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06.06.05 - She had been at a complete loss. Sajhiri had been taking an inconsolable Naeva for a walk in her stroller and doing her best to still the child's fussing and crying. She was often this way when *Washu* took baby Rebecca for the day. No amount of cooing, soothing words, toys, or bottles seemed to calm the distressed infant in the stroller, and Jhiri was about to give up and go back home when suddenly the fussing stopped.

The woman looked in the direction the child was focusing, suddenly docile, calm, and strangely intent. She looked up at a building that was mildly familiar, and blinked. This was the place she'd run into Kamiki with that strange centaur-ish child before.

Naeva's hands reached towards the doors and she made a grunting sound. Sajhiri arched a brow in curiosity, a glimmer of possible understanding itching at the back of her mind. Perhaps the child was like Kamiki's adoptee as well, one of the special children she told her about.

The seraph scooped Naeva from her stroller and into her arms, securing the wheeled conveyance to a rail outside, and she carried the girl into the building proper.


Head resting against against the seat of a tattered couch, arch of her back pushing forward her already impressive belly, Naita listened to the sound of her temporary ward, eyes half closed, hands making circles over the mask tattoo on her swollen middle. The occupant of this area was kicking rather violently, something that had taken the woman somewhat by surprise. Since when did the brats get to torment you BEFORE birth?

A very short distance from her keeper, Breena played with five crystals, each a varying shade of grey. Each had been gifted her by inhabitants of the Manor, her true home.
Though holding the gifters in no affection, the infant rather liked the gifts, their cool surfaces like her own skin, never warming.



Spotting the woman with the expectant belly, Sajhiri ventured in a quiet voice, "Hello there. I don't mean to intrude but, ah, I visited here once before and now I think my adopted daughter might be..." She looked for a way to phrase this in a manner that if she were mistaken about her child, wouldn't make her seem like a nut.

"She might be suited to and welcome in this place." There, that should be vague enough to someone without a clue a bout these legendary beings but enough for someone in the know to catch on. She smiled nervously.

Naeva, on the other hand, stared at Breena and her crystals. She was perfectly still and calm in Sajhiri's arms, something that happened rarely.



Wait, did she say strange behaviour? Maybe it was part and parcel with these kids. She'd certainly never heard of a kid setting fire to a maid before meeting Breena.
"Strange behaviour? You should see this one, she's..."
Here Naita stopped, unsure whether Lady Siri would want it known that one of her wards was nuttier than a squirrel's den.
"... she's, uh, such a fussy eater."

While this was true, somehow the woman felt it might sound a bit odd, given her enthusiastic start.
"Anyway, I'm not that sure about the whole deal, Breena here aint my kiddo."

Eyes never leaving the other, Breena gathered her stones, choosing the one she liked least before holding it out to the other, her most perfect of expressions affixed.



Sajhiri 'Oh'd softly at the revelation and she smiled. "Ah, are you just taking care of her for someone else then?" She gestured towards Naita's belly, "And are congratulations in order as well? Oh where are my manners? I'm Sajhiri Jihaar, and this is Naeva. It's nice to meet you."

Naeva looked back at Sajhiri and Naita for a moment with a small scowl, as if she knew they were speaking about her and resented them for it. She then looked to Breena. "Floogarrr!" She announced to the other child in a short burst of meaningless sound.




Nodding at both the question and the introduction, Naita smiled once more.
"Mhmm, though congratulations seem like a cruel joke when it keeps kicking!"
Half laughing, half scowling at her belly through this remark, she once more raised her eyes to the other woman's face, to continue the conversation, mini-outburst over.
"Nice to meetcha. I'm Naita, and that there's Breena Siri. I'm looking after her for Lady Siri, until she gets back from court, with one of her other kiddos."

Floogarrr? Right... more babble from the ever articulate company abound in this place.
Still, the inability of her own infantile tongue to shape her thoughts exasperated Breena still, and her response to this was only slightly more tangible.
"Hallo. Cerssstyl?"
Gods, how she hated it when her body tangled with her mind. She had been attempting to ask the other if she cared to see her crystal.



Sajhiri smiled and chuckles softly as she settled into a seat not far from the children. "I sympathize, believe me. Rebecca was extremely active before she was born, and she still is. Between her and Naeva I live in a state of perpetual exhaustion."

Naeva cocked her head to one side and tried to repeat the Hello. It came out more of a "EwOOOOh!" however. Her eyes flitted to the crystal and she mumbled "Erglafoop..." It did seem somewhat affirmative in tone.



Active? Was that what they called it? Damned painful would be her own choice of words. But hey, each to their own.
"What encouraging words," she said simply, twinkle in her eye and laughter in her voice betraying the humour with which she approached most things.

Holding the small crystal out a tad more firmly, Breena again wrestled with the word, this time triumphant.
"Cccc...cccrystal?" she asked again, beaming with the utmost charm.

Though by no means a friendly, or benevolent, soul, the babe was a brilliant actress.



"Oh, don't let it offput you, it's worth all the aggravation and sleep deprivation. There's nothing like looking at that little face sound asleep in your arms and realizing...you made that happen. It's kind of mindboggling but in a good way." Sajhiri dug into her diaper bag and drew out a small wallet pictures book. She opened it to a photo of Naeva playing blocks with an adorable bald baby with angel wings above her ears and huge blue eyes. "That's Rebecca..."

Naeva seemed to finally grasp the meaning and she pointed toward the crystal, nodding her head. She tried to explain it was pretty, but the word that came out was something more like "Vlishpah!"



Pictures? Lord, Naita hoped she wasn't to become the typical proud parent. Surely any life containing her genes would feel the need to bite her, should she try.
Outwardly, however, she smiled and nodded at the pictures, 'ooh'-ing and 'ahh'-ing where appropriate.

Getting the general idea of the statement, Breena shuffled her way a tad closer to the other girl, still holding out the proffered gem.
Intriguing, holding out a gift seemed a way of instilling trust into another. This could prove useful knowledge...



Sajhiri grinned "You'll notice most parents take pictures when the kids are being sweet or cute. It helps you cling to sanity during the moments they're being monsters."

Naeva reached for the crystal but hesitated. Her eyes narrowed and she looked to Breena again as if studying her. Trusting was something this little girl was not. She poked a finger at the object as if checking to see if it would hurt her.



Grinning at this snippet of truth, even from an adoring parent, Naita chuckled appreciatively.
"Camer in hand 1% of the time, then?"

Of the crystal Naeva need not fear, for unlike it's owner, it was what it appeared to be.
Opening her chubby digits further, Breena continued to proffer the grey gem.



Sajhiri shook her head. "More like camera in hand 90% of the time, and used 1% of the time. They never stay little long enough, so it's sort of a desparate attempt to capture things your memory might lose later."

Naeva finally reached to grasp the gem in her hand, after making sure Sajhiri was close enough by to holler to if something went wrong. "Grooooo..." she murmured. It matched her eyes.



"If their behaviour in the belly is any indication, I'd have guessed that."

Satisifed, Breena smiled on the other girl. Excellent, some seeds of trust were sown. This girl was not to be the victim of immediate torment. In this case, it seemed best to build up some manner of knowledge. No sense playing for a moment, to lose the right to play later.



Naeva quietly studied the crystal. Something about it's attunement as an earth mineral spoke to her. It could be used to soothe, or to leech away pain, if used properly and in concert with the right herbs. The moment of lucidity beyond her years passed quickly, and she was once more oohing at a shiny thing. She made a valiant attempt to gum it to death in her mouth.

Sajhiri glanced over and asked quietly, "Is it ok for her to be chewing on that?"




"Hrm?" Naita grunted, before casting her eyes at the infant.
Shrugging, she grinned.
"Sure. Breenie's always being given 'em by Riife & Lady Siri, has a whole stash of the things."

Indeed, one crystal would always be replaced for Breena, and it was with approving eyes that she looked upon the rock's fate.
"Rrmph... ccc...cccoool..d" she burbled, attempting to get across the idea that 'oh my, isn't it nice that they stay cool?'



Gum...slobber...gum. Naeva continued to work the crystal in her mnouth, soothing the burgeoning itch of teeth preparing to come in. Her head dipped in a nod of acknowledgement to Breena and she looked behind her at the small pile of toys Sajhiri had set on her blanket. She grabbed a rattle and pushed it towards Breena in trade.

Sajhiri seemed relieved "I'll clean it off for you before we go."



Shrugging, Naia again cast a glance at the kids.
"Don't worry about it. If I know Breena, she wouldn't take the chance of something of hers getting dirty unless it was a gift."

Turned out Naita was right. Breena had no intention of taking back something that had been in another's mouth. Her dignity, even as an infant, was far too strong.
Still, she took the rattle with an assumption of gratitude, playing with it gently.

From this excercise she was, however, torn, as Naita went through the rather tiring effort of getting up.
"We'd best be heading off, I think. Breena's guardian's butler is delivering a load of her stuff soon, and I don't want my... the woman I live with to have to deal with it."

With this, she returned the rattle to Naeva, allowed Breena to utter a burbled goodbye, and wandered off, turning to give a parting wave before leaving.



Sajhiri smiled "It was nice meeting you Naita. And thank Breena's guardian for the lovely gift on Naeva's behalf."

Naeva managed to wave goodbye with one hand while the other held the crystal.

06.27.05 - "What on earth is this addlebrained woman doing?" thought Naeva as Sajhiri tried to drip some viscous, foreign fluid into Rebecca's eyes. Feeling her protectiveness of the infant surge through her she tried to stop her foster mother from torturing her adoptive sibling. She wrenched herself in the Sphinx's furry grasp and her fingers closed on a shank of Sajhiri's long, ebon hair. With all the might she could muster in her tiny form. "You idiot!" she thought, "You needs must boil tealeaves in a cloth pouch, cool the pouch, and press it to the eyes to cure this ailment!" Her infant mouth could only muster a frustrated wail of "Teacleforgrop!"

Sajhiri seemed oblivious to her warnings and she wailed as Rebecca was subjected to the drops. Her foster mother then turned on her! She tried to climb out of the Sphinx's grasp and over the furry being's shoulders to try and keep clear of the menacing dropper and it's mystery fluid. Her tiny limbs couldn't muster enough to escape, though, and soon she found herself bound beside Rebecca in the confining carrier she so loathed. She wailed and struggled, but it was in vain.

Rebecca's cries had ceased, and in panic she looked towards the girl, fearing the worst. However, the infant seemed fine, peaceful, and relieved of the heinous itching and swelling that had plagued the pair of them overnight. Perhaps Sajhiri had some herbalistic knowledge of these strange times she did not have. These bizarre thoughts which she could not connect anywhere in her mind began to fade back into the abyss as the fog of infancy returned to her. She stopped her struggles and accepted the drops placidly. Soon enough, she was sleeping soundly beside her sister.

07.25.05 - Sajhiri drifted through the aisles of the children's shop pushing her cart. Her head bobbed incessantly with little quirky jerks, not due to some strange malady, but due to Naeva gripping a lock of her hair and yanking on it every few seconds. The child and her psuedo sibling, Rebecca, were strapped into their carriers in the cart. Rebecca was ardently gnawing on a very mushy cheerio and cooing, oblivious to her mother's pain or her sibling's amusement.

Jhiri paused before a rack of beautiful dresses and accessories. "Now that is just what we're looking for girls. Picture day outfits of the highest calibre." She grinned and gently detached Naeva's pudgy baby fingers from her hair so she could straighten up and get a better look at the outfits.

"What do you think, girls? Pink for Rebecca and purple for Naeva, hm?" She plucked a pink satin dress off the rack with frilly lace at the collar, cuffs, and hem. It had a pretty purple sash around the middle, mirroring the purple dress beside it with the pink sash.

"Oh look there's even matching shoes!" She could barely keep the squee of excitement out of her voice as she found the children's sizes in the appropriate colors. "And a butterfly barrette for Naeva's hair. None for Bex though...not enough hair yet little love." She grinned, her daughter blew a raspberry at her in response.

She stood in line at the register and dabbed near-liquid cheerio and drool off Rebecca's chin with a baby blanket. "Now, you two are gonna be good for Mama *Washu* and I when we take you for your pictures, aren't you Bex and Naeva? And You..." She settled a pacifier in Naeva's grip to protect her hair, "...are going to smile for me in your picture session, aren't you?"

Naeva gave Sajhiri what would have been considered a dirty look were it given by someone other than an infant. She looked at the purple dress as if she were appalled and her bottom lip poked out a good inch in a fierce little pout.

"Someone need to be changed?" Sajhiri queried, mistaking the baby's disdain for a potty incident. She handed over her Gaian Express card and tried not to throw up at the price of the fancy outfits. Baby pictures were forever though, so she sucked it up.

Rebecca began to idly chew on the butterfly barrette meant for Naeva. Naeva watched her and smiled a little, as if amused or charmed by the act of the other infant.

The cashier handed the credit card receipt to Sajhiri with a painted on, practiced smile. "There you are Mrs. Jihaar-Draconis. Thank you for shopping at the Perfect Child! Hope to see you again soon!" Package laden, the trio headed back to the car.

08.04.05 - The door to the clinic swung open and Sajhiri made her way inside, the double stroller she pushed bouncing with the laughter of the pair of children inside. Rebecca and Naeva were secured in their seats and shifting about excitedly, murmuring and giggling, and letting out little high pitched squeals. Sajhiri looked flustered and nervous as the door closed behind her, and she hustled to the reception desk.

Sajhiri signed Rebecca and Naeva in on the registry before looking about to find a spot to settle with the pair of extremely hyper children. She found an empty couch and pulled the stroller close, peering at her daughters worriedly. "I don't know what you two ate, but you're like a pair of neurotic chihuahuas at the moment."

Morgan slips into the clinic, closing the door quickly against the oppressive heat outside. The dark haired woman hadn't been by the clinic in a while, not that she was expecting anytime well at all but it was nice to be around all the children and families sometimes. Speaking of families, she quickly noticed Sajhiri and her pair, hard not to with the amount of noise the two infants were making in the deserted room. "Hello." Morgan greeted politely making her way over to a couch.

Sajhiri's eyes snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice. She looked relieved to see Morgan, though a bit confused to see her outside of the shop Morgan managed for her. "Hey there..." Her head jerked at the last syllable as Rebecca's hand snapped out at her and grabbed a lock of hair with an energetic YANK! Sajhiri grunted. "Bex, that's not nice, let go of mommy's hair, please..."

Naeva smacked her hands on the little tray table in front of her, making her own special kind of completely tuneless music.

A redhead female walks in the clinic and her curious silverish green eyes scans the surrounding but couldn't find anybody except two females and children. Caitlyn wrings her fingers around before she walks over to them tentatively hoping to meet some friends and ensure that she will always have a place here. She smiles gently at Rebecca as she tilts her head to side. "Cute baby you have there, ma'am" she mumurs lightly

A younger version of Caitlyn, looking like she is 6 years old giggles loudly as she tails in behind her mother peering up at the strangers from her position behind her mother's legs. Kaellynn Autumn's outfit betrays her father's contributions to her as High Elf. She wears long elvish green dress accompanying with elvish circlet and she fusses with her hair, wanting it to be up in bun or ponytail. She squeaks as she sees Rebecca. "Baby!!!"

Morgan grinned. "Lively pair you have there." She observed, relaxing back on a couch. "How've you been?" The raven-haired woman asked, raising her voice a little to be heard over Naeva's "music". Suddenly Morgan felt inexplicably relieved that she had had her own daughters so far apart in age. Sajhiri definately had her respect for handling two babies and not pulling her own hair out.

Naeva squirmed in her seat for a moment, then shoved her hands under her, pulling them back out with a rattle in her grasp. She began to slam it onto the stroller's tray table loudly, yowling what might pass for the infant version of a song.

Sajhiri attempted to peel Rebecca's fingers away from the lock of hair she was so ardently clutching, her eyes narrowing in pain as her scalp began to throb from the incessant pulling. With a final yelp, she managed to release herself, albeit leaving a few dozen strands of hair in the baby's chubby fist. "Yeah...she's cute alright..." She quipped to Caitlyn, "That really smarts when she does that. She's got quite a grip."

Rebecca squealed when Caitlyn's daughter acknowledged her and she clapped her hands merrily.Sajhiri sighed and rubbed the sore part of her scalp as she glanced back at Morgan. "I'm still breathing...so I must be doing all right. " She chuckled. "I think they ate something bad. They've been two balls of hyperactivity for the last hour, so I thought I'd better bring them in to get checked out."

Morgan smiled and nodded her head in greeting to the new woman her daughter that had just entered. "'Afternoon." She greeted warmly.
She cringed slightly as Naeva decided to increase her volume and the variety of noises she was making, then did her best to block it out. "An hour, huh? I'm surprised they haven't burned themselves out yet." Her dark blue eyes had widened with mild surprise. "Any idea what they could have gotten into?"

Sajhiri shook her head in the negative, frustration creasing her brow as she raised her voice to talk over the cacophany of chaotic noise the pair of babies was generating. "No idea! We were out in the garden. I think maybe they chewed some leaves or something." She frowns as she ponders the items in her garden near where they were resting.

Morgan chewed her lip sympathetically. Catnip immediately sprang to mind, except that it was supposed to have soothing effects on humans...well humaniods. She tried to think of any suggestions that might help but was distracted by Neava's enthusiatic noise.
In an attempt to bring some quiet, she leaned over towards the stroller, "hi there, little girl." She cooed at Naeva, waving a finger at the noisy toddler. "You're very noisy today, huh?" She asked in hopes of distracting her.
She glanced over at Sajhiri for a moment, "have they ever been this rambunctious before?"

The exasperated seraph shook her head at Morgan, "Nothing like this" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then started. "Oh bloody hell..." Sajhiri murmured. "I have Ilex paraguariensis in that area of the garden. There's caffiene in the leaves. I wonder if they were chewing on those...if that would have this effect."

Naeva eyed Morgan suspiciously, and proceeded to swing the rattle at the woman's face menacingly. Rebecca actually ceased her caterwauling for a moment to watch the confrontation. Sajhiri might be her mother, but Naeva had become her self appointed protector of sorts.

"You have what?" Morgan asked, thoroughly confused, the only thing that registered for her was caffiene, the woman had never been much of a botanist.
"Woah! Easy there, little one, I come in peace." Morgan soothed but leaned back out of the way of the rattle, she had no desire to get wacked in the face with a hard piece of plastic. "Very protective now, aren't we?"

Looking rather embarassed, Sajhiri plucked the rattle out of Naeva's hands, giving a sheepish look of apology to Morgan. "She is, bizarrely so, but she's not a normal child to begin with, so maybe its just in her nature to protect a baby like Rebecca." Rebecca reached over to touch the shiny barette in Naeva's hair, and the darker child gave her pseudo sibling a smile. The two descended into a fit of giggles.

"Ilex is used to make some medicinal herb drinks because it has caffiene in it. I'm guessing that might be the culprit."

"Ah. I see, that would make sense." The second explanation made infinitely more sense to the half-elven woman.
Morgan shrugged and nodded, "understandable. She'd hardly know if I'm a threat or not anyway. But what do you mean, she's not a normal child?" The woman asked curiously then blushed, "sorry if that's too nosy."

Sajhiri reached over to stroke both babies heads in an effort to calm them down. "Oh, its not nosy, it's just hard to explain. From what little I understand, is she might be somehow reincarnated. So she might be retaining some memories and inclinations from her past life. I know that sounds odd, but it does explain a lot."

Morgan nodded slightly, "It sounds like a concept similiar to the Fa'e rebirth." She remarked, inwardly thankful that regardless of what the baby was exactly she had stopped making quite so much noise. "I've seen and heard a lot of odd things since I came to Gaia, it makes a fair amount of sense compared to somethings." Morgan smiled, Gaia was indeed a strange place, something that gave it charm.

Sajhiri smiled down at the girls in the stroller gently. "Nothing in Gaia surprises me anymore. So much has happened to me since I arrived here almost two years ago. If anyone had told me I'd have Rebecca and Naeva here, I'd have called them crazy, let alone the rest of the Menagerie I'm responsible for." She chuckled softly. The babies began to yawn and look extremely tired. "What goes up...must come down."

Morgan nodded, "I've picked up quite an ecclectic group of creatures to care for myself." She admitted and smiled, looking at the two girls in teh carriage. They were quite adorable when they weren't making enough racket to wake the dead. "Well I doubt you'll have to worry about them sleeping through the night after this." She remarked.

Jhiri grinned. "I suppose not. But I want to be sure they're ok." The nurse called her name and Sajhiri stood. "It looks like we're up. Good to see you Morgan, I'll catch you back at the shop soon!" She pushed the stroller through the doors to the exam rooms.

"It was nice talking with you." Morgan nodded and waved as the trio left the room. Stretching, she glanced at her watch and stood up, time to be heading home, else HER menagerie would make a mess trying to find dinner. She headed back outside, making a face as she opened the door to the heat again.

08.17.05 - Sajhiri made her way into the building and carrying Naeva in her arms. She looked tired, but smiled nonetheless as she set the baby down on a blanket on the floor with a scattering of toys. She slumped into a chair and murmured "I am SO glad your sister is with *Washu* today. I'm exhausted."

Naeva looked up at her foster mother with a small frown. She didn't like being separated from Rebecca, and liked it even less when Rebecca was with her other mother. She didn't trust the rabbit eared lady at all. She looked at her toys grumpily and began seeing how far across the blanket she could throw them.

Sajhiri watched her curiously, trying to puzzle out her strange adopted daughter.

Sajhiri slid down out of her chair and sat on the blanket with Naeva. She handed her a bright blue block and watched as Naeva chucked it towards the blanket's edge.

Naeva narrowed her eyes at the edge of the blanket, imagining figures standing there, mocking her, calling for her to suffer. She flung toy after toy at the invisible tormentors, trying to destroy them, wanting them to suffer as she suffered. Her infant mind struggled with the inability to remember why she felt this way, what she had suffered, or who these shapeless, faceless tormentors were.

Sajhiri watched the intensity of the child's face with a troubled expression. There was a rage behind the clear grey eyes, and a revulsion that was out of place on the face of a baby. "What haunts you so deeply, little one?" she murmured softly. She gently plucked a rattle from Naeva's hand before she could throw it and gathered her up in her arms.

Naeva yowled as the weapon was taken from her, and moreso when her foster mother picked her up. She kicked and struggled mightily, but to no avail.

Sajhiri made soft sounds to try and soothe Naeva. "Come dear, lets go home and take a nap, I think maybe you need one." With that, she departed with the fussing child.