ORIGIN - The Fluff Can't Fly Yet.

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Deep purple paws shifted on the ground as she walked through the grasses of the clearing around the treehouse. She had yet to actually go very far from home yet unlike Mary, who had gone quite a ways away to a place called Pegasus where she had met a gembound who escorted her back home. That Gembound had been Comet’s friend so Mary had been happy to go with them. But Rather than do too much exploring Abraxas preferred to sit on the upper floor balcony and watch the world, or stalk the clearing around the treehouse for food.

Today she was doing the latter, she was hunting for any unweary mice that would make their way into the shorter grasses of the clearing. As she did her keen sense of smell and eyes told her that she had yet to find her quarry, however she had just started not too long ago so now was no time to give up. Rounded ears listened carefully for any noises of possibly small prey nearby. Slowly the fluffy little deep purple griffin with the iridescent sheen to her fur made her way into the surrounding trees. It was about as far as she had yet dared to go.

Carefully Abraxas moved along one of the less worn paths that led into the clearing. She was hunting for one of the many mice that lived here in Eridanus. As she made her way down the path it didn’t take her long to pick up a scent on one of the trees. It was fresh and close by. Brilliant golden eyes looked up at the trees and it didn’t take her long to spot the bioluminescent stripes of her quarry. As she did the mouse having not noticed her made its way down the tree. Abraxas growled as she crouched down readying herself to pounce. However as she sprang the mouse screamed noticing her just in time as it ran back up the tree and out of her current reach.

With a heavy sigh Abraxas turned back toward the treehouse and headed home, She was discouraged this time but she would try again later. But for now the mice in the area would be on high alert thanks to her little bungle up. Slowly the little griffin made her way back into the clearing and back behind the house where a large rock stood as a gravestone. With a heavy sigh Abraxas sat down and stared at the rock. ”Daddy, will I ever be as good of a hunter as you?” The little griffin wondered aloud with a melancholic tone to her normally even voice.

@James

"You will," said a voice from behind, "Maybe someday, you'll be a better hunter than even he was."

James stepped forward and stared at the grave for a moment, before looking away, "Why don't you come inside, Abraxas? Even if you can't catch anything, at least fruit don't move when you pick them. I grabbed a bunch on the way here. Some peaches, mangos, and apples."

He turned and fluttered up to the top floor of the tree house, waiting for the cub to either jump or climb after him. If she needed assistance, he would provide, of course, but he still felt like a stranger here, like trying to be a parent to these children just wasn't allowed.

Shaking his head, he lowered his head and dropped his net of fruit onto the ground, pulling it away from the center of the room so that he wouldn't be in the way. The fruits were meticulously separated into piles, a pile of apples, peaches, and mangos. He took an apple for himself before laying down, fluffing up his wings in case snuggles were needed or wanted.

At least he could provide that. Comfort.

@Abraxas

Abraxas hadn’t been expecting anyone to come out and find her, so when a voice behind her suddenly spoke up she of course was startled. The little griffin attempted to flare what would eventually be quills and feathers. Quickly the little griffin girl turned around her golden eyes blinking as she looked up finding the pegasus they called Renny. With a slight sigh she relaxed and looked up at Renny. ”You think?” She asked tilting her head to one side curiously. He hadn’t been here in sometime but Comet had told them that something had happened to him so she had just been waiting to see him again.

A smile lit up the little griffin’s eyes as she nodded. ”That sounds tasty. But I still haven’t been able to catch anything on my own. Comet is such a good hunter.” Abraxas admitted disheartened, she of course didn’t realize that it had taken Comet quite some time to get as good at hunting as she was.

Abraxas smiled as she watched Renny flutter up to the balcony on the floor of the treehouse. Abraxas let out a strange purring sound and leaped up the side of the tree. She had done it several times before much to the dismay of Sun. But she with much ease made her way up to the balcony and up over the side. She of course took at least a minute longer than James had coming up this way, but she did it. Abraxas trotted forward looking at the fruit on the ground that Jame had brought. Her ears perked excitedly and she walked towards the fruit picking out a peach with a nimble forepaw. Holding the peach in one forepaw Abraxas came over and sat beside James and looked up at him before taking a bite of the peach with her beak filled with sharp feline teeth. ”Renny, I was wondering. Big brother Sun told me it was best to ask you. But how did you and daddy meet?” Her question was innocent but she of course was curious about both of them. ”And where were you born?” The little griffin’s questions were curiously innocent as she tried to learn a bit more about her parents.

@James

James smiled gently, his lip scarred from a snake biting him in the face, "Comet wasn't always the hunter she is today. She struggled so hard, but with practice and determination, she learned. She had help from Ari, but now you have help from her. I'm certain that she'd be delighted to teach you her skills."

He took a bite out of a peach and watched Abraxas eat, lifting a wing to drape over the half-feline and drag her closer, a bit possessive despite his best efforts. He'd become especially cuddly over the past while.

"We met here, in Eridanus," he said softly, eyes sad, "When we were children, we'd play tag through the trees. But... we grew up too fast, you see. We moved to Orion and brought you with us. You were only a stone then, little one. He loved you more than anything, you know. You didn't even have life yet, but he insisted that you were going to be great."

He went quiet and looked away, heart hurting. He missed Aristotle, the lion cub he'd met in Eridanus. Not the one that had gaslighted him, intentionally or no. The one that had driven him away, in the end, and doomed himself.

"I was born in Cetus," he said, "A gloomy place, filled with mud and gloom. But I met friends, there. Dragon and Khloros. An alligator and a horse like me, but without the wings. The mud sticks to your fur, though, and is difficult to clean. I avoid it, if I can."

@Abraxas

As James settled in so did Abraxas. She tucked her down fluff covered wings in against her sides. She hoped one day to be able to fly with them. And wiggled her butt into a comfortable position on the ground. The little griffin lifted her head sitting in front of the much larger horse. She unfortunately would never be anywhere near as large as he or her father. At least not that she knew. Her head tilted slightly to one side as brilliant golden eyes stared up at him filled with curiosity.

Though all the time that Renny was speaking she was taking small bites with the side of her beak from her peach held diligently in one dexterous forepaw. She licked her beak thinking. ”I hope she would like to teach me. It would be nice to learn from her.” The little griffin hoped dearly that her older sister would take the time to teach her home to hunt.

A strange squeak left the little griffin as she felt the wing behind her scoot her closer to the pegasus. She blinked several times having not expected it. However she didn’t object to this happening. She wasn’t against it, she just didn’t outwardly express herself very well it seemed. But in any case she sat eagerly listening to Renny speak of how he and Daddy had met. If the little griffin’s beak could have smiled she would have been at this moment. ”He thought that much of me?” Abraxas questioned curiously her golden eyes sparkling with sweet innocent hope.

SHe watched Renny for a moment as he fell quiet, her head tilting to one side as she tried to get a better look at him. She wondered if he were alright, and why he had gone quiet. The silence between for the moment was almost suffocating, and it worried the little creature as to what was going on with her Renny.

Then quick as the silence began it ended and Renny was talking again, and she was listening intently. ”Sounds… Icky.” The girl concluded thinking about the place Renny had been born. It didn’t exactly sound like a pleasant place. ”Well Comet has told us so many things about where she’s been. What can you tell me of the places you’ve been? I want to know about the gembound and creatures you’ve met, the experiences you’ve had.” She wanted to get to know Renny more. She wanted to know other parent that Sun and Comet looked up to.

@James

James nodded gently at the hybrid's question, "You were the world to him. To us. Sometimes we fought and I felt like I couldn't leave even though he told me to. But what kind of a person would I have been to leave him to raise you? He was still a child. Sometimes I feel like I am, too. We grew up too fast, and if I am to give you one small piece of advice, Abraxas... there is no rush to grow up. Sure, you supposedly mature at 4 cycles of age, but it up to you to decide when you feel like an adult."

He sighed and took another bite of apple, laughing at her description of Cetus, nodding in agreement. It definitely was icky.

"I've been all over!", he said, "There's a cave with a volcano in it, but the rest of it is a vast ocean with sandy beaches. Underneath it all is a vast forge, with lava and rock, and sweltering hot. Weapons are made there, you see, by a person called the Blacksmith."

He was so happy to share his stories. It was a literal dream come true, ever since those nights sitting next to the large stone, speaking to it gently about his day.

"I've made a house in a place called Pegasus," he said, "It is a vast cave, the biggest I've ever seen! Plains and meadows sprawl across it, with massive forests and mountains, and a smaller cave with a beautiful space inside. A pond with a white serpent in it."

@Abraxas

Abraxas tilted her head looking up at Renny as he nodded at her question. Then he answered her and she listened with pure curiosity. So daddy had loved her ever since she was a gem, before he ever grew up. She mulled over what he said for a moment. She didn’t exactly know what he meant but she understood most of it. ”I won’t grow up before I’m ready Renny.” The little griffin replied sweetly her golden eyes gazing up at him. There was love and adoration there though she barely knew him. He was family and she loved him dearly.

Abraxas leaned gently against Renny’s side, her peach now held in both front paws as she munched away on her peach. It was sweet and delicious and she had found that she actually liked peaches quite a bit. Abraxas chirped happily as Renny seemed to be amused at her thoughts on his birthplace.

The little griffin sat her peach pit down and picked up an apple this time. She wanted something crunchy now and apples were perfect for that. Held in one curled up fore paw she made her way back to her place close to Renny as she started munching on it now. Again the little girl settled in to listen to Renny’s stories as he began telling her of his travels. She gazed up at him with wonder glimmering in her golden eyes, she couldn’t help but be at awe of what he had seen. ”That sounds so pretty, do you think you could take me to see the beaches sometime Renny? I’d really like to go!” The little girl piped up eagerly her down covered wings fluffing up excitedly.

”Comet’s told us about Pegasus, Mary got in trouble because she disappeared and went there on her own. She didn’t get very far because one of Comet’s friends found Mary and made her come home. We were all really worried about Mary we thought something bad had happened.” Abraxas explained what had happened almost a week ago now. ”Big brother Sun said we might be moving to Pegasus with you. Is your place big enough for all of us? We don’t want to crowd you.” The little griffin fretted a bit, she of course wanted to move in with Renny but she didn’t want to be crowded. Not to mention that Sun had said there would also be another child named Pegasus moving in as well.

@James

James nodded gently and leaned down to nuzzle Abraxas gently, before leaning down a bit more to preen her little baby feathers. They were just so soft and cute! He couldn't resist.

"I would love to take you!", he said, bumping his head against hers gently, "You'd have to ride on my back if you don't want to walk that far, it's an awful long way."

He listened to the story of Mary and snickered. She reminded him of Comet already, making off on her own to explore.

"It should be big enough," he said, "We'll mostly be inside sleeping, anyway, since most of our time spent is outside doing something or another. We're either inside out of the rain or inside to sleep, right? It's plenty big enough for us all to cuddle up inside, and I think that's what counts."

He fluffed up his wings and shook himself out, turning into a snuggly marshmallow perfect for snuggle times. He chomped down a few more apples before pressing up against her.

"You know, I chrysalized not long ago," he mumbled, "It was scary- there were a lot of snakes, you see. It was why I was gone for so long. I'm very sorry."

He wished he could hide the new scars, the bites all over. He already had enough as there was.

@Abraxas

Abraxas let out a purring chirp as she straightened up and nuzzled Renny back pausing in her eating. She looked up at him with love in her eyes. As he leaned down and began preening her feather, she let out a strange unsure cheep, but soon accepted it and went back to munching on her food.

The little griffin let out a pleased cry as Renny agreed to take her to Pegasus sometime. She couldn’t wait to get bigger to go on an adventure with Renny, it just sounded like so much fun. ”If I get tired I’ll let you know, promise.” The little girl chided eagerly to the horse. Though she promised to let him know, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t push herself till she couldn’t go anymore during the trip. After all she had to learn her own boundaries yet. She looked up at Renny, her bright eyes shining with amusement as he snickered at her story of Mary.

Abraxas listened to him explain about his house in Pegasus. ”Yeah that’s what matters, but I do like decorating. I was thinking of finding a way to put colors on the walls here, and I was going to color on some of the skins that daddy left us and finding a way to put them on the wall. Could we do that at your house?” She had a strange obsession with most anything shiny or pretty, and liked very much to make things pretty. ”Also, can we bring the pelts? They make really good beds and they’re so warm!” The little girl perked up with her ideas, finally showing a bit of a brighter side of herself rather than the aloof watcher.

She let out a soft purr as Renny pressed himself against her, her own feathers fluffing up slightly. This with her forming quills and down fur made her look like she had been zapped with electricity. The little one tilted her head hearing the change in toone of Renny’s voice. He was more serious now and more heavy hearted. ”You got hurt really bad then, Sun told us about the first time it happened.” Abraxas sat her apple on the ground and opened her forelegs and wrapped them as much as she could sround Renny’s shoulder in her form of a hug. Something she had picked up from Sun. ”It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re still alive.” The little girl admitted pressing her cheek against his shoulder as she hugged him.

@James

James smiled gently and pressed his nose to her head, "Of course, my dear. You can all decorate the house when we arrive. It'll make the place a lot more comfortable, that's for sure."

He theorized that the moving things could be done relatively easy with the amount of gembounds being able to carry things. He himself could make multiple trips in a short amount of time, and Comet and Sun could carry some things, the children able to bring smaller items with them.

"I have plenty of pelts in the house in Pegasus," he said, "They're very warm too, it's like a massive pile of them."

James nuzzled against Abraxas, huffing softly, "I won't leave that easily, darling. I have my family here to protect, I can't stay asleep forever."

He appreciated the hug, eyes closing as he reveled in it.

"Hey, why don't we start painting things now?", James said, "We just have to look around for different things to grind up and color. Stones, fruit, and feathers could work."

@Abraxas

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