why change the past

when you could own this day

Riffi sighed in relief as she watched the gemling uncover their new surroundings and dropped her aching head on the ground. The spell left her feeling fatigued, so she laid there sprawled on the floor, personally satisfied with her good deed for this cycle. Her headache began to die down when...

"Hello, there!"

Riffi shot open one eye, and winced as the voice caused the throbbing to spike. There was cat not too far away, she sounded friendly.. too friendly. She presented herself as "Felina".

"I'm Riffi.." She responded flatly. Riffi used her wings to right herself and gave her plumage a little shake.

"Um.. can I help you, Felina?"

"Listen to me."
Thoughts

TAG: @Kielo @Felina // OOC:

Kielo heard a voice, a soft and faminine voice; and it was the first that they'd truly heard since they'd been encased in the crystal tomb. The meaning somewhat surpassed them. the little one's head was turning rapidly, ears twitching to a hubbub of sounds. Above, they could hear a distant humming- the cave lights, though they'd never know it. They could hear the faint gushing of the crystal river. rather than bone, soft moss felt pleasant against their paws. Their sightless eyes flickered wildly as though trying to comprehend what they could not see.

Their nostrils flared as they took huge gulps of fresh, clean air, the myriad of scents threatening to overwhelm them. mosses, grasses, stone. everything was so new, so fresh. They twisted their head, ears swivelling this way and that, and they felt air brushing against their whiskers. That voice again. Felina's; although Kielo's newborn mind struggled to understand. The little one stumbled towards the source of the voice, wings fluttering. "H-hello?" they echoed, only halting as Riffi's voice interrupted the hubbub, closer to them.

The little one was beginning to understand. With the panic over, they began to truly think. The little hybrid changed course, and padded towards Riffi, stumbling over a pebble or two, wings flaring at every unbalance. It became increasingly clear the young one's lifelong predicament. Belatedly, the little one realized that they needed to say something. They closed their eyes, still walking. No difference.

Finally, the little one opened their mouth. The voice that came out was shrill like a nestling's cry, jumbled and uncertain. "Kielo!" they squeaked, and somehow that felt right.

---

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

tags: @Felina @Riffi
notes: here

Felina understood the wary tone in Riffi's voice. She's a predator. The bird was prey. She couldn't possibly know that, even though she's a bobcat (and an undersized one at that), she'd never even *think* of harming her.

The other creature, though, was still puzzling. All it said was "Kielo!" Was that how it said "hello"? Maybe "Kielo" was its name? Only one way to find out:

"Name...mine...Felina", she said to Kielo, touching a paw to one side of her face. She used the same paw to point to the strange...wolf/bird? Bird/wolf? "You...name...?" She hoped the hybrid would understand that her intention was only to be neighborly.

"Riffi...maybe you can help me here? It just walked over to you. Could you try to ask for its name? Please?"