since when does water glow? she gives pause at the chamber’s threshold, having been drawn to light from an abyss of dark tunnels. here where beams of sunlight pour into a room of grandeur, the youth can only marvel with silent respect. and as she drifts to the shoreline with tentative step, she leans away from hanging stalactites that threaten to skewer her if she dare make one heavy footfall or loud gasp – but gods, they are everywhere. a grimace paints her features even as she nears the water, nervous and enraptured by her surroundings all the same. her gaze turns to the water, eager to plunge into its shallow depths; but she refrains. she wonders if the bioluminescent glow will dye her fur, if it will poison her, if it will swallow her whole as she sinks slowly, if it will give her super strength to burst through these walls. and why hadn’t she brought a friend to play the guinea pig? she frowns into the surface, deliberating.

art by yumpy!

Something in the shadows of the Chasm stirs. Scipio watches @Olive for a moment from the shadows with his paled ruby eyes. There is feral fear in them, the sort that came from an animal cornered not one looking for a fight. There is a wrenching in his gut and pain in his head that forced him to look for exits, to know his surroundings better but it became clear he was not likely to just slink away undetected.

What are you doing here? The movement has a voice. Moonkissed features, paws, the tip of a nose begin to appear. His in darkness but when light touches him it is as if he springs to life ethereal and starlight. His pale features peered further out of the shadows where his young frame lurked. Across his visage, across the top of his skull draping down the left side of his face is something ugly. His left ear entirely ripped away, missing. His skin torn from that point with the trauma endured just now barely beginning to stitch itself back together. It is nothing beautiful, it is quick work by a damaged body just trying to make things as right as it could. His skin seems bright red, almost inflamed with infection, but given his otherwise pale features that might just be the glow of red blood healing, his body working. What are you doing here? Scipio asks again this time with more force, a stiff chin and brave face.

tentatively, a forepaw lingers above the surface of the water, digits outstretched with the intent to test; she supposes she can sacrifice one toe to the glowing liquid. but the appendage merely dangles with apprehension – that is, until a sound reverberates against the cavern walls, forcing the paw to retract. head whips towards its source, sparing a hopeful glance to the stalactites to ensure the noise had not shaken them from their precarious positions. only when she is certain she will not face a barrage of spikes does her gaze seek his form. for a moment, she believes he is an apparition, phasing out of one dimension and to the next – hers. the way he seemingly emerges from nothing earns a soft gasp! from her lips, stunning her, intriguing her. and as the phantom repeats his previous question, stepping into the light, olive realizes (somewhat disappointedly) that he is a boy – but not just any boy. “you’re real?” she chokes, incredulously. to an outsider, perhaps the babe comes off delusional, but olive has lived a relatively sheltered life away from amaryllis, and @Scipio is a rarity to her. albino: a myth, passed from words of older children. and an (incorrect and exaggerated) assumption that sunlight sets fire to their skin, akin to a vampire. she pivots to face him, jaws agape with wonder. carmine gaze flits to the tattered remains of an ear, and her eyes bulge. “that’s what happens?” she had anticipated scathing burns, not melting flesh, but it appears her presumptions were wrong. his inquiry goes unanswered as she stands, rooted in curiosity: transfixed.

art by yumpy!

Her first question is a confusing one. Yes... Yes he was.. Why wouldn't I be? Are you? He said with wild accusations muddled with his own uncertainty why such an idea came her way. His upbringing was not hers. He was not the only one of his family with albinism, and to be pale was even more common among the Valour half of his blood. As he spoke Scipio leaned inwards, trying to see big and imposing. Trying to seem like the dangerous option to pick a fight with and harm. His bravado was great but fragile, his toes and lower limbs twitched with twisted tightness. Signs he was ready to run not fight.

And then she looks at him. Her eyes were seeing like the pain that had inflicted the wound. All over again he felt the burning and Scipio pulled back into the shadows. Nothing but the edge of his nose and wiggling of his lips remained in the light. What are you talking about? That's what happens? It was phrased like a chastisement. An "I told you so this is what you get for fighting" but Olive is no one he knows that could give him that attitude. No one who had warned him off the behavior or told him not to go to Ecrosia when he had. And as confused as he was he was still pretty sure she didn't seem anything but bizarrely interested.

the question he parrots back to her anchors her lips down into a puzzled frown, brows knitting together as she looks inwardly, introspectively. for a moment, she considers the possibility of living in a dream – though the scenario seems real, and in her dreams, she were much more tall and imposing. “i… think?” vocals rise an octave with her uncertainty; perhaps she merely lives in the wild imagination of another. the thought frightens her, though she does not voice these concerns to the pallid brute. the insecurity that leaks through his motions is palpable, and olive begins to feel formidable for the first time in her life. her form is petite and nimble, her musculature lacking, but here he stands: a trembling goliath to a mouse. had the babe not been awe-stricken by his mutation, she might find the situation amusing and devolve into mischievous proddings. but the boy is interesting, and she denies the opportunity to taunt – for now. @Scipio retracts into the shadows, but olive slowly creeps forward with curiosity, attempting to narrow the distance that lay between them with a steady and tentative gait. she does not seek his embrace, but merely strives for a closer look, gaze unwavering from the gap where his ear once was. his second question earns a smile and short chuckle from the babe, her head shaking with disbelief: a tacit ‘don’t play with me; you know exactly what i’m talking about.’ but she humors him: “you know, the sun? it burned your ear off.” her chin inclines to his wound in gesture as she gives pause to her stride. it is a nasty thing, and pity muddies her impressions of him. “i get why you live here, then,” she informs him, understandingly. the sunlight that filters through the roof is indirect, and she supposes it cannot scathe him this way – it is the perfect hideout, the perfect base for these creatures. “are there more of you here?”

art by yumpy!

The sun? No no no.. It wasn't that. It did burn sometimes, the brighter it shone the worse his gaze and harsher it felt on his skin. But the ear. She mentioned his ear, or lack there of. The other remaining ear fell flat in disdain and he shriveled, trying to wilt further back into his shadows away from her and her sight. His 'no's mumbled away and under @Olive's further explanation and train of logic traced out in the mind before him.

No- no His mind silently repeated inwards, growing louder in his own internal voice and fanning at his fire and heart. He felt cornered, scared, angry. She was wrong. He suddenly lurched forwards, aiming to close whatever space was between them with a single motion and he feigned a snap of his jaws for her face, intentionally pulling the motion so he would grab at air and his teeth, jaws, make a loud (and painful) clatter together. Back away his tension, his fear, it severed and snapped like a wire under tension and he found his words failing, his lips unable to move or throat to produce sounds of voice but a rather feeble whimper that should not belong to the boy trying to act so fierce. Don't hurt me.

his confusion is evident in the response he offers, but olive merely chalks it up to this coy game he plays with her. and she pins his pallid form with a sly gaze, nodding slowly with feigned acceptance of his denial – sure it’s not. but he cowers from her close proximities, and uncertainty of her own blossoms within the tense atmosphere that shrouds them. it manifests in narrowed eyes and knitted brows, and her jaws part as if to question him, but – he lurches forward abruptly, laying waste to the distance that separates them with a single motion, and olive instinctively scrambles backwards in her surprise. pupils narrow in on the jaws that snatch the air inches from her face, and she leans away from the threat of bleached incisors with a wince. as @Scipio retracts from his feint, her posture straightens, and her expressions morphs with horrified astonishment. despite his vehement intent, an amused snort is given after an awkward silence. “oh, so albinos are touchy. noted,” is the sarcastic commentary she offers, head shaking with disbelief. jeez, can’t a girl ogle at a vampire in peace? but his words soon contradict his actions, and it perplexes the babe even more. carmine gaze lingers on his rosy as she considers him, her body unmoving. velvet lips part with the intent to alleviate his worry – to question his perception of her diminutive form – but it is never voiced with the birth of a scheme. her skull elevates proudly, and she looks down the bridge of her nose at him, nonexistent muscles flexing beneath taut flesh. “i will consider it,” she assures him, though she has never brought harm upon another in her life; not as a pacifist, but merely aware of her capabilities. “if,” emphasis is placed on the word, and her chin tips to the bioluminescent lake. “-- you put your feet in that water.” it is an odd request to an outsider, but olive is determined to observe any after-effects the glow may cause. and better it were not her to experience them.

art by yumpy!

Albino? Touchy? Sorry, don't exactly want my other ear taken. He said with bitter biting sarcasm right back her way. He shuffled his shoulders and what mane he did have puffed up to make him seem larger. A cornered animal ready to fight, settling into the idea of what he'd have to do to get out of here and it was be bigger, more fearsome, than her. I have a name you know. He was already heightened and on edge, fighting that feeling of danger at every turn and slight noise in the dark. Like he was a child again afraid of his shadows. And she was putting every bit of her attention on him. Her eyes were weights crushing him.

Amaryllis is his home. He knows the bioluminescent to be nothing more than a trick, a beautiful one but something he is not afraid of. Definitely at least he'd rather take the glowing water over this woman. So when she made the request of him he didn't hesitate, he plunged one pale paw into the water to his wrist. His pale fur illuminating, the lack of pigment made an easy canvas for the subtle glow and he seemed to shimmer in unearthly might. He scooped his paw from the water and rubbed it down the side of his face that was not fresh with scars. Momentarily the flagellates held their glow, flickering over his face like blue star points on his pale and pink façade.

@Olive

he is a spitfire – be it a trait ingrained into his psyche or the mere byproduct of a cornered dog. but olive can only relish in the amusement this contributes to their encounter as she moves from her initial astonishment and settles in to her typical prying nature. her life a continuous game of don’t prod the bear where she blatantly disregards its only rule – over and over again. and here, it is no different, as she inwardly smirks into his panic. he provides reason for the missing ear, and curiosity over the how and why festers. though she offers no pity for the boy, preferring contemplative silence as she watches him bristle and huff his way into a daunting form. but he is offended over skipped formalities, and she realizes she has been quite rude. “i’m listening,” she invites him to share his name now, ears perked with intrigue. though – “sorry… too soon?” the accidental tease enough to force a giggle from cracked lips. surely, he still has the capacity to listen from at least one ear, but olive can only assume the injury left him partially deaf in the other (or, lack of other). whoops. she watches with bated breath as @Scipio moves to oblige her request, carmine gaze unblinking with her focus upon his paw. and as he plunges it into the depths of the glowing liquid, her pupils trail onto his face in search of any indication of pain or elation, only to find emotion absent from his features. but her breath hitches in her throat now while the dripping paw moves on to his marred countenance in a final show of fearlessness. huh. perhaps the easiest answer is the best in this case; the water glows because it glows, and there’s nothing special to it otherwise. “cool,” she states absently, approving of his sacrifice. and now that that had been taken care of: “what happened, then?” she inquires at last, gesturing to his ear with a nod. nevermind that a war had just transpired, and she had been a minor part of the chaos – from the sidelines, of course.

art by yumpy!

Endure

He doesn't catch the play on words, not right away. He certainly is unable to tell if it was intentional or just accsidental brilliance on @Olive's part. Regardless it manages to illicit the same sort of momentary laugh from Scipio- his chuckle a solid one laugh and then slight snort as it processes. He much prefers it being said aloud like that then just feeling the surge of eyes onto his head and onto his face. Heh. Scipio. I'm Scipio. The pale youth introduces himself as his face, still wet an with a faading dull glow, settles into a look of neutrality now. The tease was enough to lull him away from raging cornered animal into something a conversation could be had with. Who're you?

But there is a line he finds. He does not mind that she has pointed out, in her jest, that he lacks an ear. But reaclling what happened? That was harder. That made his stomach turn. A lion took it when I followed my family to fight in the Mire. And he'd been an easy target, wide eyed and consumed by the chaos. All sorts of inexperienced. You weren't entirely wrong though- He says all of a sudden, his mind doing some mental gymnastics without fully bringing her along with him at first. I do get kinda... burny in the sun. It just doesn't do this. He flicks his remaining ear, the phantom feeling of twitching the one missing pulsed through his body mysterious and eerie.