heat rolled into the caves, melting the icy chill present for cycles. the air was thick and a low fog hung over the trees in the distance. eridanus was a comfortable warm, perfect for its jungle inhabitants, less favorable for those who preferred a chillier climate.

it was a particular treat for rui the ocelot, who had never felt this fantastic in his entire life.

atop the branch he'd claimed as a napping spot, the cat rolled pleasantly onto his back. he pawed lazily at the leaves above, wrapped around him protectively, hiding him from bigger cats who might make a snack of him. he had learned quite a lot in the past few cycles, including the importance of a solitary lifestyle. the adventurous young kitten had grown into a stealthy, proud young adult, and his spots and stripes were visible proof of it.

since his little escapade 2 cycles ago, he hadn't left eridanus, making it his home. it was one of the warmest places in the cave, which he liked, and the ample trees and prey made for excellent food and shelter.

but they'd never been this warm before, and that was just a marvel.

blood flowed hot and free through rui's veins, and he was brimming with energy he'd never felt before. the caves had been cold as long as he'd been alive, and he'd never known they could be so much better.

unknowingly, a loud, motor-like purr erupted from the cat's throat as he batted the leaves above him blissfully. it would be loud enough to alarm anyone passing below--an ocelot's purr didn't sound very friendly, or even catlike at that, after all.

"speech" / thoughts

cat by benspark / table by wulf

She was beginning to decay.

Months of dormancy had nearly made her seep back into the swamp. She didn’t have the relief of hiding in a chrysalis all these cycles - she’d been unfortunately, bitterly awake, observing, listening, waiting. She had become a part of Cetus, simply another feature of the marsh, a terrible sentinel at the edge of the darkness bending the finger and beckoning the young to her. The Swamp Witch. She hated it.

Then again, there was no alternative that she particularly desired. This was the best case scenario, and she still hated it. She could have had her Nemesis back, maybe, but if the rhino was still out there. But Magdalena hated that she didn’t love how Nemesis loved. The rhino had always been a guard, a valuable commodity for her brute strength and size, and her willingness to kill on Magdalena’s behalf. She knew Nemesis loved her and Magdalena wished that she could have loved her back. In her thoughts, the love was there, but in her heart it was absent. She tried to find passion, but instead Magdalena’s feelings were dwindling until they withered away into nothing. She was left hating herself for not loving Nemesis.

There was a twinge of it for Hestia, there had always been, but Hestia was a fickle babe. The little Fire died and died again. She spawned emotions in Nemesis that Magdalena didn’t understand and couldn’t match, and bitterness for it began to manifest into a different kind of hatred too. She hated Louie for betraying her and leaving her for that rat. She hated the rat for taking Louie, for not choosing her and for choosing Baratheon. She hated Iliad for being an ugly, blind failure, and she hated her own child for not obeying her. She hated herself for all of her shortcomings. She hated everyone.

For that reason, it was better that she had hid in the swamp all these cycles. It wasn’t a decision made out of altruism, but selfishness. Magdalena couldn’t stomach the thought of seeing anyone. She couldn’t even permit the idea that they might accept her without knowing the scope of her disappointment. After a while, she hated to think of what others might think of her when they finally saw her again. This creature, so decomposed that her fur was beginning to stain brown and red, and what little muscle she had wasted away until she was just skin and bones. She was a ghoul, dead and undead, haunting the night in search of something that could finally relinquish her from her bitter prison.

Finally, one day, boredom had driven her away from Cetus. Or maybe it was hunger. She wasn’t sure when the last time was that she had eaten. There were voices every now and then that grated on her ears. She sought silence, respite in solitude, but she was beginning to forget what tunnels led where. Her slender legs drove her forward, her tiny, graceful paws once more pressing on stone. She almost didn’t care where she was going.

The tunnel she chose took her into another jungle room. It smelled hot and wet, thick with soil and the sweetness of greenery. It was cleaner than Cetus, she knew this must have been Eridanus - a place that reminded her of Delphine - hate. Magdalena grimaced. She pushed forward, and it was the rustling of leaves, purposeful, that struck her. She stopped, and the sound was soon illuminated by the rumbling of a motor-like purr, a sound that instantly agitated her. It betrayed the presence of a Gembound. Hate. Her magic lashed out, clawing at the creature she couldn’t see.

@Rui (she's using her spell against him, just to clarify!)

the pleasant feeling was ephemeral. little pinpricks, he was going to be sick. rui cried out as pain struck him, and then again in anger. this was not a natural feeling. he was being attacked, he was sure of it.

scrambling not to fall as the pain continued, rui grimaced heavily as he stood, retreating from his place on the branch up into and around the tree to another edge. as he climbed, he called upon his magic to shield him in preparation for a fight. he crept along the branches silently, even through his pain--cycles of practice had done him well.

trying to keep calm through the pain, rui peeked through the leaves of the branch to search for his aggressor. it was hard to hear anything with his body burning and aching like this, but he could smell another gembound. best to stay quiet. best to find them. he leaped from tree to tree quietly, following the strong, vile scent of what must have been his attacker, before arriving a few trees away from what he thought was the source of the swampy scent. he stopped there, quiet, waiting--he hoped the right moment would strike fast, but the pain wasn't yet unbearable. hopefully, the other gembound would simply wander off away from him, but he wasn't counting on it.

---

notes : sorry this post is kind of lame i didn't want to assume her location and double post w/ a more direct attack w/o asking about it @magdalena

"speech" / thoughts

cat by benspark / table by wulf