It was with the utmost trepidation that Wilder stepped back into the room of bones. Nothing good ever happened here for her. She could easily count at least five life altering incidents that actively made her life worse or harder that had occurred in this room. Of course, there had also been good times, distant memories, and some new ones as well. But sometimes it was difficult to shuffle those to the forefront when the negatives were...very very negative.
It didn't help that this room was still horrible infested. She sniffed with disdain as she picked her way over and around the white mold and fungus that had been here for far too long. Maybe they needed some organizing here, too, to get it out. But that wasn't her responsibility - doubtless it would go well if she tried.
Vaati slinked behind her, staying mere inches from her tail, as nervous around the white as Wilder was, but at least he was steadfast and confident in their goal - he had never met Giggle, so he did not have the same personal experience with her disdain as Wilder did. She didn't know why the hyena had never liked her during her time with the Bonebound. She'd shown nothing but respect and admiration for her, but there had always been mistrust there, and active hate when her mistakes had been made.
She didn't want that. Maybe this was arrogant of her, then, to be trying to mend something that had never been fully formed to begin with. But she'd been on a bit of a mending journey with all the gembound from her past. She'd semi-made up with Pride and Aure already, Giggle was next on her list. If not mending a relationship, then leaving her with an apology gift, which she planned to offer anyways.
The two of them approached the bonepit where she knew Giggle frequented (or lived at? Wilder had never asked) and sat just outside the ring of mushrooms that held off the infections. She let out a calling trill, followed by a gentle,
The answering cry came from overhead, a soft echo repeating Wilder's words without meaning.
The rustle of wings as Omen settled on a rock outcrop a little overhead, ruffling black feathers into place and blinking a single red eye down, silenced the jumbled words. Then its head cocked, as if it were listening to something; and a moment later it very carefully enunciated:
A few moments later, Giggle paced into view up the dusty trail. Behind her, the infestation was barely kept at bay, and judging by her weary trudge, it was an ongoing battle. Thin lines of bioluminescent fruiting bodies indicated where the mold ended and her own rotting gardens began. And as always, she stank; the threads of her own fungus, and mats of spores, clung to spotted fur.
It could not be denied that Giggle was, in a word, racist. Or... speciest, maybe. But whatever in her past had stoked her deep dislike of cats, she hid it now; or maybe she was too damn tired. And whatever problems she might hold with Wilder, she didn't show them, instead rocking back indifferently to thud the back of her own ear with a hind leg, scratching away a cloud of dust and dander.
Another sentence twisted up as if continuing that thought, but intended for Wilder's mind.
@Wilder
Wilder watched as the old bonespeaker approached, feeling another shiver of nerves. She'd always felt...uncomfortable in Giggle's presence. Not that there was anything wrong with the hyena, of course, but simply that she felt such a gap in their understanding and experience and wisdom. There always seemed like there was more that she knew and Wilder was but an ignorant child next to her scope of knowledge. But she kept it under wraps for the time being, presenting herself as steady, calm, and collected. Perhaps a far different character then the one Giggle had once known long, long ago.
But as she reached out to strengthen their link so that they could properly converse, her own magic fumbled and she sent the thought through the existing magic - she'll switch to their silent communication if it became necessary to protect them.
She much preferred to speak about personal matters physically, anyways.
The old hyena arched a brow, studying Wilder for a moment. After a moment she opened her mouth to answer, except the parted jaws triggered further weariness, it seemed, and split into a broad yawn. She shook her head, and barked a laugh as it ended.
There seemed to be amusement there. Maybe Giggle was getting an admittedly gentle kick out of having the cat recite her perceived past wrongs; maybe she really wanted to know which 'crimes' Wilder thought worth apologizing for.
Either way, she continued, after a moment:
@Wilder
Wilder had been expecting some kind of exacts and took a deep breath. She would rather have left it to "past crimes" but if Giggle wanted the full list, she'd do her best to give it.
She blinked, confused at the mention of the name and tilted her head.
Giggle settled on her rump, periodically stretching or yawning or shaking herself. She shook her head at the mention of Rezik:
She was silent for the rest, still visibly weary, while Omen began to preen on her ledge above. When Wilder had finished, Giggle again shook her head, as if to dismiss the past entirely.
She shook her head a third time, and smirked then at Wilder.
@Wilder
Wilder shrugged, a little uneasy at the presumption that she didn't know Rezik was...like that. She should have known, realy. She'd seen him kill in her visions, but she'd been so naive.
But...learning that Giggle's dislike of her stemmed from not something that she did or the way she acted but just...out of a dislike of cats? She stared at the hyena for a moment, wondering if she should find it funny or not.
And then came the question and Wilder was a second away from opening her mouth and answering when she paused and looked to the side, where white was still growing rampant.
Running out of ways to describe wilder crit failing this damn spell
Giggle fired Wilder a second look of appraisal--and one of understanding. She shifted on her haunches, focusing on her spell, while at the same time switching (audible) topic.
Beneath that small talk, her magic was blooming; carefully shaped by a split attention (which was hard), but eventually snapping into place. Once it was settled, she pressed rounded ears forward, her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief.
@Wilder
Thankfully, Giggle got the message. She breathed a bit of relief and half listened to the hyena's rambling as their connection was forged and Wilder leaned into it. Finally, they could speak and through Giggle's own magic, Wilder reached back and the bond was strengthened for the time being, their magic threading and tangling together. They could speak privately.
Wilder's eyes were sparkling with this madness now, a desperation in her to help, to do something, even if Giggle was not immediately in danger and was not asking for it. She felt like she could do something here. She had to, she had to.
She blinked and shifted, tilting her head just a little bit, and then spoke out loud, breaking the momentary silence that had fallen between them.
The sheer generosity staggered her, and she found herself momentarily stunned into silence. In an instant she found herself reappraising Wilder, her own brown eyes peering searchingly at the cat. And then the typical, if brief and wordless, question of whether it was some sort of trick--but no, she didn't think so, and it was dismissed before it'd really taken shape in her mind.
Which was for the best, given their current link.
The implication being that if so, maybe Giggle could wish for her, as though it was some sort of genie magic with complicated rules.
Giggle didn't know; maybe it was.
She turned her attention to refocusing her magic, to strengthen and hold up her end of the link, though she spoke aloud again.
@Wilder