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Aki perked up at the voice, phone cradled between her ear and shoulder. "Sam! Is that you, sweetie?" Bumping the oven shut with her hip, Aki wiped her hands clean on a towel before taking the phone properly. "How are you doing?"

She spoke with that bright, gentle tone that one often used with children...one that happened to inspire jealousy almost instantly in Nisha. Staring up from the pile of crayons she'd been playing with, Nisha listened stonily to the conversation...royal blue snapping in her little fist.

Thirty seconds. Then she'd start screaming.

Aki narrowly averted the coming storm by covering the receiver with two fingers, leaning over to whisper to Nisha. "It's Samara! She wants to see you!" Nisha brightened almost instantly, and tried to scale Aki's leg in the same manner Sam was climbing on the desk.

"Reyna! I'm glad you called. I'm excited to see the finished piece, and...perhaps ask you a few questions, if you have the time for it." There was weary humor in her voice...apparently Aki had her hands full lately. One could only guess with who!

"We'd love to have you. Do you mind coming over? It's always easier with Desperate, here." Leaning to the side, away from Nisha's grabby hands, Aki struggled against the insistent child.

"Samsamsamsam...." Nisha's cross burbling echoed through the line.

"Perfect! I hope you're hungry!" She would have marveled at the timing, but in truth, Aki was almost always cooking. "See you then, and thanks!"

Nisha paused as she heard the squeal in the background, and lifted one hand in a pudgy wave as Aki clicked the phone off. "Now."

"She'll be here soon." Aki set the phone on the table, and shifted Nisha to her other hip. The girl was getting too big to carry, but Aki lost that battle long ago. "Are you excited to see your sister?"

Pale eyes wide, Nisha searched Aki's face for some sign of a joke. She had a brother, not a sister!

Laughing a bit at Nisha's startled look, Aki shrugged and set the girl back down at her chair by the crayons. "Well, you and Samara arrived at the same time, in the same place, in what had to be more or less the same way! I think that counts, don't you?"

Nisha dropped her eyes back to her picture of scribbled floating butterflies before picking up a scrap of royal blue. "Mine."

For a moment, there was no response...until the panes of glass under Fragment's little paws began to vibrate. The vibration turned to shaking, dirt dancing in the flower pots, and escalated until it sounded like an avalanche had filled Aki's house.

As suddenly as it started, the noise stopped at its peak...with an odd squeak and a heavy thump against the door. "Desperate! NO RUNNING INSIDE!" Aki's voice was muffled until she yanked open the door with a harried smile.

"Hi guys, please! Come in! Sorry about that!" The massive Daemon lurked behind her, his eyes level with Aki's shoulder. His ears flapped in excitement, weight shifting from foot to foot.

As soon as she saw Sam, Nisha started to kick and arch against Aki, demanding to be put down. "SAM." It was a command, to be sure, but who knows who it was meant for! Once she reached the ground, Nisha toddled toward the other girl, one hand on the railing. She was more than old enough to walk properly...she simply didn't care too.

Stepping back, and shooing Desperate with one hand, Aki motioned them in with a slightly more relaxed smile. Obviously, the sight of a five hundred pound pachyderm hurtling down a hall had rattled her.

"We're glad you could make it!" The Villa had old splendour on the outside, crumbling stone and twining roses, with carefully carved column caps. On the inside, however, it was a bit more modern...long vertical hangings breaking up the expanses of grey stone walls. Light filtered in through sheers over the arched french double windows, which overlooked the sea below the cliffs. "Join us in the kitchen?"

Nisha was already reaching for Samara, so Aki offered a hand warmly to Reyna...wishing for a hug, but too reserved to initiate. The woman had always brought a bit of pink to her cheeks, it was hard being informal with someone you admired!

Nisha nodded with slow pride, looking forward into her own home with new eyes. Was it nice? It was old looking, to her...she thought the hotel with the big crystal chandeliers in town was the prettiest! "Yus. Mine."

Bringing her pudgy hands together in a sharp, imperious clap, Nisha lifted her eyes to her Daemon. It was hard to say how such pale golden eyes could produce a look so dark, but the child pulled it off flawlessly. Without a moments delay, Desperate dropped first to one knee, then the other...lowering himself enough for his girl to climb aboard.

"'Up, sister." Another command, but this one with a smile, as Nisha held her little hand out to Samara to follow.

Trying to ignore the elephant riding, which was supposed to be a 'sometimes' activity, Aki nodded as her guest entered. "Welcome." Aki said simply, and gave Reyna's hand a squeeze. She let it fall as she turned to lead, propping the door open to let in the cool evening air. "I was curious if-"

"Heeey." A new voice echoed, in that split tone of a young man almost matured. Levi slouched in the doorway to the kitchen, a drumstick in one hand, as he gave Reyna a long look. "Met y' before, eh? M'Levi." He gave Reyna a nod, bringing a furious blush to Aki's cheek with the implication in his eyes. Where the hell had he learned that look?!

"Levi, you...HEY! That was for dinner!" It took a moment for the turkey leg in his hand to register, but when it did, Aki forgot all about the coy introduction.

"IS mah dinner!" Levi protested, backing up. He offered Reyna a half salute as he retreated, knowing some arguments just couldn't be won.

Levi waved over one shoulder as he disappeared through the kitchen, out the back to the trails that led to the docks. Aki was glad he wasn't there to see her glance up at Reyna in shy surprise.

"A....gift! Is it...?" She couldn't quite say it, but her face was obviously hopeful. She'd been looking forward to Reyna's work for sometime, but to be honest, this was faster than she'd expected! Obviously a favor, and it warmed her to think such. She pulled out a chair at the table for Reyna absently as they spoke.

"Goh." Nisha pointed forward, feeling brave with little Sam against her back. Desperate was more than big enough to carry them both, cause they were little, but Aki wouldn't let Levi ride at all. When he's older, the woman always said, but Nisha never knew if she meant the pirate or the pachyderm!

Desperate trundled forward obediently, toward Nisha's room. He still fit neatly in the hallways, even if they did have to pull up their legs to fit in the door. Nisha giggled as he squeezed through the archway, and gave him a rare satisfied pat. The Daemon nearly purred.

"S'my room." Her speech was a bit lazy, a bit like her older brothers, for sure. "Wanna play?" She twisted around to ask Sam the question directly, golden eyes serious in her round, pale face.

Our room, Desperate echoed, for Fragment's benefit.

Aki was speechless. The delicate patterns of gold over crimson were simply enchanting, and Reyna had actually managed to give a stone with so much bulk an elegant air. With careful fingers, Aki lifted it from the box...watching it spin slowly in the filtered light.

"Reyna..." When she finally found her voice, it was warm and genuine. "It's beautiful! It's abso-HEY." Slender coral fingers closed in mid air as Aki pulled the piece forward, out of reach. The arm retreated over her shoulder, and a pair of dazzling eyes peeked out from around the fall of Aki's hair. "It already a source of envy! Reyna, Coral." The humor in her voice was obvious, and after the introduction Aki held up the piece again (just out of the reach of little fingers), for all to admire. "I have two things to thank you for!"

Nisha slid off, onto her bed, taking Sam's hand as she passed. The result pulled both girls down in a pile of giggles, swamped in a sea of silks and cushions. The bed had always been Nisha's favorite part of the room...it wasn't big enough for Desperate any more, but naps were still her number one priority. But naps weren't a game, they were Serious. What should they play?

Honestly, Nisha rarely played with others, especially her own age. Didn't like most of them, at the least. "You pick!" The room was a mess, with clothes and trinkets and toys strewn about...the options were endless! While they considered, Nisha picked up the corner of one of her blankets, draping it over Fragments carefully. Even if he didn't want to take a nap, he looked cute peeking out from under it!