Cossetlings

Easy! All Flower Tail Cossetlings (or simply Cossetlings) have an upper half of a human, satyr-like lower half with Flower Hooves, and a Flower Tail with a Watcher's Eye. Cossetling comes from the word 'cosset' (a pet lamb but also to pamper, spoil) and 'seedling' (a little plant).

Interested in learning more? Let's use a simple diagram of a familiar Cossetling, Cosette.

From the waist up, Cossetlings look very human for magical alien plant hybrids. They have hair of any color, natural skin tones, and their faces are completely human. However, their ears are like sheep.
Cossetlings do not possess human ears or any other kind that aren't sheep-like for that matter.

Like some breeds of sheep, Cossetlings can have horns regardless of gender. Not all grow horns, though, and it’s an optional trait. Horns can be shaped like any livestock/bovidae. Bovidae includes Sheep, Ram, Goat, Cow, Bull, etc.

Another optional trait is Posy Pins, small singular flower growths above a Cossetling’s ears. Not to be confused with the add-on trait Overgrowth, Posy Pins are limited to the area directly above the ears and between 1 mini flower or up to 3 mini leaves/seeds. Anything more, located anywhere else on a Cossetling, requires the Overgrowth trait. Posy Pins (and Overgrowth) have to be same species of flower or leaf as a Cossetling's flower tail. These growths can also be non-specific flower/leaves that are visually similar to the flower tail. Consider the example Posy Pin. It isn't an exact replicate of Cosette's cosmo flower tail but it's a simplified non-specific flower that has the same colors of the cosmo and therefore still matches Cosette's tail.

Another difference between Cossetlings and humans are their varied pupil shape. A sign of their alien origin, they can be any shape but are mostly commonly round like a human, horizontal like sheep, a simple flower shape, or four elongated dots in a plus shape.

And who can forget the Flower Hooves! A distinct species characteristic, Flower hooves are what Cossetlings have instead of human legs. A flower hoof is essentially an upside down flower for with petals and leaves growing about a quarter above the ankles. The petals are in front while leaves cover the back/heel area.

Flower hooves can be more leaves than petals, but they generally look the same regardless of a Cossetling’s Flower Tail. Applelopolis Scholars theorize Cossetlings may have come from the same plant and therefore the flower part have a uniform look. In contrast, the hoof part can look different as long as they're visibly hooves. Flower hooves colors do not have to be exact same as a flower tail's but they do match and form a cohesive color palette. For an example, look at Cosette! Her hoof petals may be yellow but they do match the yellow and white of her Cosmo Flower Tail. Flower hooves naturally have one layer of petals and/or leaves. For multi-layer hooves, cossetlings require the Overgrowth trait.

Flower hooves can be open or closed. Open flower hooves have petals/leaves that hang low, always pointed downwards. They do not stiffly open like an umbrella; instead think leg warmers. Closed flower hooves lie completely flat against the leg and allow Cossetlings to wear clothing items that cover the hooves. Both flower hooves have to be open or closed (one can't be open while the other closed), and Cossetlings cannot naturally open closed-hooves or close open-hooves.

Some Cossetlings have cellulose growth along with their flower hooves. The thin membrane could be single-colored, simple-gradient, or simple-patterned and reach up to a Cossetling’s mid-thigh. The edge, where cellulose meets skin, can be blended or more pronounced with a simple outline. Unlike flower hooves, cellulose length and colors can be asymmetrical but it cannot go past the mid-thigh.

What all Cossetlings have regardless of age or additional traits is a Flower Tail. Flower tails are extremely important to Cossetlings. Indeed, it holds the source of their magic. Each Cossetling is born with one flower tail that blooms (or unfurls in case of leaf tails) shortly after birth. As expected, a flower tail is a singular flower or leaf with one Watcher’s Eye replacing the stamen and pistil (flower) or nestled in the center (leaf).

A Cossetling’s flower tail is nearly identical to flower/leaves found naturally on Earth with the same shape, design, and colors. Stylization is fine, Cossetlings are aliens after all, but their tails should look somewhat like the corresponding “real” flower or leaf. Any unnatural colors or elements (i.e. blue roses, daisy flower tail with thorns) don’t exist without the respective add-on traits. The size of the flower or leaf varies but it cannot be bigger than a half of a Cossetling's body or smaller than their fist.

A flower tail’s stem can be as long as 2/3rds of a Cossetling or short and stubby. Longer stems can be wrapped around a body part and can be hidden by clothes but the tail-end flower/leaf with the Watcher’s Eye is always visible. It must be magic! However, remember the stem when positioning a Cossetling’s tail as it’s always there.

As for the number of tails, Cossetlings normally have one. However, eating a Dried Watcher's Root causes a Cossetling to spontanteously grow another tail! Wow, the Watcher's Tree magic sure is powerful! With the root, a Cossetling can have a total of three tails. These extra tails can manifest in two ways: split (seperate stems) or bouquet (one stem with multiple flowers).

Having an extra tail can be a lifesaver for a Cossetling. Literally. Because Cossetlings cannot regrow their flower tail, a damaged one results in a severely weakened and sick Cossetling and a destroyed one causes them to wither and die. While flower tails are extremely durable, much more so than Earthling plants, an extra one provides a safety net for more adventurous Cossetlings.

Cossetlings can even turn an extra tail into a Decoy Tail! A decoy tail is a flower tail tranformed through a burst of magic and inspiration after reading Evercrisp Archives. The scholar that invented the technique envisioned it to be used as bait, a way to lure away unwanted attention from a Cossetling's actual flower tail, but nowadays many use it however they choose! There's no limit to a decoy tail as long as it is an inorganic and inanimate object. Remember, organic for Cossetlings includes plants. Some decoy tails look indistinguishable from the normal object while others resemble a plant-like imitation right down to having a stem. It all depends on the Cossetling. Of course, a decoy tail must still have the Watcher's Eye symbol.

You may be wondering what exactly is this Watcher’s Eye. Well, the Watcher's Eye is a small gem located in a Cossetling’s flower tail and is the source of their magic. Eyes can be any color but the Watcher's symbol will always be in its center. While an eye's default shape is a sphere, it can take any simple geometric shape. A flower tail always has a Watcher's Eye. It's a remanent of their creator, after all.

Cossetlings were created through the magic of their creator, the Watcher. They can't purposely use magic to change their forms but, as beings of magic, they can be rather reactive. Cossetlings gain traits by reacting to certain items. Overgrowth is one such trait. As mentioned earlier, it allows a Cossetlings to experience plant growth, as in growing small flowers and/or leaves, anywhere on the body. Essentially, a more powerful Posy Pin!

  And traits can react to each other! For an example, Carnivorous Plant Growth is usually limited to real world carnivorous plants. But what if a Cossetling wants something more like an Melonsnapper Fruit? Combining Carnivorous Plant Growth with Fruit Growth will allow a fruit based carnivorous plant! Magic sure is amazing! Interested in more combinations? Click below!

Cossetlings is a peculiar race, easygoing but with plenty of mystery. This article may have updates in the future.