[Comm] Boba & The Seeds of Change

The occurrence of the strange new flora that had begun to sprout across the Kiama Islands was strange, and something every dinosaur on the islands noticed. The talk spreading even between herbivores and carnivores who would in most cases usually not interact so freely, or with so little caution. But these new plants were a problem. A nuisance in some cases, a hazard in others. Vines that tangled and consumed massive swathes of the average food of the local herbivores, strange leafy plants plants with translucent hairs coating their greenery that stung to the touch, thorny bushes that caused injuries for small predators trying to pursue even smaller prey through dense foliage; and with them coming even stranger rumors. A new species of dinosaur upon the island- oviraptors- gangly and small, and all too flighty that some say spread the new menacing flora that was overtaking the islands.

Some dinosaurs had met these skittish creatures in the flesh, looking for where they had originated from, some to harass and menace them over the spread of the strange plants that were spreading. But tensions were in some parts at least slowly settling between the oviraptors and the islands already established inhabitants. This led Boba to where she was now. She’d asked an oviraptor she’d encountered about where these little dinosaurs had come from, but after some coaxing the little pest had still refused to tell her, unless he agreed to one condition: That Boba would let the oviraptor teach them about plants, likely from what she gathered on the scatterbrained creature’s words so she would stop eating meat… Boba didn’t have the heart to tell him it didn’t work that way.

So here she sat, perched on the ground. The oviraptor across from her. It’s feathered hide a mossy green and yellow, spattered with blue, its face a reddish hue that shone bright in the light as it talked animatedly, strange forelimbs gesturing  excitedly as the carnosaur acquiesced to listen- or at least pretend to listen as the Oviraptor squawked and warbled excitedly, feathered arms, almost wing-like, much like a utahraptor flapping animatedly. What had the little dinosaur said it’s name was? Pardon? Parable? Ugh it didn’t matter. His thoughts snapped from his own inner monologue as the oviraptor hopped up onto a rock to use as a platform to draw attention to itself.

“You see, plants need two things to live, light and water- the light is easy to find, and dirt-  but the water is really important, its like food for plants-” The creature rambled, its feathers Boba noticed fading from a warm green, to a pale creamy yellow towards its limbs and underbelly, where all oviraptors this colourful? No focus, she needed to focus. The carnivore giving her head a shake, swaying from side to side as she focused olive green eyes on the small dinosaur. His manner excited and animated as he talked about plants, or well rambled really. Boba thought maybe the creature was more excited to talk about something it was interested in at this point than actually teaching her about plants. The excited look in the oviraptor’s large, bright eyes a sign it may have forgotten that was the whole point of this little talk it was presenting to her as Boba lowered her horned head to rest on the ground, waiting.

The oviraptor, excitable and energetic first going from explaining what plants were to what plants ate. (Did plants really eat?) It was a strange concept to Boba. The carnosaur letting out a huff of breath that blew up a little puff of dry dirt into the air from the patch where she sat, pretending to be interested. The Oviraptor pacing around and around on the large, flat rock it was using as a stage while it presented the topic, gesturing its clawed hands wildly, now it was saying something about some plants eating meat? Bugs? That didn’t sound right. The carnosaur’s head lifting to tilt in confusion as the feathered oviraptor started telling a story, some sort of anecdote about how where it came from it saw a mouse fall into some sort of plant and get eaten by it. The mention of where it came from making the carnosaur perk up, eyes brightening. This was perfect. 

“Would you take me there? These plants sound interesting, I didn’t think plants could eat meat.” The words not one hundred percent a lie, more a half truth. They didn’t want to go to wherever the little creature had come from to see plants, but it was true they’d never heard of carnivorous plant before. The words making the Oviraptor perk up considerably, clapping its strange, elongated fingers together excitedly, clearly thinking it had now converted the carnotaurus into a plant enthusiast as it jumped down from the rock it stood upon. “Yes! I think you will like fruit! We have these fruits that look like meat, they’re really tasty but the seeds aren’t very nice. It’s a bit of a walk to get there since we have to go below but I think you’ll fit in the tunnels and-” The agreement enough to make Boba smile wide, baring sharp teeth, even if she was no longer listening to the oviraptor’s rambling. This little creature had just made her job so much easier… A sense of relief settling over the carno as they lowered their heavy head back down to rest against the ground as they listened, and waited, for the tiny dinosaur to finish their rambling presentation so they could go and see this strange new place ‘below’. The oviraptor saying something about a dome that was a little confusing. But Boba was sure now, her mind more at ease, that those words would hopefully make sense later on, when the oviraptor followed through on its promise, and finished its rambling about the joys of plants and the herbivorous diet. The oviraptor jumping up to stand on top of the resting carnosaur, as it continued its speech and Boba settled in to wait.