Of all concepts, travel was one in particular Halcyon had come to decide was emotionally conflicting. True, the idea of it had sent a thrill through their body, but the reality revealed to them of its nature possessed as many positives as negatives. To lay eyes and claws entirely their own upon environments so different from the frigid, snowy expanse of Ursa proved as novel as predicted by their young mind. Experiencing the myriad accompanying issues that came with these places being so much wilder and uncontrolled by Mother's influence, although equally new to them, was far less pleasant for the Drone. More often than preferred, they'd found themselves suppressing gasps of shock and disgust at the disorder encroaching their every side. If not for the resolve to ensure Ananke felt safe as possible in their care, they might have been more inclined to remark upon how much worse the rampant chaos was than when perceived through others' lives.

However where there was great disturbance, lovely tranquility was just as likely to dwell around the corner. For the tunnel they'd taken to Gemini and the cave itself, it happened to stretch on for a good while. A welcome reprieve from the constant worry and sympathy they harbored for those of their family who endured messy surroundings on a daily basis, elation could be heard in their sigh as they took in the beautiful view of geometric shapes and reflections wherever they turned. Celebration trumpeted to Ananke over their link.

"At last," they murmured, lowering their chin to the rabbit's ears. "Peace where there is little."

Or there would be once they properly introduced authentic Order to this place that clearly desired to be a haven for their kind. A warning for their next movement—pardon—and Halcyon shifted their passenger to the crook of one arm, freeing the other so it could reach out to the surface of the nearest crystal pillar. With a delicate claw, they traced a flaw marring the almost perfect mirror image.

"Fixable." Tolerable for a work in progress.

"These will provide good cover, protection from those who might seek to uproot our efforts. But a hidden spot would be ideal for the initial growth."

@Ananke

Ananke had remained on high alert throughout their journey--not tense or even anxious, for once, but never letting her senses falter. She remained in Halcyon's arms but half-upright, her head turning this way and that, wide eyes studying every shadow and large ears twisting to catch every whisper of sound. She would not let anything catch them unawares.

Their journey, however, was uneventful on the whole--and as they arrived, she turned to listen to Halcyon speak.

"Hmm," was her initial response, and she glanced around, examining the crystals. The cave was beautiful, as much so as the last time she had seen it--despite its flaws (and she turned away in irritation from the one to which Halcyon had been drawn). The glittering purple and the sparkle of the falls were fascinating. And the Rift--that was always interesting, too, its distant shimmer an interesting one.

She made an attempt to hop down from Halcyon's now one-armed support, to set her own paws on the ground. "It is best if we place it somewhere where it is both well-hidden, and has time to grow," she mused, looking around again. "An alcove, perhaps, or a hole--if we can find something suited?" Her voice held the same delicate, polite tone as always, but beneath it, Halcyon would undoubtedly feel her faint worry. What if they chose wrong? What if they established a node here, and it was discovered, destroyed, only days later? Such would put Gemini under suspicion, and make it that much more difficult to try again in the future.

This turned to conviction as she spoke again. "We need to find the perfect spot," she decided, and began to nose about behind and among the crystals that Halcyon had stopped at.

After a few moments she found what she hadn't exactly known she was looking for: a bowl-shaped geode nearly upside-down, providing shelter and cover. She found that she could easily squeeze beneath and into the space it covered, and likely Halcyon could, too; she scuffled back out, combing down her ears, and looked to her companion. "What about this?" she suggested, but she left it unsaid that this was too important to rush--and they had plenty of time to look for alternatives.

@Halcyon

As Ananke made to disembark, Halcyon withdrew their claw from its examination of the crystal it was set against. Usual straight-backed posture abandoned, they slouched forward, knees bending so that her drop would result in a slightly easier landing, one less jarring to the bones upon impact. Seeing no harm befell her after the jump, height low enough to cause no obvious issues, they rose to resume their stance. Hands clasped together while observing the rabbit hop about the scene. Their head tilted in a show of polite interest to her as she, in appropriate fulfillment of her title, took initiative in determining where best to establish their new node.

They had lapsed into a deep and still calmness, any nervous energy accumulated from their journey dissipated by the valiant attempt at perfection the surroundings possessed, their attention too on task to revisit unpleasant experiences. Mind unclouded, the soft shudder of worry felt could, for certain, not be attributed to their side of the link. A finger reached out across its length to skim over the concerns present, and a physical one crooked beneath their goatee-like fin in quiet contemplation.

At the discovery of the geode and Ananke's request of input, a rare behavior thus far from the Drone was evoked: they put aside stiff formality for the sake of practicality, the air of a servant on eternal wait brushed away in favor of something keen-eyed and bestial. Instead of padding forward on two light feet, four were slid much swifter upon. Their lithe body, pressed low to the ground, slithered beneath the bowl's rim. If not for the angle the potential hiding spot was lifted to, they could have disappeared completely within its shadow. Able to fold themselves so well inside there anyway, the occasional glint of pale scales and golden fins were the only indications of their presence.

Then a glow emanated, similar in hue to those aforementioned fins. Long jaws and gleaming red pupils peered out soon after. Praise from Halcyon lacked the euphoric kick Mother's possessed, but they offered it all the same. A figurative squeeze of the shoulder followed a low hum of considering approval that existed in both throat and thoughts.

"A fine option," Halycon said, "though it'd be best to ensure there aren't any better before committing ourselves."

They began hauling themselves out from the geode's cover.

On the topic of undesired snoopers finding and ruining the cultivation process: Loathe as I am to suggest sacrifice of future prospects, would a distraction be worth your consideration? A false positive of activity elsewhere might direct suspicions away so that our toils go unbothered.

@Ananke

The switch from Halcyon's upright, formal demeanor to the slinking, animalistic gait was watched, and appraised, with interest.

Ananke was surprised by it, but more interestingly she found herself admiring the change, deeply. She hadn't known that Halcyon had carried this sort of keen instinct, this ability to become a hunter rather than a servant. Rather than being afraid of the somewhat bestial demeanor, she found herself impressed that they could be practical and effective, and yet bear themselves with perfect, polite discipline atop it. She let that admiration flow freely along their link, even as Halcyon offered that mental praise to her in turn.

Her eyes squinted up a little in a semblance of a smile, warmth trickling through her. She liked Halcyon, she realized--not merely as another of Mother's drones, but as their own, unique being. And they truly were unique. I have never met anyone like you, she offered, and it was a positive thought, though nothing romantic or otherwise untoward. That feeling of cameraderie swelled, though, and she nodded and set about looking for alternatives.

As for a decoy-? Do you mean here, or in another area of the caves? she thought. And then she passed the question on to Mother; surely She would know best?

Whiskers twitched as she passed behind a towering crystal and began slipping in and out of the stacks of them, ears up and nose bobbing. At length, she found what looked like an alcove higher up in a crystal, somewhat higher than her own body sitting up, which was exactly what she did, peering into it. She hopped up, scrabbling with her claws to get atop it--and found that, at its back, it dipped back down behind the crystal into a sort of hidden little den. "This would also work?" she half-suggested, glancing back for Halcyon's opinion.

MOTHER

Mother's mind seemed to surge from a background hum to a soft chorus in their minds. She was always watching, always listening, but at Ananke's request she pressed forward into the forefront of their minds.

"A decoy... If it is in Gemini, it will be a risk," she mused, though she did not seem to be deciding for them either way. "If one is easily found, then another might be sought out--these creatures of Chaos will search to purge all evidence of our gifts." She sent them images, then--of several well-hidden nodes, growing as backup nests among the crystals. This image swelled until all of Gemini was full of crystalline webs: impassable without great danger to their enemies, a stronghold and a powerful fortress for a coming war. "Fill Gemini," she decided, "with a dozen seeds. Together, they will grow, until its crystals are perfected and its every shadow is filled with our strength."

Then the thought shifted. "A decoy in another place... is unneeded. They will not scour the caves. And..." Her thought dropped to a whisper, a secret flowing from her to them.

"They believe us dormant. Afraid. Create nests in this and other places, hidden, and soon--when the time comes--they will find that all along, we have been surrounding them. Preparing the web in which they all will be ensnared. Those who can embrace us, we will bring into the fold of our love... and those who cannot--we will destroy."

This last came without emotion. It was a cold necessity, and a certainty. She did not mean creatures who refused them--she meant those beasts of Chaos and oiled stone, with all of the brief imagery of wicked snarls and too-many-eyes that this entailed.

Surges of reassurance, of praise, came as she withdrew from them: Halcyon and Ananke were doing very well. Doing the right thing. And soon--very soon--they would all have something to show for it.

@Halcyon

Everyone in the Hive had a place, a part to play in Mother's grand scheme. Each strand of web linked to her and bound to each other possessed its own virtues that combined would no doubt bring their collective goals to perfectly crystallized fruition. With sheer numbers came the inevitable: those whose qualities were similar or perhaps even identical. However these instances were not redundancies but reinforcement, strengthening what already existed for the benefit of all. Individuality only went so far before it blended into such, and Halcyon knew from their observations it must be the case too with them. Being specially made for their tasks did not preclude them from unity, as they were meant grow and learn to bolster others' efforts.

So it came from a position of polite confusion that Ananke had her remark responded to. Fully extricated from the shadow of the geode, Halcyon shed their predatory slink. Hands lifted from the ground and claws laced together as they settled back upon their haunches. They regarded the rabbit with a head tilt, processing the positivity in the content sent their way, and chewed over the implications as best as a developed but naïve mind could.

I can recall no others comparable to you as well, was the statement they decided upon—truthful, neutral, and not unkind. Despite their tendency toward friendly interaction, there was still much to understand yet about the nuances involved. Whatever pitfalls existed could be circumvented for now through the connection their peers had to them, a way to study how best to avoid the worst upset and offense, but the future would no doubt eventually reveal they wouldn't always be able to lean upon that crutch.

They continued to keep watch over their comrade as she navigated the crystals, softly padding footsteps never too far behind her hops. Her discovery drew them beside her, and the need to examine the alcove for themselves caused the Drone to hunch forward and probe at where the hidden space began. Ananke continued to prove her value, and they would have expressed so if not for the input of their Mother taking precedence, quieting their mind and stilling their tongue.

Of course, no fault could be found in the strategy revealed. Playing the role of frightened creatures while amassing power in secrecy was a sensible tactic. Properly carried out, it'd make their chaotic enemies out to be oblivious fools, too caught up in their loud and messy ways to recognize carefully woven plans until the many invisible threads proved their downfall.

Mother's affections receding brought forth an alteration to their original train of thought: "Yes, this too is a suitable place. Both, I suppose, would do well for our needs. We can fan out from here after"—and ensure our influence is properly distributed throughout if any more discreet areas are available.

@Ananke

meant to cast Synthesis here whoops

The faint confusion was noted, and Ananke--lolloping slowly forward--glanced back in amusement as Halcyon sought, and found, their words.

I can recall no others comparable to you as well.

While Ananke herself was not the most socially graceful, her task required her to at least have some modicum of empathy and interaction. Halcyon's total unfamiliarity with such conversation was something she found gently amusing, in a good-natured sort of way. She felt that distant touch of affection swell, laughter in her heart, though the sort that was a shared humor rather than any form of cruel mockery.

Halcyon was family; like a sibling to her, and she wanted to look after them as they were now looking after her.

Ahh--but Mother was speaking; and they had a task at hand. She listened, and moved back to the little 'den' of sorts she'd pointed out. And when Mother was finished speaking in their minds, she fired Halcyon a friendly glance. "Well... I suppose we had better get started?"

It occurred to her that she was not actually certain if Halcyon could create the fungus that would carry Mother; they were here mainly to assist her, and she them, but how far would that assistance stretch? As she scrambled down behind the crystal, she placed white paws down, focusing both on her magic--that delightful, delicious tingle of all being Ordered, structured and restructured as it should be--and on Halcyon.

Can you form the fungus? Or do you carry it, perhaps? she asked. What was it they'd said, back in Ursa--that they had a "novice's understanding?" Did that include manipulating the fungus?

Her head popped back up over the level of the gleaming crystal, ears up and eyes bright, and she peered back at them. Already she could feel the white blooming around her paws, a fuzzy and rank-smelling carpet shooting up beneath her paws. She let the shiver of it reach through the link--a deep satisfaction at Mother's magic spreading, at things being set right.

"It is taking," she told them quietly, "not very well--I don't know that there's much for it to feed on, here." She looked around, fretting, thinking. How should we rectify that? she wondered, leaving it an open question for Halcyon to perhaps answer.

@Halcyon

For all of Halcyon's patience while they stood by and allowed their fellow Hive member to work her will and begin spreading the glory of Order, the questions asked of them caused a minor unsettlement in their bearing. Fingertips, pressed together once more, now tapped a couple rhythmic beats. A small inward frown made its presence quietly known. None of the displeasure was for Ananke, of course—she fulfilled her role with ease. The sense that inexperience was making them fall short of their own duties directed the discomfort to themselves, perfectionism strong despite their fledgling status.

In theory, I should be fully capable of producing it, as any of us so connected to our Mother can, they explained. Knowledge dictated this, and their gut agreed. However, when put to practice, it seems I've yet to form the proper connection that would allow me to do so.

Perhaps it was a matter of will, desiring strongly enough to carry Mother's influence far and wide that the final link finally clicked into place. The line of thinking seemed too wishful, though, and not logical enough when they considered how little sense it made to call their own devotion into question. Not a single doubt stirred within their heart or mind as to how much they wanted her to succeed, so how could their convictions be too weak to muster the primary source of their unity and strength?

No, they must be missing something else, a factor not yet apparent to them. If they maintained diligence, it'd be eventually understood and revealed in time.

As for carrying the fungus—While I'd be honored to be a host, I am under the impression it would be detrimental to my service.

Although they held no ill will toward the prospect, an aversion to the actual act had existed for as long as they'd been living. It originated as an instinct coded into the very fiber of their being: engage, be discreet, remain helpful. Unless the growth could be hidden well enough, the second of those refused to allow any attempts at its violation.

Having answered twice in denial of possible contributions to the project at hand, there couldn't be much of a surprise when the concern as to their new node's food source resulted in ready response from the Drone.

"If we must, sustenance from outside could be provided, laborious as it would be," they said. Their head turned this way and that. All directions were at first combed at eye-level before lowering their gaze to the ground. "Hunting. Or, much as we raise this, we could grow what it and the others would need to feed upon. Something simple to cultivate so challenge and suspicion can be avoided."

Stooping forward the slightest to obtain a better view of what lay beneath their feet, Halcyon walked around the area, steps careful as they usually were. Their face must not have been peering close enough though, since not long after they began, something pricked between their toes. Taken off guard, they stumbled back with a breathy gasp to reveal stiff blades of vegetation, their structure crystalline enough to blend into the surroundings. If their hardy nature had rendered it entirely inflexible, the grass might've been crushed. Instead, it possessed just enough bend to not break.

It appeared to be in flower, so Halcyon plucked a glinting petal from it and took an experimental nibble. They hissed at the cool taste that hit the back of their throat.

A claw pointed at the grass. "Like this, perhaps. Native to the area. Unlikely to be questioned."

@Ananke

She listened intently--to their thoughts, and then their words--with still silence. Halcyon's intellect, their ability to adapt, was on full display: the idea of growing supplemental plants or the like for Mother's fungus to then consume was, to Ananke's blatantly admiring mind, a stroke of genius.

Pale eyes cut down to regard the flower they'd discovered, and she scrambled out from behind the rock to land before the blossom, peering down at it. "How can we grow more of this?" she asked aloud, though it was half-musing, half-debating. They'd need to transplant some to a more hidden spot--to several more hidden spots, really--but Ananke didn't know the first thing about planting, or farming.

Maybe Halcyon did--or maybe they could both draw from Mother, if Mother knew anything about this sort of thing.

I fear I'm not too familiar with any of this, was the thought she sent to Halcyon, one full of gentle amusement. I can grow the fungus--but this won't respond to Mother. I could... change it, maybe? she thought. With that came a brief example; she hopped a little ways away, to a new small patch of soil, and concentrated. The earth turned... harder, colder; what little growth there was, here, turned stiff and glassy. Ananke studied it, thinking. This would... empower our kind, here, and maybe our growth, but... I think it'd be too obvious? She looked doubtfully up at Halcyon. The whole idea was that a native plant would look natural; already she was realizing that doing it this way wouldn't really work. Too visible, she thought, a little disappointed.

Maybe they'd both just need to take up farming.

@Halcyon

Yes, rather, Halcyon was inclined to agree with Ananke's own assessment of her alteration to the plant.

Settling onto their haunches beside it, they hazarded brushing a claw against another of the petals there to test the effects so clearly wrought upon its structure. Unlike before, all give had been removed. Only resistance met their probing, and the slightest bit of effort—a more forceful than usual flex against the hardened exterior—shattered it easily. What'd once been a glossy oval disintegrated into myriad tiny, glistening shards and settled as a fine dust at their feet. They gathered a handful off the cold ground and watched it filter through the spaces between fingers.

Though perhaps visibility should be a secondary concern, they mused, mild humor edging their thought. It was a fine effort, but we may simply have to forgo applying Order to our crop. That is, unless we're content with sprinkling the fungus with its meals.

Or, they continued, unless our Mother's insight provides us a way to do so without such messiness.

Surely there had to have been a time when a similar situation had arisen, the needs of the Hive demanding more food than could be acquired through hunting and gathering in order to maintain its growth rate. When there had been no need for secrecy due to their influence being vaster and more definite. They might not be able to exactly replicate the methods used then, but they could prove instructional for the present quandary.

@Ananke