Narcissus
Watch my actions
Or lack thereof
Negate the person
That I said I was


It took Narcissus a moment to remember where Envy said they lived, where their throne was. He ran into Orion and wildly looked around before finding something that could only be the throne Envy had talked about. He approached it and with just as much care as before, he opened his mouth and let the weasel plop down onto it. He nuzzled them a little, making sure they were comfortable and hadn't been hurt too much.

While he no longer felt the confusing and foreign feelings for them as before, he didn't want them dying! Or even being too terribly injured. They had said they were a king after all, and surely had a kingdom full of gembounds they had to rule over. Or...whatever they did.



"Speech."
Thoughs

@Envy

Dimly, Envy was aware of a feeling of motion, a soothing sensation that reminded them of being carried by Pride. Every breath hurt, though; their bones stinging with a fiery pain every time Narcissus adjusted his jaws or moved them even slightly.

By the end of the journey, they were starting to come to. And by the time they felt the cold, familiar stone beneath them, they were fully awake. Slowly, painfully, as Narcissus nuzzled them they raised their head, gaze flickering slightly, breaths short and sharp. They looked at him, their vision swimming with tears, and struggled to focus. "Thank you..." they rasped with difficulty.

The strange fog that had leeched into their brain was now completely gone; but they remembered how they'd felt, and what had happened. They felt their quills- or what remained of them, tremble softly. Without the haze, they didn't know how to feel. But for some reason, they couldn't hep watching the strange beast that towered over them; and felt a yawning hole in their belly. They were confused, afraid; they hoped that the canine creature wouldn't leave them alone.

Through the haze, they remembered something else too, something that the canid creature had said, even when their mind had been tying itself in knots of love and lust.

"Did you... mean it...?" they managed after a moment, blinking away the pained tears. "When you said you'd... join my kingdom....?"


Speech. Thought.

@Narcissus

Narcissus
Watch my actions
Or lack thereof
Negate the person
That I said I was


After making sure Envy was okay, Narcissus sat back and waited for the weasel to come to. It didn't seem to take long, much to his relief. He watched them for a bit until they spoke, startling him slightly.

He...had said he would join, hadn't he? Though it was when his mind had become clouded over with love for the weasel, and he had wanted to stay by their side forever...Still, even if he no longer felt that way, it would be nice to be a part of something.

"Yes. Yes, I mean it. I'll join your kingdom." He started out hesitant, but as he continued he became more confident. He was tired of wandering alone. Plus, it was hard to get noticed that way. But maybe, if he became a part of Envy's kingdom...more would know about him. More would admire him. Envy certainly had...even if it was just because of some magic or whatever that all had been.




"Speech."
Thoughs

@Envy

Envy looked up, and an expression of surprise crossed their face for a moment, intermingled with the slightest touch of disbelief. They watched narcissus for a moment, their sides heaving before their head grew too heavy, and they allowed it to flop back down onto the Throne.

"Thank you," they mumbled, catlike eyes still focused. They paused, their consciousness beginning to waver. But then another thought struck them. How could they have forgotten? They had introduced themselves immediately, whilst the fog of love clung to them, but they didn't remember ever hearing the canine's name. "...I don't think I ever got your name."

The words were said faintly, and sheepishly. Although their wounds had mostly closed, the weasel's body was dyed dark with blood; and they left dark smears in their place on the Throne. Their hide crackled faintly with magic that left them quickly exhausted as they forced their wounds to keep healing.

Speech. Thought.

@Narcissus @Pride

Pride had arrived to come and look for Charity, but he heard quiet voices ahead at the Throne. He came up at a floating trot, head tilting a little as he saw a stranger, and one tiny, wounded Envy. The stranger didn't seem to be threatening, though--nor Envy alarmed--so he slowed and approached at a more graceful step.

"Envy? Is everything all right?" He glanced at the stranger, offering a brief nod of his antlered head, his face concerned but not betraying much other emotion. "I am Pride, one of Envy's advisors and one of the Seven."

Narcissus
Watch my actions
Or lack thereof
Negate the person
That I said I was


Oops. Narcissus had completely forgotten he had never told Envy his name. He was about to tell it when someone else approached. A white deer came up to them and bowed his head slightly. He blinked. Envy's advisor...well, at least someone other than Envy would know of his joining.

He bowed his head briefly in return before looking back at Envy. "I'm Narcissus."

Pride and Envy...interesting names, he had to admit. And Pride had said he was one of the Seven - was that the name of the group? Were there more than seven? He realized he knew very little of the kingdom he had just decided to become a part of. With a glance at Pride, he wondered if the deer would help explain anything with time.




"Speech."
Thoughs

@Envy @Pride

Envy's vision wavered. "Narcissus," they echoed, voice little more than a murmur. Their head was spinning, the ache of their wounds fading slightly; and they weren't sure if that was the healing spell working its magic or their consciousness slipping away. They dipped their head in a slight nod, catlike eyes half-closed.

And then another voice. A familiar one. They raised their blood-drenched head and swayed dizzily. "Pride...?" they asked, in a small voice. And then, almost drunkenly: "I'm good. Our kingdom... grows."

It was seemingly an automatic response; it was plain to see, from their shattered quills to their bloodied sides, that they were definitely not okay. "P-Pride; would you g-give our... Newest member..." They took a pained breath. "...A tour of the kingdom?"

They had to rest. They wanted to be alone.

But they also felt a jab of fear at the thought.

What if the cat-thing hunted them down?

Speech. Thought.

@Pride @Narcissus

Pride stared, for a long moment, and had he been able to he'd have surely perked a brow. Slowly. First, he offered Narcissus the faintest acknowledgement--a bow of his head. At last, and delicately--after taking in Envy's condition and tone--he spoke.

"A tour of the... kingdom? Do you mean the Throne, King Envy? Or Orion as a whole, perhaps?" The Seven had no kingdom. They'd laid claim to ruins, a claim backed by nothing, defended against absolutely no challenge of yet. They had no homes, no gardens for food, no safe havens. Envy had done almost nothing, as a king, except to call more Gembound their "subjects" and tell them, essentially, "we live here." There was no common goal, no benefit; Envy had appeared once to fight against the Bloodberries, and that was a good thing, but that was about it.

Oh, well there was that party that one time, I suppose, Pride thought dourly.

This was, among other things, one of a long list that Pride intended to bring up. Perhaps now would be a good time for it. But first things first. "What has happened to you, Envy? Do you need aid? You seem rather--battered."

@Narcissus

Narcissus
Watch my actions
Or lack thereof
Negate the person
That I said I was


Narcissus watched and listened with concern as Envy struggled to talk, to breathe. At their request towards Pride, he turned his attention to the deer. Kingdom? Looking around, he didn't see much that would classify as a kingdom. And as Pride talked, it only solidified his thoughts further.

At the deer's next question, he felt he should talk. Envy was in no condition for talking at this moment - he needed to rest and heal.

"Uh." What an eloquent start. "There was an area, a ways away from here. Something happened that caused others to come to it. A sweet smell. We were both led there, and upon arriving, it wasn't long before...something else happened. It was like a fog over everyone's minds. We..." At this, he hesitated. Did he want to continue? Pride needed to know what happened, surely...And he wouldn't need to know every detail necessarily...

"A fog that caused us to act and think differently. It was this fog that caused someone else to attack them. And...well, they got injured. As soon as the other released them, I brought them here upon their instruction."

He hoped that would be sufficient, at least.


"Speech."
Thoughs

@Envy @Pride

Envy winced as Narcissus began to speak, and although they weren't really in any state for speaking, they felt the need to speak up. "Under the spell I was powerless to stop them," they declared, indignantly, before sinking back down. That was enough.

They were tired.

They reached for their magic and struggled to suppress the pain, but instead let out a sharp gasp as instead they felt a shooting stab of agony. They latched their paws onto the stone beneath them, heaving hoarse and ragged breaths. They clenched their teeth, and gradually, the pain subsided. Soon, their breaths had evened, and their eyes gradually closed. They fell into a shallow and uneasy sleep.

-exit Envy-

Speech. Thought.

@Pride