Lion Head Mesa breathin' soft on my skin

for @Midas and/or @Medusa, and i hope @Jawahir can gimme a reply. i hope this can take place before this thread if that's ok with you peeps ^^

it took him two hours to get there. the first he spent preparing to come, and the second catastrophizing about what a bad idea that would be. then, he spent another hyping himself up into a better mood. 

so, three hours.

thankfully, that only meant the midday heat was passing. the tiny neb walked down the hallways of the mesa and to the cool and dark catacombs, where jawahir fed the children.

"g'fternoon." he greeted the adult. "ah hope ah could take th' puppies off ya paws fer a minute." and the demoted jewel got his best smile.

he tried very hard not to steal glances towards the already sizeable babes.

good lawd, are they bigger than me?

the memory of their conversation with nazli lingers. the fact that there had once been tracks, overlooked by a grieving leader.

the piece of jangling metal around the neb's neck announced the man before he was seen. jawahir bowed low. Of course. they motioned the children forward. Will you be taking them from here or shall i depart? the servant inquired in the same elegant monotone.

they gave nothing away.

gucci looked them over. jay-sus, they were already past his humble eight inches!

"ah... ah would like t' jes', um, spend a lil' bit wi' 'em." now he leaned forward towards the two pale toddlers, smiling, and hating how forced that smile felt. "would'ja like that, kiddos?"

Last!

jawahir nods once more. the meshkenet retreats outside the room, leaving the little man with his mother-lost children. an odd family.

their thoughts are their own and they would return when summoned.

They were three months by now and Midas was growing well with the care of his servants. The pup didn't know much about mother and father figures but he did know about Tavina being a servant, so he figured Jawahir was one as well.

The blind boy lifted his head when he heard the conversations. He caught some words that made sense, however, he didn't grasp the full meaning of it all. He did notice that there was someone else. By scent and of course by hearing.

Midas pulled himself to his feet. He located the other quickly enough as his scent got stronger. The wolf pup expected to touch someone, but he didn't. He frowned as the scent was quite strong. Then he put another step and bumped into something. He put his nose down. The source of the scent. Whut?! So small?!

"Who!?," he demanded. "You servant?"

all words left him. the chihuahua was like a deer in headlights before the approach of the toddling wolf pup. 

he was suddenly reminded that, ah, yes, he was simply terrific with children.

when the boy stepped on his toes, gucci let out a subdued yelp, and raised the paw which had felt the weight of a three months old wolf.

he laughed while balancing on three legs.

"oh naw naw naw, mah boy, do ya not remember me?" he hoped he did, although the chances were just about non-existent. "ahm your... well. no. let's go 'bout this another way."

the nobleman sat down, took in a breath, and then put his teacup paws on the pup's forelegs.

"son, who are you?"

Midas has not heard such a pitched sound before. Where he first wanted to step back, a second later it interested his young mind. His instinct... it reminded him of something. He couldn't place it. "No," Midas spoke, but he did give the small ... wolf?... another sniff. The male shook his head, no, it smelled of the pack, but was it? It was strange. Maybe it was just a small wolf.

It stroked his ego that he was bigger, that was a first. His tail raised with glee, showing off. Midas blinked as he was referred to as son. That wasn't correct. "No son. I'm Midas," he returned. "You small? Why?," he asked as he tried to feel for the other again. Something small was harder to locate when blind he found. The boy didn't realize he was blind.

FORGIVE ME I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT NOW 

HAVE APOLOGY ART 

his own slight falter at the negation embarrassed gucci. of course, a baby wouldn't remember! but, hope...

the nobleman cleared his throat.

"tha's right, you's my-das, a wonderful, healthy-" his eyes briefly swept over the cloudy pupils. "young boy, as's ya sistah. except girl."

"but, you're also a son. my son. that means that ah- well," he fought a smile. "ah m y'twos's papa."

his curved tail swept the floor in broad, joyous strokes. the chihuahua set his paws down.

( by god, the boy's were huge! )

"n that mean that fram now on, ah shall take care'acha. you n medusa likewise."

Medusa was quiet in the background. 

Unfamiliar things unnerved her. And in so many ways but one, Gucci was that. Midas was brave, and fielded it all well without her. Medusa remained in the shadows, but close still. Medusa did not like Jawahir, but at least she had been familiar. Medusa did not like that she had gone. 

Midas posed good questions. And gave good answers. Medusa, at last, came to his side at Gucci's final words. She did not deny him the reason he had come, but she pointed out, perhaps a little colder than any her age ought to be (though such was natural for one who knew very little warmth): We taking care of each other, and here she leaned against Midas. 

Her suspicion was apparent. But... she did not rally against his claim. Like Midas, there was something familiar about him... something that caused her to say no more than this, because... well, whatever a papa was, perhaps that was who this was. They had known slave; they had known teacher. 

Papa... it was new. 

she relied upon Midas to choose, though. Ultimately, she followed his path.

THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL GIFT!!!! <3 <3

Midas turned his head from side to side while listening. The voice came from down low, which he still needed to get used to. But he could also sense... insecurity? He didn't know how to deal with that, as the other had never been met with this type of behavior. He knew he was healthy and strong.

"What is a papa? Why are you papa?," Midas asked, being that annoying phase where everything was answered with 'why'. "You will be our new Jawahir?" He wasn't really excited about that which showed the boy's expression and stiff body posture. It did soften when Medusa came up next to him. 'We do." He agreed.

the shy girl stepped out into the light, where her pretty cream coat could be clearly seen, and came to stand besides her brother, oozing sororal protectiveness.

gucci thought his heart would melt. 

the nobleman kept himself firmly composed, however, only the accelerated sweeps of his tail betraying him. treating the words of the children with utmost respect, he nodded solemnly at medusa's statement, then vocalized for the boy's convenience.

"as ya should do, n as ya shall do."

pulling out half a decade old memories, gucci filled his voice with all the parental firmness and wisdom his own mama once wielded. he then hammed it up a bit.

"young'uns- the greatest gifts ya ever got were life, n each other. ah expect ya t' fer all time be supportive n lovin' to one another, but - n to answer ya, midas - you're still children, n so ya need adults t' guide'cha."

"-s where ah come in. jaw-ah-here nursed ya (and ah 'spect ya t' be respectful n grateful t' them fer that!) but y'two're destined fer grander thangs!" his tail swept upward, towards the bustling fullness of lion's head mesa. "as y'two's papa, ah shall guide ya inta becomin' sah-plen-did grown-ups! th' thangs ya'll see, th' folk ya'll meet... princes, princesses, kings n queens! fighters n talkers, folk from close by n far away - e'ery corner o' this tower n the lands beyond it!"

the enthusiasm was getting him winded, but still gucci looked medusa in the eye with a bright grin, hoping that if she comprehended but a fraction of what he spoke of, so would her brother.

"ah shall see to it you're learned in e'ery skill needed, but at the end o' the day, most o' all... ah'd be happiest t' jest be ya'll's papa. someone ya can trust ne'er t' hurtcha, ne'er t' abandon ya."

the grin wasn't there anymore, but his curved smile was filled with sincere, simple warmth.