Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Appetizer

Knot was nervous, restless and in dire need of something to throw up in. She had been assigned a most important mission by her commanding officers and she was not certain she could do it properly. After all, she spent a large majority of her life as little more than a janitor. What skills could she have possiblity developed that would enable her to be a decent ambassador?!

Or at the very least pass off as one?

She wrung her hands constantly, her lower body twitching erratically all throughout the journey from K'luwan territory to D'lawan lands. She gazed out the thick and heavily tinted glass of her transportation. Surrounding her chauffered vehicle were several military escorts from both sides. It seemed every precaution has been taken to ensure her safety and credibility on the K'luwan's part.

She whimpered softly and buried her face in her hands, ears drooping in dismay. She was horrible at dealing with others. How on angaippin was she expected to deal with foreigners?! What if she said the wrongs things? She always did end up saying all the wrong things. What if she slips up and blurts out military secrets? She highly doubted that as no one ever told her anything. What if she freezes and ends up looking like an utter fool and embarrassing the entire K'luwan race?! That seemed to be the most likely scenario.

"Greetings, one and all. I hope my stay will help promote peace between our two races." Knot chanted over and over again, hoping the words will eventually sound natural. As she did so, she tried to recall the exact words her superior officer Commander "Dad" told her.

"If you ever need to feel happy, just use your powers." He whispers into her ears.

"Sir, but I thought I'm not supposed to use my powers?" She asks in confusion.

"I won't tell anyone if you don't. You've come a long way, Private Mambabangungot, you deserve this mission. You know what it feels like to be treated poorly, and that means you won't treat anyone the same way while you're in D'lawan lands. You'll show them just how nice and peaceful we are and that we are no threat to them."

"Sir, I still don't think I'm good enough, but do you think I'll be able to use my powers on a D'lawan?" She bites her lower lip in concern, eyes downcast in pre-empted shame.

"You'll manage to cope even if you won't be able to use your powers on anyone over there." He gives her a rare smile and a gentle pat on her head. It was his ultimate sign of approval and acceptance, and it was the first time Knot ever saw the Commander's fatherly side first hand. Normally he was the most cruel, the most vicious and most unconcerned about her. Had she really done excellently in the tests that she proved herself worthy?

No, that couldn't be right. Maybe, maybe this was all just an elaborate way to get rid of her. This was a punishment, not a mission. She was being exiled away from her home, away from those she trusts (although not necessarily likes), away from everything she's ever known and held (relatively) dear.

How could they do this to her? Her mind raged as her nails dug into her palms, painfully so. She gasped as she felt the skin break, felt the slow ooze of her iridescent yellow blood, felt her nails dig in deeper and deeper. She opens her hand, extending her fingers as far as possible. It stung, and it kept her preoccupied until they finally arrived at the consulate's building where she was to stay for a good, long year.

A row of guards lined the carpet reserved for important officials, and it surprised and terrified Knot to realize this was all for her. A heavily-decorated officer stepped forward and opened the vehicle's door.

Here goes. She gulps and rises outside. Several shots rang, it was the D'lawan means of paying respect, but Knot mistook it as an attack and instantly dove to the ground, quaking in fear. A hush fell upon the crowd that had gathered before they broke out into laughter. Bright flashes from photographer's cameras blinded Knot as she struggled to stand, her cheeks bright emerald from embarrassment. The officials quickly ushered her into the building and fended off the rest of the paparazzis and kibbitzers.

Knot was in tears, she knew she was going to screw up. She just knew it. Oh, why did they have to pick her of all people? They immediately led her to her room to freshen up before proceeding with the rest of the ceremony. After all, it would reflect poorly for both parties if the ambassador was upset during the press conference.

"We'll return in a few moments. If you would gather your composure, we may proceed with the rest of the formalities." A D'lawan officer stated as he closed the doors behind her.

I wish I were dead. Knot sobbed as she flung herself onto the bed. She wailed and moaned, and when she could no longer extract anything from her exhausted eyes she merely laid still on the bed. The room was silent, eerily silent for a morning. Even in the orphanage, mornings were noisy. Filled with chores and practices and loud yells from Commander Dad.

Amidst the silence, Knot's ears picked up faint voices. She rose from the bed and strained to listen. She could make out two people, their dialogue was vague, but Knot could still make out some of the words.

"How... pathetic... they're... such freaks."

"Yes, I... agree that... the ambassador was... hilarious. Are all... like that?"

They were talking about her! Knot was accustomed to the whispers and backstabbing and the insults. But she could understand why her fellow K'luwan said such things, they've known her and have the evidence they needed to say so. But these D'lawans have only seen her briefly and they've already passed judgement!? How dare they!

She opened the door and peered out to find two guards talking to each other. The voices belonged to these two, Knot was certain of that. She fixed her gaze on them, So, I'm hilarious am I? What else do you two find funny?

Her eyes began to glow, as did the mark on her back. A light mist seemed to pull out from the D'lawan officers and it headed towards Knot. She blinked in curiosity and accidentally inhaled it. She fell back, coughing and sputtering for a split-second before her lungs cleared and she felt different.

Happy. Calm. Content. These were but a few words that would properly describe her state of mind. Visions of wonderful, beautiful moments danced behind her closed lids, like a picture being shown against a white screen.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" they asked in concern, finding Knot lying on the floor.

She opened her eyes and smiled at them. Wordlessly she stood up and headed outside.

To the two guards, it was obvious Knot was ready for the ceremonies. They did notice that there was an unusual but faint scent about her. One of the guards thought she smelled like toast and honey, the other thought she smelled of his lover's lipstick. Neither spoke of this, for neither realized just what it was they were smelling. They just knew that they had encountered this scent before, but they couldn't remember where.

Confidential

The K'luwan file records are always kept in a neat, orderly fashion. Data, histories, and other information are stored in a manner that enable quick and easy retrieval. So when a file isn't found, no matter how much one searches (or bribes for that matter), it can only mean one of two things: Said file never existed in the first place. Or said file and all those related to it has been destroyed and rendered non-existent.

Mambabangungot's file falls under the latter.

Prior to its untimely encounter with a shredder, the incinerator, followed by the closest water source (which in this case is the toilet), the file contained little more than her birthdate, her performance and military evaluations as well as the details of her final mission.

Namely to further develop her abilities and to subtly slaughter filthy D'lawans in the process. The records of her success rate and details of how she had accomplished her mission is kept elsewhere. Stored under a different filename, managed by only the top officers, and its very existence is denied to the fullest.

The last thing ever written in Knot's file was the psychological evaluation that led to her exile in Gaia. But of course certain details will be omitted and changed once the K'luwan manages to wipe out the D'lawans in the future. Knot would be regarded a heroine and a martyr who died for her people.

Irony of ironies if history were ever to find out she had wanted to die from day one of her trial.

The press and the media were forbidden from entering the courtroom, but they somehow managed to find a way in (journalists always do). The only evidence of this were the photographs of Knot circulating in the tabloid. She was being led to the witness stand, her head hung, dark hair covering her face. She was dressed in nothing but chains for the last time she was given clothing, she tried to smother herself with the garments.

Those details were left out of the tabloids, and the paparazzi played up the cruelty and mistreatment the D'lawans had with the K'luwan ambassador. Public outrage (not to mention heavy pressure from the K'luwan military) clamored that Knot be spared of an execution.

There didn't seem to be a proper punishment for Knot, until the two Angaippin representatives for the ICRS council had returned upon hearing the scandal on their homeplanet. After psychological tests were made, they suggested Knot be entered into the ICRS program.

"What does that mean?" Knot asked, brows furrowed in confusion as the representatives told her of her fate.

"It means your punishment will be carried out elsewhere."

"You're getting rid of me again?" She blinked in disbelief. "Wasn't being ordered to live with the D'lawans a punishment in itself?"

"This is the best solution we could come up with. The D'lawans don't want you returning to homebase, but they don't want to keep you here either. No one is going to let you die."

"But I'm willing to die..." she whimpered, she had almost said she wanted to die.

"Don't worry, it won't be permanent. We need you alive, your people need you to live even if it is in a different planet altogether. We've received word that there is a willing candidate to ensure your safety in this small planet called Gaia."

Before the representative could say anymore, he heard the D'lawan guard collapse to the floor, sobbing madly. Surrounding Knot was a hazy blue mist, in her right hand she held multicolored marbles, cupped in her left hand was a thick, viscous salmon-pink ooze.

"Is that-"

"His hopes, dreams and memories. I might as well get as many of them as I can before you all ship me off and forget about me."

Who's The Boss?

The way back home shouldn't take long, forty minutes or an hour tops. So why did it take Irlan nearly three hours to get back to his apartment? Well, it's a rather boring story really, realization sunk in when he and the infant were a couple of blocks away from Archie and Dixie. What sort of realization, you might ask.

"D'rek! I'm now responsible for you!?" Irlan gawked, holding out the little girl in front of him. He stared at her pink-ish violet skin, wondering what sort of sun her planet had to cause that sort of skin. He sniffed at her emerald hair, noting that she smelled like worn leather and metal (possibly due to spending so much time in the space pod). He clucked his tongue at the sight of her clothes, or lack thereof as the white cloth wrapped around her torso and trailing downwards could not be considered as a garment. Finally, his dark violet eyes noticed the odd look in her eyes.

It was somewhat similar to the empty stare of a slave he met in the Firenal jungles. The keyword being somewhat. Certainly the infant's eyes had signs of resignation, but while the slave had broken will mixed in, the girl had resentment. Irlan was certainly intrigued to know what the kid had gone through to have these eyes.

"Great, now I have to feed you, bathe you, clothe you, d'rek I don't even have a means of supporting myself!" He groaned, once again cradling the babe against him. He had a steady supply of money, Arson had seen to that but Irlan still had his pride. Oh sure he'd use whatever cash Arson provided to buy the kid her junk, but Irlan wanted to acquire things through his own means.

The infant made no sound, caused no fuss, she might as well have been a doll for all she did.

"You know, I could just leave you here, tell that Archie guy some crazed lunatic overpowered me, and stole you to be some harem girl." He chuckled. "You know, you're awfully quiet for a criminal who got shipped off here as her punishment. What's your name?"

The babe only glared at him.

"Okay, not the talktative sort, I like that in a kid. But in a woman? I prefer those with spunk, the sort who can talk you into anything." As he continued to ramble, Irlan turned round a corner and into a busy section of Durem. The streets were lined with clothing shops, from bargain bins, to designer boutiques, it was the garment district of the town.

"Come on, lets get you suited up." He chuckled as he carried the half-naked infant into a shop.

The saleswoman gave the unlikely pair a rather unimpressed look, which didn't bother Irlan or the criminal.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'd like to buy something for the kid to wear, what do you think won't look horrible on her?" He asked, half-thrusting the child towards the saleswoman.

"Do either of you have any preferences?" she asked.

Irlan shook his head, and the infant just stared at the saleswoman in something vaguely similar to disgust.

"I'll be right back with some selections."

Once the woman had gone, Irlan whispered into the child's ear "Just our luck we got a sales lady who can stand me, and just your luck I'm the one supposed to take care fo you. It's like you're cursed with bad luck or something." He grinned, "I think I'll call you Malas, it means Unlucky from where I come from. Wear it with pride, kiddo, I'm gonna be calling you that for a long, long time."

The woman returned with a catalog of clothes; inside were pictures of dresses, shirt and skirt combos, shirt and over-all combos, pajama sets, pajama with feet, and many more.

"You can let her choose by showing her the pictures, that's what some of the fathers do."

Irlan nearly dropped Malas upon hearing the "f" word. No, he wasn't a daddy! He was just a babysitter with a really long gig. His expression turned ugly as he snatched the catalogue from the woman.

Malas looked up at Irlan, and took note of his distress at being called a father. Inwardly she smirked and decided to call him that as often as she could. Her name wasn't Malas, it was Mambabangungot for grahd's sake. But she'll let him call her that name, after all given their current situation he was her superior was he not?

"I'll get here a set of these, and have them brought to this place," he instructed, digging out a crumpled piece of paper where he had Huni scribble down his apartment's address.

The saleswoman quirked a brow but said nothing, her eyes widened when she realized the people who resided in the area Irlan did were influential, rich, or both. A sudden smile plastered her face as she donned a sweet demeanor, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yeah, drop the act, I can see right through it." With that, he left the payment on a table and exited the shop. Their next location was the supermarket, mainly because Irlan needed to restock his pantry and now he had to buy stuff a baby could eat. He could let her starve, or just dump Malas with Huni, but he thought he was here already why waste another trip?

He gave her another look over, she had no tail, no wings, just really long ears. No problem buying diapers then. Apparently there was going to be a problem, one involving the enormous selection the Durem supermarket. There were just too many brands to choose from, too many variations, extra-dry, extra-soft, garterized, pull-ups, how the heck was Irlan to know what to get? In the end, he just ended up grabbing the cheapest packs and tossing them into the cart.

Malas was seated in the cart, the cloth still covering her body like a blanket. With uncaring eyes she stared at all the people, all the two-legged people. Why were there so many of them here? She heard, rather than saw, a pack of something being added to the cart and she turned to look. The contents looked to be pacifiers, and Malas frowned in disgust. Just because she was in the body of an infant did not mean her mind was that of an infant's as well!

The indignity she had to put up with these two-legged freaks. It shouldn't have felt too unfamiliar, this was how she grew up back in the orphanage after all. But that was different! The others were clearly her superior, and in that sense had every right to treat her the way they did. But these- these- disgusting, repulsive, poor-excuse for living organisms?! Oh they had no right to act the way they would around her, especially the cerulean-haired one who toted her around like some sort of doll.

"Yo, brat, you like mashed peas? I don't. I like meat, raw meat with lots of blood, especially the type that I can only get when I hunt." Irlan grinned in a manner that could only be described as feral.

Knot -who now would have to go by the name of Malas- inwardly cringed at that grin, What is he? She stared up at him, her face devoid of any emotion save perhaps of boredom. And at this, Irlan merely sneered.

"I don't know what your game is, brat, but when I say things like that, I expect a reaction." He glared at her with controlled rage.

Malas only blinked, she was not going to back down from Irlan. He was not her superior, he had two legs after all. Wait, did he really only have two? Her silver-blue eyes widened when Irlan begun shifting his form. A cry caught in her throat as a beast whose torso was plated completely in gold-scales towered over her. Long limbs, each ending in two blade-like fingers, reached out to coil around the shopping cart. A hiss preceeded the acrid stench that forced its way into Malas' nostrils. And before the infant's eyes could completely water from the foul odor, she caught a glimps of a lower body made completely of tentacles.

She rubbed at the tears to clear her vision, but instead of the horrific beast that had multiple appendages, it was only Irlan that leered at her shocked expression.

"Not the wail of terror I normally get, but I guess you've seen weirder looking s**t, eh?" He sneered, "When you can speak, you have to tell me about the animals in your home planet. I need to increase my library of beasts to get back at Arson."

And without another word, he continued to push the cart down the aisle. Arson had mentioned Irlan would be limited to turning his entire body into an animal now that he was in gaia. He just had no idea Irlan was still capable of shifting into Silarian animals.

Malas continued to stare up at Irlan with what looked like respect and awe. So he's not just another two-legged D'lawan-like freak. She blinked and decided that perhaps Irlan wasn't so bad. That is, until she saw him reach for these horrible, guadilly decorate diapers. He doesn't expect her to wear them, does he?

The grin on his face seemed to confirm that he indeed expected her to wear them. With a sigh, Malas resigned herself to obeying. Irlan may still resemble a D'lawan most of the time, but if he was capable of shifting into more attractive form she'd consider him her superior.

For now.

Give Me Some Sugar, The REAL One

Malas had never been much trouble for Irlan. The infant ate what she was given, wore what she was given, slept when she was told to, and did whatever else Irlan instructed.

It was downright weird.

But Irlan wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If the brat wanted to be all goodie-goodie and obeyed him, it was fine. Today, however, he would find just how much of a tantrum the little Criminal was capable of.

It started with a whimper. Followed quickly by an audible sniffle. Which led to a few tears trickling down her cheeks. Then the real waterworks started. And finally, Malas was keening like a possessed banshee.

The shriek was horrible, it was heavy with so much torment and anguish you'd think she was being burned alive while being torn apart by wild horses. Her lung capacity was remarkable, Irlan had never known anything so small could sustain a cry like that for so long and at such a loud volume.

"WHAT THE ******** IS WRONG!?" Irlan yelled, hands over his ears in a vain attempt at minimizing the scream.

It turns out the reality that she might be stuck on this planet forever just sunk in. She didn't like this place! She hated everything about Gaia. The fact that there didn't seem to be anyone else like her kind, the fact that she was stuck in a body with two legs, the fact that random strangers are free to just come up to her. But it was the fact that she can't use her powers anymore that truly broke her heart.

She hated herself, hated that she couldn't measure up to her own standards. Back then she could distract herself with someone else's dreams and hopes and memories. Oh grahd she had to rely on herself this time.

She continued to wail, the times when she stopped to breathe were few and far in between. It came to the point Irlan's neighbors were pounding on the door to see what was going on.

"Brat's throwing a tantrum. What the ******** do you think is happening?" Irlan snarled at the people before slamming the door in their faces. The Silarian was at a loss over what to do about Malas, he tried bribing her with tv. She ignored the screen.

He tried shoving dolls into her arms. She threw them away.

He tried shifting into a cute fluffy little rabbit. She coughed up on him.

Finally, he came across the packet of pacifiers he bought weeks ago. Ripping it open, he got one out of its wrapper and literally stuffed it into Malas' mouth.

And there was silence.

Wonderful, glorious silence.

Irlan stared blankly at Malas. That was it? That's all the baby wanted?! A ******** pacifier?! Several expletives later, Irlan had cleaned up the mess the babe's tantrum made. He suddenly felt something heading towards him, and effortlessy caught a small, plastic object. It was the remnants of the pacifier.

Apparently, it was a lollipop shaped into a pacifier. Looking at the package, he carefully translated the language into Silarian and realized it read "Ring Pop."

"You like this junk?" He winced. Irlan hated sweets.

Malas was smiling, almost blissfully, as she nodded, her ears wiggling. She had just tossed the plastic holder, not really caring where it landed. The delicious sweetness that lingered on her tongue was just heavenly.

Growth Spurt!

Irlan rose with the sun and in his routine he would bask on the rooftop in the form of a blue cat. He'd stay up there for at least an hour, soaking up the warmth and allowing his body to muster the strength and energy he'd need to shapeshift for most of the day. Oh who was he kidding? He was up there because he liked lazing under the early morning sun for an hour or two. Or four.

When he had his fill, he shifted into a winged monkey and flew down to his floor in the apartment building. He'd stop and peer into one of the windows of the other floors from time to time, just to startle its resident.

Back in his own apartment, he'd begin making breakfast for himself and eat alone. Then he'd prepare the baby food following Huni's instructions, which he would never tell her he does. Once finished, he'd go see if the brat was hungry. More often than not he'd find her already awake, staring blankly out the window. She rarely said anything, rarely smiled, rarely cried. Were it not for the steady rise and fall of her chest, Irlan would think she was one of the undead.

It freaked the Silarian a bit.

"Hey brat, you hungry?" Irlan asked, opening the door to 'Las's room, balancing in his other hand a tray of baby food. The sight that greeted him caused the cerulean-haired man to drop the tray with a loud clatter.

Malas was still in the crib, but she was naked. Not so much as naked but her dragon pajamas had ripped and left her no choice but to use her sheets as make-shift clothing. Why had her clothes ripped?

The infant had grown older into a toddler.

Malas stared blankly at Irlan even with the ruckus. She didn't seem troubled or disturbed that she was now larger, older, more in control of her motor functions. At least now she didn't need to wear a diaper, like she had been the past few weeks.

"You-you- d'rek how long was I up there?!" Irlan gawked, amethyst eyes staring in disbelief.

Malas shrugged and stared back at him, her silvery blue eyes as blank as they had always been.

Irlan stepped out and closed the door behind him. "I need to lie down. I know some animals grow at a rapid rate, but you can usually see the gradual changes. She just grew overnight!" he ranted.

At her guardian's exit, Malas took this opportunity to become accustomed to her new form. For one thing, her legs and arms were stronger, more stable. She could actually stand for longer than five seconds without difficulty. She was still stuck inside the crib, however and while she found that it was demeaning, 'Las didn't really have that much of a choice.

Staring at one's fingers and toes could satisfy her for only so long, so she opted to do what she did whenever boredom seized her. She slept.

She hadn't been asleep for too long when she heard muffled voices coming from behind her door. She stayed still, pretending to be asleep, her ears twitching instinctively at the sounds. The door creaked open and two pairs of footsteps approached her.

"See!? See?! What the ******** am I supposed to do with all these baby clothes now?!" Irlan hissed.

Malas heard a feminine voice tell Irlan to quiet down, it was different from the yellow-skinned girl whom she met when she first arrived.

"You can always keep them, you never know when you'll get entrusted with another child." The voice was annoyed, whether at Irlan or at Malas, the criminal didn't know.

"No, <********> no, d'rek no! I am not getting bagged down by another brat, I'm tossing these clothes into the nearest trashbin that they'll fit in."Irlan snarled.

"Stop cursing! Who knows what psychological trauma you're putting her through."

"Oh I forgot, you're such a wonderful parent with that precious little freak who can't even decide what she's feeling."

A strangling noise quickly followed and Malas dared to open her eyes ever-so-slightly to peek. Standing a few feet from the crib was a red-haired woman glaring at Irlan with jade eyes. Irlan, on the other hand, was doubled over the floor, clutching at his throat.

"Never speak about my child that way, or so help me, I'll liquify your innards." She was absolutely livid.

Irlan soon regained his breathing and got up, he didn't even look the least bit disturbed. "Don't make threats that you're not willing to follow through with." he sneered.

She blinked and seethed, "And who said I wouldn't?"

"Please, you're not Haze. You're too soft, Huni. Now help me figure out how I'm going to buy her clothes without people thinking I'm some sort of *****, as Malas learned it was the red-head's name, clenched her fists. "Fine! But I'm only doing this for the child's sake."

Ice Cream!

Walking hand-in-hand, as they usually did nowadays, Kappa was heading home from his mom's house in Gambino after just finishing up a Sunday dinner. Sizzla was nice enough to cook for him once a week, and the pair always came over early in the day so that Siz could have time to play with her new grandbaby.

Sev was amusing to her, and though she knew Sev was really a male criminal in a very cute girl body, she couldn't help but treat her like a toddler. She acted like one, so it was warranted. Unfortunately, she always came away from the beachhouse looking rather...girly. Today was no exception. Siz had tied her dreads carefully with a ribbon, taking care that none of the jello was damaged. She wasn't sure what would happen if she accidentally poked a hole in one, or scratched it. Could Sev feel her hair? It was something she constantly wondered about as she dressed the little criminal up like a doll.

Today, the poor thing also had a hint of lip gloss on, as well as some blush. Sizzla had thought that it would give her some 'color', though the pink smudges on her cheeks clashed horribly with her blue skin. All Kappa could do was laugh. When they got home, they'd have to wash it off.

As they walked, they passed by several shops, all closed on Sunday evenings, as usual. Just up ahead though, Kappa could see lights coming through plate glass windows, illuminating the sidewalk in front of the shop. As the pair neared it, Sev walked awkwardly a little faster, interested to see what was ahead. In her eyes, the lights were flashing in bright, obnoxious colors--Sev's favorites.

"Want some ice cream kid?" he asked her, looking down to see her staring intently at the shop and trying to move faster. "Looks like it. Let's go in."

Malas was furious, though you wouldn't be able to tell outright. Her eyes seem glazed over, her mouth a thin line, the only indication of her foul mood were her hands. Clenched in a vice-like grip around blue fur.

Irlan was grinning from ear to ear like a the cat who got away with eating the canary. Well, he was grinning as much as a muzzle would allow him. He had shifted into a cerulean-hued panther and was sauntering down the streets. How he loved the stares and the gasps and the frightened scurries of feet.

This was the deal, after all. He would bring 'Las to the ice cream parlor but on his terms. Malas, despite living with the man, wasn't able to forsee this turn of events. She hated the looks, and the attention Irlan got. In retalation she dug her nails between his shoulder blades and kicked at his flank with her legs.

Irlan didn't even flinch, he merely glanced back and answered with a low rumble from his throat.

"Hate you." Malas glowered.

Eventually they arrived at the shop and who should they see but Kappa and Sev! Irlan recalled the young man from the mall, but he could pretend he didn't. And he doubted Kappa would recognize him in this form.

Sev practically smacked into the glass door, overly excited to go inside. The place was bright and shiny, and somewhere she'd definitely like. She could tell already.

Before Kappa could push the door open for the toddler, he heard a noise behind him--the sound of a kid. And something else.

Turning around, he saw a panther standing there, with a somewhat familiar child on his back. He was a bit unnerved, as he wasn't sure that panthers were so great around children. But what kind of large cat comes equipped with a purple-skinned, green-haired toddler?

"Do we know each other?" he asked, looking down at them. "Miss Angry Face here looks familiar somehow..." He chuckled and looked back to Sev, who hadn't noticed the pair arrive. She was too busy looking inside the shop, her blue nose pressed flat to the glass and her eyes wide and glazed over.

Irlan purred low at Kappa before he strut past him and the winged criminal. With one paw he pushed the door open and entered, tail swishing back and forth.

Malas had been asleep during their encounter so she didn't really remember Sev or Kappa very much. But Sev's skintone reminded 'Las of how her skin used to be, and with this twinge of nostalgia she glanced back as she and Irlan entered the ice cream parlor.

Of course the people inside gave a shriek at the sight of a wild animal. But none of them could run out as Irlan was blocking the only exit. With a feral grin, he shifted his form to reveal his true shape.

"The only way to travel." He chuckles as he lowers Malas down to the floor.

Quite impressive.

Such was Irlan's 'entrance', and Kappa couldn't help but be a tad bit jealous.

"Dude, wow. No kidding! That was quite a change..." He recognized the man almost immediately now. They hadn't had too much time to chat in their last meeting, but he knew that the little girl with him was a criminal like Sev. "It's probably a lot easier to run when you're a panther. Good to see you again man," he said, extending his hand like most guys did when they met up with each other.

Kappa followed the panther-human-thing into the ice cream shop, making sure to grab Sev's hand and lead her away from the glass door. She quickly moved along behind him, practically skipping into the bright and shiny store.

As soon as Irlan put Malas down, Sev toddled over to her, ignoring the ice cream for now. She was more interested in the brightly colored little girl. Sev was envious of her pretty hair and skin colors! They practically screamed in neon through Sev's tripping eyes. Fan-tastic!

She would have said it if she could have remembered the word.

"Pwetty," Sev managed to get out, really thinking about her words as her brow semi-furrowed. She still wasn't very good at talking, but she did know quite a good assortment of words. "Colo pwetty!" She pointed at Malas' purple skin, and then, to her bright green hair, her eyes wide and joyful again as she remembered the words she wanted.

Irlan merely gave Kappa's hand a once over, an amused smirk on his face. "Yeah? Well, it comes with the territory of not being born a Gaian. And running isn't needed when looking after the brat. You leave her in one spot, come back an hour later she's still there." He leaned in closer to the young man to whisper his next words, "It's kinda freaky actually. Is your kid like that?"

Malas blinked in both confusion and suspicion at Sev. Was the other little girl serious or was she making fun of her? "Okay." she nodded, quite unsure of what else to say. Even if she were in her old form she wouldn't have said anything else.

Instead, she poked at Sev's hair, releasing a gasp of fascination at the jiggling, multi-colored substance. "What?" she asked her, momentarily forgetting why she allowed Irlan to humiliate her in the first place.

Awkwardly pulling his hand down--most people he knew shook hands, but he guessed that it wasn't normal for this guy--Kappa smirked back at him. "You're not a Gaian eh? Where did you come from?," he paused before continuing. "Sevelie and the other criminals are pretty much the only people I know from other planets. And well, I guess that is true. She doesn't move around much...but she's an odd kid nonetheless--she stares at things for hours on end, and she hardly sleeps or eats. I dunno...Odd."

Should Kappa have been concerned for her welfare? Even though she didn't eat or sleep much, she seemed to be growing, so he couldn't be doing too much wrong. If she started looking sickly, Kappa figured he'd just take her to the doctor.

Sev thought that her compliments would impress the other little girl--the one with such pretty skin and hair. But somehow, things didn't come across like she wanted them too. It frustrated her, so she decided she should clear the air. "Sev wikes you pwetty hairs anne skin." She nodded, pointing again to Malas' distinctive features and grinning widely at her. And then, after she giggled at the poking of one of her dreadlocks, she tried to explain her strange hair appendages.

"Deez my dweadwocks," she said, grabbing one of the stray jellylocks with an empty hand and squeezing it so it bulged. "Dey's squisheees." She nodded and looked to her hand, where the end of the dread poked out and squirmed around. Another dread that she wasn't watching had snaked out away from her head and was quickly approaching one of Malas' pigtails, hoping to find something exciting to play with.

It was not to say that Silarians did not shake hands or exchange greetings to show camaraderie with one another. Irlan knew what the gestures meant, he understood the reason why people were polite and civil with one another. He just didn't really care what other people thought. Every man for himself had been his motto.

So why was he now taking care of another person? An adult stuck in a runt's body at that! The Silarian didn't really know why. Maybe he was just subconsciously trying to impress Haze?

"Silar, you probably never heard of it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Haze hasn't blabbed about it to everyone she's met. Women can never keep secrets." He shrugged with a sneer. "You bring your kid here or was it the other way around?"

A bewildered expression made itself home on Malas' face as Sev expressed her thoughts about her appearance. The other criminal could only respond with one word: "Why?" she blinked in disbelief.

Focusing her attention on the 'dweadwocks' that wiggled in Sev's hands, she let out an uncharacteristically audible shriek (which sounded more like a squeak) upon feeling her pigtails being poked. Her ears twitched in discomfort as she instinctively pushed the stray dweadlock away. "Is a-laiv?" she squeaked in confusion.

Irlan only glanced back at the noise, "You haven't eaten anything yet, don't tell me you already have a tootache." he chuckled, not a trace of concern evident in his voice.

Kappa chuckled at Irlan's comment about women. It was just so true...Ichigo was pretty good at blabbing, he thought, an amused look crossing his face.

"Nah, never heard of it, you're right. And I don't think I've ever met this Haze woman, but I would have to agree with you. Women can't keep secrets." Kappa looked over to Sev, who seemed to be getting along well enough with the pig-tailed toddler. "I brought her--it was on the way home, and she's never had ice cream before...Seemed like a good idea. You?"

Why? Gee, Sev really never thought about why she liked things...She just did. And Malas' bright colors were definitely something she liked. She didn't get to see many brightly colored people...Kappa was no longer mostly green, so he was no fun...And most normal things were boring. "Aye 'unno. 'Cause colors are pwetty." She nodded a couple of times in rapid succession to end the chat of that. Sev didn't want to have to think about why she liked things. She supposed she could have told Malas that she was fun-looking, but she had yet to feel her out. She didn't look so fun, personality-wise...But then again, she didn't see the world quite like Sev did.

Sev giggled as the little girl squeaked. She looked alarmed as she watched the dreadlock jiggle and writhe, and Sev thought it was funny. She'd lighten this one up...at least she hoped so. "Weeellll," she began, standing up straighter as to look more authoritative--this was Ogalax shining through of course, not wanting to miss a chance at educating another person. "Dey's awive when I's awive..." She nodded sagely. She was fairly certain that the dreads wouldn't move when she ceased to be. Fairly certain. "Dey's part of me."

She wondered what the other girl would ask her next...

It was then that she noticed just how white and bright the the place was, and just how bright Malas looked in the daylight flourescence. She practica--no, she definitely glowed against the white background, and Sev was amazed, her pupils going a tad bit wider, if that was possible.

Irlan arched a brow at Kappa before smirking "It's about the only thing the brat will admit she likes. Sweets and more sweets." He made a face, "I can't stand sweets and it has nothing to do with how they make you fat."

Malas frowned, evidently unsatisfied with Sev's explanation of why she liked her. Knot remembered clearly that she had to earn someone's approval, that she had to work hard to merit praise. It made her wholly uncomfortable to know that someone was capable of showing her affection even without her doing anything.

To the former K'luwan, Sev was downright weird.

The jiggly strands, however, were positively scary and yet looked absolutely delicious. She wondered if they tasted like the gummy bears Aunt Huni had given her, or if they were more tangy like those small, round candies. But when Sev said they were alive, 'Las couldn't help but frown.

Not only did the other girl have wings and lovely blue skin, she had sentient body parts. And this gave Sev the complete advantage in 'Las's point of view. Reverting to a more submissive state of mind, her features softened.

"Sev like ice cream?" she asked, pointing to a booth.

Kappa couldn't help but laugh. "I hope that's not all she eats," he said sympathetically, shaking his head as he gave Malas another look-over. The kid didn't look anywhere near fat.

"I think I might have done a bad thing taking Sev to McDonald's last week. I hope she doesn't become too attached. I saw that movie, Supersize Me. McDonald's is not a good place to eat. I can't help it that it tastes so darn good though!" He chuckled again and moved toward the ice cream freezers, glancing at the available flavors before looking over to Sev, who seemed to have forgotten all about why they were there.

It must be nice to be a toddler.

Sev hadn't noticed Malas' irritation, and if she had, she'd certainly wonder why the girl was so odd. Wasn't it enough to just like someone for their pretty colors? Sev thought so. And even if she didn't end up liking Malas for her personality, she could always admire her loveliness.

Now, when the other toddler frowned as Sev talked about her dreads, she could tell the girl wasn't amused. What was so wrong with her hair? she wondered, almost feeling a tiny bit sad despite the joyous surroundings and pleasant company. Her wings flapped once slowly, as if making sure they weren't stuck in one position.

"Ice cweam?" she asked, her enormous pupils following Malas' finger as she pointed to the booth. "Is eet wike M-Fwurry?"

Seveile had discovered the joy of the McFlurry only days before, when she and Kappa had met up with Nyx and Jera at McDonalds. She relished in the flavor of it, the sweetness almost overwhelming on her young tongue. Needless to say, Sev liked sugar. She spent the next few hours at home, pacing around Kappa's apartment, pointing out things she saw in baby-talk.

"Oh the kid'll eat anything you give her." he shrugs, "So what I do is I bring her over to Haze's place and let them feed the both of us. They got food to spare."

Malas blinked, her face showing her usual blank expression. "What's M-Fwurry?" she asked, "Ice cream cold, sweet, sticky and wet." she added, maybe they were talking about the same thing only it was called something else. She doubted she'd be right though, recalling how the number of times she was correct were few and far in between.

"Never been to McDonald's, never saw that movie. We just go to the supermarket when we need stuff and I get the brat lots of clothes. Huni loves dressing her up, but I get to pick the styles. It's fun to watch Huni squirm in discomfort at my choices. She really should just tell me they're ********> he laughed, "Come on, let's grab a seat before the people here eat so much of this junk they'll each need a booth just to fit."

"Good call there. I take Sev to my mom's and she'll feed us too. I try not to make it a habit, but you know...sometimes I just can't help it. I'm not exactly rolling in the dough these days." He chuckled and ordered ice cream cones from the counter guy for both him and Sev. Bubblegum for her--he knew she'd think it was interesting or fantastic, either/or--and german chocolate for himself. Kappa loved chocolate as much as Sev loved sugar in general.

Sev nodded. It sounded like the same thing...
"M-Fwurry yum! Sounds wike ice cweam!" She clapped her hands together as she saw Kappa approaching with a cone filled with bubble-gum pink ice cream, fuschia pieces of gum stuck here and there. "Dis ice cweam?" she asked Malas, sinking her tiny teeth into the ice cream right away and happily chewing it up until all that was left was the gum. She kept it wadded in her cheek so that she could finish the rest of the tasty treat before chomping on the gum for hours on end.

Meanwhile, Kappa led Sev to a booth by the hand, plopping her down into the seat before he sat himself down.

Irlan shrugged, he never worried about money matters. Be it in Silar or Gaia, the cerulean haired man knew how to get by. That and he's usually a cheap b*****d and has only been spending for Malas to impress Haze with his 'generosity' as the red-head would never accept anything from him.

"Your mom's still alive?" Irlan quirked a brow, not so much in mockery but in genuine surprise. He ordered plain vanilla for himself, and asked for the sweetest, most fattening, most decadent flavor for 'Las. He had experienced that the ultimate in sweetness made her more interesting, far more interesting than regular flavors.

Malas turned towards the approaching adults and her eyes seemed to shine in starry-eyed delight. "Yes." she whispered in what seemed to be awe at the confection Irlan held out to her.

Holding a sprinkle-covered scoop of triple-chocolate-boom, he grinned at 'Las knowingly. "You can have it, if you say the magic words."

Malas glared at Irlan, she hated asking for anything, even if it was for the most scumptious-looking thing she had ever seen. Well, two can play at this game! She had heard her Aunt Huni and Irlan say things she shouldn't say and opted to reveal this now.

"Fak yu."

"Yeah, she's still alive. She lives on the beach in Gambino." He paused and saw that Irlan looked really surprised. "I mean, not on the beach itself, but her house is on the beachfront," he corrected himself, hoping to not get a rude reply about gramatically correct sentences and whanot. "She's pretty cool really. And now that I'm an adult, she's not that much older than me. But then again, I grew really fast," he said, taking a bite of his ice cream.

While Sev was thoroughly enjoying her ice cream, she looked over to see if Malas liked hers as well. But instead of seeing the little girl licking an ice cream cone, all she saw was the girl's dad teasing her with it. "Give ice cweam to 'Las!" she demanded, shaking her own cone at Irlan. She could see the irritation on Malas' face, and she wanted the other girl to be as happy as she was. "Fook yu!" she repeated after Malas, not really knowing what it meant. It just sounded fun to say.

"Sev! We don't say that kind of thing! That's not very nice," Kappa said, waggling his finger in her face as if to punish her somehow. "Say you're sorry to Irlan."

Sev just shook her head. "No wanna polo-gize dadee! Irla need give ice cweam to 'Las." She shook her head. She wasn't budging from this one.

Irlan wasn't all that surprised by Malas' words, he wasn't really all that concerned whether or not he was being a bad influence on the kid. She was after all supposedly a criminal from another planet, she probably knew tons more curses than he did.

It was more of the fact that Sev was taking Malas' side that amused Irlan. "Oh no, I can't give her the ice cream. She said a naughty word, and she should be punished for it." he grinned at the winged toddler in what can only be described as malice.

Malas blinked at Sev, did someone just stick up for her? Someone who just met her at that? And now it looked like she wasn't going to get her ice cream because of it. Grahd-damn it. Her fists clenched but 'Las forced herself not to react. Knowing that everything Irlan did was done in order to get a response from her.

"If 'Las says sorry for teaching someone a bad word, I'll give her the ice cream." Irlan suggested. He actually liked hearing 'Las speak, unless she was screaming in which case he wished she'd shut up.

That was it? That's all she had to do? No problem, 'Las was accustomed to apologizing. "I sorry. Now gimme." she warned, giving Irlan a rare glare.

The cerulean-haired man chuckled and handed the cone to 'Las. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he laughed, scooping the toddler into his free arm. He carried her to the booth and sat her down near Sev. "On the beach eh? I prefer woodlands or jungles. But to each his own, yeah? And do kids from Gaia really grow really fast? Or does it happen to everyone who comes here?"

Malas was enjoying the ice cream, an almost blissful smile was plastered on her face along with smudges of ice cream. She turned to Sev and gave the little girl an equally rare smile, "Sanks." she mumbled in between licks.

Halloween Preparations

A few days ago, Irlan had come to discover Haze had been buying masks of all sorts. Curious as to what the red-head was going to use them for, he managed to squeeze some information out of Huni.

"They're for Halloween, now get off!" she yelled at the blue tiger looming over her supine form.

"What's Hal-o-win?" He growled, running a paw over Huni's face.

"You cut my face I swear Haze'll kick your a** back to Silar!" She snapped, "I'll tell you if you just get the <********> off me!"

The low growl was soon replaced by a tsk-ing sound as Irlan shifted back to his original form. And yet he still stradled Huni, his face close to hers. Far too close for Huni's comfort. "I think I liked you better as an animal." She shuddered.

"Tell me about Hal-o-win." He commanded, grinning wolfishly.

And Huni did, she explained the nature of the holiday, how people (both children and adults alike) dressed up as creatures they only dreamed they could be. She told him some chose frightening monsters, others dressed up as glamorous characters, while others opted for animal costumes. "In the end, it's just a big excuse to dress up and get candy. Now will you get off?" she hissed, her cheeks were a very bright crimson by now.

In what seemed like reluctance, Irlan got to his feet. Of course he didn't bother to offer a hand to Huni to help her stand, it wouldn't be him if he did. "Meh, there doesn't seem to be anything interesting about Halloween, at least not for me."

"It's also the only holiday where people are encouraged to try and scare each other." Instantly Huni regretted she ever said anything.

"It is?" Irlan's expression looked like a child who had been let loose in a candy shop and told he could have anything in the store.

"Forget it, Irlan, neither Haze nor I go along with this silly Gaian tradition," Huni nervously warned. "And both of us will treat that day as any other day and if you try anything we will not go easy on you."

Irlan was not listening. In fact, he wasn't even around anymore.

He had sped home, a manic grin plastered on his face throughout the whole time. He burst into his apartment, not even out of breath as he gleefully began to pace about. "An actual holiday encouraging people to scare one another. I'm beginning to like this place."

Malas toddled in, dragging her stuffed toy on the floor. Light as it was, the doll was simply too bulky for her to carry. She watched her guardian's almost euphoric demeanor and felt the slightest twinge of curiosity stir in her. "Wat yu?" she asked.

Irlan glanced at the criminal, his expression uncharacteristically jolly. "Guess what, brat! We get to scare the living s**t out of people this Hal-o-win. Whatever the hell that day is or whenever it is, I'm going to have a blast! And I guess you could have some fun too."

Malas stared, unimpressed.

Irlan frowned at the toddler's lack of enthusiasm. "Did I mention if you dress you in costume and go to houses, they give you candy?"

The criminal practically lit up like a Christmas tree at the mention of the word candy. She walked up to her guardian, "Wen st'rt?" she asked.

Slumber Party!

Gist: Retta will spend a week at 'Las's, and Noi will join them for a night as a slumber party!