Karyo giggled as their friend's tail tapped their back. "That tickles!" they cried, dancing away before darting back to bump their head playfully against Assistant's shoulder. "It's too bad about your twin. I mean, wiggly toes are cool, too, but I don't think that'd help here."

They frowned with Assistant. "I've never tried jumping, but that looks pretty far. What if we fell in the gross stuff? I just ungrossified myself!" Karyo's tail lashed with agitation. Being sopping wet was not a pleasant experience. "Maybe we can go find another twin! Someone who's real big. Then we can get across without getting gross!"

@Assistant

They'd stumble, thrown off-balance from Karyo's head-butt before returning one of their own, a light purr rumbling to life in their throat. "They're really smart! I'm sure they could help out, if I find them." They'd split up for a reason, but Assistant found themself quickly missing their hatch-mate. She'd LOVE to hear about the big rumble thing in the river! And she always had a ton of ideas. Maybe she'd think of something they didn't.

"There's only one twin," They'd reply, almost defensively, "But maybe a big friend could help... Haven't seen anyone big, though." But the caves were huge, so there surely had to be someone big who could help, right? And if not, then... "Or, WE can get big!" They didn't really know how. Maybe some sort of spell? But all they could do was the zappy spell. "Or.. hm..."

@Karyo

Karyo blinked at Assistant's purr. For something so similar to a growl (which some instinct told it didn't mean good things), it was a surprisingly warm and comforting sound. They made a rumbling sound in the back of their throat to try to replicate it, but to their disappointment, it just came out like an oddly distorted growl.

That wasn't gonna stop them, though! If they just kept trying they'd get it eventually. But anyway, they had more fun things to focus on right now! The purring could wait until later. "I haven't seen anyone big either," Karyo said, almost mournfully. Of course, they'd only just hatched, but whatever. "Can we? It'd be really cool to be big! Maybe there's some kind of magic."

They concentrated, but there came neither an embiggening of their body nor anything similar to their new friend's zappy magic. Instead, they just felt... normal. Extremely normal, in a good way. Like their intestines were all functioning extremely well... what an odd thought. "I guess we can come back later! After we find either a big friend, or someone to teach us to be big!"

@Assistant exit next round?

Karyo's 'purr' made them pause, ears flicking back in brief confusion. Was that purring? Why didn't it sound right? Was Karyo's purr-maker broken? Weird.

"I don't a lot about magic, but I haven't seen anything like that." They'd pause, pondering, "But I can only make things zappy.. hm.." They'd watch Karyo's intense concentration, seemingly nothing coming out of it. Looks like neither of them had making-things-bigger magic.

"Yeah! Exactly! The big rumbly thing won't move... I don't think, anyways." But what if it DID move? What then? Hopefully if it started moving, they would be there to catch it again. "Oh! Do you wanna meet my twin? Before we go looking for big people!" Their bright eyes briefly scoured the area, "They should be somewhere around here... I don't know where, though."

@Karyo Sounds good!

Hmm. That was a good point. Might the big rumbly thing move? It had stayed mostly in the same place thus far. But you know what, maybe moving wouldn't be that bad! Karyo decided. Then it might move out of the water, and they wouldn't have to get themselves all gross to break it! Still, they didn't think it was likely. "It doesn't have legs," they observed. "If I didn't have legs I wouldn't feel like moving, either!"

They practically bounced up and down at their friend's offer to meet their twin. "Yes! Yes! I'd love meeting your twin!" Karyo raced several circles around Assistant, tongue lolling out and casting excited looks this way and that. "I don't see anyone either! Not with wiggly toes! Come on, let's go looking!" Barely waiting for a response, they sprinted in the first direction they thought of, though they'd eventually follow Assistant's lead if asked.

@Assistant exit

"Oh. Right." All the things that they've met so far had legs, so it was safe to assume that you had to have legs to move. At least that was one less problem to worry about. "Then it'll be easy! We'll just have to come back to this place once we have someone big."

They'd grin at Karyo's enthusiasm, turning slowly to follow their excited circling until they themself began to get a little dizzy. "Okay! Lets-" Before they could finish, Karyo went sprinting in another direction. They'd chase after the excitable puppy, hopefully able to direct them in the direction that they THOUGHT Researcher was in.

Exit!