ORIGIN - grafting new branches

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Even with his preparations, Attikias still needed to eat. He didn't eat meat all of the time, even with his jerky utterly demolished- sometimes, he just wanted a bit of dried fruit. There was definitely some provisions needed if he was heading out from the camp for an extended period of time. What if he couldn't find the familiar fruits and animals so far away? No, security would be good.

And so, he kept his bag by his side, walking along pathways and through the jungle to retrieve fruits. His search had been overall awful so far. Everything low-hanging had been consumed, and a lot of things higher up had been consumed too. Things on the jungle floor, so far, were just a bit too rotten, and Attikias was going to be picky if he needed this to last for a cycle.

It'd take some time, time that could be used on hunting, but he couldn't survive well on just the one source of food.

@Titanite

Titanite was not far off: he rarely was, really. He stood, as ever, in the thick of the forest: branching limbs outstretched, feet rooted deep in the soil, eyes glowing dimly as he gazed contentedly up into the orb-light. He watched the shifting leaves as they whispered with the passage of cave air; the birdsong rippled past him. It was possible that time passed differently for Titanite than it did for other creatures, for the tree-beast tended to lapse into long periods of what amounted to an undreaming sleep. Or, perhaps a better description would be, a sleepless dream. He was aware of what happened around him, though at times it took him a few moments to stir back into full consciousness; but there were no thoughts in his mind, only a peaceful flickering of sensations that went on for hours, even days.

It was this way when Attikias passed: he was almost unseen, at first, unnoticed. A blur against the backdrop, something that it took time for Titanite to register as strange, and to awaken to. Branched head shifted, creaking, to peer at the elf creature, and Titanite recognized him as one of those who lived close by. He passed by here, from time to time, and this time, Titan greeted him.

"I... know you," he offered, in an amiable grumble, his voice one of twisting bark and rattling leaves. The tree-like body shifted, pulling down, upright, from where he'd been outstretched. He stood in a more humanoid stance, now, albeit a bit hunched over. His full attention--and all his eyes--now rested on Attikias. "You... live here. I am Titanite," he offered, though he could not remember if he had actually introduced himself before. Perhaps they had spoken.

Perhaps he'd merely dreamed it.

He studied the elf, good-naturedly, content; if Attikias left without speaking, Titanite would shrug it off and return to his... meditation, or whatever it could be called. But a bit of conversation, too, wouldn't go unwelcomed.

@Attikias

If the elf was but a blur, then Titanite was nearly a tree itself to Attikias's mind- he'd seen the hybrid, too, in passing, and only wrote him off as an odd plant growth. He didn't think Titanite capable of motion, much less speech, so when a voice like the surrounding woods came to him he startled.

His hands flexed out as he dropped a rotten fruit he was inspecting, jumping and turning on his heel to stare up at Titanite. There was disbelief in the gaze, and Titanite was looking to him. Titanite. Isn't that a gem? It looked kind of like-

Ah. A Vargas kid. Attikias relaxed visibly and dropped his shoulders, folding his hands behind his back as he peered up warmly. "I do live here. I've seen you around before. I'm Attikias- we've never had the chance to talk, I guess." Was the titanite always busy photosynthesizing or something? He did look like a plant.

In any case, Attikias approached gently, like he was meeting an old acquaintance for the first time in years. "I'm guessing your gem's a titanite, then? ... Why don't you have ah, alpha part or something, to your name? Actually- no, that's rude," the elf interrupted himself, holding out his hands and shaking his head. "I certainly don't have an alpha part to my name. Or- well, maybe Alpha's a family name?" He cut himself short again, shaking his head a bit more this time. He was still a bit flustered from realizing that a) Titanite was probably Alpha's sibling, and b) he was alive. Right, reset. "Sorry. It's good to meet you, finally. Nevermind about the Alpha, family thing."

That would do. He dipped, slightly, with a nod of a bow and an awkward smile. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot.

@Titanite

Titanite was not exactly a connoisseur of correct social interactions, and so was blissfully unaware of any awkwardness that Attikias might have been displaying. The elf seemed friendly, perhaps harmless or perhaps not but at the very least not ill-intentioned, and Titanite listened with silent, placid intensity to his words before (gradually) formulating a response.

"Attikias..." he rasped, thoughtfully tasting the sound of each syllable on plantfiber tongue. "I have... a Titanite, yes. I am... Titanite." The tree-beast briefly fell silent to mull over this fact, and the memory that came with it--one of the few explanations Vargas had given it, early on, along with basic teaching. "The Alpha... is a fellow creation... of the same father. Granted life," he said, lifting one branchlike finger to almost tenderly brush the leaves hanging just overhead. Glowing green lights flickered and danced through his body like neuron sparks, glittering wisplike, as if reflecting his thoughts as he pondered. "But I live here," he added, slowly blinking back to Attikias.

That he was a quiet piece of guilt, created and put aside somewhere safe--that, he didn't know. Couldn't know. He only knew that he was, that he existed, and that he was content.

"It is good... to hear words again..." Each word was slow; there was a long breath, and then Titanite went on. "The trees... do not speak as you do."

Titanite appeared, at least, content with company--though perhaps his ability to help guide the conversation was... limited. Willing enough to answer, he was not particularly good at steering and adding much to it--or maybe he was simply a friendly but reticent sort.

@Attikias

The elf had waited patiently as Titanite thought- it wasn't unfamiliar to Attikias for other parties to take their time with it, and he found himself comforted by the familiar lull of conversation akin to Vivilene's. He perked when his name was spoken and gave a soft, encouraging nod to the pronunciation.

Part of his being nearly started to interrupt, finally accustomed to other beings rather than his family again, but he waited. There would have to be a lot of it- conversation didn't always need to move fast, after all. With his hands still over the small of his back, Attikias watched gently as Titanite creaked, revelling in the thoughtful silence. It was nice. Something about him brought out the noises of the plantlife to the forefront of Attikias's mind, the way he moved and caressed the canopy above him.

How many children does Vargas have? Wait- doesn't that mean he's technically a part of the family, too, with Alpha's kid? He halted thought briefly as his face tightened, his gaze glancing down to the jungle floor. Huh. There were a lot of families he could be connected to, he figured- he didn't even know if someone had just made him with another and left him or if he came into being like others, after all.

His tail swayed a bit more as Titanite's words returned him to the present. There was patience as he waited for the thought to finish, but he smiled once more, hands coming back around to clasp in front of him. "I haven't met many other people, other than my family, recently, too." His head cocked for a moment. He'd been getting out a little more, yes- less carving and more interacting. "There's... Comfort, in the silence, sometimes. A peace, though, you know?"

Attikias's eyes lifted to the trees. Being bad at conversation was fine with him- it wasn't anything he was unused to, with Vivilene at peace with being quiet around him. But the previous thought came to him- he hated to bring up poor memories, if they did give them to Titanite.

Still. For the sake of conversation, he continued. "I, uh. I have a kid, related to you, I think. You'd be their-" Did plants have gender? He paused for a moment, thinking. "Uncle?" That might work. "I don't know where they are- but I guess that makes us family too, huh?" He laughed gently. "I've always found... Gentler family, to be better than some people."

He didn't blame Titanite for not existing with Vargas and Alpha. They seemed to be very driven, while the Titanite was at peace here- and he was happy for the tree-beast. Adding in another thought, though, he half-blurted, "How long have you been here?" He'd come to the elf's awareness a while back, but who knew if there was an older party in this situation. Another half of him also wondered- did 'live here' mean that spot, specifically, or Eridanus as a whole?

Would he invite yet another Gembound to his camp? That place was getting a bit full...

@Titanite

Titanite was silent in contemplation as he listened to the elf's words. There was no rush in him, nothing to be tamped down: he simply took it in, in his gradual way, and absorbed it.

He didn't quite understand the mention of family; he'd hardly had any, past those first experiences with the Overseer and his spawn. Titanite's sibling. He knew nothing of them, not where they'd gone, or what they'd cared for. "I have been here for..." A pause, hesitation, as he tried to count; how long had it been-? "...Since I was very young," he concluded, at length, each word a slow rasp. He made little comment on Attikias's family, though he was mulling the elf's words over--it was simply a lot for his slow plant mind to take in, after so long without any speech at all. "I am... Uncle?"

Titanite tasted this word, too, and again hesitated over it. He could not quite get to the meat of this one, the meaning or heart of Uncledom. What was it, to be Uncle-?

Green-glow eyes peered long at Attikias, and then the wind slowly escaped the plant-beast in a low gust.

He reached out one hand, turning, magicka flickering out--a flare, intended to raise the plants around him, to uproot them, to bring them walking to his side so that he could show Attikias what he believed his "children" to be. Instead, roots and vines arose, twining up over him, ensnaring feet, legs, thorns piercing his wood-like limbs. It was a little painful, and he stared down in some confusion, slowly lowering his hands.

Huh.

He looked back to Attikias.

"I do not have... children," he concluded, in a rasp, "past the leaves... that at times answer my call."

...Or, in this case, rejected it.

A spark of curiosity drove him to ask, then: "How does one... make new... life?"

@Attikias

Attikias liked this conversation, he'd decided. It was calm, like a slow breeze, rather than the rapid-fire worrying his mind had grown accustomed to in the past few days. He didn't know if Titanite's pure lack of involvement in his father's side of the family- instead, he kind of started to like him even more just from the assumption that he managed to remain wispy while talking with them.

The elf could see Titanite thinking at the length of time, and he in turned thought of his own length, contemplating. He'd been here for some time, as well, settling in with his camp and family and general everything. Very young would be his own guess for himself, and he nodded at Titanite's similar answer.

He perked at the question. "Uncle-" he halted. Was that wrong? Why did he know the word, even? "It's... Like aunt, it means you're the sibling of the person who had a kid. So, ah, they'd be your niece or nephew, in turn, since they're the child of your sibling. I don't think it matters which one you use, aunt or uncle or niece-nephew."

Family semantics were weird. "It's complicated, I guess. Fancy words for family."

He watched as Titanite pushed his magic to the ground. It looked painful as plants began to spur up, wrapping around his limbs and digging into him. What was the point..? Attikias glanced up when TItanite spoke again, blinking. Ah.

It was funny. Titanite was much like an older Vivilene- had she known about this son-of-Vargas as she knew about Alpha? Had she been rolling watermelons to him, too? He huffed out a laugh with a slight smile, conjuring the mental image. Perhaps he could ask her about him some time.

But, new life. Attikias drew his head up, blinking gently. "Ah-" he brought his hands up, tapping them together. "For... Life, like you and I? One usually gives their stone, and the other gives their magic. Like, if I took some of my stone," and here he brought his right hand up to thumb over his selenite, trying to look at it. He could feel the few scores in its surface from his other children, solid reminders of their existences. "and you take some of your magic and place it into the shard. It'll solidify itself to the ground and grow in about a cycle or two, and eventually make life."

Leave it to Attikias to teach a plant about the birds and the bees. But, Titanite seemed to have a reason to ask, and a thought formulated in the back of his head. An eyebrow perked as he peered back up to Titanite.

"Did you want to try?"

@Titanite

The towering tree-beast eventually let loose another rasp that might have been 'uncle,' low and barely more than a whisper of air through its branches.

Attikias's explanation of the word's meaning rattled through his head, so that the subsequent words--about stones, and life--were temporarily halted and sort of left to one side. Long after the elf had ceased talking, Titanite (gaze visibly shifting slightly back and forth, as if seeing these thoughts laid out before him) moved on to that topic, to register and think about the rest of what Attikias had said.

Stone, life, magic. He pondered this--slowly, as he did most things--and then, eventually, seemed to piece the thoughts together. Titanite had no reason not to try; his interest was piqued, and nurturing life (albeit the green and flowery sort, with an occasional avian friend) had long been a pleasant habit of his. He knew nothing of the drawbacks, the faint weakening, the long period of recovery before it could be done again. He knew nothing of potential failure.

And so, his answer was almost eager and without guile; it was an interesting new possibility that the elf now laid before him, and he considered it... generous. "I would like... to try," he agreed, at length, interest prickling along twig-like outcrops.

His glow flickered and failed to ignite--usually, his mood now would have been reflected by bright green dancing along the internal workings of his branches. But he looked tree-like, like dull wood, though the eyes that stared patiently--waiting--at Attikias still held their own bright light.

@Attikias

Titanite would be given all the time in the world as far as Attikias was concerned- it's not like he had anywhere else to be in the moment. Even as he had to crane to look up to the tree beast, he hadn't found his neck aching or anything, yet, so things were going pretty good.

He straightened up as Titanite took the opportunity at hand. "Ah! Okay, uh-" He bent down, holding his hand out over his gem and focusing. "Wait-" He glanced around beforehand. There was a lot of debris in the area, and the elf removed his hand to clear a small space. There, that'd be good to plant a chrysalis.

Could he remember his way here? He looked up and gauged the direction he came from, squinting into the distance. He'd be fine.

Right. Life. Taking in a breath, now that he was ready, Attikias brought his hand up to catch a piece of his stone that popped off of his shoulder. It was small- as was many of his other chips and nocks into it- but it would be enough. Presented between his index and thumb, he held it up for Titanite to inspect.

"Here. Now, put your magic into the stone, and it'll hatch in about a cycle."

He didn't mean to have this smile on his face, but it was genuine, and it was warm. Pride's words came to him- being a good person seemed to pass down, after all, and, well.

It felt good to bring more good beings into the world.

@Titanite

There was, to be sure, some confusion in him. Nothing very great--it was, he assumed, as Attikias said. Put life into a rock, and it would spawn a child. But he hadn't known this was how it worked, and some part of his mind was wondering how it could be possible.

And... which magic was he to use?

After some pondering, Titanite considered (massive tree-beast face thrust forward to inspect the stone) the method he used to grant life to plants. To encourage and nurture them, nourish their growth--or to tug them from the ground as his defenders.

Could he use that now..?

His hand extended: fingers one might have described as delicate and branch-like, or alternatively, as scything claws. They could have been either--they were both--but his touch to the gemstone shard was gentle.

His nostrils--pits?--seemed to flare, eyes brightening briefly; a coil of green light blinked up, like wisps, twisting down along his wrist to implant within the stone. Titanite then pulled back, considering.

"I think it has... worked? I will... guard it," he decided, though if Attikias took it away, he'd likely offer to just guard the general area. But some part of him was already faintly protective; some distant instinct told him that this thing was part of him, now.

And part of Attikias.

Titanite looked to the elf.

"It is... Ours?" he tried, at last, tentative in this strange, and oddly comforting, thought.

@Attikias

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