ORIGIN

Zoisite returned to her crystal gifts that she had stashed away in a cluster of blue gemstones, and carefully extracted them. She set down her scroll of the transcript for the show, and with a smile, got to work.

She turned to the seventh side of the crystal, and set to work making the most memorial scene. The celebration after the Master sent away the snitch, the gathered group cheering with their Overseer. It bloomed beautifully: a collection of a family that she had never known, but felt a kinship with. There was such a beauty to be found in the mundane nature of creating for the group, forging a plan that would last for cycles and build a foundation for the world to be all the better for.

She loved this little group of strangers she had never met. They were all different, but complimentary in their natures. Moreover, they reminded her so dearly of her own family.

It was time to get to depicting the individuals introductions and the pieces they played in the story that would lead to this wonderful conclusion.

Zoey turned the crystal, and looked upon the blank space. Overseer Baldwin. A fretful Overseer, one that reminded her of some of the best qualities of Master Vargas: a large, purple brute of a valkhound, with all the sincerity and kindness of a being that looked after their own.

Many would see him as simply the guy in charge. But Zoey saw him for who he must have been: one who understood the strengths of his charges, who trusted them with the tasks he would set forth for them to create the three new rooms for the nests and all the work that would be involved.

She wanted this one to be perfect. The first frame. Overseer Baldwin, gathering his crew of workers. His family.

It was this desire for perfection that led to a hint of hesitation. Her talons brushed the smooth crystal surface and her magic stalled. She didn't want to accidentally make Baldwin look too much like Vargas. She had to-- had to really hold on to the image of the Overseer.

A bit of patience, a bit of focus, and the black-purple shape of Overseer Baldwin formed, his sharp rows of teeth clacking silently as he spoke to the gathered cast that would be revealed on the next few panes of crystal.

She spent a few moments admiring his details. He was a monster, just as she was. But he created, he worked with his allies, and did not use force to get his way. He was a living, breathing person. Just the same as all of them.

It was time to move on to the others.

Next came Fillian, the architecture. A centaur with the features of a fox, a creature that reminded her of Scion. A builder. One who took to any and every task with the same confidence. Build a wall? Sure. Why not. She liked to remember their time together building the makeshift homes for the Forge. It had been a long time ago, but the activity had been so... simple, and calming.

Next was Kragrak, the protector. There were many protectors in the Chaos Forge to compare Kragrak to, but the muscled black cat made her think of the Sentinel. Kragrak was sent to organize patrols and bring back food as well as patrol the area for threats.

Important tasks. Food, as cruel of slaughtering of lessers was, was crucial to the survival of such large beasts. She admired them for different reasons, and did her best to fit them both into two quick scenes, side by side...

... maybe that was a bit too complicated, as the magic did not hold. Maybe she could split the time of the side, instead? Show one, and then the other? She took a deep breath and tried to put the two: the Architect and the Protector, into a flickering slideshow upon the crystal's surface.

This time the magic surged forth, drawing the two of them one after the other. First, the fox-centaur, and then the inky cat, who both set to work at their different tasks with conflicting ideas of importance. The first conflict that would blossom from this family.

It would all work out in the end, though. She had already depicted the happy ending, after all.

Next came the one that most might guess was Zoey's favorite of the cast (though she was quite partial to Overseer Baldwin!), the flower-beast known as Helly. Even their name was pretty, rolling off of the tongue in a way that would make Zoey smile, if she didn't have a carapace for a face and mandibles for a maw.

Helly was to make a garden. The most like Zoey, truly, to plant trees and bushes and all sorts of little foliage. She wanted to make sure that Helly shared their spot with another, so as to not look too biased, so she didn't neglect to try and include Lorilus in the same panel. Lorilus was a perfect picture of a Chaos Forge member: an armored, six legged serpentine creature, who's task was...

Experimentation? Creation? A Forger. To make new life, she thought, or at least... to prepare an area for where these creatures would be tested. Not unlike the Hydra, she considered, and wondered if there was another valkhound not much different from those she knew that had made the trials of Hydra.

She set to work to imbue their likenesses upon the crystal's surface.

Lastly would come Vostilor, the half-elf half-snake being, who would create the rivers and water features that would connect each of the caves. Zoey did not know her distant cousin who would have fit a similar description, but she had likely made the right choice in not attending the Deathmatches where they would have met.

Instead, she compared Vostilor to Labradorite, more quiet and contemplative creatures, suited in equal measure to land and water. She thought that Labradorite would enjoy such a task.

This scene also needed to depict the whole group falling apart into chaos. Disorganization, arguing, infighting. It was the sort of scene that she knew deep in her gut. The one that made them all nothing more than worms at the end of the day...

This scene was less focused than the others, fading as it ended to avoid showing any of the comical violence that the show would use as a plot beat.

She stepped back from the crystal once it was done, exhaling. She was exhausted now, but... After a bit of rest, she felt... like she might be ready to meet the great Emuh.

Zoey collected her things. A short break, and then... She swallowed. Could she do it?