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Kirika's face brightened in a deep smile, and Aura giggled, pleased. Maybe the older lady wasn't so bad after all. She made Isys laugh, and that was no mean feat. Mirelle's smirk turned a shade more affectionate at the flare of empathy from the babe. Now that was something she hadn't seen more than once or twice. Her gaze softened as she looked at Isys. "Well well. Good job, kiddo. You should laugh more often, it's cute."

Cody, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at Norii's comment. "Caution and stupidity can be confused sometimes." He pointed out coolly. Just because he didn't understand Yamazaki's hesitation with telepaths didn't mean this lady could mock him over it. Mom never did.

Mirelle raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kirika, who just shrugged. She certainly didn't know what the rant was about - though, as she caught the comment about marrying, the dark-haired teen had to work not to grin. Apparently, her mother and Yamazaki had something else in common - both had family members wanting them to marry people.

A strangled mental laugh came from Cody despite his attempt to muffle the sudden thought that sprang to mind at this new knowledge, a vivid mental image of Yamazaki with a blond, extremely chesty bimbo in a very skimpy version of a wedding dress. Aura blinked, puzzled, as Mirelle whacked her younger brother upside the head. "That's not funny, Cody!"

"Whaaat?!?" The youth put on his best innocent expression, which fooled no one. Then, unable to help himself, he burst into laughter. "You can't tell me that wouldn't be the funniest thing you've ever seen." He held up a hand in protest. "It's not my fault! I get it from Mom, I swear!"

"And what is this you get from me, Cody?" Rune stood in the open doorway, arms folded casually, thick mane of curls just shimmering from golden brown to deep blue. She was dressed in her usual Council outfit - specially-designed slacks that mimicked fencing trousers, silver-tooled boots, a form-fitting T-shirt and a matching sapphire leather vest. The sword-belt normally at her waist had been discarded at the door, though a dagger on her hip and one tucked in each boot had yet to be put aside. Silver armbands decorated with spirals and dragons clasped around each forearm, close to the wrist.

Emerald eyes sparkled with good humor as she glanced up to Yamazaki, one brow quirking slightly before she smiled at the tall woman before her. "Hello, m'am. I'm sorry I wasn't available immediately, there were a few things to take care of. I'm Rune Traverse."

OW.

To say the shout was painful was a bit of an understatement. Aura yelped and covered her small ears, staggering back a step; Cody winced, Kirika making a small noise of her own as Mirelle held up a hand. What in all hells was this idiot woman yelling for? And what was - oh, my. That was - and Yamazaki -

Is that even physically possible? I'd think they'd pass out after a few minutes.

Cody gave his blonde sister an elbow in the ribs. "Oh, thanks. I wanted to know my sister could have the same dirty mind as this bimbo."

Rune managed a momentary thought of thanks - inane as it was - that she'd been put through hell in training for just such a blow. Though it rocked her back on her heels a bit, she knew she'd taken the brunt of the 'blast,' and it could have been much worse. Still, it wasn't the shout that had her stunned. Rather, it was the content of the images that followed. Blinking once, then twice, she stared at Norii with an expression of utter confusion. "What?"

Instinct from hundreds on hundreds of such tackles took over, and Rune ducked the lunge, rolling on the floor and crashing haphazardly into the legs of one desk as she narrowly avoided the older woman's grasp. "Ow." She muttered, scrambling farther away and to her feet in the same rolling motion. "That's gonna leave a mark." On her toes again, she backed away a few steps, regaining her balance swiftly. "What the hell did I do?"

"Existed?" Mirelle asked flippantly, relaxing her stance as it became clear her mother wasn't in danger - yet. "I dunno, I think she's nuts. I'd say the smack rattled her brains, but wouldn't that mean the hit came first?"

"What was she doing right before this?" The Water Slider demanded from the room at large, more inclined to ask the people where WEREN'T trying to kill her. Kirika shrugged as puzzled as she was watchful. "I dunno, she was playing with Isys - then she saw the markings and started talking about Yamazaki marrying - "

From the way Kirika's almond eyes widened to a nearly impossible size, her sentence trailing off into a nearly inaudible gasp, it was clear she'd just figured out what Norii was thinking. And from the shocked, utterly gleeful grin spreading across Cody's face, she wasn't the only one. The golden-haired Tenjutsu burst into peals of outright laughter, his entire body shaking with the force of his giggles. "Oh. My. Gawd." He managed to gasp out before falling into a chair and clutching at his sides, cracking up so hard tears ran down his cheeks. "Oh, oh - Mom - ha!!!!"

"Ow ow ow ow - HOLD IT!" Rune - having backpedaled away from Norii until her back hit a table - held up a hand and muttered a cantrip under her breath, freezing the air around the older woman with Air magic. And blessing the fact that Domino had taught her that particular spell in a moment of boredom while they waited for Ri.

Who, as though on cue, bolted through the door with a snarl that would have done credit to a full-grown lioness. Blue energy sparked around her eyes and crawled across both hands in long, jagged trails, the dragon tattoos usually settled on her forearms now writhing and twisting with fury of their own. "Now listen here, you overblown - "

"Ri, don't." Rune motioned her cousin back sternly, turning a glare on the Coloured Eye when she noticed Ri's left eye glowing fiercely sapphire. "I mean it, Ri! Tone it down, she's a guest."

"Guest my - " With visible effort, Ri took a deep breath and let it out slowly, biting her tongue in the process to avoid saying something else incredibly insulting. Apparently counting to ten, she let her hands fall in loose fists, relaxing back only a few notches. "Alright, fine. She's a guest."

Rune arched a brow, evidentally overhearing something the rest of them couldn't, and snorted with laughter. "No, that would not help." She retorted in English, and Ri smiled sheepishly. "Since when did you speak Heiraldic?"

"Last trip over, that was a blast." Rune's lips twisted wryly, eyes amused. "Remind me to thank you for NOT telling me what it feels like to get that dumped in your brain at fifty thousand miles an hour." Turning back to Norii, she tilted her head to one side, obviously still just as puzzled. And ignoring Cody, who was still gasping for breath in the chair. "Ms Yamazaki, I'm sorry but - "

"Mom - " Kirika sputtered, still looking a bit shell-shocked. She pointed to Yamazaki and Isys. "She thinks - you - Isys - "

"Isys?" Rune raised another eyebrow. "I'd never hurt Isys. She's - "

"No." Cody finally managed a decent sentence, voice still thick with laughter. "She thinks you're - that you're Isys' mom."

"What? No, she's Yamazaki's daughter." Obviously not getting the point, Rune looked back up at Norii, frowning. "I'm sure he told you that."

Ri blinked, her gaze flicking back and forth between Yamazaki and her cousin for a few seconds before it finally clicked. Not that she was thick-headed by any means; rather, like her fellow Water Slider, the idea just wasn't one that occured to her, particularly about Rune.

Unless it concerned Flint, but that was another story altogether.

Wide-eyed, the Coloured Eye burst into delighted laughter, her anger disappating in moments. "Oh, good grief." She snickered, almost as amused as her nephew. "Rune, like Ray."

"What, Ray and you - " Apparently, the words were enough to make a connection. Rune's jaw dropped open, gaping. "WHAT?!?" She spun to glare at Yamazaki. "She thinks Isys is MY baby?!?"

Cody chortled all over again. "Miss Yamazaki, m'am." He managed, wiping his eyes with one hand and speaking with his mind as well as his voice. "Mom's not Isys' mother, biological or otherwise. She doesn't even have any kids by blood. We're all adopted."

"Far as we know," Mirelle added wickedly, "Mom's never even - well, she's still a virgi - "

"Mirelle Bouquet Gunmetal Traverse, you finish that sentence and I will personally ground you for the rest of your natural life." Rune's face flushed scarlet, and Aura giggled.

"You can all bite me." Rune muttered under her breath, still flushing dark red. Which turned even darker as Mirelle snickered and opened her mouth. "Don't you dare, Mirelle."

The blonde shut her jaw and contented herself with laughing gleefully, a sentiment echoed by the rest of Rune's children and her pleased cousin. "Oh, that was beautiful." Ri shook her head, still chuckling. "This completely gets you back for the last stupid sculpture from the basement."

"NOW you get why I was crackin' up." Cody grinned broadly. Rune sighed and ignored her offspring, releasing the spell with an absentminded gesture as she stared at Yamazaki. "A piece of paper? You didn't tell me that."

Rune blinked, more than a bit puzzled. "They're not - I mean, they're not like - " A hand motion indicated her present daughters, " - they're human."

Ri snickered, ruffling Aura's bangs affectionately. "She means they reproduce sexually." She explained, ignoring the faint flush and death-look from her still embarrassed cousin. "Or get cloned scientifically, but well, that's kind of rare. Mostly, they're born same as a human."

Though considering she had neglected to ask Yamazaki's "species," the Coloured Eye reflected, it might not necessarily have been the best example. Still, it would get the point across, right?

"A piece of paper, spawning a Tenjutsu?" Mirelle frowned thoughtfully. "I know Chloe and Rose were spawned that way but - well, we had a hand in that, sort of. What happened when she was born?"