ORIGIN - Color in your Cheeks

The child shifted nervously at the entrance of the tunnel her eyes looking upwards to the sparkling ceiling high above. It wasn't something she'd seen before and of course she found herself curious. It was curiosity that had pushed her to slip away as her father slept. She hadn't planned on leaving Pisces, but upon the discovery of a slanted hole in one of its walls she couldn't help, but slip through it. Slip she did down the icy slope until she found herself down at the bottom of a dip unable to find footing to make her way back up. Rauslin had stayed there for some time, wails not reaching the dragon that slept in the cave room above. So when her voice became hoarse she settled on the idea of continuing forward in the hopes of finding a different path back or someone large enough to help her return up the slanted slope. Of course she was worried what would happen when she did make her way back would Da still be there? Would he be angry or worried? Both of those worried her and with that in mind she had traversed the tunnel until she had found its end where silver light streamed in through a narrow entrance. This was where she found herself now.

Timid gaze drifted down from the ceiling and to the broken structures that jutted from the ground. She knew not what they were, but they were indeed pleasant to look at. Different scents bombarded her and she lifted her muzzle to try and focus in on something that would be familiar. There was one that caught her attention, she recognized it from the gathering though of course she couldn't put a face to the smell. It was enough though to push her into motion if she could just figure out where it was most strong she'd likely run into the gem that it belonged to. With this in mind she moved away from the narrow slit in the wall she descended into the strange mess of stone structures.

As the child walked her eyes went upwards to scale the foreboding walls that surrounded her. This place was nothing like Pisces and far from being anything like Eridanus. She missed her green birth place she hoped that Mama would take them back when she returned. Her attention shifted quickly to the the dark square openings of the stone structures their dark recesses could hide any that could reach them. Would the gembound she was searching for be up in one of those? At that thought a strange feeling bubbled over her one that she remembered when she had first met her Da. It was an innate knowing that there was indeed someone else out there and from the feel of it there were many others, but they felt distant and scattered. A soft sigh rolled from her lips as she continued onward hoping that she'd be able to narrow in on one of the presences.

It was when her legs began to ache and her body began to tire that she drew close to a strong scent and she could only hope that one of the presences she had felt earlier was close now. Above was a raised platform and the urge to gain higher ground pushed her to scale it. A seat of sorts was positioned at its center Rauslin moved to it pushing her tired body to jump upon it. At last she called out hoping that whoever might be there would answer back. "Hello is anyone there?" She waited quietly for a response wanting nothing more to find the help she needed to make her return home.

'thoughts' "words"

Ooc: Hope this is alright if you want me to change anything let me know c:

@Bartos

The cat hummed a chipper little song to himself as he trotted down the lanes that stretched between the crumbling stone buildings. His tail swayed back and forth above his spine, exuberant and of high mood in his little journey. He had come to know Orion well, nearly every corner and street in the village cave was memorized like the back of his paw. He could probably find his way from one end to the other with his eyes closed. It was good that Bartos knew his way around - the only downside being that there was very little left for him to explore. He had started turning his eyes to the ceiling, wondering more and more what crystals existed there in the roof, wondering where those small mouths of darkness he could see among the rock would lead.

It had never really occurred to him to leave Orion. He knew the other caves would be interesting, but they ultimately boiled down to more rocks and maybe plants and water. He loved rocks, of course he did, but his curiosity piqued with the roof above. He wanted to know. He had to know!

At some point, Bartos had started staring at the ceiling. His pace slowed, thinking he had plenty of time to carry out his task. It wasn't until a voice rang out, unfamiliar, that he was snapped from his curious stare. Ears forward, the boy widened his eyes and looked back down again, startled. Who was that? He surged forward, following the sound until he spotted a young canine. "Hi! Are you lost?" The cat asked, tilting his head.

@Rauslin

The girl was thankful when a small form appeared and she gave a tired smile as he spoke. His scent was one she recognized from the wedding of course she couldn't place a name to him. His tone was pleasant as he greeted and asked her if she was lost. Straight to the point which at this moment proved helpful as a large yawn rolled from her lips. "I'm not lost, I got stuck. My Da's gonna worry if I don't get back soon." A soft whine fell from her as worry filled her, what if he couldn't help her? She shook her head trying to scatter the thoughts she'd get back, she had to.

Pulling herself to her feet the girl descended from the crumbling thrown so that she was at the same level as the cat, though now he stood taller than her. Upon his face sat strange circles and her head tilted in curiosity. "What're those on your face?" She waited a moment for an explanation before nodding her head in response. It took her a moment before realizing that she had yet to introduce herself. Rauslin opened her maw to speak once more her tone soft as the words tumbled out. "I'm Rauslin, who're you?" With her questions asked her eyes tilted upwards once more to study the strange ethereal ceiling. It shined back at them as if in greeting and she could only wonder what secrets it held up there. She wished for a closer look perhaps her Da would be able to take her up to the high place he had wings though she'd yet to see him use them. Of course that would be a request for another time once they were reunited.

'thoughts' "words"

Ooc:

@Bartos

Though she recognized him, Bartos failed to really recognize her - it was probably because he hadn't noticed her at all during the wedding, so immersed in his reunion with Clover that nobody else really mattered. He'd watched the happy couple come together during their vows, but his mind was mostly stuck on the doe and the warmth she provided and her sweet smell and - oh, he shouldn't be getting distracted thinking about her, he was talking to somebody! Blinking his wide eyes up at her, he listened to her explanation then found himself thoroughly confused by her wording. "Your Da? What's that?" He asked rather bluntly, following her movements as she decided to descend the pile of snow to sit on the ground with him. The cat was silent for a moment as he tried to think of what she could be talking about, but he really didn't know. But if she was lost, maybe he could help her get back!

Her voice broke him from his thoughts, and he nearly crossed his eyes trying to see what she was talking about before realizing that it was the glasses. He was so used to them being on his face that he pretty much forgot that others might find them strange and unfamiliar. "They are glasses," The cat began to explain. "They have a lens in them and they help me see things up close better." He nodded and grinned. Very helpful for examining rocks. Slightly less helpful for building things, but he had a different pair of glasses for seeing things far away.

"It's nice to meet you, Rauslin. I'm Bartos!" The cat purred and took a few steps around her, sniffing curiously at the little dog. "If you're lost, maybe I can help you get back! Where do you live?" He asked, tilting his head. Assuming it wasn't too far - after all, the only place he'd really gone outside of Orion was the wedding place, Pisces.

@Rauslin

Rauslin gave the male a sour look, cheeks squeezing in confusion as he questioned what a Da was. Didn't everyone have one? He of course could always be an odd one out. Of course she would be apt to explain it to him properly. "My Da's my Da, he's my Daddy." Her expression was proper as she explained, as if this was quite the lecture; though this was quick to change to intrigue as he began to explain his strange facial gear. He dubbed them glasses announcing that they made things seem bigger which she supposed could come in handy. Rauslin of course had no use for such things at this point in her life, her eyes suited her just fine and her nose solved anything her eyes didn't.

The cat purred out a greeting and a name circling her in slowly, she could only assume that this was some sort of expected act. She'd have to remember to do it with her next meeting with someone new. She gave him a slow nod as he offered his assistance, of course she wouldn't be able to go back the way she'd come, she'd already tried. He asked where it was she lived that was a hard question, momma had told her that their home was Eridanus, but her and Da hadn't left Pisces since the horse had disappeared. So did that make Pisces her home? Or was it wherever her and her father decided to place themselves? "Eridanus is my home, but that's not where Da is he's in Pisces." She paused, eyes flicking to the direction of the tunnel she'd come from. "I can't get back the way I came, to slippery, to steep. Gotta find a different way back." Eyes grew wide with yearning as she turned them back to the cat. Of course he had offered to guide her back so he must know the way right? "You can take me back right?"

'thoughts' "words"

Ooc: I'm hoping they can bump into Baratheon and Macawi in some other tunnel in an attempt to get her back if that's okay?

@Bartos

Bartos arched his brows, curious - her daddy, but Bartos didn't really know what a daddy was, either. He'd never had one. He had half a mind to ask her exactly what that was, but she seemed pretty irritated already that he didn't know, and her response was pretty stiff and short. At that point, it would cause the cat to feel a measure of embarrassment for not knowing something that seemed so obvious to somebody so much younger than him. So, he simply nodded and accepted her answer. Bartos would assume that it was another Gembound, so... at least he kind of knew what he was looking for.

After sniffing her and getting to know her scent, the cat twitched his whiskers and moved back in front of her, tilting his head. So Eridanus was her home - Bartos didn't know which room that was - but he was relieved when she added that her Da lived in Pisces, so that was where they had to go. Well, Bartos kind of knew how to get there. He leaned around her to examine the entrance of the tunnel, recalling that this was how he had gotten to Pisces, but indeed the slope was fairly steep and slick with ice. It may have been easier for him to climb because he had claws, and he glanced down at the puppy's paws. She only had short, blunt nails that he couldn't imagine would be very helpful for climbing. The cat sat back and tried to think - maybe his magic could help, but really there was nothing he could think of to help.

"Okay! Um.. well... Let's go a different way then!" He decided, nodding his head. Bartos jumped back to his paws and turned, but then he froze again after realizing he really had no idea which way to go. "Ahh..." He blinked, then felt a swell of heat in his cheeks. Should he just guess? What if he got them horribly, helplessly lost?

@Rauslin