It was bound to hatch any day now. Kaimana was beginning to have even more trouble with sleep, even more trouble with focus, even more trouble with keeping her paws rooted in one place.

So she was taking a walk, and trying really hard to resist all the urges to pick up everything in sight and make some kind of toy out of them. 'You have enough, Kaimana, you really do.' But what if--! 'No. It will be fine.' She'd done a lot for the little hatchling, slowly growing inside that serandite. And you know what? If she were to restart this process somehow, she would do it all again. She'd met so many, learned so much, felt so deeply that... that...

'Just keep walking, Kaimana.' Her pace quickened. Was she trying to walk something off? 'No.' To burn something into the ground underneath her paw steps? 'Not really.' She was just out here to... breathe.

Maybe someone was around to share the air space.

@James

James was laying down in the sand, his head down and his ears more so, breaths soft. After the whole fiasco with what happened with the golem as well as creating a child, it was kind of crazy. And boy was he tired,

His ears were down and his wings sagging, barely having been able to get here at all. Even leaving the chrysalis was difficult, if only for his own parental attachment to it. But Comet was feeling cooped up, so he'd sighed and said yes.

He didn't expect to see or talk to anyone else, so seeing Kaimana was a surprise. Mostly because she was a leopard, a big cat, and a total stranger. But at least she looked nothing like Ari- wait, was that a beard?

@Kaimana

This is the thing about "idly looking around", alright? You're "idly looking around", your head's just wobbling around on you neck. Your eyes aren't looking at specific objects, they're just looking at stuff. The whole scene has a Gaussian blur over it; could've been pale white, could've been pitch black, could've been walking down the lane between Space and Time, and the experience would've been the same. So you're not paying much attention. Not like the attention bill was due soon anyways, right? Then the next thing you know, your eyes have nearly passed over some kind of tall sunset peacock flamingo horse with... three eyes? And if your own measly two had kept going, you would have missed it!

Key words: nearly and would have.

Kaimana's eyes did not and would not. If that makes any sense.

The jaguar blinked, almost did a double take. She'd seen many creatures that didn't look like they should be possible: Glaives that rhyme with caves, meat nuggets, purple titans, what have you. She didn't recall ever before seeing a specimen so... vibrant before. Well, maybe she had, actually. Maybe the mild shock and the passing of time was sapping her memory. But would you look at that pink!

"Hello." Still, her tone came out irreparably calm. That was just how Kaimana was -- even when she had met a child with knives for limbs! Even when she had heard Comet's desire to swim to an island. Comet... how was Comet now? Her parents...

She turned her body to face the stranger. It was more respectful. "How are you doing today?"

@James

James blinked rather stupidly and looked her up and down for a moment, before realizing he was being talked to. Right, conversation... ugh, he wasn't up for this.

"Hello," he said, trying and failing to keep the exhaustion out of his voice, "Um... I'm alright. I'm watching my daughter, she's over there."

He nodded off to where his beloved princess was... playing with a dragon. One he knew, thankfully, but still. Hopefully she didn't get hurt while he was watching, or else he'd look bad.

"Her name's Comet, have you met her? It seems like she's making more and more friends as the days go by," he said, sounding a bit far off.

Though, to be fair, he'd had his brain taken over my an evil mushroom with bad intentions and a voice of silk, so who could really blame him? Oh, and also making a child. That too. Sigh.

"My apologies," he said suddenly, "I'm James, it's nice to meet you. Ah- how are you doing?"

@Kaimana

"...my daughter..." Kaimana's eyes flash with interest. A kindly smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Another parent? How many would she meet by just... wandering around? How many parents were on the loose in these caves? Considering how simple reviving a stone could be -- so simple that Kaimana, an extremely not-magic user, could do it -- probably many. This parent seemed... tired.

"...she's over there." The jaguar's head turned to the corresponding direction. Surprise-- recognition hit her face like a mallet on a nail. 'Oh my gosh is that--?'

"Comet, have you met her?" Another revelation slam-dunked Kaimana as her eyes zigzagged between the pup and her... 'I've been wanting to talk to this creature for a while now.' And yet she hadn't even realized until now! And now that person was RIGHT HERE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER!! HOLY--

"I'm James...how are you today?" Well now she was absolutely ecstatic! Her little smile became a grin as wide and shiny as the moon (not that either of them had ever seen that thing before). Her eyes were alight with... something, I don't even know what. Excitement? Enthusiasm? Interest suddenly heightened like a sugar rush? Something along those lines. Anyways, the tiredness made sense now-- or, well, it seemed to. Such a heavy contrast to her own restlessness. Perhaps the contrast between these two figures was nothing more than juxtaposition-to-be? Would the serandite hatchling be as rowdy as Comet? Was that even possible...?

Damask's words might've started churning around in her head again. Everything about toys, about restlessness, about passing your own traits down through magic. They might've popped in to say hello had it not been for the sheer amusement laid bare in the present. "I'm Kaimana, and I'm very intrigued by you-- James? I do know Comet! She is a good friend to me; I taught her how to swim, and we painted some things for my stone together. I have a stone that's been growing and it looks quite far along now. Your daughter has been such a great help! It's no wonder, to me, that she makes friends with such ease." Woah woah woah Kaimana, maybe take a breath? Don't want to make Comet's parent uncomfortable here. The jaguar paused, clamped her jaws shut and just inhaled.

"Sorry, sorry, that is a lot at once. Comet mentioned you before -- not your name though. It was while we were painting. I have only just realized how nice it is to be able to meet you." Considering the fact that one of Comet's parents was still here looking after her, it seemed that her worries about having no where to go had ended up alright. Still, Kaimana wondered about it. And something more: had Comet mentioned her by any chance, to James or to the other parent? She wasn't about the ask, not after that outburst. James's reaction to her name would probably be enough to gauge the answer to that question anyways.

@James @Kaimana

Kaimana... that name rang a bell.

"Oh! No wonder she came home covered in paint," he laughed, "It took so long for it to fade from her fur- I believe she thought it was beautiful, which was good. If it had stained and she didn't like it, that would have been bad."

James smiled and tucked his legs in, fluffing up his wings for warmth, "It's so nice to meet you! Comet failed to tell me much about you, but she always comes home with such wild stories that I'm just glad this one didn't end up with her coming home bloody... again..."

He trailed off and winced, his back twitching, the plentiful scars from where the Batcats had scratched at his hide stinging in sympathy.

"You have a child on the way?" he asked, and laughed, "As do I! A little pink thing, it's so... small, right now. So fragile but even a hard kick from my hoof couldn't break it- though I am too afraid to try, either way. It soothes me a bit to know that even gone, they'll be safe."

The stallion looked up to see Carja jumping into the water, shaking his head gently. Kids...

"I'm so glad I met you," he said with a laugh, "It's comforting to know that she has friends- even more so when I know them personally. Carja over there, as an example. Massive, powerful, a fantastic ally and so kind to her. I feel perfectly fine dozing off with her around- Comet gets herself into so much trouble."

James sighed remorsefully, wishing his heart could have a break one of these days.

@Kaimana

James described the aftermath of their painting outing and Kaimana couldn't help but giggle. It was a pretty paint indeed. Perhaps Comet would deliberately stain herself with it later on. She could only wonder what other creative excursions the child might be getting into now, what with their-- her dragon friend and all. Kaimana hadn't ever really asked about Comet's pronouns, she realized. Once she'd gotten them from James, she almost hadn't noticed that she'd noticed that. If that made any sense. Moving on.

James's languor seemed to dissipate as they continued. Maybe he was just hiding it better now that he wanted to make an introduction to a friend of their daughter's. Kaimana's giggle trailed off under the denser emotional weight of 'coming home bloody... again...' Kaimana had indeed wondered and worried about what had happened to give Comet those scars. She was glad to know it hadn't been a familial situation. The mystery... seemed cold. So perhaps the answer didn't matter anymore. It was really only important that Comet knew, and Comet was doing perfectly fine now.

Kaimana went from sympathetic and solemn right back to pleasantly eager again when James mentioned children on the way. She nodded at their question, expressed mild surprise at their reveal. Comet had said something about getting a sibling soon, but the descriptions of the stones... did they match? Hadn't the one Comet had talked about been blue...? That was probably a trick of her memory. Well, it was nice to know that in this, parenthood, she and James had a certain kinship. It made her smile. Again.

The jaguar also watched as the dragon hopped into the water. She turned back to James. Turns out, that dragon had a name: Carja! Kaimana's smile grow soft and small like a waning moon. "Comet deserves allies that can assist her with all her shenanigans. I think she really enjoys adventure. It was... I was worried to see her hurt when she came to paint. I can only imagine how worried you must have been, then. I bet it's... tiring, as well." A beat. Just to think, 'How can I help?' A thought. Then press play. "Perhaps you would like come to my den where I am keeping my stone? I keep a variety of other cool trinkets and stones there as well. It's gotten a little crowded, but it is, in the end, a rather nice place to sleep." A little nudge and a wink included in that offer: a nap might to James some good.

@James

James nodded gently as he watched Carja and Comet, a storm rolling by and drenching the two. Oops.

"She came home with a snake that turns things to stone," he mumbled, "She was bloody and the snake was dead. I didn't know it at the time, but she could have died or at the least have been crippled. I'd just come home from being chrysalised and it the the most terrifying feeling when I saw one kill a lesser. But I don't want to take away her independence. It's so important to her."

He flopped his head down and sighed, mouth downturned.

"I think I'd love to have a nap," he mumbled, and slowly stood up, "I trust Carja to babysit. Comet can follow my scent if she wishes to follow me- we said to meet back home anyway."

James stared off into the distance for a moment, eyes glazed over. He shook his head and turned to Kaimana, forcing a smile.

"Where to?", he asked.

@Kaimana

James described to Kaimana the incident. 'Oh wow, so she's gotten into even more trouble than I'd thought. That couldn't have caused the jagged scars on her though, r--?' No Kaimana. We aren't going to wonder about that anymore. It's not important. Comet is fine now. James is, ironically, the one that seems to be in peril at the moment. "That sounds like a tough decision -- to allow her the level independence she craves or not. I think you have made the right choice." But of course, who was Kaimana to say? Not like she had much experience in such an area. Yet.

Comet did seem to thrive off of independence. Kaimana only really thought that because, well, she couldn't imagine Comet without it. The inability to wander off to Fornax for swimming lessons on her own, or to look around for giant leaves in Eridanus, or to fight against a stone-making snake and win... The next image that came into Kaimana's mind was one of Comet not being so bouncy and excited anymore. It was a bad image. James probably saw that too. The jaguar appreciated that.

Kaimana nodded to James. "Alright." Then she turned towards her den. "Follow me."

They came to her den. Within, a collection of stones of all shapes and sizes lined up against the wall. One stone stood out from the rest; it had grown significantly. In another corner was a pile of trinkets: bones, an oddly cut ruby, a woven plant blanket. Some bits and bobs from the shore like a peal oyster and intriguing shell bits. In the midst of the den, a haphazard "nest" of flattened and time-worn fibers and plants, just big enough for a jaguar. There seemed to be evidence of an expansion effort however. It was probably big enough for James.

She stepped inside, stood close to a wall, let the "nest" be seen. "Here we are. My bed is free for napping in; I've had trouble using it recently. Perhaps it is more fitting for the more avian creatures than it is for me." She chuckled.

@James

James nodded and looked relieved. He knew he'd made the right decision, but being reassured that it was made him feel better about his worry. He just desperately hoped that it didn't bite him in the ass and get Comet seriously injured.

He trotted in a circle and followed Kaimana, wings slightly sagging. He fluffed up his wings and poked his head inside, ears perking up. He admired the baubles and poked a bone with his nose, snorting gently. He looked at the large stone curiously and settled down in the nest, feathers fluffing up to make him look like a very content marshmallow. He tucked his legs under himself and situated himself before looking up at Kaimana, blinking.

"This is nice," he said, and lifted a wing, "Come here, I'm warm."

Papa bird instinct...

James nosed at a loose feather and began to preen, smoothing down his wings and the feathers on his chest and shoulders, the ones that dotted along his neck and the rest of his body, speckling his fur being left alone for now.

@Kaimana