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( crying )

She stared at the flowers offered, a soft twitch of a smile on her lips. With careful consideration, she decided to pick the Lily. She never really liked violets, anyway.

(( Short. I'm feeling a bit sick. ))

Prompt 3: The Garden

Black lost. Of course. And then crowd turned murderous. He would have rolled his eyes had he had the time to, but what with the running for his life and giving back as good as he got, he was a little occupied. Luckily the weaker kin bought him some time, and his plated back and tail minimized his injuries to a few nips and scrapes that stung just enough to darken his mood even more. Enough so that he was still sour even as they entered the garden, despite the usual appreciation he would have had for its beauty.

And, of course, the flowers could talk and hated them all already. Watch as they turned murderous too. "Which way?" he snarled out, then hissed at both the Lily and the Violet's response. Part of him wanted to cross the valley just to spite the Lily's tone, but the Violet and all her sisters seemed just as annoying to him. In the end, he'd have to make the choice.

Knowing his luck there was death waiting on all fronts. He'd rather fight it on solid ground than in the water (and he heard drowning didn't make for a fun death). So he ended up agreeing with the Violet, and started off through the valley.

Prompt 3

Eyes wide, Errant is jostled along with all of the other kin, nearly losing his footing at least a dozen times as he watched others torn to pieces before his very eyes. And then, as if by some unspoken command, the chase was over, leaving him standing at the edge of a beautiful garden, his sides heaving. His hair is tangled, and he takes a moment to insure his hooves remain free before continuing on, looking more than a little bit unkempt.

Tossing his head at the conversation that ebbs and flows around him, Errant looked around in puzzlement...where was it coming from? And then, a voice, suddenly clear and far too close for comfort sends him sidestepping abruptly. "I...I'm sorry" He says after a moment, looking at the talking flower intently. And then he realizes...all of the flowers, they are talking, and so might well be able to help him find his way.

"Would any of you be able to direct me on my way?" he asked, careful to be polite. Unfortunately, his question got him two opposing suggestions. Another choice... he thought with an internal sigh. Finally, with a small inclination of his head and a softly murmured thank you, he opts to follow the Lily's advice (since she'd seemed the most certain, and the giggling of the violets had not inspired confidence), heading across the river

Prompt 3: The Garden

"Scoooore!" Now where was that acha? She'd no idea what she won, but she sure as heck wasn't going to leave it behind!

...Just kidding! Kin were turning on kin, and no one was asking for bets on those! It was time for greener pastures -- literally, apparently. Thanks, dream!

After some back and forth with the flowers, she nibbled at the lily before heading for the river.

Prompt 3: The Garden

When the fight came to a decisive end Fair Thought stared at the fallen owlcat with sad eyes even though it was the one she’d bet would lose. Suddenly there is a lull, a tense silence where cheering and jeering had once been. Thought lifted her gaze to see all faces in the crowd had twisted into that of the dark eyed acha.

Startled but still, there was a moment of tense silence where Thought dared not make a sound or sudden movement. She heard a sound behind her and snapping her attention away for the briefest of moments. Her eyes widen as she gazes upon another kimeti doe. She has a presence! Unlike the ghost-like kin with the stretched smiles.

A scream erupts from Thought’s lungs as the doe is torn apart in the next moment, the crowd turned vicious mob is seconds. They push past Thought, bumping her roughly as they lunge for the others, the real kin in amongst the fake.

Her legs are running before her mind can register it and they burn from the exertion in response. Thought is slow despite her best efforts, heart racing in her chest. Others are cut down around her but she does her best to block them out. She should’ve be easy pickings and yet somehow she gets away unscathed.

They’d let her get away.

Not a moment later Thought found herself gone from the glade and stepping unsteadily into a garden. She’s too exhausted to question the sudden transition and just about falls to her knees at the entrance. She pushes on regardless, one shaky hoof in front of the other.

Fair Thought was thoroughly tense. The kept garden was serene but there was chatter all around her. Quiet but disembodied voices and laughter floated over the flower beds, it was almost more than she could bare.

"Watch where you put that foot!"

Thought was, as per her nature, deep in thought over all that had happened when she almost stepped on the lily. Jumping back in surprise Thought looked down to discovers the voices were not disembodied after all. Instead they were owned by the flowers.

She looked at the lily in dismay as it continued to berate her while a patch of nearby violets giggle at the scene. Finally the lily stops speaking long enough for Thought to apologise profusely and in desperation, ask where she should go to escape all this.

“Across the river.” The lily says with distain.

“Through the valley.” Insists the violets with excitement.

Fair Thought closes her eyes and takes a long weary breath through her nose before she thanks both parties. In the end she walks away not really trusting either but the giggles and enthusiasm of the violets in particular unnerved her, reminding her of the grinning acha.

Fair Thought thinks with a resigned sigh that she might as well heed the Lily's direction. What else was there to do?

Well now. That whole ordeal had left a horrid taste in his mouth. After watching the fight... had... had the others turned on people who lost? This place was rather quickly losing it's charm, and Web wanted to get away from the crowd as fast as he could. A quick run brought him to a lovely field of flowers, and he was doing his best to distract himself from what had happened when someone called out and caught his attention. What?

The flowers were talking! Oh wasn't that delightful? Maybe there were good things about this place too. Which way should he go though? He asked the flowers and listened to them argue before deciding to go the way the violet suggested and take the valley path. He didn't know if he his legs would carry him through a swift current just this moment. He thanked the flowers several times, and decided not to pick any on his way out and headed on his way.