Sprig was busy tending to the garden as always. The children were long gone now, off to do their own things in the caves. It left him with more free time than he was used to. Much of this energy was once again dedicated towards perfecting his plants and recipes. Though sometimes he still worried about the children, he accepted that they were full grown and were perfectly capable of fending for themselves. But Orion would always be home for them if they ever decided to return. After all, he and Cadenza lived here still. Leo was still unsafe due to Order and the same could be said for Eridanus.

He focused his magic upon the ground in front of him, watching as a small sprout forced its way out of the ground. It wasn't very big, but it was something. Sprig understood that even the most magnificent plants had humble beginnings.

@Kaizer

And return, one did. Kaizer quietly comes up alongside Sprig, watching with bright eyes. Normally, he wouldn't come so close to someone without saying anything, but Sprig was family.

The plants, it thinks to himself, watching his adoptive parent tend to his garden. Is there some way I can help? Sprig is using magic... maybe it could too?

It bends down, staring at a spot in the dirt, willing something grow. Maybe he just tried hard enough... The magic can't be that hard, right? Come on!

Sure enough, another little stalk of green peeks its way up out of the ground. And it grows a few inches taller than Sprig's. "Kooru!" Kaizer bleats in celebration.

@Sprig

Sprig was tending to the little sprout he had grown, and so did not notice Kaizer's presence. Although he normally would've recognized their scent immediately, the garden was filled with so many plants of so many different aromas that it was easy to miss that of a gembound's- especially when he was focused on something. The loud 'Kooru!' startled him, lights flashing for a moment before Sprig registered that it was "Kaizer! It's so nice to see you back little one. How have you been?" Although Kaizer was anything but little now, the lion could not help but refer to all of the children that way. In fact, he towered over the lion, taking after Cadenza in size. Sprig rubbed his head against his leg in a warm greeting.

As he looked down, Sprig saw that another sprout had joined his, though it was a bit taller. "That's a healthy looking sprout! You're quite skilled at plant magic. If you want to grow it even larger, you can draw on the same magic but imagine it growing even larger." It took a moment, but the magic flowed from his magnesite towards the sprout that Kaizer had grown, nourishing it into a flower. "You can try if you would like. Or you can practice with sprouts and I can grow them even further." Sprig was happy to just show him how to grow plants and spend time with him, no matter the skill level. Everything could improve with practice.

@Kaizer

He leans back too, not realizing it had snuck up on Sprig. But once its father calms down, he gently nudges him with his snout in a playful gesture. "Good to see you. It's been lonely, so I wanted to say hello," he says, pulling away as he blinks with his four ghostly eyes.

It feels so good for Sprig to be proud of it, and he sways happily as he listens. He's also eager to watch Sprig tend the garden, nudging its sprout even taller.

When its father encourages to keep honing its magic, it does think that trying to grow it more might be a bit hard... So it shuffles over, placing its tail on fresh soil, and wills more new small life to reveal itself. And sure enough, another little shoot of green peaks its way up.