"Odd."

Researcher was older now, but not by much, and worryingly stunted for her age. She bounded through the tunnel on small, thin legs, chalky indigo skin hidden by shaggy golden fur. Ten paces down she stopped, picked up a chunk of ice, sniffed at it, muttered some unintelligible observations, and dropped it before shaking the chills out of her arm. Fiften paces later she did it again, and intoned behind her: "The substance here is cold, hard, but I can break it easily. Don't hold it too long." Drop, shake, run again. But the third time her limbs started trembling, and she wasn't quite sure why, but they shook so much that when she tried to pick up an odd-looking gemstone it fell and careened away down the passage.

"Hey!" the gibbon shouted, indignant that her hands betrayed her. But then she stared out at where it fell and saw something far more interesting. Five unmarred pillars of crystal, buried in the snow. A faint fruity smell stuck out amidst the constant toxic dust she inhaled in. "Uuuhhh..." the young child drawled. "Assistant, look at this."

Researcher crept towards the closest one hesitantly, but remained a good distance away. Her left hand held out to pat Assistant. "Is this... a natural thing?" she wondered. "Should we study it? Do you think it's worth studying? What if there's a great secret to the caves buried under here?" Her white pupils looked back. "What do you think of it?"

@Assistant

Unlikely their companion, Assistant had been steadily growing. They were all gangly limbs and awkward proportions, though they were still coated in a layer of kitten fuzz. Assistant trotted along at a steady pace, occasionally pausing to investigate something- usually a chunk of ice or clump of snow. They paused by a frozen puddle, pawing at it and observing how it differed to the typical stone floor. Assistant perked their ears at Researcher's observations, and answered with a couple of their own. "It's slippery too. Wet. Hard to walk on." Assistant continued their meandering path through the tunnel, doing their best to avoid the icier parts.

A clatter of something on stone and Researcher's yell caught their attention. "Huh?" Their gaze shot over to Researcher, and immediately landed on what had caught their friends interest. "Oooo!" Came a curious, childish trill.

Assistant leaned forward, doing their best to examine the strange pillars before them without getting closer. They likely would've bolted forward to investigate further had Researcher not been right there beside them.
"No, It's too smooth. Natural things are always rough and bumpy." They replied definitively, peering at the set of pillars ahead. "Oh, Definitely! I've never seen anything like it, before. That has to mean SOMETHING'S up."

@Researcher

There was a strange wooden sled some twenty feet away, lodged in the snow on a slope. And though there was no immediate explanation for either this or for the pillars, there was a sudden, distant voice. It sounded high-pitched, and cheerful, and...

"WHEEEEEEEEEE!"

...rapidly approaching?

Sugar glider-like skin flaps were extended, limbs held out as if for a hug, and Momma Bolormaa came sweeping down through the air from a higher ledge. She hit the sled and shot away, and the pair could likely spot her shocked glance backward as she realized abruptly that she had visitors. "Oh!"

Whoosh, and she was gone, but a crashing sound echoed back up the tunnel from a lower ledge a moment later.

"Sorry, sorry--I'm coming back! I am! Were you here for a ceremony-?" came the once-again-distant voice.

She came back to them, after a moment--huffing, puffing, hopeful. "Sorry about that," she said again. "I'm Momma Bolormaa. Can I help you somehow?" she asked.

@Assistant @Researcher

oh my god how the hell did i forget to respond to this. im so sorry its been like half a yeaR--
please forgive me

A lot happened at once.

First: Researcher thought of a response to Assistant. Second: she wondered 'what the heck is that?' Third: she realized that was a one-and-only Momma Bolormaa speeding away. Fourth: her eyes followed as the poor creature crashed up and down the tunnel in her scramble to answer them.

Finally: a huffing, puffing, brown-and-blue creature stood in front of them.

"Hello, Mo-mma Bo-lor-maa." Researcher smiled cheerfully. What a strange name. "I'm Researcher. What's a ceremony? Do you enact them?" Her golden-ruffed face turned to the black cat. "Do you want a ceremony, Assistant?"

@Assistant AAAAAaa

The rapidly approaching 'wheeeeeeeeee' made their ears swivel towards the sound, and the rapidly approaching something made their fur- already fluffed against the cold- fluff even more as they scrambled a couple paces back. The distant crash made them jolt in a particularly cat-like fashion, only (mostly) regaining composure as Momma Bolormaa came huffing and puffing up the tunnel.

Assistant smiled- it seemed like the right thing to do, after all- but unfortunately it was completely hidden by the large black stone attached to their lower jaw.

"Hello! I'm Assistant! Seeming unaware of how strange that might be as a name, they continued on in response to Researcher's proposal. "I wanna know what a ceremony is, first. They'd reply, glaze flickering from Researcher to Momma Bolormaa. "But! It sounds cool! I think!

@Researcher

Oh--that wasn't what they were here for. Ahh. Well! She could still explain.

Momma Bolormaa clasped her little hands together, sitting up on her haunches. "Oh, I see! Well, this place is a symbol of love here in the caves. A wonderful force, isn't it--but hard to find, sometimes! The ceremonies I perform bond two who love one another in a more official manner! Usually they are a pair--dedicated only to one another, you see--but it isn't limited to that. Anyone who loves each other can come here to affirm their bond, either in public--before an audience!--or in private, and alone. If you want to know more, I'm glad to explain it! But it is only for true love, really. I'm sorry, I'd thought maybe that's why you had come," she explained, hands briefly twisting one another in worry that she'd come across as impolite.

Researcher listened to Momma's words, settling down on her haunches like a respectful student. Symbol of love... ceremonies... usually a pair...

Wait a minute: what is love? Researcher didn't want to interrupt, so she tried to think of it herself. Love seemed important, from her description, and rare. Something worth having an entire ceremony over. What was rare and important to her? She looked over to Assistant. 'Them.' They must be what love is.

"I think we have true love," asserted Researcher. "Assistant is the best one I know. We are very good partners.Your ceremony doesn't sound dangerous, so even if we aren't true loved there's no risk in trying, correct?"

@Assistant

Assistant cast a glance at Researcher before adopting a similarly respectful, attentive posture- ears forward, tail curled neatly. All of what Momma Bolormaa said sounded nice. They wished they could have a relationship like that, someday.

Wait.

Wonderful? Hard to find? Well.. they had yet to meet someone who they felt as close to as they did The Researcher. Of course they liked the others they had met- Karyo and Cortex and other's they'd met in passing. But Researcher had been there from the beginning, and they were sure they'd Always be there, too. And the reverse was true, and would always be true.

That was love, right?

They'd nod in strong agreement to Researcher's words. "Yeah! We love each other! I think a Ceremony would be nice- if you can still do one for us!" Has they missed their chance? Momma Bolormaa didn't seem like the kind of person to just deny them, but maybe they'd done something rude? She /had/ seemed a little disappointed.

@Researcher

Well that was--unexpected! But not disappointing. Momma Bolormaa beamed at them, clasping her hands back together again in a single, excited clap.

"Oh! Well, I'd be glad to, then. The magic's just gone latent, this time of year, but a ceremony's still quite doable." If only they'd come a week or two sooner! "Let me just go and get the appropriate incense, herbs--oh, and--for the purposes of the ceremony, ah, what are you to one another? What is your relationship, if you don't mind my asking?" Her question was a quick and friendly chitter, her glance back (already turning to scurry off for her incense) an open one, with nothing to hide.

@Researcher

Researcher smiled mildly, lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet as Momma spoke. They could do a ceremony! How great!

"Hmm..." she pondered her question. "Partners? Work partners? Assistant, how does 'work partners' sound?" Researcher held out her hand in addition to the question. "How about you hold my hand using your paw? Perhaps physical closeness could help us bond."

@Assistant