Journal Entry ██████ ███ ███ ██ ██ █ █ █ █ █ #001

A Princeling in a Bottle
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"It's for you!"

"Oh that..." Aubrey almost stumbled as flippered hands reached out on instinct, catching the delicate ball in the pads of his fingers, far too astonished that his erstwhile sibling had actually thrown the equivalent of a baby at him. All right, well perhaps it was more like an egg, really. "...that is definitely not mine!" Concern for the unborn Hyte was replaced with indignance, as he realized what the kitsune was implying.

"Oh but I am most certain it is." Katsu's grin was wide, a claw-tip flickering through a strand of his bright hair, smoothing the swept-back fall of tangerine. "Think of this one as a little brother or sister. I've already received mine, after all!" There was a cheery growl-like sound that thrummed from his throat as he almost over-reached himself in an attempt to entrap Amadeo, the shortest of the three standing in the kitchen, in a vigorous hair-ruffle.

"Ack!" There was rather violent batting in protest as the mule Hyte then side-stepped away from the harrassment. "I'm still putting you kids to bed, who are you calling little? Settle down, the both of you." The eldest of them, he returned to what he'd been doing, which was putting away dishes after the haphazardly concocted dinner of spaghetti and buttered corn had been consumed. Sometimes he rather wondered what he'd done to deserve a schedule like this one.

"Well he did just throw a baby-ball at me." Aubrey remarked shortly, unconsciously cradling the unborn Hyte to his midsection. "I think that might cause a bit of a stir in the vicinity of sane people." His amber eyes narrowed in the kitsune's direction.

Said kitsune sniggered. "Wrong house, Aubrey-sama." The rarely-used Japanese honorific thrown mockingly, as the lithe male then leaned back against the counter-top, unbuttoning the pastel button-up shirt that he'd worn to work that day. His tail was twitching, unspoken mischief given form there, as he regarded his siblings. "We were crazy since the day we popped our tubes. Old stock, remember?" A claw tapped at his own temple, bemused. "But ne, I wasn't fibbing. You're in charge of that one."

Aubrey scowled, eyes flickering between the offending fox and the sphere pressed to his chest. He was happy with neither one of them just now. The princeling wasn't precisely thrilled with the idea of such a burdening responsibility, that the delicate life seized betwixt his fingerpads would be supported solely by those same hands. Yet at the same time he couldn't very well trust this to Katsu...and Amadeo would just as likely flat out refuse to raise another 'ruffian', as he'd dubbed the lot of them. "Well I can't very well let you corrupt him, can I?" There was a certain level of miffed frigidity about the words.

Katsu gave the most satisfied of grins. "Well of course you could, ol' chap, but that really wouldn't be very brotherly of you now would it?" Already he knew full well that Aubrey was far too self-assured an individual to turn down the role of mentor, perhaps this would be a good learning experience for the younger Hyte.

The amphibious young man didn't reply, but instead turned the ball 'round in his hands. He rather hoped that this little snippet of royalty in a bottle was worth the time and effort he'd likely have to invest. Then again...it might be nice to have a sibling, and not be the youngest of the household.

The orange-haired male took that as his cue. Pushing himself off of the counter, tail swishing merrily behind him, he paused only at the doorway to look back at the toad. "Hey. And you might want to buy a tank."

"A what?"

"You know. Like a fish tank only...bigger. A lot bigger."

As Aubrey's mouth opened to ask the questions that obviously arose at such a suggestion, Katsu laughingly cut the prince off. "Have fun!" And then he was gone, off down the hallway, footfalls near-silent, despite his speed.

"Ah hell."

"Language, Aubrey!"