Xin walked along the wall of Orion, his paws dragging. He didn't really have the energy to go about playing as he normally did. Not that he really wanted to play. He was so over that. Why should he play? Why should he be happy? He's mute! He'll never be able to talk, never be able to hear his own voice.

Of course, the marten already knew this. He had long since come to terms with it. It didn't necessarily make him happy, though. He wanted, he longed to hear his own voice! But alas, it would never happen. And that made him so angry. How come others got a voice of their own? Why couldn't he? Why did he have to be mute?

With a sigh, he plopped down where he was and looked around the room, narrowed and watchful eyes watching everything. If anyone came up to him, he'd probably just ignore them. Maybe they'd go away. Or maybe...he'd find someone who was also mute? The thought of another-a small noodle, just like him-came to thought. She had been mute too, and the two had had lots of fun!

He shook his head. No. That was in the past. Things are different now. Much different. He wasn't some playful, confident marten. That was no more. He was disappointed most of the time, and he had grown used to feeling this way. He'd always felt this way. He'd always known he was mute, ever since he first started to speak and realized he couldn't. He had just tried to forget about it as best as he could, focus on the good.

Well. That wasn't going to work anymore.

Ashtoreth knew better than to leave Canis. She knew better than to go back to the place where her paws felt like static and her mind went empty, but her anger had gotten the best of her. Back home, no one paid any mind to her: she had gone missing, scraped her way free, and then been coddled for about a week before left to the shadows of the scattered bone-filled landscape and forgotten.

There was no tenderness or love in Canis. It was always sorries and hushed wings drapped over her, pulling her close and looking at her with those pitiful stares. No one loved her there, and they never had. Not even her father. If he did, why did he keep trying to replace her with more and more children with better wings, better forms, creatures with actual voices that walk with pride and power and stood so handsomely in the lamp lights?

The hybrid hated them all. In truth she had returned to look for Eosphorus, knowing that the horse had to be around here somewhere; he had insisted that he couldn't stay in Canis, that he had to protect the very monsters that hurt her. Sometimes, when the darkness in her head got too loud, she swore that he hated her too.

Ashtoreth shook her head and scrambled up one of the ruined walls, her good wing flapping noisily behind her. The other had healed, but she held it close to her side ever since it had been mangled by the hooves of cruel creatures that once ruled this part of the cave.

With a deep inhale, she focused on the starlight above and tried to gather her strength. Her insides were a storm of emotion, rage pent up inside her. No one would care if she died-- her father would probably just make a new, better child anyway. Tears bit at the corner of her eyes, stinging and blurring her vision. The quartz above turned into a blur of white as she summoned her magic, funneling her rage into a magical outburst.

She could care less who heard.

Like thunder, the sound wave broke off of her body, flying straight up into the ceiling. There was the sound of splintering stone, shattering like glass. A great rumble followed, tiny pieces breaking off of the quartz growths as a large crack began to form in one of the larger structures.

@Xin

Xin continued to sulk until a crack caught his attention. Turning, he saw someone who looked vaguely familiar. Looking up, he saw a crack in a large structures. He blinked. By the looks of the other, she seemed to be rather unhappy. He thought about just ignoring her, and continue sulking. After a moment of hesitation, he began to walk over. He wasn't too far, so it didn't take too long for him to reach her.

By the time he got there, he recognized her as Ashtoreth-the only gembound he could stand. She, too, was mute, and couldn't make him mad by mentioning his being mute, because she herself couldn't mention it! He slowly scrambled up the walls after her, wondering what she was doing. He looked up at the crack that resided in the structure, and then back at the other, his head slightly tilted.

@Ashtoreth

Ashtoreth sat, slouched on her perch, as she waited for the entire thing to collapse. Maybe some of it would hit her, break her skull right open, and save her the misery-- but before she could go on with any darker thoughts, a bit of movement caught her attention.

Instantly, her lips drew back into a silent hiss, her fur puffing up to pipe-cleaner quality poof, beady eyes vicious and narrowed with mal-intention. She was just about to summon her magic when she realized who it was and every single expression melted away into something of a limp, wet noodle.

Oh, it's just Xin, she seemed to react, a weak smile tracing up on to her muzzle with the twitch of her whiskers. She raised a paw gently towards Xin, wiggling her toes in a gentle hello.

Ashtoreth followed his glance back up to the quartz, which was starting to make a horrible sound as it started to crack apart, ready to fall. Alarm spread through her and she flicked her good wing at him, jumping down from the ledge and bolting away from the danger zone. She glanced back to make sure he followed to safety, ears perked and eyes bright.

@Xin

Xin hesitated upon seeing the pose Ashtoreth took up when she saw someone coming. He relaxed when she relaxed, and gave a small smile back as she smiled at him. He raised a paw as well and gave a slight wave. He looked back up at the quartz, and gave a small jump as a large noise startled him. When he looked back down, he saw her start to run away.

He jumped down as well, stumbled a bit, and then sprinted after her, going as fast as his small legs could carry him. He slowed to a stop when he reached her and looked back at the quartz and then back at her. He wondered why she had cracked it, or if she even had cracked it. But of course, Xin had no way to ask her. He sighed and looked away, his gaze darkening as he remember that he was mute. Funny, how he could just forget something like that. He supposed it helped being near someone who was also mute, but it was still hard knowing that he'd never be able to speak.

@Ashtoreth