Forgraves's soft whining had Azrael pausing. He looked down at the fox, bearing the headache, and huffed. Damnit, he hadn't meant to be harsh like that. He leaned over, hands braced against his legs. "I am sorry. Was not expecting headache. It will go away. You did not mean to do it - that is what matters."

He sat back and folded his arms across his chest with a snort. "I do not know what kind of magic this is. But if it can get stronger, then there is potential. There are many creatures in caves that want to hurt. Being able to defend yourself is important. Hurting is sometimes necessary." And, sometimes, unnecessary, as Azrael learned, but he didn't seem to mind. "Do not be afraid of it. Practice to control and you will not hurt without meaning to."

Azrael frowned. Shit, he didn't know how to deal with this. He didn't know how to stop people from crying or how to comfort them when they were sad. He knew how to roar and be loud and fight with all his heart and soul. But he had to try his best so he reached over and gingerly picked up Forgraves, transferring the fox to his lap. "You must learn. It is hard to learn for some. But sometimes to help, you must hurt - defend. If you had friend that was weaker then you and someone did harm, you would be helping your friend by hurting the one that harmed. If you do not wish to hurt, then do not strike first. Only defend. Protect."

With a small flick, a banana appeared in his hand and her peeled it over the young fox's head, offering the inside of the fruit to the child. "Eat. Good food heals."

Azrael quietly sighed to himself. At least Forgraves seemed to be over his little blunder. "Good. You will learn. I will teach you what I can but you learn this magic on your own - I do not know it so I cannot teach it." That was too bad, although perhaps he would have to learn. Immediately gripped with the desire to learn what Forgraves knew, he grew mildly jealous of the child's ability. To make someone dizzy with just a cough had a lot of interesting implications. Perhaps he could strengthen that and make them sick with just a flick of magic. Perhaps he could make them fall unconscious or even more.

There was potential.

He pushed aside his greed and envy for now in favor of watching the fox eat. Once all of the fruit inside was eaten, Azrael lifted the peel and dropped it into his mouth, chewing only a few times before swallowing it. "When it doubt, make food. It will help." Coming from the guy that literally spent 3 cycles doing nothing but eating.

That rare smile tugged again at Azrael's lips as he grunted. "Yes. You will make me proud." And that wasn't an "if" or "maybe" - no matter what Forgraves did, Azrael would be proud, and that was the promise he made. He had not had a bond like this before, not with anyone before Mother and certainly not during that time.

He noticed Forgraves's yawn and blinked. "If you are tired, then you should sleep. I will rest here with you."

Azrael went quiet and watched the fox for a moment before letting out a small yawn himself. He let himself relax back against the wall and tried to darken the lights around them, although the didn't dim at his command. That was alright, it was shaded enough in this corner to be comfortable. He drifted off, the warm weight of Forgraves comforting in his lap.

*exit