A miniscule chrysalis constructed of blue diamond was under the lights of Polaris. There was a thin crack in the stone, enough for said light to begin filtering into the chamber of the chrysalis.

Such being the case, as awareness woke up within the creature in this diamond chrysalis, his world began as such: Darkness with just a hint of light that caught on the inner diamond and caused it to sparkle. The creature saw the darkness, the light, and the gleaming gem, and he thought them all beautiful.

That was his first true thought and he was content, for a time, to simply bask in his awe. But it gradually dawned on him that there must be more to the world than this, if there was a crack letting light from a place outside into the place where he had formed.

He tried to stretch out his senses, unknowingly tapping strongly into his magic for the first time.

Briefly, he was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of more that he felt beyond. But that too turned to amazement. At first the sounds made no sense, until he remembered the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears, a constant sound from even before he was truly aware.

All that he heard were so many heartbeats, beating at different rates. Yet, one in particular stood out. It was louder, yet muted at the same time. As if concealed behind something. The concept of size was not yet a part of his awareness, or else he would have realized this life was larger, too.

This heartbeat was important, he decided. He needed to meet this other life, even if it meant breaking the beautiful safe haven which was the chrysalis.

Not yet. But soon.

@Celandine

her chrysalis was larger, of golden lightning and glassy quartz, her form barely visible from within.

she would not take as long to hatch, as the panic would set in the moment her violet eyes fluttered awake.

Flailing, her chrysalis would open with a crash, fluid spilling her form onto the floor and covering her with dirt and mud, and her hands scraping the floor painfully.

her wings fluttered open, slightly stuck like pages in a book. Her voice wouldn't come to her. She looked around, eyes wide and frightened, with her arms hugging her chest.

She didn't notice the smaller chrysalis nearby yet.

@Samael

At the crash that was partly muted but still heard, the little being knew it was time. The inch long being hurriedly gnawed at his chrysalis with sharp teeth, until there was a hole big enough for him to squeeze through. Which he promptly did.

Everything was so big!

He turned in the direction he remembered feeling the large presence from- And so for the first time, he saw another being. She was far larger than him, and they were shaped very different. He watched, for a moment, confused at her reaction to the world.

Then a name for the feeling she appeared to be experiencing came to him. She was scared. But... He didn't want her to be scared!

Gradually, with a faltering start, a warm rumble went from very soft to disproportionately loud. The caterpillar purred, knowing that was a way to feel better instinctively, a way to soothe both himself and others. He very much wanted to sooth her.

@Celandine

She was almost too scared to hear the slight gnawing and chewing of rock, but it did catch her attention.

she began making her way towards the sound, and would gasp lightly, startled as the moment she would get close enough, the small fuzzy grub would emerge.

She seemed as easily startled as a wild horse, and only stared at him with frightened eyes for several moments.

but that noise.

It was a loud rumble, and she tilted her head in confusion. It didn't have the same warning as a growl, but what was it? she moved closer.

in her growing intrigue, less scared and more deeply curious, she would lean down closer, and in an attempt to communicate, would let out her own low coo. like a pigeons.

it ended with a slight giggle. why were they making sounds?

@Samael

She eventually moved closer, and the fuzzy little grub kept up the purring. The larger life, she did not look scared anymore, and that made him happy.

And then she leaned down, and she let out a low coo, followed by another sound that it took him a moment to register. It was laughter. A sound of joy. And he was glad for it.

His purring stopped, but the caterpillar proceeded to stand on four out of his seven sets of leg nubs, reaching up with the rest as if that would somehow bring him closer.

The caterpillar meowed at her, a sweet feline noise. A greeting in return.

But something came after greetings, right?

He gestured to himself with his free limbs. "Mrrr," He introduced himself, hoping the concept came across clearly. It was a sound of both curiosity and of pleasant surprise. Mrrr's cat ears were turned to be able to hear her response all the better.

To him, thoughts and words were still feline sounds. The idea of a shared language, one of more common words, had not occurred to him in the least, nor would it yet. So neither had the idea of a name in that tongue.

@Celandine

She tilted her head, slightly confused. was that this creatures name?

She would point to the grub, trying to recreate the sound, an attempted sort of noise that only half sounds relatively feline, once again a bit of a coo, though the overall tone and inflection seems the same. she atleast seems proud of herself?|

she thinks, for a moment. she points to herself, pausing to think, and then whistles, a short and sweet string of notes. she doesn't know how she knows how to whistle, but such is the magic of the caves, i suppose.

She holds out her hands close to the floor, cupped gently, as if inviting him onto them. she wants to get a closer look of this interesting little worm! they seem quite nice, in her mind.

@Samael

She had said his name! And she seemed to know what he had meant by it, judging by her pointing at him. He purred loudly, absolutely delighted.

However, he obligingly quieted when she gestured to herself. And then she whistled. The caterpillar knew that this was her offering the same back to him. But as a grub, he did not have the ability to whistle. So he paused, thoughtful.

Then, ever so carefully, he gave a few short meows in the same notes the whistled tones had been. Then he repeated his own name, and his variant of her own name. He was quicker with her name this time, delighted to have figured out a way to say it.

He wiggled happily.

And then she offered him her hand. He purred happily, and crawled along onto the hand.

Then he tilted his head at her, ears flicking curiously. Now what?

@Celandine

She smiled, glittering teeth sharp and pearly white. he said her name!! the closest either of them could get to it anyway.

She would observe her small friend for a moment, tilting her head to look at his stripes and feel his paws on her hands. the glowing crystals in the walls illuminated the blue like sulhperous fire to her, if she knew what that was, though she knows its pretty.

suddenly, her stomach growled, she seemed startled by it, staring down at her stomach. she looked back up, humming, then whistling. neither of their names, but a question, as flimsy as it might be.

She was asking if he was hungry, but if that got across was Samael's guess.

@Samael