Welcome to Gaia! ::

All in the Family
Players: Trinityblue, Silva, Soho
Compiled by Icey ^^
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Okay, so, she got a Feien. A little person that would be her responcablity and under her care. Someone that she hoped would help her in the shop, when it was time to introduce her to that shop, anyway.

Now what?

Trin picked up the phone, dialing Icey's number. Her sister needed to know of this. Especially if she wanted to introduce her feien's.

The phone clicked as someone pulled it off the hanger. But it seemed to take a little bit longer than usual, and the voice that answered was definitely not Ice's.

"What the hell do you want?" Silva's voice rasped coldly.

Trin blinked until the voice regestered. "Oh, hello Silva! This is Aunt Trin, where's Ice?" She asked, a small smirk pulling on her lips.

"Hell if I know. Think she and the old man went to the bookstore or something." He said. He had propped the phone up so he could lounge next to it comfortably, chewing on his toothpick.

"Hey, Ice said something about you getting a feien. You got him yet?"

"Her. And yes, she arrived shortly after I got my letter." It figures Ice knew, she worked at the shop. "Um, wasn't I to go and pick her up? She came to my house on her own." She then asked, not really expecting Silva to know.

"She got to your place didn't she? She must have gotten your address from somewhere." He said, not sounding too bothered by it. "Just what we need, another little girl." He muttered almost to himself.

"Another little girl?" Soho asked, appearing out of seemingly no where. "Really? Is she cute?"

"I don't think she'd like to be called cute, Soho." Trin answered, grinning now at the other girl's voice. "According to the letter I received, she seems to be a part of a small group who decided to transfer to Gaia." She told them.

"But I'd love for her to meet all of you."

"A group?" Silva asked.

"Like a play group?" Soho asked. "Or a party?"

"Just what aren't you telling us, TB?" Silva asked, already sensing something strange from her tone of voice.

"Um.... More like a gang who's plotting to take over the world, type of group. They were even classified as a medium security risk?" She offered up, rather hasitly. "And she's a little more.... dominating than I'm used too."

Oh yeah, a group who plans to get powerful. Though Silva might enjoy that fact...

Silva choked. Then he burst into laughter.

"Ooooh, sounds fun!!" Soho said.

A little smile twitched at the corner of her lips with their reaction. It oddly made her feel better. "I think I should keep her out of my shop for a while, what do you think?"

Silva stopped laughing slowly, curious. "You think she could pull it off?" He asked. "What's she like? Other than dominating?"

"If she's Aunt TB's feien, that makes her my cousin!!" Soho said cheerfully. She loved having family.

"Yes Soho, that would make her your cousin." TB answered the little one first, then thought things over.

"Well.. she seems nice enough. A bit on the bossy side and so far likes to do things on her own. It's also like she's hiding stuff from me, too." Which she wasn't about to doubt.

Huh... Silva fell silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Want me to knock some sense into her?" She belonged to TB, thus, she was Silva's. It was as simple as that in his mind.

"Mister Silva Demon! You can't do that! She's a little girl!" Soho said, glowering at him with her fists on her hips.

Trin went quiet a moment, thinking some things over. "Well, that depends on her." She said slowly. "If she wants to get more powerful, you are diffently the Feien she should turn to for that." As scarry as it could sound.

Being knocked around equalled fight training in her mind. Besides, as scarry as Silva was, she doubted he was into randomly hitting girls without a good reason.

"Darlin', you don't seem to understand." Silva said calmly. "But hell, why not? We'll meet your little girl."

"Yay!" Soho said hopping up and down. "I was starting to get lonely. My girlfriend is off battling against the wild, you know."

Silva twitched. "Thank God."

TB choked on a laugh about that. "So, you want to hang out with another little girl while she's away?" She asked, grinning on the other side of the phone. Some how, that was just funny to her.

In truth, she had no real idea what Silva meant, but someone, it might be good for her. This wasn't the Fleet, but that didn't mean things would be eaiser for her to have her way.

"Of course!" Soho said. "I'm sure Marne will want to meet her when she gets back, too!" And kiss her, too. But hey, it happened. "What's her name? What's she look like? Does she had two eyes or three, like me? Is she pretty?"

"Why the hell did it have to be a girl?" Silva asked.

"Because I thought I'd be able to handle a girl better than a boy." TB answered him planly. But Varia was more of a tomboy than a real girly girl. Though that was a good thing in her opinion.

"Well, her name's Bavaria. She has blue and while circle markings, cloth wings, and really short red, curly hair. Two eyes, both purple." She answered. She was also pretty in a rough sortta way.

"Short hair?" Soho said, disappointment lacing her voice. "Aww. Can't do anything with short hair..."

"Yeah, alright." Silva muttered. "She there?"

"Heh, yeah, tell me about it." Trin said dryly, though any longer and it would be like a fro. Did Feien even have strightening irons? Then she glanced around. "Hold on, let me see if she's in the other room." She said, then set the phone down, though the muffled sound of her called for the feien could still be heard.

Then it stopped and the phone was picked up. "Um.... she's not here and I have no freaking clue where she's gone. I'll call you back... as soon as i fugre out where the hell she's gone off too!" Her voice was a mix of worry and anger, even a bit of dissapointment. She did not want to have to put a tracing spell on the girl.

The phone was hung up with a click.

"Well damn." Silva muttered. Just what he needed. Another pain in the a** to take care of.

Soho just pouted.

A Place to Call Her Own - Story
Players: Bavaria
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Bavaria needed a room, one that wasn't a shoe box like Munich's was. But what the hell was she going to use as a room? This place had pretty much nothing usable. It was clean, and straight, but dusty in some of the rooms. The living room and kitchen were fine, but the other rooms were still dusty as if unused and unthought-of for quite some time.

She fluttered through the house, looking around at things... Maybe that plotted plant in the corner? It would make a decent place. If she didn't find anything better. Besides, she didn't want to deal with being watered and she doubted the beaver-bed would be good muddy.

Then she blinked as she realized something. Her bonded was no where to be found. Odd. And she got pissed because Varia didn't tell when she left. Hypocrite. She gave a small snort before flying into another room and over to a light switch, flipping it on.

Once more, she blinked. A computer junk room? It looked like something out of a computer hacker like movie. There were wires and cables hanging around the place, along with old computer parts, CDs, hard disc, and other things that Varia was having difficulty naming at the moment. If a scrap heap wasn't a good place to find something to make her home, she didn't know what was.

********************

After about an hour's worth of work, Varia fianlly found what she was looking for. It was an old, cleaned out computer casing, with a plastic window frame on the side. If she got a bit of cloth, she could make a curtain. And it was big enough so that she could get the beaver-bed into it.

The hole on the side used to old a fan, but that was off now, leaving a good door way for her. Even if she had to duck to get in. She's just need to be a bit of straight metal and form it onto the plastic, on both sides, to use like a porch. That way it would be easier to get into. She would also need make other things into a table, even some chairs.

Yeah, this would do. She smirked and climbed out to get to work on what she needed to do. This was going to be a good room, a very good room indeed.

Easter at Ice's
Players: Silva, Aleric, Nick, Nack, Soho, Bavaria, Walter & Oblivion, Ice, Trin (and anyone else I missed)
Compiled by Icey
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"Easter!!" Soho shouted as she flitted around the house. All the windows were shuttered in the back half of the house. And she was on strict orders not to peek out back while Ice and the others hid the eggs. "Eastereastereaster!! CANDY!!"

"Sounds like someone already got into the bag." Silva drawled as he lazed on the couch. He didn't like candy that much. And the idea of searching through the grass for those tiny foil covered chocolate eggs struck him as stupid.

And what was worse, he thought as he glanced down at Oblivion and Walter. Was that they'd be dodging the brat and his monster. Metal eggs... who in the hell got ahold of metal eggs?

"We're ready!" Ice called as she opened the back door. Soho flew past her before the "dy" part of the statement was past her lips.

"Why are we doing this again?" Bavaria asked from where she was perched on her bonded's shoulder.

"Because you're just going to have to get used to your cousins, and because I want to see Walter!" Trin answered, for the fifth time since they started the walk here. "And it's Easter."

"Yeah, so?"

"Don't you want to go hunt for chocolate Easter eggs?" Trin asked patiently. She had already had to drag her Feien here from the building of a Feien sized gym. It was something about needed to get better in order to keep up, and out do that 'b*****d Silva'.

"No, not really." Bav answered, giving a small shrug as they came up to the Ice's house.

"I take it they didn't have much of an Easter in the Fleet." Trin muttered. "Now, cover your ears. HEY ICEY!!!" Trin called around back, not even going to bother with the front door. "We're heeerre!"

"WE'RE IN BACK!!" Ice shouted back. She was showing Walter and Oblivion the eggs, then pointing to the yard. "There's more of those! Go find them!"

And then she watching in amusement as Walter climbed onto Oblivion's back, tapping his little heels into her side and wheeled off to find his eggs. Maybe they were edible! Oblivion's were!

Silva muttered something dark, heading out to the back slowly as Aleric passed him with a little smile. Nick and Nack raced out as well. They loved chocolate!

"How could I have ever figured?" Trin muttered, grinning as she headed for the back. "Looks like you made it in time to hunt for the Egg, Varia."

"Oh goody." The Feien muttered and flew off her shoulder, hovering in the air to watch Soho and the others. They seemed to know what they were doing. And Silva didn't look like he was enjoying this.

Trin, on the other hand, went to join her sister. "Soho looks happy about this." She said.

"It's probably one of the most dangerous things I've ever done." Ice said, almost seriously. "But it makes her happy."

"Found one!" Nick shouted.

"Me too! Me too!" Soho said, taking a pause to sit on her small pile of eggs.

Aleric slowly made his way to Ice and TB, glancing at Bav. "Would you care to join us?" He asked. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this sort of thing."

And Silva dropped down on the chair, closed his eyes and made ready for a nap.

Bav stayed in the air amoment longer before coming down closer to Aleric. "So, the object of this is to find the shiny eggs, huh?" She asked, looking around. It couldn't be that hard. The foil glinded in the light, after all.

"The sugar highs will rule your house, and you know it." Trin snickered.

"They already do." Ice said with a shrug. "You should have seen Nick and Nack last Halloween. They have a habit of stealing little kid's candy bags. But I SWEAR Silva helps them!"

"It is. There's chocolate under the wrapper and whatever you find you get to eat." Aleric explained with a slight smile. "Or trade, as Nick and Nack seem so fond of. They come in different types, milk, crunchy, and butterfinger."

"Found another!!" Soho shouted.

"Queen of the chocolate hill.." Bav drawled looking at Soho, then shook her head and looked up at Aleric. "And you say you're bad at this? Or does everyone just beat you to them?"


"Well, I'm going to have to deal with that, if Varia decides she likes chocolate. She hasn't tried it yet, that I know of, and I still need to find out what she likes and doesn't like." TB said, then remembered the basket she had. There were bits of metal on one side, candy coated mault eggs on the other, and five smaller baskets with smaller candies in them. She held it up. "Oh, and I brought this, too."

"You're out to torture me, aren't you?" Ice drawled. She pointed to the little boy riding happily on his beleagured looking Daemon's back. "That's Walter and Oblivion over there. I'd introduce you, but, well... they're kind of busy right now."

She almost winced as Oblivion swallowed a metal egg whole. "Chew your food, Oblivion!!" She shouted, knowing the Daemon wouldn't listen.

"I'm afraid I'm not quite as... enthusiastic about chocolate." Aleric replied, still smiling. "But it's very good."

Silva rolled over and snored.

"Well, let's find some anyway." Bav said and took to the air to get a better view. She wanted to see what Soho was so hyped about and if it was good for bartering, then all the better.

Ok, Aleric wasn't as scarring as he first came off. The whole polite thing really threw her off, however.

"That's what sisters are for, Icey. Gotta have someone in like to torture. " Trin said, grinnging as she ducked inside the house to put the baskets away. Out of Oblivion's reach, she hoped.

"I had to put wooden slats in front of the metal chainlink fence." Ice said casually. "She's already ate at least three of my hammers, an allen wrench set, and a couple of socket wrenches." She went on. A tiny little smirk pulled at her lips.

"But there's something I need to talk to you about." She added, turning serious as she looked over at her sister. "And it's not... very good news."

Aleric nodded and headed towards the grass, motioning the juvenile to follow. She didn't trust him. That was... difficult to fix. But he would give her time.

"Found another!" Nack called.

"Yeah? Well I found TWO!" Nick shouted back.

Bav followed him before a glint caught her eye and she shot though the air for it. One foil wrapped egg, nestled in grass. "Ha! Got one!" She declaired happily, giving a crooked grin to purple male.

Then she joined him, holding up the egg proudly. It was her first, after all. And she was starting to feel left out with all their shouting!

Trin blinked at her sister. "What's wrong?" She asked as the happy smile dropped off her face. She just hoped she didn't have to babysit Walter and Oblivion any time soon. Her shop would be a feast for the Oblivion.

"Did I ever tell you about my boyfri--er... Ex boyfriend?" Ice asked, easing her way into the subject, even though she didn't want to bring it up at all. "His name is Shade. He's... he's like me, you know? With the tail and the face markings. An Ancient." She paused again, looking out over the grass, as if she didn't want to go on.

"Bavaria!!" Soho shouted. "Good job! You found one!" She had two in her arms at the time.

Aleric smiled. "Very good job!"

Bav rolled her eyes at the praise, but her grin didn't drop. "Now, to find more." She said, keeping the egg in her arms. They needed more if Aleric was going to get anything, and she wasn't about to share her's.

If she was paying more attention to these thoughts, she would have jerked. Sharing and wanting to help the 'new' family? Already? Trin was really starting to get to her.

"Yeah.. you told me of him once. Like, when you started cursing him out in different languages after you broke up with him." Trin said and leaned against the door frame. There were things about Shade that she didn't know. Like why they broke up and.. well, everything other than he was like her sister.

"He's... He's a pervert, and a drunk, and goofy, and--" She stopped, sighing and pushing at her hair. "He's also really, really dangerous. TB... he's an assassain." She finally admitted, not daring to look at her sister. "He works for a really old, and dangerous woman named Kori. And he kills the people that try to mess with her business empire. Or if someone pays enough... People that try to mess with theirs."

"My pile is larger." Nick boasted, sitting on his rather large *for him* pile.

"Like hell!" Nack shouted from his own pile.

"It is!"

"Count!"

Soho squeed as she caught sight of a whole stockpile of eggs all together... then spent the next ten minutes trying to figure out how she could carry them all at once. They kept falling when she went over three.

Bav had six of them, three in each pile since Aleric was helping. She was used to even traied among the Pack when things went well and that was traslating over to this.

Did it matter that the others had more than she? Hell yes. But the knew what the hell they were doing. She didn't.

"You dated.. an assasian?" Trin asked slowly, looking at her sister. "Well, that explains alot! That's why you never much talked about him after your great vent after the break up." She said, trying to remember what they had done to 'celebrate' then deciding it was best not too know.

"I didn't know he WAS at the time!" Ice hissed. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "And when I found out by accident--" Accident being she had found another woman's name and address on a scrawled note in his room, only to find out he wasn't cheating... just killing...

It really didn't pay to be a snoop. "But there's more." She said reluctantly. "See... he has a job on Gaia."

Reluctantly Soho took them two at a time, knowing it was the only logical method, but at the same time it was inviting others to steal her legitimate booty! It was so wrong!

Aleric picked up another egg, heading for the piles that Bav was building and putting it down next to one. Why she had two piles, he wasn't certain. Perhaps she wanted to share with her brothers and sisters!

Bavaria zipped back to the piles, having narrowly advoiced a large bumble bee that was around a potted flower that she had scavanged her egg from. She didn't like bees.

That egg Aleric had dropped, she stuck into one pile, when she stuck the one she held in another, not about to explain what she was doing. Then she fluttered off to find more. Though the others seemed about done as it was.

Trin had this sinking feeling as she listened to Ice tell her all the lovely details she had missed. "Don't tell me he's after you, now? To kill you?" She asked in an emotionless tone. If that was so, they were going to do something. Anything...

"No..." She said. "If anything, I think he still... loves me." She couldn't look at her sister. It was hard enough as it was. "He's... he's after you, TB. You've made some big companies really angry with your cheaper prices and better quality."

"I'm so... tired!" Soho exclaimed as she finished up her WAY too big pile and draped herself on top of it. "All mine!"

Nick and Nack were rolling on the ground, fighting to the death over whose pile was bigger, since Nick disliked counting.

Only Aleric picked up on the mood, slowly moving closer to the humanoids.

"There has to be more..." Bav muttered, still searching for more of the foiled eggs while the others were happily sitting on their piles.

Trin paled sligthly, staring at her sisted. Ok, April Fool's had already passed, so that couldn't possibly be it. She blinked again. "So... because I'm better... they want me dead...?" She asked finally. "Why not just offer me a job?!"

"I don't know." Ice said, taking a ragged breath. "I don't know why they don't just hire you, I don't know how I can stop him, either. I sent him to another planet, but he's got the same abilities as I do... but more. He'll be back as soon as... actually, I'm not sure why he's not here already. He probably got distracted, the dumbass..."

Aleric stayed silent from where he was eavesdropping, his heart pounding heavily against his chest. That's why she had stopped Silva...

Soho sighed and started unwrapping one egg, licking the chocolate as it was uncovered. This was heaven...

"Give!"

"Never!"

"GIVE!"

"MY PILE IS BIGGER!!"

Varia choked on a laugh at the two fighting as she headed for the piles. Well, no more so it was time to find out what the big fuss was about. She picked up one of the eggs and started to unwarp it.

This was way Trin didn't like dealing with alot of people. They thought and did stupid things like this. She had already out lived many competing companies even before this. She sighed, moving to her sister and giving her a supportive hug. Both for herself and Ice. "I think I'm in shock." She muttered. "The whole idea that someone is out to kill me hasn't sunk in."

"But what would Shade do if he found out we were sisters?" TB asked. "I mean, if he still loves you, then--"

"What do you want me to do, TB?" Ice asked. "Take him back? He's a killer. I can't love a killer. I don't want to love a killer! I don't..." She sighed, looking down. "I don't know, ok? I just don't know. Maybe it would stop him. But maybe it won't. He's very serious about his job. The only thing he IS serious about."

Aleric felt numb. There was nothing he, as a fairy and a short lived creature, could do about something like Shade. At least... not that he could think of at the moment. But he would.

He had to.

"Take him back? No way!" Trin said, more startled and about to laugh dispite the situation. "He's a perv, and a jerk, and other stuff. And he wants to kill me!" She said the last part soflty, knowing the little ones were around.

"What I meant was, if he still loves you, maybe, this once, he wont?" She said, trying to sound hopeful. If he was that serious in his job, he would have already approched her.

That was... If he could find her.

"Maybe. But it would also give him hope if I begged." Ice said. "And trust me, begging is the only way I could get that hardheaded jerk to listen!"

Soho looked down at her chocolate covered, empty hands. And licked.

Trin rolled her eyes at this and folded her arms over her stomach. Well, Ice had been a little cheared up now with that idea. But... someone like Ice was out to kill her? That was the last thing she wanted. Seriously it was. Ice got scarry enough at times. Her fluffy tail gave a little shiver as it all started to sink in.

Great.

Bav was oblivious to all of this as she munched away on her egg, finishing it off. It was just a little too much chocolate for her liking... but it was good! Now, where was that purple one? He was missing out.

Aleric took a deep breath, then stilled himself. He would fix things. One way or another. With that thought he headed back towards Bavaria, pasting a half smile on his face.

And Silva grunted in his sleep.

"Your chocolate egg things are there." Bav said and pointed at the other, untouched pile next to the one she was sitting by. There was another egg in her hand as she debated eating it, too. "I couldn't find any more of them."

"Oh, um... thank you." He said softly, sitting down next to the pile and reaching for one.

Bav gave him an odd look. Something was bothering him. His voice had lost it's happy-politness, but she wasn't one to ask. After all, she had done her nice 'family' thing and split the eggs with him.

On that note, she reached for another egg to eat. Maybe it would be one of those butterfinger ones.

Truths and Jobs - Story
Players: Trinityblue & Bavaria
------------------------------------

"Varia--"

"Bav!"

"... Varia."

"If you're going to shorten my name, it's 'Bav', not this 'Varia' crap." The little mouthy Feien said, just before biting into another blueberry. Her bond was making her try different foods to find out what she liked. This time it was fruits, and she was surrounded by samples of bananas, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, and so on.

So far she was favoring the blueberries, though they tended to stain her hands a purple color.

TB gave a small sigh. "Whatever. You still respond to it--"

"How can I not?" Bav muttered, taking another bit out of the fruit.

"--But we need to have a talk." Trin went on, ignoring that last question. The cloth winged feien looked up at her, food still in her mouth. Was this the part where the bond went 'you're nice, but I don't want you any more?' or where she was going to lay down some big rules on her? Either way, it would be a pain.

"While you were busy getting eggs with your cousins, Ice told me something important. It involves me, and since you're bonded to me, it's going to wind up affecting you as well." Trin went on, seeing that she had Bav's full attention.

"We moving...?" Bav asked, lifting a brow. "Or are you having to join the Fleet," God she hoped not, "Or--"

"I have a price on my head, actually." The Teiru said bluntly, then waited. In all truth, she still didn't know what to make of it. But if she died, then Bav would be in serious danger, even her own death. Feien lived short enough as it was.

Bav just looked up at her in a dumbfounded manner, purple juice around her mouth and a berry in her hands. "What the hell do you do to get an bounty on your head?!" She asked suddenly. Trinityblue actually did something dangerous? But... she was so boring! What in the world did a boring person do to have something like that happen?

"Er, well... I'm an inventor of sorts. I build and make things for other people, and usually I make things for cheaper than other big business want me too. And those big businesses don't like it, apparently." Trin said, shrugging slightly. Really, the whole thing was stupid. Kill her just because she built things?

"So you got a price on you head for it?" Bav asked, getting to her feet and finishing off the berry. "I wanna see what you make." She said, trying to hold down her excitement down. That was the last thing she wanted to show right now.

Her bond was more than she had thought!
*******************

After a somewhat quick wash-up to get the blueberry juice off, Bavarai was perched on her bond's shoulder, being taken down on of the halls of the house. She was being taken to the workshop, where she guessed Trin vanished too all those times she hadn't been in the house. No wonder she didn't bother to tell her.

Then how did she get into the work shop? Maybe there was a secret wall or door way with a panel and if someone unknown entered, they'd have a thousand guns pointed at them! Maybe--

Trin opened one of the closet doors and stepped in, shutting them into darkness without a word.

"This... is it?" Bav asked, rather startled by the lameness of it. "can't you think of something more original for this... entrance into a secret lab?!"

"It was the first thing I thought of!" She responded, flushing slightly and grateful that it was dark in the closet. Then she tapped a space in the wall and the floor started to sink, though it was still dark in the closet. Once it came to a stop, she opened a new door to a metal hallway.

Bav looked around the hall, lifting a brow slightly. It was still boring. Maybe Trin was really quiet boring and if she went diving into the bedroom closet, she might find a pocket protector in it.

Or another entrance to the workshop.

But her bond went for another, larger, more impressive looking door and typed one a panel that was to the right of it. This time the door opened with a more impressive flair. It gave a hiss before the four, thick metal panels parted and moved into the walls, ceiling and floor. Trin then proceeded to flip on the lights and different sections started to show themselves.

The workshop was huge. It was similar to a large, underground warehouse. Filled with all kinds of mechanical mayhaps, some of which were grouped up into sections. Above those sections were little signs that marked what was in those sections or rows. Some of which had large tarps covering them.

It was then that Bav noticed flickering holo-screens of computers. Something she had see in one of the Fleet offices once. There were also robots lined up against a wall, looking as though they had stepped out of some sci-fi movie.

There were also misplaced looking items, like a toaster and a coffee machine on a table. What they were for, she didn't much want to know. Right now.

"So, this is where I work." Trin's voice cut in after a moment. "What do you think?"

". . . How the hell did you get this kinda tech? I've only seen it in the Fleet.." Bav muttered with a hint of awe in her voice. "Do those robots really work?"

"Yeah, they do actually. I even have my own AI program in the works. It's not all that good yet." Trin said, walking into the room, intent on giving her new family member the tour. "In truth, part of the reason I wanted to take care of a Feien is because I needed some help in my shop. You're a lot more than I expect you to be... but you do show signs that you like to build things."

Bav jerked, looking at the side of her bond's face. TB was referring to her room and she knew it. She almost looked guilty for this matter. Her forming and mending ability tended to come in handy when the Pack was up to something. Like sabotaging the Fleet coffee machine.

"So, are you up for the job in helping me?" Trin asked after a moment of silence. Bav was being quiet on the matter and that worried her. But if Varia didn't want too, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. She had been doing this for years before on her own, after all.

Bav remained quiet, holding lightly onto Trin's velvet cat-like ear. Then she shrugged. "Yeah, sure. I'll see what it'll involve and what it is you want me to do." She agreed, smirking as she looked at one of the robots. There was a small welling of something forming in her. Trin was boring, but she was starting to work out as a better bond than her last.

Coming to Gaia had been the right thing to do. A very right thing to do.

Merry Meetings
Players: Jack, Brunswick, Trinityblue, Bavaria
Re-Compiled by ShortGreen
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"Are you sure you got this guy's address?" Bavaria asked, perched on her bond's shoulder, looking down at a little scrap of paper.

"Yes. Well, I hope so anyway. You told me who Brunswick's bond was and I did a little research." Trinityblue said, standing in the middle of her living room. Bav had wanted to go and see her other family, and Trin was curious about the bonds of others. Especially those that Bav would more than likely be going to see.

And Jack seemed to live in the middle of no where. Better to do it the way she was, rather than get lost. And TB was good at getting lost.

"Ok, so, why don't we just walk there? Or drive there?" Bav continued, not liking the idea her bond had suggested. A teleportation spell. Yeah, her bond seemed to be magic, and an techy, but she favored the techy side more than the magic. That was spelling trouble to the Feien.

"Well, I need to work on the spell anyway. Now is as good a time as any." Trin answered, trying to sound sure of herself. On the inside, she was hoping beyond hope that she'd actually make it to the front steps of the man's house and not at the bottom of the sea.

Taking a breath, Trin held out a hand, two fingers into the air and the others folded, and closed her eyes. Then she recited the spell of her people as a small, glowing circle formed around her hand. Bav watched silently until the light became blinding as they vanished from the living room.

*

Brunswick sat on the towel rod and tilted his head as he watched his bond go through his biweekly shaving ritual. He had already decided that biweekly was not nearly enough, judging by the rakish five o'clock shadow that Jack almost perpetually sported, but he figured that there was a secret reason to it. He suspected that Jack was more of an image-concious fashion-victim than he let on.

If he had asked, of course, Jack would have blinked at his little feien and answered simply - It takes too much bloody time to shave every day an' who am I goin' to rub wrong with this face? Since Brunswick hadn't asked, though, it would stay a secret.

Half-humming, the British magician tilted his head to one side and scraped the razor down one foam-covered cheek. Neatly, he wiped the blade against the ratty towel draped over his bare shoulder. Then he tilted his head the other way and repeated the process. Then again and so on. Just as he was finishing the last bit of sensitive throat, he noticed a flicker of light in the mirror in front of him and automatically pulled the blade from his major artery. Nonetheless, he did not stop touching up the edges of the angle of his jaw. Not even when a shapely young woman with a feien on her shoulder appeared in the light.

In his bathroom.

With him still in his morning formals - a pair of too-big, droopy plaid boxers.

He took a moment to rinse the razor and then, slowly, Jack turned around, grinning as he rubbed the remaining foam from his face with the towel. "Hullo, there," he drawled. "I don't remember summonin' a succubus. Got lost, lass?"

"A succubus?" Was Trin's reaction to the comment. Then she flushed as she realized where she was and what was going on. This was most defiantly NOT the front porch. Thank the stars he was only shaving!

"Whoops...... Er, sorry? I aimed wrong." TB said sheepishly, too shocked to do much else. If she aimed wrong, then was this even the house she was aiming for? Bav, however, suddenly came to life of her shoulder and shot forward.

"Bruns! Hell yeah! It worked! Wrongly, but it worked." She said happily and with a crooked grin, hovering in the air. They were not in some weird place, at least.

"BeeVee!" Jumping from his perch in turn, Brunswick shot towards his sister and gripped her hands, grinning hugely. "That was so cool! How did you do that?"

Jack absently dropped the towel in the sink behind him and leaned back against the cabinet, arms crossing lazily over his chest. Obviously being caught half-naked by a stranger did not phase him in the least. He smiled, easy and warm, at the woman. "Good question, that," he echoed his feien. "How did you do it? I thought I had this house pretty well sealed up."

"Oh, um..... I'm actually really horrible at teleportation spells. Your seals, if around the house, might have caused the miss. But it's an old spell of my people!" Trin offered adamantly, as if trying to explain would be a good apology. Doing what she did might have broken the seals, in fact...

Then she realized something else. "Um... want us to step out for a bit?"

"My bond knows some spells, but she sucks at them." Bav answered her brother, adding to that. "I'm just shocked we made it here and not in a closet! Or a fridge..."

"Huh?" Jack went to ask why he would need that and then, registering her colored cheeks, grinned more. "No worries. I'm decent enough." Stepping around her, he pushed the door open. Then he lifted a hand and waved it, disturbing the air enough to give the feien a nudge towards the door. "C'mon, you two. Out ya go. Out we all go, actually." He winked at Trin and then offered a strangely courtly bow, hands motioning towards the door. "Into my bedroom, right?" he suggested. "I promise it's clean. Not to mention, I can get some trous on so you stop turnin' all those pretty colors."

Bav gave the man an odd look, but shrugged it off. "Bruns, ya gotta give me the tour of the place and all. When ya get to see my house, I'll let you check out my room." She said, grinning at him as she started out. But the tour would also give her a moment to tell Bruns what was going on, without the bonds hearing.

Trin's naturally light skin tone made it that more obvious that she was blushing, and his pointing it out didn't help the shades get lighter. Only darkened. She rubbed her face with one hand, following him out with a still sheepish look. "I really was aiming for the front door. Sorry about all this."

She didn't figure he was sorry at all.

"Oh, I believe you." Jack followed them out and immediately beelined for the closet. Pulling open the door, he dug until he found a pair of worn-thin jeans. Within the next few seconds, he had stepped into them, yanked them up, and buttoned them. "Honestly, I'm more confused at how you got past the seals. Those bloody things are extra-strength," he continued as he padded over to paw through the top drawer of a chest. Standing behind him, Trin could see a spot of shaving foam left and neglected right under his left ear. She could also see a number of faded scars up and down his back, old and faintly shiny from healing. "I've tested 'em against everything I could think of. I reckon I didn't think of you," he tossed over his shoulder, pulling out a grey t-shirt finally. "Maybe it's 'cause you're not so good. You found a loophole or somesuch. Guardian idiots an' all that."

Brunswick rolled his eyes and tugged Bavaria over to the far side of the room, pointing to the nightstand which was cluttered with books and a water glass. "Ignore him," he muttered. "Jack's gone brainy. Though I guess it's better than the alternatives."

"True that." Bav said and headed for the nightstand that her brother pointed too, landing on it and looking around. Cluttered, yes, but she was getting used to alot of clutter. Well, least she wasn't the only one who lived in their bond's bedroom. She idly wondered if Jack snored.

She threw a grin at Bruns then. "I've discovered something bout my bond. She's not nearly as boring as I thought she was."

Trin discreetly looked away from Jack as he got dressed in pants, looking around the room instead. Running into a nearly naked man was quiet a shocker for this time of the day.

Then he passed by her to get a shirt as he spoke and her attention was drawn to the scars. A small frown formed on her face, and she was about to offer him a healing spell (one of the few spells she was good at), but then he all but called her an idiot. She decided not too.

?Perhaps, but I didn?t expect there to be protection spells of any kind. Not many that I?ve run into do that.? Though that wasn?t saying much of Trin?s behalf. She normally stayed to herself. ?Or maybe it?s simply because of the spell I used and it reacted badly. But at least I didn?t land at the bottom of an ocean.? The last part was added almost like an after thought.

"Very good, that." Jack turned around and gave her another naughty-boy grin before tugging his shirt over his head, his brown hair sticking up every which way thanks to the neglectful treatment. "Not a good place for a gel like you," he agreed. "I'm glad you got here, safe an' sound. As for knowin' or not knowin'..." He shrugged negligently and ran a hand through his hair, further standing it on end. "I don't blame you 't all. It's not like I put out a shingle, readin' magician at large. Anyway, it's no worries. You got here in one piece. 'S all good."

He paused suddenly and blinked. "An' I'm not. Sh-Um, sorry. Bad manners. Can I get you a drink or somethin'?" He glanced over at Brunswick and Bavaria. "You two?"

Brunswick looked at his sister and winked. "Sure, Jack. Let's all go to the kitchen for drinks. I wanna show BeeVee my castle." Dropping his voice, he whispered, "We can talk privately there. It's just off the kitchen so we can listen to them, too."

Bav nodded and crossed her arms. She really did need to talk to Bruns cuz if she went dead suddenly, she wanted someone to know why! Then get revenge for her. Somehow.

?Alright then, something to drink would be good.? Trin said after looking to her feien. Then she realized something important was missing from this whole conversation, and that realization made her tail twitch.

?Er, by the way, my name?s Trinityblue, and the feien with me is Bavaria. She and Brunswick are brood-siblings. That?s really why we?re here.? She said, following him now to the kitchen and happy that she wouldn?t have to find it on her own. She?d surely wind up lost.

"Nice t' meet you, Trinityblue," Jack replied over his shoulder, leading her down a dark hallway - the hardwood floor covered in a surprisingly gorgeous Oriental carpet runner. "I'm Jack. Jack Bierce if you fancy gettin' technical." He made an inarticulate noise in the back of his throat as if mulling over her words. "Yeah, I did kind of remember readin' something in that report about Bruns here havin' a few siblings." Turning suddenly, he continued to walk backwards while focusing his attention on Bavaria. "I reckon you got the looks, huh?" he commented to her. "Bruns is just a walkin' mouth most days."

Bav puffed out proudly, squaring her shoulders and smirking. ?Naa, Bruns has always been like that. I got the brains.? She told him, knowing that she wasn?t the best looking of them, Munich had that title. But she didn?t care too much about looks anyway, not that he needed to know this.

Trin?s pace had slowed since he turned, her hands in the pockets of her pants as she looked around the hall and secretly enjoying the carpet?s designs. She made a mental note of the full name, as well. He probably wouldn?t like being called Mister Bierce.

Jack held out two hands, palms upwards, his wrong-facingness not impeding his onward progress at all. Automatically, Brunswick fluttered over to land on one of the palms and smirked. He wasn't about to turn down a free ride, nope. "There's four of 'em, right?" Jack asked Trin. "All geographical with the names. Can't figure why the Fleet gave one to me but who can argue with them? How'd you get the gel there?"

"I actually requested one, because I wanted to help around my shop. And my sister cares for three of them, so I figured why not?" Trin answered and watched as Bav took the other hand. She wasn't about to turn down a free ride as well.

?And yes, there?re four of them, according to the report I received. I?m going to pay a visit to them, if possible, as well. Just, no teleportation spells.? She continued, wincing slightly at the thought of what could happen.

"That's a bril idea, really." Jack nodded, dark eyes thoughtful. "It'd prob'ly be a good idea to know where this one might disappear to if I wake up t' find him gone."

"Like you'd -care-."

"'Course I would." Lifting his hand, Jack grinned directly into Brunswick's tiny face and winked. "You're more fun than a hamster." Then, suddenly, he pivoted on his heel and trotted down a set of stairs that protested every change in weight distribution. Another turn at the bottom took the small party into an open, airy kitchen with a strangely antique-looking stove mixed with a top-of-the-line fridge. Jack neatly slipped the feien from his hands onto the center island counter and headed for the stainless steel doors of the fridge. "Anyway, what were we sayin'? Oh, yeah. Sister." He looked over his shoulder. "Juice for the wee ones but what d'ya fancy for yourself?"

?Tea or most anything else.? Trin answered, once more taking in the sight of his house. It was very interesting; she already liked whole old-things-with-new-things that was going on with it. Vintage. ?And that was the whole point of coming here, really.?

Bav simply waited, a little impatiently however, for them to get their juice, then get to talk in this castle of Bruns. (When did he get a castle, anyway??)

"You say tea to an Englishman, pet, and you'll get a steaming cup of hot liquid that could peel paint off the walls. 'Zat alright?" Jack pulled a bottle of apple juice from the confines of the fridge, nudged the door shut, and then palmed two tiny plastic doll glasses off a shelf. He set it all on the counter before digging through a drawer and removing a long eye-dropper. This he used to siphon out the juice into the cups. Then they were handed over to the feien and Jack waved them off. "To the castle with you two," he ordered. "I know that fidgety look on Bruns' face. Go talk your sister's ear off."

Bruns grinned back at his bond, accepted his glass, and immediately walked to the edge of the counter. "C'mon," he called before taking flight and heading for the next room.

Jack shook his head. "Kids," he declared inanely. Then he looked at Trin, waiting. "So is hot alright then? 'Cause the thought of cold tea makes this London boy wanna cry."

Bav took her juice and followed Bruns with a smirk. Finally they were getting someplace now! Patients was not her best quality.

"You mean they make tea cold?" Trin asked, a slight joking tone in her voice as she looked over at him. A good cup of hot tea would further settle her nerves. She then took a seat on one of the island stools. ?You have a nice house, by the way.? She then added softly.

Her host raised an eyebrow and regarded her in mock-appraisal. "You've met an Englishman before," he announced. "You're sayin' all the right things. Thanks." A grin broke out then, interrupting the charade, and he turned to hit the switch on the electric kettle before pulling down two mugs. One featured a particularly dopey looking cartoon koala and the other, inexplicably, said "World's Greatest Dad". "If you tell me milk an' sugar, pet, I might have to marry you."

Safely out of the kitchen, Brunswick beelined to what was indeed a castle - a toy castle, obviously the original home of some action figure judging by certain details and the overdramatic skull that made for the opening and drawbridge. He landed and padded directly to a long, low bench on the "first floor". "Okay, BeeVee," he announced. "Why's your bond so interesting now?"

"Nice.? Bav commented as she looked at the castle, then took a sip of her juice before answering the question. ?I found out she?s got this whole big freaking secret lab under the house! We?re talking robots, weapons, and killer toasters.? She grinned at him, knowing full well that needed more detail. Or could at least use some.

?I?ve never had it with milk and sugar. My grandpa loves tea, though. He?s a bit of a tea addict, really.? She answered giving him a bit of the grin and ignoring the marriage comment.

"Fair enough. I'll put 'em out and you can decide for yourself. Though it's better goin' in with the tea bag, I assure you." Absently, Jack assembled his own mug, the inappropriate father's mug (he was no one's father... that he knew of, anyway.) with milk, three teaspoons of sugar, and a tea bag. Only a tea bag got dropped in the koala. Just then the kettle clicked and he lifted it from the cradle, neatly pouring just the right amount of steaming water in both mugs. "Oh, you were sayin' something about your sister?" he continued as if he had never dropped that particular bit of the conversation. He poked at the tea bags with a spoon. "Older, younger? From around here? Got feien, too? Cute?"

Brunswick's eyes widened and he whistled lowly. "Wow. That's useful. And here you thought she was boring. Anyone who can do tech without the Fleet hovering over them is smart."

"I'd say,? Bav grinned proudly at this fact. ?Though she's a bit of an idiot with it. Ain?t got the proper security and she doesn?t charge as much as she should. In fact, she?s got a hit man after her, right out. So, if I suddenly kill-over, you should know why.? She continued more somberly.

?I can try it least once.? Trin said as she took her mug and the other things, mixing them up. She wasn?t against trying most things once. ?Yeah, my sister?s Ice Queen. We look nothing alike, just so you know. But she was adopted by my family and we?re bout the same age. She mostly white with red eyes and purple markings on her face, and a lizard like tail.? She told him then took a small sip of her tea. Well, it was different.

Sudden silence filled the kitchen and Jack kept his eyes on his mug, fishing out the tea bag with single-minded focus. Dipping his spoon back in, he stirred it three times counter-clockwise and then twice clockwise before setting the spoon aside. "Ice Queen, you say?" he repeated quietly. Lifting his mug, he turned to face his guest, back against the counter, and eyes studying her face. "White skin and red eyes and purple markings, huh?" He took a long, scalding sip. What were the chances? What were the bloody chances? "She wouldn't happen to have an ex-boyfriend named Shade, would she?"

Brunswick stared at Bavaria and then swallowed, frowning. "A hitman," he repeated. "On your bond... That's not good and I, um... I think I might have met him."

At that moment both Bavaria and her bond shared the same stunned look on their faces. ?He?s? already here?! Damn it! I haven?t even got her to stick the guns in the walls yet!? The feien said, more startled than anything else. ?What?s he look like??

The body language should have prepared the Teiru for that question. But as it was, she nearly choked on her tea, and not because it was hot. ?Um? yes?? She answered him weakly. Great, someone that knew?wait, just because he meet Shade didn?t mean he knew about the hit. ?Yes, that would be her ex-boy friend. And if I see him, I will bop him one good.? She continued with more confidence, though it was a lie. If she saw him, then she?d yell at him for hurting Ice before he?d going about trying to kill her.

Possibly.

Jack's mouth twisted in deep unhappiness. "I'd steer clear o' him if I were you," he replied. "He's dangerous. I don't know who he's here for but he's got a bounty on some poor sod's head. Nothin' good can come o' goin' near him unless, well... Unless you're an idiot like me." He tilted his head and his face was sober for the first time since Trin had teleported into his bathroom a handful of minutes ago. "I wouldn't trust him with a pretty lil thing like you."

Brunswick set down his juice and began pacing. "Big and dark and kind of scary," he said, aggravated. "Except when he's goopy over his new feien who, by the way, is a complete diva. But, no, he's kind of spooky. Even Aleric criticized him and you know that means he's got to be tough."

Bav did the same as her brother, but rather than walking, she leaned against a wall. Big, dark and scary, huh? ?Agreed and I?ve never met him.? She said seriously, then sighed. ?Who?s his feien? He?s got one now, so that means I need to avoid the shop. He might be there at anytime and I don?t want him finding out and leading him to my home.?

Jack?s mood leaked over to his guest. Trin wasn?t looking at him, but at her cup with a small, sad frown on her face. She knew who Shade was after, but he didn?t need to know that. However, she looked back up at him, a little unemotional smile on her face. ?Yes, I know. Ice told me about him, after all. She was the first one I think he went to see when he got here.?

?So, you?ve met him huh?? She then asked, trying to move on to a slightly better conversation, one step at a time.

"Yeah." The magician looked down into his tea again for a moment and then back at her before padding over to sit on the stool next to her. His brown eyes searched over her face and posture. "We ran into each other at the shop. Bruns wanted a walkabout an' I ended up there. He was there with a little purple bloke and a pretty girl feien." He hesitated, knowing that she would not appreciate the news of a bond. After a moment of internal war, he pushed his mug away from him and turned towards Trin. "He rescued her from under the rubble o' the old shop, I gathered."

"Her name is Callisto." Brunswick ran both hands through his hair, ruffling it in his unease. "He found her under the rocks over at the old shop, Aleric said, and... They bonded. Aleric kept making all these unhappy faces about it, too. Like he was gonna puke."

?He ?prolly felt guilty about letting her bond with a killer like that.? Bav said, shrugging in an off handed manner. Internally she was about to scream. Gaia was so wonderful, then this happened. Mentally she noted the name down. ?Great? as if this wasn?t hard enough. If we manage to kill him, then the little ancient will have to go too.?

That smile on her face flicked a moment as she took in the news. Lovely, Shade had a bond. ?Icey?s not going to like that?? She said softly, unsure of how to take the news. ?But there has to be good points about him, else she?d never would have fallen that hard for the guy.? She said, still trying to put a positive spin on things. Talking about it like she didn?t know the mark was a lot harder than talking to one who knew, it seemed.

"Maybe. I hardly know the guy... Other than what he does which is grey territory enough." Jack ran a hand through his hair, coming to a rest at the nape of his neck and scratching vaguely as he tried to cope with the strange look on her face. Finally, he sighed and dropped his hand, moving to slip his other arm around her shoulders reassuringly. "I knew who you were talkin' about 'cause he carries her picture in his wallet. He's really hung up on her. Said about quitting after this job but... I dunno," he admitted. "He doesn't seem t' get why she wouldn't like his job, y'know? Which totally buggers his intentions t' quit or whatever. Mebbe both o' you should steer clear o' him."

Brunswick stomped a little foot and spun, driving his fist into the nearest plastic wall. "This is no bloody fair," he announced, demonstrating his new vocabulary from his bond. "She was kind of a cold snooty princess and all but she shouldn't die because she hooked up with him. But I'll be damned if I let him kill you, BeeVee."

The gears in Bav?s head were turning quiet visibly. She knew what her brother felt, and she hated it. ?Maybe? we don?t ?have- to kill him? What if he just got stuck in a stasis thingy? Where he didn?t die, but couldn?t hurt anyone?? She said, more to herself than him. The gym of hers was going to be the first place she hit once home.

Guilt. The guilt was going to rip her apart. Trin wanted to tell him how? awkward that was going to turn out to be, but how could she? Seriously, she didn?t want to involve any more people than there already were. ?Heh, Ice won?t take him back after this job.? She said dryly. Defiantly not after he killed her own sister. She took another sip of her tea, not reacting to his small hug.

Jack considered this, arm still resting easily on her shoulders. Then he reached for his mug and sipped. "Prob'ly best," he agreed. "It'd be like marryin' an alcoholic or an addict, anyway. It sounded like he's been doin' that shite for ages."

The hope feien looked at his sister and frowned more. "But if it comes down to you or her, BeeVee, it's you. Every time," he declared. "Screw the ancient if it risks you."

A little spark went off in Bav?s purple eyes and a smirkish-grin went over her face. ?I?m not about to roll over and die, bro. If I gotta fight for my life, that little ancient?s gonna have ta do the same! I?m notta ?bout to go and leave you in charge of the Pack. You?d just go for and start flirting with the girls around here.?

?Longer than I think you?d even realize.? Trin said, then sighed. Now that the topic wasn?t so tense, she was relaxing, and the guilt that made her almost tell him that she was the mark was leaving.

Jack was a really friendly fellow. His arm was even still on her, but she made no motion to shrug it off. It was something other than the hot tea in her hands to focus on. ?So, what do you do for a living anyway?? She asked, now changing the subject.

"Me?" Half-laughing, strangely amused at her resilience, Jack let his arm slip from her shoulders, hand absently trailing across the nape of her neck before squeezing the shoulder closest to him and returning to cup his mug as if gathering warmth. "Bit o' this, bit o' that. I've done some teaching," he admitted. "Now, though, I guess you could say I'm back t' research. I'm... Well, a magician." He shot her a sidelong grin. "If you ask me to pull a rabbit out of a hat, though, I'll spank ya."

Brunswick rolled his eyes and reached out to grab Bavaria's hand and pull her into a hug that quickly devolved into a noogie. "Idiot. Not all girls are worth flirting with," he replied. "But that doesn't mean you can leave. We're a lifetime contract, sis. No gettin' out of it."

The other hope feien gave a short, fast laugh and twisted out of the hugging-noogie. ?I?m not about to give it up either!? She told him, smirking now but not feeling that much better about the situation. ?Besides, someone?s gotta watch as Nack kicks your a**.?

?Research is most important for one who deals with magic.? Trinity told him seriously as her tail gave a small swish for the first time in the conversation. ?My teaches and family would skin me if I even thought about asking you to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Less you were going to make a stew out of it.?

"Excellent. Maybe I should marry you after all, huh?" Giving a one-shouldered shrug, Jack slipped from his stool and went to dig through a drawer under the end of the island. "It runs in my family, too," he added. "I had about as much choice as the sky has to be blue. I just went the more... Academic route with it all. Compared to Mum an' Da who just sort of go on instinct."

Brunswick snorted indelicately. "As if. I let him win."

"Uh huh, sure." Bav drawled. "Just so the girls there could coo over ya for getting hurt, right?"

?It?s not just my family, my entire race is this way. Just some are more skilled than others.? Trinity told him and acted as if the earlier conversation hadn?t even happened. ?I?ve been tinkering around with technology though, so my magic?s been?. Lacking to say the least.? She said in a sheepish manner and rubbed her neck where he had lightly touched, now that he moved away.

"Nothing wrong with that. 'Specially if you like your tech more." Jack took a swallow of his tea and shrugged lazily. "Me? I can't work anything more complicated than that electric kettle while I'm pretty bloody good at the magic lark. There's no shame in goin' with what you're good at and what you love."

Brunswick winked at his sister dramatically. "You're catching on, BeeVee!"

Bav rolled her eyes, smirking at him. "I shoulda known! So, has it worked yet?"

Trin took another sip of her tea, thinking it over. At least someone wasn't mad at her for abandoning her magic and perusing technology. ?Remind me never to invite you into my shop. That might scare me, and the only magics I?m good at are healing ones.? She added with a shrug.

?So, you have kids..?? She finally asked, gesturing to the mug with the writing on it.

"Huh? Do I..?" Jack blinked owlishly at Trin and then obediently looked down at his mug. The look of complete panic immediately evaporated and he sighed. "Oh, this. It was here when I got here." He grinned, all naughty-boy charm. "Don't scare a bloke, pet. I'm not ready for fatherhood yet. Yet. I've got more control than that an', anyway, they'd need just the right mum. Someone special, y'know? T' make up for havin' -me- as their da."

Brunswick leaned against the wall, hands behind his head, and smiled beatifically. "Well, I'd say Soho and Marne fancy me a bit, sure."

"They're both bubbly. How you can stand it, I ain't gotta clue." Bav said, leaning against the wall again and crossing her arms. "But it's much better you than me."

TB really choked at that look, trying not to laugh. "So far, I don't see a problem in you for that to have to matter." She told him earnestly. ?But then we only met, so? I?m sure I?ll find something.? Her voice turned teasing as she watched him.

Jack tilted his head and half closed his sleepy brown eyes. Then he scrunched his nose to mimic deep thought before wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Oh, right," he finally announced. "Got it. I smoke. I look like you just saw in the morning. And..." He leaned closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I still watch Bugs Bunny cartoons while catching Malteasers in my mouth."

Brunswick shrugged. "They're cute," he countered simply. "Sunil and Callisto are too old, not as cute. And that Galatea..." He paused and frowned. "Does she give you a headache, too, sis? Like you -should- know her but don't?"

?I haven?t actually spoken to her.? Varia answered with a small frown. ?Unlike the others, she didn?t look too interested in coming forward. Next time I see her, though, I?ll pay more attention.?

?There?s not a thing wrong with Bugs Bunny or any of those cartoons.? Trin?s tone was somehow serious, as was her expression. ?Smoking can be broken if desired, and I look worse in the mornings.? She smirked then. ?But I?m inclined to agree on the whole ?not ready? issue.? And boy she wouldn?t be ready for that for... well, quiet some time. Less someone really special wormed their way in and her resilience broke.

Propping an elbow on the table, Jack leaned his cheek against it and regarded Trin thoughtfully. "Though, I reckon if there was a mistake, I'd get ready right quickly. All kids deserve good parents, right? As good as they can be." His smile was half-laughing now. "I was a not-ready whoopsie, myself," he provided easily.

"Do that, BeeVee." Brunswick sighed. "It's driving me nuts."

"Maybe in the next training session, I'll do so. If she's there." Bav said in a small, thoughtful tone, and then looked at him. ?You still going to train to kick their asses? I?ve been setting up a little something to keep training when I?m home. I still want to kick that b*****d?s a**.?

?Good, I don?t want to have to hunt you down and bop you if I heard otherwise.? Trin replied, smirking still at him. She didn?t have a clue as to what she was, but given her family, she figured it was planned. Or maybe not planned, thus is why they wanted out so bad.

"An' I'd be thankful." Jack searched over her pale face, looking for something. "I'd deserve it. The poor gel I did it to, too, should get a whack at me."

Brunswick nodded and stepped out of the castle onto the table. He motioned to his sister to follow him. Leading her to the side, he displayed a motley assortment of things to lift and a piece of heavy thread with knots at either end. "Does this look like I'm not serious about it?" he asked. Sobering a bit, he nodded. "Yeah, have a look at her, sis. Then look back and watch me kicking around that Nack kid."

?I?d expect nothing less.? Bav smirked and placed a hand on her brother?s shoulder. ?It might take time, since they?re older, but we?ll do it, and you?ll beat him. And if you need something crafted, just ask. Finally found a good use for those form and mend spells.?

?She should, then you?ll have to go though all those pregnant woman hormonal imbalance issues and suffer great.? Trin smirked and looked down at her tea, paying more attention to that than the way he was looking at her. Her fluffy tail gave a nervous little twitch.

Jack straightened and the considering look fled his face, leaving behind his usual slightly-wicked grin. "Right, right. An' I swear I won't run for the pub every time she gets pissy. Cross my heart an' hope t' die."

Bavaria's words signaled a sudden shift in Brunswick and he looked at her with obvious respect. "Really? You've got a handle on them? How's that work?" he asked. "What can you do?"

That reaction made the hope feien?s stance change to a more proud one. ?Yup. I?ve been working on it since I?ve been here. Fixed up my place real nice like, and got my own work out area. Trin told me she wanted me to help her make things, thanks to those spells.? She had them for some time, but now she was getting real use out of them.

?And don?t question when she asks you for weird food combinations.? Trin added, looking up again now that he had moved. ?Stars I hope I never have to go though that?. For a long, long time.?

"Yeah, that, too," the British magician agreed readily. "Any woman willing to bring a kid o' mine into the world deserves lots o' pamperin', I reckon. Besides, pregnant women are the toughest women around. You don't wanna piss 'em off."

Brunswick likewise swelled with pride - though his was less personal and more reflected. "That's great. See? Your bond is just fine. I so have to come visit you."

?Yep, then maybe I could sneak you into the lab and you can see what all she hordes in there. You?re gonna like it, too.? Bav winked at her brother, already figuring the path of what all she?d show off. ?And luckily, I don?t live in a shoe box.?

?Pissing them off would be bad.? Trin agreed, then started fishing her mind for a new topic. ?So, next question, what type of magic do you study? And you?re free to ask me things, as well.?

"Oh, I study a bit of this and a bit of that. I can manage most sorts but," there was the briefest of hesitations in his voice but it was so slight that Trin thought she might have imagined it, "my specialty is what you'd call control magic, I reckon. Control an' wards an' seals. A bit ritualized, really, but useful. My elemental is hit or miss, dependin' where I am, an' nothing holy much likes t' talk to me. Family history." He grinned. "I'm good at patchworkin', really. An' you, Miss Trinityblue. What sort of tech do you do?"

"Good." Brunswick nodded. "I don't want my sister living in a lousy shoe box. No privacy!"

?Yep. Munich just had lousy luck, really. And we?re going to have to get together with them to talk about another place to be meeting. Fleet building is not a place to meet, after all.? Bavaria continued her thoughtful train.

?A bit sketchy there, eh?? Trin asked, lifting a brow at him slightly. There was no judgment on her face, only amusement. ?Well, really, I make various devices for people, ranging from artificially intelligent programs to better food processors.?

"Useful stuff," Jack declared with a broad grin. "With that kind of range, you must be brilliant, pet. Serious brain power, there."

Brunswick nodded firmly. "Of course," he agreed. "There's no privacy and people sneak around all the time and just... No, we'll find somewhere else."

?I was thinking more like a little tree house or something to use as a meeting place. Have in it a tree that?s central to all our locations. What do you think?? Bav asked him. This was something she had been thinking about for a while.

?Actually, I just had a really long time to study.? TB told him sheepishly. ?I?m going to have to go back to magic though, later on? maybe when I need something new to learn.? Considering how long her people lived, they tended to develop many different hobbies. The Teiru girl sitting in his kitchen was no exception.

Jack chuckled and waved one hand in an expansive gesture, indicating the house, him, whatever. "Well, if you need someone to practice with, you know the address." He winked. "Make it after 9 a-emma an' you won't catch me in the loo again."

"A treehouse." Brunswick considered this option and then nodded. "Yeah, and it won't even need to be anything too big. We can all fit just about anywhere and smaller usually means more privacy."

"Yeah, but we're also gonna need something or someplace that'll be able to survive the weather. I could fix it up to be a good place too. Maybe a knuck in a tree or something." Bav told him, giving a little shrug as she did. "We'd have to get with the others first, let them know before either of us waste time in lookin."

Trin gave the Brit man a cheery smile. "I might actually have to take you up on that sometime." Those sealing/shield spells might come in handy when dealing with Shade. "And I might beable to teach you something from my learning, if there's something you want to know." Then she blinked and looked around for a scratch sheet of paper. Something to write on, at least. "But you don't know my address.... I'll write it down for you, so you can come visit me and if something breaks, or you just need to know how to set your VCR's clock, I could help." The cat-like girl offered.

"This whole separation thing sucks, don't it?" Bavaria said irritably. "Think Berlin'll show up in a dress this time?"

"And I'll try not to show up before nine next time. Who knows what you'll be doing next time." TB took the pen and wrote down her name, address and even phone number. There was a sneaky suspicion that he might need a name with this number. With his looks and naughty-boy charm, he probably had girls hidden in places.

Reading over her shoulder, Jack nodded to himself as his mental map located her house. He smiled. Middle of nowhere, too. Which probably meant that she had noise pollution problems, too. Grinning, he reached over her shoulder and picked up the paper. "Ta, pet," he said. "You're an angel."

"If Berlin shows up in a dress, I'll be wishing so so so hard for a feien-sized camera," Brunswick snickered. "Makes me all the more glad I got stuck with Jack."

"Oh hell yeah. That would be priceless! But he'd probably dump the dress before we got a chance to see, ya know?" The red headed feien grinned at the idea of Berlin in that yellow frilly dress. "Makes me glad that my bond's a techy."

Trin's catlike ear gave a small flick from the air he breathed on it, and she suppressed a ringing shudder. Having big people look over her shoulder like that always made her nervous for some reason. But she gave him a devious smirk. "There are some who'd seriously disagree with that statement. An angel I am not, but I'll take the compliment."

"Excellent. You would not believe how many girls can't take compliments." Jack took a step back and folded up the paper to slip it into his back pocket. Overdramatic, he rolled his eyes heavenwards. "It makes it really hard t' do the bar scene in this country, y'know."

Brunswick smirked smugly. "I think you and I got the coolest bonds, don't you? Demons and robots. How cool can you get?"

"Demon robots would be even cooler, ya know?" Bav told him with a grin, already thinking it over. She was happy. Her bond was now cool, and the Fleet wasn't in control of her!

"Actually I wouldn't." Trin half-laughed at him. "I don't go to bars, frankly. I have a bad habit of keeping to myself. Ice was the only one who knew I even lived on Gaia, other than my parents, before I got a feien." Which might be the saving grace to her. If not many people knew where to find her, then Shade would be having a hard time finding her. She hoped.

"Well, bars aren't like pubs," Jack agreed. "I reckon you'd rather go to a pub. They're cozier an' it's not all about pullin' dates. You just go t' talk and relax." He smiled. "If ever we're in England together, I'll take you t' one. Ice, too, if she fancies. But only because she's your sister."

Brunswick was starry-eyed. "Demon robots," he repeated.

"Uh huh. Demon robots. We just gotta 'convince' Jack into doing that with one of her robots. That would be wicked awesome." There was a small, smug look on Bav's small face from this idea.

"A pub does sound nicer than a bar. Much nicer, in fact, but we'll have to see if I ever get over to England. Always did want to visit that place, just haven't got around to it." Trin answered. Though she wouldn't drink much, if at all. The years after Ice's big break up were... rather fuzzy at best. She then took a final drink of her tea to finish it off. "Unfortunately, Varia and I should probably be going. I mean, we just dropped in and you probably have plans and all for the day, huh?"

He didn't, not really, but he wasn't about to be such a bore as to encourage her to stay if she wanted to leave. Even if he was enjoying her company thoroughly. So Jack merely smiled and held out a hand as if to help her from her stool. "Right, then. Thanks for stoppin' by, though, an' come on by whenever you like. My door's always open to you, Trinityblue.

"We'll work on them both and see what we can do. We'll also see what Munich and Berlin's bonds can do." Brunswick nodded, pleased with the plan. "And we'll all talk about that Shade guy, too. We'll protect you."

A small, touched smile went over Bav's face with those words. Siblings like him and the others had to be the best thing ever. That smile slide easily into a more cocky smile. "Yeah, I know it. The others should know as well. It'd be good. Thanks bro."

Trin took the hand, getting to her feet. "Thank you, Jack, for the tea and you're welcome to drop by my place at anytime. Just... ring the door bell and give me a moment. I'll more than likely be in my shop." She told him with a friendly smile.

The magician winked and teasingly kissed the back of her hand before releasing it with a grin. "Right. So noted," he said. "It's not like I can teleport, anyway."

"Hey, no worries." Brunswick caught his sister in a tight, crushing hug. "No one touches one of us. I don't care how big and cool they are."

Bav returned the crushingly tight hug, both in affection and to not be crushed herself. "That is an absolute. We started as a team, and we came as one. Different bonds in different places aren't gonna stop that."

The little joking-courtly kiss on the hand, threw Trin off slightly. Then she recovered and smiled at him. "To which I'm grateful. Who knows what would happen in your popped in on me in the bathroom." She told him teasingly then turned on her heal to head into the room the two feiens had flown too. "Bavaria, we should get going." She called lightly into the room, though in truth, she didn?t much want to go as well.

Bav gave a small groan at this call.

Her brother echoed her and then rolled his eyes dramatically. "Guess you've gotta go," he muttered. "We'll have longer next time. I'll yell at Jack when you're gone. He was supposed to keep your bond so entertained that she didn't want to go! Failure. Hmph." Sighing in his best long-suffering manner, Brunswick stepped from the table and fluttered for a moment before leading Bavaria back to the kitchen.

Bav gave her own dramatic sigh and followed her brother out. ?I?ll blame her for that too. She?s dense.? She whispered then gave Bruns a final hug before flying to her bond?s shoulder.

?You two are staying out of trouble, right?? Trin asked, giving her feien a mock serious look.

?Course we are!? Bav puffed up again with a frown as if highly offended by that accusation.

"Good as gold, Miss Trinityblue."

Jack sighed and held out his hand for Brunswick to land on. "Now you -know- they're lyin'," he said in his best Sad Voice. "They were prob'ly plottin' to take over the world on Saturday. Maybe we should get together t' make sure they don't, huh?" His easy smile radiated "no pressure" just as much as "I'm teasing".

Trin lifted a brow at him and a small, curious smile. ?That would be fine, if you?d like too. I have this feeling that Varia-?

?Bav!?

?-would like to hang out more with her brother.? She went on, ignoring the protest of the nickname that was used. Her dull-bright eyes did a small scan of the area, searching for the door. Though she'd wait for Jack to escort them out.

Uncannily interpreting her look around, Jack laughed under his breath. "Bolthole," he murmured. Nonetheless, he continued to smile warmly and motioned for her to follow him down another hallway with another aged-but-lovely carpet runner. "This way, pet," he continued. "And don't think I won't hold you to this. Bruns needs out an' aobut more."

Brunswick snorted. "So do you. You're starting to smell like books and brimstone."

Jack pulled a comical face, tragic-sad, and delivered his best puppy-dog eyes to Trin as if seeking reassurance. "See how he treats me? Ungrateful brat."

Trin bit back another laugh, this one more obvious than the last. Then used her best teasing-coo voice as she followed him: "Poor Jack. It'll be ok. We all have our flaws."

"You're one to talk. You hardly leave the house! You're going to start smelling like electricity and grease!" Bav commented accusingly at her bond. Eesh, for such cool bonds, they sure didn't go any place!

"Oy, little gel." Jack looked over his shoulder and rewarded Bavaria with a devestating grin. "Are you trying to set your mum an' me up?"

Mom? Bav blinked oddly at this before quickly covering it up with an evil smirk. "If it meant Bruns and I could hang out more-"

"Bavaria?.." Her bond's voice dropped to a warning tone though a flush was creeping up on her face due to the mere thought of that. It was a topic TB tended to avoid.

Brunswick smiled angelically. "You two seem to get along just great."

Jack rolled his eyes and then winked over his shoulder at Trin. "Listen t' the Parent Trappers here, huh? No worries, Trin. We'll outsmart them." Even as he said this, they reached the front door, a solid monster of oak with a few even more solid-looking locks and chains.

Jack's easy manner about it relieved Trin, making her smile once more. These two feien were sneaky all on their own. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if all four of them were constantly together. At the sight of the door, she hesitated. The wood was beautiful, even impressive but there were so many locks. What was he so seriously trying to keep out and why?

TB figured these things would come later or that he really hated traveling salesmen. "Well, again, thank you for your hospitality. I really appreciate it. And if you do want to come over Saturday, feel free too!"

"I'd love to." Jack's long-fingered hands flickered expertly over the myriad of locks and bolts and the door was loosed in less time than she could have believed possible. The magician looked at the feien on his shoulder. "Say goodbye, Bruns," he suggested with an air of innocent helpfulness.

The feien rolled his eyes and then grinned brightly, waving to his sister and her bond. "We'll be over Saturday. Be careful, BeeVee. Really careful, okay?" Jack frowned, puzzled at the hope feien's way of hitting the words so solemnly and insistently. What wasn't he sharing?

"Got it bro!" Bav winked at him with a wave. Apparently in that short amount of time she was picking up on of physical mannerisms of Jack's. "See ya bro!" She then added before her bond could do that too her and held on to the neck of Trin's clothing.

Trin lightly shook her head with a smirk and headed out. "Take care you too, see ya." She waved lightly to them before stuffing her hands in her pockets and walking down the way and her tail gave a little swish. Obviously, she wasn't going to teleport home, or if she was, she was going to get well away from the house.

Jack was an interesting guy indeed.

Realization - Story
Players: Trinityblue & Bavaria
-----------------------------

They were within sight of Trinity's house, one that she was now sharing with her feien. A feien by which was all too quiet for her bonded's liking. Bavaria being quiet usually meant that something was up, or going to explode. Either way, it wouldn't be good.

"What's wrong?" She asked finally.

"...You really have no idea, do you?" Bav asked and worked her way out from under the mess of strange gray-ish hair. It wasn’t the gray that came with old age; rather it was a more rich color. Blues, purples and even a bit of red was mixed it in and added to the already purlly look Trin carried. Usually TB wore it up. However she had been wearing it loose when going out so that Bavaria could hide.

“Would I ask if I didn’t?” Trin asked and opened the door to the house. Bav rolled her eyes and flew off of her bond and around to her face, giving the catty-girl and good whack on the nose. TB made a small sound from such and rubbed the now abused nose.

“You’re a moron! For all your inventions and smarts, you don’t know your killed when you talk to him!” Varia scolded, hands on her hips. Then continued the moment Trin opened her mouth. “That man in the park! That was –him-! That was Shade!”

“Wait, you mean –the- Shade??” Trin gasped. She felt like a fool now that she thought of it. Ice’s race was rare, really quiet rare and Shade was one of her sister’s race! That should have been a big tip off. What were the chances that she could have met one of that race on Gaia? When one of that race was out to kill her? She let out a groan, falling to her knees on the floor. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She muttered.

“Not with me in the room!” Bavaria commanded, flying back further from her bond. She glanced around and fluttered over to some paper that was lying on a table (was that her paper from the Fleet?). Once grabbing it, she went back to her bond and started to fan the Teiru. “Eessh, Get yourself together!”

It took several moments for Trin to calm down and settle her mind. Ok, so she was sitting next to Shade. Shade had a feien now. Did Ice know this? Yes, more than likely so… Wait… “How did you know that was him anyway?” She asked, looking up at Varia.

“Er… bout that. I was tellin Bruns bout it all, so, ya know, if something happened –wrongly- at least someone would know how it happened. Anyway, he met Shade in the Fleet Feien shop-building-place and he and Jack learned of the hit there. Just not who.” The little hope feien explained. “So when I told him, it kinda fit and I was told what he looked like.” Then she frowned and gave Trin a perplexed look. “So... you’re telling me you never ever even saw a picture of the guy who was going to be your brother-in-law?”

“Heh, no. Ice had pictures, just never got around to showing them off. Then after the breakup… I figured she burned them and I never wanted to bring it up.” Trin answered, sitting more comfortably on the floor. “Silly I know.” She gave a nervous little smile.

Bav shrugged it off, tossing the paper in some direction now that her bonded no longer needed it. “Well, we know he’s in town, for real, now. So, we’ve gotta prepare for his eventually arrival! We’re going to be setting up your security system!” She said with all the authoritive air her little body could muster. Subconsciously of course, she was the leader of her Pack for a reason (other than the fact that no one else wanted to lead).

“I’m not about to tonight! We’ll do it in the morning.” Trin protested with a small frown. The day had been an adventure enough. First meeting Jack and appearing in his bathroom with him only in his boxers, then deciding to walk home (and what a long walk that was!) and meeting Shade. Without knowing it. That was enough for her. “How about some pizza for dinner? I’m sure you’ve had it people. Very few people that I’ve meet –didn’t- know what pizza was.”

Pizza…. Bav’s shoulders sunk as she realized her hunger. “Alright. We’ll just break for dinner, then rest because tomorrow, we’re going to need it! Bing things need to be done!” She said, then started for the kitchen. Trin wasn’t far behind, making a small chuckle at her feien. For someone so small, she was very bossy.