ORIGIN

A crysophrase egg, hidden among various colors in the ground, against the wall, shifted just the slightest. Inside, a creature was ready to break free. Slowly, small cracks began to appear on the surface. These slowly grew larger as the creature pushed at it, and soon, one side gave way. The creature tumbled out, momentum causing it to go right to the water's edge. Only half aware of what was going on, the creature scrambled away, safely out of reach. With that, it began to look around, white eyes taking in everything. The area was covered almost entirely in water, with some islands throughout the water. Squinting, he couldn't quite make out what was on the other side of the water. Maybe as he grew, he would be able to. But for now, his eyes weren't used to looking so far ahead.

Attention away from the water, he looked down at himself. Black fur and white fur, cyan claws. He looked at his tail and rubbed a paw over it. It was much different than his fur, not soft at all. He didn't know how to describe it. He walked closer to the water, hesitatingly, and peered over. Shock was immediately plastered on his face. He had fur on his head and down his neck from the looks of it, a bright cyan color. The same as his claws. Looking a bit more, his shocked expression slowly grew to a grin. He looked...good. Of course, he had no one to go by, having just emerged into this world of water. But he couldn't help it. He continued to admire himself, turning from side to side. His tongue was cyan, and he noticed a tooth that was similar as well. Running his tongue over it, it was very smooth, but different from his other teeth. He continued to admire himself, his grin growing.

With a swing in her step, Kin-Kin padded up a way she'd never seen before, her paws splashing through a thin layer of water. A familiar shudder passed through her, but since it wasn't mud squelching between her paws, she felt it wasn't worth the effort of using her magic to create a path. Not long after, the path began to slope upwards anyway, and Kin-Kin left the flooded tunnel behind. Her claws clacked against stone and she passed through the remnants of an ancient stone door.

The temperature began to climb, warmth embracing her, and a welcome change from the chill of tunnel M.

Soon, the tunnel opened up into an enormous cavern. She took a deep breath of the steamy air and then padded onwards, head turning slowly to take in the sights. So absorbed was she in her surroundings that Kin-Kin heard a crunch and when she looked down, only then did she realize she'd stepped among the ruins of a shattered chrysalis. Kin-Kin bent down and sniffed; it was fresh. Maybe only minutes old! What luck!

The she-wolf raised her head high and proud and with her gilded fur streaming golden light that scattered into rainbows at the touch of the water, moved on. She saw at the waters' edge a pup... a very odd looking one. and she was sure they were the newcomer. Head held high and eyes sparkling with mirth, she approached, looking over their shoulder at her own reflection in the water.

"Hey, kid. Focusing on the important things, huh?" She chuckled heartily, her motion clinking the sword in its sheathe.


" speech "

@Narcissus

Narcissus was continuing to admire his reflection when another reflection beside his showed up. It was that of a golden creature, perhaps similar to him, although this one was much larger. It was clear she had been here, wherever "here" was, for a while. She had a flowing cape and...a crystal attached to her leg. As she spoke, he flicked a long ear. He paused. Could he speak like she had done? He'd have to try it.

"Yes, I suppose s-so," he stumbled a little over the words, testing the sounds. It didn't seem too hard. "That is to say, my own reflection. Not yours, good as you may think it is." He didn't even know anything about the wolf. But something told him that she took great pride in appearance. Perhaps it was the well groomed fur, encased in a light glow, or the way she held herself. Whatever it was, it annoyed him slightly. Seemed almost sardonic. Whether he or she was the one who was sardonic, he didn't know. He continued to look at his reflection, ignoring the other reflection beside his.

@Kin-kin

Kin-Kin couldn't help but snort, baring glistening fangs in a wolfish grin at the response of the seemingly sparky little pup. "Is that so?" she asked, with a throaty chuckle. "Well, we'll soon see, shan't we?" The wolf snorted again, withdrawing from where she hung over the pup, and wandering some distance awayso that she looked into the pristine water, her toes wriggling in its warmth.

With a hum lingering in her throat, the wolf wondered how she'd go about this; she had to make a grand spectacle, something that they simply couldn't keep their eyes away from. Or.... well, with no light, there wouldn't be a reflection, now would there. Kin-Kin sat back as though simply admiring herself, then dropped her head and began to groom the fur upon her chest. her tail swished against the ground softly and though no-one else would know it, Kin-Kin's concentration turned inward as she sought to shroud the world in shadows. Not just the world around her, but everything.

An ambitious plan for the sake of her ego, but to Kin-Kin, everything hinged on her ego.

...But nothing happened. Her glow faltered slightly, but she kept on grooming with a delicate tongue, rearranging every little strand of fur. Her glow soon brightened, and there was no sign that she'd been trying to do anything other than groom.

" speech "

@Narcissus

Kin-Kin winced internally as she caught the odd pup's words, but she didn't show it, instead glancing their way coolly as they approached. She raised her paw and gave it slow and purposeful licks before replying with a mirthful chuckle. "Heh... You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Kin-Kin said with a wink, finally turning their way. Regardless, her voice showed a trifle of triumph. Regardless of her pride, they'd left their spot and followed her. And that was what she'd wanted, wasn't it? "For all you know, I planned to make you think something was gonna happen. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But either way, you followed me and there's no denying that."

The golden wolf grinned impishly, her plumed tail swishing against the ground.

Her glow shimmered about her, light twisting itself into dancing rainbows that flickered across the waters' surfaces and cast rainbow flecks across the ground. her fur itself shimmered in a thousand colours and her eyes sparkled with iridescence. The crystal blade she carried became rainbow quartz for just an instant. Slowly she arose to her paws, shaking the cape around her shoulders and looking down on the pup with a pride so thickly laid that it was almost tangible.

"...And the walk was worth it, wasn't it, kiddo?"


" speech "

@Narcissus

Kin-Kin's smirk broadened into a beaming grin as she caught with a smugness growing in her chest the amazement that flickered momentarily across their odd face. Rainbows still shifting through her glowing, golden fur, the wolf raised her head slightly, flicking her ears and fluttering her lashes. She looked down on the pup even as they tried to cover up what she knew that they'd already betrayed.

"Oh, sure," Kin-Kin purred, her violet eyes flashing his way. "How about you show me yours? I'm sure seconds of life will bless you with just as much talent as my hundred cycles of training has. Go ahead, prove me wrong." She eyed the little narcissist from where she stood, not quite looking his way but staring nontheless, as though bored. She slowly sat back, toying at her tail until a clump of shed fur cast a rainbow shimmer, then went dark.

"I'm waiting."

" speech "

@Narcissus

Kin-Kin snorted softly. As the rainbows faded around her, and her ordinary glow returned, she eyed the strange pup in expectantly, tail swishing from side to side. "Congratulations," she chuckled, with a wry smirk. "You forced out a glow that I can do without thinking. Praise be to you, kiddo. I'm impressed."

Kin-Kin's voice dripped with sarcasm, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched the pup closely for their reaction. she was sure that this one would be fun to to deal with; it had been so long since she'd given someone a good taunt... and even longer since she'd met someone who actually deserved it. Kin-Kin closed her eyes, a smile twitching her lips as she thought deeply. How could she go the extra mile? The rainbows she'd created were grand, but there were so many other techniques that she could use to accentuate her grandeur.

The wolf felt a shudder running from her head to the tips of her toes and she sat up straight, lowering her ears slightly. Another smirk, a twitch of her tail that sent her cape fluttering, and she knew she had the perfect idea.

Her glow dimmed for a moment, and then a face pushed itself out of her gem, light manifesting itself as a small figure- an almost exact copy of herself, cloaked in a tiny cape. It flashed and gleamed as it wriggled and wagged, casting a silvery glow upon the water.


" speech "

@Narcissus