It looked back at the oilstone chrysalis it had emerged from. Still tacky with the fluids within as it tilted its head at the now empty gemstone. Then, turned its gaze onto the rest of the hall it'd found itself in. More stones clung to the walls, emerging from the floor.

No matter, it'd already made its way some distance away from the chrysalis, and there was more to see. It thought it had hatched alone. Already at peace with that fact, as it slithered down the halls. It didn't plan to go back in the direction of the groaning noises, it didn't sound like a safe place to be.

Thick, thorny scales made a light scraping noise against the stone as it slithered. A consistent 'ccrrrrrrr' along the tunnel. It didn't know why it was here yet. It only knew a name that would be replaced with a designation: Creep. It didn't know what it would be assigned, not yet.

It didn't yet know of its place within the machinations of these walls. What it had been made for. It only knew one single fact: it was quite hungry. And that there was nothing to eat yet in this tunnel.

HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD HELLO WORLD

In some realities, you get born as a baby that grows up for a long time, learns a lot of life lessons through trial and great, terrible error, and then dies at some random age when the universe is willing to let go. In some realities, you are born a single surviving star, a product of your time, a launched rocket, a burning heap. Sometimes you try, and then you fail. Other times you succeed, and find new failures to strive toward. In some realities, you meant something, and in others, you don't.

For this one, the one sleeping in her chrysalis below us; no matter when it is, no matter the era or the planet or the theme, whenever this one is born... that day becomes Wednesday. Even when it wasn't before. Even when Wednesdays don't exist. In a world of alphas and omegas and betas, this one is a Wednesday. I can't tell you heads nor tales of his fate besides this one universal fact.

His name is Mercutio. But before he can be that, he needs to escape. How many layers of escape does he need? Well. I shan't say. But at least he escapes the first one, for now.

Most Valkhounds hatch fully grown. Mercutio is no exception. Her chrysalis cracks from the side of one wall, dumping her out like a rejected specimen from a trash chute. She slips onto the floor, covered in wet ooze so thick it's almost hard to tell she has a full coat of fur. Before she even takes a moment to shake it off, her eyes recognize movement somewhere below her. Purple gaze jumps to the floor.

Aha. A... snake?

"Hello?"

@Creep @Snicker (idk if you wanna hatch with)

A second set of paws has hit tunnel G. Uh... Meow?

The last trace of the kitten's nature cracked, folding inward before crumbling to shards. Out tumbles the creature held inside, suddenly cursed to exist and born with the determination to make it everyone's problem.

No one actually sees its birth - no one knows it even exists yet. All as planned, it thinks, the first of many thoughts to come. It was born with a heart that will guide it down the right path.

That heart is Oilstone, in case you didn't know.

It took its time licking the juices from its plush coat, considering its next steps. It's the echo of a voice down the tunnel that stirs it. Someone's here, and they're close, and its not alone. Energy shoots down its spine.

"Helloo?" It echoes back, padding down towards Pegasus. There's a shape writhing in the dirt in front of it, though it can't identify it yet.

One voice, then two. It squinted down the tunnel at the distant voice before turning its head towards the one it could see. Were there more?

"Hello."

It turned its head so one glassy yellow eye could observe the valkhound in sight. It was... different. At least compared to itself. Without having developed a filter yet, it let this stranger know. "You're hairy." It observed aloud, shifting the length of its body under itself so it could lift its head. The serpent assumed it was fur that was slicked against the other's skin.

Then louder, further down the tunnel, towards the voice that had seemed further away. "Hello?

Just how many were there in these tunnels?

"There's someone else." It said, as if that weren't obvious by now.

@Mercutio

The snake was looking. The freshly hatched Valkhound... Mercutio, is his name. Mercutio tilted his head at the snake, the way puppies do when they're trying to see a fresh angle. "Hi." The snake gave her a piece of wisdom: 'You're hairy.' "No way." Maybe that was meant to be humorous. Could Valkhounds do comedy? Guess it wouldn't hurt anyone to try. Mercutio shook like a wet dog, bathing everything and everyone in the vicinity in a shower of amniotic fluid.

It wouldn't dislodge everyone. Lesson one: there are things more viscous than water. Lesson two: echoes. 'There's someone else.' Mercutio would look for it, whatever—whoever it was.

Oh. Easy. Little cat thing. Mercutio was so good at this. "Hiii~!" Their response would echo out to the cat ferret thing. Don't ask why Merc got a little fruity with it. He's two seconds old and he doesn't know.

@Snicker

Snicker broke into a run at the last length, slowing back to a trot with its tail raised high upon approaching the two Valkhounds. "Hihihihi!" It purred, weaving between Mercutio and Creep in circles.

"I'm hairy too. Isn't that sooo awesome? We should be friends."

It made some space between it and the group to start rolling around on the floor, periodically stopping to stare at the two from odd angles, making sure they were seeing this. Look at it. Its so small and petite etc. They should compare hand sizes or something.

@Creep

Creep's eyelids narrowed as it was flicked with more fluids, which would no doubt dry out and grow tacky on its scales before it was washed away. Apparently humour wasn't something it'd picked up yet, as it chose to ignore the remark. Instead, it watched the little fuzzy thing run circles. Around and around. And around. Until, truthfully, it began to feel rather dizzy.

It was beginning to feel a sensation it had never felt in its two seconds of life—the feeling of being a third wheel (perhaps even, if you will, a creep). It had no hair. And thankfully, it couldn't read minds because it certainly didn't have paws to compare hand sizes with.

Then, Creep naturally decided to ask the best question to the two of them. "Why are you both so small?" It certainly wasn't... giant by any means, but it had a girth to match its length, enough muscle and fat to sustain and move its body, but next to these two, it felt pretty giant.

In fact, the longer it looked at these two, the more it realised that it was the odd one out. It was.. green, big, no limbs, no soft faces and certainly no cute eyes. With the revelation, it changed its tune.

"Why am I so big? Why am I not soft, like you two?"

@Mercutio

You know how it is with dogs and cats.

Once spotted, the little cat thing seemed exceedingly eager to make their acquaintance. Physically. Forcefully, with what force it possessed in its teeny little body. Mercutio was all for it. "Yo that's pretty cool. We.... We should totally be friends..." Mercutio would speak, but their voice would sound far away somehow, as though Mercutio were caught in a trance. The kitty may feel what was happening: Mercutio's lavender irises burning bullet holes in the back of its head. Or it might not. With just the right timing, Mercutio might be able to...

SCCHHLUUURRP!

Mercutio's tongue hit nothin' but air. Very cat dander-coated air. Bleh blegh. The smaller valkhound proved to be just a bit too graceful for this dog to catch. Phooey.

The failed attempt, and the philosophical words from the snake (who, in Mercutio's mind, had suddenly reappeared), brought them back to the present. She eyed the... plant-animal-snake-thing. "Huh. Guess you're not hairy. And you're kinda..." Poke. Poke. "Haha, woah... creepy." Very tactful, Merc. Very clever and tactful and polite. "I- I mean, that's not a bad thing, I don't think. Bein' big and spiky seems fine to me. 'Cause you're like- you're pretty cool-lookin' and stuff. Maybe we could still be friends." Mercutio paused for a moment to consider: "What do friends do?"

Mercutio tried to look at the rotating target below, hoping for a helpful answer. Big mistake. His attention all but evaporated, and there his mind went, looping in circle, circle, circles...

@Snicker

The dog was staring. Snicker, subtly, triple checked all the easy exits. Its suspicions were shortly confirmed by her lurching toward her, mouth agape. It danced away from the threat of being slobbered on, its cheeriness uninhibited.

It promptly collapsed into a wriggling, cobalt pile again, just a few centimetres away from its original position. "Haha, yeah. Creepy and weird! And green!"

'What do friends do?' "Wellllll..." Five more rotations. "Friends do... Stuff together!"

@Creep

'Creepy. Weird.'

'Green.'

All sharp words that wormed their way under that tough exterior to deflate this valkhound's self-esteem. These furry-things weren't pulling their punches; the fact that it'd been added as a friend as an afterthought certainly stung as well. Being two seconds old was proving to be tough.

It didn't know what friend-stuff was, but if it involved watching these two fuzz-balls make goo-goo eyes at each other for any longer, it decided it'd rather not. Especially now it was being poked at. It was still hungry. Perhaps it could just eat them both and be done with it. That wasn't the worst idea.

Inhaling a deep breath through its nose, it looked back down at the pair. "Maybe friends..." It needed an out. "Go... exploring together!" It finished triumphantly. Yes. Friends would go explore and leave it in peace to nurse its wounded ego. It was a perfect, flawless, plan.

@Mercutio