The ancient city center was dark enough on its own; a small, black gemstone that'd been growing here wasn't much more to notice against its shadowed corners. The creature within was miniscule: a runt even by her species' standards, and that species in and of itself was--compared to some of this nest's behemoths--already quite small.

The one inside was awakening a little too early. Not so much that it was dangerous for her; but enough that her weak scratching at the thinned Snowflake Obsidian shell was at first fruitless. She wasn't fully conscious yet, at least--not enough for panic to set in.

For the time being it was just a shift, now and then; a little scrape in the dark.

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solo hatch thread to be continued at a more brain-functioning time

Awareness grew, the tickle of knowledge in the back of her mind. She... existed.

Yes, she existed.

She was... touching hard textures all around her. Shadow did not yet know the words for rock or stone, or gem; certainly not "snowflake obsidian," nor "chrysalis." She felt her way quite literally through her first moments of half-awareness, paw pressing to warm rock.

She tested, pressing harder, kicking a little against it, instinct telling her it was time to break free. She was no baby bird, but in this world, this instinct was a necessity nonetheless.

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Shadow wanted to... breathe?

She felt the need to breathe.

She could not do that here. She pressed harder, and now the first edges of fear did intrude on her nascent consciousness. Darkness, fear, a choking wet. Where was she?

The wolf pup kicked again, and again, scraping and struggling with clumsy limbs.

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Fear.

Instinct turned to panic. Knowledge of the confines slipped into claustrophobia. Terror rose in her, and her blind struggles became panic, twisting and kicking.

A sharp breath became choking, drowning, and fear rose higher as her newly minted consciousness threatened to fade back into darkness. Then--a crack; a spill of fluids, and she was dropped in her own chrysalis as its liquids flowed away. Within the broken stone she stood, trembling, small and thin: a runt in every sense of the word. Her eyes were still closed, and she spent a moment simply huddling, half-cradled by broken stone, choking and gasping to clear infant lungs.

Her heartbeat in her ears faded gradually, and beyond it there was silence. Her eyes came open: a silver gleam of light, one that sought anything to fix on and found only darkness.

Shadow pushed forward, twisting, and fell outward, now: the walls of the gemstone giving way, dropping her to the ground below.

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Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

graphic themes

Purposeful Child Endangerment

The sound of cracking, had been what had drawn the attention of another being. Some sought out the beings fresh out of chrysalises in order to welcome them to the world and introduce them to the caves. However, this leopard was not part of the usual throng of good souls that met newly hatched children.

No, the leopard had a different sort of welcoming to the world in mind. There was a being in the prison, near his garden, and it was essential that he know if the area was safe to travel in. Anubis had not yet returned, but Bacchus was quick and stealthy enough to get in and out, and a child was easy prey for a monster if it hungered inside the prison depths. it was a good test.

It was hard to see the tiny being at first, wobbly and with primarily shut eyes. There were hints of silver, but just a bit to know the creature had eyes. Bacchus doubted she could see, as she was currently. And she was perfect.

A child born into darkness seemed apt to choose.

He recognized the shape, for he had seen a wolf pup before. Barely any older than this one, and exactly the same shade of darkness regarding coloration. He had been newly hatched, then, and the wolf was the first being Bacchus had ever met. The fellow child had been terrified, and his whimpering cries had introduced Bacchus to his own love of the music beings could make when distressed.

Yet, it had bothered Bacchus as well, though he had not identified why at the time. Later, he had realized it was due to the distress not being caused by himself. He had tried to comfort his fellow child, but he had failed. He did not know what had happened to that child.

It was overall a fond memory from his youth before he had fallen into abrupt chrysalis sleep.

This being was more perfect for the task than any child he could have imagined or brought forth himself. She was exactly what he needed, and he felt a gratitude of sorts to her.

As he had been thinking, he had prowled closer to the child, and now he stood above her. Gently, despite his somewhat rough tongue, he cleaned the fluid from the child as if she was his own. If she lived, she would be his own.

He hoped that she lived. "Hush... You are so very perfect," he gave a nigh-purr with his rumbling tone of voice. "My child, it is not safe for you here," he spoke, though he did not expect a response, not this early. He was not lying, either. This child would be easy prey for lessers, and nowhere in the caves was safe, not truly.

"I am going to bring you to near my garden. It is my hope you will be safe there," he told her, genuine. He did not mention the dangers.

Like a true earth leopard would, he picked up the cub, his cub, in his mouth. Already, he was feeling attached. But Bacchus's attachment had never been meant to be a kind sort. His love only hurt, and quite on purpose. He did not delude himself otherwise, he knew his nature.

Swiftly, keeping to the shadows, Bacchus moved through the city, then slinked through the prison after taking note if there were eyes. Near his garden, but away from his cherished plants, he placed down the child. "I must go. I promise, I will bring food for you tomorrow, but I cannot stay now. Be careful of the plants," he gave the cub one last comforting lick to her forehead.

Impulse brought one last word to his mouth before he slipped away, reluctant to leave despite knowing his initial cause. "I love you, my child," he murmured. It was overwhelming true, and his heart ached with the notion he could lose this one to such a permanent source as death.

And then he left her, sorrow in his swift steps.

Tomorrow, he would know, he comforted himself. Yes, he would know that what he held precious would be safe from all but himself.

[Exit Bacchus]

@Shadow

Instinct reacted in disparate paths.

The first was comfort. Something large, reassuringly warm, something gentle and rumblingly calm and soft-...

The second was fear. The scent of predator--a kind not her own--was strong in her nostrils, pricking her brain with tiny sparks of terror.

A third path--that not of instinct but physical necessity--was exhaustion. Shadow was a runt; her first battle--with her own chrysalis--had taken a great deal of energy from her undersized body.

Where a healthier, stronger child might have settled upon that fear and trusted it, fleeing with all their might, she--after a moment's inner battle--collapsed into the 'comfort,' instead. Her weariness gave her little choice but to trust.

And it seemed to have been a wise choice, though she was too young to truly gauge. She did not understand most of what he said. She could barely see him, past a tired glance, a vision of... spots, she thought; but her eyes slid closed before she could gain much more of a glimpse.

The next time she opened them was in darkness.

She had slept.

She wasn't sure when, or for how long. She didn't quite remember being left here. She remembered a warning: not to go near 'plants.' Shadow didn't know what plants were... maybe she would know when she saw them.

But she was in the dark; it was not too cold, or hot. Nothing accosted her here. And she had not slept enough.

After a moment, sneezing once and weakly past the dust thick in her nostrils, she settled head back on limp paws and fell back away into dreamless sleep.

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exit

@Bacchus (for visibility)