Proof of Past Meeting: /showthread.php?tid=11574]

Doru was sitting near the slowly growing chrysalis of purple amethyst, studying it and trying to find some of their own fondness for it. It was easy to love Vindicator now, they thought, finding that feeling that they had doubted they had even possessed a capacity for.

They still remembered the stranger, the wolf they had discussed their concerns about their emotional capacity with. It had been an oddly nice experience, discussing such concerns with a stranger. Anala... They could almost imagine her here now.

Suddenly, the dragon hybrid paused, turning their head back where they had previously been looking. He hadn't almost imagined anything, because she was actually here. "Anala?" they voiced the question, startled by the sight of her.

Still, they remained sitting by the chrysalis that shared their stone. "Do you wish to sit with me, Anala? You would be welcome," Doru remarked. "I am Doru, we met once in the cave Cetus," they added.

@Anala

ANALA
From a spark to a flame

Anala had been searching for an old friend, funnily enough, when she ran into Doru. It had been out of curiosity, and she doubted she'd be lucky enough to run into them, so it wasn't much of a bother when her search had come up short. Doru might not have been the one she searched for, but they were a welcome sight all the same. The chrysalis beside them was a shock, however, considering their last conversation. Perhaps they had decided they were ready after all? It had been some time since they'd talked.
"Is that yours, Doru? Are they growing well?" There was a fondness in her voice that even she hadn't heard before. Had Doru decided to give life to a lesser stone, or had they truly come to care for someone? Or was it something else altogether, a life created for duty or usefulness rather than affection, given Doru's previous lack of emotion? She hoped they had found some understanding, truly, for the love their parents had clearly shown them.
"Has it really been so long? I have barely gotten a hold of my magic since we last met, and now look at you! You're so... tall..." She added on the last bit as if she had only just noticed, now that she was closer, studying the chrysalis that they now both sat beside.
"Did you find some peace, then? Some... understanding?" She hoped they caught what she was trying to say. Did they... feel love?

OOC Notes: I'd like to let them catch up a little before we GM tag just a heads up :)

@Doru

"It is mine," Doru agreed, voice thoughtful as they considered the question Anala voiced. "I hope they are growing well," they tested the words, tentative, but found it was a true statement. Even if they did not know how to feel about this child, they knew how they felt about this child's parent, mostly.

"I've never seen a chrysalis grow," they admitted. "Let alone my own child's... It's odd," they fell silent for a moment.

They smiled at the question from Anala, toothy and playful, yet understanding the wolf's meaning. "I am certainly tall, yes," they teased the other for that observation. Then their smile became a softer thing.

"And... It took a while, but I did, I think. This child's other parent, it is a being that cares for me, yet has no expectations that I need to be anyone other than who I am. It accepts me," they sound startled by their own words, still, even with knowing that feeling is true because they can feel Vindicator's feelings, read into its thoughts, and Vindicator can do the same with them.

"I think I love Vindicator- This child's other parent, that is. ...It's a unique yet wonderful experience, being with Vindicator," their voice was full of awe and fondness. They cared deeply for Vindicator, and it was love as much as Doru knew it. How could they not love the being that shared so much and cared so much?

Then they glance towards the chrysalis. "I'm... concerned, though. That I'll not be a good parent. I want to be, but I don't feel an instinctive connection to this chrysalis. I want to try, because it's both a child of mine, and a child of Vindicator. Yet, I worry," they confess.

"You've found it difficult to find the strength you seek for?" they inquired, polite and yet... Actually interested, a bit invested in her answer. Without thinking, Anala had become a gembound they cared for some, with the way she and they had spoken so honestly last time.

@Anala

ANALA
From a spark to a flame

"Oh Doru, that is wonderful!" Anala's voice was warm, without hesitation or uncertainty. Her tail was already sweeping the floor. "Would it be wrong to say I'm proud of you? That isn't quite right, I think, but... I am happy for you. More than happy, that you've found what you've sought in some capacity." She found her eyes trailing over the chrysalis once again, and she hoped for Doru's sake that they would find the same care, the same connection for their child as they had for this Vindicator. She had to meet them, one day.

"I have not met them in my wandering, but if they were able to soothe you as they seem to have I can imagine they are a rather incredible creature. I once told you that you need not worry because you would surely have help from your parents, but now to have them and a lover? Doru, you really do worry too much!" She chuckled a little, hoping to offer some kind of comfort. "If you care for Vindicator as you do, I find myself doubting that you will not care for a physical manifestation of that love, as much them as it is you. Do you think it will grow as tall? Taller?"
Anala wondered if she should offer to help, to babysit one day, but the idea went unvoiced as she realized her lack of experience in the matter. Maybe someday she too would find herself sitting watch by a chrysalis, but first, she had much to do to better herself before she thought of making another.

"I find myself lacking, still." She admitted. "I have only managed to call upon one form of magic, so far, and that isn't even to mention how I still haven't built enough muscle to put any real power behind these claws!" She huffed. "We really must get around to that spar, once your little one has enough grasp on themselves to be alone for a time. The magic I have may have its uses, but I would much prefer to hone my physical abilities, and I would be shocked if you said you couldn't handle a scratch or two!" She teased, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. Maybe Doru could teach her something, or maybe she could find a more consistent spar-mate in Doru so she could teach herself. Regardless, she was very glad to have run into them again.

OOC Notes: I think Anala has an idea of what to wish for :)

@Doru

There was no hesitation to Anala’s words, simply warmth. A helplessly amused yet equally warm smile slide onto Doru’s face. ”Thanks, Anala,” Doru told the wolf, grateful for her kind words.

She’d really ceased to be a stranger at this point, the second meeting combined with the context of the first allowing Doru to feel that she had become a friend. The natural growth of a relationship, as Doru preferred.

Her confidence in their capacity to care was oddly flattering. It made Doru grin, still warm, even with those sharp unnerving teeth on display, but there was no threat. ”Taller, I’d think,” they answered playfully. ”Vindicator is taller than me by a decent amount,” Doru added, curiously amused to see how Anala would take that answer.

The challenge of a spar was startling, for all they had suggested it once upon a time. Their first instinct was to decline, and they analyzed that. ’I could certainly try to be a sparring partner, for all I am not a fighter…” they voiced, somewhat uncertain if Anala would wish to after what they said next.

”However, my teeth and claws both carry a… venom, of sorts. It doesn’t kill, or even physically harm, but it’s disorienting mentally, causing the target to feel happy despite injury. One of my parents, the one who consumes solely blood, will use this venom to hunt lessers without killing or distressing their prey. I have theories that it may be addictive for one to experience. I consume more than blood, so I don’t tend to use it in such a way, but it still has the same effects. It’s simply there. …Do you… still wish to spar with me?” they ended with the tentative question.

It would not harm Anala physically, but they had no desire to harm her mentally, either. They wanted her to be fully aware of what kind of sparring partner they would be, if nothing else.

@Anala

old friends and new - echoes of wishes

Wait, time seemed to whisper. As though the moment stuttered, paused, caught in a flash of brilliant light. A thousand possibilities reflected and refracted, and potential, shaped by will, was the light that shone behind them.

It was magic, and it curled through them. Light or will, potential or promise, it was an assurance: something they could--only in that instant--mold for one another.

They had only a flash of time. No chance to discuss. No long minutes of soft debate, or calculation. Only this moment, a whim, the instinct to guide the spark of magic toward a gift. Would they choose something the other truly would like, adore, fall in love with, respect, feel forever grateful for? Or would their gift be a mistake, a misstep, well-intentioned but easily forgotten?

There was no time for second-guessing. Each of them felt it: the offer, for that split second, of making something come true for their companion.

__________

Each Gembound has only an instant to decide upon a Wish for their thread partner. While the players are free to discuss OOCly, the Gembounds themselves are the ones making this Wish: it should not use out-of-character information but should instead reflect the intent and beliefs of the Wish-makers.

Please GM tag a second time to have a Game Master confirm that all Wishes are viable.

@Anala

ANALA
From a spark to a flame

And suddenly, it was like time had stopped. They had been talking, and then there was silence. Dead silence, where not a bird sang or leaf rustled. The air was still, but magic? Magic was everywhere.
She couldn't help but feel... Well, the feeling was impossible to describe. It was not a feeling, really, but an urge. An instinct. Their conversation would continue after this, she thought, almost as if nothing had happened and yet- Something would change.
I wish... It was not a word nor a whisper, but a thought; an intent. I wish that Doru could find the same connection they have with Vindicator, with their child.
She did not know how this magic would work, nor did she know of the magic already at hand between Vindicator and Doru, but in the moment it was the only thought the wolf had. It was all Doru wanted, and as far as she knew, all that Doru had ever wanted; connection.

OOC Notes:

@Doru (visibility - GM tagging)

Time paused, and the feeling that came over Doru was familiar and startling in equal measure. They had thought, for some reason, that their wish with Vindicator had been a unique occurrence. This proved otherwise, but provided no explanation.

But they had no time to ponder that, really, they needed to wish. Luckily, a wish came to them quickly: Give Anala something that will let her gain the advantage in fights.

The wolf wanted to be able to have combat ability, physical, magical, or both, and Doru knew there would be a point where even that might not help, for she was a wolf, and she lacked venom or other offenses and defenses. There was nothing wrong with being a wolf, but monsters roamed the cave-

Monsters like Doru, maybe. They wondered, since they knew of the reciprocity this time, what Anala might wish for them. They didn't know what they would have asked for, even if they could use this moment to ask for something, which they could not.

It was gone as quick as it was there.

old friends and new - echoes of wishes

There was a long moment's pause, breath and magic hanging in the air, as though this particular wish--or one of them--took some thought.

At length, three items clinked and thudded to the ground, seemingly forming midair. Before Anala: a leather-and-metal dog harness, large enough to fit her wolfish frame. It wasn't immediately clear what it would do, though a promise would seem to whisper through Anala's mind: 'Fire.' A pouch on top was openable by a zipper, but in both operating the pouch and putting the harness on, she might need someone with more flexible digits to aid her.

The two far smaller items that clinked landed before Doru. Two small, highly stylized hounds formed of painted brass, the metal showing through in places. One was greenish, like tarnished copper; the other a slightly faded red. Both matched aside from their color. Doru would intrinsically grasp their purpose: that Anala had desired them to form a connection with their child, that these would allow that when desired. All one had to do was carry one half, one hound; then they could share thoughts, even feelings, with whoever held the other. And the connection could be cut off whenever desired, simply by placing the object down. They would reach one another up to one cave away.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ Harness of Combustion A tough, but relatively lightweight, leather dog harness suited to a larger dog. Well-made; the stitching and metal buckles show no signs of wear. A pouch on top allows items to be carried, though may require more than paws to operate. ELEMENT: MAGIC LEVEL: 80 DURABILITY: 60 SPECIAL: Enchanted with Fire Trap. Blasts attackers with a small burst of flame when physically struck. MATERIAL: Leather, Steel ATTACK: 0 DEFENSE: 0 WEIGHT: 2 EQUIP: Harness ADDED: Enhanced: the effect also covers the wearer's entire neck and upper torso, including shoulders and abdomen. The harness itself is also immune to catching on fire, and the buckles will only get warm, never burning hot. Currently owned by: Anala

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ Twin Hounds Two matching sculptures of stylized hounds, about two inches long. One is painted reddish, the other greenish, though the brass beneath is showing through where the paint has been worn away. ELEMENT: MAGIC LEVEL: 70 DURABILITY: 90 SPECIAL: Enchanted with Mind Reader. Two creatures carrying the trinkets may share their thoughts, up to a distance of one cave away. MATERIAL: Painted Brass ATTACK: 0 DEFENSE: 0 WEIGHT: 2 EQUIP: N/A, Carry ADDED: Enhanced: Allows the carriers to also share clear emotions. Currently owned by: Doru

@Anala @Doru

ANALA
From a spark to a flame

Of all the strange things Anala had seen, she still had yet to see anything remotely similar to this. The magic they all shared, the magic that flowed through their veins and permeated the caves, sparked with the connection she and Doru had formed. Even more importantly, it... summoned things? She could only assume they were related to her wish, and she wondered what Doru had wished for the harness that dropped at her paws. She could only assume that Doru had wished too, considering that her wish, presumably, formed at Doru's feet.
"Doru, I wish very much to meet your child one day but if they're any taller than you I'm afraid they might not see me to begin with! What if they step on me? I wouldn't even have time to crystalize!" She laughed, not wanting to ignore their existing conversation despite how curious she was about Doru's wish. "I'll be honest with you Doru, as you have been nothing but honest with me... I'm not too sure about feeling-strange-venom. But..." She finally acknowledged the gift, trying (and failing) to get it over her head. "Whatever you have wished for me Doru, if you could help me wear it(?), I'm sure it will have helped me enough." She smiled out from the tangle of straps. "And I can only hope mine helps you just as much."

OOC Notes:

@Doru