A great rumble filled the mile-long, treacherously craggy passage up to Fornax. The rumble became a roar, and echoed down the tunnel, out from the mouth where it linked to Tunnel M. A moment later a cascade of icy chunks and heavy stone poured in, coming to a rest across the tunnel floor.

Up within the side tunnel, warm air gusted down. A few cycles back, Fornax had flooded--and some of its water had poured down into the tunnel below. Now, with spells of slightly warmer weather, the water--which had frozen solid--was unstable. It had cracked away, taking with it a heavy slab that had been there for untold ages. A great swathe of rock had been bared, only a scuffling of snow now shrouding it. Yet, quite visible all around, were several rosy-hued gemstone pillars: five in total, surrounding the sixty-yard stone platform, evenly-spaced. Each gemstone was translucent, sparkling in the orb-light, about five feet tall and a foot thick, and with a rounded point at its top.

There was something strange, too... a sweet scent, gently alluring, on a warm breeze. Gradually this spread throughout the cave, fainter the farther it got, so that a diligent Gembound could follow the appealing odor back to this very spot. The collapse had occurred not far into the side-tunnel, where Fornax's water had pooled; it could be reached without much climbing. The question was, who would come to investigate..? And what would they uncover?

The Quest Will You Be My... has begun! Any Gembound may join, for now, and investigate the sweet odor leading to the strange pink-red pillars at the newly-cleared platform in Tunnel M's Fornax entrance.

She hadn't been up here yet. It was too cold. Too wet. She preferred the dry, airiness of Canis or the soft warmth of Eridanus. But cycles of living alone and in one place had made her ridiculously bored so Lethe had taken to exploring. Not that she did it very quickly. It had taken her a number of days just to get from Orion to this place. She rested often, eating and sleeping more then she was awake. But now she was finally here and a sweet, intoxicating scent hit her nose. It was sent twitching and she sped up her pace a little bit. Not too much, just a little.

The red gemstones came into sight a moment later and she stopped, quite shocked. Those were some huge gems. Like, they were really really big. And were those the things that smelled so good?

Carefully, suspiciously, she made her way up to the nearest and gave is a sniff, gently tapping it with a claw in case it did anything. She walked all around it and inspected it in every angle and in every way.

Well, he was out and he was about. Azizos's first instinct had been to go to Orion, to investigate the starlit tower at its heart. Upon encountering stairs with numerous, treacherous gaps, he turned back. Just as he entered some tunnel — which he didn't know the name of, of course — a tumultuous roar came, cascading up the tunnel and sending a warm gust. A scent, sweet like some of the fruit in Eridanus (shame he couldn't actually taste the sweetness) drifted up. His nostrils flared curiously, head tilted up into the air. As soon as he worked out its source being somewhere deeper into the cavern — a slippery and craggy slope, unfortunately — the lion-stag began to move.

Diligently trotting along, the odor grew more and more powerful. There were a few instances where he stumbled, simply flopping forward for fear of breaking his ankles and winding up stranded. Up ahead, lay five rosy pillars, translucent and shimmering. Despite the saccharine smell overwhelming his nostrils, there was another distinct one. Another Gembound, he assumed.

Just to be safe, Azizos focused his energy on a doppelgänger. It was a little rough at first, and he had trouble properly seeing through both at the same time. He closed his own eyes, zeroing in on his drifted counterpart exclusively. It was a bit risky for his actual body, but it'd suffice. Not-him trotted forward, gliding effortlessly through the ankle-breaking minefield of cracks and crevices. Arriving, not-Azizos marveled.

This place was gorgeous. The pillars were immense, every part glimmering in the light. At their feet were a small, brown creature, inspecting them for every little detail. Azizos called out, from the distance, "have you found anything?" Energy magic wasn't voice magic, unfortunately.

It had been a hike up to this place. The genet finally got a chance to see the world, and he was going to do just that. It had taken the smaller gembound quite a bit of time to get to where he was now. It was cold, and rather barren, compared to the green area he had come from.

The treacherous, jagged path he was on took all of his focus. That was, until the sweet scent of... something hit his nose in full force. Then the cat-like creature was off, caution thrown to the side. He needed to know what was producing this intoxicating smell. He raced across the cold, slick surface, barely keeping his footing.

He could not care for the other gembounds at this moment; Birch did not stop to even so much as glance at the others gathering at the platform. There was only one thing on his mind.

He approached the pillars, managing to slow himself down so he didn't smack into anything. There was a pause as Birch quickly investigated the crystals. As instinct didn't say it was a bad idea, the genet lurched forward to bite down on a rosy gem.

The creature did not know why they were drawn towards this part of the cave system, but they were. Always so sensitive to their environment this one - and often angry when things were overwhelming, which did not bode well. Yet he crept along with a shuffling gait, using their healed wings as a counter-balance when the corridor descended at too steep a level for him to handle. He made his way, and soon found himself in the company of others.

An extended hibernation had left him groggy; coupling that with the many cycles of roaming the caves without company or candor, and Teyouma was at a loss for what to do as he took notice of body after body. These living creatures were distracted by something further ahead so he kept to the shadows and approached, slinking lowly against the stones until his talons clicked upon a narrow sheet of ice, and he had to stop lest he be found.

Those red eyes gleamed with added vigor when he took notice of the strange spires beyond the other bodies --- red, shining, but hidden. Their presence excited some buried part of his psyche; made him want, made him lust, not realizing it was the scent that affected him so deeply. All that Teyouma knew was that there were gloriously shiny objects here, and he wanted them for himself.

He forgot all about the other bodies. The potential dangers of garnering attention, the possibility for harm if this exposed object was something malevolent, and bolted straight at it - reaching with his too-long fingers for a touch.

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

The rumbling was so loud, Thothaga practically felt it from Orion. It was like very tunnel itself collapsed. The spider felt the vibrations ring through her legs. By the Spire-! She flicked herself in the direction of the tunnel, the impact still reverberating. Then, a strange breeze of sweet aroma wafted over pedipalps. She ran them over her mouth-parts. It was.. delicious! Now she had to find the source. Ever curious, thirsting for adventure, how could her maiden heart not be drawn?

It did not take long for Thothaga track down the site of the collapse. It would have been sooner if she knew that sliding across the ice on her underside was proficient than trying to walk across it from the start. The warmth of the recent cycles had melted away some of the ice, caused it crack and crumble away and reveal strange pillars of red, crystalline stone. She tasted the scent particles caught on her palps again. It was strongest here. These rocks must be the source!

Sweet rocks? Ha! Delighfully strange.

She was so enthralled by the red pillars, that Thothaga almost did not notice the movement around. It appeared she was not the only one to drawn in by the sweetness. "I want... to eat it." She said somewhat absentmindedly, the luscious red reflecting in her many, round, obsidian eyes.


"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

Narcissus
Watch my actions
Or lack thereof
Negate the person
That I said I was


Narcissus hadn't stayed in one area for long. For the cycles he'd been alive - he had no idea how many there were, they'd all since blurred together - he wandered the caves. From one area to the next, it seemed he was constantly on the move. Sometimes he'd come across others, but he mostly stayed away.

For someone like him, it changed him. He used to thrive on meeting others, on telling them how great he was and how they should be honored to meet him. But now...Now he could hardly stand to look at anyone else. His once beautiful fur, cleaned regularly, had started becoming dirty and the long tufts were tangled. But he couldn't find the strength within him to clean it, to bring back his beautiful appearance.

It was in his wanderings that Narcissus first heard it. And, not long after, smelled it. He frowned, but the scent was too alluring and it wasn't long before he was following it to its source. It was a long trek to get there, but he didn't once consider going back for a second. All he could smell was that sweet scent, and he just had to know what was causing it.

Finally, he came across it, and...pillars? A bright color, translucent, and all around. Faintly, he was aware of some others, but he paid no attention to them as he walked up to the closest pillar. He sniffed it and then pressed his nose to it. Whatever this was...he wanted it. He needed it.




"Speech."
Thoughs

Envy tried not to think about the throne as they bounded away. They needed a break, yes, they needed a break from parenting right now. Pride was looking after Charity, even if he seemed to think she didn't really need it. But she did! Who knows what would happen then? She could get herself lost or killed, and they might never see her again! What if she ran away? What if she got hurt? What if--

Envy struggled to tear their focus away from Charity and resisted the urge to turn back, agitation and nervousness putting a spring in their step, their bounding body twisting and bouncing as though powered by the butterflies in their stomach.

They had to take some time away. Between being King of the Seven and proud parent to Charity, they had little time for themselves anymore. They had to find nourishment, and tear themselves away, if only for a day. Yes, just a day. But the further they went, the more their jealousy threatened to tug them back, like an elastic band stretching thinner and thinner and thinner.

They could hardly bear to be away, and yet on equal grounds they could hardly bear to be near anyone anymore. Charity was never exactly how they wanted her to be. Pride only made them look ugly and small. The Seven barely respected them... and Charity and Pride had probably already left the Throne.

Envy stopped in their tracks, quills trembling, rattling, their breaths wavering. They were panting, their eyes wide.

They had to turn back.

Charity and Pride had to still be at the Throne. They had to go make sure. They couldn't leave, they couldn't move. They had to stay where their King had left them. Envy turned themselves around, and then froze again. A tendril of sweet scent lingered in their nose, tugging their attention away from the pain momentarily. The blessed distraction tugged their nose upwards, and they sniffed.

Starved stomach growled.

Whatever it was smelled wonderful but with a pang of distaste Envy knew that it would have no bearing on them. No matter what was making the smell, they wouldn't be able to eat it. Still, they kept on sniffling.

After a few moments of consideration, they felt a grin curl its way over their lips. In that moment they had an idea, a wonderful and terrible idea! They could follow it, and see what was making the smell. And they would have the source. And maybe if they couldn't have it, they could shit on it and leave it for the Bloodberries to find. Those bastards. Their spines quivered with mischief the likes of which they hadn't felt since they were in their youth.

Soon the weasel was bounding forward again, out of Orion and scrambling up the icy tunnel with ease. Soon they'd found the source; but to their dismay, they weren't the only ones. Envy stuck themselves to the nearest rocky surface and climbed as high as they could, twisting their head around to watch. Their quills shuddered at the sight of a giant spider, and their eyes narrowed with seething jealousy at the sight of a beautiful white fawn.

So maybe this was a bad idea.

They rattled their quills, felt the magic seething through their skin and in a moment had disappeared from sight, slinking closer under a veil of magic; and the noses of those already present.


Speech. Thought.

It seemed that Gembound began to gravitate toward the sweet scent. Some entered the circle, some biting the pillars for unknown reasons, others lingering in the distance and tasting of the place only through their magic.

The more that arrived, the stronger the gentle pulse of sweetly-scented magicka became.

Suddenly, all five red pillars began to glow: a bright, warm, welcoming red. A series of lights began to connect them at their tips, over the heads of those present. These grew brighter by the instant, until--seconds after it all began--the lights burst in a blinding flash and then grew dim. Dim, too, became the pillars: a dull and glittering red, still pretty to look upon but blank of their former magick.

Yet, in their center--neatly piled upon the floor--now lay a number of red-wrapped boxes. Festooned with red and pink ribbons, all neatly-packaged, these boxes were precisely enough for each Gembound to take exactly one.



Love is blind, so they say. And in the instant of picking up or even touching any of the boxes, a wonderful thing will happen. All thought of the other boxes will fade; there's no need to take more than one. Why, this one is perfect! In fact...

The first Gembound each character lays eyes on... is also perfect. Why, look at how beautiful they are! How captivating... how alluring! Is that scent coming from them? They are perfection incarnate; they can do no wrong. Whether entirely plutonic admiration, a parent's adoration, or hopeless romance, well--the first person each Gembound sees is now the object of their adoration. This is love.

What will these Gembound do with these boxes..? Will they exchange gifts, or open them? Is this a wonderful gift in and of itself, or some kind of strange test? One thing is for certain--it will be difficult--though possible--to even realize, past the lovely haze, that a spell is in effect... and harder still to break it.

When taking a gift, describe it by number and color/pattern--each gift can only be taken once, so make sure nobody else has taken it! Gembound can exchange gifts, or simply open them. If they wish to break free of the effects they may roll Other to think past the love hazing their minds, and a second roll of Other the next turn to fully break the effects. Otherwise, it will linger for now, though do no lasting harm.

@Lethe @Azizos @Birch @Teyouma II @Thothaga @Narcissus @Envy

Envy took box #4

Envy stayed where they were, clinging to a rocky surface of the tunnel wall which had been left free of ice by the recent avalanche. Their eyes widened, and, hidden from sight, they stared in wonder at the sudden appearance of the boxes and the ensuing magical lightshow. A moment later, they dropped from the wall and under the cover of magic, darted forward, covering their crown with a paw so that it wouldn't give them away. They had to have first choice. They were the king! They had to have the best one! They fazed back into visibility as they reached their chosen priz-- the pink box with a blue ribbon, and red hearts.

They circled it like a tiny shark before clambering onto it. They used their serrated tail end to cut through the ribbon and then took to the air with red wings that materialized quickly- using their sticky paws to bring the lid of the box with them, and pull it off. Then they lit on one corner and peered inside. But as always, they looked to the reactions of everyone else before investigating their prize. Their tail flicked with glee as they cast their gaze around to the surrounding gembounds, hoping-- at first-- to see the familiar glint of envy in their eyes.

But instead of self-indulgence, Envy felt their negative feelings-- all their pain and fear and worry for Charity and Pride-- melt away into a blissful feeling of warmth as their gaze settled on one Gembound. A strange Canine-like beast- black, and beautiful, with markings of cyan. Their gaze blurred, heat welling to the surface of their cheeks, and suddenly the box was forgotten. What... What was this? Envy had never felt like this before? But it was good! Oh, it was so so good.

They'd seen him a moment ago, it was true-- but they hadn't truly made note of just how ravishing he was. His banded legs! his markings of pure snowy white against obsidian black and the accents of cyan! Oh... What Envy wouldn't give to look like that. They had to have him. He had to join their kingdom, right this instant. Envy hopped off the box and bounded over to him, halfway there stopping to brush the dust off their emaciated form. They had to look their best to meet such a fine creature! They perked their quills, straightened the bejeweled crown atop their head and raised themselves onto two feet, swaggering and swaying their way over.

A feeling of giddy happiness swelled in their chest, butterflies bouncing in their belly, and they wanted nothing more than to simply sing and bounce and fly. Ah--! What they wouldn't give to simply feel like this forever. Oh, but what would such a glorious creature think of the bedraggled weasel which had dragged itself before him? Envy was thin and bony, and tiny, and though their fur was a luscious green and their crown glistening atop their head, they were still them.

But oh, both were creatures of strangeness! Envy was hardly a weasel any more. Surely they would be perfect for each other.

Envy was right in front of this beautiful creature now, and they coughed in an effort to draw his attention.

"H-hello stranger!! I am K-King Envy of the Sinful S-Seven!" Their voice shivered with nerves. Why were they like this? Talking had never been so hard before. They giggled drunkenly, hardly able to contain themselves. "Y-yes, k-king! And I am here to say that I would be h-honoured if you--... I think that... c-caves... I..." They trailed off, every inch of fur standing on end, quills suddenly bristling outward as they became completely and utterly lost in the canine's eyes. What had they been trying to say?

It hardly mattered any more.

They gulped, feeling themselves slump a little in pure undiluted embarrassment. "...I... want you..." they trailed off again before hastily picking up. "...In my k-k-kingdom!! I mean... N-not like that..." They coughed again. "Un...less you do... too.."

They let out a laugh that was high-pitched and chittering, in an effort to diffuse the situation.

Nailed it.


Speech. Thought.