ORIGIN

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Pride knew nothing of Envy's resentment--after all, it had been a gift to a friend; why would they see it in a bad light? And so he did not put the name together with any particular meaning, bar the meaning of the word itself. It seemed a strange choice, but then, perhaps Envy held hopes that this one would be selfless and kind.

"A good name," he agreed softly.

He lay quiet, listening, and was about to agree to--to defer to--Envy's judgement... after all, Envy was generally the nervous wreck, and if they were confident that something was all right, they could hardly be wrong. But just before he could say anything, Charity's eye slid open, and the faint purple of Envy's own iris shone back at him. Despite the fact that he'd been about to accept Envy's words, he felt relief.

At the little one's peering, Pride dipped his head slightly. "Hello," he told her, in a warm and quiet tone.

@Envy

Envy nodded, swelling a little. Charity was perfect. They thought back, for a moment, to their own birth, and wondered if this was how their own mother had felt when they emerged before her. But... that birthing had been full of fear and pain; their tiny life had been so close to ending before it had even begun. Charity had had a good start; full of warmth and with two parents who were there, devoid of pain and hunger. They, briefly, envied her for it, gaze lingering on the little green face.

As they watched, her eye slid open, and Envy grinned. "See? I told you!" they said, peeking their head around to see if she'd look at them instead. Her eye was, for now, unfocused and tired-looking, and only one had opened.

Speech. Thought.

Pride's face came into focus slightly as he came closer, though Charity's eye flickered, tired and unfocused, and the lid felt sticky whenever she blinked. She saw his mouth appear, and that kind, warm voice reached her ears once again. Charity shifted slightly, pulling herself closer into the deer's warm hide. Her ears, deer-like, perked upwards.

"H-hello... Pride?" she finally said. Speaking was becoming easier, and the more she spoke, the easier it was becoming. A green blur pushed itself into the edge of her vision, and she turned towards that. "...And hello, Mamma."

Half of her vision still cut off, the young one struggled to open her other eye. This one came easier, sliding open, and was greeted with the dark shadows of her birth room. She looked around- vision still blurred, but more of a complete picture. The little one looked down, and was greeted by the sight of two blurred paws, brighter green than her Mother's, shining almost as Pride's coat in the dark. She raised one before realizing that it was hers. She turned it over, looking at the small paw pad.

"Look," she said, voice soft with wonder, and showed her paw to Pride.

Pride peered, looking quite relieved, nodding to Envy as they spoke. But before he could respond, Charity was reverently displaying her paw, and he could do nothing but play right along. Solemnly he reached forward, touching nose to her tiny digits.

"Yes," he agreed, quietly. "And--hello. That is your paw," he added, in a tone of kindly explanation. It was rather adorable, watching how awed she was by something so simple, and in a sense it brought to the stag his own wonder. After all, were not the simplest things around them truly magnificent? And when you really thought about it, it was all wondrous.

Watching Charity's interaction with her world, for the first time--it brought a sense of vicarious wonder all its own.

@Envy

Envy's ears twitched, and he watched the deer tend to their daughter for a while before the unmistakable feeling of jealousy began to bloom in their heart. How come she was giving Pride all the attention? Sure, he was bigger, and his white coat stood out in the darkness, but they were the one who'd named her. The one who assumed the title of mother.

Subtly, they began to lick the young one's ears, spines quivering, and the side of her velvety neck. Her pale green fur shone in the darkness. They paused after a while, leaning around her to look at the little paw that she was still showing to Pride.

"No way! A paw? Show me, too!" they whispered, voice full of feigned excitement, as they gave the side of her face a little nuzzle. They glanced up at Pride, and grinned for a moment. Then they stood, abruptly- and scampered off to another corner of the room. After a moment they returned, and returned with the necklace given to them by Reign. It was the perfect size for them- or their newborn daughter, who was only a tiny bit smaller. They transferred it to their paws and showed it to Pride, before holing it out to Charity.

Speech. Thought.

@Pride

As Pride's face materialized out of the blur to gently touch his nose with her paw, Charity flinched in a moment of surprise, but quickly settled. She spent a moment stroking Pride's nose with her tiny paw- to her, he was massive- a towering and magnificent creature, and her eyes were round with wonder. She kept her paw on his nose when Envy began to lick at her fur, but started to look around. Finally, as Envy spoke, she grinned excitedly at the excited tone of their voice- and finally raised their paw to show them.

For a few moments they were there, her paw hovering in front of their small nose, but then, just as her paw began to descend- she tried in vain to place her paw on their nose as she had with Pride- they were gone, away in a green flash.

Her expression crumpled for a moment, but they quickly returned with something else for her to marvel at. Seemingly satiated, she examined the golden chain with fascination, swaying to watch it shimmering. "What is it?"

@Pride

Pride leaned forward to give a reassuring nuzzle behind Charity's neck as the little one reached for, and missed, Envy. "I' sure Mamma will be back in a moment," he reassured her. "And then you can touch her nose." Almost before the sentence had left his lips Envy was back, glittering gold along with her.

Pride watched in silence, not interrupting, now. This was a mother-daughter moment, so to speak, one for bonding between them. He remained unaware of Envy's jealousy, nor would he have minded much bar to pity the weasel her misery. He assumed, instead, that here was a happy parent, and a happy child, and he remained quiet to let them interact. Envy's feigned enthusiasm was, to him, charming; and her offer of the jewelry clearly charmed the child just as much.

He settled a little, glancing slowly about, keeping a quiet watch with all his senses as Envy and Charity bonded. He listened, and took scent; his eyes roamed the darkness, but for now, at least, they all seemed to be safe.

@Envy

Envy watched Charity as she admired the glittering gold, clearly entranced. The weasel remained where they were for a moment, showing it to her before they spoke.

"It's a necklace- it was a gift from one of my subjects. And now it's yours," Envy told the child, before using their teeth and paws to place it over the young one's head and onto her neck. They stepped back for a moment to admire their handiwork. It was a little big, still, but tight enough that she probably wouldn't trip over it despite her short and stubby legs. "It means you're something very special."

They looked up at Pride for a moment, gaze lingering on the deer for a moment longer as he sat in quiet serenity. Envy, too, remained quiet for once in their life, but all of the excitement was beginning to wear on them. Although their quills had sank back into a flat line down their spine, their tiredness was starting to show. Eyelids were starting to droop, their gaze flickering. The nerves had taken their toll.

Speech. Thought.

Charity took in Envy's words, and she raised her head, puffing out her chest as much as she could as she repeated her mother's words in her head. The necklace was soon dropped over her head, and she looked down at it, holding the golden chain in her paws and examining it, raising her paws so that it flashed in the dull lights and reflected flashes of her green fur.

They hardly noticed the weasel beginning to flag beside them, but the longer that she looked at the golden necklace, the tireder she became, as well. Green muzzle opened wide in a yawn that exposed the pink insides of her mouth and an array of tiny, needle-like fangs. She huddled a little closer to Pride but kept looking at the necklace, lifting it up in tiny paws. The young one didn't bother to resist the sleep; just kept on looking at the necklace until finally her head was sinking down over her paws and onto the ground.

Her chest rose and fell with quiet snores- it had been a short but tiring day, and she slept, peacefully.

-exit Charity-

@Pride

Pride watched, quiet still, as Envy presented the gift--the child was clearly awed, but exhausted, as might well be expected. A moment later they had yawned, and a moment after that, they were fast asleep.

Pride tilted his head, then looked to Envy, watching them for a long and quiet moment. They seemed tired too, but... calmer than usual. Not as hyper, or defensive, or insecure, somehow.

"How do you feel?" he asked at last, in as soft a tone as he could manage. He didn't want to wake Charity, after all; and Envy themselves seemed on the brink of sleep.

@Envy

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Pride

Livius

Charity

Pride

Livius

Charity

Pride

Livius

Charity

Pride