Welcome to Gaia! ::

Vlad looked at the address for the third time since they had arrived in Durem. He still wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to visit this 'Balcombe Curiosities' but he did not have a choice.... Especially since he had a child in place of the now 'lifeless' violin.

If it hadn't been for Vlad holding her hand she would have easily become lost. She had a hard time keeping up- everything was new to her. She wanted to constantly stop and look around, especially when something made noise.

Vlad looked up when he heard the tingle of a bell when he opened the shops door. This place wasn't much different than the ones his mother use to describe when they asked for stories on where they had come from.

Once the door was shut Victoria pulled away from Vlad- there was so much to explore. And, that box of junk certainly looked intriguing.

Vlad swiveled his own ears as he looked the place and the people in it over. Coming from a family of far but normal there was hardly anything out of place here... Well, maybe the fact that the child was buried under a pile of 'junk'.

Victoria interested more in the objects than the people present ignored everything around her. She stood up on her tip toes to look over the counter. It was hard to say what exactly had caught her attention- because even a broken toy could do the trick.

"Name's Vlad," Vlad finally said. "I expect that you've been expecting me," he snorted. "I know that's how it works... It's no different than some of my siblings. I just wished that the gift given to me had come with a warning..."

Victoria looked over her shoulder and through her curls towards Vlad. She giggled as if she knew exactly what was going on.

Vlad curled and uncurled the tip of his tail as he watched the woman and small child interact. It was in those moments that he took time to think. He hardly understood how one could not know... Everyone of his sisters his Mother and shop keeper had, had some clue before their existence. Then again if it was true as she said and the building 'forced' others to give items then there was a good chance that she didn't know anything at all... But, still didn't she at least have to have an idea about the items.

"A violin," Vlad finally said as he glanced over at Victoria. "Actually, I brought it with me... Not that it is going to do anyone any good now. It is like the life was sucked right out of it when she came about... Not that I'm complaining because a child is certianly more precious."

Victoria glanced at the boy who had spoken to her. She gave a small pout as she moved just so (purely for attention purposes). For a girl her age she certianly did have years on her as far as expressions and body language went. "I'll know when I see it," she said as she turned her attention back to the direction she was originally looking in. She knew exactly what she was doing, and that was playing hard to get.

"He's in for it you know," Vlad said after a moment of watching Victoria interact with the other young boy who like her probably came from an object of some sort.

He held the violin case with one hand and opened it with the other. "I wasn't sure if you'd need it for anything so I brought it with me. I suppose I could just chuck it into a closet or something because it is completely useless now." A glance into the case and you could see the now slightly grayish violin due the color going straight into her hair. "There were strings and an ivory pattern... The ivy's obvious but the strings aren't. They are on her back..."

"I'm sorry to hear that not everyone is as enthused about a child. If they were as surprised as I was perhaps it is just due to them being overwhelmed," he grinned. "In our family the rule was 'there is always room for another." He wasn't about to say it. But, he could also understand if a human or close to one was given a child with everything but normal appearance and abilities. "They'll come around." He swung his tail forward and wrapped it around his leg.

"Silly, how does anyone know what they want until they've seen it..." Victoria giggled. Finding nothing of interest she decided to turn around and face the boy who she was conversing with. It was a slow, and almost dance like spin. Every curl swaying with her to fall into place once she stopped. She put her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels. She batted her eyes and giggled again. "He's cute," she said in reference to the snake. "Does he have a name?"

"I'll feel sorry for you," Vlad laughed. "Because if he never shuts up then you are the one who has to play 20 something plus questions and is probably forced into keeping late hours."

Vlad drew in a deep breath when he heard the words 'he's cute' coming out of Victoria's mouth. He was panicking, but he didn't realize this until he released the breath he'd been holding once he heard her question to him about the serpent.

"Wasn't exactly sure because my sister's that were items well became children. They never came from items," Vlad smiled. "But, now that I know I'll mount it on her bedroom wall. It would be a fitting place," he closed the case. "Thank you though for offering to keep it safe."

"Not a happy camper?" Vlad chuckled. "Some kids you can never please." He was referring to the one Switch was holding.

Victoria grinned when Kay held the serpents mouth shut. She never lost eye contact with either Kay or the serpent. "Nahual," she whispered. Without hesitation she leaned forward to run her hand along the top of the serpent. "He almost feels like my daddy's tail... Just not so bumpy." She giggled.

"Do the two of you get into a lot of trouble?" Victoria asked in an innocent enough voice as she returned her hands to rest behind her once more. It was after all just pure curiosity.

After seeing the cuts on her hands he thought for a second. "My skins a lot thicker than it looks," he finally replied. And before he took another breath he'd turned red and scaly. "Far as I can go without tearing down the shop," he chuckled. "Dragons in full form aren't meant to be housed indoors," he winked. "My mother learned that the hard way. Though my brother and me weren't quite as big as we are now. We learned to shift fairly early on."

"Yes I would like to sit down," he said as he let himself return to something of a normal appearance. There was no getting rid of the ears, the tail, the horns, or the mass amount of red freckles. "It looks like we could be a while," he said as he glanced over at the two that were off to a good start as far as friendship went.

Victoria laughed at the fact of he inadvertently admitted to getting into trouble. "Just don't let curiosity get the better of you... They say it can even kill cats." So, she'd messed up the entire purpose of an old saying... But, hey she was still young and it was bound to happen.

Victoria looked down at Kay's hand the moment it had come in contact with her wrist. She didn't let on that it had caught her off guard. She didn't have a chance to recover before she was forced into using her feet. She took a moment to brush her curls and her dress back into place the moment they came to a stop in the corner of the shop.

"This is interesting," she said as she looked down at what she was now holding. Most girls would probably have have dropped it and ran back to their parents screaming... But, not here- after all it was more like a novelty thing. Dead, cured, and harmless.

"By the way, my name's Victoria," she smiled as she looked up from the shrunken head and into his eyes.

"Teach me," she finally said as her response to wanting to play. She had a high learning curve so it would take but a couple of times.

Vlad had no intentions of unsettling the boy or taking him from his mom. He just grinned when he saw how much more clingy he had become.

"By the time we came along... Hatched out of our eggs of course... She was completely use to the abnormal," Vlad chuckled. "No offense taken... I don't know if we were the most frightening or not. She never really spoke of her fears, just her joys," he smiled.

Vlad glanced at the chair. Before sitting down he pulled out the one Switch would be sitting in. "Ladies first, even before guests."

"Victoria certainly is something else," Vlad said with some hesitation. Growing up around girls he thought he'd about seen all types of girls. Apparently he was wrong.

"Nice to meet you to," Victoria said as she brushed her curls out of her face. She put her hands behind her once more and rocked back and forth on her heels as she watched him have a go at what he had just instructed. Though she only looked like she was half paying attention she was actually paying total attention. It was all an act to have some leverage later on.

When the shrunken head knocked all the pins over and he whooped in victory she giggled. "You're good at this," she said softly. She wanted to ask if it was skill or luck but decided otherwise. There was nothing wrong with boosting a boys ego.

She did what he asked. But, she didn't need to be told to wait while he set the pins up. She wasn't about to to go out of her way when someone else was willing to do the work for her. She stood there and continued to look pretty and innocent.

Victoria looked down at their hands when the head was handed to her. She turned the head and fumbled with it for a second. It was all an act on her part. "Like this?" She asked as she finally put her fingers in position.

"Pleasure," he smiled. "However, I think I should be the one saying thank you. After all you are the one who offered me a seat," he said as he sat down to the chair the she motioned to. "He seems to have loosened up a bit," he grinned at the tot who was content to play with Switch's hair.

"A little to grown at times," Vlad said as he glanced over at Victoria. He knew better than anyone what she was up to without being told. After all he had experienced it himself on more than one occasion. "I'm not sure if it has something to do with the age of the violin or what..."

Victoria was at the cross roads again. What to do. Do as instructed and knock them all down? Or play 'dumb' and loose. Having not know him for too long she wasn't exactly sure what would give the best outcome.

"I like to collect things myself... Don't always know what I'm collecting but still," Victoria stalled as she continued to think it through. From the corner of her eye she watched Kay's demonstration. She realized that he was competitive to a good extend.

Finally Victoria nodded her head. She was going to give the boy a run for his money. She positioned her body just so, and gave Mrrh a roll. "How's that for a roll?" She asked as she looked over at Kay.