Basil felt so stupid for his long spew of words, knowing that it was dangerous to start liking her this way. He wanted to look at her, instead of simply imagine the tiredness he heard and the quiet pleasure he heard in her purr. He liked complimenting her, and he should stop. It was a compulsion to be nice to her, after what she had shown him, how she had helped him. He needed to stop.

His curse would use that as a foothold, he knew, to make him do other things he 'wanted' to do, till all his waking hours were sappy poetics dripping and ruining everything, controlling him. He felt a flare of anger at the thought.

"The Eyes? That seems rather appropriate." He said with a forced calmness to it, stuffing his anger down. She didn't deserve it. Not after the gift she gave him. "I've heard of them, but I've never seen them."

He rose from the ground and paced his way to her as she moved, his steps careful, mindful of where he had last heard her voice and her soft footsteps. When he had something to guide him, it wasn't so difficult. "I'll follow you, Dove." He said quietly.

Maybe...maybe he could use this method of reflections to stop being so afraid all the time. He already felt like Dovefeather would never be so foolish as to jump in front of him while he was vulnerable like Fallah did, even if she did so by accident, so maybe this would work.

She spoke to break the silence, and his brows came together. What was she going to say? Lucky? He was anything but. And he certainly wasn't great. He barked out a laugh as he walked. "I'm covered in mud and scratches and I smell terrible. I need to apologize to you for burdening you so." Then he had a thought. "Speaking of burdens, how is your leg? Does it hurt after your fall? And are you tired?"

Basil closed his mouth with a snap. He was doing it again. He frowned and said gruffly, "I mean, if its all the same to you."

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Dovefeather

The feline prowled forward, paving the way through the gentle foliage that dotted the forest floor. Her ears twitched as the canine remarked on having heard of the Eyes but never seeing them for himself... A feeling of bliss warmed her toes as she went on, listening to his self degrading with a soft snort in reply.

"You don't look that bad. Once you start growing mushrooms in your fur, then we can worry."

She teased, though her voice faultered at his next barrage of questions. The heat in her paws spread right up to her cheeks and flushed her face, her teeth clicking as she shut her mouth quickly. Her whiskers twitched as she considered, and Basil snapped his own jaws tight and grumbled out his own embarassed words before she could.

"... Ah-- no, it's alright. I'm fine. Cats always land on their feet, don't you know?"

She purred warmly, swishing her tail and continuing on to tell him about the All Mother. At least to switch the topic on to something that they both could maybe be a bit more comfortable with.

"Anyway, the All Mother's Eyes is where I learn how to be a Seer. You see, Her Eyes stare up towards the ceiling, seeing nothing apparently... But there is a sense in the air-- perhaps you will feel it-- that through them, She Sees what cannot be Seen."

"I was born by the All Mother's Eyes, and found by my sisters, Blackfeather and Owlfeather, and they told me about the All Mother. Since then, I have lived under the watchful guidance of Her Eyes and learned a bit... It's not easy, but every day I think I learn just a bit more about that which cannot be readily seen."

Her rambling filled the air as they passed through the woods, eventually reaching the cool, open space that held the pooled dug into the stone. The ground turned from soft soil to hard rock and her paws fell still as she knew she had come home.

"O All Mother."

She mewled softly, bowing her head gently towards the crystalline pools.

"We're here, Basil."

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Basil ;; sorry for the delay <3 hope it was worth the wait ;u;

Basil listened to her speech, focusing on it to better follow her down the path. He liked listening to her purr and calmly speak about her past. She was taking them to someplace very special to her, someplace magical. It made what to him just sounded like a gathering of water seem...sentient? for lack of a better term. Alive.

"And where are your sisters now? Off gathering more knowledge, I'd assume?" He said thoughtfully.

As they continued, he felt the change in the air as she finished speaking about where she was born and how her sisters found her, but he didn't stop walking till his feet hit water, and he flinched out of surprise.

Basil knew that she was just beside him by her quiet laughter, the sound just a little further back, since she had the presence of mind to stop before the water's edge. So he took a very small peek from under his blindfold to look at the bank of the Eyes, keeping his head direction away from her.

The waters were calm, lapping gently at the bank with an inviting touch, with a sparkling, pure clarity marred only by his own reflection. Basil could see the mud and scratches peeking from gaps in his fur that stuck up on all ends, the haggard look in his eyes under the ragged and dirty blindfold, and suddenly he was glad his eyes were covered. He looked....haunted. Like an apparition, barely there.

He was silent for a little while, studying his reflection, then took it off completely. "I hope I do your All Mother proud. Are you ready?"

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Dovefeather

Dovefeather's ear twitched and she replied softly,

"They are elsewhere, following the paths the All Mother has shown them."

She didn't seem to find it necessary to explain much more, waiting for the aardwolf to get comfortable and lift up his blinding cloth. The feline couldn't help but smile as Basil made a passing comment about making the All Mother proud. The thought made her purr just a bit louder as she stepped closer, drawing near to his side, glancing up the deep marked striped in his fur.

"I'm ready."

With that simple meow, she took a few careful pawsteps forward, until she could see her own reflection along side of Basil's. It was her first time seeing his eyes-- they were dark, like coals or the rich soil that one could find deep in the forests of Eridanus. The kitten felt like she could get lost in the depths of his eyes... Or was it the water of the All Mother?

She wanted to look up, to look at his eyes instead of his reflection, but somehow it seemed like stealing an experience that he couldn't have safely. So she simply didn't say anything, instead waiting for his reaction.

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Basil

His shoulders stiffened, preparing himself for the worst, and he swallowed. She came into his view of the bank-side, her image clear as crystal. She looked lust like the Light-Dove, but obviously more solid, more down to earth, more of her. He could see her whiskers and the color of her fur, and her eyes were just as brightly yellow as he thought they would be, just as wise and beautiful. She looked worried for him.

He clenched his teeth, but he kept looking at her. He could feel the beginning of the curse try to take ahold of his body's reins, tugging at him, crashing over him like a tidal wave, trying to drown him, but he fought it, digging his claws into the soft earth, grasping onto the one foothold he had, desperately holding onto the fact that it wasn't direct eye contact. No, he thought, don't do this to me - she's all I have,

But it wasn't enough. It laughed at him, mocking him for his feeble efforts, circling and drowning his mind, and he went under.

He turned and fully looked at Dovefeather with a hooded look in his eyes and a sultry smile.

"Well, hel-lo," He said, his voice low. He walked towards Dovefeather slowly, stepping on the blindfold, now forgotten, and he looked her up and down, nodding with a slow smile. "I can see why he likes you so much." He started pacing around her, drawing himself up, using every inch. "You are elegance and wisdom combined, perfection in all its glory." His voice became softer as he moved closer to her, whispering his compliments in her ear. "He's a fool to stay away from you. Soon as I looked at you, I couldn't resist - I wanted to be in control. The things we could do together, Dove..." He said her name with a curling smile, like he was saying 'Love'.

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Dovefeather

Dovefeather watched his reflection quietly, watching the wonder fill his deep, rich charcoal eyes. She was so busy staring at them that she nearly missed the signs of the aardwolf struggling. Her ears caught the sound of claws digging deep into the ground, the subtle grind of his teeth, and she blinked, pale eyes flashing over the rest of his reflection.

The canine was tense from nose to tail, and then there was a distinct, bizarrely rapid change. The dog started to turn his head towards her and she felt her spine creep upwards into an arch, her tail bristling as the words slipped from his muzzle. Her gaze flashed up to meet his own, following his own all too piercing eyes as he swept her up and down. Abruptly, Dovefeather felt absolutely naked, as though with just a glance he had brushed her curls right out of her pelt and left her vulnerable, exposed.

Her stomach dropped as he spoke about himself as though it was someone else entirely, as he lowered his muzzle to her ear and bathed her shivering body in compliments. Her claws instinctively came out and she fought the urge to slash them across his nose, to fight him back before he did something she couldn't stop. She hadn't realized just how large he was; how absolutely small and frail she was.

Dovefeather was truly afraid. Her stomach churned with a bellyache, her heart racing in her chest. It was a worse sensation than the last time she had been terrified out of her whiskers, nearly pecked apart by crimson, single eyed birds of vengance and anger... This sensation struck deeper than her instinct of fight or flight, hitting something more... Intimate.

And with a screeching hiss, lips drawn back, she did her best to make well on her promise to the real Basil. A pain shot through her jaws and she stumbled back, eyes wide, body trembling. Why was her magic failing her now, of all times? Why couldn't she cast? What had this devil done to her? She wanted the real Basil back...!

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Basil

He smiled, seeing her grow afraid and back away from him, and he purred, "Don't be like that, Dove. There's nothing to be afraid of." He saw her claws come out, saw her stance, and laughed low. "I'm not the big bad aardwolf, love. Believe me, I'll make you much happier than he could. I mean, what, he even told you, didn't he? His major accomplishments include hiding and getting himself almost killed." He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "He's pathetic. But me, on the other hand," He looked at her, his dark eyes glinting. "I'll make you so happy you'll just scream, Dove, you'll beg me never to take my eyes off of you, never stop touching you, never stop finding ways to please you. And believe me, I'll never want to."

Here she swiped at him, claws out, and he grinned, grabbed one of her paws, and he managed to say, "Dove-" before she clawed at him with the other paw, leaving long slashes across his nose, making him hiss and back away, one paw on his new cuts, dark eyes staring at her in black humor. There was a pause, and he sucked in a breath with a low laugh. "The lady is feisty, isn't she?"

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

Dovefeather stared at the beast, the monster that was so much worse than Basil had admitted... But how could he have known? "You're supposed to do what I say," she found herself hissing at him, fur prickling over her spine. A bravery she summoned from deep inside of herself as he spoke those sickly sweet words, as she scratched him and he hardly flinched. "A gentleman," she dug for words, trying to find a way out. Why had her magic failed her? She was so sure she could have fought this back. "Aren't you supposed to be a gentleman, and follow my wishes?"

She backed away from him, trying to create a space between them. If he came lunging for her, she could dodge him around the pools and escape. He couldn't hurt her-- he'd never catch her. She tried to tell herself that she wouldn't become his puppet. The devil had caught Basil's mind but he would never have her heart.

"If... If that's so, then give my Basil back!" She yowled, her jaws opening to reveal those pristine, pearly teeth. The swell of her emotions were so strong, her magic untamed as it was set loose. The light came flaring from her jaws, so bright and blinding that she screamed, falling on to the ground as her eyes burned with the agony of the blaze before her face. For a great, long moment, she could focus on nothing but the pain in her eyes, her white paws pressing over her eyes, trying to get the burning whiteness out of them.

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Basil

He raised a brow and smirked at her, following her slowly while she backed away from him. "Normally, I would be. Normally I would sniffle and beg on my knees to give me a smile, oh, please,anything, like a child, but normally he still influences me. Makes me polite. But this time I'm in full control. This time, we're both in agreement. We both want you, Dove." He grinned, showing his teeth. "So I caught him off guard while he was feeling safe with you and now I can do whatever I want."

He was almost to her when she snapped a harsh quip and revealed her teeth, letting out an incredible blast of light, and suddenly his eyes felt like they were on fire. He could barely hear her screams over his own, and he fell down to the ground, wanting to claw his eyes out so they could just stop hurting, and everything was just white, and he couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed. Everything was fire, everything was pain.

After a while of panting and horrible silence permeated only by sounds of torture, Basil lifted his head, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, his breathing harsh. He could feel something running down his face and wondered if his eyes were bleeding. "D-Dovefeather?" He said, shuffling around as best he could. Was she even there? Did she run after she used her magic? He raised his voice just in case. "I take it that shouting my name at me didn't cut it. Are you okay?"

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Dovefeather

The pain took ages to subside. She still could barely deal with it when she heard Basil's voice and panic set her muscles tense from neck to tail. Her ears strained to hear his voice, whether to be ready to scramble to her paws to flee or to listen to his gentle, warm voice, she couldn't help but focus on his words.

"...at me didn't cut it. Are you okay?"

There was no pet names, no cooing of her nickname, just pure concern. She stretched out her paws in front of her face, trying to reach Basil. It could have been a trick, the devil just pretending to be him, to try and steal her heart.

But Dovefeather didn't want to believe that. She wanted to believe that Basil, the real one, was right there, just out of reach. Her ears laid back on her head, her whiskers twitching as she opened her mouth and breathed out his name.

"Basil? Basil, that's you right? Not that monster, please..."

She stretched more, her soft white belly fur brushing the dirty, cool soil. Twisting, she got her hind paws under her body and waved her forelimbs gently. He was just there, wasn't he? Just ahead of her? She couldn't see, but for some reason this didn't bother her. The only thing that mattered was the disembodied voice only just out of paw reach.

Suddenly, the kitten's delicate paw found a cold, damp nose. A sob hiccuped out of her throat and the feline shifted forward, bringing her soft feets over his muzzle, groping blindly at his face until she could feel his ears under her toe beans. Her nose touched his, and she couldn't help but smile, knowing she had found him. Basil. He was real, he was back, she hadn't failed him.

"Basil Speech" "Dovefeather Speech"

@Basil