Striding across the fields of Pegasus, Ellie wandered, each step perhaps a little more forceful then they needed to be. The witch had been living in these caves for over 4 years now, and time was beginning to stretch painfully slow.

She still remembered the day she had reunited with her other half, she would never forget the joy they had shared in the time after. Even if Lilith had been changed, even despite the stark difference between the witch Ellie knew on the surface and the one that existed here, Eleanora loved her all the same. She could not help but love her.

And it had been that way. It would always be that way. But...she could not help but notice a difference in herself.

It wasn't Lilith's fault, she told herself over and over and over again that it wasn't, it was the magic that affected her, it was the corruption she had to drown herself in week after week, cycle after cycle. Ellie had kept her distance, but she could not help but feel the effects in herself. Her patience wore thin more often then not, she was more then willing to go out and do the hunting, if only for the moment in which her spear caught a deer's hide. Her mind fell into darker places, and although she tried to hide it from Lilith, she knew she could tell.

They could always tell their minds from each other.

Right now...Ellie did her best to hide her mind. She had told Lilith that she was going to wander a while, find herbs or hunt something for dinner. But she just needed air. She needed time to try and clear her head and try to figure out what...what was wrong with her. What was she going to do?

Would she be corrupted too?

She at last stopped her halt by the river, finding a flat rock to rest herself upon as the warm lights shone down. She was a ways away from their home now and in the absence of traveling, she took a stone knife from her belt and began to sharpen it absently. It was...something to do that would keep her mind from worse places.

GETS you

Today is a frolicking day. Pegasus is the place to frolic. It is simple math, not that you'd ever be able to understand this. That's okay. You are loved regardless, by some entity that is not related to us at all. You are loved, not by us, because you are not our responsibility. We hope this arrangement is okay with you. We are not keen on changing it.

Ape spotted, standing taller than she needs to be, taller than is sensible. No balance, all arms and hands. Was it worth it? Should Luna ask?

Oh, so judgmental. She was forgetting herself, leaving decorum behind in the uh, years she'd been absent. Goodness. This creature had a grace about her, balancing on twos and subtly flexing the many, many strange muscles in her face.

That could be beautiful too, if Luna decided it was, and today he was trying to be kind, and so he did. He flitted down from the tree he'd been watching her from, half-scurry half-glide. "Hellooooo, darling!"

Oh my goodness gracious. She's even balder up close, He thought, appreciatively.

@Eleanora

Lost in the moment, she didn't notice the approach of the beast, and so was started when a giant moth landed in front of her. Instinctively, a hand reached to the side to brush against the long grasses. It was something she'd learned to do, if started - check for other dangers. It had saved her from an angry meadow deer on occasion, but this time thankfully unecessary. Senses brightened and opened along the grass and tree roots connected to this spot, and showed nothing other then Lessers here and there minding their own business.

Her other hand, meanwhile, gripped the stone knife harder, although it didn't raise out of her lap, but merely stayed there, ready to strike should it come to it.

This gembound, though, was familiar to her. There were plenty of moths on the surface, some that even looked similar to this one, if much much smaller and not walking the way they were. Still, there was something off about her attitude that Eleanora could not help but notice.

Still, she tried to retain a friendly demeanor, if cautious one. "Hello," she replied back, softly. "Is there something you need from me?"

@Luna

Luna was confused by the sudden hostility. Wasn't she small? Wasn't she just a little, itty bitty guy? What could this strange, delicate animal have to fear from her? Eleanora would not know this, but Luna had once been in her shoes, moons and moons before. Quite literally, too. She knew what it was to be bald. She was an ally.

They blinked sweetly, looking up at the other Gembound. "My apologies, miss, if I startled you. Why, I was simply here to reminisce on, ah... sweeter days. And then I spotted you, and thought I'd introduce myself!

"It's been cycles since I've seen a fresh face, forgive me if I'm a little rusty. Long, involuntary hibernation... You know the kind. Awful fate. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy - if I had one, which I certainly do not - I have no enemies, in fact."

On cue, there was a puff of pheromones from somewhere unseen, wafting their way towards Ellie. Perhaps this would calm her, let her see just how harmless Luna is. Then they can have a pleasant conversation about oblivion, or thanatophobia, or nihilism - as all friends do.

Or perhaps they would simply share a berry and part ways. Who knows.

@Eleanora

As the creature spoke, Ellie found herself relaxing a little bit. Ah, she was just being paranoid. It was the corruption, maybe, that she felt on occasion that was making her feel that way. Taking a breath, she loosened her grip on her knife. "Ah, it's alright. I get paranoid sometimes." One finger played with the edge of her shirt as she tried to understand what the odd moth thing was talking about.

It was all quite sudden, how comfortably it was talking with her when she didn't know it at all. Perhaps it came from living hundreds of years in a community where you knew everybody and few strangers ever visited, and then another few years living alone with Lilith in their hut on the edge of the woods, but she didn't know how quite to deal with strangers.

"Likewise - not seeing a fresh face in a while. I usually keep to my home." She did not know the hibernation that Luna was talking about though, but nodded as if she did. She really wasn't sure what else to do. "Well, um. It's nice to meet you. I'm Eleanora. Glad to know you have no enemies. I try not to have any myself." Of course, she absolutely did have enemies, black-clad and armor-heavy and hateful of her people. They were far away, though, and she hoped she would never have to fear them again.

@Luna

Luna watched with a smug pleasure as Ellie's muscles released, posture relaxing. There. It's so easy to to talk when you're not waiting for teeth around your neck. He hopes she can find joy in the safety that's found her, so rare in these caves.

"Don't we all? Important to keep your wits about you in these caves, especially for little ones like us." If not little in height, in mass. "I'm Luna. I run a little business down in Scorpio, but I'm on vacation right now. Don't tell my employee."

"I hatched here, in fact. Lovely place to start. Where did you come from, Eleanora? Where were you born?"

@Eleanora

"A business?" She smiled. She hadn't been to this Scorpio, but that was almost funny to her, that gembound had begun to have some kind of civilization. If the two of them had the same definitions of business, of course. "What do you sell? Or offer, I guess." Perhaps it was something she and Lilith could utilize...ah, she should take a look at Scorpio some day.

And immediately Ellie found herself wondering if she should even answer the question honestly. How long a story it was, and how incredibly dangerous it was for her to tell it to anyone. She had been flippant with it in the past, but the words Vargas had told her many years ago echoed in her ears. Tamulus's warnings, too, whispered - be careful.

But she saw no Oilstone on this one. They were nothing but chatty and friendly. But, also, so quickly it had brought up where she'd hatched. Was it trying to get her to admit she wasn't from the caves? That she was a witch or, worse, a human?

When had she gotten so paranoid?

"U-uhm," she stumbled out after realizing she'd been quiet for a moment too long. "Also from here." It technically wasn't a lie. She'd been sent to this cave when Tamulus had tossed her into the nest. "Yes, it is quite lovely. To start and to live. Although the caves nearby can be a little, uh, dangerous." Perhaps she could get Luna to say something, to see if it was safe to say her truths.

@Luna

"Ooooh!" They cooed, seizing the rare opportunity to self-advertise. "A variety of goods and services, pertaining to the trade and revival of gemstones."

Luna thought nothing of the time Ellie took to form a response. Words were wily creatures, they could escape your grip at any moment. Memories were much the same - could this one be older, she wondered? A shame such a rich history would be hidden by the fog of time. The tragedy of living!

"I suppose that could make us... Well, not quite neighbours... Not siblings either... Agh, cousins? Something." She waved a paw, dismissing the train of thought.

"Dangerous, but oh so wonderful, for those with eyes to witness their truth. I grew up on these meadows, watching the great, shadowy predators from Draco eat their fill. I wouldn't trade those moments for the world."

@Eleanora

Revival of gemstones. The word struck something odd in her. She knew of it, of course, the gembound of these caves thought little of it. Maybe for some it was something deeper, but she had known creatures that had simply created life for creation sake and curiosity. How odd that was to her, where such an act would be near sacred on the surface. Of course, they did not give life again to the dead, but laid them to rest respectfully, allowed the magic of their stones return to the earth instead of force them into a new life. It was simply the creation of new life they truly valued.

Culture shock, she guessed.

"And...have you used any yourself? I mean, given life to them?" She supposed she could have asked if Luna had any kids, but again...some may not even see it in that way.

She glanced towards where the distant tunnel towards Draco yawned like a wound in the otherwise peaceful landscape. "And...did you speak to any of them? Like do you know any of them well? I usually leave the area when they appear. There is something wrong about them." Of course, she knew what was wrong but for now she kept that to herself.

@Luna

"Oh." Wasn't it odd they were so taken aback? The question had been right there, it was a natural next step. "No, I haven't myself. I'm not into... Commitment. That, and this shell is... Well! Subpar, for my tastes. Perfectly serviceable for my needs, but I don't need a second or third Luna scurrying around. They'd never match up. It'd be cruel!" Not that they were entirely opposed to a bit of cruelty.

Her chest puffed, seeing a perfect opportunity to boast. "Yes! One of them works for me!"

She grinned, full of teeth. "Vestyge, my BELOVED employee! He is not affiliated with the Forge currently, I prefer to keep it that way - I'm a centrist, you see. And I suppose wrongness... well, that's a matter of opinion, is it not? We were built to live, they were built to kill. I keep my distance from Draco too, for the record. I enjoy living."

@Eleanora