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Somewhere near the crystal river, where the ground levelled out under the ever watchful gaze of the Spire, something was stirring. A tiny red chrysalis began to creak, as something moved within. The motion came in waves, with the creature on the inside straining to be comfortable, coiled in a tight ball within. Finally, a crack- and then another, spiderwebbing over the object's surface. The cracks came slowly, as though breaking out was difficult. Finally, it was wide enough for red-tinted fluid to ooze out. And then, a face followed- a long-bodied, bony creature oozed out, flopping onto the earth as though stillborn. Its jaws opened mind to heave its first breath in almost a cycle, sides heaving.

A wave of slimy fluid gushed out from its mouth, reeking of toxins and metal.

For a while, Envy's mind was blank; they simply lay there, breathing, with the occasional cough. But then the breaths began to come easier, and Envy slowly hauled themselves to their paws, drooping upright, lilac eyes dilating and widening again as they slowly came into focus. Something was wrong. They felt numb, where there had been pain before. Their head felt slightly heavier, and something hard laid across their back. it was the same with their tail, which no longer felt so dextrous.

Envy heaved themselves onto their hindpaws and took the time to examine their paws. Their colour had changed, and there was a shard of chrysalis stuck to one of their paws. They shook it, but the object didn't budge.

In a daze, Envy hardly dared to wonder what had happened to them, and kept on trying to remove the chrysalis. Soon, their other paw had stuck to the shard too, and they began to panic. Finally, they stopped and relaxed to consider a plan of action. The shard dropped harmlessly to the ground. Envy jumped away from it, and looked around warily. Their neck, turned almost 180 degrees, suddenly focused on their back- and they noticed their tail, and new, bony quills down their back.

They had changed.



___________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Wrath @Pride @Reseda @lust @gluttony @Sloth @Aaliyah
notes: here

Pride had been, amongst his other duties, watching over this stone. He had found Envy's body lying lifeless, the chrysalis already coating it in rock; he had not known, for certain, if they would ever again awaken.

Between checking on Aster and practicing his magic, he had done little these last days but keep an eye on the gem. He had half-hoped some fool Bloodberry would get too close, but none had, by some miracle, appeared--at least not when he was around. Bitterness had grown in him; annoyance that the weasel had not fled when told. And more than that, righteous anger at the ones who had harmed Envy.

He had sought Lust to let them know what had happened. He had looked, too, for Reseda. And he had watched over the stone.

Now, as Pride drank quietly from the icy cold of the crystal river, he heard the hollow crack behind him.

He scrambled back, ears up, head tilted as he rushed toward the weasel's stone. His eyes had been improving, albeit very gradually, and he could make something out in the distance. There--a shape was already out, something black-spined and strange. The white stag slowed as he approached--much larger than he had been, his rack of silvery antlers branched and broad.

"...Envy?" he asked cautiously. He hesitated, his musical voice soft with concern. Was it--them? Or was it something else altogether..? Had the Bloodberries infused Envy with their dark magic, made them something evil, cold and cruel, as they were..?

((Lust, Reseda, if you want, Pride can have given a full account of what happened to Envy and where the stone is. If not, he can just have been unable to find them!))

Li had left the chrysalis a few times in order to get food or water. She also noticed there was a deer that sometimes kept an eye on it. She tried her best to stay away from them, nervous about what they'd think of her. Had Envy told any of their friends about her? Or had she just never come up? Or were they embarrassed about her?

She'd watch the deer from a distance, no longer staying quite as close to the chrysalis in the fear they'd see her. She also listened closely for the telltale crack that would signify the chrysalis hatching.

She didn't have to wait long, as it seemed she found it close to when it would hatch. A bolt of guilt went through her - she had been gone so long. Far too long. That was quickly pushed away as she rushed to the chrysalis, noticing the deer there as well. She ignored him, and instead crouched down beside Envy.

"Envy...!" It was then that she noticed something was different. Quills ran down their back, and their tail was different now. And they were green, much greener than she'd ever seen them. But it was still her Envy. It had to be.

"Li Speech."

Reseda crept forward out of the shadows, her green eyes fixed on the shape that was moving among the shattered pieces of gem. It looked like Envy but not quite the same. She narrowed her eyes. Pride had told her what had happened but she hadn't expected them to change so much. Perhaps it was like the goose - she had once seen it as a normal goose would but then it changed into the monster it was now. It was a phenomenon that intrigued her. Perhaps one day she would experience the same.

As she strolled towards the group, she wondered if they would notice the small lizard clutched on her back. She had found them on the way to this gathering, sick and pitiful. She had half a mind to abandon it, but it had told her that it knew Envy and was looking for them. So she had decided it would be no big deal to bring them along. They weighed hardly more than a pebble.

She stopped in front of them, looking at Pride, Envy, and the strange cat that had appeared as well. "So, here we gather," she whispered. "At last. I have been waiting long for this." She trained her cold eyes on Envy and tilted her head. "You are King now and you have this new form to crown you. I have thought long and hard these past cycles. I will submit to your leadership." She gave them a small bow, but her words carried no meaning. She did not care that they were leader for now. It was simply an empty spot filled, for now, by a tiny little weasel. She would one day be there, with greater power then anyone else in the caves. It was what she craved and desired, but she could be patient.

It had been a long, slow walk from Orion to Polaris and Amazon was beginning to fall asleep on Reseda's back. Amazon had been looking for Envy desperately. She needed to ask them why everything was getting worse and if they had ever experienced this level of discomfort. The symptoms were worsening at an exponential rate. Long gone were the days where she suffered small headaches and dizziness - now it was continuous disorientation and she couldn't stop herself from vomiting everything she ate. But worse, her vision sometimes went strange. Fuzzy or blurred or the act of looking hurt her head even more. She needed guidance, companionship, now more than ever.

Reseda had offered to take her to Envy, as, apparently, she had been heading there as well and knew were they were. Gratefully, she had crawled onto her back and the journey had begun. Now, she felt the lizard stop and she immediately snapped out of her half-woken stupor. She opened her eyes and the froze, shocked at the sight. What was wrong with Envy? They looked different, covered with spines and a different green then before, with...was that a razor on their tail?

"Envy!" She cried out as she struggled to slide off of Reseda's back. However, she ended up just tumbling off the huge lizard and smacking down painfully on the ground. As if on cue, her magic activated and spread a bit of warmth, chasing away the pain and dizziness she felt, at least for now. She jumped to her feet and rushed as fast as her little legs could take her to the weasel's side. Reseda hadn't told her about this. "Envy, what happened?"

@Envy

Reign had stuck to Polaris.

The air was ripe with Magick, and helped give him energy. It allowed him to keep up his patrols, his wanderings, as he looked out for this 'Envy' character. Lady Li had seemed very concerned for it, and he wanted to soothe her soul.

He had yet to come across any Chrysalis' other than his own and Scorch's, and so the odd cracking sound drew him. The Cheetah moved at an easy trot, in no frush and not worried in the least. What was the worst that could happen, after all? If he had to, he could run away.

It wasn't long before he came across a rather strange sight. A weasel - at least, that was what something told him it was, stood. And for a moment, he thought that it looked rather like what Lady Li had described 'Envy' to look like.

So, he stepped forward, and raised his voice. "Beg pardon, but might your name be Envy? I have met a Lady whom appears to have been searching for you for quite a long time."

And then, his thoughts were concerned. A white stag approached the weasel, referring to them as 'Envy'. So he had found them, then? Lady Li was going to be happy, at least he hoped so.

However, before he could leave to retrieve Lady Li, the hybrid showed her face. He inclined his head politely, greeting her with a soft, "Lady Li." Another showed up then, a reptile of some sort, with a smaller one atop their back. He twitched his ears, listening. Ah, so the weasel was a King, then?

@Envy

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

Pride had found the young pigeon at some point and reported what happened. Lust’s heart was crushed. Envy was one of a handful that they greatly admired. They did not wish for the weasel to go on such a foolhardy mission. The pigeon fell into mourning, cooing softly at the lost. They largely stayed at their nest to both guard Envy’s den as well as to better keep away from the horrors that apparently lived in the cave system.

They did not always stay in such a small area, though. Occasionally they would go down a tunnel if they thought it safe enough from evil geese or rock monsters. Not very far, never that far from safety. But today had been difficult. There was something that Lust couldn’t name that guided them forward. Nothing obvious; just a small feeling in their gizzard that push them towards Polaris.

Despite knowing that the weasel’s chrysalis rested there, the pigeon had never travelled there. At the entrance of the cavern they had simply been shocked by its. Their very feathers seemed to tingle from the increased magical presence of the cave. From their standpoint Polaris was an awe-inspiring place.

In time, the pigeon wandered forth and noticed a group of creatures in the far distance. Fear was the immediate reaction. Their gizzard warned them otherwise, egging them forward. Cautiously, the pigeon gave a few gliding steps forward. They had been practicing the maneuvers that Glory had taught them over a cycle ago, but had not had much chance to really practice the full action of flying other than a few seconds here and there of gliding.

As they got closer, two familiar individuals came into view. One was the glittering white stag, a beautiful shimmering prince who somehow looked more majestic than before. The other was their wonderful knight Reseda. Both, along with others, had gathered in the area where Envy’s egg was supposed to be. With a loud coo, Lust eagerly lost all sense of concern and moved swiftly towards them. After all, what danger could there be with them around?

Moving closer, Lust noticed the 4 unfamiliar forms; two felines, a lizard, and a strange creature in the middle of them. Words seemed to come in a rush from all directions. They blew past the fancy pigeon though as they stared at the central figure. Slowly it dawned on them that they looked strangely familiar. At least the general shape of them did.

With a gasp, Lust recognized their king Envy. But they were so different now! While previously they were green tinted, there was nothing “tinted” about the green their fur was now. Not to mention the strange quills or the strange tail tip they now hard. Lust was floored and utterly confused by what happened. They wanted to ask so many questions.

Instead, a cry came out. “King Envy! You’re alive! I was so worried about you! Pride said that you had been hurt by that evil goose and I thought I had lost you forever! I never should have let you go after them!” It took all the pigeon had to not immediately flop on top of the mammal in desire to touch them, to confirm that it wasn’t a mirage or illusion of some sort. It helped that both Reseda and Pride were there, two that they admired so greatly.


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

tags: @Wrath @Pride @Reseda @Envy @gluttony @Sloth @Aaliyah @Amazon @Reign
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Envy saw Pride approaching first, and they were momentarily confused by the hesitation he showed in his advancement. But they also noticed that he'd changed, even though their last meeting felt like mere moments ago. He was bigger now- taller, and his antlers wider spread. They couldn't help but feel a little awkward, too, as the chill started to probe to their skin, helped by their fur, soaked with amniotic fluid that they desperately wanted to clean off. It made them look wet and bedraggled, their fur slicked to their body or sticking out in slimy clumps. "Pride...?" they greeted hesitantly. They felt a pang in their chest and wondered if the stag still saw them as the king they'd worked so hard to become. "It's King Envy now." For some reason, it felt hard to say. They were fearful that Pride would leave. That they'd already blown their chances.

Then another voice sent the spines along their back quivering, raising slightly from their head and back. They turned, and found themselves face to face with none other than their mother, and felt their breath catch in their throat. No sooner had she appeared than more faces showed themselves. "Ma- I-I mean, Li!" they winced at the slip of their tongue, hoping that the others wouldn't notice. Then came Reseda, and Envy glanced momentarily at Pride before eyeing her warily. They hadn't forgotten the conversation they'd shared on their first meeting. But it seemed they needn't have worried. Reseda dropped another familiar face, somehow even smaller than they were. And Reseda introduced Envy to the crowd, in a way that sent a shiver down their spine. She accepted their kingship, and suddenly their kingdom was growing.

Then Amazon was speaking, in a voice high with worry. "I... was hurt assisting one of my subjects," they said, voice grave. "We were outnumbered one hundred to one, and they were filthy cheats!" Envy's voice rose in indignance for a moment, and anger flared in their chest as they remembered- even if the feeling also came with a pang of fear.

Then there was a big cat. Envy looked at him with apparent confusion and nodded. "King Envy," they corrected. The numbers were mounting. Envy didn't know how many more would come, but they wondered if all of these creatures would become a part of their kingdom. They hoped so, but the thought was very nearly overwhelming. Again, Envy felt embarrassed at their bedraggled appearance, so they puffed out their chest and tried to look big and strong.

Finally, Envy turned to the sound of a voice as one more familiar face made their appearance- and Envy managed a grin as she appeared."Lust! Calm down, it's me we're talking about here," they drawled, although they sounded more confident than they felt. Even they knew that it had been a close shave. The quills against their back trembled softly, letting out a quiet rattle as they laid flat. "I'm strong! I can survive anything! Besides, I can't leave my subjects without a king."

They dropped down to all fours and tried to tap into their magic. The ground beneath their paws hardened into a flat surface, and then began to rise, creating a platform so that the weasel could look more impressive in front of the others- most of them so much taller than they. Once their perch had finished rising, they rose up onto their hindpaws to survey.

They paused, their mind reeling with things that they wanted to say. It seemed that all these creatures had sought them out, worried about them. All of them seemed to be here for them and Envy felt oddly intimidated. So they spoke.

"You heard Reseda! You're standing in the presence of a mighty king- King Envy! Everything tried, but nothing could ever stop me from achieving this!" they shrilled, trying to look grand atop their pillar of quartz. "If you'd bow to me now, you'd be one of a strong and mighty army- the strongest in the caves! Uh- I don't care how flawed you are. Any of you! With me as your ruler, you'll be more perfect than anyone!"

They recalled what Pride had said about 'sins'- how Reseda had called herself Greed, and chosen the stag's name for him.


___________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Pride @Amazon @reseda @reign @aaliyah
notes: here

Pride watched what Envy was doing, listening somewhat indifferently to their words. He was relieved--greatly so--to see them uninjured... and angry, very angry, that they had not followed him from danger. Instead they had been prideful--moreso than he, and dangerously so.

But now, surrounded by their allies and in the moment of their rebirth, was not the time to bring it up. He watched the weasel raise themselves on a gem, and wondered idly if he could provide his own show of support by doing something similar--perhaps growing a crown or some such, like that this strange golden cat had?

He focused for a moment, and began to form a golden gem of his own around his hoof--he wasn't sure what it was, tourmaline perhaps. He would shape it into a crown by growing it around his hoof, and then place it on the weasel's head.

Meanwhile, he spoke.

"They are evil," he said softly. "They wish to bring pain and to kill, and believe it is their right and their duty to do so. They are arrogant, and vicious. They ought to be destroyed." He let this thought hang in the air, and moved to lift his hoof, to bring the gem to Envy's head.

"But I am glad that you have survived their assault. I--..."

He shook the hoof.

The crown did not fall off.

He realized, with wry aggravation, that it was in fact now grown into the keratin itself.

...Well, hell. There goes that display.

@Aaliyah

Li was soon overwhelmed by all the gembounds she didn't know. She backed away from Envy for a bit, feeling rather self-conscious. But as soon as Envy noticed her, that seemed to disappear and it wasn't long before her instincts kicked in and she started licking the weasel, cleaning the fluid from their gem off. She stayed away from the quills and sharp point of their tail, though, unsure what exactly they were or how they got there.

When she was satisfied, she stepped back and allowed others to approach, eyes darting nervously around at everyone. But when she saw a familiar face, the young cheetah she had met not long before she found the chrysalis, she seemed to loosen up slightly. She nodded her head in greeting in return, though didn't say anything and instead sat back to watch the others.

As she listened, however, she began to grow more and more concerned. Evil goose? Just what exactly happened? And why hadn't she been here to help them with it? She turned to the large stag as he started speaking, and his words, in particular, sent a bolt of fear striking through her.

"E-excuse me," she murmured quietly, trying to still the shaking that had started in her paws and legs as she stepped up to them, "but can you t-tell me exactly w-what happened? Who wish to bring pain and...and kill?" For a moment, a long, terrifying moment, she feared Imperia had found others to band with, to finally make good on what they'd wanted for cycles. She hoped with all her might that had not happened, that Envy hadn't had to face Imperia. Though she feared something far worse may have happened.

"Li Speech."