ORIGIN

Dip pushed up to help Azure carry her stuff over. She didn't try to rearrange anything for her, however-- she offered her blankets and bits of feather-stuffed pouches to put in at her discretion. "Well, it doesn't talk, either," she said with some gentle amusement. It had laughed, but Azure sure as hell didn't need to know that while she was getting ready for rest.

She made sure that her sister was getting settled before she stepped carefully over her and into her own bedding, sitting before scooting down to lay flat on her back. One hand went behind her head and the other settled on Azure, idly but affectionately, thumb brushing against her back.

Her gaze dipped down to the stone, and then tilted it back to watch the wooden ceiling. "You could still make something out of it," she said. "Maybe put the glowing dust on it. It'd show up a lot brighter, then." She shifted to get comfortable, eyes half-shut, and went briefly silent to listen to her sister talk about the creatures in Eridanus.

"Yeah, I know," she said, rasping voice going softer. "I wanna see them but you really don't have to come with me if you don't want to. It's good they invited you to visit, though." She listened quietly regardless, however-- carving wasn't her favourite but it sounded nice.

"Poor kid," she narrated idly but her thoughts was on the father. Her petting turned distant as she thought. She'd never seen anyone of her own species before in the caves-- even the Collector, who had hands like hers, was fuzzy all over and his horns were too big and he didn't seem to have a tail.

The thought of someone out there who was like her was.. a strange one. She wasn't sure how to feel about it. Serendipity never prided herself for being unique or one-of-a-kind, but knowing she wasn't made her feel... lonely? No. Not quite.

She stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, I do," was all she really managed to even voice on that.

Azure rolled into a lazy pose, half on her side, half on her back, hind legs sprawled out to one side. Something about Dip's silence before her last few words struck her, and she answered only after a moment of silence of her own.

"I'll still go with you, though."

And, because she was learning to try and put other people first, she didn't voice all her reasons. She didn't talk about how she couldn't let herself be ruled by fear. How if she stopped going everywhere that scared her, she'd have nowhere left to go. How none of it made sense, anyway. Instead, she just said, "I gotta show you where to look, but once you're there I can leave you with 'em if you want. I gotta pick up some more plants for weaving, anyway." Calm. Almost... indifferent. A shopping trip, right? Nothing more.

Cages, her siblings railing against them, screaming-

Azure took a breath, a sharp one, then tried to immediately hide that with a yawn. "I'll mess with the rocks more tomorrow, anyway. And the wagon. You get some sleep, okay?"

She gave a disagreeing hum. "You should stay and talk with them, too. I can help you find flowers." If they seemed nice, there was sure as hell no reason why she should slink away. On her own. In Eridanus.

Dip gave a small, tired sigh, scritch-ruffling Azure's back. "You gotta get some sleep as well," she said, sternly through the fact that she was quite rapidly staring to drift off. "Tomorrow'll be a good day."

A second later, she decided this was a promise. Tomorrow will be good. Better. No more talking halberds. No more evil shit, or figures, or whispering commands to kill people. Tomorrow will be gentle and nice and they'll decorate a wagon.

A cursed wagon.

... she didn't say it'd be a perfect day.

Serendipity allowed her eyes to fully shut, and some seconds later, her hand fell still on Azure's back.

Azure laid her head down on her forelimbs. This muffled her beak a little as she answered.

"I might. We'll see. And yeah... tomorrow'll be better." She forced confidence into her tone. I'd say it can't be worse, but...

For a time, even after Dip had gone quiet--especially after she had--Azure's eyes didn't close. She watched the corners of the room, fearful; she watched the doorway, beyond which lay the questionable, possibly-haunted, maybe-cursed wagon. It did not, however, stalk quietly in after them. Nor did any shadows appear in the corners--as much as Azure feared it--nor did any whispers start up inches from her ears.

Eventually, despite herself, she drifted off to sleep--hoping that yes, tomorrow would be a better day.