<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/7/72/B0AA8E2A-7214-40B8-A386-5FB3E2FE2DA6.jpeg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Sarissa Softscale<br/><strong>Race and Occupation:</strong>Snekling (Snake Girl)<br/><strong>Location &amp; Time:</strong>Morning, walking back to the Temple of Casta<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>OPEN, The Creature<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>No major plot here just getting into character and wanting a little conversation or flirting if you are a cute lady or soft boi.<br/><hr/><br/>The long wooden pole bowed against Sarissa's scaled shoulders, laden down with three full buckets of water to aside.  The gentle sloshing sound as she walked had lulled Sarissa into an almost meditative state. One that allowed her to push past the knots and fatigue that were settling into her muscles.<br/><br/>It was how she earned her keep and kept her room at the Temple of Casta.  There were an endless number of chores to do to keep the Temple running as if it had no cares in the world.  That was part of its allure, part of its illusion.  Those that came to the Temple were looking for respite for succor or just a healing bath.  The latter brought a steady stream of manual labor to the Temple, which is used to keep itself running, clean and relaxing.  There was no end of adventurers willing to trade a little sweat for a healing touch and, in Sarissa's case, room and board.<br/><br/>The work didn't bother her. She had done similar tasks at the monastery, and she had a strong back, and stomach, and ass.  Her pace was steady, and while the buckets swayed precariously, not a drop was spilled as she trundled up the road from the Temple's well. The well wasn't from the same spring that fed the Temple Baths.  It would be kind of a waste to use the waters to wash robes or linens.  So it was every morning that Sarissa could be found making her circuit to and from the well, carrying buckets of wash water.  Not exactly the image of a daring adventure for sure, but adventure can strike anywhere, as Sarissa was about to find out.<br/><br/>The monks used to say that you could connect with the world around you in ways both mystical and profound when in a meditative state. Maybe it was that or maybe the part of Sarissa's mind that wasn't lulled to sleep by rhythmic sloshing and fatigue.  Whatever it was, she heard it, the rustle of something in the scattered brush that hugged the old walking path.  There it was again. Her pace slowed, the weight of the water bucket pressing the wood pole into her shoulders as they did. The wood pole groaned softly in her ears. She came to a stop and listened as a soft breeze stirred her hair.  There it was again.  Behind her now. Sarissa's breath slowed.  Carefully. Ever so carefully, she turned.<br/><br/>There, in the middle of the path, was…Mr. Stuffers.<br/><br/>Mr. Stuffers was the scourge of the Temple vegetable patch.  A vicious Jackalope.  Its horns tipped red as if they had been dipped in the blood of innocents. It wrinkled its cute little bunny nose in utter disdain of human life, nibbling at a purloined carrot.  Sarissa knew, for a fact, those dainty widdle paws hid a barbed hook that could gut you with one adorably malicious swipe.  Many a Temple Acolyte had lost a finger to this floofy ball of endearing terror.<br/><br/>A tumbleweed rolled across their path.<br/><br/>Sarissa's eyes narrowed.<br/><br/>Mr. Stuffers' whiskers twitched.<br/><br/>'Awww'<br/><br/>'Wait! Dammit!'<br/><br/>Sarissa lunged at Mr. Stuffers, sending her buckets crashing to the ground. She pulled her wide-bladed short sword from its scabbard as she dove towards the malevolent floofie-woofie, but his precious distraction had given him the edge.  Mr. Stuffers lowered himself to all fours, letting the sword strike sale clear over his head. As an added insult, his fuzzy back paws kicked up a clod of dirt that smacked Sarissa right between the eyes, momentarily blinding her and sending her sputtering and spitting.<br/><br/>She sat up her rump smack against the dirt road and cleaned off her face muttering about "someday." Sarissa took in the tipped-over water buckets with a sigh, their contents slowly winding their way towards where she sat. Her favorite water fetching pole snapped cleanly in two.<br/><br/>"Well, that's just great." She offered to no one in particular as the water reached her toes.<br/>