Amongst the bed of mosses, flowering with unseen sprouts, the chrysalis lay nested. Off the bare-beaten path, it rested - partially enrapt by ferns and creeping tendrils. Pale quartz spires cut sharply forth but the plantlife seemed undeterred. In the vastness of the surroundings, it was overshadowed; but something small within stirred. But a handful of fur with sharply pointed face, it began to uncurl itself. Clawed fingers stretched. Dark eyes opened; so too did needle-filled mouth. The little opossum looked up at the pale haze of it's sanctuary and HISSED.

Off the crystalline walls, it echoed back. The beastie was not satisfied. Experimentally she tried to righten herself, to get feet to sit more comfortable; but it was not to be. Fur prickled. Nails reached toward the fissures of light that leaked inside (where the chrysalis had worn thin) - and scratched! fss fss fss. Nose followed, poking through the hole made. Damp air, heavy with the scent of … earth. Teeth parted - deep inhale taken.

This was what the little creature desired. Out became a concept first - she wanted out. Using all that nature had afforded her, she was hell-bent to emerge; by tiny tooth and claw. Soon, she wriggled free of the quartz chamber; fingers cutting around the jagged spires that created offshoots from it.

Perched precariously along the side of the once-place, dark spots of eyes took in what could be spied. Vegetation. Hands reached to grasp, to touch, to seize! - a nearby fern. Soon, body clumsily followed. Tail attempted to wrap itself about the leaves and -

- no sooner had limbs left the remnants of the chrysalis did Morn fall. The fern sagged, taking her with it. Landing heavily in the soil, the opossum blinked. On back - staring up - at the wide all. Little swindler of life.

__tag__

Such a beautiful place. A wonderful, lovely place! she thought, trekking along through the towering trees. Flying here just wasn't as easy for a wingspread like hers, but also it was less interesting, to her. Being able to look up was sometimes better than down, she'd learned long ago. Thank goodness too, because following along a walking path, a sound caught her attention. She stopped dead in her tracks and swiveled her head, listening hard. Digging? No, that wasn't quite it. Yinehi stepped off the bath and followed her ears. Even as it fell quiet, she kept in the same direction, eventually finding the source. A chrysalis and a small, furry creature. It seemed a new hatchling gembound, no less! Her face beamed, having not seen a newborn in a very long time. "Oh, hello, young friend!" she cooed, coming into view from the thick green. She tilted her head towards the younger gembound, looking her curious shape over. "My name is Gigatsuhali Yinehi... oh! But you can just call me Giga." ---- "Speech" Thoughts OOC: Hope this works! If you need more to work with lemme kno :O Tag: @Morn

Firmament espied; although the little beastie knew not the importance of the canopy above. Shifting, the small thing wriggled there in the soil, attempting once more to righten self. Then; new sound was heard. First instinct was merely to freeze in place. (Back arched, fur prickling!) Dark eyes turning to try and catch sight of whatever newness had happened upon her. Morn did not have to search for long, wide eyes soon beholding - a creature. Source of the strangeness; the scent, the noise, the cadence of walking! Speaking. A greeting!

"Giga?" Own voice was soft, nearly lost there in the flora that abounded. Morn looked at the bird, drawn in by the glimmer of the gemstone beak that adorned her. Raising self experimentally on back legs (off-balance, too) - hands grasped the air as though attempting to feel about the vulture. As though the air could mayhap offer something more.

Settling self back onto fours, the smallest opossum tottered just a touch nearer. Their sizes were in contrast, but it did not discourage the young one from getting a closer look. Pointed face sniffed, whiskers twitching as eyes continued to behold.

The colors of Giga's beak - her eyes! - reminded the opossum of the flowers hiding in the underbrush; this was good, it was decided. "Giga." Morn said it more firmly this time, as though understanding.

Own hands rested experimentally on self; a precarious posture raised up on hinds with little claws resting against breast. "Morn!" This was known.

@GIGATSUHALI

So small and so precious this newfound friend was, Giga could hardly stand it. She nodded softly along as the young possum repeated her name. As tiny hands reached, she leaned in a little. Her blue eyes remained locked onto the babe, catching as much of every movement made that she could. In her heart, she wondered if this is how Cayenne felt when she discovered a tiny vulture hatchling. Yinehi heard her own name again, followed by Morn's, the edges of her beak tilting into a grin. "A very good name," she replied with a smiling voice. Upon deciding that being more available was wise, she hunkered her body down onto the ground and lowered her head so she wasn't quite so tall compared to Morn. An inquiry fell from her mind to her mouth; "Who are you, Morn?" It wasn't such a question she expected much of a deep answer to. After all, she'd only just hatched! In this moment, it was to see how the new mind worked. How quickly they all developed down here, but each was just a little different. What would this sweet, young opossum do next now that she was free to explore this world? Who would she become? Gigatsu knew, only time would tell. ---- "Speech" Thoughts OOC: words Tag: @Morn

Life was simple; wonderful. A contentment found the little beastie, an certain ease at the warmth of the other. There was no fear, only mute wonderment. For, yes, Giga was the most marvelous thing in all creation to Morn. (Fingers could not yet be placed on it; but the fairy vulture balmed worldliness, wisdom, experience, and comfort - only one of these things did the the small opossum seize so completely.) Eagerly taking the words, the praise, fur ruffled; pointed teeth mirroring the smile with lopsided grin.

As soon as Giga hunkered closer to the soils, Morn seized opportunity to near all the closer. With curious new hands and wide dark eyes, she tentatively reached out. Fingers brushed the soft of feathers. A great sensation! Morn squeaked with quiet delight, nearly chattering at the discovery. The words, the inquiry, the question that was poised echoed through mind as small hands explored tentative. Each smallest variation of touch enraptured the new soul.

Who? Mind puzzled as hands strayed and pointed nose brushed a feather. Giga smelled earthen, of lichens; different from those fungi that hid in the underbrush surrounding them. Giga smelled of a hundred places, things, and possibilities that Morn could not yet assign meaning, purpose. Eyes looked back up in those of green; the shimmering of beak; the impossible greatness of the older one.

"Here." The opossum hummed in response. She was here. That is who she was. A hand reached up to place itself softly, gently (as though she could be rough at her size), on beak.

@GIGATSUHALI

The hands on her were a bit odd, but welcome. She watched Morn with deep interest, watching how she processed new information as it was given. The bird chuckled softly when she heard the soft chatters of glee. The excitement of discovery was fresh in this gembound, but long lasting withing Gigatsuhali. Because of this, she saw little difference in them. The possibilities and potential was the same. To her, greatness rested upon the shoulders of this child of the cave, as it did for all Greater Gembounds. As little hands felt and groped, Giga decided maybe the small one would like to see flowers bloom. Closing her eyes, the concentrated on trying to sprout a small bud, maybe two. Instead... she simply lost a small handful of feathers from a patch of her skin where roots tried and failed to take hold. Painful, but minor. She sighed, feeling a little defeated until she noticed Morn reaching for her gem beak. Gigatsuhali pressed her beak to the outstretched hand. The answer received was an intriguing one. It was so simple, but not really what she expected. Here. Bemused, she pondered what method of thinking brought Morn to this conclusive response. Perhaps, one day, she would get to know that answer. Until then, another question. "What do you want, young Morn?" Would someone who didn't know what the world truly held within know what she wanted? ---- "Speech" Thoughts OOC: there could of been flowers but noooo JADGAD ALSO I FORGOT TO WRITE ABOUT IT ONE SEC Tag: @Morn

Abstracts were not lost. Instead, they were merely hidden within the simplicity of the little beast. Already questions were being formed, perhaps prompted by the words that fell so silken onto the air. Morn was beginning to cherish these notes; to string them together (assign them greater meaning)! In contrast to the sounds that had balmed the chrysalis, the clear notes of Giga were hymnal. Beak was smooth, firm beneath probing touch. Eyes glittered to behold how the light caught her feathers from each direction.

What did the handful of fur want? Hunger had not yet dawned upon her, neither did fatigue. These basic things seemed accounted for and Morn nearly puzzled to place such concepts. Hands retreated small distance, stroking over the feathers once more (oh, soft) before coming to rest back on the ground. Then, she sat, staring up simply at Giga. Head tilted, just, ears flickering and nose twitching.

"More," yes, that seemed right. Head turned, looking up at the canopy of twisting, living things above and around at the hidden lichens, ferns, and smooth stones that hid amongst the glen. But eyes returned to look up at Giga. Hands were restless for touch, and perhaps the gravity of what Morn had said did not occur to her.

But the little one wished for more for more words, more sensations, more scents and flowers and understanding. Giga was a welcome addition to the moments of life that had therefore unraveled. Giga was the pinnacle of all in the moment; and Morn smiled. Showed little pinprick teeth. Happiness.

@GIGATSUHALI