Ananke considered, settling in so that her shape became that of a rounded white puff of fur rather thank the lanky legginess she usually exhibited. She chewed, on nothing--on thought--and then glanced to Halcyon.

Mother's ideas were merely hints in her mind; she got the impression that the queen of drones had never quite been a farmer. "What if..." she thought, glancing around, "we kill something? Ahh--I am not a killer," she added, looking sharply back to Halcyon, as if to quickly dispel any misunderstanding. "But I think this feeds on any sort of decay. If our battle is... soon, then perhaps... a Lesser of some kind would do it?" It was grim necessity, but undoubtedly her sibling-of-sorts would sense the emotion running beneath it: reluctance, yet resignation. Ananke despised the idea of predator and prey, as a prey beast herself, and the very concept of hunting almost frightened her.

But if it would grow Mother's gift, and keep it safe, beyond suspicion... "It will smell," she mused, pushing past it. And then she shifted back to thought: "It might even draw attention but that is not so bad; anything that eats it would carry the gift, then, as well. What do you think?" she asked, along their link.

She left it unsaid that Halcyon might need to do most of the work regarding killing; and she didn't even know if they, either, were particularly capable.

@Halcyon

As Halcyon listened—to musings about the other option available, its drawbacks or potential advantages—they stayed in their hunkered down position, brushing the granular remnants of the plant off their hands with deliberately timed strokes. Other than their inclined head, no outward sign indicated their processing of the conversation; all resided in the realm of thought, quiet but nonetheless more responsive than an onlooker might assume.

Connected as they were to each other, Ananke had little to fear regarding how her proposal sounded. Confusion had no room to flourish when the clear unease wafting along their link prevented it from taking root. Such a distraction removed from the equation, the logic presented was what was left for the Drone to sift through. And this they did, consideration careful.

"Hunting," they said at last, "I suppose does possess merit in our present scenario. Time, after all, is of the essence if we wish to fulfill expectations."

Fast propagation now. Plant cultivation will have to be revisited later for the long term.

Always a part of the Hive, never a naturally occurring member of the food chain, prey and predator were concepts understood but not categories adhered to in Halcyon's own mind. Instinct geared toward precise adaptation, the whole thing seemed antiquated when one should be more concerned with maximizing group success over a might-makes-right pecking order. If killing was necessary for the good of all, then it would be done. They'd simply have to reorient themselves to better fulfill the task.

A glance was cast down at a set of claws, evaluating their shape: good for gouging but not ideal for the quick dispatch of creatures. While their heart was calm in the face of what they would have to accomplish, a clean death they reasoned would shelter both them and Ananke from any additional discomfort. Seeking out that thread of Order woven into their being, they tugged on it and linked the sensation to a single extended finger.

To no avail.

If it is no trouble to you, we could both seek out possible Lesser candidates, they suggested. Their network's wide span would reduce any time spent tracking these. You needn't be concerned with the untidy part. If all goes well, your involvement in those will be minimal.

@Ananke

She could feel what they were trying to do, and their reassurance was... well, reassuring to her. They understood; there was no mockery involved. Indeed the mention of an "untidy" part sent a shiver of horrified realization through her, not at the concepts of hunting or suffering but rather the potential mess of blood on her white fur. She could not have said why even the concept felt like such a potential catastrophe.

Halcyon's suggestion that they spread out and search held merit, and she offered a dip of her head and a surge of appreciation for their resourcefulness--wordless, but strong--before turning and hopping off. She could feel their failed spell but it mattered little.

She set off at a slow hop, her nose bobbing delicately up and down as she sampled Gemini's mineral-rich air. Her ears swivelled, too, searching for any sound that did not quite belong.

It took her some searching, but eventually she did find something. Her discovery would at first seem rather unpleasant along the link, perhaps: a shiver of startled fear as something scrabbled softly up above, and a further shock of tension as Ananke looked up and saw only shadows in the crevices between the crystals. She steeled herself, then, and gathered Mother's magic as best she could, forcing it upward. Can you..? she thought, to Mother directly.

A moment later she felt it grip and take hold, and what tumbled out--landing clumsily before her--sent her hopping back in another frightened jolt.

It was a bat--a Pitch Rat--black and red-eyed, but seemingly unaggressive. In fact, when she willed it to simply sit there, it did, gazing at her with an expression empty of emotion. ...Halcyon? Ananke thought, now exhilarated, breathless--I think I have something.

They would still need to kill it, but the concepts fleeting tangled through her mind were a new sort of thrill. She had it. She had it controlled; she had power over it. She was not helpless. She held it, forced it to her will.

It wasn't a sadistic pleasure, but rather the realization that she truly was not helpless, here. She still didn't want to kill the thing--didn't want to bloody up her fur--but it felt as though the world had suddenly shifted around her.

@Halcyon

Once the duo's paths had separated, hers lolloping one direction and theirs prowling another, quiet had reigned along the link from Halcyon's end. This did not mean they were inattentive to their partner's experiences; to the contrary, as they weaved through the crystal-strewn environment, never was concentration narrow enough to block the rabbit out from thought as she sought out her objective. Always a finger rested upon their connection, vigilant for whether anything of importance would pulse from it.

Therefore the startlement licking at the boundary of their diligently calm mental state caused a near immediate reaction: where they'd been pressed close to the ground, snout gently stirring dust as it tracked a promising scent, Halcyon now flung themselves up and onto haunches. The finger that had lain as a mere marker for their link with Ananke began to trace along its length. Though ordinary eyes could not see past the many towering clusters of crystal, their head swiveled to follow the thread to where, no doubt, she would be. From the neck down, tension locked muscles rigid.

If any danger chimed out, to action they would spring, their side of the search abandoned in favor of rushing to the other's defense. The gouge of back claws into the earth promised so, the aforementioned leap already prepared should it be required.

For a long while this pose was maintained, their mind circling around but never daring to probe at and possibly distract Ananke from her situation. They stared off into space, expression blank. Tendrils of consciousness squirmed for possible neighboring Lessers within the Hive that might provide different angles of the scene which was hidden from them. Finding none, they simply remained statue-still, hands welded to each other as if in fervent prayer.

And then actual communication emerged out of the fuzzy impression of emotion. The harsh edges of Halcyon's form relaxed upon detecting nothing akin to the previous fear sensed. Curious as to her meaning by "something," they eased, wordless, into Ananke's perspective. What was discovered received an approving nod, the accompanying thoughts gleefully weightless.

Ah, yes, you think, Halcyon declared. And you've thought it right to you!

Little pause stood between this and the moment they leaned forward to settle again on all fours. Path altered, they swung their entire body around to match their line of sight. Powerful legs kicked out and propelled the Drone onward. The comment, Have it remain there. I'll be present shortly, was the single warning issued for their rapid approach.

Swift as it was, their arrival was announced well by the reflection of pale scales off a multitude of gleaming, glittering surfaces. They glided into the area, never stopping until every inch of them crouched over the immobilized Pitch Rat. A hand secured itself at the base of the creature's neck and pressed it into the ground. Only then did they address their comrade another time.

"Maintain your hold if possible. Little to no movement should make this an easier task."

Their palm roamed up the spine. Its angle adjusted to touch where vertebrae connected to the skull. Power, tingling like so many needle pricks, swelled within flesh. They set it loose, and a lance projected out, positioned to sink into the cranial cavity.

@Ananke

Ananke held still, focused, as Halcyon finished the creature off. Half her mind remained firmly locked upon her task (even more intent at Halcyon's urging); half was awash in emotion.

It was a strange sensation, the twinning of thrill and grief. Joy at her newfound power--gifted by Mother!--left her near-vibrating with joy. Some part of her--that part of her that identified with prey and helpless--felt simply terrible about bringing this creature's life to its very end. And both of these feelings led, like streams converging, to a new destination: gratitude.

A surge of gratitude to Mother for granting her this strength.
A flow of it, strong, to Halcyon for performing the actual act in her stead.

When it was done, she let out a sigh, and at last allowed this deep focus (and the feelings surging behind it) to slip. "Thank you," she murmured, and then--loathe to leave Halcyon to all the physical labor--hopped forward to study the bat. She was looking for the best place for a little rabbit to take hold: she wanted to help pull the creature to the little hiding spot she'd found, to give it a place for Order to nest. But the bat was about her size, with ungainly wings now lying loose to either side, undoubtedly destined to tangle with her lanky limbs. She exhaled, keen pale eyes drifting over it, and then leaned in to take hold at the side of its neck--just beside where Halcyon had taken it down, though not so close as to stain her fur red. (It was definitely dead; she had feared, for a beat, that it might waken and snap at her.) Thank you, she thought, and that gratitude was a force like a flood behind the words. Perhaps Halcyon would aid her in dragging the bat--maybe, even, they would insist--but she was Hive. Family. A team. She'd do her best to do her part, as small as she might be.

After this, she mused, thoughtful--her limbs inevitably tripping over the Flying Pitch Rat's wings as she began to pull it forward--What then? Do we look for plants to strengthen this patch in the long run--or look to make more roots for Mother? Or even move on to other caves?

It was an airy, cheerful thought, buoyed with their little triumph, though a strong foundation of sensible logic grounded it. She was asking, in truth, whether they would focus on quantity--making as many seeds as possible, with some destined to survive discovery--or quality, carefully hiding and nurturing each little patch they squirreled away.

@Halcyon

For a killing, the result was clean: the wound a single puncture leading to the brain, blood spilled little beyond the entry point created by Halcyon's chitinous spike. Whatever did marked the dark fur round its edges with a telltale ring of death, unpleasantly sticky and crimson-tinged and warm to the touch upon a rapidly cooling corpse. This did not worsen much once they withdrew their hand from the bat motionless beneath them, any possible mess contained to a slow drip off the tip of the murder implement jutting from their palm. Claws pinched and swiped down its length to put an end to the scatter of droplets. The entire while neither grin nor grimace crossed their face, the matter a methodical one that required no great outpouring of emotion.

They'd done their task and done it as well as they could. Decent for a first attempt at ending a life. On the next, they would see if the bloodshed could be even further minimized or if this was the absolute limit to how neat an execution could be.

Once Ananke expressed her gratitude, blankness no longer had reason to dominate their visage. Subtle animation graced its every angle as a satisfied expression took hold. Red pupils lit up, reflecting the soft glow of metallic fins, and a minute parting of their jaws could be construed as the slightest of smiles. That surge of feeling not their own would have set them staggering if braced against, so instead they allowed it to flow to every nerve ending uninhibited. Pulling away from the dead Lesser, they rocked back onto heels, head inclined in the direction of their diminutive partner.

"Of course," they said, every bit as courteous as could be expected. "I am glad to be of service to you."

Halcyon then defaulted to their typical pose when idling: hands clasped together, they watched while the rabbit began to throw all possible effort into hauling the first kill for the Gemini node away. A low hum of considering thought crossed the mental link. Observation revealing the obvious—that she could not manage this alone despite heartfelt intentions—they didn't dawdle for long.

If I may...

Since Ananke had taken charge of the front, a slender but well-muscled arm reached out for the back end of the felled creature and plucked it up by the rump. Determined to ensure her burden was lessened, whichever direction she steered them, they would follow, steps tiny to avoid overtaking her lead.

As for what was next—The ambition is admirable, but we should restrict our activities to this cave for now. Properly distribute our influence here before extending our reach outward. The plants we can worry about once we've established ourselves in more than one location. At the very least it can saved as a project for later if we've no time to try such methods before the reckoning to come.

Had they only themselves to consider and not the grand scheme of things, cultivation would be a much slower process than the one they proposed. Their ministrations would be restricted to a few patches of fungus instead of a vast hidden expanse and placed under intense scrutiny. But according to their Mother's wishes, an all-encompassing threat was required, and this meant haste was far more necessary to meet an unknown deadline. To sum the statement up, this was to be a compromise between the demands of an impending war and their own incurable desire for perfection. They did not relish the plan, but it best suited the current aim of the Hive.

@Ananke

Here came her 'sibling' to aid--as she'd suspected they would. Yet they made no insistence upon pushing her away. She was not relegated to a useless role. Instead, they aided, adding their strength to her own, and this only increased her joy many-fold.

A slow realization was dawning on Ananke. It was no new revelation; nothing unexpected or unknown had prompted it. But like the slow growth of a flower long since offered sun and rain, only now was she fully sensing the truth of her situation.

They were here, she and Halcyon, performing their duties. Serving Mother, and their greater family, admirably. They were performing well--she could feel that approval trickling from its source, Mother, along their links. They were serving a purpose. Making a difference. Succeeding--with teamwork--together. They were progressing, changing the caves, changing reality, being a part of something greater: something wonderful, and something pure.

This happiness blossomed fully, a joy so intense it was almost painful seeming to press upon her chest. Her pale eyes were bright with it. Nothing emanated from her so strongly as this contentment, this feeling of belonging, of contribution and family and teamwork. She was helping; she was family.

She was home.

Far away from these thoughts, the little rabbit's body scrabbled backward, dragging the bloodied, limp body of the bat, to serve as sustenance for the Hive.

@Halcyon (want to end it here? We can offscreen the rest, or do something more in another thread maybe? Or whatevs!)

Although not nearly on the level of the pure joy shining from the other end of their link—a blinding light source unrivalled by any known one the caves could offer—Halcyon had achieved, in their own way, a sense of satisfaction for the work accomplished and that yet to be by their current partnership. The Priestess, their senior, was unafraid and brimful of the energy required for the tasks set before them. Mother, ever welcome in her presence, looked upon their actions as any proud parent would, warmly and without unfounded critique. Both made clear to the Drone the outlook of their design: successful, functional, and (if all proceeded well) reliable. They still strived for the nigh impossible, full marks on their performance, but for now this would be enough. It would give them the confidence to continue on and ensure destiny would not renege the greater heights which lay in store for the Hive.

Another's positivity joined Ananke's on the path back to the promising Gemini node. A humming undertone, its aspect was mild but nonetheless pleased by the events unfolding. Not once did it falter, thoughts measured as scrupulously as the steps padding behind her. And, like all else attributed to them, it existed to support and never overtake.

@Ananke

((I'd be okay with ending it here. Perhaps we could have a later thread at some point where we check up on the Node's progress after however many offscreen activities might have occurred?))

-Exit Halcyon

As the body was brought to the hungering node, Ananke was already thinking far ahead.

We could tend the other nodes, she thought, tentative; check on them. Mother, undoubtedly, had her Lessers check them over but it wouldn't hurt to get a second look. ...I will look into how to get some into dryer places.
Places like Monoceros, Orion--caves she knew of but hadn't really explored--were generally too warm and dry for fungus. But between them, surely they could figure it out? If Mother had expanded through a cave of ice and snow, they could handle a little bit of dry rock...

Planning took her over, excited and nearly feverish, fed ever by the supportive presence of Halcyon at her back.

We could! Or I have another idea... I'll ask on Discord!
Exit Ananke

@Halcyon (for visibility!)