It appeared that the question was not necessarily, for soon they were at the place where Envy was calling home. Feathers puffed out with excitement as they watched the weasel explain all the different areas. It was hard to decide where to go first to explore it. “Oh wow,” they exclaimed, “this is amazing!”

While it turned out that the den itself was similar to Reseda’s, tight and dark and earthy, the rest of the area seemed like it would be just about perfect. Particularly the ledge where Envy had easily bound up. Lust wondered how well they would be able to perform the feat.

Lust turned their head to the weasel, having now exited their den and asking about the grass pile. “Yes, please, if you don’t mind to terribly.” While the response was modest, Lust was very eager to begin exploring and picking out the perfect location for their nest. And that meant starting at the wall where the bricks were jutting in and out. Off the ground felt right to the pigeon’s gizzard so that is where they would start. Of course, that was a feat easier said than done. They would have to get up the wall and it looked quite far away from where they stood.

Climbing onto the first brick was an easy enough feat. The next was a bit more difficult. Wings fluttering, they sprung their legs just as hard as they could to reach up. Just barely they got close enough that they were able to pull themselves up. Already they were growing tired from both the walk and the climb. Still, there was more ledges. Lust took a deep breath and tried again. Unfortunately, this attempt was less than successful, tumbling back down to the ground with a startled squawk. Embarrassment crept over the pigeon and they hoped that Envy had already gone after the grass and didn’t see them.

Back to the first brick they went to try again. On awkward baby wings and talons shaking, they climbed up the first brick and made to jump to the second. They stood there, eying the brick intently in thought. What if they couldn’t make it up the wall? Could they simply just build a nest there on the first brick? Or could Envy potentially help them up somehow? To be honest, Lust didn’t want to find out. They wanted to do this on their own if possible.

So, the chick squared up their shoulders and made to jumping onto the second brick again.


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

tags: @Envy
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Envy grinned as the response was positive to the area around their home. For a bird who couldn't fly yet but still wanted a little height, the crumbled bricks should be easy enough for them to climb. They licked their lips excitedly, fur fluffing out along their spine. This was coming together better than they could have ever hoped! They had a follower now! They were a true king!

Envy nodded eagerly as Lust accepted their offer to collect the grass for them. "Okay! I'll be back soon," they said, and bounded off. At full speed without Lust to slow them down, they were able to reach the place they'd left the grass in a matter of moments, and bundled as much of it as they possibly could into their jaws. They scampered back with head held high and trailing strands tickling their short legs.

By the time they got back, their neck was beginning to ache from the strain of keeping the grass from tripping them up, but they deposited a bundle of grass at the base of the wall, spotting Lust a brick off the ground. They blinked, looking at her for a moment and inwardly hoping that the pigeon would be able to manage. They didn't give voice to these concerns though; maybe that would make her want to choose a different place, and they didn't want that.

After a moment, they'd begun the short sprint back towards the remaining bundle of grass, and left Lust to her climb.

"Speech."

@Lust

Hearing a bit of a rustle, Lust quickly spun around to find … nothing? That was a bit strange. They looked around the area and didn’t nothing anything different. That was, until they saw the pile of grass that had appeared. Envy was much quicker than they had realized. It would seem that at some point they had already made it back and then wondered off again to collect more. Lust ducked their head at the realization that the king weasel had returned; they wondered if their fall had been spotted. But they didn’t say anything or stop for long. Maybe they didn’t see it?

Lust clung desperately to that hope. They wanted to appear strong and worthy for them. They were a powerful king, after all. Lust wanted so much to be worthy of the attention Envy was bestowing onto them. It would take work, but Envy made it seem possible. Maybe it was possible?

Invigorated with new hope and determination, Lust turned to the second brick. They squared their shoulders, shifted their legs, took a big deep breath, and dashed towards the edge. They chirped in determination while fluttering their nub of wings as hard as they could. By some miracle they made it onto the second brick. Chirps of hooray followed after.

This process was repeated a number of times until they felt adequately high enough. This particular brick was a bit wider than the others. There was also a bit of crumbling in the wall that offered some minor shelter without being too tight of a fight. Yes, this would do well.

At least for now. There was some part in the back of Lust’s mind that suggested eventually finding their own nest. It was unclear if that was just instinct about growing up or something more. That would be in time, though. And in truth, they may end up having a series of nests. It would be nice to have a nest near Reseda. Maybe in Canis, as she had spoken so well of there.

Satisfied with the place, they walked over to the edge of the ledge to look out for Envy. Lust was very excited to let them know that they had found a place. The view from there was astonishing. While not very high up relative to the cave at large, it was high up compared to the chick’s normal eye level. Crystals shimmered in the distance. Yes, this would be a nice place indeed.


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

tags: @Envy
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Envy's paws were practically blurring as they bounded back towards the remaining grass. Reaching it, they gathered the foul-tasting stuff into their jaws, tightened their grip, and trotted back. by the time they reached the base of the pile and dumped the rest of the grass on the pile. They looked up, and were just able to make out Lust's fuzzy form above them. "I got it," they called, the tip of their tail twitching.

Envy rose up onto their hind paws and began to clamber up towards Lust. As an afterthought, they grasped a pawful of the grass in their claws and transferred it to their mouth. They quickly scaled the rest of the way, jump by jump, their skinny body almost weightlessly climbing up onto each stone. Finally, they'd pulled themselves onto the ledge beside Lust, and dropped the mouthful of grass behind her. They licked their lips to get rid of the grassy taste and then turned to admire the view. "This is the spot, huh?" they asked, sounding pleased, and satisfied. Their den was very close by. This would be perfect.

Envy settled back on their haunches, spine arched above them and looked back towards Lust with a toothy grin.



"Speech."

@Lust

From high above Lust was able to see the weasel approaching. It was fascinating to see the world from such a view. Many would be by the sudden shifting of altitude but the pigeon felt admiration for it instead. Deep in their gizzard they knew that being high up was right. Not to mention that Orion was specifically a beautiful cave to behold, shimmering from all directions in the dim lighting. This location would be perfect for their first nest.

Now all that remained for the nest itself to be built. That would definitely take some time to do. Lust wasn’t sure how they knew, but they knew that it would need more than grass. It was a start, though. And Envy was swiftly providing that as they scampered up to meet up with the pigeon. Excited, Lust gathered up the grass with a quick nod and chirp of confirmation to Envy’s question.

After dropping the pile closer to the small opening in the wall, Lust hobbled back towards Envy. “Yes yes! This will be absolutely perfect, King Envy! Thank you so much for helping me! Now I have my very own place! And it’s near you! And I can keep and eye out for Reseda to! It’s going to be awesome up here!” Lust’s words came out quickly, rushing in the excitement with a chirp at the end.

All that remained was to gather up more grass from the pile before, maybe some sticks as well. Some of the crumbed stones could be helpful too, potentially. The grass should make it soft enough. Some mud might be helpful to make it all stick together. And maybe see about widening the hole in the wall…. Lust was quickly becoming lost in thought. They turned from Envy to look over the pile of grass, hopping closer and circling it. Now that work had started on the nest, it felt like a near compulsion or sorts to continue on the work.


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

tags: @Envy
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Envy watched Lust moving the grass pile. They sat back on their haunches and with a barely-disguised expression of disgust, began to groom their whiskers and chest, careful to remove any stray strands of grass and return them to the pile. Their tongue rasped over bony ribs and their fur didn't taste much better. Finally, they spat a clump of greenish fur onto the rock and batted it hastily out of sight, turning towards Lust once more to receive their well-deserved praise.

They grinned. "Glad to hear it," the weasel said, taking a moment to examine the ledge with it's nice little hollow and view. It really was pretty nice up here, but Envy had their own den, and they were a restless sleeper. They didn't want to fall to their doom and break like a sad little twig on hitting the ground. The weasel shuddered, looking down the wall to where their den was nestled below.

The derelict ruins of Orion stretched out beyond, so huge, and yet so familiar. Envy grunted with satisfaction, watching Lust as she worked and looking pleased. "Need anything else?" they asked. Envy had important business to get to, namely absorbing the remainder of that grassy clump for its crimes. Also, they were hungry. But they supposed anything Lust needed, Envy could incorporate that into their routine too. they had to be 100% certain she wouldn't leave. Not now, and not ever.

"Speech."

@Lust

Lust was hard at work, attempting to use their beak to weave the strands together as best as possible. They would hobble one way and poke at the grass. Then walk over another way and look over the pile with a cock of their head. It probably looked quite odd to see the chick so intent on a pile of grass. For Lust, though, this was most serious business. To the chick there was clearly more work to be done.

A startled coo came out when Envy asked if they needed anything else. In such intent focus they had almost forgotten that the weasel was there. Lust immediately ducked their head and chided themselves on their behavior. How could they forget such a general and noble king who was helping them? It was such shameful behavior!

“I’m sorry! I’m just so excited! This is the first nest I’ve ever built and I want it to be perfect! And you’ve been so helpful to me King Envy! You helped me pick out the perfect spot which was the hard part! I’m very very thankful!”

Lust turned to look at the pile of grass for a moment before turning back to the weasel. “I’ll need some small sticks for the sides, at least, to keep it together. I think, anyways. That’s what my gizzard tells me. But I’m sure I can find some nearby! You’re a king, you’ve already done so much for me, I’m sure you have more important matters to attend to!”

The chick was at a strong confliction of desires. They didn’t want to impose on Envy’s time more than they had. After all, the weasel had simply stumbled into them while doing something else. As a king, they probably had a lot of important things to do. The pigeon couldn’t be selfish and keep them away from whatever they needed to do.

On the other talon, Lust enjoyed the weasel’s companion. They were very helpful. And Lust felt safe and secure in their presence. There was honor in having the king help them so much which gave them a sense of pride. Lust drank the emotion in, letting it envelope them and create a warmth deep down inside them. Respectful of their time or not, Lust didn’t really want to let him go so soon. They already regretted to a degree doing so with Reseda.


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

tags: @Envy
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Envy watched Lust work away at the grass with a trifle of amusement and somewhat of a fascinated look to their eyes. They tilted their head slightly as she startled, their jaws breaking into a sharp-toothed grin. The little pigeon's praise of their work also soothed them, bringing a surge of pride to their heart. They chuckled softly. Sucking in their breath, they repeated a phrase that they knew, from now on, they'd be saying a lot.

"It's just part of being a good king."

Anything to gain the favour of their future subjects. Lust was making good practice, and they hoped that more would soon follow. they were going to be the most powerful creature in the caves before they knew it. They shivered with glee, gaze drifting back to Lust and examining her impatiently. When she spoke, Envy tensed, getting ready to run for some twigs, even if they didn't know where there could be any found in Orion. this place was about as dead as the caves could get. But the possibility of Lust moving her nest was simply out of the question. Eridanus, the closest place they could think of- would be a long, long way for a baby pigeon. "Say no more," they tittered, bouncing from stone to stone back to the ground. "Leave it to King Envy! I'll be back soon!"

They started on their way, but turned back when they a couple of feet away.

"Make sure no-one raids my den for me!"


"Speech."

@Lust

The words were barely out of Lust’s beak and the weasel had dashed off to fulfill the fetch quest. They gave a flutter of their wings as the weasel bounded down the winding improvised staircase. The pigeon could hardly believe how earnest Envy was in his dedication to help them build the perfect nest. Surely all creatures in the Origin caves were not this friendly! Even Reseda would be hard to imagine going quite this far to aid another. Particularly someone as useless as a tiny chick!

“Oh, okay!” They shouted back in response to the now diminishing shape of the weasel.

Slowly they were becoming just a greenish brown speck. Before they realized it, Lust was once again alone. With a soft coo they looked around the area. The pile of grass laid nearby but there was little that could be done to improve it at the moment. Same with the little dugout in the wall next to it. There didn’t seem to be much more that they could do until Envy returned with the next materials needed.

Speaking of which, the weasel did mention that their den was nearby. In their excitement, Lust hadn’t bothered to really look into it. Sudden curiosity gripped the small bird. Just what kind of home did King Envy have? They asked for Lust to protect it. Protect it from what? What was it that they treasured so much?

“Well, it would be easier to protect it if I was down there, right?” they mused softly to no one in particular. It sounded like a reasonable course of action. With a nod, Lust bobbed and walked to the ledge.

Carefully Lust made their way down the outcroppings in the wall and over to Envy’s den. They scanned the area quickly to make sure no one was looking. Already they had forgotten that Envy had invited them to look inside it when they had first approached the area. Satisfied that no one, particularly the weasel themselves, was nowhere nearby the chick wandered into the den.

It was small and earth. It would seem that a lot of creatures enjoyed this type of living quarters for some reason Lust couldn’t quite identify. No matter. The area was nice enough. Farther in, there were a gathering of gems including some that appeared to glow. Lust gave a soft coo in admiration. Then they breathed in, taking in the comforting scent of the weasel and the earth.

The whole area seemed quite comfy. The soft glow on the pebbles, the dimness of the den, the smell of Envy. Lust gave a loud yawn and realized that their pink eyes were drooping. Well, it would be easiest to protest the den if they were in it. And while this wasn’t their preferred place to stay, they had slept in dens before. Perhaps just a short nap to recover from the long journey and work done so far on the nest. Just until Envy got back. The thought was barely had when Lust had propped down and covered their head with a small wing.


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

tags: @Envy
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Envy waited until they'd heard Lust's call of agreement before they turned away and bounded off, following a well-trodden path away from the den. Soon, the crumbled hall and the stream were lost far behind them. Although at first they sought straggly plants poking through the paving stones, Envy realized that they were going to have to widen their search, and with a long-suffering sigh picked up the pace, changing their trajectory.

They began to make their way towards the tunnel leading to Eridanus, hoping that they might happen upon a branch or two on the way. Was it worth it? Yes, of course it was. Soon, they would be powerful, and now they were truly a king.

They'd be back, with a hearty helping of sticks.

-exit Envy-

"Speech."

@lust