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At the start of the day, Isikoro had come to the beach with a clean smile and a relatively good attitude. By the end of the day, the lines on Isi's face had deepened and his face was set into a firm and distinct frown. He had hobbled away from the scene near the bar where he had encountered two girls of opposite means. One was peppy and joyful while the other was bad-tempered and...Isi didn't know what else, nor did he bother to care. What he DID know was that he wanted to get away from the beach as fast as possible and go curl up at home where the couch was soft and the ground was solid.

Another thing he was worried about was the fact that Aphismet had seen the trouble happen. There was NO way that he could escape an interrogation in the car about the ordeal.

Isi sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about girl trouble.

The walk to the car had been a work out for Isi since he didn't have much energy left to spend on fighting the suction cup grip of the sand with his crutches. So when he finally got to the car, he leaned against the hot metal and took a breather, waiting for Aphi to get in the other side and unlock the doors. Rivener and Eiry were also making their way back, but Eiry was showing a little apprehension to the vehicle.

Eiry, on the other hand, had an okay day. He was able to pull off miscellaneous pranks like throwing water balloons at people, stuffing people's heads into pies and stealing the left over pies for his own amusement. So over all he didn't have a bad day, but he didn't have a good day either, especially after he got hit in the Paint ball game.

Now it was time to head home. Eiry was excited to get back home to the nice musty marsh...But he wasn't excited about the way they were getting back. He never liked cars. He made a loud groaning sound as he came close to the car and slunk behind Rivener.

When Aphi asked about Isi's day at the Lab 305 event on the beach, the crippled boy could only muster enough will to reply with a stifled and unenthusiastic "mmhmm". He didn't want to say anything that would ruin the rest of his brother's evening, but then again, he didn't want to ignore Aphi completely. He simply crawled into the car, stuck his seatbelt over his waist and hugged his crutches, hoping for a quiet ride home.

Which, is almost NEVER the case. The car was always buzzing with talk, one way or another. If it wasn't Aphi and Isi talking, it was Aphi talking with Riv or Eiry telling Poe tales, Riv attempting to calm Eiry down, Isi scolding Eiry, or, if worst came to worst, Eiry weeping and whining in the back of the car.

Thankfully, Eiry was being somewhat good for the ride back home. As soon as he was coaxed into the car, he super-glued himself to Riv, almost burying himself underneath his brother's arm and sharing practically the same seat belt. When it came to riding in the car, Eiry did his best to shut his eyes for the entire trip and just ride it out clinging to Rivener while muttering poems from his favorite author.

"There are some qualities--some incorporate things,
That have a double life, which thus is made
A type of that twin entity which springs
From matter and light, evinced in solid and shade.
There is a two-fold Silence--sea and shore--"

When Aphi began to prod him about the "harem" he had accumulated at the beach bar, Isi slumped in his seat and scoffed, "It wasn't a harem. It was more like a...Like a...Torture session, if you will." he shifted in his seat and looked out the window, pressing his cheek against one of his crutches, "I would've had a great day if it weren't for the converging of them both."

Isi's fear of cooties had literally just begun. Earlier in life when he was at the orphanage, he did fine with girls, but then again at that age, children don't really notice the difference in genders. Now, because of the Lab's social affairs, Isi had been absorbed back into the life of the "outside world" and introduced to girls once again. He was alright with it at first...Until Lillian.

"The other girl's name is Namini," Isi corrected, although he wasn't sure if identifying her would do him an ounce of good, "I don't know her much besides the first time I had met her before. She seems nice. Really nice. Like...Candy commercial nice. But I don't know, I have to get to know her well if I were to give a definite say on anything. NOT like I want to get to know her more." he shot a glance at Aphismet, making sure that he didn't say anything that might get turned against him for more teasing.

Isi squirmed in his seat a bit more, stretching his aching sore legs and slumping heavily in his seat, "Lillian, on the other hand, is a selfish annoying brat who puts herself on a pedestal and shouts her own name from the mountain tops. She thinks so highly of herself and she doesn't have a caring bone in her body." Isi stated matter-of-factly with a nod of his head.

Eiry was immensely grateful for the protective arm that Rivener laid over his shoulders and he seemed to shake a lot less because of the botherly action. He squirmed a bit underneath so he could look up at Rivener's face and see what he was watching. It made him a little less scared if he could see Rivener.

Branches and all the leaves on them, he hated cars.

"Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,
Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces...Hey Rivener? What do your eyes see?"

Isi shrugged helplessly, trying his best to give off vibes that he was uncomforatble with this subject. He didn't know if those vibes would make Aphi change the subject or simply pry in further, but it was worth a try anyways. He hugged his crutches tighter to him and peered out over the top of the dashboard at the road before them.

"I don't know. I guess I just have to get to know Namini more. I've only but met her twice now. You know how I am, Aphi, I'm terrible when it comes to meeting new people...You're so outgoing and kind and everyone likes you. I wish that..." but before he could finish expressing his admiration for Aphi, Isi was suddenly struck with a defense for Lil. Isi scoffed at this, Aphi's description of her situation and all, "From the first moment she saw me she couldn't help but put me down and make me feel stupid." he grumbled, "I tried being polite and it always ends up foul. She doesn't like me so I don't like her." As an afterthought he added, "And I'm not a sourpuss."

Well, at least part of that was true. Isi seldom made ever lasting friendships on the first try. Aphismet was one of those people Isi found instant friendship in, but as for others...It usually remained a brief meeting or pleasant coincidence. His background, consisting of the orphange center, his incapability, and his long suffering years as Old Maasi's caretaker, didn't leave much room for him to practice with his social skills. He knew enough manners to turn down charity offers and enough wit to make up for his weakness, but that was about it. Public places made his frown deepen.

Gestures like Aphismet's fond russeling of Isi's hair, though, made the frown turn upside down.

Then Aphi asked another startling question. What kind of girl he would like? Isi stared dumbfoundedly at Aphi for a few moments before a hot blush burned onto his freckled cheeks. Due to reasons stated above, Isi had no idea what Aphismet was talking about when it came to girls and their types. He had never paid attention until Aphi suddenly brought it up.

Pinching his shoulders up to his neck Isi piqued, "I don't know. I didn't know that there were types!"

Eiry listened to each of the words Rivener told him, eating up the description like he ate death from planets. He kept his wide round eyes trained on his brother's handsome features, finding comfort in them in a place where he felt uncomfortable. Eiry was glad that he had Rivener as a brother, immensely glad. SO glad. ETERNALLY glad. Eiry knew, and believed with all his heart, that Rivener would always be there for him, like in cars or interacting with ghosts on their mansion. It made Eiry's half-formed chest swell with warmth.

At the mention of himself tucked underneath Rivener's wing, Eiry felt a small smile creep onto his grey features and he watched with happy eyes as Rivener tucked him closer with his wing. Responding with a brotherly wiggle of affection, Eiry settled himself contentedly in the nook of his brother's arm and chest. He was much less nervous now and he didn't shiver like he had done on the way there.

"My big brother is the best," Eiry stated matter-of-factly in probably one of his most comprehensible sentences ever.

Smitten?! Isi writhed at the thought of having a girl like Lillian after his heart. What? Why ever would a girl be mean in order to show her affection for someone? That didn't seem like it'd gain the affection of the other person at all! It would push that said person away instead of closer. What an awfully stupid way to show someone that they cared. Not that Isi wanted it the other way around. When it came to expressing emotions, Isi wasn't used to this new way of "going backwards" so to speak. He was blunt most of the time.

"Lillian? Like me?!" Isi groaned, and tightened his hug, trying to hide the growing blush on his features from his sure-to-be-watching big brother, "That's stupid, I'm younger than her and we don't get along at all! Even if she did, isn't it a stupid way of going about caring for someone? That's stupid." Isi didn't really have much else to say. He was too flustered by the idea of a girl liking him to think straight or even come up with a comprehensive argument.

Then Aphi got into types. Types? Now that just made it more confusing. Sure, Isi got along with Chloe. She was too sweet not to be liked. Now that he thought about it, Namini seemed to be a lot like Chloe. If he was given the chance, perhaps he'd come to like Namini too. She wasn't that badfor a girl when held up behind Lillian's glowering face. Alex, on the other hand, was definately someone he got along with. Perhaps it was because of her motherly nature that Isi liked her so much. It was true that he yearned for motherly attention and Alex was so kind to him. Ebony...Well, he started on the wrong foot with her. It was kind of his fault for being in a terrible moody state. Actually, it was all his fault. So he couldn't blame Ebony there. Aphismet and her got along quite well, so maybe he could be friends with her too. He needed to get out more. Rochan, he hadn't met yet, so nothing could be said much there. Isi thought despairingly on his weak connection with the outside world. He needed to get out more often, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for that much interaction yet. A foul thought or two was spared for his legs at that moment before he realized that Aphismet was still awaiting an answer.

"Well..." Isi thought aloud slowly, making sure to pick his words carefully, "If anything she would have to take care of me in a way that I wouldn't notice. She would...She'd have to make me laugh and feel comfortable about anything. She shouldn't be shy either, she'd have to like to do things, go places. She'd have to be strong and have a LOT of patience. And hardly ever be in a bad mood." Isi hoped inside that he wasn't describing the Lillian that Aphismet had come to know. That would be embarrassing. Trying to turn the tables around, Isi asked, "What about you, Aphi? What do you like about Chloe?"

Eiry thought for a quick moment on Rivener's proposal. He loved games! Especially games that he could win. But Eiry's intelligent brain couldn't come up with Eiry-wins-all games for the car. Those type of games were for OUTSIDE the car, not in it. So, Eiry quickly thought of a game that couldn't be won, one that required thinking, which Eiry was good at.

"Word Association!" piped the minty frei announced, happily watching as he was enclosed in a Rivener-made barricade of strong arms. The same small smile of contentment was plastered on his lifeless lips and he felt safe. The world of technology was something still too big and scary to Eiry. He enjoyed more the serene quiet of foresty places or the lazy marsh. But with Rivener there, he felt like he could handle the big world for a little while.

"I wordsay and, quickthinking, you say the first word which blooms in your mind. Then I do the same! Yes?"

Isi still firmly believed that boys and girls picking on each other was a fairly stupid idea. It seemed like it was only capable of backfiring and making things worse. Isi's idea of a relationship was something like what Aphi and Chloe did. Then again, that was his only time watching a relationship, so...There's that.

When Isi finally managed to divert the focus of the conversation away from himself and to Aphi, Isi listened patiently with a smile on his freckled cheeks. Personally, he was happy for Chloe and Aphi. He really liked how Aphi had something to look forward to out of the house and that he knew Chloe was being treated right. Then, when Aphi got a little TOO deep for his own comfort, saying that Chloe would make a wonderful wife and mother, Isi felt smacked in the face with a truckload of different emotions that jolted his brain into gear. The first emotion that hit was: Aphi really DOES like Chloe! Isi was used to the girlfriend concept by now, but he never really thought past that. Isi felt a little giddy that his brother was, perhaps, seriously in love with Chloe. The second emotion that hit was: ...How would that change things? Isi, first off, didn't cope well with change. He knew that to be one of his (many) flaws. His brain didn't get too far off, imagining the kinds of changes that would take place before he thought: ...Where would I fit into this? It wasn't a selfish emotion, rather than one that just tried to be a part of everything. Isi didn't want to be left out and a small fear took root in his heart. What if they forgot about him?

Isi stopped himself. That was a ridiculous and selfish thing to think. Of course they wouldn't forget him! He was fast friends with both of them and he knew that Aphi would always look out for him and so would Chloe. The thought of them getting together...seriously...would probably amount to great things! Imagine, Isi told himself, being gently nudged awake by Chloe for breakfast cooked by Aphi's hand and watching movies together at night...

Isi felt a hot blush wash over his features when he heard that Lil was most of what Isi had described for his ideal girl. That couldn't be. That simply couldn't be! Lil was callous and cruel to him, even if she was just trying to provoke a reaction. No, Isi gave Aphi a calculating eye before he lifted his brows and replied, "Lil certainly isn't that! Besides, what were you saying about Chloe, Aphi? A wonderful what?"

"Okay," Eiry agreed, trying his best to wipe his dictionary free of his own made-up words for the time being. He thought that the words he used were perfectly fine, they made more sense, in Eiry's opinion. Of course, the first word that would come to Eiry's brain was none other than the person he enjoyed most: Rivener! Without hesitation, Eiry blurted, "Brother!"

Isi caught him, Isi caught Aphi against a corner! The boy watched the driver with wide grey eyes which were more like a mouse at the moment than their usual stormy sea. This was big news. This was really big news and Isi wasn't sure if he could digest it. He heard it, tasted what it was that Aphi was implying, but he didn't really stomach it for what it really was and how big it would be. Chloe and Aphi...living together. That would be good...right? Yes, it would be good! They'd both have someone to rely on, someone to love. They got along well enough, they got along great! But still...One person was enough to change everything.

Noticing that Aphi might catch on to his unease, Isi plastered on as best of a smile he could pull. He didn't want to ruin Aphi's happiness, that was the last thing he wanted to do. What an irony that love would work in a way that least complied with both brothers. "Of course it's okay for you to love her, Aphi. That's great!" he said, "The more, the merrier right? We'll be a fine dandy family on the edge of the marshlands!"

Squeezed tight from the hug, Eiry wiggled in Rivener's arms, freeing his hands to clasp onto his brother's forearm as he giggled in glee. Only taking a fraction of a thought to think, Eiry piped, "Edgar."

How this came to be the first word that popped into his mouth, was that Eiry had thought of all the annoying things that personally pushed his buttons. Although Edgar would push more than one button, be more than just annoying but also scary and threatening, the said word connected to him first. He was annoying because he would always appear, regardless of what they did to him at his last appearance to keep him away in order to cause more strife at the Delaran home.