Celeste wanted to make time for Zoey, as she did everyone in her small pack. Whether it was lounging in the shade with Arne, watching Kuroki work his strong muscles, or pestering Cyanide into socializing, there was something all of her followers needed from her. For the young girl who she had rescued from the aftermath of the Menagerie tragedy, Celeste wanted to see what she thought of the terrain she'd chosen to settle the pack within. Having come back from a short trip out into the dunes to find some tortoises, she carried the three she'd been successful in grabbing by their broken necks. Trying her best to grow accustomed to the scorching heat, she could feel herself already getting thirsty by the time she approached the oasis lake. Setting the tortoises down, she drank from the crisp water until her throat hurt no longer. Now that she had returned, the Mistress lifted her chin to the skies and released a beckoning howl. Nothing urgent, but a request for Zoey's presence. Maybe she would have an idea of what to use with the tortoise shells once the meat was taken from them. Or maybe she had found something interesting while she had been out hunting. Settling down onto her belly in the shade of a palm, Celeste would wait.

Zoey was settling in the best she could. Though the memories of what happened in the sparse pines - the tragedy, the loss, the blood - still tried to haunt her waking mind, she pushed them away, keeping herself occupied instead. She had fixed up the den Celeste had shown her, a place for her to be comfortable and rest in. She had even fashioned herself a quilt of pelts from various small creatures she'd hunted, covering the den's floor and giving it a much cozier feel. Aside from that, Zoey spent most of her time outside the underground, always searching for new relics or ruins she could study and make use of. Sometimes that mean she had to do a bit of digging, but so far that morning she'd found a rusty gadget that looked like two old blades attached in an 'X' shape (it was a pair of shears? in a desert? go figure) and was intently examining its worn surface, the screw that held the blades together - careful not to cut herself as she used the splintered wooden handles to squeeze them together, then open them. It was most fascinating, and she was about to carry it back when she heard Celeste's kind call summoning her.

Making a mental note to study the object later, she gently leaned it against the shade of a palm tree before making her way to the mistress. Zoey smiled, her coffee-hued eyes lighting up upon seeing the woman who'd taken her into her pack and treated her so well. She noticed the dead tortoises, tilting her head as she saw the shells. If it was possible, one could practically see the little cogs and gears turning in Zoey's head as she was already thinking of uses for the shells once the meat was harvested.

"Hi, Miss Celeste! You called for me?" She said, having a seat across from her. She was thinking about the shears she'd left across the oasis - not too far, she could fetch them if the woman asked about her morning. There was so much to this place that she barely knew where to start!

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Absent-mindedly spinning one of the tortoises around on the back of their shell until they were settled too far into the sand, Celeste kept herself entertained until Zoey returned. Enjoying the shade of the palm and the gentle noise of the pool of water nearby, she found herself actually liking living within the confines of the desert. Lost in thought about what things the future might entail, Celeste barely heard Zoey's approach. It wasn't until the young girl with her excited features was stopped before her did Celeste look up with a cheery smile. Pushing herself up into a sitting position as Zoey did, Celeste motioned to the tortoises with a paw. "I gathered these with the intention of harvesting the meat, but I also do not want the shells to go to waste. Would you perhaps have any idea of what we could do with them?" The Mistress' head lilts lightly as she peers at the girl. Keeping her lips closed, she noticed the curious gaze of Zoey and knew this had been the right sort of activity to do with her today.

Zoey wagged her tail softly as Cel gave her a kind smile, motioning towards the tortoises in fromt of her. They were freshly killed, their meat ready to be harvested for food and and whatever else they could be used for. As she thought, Celeste inquired as to how their shells could be re-purposed after their meat was harvested. The russet girl tilted her goggle head, lips pursed in thought. Shells were clearly bowl-like in shape, so the first thing that came to mind were bowls. ”I can see the shells being used as bowls - for anything really. We can use them to bring bowls of water back to the dens in case of a heat wave, so we don’t need to come out into the boiling sun for water. They can be used for serving food if we have group meals, or even for mixing medicines and poultices for healing.” She explained it all in rapid fire, the words rolling off her tongue as she thought them. She was quick to think, her wits sharp as a blade. It was a good thing, really - her ability to break down shapes and objects to their desired purposes, and able to see them as more than just what they were, was what made her so handy. She smiled, adding with a cheerful tilt of her head, ”That’s just a basic list, though! I’m not sure if you had any ideas, yourself, but that’s just what I immediately thought.” ”Speech” ‘Think’

Celeste was thankful that Zoey was so enthusiastic about the little activity she'd put together. Not that it was much of an activity, but it appeared to help the girl's brain juices flow which was her reasoning for doing it. She would nod along as Zoey rattled off the different uses they could use for the tortoise shells. Yes, they would all work and knowing there were multiple uses for the things was more of a reason to keep them around. "I do like the ideas you gave," she said simply as her gaze turned from Zoey to the tortoises. "Do you think we could utilize them as armor somehow? Not sure they would fit on Kuroki or Arne's big heads," Celeste laughed as she reached out to spin one around.

Zoey was practically beaming when Celeste gave her a compliment, tail wagging enthusiastically behind her. She hoped her insights in this moment would prove her dedication, and that the leader would be sure she'd be of good use. The more she provided her ideas and the more she settled into the desert's mysterious landscape, the more inspired she became, always watching and observing and thinking of all the new and novel ways their pack could adapt to their environment. Perhaps it was a test, or maybe not - but either way, the young girl was more than happy to keep thinking of the latest concepts that popped into her head.

She glanced down at the tortoise shells again - their hardness was unmatched to many creatures she'd seen. What the animals lacked in speed and agility, they more than made up for in toughness and an innate ability to protect their vital organs. She noticed many animals had their advantages, balanced with drawbacks. If you were built for high speed chases, you wouldn't be bulky or super strong. The opposite applied as well. It was fascinating to see. When Celeste inquired if the shells could be used for armor, Zoey tilted her head - she didn't know as much about weaponry besides a few scattered observations, but she supposed they could, theoretically, fit on a wolf's head.

She chuckled a bit at the woman's comment about Kuroki and Arne's head as well - they were big wolves too! - and then promptly said with a shrug, " I don't see why not! We'd have to make sure the helmets fit properly on a wolf's head, for example, and maybe fit some sort of strap below the jaw to stay on in a fight, but I believe it could work." She poked one of the shells, as if to confirm their hardness."The plates protecting the tortoises' abdomens could be used as a sort of shield, maybe?"

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