[text/video] un: linneus

[inaurare]

Good day, everyone.

While I hate for my second of these... missives to be another message asking for help, I fear that is precisely what it is and I do beg your patience.

I recently came home to find a large egg sitting on my doorstep. With little idea what to do I brought it home, kept it swaddled and warm and eventually it hatched. The animal that emerged... I have never seen its like before. It appears to be a sort of horse, but much shorter, with a longer neck and a smaller face. And a good deal... fluffier? Than any horse I've ever seen.

She has taken well to eating grass, and has shown to particularly favour munching on my flowerbeds. It seems she is managing well enough - flourishing, even. But I had hoped someone might enlighten me as to what kind of creature she is, and whether there might be other foods I can provide for her?

Also a name - I confess I have always struggled terribly with naming things! So any suggestions would be quite welcomed.

[the text is followed up by a brief video clip - slightly wobbly, as Linneus turns the camera on himself-]

So that you have an idea of what it is you are naming...

[turning the camera around, the scene is quite cosy now that his home is settled again. A fire crackles away, and there is a small table near his armchair bearing a cup of tea, his feet resting on a small stool. The cosiness would be complete perhaps with a blanket, but his "creature", dozing with her head on his lap, is more than making up for the lack of one.

To those familiar, a llama indoors is probably a strange sight - stranger still this llama's size, as she can't be more than three feet tall. She snores, and there is the sound of Linneus chuckling softly before the video feed is cut.]


((Please feel free to flood Linn with name suggestions for the miniature llama he now has? ))

Comments

[circulets]

It's a little peculiar that an animal like that one hatched from an egg, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised when this is another planet, as well.

Were you able to figure out a name?

[inaurare]

It is, indeed.

No, I've not settled on one just yet. The names I have noted are either overly literal or entirely ironic. One young gentleman suggested "Peace" but, well... I'm not sure I will be able to use to for this one with a straight face. Not while she snores so!

[circulets]

At the least the name Peace is more creative than something like fluffy or anything similar to that. ... Though, what word would you use to describe the animal, then?

[inaurare]

I could always turn my consideration to more ironical names. What else could go with Peace? Serenity? Nothing like Dozy or Sleepy...

[a pause while he thinks, laughs at the continued snoring and composes himself enough to write-]

Lullaby?

[only half serious but...]

Lulla or Lula for short? Lula the Llama?

[circulets]

Looks like you were able to come up with something without any problems. Does Lula sound right to you?

[inaurare]

I'm not sure I could have without the first suggestion to start me off.

[and knowing that she is a llama also helped. He will certainly credit Atsushi for indirectly naming his pet]

Well, it is more about her than me, I think. But it would be rude to annoy her while she is sleeping.

[circulets]

It's true that it;s more about her but at the same time -- she can't exactly name herself, either.

[inaurare]

But surely seeing which she responds to will help? Or else yes, I shall probably have to pick one for her and keep using it until she understands!

[circulets]

It's true she might respond. After all, animals are smarter than people give them credit for. Or, there's a chance that she might be indifferent to it. Either way, it might help to have some sort of back up name.

[inaurare]

Well, alternatives are always welcome. I have a few, but I think I shall have to find a creative way of working through the list, should it come to it.

[he's hoping she takes to Lullaby, though, or some diminutive thereof.]

[circulets]

The word Lulla brought the word Luna to mind.

[inaurare]

[adding to the list, adding to the list!]

Luna? Like the moon?

[circulets]

That's right. Though, that might not be exactly what you're looking for, either.

[inaurare]

It's lovely. Many of the names I have been suggested are quite lovely. I wish there were some way I could use them all.

[circulets]

I didn't particularly think lovely was the word for it, but... I'm glad you like it all the same.

Who says you can't, though? There's the option of having other pets, if you can care for more than one.

[inaurare]

Well, we shall have to see how I do with this one.

I have never kept anything bigger than a songbird before, though Luna could be a lovely name for a songbird.

[circulets]

If you're feeling uncertain, you could always do your research on the animal. At the least, that should help.

[inaurare]

I have learned already that she what's called a llama. Or an alpaca. Apparently they are distinct animals but the person who mentioned so was not able to tell me the difference between the two.

[circulets]

Have you researched their eating and sleeping habits? I haven't kept a pet myself, but I've read it's important to know everything you need to know about animals.

[inaurare]

Not yet, but I shall. I have only just learned of these creatures.

[circulets]

It sounds as though they didn't exist in your world.

[inaurare]

They may have? But I've never seen them in books, or travelled much outside of my country at all, so I tend to rely on other people's accounts of things.

[circulets]

I can relate, in a way. Sorey and I-- my friend and I--only just recently were able to travel outside of our village before coming here.

[inaurare]

It's an eye-opener, certainly!

And you're an acquaintance of Sorey's? I've happened to meet him once or twice since arriving here.

[circulets]

Sorey and I are childhood friends. It seems as though I've run into a lot of his acquaintances here.