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Raissen smiled at Laertes, propping up his chin in his hand. Idly he let his eyes follow the various creatures about, marvelling at the sheer variety of them. Every few moments it seemed he spotted something different, peeking its head out from under a rock, or emerging from being buried in the sandy bottom. Raissen was shocked to see an ocean dwelling snake rippling along. Those snakes were very very poisonous, as they didn't have the luxury of rattlesnakes to let the prey run off and die, as it left no scent trail.
"That's very mature of you." He said at legnth.

Braeden returned the grin to Micah. "Is it anything like Resident Evil? That game rocks, though it scared the jibblies out of me the first time." As far as fitting Micah's clothes, he was even skinnier than the silver haired preteen, and a little smaller, but he wanted to try the stuff on anyway. A lot of his clothes snugly clung to the body, so it might just be small enough for him.
"You got any more of those forehead gem thingies? Those are so awesome."

"Well it's alright if you can't remember..." Dian paused to listen to the youth before him, nodding with enthusiasm.
"That's a very good hobby to have. I wish I was so handy with machines. My electric buffer died a few weeks ago, and I've just about given up on it, do you think you might be able to take a look sometime?"
It was true, Dian was hand buffing his works now, which was tedius, at best. Plus, it would save him a lot of money if Kael could fix it for him.

Raissen nodded. While he couldn't really sympathize with Laertes' feelings, he could understand where the teen was coming from. He absently watched an oddly shaped yellow fish graze at some kelp while a large grey and white Manta flew overhead, gracefully undulating its wings to keep it smoothly gliding along.
"Do you think she's hiding something that's bothering her? You ought to try and find out." He said at legnth, seeing an awkward parallel with Dian and Infi.

Braeden was growing more excited at the description of it. "That's so creepy! They can climb vertical walls and stuff? The zombies can't do that in Resident Evil. Are there monsters too, or just people?" He was cut off by Micah suddely gaining a very odd, kind of disgusted look, turning it toward him.
"I'll...I'll keep an eye on him." Braeden glanced at Kael, wondering how Micah could tell that. Kael just looked happy to him. Braeden had noticed on occation Micah had intercepted a question he was going to ask before he said it, and even came in to ask what he was pissed about one day when he shut himself up in the library. Braeden was pretending to read, but was actually infuriated at his own shortcomings. He wanted to ask Micah about it, but when they were alone.

"Good!" Dian said, completely jazzed Kael was interested. "If you ever want to come over to take a look at it, you can. I mean, we're all pretty much extended family now, right?" Dian laughed. He had an empty room that could double as a guest bedroom for anyone who needed to sleep over before he renovated his place. After that, he'd likely have a few extra rooms. Actually, the home improvement was no longer an if, but a when. The narrowness of his own domain was beginning to bother him.

Raissen's eyes had always been a point of interest for people, because they just didn't seem to match him. He was so exotic looking, to have blue eyes that rivaled the very night sky was simply mind boggling. And he wasn't even the one who had two different colored eyes, or eyes that put violets to shame.
But yes, Raissen had grown into a calm and patient loving young adult. Perhaps he developed it from Dian, but he left his tumultuous teenaged years far behind. They were far too much a mental struggle than they were worth. Being rebellious and angsty wasn't worth the effort when no one cared, and once you were out from under your parent's thumb, no one was left to coddle you. No one but a lover, but that Raissen was lacking. Laertes' voice broke the hypnotic spell the manta ray had on him, and he cast those same level dark eyes on the teen. They were shining with curiosity, and understanding, and a little bit of admiriation as he skimmed Laertes' skimpily clad body again involuntarily. Gods, Laertes had one hell of a body. He let his gaze flicker back up to meet Laertes' own.

"Who cares if she's the perfect mother? All that matters is that she can feel love and compassion, and feels it for everyone in your family unconditionally. A few flaws can be forgiven for that." Raissen said at last, his eyes suddenly becoming full of doubt. Not that he didn't believe in what he just said, but it was obvious a torrent of thoughts were raging behind his eyes. Raissen meant thinker, thinker and rose.

Braeden jumped up and followed Micah. It wasn't the first time the two of them had romped off to one of their rooms alone. Hopping down the stairs, Braeden took Micah's directions to find his second room, admitidly much bigger than the one at Dian's house, it was pretty similarly furnished.

Yes, Dian was almost frustratingly naive, but he forced it on himself, by refusing to believe otherwise. For someone who'd spent his college years a stripper, he kind of didn't notice the eager look Kael sported, the same gaze of wanting to touch he was so familiar with. The raccoon man smiled down at Kael, admiring him for being a child. He looked devilishly clever, with mischevious and intelligent blue eyes unobscured by that undoubtadly silken silver hair, which was tied back. Dian absently wondered at the texture of it.
"What's the most complex thing you've ever fixed?" He queried at legnth, wondering the mechanical prowess of this lad before him. Kael seemed to know a lot about the way things worked just by taking it apart and looking at it. Maybe, maybe the kid might end up working for some great engeneering company, building robots or space shuttles! That would be a very impressive career.

"My father..." Raissen said quietly, his voice lowering to almost a whisper. So many thoughts were brought up about the gentle raccoon, he could hardly make sense of them anymore. Dian and his relationship had been awkward at best, with both of them never truly knowing what the other felt, pulling away and dragging closer together the entire time. It was a strange dance they wove through, and it confused the hell out of both of them. He bit his lip and glanced up toward his friend, the movement catching his eyes as Laertes abandoned the comfort of his bed to join him in a chair. Absently his eyes coasted up that boot to the legs covered in tights, along the smooth line of flesh to where it dissappeared under the skirt pinned down by a slender hand. He couldn't focus tonight for some reason.

Braeden trailed the preteen inside, grabbing the controller in well familiarized hands.
"What are the controls?" He asked briefly, not wanting to be dropped in without even the knowlege of how to utilize his meager provisions or weapons. It was sort of like when in a video game, a character offers to lead you somewhere, yet walks behind you. Game logic always seemed flawed in some way. It hadn't even occured to him they were about to skip out on dinner.

Dian smiled at Kael. He was such an adorable kid, when he wasn't looking like he was plotting. He could see the sparks of excitement jump in his eyes from time to time, lifting Dian's own spirits. There was something else he could see when Kael flicked his odd gaze to him, the budding amount of what looked like admiration. It made him feel just a little bit happier to see it, Kael's happiness. Gloom pervaded his house so often now, smiles were like those types of flowers that only bloom once a year, beautiful and radient, but soon dead. Dian wondered how often he could see Kael smile, since it didn't seem to take much. He wasn't now, instead he was biting his small lip, looking cutely challenged.

"Really? I'm impressed. Most of the people hired at repair shops still can't fix mechanics, and they go to school to train for it. You look like a regular problem solver. How are you at math, or is it only machines?"

"Hum..? Nothing important." He said finally, shaking his head. He'd completely forgotten what it was he had been thinking about not even two minutes before. He had to be tired, or something. Nothing could explain why his thoughts were so distracted. Or perhaps it was the lovely vision that was Laertes, muddling him so. He let his warm brown hand be cradled lightly and kissed, turning the warm palm to Laertes' jaw to cup it for a brief moment.
"You really are amazingly beautiful." He said, blue eyes focused on Laertes' pouty lips.

Braeden did however break into suprised laughter. It was comical how her murderer looked so smug until she sank her teeth into him, post mortem. The camera panned back to reveal his character, and the game was on. First task, kill the zombie, save her murderer? Kill both of them...? He experimentally fired off a few shots, one of which hit an exploding barrel, propelling the two of them into a disembodied oblivion. Well, there was his answer.
"Oops." He laughed.

Dian pulled his tail up and into his lap, lazily finger combing through it as he listened to Kael speak, eyes and ears intent upon the boy.
"That's amazing. Like a sixth sense, but for machines." He said quietly, imagining what it would be like to just kind of know what was the matter. If one really thought about it, people were a lot like machines too, very complex and complicated organic machines. The circulatory system was full of valves and stringed muscles, much like the pneumatic systems for brake fluids, and what not. But no one really knew exactly how the brain functioned.
"So do you do it just for fun, or do you have other distractions...?"

There was something very peaceful about that moment. It had to be something about the light filtering through the tropical aquariums, tinting even the air a blue. His normally vibrant red hair seemed violet, blue eyes even more encompassing. The bright swirls of color that marked the fish did not even distract him now.

Raissen let his thumb glide across the smooth skin of Laertes' cheek, fingers slowly twining in the dark locks that framed it. His index gently grazed the thin shell of his ear. Raissen was entranced. Perhaps Dian's artistic appreciation was affecting him now. He blinked as bright violet eyes began to darken, deepening as an embarressed look came over his face.

He pulled his hand away, leaning back to languidly take his space on the chair. He looked utterly pounceable.
"I thank you for the offer, Laertes. You always have me to speak to, as well. I'll try not to embaress you."

Braeden whirled his gun on the wall climber, firing with inaccuracy due to his being a novice at the game. While he was focusing on getting the wall climber down, a sudden jarring of his controller almost made him drop it. A zombie had snuck up behind him and was attempting to chew his character's neck out. He had to tap a quick combination so his character launched her over his shoulder, flinging her into the wall at the last possible moment.
"Who...Intense."
He had to remember to watch his back. "Behind you!" He called to Micah, as he saw a similar scene occuring behind his character.

Dian leaned back with a smile, enjoying the feel of his fingers running through the fur. The miracles of good conditioner. His tail curled lazily around Kael's hand before releasing again. Dian was almost like a cat.
"You mean like actual houses? Or like models? How big are the little houses?"

Dian smiled up at Infi as she finally returned, "...Oh." She answered his question for him. He took the daquiri with a small thank you and sipped at it, wondering at the taste. It was a little strong in flavor, though he chalked it up to perhaps a little too much flavoring. The smell of alchohol he assumed was from the port.
"Hey, sometimes the odder mediums are the most fun. I've never tried making a grahm cracker house. I can hardly cook my way through ramen, I should really practice more." Dian chuckled, taking a large draught of his daquiri.

To say the kiss was unexpected would be an understatement. Raissen knew Laertes liked him, but that was when they both were preteens. He didn't imagine the dark haired youth still harbored such feelings.

But his lips were soft, and warm. Much like Laertes himself. As the teen pulled away, Raissen stared up at him with a very shocked and rather bewildered expression. Before he said anything, brown hands touched his lips, which still held the feeling of Laertes on them. Had he ever imagined this before...? Imagined kissing Laertes...before?

To say no would be a lie, but...
Ptah...?

Raissen's eyes closed with obvious indecision. Who was he to chose between? He could obviously not have both.
"Laertes..." Raissen said, unwilling to make eye contact again with the violet eyed teenager. "I... Can't..."

"You forgot the white flash of exploding death!" Braeden nearly squeaked as he saw the grenade fly toward a gas line. The analog stick swiveled, and hsi character was haulin a** out of the area before it became a flaming death trap. Oh well, at least everything that was dead in there before would stay dead.

Braeden soon discovered his character's various taunts. One button made him whistle and catcall. Another one had him screaming out for anyone to take him on, yet another had him brushing a hand through his hair, and the last had him giving a thumbs up.

Braeden wheeled his character into Micah's line of vision and gave him a thumbs up, giggling.

Dian nodded at Kael. "Nakshidil...? Nak...Oh! Small girl, black hair?" He asked, remembering the demure little one who seemed to be the one preparing the evening's meal. His smile was a little easier now. Alcohol was seeped into the bloodstream quickly, and Dian was a total featherweight.

"I'd like that." No, coon tail wasn't terribly delicious, but every other part of him was. Dian thought about the various other uses of frosting, decorating people coming to mind. He blinked, why did that come up? The coon sipped more at his daquiri, a sudden thirst had him already eyeing the other bevereges laid out.
"What do you know how to make already?" Dian drained his daquiri as the boy replied, setting it down and whispering a compliment on the good drink to Infi. He reached for another, sipping at it more slowly.