(thread title ft. su's aquamarine)

Stress levels in Pallas's little world he's built were fluctuating every day. Having this number of people around Reji where he was responsible for her well-being, well- this made him... worried. He didn't want to breathe down her neck all the same, though. She had every right to eat, to live, to sleep without being bothered and all.

Pallas sighed. He'd caught a particularly meaty rat, now- one he'd dragged back for Mother to consume. His ears kept flicking this way and that as he sloughed through the muck about his den.

There was always time to work on the stuff around him. Food had begun to be stored in the dead tree trunk, cleared out by one of the many strong hands of their troupe. It was reminiscent of the Childrens' in the very least, it didn't have rot in it, though. It was their sort of food pile, one they stocked and used to feed themselves and Mother as she grew.

She was healthy. He was proud of her. He was proud of all of them, really- they hadn't had any trouble yet, other than perhaps a few creatures coming and going here and then. Most were sent by the Children. No- scratch that, Pallas was certain all of them were from the Children. Otherwise they would've been evicted with more than just their fur and dandruff being left behind.

He was home again. Nudging aside the leaves he kept covered for Mother, he placed the rat by her roots and watched for her to overtake them before placing the (actually kind of awful) disguise back over her. ... He needed to replace that. It was... Obvious. But, then again, everyone was around to protect her, so..? She threatened to eat it any day, now.

With his task done, Pallas made to climb up his tree, his claws digging into where they always did by the rope he'd tied so long ago.

@Aquamarine

Aqumarine stepped in the mud, loving the feel of it. She jumped in it like the child she was, rolling in it happily. As she played in the mud, she picked up the scent of what smelled like a canine and other creatures. Unbeknownst to her, it was the smell of Reji she had picked up and the ones guarding her in Pallas's den. Capyabras had an amazing sense of smell and hearing, and these senses would only get greater as she got older. Her nose took her to a den, and the small pup cocked her head to the side in curiosity. The small pup could not help herself, and barked to see if anyone was in or near the den. The pup barked continued to bark in greeting, her (British) accent clear in her voice. "Hello! My name is Aquamarine from The Sea Kingdom. Anyone here?" The pup had no clue what danger she was in, but she wanted to let others know of her kingdom anyways.

@Pallas

Pallas hadn't noticed that he was returning home near the same time another was approaching it. He heard the steps through the muck, at least- his ears swiveled back for a moment to be followed by his head, wide eyes alert for danger. He expected one of his family, or perhaps one of the Children-

His gaze lowered, and lowered, and lowered some more, to the capybara standing in the mud. Fear exploded through him. His tail lashed- Had it noticed Reji? It looked like it was speaking to her. Was this an enemy? Someone who would threaten her? A hiss rose in his throat and he dropped down from his height, landing in the muck with a solid squelch.

Well, an assassin wouldn't just give out their name, maybe. The fur over Pallas's long spine rose as his back curled up, the instinctual cat sense to appear larger coming over him. This- This was a child. "How did you find us?" The hiss was quick, low- he glanced back to where Reji was holed up. Last he knew she was asleep, but she may have been awake for some time after he'd left her that morning. "It's not safe for you here, kid."

Maybe he could scare it off. It really wasn't safe here- wasn't safe from Sergei, from Azrael, and from Pallas's contraptions he could pull up from his den. The two, well- he had no clue where they were. But Reji was here, and Reji was who he was going to protect.

@Aquamarine

The pup was very oblivious, so she looked at Pallas with her cute black eyes as she spoke. "Well I found you cause I have an amazing sense of smell and hearing. That's what my kind are really good at, including swimming. Why would it not be safe here? Is something bad happening. I bet its because of the masters, right. Everything usually revolves around the masters. My kingdom I live in hates and distrusts the masters. Especially Astraea." Realizing she rambled on too much, she got back on topic. "Oh, sorry. Why is it not safe here?" She sat down to show Pallas she was listening. This child was too kind for her own good. But she had nothing but good intentions.

@Pallas

Amazing smell? And.. Hearing? The smell of Gembounds was thick in this place, but perhaps he could understand- perhaps she just wanted to find company.

She wouldn't find it here if she didn't watch her step. This kid talking about the masters, though- his fur tingled with anxiety. If this was a kid, what did she really know about masters? Even Pallas barely knew anything. Who was feeding her information- was she born into the kingdom, then?

The idea of forcing children to think a certain way poisoned his mind and set an awful taste in his mouth. Let them make their own decisions about the masters. They were bad, yeah, but she should decide that for herself.

Unless she had? He was probably reading too much into this. Still, his eyes narrowed and ears flicked forward as she continued, his tail swaying out behind him. "My companions don't particularly like strangers around here." He knew where they were. If she tried anything, he could call out right now. The way she talked- she nearly seemed to be trying to play into what he believed, mentioning masters like information was fed to her by this kingdom. What was it- Sea? That wouldn't be Pisces... Fornax? That was the only sea he knew of.

His eyes glanced down in thought, his nose scrunching. "Where are you from? The Sea Kingdom?" They weren't anything he'd heard of. Was she just making this up? Trying to get him to trust her? He leaned in, ready with an answer for how she'd respond.

@Aquamarine

Beneath the roots, hidden away in Pallas' den, a small, mud-covered figure was listening.

'My kingdom I live in hates and distrusts the masters. Especially Astraea.'

A flicker of potential rippled out among those of the Hive. The urgent message: do not let this one go. It wasn't in words, as such; the link wasn't strong enough for that, yet. But the idea was there.

Mother had awoken.

Reji's mud-streaked body half-emerged from the den. Her face blinked out, peering at the capybara child that waited beyond. "Oooh, a visitor?" she called out, sweetly. "Please, Sergei, Azrael--brothers? Please, show her in. Thank you, Pallas. I'd love a guest!" Reji paused, glowing eyes fixed unblinking on Aquamarine. "And please guard the entrance. I don't want us to be disturbed. Pallas, could you accompany her in, please? I think the three of us can fit, if barely..." With a wink, Reji turned in the tight entrance and vanished down into the alcove below.

@Aquamarine @Azrael @Pallas

Aquamarine heard a sweet voice come from the den she was right outside of. Then finally, she could see what looked like a mud covered canine. The canine insisted that Aqua should be treated as a guest, and to enter the den. The child didn't understand why, but nonetheless she was very polite. She saw the canine go back into the den, and the small pup decided to follow her in. She did not go too fast, just so Pallas could keep up and accompany her. She wondered why the canine wanted her in, but at the same time, she could have company! The child would follow the canine, until she saw her stop and sit. Aqua may have been a child, but her queen was up from about how horrible the masters were. Aquamarine knew a lot, and she wasn't ashamed of it.

@Game Master Dark

Pallas's ears flicked minutely as a foreign command ran through him, though it was familiar all the same, as if it had always been there. He gave no physical response otherwise to it. The message was clear. A newfound interest flourished in the linsang as he drew himself up and away from the mud beneath them all.

His head turned to watch Reji reveal herself. Concern flickered over his pelt, pulling random hairs to stand on end and fall down in succession. She shouldn't be out- what if someone saw her? Though, it seemed she had plans of her own, and Pallas played along dipping his head before taking a step forward.

Aquamarine didn't seem to have a wariness that he'd grown accustomed to. Hm. His rounded ears swiveled this way in that in indecision as he trotted to follow behind, giving quick nods to the guards.

He placed his tail across her spine, making to protect her and drive her in. No harm was meant in the gesture, of course.

They fit- it was tight with the low roof of the roots, and while there was space, various parts of tree and rock jutted from all directions to keep the carved out space from flooding that kept them from having a comfortable flat place that wasn't occupied by Reji. A particular alcove laid far and away with strands of white and gray obscuring an unknown shape deep within its confines.

Pallas paid it no mind. She was familiar, after all, and she was fed- no need to worry on her, now. Instead, he felt his claws slip from their confines and return tensely in an act of anxiety. He turned to the child and let his brown eyes run over her.

"Now, what were you saying about your 'kingdom'?"

@Game Master Dark

He had been close by the entire time, crouching in the natural shadows of cetus, mud caked over the glowing of his gemstone to hide him better. The only visible part were pinprick gold and red eyes glaring at the thing as she got close. His growl reverberated when she dared to step too close to the den and he jerked to his feet.

He didnt approach yet, but stepped behind Aqua and cutting off hwr escape. Pallas was in front protecting Reji. If she tried to run, he would stop her. And kill her.

He'd figured out quickly that being brutal and loud would not work for this job.

As they stepped inside the den, he followed, letting out a loud growl to let Aqua know he was here. "Do not know you. Do not trust you. Try something funny and i will eat you."

The space beneath the roots was an enclosed den. At one end, thoroughly overgrowing its shelf of dirt and roots, lay a massive clot of white fungus. This overflowed, here and there, trailing its pieces like searching tendrils. It looked like wads of cotton, or cobweb, but rotten--and it smelled, too. Though the odor had been masked by the general reek of Cetus's swamp outside, once inside it was harder to ignore, particularly for one with a sensitive nose.

It smelled of death and putrescent decay. It smelled like the sort of thing to gag on. It made it hard to breathe, and yet, it would seem totally unnoticeable--having no effect, it seemed--on Pallas or on Reji.

Perhaps they were simply used to it.

Sea kingdom. Reji didn't know all the details, by any means--but she'd been aware of the murmurs from Zelk's mind. They were few. But they were strong.

She glanced briefly at Pallas, and then gave Aquamarine a friendly nod. Reji then turned, trotting over to Mother, and nipping away a clot of the white fluff. She turned back, settling this on one mud-streaked forepaw.

"You're welcome here. My name is Reji. Please, tell us about your people. And if and when you are ready to learn about the masters, you will learn all you need to know..." Reji nudged the fungal clot toward Aquamarine's feet. "-by swallowing this. It tastes, uh, disgusting," she admitted, "but it holds all you'll ever want to know about Astraea." Reji paused, thoughtful. "We can't tell you anything more until you partake."

Reji's mind struggled to reach itself out to the rest. The thoughts were... fragmented, at best. But Mother was awakening. The Hives in Fornax, in Cetus--... She was growing stronger, and they were together again. Only very nearby members of the Hive would hear these thoughts. "Zelk... one of them... doing good work. -ead distrust, I th..." She squinted, and shook herself.

The link wasn't clear enough, yet. No matter. Soon she'd be able to speak her mind aloud.

@Pallas @Aquamarine