Envy slunk back towards their den with their fourth prize closely in tow, a glowing jewel firmly gripped in their pointed fangs as they slid back to the homely hole in a long-crumbled wall. They pressed it to the back of their slender hollow, their sleeping hollow now firmly illuminated, and curled up to brood on the latest pickings of what they'd learned. So... it could be assumed that using plant magic, one could condense energy from light? That certainly gave their meager hoard of glowing pebbles a use.

The weasel's tail flicked, and, knowing that they were alone, they felt no hesitation in closing their eyes and sifting through the magickal energy they stored in their gem. Plant magic, huh? well, I know someone will be happy for me... their thoughts brushed tauntingly against Dezba's, their feelings of triumph oozing through.

That feeling of pride was enough to send energy prickling through their fur. What better time to try something new, and obviously succeed? Envy grinned broadly, stretching themselves out in their tiny alcove, getting relaxed, and closing their eyes as though asleep. They reached into their gem, feeling the ability tantalizingly close. They felt the familiar, prickling feeling of power rushing through their skin, and sighed happily, closing their eyes. it was as though the light falling on their thin hide was transformed directly into warmth, and they found themselves curling up into a warm little ball, pawing at their pebbles in order for light to flow into them from all directions.

Their mind, meanwhile, oozed with triumph.

"So much for plants bowing to your whim, huh?" they muttered, as though half asleep. and truthfully, they were. The feeling of light falling on their fur was lulling and warm, and they'd been a long way since they'd last slept. They were hardly able to resist the pull of dreams, and before they knew it, they were snoring quietly in the safety of their nest, absorbing the light of the glowing pebbles that surrounded them.


"speak."

The brigand had been in Orion for literally two minutes and already, his sights had been set upon someone else's pile of worthless garbage. As Howl scampered across the floor on all hours, kleptomania pricked at his periphery and tugged him forcefully towards his right. A glowing hoard within a den. Definitely something worth taking. Without measure of risks versus benefits, the sneak thief began to slink carefully, slowly across the floor. Pressing himself low among the rocks and using cover to his advantage. All to perch atop the lip of the den, long arms dangling over the edge in wait.

Shuffling forwards, the thief poked his head down into the den, keeping a careful ear out for signs that their victim's sleep was being disturbed. Tail flicking eagerly as the weasel inside was indeed still sleeping, he reached in for the first stone. Hopefully, this wouldn't go the same way as the Batcat swarm.

Nerves pinching at him, he hesitated and drew his arms back. Watching and waiting. Casually staring at a stranger as they slept.

Howl took a moment to compose himself, condense his courage — 'I ain't afraid ah sum li'l noodle!' — before wriggling forwards again to make another attempt at theft. The urge to steal pricked at his fingertips, making his claws ache to pocket at least one of the four stones the Gembound had surrounded themselves with. Clutching the stone with his back finger-paws, he reached in again. He pawed greedily at said stones, but depth perception was a bitch and he missed.

With a quick sleight of hand, he palmed the stone. Without much of a better idea of how to easily carry it with him in case the time came to run, Howl buffed it in his fluffy neck and put the whole thing in his mouth. Shifting it into his cheek, he bit back a chirping fit of glee. He could celebrate later. He had more sneak-thieving to do.

Making sure the one stone was secure against his teeth, Howl wriggled and steadied himself against the top of the den again. Tail swaying easily despite the anticipation making his fur stand on end, the thief slipped long arms back in. If luck had it, he'd make off with all four of these stones and make them his. Well, they already were by obligation, but they needed to be in his hands. This strange noodle creature had warmed them for him for long enough.

Without much trouble, another one bit the proverbial dust and ended up in his other cheek.

Clutching two glowing stones in his cheeks, Howl was absolutely shimmering with glee. Literally. condensed light shone through his skin. Pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth (both in concentration and to avoid swallowing the rocks like the idiot he could be), he dove in yet again. Greedy little mitts edged past the weasel, towards the second to last rock in the den. His depth perception when upside-down was still garbage, and he found only a handful of dirt.

Greediness was quite literally swallowing him whole as he skirted a hand around the weasel, hoping to nudge the stone out from underneath them and into his grubby little mitt. A grin spread across Howl's face as he worked his magic. Sticky fingers, man. Nearly brushing his victim's fur, his breath hitched and he swiftly withdrew his hand, stone acquired. Running out of space, he shoved that into his mouth too. Just one more and he was getting off scot-free.

A few moments were spent staring deep into the weasel's closed eyes. Watching for the telltale sign of sleep and dreams. One twitch of the eyelids later and Howl was back at it again, arm snaking back into the den. On a mission to get to that last glowing hunk and make off with some useless rocks. He prayed that his pickrocketing would end on a good note as he reached towards the final bauble. But life wouldn't have it, as he grabbed yet another pile of dust due to horribly unpracticed depth perception.

One more try and then he'd give up.

This time, the failure was not in his suddenly terrible depth perception but in a lack of proper grippage. Howl, leaning pretty much all the way forwards and hanging upside down, managed to forget to account for this. Just as he found the stone in his grip, he tumbled head-first into Orion's earth. Lying supine for a moment, he crammed the rock in his hand into his mouth before whirling to his feet and preparing to look like he wasn't pilfering this weasel's goods. That is, if they even woke up. He very much hoped they were a heavy sleeper. 'I ain't afraid ah no noodles!' he assured himself.

@Envy

Envy was lost deep in the soft folds of sleep, dreams causing them to occasionally twitch. At one point, they shuddered; as piece by piece an enshrouding warmth was drained. But, they continued to snore quietly, too exhausted to awaken, and blissfully oblivious to the fact that they were being robbed from right under their nose.

Finally, though, a muffled thump reached them, and a faint voice. Lilac eyes opened to slits, pupils flitting groggily. Something was wrong, but they couldn't tell what for a few precious seconds, until they realized that the stones so carefully arranged had gone, and a hulking figure loomed outside of their den. They suspected immediately what had happened, and a generous surge of anger awakened in their breast. Envy's sleepiness disappeared immediately, and they shot out of their den like a bullet, glaring accusingly at the (to them) lumbering monster who appeared to be trying to sneak off, cheeks stuffed with what could only be...

"Ew!" Envy shrieked shrilly, coiling and thrashing in a fiery display of anger and indignance. "That's disgusting! What the hell are you doing!?"

They couldn't believe that anyone would steal from them. It was bad enough that they'd went for the stupid glowing pebbles, but Envy was even angrier that he'd managed it right under their nose! they could hardly believe it, in fact. And the thought only strengthened the rage that swelled their skinny chest. Envy rose up to their full height on their hind legs, an impressive 6 inches, glaring up at the odd-eyed beast like a noble knight facing down a dragon. They'd even stolen the flower core, and that was their only chance of getting rid of this connection with Dezba. That was just plain cold.

"Spit them out!" their eyes glittered dangerously despite their shrill voice. "Now."

"speak."

@Howl