She'd left Pisces, and her dear new friend Baroque, behind for the day. She'd not even meant to be there. She'd just been wandering, but at least, she'd gotten to meet Barry properly. The two had become close over some awkward yet sweetly touching moments. She hadn't left to get away from them. She'd left to keep them away from herself. After all, the way she felt, she could only worry her new friend and his family. She didn't want them thinking she'd be unstable like her mother had been. She needed to figure this out, and she couldn't do so with watching eyes on her. So, she left Pisces, and she headed for Polaris.

She'd never been to the cave before, but the map on Pisces wall was clearly marked, and Polaris was one of the largest parts of the caves that hadn't been claimed by some group. I'll have time to think there. Room to fly. And fly she did.

Her paws carried her through the tunnel but as it opened into Polaris proper, she had been enmeshed by the sight, so much so that her limbs felt heavy, daunted by the wide space above and the twisting paths now well worn into the stone by claws and hooves and paws and scales. This place was busy, too. Below she could see a few different groups of strangers, some interacting with each other, others napping in dark corners. She decided not to bother any of them, and so, she took to the air.

She'd never felt more free. She'd never been so energized. She flew in circles above the wide cave for about an hour, aimlessly spiraling and dipping and swerving in the air until her wings finally grew tired and she headed for the glowing crystal spire that sat tucked away in an alcove nearby. The Spire itself was huge, but she easily flew to its peak and perched there, carefully clutching the warm, gleaming, glass surface with hooked claws, and settling where she could wrap a wing around it and hold herself steady. It wasn't comfortable... but it felt good in other ways. Warm. Soothing. Healing. Whatever this thing was, it was good.

She looked out at the rest of Polaris and briefly wondered if anyone new had arrived, or if any of the gembound she'd seen coming in had changed their activities since she'd last bothered to check. From here, she could see very little, but she didn't mind. It gave her time to think, being so far up, so high above the rest of the cave, able to brush the ceiling if she wanted to stretch a wing and try. Yes, this was a nice spot, she decided. She'd be sure to come back again later.

Ahhh, the Spire. What warm and gentle memories lay enmeshed in his slogging brain, its gentle glow reminiscent of the subtle light of all his baubled treasures. The ones White had given him. He had found himself a little cove to store them all where they wouldn't be at risk of being stolen by the golems or other curious Gembounds. At least that was his intent when he scuffed a hole in the ground, nosed them all in and covered it up with a flat rock that he had found. After which he went to the river for an exorbitant bath, cleaning the dust and muck off of his hooves as well as whatever had ingrained itself in his hide. When he was done, he turned and made his way back to the Spire, and from there he would see what else he could get into - perhaps he would poke around Tennessee's little ranch, or veer close to the dam again, though the golems appeared to be a lot more active ever since he'd accidentally roused them.

None of those ideas seemed very appealing, so as he neared the Spire, he began to consider other exercises. Perhaps he would dig up a big heavy rock and roll it around to strengthen his muscles, or maybe he would race across the room to test his speed, or maybe an obstacle course. That would be fun, wouldn't it? A smile rose to his lips, but he faltered as he considered the cons; if he tripped, he would end up in the dust and get dirty, and possibly chip a hoof or hurt his leg. Then again, if he got caught doing his obstacle course, imagine how impressed that Gembound would be to see the graceful cow seamlessly weave between rocks and crevices and over the river. Caravaggio did aim to awe, after all.

He was coming up on the Spire now and his thoughts drifted to White, and he even entertained the idea of her being the one to catch him exercising, and he imagined himself slowly turning to gaze upon her with his perfect, dreamy eyes, showing off his perfect, dreamy muscles. His smile grew ever wider. And then, distracted, his hoof caught on a rock and he stumbled, bleating out in surprise.

There was a strange approaching the Spire. From high above, Remedy picked him out almost the moment he started towards her. The creture was a pale color, like white, with a large body and horns that jutted out from the sides of his head, unlike her swept-back jewels. It had a short, lion-like tail, and the face of a deer, she thought. Such a strange creature, but intriguing. A predatory instinct told her this was a herbivore. The curious hybrid leaned forward to get a better look.

Then, with a strange braying noise, the hooved stranger stumbled. She couldn't help the silly laugh that played from her beak, and on easy wings, she litted from the Spire's tip and began drifting in lazy circles around it, down to its base, where she landed again, but this time, much closer to the ground. The catbird chirped in greeting, surprisingly friendly despite her soiled mindset as of late.

"Are you alright?" It was a friendly, singsong call. She wasn't about to start fights just because of a bad thing happening to her. She'd been happy to have Baroque's friendship and care- and perhaps she'd make a new friend in this large grass-eater. Her eyes lingered on his horns, feeling a sort of fondness for the feature - it was, after all, her family's trademark.

@caravaggio

Even unaware of the presence of another Gembound, the cow was quick to regain his composure, snorting and standing up straight again and scuffing his hoof on the ground as if he totally meant to do that, and looking left and right to check to see if anybody had seem him. That was when he heard the birdish chortle of the hybrid above, and his eyes widened to flicker up to the peak of the spire where he spotted the black and red catbird. She called down to him and the cow furrowed his brow, aghast. She saw him! And she was laughing at him! How dare!! "Alright? Dear lady, I am PRIME! Why ever would you ask?" He called back up to her, swishing his tail as he completely played off having just tripped. He didn't! No way he did. He was graceful and beautiful. Graceful, beautiful people didn't trip. They just didn't.

@Remedy

The bull spoke with a sense of dignity and pride that she wasn't quite used to and though it surprised her, it also inspired a sense of worth. If a big, lumbering prey beast could feel so important, couldn't anyone? He smile grew wry as she leaned forward, humming in agreement with his protest.

"I was just worried you'd hurt yourself," She purred, then with a tilt of her head and narrowing of mixed eyes, the corners of her beak turned up into a smile. "when you stumbled under the weight of your own supremecy." Clever catbird played into the apparent ego of the other, and she decided it might be fun to butter him up. She kept at it, sliding down the length of the Spire until she sat, petite and pretty, at it's base, just above eye-level on one of the many crops of crystal there.

"I do apologize, though. I shouldn't have been staring." That coy look again. "I just couldn't help myself. I was admiring your horns, they're so finely curved, you must be very proud of them." She swung a talon at him flamboyantly, returning it to her chest in a girlish pose, eyes still lidded in that playfully suggestive way.

@caravaggio

He cocked a brow up at her, unsure if she was mocking him or just trying to be friendly - his defensive, arrogant mind wanted to assume that she was poking fun at him, but the cow would hold off on snipping back at her, and maybe she really was just trying to joke around. "Hah. Haha, you're very funny." He answered albeit with uncertain awkwardness, amethyst gaze watching her slip forward and descend from the spire to perch before him on one of the lower outgrowths of crystal. Caravaggio stepped back, but otherwise held his ground. He was finding it incredibly difficult to read the catbird, but maybe that was because she was coming on so strong, overwhelming him with a nature that seemed almost flirtatious. And Caravaggio, oh, stupid, innocent little Caravaggio, he was stunned and suddenly afraid.

She gave a flippant twirl of her claw as she went on about his horns, and Caravaggio puffed up, tilting his head slightly in an effort to have his dull horns catch the artificial light. "Yes. Yes I am. No other creature in the caves has horns quite like these, you know." The cow boasted and gave a regal shake of his heavy head, only to land his eyes on her. What was she trying to do? Whatever it was, it was working. He couldn't help but gorge himself on such plain and obvious admiration.

@Remedy

So the beast knew sarcasm. Her smile didn't waver, though. She wore it even as he buffed up and showed off those horns, bragging that his were unique and special. She tilted her own head, those jade and ruby colored spikes catching the light with a glimmering sheen. She too found great pride in the adornments- it showed in how they'd been polished and kept smooth. But she didn't speak to draw attention to it. No, this wasn't her moment. This was all his, and she'd spoil him with her words.

"I certainly haven't seen such a glorious crown on any other. You truly are a magnificent creation, aren't you?" She purred, sounding entirely earnest. She rested her chin on her talon, letting her weight slide to the side some. "And such muscles you have! Why, you're likely to be the strongest in the caves! Stronger than me, most certainly! I'm honored you'd even glance my way, I, such a simple little hybrid." She ruffled her wings and feigned dismay for a moment, her paw on her forehead in a dramatic pose.

"Does this creation of the gods have a name?" She held that pose, but lifted a talon to look at him side-long with one eye, something coy in that gaze, though not particularly dangerous or sly. She gazed upon him with an appreciative smile, the corners of her mouth turned up, the slightest glimmer of teeth.

@caravaggio

And sure enough, he hadn't even spared a glance at her horns, shiny and colourful though they were. He was too engrossed in himself to even consider her, angling his head such that his own caught the light, dull and flat as they were. His tail lashed behind him with enthusiasm and her silken words were met with a warm smile. "Yes, I am." There was no easier way to butter the cow up than to deliver such a monologue as the hybrid was. As she pointed out his every flawless quality, he showed them off in turn - his muscles he flexed, bulging beneath his thin, dusty white hair. He raised one leg and cocked it in such a way that as he flexed, it showed off different muscles in particular, cocking his head slightly to show off other grand designs as well - the sharp curvature of his powerful neck, the rippling muscles of his honed jaw. He really was quite an Adonis.

"Yes, it's unfortunate that the infinite expanse of my grandeur would be shadowed by my elegance in the eyes of those shallow hearts, if not for my generosity." He answered, gazing over at the hybrid through half-lidded eyes. His awkwardness was very quickly draining away, because really, this was his element: being adored. Caravaggio had been cat-walking a circle when she called for his name and he stopped, standing upright and poised. "A name only the gods could conceive, my lady." He smiled boyishly. "I am known throughout the caves as Caravaggio." The cow rolled his r's delicately as he delivered his name, then angled his body towards her and took a step forward.

A curious look. But not without another fine crafted pose, shifting such that he demonstrated himself in only the finest of lights. "And who is it, whose appetite for beauty I have ravished today, who is so fortunate to gaze upon this marbled pinnacle of grace?"

writing gio like this makes me simultaneously laugh and gag @Remedy