[Synerie]

Prompt 1
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Username: dysania.
What is your coral's name?: Gaia
How did you come up with it?:

“Gaia; ancestral mother of all life...” Taima trailed off as she heard the unamused snort from the bull that stood on the other side of the tank. She could feel the embarrassment burn at her cheeks and she shuffled, mind muddled with thoughts and excuses. However, Taima cleared her throat before regaining her posture as her gaze dipped down to the tiny grey mass in the clear tank.

It was tiny, fragile. Yet there it rested, ready for her to bestow all of her attention and care onto it. Ready for her to nurture it like a calf. Taima felt her mouth dry as she stared down at it. It was not only some marine invertebrate, no. If allowed to grow and blossom, this little piece of coral could become a home to ocean life.

And that’s why Taima chose to name her’s after the mother of all life; Gaia.

“I choose to name my coral after Gaia, the Mother Earth. Not because it simply sounds cool but because... coral is a delicate importance to the ocean. Not only does it serve to protect coastlines, it provides a home to the thousands of species that dwell within the waters.” Taima explained, gaze locked hard on the grey mass. She could feel Enke’s stare on her, making her fur rise as she shuffled. Taima cleared her throat.

“Like Gaia herself, this coral nurtures life beneath the ocean’s surface, as long as I can nurture it into it’s full potential.” Taima declared quietly, lifting her gaze to Enke with determination in her eyes. He stared her down before giving a simple nod, going off to the next tourist.

Taima relaxed in relief, smiling at her new friend, her reflection in the tank smiling back.

[case]

Prompt 1
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Username: Case
What is your coral's name?: Wilson
How did you come up with it?:

Cecelia, watching from her window, gazed down at all the other buttermilks enjoying the sandy beach and the salty water. ”There is probably nothing all that great down there anyways.” She went back to her chair, continuing the movie she had been viewing. However, she began to hear the cows chattering about their new “pet”. What kind of pet could these cows possibly acquire from a beach? Cecelia huffed and made her way out of the house, towards the sunny layout before her. “I swear if these cows are going on and on about a goldfish...”

Cecelia quickly came across the large hut with several tanks inside. It was quite easy to find, as it was also the most crowded. She overheard instructions from the crowd around her. She was to name her new little friend something fitting. Cecelia really only had movies on her mind, since she was becoming quite obsessed with discovering new places, people, and worlds, all from the comfort of her own home.

“Wilson.” She immediately blurted, staring down at the coral in the tank. Cecelia was previously watching the movie Cast Away, where a man gets marooned on an island after his plane crashes. The island is uninhabited and the man winds up drawing a face on a volleyball. The volleyball, named Wilson, becomes his only companion on the island. Unfortunately, one day Wilson is taken by the sea, but luckily the main character does end up getting rescued.

Cecelia pondered the name she picked for a few seconds. “It is actually pretty perfect.” She smiled to herself. ”Eventually I am going to have to let the sea take you too, Wilson. I know it will be for the best though, and you will end up helping the whole planet.” After a few minutes, Cecelia quickly turned around and went back inside her house— and back to her movies.

[mars]

Prompt 1
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Username: ➳ palla
What is your coral's name?: Cni (pronounced 'snee')
How did you come up with it?:

Pippin • Eirwen • Catherine

  Pippin stared into the tank, looking for the little coral living somewhere inside. Supposedly it was in there — at least according to Enke it was — but she couldn't see a thing. Was she blind or was he a liar?
  "Eirwen, where is it? I don't see anything in there," the young girl asked, frustration clear in her voice. "I swear there's just water and rocks."
  "What? Let me look." Eirwen approached the tank, poking her nose against the glass. Her eyes scanned back and forth for a long moment until she saw a tiny bump on one of the rocks at the bottom. "Ah, there it is! See the bump right there? It's so small, right?" Pippin immediately darted her gaze to where Eirwen was pointing, a bit taken aback.
  "That? That can't be coral! I thought it was going to be big," Pippin responded, frowning.
  "It can't be big if we've gotta grow it, Pip."
  "Oh, right."

  It was then that Enke returned, a bit nervous to see them being so careless with palms and noses pressed against the tank glass. As he walked over to the group, he overheard Pippin ask Eirwen a question.
  "Can I touch it? It looks squishy."

  "Absolutely not, hands off!" the man replied suddenly in a loud voice from behind, making both jump. They immediately took a step away from the tank, turning around to face him, still holding their hands in the air to show their innocence. "Touching coral can kill it. The oils on your hands break down the barrier that protects the coral from disease. Plus, bacteria on your hands could ruin the careful microenvironment created by the tank. This is a hands-off project. Understand?" The two girls nodded, pulling their hands back down to their sides stiffly as a gesture of peace. "Good. Now...what are you going to name it? Can't leave a darling like this nameless, can we?"

  Eirwen pulled a phone from her pocket.
  "We should pick a name that has a deep meaning to it. Let me look on some websites, hold on." Meanwhile, Pippin swayed back and forth nervously, hoping she'd be the one to pick the name.
  "Awww come on, what about something cute? Rosie? Pea? Dolly? Kitty? Mr. Tiny Toe? Please let me pick!" She begged, but Eirwen just shook her head in return.
  "No, those are too cheesy. It's not a pet, it's a strong, elegant being," she scoffed.
  "No fair."
  "Life isn't fair. Get over it." Eirwen paused for a moment before continuing. "What about a Hawaiian name? Or names having to do with the ocean?"
  "No. Too boring."

  Sick of the bickering, Enke stepped in in an attempt to make peace among the girls.
  "Why not ask Catherine? I'm sure she wishes she could be here, it would be very kind of you to let her pick." The girls looked at each other for a few seconds before hesitantly nodding.
  "I guess you're right," Pippin finally said, smiling. "I bet she'll like it." Eirwen pulled out her phone, snapping a quick photo of the coral before sending it off to Catherine for the final judgement.

  Soon, they recieved a reply.
  Cnidaria is cool. It's the phylum corals are in. Try to think of a nickname based on that.
  The two girls wrinkled up their faces in horror.
  "How do you even pronounce that?!" Pippin wailed, and Eirwen whined in agreement. Why did they ever let someone as nerdy as Catherine pick a name?
  "It doesn't seem like a name at all. What even is that jumbled mess?" Eirwen replied, unsure how to read it.
  "You're one to talk, Eirwen. Plus you two told me you'd let her pick," Enke said seriously. "She's chosen her pick, now it's your turn to think of a nickname." Eirwen and Pippin sighed. After all, he was right. They had promised to let Catherine pick, for better or for worse. They couldn't take back their word now. And yeah, Eirwen was a pretty difficult name to pronounce, too.

  The next few minutes were filled with light discussion on how to pronounce C and N together. After much debate, the mood began to change — neither could figure it out so they both just ended up laughing.
  "We should keep the C-N somewhere. It sounds so funny no matter how you pronounce it!" Eirwen exclaimed, beaming.
  "Yeah! What about C-N-I? Does that sound cute? Kuh-knee? Knee? Kee? Snee? Nuh-ee?"
  "Sure! I think I like 'snee' the best. Let's tell Catherine!" Eirwen said with glee. They has all gotten to pick a part of the name! Still sitting off to the side, Enke couldn't help but laugh. Cnidaria was technically pronounced 'nigh-dare-ee-uh', but he had to admit that 'snee' sounded rather cute. It was a great choice.

[bluex]

Prompt 1
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Username: bluex
What is your coral's name?: melusine
How did you come up with it?:

Unwaveringly, Avalon murmured his newfound friend’s name.
“Melusine.”
Without blinking an eye, the corners of the young bull’s mouth turned up in a sweet smile. “She’s a sweet spirit of the water. She once resided on the isle I share my name with.” He watched as the small coral waved with the flow of the water around the tank. Just as the folktale goes, Avalon will provide the young, flourishing coral with a place of protection until it is time for it to move on. Before he continued to explain his choice, he looked at Enke and decided to not bother him with his poetic ramblings. He decided that he would show his commitment to Melusine’s future by giving his all into making sure it grows up strong.

[sparrow,,]

Prompt 1
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Username: lucifer,
What is your coral's name?: Marina
How did you come up with it?:

Callie looked at the soft flowing coral sitting in the tank. Sighing wistfully, she was deep in thought thinking of the perfect name for her new friend. Immediately, she thought of the ocean, the warm waves lapping against her, the sand between her hooves, the soft salty breeze blowing in from the sea. She also remembered a certain fairy-tale of a mermaid that her mother used to tell her. Of course, these stories were not real, just figments of her creative mother's imagination, but they stayed with her and imprinted a special feeling in her whenever she looked out to the ocean and saw something. Maybe just the tip of a tail. A flash of green and blue. But this was enough to remind her constantly about the story of the mermaid. This mermaids name was Marina. Tilting her head, she knew that this was going to be the name. It sounded beautiful but powerful. Soft but passionate. Just the name I need for a friend that will be with me forever, she thought smiling.

As she explained this to Enke, she was prepared for a snort from the usually (slightly) rude bull, but was surprised with a hint of a smile, and instead continued to chat about the meaning behind the name of her new friend.

[atlas;]

Prompt 1
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Username: lucimorningstar.
What is your coral's name?: Tahiti
How did you come up with it?: Sunny scoffs slightly. “What does it matter to you? It’s not your coral.” She eyes the questioning bull for a few seconds before giving in. “Pffff. Fine. But I’m not gonna get all philosophical on you. I’m just a regular heifer who chooses regular names.” Sunny leads the bull towards the edge of the rocky cliffside that overlooks the ocean. She directs him to the spiral of jagged rocks leading down the sheer face of the cliff, the ground looming ominously beneath her hooves. After what seems like decades, the two buttermilk reach the shore. Soft and warm, sand blankets Sunny’s hooves, beckoning her to just lie down and take a nap. But she has more important matters to deal with.
“Alrighty.” Sunny pats the area next to her. “Have a seat. Yes, I’m talking to you. Will you just sit already? I don’t care if you want to or not. I’m telling you to sit.” When he finally sits down, Sunny moves her gaze towards the ocean. “This made me do it. The ocean, I mean. The serenity of it all. The sun shining eagerly on the water, and the water hungrily gulping down every last ray of light. I know, I said I wouldn’t get weird about this. But with the ocean, I can just sit and breathe. And has anyone ever actually told you how hard it can be to just breathe?”

[SaltyBirb]

Prompt 1
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Username: SaltyBirb
What is your coral's name?: Tu!
How did you come up with it?:

Surya felt a small blush slowly forming her face. She gave it a pretty simple name but she starts to explain why.

"It's a name of a friend of mine. While on my adventures, I met an older moo who knew how to guide me through an unknown area, he would ask me if I was ok every time I looked haggard and would also have water and first aid ready whenever I'm hurt. He's super nice and caring, he's like a big brother to me! By the time I had to leave after a month of staying at the area, It was quite an emotional goodbye but he told me that we'll meet again someday and gave me the biggest smile. We parted ways and I reminisced all the memories I had with him, I remembered how funny his name was because I kept on confusing with the number two." She let out a tiny giggle

"So in honor of him, I shall name this cute little coral, Tu!!"

Surya looked at the tiny coral with teary eyes because she knew that there's a very small chance for her to meet Tu again. She wanted to make sure that she'll be able to properly remember him and his kindness. He didn't tell Enke everything but all she knows is that Tu is a very good person and she'll forever cherish her memories with him.

[raining]

Prompt 1
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Username: raining
What is your coral's name?: azurina
How did you come up with it?:

bluebell looks out to the ocean, the sky above’s reflection being ever so slightly rippled by tiny waves. “well, she is named after azurite, which has a deep blue color that embodies the vibration of the blue ray, with many benefits as a chakra stone. It can assist you with healing, confidence, creativity, academ-“
enke cuts her off, spurting “listen, you didn’t need to go that in to detail, it’s alrigh-“
bluebell attempts to apologize, quietly responding “i- i’m really sorry sir. but, it really does help you! especially when mixed with other chakra stones, which to me represent all the other infant corals around! i see azurina as part of a community, providing others with her positive benefits. with everybody’s hard work and determination put together, the possibilities of what we could accomplish are truly endless!” she lets off a blinding smile with the end of her sentence.
enke gives nothing but a blank stare, ending with an eye roll as her turns to face the other direction.
“alright, i guess you seem committed to helping out. but please, i’ve heard enough, really.”
seemingly distracted, bluebell carries on. “and, y’know, azurina derives from the word azurite, which derives from the word azure, which means “sky blue”, reminding me of the oceans beautiful reflection of her sky, flooding my eyes with nothing but calmness, and serenity. i really lov-“
cut off for the final time, enke snaps. “thats enough! look, i can tell you’re devoted to this. thank you for your contribution.. now go on!”
bluebell blushes in embarrassment, but nonetheless smiles at his words, as she heads off to explore the rest of buttermilk beach.
“th- thank you!” bluebell yells from afar, remembering she forgot to thank him, even though it was left unacknowledged.

[I Like Bees]

Prompt 1
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Username: I Like Bees
What is your coral's name?: Rock
How did you come up with it?:

Bluebell stared at the tiny blob that supposedly would grow into a beautiful coral. It was... surprisingly boring. Dull, bland, very hard and rock-like. There was no way that this was a real coral.

The heifer looked up at Enke. "You gave me a rock," she stated plainly.

"I did no such thing," Enke replied, before during back to his tending own corals. Bluebell looked back down at the maybe-a-rock, maybe-a-coral in front of her. She tried sniffing it, thinking perhaps coral would have its own unique, not-rock-like smell. It didn't. It definitely smelled like a rock.

The heifer tried various other methods of testing whether or not her "coral" was truly a coral or a rock, all very gently just in case it did turn out to be coral. She prodded it with her hoof, looked at it from every possible angle, and even considered breaking a tiny portion off to look at it under a microscope. That seemed a bit extreme though.

Finally, Enke seemed to lose his patience. "Have you chosen a name yet?"

Bluebell gave the blob one last, hard look, then turned to the bull. "It's name is Rock, because I'm not convinced it's a coral."

[paopu]

Prompt 1
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Username: paopu
What is your coral's name?: Spooks
How did you come up with it?:
Thalia had always been one for elegance. She never named anything without making sure she thought it suited the character in question or without taking the time to suss out something that had an almost regal air to it. She prided herself on this - names were important after all. They spoke to the heart and soul of a thing and gave it meaning.

The problem was, this coral had come with a name already attached. Spooks. It had insisted by refusing to show literally any sign of life until referred to as such. It fancied itself haunted, she had thought at first. Until the darn thing refused to gross at all. And started showing up in unexpected places. And broke not one, not two, but three glass jars it was contained in.

Okay, maybe it was more than just suspected of being haunted. Maybe a ghost lived in her coral? Or perhaps a ghost just took issue with her coral; in the end it was all semantics. The important bit was it was a ghost that wanted to be called Spooks. Begrudgingly, after months of mysterious events, she allowed this.

Spooks it would be. Not because she chose it, but because it was the name it chose for itself.