Pale eyes glimmered beneath the light as Cancer and Makyna conversed. Lots of feelings tumbled out with their words. The boy continued to remain silent, acknowledging Cancer’s smile with a slight nod. He chose not to interject and let these two companions thrash it out themselves. The girl sought for answers in his eyes, clinging on to his words, but he had no more to offer her than the simple truths from everyday life. He was not a mind reader nor a fortune teller – he had learnt rock reading from Giggle, but was not intent on practising it on broken souls to offer an end point. If anything, he felt his calling in using words and simple truths to nudge others in the right direction, and encourage them to embark on the journey that would shape their future. The lioness accepted the rock, revelation having dawned on her. Usui smiled and lifted a paw to embrace Makyna in farewell. “Hope, Makyna. And, farewell…for now,” he called out to her in boyishly warm tones. The cub watched her pad away, and then turned to the black leopard cub. His voice returned to a neutral tone as he looked at him. “You black but not’ born of darkness” Here, he lifted a random pebble and tilted it such that half of it was covered in light, half in dark. “What do yu’ see.” The lion cub had known darkness in the fury of Aquarian, but being born into that experience had shown him the goodness of things as well. Looking at the black leopard which was remorseful, he felt that the cub could use a new perspective. With a gentle nudge, the boy sent the rock skidding over to Cancer’s side. ”You’r happy m’mory as well. Farewell.” Rather rude a goodbye but he knew that Cancer would not benefit from dilly dallying with him here.

Usui then moved away, found a couple of pebbles, and pushed them back to his spot.
He then awaited his next guest for his pebble stories.

Shadows settle on the place, that you left.
Our minds are troubled by the emptiness.
Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time.
From the perfect start to the finish line.
And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones.
'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.

It was, perhaps, a few hours later that Usui would be greeted by a new guest. She was tired, returning to Orion and then she would be going back to Pisces through her favorite tunnel... Today had been a long day, and it showed in how the tiny bird smelled a bit of blood and plantlife-- in fact, for once the bird did not smell of fresh running water but instead of a foreign place that had soaked into her after an impossibly long day.

Bevy couldn't help but stop when she saw a lion that looked a bit like Makyna. Normally, and in fact she already had, would fly past gembounds and head right home.. But this little one reminded her so much of her youth.. it wasn't that long ago, of course, but things had been so hectic she felt like she had already lived years in just a couple of weeks.

"Hello," the tiny bird peeped, wondering just what the cub was up to. Her wings tucked at her sides with an ache in their bones, completely worn out from her travels. She could use a break, she supposed... She had always loved felines. Not a single one had ever hurt her, at least on purpose, and she doubted they ever could. Cats were this pitohui's bird trusted, best friends.


Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette,
I'm a lifeless face that you'll soon forget,
And my eyes are damp from the words you left,
Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest.
Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest.
And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one,
'Cause most of us are bitter over someone.

A couple of hours ticked by. During this period, the lion cub was left to his own devices. Thus, he had gathered a couple more pebbles to draw memories upon. Also, he had caught himself mice to fill his belly, and had taken the opportunity to practice his drawing skills on a couple more rocks, careful to rotate the claws so that they didn’t get grinded down. By now, the young lion was surrounded by a number of decent rocks and pebbles, most of which were blank for guests. The boy was certain that more visitors would travel through the tunnel.

Patience was bountiful in this youth. He knew that things came with time, and so did his guests. Soon, he spotted a bird flying in wearily. She wore a plumage of bright colours contrasted against black and was quite the pretty thing. "Hey y’self. I’m Usui.” The rogue called back, his voice coarse and boyish. Her bright beady eyes fell upon his work. The cub was delighted, she seemed willing to take part in what he was doing. Shifting his head, Usui looked around for a suitable rock. Something not too heavy for the little bird. Piles of uneven ones…there! The boy cast his green eyes upon a rather small, smoothed out piece with a rather shiny surface. Surely birds liked shiny things too! "Take that shiny pebble over there, and I’ll show you something.” What the “something” was, the boy did not say. It depended on what Bevy would choose to draw later on.

Bevy would have smiled had her features allowed her to, but instead she could only do a slow, relaxed cat-like blink of 'I trust you', hopping a bit closer. She tilted her head at the boy and his rocks, curious to find out just what he was up to. He pointed out a shiny, smooth rock without any scratches, in contrast to the unusually marked ones he had.

"My name is Bevy, or Enna, if you prefer," she told him in quiet tones, privately wishing that Ratchie or even Calypso had come out instead of her, but no one wanted to take helm of a tired birdie. She wondered if the cub would question her two names, but she didn't think about it too hard. "Sure," she peeped, grabbing the stone and bringing it over to the cub, placing the shiny pebble between the pair. "Did you make all those marks on the others? It reminds me of a carving I know..."

She wondered if he had seen the carving in the tunnel by Eridanus, the one she had helped grow moss on... Perhaps that was where he got the idea? It was actually quite an interesting little hobby for a young lion to have. Bevy had certainly been caught in his little web, curiosity pricking at her feathers.

The cub listened to the bird as she spoke and nodded as she gave him her names. Usui felt it odd that her second name did not remotely resemble the former, but brushed it off as an after-thought. Maybe she simply had to go by two names, or conveyed different identities to different gembounds. The boy would not have his work disrupted by this anyway. He looked at her with an approving smile as she brought him the pebble. "Hmm?” he chuffed as she questioned him. "Ye’ I did those.” He looked at her curiously as he responded to her second question. "No I did’ this today. Discovered it ‘ere. Dis…drawing. Where’d you see ‘em before?” Usui was curious to hear more about what this bird had to say. Perhaps with her ability of flight, she had seen more than she did.
He waited for her answer, then proceeded to begin this session. "Use yer’ claws. Draw somethin’ on tha’ rock. Show me…your feelings. What makes you happy. I draw too.” The boy himself grabbed a rock and scratched his mental landscape. Slowly, a tree appeared. The tree was old, it had many rings around it, and it reached towards the sun. He kept the pebble in his paws, waiting for Bevy to show him her story if she was willing.

"Ah, hm... I could give you directions. It's a while away from here. There's a giant old carving on the wall, covered in lichen," she explained shortly. "It's been there for longer than anyone can remember. You can find it in the tunnel just outside Eridanus, between Polaris and Orion.."

Bevy was a collector of rocks, of gemstones. It had been a beautiful idea by Ratchie, to collect crystals that symbolized each of them... They had been planning to use those rocks to explain each facet of their personality to... Well, Cancer, maybe. She wasn't sure. Time never seemed to give her the chance-- there was always something.

And she slowly went to work, scratching at the stone until she had changed its surface to a simple picture of a waterfall. Everyone seemed so curious to know what made her happy, it was almost funny. First Dark, now this little one... But she supposed that was alright. She enjoyed sharing what made her happy.

Right now, Bevy found she couldn't depict Cancer or Leon or Makyna, not even Dark or anyone else she held dear. The waterfall suited what she felt well enough. She scribbled a loose set of lines, a "M" and "W", symbols that she thought were close to what Maji Walezi was-- there was another symbol for her group, but it was much to hard for her to draw... She could hardly get the "M" right-- it looked more like an "N" in all honesty-- her talons scratching lines with a bit of difficulty. It was hard to make it precise-- she was glad she stuck to something simple... just a waterfall, quick, loose lines.

When she finished, she nudged it over to Usui using her beak. "How's this?" She offered, her voice sweet and gentle, loving.

“Thanks,” the boy replied gratefully as the Birb gave him directions. “I’ll head there tomorrow.” He was hatching a plan in his mind. If this place had carvings and other ancient things, he could learn from them! This pleased the boy immensely. And now, Bevy was done with her little carving. He watched her patiently as her little mind worked and then passed him the rock, her little question placed with such warm, friendly tones that the boy could not help but warm up to her.

The drawings were rather different from what he had seen. The scratches were vague, and the boy was unable to fully make out the shapes - or rather, accurately determine the shapes for he had yet to see some of the features in his very youthful life. Overall, it seemed to connote water to him based on the crooked lines Also, he did not know what the M and W was, for he had yet to learn how to write, or even know what it was. The boy cleared his throat and looked brightly at Bevy. He loved it when he could learn from someone. They were all teachers of each other. ”What’s this, Bevy? Water?” He looked at her curiously and waited her reply.

Bevy nestled down where she stood, her fluffy, brilliant red down covering her black talons, her bright eyes closing as she drifted away, remembering her home. The place she had found her best friend, the place she called home at the request of his simple, gentle words. Her feathers ruffled as she wriggled into place, eventually looking down at the small disc that she had scribbled upon.

"This is my home. There's a beautiful place made of stone and moss, soft and damp, always welcoming with the rumbling of great, cascading water from the waterfall that dominates the middle. It was here that I met my best friend, a lovely gembound with a heart too big, too bold and courageous for his own temper. His name is Cancer, and he is kind and caring, maybe too much. He's passionate, I'll give him that. I'd follow him anywhere. He made our home a place for gembounds to feel safe, a place where anyone could come and find a family." She paused, but only for a moment, shaking her head. Things were much too complicated with that boy, that foolish, eager little leopard.

"I have a lot of things that make me happy, but I find they all come back to the waterfall, to Maji Walezi... That's the name of our family, see? I'm their Guardian, their protector. I watch from up high, make sure nothing bad happens... And my friends know that they can always come home to feel safe, which.. Which is what makes me happy. That I can at least do that for them, even when they don't have anything else. When they're fighting and..." Her voice trailed off, faltering, remembering how her whole world was coming undone. Leon... Why did he have to grow so distant? Ky was struggling, and it was hurting Cancer... She didn't even know how Midas felt about the whole thing, or the others...

"So, um, that's what makes me happy. My family. Being able to keep my family safe... Safe and happy."

(Just pretend this happened before Bevy came in, I wanna post a proper exit XD)

Makyna's sad smile only broke his heart more. Cancer closed his eyes as she approached and leaned into the touch, half-lidded gaze opening to stare back, defeated and tired. She thanked him- no, please don't - and promised to find Leon - please don't go - and to find herself along the way. don't leave me! She pressed into his fur and he closed his eyes tight, relishing the feeling of her close, praying it wouldn't be the last time. She said she loved him, and would be home soon... but as she moved away, please no he wondered if she'd really be back.

He watched her go silently, frozen emotionally for that long, too long, moment. He wanted to follow her, to be by her side again, to keep her close. He wanted to protect her from the world, from everything, that childish protective nature pushing him forward- but he sat still as stone. He didn't move until he felt the rock bounce against his paw, and he turned those shell-shocked eyes to the cub- oh right, he wasn't alone here.

Something about happy memories, not 'born of darkness'. Cancer scorned the cub in his mind, thinking him silly to say such things. He didn't know. In that moment, Cancer knew nothing else. He did, however, pick up the pebble and place it in his bag for safe keeping- if only to be polite. Then, most stiffly, he walked the other way, towards home.

"Come by Pisces sometime, kid. You'll be welcome there." Those last words were spoken with a dry tone, despite the overwhelming hurt in the boy's chest. Once out of sight, out of the tunnel, he'd run head-long for home. He didn't want the reminders of her, not now, but at least there, he knew, he'd find himself amongst friends.

-Exit Cancer-

ooc: no prob @ cancer

The boy found himself smiling as the bird described her home perfectly. He could envision Pisces in his head with all its glory. He looked at the little bright bird and took a liking to her. She was so warm, and spirited and had a rare compassion in her. ”You've a bright future 'n a good ha'rt," he spoke rumbled in low, boyish tones. ”Keep tha' hope bright, Bevy" He smiled, and pushed the pebble towards her gently. It was a present for her, and it was lightweight. She could easily grip onto it using her beak, or talon. It had been a long time since the boy had connected with someone who understood what being a guardian was. It was unselfish in love and protected fiercely - even if it were just a stranger.

The boy cupped his pebble and showed Bevy his drawing of the scraggly plant reaching for the sun. ”Tha' me. Someday, I'll reach there." He grinned boyishly then, looking like the cub he should be at his tender age. Maybe his old soul had not yet grown too accustomed to this youthful body.

It had been quite a couple of hours and the boy wanted to find a comfortable corner to rest. Slowly, he shifted his rough sketches to a corner and attempted to shatter them. They broke into incoherent pieces. The boy would commit these memories to his head till he had gotten a place to store them. The cub got to his feet now. ”I'm going to travel Bevy. Take care and cya birb." He then picked up his own pebble and walked away, tail swinging behind him. It had been quite an eventful day and the name "Leon" danced in his mind.

-exit Usui-