ORIGIN

Future's teaching with Destiny was exhausting her, and whenever she slept the great feelings like honey washed over her. It was moonrise, and another busy day in Future's loyal life. She was at the end of her cave, struggling to sleep. The days were long and hard and therefore it was often that sleep came easy. But tonight was not a usual night for Future. The full moon had some strange effect on her life, so strange that she could not sleep and felt a bright tug at her fur. She expected it would just be imagination. Or it could just happen to everyone with eyes. She hadn't met anybody other than Destiny all her life, so she didn't know. It might be normal or it might not be. Future was alone in the world, thriving with Destiny, who she loved dearly and trusted with her life. Although she was a bright, optimistic young wolf, she had been driven to sometimes feel exhausted and shaded.

@Faelan

Faelan's life thus far seemed to be full of interesting creatures and events. He had met quite a few Gembounds already, and had gotten to witness the first ever competitions held in Origin, which was all due to his insistent curiosity. It drove him ever onward, in search of new things to study or interactive with. Truthfully, every single step he took seemed to have something wonder to study, but the cub learned to resist every small whim and desire. He'd waste untold amounts of time staring, and thinking, about a plant or a crystal if he wasn't careful. For some reason, he just wasn't good at remembering to take care of himself, which was how he ended up in his current predicament.

After meeting Septiezal, the honey hued Gemling had gotten the urge to go back to Polaris and take a good look around. He'd been there for the competitions, but he had been focused on them, and not his surroundings. Once back, he lost himself in the glowing lights overhead, so different than Orion's crystal ceiling, and the sparkling, buzzing Spire in the distance. He wandered and loped about, until he was weak from thirst, hunger and fatigue. Finally, the lion cub couldn't take it anymore, and he plopped down right in the middle of what he thought was a path.

I need help, Faelan thought forlornly, his golden gaze sweeping around him. Once again, he had let himself go, and now he couldn't even look after himself. The idea of trying to sense if anyone was around, like he had Serendipity, didn't seem to work. He looked down at the dark blue oval on his paw, and he focused as hard as he could, 'reaching' his mind out for someone, anyone, but he felt nothing. No connection whatsoever to the magic that he had instinctively used right after emerging from the chrysalis. After letting out a sigh, Faelan dropped his head, and wondered if this was when he'd finally learn his lesson the hard way.

@Future

Future was stretching her legs as she wandered about for a bit when she came across him. The lion cub was a dazzling figure with beautiful eyes and Future instantly felt a sense of love. He was very cute, she realized, and most likely needed help. She felt her heart do a few flips and approached the figure, smiling meekly and wanly.
'Are you alright? My name is Future. I'm alone, always have been. Destiny is the only other being I know. Who are you? Do you want to be my friend?'
Her ears twitched in hope and her eyes glowed in the darkness. Maybe, just maybe, her social life was soon to begin.

@Faelan

Time passed uncounted and unnoticed, so that when the honey colored cub finally did hear the noise of someone's approach, and then an unfamiliar voice, it startled him awake. He hadn't slept much in his young life, but the feeling of waking up, and not knowing for a second where he had stopped, was very disorienting. Faelan jerked his head to the right, and then around to the left, before he finally spotted the other Gembound. It was a female canine, if he remembered the smell and sight from having seen them at the competitions. Those that he had seen had been much bigger, and therefore probably older, than the one in front of him now though. In fact, she was roughly his size, but that was about all they had in common.

It took the young male a couple of moments of staring before he realized that when she spoke, it had been questions, which meant he was supposed to answer. Faelan's brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to remember what all she had asked. Firstly, it had been if he was alright, which he suddenly remembered that he wasn't. The arrival of the stranger, and the bit of rest that he had gotten, had distracted him, but he was still hungry and thirsty. It didn't feel right to tell Future that, and it didn't feel right to lie to her, so the lion cub decided not to answer the first question at all. Instead, he settled on introducing himself, and answering her last, and most interesting, question, and hoped that was enough to appease her.

"Hi Future, I'm Faelan! And I don't know...why do you want to be my friend? You don't even know me."

Although Future didn't know it, it didn't matter what answer she gave, because Faelan was more than happy to be friends with her. Thus far, he hadn't found a creature that he didn't want to be friends with, and in his opinion, the more Gembounds one met, and made happy, the more experience one got with the world. Even though he'd seen other canines before, Future was still unique in her own ways. Plus, she was young like he was, which meant they could learn stuff together! Faelan tried as hard as he could to hide his excitement at his thoughts as he waited for Future's reply.

@Future

Future smiled. 'I've never had a friend before,' she explained gently, smelling excitement on the body of this stranger. 'I just have my mother. Well, kind of.' She gave a weak smile and continued speaking, not wishing to stop.
'And this is the trouble with my life, I don't know how to talk or do anything with anyone. I might have done something wrong.' She gave the cub a polite lick and felt a new feel of power. Is this what friendship felt like? It better be, as she'd never felt anything so beautiful.

@Faelan

When the pale canine beamed a warm smile his way, Faelan easily returned it while excitedly flicking his tufted tail. He couldn't help himself anymore, the giddiness of meeting another young Gembound was just too much for him to contain completely. It became even more difficult when Future began to explain her earlier question, because her soft, gentle voice practically begged to be replied to. Not to mention that everything she was saying, he had felt at one time or another, or was currently feeling at the moment!
He had met quite a few Gembounds for one so young, and yet, he didn't really consider any of them 'friends'. Faelan felt benignly toward a few, like Ser, Xerxes, and Nassir, for being kind and helping him, but they still weren't his friends. Although he had yet to form such a bond, he assumed a lot about it. Like the fact that friends would stick around, and be with him a lot, not just meet and move on. Also, he had the presumed idea that friends would evoke some kind of feeling inside him that made them feel connected. So far, he hadn't felt that way about anybody, at least until now.

The quick rasp of the canine's tongue against his cheek made a shiver go down Faelan's spine. In the entire time he had been alive, he'd never felt another's touch. There had been that quick swipe at Ser, but that had been in play, and it had never been returned. This felt intimate, and innate, just like he had thought friendship would. It evoked a genuine sense of happiness in him, and it made the Gemling grin from rounded ear to rounded ear. His tufted tail, only flicking before, was now lashing from side to side, while his heart hammered enthusiastically against his chest.

Before Faelan could say anything though, the most peculiar thing happened. A dozen pebbles that had been strewn across the path suddenly exploded. While the lion cub and the wold pup had been chatting, the feline's emotions had gotten away from him. It was the lick on the cheek that did him over though. After it, while he was mooning over his newfound feelings, his stone had quickly flashed, and the spell was cast. Thankfully, the pebbles had exploded into dust, showering them and the path with a new layer of dirt.

"What was that!? Faelan exclaimed, his heart now pounding with fear and excitement. He didn't look over at Future when he asked though, instead his golden orbs were dancing all around them. Could someone else be near? Was that magicka? The cub wondered silently, his ears now straining to hear if anyone else was close by.

@Future

Future was pretty surprised when the pebbles exploded, but her tail started to flick in amusement. 'Hey, was that you?! It was EPIC.' She gave a little bounce and cuffed Faelan's ears excitedly. 'It was brilliant. I can cast a spell too but that was something else. Well done!' she nuzzled her new friend delightedly, not caring that she was jumping to affection a little too quick.
'Hey, watch this! It won't be as good as yours but this is what I know.'

@Faelan