Backdated to like.... ~1 cycle ago because I'm a dummy
Researcher and Cortex are trying to collect insects to make a bug farm at the Lab. Anyone is free to join at any time.

Yes, she was really doing this.

As manager of the Laboratory, it was Researcher's best interest to ensure there was enough food to go around. Sure, you can always graze, or (blech) hunt, but who has the time to chase down bush rabbits for four hours when there are experiments to be done?! It was much simpler to have a single, stable supply of nutrition available at all times-- such as juicy insects.

She crouched in the shadow of the cave mouth, trying to keep her fur as clean as possible. The swamp stretched far ahead of her and was obscured by tall pines. Swamp-01 she nicknamed it, creative as ever. Her goal: the countless bugs and larvae flying through the air and clinging to the walls.

"... Collect edible insects, investigate what they eat, bring them back to the Lab. Simple." Researcher scratched her ear, looking behind her at Cortex and whoever else tagged along on their quest. "This will help free up time previously spent finding food for work and recruiting. We'll need a container to carry them. I'll make the first, you can go ahead and start gathering. Got that?"

The gibbon suddenly leaped for the nearest tree, an all-too-familiar headache ringing faintly from the exercise. She caught her balance and eyed the dangling branches around her. A good bag was important-- the last time she tried to catch a lesser with her bare hands ended in humiliation. A few vines caught her eye: small and long enough to be weavable, but not so alive to be impossible to tear away. She grabbed them with her long arms and began to work with her legs straddling the tree.

Ah, where does one begin making a basket? Researcher saw a container made of earth at the Elenya camp, but that was it. She stripped the vines down to thin strips as her mind got to work. Perhaps she could arrange a few in a star shape here, and then weave other fibers through over there, and then...

This was gonna take a while. Enough time, in fact, for any curious strangers to join the young scientists. As she worked, she shouted down muffled advice to the bugcatcher(s) below: "Remember to examine unfamiliar insects for toxin! Green crawlers are usually edible, but check for abnormalities! If you notice something unexplained, mark its location or bring it back for examination. And don't get lost!"

@Cortex @Diot

FIELD REPORT:

Cortex really did try to keep out of the mud. Despite being called a 'trash panda' by most, he was actually very neat and clean. He groomed himself every morning and night and ensured that everything he had was kept neat and tidy, even washing his food before he ate it. It was all about keeping things clean and perfect to him.

"The green crawlers are especially delicious too," he mentioned, half-listening as Researcher spoke, "They are very juicy."

He jumped off into another tree and stuck his head into a hole, ignoring a nest of disgruntled hallowed callers and instead moving on to go find something else. Whatever.

"There are black beetles," he said, staring at a beetle with strange orange markings, "They have bright spots, I don't know what they mean."

> This small creature needs a name. I shall call them... Black branchcrawlers for now. To fit with the theme.

Cortex scooped up the bug and carefully made his way back, holding it gently before presenting it to Researcher, pointing at the colors.

"I believe brightly colored markings like these means that the animal or insect is toxic," he said blandly, "We ought to test this one even so, however. Perhaps we can capture some larger lessers to test these on. A small rabbit ought to work if we simply crush one of these up and mix them with the leaves they seem to eat."

@Researcher

Diot never left Eridanus much-though recently that had changed; especially being so alone. Cetus was a wonderful place in all honesty. Even if the fog was a bit too thick at times...it often made it quite hard to well keep an eye out; but so long as he stayed in the trees and kept his wits about him as usual all would be fine. But still he hopped about between the foliage below, climbing trees when he felt the need. He was out collecting things, plants, bugs and the like; also hoping to aid the nature in this location just as he did in Eridanus.

He was a caretaker for nature, hoping to help and nourish it and all that it made at any chance he could get; as it cared for him and the lesser's alike. He hummed to himself, climbing another tree and inspecting a few vines and the bark beneath his feet. Taking a few pieces for himself to spread to another tree elsewhere. He continued to hop about, once again making his way to the damp floor below. Stopping for a moment to inspect some plant life that seemed...dead...how sad...

He hummed...slowly pulling the dead foliage up and tossing it softly to the side, nature would reclaim it so it would not go to waste. But in the meantime he would offer it a helping hand. Focusing upon the space before him, coaxing the dormant seeds just beneath the soil to sprout and grow. Just a little head start, a little helping hand was all they needed. He softly smiled, gently touching the sprouting plants, inspecting them and their new beginnings. These would grow better than the last, he was sure of it!

His celebration was paused- at least for now; he heard others?...He listened intently, hopping back into the trees of Cetus yet again; it was safer here and he was quite curious. Always one to welcome others, and one to watch and offer aid to those who needed it. He heard- two? But could only see one from where he sat...a gembound similar to some..form of...cat or-dog? He hadn't seen their species before- but they seemed- vaguely similar to a skunk too?

He glanced around...waiting to hear from the other gembound, he knew he heard two voices...but only one he could locate. But so far they didn't seem...dangerous- and they seemed rather focused on finding bugs? For now he would wait- though he wasn't hiding. Perched upon the tree, tail dangling from the branch he waited- either they would see him- or he would make himself known.

To Stygian, the swamp is a place of rolling mist and blurred monoliths rising through the ocean of white. Water drips and rushes, and all around him, the chirping of the crawler bats can be heard; flocks of Lessers similar in shape to him providing constant, rolling white noise.

What the swamp does not have, usually, are voices. Although today seems to be much different—today, as he flies above, considering whether or not he's hungry enough to go shock one of those screaming birds from the sky, he hears the shape of Gembound, moving in the fog. Hears quiet conversation about... bugs, of all things.

And what is a 'Lab', anyway?

Curiosity and the vague promise of a free meal (he doesn't usually go for bugs, but he'll take it) draws him down, lower, where the fog is thicker. One, two... three, shapes, actually, because he can hear the outline of something sitting in a tree and he's pretty sure that's not a Lesser, either.

He's not doing anything. Might as well check it out.

Flap, flap; his wings beat hard to slow his momentum down and he alights on a tree branch just above the other figure on it, hanging—eyes sliding over to him to make eye contact, head tilting in a way that says you see those Gembound? Acknowledging their shared role as spectator.

He doesn't initiate contact with the two on the ground yet, though. He's not that social.

@Researcher @Cortex @Diot

Note: the basket described is not a typical European-style basket. It's more like the shape of a Hupa water basket with the thickness of this.

Her fingers tightened the last vine, plucked out the final splinters, and it was complete: a pale, oblong basket with high sides perfect for containing insects. Sure, it was a little small, and maybe somewhat misshapen, but what did you expect? She would have to perfect the technique a later time. For now, Researcher was confident this would work.

"Done," the golden scientist called down, slowly crawling down the tree this time to avoid another headache. Her toes squished in the mud. She held the basket out as if she was offering something to Cortex. "This will be designated as a... Boxed, Animal-Securing Kettle Enhancing Treat Gathering. Basketg. No, that's hard to pronounce. Just Basket."

She cocked her head curiously at the beetle the raccoon brought, her white pupils focusing on its neon markings. "Don't touch it much if its possibly toxic. Place it in a different container from the rest of the insects, lest we poison our own food. Perhaps a leaf would work." She placed the basket down on a raised rock between them." Researcher pointed her thumb to the west. "I will search near the wall for any green crawlers or other bugs and deposit them back here."

And off she was again, choosing to stay on the ground this time, hopping from root to root. The buzzing of flies filled her ears, even when she swatted them away. What a shame the most widespread, annoying bugs were the ones she couldn't catch. She should really make a net next time.

She flicked a couple of wallcrawlers off a moldy, rotting branch and into her arms, where they kneaded her fur harmlessly. She noticed two black larvae swimming in a muddy pond, and after picking one up and sniffing it, decided they were safe enough to add to her pile as well. But she barely got anywhere before a bizarre, reptilian fly swatted past her face and flew up to the trees above.

"Huh," Researcher noted passively. She grabbed onto the bark of the tree and began scaling after it, slowly and carefully once again. But something else caught her eye first-- something furry, and long, dangling from a shadowed branch.

"What?" Confusion revealed itself through her voice, but was quickly replaced by her typical formality. Her expression was unreadable behind her crystal mask. "Is a sentient creature here? Please speak if you are."

@Cortex @Diot @Stygian

Diot watched with focus and curiosity, gaze still following the furry skunk-like but not a skunk gembound that was busy gathering bugs from the damp floor below. Eyes flickering around to catch sight of the voice he had yet put to a face or well anything really. But soon a golden... monkey?...He wasn't exactly sure but their form was similar to what he's seen before with other gembounds within the caves many cycles ago. Regardless of what they may be he perked up with interest. Eyes taking in the sight of a oblong basket they carried and evidently shoved bugs into.

Gaze following the new gembound he watched her hop from root to root. Grabbing a bug here and there, sniffing for safety; inspecting it before placing it safely into their basket. How lovely! Something though flew past them and up into the trees where he observed from above. Silently he turned his face, meeting eyes with a bat! Diot smiled, nodding at the new gembound; it seems they would both watch from above with curious filled intentions.

That was until the primate spoke, calling up from Cetus's floor. Asking if they were sentient- well Diot most certainly was; and he was fairly confident the bat was as well. But, he would not speak for another with prior agreement. So he hummed, staring down at her from high above, tail swaying from side to side like a loose vine might in the wind. Hands gently placed upon the branch he sat upon he peered over, chest lowering the the branch itself to peer down at her with a calm sense of excitement. Magic igniting without a plan fungus slowly began growing over the branch and around his hands where he sat and peered from. He was perhaps a bit too excited at the prospect of new friends and family, his magic often cause plants and such to sprout with his mood.

"I am sentient, as are you! It is a pleasure to meet you-two?"

Tilting his head he marked his excitement with a question, was there more than two?...three...or four maybe?

" Might I ask what you are doing?"

Diot was fairly certain he knew at least a little bit of their plans...they were gathering bugs for whatever reason- possibly to farm and eat just like he did back home. Perhaps they were attempting to figure out which were toxic...and which were not?...Regardless Diot kept focus upon the golden primate below, refusing to glace towards the third gembound. If the bat wished to remain unseen Diot would not speak of them and would allow them to watch in peace. But he would welcome regardless, he knew some gembounds were more social than others.

INCIDENT REPORT:

Cortex looked on with mild disappointment as Researcher left. There was no interest in how it might be toxic, only that it ought to stay away from their food. He looked down at the bug and watched it wiggle, trying in vain to get away.

"... I care about what you are," he mumbled, before gently placing it back on a branch and letting it walk away.

Food gathering... how boring. They should be studying the small things they eat! They should be noting how many legs something has, the color, the eyes, if it turns from a simple worm into a moth or a butterfly like he'd seem some do. This wasn't nearly stimulating enough for Cortex's overactive brain.

"I will look for more bugs-", he said, but she was already gone.

Frowning gently, he lingered for a moment, sighing softly. He waddled off down a branch and towards the disgusting muddy floor below, hoping to find something in the muck. He hated filth.

Ears perking up, he turned as he heard voices, his sour mood falling further. Lovely. People.

"Collecting things," he elaborated poorly, digging up a patch of dirt to find some worms wriggling around inside. The sight made him gag but he fought the reflex and picked each little invertebrate out, holding them in one hand as he wiped them off to discern their color.

A quick sniff and he deemed them edible, walking along on two feet as he made his way back to the basket to deposit the new food inside.

"You look like Researcher, sort of," he noted, eyeing golden fur that looked so much like his friend's, "Are you a 'Researcher'?"