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Wren was in the Legend HQ, sitting on the couch he wasn't familiar with, but trying to get comfortable one way or another. Lafe's crying had intensified over past few days. Though he had a habit of working himself up, then falling asleep, it had left Wren without much sleep -- though it didn't look like it.

Lafe was currently in his crying mode, Wren sitting on the couch with the fox-child in his lap, singing ( surprisingly well ) under his breath to try and soothe him. It just wasn't working, but he was trying, because every so often Lafe would focus on him.

It had worked last time he had come here, the baby had gone quiet and fallen asleep, but now -- with this walk -- it just wasn't working.

It was the oddest thing really. Halo had been inside playing with Otium and Mael (well trying to.. Mael wasn't cooperating yet) and realized she was on the last couple of diapers for the children. Wren had just gone out with the new one, Lafe, to try and soothe his crying.

And of course Wren had forgotten his cell phone..

The woman left the kids under Freyr's watchful eye and headed out in hopes of either catching Wren or picking up the diapers herself.. and as she opened the door.. something was watching her with glowing purple eyes through the darkness.

The baby boy was seated on the doorstep, unaffected by the nighttime cold, and just staring at her with his remarkable lavendar eyes. His skin was pale as death and his hair was so black that it blended with with black coat he wore. His tiny hands rested on top of a box containing 4 compartments. He didn't make a sound. Just stared.

Now here she was. She'd never even got the diapers! This baby had shown up and by the dust on his coat he appeared to have crawled straight up the stairs of the house!


"Wren?" Halo looked around the Legend HQ for her husband a bit uneasily. What was it with kids just showing up at their house? Especially creepy evil looking ones... Though she admitted he was cute.

"This baby followed me home." Alex was still against the woman, still holding the wooden box in his arms.

Demare cautiously peered into the headquarters, his bi-colored eyes glancing about to see if he could find anyone familiar. His ears had immediately filled with the sounds of a baby crying, however, and it was a little hard to concentrate...

"What the hell is that racket?" Demian demanded, the two red eyes open slightly. He could see, but things looked very different through the strange colored eyes.

"I believe it's quite obvious," Clare sighed, stepping into the lobby quickly and standing away from the door in case he might be in anybody's way. Looking around again for a moment, he recognized the two on the couch. "It seems Wren and Lafe are here today."

"That little cry baby?" the demon snorted. This trip was a waste of his time.

"Demian, give it a rest..." Oddly enough, the child wasn't in the mood for his other half's antics today. "You've been complaining all day how you wanted to get outside, and you've done nothing but whine all the way here. If you're so angry about everything, why don't you just allow me some peace for a bit?"

"Because THAT would be too easy."

"Right, I forgot... You have to make my life difficult."

Taking one more look around the lobby, Demare noticed someone unfamilar. A woman speaking with Wren, carrying a pale child in very dark clothing. A pitch black that just seemed to eat all the light around the baby, in his eyes, and a dark feeling that just leaked into the air. Who was that...? Curiously, the halfling Legend slowly made his way closer to the couch, his bi-colored eyes fixated on the child in question.

No, see, they had kids that related to -- no, that wasn't something that needed to cross Wren's mind. The red-head all most instantly stopped his singing to Lafe, looking up at Halo with wide eyes, wider behind the lenses of his glasses.

"He followed you home?" Wren asked slowly, eyes looking down from his wife's face and to the baby in his arms. He looked, well, evil, but his eyes were rather compelling. They glowed, even reminded him of -- Wren shook his head, derailing that train of thought. "Anything with him? Besides that box?" As in, was there something to give them a hint about what was going on.

And somehow, Wren had missed it, but the moment Lafe squirmed around enough in his arms to focus on the other baby, the crying stopped. It died down to sniffles and Lafe was all ready nuzzling up against Wren's shirt absently to fix that. Darkened silver eyes were focused on this new baby, intently.

Halo looked at the abrupt end to the crying and blinked. "He stopped.." She said idly before shaking her head.

"Well we are running out of diapers.. You know you were supposed to pick some up.. But I opened the door and he was staring at me. Just like that. And he had this box. It has carvings in the lid but I can't open it. I tried. His coat was all dirty. I think he crawled right up the steps. Some kid huh?"

The little boy stared at Lafe and then a small smile spread over his face and he raised a tiny hand and made a grabby wave at him. He started to squirm in Halo's arms to be brought over, so she complied and walked to the couch.

"He --" Wren blinked, torn between looking at the new child and Lafe who wasn't crying, and helpfully drying his nose on his shirt. Gee, thanks. Lafe was quiet though, no longer crying, eyes all most completely dry. It was, well, amazing.

And was that Demare that had just come in? Wren gave a curious look, about to say something to both him and Halo before Lafe let out a noise that sounded suspiciously happy -- HAPPY -- particularly as the Halo drew closer. He was squirming rapidly in Wren's arms, tail swishing back and forth, and he all most crawled out the demon's grip.

"... uh." Wren just blinked, not quite sure.

"I think we're missing something." Halo was really taken by surprise by the children's reactions. She sat down on the couch and set the child in her arms down next to her, between she and Wren.

"I guess I better name him." She glanced over at Demare and offered the strange boy a smile.

As he was noticed, a small smile curled up on Demare's lips, lifting his left hand to wave his fingers in a hello.

"Forgive me... I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he appologized, his wings fidgetting a little bit as his eyes turned down toward the two babies. Interesting... He never imagined the company of another child would calm Lafe down.

"It's all right, Demare, just ... um. Another addition to the family, I guess." The demon spoke to the boy, giving him a smile before looking towards his wife and trying to wrangle the squirming child in his arms. "This is Demare, Halo, I met him when I was here last time. I mentioned him to you."

Hawk's Eye, of course, found the perfect time to interrupt them. The wisp moved forward, out of the comfort of Wren's shadow, towards the new baby. It was another interesting baby, one that probably wouldn't make grabby hands at him -- he hoped.

Wren stared suspiciously at Hawk's Eye, feeling the curiousity and the amusement. He all most tensed, expecting something, but nothing came, and instead he spoke up to Halo, finally coming up with an idea for a name.

"Maybe you should name him --"

The campfire of the traveling pair was approached slowly, all most cautiously, as if the one approaching was cautious of actually revealing himself. Except the ones that were watching him didn't show any emotion on their faces that spoke of ill will or dislike, except for the curiousity on the face of the hooded figure.

"You've got us at a disadvantage, since we're sure you know our names, but we've no clue what yours is." The elder spoke, giving a glance to his traveling companion. The hood slipped down, a glimpse of silver eyes, but more importantly somebody playing with a white tail. He merely nodded in agreement, still watching the newcomer.

Taking a breath, that wasn't really necessary, he spoke. "Alejandro. My name is Alejandro." And then, he really stepped forward into the light of the campfire to join the two for the evening.

"Alejandro?" Wren voiced aloud, dazed for a second, all most instantly glaring at Hawk's Eye. The little thing was about to get hit, he didn't need to get bombarded when he hadn't gotten any sleep. Except in the moments that it took for the vision to flicker and fade in his mind, Lafe had all ready scrambled out of his lap and towards the space between him and Halo. He paused, eyes peering at the other, and reached out to pat him with a hand cautiously, before a small smile was on his face.

"Hi Demare.. I'm Halo, Wren's wife." She waved and motioned for him to come over before looking at the children. The little boy looked up at Wren when he said the name and apparently Halo took that as confirmation that the name fit.

"Alejandro it is then. Thats a mouthful though. Alex for short." She reached down and fluffed the little boy's black hair.

Alex set his box aside finally and clapped his tiny hands together, smiling widely to show a pair of pretty hazardous looking fangs in his mouth.

"There," Demian blurted out, the red eyes opening a little more. "That thing right there..."

"What are you talking about...?" Clare asked, his eyes searching for something unknown.

"That little shadow... Don't you see it?"

"...No, I'm afraid I don't. Lately, I haven't been seeing ANY shadows, remember? It's like my eyes are purposfully blocking out darkness for some reason."

"That's because you're not controlling your power. The light's eating all of the shadows."

"I'm... not quite sure what you mean."

"Oh, forget it! I'll explain it later!"

Demare blinked a few times, a bit puzzled by Wren's suggestion to name the baby. There was something odd about that... like it wasn't something that just came to him. Never the less, he smiled once more to Halo.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he said politely, bowing his head a little bit as he stepped over to stand next to the couch.

"... yeah, yeah," Wren muttered, rubbing his head and swatting at the wisp that was all ready floating back to the bits of his shadow. "Blame Pierce," he finally said aloud to Halo, obviously meaning Hawk's Eye. Which meant explaining more later. He sighed, but finally gave Demare a warmer smile. "It is a good name though," a small admittance.

Lafe, of course, wasn't paying attention. He had settled comfortably into a nice little niche between Wren and Alejandro. He didn't even looked phased by the fangs ( and if he had been, it wouldn't have showed ), but instead wriggled forward to get closer, tail still swishing from side to side and batting both Wren's side and Alex's shoulder. He let out that happy noise of his again, something of a growl and a coo at the same time. Certainly ... interesting.

Halo looked at them both and shook her head. "I'm stumped." Bloodstone of course peered up over her shoulder when Hawk's Eye had appeared and then sunk back down into being hidden. Thankfully she hardly got horrible side effects from her fiend.

She decided, since the boys were fine, to look at Demare. "You're a legend too Demare, I assume. It's good to meet you. Especially with Alex. Someone he can get to know.. well besides Lafe here. They seem to uh.. well have hit it off well."

Alex reached his hand to Lafe's tail and petted it nicely, running his fingers through the thick white fur.

Demare nodded to confirm her assumption. "Yes, I'm also a Legend," he explained. "A... little different from the others, but the same none the less. And Alex sounds like a nice name for him." I get the feeling he and Demian might get along... I guess we'll see.

The halfling couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at the two babies, nearly overwhelmed with how cute they looked. Did Neko used to think that about him when he was a baby himself...? True enough, she would always call him her little angel, but somehow it was hard to imagine if he'd ever been like that.

"It looks like they'll be good friends... I wonder if they knew each other in the past?"

"It's possible."

"If they were, I guess that makes them a little like us, doesn't it? Except, they were born seperate..."

"...It kinda makes me jealous."

"What?"

Demian didn't reply. What'd he mean by that...? Clare decided not to question it for now, as he didn't want to start arguing here.

No, see. It wasn't horrible side effects. Hawk's Eye was revenge and that was that.

"... you're stumped, sure." Wren sighed, lifting his glasses and rubbing his eyes a bit. "This just makes my brain shut down completely." He shook his head, leaning back against the couch and only glancing at the two babies out of the corner of his eye then to Demare, before closing his eyes for a brief moment to rest. They were all fine, and -- no -- he wasn't going to sleep.

Lafe's small smile widened a little, tail slowly it's rapid movement since Alex had started to pet it. His ears twitched, another little happy noise made.

Halo smiled at the babies but leaned over to kiss her husband on the temple, "Take a nap love. We'll live without you."

Alex looked up at his new mother as she leaned over himself and Lafe but just went back to putting his attention on the other. He moved his hand from the tail to grab a fox-ear very gently. He rubbed his fingers over the soft fur and then into the other's hair.

Halo turned to Demare. "You can come over and see them if you'd like. Probably easier to see them now that there isn't any crying." She chuckled.

Demare blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarressed. "Ah, s-sorry... I'd just wanted to give them their space," he explained, smiling a little bit as he moved to stand in front of the couch, then took a seat on the floor where he wouldn't be in Halo or Wren's way.

He seemed to be intent on watching the two, his left wing ruffling its pure white feathers while the black leathery bat wing curled around his right shoulder a little bit. He could feel Demian's annoyance with him being here, but Clare was just happy to have a little silence in his mind. Even the dagger at his side was generally calm, as if it were resting.

A part of Clare wanted desperately to speak with the two new legends. To speak, and be understood... However, he remembered what it was like to not be able to talk back properly to those around him, struggling to say simple words like 'hello'. It couldn't hurt, though, right? To just say something...

"Hello..." he started rather softly, a little slowly, as he smiled a little bit. "My name is Demare."

Wren might've murmured something, but apparently he was able to doze off that quickly. His glasses slid from being on his forehead to actually being on his nose properly. For the moment, he was out like a light. Besides, it would just take a prod to get him going.

Lafe only sunk down some when Halo leaned over to mess with his father, as it were. Of course, he also had to tilt his head to the grabbing of his ear, but unlike with Mael, there wasn't an ear piercing baby-scream let loose. Instead, he just giggled, head tilting and pressing up into the hand.

His ear cocked in Demare's direction at the sound of speech, one silvery-blue eye also looking at him in curiousity. He, vaguely, remembered this one.

Alex turned his head to look at Demare but it was sort of a side look because he'd moved over to lean up and gnaw on Lafe's ear. Apparently he was one of those babies that shoved everything in his mouth.

He nibbled and gnawed and looked quite unphase that he'd get fur in his mouth. He didn' know Demare.. though he was interesting to look at.

Halo made a face. "Oi.. Alex.. Fur." But the baby continued. She just shook her head. "Kids."

Demare only blinked a few times as he watched the child gnaw on the other's ears, trying so hard not to laugh. This one was... funny. And a part of him was reminded of For'mir back at home.

"I... I guess he likes to chew on things...?" he tried to reason, still amused by the action.

Lafe's tail thwacked Alex, all most as if saying 'Oi!', but the fox-child only squirmed a little before letting it continue on not bothered. By that point, though, he was all ready crawling to situate himself somewhat on and against Alex. Like any canine might do if it was petted properly and could do.

His eyes, while briefly focused on Alex, went back to Demare. Mostly looking at his face, as if he could figure it all out by just looking.

"I hope he doesn't start gnawing on the furiture or something. I don't need fang holes in the apholstery." Halo chuckled and glanced at the boys as Lafe climbed all over Alex.

".I think they will be a handful already." Halo picked up the wooden box Alex had come with and looked all over the top and sides.

Alex gnawed and didn't care that Lafe was crawling all over him. He looked at Demare innocently.. but it made you wonder how innocent he really was.

Clare immediately recognized that look. Demian used to do that all the time when they were still alive... The innocent, decietful look, right before he'd smack him in the back of the head. Sadly enough, Clare had fallen for it every time.

He couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, however, and he reached a hand cautiously over to see if he could pat Alex on the head.

Somehow, some of the words the seemed to come through his partially asleep mind registered, and Wren was rubbing at his eyes to wake up. "... not to," he yawned, "interrupt or anything, but somebody mentioned diapers needing to be bought?" He glanced at Demare, giving him a small sheepish grin -- probably for falling asleep, but who knows?

Of course, looking at Alex and Lafe, well, that just lead to him blinking rapidly. "Er. He chews. Lafe doesn't mind ..." It was amazing, really. The baby wasn't crying -- and sweet not so kind deities, he could sleep again. "I'll go get them, lover, but I'll leave Lafe here. ... you know, less of a headache." He pressed a quick kiss to Halo's forehead and waved to Demare. "You should come by, Demare, if you want to visit the kids sometime. And I'll see you, Halo. Don't cause too much trouble." Freeeeeeedom.

Lafe just glanced up at his moving and departing father, not even really interested in him at the moment. Instead, he actually seemed to scrunch down some when Demare's hand came closer to Alex, slinking closer to the other baby, but was otherwise quiet. He was cuddling close, in any case, a tiny yawn escaping.

Halo kissed her hubby on the chin when he kissed her on the head and watched him flee. She smiled a bit. "he hasn't had much sleep with Lafe being so fussy. I guess we found out why. Pretty wierd huh?"

Alex made a point that only his head was touched and blocked any way of touching Lafe. He did let his head be patted though and his dark hair was spikey, fluffy and very very soft.

Demare was a little surprised by how soft the hair was, seeing how spike it was. It made him smile, however, and to make Lafe feel better again, he took his hand back away.

"I... can understand, I think," he admitted, looking up at Halo for a moment. "Maybe Lafe had... missed Alex? Being reborn and left without his friend, I'm sure it must have felt awful if that was the case." I wonder if Demian felt that way when we first arrived...

"They must be tied together somehow if that's the case." Halo tilted her head to look at the boys. Now that they had found eachother they seemed quite comfortable. The two had settled back against the couch and now looked like they were falling asleep.

Lafe was curled up as much on Alex as he cound be and the vampire boy had his arms over top of Lafe defensively. Alex yawned large and showed his tiny fangs. Lafe was already snoozing.

"It makes you wonder what happened that seperated them." Halo petted Alex's head as he blinked sleepily at Demare.

Demare only now noticed the fangs, and Alex's brilliant eyes. They were beautiful... such a bright contrast against the boy's pale skin. Like he's never seen the light of day... Just like For'mir...

The child almost opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. His answer for something like that would have simply been that the two had died, because there wasn't any other way he could see the two seperating willingly. Instead, he offered something else.

"Perhaps... they became lost?" he suggested. "It's hard to tell the sort of thing right now, but... in most cases, a Legend's past is revealed to them slowly throughout their new lives. Maybe you'll find out what happened that way?"

Halo nodded. "Yes.. I'm sure I'll find out. These two are so new. It just makes me wonder. Especially with the surprise of them two .. knowing eachother it seems."

Alex's bright eyes finally closed and his tiny hands gripped Lafe's shirt lightly as if for comfort. He had a long day and he was tired!

Halo looked at the boy's sleeping and smiled. "I should get them home to bed. It's getting a bit late for me as well.. I had to get up early this morning." She smiled at the boy.

"You should come by our house sometime. You can visit the boys. We have two others as well, slightly older. And Freyr seems like he's around your age. You two may get along." The mohawked woman ran a hand through her dark hair and idly played with one of her horns.

"It was very nice to meet you. You'll be alright here by yourself?"

Demare smiled at the invite, his wings twitching a little bit. "I'll keep that in mind, ma'am," he said politely, nodding a little bit. "I'd love to see them again once they're all situated with their surroundings."

"Er, yes... I'll be just fine," he then assured her, standing himself up off of the floor. "I'll be heading home pretty soon, myself."

"Don't call me ma'am! Call me Halo, please. Ma'am makes me feel so.. old." She gave the boy a grin and reached out to ruffle his hair lightly.

Halo finally got up and looked at the boy's unsure of how to do this with them all latched all over eachother. She put her hands on Lafe and Alex immediately opened his eyes and gave her a look.

"I have to pick you both up. time to go home, crazy."

Alex uncurled his fingers from Lafe's clothes and let his mother pick the baby pooka up and tuck him in her arm. He shifted and frowned and cracked his eyes, looking for Alex. The other was soon to come and luckily they were still small enough that she could manage them both with a long arm (she thanked her parents that she was so lanky). Alex once more put his arms over Lafe but made a point to keep his eyes open so no one would bother the sleeping Lafe.

"Silly kids."

She held Alex's box under her one arm. Quite a handful!

Demare gently rested a hand on top of his head when his hair was ruffled, bi-colored eyes watching the woman gather up the other two boys. They had good guardians, it seemed... Good parents. Smiling, he wished them a silent safe trip home as he watched them leave.

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CHAOS! (part 2)
Halo/Alex
Wren/Lafe
Aki/Levi
Compiled by Wren

Wren wasn't feeling the least bit left out, no, he was just vaguely amused, and returned the soft kiss before reclaiming his seat. Only Halo would offer to sell something from her store like that so abruptly. He was, by far, use to Halo's humor and could match it with his own, just that the young appearing demon seemed to have a more reserved air at times.

... when that was hardly the case. He only rolled his eyes at the mentioning of the postcard, muttering something under his breath along the lines of "... dear sweet merciful deities, what did they send us?" and held back the chuckles at what Aki said. Housemates like theirs? Not everyone would want.

"Ah, a parcel?" There was a brief glint of curiousity in his eyes and after leaning forward to save what he was writing, he turned his attention to Aki and only raised an eyebrow. How odd that a child would be sent a parcel that looked so old. Shifting in his seat, he leaned forward so that he could get a better look at the postmarks that were on it.

And as Aki went on, particularly naming the locations he only gave her an odd look, mulling through the slight mispronunciations. Those places were fictitious islands, so far as he knew. Places on maps that didn't necessarily exist. At least two of them mentioned in old books he had read some time ago. "... the last one, do you mean Rupes Ne -- er, Rupes Nigra?" he asked curiously, glancing to Halo to see if she had any clue, though Wren's mind was all ready getting ideas.

Lafe let out a small noise, half his face hidden behind his scarf and one ear weighed down by it. He peered at Alex before shaking his head so that it fell in place somewhat around his shoulders, ears twitching slightly. What was it about chewing on those plastic soldiers? ... well, they were fine and dandy to gnaw, but tasted bad.

He let out a growl just as the others did, though his came out sounding more like a fox growling than anything else. What could you expect? Halfway crawling over Alex and then just pausing there, he watched Levi as he matched up the pog to one of the tarot cards.

... and, of course, Lafe just had to think that wasn't what you did with the cards! Except that the pog did kind of match the card it was next to. So were they putting them together? He gave Alex a soft nudge, the tip of one ear tickling under the other's chin. Some sort of game, he figured.

Besides, these cards weren't his, so he didn't really mind all that much playing with them like this. Picking up a pog, he peered at the picture before passing it along to Alex and picking up another one for himself that had some stars on it.

Halo grinned at Aki's wink, glad the woman seemed to be loosening up around her a bit. She settled into the couch as the other talked about the parcel and unwrapped it to show. The places didn't sound familiar to her but her husband seemed to have an inkling.

"I don't know the names personally.. Lover do you think we could ask someone...?" They had plenty of people, family and otherwise, who knew more than anyone should even realize.

Alex liked to bite the army men cause they were a challenge and they helped his teeth get stronger. But the army man was abandoned when Lafe's ear tickled under his chin. He grinned and grabbed the ear gently with a hand and nibbled on it.

His free hand took hold of the pog and he looked at the picture, tossing it back down to pick up another one that had a man on it wrapped in a black cape with red trim backed by a large moon and showing glowing red eyes. he liked this one better!

Levi forgot about the pogs, watching Alex and Lafe play. Usually the little kitty was so shy, but he seemed to love the other child's company! He was even letting Alex chew upon his ears! Dropping his handful of pogs, he pointed at the pair with a smile.

"Ah buttah? Yah?"

It was a strange concept, Levi didn't have any siblings. Being an only child had its benefits however...it meant he didn't have to share if he wasn't feeling generous! The thought jogged another memory...wasn't he waiting for something? A gift? Oh yes, from Lafe!!

Face lighting up at the thought, Levi chuckled and rocked back...grabbing his toes with both hands. Presents made the world go 'round, after all!! But what would be possibly want?! Well...there was that brightly colored little toy in the grass outside. Perhaps that would be his gift!

"Eh buttahs goh oussigh?" The young pirate twisted to peer at the front door. Being inside was dull, he would much rather be out exploring!

Exploring was on Aki's mind as well. "Fictitious...islands? They simply don't exist? Well..."

Rubbing her temples as she squinted at the blurred handwriting, Aki offered the couple a smile. "Perhaps that's why I couldn't find any information on them! But that still doesn't explain why these route marks indicate those islands! Perhaps it's code, or..."

Coloring slightly, she peered up at Wren and Halo. She was rambling, and they could probably care less. After all, who wanted to discuss history during a casual visit?

"Well. Enough of that, I suppose. Thank you, that gives me another piece of the puzzle, so to speak. Now all I have to do is figure out where it really came from...and who sent it."

Setting the stained brown wrapping upon the table, Aki settled back into her chair...trying to get her mind off the mystery. Another tiny blush at the sight of the novel helped. "How have Lafe and Alex been doing? They certainly seem to get along well, that's a blessing. Actually, that's something I wanted to ask you, Halo..."

Lowering her voice as she snuck another look at the boys, Aki was grateful Levi wasn't listening. "How do they get along with the...other members of your household? There's someone that's been wanting to meet Levi, but I think he's a bit young for her type of infuence, if you know what I mean."

She made a face at the very thought. She was trying to keep Arsenic away from Levi during his impressionable stage...however, that's exactly when the little hellion wanted to get a hold on him. Gallium was a bit on the sharp side as well, if she remembered correctly.

Just a bit.

Wren smiled, nodding towards Halo with a smile. "We can ask around if you want, Aki. We've got a few sources that may know a thing or two about this sort of thing." Wren's family alone knew more than enough, add in Halo's family and the knowledge potential became practically unholy.

"But, even though the islands are fictitious, that doesn't mean you can't find things out about them. In general, they're referred to as phantom islands, I think ..." He paused, a finger scratching his cheek as he thought about it. "Rupes Nigra, for example? It's suppose to be this island of magnetic rock. It's towards the Earth's North Pole and apparently it's why all compasses point north."

Wren was too much of a book worm, really, and it was showing through, but he went on. "The point is, if it's code, look them up anyway. Those places were bound to have been on maps at some point, Aki, but ... maybe older ones. Before people could explore and prove they didn't exist or the like." And it was an idle thought, but Levi did remind him slightly of a swashbuckling hero-type -- and phantom islands? They'd be the perfect kind of place to hide out or to store something.

Of course, he did agree when she ended that part of the discussion with a quiet 'you're welcome'. He glanced towards Halo after that, to see if she knew who Aki was talking about. The red-haired demon had an idea who it might be, but wasn't sure. Leaning back for a moment, he turned his eyes to the children, chuckling at the sight of Alex nibbling on Lafe's ear.

While one ear twitched, the one that was being nibbled on went still. Lafe tilted his head up to peer at Alex with an amused glint in his eyes. This was something of a common occurance and it didn't really bother him. Eyes studying Alex's pog and then his own once more, he turned his attention back to Levi.

Just what was he pointing at? ... and, what? He shook his head slightly, as if saying he didn't know what Levi was getting at. ( If he did he might've corrected him. Lafe didn't think of Alex as a brother, but the other was his family, more so than the family he was a part of now. )

Cracking a small grin at Levi's movements, not realizing he was wanting something in return for the butterfly clip attached to his tail ( and that was forgotten about at the moment ), he nudged Alex a little and tossed the pog he had with the others. It wasn't too hard to figure that Levi wanted to go outside, but Lafe wasn't sure if he wanted to ...

At least it didn't smell like rain anymore in the air and he disliked getting wet. He glanced up at Alex again, eyes wondering. Did he want to go outside? ... they could find something to chase again! Just hopefully not something that flew. His tail wagged slightly at the thought.

Halo draped her arm across the back of the couch and played with Wren's hair in her fingers gently (almost a habit of hers) while she listened to Aki's question. She had a pretty good idea whay Aki was talking about but knew that there were worse things in her household than a certain shiny Mendel.

"Honestly? We try and not shelter the kids much. Gallium isn't really interested in kids anyway.. not after Otium tried to eat her because she was shiny." She chuckled a bit.

"I figure there are worse things in the world to worry about than my own family members and if we have to shelter them and sheild them in our own home, then what chance do they have in the outside world? Alex hasn't been very interested in Gallium. Maybe it'll change when he or the other boys get older and can really.. absorb all the "knowledge" she has to impart."

Meanwhile, Alex kept gnawing lightly and watched Levi doing all his babbling and pointing. He let go of Lafe's ears to look at the other's face and see if he wanted to go out. Alex was always fine with going out. The weather and temperature never affected him much. He did, however, notice the butterfly clip and point at it, making a loud, "Naaa!" in response. Apparently he didn't think it looked all that good.

Listening carefully to Wren, Aki chewed her lip unconsciously...she wished she had a pen handy. Phantom islands? There was a difference between fictional and phantom...all the difference in the world. If only she knew more...

"Well, anything you learn I would be grateful to find out. I put aside my research into dream walking once he received this...besides. All the books explained was how to 'do it yourself.' I doubt I have that sort of aptitude."

Glancing up with a wry smile, Aki shrugged as the issue was dismissed. There was little more she could do, it was all speculation at this point. Besides, there were other issues at hand! The boys were playing surprisingly well together...silently, Aki gave thanks that Levi was minding his manners. He was usually an easy going lad, but a little excitable.

Nodding as Halo explained the issue with Gallium, Aki fidgeted with the hem of her dress shirt...tugging and twisting at the last button. "I'm not sure if he would be interested or not, really...Levi doesn't know she exists. It's her that wants to meet him. I hate the thought of being over protective and keeping them apart, but...well..."

Brows knitting, Aki looked once more at the boys...for the first time seeing the butterfly clip upon Lafe's tail. That looked awfully familiar! What a coincidence!

"She...killed all of my fish. I haven't spoken to her much since then. I suppose I'm a fool for wanting an explanation or an apology. Regardless, she's dangerous, and...well. I suppose I am over protective." How silly she must sound, lamenting dead gold fish!!

"I won't know until it happens, I guess. How about Alex and Lafe? Do they have any pets?" Aki was beginning to wonder if they needed them...the two boys looked more than content with each others company!!

Levi had realized that as well. The two younger boys were a dazzling mystery...it was almost like they could talk without words! The young pirate was beginnning to sense the beginnnings of a brotherhood...unnfortunately, he hadn't yet realized he wasn't included in it. For now, he was delighted to have such close knit friends.

Watching Alex point to the clip and whine unhappily, Levi could only chuckle and nod. He'd thought it was a little girly as well, but Lafe had liked it. People liked all sorts of things, and for that he was glad. Imagine a world where everyone liked the things Levi liked! He'd have to keep them hidden all the time!!

"Ah goh. Yus. Eh bebehs?"

Pushing up to his feet, Levi offered Alex a hand...just like Aki offered to him when he needed help up. The door wasn't that far away! Even if he wasn't as good at opening doors as Guin or Demare, he'd still give it a shot.

"Coh meh?"

Lafe might've pointed out that the butterfly clip wasn't exactly his favourite thing in the world, but it was shiny and that was the extent of it. Curiousity about it was one of the few reasons it was still attached, but when Alex pointed to it and voiced his displeasure, Lafe took notice of it again.

Turning, he peered at it while the other two were busy, and wagged his tail a bit. The weight was odd at the tip of his tail and the more he swished his tail, the more uncomfortable it became. Granted, he did like the butterfly since it was shiny, but perhaps as a trinket, not as a something worn. "Bah!" And the outburst was followed by a very tiny growl as Lafe grabbed his tail and peered at the butterfly intently.

Lafe versus the clip.

He'd win of course, but one could never tell with things ohsoshiny.

Gripping his tail with his fingers, he continued to stare at the butterfly clip before he finally just leaned over. His mouth open, those canines of his visible and somewhat sharp, and tugged on the butterfly clip until it gave way. A couple white hairs still in it, but otherwise he didn't seem phased.

He gave Alex a look as if to say '... and it's not there anymore, buwahaha!'Or something along those lines. The butterfly clip was in his teeth one second, in his hands another, and after that it just seemed to disappear someowhere on the young pooka. Where ever it was hidden, it wasn't likely for it to be found. Lafe was, however, good for going outside now and he crawled his way off of Alex to see just how they were getting out.

And oddly, he had this urge to run around on his legs ( all four, mind you ), but he wasn't quite able to, and with these feet and legs? It didn't seem right, but the thought faded from his mind as he let out a small noise of curiousity.

Wren was, as the two talking, planning on at least writing down a few notes on what he knew about phantom islands. At least pointing her in the direction of at least one book to read -- if he didn't have it himself -- and some maps she could consider looking at. If anything, Wren was one that was quick to study and research something if there was a mystery surrounding it.

... his mind drifted to dream walking briefly, but it shifted back as he listened in on the other two talking about their Mendels. Wren possibly muttered something about still expecting Gallium to end up in something's gut and slice her way out of it, but that was his thought on the matter.

"You can't shelter your kids too much," he finally spoke again, "the more you shelter, the more they rebel against it -- even as little babies. Just take everything as it comes and deal with it as you see fit. Take it from somebody who's learned being over protective doesn't compensate, it just seems to make some things worse." There was a sheepish smile on his face. "Though, thinking about it, I suppose Mael has never really been interested in Gallium." Wren had this sinking feeling, an idea actually, that one day Gallium would start adding a few choice words to Mael's vocabulary and he wasn't too keen on that, but it wasn't like he could avoid it entirely.

"... and I'm just going to keep Lafe away from her, but it's safety for both of them. Little fox is just too curious." And it'd probably be a disaster if Lafe's curiousity got the better of him around Gallium. The demon bit back the all most chuckles at Aki asking if Lafe and Alex had any pets.

He just glanced to Halo, lips quirked up in an amusing smile. With Lafe and Alex's tendency to chase things in the front yard? Pets might not be a good idea, never mind there were enough house pets as it was. The basement was a sign of that.

Halo did chuckle with the pet question and flashed Aki a grin. "I don't think Lafe and Alex need pets. The two of them are like a pair of animals as it is. I'm sort of afraid what they'd do to any small animal we gave them..."

She cast a glance at the boys and realized that they, apparently, were taking a field trip. "Going somewhere?" She said in their direction but they probably wouldn't respond. She didn't expect them to.

Alex ignored the offered hand from Levi and watched Lafe start to crawl away. He was fine with going outside. Maybe they could ...find things. And eat them! He wanted to eat things and he was unsure why but it sounded like a spiffing idea.

He ignored the parents, of course, and crawled up beside Lafe and towards whatever direction could be an exit.

Flapping one hand at Halo as she called out in their direction, Levi toddled to the door...frowning up at it in confusion. This handle wasn't at all like the handles at home!!

Peering down at the younger boys to see if they had an idea, Levi searched first Lafe's face, then Alex's. Maybe the dark haired lad could break it, like he broke the toy? The thought summoned an instant grin....now that would be something to see!!

Up on his tip toes, Levi rattled the handle as he chuckled at the idea...not quite getting a grip. "Hopen. Nanun? Hopen sessmeh!" Hmm.

Peering at the lock, totally oblivious to whether or not it was actually in use, Levi narrowed his eyes....trying to cram one little finger into the mechanism. He didn't know why he wanted to poke around in there, necessarily, but it certainly seemed like a good idea!!

Aki blushed as Halo spoke up, twisting to peer at the group migrating towards the door. She'd been trying to hard to keep an eye on them, how had she missed it?!

"I'm so sorry, um...." Digging briefly through her bag, the scattered elf lost the thread of the conversation as she searched for a toy. There were few things more troublesome than a bored Levi.

"I'm sure I have something in here, somewhere!! You call Lafe Little Fox, Wren? What do little foxes like? I have no idea what will appeal to all of them."

Finally upending her bag in her lap, Aki pushed around a fat ring of keys, a scarf with embroidered birds on it, some adult and childrens books, a few sealed baggies of snacks, a little mini umbrella and three stray 'stacking' rings. The yellow plastic ring, unfortunately, had been rather nibbled upon by Levi when he was younger.

"Well, none of this most likely. Are they allowed out? I'd be happy to sit on the porch if you don't mind!"

Packing her bag back up swiftly, Aki twisted to peer at the boys once more. It could be worse, she reasoned. At least none of them were crying!!

Parents were best often ignored, even if one of Lafe's ears flicked backwards at the voices that could be heard. The young pooka's tail wagged lazily back and forth as they made way to the front door. He paused every now and then to tug on his scarf and make sure it didn't get stuck or anything.

Letting out a playful growl, Lafe nudged Alex a bit. They could outside and play! ... and maybe eating things wouldn't be so bad. There had to be tasty treats out there, right?

They didn't seem to be getting outside and it looked like Levi couldn't open up the thing that mom and dad had used all the time. Holding up one hand as if to reach towards it, Lafe made a mimicking gesture of what he remembered the adults do. That was how you opened the door! But he couldn't reach it and he narrowed his eyes a bit, making the gesture again and then just letting his hand drop. It wouldn't work anyway. He made a unhappy whine in disappointment.

Except Lafe hadn't seen it, Levi blocking his view as he poked at the lock, but the door handle actually did move. Without pressure to push, however, it would not open.

"... er." Wren found himself as well peering over the couch an towards the door. "Warning, warning. Children escaping!" He chuckled looking at Aki and shaking his head. "It's fine, don't -- ah?" Studying the bag of items as Aki emptied it out he raised an eyebrow at some of the book.

Now that was a familiar title, but he turned his attention from it and nodded towards Aki finally. "Little fox, yes, but it's just a nickname. He's a fox, in a way." The tails and the ear were definitely vulpine. Shaking his head with a nod of agreement and a chuckle.

"There's some seats outside and it has cleared up, so we can all go out there maybe." The small demon looked towards Halo with a raised eyebrow, though he knew she would hardly mind. They could bother Nora with their existence by sitting out there too and she couldn't do a damn thing.

Pushing himself up, Wren stretched his arms out and tugged on a strand of Halo's hair as he did so. "But if we do, m'getting drinks. Lemonade, water, something? Quick, before the kids attempt to leave us behind." He laughed.

"Outside is good. It'll give something more for Nora to talk about.." Halo chuckled, speaking her husband's mind aloud. "I hate that bit.. pain in the as.. butt." She had to catch herself a few times before she got her wording right around the kids. It had been bad enough when Mael said his first curse word.

"You know what I like, love.." She winked at Wren and got up (ruffling his hair in response to the tug on her own), "Aki and I can get the kiddies out and settled."

The tall woman stepped over to the door, waving her arm for Aki to follow when she'd gotten her things together. She peered down on the children and grinned, getting a hand on the doorknob and pushing it open for them. She was basically streddling the area in front of the door to accomodate the 3 kids crowding the doorway.

"I know you all want to do it yourselves so I won't pick you up."

Alex looked up at his mother (though to him it felt odd to reference her as that and he didn't know why) and let out a loud, "HAAA!!" before crawling for the open door. He looked back to ensure that Lafe was coming quickly along before heading out.

Levi nodded and toddled out as well...blinking at the porch with a growing smile. Well, this was much better than being cooped up inside!! Peering over one shoulder to see if the boys were following, he galloped past Halo and whumped down the stairs.

"LEVI! No farther, please! Stay close!"

Ambling to a stop, Levi jabbed one finger towards the bright toy in the yard that had caught his attention on the way in...mouth open in silent protest at being stopped.

"That's not yours, darling! You should ask first!"

Brows knitting, Levi sighed...gazing now at the pair near the doorway. "Ah dis? Yah? Ahe pay?" Nodding hopefully in encouragement, Levi waited for an answer.

How lovely, he was minding his manners! Somewhat, at least. Settling onto one of the porch seats, Aki scooted over...making room for Halo. "So...what's this about Nora? Is she actually worth...hating?" It was a hard word for Aki to say...hate was almost unknown to her. She preferred to keep it that way. "We don't have to talk about it if you...well..."

Cheeks coloring, Aki abruptly regretted bringing it up. How nosy of her!! Levi, however, was oblivious to the whole conversation...shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he awaited a response.

"Ayah." Well, at least he could try to catch that dragonfly if they said no...it wasn't like he was short on options!

Chuckling, Wren nodded his head towards both of the woman and drifted off towards the kitchen to fetch some drinks. Including some fruit juice in small child size cups for the children. Then again, before he actually started to prepare and get the drinks ready for the others, he was on his way to do a brief check in on the other children.

It'd be a couple minutes longer before he returned.

Lafe was right there with Alex, if only a little behind. His tail was wagging back and forth excitedly at going outside. Never mind that Levi was all ready gone and down the stairs and out in the yard. Which, of course, was the ultimate destination.

He couldn't remember whatever toy it was that Levi got his hands on, so it didn't really matter to him. Lafe did, however, crawl next to Alex and tug on the other's cape so that they could do the baby attempt at the stairs.

Stairs could be conquered! ... and the yard could be stalked! That shiny thing hovering in the air looked like a prime target or maybe the bird hopping about in the grass near the bushes.

"... eweh?" Lafe turned his attention to Levi once more and peered more closely at him. What? That toy wasn't his and he didn't think it was Alex's. "Haa!" It was a mimick of Alex, but obviously -- well, down to the yard they were meant to go.

"Nora... is definitely worth hating." Halo scowled a bit and cast a glance to the house next door, only separated by a thing stretch of lawn.

"The woman is a gossip and a menace and she's probably peering through her shades right now trying to gather information to slander our names around the neighborhood." Halo shook her head and the usually smiling woman had a distinct look of disgust bordering on violent hate.

"And she as good as threatened our kids."

Alex looked at the stairs and then at Lafe and then towards Levi. Ha.. stairs! That's nothing! And he didn't know what the toy was either. Maybe it was Otium's or Mael's but they wouldn't care because it wasn't shiny or gold.

"Maah!" Which was intended to mean 'go ahead, have fun, we'll take the stairs' but didn't come out that way. When Lafe tugged on his cloak he smiled at the other boy and reached his hand out to grab one of Lafe's ears. he tugged it lightly and made a motion, that in later life may end up being scratching or petting.

But only a second later he was moving to the steps and turning around to he could lower his legs and feet down to the step below, and then when his bum was on the lower step, he did it again. Slow and steady.

Levi squished up one eye, still trying to puzzle out if he'd actually received permission to play with the toy. He opened his mouth to repeat his request, and promptly shut it once more as he watched Alex and Lafe navigate the stairs. That looked like way more fun!!

Toddling in their direction, Levi scooted to his own section of the stairs...thumping all the way back up to the porch. Watching Alex for a moment, he chuckled and settled down upon his bottom...sliding down the same way.

Well, not quite the same way.

-whumpwhumpwhump-

"Hayah! Uhgin!" He'd ended up on his bottom on the concrete, having slid all the way down the steps on the seat of his pants. He didn't have stairs like this at his house!

Trucking back up to the top to do it again, Levi caught a brief warning look from Aki...and offered her his most charming grin back. He couldn't be in trouble, this was too much fun!

Waving Lafe and Alex back up to the top of the stairs, he bounced on the highest step. "Cohmeh? Ah side?" Making a downward motion, Levi mimicked the slide...still grinning. Perhaps they would want to try as well! After all, it was Alex's idea!

Aki sighed, a smile appearing on her lips as well. It was so hard to say no to him, and at least he was getting the energy out here rather than staying up all night.

Her gaze shifted back to Halo abruptly, however, at the mention of the children's safety. "She...threatened them!?" She was itching to turn and take a peek at the house, and perhaps see this horrible Nora, but Aki was simply too mortified to turn.

"I...well...it's been a while, but if you'd like...I can try to lay some wards in place. Nothing hostile, I can do warnings, purifications, immobilization, and selective passage." Ticking off the types of wards one by one on her slender fingers, Aki shrugged sadly.

"Well, I could give it a shot, anyway. Like I said, it's been a while..."

Her stomach twisted at the thought of such a horrible woman actually harming one of the children. She was sure there was more to the reason, but nothing that could possibly matter.

Evil was evil, no matter which way you sliced it.

"Something I wanted to ask you, actually. Is she...talented...in that regard? There is something already in place in or around your house, but it's not the type of ward I can create. Mine are based on...faith." This wasn't a conversation Aki was used to having. She hadn't renewed her devotions to Elunae in many years...it was leap to assume the Goddess still granted her blessings. The field she had felt here, however, was different. Structure, rather than faith.

-whumpwhumpwhump-

Aki giggled, despite herself. Levi always knew how to break an awkward silence.

Wren's sensitive hearing actually picked up bits and pieces of the conversation as he came back outside with a tray of drinks in hand. He snorted slightly, realizing they were talking about Nora, and merely smiled at Aki as he set the tray down on the railing carefully.

"Ah, well, honestly, I suppose if you wanted, I wouldn't object ..." He cast a glance towards Halo, eyebrow raised in question. Not like it would affect theirs and a little more to irritate Nora never hurt. "-- though you might say our wardings are a bit chaotic, even if firmly structured," he said quietly, not truly meaning to interrupt. The whole entire house was chaos at times, who wasn't to say that the power they wielded wasn't either. "Though, honestly, Nora's as normal as they come so far as I can tell -- she's just a thorn in our side, and prone to name calling, as well as idle threatening, though some things I don't care to repeat in the presence of kids. I ... don't think she can make good on them -- but they're bothersome."

Wren lowered his voice, "Unfortunately, one of our other sons, Mael ... Well, let's just say he's taken to calling Nora a rather unsavory name for someone of his age to use. Even if the gossipy bird deserves it." His quiet tone, however, shifted into chuckles at the children.

Lafe just arched an eyebrow at Levi and watched Alex as he bumped his way down the stairs ( and Levi as well, though he went for a second ride it seemed ), a brief smile at the tug to his ear and a motion made as if he might've pressed into the hand for more attention. The pooka cut his eyes to his tail briefly, before snorting. "Keh." His tail could take it. Feet down. Bump. Tail-swish. Feet down again. Bump. He continued on, making small growly noises as he did so.

He barely paid Levi any mind once he finally made it to the bottom himself, all most doing a rolling motion forward until he landed on his bum again, palms pressed flat to the ground and his tail swishing excitedly. He quickly turned his sights to Alex and Levi. Come on, they were in the yard now!

... and there was that toy that Levi had pointed to, what was it? Waitwait! What was the thing flying about the yard? His ears twitched, nose sniffing at the air, and he looked back at Alex with, wordlessly expressing his curiousity to him. Did he know what it was? It wasn't a bird.

Did Levi know?

Halo took her drink and took a sip, almost snorting a bit, not out of humor, but in irony when Aki said her wards were based on faith.

"Your wards and ours may clash.. a little. And yeah.." She flashed a devilish grin (and people wondered why a demon married her) at Aki, "If you dabbled with ours they may be a bit out of your league. Not in.. power just being on the other end of the spectrum. We're perfectly safe form the likes of her." Her eyes darted to the house next door once more and growled.

Alex cast a glance back at his mom when he felt her ripple with another tiny simmer of anger. It was like he knew it, not from listening so much as sensing. But it wasn't something that wasn't bothersome right now and noone would even notice that he reacted. So back to fun!

He'd conquered the stairs with Lafe and grinned a fanged grin. Out of the shade of the porch he felt the warm sun and it was sort of nice but it got him hot really fast so he crawled immediately for the cool grass and not the icky hot cement.

He caught onto Lafe's attention and looked up at the flying thing too. "Bwaah!" He pointed an outstretched hand at it and wrinkled his nose, not in disgust, but like an animal. He sniffed a bit.

"BAAH!"

Aki nodded in obvious relief, not in the slightest bit offended by Halo's words. It had been a while since she'd tried, and if there was no need she wouldn't bother!! Peering up at Wren, accepting a drink with a grateful nod, Aki tried not to laugh at his story of Mael.

"I think I can imagine just what he called her! It certainly sounds fitting, from what I've heard. I just don't get it, though!"

Shifting her gaze to Halo for a moment, then back to Wren, Aki motioned out into the yard where the boys were playing. "They're no different than other children, not in the things that matter! They are kind, and innocent...they treat each other well! To hold hate against a child is.."

Grimacing as she took a sip, Aki's face smoothed unexpectedly. "Oh, this is great! Thanks!" Blushing a bit as she realized she might have been a tad rude to drink without them, Aki raised her glass for a toast. "Thank you both, you're wonderful hosts! Here's to happy endings...for those that deserve them!"

Levi twisted to stare up at the porch at the sound of clinking ice, shrugging as he lost interest. He'd had enough of the porch sliding, but whatever the boys were chasing certainly looked interesting!!

"Ehdah!! Gettum!!" Pointing as the bug zig zagged, Levi struggled to his feet...waving both arms to scare the bug back towards Lafe and Alex. Startled, the bug complied...flying rapidly away from the wiggling pirate.

"Goh! Haha!"

**

Aki was enjoying herself, reclined on the porch as she chatted with Wren and Halo. The temperature was nice, and Levi was being well behaved...although she knew he'd be getting hungry again before too long. The boy put away more food than any child she'd ever seen!!

"We should be going before too long, I know I've taken up so much of your day already!! I wanted to offer again though...if you'd ever like a night to yourselves, I'd be glad to babysit! If you think I could handle it, at least!"

Offering the couple a wink, Aki rattled the ice in her glass as she tipped it back for one last sip. Alex and Lafe didn't seem like a handfull, but she knew kids were always different without their parents around!!

"Considering his disposition towards her and ... most others at times, it's not surprising. Now, if I can keep him from saying ... other things." Wren coughed, his eyes on his drink briefly, and smiling up at Aki and Halo a bit with a slight nod towards the conversation.

"... really," he agreed with Aki, "a child should be free from that sort of thing, most who look after children look at it that way." Wren paused, the tray set down with his drink, a hand tugging on a few strands of hair that fell into his face. "My parents would probably agree -- at least in reference to their own kids." The words were murmured quietly, thoughtfully, and mostly to himself. Though if Wren had ended up with siblings, well. There was nothing wrong with another child doing harm to another, right? ... riiiiiight.

Lafe sniffed as Alex did, not quite use to the scent he was picking up from the flying thing -- except when it came close to them courtesy of Levi sending it their direction, he figured out what it was!

"Agah!" ... which should've translated to something like buggy flying creature, but baby talk was so limiting. He gnashed his fangs some, tail wagging back and forth rapdily as he tried to go after the bog. Except, really, all he ended up doing was tumbling onto Alex and sending the both of them rolling into the shade of a nearby tree.

--

"Ah, yeah, it is getting late, isn't it?" Wren lifted his eyes, looking towards the horizon before turning the watch around on his wrist and looking at his watch. "But, uh ... heh. Well, I suppose we could take you up on that, or maybe look after Levi for you sometime?" Levi didn't seem too much of a handful, compared to ... the other children they had and the other creatures, pets, and other beings about the house.

Plus, he got along well with both Alex and Lafe, which was rare so far. Though a glance towards the lawn told him that Lafe was likely covered in grass and stains, but from the happy sounds he heard, it couldn't be that bad.

... or maybe it was because Alex was scratching at Lafe's ears, because he had an itch he couldn't get and ... oh, yeah. Alex knew just where to scratch. He'd nudge the toy back to Levi in just a second ...

Meeting in the Park
Halo/Alex
Raife/Mikhael
Compiled by Raife

Raife had wandered down to the park with Mikhael in tow for today's afternoon activities. She'd been encouraged by his most recent behavior which was a might more relaxed -even if he still manically hid from everything that moved near him- as he seemed to adjust to new peoples' presence a lot quicker.
She had eyed the sandbox where a couple of kids were playing, but that seemed too unpredictable. She couldn't stop them from grabbing at his wings or touching him when he didn't want to be touched, and the situation would likely end up with at least two kids crying if she couldn't referee as well as she could with him right beside her.

At the present, they were sprawled out on the grass, both avidly watching the puffy clouds float by. The perfect activity for a lazy summer day.

Halo had taken Alex out for a bit of shopping as she thought he needed more clothes than gloomy black capes. She'd picked up some clothes she thought the rest of the boys might like as well (and some little suits for Otium because he refused to wear anything else) but didn't want to go back to the craziness of the house just yet.

Just a stroll through the park with Alex would be nice, though after too much time in the sun he got cranky. The little boy had manuevered himself into Halo's shade and glung to the strap of her shoulder bag while he was balanced on her hip. Whatever purchases she had made were not visible, only the back pack on her back and the boy on her hip. She'd also eyed the sandbox but seeing normal kids with toys would be a bad move since Alex would probably just rip the action figures heads off.

She was thinking of just going home until her little boy's head darted in the direction of the sprawling lawn . He pulled on her strap and made his interest vocal, "Maaaah!" It wasn't too loud but enough to make Halo look. She saw Raife and Mik (and what a cute boy) and only headed over when Alex made another vocal interest. She wondered why or how he was sensing anything (weird kids on gaia were pretty common) but instead of asking, she just headed in that direction.

Raife was busy trying to explain exactly what a boat was to the baby nestled in next to her on his jacket in the grass when a shadow started to darken her feet. She squinted and shielded her eyes a bit with the flat of her hand and looked up to see Halo and Alex. She mused a bit, looking at him passively before greeting, that although the boys had similar coloring, they could hardly be wearing any more contrasting clothes. All the black made the other baby look a bit sinister....but that wasn't to say that he wasn't adorable. If she'd ever needed proof that sinister could be cute, it was being held right in front of her. She smiled a bit.

"'lo there." Mikhael's attention was peaked a little too, and his eyes turned from the clouds to the newcomers, and he snuggled in a bit closer to Raife.

"Hey.." Halo thought the other looked a bit familiar but didn't know from where. "I'm Halo and this is Alejandro. he .. seemed to want to meet you guys." Alex tugged on his mom's strap a little harder right at the seam and she heard a stitch on it pop. Dammit. Damn strong babies.

"Okay Alex.. relax.." She set the little boy down on the grass, not too close to Mik. Alex stayed back a bit as if he sensed the other's discomfort.. in whatever strange way he had. He took a moment to adjust his cape and pull the color up to block out as much sun as he could. "Haa." He made a grabby wave at Mik.

Halo snorted. "What Alex wants.. he gets. He's a strong little thing. Sharp teeth too. Bit me too many times. Your boy doesn't happen to be.. a Legend does he?" It was either that or a forgotten.. but she knew most of the goings on in the library and hadn't heard about this one.

Raife cocked her head a bit. "Well...several people....have suggested that he might be. And it's not like they conferenced over it...so..I think he might. Be a Legend, that is. He certainly is something special." She tilted her head a bit more to look at the little boy, as if he'd suddenly sprout a sign that said "Legend Here, No Mistaking It."

Meanwhile, the little boy in question was surveying his new potential playmate sitting near him on the grass. He watched Alex trying to shield himself from the light, and sat for a moment, watching, before biting his lip and pushing his jacket at him. He knew desperately what it was like to be uncomfortable. If Raife had seen the gesture instead of paying attention to Halo, she would have gasped. The boy hadn't let the jacket leave his side once yet. Of course, he wasn't quite yet either. Even as he pushed the jacket towards Alex, he kept one hand locked on the end of the sleeve.

Just because he was being nice didn't mean anyone...not even the little boy that he felt compassion for would get to take his jacket away.

"Well since Alex locked onto him.. I figured he might be. Have you met my husband? Wren? We have another Legend son.. Lafe." She smiled a little. "Oh I'm sorry.. I didn't get either of your names!" The tall woman took a seat on the grass and pulled her backpack off, tucking her feet underneath her.

Alex looked at the jacket and waved his hands a bit. It was a 'No Thanks!' gesture really. "Nahh." He smiled a big fanged smile as if to show he was tough and he could deal but the offer was nice. Alex crawled a little closer and then sat back on his butt and pulled out some grass easily. Just.. ripped it out cause it was at hand and he could.

Raife brightened at the mention of a familiar name. "Oh! I do! We met in the Legends Headquarters and had some lemonade back at my house. It was just after Mikhael was....rescued...and I thought he could use some quiet socialization, and Lafe's temperment seemed right for the job, so I invited them over. It went well considering how scared Mikhael was. Lafe even got a smile out of him. Rarity for strangers, that. Though it's starting to happen a bit easier...with children at least. I haven't seen him smile at an adult yet...except around the house." She added, looking watchfully over at the babies.

Mikhael meanwhile was tugging in his jacket so he could sit on it, the grass tickling him a bit much. It made him have to scratch. He watched Alex pull out grass with interest. Now there was something he hadn't thought to do with it! He reached down delicately with a tiny hand and tugged on a piece of grass. It snapped in half and he looked at the piece of grass in his hand owlishly. Oh no! He hoped he hadn't hurt it!

Alex looked up and grinned as if to tell him grass couldn't be hurt. Though.. how he knew the boy would be thinking that was his own mystery. "Yaah!" He threw a handful of grass into the air and it fell down onto his own fluffy hair, leaving bright green blades on the inky black.

Halo smiled. "Oh so ..OH You have a mendel too right? I thought you looked familiar!" She remember Wren telling her about it and she knew the name but couldn't put it with a face until now. "I have one as well. She's a pain in my as.. butt." Halo shot the babies a glance. "Mikael seems like a pleasant enough baby. Alex can be a bit of a handful."

Raife grinned a bit, thinking. "...he clocked my other baby in the head with his wing yesterday and nearly started a row....but yeah...he's a good kid as long as you don't freak him out. Unfortunately, a lot of things freak him out. It's hard to tell what might push the buttons, yet, ya know, I don't want to limit him because....you know. Experiences..are good." She finished lamely, then nodded. "Yeah...I've got a mendel brat of my own. He's.....somethin' else."

Mikhael couldn't help but smile as the grass flew everywhere, all over Alex's hair. The grass green against the jet black was so pretty. ...And funny looking. Like he was growing grass out of his head! He gurgled a bit and grabbed at the grass too, throwing it up in the air. But his aim wasn't quite as good and it just flew willy-nilly.

"You never know what kids can take until they try. I know that much. Thankfully Alex came along. Lafe was a pain until then. He cried almost 24 hours a day. As soon as Alex appeared it was like that missing piece or something. Still haven't figured out what the deal is. Alex bit me when I tried to make him sleep in his own crib." She shook her head. "He seems to protect Lafe.. with how shy he is."

Alex grinned again and rubbed his hand in his own hair and tugged on it, fluffing it more. "Yah!" He shook his head like some sort of canine and scooted closer. Mikael seemed to be nice and wasn't scared of him. Not as loud and excited as Levi and not obnoxious and annoying as Guinevere. He seemed to be pleasant like Lafe.. except well. he'd always think Lafe was the bestest ever.. and he'd only met Mik. Alex turned his head to Halo and waved his arms, brows furrowing. "Baaaa!" That was the 'gimme my toys' order.

Mik winced a bit as Alex demanded his toys, grasping uneasily at his jacket, but stayed put, watching the other boy. He stuck his grass covered fingers into his mouth and wiggled his toes a bit, and tried to stretch his wings. Ooops. Wait. Couldn't do that anymore. Right. Then he remembered, and raising his hand up straight in the air in his own stilted version of hello, he smiled shyly. Hello was appropriate ANYTIME.

Raife chuckled, watching him. "He does that to everyone now. Well, that he's not afraid of. He's very shy as well...but more scared. Very scared. I can feel it when I hug him....no matter how many times I've done it, he still freezes up for a moment, defensively, before his brain seems to go "oh yeah, this person's okay."

"Wonder why.." Halo smiled at him though because he was really cute. "Alex.. ask nicely. Just because you bite doesn't mean you get what you want.. I told you that!" Halo tutted her boy.

Alex furrowed his brows and ran his hands through the grass, looking down at it guiltily for a second. He grumbled a bit under his breath but just nodded his head at her, "Haa."

Halo smiled and fished some very very hard plastic large army men out her bag and set them down by Alex. They had gnaw and bite marks on them from his teeth but were intact. He offered one to Mik to play with.

"Alex needs hard and tough toys or he'll rip, tear or bite them apart. Sounds vicious but.. I think he just tests himself and his strength. What a wierd kid."

Mik looked down at the toy, then up at Alex, then down at the toy, and smiled. He knew what a toy was! His were generally softer, but that didn't make this any less exciting. He suddenly had an urge to throw it at something, but didn't. This wasn't his toy. It was someone else's toy. Which made it precious. Not that he would have thrown his own either. He was always afraid of hurting them. This one looked hurt already though, with all the little gashes. And it looked like a little man! He pat it's head as if to say "poor guy." And then jammed it's head into the grass haphazardly with a jerk of his wrist, and then stuck the dirt covered head into his mouth.

Everything was better in your mouth.

"Mikhael's fairly careful. The most I've ever seen him do was accidentally rip a teddy bear's arm a bit during a crying fit. He didn't even mean to, he was just so frustrated.

"Alex ripped the head right off of some dolls in the Legend headquarters.. Levi was pretty impressed. Have you met Levi? He's pretty rambunctious but Lafe and Alex like him fine." Halo kept digging in her bag until she found a plushie and set that out too. If Alex dozed when Lafe wasn't around he usually clung to that. maybe Mikael would like the soft thing too. She also dug out some fruit snacks which she carried in her bag. Kids loved fruit snacks. It was an unaviodable inevitability.. and very handy.

Alex had already stuck his army man in his mouth and was biting on it's head leaving more scratches and dents with his fangs. "Hee." he grinned and chewed and then found another appendage to eat.

Mikhael smiled a bit back, the mirroring army man in his mouth. He seemed to be enjoying it, but, covered in dribbly spit, he spit it out and smashed its head in dirt again and offered it to Alex. Raife winced a bit at the sight. "He must need more minerals in his diet or something. Honestly..dirt lollipops?"

Raife nodded. "I've met Levi. He hasn't though. Adorable kid. You're right, he's got a bit of exuberance on him though, I'll have to watch them when they meet. Make sure Mik doesn't feel threatened, or..hm. More winglashings. Weapon of choice."

Halo chuckled. "Wings are fun things. I want wings." She grinned and you got that same oddly sinister effect from her that you did her son, though she was completely unthreatening at the moment.

Alex looked at the dirty headed army man and stuck his tongue out and made a yuck face. "Heee." he replied instead, grabbing a foil bag of fruitsnacks and biting through the bag with his teeth, ripping it open. All the bright colored gummies fell into his lap and onto the grass and he picked one up (army man still grasped in his other hand) and stuffed it in his mouth. He liked the red ones!

Raife's smile turned a bit sad. "His...are a little....different." She shifted a little to give Halo a good view of her boy's back and pointed. It was clear from a good back view that they weren't attached, nor real. The black straps crossing over and over his body were holding them up.

Mikhael eyed the gummies. He could smell the soft smell of artificial fruit, and was entranced by the way they glimmered a bit in the sun. He reached down for one, then paused before he touched one, and looked up at Alex, as if to ask if it was okay.

Alex chewed his with his mouth open, like most kids did, taking it out of his mouth half chewed and then stuffing it back in to swallow it. He didn't eat a lot of solid normal food but he liked these just fine. He made another noise at Mik, so he could help himself, and stuffed another gummie in his mouth.

"Oh.." Halo frowned and looked at the little boy. "What happened? Do you know?" She'd learned that some guardians knew alot and others knew little or nothing about their children.

Teeth in Mik's mouth were a sometimes thing, huge gaps in his mouth telling of his age. He stuck one in his mouth tentatively anyway, smiling in thanks at Alex, and gumming the gummy determinedly. It turned out to be more of a sucking affair than a chewing experience for the little one, as he still hadn't quite got the hand of teeth. It was good! Sweet like juice, but it stayed FOREVER. His smile widened. This new friend was just full of treats!

Raife's face paled a bit at the question as she thought of the video she'd jsut watched a couple of nights before. "He...the one who kept Mikhael...before....that we rescued him from...." Her voice lowered to a dark whisper. "Chopped them off. They're...just stumps now." Angry tears welled a bit in her eyes.

Halo watched the boy and then Raife's face. "Oh.. my. Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.. pry or make you talk about it if it's upsetting you. Ever thinking about revenge on this guy? .. I could help?" Leave it to her to suggest violence as a way to make stuff better.

Alex jammed a few into his mouth at once if only cause he could and as they became fewer he stuffed the army man back in along with the gummies. It was already leaving a sticky mess all around his mouth.

Raife shook her head. "It's...okay. It's just a little tender at the moment." She smiled. "You didn't know. For all you knew, he could have been born like that. What with radioactivity and the like these days." She shook her head a bit. "Believe me, there's nothing I'd like more than revenge on this guy. But...it's not possible. Not for me, anyway. But some friends of mine are working on it. ...many are working on it. He's a very wanted man." She smiled grimly at the thought of Spencer's capture. It would happen. It HAD to happen, right? She'd get justice. Mikhael'd get justice.

Mikhael, meanwhile, didn't seem to have justice on his mind at all. Unlike Alex, he was carefully milking only his third gummy, trying to share a fourth with the army man, jamming it against its head lightly.

Unfortunately the army men didn't have good taste at all and never ate gummies.. which meant more for them! Alex sifted the remaining gummies and pickedout all the red ones, pushing the rest over to Mikhael so he could have them. Sharing was good, apparently. At least so much as he was told. he was fine sharing most things... as long as they weren't Lafe.

Halo nodded solemnly. "Well if you need help.. we know people. Alot of people. Many of them not classified so much as PEOPLE at all." She chuckled a bit.

"I know what you mean." She chuckled. She was quite used to People-not-people. "Well, if any of them likes to beat s**t up and burn buildings down, the gang meets every monday night at that forest on the edge of gaia at the witching hour." Raife wasn't quite sure what hour that was, but that's what Trance always said. She'd always heard it was the hour when everyone was asleep, but was sure such an hour didn't exist. "I, myself, have been informed many a time that I am not suitable, and I suppose I don't blame them."

Mikhael raised his hand in hello...or...thanks. Whatever the sign, it meant he appreciated the gesture, and picked out a grape gummy and held it up to Alex's face. Matched his eyes. He'd never seen purple eyes before. It was fascinating. Mikhael loved color.

Halo chuckled. "The people-not-people happen to be family in this case." She flashed a smile. "So is marriage though. Are you married? With anyone?"

Alex blinked his pretty purple eyes at the gummy. grape wasn't his flavor but he didn't relate it to his eye color. He raised up the sticky army man head right back at him and waved it.

Mik stuck the gummy right on the army man's head where the eyes would have been, had there not been a big gnawed gash, and smiled, as if he'd fixed something. An Alex army man! Wait...something was missing. He grabbed a handfull of grass and dumped it on the army man's head, covering his mouth with a shy, but happy smile.

Then he looked up at Alex, his hand still covered in grass, and offered it to him, palm up, a serious expression on his face, as if to say 'I trust you now. Don't ******** it up.'

Raife blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Well...see...my house has kind of turned into a depository for...misplaced young men, of sort....I didn't mean it to!" She added, blushing darker. "Most...men...don't take to that so well." She rubbed her nose a bit. "Get jealous and the like."

Alex looked at the army man and laughed a bit. When Mik lifted his hand Alex smiled and nodded. He got the message. He grinned devilishly and took the grass, rubbing it all over the the army man and shoving him down into the dirt again. Apparently that was a show of understanding.

"I totally get that. I was lucky with Wren. Surrounded by good looking men and he wasn't jealous at all. I didn't give him much choice though." Halo grinned and had that glow about her. You know.. woman totally in love.

Mik rocked back a little on his butt then forward, smiling, and nuzzling into his blanket and grabbing more free dirt with soft, tiny noise, he sprinkled it liberally over Private Alex Jr, setting him up carefully to stand, in the dirt. Mik smiled over his accomplishment, and promptly stuck his dirt and grass covered fingers in his mouth. Hey! They still tasted a bit like gummy. Score.

Raife smiled. "That's sweet. I've certainly yet to find the perfect gaia man for me. Some day." She smirked. "Some day, I'll find a man who can keep up with me, two babies and a house full of rowdy young men. Likely." She snorted, but grinned goodnaturedly.

"Maybe not a gaia man. I've seen some of them around here.." She made a face, a gagging one, "But hey.. a man from somewhere. Everyone has one. Or many. Just get a harem!" Halo's solution to everything was violence or sex.

Alex leaned over and smooshed dirt around the army man's legs so he'd really stay up. He grinned and stuck grass into the wad of mud, gummy and spit that was the army man's head somewhere underneath. "Yaah!" Alex also felt better that it was becoming late afternoon and the sun wasn't so high or bright int he sky now.

Mikhael rubbed a piece of grass off his face, thus smearing a cup of dirt across his face. Raife grinned. He looked so fine and almost normal, smeared with dirt like little boys did. She made a mental note to remember to prep a muddy patch in the backyard so he could play there if he liked. She reached over, and gently tucked the costume wings back into folded position -they had a built in mechanism for realism, but it wasn't automatic- so they wouldn't get covered in dirt like the rest of him. The wings were difficult to wash. Much more difficult than a relatively passive baby. Mikhael jerked a bit as she touched him, nervously looking back, then relaxing, satisfied it was her. He smeared his hands in the dirt, smoothing the area around the army man gently.

"I..would LOVE a harem."

Halo laughed. "We sorta have a harem in our house. Medusa's.. not like the myth medusa.. more like Nagas.. but not." She chuckled. "Half man half snakes. Except for one who's female. One of them who calls himself Baron says he rules it but he sort of lays around like a fat sultan and plays with the pretty boys." She shook her head. "You should come visit us at the house. Mikhael might like it there with the other kids. They know how to behave. Wren and I have 4 sons around the same age and Wren has another boy named Freyr who babysits. Very quiet, polite and studious." Halo sounded like a woman in a house full of men as wel, though there was certainly something masculine about her. Perhaps her tough demeanour.. and combat boots.

Alex looked at the wings. he didn't have those. They were pretty. "Ah!" he pointed with a grubby finger and then looked at his own back. But he just smiled. Lafe had a tail and he didn't have that either. He knew people were different. "Raa!" He showed his fangs. See! He had those!

Mikhael scooted a little closer, and, while Raife watched in amazement, turned around and yanked his fake wings back open, so Alex could examine. Although, even as a baby, he knew that they weren't real, and that his real wings weren't right anymore, and hidden, he preferred them that way. Extremely self-aware of his own appearance, even as a child. He wanted his new friend to see his pretty wings. Like they were. Not those horrible mangled things that looked like they didn't belong there. He was afraid Alex wouldn't like him if he showed him the real ones.

He had to admit that Alex's fangs frigtened him a little. They looked sharp like scalpels. He trusted his new friend, but he didn't quite trust those fangs.

Alex saw the wings and clapped hismessy hands a bit. He wished he had somehting cooler. To show but he didn't have weird appendages. He just had.. purple eyes and fluffy hair and pointy ears and fangs. Alex just looked at him and smiled a bit. What he did wasn't really physical at all. It was just a feeling. He just gave Mik a feeling in his mind that he was there and he could touch it. It wasn't something to be described or tangible.. just a feeling. With Mikhael's unguarded mind it was easy.. especially since Alex was just a baby himself and stretching his own 'wings' so to speak.

Mik jolted a bit, and looked around, a bit confused for a moment, looking for who made that happen, before realizing that it felt like Alex. It felt like playing army men with alex..that feeling of him just...being there...except, inside his head. Mikhael tapped his head a bit, furrowing his brow a bit confusedly, as if to try and touch that thought. He turned around and looked at Alex again quizzically, his mouth a little surprised "O".

Alex didn't do it again. He didn't know if he could do it again right now. He didn't think about doing it again. he just grinned and waved his hands again with a fanged grin.

Halo watched the boys. "I think they made friends. Always a good thing.." The woman smiled again and looked up at the sky. "I think it may be time to go home though. Getting time for dinner." Alex turned his head at the thought of home... Not that he didn't like Mikhael, but home meant Lafe.. and food and bed. Babies thoughts were so simple. "Yaah!" He waved the non muddy army man at his mother.

"I think Alex agrees about home." She started to pack things up again. Taking the clean army man and the trash and putting it in her bag along with the plushie that was untouched.

Raife chuckled. "It is getting a bit late, and it looks like your little man has home on his mind indeed." Mikhael frowned a bit, looking about to cry. He understood that people went away when they picked their stuff up. Thankfully, Raife caught the look, before it escalated into actual tears. She crouched next to Mikhael and tucked him in close.

"Bebe, I know you're really young, and it's hard to get this, but you know that people come back after they leave. I know you made a new friend, and were excited playing with him, but this isn't like how it used to be. Just because someone leaves doesn't mean you'll never see them again. Remember how Trance leaves and comes back?"

Mikhael gurgled sadly, and seemed to be thinking about this, and debating whether or not to cry. He mewled instead softly, and pressed his face in Raife's neck. She scooped him up and his dirt covered jacket in separate hands, the baby wiggling into her neck.

"Say bye to Alex. Same as hello." She demonstrated by lifting her hand, mirroring Mik's own patented stiff hand lift hello. He raised his hand a little, trying to stifle back a pout.

Alex waved too and picked up the buried and gummy army man. Instead of taking it home he offered it out to Mikhael. "Haa!" It was for him. So he could take it home. Maybe he wouldn't make that sad face.

Mikhael's tiny hands grasped the army man gently, and stared at it, then looked at Alex, as if to ask him if it really was for him. He bit his lip a little, then grasped wildly at his jacket, and yanked off one of the very blue longer feathers and poked it at Alex in exchange with his other hand, holding it in his outstretched palm. It fluttered in his hand and threatened to fly away in the wind. He was indeed smiling again now. If Alex'd given him something precious like a toy, he might actually see him again!

Alex took the blue feather and let him have the army man. Blue feathers were pretty. He held onto it and waved again.

Halo picked up Alex from where he sat finally, after she put her bag back on. "It was nice meeting you both.." She hefted Alex onto her hip and he held onto the feather and let his face come more out of the cape now that the sun was going down. "Hopefully you'll come by and visit. Lafe and Alex will be happy to have someone else to play with."

Raife smiled. "That'd be lovely. And you're all welcome back at my house as well, if you'd like. Anytime." She scooped up her boy and nestled him in close. "I'm sure we'll see you around the headquarters or something in the meantime." She brushed off the jacket a bit, and smiled. "It really was nice meeting you both. Thanks. Both of you. For making my boy smile."

"No problem.." Halo waved a bit and turned for home. "Always a pleasure. Smiling is what we're good at. Have a good night!" She waved again and set out for home. Alex turned back to look and waved his new feather at Mik and Raife as they went away.

I can't believe it took me being home alone with a scary movie for it all to actually click. Well most of it.

Movie you ask? Why yes, mysterious journal, a movie. Interview with a Vampire to be absolutely frank. Interview with a VAMPIRE. VAMPIRE. HELLO.

I am a real dumb a** not to see it before now. Maybe I just hoped or I didn't think it was possible. Vampires aren't born. They are made. Yet Alex exists. I'd heard a legend once, of a vampire who had been born but that sort of thing was then frowned upon by the vampire communities and such children were destroyed for the threat they caused.

Could he be one of those children? Left and abandoned here in hopes that he could be raised and not killed?

He shows all the signs.. except a few. The pale skin of course, his fondness for rare meat and killing animals for a meal, his aversion to the sun. Though technically he should not be able to be in the sun at all. As a child, the sun should kill him, since it kills even fully developed adult vampires.

It's a bit scary though, to think he is just a baby. He's so strong and fast already. He already has a taste for blood and killing. Perhaps that's what Lafe is for. Whatever their tie is together. Perhaps Lafe is his salvation from going the bad road? Or maybe Lafe will go the bad road with him?

It all really explains why I feel so useless around him though. He will be fine. Vampires don't die from normal means. He would probably be fine without me. Sometimes I get the feeling that if he could he would just leave with Lafe but since they are both babies that they are biding their time.

It doesn't change me loving him. In fact, maybe I feel slightly privileged that someone left him here by our house and that he's even stayed this all this time. I know he's a vampire and that they are usually more intelligent than I could grasp, but I know he finds comfort here in this place just as he feels comfort with me when something is wrong and Lafe isn't there and he just crawls on me and snuggles there until he feels slightly better. I still view him as a son even if I know I am neither his natural mother nor Wren his natural father and even though I wonder if the boys even view us as their parents. It doesn't matter to me. Really.

I feel better now that I know and I feel much more prepared for the future with Alex and for when he grows. I know there are some quirks about him that I understand better now (like how he can sometimes seem to read my mind or I get the feeling he is testing my mental walls) and there are some I fully don't (like why his heart does beat and why the sun hasn't killed him) but I have a feeling the truth will come and knowing what I know now.. I am ready for it.

~~ Halo ~~

The Scout
Written by Wren

It was his duty to scout ahead, as Tantrum was asked by his superior. Except this was not an ordinary scouting mission that he had been sent out on. No, there were rumors floating about, rumors about the first returning. The first of their kind, the one that sired all of them. There were rumors about that he had returned from where ever it was he had gone, but that was only if the rumors about him being dead were not true.

So it was his duty to scout the areas he was sent to, checking to see if there were any more rumors about the potential for the first to be alive. If he was in hiding somewhere and could be found and brought back into the fold. It'd be a great boon to whichever clan brought the first back, if they even could.

If he wasn't dead like some of the stories told. The young vampire clenched his teeth, ignoring the irrational anger that flooded through him. He knew the stories, just about all of them at that. There were so many versions that floated around after the countless centuries that had passed. It was hard to tell which was truth and which was fiction, but the vampires knew their version to be truth. There was trickery and deceit, at the hands of the fae ...

Tantrum froze instantly, his attention on a couple that were situated on the front porch of their home. The woman was stretched out on a porch swing, long lanky legs hanging over the edge and her head in the man's lap. He could've cared less about the sounds of their voices, the conversation they were having. It was the children that caught his attention, there was something about them that called to him. Letting himself slip closer, he was still cloaked in shadows and darkness, invisible to the eyes of most.

There was faint growling that he could hear from both children who seemed to be locked in mock battle. Tantrum moved to where he was crouching down in the bushes, watching the pair of children unseen by them or the adults. The mock battle continued until the child with black hair came out on top, gnawing gently on a fuzzy ear of the other. A small playful whine escaped the lips of the other child and he wriggled helplessly under the onslaught, but he did not seem bothered by it at all.

It was not the behavior of the two that struck Tantrum, once he had his first good look at them, but rather their appearances. The child with deathly pale skin and startling lavender eyes continued to n** at the fuzzy ear of the other child, a pair of fangs glinted in the light of the moon and for a moment Tantrum had to wonder if it was possible for a babe to be a vampire.

And then when looking at the other child, the irrational anger returned from not so long ago. Two soft ears were on top of brassy hair and a shock white tail swished back and forth rapidly. There was a quality to the boy's eyes, the way they glinted and glimmered in the light, that spoke of something else entirely. The scent of death was around both children, but it was the eyes of this one that told what he was.

This one, this one was fae.

Clamping down on the urge to snap the fae's neck immediately, Tantrum found himself trying to listen in to the conversation of the adults present. The two that were apparently watching after the children. It was better, he reasoned, than immediately doing what he wanted. Fae were not to be trusted and best had as a meal, their blood exotic to the vampire -- it held a quality, a taste, that most did not. It was intoxicating.

"... still," the woman started, turning so that her back was to the tussling toddlers and facing the man, "it's creepy. A baby vampire." Tantrum himself cut back on the surprise he felt, the urge to make a sound at that small fact. It made sense though, but hearing confirmation only meant he had something vital to pass back along to his superiors. He may not have found the first, but finding a child who was of their kind potentially meant a lot more. A cursory look at the growing baby, who seemed happy to have the fae nuzzling up against him and getting comfortable, was not enough to tell him which of the powers he possessed or the clan he could be a part of.

"Mm," the man just made a small noise of agreement, his attention obviously elsewhere. A sudden yelp brought Tantrum's attention back to the adults. Apparently the woman had pinched the man's arm lightly.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, voice curious. She turned again, so that she was on her back and her legs swinging a little over the edge of the seat.

"Just that if Alex is a vampire and Lafe is fae," the man replied, a sheepish look on his face. These two adults, they were more than meets the eye, Tantrum could sense it. He just didn't know what they were, but they were something more than human, particularly the man. "... it's just that a pooka and a vampire, dear heart, it's not ... common," then in a quieter tone, that the scout stretched his hearing to hear, "it's all most unacceptable, because of things between fae and vampires. I don't think things are so different here, as they are from home. These two, they wouldn't be friends like this, normally ..."

Tantrum watched as the woman raised a hand and pressed it against the man's cheek, her thumb stroking the skin softly. It was a rather sickening display of soothing and affection and he could've done without seeing it. Still, he watched and listened, keeping an eye on the two toddlers as well who were content to rest against one another in between bouts of playing.

"I don't think it's a problem with these two, Wren. Don't worry about something if it doesn't need worrying about, I seriously doubt anything comes between those two. ... they're rather attached," the woman finished with a chuckle, a wave of her hand directed at Lafe and Alex, respectively. The two were piled up on one another, Lafe mostly hidden underneath Alex's cloak and Alex nibbling on one of Lafe's ears a bit. He didn't seem to mind the fur at all.

Probably leeching warmth off of the thing, Tantrum thought, and he doesn't know better than to associate with fae. A pooka no less! With a mental snort of disgust, the scout continued his watching of the adults and the two babes. Soon, he would have to go report, but not before he did something about the fae. He simply could not leave without taking action against the deceitful thing.

Fae were not to be trusted and it was usually best if they were killed on sight, but Tantrum was not in the mood to be so easily forgiving of the pooka.

He waited until the toddlers were picked up by their adults and carried into the house. Then it was just a matter of ghosting after them and figuring out which room the toddlers slept in. Except that the two did not go to sleep immediately, but rather stayed up for longer playing in their crib with the stuffed animals and once again locked in mock battle.

Eventually, sometime before the first light of dawn, they did fall asleep and it was then that Tantrum slipped into the room. Carefully, without making noise or even breathing, he looked about the various shelves and hiding spots for the perfect location. Eventually he found one on a shelf not even five feet away from the crib. It was towards the back, behind all the various knick knacks and other items that lined the shelf. There was a layer of dust that spoke of not being disturbed in some time.

The scout removed the blade from his side and wrapped it carefully in a dark piece of cloth, placing it behind the items so that it could not be seen. It was a special blade, one that he kept for the soul purpose of using against fae. Particularly the ones that were carried a weakness to cold iron. To some being in the mere presence of the blade would induce sickness and he could only hope that was what would happen to this fae. It did not deserve to be in the presence of a vampire, to be considered a friend.

It was deceitful and tricky and not to be trusted.

If the fae was not allergic to cold iron, then he would know when he returned, and he would end it's life another way if necessary. A simple snapping of it's neck would do the trick, but a slow and sickening death was more deserved, after all that the fae had potentially cost them.

Tantrum would leave and go back to report to his superiors and in his stead he would leave a blade of cold iron to mark where he had been and to potentially poison the sleeping fae in the crib.

And he was unaware of a pair of glowing lavender eyes that barely cracked open to his departure, before quickly falling back to sleep against his companion, or the fact that even as he was leaving the cold iron was doing just what he had intended it to do.

Slowly, but surely.

The night was calm. Calm and cool, for the summer, which was nice for the Concord family in such a large house. They didn't have to worry about air conditioning and could just throw open the windows and let in the breeze. Most of them liked the fresh air better anyway, especially the more animalistic members of the household.

The air was fresh and the breeze was cool. The night was still and calm and in their various bedrooms, the family slept soundly and deeply. Husband and wife's bodies were fit together like perfectly matching puzzle pieces, some children dreamt gleefully of hunting while others dreamt of riches. One particular pair slept together, gripped tightly to one another as if they were the only familiar thing in the world. Each was ill at the moment in their own way and found no comfort in anything but their own mutual company. Alex and Lafe only needed to be together, the two of them always, and everything would be okay.

Such a safe household. Such a calm and safe household, so comfortable in their own bubble. It wasn't much for a pair to find their way in through an open window, Alex and Lafe's window, and find what they were seeking. The pair came from the sky. They flew like birds but had no wings. They were as pale as death and just as cold. One man had seen this house before. He was the cause of one child's affliction and the sight of the effects brought a twisted smirk to his face. The other man was new to this place but by far he was the more important of the intruders.

He was tall and willowy with golden brown hair that hung to his cheekbones but always had a look of being windblown. Windblown suited him well. His features were of a handsome young man who'd not even passed the age of twenty five before they'd been frozen for eternity. Yes, eternity was what he had. His eyes were sharp, glowing grey in the darkness, and focused on the children who lay asleep in their crib.

He stepped forward to the edge of the crib and watched. "They are both sick ..." His voice was pleasant if not slightly musical and held in a low whisper so as not to wake the children. His whole manner made one think of a delicate yet proud bird and his flight was only a further cementing of that idea.

"Oh yeah?" Tantrum was the spy. The unwanted visitor who'd spent time in this house not too long before. He'd kept tabs on the home until the time was right. That time was tonight. He was neither majestic or as beautiful as his companion ... his boss.

"Keep your voice down, Tantrum." The man's whisper was dangerous and the spy muttered a low apology and slunk behind his employer. "This is the fae child?" He smiled and and watched the pair. "Funny really ..." He said it to himself, no one else, then stood up straight.

"They are very cute together. But I'm afraid it's time for parting. Tantrum ..."

The untrustworthy spy stalked forward but the look on his face was all too eager. He made in the direction of Lafe, the pooka too ill to detect the presences and too tired to awaken unless he had to. But Alex was as well and this was the sort of presence that should awaken him.

The graceful man, fortunately, caught that look in Tantrum's eyes and was not a cruel man himself. He really wasn't much for violence and couldn't abide by heartache either. He knew that both would come into play this evening but he would limit it as much as he could. "Tantrum I want you to grab Alejandro."

Three things happened at that moment. They were in no particular order and could have well been simultaneous. The first was that Tantrum paused and expressed his disappointment with a rather sour expression. Another feeling flooded him as well. Honor for getting to hold this child. And as he felt that pride he reached down and grabbed a hold of the babe as gently as he could. He had never been good with children, even when he'd been alive, so perhaps he should have been a little more forceful because right then the second event happened. Alejandro heard his name and cracked open his eyes.

He was like any baby, groggy. He reached to rub his eyes but found two hand wrapping around his torso and beginning to lift him up. With a loud grumble he writhed and held tighter onto Lafe, who at that moment awoke as well and became aware of the third event. He was being held down. There was someone holding him and pulling his hands away from Alex.

These three events led to a frenzy. It was like a snowball rolling down the mountain except this snowball was no accident and someone began it with very good reason.

"Grab him tight Tantrum. Alejandro will not break so easily, do you doubt our race?"

"No boss ... but ... OW!" Alex had snarled and writhed and in Tantrum's doubt the baby had been strong enough to yank the vampire's hand up and take a large bite out of it. He was still too ill to even register much of what was occurring but Alex held tighter to Lafe because he knew someone was trying to separate them.

"He bit me!"

"Hold him tighter! Get him away from the fae. He thinks this place is his home. He is going to fight for it. He is strong, Tantrum, as I'm beginning to doubt you are since you can't handle a mere babe!" Of course it wasn't as if the leader here was in an easier situation. He'd pried Lafe's hands away from Alex and held them free (though Alex still held tight) and not the wide awake pooka was thrashing. He kicked out with his legs and writhed his small body. His small wrists twisted until he could dig his nails into the elder vampires hands and wrists, and when he soon realized that Tantrum had finally overpowered Alex and that the baby's hands were ripping free of his pajamas (still clutching small patches of the cloth), Lafe went into a fury. His small voice rose into a nasal whining snarl. And he pulled himself up to accompany his scratching with biting.

Alex was not so easily removed either. Tantrum's arms were covered in slowly healing bites and scratches and in order to hold back the strength of the baby he hand to pin Alex's arms to his sides and hug him with the baby's back to his chest so he couldn't bite Tantrum in the face.

"NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYFF!!" Alex's screaming was enough to make the henchman wince but he held tighter as Alex screamed.

"Get him out! The adults will be sure to come. They may not have caught our whispering but they will catch that!"

Tantrum made for the window and as soon as Alex realized he could not get away his screams of anger became screams of despair. There was genuine sorrow in the baby's voice and as his small limbs thrashed uselessly tears began to stream down his cheeks. It was a sorrow that you can't be sure a baby should know but was obviously there. He howled as if the removal cause him physical pain and between his screaming, choking sobs the only 'word' you could hear was, "AAYF!!!! AAAYYYYFFF!!"

The pooka child reacted even more feverishly. His anger grew and his fury, even through sickness, got him gripped to the front of his attacker's shirt. His snarls were loud enough to counter Alex's screaming and filled with a matching desperation.

"Outside!" The beautiful man was beginning to look not so beautiful as he dealt with the fierce pooka child. He hadn't wanted to get rough with a baby but as he was bit and scratched and the babe struggled harder, despite his heart in some way going out to the pair, he used a slight bit of force. He slapped the boy away more than a few times before learning that it wouldn't work. He heard Alex's cries start to come from outside, not inside the room. He knew he had to leave and he could hear steps outside the door.

"Let go of me, child!" He shook Lafe hard, trying to loose the child from his shirt. He heard fabric rip and slammed Lafe down in the crib. The baby looked jarred for a moment and the man took his opportunity to turn and head for the window. A snarl made him turn again and he did the only thing he could do when the baby leapt at him with a rage in his face that was unfathomable.

The man spun and backhanded the baby. He smacked him right out of midair and didn't waste time even looking to see if the child hit the wall or the floor or went back in the crib. He leapt out the window in time for the parents, Halo and Wren, to come bursting through the door.

Halo saw Alex out the window. She heard him scream and the anguish of it brought tears to her eyes. "GIVE BACK MY BABY!!!"

"He is not your child! He does not belong in this house! Look at him! He is burned and ill from sun exposure! You are unfit to bear such an honor in your home!" The graceful man was floating in midair, his pale brown hair swirled around his face like a halo, lit eerily by the moon. Alex's cries had started to weaken. He was too sick himself to last too long. He whined and his eyes searched frantically, beyond even Halo and Wren.

"Return the child here!! I don't care who you are or what you think is best. This is a loving home. You cannot separate these boys!" Wren had stepped forward. He looked nothing like the mild mannered man he was usually. He was only in pajama pants and not even with his glasses but a dragon like tail was waving behind him and he had a large pair of shimmering black wings on his back. He was ready to leap into the sky and take back Alex. "You will regret this! These children will pay you back for this! In time! We will find him!"

The man in the air laughed softly, "This child belongs with me. In time he will learn that. I will teach him. He needs to be with his own kind and receive the care of those who know what he needs," he held out a hand, stopping Wren from leaping up in the air. "I wouldn't bother coming up here. You won't catch us. The power of wings is nothing to the power of the mind. Besides ... You have another child to look after and he seems to be in worse shape than Alejandro here ..."

"What ..." It took the adults a moment before they registered that Lafe was missing too. Wren's head snapped to a small whine from the corner and in the place where the babe had been thrown, where he'd hit the wall in a thump of fur instead of flesh, there was a frightened fox. It was curled into itself with it's ears back and its snow white tail was curled around to cover it's nose.

"Lafe ...?" Wren's pose melted away and he moved to pick up the tiny fox. It recoiled a bit at first before crawling towards the man's outstretched arms and curling against his chest for whatever comfort he could get.

Halo was standing by the window full now. "I will get you! I will find you wherever you are ... in whatever plane of existence you call home! I will get you ..."

"Haas." He spoke again and swept down into a mid-air bow. "I am called Haas. Third son of The First."

Haas glanced towards Alex as the boy saw Wren emerge again. Alex saw the fox and cried again, He yelled weakly and his pinned hands made grabbing motions, "Ayf ...!"

The fox let out a pained whine before he found his strength gone and passed out in Wren's arms.

"I'm sorry." Haas bowed again and there was barely a cry from Alex before they were gone.

Alex and Lafe only needed to be together, the two of them always, and everything would be okay.