Sniffles slithers through the swampy marsh within the heart of Cetus - they are looking for something specific. They haven't had someone to care for in a long time. And did the cat even count? - regardless, Sniffles thinks its time the Children of Rot gets more members. And they'd like to have some little ones running around. Or perhaps slithering, if they don't end up with usable legs.

Their tongue flicks out over and over, though stones do not have a scent, it's good to keep notice of things around them. Sniffles has smelled themselves for so long that they don't even smell the rotting scent of their own body anymore. They keep their eyes (and tongue) peeled in anticipation of finding a stone.

Through the rolling mist shimmers a spine-like spike of fluorite. Sniffles will find that the gemstone is brimming with life, once belonging to a Master-level hybrid between a cuckoo and a yellow perch. It takes most of its shape from the bird, though is a little larger than a typical cuckoo. Its feathers take on the yellow-green iridescent sheen of the fish with its matching dark-green to black stripes. Its eyes are glimmering gold in color with black sclera and black pupils.

It is 1.5 feet from bill to tail, and its tail feathers are just shy of a foot long themselves at 10 inches. Along its back is the fan-like dorsal fin of the yellow perch, which can be raised or lay flush within the feathers. When fully raised it stands 5 inches. Its chest has a similar fan that is only 3 inches when raised - both of these fans taper in height with the highest point being in the middle. It has short cuckoo-like legs with the typical yellow-orange coloring fading from its yellow-green feathers.

Gemstone: Flourite
Location: The tallest spine in the dorsal fin (can still be moved with the entire fin, attached to muscle beneath the skin)
Hybrid: Cuckoo x Yellow Perch
Appearance:
- Cuckoo body (1.5ft bill to tail, 10 inches tail feathers, 40 inches wingspan)
- Yellow perch coloring and pattern (makes the feather shiny like scales)
- Golden eyes with black sclera/pupils
Element/Level: Arcane Master

Sniffles keeps moving through the bog and eventually stumbles upon a strange looking stone. A little spiky thing, purple and green in color. They circle it, slithering until their hind legs can reach it before snatching it up quickly. They cannot walk with these legs, but they work well enough for grabbing.

"Mine." They say to no-one.

And it is all theirs. No owner in sight.

@Dragon @Yanyue

Dragon was not far off, dipping in and out of the water channels of the swamp. He was not searching for stones, but for food--fish--and his movement was languid and unhurried. Truth be told, as an ambush predator with no real metabolism to speak of, he generally just lurked in wait near the shorelines until a fish swam by or something came to drink at the water's edge. But today?

Well, today he'd gotten bored.

His travel through the muddy waters wasn't particularly urgent, then, but rather the slow and occasional sweep of a ridged tail to keep him moving at least a little.

As he slid back out from a narrow passage back into the Heart's waters, he noticed a distant figure--one that seemed familiar. He drew closer, and the scent of Oil and shape of Sniffles soon became clear. Dragon drew closer, lifting his head a little from the surface of the water to call out. "Hello, Sniffles." They'd barely spoken, the two of them; this was a Child of Rot but one that, like so many of the Children, simply went about their own business in the swamp. And Dragon, bored and curious, wondered what that business might now be. Probably just hunting, he mused, but he felt like chatting, just then. "Might I ask what you're up to? -Out of curiosity," he hastily added, in case his idle question were misread as a demand.

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@Sniffles

The languid approach of Dragon makes the poor thing not notice until the gator speaks. Sniffles shoots their head out of the water with a splash, periscoping to gaze at the gator. Inattentive Sniffles getting scared by their own group member, oops.

"Oh. Hi!"

They lower themselves back down then in another splash, though much less frantic. Sniffles circles around some more to have more access to their small legs, and hold up the stone they've just found. They wiggle it around a bit before dropping their leg back underneath.

"Stone hunting! You?"

It's true that the two of them have not spoken much at all - Sniffles doesn't really talk much despite their friendly nature either. They can count on one claw how many Children of Rot members they've spoken to. And they're related to quite a few of them!

Oh well.

@Dragon

Dragon laughed, quiet but good-natured. "Merely 'hunting,' myself," he answered easily. Dark eyes flicked to the gemstone that Sniffles carried. "Do you plan to return it to life-?" he asked, curious.

More importantly--did this mean more children for the-... well, Children (of Rot)? He did not want to outright ask, in case it put pressure on the child. Well-... not that Sniffles was a child, exactly; she was old, by now. He just had a way of thinking of them that way; Sniffles seemed so innocent and chipper, to him. "It seems you've had more luck than me in your hunt, in any case," he added. He'd come up alongside Sniffles now, not so close as to be intruding on their personal space; but enough that a conversation wasn't being half-shouted. He floated there, casually calm, content simply to make small talk.

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@Sniffles

With no catch in the gator's mouth, Sniffles comes to the conclusion that Dragon has found nothing. A pretty obvious one, but Sniffles has never really been the brightest. They do muster up the best version of a grin they can do when Dragon asks if they will bring the stone to life. Children of Rot needs more babies!

"Yessss, younglings for the Rot!" Their tongue flicks. "It's too quiet here." They say.

Cetus has never seemed to be a favorite to the various gembound that pass through, the swamps were full of sticky muck. Sniffles has never found a problem in it however. It's been their home for many cycles and it will continue to be that way. They hope the younglings feel the same way-- that they will find a home within the Rot too.

Of course, the snake would never keep someone hostage. Especially not their own children! They're thinking too far into the future though, and decide to push the idea away.

"Do you want help looking?" Sniffles can probably move a bit faster than Dragon on land at least, though they do prefer the bog. Less likely to combust.

@Dragon

The mention of "younglings for the Rot" brought a spark of enthusiasm into the old alligator; and Sniffles' declaration that it was "too quiet here" left him breaking into laughter. "It is quiet, here," he agreed good-naturedly. It was. That was part of the good of Cetus, Dragon believed; it was out of the way, and swampy and stinky enough that it was mostly left alone.

Mostly. Well... after they'd chased Order out, at least.

"No, thank you. But--I would like to help you. I would always like more Children for Cetus. I can bring a piece of your stone to life--or offer a piece of mine?" He favored the first, and it showed--if only faintly--in his tone. He wasn't sure on Sniffles' parenting techniques, and he enjoyed raising children. But if they wanted kids, and if they wanted a piece of his stone, he'd still oblige.

Hell, maybe he ought to find some stones for himself to raise, too. It had been awhile--and why not? Cetus was maybe a little too quiet, these days.

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@Sniffles

Dragon's offer has Sniffles looking at him in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

Having Dragon's stone (or life) would make things a lot easier admittedly. Sniffles can't say it will make things more predictable, but they don't need to know what the young ones will look like before they hatch. Their tongue flicks as they think.

"I'd be happy to offer you my stone to use!" They wiggle in excitement. Yes! This will make things easier!

Sniffles does have quite good parenting instincts, but they can't deny that Dragon is far older with far more experience. In everything, really! The Children of Rot will care for all of the younglings equally, they know that for sure.

"I will use the spell now!" Fair warning achieved. Despite not having any usable magic themselves - that they know of - they know this one will work. Sniffles has not chosen to learn anything, or tried. They do know they were born of fire, though. These ones will probably learn more.

@Dragon

Dragon blinked in surprise as Sniffles simply--did it. There was forewarning, but about half a second's worth. He'd expected... discussion, maybe, or questions. But suddenly, abruptly, fatherhood was coming at him again full-steam ahead.

Their cheerful nature was warming, but replaced by a sudden lurch of horror as he realized they were just... shearing off a stone piece right there, while happily drifting there in front of him. He dove without hesitation, catching the shard in his jaws before it could plummet into the Heart's depths.

Then he surfaced in a spray of water, blinking. He tucked the shard of Onyx away on one side of his jaw to speak, maneuvering it carefully with a light toss of his jaws. "I will grant it life on the shoreline," he told them, a little baffled but delighted, too. "Feel free to join me with your stones, if and when you wish. I will build a nest!" he decided. One he could defend, and protect, until the child hatched. "We can both raise the child," he added, though it was almost more of a question; he wasn't sure if Sniffles actually wanted to do that, or really knew how, but he was hardly going to take their stone piece and just leave with it entirely.

He then turned, making for the nearby shore, hauling himself up and into the mud. It took him a few minutes to nudge reeds and muck into a nest; he did so beneath the protective, gnarled roots of one of the mangrove-like trees. Then, gently, he set the black stone into them, and rested his chin atop it.

Let me grant you life, he thought, his imagination wondering just what a mixture of alligator and Oil-snake might wind up looking like.

A moment later the onyx was infused with new fire. Dragon huffed a rumble of approval, then nudged mud over it with his snout--hiding it from sight, and keeping it insulated from the elements.

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@Sniffles