Astraea answered him and did not elaborate too significantly, and Tahi-shei's curiosity was sparked further. "Really? Why not?" he asked, mind already moving. One of them had to be an exception to a pattern, then -- either Vargas was (one of the) only master(s) with an Overseer, or Astraea was (one of the) only one(s) without one. Neither answer would have been particularly satisfying; still a break from the neatness of the pattern. But certainly making whichever party more intriguing.
The other stag's offer made him shift a little uncomfortably, but he wasn't sure why. "That's... not fair," was all he could muster. "Fate was cruel to you." But, of course, this being Tahi-shei, more questions came. "But... if you have them, how come I don't? Or Giggle? Is it because you have a greater capacity for your magic than we do? Oh, or maybe because your body can't keep up with the magic... if a body is held together by our stones, and our stones made into living things by our magic, then maybe a body can be overwhelmed by too much magic?" A beat. A realization. "Oh! But, um, not to imply that you're, like, weak or anything? The opposite, actually. I just know that, y'know. I'm not exactly built like Overseer-Alpha, and you... are built like me. Physically, that is."
Tahi-shei still looked Astraea over, though. "Would removing them hurt?" he asked. "Or having them grow back? More than... having them, I guess." Because he was old enough to realize that physical pain was distinct from emotional pain, and that "impervious to harm" did not mean "impervious to suffering". He wanted to help, but not if the effort made things worse for the other stag.
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mention
His head tilted slightly at the question, as if it were a strange thing to ask. Why didn't he have an Overseer? Why should he? His head righted and he simply shrugged.
"I've no need for one."
"Fate was cruel to you." Astraea felt his lips twitch at the threat of a flabbergasted smile, the break of laughter; but he was silent, listening to the rest of Tahi's words. Hm, none of the things he suggested were the answer. However, he was intrigued by Tahi's knowledge.
"Hmm, where did you learn your body is held together by your stone?" Was this becoming inherent knowledge in them, or did Tahi-shei witness something that suggested the idea to him? It was partly true, and partly not. Again, he smiled at the younger deer's words.
"Yes, it would be the opposite." He was certainly not weak.
"Removing them hurts during the process, yes; they are as much a part of me as my eyes or my legs," he answered cooly, and shrugged again.
"But it is nothing I am not used to." Countless nights spent ripping his own flesh apart, tearing and biting and shearing the fungus from his hide—his disgusting deer hide—and wishing he'd find his own porcelain skin underneath. But if Tahi wanted to try it too, go for it. He was far from fragile. Would it be more
gruesome than Tahi might be expecting? Probably.
Astraea turned slightly, so that his side was facing the other.
"If you're going to practice, it'd be best to do so on me than your friends or family," he said, omitting the nasty details that Tahi had already hinted at knowing—or rather, his hesitancy to want to know.
Tahi-shei tilted his head to the side. Astraea didn't need an Overseer... well, he supposed that was as good a reason as any not to have one. He couldn't deny the inkling of pride in his chest -- Astraea was the Fungal Master, and Tahi-shei's own form was a reflection of his own. The idea of Astraea being powerful enough and collected enough to maintain his own business was intriguing, even if he was still kind of wondering what an Overseer did.
Then, he paused. "I mean... we're called Gem-bound?" he offered, floundering a little. Now he felt silly, even if his assumption had been correct. "I guess I just assumed." He paused, thinking about that for a moment, as Astraea moved on to the next order of business and Tahi-shei frowned. His head tilted to the side, and he shook it.
"But I don't want to hurt you. Just because I won't kill you doesn't mean it won't still hurt. You're still a person." He cringed at the thought of harming Astraea, and set his jaw against the shiver that ran through him. It was awful because Astraea was a person, but also because he was sort of like looking in the mirror. "Just because you're used to being hurt doesn't mean you deserve to be used as a punching bag."
The mention of harm was causing his stomach to roll, though, and his frown deepened. "... Actually, that reminds me. Have you ever been called, or heard someone be called, a Fungal Prince?" The Collector's words rang in his ears. Perhaps it had been Astraea's crown, if the Collector had been so convinced it was perfect--? Tahi-shei didn't want to take something that had been stolen, except maybe to pass it along. Especially because it meant killing someone, but that was something he hadn't been able to get out of so he'd revisit it later.
He wondered if Tahi-shei's assumptions were somehow an ingrained knowledge, some inherent thing they would come to know as they aged, coded into the core of their beings whose core was different than his own. When the young deer went on to explain he did not want to hurt him, Astraea shrugged with a solemn grin.
"It isn't like that," he said, but could not think of how better to explain it, so he left it at that.
His eyebrows lifted at the next question, and his grin lightened into a soft smile.
"I haven't heard of it," he answered, adding,
"but if I were called that, I'd be the King." From his understanding of such hierarchies, the king was the top of the food chain, and the prince born of him.
@tahi-shei
Tahi-shei tucked that information Astraea had given him away to deal with later, and considered what he was then told about the fungal prince. Astraea had never heard of it, and had never been called that himself. He nodded, considering -- did that make the artifact more or less dangerous? He wasn't sure. Less, probably -- Tahi-shei figured Astraea would have definitely known about any threats to his rule.
"I don't know much about kings and princes," he admitted, "but I'll take your word for it." He looked back to the mysterious snow and pressed a hoof into it. It was curious stuff -- wet and cold at the same time, like from the tunnel that the obstacle course had been held in. He didn't actually like it very much.
He turned back to Astraea, curiosity surging up in him again. "You seem to know so much. I wish I could just ask you questions forever -- there's so much going on in these caves that is kind of hard to notice. Strange markings in the caves, the rubble in Tunnel J, big doors to seal things off -- seals being broken, even? So many secrets. I wish I just had one good place where I could go to and get the answers to all of my questions." It was a lament, yes -- but also, in and of itself, very nearly a question. Where can I find them? whispered desperately into the cold, hidden between layers of words as though he were afraid to actually say it.
"Hm," he grunted, head lifting to Tahi's lament.
"Perhaps you are misunderstanding a lack of knowledge for secrecy. It is all there for you do study and discover. It is not secret. If it were secret, you would not know of it." He considered the many things that
were secret, and certainly, the gembounds had not discovered these things yet. By design, of course. Why would he want his secrets exposed? Or those of Lord Dhracia? Or the Creator?
Behind them, the blizzard was still surging strong.
"For example, the rubble in Tunnel J is just leftover junk from a failed rebellion." Well, it had... somewhat succeeded, but he didn't need to be that specific.
"If a door is sealing something, it may be for a reason, hm?" A small frown at the thought of Ursa's wintry hold escaping.
"Nothing is a secret if you study it, and research for answers. And while answers may not be easily obtained, or handed to you on a silver platter, they are available to you, if you put in the effort."
@Tahi-shei
His eyes lit up at Astraea's... encouragement? It wasn't encouragement, not really, but that's what Tahi-shei was taking it as, eyes sparkling as he thought about that. Asking the right questions... all knowledge available, if he looked hard enough... except the real secrets, he supposed, and he thought about those. The things that were really hidden from him. He looked askance, considering the scraps of metal and grief he'd seen at every edge of the Caves. The information he'd only just begun to uncover, and the things he could discover.
"What were they rebelling against?" he asked, looking back at Astraea with a renewed curiosity and interest. Excitement surged through his veins, a grin scrawled across his features. He was going to find the answers. He was going to find anyone who'd answer his questions, and he'd... he'd know more. And maybe, if he tried hard enough, he'd uncover real secrets within these caves--?
"What were they rebelling against?" Astraea's eyes narrowed. Out of all the things he said, that was what Tahi wanted to comment on? A failed rebellion?
"Things they didn't like, but I tend not to dwell on the failure of misguided fools," he said pointedly, a brow raising. Certainly Tahi-shei would not become one of these? It was not worth pursuing, and Astraea did not feel like explaining the exhausting story of those who wished to die.
@Tahi-shei
He hesitated, realizing from Astraea's general demeanor that he'd misstepped. He'd been curious, more than anything, but... well, if the Master insisted it wasn't worth dwelling on, he'd move past it. "Um... are there other people in the Caves, like you? Er, let me be specific -- who'd be willing to answer questions I have, who'd be old enough to know the answers? I... well," he laughed a bit to ease the tension, "I like talking to you, but you're a Master. I'm sure you're busy and have better things to do than entertain a curious little deer."
Tahi-shei shifted a little awkwardly on his hooves, looking askance. He clearly didn't want to keep Astraea up; it seemed that people tended to lose patience with him when he talked for so long. It was a very childlike gesture; although, in all fairness, he was only three cycles old.
Astraea's eyes widened a fraction, then narrowed again.
...Had it been intended as an insult? Little deer? Surely it couldn't have been; this creature shared this foul form. Was it insulting itself, or merely commenting on size?
Hrmph.
Astraea, in the end, simply answered the question, though his ruby gaze remained quite stern. "You may try your luck with Tenzin, in Pisces," he said curtly, and the blunt nature of his response was driven by the faintest bitterness. "If he'll have you. He seems to like speaking to your kind." And this was cold as ice. "Or you may seek out Master Vargas. He is only now made Master, but he has been alive for long enough to provide answers to your questions, I'm sure."
And he wouldn't be foolish enough to release any knowledge that he shouldn't. Would Tenzin..? He didn't think so.
Perhaps.
It didn't bear thinking about.
"Was there anything more?" he asked, pausing to regard the young deer with an expression of polite waiting.
@Tahi-shei