Virgo cautiously stirred a blue liquid within the ceramic cauldron. It was a surprisingly difficult task to boil a crushed beetle. Finding and grabbing the beetle was easy. Trying to squish the beetle by hand did nothing. The bucket and ladle also could not crush the bug. He left to find a rock and whenever he returned the beetle had escaped. After recapturing the beetle, he was able to squish it with the stone. It wasn't ideal. It also left a blue stain on the table. He started to pour the substance into one of the ceramic jars, using the silk strainer to filter out the solid bug guts. While the resulting liquid was blue, it couldn't dye material. Unperturbed, he tried again, and again, and again. As he worked, he began to carve simple tools from wood to help him. He experimented with different combinations of crushed insects. He managed to create a crude pestle that was more efficient than a rock. He tried to make a mortar. It was more difficult than he expected with such a crude knife and poor quality wood. Instead, he carved a simple board so he wouldn't need to dirty the table further. He also learned how to control the temperature of the cauldron. It responded to his thoughts whenever he touched it. Out of curiosity, he also poured a failed batch of bug juice into the basin. After a few moments, the water levels raised forcing the contamination out and on to the floor. The region immediately surrounding the alchemy lab had plenty of glowing moss. However, deeper into the Hive, the light was more scarce. He was looking for more beetles when he wandered into a dark area. While walking, he stumbled. He turned around to pick up whatever he tripped on. To his surprise, it was a rocky beetle. He brought it over to light to examine it more closely. It was certainly interesting. Sadly, it was not useful for the task at hand. He attempted to squish it with his crude pestle, but its shell was too hard. He had to kill it using a large rock. He then stored it in a bottle for later. He also began to try to separate specific parts of the bug. He would kill an insect, remove the piece he wanted, and place it a pile. He would then crush and boil that pile. Eventually, he managed to create a blue paste. It was not a dye; however, he could smear it on stone. It was not what he had intended, but he made a mental note of how he created it. It was interesting. The jars containing his failed experiments were neatly piled up on the floor. He proudly placed the blue paste jar on one of the shelves. There was a realization that simple tasks for gods could be very difficult for mortals. However, this did not discourage him. He was excited to continue and to learn. However, his body began to feel sluggish. His eyes felt heavy. He had eaten while he was experimenting. He particularly enjoyed the taste of honey. He also enjoyed boiled crickets. He drank clean water from the basin. This sensation was different than pain, which he felt when he accidentally hit his fingers with a rock. He found himself closing his eyes and laying against one of the cabinets. [hider=Summary] Virgo attempts to create a blue dye. However, it is more difficult than crushing a blue beetle and boiling it. Undeterred, he starts carving crude tools from wood. He learns about the alchemy lab. He runs across a region of the Hive connected to Ehomakwoi and is interested in a rocky beetle. He also tries different combinations of bug guts eventually discovers a recipe for a blue paste. He proudly places it on a shelf. He realized that making things as a mortal is hard, but wants to continue working. However, he is sleepy but doesn't know what that is. He rules out hunger, thirst, and pain as the cause before falling asleep laying against a cabinet. [/hider] [hider=Prestige] Virgo Starting: 1 Ending: 3 +1 for Post, +1 for Starring Role [/hider]