“Waaaaah!!!” A loud and undignified yelp resounded throughout the cave room as a clumsy, young white llama slipped on the wet stone and fell onto the mud of the river bank. She lay there sprawled for a moment in disbelief at what had just happened. She wasn’t hurt, but her ego was bruised. How disgusting this mud bath was! With a huff, she stumbled to a stand on skinny legs. The mud caked around her legs, making it hard for her to move. She slowly trudged forwards through the sludge, closer to the edge of the water to wash the mud off her hooves. That’s when she saw her reflection on the crystal clear river. “Booo-waaaah!” She screamed out in fright. Her beautiful white coat was ruined by mud! It was filthy and gross and atrocious! She quickly looked around to make sure she was alone. She couldn’t see anyone nearby and she breathed out a small sigh of relief. Good. She couldn’t let anybody see her in this filthy state. Her reputation as the most beautiful creature would be ruined. Grumbling, she began to comb through her white hair with her teeth. The coated mud tasted foul in her mouth. She dipped her head into the cool water to rinse it off, and repeated the action. She wanted to wash her entire body in the water, but the river looked deep and rather frightening. She was too afraid to go in. It was a tedious process, but it was the best that Boo could do. There was no other option. She had to get all of this mud off her gorgeous fur. "Boo Speaks" 'Boo thinks'

@Envy

Today, Envy was brooding. They were angry, angry not at themselves, but at everyone else. Why? How could no-one see how far they'd come, how strong they were for it? why did no one respect or admire them or look up to them (in a ... metaphorical sense.) or worship them? They weren't mean, they were strong. they were doing what they had to do to survive, in a world like this, with a gem like this. The more that Envy felt sorry for themselves, the more bitter they felt towards everything else.

It was far easier to turn one's jealousy into anger; and less painful to blame others than it was to carry any of that burden themselves. Jealousy is nothing more than admitting that I'm weaker than everyone else.

But a little voice whispered;

why then, do you keep this name?

Envy clenched their teeth, seething inside, grappling with themselves as much as everyone else. They were curled up beneath a lantern pinned, far away, to the ceiling of the cave. Their paws covered their face as though they were sleeping, but it was mainly to hide the dampness around their eyes. They kept twisting and thrashing, trying to use physical movement to cull the emotions. Envy can be strong, if it means I have the guts to take what I want- no- what I need. That's what makes me strong. I'm going to be the best. I'll climb to the top, even though I started all the way at the bottom. I'm not weak, I'm not weak, I'm not weak...

Envy raised their head and breathed out a breath. They needed a walk. their skin was crawling, their muscles were tense. The fur around their eyes was still damp. How they craved another taste of the power that they'd felt from Imperia, the self-assuredness- that feeling of knowing the extent of one's power, and knowing that you placed fear in another's heart. Envy didn't think they'd ever seen Mamma- no, Li -look so tense before. And that took a lot.

With their heart clenched in their chest, Envy rolled onto their paws and pattered towards the crystal river.

For what felt like the first time, they felt humiliation raw, as they realized how skinny they were, how short and ungainly their legs, how emaciated and bony and... and... weaselly they were. They tried to block out the thoughts as they slid towards the river, low to the ground. It was then that they heard a yell which caused them to stop. Slowly, but surely, a sly grin crawled over their face. They needed an uplift. Envy hastily dried their face with their paws and hurried towards it. The sound lead them towards the crystal river regardless where they found a large and fluffy creature, tall and covered in mud.

Envy slunk out onto the bank into view, their lithe and emaciated form curling like a snake before they rose up onto their hindpaws to sit and watch. A snicker emerged from their sneering jaws. "Let me guess... trying to hide the ugly?" they chittered, baring pointed fangs and narrowing their eyes. "Don't worry! I hear there was a blind gembound around here somewhere."

They bristled in barely-contained laughter.


"speak."

@Boo

Before she heard the voice, she heard a snicker. Boo’s head snapped up and swung around in alarm to try and find the observer who dared to see her in this horrible state. Her purple eyes fell onto another set of purple eyes, staring straight back at her. It was a long, furry creature that the llama had no name for. "Let me guess... trying to hide the ugly?" The creature spoke. Even just from their snickering tone alone, Boo could tell they meant her no good. Besides, did this stranger just call her the u-word?!!! "Don't worry though! I hear there was a blind gembound around here somewhere." Boo brayed in anger at the hurtful remark. “How dare you!” The llama screeched. “I’m the most beautiful creature here, and everyone deserves to look at me! Well, maybe not now but I will be once I clean this filthy mess up! It was an accident!” Indeed, she knew she looked a mess right now. Her mouth and the jutting green crystal tooth was covered in foul mud, along with her hooves and white coat. Even so… Even so! She had to be the fairest of them all! Anger arose. Oh why did she have to be so clumsy and fall into the mud?! Now this annoying creature might run off and tell everyone what happened in order to ruin her chances of becoming known as the most beautiful. That would simply not do. So she did what a jealous, angry child would do. Lash out. “What about you?” Boo spat. “You’re skinnier than a famished stick! Can you even walk properly on those twigs you call legs? You’re all bones and skin and disgusting! You just wanna be as good as me with those purply eyes, but they're the wrong shade, you dumb dumb!” Boo didn’t really know what she was doing. She didn’t even know who this was. All she wanted was to make them hurt just as they had made her feel hurt. "Boo Speaks" 'Boo thinks'

@Envy

The llama's indignant response was exactly what Envy needed. The weasel rubbed their tiny paws together in glee, and laughed. "Everyone deserves to look at you, huh? You must really hate company. I wouldn't wish a face like that on my worst enemy," they grinned broadly. "Well, actually... I might. But don't take that as a compliment."

They looked over her again, quivering with mirth at the bedraggled llama. Fur sticking out in every direction, plastered right up to the misshapen teeth, they looked ridiculous. Envy didn't even try to suppress it, clutching their paws to their belly and thrashed with laughter, rolling over onto their back, and cackling. And then the llama took jabs back with an unpracticed silver tongue, with retorts that did nothing to fix her external appearance. But Envy's voice rose slightly, a tone higher in pitch, their eyes showing flashes of anger. So they kept laughing through the retorts, trying to drown it out before finally rising upright and glaring with narrowed eyes, teeth bared in a vicious little grin.

"At least I don't look like a particularly bad bout of shit," they retorted. "I'd rather look all mean and rugged than dirty and stupid like you." The weasel grinned, despite the annoyance brewing in their stomach. "And I hate to break it to ya, but I've been boasting eyes like these for longer than you've been alive! You should really learn to show your elders some respect. "


"speak."

@Boo

Boo’s lips curled into a sneer and her entire body bristled with hatred as the long creature before her sprouted terrible words. She could not help but lap up the hateful rhetoric with vigour that left a sour taste on her tongue. Even though she denied it with all of her llama heart, Boo thought that perhaps, there was some truth to the annoying creature’s words. It made her feel nauseous to the core. Purple eyes were narrowed in detestation, glaring with fervour at the gembound who dared to point out any flaws in her appearance. Saliva gathered in her mouth, dribbling from the sides of her jaws in great globs that coalesced to form great puddles on the ground. If the creature thought she was disgusting, then she was going to give them a taste of the horror too. Nobody was allowed to look better than her. “Elders my assss,” she hissed. “Here’s your respect and pile of shit!” With a screech, she spun around on her legs and kicked up shovels of mud towards the creature with her back hooves. She wanted them to become just as filthy as her, and suffer just as she had. Unfortunately, the youngster was horribly uncoordinated and kicked up mud onto herself instead, making her coat even dirtier. Realising this, she tried to stop, but then slipped and fell onto the mud again in a heap, legs flailing wildly. “BOOOOWHAAA???!!” "Boo Speaks" 'Boo thinks'

@Envy

Envy grinned at the llama's silence, watching them bristle, and feeling that they'd struck a nerve. Immediately their chest swelled with malicious pride and they drank up the silence like a cat lapped up milk. Nearly drunk with the feeling of power, they swayed and coiled excitedly on the spot, their tail thrashing with glee. This feeling was what they lived for! They were strong! they were the strongest in the caves! No-one else could master magic like they did! Who cared if some kid called them mean? Who cared if no-one ever followed them? they were strong enough alone!

Envy's own goading inner voice brought their insides to a simmer, and they spat a laugh the llama's way. "What? Did the little weasel get your tongue?"

When the llama did finally speak, Envy dropped to all fours in preparation of the storm they knew was coming... only to be delighted as, in their rage, they only succeeded in humiliating themselves further. Envy didn't get up. They just stared for a while. And then they started to laugh, bouncing and thrashing and twisting on the spot with sheer mirth, and finally rolling over onto their back, spine arching and little legs kicking as they clutched at their stomach and howled an endless chittering cackle. They had to strain to stop the fur around their eyes growing damp.

"Ahaha-! Well-- heh-ha- ... you werent lying!" they managed to choke out, before collapsing into another fit of laughter, rolling around on their back.

"speak."

@Boo

Boo could hardly believe what just happened. All that work trying to groom and clean her gorgeous fur was now ruined. Even worse, she was dirtier than she had ever been before, now pretty much completely covered in mud from head to toe. She could barely see out from her left eye, because the thick mud caked it half-shut. Her self-esteem plummeted even further into the black, bottomless depths when she heard cackling laughter from behind her. Her jaws gritted, foul mud squelching between her baby teeth. She could not bring herself to turn around and face her mocker. Her pride was taking an extreme beating. The sound of laughter at her expense brought goosebumps rising on her skin. Her mud-sodden fur would be standing on their ends if they could. What a horrid, horrid creature. Black hatred rose up from deep within her heart like a cobra towering up to strike. There was a hot fire burning in the back of her throat, searing with the turbulent rage that continued to grow to the point of explosion. This was a horrible day, and she did not deserve to be treated like this! As the laughter continued, the llama struggled to a stand, moving sluggishly with all the mud weighing her down. Large globs of saliva mixed with earth continued to dribble down from her jaws. It was time to bring out her ultimate weapon; she regretted not using it first. “Pake dis, you ship pace!” Spinning around on the spot as fast as she could, Boo started to spit at the weasel. Due to the mouthful of mud from the fall, shd could not pronounce her words properly. The insult “shit face” was pretty much lost. Still, the bullets of spittle contained mud, which provided extra flavour to the ammunition. They flew towards the weasel as the llama attempted to aim as best she could "Boo Speaks" 'Boo thinks'

@Envy

Envy could hardly contain their laughter, even as the llama's barely-legible insults reached their ears- and then suddenly, there was something hitting them- something that clung and stuck, and got right into their handsome fur. "Aargh! that's disgusting!" they squalled, on their feet in an instant, retching and gagging as they shook their limbs and aggressively flexed the mud and spittle off of their lithe form. Still, they felt it itching disgustingly, and made them feel awfully slimy, and as they stood upright, twitching with face twisted into one of pure revulsion, they narrowed their eyes.

Their expression was one of pure disdain. "I never thought I'd ever see anyone stoop that low. Congratulations! That's a new record!" they growled, slow-clapping their small paws soundlessly. "Any lower and I'll have to dig just to catch a glimpse of you." they waved a paw dismissively, and a look of sudden elation crossed their face as an idea struck them.

"Not only that, I can do it better anyway. Ready to see something cool?" They puffed out their chest and placed their paws on the ground, coiling their spine above them. Their stomach tightened, and they felt a familiar burning in their throat. Then, with a short choking noise, the weasel jetted out an impressive stream of bile, for one so small. The fluid glowed red with heat, and bubbled and hissed, aiming right for the llama- even if the most it could probably do was burn through a patch of fur or two, and maybe make some nasty blisters.

With that done, Envy rose up and smugly wiped their mouth with the back of a paw.

"How's that for a spit? You disgusting creature."


"speak."

Hot fluid streamed out from the weasel’s mouth, and the alarmed llama could only watch in horror as it hit her right shoulder. The sizzling fluid burnt through a large patch of mud-caked fur there, revealing pink skin underneath. At first, it wasn’t painful, but then the heat ate through the skin, making it bubble up into a cluster of sore blisters. Having never been injured in this manner before, the youngster felt unnerved and terrified. Just what was this creature that could use upgraded spit attacks better than her?! She had never felt so afraid in her life. She bristled and shook, and then screamed out towards the long gembound. The lingering heat in her throat that had been present since earlier suddenly burst forth. She screamed out hot air, pitch intensifying to a shriek as she continued for a good few seconds. The heat was not enough to burn, but could probably make anyone very uncomfortable if hit directly. Warm droplets of saliva shot forward as well, carried by the force of the scream. Boo’s lungs eventually depleted and the screaming stopped. She stood there, shaking like a leaf from head to hoof. Purple eyes glared at the weasel, but fear was very much evident within them. Her pride refused to let her run away. “What... are you?” She snapped between heaving breaths. "Where... did you learn to spit like that?! That's my specialty!" The last sentence was more indignant, as if she felt disgruntled by the fact that someone else could use an attack similar to hers. Now she had something else to be jealous about. She wanted to learn how this little creature did it. "Boo Speaks" 'Boo thinks'

@Envy

The weasel smirked with satisfaction as their fire magic hit the llama right on the mark, even though they'd not particularly tried to aim at them. "Yeah, try washing that one off, assho-" they started, reveling in their visible fear only to be cut off as the animal began to scream. And not just scream, scream loud.

The guttural noise found Envy coiling and bristling in pain, their small but sensitive ears flattened to their head. They twitched and growled, and when they finally stopped, it left the weasel's ears ringing. "Finished?" they muttered snidely, more to make sure they hadn't gone deaf than anything else.

Through the muffle of noise they barely caught the llama's words. "I'm a weasel, dumbass. And Envy's the name, in case you want to go sniveling back to your mamma about me later," they retorted, though they were aware of the irony of that statement. Their gaze lingered on the llama, the other's shaking helping to soothe their wounded ego. Envy bared their teeth in a smug grin at their question. "Jealous, huh? Makes a change. That's usually my specialty." They grinned. "So you want to know? Oh, but it's soo hard. I don't think someone like you has it in them. But maybe with a teacher like me, you'd have a teeny chance... But oh! you called me a shit-face, and spat mud all over my wonderfully handsome fur. So I guess you'll never know." They crossed their paws over their chest, and then turned away as though deep in consideration.

"Unless..."

There was a long, long pause, as though Envy was making the hardest decision of their life. "unless you were to get down on your knees and beg. Then I might think about it. Might."

Envy was feeling particularly vengeful today, and it felt so good to be the subject of one's envy, rather than the bearer of it. How they'd turned the tables, huh? Envy grinned, elated with power and giddy with glee. Their innumerable woes were pressed to the back of their mind.


"speak."

@Boo