One of the most obvious things about Eridanus is the fact that it is very green. There's a clump of green ferns over there, a couple bushes and shrubs over here, and several green moss-covered rocks or logs everywhere in between. Perhaps it was because of the room's greenness, at least in part, that the gem had gone unnoticed for so long.

The gem too was green and positioned just the right way within a clump of ferns that were just tall enough to shroud it in shadow, the light from cave's various lanterns unable to reach it or cause its white flecks to sparkle. 'Twas large, oval-shaped, and oddly smooth for a chunk of raw uvarovite that had apparently just been dropped here. Except, of course, it hadn't been dropped there--it had grown there, in order to protect the life within. And when it suddenly began to rock from side to side, causing the ferns that it laid against to rustle, it seemed a safe assumption that this life wanted out.

A muffled thumping sounded from within the chrysalis, as if whatever was inside it was kicking against the walls. The sound would continue for quite some time, pausing for a few minutes every so often before starting up again. Then finally, finally, the side of the chrysalis split apart with a resounding crack, muffled by the ferns. The Gembound within then had little trouble getting the rest of the chrysalis to splinter and break apart, and within a few heartbeats a golden calf was spilled out into the ferns on her back, and laid there, completely still for a moment.

Then, with an audible gasp, the calf took her first breath, green eyes opening wide to take her first view of the world. Or, at least, one of the many caves that would make up her world. The girl-calf laid like this for several minutes, pink nostrils flaring slightly to try and collect the scent of the ferns around her, while her eyes took in the various green sights and the harsh light that emanated from the orb-like lanterns all around the cave's walls.

Then, she tried to stand. Instinct had her rolling onto her stomach and trying to place her short little legs beneath her. The first attempt ended in a face-plant. The second one didn't end much better. On the third try she only half-stumbled onto her front legs. It was on the fourth try that she succeeded, on shaky legs, to stand. Her triumphant moo could probably be heard on the other side of the cave. A shame that it caused her to fall once again, with a frustrated huff.

Fallah was beginning to grow, beginning to learn. The lynx had often hunted at this place, getting small meals here and there. It wasn't anything large yet, but, hey, food was still food, right? Frogs, mostly. Maybe rats or mice on occasion. A rabbit would be nice to eat. It would be a complete meal for the adolescent cat, though, once full grown, such a find would be a snack. Fallah wondered if any larger prey lived around this place. Surely it would with such greenery, right? Maybe it did, and that's what Fallah had come to scope out. On such an occasion, however, the cat had already eaten a few things, but as it grew so did its appetite. Satisfied, at least for now, Fallah was surprised to hear a low thudding, followed by a crack. Now, the cat wasn't exactly positive, but it was pretty sure that noise was the sound of a chrysalis hatching. They hurried to investigate. Through the green, over or under this shrub, turn around at this log, then through this other log, now up this bump- or was it a hill of some sort- and there it was! In the ferns, in contrast to all the green, was a golden-blonde form. Fallah watched as it rolled and fumbled, trying to stand. Sky eyes widened and breath hitched as the cat found itself hoping that the being would accomplish its goals. Why? Even Fallah didn't know why, but the calf was trying so hard and the lynx wanted to see it succeed. Finally, it stood, letting out a loud noise that caused Fallah's ears to draw back flat to her scalp. When the calf fell once again after its moo, the lynx couldn't help but spring forward, rushing to the thing's side. Springy legs prepared for a quick escape if needed, but for now, Fallah bent down, rump in the air, large, blue eyes peering at the calf, "You okay?" "speak"

The calf had not been aware of the lynx's presence, being so preoccupied with the challenge of standing. So as she lay there, mentally preparing herself to try again, it came as a surprise to her when the feline suddenly arrived at her side. "Aaaah!" was the somewhat undignified squeal that left the calf's lips as she tried to scramble away, green eyes wide. She only made it about an inch or so away, as she still wasn't on her feet, and cows just simply weren't made to crawl.

However, it would soon become apparent to the lynx that their presence had only startled the newborn. Sadie had just come into the world, after all, and thus had no true reason to fear the other creatures of the caves. Already the momentary fear and surprise was being replaced with curiosity as she stared at the small feline. It looked elegant and graceful, not to mention that it had so many colors! To someone who had only so far seen the color green, Fallah truly seemed to be a treasure trove of colors, with their pelt of red and white, outlined with black. And it had such pretty eyes! Was Sadie as lovely as this creature? The calf might've turned her head to take her first look at herself, has she not been distracted by other Gembound's speaking to her.

Such odd sounds, and yet there was some vague knowledge deep down in her brain that allowed her to understand their meaning once she thought about it for a couple minutes. The creature was asking if she was unharmed? Yes, Sadie was alright, but how could she communicate that to the lynx? Could she make those sounds too? Well, it was worth a shot, was it not? Opening her mouth, the calf made her first attempt at speaking. It started out with another moo, her throat obviously not familiar with making the sounds she wanted, but near the end it changed to an "Ehhhhh." Not quite what she had been trying for. The next attempt went slightly better. "Yyyeeeehhhh." Once more. "Yyyeeeesssss." Success! More or less. The way Sadie's emerald eyes sparkled revealed her delight. What other words could she say? Perhaps she could ask a question of her own.

Another accidental moo was released into the air. The word she wanted rhymed with it, so perhaps it was an easy mistake. "Whhhooooo." That was the first word she wanted, but what was the second word. A slightly awkward pause arrived as she thought about it. Then finally, she carefully uttered, "Yooouuu?" Almost a complete sentence! Sadie was so proud of herself. The question had come to her mind when she'd finally taken a look down at herself, seeing that she was clearly not the same as the lynx. The golden-red hair was pretty, but she didn't wasn't a lean creature, and her legs ended in odd rock-like things instead of the furry paws that Fallah had. One of them, oddly enough, was green and seemed to almost sparkle in the cave's artificial light.

The calf was startled by Fallah's appearance, which was to be expected. The lynx simply tilted its head as the creature tried in vain to scramble away. The being was already larger than Fallah, though it lacked spry, springy legs and overall seemed to be tankish and knobby. It was very different from long brown friend- Fisher- with his longness and dark brown fur. The calf would look to the cat with green eyes that reflected her birth place. It seemed that for a good minute, the calf would stare, its eyes roaming. Fallah allowed it easily, almost enjoying watching the thing experience the world for the first time. The cat felt a need to protect the thing, thought it wasn't sure why. As the calf tried to comprehend the words, Fallah watched. It let out a few noises, trying to form words, finally saying "yes" in a long and drawn out way, but it was a word nonetheless. A smile spread across the lynx's face. It was a small smile, but genuine, just big enough to part the lips and reveal a small set of sharp, pointy teeth. It would have looked like a mischievous smile, perhaps, with the way Fallah's eyes glittered, but it was nothing but true. It may very well have been the first smile the cat had broken into since birth. Something about watching this big big's gears turning as it figured out the world was kinda cool. At least, the cat thought so. More words came, the calf asked for a name, though indirectly. A part of Fallah wanted to answer with a snarky, "That's a good question," or, "I am me," but the little big was so cute in its innocence that the cat was forced to be honest, "Fallah. Fall- ah." The cat seated herself then motioned to the creature that was now looking at its stone, a green stone that was on its leg or foot, or however calves were built. Fallah pointed to it with a fluffy paw, "Gem," the cat motioned to its maw, pulling back its lips to reveal the blue teeth of its lower jaw. After a moment, it repeated, "Gem," then clicked its teeth together twice for emphasis. The cat decided that it was probably best to get a name from this being as well, "Who you?" The lynx would wait for as long as needed for the calf to form an answer. It would, however, stand in hopes of encouraging a similar response from the gembound once it gave a name. "speak"

The feline seemed to study her, not unlike the way Sadie had studied it earlier. She wondered what the cat thought of her. She hoped they were good thoughts. It seemed like it would be a difficult thing to read thoughts or emotions in the lynx's blue eyes, even if Sadie had been skilled in such a thing.

In response to the calf's first word, the feline appeared to smile. Any hint of mischief that may or may not have been in it was completely missed by the newborn, who was, of course, completely unfamiliar with such things. The calf smiled back, almost automatically, lips slanting up at the corners and partially revealing her own teeth, different from the feline's in that they were blunt and flat, meant to crush grass rather than to tear through meat. Differences aside, Sadie was beginning to think that she rather liked this creature.

The calf didn't have to wait long for an answer to her question. Fallah. So that was what it was called? The calf quickly decided to try out the new word. "Faaallll-uhhhhh?" No, that wasn't exactly it. "Faallll-aahhh?" That was better. "Fallah." the calf managed to say it the same way Fallah had, with no drawn out syllables and was quite pleased to have succeeded. "Iiit'ss pwetty." the calf complimented with another bright smile. When she paused to examine the green thing that appeared to replace one of her foot-things--Hoof? Was that the word for them?--Fallah attracted her attention once again by pointing at it and saying another word. A gem? Why exactly would she have a gem there instead of a another hoof? Sadie might've wondered if she was strange in some way, had Fallah not revealed their own peculiar bottom teeth. It was blue instead of green, but it seemed to be made of a similar material. When the feline repeated itself, Sadie nodded in understanding. It must be a normal thing to have these 'gems.'

Then the cat posed to Sadie the same question that calf had asked earlier. The question gave the she-calf some pause. Who was she? 'Twas an excellent question. For this, the calf had to search long and hard in her young mind, looking for the answer. Then finally, it came to her. It almost seemed like she had always know it, but she had never fully realized it until now. "Sadie." she said once more, pronounced a little better and sounding a little more definite.

Seeing Fallah get to their feet reminded Sadie of what she had been trying to do before the feline's arrival. Time to give it another try. The calf put her hooves underneath her yet again, and pushed herself up, yet again. While her legs were still wobbly, they stayed underneath her this time. The calf looked down at Fallah with a look on her face that could only be called triumphant. But now that she was standing, she also arrived to another challenge: walking.

The calf was able to produce the sounds necessary to form Fallah's own name correctly. The lynx was pleased, its smile remaining. After mentioning the gems, the large animal seemed to get n understanding. Even Fallah wasn't sure what the gems were, but it was worth mentioning that they all had them. It had become normal enough that the cat had almost stopped noticing. It was never not normal to have a gem. It tool a while for Fallah to understand that the gem was its lower jaw. It never even saw the difference in teeth until it was drinking one day and tried to make a fierce face. Suddenly, the lynx noticed the blue tint to the lower teeth, unlike the other gembounds, which all seemed to have all white teeth. It didn't bother Fallah, except for the fact that there was no real way to see the stone teeth unless through a reflection. Oh well... The calf mentioned her name was Sadie. Sadie? That was a pretty nice name. Sadie then went on to stand and Fallah jumped forward a few steps, not wanting to be in the way or get crushed. Wobbly legs guided the gembound upwards and it stood for a minute, beaming down at the lynx. Fallah beamed back with a large, excited smile. Paws danced in place with the thrill until the cat finally turned to face away from the calf. Fallah made a small, dramatically slow step then glanced back at Sadie and repeated the process, glancing back after each paw was placed as if to say, "See? Like this! This is how you walk!" Now the cat stopped, mid-step to watch how the calf would do, all the while ready to run back if it needed help. "speak"

Sadie was pleased to see that Fallah appeared to be as excited with the small(but seemingly large) victory as Sadie was. It seemed to almost dance in place, with much more agility than Sadie imagined she herself would ever possess. It seemed pretty clear that Sadie was meant to be a very heavyweight and sturdy creature.

The calf watched the feline curiously as it turned and walked forward for a couple of steps. So this was how it was able to move from place to then? Sadie likely could have instinctually figured that out on her own, but even so the help was much appreciated. The calf looked down at her own golden legs. They were thick and stout--very different from Fallah's own furry limbs--but surely they could do the same things? The cat looked back at her expectantly. Well, it couldn't hurt her too much to try now, could it?

The calf slowly lifted one leg--her front right one--into the air and then set it gingerly down in front of her.

(Post-Roll Edit:)

Sadie wobbled slightly, but she didn't go sprawling into the ferns like she had half-expected to. With almost painful slowness, the calf took one more step, then another...until she once again stood at Fallah's side. The grin she directed down at the feline was so wide, that it was a wonder that her face didn't spit in half. "I...did it!" she proudly announced, though it was unnecessary. Also, it seemed that her grasp of language was getting better. While there was a small pause after the first word, none of the words were quite as slurred as they had been before.

The calf wobbled, looking uncertain, and Fallah stopped breathing. The cat's face stayed relaxed, but its eyes were wide, bouncing between looking at Sadie's legs and her face. Slowly, heavily the first steps were made. One by one they happened and Fallah watched with baited breath. The cow made her way up to the cat and smiled a large, flat-toothed smile. Without even noticing the difference, Fallah smiled back. The smile was so wide it showed both sets of teeth, white and blue, and scrunched the lynx's eyes and nose as it snickered. Sadie announced that she did it and Fallah nodded, "You did." the cat breathed, finally letting out that breath. Though the words only sounded slightly happy, the cat was thrilled. It pranced a few more feet forward, expecting the calf to follow it. The calf was so big, Fallah bet that riding on her back would be easy. That would be later, though, when the calf was less... wobbly. For now Fallah tried to look around and find a place to go, "Where to go?" it asked simply, looking at its calf friend. "speak"

Fallah sounded somewhat pleased with the calf's success, which in turn pleased Sadie even more. If her smile could've gotten any wider it probably would've. Sadie watched the feline bound ahead, and the ginger calf immediately followed, slowly but surely. Her steps were gradually becoming less and less wobbly. Perhaps she would be able to move as easily as Fallah someday? Sadie certainly hoped so.

The calf looked down at her feline friend curiously when it stopped and looked about. What exactly was it looking for? That question was answered quickly when Fallah asked her where she wanted to go. Sadie wasn't exactly sure of an answer to its question. 'Twas a big cave, and the various openings that dotted Eridanus' walls seemed to suggest that there was even more to the 'world' than she was currently aware of. There were many options, almost too many for the curious newborn. After a moment's thought, the calf gestured towards the center of the cavern, where an odd plant-like thing stood. A mushroom, her mind supplied her. "Explore?" the calf suggested, looking down at the little(compared to her) cat to she what its thoughts were on the matter. Might as well start at the center and work your way out, right? Unless Fallah had some better ideas.


OOC: Sorry for shortness

No problem! You can finish this up with them heading to the tunnel where the "Poke Poke" thread takes place.

The calf stood and thought, and Fallah waited. A moment of silence passed between them, though not uncomfortable. Finally, the young girl offered the word, "explore" as if it were a question. Fallah looked around the green room, then looked back to the golden calf, offering a slow nod. The lynx turned and looked around, spotting the mushroom. Furry paws crept forward, through the grasses and brush and mosses, leading all the way to the mushroom. A slow trot was kept to make sure the calf could keep up with a little effort, taking special care to find wide paths between the rocks that jutted up from the floor. Nearing the mushroom, there was a distinct odor, unlike the rest of the room which smelled fresh and crisp and much greener than the fresh and crisp smell of ice. Fallah looked around, debating on if it could climb the thing like a tree. To be honest, Fallah didn't really like the thing too much. Why was it so big? Something was up with it, and that something probably wanted to eat them. Leading a little bit away, the lynx turned to its friend, "This way." With a small wag of it's tail, the cat was off, bounding from the center out to the tunnel. More adventures always happened outside of the tunnels and there weren't even any mushrooms! "speak"