ORIGIN

Dragging himself to the edge of the group was difficult enough, but now the cat had to mind all the other Gembounds that had come to join them. He'd noticed the big bear going to join the lioness, and their children trailing behind and sitting with them. He had also spotted a black leopard that rang slightly familiar to him, and Bartos was certain he'd seen the larger cat in Orion a few times, hanging around the throne before that evil stag had taken over. A clouded leopard with odd growths on her had joined him, as well as two more younger Gembounds, but one of them looked like a bird - oh, but that one looked like the Maji Walezi leader. He narrowed his eyes slightly, momentarily distracted in his struggle to understand the dynamics of this group.

And then his mind drifted. It traveled to links between other Gembounds that he might have known or seen in another life. Faces that he had witnessed in passing, or for a single day he had known them. Effigies of past creatures, poorly drawn in his mind's eye, and voice that had belonged to a distant breath, and then one of them found its way among the memories flowing gentle through his thoughts. It was small, it could have been so easily ignored had he not paid attention. But he did. And as soon as he heard it, he zoned right in on it, drawing all of his attention to the sweet lilt that began to speak to him with images and feelings - he was sure this was a memory, despite how fresh it felt. It felt new, like she was delivering it to him for the very first time.

Her words at last came clear to him. A reflection in a pristine pool of water, an even, cheerful voice jumping out from the dead and dusty silence. I want...I want everything, just with you. Do you know how beautiful you are, Bartos?

He felt his breath hitch and his heart had jumped up into his throat. It was like the voice had taken everything out of him, weakening him, drawing him back to the earth - like everything had crashed down on him all at once, reminding him of things he could have had, things that could have been. His insides wrenched and in that instant, he felt his eyes grow damp with the threat of tears. In that moment, an opposite force had come to smother him. Before he could even register his approach, a great pair of jaws had come down to clutch his nape, picking him up by the scruff and carrying him through the Gembounds towards the center of the group. Bartos' eyes widened with surprise, but much like a kitten in the grip of its mother, all he did was curl his three functional legs up against his stomach until Quintus had deposited him on the ground next to him.

With a huff, Bartos settled on the ground. His shoulders rolled and he shook out his fur, his broken leg extended awkwardly out to the side while he glanced up at Quintus. Relief swelled through him - at least his friend was here now and he could push the voice aside, swallow it down, remember it another time when he was lonelier. "Hey Quintus." The cat answered shakily, peering up at him. He sucked in a breath and tore his eyes from the lion, landing them on Bevy - it was just as well, the bird had started to speak, kicking off the meeting with a play by play of all the events that had transpired in the cave. Makyna and Leon's children, Hasira's defeat - Bartos had heard more of his fair share of the ordeal while recovering in the cave, and he couldn't help the small bitterness in his heart that he heard nothing of Clover or her safety - and Cancer's return, but Bartos knew nothing about that. The bird fell silent, encouraging those gathered to speak on events of interest. He briefly considered giving his thanks to the group for taking him in, but his wavering mood and descending confidence kept him quiet.

Bevy spoke about him being a scout; that much, he knew. Everything else was too much for him to catch--a whirlwind of thought and words, her melodic voice dimming to a gentle twitter in the backdrop of his mind. In his eye he saw dancing lights and colors, the image he held of Bevy's voice; and he was content merely to sit, and listen. There were so many other voices, too--voices he didn't recognize, young and playful, and they made him want to go and pounce and flop and chase in fun. And something from the water, something else melodic and twittering.

But then Bevy was mentioning a trial. He'd taken a trial...? He wasn't sure what this meant. Had there been some mistake? Then she was asking about it, again. Maybe she meant Cancer's trial, the one he'd spoken at? But what did it mean to "take" it?

Quietly, gently, he peeped up.

"What do you mean by 'trial?'" he asked softly, careful to phrase his words in a respectful, respectable manner. He managed to not add "Bevybevybevybevy," and maybe that was a good thing, but his ignorance at the rest might well make up for it.

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The bear couldn't help but feel some small embarrassment after mussing up Cadence's hair and realizing that Makyna had spent so long on it - she'd turned to him and scolded him for messing up her fur, to which Leon pinned his ears back and laughed nervously, but then shrugged it off with the decision to fix it later. Leon blinked at the lioness, that sly smile slow returning to his lips, a playful and mischievous simper he almost dared her to turn and see. Maybe he'd mess up Cadence's hair again. Or maybe he'd let Makyna do her thing. Or maybe he'd mess up Makyna's hair. He partway extended this sensation out to her in a bid for her attention, wanting to catch her eyes, to exchange a secret so boldly before the eyes of everyone.

Before long, Bevy had started off the meeting. He hadn't noticed the look his lioness burned into the shoulder of the leopard - his eyes had fixed on the bird, and then shifted down to his children, making sure everybody was still sitting and paying attention. Baroque had some point had burrowed into his side, but Leon straightened up and wrapped his paw around the boy's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. He nodded as Bevy went over the events of the cave, casting his gaze to those mentioned - briefly his attention lingered on Quintus, having seen the lion take hold of the cat with the broken leg and plop him up near the front of the group. He must have made a friend in the little dweeb. Leon bit back a snicker.

The conversation soon shifted to new positions within Maji Walezi. There was quite a bit to shuffle around now that the group had grown and enough time had passed, most of the Gembounds they considered youngsters would be old enough to hold a real rank - and yet, Leon felt somewhat hypocritical at the thought, since he himself had been ranked a Scout when Maji Walezi first formed and they'd only been alive for like... a few weeks. But he'd discussed it with Bevy before hand, and Scout felt a bit too worn to be a job for someone like him. Leon was big, gruff, intimidating - he wasn't the kind of Gembound to go out into the caves and try to convince others to join. He didn't mind it, but half the time it really didn't work, considering how badly he had scared Carrie when she'd returned. It suited him far better to stay here in Pisces and protect the cave, protect his children, and his wife and friends. So when she brought up his change in position, Leon smiled and nodded.

There was talk of Dark taking his trial, and Quintus having to take a trial to fit into one of the ranks too. The bear cast his gaze out to the lion, quietly wondering what path he would pursue. Leon would be more than happy to run his trial if he wanted to be a Guardian - in fact, he almost hoped that was the case, just because Leon wouldn't mind getting in some personal time with the younger Gembound. Then finally, they moved on to a new subject: Cancer's exile. Or rather, Cancer's return. Leon glanced now over at Cancer, who in turn seemed to be focusing on his family. Leon had little preference for Cancer's decision - they had moved past their serious childhood rivalry - until it came to Amaria, and then the bear found himself hoping that Amaria would lobby to stay. He missed her, and her disappearance - her near death at the hands of Raheerah - only served to remind him how much he had taken her for granted. Besides, if she stayed, then his children would get the chance to grow up with hers. They were two families that could thrive side by side. And... well, as much as he still held Cancer at arm's length, he wanted that. He craved that closeness.

Baroque's shifting had broken his thoughts. The boy by now was sobbing, and Leon turned his head towards the grizzlion, snuffling his nose into the flat of his head. "Hey now, it's all good, kiddo." Leon murmured gently, grinning. "They're gonna talk about trials, and rank stuff - Quintus might undergo one of the trials. Isn't that exciting? You and the girls can cheer him on." He laughed. Maybe they'd think it was cool. He imagined Cadence would probably be most excited about it. Sonata probably wouldn't care, and... Baroque might cry if anything went bad. But Leon had faith it would turn out for the better.