ORIGIN

Another day, another place to see. One would think simply cruising around, taking in the cave's natural sights would grow boring eventually. After all, despite certain crumbled buildings, wall carvings, and an assortment of vegetation to nibble on, first and foremost the caves were stone, dull and lifeless and preventing view of the wide world that existed far above them. Anyone with that assumption underestimated the fascination a Gembound could find if their mind was up to the task. Richter, easily impressed and awed by the tiniest oddities, stumbled upon many a thing deserving of examination, the latest the rubbish scattered within this dusty tunnel.

"Well, I'll be." Ears flopped as the kangaroo bent his snout to sniff at a metal fragment he'd nearly hopped on. "Wonder what sort of thing this went to. Can't tell much by one part, but I, uh, reckon there should be others nearby. Don't you think so, Harv?"

The Harv in question was the walleye rabbit he cradled to his chest. The Lesser stared blankly forward, nose twitching, no indication made that he'd processed this question, hypothetical as Richter intended it to be. A remarkably docile individual, past the competition that introduced the pair to each other, he'd stuck to the Gembound's side where others might have fled for freedom once their unceremonious conscription had concluded. Perhaps the steady supply of food kept the rabbit close, the larger herbivore often journeying to new destinations that promised more tasty treats for his unfussy appetite. Either way, the company was appreciated, though forever silent it might be.

Richter wondered if he could deepen their connection. Maybe then he could get a better read on his stoic partner. "Why don't you hold still there, pal?" The request was unnecessary, the rabbit content to lounge in his arms, but he felt it was only polite to ask. "I want to try a little something and see if it works."

He hummed, sifting inside himself for the familiar sensation magic gave. His search came up empty, and eyes darted down to Harvey, seeing if nevertheless some effect had taken place. Nothing. The rabbit appeared just as oblivious and calm as ever.

Trying to find the magic residing within him in order to bend it to his will might not have been the best approach on further consideration. After all, it'd always seemed a very natural extension of himself, sparks flying with an idle snap of claws or the slightest twitch of distress. Such power could be akin to a mighty river, an unrelenting force that could at most be redirected but never fully controlled. Taking into account that in no other instances had he tried harnessing his inherent static, nudging it along instead, a second attempt might prove more fruitful if he treated the act as business as usual.

"Huh," Richter murmured. "Maybe I didn't go about it the right way. Let's see..."

He shifted Harvey into the crook of one arm, freeing the other for use. Operating on instinct as well as more than a little affection, claws tenderly brushed through fur and pressed back the rabbit's ears. Quite unlike his usual nonchalant attitude, his Lesser friend stirred a bit, eye stalks twisting about. For a fleeting moment, despite the lack of tingling through his rusty pelt, he almost believed his magical feat had actually been accomplished. That hope faded into mild disappointment once he recognized the sound of someone else in the tunnel with them.

Always the cordial type, a wave was directed Nikolai's way. "Hey there."

Any wonder as to why this stranger had managed to evoke such a strong response received an immediate answer upon catching sight of the prey dangling limp from their mouth. That waving paw slowed, and Richter couldn't help but contribute to the awkwardness with a long stare of his own before recovering enough sense to shield his living rabbit's squirming eyes. Much like a parent would do to a fussy infant, hushing noises were bestowed upon the shaken critter.

"Sorry, Harv. I hope that wasn't too close a relative of yours." He glanced back up from his soft-spoken apologies. "I imagine it'd be a shock for me too if I found someone about to nibble on my double. But no harm done. Everyone's got to eat, even if they, uh, can't all stomach the same thing."

Once the rabbit had been pushed out of sight, Richter eased up on the protective paw he held over his Lesser friend. His stance became less hunched than before, no longer finding it necessary to subject the rabbit to a deeper, more soothing cradle. A sigh of relief left him upon seeing Harvey's eye stalks stabilize into their typical dull stare, though perhaps a hint of a quiver lingered there, the fear of being dinner instead of the diner not too distant of a past.

"Nikolai..." He tilted his head and tested the pronunciation. For a tongue used to drawls slow and syrupy as molasses, the combination of syllables emerged less fluid than the stranger's delivery. They exited his mouth in stilted fashion, enough of a pause in between them that they almost qualified as separate words. This didn't seem to bother the kangaroo too much; at most, he chuckled self-consciously and rubbed at his ears. "Well, uh, Nik. After that little scare, I'm sure this can be a plenty nice meeting anyway. The name's Richter. And, wuh—well, you've sort of met Harv too."

Upon the occupied arm lowering to better show off its furry bundle to the wolf, the aforementioned walleye rabbit's nose twitched. The dying tremble in his eye stalks was reignited a smidge, and it grew into a steady vibration at their very tips. Apparently he didn't lack object permanence, and so too could he link the corpse of his fellow rabbit to the beast he was being graciously presented to. Noiselessly, he drew away, sinking back into the chest of his Greater companion.

"Muh—maybe give Harv some more time..." The urge to establish a better connection with the small creature renewed, Richter stroked his claws through gray fur while giving this suggestion. No internal shift indicated this attempt differed from any of the previous, but he resolved to keep trying. A better understanding between the two of them would likely provide great benefits should they ever end up in this scenario again, a common event he realized upon remembering how many carnivorous folks surely inhabited the caves.

"This is an interesting little place, isn't it?" he remarked conversationally. "Not, um, the best for eating at though. Too many spots where your food can end up with debris stuck in them. I reckon you were, uh, just passing on through?"

"True, true," Richter said, his head bobbing in agreement at the canine's evaluation. All the while he continued petting the rabbit nestled against him. "Mind the big fellas got to worry about more than just crevices though. I doubt they'd enjoy their legs sliding out from under them either."

Claws waved at the floor and the rubbish scattered upon it, the remains of many lives extinguished long ago. Further clarification came from a light kick of his foot against a nearby concave sheet of metal. Rusting and dented at the edges, its original purpose must have been as a breastplate for a warrior of relatively small size. The piece, in poor condition, squealed as it scraped over stone.

Unwieldy ears pressed flat against his skull at the noise he'd unwittingly inflicted on all within the tunnel, and Richter averted his eyes from Nikolai, a meek apology falling from lips. Once the ringing faded from his hearing, a best attempt was made at returning to the mild pleasantries of discussing the average Gembound's diet, however more awkward the conversation might have grown. "Oh, uh, I'm not much for anything with a heartbeat, me. I like sticking to greens. They've always been a treat to my taste buds, and Harv can't get enough of them too."

Memory of the Lesser competition in Orion and how the rabbit had fallen victim to a delectable feast set up as a test of willpower brought forth a chuckle. A fond gaze flickered down to the critter he held. "Maybe a little too much," he corrected. Repressed further laughter trembled in his voice.

Tingling in the paw settled on Harvey's back signaled magic shifting in response to the amusement. The walleye rabbit stiffened at the return of the bond that'd been severed at the conclusion of the games he'd participated in, stronger than it'd ever been previously, before relaxing into the old sensation. It seemed the missing ingredient to establishing this connection again had been a simple if unexpected one: a spot of happy reminiscing between friends. Now they were tied together officially instead of on a trial period, two herbivores content to dwell in each other's lives.

"Oh... ah, no."

Though his mind had been pulled in two directions, listening to Nikolai and petting his now official familiar, focus converged entirely on answering this question. The paw lifted away from Harvey's back and was reassigned to rubbing at his snout, claws eagerly tapping away as he thought out what next to say. So much foot travel over the cycles had left him a living travel guide, although an incomplete one. There were still some caves left he hadn't yet ventured to, mostly due to rumors that gave him the impression many preparations would need to be arranged first before braving their interiors. Of course, hearing about such had only excited him further; he'd hop over to these danger zones eventually once he felt able to conquer whatever they threw at him.

"Nothing green here at least," he said, mistaking "this" to mean the tunnel they stood in. "But there's plenty of other places less, well... ah, dusty around. Off my head, you've got Eridanus not too far away. Then Cetus is near there too, though it's a little dreary. Pegasus and Leo are further away, but they're both rather pleasant. And honestly, if you've got to forage for your food, you tend to pick up an idea of where the good stuff is. Even if it is, um, less likely to sprout up."

Then, another thing occurred to him, and Richter toyed with the tips of his ears with a self-conscious tilt of his head. "Cuh—course, I also can cheat every now and then. I may not be the quickest with magic, but I've, uh, figured out a few tricks. One's been decent enough to me when the eating's lean."

Eyes squinted as he tried willing growth out of the tunnel's available crevices, accompanied by the sensation of something internal stretching its influence out to the environment. Control slipped, and it snapped backward into his chest, nothing fruitful emerging from the effort.

"When it works," he amended with a shrug of his shoulders. "I may eat them, but growing plants isn't exactly my greatest strength."