Swarm, (Brightlings! 8D)

The Fursaec flower only bloomed under water. It was difficult to find, the ideal conditions were rare, and the six thin delicate petals curled thinly yellow with a narrow raspberry strip that ran down the middle which bled and blended with the color on either side of it often made a most delectable treat for any land or water dwelling herbivorous shiny. The petals are almost slimy to the touch under water, with thin raspberry line shaped flecks glowing beneath water at night. It is fragile and rustling above water however, and delicate to the touch. Rumor has it that a well kept Fursaec flower will never wilt and maintain its beauty without being watered or given sunlight, but if handled by a person that was not at peace, would shatter into a glittering dust after a full twenty four hours that it has been plucked. It is a thing of beauty coveted and prized by any woman that could see just how exquisite it is, both above and below land.

It was what was beneath the stem however, that has given the Fursaec flower so much attention. The thin roots that extend beneath and grab loosely a hold of the dirt and sand beneath the water were said to be extremely hard to pull free without ripping it. If the roots were not taken whole, they’d break and the special liquid that circulated through their thin branches would leak. It was said that the roots of the near mystical flower could be boiled in water and create a liquid that could accelerate cell regeneration, and if it were dropped into a wound could cause the cells to regenerate quickly and heal the injury at a remarkable rate. This plant is sold mostly underground, and the roots and the plant can be sold separately for a good sum of money.

“Ah,” surely if you are here now, you’ve heard about the discovery of a small cluster of Fursaec flowers that have been found along the shore of a small glassy lake? A mysterious set of notes had been sent out, and you might have received it from a flittering Noon Firelizard or perhaps a Kunzite or Amethyst Celeste Cat that could only barely be distinguished. These clearly tame shinies haven’t been seen around before really, and neither has the woman that stood before you. “Lucas didn’t feel like coming today.” She explains casually, dawned in a yellow bikini with white polka dots. Clearly the sunny day, with a few streaks of white clouds, is quite warm enough for you to go about with warm clothes. It is a small island off of the Summer one, after all.

Whether you’ve gotten here through a boat, small or large, a shiny that flew or swam, you’re clearly interested in the flowers, yes? And the woman seems to know. Her smile is pearly and white. She didn’t explain who she was, what she wanted with the flower, but she took a step back into the water. “Come on in, the water’s great!” A Faern Ikal’daka was nearby, just in case anyone tried something fishy.

Bonded: 12/15
-'.'- Squeak Female Khlup -- T'Rae
o/////o Squeak Female Starfish -- Maeko
;* Shmark Female Mureyca -- Da'Chetre
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Shmark Female -- WILD
8DDDDDDDD Meep Female -- WILD
9/10 Males
o3o Zerp Male Xing -- The Professor [Claimed]
> << >> Zerp Male Thing 1 -- Ria
>:C Zerp Male Punchit -- Meliai
:3 Blop Male Holy Moly -- Tracyn
.____. Blop Male Ack -- Elouise
tongue.gif Whoot Male Wayii -- Da'Chetre
o_o Whoot Male Thing 2 -- Ria
:I Blop Male Meh -- Geoffrey
=w= Zeek Male Hale -- Zeph
OuO Zeek Male Eep -- Geoffrey

More stuff to read:
1. I mean I don’t know why you’d be too lazy to read the Brightling information. It’s like fifteen lines.
2. The note can say whatever you’d like, from something about the Fursaec flower to the fact that they can make money off of something if they come. I made the flower up completely, and you can assume your character knows about it as well. Any questions and you’re welcome to ask, but I’m okay with you guys adding small details about the flower or legends about it, I don’t care as long as it stays consistent (unless they’re just legend/myths).
3. The island they are on is a small island off of the coast of the Summer island. Right nearby the shore, where the sand turns to grass is a small lake surrounded by forest-y looking trees that encircle the body of water. The lake itself is deep enough for you to swim in the middle (anyone is welcome to!) but shallow enough to step in. It’s surrounded by sandy dirt and mud. 4. The woman lives in Lucas’ apartment. Say hello if you’d like! :3 A picture of her HERE.
5. Unlike my last few bondings I’m hoping this will be a light and easy one. Missing deadlines doesn’t get you kicked out but does lower your chance of bonding. I’m going to keep this loose, and people can post as much as they like for the most part, but as long as you post here like, once a week, I won’t hold it against you at all! :3
6. Preferences are welcome, it’ll be a tad hard for me to really match these babies up to you by who fits because their personalities are kind of one-dimensional. So yes, prefs would help me out certainly, but I’ve seen in my bondings that like three or four of the shinies are loved by everyone so if you don’t get your top pick please don’t be upset! I tried my best to even it out!
7. edit I forgot to mention that shinies are welcome! If you want to edit posts, or have a shiny come later, please feel free! ♥
8. There are way too many long rules for a bonding like this. I’m sorry! But please have fun! Questions? Ask me! Kinda winging this, so I hope it turns out alright. :3

Attending Willow, Zeph, Tracyn, The Professor, T'Rae, Geoffrey A-13, Elouise Parker, Ria, Da'chetre, Khryssie, Maeko Kuroki, Grimm

Posting I may post here and there, just to respond, but a full new round will start between next Monday the 13th, to Wednesday the 15th. Monday's a little bit early, btu with Tuesday being Valentine's Day and all, I'm going to leave myself and all of you some wiggle room. :3

Revealed
Total 7/15
Male 9/10
Female 2/5

-'.'- Squeak Female
This little girl is all shades of adorable. She takes on a lovely violet tone, with the undersides of her body fading for a sort of lavender to a pretty fuchsia. She'll never grow to be very big, but she doesn't seem to mind in the slightest! Her squeaks are rather high pitched and mostly out of distress than anything, and in general this gal's pretty calm. She'd rather plop down and take a spot on your arm or shoulder any day than zoom around. She also seems to tend to prefer to stick onto the skin of a woman over a man, probably because females have softer skin or something like that. She's most comfortable around her bond however, and will be rather shy around any others. She isn't very good around big shinies, either.
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Shmark Female
This female is stark white with her under-suctiony-side being a more lighter sandy brown. She's a little bit stocky with shorter arms and a thicker set body. If there was ever a shiny that overreacted to things, this would be the gal. And while she can't exactly flip tables because she is sort of tiny (compared to a table anyway) she will spaz if she gets caught or things don't go as planned. Her range of emotions go from staying totally still in shock to flying around and 'Shmark'ing with her surprisingly loud voice. And her expectations tend to be as broad of a range as her emotions, so expect her to spaz and be surprised easily. Whoa, you found the spoon that I dropped on the floor? What how?! This sock isn't edible? Since when?! Good luck.
o3o Zerp Male
Catch him if you want to know a little bit more about him!
>> << >> Zerp Male
Catch him to get to know more about him!
>:C Zerp Male
His velvety fur is for the most part a coffee colored brown but it is dirtied by specks and flecks of a darker wet-dirt kind of brown color which almost seems to dominate the primary color. His legs are average in length, but he seems to be a little bit bigger in size, and bulkier too. His legs are thick, and surely as he grows older he'll sprout a sixth, maybe even a seventh arm. he doesn't like to squeak very much, but when he does, it is usually out of irritation. Least likely to suction onto your arm affectionately, this little guy really wants to just get things done and get onto the next task. Float around, get food, and uh. Well he can't remember it all, but don't get in his way!
:3 Blop Male
This little guy is the jolliest orange color. Each of his limbs fade into a lighter more yellow orange, but that doesn't take away from the brightness of his color at all! Pretty average otherwise in appearance, this little guy is very, very amused by you. He is totally and completely that guy that sits back and marvels at your ridiculousness. And he won't do anything to make the situation better or worse, in fact, he'll just watch. He is ever accepting, ever pleased and happy, and as long as you do you, he won't be bored a second. Sure pretty seemingly random things spark his interested and his amusement, but it really would be nice to have a bright happy guy like him fluttering around everywhere, wouldn't it?
.____. Blop Male
He takes on a murky green color with even foresty green and seafoamy green stripes. He's pretty big, and entirely clumsy. Don't be surprised if he sprouts a sixth, or even a seventh arm! This guy is confused. Completely. Always. He runs into a situation blind, no eyes you know, and always ends up taking a step back and step too late. And from there all he is is confused. And he often looks to his bonded to give light onto almost any given situation that he finds himself in. Because he's just a Brightling, and he can't figure things out for himself. So hopefully his bonded can save him from injury, death, and all of these headaches. Wherever his head is. He's pretty slow moving and he's pretty harmless until he runs smack into your fine china, but entirely by accident! And more likely than feel sorry, he'll probably look at you totally puzzled. How on earth had something so round become so many little pieces?
:P Whoot Male
A nice green with peppers of a neon green all around his body, this Whoot is pretty much average when it comes to size, though he would tell you if he could that his fifth arm is longer than the rest. Only a little, though. This guy's a prankster. He finds amusement in every little thing, much like his brother, but instead of sitting back and watching, he'd much rather make things happen for himself. Oh yes, he's laughing at you most certainly, don't you doubt that for a second. And he may be small, but he can deal some damage. He isn't the brightest thing no, but he is a touch brighter than the rest or so it seems. And you better watch out, because he will try to be a step ahead of you, and push things a little bit so things go a little bit awry. And when you do things to yourself that causes some kind of mayhem, then, he finds it all the more amusing, laughing to himself in quick little 'Whoot's!
:I Blop Male
Catch him to find out more!
=w= Zeek Male
With an even pattern of stripes between two different shades of purple, a nice scarlet, and white, this male is medium sized with his velvety fur a little bit extra fluffy, and his limbs a little bit short. He seems to always be sort of drooping, as if his muscles are relaxed, and when he suctions onto something he can stay on it for hours without moving. He rather enjoys the sunlight and warm places, so don't be surprised if you find himself latched onto a window or a lowly burning stove or heater. The more comfortable and warm, the better.
OuO Zeek Male
A nice sunny yellow with white and orangey yellow polka dots, this little guy is a tad smaller than the rest. But with a sixth or seventh arm that he may grow, he might not seem like it! This guy is absolutely fascinated by the humanoid species. So much so that he will hover and just poke and stare. He doesn't have eyes, but whenever he's around, you just get the chills and it feels like he's just watching you. And well whatever the case may be, you can't hate him because he's just so darn cute. He'll stick to you, preferring your cheek to anywhere else on your body, because he loves contact. But as soon as something new catches his eye, expect him to wiz off of your skin and then just, well, you know. Stare. And if he takes a liking to something, expect him to stare all the more! What exactly he likes, well, I guess you'll find out.

A Fursaec flower!

The note had said one had been found, and had included a small map. It had been delivered by a strange firelizard, who had been waiting in the entrance of Willow's cave when she arrived home from picking some apples in her small orchard, and she had thanked it and offered it a treat before it took to the air again, laden with more notes to deliver.

Only when it had gone, had she unfurled this notes and looked at it's contents-- and then she wriggled with delight. "Flicker!" she called, looking around-- it was something she wanted to share with him.

Hm? You called? he asked, crawling down from the lanturns and bells which lined the tops of the cave and provided light and pleasant noise. He noted the note in her hands, and chirped his curiosity. What's that in your hand, another bonding?

Willow shook her head, grinning. "No, better. They've found a Fursaec flower! look, there's a map and everything." she turned the note around, pointing to the clearly indicated island. "We can probably catch a boat there form the village."

Flicker knew better then to argue when willow got this enthusiastic about something, so instead he merely floated over ot her shoulder and wrap himself around, examining the note more closely. What's a Fursaec flower? Why is it worth this little trip, if it's not a bonding? We have plenty of flowers here, after all...

"Yes," Willow explained, as they set out. "But this is a special flower. It doesn't grow in the garden, trust me." she laughed. "It's hard to cultivate and has some special properties. Apparently it can be some great regenerative cure, i dunno. Women like it."

Flicker made a dubious noise. I take it from your tone that you don't share your gender's reason for it's fondness?

Willow laughed. "You'd be right." she answered, "I'm told that the petals and leaves taste like heaven!" She answered, with the same sort of relish that you might hear in someone who's been offered a rare delicacy. She was, after all, a horse shifter-- and horses liked plants of all kinds. She shook her head, to clear the wistfulness, and added, "They may not be destroying it, because it's so rare." she shrugged, "But if they ARE pulling it up, then all they'll need for the beauty remedy is the roots-- and maybe I'll be able to ask for just a petal or two, to try it. I've never had it before, but I'd love to change that!"

It didn't take too long to get to the island, and for Willow, the boat ride was the longest part. She didn't much care for boats- even in human form, she felt unstable, like she'd topple right over the edge and drown at any moment. She clung to the boat's sides, eyes closed tight, trying to suppress mild motion sickness until they reached the island's shore. Luckily, it was only in her perceptions that it took hours and hours and hours-- the actuality was much shorter.

We've arrived; you can open your eyes now. Flicker told her, when she hadn't noticed the boat's halt of forward motion. She opened her eyes, thanked the owner of the boat, and got back to shore- oh, shore, how she had missed you! Still somewhat shaky, she made her way to the strange woman she did not recognize-- but the fact that there were shinies everywhere meant this must be the appropriate place, right?

Invited into the water, Willow took a few steps in, looking somewhat dubious. Shorelines were fine, they didn't have that same drowning terror that the deeper sea did, but she had just come here on boat and it's rocking motions were all too familiar to her stomach just yet. "I think I'll wait here for a bit." She said to the smiling woman, up to her knees in the water. "Until my stomach settles-- the boat ride here did not entirely agree with me." It wasn't so bad with the water simply lapping at her knees: the temperature was quite comfortable, and the water clean and clear. Before too long, she'd venture in completely. For his part, Flicker floated off her shoulders and dove into the water himself, looking for all the world like a partially-furred red sea snake. His reaction was delight: he did not often have a chance to swim like this, and he relished it when there was such a chance. "So," Willow began, after smiling at her modified firelizard, "I've heard there was a Fursaec discovered here?"

"Thank you very much. Have a goo day." Zeph said politely to the unknown Firelizard sitting on his desk, fingering the note he had just received. The Noon gave a pleased trill and left through the window she had entered by, leaving the Soul Collector alone. But not for long.

Who that? Rasim asked, poking his head in to the study. Zeph quickly told him what had happened, finishing with, "I have been invited to come see something called the Fursaec flower."

Go! That flower rares and pretty! the Lord urged, dark brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Rare, eh? Well, I suppose I best go and look at it, least I miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Zeph said in a teasing tone, slipping the note up his sleeve and rising from his chair. It wouldn't take him long to get ready, and seeing such an unusual flower did seem like a good way to spend the day.

- - -

"Hello, girl." Zeph said softly, stroking Lark's head as he adjusted her bridle and double-checked the saddle. She gave a soft snort and turning to watch him attempt and fail to climb into the saddle. "My, my, I cannot be that much out of practice..." he muttered with faint concern, hearing and feeling the amusement of the shinies who had gathered to see him off. He managed to mount successfully om his second try, getting a low nicker of praise from Lark.

"There! Now, let us be off!" Zeph said pleasantly after a few final adjustment. Lark tossed her head and spread her wings, breaking into a trot before lifting off with several strong flaps of her wings. "Good girl." the Soul Collector murmured, loosening his grip on her mane as she leveled after a few seconds of climbing upwards. Flying like this was exhilarating, and it was something he resolved to do more often. Removing the note from his sleeve, he figured out the directions to the island and guided Lark in that direction.

Lark landed on the short sandy beach once the reached the island, flapping her wings a few times and looking generally pleased about the warm temperatures. "Thank you, Lark." Zeph said, dismounting and patting her neck. "Stay here or wander if you wish, just do not leave without me." The Blazemount gave him a nudge in return, and moved to graze on the grass growing nearby.

The Soul Collector turned his attention towards the lake, noticing that someone had arrived before him. He nodded to the two ladies and took up a spot beneath one of the trees, head turning as he examined his surroundings.

It is often said that where there was an opportunity to earn money, Tracyn will take it.

That statement was more true then it had ever been when the firelizard had arrived at her home, carrying with it a note informing her that a Fursaec flower had been found in the summer isles. So it was without further delay that Tracyn put on her best treasure hunting bikini, moved ZOMG from his perch on her side, and strode out of the bastion with the light blue brighting taking pride of place over her left eye. The instant she was outside she was approached by Iviin'yc , and instantly offered a ride to the far away island. It was an offer that the mandalorian happily accepted from the pegasi, and with one smooth movement she'd jumped upon the lords back and was up in the air with a loud whoop.

Anyone watching the sky that day would catch an odd sight indeed, after all it wasn't often you saw a bikini clad feline woman flying around upon the back of a pegasi. No doubt she'd be a topic of talk for days to come, and she wouldn't really mind if she was ... it had been awhile since she'd done anything remotely crazy and it was about time she started living a little - she couldn't mope around and crush on Chet for the rest of her life after all!

There was fun to be had, treasure to find, and money to earn!

Tracyn could smell the cold, hard cash already! It smelled a little like the ocean, which made sense seeing as the flower was found near the ocean. With one last turn Iviin'yc descended from the sky and landed upon the isle where a small group of other flower hunters had already gathered. The sight drew a low growl from the territorial bounty hunter, after all she'd heard about the flower first and thus it and the money it would earn was HERS!. Tail swaying back and forth she threw a glare to each of the people in her sight, her amber eyes letting it be known that she was going to find the flower and that everyone should keep out of her way.

A note? That was peculiar and it wasn't even the note itself. No, that was pretty self explainable, a rare flower on an island, he was invited to see it and he would need to use the map scrawled on the back to get there. Notes he was familiar with though he hadn't received on for awhile, the weird thing was that a firelizard, one he had never seen before in his life, had done a version of a drive-by, dropping the note onto his head. That wouldn't have been so bad, had the note not been attacked to a smallish rock so that it actually dropped and didn't flutter. Then just like that, it was on its way again and the Professor shouted an disgruntled 'Thank You!' As it flittered away.

Upon further examination of the note, the Professor discovered that he knew much about this Fursaec flower, having heard much about it in texts that he had stumbled upon. All interesting and from the way the flower was described it sounding like something that would be worth seeing, seeing as how they were oh so rare, who knew when he would have another chance to see one.

Even with a guaranteed long life, it still needed to be lived to the fullest. Which is what made him decide to go, being out of the house was still nerve racking, but at least he wouldn't have to deal with violent and forceful attempts at his companions getting him out of the house. He briefly considered bringing some of them with him, but that was a short lived thought as he didn't know exactly what to expect when he got to his destination.

He made a stop at home, to change into more suitable clothes for the warm weather he was expecting. Nothing too serious, a pair of trunks and water proof sandals. He had a shirt on too of course, a simple white v-neck, but that came off almost as soon as he got on the boat that would take him too his destination. The weather was far too nice for clothes that weren't necessary. The boat ride was soothing and he was almost upset when it came to an end. He got off the boat and bid goodbye to the driver and thanked him again, before making his way away from the water and further into the island.

The Professor heard voices further off and instinctively followed them back, a body of water and several others greeted his eyes. Walking over towards a nearby tree, he set his stuff down against its trunk and slipped out of his sandals before venturing over toward the water that the two women where in. He stepped into the water and wiggled his toes at how warm it was. He hadn't been swimming in ages and he was about as excited as a kid in a candy store. He made his way deeper, trying to avoid splashing the women, and stopped when the water was up to the bare skin above his trunks. With a final flare of his hands over the surface of the water, he looked at both the women and once more about the vicinity. "I hope neither of you mind that I joined you, I probably should have asked first." He chuckled slightly, face flushing, though you'd have to be staring at him to see it.

"But, is it true about the Fursaec flower? Is there really one here?" He smiled and splashed some water on his belly. "That's Amazing!"

The Fursaec flower has many legendary properties, blessed by the gods supposedly. The scholar pawed awkwardly through the book for the chapter he was looking for. Ever since the notice had arrived that there was an almost mature batch of Fursaec growing nearby Rhyeht had been rummaging through his growing collection of knowledge for anything even remotely related, having significantly more interest in it than T’Rae did. Yes she gathered samples of the local vegetation for study but at the time she simply wasn’t interested in going so far out of her way for something that wasn’t her central focus of study. Yes it was interesting, but not enough for the effort required.

Ceelesh shared the Vulcan’s disinterest, it was just a flower and there was so much else that needed to be kept under control here lately that even the scholar in her couldn’t really be bothered to show much interest. It wasn’t the first time a strange notice had come after all. Why would the gods bless a flower it’s just a flower. What’s it going to do for the gods? Ceelesh grumbled, rolling her eyes at her brother and going back to sorting the herbs of her own, having long since been deemed to big for Raeri’s kitchen.

Rhyeht frowned at his sister’s quick dismissal, batting at her shoulder. Who said the flower did anything? Maybe it was a name, someone who pleased the gods. He suggested, giving up on trying to find the page he wanted and moving over to see if he could help her out instead.

Then why wouldn’t they bless Fursaec? Why name a flower after them? That seems impractical. She shrugged him off with a quick glare to discourage any attempts to reorganize what she had already done. She had this down just fine and it was perfect, he didn’t need to be messing it up.

The scholar snorted, sitting next to her and watching her work instead, You shouldn’t doubt the gods Ceel, it’s bad practice. He scolded her jokingly, And anyway it’s all just legend. For all I know the plants absolutely worthless. Clearly any argument to be able to go and get some was a losing battle, Ceelesh simply wasn’t interested. It had been worth a shot at least.

Not that his efforts were lost on the matriarch, Alright alright, I know how to settle this. I’ll have somebody get you some. She sighed, pushing her brother over playfully. Not all things had been outgrown just yet, it seemed.

---

This of course meant that T’Rae was going to be the one having to go and get the flower. Pulling a couple of jars down to add into her bag for storing this aquatic plant when she actually got her hands on it. “There is, apparently, an immortality flower growing just off the coast.” T’Rae explained, rejoining Geoffrey after being demanded outside to discuss how she was going to be spending her afternoon, “Company would be appreciated, if you didn’t have anything else planned.” It was one of the more ridiculous errands that she had been talked into running and she wouldn’t particularly be surprised if he had no interest, but she couldn’t say she was excited about going herself. At least if he did accompany her it would at least be more amusing than talking to a rock.

---

And that was the why and the how of T’Rae standing at the edge of the water watching a bunch of strangers flailing around slightly ridiculous in the water,wasn’t this an aquatic plant wouldn’t they crush it? At least Zeph and Tracyn were acting generally more sane from what she could tell. On the bright side the weather was nice, not quite Vulcan but she had finally been able to forgo the long sleeves of her uniform for the black vest and slacks instead.

Still, she was going to stick to staying closer to the water’s edge trying to find this mysterious flower, and settling whatever argument between her Kos that had turned her into some kind of delivery service. Not that she was going to argue with a large bear that didn’t have a whole lot of qualms about making people do what she wanted when she needed to. She would have made the Kos come along but trying to get two large bears onto an island this far out was simply a ridiculous idea that would require more effort than she was inclined to deal with. Still, she would rather make this quick. It wasn’t the ideal way that she could think of for spending the afternoon, T’Rae was a sociologist, not a gardener. Unless she could get them to grow in the moat she wasn’t that concerned with gathering aquatic flowers.

Geoffrey glanced up as T'Rae came back inside, although he glanced back down almost immediately, mostly just making a note that it was her and not one of her shinies come to bother him. It hadn't been his idea to be at T'Rae's house in the first place, he rarely went out of all of his own volition, but whenever she asked he was willing to oblige, and today since nobody seemed to require anything from him, Geoffrey simply sat looking over printed copies of her files on types of specimens he had yet to obtain. He had been over them before, certainly, and had them memorized, but it was something to do, an excuse to think and extrapolate by staring at the papers, using whichever one he was currently looking at as a focus for his experimental designs in his mind.

Her explanation didn't do much to retain his attention either. Immortality meant little to somebody who was already dead, regardless of how few people were aware of his condition. Yes, it had remained dormant so far, but Geoffrey was aware that any time that could change, and just because it was under control didn't change the fact that the amount of regeneration or rejuvenation would ever undo the virus. The best he could do was keep it suppressed and act like everything was normal.

He glanced back up at the mention of company, brushing away the thoughts about things he really shouldn't think too hard about before depression started settling on him again. He spent too much time nowadays trying to avoid that black cloud.

To answer T'Rae's assumptions, no, he didn't have anything else planned. His expression though hopefully made it clear enough that he was not all interested in collecting flowers. It was no use to him, nor was there anyone he wanted to use it on, and so T'Rae wanted to be bullied around and going she could go on her own. He would simply go back to his own place, and lock himself in his study with his own files instead.

Like all good plans, though, this one went awry almost immediately. Taking leave at the same time as T'Rae, Geoffrey came face-to-face with a pair of his Seedmorphs. He shrugged that T'Rae, then turned his attention to finding out what they were doing her, although he suspected his plans for the afternoon had just changed whether he wanted them to or not. He was proven right as Mokala stepped forward to explain their appearance on the Vulcan's lawn.

A Celeste Cat left a message with us, the Lord stated in his calmly imperial way. This Fursaec flower will grant immortality and some of the trees even whisper that it will grant one the ability to see visions of the future if fermented, although there is disagreement about these rumors. I will need your assistance.

"One, what do you need me for. Two, you roam all the time, finding new things, why didn't you just go get one before now."

Mokala shook his head slightly, disappointed in the fact Geoffrey couldn't see the obvious use of the trip, to say nothing of the fact Geoffrey's lack of knowledge about the things was always severely underwhelming. It has always been said to grow only and a single spring in the world, the original spring, the one all the water that covers the planet flowed out from. Finding some that have drifted all the way here is a good omen. You, he scoffed, Are needed to find a way to allow me to consume seeds of two plants. You also have hands.

That was pretty much what Geoffrey had expected, to be honest. In fact he had already resigned himself to having to go along with T'Rae and apparently Mokala before it even asked, but it didn't hurt to know what the Root had in mind. There was just one thing he didn't expect that all about this visit, he had barely started ask when the Thorn beside Mokala smirked.

What? You don't think I could have an interest in seeing if this flower of immortal youth and beauty is real? Dionée winked at T'Rae and circled around them before leading the way with a sway of her hips, answering behind her, What woman wouldn't want to go see it?

Thus was the why and how for Geoffrey standing at the edge of the water next to T'Rae while his Seedmorph siblings took a slightly more proactive approach, wading into the water and attempting to commune with the strange aquatic flower. It was impossible to completely talk Geoffrey into casual clothes, but he had at least foregone his lab coat, wearing only khaki trousers and a plain white shirt, the topmost couple of buttons left open. If he had to be there, he apparently wasn't going to stray far from T'Rae at all, standing very near was his arm wrapped around hers and her hand clasped firmly.

He should've known when they said down off the coast and growing by water, he'd end up surrounded by it, but of course he hadn't thought to anticipate it. He had hoped, presumed, it would be along the banks, even the littlest bit inland. Of course not. He squeezed T'Rae's hand gently, his eye focused distantly on the waves, completely ignoring the people around.

[ 895 words | A Change - How I Feel About Someone ]

It was a noon firelizard that delivered a note that sunny afternoon to Elouise and her little cadre of shinies. She’d been sitting in a small courtyard working on adding the latest addition to her little group of mostly boys; he was currently sprawled in a patch of sun at the opposite end of the courtyard when the firelizard landed on the back of her chair, scaring the young woman nearly half to death. With a startled squeak she launched out of her chair then promptly stumbled over the three furry bodies that were scattered about in front of her almost strategically. Belle yelped when her tail was stepped on and Pounce flailed while Su simply lifted her head when El fell against her side; she was still growing and wasn’t showing signs of stopping yet.

When El finally managed to get to her feet, she spun around and the firelizard was gone, but on the seat of her chair was a note. Frowning, wondering who it could possibly be from, she moved toward the note and clutching her embroidery to her chest, she picked up the note and stared at it. She didn’t know why she squinted her eyes, it wouldn’t make her any more literate. Suliss’urn pushed to her paws and moved to sit beside her charge and peered at the note; it was getting harder to focus on such small things but she managed. It says: Come see the beautiful and rare Fursaec flower. You won’t regret it. Come to the small island off of Summer Island, dress for warm weather.

Elouise blinked then frowned. She’d never heard of the flower before but if it was beautiful and rare she was curious. Stooping over, she tucked her project into the covered basket beside her chair and turned to find four canine faces watching her one with only mild interest as he was much more keen on laying in the sun than worrying over much about going to see some flower; however the Summer Island was warm so he’d tag along, if only for that. And to keep an eye on things otherwise.

Once the details of “dressing for warm weather” were addressed, Elouise gathered Merrylegs from the stables and with the help of Glinda, saddled him up. The woman was really proving to be a help. Mounted on a rather small blazemount, she made her way down to the shore with a trio of shadowhounds tagging along and a kal’daka leading the way. Old Man brought up the rear, both because he couldn’t be bothered to leap and prance like Belle and Pounce, and to keep an eye on things from behind.

When they reached the shore there were several other people already present either making their way across the lake or already on the small island adjacent to the one that Su pointed out as being Summer Island. It was indeed much warmer in this area and El carefully dismounted then eyed the lake speculatively. There must’ve been a boat or something…ah, there it was! She made her way to it, her purse clutched in front of her as she gathered the silk skirts up so they wouldn’t drag in the water. It was a wide, flat bottomed boat, or of a raft and she quickly made her way to the center; Belle, Pounce and Old Man joined her on the contraption while Su slipped into the water and began to pull the raft-boat across the gap. El winced everytime Punce shifted from one side to the other, rocking the slowly moving bit of wood.

When it finally docked on the small island, El waited as Belle and Pounce leapt to the beach and went pale as the raft rocked dangerously. Finally when it settled she shuffled forward and gathered her gown up again as she finally set foot on land again; Old Man surprisingly enough at her side, his pale hairs clinging to her silk brocade gown. She placed a gloved hand on his silvered head and smiled as she made her way out of the sand and wasn’t surprised when the Platinum moved off to a distance to watch everything while Pounce ran up to a woman wearing…Jesus, Mary and Joseph! She wasn’t wearing more than a scrap of cloth over her female parts. Elouise’s face went bright pink and she quickly looked away.

Ria was already taking advantage of the warm, sunny weather on Summer Island, sprawled out languidly on an isolated stretch of white sands whose heat still burned through the thick striped towel stretched beneath her. She had hours of relaxation planned, if doing nothing but sunbathing in a skimpy dove gray bikini could be called a plan. Focusing on the sunlight soaking into her skin kept her mind quiet, for once. None of her Shinies could distract her...except for the occasional visit from Princess Ariel after he dove into the surf and got himself covered in gritty sand and seaweed that he just had to rub all over Ria. No mindspeech could distract her, though.

Unless it belonged to her Gryphon. That Nebula had a direct telepathic line that could just not be switched off... Hello, sunshine! Tikvih has a mission for you. Behind the casual sun-shield of her forearm Ria groaned inwardly but listened. Her hard-working Llanor never bothered her with frivolous tasks. She wants a...Fur-saec? Yes, a Fursaec flower. They're quite special, apparently. No doubt the plant had some sort of medicinal properties if Tikvih wanted it: the Telmenai was not one for material trinkets. Can you tell her I'd be glad to track one down with her tomorrow? Or later tonight? From the pleasant chuckle on Lettiae's end of the conversation, Ria knew her day of relaxation had just ended. That's the exciting part! The flower's been spotted right near you, according to this note Tikvih found! I'll show you. First came a quick flash of the hand-written note, followed by a lingering tracking shot of Ria's current sunbathing spot that panned over to the flower's location. Well, it was nearby, and Ria did owe that solemn Llanor quite a lot for all of her tireless work around the home.

What's so special about this flower anyways? she asked as she packed up her few belongings, tied a beaded navy shawl around her hips, and called out for Ariel. That's what I'm trying to find out too. Tikvih's drawing me a diagram. I think they let you fly? Oh, that's not right... As Ria hailed a raft to take her the short distance to the island with the flower Lettiae broadcasted Tikvih's continued sketches. It was difficult to get an answer with the Llanor's rudimentary grasp of Common; as best Ria could figure, the flower caused anyone who consumed its petals to glow or drew out poisons at a rapid rate. Maybe both? She left Lettiae and Tikvih to their strained discussion as she stepped onto the sands around the flowers' lake, ignoring the Gryphon as best she could. Several other seekers had already gathered...Ria had not been quick about dragging herself away from her isolated sunny beach.

Among them she recognized Elouise and she was only slightly surprised to see the girl in a full gown, short-sleeved or not. Oblivious to the fact that by comparison Ria was quite indecently dressed (and with SHORT HAIR as well, the horror!), she waved and slinked her way over to say hello. "Are you going to be okay to get in the water in that?" she asked with a friendly smile as she glanced over to the people already in the water. She was fairly eager to join them in the summer fun, flower or no. "At least I assume the flower's somewhere in there..."

Meanwhile, Princess Ariel was not going to waste time being friendly when there was WATER FUN TIMES to be had. The Cyclone managed a glide from Ria's shoulder to the water, his gleeful creel turning into a spurt of bubbles as he dipped beneath the surface. And oooooh was it a lucky day for the confused Firelizard, as there was quite a handsome Firestorm named Flicker already in the water. Well hello there~ Ariel wiggled his wings coquettishly...wasn't he just the prettiest little Nogard girlie the lord had ever seen?

It seemed someone out there knew how to get the attention of a Mando. With their nomadic nature, they tended towards taking any chances at getting money that didn’t impinge on their honor. And going for a valuable flower? That definitely didn’t impinge. Also, as it was in water, that meant swimming. And Chet really likes swimming.

So it was, the bright and sunny day was cherished. He lounged as casually as one could on the back of a Arathli as she flew through the air. Dralshy’a had agreed to give him a ride, and Ijaat was not far behind, the Mistral soaking in the rays of the sun as well. They could have Twistered there easily enough, but the day was so nice they had opted to wing it at a steady pace, bolstered by little drafts of wind that kept them moving over forward.

Out over the water, the keen eyes of the South spotted the little island lake and all the people gathered. Seems a popular attraction, she commented, dipping a wing so they circled into a slow dive. Ijaat dove in quicker, the first to make it to the trees where he claimed a perch. Chet’s mount, however, went for the lake. Some deft wing work by the lovely female had them skirting in low against the water.

“Vor’e!” he shouted to her in thanks. With a subtle shift in his position, he then let himself simple fall off of the bird. The water rushed up to meet him and he crashed into its glassy surface, sinking beneath the water. Bubbles floated around him for a moment, then he kicked for the surface, breaking through without much of a splash. Wet and pleased with himself, he paddled closer to shore, noting the people amassing there. It seemed a popular spot—he wondered if the flowers were near?

Dralshy’a winged her way over to where Ijaat was perched, taking up her own spot in the trees to watch the event.

At precisely the best moment possible a handwritten note gently drifted down from somewhere amongst the clouds (presumably dropped by a passing Firelizard) to land at Khryssie’s feet. It was precisely the right moment for such a distraction; the woman had only just been thinking how nice it would be to have an excuse to shirk her chores for the rest of the day. Half of her Blazemounts needed shoeing- and it was Faranth’s honest truth that shoeing an equine whose hooves were on fire was no easy task albeit the flames did not harm her skin but there was some subconscious aversion to coming into direct contact with any type of fire, magical or not. Aside from that Khryssie needed to check on a far off field to see how her crops were sowing, run down to the market for a few non-essential items, as well as finish the rest of her laundry.

Laundry. Ugh. Anything was better than laundry- even some silly, mythical flower.

Okay, so the flower was real and even though she had a hunch that its properties were likely blown out of proportion by myth and legend, Khrys didn’t really care one way or another. It was a legitimate reason to put down her farrier’s tools, change into something a little more revealing, and pack a scant few supplies for an afternoon on an island! Maybe Tash would be there, in something as equally skimpy as the Pernese woman’s lacy barely-there cover-up over a white ruffled bikini. If she was going to be on a warm, sunny island with the intent to swim there was really no need for shoes so it was with bare feet that Khrys hoisted herself aboard the turquoise feathered shoulders of her Sky Gryphon.

You’re flower hunting? Niyrae mocked as he threw open his wings to catch an updraft, strong hindquarters facing off against the hard packed dirt and successfully pushing him aloft. “No, that’s just the excuse I’m using to get away from home for a bit,” Khrys grinned as she leaned low over the male’s back, her amusement deepening as she felt a wave of entertained approval come from his end of their bond.

It was not a long flight to the island held in summer’s grip but Khrys was surprised to see so many Whazzitians already amassed in the specified spot. The brightly-colored Sky tucked his wings in close to his rib cage and controlled smartly his descent to the ground below; talons reached out for the soft, springy dirt and sand mixture and steadied his landing as he settled himself close to two women. One was... frankly, overdressed.

I think she’s tryin’ to get you naked! Niyrae cackled as his lilting voice sprang into both Ria and Elouise’s minds. Khrys swiftly popped him on the back of his head but did not verbally disagree with the Gryphon.

“He’s a smartass,” was the only explanation offered for his comment. The reprimanding smack from his bond did absolutely nothing to deter the Sky; there were no words to soften the landing of Niyrae’s follow-up comment. Khryssie just groaned and cringed, hiding her face in the palm of her hand.

I can see why! You’d look good wet.

Maybe Khrys should have stayed home.

The messenger had almost been killed. The poor Firelizard; had not Alin been there she would have been eaten up by a hungry Ebbik. But the West's quick talons had kept her safe from harm, and the note was delivered to Maeko as soon as possible.

Oh yes, Maeko had found the flower before. She was a rare and exotic specimen herself, a vampire for one man's want to capture her beauty forever.

She didn't believe in forevers, at least not all of them.

And so long ago when she had unwittingly stumbled upon a flower and picked it- well, it had crumbled to dust soon thereafter.

Another one was likely to do the same, wasn't it? Could she say that she was any more at peace now than she had been in past years? No, don't be silly. She didn't even know what the flower was, perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps it was no Fursaec at all. That's what rumors and myths were, wasn't it? People thinking they had picked on, that they had seen a ghost....

A soft rumble distracted her, and it was then she spotted her ride, the ever pleasant Dalui. Sorin had been in higher spirits since the burst of life in his Ialroaine kind. He was happy to ferry the woman wherever she wished, accompanied by a few members of his pod and some Beorfin. Adi'ryx surfaced nearby, and slowly all but the fittest and largest remained.

"Hello!" Maeko raised a hand to the woman and others present, and slung her straw hat onto Sorin's head. She stayed a little offshore, slipping off the lord's shoulders and into the water. A hand patted his flank gently while the Io'thelin nearby moved to support her. She wasn't too keen on leaving them for the time being, staying just out of reach of the shallows, while the Ialroa couldn't beach himself.

OoC: So excited! Mae doesn't know exactly what the flower looks like or anything, but she thinks maybe she picked one in the past. But you know, it's a myth, so she's just adding to it based on previous experiences that may not be related at all, like you do with ghosts. xD

This is Mae's outfit for today: here

The woman’s eyes watched as the first of the arrivals trickled in, giving the woman a sympathetic look but deciding against answering her question for now. Other arrivals would surely come, after all, and she didn’t want to have to repeat herself over and over again. Some were wordless, some sitting afar, some joining her in the water, the blonde simply took a step back and giggled as the droplets fell on her soft skin and dripped down with the harsh glare of the sun. Some people were ready to cut to the chase, and with observant blue eyes, she waited until she decided that a suitable number of people had gathered before her.

“It won’t do you any good looking here.” She responded. One of her hands lifted, causing water ripples to ebb away from her touch. “There.” A fallen log was out few dozen meters away, one with half of its trunk still on land, half submerged beneath the glistening clear water. “You have to look there.” Climbing the log might be a risk, it was probably easier to dive right in. The water was at most perhaps twelve feet deep, and along with the various kinds of underwater plants, the Whazzitinians might see the rumored glow.

“Come on, let’s go!” She distinctly avoids touching anyone that she passes, turning sharply away but with ease that makes it look almost natural in her gait. The Faern nearby lifted his head from his paws, then hauled his body upwards, following closely behind within the cool shade of the trees. He didn’t much care for the shenanigans that his bond participated in, all he wanted to do was make sure that she was safe, always.

The blonde haired woman circled around the shallower parts of the lake, enjoying the sights, slightly distracted by the astonishingly nice weather, leaning a hand against the fallen log as she waited for those to come by. It was as if the island had never been inhabited by humanoids before, as if no one had set foot on it yet. “Around here, let’s look and se—“ she was interrupted by a splash, a massive one it might have seemed. But if one managed to clear the water away from their eyes fast enough it wasn’t one massive splash upward, but many. A land untouched by humanoids would surely have more discoveries than just one.

There were dozens and dozens of them. A species thought to be extinct in the wild apparently had a surviving colony out on a remote island. Brightlings. Adults of all colors and sizes, even younger ones hovered above the water, spinning off flecks of it towards the humans, each making their specific sound. And, quite honestly, it was pure and utter chaos.

If anyone cared to notice, a few of the shinies about the size of quarter coins had zipped up over the water, hovering just barely. But with so many other star-fish like shinies slapping in and out of the calm, mostly away from the candidates for now, it was hard to find them in one spot for too long without losing them amongst the clutter of colors.

“Oh my.” Of course Aliyah had known about the colony and left that small bit of information out. She didn’t know just how many there were, not at all, but she did come prepared. “Zhaunil! I hope we’re not short any.” Dodging the crazed form of the Brightlings, the Faern dropped a set of nets, almost like nets that you’d see for a fish tank, but much larger, right nearby the shore so that the water wouldn’t reach. “I didn’t mention that these guys like nesting near the flowers. If you want any, you’ve got to calm them a bit first.” This was far too much work for her to do alone. And she’d never seen them all erupt like this at once. What she wanted with the flower she wouldn’t say herself, but she was sure that the Whazzitinians could have something of a good time with all of this chaos, couldn’t they?

Who really knew if the nets would calm them down. Everyone was free to use methods of their own, just so long as they were careful to not stomp around the flowers! But the Brightlings had spread to so many different parts of the lake at this point that the humanoids were not at all limited to this one spot any longer.

At least one of the young seemed to be interested in the humanoids though, as the o3o Zerp Male zoomed right around the blonde woman’s shoulders teasingly close to some of the gathered humanoids, before he dipped back down into the water. Catch him, all of them, if you can!

Directionally Challenged, down, 795 words


[That’s right, folks! The job of the humanoids is to catch the Brightlings, with whatever method they could possibly think of, and try to stop them from flailing around, or something. C8 Just so that they can get to the flowers without having tens of little suction-y shinies sticking to them and messing them up. The bonding will be mostly free for all, you guys can go and have your characters catch as many NPC Brightlings as their little hearts’ desire! If you want a chance at swinging for a baby, though, leave your post open ended, and if you’re lucky enough, you may get your hands on a little Brightling that may redirect its interest on the humanoids and perhaps forge a bond. C8 You won’t always be lucky keep in mind, and you won’t necessarily bond to the baby that you catch, that one will just now be open to interaction. And you don’t have to necessarily use the net, be creative! All you people not in the bonding yet, you still have another week to join! Just squeeze yourself in before the chaos has started! ]

((-so amused- Have some awkward Flicker time! ))

Unfortunately for Miss Princess Ariel, the appearance of a coy cyclone firelizard only confused poor Flicker-- and not for reasons that one might expect. Ariel also confused him on several levels-- his first thought was, is that cyclone flirting with me?

Now, the fact that Ariel was a cyclone was not a disqualifying factor in Flicker's eyes, but that didn't do anything to quell the suddenly nervous expression on Flick's face. He- who- what? Whether that was actually the case or not, Flicker's second thought was, 'holycrapflirting', and his third thought was 'what do i do?' His actual reaction could be summed up with a flustered look and a clear meep of nerves.

I- er, um. Hello? Can I- er. Help you? he asked the other firelizard, helplessly. It didn't help that, since consuming the bubble tea that had turned him from ordinary flit to modified chinese dragon firelizard, he had a lot of issues relating to his own species.

Flicker's predicament went completely unnoticed by his humaoid companion-- she'd been keeping her attention on the blonde, hoping that she and the rest of the growing group of Whazzitians would be led to this mythical flower, and she was not disappointed. They were waiting for something-- Willow could only presume that it was the arrival of everyone who'd been invited-- and once that happened, they were off, through the island.

That they would have to go swimming to see the flower did not surprise Willow-- anything worth anything involved doing things that were somewhat unpleasant. While the horse-shifter did not mind swimming so much, she wasn't exactly the fondest of deep water-- or, rather, of trying to get to the bottom of large bodies of deep water. She'd heard stories of people getting caught up in wavy, uncontrolled lake grasses and drowning-- but there were lots of people here, and they would all be going across the bottom. Hopefully that meant, should anyone get snared, someone else wouldn't be too terribly far off to help them get loose? Certainly there was strength to numbers-

She was approaching the water somewhat dubiously when the splash happened, and then suddenly, the world was chaos-- brightly colored, starfish-shaped chaos. Willow made a noise that could only be described as a Squawk, stepping backwards quickly to try to get out of the creatures' way. "What are those things?"

Her answer was not immediately forthcoming, but the blonde who had led them here did point out nets, saying 'if you want any-' so Willow, now growing more familiar with Whazzit, came to the conclusion that they were shinies. Shinies meant bonds, and Willow was absolutely game for that! After the initial shock of their explosive emergence from the water, the brightlings were kind of interesting-- she still hadn't quite gotten enough of a sight of one to see that they were starfish-shaped, but she could see that they were bright and small and very very fast. This would be a fun event, if nothing else.

Willow ambled to the nets, grabbed one, and began treating it like a butterfly net-- swinging it (gently, so as not to hurt the poor dears) through the water whenever she saw a brightling. That probably wasn't the most efficient strategy-- but Willow had never chased brightlings with nets before, and wasn't aware of a better one. No doubt it'd occur to her to do something else shortly-- but for now, she channeled every four-year-old who've chased butterflies in fields with nets, ever (only, you know, in water), and she enjoyed it.

Grimm was fairly certain he didn't want to be out on this wild goose chase. But really, what Rhyliae wanted, she got...and the doctor had to admit that the prospect of a flower that could heal like the note said it could was too good to pass up. Not that he was really sure he believed this, but his Moon was positive it was a real thing, and with her skill of herbs and plants, they both knew she could do some awesome things with that flower. And it could help, after all. Series injuries happened, and this could give him a leg up on helping people, make sure someone survived from something horrible, or make sure infection was kept out...anything like that.

Between Rhyliae and his own common sense, he couldn't just ignore this.

Mind you, there was some bitching when it came to dressing in shorts and a teeshirt, flipflops, too, and to bring a towel. The Moon clearly knew something was going on, though did she want to share? Of course not. That would be too easy.

So, maybe Grimm was a little late to the party. Rhyliae brought him, and curled at his shoulders was his Nogard, Kaisa. By the time they got there, Grimm was greeted to the site of a bunch of THINGS he'd never seen, bouncing around the water and going everywhere. Um. "The hell are those?"

Rhyliae just chuckled, and motioned to the pile of nets. You should go catch one and see.

The look of death Grimm gave her was rather awesome. "I'm a doctor, not a five year old. Besides, they could be poisonous, or..."

The River on his shoulder, however, seemed very much interested in playing around. She'd already climbed down off of Grimm, and was throwing herself into the water quickly, chattering happily all the while. And why yes, she was already going after one of the little brightlings...they looked like awesome toys.

Grimm just watched for a moment, before sighing. "Goddamnit."

Rhyliae just looked smug.

With a few more colorful curses, the doctor grabbed a net, toed off his flipflops, left his medical bag with the Gryphon so it would stay dry, and waded into the water after Kaisa. He watched her for a moment, then glanced around a tad awkwardly to see how everyone else was trying to catch these things before he gave it a try. And rather quickly, Kaisa and him had a system going -- she would try to chase a Brightling towards Grimm, and he'd try to snatch it with his net. They'd get one sooner or later. Right?

Zeph watched the crowd gather before him, spotting many villagers he knew and some he did not. Since most were gathering near the water, he slowly ambled out of the shade and stood at the back of the group, gaze fixed on the scantily-dressed woman in the water. He nodded silently as she explained that the flower they were all looking for was over by a half-sunken log. Which mean going into the water and getting his robe wet. So much for staying on dry land.

Sighing and deciding to spare all present the sight of him without his robe, he shuffled after the group, grumbling faintly as he entered the water. The Soul Collector had no idea if it was warm or cold, just that it quickly soaked into his robe and made walking a hassle. Charming. But then things got interesting.

"What-!" Zeph started at the massive splash, backing up a few steps as something surged up from the depths. Had a sea serpent got trapped in her along with the flower? But no, it wasn't one creature, but many. And they looked oddly familiar. "...Brightlings?" he muttered, recognizing the shiny from the plush version he had at home. What were they doing here? "Very clever." he added once the woman explained herself, turning and slogging back out of the water for a net. This was better, he might not have to get wet to calm the Brightlings down.

Selecting a net with the longest handle he could find, Zeph started to pace along the edge of the water, looking for an opportunity to snag a Brightling. Several zoomed closer to the bank than the rest, so the Soul Collector swung his net at them - surely the little shinies weren't strong enough to break free of the netting?

T'Rae had noticed that Geoffrey was somewhat distant today, she tried not to put a whole lot of thought into why or make her concern to evident, she just resolved to herself to keep something of an eye on him. So with the light squeeze of her hands T'Rae was looking over to see what the problem was and what she needed to do about it, following his gaze out to the distant ocean. The connection was easy enough for her to make. Closing her eyes for a moment, she wanted to be angry or annoyed but she couldn't, she didn't really want to be. She understood what the problem was and she knew what that was like. As the woman was speaking and explaining T'Rae watched and listened absently, keeping quiet herself and keeping a tight hand around Geoffrey's.

When it became impractical to keep standing still T'Rae was turning her full attention back to Geoffrey, raising a hand to brush gently over his cheek. "Hey," She called gently, "Geoffrey." Trying to pull his attention back down to the much smaller lake directly in front of them rather than the water beyond the island. Maybe it would have been better to leave him at home, just make this trip herself and be quick and efficient about it. Or better yet refused to go at all and sent someone else to appease the Kos' curiosity. Either way it was too late to go back down, she had him here and she needed to do something about it. Try to keep his attention instead of letting his mind and his gaze wander off like that.

Ignoring the noise of the brightlings, interesting little starfish that they were, she pulled his hand lightly for him to follow. She had come for a reason after all and so long as she was here she wasn't going to go home empty handed, perhaps even go home with more than she had intended if these brightlings were indeed as rare as she had heard. And with any luck she'd pull Geoffrey along with her at least a little bit. So carefully she picked her way around the edge of the lake, stopping to grab a net in case one of the little buggers got in her way or otherwise made itself an easy target, coming to stop beside the bit of the fallen log that was still on the shore.

Stopping there to peel off her boots and roll the hem of her pants up to her knees and what would probable prove to be a futile attempt to keep them somewhat dry. Dressing for the warm weather was one thing, dressing for swimming was not exactly in the Vulcan's wardrobe. She had hoped they would be in at least somewhat shallow water. Leaving her bag with her shoes she tucked the jar into her pocket and keeping the net at hand she made a few steps into the water, looking back a moment to see if Geoffrey had any intention at all of considering joining her, "Coming?" Either way she was keeping a close eye on the brightlings and where Aliyah had indicated the plant should be, the Vulcan barely able to make out the light glow in the daylight. The bright noon sunlight was the worst for a Vulcan trying to make out something distant or vague, having a much keener low light vision and being generally more active as the day got darker. Either way this shouldn't prove to be to entirely difficult.

The only problem was the brightlings darting about and making noise. And going for the plants she knew she was inevitably going to have to deal with them eventually. Still, quick, precise, and efficient were her goals for the day.

[Hate Is A Strong Word - Time of Day - 631 Words]

Miss Ariel found Flicker's fluster perfectly charming. With a gentle rolling motion she zig-zagged closer to him, and as she drifted steadily closer she whirled her eyes through mirthful green and mischievous blue. How could he help Ariel? Hmmm, now there's a good question. But rather than resort to anything too forward or lewd, the Cyclone merely tilted his head in light, dainty thought for a moment (making sure that the prettiest side of her head faced the Firestorm). How to flirt with this wary fellow? She'd need all of her subtle wiles.

So Ariel would start small. She could make small talk even without having the transformed Firelizard's mastery of words. The Cyclone flipped his head back to Flicker and fluttered his murky wings thoughtfully before sending the Firestorm a quick, simple image: the Fursaec flower! That's what she wanted. Or maybe she really wanted a strong, handsome male to go find one for her...? In any case the flower was over by that log, yes? So what are you waiting fo--EEEEEEK! What were those things? Playing up the damsel in distress routine only slightly, Ariel ducked behind Flicker for protection and watched the Brightlings swarm.

Ria meanwhile had been distracted from her original mission by the appearance of Niyrae (and Khryssie) who was leveling some pretty harsh accusations at her. With a mock scandalized look on her face Ria yanked the shawl off of her hips with a flourish. Keeping it taut, she held onto one end and snapped the rest of it to flick up toward's the Sky's beak. It would stop well before smacking him in the face though; it was merely a cheeky gesture repaying a cheeky comment. Khryssie needn't feel so embarrassed--on Ria's behalf, at least--since she dealt with smartasses rather well. They kept things interesting.

"He's on to me," she said in sudden deadpan. It was a joke of course and hopefully Elouise wouldn't worry herself. After all, Ria was shedding articles of clothing far more quickly and readily. In just a bathing suit she went to make her escape into the water...but stopped just at the water's edge. She had missed out on Aliyah's exposition for the flower and the sudden tide of Brightlings, but a quick glance over to the pile of nets gave her a few clues. She wouldn't reach for a sweeping net just yet, though. Instead, she crouched down and cupped her hands into the water, and lifted a fully-grown turquoise Brightling up on her palms. Marveling at the softly squeaking creature and keeping it slightly submerged in case it couldn't breathe out of the water, Ria turned her head towards the women further back, grinning widely. Come seeeee!

"What are they?" she wondered, looking specifically to Khryssie. After all, the Pernese woman seemed to know so much about this Weyrd. Had she ever seen one of these Shinies before? Surely they were Shinies. All of these bright colors and curious sounds practically screamed comeandcollectmeplease!!

(Hopefully I read your post right and we're allowed to catch/describe the adult NPC Brightlings without waiting for another round?)

Attention directed to the log half submerged and that is where it stayed even as the woman spoke. So when she moved, he did too, keeping a safe distance as the faern on the side lines didn't look all that pleased and he didn't need to discolor the water with his blood on account of stupidity. The log had almost been reach by the time-lord when he was suddenly blinded by a massive splash, well it appeared to be until he cleared his eyes and say all the separate rippling circles along the surface. His head lolled to the side, and his nose scrunched. What the hell was that?! Ran through his mind, but he couldn't really see anything under the surface yet seeing as how the water hadn't become clear again.

When he finally did he had to laugh out loud. They were Brightlings, this was one species he had never thought he would be lucky enough to see anywhere. How he knew about them even eluded his memory, but he was sure he would remember later on, even if he didn't, oh well.

They were everywhere! So many of them! How was this even possible! He had been so distracted with all the chaos he almost missed that the woman that greeted them was talking again, but she was soon lost in the chaos again as she wasn't talking to him but the faern that the time-lord had noticed earlier. The faern dropped nets, he had heard that and reached for one almost immediately, though if he needed too he would result in just using his hands. That was only if the net got in the way though, for now it would be a very useful tool.

It was only after the net was in his hand, that he heard about having to calm them, it wasn't said when he heard it but his mind pulled it though the chaotic excitement that bubble up inside him and then his brain was going as fast as it could to figure out exactly how he would catch one.

With a look around, it appeared that everyone was trying to grab them from the surface, that equaled far to much focus on an over all spot for him. He pushed himself from the shallow end of the lake toward the center, the water got significantly deeper and this only discouraged him for a moment, his feet kicking and the hand that didn't have the net moving to keep him from sinking. But then his movements stopped and he took a deep breath before dropping down under the water.

Once under he directed himself toward the bottom, but still close enough to the surface that he could get air if need be. He spotted so many brightlings but he really only needed to manage to get one with his net right? He stayed still for a minute, maybe they would all forget he was there and make it easier on him to capture one, it was unlikely but still he took pride that he had come up with some kind of plan. His eyes darted all over and his body soon swam in one direction, he had spotted one and was on the hunt now, his net every now and then swiping at the Brightling in question and attempting to capture it.

What with his gaze not being one hundred percent steady, his eyes kept blinking and drifting down, and he swore that once or twice he saw a brilliant glow from somewhere along the bottom among the plant-life but he was probably just suffering from lack of oxygen, he would have to swim up soon if his attempts to catch one came up empty.

"Hmm?" Geoffrey turned to look at T'Rae, wondering what she wanted to his attention for, having completely forgotten – or perhaps deliberately ignoring – what their actual purpose in coming here had been. His Seedmorphs were self-sufficient, for the most part, it wasn't like they needed him other than to have something with opposable thumbs around just in case.

Proof, Mokala had set about the business of attempting to clear the Brightlings from the flowers with seriousness, although he certainly wasn't wielding any kind of net. The indignity. Instead, the lofty lord was persisting in trying to directly communicate with the flowers themselves, as well as occasionally growing a sudden branching root in the way of any Brightlings that zoomed too close to him, having no interest in playing around the stupid little things. Dionée, for her part, had gone the completely opposite end of helpfulness and was sneaking about in the middle of the water, occasionally snapping at a Brightling here and there to chase them… away from hopeful nets. Cackling a little bit? Yes, yes she was, glad you noticed.

Geoffrey would leave them to go about it. He simply followed where T'Rae led him, going along with whatever it was she wanted to do without protest or question. He wouldn't be seen mimicking her efforts to keep her close dry though. Geoffrey really couldn't care less on a good day, he wasn't going to start caring now. He shrugged. He supposed he could join her, although like his bonds, he didn't feel the need to have one of those nets. He was the goddamned batman cyborg here, he didn't need to runaround with the silly little that. If anybody had better reflexes in his robotics, he'd like to see them prove it. In a controlled environment. With limited variables. Probably physical restraints.

Ah, the point being, he was doing this in hard-core mode. America! Bare hands! F-ck yeah! His only distraction was to look at T'Rae now and again. No real reason, just an anchor for his thoughts.

Maeko observed from her place; she didn't exactly need to move too close to hear any of the conversation, what with her super hearing. "Looks like it's the end of the road for you guys." She began with a sigh, patting the Dalui on his neck and giving the Beorfin a friendly nudge. The hellish male scowled at her, turning his dark tail and heading away. The woman, meanwhile, headed off to join the rest of the group, giving a curious look to the stranger in their presence.

The sight of Brightlings, whom she had noted had washed up on thew main shore the past week or so, was something of a surprise. There were so many. Surely Staryu would enjoy some company. She'd try and capture one, if they had a chance later on. She eyeballed the nets, but in her mind,while it was a good idea, she'd rather not use one unless she had to. Nevertheless, it was better safe than sorry and she grabbed one.

She could go after the flower, or the Brightlings. Guessing that such a plant would quickly disintegrate under her touch, she opted for the colorful mass of possibly extinct creatures. She kept out of the water as long as she could, strolling along the shore to get away from most of the other humanoids. The point was to get them to the humanoids, for easy catching, wasn't it? Therefore, she should try and cut off some of them, and send them zooming back towards the others.

She slid into the water as slowly as she could manage, choosing to be one of the least disruptive people. A few little forms stuck to her ankles and legs, but they buzzed off again in that same pretty way butterflies did, landing, leaving, relatively at peace with her presence while she figured out what she wanted to do.

What did Brightlings like, anyway? She had wondered that about Staryu, the large Whoot male that had taken a fondness to her in the past.

The jury was still out on that one, but the vampire did decide on a slightly strange idea. Carefully enough she pulled apart the net she'd chosen (hopefully no one would be upset that she ruined it!), working to tie long strands of it together with some spare thread she'd had for her outfit, so that it become a line. After a little searching she managed to find a fairly broad, flat leaf from some plant along the shoreline, and with a little fine finger work managed to secure an apple from her small bag (The picnic blanket Dalui, Sorin, did love his snacks!) to the top and bottom of the leaf.

Carefully she waded out into the depths, setting down her eight minute project and testing it. It floated well enough, and provided a fair-sized landing pad. So she backed away from it slowly, tending to her crafted line and letting the leaf drift out away from her. See, no threatening humanoids there, just a big leaf and two apples, bobbing along the surface like a mini green pool float.

Hey, the Brightlings were likely to flail a little bit if she tried to touch them- so why not just let them take a little rest on the water's surface, and gently tow them in with the movement of the lake. They weren't too smart, she thought, and she did doubt that, once on, they'd really feel like they were floating along on something that wasn't just another leaf.

Chet paddled in the deep part of the lake for a little while, content to listen and watch from here. His ears shot up as the Brightlings made themselves known--he'd never seen such a thing! Curious, he paddled closer and noted the nets. They were supposed to catch these things? He thought about getting one of the nets but that would have required to go back to shore and as it was there were a bunch of the little stars darting past him over the water.

He took a snap at the group as it moved past quickly—probably not the nicest thing to do, but the most instinctual. He didn’t bite any of them, really, but one did land squarely in his mouth. More surprised than triumphant, he spat the little star out and it buzzed away with a whoop of terror. Okay, that wasn’t exactly calming them, was it? He ducked beneath the surface of the water for a moment to clear his head and then resurfaced. Another group was swarming closer to the shore but away from the others. That would do. He swam over.

“Hey,” he said softly, lifting a hand out of the water, offering it as a place to land if they were tired or something. He drew closer until he thought he was pushing his limits then went still. Surely they wouldn’t mind a spotty furred head to cling to for a bit? He was soft! Well, and wet right now, but still nice.

There came a point in time when Khryssie just had to let go of any lingering embarrassment and simply acknowledge Niyrae’s lack of tact, and love him for who he was. Hopefully Elouise would catch on to Ria’s exaggerated statements and realize that they were only teasing; the woman in the heavy dress seemed the type to be overly-modest and prude. At least in comparison to Ria and Khryssie’s lack of clothing. The Pernese woman smiled and mimicked Ria, shedding everything save for her bathing suit although she did not enter the water, only linger on the edge of the lake.

At Ria’s towel-snap, Niyrae backpedaled and lifted his head high to avoid any direct contact but the gleam in his dark, beady eyes was unmistakable. He liked this girl; she had sass! She could bite back! If a Gryphon could purr this one would be; instead he attempted some sort of croon-purr type noise (which sounded pretty ridiculous, to be honest) and followed this intriguing woman into the water.

Hey! That thing is the same color as me! Niyrae observed with a wide-beaked grin. He’s not usually this smart, so don’t pay him any mind. Noticing what was held in the dancer’s hands Khrys’ eyes widened slightly to betray the surprise at seeing the creature.

“I haven’t seen one of those in.... Faranth, years!” She exclaimed, barely able to keep herself from diving into the water to more closely inspect Ria’s catch. Aliyah’s Faern was well-prepared and the nets provided for them were utilized by the Pernese woman; she snatched up one in each hand before stepping into the shallows and closing the distance between herself and those individuals already in the water. As a longtime resident of Planet Khryssie was used to imparting her knowledge about the native species to anyone who was newer than herself (which was just about everyone, really.) She had a quick answer ready for Ria, delivered with a childish-excited smile.

“They’re Brightlings! I thought they were extinct,” she admitted while glancing suspiciously to Lucas’ blonde-haired roommate. Had Aliyah known about this colony all along? Khrys might have to do some investigative work via pillow talk next time she got Lucas alone. “They’re pretty simple things, from what I remember. They like making the same noise over, and over, and over again. I had one, once. She liked sticking herself to my cheek- flip that one over, you’ll see it has teeny little suction-cups all over the underside of its’ body.”

Deciding to test her luck mostly because she was jealous Ria had so easily caught one, Khrys trailed a net through the water just deep enough to scoop up any lurking Brightlings. Success was gained in the form of a vibrant, bright yellow Brightling larger than her hand! His suction cups secured him to the mesh net and Khrys had to work to scoop him out, but once he was in her hand and resting comfortably Khrys gently lifted back an arm to display to Ria the cup-lined underside. “See? That’s how they stick to stuff.”

Like her hand. This guy was stuck fast- and it tickled!