Perched on a log and munching on some ferns was a snail. She was quickly approaching her adult size, although she'd plateau soon at around half of it and continue to grow slowly over the next two cycles rather than in leaps and bounds like she had been. While she ate, she enjoyed the damp warmth of Eridanus -- the
geothermal energy fueling this room made it an excellent home, but Sunny still felt her wanderlust, even as she and Tema lingered here.
Still, it made an excellent place to refuel. She watched silently as a young-looking canine-pup wreaked havoc on the local ecosystem and then decided to dig herself something of a hole; mostly, Sunny's attention was drawn to the blue stone perched on her head. Sunny watched the wolf look around, and wondered absently if she was all alone in this world. What a tragedy.
"Any family?" she called, likely startling the young creature -- it would have been reasonable to assume she was a Lesser, after all.
@comet
Her eyestalks shifted as she looked at Comet, taking a pause from dragging leaves over her radula.
"Not meat. Bones are good for shell-making, but my shell is stone. No making to be happening." Sunny continued to eat, pondering that news. A father?
"No mother, then." She sized Comet up for a moment, thinking back to the stones tucked away in her and Tema's nest for safe-keeping -- and the strong protective urge she felt towards them and the rest of her friends.
"Sunny," she said, gesturing with her lower tentacles to her own body.
"I am family-making, yes? I have Tema-kin, and Little-stone Madhukar. Two life-stones in my hoard. If the little gray one seeks more family," she offered sweetly, pouring as much charisma into her words as she could,
"Sunny-snail can offer it."
@comet
Sunny processed the word briefly and had been about to give her response when the wolf wandered off. Irritation seeped into her like the moisture in the air. Impatience bothered her for a lot of reasons, but she saw it as particularly rude to wander off in the middle of a conversation. Sunny waited for Comet to be finished, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice.
"What is grand-mother? I do not know that meaning."
She understood each part of it separately. A mother? Absolutely! Someone who nurtured, who defended, who was willing to put her life on the line to make sure her children were safe, happy, and loved. Grand -- high, wise, or great. Perhaps a
grand mother was something very nice... but she'd get clarification on the term anyway.
@comet