Curious pink eyes watched as Koi looked at the crops in her greenhouse, clearly upset about one thing or another. She sat, huddled up under a bush, watching the adult Tsabhua wander around in a semi-panic. Slithering around under tables and such, she eventually ran into another small colonist who had been hiding under the greenhouse tables.

 

Woodland made some off gestures at Matter, which the serpent-like Tark'ee was not sure how to interpret *at all.* She raised her eyebrow at Woodland- to which the other whelp gestured even more wildly, now pointing at Koi. Matter decided to interpret the gestures as "Watch out, I don't want Koi to catch us spying on her." which was honestly fair enough.

 

They watched a little longer as Koi tried to grab berries off the bushes, all of which turned to a soft, disgusting looking mush instantly. Matter glanced at Woodland, mildly concerned, who in turn shrugged back her.

 

After a while, a concerned-looking Roam walked in. "We, ah, thought you were harvesting today, Koi? We were hoping to make soup with the mushrooms, since they'd last us a few days after the foraging attempts went- not great." Koi frowned even harder, somehow "Ah... About that." She showed Roam her berry-goop covered hands.

 

"Oh." Roam awkwardly wrung her hands. "We can fix it, it's okay." Koi threw her hands up in the air "How are we supposed to fix this, Roam?" the hidden whelps exchanged some glances. While it was *probably* rude, it was honestly kind of amusing to see everything unfold.

 

"We can go out and forage for a bit, get some mushrooms to make a stew. It's gonna be okay." Koi sighed, but nodded sadly. "Suppose we can ask some others to help out, too." Koi grumbled, "I don't really want anyone else to find out, to be honest." Matter felt something in her back, and fell forward. Instantly, all eyes were on here as she awkwardly stammered. "I- ah, dropped something?"

 

Obviously, Koi didn't buy it. "Dropped something- in the greenhouse you're not supposed to be inside of, hmmm?" Matter readjusted herself awkwardly "Was I- not supposed to be here? I thought it was uh, kind of, like, a free roam area? I'm so sorry I'll leave-"

 

Koi shook her head "Nono, you get to help out now. We need all hands we can get, I suppose. I'm sure someone has taught you something about foraging before, so you'll be fine." Matter shifter around awkwardly- truth had, nobody had ever really shown her foraging, and she really preferred to stay inside the colony. "Oh ah- Woodland is hiding under there too, Im sure she will be a way better help foraging than I'd be, so Ill just- scoot away now."

 

Koi frowned- "No, if you were both hiding under there, you're both helping. C'mon Woodland, get out. I'll grab you a basket."

 

---

 

As the four colonists made their way across the mushroom forest, they filled up their baskets with mushrooms they found along the way. Koi and Matter walked in front, with Woodland and Roam walking behind them- the latter two slightly more grumpily- Roam having tried to back out after both Matter and Woodland had appeared out of nowhere, claiming Koi had enough helpers now.

 

Koi quickly found out that Matter rather struggled with handling both her basket and the foragables- and happily helped her put things in the basket instead. The younger Xunari did seem to enjoy foraging though, but lacking- well, any kind of appendages, it was rather tricky to the other. Koi took note of that, filing it away in her brain as something she would have to bring up with Bloo- their newest addition probably needing some specialized tool, and ways of carrying them. Koi was sure it wouldn't be an issue at all.

 

She looked behind her to see what Woodland and Roam were up to- seeing them both covered head to toe in some kind of ink from one of the mushrooms that grew here. Koi sighed, telling Matter she'd be right back, and walked to Woodland and Roam. 

 

"Did you- touch those ominous, black looking mushrooms?" the two sighed in unison "yea..." Koi sighed. "I think me and Matter got enough mushrooms by ourselves. We can head home now, you sillies." Woodland and Roam looked at each other, embarrassed and then looked at Koi "We, ah- did get a few?" they offered, raising up their basket with no more than 5 mushrooms in it. Koi decided not to mention it. "great! We can at least manage until we can send another foraging party out with all of these." She glanced at the setting sun, and sighed "we really do ought to go back though. It's about to be dark out."