Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle nodded listening to James. I’m not exactly a big fan of swimming, but I will if I have to. The young lion mused aloud, at the thought of having to swim. I’m sure you can swim. Most creatures can swim as long as they don’t fly. The young lion spoke thinking about the rest of the creatures he had met. He wasn’t sure Aunty would be able to swim with her posture, Titanite however he was sure would since he was made out of wood.

He could find others like Abraxas. There were other gems out there just needing life given to them. It would take a lot of searching but he could find others just dormant and waiting for that spark of life to be given to them. I may start looking for them. The young lion thought aloud. He could bring them home and bring them to life. Help them to finally live and not just be a stone with a touch of magic in it.

The young lion gave a soft murring sound as he thought to himself. Feel what he felt when he felt Abraxas. But when he had felt Abraxas she had touched him not the other way around. She had told him that she was in there. However he would try.m There was no harm in trying to feel for magic was there? The young lion stopped closing his eyes, he focused and pushed out with his magic he was looking for anything that might hold magic at all. He was trying to use his magic to feel for anything that had its own magic different from his. The young lion scrunched his face and pushed out, though he didn’t realize he was actually pushing. When out of his hind end slipped a rather loud and raunchy Fart. Just as that happened the young lion’s eyes popped open and he was glad to have fur as his cheeks burned with embarrassment. His spell had completely failed. I..Uh..I don’t.. Think it worked.. The young lion commented as he cleared his throat as a rather fetid smell began to drift around the area only made worse by the heavy mist.


@James

James bolted away the moment he heard Ari fart, clearing the area before bursting into hysterical laughter. He was tearing up by the time he gasped for breath, chest heaving.

"N-not that hard Ari- Oh my goodness-" James coughed weakly and sniffed before immediately regretting that and darting away again, gagging.

"Ari- I think you might need a healer- I'm dying," he gagged dramatically, "Bleh, mine aren't nearly as bad... maybe because I eat plants."

James shook his head out and wiped his eyes on his leg, "It's not a physical thing- hee hee- Um, no. You have to reach into your gem. Feel the magic in there and reach for it."

@Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle cleared his throat but all the while he was trying to hide the smile that threatened to stretch across his muzzle. James bolted away as the fart slipped out of his butt. The young lion’s head hung in pure embarrassment, his eyes scrunched closed as he stood there. He had just pretty much farted in James face. A soft groan left the young lion as he stood there. Not only had his magic spell failed, he had just ripped a big one in his best friends face. What a day this was turning out to be. James' laughter only served to make the poor lion feel even more embarrassed.

Aristotle sniffed once and instantly wished he hadn’t. The young lion instantly dropped to his belly in the mud and threw his forepaws over his muzzle. Oh dear deities what did I eat!?! The young lion exclaimed at his own stench. His own eyes were beginning to water from just one sniff. The young lion was holding back a gag as he lay in the mud.

The lion looked up at his best friend. You’re dying!?! I’m stuck in the cloud! At least you can lift your head above it for some fresh air! I’m stuck.. There it went, the young lion gagged his stomach threatening to empty itself in the mud at his paws. However he managed to swallow it back.Down here! The young lion lay on the ground rubbing his nose, however it seemed that his luck was not with him, as the stench seemed to slowly fall on top of him. Another groan left the lion as he stood up his belly covered in muck.

Aristotle gave James a rather uncouth look as he explained it wasn’t physical. I know it’s not physical James, I just… Kinda well… I was trying to push out with my magic to feel. Like I do when I feel for the life in seeds and plants. Apparently I was pushing physically too. The young lion cleared his throat the smell finally seeming to dissipate. Lemme try again. Moving a few steps away from James the young lion closed his eyes again and focused. Taking a calming breath the young lion ensured he kept a steady even breathe, then he reached into himself and found his magic. Then he cast it out trying to feel for anything strange. There he felt something. It reminded him of another gembound but infantile, almost like Abraxas had felt but stronger. James I feel something! The young lion blurted out. Before he said anything the young lion had already taken a couple steps in the direction he had felt it come from. It felt like Abraxas did, it was really young and… Infantile. It took Aristotle a moment to think of the right word to finish with. Then he was off heading in a direction not heading deeper into the swamp but heading along side it. He was letting his magic lead the way, the whole time he kept feeling for that same magic.

His magic leading the way Aristotle slowed as he felt the magic grow stronger, he found it resting under a trees. A small gem spire that was of a beautiful golden color came into view. Cracks had begun to form along the surface of the gem. Aristotle turned looking to see if James had followed him or if he had lost the horse in his tracks.


@James

James giggled for a few moments more before shaking his head, "Then stand up and walk away you dingus."

He followed Ari and stared at him a bit rudely, so excited to see if it would work that he didn't realize that his nose was inches from Ari's face. When the lion turned and walked off, he was... surprised to say the least.

"Wait- what? You found something?" he asked, flabbergasted.

Of course Ari would manage to find another child... James wondered if perhaps instead of moving in, they should connect the two houses for more room. He trotted after Ari and stopped behind him before stepping out and blinking stupidly at the chrysalis in front of them.

"... I swear you're trying to make an army of children," James mumbled, shaking his head before stepping forward.

Hang on. This one was hatching. Hatching!! Oh goodness- he didn't know what to do with an infant!!

"Wait- Ari! It's hatching- oh no oh no!
What do we do?! I don't know how to care for a child!!" he said, trotting around the chrysalis, pacing as his anxiety spiked suddenly.

@Aristotle

Voices. He could hear voices outside his home.Dexterous hands flexed and pressed against the solid surface of his home. This had been the first time he had heard talking. One of the voices was upset. Why were they upset? He was magnificent. There was nothing to be upset about. Cracks began to form in his home, and the voices grew louder. A finger reached out and pressed at one of the cracks and it became bigger. The little creature perked and put both hands against the solid wall. He pushed as hard as his little arms and legs would let him.

With a great crash the wall broke open and out tumbled the small golden colored creature. He had tumbled out landing in a puddle of mud and goop from the inside of his Chrysalis. The little gibbon gave a small hooting sound as he slid his legs under his and sat up.

He looked from the big thing with lots of hair all around its face to a tall leggy creature with a long face. The little gibbon let out a small childlike laugh looking at the horse. His emerald green eyes shifted back to the big hairy creature. D..Daddy… Was the first word he could think of when looking at the creature. Sun lifted his hands and opened and closed them, seeming to want the lion’s attention.

@James @Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle looked at James and slowly scooted across the mucky ground on his belly. He pushed with his back legs and pulled with his front as he made his way away from the stink cloud lingering in the air. For a second he could have sworn he had seen a green tint to the mist where he had farted. The young lion stood sneezing. God that had been one of the worst things to come out of his hind end since he had been eating fruit. It seemed perhaps that fruit did not go well with his digestive system. Might be all the fruit. Not sure lions are supposed to eat fruit. The young lion commented as he looked back at his best friend.

Rounded audits shifted as James questioned him. Yeah, I felt something over this way! Aristotle called moving at a slow trot making sure he didn’t miss anything in his excitement. The young lion stood astonished as he looked at the chrysalis. Then at James who was having a panic attack. Calm down James. It’ll be alright. The young lion urged the colt as he gently brushed his shoulder against James’ side.


The young lion’s attention shifted back to the chrysalis it was such a fantastic shade of gold and then it broke open, a small ape tumbled out onto the ground in front of him. It was covered in golden fur with a black face and hands. Emerald eyes gazed up at him and his heart melted. WHen the young creature reached its arms out towards Aristotle he couldn’t help but move forward. Gently he leaned down and placed his muzzle in the little creature's arms. James he’s like Aunty but not like her. The young lion mused lifting his head from the small apes arms.James he wont hurt us. He eats fruit. The young lion commented as he gently began to lick the little ape clean.


@James @Sun-Wukong

"Perhaps not.." James had said.

He looked up as Ari pressed against him and nuzzled him sweetly, reassured, "Mm... okay. If you say so."

James gaped as the golden... thing slid out of the chrysalis, and stared at it for a moment before striding forward and licking over its head, before looking around to see if anyone was nearby. He nosed the baby gently before looking at Aristotle, at a loss for words.

"... It's a baby," he said, "Oh Ari- they called you daddy!! Oh look at how precious they are-"

Yep. He was smitten.

James nosed Sun gently before turning to Ari, so excited that he squealed in glee before pulling one of his snacks from his net. He offered it to the child, since he knew that he'd been utterly famished when he'd hatched.

@Sun-Wukong @Aristotle

Sun looked up at the long faced creature and gave a soft coo and tilted his head. He was intrigued by the fact that it had long fur coming out of its neck in a line and out of its hind end. He couldn’t fathom what he was but if he was here when he hatched that made them family right? They were the first voices he had ever heard, the first things that called to him from his chrysalis.

The long faced one was talking about him. He tilted his head and held out his little arms and hands to the long faced one. If they were here that meant they were mommy, or daddy too. He seemed to want affection, and thought that James and Aristotle were his parents. He cooed softly flexing his finger as he stretched up to the horse. The fuzzy one had already given him nuzzles, now it was the long faced ones turn. He smelled masculine so he went with it. Daddy.. It was quite obvious that the little monkey had imprinted on the two young boys.

@James @Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle gave James a small smile, a soft purr rumbling in his chest. He was glad he could calm and reassure his best friend with just his word and small cuddle. It meant James felt safe and secure with him, which is all in all what he had wanted. Now Aristotle watched the chrysalis intent and filled with curiosity. He had never seen another Gembound hatch before. So they really did come out of crystals. Or rather everyone came from gems filled with magic and life. But did every stone require a spell to give life? If so, who had used the spell to give him life, who had given James life? For that matter who had given this little monkey life and just left him alone in a forest.

Aristotle looked up at James and back down to the little monkey. Yeah a little boy. I wonder if he already has a name? The young lion mused gently wrapping a paw around the little monkey and pulling him in close to his belly where it was warm. The young lion began cleaning the little monkey to free the slime of the chrysalis from the little monkey’s fur. Aristotle smiled down at the little monkey and purred. I think I kinda like that. Aristotle confessed as he looked back up at James. We should probably take him home. He’s probably hungry. Aristotle pointed out, he had been starking raving hungry when he had first hatched. He had caught and eaten four mice before he had tried to figure out where he was.

I know you hate to get muddy but can you lay down so we can put him on your back and take him home? Aristotle asked looking at the colt.

@James Sun-Wukong

James nodded and reluctantly bent his knees and flopped down on the ground, grunting a bit as his fur got muddy. He hated Cetus...

"Well... we could ask?" he said, "But younger Gembounds don't typically speak until they're two cycles. That's what Eythan said, anyway. Apparently he's expecting babies too! He keeps telling me things during our training and denies it afterwards. It's funny."

James looked at Ari and hen at the monkey, noting their similar fur color, "... Sun? Or something like that. At least for now if he wantst to change it."

The horse slowly stood up once the baby was on his back, being very careful as he hoisted himself to his feet. It was a weird sensation on his back, one he wasn't quite sure of. He supposed he'd have to get used to it, the monkey didn't look very fast and he supposed that he didn't mind being a mode of transportation.

@Aristotle @Sun-Wukong