Apr 13 2021, 11:28 PM
Charon huffed gently, ”Well uh... Wyvern's nice, I guess. A bit boring, I suppose, though with all the personalities in our family we needed someone to balance them out. She's calm, though, mostly, and Jaques was just a little whelp when I saw him. Looked like a horse- you know what that is, yeah? With wings and dragon feet. Weird looking fella but cute as hell.”
He sighed wistfully and put his head on his claw, ”I would love to see mom again. To see everyone. Do you think we could go and see Svartis and Dread, maybe? I'd like to meet them.”
He caught himself yawning and snorted gently, scratching at his snout, ”It's nice to know I had more family than I thought. Maybe one of these days I'll actually learn to fly with these damned wings and we can fly across Ursa together.”
He flapped weakly, his wings much too small and his body too heavy to ever take to the skies. He was still hanging onto that hope, though, praying that maybe some stray gust might just carry him away.
@Bone
Apr 14 2021, 01:26 AM
She listened raptly--as did Mother--to the description of her unknown siblings. There was a spark of sudden recognition somewhere, but Bone couldn't place it; it wasn't her own. But otherwise, she was just thinking over Charon's words as he said them.
Boring? she thought, a little surprised--that seemed kind of a mean thing to say about family. Maybe Charon was just the blunt sort, though. "Horse, yeah," she murmured--a quiet interjection just to confirm that yes, she was familiar with the species. "Ahhh, they sound nice! I'd like to meet them. But yeah, I can take you to Dread and Svartis! I'll make you a deal, you introduce me to your side of the family, and I'll bring you to meet mine!" But even as she spoke, she was thinking on his wings, her eyes briefly trailing over them (and reverting back up, so as not to linger rudely).
She'd forgotten, for a moment, that it wasn't just Charon's injuries preventing him from flight. What must it be like, she wondered--having wings, but no flight? Being groundbound, despite the appendages meant to take a dragon airborne..? She couldn't imagine. "Maybe we'll find a way," she suggested, trying to sound positive. "It would definitely be nice." This last was a warm remark, but the weariness of the spell was dragging her down.
"I guess we can rest a bit, for now? That magic is kinda knocking me out, but we can talk more once I'm awake," she assured.
Mother was oddly quiet--but she was still a reassuring presence in the back of Bone's mind, so that was okay.
@Charon
Apr 14 2021, 05:31 PM
Charon nodded, ”Yeah, that sounds good. I don't know where Wyvern and Jaques are but I do know Carja's in Eridanus. Maybe she knows more about the other two.”
He shuffled his wings and folded them against his worm-like body, looking away. Maybe he ought to learn some air magic. That was a thing, right? If he could just get enough wind under his wings then it would work. He'd had enough of road runner-ing all over the place.
”Rest sounds good,” he said, stifling a cough, ”Maybe the storm will have passed by then.”
He shuffled closer and curled up, careful not to accidentally prick Bone with his quills, ”Sleep well, Bone.”
@Bone
Apr 15 2021, 08:17 PM
Bone gave a little laugh, glancing out into the snow. "Storm... You should see Ursa on a bad day," she told him, her humor easygoing. "The snow gets so thick you can't see to fly, or even walk around. And the wind-... It gets cold," she said, with a fake shudder for dramatic effect.
"I hope you feel better soon, though, and I look forward to meeting the rest of the family. You can decide what side we visit first, huh?" She gave him a friendly glance, then turned, curling draconic head back down again--down to rest, down to sleep, down to heal.
In the back of her mind, Mother was pleased. Bone didn't know why... but Bone didn't need to; Mother's happiness was good. Basking in her warmth, content in the knowledge that she lay here with new family, Bone drifted quietly to sleep.
exit Bone
Apr 15 2021, 08:19 PM
In the back of Charon's mind, Mother lurked, too.
She said nothing; she did not even affect the new child's mind in any way, having left it quietly empty for now. But she was there, and she was waiting.
Either decision would please her equally. Would Charon choose to embrace Mother, eventually? To join her family, to become one of many protectors--perhaps the leader of them, she wondered, given his wonderful adaptations to the cold? Was he even part ice worm..? He looked it.
He felt it.
Or would he go to Tahi-shei, and bring with him her tale of choice, and gentle mercy?
It did not matter to Mother. Either one would serve her needs; the draconic creature's decision would truly be his own.
She said nothing; she did not even affect the new child's mind in any way, having left it quietly empty for now. But she was there, and she was waiting.
Either decision would please her equally. Would Charon choose to embrace Mother, eventually? To join her family, to become one of many protectors--perhaps the leader of them, she wondered, given his wonderful adaptations to the cold? Was he even part ice worm..? He looked it.
He felt it.
Or would he go to Tahi-shei, and bring with him her tale of choice, and gentle mercy?
It did not matter to Mother. Either one would serve her needs; the draconic creature's decision would truly be his own.
@Charon
Apr 15 2021, 08:50 PM
Charon nodded and smiled gently, watching Bone fall asleep. He curled up and faced away, hoping to pretend, though his brow furrowed.
”... Mother?”, he asked, thinking as hard as he possibly could in hopes she heard, ”I'm going to Tahi-shei soon anyway but... why are you letting me? I thought you were supposed to be some kind of mind-controlling dictator.”
At least that's what he'd last heard from Tahi-shei. If anything new had been learned he'd been so isolated he hadn't heard it.
”Tell me the truth. What are your plans for me if I don't go to him?”, he said, tucking his paws under himself, eyes down.
He didn't want to be some kind of slave, and Mother would definitely feel that. Would feel his anger at the thought of being controlled in any capacity. But underneath would also he his desperation for family, for a chance to end his loneliness and find a purpose, find people to protect and call his own.
”But then how do I know you're telling the truth?”, he thought, mostly to himself.
Apr 15 2021, 09:05 PM
'I'm going to Tahi-shei soon anyway. This was an unexpected boon, and one that filled the link with quiet approval. At the other end, unbeknownst to her newest acquisition--temporary or not--Mother was quite delighted. But best to keep that quiet, not to flood his mind with thought and feeling just yet. Though she had little choice--the link would take time to strengthen to allow such things. Even now, her words were halting, missing at times, the connection weak at first.
"A falsehood spread by... Chaos and its... forces. Tahi-shei knows... more. You will be safe... to him." (Speaking to him? Going to him? Something had gone missing, there, but the general intent seemed clear enough.) "You are... my child, whether you know it... or not. All of your kind... are. And when you join with... my mind. I welcome you... My children... protect one another. Some of them... choose to protect me... as well. But I have my own... family for that," and she fought to send an image of her Cleaners, though it came through patchy and confusing. Any fear Charon might have felt at their alien forms would feel... suppressed, but perhaps he would feel no apprehension or disgust; some simply did, finding insectoid bodies repulsive. Mother did not know what to expect from him, there. "Until recently... I did not know there was a way... to remove you from my link. ...wish it, but... choose it... your choices... are your own." Ahh, another piece missing--her link was faltering, and and out, her voice quiet in his mind. But hopefully, he would understand.
"A falsehood spread by... Chaos and its... forces. Tahi-shei knows... more. You will be safe... to him." (Speaking to him? Going to him? Something had gone missing, there, but the general intent seemed clear enough.) "You are... my child, whether you know it... or not. All of your kind... are. And when you join with... my mind. I welcome you... My children... protect one another. Some of them... choose to protect me... as well. But I have my own... family for that," and she fought to send an image of her Cleaners, though it came through patchy and confusing. Any fear Charon might have felt at their alien forms would feel... suppressed, but perhaps he would feel no apprehension or disgust; some simply did, finding insectoid bodies repulsive. Mother did not know what to expect from him, there. "Until recently... I did not know there was a way... to remove you from my link. ...wish it, but... choose it... your choices... are your own." Ahh, another piece missing--her link was faltering, and and out, her voice quiet in his mind. But hopefully, he would understand.
@Charon
Apr 15 2021, 11:21 PM
Charon lifted his head and looked at Bone, frowning, ”Is... is she part of your link? And... and if I accepted joining you, could I leave at any time?”
He looked away again, glaring at the ground.
”I have my doubts,” he said with a slight hiss to his tone, ”You can understand, right? Vargas and those people are so... violent. But then all I've heard about you is that you take people's free will away. I want my will but I don't want violence. What can you offer to satisfy both?”
He cursed himself silently. He was giving Mother a chance. Why was he giving it a chance? Was it his own will doing so or her?
He clenched his jaw and shook his head, settling down again.
Apr 16 2021, 08:26 AM
"She is not... Perhaps some day. But she is... not hostile with us." A little white lie, perhaps, intended to protect her children should this one not join her, in the end? But the link, regardless, was kept carefully from opening between the two. There were now glimpses of others, though--not of the Gembounds themselves but the images, the sensations. A stray sense of joy here, a thrilled predator stalking there, a curious tweak of an ear at the new intrusion, Charon, into their web.
"You may sever this link... choose." A missing piece. "...no proof, but... not take free will. Speak to Tahi-shei," she urged; "...link is weak, for now."
"You may sever this link... choose." A missing piece. "...no proof, but... not take free will. Speak to Tahi-shei," she urged; "...link is weak, for now."
@Charon
Apr 16 2021, 07:25 PM
Charon nodded and looked back to Bone, frowning gently. He shuffled closer and let his tail drape over hers, sighing softly.
”Cut the link,” he mumbled, not wanting to hear all that stuff in his head. It was making it ache.
He'd go talk to Tahi-shei when the wind died down. Hopefully he'd feel a bit better in the morning with food in his stomach, too. But that was tomorrow and right now he needed rest.
His eyes slipped closed and he curled up with a gentle sigh, the harsh winds outside not really helping him fall asleep, but he'd get there.
Exit Charon to sleep.
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