Deciding to travel out of Cetus so soon, was not a smart idea, why did she choose to do this? Sure the incident with that monstrous-bat thing scared the life out of Pippy. An understatement that, she went into a panic attack seeing how it tried to kill her, and Pippy just didn't that safe anymore in Cetus, not to add it was just too cold for her liking for it ever to be comfortable enough there. She prefers to be warm personally, and so she gave exploring out a little try while practising to fly, room for improvement on her flying but still. Pippy honestly didn't have a plan when she decided this; she just followed wherever the air felt warmer, didn't recount her steps or anything to help her potentially return to Cetus in case she couldn't find a very slit den that a large Gembound couldn't fit. And now she is hopelessly lost... She's in the middle of some unknown tunnel that has too much open space for comfort. Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea-!

Wait... It looks misty ahead as Pippy saw at the end of this tunnel there was a hazy cloud curtaining the room ahead of Pippy. I-Is that Cetus!? Pippy felt so relieved; she feared she'd be lost in these tunnels forever until another monstrous-bat thing successfully managed to catch and kill her, although this passage still felt warm and she knows Cetus is about the opposite of that. Confusing, but maybe a change like that can happen? She hopes so, be nice for her den to be safe and cosy at the same time. Filled with glee Pippy leapt upwards, managing to flap her wings, and picked herself off the ground as she bolted for what seems like the entrance to Cetus, feeling more warmer inwardly from her relief that she has found her home. It wasn't long till she reached the end of this tunnel and was amid this billowing mist the air feeling a lot warmer now.

H-Hold on... This isn't Cetus. Looking around a bit with narrowed eyes to see her surroundings a little better, hoping to at least encounter anything that looked familiar such as some trees or maybe even that one stream that she uses as her drinking ground. However there was nothing recognisable at all, this room doesn't have trees, just one large pool of water, that was immaculate. The warm, pearly mist no longer felt as cosy now as it rolled around her silently, offering nothing that would help comfort her on how lost and scared she is right now.

Still, she manages to fly over to one of the islands that are floating amongst this room, thinking she'll be safer not realising there is such a thing as a Gembound that can swim. But still, she tries to remember the path she took in hopes of being able to get back to Cetus safely, all the while she repeatedly looks frantically around her surroundings, and occasionally checked to see if there was anything behind her. However, she didn't glimpse in the water, for Pippy didn't know of Gembounds that spend their time swimming and was unaware that there was something in the water depths swimming very close to the island she is resting.


@Iris

The moment she slipped from her inky black chrysalis into clear waters, Iris most definitely had to re-explore her surroundings. She had been asleep for so long that reality had slipped from her like one would forget a dream upon waking up. One thing remained static in her mind, the fervently flickering image of her closest friend. Beckoning for her to find any trace of him. Every search came up blank, even of any others. It had been far too long since any wandered into the bath. Perhaps it was fortunate, considering the leviathan lurking in the depths. Perhaps he was the reason why nobody was left. Greed consumed wholly until there was nothing left.

Yet, by some miracle sent by an unknown force, came the gentle flutter of wings. Awake and alert near the surface, the cotton candy dragon started slightly, instinctively slipping beneath the glassy plane much like an alligator. Iridescent eyes followed the absolutely minute shape fluttering against the ceiling. She slunk through the water easily, almost like a serpent through the depths. Already almost possessive of whatever small creature had wandered into Fornax, she absolutely sought to see if it was a Greater or not.

The crown of her head bobbed up in the smooth waters, again much like an alligator. "Hi!" She clicked softly, approaching the tiny creature on the island. "I'm Iris! I eat fish and only fish." Going back to basics, it seemed. Good-naturedly, she sent up a small, misty spray of water through her blowhole. Also, to clear her senses and take in a breath.

@Pippy

OK OK, maybe just take the path where the air feels cold? It's the only way he can get by with to return to Cetus. But he doesn't want to go back right away when it is probably freezing, now that he feels warm, at the same time being out in open space where something can quickly get him is not something he's comfortable with, much rather just be safe in the den despite the cold temperatures. He, however, wants to plan this out more, as he fears he's going to get lost again it took him ages to even get here nevermind trying to find a room that's cold. From his exploration, it seems to be quite a few of the caves temperatures is a little below warm this one is the exception.

Pippy noticed that the still water was a little restless, the waves made the water level around the island stir up and down like a tide. Looking at the water's surface a bit surprised on their reflection at first thinking it was another bat, but he realised it wasn't when he dipped one of his wings in the water, his body taking in more of the cosy warmth from doing that. But with him concentrating he could make out a large shadow in the water, which perplexed little Pippy that was until to his terror a rather large head emerged from the film of the water's surface and was coming towards him. This causes him to let out a gasp, seeing a Gembound swim was foreign to him and it made him paranoid that big Gembounds can also be lurking in the water shallows, quietly following him.

He held his breath to stop himself from letting out a yelp or whimper, his fur was standing on ends though and he is once again shaking like a leaf that seems to be his default reaction when feeling fear even if he's trying to hide it.

"He-Hello." He says very quietly even for his little voice, and it was soon right by Pippy. An introduction...? "I-I'm Pippy." trying his best to be friendly himself, hoping he won't upset it that would justify an attack. B-But...

"W-What are f-fish?" that's a new thing to hear, but a horrifying thought crossed his head "A-A-A-Am I an f-f-fish?" He managed to choke that question out, Pippy knows he's a bat, but he could be named something else by other Gembounds. With this terrifying possibility, he tried to back away a little, prepared to flee right away if Iris says he is a fish. But he stopped his backing away when they looked in complete fascination when Iris somehow made some waterspout from their head. How did Iris do that?

@Iris

The moment a little fear displaced the bat, Iris felt quite a bit of shame rise up in her. She had managed to forget that some were quite intimidated by creatures as large as she was. Perhaps she wasn't as awfully intimidating as the monster lurking in the deeper parts of the bath, but she could be a contender. It was by some miracle the itty bitty Greater didn't flutter away in the next instant. The air was not a realm she could easily reach. But she could easily make friends! Blinking at the name, she smiled eagerly with her eyes. "I like Pippy!" She chirped, mitts eagerly kneading the gravel beneath her, head bobbing up and down slightly.

Pippy, her newly-proclaimed friend, voiced concern at being a fish to be eaten, which Iris hoped to quickly dash across the ground. "Fish are finny—like in the water!" She slipped forwards a little and warbled, "they can't talk like us, though." Scrutinizing the little bat, she shook her head and destroyed all suspicious in a fell swoop. "You're not a fish! You look like a little dragon! Big wings!" Just like Khoridai and like Valentine—both mysteriously disappeared. "I'm a little jealous," she appended, arching her back a little to show her lack of wings. All there was to show was a great big dorsal fin. Almost equally impressive.

@Pippy

Pippy continued to stare up at Iris, still terrified of them, as she's waiting for their answer on whether Pippy is a fish herself. Slowly scooting back just a little, for until Pippy knows for sure Iris doesn't think she's a fish, Iris' proximity to the small bat is somewhat discomforting as of right now.Good thing that another Gembound bigger than Iris didn't come, if Pippy even knew of such a one in the water's depths, she would be out of here right about now. But when Iris looked at her with a happy expression of sorts with their eyes, did make Pippy a relax a bit, Iris' happy look just seemed to give off a relaxed and pleasant vibe in a way, especially when they remarked to liking Pippy.

"Y-You do?", Iris does seem happy to see someone like Pippy; she does look to be a friendly one, Pippy almost felt a bit flustered over someone liking her so quickly, that she started to tug at some of her furs with her wing gently, and avoided eye contact for a brief moment.

O-Oh, so fish swim, and are 'finny'? Pippy feels a bit more comfortable, as that doesn't sound like her, especially since she just discovered now that some Gembounds could swim. Pippy still backs away a little more though, when Iris comes a bit closer since she isn't fully certain that she isn't a fish. Pippy backs away more when Iris did mention that fish can't talk, like the two of them can, especially since Pippy isn't too good at speaking, her voice often can't be heard well. However from the sounds of it 'fish' sound like Lesser Gembounds, so when she found that Iris' gaze appears to be concentrating on Pippy, she tried to let them see her Gem. As seeing her Gem will probably show to them that Pippy's a Greater, trying her best to stay still when Iris' gaze was analysing Pippy, for a couple of seconds. But Pippy finally lets the tension in her shoulders ease, when Iris finally confirmed that she is not a fish, oh that's good then. Phew...

"Little dragon?", She wonders what a dragon is. Still, she spreads her wings out to show to Iris, now completely comfortable with her presence here, even if her size was intimidating to Pippy. "Oh, y-you are?", She softly giggled a little at that, a bit unusual that someone would be jealous of Pippy, she almost wants to say to Iris that the little one is jealous of how big they are, but she left it unsaid. She looks in more childlike fascination as Pippy saw Iris' fin, never actually seen one before.

"H-Hi then Iris. Looks cool actually." Pippy is more willing to be open now, the whole being a fish thing is out the window of her mind now.

@Iris