ORIGIN

Oliver stared with alarm as he was directly addressed, one taloned forepaw again hanging midair. His pale blue eyes remained wide.

"Oh, um--Oliver. Hi," he added quietly. "I'll come with you. If you go. I don't think I've been to Canis. Are you--are you going now... or?"

He hesitated, shifting himself to sit on his haunches, leaning down to briefly preen his fur and feathers--as best a dog could, which meant, with his tongue. He looked oddly catlike, for a moment, as he licked over his feathers--then flicked his tufted ears, peering back at the others. He wasn't used to gatherings this large--not since he'd been a tiny pup in Cetus--and half of him wanted to just slink back away into the darkness and hide.

But he had lights to make, and if these people were doing it too--well, they should work together.

It struck him that the little area behind him was still in the dark. For light-making people, they weren't making a lot of lights. With a soft snuffle he turned, placing taloned paws over a stone, and focusing into it--squeezing his eyes shut to try and ignore the crowd behind him.

This one, at least, flickered up a soft golden-white, though it wasn't as bright as he'd have liked. Still-... it was something--it was light--and that's what mattered.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

From the darkness, Aztec listened. The wolf pup brought up many names he didn't recognize. Apperently, they were going to Canis, where Giggle was, to make more lights. That sounds fun. He wondered who this Nemean was, and what did she do to betray everyone. It must have been awful to almost get some gembounds killed, but what Aztec really wanted to know was why she did it.

The black bird-dog, called Oliver, began to infuse a stone with soft, golden light and Aztec watched with fascination. He look back to the rock he attempted to brighten, and copied Oliver. He sat up straight and placed his claw over it, then he closed his eyes. Aztec wasn't sure what to do from there, but he called to his element once more. Suddenly, he felt photons stream through his paw. He opened his eyes, and golden light flooded his pupils. Aztec flinched, squeezing his eyes shut, then blinked as they adjusted. Pride filled his chest when he saw what he had done.

I did it! I can help too!

Suddenly, a voice called out to him. He looked up and saw that it was Rift, the other cub. "Yeah!" He replied enthusiastically and playfully rolled his softly baubled stone to him. Then, he padded towards the cougar cub and beamed. "Can I join?"



"Speech"

Kera's attention was again, briefly overtaken by the shape in the darkness. Especially when Rift began to call out to it. She watched for a time, ear flicking as she caught sight of the stone flaring up nearby to reveal what he was-- a thing like Rift, but considerably spottier.

She nodded towards both Alan and Oliver after looking away again. She hadn't seen this many gembounds in one place before-- it was beginning to get a little overwhelming. "Hi, Oliver," she replied with another few nods, for good measure. "We should go! I can show everyone where it is, and we can make lights along the way, and everything will be okay."

Some more nodding later and Kera was pushing herself up and clamping her paws over a stone, focusing quietly for a moment. Golden-white light began to fill the stone and for a time, Kera stared at it admiringly before turning her gaze back towards Aztec. "Hi!" She called over, half-mindful of Rift's hearing. "You can come with."

She wandered forward, looking around briefly. "It's this way, but we should make sure this place is full of lights, first," she offered before padding further into Polaris.

Oliver began to hop along behind Kera with a loping, lopsided gait. It was half the hop of a crow, and half the lollop of a dog, giving him a strangely rabbit-like movement. He was clutching a single glowing stone in one taloned forepaw, awkwardly between his claws, which hindered him somewhat.

He looked around.

"It's always bright here, anyway," he responded softly. "Is Canis dark?" His voice, as always, was softly gentle, and he kangaroo-hopped a bit ahead to sniff over a darker patch of stone.

A moment of focus, a brush of nose and feathers over rock, and another small stone was granted softly-glowing golden-white light.

The warmth of a job well done filled him, even though the glow was faint. He turned and gazed in a friendly, open fashion at the others, shyly keeping a bit away.

He would let them lead; he would simply follow, and try his best to help.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}