Innocence begets innocence, for all the fate's designs, triumphs and attempts. Nestled in a soft bed of moss and fungi as an egg might in a nest, the chunk of rose quartz glittered quietly in the dark dampness of the cave, its contents still but a shifting spirit beneath the hard shell and sharp accents. Where others might have pressurized and burst wide open for the sake of release, this quartz was just as timid as its innards, taking its time and in no hurry to bring the little beasty it bears into the world. With her body wrapped tight with her arms gripping her tail firmly, Imogen's muscles twitch and pull with a sudden need to awaken, and so, she does: it's a simple action, with her eyes blinking open with a newborn's softness, and the quartz recognizes her readiness. Rather than shatter or burst its shell begins to quake, thin cracks forming along the surface until at last, with only the softness of her breathing, Imogen's diaphram expands with one great breath and the pieces of the stone surrounding her slough off with gentle tink-tinks! onto the ground surrounding her. When she takes her first lungful of air Imogen is delighted in it, her body uncurling like a rolled-up ribbon as she nestles herself into the new sensation of fungi and soft moss. The cut and polished round of rose quartz at the base of her tail blinks, and the shards surrounding her go dim: the magic is hers now, and she coos with quiet, child-like delight.

As the hours pass she finds she is flooded with thoughts and phrases, her mind pulsing and growing thanks in part to her innate silence as she drinks in all that surrounds her, naming each thing and fancy in her mind as she remains on her back, her tail curled about her protectively and her eyes cast ceiling-ward into the great not-sky that hovers overhead like a mother figure. Her coos become words and soon Imogen is thinking entire sentences, though she never once tries to sound them aloud to herself -- such is her way, though she hardly knows it yet.

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

It seemed that almost every creature in the Cave passed though Polaris at some point or another, and Tamelyn was no exception. She was always on the lookout for new encounters, preferably the friendly kind. To be honest, life in the Cave could be kind of boring at times. Stable and safe, yes, but boring. Just because she didn't know what night or day or rain or snow was didn't mean the constant temperate climate of the Cave, cast in eternal twilight, didn't become dull at times. Tamelyn had found that the best way to fix this boredom was to explore, or seek out the company of others. Usually, one led to the other, so all the better. Today, however, she was less interested in exploring, and more interested in finding someone to talk to. The constant silence of the tunnels was beginning to drive her a little batty.

She paused as a soft noise reached her ears. The large, disc-shaped extremities swiveled forwards, large dark-green eyes searching for light in the darkness. By now, she was used to navigating with all of her senses, rather than just relying on her eyes. She sniffed the air, tail raising as she caught the scent of another creature, one she had never encountered before. She moved off, following the smell and gentle coos to wherever they happened to originate.

The creature she encountered must have been no more than a few minutes old, as it was still surrounded by bits of it's chrysalis. It kinda reminded her of Fisher, but it lacked his bright, predatory alertness. This little beast still seemed wrapped up in dreams. She approached softly, not wishing to startle it. "Hi," she said to it quietly, dropping her head to get a closer look at it. What a long tail it had! She felt jealous, having only a flicking tuft for a tail herself. She cocked her head, eyes wide with curiosity. "Whos you?"

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

She doesn't question her existence, no... Imogen simply is, and while her mind and body act as if they are in infancy there is a deeply-rooted part of her that begins to mature the moment that her chrysalis releases her. Deep feelings of excitement and wonderings bombard her in a theme that might have overwhelmed her if not for her quiet fascination with silence and acceptance; she doesn't fear it because she has been given no reason to fear it, and thus not even her heart trips beyond its normal beat, thump-thumping within her chest. As she lays there upon her back with her tiny front paws grasping at the myriad of glowing stones that gleam overhead from the cave ceiling, her ears begin to move of their own accord, drawn away from her own uses by a voice that is not her own. Her rosy eyes follow suit and soon Imogen is staring into the abrupt darkness, finding a pair of green eyes watching her back yet she doesn't balk, doesn't hesitate. The smile that spreads across her face is as genuine as genuine can be, her eyes bright and accepting as her paws -- now open with her tiny fingers spread wide -- reach for the newcomer with a coo of happiness.

She has no desire to form a reply, for her actions speak her wants: come closer, she beckons, pulling her paws into her chest. Come closer! Rocking forward onto her hips, Imogen abandons the warmth of her moss-nest to better inspect this stranger, neither concerned in the apparent difference in species nor in size. Lips as soft as a rose petal and twice as innocent, pucker to form a small 'o' as she continues to grin at the piebald doeling, her tail balancing her in a reclined position. "Imogen!" At last she squeaks out her name, and it's a joyous, youthful sound despite how quietly she speaks it: the word is barely above a whisper, unable to travel beyond their tight-knit circle and thus it's unlikely that even the cavern walls will hear her. Cocking her head, Imogen regards the doeling with rapt joy, leaning forward with a cheeky grin so that her elbows come to rest upon her tail that remains protectively curled about her. Though she didn't speak the words, her expression clearly pleads for response. What are you?

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

Tamelyn had expected some measure of surprise from the strange little creature. Instead, a wide, childlike smile spread across her face and she reached for Tam, babbling happily. The fawn drew back at first, puzzled, but it was difficult to be cautious for very long when confronted with such a cute face. She folded her legs and lowered herself onto the cool, mossy floor, able to look at the strange creature at eye level. The little animal, evidently unsatisfied with just laying down, rocked up to a sitting position and trundled forward to get a closer look at her. Tamelyn leaned forward as well, trying to decide just what kind of creature this was. It was certainly like nothing she had ever seen before.

The thing spoke, finally giving her name. Imogen. Or was it her species? An Imogen? The Imogen? Either way, the deer was glad to finally have something to call her by. She giggled at Imogen's cheerful demeanor. "Nice t' meet you, Imo." The little creature was still staring at her intently, and the doe figured now was as good a time as any to give her own name. "I'm Tamelyn, but jus' Tam is fine. I'm a deer!"

Well, at least she wasn't lonely anymore for the time being. She didn't really see much reason to dwell on her newfound friend's unknown species for the moment. So long as Imogen wasn't a carnivore, she figured they would get along fine. She dropped her head, resting it on the ground between her folded forelegs, and studied the other creature. Her legs were short, so Tamelyn guessed that she was no runner, like she herself was. But that big tail had to be good for something. Maybe grabbing things, or climbing.

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

It was hard to place the feeling when loyalty was screaming in every fiber in his being. He returned to the place of his birth, but it was gut feeling that lead him back and his memory involved little yet he felt confident that he was home again. He had traveled through the tunnels, and back when things had concluded for the time being. It was a miracle he didn't have any life-threatening problems arise when he tried to find the right tunnel. In reality, he had no home, but sometimes he wished to go to the place where he was given life. He finally got up, and did it after considering not following through multiple times. He wasn't sure where he had ended up in truth. All he knew was that there were two outlines in the heart of the cave, but the illumination was not as dim as the other rooms. Not even the moss from the tunnel could rival the light that stretched across the room itself. He felt excited for some reason unknown, or perhaps he had always been openly elated about everything. It proved true that he was excited to greet the other presences in the room even if he were lacking light on his golden and ebony tinted form. By the time he arrived, the voices were hushed, and he did not catch anything without it sounding muffled; being far from hearing range did that. He tilted his head as he saw a familiar looking frame, and then one that was really weird looking. Unable to contain his excitement, he barked, "Nyx is that yuuu?" A few more loud barks - oh, his namesake from the named deer - escaped his lips before he mumbled an apology, face heated. Image Credit

The doeling speaks and all Imogen can do is peer at her with her bright rosy eyes which widen the moment the spotted creature approaches her and drops to her knees. It is better than she hoped it and more, this sensation of closeness: wee Imogen's grin splits the entirety of her face as she stares at Tamelyn, finding that she quite likes the nickname she's been given and she coos once more in response. "Tam-lyn," she says, testing the word on her tongue and much like her own introduction it is softly spoken, hardly above a whisper even. She likes the sound of it and the feel of it on her lips, smacking them at the M as she places a particularly exuberant flair on the -lyn towards the end, smiling at the sound of her own voice. There is no hesitance as she rocks forward and onto her hind feet, swaying somewhat at her first attempt but quickly finding she feels sturdy upon them, as if she's known them personally. In a way she has, having felt them grow along with her inside the chrysalis, and she boldly tests them as she bounces once towards Tamelyn, who now lays quite close. A great deal smaller than her new companion, Imogen's wee fingers reach to entangle themselves amid the doeling's fur along her shoulder, gripping softly so that she might hold herself as close as she can, her nose snuffling towards the deer's ears in her exploration.

Another soft coo escapes her lips, and her rosy eyes crinkle at the corners with the effort of her soft grin, her long tail swaying out behind her for balance before finally coming to rest on the ground, acting as a root that steadies her own foundation. It is at that moment they are interrupted: a second voice calls out from the darkness and soon there is a pup in their midst, to whom Imogen smiles just as sweetly before her little ears tilt forward, earnest and welcoming. "Friend!" Her cherub's voice is more pronounced this time around, louder as she gains confidence. Still firmly gripping the doeling (should she be allowed to do so) Imogen looks between them, collecting both the creatures into her own company before naming them without fault. "Friends." In her excitement, Imogen feels a surge from the gemstone at her lower back, feeling it tingle into her other extremities as she presses her feet to the mossy cave floor beneath her. Each strand tickles her, the fungi's scent buried deep in her nostrils and without meaning to, Imogen's closeness with the things of the earth calls upon her magic, though she doesn't yet understand the depth of its meaning.

(Roll Edit) The sensation builds to such a degree that Imogen's toes curl somewhat, and as she peers down at her hind paws tucked beneath her, she watches in with rapt attention as a layer of soft, green moss sprouts among the creamy russet of her fur, giving way to a silky blanket of green that stops just shy of her hips. Though suddenly tired at the cost of the magic, Imogen's lips again form an excited 'o', her eyes wide.

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

Imogen repeated her name, soft as a cricket's chirp, and Tam nodded encouragingly. The tree kangaroo trundled up closer to her, and Tam held still as the little creature clambered onto her shoulder. When her blunt nose snuffled in her ear, however, Tam was unable to hold back a squirm and a laugh. "That tickles!" She didn't shove Imogen away however, not wanting to upset the newborn creature. She tolerated the sniffing as best she could, only flicking her ear when another voice rang out. It was a canine's voice, the speaker unknown, but calling out for someone she knew.

Into the mosslight gallumphed a big-pawed puppy, very similar to Arkrael, but somehow softer in form. He evidently realized his mistake, switching from barking to mumbling. Tam shrugged, grinning. "S'okay. Nyx and I do kinda look the same." Relatively speaking, anyway. Their markings were very different, but in a world like theirs, just being the same species was good enough. "I'm Tamelyn," here she gestured to her small friend with a tilt of her head, "an' this is Imogen. She jus' hatched." As she looked down at the tree kangaroo, she realized there was a pinkish sort of shine coming from behind her. Brow furrowing with curiosity, Tamelyn craned her neck to see what it was. Growing at the base of Imogen's tail was a light-pinkish stone, which was glowing very faintly.

She felt something rustle against her foreleg, and looked down, seeing the patch of moss that had sprouted from where Imogen was sitting. "You's got magic," she said, interested. Magic itself was not a surprise, but she had yet to meet any creatures with plant magic. "I do too!" She extended the foreleg with her own gemstone on it, drawing upon the crackling energy within herself.

Sure enough, a few dancing sparks jumped from the gemstone, flicking across the stony floor before winking out into darkness. "I can't make plants grow, though." She looked over at the new pup, curious as to who he was. "Wha' can you do?" Since meeting others, she had come to find that there were many, many kinds of magic in the world, each with their own uses and setbacks. There still seemed to be quite a lot she didn't know, and it only increased her desire to master her skills and expand her mind.

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

She is at absolute ease among the doeling's company, with her body pressed as close as Tamelyn might allow given the circumstances, but the tiny tree kangaroo joey feels completely at home among the strands of piebald fur. A deeply rooted instinct within her begs for a small, warm hovel to call her own, reminiscent of the pouch she might have grown up in had she been born to an earthly sort. Having sprung from the bounds of a chrysalis however, Imogen is denied this, thus she looks for it in other places and beings and things. The large pup in their presence mumbles but Imogen's attention is all for Tamelyn, her wee fingers still grasping the fur of her shoulder even as her newly-mossed hind legs shuffle beneath her. The brightness of the rose quartz at the small of her back dims, delivering them into a deeper darkness than before but the light of the surrounding crystals is enough to see by, at least the parts she wishes most to see. A soft yawn splits her jaws in her sudden tiredness brought on by the accidental use of her magic, though she hardly understands its purpose and strength as of yet. For her, it is simply another facet of existence that she accepts without question, much the same way she saw no evil or held no fear for the creatures that welcome her even now. For Imogen, there is no bad in the world, not for her.

Magic, Tamelyn said aloud, and as she does she holds out a hoof for Imogen to examine. Clinging fistfuls of piebald fur, the tree kangaroo leans as close as she might to examine the auburn stone nestled in the doeling's flesh. It sparkled radiantly, and just as her own had moments before it ignited a brush of magic that procured itself as dancing sparks of electricity that set the whiskers along Imogen's face standing on end. A chirp of awe breaches her lips and she looks at Tamelyn excitedly, her eyes wide and utterly entranced. It doesn't last, for another yawn threatens and this time Imogen's tiny fists release their hold on the doeling's fur to reach up above her own head in a long, luxurious stretch that extends her back. What little energy she had had now lays in ruins thanks in part to her magic, but not so much as to distract her from one of the glittering shards of her own chrysalis shell. Reaching out to pick it up, she examines it in quiet (if sleepy) delight before tucking it daintily into the pouch at her belly, stowing the treasure away to be coveted later. For now, she yearns for a brief nap, and thus without hesitance she places herself beside Tamelyn once more, curling her body into the space along the doeling's ribs where she might find the most comfort. With her tail wrapping about them both, the joey yearns for brief respite from her exhaustion, feeling more than safe from any danger that may or may not exist in their company.

The deer denied being Nyx although their shapes were almost identical. The only difference was the coat colors which, upon closer inspection with squinted eyes, he could see the fur pattern was not close to the other. He found himself deeply disappointed, but the only good thing to come from this misunderstanding was being able to bark constantly. With some renewed hope, he barked with glee. He watched the other creature sniff the deer, causing the deer to wiggle and laugh. His expression turned to one of curiosity now having never seen this type of creature before. A gem seemed to glow on their backside, and he couldn't help but glance at his own. The creature - she was called Imogen by Tamelyn- appeared excited to call the two her friends despite hatching not too long ago. A similar bond happened so it wasn't necessarily weird to him. "Imogen friend?" he asked hopefully. He turned his head towards the Nyx-clone. "Tamelyn friend?" He gave his large puppy eyes if he hadn't given them before. He didn't realize how close the other company were to each other when Imogen clung to the deer, and moss sprouted from beneath her feet. Surprised, the pup backed up as he eyed it cautiously, but Tamelyn wasn't afraid of what she called plants. Magic was mentioned too, and he quirked a brow at that. "Magic...plant?" He wasn't sure whether or not he was lichen the moss that appeared from magic. It wasn't eating anyone alive so he suspected it was alright. But now, he felt his heart melt seeing Imogen snuggle close to the ribs of the fawn before he blinked rapidly to keep himself from sleeping too after witnessing the little creature nap then and there. Image Credit

OOC: sorry for lateness :c I blame work

(Wolven I am getting dog tired of your puns.

And by that I mean there are never enough puns)

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

The puppy seemed a bit nervous, but curious all the same. Tamelyn nodded enthusiastically at his question. "Sure, we can be friends! 'Specially if you know Nyx. She's really nice." Any friend of Nyx's was a friend of hers. Even if he was loud. Her ears had flattened at his barking, unused to loud noises echoing through the caverns. He seemed to enjoy making the noise, though, so for the moment, she didn't chastise him.

The little tree kangaroo was awestruck by her little party trick, and Tamelyn blushed under her fur. Imogen couldn't hold out for long, however, exhausted by both her hatching and her accidental use of magic. She picked up a piece of her chrysalis to examine it, then stored it away in her...stomach? Tamelyn raised a brow as Imogen seemingly inserted the gem shard directly into her belly, though a closer look reveal the extra fold of skin there, creating a pouch to carry things in. Useful, she thought as she watched the tiny creature settle down against her side. In a rare moment of gentleness, Tamelyn leaned her head down to lick at a stray clump of fur on Imogen's forehead, smoothing it back into place.

She nodded again at the dog's confusion over Imogen's moss. "Is magic. Bet you can do something too." Since becoming more attuned to her magic, she had begun to realize she could feel it all the time, a crackling, buzzing sensation that emanated from her hooves every time she moved. Rather than being annoying, however, she had come to love the feeling. It gave her energy, put a spring in her step. She tilted her head, realizing she had forgotten a simple question. "Wha's your name? You look like Arkrael. Are yous a wolf too?"

"Listen to me."

table by lisa