ORIGIN - Reflection

Rinaotei took her time out to take a detour over to Fornax for a respite in Fornax's gargantuan hot springs. It didn't take her too long to reach it; she wasted no time in dipping her whole body into the water to avert cold air and immediately relaxed, it's so warm which is what made it heavenly, with a faint scent she couldn't quite decipher. Mineral? Or a herbal scent perhaps? She was sceptical, but it did make it a little more congenial.

Rinaotei lets herself float indolently in this water sanctioning whichever wave drift her along, her body bobbing in the water, she doesn't resist it for she wasn't in peril, so no action was needed nor any cause for alarm.

Billowing curtains of steam were always flowing over Fornax and made it arduous for one to perceive things with their sight, so everything was half-hidden in Fornax, Rina included as she drifted in the pools, condensation clinging to her coat and scales.

She was deliberate in her peregrinate to Fornax, she requires to be somewhere warm for Rinaotei's body temperature has been cold as of late, so freezing she can't handle cold water as well anymore. At best her nerves will have a numbing sensation when in cold water for an elongated period, cold biting at her. At worst, she can get ill from it, which has transpired previously. And due to all this, is why she is here, to keep herself in good health and reflect on this. What could be causing this? Are these symptoms denoting an illness? Or has her body temperature dropped somehow? Could be possible on the latter for she has gained reptilian attributes, but how can she be sure? What if she is in fact ill?

Two speculations currently, but her attention to this was soon gone, and she relaxes again in this water, about to doze off.

"Speech"

@Equinox

Equinox had been wandering, her strides long and slow as she trekked her long trails through the damper rooms of Origin Cave on a route that had become a regular patrol. Whilst Cetus was still- and always would be, her home, Equinox had found herself growing restless. Something stirred within her as the fearful memory of the forest fire she'd caused slowly dulled to a dull tension, one that was gradually drowned out beneath layers upon layers of slime. Although Equinox didn't truly understand the drive behind her instincts or, to a greater extent, her emotions, she knew one thing- that being alone did not suit her. As much as vague, distant memories pushed her towards elusiveness, Equinox found the need for companionship pulling her in yet wider circles, her sides heaving as she picked up the pace, until the tunnel walls were coated with her paths.

In Tunnel M it was especially obvious, as she padded up the long and narrow tunnel the slime froze in her wake, and she picked up the pace ever more, hot breaths steaming around her parted jaws. Her paws were numb before the atmosphere began to heat up, and her hide trembled with excitement, shifting into a scaled texture. Her long strides lengthened into a serpentine lope.

For now, the urge for companionship was forgotten as she bounded out into the warm and steaming air, taking a moment to bask in the steaming warmth. With a low gurgle of pleasure, she padded forward towards the water's edge, and lowered her head towards its surface for a long and well-deserved drink. Then she plunged into the water like a great seal, slipping easily beneath her own wake. Soon, her nostrils resurfaced, and she blew out a contented burst of steam, using air-filled bubbles on her wings to keep her afloat. She barely noticed the shape that was basking in the water nearby, probably disturbed by her waves.

Equinox just warbled contentedly, the vibrations trembling through the water around her.

@Rinaotei

With many matters to account for such as Rinaotei being in a half-asleep state from how cosy she is at present and this heavy drifting steam obscuring one's vision including her still, Rina did not sense someone else coming to Fornax. Nor was she aware how it was someone Rina once encountered who she witnessed got wholly incinerated by an intense wildfire and withdrew into a chrysalis as aftermath because she was too sluggish in utilising her Magick to save them on time. Veraciously she had been planning to revisit Eridanus where said eradication took place, to check if any alterations have transpired to their chrysalis.

Rina's mind was still towards theories as to what could be causing this aberrant cold body temperature in her nerves, albeit it is not proceeding anywhere since Rina is just about out asleep as expeditiously as the cave's light when they went off afore.

Well, Rina's ears did catch a distant thudding sound or something, but she was so relaxed she didn't care to pay much attention to it, isn't a malefaction for another to rest here after all even if she prefers to be solitary when relaxing.

Hm? What's going on? Rina was about to go to slumber then and there but, waves, which were halcyon before were now roughly shoving her around, taking her by some surprise as she got coerced out her 'nap'. Is she getting attacked? If so it may be best to leave now, even if one has full intentions to assault her Rina will still evade fighting.

She stays still except for ascertaining she stays afloat; mayhaps Rina can sneak an escape if she lets these waves drag her to shore and let her make her getaway.

Waves threw her form around a little more, infrequently making her float in circles but after some time these waves did eventually bring her back to shore. Waves managed to flip her, so she was floating on her back like she was an otter and so her vision got filled with what was above and thick steam cloud still going vigorously.

Oh? There's a familiar face, in fact, it was nice they appear to be okay, and they don't seem to be endeavouring to attack her, must've perturbed the smooth water ripples when they dipped into it; well at least she doesn't require to leave then.

"Good day, fun ride I had there," calling to them from below, she was so casual, like nothing was wrong, only her witty quip referencing on how they made the water a little restless there.

"Speech"

@Equinox

Fountains of bubbles surfaced in the water around the exposed curve of Equinox's head, and the waves trembled in a contented rumble. As a voice came to her, though, there was a ripple of texture over the exposed bump, and then Equinox's head rose slightly from the surface of water, droplets of black mingling with cascades of clear water. The draconian opened her jaws and looked around through the water dripping from the end of her beak, finally finding the canine floating nearby in the water.

She tilted her head, and there was a pause a ripple of texture visibly marking her moment of recognition The spines along her neck twitched upright for a moment, a shudder passing through her skin- and that appeared to be a recall of their last meeting- a memory of the agony of flame engulfing her form. When the shudder had subsided, it left behind a cautious, scaly texture. A small gurgle of greeting then, trembling the bubbles trapped beneath her wings, and the draconian raised herself up higher above the waves. Then, a questioning warble, followed by a tilt of her head in the opposite direction.

The draconian paddled closer, using her hind limbs to paddle and tail to steer herself through the water. Lowering her head towards the wolf-dragon, she gave a cautious sniff.

_______________________________________________________
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Rinaotei
notes: here

With these waves settling Rinaotei shifted and flipped herself, so she was no longer floating on her back, not too sure about wanting her guard lowered. This Gembound seemed well-meaning their last encounter, however, what took place in Rina's previous meeting with them could be considered; a 'devastating outcome' would be best to describe it, well adjacent to 'distressful' anyway. This Gembound most likely does not wish their mind to get filled with what took place from such an incident. How this encounter will turn out will soon be revealed as they stirred in response to her greeting and ostensibly detected her in an unwonted way.

They appear to have stiffened a little there; her presence might be unwanted, mayhaps she should let them be? Rina remains floating in this water as seconds went by in utter silence waiting for their response besides this shuddering in case they do wish to be in isolation right now. Well besides their body language they nonetheless appear to be content with Rina's presence when they purred at her in a way, sounded welcoming somehow even if Rina doesn't quite understand their verbal language. With a claw raised, Rina casually fans it as another way to verbally express 'hello' to them as they hoisted their head a little more.

They seem curious, which is mutual in a way Rina herself is a little intrigued herself, they are unique large Gembound albeit mayhaps same could get said for Rina regarding appearance she has yet to encounter another reptilian wolf anyway.

Rina from some reflex paddled a little back from the other Gembound as they sniffed her wishing to have some space but she doesn't stop them as she smells them too.

"Speech"

@Equinox

purring warble gradually droning into nothingness, Nox's jaws parted and she looked at the dragon-wolf-curiously, slit pupil following her waving paw through the jeweled surface. Seemingly taken aback by the wolf's retreat as she sniffed, the draconian head jerked back a little bit, and it was apparent that she didn't want to cause any kind of distress. Perhaps she wasn't used to being around others, but it was clear she wanted to try.

As the agitated shifting of her skin gradually settled into normal, she continued to watch the wolf, before lowering her head slowly to try sniffling again, keeping a fair distance this time.

Nox's own scent was likely to be pungent and strange, quite unlike anything that would normally be found on another living creature. She carried the scent of ash, despite rarely using her magic, and something that could only be described as the scent of plants, but warped and digested beyond any kind of recognition until they became the fuel for her fire, dripping off of her in great black globules.

Finally appearing to be satisfied, the draconian lowered her long neck back into the warm water so that it rested just above the surface. Beneath the water, her neck folded into itself as though into a turtle shell, appearing lumpy, blobby, and stumpy.

"Nox," she said quietly, her chest and the water around her throbbing quietly with the reverberation of the sound. And that was all.

_______________________________________________________
"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Rinaotei
notes: here

The fellow draconian's purring made their surroundings such as water and land hum with vibration, vigorous enough to make the water tremble with ripples, becoming still and silent when their purring eventually drifted away like these quiffs of steam drifting away from the water's surface. She took note how they have opened their beak again like it was a single eyelid and they seem to study Rina right after.

When they drew back like a tide rolling away from the shore as some way to correct things Rina was a little more relaxed to move back to her original spot a little more as in Rina's eyes they are managing to respect her space and boundaries. After all one conventionally follows a sea rolling away and recedes from a sea gliding towards shore.

Rina lets them sniff at her this time, content with this distance they opted to have between them as she sniffs them additionally. What this tremendous draconian Gembound will smell will be a mishmash, for so many different scents are on Rina lingering from where she has been most eminently an earthy scent, more concretely like wet leaves, also a subtle mineral scent. Still, with Rina's form, mixed with scales and fur, she certainly has a distinct foreign smell.

Rinaotei only gave a few sniffs and soon shakes her nose. She only remains put and relaxes now no longer sniffing, letting herself sink a little more submerged til her lower jaw was underwater additionally, blowing minuscule eddies of bubbles from her snout.

When they also dipped a little lower, Rina only silently observed them as she continued to blow bubbles, her eyes indolently examining as she gets a little half-asleep again from such relaxing temperatures. Her eyes did open briefly when her companion here retracted their neck, a little surprised at how flexible their neck is, she was tempted to believe their neck was rubber.

"...Nox?" Rina asked as she raises her head a little out the water so she can speak again, she was puzzled to what they uttered it wasn't a word within Rina's knowledge. Is it a word? It sounds more akin to a name than a word; mayhaps it's their name?

"Your name is it? Either way; Rinaotei or Rina for me," if she's to some extent asking for their name it'll be well-mannered for Rina to tell them her name additionally.

"Speech"

@Equinox

As she finished sniffing the stranger curiously, Nox withdrew her long neck, seemingly satisfied, and shook her head, scattering a few small droplets of oily slime nto the water around her. She dropped her head close to the water's surface, and then sank into it, wings spread wide, floating happily on the surface with the gas-filled bubbles that made up her wings. The draconian creature opened up her jaws curiously at the wolf-dragon's question, peering at her closely for a while before closing her beak and offering a slow bow of her head.

"Yesss," she let out the gurgling hiss. "Nox." She nodded again, confirming her next question in the movement. She let out a rumble of acknowledgement as the stranger presented their own name. Rinaotei. Probably too much for Nox, but Rina was more manageable. She tilted her head slightly in consideration before nodding.

"Ri-na," she tested slowly, more in sound than in word, as she experimented with pronunciation deep within her gullet. When satisfied, she parted her jaws again, and a diamond-encased eye glistened for a moment at the canid. "I know you."

"Speech."

@Rinaotei

Rina relaxes more when this draconian being possibly called Nox culminated in inspecting Rina's scent, occasionally paddling her legs to move away from any sludge clumps drifting too proximate to her before settling again. Rina followed suit with what her new companion is doing by spreading her wings out also. They are a little numb and sore, so she stretches them taut; like tightened strings on a string instrument, sanctioning it to souse in all water droplets and condensation around her, washing away all aches and pains in them; making her so relaxed than ever afore, especially with being around someone new. Rina's eyelids opened a little more with a tiny twitch on her ears as 'Nox' here appeared to inspect her again and then nodding at her in a way.

Oh?

Ah, so she was correct in her assumption, she wanted corroboration from Nox first however before going entirely on the said assumption to avert causing a misunderstanding. Rina is aware her whole name is quite a mouthful at times, she may even only introduce herself as only 'Rina' when she is more quiet than conventional. Rina doesn't mind or care if one refers to her name as its shorter version, in fact, it won't bother her if one news refers to her with an entirely new shorter version she has never heard afore as long as it isn't an intentionally impudent and insulting one.

"Yes, correct," well either way 'Rina' appears to be adequate for Nox here so appears no new sobriquet today. Shame~ she was fascinated with what it could've been. Rina gives a little hum with recognition at Nox with acknowledging how they do recall encountering Rina previously.

"Yes, I too know you, it's delightful to meet you again Nox, safe and healthy additionally," it indeed is especially how they got encased in a chrysalis after their first encounter.

"Speech"

@Nox

Nox let out an appreciative rumble at Rina's perceived praise, the water around her dancing and rippling with the vibrations. She didn't speak any verbal words, but her rumbles should have been enough to communicate a tone of gratitude. Ripples spread through her skin just above the water, and beneath, her skin reformed into short tendrils like seaweed, vaguely rippling in the slightest current.

The sound faded to a low purr as Rina spoke, acknowledging their earlier acquaintance, and Nox gave a small nod. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but the way her jaws parted, diamond gem peering up from beneath a thin sheen of water, it seemed like she wanted to say something. "Good to be free," she gurgled. The hidden spines beneath the skin of her neck and tail twitched briefly into visibility. "Never going back."

"Speech."

@Rinaotei