ORIGIN - i can't tell if i'm not me

The caves were dangerous. That wasn’t hard to learn; even with an ability to remove himself from the earth below, Tyr was still contained with it all about him. Unknowns flowed through the magic of this room, dominated by the charged rock flooding the area with its power. As much it was interesting, it was indisputably dangerous, and set his heart fluttering against his breastbone any time he dared to dream about approaching it. The magic surrounding him suffocated his senses. It’d just be better to turn his mind to other things for now- at least, until he actually had a chance to mentally live through the entire encounter peacefully.

Of course, there were a lot of other things to busy himself with. For one, an odd puzzle-like structure had his mind’s eye for the past few cycles of dimming lights, ripples of water surrounding its underwater portion disguising complicated bits of motion churning under the waves. It wasn’t hard to miss in the dark room. They were commonplace among his thoughts when he paced about the room, letting the air slip over his blue and grey feathers. It was an odd structure- perhaps it wasn’t natural? Then, what was natural?

His eyes rested on it as he landed by the shore of the river, avoiding entering the deep waters below. The large gear nearly mesmerized him as it swirled ever onwards. Was the water pushing it? If it weren’t for that, Tyr would love to get his claws all over it. Plus, maybe all the weird creatures about would get huffy if he even tried for it. Weird things.

Of course, there was a giant river in the way of him even getting there. Huffing, the avian turned his mind to his breast, curling his beak under his feathers and flicking out a few pieces of dirt he’d accumulated underneath them. Perhaps he could find someone else who knew more; though, at this point, who really knew anything about these caves? They were either all away or trying to figure things out for themselves. Lost in thought, Tyr began to fully preen, standing by the precipice of the water’s edge.

Hey, it was a nice reflection. Turning his head, he caught himself staring. He’d grown a little- the downy baby feathers had been nearly replaced, yet they were… Bluer, than he’d have liked. Of course, nothing could compare to the jutting gem before him. The line of thought was a bit narcissistic, though. No- he shouldn’t be worried over how he looked. Pushing the thought to the recesses of his loud mind, Tyr twisted his head to comb over the feathers of his wings.

@Hargrave

Survival, as it were, was not a precise science like more human concepts of baking or rollercoaster design; no, it was a cacophony of improvising that a child was ill-equipped to be thrown into the heart of. Looking at her violently blue surroundings, Hargrave idly thought that she may be among the lucky few --- though, she wasn't entirely certain why. (It was, of course, that she had emerged in the Core versus windier or more barren caves rife with ancient hunters.) The line was quickly cast beneath the waves of conscious thinking, as a baseline survival need she was well-acquainted with rose to the surface: warmth.

She had, perhaps foolishly, grown quite familiar and reliant on the momentary bursts of heat she and her stone could conjure. They lasted mere minutes, but it was enough to latch onto the sensation and cling to it for the next half hour. Fiery eyes caught a glimpse of a gleaming metal box --- and an even more violently blue (in parts) thing near it --- quietly curious and moving toward it as magicka flowed.

In the approach, Hargrave identified that the thing near the box was indeed alive and hiding its face in odd appendages that appeared like fur but--- not quite. Claws, perhaps? What were the claws for? Unabashedly and already setting to directing attention elsewhere (obviously, to establish rapport before asking such a personal question) she approached softly, and woofed, "what's that?" A toss of her head indicated towards the metal box, because clearly this other Gembound must know.

@Tyr

Tyr was a bit lost in his own feathers to notice the approaching Gembound, eyes half lidded as he felt his way over his skin and among passengers he flicked off with instinctual glee. He was just digging into the perfect spot, relieving a nice itch when-

The question startled him, an ungainly squawk releasing from his beak and his feathers flaring as he jumped. He hadn't expected someone to come up, much less approach him! He was the one to start conversation- and, most times, receive nothing but grunts from prey and attacks from the dumber creatures of the caves. Well- maybe he shouldn't say dumb. Or. Think, rather. It's rude to call people that. But, who's gonna hear his thoughts?

Shaking himself out of his startled stance, Tyr puffed out his chest and gazed towards where the creature had gestured.

... That. He blinked blankly. "Uh-" He should have an answer. "I'm not sure," he concluded. He truly didn't- it was moving, but the constant repetitive motion reminded him more of the moving piles of rock than truly living things. What kind of not living thing didn't move? The water must be pushing it. He'd question this other creature if she knew anything herself, but... The way she motioned, she obviously didn't.

"Here- I have an idea, we could find someone else?" Eyes shining with the prospect of knowledge, Tyr flared out his wings and hopped back, clicking his beak softly. "Sit here! I'll go grab someone! Uh- If I'm not back in a little bit I'll still be lookin' but just sit tight!"

With that, he took wing, flapping up and away from the canine to scan for other sapient beings about.

Edited in exit due to inactivity
@Hargrave