Welcome to Gaia! ::

Valentine dodged most of the wing flaps - probably through quite a bit of practice - though she did get a mouthful of crimson feathers at one point. Of course, she didn't much mind. In fact, it kind of tickled! Laughing as the wand flashed again, she gently pried it away from Aricia's chest, until it sat between them again. "Would you like to help me show him the flowers?" She asked the baby, motioning toward the colored petals. "He likes green and growing things."

Rune nodded. "Been reading up on the myths and such, but there's only so much we can tell. It doesn't help that there's no way to know what's fiction and what's truth." She flicked a grinning glance at Aricia. "Ah, so that's where the wings come from. Is she yours?"

"As long as he doesn't try to burn down the kitchen cabinets like his brother, I'll be happy." Rune's smile turned a touch sympathetic. She'd been rather lucky in that respect - her 'initiation' to the strange and mythical had begun in Illuzen, not on Gaia, and it wasn't recent by any means. "It does get a bit easier, really." She offered. "It helps when you have kids, believe it or not."

"That's a daffodil." Valentine couldn't seem to stop giggling, her free hand petting Aricia's wings lightly. Her little sister Angel liked that. "Can you say daffodil, Ari?" Shane's wand flashed intently, three deliberate beats, as though he were trying to say the word as well.

Rune's expression became equal parts pride, cheer and sheepishness. "Fifty-six." She said softly, lips twitching with a faint grin. "It's - a rather long story."

"Da-fo-dil." Valentine repeated the word slowly, infinitely patient. "You almost got it. What about this one? Violet. Vi-o-let."

Rune's grin widened, though definitely still sheepish. "Very carefully." She admitted, sounding affectionate and amused in the same breath. "It helps that quite a few of them are teenagers now. And I have several friends that live with us, and they lend a hand."

Which was, she reflected, about the only real way to explain her six 'sisters,' their assorted children, and her own vast brood. As her friend Fayth had so memorably commented, Rune had the "bad habit of collecting strays as soon as she stepped out the front door." Eyes dancing, she added, "It's - sort of a family trait. How old is Quynh?"


Shane glowed cheerfully three times, apparently trying to repeat the word in his own way. Valentine giggled. "You almost got it." She ruffled Aricia's hair affectionately. "Just like my other little brothers and sisters. I've got a bunch. You look just like Angel. Well, maybe Angel and Daimon mixed."

Rune's lips twitched. "Occasionally, they are. I've actually been - very lucky. My kids don't make a whole lot of trouble, at least not here."

Illuzen was a different story, but that was a whole other ball game anyway.

"Find them?" The immediate answer that sprang to mind made the blue-haired young woman laugh. "It depends, but when I mentioned it being a family trait, I wasn't entirely joking. I always seem to be in the right place at the right time."

She nodded toward Valentine, voice soft. "She and her brothers and sister were slaves, experiments for a high-born mage. He made the mistake of hurting her when her sister was watching, and Morgan blew up his lab." Her eyes gleamed, and she grinned. "My cousin and I were there at the time, and we found Morgan - two of my other kids rescued Val and her brothers. We brought them home with us that same day."

Shane flickered, one-sided this time, for all the world as though he were pointing Valentine's attention toward the yellow-petaled plant. The little girl nodded intently, reaching forward to pluck the bloom and hand it to Aricia. "A pretty flower for a pretty baby."

"Gaia." Rune wondered how she could possibly explain Illuzen in a single sentence. Or even a dozen sentences. It was like calling Gaia 'a nice place' and expecting that to be enough. "I - originally, the Earth I'm from has a magical counterpart, Illuzen. I travel to both, and I've got family in Illuzen we stay with quite a bit."

Hey, that wasn't too bad. It made sense, at least.

Valentine giggled, amused at the look on Aricia's face before she held the flower out to Shane. "It's not a shiny." She explained to the baby, taking the flower and carefully winding it around Shane's wand as she spoke. "But - " The child paused, apparently considering. "Does Ari like shinies?"

Wow. Now there was a loaded question. Having heard the hint of hope in her companion's tone, she felt more than a little sad as she shook her head. "No. Dimensions, yes, but none of the people I know can travel to the world of the dead."

Actually, when she thought about it, Rune had to admit there were more than a few of her friends that would have liked that particular ability.


Valentine giggled again. So she was right! She'd have to tell her big brother Tex he was right. Most babies did like shinies. "Well, I can't give you Shane, but - " She blushed. "I have shinies."

Digging in her pocket, the child produced a small belt pouch, tugging the zipper open. A moment later, she held up a handful of charms. "For Ari."

Valentine beamed from ear to ear, a ten-thousand watt grin lighting up her face. "So - my Ari likes the shines?" She asked cautiously, eyes bright. "Make Ari happy?"

Shane's orb glowed, apparently pleased with this turn of events.

Rune paused, thinking. Maybe Lessa or Ev qualified - no, not really. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid not." She spoke quietly, rather regretful. "I'm sorry. Most of my friends and I are elemental-based mages."