Ruin x Kelpie

With the season for nesting and finding a suitable mate upon her, Ruin found herself searching for a suitable place to stake her claim and await the inevitable male attention that would surely come her way sooner or later. The sun was yet low in the sky and the sound of other Acros and whatever other dinos were on the search for a partner calling for others wasn't yet at its peak like she expected it would be before midday. There was still a tension in the air as if the land was collectively holding its breath before things really got going and it made her feel a bit restless. She sighed, stretched, and rose after lounging for a bit to finally begin her day. With confident, poised strides she made her way from sparse brush to open meadow, finding nothing of particular interest. The scent of several others was heavy on the wind and she wasn't looking to make it too easy on them to track her down. If she was going to be wooed, they'd have to work for it. 

She left a long and complex trail as she roamed for the better part of an hour, eventually crossing through sparse new growth into dense forest. Weaving her way through tightly packed trees and pushing aside the younger saplings that snapped with satisfying ease, Ruin searched carefully for the ideal place to stake her claim and begin to wait for whoever might show up and try to win her affections. Settling down into the thick underbrush, the fiery red and black acro tried to rest and relax for a bit while she waited to see what the day would bring. The afternoon was approaching, and the air was peppered with the distant calls of dinos either challenging for the approval of a mate or seeking one out. Ruin was content to wait, she wasn't going to do all the heavy lifting of broadcasting her location. If someone was interested they could prove it and find her. 

Ruin had nearly relaxed her way into a nap when the wind shifted and she caught the scent of another acro quite close. She went from half asleep to fully alert, dark eyes scanning for signs of movement anywhere. For a moment she thought they might have gone another way or passed by, but her thoughts were interrupted by the thud of footsteps approaching. Through the ferns she was nestled into Ruin spotted a pair of dark green feet that stopped just a few paces away. After a beat a matching face came down to ground level and the stranger gave Ruin a smile. “Are you planning on staying down there, or are you open to company?” They asked with a cheeky expression. 

“I might be open, if someone were to prove themselves worth my time,” she countered.

The green acro didn't seem dissuaded by the challenge in the slightest. Instead of being put off, the new arrival leaned in. “I see, well do tell what would make me worthy, I'm happy to exceed your expectations.”

Ruin raised a brow at the confident reply but honestly it was welcome. Her interest was officially piqued and before she knew it she was sitting up - not too fast or eagerly mind you, lest they get a big head about it - to get a better look at who it was that had decided to try and win her. She was met with a reasonably attractive sight, a dark green adult acro with brighter green patches down both sides that gave a nice contrast, with stripes and spots of black from neck to tail and flecks of yellow-gold running the length of the light green marking. They were particularly bright and in the shadows of the forest, Ruin would almost swear they had a bit of a glow. That was neat. The prospective partner was seeming to enjoy the attention, and reciprocating with a careful survey of Ruins own intricate markings. It would be hard to deny they might just make for some colorful progeny together. 

Collecting her thoughts, Ruin responded, “Exceed? You seem sure of yourself. How about starting with a meal so I know you aren't a useless hunter?” The words had an edge but her tone wasnt totally cutting and weren't taken wrongly. “Naturally, you won't have to wait too long I promise.” Was the sweet reply before the green acro disappeared into the woods. Maybe Ruin should already have asked for a name, but it was a bit late to worry about that and second guessing wouldn't help anything anyway. More distant roaring distracted her for a bit and her mind wandered as she waited.

Luckily the claim rang true and she did not have to wait long before a deer was deposited before her and the green acro once again was meeting her gaze. Ruin canted her head and gave a little nod of approval. “Not bad. What's your name then, stranger?” 

“Kelpie,” came the prompt reply, “Sooo does this mean I've successfully managed to impress? Or do I have to keep running the gauntlet?”

Ruin considered. “I won't go too easy on you but how about we clear this space and you find some good materials and if you do well, I'll call it our nest instead of just mine.” Kelpie agreed without hesitating, and together they set about scraping away some of the debris from the clearest patch of ground, pulling away branches and sticks and larger rocks until the space was suitably smooth and cleared for their purposes. Ruin noted how easily Kelpie moved aside some of the fallen logs and approved of the show of strength. Soon other than some ferns and light foliage, the space was much more neat and nest ready. Kelpie then went to gather the proper nest linings while Ruin settled into making the finishing touches, absorbed totally in the work and slightly enjoying the process of making something out of an otherwise untouched space. She also didn't mind the company of Kelpie, and it was safe to say that the green and yellow acro was well on the way to winning Ruins affections. 

When Kelpie returned with a bundle of soft plants and other findings from nearby they set about the real work of assembling the nest. Once Ruin was satisfied, she turned and declared with a smirk, “okay, I think Im satisfied, consider me won over.”