ORIGIN

Although it had been a while since she had found the Austinite, Sakhira still hadn't managed to find anyone who she thought would be a fitting guardian for it. Perhaps part of the problem was the fact that she hadn't been specifically looking for anyone. She had just been wandering around and hoping she would find someone. There was something special about the Austinite compared to the other gemstones. It was the first time she had found out that it was possible to sense rocks. It was also how she witnessed the death of the past owner, heard their desperate attempts to survive, and heard them fail to escape. But she had also learned more about how they had lived. Or what they were, at least. The most she could guess was that they had been some sort of bird, like her. If she counted as a bird. Close enough.

Either way, she was out on a mission to give the Austinite a new life. This time she would be sure to find someone. Sakhira traveled at a light jog through Polaris, grasping the the gemstone by the bone it was still attached to in her beak. She wasn't headed anywhere specific. Currently her course was charted for Monoceros, a place with plenty of wind, and, she figured, a fitting place for a bird to be. After all, she couldn't pick just anyone to give the stone to. She was looking for someone with similar characteristics, or even just a personality that seemed to match. What exact standards she had for this part however were still quite unclear. At this point since it was the first time she had ever done this, it was vague in her own mind too what she was looking for. Sakhira figured she would know once she met them.

@Shango

Shango was moving around Polaris with a mild sense of agitation. His preferred home--Eridanus--was a mess of white right now, and he didn't like that. It was ugly and it stank.

While he couldn't manage true flight, he could glide downward or even leap quite high, and it was this he'd used to get up onto a higher ledge near the Spire so that he could brood and sulk in suitably dramatic backlighting. It wasn't deliberate, really--he just felt that his upset right now was better fit by lots of striking color and shadow. His silhouette was dark, the edges of him bright blue and gleaming in that rainbow turquoise, his golden coat edging to the strange blue-gray where the light faded. He'd tried to call the rain, too, more because he preferred storm to dry air. As a result, much of Polaris had given away to a spattering drizzle, and then a downpour, which soaked Shango down and made him feel far more at home.

His head was on his paws, glowing ghostlight eyes watching the cave with idle annoyance and a little bit of boredom. It was another bird-hybrid-sort-of-creature that broke the monotony: someone young, he thought, sandy browns and creams, more feathered than he was but otherwise of quite similar build.

She was a bit far out, so Shango stood up, shook himself, and yowled down a greeting.

"HELLO? Are you like ME?"

He squinted, and he really did think so: Sakhira was probably the most similar creature to him he had ever seen.

@Sakhira

She hadn't been walking for very long before it suddenly started raining. Although her fluff had started to fall away into feathers, owl feathers weren't actually waterproof like those of other birds, causing her to get soaked after trudging through the rain. Luckily the ground was more rock than dirt. Her progress would've been impeded completely if the dirt had turned to mud. Partly because it would've been hard to walk, and also because she didn't want to get herself dirty. It hadn't occurred to her that this storm wasn't formed by natural causes and that magic could cause such a thing to happen.

Then she heard a sound. At first, she dismissed it as the pit pattering noise of the rain, but a few seconds of thinking made her realize that it probably wasn't. After all, the rain didn't say hello. Sakhira's head swiveled around as she tried to discern where the voice was coming from. She didn't think to look up, and when she did, the sphynx froze in shock. But more so out of surprise than terror. After all, Shango was the coolest thing she had ever seen! Sakhira could not yell very loud, so she walked closer to where he was perched, placing the Austinite on the ground before speaking, "Hello!"

Her eyes focused on Shango, and she was eventually able to discern that he really was quite similar to her. Though he glowed and didn't have antlers and actually had teeth. But other than all that, they were fairly close. But in a way, Sakhira was also quite similar to Bug, and if she thought about it even more, the argument could also be made that she was similar to Cadenza too. So in that case, weren't they all the same? It was quite a coincidence really how she had met so many gembounds that shared a number of traits with her. "I am! Many are. Who are you? Can you come down?" her voice was starting to hurt from having to talk this loud to speak over the sound of rain and to make up for the distance between them. She shivered, the rain starting to chill her to the bone.

@Shango

Shango stood, shook the water from his coat as best he could, and spread scalefeathered wings. His glide was smooth, four birdlike feet landing neatly on the ground. He peered curiously at Sakhira.

"MANY ARE?" he called, then realized he was closer now and did not have to shout. He shook himself again. "I did meet a spotted cat... but she was in her stone. Only her head was out," he explained. Other than that, he couldn't really remember any cat-birds like them. Not that Seshat had been a cat-bird at all, but still.

"Who are you?" he asked, and it may have been blunt but it was to the point, rather than particularly rude or demanding. And it was followed up by an offering: "I'm Shango."

He then dropped to his haunches, lifting a bird-taloned foot high, and used it to groom his strange mane. Wings adjusted over his back and he looked up. "That's my rain," he said, content.

@Sakhira

She wondered if she would be able to fly someday. Sometimes Sakhira would spend her time watching in wonder as the birds flew so effortlessly through the sky. And although Shango was more gliding than really flying, it was still rather amazing to her. She held his stare, equally curious about him. From this distance, the sphynx was able to make out his feet which were more like those of birds instead of paws, the spots that patterned his fur, and the spikes that were prevalent throughout. It was rather interesting really.

Shango seemed much older and more experienced than she was, so his question made her start to question if there really were that many or if she had just gotten lucky. Sakhira tilted her head as she listened to him explain how he knew of a cat. A spotted cat that was inside of her stone? She didn't meet anyone like that. And how was that possible? She thought stones were small. How could one be big enough for you to fit inside of? Sakhira shook her head to indicate she did not know of this cat he was talking about, but added, "I met Bug. She is a cat with wings." Though now that she said this out loud, and now that she had more experience with life in general, she realized that Bug was named, well, Bug. And bugs were small annoying things that buzzed around for no reason and were very bothersome to her. They also tended to frequent puddles of water that were very dirty looking. So she did not like bugs. But she did like Bug. It was a very important distinction to remember that not all bugs were bad. "But Bug is not a bug."

"I'm Sakhira." her eyes widened a bit as Shango mentioned that he was the one who had caused it to start raining. But it was clean rain at least. Not dirty. That's why it was tolerable. Though her shivering was starting to get worse. The most amazing part however was that he was even able to make it rain. And it even seemed to cover almost all of Polaris. He was like Bug but- even more powerful at magic! Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that someone with this level of power was possible. Or that she would actually meet someone like that! She should be saying something in response, but the sphynx was frozen in an 'oh my god is this really happening to me' kind of expression.

And her mind gave her a good ol' kick. Right, she was here for the stone, she should be continuing on her way- wait. Shango was a gembound. Correct. It was clear from his horns. And also the fact that he could speak. So that meant, maybe, just maybe... Sakhira dropped her gaze to look down at the Austinite at her feet. So far he seemed to be rather friendly. Not to mention, she knew, or thought she knew, that whoever it the stone had once belonged to was some sort of avian creature. There were some similarities here. "This stone. I am trying to give it. A new life." And she looked at Shango, waiting to see what his reaction to this would be.

@Shango

He peered at her for a moment, ghostlight eyes at last blinking, then paced over to politely investigate the object of her conversation. He tilted his head this way and that, studying it.

"It's a nice rock," he finally said, stepping back, his tone wholly noncommital. Past that he showed no interest in it, bar glancing thoughtfully at Sakhira and offering his further advice. "This isn't a good place for it." Then he glanced around. "There's not a lot to eat! But if you want to do it here do it behind rocks. Or something. So nobody eats it." That seemed reasonable--and then another thought occurred to him, and he looked sharply back at Sakhira, head cocking down again.

"Aren't you too young?"

To be a parent, that was; she looked, to him, very much like... well, barely more than a child herself. A horrible thought struck him, and he winced: "Was it someone you knew?"

More... coherent, than usual, but soft worry had entered his tone, now.

@Sakhira

It was possible for a rock to get eaten!? Sakhira hadn't even considered that as a possibility! Why anyone would ever try to eat a rock she couldn't understand. For one, it was hard, and not particularly tasty. Not to mention it didn't seem to even be nutritious or fill your belly. If anything it would probably just give you a stomachache. As she looked around, Sakhira realized with a sinking dread that it was in fact true that Polaris was rather barren. It would be easy to spot a gemstone among the other rocks around here. And that wasn't even accounting for how there wasn't food here either. Shango was bringing up a lot of points that were starting to make her very worried, and this was clear from the expression on her face.

"Yes." This was the response to both questions. And although she really didn't know them personally, she felt that after having seen what she had seen, it was enough. Sometimes she imagined what they may have been like when they were still alive. They could've met each other. They could've been friends. Family. Was that even possible? And there had been someone else in the memory too. She wondered if their friend was still around. If they remembered. "They were special."

But she wasn't the one reviving it. It would be up to Shango. Sakhira thought that if he took up the offer, perhaps it would be safe, even in a place such as Polaris. And even if he didn't want to stick around, she could stay here and guard it. Yes, that was a good solution. She could feel the nervousness start to creep up on her. There was a pause. "I wanted to ask. If you could do it." And she held her breath.

@Shango

It was Shango's fault for not explaining that he'd meant "the hatchling, when they arrive." Sakhira could definitely be forgiven for assuming he'd meant the actual, physical rock, but Shango wasn't the best at communication.

His daily dialogue mostly consisted of wandering place to place, murmuring "stooooorm" contentedly whenever he caused rain and lightning to fall around him.

He tipped his head again, listening solemnly to her mention of someone close, but--she didn't elaborate. And though he wasn't tactful enough to avoid asking (he'd been about to blurt further questions), her request took him by surprise. He puffed up a little, standing taller, scalefeathered mane popping out a little--proud. He seemed to be preening, just a little.

"Why me?" he asked, but it was very clear that he was fishing for compliments, now.

Once Sakhira began to answer, he'd start to lead off toward the cave wall, toward somewhere maybe a little more... well-hidden.

@Sakhira

Sakhira wasn't very experienced in such things, or at all. The only thing she knew was that gembounds either had parents or they hatched out of walls. Either way, it was rather easy for her to believe that being eaten as a rock was a potential threat. Not that she was gullible, just inexperienced.

She didn't want to dwell on the thought, and was glad that Shango didn't press any further. But she appreciated the fact that he had asked about it. It showed that he cared. This only further solidified her decision to give the stone to him. "You are powerful. Can keep the stone safe." Sakhira didn't mind complimenting him, after all, she was just happy that he had essentially agreed to do it at this point. And this was what she truly believed. And the most important part. It wouldn't be a good idea to give it to someone who wouldn't be able to protect it. Then it would make reviving it pointless. She didn't think she would be able to handle it if it died again. "And the stone is like you." It had been a feathered creature. Sakhira figured that sharing similarities was a good secondary trait to consider.

The sphynx bent down to pick up the bone that the stone was in, and followed after Shango. This was going to work! She knew it! Or hoped so at least. But surely with someone as powerful as he was, it couldn't go wrong? Though she didn't know how this really worked. Maybe it didn't involve magic at all.

@Shango

Wait, so--She wants me to be the parent? Well--okay; that was probably better than giving the rock life and just never seeing the kid. Shango didn't really like that idea, in retrospect.

"Okay," he answered simply, not getting quite the preening session from the 'powerful' compliment that he might have, had he not been distracted by the whole 'going to be a father again' thing.

Once they were vaguely at a corner of the cave, he looked over a crevice at the wall and nodded. "Put it there! Behind the rock. It'll be hidden, then, and nobody'll eat the baby when it hatches." Like, a rat or something, he meant--but it might've sounded pretty sinister.

He then leaned in, shoving his nose to the stone, old habit striking up--he'd given life quite a few times already, and knew well how it worked.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen--and he squinted. "It's a little weak!" he said, his mind assuming that the gemstone must've had very little life left in it, or something. "But I think I did it. Sorry they died," he added, even if he had no idea who it was, just how well Sakhira had known them (or how much she'd known OF them) and what have you. It was, to him, a minor good deed--and the idea of being a parent again wasn't much of a bother for him.

Everything, to Shango, was fairly casual.

@Sakhira