Pride peered, for a moment, blinking and smiling quizzically. His demeanor was easygoing, if curious.

"Did it--backfire? Mine does that frequently, I confess," he admitted. "Most often when I-..." He turned, concentrating on lights.

Glimmering, shimmering, dancing shapes were within his ability to form from nothing. Yet more often than not, when he tried, he had a horrific backlash of magicka rip into his mind. Usually it wound up as nothing worse than a headache, but... no harm in trying, right?

Though he struggled, nothing happened. It was a rather disappointing lack of even a backfire, and Pride shrugged a little, and offered an apologetic, kind expression. "Or nothing, I suppose. Ahh--where did you say you usually live? Pisces? You said you do not wish to live alone; is it empty, then, may I ask?" he asked, curiously. "I suppose Tenzin--as kind as he is--isn't the most sociable company. It's a shame, really--he is truly a selfless creature."

Pride spoke with admiration. Tenzin offered his magic without question--ahh, and he'd helped Nassir, hadn't he? -Hadn't he said something along those lines? "You said you had met him, yes?" he asked, curiously; "Though by all means don't let me pry, if it is too personal."

@Nassir

"Ah - no, I - I accident-tuh-lee saw into the p-past here, I think," Nassir demurred, inhaling sharply, "there w-wuh-was some red deer - with a blue stone." His name eluded him, though he thought vaguely he should know it. At least from stories, at least. "He stood ruh-right there and was telling... someone to claim servitude or leave - because they were a carnivore." It seemed to be a strange stipulation, but perhaps... it was false godhood. A poor example of a King.

He was eager to get off of the subject; "I usually duh-do, yeah. There's nuh-not many Gembound in there anymore." And Oliver'd said at some point that he was going to Eridanus... or was it Canis? They were two very different caves, but still - "He li-likes his pond." That could be said for certain. Tenzin was rarely seen anywhere else but the lagoon, nestled in its icy depths (wasn't it odd how the ice never seemed to float to the top?)

Nassir's gaze trailed to his shoulder, phantom itching sensations spreading across them and a feeling of bile rising in his throat. "I duh-did. I w-was in Eridanus and - fell off of a high cliff. There were- were beings in my sleep..." he trailed off, screwing his eyes shut for a moment. Talking about trauma helped. He could do this. The strength was there. "I thuh-think so anyways. I'm not sure any-anymore. I w-wuh-woke up on a bed of pois-suhn and it... wuh-was killing me. My blood - it ran bluh-blue."

The next bit was a bit cruel sounding: "Tehn-Tenzin... he drove me into muh-my chrysalis." Nassir laughed softly. "And now I'm good as new."

@Pride

One ear flicked idly as Pride listened, though his attention was sharp, as always.

He filed away knowledge for future reference, commenting here and there. "Carnivore-... I have heard a story about that," he murmured. "A red stag, called Vazi Hasira? I was told that he styled himself a king, and kidnapped and brainwashed children. Used them as his troops," Pride said mournfully, thinking it all too common in the caves, all things considered. "And... his slaves. He was taken down, eventually." He'd heard the story from two others, at least, not the least of which was Mercurius. Beaten, abused, enslaved--Pride's fur rose along his nape with anger just thinking about it. "The other stags in this cave seem to have a tendency toward cruelty. I hope that I never become so," he added, with a quiet shake of his head.

To Nassir's strange story about cliffs, poison, and Tenzin, he cocked his head. Judging by the leopard's squeezed-shut eyes, he didn't like speaking of it, and so Pride did not press the topic. Instead, he murmured. "He is very kind. And you came out of it as you are-? You must hold great strength," and here he bowed his head, a little.

Encouragement; that was the best thing. Nassir seemed... traumatized, to say the least. "If you ever want to speak of it in more detail, I am often here," Pride added, nodding back to the Throne, "or grazing in Eridanus--if you know Mercurius's garden? I am often near there. Meanwhile," he went on, and turned to face the crumbled habitations nearby.

"I know there are some who live in there. There are lights strung up on some of the buildings, and Kera the wolf lives in one; there are others, too. Perhaps you can choose one that suits you? If needs be, I can help you to make it more comfortable," Pride added. "I have the ability to summon, to create, gemstones of varying sizes, for whatever purpose you wish. We can go together; or you can have a look yourself, if you wish?" he asked, ever the polite one.

@Nassir

Ah - it'd been Vazi Hasira. That was the name.

Nassir - fortunately? - couldn't remember if he had been around in time for the stag king's reign. Perhaps not, if he'd gone through Orion a few times and not been enslaved for existing with a set of sharp teeth and claws. The random chance of birth shouldn't immediately dictate - well, status. As far as he knew, Vazi hadn't been the nicest fellow. "Ah-I'm glad he's b-been gone," Nassir hummed, shaking his head with such genuine conviction, "I don't th-think you could be so cruh-cruel. You're al-already hoping against it."

That was a step ahead, at least. Acknowledging cruelty tended to be a little helpful when it came to avoiding perpetuation.

At some point, a few cycles ago, Nassir had begun to reason about the visions that haunted his chrysalis-sleep before; the creatures he had seen were far too fantastical for the plain backdrop of Eridanus. His body had been within reach, untouched (for a moment) by the mental scars his own mind inflicted upon him for a year or more. The second sleep, brought on by Tenzin, had been peaceful. Quiet. Warm. Not at all like the last, driven off of a cliff in fear. So, Nassir wondered often if it had even been real.

"I - believe he a-aimed intentionally, so tha-that I'd stay the suh-same," he finally responded, if a little distantly. "I appreciate the ofh-offer - I'm sh-sure I could find y-y-you." Pale eyes flickered sideways, ears seemingly back permanently. "I th-think I'll look by my, myself - sorry, I'm… tired."

Although, it didn't seem like he was physically tired, from the way he padded off rather quickly.

@Pride
; exit nassir unless stopped

Pride bowed his head, a little, at the observation.

"Wisely said, thank you. I hope you're right," he answered.

When Nassir made to go, he again dipped his head. "All right. If you need--well, anything--yes, I will be here," he rephrased as he realized he was about to repeat himself. Nassir appeared to be uncomfortable--whether from his memories, or something else, Pride could not say. But he looked after the leopard as he moved to go, and called after him. "Good luck finding someplace suitable, and rest well."

He mulled it all over, for a moment, after Nassir had gone. He could again feel the faint, curious tug of Mischief along his mental link, but he had little more to tell her that she hadn't felt already, that she would at all understand.

As for Nassir, he was hoping that the cat found a place, and made himself at home--though now that he was gone, Pride was wondering, vaguely, if he should have read his mind. No, he told himself firmly, after a moment. I do believe that he can be trusted--and by the caves, I need to stop being so terribly paranoid.

Hrmph. It seemed that he had traumas of his own.

With an amused shake of his head, the stag made his way back to Mischief and the throne, curling up on the rock--and reminding himself, in an absent sort of way, never to wind up like the other who had claimed it.

exit Pride