Kin-Kin looked back at the pup, her gaze focused and looking mildly concerned. Did they expect her to roll around like that as well? She sure hoped not... that being said, she'd refuse if they did. It'd been a long time since she'd been a pup, and she didn't remember it that well (not that she wanted to) but she knew she hadn't been like this with older, larger creatures. Rolling around, lovey-doveying up against them... it was all strange to her. She'd never been asked exactly what she was before; she thought it odd that they were so curious.

"I am what I am, and I'm proud of that," Kin-Kin told them with a shrug of her shoulders. She didn't think it important enough to delve into any more.

She watched with a brow slightly raised as they stood up, placing a paw on her gem. She wished they'd asked to do that... she'd have to clean it now. After all, young ones weren't known for their grooming skills... Just as they declared what they could do, however, the pup retreated, whimpering and shivering into her side. Kin-Kin's glow dulled somewhat. "What's wrong?" it didn't strike her that they had been using a magic that was invisible to her and trying to flaunt it.

She guessed that they must have been afraid of the dark.

"Hold up, kiddo. I can make this sorry world light up again."

Kin-Kin raised her head away from them, focusing inwards on her gem; but this time, she was looking for something with less vanity and a little more... genuine feeling. Even if that feeling was just that she preferred Gemlings to be in awe rather than huddling up to her terrified.

For the first time, she was able to rip the light from her body, quickly that light taking the form of a glowing orb hanging over them. The light steadily grew in size and intensity, until it lit up a small area of the room around them and not just the feeble guidance that her glow alone had provided.

Kin-Kin felt that she could get used to this darkness. Pretty easily, in fact.

"There. Is that better, Kid?" she asked, turning so that she was looking down at the pup.


" speech "

@Astaroth

Astaroth looked up at her and shied away a little. "I... I have something I can do... if I touch something and concentrate on it.... I can see things that happened to it... your stone... it was scary... everything was so big... and I'm so weak... they could have killed me any time." Astaroth was shivering, seeing Kin-Kin's past reminded him just how weak he is, he looked at his paw, the toes of it slightly wider apart than the other paws' "I'm so weak... this stupid paw doesn't any of course" He laughed bitterly "I can't even walk a few feet without tripping or it sending pain through my leg because it hurts so much... I hate it... you're lucky, I probably won't even survive my first year." The pup had laid down and put his head between his paws. He was trying not to cry, to whine, to show that he had any weakness. He could control his voice but not his body language, he was shaking, he felt strung out. He looked at her with eyes tearing. "People think this world is perfect... if it was perfect I wouldn't be doomed. I have almost no-one... I try to act happy, like nothing is wrong... but... it's so lonely in these caves, I've met a few gembounds and they seem nice but I never even see them again... my only consistent friend is Tac and I haven't seen him in forever. I don't even know why I'm telling you this because why would you care?"

"Speech"
Thoughts
tags: @Kin-Kin
notes: here

Just so you know- Years aren't a thing in the caves! age is measured in cycles and because there's no sky, sun or day/night, the Gembounds have no sense of time other than their own ageing. @Astaroth

Kin-Kin was confused by this sudden change in tone. What had happened? they were happy just a few seconds ago! the confusion and uncertainty was clearly visible on the golden wolf's face. she definitely wasn't geared for this sort of thing and was half-tempted just to ditch, but that wouldn't feel good. Even just considering it didn't feel right. And besides, she felt like they'd just seen a side of her that she'd fought so hard to hide.

So, the wolf huffed out a sigh and raised up her head so that she was looking at the orb of light that floated above them. "Listen, Kid. Strength ain't a measure of how good you are. Strength is what you make of it." She breathed deeply, before finally turning her deep purple gaze back towards them. "Your paw doesn't matter if you find a way to get through it. It doesn't matter who you are, battling through he weakness is what measures true strength."

She coughed.

" Yo, don't tell anyone this, kid, but... When I was your age, I was helluva lot smaller than you are now. I was afraid. But I made a decision, and y'know what that decision was? I decided I was gonna be strong. I wasn't gonna let any fear get in my way. and I was scared. Yeah, 'course I was scared. scared I'd never be strong or that others would reject me. But you can't be strong if you ain't scared or weak at some point." Her violet gaze fixed on them, she waited for their reply. "...'Sides, it takes someone pretty awesome to force that outta me. You're the only gem in the caves to have heard that one, kid. And you always will be. Hah!"


" speech "

Astaroth sat up and looked at her, the gratitude of what she said clearly etched onto his features. He got up and walked in front of her, burying his face in her chest, "Thank you" He whispered, his voice cracking a little, he only wanted to hear that, not necessarily from her, but from anyone, the fact that she said it made it all the sweeter though. He whined a little and looked up at her, grinning. He licked her neck and looked into her eyes, wagging his tail, in the light of her fur the specks of violet in them contrasted with the blue, they showed as the same color as hers.

"Speech"
Thoughts
tags: here
notes: here

Kin-Kin's ears laid back as they buried their face in her chest. She didn't know quite what to say but rolled her eyes in the slightest up towards the orb of light hanging over them. When they started licking her neck though, she looked down at them, ears perking up. she opened her mouth to speak, telling them to stop messing up her fur... but then shut it again. A soft sigh whistled out from her nostrils.

"Don't mention it," Kin-Kin told them, flicking her tail so that her cape shifted at her back. She'd never had anyone look at her like this before, or be this close. quite uncomfortably so, in fact, but at the same time... a nice change. The wolf looked back at the adoring gaze of the pup, her expression calm and considering.

"Hey, Kid. Want something cool?"



" speech "

@Astaroth

Astaroth's ears perked up at this. His tail wagged even quicker than it had been. "Sure! What is it?" He was near jumping for excitement, nobody had given him anything before. He had had to trade or get anything he wanted himself. He looked at her imploringly, she could give him a piece of dirt and he would be grateful for it.

"Speech"
Thoughts
tags: here
notes: here

Kin-Kin looked around for the glowing blue gem she'd been carrying up until the pup had drawn her out of her thoughts. She'd made it herself, with magic; first, the gemstone from the rock beneath her paws, then a sprinkle of pride manifesting as her bright glow. She spotted it, only a heartbeat away, resting just within her reach. The wolf reached out, pawing it closer bit by bit, until she could pick it up in her jaws.

"See this gem? Pretty, ain't it?" She grinned at them and dropped the stone at their paws with a soft clink. "I made this, you know?"

An idea came to mind, and a grin toyed at the sides of her lips as she awaited their reaction.

" speech "

@Astaroth

Astaroth looked at the gem, then back at Kin and at the gem again. "You made this? How? And you want me to have it?" Astaroth was dumbfounded as to how she could make it and why she would give him something so precious. He grabbed it in his mouth and held it as he looked at her inquisitively. His gratitude showed in his eyes, he had been thinking of making a collection of gems and other valuable items. A veritable hoard inside the bone fortress he emerged in.

"Speech"
Thoughts
tags: @Kin-kin
notes: here

They responded in exactly the way she thought they would, causing the she-wolf to bare her pristine fangs in a grin. "Yes, I made it," She told them with her features bright in anticipation. "With magic, I can do anything." She was speaking matter-of-factly, without a trace of doubt in her mind.

"...on second thoughts, how about I just show you?" She directed a wink towards the pup, before reaching into her depths and for the magic inside of her. She found her centre, and then pushed the magic into the earth.

The earth at her paws shifted, trembling slightly, before a tiny hollow formed, in its centre leaving a small crystal, clear this time, beautifully refracting her golden glow.

Warm pride grew in her chest and she smiled at the pup, but she wasn't finished yet.

" speech "

@astaroth

Astaroth watched this display in wonder. How could anybody do that? He thought his powers were cool but his paled in comparison to hers. "How did you? What?" Astaroth was dumbfounded by this turn of events. His admiration for the wolf only grew as he watched them. He stared at the new gem formed out of the ground, seeing the colors made by the light refracted in it. "Wow" He said quietly.

"Speech"
Thoughts
tags: @Kin-kin
notes: here