[Trade] First Introductions

Growing up in Atlantis was almost like paradise- if you ignored the rot below the surface. Snowshoe had hatched to a pair of servants loyal to the newly crowned Queen, and had been presented before her as all young Atlanteans had when they were born. It was one of the oviraptors first memories- the warm eyes of the queen bowing down to meet her own, proclaiming her a “valuable addition to Atlantis”. At the time she had been much too little to know what those words would entail- the expectation placed upon her from a young age.

The first few weeks of her life had been spent solely with her parents, kept at home in their humble quarters on the outskirts of the compound. It was a small area, and far from private- it was a little cramped with so many other oviraptors nearby, always racing around to complete the tasks given to them. But for Snowshoe, it was home.

All of this changed one day- Snowshoe had been lead to a building she had never been to before by her mother and father. “Where are we going?” The hatchling chirped, eagerly looking up at her parents. Java seemed delighted, a happy smile on his beak, and Snowdrop the same- perhaps a bit more sad, but Snowshoe had no way of knowing at the moment.

“It is time for you to learn how you are to serve Atlantis!” Her father informed her brightly. “It's something that all chicks your age are taught. We’re going to the mentors- I've heard there's even a few other new hatchlings! You’ll fit right in!” 

“What will I learn?” Snowshoe puzzled, but before an answer could be given, they were there. Snowdrop and Java nuzzled her goodbye, before vanishing back into the hustle and bustle of Atlantean life. 

Snowshoe didn’t have time to turn after them- an old, grey oviraptor was quick to approach her, beady eyes kind but stern. “You must be Snowshoe.” She greeted. “Come in, come in!” 

The area set aside for hatchlings to learn was quiet- out of the way of the rest of Atlantis. A small shack had been converted into the perfect learning area for young gardeners- soft soil underfoot, and a pile of seeds off to the side. Plants of all different colors and sizes lined the wall, some planted in pots and some growing onto the wall itself. Two other hatchlings prodded around in the dirt- one a brown color with the beginning of small quills sprouting from his back, and the other a pale cream with darker points and slightly more developed quills. “Latte! Larry!” At the sound of their names being called the two hatchlings head shot up, eyes instantly landing on Snowshoe- she shifted, nervous, under their intense looks. “This is Snowshoe.” The elder prodded Snowshoe forward a bit, causing her to skid forward and almost fall. “Show her around, would you? Ill be back soon.” With one last pat to Snowshoe's head the old oviraptor nodded, before exiting the shed- leaving the three hatchlings alone.

The silence stretched on for an awkward moment as the three observed each other. Latte had a small smile on his beak, while Larry looked a bit more put out at the presence of a stranger. But a nudge from his companion had the brown oviraptor sighing, following after Larry as they went to introduce themselves. Snowshoe recoiled back a bit as they approached- she had never met other oviraptors her age before. The duo came to a stop before her, the cream one poking his beak forward into her space.

“Hello!” Latte greeted loudly, almost causing Snowshoe to yelp and fall back from the pure volume. “Welcome! To the greenhouse!” The oviraptor hatchling clumsily swept his claws across the chaotic shack in a viola motion. It was… not an impressive sight, something Snowshoe realized even at her young age. The roof was crumbling, acting as a light source, and vines were consuming the walls. “Eeer… what was your name again?”

“Snowshoe.” Larry cut in, boredly looking at the nearby seed pile. “It was Snowshoe, right?” He looked back at the feathered hatchling.  

“Y-Yes!” Snowshoe blurted out. “It's… nice to meet you?” Larry looked at her like she was an idiot for the question in her tone, but she was quick to push past the embarrassment. “What do you do here? How long have your parents been taking you?” Snowshoe began to explore, curiosity overtaking her previous caution. Despite its state of disarray, the shed was rather cozy- and quite huge for them, especially with their young age. 

Snowshoe poked at a seedling curiously, only for Larry to block her attempt. “Hey!” He warned, his squeaky voice angry. “Be careful! Those are fragile.” Snowshoe shrunk back, chastised- but Latte was quick to come to the rescue.

“Hey! Be nice.” The cream oviraptor scolded, claws crossed like he had seen adults do when scolding overeager chicks. “She’s new! Why don’t you show her what we do here?” Latte carefully ignored her second question, Snowshoe oblivious to the dodge at the relief of the save.

“Fine.” Larry scoffed, before walking over to the seed pile. Snowshoe hesitated, but a soft nudge from Latte gave her enough encouragement to stumble after him. “First, you take a few seeds. Be careful- grabbing too hard may hurt them.” Larry carefully grabbed a few seeds, Snowshoe carefully mimicking the action. Latte abstained, instead taking over in narrating.

“Make sure to find a good spot of soil!” Latte happily chirped, beginning to dig into the dirt- his scales quickly turning more and more brown. “There’s a lot to learn here about different plants. Some need different conditions to grow, and some do different things. Larry knows more than me.”

Larry dropped the seeds into the small hole Latte had dug, Snowshoe clumsily mimicking the act. A few seeds spilled out of the edges, but Latte simply swept them in with a smile. “Yes.” Larry took over again as he pushed the soil back over the seeds. “That plant over there grows best in the sun, but does not need much water. That funny one one prefers wet areas and a LOT of water, but too much sun will kill it… that one over there-”

Larry suddenly paused as he realized that both Latte and Snowshoe were staring at him. “Sorry… I can stop.” 

“No! Dont!” Snowshoe eagerly squeaked. “It's really cool!” Her eyes sparkled as she looked at all the plants. “What about flowers! Do you know anything about flowers?”

“Oh, Larry knows all about flowers!” Latte grinned, nudging Larry. “Tell her, Larry!”  Larry looked at the two other hatchlings before him, one excited, one smug, before sighing.

“Fine, fine.” Seems like they had plenty of time before the elder remembered them…