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 Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 8:04 pm
Finding himself gifted with Etain was one thing, Shiro mused as he held the infant with an almost reverential air. Realizing that Etain would truly stay with him, be raised by him, held by him, cared for by him... that was taking more time to sink in.
For the longest time, Shiromaru had just held Etain, entranced by the infant's sweet nature. It was the first time Shiro had ever used the rocking chair on the front deck, though Shiro had rocked Etain for hours. Once she was then fed, and burped, and changed, however, Shiro decided... it was time to go traveling.
He had to tell Trio.
Carefully wrapping Etain up in a light blanket, Shiro settled the girl into the carrypack he'd bought ages ago, her head carefully resting against a head brace as she was nestled against his chest, her wings watched to make sure they wouldn't get caught, then he unfurled his own wings and flew off towards Trio's house, his arms protectively around Etain still. When he touched down, he knocked quickly on the door, waiting impatiently for it to be opened.
Aziraphale answered, his smile as welcoming as ever as he peered at Shiro. It widened a bit when he caught sight of the bundle against Shiro's chest. "Who's this?" he asked, reaching out to pet the girl's head despite his instinctive need to withdraw from the demon.
"This is Etain," Shiromaru explained, smiling kindly at Az. "She's come to live with me now. Would you like to see her a bit better? And are Trio and Annora around?"
Aziraphale nodded, eyes sparkling. "She's lovely, Shiromaru. Trio and Annora are in the side yard, with Annora's pool. Why don't you go on out there? I'll set up the baby pen in the yard for Etain..."
Shiro beamed at Aziraphale, then started padding over to the side yard. "Isn't she beautiful? And that would be very helpful, thank you." Quickly, he headed up to Trio and Annora, grinning from ear to ear.
Annora was basking in the water, as always, her skin glistening. She was giggling, sitting there in water up to her waist as she sang 'Wheels on the Bus' with Trio, her voice surprisingly on-key.
"Tri~o, Anno~ra!" Shiro sat down next to the pool as Etain turned her head towards the sound of Annora's singing. "Mm, I should get you out of there, shouldn't I," he added to Etain softly, starting to carefully get the girl out of her carrypack.
"Shiro!" Annora cried, leaping out of the water to dart to him. She stopped nearly there, staring in wonder at the new baby in Shiro's arms. "It's a baby," she suddenly chirped, as Trio finally looked over. The blonde froze, staring at Etain wide-eyed before looking up at Shiro in wonder. "Who... how...?"
Finally getting Etain out of the carrypack, he set the pack aside, then leaned forward with Etain in his arms so Annora could see. "Annora, sweetheart, meet Etain. She's my new daughter. When she gets bigger, would you like to be able to play with her?" The grin he flashed at Trio was brilliant, though it softened somewhat at his next words. "Etain... used to live with Shinobu," he explained.
Annora nodded vigorously, watching Shiro carefully before saying, "Baby..." After a moment, she stepped back a pace, running into Trio's legs.
Trio caught Annora, holding her even as she peered down at Etain solemnly, then up to Shiromaru. "She's in good hands. Shinobu would be happy," she said quietly, her eyes soft.
"I hope so," Shiro whispered, drawing a careful fingertip over Etain's soft cheek. The little girl gave a wide yawn, then snuggled into Shiromaru's arms contentedly. He just watched her for a moment, then shot Trio another of those blinding grins.
Trio found herself grinning back - it'd been a while since she'd seen Shiro this happy. "She looks like she likes it with you, at least," she noted, lifting Annora into her arms when the girl turned to her and grunted a demand. She blinked as Annora's arms tightened a bit too much, and looked at her own little girl, shaking her head. "It's okay, sweetie. Shiro's gonna play with you, too."
Shiro blinked at Annora, then padded closer, leaning in to kiss Annora's cheek gently. "I could never forget you, 'Nora. You'll still get lots of attention from me, I promise you that."
"Annora," Trio tried, when the girl sulked. "Would you like to hold Etain?" Her eyes lifted to Shiro, looking curious.
Nodding, the water demon offered to let Annora hold Etain. "You can, if you want. You could be her big cousin, and teach her all sorts of important things!"
Annora looked between the two warily. Trio sat down awkwardly in the grass, settling Annora in her lap and beckoning Shiro over. "I'll help you for now, okay?" she suggested, her eyes dancing as she looked up at Shiro.
Shiro sat down again, in front of Trio and Annora. "Careful of her wings," he suggested gently, his smile warm as he watched Annora.
Annora's arms came around Etain carefully, supported by Trio's underneath. The blonde smiled softly, her attention caught by the baby very quickly. There was something soothing about them at this age, something that made her ache for another. But the odd feeling in the pit of her stomach quickly disappeared into wonder as Annora sang to the baby, her voice soft and off-beat as she stumbled over words.
Etain looked up at Annora, those soft grey eyes widening a little. After a moment, she waved her arms awkwardly, making soft little cooing noises. She liked Annora's singing, apparently. Shiro couldn't help but grin, his own gaze softening as he watched the pair.
Annora sang for a while longer, then looked up at Shiro. "You hold baby," she announced without warning, squirming against Trio's lap. Trio laughed, lifting Etain up to let Annora dart back to the water, then curled the girl in her own arms again. "I think... they'll be friends," she offered, more out of hope than any certainty.
"Give it time," Shiro mused, watching Annora with undisguised fondness. "Once 'Nora realizes she hasn't been replaced..." He looked down, letting Etain curl one little fist around his finger.
"I think she'll be more afraid of that from you than me," Trio returned, looking up at him.
Chuckling softly, Shiromaru shook his head. "She needn't worry. I'll still be here all the time to see her and you." He reached out, wanting to hold Etain again.
Trio gave her up to her new father easily, then patted the ground beside her. "You'd better," she teased gently, eyes soft as they watched the pair.
Annora, frowning slightly as the two adults cooed over the child, darted to Psaltria, whispering for a moment before hopping on the pard's back. Psaltria winced slightly, fighting to keep from sighing at the little girl's exuberance before she padded toward the two adults, feeling much more like a horse than a pard.
Settling at Trio's side, Shiro kept his arms safe around Etain. "Don't worry, you'll consider us a constant nuisance before we're done. Hey there, Psaltria," he offered to the poor pard, then looked up at Annora. "What is it, hon? What's wrong?"
Trio looked up and choked, fighting to keep from bursting into laughter. "What on earth!"
"Lookit me!" Annora crowed, bouncing on Psaltria's back. The pard's wings flared, and she growled softly, more out of frustration than anger. "Lookit me lookit me lookit me," Annora continued.
Trio shook her head. "Get down, Annora. You're not supposed to ride on pards." Annora glared for a moment, then wilted, sliding off the pard's back and flouncing over to flop down beside the pool again.
"Hmmm... Trio, can you take Etain again for a second?" Shiro whispered, offering the infant to Trio.
Trio nodded, blinking and reaching with practiced arms to hold the little girl, mindful of the delicate wings.
Shiromaru rose, then made his way over to Annora, crouching down next to her. "Hey, you. Come here, I want to talk to you for a second."
Annora glanced over, eyes narrowed. She said nothing, merely waiting for Shiro to speak.
"Etain is my daughter, yes. But she can't replace you in my heart. I need to be around you just as much as I need to be around her. And besides," Shiro whispered conspiratorially, "I don't think I can take her swimming deep down in the ocean like I can with you."
Annora's head tilted, her eyes thoughtful as she took the assurances in. "You like the baby?" she finally asked warily.
Shiro nodded softly. "I love the baby. But I love you, too, Annora. Just as much."
"You love the... my... 'Nora?" Annora said, her voice fair less wary and far more content now. "You swimming with my 'Nora?"
"Yes," Shiro agreed, smiling warmly. "I love you, Nora-fish. And swimming with you is lots of fun."
"You... tickle 'Nora?" Annora asked, her voice now cagey as she turned more. A second later, she pounced on Shiro, rough, clumsy fingers already trying to worm under his chin as she yelled, "Tickletickletickle!"
Squawking playfully, Shiromaru tickled Annora right back, then swept the girl up into his arms and twirled around with her playfully. Moments later, he plopped down onto the ground next to Trio, Annora in his lap -- and kept safe, since he'd lifted her up enough to keep her legs from getting caught.
Trio laughed, Etain up on her shoulder as she watched the other two. "Thank you," she mouthed to Shiro, eyes gentle, then glanced up as Aziraphale made his way over, spreading out a blanket before Trio.
"I'll have to dig a bit more for the fence, but this should work for her now, hmm?" he suggested, reaching out to pet Annora's hair. Annora laughed and mewled before announcing, "I'm a CAT," and squirming off of Shiro to go prowling on all fours down to the water. And Trio, still laughing, carefully laid Etain on her stomach on the blanket.
"A cat!" Shiro pretended astonishment. "I thought you were a fish, Nora-fish!" A large mouse made of ice formed in the water, floating there for Annora to play with, and Shiromaru looked back at Trio with a warm grin. As the blanket was spread out, he grinned up at Aziraphale, nodding his gratitude. "Thank you." Etain's wings buzzed, just a little, then she settled more comfortably on the blanket.
"Maybe she's a catfish," Trio noted, giggling. She got to her feet, darting after Annora as the girl squealed, happy once more now that she realized she'd have plenty of attention.
Etain, at that squeal, started fussing. That squeal hurt! Shiro leaned in and picked her up, rocking her to try and soothe her.
"Annora!" Trio said, realizing the problem immediately. When Annora pulled up short, Trio caught her arms, holding her still. "Look, around the baby, we have to be quiet and careful, okay? She's fragile right now, and needs us to be good for her. Can you do that for me?"
Two huge eyes locked with Trio's before sliding slowly to where Etain was fussing against Shiro, and then back to Trio solemnly. "The baby's crying?" she asked, something vulnerable in her voice.
Trio nodded, kneeling before her and wrapping her arms gently around Annora. "The baby's crying. But she'll probably be happy again if you go sing to her?" she suggested, letting Annora go. The girl hesitated a moment, then moved to sit by Shiromaru, quietly stumbling through the Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Shiro blinked as Etain immediately started to settle, once Annora sang to her. That seemed to be a magic touch. Etain looked wide-eyed up at Annora, then finally started to wave her arms a bit, cooing once again. "Well, now. Annora, she really seems to like your singing," he murmured, grinning at the girl.
Annora beamed in return, chest puffing out in childish pride. Trio relaxed, watching the two fondly for a moment before her gaze darkened slightly. I really need to read a lot more deeply on sirens, now that it's beginning to show... she decided.
"Mmm?" Shiromaru glanced up at Trio, brows furrowed slightly. "What is it?"
"Just thinking I should do a bit of studying soon," she said, waving away the concern as she sat down beside Annora. The siren grinned, draping over Trio's lap. "And I think it's someone's naptime. You sticking around for supper, Shiro?"
"Sure, if you want me to. I should probably put Etain down for a nap again soon, too." Shiro brushed a kiss light over the sylph's forehead, and Etain yawned again, hugely, one hand tight around a lock of Shiro's hair.
"You can put her down on my bed. I've got a couple heavy pillows to keep her safe." Trio paused then, blinking. "I should dig out Annora's bottles and things for you," she added, whirling Annora into her arms and rising with a bit of difficulty.
Shiromaru stood carefully, Etain in his arms. "That'd be appreciated. I have a couple bottles at home from the ones I bought in a hurry, but that's about it... I was going to do some more shopping tomorrow."
"Use Annora's. They're still in good shape, don't worry, and it's one less thing you'll have to spend money on," Trio said, bending down to get the blanket and carry it inside. Psaltria watched them go, then settled by the water, dozing in the sunlight.
"Thank you," Shiro said again, softly sincere. "That will help out a lot." He followed Trio into the house, humming to himself contentedly. Life... was good.
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:10 pm
The sun was beating down between the clouds as the pair walked up the drive. In both sets of hands lay foliage, the angel WinK holding a small batch of yellow and white roses -a gift for Trio- and in Keelan's able hands a batch of what looked like green pasta but was in fact river grass, dripping slightly as the bowl sloshed. His sister Aurora had been very specific not to let it dry out before planted. A gift for Annora.
Schola, the little pixa hyper as par usual darted in front of the pair, chasing lizards and the occasional frog as it came across their path. Spotting the house and smelling the familiar scents he yipped a few times, very loud for such a small creature, and darted off through the yard, dissapearing quickly.
Keelan, about to chase after, remembered the grass and stopped, remdinging himself firmly that Schola was a lot smarter than the average dog and would come to no harm. He hoped. With full hands he looked up at WinK, pleading, and the tall green-eyed man chuckled and knocked on the door firmly.
"Coming," called a bright voice from inside the house, but from the yard near where Schola had disappeared, a blue and grey head peeked up before darting off after the cat, the wine-red wings fluttering after him. That was a brief sight at best before their attention turned again to the front door, which was opening. The blond boy who looked out beamed at the two, stepping back and opening the door wider. "Do come in. May I ask who you're here to see?" With the open door came the scent of baking apple pie and fresh bread.
WinK kept his warm smile, it never seemed to leave his face unless some other emotion took control of him and shook him by the collar. "Trio," he said as he stepped inside, waiting for Keelan who was blinking his gray eyes, still a little big as a child, up at the pair. "And Annora," WinK added.
Looking to the blonde Keelan bobbed his head, sloshing a bit of water on the porch. "Is Annora outside? I don't want to get your floor all wet," he said, shifting his hooves uncomfortably on the boards with solid thunks.
"They're in the side yard. If you'd prefer to go around, there's a gate right next to the house," Aziraphale said warmly. "Shiromaru and his little girl are with them, too," he added. "I'll bring out refreshments shortly. Is there anything else I can get you?"
WinK nodded to Keelan who ambled off without further ado, bowl sloshing. His arms were getting tired.
"Thank you, you've been a great help," he said, flashing a grin. "I probably would have gotten lost." Now that he thought about it, the side yard is probably where Schola had run off to, yipping his little head off. Giving him a friendly nod he trotted off after Keelan, cathing up quickly and taking a quick look around.
Keelan had slowed considerably, the bowl nearly slipping out of his hands, water sloshing back and forth dangerously for the plants within.
Shiromaru was settled on his back, Etain sleeping on her stomach and draped over his chest, wings fluttering with every breath. Shiro has one hand drifting in the water of the pool, but when he heard voices he looked up, blinking. "Who's this?"
"I get it!" Annora sang out, dashing from the pool toward the gate before Trio could blink. Even Psaltria, as careful as she was being around the exuberant little girl, was a step or two behind, though her large winged form was very impressive.
Annora paused at the gate, peering over it to Keelan and Wink and beaming. "Horse!" she called, drawing a laugh from Trio as the blonde got up and made her way to the gate.
"Wink... Keelan... welcome," she said, opening the gate and letting them in. "What brings you two out here?" And then, before they could answer, she called over her shoulder, "Shiro! We have company!"
WinK grinned and offered Trio the roses and placed a quick, friendly kiss on her cheek. "Keelan wanted to visit and I decided to come along as well. Thank you for Schola, by the way ... Keelan adores him. He also lets me know when it's time for breakfast about an hour earlier than any other living creature in my household," he added with a laugh.
Keelan wrinkled his nose and raised his chin a little. "No. Not horse. Centaur," he said firmly. He would not lose this battle. Before she could retort with another 'horsie!' remark he held the bowl lower for her to see inside of the clay structure. "This is for your stream!" he said. "If Miss Trio will let us plant it," he said, turning pleading gray eyes up to the blonde.
Shifting about, Shiro turned over onto his side, his arms careful around Etain to keep her from falling. He sat up after a moment, then stood, wings beating to keep his balance. "Company? I don't believe we've met..." He joined the others with a smile, waving.
Trio blushed as she accepted the roses and kiss, her smile only widening. When Shiro approached, she half-turned toward him, to welcome him into the conversation. "Shiro, this is Wink, and this handsome boy is Keelan," she said, pointing to the angel and centaur respectively. "This is Shiromaru and his new daughter, Etain," she added, a hand stealing out to stroke Etain's hair. Glancing down at Keelan, she continued. "Go ahead and plant them wherever you like, Keelan. By the pond is probably best..."
Annora grinned, moving to Keelan's side. "You going to planting?" she asked, in wonder.
"Shiro, very nice to meet you," WinK said with that same warm smile he always carried, which only grew as he looked down at the little girl in the man's arms. "What a darling ... she'll grow up to be a handful if Keelan is any indication," he added with a characteristic wink. "Though, he's a good boy."
Keelan beamed up at Trio, giving the baby a glance, tail flicking over his hindquarters as he pondered being around another baby. Did this one drool a lot too? Not that Annora was a baby any more ...
"Yes! Planting!" he said, walking carefully over to the stream and setting the bowl down at the edge of the constantly-moving water. "These are for you, and your stream. Once they're rooted and growing on their own, I'm going to teach you to weave them," he motioned towards the flowers growing throughout the yard, "like I do the earth-flowers."
"This is Etain," Shiro offered as the sylph looked up at WinK with wide grey eyes. "Right now she seems to be a very quiet baby, but considering what she is, I just know that won't last," he noted with wry amusement.
When he looked over at the centaur, however, the water demon grinned at the boy. "It's nice to meet you, though, Keelan," he offered, then just let Keelan and Annora spend time together.
Trio glanced at the two over by the pond, then reached out to the other two adults, dragging them both to sit on the nearby porch. "Relax. Shiro, would you like me to take Etain for a while?" she offered, settling between them with a soft sigh of contentment.
Down by the stream-style pond, Annora crouched beside Keelan, watching him work. "You digging?" she asked, as he dug into the wet grass beside the stream.
WinK sat down greatfully with a contented sigh. His emerald gaze looked out over the yard, keeping an eye on the pair of Changelings next to the pond before catching a glimpse of Schola running through the grass before the pixa dissapeared again.
Keelan flashed her a toothy grin and nodded, digging into the water as well, as par Aurora's directions. After a few moments, and a few snorts of thought and redirection, he had the grass planted in the shallows of the water, and stepped back deeper into the stream to take a look at his handy work. After a moment, pleased, he ambled out and onto dry land. "You can pick it," he said, snapping a stem of a flower and a couple of others, "and weave it," he said, his fingers starting to do as his words described, "in about a week."
"Please," Shiro murmured, offering Etain to Trio. "If you would." He sat down near WinK, wings vanishing to make the movement easier. "...How long have Keelan and Annora known each other?" he asked, curiously, looking up at Trio and WinK both.
"They first met when she was still an infant," Trio said, remembering the time fondly. "We found Keelan wandering the streets of Durem." A sideways glance at that, to where Wink sat, and she snuggled Etain a little closer. "So we escorted him back to Jaden."
Annora bounced beside Keelan, wanting to see him weaving the flowers. "The flowers is pretty!" she crowed, throwing her arms around his waist and hanging off of him.
WinK turned to Shiro, nodding. "Keelan had run from home, getting lost on his way. Several people helped him return, so he's told me. Trio's the only one I've known, the others I've yet to meet," he said, flashing a smile. "He's afraid of snakes. That's why he ran ... not so much anymore, since we've taught him about them, but they still make him jumpy." He looked thoughtful for a moment, face blank before spreading into a smile.
Keelan laughed and dropped the 'crown' onto her head. "Yes, they are," Keelan said with a smile, hugging Annora back for a moment before swishing his tail. His feet shifted so she wasn't quite a strain on his four-legged balance, careful of her tiny feet.
Shiro made a face, shuddering slightly. "I know. I hate snakes," he muttered, one hand drifting over to rest on Etain's leg. "They can move, they don't have any legs, just, no."
Trio blinked, but it was Aziraphale, delivering tea and cookies, who reacted, frowning deeply and shaking his head. "There's nothing wrong with snakes," he said primly. "They're just like anyone else." A few moments later, he blinked, blushing deeply and setting down the tray to flee back into the house. Trio barely managed to wait until he was gone before bursting into giggles, her face covered by her hands.
Annora perked at Az's retreat, her nose smelling the tea and cookies, and she was off Keelan and darting over like a flash, to tug on Trio's sleeve and tell the adults earnestly, "I like cookies..."
(Left unfinished.)
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:15 am
Congratulations!! Etain is flourishing under your care!
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 11:36 pm
(Etain is still an infant in this post.)
"You, my dear Etain, are getting heavy," Shiro announced as he resettled Etain against his chest. Wings fluttering, he touched down on the front porch of Trio's home, a tiny smile on his lips. He'd always felt welcome here; now, it just felt right. He reached up and knocked on the door, then laughed aloud when Etain copied him, patting at the door with an open palm.
"Coming," Trio called, a moment before a much younger, stronger voice called out, "Who it is?"
Shiro grinned. "It's Shiromaru and Etain," he called back, cheerfully.
"SHIRO!" Annora cried out, and he could hear the door thumping a bit as tiny hands tried to open it. A moment later, it finally pulled back, revealing Trio leaning OVER Annora as the girl squirmed around the door to fling herself at Shiro's legs.
Beaming, Shiro knelt so he could cuddle Annora with one arm. "Hey there, sweetheart! It's good to see you!" Etain, in Shiro's other arm, waved her hands at Annora, reaching out for the older girl with a sweet, happy smile.
Trio chuckled, reaching out to pluck Etain from Shiro's arms with practiced skill. "Come on in," she said, setting the girl against one hip as she watched Shiro with Annora. "If she'll let you."
Etain leaned in and, very proudly, planted a messy kiss on Trio's cheek and cuddled up with the woman. Shiro, with his arms now free, lifted Annora into them and twirled with her a little before kissing her forehead. "So how are things?" The question was directed to both Annora and Trio.
Trio blushed, making no move to answer, but the room wasn't silent. Annora immediately dove into a detailed, if occasionally garbled, rendition of her day, which apparently included reading, music, and quite a lot of swimming.
Laughing, Shiro walked inside with Annora in his arms, listening attentively. "It sounds like you had a good day."
"Uh-huh," Annora nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder as she continued. "An' then we had pizza and I got hair in a cut and..."
"Enough, Annora," Trio murmured, and the girl looked over to her, pouting.
"But I was just tellin' Shiro..."
"Enough, Annora," Trio repeated, a bit more firmly, and the girl trailed off, tucking herself against Shiro and pouting.
"You can tell me later," Shiro said gently. "It's alright. Listen to your mother."
Trio blinked, then smiled at Shiro warmly, nodding and leaning in to brush a kiss against his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, then pulled back. "Want something to eat?"
Shiro returned that smile happily, resettling Annora in his arms. "Sure, I'd like that. If that's okay with you?"
Trio nodded. "Annora's already eaten but I waited for you," she explained, turning to head to the kitchen.
"You didn't have to wait for me," Shiro said gently. "But thank you." The demon followed after Trio, humming contentedly to himself.
"I... haven't really talked to her yet," Trio murmured, as Annora darted on ahead to duck into her own room.
Shiro waited until Annora had run off, then wound his arms around Trio's waist from behind and kissed her cheek. "When should we talk to her?"
Trio paused, blushing a little as she leaned back against Shiro, angling her head to give Etain a chance to notice him, too. "Tonight..."
Etain reached up for Shiro, and he took the sylph's hand with a soft chuckle. "Tonight, then. You want me to be here, right?"
Trio nodded, twisting to look at him just as Annora rounded the corner, darting to Shiro to barrel between them. The book she carried gouged against Shiro's stomach as she moved.
"Ow." Shiro grabbed at his stomach, then peeled up his shirt to eye the blossoming bruise. "Annora, you hurt me. Look, I'm bruising. Please be careful when you run."
Trio frowned, stopping Annora with a sharp snap of her name, and the girl froze, contrite eyes turning slowly to Shiro. "S-sorry," she whimpered, eyes shining with unshed tears, obviously afraid Shiro was going to be angry.
Shiromaru knelt on the floor, reaching up to stroke Annora's hair gently. "It's alright this time, sweetheart, but you do need to be more careful. It's possible that next time, there could be a bad accident if you don't watch. Will you be careful for me?"
Annora nodded slowly, eyes still glittering. A moment later, the book hit the floor as she flung herself at him, sniffling.
Shiro hugged Annora close, patting her back. "It's okay, I'm not mad. I promise."
Annora tucked herself close, almost clinging to Shiro as she calmed. "I sorry..."
"It's okay, sweetheart. I accept your apology," Shiro murmured soothingly.
Trio stood back, watching the two with a faint frown.
Shiromaru glanced up at Trio over Annora's head, his expression questioning.
She just shook her head minutely, stooping to retrieve the book before turning to head toward the kitchen. "Coming?"
"Mmhmm." Shiro hugged Annora again, then released her and stood up, following after Trio. His good mood was gone, and he was watching Trio anxiously.
In the kitchen, Trio set Etain into a high chair, then turned to reach for Shiro's shirt, lifting it. "Lemme see that..."
Again, Shiro lifted his shirt and touched the purpling triangular bruise that spanned several inches on his right side. "It's okay, it's not that bad."
Trio frowned deeply, reaching up to trail her fingers along the edge of it. "She gets so clumsy when she's in a growth spurt," she whispered.
"Well, you know," Shiro murmured, "she's all limbs. It's okay, I'll heal quickly."
"It's not bleeding, at least," Trio muttered, apparently not hearing him. "Those books hurt."
"Trio...?" Shiromaru reached out, trying to take Trio's hand.
"Hmm?" Trio asked, finally looking up.
"It's okay," the demon said gently. "Really."
"It's not," Trio countered, chewing on her lower lip.
Shiromaru laced his fingers through Trio's. "Why isn't it?"
"She has to learn that it's not good to hurt people," Trio murmured, worried eyes shooting to where Annora sat in front of Etain, tickling the little girl's feet.
Etain was happily squealing, reaching out towards Annora.
Shiro sighed softly, an arm snaking around Trio's waist. "Do you want to talk to her now? Or...?"
Trio leaned forward, careful of Shiro's bruise. "We really should..."
"Okay. Let's, then," Shiro murmured, glancing over at Annora.
Annora had progressed to singing, her voice slightly off-key and mis-timed as she made her way through 'itsy bitsy spider', complete with hand motions, for Etain.
"Annora?" Shiromaru said, quietly. "We need to talk to you."
Annora twisted, looking up at Shiromaru with solemn, curious eyes. "I singing."
Shiromaru sat down in a chair after pulling one out for Trio as well. "I know, sweetheart, but this is important."
Annora's face grew wary, and she scooted a little closer to Etain. "What?" she asked softly.
Trio opened her mouth to answer, then fell silent, looking at Shiro helplessly. Where to begin?
Shiro looked back at Trio, then reached a decision after a moment. "You know how your mother and I go back and forth to each others' houses a lot?" he began, his gaze resting on Annora again. "Well, we'll be spending the night often, too, now." Well, it was somewhere to start from, yes?
Annora nodded, tilting her head. "Me too?" she asked, with all the curious innocence of a young child.
"Certainly," Shiro agreed easily. "You can sleep over in Etain's room! She'd love that."
"Is Mommy sleeping in your room?" Annora asked curiously, tilting her head.
Trio choked, a deep blush creeping over her cheeks.
Shiro, too, blushed, a fact that did not escape Etain, for the sylph buzzed her wings, lifting herself out of her chair a few inches. He picked up the girl and set her on his lap, though his gaze was on Annora. "Yes," he agreed. "Yes, she will be."
Annora's face broke into a bright smile, and she nodded, reaching out to take Etain's hands. "Okay," she informed him, then reached forward to tickle Etain. "Tickle tickle tickle!!!"
Etain squealed merrily, wriggling on Shiro's lap as she grabbed at Annora's hands. Over the girls' heads, Shiro looked up at Trio, brows raised.
"I guess... that went well," Trio murmured, as Annora leaned in to smack her lips against Etain's cheek.
"Apparently it did," Shiro agreed with a slight, amused shake of his head. Etain wanted to kiss Annora back -- it was a trick she'd learned recently! -- and so leaned out, 'mmmmmwah'ing happily in the general vicinity of Annora's forehead.
Annora giggled, starting to sing to her again with the same childishly off-key cheer she had been before. "Turkey good?" Trio asked wryly, moving to rise.
Shiro nodded, grinning up at Trio as Etain listened raptly to Annora. "Turkey's just fi-..." He trailed off, blinking as Etain started to sing -- sort of -- along with Annora. Now, granted, it was off-key and consisted mainly of 'la,' but it was still music to Shiro's ears.
Trio blinked as well, turning to watch Etain for a moment before grinning widely at Shiro. "I foresee concerts," she informed him, beaming.
"Yes indeed," Shiro agreed, his smile almost blindingly brilliant. When Etain started kicking her legs and bouncing in his lap, he oofed softly and moved to put Etain back in the high chair.
Annora moved to climb up onto a chair, grabbing Etain's hands and showing her patiently how to do the hand signs that went along with 'itsy bitsy spider'. Trio snickered, leaning against the counter to watch them, her food forgotten.
Etain tried to follow along, bright eyes watching Annora's hands in fascination. Her own hand signs were clumsy, but she certainly was trying!
Trio moved to Shiro, curling around him and resting her chin on his shoulder as she watched the pair. "For someone so impatient and demanding, she's awfully good with Etain..."
"She is," Shiro agreed, smiling warmly as he reached up to touch Trio's arms. "She's absolutely amazing with Etain. But then again, Etain sister-worships Annora, so..."
"We're almost a family," Trio whispered, hugging Shiro tightly.
"Why only almost?" Shiro murmured in return, lifting Trio's hand to his lips so he could kiss it.
Trio blushed, grateful he couldn't see her face. "Blue."
Shiro shook his head slightly. "Blue doesn't deny us a family, love..."
"I don't even know him," Trio pointed out softly.
"We can fix that," Shiro murmured.
"I know, but... it feels a little strange," Trio admitted, then blinked as Annora caught her eye. The girl was trying to lift Etain out of the high chair, with little luck.
Etain was buzzing her wings with all her tiny might, and Shiro reached out to keep a careful hand near the sylph as Etain started to lift a half-inch out of the chair. "She's been trying to fly before she can even walk."
Trio moved to hover nearby as well. "Makes sense, given her wings." Annora ignored them both, both hands under Etain's arms as she lifted. "C'mon..."
After almost a minute of straining, Etain rose another few inches out of her chair, a bright smile on her lips.
Annora and Trio both grinned, Annora letting go of Etain. "Good girl," Trio murmured, reaching out to brush her fingers against Etain's fine hair lightly.
Etain kept floating in place, her wings a blur until she finally sat back down in the seat. "Suddenly," Shiro drawled, "I fear for our house, now that she can fly."
Trio sniggered. "What makes you think being able to fly has anything to do with it?" she asked.
"Because I kept everything breakable out of reach of toddlers," Shiro explained, laughing softly. "Now nothing's out of reach."
"Storage works well here," Trio laughed, stroking Etain's hair again. "You're such a good girl, aren't you?" she cooed at Etain.
Etain beamed at the petting, catching hold of Trio's arm. Of course she was a good girl!
Annora watched the two for a moment, then looked to Shiro, holding out her arms.
Shiromaru reached down, lifting Annora up onto his lap. "So what were you going to read?" he asked, curiously.
"Wanna read about fox is sockses," Annora informed him, curling up against him comfortably. "Read me?"
"Why don't you," Shiro suggested as he opened the book and set it down on Annora's lap, "read it to me? I'd love to hear you."
The story Annora 'read' to him had nothing to do with the words themselves, though she expounded on the pictures cheerfully, telling him in detail exactly what was happening in each.
Shiro grinned all the way through the 'reading' of the story, and when it was done, he cheerfully hugged Annora. "That was fun! Will you read for me again sometime?"
"Okay!" Annora chirped, diving off of his lap to head to her bedroom. Trio snickered, eyeing him. "You might wanna let her know you didn't mean 'right now'."
Eep. "Annora? I didn't mean right now! Perhaps after we eat!" Eureka! Shiro grinned, glancing at Etain. "I bet Etain would love for you to read to her after dinner!"
"Okay!" Annora called, bringing out a small pile of books to drop onto the table.
"That'll do," Shiro said quietly, fighting to keep from laughing. Etain saw the books and reached out to them, wanting to hold one. Shiromaru found the softest-covered book, one without any hard corners, then glanced at Annora. "Do you mind if Etain looks through this one?"
Annora nodded, following suit by grabbing another book, this one with corners, and carrying it over to give to Etain as well.
Shiro considered for a moment, then decided to just keep a close eye on Etain. The little sylph opened the first book and stared at the various pictures, sometimes pointing excitedly to ones she liked -- especially anything involving birds or butterflies or dragonflies.
Trio leaned over his shoulder, setting a turkey sandwich in front of him and murmuring into his ear, "It's okay if she chews the corners. Annora did that to it, too, so I'm not that worried about the book."
"Really...? Okay. As long as she doesn't poke herself, then, I won't worry," Shiro returned, leaning in to kiss Trio lightly before she could get too far away. Then his stomach took over, and he reached for the sandwich.
Trio nodded. "I don't think that'll be much of a problem. Annora never has, and she takes them to bed with her!"
Shiro laughed at that, shaking his head. "Now that? That doesn't surprise me." He started in on his sandwich nibbling at it contentedly.
Trio snickered, setting down another plate opposite him and sliding into her own seat. "She's got an mp3 player now, and LOVES it."
"Tell me it's waterproof," Shiro said with a grin, "and I'm getting one of my own."
"Make it waterproof, and I'll buy one for you," Trio returned with a smirk.
Shiro rolled his eyes, then set his elbow on the table, chin in hand. "I'll work on it."
Trio grinned, reaching out to touch his hand.
The demon took Trio's hand, holding it in his own as he stroked his thumb over the top of her hand.
"I thought... do you know where you're trick or treating on Halloween with Etain?" Trio asked softly.
"No, actually," Shiro murmured. "Not a clue. We were hoping to stick close to you."
"Know what you're dressing her up as yet?" Trio asked.
Shiro leaned back in his chair, now that he was done with his sandwich. "The pumpkin fairy, actually. She already has wings, so she'll have a pumpkin outfit, and striped little stockings and an orange pointed hat."
"Sounds so cute," Trio noted, grinning widely.
"You should see her in it," Shiro returned, matching that grin. "She's adorable."
"I look forward to it," Trio murmured, watching him with soft eyes.
Annora tugged on his sleeve, breaking his attention free from Trio.
Shiromaru blinked, tearing his gaze away from Trio to peer down at Annora. "What is it, princess?"
"I'm gonna be Gil!" Annora said gleefully, bouncing in her chair.
"Gil?" Shiro echoed, cluelessly.
Annora nodded happily, stealing a chip from his plate as she beamed at him.
Shiro laughed, tapping Annora's nose. "Who is Gil?"
"Gil!" Annora said firmly, as though repeating the name should explain everything.
Trio snickered, murmuring, "From Finding Nemo," to Shiro.
"Oh! Well, now I understand. You'll make a great Gil," Shiro declared, grinning down at Annora.
Annora beamed at him, bouncing excitedly in her seat.
Shiromaru watched her in amusement. "You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?"
"Mommy says we have to wait," Annora announced, not looking the least bit patient. Trio chuckled.
"Well, that's because no one's going to have candy until Halloween!" Shiro explained, unable to keep from grinning. Etain raised her arms, wings buzzing, and Shiro reached out, lifting his daughter out of the high chair so he could hold her.
"I thought we'd start at the new chime shop, and make our way from there?" Trio suggested, watching them fondly.
Shiromaru nodded, rocking Etain lightly in his arms as she sleepily wound her arms around Shiro's neck. "That sounds like a plan. The tricky part will be getting little miss windchime addict away from the store."
Trio snickered. "Actually, from what I hear, Ealasaid has plans for that..."
"Oh? How so?" Shiro kept rocking Etain gently, and the sylph was slowly falling asleep.
"She hasn't actually said yet," Trio grinned.
Shiro tilted his head slightly. "Well, we'll have to see, then, won't we?"
"Do you want to put her in Annora's room?" Trio asked. "It's getting close to someone's bedtime anyway."
Immediately, Annora piped up with, "I not tired!"
"Well, Etain's very sleepy," Shiromaru said gently. "And I think she'd like it if you read a story to her as she went to sleep. Would you be willing to do that?"
Annora nodded. "Can I sing to her, too?" she asked very seriously, and Trio fought back a giggle.
Shiromaru nodded, keeping his own expression very serious too, though his lips were twitching as he hid a smile. "She'd love that."
"C'mon, c'mon!" Annora said, scrambling from the chair and darting toward her room.
"Annora!" Trio called out, and the girl darted back, flinging her arms around Trio for a swift hug and kiss before she fled again.
Choking back a snicker, Shiro followed after Annora willingly. In the bedroom, he settled Etain on her stomach on the pallet, then pulled the blanket up near her shoulders. "There we are," he murmured, then moved to turn down the corner of Annora's bed. "Slip in, and Etain can listen as you sing and read."
Trio followed as well, lingering in the doorway with a soft expression on her face as she watched Shiro tend the children. Annora scrambled out of her jeans, leaving herself in just a t-shirt and panties before she slipped under the covers, beaming at Shiro. "Hugs, kisses!"
Shiromaru tucked in Annora, then gave her a hug and a kiss. "Night, princess. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
"Okay," Annora sang out, while Trio ducked back out of the room, blushing a little.
Shiro turned off the lights, then closed the door gently before smiling up at Trio.
"I guess... this means what we talked about earlier...," Trio murmured, her cheeks a dark red.
"I was hoping," Shiro said softly, reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist. "If it's okay with you."
She nodded slowly, searching his eyes for a moment before moving forward to curl against his chest. "This will take a bit of getting used to."
"It will," the demon agreed quietly, holding her close to him. "But we'll make it through."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 11:39 pm
She was tired, she was cranky, and she was driving Trio batty. As Trio walked up to Shiro's house, Annora cuddled in her arms and obviously drooping, she sighed. With luck, Shiro would wanna take her for a bit and give the harried blonde a bit of a rest. Trick or treating was insane. As soon as they reached the door, Annora squirmed free, leaping to ring the bell first and call out (at the top of her lungs), "TRICKERTREATS!"
The door opened, and an equally tired Shiromaru peeked out at Annora and Trio. "Hey, there you two are... come on in. I have candy inside." Etain pattered towards the door when she heard Annora's voice, reaching out for the older girl. "All this energy, even though she's been all through the neighborhood... Come on, have a seat."
"She'll stop when she sleeps," Trio murmured, slipping inside and slumping onto the couch. Annora bounced over to Etain, hugging her with a grin before catching her hand and dragging her off to show Etain what she'd gotten.
"C'mon! I gots candy," she informed the younger girl gleefully.
"Candy!" Etain cheered, running off with Annora eagerly. "I got candy too. Lots 'n lots!"
Shiromaru watched them go, then sat down next to Trio, flopping down with a sigh. "My hands are numb from carrying her around. If I didn't, she'd try to fly everywhere."
Trio immediately moved to curl up against him, closing her eyes as she pillowed her head on his chest. "She talked, and she talked, and she TALKED," she whispered.
Annora flopped down in Etain's room, pouring her bag out on the floor to show off the nice haul she'd had. "We drove a LOT," she confided in Etain seriously.
"We flew lots," Etain whispered, her eyes wide. She plunked down across from Annora, unloading her bag as well.
Shiro pulled Trio into his arms, kissing her gently. "Annora tends to do that, I've noticed."
Annora poked through the candy, then tucked it away in the bag again, careful to get every single piece. "Tabris is putting the beads in my hair tomorrow," she told Etain then, crawling over to poke through Etain's candy.
"Mmm," Trio agreed, nestling close and just resting for a long minute before something registered. "Speaking of which... it's TOO quiet. We should check on the girls. With that much candy..."
"We should," Shiro agreed, pulling himself upright slowly. "It could be bad."
Etain looked up curiously, reaching out to pat Annora's hair. "Beads? In your hair?"
Annora nodded, grinning at Etain. "Lots and lotsa beads!"
Trio nodded, shifting to rise as well with a low sigh. "When they're in bed, we're just going to veg, right?" she asked plaintively.
"Veg. And stare blankly at a television. Or maybe even sleep, that's a concept," Shiro decided, grinning.
"Why beads? Will they be pretty?" Etain was clearly fascinated by the idea.
"I got to feed her tonight, but I don't suppose I could scrounge up something?" Trio asked, slipping her hand into Shiro's as they walked down the hall.
Annora's nod this time was intense. "Red beads, an' blue an' pink an' white an' purple an' blue..." she said, counting off all the different beads she'd have in her hair.
Shiro laughed softly, squeezing Trio's hair. "My home is yours. Help yourself to anything you like."
Etain stuck a piece of chocolate in her mouth, her eyes widening again. "I wanna bead my hair, too! With green an' blue!"
Annora frowned at Etain, watching the chocolate disappear before saying, "My mommy said to wait." Very primly, she moved to gather up the rest of Etain's candy and put it back in the bag, figuring that if she didn't get candy, Etain couldn't have any more either, of course.
Trio smiled softly. "Once we check on the girls and get them to bed, I'll make something. Have you eaten yet?"
"But -- " Etain reached for her bag, then frumped a little, chin in her hands. If Annora said no, then she'd be good, but she didn't have to like it!
Shiro shook his head, groaning softly. "Nothing this evening. Haven't had the time! I'm starved!"
"I'll cook for both of us, then," Trio nodded, hesitating a moment before saying, "I've... been kinda assuming that we'll be staying over?"
Annora nodded, crawling across Etain's floor toward her toybox. If she noticed Etain's irritation, she paid it no attention.
"A good assumption," Shiro purred, kissing her gently before opening up the door. He blinked when he saw Etain pouting on the floor, but the sylph quickly was up and running over to him, hugging his leg.
"Annora said I couldn't have any candy until you said it was okay," she explained, sniffling up at him. He leaned down, laughing softly. "Well, she's right," he confirmed gently, petting her hair. "I need to check it over and make sure everything's okay."
Etain nodded, slowly and solemnly. "Okay..."
Trio blinked, nodding. "Good point. Shiro, could you check Annora's too? Don't want them eating anything dangerous," she said with a worried look, even as she reached out to pet Etain's hair.
Annora glanced over, waving at Shiro and Trio before beckoning Etain over and holding up Candy Land. "Play game?" she said brightly.
Trio, who'd been all ready for a fight on the subject of the candy, blinked and looked at Shiro as if to say 'what... just happened?'
Easily swayed, Etain wandered back over to Annora, flopping down. "Okay!"
Shiro just shook his head slightly, then carefully started to pick through the candy. He was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!
Trio tapped his shoulder before he could get too far into it. "Do it in the living room," she murmured, shaking her head. "Otherwise, they'll realize if you take any candy. And... pull out anything that's too loosely wrapped, okay? Could've been injected with something." She brushed her fingers through his hair, then headed toward the kitchen.
"What color?" Annora asked, holding up the token players toward Etain.
Willingly, Shiro tucked the candy away in the bags again, and retreated to the living room to sort through it all out of sight.
"I wanna be green," Etain decided, reaching out for the little token. "Are you gonna be blue?"
Annora stared at the three for a moment, then cheerfully plopped yellow on the board. "Yellow," she proclaimed, reaching for the rubber band-bound cards and managing to get them free with a minimum of fuss. "It's your turn," she informed Etain.
Trio poked through the food in the house, finally settling on a quickly mixed chicken salad. Before she began, she leaned into the living room. "Chicken salad okay?"
"Just fine, love," Shiro confirmed, smiling up at her. He was most of the way through the bags already, and had only deemed a few pieces suspicious.
Etain cheerfully took her turn, quite content to sit and play for a while.
Trio disappeared back into the kitchen, making quick work of the salad before setting it in the fridge to chill. "Done?" she called to Shiro, as she made her way back to the living room.
"Yep," Shiro agreed, holding up the few pieces he didn't like the looks of.
"Hand those over, and I'll toss them," she said, holding out a hand. She paused then, blinking before grinning at Shiro. "...Okay, I sound WAY too domestic."
Shiromaru snickered softly, grinning right back at Trio. "Is that so bad?"
She chuckled, though she looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Not really," she murmured, shaking her head and taking the pieces from him. "Why don't you start getting the girls ready for bed?"
"Sure thing." Shiromaru stood and made his way into the girls' room. "Etain, Annora, it's time to get to bed." Etain pouted a little, but quickly padded over and reached up for a hug. The demon lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly, then settled her into her bed.
There was a knock at the door, quiet, but loud enough to be heard.
On the other side of the door stood an angel, dressed like a human as he usually did in a long-sleeved green shirt, blue jeans, a black studded belt and bare feet, and a four-legged colt with striking resemblance to Robin Hood. Keelan grinned up at Blue, straightening his hat with the brown-and-gold feather sweeping back dashingly and his uncle straightened his tunic slightly. It was the only costume he could think of that allowed him to keep his bow and arrows on him, and of course he loved the deep-leaf green color.
In his hand was a bag, nearly empty, of candy.
"Trick or Treat!" he said, in Halloween tradition while Blue just smiled in his ever-present relaxed way and waited for the door to open.
"Trick or treaters this late?" Trio blinked, making her way to the front door since Shiro was putting the girls to bed. She could hardly miss the large bowl of candy near the door, and grabbed it up, carrying it with her in case there were multiple kids.
"Well, now, you're out... late...," she said as she opened the door and came face to face with Blue and Keelan. Immediately, a blush spread over her cheeks, though she smiled, fishing out a large handful of the candy to drop into Keelan's sack. "What are you two doing here?" she asked happily, stepping back to let them in.
"Hey!" Keelan said, watching the candy drop down into his bag he dove his hand in there after it, serching past the foodstuffs Trio had just loosed and pulled out a candy-bar for her. "Treat!" he said with a grin, pressing it into her hand before stepping delicately into the house, looking around.
"Hello," Blue said with a chuckle and stepped in, pressing a friendly kiss to Trio's cheek. "I wanted to take him home, but he said he had a few more candy bars to give out." He dropped his voice to a whisper so Keelan's keen ears might not pick up his next words. "Little boy's set on giving candy and not getting it, but I suppose his heart's in the right place," he chuckled.
Closing the door behind him with a soft click he glanced around, "Did you hide Shiro away?" The grin on his lips was teasing and warm.
If anything, Trio's blush deepened considerably at the kiss and the question, and she stepped back, ducking her head a little. "Shiro!" she called, turning toward the hallway. "Get the girls?"
She looked back, shrugging sheepishly. "He was just putting them to bed, but I think they can wait a little for you, Keelan," she offered. She didn't meet Blue's eyes as she explained, wondering just what the angel might deduce from that, and how he'd feel.
Slumber party tonight... I can send Dal over to help, she decided wryly.
Shiromaru emerged with Annora and Etain in his arms, though the tired demon brightened considerably when he saw Blue and Keelan. "Well, look who the colt dragged in. Hi, you two, come on and stay a while."
Etain, when she saw Blue, beamed and started wriggling, reaching out to the angel. "Boo! Boo!"
Blue flashed Shiro a smile before he reached out to take care of the more pressing issue: the little bundle of energy that was crawling out of his arms. "Well, hello there, my little Firefly!" he said, grinning as he snuggled her in his arms, rubbing his nose against hers as he chuckled. "And I see you're spending the night with my little Diva' Annora, aren't you?" he asked, smiling at the tiny siren.
Keelan brightened considerably when he saw the girls, and of course, Shiro. Digging into his bag he immediately pulled out a candy bar for the demon. "Treat!" he said, waving it in front of Shiro impatiently, excited at giving out the last of his goodies.
He looked down in his bag, wondering where he'd put the threats for the girls and began digging at once.
Annora peered at Blue for a long moment before moving to lean against Keelan's side with a sleepy yawn, half-cuddling him as she grinned. "Keelan," she informed him seriously, saying nothing more.
Trio watched the exchange with a half-smile of approval, proud. She kept quiet as well, content to fade to the background amongst everyone.
Etain gleefully rubbed her nose against Blue's, her wings fluttering madly. "Etain, dearheart, do you want to play with Keelan and Annora?" Shiro asked, and Etain nodded vigorously, wanting to be let down so she could go be with Annora and Keelan.
Keelan, of course, got his own attention, and Shiro grinned at the child. "Why, thank you," he said cheerfully, and took the candy bar.
Keelan smiled down at Annora and pulled out a lollipop that had the top wrapped with silver paper. Upon opening it the siren would find a rose-shaped blue lollipop, ready for eating, and when eaten would probably turn her tongue a violent shade of blue.
Blue laughed and set Etain down after giving her a quick hug, releasing her to terrorize the household. Looking at Shiro he leaned in and gave the demon a quick, yet firm, kiss, happy to see Shiro. "I'm sorry we stopped by so late, but the little stallion was determined," he chuckled.
Keelan, spotting Etain, grinned and pulled out another lollipop, also wrapped in silver paper. Hers was a green one, though still rose shaped, and would probably turn her mouth a matching violent green to Annora's future blue. "Treats!"
Annora stared in wonder at her lollipop, clinging to it before looking to Trio pleadingly. Trio chuckled, nodding her head. "Just this," she admonished. "No more." Annora promptly beamed, snuggling Keelan again as she opened it and stuck the lollipop into her mouth. "What do you say?" Trio demanded, and Annora peered up at Keelan shyly.
"Than foo," she managed around a mouthful of the candy, eyes shining.
One quick kiss was not enough for Shiro, and he chased Blue's lips, stealing another, slightly longer kiss, offering up a sweet little happy sound to it, almost like a chirr. That done, he reached automatically for Trio's hand, as if afraid the woman would leave.
And then he was pinned by those silvery eyes he couldn't say no to. At least very easily. Etain wibbled at him for a moment, and he nodded, relenting. "Only this one tonight."
Etain beamed, whispered a shy 'thank you' to Keelan, and clutched her lollipop close as if afraid to open it. "We have Candy Land," she whispered up to Keelan, clearly including Annora in the 'we'. "Wanna play?"
Blue chuckled at Shiro's eagerness and winked at Trio, smiling as he put his hands in his pockets, clearly happy with the evening now. "I hope I had not interupted anything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at their clasped hands, grin teasing and lopsided.
Keelan smiled at both girls from his height and said, "You're weclome!" with a happy swish of his tail. He'd dragged WinK all through town looking for the pretty lollipops he knew the girls would like. Looking down at his bag, which should have been empty except for overzealous parents like Trio. Maybe he could divide up the candy between the two.
"Candy Land?" he asked, slightly curious. "That's a game ... right?" His gray orbs were slightly confused. He'd never spent much time on board games, and instead as a younger cold romped around outside chasing bugs and birds.
Annora nodded, eyes sparkling as she reached to catch his arm, tugging him along. "I'm yellow," she proclaimed proudly, nudging Etain to tell him what her color was.
Trio blushed deeply, tugging at her hand in an ineffectual attempt to pull free and let the two men have their time. "We... ah... I mean...," she managed, brain too tired and nervous to come up with anything better.
"I'm green," Etain confessed softly, wide eyes on Annora and Keelan. How did Annora manage to be so brave? She walked along with the other two, opening the door to her room.
Shiro drew Trio close to him, trying to slide his arms around her waist. "Please don't leave?" he whispered, looking into her eyes. "I'd be happier if you stayed here with us..."
Blue grinned at the pair, politely ignoring Trio's sudden hand tug. After her horrid rambling attempt at an excuse, which he found adorable, he chuckled and his stomach growled. "Well now ... trick or treating with Keelan is fun because he's so generous, but it doesn't leave me with much of a snack-time," he grinned. "Mind if I make something to eat, beautiful?"
He was, if anything, oblivious (or acting it) to Trio's slight distress. Without waiting for an answer he ventured happily off to the kitchen, letting them alone for a moment or two.
Keelan let Annora take his arm, and instead of letting her just grip his wrist, took her hand. "Colors? You mean, like, players?" He thought about this for a moment. "What other colors are there?" he asked, looking from Annora to Etain.
"There's blue," Annora piped up, then paused, trying to remember the last color. She looked at Etain, tilting her head. "An'..."
Trio tensed at Shiro's embrace until Blue was out of sight. When they were 'alone', she sagged slowly, shoulders slumping and head falling. "I thought... you'd want some time alone. Just the two of you. I don't have to stay tonight. I can even send over Dal if you need help with the kids," she added hurriedly.
"An'... an' blue, an' red, an' yellow, an' green, an' um..." Etain blinked and shook her head, eyes wide, then pattered into her room and pulled the Candy Land game out.
Shiromaru held Trio close, kissing her forehead gently. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you madly. I want you to stay, please..." He nuzzled at her gently, offering a faint smile. "I really am happiest when I have you both here."
Blue meandered happily into the kitchen, listening to the girls lead away Keelan to play a game. Hopefully they'd tire soon, though, remembering how young children were, once they were awake, they were awake. And the parents were doomed. He laughed and opened the 'fridge, spotting the chicken salad.
Pulling it out he quickly gathered some bread and started to toast it, gathering condiments for a nice little sandwhich.
Keelan thought for a moment before deciding: "I want to be red!"
He looked around Etain's room for the first time. Aside from his siter Aurora, he'd never been in a girl's room before. But Aurora didn't count. She was his sister.
Annora grinned, dropping down to the floor to grab the red piece and put it at start. "Okay! It's your turn," she informed Keelan, despite the fact that the other two pieces were already along the path toward the end.
Trio sighed softly, nestling against Shiro for a long moment before admitting, "I don't want to screw things up..."
"You're not going to screw anything up," Shiromaru said gently, a hand stroking through her hair. "I promise you, you're not screwing anything up."
Hasilty he put together the meal and wolfed it down, licking his fingers as he made sure to put everything back in its proper place and to double-check that he'd left it clean. With a satisfied nod he walked out of the kitchen, listening for the other adults.
Hearing them he walked back into the front hall, wondering if he'd eaten to fast or if they were talking. Happening to hear Shiro's words before he entered the hallway he figured it was the later. His feet kept moving and soon he was standing right next to Trio, as opposed to next to Shiro, which he thought might've made her uncomfortable again.
"Now, I wouldn't think you could screw it up if you tried," he said softly, eyes and smile warm. "And even then, I don't believe Shiro or I would let you do that. We care about each other, yes, but we still care about you. I won't snarl at you just because the three of us are in the same room."
He suddenly grinned, brightening considerably. "Look, now. I'm not snarling. In fact, I'm quite happy. Who made that chicken salad? It was delicious!"
Trio jumped, looking at Blue for a long moment before offering a quiet, "I did." She bit her lower lip, glancing at Shiro briefly before turning back to brush a shy kiss against Blue's cheek. "Let me go finish making some for Shiro and I? And then maybe we can head to the living room and chat?"
"Okay." Leaning in, Shiro touched fingertips to the underside of Trio's chin and kissed her lightly. "Thank you."
"Well, it was absolutely wonderful, I'm sorry I ate without you!" Blue smiled softly at the kiss that Trio had bestowed upon him and relaxed, depositing his hands in his pockets lazily. "A chat sounds wonderful." He grinned at Shiro, happy with how things were going.
Trio smiled shyly at Shiro's kiss, slipping away to head into the kitchen and rustle up the food that Blue had just put away. She lingered there, wanting to give Shiro and Blue at least a little time together.
Shiromaru hesitated, then leaned in against Blue's chest, closing his eyes. "Hey, you," he whispered, smiling softly.
Blue watched as Shiro hesitated, and smiled, knowing the reasons for it. When the demon finally eloped into his arms the angel responded by holding him close, enveloping his arms around the shorter man and squeezing gently. "Hey," was all he said in responce, dropping a kiss on the top of Shiro's head, content to just hold for now.
Trio carried out two plates a moment later, stilling when she saw the two curled against each other. It was odd - there was no jealousy in her. Instead, there was simply the faintest twinge of disappointment, as she tried to reconcile what Shiro had said with her instincts. It took her a moment for her feet to move again, carrying her to the living room, and only once there did she call to them.
The demon looked up at Trio, then smiled warmly. "Set the plates down and come here?" he murmured, holding one hand out towards her.
Blue, still curled around Shiro, rested his chin on the demon's head and smiled softly at Trio, remaining quiet. He hoped she would come over, but it didn't mean she would.
Trio hesitated, peering out of the living room to watch the pair for a long moment before doing as Shiro asked. She stopped just a bit away, a hand hesitantly rising to rest against Shiro's shoulder.
Shiromaru drew Trio in against himself and Blue, hugging her close, his arms around her and Blue both.
There was a small stirring in Keelan's Treat-Bag, left forgotten in the corner of Etain's room while the children played and a small creature rolled out and quietly snuck through the door ...
Blue wrapped a warm arm around Trio, kissing the top of her head gently for a moment, hoping she didn't get too offended. This was such a serious, tense moment that he wanted to crack a joke, ease the tension, but he was afraid to do so. He didn't want to ruin a tender moment just because he lacked fondness for seriousness. Luckily he didn't have to.
There was a sharp yip as the small fuzzy creature, also known as the pixa Schola, Keelan's constant companion, wandered up to the three, tail wagging. Food was his first thought, and he smelled it. Turning his head he saw the plates in the living room, wondering if he should charge for those or simply wait.
"One of your...," Trio started, then grinned as she saw who it was. "I know you... and I know who you came with," she said, hugging the two men briefly before pulling free to kneel down. A practiced hand opened wide enough to hold Schola. "Outside or food or just needing company, dearheart?" she asked, her tension at the hug fading into nothing.
"Trio...?" A tiny voice called from the doorway, then a pixa guardian -- the little green tiger, Xuan -- padded into the room. "Do you want me to take care of him?" He glanced up at Shiromaru, then approached Trio. "He's new... is he one of yours?" He looked up at Blue, then watched as Shiro knelt and offered the guardian a hand to stand on. The tiger pixa guardian stepped onto Shiro's hand, then the demon stood.
"Trio can take care of him, I think," Shiro murmured, smiling. "Thank you, Jade."
Schola panted, tongue lolling happily as he wagged his tail. He opened his mouth to repond to Trio's question (he was a pixa of few English words, he loved to bark though), when he spotted Jade. Closing his mouth he turned his head to the side, questioning, tail still wagging madly.
"Oh, no," Blue said with a grin, shoving his hands in his pockets. "He actually belongs to Keelan. His name is Schola. Handy little pup that one is," he added before looking at Jade. "And ... what might you be?" he asked point-blank, having never seen one of Jade's kind before.
Trio chuckled, watching the others as she carefully used a single finger to pat Schola's head.
Xuan stared up at Blue, then sat down on Shiro's hand -- this was high up! "I'm a pixa guardian. A pixakeeper. I watch over the pixas here at the house."
Grinning down at the pixakeeper Blue nodded. "Well, the only time this little pup leaves Keelan's side is if it's for food, or if he has sniffed something more interesting than what Keelan is currently doing. I think it might be both right now," he laughed.
Schola turned in Trio's hand, staring hard and long at the plates in the living room, his whole body shouting "FOOD!" while staying completely quiet.
Trio blinked at Schola for a long moment, then grinned, nodding. "Shiro, I'm going to get him something to eat. Your dinners are in there," she directed, heading for where she knew Shiro kept his Pixa-food.
"Don't forget to feed yourself," Shiro called after her, then sighed softly and sat down on the sofa, grabbing his plate. Xuan hopped off onto the coffee table, perching there on the edge.
Blue walked into the living room with Shiro, sitting down in a chair, focusing on the little thing. It couldn't be any taller than a doll. It seemed very nice though. "It'd be handy to have one like you at my house," he said after a bit. "With all the pixa we have running wild. The only one that really pays anyone any mind is Keelan's Schola in there. The rest ... " he shrugged and laughed, leaning back.
Schola grinned a doggie-grin up at Trio, tail up and wagging as he yipped quietly, anxiously awaiting food. He knew what kitchens looked, and smelled, like and this was a kitchen for sure. Food was here somewhere and he knew Trio knew where it was.
Pixa-food was really nothing more than normal dry dog-food ground up into much finer bits, and Trio set out a small plate's worth, grinning. "There you go. The kids are in the back room playing a game, when you're done."
She watched him a moment, then made her way back to the living room, belatedly remembering that the second plate had been hers. "Comfortable?"
"We have a lot here, but most of them are well-behaved. Besides, there are a few pixapups who like to herd the others," Xuan offered, even as he rather shyly tried to creep closer to Shiro.
The demon never even paused, eating quickly. He was starving. "It's very good, and yes, we're comfortable. Have a seat, love?"
Trio nodded, moving to sit in a nearby chair rather than cuddled against Shiro as she'd intended to do while they ate. "Thank you both," she murmured, then took a bite.
Schola ate his food and fast, still chomping on a mouth-ful when he scrambled over the floor to follow Trio. Something smelled good.
Blue smiled and leaned back, watching Xuan for a moment longer before relaxing further and hiding a laughing grin behind a hand. Glancing at Shiro, who was eating as fast as Schola tended to, he tried to cover up a quick snerk of laughter, trying his hardest to look casually relaxed and innocent.
Shiro, however, reached out and elbowed Blue. "I saw that," he accused, shooting a Look up at the angel. "You try keeping up with a sylph who isn't too good at flying yet and keeps dropping out of the air!"
Trio giggled, stretching out her legs and tapping her toes on both Blue and Shiro's legs. "Both of you...," she said, though her eyes were smiling. "We should put the kids to bed soon. How... how long were you staying, Blue?"
Schola sniffed up through Shiro's legs as the demon was berating Blue playfully and jumped up quickly, scrambling onto the table to get a hunk of chicken into his mouth, clamping jaws around it as if to say "Mine!"
Grinning back at Shiro he opened his mouth to respond but laughed, spotting the pixa before turning to Trio, trying to regain his composure. "Well ... I'm not sure. It's up to Shiro I suppose. I'd just have to tell WinK if Keelan is staying the night if he does." He tapped his temple to indicate telepathy.
"I..." Abandoning food, Shiro glanced up at Blue and Trio both. "I'd really like it... if you both stayed... but if you'd rather not, I understand..."
Trio stared at Shiro for a moment, eyes wide, then looked down at her plate. On the one hand, it'd be very easy just to pack up and go home, and let them enjoy the night. But... she didn't WANT to do that. It was lonely at home, and she'd promised to give Blue a chance. She just hadn't quite planned on the chance being quite this fast.
Her eyes finally lifted to Blue, peering at him solemnly as she made a decision. "I'll stay if you're okay with it."
Schola, quite happy to have Shiro's entire plate to himself now, started to eat. And eat. And eat. Happily.
Blue thought for a moment, his face a rare thoughtful before he opened his mouth, smiling slowly. "I wouldn't mind you staying at all Trio. I promise not to misbehave," he added to Shiro with a flash of a smile. He closed his eyes for just a moment, then opened them, grinning. "WinK says it's all right as long as we head home at a reasonable hour tomorrow."
"WinK needs to come over sometime," Shiro decided, then stood and stretched languidly. "I'll go get the kids to bed." He paused by Trio, however, and caressed her cheek with his fingers, offering her a grateful, loving smile.
Xuan hopped off the coffee table, pattering away so he could help settle down the pixas as well.
Trio blushed at the caress, though something else had caught her attention. "Blue... you're a telepath?" she asked, a shy half-smile curling her lips up.
Blue smiled, leaning back in his seat, fully relaxed as his legs stretched out in front of him. "Yes, I am. The communication between Angel Masters was something the Lord wanted to make sure could happen, even through distance. Earth and Heaven, as you know, can be quite far."
Blue eyes moved to rest on Schola, who was now laying, tummy buldging happily, in the very center of Shiro's now-completely empty plate.
"Keelan, Annora, Etain, it's time for bed now," Shiromaru informed the children from the doorway, a soft smile on his lips. "Keelan, we have a spare room right next to this one if you want to stay in it. It has a bed of its own."
Trio looked down, a wistful smile on her lips. "I used to know a telepath. I miss him sometimes," she explained after a moment, more to fill the silence than because she felt the need to make Blue understand.
Annora peered up, frowning at Shiro for a moment before getting up and heading toward the bathroom. She left the game-board as is, the thought of picking up never once occurring to her. But she knew the routine by now...
Keelan looked up at Shiro, tail swishing as he got up slowly to make sure his legs were steady before walking to follow Shiro to find out where this room was. Looking around, then at where he'd tossed his Treat bag, he frowned. "Do you know where Schola is, Mr. Shiro?" he asked, looking up at the demon with big gray eyes.
Blue nodded, smiling softly at Trio. "Everyone has people in their lives that they miss. People, and interaction with people, shapes who were are, and how we respond to those around us," he said, stopping himself as he felt a ramble approaching and blushed softly. "Sorry. I rather liked studying human behavior when I came down from Heaven. It's amazing how human we've all become." He was referring to his other siblings, though he felt no need to explain since Trio knew WinK already.
Etain reached up wordlessly for her daddy, and Shiromaru picked her up and set her on his hip. "Schola is in the living room, and I believe he just ate my dinner," he offered to Keelan with a broad grin; then he called, raising his voice to be heard in the bathroom, "Annora? When you're done, come help pick up the game, princess! Keelan, could you help with the game too?" Etain, of course, knew that meant she had to help clean up as well -- she was very studious about keeping things clean -- and she wriggled out of Shiro's arms before flying down to the ground, starting to pick up some of the board game's pieces.
"I'm going POTTY," Annora called back firmly, as though that meant she couldn't possibly help. Nonetheless, when she was finally done, and her hands washed, she made her way back to Etain's room, moving to help with the few remaining pieces.
Trio chuckled at Blue, finally realizing that she was NOT the only nervous one around. "When I came here, this was all so strange to me - I've never even considered speaking to an angel before, or a demon. But now... I can't imagine you lot not being around."
Keelan turned and went back to the game-board, helping Etain, and then Annora when she returned from the bathroom. Once the pieces were all away and everything was clean he looked at Shiro expectantly with a small yawn. It was indeed quite late, but he was used to staying up late every now and then to look at the stars with WinK.
Schola, hearing his name, bounced up slowly from the plate, scrambled across the table (leaving small footprints on the table from the chicken salad) and trotted, belly huge on such a small creature, up to Keelan, darting between the centaur's legs, sniffing at him to make sure he hadn't been harmed with the pixa had 'foraged' for food.
Blue sat forward, eyes trailing to the prints on the table, his mouth twitching up into a smile as he nodded at Trio. "In Heaven they teach you that demons are evil and angels are pure and humans are just plain clueless. It's not always true ... it took me a while to learn that here on Earth. Most of us had to when we came down," he nodded.
"One second, let me get the girls into bed," Shiro murmured to Keelan, then tucked Etain into bed. "Night, sweetling," he whispered to her and kissed her forehead, then tucked in Annora as well. "Good night, princess," he murmured to the siren and kissed her forehead as well, then made his way to the door. "Come on, Keelan, let's get you settled into bed. You look exhausted.'
"HUGS!" Annora demanded, sitting up in bed when Shiro looked like he was leaving. But her eyes were flicking between Shiro and Keelan both, clearly demanding hugs from both of them.
"You mean you know humans that AREN'T clueless?" Trio teased, grinning at him.
Keelan stopped and looked at Annora, glancing up at Shiro before he walked straight over to Annora's bed, sleep driving him to give into her wishes and demands, no matter how silly. He would see her again in the morning, why hug now? But he was tired, and as he wrapped his arms around the siren he thought that giving in now was better than arguing and staying awake longer. Or, so his sleep-deprived brain told him.
He had to do it at that comment, so he laughed, trying not to be too loud since the children would be in bed soon. "Oh, dear, Trio, of course they aren't!" he said, still laughing, even though there was no need to answer the question. The angel did, however, add teasingly with a sparkle in his eye, "Sometimes they're much, much worse than clueless." He hid a snort of laughter behind a hand.
Etain sat up, wibbling just a little, her lower lip stuck out a bit. "I want hugs too," she said quietly, holding her arms up.
Shiro hugged her willingly, then switched over to hug Annora as well. "How could I possibly forget the hugs?" he asked of her, grinning. "Now sleep... and in the morning, I'll make breakfast."
Annora snuggled Keelan warmly, then did the same for Shiro when he came to her. As he straightened, she caught his sleeve, tugging it. "Apple pancakes?" she asked, eyes sparkling.
"HEY!" Trio said, laughing. "I resemble that remark." Sure it was corny, but it perfectly summed up what she thought of that little comment. Sobering a bit, the smile still very definitely on her face, she looked thoughtful. "I dunno. I think humans can be just as good... or evil... as anyone else. Maybe worse."
Keelan gave Etain a hug as well, and while Annora was asking Shiro something about pancakes he tucked the silver-haired girl back in, sleep making his eyes droop. Once she was snug in her covers he waited for Shiro to lead him to bed, and sleep.
A grin was spread from ear to ear as he talked to Trio. His first impression was right: she was a complete joy to be around once she'd gotten past the shyness. Or maybe it was only when the three of them were in one room? He'd have to find out. "There are two theories that I've studied in the past: nature vs. nuture. I believe in the second. You can be born one thing, but raised and conditioned to be another. Some people believe that what you're born as is what you are."
"Apple pancakes," Shiro agreed, shooting her a bright smile before kissing her forehead. "Now sleep, or I'll make plain oatmeal. Love you, girls." He headed for the door again, glancing down at Keelan. "Now, you need to sleep before you fall asleep standing up." He opened the door to the other room and turned down the blankets on the low bed, then fluffed the pillows.
Annora nestled back into the bed, turning on her side to watch Etain for a minute before closing her eyes.
Trio's face lit up at that, and she nodded. "I hope so," she said fervently. "The nurture, I mean. I'd hate for Annora to grow up doomed by what she is genetically... And she likes people so much, I think things are going well."
Keelan grinned sleepily, rubbing his eyes as Schola hopped up onto the bed and snuggled down on one of the freshly-fluffed pillows. "But I can fall alseep standing up. If I had to," he added with a yawn. He leaned forward, putting most of his weight on his arms and slowly tucked his front legs up before pulling his hind legs onto the bed as well, laying down on his side. He struggled with the covers for a moment before giving up, too tired to care. He was asleep in a moment, the little Schola snoring quietly next to his head.
With a nod Blue thought about the Changelings. "I hope that your dreams for her come to realities," he said softly, thinking of the little centaur that had just passed out. "But sometimes I worry about Keelan. He was born a fel, from what he tells us, which means he would have been the leader of his clan, his people. He harbors many tendancies to wanting to be a leader still. I hope he's doing it because he wants to, and not because he feels he has to by birth," he said, frowning slightly.
He started, smiling. "I'm sorry ... I was rambling again," he said a bit shyly.
Leaning down, Shiro very gently tucked the blankets around Keelan, then brushed the colt's hair out of his face before kissing his forehead as well. That done, the demon made his way silently out of the room and rejoined the others in the living room, offering them both a smile.
(Continued in the next post.)
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:32 pm
(Continued from the previous post.)
He walked in on Trio's thoughtful response. "Maybe it's both, but is that such a bad thing? I mean, think about what he's doing. What I've seen, he's concerned not about leading, but about leading WELL. That's something to be commended - too few of us care enough or dare enough to even chance leading, let alone push ourselves to do so with care for those we're leading. People matter to Keelan. He shouldn't be forced into it, but I think having a goal like that for yourself is a good thing."
Blue gave Trio a thankful smile. "I've noticed as much. He's kind, and very fair. But I hope that in the end it's what he wants to do. He's so little ... I suppose when he's older if he wants to change his mind, he will," he said, flashing Shiro a smile as the demon rejoined the adults. "Children in bed, then?"
Shiromaru kissed both of them, then flopped down on the sofa. "Mmmhm. Fast asleep. Keelan's in the room next to the girls, the one on the left." He reached up and pulled the two hairsticks from his hair, setting them aside, then carefully unwound his long hair from the bun it'd been in. "Oh wow, my scalp hurts. Keelan's wonderful."
"Isn't he?" Trio nodded, grinning at Shiro and Blue before hesitantly rising. "Would you like one of us to brush your hair out? Would it help at all?" Now that Shiro was back, there was a different quality in the air, something approaching anticipation that made her nervous.
Not moving save for a shifting of his position in the chair, Blue nodded, silently thanking the pair of them for the compliments on his nephew. He watched Shiro's hair unroll, wondering if the demon used the hair-ornaments he'd created very often. "Do you always pin your hair up like that?" he asked, once Trio had finished speaking.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Shiromaru breathed, grabbing a brush up off the side table. "And I do, always, at least now that I have Etain. But I won't dare cut it, I could never never stand that."
Trio started to reach for the brush, then glanced to Blue and smiled softly. "Would you like the honors?" she asked, a touch shyly.
A lopsided smile met Trio's question. "By all means, I'll let you do the honors. I'm content just to be here," he said, smiling softly at the pair. This was so relaxing to him, just being in the same room with not just Shiro, but Trio as well.
Shiro pressed the brush into Trio's hand and settled onto the floor, sitting in front of her. "Mmmm. It feels good to have my hair down..."
Trio couldn't quite hide the fact that she was pleased to be the one with the brush, gathering up some of Shiro's hair and beginning the process of untangling it first, then brushing it with long, slow comforting strokes. She seemed to have quite a lot of experience with long hair, at ease with the whole process and enjoying it for the calm comfort it was.
"I could... brush your hair next?" she offered to Blue, eyes flicking up briefly.
Tilting his head to the side he let white-blonde locks fall in front of his face, as if he were looking at them to see if they needed combing. His hair, modeled like WinK's only longer, was slightly mussed from running around all night with Keelan.
Tossing his head to the side he looked at the pair and smiled at Trio. "If you want to. You seem to be good at it," he added.
The croon that issued forth from Shiro's lips was positively sinful, deep and rumbling. "She's excellent at it," he offered, purring gleefully. "Have her brush yours next, you'll end up boneless..."
Trio blushed deeply, not quite able to conceal the pleased smile as she ducked her head. Have to do this when it's just us sometime, she decided, finishing Shiro's hair and taking a few minutes to just comb her fingers through the silky locks.
With a chuckle Blue moved to sit next to Shiro on the floor, grinning happily as he crossed his legs, thinking. "Boneless, eh? I rather like my bones ... some more than other," he added with a wink and a quiet laugh.
Reaching down, Shiro ran a hand up and down Blue's thigh, grinning impishly. "I rather like your bones, too," he purred, then leaned back to press a kiss to Trio's lips.
Trio squeaked softly, giving into the kiss for a moment before pulling back with a shy blush. "I... should do Blue's," she whispered, wanting to calm her racing heart.
One of the angel's hands snaked forward, lacing fingers into Shiro's hand, drawing it away from a slightly higher destination for Trio's sake, grinning softly. "Hopefully I'll still retain my bones," he said teasingly to the squeaking woman.
Shiromaru drew Blue's hand to his lips, kissing the back of it, then shifted about so Blue could sit in front of Trio. "At least one of them," he crooned, grinning.
Trio hesitated, torn between being too embarrassed to speak and the bravado she'd learned from her fathers. Bravado won out, and she spoke up quietly. "I'll see what I can do about that," she assured him, trying to sound as blase as possible.
Moving his hand from Shiro's grasp gently, he cupped the demon's chin for a moment, fingers playing over the soft skin. Moving as Shiro shifted over, Blue sat in front of Trio, his eyes closing gently, awaiting her ministrations.
Shiromaru leaned in and kissed Blue with a grin, then stole another from Trio before sitting down close at their sides, watching them.
Trio took a moment to gather her composure before gentle fingers began to slip through Blue's hair, seeking out trouble spots so that she could untangle them smoothly. From there, it was smooth strokes until the hair gleamed, as she lost herself in the task once more.
Eyes sliding closed, Blue's neck went loose as his head moved gently with Trio's fingers and tugs and pulls. He mmm'd quietly, content with the relaxing feel of her hands.
Leaning in, Shiromaru shifted about and sat directly in Blue's lap, purring at both Blue and Trio. "I told you she's excellent."
She couldn't look at Shiro as she continued. If she did, it would jar her too much. It wasn't fair to be jealous of them, but as she combed her fingers through the silky end product of Blue's hair, she couldn't quite stop the tiny twinge.
"Mmmm," Blue responded, almost sleepily. "Excellent is not quite a good enough word to describe her at the moment." Eyes still closed a lopsided smile pressed over his lips. "Trio, duckie, you're simply ... amazing."
"I to~ld you," Shiro purred, and reached up to stroke fingers through Trio's hair. "Let me brush yours next. It's only fair, we all three get to enjoy it."
Trio nodded slowly, eyes fluttering shut at the touch. "O-okay," she whispered, handing the brush to Shiro and climbing down to the floor.
Without thought Blue wound his fingers through a set of Trio's and leaned his head on her shoulder gently. It wasn't an overly-flirtacious touch, but more of a child-like innocenct air that made the angel cuddle next to Trio. Being the angel of Earth meant when the sun went down, usually he did too, but there were times when he stayed awake late. It didn't take much to get him relaxed to the point of sleepy behavior, which is he was clearly at now.
Shiro eyed the sleepy angel with a look that was most decidedly a pout, then took the brush from Trio and started to brush her hair out with slow and careful strokes. "Hmph. Sleepy creature. It's not fair," he grumbled, eyeing Blue over Trio's shoulder, then leaned in to kiss Trio's neck lightly.
Trio sucked in a soft breath at the kiss, her fingers tightening around Blue's. It didn't matter that the angel was half-asleep. She was suddenly VERY aware of him there, and she swallowed, leaning her head back. "I think he's turning into a pumpkin," she managed after a moment. "Should we get him to bed?"
THAT sounded wrong, didn't it?
He yawned gently, raising his head when he was done and said quetly into Trio's ear: "Angels don't turn into pumpkins. Carriages do." He smiled sleepily, squeezing her fingers in return. "Did someone say something about bed?"
He pushed white-blonde hair out of his blue eyes and smiled up at Shiro. "I'm sure the bed would be much more comfortable."
Pout. "Yes, bed," Shiro finally agreed, drawing the brush through Trio's hair a few more times until it was silky and smooth to the touch. "Come on, Blue, to bed with all of us. We're all tired."
Tired. Yeah. She was tired. Trio nudged Blue up, soft eyes moving to Shiro. "Um..."
Moving to stand up the angel slipped his arms around the blonde woman and picked her up gently, lifting her body off of the floor as if she weighed nothing. "You're probably tired," he said with a small wink before looking at Shiro.
"Are you going to come, or do I get her all to myself and you can stay out here?"
"I'll come later, once you're in bed," Shiro informed him with a smirk, even as he padded after Blue and Trio to his bedroom. "You're too tired for me to come now."
"Shiro!" Trio said, squeaking slightly at the words. She hid her face against Blue's neck for lack of a better place.
With a chuckle Blue set Trio down on the bed, sitting next to her on the edge with a smile. "Now, you don't think a bed is just going to make it happen do you? I would think not ... expecially after last time," he grinned lazily. "Because kitchen tables are not beds."
"Nor is the floor underneath the kitchen table, but we did well enough there, too," Shiro mused, leaning in to kiss them both, one after the other, slow and languidly. This, now... this was his own heaven.
Fast. That's what this was. Trio drew back from Blue's arms, trying to figure out exactly what to say. Asking what room she was sleeping in was apparently moot - their intentions were pretty much obvious. So she kept quiet, listening to their banter and wondering when she'd started thinking of Blue as desirable, or considering that perhaps, just perhaps, three to a bed might prove comfortable.
While he was sleepy, he wasn't entirely brain-dead. Eyeing Shiro he grinned, shrugging slowly. "Let's just sleep tonight ... please?" he asked, glancing at the door. "I mean, what if the children wake up?" He tried to make a good point without actually saying he didn't feel that sex was something on the menu for the three of them. This was the first night the three of them had spent together after all.
Shiro snorted, then grinned. "I know, I know. Come on, let's get some sleep, then..."
Blink. That was it? She'd thought the demon really serious about the seduction. Not fully understanding the brief stab of disappointment through her, she finally spoke up, voicing the next logical question.
"Who goes where?"
With a sly smile Blue flopped back onto the bed, sprawling out with an impish grin taking over his lips. Arms spread out across the bed (the pair of them would have to move him if they were to be comfortable) he said, "I go here," with a chuckle.
"You...!" Shiro clambered onto the bed and reached for Blue, trying to drag him across the bed to a better position. "Youuuu are going to go on one side of me and Trio on the other. I'll be in the middle. I'm greedy."
"Greedy?" Trio asked, moving toward the bed before something occurred to her. She looked down at her well-worn and ever-present jeans, chewing her lower lip. They were soft, but... sleeping in them?
Blue rolled over obediently, grinning before sitting up and immediately stripping off his long-sleeved shirt, tossing it to the side of the bed before undoing his belt and slipping off his pants. Modesty retaining he kept his boxers on to keep Shiro from getting ideas and to save Trio from turning into a tomato.
"Mmmm ... much better," he said with a grin, closing his eyes and stretching his long frame out over the bed, not even noticing how the other two reacted to his state of undress.
Shiro leaned in and kissed Blue's abdomen playfully, then hopped off the bed and shed everything without a trace of modesty of his own. He pulled on pajama pants after and curled up on the bed. "Trio?" he asked, cheerfully, waiting to see what she would do.
Trio watched him for a long moment, biting her lip before deciding. "Do you have a t-shirt I can borrow, Shiro?" she asked, her eyes dancing briefly over both forms before turning with the excuse of digging in the closet. They looked... GOOD together.
Propping himself up on one elbow, one of Blue's hands reached out, catching Shiro's chin, planting a kiss on the demon's lips for a solid moment before he slid back to laying down, placing his hands behind his head as he waiting for lights out, his eyes following Trio as she moved around.
"I -- " Mmmm. Shiromaru purred at the kiss, completely distracted from his thoughts, then blinked as he tried to remember what Trio asked. "Uh. T-shirts? They're all kind of... um, tight. But I have loose button-downs...?"
"Thanks," she said, poking through his closet and finding a button-down that didn't seem as though it should be saved for VERY nice occasions. She considered heading into the bathroom, then decided that the least she could do was offer them the same trust they'd given her. Turning her back to them, she stripped off her shirt, leaving her bra on as she pulled the button-down around her. Once it was buttoned up the front, she did some sort of contortionistic pull-tug to unhook and remove her bra, which she left on the chair in a small pile. Her pants followed suit, along with socks, and thus clad, she moved to crawl into bed on Shiro's other side.
Turning on his side he kissed Shiro's neck gently. "Good night," he said quietly. He kissed a finger and reached out across the demon in the middle to press the pad of his finger gently against Trio's nose.
Shiromaru crooned contentedly, pressing back againt Blue and reaching for Trio so he could burrow between the two of them. "Good night," he offered sweetly.
Trio nestled close, reaching around Shiro to brush her fingertips against Blue's cheek in answer to the nose-beep before pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Shiro's mouth and closing her eyes. "Goodnight."
Annora yawned, sitting up and looking around. This wasn't her room... It took her a moment to remember, and then her eyes widened. Wondering where the adults were, she slipped out of bed, scrubbing at her eyes and making her way to the door.
Blue slipped an arm over Shiro's waist, letting his hand rest on the demon's bare stomach as his eyes drooped and he passed away into sleep. Much like his nephew in a room across the house he wasn't an easy person to wake up until morning time.
Perfectly content, Shiromaru curled up with Trio and Blue, snuggling in with both of them.
Etain looked up at Annora sleepily, then padded out of her bed before stumbling after the other girl. "Annoooora... where're you goin'?"
Annora looked back at Etain, offering a sleepy smile before reaching to catch her hand. "Wanna know where is," she whispered, lacing her fingers with Etain's before tugging the smaller girl after her as she padded out the door and down the hall curiously. It was dark here, but somehow, it didn't feel scary. There was just this sense of somehow needing to whisper and creep about, as though they ought to hide in these shadows.
"My house," Etain informed Annora blearily, but willingly followed where Annora led her. "It's late... all quiet."
Annora glanced back with a soft frown. Didn't Etain understand she wanted to find Trio and Shiro, and see where they went to? Reaching a door, she cracked it open carefully, taking care not to make a sound.
Etain followed after Annora, sniffed the air, then smiled groggily. "Horsie," she announced, and wandered into Keelan's room.
Keelan stirred in his sleep a little bit, having not moved much since Shiro tucked him in, hands clutching the covers for a moment before relaxing. He didn't so much as flutter an eye when they walked in.
Schola, belly starting to slowly shrink, was laying on his back, feet propped up into the air, snoring long ceased.
Annora beamed, peering at Keelan for a moment. This would do nicely, and looked a lot more comfortable. Tugging Etain toward Keelan's bed, she nestled up against Keelan, draping herself against his back and closing her eyes. Warm...
Etain curled up willingly with Annora and Keelan, tugging the covers up over all three of them. Yes, this would do quite nicely. She was asleep again in moments.
The colt didn't even budge as the girls climbed in with him, proving his hard-sleeper-ness. Schola rolled over, but remained asleep as well, the pair of them continuing on in slumber until the morning.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:34 pm
The sun was rising, Blue could feel it in his bones. Slowly but surely the very fibers of his muscles and tissue started to hum silently, urging him to rise and greet the sun and bloom before the golden rays. He sat up, a smooth motion that seemed to ripple through his body as he opened blue orbs, quickly taking in his surroundings and remembering the events of the night before.
Smiling at Shiro and Trio, curled next to each other like kittens, he stood, moving from the bed without so much as a squeak. He found his pants and pulled them on out of modesty, barely tightening the studded belt and leaving his shirt on the floor.
Ushering quietly out of the room, barefooted, he walked down the hallway, the light calling to him as he made his way to the living room and walked over to one of the many large windows, his body singing silently as the golden light of the sun contacted his skin. After a minute or two of feeding off of the sunlight like a good little plant, he decided to check up on his nephew.
"Kee-" he stopped himself, halfway through the doorway. He wasn't alone. Of course, Schola was there (as always), but there were two other forms in the bed, curled up happily as well. With a grin he left as the sun still rose and tip-toed back into Shiro's room, eager to tell the other two parents about the little slumber-bundle that had made itself last night after they had all fallen asleep.
"Shiro, beautiful ... Trio, lovely, wake up," he said quietly, smiling warmly as he sat on the foot of the bed.
Trio yawned, the shifting bed having sent her into a dozy, half-awake stage in the first place. Now, as a soft voice intruded as well, her eyes blinked lazily open, peering at Blue with no real comprehension for a moment before a soft, content smile curled her lips. In bed like this, warm and comfortable and held, she wasn't awake enough to be shy. "Hey there," she murmured, voice thick with sleep.
"Mmng," said the lump that was Shiro, then the demon groggily hauled a pillow onto his head. He was not waking up, dammit. It was far too early. "Not getting up," he mumbled, but it sounded more like 'nageddup.'
With a grin Blue's fingers found the bottom of Shiro's foot and tickled it very gently. "But I have a surprise for you," he said with a grin. "You don't even have to leave the house ... our little children have had a little slumber party all their own. If you're quiet you can probably find them still asleep like I did."
He grinned and stood up, placing his hands on his hips, a mocking light dancing in his eyes. Morning person, ahoy, was Blue, and he would carry Shiro if he had to. First, though, he'd tickle the demon to death if possible. Trio it seemed would get up in a moment once the words sunk in.
"Slumber party?" Trio blinked, tilting her head before burrowing the pillow long enough to kiss Shiro's neck. And then she was up again, paying little mind to her mussed hair and forgetting her half-undressed state until the chill of early morning set in. "Damn it's cold," she muttered, grabbing her pants to step into and wrapping the shirt tighter around her.
Shiromaru instantly kicked his foot at Blue, then sat up, glaring muzzily. "No tickling," he admonished, only half awake, then clambered across the bed before grabbing his yukata. He hauled it on, then blinked at Blue. "Slumber party?"
Blue just grinned at them, chuckling softly before turning on his heel, not concerned with how cold it was (the sun had made him quite warm) and strolled back through the house in just his jeans, leading them to Keelan's 'room' and opening the door slowly, quietly, revlealing the sight inside with a grin.
Trio followed, peeking under Blue's arm. Her apparent shyness from the night before could be countered by curiosity, as she tucked herself half-against him to see what he was talking about. She paused for a moment, eyes shining. "That's so sweet," she whispered.
"Aww..." Shiro smiled softly, chuckling to himself. "Looks like they're happiest in a pile... Why don't we leave them there and let them sleep...?" He set his chin on Blue's shoulder and reached out to slide an arm around Trio's waist, standing behind both of them.
With a grin the angel backed up slowly, as not to step on demonic or human toes, before dropping his arm around Trio and tugging her into his side, his body heat a little warmer than most after his morning soak. Taking a few steps away from the room he kept his voice quiet just in case the little ones woke up. "Breakfast then?" he asked with a grin.
"Breakfast is good," Trio nodded, leaning against Blue comfortably and smiling back at Shiro.
"Shall we get started?" Shiro asked sleepily, smiling at the pair of them. "My stomach is going to start begging soon enough, and they'll wake up when they smell food."
Blue sat down fluidly at the table, letting his arm slip from around Trio, grinning as the sunlight from the windows hit him and his body resonated peacefully. Happily he closed his eyes, speaking a small 'mmm-hmm' to Shiro as he rested his chin in his hands, elbows resting on the table. He was a sucker for sun light early in the morning.
"Did you promise them anything special, Shiro?" Trio asked, already moving to rummage through the fridge.
Shiro nodded, picking out a couple apples. "Apple pancakes... I figured I'd do one of my really big breakfasts and indulge everyone. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, stuff everyone to the gills..."
After a bit Blue just sank down, almost purring as the sun beat on his bare skin, the top half of his body stretching out across the table, arms splayed happily as he was blissfully ignorant of the conversation around him.
Trio stared at Shiro for several long minutes before arching one gold eyebrow. "...You've discovered the limits of what I'm capable. Lemme know if I can pour cereal for anyone?"
"Cut the apples, love," Shiro directed with a grin, and kissed Trio's ear. "Small little cubes. Here's an apple slicer." He handed the gadget over to Trio, along with a knife, then got out the various ingredients. "Blue? Could you do me a favor and start the coffee?"
It was Blue's turn to not be a morning person. But with the combination of the sun and the word 'coffee' he was up on his feet immediately. "Of course," he said smoothly, grinning absently as he moved around the kitchen to start the communal coffee pot.
* * *
Etain was the first to wake up, and there wasn't a long transition between sleep and awake -- unlike her father. She just blinked her eyes a few times, then glanced around the room before carefully and slowly extricating herself from the bed, wings buzzing lightly.
Now, how had she gotten in here? ...Oh, yes, that was right. She peered at Annora and Keelan, then smiled happily. Keelan was warm, and it was better piling in with Keelan and Annora. "It's morning," she announced with that sleepy happiness she always had in the morning hours, and padded over to open the windows and let fresh air into the room.
Annora shifted, curling up on her side and snuggling against the slightly rough feel of horsehair. That wasn't right... her bed was soft. Eyes fluttered open, peering about her as she realized she was draped half-over Keelan's back, almost hugging him. She grinned then, shifting to hug him fully as she looked around for Etain. "Morning!~" she called to the girl, making no effort to soften her voice. Why would Keelan still be asleep, after all? There were going to be PANCAKES this morning!
Noises. Whicker-snort-sigh. He opened a gray eye. Ugh, sunlight. He closed it again. When he felt someone moving he cracked the eye again to see Annora smiling sleepily but happily. His keen ears picked up Etain moving around. When had they come in? He opened his eye with a yawn and stretched a bit. "Whaddyadoinhure?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"Annora an' I wanted to sleep in here," Etain explained, and hopped up onto the windowsill, breathing in the sweet fresh air. When she looked back at the other two, she was visibly much more awake. "Papa's makin' breakfast. I can smell it."
Annora got up after another bit of cuddling, padding toward Etain and sniffing at the air. "Can't smell," she proclaimed with a frown.
At the idea of breakfast Keelan raised his head, nostrils flaring in a very horse-like gesture and grinned, suddenly awake, tail swishing happily. "Apples!" he proclaimed and scrambled to get out of the bed, getting tangled in the sheets for a moment before standing on all fours on the floor, stretching a bit to make sure he was actually on the floor and not the bed.
"Breakfast!" he said, looking at the other two expectantly. "Apples! Come on!"
"Papa's making your apple pancakes," Etain informed Annora cheerfully, then scrambled after Keelan.
Annora grinned, moving to slip one hand into Keelan's and the other into Etain's. "Keelan's pancakes," she informed Etain happily, bouncing just a little.
Keelan, grasping Annora's hand now, tried his hardest not to thunder through the house at a canter to get to the treats. By the time he got to the kitchen with the duet in tow he was leading them, but trying his hardest not to pull them. Big gray eyes darted around, looking for the apples he could smell in the air. "Breakfast? Apples?" he asked, all politeness gone with the scent of his favorite treat lingering in the air.
Shiromaru offered Keelan an apple slice with a grin, gold eyes dancing merrily. "Be patient, and you'll get plenty of apples. Why don't you children wash up and help set the table?" He had plastic, heavy-duty plates just for that purpose.
Etain dutifully ducked into the bathroom nearby, washing her face and her hands, then returned to haul the plates -- one by one -- out of the bottom cupboards, where they were kept so she could easily reach them.
Etain was used to Annora's version of washing up, and managed to drag her big sister out of the bathroom after only a few splashes, rather than letting the young siren play for a quarter hour or more. Once Annora was out of the bathroom, she was more than happy to help set up the table, digging out spoons and forks to carry after Etain.
Pushing the apple slice in his mouth, Keelan munched happily and a bit loudly until Blue mentioned that real centaurian gentleman ate with their mouthes closed. Trying to follow the ideals of a gentlman, Keelan finished eating the apple with his mouth closed, going to wash his hands once Annora was done playing in the sink.
Once he was clean he came back and wrinkled his nose, trying to figure out what he needed to get ... then realized it was glasses for milk and juice.
"Here," Blue said with a grin, handing the centaur down glasses, waiting for Keelan to place them on the table before coming back for more.
Once the table was set and Etain had scrambled into her chair, Shiromaru padded over with lots of trays full of different things -- pancakes, waffles, french toast, eggs... "Okay, everyone, dig in. No need to stand on ceremony around here."
Trio opted for eggs and waffles, reaching for them and planting some eggs on Annora's plate before offering her some of the breads. Annora dove for the pancakes, then paused, seeming to realize something. She eyed the apples for several long seconds before twisting to reach for the syrup.
Blue himself was like his brother WinK and could eat like a cow, and thus he did, taking at least one (if not three or four - Shiro had cooked so much!) of everything. Looking down at Keelan he saw the colt staring point-blank at the apple pancakes, gray eyes unblinking. With a laugh he pulled the plate over and loaded three of them onto the boy's plate.
Thinking for a moment Keelan himself took three sausages and snagged a regular apple, slipping it into his pocket - a tasty treat to hide for later.
Etain ate like a bird, poking at different bits and pieces but never eating much of anything. Shiromaru, on the other hand, could eat rather like WinK, and put away quite a bit. He had reasons for making so much food. "How is everything?"
Annora mumbled something unintelligible, her mouth crammed so full of pancakes that she resembled a squirrel more than a little girl.
Trio grinned. "It's delicious, as always," she assured him, eating comfortably but not needing nearly the amount the angel and demon seemed to.
Blue simply nodded, mouth full before reaching for his milk glass, taking a long swallow before shoveling what appeared to be a whole waffle into his mouth with no trouble what-so-ever.
Keelan on the other hand waited until he was done chewing and resisted the urge for more apple pancakes (he found if you rolled the sausage in the pancake and dipped it in syrup it tasted very good and had started doing it) and said, "Very good! Thank you!" before he shoved another bite into his mouth happily.
"Good to hear," Shiro offered, then went quiet as he worked on finishing up his own breakfast. When he was done, he smiled at the others, raising an eyebrow. "Can I con anyone into helping me with the dishes?"
This was a task Trio was very used to, and she nodded, grinning at him. "You cooked. Least we can do is help clean up, hmm?" she said pointedly, eyeing Annora.
Annora, however, remained oblivious.
Keelan finished his breakfast, chugging down his milk and giving the apple in his pocket one final check to make sure it was safe. "Dishes?" he asked, looking up at Blue and Shiro. He'd broken quite a few at home, not tall enough yet to stand at the counter comfortably.
"It's up to Shiro if you help with the dishes," Blue responded around a piece of bacon before he swallowed it, finally done. He turned to Shiro, waiting for a responce.
Shiromaru grinned, leaning back in his chair. "The dishes are plastic," he noted, pointing to the plate. "I don't think any of them are going to break unless you shoot them, so any of you can help."
"I'll carry things," Etain decided, then carefully pulled herself out of her chair.
"Water?" Annora asked, as she paused to take a long, deep drink of milk.
Trio laughed. "I think that means she and I are washing."
Blue looked down at Keelan and ruffled his hair. "You and I are on dry-duty!" he said, grinning.
With a smile Keelan backed away from the table (he never sat down, as centaurs are not in need of chairs), careful not to bump anything or anyone, and started helping Blue look for towels they could use to dry the dishes.
"Etain and I will clear the table and wash down the counters, then," Shiro decided, and started to help Etain clear off the kitchen table.
"You cooked," Trio said, arching an eyebrow. "Sit." She turned to Etain, kneeling. "Think you can manage to wipe the counters with a little help from me? I bet you're a big enough girl to do that." Rising, she glanced at Annora and ruffled the siren's hair. "Take all the plates to the sink, please, Annora."
"Okay!" Annora said, grabbing her own plate with two hands and running off.
Keelan, seeing Annora gather the plates, started filling water into one of the sinks, stopping up the bottom. He did happily notice he was tall enough just to reach everything thanks to his horsey-legs. He grabbed for some soap and unloaded a bunch into the running water, watching it sud for a moment before putting it back.
With a chuckle Blue found some towels, wetting one gently before offering it to Etain. "Think this'll work, Firefly?" he asked with a charming grin.
Etain smiled brilliantly up at Blue, then took the towel. "Yes, Boo," she agreed, then squealed happily as Shiro lifted her up so she could very industriously start wiping off the table. Over her head, Shiro shot Blue a loving smile and mouthed 'thank you.'
Trio grinned, moving to supervise the two kids at the sink. Annora, when she reached the sink and realized that Keelan was already blocking the way to the water, stopped, her lower lip sticking out.
"Water," she said plaintively, brows drawing together in hurt.
Shooting the demon back a quick smile, Blue blew him a kiss with a chuckle before turning back to help gather plates with Annora.
"Sorry, 'Nora," Keelan said a bit sheepishly. He stepped out of the way, watching to make sure he didn't knock anyone, or anything, over as he did so, and waited patiently for dishes to dry, watching the siren.
Once the table was wiped off, Shiro carried Etain over Trio, offering the sylph up. Etain reached up with a big smile, the wet towel still in her arms. "Up?" Etain asked plaintively. She wanted to wash the counters now!
Annora beamed at Keelan, then scrambled up onto a nearby stool until she could reach the sink. Hands plunged into the water with enough force to send the soapy liquid flying, but she didn't care, grabbing the first plastic plate and scrubbing with gleeful splashes.
Trio watched wryly for a moment, then turned to Shiro. "Where's your mop?"
When she was done scrubbing the plates Keelan rinsed them, careful not to splash as she was doing it well enough for the both of them, then dried them, setting them into a rack that Blue had pulled from somewhere.
Bringing the last of the plates over, Blue set them on the counter before eyeing the left-over food. "Do you want to keep all of this love? Maybe snacks for later?" he asked, tilting his head a bit.
Etain made a bit of a face, then wriggled straight out of Shiro's arms and flew the short distance to Trio, glomping onto the woman. Shiro just blinked at the sylph, then shook his head with a smile and pulled out the mop. "There's tupperware up in the cabinet next to you," he noted Blue-wards. "Put away whatever you think will keep well."
Trio laughed, twisting around until she had the sylph in her arms. "Hey there, beautiful girl," she crooned, giving Etain what she'd termed an 'eskimo kiss' - rubbing the tip of her nose lightly against Etain's. "Ready for the counters?"
Annora began to sing as she worked, the words to 'Down in the Meadow' coming slightly off time and off key... and a little garbled as she splashed and cleaned.
Within moments Blue had the tupperware out and was deciding could keep in the fridge for a few days. Everything else he ate happily, placing the empty plates in a neat pile waiting for Annora's attentions between happy bites.
Keelan wondered if Shiro had an extra shirt he could borrow. With as wet as he was getting he'd need it. Or a rather large towel, since being a male centaur didn't require him wearing clothes at all.
"Yes!" Etain cheerfully waved her towel, then bent down so she could start scrubbing at the counters.
Shiro, amused, set the mop aside, and finally sat down.
Trio held Etain, moving along the counters as the young girl cleaned them and saving the ones nearest the sink for last.
"You know," she said to Shiro, eyeing the splashing siren, "I'd be a lot more worried if you weren't a water demon..."
Keelan wisely moved the dry plates over, noticing the water pooling on the counter was starting to inch closer and closer to his towel-dried dishes. Glancing over out of the corner of his eye he trid to spot how many more were left.
Blue rolled up an apple pancake that wouldn't fit into the tupperware he was holding and bit off half, offering the other half to Shiro with a smile and wink.
"As it is, I can dry that pretty much instantly, but where's the fun in that?" Shiro took the apple pancake half from Blue with a grin, then eyed the splashing toddler again. "She's certainly enjoying herself."
"You water creatures are all alike," Trio accused, eyes light with amusement as she glanced at Etain. "Isn't that right, pretty girl?"
Annora finally finished, hesitating barely a moment before both hands plunged into dish-free water. The resultant splash soaked her head and upper body. She squealed with happiness.
With a grin, silently agreeing with Trio, he started to file the left overs away in the fridge where Etain, and possibly Keelan and Annora, could spot them if they got snackish in the next few days. Or if Shiro just felt like pigging out. Either or.
Keelan finished with the plates, stacking them neatly before pushing them even farther, getting himself half-soaked with Annora's sudden splashing. Looking down he decided it was a half-won situation: he was wet, but at least the plates were still dry.
Etain looked up at Trio and nodded, all serious. "Yes, they are," she agreed.
Grabbing the remote, Shiro turned on the cd player in the living room by pointing the remote towards a cone-shaped object -- obviously a signal bouncer -- and the sound of Ella Fitzgerald's 'If It Ain't Got That Swing' filled the two rooms and the nearby hallway. "We just like water," he informed Trio cheerfully.
"You're all insane," Trio informed them, laughing when a bit of soap caught one cheek.
"I'm not insane," Annora piped up then, sounding indignant. "I'm a silly girl!"
"Very silly," Keelan said with a smile, laying out the now-wet drying towel so it too could dry before walking over to Blue who was waiting with a larger towel to dry his nephew.
"I agree," Blue said, grinning at Annora. "You're a very silly girl." He rubbed at Keelan's hair a little before wrapping the boy in the towel. "I think you'll survive a little water," he said with a grin.
"You're definitely a silly princess," Shiro agreed, grinning broadly over at Annora. "But we're all silly here."
Etain held up her own towel, smiling up at Trio. "All wet," she offered, since the other towels were being laid out to dry. "C'n we dry it?"
"We certainly can," Trio promised, pressing a kiss to Etain's forehead.
Annora basked in the agreement, beaming happily.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:34 pm
All three nereids were chattering away in the pools as Shiromaru watched, a flurry of three pairs of hands quickly signing, and two voices chiming in. Shiromaru sat near the pool, watching them in quiet amusement, his eyes dancing as he carefully braided his damp hair.
She wasn't quiet often, but sometimes, even Annora didn't make noise. She padded up behind Shiromaru, a puzzled frown on her face as she skirted around his chair and started to climb into his lap without even asking.
Shiro blinked as his lap was invaded, then laughed softly and wrapped his arms around Annora. "Hey there, princess. What's wrong?"
Annora peered up at him for a long moment, then curled up against his chest. "Did you an' mama an' Blue all sleep in your bed?" she asked slowly.
"Yes, sweetheart, we did," Shiro confirmed, stroking Annora's hair.
Annora frowned deeply at that, clearly thinking very hard about something.
Shiro tilted his head curiously, peering at her. "What is it?"
Annora turned, peering up at Shiro curiously. "Does that make Blue my daddy too?"
Startled, Shiromaru blinked at the toddler in his lap. "What do you... What's your definition of a daddy, princess?"
"Someone mama loves who takes care of me an' sleeps with mama," Annora said dutifully.
"Ohhh..." Shiromaru considered that, then started to smile, his eyes warming as he felt a part of him melt. "Well, then, I guess that makes me your daddy, but you might want to ask your mommy and Blue about whether he's your daddy too."
Annora looked a little more confused about that. "How come I can't ask you?" she finally asked.
Shiro chuckled softly. "Do you want to ask me?"
Annora nodded. "Do you want him to be my daddy?"
"Well... I love Blue and your mommy both very, very much," Shiro mused. "So if it were up to me, I think he'd make a good daddy, too."
Annora digested that. "But you'll still be my daddy, right?" she asked after a moment, peering up at him with wide eyes.
Shiro hugged her close, melting all the more. "I'll always be your daddy," he murmured. "Always, always. Love you, princess."
"Love you," Annora returned, cuddling against him. "Does that mean you an' Etain are gonna come live with us?"
"It miiiight mean you and your mommy stay here some nights, and Etain and I sleep at your house some nights," Shiro decided.
"Can Etain stay in my room?" Annora asked, closing her eyes.
Shiro couldn't help but laugh at that. "If the two of you decide that's what you want to do when we sleep over at your house, then sure."
"Okay!" Annora beamed up at him, squirming free of his lap.
"Where are you headed?" Shiro asked curiously, rising to follow.
"Wanna tell Etain you're coming over tonight!" Annora crowed, darting off.
Shiromaru blinked, then burst out laughing. Clearly, it was time to find Trio.
* * *
Trio followed the tiny girl around, watching as Etain darted after the beautiful butterflies that always seemed present in Shiro's gardens with a tender smile on her face.
Etain came to a dead stop, however, going perfectly still, as a big blue and black butterfly landed on her forehead. She turned, carefully, and looked up with wide eyes at Trio, pointing silently to the butterfly.
Trio grinned widely, watching the child in wonder. How could such a young girl possibly stay so still? And yet she was, and Trio's heart swelled with pride.
Carefully, oh-so-carefully, Etain reached up and the butterfly switched to her hand. She made her way slowly up to Trio, holding it up to the woman as a smile bloomed on her lips. "Lookit."
Trio stared, shaking her head slightly. "It likes you," she finally offered, her voice hushed.
Etain beamed, then held her hand up as the butterfly flew off. "Glowbugs do too," she confided. "An' dragonflies. An' moths. An' ladybugs."
Trio grinned, reaching out and stroking Etain's hair. "You're a very lucky girl, you know that?"
"Papa says it's 'cos 'like calls to like,' but I don't know exactly what that means," Etain whispered, then climbed shyly up onto Trio's lap, nestling there.
Trio combed her fingers through Etain's hair tenderly. "You know how you need lots of wind and air around, and how uncomfortable you get in really stuffy rooms?"
Etain wrinkled her nose. "Hate stuffy rooms. Hard to breathe. It makes me feel trapped!"
Trio nodded, continuing to pet Etain's hair. "Butterflies and glowbugs and all those other bugs need lots of air, too."
"Ohhh... so they wouldn't like it if they were stuck in a room, either?" Etain asked curiously.
Trio nodded. "You're both creatures of air," she explained, pressing a soft kiss to Etain's forehead.
"What about horses?" Etain asked after a moment. "They run really fast an' it's like flying..."
Trio chuckled. "I don't think it's quite the same thing, sweetheart. They need earth beneath them."
"Oh..." For a moment, the little sylph looked crestfallen. "I really like horses, though. Papa took me to ride them once."
"Yes," Shiro agreed as he joined the pair, "and it took me an hour to convince you to get down off the saddle."
Trio chuckled, lifting Etain's head up. "You know what pretty girl? It takes all sorts of creatures to live in this world. It'd be pretty boring if Annora and Keelan weren't around, wouldn't it?"
Etain nodded solemnly, silver eyes wide as she focused on Trio.
Shiro sat down on the ground next to Trio and Etain both, watching them. "Your mother's right," he murmured, with a decidedly playful glance back at Trio. "It'd be very boring if there was only one type of person around."
Trio's head jerked around fast enough it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash. "...What?" she whispered, staring at Shiro in shock.
"Weeeell," Shiro offered, starting to grin, "since Annora describes a daddy as someone who sleeps with her mommy and takes care of Annora and is a person her mommy loves, she's decided I'm her daddy, so that makes you Etain's mommy."
Etain beamed at that, then hugged Trio tightly. "Mama!" Well, that didn't exactly take long for her...
Trio's arms came up around Etain slowly, as she swallowed. The hug's fierceness was countered only by her knowledge that the girl was young and still somewhat delicate. But by the time the hug ended, she was blinking a little too quickly...
Leaning in, Shiro pressed a light kiss to Trio's cheek, smiling softly. "So what do you say, hmm? Is it okay?"
"You... really...?" Trio whispered, in wonder.
Etain snuggled into Trio, absolutely content.
"Of course," Shiro continued, amused, "Annora's decided that this means that Etain and I need to sleep at your house tonight."
On cue, Annora came running up, the words spilling out of her mouth so fast that only Shiro's prior translation made her clear at all. Trio chuckled as Annora pounced on Shiro's back, draping over it as her weight pushed him forward a bit.
"Not a problem," Trio whispered, arms wrapping tightly around Etain.
Oof went Shiro, as his back was pounced on. He grinned up at the girl, then, and chuckled softly. "Hello, princess."
Etain beamed up at Annora, reaching up to pat her sister's hand. "We're gonna stay at your house tonight," she offered cheerfully.
Annora nodded hard enough to crack her chin on Shiro's head before scrambling off of him to crawl ungracefully up on Trio's lap, hugging Etain tightly. Trio winced, hand reaching out to stroke the spot where Annora had hit Shiro without noticing.
"It's okay," Shiro murmured, even though he leaned into the touch. "I have a hard head, you know."
Contentedly, Etain cuddled with Annora, starting to happily babble to her all about the butterflies the sylph had been chasing, including the one that had landed on her.
"Show, show!" Annora demanded, tugging Etain off Trio's lap and dragging her off. Trio watched them go, then turned to Shiro, a watery smile on her face.
Etain willingly pattered after Annora, pointing out all of the butterflies. Shiromaru, after a moment of quiet laughter, drew Trio close to him, stealing a surreptitious kiss. "Are you okay?"
"Just... floored," Trio admitted, nestling against Shiro. "You keep doing that to me."
"I consider it a talent," Shiro offered, stroking Trio's hair gently.
Trio closed her eyes, relaxing into Shiro. "I didn't expect anything like THIS, though."
Shiromaru pressed a kiss to Trio's hair, holding her close. "Anything like what, love?"
"...'Mama'."
"You've been practically her mother for a while now," Shiro noted, quietly.
"Yeah, but...," Trio tried weakly.
"But...?"
"...I don't want to step on your toes," Trio whispered.
"As far as I'm concerned," Shiro murmured, "you're her mother. With all the rights, responsibilities and headaches that implies."
Trio gave a sudden soft, choked chuckle.
Shiromaru set his chin gently down on top of Trio's head. "You might," he added after a moment, "want to clarify whether Annora's supposed to think of Blue as a daddy."
Trio froze, looking up at Shiro. "W-what?"
"I told her she should ask you and Blue about that one," Shiro added.
"How did THAT come up?" Trio asked. "I mean, you I understand. But Blue...?"
Shiro chuckled. "Because we all slept in the same bed last night."
"...Clearly, we have to refine her criteria," Trio muttered, burying her face against Shiro's neck.
"Is he so bad?" Shiro asked curiously, stroking Trio's hair again.
"No," Trio said, keeping her face tucked away. "But... I don't know him like I know you. I need time to get used to him."
"No hurry, no worry, and no need to push anything," Shiro whispered, smiling gently. "Take the time. He'll take the time to get to know you in return."
Trio nodded. "...So Annora's decided you're Daddy, hmm?"
Shiro grinned, nodding. "Apparently so."
Trio smiled up at him. "Happy?"
"Very much so," Shiro confirmed, beaming at her.
Trio cupped his cheek, then drew him down for a soft kiss. "You're family for us. Always."
Shiromaru returned the kiss contentedly, then suddenly pulled Trio tightly to him, hugging her close as if afraid to let go. "Thank you," he whispered. "That means so much to me..."
Trio squeaked, hugging him back tightly after a moment's startlement. "You okay?" she whispered.
"I'll be okay." Shiro nuzzled at her, beaming against her neck. "I just suddenly have everything I've always wanted."
Trio shifted back, moving to cup his chin and draw his face up. "What do you mean?"
"I have you, I have Blue, I have children, I have a family, I have people who love me and whom I love -- life doesn't really get much better than this, does it?"
Trio chuckled softly, searching his eyes before kissing him softly. "It really doesn't. We're very lucky, aren't we?"
Shiromaru beamed, then pressed a kiss to Trio's lips in return. "We really are."
"You spoil me, you know," Trio noted, eyes closing comfortably.
"Yes," Shiro confirmed cheerfully. "And I love every moment of it."
"I thought I was happy before Gaia, you know? When I was with my fathers and I knew they loved me," Trio said quietly.
Shiro listened quietly, looking up at Trio. Trio didn't often talk about her past after all...
She curled up against his chest. "I'm beginning to realize I didn't even understand how happy I could be. Everyone here completes my life. I need you all, and I couldn't understand that until I got here."
"I love you," Shiromaru murmured, perfectly content right where he was. "I'm so glad you're happy."
"Shiro?" Trio asked softly, chewing her lower lip. She'd had the idea in her head for a while now, but now, as always, she hesitated to offer it up.
Shiro blinked up at Trio curiously, head tilted. "What is it?"
"I've been noticing... I love our homes, but they seem a little crowded to raise a kid in... especially mine. Annora's bringing that home to me."
"Yes... they're very crowded," Shiro agreed, thoughtfully.
"And... I was thinking about what we talked about a while ago... about kids?" she added softly.
Shiromaru nodded, waiting patiently.
"I don't want to lose anyone, but... I was thinking that maybe if we built a house just for ourselves when the girls are older... so that they could understand? And keep it on our lands, close by the other houses, of course."
"Between the main houses?" Shiro asked, unable to hide the thrill that this gave him. Their own house, together?
She nodded, completely missing his reaction. "If that's okay, I mean. I don't want you to give anything up," she hastened to add.
"Oh, right, because I'd be giving up so much to move in with you in a new place," Shiro drawled, grinning impishly. "How could it not be okay?"
"What about everyone else?" Trio asked, startled by the drawl.
"They'll be just fine. Hell, Hun Min likes managing the house as it is, he'll be able to keep things running just fine when I'm not right there in it."
"So... you like the idea?" Trio asked softly, with a shy smile.
Shiro nodded, beaming at Trio. "Of course I do."
She sagged in relief, tucking herself against him. "Do you know how much I love you?"
The demon blushed darkly, ducking his head. "I... well... thank you..."
Trio chuckled, lifting his head back until she could see his eyes. "You're my heart."
Shiromaru held tight to Trio, burrowing his face against her hair.
Trio closed her eyes, just basking in his warmth.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:35 pm
It wasn't the first time Etain had watched her father dance, but it was the first time she had taken any interest in it. The gliding way he moved across the floor, the way he held his arms like he was holding someone else... it looked exciting! So, chin in her hands, elbows on her knees, Etain watched him move across the living room floor, trying to memorize the steps.
Shiro glanced down at the sofa and spotted Etain's intent little gaze, then paused, grinning down at her. "You want to learn how to dance?"
Lighting up, Etain hopped down off the sofa and padded over to the demon, hugging his leg tightly. "It looks pretty!"
"It is pretty," Shiro confirmed, stroking the girl's soft silver hair. "This one's called the waltz. It's one of the most common ballroom dances in the world. Do you want me to teach you?"
"Yes, please." Etain looked up and planted her chin on Shiromaru's leg, looking up at him with a happy smile.
"Okay, sweedling. Stand in front of me -- there you go," Shiro said as Etain moved to stand in front of him. He turned on the next song, then took her hands and carefully pulled her up, and she floated a few feet off the floor, wings buzzing. Silently, the demon marvelled at the ease with which Etain was starting to fly -- the sylph took to it as if she'd been born flying.
Maybe she had.
Keeping both her hands in his (the true position for a waltz would come with time, though Shiromaru desperately hoped that time would stay far away for now), Shiro started the steps to the waltz. "This is the left box step," he explained, going through each movement. "This is the most basic part of the waltz. It's called a left box step because I start with my left foot, and since I'm leading you in the dance, we go by my left and my right."
As he explained, Etain paid absolute attention, acting out the steps in the air as she followed his directions. "Left box step," she repeated, looking down at their feet -- hers in the air, his on the ground. This was easy!
"Now, the right box step is basically the same thing, only I start off on my right foot." Shiromaru took Etain through the steps that way, and again, Etain followed the steps in her slightly clumsy but very determined way. "You're doing really well so far," he told her warmly, his eyes sparkling.
"I am?" Etain was doing it right! This thrilled her, and she almost wanted to wriggle in glee, like an excited puppy, but her papa was talking again and she knew to pay attention and listen. Shiromaru took her through the side whisks and turns and the other steps, and when he taught her the underarm turn, she burst into giggles as she pirouetted in the air. "Papa! Lookit! I'm a ballerina!"
Now there's an idea, Shiro mused inwardly. Dance lessons. "You certainly are," he agreed, grinning down at her. "You really like dancing, don't you?" Etain nodded happily, and the demon smiled broadly. "How would you like me to get you some dance lessons, then? You could learn ballet, tap, even some more ballroom dances like the waltz!"
This time, Etain did wriggle like a puppy. "I could? Really?" At Shiro's approving nod, she impulsively hugged him, and Shiromaru burst into laughter and sat down with her on the sofa.
"I'll call around in the morning," he told her, and the sylph just beamed.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:36 pm
The Japanese-style gardens were expansive and lush and well-kept, and Shiromaru tended to wander through them at his leisure. Etain, too, loved the gardens, and often was flittering about trying to reach branches a foot or two above her head. The demon watched her, indulgently, keeping a hand nearby in case Etain started to falter in the air.
Efios wandered up from the waterside into the garden, hooves clopping irregularly over stone and earth and pathway, the steady tap of the butt of his staff on the ground accompanying the sound. It was a lovely garden, and he had no idea who it might belong to - he had seen no signs or fences that indicated "keep out," and it was an extensive, well-kept place - perhaps a public garden? But it seemed too tucked away for that.
It was beautiful, nonetheless, and his curiosity kept him going, meandering around corners and over bridges. Perhaps the owner of this lovely, peaceful place wouldn't mind his solitary intrusion.
The bright color of red and the sound of hooves made Shiro look up, and he slipped Etain onto his shoulders as he wandered off towards the sound. "Hello...?"
Efi looked up from his study of a small bloom near the edge of the path to see a long-haired man and a young winged girl regarding him curiously. He dipped a quick bow, and replied, "Hello. I hope I'm not intruding - are you the owners of this beautiful garden?"
Shiromaru smiled brightly, sweeping a hand towards a set of benches over by a water fountain. "I am. I'm Shiromaru."
The little sylph on his shoulders ducked shyly, trying to hide completely behind her father's head, but it didn't work too well, and a set of silver eyes peered up from over Shiromaru's hair. "And this is Etain," Shiro added, glancing upwards.
Efi bowed a little more deeply. "I am Efios, of the Zephyr clan," he introduced himself. "I hope you don't mind," he added, with a less formal tone in his voice. "I just wandered in."
He gave the shy little girl a bright and gentle smile, meeting the silver eyes with blue. "Hi," he said directly to her. "I don't bite, I promise.
"It's not a problem at all!" Shiro informed Efios quickly. "I love having company over, even unexpected guests. You're free to come over anytime."
"Papa," Etain whispered, wide-eyed as she tugged at one of Shiro's pointed ears. "The horsie talks."
Shiromaru choked slightly, then shot Efios a grin before sitting down. "Sweedling, that's not a horsie. Say hello to Efios now."
Etain looked up at Efios again, looked up a bit more. "Hello, Mister Efios..."
"I appreciate that," Efi nodded. "I love gardens, but I only have space for a few flowerpots of my own. It's a small apartment." He sat down, flicking his long mane out of the way with the ease of long practice, and resting his staff against the arm of the bench.
"A pleasure, Lady Etain," he answered gravely. "I am a Yuniko, not quite a horsie," he smiled.
"Yuniko. Yuuuniko," Etain breathed, sounding the word out and feeling it in her mouth. "Yuniko. Mister Efios Yuniko." The sylph beamed, her shyness starting to melt away, and she hopped down off of Shiro's shoulders, fluttering down to the ground under the demon's watchful eye. Once she was settled, she made her way over to Efios, looking up at him somberly.
Efi leaned over a little and rested his elbows on his knees so he'd be closer to the child's eye level. "Absolutely correct - you must be a very smart person," he said seriously. He flicked a quick smile at Shiro, silently checking with him; Efi was still mostly a stranger, if a friendly one, and he wanted to be sure that neither of them felt uncomfortable around him.
Shiromaru nodded slightly to Efios, offering a faint smile in return.
Etain blushed and ducked her head, shifting a bit so she could taptaptap a toe against the ground. She couldn't quite meet Efios' eyes, but she did spot his tail and slipped over to it, reaching out slowly towards it.
"Etain! What do you say?"
"Could I see your tail, Mister Efios Yuniko?" Etain asked shyly.
Efi smiled and lifted his tailtip so that Etain could handle the silky tuft on the end. "You don't have to call me mister," he said. "Just Efios is fine." She was a sweet child, and he had already decided he quite liked her. It had been some time since he had seen the younger cousins in his family, and he'd missed it.
Etain nodded solemnly, then flopped straight on the ground at Efios' feet and started to pet the soft fur of the yuniko's tail. At the feel of it, her face lit up and she beamed up at him. "Soft!"
"I brush it a lot," Efi nodded, smiling. "I like to be soft. It takes a while, but it's worth it." He wriggled his tail a bit in her grasp, playfully tickling her palms with the soft fur.
Giggling happily, Etain started to braid Efios' tailfur, her tiny, clumsy fingers working very slowly and carefully. "Could I brush it sometime?" she asked after a moment, looking up at Efios with wide eyes.
Efi held his tail very still so as not to interrupt the braiding process. "If you like," he said. "That would certainly be a treat for me. Perhaps I could brush yours, as well," he said with a smile. He watched her careful progress; the small braid was nowhere as neat as he could do, but he didn't mind at all.
"Okay," Etain offered cheerfully, then finished off the braid with a smile. It was messy, it was uncertain, but Etain had certainly tried her best!
Amused, Shiro covered his mouth to hide a smile and a laugh, gold eyes glancing up at the yuniko. "You've made a friend for life, now. She'll never let you go at this point."
Efi lifted his tail to take a look at the braid, and grinned at Etain. "Wonderful," he said. "I shall definitely ask you to do it again sometime."
He slid a sidewise, amused glance at Shiro. "I'm glad," he said simply. "She's lovely."
"Of course she is. She's the most lovely girl anywhere," Shiro offered cheerfully. "But then, I'm rather biased."
Etain glanced up at Efios, then smiled shyly. "Thank you Mister Efios sir," she whispered, then tied a bow around the braid of Efios' tail.
"Oh, it's entirely understandable," Efi said, settling more comfortably on the bench. "Maybe someday I'll have a little one to look after." There was a faintly wistful tone to his voice.
He poked at the bow with his finger. "Now I'm all pretty," he nodded, amused.
Etain ducked her head again. "You can keep it if you like..." she offered. "I got lots of ribbons."
"May I?" Efios asked. "Thank you - it will remind me of you." He reached out to ruffle her hair gently.
The sylph giggled helplessly at the hair-ruffling, then fixed the ribbon a bit more and sat back.
Shiromaru stood up, then, and reached down to lift Etain into his arms. "We should be heading back inside, Efios. But you're welcome to come by at any time."
Efi stood and bowed again. "Thank you. It's nice to make your acquaintance; I don't know many people in the area yet. I do hope to see you both again." He picked up his staff and leaned on it, giving Etain a quick sparkling grin.
Etain fought with herself for a moment, then suddenly reached out to Efios despite being in Shiro's arms. "Hugs?" she asked, hopefully.
Efi glanced quickly up to Shiro to make sure it was okay before leaning over to give the little girl a quick hug. So sweet - none of the cousins were quite this darling, not even Sallah, who could generally get her way with a single pout.
Happily, Etain hugged Efios, then snuggled into Shiro's arms. The demon grinned at Efios and waved to him, then called his wings out and took to the air, flying back to the house. "We'll see you later!" he called down to the yuniko, then disappeared over the hill.
... Well. Efi's eyebrows lost themselves in his mane at the sudden appearance of wings - Shiro was apparently somewhat more than he seemed at first impression. He shook his head with wonder and started back along the path the way he'd come. It seemed that he'd made new friends, once again - he was starting to like this area, intimidating as it had seemed when he'd first arrived.
As he headed back home, he began to sing, absent and cheerful.
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:41 am
Skipping down the sidewalk, a peppermint stick hanging cockeyed from the corner of her ample mouth, Quinn approached the strange house for the second time that week. She had put the ribbon outside, as directed, but as of yet, the only interesting thing that had happened was a cat who had taken a particular liking to the newly decorated gnome, rubbing against it and purring, chewing on bits of the frayed ends of the ribbon.
She was almost positive that wasn't the intended outcome... almost. Popping the stick of candy out of her mouth, she knocked on the door with her free hand and called hello, returning the candy to her mouth and sucking nervously while she waited for a response.
"Annora, not too far ahead! Annora!" Trio called, growling softly as the little girl darted on without listening. Or perhaps she was listening, because she paused just a bit to linger and wait for Etain to catch up before hurrying on.
Trio had no such desire to catch up, really. Instead, she preferred to walk beside Shiro, letting the two young girls wear themselves out as they may. After all, what good was a 'nice, long walk' if the girls didn't nap afterwards?
Etain ran after Annora, not yet as fast as the older girl, but quickly starting to catch up. She reached out to hold Annora's hand, beaming at her. Why go slow? Running was more fun!
Shiromaru chuckled softly, watching the girls ahead of them as he wound his arm around Trio's waist. "They'll drop like rocks by the time we get home..."
Quinn knocked again before atempting to peer into a window. Unable to see anything but dusty tchotckes, she turned to leave when she saw a couple and their children coming up the walk, seemingly to the very residence she now stood in front of.
Instead of leaving, she decided to wait. Perhaps these people knew something about her bit of ribbon.
Annora was the first to arrive, Etain right by her side and only a step or two behind. Wide indigo eyes peered up at Quinny curiously, and she tilted her head a moment before informing Quinny seriously, "I'm Annora."
Trio fought a laugh, slipping free of Shiro's arm to quicken her pace toward the three.
Shiromaru snickered and shook his head, following after the others quickly.
Etain, after Annora's self-introduction, did what she felt was only natural: she hid behind Annora. Peeking out from behind the siren, she said quietly, "I'm Etain..."
Quinn smiled and fished around in her belt pouch, producing two shiny, round discs of butterscotch rapped in buttery yellow foil, "And I'm Quinn. Its very nice to meet you, ladies. Why don't you ask your mom and dad if its ok if you have these." She proffered the candy and waited a moment before adding, "Anyone know when the people who live here will be back... I have a question."
Annora accepted her candy gleefully, peering up at Quinny with obvious happiness as she said, "Thank you!" She had already half-turned when Trio reached them, grinning as well.
"Hi. I'm Trio. You are...?"
Offering her hand to the woman, she replied, "I'm Quinn. Do you guys live here too? I really need to talk to somebody about this ribbon I got..." Trailing off, she looked over to the Annora and Etaine, grinning, "Cute kids. Are they sisters?"
Trio blushed at the question, an odd smile on her face as she considered. "They might as well be... they're thick as thieves all the time. A ribbon, hmm? From here?"
"Yeah... I had this strange cryptic message on my machine that told me to come here a few days ago and when I got here, this pale, robed... person gave me a ribbon and told me to put it outside. So, I tied it to a garden gnome... but so far, the only remarkable occurance has been a neighborhood cat who is now taken an uncharacteristic interest in the gnome and the bit of ribbon -- particularly the frayed bits..."
Running a hand through her disheveled crimson locks, Quinn chucked and added, "So, either I did something wrong... or someone has a really strange idea of interesting."
Trio snickered at the thought. "I dunno... if it came from here, it's bound to have more interesting results than that. Do you remember what Jaden... he's the shopowner, and he's not exactly normal... said to you precisely?"
Quinn's face reddened as she thought of the best way to say what had occured to her, "I don't really know how to say this... but I don't think I met anyone named Jaden... at least, the person never gave me a name and they weren't exactly... well, recognizably male or female. But whoever it was just said to put the ribbon outside where I could see it from the house and to wait. That something interesting would happen soon enough. So, either they laced the thing with catnip and think watching Filcher gnaw a ribbon is a great time... or I didn't do it right. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be watching for, to be honest." Quinn blew out a big sigh and sat on the porch, resting her chin in her hands as she watched the children.
Shiromaru rejoined the group, Etain in his arms -- the girl had retreated to her daddy after Quinn had given her the candy. "Jaden's who helps the children find their homes," he confirmed, quietly. "All you can really do is keep an eye on the ribbon until your infant arrives."
Trio glanced over at Shiro with a fond look, nodding. "I don't think there's any set way. Do you... remember what Shinobu found?" she asked Shiro, then added, before he could answer, "I found footprints. Early morning footprints."
Quinn's eyebrows raised and her jaw went slack at the mention of "infant." "Woah... what do you mean, 'infant?' Oh dear, is that where... baby... in the garden?!" Her face shifted through a myriad of expressions as she considered the possibility of a child being left in her garden. Scrubbing a hand over her shocked countenance, she asked, "So, I suppose that's where the girls came from... not the adoption agency... Why didn't someone tell me?! Oh, wow..."
"I don't remember, Shinobu never told me," Shiro confessed, shaking his head. "But yes -- if it's a changeling you have, then an infant will arrive where the ribbon is."
"Annora was left in place of the old harp I left out at Jaden's request," Trio offered, glancing at the girl with a grin. "She's been a joy. A loud joy," she added, tickling under the girl's chin and making her squeal with delight, "but that's to be expected."
"Ooooooohhhhhhh," she moaned as she slumped lower on the steps. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I mean, its not like I'm against children, or anything, but a warning would have been nice." The worried look on her face was endearing as she gazed at the couple, a plea for help lingering unspoken in the air betwen them.
Shiro shifted the quiet Etain in his arms, laughing softly as the girl hid her face against the demon's shoulder. People! New people! "Want some help preparing?" Shiromaru asked, grinning at the look on Quinny's face. "We're used to how it goes, now, after all."
Trio nodded, grinning brightly. "I should still have some leftover infant's clothes at my place. Or Shiro might at his," she added, shouting the last three words as Annora burst into abrupt, slightly off-key song.
"ON TOP OF PASKETTI! ALL COVERED WITH CHEESE!"
The smile that appeared on Quinn's face at the mention of help could have lit the room, "You mean it?!" She jumped to her feet, throwing her arms first around one, then the other in an improptu expression of gratitude. "So, are they all girls... and how do you know what you'll get? Are they all like Etain and Annora? Who takes the ribbon? Why would they switch a baby for a ribbon anyway?"
"Ooof!" Shiro squeaked at the hug, and Etain stared wide-eyed at the woman. "No, they're not all girls," the demon informed her. "Keelan, for example, is WinK's little boy. You should come over to my house at some point -- I'll give you the directions -- and you can have all my baby bottles and baby clothes. Etain doesn't need them anymore, after all."
"Give half," Trio directed. "And I can offer half, as well. That way, we're both prepared in case we end up with someone else, right?" She smiled at Shiro, reaching out to squeeze his hand before turning back to Quinny. "And yes... we're both very serious." Dropping down to sit beside Quinny was an immediate invitation for Annora to come drape over Trio's lap, bored with the adult talk.
"Jaden told me the fey were in danger... that they needed ot learn to adapt from humans." She paused there, glancing at Shiro with a sheepish smile. "And others... Anyway, he said that my relic drew fey parents to me, and they gave me their child to raise so that she'd live."
Reaching a hand out to touch Annora's face, Quinn smiled at her and said, "Seems like a good cause, all and all. I wonder who will deam me worthy?" She trailed off, thoughtful at her prospects, before adding, "Thank you for all the help. I've always had lots of pets... but this will be my first baby. I'm really scared I might break it."
"Humanoids," Shiro drawled Trio-wards, grinning; then, to Quinn, "Someone certainly will. After all, you have the ribbon now. It's just a matter of time." He couldn't help but laugh, however, as he continued. "And thinking you might break the baby is a common fear, I assure you! You get over it eventually."
Trio nodded. "They're sturdy little creatures. You'll be surprised," she offered Quinny, with a soft smile.
Annora, deciding that Trio wasn't going to pay attention to her, moved to Shiro, tugging at Etain's leg from where she sat in his arms.
"So all I really need to do is watch for a baby in the garden? Do I need to do anything with it when it comes? Like get it it's shots or something?"
Etain squirmed out of Shiro's arms, half-falling atop Annora. "Let's play," she whispered, and darted away about ten feet before flopping down in the grass.
SHiro watched her go, then blinked at Quinn. "Um... It's... Well, bring it here, maybe?" he suggested. "So Jaden can see the baby?"
"Righto. Bring it here before I do anything. I can handle that." She grinned excitedly and popped up, scampering a few feet from the steps. "I better get home to watch it. What if the baby's already there and its getting all cold and lonely and eaten by Filcher?!"
She dashed down the walk, stoping a few yards down to shout, "Thanks for all your help, by the way! It was great to meet you all! I hope to see you soon!" And with that, she dashed home, eager to see what the garden had in store for her.
Trio waved bye, smiling and catching Shiro's wrist to draw him down onto the stoop long enough for the girls to play for a bit. "She seems nice," she decided, leaning against his shoulder.
Shiromaru sat down next to Trio, then wound an arm around her waist with a soft smile. "She does. Hopefully soon she'll have her own little one, and the girls can meet someone new."
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 6:08 am
Trio had called Shiro over four hours before, and had run across the street after the call to drop Annora in his lap. She hadn't offered explanation of any type, simply kissing his cheek and kneeling to hug Annora tightly before darting off. Annora might've been put off by this turn of events had it not meant that she was now over at 'daddy's' house - a place that held two things she absolutely LOVED... So she'd grabbed Etain and darted off to the wading pool she'd practically claimed as her own, giggling the whole while.
Shiro blinked at the kiss and the command, a bit dazed by the suddenness of it all, but gave up on trying to puzzle it out and just followed after the girls once Trio was gone. Etain willingly was letting Annora haul her along, though the sylph was being a bit prissy about keeping her wings out of the water.
Annora certainly didn't seem to care what parts of Etain were in the water, as long as she herself was drenched. She wasn't in a particularly splashy mood, instead preferring to suggest they play pretend. Annora wanted to stay in the water, being a Nereid like Quellious.
"Annora..." Etain shifted about, sitting on the edge of the pool so her legs could rest in the water. That was good, she liked that. "What am I s'posed to be? If you're a ne... a ner... a neremaid, then what am I?"
Annora glanced up, peering at Etain thoughtfully before grinning. "You c'n be Envy!" she proclaimed, swimming over to sit beside Etain in the water.
Etain blinked, rather confused at the idea. "But I don't know Envy... Who's Envy?"
"Envy's my uncle," Annora said patiently, holding her hand up to let the drips make rings. "He likes the nereids a whole bunch, so he stays with them all the time."
"But if Envy's your uncle then he's my uncle too," Etain said thoughtfully -- then added, a few moments later, rather confusedly, "Isn't he?"
"I think so," Annora said slowly, her brows drawn together in a deep frown. "Daddy?" she finally called, twisting to look at Shiro.
"Huh?" Shiromaru blinked at the girls, then belatedly clued into the discussion and grined. "Oh, Envy. Envy's a friend of mine and of your mommy's, so it does sort of make him your uncle. I'll have to take you to meet him and Youko soon."
"Let's go now!" Annora said, jumping out of the pool and heading off to get ready to go.
Shiro shook his head, rising to rest a hand on Annora's shoulder. "Not right now, sweetie. We haven't called them, plus your mommy'll be home probably fairly soon. Let's wait for her here."
"Oh," Annora said, drooping. Looking very upset, she curled up on his lap, leaning against his chest. "I haveta wait?"
"Yes, princess," Shiro confirmed, settling back down and holding her close. "I'm sorry. But I promise I'll talk to them soon and see if we can set up a visit."
"Okay," Annora said, snuggling Shiro even as she turned to tell Etain seriously, "Daddy says we haveta wait." She lingered in Shiro's lap a moment longer before darting back to the water, splashing in and forgetting her disappointment.
Etain stood up as Annora darted back into the water, then clambered up into Shiromaru's lap, snuggling there and lightly kicking her feet. As she watched Annora, she tugged on Shiro's sleeve, and the demon leaned in to listen to her whispered comment before grinning. Moments later, he'd gestured towards the wading pool, and a figure, of Annora's height and made out of water, rose up and started waving at her.
That was all it took to completely distract Annora from the idea of visiting Envy and the Nereids, and she played with the figure and splashed it for as long as Shiro was able to keep it around.
By the time Trio made it back, Shiro was still happily distracting Annora, a sleepy Etain dozing on his lap as he watched Annora in the pool.
The first sound he heard as Trio approached was an odd sounding little purr from behind him, with Trio's much-muted voice coming a breath later. "I'm home..."
Shiro blinked and looked up curiously, then his eyes widened as he peered up at Trio. "Love? Who is that...?" Etain lifted her head and blinked sleepily up at her mother, then mumbled something incoherent and went right back to sleep.
Trio swallowed, shifting the tiny bundled form in her arms a bit as she moved closer. Although she seemed nervous, it wasn't difficult to see the happiness in her eyes as well. "This is Makana," she said softly, curling up beside Shiro so that he could properly see the little Abyssinian beauty. "Karma called me earlier today asking if I was still willing to look after one of the children she's been helping."
Leaning in, Shiro peered at the infant, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "Makana," he breathed, then reached up to stroke one smooth, soft cheek. "She's beautiful, Trio."
Makana's ear flicked at the touch, one eye slowly slitting open to peer at Shiro before the infant let out a soft breath and went back to sleep, the purring deepening a bit. Trio smiled, relaxing at the look on Shiro's face. "I fell in love when I saw her," she admitted, not mentioning the second thoughts she'd had on the way home. It hadn't been easy to quiet fears of how a water demon might react to a small cat, but this... this drove away every tiny flutter of those thoughts.
It helped, likely, that Shiromaru absolutely adored cats. "Should we call Annora over?" he asked softly, grinning up at Trio. "Let her meet her new sister?"
The soft smile on Trio's face spread to a full grin, and she nodded, lifting her head to call for Annora before pausing, not having quite spoken yet. "Would you?" she murmured. "I don't want to disturb Makana. It's been a big day for her..."
Shiro carefully pulled himself to his feet, noting with amusement that Etain didn't even stir, and padded over to Annora. "Annora, hon, we have someone we want you to meet. Come join us."
Annora blinked, slightly disappointed that her new water friend faded back into the pool and looking up in surprise at the sylph sleeping against Shiro. "Etain's asleep?" she asked, moving to follow Shiromaru.
"She fell asleep a couple hours ago. She was up a bit later than usual last night and I think it tired her out." Shiro sank back down next to Trio, absently rocking Etain a little. "Trio?" he offered softly, once Annora had joined them.
Annora blinked at the bundle in her mother's arms, frowning a little and pressing close to Shiro, careful not to dislodge Etain. "Who's that?" she asked solemnly.
"This is Makana, sweetie," she said softly, smiling gently at Annora. The tiny abyssinian girl, disturbed by the noise of people talking, slowly opened both eyes, a tiny mewl answering Trio's words. "She's going to be part of our family." And with that said, the blonde held her breath, waiting for Annora's pronouncement.
"Three beautiful little girls," Shiro added, cheerfully. "It'll be lots of fun. You and Etain can teach her all the cool things you know!"
"Cool things?" Annora repeated dutifully, peering thoughtfully on the tiny cat girl. "You like?" she added, turning to look at Shiro.
Shiro nodded, reaching up to stroke Annora's hair gently. "Yes. I like all three of you just the same. I'm really excited to have her here."
Trio shot Shiro a grateful look, lifting one hand to stroke the soft fur of Makana's cheek. "She's going to need a big sister to show her around," she told Annora quietly, when Makana mewled again. "What do you think, Annora? You ready to be a big sister again?"
Annora nodded solemnly, eyes watching Makana warily. "Etain too?"
"Etain too," Shiro agreed, smiling warmly up at Annora. "You'll be big sister to both of them. Etain'll still be your little sister."
At the repeated mention of her name, Etain looked up again blearily, then peered at Makana. "Kitty," she announced, not quite making the mental leap to 'infant' in her grogginess. "Can we keep it?"
Trio couldn't help her laugh, the sudden sound startling Makana. Two deep gold eyes widened, turning to Trio before looking carefully at all the others. A clearly plaintive tone sounded as Makana finally began to fight the swaddling, squirming to get her arms free. When one was free, she tucked a finger in her mouth, staring up at them as she settled back in, eyes drooping once more.
"We can keep her, sweetheart," Trio nodded, shifting Makana against her chest. "She's your new sister, and she's very tired, like you are."
Etain looked hard at Makana again before brightening visibly. "Baby kitty! She's pretty..." She beamed up at Trio before nuzzling in closer against Shiro, her head on his shoulder. Mutely, Shiro held his free arm up to Annora, inviting her to settle on his lap as well.
Annora crawled onto his lap, not quite sure how she felt about this turn of events. It was one thing to share Shiro and Trio with Etain, but with someone completely new? Possessive arms curled around Shiro's chest, and Annora shifted to turn away, pouting slightly. It took a moment before her hand curled around one of Etain's, holding it as she held Shiromaru.
"You will always be my princess," Shiro whispered to Annora, hugging her gently. Etain willingly took Annora's hand, not completely comprehending why her big sister seemed to be upset. They had a kitty-baby now! What was so wrong with that?
Annora nestled closer, relaxing a little at Shiro's words.
"Looks like things are gonna be interesting for you, pretty girl," Trio murmured to Makana, shifting her until she was upright against Trio's shoulder, one hand stroking over the soft fur of her head.
Shiro grinned up at Trio, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "She's a member of our family now, love," he reminded Trio gently. "Life with us is never, ever boring."
Trio grinned back happily. "I wouldn't trade it... or any of you... for ANYTHING," she informed him, rubbing her cheek against the back of one of Makana's ears before getting to her feet. "Shall we head inside? Looks like we've got three little girls who need naps."
"A'ready napped," Etain grumbled, then rubbed her cheek against Shiro's shoulder before going right back to sleep.
Laughing softly, Shiromaru carefully stood up, holding on to both Annora and Etain as he carried the toddlers inside.
Trio followed with Makana, her heart swelling. She knew she'd have to deal with Annora later... but for now, it felt wonderful to have all four of them around.
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:39 pm
COMPILED FOURTH WALL SHOP RP
(Participants: Trio Maxwell-Chang, Makana, Annora Lyris, Aki Ana, Saara, Andraste CaerbHall, Jacosa, Youkochylde, Kaeru,
Shiromaru, Etain, Syrcaid, Taylor, lilwerewolfgirl, Aurora, TerryMouse, Melody, Wasabineko, Arun)
((Participant List Key: Black = Gaian, Blue = Fourth Wall kid, Red = Changeling, Green = Other))
((Many, many thanks to Trio for compiling this!!))
Trio cupped one hand under the sling-cradle attached to her front, the other hand holding Annora's as she walked along. After her decision that morning, she'd gotten everyone dealt with for the day, then dressed up Annora in a cute little sweater/coveralls set she loved. Annora picked at it, not liking to wear quite so much non-swimming clothing, but didn't protest too much. Makana was settled into a long-sleeved, footed outfit that had been specially adapted for her tail. Trio swaddled her up as much as possible, knowing already that the pretty little girl hated having her arms wrapped, and tucked her into the sling before heading off. She wanted to stop by Karma's office. With luck, some of the other parents might be around, and she could get to know a few of the other kids to come through the rift Karma had told her about.
She led Annora up to the building, both of them startling a bit as Makana mewled softly. "What is it, sweetie?" Trio asked the cat-girl, knowing she'd get no response. When Makana only reached out, batting playfully at one of Trio's braids, the girl laughed and looked around. "Hello?"
"HELLO!" came a much louder echo, Annora beaming as she imitated her mom.
Hurrying after the figure that disappeared into the doorway, Aki barely caught the door before it drifted shut. Saara balanced easily around her shoulders...draped across her guardian's neck like a sugar glider stole. The girl wore her own little shawl, tickling Aki's tapered ear idly with the end of it as they slipped inside.
Backpedaling as she came face to back with Trio, Aki tried to catch her breath and smiled. "Ooh, hi! I'm glad someone is here...it was so empty when I came by earlier!"
She didn't mean to be a chatterbox, it was simply a nervous reflex. Edging away from the door, trying to untangle Saara from her perch, Aki tried to catch a glimpse of the stranger's face.
"Do you mind if we...ow. Saara, ow? Ow!"
Leaning to the side as Saara tried to remove Aki's long earring from the weave of her shawl, the young sugar glider grinned and paused to pat Aki's cheek gently. She made a tiny reassuring noise, one that totally failed to help lessen Aki's discomfort, and swished her tail idly.
Trio winced at the sight, nodding sympathetically. "Y'know, there's a reason I don't wear those things," she said, glancing down at Makana, who had perked at the sound of new voices. Two gold eyes peered out from the sling as well as Makana could manage, a soft, trilling mew echoing Trio's words. "Can I help somehow?" the blonde asked, moving closer.
Annora ducked behind Trio's leg, peering out at the two newcomers curiously. Her mama had told her that perhaps Shiro would bring Etain over later, but this most definitely wasn't either Shiro or Etain, and Annora's curiosity warred with her sudden inexplicable shy streak. For someone who normally liked to be the center of attention, she was avoiding it awfully well!
Trying her best to smile up at the woman, Aki finally gave up and pulled the earring from her ear entirely. "I'm fine, just a bit tangled. I'd given up on them for a while as well, but it seems I misjudged." She held Saara at arm's length, the extra skin along the glider's sides bunching, and shook her head.
Saara simply grinned, holding her shawl and a new earring proudly. Her hair was up in a pony tail, as usual, and bounced as she squirmed. "Down? Up?" Anywhere but hanging!
Obliging her daughter, Aki tossed her into the air with a slight arc...sighing in relief as the young glider got herself straightened out and sailed for a cushioned seat. Turning back to Trio, rubbing her sore ear, she offered her free hand. "I'm Aki, and that's Saara! You-....ooohh...look at you! Yes, hi! Oooh, you're both so cute!"
Almost instantly, her attention drifted from introductions to the two little ones around Trio. The babe in her arms was lovely, with large delicate ears and wide golden eyes. The girl against her legs was just as striking, though obviously a bit shy.
Dropping a bit lower, keeping her distance respectfully, Aki tilted her head at the younglings. "Ooh, did you come to play? I'm sure Saara could show you where the toys are!"
From her new perch atop the back of the chair, Saara nooded happily...showing bright teeth as she smiled.
Annora brightened immediately, slipping from behind Trio's leg at the praise. "I'm Annora," she said, sounding out each syllable carefully and proudly. A second later, the other words sank in, and indigo eyes brightened further. "Toys?"
Trio chuckled, shifting Makana in her arms and watching the pretty little sugar glider curiously. So they weren't all cats? Karma had mentioned something about that, but seeing it for herself brought everything home. And she was suddenly reminded of Youko's cute little frogboy she'd met on Halloween. "Go play, sweetie," she encouraged, watching as Annora darted off toward Saara eagerly. If there was one thing that could break through the very rare shy streaks, it was being the center of attention.
"I'm Trio," the blonde finally offered, holding out her free hand. "And this is Makana. It's nice to meet you, Aki."
Saara nearly leaped out of her seat with excitement as the azure youngling darted towards her, pointing with one hand to the bin where a few of the toys were kept. Aki's earring hung forgotten from the edge of her tiny shawl, swaying as she bounced. "Toy! Nanara, toy!" Her words tended to run together when she was excited, but hopefully the girl understood!
Aki edged a little closer to shake Trio's hand gently, peeking down at Makana. Lifting her eyes for a moment to catch the other woman's gaze, she nodded with pure adoration. "She's gorgeous." Her voice was soft, meant only for Trio and the babe. Removing her other earring, since its mate was missing anyway. Aki dangled it within reach of the girl's little paws.
"How long...has she been with you?"
Annora giggled, running over to the bin and digging out two toys at random. She brought them back toward Saara, but instead of keeping them for herself, she dumped them on the couch just in front of Saara, then ran off to get more.
Busy with Aki and Makana, Trio didn't notice what her little siren was doing. "Not very long. A little over a week, really. Annora's still getting used to her." Blue eyes glanced over at the sugar glider, and Trio choked as she noticed the 'offerings'. "How about yours?"
Makana didn't bother with whatever the adults were talking about. It made little sense, and besides, there was something SHINY dangling in front of her. Two little paws slipped free of the sling to bat and toy with the earring, until a single claw got hooked on it. She paused then, staring in confusion.
Saara hopped down a level, onto the main cushions of the couch, and watched in wonder as more and more toys piled up before her. This was great...what a nice friend! Flopping down into a crouch, tail waving as she waited for Annora to return, Saara leaped and tackled the next toy to be set down. "Gottit! Nanara, geddit!"
Peering up for a moment as Saara squeaked, Aki suddenly felt a tug on the earring. Lowering it carefully towards Makana so the babe wouldn't strain her claw, Aki kept a good hold on the other end in case the babe decided it was meant to go in her mouth.
"Saara's been with me for months, now...she's growing too quickly! Be sure to take a few pictures of kitten Makana, in case she shares the same trait!" Smiling up at Trio with bright eyes, Aki laughed quietly and set to work untangling Makana from the earring as gently as she could.
"May I ask what brings you by today? Just looking for some playtime, like Saara?"
Annora beamed at Saara, imitating the glider and giggling. This was fun! Etain would love Saara, Annora decided as she pounced random toys, always pausing to look up at Saara curiously.
Trio held Makana still, watching over the two as Aki untangled Makana. When the earring was free, she fished in one of her pockets, coming up with a small stuffed mouse - a cat toy, more likely than not - and handed it to Makana. The small girl's eyes lit up, and a moment later, she was gnawing on the mouse's 'tail'.
"More or less, yeah. I was hoping maybe to meet some of the other parents. I figured it couldn't hurt to have some advice from people who've already been going through all this, right?"
A blank black nose was poking through a small slit between the door and it's frame and sniffed curiously. People in there, definately. One dark eye followed the nose's way and peered through the slid. Yes, yes, people in there.
"Gooooooo !" A squealing voice announced out of sudden as a small otter with brown fur and darker hair hit the door with his body, pushed it open by doing so and toddled into the room. His tail was wiggling slightly as a broad smile was showing on his face. People !
"Jac ! What are you doing ? Come back. Didn't I tell you NOT to...." Andraste was just about to yell hardly at the little boy as she entered the building and was forced to stop as she noticed the other parents and their children. "Err...just don't do it again."
"Well, the first thing I've learned is that sometimes...they do, or EAT....weird things." Wincing as she remembered the ants stuck in the honey, and Saara's absolute delight, Aki shuddered. "It doesn't seem to hurt her, so I let her pick her own meals. Sometimes I'll set out a variety of plates and watch what she naturally seems to go for. It's not a bad method!"
Tucking the earring away into her pocket, Aki giggled as Makana nibbled on the mouse. She was obviously taken with the young kitten, and tried to keep herself from petting. These children, despite their cute appearances, deserved the same respect as any child!
As the door opened with a squeal, both Aki and Saara turned to watch. Saara was trying to wrap herself around Annora's arm playfully, and froze as the newcomer entered the room. Nice fur, gorgeous eyes, and what a cute gait! Saara ducked, finding herself shy for the first time in her young life, and peered over the edge of Annora's arm meekly.
What an adorable baby!
Annora's fins were easily flattened against her arm, and she snuggled Saara happily, liking this new game. It was fast becoming obvious that she was not a stand-offish child. Piling a few stuffed toys around them, she looked up to watch the newcomer, head tilting. Now that she had a friend here, shyness was the last thing on her mind. "Hi!"
Trio nodded, her attention diverted from Aki to Andraste curiously. "Hello?" she called, just in time to have her own greeting drowned out by her daughter's. Makana was oblivious, her wide eyes watching Aki still as she chewed the mouse's tail.
Great Andraste. Well done. Gave a nice first impression again.
The mother sighed and tried to smile slightly, although she couldn't hide her embarrassment. "Greetings." She said as she tucked one of her hands into her trousers' pockets. "I'm Andraste and this is..."
"COSA !" The little otter screamed and quickly moved towards the other children. Oh that was great, he didn't knew them. How would they taste ? Good, bad, fish ? Who knew ?
"Joo haf dat ?" Quickly he pointed at all the toys and grinned. He liked opening toys and then pushing them over the floor looking which one would be the first one to be destroyed completely. It was great, but usually he wasn't allowed to do it anymore, because Andraste had locked all the toys.
So he tried to kill the couch, but actually couch didn't seem to like to be treated like this.
The children looked nice though. One looked even like a fish. She should be tasted first, Jacosa decided in his young excited mind and grinned.
Saara was still peering shyly, finally giving in to her playful urge to flee. Scampering up closer to Annora's face, she planted a slightly wet nosed kiss on the girl's cheek and dove for the other toy box...vanishing inside with a flurry of dolls and plastic trucks.
Smiling, Aki nodded to the newcomers and excused herself from Trio and Makana. "I'm going to make sure she's okay. Catch you in a moment!" Strolling across the room, careful of little ones underfoot, Aki settled down on her knees and began to gently dig. Saara was here somewhere, she couldn't hide forever!
Annora beamed at the kiss, turning to peer at 'Cosa' delightedly. "I'm Annora," she announced, ignoring his question in favor of the answer she knew by rote. Even so, she pushed over some of the toys, humming quietly to herself as she watched to see which the otter would take.
Trio nodded to Aki in sympathy before turning her attention to Andraste. "Hi," she offered, holding out a hand as the other bounced Makana a little. A quietly warning murr stopped that very quickly, though. "I'm Trio, and this is Makana. It's nice to meet you," she introduced, with a warm smile. "And the girl over there is Annora," she added, with the sneaking suspicion she'd be saying that a LOT over the next little while. "How do you do?"
"An ora." The otter misspronounced the name, but still he smiled broadly at the girl. Now she even offered him toys, awesome. Just quickly he glanced at the fluffy one who seemed to have gone into a box far away before turning his attention back to the blue girl. "Tis ball."
Jacosa quickly decided to pick a rainbow coloured ball and put it into his mouth to taste it. Somehow it just tasted like dust, but he had already tasted a lot of dust things and this wasn't the worst.
Gladly Andraste didn't look and concentrated on Trio. "Nice to meet you too. I'm fine...wait...that's a lie. I'm not. Since Jacosa has grown into a toddler I'm not able to cope with him anymore. Alright, I know mothers aren't supposed to say this to new acquaintances, but you don't know what he destroyed within the last 24 hours." The woman blinked as she noticed how fast and how determined she had spoken. "And...how are you and the little, peacefully looking baby one ?"
"Ty, ty !" Jacosa babbled instead and waved with the ball so An ora was able to get it and taste it too. Perhaps she liked dust ?
Trio stared at Jacosa curiously for several seconds, then eyed the ball dubiously. That wasn't food! "It good?" she asked, tilting her head to one side and reaching out to poke the ball.
Trio blinked a couple of times, startled by the sudden rant from Andraste. Casting about for something to say that wasn't trite or vague, she finally offered up, "He sounds rambunctious." Trite. Another try gave her, "What did you do about it?" There, that was better. At least that gave Andraste the option to vent a little.
"Vewy." Jacosa stated and moved up to his new friend offering the ball to her. She should try, really. Perhaps she liked it, if not, he'd try to give her something else. Somehow his tongue felt strange though...dusty...somehow...
He quickly poked it out to stroke it, but it didn't make it better somehow. "Aw aw..."
Andraste sighed. "Well you know, he's curious. He doesn't mean it badly ( at least I hope so ). He has this....exploring thing going on and babbles a LOT." She scratched her head before continuing. "But actually, I like him like that, because I don't want a child that is just boring. So I'm a bit confused, a bit stressed..yeah. That's it. Did I mention that Makana really looks beautiful ?"
She smiled slightly as her ears suddenly heard a very familiar "aw aw" and she definately knew what that meant. "Jac, what happened ?" Andraste quickled knelt down beside the otter who poked out his tongue trying to get rid of the fuzzy stuff.
"I'll be back in a minute, I apologize. Come on Jacosa, we get into the bathroom and clean this up and then you can continue playing." Jacosa felt how he was lifted up and waved at his friends who seemed smaller now. "Tub !" He squealed as they disappeared inside the bathroom.
That reaction sounded all too familiar. Trio shot a look at Annora, who grinned up at her happily, then moved to sit on the couch, carefully lifting Makana out of the sling and settling the feline in her lap. "There," she cooed at the cat. "How's that feel? Better?"
Annora decided quickly that Trio's cooing over Makana was boring compared with the toys she could play with, and she opted to return to the pile, poking the ball Jacosa had been tasting before reaching out to get a set of blocks. Those would do quite nicely.
"Kaeru, come DOWN!" Youko's voice came from outside, where he'd been trying to make it actually INTO the shop, before Kaeru had taken off and gotten himself up a tree. WAY up a tree. The boy looked down at him with a grin, clinging to the branch with all four limbs.
"Fun up here!"
Youko's ears flattened as he glared up the tree. "Better start having fun down HERE, or Santa's gonna hear about this."
That did it. Youko was regretting that this threat didn't work on Raven and Omi anymore. For now, however, Kaeru was in thrall of Christmas presents and wasn't going to jeopardize HIS share for anything.
What Youko hadn't been expecting, however, was the boy launching himself out of the tree. He was sure his scream was heard for miles... before he saw Kaeru bunch up his arms and legs and spread his fingers and toes WIDE.
The webbed skin caught the air, sending the frog boy gliding towards the shop with a whoop of joy.
"I'm going to be completely grey before my time," Youko whimpered, following the 'flying' frog and making it to the shop door just in time to catch him.
"FUN!" Kaeru crowed, clapping his hands and moving to scramble down to the ground. He didn't give it another thought as he pushed the door open and toddled inside.
Now there were familiar faces! Trio grinned widely, waving from where she sat on the couch, but any greeting she might've made would pall compared to the gleeful shout from Annora as the girl scrambled toward them... only to ignore Kaeru completely in favor of bouncing to a stop before Youko. "HI~" she sang out, leaning in to hug him.
Trio laughed, eyes warm as she watched the hug, then waved to Youko. "Hey there!" Ah yes... so that cute little frogboy WAS from here. That would help considerably.
Youko looked a bit bedraggled and smiled down to Annora, scooping her up. "Hey there, beautiful," he said, leaning in and bumping his nose against hers before turning to Trio. "And hello to you too!"
Kaeru was ignoring 'father', girl and woman in favour of the toys that were strewn about, pouncing on the nearest one and starting to 'vroom' it across the floor.
It probably would have been more appropriate if it hadn't been a cow.
Youko moved to the couch, dropping to sit with Trio, Annora held in his lap as he looked to Kaeru. "How are you doing, Trio?" he asked, then caught sight... erm... sound of a kitten in her arms. "What's that?" he asked, peering towards the moving blanket.
Annora squirmed until Youko put her back down, then turned to regard Kaeru warily for a moment before moving settle nearby, returning to her blocks and building up a small tower with them.
"This is Makana," Trio said, ignoring the 'what' in favor of 'who'. "She's still getting used to me." If anyone would understand that comment, it'd be Youko, who was just as notorious for housing 'strays' as she was. "Would you like to hold her?" Just as she spoke, Makana wobbled a bit, putting out a tiny paw and catching her claws on Trio's shirt.
The door opened, the door closed, and suddenly Trio had a sylph attached to her leg and holding on tightly. Papa had said they were going somewhere to see Mama and Annora, but Papa hadn't said other people would be there!
"Trio," Shiro called as he joined the group at a bit of a slower pace, "you seem to have developed a limpet." Once he reached Trio's side, he grinned up at Youko. "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"
"Daddy!" Annora crowed, abandoning the blocks to dart to Shiromaru, throwing herself bodily against the water demon. "Daddy, look," she added a moment later, tugging on his hand to get his attention away from the boring adults and over to her blocks.
Trio grinned at being accosted, peering around Makana to look at Etain with a grin. "Hey there, sweetie. Wanna come sit with us? Or would you rather go play with Annora and Kaeru?" she added, nodding to the two kids.
Daddy... mama... Youko just grinned, both ears perking STRAIGHT up as he looked between Trio and Shiro. Granted, he'd heard about this before, but it was good to see it in action. "Oh I'm FIIIIIINE, Shiro, and it seems you have been too." No use wasting a chance to needle a friend after all.
Kaeru was crawling past, not bothering to look and see where people's feet were going as he and the standing plastic cow made their way around the carpet and over to one wall. He didn't actually notice the other girl that had arrived until he looked up to see who had put the wall in front of him. She had WINGS!! That was just so COOL! "FAIRY!" he crowed, hands clapping. He'd seen those in picture books!
Youko snickered then, looking back down to Makana and brushing the velvet fur of her nose with his fingertip. "I think she's attached to you at the moment, dear."
Syrcaid had bundled up Taylor as best she could, Taylor hated having on boots on account of hooved feet so she settled for knit leg warmers her Uncle Ki knit for her. Grey and black legwarmers, a mismatched blue Mickey Mouse (yet another old Zizzi remnant) fleeced and hooded coat... and then the mittens.
Ah, yes, the mittens. To recap the mittens the previous night, one would have to understand the mind of a were-wyrm - there is none. S-D picked small, inexplicably trivial things to have an argument over. Syrcaid suspected it was because he couldn't function without his daily argument. He and his lover Mekakushi had been sent on the task to take Taylor shopping for mittens and a scarf. The scarf passed their judgement without a hitch but the mittens were something else entirely.
As Syrcaid and Taylor approached the door to headquarters, Taylor reached to attemp the open the door herself. Syrcaid was reminded of the mittens as she saw Taylor give the door marked "Pull" a heafty push and Syrcaid began laughing. Taylor looked up at her puzzled, but laughing too.
The argument was as such...
"What do you mean it looks 'foofy'!?? She's a baby, you idiot!" Meka threw up his hands. "I'm more amazed that you used the term 'foofy' to describe it!"
"They're girly, c'mon, they've got Barbie all over it. Doesn't that little plastic whore have enough mindless followers making their mothers bleed out cash!??"
By this point, the whole of the infant/toddler department had stopped in mid sale/browse to stare at the two arguing amongst the mitten rack.
"She's a doll, very much like YOU started off as, you mindless little t**t," hissed Meka as he gripped S-D by the lapel of his sweater and forcefully dragged his ear to his lips. "You've got half of Sears looking at us like we're Stan and Laurel and if you don't stop being an absolute GIT about this-"
"I am NOT a git!" S-D jabbed a finger into Meka's shoulder with accusation. "Look, why does it have to be Barbie!??"
GAH! Talking frog! Startled, Etain reached up and pulled at Trio, effectively half-climbing the woman, wings buzzing as she bolted up her mother's side and held on to Trio's shoulder, hovering there. Once she was safely up, she looked down at Kaeru, then tugged on Trio's sleeve and informed her very solemnly, "Mama... the frog is talking to me." Kaeru got another shy glance, then Etain seemed to gather up her courage and told him, "Papa says I'm a sy... a sylph."
Shiro, as he was tugged away by Annora, glanced back at Youko and oh-so-maturely stuck his tongue out at the man. "Hush, you," he called over his shoulder, then kneeled down in front of the blocks with Annora. "Are you having fun with these?" he murmured to the siren, grinning down at her.
Trio blushed vividly, choosing not to deign Youko with a reply for that. Besides, it hadn't been directed at her anyway. Instead, she glanced up at Etain, smiling warmly. "That's Uncle Youko's little boy, sweetie," she murmured. "Ka...oru? Kaero?" Cheeks darkening, she shot a glance at Youko. "What's his name again?"
Annora nodded, leaning against Shiro as she stuck her foot out in a sharp kick, making the small tower tumble down. "I'm making a tumble," she informed him cheerfully, tilting her head up to look at Shiro.
Syrcaid and Taylor were putting their coats on the coat rack by this time, Taylor insisting that the legwarmers stay on. She hadn't taken them off since Ki put them on her. Taylor was content to wear them to threads as she trundled at high speed into the large playroom, Syrcaid casually wandering in after her with Taylor's little tupperware full of fresh fruit and a juice sippy-cup.
"Don't trample anyone, Taylor," Syrcaid laughed. "I think it'd be hard to explain hoofprints to the pediatrician."
"Kaeru," Youko replied, still toying with Makana as he was completely absorbed with the child.
"Huh?" Kaeru replied, hearing his name and looking up in confusion. When Youko didn't reply, he frowned and left the cow behind, moving to his father and tugging on one pantleg. "HEY!"
Ears flattened with the shout, Youko looking down and scooping up Kaeru. "You don't say 'hey' when you want to get someone's attention," he said, bringing up a finger when the boy would have interrupted. "What do you say?"
Sighing, Kaeru wilted a bit. "S'cuse me," he murmured, obviously NOT happy about having to ask for attention when his first shout had gotten that attention for him. "Why'd you call me?"
"I didn't," Youko said, one ear up again.
"But you said my name!"
Oooohhhh that. Youko nodded then, motioning to Trio. "Trio wanted to know your name, she couldn't remember it. So I told her."
"I'm Kaeru!" he said, grinning to Trio and nearly leaning off of Youko's lap to look at her.
((Continued in next post.))
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:42 pm
((Continued from previous post.))
"Uncle Youko?" Etain did a quick mental calculation, then peered over Trio's shoulder again, still half floating. "Kaeru's our cousin?" she asked after a moment, then released her mother and drifted back down to the ground, shyly creeping over to Youko and Kaeru. If Kaeru was a cousin, then everything was okay, right?
"Yes, you did," Shiro agreed, grinning at Annora. "I wonder how tall you can make these blocks before they all fall down again, hmm?" He pressed a kiss to Annora's hair, cheerfully.
Trio glanced up at the newcomers, grinning happily to see even more around. "Hi," she called, offering them both a grin. She couldn't help admiring Taylor. It was so odd to see a little horse walking around on two legs, but she was SO beautiful. When Annora saw, she'd...
"HORSIE!" Annora cried, loud enough to make anyone wince. Not even noticing the effect her over-strong voice had on anyone else, she scrambled to her feet, Shiromaru forgotten as she ran over to examine this newcomer. "You like Keelan?" she demanded, eyes huge.
Makana watched Etain leave with wide gold eyes, batting at the departing sylph before her attention turned to Kaeru, watching the frog as he leaned close. "Mrreow."
Youko left off toying with Makana, noting that the little one was far more preoccupied elsewhere. He nodded to Etain, reaching to slide Kaeru down to the floor. "Kinda like a cousin, yeah," he said, smiling. "You should bug your daddy to come bring you over sometime. Raven would LOVE you. She likes Annora too."
Kaeru, for his part, was GONE the moment his feet touched the floor. He darted back off to HIS cow, scooping it up and protecting it from anyone who would try to swipe it from him. It seemed that he still didn't quite grasp the idea of animals and machines yet, because the moment he knew he was 'safe', the cow went back down on the floor. "The cow goes VOOM!"
"Cows don't go 'voom', squirt," Youko said, chuckling softly.
"They do when they have zippers, like your coat."
The fox just stared then, ears drooping to the sides as he sighed. "I've been outsmarted by a toddler..."
"A painted Arabian, actually, though some of that paint will wash off" Syrcaid grinned, picking a spot on the floor to sit on. "Oof!" she pulled a wooden block out from underneath herself. "I almost hatched that."
Taylor's hair was brushed, at least that's how it started off after her bath earlier that day, by now it was long, silky, and slightly tangled. Taylor insisted on never having her mane tied back, it was everything Syrcaid could do to hold her still long enough to brush let alone attempt to braid it or put bows in it. Syrcaid had resigned herself to letting Taylor run wild so long as she was fed and clean, confident that Taylor'd show up again for cuddling, a nap, or her apples.
Shiro blinked as Annora raced off, then shook his head and rose, joining the others. "It happens to the best of us," he informed Youko with mock-solemnity, then called after Annora, "Pick those blocks up before we leave!"
It was like a never-ending circus.
With a smile for Syrcaid, the water demon offered his hand. "My name is Shiromaru, I don't believe we've met."
Etain watched her father for a moment, then looked up at Youko with wide eyes. "Who's Raven?" she asked shyly. But anybody that liked Annora was a good person in her books!
"Hallo, I'm Syrcaid," she replied to Shiromaru with a smirk, obliging with a handshake. "The place is infested with rugrats, you suspect we should call an exterminator?"
Taylor had taken to standing in one place and squealing in a half-whinny, absolutely delighted to have company in the playroom with her.
"Meet Taylor," she grinned. "She's learned she can run and most times without falling tail over teacup."
'Tail over teacup.' Trio marked that phrase away to remember. It was the first time she'd heard it, and she suspected that it'd drive her angel crazy if she used it. "I'm Trio," she volunteered, not getting up from where she sat. Makana, however, had apparently had enough of Trio's lap. She squirmed, mewling pitifully until Trio took pity on her and leaned down to rest lay Makana on her stomach just in front of the blonde's feet. "There you go, sweetheart." Delighted, Makana clapped.
Annora stared at Taylor several seconds, then grinned. "I'm Annora. You like Keelan?" she asked again, reaching out to catch Taylor's hand without thought and tug her toward the blocks. They'd be much more interesting with TWO people building!
"Aaah...?" Taylor inquired, being led toward the blocks with instant curiosity.
"I'm Trio," came another voice.
"Oh, hallo," Syrcaid nodded to Trio, as well. "It's amazing there's so many people here, in all honesty. We've tried coming here before to an empty house. I think this is only the second or third time Taylor and I found anyone here."
Syrcaid looked around, the announcement bulletin board was still half decorated in Thanksgiving paper leaves and schoolborders with handturkeys and be-glittered lettering with little handmade cards. But the Christmas attire was slowly being brought out, Syrcaid could see some boxes in an unlit part of the building marked "XMas" and unopened mail parcels.
"I wonder if Karma's putting up a tree or something festive for the holidays," she mused out loud.
"Who knows? There are so many different holidays to celebrate," Trio returned wryly, shrugging.
"C'mon," Annora said, kneeling and showing Taylor how to place the blocks, not bothering to wait and find out whether Taylor already knew.
Makana, meanwhile, had decided the floor was boring, and was currently in the midst of a great battle to turn herself over, figuring the view of the ceiling would likely be preferable.
Kneeling down, Shiromaru lifted Makana up into his arms, settling her onto her back that way. "Hello, precious," he whispered to her, stroking those soft furry ears. Etain set herself against Shiro's side, and reached out cautiously so she could touch Makana's hand.
"True enough," Syrcaid nodded, watching Taylor get pulled away into a new adventure. "Taylor doesn't really say much, she's too impatient to form words just yet so she just makes a noise and hope it gets out what she means to say."
Makana took one look at Etain and a sudden motor-boat purring sounded from her throat as she reached out to bat one paw against Etain's arm, leaving it there.
Trio nodded. "Annora likes talking too much to ever consider that action. She's pretty good at speech now, though I think Etain's better." She glanced with a smile at the sylph. "Taylor's absolutely beautiful."
"Thank you," she laughed gently at Makana's purring. "If you want to get on her best side, give her an apple, she'll do almost anything for an apple. Did Karma give you a kitten for Christmas?" she winked, watching the infant's paw float about. "She's a content little thing, isn't she?"
Shiromaru laughed helplessly at Makana, then shifted Etain so the sylph was sitting down, and carefully positioned Makana in Etain's arms and on her lap. "There you are," he whispered to the pair of them.
Etain seemed absolutely entranced, her eyes wide as she oh-so-carefully held Makana. She was being a good big sister! "Pretty kitty," she announced quietly.
Wandering into the agency lilwere walked in slowly, leaning forward majorly as she was holding her Fourth wall childs arm as she walked. "Trying to get her used to walking on two legs.." She said out in the open incase anyone was watching them. "She'd rather crawl if she had her way... due to shes become a little crawling speed demon."
The wolf pup wuffed and whined as she was forced to walk on her two hind legs. She didnt like it.. bad bad! She'd rather crawl... explore faster that way. Her yellow/orange eyes grew large as she saw others where around... she wanted to meet others like herself. "Hi!" She blurted out loud around the room... they proberbly heard her somewhat.
"She might be content now, but don't even get me started when she's unhappy," Trio said wryly, remembering the half-croaked yowls she had to put up with any time Makana was hungry. "One of Annora's friends is a very sweet centaur boy named Keelan. I think she thinks Taylor must be like him... or maybe know him."
Makana was content to snuggle up to Etain, paws coming up to play with her hair. Shiny silver locks that moved when she batted at them! What FUN!
Annora's tongue was caught between her teeth as she carefully placed a block on another, occasionally looking up to boss Taylor, though she looked away without ever noticing whether Taylor was actually following her directions. But at the newest child's call, Annora's head shot up. MORE playmates! This place was WONDERFUL. "Hi~!"
"I think Taylor's trying to find Keelan," Syrcaid laughed into her hand.
Lilwere decided walking here was enough, so she left go of Aurora's hand gently and let her walk the way she wanted to. Squatting down lilwere looked around for someone to talk to. Spotting trio she sent her a cheery wave. "Hello their."
Aurora... surprisingly.. walked around 5 feet on her hind legs before she went into a crawl towards the other whom responded. Ears perking up she gave a wide grin as she was a few feet away. "Hullo! Me Aurora. you..?"
Giggling happily, Etain let Makana play with her hair all the little kitten wanted. She certainly wasn't about to complain!
When the newcomers came in, Shiromaru offered a wave to the pair. "Welcome!" he called.
Meanwhile, a deathly silence fell over the small town of Whoville, all the little Whos hiding in their once jubulous Who homes. A dark figure stood over snow-capped hillside, his heart once two sizes too big, once again three sizes too small. Well, something like that, at least. With a stagger away from his sedan, a disgrunted sounding mouse struggled with the little one in his arms while kicking the door shut, trying not to spill himself or the child he carried.
"Melody, I swear to GOD if you don't stop squirming...!"
Of course, despite the warnings, the little raccoon girl bundled in his arms kept wriggling about, wanting to grab everything; his nose, his cigarette (which really isn't good to have around a child in the first place), his hair, his tie, that big bright round thing in the night sky... it was all so fascinating to her.
If only he shared those sentiments, it wouldn't be so bad.
Giving up on the prospect of being able to use his arms again for now, he turned around to back himself against the front doors to The Fourth Wall. With any luck, if Karma was around, he could get a little advice on restocking his baby needs so Melody wouldn't have to live in the third world for a few weeks. Of course, last time he was here, he just caught Karma.
Obviously, he didn't expect the small crowd there as he walked in, pushing past the door and turning around. "Karma, are y- ... good Lord. It's a little toddler demolition derby in here." He stood there at the door, looking for a moment in disbelief. This would be when the little raccoon girl in his arms grabbed the glasses he was wearing and yanked them off.
"...
...
GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF THAT RIGHT NOW."
Trio's head jerked up at the yell, and she stared at the mouse and raccoon girl for a moment before clapping a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking silently. It was obvious to ANYONE that she was trying desperately to stifle laughter, and not trusting her voice, she lifted a hand in greeting.
Makana's ears flicked toward the loud yell, and she twisted to look at the man solemnly. But the loud sound didn't disturb her - one of the fringe benefits of living with a siren.
Annora smiled at Aurora, saying carefully, "I'm Annora." A moment later, she grabbed up one of the wood cubes, holding it out to Aurora. "This blocks!" She, too, appeared unphased.
Syrcaid stared at the front door, Taylor stopped too in the middle of test-tasting a building block. Without another word, Taylor dropped the block and ran for the front door.
"N-No, wait!" Syrcaid struggled to stand up quickly. "Wait, Taylor, don't step on the nice man!"
Scary loud man!
It was only the fact that Etain was holding Makana that kept the sylph from bolting somewhere to hide. As it was, the shout had her squirming closer to Shiro, and the water demon slid an arm around his daughter reassuringly. "It's okay," he murmured to Etain. "Don't worry."
Lilwere's head twisted around as the next duo entered. She shivvered slightly from the winds comming in from the door. "I see you have quite the handful their.." She noted at the cute little raccoon baby. "Must be hard, i know when Aurora was that young she loved getting into everything as well, she grew out of it somewhat."
Lilwere stood up from her squatted position and wandered over towards a chair, which she flopped into overlooking all of the occupants of the room.
Aurora turned around and looked at the new duo and gave a small snicker. "Badd!" She whispered under her breath. Her sticker turned into a giggle when she saw the small block. Holding it in her hands she felt the grainy texture, before she starting to hit it against the ground. "Yer name similar to mines!" Wondering if the block can crack open she continues to hit it. "Block block! Does eeet open?"
Annora's eyebrows pulled together as she frowned at Aurora, and she reached out to grab the block, trying to tug it away from the girl before she could beat it on the ground again.
Eyes watering as she managed to get herself under control, Trio moved to sit beside Shiromaru. One more look at the raccoon girl sent her off again, however, and she buried her face in Shiro's shoulder, shaking desperately with silent mirth.
For a man who used to play paintball, participate in faux sword fights, and has driven through heavy downtown traffic for years without a single ticket or even ding on his car, he's certainly not swift when dealing with children. Just retrieving his glasses back from Melody, who was giggling away now, he takes a moment to put them back on and blink owlishly. "There, that's be-*"
Crunch.
Steel toe shoes were always one of Terry's favorite things to wear, because they kept him so protected when he invariably stubbed his foot against his desk or other furniture in his house. Why he didn't wear them tonight going to a place full of children of all species was beyond him, but he certainly wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. This once proved to be enough.
"Nnng... gah... yi..."
Many sounds were coming difficultly from Terry's mouth, though none of them were really words. He staggered a bit, lowering on one leg and trying his best to keep Melody aloft. To her credit, the raccoon girl was all smiles, big, bright emerald eyes beaming as she scanned the room. So many faces! And so different, too! It was like Halloween, with less darkness.
In the meantime, it looked like a tear might be coming to one of Terry's eyes. "Hi... th-there... little girl... Nice... to... sonofa... meet you, too..." He grit his teeth, trying hard not to yell at the little horse. It wasn't really her fault, after all.
Taylor stopped, all of her weight on Terry's foot and stared up at the funny man making burbling noises at her. She looked up and let out a glass shattering shriek of laughter, clapping her hands at him with delight.
Syrcaid stopped dead where she was, clapping her hands over her mouth. "Ho-oh, sh-...!" she said into her hands. "Sorrrryy..." she flinched in sympathy for the pain her little Taylor was inflicting on him. She moved again to pick Taylor up off his foot.
"It's a good thing she doesn't wear training shoes," she offered in sympathy. "Erm... Do you need a doctor?"
Shiromaru wasn't likely to be much help for Trio at the moment, because he, too, was trying desperately to not burst out into laughter himself. One hand pressed to his mouth, his shoulders shaking, he stared up at Taylor, Terry and Syrcaid, torn between overwhelming mirth and wincing compassion.
Lilwere bowed in apologies to the group around her and she scouped up aurora and dashed out of the room, she tossed terry some pain killers as she passed him.
Trio missed the sight of Taylor stepping on Terry's foot. She lifted her head, calm once more, only after Syrcaid had lifted Taylor off Terry, and blinked at the new sight in confusion. ...What had she missed?
Makana mewled softly, beginning to sound upset. And Annora simply stared, eyes huge and half-afraid. That... looked like it had HURT.
It is said that music and mathematics are two universal languages in this grand universe of ours. Whoever said that didn't count on the third:
Sheer, overwhelming pain.
It was in this stunning moment of intense clarity of the nerves that Terry nearly allowed himself to slip. Temperature rising, he almost forgot that he was carefully holding a baby in his arms, something that started to come back to mind when she started burbling in oblivious bliss. This allowed the recovering rodent to stay himself for a moment.
Gritting his teeth in response, he shook his head at Syrcaid. "No, no, I'm fine. Just... give me a month or two to stop bleeding or whatever it is my foot is doing." Frankly, he was afraid to even look, though doubtless the pain far outweighed the damage -- that was usually the case with him.
After recovering a little, he opened one eye to glare down at Taylor and see just who it was that crushed the life out of his doubtlessly evil foot. He looked back at Syrcaid. "I presume this is your bubbly little piece of sh-"
He caught himself. No, Terry, let it go. It's just a kid, and she didn't know what she did.
"-hhurely precious equine?"
"If you come here," Shiro called to Terry, "and take off your shoe, I can get some ice on your foot for you. It'll help to keep the swelling down."
Etain cuddled Makana closer, anxious to keep the little girl from getting too upset. The big loud man...-mousething wasn't yelling at them so it was okay. "Mama?" Etain whispered up to Trio, and glanced back down at Makana.
"I think you meant little s**t," Syrcaid grinned. "That's what S-D calls her, too, but she didn't mean to stamp on your foot. She's not aware that most of us have soft, squishy feet that go crunch if trod on. S-D's taken to wearing thick boots when he babysits."
She looked at his foot and nodded. "It's still attached."
Trio reached out to Etain, gently lifting Makana away and then beckoning the sylph to crawl onto her lap as well. "C'mere, sweetie. It's gonna be okay." As she settled Makana into her arms again, the girl only grew more fussy, squirming and uttering that croak-mewl that sounded horribly pitiful.
Annora sat still, wide eyes following everything as she kept silent.
Terry hesitated to give any sort of a response for a moment, just trying to figure out if he could feel his left foot again. Satisfied after a moment that it was, in fact, still a functional part of his body, he nodded back to Shiro and the offer he made. "Well, I can be pretty cold, myself, but I'm sure some extra ice wouldn't hurt."
As the swirls of misty cold swirled around the end of his tail, it appeared that he wasn't being entirely sarcastic. He staggered somewhat over to where Shiro was sitting, nodding to Syrcaid on the way. "Well, despite everything, I don't want to go calling other people's children 'little shits' without some prior approval." As he walked, he shifted Melody's position so the little raccoon was mostly over his shoulder.
Finding a spot to sit down, he settled in and used his right foot to nudge the shoe off of his left foot, wincing in pain again at the pressure that put on the appendage.
"Don't worry, Taylor likes you so in her eyes you can call her whatever you like and she'd think it was a term of endearment," Syrcaid laughed.
After settling back for a moment, Melody, slung over his shoulder, suddenly dozes off. The mouse turns to eye the raccoon, shaking his head. "Little narcoleptic, I swear to God..."
Shiromaru blinked at the tail, then laughed softly and cupped his hands around Terry's foot, letting ice blanket it carefully. "There we go. Just let that sink in for a little bit," he murmured.
Once that was done, he looked up at Annora, surprised to see the siren so quiet, and opened his arms. "Come here, princess," he called softly.
Etain, for her own part, borrowed onto Trio's lap and cuddled there, careful to keep her wings from getting snagged.
"He hurt?" Annora asked plaintively, staring at Shiromaru for a moment before scrambling up into his lap and nestling close. "He crying?"
"It's okay, sweetie," Trio murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Etain's head even as she tried to juggle both kids and the baby bag she'd brought in. Makana didn't care about Terry getting hurt, but it was hard to mistake her 'feed me' mewl.
Taylor, riddled with curiosity, went to have a look at why the infant was crying. Without saying a thing, she reached into her own baby bag and fished out her apple. She offered it to the crying infant.
"Aaaahppaa..?" Taylor inquired.
"He's hurt, yes," Shiro said gently, and stroked Annora's hair. "But he'll be just fine, you'll see. Don't you worry." Trio got a warm look over the childrens' heads, golden gaze fondly bemused, then he started to rock Annora a little bit in his lap. Taylor got a blink, then a growing smile. "I don't think Makana can eat apples just yet. But once she's a bit bigger, she might like them."
She finally managed to produce a bottle, nearly dropping it before popping the top off and nuzzling Etain. "You need to move, sweetie. I need to feed Makana now." She didn't bother trying to find a way to warm the bottle - she'd already seen that they were just fine room temperature.
Taylor stared up at Shiro, then back to the baby. Noticing the bottle, she realised she could do with some snacking herself. Taking her apple, since no one wanted to share, she went and took the sippy-cup from Syrcaid's hands and plopped down at Syrcaid's feet to drink her apple juice and eat her apple.
"I think if your wrang her out, you'd get pure apple essence," Syrcaid said, fishing out her brush to brush Taylor's mane. "While she's distracted, I can finally brush her. Too bad I forgot her detangler."
She was worried about him. He had managed to bounce back fairly well from the whole experience, but there was still quite a bit of tension in the household. Aside from the whole trauma of finding a girl covered in blood on the lawn, poor Arun had gone from a care free toddler with the sole attention of a single caregiver to sharing his house and his Wasee with a teenager, a pregnant woman, and two babies. For the most part he endured, but the occasional outbursts and near refusal to leave her side had Wasabineko confused.
In her infinate wisdom, Wasa thought it might be a good idea to take him to familar territory that wasn't being over run with strangers... or at least a place where the strangers were more like himself.
Arun stared wide eyed at the shop as Wasabineko carried him through the door. He remembered it all right...
"Keelan's like that," Shiro offered to Syrcaid, grinning. "Keelan's a friend's son, and a centaur. Etain's and Annora's playmate." He wasn't certain if Trio had explained or not.
Etain slid carefully off of Trio's lap and padded over to Shiro's, slipping into her papa's lap and sharing it with Annora. There was room, after all!
Trio just settled in to bring the bottle to Makana's lips when someone new caught her attention. The little kitten yowling in her arms and grabbing for the bottle, Trio offered a smile. "Hello!"
Annora hesitated a moment, then curled up half-against Etain, looking unhappy.
Saara bolted back into the front room of the Center, clutching a gilded pomegranite in her arms as she dashed. Aki staggered after her, still completely befuddled as to where Saara had found such a strange item, and worn out from chasing her from the toy box to the bathroom, to the downstairs, outside, and back in again.
Sighing, Aki slumped against the doorway...wild hair edging across her face, and tapered ears sticking out from the blonde mess. "Okay...huuu. We're...back. Gah! Can we...rest?" Panting dejectedly, Aki opened her arms to the young glider.
For a moment, Saara considered the elf's offer...clutching the pomegranite close as her ears laid back. It didn't take long. A few moments later, she'd launched herself towards Aki's stomach...connecting with an 'oof.'
"Yup nope! Hi!" With a wide smile, Saara clawed her way up Aki's chest...still somehow clutching the garish plastic fruit.
"Ugh! Hi." Finally, as she bundled her daughter into her arms, Aki was able to glance around and see who was present. She raised one hand weakly, trying to summon a smile. How utterly embarrassing!
Wasabineko watched in amazement and the flurry of activity, most of it centered about Aki Ana's chest. "Hey there!"
Arun twisted, crawing under Wasa's arm and inching his way back up under her hair until at last his nose poked out over his shoulder. "Wasee..."
Wasa gave him a little pat on the head, smiling out at the rest present. "You aren't shy Arun so don't even pretend."
"Trio," Shiro whispered to the woman, "I think I'm going to take Annora and Etain home, okay? Etain's sleepy and Annora's upset." Wasa got a nod and a warm smile, as well as Aki.
When it became apparent that the shop was a bit TOO distracting for Trio to feed Makana, she rose, shifting everything around until she carried the kitten in her sling and the bottle was tucked out of sight. "I'll come with you," she assured him, offering him a smile before turning to the others. "It was really nice to meet you all. I hope I get a chance to come back soon," she said, beckoning to Annora. The siren scrambled off Shiro's lap but moved to take his hand as she realized he was getting up, too.
Shiro nodded, then let Etain hold on to his free hand, keeping hold of both the toddlers this way. With a farewell call back to the others, he made his way out of the building, intent on getting home quickly.
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Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:31 am
Efios tossed rocks into the water. Plunk. Plunk. Plunk. In his other hand, he held a card; he'd read the spare information it held numerous times, and was no more enlightened for having done so. He'd left the flute undisturbed, puzzled and a bit unsettled by the footprints around it.
There was only one problem with finding this Jaden Silvermoon person. He didn't recognize the address, couldn't find it, and had no idea where to start.
"Mister Efios!" That sweet voice could only belong to Etain, and the sylph bounded acoss the sand in her eagerness to get to the yuniko. In one hand was a long white feather, which she held onto for dear life.
Shiromaru followed at a more sedate pace, smiling in welcome as he spotted Efios. "Glad to see you found my beach," he called, amused. "But then, it's always open to friends. How are you?"
The Yuniko looked up from the waves and knelt, smiling, to open his arms for a hug from Etain. "Hi, cutie!" he said. "Nice to see you again! I brought you something, I was hoping I'd see you and your da."
He grinned at Shiro a little sheepishly. "I thought this area might still be yours," he answered. "I have a present for your little sweetheart and a mystery of my own."
Etain barreled straight into Efios' arms, all shyness from the last visit totally gone. "Hugs!" she chirruped, hugging the yuniko gleefully. "I brought you somethin' too!" She offered up the feather with a bright smile.
Shiromaru sat down on the sand near Efios and Etain, folding his legs. "I have a lot of land, but I sort of need to. What's your mystery?"
Efi hugged Etain, a bright smile lighting up his face at the embrace. "Did you? Oh, it's lovely. I like feathers. How did you know?" He took the feather solemnly, then untangled himself from the child carefully and reached back for the staff lying on the sand nearby. A small pouch was tied to the twining carved decoration near the top with a leather thong. He untied the thong and used it to fasten the feather there in its place instead. "Perfect," he said with satisfaction, and handed the pouch to Etain. "Here you go."
He had managed to drop the card, and took a moment to retrieve that, too. "You wouldn't happen to know a Jaden Silvermoon, would you?" he asked Shiro, holding the card out for inspection.
Etain squealed in delight at the sight of the new feather on the staff, then accepted the pouch with wide eyes. "C'n I open it now?" she asked hopefully, clutching the pouch and listening to the metallic tinkling.
"Jaden Silvermoon?" Shiro took the card, blinking at it. "Yes, actually, I do. He's the one who helps the changelings when they arrive on here in Gaia. Annora and Etain are both changelings, and so is Keelan, and several others. If you have this card, does that mean you've found a relic?"
"Sure, sweetling," Efi said, and grinned. "That's what I brought it for, after all."
"Is that what the flute is?" Efi asked, blinking back. "It was among my ferns when I woke up. With little footprints around it. I had no idea what to do with it."
"That's definitely a changeling. Pretty soon you're going to have your own little handful to take care of. After Etain opens her present, why don't we go back to my house? I can get you set up with some onesies and bottles and what was left of Etain's diaper stack so you're not caught completely flat-hoofed," Shiro offered, handing the card back to Efios.
Etain waited until she heard those magic words from her papa, then opened the pouch -- and went almost starry-eyed at the bracelet. Oh yes, she liked her sparklies. "Oooh... S'pretty!" She turned that big smile on the yuniko and hugged his arm. "Thank you Mister Efios!"
Efi blinked again, then broke into a big smile, nearly beaming at the news. "That's great," he said. "I like babies - wasn't expecting one - oh, wow - that's great! I'd appreciate that," he added, taking the card back and tucking it into a second small pouch that hung from the staff beside the feather.
He returned the sparkling smile Etain gave him. "You're welcome. That's a beautiful smile," he told the Changeling child. "Something pretty for a pretty young lady."
Laughing, Shiromaru took the bracelet and fastened it around Etain's wrist. "I can tell this isn't coming off anytime soon," he noted as an aside to Efios. "She loves pretty things." Once Etain was satisfied with the bracelet, she scrambled into Shiro's arms and he stood with her, offering a hand down to Efios to help him up. "C'mon, let's get you those baby supplies. I know I have leftover formula, too, I can give you that."
Efi took the hand long enough to stand up, and leaned on his staff while he shook sand out of his mane and fur. "I know more theory about taking care of babies than practice," he confessed. "I was the youngest in my family. Er. Is changing diapers difficult?" His ears flicked back with mild embarrassment.
"Only if you end up with a boy," Shiromaru informed him with a wickedly playful glint.
"Papa? Why's that?"
"I'll tell you when you're older," Shiro assured her. Grinning, he led the way back towards Kailas, where even from a distance the sound of life could be heard.
"Um?" Efios looked blank; obviously he really hadn't had any experience with this particular aspect of child care. He shook his head slightly and put the question aside. It'd get answered, or it wouldn't. He followed sedately, swishing his tail and enjoying the day and the company.
Once inside, Shiro toed off his shoes in the genkan and stepped into his house slippers, and Etain very studiously did the same, though she ignored the slippers in favor of running on into the kitchen. That was where the formula was, after all!
With Etain out of earshot -- mostly -- Shiro glanced back at Efios and snickered softly. "Babies aren't very caring of when or where they go to the bathroom, so if you have a boy and he decides to go in the middle of changing his diaper, it can be... well. Messy."
Efi wiped his hooves very carefully on the mat outside the door; he didn't wear shoes, and didn't see any slippers that looked like they'd fit him. When he'd gotten the sand and dust off his feet, he stepped inside, bobbing his head and making a quick gesture with his free hand as he crossed the threshold.
" ... Oh." Efi looked both apprehensive and amused at once. "I see. That could be, ah, awkward."
"Towels, my friend. Cover them with small towels and you won't get the fountain effect." Shiro led the way into the kitchen, which was off the genkan and to the right, and caught Etain studiously trying to half-fly, half-climb the cupboard shelves to get to the formula. "Etain! What did I tell you about flying without supervision?"
Etain squeaked and looked up, then bowed her head. "Sorry, Papa..."
"I'll remember that," Efios murmured, and followed Shiro into the kitchen. He covered a smile at Etain's minor naughtiness. "Da doesn't want you to get hurt by accident, I think," he said to her, and grinned. "My da spanked me for climbing shelves when I was small, myself."
With Shiro there, however, Etain was free to climb the rest of the way up in the shelves and found the formula, which she offered to Efios proudly, flying awkwardly through the air to him. "Papa's never spank-ded me before," she added quietly in her slow and serious way. "What's spank-ded?"
"It's where I slap you on your bottom," Shiromaru explained, reaching up to pluck his daughter from the air. "It's not a good thing."
"Not a good thing to have happen," Efi agreed, and took the formula carefully. "Thank you, Etain, that was very helpful."
Brightening, Etain cuddled against Shiro's side, and jingled her bracelet happily. The coins made a merry chiming sound, like the windchimes in her room. "Papa," she announced, smiling up at Shiromaru. "I'm a helpful girl."
"That you are," Shiro confirmed, grinning down at her. "Now, do you want to help me gather up your old onesies so that Efios can take them home?" Etain nodded, wide-eyed, and Shiro winked over her head at Efios and nodded towards the hallway. "It's this way. Her room's only a bit down the hall."
Efi grinned back and nodded to Etain. "Will you show me your room?" he asked. "I bet you have neat stuff." He tucked the formula under his arm neatly.
Etain wriggled out of Shiromaru's arms and flew down the hall, holding onto the wall much as a child learning to swim might keep hold of the edge of the pool. "It's right here, Mister Efios," she called as she ever-so-carefully got the doorknob turned and the door pushed open. Inside, the window was huge and wide open, and the constant breeze set the many windchimes sounding merrily throughout the room.
Efi followed sedately, observing quietly that apparently flight wasn't something one just instinctively knew, but rather a learned skill. He glanced back at Shiro, recalling that the blue-haired man had wings when he so chose. ... Must be a useful thing to have, he mused.
"How pretty," he told Etain, looking around the room.
Excitedly, Etain took Efios' hand and tugged on him, trying to lead him over to the winged wooden rocking-unicorn over in one part of her room. "Lookit! It has a horn too!"
"So it does," Efi said, crouching down to better see the toy. He bent his neck and tapped his horn lightly against the rocking-horse's, and said very seriously, "Good sir, I challenge you for the privilege of giving the lady a piggyback ride."
The wooden toy very eloquently said nothing and simply rocked back and forth a little. "I think this might be an easy duel," Shiro drawled from where he lounged against the side of the door, arms crossed, his expression one of deep amusement.
Etain giggled and hugged Efi's hand, beaming up at him with bright eyes. "I don't think he's gonna say much," she whispered, and pointed to the rocking horse to explain just who she was talking about -- in case there was any doubt.
"Do you yield?" Efi asked the rocking-horse, eyes glinting with merriment. He rested one hand on the rocker so that the toy appeared to bow its head, lowering its horn. "The day is won, the honor is mine," he said cheerfully.
"Does that mean you're gonna give me a biggy-pack ride?" Etain asked, hugging Efios' arm this time.
"Absolutely, if you so wish," Efi nodded. "But I think we should do that when we go back outside, so I can gallop properly. I think there is probably a no galloping indoors rule," he said, and smiled.
Shiro smirked and headed over to the closet, picking out one of his spare diaper bags and starting to fill it with some onesies of various sizes. They were all white, green, blue or purple. "There's definitely a 'no galloping indoors' rule. It marks up the tatami."
Etain spotted Shiromaru picking out the onesies and flew over to him, studiously trying to help. "Then we can gallop outdoors!"
Efi straightened up and came over to help fold the small garments, fingers quick and deft about the task. "Thank you again for all of this," he said quietly. "I am in your debt."
"Friends help friends," the water demon murmured, smiling up at Efios. "This isn't a debt to be paid, but my gift to you. If you're determined to see it as a debt, then make it up to me by bringing your little one over when he or she arrives so Etain has someone new to play with," he added with a warm smile.
"I can do that. I'm glad to have met you both," Efi said, and bowed deeply. "I picked the right garden to wander into by accident," he added with a smile.
Shiro smiled in return, nodding to Efios. "I think you did, too, because we're both glad to have gained a friend."
Etain returned to Efios' side and held up a big stuffed butterfly. "For your baby," she said with all seriousness, her eyes wide.
"I think she picked this habit up from Annora," Shiro mused with a grin, one hand on his hip. "Annora used to drop toys in Etain's lap all the time."
Efi gave the toy a hug and laid it on top of the onesies in the bag. "Thank you," he said, and nodded, "and I'm sure he or she will thank you too, when the baby is old enough to say so." He chuckled.
"A generous type of habit," he said to Shiro, amused.
Shiromaru nodded, and lifted Etain up into his arms. "It is, and I can only hope it will last as they get a bit older." With his free hand, he reached up and picked out a few good bottles and set them into the bag as well. "That should set you up and have you almost ready for when the baby arrives," he said when he was done, and smiled warmly up at Efios. "I don't have any spare blankets or cribs, that's probably the last thing you'll need."
"I can find those easily enough, I think," Efi said, and picked up the bag. "There are shops near where I live - I have an apartment in the shop district in Barton." He grinned at Etain. "Would you like to go and collect on that piggy-back ride now?"
"Yes!" Etain reached out towards Efios, wanting the yuniko to carry her rather than her papa right now. Piggy-back ride!
Shaking his head in amusement, Shiro quietly held Etain out towards Efios. "I can carry the bag," he offered softly.
"Thank you," Efi nodded, and handed the bag over before taking Etain and swinging her up high towards the ceiling. "Wheeee!" he grinned, then shook his mane to one side and lifted her up so that she could settle onto his shoulders. "Horsie ride from the horsie."
Slipping the bag over his shoulder, Shiromaru led the way out of the room and down the hall.
Etain squealed with delight when she was swung up high, her wings working to try and lift her higher before she finally settled on Efi's shoulders. There was no fear of heights in this child! "Horsie," she chirruped, and snuggled into part of his mane. "Go fast?"
Efi followed sedately, arms up and hands laced together behind Etain's back to keep her steady. "In a moment," he laughed. "When we're outside. Da always told me no running in the house, and I still don't!"
"Okay, I'll wait," Etain said patiently, perfectly content where she was. Shiro, ahead of them, opened the front door to let them out into the gardens, a fond look on his face as he looked back at the pair.
Efi winked cheerfully at Shiro as he emerged into the gardens. He lifted his hands to take Etain's smaller hands in his. "Slide down and hang onto my shoulders!" he said to her. "That way I can gallop about and be a good horsie for you."
With a bit of twisting about, Etain managed to slide down Efios' back a bit, then held onto his shoulders and plunked her chin down near his neck. "Ready!"
Efi linked his hands behind himself to help support the little girl, then took off at a quick gallop, doing a very convincing imitation of a neight. He did a long loop around the nearest bush and tossed his long mane so that the brilliant red hair tickled Etain and flew around her.
Gleefully, Etain held on tight and giggled helplessly as the locks of the mane tickled her cheeks. This was almost better than flying!
Efi laughed happily and spun in place several times before saying over his shoulder, "Hold on tight, we're gonna go fast - " He took off at a gallop down the garden in a long lazy arc, moving fast enough that the landscape started to blur.
And this was even better than flying! Etain squealed happily, kicking her feet to the sides, careful to make sure she didn't hurt Efios. "Wheeeeee!"
"Wheeee!" Efi joined in gleefully. He looped around to gallop back up towards the house - fast, very fast!
Etain, absolutely certain of her safety since Efios was holding her, let go of one of Etain's shoulders and waved her hand in the air, feeling the breeze hit it. Oh, but there was the house already...
Efi felt Etain let go of his shoulders and rearranged his hold slightly to make sure she was secure. He was grinning widely by now; his young friend's obvious glee in the ride was infectious. He slowed as he approached the house again, trotting up to Shiro and carefully dropping to one knee to let him take his daughter back, bowing his head and chuffing with amusement.
"Papa!" Etain flung herself up into Shiro's arms and started babbling excitedly at him about the entire piggy-back ride, talking so quickly that her usual carefulness got shoved to the wayside and her words started slurring together.
Laughing, Shiro leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Yes, I saw. But what do we say when someone does something for us?"
Etain beamed up at Efios and leaned in, trying to hug him. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, sweetling. I had fun too." Efi ruffled Etain's hair affectionately, still smiling brightly. "I think I'd better get going, though; I have some things I need to do. I'll come see you again soon."
He picked up the bag and looked up to Shiro. "Thank you again, so very much. It's been lovely to visit, and I'm quite sure this will be very useful." He bowed neatly and gave the other male a heartfelt smile before he turned to start down the path.
Shiromaru and Etain both waved as Efios left, with Shiro calling after him, "Please come by any time!" Once Efios was out of view, the pair looked at each other, smiled happily, and made their way into the kitchen. It was time to bake cookies.
Maybe they could send some to Efios...
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