A clear cocoon of apatite jutted out from the top of the cliffs, quartz light shining through it and becoming an odd pattern that seemed to flicker and dance like some spirit celebrating. The crystal was unusally large for a crow chick, who currently was gazing upwards in wonder, watching the 'stars'.

She shifted upwards, trying to see the stars better. She began pecking at the ceiling, trying to break through to reach the lights. A few cracks appeared, and she wedged her beak through the largest, breaking it open with a loud snap. She climbed out, sitting down and staring upwards at the lights.

"Pretty lights.." she murmured, saying her first words. She flapped her wings uselessly, letting out a chirping sound that echoed through the area.

Solani grew bored of the lights and looked sideways, only to notice how close she was to the edge. She screeched, backing up quickly before looking to the dimly lit ground. She edged closer to the edge again. She grabbed hold of said ledge, attempting to slowly climb down the cliff.

She slipped, tumbling down the cliffside and landing in a heap at the bottom. Her down was ruffled and torn, and she was bleeding from more than a few places on her body. She chirped loudly, trying to get anyone to come and help her. She looked down at her leg- she was no healer, but that was most definitely the wrong position for a leg to be in.

Equinox was wandering through Orion, although she didn't know as much. Her jaws were clamped shut, as the darkness had rendered her completely blind no matter how hard she looked. The great being felt she ought to return to Polaris where she could at least find her way because of the lights. The draconian's flesh writhed itself into many tiny knots of worry, and the path she'd trodden was clearly shown by a thick slime trail.

If she could find her bearings, knowing where she was, Equinox would have been able to find her way. But alas, Equinox's eyesight was poor and she only had one eye.

It was by pure chance that in the distance, Equinox noticed a frantic peeping, coming from somewhere nearby. Despite her form being undeniably alien, Equinox understood the call for what it was- a cry for help. Without hesitation, Equinox headed towards the sound. The cold halls of Orion was no place for a child in pain and on their own.

The sound grew louder and louder, until suddenly she was almost on top of it- Equinox's head lowered to the ground on a curve of her long neck. Her jaws were open as she looked for the source of the voice- they were there, she knew they were- their voice was almost piercing, but she couldn't pick them out against the darkness.

Unfortunately, that also meant she couldn't tell why they were crying. Were they hurt?

"Hello?" She murmured, her odd, gurgling voice strained in its effort to be comforting. "It'ssss okay, it's okay! I'm here now. Are you hurt?"

If they were, the dragon didn't know what she could do; it was unlikely she'd be able to help. But she knew someone who could.


---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @solani
notes: here

Solani looked up at the creature, and suddenly her words came out all at once. "I was trying to get down from the big cliffs and I slipped and fell and my leg is weird and I don't think I can walk and.." She took a deep breath to calm herself down, leaning against the creature for comfort.

She shifted, trying to show the creature her leg so it would understand better. Even without the sight of her leg, she guessed that her ruffled and town down would be enough to show that she was hurt.


@Equinox

Equinox's head turned as she heard those despairing cries become a tiny voice somewhere in the near vicinity, relaxing slightly. Hearing them gave her the direction to begin searching and soon she was able to pick them out in the darkness. Her eye alone was the size of the chick's head, and her slitted pupil narrowed as she focused in. A gurgle gathered in the dragon's throat and she was about to warn them not to touch her... but it was too late, the chick already leaned into her jaw. Equinox didn't want to push them away so instead she stayed where she was.

If they were content to stay there despite the cold cling of her slime then so be it.

"Shhhh. It'ssss okay. I know someone who can help." Equinox soothed as best she could despite her fears. She hoped that they wouldn't be afraid; after all, they didn't give any sign that they could see her in this darkness. Perhaps this was all they had known.

Equinox sniffed, barely able to make out the shape of their twisted limb in the dark, and they were right; she'd never seen a being with a leg shaped like that. the draconian's own bones were flexible but she felt sure other beings' weren't.


---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @solani
notes: here

Solani, was, indeed content to stay and lean against the creature's body. The pretty lights on the ceiling were farther away now- not enough to light up much of the darkness, but enough to see the creature's outline. "When will help come?" she asked, a note of panic still in her voice but lessened by the creature's words.



@Equinox

Equinox opened her jaws again to answer their question, however stopped herself with a soft rumble. As comforting as reassurance might be, it would not be the truth. The truth was, it was likely that no-one would come. Equinox indeed knew someone who could help but they would not find her without a call; Equinox highly doubted that Tukluk was anywhere in the near vicinity. Equinox knew, at least, where they would most likely be. But they'd have to find them.

"Help..." she hesitated, in her jaws her eye flickering away from the chick. Her smooth skin began to prickle, moving and reforming into ripples as though it were made of crawling maggots. The chick leaning against her might have felt them against her skin beneath the slime that was beginning to ooze over them from her face. "I... We'll have to go find help ourssselves. It'sssss not going to come to usss, but I can bring you to it."


---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Solani
notes: here

Solani slowly backed away from the slime to prevent herself being completely covered, attempting to scrape it off her down with her beak but failing. She looked back up at the creature.

"Let's go, then." she said, surprisingly calm, if only because the creature was in the vicinity. She hopped closer to the creature, attempting to scrape the stuff off her down once again before finally giving up.

@Equinox

Equinox glanced at the little creature, admiring of its perseverance. Slowly she raised her head, but soon realized lifting too far caused her to lose track of the little one. as a result, she soon realized that she had to stay close. With their leg in such a way, Equinox doubted that they'd get very far hopping beside her, especially with strides like hers.

Equinox considered her options, eventually deciding that they couldn't get any slimier... as a result, the dragon, despite her worries, felt that it would be best to pick them up and take them to tukluk. The marmset would know what to do.

"I'll take you there. jusssssst sssstay sssstill..." Equinox warned quietly, reaching out with one of her wing-laden paws and trying to scoop them up in the centre of her paw. "otherwissse, it'ssss a long walk..."


---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags: @Solani
notes: here

Solani felt herself being lifted up and nodded at the creature's words, trying to stay absolutely still despite the fact that she wanted to try and see things. She decided to attempt to count the stars on the ceiling, tempted to stretch upwards and try to reach them but limited by her leg.

"Where are we going?" she asked, aware of the creature moving someplace now. The swaying was relaxing, allowing her to forget that she was injured, at least for a bit.

@Equinox

(( Apologies for my responses being so short. ))