Kielo nibbled tentatively at a patch of grass as they pondered recent events. They were lying on their belly, paws folded beneath their chest, with feathered tail curled around their avian haunches. They chewed slowly with their tongue not really processing the taste, lost too deep in thought. The hybrid's ears twitched slowly around, listening to the distant rippling of the crystal river, and the comforting hum of the lights that had been gone for far too long. It was easy to tell, now, where they were in relation to other areas of the cave.

They smelled familiar cool stone and soil rising from the nearby world, as well as the stale scents of Gembounds who'd passed nearby this same trail. Although Kielo would have loved to meet one of them, they knew from the scents that that such an opportunity was long gone.

All the while, Winter's consciousness rested in the back of their mind, gently nestled like an egg in a nest, held close to their heart like a treasured memory. Occasionally, the hybrid would reach out, letting her emotions soothe their own with the comfort that she was always there, before withdrawing back into their own thoughts. Had the hybrid really felt sight back there? It was so wonderful... like nothing they could ever imagine. A melancholy, the likes of which that Kielo had never felt before, had set in. Kielo felt that they would have been better off never knowing what they were missing out on, but... there was no way that they could take it back. And it had been so beautiful; why would they want to?

And this bond with Winter, the source of the image burned into their brain, was something that they wouldn't have given up for the world. Although they worried that sometimes they'd watch too closely or listen too hard, Kielo reveled in the newfound company, knowing they they'd never feel lonely with her around.

Subconsciously, Kielo grasped the flower's core in their paw, small, glistening pearl feeling warm against their scales. They sighed in quiet relief that it was still there.



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

tags: @Kesil (and potentially @Winter over their mental bond)
notes: here

SOON, I BACK. That was the last thing they had said before leaving Carni and their noodle-kin in their dust after a swift power nap.

Hopefully, their father knew that his children had a penchant for seeping into the woodwork — running off into the boonies to explore. Unlike most baby birds, who refused to leave the nest for fear of abandoning the sweet safety a parent offered, Kesil was eager to spread their wings (proverbial and literal) right from the beginning. Canis was a chamber of intrigue, but so were the many other caves. What better way to explore and chart than to begin at the far end and work towards home? A plan to make Bremen proud, that's for sure. Perhaps, even their father! Oh, they could see the joy on his face already. Joy at the caves being mapped for all to see, lathered in pretty colors so that reading wasn't a requirement. Kesil, to be honest, wasn't quite sure what reading even was, but they disliked it already.

What they did like was the fact that there was already another Gembound in their line of sight. Target locked, the enormous noodle slinked over to the creature, clicking their beak and teeth together as they chuffed in greeting. Like it was the most normal thing in the world, Kesil flopped down at the other hybrid's side, still eliciting the faintly sneeze-like sounds of excitement before emitting a rising squeal of excitement at the flower their company seemed to be holding. Without much conscious thought, they began to gesture wildly. NICE. BALL SHINE.

@Kielo

Kielo was drawn out of their unusually melancholy mood by the sound of movement. The sound of paws against the ground was soon accompanied by a clacking sound, as well as an excited chuffing. Kielo swallowed their mouthful of grass and clambered to their paws, sniffing at the air whilst swivelling their ears rapidly in order to determine the newcomer's exact location. The sound portrayed excitement, and their wings fluttered wildly against their back as they hopped up to meet the supposed new friend.

"Oh, hello!" Kielo crooned, a gentle sound halfway between the crooning of a bird and the whine of a wolf. They paused in close proximity of the other creature and snuffled around them to work out the shape of their body and the type of creature they were, long tail fluffing at their back. Kielo had never smelled or heard anything like them before! How exciting! Though the hybrid's empty gaze flickered wildly in excitement, they appeared to look right through the creature they were sniffing. They could hear something like them flailing wildly, but Kielo perceived that as excitement. they started hopping themselves, their company infectious.

"What's your name? Can you talk? I'm Kielo!" they cawed, wings flaring and fluffing. They leaned in close, trying to rub their face against a part of the other creature, should they allow it. They wanted to know what they felt like, how warm they were,whether they had scales or fur or feathers. They wanted to feel the other's heartbeat, so comforting and wonderful inside.


_________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Kesil
notes: here

They felt all of their excitement condense into one fiery ball of joy as the stranger seemed just as happy. Kesil, chuffing eagerly at the tail fluffing behind their newly acquired friend. Focusing on greetings, they had yet to notice that they were being spoken to. All they could hear was the faint buzz of magic running thicky in the air. They imagined the sounds they were making as they shuffled around their friend. At the first friendly contact, the noodle quite literally exploded into another fit of glee, burying their beak-mouth in those oh-so-soft head feathers.

It was only thanks to the extremely close quarters that Kesil even acknowledged speech and they arched their neck back to look into pale, blank eyes. Tilting their head, they tried to draw the conclusion of introductions. Reaching up and patting their ears, they shook their head. Immediately, Kesil's feathers lowered from their fluffed up position and they crooned sadly. They traced their cheekbone with their right talons, DEAF. Because the poor child had yet to really notice that their new companion was handicapped in their own way.

@Kielo

Kielo allowed themselves to be absorbed into the other's excitement, flooding through them in a save of excited noises. The hybrid allowed their own feathers to stand on end and rustle excitedly, feathery plume of a tail rustling against the ground, each foreleg lifting rapidly in turn, like they jogged on the spot. the feeling of the beaked maw burying itself in their feathers caused them to open their jaws and grin wildly. Though, as they listened to their excited chuffs, unresponsive to their words, Kielo found themselves growing curious. The hybrid briefly wondered with a thrill of worry if they'd said something wrong.

But then the feeling of the large head raising away from them, and their sad croon caused Kielo to perk to attention, pausing into stillness as ears lowered sadly. It struck them at that moment; a revelation that... although it wasn't quite right, helped them to understand, even if only a little. "O-oh! You can't talk?" Kielo asked softly, in a voice that was full of concern and care. The blind hybrid closed their eyes for a while in consideration, their ears twitching vaguely to more sounds of rustling feathers and movements. Kielo whined slightly, assuming by the sound they made that they could understand, but not respond. That made sense, right? the hybrid opened their eyes again, though still appeared to stare ahead, before slowly and carefully turning their face towards where the sounds came from.

They'd never met a Gembound who couldn't talk before, but they would hate to miss out on the opportunity to make friends with such a nice creature; or anyone, for that matter. In addition, their difficuties meant they were similar, in a way; like them, Kielo was born lacking something that others seemed to take for granted in everyday life. They knew how it felt! So surely, they would make amazing friends! Kielo would just have to find a way around this dilemma. But it wasn't impossible, right? "L-looks like I'm gonna have to do most of the talking then, huh? I-is that okay? oh... uh, I'm b-blind, too so... j-just keep doing what you're doing!" Then Kielo perked up. "Isn't that funny?"


_________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Kesil
notes: here

Talk about a meeting going bittersweet. Trying desperately to read lips (unfamiliar, seeing as they never quite had the opportunity to see how they work when words are sounding) Kesil shook their head at their friend's worry and smiled. Reaching up, they patted at the other hybrid's ears, marvelling at how soft they were for a moment. Trying their damndest, they murmured quietly, a vague, broken "no hear" resounding from their beak-mouth. It was the best they could do. Lowering their head just before Kielo continued to speak, they put their ear up to the other's mouth, listening intently. Through time and effort, they had figured out that words could be heard. Just, many didn't seem to want to bother with taking the time.

The buzz of Polaris would make it difficult but they could try.

"Blind?" It was one of the few words they picked up over the low hum of magicka, but it was intriguing enough to start a conversation on its own. "No... see?" Judging by the blank eyes and unresponsiveness to their signs, Kesil had to assume yes. Quite a dilemma. A communication barrier they'd just have to try their hardest to overcome. Life was not without such challenges, even if the hybrid was more well-versed in physical challenges than social challenges. They were already ostracized by nature itself. At least, they found someone to share this with. A new friend!

@Kielo

Kielo twitched their ears in response to their new friend's gentle touch, tilting their head slightly to push their cheek into the other hybrid's paw. Their ears stilled, pricking up, and dissecting the other's broken words. It took a moment of thinking, but a look of surprise and understanding crossed their face, as well as a touch of embarrassment. "O-oh!" Kielo hoped that their earlier understanding hadn't offended them! But now they understood why they kept hearing their movements so clearly.

The canine hybrid carefully licked one of their ears as they leaned in close to understand, waiting patiently. They understood the difficulties, and would be more than happy to repeat things. Kielo, despite having different difficulties, understood the need for patience; in fact, they'd never left Polaris in all of their life, taking all the time in the world to learn this place before moving to unfamiliar tracks. "Blind," they affirmed, raising their voice carefully as they nodded vigorously, trying to make the pronunciation as obvious as they could. At their next question, Kielo raised a paw and waved it past their muzzle, trying to demonstrate that they couldn't see it, whilst shaking their head. It was a clumsy attempt at a mime, but they wanted to show that they'd do their best to make themselves understood.

Satisfied, Kielo dropped their paw back onto the ground and tried to think what to say. they fluttered their wings to try and get the other hybrid's attention, leaning upwards towards their face, jaws open in a display that they wanted to speak. The hybrid then placed their paw on their chest, gesturing. "Kie-lo," they introduced, trying their hardest to make each syllable count. They flared their wings and hopped in apparent excitement. "Kie-lo!"

Kielo hoped it wouldn't be impolite trying to introduce themselves; this was a new experience for probably both of them. But they wanted to be able to put a name to a voice, or a feeling. It would be even more impolite to assume they didn't have a name, right? Everyone had the right to a name, even if they couldn't hear it.

Kielo then gestured with a pink paw towards where they hoped the other hybrid still stood, cocking their head questioningly.



_________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Kesil
notes: here