Pippy waited patiently to let Vinnie think through on their answer, although at the same time how he is taking some time to consider his answer is a little discomforting for Pippy. D-Does that mean some Greater Gembound will harm her for no reason?

Oh? Does he not know himself? Pippy supposes her question was quite a complicated and heavy one.

Huh, never would've thought he doesn't know many other people, it's a little surprising to Pippy, especially with how kind Vinnie is. Still, she is curious what type of stories, but she was not expecting to listen to what he said next, and it did make her shudder, especially when being told about this 'dragon' this one sounded terrifying. T-They're not still around a-are they...? This other one, about someone bringing wars to ones who need to hunt to survive, and while Pippy does not belong in this category, she does not like an idea on wars in general, so many would get hurt in one...

He says not to be afraid of the world, but even with all reassurance, there is still this tugging in her mind telling her she must be, while she is getting better at conquering this fear the little bat doubts she'll ever get rid of it.

Still, despite all this, an aspect of Pippy felt she could believe Vinnie how she doesn't have to be scared of the world, so she smiles nervously while giving him a slow nod.

"I'll try not to... Still is this 'dragon' s-still around? Orrrr is it gone?" please be gone, please be gone... From how it sounds this 'dragon' is the biggest there is, bigger than Nox and such an idea how there's a Gembound bigger than Nox and is not kind in anyway fills her with dread.

Pippy cocks her head and twitches her ears in curiosity when Vinnie seems to want to tell her something else.

...Huh, well it was a while ago when she hatched still...

"Oh! Uhhhh... It was... A while ago... But I think I am still... a young one, it's the only explanation for how I am still this small! I don't think I have grown much and I am still not good at many things," Pippy is unaware how she is a fully grown Gembound and how she is 'not good at things' is more on how she has spent more on her time hiding than getting out and doing things.

"Still... Someone told me about these 'cycles' and I thinnnkkk I have been around for more than... ehhhhhh seven cyyycclllesss? That's... Still young right?" shows how much out the loop she indeed still is but perhaps her answers will come to her from Vinnie.

Still, this topic has proven to be a good enough distraction from their heavy discussion a second ago as Pippy appears to have lightened up again.


@Vincenzo

VINNIE THE VOICE

"Not too sure on the dragons, kiddo. But seven cycles?" He cocked his head to and fro, inspecting Pippy closely. "Most people are full-grown by--oh, I dunno, half that. Maybe you're just small, eh? I mean, we get all different sizes. You've gotta have seen some guys that are just huge, right? There's huge, and tiny and everything in between."

He gave another little shrug of his wings, looking around thoughtfully. "Granted, I think you're the tiniest one I've ever seen that could talk. There's a few things smaller that can't, uhh--minnows and stuff, ya know? But hey, maybe you're the smallest talker in the caves! That'd be somethin', eh? Real claim to fame!" He sounded enthusiastic about this, nodding his head a little.

"So ehh--anything else I can do for ya? Before I head back out? Not that it hasn't been good to meet ya," he added hastily. He didn't want to sound like he was in a rush to leave Pippy, or anything--he wasn't--he just didn't like awkward conversations, and wasn't really sure what else to say.

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@Pippy

"Oh... Maybe it is gone if you haven't met it either..?" sounds like Vinnie hasn't met it if they have only heard about it in stories from others, she'd like to believe anyway, anything to stop herself worrying about it and help her relax.

"Mhm yeah seven... I-I think..." hard to keep track on such things, but she is certain she is older than seven cycles at least, maybe Vinnie can decipher whether she is correct or not there? Watching them with some eager eyes when they appeared to study her, she hopes they may have some answers for her.

"R-Really?? You mean I have been fully grown for a while then??" Pippy's eyes widened like saucers, astonished at this revelation, jaw dropping, her disbelief about this was in her tone too as she barely managed to avoid yelling these questions at Vinnie.

"Oh..." she dejectedly slumps her diminutive form when Vinnie suggests she is only small, disappointed with this as she believed she was a late bloomer and a growth spurt would happen sooner or later for Pippy, it helped her get less insecure about her diminutive size; by assuming it was only temporary.

"Well seen a lot of huge ones alright... Haven't met someone who is my size," well it makes things a little better for Pippy how there are others small. Guilt filled her about how it made her feel better, as she is aware of how difficult it is to be so small. Pippy to some extent wouldn't want to wish it on others but how she isn't an odd defective one out is a little better for her if being small is more common than Pippy initially thought.

"Oh really? The tiniest?" well suppose it's something.

"...Minnows? Do you mean, Lesser Gembound or something?" getting a little fidgety there not having any idea what a 'minnow' is.

"O-Oh you think so? Could get fame from it huh..." she got a little nervous there, sounded like a compliment to her and even a small one is enough to get her embarrassed and she's still a bit iffy to a possibility how she may be the smallest Greater Gembound there is despite all benefits to it Vinnie suggested.

"Oh! Uhhhh I'm not sure? Maybe, do you know what this room's name is? Is it 'Polaris' or am I somewhere else?" she recalled how she hoped to search for this 'Polaris' Oliver mentioned to her as to where they might be later on when she last encountered them.

"Oh yeah it has been good to meet you Vinnie!" she beamed at them, nodding in agreement with them.

@Vincenzo (Sorry I took so long!)

VINNIE THE VOICE

"Probably been fully-grown, sure! Tiny ain't bad, means you're harder to spot, nice and sneaky. Minnows are... tiny fish, little guys. And yeah kiddo, I'm pretty sure this place is Polaris. You stay safe now, right?"

The seagull ruffled his feathers, flashing the bat the friendliest look that a gull could manage. It wasn't easy to smile with a beak, but at least his friendly eyes helped some.

His webbed feet then slapped the rock as he waddled a few steps off. "You take care of yourself, yeah Pip? Good luck learning to fly. I think you got it."

With this friendly farewell, the gull turned, and ran forward--wings flapping--to lift himself back off into the air. A few wingbeats and a rush of air later, he was gone from Polaris, into one of the tunnels. Here's hopin' she does okay for herself. Cheerful gal, good to see; hope she stays that way.

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exit Vincenzo ; @Pippy