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Along with the sound of the doorbell came the tinking of broken class and a high pitched screech. Stephan cringed, not sure which to attend to first. He had forgotten about the playdate, and now wasn't really the best time. Apparently, Vega didn't like cheerios. Or bananas, or blueberries, or just about anything else. At least, nothing he was being given. Deciding that turning his back on the high-chaired Vega for a moment wouldn't be too horrible, he headed to answer the door, opening it just as the toddler let out another ear shattering scream. "Hey," he yelled, trying to be heard over Vega, "I um." Another crash, "Come on in."

Vega banged his now empty bowl on the plastic table of the highchair, screeching whenever he hit it hard enough to get a little recoil. He wanted crepes. How daft was this guy? God! Cold cereal and old fruit? And he actually expected him to eat that. And worse, orange juice with pulp in it. Ugh.

Stephan blinked. Stinky man? Oh... "Huh?" he asked, turning to Ari, "No, well, no, yeah, she- he's always like that. At least, so far. I think." He was rambling, but after three days with no sleep it was sort of expected. He started to walk back toward the highchair, dragging his feet. Vega was a tiring child, even when he was quiet. Deciding that Ina would be able to amuse him enough to not demand more attention, he dropped onto the couch, looking up to Ari with bloodshot eyes, "Are they all like this?"

Vega's mouth closed into a tiny o when Ina came near, but quickly turned to an offended scowl when she took his things. Sure, he didn't want them, but they were still his. No one had told her she could have them. He reached a tiny hand out and grabbed hold of a lock of her hair, giving it a hard tug, "No!"

Steps forced a smile, "So they'll grow out of it. Some at least." That was encouraging. But so far nothing Vega did had proved to have a simple solution. Even bath time was hell. The boy insisted on having his hair washed one certain way, and if Steps did it just one tiny bit off he'd stick his head in the toilet as soon as he got out. Which was, of course, lovely. "Thanks," he managed, though he wished he had enough energy to help with this round of cleanup.

When the girl bit down on his arm Vega went silent and stared at her for a moment, then his eyes got wide and tears welled up in them. She'd hurt him. She actually hurt him. The nerve. He made a sort of humming noise, then burst in a wailing cry, kicking and pounding his fists on the table. Despite the fact that he had started it, his face showed the most pitiful innocent expression. She wasn't going to get away with that.

Steps got to his feet and over to the chair, standing beside Ari as she asked about any injuries. He didn't really seem concerned. It didn't look like Ina had bitten him very hard, and the fact that he made this big of a show about everything made it hard for him to care. "He'll be fine," he told her, despite the look he got from Vega, "He just wants some attention."

Vega grinned as the girl was taken away for time out, returning to his pitiful look when her mother came back to look at him. With his lip quivering he held his arm up to her, turning to stick his tongue out at Ina only once he thought the woman was distracted by daddy. But then, daddy said something about him. No! He wasn't going to be fine. She'd bitten him, that wasn't fine.

Stephan stood back with his arms crossed over his chest, shaking his head. Oh well, no pain in giving him some attention. Meanwhile, Ina seemed upset. He slid over to where she was sitting and crouched down beside her, whispering, "You know, I can see him doing that too, it's not just you." Hopefully she wouldn't hold too much of a grudge against Vega, that's just the way he was.

Meanwhile, Vega had a smile spread ear to ear, and a lock of silver hair fallen over in front of his face. He tossed it back with a flick of his head, then nodded fiercely to Ari. "Kiss!" he parroted, holding both arms up to her, "Up, up!" After all, he couldn't do much fun stuff from up here.

"Well, you see, Vega's got a way of making people think he's sweeter than he is," he told her, ignoring the name stinky man, "And right now your momma just hasn't seen him throw a real fit." He knew Vega was spoiled, somehow, without him having spoiled him.

Hungry? Yes thank god! Vega nodded, snuggling himself up in her shirt. He liked this woman, she was nice and she did thinks the fair way. The way that got him what he wanted. Maybe she'd be smart enough to know what he wanted to eat. Or at least try to ask him.

Steps frowned, "Well, no. I can't get you out, but I can get you something to play with if you want." And besides she hadn't been sent there for that long, it'd be over before she knew it. "Or a snack," he added, nodding to the kitchen.

Vega shook his head at the mention of more god awful fruit, "Yick!" He lifted one tiny hand from her side, pointing it toward the bottle of syrup sitting out on the corner of the counter. That! He wanted that! Crepes or pancakes or waffles, something warm and sticky.