James made his way into Ari's house (now his too, he supposed) and gently knelt down to allow Sun to get off. Or just to lay down. He was tired! Trudging through mud and making the journey back to Orion was tiring. Though he'd honestly much prefer to lay down in Ari's bed... so soft...

He forced himself to stand and groaned as he stretched out like a cat before shaking himself out (after making sure Sun wasn't on his back). He nosed the little baby gently, ears perked forward before he ran his tongue over the monkey's head like a mother would do to her foal.

@Aristotle @Sun-Wukong

Sun sat perched on James back, his little body rocking tiredly. A wide yawn parted his little jaws showing his pointed canines, he let out a little cry followed by a soft sigh. His little hand were tightly wrapped around handfuls of James’ mane so he didn’t fall off, however the rocking motion was threatening to put the little monkey to sleep.Just as he was about to fall asleep, they entered a cavern that's ceiling sparkled and glimmered like it was filled with glitter. The little monkey perked up his emerald eyes shining brightly as he looked around the ceiling, a soft coo of awe leaving his little mouth.

However his admiration was cut short as they entered a small space and James lay down so he could get off. The little monkey gently slid off the horse’s side and sat on the ground. Sun watched as James shook himself and wondered if it had felt strange having him riding James. The monkey let out a little giggle as James licked his head.Sun looked up at James his emerald eyes glimmering. However his attention quickly changed to looking around the room. A pair of trees that twisted around each other grew in the center of the room, vines hung from the tree’s branches, from these vines hung small glowing rocks and gems James had made and helped him put up. From there he looked at the things leading up to the up floor. Each one had a lovely yellow or white flower planted on it. The place itself was filled with a lovely sweet scent.

The little monkey looked around wondering where the fluffy one had gone. He had been right behind James when they had been in the warm tree place. What had happened between here and there? Then the lion walked in the brown thing around his neck bulging as he walked in.


@James @Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle trotted in several moments after James and Sun had arrived. Sorry! Sorry! I’m here! Aristotle called apologizing for having fallen behind. He had stopped to grab a couple things which were now in his bag. The young lion trotted through the door and into the inviting main room of his home. There he found Sun looking around the room with his bright green eyes filled with curiosity. James standing close by like a good father would. I stopped because none of the fruit here is ripe yet. Still working on that. The young lion attempted to explain why he had vanished when they had gotten to Eridanus That and he had stopped to hunt for himself, he had found the journey had made him rather hungry and he didn’t want to scar Sun or James just yet.

Aristotle slipped off his bag placing it on the ground near the little gibbon. Here Sun. I thought you might be hungry. Aristotle offered the little gibbon, as he emptied his bag of its contents. Three mangos, two bananas, and a loquat rolled out of his bag. Aunty eats this stuff so I thought this would be what he eats. The young lion wasn’t sure but he was pretty sure this was what he ate.

Aristotle let out a loud pleased purr as he gently licked the little gibbon’s cheek. He was so small compared to either of them. He could almost hide in Aristotle’s mane if he wanted too. With that Aristotle trotted into the bedroom to prepare a bed for Sun. Pulling out the seven rabbit pelts he used as a pillow he lay them at the head of his bed. Using his muzzle and teeth the young lion folded one of the pelts several times to form a pillow. He left the next to top pelt fur up so he would cozy, and flipped the top most pelt over so that the fur of that pelt would also be against the little gibbon to keep him warm. Okay. There we go. The young lion mused aloud to himself as he finished making Sun a bed. With that done Aristotle walked back out to see what James and Sun were doing.

@James @Aristotle

James snorted gently and looked down at Sun, his big amber eyes looking over the baby curiously. He nosed his fur gently, his breath ruffling his golden fur. He gently coaxed his nose under the monkey and lifted him up, making sure he had a good hold before carrying him to the room Ari had come from. He gently set Sun down and sighed contently before turning to Ari.

"... Can we agree to wait to adopt another child until after these ones are fully grown?" he asked, a bit ashamed of the question, "... I don't mean to sound... rude. I do feel a bit forced into this- which is okay! I'm fully prepared to care for these children, and love them and care... and love and care for you, too. But then again, I still have a lot to learn before I'm ready to truly... be a parent."

James walked over to Ari, seeking comfort, "I don't want to fight. I'm just... unsure. And I want comfort and um... maybe a groom."

@Aristotle @Sun-Wukong

Sun gave a happy hoot as he looked at the treats laid out before him. The little monkey sat up instantly and reached for one of the long curved yellow fruits. It looked delicious with it’s pretty yellow skin. It was such a cheery color just like him. He was yellow and so was this long curved fruit.

Just as he was about to take a bite from the bright yellow fruit, his vision was filled with a massive nose! It was Daddy’s nose but great gods above it was bigger than he was! Then before he knew it, the nose was trying to pick him up. Slowly it urged him to stand and lean on it, then suddenly his whole body was straddling long faced daddy’s nose. And then he was high in the air on long faced daddy’s nose, then they were moving somewhere.

Sun let out a noise of protest as long face daddy carried him over to fluffy daddy. The little gibbon began to squirm wanting to be put down, as he wanted to eat the bright yellow long thing fluffy daddy had given him. He was hungry and long faced daddy was keeping him from eating!



@James @Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle stood in their bedroom after having finished making Sun a bed to sleep in. Just as he had finished James found his way into the room with a protesting Sun sprawled across his nose. That is until James sat him down and he tore into the banana he had picked from the bunch. The thing was almost as big as he was. Aristotle smirked as he looked at the little monkey tearing into the banana from the side. Taking what would be less than a nibble to him worth of the banana with each bite slowly making a little hole in the side of the banana.

Slowly Aristotle’s attention shifted to James who was now talking to him. He was asking about waiting to adopt more kids. He hadn’t meant to adopt these two in the first place. They just seemed to reach out and call to him. I didn’t mean to adopt these two, they reached out to me with their magic James. He said defensively, he really hadn’t but the first time with Abraxas had just been a fluke. The second time James had told him to feel with his Detect Magic spell and he had felt Sun, he couldn’t ignore it and had to investigate. It wasn’t like he KNEW that the bit of magic he had felt was a child about to hatch. He just wanted to know what it was. Besides it was better they found Sun rather than something or someone else that would have rather hurt him than adopt him.

Forced? James could walk away anytime he wanted. It wasn’t like he had to stay. Besides it wasn’t like he had to help take care of either of the children, Aristotle hadn’t actually asked James to help take care of them. In fact James could just ignore them if he wanted. You don’t have to help me ya know. The young lion mumbled faintly hurt by the statement, but not going to let it mess up anything currently between them. He didn’t want to start a fight. James I love you and care very much too. I still have a lot to learn too, but I just couldn’t leave James out there by himself he’s so small. I can’t give an excuse for Abraxas, she just… I couldn’t I don’t know. The young lion was trying to reason why he had taken Abraxas but he couldn’t even reason it himself, he had seen something pretty and he just kinda took it.

As James walked over Aristotle knew well what James was seeking, and was fully prepared to give it. Straightening his body the young lion reached up gently nuzzling the horse before giving his muzzle a gentle lick. I think I can help with both of those. Though we may need to go find a nearby pond or something to help with grooming both of us. Aristotle noted that his belly as well was covered in mud.


@James @Sun-Wukong

James chose not to reply to Ari's comment of him not having to help. He didn't, but he couldn't leave Ari alone! And how heartless would he be if he left two kids to have only one parent.

"I have some water bowls in my place," he said, and lay himself down in the crook of Ari's body, letting the other lick his face clean.

"... I love you," he mumbled, ears drooping as he pressed his face into Ari's neck, "So much."

James pressed himself into Ari's side and glanced at Sun, chuckling as he saw the baby dig into his banana, "At least he won't be hard to feed... Already eating vigorously."

Between him and Sun, they wouldn't have much trouble. Sun ate fruit, he happily ate fruit and grass... no, they'd be fine. It was only a manner of teaching Sun manners.

@Aristotle @Sun-Wukong

The little gibbon sat on the ground where long face daddy had sat him after unceremoniously picking him up with his nose. He thought he might prefer fluffy daddy’s mouth pick up over the nose ride. At least with fluffy daddy he didn’t have to worry about holding on or slipping off, and he wasn’t as high off the ground in fluffy daddy’s mouth. There was less of a distance to fall for such a small body. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what it felt like to fall from any distance really.

Tiny arms wrapped around the banana that was almost bigger than he was, as he took bite after bite of the delicious food fluffy daddy had given him. Though he was quickly growing full. The little monkey after having only eaten about a third of the banana, lay it down. The little monkey sat on the floor licking his palms clean of the banana flesh. After that a wide yawn parted his tiny jaws exposing the sharp front canines he had been gifted with. Lifting his hands to his eyes the little monkey rubbed them tiredly. WIth half lidded eyes the little monkey looked around the room for a soft place to lay down and nap.


@James @Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle noticed that James thankfully ignored his little bite at him, about not helping. Of course he knew James would never just leave him. He wouldn’t leave two children alone in the world either. But he also wasn’t obligated to stay, Aristotle had found them and he had assumed responsibility for them. He would now care for them and raise them as his own. They were his children now and he would treat them as such. They were his family now, the only family he had. The one he made with James and these two children, though Abraxas had yet to join them. James asked that he not adopt anymore children until Sun and Brax had grown up, but he couldn’t promise that. If he found another he would take them in if they needed him. And these two had called to him.

Aristotle moved around to Sun gently picking up the tired gibbon and placing him gently in the bed Aristotle had made for him, he gently pulled the blanket fur over him to keep him warm. Before he turned and moved around James. I’m not sure a water BOWL will help us unless it’s quite large I’m afraid. We’re both quite dirty far dirtier than my tongue can clean on its own. The young lion pointed out. He had been this dirty once before actually a bit dirtier, and that had been the first time he had met Aunty. It had taken a pond and quite a few rolls and rubs to get all the mud free from his pelt that time. Do you know a nearby stream? We can leave him for a few minutes to clean ourselves. Besides I’m sure we’ll hear him if he wakes up. The young lion insisted that they could leave for just long enough to rid themselves of the layer of muck they had acquired in Cetus.

However while he spoke Aristotle gently ran his tongue in calculated lines along James’ face grooming him. As he groomed the horse a soft purring began to fill the air coming from deep in the young lion’s chest. I love you too James. And I’m sorry I don’t always understand what’s going on with you. But I promise I don’t want to go anywhere, and I don’t want you to go anywhere either. The young lion spoke from his heart, he wasn’t entirely sure how to put words to how he felt about James. But he knew for certain that he did love him.

A laugh left his muzzle as James spoke of Sun’s eating. Yeah he’s got quite an appetite. Aristotle mused aloud at his new son.

@James @Sun-Wukong

James stood up and hummed, "I'm pretty sure there's one close... sort of close. Barely five minute's walk."

He pressed into the face-grooming and purred right back, before rubbing the fur on his face back into place on his leg. He shook his head out once again and lead the way outside, looking once more to Sun as he lay in their bed, asleep.

"... We'll be quick," he mumbled, before clip-clopping towards the door and outside.

James made off at a slow jog towards the stream, ears perked and head held high, as happy as a clam to be out and about and not trudging through mud. And soon enough he'd be nice and clean again! He couldn't wait. Call him vain, but he certainly liked having his pretty fur and mane out for people to see. Ari had definitely boosted his ego a bit.

"... I wonder, we're nearly fully grown, yes?" he said, and looked at himself.

@Aristotle