Wandering for some time, he had found a new section of the tunnels, one he had yet to explore. At first, he rather hated it, the bright crystals and strobing glow of them made his head hurt. Before he just up and left though, another place caught his attention, deeper in.
Slipping further, he came across a large pit, dark as he was and just as mysterious too. For a moment he scanned the abyss in front of him, wondering what exactly this place had to offer him. With a bit of a sigh, he sat himself down, figuring he could take a moment to sit.
He had plans, ideas, and meeting that rat earlier had just solidified them. He knew what he wanted to do, he wanted to create a group, a family, a place for him and other that could grow and work together. He knew it would take time, he was still young, but that didn't stop his mind from constantly working, figuring out puzzles and creating plans, going nonstop even when he wanted just a moment of silence.
Thalassa slammed down on a deer with ease, the others scattering. Her great teeth made quick work of its neck, the creature collapsing under the her weight, and the severity of its injury.
She'd been one of the first Gembound to discover Andromeda, but she hadn't actually done enough to explore it. Embarrassingly, she'd gotten lost, and ended up wandering back the way she came.
They were a different animal now, clearly.
Their pale eyes shot upward from her kill when they heard a sigh, picking out the outline of another Gembound from the dim light. They called to the stranger by the whispering pit. "Hey. Want to share?"
Because hey, what the hell. It'd been a while since they'd talk to anyone. They'd give Rajani a chance to prove he was worth their time.
She hadn't been that hungry anyways.
@Rajani
A voice caught his attention and he instantly perked up, suddenly feeling very awkward. He hated being caught off guard, his face flushing for a moment and feeling almost feverish as he quickly pushed down his flusterdness before turning to look over his shoulder. What he saw wasn't really what he was expecting, but he found himself raising an eyebrow, flicking his gaze over her form for a moment before settling on her eyes, listening to her words.
What the price?
He finally answered, his voice thick with a deep accent, gravely and guttural even with his young age. He would gesture with his head for her to approach if she wanted to, but made no move to go closer himself. Most might see it as being rude, but they were strangers and she was the one offering her meal, it was only wise for her to set the boundaries that she felt comfortable with.
"Company." He said flatly, studying the big cat.
He moved to sit near the head of the deer, allowing the tiger space to eat. He swiped his tongue across his blood-stained lips. "What brings you here?"
@Rajani
Company. Interesting. While he still thought there was something underlying that they weren't telling him, but whatever, he'd deal with it later when it inevitably came out. For now, he would accept the food with a dip of his head, shifting to lay near one of the back legs. Laying a large paw across the hip, he began to pull at the meat, content to eat there, lounging like there wasn't a million things going through his head.
Ocean gaze would flick up towards the creature, raising an eyebrow for a moment. He took a second to finish his bite, licking at his chin for a moment before finally answering. Exploring.
He said simply, thinking for a moment before speaking again. You know these caves?
He flicked an ear, still listening around them, always alert and ready to spring into action if he needed to.
Perhaps this had contributed to its decision to invite the tiger to eat with it. Birds of a feather, flocking together.
"Enough to get around. Less than I'd like to, ultimately." Though to truly know every nook and cranny in its lifetime may be an impossible task. It was determined to try. "Exploring, I find, is an ongoing process."
Thalassa returned his once-over. "From the look of you, you haven't been around long enough to do much." Its pale eyes returned to his blue, awaiting confirmation.
@Rajani
He shook his head slightly as he pulled at the meat again, letting another piece of food slip down his throat before he spoke again. Still pretty new, not explore much.
He seemed to think for a moment as he lapped at his chin before shaking off his neck and head fur for a moment, pushing away the flies and other small insects that wanted a piece of the food.
Wish to explore together?
He asked, his voice deep and rumbling as he offered. Looking to find home, set down roots, explore the lands. Could join if you want.
He held no hope or anticipation in his voice, simply a neutral offer that they could agree to or not, it really didn't matter much to him in the end.
Of course if they joined, it would be a bonus, probably to them both. But he wasn't going to cry in the corner if they said no.
Thalassa took a moment to reassess, head quirked, in reaction to Rajani's sudden offer. "Set roots. Little early to be thinking that way, isn't it?"
But that wasn't an answer. It took another pause to consider - Thalassa did not have much ambitions in the present moment, and it chafed against this reality unpleasantly. It too, wanted to make something of itself. But this was clearly a teenager - it would take a little more than politeness to truly convince it to follow him.
He could still waste its time.
"I will... Think on it. But I am not the kind to run off with a stranger."
There was a solution to this, though. "I am Thalassa."
@Rajani
He smirked slightly at their comment of it being early and gave a bit of shrug with one shoulder. Never too early for thinking ahead, no? For planning for future?
He was always one to think ahead, always five steps ahead of most others. His brain was never not working, always figuring out what the best course of actions would be in different situations. It was fun for him, but it also was practical too.
He nodded his head as they said they would think on it, figuring he would leave it at that. He wasn't going to push them in either direction, it was up to them after all. However a bit of a chuckle escaped him as they offered their name. That was one way to make them not strangers, at least not technically.
Thalassa.
He spoke their name, letting it roll off his tongue as he dipped his head respectfully. The name is Rajani.
He flicked an ear, a small smile on the corners of his lips.
@Thalassa
"Might put the stability of those plans at risk. You're not much more than a kitten right now, Rajani." She patronised, moving to pat his shoulder blades with a clawed forepaw. And of course, he might not be as young as Thalassa was assuming - you never knew in these caves.
But she'd say what she thought, and she didn't care to rephrase it for the benefit of another's ego. Honest was a compliment. "But perhaps I'll give you a few more cycles time before I make a judgement."
@Rajani