---


The young owl nodded his head though with a slight upwards curve of his beak he added, "Practicing correctly, makes perfect." No need practicing the wrong thing over and over again, it would only result in failure each time.

The glimmer in Gabirel's gemstone was like a bright beacon for the owlet and his night-specialized eyes. He wondered if the sparkle had to do with Gabriel calling upon his own magic and in a fit of curiosity he couldn't keep himself quiet. "Your gemstone is sparkling. Are you using magic? What form of it do you possess?" What secrets did his fellow knight hold? He needed to know them all. How lucky was he to have such a close relationship with one as interesting and intelligent as his own brethren?

"Oh?" He asked in relations to Gabriel's admittance to him in wanting to know more as well. It did seem as if the tiny canine had an interest in the same things that he himself did. It was absolutely fantastic. "I concur. Perhaps there are like-minded individuals like us in these caves that won't let emotions rule them on their pursuit to knowledge, I am curious to know this, but for the time being perhaps we should conduct our own studies." Where they knew they wouldn't have to worry about someone getting angry or suddenly distressed. He lifted one wing to indicate the opening to Canis that yawned behind them. "I was not able to study much before but perhaps now we can begin our first project. If that would please you, Gabriel?" It was quite sudden but he wasn't one to let opportunities pass, he hadn't completely looked over his rat before and would be very happy to get his claws on another specimen, perhaps a mouse or a lesser gembound bird to study and see if there were any differences or similarities in it and the other he had dissected. It would also be good to let Gabriel see what was inside since he lacked the dexterous and sharp talons of the owl.


---

345 | notes | @Gabriel

"Talking!"
Thinking...

Gabriel smirked up at Tacitus and bowed its head in a nod. It was as though the pup was admitting defeat having been bested in its own game. "That too, of course. But if one never fails, how is one to learn how not to?" Gabriel bared its teeth up at Tacitus in a grin. "But I digress."

Feeling the bacterial matter flickering over Tacitus' skin may have been enough to make some creatures' skin crawl, but Gabriel was simply fascinated by the presence. It knew that this was its manifestation of magic, but what exactly it was capable of, whether good or bad, it had much to learn. For now, Gabriel decided that a small experiment or two was in order, whilst it had the golden opportunity. "I'm going to try something that we will both learn from," Gabriel told Tacitus. "For good or bad, tell me how this feels."

However, as Gabriel focused in on its gem, the pup was unable to feel anything outside its senses. no matter how it tried to urge the tiny beings the magic simply wouldn't comply to its will, and Gabriel felt no surge of power as it hoped to. "Notoriouslyy unreliable, as I say." Looking up at Tacitus, Gabriel did not seem surprised or annoyed. Whilst the magic would have helped, it wasn't... essential. "My magic deals with another form of life that resides in and around us all. What these strange... unseen life forms do, I have yet to discover, but I aim to find out soon enough."

"Whilst I have yet to grow used to what the entirety of this world has to offer, I can offer you my hunting skills. In my travels, I've had to learn how to feed myself. Just cave mice so far, but hopefully that won't always be the case." The pup gave a nod, looking over the owlet. with their lack of functioning flight feathers or four limbs for speed... and especially now, the wounded leg, Gabriel guessed that hunting would be no easy task. "with my speed and your talons, we will be able to learn far more." At the notion of conducting their own studies, Gabriel paused to consider; the duo would almost certainly be able to cover more ground that way. They would later be able to meet and share their findings, and so on. Gabriel bowed its head in acknowledgement and agreement.

"Yes, of course! That sounds simply perfect. A brilliant opportunity!" Gabriel's tail wagged from side to side and for a moment, it looked almost as though the pup was ordinary, emotion driven- just as newborns ought to be.


"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Tacitus
notes: here

---


Try something? So it appeared that he would be the subject for this little experiment. The owl nodded his head and extended his leg once more, not knowing if it would help or not. Tacitus waited patiently for his fellow to do whatever it was that he'd plotted but... nothing happened. His head tilted curiously to the side until the tiny dog admitted that he'd tried magic once more but apparently had failed the spell. With an "ah" he tucked the limb back underneath him. Unreliable or not he knew magic was something they'd both have to delve into and practice. "Interesting. Once you learn more, please, I would love to hear about these 'unseen life forms'." It intrigued him to no end that there were things in the world that were living but yet unseen. Would they ever be able to see them beyond the uses of magic? It made him shiver with anticipation. There was even more to this world than he thought!

"That will be more than enough for now. I am very grateful for what you can offer me, Gabriel." For the time being it was perfect, he could hardly hunt more than bugs himself and the little dog's help, even with just mice, would be perfect. In time surely they could find others larger than themselves to help hunt or perhaps they'd find their own means to snag something bigger. "We will combine our strengths then, together we will learn far more than we ever would alone." Spoken almost like a creed as he turned towards the Canis entrance. He assumed that there would be mice aplenty in there, ones they could grab and study to their heart's content. From what he had seen of hunting it looked easy enough so long as you had the correct assets.

Happy that his study partner was ecstatic with the idea just as he was the owl grinned, or did something close to it with the slight upwards curve of the corners his beak. "Excellent!" This day couldn't have gone better! He wondered what secrets lay within the bodies of one of those scurrying creatures. "Shall we?"


---

359 | continue within canis? | @Gabriel

"Talking!"
Thinking...

Gabriel watched the owl redraw back their limb so that it was folded beneath them. Bit by bit, Gabriel's touch with those omnipresent beings in the tiny area around them was wearing thin, however Gabriel was still determined to get something out of this. Some new knowledge that would benefit it in the long term. "And you will do the same, yes? A favour for a favour." Gabriel gazed at Tacitus expectantly and, in accordance with the unseen, began to turn its gaze inwards, finally losing its grip on its senses. Whilst trying again may have seemed foolish to some, when would Gabriel again be able to find a willing test subject? this was the perfect moment.

This time, Gabriel felt its senses once more well up- this time it felt the numbers swelling, within itself it knew, but whether it was in them- it couldn't tell. Its power surged and crown once more glistened. "This feels... different. I have triggered something else. How do you feel?"

The puppy paused to listen to their words as the halo of gold around their head slowly lost its golden glow. "As am I. I'm glad we crossed paths this way." the pup gave a knowing smile, and nodded in response to their words. "Of course, and at a far more efficient pace as well, I daresay. Research can be slow when there is no-one to shoulder some of the burden." it was true of anything, in truth; gathering items, for example. However, it could be equally beneficial to be working alongside a being with completely different skillsets. Oftentimes, that could be even more beneficial, except in select situations.

In response to their clear eagerness, Gabriel simply had to comply, and quickly raised itself to its paws, ears pricking to alertness. "Of course. let me go ahead- I'll try to find a mouse. Make preparations." Gabriel turned its back on the owl without so much as a second thought, and trotted towards the entrance to Canis, the clicking of its claws echoing back throughout the tunnel.

-exit gabriel-

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Tacitus
notes: here