Together, Wilder and Vaati enjoyed their chocolates together while other gembound gathered nearby, talking to each other joyously. Perhaps at another time, Wilder would be nervous about this, but right now she was content.

It was only marred by a rising force in her chest, hauntingly familiar, as the magic in the chocolate settled into her body. She stopped purring for a moment and stared straight ahead, trying to figure out how. She hadn't tapped into this in...a long, long time. It wasn't an active magic, more like...the knowledge had returned to her. Somehow, eating this chocolate had given her knowledge she had long since given up.

And maybe she would have panicked, if she wasn't feeling so delightful. She probably would have cried, actually, but the warmth overtook all of that negativity and she accepted this knowledge, an open mind and a new perspective. She sat and enjoyed the warmth for a little while longer before she stretched her legs out and got to her paws, padding away with Vaati in tow (who snatched another, non-magical chocolate on the way out - to share, of course!)

*exit Wilder

As the flavors of the chocolate and toffee danced around her mouth, she felt a strange feeling run through her. Her eyes widened, and a thought struck her. She should share this happiness with someone! But who? All the gembounds were having a great time in each others' company, but what about the lessers in these caves? She should share this joy with one of them! But not spotting any lessers in this area, Sakhira decided that perhaps it was a good idea to look elsewhere. It was strange to feel motivation for doing something like this, especially since it was something she wouldn't usually consider, but the chocolate worked wonders. The idea had been planted into her mind, and it would not leave. And so, with the taste of chocolate still in her mouth and warming her heart, she left.

Exit Sakhira

The chocolate started tasting like pistachio, which made sense considering the nut that was placed on top of it. However it slowly changed into another taste, that of coconut cream. No matter! Both were planty tastes, and he enjoyed the taste of coconut equally as much. Sprig wondered if he could cook something that could also change in taste. That would be really cool! Though he wasn't sure how he would pull it off. Did it require magic? Or just amazing skills? He wondered who made these chocolates. He would need to ask them for advice regarding the topic! Though he wasn't sure who it was, and where they could have gone. Perhaps he would be able to meet them sometime in the future.
As he pondered over this question, he found that his thoughts started to wander towards the topic of empathy. He was feeling really happy and content right about now, and part of that was from how everyone else was also feeling quite happy! Well of course he couldn't be sure of that, but when gembounds were laughing with smiles on their faces that usually signaled happiness.
But Sprig had spent enough time here, it was time for him to wander elsewhere! He had come here for plants, and what he had found was inspiration for further cooking experiments. He was already cooking up some ideas in his head as he walked off, a smile on his face.

Exit Sprig

Bacchus spent a long time simply admiring his lovely plant children, these sprouts he had grown himself. Then an idea occurred to him

A parent's job was to encourage growth, was it not? He once again stretched out his magic at the plants, currently sprouts, his intention to help aid them in their growth. He was a good parent, yes. He would raise his plants well.

Except, the plants did not grow. They did the opposite of grow, shriveling and dying. He let out a distraught cry.

He had killed his plant children. There was no reason left to stay.

[Exit Bacchus]

As the intense coffee flavor burst on their tongue, Yellow felt knowledge of a new magic surge into them. Warm, powerful, and somehow terrifying all at once. It wasn't anything dangerous, that was the funny thing. It would not bring fire, or destruction, or death, but life.

New life, born from gemstone and beckoned into the world by the touch of their magic. Family. The magic so sure, so loving, so powerful that it would not fail, at the cost of pouring everything they had into a stone. Yellow suddenly felt a great weight in their chest, as if the simple knowledge of this spell--the idea of such great devotion--had made their heart a thousand times fuller and heavier with responsibility at the same time.

Suddenly, they couldn't bear to hold it all in anymore. The rolling emotion, the new knowledge, the pure magical potential humming through them. They had to let it out. Yellow let the magic burst from their gemstone as they leaped into the air, seemingly landing on nothing as they condensed the air beneath their feet into shimmering cloud steps from which they jumped higher and higher, faster and faster. Exhilaration ran through their fungus-tangled blood as they bounded and leapt back to Ursa, sweeping smooth arcs through the air. It felt so natural to move like this. In a cave without trees, they would make their own midair stepping stones from nothing.

They suddenly missed Mother and their family very much. They couldn't put their finger on why--they still had the mental link that connected them all. But right now, all Yellow wanted to do was return to Ursa and give each and every member of their family a big hug.

exit!

As Parthenium crunched down on the pistachio nuts, knowledge of a new magic suddenly blossomed within her. There were--FLOWERS! Joy flooded her body. Parthenium jumped up, tail wagging, suddenly filled with knowledge of beauty and colors and so much love.

Imp was so loud! His coarse excitement was infectious. "I'm Parthenium!" she barked, bounding forward to meet him. And then, impulsively, even though she hadn't told anyone she knew way better than Imp about this yet: "Or you can call me Feverfew! If you want! Like a nickname, haha!"

What did she do? Parthenium's mouth opened silently for a moment. What did that question mean? "I--" Thankfully, an incredibly awesome-looking lizard suddenly came up to them and asked her a couple more questions! She knew how to answer those, she thought! What a cool person, this lizard. He was BIG! And SCALY! and he CHANGED COLOR! Feverfew was simply awestruck by how cool he was. Stunned. Floored, even.

"I'm a-- a DOG face!" she barked excitedly, tail thumping the glowing ground. "Oh! And I got FLOWER magic from the chocolates! I LOVE flowers, what magic did you get?! Can you make flowers too? You're so cool I bet you're surrounded by flowers every day!" Because that was the coolest state of being, right? Being surrounded by tons of flowers! Impulsively, she tried to use the new magic she got to grow a bunch of flowers. AND THEY REALLY DID GROW! OUT OF NOTHING BUT SEEDS IN THE GROUND! Feverfew's jaw dropped open as a bunch of small, glowing flowers just APPEARED at her paws. AMAZING!

"Oh my GOD. You're MASTERS at magic?! That is SO INCREDIBLY COOL, I've ALWAYS wanted to be really good at magic! Ooh, Master-Fahl! And, uh-- Master Imp?! Could you demonstrate some magic? I'd love to see!" Feverfew leaned forward, eyes gleaming. She was so intrigued by the prospect of a masterful magic demonstration that it appeared the pun had flown straight over her head.

F E V E R F E W
Will you stay with me?

@Imp @Fahl

"Fuck yeah, masters of magic," he breathed, mostly to himself. He seemed content--indeed sidled closer to Fahl, his best bud, trying to just hang out right beside him.

Squinting eyes picked out Parthenium as she bounded up, and it struck him that flowers were pretty fuckin' pretty. "I'm gonna paint that," he promised to himself, aloud. "All those happy flowers and this dog-face 'n shit..."

His hat was being complimented, which earned Fahl a broad, idiotic grin: "Thanks, buddy... your colors are fuckin' great today!" and then they were being asked for a demonstration.

Oh. Imp hadn't actually used his magic in... well, a long-ass time. But he felt good, so--fuck it, right? He shrugged, still grinning foolishly, and tried. "It didn't work," he said, "probably 'cause of the candies."

He didn't care.

"So, like. Do you two wanna. Go on an... adventure, or something? Oh. HEY. We could... we could... see a movie! They have a theater... in the Palace?" he suggested, blinking far too many times.

@Fahl

Physical touch is something that is still strange to her, and she wants to pull away, but a mixture of the chocolates and the fact that it's Tourmaline keeps her in place. And perhaps it even felt a bit comforting. Arquia's eyes linger for a moment on the Pallas' cat, but eventually return to the stone. "Indeed." Thoughts were running through her mind. What if it was a murder attempt? Hiding a rock in chocolate is a rather inconspicuous way to kill someone through choking. But that didn't explain why all the other chocolates seemed to have positive effects. Someone accidently put a stone inside perhaps? Either way, the dragon was inclined to agree with Tourmaline. "Yes. That is a good idea. Shall we go?" Despite the lively environment, gembounds were gembounds, and she did not like being in the presence of so many.

@Tourmaline

While Arquia's mind runs a mile a minute about why the stone was there, Tourmaline more wonders what's so special about it. Maybe it was just supposed to be a gift?

She looks back up at Arquia. "Back to the den, it is then," she confirms, getting up off Arquia's talons. Tourmaline picks up the gem with her mouth, before leading Arquia off to the outskirts of Polaris.

Exit Tourmaline

@Arquia

Arquia wondered how much the den might have changed since she last saw it. Would the strange smelling block still be there? What about the statue? Perhaps she should make another one, that way the entrance could have a matching pair. The dragon nodded, following behind the Pallas' cat as the pair made their way to Tourmaline's home.

Exit Arquia

@Tourmaline
For visibility!