd, she certainly wasn't prepared for the multi-hued pachee.. And more to the point - While granted she didnt visit the garden often, and was a little out of loop on the whole tending situation, then she none the less was pretty sure that this specific pachee was.. not one of hers. Had it wandered in and gotten lost?
Or was it looking for a new place to stay? The question being far easier to ask than answer, but the sphinx crouched down to observe the strange creature all the same. Perhaps the sapling had a friend she hadn't mentioned nor introduced? Whichever the case, the garden was certainly large enough for everyone.
Taming: 2
(23) Spring Darky: 23 Matsu: 4 (3/5) / 4 (3/5)
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 22, 2022 4:52:15 GMT -6
Darky's first instinct was to perhaps offer the pachee the same treat she had offered the sapling, which looks to have endeared the latter enough to follow her around (whether from curiosity or a hope of receiving more treats was anyone's guess). But there was something about the pachee's motions that was different.. While she might not have known much about gardening, she understood creatures well enough, including their motions and mannerisms. Shuffling a little more to the side, the reason for it came to view - The back of the bin wasn't entirely empty, but rather it looked like piles of leaves and assorted branches had been gathered up to form something like a crude type of resting place.
It didn't looks very stable, nor finished, and certainly left the pachee in full view of most of the garden behind it, but the sphinx was starting to understand its purpose here - to rest and nest.
Taming: 3
(24) Spring Darky: 24 Matsu: 4 (4/5) / 4 (4/5)
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Apr 22, 2022 4:57:32 GMT -6
But surely not in something so awkward and exposed.. Which prompted an idea from the sphinx. Her gaze fell to the broken branches she had fished from the pond and a smile crept up. A quick glance was given the pachee, with an assured voice saying "I might be able to help with that." and she got to work.
For the next several minutes, both sapling and pachee, each in their respective little perches, watched as the mammalian fussed and worked. The broken branches were broken down further, some into even lengths, others just to trim their offshoots. Some were bent, some were snapped and more than a few were tied together in the supple twine of their thinner kin. When all was said and done, the sphinx stood back from the bush she had been working in front of to reveal a kind of 'hut' made from the branches, loosely described as it would be.
At the moment it didn't look like much, but had cover on three sides and branches arcing above as a 'roof', and when the bushes would bloom in leaves, it would be a far better shelter than the open space behind the bin. Finally, she gathered up the remaining debris and stood several paces back, to see if this new type of 'nest' was acceptable or not.
Taming: 4 - [DONE]
(25) Spring Darky: 25 Matsu: 5 (0/5) / 5 (0/5)
|
|
|
Post by Ashe on Apr 29, 2022 3:27:47 GMT -6
The pachee walks over to the hut, cautious but curious. It looks cozy! It goes inside and snuggles down, obviously approving of its new home! It seems to have decided to stay in your garden! [You have successfully tamed the creature!] Your sapling also seems to have sprouted a flower!
|
|
Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on May 5, 2022 6:05:17 GMT -6
It's not everyday that you end the day somehow having more creatures in the garden than you started with, but the sphinx smiles as the pachee looks to be accepting the makeshift little nest. In time, she can also try to reinforce it a bit more with proper tools and materials, though for now it suffices well enough. It's almost distraction enough to make her forget what had brought about the chance encounter to begin with, but she quietly starts when remembering the compost bin.
Right.. Cleaning. There was still that whole thing left to complete.
Gathering up what stray remains of the debris was left over, she bundled them up and threw them into the compost bin, making sure the lid was secured on properly. The sapling was only one of several creatures who would surely love to get their paws into that fresh mulch, and no doubt track it across the whole of the patio, paths and garden proper.
(26) Spring Darky: 26
Matsu: 5 (1/5) / 5 (1/5) p05OmcO9
|
|