"We'll see about that!" the young Gembound said, part playfully and part with as much seriousness as Envy. Their mind turned to another topic, just as quickly as it had turned to the first.

"So, if you're a king, does anybody else follow you?" they asked.

@Envy

Envy squinted at the bird for a moment, a challenge in their eyes. "I'm sure we will," they said, and in that moment were half-tempted to cast another spell- blow them away with something visually stunning, or in a literal sense with their recently-learned energy spells. The bird's piddly little noise didn't hold a candle to a literal black hole!

Luckily, their next question distracted the weasel before they did anything rash. And luckily, the question provided yet another opportunity to boast. "Of course there are! There are loads! creatures big and small and all of them will make me stronger, and I'll make them stronger!" Envy shuddered with glee. "I'm the leader of a whole group! or... I will be, when Reseda finds the right gems for me. There are four right now; Reseda, Pride, Lust- who's a little bird too- and you."




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

tags: @Heart-song
notes: here

"Reseda's a weird name- all the other names are words and stuff but then there's Reseda. Why're they collecting gems for you? Do gemstones help you with spells?"

They thought of the last name, Lust. "Oooh, another bird!" Suffice to say, the cockatiel was interested. "What are they like? Are they nice? Can I make friends with them?" Another friend to talk to would certainly be nice- after all, the only creature they had met in the caves so far was Envy, and although they were pretty awesome, the Gembound wanted to explore and meet more creatures.

@Envy

"I suppose it is. Reseda named Lust and Pride. I think she was trying to copy off of my name, secretly. I named myself." Envy lowered their voice as they talked about Reseda copying off of their naming aesthetic. But it quickly returned to their usual volume. "Not just the rocks! Gembounds, like me or you. Living, breathing, talking gems to follow me."

Envy thought that this newborn and Lust would get along. they were both tirelessly optimistic, eager to please, and seemed good at compliments. Just the kind of follower Envy liked to have. "I'm sure you'll get along with Lust, she's a lot like you. Who knows? maybe you could even share her nest. For warmth, or... something." It'd certainly be easier to keep an eye on the pair of them in that case.



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

tags: @Heart-song
notes: here

Their eyes widened. "Oooohh. So Reseda gets more Gembounds for you to lead. I see!" Any king needed a bunch of followers, just like any teacher needed a bunch of students. There was a pause as she thought for a moment, considering Envy's next words about Lust. "I dunno, I haven't even met Lust yet. We'd have to at least know each other."

@Envy

Envy nodded, the tip of their tail twitching. "It's a pretty good deal, for everyone involved. I saved her life, see- so she owes me," the weasel's voice carried a degree of smugness and sureness. The weasel nodded at the little bird's talk about wanting to meet Lust. They'd have to introduce them, at some point. "True. Don't worry, with me around, Lust will love you."

They paused for a moment, realizing an opportunity had been missed. "Speaking of names, you got anything in mind? I can't just call you fluffball, or fuzzy. Well, actually... I can. Sound good?"


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

tags: @Heart-song
notes: here

They thought for a moment. "Yeah! You can call me-" The young cockatiel cut themselves off as a sudden thought came to them. "Y'know, if names are permanent, and what everybody uses for you, then I shouldn't name myself so quickly. Maybe something will come to me later, but it's too early now!"

Heart-Song thought for another moment. "Hmm... I like fluffball because it's a cute name but fuzzy's shorter... How about you pick, Envy?"

@Envy

Envy blinked, tilting their head as the little one cut themselves off. "Whatever you like. I never thought twice."

Envy thought again about how much their name suited them- representing at the same time their greatest strength, and weakness. They also thought about how much they disliked it, but were stuck with it all the same. They were surprised that the little one liked the names that they'd picked out for them. They blinked. "Seriously? Uh, sure. Fluffball it is."


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

tags: @Heart-Song
notes: here

They flapped their wings in excitement, thoroughly enjoying their new nickname. "Yay! Fluffball is a good temporary name!"

The young cockatiel turned to Envy, enthusiasm giving way to curiosity. "Are there any other places in the caves? This tunnel's neat and all, but I wanna know where other things are."

@Envy

"Temporary name? Whatever. In that case, you'll always be Fluffball to me," they acted slightly offended at the prospect of her dropping the name they'd so 'meticulously' thought up, but they didn't seem to particularly care, if their low, slightly coiled stance was anything to go by.

They raised their head, seeming surprised by the little one's next question. "Of course there are. This place is huge!"They turned in the direction they'd been heading before Fluffball's emergence distracted them from their path. They grunted. "Come with me. The closest cave is where I live. I'm sure it'll fascinate you."

Envy started to scuttle off, pausing only briefly to make sure the newborn followed.

-If she follows, exit Envy-


___________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Heart-song
notes: here