Among the glittering quartz of Orion lay one rough, hard, brittle gem that blended right in. It lay upon the wall, coarser and dirtier than those that studded the cave roof like so many stars. Those gems along the ceiling were bright and clear, but those along the wall were dusty with the passage of years, streaks of white along the stone.

This diamond was hardly discernable from the quartz, but for one change: there was something pale moving within. This light thing had not moved for years, but now it did: small shifts of white fur beneath the hard gem. The diamond itself, already a thing easily-broken, though hard, had begun to cleave itself apart over time. Now all it required was a little push, and the half-conscious creature within, drawing on some barely-recognized instinct, gave it that.

A calm, powerful surge of magicka welled up within him, coiling within and pouring outward in a sharp blast, cracking the diamond chrysalis in a perfect pattern that fell away in glittering shards.

The white fawn within tumbled forth, landing briefly on his feet before trembling and sagging down, unable yet to stand on his own. Pale silver-grey eyes opened, his antlerless head turning to and fro as he regarded this new and shimmering world around him.

From what he saw thus far, he was fairly satisfied.

It seemed that fate gave Reseda another chance as it threw another child under her feet. She did not expect, when she left Canis, that she would be there to witness the hatching of so many different creatures. Yet here she was, to observe a white faun hatching from its diamond.

She was standing a little ways away, having felt the surge of magic from nearby. She watched as it tumbled out and observed the world around it with a satisfied gleam in his eye. Inquisitive, proud, and confident already. A good child, perhaps one she could work with.

The hyena had been guiet. The tiger dumb. The cat...well, more stupid then she could comprehend. And the turkey too independent for her to manipulate. She hoped that, this time, things would work out a little better.

She crept up into the young white one's line of sight and began to make her way over, as if she was gently curious, with a warm edge to her dark eyes. "Hello," she greeted the child. "I saw your hatching. That was beautifully done. Do you have a name? Can you speak?"

"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.


tags: @Pride
notes:

The youth turned his head to regard the great lizard with something like a peaceful confidence in his pale grey eyes. He blinked them once--round, large and perfect--and observed her.

His first instinct would have been to attack, or to flee--she smelled and looked of "predator" and that was instantly something that set his nerves dancing with adrenaline. But this was quickly quelled by Reseda's demeanor. While he did not understand her words--how could he, newly hatched?--he understood her tone, and knew at once that if she had intended to attack him, she would hardly be trying to communicate.

It was this that kept him from springing up, from trying to stand, to attack, or flee--instead watching her with a serene gaze. She had not come too close, yet. At this distance, though, the reptile might see the gem glittering at his throat--the diamond that rested there, flawless and glinting in Orion's lights.

Pride gave a soft snort of warning as Reseda crept near. He would react to her drawing too close--the snort made that clear enough. Slowly, he watched her--placid, calm--and flicked one ear. He did not, however, speak. He listened to her words, yes--tried to comprehend them, filing them away as not-quite-yet-understood-knowledge. But for now he did not know how to make those sounds, nor what exactly they might mean.

@Reseda

Reseda stared at the stag. It did not speak back to her. A surprise, she thought that was an appropriate compliment and a fair question. But then she remembered that some creatures could not speak at hatching. She had told The young one this, of course. The white one was not born with speech.

She tried to cast her senses out to try and forge a connection between the two, as she had learned not long ago she was capable of doing, but it didn't quite work. Perhaps she was too far away. But she didn't want to get closer in case the white one ran, as it had given clear warning it would.

Instead, she carefully lowered herself to her belly and gave the white one a small smile. She didn't want to threaten it, she needed it to trust her. She softly beckoned with one of her paws for it to come sit by her. "Come here, young one," she said, knowing full well it wouldn't understand. But perhaps the soothing tone of her voice would get through to it. "I will not hurt you."

"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.


tags: @Pride
notes:

Pride listened.

Her voice was soothing enough--if reptilian. Predatory. Being newly-hatched he had little reason to distrust Reseda--nor had he, however, any reason to trust her. For a time he simply lay there, aloofly indifferent, observing her attempts.

But what if this was just... how things worked? Newly-hatched, like he, were sent others to retrieve them? Hrm. He could find out, he supposed--thinking this over in a wordless way. He pushed up--gradual, cautious, young atrophied limbs trembling under his weight--and slowly, step by step, he staggered toward her. There was, however, a detached calculative look in his eyes. He was not fawning, he was not awed. Even so young, he was cautious, perhaps simply due to instinct telling him that this thing might, in fact, eat him.

Still he paused, legs splayed and shaking, head low as he focused on maintaining his balance. And he remained there, some three or four feet away from the lizard. He remembered his magic--he knew he could use it again. The question was, was this lizard friend, or foe; and what did it want from him? What did it want him to do?

And did he trust it enough to listen?

@Reseda

As the white one got a little closer, Reseda sent out a mental tendril, softly, slowly, reaching carefully for the young child's mind. Hopefully a connection between the two would open upon its touch, a connection that would allow some form of communication of thought, if not in words.

She felt the channel open, although it was weak. It would not last long. However, it was at least going both ways. She would be able to sense what it was thinking and it would sense what she was thinking. She shielded her mind as much as possible from the young child and only let a single strong feeling to flow through the connection, in both words and pure thought. Come closer, I mean you no harm.

"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.


tags: @Pride
notes:

The white fawn felt the touch, and felt the creature's cooing mind. This, even at his young age, was met with a strong surge of disdain. He knew, instinctively, that there was no reason for him to draw close to another--particularly a predator.

A sharp feeling of why? was followed by a strong sense of arrogance, something that even through the weak link, Reseda would likely pick up powerfully. He was controlled, even at this age, calm, and his cold grey gaze regarded Reseda with a condescending aloofness.

He would offer the predator a warning, a warning to back off. It was not an attack, precisely--at least, it would not feel as if he meant it that way. It was, instead, a response, of sorts, to her mind. A strong, resounding, NO, and a warning to the lizard to keep her distance. A strong, sharp jab to say, I am not your plaything. I am my own being. Laced, of course, with pride.

However, though the feelings were there, the magick this time did not respond; the fawn was left head high, snorting, but with trembling legs and little to show for his emotional display.

@Reseda

Reseda felt a strong sense jab at her mind upon her gentle thoughts and she felt the disdain, the pride, the warning to stay away. At the display, she rose from her spot and took a step back. She needed to be careful, she did not want to scare this thing away, if, of course, she could. He was filled with that annoying sense of pride that was so annoying in the gems of the caves, although this one had quite a lot of it.

The would make things more difficult if she kept going the way she was going. She needed to change up how she was going to approach this thing. If she wanted it on her side, she would have to revert to less of a gentle, motherly figure and more to someone with an interesting proposal for power.

The connection was breaking so she sent more energy its way to strengthen it. It became stronger then before and would hopefully allow more clear thoughts to pass between the two.

I am sorry for offending. You are not my plaything and that was not my intention. Her words and thoughts were much less gentle and more firm and confident, although there was no hostility to be found. I am not your enemy, I promise you that. I only wish to talk and to welcome you. She sent with these words a sense of plea, a soft questioning feeling, to ask the white one's permission to speak with it as equals.


"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.


tags: @Pride
notes:

Her offering, such as it was, was pleasing: her terms, acceptable. He did not understand the words--though he was beginning to learn what language was. Her mentality of "an equal" was better-accepted by the fawn, who acknowledged her "equality" with a flash of silver eyes and a lift of his head. Prideful, of course. Reseda could likely feel his calming, backing down, his attention on her now.

Even moreso, once she spoke her second words--infused as they were with a plea--a questioning--she might perhaps feel his satisfaction at this. It was not a sadistic and superior satisfaction--merely an acknowledgement, a faint, logical feeling that all was as it should be. He should be approached as an equal, yes, at the very least.

The fawn considered, but he had no words to clearly speak his intent.

That being said, his intent, his emotion--through Reseda's link--should have been clear enough.

Talk to me, he "thought," after a pause, acknowledging and allowing her intent. Welcome me. ...Inform me, came the additional request--or, rather, desire.

Pale grey eyes again roamed Orion's breadth, Pride wondering just where this place was--and how he fit into it.

@Reseda

Reseda felt the satisfaction that came from her new stance. She would have to treat it like an equal, a task she would despise, but grudgingly perform. She was not this creature's equal, but if that's what made it listen, then she would oblige. She, of course, made sure not to let this pass through the mental connection and only what she wished.

Her words came with the foggy, indirect, distant mental images of many different parts of the caves. The white one would not see these in front of its eyes, but merely as if it was recalling this information, seeing it in the back of its mind. It was the best she could do with her abilities. These are the caves, your home now. There are many others that dwell within, all kinds of creatures. And more fuzzy and hard to reach sensations, as if memories being pulled from the depths. An angry cat shouting, a deep, creeping voice. A number of gems standing in a forest.

I am Reseda. The word that was her name came strong with this thought, as it pointed towards her, signaling that this was her title, the word that would refer to her. She stared at the creature intensely. A name. What is yours?

"Living with myself."
Nothing but lies.


tags: @Pride
notes: