Watching, watching, watching.

Perched atop a small boulder: Matthieu. The anomaly. One head facing forward, one facing back. Six limbs gracing the marbled stone, two clutching at their chest. Black and yellow and black and yellow and red.

The festival had been going on for-- how long? A few hours? A few days? It was hard to tell. But the influx of strange faces did not stop coming, diving between stores and booths and filling the air with chatter. They themselves only visited one-- the red tailed teen giving out fortunes-- and her words filled their minds. They will find a group of likeminded individuals. Individuals full of curiosity like him.

A nice prophecy. Though the red panda's definition of "curiosity" was likely not the same as their own.

Right now they crouched atop an outcrop, overlooking the carnival with hundreds of apathetic eyes. The twinkling lights and mosses illuminated the place with a warm orange glow. Condensation tickled under their feet and with every breath they took. The background murmurs made them drowsy, but they couldn't sleep just yet. 'There are things to do.' Plus, of course, the two people they accidentally made enemies with were coming by.

The blue thing that shouted and the white thing that screeched, coming by just near. Their lower bee head winced at the memory-- they helped pry their chrysalis off of them, and they accidentally blinded them in return. The harpy was furious. But they were with the grub ('The Queen!') too-- at least she liked them. Hopefully.

'Oh no--' Here they came his way! Hopefully they won't notice the hybrid. It suddenly struck Matthieu how a boulder was such a glaring location to be and, in a frantic push for their magic, tried to make it less glaring. They crouched down, Boy's form hugging the insect as she in turn hugged the rock. Shadows pooled from the darkest corners and pulled over them like a dark blanket. Hopefully they'll stay hidden like this, at least for now.

There they came. The other faeires. Matthieu, the two-bodied child, hunched down in the cloak of darkness that hid them. First was the grub, the Queen; she snacked on something delicious and had a strange cord around her neck. She looked happy. Then was the white puffball resting on the girl's shoulder. It's fur was in all sorts of funny colors, though they couldn't figure out why. Happy as well.

And then there was the blue one. The harpy. Walking along on their spindly little legs. The Twins did not like them very much, not after they acted so hostile mere moments after they were born. But still, they looked happy too. All of them talking together. Having fun. The bee-human slunk further down into the shadows, feeling the wet, cold granite rub against their numerous legs. The magic-charged air. The faraway chatter. It was best Matthieu just disappear and let them on their merry way.

Up came another creature, one their rosy eyes didn't recognize. It was small, and long, coated in thick fur and decorated with spots. Eyes narrowed in annoyance. It bumped into the group of faeries and... spoke? Called them "look funny"? Hmph. Already their neurons were firing, deciding they didn't exactly like this feline. 'Not entertaining enough. Poor joke. Eat her.'

Despite it all, they didn't move. Didn't show themselves, Just stayed a gaggle of shadowy, mismatched limbs pressed against stone. Curious of what was going to happen, and unsure of how friendly one particular fairie would be to him.