Cacao sat at the entrance of the mine, catching his breath after a disastrous attempt at mining. He did not have anywhere near the strength needed, and had quickly run out of stamina as well. One might think belemoids were naturally suited to digging, but Cacao had found out today that was wrong!

The cool mountain wind worked its way through his fur. Normally he'd dislike it, but the chill was welcome after the stifling mine. He sighed.

A scatter of rocks made him look up sharply, and he spotted Stormbreaker, the solitary tsabhua he'd come across below the earth. "Oh, hey!" Cacao called. "You startled me!"

Stormbreaker jumped- apparently Cacao had blended into the rocks pretty well himself- then cracked an awkward smile. "Hi," he said simply. "You good?"

Cacao nodded. "Yeah, just resting. I was about to head back to camp, if you want to come with? I have some friends who would love to meet you!" he said, and pointed down the mountain to where a group of tsabhua stood talking.

Stormbreaker looked at them, then back to Cacao. "Uh, sure? I guess I have the evening free," he replied. In short order the pair were making their way down the rocky path, careful not to slip as loose stones slid out from under their feet. As they got closer, the group at the bottom resolved in more detail- Chase, Dawn, and Iro, three of Cacao's fellow diplomats.

Cacao skidded the final stretch and trotted up to meet them. "Hey guys! Look who I found up in the mine!" he shouted, gesturing with his tail to where Stormbreaker was picking his way down with significantly more elegance. All three admired the stranger, with his dark mane and striking white cracked marking, which visibly glowed even in the daylight. As he joined the group, Cacao introduced him, "This is Stormbreaker! Stormbreaker, meet Chase, her daughter Iro, and Dawnie!"

Chase was the first to step forward, offering a warm whistle in greeting. Somewhat surprised by the traditional tsabhua welcome, Stormbreaker took a moment to return it. Dawn pushed herself forward next, offering a Terran handshake, which the stranger awkwardly accepted. Iro allowed herself to remain in the back, simply waving as a greeting.

"It's nice to meet you! Do you live around here? You mine often?" Dawn questioned, leaning forward to sniff at Stormbreaker a bit.

Chase gave her a playful nudge before he could respond. "Slow down, you'll scare him off!" she teased, and the group of colonists shared a laugh.

Stormbreaker smiled, somewhat unsure. "Yes, to both of those," he replied. "It's nice to meet you too?" Cacao beamed at him. He thought the tsabhua was cool, and was hopeful he'd get along well with his friends.

"The weather is cooling off," Iro broke in, "Do you want to join us inside? We could make some hot chocolate."

Stormbreaker's ears perked up. "I don't think I've had that before," he commented.

Dawn's eyes widened. "No?" she gasped. "You have to try it! It's amazing!" Chase and Cacao gave nods of agreement, while Iro beckoned him toward one of the larger tents the group from the Station had set up. Most were up the mountain, mining, but the group of diplomats were between trips to surrounding colonies.

It was surprisingly warm inside the tent, given how chilly the outside air was becoming. A heater sat in the center, keeping the space comfortable, and Iro immediately moved to set a container of water on top of it to start warming. Dawn moved over to some portable cupboards to pull out the hot chocolate mix and dig around for a spoon, while Chase and Cacao led Stormbreaker to a pile of well-used cushions. Cacao clearly had a favorite, as he pawed it out of the pile and flopped down. Chase took her time arranging a few to her liking, while Stormbreaker looked over the cushions critically.

"That one's the most comfy," Iro whispered, pointing to one near the center. He smiled, a little more warmly than before, and picked it and another to sit on. It was indeed pretty comfortable. Soon Dawn came over with the prepared hot chocolate, and Stormbreaker took a cautious sip- then a much more eager one. The others laughed at his expression.

All five settled in as the sky darkened outside, chatting and drinking their hot chocolate. Stormbreaker, while awkward at first, found himself relaxing as the visit went on, and even enjoying the conversation. When he had to leave before it got too late to travel, he discovered he was a bit sad to go, and the others were too. The goodbyes were full of "come again soon!" and "don't forget to visit!" and Iro gave him a quick, tight hug before he stepped back out into the darkness.