SOSU 437
The Ma-Tzu moved through the small coop, gingerly moving the hens aside to gather what lay beneath them. One of them tried to peck at her, and as she jerked her hand away, she dropped an egg. Wide golden eyes watched as it shattered and splattered onto the wooden floor, her mouth half open in a silent No! She was too late as she tried to reach for it; the mess had already soiled the ground. Bending down, creamy fingers gathered the broken bits of shell into her palm, the sticky, gooey mess obnoxiously working against her. Once she gathered them all, she tossed them outside of the coop, onto the ground. At least there, they would be broken down, and not pose a threat to someone's bare feet. Then, she popped back inside to finish her duty.
The basket in Sage's arms was beginning to feel heavy with the weight of the eggs as she reached the final, twelfth chicken. Despite the coop only housing a dozen hens and a wandering rooster, their outputs were splendid. The basket was filled with plenty of large, well-shaped brown eggs, and as she even removed three more from the final, smallest one. Smiling, she reached a hand over to try to pet this one, as it seemed less timid than it's roommates. Two strokes of the soft feathers and it had had enough, moving away quickly and clucking in protest.
But suddenly, the others began to make noises of excitement, too. Sage hadn't been paying close attention to her senses, but now as she grew instantly alert she noticed a new scent. A young scent. Her golden gaze quickly flew to the entrance, where there stood on four small paws a black puppy. Sage breathed out a quick oh! before remembering her manners. She tried to calm the chickens, shushing them as their ruckus grew lengthy. "Why hello there," she said through a smile, her voice gentle and light. This wasn't the best place for a child, Sage knew, and she hoped that the young girl wouldn't think that they were food. "Who might you be?" she asked the child as she neared, bending down a bit to be more at her level. The basket full of eggs was held with both hands, and she was careful not to drop anymore now. She didn't need another mess to clean up, and she hoped that this child was a sweet one that wouldn't cause trouble in the coop. Sage had to remember she lived in Ichika now, and so far everyone she'd encountered had been lovely; surely the children were, too.
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