#I feel like I've just waffled for several paragraphs trying to make the points I wanted to make ough

[red-moon-at-night]

You know all of those greek vase paintings that have a bunch of Helen's family (usually Leda, Tyndareus and the Dioscuri but occasionally Clytemnestra too) gathered around an unhatched or newly hatched Helen-egg on an altar?

If we follow along with the fact that this pottery almost always depicts the Dioscuri grown up, and Leda in myth has the Dioscuri, Clytemnestra and Helen at the same time, AND assume they all had separate eggs (or at least Helen had a separate egg). You could headcanon that Helen simply took a very, very long time to hatch.

Therefore, I think it's also fun to headcanon that members of her family visit this egg often prior to hatching. All at different intervals and frequencies, but maybe together too, on occasions where they don't want to leave their unhatched family member out.

Castor and Polydeuces visit frequently, eagerly telling the egg about all of their exploits and adventures, often as soon as they have happened. Both brothers bicker about the little details and try to one-up each other during the storytelling. Wishing that if the egg had hatched already, their sibling could've just joined them and been there to see it. They might occasionally entertain the possibility that they are not twins but in fact triplets because of this egg. They definitely talk as if the egg can hear them, too.

Leda also talks to the egg — it comes naturally to her. Zero hesitation, just full of love and warmth. Tyndareus tries to follow suit, but much like how some people are better at talking to their plants than others to help them grow, he is not very good at it. He's got the right spirit but is incredibly awkward and stilted in conversation. Not really talking to the egg so much as talking at it.

Clytemnestra talks at the egg too, out loud when she's with others, probably starting hopeful as a child and becoming more and more of a sceptic as she gets older. However, when she visits on her own she talks to the egg — in her head. All of the optimism still lingering in there, so much insatiable curiosity and so many unanswered questions. If the Dioscuri have each other, then surely she is missing someone, right? Or is it naive to assume such logic?

They all act differently around this egg, but collectively? They never let it get lonely for too long. (Okay: sappy headcanon over.)