James was admittedly... lonely. Very much so. And very shaken.

Mother's whispers in his mind woke him up most nights, if his dreams of falling didn't. At least he had wings to catch himself now, but he didn't in his dreams.

Often he found himself curled around the precious chrysalis in the corner, translucent enough to see the tiny baby growing within. He was rather delighted to see what looked to be four long legs, though it was still too early to tell.

But right now? He was curled around it with his wings draped over the sideways chrysalis, the child laying on it's side within, sleeping, he hoped. He stroked it gently as he stared into the room, eyeing the dark shadows as he tried to settle down. But no sleep came. Not with the anxieties plaguing his mind. Comet was with... Carja, he believed. She was safe with her, he knew.

But the loneliness killed him inside.

Before, he had warm fur to snuggle against, a body to lay beside, a tongue that gently lapped over his fur, soothing him. Something that didn't last. A hole that he didn't know needed filling until it was, and now that it was empty, he felt it ache within him. It nearly hurt in its severity.

James looked up quickly, recognizing the voice. Tahi. He'd been linked with others, including Master Vargas himself, Svartis, and the deer. It was weird to suddenly have experiences not your own, to have your mind filled with safety that didn't seem wrong despite your own mind telling you it definitely was. He remembered Alpha most of all. The kaiju... his hatred no longer burned like it did. Instead, it burned for Mother. For... her.

He couldn't remember much, either having shoved it down subconsciously or locked it up on purpose. They came back in his dreams but slipped away too fast to grab onto, not that he wanted to.

"Tahi?", he said, his voice soft and shy, nothing like the powerful yells he cried when trying to get Comet to leave, eyes rolling and breaths coming in heaves, struggling against Mother's embrace.

The stallion slowly stood and made his way to the front room, then to the door, peering out of it and to Tahi, ears perked.

"Hi," he said softly, "I am James, you're correct. Ah... you were there at the fight. I think I recall you after um... the fungus left our minds. It's all so hazy, I'm afraid."

James turned and walked further instead, turning to beckon Tahi to follow, "Come in, I have some fruit to eat, if you're hungry."

James nodded and draped a fur over the chrysalis before laying out another for Tahi to settle down on.

"I believe I've seen you around, though I doubt I recognized you from a distance. I probably thought you were Pride," he said, "Though you're not white."

He shrugged gently and looked down, "We are, sort of. Four legs, a running gait, brown fur and brown eyes- we are similar. Both of us are even of the Seven. But that's only in looks."

He smiled and shuffled his wings before looking at the egg with a soft expression, "Well... I asked my daughter to name it. Her name's Comet, she's a white wolf- much more social than I am, definitely."

James looked up and smiled at Tahi gently, "But thank you for checking up. I appreciate it. Company's always appreciated, though if I'm not here, you can just... leave a black stone here at the door and I'll know you want me."

He got the idea from Pride, but it worked.

James made his way over to Tahi the moment his smile became strained, throwing his wing over his back and pressing his forehead to the other's cheek. He was much larger than the deer, but the thought counted.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I had none either. I think Pride is the closest thing to one I have, but he's simply... a mentor. A guide."

He gently tugged Tahi to his bed of furs, "Come, Tahi. I'm certain you're tired after all that happened. My bed has plenty of room if you need to rest or cry or... or anything."

He was like a mother hen trying to herd a chick to the nest for bedtime, his feathers fluffed up along his neck and chest comically.

"Oh- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said, immediately fretting, "Um... I've only seen Astraea once, and that was at the meeting a few cycles ago. I wanted to talk to him before the whole golem thing, since I had some questions."

James seemed to shift from foot to foot, embarrassed and nervous about upsetting Tahi, his eyes looking anywhere but at the deer. He just felt... weird, now. And inconsiderate.

Now he didn't even know what to say, really.