ORIGIN

Down in the fern trench, buried by an abundance of overgrowth lay a large green chrysalis. It was indeed of a great size, the gembound inside must be of equal size themselves. By the amount of plant-life that has grown over it, they must have been slumbering for a long time. At least over 40 cycles, enough that the aventurine had gone unnoticed this whole time. A thin layer of moss and ivy clung to the outside, hugging the chrysalis. Hugging them close and keeping the one inside safe.

Jasmine slumbered deeply, time was lost to her but thoughts still stirred. She could only remember bits of pieces before they ended up in this sleep. Long limbs and neck curled up, only pressing on the the inside of the green shell lightly. I was running, trying to find . . . someone. Legs shifted slowly, only noticing now that she was curled into a ball. Her legs needed to stretch out. but then . . then I fell. Wincing as a reflex, remembering now the sharp pain. Her leg had snapped under her weight after falling down into the trench. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes, tho the salty tears only mixed with the fluid she floated in.

Flashes of a face, of Gada formed in her memory. She was looking for the elephant, feeling the link between them fading and desperate to return to their side. Did she ever find me? Trying to reach out for the feeling of the link between the two. But . . she was reaching for nothing at all. Had the time, the cycles she slept left her feeling empty again? A knot formed in her gut, just realizing she would be alone. That she was alone. The space around her still so small, but she was not eager to start again. To be alone. The large aventurine chrysalis shifted a few times, strain on the shell was apparent.


- - - - -
"Speech"
Thoughts

ooc: Who will take care of her now? Will she even leave her shell?
Offering for Mother.

Perhaps an agent of Mother would turn up. Titanite did not know, because Titanite was not one of them--nor was he aware of their existence.

Instead, the wicker-like beast was slowly trudging through the ferns, his root-feet quietly brushing mosses aside. He paused, now and then, glowing eyes slipping shut as he basked beneath the orb-light above, drawing nutrients from the soil beneath and from the light that shone over him. Nothing was feeding him from the earth just below; perhaps this patch was worn, or perhaps he was.

It was that light--glinting over the shining wall of a jade-green chrysalis--that caught his eyes. At least, the parts where the aventurine shone through its thick coverings of moss and ivy.

Titanite's curiosity was piqued. He lifted those feet again from the moss--thin tangles of his own vines ripping loose from the carpet below--and trudged slowly onward. A permanent, root-wreathed grin--reflecting nothing of his actual empty emotional state--tilted as he inspected the stone more closely.

A single branched hand raised to rest upon it, testing its warmth, feeling the vibration within; the three long, razor-point talons clicked softly on the stone.

What was within? Titanite did not know, but he stood, perhaps visible beyond the thinning green shell, and watched, his hand still on its surface.