ORIGIN

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She walked through Cetus, letting her voice carry through the mist, wandering with her lovely cub by her side. They had just had an incredibly fun day of playing hide and seek and play fighting just yesterday, and she really wanted today to be just as fun for her cub.

"....and as the tree groaned and lifted its weighty trunk, the branches that merged in perfectly with the forest showed that it had tiny little fingers, and the roots that merged in with the grass and dirt had powerful thighs, and it opened its knotted mouth to speak to the young pack. 'You must endure so much, little ones,' it said, sad and lonely, its voice as deep as the earth itself. 'I wish I could keep you from it, but to find what you seek, there is no easy path to tread.'"

She sighed a little bit in the tree's voice. As she had grown used to taking care of her Pounce, she had grown this ferocious clenching fear in her gut at any thought of harm coming to them, but...she couldn't protect them forever. To grow up was to endure. She knew this.

She wished that there was a way to keep her cub sweet and coddled and safe from the world, but that wasn't really living. To live was to be vulnerable. She knew this.

It didn't make it any easier to swallow.

She paused to continue, and heard little pitter patter and small splashes of mudwater nearby, catching her ear and her attention. "....Hello?"

"This is how I speak."

After a previously long day of tag and battle, some would think this cub to be a tiny bit tired. Though they would be greatly mistaken! This cub was running on the very electricity that rattled through his bones! He was ready for adventure! Leaping around happily as his tall ethereal friend told him a story along their way.

Her stories were always wonderful! Full of magic and wonder that often filled the cub up with so much excitement he would create a light show of his own! Sparks dancing to a fro from his very coat. This story he felt would be no different!

Along the way she had come to a stop, pausing the story just as it was getting REALLY good. She greeted nobody in particular. Just a stranger who, as he listened a bit harder was making little splashes nearby. A wide smile grew to his face as he wiggled in place. A new friend! A tiny friend! They had to be! Maybe even more than one friend? He had heard a few splashes! Though now it was quiet, as she had alerted them that they were not alone.

"Hello? Hi! Who are you?" he spoke up, excitement coming out clear in his voice. Bouncing from paw to paw as he stood idly in place.

"Speech"

"Thought"

He followed Booker ever step of the way now that they had been reunited! Even if he had originally not felt comfortable by the thick fog of Cetus. He turned out just fine, as Booker was there walking just beside him. Now that the blessed numbat was back in his life, it was as if all his anxiety and troubles melted away.

He could remember when they had first met without such a strong pain in his chest now. Though when it came to remembering Bara, that was another story. One dad down, one dad to go he mused. Stopping at the view of mud water that lay before their path. A shrug of his shoulder and off Diot went. Taking a step into the shallow puddle, feet slightly sinking into moist earth below. Arm extended out to Booker, keeping one hand on his pelt at all times.

It was more a move for comfort rather than safety. Diot hadn't walked through such terrain. Even though this puddle was petty shallow it was new. Having spent his time in the trees before now he had little experience with such sensations. Though on the other hand, just about everything in this room was a new experience. Except for Booker, the numbat was just as Diot had remembered. And he was happy about that. Smell and all.

Upon walking through the mud water, two unfamiliar voices greeted them. A soft and questionable hello, accompanied by a young more energetic one. Jade eyes scanning their surrounding he looked to Booker on what to do next. He did not speak, only awaited to follow along with what ever he had planned.

"Speech"

"Thought"

@Booker

Cetus was... wet. Really wet, and foggy, and it smelled a bit like the Eyes in Eridanus, and a bit like dead rat. Not exactly It's kind of place. Not at all, really. But it was something Booker would have done, or at least something he seemed like he would've done, and so It took the meat suit for a walk, half-waddling, half-swimming through the mud and ponds, careful to keep close to Diot at all times.

Keeping track of Booker's son was a priority, especially if he didn't want him fighting back for control, and so the scribe kept himself between the tamarin and the water's edge, wary of anything lurking below.

The tiny hand on his back was a comfort, a physical tether to his - no, Booker's, not his - family, and so It travelled on. This charade was getting tiring, though the herbs helped, kept him hazy enough to keep Booker hazy enough to keep them both from slipping. It was cyclic, and probably not the healthiest way to go about keeping his favorite suit, but, well, It wasn't exactly healthy.

So here he was, Diot by his side, ears pricked forward and eye narrowed against the mist, hunting for any sign of, well, anything. Eridanus was getting boring, and he needed something new, something fun! Booker hadn't really had that. Kinda sad, in a way.

Pelt drenched in muddy swamp water, It's fluff puffed up at the sound of two voices cutting through the damp air. Immediately, the scribe's strange, loping gait slowed, then froze, snuffling at his son to get him to halt as well.

....Hello? A soft voice, but older, and then, Hello! Hi! Who are you? a younger joined it, obviously excited. Creeping forward, still wary, It started back up his journey, three limbs splashing along the ground for just a few more feet before the speakers were revealed.

The scribe's eye widened as he peered up, up, up at the tall, white... horse? No, they didn't look much like Khloros, aside from the tall-ness and the leggy-ness. The cub by their side was obviously the younger, and It hesitated, before digging into Booker's side a bit and huffing out a good-natured laugh, sitting back in the mud and motioning Diot to his side with a cheery grin and a tilt of his head. Mm, I'm getting better at this.

"'lo there. Sorry for the suspense. We ain't from 'round these parts," the numbat added, idly grooming away a splotch of quickly drying mud from his paw. "I'm Booker, and this here's m' son, Diot. We didn't mean ta sneak up on ya, but the fog gets mighty thick," he explained, waving at the mist like he expected it to go away.

@Clover

She smiled when the little father and son walked up to them. They were so small! How wonderful it must be to see the world as a glorious giant's home, to need so little to eat for themselves, to have lovely little homes. She caught herself envying them a bit!

The two didn't seem to mind the mud and murky water, but they did mind the fog. "It does, it does," she nodded, looking to Pounce with a wry grin, remembering how easily she hid for hide and seek because of the fog. "But we've become used to it. This is Pounce here, who awoke here not too long ago, and I am a nameless storyteller who is taking care of them. It's nice to meet you, Booker, Diot." She bowed low, half for politeness, half to give them some measure of eye contact. With a smile, she said, "I will try to make it a little less foggy for you."

With that, she reached for her magic, trying her best to be delicate with it. She was still a little weary from yesterday's play battle, and she didn't want a repeat of that colorful fiasco!

She closed her good eye, and with a long, calm, meditative breath, she coaxed her magic out into being, light threads dancing along with her exhales, swirling, coalescing into a moderately sized ball of light, making sure it wasn't too blinding in its formation. When she opened her eye, she moved the sun to shed its light above them, where she made it much brighter, like a miniature sun. As it moved, it burned away the fog.

"That's a little better, I should hope." She grinned, pleased she could use her magic again so well and so soon. "Now. I was just telling my little cub here a story. Would you two like to hear it?"

@Vicktor

"This is how I speak."

With his dear ethereal doe's magic shedding some light on the situation he gasped. It immediately became clear that the young jaguar would have to condense his energy and excitement! They were so small! His new friends! He had to be so careful around them then! He wouldn't want to accidentally hurt them!

Though even keeping his excitement bottled up he still couldn't help himself. Managing to make his way over to smell the two new little ones in his life. The numbat smelled VERY bad, but it was a smell he didn't really mind? Something about it was satisfying! Quickly changing his attention to the small tamarin, they smelled of nature, mud and large traces of that numbat. Though it made sense, they were father and son.

Turning to face her while she spoke of continuing the story he let out an audible AHHH of excitement. "Yes! Yes! You must join and listen!!" he blurt out, idly bouncing in place from one paw to another!

"Speech"

"Thought"

Thick fog almost vanished instantly because of the deer, she was so beautiful! Tall and giving off an ethereal glow! And that cub, a jaguar? He mused, small and practically bouncing with energy. They seemed trust worthy. Though if father Booker had no issues with these two, than neither did he! Though that almost went out the window as the cub bounced over taking huge sniffs at the both of them.

The look on it's face contorting from smelling the intricate scents on father Booker. The young tamarin almost wanted to laugh out loud! Bet that cat wasn't expecting such a scent as that! Regardless if he found it bad or nice the tamarin didn't care. Booker was perfect to him, scent and all and he wouldn't have it any other way. Though when he inhaled the scent of tamatin it was definitely a rush for the senses. Something much larger than him, with boundless energy just inhaling and attempting to condense all the information they were picking up all in the same moment. The look on this cub's face once again repeated. It was hilarious!

Though when the tall doe spoke of story time, he focused on her. Looking back to Booker he smiled. "A story might be nice!"But first he would want to get out of this mud. Taking it upon himself to climb up on the young jaguar, who didn't seem to mind. Reaching his arms down to Booker, requesting that he in turn played monkey see monkey do.

"Speech"

"Thought"

@Booker

It watched, fascinated and wary, as the gigantic white thing bowed down, voice still soft and melodic, like the ring of church bells. I will try to make it a little less foggy for you. And just like that, she rose, breathing out light itself, and It's eye widened, a tiny, genuine smile twitching at his lips.

The fog seemed to wisp away into nothing wherever the miniature sun hit, and It hummed under his breath, utterly enthralled, finding himself nodding along to the deer's words without truly hearing them... and then her son was ambling just close enough to sniff at them.

It had to muffle a chuckle at the look on the cub's face - the body hadn't ever bathed regularly, and it seemed to be covered in a mix of earth and fungus. Personally, it made It's skin crawl, but it was worth it for the reactions.

Something in him wanted to hiss, to bat at the jaguar when it turned to snuffle at his son, but It was just a bit more controlled than that, and so he only eyed the fluffy babe with gently narrowed eyes, shuffling just a bit until his side was in contact with Diot's haunch. Yes! Yes! You must join and listen!

Inwardly, It rolled his eyes, more the type to tell than listen, but Diot seemed enthused, and that was what mattered. A story might be nice! It returned the smile, patting his son's ruff gently, nodding in agreement - before staring in total and complete horror as the tamarin proceeded to... climb up onto the jaguar's back.

Jesus, Booker, what did you teach your kid?! Trying to contain his panic, It had a tiny, silent freak-out, ears flicking back and forth, before shrugging, sending his gaze heavenward, and trudging after his son, taking the offered handholds and letting himself be helped up onto the cub.

At least from here he could quite easily lock onto its blood, stall it long enough for Diot to flee.

"A story would be nice, ah reckon," It finally mumbled, settling in place amidst short black fur, curling his long tail around one of Diot's legs in an unconscious protective gesture.

@Clover

She laughed when the small one named Diot climbed up to her cub and got onto their back. Now Pounce would enjoy the pleasant experience of carrying around other small gems, like she did with Eve. It was lovely to be relied on like that, she thought, and her amusement grew when the obviously reluctant Booker climbed up as well after their son.

"A story it is, then! I shall endeavor to find a nice dry spot to sit down, and I shall start a new story." She said to their new companions. With a smile to her Pounce, she said, "And I will continue our story another time, I promise."

She mused, looking around. She rather thought they were near her story tree, actually! She became excited and lead them there, knowing her Pounce would know how to avoid the small pitfalls and trap-like puddles that stained your feet, and knowing they could keep up with her excited pace.

Soon they came to the incredibly tall tree that had the wide clearing at the base of the tree, relatively dry and good for an audience to sit. She settled in her comfortable root-seat in the tree, where it curved as if made for her, and bade Pounce to sit curled up against her.

"Now, how shall this one start....Mmn. Once upon a time, there were two families. These families were small, but closely knit, and those in them would do anything for their family members. One of them..." She looked at Diot and Booker and smiled. "The earthen family, they were very kind and open to others, welcoming to all those they came across. The other, the light family, loved to have adventures and play."

"This is how I speak."

Belladonna

Vicktor

Diot

Booker

Belladonna

Vicktor

Diot

Booker

Belladonna

Vicktor