Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rune sighed, though the look on her face said she'd rather expected an answer like that. "He's one of the most stubborn people I've ever met. And that includes you." She told her friend. Shaking her head as the lingering coils of green magic faded from around her body, Emerald snorted. "You mean kind of like you and Flint?"

"You suck." Rune muttered, turning slightly red. Emerald simply snorted, turning back to eye the house. Granted, it didn't look much different; slightly wider, a bit taller, and it seemed to take up more space than it should, but mostly the same. Byron frowned a bit. "The window's in the back - figured you'd be less likely to scare the neighbors." He told Draco, smiling. "But I never can figure out why you people like the houses to look small on the outside."

"Sounds about right. For a pixie, he's hard-headed, but he's a good guy." Rune nodded, looking rather fondly at the bush before squeezing Jeane's hand. "And you're stubborn enough for ten people."

Ri gave a snort. "You've seen my house, By, you know better than that." She opened her eyes, which were now a startling pure, deep blue without iris or pupil, and gave him a wry look. Rune made a dismissive noise. "What, that huge compound with six stories on the main house and a dozen smaller ones, full stable, sparring ring and a pool? That's not a house, Ri, that's a fortress."

"Bite me." The Water Incarnate retorted calmly, flicking her gauntleted fingers. Another flash, and the twisting and braided metal vanished, replaced by the original bracelet. A blink, and her eyes were again green, amused as she surveyed their handiwork. "Not bad, that should do for now."

"Jeez, that nursery's big enough for eight kids!" Sara's eyes faded from brilliant green to their natural brown, and she ran her fingers through her short hair with a laugh. "You expect - wait, never mind. Here, I better keep my mouth shut."

Byron opened his mouth to say something to Bob's comment about being a faerie - teasing / sarcastic, judging by the wide grin on his face - and Emerald jabbed a sharp elbow in his gut. Topaz bit back a laugh. "Wow, she's scarier than you, Runie. I believe she'd do it."

"Come on, people! Let's go see!" Mirelle grinned impatiently over her shoulder at Rene and Draco; Chloe nodded, eyes bright. Kirika giggled. "If you want a baby sitter, Aunt Jeane, you know Nikki or I would do it." She assured her Aunt. Rose grinned and tickled Spice's foot, eying the goose egg with a slight wince. "You too, Aunt Pep."

(*giggle* I love Rene. And yay, postage! xd )

Rune paused and turned back to stare at Bob for a second as what he said finally hit home. Her lips moved, and anyone reading them could see the half-puzzled, half stunned expression on her face as she mouthed, "Fear of dryers?"

"Now now, children, play nicely." Sara grinned, winking at Rene as she stood between the Ceraphim and her brother. Leaning down, she whispered, "Next time, do it when he can't reach you. Easier, and you've got a longer reach with your chains."

"Oh, that's helpful." Ri muttered under her breath, dragging her friend back by her collar. Emerald just shrugged and saluted the group. "Better get going - Ri's got a reception this afternoon, and we all get to watch her make an idiot of herself."

"I hate you sometimes."

"Yeah, but you put up with us." Sara laughed wryly as Byron - one eyebrow raised - saluted Bob especially. Topaz grinned. "Hope you guys like it. And if you need more help, poke Rune with a stick."

"Hell, poke her anyway. Fun to watch."

Rune glared, a half-smile twitching on her lips, and chucked a mage-ball at Byron. It splattered harmlessly on the ground as the Illuzen group disappeared in another flash of brown light, and she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Idiot Agent."

Kirika, meanwhile, had flushed a deep red, and Mirelle half-glowered at Rene. Making fun of her sibling was good and well, but it embarrassed Kiri, too! Rose shook her head, grinning at Mignon as she ignored the whole mess. "Wanna see your new closet?"

"Now now, children, behave nicely. Or I'll stick you in a closet." Aimee gave Rene and Mirelle equal sharp looks, the latter making faces and held away from the angel by Chloe's death-grip on the back of her leather jacket. Kirika bit her lip and - still blushing - took Conan's hand, following Dhee and Jeane into the house with her head triumphantly high. Rose snorted with laughter, gesturing for Mignon to follow them. "You know, that's the first time I've seen her do that before." She remarked over her shoulder, jerking her head toward Kirika. "Usually she ducks her head and hides. Nice job, Rene."

"Come on, Kagura-sama!" Rin giggled, tail wagging. Rune smiled, pushing open the door. "Annnnnnd - welcome home!"

(Permission to describe some of the indoors, Captain? Or would you like to do it?)

The living room did look rather different in its larger state. Couches - two of them; it seemed rather like someone had taken the old couch and cloned it as a foldup bed-type - had taken positions across from a much larger TV set, complete with what looked suspiciously like a deluxe cable box set sturdily on top. A bookcase beside it held literally hundreds of VHS and DVD tapes, from a series labled "Dancing Divas: a Beginner's Guide to Ballet," a boxed selection called "I Can Sing: Video Voice Lessons," some medical and crime shows and a whole bunch of other movies. The magazines and whatnot scattered around had been organized in stacks on the twice as big coffee table, and matching endtables. There were a few new lamps, too, and a cassette player with several tapes labled "Sherlock Holmes" lined up beside it. Kirika flushed even darker, but she grinned. "I'm okay," She whispered back, sounding pleased. "We missed you guys something awful, you know. Mom and Mirei and Chloe and Rose and everybody."

"CONAN-SAMA!!!" Rin shouted at the top of her lungs, flying in from the hallway with her tail snapping back and forth like a whip. "There's a LIBRARY!!" Almost slamming into Rene, the little kitsune pulled herself up just in time, ending with a strange sort of slide-skid that landed her on her behind just in front of Jeane and Dhee. She grinned up at them merrily, still talking at top speed. "And the Mommy and Daddy bedroom is twice as big! It has a door to the baby room, with a couple little cribs in it and a dragon mobile and faerie pictures on the walls! An'a picture of somethin' called Su-i-ko-den. But the library is two stories, and it has Sir Lock Homes stories! And medical books I think are for Rene, and there's a shelf for all the special journals! Hey, Mama, how 'come Mister Dhee gets to sleep in Auntie Jeane's room, but you make Daddy Flint sleep on the couch? If he got you a baby, would you let him sleep in your room?"

(*giggle, snort* I so love Rin.)

"Was it cold in the barn?" Rin asked, still sitting on the floor. "And could I borrow one of the monsters?"

Aimee sank onto the arm of one couch, laughing so hard tears fell down her cheeks. Chloe, Rose and Mirelle looked equally amused, though the babies just looked confused. Rune, on the other hand, had turned dark red, and seemed to be contemplating a way to cheerfully disappear. "Rin - there's a difference - aw, hell." She put her face to her palms.

Kirika laughed softly and shook her head. "We won't be going anywhere for a while, not even to visit my aunts - now that we've got the Tenjutsu sorted out, we should be here for good." She nodded toward Rune. "Mom hated dragging us around like that, but she couldn't just leave us here, and she had to go get some stuff put together first. You'll have to come see the new house, it's so cool. And - um, there's this Carnival thing the Tenjutsu are gonna do - " Her cheeks darkened again.

Rin frowned in the way of most cute little children, ears flicking as she considered the problem. "Well, okay." She nodded, grinning, and hugged Dhee 'round the knees. "We'll have to get them a baby some other way. Uncle Garrot said Flint could get Mama a baby if she was drunk, but how do you get drunk? And why would she have to be drunk to get a baby? Was Auntie Jeane drunk when you got her baby?"

A loud thud signaled Aimee's falling off the couch, tears streaming down her cheeks even harder as she fought to catch enough air to breathe. Mirelle had turned about Jeane's shade with suppressed laughter, while Chloe choked on her own giggles. Rune made an inarticulate noise that might have been a groan, face still buried in her hands. "You - weren't supposed to be listening to that, Rinnie." Rose commented in a slightly strangled voice, eyes bright in a struggle to speak.

Kirika - half distracted by the commotion her siblings were causing - tightened her grip on Conan's hand and took a deep breath. Then, all in a single rush, she blurted, "WillyoucometothenewCenteropeningandCarnivalwithme?"