Whilst the Gembounds gathered, Totum busied themselves preparing little shapes from the various materials. At first, they laid out a second, small, vaguely humanoid figure from the other set of stones they had brought with them. But when they reached the small pile of bones, they raised a claw, tapping their face thoughtfully. Then, they got creative, setting up a creature with four legs instead of two, and a longer neck formed of various vertebrae (not all of them evenly sized, but oh well).

Now and then, as they worked, they looked up to offer a kind glance or a soft "Welcome" or "Hello" to those who were arriving, even to Juggernaut. To the few who asked, 'What is this,' and to Miriam, they began a more detailed explanation. While they spoke, aware now of their growing audience and raising their voice to compensate, they explained.

"Many of you have learned of magic, and know your own well," they began. Their limbs prepared a multi-limbed creature shape, formed of sticks, lying on the table beside the other shapes. "But it's magic that creates life, here, and... sometimes, imitates it. It's nice, sometimes, to have a friend--or at least a helper..."

They grew silent as they focused on situating the head more firmly: a small tangle of vines atop the sticks. Meanwhile, the little golem they'd brought with them toddled around, swaying now and then, and began to draw haphazard lines in the dirt. Wulfsige would sense, in this creation, only a weak magic, a flicker of autonomy.

Then Totum paused and looked up, studying the Gembounds before them. One limb pointed to their three 'shapes' on the table, and with a gently amused tone, they spoke.

"Have you seen the Golems? The ones in Polaris, maybe? Do any of you know how to create something like them? If not... I would like to teach you."

----------------

Characters may join this thread at any time.

@Esther @Juggernaut @Wilder @Setanta @Nikolai @Cardan @Miriam @Wulfsige @Zephiran

Five Seven and Two was naturally attracted to gembound, and so it was not odd itself that the studio apartment came lumbering into the background, though the same could not be said about the creature's physical appearance of course. Five Seven and Two whistled happily as it approached the other gembound. It was content enough to sit in the back, surrounded by others, and so settled there. Perhaps Lumut would appear too, and even draw people into it! Joyous day!
Its shutters gave an excited flap. But then it noticed that the group here was focused on something happening, something that wasn't it. A disappointing as that was, its eyes followed theirs, settling on Totum, and the small shapes toddling around in front of the centaur. Five Seven and Two squinted its large, single eye, fighting against its worst enemy--depth perception. Ah, there! Small things! Moving and doing! Five Seven and Two creaked with anticipation.

Though it would have preferred to speak to everyone, Five Seven and Two would settle with merely responding to Totum. It tentatively pulled at its magic, and its' tentativeness was evident in the poor telepathy it sent to Totum. Five Seven and Two's voice came through, weak, wavering, and cutting in and out like a tiny radio broadcast. "It ...new..t..us. Show...want see!"

"Speech."

She'd smile and nod as Totum greats her in turn, and despite her wanting to know now she barely manages to keep herself still and waiting. And when they finally begin their explanation, Setanta's ears perk up immediately.

"Oh! Magic!" she'd chirp, mostly to make it more obvious she was listening. She'd not used it herself much, but she couldn't deny feeling it. It was that distant buzz in the air, that was so much more intense in Polaris.

And it all seemed to loop back to Polaris, anyway.

The lynx cub watched enraptured as Totum prepared their... rock-plant-stick doll. No, a golem. That was what she had called it. There's two warring halves in her, one knowing the elder gembound likely didn't want any interference in her demonstration, and the other wanting so much to help somehow.

Well, she's been patient so far, surely Setanta could make it a little longer. "Please show us! I want to learn!"

It doesn't take long for many, many more gembound to show their faces. Most of which just as confused as Esther themselves. Many faces Esther does not recognize, some they do. It's only natural that such a large amount of gembound would be drawn to the little shop.

"I'm not sure." They lean over, replying to Nikolai.

It's not something that one sees every day. It doesn't help when the group expands on their purpose - a golem of their own? Esther can't quite figure out a reason to learn how themselves, but maybe they could bring the information back to the Forge? Maybe some little golems could help around the nest.

"I would like to learn." They say, finally. It would be pointless to leave now.

@Nikolai for visibility

Totum's intentions might've been benign in sharing this wonder of imbuing raw materials with the gift of animation, yet this didn't guarantee those who continued watching them did so with similar sentiments. While the presentation given mentioned creation of a friend or helper, it didn't eliminate the possibility of more unscrupulous occupations. Thugs or lackeys might also be invoked by this application of magic, and the thought brought an avaricious gleam to Miriam's gaze. Hard work the enemy of the leisure time she always craved, how wonderful it'd be to finally delegate irritating menial tasks to uncomplaining constructs of stick or stone.

Equal parts genuinely intrigued and falsely enchanted, she cooed over the little shapes arranged on the table and waiting for a spark to awaken them. An exaggerated sweep of her arm laid a palm flat against her chest, and she injected her next remarks with every possible ounce of saccharine innocence that could be mustered. "No," she declared, eyes wide and voice awe-hushed. "You truly wish to offer us that? Why, that'd be splendid! Oh, that's... well, I don't know."

A tiny smile after a bashful duck of her head just barely revealed the sharp tips of canines. "Only if you think we can handle it," relented the serpentine Gembound. "Ooooh, I hope I can make myself my own little darling."

Maybe a companion whose cooperation didn't require bribery in the form of treats would threaten her dear rebellious kyte into better compliance. Caves knew the infuriating Lesser was growing too content with the current status quo of their relationship.

Zephiran squeezed by. The creature spoke of a friend. One to help! Oh my goodness imagine if he had someone help decorate the home he found. Or even watch on guard. Ideas flared in his mind. Yet he remained polite, a smile upon his jaws. A swift wag of his tail, a boast if you will.

"It's a lovely idea to learn! Teach us! They look just adorable!"

As small as he was, he thought the creature before him was brilliant. Just the best ever. Zephiran could barely contain his joyful statue. Ready to tackle the next magic he could.

---

"Speaking"

(@ none.)

Many of them spoke, when they spoke so loud and clear. He did not. Cardan remained with his lips shut. But watching every move. The golems, he hadn't seen much of them. Precisely because he hid from everything that moved. Though that did not stop his curiosity to learn.

"Oh.. please show."

The wolf pup's voice was a bare whisper. His eyes gave away the interest he had in learning. To make a friend to be at his side. For however long.. that sounded nice. Maybe he could show the creature he befriended in the forests. Would they like that?

---

"Speaking"

@n/a

Mocha

'Cause I'm having a good time

Orion wasn't a far run from Polaris, so it didn't take long for Mocha to sense the gathering group. It was always exciting to see so many gembound in one place; he normally only ran into a couple at most!

"Hello!" He was quick to introduce himself, waddling on up to the party. He made no effort to hide his awe, looking up and up and up and up some more at the feathered crab-ish thing, then back down and down and down, until his eyes swept across the other gathered curiosities. Always such interesting new friends he made! And more dog-things! Or just dogs? Wolves, he remembered. It was nice to know he was special too.

Catching the tail end of the demonstration, Mocha surveyed the growing selection of little rock-creatures. "Teach me too!" It was half a question, half an exclamation, all teeth on display in a convincing (read: sharp) smile. Mocha had become a collector as of late, mostly of friends, but also some trinkets. Nori was a prime example of that, his little familiar resting comfortably on his back for most of the day. The little lizard had perhaps grown a bit too round in recent days, and maybe a little friend to play with would help him be more active.

Zoey had been traveling for the purpose of finding some seeds and useful objects for her garden when she passed through Orion and heard the gathered crowd in the distance. Eager voices, practically singing over one another with excitement. Show us! Magic!

She craned her head, picking out the sound coming from the Forum, and she crawled over with a haste to her steps. What was this? It must have been a big, important thing, for so many to have gathered... She stopped to briefly peek up and get an idea of the crowd, and made her way to a spot at the edge of the group.

"Pardon me," she said as she drew close, wincing as she bumped into a larger gembound-- or, was that a wall? She twisted her head to see the strange house-shape of Five Seven and Two. It was moving... Like a mimicry of a building. Were those legs? "... May I sit here?" She hoped she wouldn't be too much of a bother as she shuffled along side and settled beside the housebound-gembound.

Raising her head again, she focused upon Totum with curious eyes. They seemed to all be gathered around this one, who had a collection of stones and bones and other trinkets, all forming vaguely creature-shaped things.

Golems... Were they making them?

It was part way through listening to the explanation that Zoey noticed a ghost-white silhouette across the way that towered above the crowd not unlike Five Seven and Two. She tried not to stare, but from the corner of her vision she confirmed the presence of a drone. Not just any drone, though.

... maybe it was for the best that they just pass each other like ships in the night. But now that she had noticed Juggernaut, her eyes kept wandering toward him. Watching, wondering...

@Five Seven and Two @Juggernaut

Magic was not Juggernaut's strong suit, and it wasn't something that bothered it terribly. It watched the construct toddle around, unfocused, pointless. There was something sad about it - it would exist, do nothing of note, then cease to be. Something about it made it... uncomfortable.

But more hands around the Hive were always a valuable asset. As their enemies reclaimed the territory they'd lost in the last confrontation, Mother would plan the next course of action. It was on Juggernaut and his siblings to strengthen the Hive while she did.

As Mocha studied his design, Juggernaut took the time to look back, amused by the attention. His eyes were startlingly large - he was reminded of Halycon, and more distantly, Sair.

It could hear well enough from where it stood, absorbing the master's explanation so it could broadcast it to it's family later. With its distance, it could track the newcomers joining the crowd, including the newest visitor-

Oh no.

Maybe it should've stayed in Ursa today.