SC ARPG Fills

“Hey there!”

Hess paused in the middle of the path and looked down from where he’d been staring at the sky. It was a beautiful day and mostly clear, but the poofy clouds that made their lazy way across the blue expanse were fascinating to behold. With his gaze no longer skyward, Hess realized he was only a few steps away from tripping head over tail over the fence that had somehow popped up in front of him. Hess had the thought that he should pay a little more attention to where his wandering feet were taking him.

“Hello?” The voice managed to startle him a second time. He looked around and saw a green arborling standing at the doors of a barn just a few yards away. A whole barn! Maybe there were more interesting things to see out here than just the clouds, if he could remember to look around. The arborling waved once she had his attention. “Hi!”

Hess grinned and waved back. “Hey! How’s it going?”

“I’m alright, but I could actually use a little help right now.” She motioned for him to come closer and Hess bounced down the path to join her at the entrance to the barn. “I’ve got a sick critter on my hands who needs some attention and a million things to do. Would you mind stickin’ around an’ givin’ me a helpin’ hand?”

“Oh no!” That sounded like a serious job that Hess was not qualified to do in the slightest. “I’m not a doctor or anything. Are you sure I can help?”

“I’m sure. It’s just a case of the sniffles.”

Hess frowned and peered into the depths of the barn. “The sniffles? How serious are the sniffles?”

“It’s not so serious that I’d need to call in another professional. They’re not feelin’ their best, but they’ll be alright with some time and attention.” The arborling patted Hess’s shoulder and then held out her hand. “I’m Dahlia Fern, by the way.”

Hess took her hand and shook it. “I’m Hess! It’s nice to meet you.” He looked into the barn again. Now that his eyes weren’t quite so dazzled from staring up at the sunny sky it didn’t seem so dark inside. “I’ve never taken care of anyone before. Is it hard?"

“There’s a lot that goes into caring for a pet, but I can show you the ropes. There’s only so much you need to know for right now.” Dahlia led Hess inside and into a closed off space toward the back of the barn. The inside smelled like dust and dried grass. She stopped in front of a closed gate and motioned into the little room. “This little guy’s a wishing weed.”

Hess looked where she pointed and gasped. “They’re so cute!”

The tiny ball of fluff was huddled in a corner of the room, half buried in a bed of hay. Dahlia opened the gate and Hess followed her inside. “Since it’s just the sniffles, they mostly need someone to keep them company. You just need to keep them warm and make sure they drink the water I’ve left for them.”

Hess knelt down next to the puffball and they stirred, shiny black eyes blinking open and then squinting up at him with obvious and comical suspicion. “I love their little hat!” he exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down.

“They’re a spore. Technically a symbiote.”

“They’re adorable.” Hess scooted closer and the wishing weed peered up at him from under the brim of their mushroom cap. “Can I pick them up?”

“If they want you to, it’s fine by me.”

Hess held out his hands, scooting them closer to the wishing weed with his palms up. They watched the approach without moving, though their fluff grew more and more puffed out until suddenly they sneezed with a loud squeak, their whole body jumping. “Aw, that’s no fun,” Hess cooed, “don’t you want to be held instead? My hands are nice and warm.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And they’re not as itchy as hay, I bet.”

The wishing weed eyed him for a moment before rolling over and into his hands with a grumbled chirp. They immediately settled down, sniffling softly.

Hess turned to Dahlia with an ecstatic grin. She smiled. “Looks like you two will get on just fine. I’ll be back to check on you in a bit. Make sure they drink their water.”

“I will!” Hess settled down into the hay, leaning back on his tail as a cushion against the wall. The wishing weed made another small sneeze and burrowed into the crook of his elbow. Hess gently patted the top of their cap. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”