ORIGIN - awe and joy and terror

RHAENYA
decay will feed the bloom

Rhaenya opened her amber eyes, blinking furiously against the viscous liquid engulfing her. There was a dull ache in her head and an urgency to escape filled her, until she felt that she had no other way but out.
The tiger cub kicked and flailed her legs around, tiny claws scraping against the inner confines of her Chrysalis. She placed a strong kick with her hindlegs against the golden gem-wall - and spilled out of her Chrysalis in a flood of goo and gem-shards.
Rhaenya sputtered, coughing up the goo that had somehow made its way into her lungs. Once done with that and able to breathe freely, the Gemling looked around and took in her surroundings. She was in a hall of some sort, lights overhead, a river nearby and a looming Spire in a farther corner; Rhaenya felt a strength coming off the Spire and challengingly starred at it until she could no longer bear it and had to avert her gaze.

She had watched the tiger from far away. She had watched it hatch with mild interest. New creatures had potential. They were empty, waiting to be filled. With fear or courage or anger or sadness or joy. Gems were strange, as she had decided long ago. They were too easy to figure out, just impossible to understand. But Reseda did not want to understand. She didn't need to understand. She just had to know.

Perhaps this creature here was something she could use. She had little experience with children and would like to possibly try it out. The deep one had shown her young creatures, but she had not done much without the deep one's guidance. She was determined to be independent from it, now that she was all grown.

She stepped forward casually, noticing the tiger glaring at the Spire. Yes, the source of magic, a crystal of infinite power. The thing that had drawn her to this cave and out of her bones. Power, magic. The things she coveted above all else.

She stepped up to the tiger's side and looked down as it looked away. "Yes," she said, gently, "the Spire is powerful. You are brave to look its way, especially just after your hatch." She suddenly realized that she had not greeted it yet. A strange habit of gems, but one she had to comply with nonetheless. "Hello, young one. Welcome to the world."

"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.

tags: @Rhaenya
notes:

RHAENYA
decay will feed the bloom

Rhaenya was surprised to see another Gembound approaching. They looked very different than her - their skin was scaly and dark where her's was covered in light fur. And they were bigger than her too.
The Spire. Rhaenya committed the term to memory, though she didn't dare look at the Spire again whilst she did. "I'm Rhaenya." She said with confidence, shaking off the thrill of danger that still coursed through her veins. Though to a more experienced ear, she might not sound as confident as she perceived herself to be.

"What's your name?" She asked then, curious about the other Gembound. She wondered if there were others - and if so, if they looked just as different from her as this stranger did.

@Reseda

Reseda nodded. She noticed that the cat did not look back at the Spire. Was it afraid of the power? Of the amount of magic surging from the crystal? That was good. Easy to manipulate when she had great magic. But she had to be careful or else she would scare it off. "Rhaenya. A unique name. I like it. I am Reseda."

With a gentle gesture, she leaned down and gave the kitten a gentle sniff. It didn't really mean much to her, but sometimes she saw other gems do it to be friendly or to greet. Strange, but probably necessary. She didn't really know what to do further. The last time she had tried to initiate conversation with a hatchling, it hadn't gone so well.

"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.

tags: @Rhaenya
notes: