Garnet-Epsilon

All Epsilon manages to get out is a hum, and they let James move them around and nudge them to the horse's heart's content, before finally needing to wiggle free after being asked if they want to help with dinner.

"I can hunt, yeah, but as for the other Gembound... I'm not sure what they go by anymore, or even if they want to see me... I'm sure they hate me for how little I gave them when they asked for help. I couldn't look them in their faces right now." Definitely not a lie, and Cirrus grooms at his face and fur a little bit, not liking the sticky crust left over from crying.

A beat, and they look up at James while leaning on their hind legs, and they tilt their head in question before they ask, "Fruit? Don't think I've ever had some before, though I think some of the group I was apart of liked it. One of my bosses would smell sweet sometimes, but I'm not sure it could even eat fruit," they shake their head, and sigh.

James getting to his hooves, though, makes Epsilon bounce quickly out of the way, old habit die hard after all, and they wait by the door, eyes and ears focused on the horse with some... odd emotion behind them.

"Should.. we go now?"

@James

James stretched like a cat would, which was a very awkward thing to see, but his back cracked right where it had been aching to, and he instantly felt better.

"Why don't you find them? They could be totally understanding- you both were in a terrible situation, maybe it was dangerous to be kind," he said, "Just try?"

He smiled gently and looked over to basin to check that it was still relatively full- Comet could fill it when she was home. He turned to the doorway where Cirrus stood and shrugged.

"Sure," he said, "I'm certain that our charge won't go anywhere."

He laughed softly in amusement before making his way out of the home and turning towards Eridanus. Thankfully, Cirrus flew, so the trip wouldn't be bad.

"Come!", he said, "Let's stretch our wings!"

James flung them out and took off at a gallop, hooves pounding on the rock before he launched himself upwards and quickly gained altitude with powerful downstrokes. He turned and circled around Cirrus, smiling.

@Garnet-Epsilon

Garnet-Epsilon

James's stretch looked very satisfying, so Epsilon arches their back to pop it as well before shaking themselves out and wiping at their face again, before following James outside and... not responding to the request, not verbally. They look guilty and their ears kind of droop, but... Cirrus is considering it. Epsilon is NOT.

"If I say them, I'll say hello," they finally say, unfolding one wing and kind of... eyeing it, as if checking for anything worse than a mild scrape from their earlier annoying entrance.

As James takes of, they wait for the horse to get stable, not wanting to deal with the buffeting winds that would come from such a large wingspan while taking off, before bounding three hops forwards and then up with a quick snap of their wings, checking back over their shoulder once to look at the building the pair was leaving. Then they twist midair with a small flashy aileron roll, shooting James a small smile when they're upside down before evening out.

@James

James stilled his wings and flew closer to to the other, headed towards Eridanus, "I don't mean to force you to do anything, but about my family moving to Pegasus... will you be coming?"

He flew quietly, a lot less flashy than Cirrus did, despite having much flashier plumage.

"You are most welcome to come," he said, "While I build our house there and wait for them to hatch, we can get to know each other more."

He coasted along leisurely, gliding and rarely flapping, needing a lot more energy to fly than the other, and therefore needing to conserve it better. His metabolism had to be nuts, too, but he seemed alright. Slim and fit.

@Garnet-Epsilon

Garnet-Epsilon

The spotted hybrid is able to keep a brisk pace, not one for dilatory behavior of any sort unless it involved bothering any larger, scarier Gembound... and for actually gathering the courage to begin sabotage... and... well okay Epsilon isn't naturally cruel! Don't judge!

Just a tad ruthless, is all. Plus a bit of a showoff, so they drift in slow corkscrews as well as they can around James, orbiting like a lazy satellite.

Force me...?

"Coming... with you? I don't know, honestly." they chirp, from in front of James, before drifting a tad and adding jokingly, "If you want me with you when the time comes for the move, then I will. It's your family, after all..." a sigh from up above, and Cirrus adds, "I offered to babysit the chrysalis, so I can do that while you home-make in Pegasus, and keep this place clean and safe." the sentence ends somewhere over James's left shoulder.

A bit more flapping, and Cirrus pulls a bit... ahead? Kind of above the horse's head so that they can hang their own and speak without having to rotate like an owl. "I'd be very happy to help, but like I said, too, I'm used to sleeping in a hole in the dirt."

@James

James sighed as Garnet flew circles around him, rolling his eyes a bit.

"My home is open to you," he said, "Besides... you have yet to meet my daughter anyway."

He looked up at the cat, ears perked up, "You'll love her- though honestly she'd in more need of a babysitter... Caves, she just loves to get herself into trouble."

He looked off into the distance with his mouth down-turned, "... A lot of trouble. Did you know that she and her dragon friend nearly got killed because while they were trying to kill some redfangs- dangerous already- they attracted some sort of sea monster that tried to drown them both and nearly killed the dragon? Please note that the dragon is four times the size of me."

He was so tired.

@Garnet-Epsilon

Garnet-Epsilon

"Your daughter- right! I can't wait to meet her. I'm curious to see how your family works, honestly. Mine was... I'm learning that they weren't what's the new normal of the caves."

They remain in their spot slightly overhead, and Cirrus sighs, almost laughing at the fond exasperation on James's face when he mentions Comet needing a babysitter.

"I mean, I'd happy keep an eye on her as well- as long as she lets me, of course. I'm not looking to just... show up and make myself the bossy one, y'know?" a small laugh, now, and they flash back to their hatching, and adds, "Although, one of my siblings wouldn't shy away at that. They're really ambitious, always kept the eyes of everyone off of me... made it easier, I guess, to leave."

At a mention of a dragon, of all things, they kind of drop sideways in the air in alarm- quickly readjusting themselves before gawking at James with round eyes and ruffled fur and feathers, "Wh.... I have so many questions and concerns! Why is she hanging out with a dragon? Redfang fishing? Monster chumming?"

Surprisingly enough, Epsilon starts to cackle manically, and they have to move their flight to ride the currents off of James's wings, they're having a hard time staying stable, and they manage to get out, "That's so absurd- I can't wait to meet her!"

@James

James nodded gently, "I think she just needs someone to keep her from making bad decisions. Like... a friend? I'm hoping her sibling can be that for her, and that she can be a role model for them."

He huffed in mild amusement, "She makes the weirdest of friends, I swear."

He smiled up at Cirrus and sighed gently, "Caves... you'll love her. Honestly, if gravity didn't keep her grounded, she'd forever be throwing herself into danger."

Half the grey hairs in his mane were from her!

@Garnet-Epsilon

Garnet-Epsilon

Little do they both know, that Comet and Epsilons first meeting would be a little.. let's say rough. So sue me I like being snarky in the posts, and the dramatic irony is delicious, but this is a bit besides the point as the hybrid is beaming.

Maybe I can keep the friends I make out here, Cirrus wonders, and chuckles a little bit and sighs.

"Maybe I'll count as a weird friend, eh?" a few wingbeats, and they add, "Besides, I can fly, I laugh at gravity all the time, and so do you! I'd say she's lucky in that regard!"

Cirrus looks down at where they are flying, and then up to gauge the distance of the tower to try and remember what entrance the pair is headed for, and how far it is.

@James

James giggled and nodded, "We'll forever have our heads in the clouds. Sometimes it's funny, I feel like one of these days she'll simply grow a pair of wings."

He chuckled and dove down towards the tunnel to Eridanus, "But yes. I hope you'll be a good friend. Perhaps a few more adults in her life could do good. I don't count a few that she's friends with, they're nearly as immature as she is."

He chuckled and landed, the walk to Eridanus one he liked to trek, at least to bring back memories.

"Alright... let's go," he said, a smile on his face as he trotted forward.

@Garnet-Epsilon
Exit James.