Welcome to Gaia! ::

The croc hadn't realized it to be such an awkward topic of conversation and, when that seemed to be the case, he was quick to offer Lazarus an apologetic smile. Still, he was grateful for the information but decided maybe he wouldn't ask anyone follow-up questions about what it was like having a butt.

Xiu's addition, as well, gave Cruz pause. He never heard about anyone else's journey through growth, nor ever saw it. Even his own was a bit hazy; all he could remember was feeling overwhelmed, exhausted -- he had been crying and was nigh inconsolable -- then he woke up in bed, as he was. If Xiu's question provided any sort of context, it damped Cruz's smile quite a lot. Did growth always follow on the heels of sorrow? If that was true, then "no," he was not the only one afraid.

A lightening of moods was a welcomed change, once Cesc brought with a torrent of amusement. Cruz covered his mouth with both hands as the story unfolded and used them to stifle his laughter. His ribbon twirled beneath him with amusement. "He liked 'em," Cruz shrugged as his giggles calmed, "You should let Tango try some."

Once again, it was his turn. In the wake of such a drastic curve, Cruz had to stop mid-pull as his initial pace had been far too quick and he could feel the tower sway threateningly. Still, it remained, and he slowly plucked the block out. "On kind of the same note," he started, smile sheepish, "I've tried a lot of stuff since I got my tummy and, ah... dry dog food isn't actually that bad." He scrunched his eyes shut, smile tight as he tried not to laugh at himself. "But wet food is awful."

Xiu listened to Lazarus’s advice gravely. “You are right. There is a silver lining to everything if only one cared to look for it. I guess I should work on being optimistic,” said Xiu with a smile. Then Cesc did right by the group by lightening up the mood considerably when he told the tale of a customer who accidentally tried Cesc’s homemade pet treats. “Well, the ingredients mentioned are things Hazeline keeps around the house herself,” said Xiu with a chuckle. “It’s really practically human food as it is. Sounds healthy too,”

But when Cruz admitted to having try actual dog food of the dry and canned variety, Xiu looked astonished as such an idea had never occurred to him before. But thinking it over, it was probably because there were no pets in his home until recently. And by then, he had pretty much established a list of food that he liked and did not like.

Lazarus’s admission of feeding homeless animals did not surprise Xiu. Lazarus had picked up a nestling once and brought it over as an unexpected Christmas gift. The fiery Sigel might look fierce but he was quite the softie sometimes and Xiu smiled when Lazarus admitted to hoping that the cats have been adopted. Hopefully to good homes.

Soon it was his turn once again and Xiu was careful in his selection. The game had been going on for a while now and the tower had grown increasing unstable as more and more blocks are pulled out. Selecting one from the middle, Xiu lifted it and placed it on the top of the tower. “I once tried a vegetable called bitter gourd. I wished I did not. It tasted horrible but Hazeline insists that it has health benefits. Has anyone else tried them before?”