20050112

Stardate 0501.12 - Trouble and Paradise

Long day today. Dracha and Drago reached adulthood, finally, and I re-imported the hardmans, Athena and Achilles. I turned off the elevator button hiders, and am pleased to note we did not have a recurrence of elevator obsession. Drago did a little button pushing, but I thwapped him, and he quit.

From thence it was a long battle against boredom and starvation. For the abundance of food the dracs can eat -- critters, bugs, pests, food, and even fruits and seeds -- it is certainly difficult keeping them fed.

Meanwhile, the hardmans were their cantankerous handful. I dragged them by the scruffs to the learning room. Athena was having none of that, she stomped out almost right away. I dragged her back a time or two, but she's stubborn. They didn't learn to speak quite properly, but at least they understand when I say "what?" or "express."

Then I realized my adult dracs hadn't bred yet. Worried that they might yet keel over dead, I thought it prudent to push the hormones a tad. Then I thought, if I get another drac egg, I'll have another tender drac baby to nurse -- aigh! So I dragged Achilles over into the mix, and it didn't take long for Dracha to get pregnant. Except I don't know who the father actually is -- and won't until the egg hatches. Ah, the suspense!

For insurance, I also bred Athena to Drago. Now the trick is what will the cross-breeds be like? Will they be amphibious like the dracs? (And how will I know without drowning one?) Will they be tough like the hardmans or delicate infants like the dracs? Only time and study will tell.

Then Dracha died. She was homesick after laying her egg, and neglected to eat or push toys. I suppose my caution was well-founded, but I also think I should have taken a closer hand in caring for her.


Athena, with that same determination as always, migrated straight to the jungle. Where she is completely ga-ga in love with the grendel punching bag. She eats arkwood seeds and chilipeppers, and beats the tar out of the bag until she's tired.

Then, of course, a real grendel strolled by, and she ignored it. D'oh! But when he came back as an adult, she made her first kill. She seems to ignore the baby grendels. (And I had pics of Athena, but ScreenGrab didn't work again. I think maybe I pressed the wrong keys. ::sigh::)

Meanwhile, the boys hang out in the forest, needing to be told time and time again to eat and play. Although while in the learning room, I, myself learned a handy new word: 'definitely.' None of that, "me bored," "maybe push toy." Now it's "definitely push toy." Hopefully that will get the idea across better, but so far... the results seem the same.




Meanwhile in Narnia, life is peaceful and full of butterflies. My first generation is growing elderly, and their colour is fading, especially Astra's. The second and third generations are growing up. And I think I am going to run into the all-adults/no-eggs or all-eggs/no-adults scenario again.

I have decided that Narnia and Avantasia will have six norns each, and I will leave two creature slots open for grendels (or ettins). Of course, it doesn't help that Narnia has 8 and Avantasia 4. And that Bloodsong is stubborn and won't off or export any of the elderly norns. (It also doesn't help that one can't set population levels by area.) But with a little egg control, things ought to work out. (Yeah, like any of my plans have worked out!)

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