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"Dad?" Aria called, stepping from the shadows into the main room, it was were she sensed him to be. He hadn't been at the Mansion for weeks now, which she had grown used to. The very young Devon, just about four now was on her back, his arms wrapped around her neck. His mis-matched eyes peared about curiously, he hadn't been in this place before. Aria however spent time here when she was younger. She was now in her Twenties thanks to her time in New York.

She turned upon hearing Axl's voice and blinked, looking to him.

"Axl!" She exclaimed, rather happily at the familiar face. "I haven't seen you in ages...." She turned her head again. "Oh hey Dad, I was looking for you."

Tilting his head for a brief moment before recognition dawned upon him concerning this man, he was just about to speak when Aria appeared and sent him into a shocked silence. It had indeed been quite some time since he had been back to the mansion and seen her or Devon. He exhaled slowly and put his right hand to his forehead as if warding off a headache. "I apologize for my absence, Aria. And to you too little Devon."

" Well, just don't blow it up while I'm in it all right? "

In Axl's stead the Dojo had sort of become a living space for Elergy. He had arrived when others were around, but as they left the place slowly became his, sort of. He kept it clean, and open for others but others just didn't seem to come around. There were short bursts of activity but nothing too much, the last time anyone had shown up, it was Krono, T, Zero, and a few others. Deer had been on the menu since Krono and T went hunting the last time they appeared at the Dojo.

" Huh. "

When Axl greeted D, Elergy would take note. There had been a sealed room he could not get into to clean, but he took it in stride. So this, D had been inside of the room this whole time? He seemed better off than Elergy had. Over the past few months, Elergy had been bulking up again, he had been so thin at one point, he was just skin and bones, and living off what edible plant life was in the garden.

" Didn't expect all this. Hello. "

Creeping back to the door and opening it up a little, Elergy would give his greetings to the new arrivals. First this Axl guy showed up, and now suddenly the whole place was coming to life. Strange that one person could draw such attention to a place. Elergy wondered briefly if he should offer all of the newcomers some of the deer. There was still pleanty to be shared after all, and the Dojo still smelt pungent because of it.

Draeken smiled at his son as Devon started trying to reach for him. Moving forward quickly he motioned to take Devon from Ari's arms. It had been quite a long while since he had seen either of them and it did weigh guiltily on his conscience. "I do apologize again for my not being around. I've been...Well...I really can't make excuses, now can I. You'd likely just give me a similar stare as you are giving Aethi over there." He grinned just a fraction at Aethi, suggesting that she was in hot water.

Not that it was Axl's intention to incur the wrath of a five year old, even if he'd known Devon was there, Axl raised his head and winced like he was contemplating something. In truth, his nervous system was just trying to discover two things: 'Am I in pain' and 'where is this pain coming from.' After all of the unnecessary axonal delays, redundant computations, and neural loop-de-loops, he subconsciously found the only appropriate response.

"OW!" So long had it taken that Aria had already apologized by the time he said it, and took note of the child hanging on Aria's back. "Huh... didn't know you were into babysitting now. Don't worry about the biting... I can sympathize. There are times when I too have to bite people." It was a valid combat tactic, after all. "As long as he doesn't drink my blood... then he'd be a little ball of fire instead.... huh?" Axl followed Aria's eyes to Aethi, figuring this was something he didn't want to get in the middle of.

Avoiding the line of Aria's stare like an electric tripwire, Axl made his way over to Elergy instead, putting his hands on the man's shoulders and giving him a 101. "Okay, new guy, listen up. See those two girls? Sure ya do. See, they're, what do you want to call it.... an item. And right now, things aren't so hot, 'cept for me. So unless you have a desire to burst into flames, you might want to sit this conversation out. There should be some battle armor in the armory if you make bad choice, though."

Aria continued her stare are her girlfriend as Aethi stumbled over excuses.

"Outside. Now." She said calmly, she was not going to argue in front of her family and others. She walked past the other woman and out the door.

Devon meanwhile had practically lept onto his father, sensing his sister's annoyance he was glad to be with his father. His arms latched around the man's neck and he nuzzled in his chest.

"I missed you papa..." He muttered.

She had half turned as if to leave when Ari told her to come outside. "Oh boy," she thought. "I have a feeling I'm not coming out of this one alive..." She had been gone quite a while without leaving word of where she had gone or why. Thinking back on it, it had been a stupid thing to do and likely she would be upset just as Ari was were it to happen to her. Guilt rained down heavily on Aethi as she trudged outside at Ari's order. She began to wonder if perhaps being subservient would help at all or if that would just be comical to the point of angering Ari further. She sighed as she stepped outside and braced herself for the worst, eyes squeezing shut for a few seconds in pained thought.