terrariums | open; 2024

When Rook approaches the grass, the cheetah moves her way closer. Her dotted forehead immediately butting into the hunter's own with a low, rumbling purr. Such gentle affection is followed by a nuzzle to his cheek before the length of her body rubs against his lowered side. The dialect is a little different than Jade is used to in feline linguistics, but there are some notes that he can catch.

Something about cubs, he thinks. How she hasn't seen someone (Rook, perhaps?) in a while... Then content sounds as she rubs into his palms as if she's always belonged there.

But when Jade's head tilts for a slightly better look she hisses softly in his direction. A warning, most likely.

His accent matches hers almost uncannily well, doesn't it? Rook can speak the common feline dialect, but that doesn't mean he'll ever sound like one. Even if he was entirely fluent in housecat, those rough edges and rustic turns of phrase he grew up learning will surely always betray his roots.

Either way, he looks and sounds absolutely delighted, stroking her affectionately as he chatters away. Congratulations, from the sound of it, questions--names? Surely she's settled on those already, yes?--, a promise..... To bring meat later, so she doesn't have to spend so long away from her cubs? To avoid her territory, for today's trip?

Most importantly, though, Jade can probably catch his own name as Rook nods towards him. Not human. Water person. Friend. Just today.

He doesn't expect the feline to look at him so directly, even as she peeks around Rook's muscular arm... before she gives the blond a lick on his face. Several, in fact along his cheek and into blond hair. Clearly agreeable to his easy conversation or perhaps just happy for the promise she's been made.

Were all the beastmen like this with the wildlife here? Surely not if the game that Rook so easily brings them is anything to go by. Not that Jade doesn't understand the benefit of befriending other predators back home. Minding one another's territory and not hunting too close by so as not to cause trouble. Sturgeons, barracudas, and plenty of sharks that Jade could likely speak to but their minds so ancient they lacked reason when enraged.

Her body turns with a final rub of her head against the hunter's arm before she shoots off back into the grass. Silent as if she were never there. "A friend of yours?"

Rook just laughs in delight, pressing a kiss of his own to the cheetah's cheek. A loud chirp of farewell before she vanishes entirely, and Rook stands up, settling his bow back onto his back and straightening his hat where she had knocked it askew. "Oui! I met her not long after I enrolled, and we've been close ever since."

Have a nostalgic little smile as Rook looks off in the direction she had left in, before he starts walking again. No need to wait around any longer than they have already; Jade is probably turning into baked fish even as they speak. "You could consider her my senpai; relatively speaking, she's not much older than we are. I know the bounds of her territory, we won't need to worry about disturbing her."

Jade straightens back up to follow. It's a relief from the dryness of the air and while he wouldn't like to admit it the hat was certainly the best option to take here. Fortunately, his sleeves are sweat-absorbant and long today, too... so different than the casual clothes the hunter wears. A different sort of practicality clearly meant for the woods than something like this.

"Is this her first litter?" He had heard that it's difficult for cheetahs to carry fully, but a place like this might lack the stress that they normally would have back in the 'real' Sunset Savannah. A hunter like Rook is probably important for such a 'small' space like this to help keep all numbers from getting out of hand. "She certainly seemed to like you."

He takes his own water bottle from the clip on his bag, unscrewing the cap to take his first drink so far.

"It is! I can't wait to meet them. I've grown quite fond of her, as well; I can't imagine her cubs will be anything but absolute gems. It's the least I can do to lend a hand with them while she's so busy, when she helped me settle in so well when I arrived."

Perhaps that's why he was so cavalier about offering Jade such mushrooms freely, hmmm? This is a relatively small, enclosed space, a completely isolated ecosystem magically maintained to help ensure its continuous prosperity and abundance. With nothing to likely to jeopardize anything, no introduced diseases, no natural disasters, no dangerous human development encroaching on their territory..... This is a peaceful, fruitful place. Food is easy to come by, if you only have the knowledge and time to go find it.

Edited 2024-04-27 06:57 (UTC)

That is an exchange that Jade can understand. It isn't that kindness and benevolence have to be so intimately profitable... that's just the trio's take on things considering their upbringing. How would Rook like the way Jade's family handles things under the sea? Would he stop playing with them altogether if he knew the truth about them? It would disappoint Floyd, of course, but... it would disappoint Jade, too. Even if he wouldn't say it aloud.

"You are too kind. I believe even the Sea Witch would admire your compassion." Though Rook's tenacity certainly comes through, too. If only his work ethic was a little stronger in ways that were more... convenient. "She is fortunate to have a friend like you."

"Ahahaha! I hope she would. It would be an honor to be admired by someone I admire so much myself! I just want to be as good a friend as I've had myself, though." It's awfully nice to imagine, isn't it? The Sea Witch has always been someone to aspire to, just like the rest of the Seven. He can't help but wonder, though.....

Had she ever been lonely, bestowing her favors so freely? Had she had friends, or a pride of her own? He can't remember any stories of people offering the Sea Witch herself boons in return. Then again, maybe those stories are all told under the sea.....

Maybe someday, he'll get to see the stories even merfolk write for themselves. What if he could swim into a theatre down there, arm in arm with Jade? What must he look like, in his real shape?

"You have good taste. Floyd and the Sea Witch are both fine options for your admiration." He wishes that their Sea Witch was more appreciated everywhere for her acts. The beautiful story of redemption and personal growth that led to her becoming the beautifully admired woman she became to this day... yet her cunning mind and strength are just as breathtaking in Jade's eyes. There's a kindness in her early ruthlessness to him that he is unsure anyone outside of the sea can ever truly understand. He'd love to share his favorite tales, but so few seem to see them as they are intended.

"I admittedly know only as much of the King of Beasts as are in our lessons, but I am certain he would take pride in a human like you wearing his colors here."

Jade pauses to re-clip his water bottle to his bag before unzipping it to dig inside for a glass jar. He might as well take the opportunity to collect some of the dirt here.

"Only them?" Silly Jade. Doesn't he know how much Rook admires him, too? Even Azul, for that matter--he can admire the sheer persistence the man shows in pursuing his goals, even if he finds Floyd and Jade more engaging. If Rook is an eager companion for Jade's terrarium-building exploits, though, wouldn't he be just as happy to listen to Jade's favorite tales about the Sea Witch? Curling up with his head in Jade's lap and Jade's fingers in his hair, listening as the merman talks to his heart's content, about her or whatever else he pleased..... It sounds like a wonderful way to while away a lazy day, in his opinion.

"I know he would. His Majesty brought all kinds of species together under his rule." Rook beams in pride, even as he unclips the spade from his belt to offer Jade. (See, look how useful all the stuff he's brought is being so far!) The King of Beasts would be proud of hosting a merman in his kingdom like this too, wouldn't he?

Perhaps he would if Jade wasn't already wishing it was sunset... unfortunately from the position of the sun he can tell it's late morning at best. The spade is taken as he looks over the ground. Too dry there, he doesn't want to disrupt the hoofprint there, that looks like a new stalk of grass barely breaking the ground there and he would hate to disrupt it's progress...

His eyes are focused as he chooses carefully where to stab the ground, pressing it in further with the heel of his shoe.

"Azul as well." It'd said with honesty while loosening the ground beneath the spade. No mention of himself because that seems obvious. He is simply a helping hand to assist in their potential--it's a role he's more than comfortable with.

Hearing Rook speak so fondly of his home and respective member of the Seven is moving. He offers the spade back before opening his collection jar. Fingers digging into the dirt and bits of sand for the softer, slightly less dry substrate beneath. "I can see why. There is a benefit to everyone who lives here... I imagine every one under his rule was extremely useful in their own unique ways."

"Heh heh heh..... You're so modest, Monsieur Prémédité. What am I ever going to do with you?" Does Jade perhaps need some help digging? Maybe while Jade is collecting dirt, he can find some interesting worms or insects buried in there? Rook flops on the ground in an ungainly sprawl, all but vanishing into the tall grass.

"Mmhmm! He understood that claws and fangs aren't the only strengths that are worth having. That's why he made sure even those living in the shadows could have their time in the sun." It was a bit of a different, more wild kind of compassion..... but isn't it similar to the Sea Witch's own, raising up those who were suffering and needed a helping hand?

At the mention of his modesty Jade only smiles. A little more softly than his usual with just the slightest raise of his brows showing his amusement before his eyes return to the dirt. After a few quiet moments he fills the silence.

"It's fascinating just how different earth can feel, isn't it? In the ocean so much of the sand feels the same. Wet and dense..." Jade's voice is soft and thoughtful as his fingers crumble a dry chunk over the jar. Careful to add a few of the varying shades. "The Coral Sea is beautiful, but even the colors seem so distant in comparison."

The vibrant red-orange of the clay coating his fingertips would look like nothing more than blue-black dirt back home. Even Rook's colors would be more subdued in comparison even as he so easily becomes one with the ground now. Ragged browns and corn yellow, caked in the dirt and grass that Jade has come to appreciate so deeply.

"It is because of the Sea Witch that I was able to come to land and experience all of these textures and colors." And people, too. "Truthfully, I had thought I would dislike it."

Edited 2024-04-28 04:09 (UTC)

"Vraiment?" There's a hint of sharp green peeking through the grass, as Rook peers up at Jade in open surprise. How in the world could it all feel the same, no matter where it was or what it was made of? Are the colors really so dark and muddied, when he had assumed their eyes must have evolved to compensate for the lack of light?

Rook pushes himself up to his hands and knees, scooting closer to Jade's side to listen more attentively. He'd heard about the program the merfolk students had to go through to come attend Night Raven College, but this..... this is different. This is personal? "Why did you think that?"

He doesn't pull away when Rook shifts so close, his own larger body even settles a little more. He adds more burnt sienna to the glass and gives it a small tap to help the dusts settle near the bottom.

"I had thought it would be too different." And he was right. "I believed I would never be able to resonate with anyone here nor enjoy how vast the differences between our worlds is." Yet he's found himself so deeply entranced by the world now. Mountains, forests, mushrooms, people, sights and sounds... colors and flavors. "I used to believe that merfolk who wished to come to land were foolish. Especially those who wished to stay here."

Relationships between merfolk and humans isn't as rare these days, but turning his back on his family and his home for just a few years already felt so daunting. He used to never be able to imagine it being 'forever'.

Would Jade like a cheek leaning against his bicep? Too bad, Rook is here to settle in close and listen, hat knocked askew from how he cozies up. On the one hand, it's understandable, he thinks--the farther something is from your own personal experience, the harder it is to understand, and the easier it is to fear.

Even so..... in his mind, the idea seems utterly alien. The new and strange is fascinating, exciting. "That's what makes it so beautiful though, non? I know I want to see the Coral Sea someday. What do you believe now.....?"

He can't help a twinge of anxiety, as he looks up at Jade. Is he going to lose his chance? Is Jade going to vanish right back into the sea the moment he graduates, and he'll never get to see him again?

"Some of my beliefs remain the same." His eyes glance to the boy at his arm, Jade's own thumb coming up to spread some of the red-orange clay dust from the bridge of Rook's nose across the freckles sun-kissed across his face. The color suits him. His fingers linger. When did Rook get so close...? "Though some have changed."

As they both know he loves to be in nature, surrounded by its vastness. That he craves being allowed to replicate it and preserve it for everything that it is. Rook has seen him avoid stepping on bugs, replanting shoots of plants that animals or less careful trail-goers accidentally dug up, and simply existing there for as long as his limited free time will allow. He even went so far as to start his own club just for the chance to make more time for it (even if after all this time he is still the only member...). It's different, but it feels like home to be surrounded by such large, open spaces so brimming with life.

"There are benefits to both the land and sea. I believe I will miss it when I return home."

Rook leans into Jade's lingering hand, eyes closing under the brush of his thumb. He must look ridiculous to someone as dignified and put together as Jade, all dusty and ragged like this, huh? It's not often he feels even the slightest hint of self-consciousness, but right now he's glad that his face is always a little red. How lucky for them both that Jade doesn't have to get assaulted by a furiously wagging tail!

"Maybe you'll be able to spare the time to come back on vacation sometimes? It would be a shame to lose all this for good, now that you know you like it." Sunset Savannah has some nice mountains too, after all..... They're even quite near the coast. Wouldn't it be fun to show Jade his home for real?

How the hunter so easily fits into his palm brings with it a twist in the eel's stomach. Fortunately, he feels he does well enough to hide it even if the slightest raise in his pulse might give him away to such trained ears. Another stroke of his thumb spreads some more of the red hue across a flushed cheek. How would Rook's hair feel if he let himself run his fingers through it? Just another unique texture that nothing underwater can quite replicate? His hand withdraws to rest on his own lap instead. He doesn't move further away or put any distance between them, though. At least it wouldn't hurt to look at him a little longer like this.

"Considering my family's business, I am unsure I will have the time. Once we graduate, we will be expected to shadow our father until he sees it fit to pass his work on to us. Our parents haven't left the sea since before my brother and I were spawned. It is regrettable." A pause. "My apologies. I imagine all of that is rather boring to listen to."

Just look at how happy he is, enjoying their closeness and the warmth of Jade's palm curved over his face. He would probably love Jade's hands in his hair too, wouldn't he? Even if Jade is so reluctant to touch him more than he really needs to..... He's content just to lap up these tiny crumbs of attention, to listen to Jade's heartbeat and compare it to what he's learned of Jade's resting vitals already.

"Of course it's not boring. What does your family do, that you'll be kept so constantly busy?" Not..... that he really needs to ask, if he's honest. But it seems the right thing to do, especially considering how much he'll miss them both when they go back home. Will they really both need to spend all their time managing the family business, so to speak?

It's not an uncommon question.

"A cleaning business." It's not a total lie... his family does handle a more than a considerable amount of clean-up for themselves and various others, but it isn't a total truth either. It's not a fact he feels he can trust to someone so easily, though. While it's highly unlikely in his mind that it would ever be something relevant to a human like Rook of all people, it's only natural to keep this sort of information close. He shouldn't even be this close to Rook at all by his own self-placed concerns and rules... (and that's not even taking into account how warm Rook's body is thanks to the early afternoon sun blazing down upon them).

"Our family has run it for a considerable number of generations. I imagine my father will be hoping for me to find a mate rather quickly to ensure it continues on."

Hm. He sort of regrets saying that part already.

"I guess it would be hard to clean things effectively, without poisoning the water....." If he thinks about it as if Jade's family really only cleaned things, he actually could see the argument to be made that it's difficult, specialized work. You can't simply dump out a dirty washbasin when you're done with it--any chemicals you use to clean underwater, you're surely forced to breathe in, as well.

That admission is enough to make his heart skip a beat, though he can't quite tell if it's in a good or bad way. Does that mean Jade is thinking about it? Does he already have someone in mind? Maybe that's why he's so steadfastly ignoring his cues, so difficult to impress..... "So soon? You haven't even graduated yet....."

It certainly is vital to be careful with any sort of chemicals used in alchemy and potions when underwater. While humans can wear masks, it's much more difficult for a merperson to compensate for their gills. They can't cover them without quickly succumbing to lack of oxygen and filtration is... difficult. Disposing of all the things necessary for his family's line of work gets his hands and body dirty in ways that can lead to toxic results.

Jade tucks some teal strands behind his ear. "The sea is dangerous. It isn't uncommon for merfolk to find their mates fairly young to try and pass on their lineage before falling to an ill-fated accident." Sharks, giant squids, unfortunate fishing accidents, pollution, other merfolk... the list goes on fairly long. "I haven't given it much thought yet, but it is something to consider for my family's sake. I would prefer them not to have to arrange something for me."

Oh, thank Seven. He hasn't thought about it. That's..... it's a start, he guesses? It means he doesn't need to worry about fighting for a mate, whoever his rival might be. Then again..... it also means that Jade isn't quite ready to be receptive yet, right? Maybe he's jumped the gun just a little.....

But the early bird gets the worm, as they say. He's suddenly profoundly grateful to be a middle child, and relatively free to do as he likes. The dangers of the sea don't seem quite so different than those his own family hedges against--although rather than marry early, they're far more likely to choose their own mates carefully, and have big families in hopes at least a few of them survive. "It sounds stressful."

In some ways they aren't that different. Big families are the goal, but it's rare that many of them get to the age the twins are now. A culmination of violence in their early spawning that would eventually lead to, ideally, at least one little one ready to take on the world. There were some species that could have a family like Rook's, but Jade isn't sure that his own species could manage such a thing. Instincts far too embedded.

"Some merfolk have an easier time, but for our specific species it is different." Jade's gaze returns to Rook's face, following the shape of freckles and red dirt. "Morays mate for life and our species is relatively rarer than other merfolk."

Azul's mother is remarried, after all. His own parents both hold the same expectations for one another... to him, it's a relationship to be admired. A devotion. "It can lead to complicated situations. I would hardly expect anyone these days to want to abide by such an old tradition." Jade moves to stand, dusting at the fabric of his leggings. "Forgive me. I should not have chattered for so long over trivial things."

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