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Sausage couldn't help but be excited. New season, new map, even new friends. (Though he was a bit too excited to properly introduce himself to False.) His nerves were becoming a bit much with just how much had changed between the last server and this one. He was glad that one things stayed the same. It was still him and Gem, out adventuring like always.
He bounced on his feet happily, while Gem trailed on behind him, both out to explore the new land that the server had to offer.
He’s rambling on about the map, about his plans to come, what materials he wants to gather sooner rather than later. Quickly his topics become less task focused, more about whatever starts to enter his mind. He could feel himself starting to slip but was pointedly going to ignore it.
Now was not the time to start feeling small. Not when there was so much to get done. He hadn’t even started collecting materials, not to mentions tools and armor, he’d have to find his dog Bubbles soon and-.
“Sausage?”
“Mmh? Yes, Gem?” He looked up, not sure when he had totally zoned out.
“You feeling little?”
Sausage stopped dead in his tracks. “Nuh uh!” Which, okay, even he realized that probably wasn’t the most convincing thing he could have said, but shh, he was happy to live in ignorance for the time being.
“You sure? Not even a tiny bit?” The red head asked, coming up and booping Sausage’s nose.
“Don’t do that Gem!” he swats her hand away.
She chuckles. “Alright fine, that was a bit silly of me, wasn’t it?”
“Yes it was. I hereby ban you from all un-or-thor-i-zed affection.” He struggled a bit on the word, which of course his friend instantly caught on.
“Uh huh, and we’re sure that we’re not slipping? Not even a little bit?”
“No Gem! Not small. Can’t be small, too much stuff to do.” He waved his hand around vaguely at the world in front of them.
“Oh Sausage. It’s okay to be small right now. It’s been an exciting and stress filled day. But if not, that’s fine too. I just want to make sure we don’t have a small boy on our hands without me knowing.”
“Well…” He thought for a moment. His plan on, hiding that he was feeling small may have been slowly backfiring on him as Gem seemed to read him like an open picture book. “Okay, might be slipping,” He confesses. “but not that small.”
“Thanks for telling me bub.” She grins proudly at him, ruffling his hair.
“Gem!” Sausage squealed, absolutely appalled at this show of affection.
~~~
“Gem lets swim across!”
“We are not about to swim across a river Sausage. We’ll get our clothes soaked and then what’ll we do?”
The age regressor pouts. “Fine den, but how we gonna get ‘cross?”
“A boat silly.” Gem pulls one out of her inventory, stepping into it carefully. “Hop in!”
“We’re like pirates!” Sausage says, and with his caregiver’s help manages to sit down without falling into the water.
Crossing the water the pair had only been sailing for a couple of minutes when Gem called out. “Look Sausage!” pointing towards a group of mangrove trees. “Look at the frogs!”
“Where? Where?” The boat rocks as Sausage tries to stand, using her shoulders as support.
“Hey, what did I say about standing up in the boat Sausage?!” Though her words are ignored as she hears the little gasp.
“Oh look! Ribbit!” He’s jumping out of the boat before Gem can even properly come to a stop.
He wades through the swamp water, thoroughly soaking his clothes in his attempt to see the new creatures.
“Sausage,” Gem sighs, parking the boat and getting out herself.
But Sausage doesn’t hear what Gem said. “Aww cuties! Froggy!” He gasps, another frog jumping into his line of sight. “Froggy baby!”
“Why don’t you feed one?” Gem suggests, while the age regressor is still gawking at the amphibians.
“Bu- I don’t have slime.” He pouts sadly.
“Oh, well then. We’ll have to come back when we do have slime.”
“Okay! Cause day eat slimes. Ah!” Sausage exclaims suddenly, one of the creatures jumping towards him.
“Gem! Gem! It jumped over my head Gem!” He cried, scrambling towards his caregiver.
“Well there frogs silly, they’re going to jump.”
“It almost landed on my head though.”
She pats him on the head. “You’re okay.”
“Yeah.” He turns and glares at the frog. “Imma go catch the ribbit.”
“Okay then, just be careful.” Gem takes out her axe, fully intending on getting some mangrove wood while Sausage had fun playing with the frogs.
“I will Gem, don’t you worry.”
~~~
Gem decides to be done collecting wood for the time being. So she stands at the bank of the water, watching her little as he tries multiple times in a row to grab the same frog.
“Ribbit come here!” He lunges, only managing to send up a bunch of swamp water into the air. “Froggy,” The frog jumps out of his way again, he’s getting closer though. “Gotcha!” He catches the frog, holding it in his hands he proudly turns to show Gem.
“Gem! I caught the froggy!” He shouts, holding the poor frog up out in front of him.
His caregiver gasps. “Good job!” She comes down and pets the top of the frogs head. “Hello there mister froggy.”
Sausage giggles. “You wanna hold him?”
“Uh, no thank you Sausage. He seems, slimy.”
“He’s not! He just likes cuddles, don’t you?” He turns the frog to face him when asking the question.
In response the animal manages to squirm it’s way out of the age regressor’s hands, landing on the ground and quickly hopping away.
“Silly ribbit! Come back.”
Gem watches warmly as Sausage begins his case after the frog all over again.
Bonus:
The two were about to leave the swamp, having been there for the better part of the last hour when Sausage suddenly cried out. “Oh no! He’s ‘tuck under da lily pad.” He lifted up the foliage so the frog could hop out from underneath. Stumbling back a bit when the creature jumps directly at him.
“Saved him.” He states.
“Good job. You’re a froggy hero.” Gem praised, helping the mentally younger back to his feet.
“I am! I am a hero Gem! I’m going to be da best-est hero and save everybody! And I’mma have da coolest, best-est, most nicest empire ever!”
Gem smiles. “I have no doubt you will Sausage.”