Little. She was little. Somehow she understood that much. The bird was not-little, like she. They had many differences actually. He, for one, had the weird front appendages and walked on two legs instead of four, as he thankfully demonstrated. Then there were the words he made. Deeper than her voice, then there were sounds she didn't understand. And, he spoke far more than she did. Something Glory dutifully noted. Her brows pushed together. Speak. Was that what sound he made? The things like 'little' and 'move' and 'cold' and 'Glory' that someway she could grasp? Perhaps, in her laden crystal womb, she had heard passing voices and subconsciously learned some words? How to make them was just more mimicry. "Speak." The child flatly repeated.

Glory sighed. He didn't have the patience for this. He didn't have the head space for this. Even when he was sober, he was too active. Too quick-thinking. Not nearly patient enough to teach a child to speak. But he had to do something, right? He had made the decision to come down here. One thing, maybe, teach it to say one thing. Or at least help it know something. Maybe he could offer it a place to stay? But he wasn't anywhere near Monoceros for all he knew. And most tended not to like his hot, stuffy cave and the howling winds. And the height.

Well, he'd have to see. He struggled to his feet, his head starting to pound and spin as the time passed and sobriety dawned on the horizon. He shook out his head and steadied himself, taking a deep breath.

He pointed at himself with one wing. "Glory. I am Glory." He then moved his wing to point at the cheetah, giving her a questioning look. He was obviously asking for her name, if she had one.

Speech. Thought.

@Ledian

The bird shakily got to his feet again. And, of course, the girl was watching. His feet were so... yellow. And sharp. But the kid knew not the danger of talons or claws. She didn't know about his inner frustration either. There was so much she didn't know--that she didn't know she didn't know it. But inside, the girl knew she desired the knowledge. All of the knowledge. All of it.

She was brought quickly out of her thoughts by the male's voice and movement. He gestured at himself, and said that word again. Then he pointed at her. He... wanted her to speak it, right? Though, that couldn't be all of it. That clearly had something to do with him. So, she lifted a paw and pointed at him. It was somewhat difficult to balance even while sitting for the newborn, but she managed. "Glory." For a moment, it looked as though she had the concept. So she pointed at herself a moment later with the same pale paw. "Glory!"

Glory folded his wing in and sighed. His head hurt. "No, I'm Glory!" How was he going to teach her this? He didn't remember ever having this kind of trouble when he was a baby. Well...he didn't really remember much from his baby cycles. So perhaps he did. Or didn't.

He looked around for something else to help him out with this lesson in speaking. But this tunnel was pretty empty. There were some things, like some rocks and, of course, the chrysalis shards. That would have to be enough.

With his wing again, he pointed to himself. "Name is Glory." He pointed at the shards of the chrysalis. "Name is gem." He pointed towards a rock near the wall. "Name is rock." And then he pointed towards the cheetah. "Name is..."

Speech. Thought.

@Ledian

Name. So 'Glory' was a 'Name'. His name, and not hers. She pointed at him again, nodding with affirmation. "Glory. Name is Glory." He was the name, then? Her eyes followed where he wished her to look now. The shards she came from, that was called a 'gem', and the flat, less colorful thing was a 'rock'. Well, this couldn't backfire on the bird, now could it? Though, now the child would think every colorful thing was a gem and every dull and boring thing was a rock. Oh well.

Now the thing to be addressed. Herself. What was she? Could she... make it up? That was pretty advanced stuff right there. So the girl said the first sounds that came to mind. "Led...i-an. Name is Ledian."

Finally! He had gotten somewhere! "Ledian! A good name!" His feathers puffed proudly. He had taught a child to speak its own name! How amazing was that! How had he learned his name? Was it something he had hatched with or something he had come up with? Who knows. He certainly didn't!

He nodded, pleased that he had gotten this far. Not that he was patient enough for another round of lessons. He was getting tired and his head was hurting worse and worse. "Okay. Do you know what you're going to do? Where you're going to go?" Of course, he had forgotten that she probably could not understand this but he said it anyways.

Speech. Thought.

@Ledian

Ledian sat back, thoroughly proud of herself. She soaked in Glory's praise. Ledian. She was Ledian. It didn't matter what the name meant, it was just... hers. It felt good to have some sort of meaning. Then the bird asked her what to do, where to go. She understood the basis of the questions. However, the cheetah knew not how to answer them. She knew basically nothing. All she could muster for an answer to Glory was a shake of her head.

A glittering in her eyes prompted the girl to examine her surroundings a little more. Rock, everywhere. Pretty pictures on the wall. Ledian wide-walked over there and hopped up on her back legs to feel them with her paws.

Glory sighed when the cheetah didn't respond. Of course, she didn't know how to answer that either. But she seemed to somehow be understanding what he was saying. It didn't make sense to him but he really just had to roll with it. "Well, you can wander around on your own. Most people do that when they start off. Like me! Or you could crash at my cave for a while, but it's quite hot, apparently. I don't notice it, though!" He ruffled his feathers proudly, as if somehow being able to stand the incredible heat of his cave was something to be very proud of.

Speech. Thought.

@Ledian