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Ravyn lay in the makeshift little crib next to Kirea's bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was a reasonable time to wake up, moreso even for Kirea, at around nine in the morning. Ravyn knew that Mommy usually got up earlier. She studied the runic marks that drifted in a circular motion above her head, over the crib, a few feet up. They were an apparition of light, created by Kirea's subconscious, slightly paranoid urge to protect Ravyn.

After having watched the runes rotate thirty-seven times, Ravyn directed her attention to Kirea. Who was still sleeping. Ravyn gurgled, and her tiny hands curled into tiny fists, which she placed against the edge of the crib, trying to pull herself up.

Kirea twitched in her sleep, and woke up swiftly, breathing in heavily. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the clock. "Nine oh seven? Woah." She shot a sideways glance at Ravyn. "Heyla, Ray."

Ravyn looked at her sharply, and wailed.

"Hungry?" Kirea questioned, quick to catch on. "Okay. Food it is."

She picked Ravyn up, and stood up herself, yawning. Down the hallway, across the stairs, down the other stairs, and into the kitchen. She muttered semi-incoherently to herself, and set Ravyn down on the couch in the sitting room next to the kitchen. Kirea hummed a funny little tune as she prepared the bottle of milk formula, and stopped it in the microwave, just before it let out that awful shriek Ravyn hated.

"Breakfast is ready." Kirea commented, with a bow, as she picked up Ravyn, and sat down on the couch.

Reading?! Already!?

Acrasia liked Shakespeare, and Ravyn did too, but it sounded weird, and Acrasia would always blush and skip over certain parts when she read it aloud to Ravyn. The Rainbow Fish, however, was always a safe reading bet.

"Read with me, Raisa?" She asked, padding over to the couch where Acrasia was seated, reading on of the salvaged Ithieralan books from the library. She held up the brightly colored book depicting the fish with shining scales. Acrasia looked up sharply, brushing tendrils of hair out of her face. "What?" She asked, and noticed the book. "Oh. Sure." She patted the couch next to her.

Ravyn hopped up, and bounced into place next to her, her feet just stretching over the edge of the deep couch, Acrasia's long legs crossed at the ankle on the coffee table in front of them. Acrasia tried to take the book from her, but Ravyn set it open on her lap. She pointed to the first word, and read, "A long way out in the deep blue sea, there lived a fish. Not just an ord'nary fish, but the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean. His scales were every shade of blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales among them..."

She moved to turn the page, but noticed Acrasia, rigid and frozen next to her. "What's bad?" She asked anxiously, moving to hug her older sister. Acrasia turned and leaned toward the kitchen, where Kirea and Jesiren were talking as Kirea cooked dinner--no one trusted Jesiren around a stove. "MOM. JES." She hissed. "Come here. Ravyn's reading."

They bolted into the living room, kneeling down at eye level to Ravyn. "Ravyn, sweetie." Kirea said quickly, "Read more to us, please?"

"Sure, Mommy!" Ravyn beamed importantly. She turned the page and continued reading. She finished the book. Kirea swooped her up and hugged her. "Ravyn! This is amazing! You're such a good reader." She set the little girl down and sat down on the couch with them. "This is phenomenal. Acrasia, thank you so much for helping her with this..."

"I don't know how." Acrasia shrugged, "I've just been reading it to her...like every day. She turns the page for me and everything."

Jesiren started. "I think I've got it." He picked up another book off the coffee table, and held it out to Ravyn, closed. "Will you read this for us?" He asked.

Ravyn took the book, stared at the cover, and opened it, holding it upside-down. "...Er...a long way out in the deep blue sea?" She started warily. Acrasia and Jesiren burst out laughing--Acrasia hugged Ravyn. Kirea looked befuddled.

"Don't you get it, Mom?" Acrasia asked. "She memorized the Rainbow Fish. She saw me reading it to her enough times that she knew when to turn the page and where the words went. She's quick, all right, but she can't read yet."

Ravyn looked disappointed. "I not read?"

"Not yet. Soon, I bet, but not yet." Acrasia replied.

"You really had us going, Rav." Jesiren laughed.

"Will Raisa still read with me?" Ravyn asked anxiously. "I want."

"Sure!" Acrasia smiled. "But one of these days, it'll be you reading to me."

A Not-So-Exciting Slice of Life

On that particular hot summer afternoon, life seemed rather dull. Ravyn, Nell and Elias were slouching on the couch with the fan on strong, watching TV, nursing large glasses of iced tea. Jesiren was slaving over the stove, attempting vainly to cook, while Kirea supervised, prepared to put out any fires that cropped up.

"Mommy." Ravyn called out. "Can we have lunch now? I'm hungry."

Kirea dragged Jesiren far away from the stove and led him into the other room. "You all hungry?" She asked, looking about. Acrasia, who was slumped over at the desk, reading, looked up. "Yah." She said. "That's kind of what Ravyn said. Eh?" She looked over to Ravyn, who nodded innocently. "Can we eat outside?"

"But it's hot." Elias protested.

"But we could have a picnic!" Nell's face lit up. "Come on, Kirea! Wouldn't that be cool?"

"PICKI-nic!" Ravyn cried, delighted with the idea.

"Party." Acrasia confirmed dully. "Come on, Kirea. It'll be cool outside in the shade, and we'll eat."

"Okay." Kirea decided. "Jes and I'll whip up some food...I will, anyway," she said, grinning at him. "and why don't you all set up some blankets and set the...not-table?"

"This family revolves around food." Acrasia remarked.

"Yeah. It's a wonder we're not all fat." Nell muttered, poking Elias' stomach.

"We not fat." Ravyn commented.

"Eh--setting up?" Kirea said sharply. "Ray, why don't you stay with me and make sure Jes doesn't burn the house down? Jes--that's the light switch."