#{🍃🐌~Swamp Grandpa~🍃🐌}

[zekethebeastmaker]

“Zeeeeeeeeeke!”, Sadie barks out at the Beast Maker, way louder than she needed to from just a few feet away. “George’s doing it again!”

And by it, she meant having one of his really off days.

Zeke had been picking some moss for his snails and slugs to eat, and suddenly jolted up and back down again, causing a small wave in the water he was currently knee-deep in; and he had thought his Lily had the biggest lungs. Nonetheless, the warning was registered. He turned, searching the area with concern.

"Doin' it again? Aw, shoot. Where is he, Sadie?"

If he was having an off day, Zeke wanted to at least try to help the little guy through it- and if there was trouble, to handle it. As an elder, he felt it was his job to help the younger generation in anyway he could.

[zekethebeastmaker]

By the Great Mother Serpent's spine. Zeke recognized this instantly: he needed to cool down this hatchling, and fast. He nodded.

"That it is. How 'bout we get you cooled down, hm?"

He turned to Sadie- the only one he could think of to help at the moment, seeing as she had the sense to get him to begin with. He pointed towards the door.

"Sadie, I need you to go on down to my hut and grab a jar for me- a mid-sized blue one wit' a glass snail shell for a lid. It's in the potion pantry, bottom shelf. You couldn't miss it- and hurry, if you'd be so kind."

He patted George gently on the head. "You stay put for just a bit. I'll be back."

Then he was outside, snatching up a spare tub they used for cleaning up the hatchlings after a particularly vigorous day of rough-housing in the mud. He went over to the well nearby, gave it a few generous pumps to fill the tub part-way, then stuck his hand in to test the temperature: cold, straight from the ground. He shook his head with a slight tsk, then breathed a small spurt of flame over it to warm it some, then repeated: hand in, test the temperature- still too cold- warm it again, only a little, stick your hand in again- there! Perfect.

When he came back again the water in the tub was cool- not too cold to shock his system, and yet not warm enough to raise the hatchling's body temperature any higher. This should help cool him down somewhat, at least until Sadie got back with that bottle. He scooped the hatchling up gingerly and then lowered him into the tub so that he was mostly submerged, though he kept him cradled in his hands for support.

"There you go. Just take it easy for a minute, it'll pass."

Under The Weather

zekethebeastmaker:

Zeke noticed right away that Sadie wasn’t being her usual dramatic self, and that alone almost tipped him over to full-blown panic. Was George alright?- He ignored the pain in his back and hurried as fast as he could, still dripping wet and heading straight for the nursery.

But even then, he knew better than to go bursting in like a tornado on a caffeine high; that could only worsen the situation. Instead he gently opened the door and peeked inside. Upon finding George on the ground his heart clenched. Poor little thing!

Zeke closed the door behind him and pulled the curtains down so that the room was a little darker, and thus, less hot. Then he knelt down, nudging George gently with one of his wings.

“George? You alright? Heat’s not gettin’ to you too much, is it?”

Sadie beat Zeke to the door by a long shot, constantly looking back and forth between the two in her impatience for him to catch up and open it. Inside, everyone but George was fine, though they’d keep their distance from the elderly dragon given the matter at hand.

George himself didn’t lift his head up - or move from his spot at all - instead following Zeke with his squinted eyes as he went to dim the incoming light and make his way towards him. The ailing tot wasn’t any less cognisant than usual and had been breathing at a regular speed; hopefully it meant this wasn’t a case of heatstroke.

Either way, he was in need of some cooling down.

Getting prodded just seemed to irritate George, who responded by mumbling and shuffling further away from Zeke. Once he settled down again he’d confirm “…it’s hot,” albeit rather quietly.

@zekethebeastmaker

[zekethebeastmaker]

Open Starter: Down In Misty Bog

So far the day had been slow, quiet, and peaceful: just the way Zeke liked it. No shouting, no rough housing between the younger Beastmakers that required his remedies, no house calls. He sat on his porch in his rocking chair, letting the steady motion ease the now near-constant ache in his back. His snails slithered over his scales, nibbling on whatever plant life had gotten caught on him since his last swim.

What could be better than this? A fine day in the bog, spring in full bloom. The bugs were singing along with the frogs, and occasionally a fish jumping up out of the water and back down again added to the chorus. He hummed a snatch of song, more to his snails than himself, and began to drift off to sleep.

He didn't know how long he had been napping until he awoke again to a loud sound of some sort. He snorted, startled awake, adjusting his leaf hat to see what it was that had disturbed him. He blinked, trying to clear his vision from the haze of sleep.

"Hm? Hello?"

[zekethebeastmaker]

Meet The Muse:

Zeke is a good 2,578 years old, but don't let his age fool you! He's still as sharp as a gator tooth (most of the time), and won't hesitate to give you a good dose of slug slime remedy if you're in need of it (or not). One of the resident Beastmakers of Misty Bog, Zeke is responsible for breeding snails, slugs, and leeches for medicinal and food purposes, at times working closely with hatchlinghood friend Damon to create new healing potions and the like. Come on down to his hut and holler if you need anything, but please do mind the snails!

[zekethebeastmaker]

Hay there swamp grandpa.

How are you doing :3

"Oh! My first question! Well hello there, lil'un. I'm mighty fine, and yourself?"

[zekethebeastmaker]

Carson made their slow, steady way up towards the porch, like a living blob of molasses. Zeke watched them for a moment, then nodded.

"Beastmakin' ain't all peaches n' cream, that's for certain," he said after a moment. "And bein' leader of our lot more so. That's part of the 'sacrifice' in the bargain, I think: instead of keepin' animals in line, he has to spend most of his time just keepin' us in line."

He sighed. "I don't doubt that he does miss the ol' days, way back when Sabine was still with us. Things were alot easier for him then- for alot of us."

He looked out at the pond, his eyes going as misty as the bog itself, as they often did when he started to recall the past. A fish jumped up out of the water and plopped back down again with a splash. The noise must have brought him back to the present; he blinked away the mist and then smiled again.

"...But there's always somethin' to look forward to. Maybe one of these days...well, who knows? We just might behave enough to let poor Bruno rest his bones for a change."

He rocked slowly, first leaning forward with a long creak, then leaning back again. Then his tail halted the motion suddenly, leaving him in a soft sloping angle. His brow furrowed some.

"...Why do'ya ask? Gettin' weary yourself, or is Bruno just belly-achin' a little more than usual?"

zekethebeastmaker​:

The slug was rather determined. It wrapped itself around his staff, very very slowly making its steady way up in a spiral. Zeke hummed a low note: slugs couldn’t hear, but they could detect certain vibrations.

“Sorry ‘bout Carson,” he said, “they see a dragon an’ think they’re gonna get a slice of tomato.”

It seemed the vibrations finally made their way over to the slug, who detached itself and began to change direction for the porch. Zeke took a small, dried piece of fruit out of a jar on the table next to him and laid it on the ground beside his chair.

“It’ll take them about 20 minutes to make it over here, but that tomato will be waitin’ for ‘em.”

He watched the slug for a bit, ensuring that it wouldn’t stray back over to Isaak- but it seemed it had caught the scent of the fruit as well. He nodded.

“Of course. That’s how it’s always been: the members of the guild stickin’ together like tar. We’re as close to each other as each of us is close to our chosen 'beasts’.”

And a blessing that was, as well. Zeke wasn’t as social as many of the others, being somewhat more reclusive, but even with their differences, there wasn’t a thing Zeke wouldn’t do for any one of them. He snorted somewhat, more to distract himself from getting too sentimental than from any real amusement.

“Indeed! After a few centuries livin’ wit’ 'em, I’d have hoped I would have mastered their husbandry somewhat.”

He chuckled to himself again- genuine this time. He had no doubts in that department. He prided himself on knowing more about the slimer animals than anyone else in the dragon realms, just as Isaak probably found a similar cause for 'dignified vanity’ in his crabs. Speaking of: Zeke leaned forward to get a better look at the little critters in the bag. He whistled in approval.

“My! Those are some lovely lil’ things! Nice an’ healthy by the looks of it, too. Must be your pride and joy.”

It always did his heart good to see the younger generation doing so well in the guild work. It gave him a further sense of pride, this being that unselfish kind one had for their family, like a father for his child.

“Reminds me of my first batch of snails,” he sighed wistfully, “fine freshwater Physella Acuta. Of course, I barely knew what I was doin’, then. I’m just glad to see that your batches so far have all been good ones. Makin’ a fine beastmaker of yourself, you are.”

Isaak just grins bright with pride as Zeke praises his new little crab hatchlings, as he’d close his satchel up again to let them feast on the seaweed. “They be eatin’ better in the dark. Nocturnal lil’ things, they are. Plus their eyes are a lil’ too sensitive to direct light an’ all.” he explains, before he’d just watch Carson slowly make his way over to Zeke’s chair.

“But y’know–” Isaak seems to confess, giving off a bit of a sigh. “It does grow a lil’ weary on ya as times pass by. ‘Least I’ve noticed it for some o’ my fellow Beast Makers. Bruno’s a prime example. He’s been doin’ way less beast-making and more of jus’ keeping up with all of us! And yet he keeps blitherin’ on about how he used to be a prime trainer back in the days. Y’think he wishes he could go back to ‘dose old days?”

[zekethebeastmaker]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: Zeke Swampson

𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍: Currently single/widower

𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒: Magic, namely the ability to create animal life from a few basic ingredients; expert aquatic animal husbandry, fire breath, some alchemical knowledge, medical healing.

𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑: Reptilian green scelra, black pupils

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑: None

𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒: Vidalia Swampson (wife, deceased), Eliza Mage (daughter), Dorian Mage (son-in-law), Lilly Mage (granddaughter).

𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐒: His various snails, slugs, and leeches around his hut, especially the snails that stick to him. He has a name for each one and treats them like his babies.

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄: Magic Crafters, snobby attitudes, salt, people hurting his snails/slugs/leeches, his son-in-law, his daughter not visiting him, sickness, being unable to help.

𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒 / 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒: Drawing, medicine making, fishing, slug/snail/leech breeding.

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄: No, he's a healer not a fighter.

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄: No.

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌: Turtle. He likes to take things slow, is (sorta) wise, peaceful, and overall has a very pleasant aura around him that makes for great company- but can be quick to either close up or snap if provoked!

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒: Has a bit of an issue with boundaries- tends to violate personal space alot (with good intentions). Also over-shares without really realizing. Slightly overbearing when he wants to help.

𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐒: Doesn't really have any- he's so old there's no one to really look up to anymore. Has alot of respect for Bruno- though he's much younger- for taking up the mantle of leader.

𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Heterosexual/ Straight

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄 / 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒: He was once very happily married himself, and had a daughter and granddaughter. He views it as a blessing, something to undertake with the love of your life for the rest of your shared time together; very much loves children.

𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒: A leaf hat and his traditional crocodile tooth necklace seem to do just fine in terms of every day attire. He doesn't need anything fancy, especially since he's in and out of the water all day every day.

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄: Vidalia, Eliza, Lilly, his snails, Damon, all of the other Beastmakers, Spyro, all of the new hatchlings.

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒: Ask Damon, and he'll probably tell you: you have to get used to Zeke's kooky sort of weirdness very very quickly if you're going to be his friend. Sudden late night calls over past spats randomly rekindled, long talks about the many different kinds of secretions a snail or slug can make (unprompted), and petty grudges and arguments- but if you can get past all of that, Zeke is a great friend to have, willing to give you the wings off his back; you'll never be in need of a listening ear, advice, or anything at all- Zeke will be sure of it!

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊: Say what you will, but he really does enjoy iced sweet tea- with a little squeeze of lemon juice.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐓: His front porch, sitting in his rocking chair or dipping his toes in the pond that surrounds his hut.

𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎��𝐄𝐀𝐍: The lake. He's used to all of the swamps and bogs, and he couldn't take his snails in the ocean! Too salty- but he would be interested in seeing some sea slugs, snails, or collecting sea shells.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄: Sweet but strong, someone he could just talk to for hours on end and lose track of time; Vidalia was absolutely perfect for him. She was very tender towards her plants and Zeke's snails, and was almost as kooky as he was when it came to onions and tubers. Both could go on and on for a week about their own respective crafts, and both also loved to listen to the other during these rants.

𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐒: Camping. He's barely ever indoors if he can help it.

Tagged by: @twelvedozenterrors

Tagging: @dream-weaver-obasi @timekeeperlindar And whoever wants to!

[zekethebeastmaker]

Zeke took one look at the calendar and locked himself in his hut. No way was he getting involved in all this foolish business; not unless someone managed to bring it to him or drag him into it. April Fool's day was just something he wouldn't abide.

[zekethebeastmaker]

After taking a moment to recover from the confusion of his victim unknowingly helping seak his own fate, Frank takes the pillow into his jaws, rears up as far as his hind legs can go and launches his weapon at Zeke with a swift twist of the neck, swinging it so hard that he ended up toppling himself over.

Zeke only heard the surprisingly forceful 'whoosh' of the pillow heading towards him, then felt it smack into his knee. He blinked down at it, then back up at Frank.

"...What in tarnation was that about? Wait...is that ol' Dreamweaver tradition beginnin' to spread across the other realms, too?"

[zekethebeastmaker]

Meanwhile the old coot was heading towards the Peacekeeper's hub- clearly with a mission in mind. No one looking at him could claim otherwise; whenever he was somewhat lost, he would ask for directions from the nearest dragon- and the directions were always given without question. None would dare contend with that expression of determination on the old reptile's face.

So eventually he had ended up tracking down his quarry. If she had looked up, she would have seen a stout, hunched figure covered in snails, an alligator tooth necklace hanging from his throat and a leaf on his head. Zeke squinted at her, noticing the way she rubbed her throat, then shook his head with a tsk.

"Poor little thing. How long's that throat been botherin' ya?"

Without waiting for an answer, he took out the bag and began rummaging through it, removing bottles of slime and glowing goo and murmuring to himself. Eventually he produced another empty jar and began mixing some of the slimes and things together. When the concoction was apparently finished, he took a big spoonful and handed it to her.

"Here's a spoonful for your throat now, an' the rest for whenever it bothers ya again. I can't guarantee it will cure your problem, but it will help, and that's somethin'."

(one who asked about the OC one)

ahh..what about it begin a throat damaged issue?

"Throat...damaged? What happened?- I don't mean to pry my nose into the unpleasant business, I just have to know exactly what happened so I know how to treat it...Should I just pay 'em a visit?"

The old beastmaker was already packing a few things- jars of snails and a few leeches, mostly.

[zekethebeastmaker]

Zeke noticed right away that Sadie wasn't being her usual dramatic self, and that alone almost tipped him over to full-blown panic. Was George alright?- He ignored the pain in his back and hurried as fast as he could, still dripping wet and heading straight for the nursery.

But even then, he knew better than to go bursting in like a tornado on a caffeine high; that could only worsen the situation. Instead he gently opened the door and peeked inside. Upon finding George on the ground his heart clenched. Poor little thing!

Zeke closed the door behind him and pulled the curtains down so that the room was a little darker, and thus, less hot. Then he knelt down, nudging George gently with one of his wings.

"George? You alright? Heat's not gettin' to you too much, is it?"

“Zeeeeeeeeeke!”, Sadie barks out at the Beast Maker, way louder than she needed to from just a few feet away. “George’s doing it again!”

And by it, she meant having one of his really off days.

Zeke had been picking some moss for his snails and slugs to eat, and suddenly jolted up and back down again, causing a small wave in the water he was currently knee-deep in; and he had thought his Lily had the biggest lungs. Nonetheless, the warning was registered. He turned, searching the area with concern.

“Doin’ it again? Aw, shoot. Where is he, Sadie?”

If he was having an off day, Zeke wanted to at least try to help the little guy through it- and if there was trouble, to handle it. As an elder, he felt it was his job to help the younger generation in anyway he could.

[zekethebeastmaker]

Zeke nodded, taking the advice into consideration. It usually took some coaxing of some sort to get a patient to slurp down the stuff they needed. He had never met the young Peacekeeper, but if what he had thus far been told was any indication, it seemed he would need any type of leverage he could get. He shut up the satchel and fluttered his wings.

"Alrighty. I'll be sure to talk to her brothers, first. Maybe they'll be able to get her to take the medicine, if she won't take it from a strange ol' coot like me," he chuckled, though there was a seriousness underscoring his words. This was no laughing matter.

He straightened up as much as his hunched back would allow and immediately headed towards the nearest portal that would take him to Peacekeepers, not an ounce of nonsense left in him.

"Now let's get this taken care of."

(one who asked about the OC one)

ahh..what about it begin a throat damaged issue?

"Throat...damaged? What happened?- I don't mean to pry my nose into the unpleasant business, I just have to know exactly what happened so I know how to treat it...Should I just pay 'em a visit?"

The old beastmaker was already packing a few things- jars of snails and a few leeches, mostly.

[zekethebeastmaker]

Flare ups? If she was that willing to accept the help despite her stubborn nature, than it had to be very bad indeed. Zeke nodded, closing up his satchel and straightening his leaf "hat" with a serious air. This would require all of his skills, then.

"I'll go get Damon and then we'll see to it. He's got more know-how on chemical burns- we've been havin' alot of them of late, with the gnorcs dumpin' all that waste in our swamps...but any who, just tell her to sit tight 'til we get there."

Maybe convincing her to try the antidote in tea or broth form might help...snail and slug slime wasn't the most tastiest cure, and it only worsened when mixed into one of Damon's potions. Either or, he'd do everything in his power to help.

(one who asked about the OC one)

ahh..what about it begin a throat damaged issue?

"Throat...damaged? What happened?- I don't mean to pry my nose into the unpleasant business, I just have to know exactly what happened so I know how to treat it...Should I just pay 'em a visit?"

The old beastmaker was already packing a few things- jars of snails and a few leeches, mostly.

[zekethebeastmaker]

The slug was rather determined. It wrapped itself around his staff, very very slowly making its steady way up in a spiral. Zeke hummed a low note: slugs couldn't hear, but they could detect certain vibrations.

"Sorry 'bout Carson," he said, "they see a dragon an' think they're gonna get a slice of tomato."

It seemed the vibrations finally made their way over to the slug, who detached itself and began to change direction for the porch. Zeke took a small, dried piece of fruit out of a jar on the table next to him and laid it on the ground beside his chair.

"It'll take them about 20 minutes to make it over here, but that tomato will be waitin' for 'em."

He watched the slug for a bit, ensuring that it wouldn't stray back over to Isaak- but it seemed it had caught the scent of the fruit as well. He nodded.

"Of course. That's how it's always been: the members of the guild stickin' together like tar. We're as close to each other as each of us is close to our chosen 'beasts'."

And a blessing that was, as well. Zeke wasn't as social as many of the others, being somewhat more reclusive, but even with their differences, there wasn't a thing Zeke wouldn't do for any one of them. He snorted somewhat, more to distract himself from getting too sentimental than from any real amusement.

"Indeed! After a few centuries livin' wit' 'em, I'd have hoped I would have mastered their husbandry somewhat."

He chuckled to himself again- genuine this time. He had no doubts in that department. He prided himself on knowing more about the slimer animals than anyone else in the dragon realms, just as Isaak probably found a similar cause for 'dignified vanity' in his crabs. Speaking of: Zeke leaned forward to get a better look at the little critters in the bag. He whistled in approval.

"My! Those are some lovely lil' things! Nice an' healthy by the looks of it, too. Must be your pride and joy."

It always did his heart good to see the younger generation doing so well in the guild work. It gave him a further sense of pride, this being that unselfish kind one had for their family, like a father for his child.

"Reminds me of my first batch of snails," he sighed wistfully, "fine freshwater Physella Acuta. Of course, I barely knew what I was doin', then. I'm just glad to see that your batches so far have all been good ones. Makin' a fine beastmaker of yourself, you are."

zekethebeastmaker​:

Zeke’s vision finally cleared up enough to recognize the dragon in front of him. Well, it was none other than Isaak. He stiffened some at first, claws digging into the wooden armrests of his chair, concerned that perhaps something had happened that required his attention- but there was no urgency in any aspect of his visitor’s bearing.

He relaxed again, using his tail to gently push his chair back and forth. One of his larger Giant Swamp Slugs slowly slithered towards Isaak’s foot- Zeke had plenty of these sorts around, recognizing this hut as a safe ground for food and shelter. Undoubtedly this curious little fella thought Isaak a potential source of snacks.

“Don’t trouble yourself, I sleep enough already- and Bruno’s worried about lil’ Ol’ me, is he?” He chuckled. “The youngsters always start twisting their claws once dragons get to be my age- but that’s natural, I suppose. Guess they think it their turn to start lookin’ out for their elders.”

He paused for a moment, nudging one of his snails to a less perilous position on his shoulder.

“Well, you tell ‘em not to worry. I haven’t sunk in peat or nothin’. It’s just leech breeding season, and I’ve been busy getting ‘em all settled…I really wouldn’t be restin’ my tail in that water right now, if I were you.”

He chuckled again, leaning a little further back in his chair. Sure enough, if anyone took a good look at the pond that surrounded Zeke’s hut, they would see small artificial islands of moss and floating boxes of some sort surrounding them, almost like submerged beehives, but different. There were also parts of the pond blocked off: where the water came in, there was a dam of some sort, keeping the water levels knee-deep.

And if one dared to look closer, under the shade of the lily pads, they would see plump, squirming, writhing shapes. No one in their right mind would take a dip in that water. Not unless they were crazy or had a death wish…or their name was Rosco.

“Of course, I won’t be expecting a crop until early summer- but that’s enough about leeches. How’s the crustacean business treatin’ ya? And the other youngins ain’t been gettin’ themselves into too much trouble, have they?”

Isaak would just chuckle again whilst keeping the giant slug at bay, gently of course, just signaling that he didn’t have any snacks on hand. He was relieved to hear that Zeke was doing alright, and that he was still on his business as usual with the leeches. Honestly, he couldn’t fathom how someone could take care of so many leeches and not at least get bitten once! But, Zeke had his talents!

“Well, he is our big head honcho an’ all, y’know!” he reminded Zeke about Bruno’s disposition. “He jus’ cares ‘bout all of us, like we’re his family! An’ y’know, I do kinda see us as a big ol’ family as well! Always lookin’ out fer one another an’ all.” he did take a quick peek into the pond nearby, seeing all the writhing shapes of the leeches.

“Yeesh! Yea’, no worries, I ain’t plannin’ on sinking my tail into there anytime soon.” he chuckles. “Man, sometimes I’m wonderin’ if y’ain’t got some kinda deep bond with all ‘dese slugs an’ leeches. ‘Dey seem to be magnetized to ya! Then ‘gain, same goes fer me an’ crustaceans! They jus’ seem to listen to me as if I’m some sorta leader o’ them! Speakin’ of–”

He’d pull out a satchel he had slung over his shoulder, as he’d open it for Zeke to look inside; it was stuffed to the seams with seaweed, but among the multiple leaves were small, newly-hatched crabs, all of them eating away at their gargantuan meal. “First batch o’ the year has already come out, an’ boy howdy are ‘dey a hungry bunch! Look’it ‘em! Ain’ they jus’ a bunch’a beauties!”

[zekethebeastmaker]

Zeke's vision finally cleared up enough to recognize the dragon in front of him. Well, it was none other than Isaak. He stiffened some at first, claws digging into the wooden armrests of his chair, concerned that perhaps something had happened that required his attention- but there was no urgency in any aspect of his visitor's bearing.

He relaxed again, using his tail to gently push his chair back and forth. One of his larger Giant Swamp Slugs slowly slithered towards Isaak's foot- Zeke had plenty of these sorts around, recognizing this hut as a safe ground for food and shelter. Undoubtedly this curious little fella thought Isaak a potential source of snacks.

"Don't trouble yourself, I sleep enough already- and Bruno's worried about lil' Ol' me, is he?" He chuckled. "The youngsters always start twisting their claws once dragons get to be my age- but that's natural, I suppose. Guess they think it their turn to start lookin' out for their elders."

He paused for a moment, nudging one of his snails to a less perilous position on his shoulder.

"Well, you tell 'em not to worry. I haven't sunk in peat or nothin'. It's just leech breeding season, and I've been busy getting 'em all settled...I really wouldn't be restin' my tail in that water right now, if I were you."

He chuckled again, leaning a little further back in his chair. Sure enough, if anyone took a good look at the pond that surrounded Zeke's hut, they would see small artificial islands of moss and floating boxes of some sort surrounding them, almost like submerged beehives, but different. There were also parts of the pond blocked off: where the water came in, there was a dam of some sort, keeping the water levels knee-deep.

And if one dared to look closer, under the shade of the lily pads, they would see plump, squirming, writhing shapes. No one in their right mind would take a dip in that water. Not unless they were crazy or had a death wish...or their name was Rosco.

"Of course, I won't be expecting a crop until early summer- but that's enough about leeches. How's the crustacean business treatin' ya? And the other youngins ain't been gettin' themselves into too much trouble, have they?"

zekethebeastmaker​:

Open Starter: Down In Misty Bog

So far the day had been slow, quiet, and peaceful: just the way Zeke liked it. No shouting, no rough housing between the younger Beastmakers that required his remedies, no house calls. He sat on his porch in his rocking chair, letting the steady motion ease the now near-constant ache in his back. His snails slithered over his scales, nibbling on whatever plant life had gotten caught on him since his last swim.

What could be better than this? A fine day in the bog, spring in full bloom. The bugs were singing along with the frogs, and occasionally a fish jumping up out of the water and back down again added to the chorus. He hummed a snatch of song, more to his snails than himself, and began to drift off to sleep.

He didn’t know how long he had been napping until he awoke again to a loud sound of some sort. He snorted, startled awake, adjusting his leaf hat to see what it was that had disturbed him. He blinked, trying to clear his vision from the haze of sleep.

“Hm? Hello?”

The one who had caused the noise and made Zeke stir from his sleep happened to be none other than Isaak, who was in the middle of tapping the claw-end of his staff against the porch of Zeke’s house, probably to wake him up. But as soon as Zeke awoke, Isaak would stop and smile a little.

“Ah, sorry fer interruptin’ ya, Zeke! Looks like you were havin’ a mighty fine snooze there!” he’d chuckle slightly. “I was actually sent on down ‘ere by Bruno himself to check on ya! He’s been rather worried ‘bout yer absence lately. But I get’s ya! You’re usually a real busy-body!” which was something the crab-breeder could admire in Zeke. Always being so willing to aid others!

“So, care to tell yer ol’ pal Isaak what ya been up to?“

[zekethebeastmaker]

A child drinking something they shouldn't?- That almost made Zeke's heart clench painfully in concern. What a nightmare! That poor child!

He began packing a few more jars into a bag, shaking his head.

"That sounds like a chemical burn of some sort. Definitely going to need more than a few jars of slime...Let me get Damon on the case, too."

Maybe they could make something that, if not heal the damage, probably make it easier for her to bear.

(one who asked about the OC one)

ahh..what about it begin a throat damaged issue?

"Throat...damaged? What happened?- I don't mean to pry my nose into the unpleasant business, I just have to know exactly what happened so I know how to treat it...Should I just pay 'em a visit?"

The old beastmaker was already packing a few things- jars of snails and a few leeches, mostly.