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 Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 7:55 pm
--Meeting Tybalt Part One: In the Store--
Inle-roo Both Inle and her feathered son were in high spirits as they entered the shop, the cheery tinkling of the doorbell reflecting their mood. Tybalt seemed to be chattering animatedly about some nonsense or another, and Inle, while not totally inattentive, was merely responding with smiles, nods, and words of understanding. He looked away from Inle as they entered to make his customary sweep of the shop-- --and stopped dead in his tracks. Right before him, glowing like a beacon, was a GIANT SHINY. Rather, it was a little person--A Tale, Tybalt could tell straight off--who was COVERED in shinies! He stood there staring a moment, sharp mind already trying to figure out how to relieve this unknown Tale from his treasures. Inle, confused by his sudden stop, saw where he was looking and rolled her eyes. "Hands off, kiddo. Those probably don't belong to you."
Nio Love Nio had chosen that initial stationary, and it was now in a little bag he'd been given after he paid. He had then taken the liberty of settling himself down for a bit before going home, and was currently getting to know each other. He had his hand palm facing upward, and Donny's hand was placed on top of it, smacking it gently every so often as it amused him. The boy looked up as he heard the bells jingle, completely forgetting about his father for a moment to catch a glimpse of the feathered tale.
"Go on, do you want to talk to him?"
Adonis' head nodded though he didn't look back, and Nio gently nudged him in Tybalt's direction with a soft chuckle. The boy let that urge guide him and toddled over, stopping just in front of Tybalt with a curious stare that turned into a wide, cocky grin.
He held his hand up to show him the book.. and realized his father had it. Oh no, how would he tell the boy his name!
Adonis flailed his arms gently to try and signify that Tybalt shouldn't run away, and toddled back to Nio, tugging on the book the man was looking at.
"Oh, so you just come back to get things from me huh?" He joked, handing the boy the book. Adonis took his words to heart, and held the book in his hands for a moment, before crawling into Nio's lap, placing a wet kiss on his cheek, and running back off to show Tybalt.
If Nio were a girl, he'd be melting in cuteness right about now. <3
Inle-roo Since Nio couldn't do it, Inle did it for him. "Awww, that's adorable!" Hard shell be damned, that kid was CUTE. Gently, she nudged Tybalt's hat atop his head, causing it to fall over an eye. "Why aren't YOU that sweet, huh?" Tybalt merely fixed his hat and blinked up at her owlishly. "Mum. Lookit, he's all shiny! ...can we keep'im?" Inle sighed, shaking her head in mock sadness. "I'm afraid not. He doesn't belong to us, sweetheart, he belongs to that guy over there." She gestured at Nio from across the room. Tybalt followed her pointing and scowled at the man who SUPPOSEDLY owned this shiny. Hmph. Something would just have to be done about that. His attention went from the man to the shiny boy in front of him. He recognized the Tome--he himself had one like it; he assumed all Tales did--and attempted to use his newly-learned ability to read on it. "Uhhh...Aaa-don...Donis? Adonis?" he asked, quite proud of himself. "'Hoy, 'Donis. I'm Cap'n Tybalt." This was said with a proud grin and more than a little bit of treasurelust shining in his eyes.
Nio Love As Inle gestured at him, he gave a little smirk, and pushed himself up to stand. He had decided when he first came in that Enoh had been right.. he should stop being such a wallflower. Might as well start here.. so he walked over, running his fingers through his hair in a nervous manner and giving her a half-smile. "Hi. You're Tybalt's mom, I presume?" How did he know the boy was Tybalt? Vidya. The answer for everything.
He held his hand out to her, his half-smile quirking. "I'm Nio. I believe you know my fiancee, Enoh.."
Adonis tapped the book as Tybalt read from it, nodding as he said his name. He pointed his thumb at himself, and grinned. Then he listened intently to Tybalt's words, and let a moment of silence pass, before..
"Hoy." He repeated quietly, enjoying the way that single word sounded. He bit his tongue, looking quite amused at what he'd learned.
Inle-roo Inle shook his hand, grinning faintly at him. "I know Enoh, yes...but she didn't mention you the last time I saw her. Congratulations on your engagement, though! Enoh and Vidya are awesome people. And I'm more Tybalt's keeper than his mom," she said with a chuckle. "That would make Vidya and...Adonis, was it? Soon-to-be siblings, how great!" Dimly, Inle hoped that Tybalt wouldn't be as bad an influence on Adonis as he had seemed to be on Vidya. One run-in with Inle's chupacabra was enough, thankyouverymuch. Tybalt snickered, more than a little amused that he taught this new boy a word. "'Hoy," he repeated, wings fluttering with happy excitement. "Yer shiny," he pointed out, master of the obvious as always, "How'd y'get so shiny?"
Nio Love "HOY." Adonis repeated in a much louder, more assertive voice. That was his only answer to Tybalt, coupled with a casual little shrug. He lifted his arm, and poked and prodded at his skin, unaware as to why he was shiny either.
"Oh she didn't..? Maybe she hoped to meet a boyfriend over here." He winked and grinned, obviously not too worried about this idea. "Thanks though. It's a recent development.. just asked her a few weeks back. And you're right.. Viddy's my little girl. I'm curious to see the two of them together.. we're starting to collect children like a hobby. Vidya.. told me your name, but I regret to say I can't recall it. Would I be so bold as to ask?"
Inle-roo Tybalt blinked at the lack of response, tilting his head to the side. No matter, he figured, raising his own arm to join in the poking and prodding. "Videe's yer sister," he said conversationally, having heard the adults. "Yer gonna like 'er, she's cool! Er, fer a Tale. Mosta th' other Tales're dumb, from what I've seen, but Videe's not!" His tone grew as if to accentuate his point. "She's me firs' mate!" he exclaimed proudly. Inle chuckled, feeling at ease around Nio; a good thing, seeing as she was slowly becoming as protective of Enoh as Tybalt seemed to already be of Vidya. "My name's Inle. There's other parts to it, but that's all you need to know. And I've got a feeling the two of them will get along well. I don't think I've seen a person, Tale or otherwise, that Vidya HASN'T gotten along with."
Nio Love "That's right, Inle.. I apologize for not remembering your name." Nio was impressed by how knowledgable Inle was in the reality of the matter that everyone got along with Vidya. Everyone should get along with Vidya. She was just as perfect as her mother. "Mm, she's a little belle. I can't see her not liking him.. though I've only been around him for a little while, but from what I've seen so far I think they'll get along fine. They're the only Tales in the family, after all. They'll probably stick together.. if they don't drive each other nuts."
Adonis giggled as they both prodded his arm, eventually stopping his own poking because it tickled. His bright eyes blinked at the idea of a sister, instantly enraptured with it. He had a sister? Where was she? Why was she not there to meet him right NOW? He looked around for her, expecting her to pop up any minute.
When she didn't, he turned his head back to Tybalt in dissappointment. "Vi-dee?" He questioned, waiting for the boy to fetch her for him.
Inle-roo "That's quite alright," she said with a nod. Sometimes it was best to forget..."Hey, if she can get along with Tybalt--and she does, surprisingly well considering how much of a little jerk he can be--her new brother should be no problem at all. And of COURSE they'll drive each other nuts; that's what siblings are for, right?" Tybalt stopped poking as Adonis looked around, after not-so-subtly checking his finger to see if any of the shiny stuff had rubbed off. "Aye, Videe. She's blue 'n she has wings like us 'cept hers're little 'n white 'n on 'er head, 'n she's a pirate jus' like me!" His feathers ruffled with pride at that fact.
Nio Love That's what siblings are for, right?
Nio's permanent smile faltered for a moment, almost falling. It was hard to make the man frown, especially in front of a lady, if only so that his own mood would never bring others down. However, that comment had just come at the wrong time.
"Ah.. right." He finally rushed to say, letting out a soft, sad little chuckle before dismissing his own aching heart and lifting his easygoing smile once more.
"A jerk, you say?" He murmured quietly, turning to look at Tybalt. "Vidya doesn't describe him as a jerk. In fact, she has nothing but good things to say about him. A lot of things, yes.. but all good."
Adonis eyed him critically. He and his sister were pirates? That sounded weird. Additionally, it made him just a little jealous that he wasn't a pirate.
He had no idea what being a pirate entailed, but he knew he wasn't one.
"Videe!" He demanded, pouting childishly. If she was so great, where -was- she?!
Inle-roo Inle noticed the brief lapse in Nio's perma-smile, but thought very little of it. Curious as she might be, she knew better than to ask; it really wasn't any of her business, after all. "Vidya's a bit biased, perhaps," she protested halfheartedly; inside she was soaring, happy at the fact that the bond between captain and first mate was so strong. Tybalt needed someone he could trust to be there through thick and thin, and she was glad that he could count on Vidya. "And she certainly doesn't know him the way I do. Do you know he almost got her eaten by a monster in our basement once?" This was said with a lighthearted smile--easy banter rather than an attempt to scare the man off. Tybalt blinked, confused at what Adonis wanted. "Aye, Videe," he repeated slowly. "Hey!" he said as if he had just experienced some great revelation. "Videe's yer sisser, 'n she's a pirate! 'N yer shiny, 'n yer Videe's brother! That makes you a pirate by def--defer--" "Default," Inle cut in helpfully. "Default!" Tybalt parroted ((ha)) happily.
Nio Love Adonis.. a pirate?
He looked down at himself, wondering what made him a pirate. Was it because he was shiny? Tybalt wasn't too shiny.. there were parts of him that were shiny, but..
And was Vidya shiny? Maybe only the Cap'n didn't have to be shiny..
He looked as if he was deep in thought, and stayed this way for at least a good awkward 45 seconds. At least, they might be awkward for Tybalt. He enjoyed the silence - it gave him time to think.
"More like a pirate's booty, I'd wager." Nio butted in, reaching out to muss Adonis' hair. Donny closed one eye and glared the other one at the man, before shooing his hand away and quickly brushing his fingers through his hair to fix it back toward perfection. "HOY!" He proclaimed in protest, before his eyes finally turned back to Tybalt, and he puckered his lips in final thought.
He finally nodded, accepting the offer. Yes, he would be a pirate. He was shiny enough. He would be the best looking pirate EVER.
Inle-roo Tybalt's claws clicked on the floor as he waited for some sort of response. Why wasn't Adonis as enthusiastic about this invitation as his sister had been? Was it possible that he had extended an invitation to the wrong person? How could someone that shiny NOT want to be a pirate? That train of thought was diverted by Nio's interjection, and he chuckled in spite of the thoughts that sprang to mind, all of them involving somehow stuffing Adonis into his treasure box. His short patience had run out, and he opened his mouth to rescind his offer just as the boy before him nodded. "Oh. Good. Yer one of us now!" Inle groaned dramatically, half-covering her face with a hand. "Hide your valuables," she muttered, chuckling as Tybalt merely smirked proudly.
Nio Love Adonis' chest swelled with pride and he grinned like a cheshire cat. He was one of something now. He'd only been here less than a day and already he was a part of something. It didn't matter what. It would be an honor for them to accept him into their little gaggle anyway. He figured it was Cap'n Tybalt's lucky day.
But what did being a pirate entail? He wanted to know! How could he ask Tybalt what pirates do? He pondered this problem for a moment, before pursing in annoyance. "Hoy?" He finally chirped out, hoping that perhaps the boy would just end up telling him without question.
"..Did my son just agree to be a pirate?" Nio asked, one brow cocking. "Well, at least now we know he'll get along with Vidya.."
Inle-roo Hmm...Adonis didn't say much other than "Hoy" and "Videe." Was he dumb like that dumb dragon and dumb Olivia? Nah, he COULDN'T be! No one THAT shiny could be anything less than cool! Tybalt decided to dismiss it as a lack of experience with the world--after all, he himself didn't say much the day he popped out of the book. No matter, Tybalt would show him the ropes until he got used to life outside the Tome. It was all part of his captainly duties...or something to that effect. "Aye, 'Donis, ahoy." "With any luck, that's as far in her footsteps as he'll follow. Did I MENTION that she almost got eaten by a monster in my basement?" Dimly, Inle wondered how many locks it would take to keep Tybalt and his ever-growing crew out of the basement permanently.
Nio Love "Actually.. yes, you did.. though I'm hoping it's not that bad.." Nio murmured, giving out a nervous laugh. She didn't mean a real monster, right?
..right?
"Ahoy!" Adonis corrected himself as he said the word in it's new, longer form. He cleared his throat, concentrated very hard, and gave Tybalt a one eyed, critical look, before uttering another word while setting his palm against the other boy's shirt. ".. Cap'n Tybalt."
He grinned cockily, nodding at this new revelation. That was the boy's name, after all.. too bad he still couldn't say his own.
"Seems like he doesn't talk much.." Nio murmured to Inle, his brow furrowing mildly in worry. "I wonder how come. Then again once Vidya gets a hold of him.. I doubt he'll ever have to speak again."
Inle-roo "It's not as bad as it could have been, certainly. No one actually got eaten...just scolded and grounded for almost a month. I'm hoping that'll teach Tybalt not to lead his crewmates into sure and sudden danger, but...well. I'm STILL hoping." Inle chuckled weakly; she had faith in her son's abilities to NOT get himself and the band of babies he led injured. Really. She did. It wasn't MUCH faith, but it was there nonetheless, and really, that's all that mattered. "And his silence probably isn't anything to worry about. New to life, and all. There's MUCH more interesting things to do when you're a newborn than speaking, I suppose...like becoming a pirate, apparently." Well, this was MUCH better! The kid knew his name, and he knew his title, and that was all he really needed to know in his first day of life, in Tybalt's opinion. "Yer gettin' there, 'Donis," he said approvingly. Wow, two new crewmates in two days, and recruited in such a friendly manner! He couldn't wait to see the look on Vidya's face when she learned that one of their new crewmates was her own brother.
Nio Love Nio paled at the idea that Vidya could have gotten eaten. Maaaybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.. but he supposed kids could be kids.. right? ..Riiiight.
He opened his mouth to ask her if Enoh knew about this, but snapped it shut when he realized that this was why Vidya had been grounded. Enoh was smart to have left the little detail of a monster out when discussing it with Nio.. the man was all nerves when it came to his daughter.
Now, it would be doubly so with his son.
"I suppose you're right. He just looks like the kind of kid who's got a lot to say."
But Adonis didn't have a lot to say, not really. The quiet in the stills between conversation said it all to him. The boy gave Tybalt a quirky, knowing grin, and decided that it was comparison time. He reached out and touched one of Tybalt's wings with his finger, before pulling his hand back and draping his own wings over his shoulder to point at them.
This was clearly a silent 'Mine is bigger than yours' indication.
Inle-roo Inle internally winced at Nio's reaction. "That uh...that probably wasn't wise of me to say, was it? Eh heh...well, I can safely say that nothing in my house will try to eat them for a second time, if it's any consolation." So long as they stay out of the basement...and away from any of the larger animals...oh, and probably away from the sprockets, too. No telling what THOSE things'll do to them...Tybalt instinctively pulled his wing away from the younger Tale's touch--even in as good a mood as he was in, he didn't like to have his feathers ruffled. He quirked a haughty brow at Adonis' implication, and his wings slowly spread outwards, his tailfeathers following, revealing the shining jewel-tones of his plumage. Quality, not quantity, his gesture seemed to say.
Nio Love Nio let out a nervous little chuckle, and mentally made note to never let Vidya go to Inle's house again. Or out of their own house. Or out of her room.
Ever.
(Oh yeah, like that's gonna fly.)
"Well, that's.. uh.. good! Then. Yes." Topic change. Topic chaaaangeee.. "..I'm thirsty. Are you thirsty? I'm thirsty." Nio was a brilliant, brilliant man. "We should probably get out of here pretty soon anyway, before Huni kicks us out. Do you wanna come get something to drink with us?"
Wow, that totally sounded like a come on. If not for the ever present innocent look on Nio's angelic face, Inle just might take that the wrong way.
Adonis didn't take this action as intimidating at all. He squealed at the colors, grinning widely. They were very pretty.. and the fact that Tybalt had echoed his own movements made him think they were playing some sort of game. He wiggled the tips of his wings to see if he reiterated the action as well.
Of course, the colors did not for one moment deter Adonis from the assurance that his were by far much better. His wings were sprinkled with stardust, and when fully unfurled resembled the night sky. To him, nothing was more beautiful than the night sky.
Except perhaps himself.
Inle-roo "A drink would be wonderful." And the higher proof, the better, she thought to herself. She could hardly take it the wrong way; the man was set to marry her son's best friend's mother, and while Nio was a very nice man and all, he was a little too...well. Suffice to say, Inle didn't date. Ever. Tybalt grinned widely, Adonis' reaction playing nicely to his ego. Who WOULDN'T like Tybalt's bright coloration? His feathers were the colors of fiery rubies, sea-blue sapphires, and lightning-laced topazes. Clearly, Adonis had good taste. He indulged his young crewmate, giving a few lazy sweeps of his wings before withdrawing them once more. He did have to give Adonis credit, however; the younger boy's wings were certainly shiny and sparkly enough to hold his attention for more than a fleeting moment.
Nio Love Liquor? Nio? Ahahaha. Haha. Aha. *Cough* Sorry.
"Excellent. There's a smoothie shop two blocks down, I passed it on the way here. Is that all right?"
Haha, Tybalt was trying to emulate him! Could he really blame the boy? No, of course not. Adonis giggled brightly, and in a move Tybalt probably wouldn't expect, he reached out and hugged him.
Tybalt was his very first friend.
"Come on Adonis, we're go- .. aww.." Even Nio had to aww at that one, when he turned around to see the wide eyed boy looking up at him with his arms around Tybalt. He put his hand to his chest, and acted sentimental.
"He is just so -cute-." So Nio was a bit of a mother hen. So what. Shutup. He's adorable. <.< He let out a soft snicker and bent down to his knees, holding one arm out for his boy.
"Ready to go see the outside world?"
Inle-roo "Smoothies...sure!" Inle said with not-entirely false cheeriness. Smoothies typically involved health-food, and Inle was a rabid anti-health food nut. She turned to ask Tybalt what he thought...and immediately winced, hoping against hope that he wouldn't lash out at Adonis. That Adonis would turn around and hug him was the absolute LAST thing Tybalt was expecting. He immediately stiffened, his wings folding in tighter in order to avoid contact. Since that first fateful meeting with Olivia, he had avoided physical contact with others as much as possible--after all, someone could only hurt you if they could touch you, right? He refused to squirm, merely showing his agitation by digging his claws into the floor. His head swiveled as he sought his mother's comfort, and was rewarded when he found her giving him a sympathetic look. "They really are so cute," she said, more to Tybalt than to anyone else. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, and offered him comfort. He's not going to hurt you, they seemed to say. He's tiny and harmless, and he's most certainly Videe's brother. Deal with it. Tybalt sighed, but remained stiff, his only consolation to the hug a pat on the other boy's back.
Nio Love Adonis let go of Tybalt, letting out a coo of happiness before hopping to his fathers arms and practically vaulting into them. Nio stood back up while picking the boy up into his arms, and shifted him comfortably.
"Great, then smoothies it is. They have ice cream too.. but.. I don't know if giving you any more sugar is a good idea.."
He spoke this to Donny as he headed out, holding the boy with one hand and holding the door for Inle to step through with another. After all, he was first and foremost a gentleman.
Adonis gave him a narrowed glance, as if to say he didn't have a choice either way.
Inle-roo Tybalt visibly relaxed as the contact was broken, the feathers of his wings ruffling and smoothing as if to rid themselves of any last vestige of the feeling. A tiny grin even cracked his face at the mention of ice cream, and he made his way over to Inle. "Ice cream, yeah! With chocolate seerup 'n squishy bears!" Inle chuckled, reaching down to shift his hat. "You mean gummy bears, kiddo." "NO. They're squishy bears," he replied calmly, as if speaking to an idiot. Inle sighed and shooed him out the door, offering a nod of thanks at Nio. "Whatever you say, fledgeling."
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 7:58 pm
--Meeting Tybalt Part Two: Ice Cream!--
Nio Love "Squish-ee!"
As the four of them entered the Smoothie Shop a few blocks down from the Stationary store, with Nio of course holding the door once more and letting all three of them enter before he did, it was obvious that Adonis enjoyed the new word he had just learned most of all.
"Sqqqqqqqqqquish-ee."
"Okay. Yes. Squishy. We've got it. You're a genius. Now how about trying to say "Daddy"?"
"Squish-ee!"
Nio sighed softly and plopped him down in a booth, sliding in next to him. He'd been trying to get the boy to say daddy since they left, to no avail.
It seemed he liked words that other Tales taught him more than any others.
"The only consolation I have in all of this is that when Vidya gets a hold of him, he's going to be learning a whole lot, real fast.." He murmured, looking at the menu while muttering in vague amusement.
"Vid-ee squish-ee."
"Yes, you're right about that. She certainly is squishy. Darn.. I was so hoping for a carrot sundae.."
Inle-roo Tybalt, in the meantime, chortled at Inle's side, thinking his new protege's antics were hilarious, and quite proud of himself for teaching Adonis his first words. He wasn't the only one; Inle had to cover up a laugh with a cough more than once, and nudged Tybalt as he crawled into the booth opposite Nio and Adonis. "Just try not to teach him any of your more colorful words, would you?" "Y'mean like fe--*" He was immediately cut off by Inle's hand clamping firmly over his mouth. He squirmed in a futile attempt to escape it as Inle looked over a menu. "Carrot sundae?" she asked, a thricely-pierced brow raised. "Doesn't health food in junk food defeat the purpose of both?"
Nio Love Nio reached over to pick the menu out of Adonis' grasp once the boy had picked it up. He flipped it around and put it back in the boys curious grasp, though Adonis looked at the same way he had when it was upside down.
"Feh."
"Ah, well you see.." Nio flushed slightly, looking a little more than embarrassed. "Carrots aren't health food to me.. it's a little complicated. If someone put a plate of the finest food in the world in front of me," He held one palm out, "And a carrot as well.." He held out the other palm, before clenching that one. "I'd choose the carrot."
He let out a soft sigh, hoping that he didn't sound too weird to her.
Adonis pointed at the picture of the biggest sundae on the menu, and Nio eyed him warily. "I don't think so buddy. You're getting the kid's sundae. I don't want you throwing up on your first day here."
"FEH."
Inle-roo Both Inle and Tybalt stared at Nio like he had just grown a second head right in the middle of his first one and it was making funny faces at them. After a moment, they turned to look at each other; another moment, and they went back to their menus like nothing had happened. "Just for that," Inle muttered, "I'm ordering the single most unhealthy thing on the menu." "Me too!" Tybalt piped up. "Hey, ice cream, chocolate syrup, and squishy bears, remember? Besides, I don't want you getting sick either. I imagine puke is hell to get out of plumage." Tybalt visibly winced at that, and nodded in agreement.
Nio Love Nio sunk down behind his menu as they both stared at him. Maybe he could just sink under the table, pull Donny down with him, and make a run for it now.
But then Enoh would be right about him. So.. instead he just ordered a chocolate shake with lots of whipped cream, and the kid's sundae for Donny, when the waitress came. He pushed himself to sit up straight, and looked at his watch quickly just to check the-
"Crap, how did it get that late.." He muttered under his breath, biting his lip as soon as he'd said it. That sounded so rude.. he hoped Inle didn't think he was trying to get away. He looked up at her sheepishly, sliding both hands under the table. "Sorry. Enoh wanted to take the kids out tonight, so I was supposed to be home at a certain time.. which was an hour ago. But that's all right.. we can do it tomorrow. I should probably go after the shake though.. I hate to rush off on you like that."
Adonis had found a fork. And it was the coolest thing he had ever seen. He was currently stabbing the table with it while Nio fretted over the time.
Inle-roo Inle ordered for herself and Tybalt as well, head tilted at Nio as he explained the situation. "Ah, that's quite alright. I've got a feeling that when she sees just what's followed you home..." she looked pointedly at Adonis, a smile flitting about her lips, "she'll forget all about everything else." Beside her, Tybalt was smiling. Not grinning, not smirking, but actually smiling. Why? Because Adonis had found a WEAPON, YEAH! Eagerly, he snatched Inle's out of her napkin and waved it in the air. "No, no," he corrected, holding the fork outwards, "like THIS!" With that, he began jabbing the fork in the air, stabbing an invisible opponent over and over again.
Nio Love Adonis' steady little jabs at the table slowed as he watched Tybalt show him the proper way to do it, and his fork lifted, stabbing at the air with tiny little jabs, waiting for something to happen.
This was far less pleasurable than the little thunk that occurred everytime the fork tongs bit into the table, and Adonis was just about to stop doing so, giving up on the idea that this was how you did it..
..When his fork slid into something soft and squishy.
He looked down, and saw the sundae there waiting for him, placed there carefully by the waitress. He didn't know that, of course.. and his little mind put two and two together.
Stabbing the air summoned ice cream? AWESOME.
He squealed in delight and began to stab the ice cream thoroughly. Wonder what stabbing ice cream would summon!
"Hey, short stuff. You don't kill it, you eat it." Nio sipped on his shake while picking the fork out of Adonis' little fist, receiving a whine of annoyance until a forkful of ice cream was put in his mouth.
...AWESOME.
Inle-roo Inle sighed as the waitress placed their respective orders in front of them. "Tybalt, he's not even a day old. Wait on the weaponry till you're both a bit older, huh?" She was trying to negotiate the best way to eat scoop of chocolate ice cream, which was placed on a giant chocolate brownie and was swimming in chocolate syrup. "Death by chocolate," they called it; aptly named. Inle would probably die before finishing the whole thing. "I AM older," Tybalt reasoned through a mouthful of ice cream. "'M older'n him." "Older than that even, hun. I don't need Tybalt the terrible toddler Tale running around forking people to death." "Promise? Promise when'm older?" he asked, looking up at her with serious blue eyes. Inle paused, her spoon finally halfway to her bowl. She didn't like that look, didn't quite trust it; Tybalt only looked that innocent when he had done something very wrong. "Sure..." she said after a moment. "When you're older." Tybalt smiled brightly before turning back to his ice cream. Inle muttered, "Not that you're ever going to grow up at this rate, immature little--" *SPLAT* She winced as an ice cream and chocolate syrup covered gummy bear hit her cheek, and remained unmoving as it slid off her face to land in her dish of dessert. "Direct hit!" Tybalt cried, waving his fork victoriously.
Nio Love Nio almost snorted into his shake as he looked up to see the gummy bear flung onto Inle's cheek. He tried to restrain himself, but it was hard to do so. The child beside him was squealing in giggles, flopping down onto the seat as he curled up and laughed. It was hard for Nio to keep a straight face when he heard that laugh.
He was only too glad that Adonis didn't have any gummy bears. He helped the boy sit back up straight, and sucked on the straw of his shake while feeding the boy forkfuls of ice cream. He soon gave that up and started using a spoon.
Adonis was only too happy to be fed ice cream. After all, he was the superior of the two. He grinned broadly, his mouth opening expectedly everytime the spoon came his way, and his little legs flailing happily underneath him.
Ah, this was the life.
Nio eyed Inle's chocolate monster, and smirked. It looked good, and he probably would have ordered something like that himself, if he had the time to sit down and deal with it. As it were, he was already finishing up his shake, though Adonis was taking his sweet time about being spoonfed.
Inle-roo Inle sighed, shaking her head as she wiped her messy cheek off. She really couldn't bring herself to be mad at him, not when he had made his little friend laugh so much...certainly not when he looked so happy. He had been happy quite a bit lately, come to think of it, and Inle was only now beginning to wonder why. "Eat your ice cream, brat," she said affectionately. Tybalt smirked victoriously, doing as his mother told him, for once. He looked at Adonis from across the table, wondering why on earth he wasn't feeding himself. A newborn he may be, but that unable to fend for himself? Hmm...Adonis' education would have to start sooner than he thought.
Nio Love Oh, but Adonis was having far too much fun being fed like a prince. It was a shame it had to end so soon.
Nio let the spoon clatter in the empty bowl, just as his shake announced it was empty by the suctioning sound of his straw. He gave his glass one look, and pulled out a napkin, wiping Adonis' face.
"All right, I think I'd better go." He pulled out his wallet, and set enough money out on the table for all four of their choices, as well as an obscenely generous tip. Before anyone could argue, he shuffled Adonis out of his seat, and stood up at the table, holding his hand out for Inle.
"It really was a pleasure meeting you, I'm sure we'll see each other again."
Adonis looked heartbroken. They were leaving?! He didn't want to leave! He wanted to stay with Tybalt forever! He showed this by shuffling over beside Tybalt, sliding into the corner of the seat beside him, and sitting there, refusing to look up at Nio.
".. Oh, so you're abandoning me already are you squirt? Come on, don't you want to meet your new sister?"
Adonis perked, his head snapping up to look at the man. "VI-DEE?"
"Yes, Yes, Videe. Come on you." He held his arms out, and Adonis looked to Tybalt, giving him a wide grin and another hug before climbing into Nio's arms and bouncing happily. It was about TIME someone bought him his sister!
He waved frantically to Tybalt from Nio's arms in farewell, "Cap'n Tybalt!"
Inle-roo Inle was ABOUT to protest, really...but then, who was she to turn down a free meal? She stuck the spoon securely in the cream-and-syrup saturated brownie and half-stood to meet Nio. "Likewise! Say hello to Enoh and Vidya for me, and uh," her voice lowered to a whisper, "give Vidya a peck on the cheek, courtesy of one Captain Tybalt, would you?" Oh yes, revenge would be sweet, petty and meddlesome as it was. She sat back down, sighing at the relief from the awkward angle, and chuckled lightly at Adonis' reluctance to leave. "Yeah! Bye! Go meet Videe, 'n ye'll see! She's cool!" It wasn't an attempt to get rid of the boy, far from it; he merely wanted to share his first mate, for once, with someone he could already tell he could trust. "Bye you two! And welcome to the world, Adonis!" Inle called after them.
Nio Love Nio blinked and leaned in as Inle lowered her voice, letting the words she said sink in. He looked from Inle, to Tybalt, then back to Inle..
And with a casual smile and a friendly nod, Nio vowed to never let Tybalt see Vidya again. Ever.
"Will do. See you! Bye Tybalt!"
"CAP'N TYBALT!"
"Ow, that one was kinda loud kiddo.." Nio rubbed his ringing ear as they walked out the door, heading with a quick step back towards the house. With each step he was more and more excited to bring his new son home..
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:06 pm
Nio Love After a while of walking, Nio and Donny had made it home. Nio walked up the steps, and took a moment, before concocting a little plan.
"Okay, do you want to surprise mommy?"
"Hoy."
Nio plucked him out of his arms and picked him up and over his head, settling him down behind his back. "Now hold on tight there, but hide your head and stick your wings out as far as you can. Okay?"
Adonis giggled at the little game, tucking his head behind Nio's back and spreading his wings out. they were a lot bigger than Nio had guessed they would be.. as he turned slightly to one side to get a look at them, he wondered how the boy managed to lug those monsters around.
"Okay. Now be quiet until I say so.." He shh'd the giggling boy, who stifled his giggles as best he could and hid behind his fathers back while clung to his shirt.
Nio knocked on the door, waiting for a response. .End.Of.Hysteria. Well, Nio was late. Very late. And while Enoh was very, very worried about him...there really was nothing she could do about it. Ever since they had come home from their vacation, Vidya had clung to her more than she had previously, ranting on and on about the past week.
Of course, the child left out one thing, but thats a whole OTHER story.
And as it was right now, Vidya was sitting on her Mother's lap, bouncing happily. This was, however, a problem...since Enoh was trying to braid Vidya's hair. Not just one braid...no. Many tiny braids. It was Vidya's idea, and it was Vidya who was giving her a hard time.
"Okay Vidya, Okay! Calm down, Sea Monster! You're gonna make me---" Too late. As she spoke, Vidya moved in a way that caused Enoh to tug on the rather long strand she had been braiding. Hard.
"OW. Mommiieeee...That huuuurt...!" Vidya wailed, her blue hands flying up and pressing down heavilly on the top of her head. She looked over her shoulder, giving her mother a puppy dog look.
"I hate to say it Viddy...But I told you so! Look, I'm almost finished. And then you can show Daddy when he gets home, okay?" Right after I scold him of course, She thought. Groaning from the look Vidya gave her, Enoh gave her daughter's hair a really light, playful tug. "And No puppy dog looks! You're gonna make me melt..."
Vidya, grinning at the fact she could make her mother melt, sat perfectly still now. After all, she didn't want to get hurt again! A minute or so later, Enoh had finished braiding this long, final lock of Vidya's hair; and giving the girl a pat on the head, the shapeshifter shoo'ed the child off of her lap and to a mirror.
The mirror was never reached however, since both Author and Tale were nearly scared out of their wits as someone knocked on the door. The mirror forgotten, both of them went to answer it. Enoh was pretty hesitant about it; after all...it could be bad news. Thrusting that thought aside, the shapeshifter opened the door.
...And nearly fainted from relief. Luckily though, she caught herself...and instead bopped him lightly on the head. "NIO. Oh my god, I was so worried about---Hey. Are those wings?" She had been about to hug him, but the wings caught her attention. Since when did Nio have wings? The shapeshifter leaned her head to the side, curiously reaching out to tough one of the night-coloured feathers.
Vidya however, bounced over to Nio, braided hair bouncing, and attached herself to his left leg. "DADDY. YAY! Ooo...Daddy Gots Wings...n'Viddy's got braided hair! Look Daddy, Look!" She picked up a handful of her dangling braids to show him. Her entire head, save for her bangs, was braided in what had to have been hundreds of small strands, little beads braided into the blue streaked locks as well.
Enoh would have very sore wrists tomorrow. Nio Love One eye closed as he was bopped on the head. "Heey.." He protested softly, making sure to lean back the direction Enoh leaned toward when she reached for the wings.
The wings, however, had other ideas.
Donny could see a hand reaching out, and his wing crept towards it, tickling the palm. He bit his tongue to keep from giggling.
"Ah.. well.. sort of. I've got more than just wings." He chuckled out faintly, bending at the knees to scoop Vidya up. He tugged at one of the braids, and grinned mischievously.
"I see that Smurfette. You look just like a pirate."
"Hoy." A little whisper of a voice popped out uncontrollably, and Nio cleared his throat quickly, acting as if it came from him.
"Ah.. yes. Ahoy, pirate."
He settled the girl back down on the floor after giving her a kiss on the forehead, and ran his hands through his hair nervously as he looked up at Enoh.
"So.. you remember how I said I was going out to get some stationary?" He murmured faintly, just as a lock of bright blonde hair crept up from over his shoulder, followed by a curious set of blue eyes.
Then his shoulder giggled. It was all over. .End.Of.Hysteria. Enoh giggled as the feather brushed her palm, retracting her hand. Dragging her gaze away from the wings, she turned her red eyes to stare at him curiously...if not suspiciously. He sure was acting strange...and the wings really did nothing to help his case. Her ears twitched at the sound of a little chirp of "hoy". It definately wasn't Vidya talking then...and she seriously doubted Tybalt was around.
Vidya giggled, though she pouted at Nio in the same manner as when Enoh tugged on her hair. But YAY! She looked like a pirate. That is what she was, after all. A real scary pirate. Well, not scary. But she was a real pirate! "Bweee...Daaaadddiiiee...No pullin'!" She was, however, grinning.
When she was put back down, Vidya stared curiously at the wings. She wanted to see where they came from! So, staring in wonder, Vidya ducked under the wings to go around him. What she found, however, was not wings growing out of his back.
"DADDY! Daddy! There'sa boy on yer back! Didja know that? Right dere...s'a boy." She stated rather calmly, just as Nio asked about the stationary. A small blue digit was pointing at the little blonde one.
Enoh blinked a bit at the mention of stationary...and when the boyish giggle came from his shoulder, and when she spotted the blonde hair and blue eyes...well, then she realized what had taken him so long. Uttering a happy squee, She stepped forward to see the boy a little better. "You went into the STUDY? Oh, I'm so relieved...! So that means this cutie right here is a tale, eh? Aww...and those must be his wings, right? Oh wow...how on EARTH can he carry those?" Nio Love "Don't ask me, I'm having enough trouble lugging him around as it is."
Nio grinned proudly, turning his head to get a glance at the blue eyes that looked up at him sheepishly. Honestly, Adonis didn't mean to be seen! Nio snickered and shrugged his shoulder softly, and the boy took the indication, letting go of his father's shirt and hopping down with a flap of his wings to land on the floor behind him.
He was rewarded with a blue finger in his face.
"Yes Smurfette, I know there's a boy on my back. That's your little brother Adonis."
Of course, Adonis didn't think this was Vidya. There were several reasons for this.
1. She was shiny, but not shiny enough.
2. Daddy kept calling her Smurfette.
Of course, he had his doubts about it though.. Nio had called her a pirate, and his sister..
He stood up to his full height - which was still shorter than Vidya, and flared his wings out regally.
If this wasn't his sister, well.. he would demand that she bring his sister to him.
"Vi-dee." He stated, in a voice that clearly stated now. .End.Of.Hysteria. Vidya dragged her white gaze upwards, to stare at her Father. Her new brother? She looked over at her Mother...did she know about this? Judging from the shrug she received in return, obviously not. "'Donis..." She repeated, looking back down at the very slightly shorter boy. Leaning her head to the side, Vidya watched his antics. Yes, he had wings. Big wings...
"Pretty Wings! Pretty hair..S'all lellow. And eyes! S'like mii skin...yep yep. SHINEY skin..." Really, Vidya could have gone on forever about what she found she liked about him. He was just so...so COOL looking. She wondered if he'd met Tybalt or Lance yet...they'd like him, because he was very shiney.
Vidya squealed with glee as he said her name, completely ignoring the demanding tone behind it. The blue child, with her hundred of braids dancing, threw her arms around him in a big hug. "Eeee! Viddy gotsa brudder! N' 'e knows my name...! M'Viddy, yep yep!"
Enoh wrapped her arms around Nio in a hug, now that she had the chance to. Giving him a quick peck on the lips in greeting, she promptly forgot about scolding him for being so late, and instead watched the two Tales meet.
"He's wonderful, Nio...and Vidya's right, he's very, very shiney! How'd the study call you?" She purred, leaning her head against his chest. Nio Love Nio was suddenly distracted by the peck on his lips, and as the two Tales got to know one another, he turned to Enoh, just a little caught up. Before he would even answer her, her little kiss had taunted him into wanting more. He leaned down and pressed his lips gently against hers, his kiss just a little needful.
It took him a minute before he was good and ready to pull away, and when he did so, he pulled her close and turned his eyes down to the children as well.
"Not too sure on that one. Huni told me to go look in the Study for some Stationary. She's a tricky little fox, isn't she? Then.. well you know the deal. The door locked, the Tome asked me a question.. and I answered."
He bit his lip, recalling what had happened. "The Study turned into space.. left me floating in it. Then Adonis came at me like a comet."
Adonis' small, comet-like tail twitched without him knowing, as if it knew he was being talked about.
Donny's eyes widened. So she was Vidya? As she tackled him in a hug, he caught a glance at all her pretty hair, and it made sense. THAT was shiny! That's why she was a pirate! Of course, he was still a prettier pirate.. but now he knew this was his sister!
FINALLY. About time she showed up!
He let out a high-pitched squeal of glee and wrapped his arms and wings around her, capturing her in a hug that looked like he would never, ever let go. .End.Of.Hysteria. The shapeshifter giggled, only happily returning his needy kiss, her eyes fluttering closed for just that minute or so. She listened to his story shortly after, nuzzling her head underneath his chin, mindful of her small, now round-tipped horns.
"I see...It also sounds like Huni's accepting the fact the study does things without her consent.." She giggled, remembering how...shall we say, annoyed, at the way the study drew her in, just before aquiring her sea monster. "Did it scare you...?"
Vidya, of course, squealed once more as he reciprocated the hug. She'd NEVER been hugged in return like this before! It was FUN. She loved Donny already. Purring, the blue tale clung onto her brother.
"MOMMIE. Can Donny sleep with Viddy t'nite?! Pleeeeease?" Vidya piped up after a little bit, looking over Adonis to stare at their parents, giving them both the most pathetic looking puppy dog expression ever.
Enoh laughed, then buried her face into Nio's shoulder, just so she could escape that pathetic look her daughter was giving her. "Okay Vidya...! I don't mind, but Only if Donny wants to, and ask your father...AND only if you stop giving me that look...!" Enoh wanted to meet Adonis herself, but it seemed that Vidya had already claimed him.
"YAY! Donny wanna stay with Viddy t'nite?" So much for asking her Father. Nio Love Nio's eyes closed, gently purring as she nuzzled into him. "Not as much as it should have.. I was kind of prepared for it once I realized what was going on. It was actually kind of beautiful."
Donny was by no means letting go of the girl he had been looking for all day and had now acquired. When asked if he could stay with his sister, he looked up at the person Vidya called mommy, and blinked, wide eyed.
"Mommie?" He squeaked out questioningly, wondering if the woman was his mother too. He looked back down at Vidya and nodded fervently to the idea of sleeping with her. After all, he would have to sleep eventually - and as earlier stated, he wasn't going to let go. But one question remained..
..who was this Donny person?
"It's fine with me.." Nio murmured, as realization started to sink in. If Adonis stayed with Vidya.. then he would feel safe, and he wouldn't be alone.. at the same time Vidya would have someone with her in case she was lonely.. and best of all..
..that meant no interruptions tonight.
He purred deep from his throat. Nio was loving this boy more and more every minute. .End.Of.Hysteria. "Well thats good..." Enoh chuckled softly, sighing shortly after in comfort. Oh, she'd been so worried about him...it was so nice to cling to him like this. "At least we know it isn't mean to everyone, ne?"
"Yay!" Vidya squealed happily, pulling her brother into a tighter hug, nuzzling him happily. Not only was he shiney, but he was soft, too! Unfortunately, it donned on her that this boy didn't say much. So far, he'd only uttered "Hoy" "Vi-dee" and "Mommie"...and she wondered if he was just quiet, or if he just didn't know any fun or interesting words.
"C'n you say anyting odder then 'Hoy', 'Vii-dee' or 'Mommie'?" Vidya questioned, leaning her head to the side as she spoke. Looking around shortly after, she pointed up at Nio, though she kept her other arm in a clinging manner around him. "Like...c'n you say 'Daddie'?"
If it was the fact he didn't know too many words, Vidya would be more than happy to teach him everything she knew.
A soft giggle came from the shapeshifter, finding the situation simply adorable...and also because she seemed to realize the same thing Nio did...no blue skinned interruptions tonight! Nio Love "Yeah. Though if I hadn't been kind of expecting something odd to happen, I probably would have been pretty freaked out when it did."
He took a slow breath, breathing in the scent of her hair as he closed his eyes to take it in, and let out a happy little whisper of a groan. The scent of her made his senses all muddy.
"Sorry I was late, by the way.." He whispered into her hair, in a tone of apologetic amusement.
Adonis shook his head slowly when she asked him if he could speak. He followed her point and looked up at Nio, giving him a wide grin before pointing up at him as well. When he spoke his next word, it was spoken while embedded in the midst of giggles.
"Squish-ee." He giggled out, and Nio turned his head away from Enoh's hair for a moment to look down at him.
"Oh, so you can say mommie but you're going to call me squishy, is that it? Why you little.."
Nio extracted himself from Enoh slowly, and crept down to Adonis, who took a step back when he noticed. Nio's arms snapped out and captured the boy before he could make another move, eliciting a high-pitched squeal of laughter. While crouched there, Nio tickled him silly.
"Cmon, you know you wanna say daddy!"
All he received was playful screeches of laughter. .End.Of.Hysteria. "Well its a good thing I warned you, then!" Enoh smiled happily, her ears twitching as a little whisp of his breath tickled its fur. Stretching her arms out for a moment, she then re-wrapped said appendages around him once more, nuzzling him. "Its alright...I was all ready to scold you for making me worry but...I suppose that getting Adonis over there is a good enough excuse." She smirked, rolling her eyes.
So...he couldn't speak, huh? ...Perfect. That meant she could teach him how! Vidya looked between Nio and Adonis as the latter pointed outwards. At her brother's answer, the blue child wrinkled up her nose and stared at Nio. Squishie? She didn't recall him being squishy! Maybe this was a recent development?
However, she never got to test that theory. Before she knew it, Adonis was takin from her, and her father was busy tickling the heck out of him. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around herself to cover her sides...just incase. Vidya started to giggle glefully though, unable to stop herself...Adonis's laughter was very, very contagious.
Enoh, now lacking a leanin post, merely dropped her arms to her sides and turned, watching Nio stalk up to, capture, and torment their new little boy. Snickering, she crouched down, silently stalking up behind Vidya. The girl was so busy watching them...why not get her, too?
"Gotcha!" Once the shapeshifter was close enough, she let out a playful growl and linked her hands underneath the girl's arms, picking her up and giving her a short push into the air. Vidya's laughter had turned into a surprised cry at this, but lapsed back into giggles as she was caught again.
Of course, both Author and tale had to close their eyes to brace getting pelted by hundreds of braids and little beads. Nio Love Nio let out a sharp laugh as he heard Vidya's squeal, and stopped tickling Adonis, pulling him into her arms and turning him around to watch Vidya and Enoh play. He giggled, wrapping one arm around his father's neck while reading out with one chubby hand towards his mother.
"Mommie." He squealed, proud to have learned this word from his sister.
"Trading me in are you?" Nio laughed out, standing up to walk over and switch the tales with Enoh, so that she held Donny and he bounced Vidya up in his arms.
"So, matey. Do you like your new brother?"
Adonis reached out when Nio brought him near Enoh, and as soon as he got near enough his arms wrapped around the woman's neck and he hung from her, his still laughing smile caught on his lips as he studied his mother thoroughly.
A father, a mother, and a sister. What next, a dog? Or better yet, maybe a horse! Yes, life was good. .End.Of.Hysteria. Well, that wasn't so bad. Most of the falling hazzards had missed hitting them where it might hurt...but Enoh did get a bead that hit her forehead once. The shapeshifter chuckled at this, rubbing where the bead had hit.
Before she knew it, the blue child in her arms had been replaced by a golden one. She looked down at him through playfully slitted eyes, wrapping her arms around the boy and tugging him close to her. She then looked at her new son, studying him.
"Well well, whats this here? My Blue baby has turned into a Golden one!...Hmm..." Grinning playfully, she moved him so that she held his waist, hoisting him into the air so she could look at him fully. She leaned her head to the side.
"My! You're definately NOT Vidya!" She then brought the boy back down, holding him against her once more. She leaned in to nuzzle her nose against his, playfully as always. "So, if you're not Viddy, then who is this Handsome looking baby in my arms?"
Vidya giggled as she was switched with Adonis, clinging onto her father to prevent getting thrown again...as fun as that was, the shower of braids and beads was kind of scary. "Aye! Hai! Viddy likes Donny lots! C'n we keep 'em?" She seemed proud of herself; using both Pirate-Speak and Japanese to say the same word. Other languages were fun!
Hearing her mother's questioning though, Vidya gave the shifter a look that clearly stated the parental unit had gone insane. "But Mommie, Viddy's over HERE!" She giggled then, clinging back onto Nio. "Mommah's gone craazy." Nio Love Donny looked up at his mother, captivated. For a boy who liked pretty things, he sure did have a pretty mother. In fact if he knew the word beautiful, he would call her it.
He reached out, squirming slightly in her grasp and climbing to be able to grasp her hair, clearly ignoring the fact that she was saying he used to be blue.
As long as she was pretty, he didn't mind if she was crazy.
When she brought him to nuzzle her nose against his, he stared for a second, before letting out a blissfull little squeal of happiness.
Nio reached up and stroked the braids, letting them fall between his fingers as Vidya clung to him. "Yes, mommy's gone crazy you see. Oh but don't worry, daddy's crazy too."
He shifted the girl in his arms and rested his chin against her head. "Can we keep him..? Well.. if you're good.."
He grinned mischievously at Enoh. Of course they were keeping him.. .End.Of.Hysteria. Enoh purred happily, nuzzling her new son as she hugged him closer. The boy drew amused giggles out of her from his little squeal...oh, he was just too cute! Lifting her gaze, she looked towards Nio over Adonis' shoulder, rolling her eyes at his comment before looking at Vidya.
"Naah...Daddy started it you see...and then Mommie went crazy. Mommie was normal before Daddy came around" She winked at him, laughing playfully.
Vidya stared at her mother, and then over at her father. "S'at true Daddy? Didja make Mommie crazy...?" At the mention of being good, the child instantly sat up straight, white eyes wide. "Viddy'll be good, Viddy Promises!"
Again, another laugh from Enoh. Nio Love Nio stepped up towards his fiance, shifting Vidya in his arms so that she rested on one side and Donny rested in Enoh's arms on the other. He gave Enoh a sly look, and nodded.
"Yeah.. well daddy likes mommy now that she's crazy." He murmured affectionately, kissing Enoh's forehead. He stood back up straight and gave both children a wry smile, before snuggling Vidya mercilously and setting her down.
"All right you two, go get ready for bed, it's late! Smurfette, why don't you show Donny the ropes?" His eyes lowered to Enoh, giving her a soft, playful glance.
"Me and your mother have some stuff to talk about."
Quiet the opposite, actually. He had absolutely no conversation in mind.
Donny squealed like crazy, beginning to climb out of his mother's arms before changing his mind at the last minute, and leaning up to give his mother a sloppy, wet kiss on the cheek. He then vaults out of her arms and flutters safely to the ground, scampering off with Vidya. .End.Of.Hysteria. "Ropes?" Vidya parroted, leaning her head to the side and staring at Nio like he was insane. There were no ropes in the house that she COULD show Adonis, even if she wanted to do so. Besides, ropes were boring. HOWEVER. There was a house to show him, people to introduce him to, and of course teach him important things like...talking...and getting ready for bed!
See, now that she could show him. Who needed ropes when you had a lot of other stuff to show him?
"Okay Daddy!" She giggled, pressing a kiss against her Father's cheek before snuggling him in return, and then bouncing to her feet to wait for Adonis. Once he had moved down to her, she grasped his hand and led him off, already chattering up a storm....and also telling him why they were in this house, since it wasn't their own. It was important stuff, you know!
Enoh giggled in response to Nio's subtle hints. Oh yes, talking seemed like a wonderful thing to do now. After all...they could talk all the wanted, the two Tales wouldn't bother them as they discussed important matters with one another.
The shifter managed to press a kiss against Donny's head before he scampered off, and once the boy was down, Enoh caught her fiance's hand. "We have a lot to talk about, love." Giggling like a giddy schoolgirl, she tugged Nio towards the house, and up to their bedroom to...'talk.' Nio Love And off they went.
Nio watched them toddle off, his arms slowly moving to capture Enoh in them as she pulled him off into the house. He just barely managed to close the door with his foot as she tugged him away, taking the steps two at a time if only to make her scamper up them quicker in order to keep from being overwhelmed by him. He smirked mischievously, reaching out to open the door for her with one hand while he leaned in and kissed her neck softly.
As he closed the door behind him, he breathed out against her skin in in an amused chuckle.
"After all love, you are quite the conversationalist."
((Bowchickawow~ >.>*Fade to black*))
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:09 pm
--Meeting Ying--Junyi Ying wasn't inside the Stationary Store; in fact, she sat right in front of it, arms laden with bits and pieces of mechanical parts- looking as if they used to be three whole toasters and the remnants of a small computer.
"Don't bring your toys inside the store, Ying," she grumbled, casting a glance at the front door with a faint pout. "Stay outside where Liang can see you, Ying."
"Pah."
She gently set her loot on the ground, a package of borrowed tools falling from the folds of her sash.
If she wasn't allowed to play in the store, she would play in front of the store.
After all, what did her mother know anyway, huh? Nio Love He'd run out of Stationary. I swear to God. Did you think I was kidding when I said he would write her a letter a day until she replied? Well I WASN'T.
So there Nio was, with a little clingy winged boy bouncing on his back, heading back to the Stationary Store.
"I wonder if they sell this stuff in bulk.."
The Tale behind him squealed as he bounced against his father, and he pulled himself up to look over the man's shoulder. That place looked familiar! That one there! He coo'd in recognition, and hopped off his father's back, fluttering carelessly to the ground once they'd reached the front steps.
Nio looked down at the little girl playing with machinery, before looking to his left and right quickly for her adult supervision. He looked back down at her, scratching his forehead.
"Uh.. hi."
Adonis toddled up beside Nio, looked up at him, and enacted his father's exact movements - holding his hand on his head and scratching it, while grinning mischievously at Ying. He thought himself ever so clever. Junyi Ying stared blankly at Nio and Adonis, a motherboard in one hand and a screwdiver in the other.
"Is there something you need?" came the flat reply.
Someone was most DEFINITELY not pleased with being left outside, supervision or no. Nio Love Nio gave the girl a quirky smile, amused by her attitude.
"Just making sure you're all right, kiddo." He murmured with a chuckle, walking around her to enter the store. "Come on Donny."
But Donny had already given up on mimicing his father, and had plopped down on the steps, staring at all of the machinery. There was so much stuff. He pointed at the motherboard in Ying's hand, and let out a faint "What?"
Vidya had taught him several important words last night.
"Donny, we're going inside."
"HOY."
Nio raised an eyebrow at the demanding tone in the child's voice. "Oh for crying out loud.. fine. You stay out here while I go buy stationary. But if you so much as inch from that spot you're in right now.."
Donny giggled, shifting an inch.
".. That one then."
The boy shifted back.
"... Just .. don't .. move." Junyi Ying quirked an eyebrow at Donny, calmly dismantling the motherboard. "You look weird. What's your name?" Nio Love Donny went from curious to crushed. He looked weird? WEIRD?! The girl obviously needed glasses.
He pointed to his chest with a thumb, at least proud that he knew his own name now. "Donny." He then pointed towards her, a curious look on her face. "You?"
Nio had by now walked into the shop, though he couldn't help but look back every FOURTH OF A SECOND. He was worried after all.. someone might mistake him for a gold statue and steal him. Junyi "Ying."
She turned her attention back to the motherboard, holding out the processor she had just pried off of the surface. "Hold this." Nio Love "Ying." He repeated, learning her name easily. One syllable words were so much easier on him. Especially when coupled with an entire sentence filled with harder words.
"Ying pretty like Vi-dee." He stated, looking down at the motherboard he was handed and idly wondering if it was edible. One thing was for sure.. it wasn't very pretty. Junyi Ying blinked, her gaze slowly rising to meet Donny's.
"What?" She whispered, a faint blush crossing her cheeks.
She reached for the toaster casing, reaching into the back of her sash for a bag full of small wires.
"Um... thank you." Nio Love
Adonis squealed in delight. That was more like it! But more importantly.. she hadn't answered his first question. This tragedy must be righted.
He held up the motherboard, dangerously considering eating it. Instead he pointed at it with his free hand. "What?" He repeated impatiently, demanding an answer as to what it was. Junyi Ying was silent a long while. "It's an old 1.33 megahertz processor. It's the brain of the toaster-robot I'm going to make." She paused for emphasis. "Be careful with it. I only have one."
She cleared her throat as she began attaching wires to the inside of the toaster casing. "I... um... I'm still learning about these parts. I'm not good at building yet." Nio Love Donny rose a single brow as told him what it was. Well, he certainly couldn't repeat that. So instead, he repeated what he could.
"Toaster. What toaster?"
He eyed the piece of metal warily.. so he had to be careful with it? Only one? That probably made it all the tastier.. but putting things in your mouth usually didn't take care of them very well. They got all wet.
Besides, it wasn't squishy.
"Not pretty." He stated, scrunching up his face at the piece of metal. "Not pretty like Vi-dee or Ying. Ying pretty. Toaster brain not pretty. Ying need pretty toaster brain."
Someone was learning fast! Someone was also obsessed with pretty things.. Junyi "A toaster makes toast," Ying answered casually. "You put bread in, and it cooks."
A slow nod. "This toaster will talk and shoot fire."
She finally frowned, eyeing Donny strangely. "You won't even SEE the processor when I'm done." Nio Love Donny stared at her rather blankly. Toasters sounded pointless. Talking fire-breathing toasters sounded a little more interesting, but perhaps just a little frightening.
".. Why?"
The eternal toddler question.
At the mention of not seeing the processor, he looked down at it once more. How could it be so IMPORTANT if you don't even SEE it!? ".. Will toaster be pretty?" Junyi "Because it'll be cool."
Ying tilted her head at Donny, the thought of beautifying the toaster only then crossing her mind. "Um..."
A pause. "...No."
She sighed, shrugging. "But if you want to MAKE it pretty..." Nio Love Donny was just about to let out another 'Why' and thusly begin the endless tirade of toddler-why's to drive Ying mad.. until she offered to let him make it pretty.
His eyes lit up, widening to saucers.
"Donny make toaster pretty.." He coo'd, blissfully captivated by the mere idea. Of course, he would have to wait until the toaster was finished before making it pretty.. which meant he had to help Ying any way he could in order to speed the process.
"Donny help. Yes?" It looked like Ying had just found herself an errand boy.. Junyi Ying couldn't help but smile. "Fine. But be VERY CAREFUL. No breaking things."
She held out her motherboard. "See these thingies on the side? This is memory. I need all of them. Do you think you can take them off WITHOUT BREAKING ANYTHING?" Nio Love Donny had made her smile. He in turned grinned childishly, taking the motherboard from her and holding it up close to his face. She pointed at the pieces on the side, which to him looked like they were completely attached to the ugly metal thing.. but when he put one between his little chubby finger and thumb, and pulled.. it slid off.
He held up the stick and squealed triumphantly. Every little win counted in his mind. And as far as he know, he didn't break it yet! Junyi "Good," Ying answered quietly, her smile growing wider as she turned back to the toaster.
Some of the parts had already been assembled; a speaker dangled out of the casing ungracefully. Ying began attaching the pieces quickly, biting her lip as she worked.
"Hope this works..." Nio Love It seemed so very complicated. She looked like she was really dedicated to making something.. but if it didn't turn out beautiful, it would be a waste. Donny was determined to make sure her hard work didn't go to waste.
He bit his tongue and closed one eye, staring intently at the motherboard as he pulled another memory stick out. This was getting easier every time he did it.. he set the second stick down on top of the first beside him, and set to work on another.
"Donny help.." He murmured, more as a mantra to himself than anything. "Donny help pretty Ying make pretty toaster.." Junyi Ying's smile grew into a full grin as she continued to work, glancing up to make sure Donny was being careful with her precious motherboard.
"After you're done, you can take out everything else." She set a screwdriver in front of him, fully expecting him to know how to use it. Nio Love Donny pulled out the last stick of memory and set it down gently, only to be affronted with a screwdriver. He looked up at her for a moment for confirmation, before picking up the screwdriver, and giving it a good, long look.
"What?" He wondered out loud, curious as to what he was supposed to do with it.. until it hit him. This must be like the fork that summoned ice cream! Was it ice cream time already?!
He began stabbing the air with the screwdriver, squealing happily as he waited for his ice cream to appear. Junyi "No! NO!" Ying quickly grabbed for the screwdriver, eyes wide with horror. "Not like that! Not like THAT!"
She picked up another screwdriver, frantically struggling to show Donny what he was supposed to DO with it.
"Like THIS!" Nio Love Donny's happy giggle vanished as Ying yelled at him. Though he watched what she was doing with the screwdriver, the fact that he was yelled at weighed heavily on him. In fact, he looked like he was about to cry any minute.
No ice cream. Even worse.. apparently he'd done something wrong.
A wide, doe-eyed gaze lifted from his watch of the screwdriver to her. He wasn't helpful. He was bad, very bad.
No one had ever yelled at him before.
"Donny .. " But sadly he didn't know the word for sorry yet. He couldn't apologize to her because he didn't know how. "Donny not help.." He finally uttered in tiny chibified defeat. Junyi Ying went absolutely silent.
"S...Sorry..." she whispered, eyes filling with tears of shame.
She didn't mean to upset him. She didn't mean to make him feel inferior or...
She was more concerned about the safety of her motherboard than the feelings of another child.
"Sorry..." Nio Love "Sorry." Donny repeated, having finally learned from her the word he needed to tell her. He watched her eyes fill up with tears, and let out a tiny little gasp, frowning softly.
"Ying no sorry.. Donny sorry.. Ying pretty.. Donny sorry.." He tried to reason with her this way, but instead just set down the screwdriver, shuffled to sit beside her, and wrapped his tiny arms around her really quickly in a big bear hug. He would reiterate this with his wings, except he was afraid he would knock over something important in doing so. They were rather big, after all..
Now he knew he would do anything possible to make sure Ying never cried again. Junyi Under normal circumstances, Ying would've likely shoved away he who dared touch her without permission...
...But considering she'd just hurt his feelings...
She simply let out a long sigh and fiddled halfheartedly with the toaster. Nio Love Adonis nuzzled his head into her shoulder for a good five seconds, and then received a brilliant idea like a blessing from God.
He sat up straight, looked at Ying for a moment, and his childish, mischievous grin was back.
"Donny HELP!" He cried out, letting her go and stumbling to his feet, before toddling off in a run. Where he was headed didn't seem clear, all that mattered was that he was headed away.
And pretty soon, he was gone.
The chime to the door rang, and Nio walked out of the Stationary Store, whistling cheerfully. He had managed to buy his stationary quickly enough, and pick up a book he'd been eyeing for a while now. He hopped down the steps, turned..
..and panicked.
A split second count told him that there was only one toddler sitting on the steps at that moment, and that toddler was not Donny.
His eyes widened and he dropped the bag. "Ohno. Ohnoohnoohno. Where did he go?!" Junyi Ying stared up at Nio, a plain expression of "OH CRAP" on her face.
"Um..." She bit her lip, grip on the toaster tightening. "I dunno. He ran." Nio Love "Ran? Ran?! Oh God what have I done, I'm a horrible parent, I should be locked up and put away forever, how could I leave him out here like this when I-"
"HOY!"
Nio practically jumped out of his skin as he heard Donny's personal greeting, and looked down to see the boy standing right in front of him, between him and Ying. His back was to his father, but he was most definitely there, and most definitely alive.
"..Donny?!"
Adonis tilted his head up all the way to look at his father upside down, and gave him a toothy grin. "Hoy."
Nio wavered for a moment before his eyes rolled up behind his head and he groaned, dropping to his knees in front of his child, with his arms wrapping around the boy protectively.
"Donny you had me so worried.."
But Donny wasn't listening to him at the moment. He extended his hand to Ying, and within it was held three small yellow flowers, and one little purple blossom bud. It was all he could find.
"Pretty. Help Ying pretty toaster?" Junyi Ying stared at the blossoms, chewing on her lower lip.
She didn't know what to do with them; she couldn't put them on the TOASTER. They'd be incinerated!
"T...Thanks..." she mumbled, staring at the ground. Nio Love Donny looked a tad bit confused by her reaction, but he turned quickly to look up at his father, who had gone from terrified and worried to just a little amused.
Was his little boy giving girls flowers already?
Donny pressed his palm against his fathers face, and Nio blew on it playfully. Donny squealed softly in amusement, and squirmed out of his fathers grasp to sit beside Ying once more.
"Ying need pretty. Ying happy with pretty." He took the purple blossom, (which incidentally he had picked for her and not for the toaster, it wouldn't match) and stuck it just over Ying's ear. He then put the three yellow flowers on Ying's lap and let her decide what to do with them. His job was done. He had made Ying prettier!
..but hadn't he been assigned to making the toaster prettier? Oh well, no matter, pretty was pretty!
"As much as I'd hate to break this up.. it's time we get going, Donny."
Adonis let out a soft coo of sadness, pouting fervently.
"Aaaand don't you give me that face! I'm sure you'll see your friend again."
Donny turned to look at Ying, pointing at the flower.
"Pretty?" Junyi Ying smiled faintly, nodding at Donny and Nio. "Pretty," she echoed."PRETTY", echoed the toaster. With a squeal, Ying once again turned to the toaster in a frenzy of tweaking. "Seeyoulater?" Nio Love Donny had done good!
He bit his tongue and grinned, giving Ying another hug before hopping off the steps and practically glomping his father. A good thing too, for as soon as the toaster had echoed Ying's phrase, Nio looked about ready to bolt.
".. I don't want to know why that toaster just talked. Bye bye now!"
As Nio carried his son off, Adonis practically climbed all over him to be able to see Ying as they walked off. She was so caught up in working on the toaster, she probably didn't see him waving goodbye frantically.
But that was all right. He still thought she was pretty.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:10 pm
--Meeting Lyris--PenOfDL Lyris sat outside the shop, rocking back and forth as Akshaya's headphones hung around her neck. Hoobastank was blaring through the speakers as Lyris punched the buttons, skipping between parts of songs, mixing them with others as the mixed CD skipped back and forth.
Luna was just watching in confusion. She'd never seen Lyris look so delighted in a long time, and she was just playing with a contraption that made music.
Akshaya just laughed, shaking her head slightly as she watched the 6 year old play. At first, she'd been very upset about having to put up with a toddler, but Lyris had grown on her. They shared a lot of the same personality traits, except Lyris was able to curb hers much easier, especially when she was distracted.
Today was certainly out of the ordinary. Kira had been busy today, taking the twins in for a check up. And Trollax was working. Andie had went out exploring, so that just left her to take care of Lyris. Kira had said something about her needing more friends, so there was no better place to take her than to the shop. Maybe they'd run into someone. Nio Love Run into someone indeed! Nio had returned this fine day with a small child attached to his back, as was his preferred method of transportation lately, and oh did he have such a wonderful job. He had a set of little cards in his hand, sealed in little envelopes, and he looked about ready to eat them he was so happy. He was so happy that he hardly noticed the child sitting on the steps listening to music. Or perhaps he subconsciously forced himself not to notice.. due to the incident on the previous night, he was far from excited about girls sitting outside stores luring his son into danger. Or luring him into anything for that matter. He opened the door and walked in, shrugging his shoulder slightly and feeling the weight of the winged boy lift off his shoulders as Donny took his cue and fluttered to the ground, scampering off as he did so.
"Donny don't run off too far y- .." But Donny was already too far to hear him. Nio just sighed and walked over towards the mail slot, looking through all the cards. The handwriting on each of them was Enoh's, but he had the privelege of delivering them. After all, they were all Tale parents, and she didn't know their home addresses.. so where else would he leave all the wedding invitations if not the shop?
But Donny had seen Lyris, oh yes he had. And if Nio thought he was going to just ignore that fact, his father had another think coming! Donny waited, hiding behind a leather seat and watching his father deviously until he turned around. When Nio did turn, Donny zoomed off toward the door, and slid out of it, small enough to do so without setting off the chime too badly.
He hopped down two steps and sat beside Lyris, watching her play with her toy. Another metal toy? What was with girls and this stuff anyway? Granted, it was shiny, but still..
"Hoy."
His eyes rose up to her wings, fascinated by them. They didn't even look attached.. PenOfDL Lyris glanced up at Donny and blinked a bit before smirking, "Ah-hoy there, matey," She said, saluting him slightly before prodding at another button on the shimmering metallic red CD player, jumping as a loud heavy metal band blasted in her ears.
"All right. That's enough of that," Akshaya said, kneeling down and taking the CD player. "Mom will bust my as....bum if you burst your eardrums," She said, turning off the CD player and putting it in her purse.
Lyris pouted slightly before shrugging, deciding to occupy herself with the most recent company rather than the music player, "I'm Lyris. You?" She asked, smiling as Luna slinked out from behind her to look at Adonis oddly. Nio Love Ahoy? Was this winged girl a pirate as well? Her hair was shiny, and her wings.. perhaps.
Still not as shiny as himself of course.
Being that she posed no threat to his title of the prettiest pirate, he grinned brightly, setting his hand palm against his chest and piped out a proud "Donny!" in response.
His attention returned to her wings, and he pointed at them, careful not to touch. They looked so fragile, like they would give up on hanging in mid-air any minute..
"Lyris." He repeated her name, learning it instantly. "Lyris pretty. Pretty like Donny." He rose his expansive wings up to their full height, unintentionally shadowing them both from the sun by doing so. PenOfDL Lyris blinked up at Donny's wings, her eyes going wide, "Wow...your wingspan is like...twice the length of your body," She said, chuckling softly before it registered that he had called her pretty. A soft blush colored her cheeks. Only her parents called her pretty before. Course, she didn't really know that many other people.
"My wings are dinky," Lyris said, turning and poking at them, pushing them back away from her body. The second she lifted her finger, they snapped right back into their normal position hovering about two inches off of her back.
As Lyris turned back to Donny and smiled, Luna slinked over, curling around the little boy's legs, purring and rubbing against him before slinking away again, settling down in front of Lyris. Nio Love The way Lyris' wings reacted to her touch enraptured Donny. How he was dying to touch them. He reached a hand out, but didn't touch them, only gestured toward them. He gave her a wide-eyed questioning look, the kind to make your heart melt.
"Donny can touch?" He asked meekly, though the tiny bounce his body was currently doing made it seem like he was already impatient to do so. He reallyreallyreally wanted to see what they felt like, and if they bounced back like that for him.
"Wings.." He murmured quietly, learning the word from her. "Donny wings pretty but big. Hard to do." While Vidya had taught him many words, he still had a limited vocabulary, and the word 'walk' wasn't among it. "Squishee carry Donny!" He proclaimed, grinning. Of course, Lyris probably wouldn't understand, but he tried! PenOfDL Lyris smiled and nodded, "Sure, you can touch them. As long as you're gentle," She said, smiling lightly. "And I can bet it's hard for you to get around. I know if my wings were that big, I'd trip all the time..."
She said before blinking. "Who or what is Squishee? That's Shay..." She said, pointing at Akshaya. "And this is Luna," She said, motioning to the kitten sitting in front of her. "They're part of my family. I've got a big family."
Akshaya smiled softly, chuckling, "It's not THAT big, Lyris," She said, slinking down and settling on the ground next to the two toddlers.
"Is too..." Nio Love Donny clapped his hands happily, and reached out once more, his hands brushing against the wings. They felt odd.. not like his wings. He pushed them just slightly to see them bounce back.. and lo and behold they did! This elicited the happiest squeal of delight from the boy, giggling in amusement. Her wings were funny.
"Squishee." He reiterated, idly pointing into the building where his father was.
"Donny has big family." He murmured as he put his hand down, though his eyes stayed on the wings for a while longer. "Vi-dee and Mieke and Tievee and Thor-oo and Ella and Valen and Gina and Essie and a big eggu."
He had a sharp and perfect memory, reciting each and every name he was given two nights before when he had met his family.
And those were only the ones he had met.
One of his wings curled around, barely brushing her. "Donny no trip.. Donny wings pretty.." He murmured softly, the tip of his wing playing against her. By the tone in his voice, he was plainly seeking a compliment. PenOfDL Lyris smiled deeply, tickling her fingers lightly over his feathers, "Yup, yup. Donny's wings are very pretty. Sparkly," She said, beaming. "And Donny's family is bigger than mine. I've only got Andie and Shay and Symara and Joel and Kris and...the other kitty... Shay, what's Andie's kittie's name?"
"Tiger, I think, Ly, but I'm not too sure," Shay said, furrowing her brow. "I don't really like that cat, so I don't keep track."
"Oh, well. She's the kitty other than my Luna," Lyris said, grinning as she reached out and stroked Luna's fur, causing the cat to issue a deep purr. Nio Love Donny didn't want to think about all of the pets they had. They had considered introducing him to the zoo, but he had wanted nothing more than to curl up with his family and sleep.
He was however pleased that she had rightfully complimented his wings. They were awe inspiring after all, in his opinion. He briefly looked at Shay for a moment, expecting her to revere his wings as well, but his eyes turned back down to Lyris and he grinned.
Then he spotted the kitty.
His eyes cocked in curiosity, and his pointed a small finger at Luna, whispering an awed "What?" She was a pet, this was obvious, but such a pretty one..
She was so pretty that he wondered why she wasn't his. PenOfDL Lyris smiled softly, scratching Luna behind the ears, "This is Luna. She's my kitty," She said, giggling as Luna blinked up at Donny and gently perched her front paws on his outstretched finger, pushing herself up to get a better look at the goldenboy's face.
Luna mewled, blinking her deep green eyes as white fur star on her forehead shimmered slightly in the sunlight as she cocked her head, carefully crawling up his chubby little arm before flopping down into his lap and curling up, purring happily.
"She likes you," Lyris said, giggling and beaming. Nio Love "Kitty." Donny repeated, blinking as the cat rested it's paws on his finger. "Luna kitty.." He breathed out, his wide eyes watching her climb up and flop into his lap.
Yes, it was obvious that even the kitty knew that she was meant to be his. But alas, she was Lyris' kitty. He looked up at Lyris curiously, studying her with a deep expression.
After a long, quiet moment in which he had taken to thinking about the matter, he came to a temporary conclusion.
"Luna is Lyris' kitty 'cause Lyris is so pretty."
After all, a cat that smart and good looking would only want to be around someone equally so.. and while Donny considered himself to be the best choice, Luna was not his. This explanation was then all that was left. PenOfDL Lyris smiled softly at Donny, "Luna has been with me since I was a little baby," She said, beaming softly. "She's a special kitty. She knows when people are good, and when they are bad," Lyris said, noddin. "Though, I tend to disagree with her at times."
Luna mewled, pawing playfully at Donny before glancing up at him to get a better look at his face. Slowly, she leaned up an touched her little kitty nose to his, mewling softly as she reached her paws up and cooed, rolling over in his lap as she batted at a loose piece of blond hair.
Lyris covered her face and giggled, "She's silly sometimes."
"She's just doing it because she likes to make everyone smile," Akshaya said, grinning. Nio Love And she did make Donny smile. Donny squealed happily when he leaned down and Luna leaned up to brush her nose against him. He reached out to try and cup the kitty in his arms, and if he was allowed to, he would pull her close and hug her tight.
"Donny like Luna kitty." He proclaimed, nuzzling his head into it. He was clearly smitten with it.
The door chimed loudly, and Nio stuck his head out, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Why am I not surprised this is where I'd find you..?" He murmured quietly, hopping out of the store and settling down next to Adonis. He took one look at the boy, whose eyes were wide and happy as he hugged the kitten, and Nio set to worrying.
"..Whose cat is that?" Oh please, please let it be someone elses cat. Nio loved animals.. but to call their house a zoo already would be far from an exaggeration.
"Lyris." Donny answered, pointing to the girl beside him. "Pretty Lyris have pretty cat. Pretty Donny want pretty cat!"
Nio had a moment of relief when he announced the cat was Donny's, but the moment was short lived. He slapped his forehead and groaned softly.
"Donny, we've got lots of pets. You can play with them when we get home, all right?"
But Donny didn't seem satisfied. He looked at Nio sadly, before turning to Lyris with a pout. PenOfDL Lyris smiled, "Donny can come over and play with Luna any time he wants to," She said, nodding as Luna purred, nuzzling against Adonis happily.
Luna could tell him had a soft innocence in him, not like Jiro... More pure. She liked it. He would be good for Lyris... That was, if she didn't mess it up like she had with Jiro.
"Donny smile," Lyris said, reaching out and tickling his sides playfully. Nio Love Donny's eyes light up at the idea of being invited over. That way he could see both Lyris and Luna! He looked up at Nio, his eyes once more wide and pleading.
"Well, that's a very nice offer, and if your parents agree I'm sure Enoh and I wouldn't mind letting him come visit. So stop looking at me like I'm going to say no, you little scamp." Nio said this last bit at the boy, while putting his hands over those wide eyes to stop them from staring.
Donny let out a whoop of happiness coupled with giggles as Lyris tickled him, and slowly let Luna go, before crawling up to give his father a big hug around his neck, then pulled away a second later and toddled to Lyris, glomping her in a similar hug. His small arms clung around her neck, and he nuzzled his hair into hers.
".. Hoo boy. You'd think he just won the lottery." PenOfDL Lyris giggled as she wrapped her arms around Donny, giving him a gentle hug in return, cooing and nuzzling his cheek as Luna purred, curling around the both of them.
Akshaya chuckled softly, "Hmmm, haven't seen that one smile that wide since she arrived," She said, nodding to Nio. "And I'm sure Mom and Dad won't mind having guests, especially if it'll make Ly this happy," She said, reaching out and ruffling her little sister's hair lightly. "She's usually a grumpy gussy." Nio Love "Is she?" Nio asked in surprise, finding Lyris to look like the type of child with too sweet a personality to be grumpy. Then again, he was only witnessing her in the company of a boy who seemed to make everyone smile around him. He couldn't fairly judge.
"Well in that case.." He fished out a card stuffed in a fancy envelope, and handed it to Akshaya with a friendly smile. "Give that to your parents. It's an invitation to our wedding. Your whole family's invited now. We would have personalized one for you all.. but.. ah.. we didn't know you yet! Our number's on the card, so you can tell your mom to give me or Enoh a call and we'll arrange some time to come visit."
He had left the rest of the envelopes in the Shop for Huni to distribute should she see the rest of the Tales parents.. and now his job was done, and it was time to go home.
"All right Donny, it's time to go. Say goodbye to your new friend."
Donny let out a whimper, his arms curling tighter around Lyris as he gave his father a pout. The man rose a brow slowly, and Donny whimpered in defeat. He turned to Lyris and pressed a messy kiss on her cheek before pulling away and leaning down to pet Luna.
"Bye pretty Lyris, bye pretty Luna!" He hopped off and took one hard hop into the air, fluttering his wings for a moment so that he glided slowly onto Nio's back and clung there.
"Nice meeting you both. We'll talk to you soon." Nio murmured, giving Lyris a wink and Shay a nod before turning to walk away. The boy on his back turned his head and grinned at Lyris, giggling softly.
"You know something kiddo.." Nio murmured under his breath soft enough for only Adonis to hear. "You remind me of a little mini Casanova."
Donny turned his head to his father, tilting it to look at him curiously.
"What?" He wondered to himself what a casanova was, and if it was pretty. PenOfDL Lyris blushed softly as she reached up, placing a hand over her now slightly damp cheek before raising her other hand to wave, "Bye-bye, Donny. See you."
Luna mewled softly, waving her tail after Donny as well as she curled up in Lyris's lap.
"I'll be sure to give it to mom first thing," Akshaya said, as she stood, reaching down and hefting Lyris up into her arms. "Time for us to head home, too, little might. Mom's probably got the twins back by now. Come on, Luna," She said, looking down at the cat. "Keep up," She said, grinning brightly as she started to walk off, back towards Durem.
Lyris grinned, for once happy and content rather than cranky and bad tempered. She sighed, snuggling into Akshaya's shoulder as she closed her eyes.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:13 pm
--Meeting Jiro--Zymbu A portal opened not too far away from the shop, letting down Jiro and Kyoi onto the ground below. Kyoi didn't seem all that happy about having to leave home to come to the human world, Gaia or otherwise. Too many issues about it. Keeping his massive wings tucked in, he looked down at Jiro, who was frowning just as much as he stomped towards the shop. "Honestly, sometimes I seriously worry about him..." "Shouhin? Sometimes, yeah I do too. He's such a airhead at times.. but then again, he's been under a lot of stress so I guess it's okay." Rolling his eyes unhappily, he happened to glance up and he noticed two people were leaving the shop as it was. One was that fellow he hadn't liked too much. The whiny one... but with him was someone smaller? His mind didn't even wanna think that this man had a Tale. "Let's just hurry and get it and then get some sushi and be done with it.""Agreed. Though, I'd rather just wait til later to get the box and get sushi now." The teen pouted a bit and rubbed his tummy gently. He had been really hungry for awhile but it could wait a bit more. Seeing how he was quiet now, he looked up. "Oh people are leaving.. that is the Shop, yeah?" Jiro just nodded. Nio Love The Tale attached to his father's back felt tingling in his wings, and looked up just in time to see a portal open up and people walk through it. He didn't know if this was the sort of thing that happened every day, so he didn't question it. He did notice that one of those who had walked through was a Tale like him, and instantly his curiosity had perked.
While Nio was mumbling to himself about other errands to be done, Adonis brought his arm up and pointed in front of them, catching the man's attention and sending his gaze forward. He saw nothing of the portal, but instead just the two there heading towards the shop.
"Hoy." Donny pronounced, pointing fervently at Jiro. This would be a perfect distraction to keep from having to go home too soon! Though he already missed Vidya, being out with his father gave him the chance to see so many new things and meet new people.
He hopped over Nio's shoulder and somersaulted, fluttering in front of the man to land on the ground and toddle over to Jiro with a giggle.
Nio just blinked and rose a brow. That was a new trick.. "Donny wait up!" Zymbu His eyes narrowed as he watched the Tale flip off his shoulders and come over. First thoughts of him. Sparkling freak of nature and a show off. What a disgusting discovery. But he didn't let anything show on his face as he let him get closer. So this was Adonis, the little sparkling thing he kept hearing about. The one who was oh so smexy. Even if he was a girl, he doubted he'd find him attractive. But that was just him.
And did he just say Hoy to him? Hoy?! Like he was some type of retard? Oh.. he wasn't very intelligent. Either that, or he had already met Tybalt.. he blamed it on a mixture of both.Kyoi was surprised to see the child come up to Jiro, knowing how Jiro tended to be around other Tales, he had been warned to make sure he didn't do anything bad. But Jiro was a good boy and he knew not to disobey Akiya. Bowing to Nio out of respect, cause he was an adult, he pat the top of Jiro's head as he looked at the other Tale. "Hello. What's your name, Little One?" Nio Love Nio was a little taken back at the boy bowing to him, and felt the urge to bow back, but refrained. After all.. it wasn't his custom. Who was he to reiterate it?
Adonis coo'd happily as he was addressed, putting his palm on his chest and exclaiming proudly, "Donny. You?" He gestured to both of them softly, wanting to know both their names.
He completely ignored the looks he was getting from Jiro, clearly misinterpreting them to be critical looks of contemplation. Adonis was so interesting to look at, after all.. he couldn't blame the boy. He gave Jiro a charming, bright smile. Zymbu Kyoi took no offense to Nio not bowing in return. He knew others didn't share his believes or said hi in different ways. That was all took by him. "I'm Kyoi.. and this is Jiro." Kyoi was the more cheerful of the pair, though he looked like a girl, unlike his other brothers. The man did look interesting, but he couldn't place him so he just settled for the bowing and left it alone after that. "It's nice to meet you, Donny." Jiro's brow shifted. This guy had the look of he thought he was the greatest thing since toilet paper and if that was the case, he'd be more than happy to knock him down a few pegs. He was not allt hat interesting to look at. Actually, he made his eyes hurt. "Yoroshiku..." Looking up at Kyoi, his eyes clearly asked when they could leave cause he was getting bored.Nio Love "Jiro." Donny repeated, enjoying the way the J felt when coming from his mouth. "And Kee.. Keeooi?" He looked up at the older boy, a little unsure about his name. He would simply stick to Jiro for now.. easier names always made better friends.
Nio held his hand out nervously, hesitating as he wondered if he was rude to offer a handshake. "Ah, and I'm Nio. Vidya's father. And now Donny's, it seems." He gave Donny a playful wink, which was responded to by a small wave of Donny's wing.
"Nice tooo meetchoo!" Donny repeated in a singsong voice, looking up at Kyoi and then back down to Jiro. He gestured in the direction of Jiro's hair with his chin. "Shiny.." He coo'd softly, admiring the boy's hair. "Jiro pirate?" Zymbu "Yes, that's right. My name's Kee-oh-ee hehe." He knew that his name wasn't something that was easy to pronounce, but he really liked having an off the wall name. It made him different. When Nio stuck his hand at him, he took a step back hesitantly, not understand what it was about. But after he figured out he wasn't gonna hurt him, he shyly placed his hands in his. "Nice to meet you... Our Father is Akiya... I don't think you know him..." He perked at the mention of Viddy though. That one he did know. "Viddy? Oh, she's Jiro's friend! How is she? And Miss Enoh? That is her mommy right?" His brow shifted but he bowed in greeting. Whatever, he could play a common courtesy. If he didn't, Kyoi would be disappointed in him, cause he was big on always showing everyone manners. Seeing how he was looking at his hair, he smirked faintly. "Thanks.. your golden thing is shiny as well..." At the mention of pirates, he snorted. "Nope. Not a pirate. I'm a ronin."Hearing him calling himself a ronin, he snickered. It was Jiro's latest little game and he had gotten Mouu and Kali in on it too. The three pretended to be samurai out looking for a fief and such to join into. They ran around the Homeground with bokkans and such til they graduate to real swords. "So what brings you two out on such a nice day?" Nio Love Nio shook the boys hand, grinning faintly. "I had a feeling you'd know who Vidya was. I daresay I haven't met a soul around here who doesn't. Her and Enoh are doing good. Happy about the newest member of the family I'd wager."
"Yes, shiny!" He agreed, finding that the boy was clever enough to notice and therefore agreeable enough. However, his proud little grin faded as he heard of the new type of thing one could be.
"Ronin..?" He asked, his eyes filling with curiosity. "What that?" Zymbu Kyoi's wings fluttered just abit. "Well I'd rather like to meet them myself.. I'm hoping Viddy might agree to come over sometime.. it would be nice to have guests I think. I think Yuhin would be rather thrilled about it!" A soft giggle left him before he borrowed one of Jiro's golden chopsticks to check it. Lately, Jiro's been bending his hairchopsticks for some reason. "A ronin is like a samurai.. they train very hard to learn various techniques and skills. But a ronin has no master to serve and he goes around, either helping others or doing things for themselves. I've been reading that there are ronins who are treasure hunters, but right now, I wanna learn how to use a sword..." Swords and bonbori were actually his main likes. Even if bonbori looked like something a girl would use, he found that using something with such a contrasting weight was more fun that he thought it would have been.
"But I'm also practicing my shamisen.. it's an instrument.. it's really pretty sounding once you get the hang of it.." His black kimono clad shoulders shifted into a shrug. This Adonis seemed a bit like a follower, but someone who thought himself to be the leader. His aura and smell was something he might have to think about later.. if he remembered. "So you're a pirate huh? Is Tybalt your Cap'n?"Nio Love Nio grinned, and gestured towards the shop. "Well I'm sure they will. Not to mention you'll be meeting them at the wedding. I left the invite in the shop for your family, Enoh already had it written out. Just grab it off the table, it should have your father's name on it. You're all invited of course. And should he want to invite us over, our number's on there."
"Sam-oo." Donny had become bored with the word before he'd even finished it. He listened attentively however, and gave Jiro a wide, amused grin as he went on about things like shamisens and ronin. He was silly. He said silly things! Silly Jiro.
At the mention of Tybalt he perked up and saluted proudly. "Cap'n Tybalt!" He exclaimed in answer to his question, giggling faintly and nodding. "You know Cap'n Tybalt, Jiro?" It seemed his captain was famous! What a guy. And it made sense, someone that pretty and fun should be famous, after all. Zymbu The more he looked at Donny, the more he wondered why he bothered wasting his breath with him. He obviously only heard what he wanted to and nothing else was important. Whatever. It didn't bother him really. Just mean he didn't have to talk to him after this meeting. That was nice. "Sadly, yes I do." Though Tybalt didn't see him that initial meeting between him and Lance, he had been there and saw how he acted. And he really didn't like him much. "Obviously you have to know him since you're a pirate. Hope you have fun..." Getting his chopstick back, he spun it between his fingers, his eyes watching how the gold flashed. He was really bored now."Oh really? I'll definately have to pick it up then. We don't have a phone but I'm sure Shouhin'll let you know what his main decision is.. but I don't think he'll be bringing all of us. That's why too much a hassle." Pouting when Jiro took back his chopstick, he saw how he was already tired of talking to Donny. Had he missed something? "Should we bring anything to the wedding?" Nio Love Sadly? Donny's eternal grin faltered at the sound of that, curious as to how it could be sad to know Tybalt. Perhaps he made the boy jealous? Ah, Donny could understand that all too well. He was only too happy that Tybalt had gotten over his initial jealousy of Donny in order to become his first friend.
He mulled over these thoughts in fruitful silence, punctuated only by a faint giggle as he watched Jiro flick the shiny chopstick through his fingers. It was rather pretty, and if it hadn't been moving so fast, Donny would have reached out to try and touch it. As it was he watched it just as Jiro was, in the midst of a deep silence.
Were Jiro to do that for hours, Donny would sit there and watch it, transfixed in contemplation.
"Oh no no, just yourselves!" Nio answered with a chuckle, moving to scoop Donny up in his arms. The boy whined sadly, holding his arms out in Jiro's direction. He didn't want to leave yet! He wasn't done watching! "I better get home, I've got a few more errands left and if I come home too late again today, Enoh'll think I've summoned another child!" He snickered and nodded in goodbye to Kyoi, before holding Donny out to Jiro.
"Byyyyeee Jiro~" Zymbu Flipping the chopstick into the air, he looked up and then studied Donny. Why was he whining like that? Ah well. Tilting his head, he smirked faintly as he lifted a gloved hand and wiggled his fingers at him. "Bye bye, Donny." The chopstick slid back into his bun next to its counterpart without him even paying much attention. Nice and short. Introductions like this were damn nice.
But he had to admit, seeing that grin slip a bit pleased him. Jiro? Jealous of a featherduster? Not a chance in hell. He didn't like his smell. Adonis' smell wsa interesting but he'd dwell more on it later."Oh, well all right. I'd hate for you to get into trouble or anything like that. Come along, Jiro." Extending his arm, he let the Tale climb up it smoothly and settle onto his back, right between this wings. "Well, it was nice meeting you both and I'll make sure to bring the invite to Shouhin. If we're going to attend, he'll bring a reply back." Bowing again, he waved bye to Adonis before he hurried with his charge to the shop. "Box, then sushi!" He was damn hungry. But he looked back at Jiro, a brow raised. The Tale only shrugged and looked off. "Huh... well I'm sure he's rather nice then." Jiro snorted. "Don't be like that." "I'll be any way I damn well please, Kyoi. And you know that as well as I do." Shrugging, he settled for knawing on a bare shoulder. "Suuuuushi!" Nio Love Hurray, Jiro waved back! That meant he was his friend. All was well. In fact, if Donny could count, he would be able to count all of his new friends on one hand. Soon, he'd have to use both! Maybe one day he'll get his parents to invite them all to the house to meet Vidya. EVERYONE should know Vidya, he thought. Of course, some of them already did.. but some isn't all. In fact, he should make them have a party FOR Vidya. Why, he didn't know.. but did he really need a reason?
Besides, there would be ICE CREAM.
He would have to wait until he knew enough words to communicate with his father better before proposing this plan. Instead, he turned to look at Nio curiously.
"Where now?"
"Well, Enoh wanted me to buy some things for the house, and.. maybe we'll stop for something special for you. If you're good. All right?"
Donny squealed happily as they walked off down the street and headed towards the shopping district. This really was the best day!
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:17 pm
Donny was one lucky little boy.
"Ooh.. this one!" Donny cried out, pointing at the next store he wanted to visit. Nio had four bags in his hand, most of which were the items Enoh wanted, but one rather large one was 'Donny toys'. He sighed softly, looking at the new store they stood in front of.
"Donny.. I'm not even sure this is just a toy store. Are you sure-"
"HOY!" The boy demanded, pointing at the store sharply. Nio sagged visibly and sighed, trudging inside.
Once they'd entered, Nio was elated to see there was an actual seating area. He plopped down on it as Donny scampered off, and looked at the woman beside him, bogged down by as many bags as he was. She gave him a tired smile.
"Long day?"
"Oh yes. Did your child drag you in here too?"
Nio nodded and gestured to the winged wonder who was currently handling a very fragile looking round green gem.
"Donny that doesn't look like you should be touching it!"
The woman cocked her head slightly, getting a good look at Donny, before she gave Nio a wary side glance. He caught her glance and shrugged, chuckling helplessly.
"He's.. ah.. a special child."
"I see."
Donny plopped the small green gem into Nio's lap, and scampered off without even explaining why.
"You know, you shouldn't let him take advantage of you like that. After all, he'll grow spoiled and give you a whole heap of trouble."
Nio smirked softly, watching the boy flutter up to a high shelf and coo at fans. He pointed one out, and the woman folded it up, boxed it, and gave it to him.
"Ah, I know.. but I've only had him a few days, after all. I promised him some gifts, for his birthday."
The woman gave Nio another wary glance. That boy did not look like an infant.
"Squishee, this for Lyris!" He exclaimed as he dropped the box in his lap and scampered off. "Donny wait-" Nio cried out, but the boy was already gone.
"It looks like he wants to get all his new friends gifts.." Nio murmured, his fond gaze pulling away from Donny to look at .. an empty bench. The woman had silently escaped.
"How rude."
"SQUISHEE THIS FOR VIDYA SQUISHEE LOOK"
Nio startled, almost dropping all of the toys as Donny cried out for his attention and held out a stuffed toy. He gathered up the items and put them on the counter, before turning to the boy.
"Donny, I think that's eno-"
..But he was already gone.
"..I've got half the inclination to make you pay for yourself, Donny." And he probably could, with one of those gold armlets he had.. but Nio would never make him.
Donny toddled back, a wide grin smacked on his face. He held another plushie, this one a teddy bear with little wings.
"This one for Donny. Squishee buy it for Donny, pleaaaaaase?"
He looked up at his father with those wide doe eyes, and despite the fact Donny already had a bag of toys.. he couldn't say no.
With a groan and a smirk, he took the toy and put it on the counter to pay for it as well.
"Fine. But then we're going HOME! That's it, okay?"
"Okay!" Donny cried out triumphantly, fluttering up to grab onto his father's back as he paid for all the gifts. He couldn't wait to give them to his friends!
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:19 pm
Viddy's Gift After Donny had dragged his father to almost every toy store in Barton and Gambino combined, the two had trudged home, laden down with packages.
Rather, Nio was laden down with packages, and Donny. Donny was laden down with a plushie in his arms. The poor kid. c.c
The boy was exhausted, and as he was carried up the steps to his room, he murmured something unintelligible and shifted in his father's arms. Nio chuckled softly, and set down the bags just outside the doorway. He creaked the door to Vidya's room, checking inside to see if they'd gotten home yet. It was still early, and it seemed they were out for the time being.. but Donny was ready for bed here and now.
"Squish.. eee."
Donny looked up with sleepy eyes as he was settled into the bed, still clutching his new plushie in his arms.
"Donny, say daddy." Nio whispered one last time, smirking faintly.
"Squishee."
Nio shook his head softly, and tucked the covers around him.
"Leave plushie for Viddy?"
"Sure short stuff, I'll leave her the plushie you got her."
Donny smiled one last, lazy smile, before closing his eyes and drifting off. Nio watched him fondly for a few minutes, before brushing a lock of hair away from his face, and standing up to grab the plushie from the bags just outside the door. He set the little lion plushie on Vidya's side of the bed, and whispered one last good night to Donny before heading off to his and Enoh's room.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:22 pm
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:44 pm
Adghal Popion http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v478/EvilPopkin/dice.jpg Dice was adorable. There was no denying it. There was no possible way one could lay eyes upon the young catboy and not fall instantly in love. His ears were tucked beneath a beaten fisherman's hat, out of which locks of red-tipped hair poked. He wore a pair of hand-me-down rubber wading boots that were a size-too-big, along with thick leather boots that had been ganked from a sleeping hobo. One hand gripped the base of a wooden fishing pole, while the other held a cooler filled with worms, nightcrawlers, and sodas.Popion, on the other hand. Well, Popion was homicidal. A small portion of his face was hidden behind green and black facepaint and his hair tied back with a bandana of simillar color. A vintage army jacket covered a flimsy muscle short, while camoflagued shorts hung from his waist. At his hip was a large leather holster, which held a hunting knife nine inches in length and four inches in width. Slung over his shoulder was an automatic rifle, and attached to his back a sawed-off shotgun. He crouched down at the edge of Gambino's docks, peering down intently at the water. "The river will run red with their blood," he hissed. "I'm gonna catch ten fish. No! Fifteen fish! ... No! Er, ten fish sounds more reasonable," Dice remarked.Nio Love For once, Donny wasn't riding on his father's back. He was toddling along beside Nio, carrying a little bucket filled with all sorts of wiggling goodies, while his father carried two fishing poles (his extensive one, and the smaller bright blue childsafe one Donny had picked out at the store) in his arm, as well as a picnic basket in his other hand.
"Be careful Donny, if that's too heavy for you, you let me know all right?"
Donny lugged the bucket, hopping to keep up with his father and look like he wasn't out of breathe.
"Donny fine!" He squeaked, almost tripping on himself before catching his balance and toddling along.
"All right, we're almost- HOLY CARROTSTICKS!" Nio screeched, taking a long stride in front of Adonis to stop him and keep him shielded as he caught sight of the man with firearms on the docks.
"What the heck are you doing with those in a place like this, man?! This is a fishing dock, not a warzone, and I'm pretty sure they're not all .. hey.. do I know you?"
He cocked his head slightly, his eyes narrowing in faint recognition. Why did Mr. Psychopath look so familiar..? Adghal Popion There was a moment's silence as Popion's gaze shifted from the still waters to Nio, whom he looked over for several good, long moments, before turning to Dice. "What did I tell you about approaching intruders?" "To cry like a hawk when I saw them.""And?" "I don't know how to cry like a hawk."With an exasperated sigh the man rose from the ground, straightening himself with a superior sort of air. "I'll have you know I'm just teaching the kid the proper way to hunt fish. If we're not suitably armed, how are we going to keep the fish from breaching our defenses? Speaking of which, Dice, where are our defenses?" "I kept cutting myself on the barbed wire so I dropped it someways back."Several miles away, militant beavers had found a way to better fortify their dams. "Cripes! Now we're just sitting ducks, man!" Popion cried, turning himself back towards the lake, brandishing his hunting knife threateningly. "Mm, hey! Aren't you the one we held the cook-off against? [See Episode #104: Dice and the Squid Battle of Honor]" remarked the Tahnee, seeing as how his owner obviously had things more important than familliar faces to worry about.Nio Love Donny continuously tried to peek out from behind Nio's legs, but everytime the man felt him do so, he shifted to hide the boy's head from view.
"What are you going on about?! You don't hunt fish, you fish for fish. What do you think these are, pirahnas? They can't hurt you!" He sighed in exasperation, and as he did so he lost his train of thought. Before he knew it, Donny had slunk out from behind him, and scampered to Dice, plopping down on his butt beside the larger boy. His eyes widened as he stared at the get-up the boy was dressed in, and a long silence passed..
..before he broke out into squeals of laughter and fell over onto his side.
"Donny, it's not nice to laugh." Nio scolded, as he moved forward and sat beside his boy, giving Popion a wary look before he heard Dice. His eyes widened and he glared.
"Now I remember you two.. you almost got us killed! And you tried to hit on my fiance to boot!"
Then again, Nio thought to himself.. if it wasn't for this man, perhaps he would still not have found the courage to ask Enoh to marry him in the first place. In Nio's innocent logic, that meant.. he owed the guy.
He turned his eyes down to Dice, and smirked softly.
"You're holding your fishing rod wrong. If a fish catches on that, it's going to take it with them on the first pull. Want me to show you how to get a good grip?" Adghal Popion "I have no idea what you're talking about," Popion stated firmly, crouching down once more to peer over the edge of the docks. "Although I do seem to recall the curves of your fiance." It was perfectly possible that he didn't, and was simply recalling the curves of another woman, but how would Nio know that? "Pirhanna's or not, fish are cunning creatures. Rusty hooks are no way to conquer the aquatic underworld!" If Dice has learned anything from his master, it's that honor is everything. Thankfully, the foxboy had learned nothing, and thus he did not whoop Adonis' a** when the winged boy laughed at him. He did, however, glare hurtfully at the golden child. And contemplated shoving him into the water, but his attention was brought to his pole as Nio criticized his handling methods.
"If you wouldn't mind," Dice murmured softly, smiling gently.There was the sudden sound of gun fire, followed by a light spray of water, followed by several fish surfacing at the lake top. "Got em'," Popion cackled, firmly gripping a handgun. Nio Love Nio cooly regarded Popion, civilly ignoring the comment about Enoh for now, for the simple reason that the man was armed at the moment.. picking a fight didn't seem like the best idea.
"All right, here. Let it go first, and now hold it with only one hand, here at the base. Then put your other hand right above it, so you've got a good grip." He held the middle of the pole while the boy readjusted his hands the way Nio told him, until he looked like he was holding it right, and let go.
"There, doesn't that feel better? Now all you've gotta do is get a good flick and it'll cast for-AGHHH!"
Nio practically jumped into the water when he heard the gunshots into the water. Donny took it one step forward and hopped right off the dock with a scream, though a moment later the top of his head popped up at the edge of the docks, peeking out only up to his eyes, clearly frightened as he hovered in the air.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Nio yelled, in an uncharacteristically angry tone of voice. He hopped up, standing in front of Popion with a threatening loom, despite both men being almost the same height. "Put those guns away before you end up shooting one of the kids by mistake, you lunatic! I'm serious!" Adghal Popion Popion sighed, waving a hand dismissively at the spastic, purple-haired man as he tucked the handgun back into his ankle holster. "Fine, fine, I'll let you try the traditional way," he resigned with a smirk, matching height with Nio. "And if I just managed to fire bullets into moving fish, what makes you think I'd accidentally hit your kid?" Plop!"Hah! It works!" Dice cried out joyfully, jumping up and down as his line cast out across the water. "It works! I win! Huzzah! AHH!" He let out a yelp as his pole gave a sharp tug, beginning to zig-zag across the surface, darting this way and that as the reel began to whirl. Having just learned the first neccessary step in fishing, the Tahnee wasn't completely sure of the second. He tried to tug back, but that only seemed to help temorary. He gave one more desperate attempt to pull before the fish made off with the pole... and him. He was yanked from his feet and thrown from the dock, falling straight on Adonis before releasing the pole and crashing to the water.
"Awu.."Nio Love Nio let out a sigh of relief as Popion put his gun away, and slowly, cautiously, returned to the dock, only to see Dice get flung over. He reached out to try and catch the boy but it was too late, and instead he stumbled to his knees, only to look over the edge of the dock.
Donny squealed as Dice slammed into him, and would have fallen back into the water himself had he not flapped hard to stop himself. He heard the splash behind him, and giggled, turning to hover down near the water's edge and hold his hand out for Donny.
"You silly~" He giggled, grinning widely at the boy.
"Are you two okay?" Nio called out, still fretting thoroughly despite the fact his boy was not in the water. Still, he couldn't help but be proud of how Adonis was willing to help Dice.. after all, he could have been upset for being slammed into.
To be honest, Adonis was just glad he didn't fall in himself. And he did find the fox boy rather comical. Adghal Popion Dice bobbed along in the water, his hat slowly foating away and his upperhalf completely soaked (his lower half coated in a thick layer of rubber). He looked up at Adonis as the golden child hovered above him, a helping hand extended. The fox boy wasn't sure as to whether or not the boy was mocking him, but at this point he was willing to take help from anyone. He took the other's hand and gripped it tightly, feeling slightly strange that someone so much younger than he was pulling him from a lake.
"The pole got away," Dice lamented, watching it skip along into the distance. "The hell it did," Popion spat, a maddened glint flashing in his eyes. He promptly rid himself of the various firearms he had attatched to his own body, opting instead to tear the hunting knife from its sheathe and brandish it once more. The man dove into the water, submerging before taking off in chase of the runaway pole snatcher, darting through the water with the speed and agility of a.. well.. a fish. He shot through schools of brightly colored seedkins, hurtled over dangerously sharp reef, trudged through murky waters, and spanned a whole of twenty feet before catching up with the fishing pole. With a desperate leap from the water, Popion managed to take hold, riding the curttails of whatever devious beast had the audicity to commit such a heinous crime. "YOU WILL NEVER GET THIS POLE!" he cried, waving the sharpened blade about wildly. Nio Love For someone so small and young, Donny managed to pull Dice out of the water well enough - though it was mainly in part of the strength his massive wings gave him. They were bigger than he himself was, and they flapped forcefully to pull them both up, as Donny led Dice back to the dock. He set the boy down, and touched down himself, scampering over with a giggle to flop in Dice's lap.
He stared up at the boy, his amused grin never leaving his face. "You funny. I'm Donny!"
And thus, the friendship of legend began. Or something of the sort.
Nio pushed himself up to a sitting position as he watched Popion dive into the water, his eyes widening for a moment as the man swam. "Uh.. kid.. do you have a mother? Or anyone.. else, in your family?" He turned to look at Dice, clearly pitying the boy. In a softer whisper, he bent down and regrettably informed him.. "Your father's crazy." Adghal Popion Dice still wasn't completely sure how to react. Socialization was a relatively new skill to him, and having a new friend sitting right on top of him was.. well.. an experience quite unlike any he'd had previously. It's not to say the Tahnee was protective of his personal space, it's just that the closeness concept was one he had only just adjusted to with Popion.
"I'm Dice," he offered with a smile, at least glad he was a source of amusement for Adonis. He didn't reach out to touch the boy, in fear he'd upset him some way, so he merely watched him, intrigued by the symbols engraved in his skin and, perhaps most of all, his monstrous wings.
The fox boy turned towards Nio, who was busy watching his owner seek vengance on the rogue fish. Nothing Popion did surprised him anymore, nor had it really done so since the beginning. He enjoyed his existance in the world his father would create for himself. "Nope," he stated simply, his voice tinged with the affection a father would express to a wayward son. "He's the only one I got.""Cursed trickery!" Popion screeched in dismay, withdrawing his blade from the tough, leathery skin of an old tire. "Cunning foe, pulling a switch when he was just in my grasp. Hide now, you fiend, but let my name be forever seared into your very scales! Do you hear me? I shall have my revenge!" A hysterical cackle erupted from the center of the lake as Popion assured himself he had struck fear into the heart of at least one fish for today. Nio Love "Oh.. dear. Well, maybe you guys should come over and have dinner with us tonight.." He silently hoped that seeing a stable family and parental guidance might give Popion a better idea of how he should act around his boy..
He heard the cackle and seriously reconsidered.
But it was too late for Nio to be making any decisions, for Donny had already made his. "Dice!" Donny repeated. It was a rare event when Adonis learned any word from someone who wasn't a Tale.. so this got a quirked look from Nio before he turned his head up to watch Popion once more. Adonis flung his arms around Dice, and giggled triumphantly.
"Dice is Donny's now! Okay?" The boy claimed Dice, though it was unclear as to what he meant by this. He probably wanted the boy to be his friend.. though a more likely interpretation was that Adonis found the boy amusing enough to consider him a plaything, and thusly claim him as he would a toy in a toy store. Adghal Popion Dice scratched his head, trying to figure out if this was a good thing or a bad thing. He wasn't aware of the boy's specific preferences in where he learned words, but the limited vocabulary was blatantly apparent and the mere fact that he had actually learned the fox boy's name was enough to put a grin on Dice's face.
"Ah, well, no, see, Dice is Dice's. You can't very well go about claiming other people in your name. They wouldn't like it very - grk." His explination was cut short as Adonis gave a squeeze with his arms, which was too adorable to really interfere with. Besides, it was nice to have a friend, and why spit on a good thing? He slumped warily against the other and only managed to add to the effect that he was, in fact, one giant (small) toy.Popion hoisted himself on to the dock, his oversized hunting knife clenched tightly between his teeth. He whipped it from his mouth and wedged it firmly into one of the planks, its wood made soft from the constant beating of water against it. The man brought the fishing pole above his head, holding it in such triumph one would think a celestial glow was radiating from the object. "Now that's how you fish!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and slinging the pole over his shoulder. He looked over towards the two boys, who had obviously become fast friends. "Hey, your kid seems to have gotten snagged on my kid. Gimme, a second, I think I can cut em' loose," Popion said, plucking the knife from the plank. Nio Love Adonis thought it amusing that the boy was trying to argue with him. He clearly didn't understand the fact of the matter, which was that when Donny wanted something, he got it. Or, perhaps he did! As Dice slumped over into Donny's chubby armed hug, the toddler giggled triumphantly and snuggled into him.
Nio was not surprised anymore by the way Donny went around winning people's hearts. He quirked a soft smile as he watched the two, and settled down beside them to fish. He was reeling in the first bite, when Popion climbed back up onto the dock, and he reached down to pick up the fish flailing on the line when he heard the man speak.
He almost dropped into the lake with the fish in surprise. "WHAT? NO!" He plopped back onto the dock, dropping both rod and fish onto the wood before scrambling up to put himself between Popion and the boys. He gave a nervous laugh, and reached out to take the knife, swiftly holding it in his opposite hand with the blade's side against his arm.
"No no, they're just hugging cause they're friends, buddy.. it's a good thing! Listen.. you guys hungry? We'll be going home soon, and I doubt they're going to want to part now. What say you come over for dinner?"
Enoh was going to kill him. But at least his son wasn't going to get KNIFED. Adghal Popion " Hugging?" Popion repeated in bewildered disgust. "Dice, are you hugging him?" "Well, I'm just sitting here. He's hugging me.""I see," the man murmured, frowning, upset partially due to the fact his son was being hugged by another boy and partially due to the fact Nio had taken his knife away from him. His prospects brightened, however, once the purple-haired spaz offered them dinner. There was only a few scraps left in the bag of stolen Orphanage goods, thus the aspect of an actual meal was, to say in the least, appetizing. He slung an arm around Nio's shoulder and flashed him a pearly white grin that was a stark contrast to the muddy greasepaint that covered his face. "Me and you, man, we think alike. We've got our priorities straight. Hunting and food, that's good. The kid and me would be honored to attend!" Nio Love Nio did not, by any means, think that they thought alike. Nevertheless, he gave the man a quirked and nervous grin in response to his own, and whistled for Donny. The winged boy hopped off Dice's lap and grabbed his hand, tugging him along.
"Come on Dice!" He squealed, tugging him into a run towards the direction that he knew they would be heading. Nio set off with Popion in that direction, discreetly trying to pull himself away from the man without seeming rude.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:54 pm
Nio Love
Roughly a half hour later, they arrived at the house, in better spirits than they'd left. Donny had tried to explain to Dice in the best way he could about his plans for world domination through indescribable cuteness, but what came out was mostly gibberish and words put together in a way that would have completely confused the Tahnee. He looked rather triumphant about it either way.
Nio stepped up to the door, and pulled out his key, only to hesitate. If Enoh was in there.. this would be a rather bad surprise. He turned around, and gave the three of them a nervous grin.
"Hey, I'm going to go inside and make sure Enoh's decent first, okay? You guys wait here, I'll come get you. Watch my Donny for a bit."
Without waiting for an answer (for he was sure Popion would make some lewd comment about wanting to see her indecent) He unlocked the door, and slid inside, closing it quickly.
"Whew." He whispered, before turning around and calling out loudly. "ENOH? YOU AROUND?"Adghal Popion Dice was pulled, rather abruptly, away from the docks. He only managed to match pace with the young child once they had made it a few feet away, and by the time they had actually managed to arrive he was thoroughly exhausted. If not for the fact Adonis had kept him well occupied with whatever it is he was trying to tell him, the fox boy would have most likely collapsed a mile or two in.
"That's.. wonderful.. Donny," he wheezed, as the boy was obviously proud of, well, Dice wasn't sure what he was proud of but whatever it was it was obviously wonderful. Sputtering, the Tahnee finally had a chance to breathe, and whilst he did take the time to do so he also took the opportunity to fully admire Nio's house. It wasn't much, but in the eyes of someone who had spent the past few months living in the back of a bar that belonged to a friend of Popion's it was a mansion. "Geeze..."Popion had an affliction simillar to Donny's. That is, to say, he would say a lot but the majority of it was gibberish. He had regaled Nio with fantastic hunting stories, culminating in the harrowing tale of when he had spent fourty days in the Canadian backwoods after a nasty plane wreck. Bear skin, as it turned out, was even more comfortable against the naked body than one would think it to be. ".. it was at that point the bear revealed to me his darkest secret," Popion explained as they approached the house, stopping once Nio went inside to check on the Mrs. "Remember, Dice, be on your best behavior. We wouldn't want to impose on such genereous - hey, wait, wasn't this the chick with the nice a**?" Dice was currently too winded to reply. Nio Love The house was quiet. Though that didn't necessarily mean no one was home, at least Popion wasn't about to walk in to Enoh face to face, and that was good enough for him. Nio opened the door and gestured for the three to come inside, and closed the door behind them once he'd done so.
"Take a seat in the living room, I'm just going to go up and check to see if Enoh's here or not." He murmured, gesturing them towards the couch and the TV. "Donny'll help you find anything you need." Adghal Popion Dice sauntered over to the couch and collapsed into it, curling up on one of the end cushions. He snuggled comfortably against it, the material cool and soft against his skin. It had been a rather exhausting day in general, and taking the time to run after his new friend wasn't exactly the respite he was looking for. This, however, fit perfectly.Popion slowly made his way towards the living room, eyes gracing a picture here, a vase there, electrical appliances and fine wood furnishings. He had to admit, it wasn't too shabby of an establishment. He debated for a moment making off with the couch, but he quickly pushed the thought from his mind. He'd at least have to wait until after the meal to do that. "So, Donny, can you show me to your Mommy's unmentionables? Haha, I'm just yankin' yah. But, seriously, does your dad have any liquor?" he asked the small child, who would more than likely be clueless as to what he was saying. Nio Love Donny climbed up onto the couch with some difficulty, moving to flop against Dice as he cuddled into the cushions. He looked at Popion with a confused-yet-amused sort of glare, before letting out a childish laugh.
"Lick~?" Donny repeated in a giggle, as it was the only part of the word liquor that he understood. No one had ever said that word to him before, and he didn't learn words from grown ups on principle.
But this was soon forgotten as his stomach rumbled, and Donny slid off the couch to go searching in the kitchen. "Donny hungry! Donny find food. Dice and Dice's squishee want food?" Adghal Popion Dice poked his head over the couch's armrest, watching Donny from behind it.
"I assume your my squishee," the fox boy mused."I'm not your squishee," Popion shot back, situating himself on the opposite end of the couch and reaching over for the remote. "Though if the kid's offering us food, I'll be glad to be your squishee." "I'll help, Donny," the Tahnee offered, clamoring over the side of the couch and falling roughly to the floor. He quickly brushed himself off and followed the winged child into the kitchen, figuring the boy's parents didn't exactly want him sifting through their kitchen unsupervised. And who better to supervise than a twelve year old that had never been inside the house before? No one, that's who. Nio Love "YAY!" Donny cried out happily at Dice's offer, flailing his arms in the air as he tumbled into the kitchen to begin the grand search for foodstuffs. This of course consisted of him trying to get into the childproofed cabinets that were at his height, and finally staring up at the refridgerator in longing.
"Dere's food in dere. We gotta open. Dice help Donny!"
Donny himself grabbed onto the fridge handle and pulled, tugging as hard as he could - and not succeeding. As mighty as his wings may be, he couldn't use their strength inside - and he was just a toddler, after all.
"Dice gonna meet Donny's sister Viddy. She's pretty." He grunted all this out in idle conversation while almost killing himself trying to open the fridge. Adghal Popion Dice looked the refridgerator over, unsure as to whether or not he really should open it. Things were childproof for a reason, and if Donny's parents didn't want the boy to be going through the food, who was he to-"There," Popion said, tugging the door open and poking his head inside, looking over the various pre-packaged goods. "I don't suppose it would be good form for us to steal their food, would it?" he asked himself sadly, obviously tempted to do so. "Oh, you have a sister?" Dice inquired, relieved to no longer be in control of the fridge situation. It was open, and it wasn't his fault! His hands were cleaned of any and all spoiled appetites. "Ooh, is that cookie dough?" Nio Love Donny went flying back as the door was suddenly pulled open, and he tumbled head over heels before landing on his behind and shaking his head in disorientation. Once he'd regained his bearings, he let out a pleased squeal and toddled back to the fridge, pulling out the cookie dough because Dice had mentioned it. He didn't know what he was supposed to eat, but this was as good as anything!
"Yes, sister is Viddy, she's pretty and bloo~!" He proclaimed as he fluttered up to the table with the log of cookie dough, flopping against it and poking it repeatedly. "Viddy taught Donny how to talk."
His focus was quickly being consumed by the poking of the dough. "It's cold and hard," He observed, wondering if it was really supposed to be eaten or not. "Do we put it in the oven?" .End.Of.Hysteria. "THIS one, Mommah! Les' try this one!" Vidya squealed happily, pulling a rather large black Haori from one of the many shopping bags that now littered the child's room. She had run over to her Mother, practically tackling the seated shapeshifter's knees, holding the haori up to her.
"But Vidya dear...this won't fit you at all just yet...Remember? We bought some things for when you get older...because it will happen, and I don't want to spend so much money on things you'll soon grow out of." She chuckled, ruffling the girl's white and blue streaked hair, which was still seperated in hundreds and hundreds of tiny braids. She turned the girl back towards the bags, giving her a small push to persuade her back to them, to chose something they bought in her size right now. "Why don't you go pick out something else?"
"But I...Aww..'kay Mommah..." Sulking, looked back at the bags...and within seconds, her sulk was gone, replaced by energy and excitement that would probably keep more than a few castles well lit for months.
Chuckling, Enoh turned towards the door to Vidya's room...she could've sworn she heard other people down there. Her maternal instincts told her the voices weren't her own children, but she did hear a squeal from Adonis...and more importantly, she picked up on the charming voice of her equally charming Fiance..and that was ALWAYS wonderful. The other voices...there was one that sent a shiver of dread down her spine.
She was hesitant to get up and move towards the door to investigate...but she found herself doing so anyway.
After all, Nio was home! Nio Love Nio heard Vidya's voice from all the way down the hall, and knew she and his beloved were in his daughter's room. He knocked on the door softly, and a moment afterward slowly cracked it open and look inside with one eye closed.
"Are you ladies decent?" He asked, only to find himself face to face with Enoh, who had already headed towards the door when she heard them. He blinked both eyes open and looked down at her, a slow and content smile growing at the sight. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her the morning before they had left to go fishing.. but even the small amount of time they'd been separated made him miss her. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her nose, his lopsided smile remaining even as he spoke.
"Aw, darn. You are." He whispered to her only, then grinned and slid his arm around her waist while opening the door fully and going inside. "What's this, did you and Smurfette go on a shopping spree? I hope you remembered to pick me up something, though I doubt you found anything in my size." He winked at Vidya as he teased them, nosily looking through a bag. Adghal Popion "Well, no. Well, yeah. Sort of. You have to take it out of the can first, then cut some out, then put it on the sheet, then - er, it's all right here," Dice explained, turning the cookie dough over where the cooking directions were printed across it in bold white letters. Only after a moment did he realize a child that could barely speak correctly was most likely unable to read very well. "But we should maybe wait for your parents before we decided to bake anything.""Oh, Dice. When someone invites you into their househould they're automatically granting you access to every aspect of their personal space," Popion remarked, tearing away the seal of the cookie dough. "Besides, your friend here seems to like it well enough, don'tchya blondie?" "Ah.." Dice started, raising his finger to protest. "I just don't think it would be good first impressions if we burned their house down.""What, you think I'm that irresponsible?" Dice saw flames already towering overhead. .End.Of.Hysteria. Enoh had been about to say "Unfortunately, yes"...but...since he basically said it himself, she merely smirked in response. Giggling a bit, she wrapped her arms around him, her ears flattening in glee as she backed into the room while he merely walked in.
"Yep...shopping spree. I just went out to get some small things...but the resident sea monster found a multi-cultural clothing store..." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, figuring that was all the explaination she needed. "But we did buy you a yukata, dear." See? She wasn't only going for her children! "Well...Vidya insisted that you have one, and that Donny received one...And myself, as well..." She admitted sheepishly, having let go so he could look through the bags if he wished.
Vidya however, squealed with glee when she noticed her father enter, and she imediately ran over to hug him, and then ran back to the bags to find which one held the yukata meant for her father and for her brother. Surprisingly, she said nothing.
"By the way...who else is down there...?" Nio Love Nio was no stranger to that kind of explanation. He'd gone through a similar excursion when they'd passed all of the toy stores earlier that week. He had been joking when he mentioned buying him something, so when he heard that his joke had some truth behind it, he looked up in surprise.
"Oh really? We have the most thoughtful daughter in the world, it seems.. I think it's because she's got such a good influence." He leaned in and kissed the crook of Enoh's neck before flopping down on the bed and picking up Vidya when she came to hug him. He gave her a bear hug coupled with a happy groan, and let her run off to searchas she wished.
Enoh's question was one he had almost blissfully forgotten about until she asked. He looked up at his fiance sheepishly, and attempted to slowly word the answer in a way that would upset her the least.
"Oh. Well Donny made a new friend today, seems very attached to him. You might remember Dice.. but I'm sure you'll remember his father."
Nio stood up, sliding his hands to her shoulders to massage the muscles there in an attempt to soothe her into not reacting.
"The guy's not as bad as his first impression.. though I admit the only reason I invited him over is because of how attached Donny is to his son.." .End.Of.Hysteria. "Mm...I think she's this way by default." Enoh chuckled happily, leaning her head to the side, absently giving him more room to her neck. It felt nice, his kisses...but she remembered where she was, and instantly squashed the desire to pounce on him and...well yeah....pounce on him.
She watched the brief interaction with a small smile...though she was instantly worried at his sheepish look. Enoh was even more suspicious at the fact he moved to massage her shoulders.
This mustn't be good news.
She thought about his first statements. Dice...Dice...where did she knew that name...?
The guy's not as bad as his first impression..
Enoh's eyes narrowed instantly as it all sank in. Dice...that was the Tahnee child of that damn RASH! Her ears flattened again, a low growl in her throat. She spun around, looking up at Nio...If looks could kill, the flare in her red eyes would most definately be complete annihilation.
Yeah...it was safe to say she remembered him.
"You mean...that...man is in my house?" Nio Love While it was lucky for Nio that looks couldn't kill, it certainly managed to make him shrivel up inside. He had known she wouldn't be too happy about the idea, but he had never seen that look in Enoh's eyes, and even worse.. looking at him.
Utter annihilation was an understatement.
His hands stilled at her shoulders and he sunk down to plop back on the bed, looking like a scolded puppy. This was much, much worse than he had thought it would be.
After all, Nio had too forgiving of a nature.. he was just too easygoing for his own good, and making friends with the man was a result of that.
"Enoh-" His voice was hitched, and he cleared it to return to normal, before reaching out and taking her hand. "Enoh, now I know you don't like him.." Don't like him? It looked more like she was ready to kill him.. "But I just think we should give him a second chance is all.. for Donny's sake. Just.. please don't look at me like that.."
Her glare was starting to make his heart ache. He had never seen her look at him like that before. If it continued for too long, he was certain he would end up in tears. .End.Of.Hysteria. Normally, Enoh was very much a 'Que Sera Sera' type of person...but when it came to Popion...well...there she had more than one complaint...And her list of complaints looked something like this:
1. Harassment.
2. Slapping Nio.
3. Used his own child as a pawn.
4. Squid is disgusting. (What this has to do with anything, we may never know)
5. He nearly killed her children, as well as his.
6. He nearly killed Nio and herself.
Then again...Enoh also had her list of "THANK YOUS" for that man. That list was as followes:
1. The destruction of the cook off gave Nio the courage to propose.
If anything, her list of thank yous, as short as it was, somewhat made up for at least 3.5-4 points on her list of complaints. There were still at least 1.5-2 points on that list that were inexcusable, even for something as large and welcome as the proposal.
Sighing heavilly, Enoh closed her eyes and fell onto her knees, resting her hands and cheek upon the corner of his right knee, purring softly. What a way to calm the shapeshifter...look like a kicked puppy and mention a child.
"I'm sorry...I just...I don't like him. But I'll be nice...for Donny." She murmured, still resting her head on his knees. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." Just...no more puppy dog looks.
Vidya had long since found the Yukatas, but seeing her parents like they were made her think twice about announcing this. Instead, she picked up the boxes and quietly toddled out of the room, humming happily as she walked towards Enoh and Nio's room to drop off her gifts. Nio Love Nio's gaze fell to worry when he saw Enoh fall to her knees, and he bent down slightly out of instinct, reaching out to rest one hand against her back while the other cupped the top of her head gently and caressed it. His worry was mixed with confusion when he heard her purr, and he rested his chin against the top of her head, replacing his hand.
All of those I'm sorry's.. he really didn't expect this. Enoh was so understanding.. so caring.. so absolutely wonderful. Nio fell in love all over again that very moment.
"No, you have every right to be mad. I just knew that in the end you'd agree to tolerate him for Donny's sake.. besides, what's the worst he can do?"
He sniffed the air softly, and lifted his head. Was that.. smoke?
..Naaah.
He bent his head to the side, where Enoh faced, and captured her lips in an amusingly awkward upside down kiss. It only lasted a moment, but held a clear caress of adoration within it. He then leaned up so he could look at her eye to eye, his own green eyes bright and his characteristic grin returning to his face to assure her that everything was going to be all right.
"I love you, you know." Adghal Popion "I don't think this a good idea.""I think it's a fine idea." "I just think it's dangerous.""I think it's perfectly safe." "It's not ours.""Which is all the more reason to use it!" ".. What?"Popion had assisted the two boys in preparing the cookie dough, having cut out the suggested number to be served and laid them across a metal sheet coated with butter and wax paper. Despite his previous reservations about children being wretched plagues that just leeched and leeched and leeched the life out of you, it actually proved to be a fun experience. Dice had actually enjoyed himself as well, but was once more tense over the fact they were now going to be using something that harbored the uncontrollable technology of fire. Seeing as his last experience with cooking appliances involved near death, he had the right to be a little wary. Plus, with Donny at his side, he was beginning to become more concious of his actions. Popion, however, was not. "Now, then, all we gotta do is preheat the oven at 350 degrees and let em' sit for twenty minutes. I don't see what could possibly go wrong within the next twenty minutes," the man remarked, trying to alleviate his son's concerns. He flipped a dial and with a sudden woosh, a pillar of fire shot up from the burner, the bottom tinged a mystical blue and the rest wrapped in a flickering mesh of red and orange. "Er, wrong button." Apparently, Popion hadn't taken into consideration the first several seconds of those twenty minutes. .End.Of.Hysteria. Enoh was purring again. She'd put up with Popion, if that made Adonis happy...but really, that was the ONLY reason she'd even TRY to be civil about him. Her red eyes opened as she felt his lips on hers, a playful smile moving onto her lips as she attempted to return the awkward motion.
However, she broke away shortly after she returned his kiss, her ears perked and her eyes on the bedroom door. Sniffing the air, the hairs on her ears rose in panic, and the shifter was instantly on her feet."I smell..."
"I smell FIRE!" She cried out this time, moving into a run, leaping over the railing to the floor below without even touching the staircase. Sure, her landing was a little awkward...but that was nothing compared to what the house could look like in about ten minutes...if she was lucky.
"YOU." She growled, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen and pointing at Popion. "Get away from my stove. Now." Without really waiting, Enoh made her way over, instantly shutting the machine off. She reeled on him again, now that the danger had been averted.
"Do you have ANY Idea how STUPID you are? Are you so CLUELESS to the fact there are CHILDREN in the room?!" Oh, how Enoh wanted to shout vulgarities at him, turn him into a woman and boot his a** out the door. Her eyes were flaring with the same anger they had been only minute before. If only looks could kill...all her problems would be solved. But alas...there were children here, and she said she'd be nice, for Adonis' sake.
In this situation, she was being an angel about it. Nio Love Nio's heart practically stopped as Enoh confirmed the smell he had only just barely noticed. He scrambled to follow afterward, stopping only for a brief second to watch her soar through the air and land at the bottom of the staircase. While he winced slightly at the landing, there was a clear moment of awe, clearly impressed with the way his baby moved.
..But there was no time for that now!
He ran down the stairs, not about to take a leap the way she had due to the fact he was in no condition to pull off such feats as far as he knew, and managed to enter the kitchen just as Enoh was finishing up. He stood on the other side of the man, his eyes narrowed faintly. As good of a guy as he was, even Nio would be pissed off at someone almost setting the house on fire - with the kids IN it.
"Popion, what were you thinking? You could have gotten Dice hurt, or Don- ... where's Donny?"
Nio looked around for the boy, bending to check under the table to see if he'd hidden from the fire.. but he wasn't there.
"Donny? DONNY, YOU CAN COME OUT NOW." He called out, Popion and his anger forgotten in place of a more important worry.
"..Where'd he go?"
---
Though he didn't know it until it happened, there was something about fire that scared Adonis. Scared wasn't the word.. it petrified him. When the fire pillar had shot up, Donny's innocent eyes widened and dilated, and he had turned tail and flew out of the house in a flash, before anyone could have even noticed. His only thought process was to get away, as far away from the fire as possible. There was something about it.. he had no idea why..
..but it petrified him beyond belief.
He flew, and flew, without really noticing where he was going or how far he was from home. All that mattered was getting away.
Until, of course, he started to realize that he was completely and utterly lost. Adghal Popion "I'm well aware of that fact! I'm perfectly aware of it! I'm so utterly aware of it that it is now ingrained permenantly in my head!" "Donny?""The only reason I was near the stove in the first place is because the children wanted some cookies. You can't possibly pin the bad guy card on someone baking cookies!" "... Donny?""In fact, I should be commended for keeping two little boys from using an extremely dangerous appliance. If not for my parental supervision, they could've ended up burning themselves." "Donny?!""Dice, please! The adults are trying to talk here!" The boy's ears, tufts of reddish fur, fell flat against his head. He had been so caught up in the flame that had leapt from the stovetop he hadn't even seen which direction Donny zipped off towards. Actually, he wasn't quite sure the boy had zipped. Hell, for all he knew Adonis had literally popped out of existance. Although, that was a rather depressing thing to dwell upon, thus he put his hopes towards the whole zipping hypothesis."In conclusion, I am responsible for both creating and preventing a potentially harmful incident for all parties involved," Popion stated firmly, still holding the tray of cookie dough that the two children had so haphazardly arranged. The man coughed slightly, a small, thick cloud of black smoke billowing from his lips. "Hey, what happened to the blonde kid?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:12 pm
Enoh growled, the fur on her ears standing on end. Oh, how dare he try to make himself out to be a hero. He turned on the stove, and not the oven, which is where the box clearly states the cookies go to be cooked. Not only that, but she didn't see him jump to stop this pillar of fire and correct his mistake. Oh no, when she'd jumped downstairs, he'd just been standing there. Yeah, real mature buddy...nice try in making yourself out to be the responsible one.
She'd been about to open her mouth to tell him just that, and to hopefully give him whiplash from verbal assault...but the closed her mouth again at the mention of Donny. Or rather...how many times the boy was called, and how many times the boy didn't answer. Her ears, which had been lowered previously, perked slowly and flicked, subconsciously trying to hear her now lost son.
"...Where DID he go...? Any ideas, Nio?" She leaned her head towards her Fiancee, since he knew more about the boy than she did.
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Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:44 am
"I'd guess the fire just scared him. He's gotta be hiding around here somewhere.. right?" His eyes flickered towards Enoh, clearly borderlining on breakdown but still hanging on. "We should all just.. look for him." His eyes snapped to Adghal, narrowing in intensity. "All of us."
From his initial scan it was obvious Donny wasn't in the kitchen, so Nio backed out of it and took a quick look around the living room. As he did so, he caught sight of an open window, and his heart plummetted.
"I'm.. going to go take a look outside."
Donny wouldn't have been that scared of the fire, would he? Unless it wasn't the fire that made him do it.. maybe..
Nio looked back behind him at Enoh for a moment, before heading out the door.
..maybe he just didn't want Nio for a daddy, after all.
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Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 9:10 am
Popion wasn't stupid. Well, no, he was, but not when it came to women... Well, see, he was smart enough to know when it was time to leave.
... Er.
For reasons inexplicable to both the narrorator and himself, Popion had decided it'd be best if he conduct his search with something thick, say, a wall, seperating him from Enoh.
"We'll search the backyard," he opted, grabbing Dice by the collar and dragging the boy outside before any other, more helpful suggestions could be made. He settled once they were a considerable distance from the door, keeping an uneasy eye on the house lest Enoh emerge from it weilding something large and sharp, blunt, or explosive.
Dice's concerns, however, were not of their own well-being but Donny's. It was quite possibly the first friend he had made and it would be terribly tragic if he were to be lost forever within the first couple of hours of their acquaitance. He looked around, wondering how neccessary it was to look for him in a broad, open field.
"Ah..."
"Well, get to it."
"Get to what?"
"You're half-fox, aren't you? You've got a heightened sense of smell, use it."
"But I don't really know how to use it that-"
"Just look like you're doing something before that crazy broad sees us!"
With a confused look, Dice began sniffing, noting the backyard smelled a lot like sun flowers and cheap cologne.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 8:27 am
The search had gone on all day, and they'd found nothing, not even a clue as to the boys whereabouts. Nio was going on borderline frantic as he returned inside, making a beeline for his jacket and hat and putting them on. His brow was furrowed deeply in worry, and his eyes searched for Enoh wherever she was, heading to her simply to tell her what shouldn't surprise her.
"I'm going. I'm going out there, and I'm going to find him, wherever he is.. and I'm not coming back until I do."
He didn't care if that meant walking for days, he had to find him. He leaned down and kissed his fiancee softly, before heading to do just that.
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