The Chrysalis had been growing

It had been there for a while, surrounded by the brush. Birds had used it as a perch, and deer had grazed around it as the shape inside grew. The shadow pressed against the gemstone, and slowly the chrysalis began to become fragile, began to thin until, one day, it shattered with no warning.

The birds that had perched on it scattered with alarm calls, and the nearby herd of jungle deer bugled before fleeing. A chubby little pup sat in the remains of the Chrysalis, blinking in wide eyed surprise, as the ground beneath her rattled weakly.

The deer was in Eridanus. The place he lingered though he did travel the entire caves. He'd seen the chrysalis developing for a bit of time, though he'd never tried to touch it. Once again, he found himself passing it, except this time, the thing shattered, startling him for a few moments. The Barasingha righted himself, staring at the pup that fell out of the chrysalis.

He'd been running into a lot of kids lately, hadn't he.

@Lady

Something, though, didn't run.

And it looked different, taller and not-green.

The pup sneezed, clearing her nose. This was all so... new! So it took her a bit to really see Aran and then... oh, oh! She froze, entire chubby, round little body freezing.

There was something she needed to do, something she was supposed to do, but she didn't know what. But she found herself leaning forward, paws still rooted to the ground, eyes locking with Aran's unblinkingly. "Hi." she finally squeaked.

@Aran

He watched the pup sit there, not moving. He didn't move himself. A child couldn't do much to the gembound (at least he assumed the thing wouldn't have too powerful magic right out of the chrysalis) though he still had ways of stopping it, if the thing came too close for comfort.

And then the pup talked.

"Hello." a reply.

@Lady

Stare.

Don't blink.

Stare.

Don't blink.

She was fighting the urge to leap up, do... something. What was it? She couldn't say. "I want to do something." the pup looked for a word, shifted on her paws, bounced in place and licked her lips - it took all she had not to race forward.

Stare.

Don't blink.

Don't break eye contact.

Stare.

Don't blink.

Don't break eye contact.

"I want to chase you." there, chase, that was the word!

@Aran

Aran stared in response to the staring. A staring contest as some would call it. Though he did blink. Aran wasn't an idiot. He liked being able to see. Use his sight. This canine didn't seem to think the same. He almost wanted to tell it that blinking wasn't going to bring it death. Aran had been taught about death, had almost died. Blnking was not the same.

Though he squinted when the thing wanted to chase him. If he ran, that small thing with small legs certainly wasn't going to be able to catch up with him.

"Absolutely not." He grunted.

@Lady

Finally, she had to blink.

Then back to staring.

Stare.

Don't blink.

Stare.

Don't blink.

"Why not?" She asked. She was new, after all. "Is that wrong?" her tail wagged, and still she stared and stared and stared.

With a low whine, she started to hop in place, as though she needed to get her energy out somehow.

@Aran