ORIGIN

Ayr lived a quiet, peaceful life.

No, really. Very rarely did she leave Eridanus and very rarely did she meet new people; but that was quite alright with her. She wasn't lonely at all. She had Elspet by her side. Elspet who, sometimes, would have stories of the caves outside Eridanus. Ayr had seen some of it before, of course-- as a foal she'd gone briefly exploring, but the mossy forests felt more like home to her. Safe.

And it was a lovely home. The ethereal unicorn often liked to wander and roam. Even after ten or so cycles she still found it captivating to drink in the sights of moss winding up tree trunks, of ferns grazing against her slender legs as she passed. The quiet babbling of water as it ran through the cave floor. She loved every inch of it and the sights, though very familiar to her now, still felt as though she were seeing them for the first time.

Often, she awoke early-- or what her mind perceived to be early --to wander before Elspet awoke. She set herself a challenge, some time ago, to try to find something new within Eridanus. Something new that she could tell her partner about-- but it'd been a long time since she truly found something worth mentioning. Instead, she'd find pieces of fruit for them to share, or flowers that she found particularly pretty.

Today, it was fruit.

Ayr would select what smelled the sweetest, or what was the brightest or looked the juiciest. Today, it was a fruit she hadn't really tasted before. Something that was orange and red and smelled almost intoxicatingly saccharine. When the unicorn took a testing bite from one fruit, she found it to be almost tangy in flavour, but satisfying.

Yes, she thought. Ellie will enjoy this. She moved her head to take a delicate hold of the branch several bright orbs of fruit were attached to and lightly pried it free to take it back home, to the den that she shared with her partner. It was an alcove in the cavewall where a part of the cave hung above the ground.

Inside, it'd been cleared of moss but the cave floor still remained smooth and almost soft to the touch. It was warm, and a small stream ran through it, seeping out of the cave wall. Ayr didn't know where it came from-- if she had to guess, it'd be Fornax or Piscies, or somewhere else there was a lot of water. Pale orchids, grown by the unicorn herself, were scattered in tall stalks along the edges of the alcove. Inside, two nests, side-by-side.

Ayr didn't enter immediately as she came to it. She hovered outside the hanging lichen covering the entrance and bowed her head. "Elspet, dear?" She called in softly, her voice melodical, like wind chimes drifting lazily in a breeze. If the gorilla had still been asleep she didn't want to wake her yet, nor did she want to barge in, in case she wanted a moment of privacy. "I have some fruit, if you're awake."

Elspet had not quite heard her beloved leave in the morning, for she lounged on her stomach and was snoring rather peacefully. Her one arm was parallel to her body, and the other tucked above her brow like a pillow. Every once in a while, she'd exhale sharply, due to mistakenly inhaling a little bit of her bedding. After a little while, though, the gorilla did awaken.

Bleary-eyed and half-asleep, the gembound rolled onto her rump, somewhat between a hunched down posture and simply sitting with her feet straight out. Peering around, electric-yellow eyes sifting across the little alcove. Elspet's gaze fell upon the empty bed at her side, freshly evacuated. She smiled softly, spinning on the spot to get a better view of it. With careful, gentle hands, she puffed up the mosses and grasses, making sure they were soft to the touch and ever-so-comfortable. There was a particular method to it, you see, and Elspet had perfected it.

With bedding arrangements adjusted, she ambled over to the stream. Cupping her hand, she drew a little bit of the cool water into her mouth. Licking at her underbite, Elspet rubbed water up and down her arms. She was, simply, cleaning up herself, humming away. This life was pleasing, idyllic, even. Her first few cycles of life had been full of tussles and rambunctious behavior, but she truly had settled down, now. The caves beyond this were fantastic, even Eridanus. Yet, the gorilla enjoyed living just here, with just Ayr. The unicorn was all she needed to be happy, really.

Her head turned abruptly towards the soft, melodic voice of someone she loved more than words could describe. A soft splash! sounded as she excitedly dropped her handful of water. Twisting on the spot to face the lichens, Elspet rumbled, "come on in! I'm just washin' up, Ayr, dear." She shuffled toward the curtain, nostrils flaring. "What sort of fruit have you found, love? Sweet ones?"

Ayr's horn was visible parting the lichen curtain before the rest of her pale face emerged, carefully pushing by. Her ears flicked backwards with amusement as she entered the cove, dragging the branches of mango with her as she went. "Hello," she greeted softly. "Did you sleep well?"

Even the sound of cloven hooves against the smooth floor was, somehow, soft and melodic. The unicorn made her way across the den and to the stream of water. She settled the fruit down before she reached out, brushing her muzzle against Elspet's forehead, affectionately.

"They're a little sweet," she was thoughtful, mulling over the lingering taste in her mouth. She tried to find the word for it, the tanginess that stung her tongue. "They bite," she decided, with a nod. "Just a little, and they're full of juice."

The unicorn dipped her head down and nudged one towards the gorilla before she settled down by the water, tucking her long limbs under her and coiling a whip-like tail around her side. She took a bright fruit of her own and pulled it towards herself, taking a small bite.

"It's quite peaceful today," she said quietly, conversationally. "I was considering taking a walk outside of Eridanus for a change, but I fear other parts of the caves might to be as serene."

This, unfortunately, was a genuine worry of hers. Sometimes, the fights from other sections of the caves would be taken to Eridanus itself. She heard the fighting, but she never participated. She waited until it'd all ended before she took another stroll, regrowing plants destroyed in battle and washing away drying blood.

She was yet to find someone who was injured, oddly enough, but she often did find them recovering on their own in their chrysalises. She kept a careful watch on those ones, just in case.

Ayr took another bite from her fruit. "I would like to help, however-- should others need it," she half-decided this as she spoke, swallowing fruity flesh as she did. "I can't imagine what sort of things the others must get up to sometimes."

Elspet moved forward — gentle and eager as always. She lifted a calloused, rough hand, to cup it against Ayr's cheek as they nuzzled. Holding herself up on her other three limbs, the gorilla spent a few moments humming softly, melodically. As they drew apart, she nodded simply, "as good as always, dear. And you?" Her gaze followed the branch full of fruit, then the fruit being rolled toward her.

"Bite, eh?" she chimed as she picked up the mango. Scuttling over to her beloved's side, Elspet clutched the fruit close to her chest, not wanting to drop it and bruise it. Once she was settled down across from Ayr, the gorilla took a rather large, confident bite bite. Juice, saccharine-sweet — oh, it did bite! — dribbled rather messily down her chin. Her thick, yellowed teeth immediately hit the center, which seemed to be hard and inedible. "Itsh gud," Elspet exclaimed, drawing the fruit back for the express purpose of carving its pit out.

Yet, ever so content to live a domestic, gentle life, she fell quiet, munching carefully on the mangoes and ensuring that they were shared evenly between herself and her love. For each one she plucked from the branch, she made sure one would join a pile for Ayr. All the while, Elspet listened intently. Eridanus was always peaceful, and the unicorn was content to remain here. She fretted about the state of other caves, that they may be full of conflict and chaos.

At the tail end of Ayr's speech, the troll felt the need to interrupt. Elspet cleaned off the pit in her hand — her fourth mango, already — and set it in the pile. "I think you should, love. The caves are just full of idiots who fight and fight for no reason. I used to be one of 'em. You know how well those days went, love," she laughed, a strong, hearty sound, "if you want to help and go out into the caves, then do it, Ayr. You've just gotta show 'em how you did me. Introduce them to that little something called love and caring. I know you can — you're strong, kind, and—" The gorilla stared intently, but betrayed herself with a smile full of so, so much love.

"And you are beautiful, Ayr, dear. I'll follow you to the ends of these caves, if you'll have or want me."

Ayr dipped her head softly, smiling-- if a horse could smile. "I am quite well," she responded quietly before she took another bite from a mango. She ate particularly slowly-- likely much more slowly than Elspet did, especially since she was gobbling them faster than Ayr could blink.

Not that she minded, of course-- there's plenty out there for them both.

The unicorn listened carefully to Elspet speak, long ears flicking back and forth thoughtfully. "Oh, you weren't that bad, my dear," she responded, tail lashing with amusement. "Just a little, ahh, excited." She took a few moments to bite into the fruit again, chewing and thinking.

She wondered-- if only briefly --if the caves did have an end. "I'd like you by my side, always," she began, pushing her pale face against a burly arm. "But, I do think it might be fun if we went on seperate adventures-- I'd like to, at least, return with some stories for you, about who I met and what I saw. The caves are not a small place and there is no shortage of others out there."

Her eyes cast towards the hanging lichen hiding the alcove from view, letting out a faint sigh. "Even if some are quite violent," she murmured. "But I think I can help them, with their wounds and show them other answers to situations other than attacking blindly, yes?"

Ayr's smile was so delicate and perfect, icing on the cake of an already incredible Gembound; Caves, Elspet was so in love. Rightfully so, she believed. A large grin was given in return, full of enormous teeth and dripping with mango juice. Rather annoyingly, a piece of mango skin was stuck between her teeth. "I was throwing hands a lot more than I should've been, you'd know," she teased softly, lifting her own mango juice-covered fist and shaking it.

That very hand would get run through the stream for a moment, brushed off on her right leg, then find itself gently placed over her beloved's hoof. Her shoulder relaxed a little, just enough to place her chin atop Ayr's head. Wholesome. "These caves are definitely too big for just one of us to see all of, love," Elspet smiled, already wondering about the stories the unicorn would have for her, upon their reunion, "I'll see what kind of tales 'er things I can bring back for ya."

Upon Ayr's voicing against violence, the gorilla couldn't help but laugh heartily, "and if they don't listen to ya --- for whatever reason, love --- jus' call on me and I'll give 'em a big 'ol hug."