Imp listened.

That, at least, could likely be listed as a good quality, at least for the moment: "good listener."

Some might have been good speakers, too; some might have gently offered condolences or advice. And surely, that might have come with its own sets of reactions: relief, perhaps; more catharsis, even tears. But Imp was not the sort of Gembound to offer kind and sensitive advice.

"Wow. Sounds like a real shithead," he offered, instead--loud and blunt. But it was heartfelt: a genuine sentiment, with obvious--if loudmouthed--sympathy.

Maybe this was a good reaction, on its own; he wasn't making a big deal out of it, wasn't focusing on it in an emotional way.

He shrugged, a little. "Like those -berries, you know? What an asshole. I'd have gotten outta there too! Or killed 'em," he added, thoughtfully--though Imp had never been a "killer" type, any more than he was an eloquent or sensitive conversational partner. "But yeah, good job cuttin' 'em off!" He shook his gator-grinning head, eyeing Aaliyah at least somewhat seriously. "Why the hell'd they want you to fight others, anyway? What, they can't fight for themselves?!" He paused, thinking, then added--just in case it had all been self-defense--"What, did other Gembound attack them a lot?"

@Aaliyah

Li blinked at Imp's response. She hadn't expected that. But she supposed it was better this way. He wasn't making a big deal of it. That was really all she could ask for, wasn't it? It certainly beat him wanting to be away from her or something. Or attacking her, maybe to make up for all she'd done in the past. But he didn't exactly seem like the kind of gembound to do that.

At the mention of the -berries, she shifted her paws a little. She'd still never understood quite what was with the -berries, but she knew it was at least what Imperia had always tried to do. They were just...more successful. And, killed them...She could never kill Imperia. She could never even win a fight against them.

"They were...the ones to pick needless fights against others, so it wasn't self-defense. At least, I don't think it was. I don't know if something happened when they were younger." She paused, trying to think of what to say. "They were like the -berries. Or, well, they tried. They weren't...nearly as successful as them. I think. I don't...know much about the -berries.

"And...I could never kill them. I never even won a battle against them. They'd kill me before I'd even get a single mark on them. But I am glad that I...that I left them. It's been a long time since then. And I hope I never see them again." She looked up at the drawing she had started of Imperia. "I could go the rest of my life not seeing them and it still wouldn't be enough."

Speech. Thought.

@Imp

Imp considered, for a moment.

First, he came to the conclusion that this 'parent' had been a real jerk. Imperia, or whatever. Its name's like mine, but worse.

"So all those scars, those are from fights they made you have? Probably smart to never see 'em again," he agreed. "Terrible influence!"

Imp turned back to regard the penis-covered Nemean on one part of the wall.

"Terrible influence. Forget it, ya know? Draw some more. Fighting's so stupid," Imp added, matter-of-factly. "Even if someone died AWFUL shit to 'em it doesn't justify, yeah? Like. If someone beat me up as a kid that doesn't mean I get to go beating everyone up. That's unrelated." It wasn't clear if he meant that he, too, was a bully--or just meant it theoretically, philosophically. Either way he had chalk back in his stubby hind feet, and then a bit in his teeth, and was clambering back along the wall for more art.

This time, he drew a splash of water: and a vast serpent emerging from it, aqua blue with bright yellow highlights. Fins and staring eyes began to take on drawn bits of streaming water, and Imp drew in rows, too, of small and pointed teeth. "My grandfather," he explained--"Aquarian."

@Aaliyah

Li flicked an ear as she listened to Imp. Terrible influence? Well, that was certainly true. She turned to the hybrid as he continued, frowning a little. She didn't really know what had happened when Imperia was young. They had never mentioned someone else beating them up. It seemed as though they had just...hatched with their bloodthirst.

They'd certainly done battles before, some that they won and others that they lost. She remembers seeing them fight Kin-kin only to lose. And that hadn't been their first fight, it had seemed. She turned back to the drawing.

While she didn't like what she had been drawing, she had to admit it was kind of fun. She just didn't know what to draw. She had been acting purely on instinct last time and it hadn't exactly worked out that great.

She looked up as Imp moved further along the wall and started to draw again. She watched as he did so, tilting her head at what he was drawing. It was a creature unlike anything she had ever seen. Though, considering Imp was also unlike anything she'd ever seen before...there seemed to be a lot of creatures that she had no idea even existed. She wondered, not for the first time, how many gembounds there even were in the caves.

"What was...he like? Aquarian?"

Speech. Thought.

@Imp

Imp turned, peering at Aaliyah, chalk held clasped in one foot.

"Was-?" he asked, puzzled. "You mean, IS?!" A raucous laugh, and Imp dropped down to the ground, wing-walking over to his chalks.

"He's big! REAL big. And noisy," the hybrid added--and then, after a moment's thought, "and hungry. He screams a lot. I mean, he's just talking--but he's so big he just YELLS."

Imp shrugged. No big deal.

He then began, without much ceremony, to snap a few pieces of the glowing chalk in half. He inspected the remaining halves, and picked the smaller of each. Red, black, blue, yellow, white; and he picked these up in his jaws, and waddled over to Aaliyah.

These, he dumped to land--clattering and rolling--at her feet. "Keep these. Take GOOD CARE OF THEM though, 'cause they're like, one of a kind. Well! Two of a kind now! But they won't last forever and I don't know how to get more of 'em. But you can draw, too!"

He nudged the rolling pieces over.

He'd kept his favorite colors, of course--and most of the ones he needed to depict Nemean absolutely everywhere--but it was a gift nonetheless.

The hybrid picked the rest of his chalks up, and nudged them into their bag, and then the box; and this he lifted in his other foot. "I got more places to go; more art to do. You take care, yeah? Draw good!"

With that--and no more ceremony--Imp turned and lifted off, wings beating heavily to lift him up, up and away. He had places to be; Nemeans to draw. No rest for the wicked, after all.

exit Imp
@Aaliyah

Li frowned as Imp described his grandfather. Big and noisy? That didn't sound too great. She wasn't sure if she could stand something like that, especially as she looked at the drawing he had made. The rows of teeth made her a little uneasy. She quickly looked away and back to Imp as he walked over to the chalk.

And then he began to break it, which startled her. What startled her even further was when he came over and dumped them at her feet and...gave them to her? She was left stunned, speechless, as he continued talking and then, with little farewell, took off.

She wasn't sure if she had ever been given a gift. At least, not by someone she had hardly spent any time with. And she didn't know how she'd carry these or what to do with them, but she decided she'd do as he said and take good care of them. It was the least she could do, really. They were all small pieces and she didn't know how long they'd last, but for however long it would be...she'd hold onto them. Maybe do some drawings here and there.

For now, she took the pieces of chalk in her mouth and nudged the ones she couldn't carry with her paws. She had to find a way to carry these, as this was really very inconvenient. But it was what she could do for now. She walked away from the area, away from the drawings, and let her paws take her wherever.

-exit Li-

Speech. Thought.