((Backdated to the 10/20/2020 cause I had no energy for almost a week, sorry!))


Jacques

The chrysalis has been closed for a few days longer than it should have.

Now, the deep and royal alexandrite monolith was stable, the shape inside had been... oddly still, colors only barely visible where the creature within was pressed tight against the chrysalis. Oddly still, until today. The shadows had twisted, and the sharp clack of hooves and crystal on crystal indicated some sort of burst of energy for the child trapped within-

Then the outside splits, fractals and splinters shattering off and flinging across the ground like they were blown by their own personal winds, and the whole thing splits from the top down, like some sort of forever-living flower to reveal what looks like another part of the chrysalis itself, at first... but then it tilts, and it's then revealed that this massive, twisting spike is affixed like a horn to the forehead of the strangely bright young... horse?

Feathered horse.

@Wyvern

self harm

but like. bird style

---

Poor Wyvern had been driving herself crazy. She'd not expected it to take this long, and in the past few days, had even started pestering her mother and Dread -- how long was this supposed to take? Certainly, it couldn't be this long? Was something wrong with the chrysalis? Was it--? (No, no, of course not. She'd done everything right, hadn't she? Or maybe it was too hot here? Oh, no -- had she--?)

The stress had gotten her tugging out feathers over the past three days, and then fretting over the mess and arranging them into the nest she'd built around the chrysalis. It hadn't formed into an extreme habit just yet, but she was looking a little bare under her wings, and a bit ragged all over. Thankfully, she'd recover from it after her next molt and look good as new -- but the cracking of the chrysalid startled her, and she was whirling around to face the sound.

It split open like a flower, tiny shards of crystal scattering across the small cave. Wyvern felt anxiety twist in her stomach, and then he was standing there resembling -- James, actually? But he had a horn atop his head like hers (gemstone, she noted), and had similar colors, and had her beak, and the talons like hers and Asimona's -- he wasn't what she'd expected (what had she expected?) but... he was perfect.

"Hello, my little Jacques," she said, her voice strained. "It's so lovely to finally meet you."


@jacques

Jacques

The flower, of course, isn't as clean as a normal one- the amitotic fluid soaks the nest, and Jacques barely manages to get his forelegs under him as he tumbles free, toes and weak talons digging into the soft and now slightly gross material around him.

Wet feathers, too long limbs, and oversized wings makes him look quite the ungainly type, especially with his hindlegs splayed out in a type of strange sit. Wings flapping and attempting to get him some sort of balance as he attempts to force himself to his feet... well, hooves? Hindlegs have hooves, slightly soft as well but hardening slowly.

His gaze snaps to the white other that had spoken to him - Mother- and he opens his mouth to bleat out an almost rusty "Heugh... Hello!"

Oh, I can do better-

"HEUhLO!"

... It's a work in progress.

@Wyvern

She hurried forward and used her beak to start propping him up onto his feet, combing its point through his feathers as happy tears welled up in her eyes. "Hello! Oh, my baby -- hello, my little boy. I am so happy to finally see you." She laughed a watery laugh. "Are you hungry, my dear Jacques? Do you want Mama to get you something to eat?" She certainly had been. At a guess, most babies were -- it was hard to hatch on a full stomach.

Wyvern had always been emotional, and this was no different, though she was doing her best to hold it together so she didn't look like a blubbering mess as she held him. Her feathers puffed up, and she opened her wings in case he wanted to settle into them. She was glad he was okay, more than anything -- he'd certainly taken his time.

@jacques

Charon glided towards the cave entrance shakily, landing hard and having to scrabble at the entrance in order to get his fat butt inside. He shook himself off and snorted before slowly slithering forward, head low.

"... Wyvern?", he asked, setting down a rabbit he'd caught, "I brought uh... food."

He dragged it forward and stopped as he saw the little beastie, the little baby.

"... Oh."

Charon looked between Wyvern and Jacques, his quills slowly pressing down against his spine. Slowly, he walked forward, nudging the rabbit towards Wyvern.

"... Uh... what do I do?", he finally asked, lost, looking to his sister for advice, support.

How did one even talk to a baby? Touch a baby? He could protect, yeah, he took down deer and prey all the time, could beat up a Gembound any day (though he hadn't yet) but a baby? Now that was out of his league.

@Wyvern @Jacques

Jacques

The grooming feels nice, so he tries to copy the gesture, on his own self- Beugh, gross... and then kind of mouthing at Wyvern's feathers, as if seeing what he might feel like when he's clean. He hums, and disproportionate ears flicker again, flicking some amniotic fluid around and using the welcome pressure to keep himself steady.

Jaques. Is that me? That's me...!

His legs are wobbling, so he drops his wings to act like another set of feet, and he leans up and looks over at the dragon who had made an entrance, and the foal like creature has to take a step back at the... big-ness of the new one.

"Who... who that?"

@Wyvern
@Charon