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A Name for the Frog?
3 years ago
Webber Finds a Frog Pt 3.
Hi
Update! After reading a good deal of ecology I found this creature to resemble an amphibian called a "frog"... I am still not entirely convinced as it is much larger and pancake shaped than any thing I have seen, but nevertheless it does seem to have similar behavioral characteristics. Speaking of said creature... I have decided for the time being to name him Pancake. Pancake and I had quite the surprising, dare I say, bonding experience today... I awoke to find the little pancake snuggled up beside me.
When I don't have any schooling for the day, I love to start my mornings with a good deal of outdoor exploration. I took care to not wake the creature, but the second I left the fluffpile he began stirring awake. Oops. I took a large gulp of water before heading out the front of my home. There was an odd "Plip Plip Plip" noise behind me. hmmm....
I turned to find King following me out the door. Or perhaps he was heading out back to his own home... I stared and waiting for him to leave but he just stared back with empty expressionless eyes. What was going on in this creature's head? I still was half convinced there was some higher form of intelligence in there. Almost alien like....
"Well," I finally said after some awkward silence, "What are you doing?"
.... No response, just intense staring... hmphf. Perhaps he did not want to communicate after all. I turned to continue on my walk. *Plip Plip Plip*
The thing was still following along but it made me no difference. Every time I turned to look at Pancake, he would freeze as if it were some type of game. But, sure enough, once I turned and began walking, he followed loudly.
The foliage was quite dense in the area and the ground was a soft pinkish sand. Giant stalks of slender green and blue plants waved about with the gentle breeze. I took time to smell some of my favorite plants with bright purple and blue flowers. There were nearly the size of my head by now! These flowers smelled light yet somewhat salty. I had been visiting this section of the swamp for almost a year now and was my favorite basking spot; A small clearing with hardened sand surrounded by a few giant smooth rocks. Just a dragon's length away was a large pool of slow moving water wrapping around corners of foliage. The sounds were very peaceful here. Plants rubbed together and fish splashed about.
I centered myself in the middle of the hardened pink sand and draped my tail over a black rock. It was incredibly warm and felt like a hug. Any soreness my body had melted away as I breathed a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes and curled up, soaking in the warm sun on my back... What a lovely place this was and a great way to unwind from the stresses of the academy....
So it was for all of 5 seconds before *PLIp Plip plip* Perhaps the little frog like creature was just settling in and would quiet down. I had been so focused on nature I had almost forgotten about him... surely if I were patient it would settle in....no... Instead I felt a sudden cold pressure on my side. ugh what was this thing doing....? Scowling, I opened an eye and turned to find Pancake's sticky self trying to climb on top of me. Yick. I was unsure what to do so I froze, trying my best to control my frustrated huffing noises. Finally the thing settled on top of my back and stretched out as if it too were basking. I read nothing of frogs basking, and more importantly, Who does this creature think it is! Higher being or not, it does not get to use me as some.... some.... basking perch! The nerve!
I scurried upright. Overcome with frustration, I thrashed about, kicking up sand and a black rock off towards the water. Suddenly, Pancake sprung off of me in the direction of the rock. It chased that rock as if it were a matter of life or death. Such intense movement for a creature with seemingly no expression. Pancake pounced on the rock with its mouth wide open. So much for a tranquil morning. The fish were scared off as Pancake turned back and bounded toward me. Acg!
Was it coming to attack me for my insolence? Perhaps I had greatly offended it in not accepting to be its perch. I had no time to react as the creature was already at my feet starting upward. How was it here already? Would it be my end? How was it going to punish me. Perhaps I should have been kinder to it. I closed my eyes and prepared to be smitten...
"Bleruk" .... I felt a sudden pressure on my foot. Agh! I grabbed my foot and lifted it up. What the?... Oh... The black rock I had thrown earlier fell off my foot and onto the pink sand.... Uhm... The creature punished my insolence by dropping a rock on my foot? What a strange custom. Pancake still stared, ....almost... expectantly now. Slowly I crouched down and picked up the rock. Upon seeing this Pancake began Wiggling and hopping. What? Was this some form of communication! Well, I could not pass that offer up. I tried Wiggling my tail in response, but Pancake only seemed to care about the rock now. It was oddly circular for a rock and had incredibly smooth sides. What did he want me to do with this?
I set the rock down and immediately Pancake tried to eat it again. Surely that was not good for its health! In a panic, I grabbed the rock out of Pancake's mouth and threw it far away into the water. Instantly, Pancake wiggled and bounded towards the rock. Ugh, Fine if he wanted it so bad I guess he could have it... Maybe it was part of his diet, although I was quite confident frogs ate bugs. Pancake lept into the water and seemingly swallowed the rock up again. Well, I had seen enough. I was going to go home now and tend to my cave. I had to read up on my Alchemy studies anyway.
I stretched out and took in one last whiff of the fresh flowers. just as I was about to start out. *Plop.* Pancake dropped the stone right at my feet.
" I am not entirely sold on the name pancake for you.... Maybe I should have called you stone or something." I told the little flat slime. I picked up the stone and studied it. It appeared to be dark black with hints of grey and purple. I sat down and stared at my reflection in the stone.... Hmmm.
"...Obsidian" I remarked. Pancake began jumping. I thought just for a second, I saw a glimmer of emotion in those eyes. What emotion was it though? Something like desire or perhaps affirmation.
"Ah! Your name is obsidian then? ....Of course!" The little froggy deity stared at the rock with such focus. ... I knew it! Surely there was intelligence in this being. It was trying to signal to me its name!
But if I had already found its name, why was it so focused on the stone? Perhaps it got joy in chasing the stone and bringing it back. But why? Such a pointless task. Well, I like basking and smelling flowers. Perhaps to him that seems like a pointless task. Is it so pointless if It brings joy and doesn't harm anything? I suppose not.
Reluctantly, I threw the rock. Instantly, Obsidian bounded off and retrieved it once again. I slumped over and took the rock. Ah....
"I guess you just wanted to play a game of fetch?" Oddly dog like behavior for such a non doglike animal. Erm. Perhaps I had been a bit to imaginative in assuming this thing was so intelligent... or a deity. Perhaps he is but a humble creature like myself.... Regardless I liked the name Obsidian and figured We could stick with that rather than pancake. Maybe he could have a first and last name. Obsidian Pancake.... Oh well....
I plan to spend the rest of the night studying. Obsidian Pancake followed me home with his rock and has been cuddled up near my feet for the time.... He seems to have lost his concept of personal space.
At least the weather was nice, and Obsidian does not seem particularly threatening or threatened.
S/10/M
-Webber
Thanks for reading! Feel free to read the other journals to catch up on the story! I will be posting story art as well for nice visuals :)
Hi
Update! After reading a good deal of ecology I found this creature to resemble an amphibian called a "frog"... I am still not entirely convinced as it is much larger and pancake shaped than any thing I have seen, but nevertheless it does seem to have similar behavioral characteristics. Speaking of said creature... I have decided for the time being to name him Pancake. Pancake and I had quite the surprising, dare I say, bonding experience today... I awoke to find the little pancake snuggled up beside me.
When I don't have any schooling for the day, I love to start my mornings with a good deal of outdoor exploration. I took care to not wake the creature, but the second I left the fluffpile he began stirring awake. Oops. I took a large gulp of water before heading out the front of my home. There was an odd "Plip Plip Plip" noise behind me. hmmm....
I turned to find King following me out the door. Or perhaps he was heading out back to his own home... I stared and waiting for him to leave but he just stared back with empty expressionless eyes. What was going on in this creature's head? I still was half convinced there was some higher form of intelligence in there. Almost alien like....
"Well," I finally said after some awkward silence, "What are you doing?"
.... No response, just intense staring... hmphf. Perhaps he did not want to communicate after all. I turned to continue on my walk. *Plip Plip Plip*
The thing was still following along but it made me no difference. Every time I turned to look at Pancake, he would freeze as if it were some type of game. But, sure enough, once I turned and began walking, he followed loudly.
The foliage was quite dense in the area and the ground was a soft pinkish sand. Giant stalks of slender green and blue plants waved about with the gentle breeze. I took time to smell some of my favorite plants with bright purple and blue flowers. There were nearly the size of my head by now! These flowers smelled light yet somewhat salty. I had been visiting this section of the swamp for almost a year now and was my favorite basking spot; A small clearing with hardened sand surrounded by a few giant smooth rocks. Just a dragon's length away was a large pool of slow moving water wrapping around corners of foliage. The sounds were very peaceful here. Plants rubbed together and fish splashed about.
I centered myself in the middle of the hardened pink sand and draped my tail over a black rock. It was incredibly warm and felt like a hug. Any soreness my body had melted away as I breathed a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes and curled up, soaking in the warm sun on my back... What a lovely place this was and a great way to unwind from the stresses of the academy....
So it was for all of 5 seconds before *PLIp Plip plip* Perhaps the little frog like creature was just settling in and would quiet down. I had been so focused on nature I had almost forgotten about him... surely if I were patient it would settle in....no... Instead I felt a sudden cold pressure on my side. ugh what was this thing doing....? Scowling, I opened an eye and turned to find Pancake's sticky self trying to climb on top of me. Yick. I was unsure what to do so I froze, trying my best to control my frustrated huffing noises. Finally the thing settled on top of my back and stretched out as if it too were basking. I read nothing of frogs basking, and more importantly, Who does this creature think it is! Higher being or not, it does not get to use me as some.... some.... basking perch! The nerve!
I scurried upright. Overcome with frustration, I thrashed about, kicking up sand and a black rock off towards the water. Suddenly, Pancake sprung off of me in the direction of the rock. It chased that rock as if it were a matter of life or death. Such intense movement for a creature with seemingly no expression. Pancake pounced on the rock with its mouth wide open. So much for a tranquil morning. The fish were scared off as Pancake turned back and bounded toward me. Acg!
Was it coming to attack me for my insolence? Perhaps I had greatly offended it in not accepting to be its perch. I had no time to react as the creature was already at my feet starting upward. How was it here already? Would it be my end? How was it going to punish me. Perhaps I should have been kinder to it. I closed my eyes and prepared to be smitten...
"Bleruk" .... I felt a sudden pressure on my foot. Agh! I grabbed my foot and lifted it up. What the?... Oh... The black rock I had thrown earlier fell off my foot and onto the pink sand.... Uhm... The creature punished my insolence by dropping a rock on my foot? What a strange custom. Pancake still stared, ....almost... expectantly now. Slowly I crouched down and picked up the rock. Upon seeing this Pancake began Wiggling and hopping. What? Was this some form of communication! Well, I could not pass that offer up. I tried Wiggling my tail in response, but Pancake only seemed to care about the rock now. It was oddly circular for a rock and had incredibly smooth sides. What did he want me to do with this?
I set the rock down and immediately Pancake tried to eat it again. Surely that was not good for its health! In a panic, I grabbed the rock out of Pancake's mouth and threw it far away into the water. Instantly, Pancake wiggled and bounded towards the rock. Ugh, Fine if he wanted it so bad I guess he could have it... Maybe it was part of his diet, although I was quite confident frogs ate bugs. Pancake lept into the water and seemingly swallowed the rock up again. Well, I had seen enough. I was going to go home now and tend to my cave. I had to read up on my Alchemy studies anyway.
I stretched out and took in one last whiff of the fresh flowers. just as I was about to start out. *Plop.* Pancake dropped the stone right at my feet.
" I am not entirely sold on the name pancake for you.... Maybe I should have called you stone or something." I told the little flat slime. I picked up the stone and studied it. It appeared to be dark black with hints of grey and purple. I sat down and stared at my reflection in the stone.... Hmmm.
"...Obsidian" I remarked. Pancake began jumping. I thought just for a second, I saw a glimmer of emotion in those eyes. What emotion was it though? Something like desire or perhaps affirmation.
"Ah! Your name is obsidian then? ....Of course!" The little froggy deity stared at the rock with such focus. ... I knew it! Surely there was intelligence in this being. It was trying to signal to me its name!
But if I had already found its name, why was it so focused on the stone? Perhaps it got joy in chasing the stone and bringing it back. But why? Such a pointless task. Well, I like basking and smelling flowers. Perhaps to him that seems like a pointless task. Is it so pointless if It brings joy and doesn't harm anything? I suppose not.
Reluctantly, I threw the rock. Instantly, Obsidian bounded off and retrieved it once again. I slumped over and took the rock. Ah....
"I guess you just wanted to play a game of fetch?" Oddly dog like behavior for such a non doglike animal. Erm. Perhaps I had been a bit to imaginative in assuming this thing was so intelligent... or a deity. Perhaps he is but a humble creature like myself.... Regardless I liked the name Obsidian and figured We could stick with that rather than pancake. Maybe he could have a first and last name. Obsidian Pancake.... Oh well....
I plan to spend the rest of the night studying. Obsidian Pancake followed me home with his rock and has been cuddled up near my feet for the time.... He seems to have lost his concept of personal space.
At least the weather was nice, and Obsidian does not seem particularly threatening or threatened.
S/10/M
-Webber
Thanks for reading! Feel free to read the other journals to catch up on the story! I will be posting story art as well for nice visuals :)
