Gabriel listened patiently to the wolf's long rant on mortality and their purpose. Typically emotion-driven, what they wanted more than anything else was to be remembered for their own selfish means, regardless of what that took. Tail swished from side to side as Gabriel let the wolf continue until it had burned itself out. "...Interesting," Gabriel murmured eventually, an odd edge to its voice, as though lost in thought; although that wasn't an unusual thing for the dog to be.

And then they started again. More and more of their crazed, emotion-driven ramblings. Convinced that life is meaningless unless you were remembered, yadda yadda... "Would you rather die a noble death once and be remembered, or live one thousand times but be forever great?" Gabriel asked them, breaking in the moment it saw the opportunity. Gabriel could see the point it was trying to make. Had it been trying, it would be excruciatingly hard to ignore.

Gabriel felt that it was a silly question; the answer would almost be set in stone. "One day, the cave will be protected because of me, or the creature that I will become. If that means my name is known, then so be it. I know that my views... can be somewhat controversial for the emotion-driven, but when our kind is brought to new heights because of them... That's when my job is done. Regardless of whether I'm remembered. Or even, if I'm remembered as the villain. So long as I know that my job is done. The emotion-driven will not be changed, and that's not my duty."

The dog fell back into its usual state of quiet thought once more. Its large ears perked and listened. "Aid?" Gabriel was slightly surprised; although it had considered bringing others into its cause, it certainly hadn't considered that others would be the ones to seek out their place at its side. The Emotion-Driven grew stranger by the day, it seemed... but Gabriel knew it could be dangerous to take them under its wing. Considering their rampant emotions, their unpredictability, there would have to be strict rules and regulations. Something for them to live by.

A covenant.

"Your aid would be very welcome, Astaroth. Yet, in order to accept it I must be sure that it will not come at a great cost. Nothing against you, you understand? I can see in your eyes that you need this... So I must ask for a promise. A contract."



"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Astaroth
notes: here

Astaroth pondered the dogs words, slowly moving a femur on the ground side to side in seemingly deep thought. "It seems that to live a thousand lives and be forever great afterward and to be truly remembered would go hand in hand, though I am not sure what you mean by this.. I am aware that two gembounds can create another by one of them chipping off a piece of their gem and the other imbuing it with life but I was not aware that you could do such with the gem of a dead gembound, this is very intriguing, so if I was to say, jump off of one of those bone structures and die, then you could completely revive me and I would be greater than before? Now that is what I call interesting." Astaroth had a wide grin on at this point. "I will most certainly aid you, but I must hear this contract first, you must understand that for me, entering into such a contract binds me completely, I will never go back on such a thing and I must be sure that I can follow such a thing without infringement, I am not easily held back. Though I would prefer not to die, as I said, you're not exactly large and scary and really able to defend yourself all that much it seems, it would be a pity if you died before being able to do any of this research you speak of, perhaps you could use some protection, and in the unlikely event that you did die then I could revive you and in the even more unlikely event of my death, you could revive me, what do you say?" He said this with a low voice, not entirely threatening but with an edge both inquisitive and suggesting they should be careful in what they say in this contract.
"Speaking."
Thoughts.
tags: @Gabriel
notes:

"As I said before... death is an opportunity, not an end. Yes, that's what I said, and that's what I meant. I'm not afraid of dying because I may well return, and stronger." The hairless dog's ears twitched at their question; if they killed themselves right now, could it revive them stronger? "In this particular case, I doubt it. You're a big, strong beast compared to me. Look at me now, yes? do you really think you would become greater by losing your fur and half your body weight?" Gabriel paused. "Nontheless, you would return. Albeit with a... substantial loss of knowledge. But memories can be reclaimed. Knowledge retaught. And if you earned a slice of my intellect, I doubt you'd be complaining, now would you?" Gabriel licked its lips, seemingly trying to push forward a hint of humour.

"On the other hand, if you were the one to revive me... In theory, I'd become larger, stronger, and perhaps some of your fur... and I certainly wouldn't argue with that. Of course, though, preparations must be made, research gathered. I need to know exactly what I'd become, I'd need to have fellow logic-driven to teach me everything I once knew, and ensure that emotion doesn't come to rule. I'd need to remember. And then, perhaps, I'd need to die again."

Gabriel's tail swished, blood-red eyes flickering towards the wolf.

"Indeed, it needs to be mutually beneficial... which is why I must take the time to consider it, and very carefully. I cannot simply pull a contract out of thin air, nor something to sign it with..." Gabriel paused to consider this conundrum deeply. "...Give me time to think on this," Gabriel said eventually. "And meet me back here in half a cycle. Then I will have you your contract..."

and there may even be others there to sign it with you... but that would come in due time. Wishful thinking was pointless unless you had a plan.

"I'm afraid such a thing would need to be far more thorough... In the event of your betrayal, for example... I'm afraid that your revival would be the least of my concerns. You understand, this is all hypothetical. You being an emotion-driven comes with risks in and of itself, yes? And I'd need to know exactly what it is that I'd become. Perhaps have other options, if there's a possibility of... something turning sour."

So much to research, yet it all seemed within its grasp now. Perhaps with other Gembounds by its side it would inch ever closer to its ultimate goal.

"You are not offended, yes? Logic is so often lost on the emotion-driven..."


"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Astaroth
notes: here

"As for resurrection, if the only possibility of such is me being revived by you then I would just be glad to be alive, and eventually I could die again when we found another creature stronger than either of us to revive me, or you could just save my gem until then. Though I would prefer not to die because I would lose most if not all knowledge of the magic I have grown so fond of, I even know I spell to give life to a gem, I suppose it is possible for me to use it to resurrect a gem, I thought that it would only be usable for a freshly chipped gem, though it seems it would be the same principle. Have you revived any deceased gembounds already?" He asked curiously. "And I would not want to think exactly like you, the magic I use relies slightly on passion, on emotion, it seems to work better when I put my emotion into it." Astaroth attempted to pick up the femur using telekinesis then, smiling as he saw it slowly rise into the air then, coming level to their faces before he flicked his eyes skyward, the bone shooting into the air quickly, smashing itself into a powder against the ceiling. "And as for betrayal, I would rather die than go back on my word, and I mean die and never be revived, I live by honor, if I went back on a contract then that honor would be made inert. I would be nothing. Say if I pledged myself to protect you, I would die sooner than seeing you be harmed. And if you wish I could also help you with the creation of this contract, it would be good to have a viewpoint from both logic and emotion driven in the creation of such a document as to appeal to both."
"Speaking."
Thoughts.
tags:
notes:

"Perhaps, perhaps. but without the right teachings, I fear such gratitude would go to terrible waste, don't you? After all, you may well end up reborn a different being altogether, with nothing to guide you towards your own footsteps... In theory, anyway. In practice, things may be far more complex. I need more time to study this phenomenon before we try anything... drastic." Gabriel's ears twitched, its enormous eyes blinking slowly. "Not quite. I've seen fallen gems, learned of the magic potential still locked away inside of them, and heard tell of the creation that you speak of. That being said... It's logic alone that leads me to this conclusion. I've not had the chance to test my theory. Yet."

Gabriel's words hung on the air ominously, as its tail curled upwards at the tip in the thoughtful trace of a wag. The pup watched curiously as the other canid attempted to toy with the bones at its paws, returning the pup's attention to its former activity. It needed to find a gem. A warm breath escaped parted jaws and it's red eyes flitted about the room.

"I understand, Astaroth. And I believe you. But my friend, you must understand that this request comes of no ill will. I simply must spend some time pondering the conditions of our contract, and find the perfect place to set it in stone. For now, our contract will be verbal. You and I both know that we have struck a deal, yes? if one of us is to perish before we can set this in stone, then it will be fulfilled. But if not, then we will both benefit."

Gabriel cleared its throat, holding out its chin, chiseled features regal in all their eeriness.

"Do you, Astaroth, promise to keep this verbal contract until our covenant can be forged, preserved, and deepened? This will be as follows;

I, Gabriel, promise that should you die, your death will not be in vain. should the circumstances allow it, you will be revived or otherwise channeled, and I will describe unto your new self the circumstances of our past meeting and the pact that you are bound to. I will pass on all the knowledge that you give me and attempt to instill some recollection of former memories, through any means possible."

Gabriel breathed out, closing its eyes at it gathered the words to its mind.

"And do you, Astaroth, promise that should I die, you will do everything in your power to ensure that I will be revived or otherwise channeled, and that you will describe unto my new self the circumstances of our meeting and the pact that I am bound to? That you will pass on all the knowledge that I have given you and attempt to instill some recollection of my former memories through any means possible?"

Gabriel watched the wolf closely, peering for any sign of hesitation flickering over any feature of its peer.

"Bearing in mind that this is, of course, a temporary contract. Upon our next meeting, I will expand upon this. I'll share with you my knowledge and my magic, and you can do the same. A lot to look forward to, yes?"

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here

Astaroth grinned widely when the dog made his offer, "I, Astaroth, promise that should you die, your death will not be in vain. should the circumstances allow it, you will be revived or otherwise channeled, and I will describe unto your new self the circumstances of our past meeting and the pact that I am bound to. I will pass on all the knowledge that you give me and attempt to instill some recollection of former memories, through any means possible." Astaroth ruffled the mane of fur around his neck and grinned "I believe that makes it binding. And I fully intend to follow the implications of this contract." Astaroth's grin was not malign, or malevolent. He had given his word and neither regretted doing so or had any intentions of betraying this contract. "I believe this is the start of something great."
"Speaking."
Thoughts.
tags: @Gabriel
notes: