Welcome to Gaia! ::

Aleric sat on the small feien sized swingset, pushing absently against the ground with one foot. His hands were loosely wrapped around the small chains that held the seat up. Silva was watching from the human sized playground, keeping to the shadows as he kept an eye on his brother. Aleric could feel his boredom from where he was.

"You really don't think she's going to show, do you." Aleric said.

"Nope. Not really." Silva replied. They were only speaking as loudly as they had to to hear each other. "But this is better than some alternatives." Like the shop. He laid on his back on the monkey bars, staring at the pinkish sky of sunset.

It was nearly fifteen minutes after when Quantel and Ori finally made the approach to the park, Quantel leading by the slightest of margins. She stretched her magic ahead of her, attempt to feel out who was there, who might have been the one to send Ori such a letter. Likely someone who wishes to use the child... She had very nearly forbidden Ori to accompany her, almost went on her own, but felt that the juvenile's presence might be needed.

Pausing when she felt the magical signatures there, she motioned for Ori to stop. Silva and... some other. Either this other was the Aleric from the letter, or the entire thing was merely a ploy on Silva's part. Quantel's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and she dismissed the second notion; Silva was direct, if anything, and would not stoop to such machinations. With a toss of her head, she folded her wings down over her shoulders, a much less threatening appearance than with the massive things unfurled. Another gesture, and they continued the approach.

Ori wondered at the excitement bubbling in her chest; though Quantel's warnings of being wary of such a situation fluttered through her mind, she couldn't help but be curious as to this person, this Aleric. She did so hope that he would turn out to be a good person, and not someone with other motives, as Quantel apparently believed him to possibly have. Knowing that Quantel would be looking magically, she didn't bother to do so herself, and thus missed all the lovely realizations that Quantel was making beside her.

Quantel allowed Ori come up alongside her as the reached the swing, inclining her head politely as she did so. "Aleric, I presume?" Ori remained quiet at her side, still despite the curiousity within her.

Aleric stood, smiling pleasently as he held out his hand to her. "I am." He said, looking at Ori. "I'm glad that you could come." He gave her a gentle smile, picking up on her excitement. He was serious when he said he was glad. "Forgive me, I don't know either of your names."

Deciding to play nice and not acknowledge the fact that she could tell that Silva was somewhere around, watching them, Quantel extended a slender hand and touched her palm to Aleric's, then pulled away again. This was the custom of Teralinth's people, and one that both Maq and Quantel had picked up as a preference to the traditional shaking of hands. The hand, once removed, was brought up to touch her collarbones softly, briefly, and Quantel lifted her chin while she spoke. "I am Quantel, Bonded Feien of Teralinth d'Kalin."

Her hand came down and beckoned Ori forward, who repeated the ritual of greeting, touching palms gently, and then her own collarbones. "And I'm Ori. We share a Bond." She smiled in addition, and tried not to look at Aleric too curiously.

Aleric hesitated, then touched his own collarbone, since it seemed to be the proper way to do things. "So you are bondsisters? That's nice. I have a bondbrother, myself." He glanced up at the monkey bars, wondering if Silva would bother to make himself known.

"It helps, knowing that you're not alone." He hesitated, then turned, motioning to the feien playground. "We made this for any juvenile that might be interested... would you like to try it?" He asked Ori. "I'm afraid I can't do it properly, since I'm so tall."

Take it slowly, try to ignore the fact that Quantel's magic was similar to Silva's. Things would work out. This was all about Ori, after all.

Ori looked up quizzically at Quantel, who merely nodded, stepping back a bit. Somehow, the young Feien sensed that this might be a test, a way for Ori to see how well she could handle herself around other Feien, and she suddenly, desperately, wanted to please Quantel. This in mind, she turned to look around at what Aleric had motioned to, then back to the Ancient. Choosing her words carefully, she tilted her head to one side and replied, "Thank you for the offer, but as I have no idea what any of that is, I may have to pass." Admitting ignorance of something, after all, was less of a risk than attempting and failing miserably.

At least, she hoped that was right.

Quantel, however, allowed a few shadows to play over her, the familiar sensation calming what little nerves she'd had in coming here tonight. Aleric seemed innoculous enough, actually, and she saw no reason at this time to keep him and Ori from speaking. Silva's attendance lent a different dilemma; as much as she wanted to seek him out, find out why he was here, she didn't want to tip her hand too early. Quantel wondered idly if Silva was, perhaps, this Bondbrother that Aleric spoke of.

"Oh! Well..." Aleric headed for the fort first. "This is a fort. You go up there and then sit on this thing here and slide down. I'm pretty sure that's how it works..." He moved on, pointing to the swing. "This is a swing. You sit there and rock back and forth to see how high you can go..." He paused, looking thoughtful. "But I'm not sure, exactly, either. But it never hurt to try."

He grinned. "I've tried and failed before. It's not as bad as it sounds." He flushed as Silva laughed softly. "My brother can verify that." He walked over to the swings, sitting down again.

And there it was. Quantel looked in the direction of Silva's laugh, missing the sudden startlement of Ori, who hadn't realized the other Feien was there. A smile curving her lips, Quantel let her gaze linger on the shadow that was Silva, before looking away and back at the others.

While she was too well-trained to jump, Silva's laugh did cause Ori's heart to beat a bit faster, aided and abetted by the sensation that someway, somehow, Aleric had just read her mind. Why else would he have mentioned failing? Taking a deep breath and dismissing it as coincidence, she hoped that Quantel had not noticed her moment of surprise, which would have revealed immediately that she hadn't swept the park for magical signatures once they'd entered. Blocking thoughts of the older Feien's displeasure, and what feelings it would bring, Ori looked over all of the things that Aleric had shown her. "But these things... What is the purpose of all that?"

Aleric blinked. "Purpose? Well, because it's fun, of course. You've played games before, right? I admit, not all the feien I've met have heard of soccer or football, or even surfing, but there has to be something that you've done to make you happy..."

Silva dropped down from the monkeybars, heading for the other feien. This was getting interesting.

Quantel answered for Ori, in a fashion. "I am afraid that I have not had time to show Ori things of that nature, Aleric." Her voice was low, soft, and held none of the feelings of the disregard she had for anything done for the sake of "fun"; of course, she had no way of knowing that this Feien could sense from other indicators her opinion on the matter. "Our Bond has not been well as of late, and we have been focused on matters of a more serious nature."

Ori nodded in agreement to Quantel's words, even as she wondered whether it had been the best thing to ask what everything was for. Aleric's response made her feel foolish, as if she should have known something so simple. As to happy... Well, it made her happy when Quantel praised her for a job well done, didn't it?

"Serious gets boring after a while, Quantel." Silva said, stepping out of the shadows. He was chewing on his toothpick as he looked her over. "And playing is just another way for her to get physically stronger. But hell, maybe you don't want her to get stronger."

Aleric hesitated, noticing all the feelings in the group. Silva's derisive amusement, Quantel's dislike of fun, Ori's dependance on the other female... Almost desperate, he thought. But none of this showed on his face.

"It's true. Physical activity is very good for you. And if you enjoy it, then it makes it easier to do." He said softly, looking at Ori once again.

"Quantel wants nothing for me that I don't want myself!" Her spines bristled at the implication in this bigger Feien's voice, taking an instinctive step closer to Quantel, much as a bodyguard would. She settled down, however, when Quantel soothingly stroked a magic hand down her hair, but watched him a moment before responding to Aleric's comment. "I am no stranger to physical activity." This was said in a calmer tone of voice, thinking of the training sessions she'd been given with the rapier.

Ah, and there was the reason that Quantel couldn't really believe that Silva would be playing with being another Feien; too direct, that one. She favoured the male with a smile, as warm as one could get from her when not given to the creatures she had more control over. "I merely meant that we had not time to come to locales such as this. The child speaks truthfully, as I see to it that she has reason each day to practice what she wishes." The smile turned warmer, though the warmth came more from an owner's fondness, as Quantel looked at Ori. "More oft than not, this leads her to practicing with her rapier, does it not?"

Ori smiled in return, nodding again, but still not liking the way Silva had spoken to her mentor.

"Then you shouldn't have a problem with the playground." Silva replied. He was ruining it, Aleric thought. He was far too aggressive.

"No, Silva. We won't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do." Aleric said, giving his brother a serious look. "This is about becoming friends, not challenging rivals."

"She's not my rival." Silva said, motioning to Ori.

"She wasn't the one I was talking about." Aleric said calmly. Silva twitched. "Ori, if you do not wish to play, that is perfectly fine. Maybe you could tell me about your rapier training? I'm afraid I'm more experienced with a staff." He smiled at the juvenile, trying to restore her excitement.

Ori, however, was looking between Silva and Quantel. Rivals? She didn't recall Quantel having used that term for Silva, in all their conversations about the male.

"Perhaps, Silva, we should go off and leave these two to their discussion, aii?" Quantel tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder, but kept her eyes on Silva. "Have a little conversation of our own, methinks."

"Mmm, that might be a good idea." He replied. "But she's not my rival. Just an old... friend." He headed back towards the human playground, expecting Q to follow.

Aleric hesitated, looking at Ori for a second as he waited for the others to get a little further away.

Quantel took a moment to crouch down before Ori first, reaching up to smooth the child's hair away from her face, fingers lightly stroking the horns that protruded just above her forehead. "I shall remain in sight," she said, looking into Ori's eyes. She could see the younger girl's dislike of the idea registered there, and Quantel shook her head ever so slightly. "There is nothing to fear, ori'Sinrei."

With that, she straightened and inclined her head to Aleric, before turning to join up with Silva. As Ori watched Quantel move off, she shivered slightly; despite Quantel's assurances, she still worried that Silva might not mean as well as he could.

Once she had gotten within his hearing distance, but outside of that of the others, Quantel murmured softly, "I have never considered you to be a rival, Silva. I have no idea where your Bondbrother would have gotten such a notion."

"Hmm? He senses distrust." Silva said calmly, dropping down on one of the monkeybars again. "Mine, yours. And since we aren't enemies, then in his mind we must be rivals." He shrugged. "He thinks a little too innocently, but hell, who am I to complain?"

Aleric spoke, hoping to get Ori's attention from the other two. "Does your bondsister train with you? In your rapier training, that is. I've learned that sparring is one of the best ways to learn." She was worried, and by the way she wasn't looking at him, he had to think it was about Silva.

What could he say to that, though? That Silva wouldn't hurt the other feien? He wouldn't... for now. But Silva was still dangerous. Who knew that better than Aleric?

It took considerable effort to draw her eyes away from Quantel, but eventually she did, finding herself looking back at a rather concerned appearing Aleric. "No..." she began, considering the question. While Quantel didn't precisely train *with* her, the other woman did explain what she needed to do, guiding her each step of the way. "Quantel is better at magic than fighting." This brought her to a brief thought of Maquinar, who Quantel had once told her also studied the rapier at one time. Now, however, if he continued to do so, he'd shown no indication of wanting to spar with Ori. Or have much to do with her, for that matter.

Senses distrust? "I do hope that he has no intention of filling my ward's head with nonexistant rivalries." And simply because it afforded her a better view of what was happening between Ori and Aleric, while continuing to place her close enough to Silva for a private conversation, Quantel joined him on his perch.

Silva snorted. Her misunderstanding of his brother was almost as bad as his had been when Aleric had first shown up. But he wasn't about to tell her that. Instead he just watched the two feien, thinking over Aleric's latest change. The other feien had always been able to read people, calm them down and s**t... but lately he'd been hitting more buttons than usual... as if he was reading Silva's mind. "Don't think of ******** with him, Quantel. He's one of my daily sources of amusement."

"I'm not sure how compatible a rapier would be with a staff... but I would be willing to spar with you." Aleric said, smiling once again. He stood, heading for the staff he had left next to the fort. "It's a wonderful way to get to know people, you know. Because when fighting, even pretending to fight, they don't have time to..." Hide things, was what he wanted to say. But that wouldn't quite work in this situation. It would sound as if he thought she was hiding something. Even if she was.

"Debate over their responses." He finally said. "And if this doesn't work, I'm not sure, but I might have a rapier back home. We can try sparring correctly next time." He would have to learn how, of course, but it would be worth it.

"Provided he does not '********' with me or mine, naturally." Her eyes followed Aleric as he changed direction, narrowing ever so slightly when he began to head towards the fort. "Tell me, Silva... Does he oft make approaches to young Feien of this nature?"


It took Ori a moment to realize what Aleric was doing, but once she saw the staff he was going for, she flushed. "I don't carry the rapier about," she admitted, dropping her eyes to the ground. Quantel had advised her that she wasn't good enough with it yet, that it would be more of a hinderance than a help if something were to happen. But not wanting to disappoint the purple Feien, she quickly added, "I know Maquinar has a staff that he no longer uses. I could bring it, and the rapier, and we try them both?" The excitement was beginning to grow again, though it continued to be laced with the mild uncertainty that she was doing the correct thing.

"That would be fine." Aleric said, smiling and holding out his own staff. "If you would like, I could borrow Silva's staff and show you how to use it?" He looked over to where his brother was sitting, wondering if he should interrupt the conversation between the shadow feien. He turned back to Ori. "But it wouldn't be a spar as of yet. I'd have to show you some of the moves first."

Silva shook his head. "He's got this thing for beautiful females, if that's what you're asking. But nah. He's practicing for when we get the new brat." He smirked slightly. This just proved that Aleric should be the one to raise her.

That didn't allay her suspicions, much, but she glanced at Silva with an upraised brow. "There is to be a new Feien amongst your troupe?" Interesting. She had to wonder if this new Feien would be used by Silva, much in the way she was currently using Ori.

"I suppose that couldn't hurt." Ori reached out for the offered staff, the slender cream-colored tips of her fingers coming in first contact, followed by the firmer grip of her dark blue palm.

Aleric smiled. "Just give me a moment to get it." He said, taking to the air and heading towards Silva.

"We're getting a girl." Silva replied. There was no hint of his mixed feelings in his reply, just his usual drawl. "A bloom, if what they tell me is true." He reached over his back, pulling the staff hanging over his shoulder off before Aleric was even there in time to ask. "What the hell I'm going to do with a little girl, I have no idea." He had Aleric to spar with, and unlike Q, he wasn't looking for a guard dog. Especially not a little girl.

Aleric drew closer, taking the staff that was offered with a crooked smile. "Thank you." He said before heading back to Ori quickly. He dropped down beside her, holding up the staff to show his grip. "You start like this, make sure your knees are bent and your weight is on the balls of your feet." He instructed. The same words Nick and Nack had given him when he was first starting.

After examining Aleric's position, Ori carefully duplicated it, from the position of his hands on the staff, down to the way he placed his feet. It was similar to the beginning stance of her rapier work, though the weight placement was a touch off. A soft nod indicated that she was ready, which she was; Ori was swift of mind, if not of wing.

Quantel's attention was back on Aleric and Ori now, having followed him from his retrieval of the staff to his return to the girl. "A girl can do precisely the same as a boy, Silva." When Ori mimicked Aleric's postion exactly, she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride, which caused a glitter to appear in her usually dark sapphire eyes. "Certainly you are aware of the fact that we, in actuality, have no gender?"

"I realize that. But I still don't like beating the s**t out of things so much smaller than myself." Silva said, glancing over at her. "And a juvenile girl doesn't even come up to my waist." And it was true, he treated feminine feien differently than masculine. It was just his nature. "Male or female, not many are strong enough to be worth my time, Quantel."

"Now to spin the staff you use both hands." Aleric told Ori, starting out slow as he gave an example. "This is to create a shield, but you need to do it faster for it to be effective." He sped it up, showing how it started to blur. "This way the staff is good for both offense and defense." She learned quickly, he noted, and she was an eager student. He only hoped he could teach her well enough.

This wasn't about fighting, after all.

As tempting as it was to point him in the direction of Maquinar, Quantel had a feeling that if the pair didn't kill each other, they'd join forces. And that was an unbearable idea. Instead, she quietly asked, "So if you cannot fight them, you have no use for them?"

All three of Ori's eyes narrowed as she watched intently. Once she felt she was ready, her hands began to spin the staff, carefully at first, then picking up speed, as this relied more on her dexterity, which was a very fortunate thing. Faster now. Faster. Don't do anything that might shame her... It was difficult, but not terribly so, and she managed to keep the staff spinning in a somewhat even circle.

"You're doing great!" Aleric praised her, grinning widely. "You're very good at this!" He moved so he was facing her, but still outside of striking distance. "The next trick to being able to strike from the spin." He told her, stopping mid spin and slashing the staff through the air. "That allows you to go from offense to defense before they realize it. You can slash or jab, but slashing was easier for me at first."

"There are other uses. Aleric lasts a long time in a spar, so he's tolerable. He can't beat me, though. Females are good for a snog, if you trust them not to stab you in the back while you're doing it..." Silva paused, trying to come up with some other use for others. "Information comes in handy, too. Other than that..." He shrugged.

Quantel nodded imperceptably as Silva spoke, more as if listening than as if agreeing with what he said. There were certainly deep similarities in the way they both thought, most likely to be attributed to their element, similarities that Quantel had not yet given herself a good chance to consider. If she did, she knew she could only come to one of two conclusions.

She wasn't ready for a mortal enemy yet.

Having continued to watch him as he spoke, Ori decided she'd attempt the move that Aleric had just demonstrated, though it had been a little too quick to entirely see what he'd done. A swift stop, a twist to strike out with the staff... At least, that was the intention, but the momentum of the staff, combined with Ori's inexperience and, to be perfectly blunt, her knack for somehow always getting the worst of things, caused one end of the solid wood to swing up and catch her under the chin, causing her jaw to snap shut audibly. The staff was dropped, clattering to the ground, as she quickly brought one hand up to cover her mouth, hoping to keep the sudden rush of blood from her bitten lip from slushing forward.

Aleric jerked, then tossed his own staff to the side, heading for her, one hand out. "Shh, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes. Now if you let me, I can heal it." He said, not touching her, but moving his hand towards her face so she understood what he planned to do. "I should have been slower when I was showing you." His tone was calm and gentle, as were his movements.

"Ouch." Silva muttered. "Done that before." He didn't even think about mortal enemies, he had had run-ins with professional killers before. To him, this was just a normal conversation.

It hurt, dreadfully so, but the mental pain of the mistake scorched worse. Stupid, stupid, STUPID. Her eyes clenched shut against the welling tears, and Ori fought to control the whirl of emotions as the swam through her mind. Outwardly she showed no sign of declining Aleric's offer, and she may have even nodded a bit, since she could obviously not speak for fear of spilling blood, but inwardly... She forced herself to swallow a mouthful of the metallic fluid, forced herself to remain still, forced herself not to show how horribly, horribly miserable she felt at doing such a stupid, stupid thing.

Quantel tensed as the scene near the fort unfolded, sensing the gathering of magical energy that Aleric would need for his spell. Not having a shared bond with Ori, she didn't know how badly the child was hurt, and therefore wasn't entirely comfortable with whatever was about to happen. Instictively she grasped one of the staffs with her own magic, but did not lift it, merely preparing if it were to be necessary to protect the child.

Aleric reached forward, touching her as gently as possible as he healed her. He was doing his best to ignore the massive amounts of emotion going through the small body, but it became too much for him to bear. With a sigh he got on his knees and pulled her into a hug, completely ignoring the scratching and jabbing her spikes gave. "Shhh, child, shhh, it's okay now. It's all better." He ran a gentle hand over the back of her head. "Shhh..."

Silva raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word. It kind of figured Aleric was a hugger.

Quantel's reaction was probably the most unexpected: She smiled. Granted it was a thin, ghost of a smile, her eyes once more losing their glitter and returning to the shadowed swirls of blue that was their typical appearance, but it was a smile nonetheless. After all, the very first thing she had taught Ori was that...

...Such physical contact between two Feien was impolite and immoral. Her misery soon gave way to confusion, at the strange sensations this embrace was causing inside her, the warmth that began somewhere in her chest. Then came the unease, tinged by anger, that Aleric, who had seemed so nice, would do such a thing. With the taste and scent of blood still heavy in her mouth, she quietly, but forcefully said, "Please stop touching me."

He let go, falling back and looking at her for a moment. She was confused? And... angry? Because of a hug? "Forgive me, I suppose you don't know me well enough to allow such things." He said calmly, looking down for a second. "A hug is something that should be between close friends or family." Although the only hugging he got from Silva was when the other male dragged his a** out of the pool when he was drowning.

He stood, walking over and picking up the staff. "We can continue if you wish." He said softly, offering her the staff.

Silva almost jerked at the smile on Q's face, but he kept his reaction hidden. "No touching, is that it? Darlin, you're more evil than I thought." It was just a statement of a fact. "Touching can be damn nice if it's done right."

"I have never found that to be true." A simple statement of fact as well, though she was tempted to emphasize a word or two, in order to give said statement other implications. And enough glimpses of Maquinar and one of his numerous female friends had killed any curiousity she may have had to experience the baser "pleasures" physical contact might bring.

If she thought that often enough, she might actually start to believe it.

Reaching up a hand once more to wipe at traces of blood on her mouth, Ori watched him warily, as if expecting him to pounce once more. After a long moment, she shook her head, declining the offered staff. It wasn't in her nature to stay angry, so that emotion subsided, but the confusion remained lurking in the dark corners of her mind. Had she actually started to enjoy the hug? The thought that she might have now caused her shame, and worry, even fear that she might be like those female Feien who debased themselves with Maquinar. That Quantel despised so much.

"Thank you for asking me here, but I think I should go."

Aleric paused, confused by her words, then even more confused by her emotions. "Ori... there are different types of touching. What just happened was something to comfort, not to make you feel uncomfortable. But I'm sorry that it has. I would like to see you again, sometime... I promise I won't touch you again." He stood, then held out his hand. "I very much enjoyed meeting you. And I would like to become friends." One day. He bit back a sigh.

"Hell, darlin, that explains a lot." Silva drawled. "I probably should have taken you up on your offer back then. Could have made you a lot less of a b***h to deal with." He glanced over at her. "Hell, I could fix that now, if you wanted."

Quantel laughed softly at Silva's comment, amused at the thought that he might be the sole reason she did what she did. "As intriguing as the offer is," she commented, though her voice indicated that she found it anything but, "I think I shall pass."

As it was the proper thing to do, Ori reached her hand out as well, touching her palm briefly and lightly to his. "Maybe. We're very busy at the House." As she tamped down her feelings, since she didn't want to head back to Quantel looking upset, Ori thought briefly, then added, "You can still write to me, if you want."

"I'll do that." Aleric said, smiling slightly. "I will look forward to your replies." So it hadn't been a complete loss... he would just have to take it very slowly. The emotional damage this child suffered was far more serious than he had ever thought. He bowed ever so slightly. "Then I will be writing to you soon."

"You're missing out on a hell of a good time." Silva drawled. Now that Ruya was no longer his Ruya, and never would be... He had no reason to try to be faithful. "But hell, if you're too scared to touch..." He let the sentence dangle, shrugging slightly as he got up. "I've got a midnight sparring match lined up."

Though tempted to prove Silva wrong by touching him, she had a feeling the touch she had in mind wasn't the same as what he was considering, and thus kept her magic hand to herself. A simple smile was the reply she gave, accompanied by a tilt of her head as a farewell. Quantel decided to remain on the monkeybars and let Ori come to her.

"All right." Though she didn't return the smile, Ori did relax slightly and bobbed her head. Extending her wings and flapping them a bit, to help her lift up from the ground, she added, "Until then!" With that, she began to fly towards Quantel at what might be considered a sedate pace to most, but was actually a rather brisk clip for her.

Silva paused before passing her, chewing on his toothpick and moving backwards so he could talk to her for a moment. It wasn't hard to do, she was as slow as Aleric had been at first.

"If you leave the staff on the ground now, you're going to have a hell of a time fighting against one in the future." He told her softly. "Everytime it comes towards you, you'll remember hitting yourself in the face." It was meant as advice, but could easily be taken as a warning. "Not all feien are as nice as my brother, darlin."

He flew past her before she had the time to reply, getting a dirty look from Aleric for his troubles. "What?"

"You shouldn't have said that." Aleric said.

"Only telling the truth."

Ori bristled slightly as Silva spoke to her, an almost defiant gleam in her three eyes. If there was one thing that Quantel hadn't stamped down upon, it was Ori's confidence in her physical abilities. In all truth, it might have even been the only thing that Quantel encouraged in the girl. She didn't respond to the large Feien, however, wanting to simply get to Quantel before anything else tonight could go wrong.

Not needing to ask what Silva had said, as Quantel could clearly see that it most likely wasn't something supportive, she merely lifted one of her wings so that Ori could land beside her on the bars. The child settled down obligingly, just close enough to Quantel for her spines to brush the other Feien's skin.

Aleric tossed Silva his staff, then went to retrieve his own, assuming his fighting position without a thought. Silva looked at him for a moment, just leaning on his staff as he chewed on his toothpick. "It's not going to work." He said finally, assuming his own position.

"What isn't?" Aleric asked as they watched each other to see which would make the first mistake. He started spinning his staff in the way he had shown Ori. Silva took the offensive, jabbing his own staff forward, then pulling back.

"Trying to make her a normal kid. It's not going to work." Silva replied, blocking as Aleric attacked. "You might as well save your effort till we get the kid."

They fell into an easy rhythm, striking and counterstriking, every once in a while landing a blow. Silva's staff slashed out, knocking Aleric's legs out from under him. Aleric fell onto his butt. "Ouch."

"Left, old man. Guard your left." Silva told him, holding out a hand and deliberately looking over at the monkeybars as Aleric took it. He hauled the shorter male to his feet, holding onto the hand for a second longer than he had to.

As the males began to spar, Quantel and Ori watched quietly. Curving her wing in closer to the child, Quantel asked, "Are you able to make out what they are saying?"

Trying, her ears perking and turning towards the fight, Ori finally had to shake her head. "I'm sorry... The staffs make too much noise, and they are too far off." Her ears drooped, and she hoped that Quantel wouldn't be too disappointed. There was still the path home, after all, for the older woman to show her displeasure in Ori's actions tonight.

"Very well." She nodded, then narrowed her eyes as Silva looked back at them, aiding his Bondbrother to his feet. A message, then? Or a warning? Quantel had a feeling that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

"You''re trying to irritate them, aren''t you?" Aleric asked, pulling his hand away and raising his staff again. "What happened?"

"Well, seems the old lady doesn''t much like touching for one." Silva said before the fighting began again. "And she''s passed it on to the kid. Like I said, give it up. That one''s a lost cause." He wanted them to hear this part.

"I don''t want to believe that. I have hopes that when the bloom arrives, she might become friends with her." Aleric said. "Our little girl will need friends."

"Yours, not ours." Silva said, finally attacking. Aleric blocked.

"Either way, she''ll still need friends." He replied.

"I don''t have any, I came out perfectly fine." Silva replied, speeding up just enough to force Aleric to concentrate. He was done with this subject.

Ori's right ear flicked, as a horse was wont to do towards a fly, catching the conversation now that there wasn't the whirl and crack of wood overlaying it. She began, speaking carefully, so that she could reproduce the dialogue as exactly as possible, repeating every word and adding in none of her own. This was how Quantel preferred it, as it would let her be the one to interpret meaning, and not an inexperienced child. Once she had finished, Ori fell silent, though thinking over it all.

Methinks the man doth protest too much. While very interested in what had occurred between Ori and Aleric, as well as what the child's feelings were now and how much minor damage may have been caused, Quantel had no wish to remain here any longer, and indicated so by swiftly snapping her wings up and out, her more flashy signal for departure. "Come, sweetling. I grow fatigued by this air."

Nodding quickly, Ori slipped off the bar first, keeping herself afloat with a combination of wing beats and magical will, then waited as Quantel slipped off afterwards, the older Feien's wings unmoving, not needing any physical assistance to her flight. Together the two began to head away from the playground, into the night.

If he had been wearing clothing, he would have straightened it. But as it is, Aleric wasn't nearly as nervous as Ice was. "She won't be your first feien, Ice." He said softly. Since he was sitting next to her ear it was easy for her to hear.

She reached up, pushing the buzzer and entering the shop. "I know she's not. But this is the first time I've had to go to the shop to pick one... okay, wrong way of putting it." She walked into the waiting room, more focused on Aleric than where she was walking.

She ran into one of the chairs. "Ouch. But I mean, it's the first time I've had to get the bloom from another human being. Like... face to face, you know? Silva was left on my doorstep." She went on.

There was a soft click from the office door nearest the stairwell and a brown-haired man with round glasses appeared. He wore a one-piece uniform in dark blue with black shoulders. His voice was quiet but commanding. "Ice Queen?" he asked, but pointlessly. He already knew who she was and the identity of her feien. He knew everything he needed to know about her. The reverse was not true.

"And with my luck I'll make a complete a**--" Ice jerked as she heard her name called, flushing brightly. "Um... yes?" She offered. Aleric just bit back a laugh. "I mean, um, yes, I'm Ice Queen. And this is Aleric, my feien. And you are?" She asked, holding out her hand. She knew she was still red.

... she wondered how much he had heard... or even worse, seen. She casually moved the chair behind her back into place with her tail.

"Director Admiral Pavel Antipov," said the man, looking at the hand as if very mildly repulsed but reaching out to shake it anyway. His handshake was simple, professional. Just a momentary clasp and release. "Please, join me in my office. Close the door." He turned away and moved into the room.

The decorations were clean and Spartan like the handshake. There were many books in several European languages and a hefty desk with some chairs. Behind the desk hung the red flag of the USSR. Quite the bold political statement, not to mention a daring choice of decoration with the bright red. It was impossible not to be drawn to the flag. It stood out so powerfully against the dark woods of the rest of the office. Antipov took a seat at the desk with the flag as his backdrop.

Ice looked at her hand for a mere second before following him and closing the door. She hesitated before sitting in one of the chairs. "I'm pleased to meet you." she said, resorting to formalities. He looked like a president or something with the flag behind him. Or worse, one of her college history professors.

Antipov nodded curtly and leaned to the side, pulling open one of his desk drawers. He placed a small clear box on the table, inside of which was a sort of tightly-closed bunch of red and black leaves with frosted tips.

"I am aware that Hamada has hired you to assist in several of the managerial tasks associated with the feien of Gaia. As such, you are my subordinate. I will make my rules perfectly clear. Follow my orders when they are given and we will have no problems. Understood?" Antipov's voice was tinged with an unmistakably Russian accent but his English was without any of the stereotypical markers so commonly employed by the entertainment industry. He enunciated perfectly and pronounced his Ws like Ws and his Vs like Vs.

Ice blinked, taken off guard. Then she shrugged and gave him a slight smile. "I didn't make it through college without being able to follow directions." She said simply. She was just a worker here, not an owner. Unless what he ordered directly violated and endangered the lives of those she cared for. But this was a feien shop, not a war, so she didn't see any problems occuring.

Her eyes fell to the box, and her heart stopped for a second. "Is that her?" She asked, not daring to reach out.

Surprisingly, Antipov snorted with amusement and smiled. "A good policy. Had I been so obedient I might have graduated myself, but I was sadly arrested with only two months left to complete. We have been keeping this bloom in stasis for you; you must take very good care of it as it is one of the many descended from my Verine." He changed the subject quickly but no so drastically as to suggest the college topic was an inadvisable one.

His fingers activated some sort of hidden latch on the box and the seemingly seamless sides suddely split in half, the upper part detaching and lifting upwards into the air as if by magic. It hovered there until Antipov picked it up and put it on the desk. Then he reached in and removed the bloom from the strange box, holding it out. He was still smiling with faint amusement.

"Arrested? Sad to say, that's not the first time I've heard of that happening." Ice replied, grinning. Her eyes were focused on the bloom he took out. "She'll be very well taken care of. The boys have been working on a bedroom for her for the last week." She reached out, taking the bloom gently.

"She's quite beautiful." Aleric said softly. He stepped off of Ice's shoulder and flew to her hand, reaching out to touch the bloom. Then he looked up at Antipov. "She will be well taken care of. On all fronts."

Ice was too focused on the bloom to do anything but nod. Then she blinked. "Your feien's daughter? I'll have to bring her to meet you sometime! That makes you related in a way, right?"

The smile vanished quite abruptly. "No, it would not make us a relation in any way. I will be keeping track of this feien though my own means." Antipov replaced the top on the box. The two halves melded together and the device was once again a seamless cube. Antipov shuffled it back down into the drawer of his desk.

"Oh. I guess not, then." Ice said. She shook it off quickly. "Thank you." She said, standing. "I'll be sure to make sure she's safe and happy." She had seen a hint of a nice guy under his cold exterior, but she wasn't one to pry. "Is there anything you want to to know before I leave?" She asked. She was hoping to take the feien home and show her to all of the family.

Their responses were bound to make her smile again.

Antipov slid back against his chair and folded his hands, steepling his index fingers and presseing them momentarily against his lips. "At your university, what was your area of study?" Apparently there were some things he did not yet know about her, however insignificant.

"Hmm? I was an English Major. With an emphasis on writing." She said, grinning again as she remembered. "I've written novels, plays, movies, all sorts of things. Some more fun than others." There was enthusiasm in her voice, since she was talking about something she loved. "Why do you ask?"

She had no idea how much info he had on her.

"Curiosity," he answered honestly. He separated his hands and held up a single finger in the air. "One question of equal nonimportance. If it is not classified I will answer." His face was overserious but his vivid blue eyes offered up friendly challenge.

"Mmm... Okay..." She said, grinning. "What were you arrested for? Or is that too personal?"

At that Antipov definitely turned into a friendly person. His face lit up just as much as Ice's had when speaking of studying English, perhaps even more. His voice swelled with pride. "Plotting to overthrow the government. First-degree treason."

Ice choked. "And here I thought it would be something like streaking through campus." She said dryly. "But that... that's awesome! How close did you get?" Visions of underground rebellions and wild protests danced in her head.

"Unfortunately, not as close as our counterparts on your Earth." He waved his hand to indicate the Soviet flag on the wall. "Our revolution failed." He said it almost flippantly, which was strange given his passionate boasting a moment earlier.

She nodded. "Yeah, it worked out well here. Revolutions are difficult to pull off successfully. Sometimes even if they happen the people that take over are just as bad, if not worse than those that came before." She shook her head. "At least you had the guts to try. Millions can't say the same."

"I think we will get along quite well," smiled Antipov, standing himself. He reached over his desk to extend his hand to Ice.

She took it, smiling once again. "I think you're right." She said, the bloom cupped in her free hand as she let go. "I should get home, though. I want to get the bloom in her bedroom soon, they even filled it with dirt, just for her."

Aleric was fascinated by the talk of revolution. It was one of the favorite subjects of his sci-fi book. "It was very nice to meet you, sir." He said. He had all sorts of ideas for his next story now!

"Yes," said Antipov, barely taking note of Aleric. He sat back down at his desk and picked up a pencil. "Close the door on your way out please."

She nodded, and pulled the door closed as she stepped out of the room. He was a very interesting guy. But it fit in with Hamada, and what she had garnered about the third owner person.

One thing she could say, this new shop would never be boring!

Aleric shifted the bloom against his chest, flushing at Ice''s reaction to him bringing her home earlier. Okay, so he hadn''t really been gone that long, but... he laughed a little, okay, maybe he was being overprotective of the bloom... and a little paranoid. But that wouldn''t hurt her. He didn''t think.

He slipped through the door after buzzing and headed into the waiting room, curious as to if he could find Hamada. He needed to at least ask before he saw Arae again. And he hoped to see her realitively soon...

Hamada''s door was open and through it could be heard the faint strains of some sort of foreign pop music. The captain was sitting behind his desk, his vast array of computers surrounding him, holomonitors blinking and flashing their colored displays in the air. His hair was recently cut and he was wearing new glasses. He was, as usual, rather involved in his work, which seemed to involve several screens covered in aerial battle displays and maps.

Aleric hesitated at the door before knocking. It was like a scene straight out of one of his books! But as fascinating as it was, he needed to speak to Hamada. While he still had the guts.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hamada?" He asked. He hoped he wasn''t interrupting something too terribly important.

That distracted Hamada. He hit a key and every single one of the displays completely froze up. It was still there, but the soldiers were trapped in mid-combat and the colored lights indicating the units on the maps froze in place. "Hi there!" Hamada said. "How can I help you?" He seemed exceptionally cheerful for someone who had just been watching grisly combat going on.

Aleric smiled and headed into the room. He had liked Hamada, he remembered now. Rejection would be easier to handle from someone he liked. "I would like to ask a question about the breeding process." He said once he got closer. "How are breeding pairs decided? Is it for what genes they can contribute?"

Hamada smiled, friendly as ever. "Yep, that''s it exactly. We have a list of genetic objectives and all breedings are determined by our need to hit those objectives. It''s been going really well so far." Hamada swiveled in his chair slightly as he spoke.

Aleric thought about that for a moment, pondering the implications. Genetically tailored feien... That would make it more difficult...

"Do you have all of the genetic codes of the feien? Even those of the ancients?" He asked after a second. "And what all of those genes do?"

"Not me personally, no," said Hamada, shaking his head. "You''d have to see Dr. M about that. I think he''s in today, but, you can never be sure with him!" Hamada laughed lightly.

"What I was really hoping to find out..." Aleric said before taking his advice. "Was if two ancients were to breed, do you think it would benefit the feien genetics?"

He would go see M after this was answered, unless there was no hope.

"Ahhhhmmm," went Hamada, looking towards the ceiling. He pursed his lips. "It depends, I think, on what exactly their genes were. It would have to be evaluated on an individual basis." Deciding that was the most correct answer, Hamada gave a sharp nod and look back down at Aleric. He finished with a smile, as if that made the ambiguous answer acceptable.

"So if I and a friend of mine were to offer to breed... It would depend on what genes we would bring to the breeding, correct?" Sounded like he needed to talk to M after all.

"Yes," confirmed Hamada. "If it''s worth anything, I think you''ve probably got a good chance. Ancients are more likely to have complex color genes. We''ve been having a bit of an issue with our core breeding stock being just red, white, and black." Hamada scratched the side of his nose; he was really a nervous bundle of energy today it seemed.

"Then I should ask Dr. M?" He asked, feeling hopeful once again.

"He could probably tell you more conclusively," said Hamada. "I''ll see if he''s in." Hamada reached across his desk and hit a button on a device that looked eerily like the average inter-office communication device and not some souped-up scifi version.

"Dr. M?" said Hamada. "Are you there?"

There was no immediate reply, not even a static crackling.

"Doctor? It''s Captain Hamada. I''m on the intercom. Press the red button next to my name."

Another pause. Then finally a response: "What red button?"

Hamada shrugged hopelessly. "That one. I have a feien here with a question about the breeding program? He wants to know about the viability of Ancient feien for breeding candidacy."

Another long pause, then, "Fine." Hamada indicated that Aleric should speak to the intercom.

Aleric moved closer, hovering over the intercom. "Dr. M? My name is Aleric, bondmate of Ice Queen. And my friend, Arae, bondmate of Sajhiri and I were wondering what the odds of two ancients breeding might be." He said. He assumed if they knew genetic codes they would know names.

Maybe.

Thus followed a long recitation of feien physical traits interrupted every few words by a gasping breath. "Short ears recessive web talons recessive unknown recessive horns medium small wings recessive elements unknown recessive coverings. Not bad. I like the short ears. Don''t need white but the white has a recessive. Definitely like the wing sizes. Hair lengths okay, mammal wings but with nice recessives, chance for bad coverings but dominant noncovered genes... only twenty-five percent chance of the other, combined with seventy-five percent mammal wing chance, so under nineteen percent chance of bad wings. Good odds. And we can use the recessive elements to bring out the potential of Isaac. It''s acceptable."

"Does that mean... yes?" Aleric asked, blankly. It sure sounded like a yes... "If so I know that both of us are quite willing. And very good friends. We would like for one of the blooms to come to Gaia, but as long as we know our blooms are well taken care of, we don''t mind." He took it for granted that they would be.

"Nope can''t do that," came the immediate reply over the intercom. "Captain tell him he can''t have the genes."

Hamada, immediately pulled back into the conversation, looked rather apologetic. "I''m sorry, but we don''t determine what feien are sent to Gaia based on that sort of a criteria. It''s a choice."

"And no blackmail!" went M on the intercom. "If you want my services you pay my fee. Don''t think I have to be so kind. The tattered wings are guaranteed and I don''t have to let that pollute my gene pool."

"It doesn''t matter anyway," Hamada jumped in, eager to attempt to salvage the situation. He explained, "If you try to approach the director with the idea that you''re in a position to bargain with him he''ll reject you. We have enough of our own breeding stock that we don''t need to bring in outside genetic material. While there certainly nothing preventing any offspring from coming to Gaia of their own will, the director won''t agree to any sort of demands in that regard. I''m sorry."

And before Aleric could respond to that M came angrily over the intercom once more: "Pavel''s rules and mine! Chance of offspring not staying with the Fleet twenty-seven percent based on the past eight breedings. Take those chances or leave them."

"Oh, um... fine." He said. "Then we won''t ask." He said simply. He made a slight face and brought his left wing around his body to finger the tattered wing. "I guess this is genetic, after all..."

"I''m sorry, but those are the Fleet''s terms for breeding," said Hamada apologetically. "It''s not in my power to supercede them."

"And don''t even think about it!" came M''s voice on the intercom. "I''ll tell Pa--" Hamada hastily switched the thing off.

Hamada sighed. "You can try Antipov, but... I really don''t think he''d accept your terms. I''ve never known him to do anything even remotely charitable."

Aleric nodded. "My bond seemed quite fond of him, actually. But you''re right, it is too much to ask. Especially when we have such a beautiful bloom of our own thanks to the fleet." He touched the bloom hanging in front of him. "This will be my way of repaying them for their kindness." He finished. He hoped Arae would understand. Although they had talked about just this occuring.

"Thank you for helping me, Mr. Hamada." He said.

"I''m sorry I can''t be of more help!" said the captain, and there was no doubting the sentiment. "But don''t worry too much. Things have a way of working out to everyone''s benefit in the Fleet." He smiled sincerely. "Maybe there''s something else I can help you with?"

"Hmm... Well, not that I can think of, actually. Would you like to meet our new bloom? I''ve been introducing her to all of my friends, Ice says that it''s good to socialize her, and I can''t help but agree." He took off the straps holding the bloom and held it out to Hamada.

Hamada stretched out his hand to receieve the bundle. "What wonderful colors!" he remarked, drawing the bloom close. "She looks very healthy. Certainly socialization is working well -- some blooms don''t like it, which is a fair indication that the feien inside isn''t particularly nice." He turned over the bloom gently in his hands.

"We have hopes that she''ll be very nice, indeed." Aleric said. There was a tiny hint of pride in his voice. "She''ll be our first... petite female in the household. Everyone has been working hard to make sure she''ll be happy there."

"I''m sure she will be," said Hamada, and returned the bloom to Aleric''s care. "Have you thought of any names yet?"

"Arae asked the same thing, so I asked my bond. Her name is a little... strange, but no doubt it will fit her." He said, pausing to figure out how to put it. "She is Ruby Soho." He said as he slipped the straps back on. "After a very... energetic song that the bloom seemed to like."

Hamada chuckled. "That''s a fine name. I''m sure she''ll enjoy it." Then there was a nervous silence as Hamada tried to think of something to say. "It''s a lucky thing to have so many feien in one household. I''m still waiting for the clearance to have a second one bonded myself."

"I''m sure that it will happen." Aleric said, nodding. "It would be wonderful if you were to get one of my blooms, actually. Then I would know for sure that it is being well taken care of. As would any feien you were to recieve." He was sure of it, both by the emotions that he was picking up on, and the kind actions that the man made.

"It would be an honor! Unfortunately the waiting list for feien, even first feien, is extremely long. It''s not like on Gaia were individuals have managed to get three and four feien. We have about a hundred and fifty people still waiting to have a single feien partner. Sorting out all the best matches is a logistical nightmare!" Hamada smiled despite, swinging back and forth in his chair once again.

That was surprising. Aleric blinked. "Then I suppose it''s a good thing I''m breeding." He said, finally. "But having so many willing bondmates is quite wonderful. For the feien civilization, that is. We are dependant upon humans and humanoids for survival."

"Do you ever regret that?" said Hamada suddenly, ceasing the movement of his chair.

"That I am dependant? I don''t exactly... feel dependant." Aleric replied, looking thoughtful. "I suppose you would have to know my bond to understand..." He started out. "I have never been treated as anything other than a roommate and reading partner. Of course, I sleep in a terrarium rather than a tree, but I don''t believe it''s that bad of a difference."

"I suppose it would be different with a different bond. And it was... difficult being in the same family as Silva at first, but all of my decisions have been my own. I have never been treated as a pet." He finished, wondering if that explained it.

"I should think not," agreed Hamada. "I''m glad to hear that. In the Fleet, we consider our feien to be like our partners working alongside us. Friends and roommates as well. Sometimes the interactions between individual bondmates don''t seem to fit that sort of relationship, though. I''m sure you''ve got pairs like that here on Gaia, too." He laughed.

"Not that I''ve seen so far, but unfortunately I haven''t met many of the bonds. Just the feien." He looked thoughtful at the idea of being a partner. "Do you really think that would work? The partnership thing, that is. You see, my bond has been writing for a very long time, and she''s well, she''s quite good, but of course I''m biased. Although I do appreciate science fiction more than fantasy..."

He paused, knowing he had gotten off track. "I''m still working on my own writing. But one day I hope to be able to assist her in hers. I haven''t asked her, though, since she is so much more... learned in the subject. Of course--" He stopped, smiling sheepishly. "I suppose I should ask, shouldn''t I?"

"Certainly!" said Hamada. "I''m not a writer myself and Johannes isn''t much for computers, but if I had a feien that were interested in my field I''d jump at the chance to work with him, or her. I''m sure your bond would feel the same."

"I hope so. I''ve still yet to show her the story I submitted for the feien magazine. I was hoping it would be accepted." He said. "To prove that I was worthy of being a writer, I suppose."

Hamada shrugged. "You never know until you try. But things have a way of working out if you give them your best. Show Ice your story! If you approach her how you''ve approached me I''m sure it will go well." It was clear Hamada was quite the optimist, maybe even to the point of approaching blind optimism, but it was still encouraging.

"You''re right." Aleric said, smiling. He wasn''t as big of an optimist as Hamada was, but he did know Ice. She would tell him exactly what she thought of his writing. And even if she didn''t let him assist her, she might be willing to help him! "Thank you." He said, hugging the bloom. "Again."

"Any time," said Hamada. "Be sure to tell Ice I say hello as well. And bring Ruby back around when she''s emerged! I''d love to meet her in person."

"I will, and I''m sure Ruby Soho will feel the same." Aleric said with a wide grin as he took to the air. He wouldn''t be surprised if she wanted to meet Antipov as well, but he didn''t bother to mention it. He turned, heading out the door, in a very good frame of mind.

Now... he needed to figure out when best to tell Arae what he had arranged...

"Have a great day!" Hamada called after him, and resumed his computer games.

"Bertrand, look!" A voice rang out just on the edge of the area, surprising strong for such a little source. It was immediately followed by its source, a tiny figure of yellow, who immediately flitted for the closest thing, which happened to be one of the human-sized tire swings. This figure landed on it immediately, teetering on the lip of what appeared to be a bottomless cavern. After all, she had never seen a thing like this before, and dark spaces, back where she came from, tended to be just that.

This strange being was trailed by another, this one blue, who soon landed beside the first, then looked out over the entirety of the park. "I dare say, Ernestine, this may yet be the precise location we have needed." Though he knew it impolite to point, he was in friendly company, and he knew the minority of said impoliteness could be overlooked. So point he did, across the way to where the miniature playground stood. "And behold! There lies a space that appears to be solely for us!"

They both looked at each other, sudden bright grins lighting their faces, before an unspoken challenge was issued, and they both lifted from the swing and made a beeline for the tiny toys. It wasn't long before they were both dangling from various parts of the monkeybars, upside down and rightside up, laughing and conversing in a much quieter tone than the one they had used when they had entered the scene.

Aleric flew through the air, heading in the direction of the park that they had built. Sure, she was still a bloom, but he could still show her what they had done for her! And he had been thinking that they could add to the place in the future. It was easiest to get ideas when looking after all.

He paused as he heard voices coming from the feien playground. They sounded as if they were children! With that thought he sped up. A child would be perfect to introduce to Ruby Soho!

He paused when he caught sight of them, smiling widely. "Hello!" He called, waving a hand and heading for them. THIS was why they had built the place!

Both paused in their conversation, turning their heads nearly simultaneously to see who was greeting them. Ernestine, who was hanging by her elbows, was the first to call back, "Greetings!"

"And salutations!" was immediately chimed in from Bertrand, who happened to be hanging from his knees at the moment, his hair dangling all about his face. In a smooth movement, he bent backwards and grasped another bar, then dropped his legs and twisted his arms, turning himself about to be able to look straight at the coming person.

It occurred to them both that he was Feien, and a grown one at that, though not near as tall as Maq was. However, Bertrand was the only one who realized what it might be that the man was carrying. After all, he'd had some experience with blooms, and this was the most bloom-looking bloom that a Feien could possibly cart about.

They smiled pleasantly, then dropped off the monkeybars as one, landing neatly on the ground and waiting for him to reach them.

He bit back a laugh, dropping down to the ground in front of them. "I didn't mean to stop you from playing. In fact, my brother and I built it for just that." He said, smiling. "My name is Aleric, and this is Ruby Soho." He assumed they would introduce themselves without being asked. "I was planning on showing her the playground, but right now she's not quite ready to be using it."

Bertrand bowed from the waist as Aleric introduced himself, then took the liberty to do the same on his side. "I am Bertrand, and this is Ernestine." Ernestine bowed as well, a bit more of a bob, though her eyes were on the bloom.

Her hand caught one of Bertrand's wings eagerly, and she tugged ever-so-slightly. "Bertrand, is that a bloom?" While some might think it odd that she would confer with her companion, and not the one actually in possession of the alledged bloom, Bertrand was more concerned with the properness of the inquisition.

"What my Bondsister means to say, sir, is that we are both terribly pleased to be of aquaintance." His smile was broad and pleasant, and he shook the wing that Ernestine continued to cling to instinctively.

"She is, indeed, a bloom." Aleric replied, not bothered at all by their lack of manners, as they called them. "Would you like to touch her? She's quite fond of being touched." He stoked her petal absently before pulling the straps off and offering the bloom for them to touch.

This gave him quite a lot of hope that she would have playmates in the future. And such sweet, polite ones at that! "Ruby Soho, meet Bertrand and Ernestine." He told the bloom. "Bertand and Ernestine, meet Ruby Soho."

At the offer, Ernestine quickly released Bertrand's wing, her hand reaching towards the bloom. Bertrand had moved forward as well, not being needed to be told twice that he could touch the bloom. They both laid palms upon it, Ernestine a hair of a moment before Bertrand, and she smiled happily up at Aleric. "You know that she's a she?"

Leaving Ernestine to ask the questions, as she would be much better at doing so than he, Bertrand instead turned his attention to the bloom, speaking softly and directly to it. After all, he'd had much experience doing the same when Ernestine had been a bloom. "It is a honor and a pleasure to make your aquaintance, Ruby Soho." His hand smoothed the petals gently, taking care not to bump into the circling palm that was Ernestine's. "You are a lovely bloom, and I am of all certainty that you shall be a lovely person as well."

"We have been assured that she is a she." Aleric said, loving their reactions. Especially Bert's. "Would you mind sitting? she's an earth element and happiest when she's touching ground."

He sat first, since he was taller, and would still be close to eye level with the two that way. "I've been introducing her to as many people as I can find, since she's going to need friends to play with. The only feien in the house now are adults, you see." He said.

Ernestine immediately followed suit, dropping down to the ground and tracing her fingers along one of the petal's edges. "I see... Well, Bertrand didn't know I was a she until I popped out." She giggled a bit at the inadvertant pun, the sound throaty rather than the usual girlie pitch. "And adults aren't so bad. Maq's pretty neat, isn't he?"

This last bit was obviously aimed towards Bertrand, who nodded. He had settled down at a more sedate pace than Ernestine, but had seated himself nonetheless, his own amused smile showing at his Bondsister's comment of popping out. "Oui, he is a joy, but I imagine it is much nicer having those of your own experience about." As Ernestine was paying attention to the bloom's edges, Bertrand focused on smoothing and stroking the surfaces. "You would not prefer me to be of Maquinar's size, c'est 硼/span>?"

"Maq?" Aleric repeated, tasting the name as he tried to fit a face to it. "I don't believe I've met that feien." He said. "But it is true, I would think she will prefer those near her own age. If for nothing other than having to look up to talk to people." He replied. "My brother is nearly two inches taller than I. He will tower over her."

He reached out, brushing the bloom just to check on her. She was quite happy with the new attention. "And we are a little too tall to properly play on the playground with her." He added.

"Monsieur Maquinar is quite a gentleman, and if Ruby Soho is to meet any adults, I would highly recommend him." Bertrand's words were echoed by Ernestine's nod.

"Even though Maq's waaaay taller than you, Aleric." She didn't know his exact height, but she knew it was taller than Aleric.

He wondered if this Maq was as tall as Silva, but smiled. "I'm quite used to that, actually." He said calmly. "He sounds like a fine fellow to meet." He said with a little nod. He paused, thinking of the best way to ask...

"When Ruby Soho is a child, would you two mind playing with her sometime?" He asked.

Both looking up at him, eyes wide and alight with excitement, they exclaimed in unision, "Of course we would!"

"I'm sure she will be quite pleased." Aleric said, nodding formally. "And when she is a juvenile, may I send you a note?" He asked. This was perfect! The two were playful and polite all in one! Just the type of people he wanted Ruby Soho associating with.

But it was getting a little late, and he needed to check in soon...

"A note? You mean, as in the ancient and formal art of correspondence?" Bertrand perked up even more, if it were at all possible, his heart nearly exploding with joy. Ernestine giggled again beside him, still stroking the bloom as she did so. "I would be delighted! May I take leave to return any such notes I may receive on your part?"

Aleric didn't let his surprise show, he merely smiled. "Of course. That's the nature of note writing, isn't it?" He stood. "My bond is Ice Queen, there should be directions to my household in the shop, or perhaps your bond might know, since Ice is one of the managers. I would be pleased to hear from you at any time."

"But I really must be going. I dislike keeping Soho away from our bond too long." He said, bowing. "It was a pleasure to meet you both."

The bow was returned, Bertrand's deeper than Ernestine. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Monsieur Aleric!"

Ernestine fluttered her wings, already waving. "Bye! Bye, bye!"

"Bye!" He called back as he took to the air, the bloom once again strapped to his chest. There was still a slight smile as he flew away.