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5/17/05 - RP Recap

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 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

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.

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 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?"

"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?"

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."

"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.

"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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.."

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.

"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."

"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 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 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 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.

"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.

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?"

"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.

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.

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."

-------------------------------------

"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.."

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 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."

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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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..

5/21/05 - RP Recap

Tybalt was BORED. It was early in the morning, too early, usually, for the pirate to be awake, but here he was, prowling the streets in search of something to do. If Inle had known he was out and about at such an hour, she'd have killed him. Well, maybe not killed him. Grounded him, maybe, and only then halfheartedly. She wasn't good at the "parenting thing," as she called it. It wasn't rare for her to be up and out so early, so why shouldn't he follow in his dear mother's footsteps?

Right.

Few shops were open at this hour. Tybalt, in his wanderings, had come across a bakery, and had "borrowed" a muffin while the shopkeep was in the back tending to some baked good or another. He was just finishing it off as he stepped into the one other place he knew for sure would be open so early--the Stationary Shop. It wasn't anyplace exciting, but it sure as hell beat going home still bored.

Linneas had gotten into the habit of waking up early ever since his mother fell into the whole 'health kick' thing. Not that he minded, it gave him more time to get things sorted and organized. And with Ning helping him by memorizing the day's itenerary, things went smoothly.

The boy was dusting at the covers he placed over the shelves when he heard the door open. With mild surprise he turned around, it was rare to have visitors at this hour. Then his gold eyes widened at the sight of Tybalt, the feathery Tale had grown!

"Oh, good morning Captain Tybalt." he greeted nervously, fidgeting with the feather duster.

Tybalt folded his wings tightly to himself as he entered fully--he still hadn't gotten used to their greatly increased size, but was quickly learning to tuck them in when going through doorways lest they smack against a wall. His claws clicked audibly on the floor of the shop as he stepped in further, and he looked around the place he was born with new eyes.

Those eyes found Linneas, cleaning no less. So early in the morning? His eyes narrowed in mild disdain. "Why th' hell are ye cleanin' so early in th' mornin'? 'Tis Saturday, innit? Shouldn't y'be watchin' TV like most kids, or at least sleepin' in?" His voice was harsh, but not unkind.

Linneas tilted his head at Tybalt's words, it had always been part of his routine to clean the shop first before he did anything else. "Uh, no?" he responded, beginning to dust the covers again, a clear indication he was nervous. "Ning says play time won't be for another hour," he explained, as if that really meant her word was law.

Now that Tybalt was safely inside, he allowed his wings to flare out a bit, inadvertantly making himself look bigger. "Ning?" he repeated, looking around the room as if searching for this "Ning" creature. "I don' see yer "Ning" 'ereabouts, d'you? 'Oo's this "Ning," anyway? 'Sit yer Author?" Calmly, he walked further into the shop, for once not having the urge to take something just because he could--he couldn't steal from the place he was BORN, it just felt...wrong, somehow.

Linneas gulped and inched back a bit as Tybalt slightly opened his wings. It was hard to tell what the colorful Tale was saying and it took him a few seconds to decipher the words amidst the accent, but he got it in the end.

"Um, no, mommy's out jogging again. Ning's my Fandangle, she's upstairs cleaning our room." he explained before remembering that most people haven't eaten at this time of the day, "Is there anything I can get you? Like juice or cereal?"

That and he was getting uncomfortable about the idea that he shouldn't be cleaning on a Saturday morning. It was ingrained in him to clean, cliche as it sounded, the boy was a lean, (not-so) mean, cleaning machine. Who, now and again, liked to get really dirty on bath day.

Linneas didn't look so good. And why was he backing away? Was he...was he SCARED of Tybalt? Of COURSE he was! Tybalt, in all his technicolor glory, was someone to be feared, after all. Part of him wanted to press this unintentional advantage, but even he wasn't that mean. Taking the hint, he stayed where he was, arms crossing over his chest.

"Fandangle..." he said slowly, as if trying the word out. "Nah, thanks, 'm good," he replied at the offer. Hell yes he was good. "'N d'you do EVERYTHING this Fandangle tells y'to? Would y'follow it's orders if it told ye ta...t'jump off a cliff er somethin'?"

"Uh... not everything, mostly it's mommy I listen to. And the Study. And the Tome." he listed, realizing that he did do the stuff others wanted him to do. This revelation disturbed the boy somewhat.

"And Ning wouldn't tell me to do that," he defended, he knew the Fandangle would never tell him to do anything that would harm him. "But if she did, it's probably for a good reason..."

"Good reason?! Linn'eas, there's NEVER a good reason fer jumpin' off a cliff!" He wasn't sure why, but it upset him that Linneas was such a sheep to all of these willing shepherds. "Linn'eas," he said calmly, walking towards the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder once he was within arm's reach, "Can ye not think fer yerself? Moreover, why're y'listenin' t'the TOME?! It's a bleedin' BOOK!" Granted, it was a book that wrote of its own volition, but it was a book nonetheless.

Linneas blinked and nodded, nodded and blinked in alternating patterns at Tybalt. "Uh... I guess so." he squeaked, this situation was oddly familiar to him.

"But is there anything wrong with listening to them?" he had to ask, if no one was harmed from his obedience, and if many benefitted, then why shouldn't he continue what he had been doing for the past months?

Tybalt sighed and shook his head. "Aye, we all came from the Study 'n th' Tome, but none of us can go our lives bound to 'em. Ye've got t'start thinkin' fer yerself at some point, Linn, rather'n have others do it fer ye. There's a whole world out there, outside th' shop, 'n th' Study, 'n th' Tome. Have y'never wanted t'see it?" Astoundingly deep, for Tybalt. He paused for a moment, sapphire eyes searching the other boy's face as he let his words sink in. Linneas more than sated his boredom, he found--it gave him a new project.

The boy turned thoughtful, golden eyes looking pensive as he pondered the new information the other Tale had given him.

"Mmmm, now that you mention it..." Linny had wanted to go outside more. But for some reason Huni wouldn't let him go anywhere without her as of late. "I did want to go to the park more often, but mommy wouldn't let me. And she didn't say why, she just said "Because I said so." And that was it..." he murmured, a little resentful that Huni used the authority card.

Tybalt grinned victoriously. Progress at last! "Then by all means, Linn," he started, plucking the feather duster from the older Tale's grasp with his free hand and chucking it deeper into the store, "GO! "'Cause I said so,'" he mimicked in a high pitched tone, "is th' worst excuse ever. If y'want somethin', Linn, y'gotta TAKE it, unnerstand? Question authority, unless it's yer own!" Or MY own, the parrot thought to himself.

Linneas laughed in agreement at Tybalt, the pirate had inspired him to be a little rebel all of a sudden.

"You know, I think I will go to the park today!" he declared, puffing his chest out in pride. "Right after I put that duster away and write mommy a note so that she won't worry too much!" he added.

Well, this whole rebellion thing had to be taken one step at a time after all. It wasn't in Linneas' nature to go against authority.

But it was in Lynn's.

Tybalt beamed, happy to be of service. While the tidying and note certainly weren't what Tybalt had in mind, he let it slide; reeducating Linneas this much had been somewhat of a challenge, and he didn't quite feel like pressing his luck. "'Ey, Linn, what route does yer mum take on 'er jog? It'd be pointless ter go this far 'n 'ave it all ruined by poor plannin', y'know?"

"Yes." Linny replied, putting the featherduster back in its place. "She runs two blocks towards an antique shop then heads left towards a gallery and then she rests at a coffee shop for about half an hour for donuts and coffee." he chuckled as he reached for a pad of paper and a pen and quickly scribbled that he was at the park with Tybalt.

Tybalt paused on his way to the door; the annoying and constant click click click was silenced, if only momentarily? "Every day?" he asked, looking back over his shoulder. "Must get borin' after awhile, all that sameness." He gave a half-shrug before continuing to the door, pushing it open and walking through--he knew the other boy would be along, so why bother waiting?

"Boring? No, not really, I like routines..." Linneas remarked, "And she goes jogging every other day, something about not overworking her muscles?" the boy didn't quite grasp that concept but decided not to ponder on it too much.

As he finished writing the note down, he trotted after Tybalt, eager and nervous for doing something he wasn't told for the first time.

The air still held the light chill of a spring morning, but it was far from cold. Comfortable, really, compared to the heat that was sure to come later in the day. Tybalt was glad he had gotten an early start, and was happier still to have his morning occupied. Now that he was outside rather than confined to a room, he allowed his wings to spread. He still didn't have the muscle control to keep them tucked in all the time--not that he would admit that to anyone, if asked-- and for the moment, he was most comfortable with them out. "Routines're borin', what with their never chagin'. Yer breakin' routine now, y'know? Now, where's this park?"

Linneas felt the chilly air n** at his face and knees, giving him a case of mild goosebumps. Plus, the whole idea of breaking routine was enough to make him shiver in delight. Just for the moment, hopefully he wouldn't get a case of the guilts when he comes home.

"The park's this way." he said, leading them towards the designated location. It was out of the way for Huni's jogging route, and not too far away from the shop that they'd get lost. Though the red head couldn't help but wonder what to do once they got there. Maybe Captain Tybalt would have an idea?

"Have you been to the park before, Captain?" he asked out of curiosity, maybe there were other parks that the boy didn't know about.

Tybalt eyed the shops they passed as they walked, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Most of the shops were still lifeless, but some looked as if they were getting ready to open. "Hm?" he said, glancing at Linneas as he asked. "Nah, mum never took me there when I was little. Said somethin' about me doin' enough terrorizin' at th' shop, 'n not needin' t'find other places t'haunt. What's there t'do at this park?"

"Well," Linny paused in his steps, "Auntie Chao showed me this place once, it had a huge tree right in the middle of it. But I've never been able to find the way to get there again." he chuckled a little sheepishly. "Mostly, me and Ning go and help clean up the playground so it's easier to play on the slides and swings." he explained. "But since it's really early, I don't think anyone's made it messy yet."

Tybalt regarded the other child almost solemnly, quirking a crimson-colored brow. "Y'clean th' park?! It's a PARK, Linn, it's not s'posed t'be spick 'n span!" He shook his head ruefully. "Seriously, Linn, y'need t'learn t'have fun. Cleanin' all day'll get y'nowhere."

"Not the whole park, just the playground area..." Linneas reasoned, he was about to repeat that he genuinely enjoyed cleaning, but decided against it. "Well what do you do for fun?" he asked instead.

Tybalt grinned lazily at the other boy; there was very little Linneas could do to convince him cleaning was fun, but to each their own, he supposed. "I do whate'er catches m'fancy at th' time. Mostly I go 'splorin' outside th' 'ouse. Mum says 'm always gettin' into things I shouldn' be, but she doesn' mind s'long as 'm not breakin' stuff she's gotter pay fer. What d'YOU do t'pass th' time, other'n clean, hm?"

The boy seemed to pause for a great length of time as he thought about Tybalt's question. What did he do besides clean? He honestly drew a complete blank, but there seemed to be something in the back of his mind that was slowly creeping its way into consciousness.

"I pick up after everyone." he grinned, but it was not in his usual fashion. His words seemed to mean something else, and there was an uncharacteristically snide undertone to it. "And I try to cook stuff, but mommy won't let me touch the knives and the stove when she's not there." he added, once more returning to the sheltered and naive little boy he was.

Tybalt's eyes had wandered to the scenery he and Linneas were passing as the boy paused, although they snapped back to the other Tale as he spoke. They narrowed with curiosity at the wholly un-Linneaslike tone in the older boy's words, and Tybalt found himself intrigued by the sudden, although brief change. This was certainly interesting... "Aye, kinda makes y'wish people'd learn t'clean up after themselves, right?" he said slowly, as though trying to draw this darkness out once more. It was certainly a change from the naive, boring, cleancut Linneas he had come to know.

"Yeah, but no matter what you do or say, they just never learn." Linneas sighed, sounding tired and defeated even though he was quite energetic only a moment ago. "Do you have any chores that are assigned to you, captain?" he asked with a small smile. Though he seemed to ask about housework, there was something more to it.

A moment of silence passed as Tybalt seemed to look for that dark spot on Linneas' happy and shiny exterior, only to be disappointed as the the boy merely seemed a touch out of sorts. It seemed he had only imagined it then...or had he? He shrugged negligently at the other boy's question. "Mum says she doesn' trust me t'stay put long enough t'clean, so mostly I've gotta watch m'younger sis. Sometimes I track down sprockets that get loose'n put 'em back in their room, but other'n that, not much." He'd probably have more to do if he didn't avoid Inle whenever he noticed that "I've got a job for you" look in her eyes.

"Mmm, I know the feeling of hunting down sprockets." Linneas chuckled, "And taking care of Talim can be a pain. Literally, since her fingers are really sharp and she tends to bite." he winced, rubbing a portion of his arm where his Roya sister had stabbed him. It wasn't deep, it was rather shallow but it still stung at that time.

"But, don't you ever wonder if that was all you did? I mean, it may just be me, but sometimes I get these, I dunno, dreams? But the thing is I'm awake during the time, and I just find myself feeling so... frustrated about things I couldn't do right." He frowned, brows knitting together in confusion.

"Oh what am I saying, it's probably just me." he laughed ruefully.

Tybalt chuckled and nodded in pseudo-sympathy; it seemed he and Linneas had more in common than he had originally thought. Scary, that, seeing as they were both still total opposites. His smile fell at the older Tale's next words, a chill running down his spine visible only through the ruffling of his feathers.

"Wakin' dreams? Like...mem'ries of a past life, er somethin'?" Tybalt's gaze was perfectly calm, like a frozen lake.

Cap'nShipandStuckforeverinthisDesertedNotaloneCursedNO!!

A blink, and it was over. A cool smile, and a smooth lie. "Nah, dunno whatcher talkin' 'bout."

Linneas didn't notice anything and decided to change the topic.
"Uh captain," he began not sure if he should be asking this, "do you, that is, have you ever... you know, fought with someone? Not the yelling, screaming sort of fight like the way mommy does when she talks to this lady called Addy. But the kind that has you dodging stuff and with weapons?"

Tybalt was very glad for this, although he made no signs of showing it outside of his feathers smoothing. "Fought? 'Course I 'ave, me 'n Viddy fought a monster in m'basement when I was naught but a fledgeling! Kicked its arse, too, we did." It wasn't THAT big of a lie; surely they would have defeated it had Inle and Enoh not come down and sent it running. "Why d'ye ask?"

"Oh... nothing... just, maybe I hoped you could give me some tips or pointers. Not that I'll be doing any real fighting, mommy would ground me for life, but just in case... you never know, right?" Linny explained as he shuffled his feet on the ground.

They had finally arrived at the park and because it was still early, there was a blanket of dew on the grass and everything was empty.

Well, Linneas certainly knew what to say if he wanted to get Tybalt to do something for him. And why shouldn't he seek the Captain's expertise? Tybalt WAS a gifted fighter, if you asked him--and that's exactly what he would say, loudly, if someone happened to--and Linneas was right to come to him! "'Course I can give y'some pointers! I can teach ye t'wield that broom a'yours like a respectable blade, sure 'nough." This was spoken with the utmost pride and confidence, although he himself had never once held an actual sword. Bah, it didn't matter. Someone with his obvious natural talent would have no problem giving a few paltry lessons, in any case.

Linneas brightened considerably at Tybalt's assent to help him. He wasn't sure whether the feathered Tale would have been willing to share his skills, but he was glad that he could at least learn to do something with his mops and brooms. Other than clean the shop with them.

"Thank you so much!" he grinned, genuinely happy that he was getting a chance at acting less like a wimp. Though he couldn't help but wonder how long this 'rebellious streak' would last.

"Uh, since we don't have any brooms around, maybe we could use these sticks?" he suggested, bending down to pick up a fairly long branch that hadn't been cleared away.

Tybalt nodded at Linny's thanks. The boy made the right choice, coming to him to guidance, but oh, how naive! "Nah, y'shouldn't use any ol' stick t' train with," he said, bending to pick up a branch of his own. Rather than hold it as he might a sword, he cradled it as he pointed out its flaws. "'S not straight, fer one, 'n unless ye plan t'fight with a branch yer whole life, it'll do ye no good t'learn on. Y'need somethin' that's at least sim'lar t' yer weapon, elsewise th' movements won't be right." Although he himself had yet to begin actual training, he seemed to know what he was talking about.

"Secondly," he resumed, moving the branch so a lopsided end of it was held firmly in his hand, "th' balance's all off. Ye won't be able t'wield it properly e'en if it were yer weapon 'o choice. Thirdly," here he paused once more, shaking the branch up and down. It didn't seem to do much at first, but after a few healthy jolts it began to quietly splinter. A sharp, sudden jerk and a loud crack later, Tybalt was left with a jagged-ended branch, its other half bouncing off the ground with a thud before stilling. "'S not sturdy a'tall, y'see?" He grinned before tossing the broken branch over his shoulder. "Get yerself at least a pair've broomsticks, then we'll talk 'bout yer trainin'."

Linneas nodded as he took in the information Tybalt was imparting to him, well that crossed out what they could do at the park today. But what else would they be able to do?

Just that moment, a pair of feet was quickly making their way towards the park. The red head was neither furious nor worried about the location of her Tale. She just wanted a word with him.

"Linneas." Huni called out quietly from behind the boy as she loomed over him.

The boy froze at the sound of the voice and turned around to face his mother. "Hi, mommy. You finished early." he stated, more to himself than anything.

"Yes, I thought it would be nice to have breakfast out together but when I came home I didn't see you. You can just imagine how frightened I was until I found your note." Huni was still calm, mainly because she was half-expecting something like this. "Tybalt, if I'm not mistaken, I'll be taking Linny home now. You should be going back to your mother as well." she declared and took Linneas' hand.

"Uh, y-yes, mommy." the boy sighed as his mother dragged him away, "Bye Captain." he waved as he went back to the shop.

A feathered brow quirked, unimpressed at the red-headed woman that seemed to be Linneas' mother. His feathers ruffled as he snorted indignantly; who was this woman to tell HIM what to do? Tybalt opened his mouth to remind his cohort of all he had told him that day, the steps towards independence he had taken, the world beyond the shop and cleaning he had seen thus far...only to close it again as Linneas was abruptly dragged off. "Err...ta then, Linn," he muttered, shaking his head as he turned to explore the park.

Some people were just harder to teach than others, he supposed.

In the mailbox would be waiting a small envelope for Inle-roo and her family when she managed to check it. Within the envelope was an invite.

6/06/05 - Narrative

Tybalt had thought that finding such a large creature as Tama would have been easy, even within the ever-shifting confines of the house. He began his search late in the day, supremely confident of his non-existant tracking skills, and three hours later, the scarred and spotted creature was nowhere to be found. A lesser person may have been dejected or put off.

Tybalt, as he so often told others, was no lesser person. Rather than renew the search early tomorrow, he merely began looking outside, the light of the moon and stars guiding him. The backyard was full of night sounds--a chorus of crickets, frogs, and other such animals provided a peaceful ambiance, though its subtle beauty was lost on Tybalt. So was the fact that several of the trees that randomly dotted the backyard had vanished.

It only served to make Tybalt's search easier, as his method of "searching" was to find a tree, look up it, and see if his quarry was in its boughs. He didn't know much about the winged banthi, but he remembered that it had struck him as vaguely feline, and what better place to look for a giant cat? This twisted logic served him well, as he eventually found Tama sleeping peacefully, draped in an awkward-looking position over some thick, sturdy branches. A victorious smile crossed Tybalt's lips, just before he reached up and yanked Tama's tail.

An outraged yowl shattered the night's soft sounds as Tama leapt from the tree to the ground, landing in a position that clearly meant he was ready to tear someone limb from limb for daring to wake him so. His muscles were tense beneath his tawny, spotted fur. His tail lashed angrily from side to side and the large wings he sported were fully extended, feathers fluffed, making him look much bigger. Anyone else would have run for their lives, or begged for mercy, or found some way to placate this obviously angry animal.

Tybalt merely jumped from the tree, stretched to his full height, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked entirely unimpressed. Although he knew that Tama was much bigger than he--the banthi outweighed him by a hundred pounds or so--he knew that any show of fear would meet with his untimely demise. In any case, he was dealing with a stupid animal, and why should he, of all people, be afraid of it?

"You," he said, pointing at the still-growling Tama, "are going to teach me how t' fly." Supreme confidence rang in his tone, and he didn't so much as flinch when the banthi snapped at his finger.

This multi-colored whelp interrupted his sleep--rudely, and a bit painfully--just to give him such an order? Forget that, the boy could learn to use his rainbow wings all by himself. Tama snorted and turned away, crouching as if he meant to spring into the air and fly away.

He might've, too, if Tybalt hadn't launched himself onto his back once it was turned towards him. Tama's roar of outraged protest caused the night creatures to quiet their noises in fear that they would suffer the wrath of this fearsome beast. He immediately bucked, trying to throw the Tale off his back, but Tybalt grabbed onto his horns. This wrenched Tama's head back and his front paws hit the earth with a heavy thump. He jerked as if electrified, his wings flapping, beating Tybalt--still the determined Tale held on, his own wings flapping and getting overwhelmed by the banthi's larger pair.

In a fit of near desperation, Tama dropped to the ground and rolled over, effectively squishing his undesired passenger. For the first time in the encounter, Tybalt began to panic; Tama's far superior weight threatened to crush him, and he himself was in no position to shove him off. One of his legs was still free, however, and that proved to be his saving grace. Sharp talons grasped at anything they could reach and finally caught and held a flailing hindleg, immediately squeezing.

Tybalt, almost desperate for air, wrenched Tama's head back and wheezed in his ear, "Lemme up, or I swear I'll break it." He squeezed hard for emphasis, his grip only tightening when Tama tried to jerk his leg free, but the few words had cost Tybalt air, and he wasn't sure he could hold on much longer.

The banthi seemed to consider their predicament for a moment. He was not, as Tybalt thought, a stupid creature; the son of his clan's alphess, he had trained most of his life for battle. Although he was highly skilled in the art of battle amongst his own kind, this type of struggle was new to him. His sense of bloodlust screamed at him to endure the pain of Tybalt's claws, that he could far outlast this impetuous whelp...but his pride, his sense of justice, the very thing that made him an alpha's descendent, well. That told him that this cub, though brash, had spirit, and it would be a waste and a travesty to put an end to him just for daring to attack him, unprovoked and from behind. After all, all this boy wanted was to learn how to use the wings he bore, right?

Black spots began to dance before Tybalt's sapphire eyes, and his talons began to relax as unconsciousness threatened. He wasn't aware at first that the heavy weight that had been endeavoring to crush the breath from his body was gone, and once he was, he indulged in several deep breaths. Although he looked the worse for wear, he wasn't dead; he had prevailed, somehow, and this stroked his already large ego. Of course this dumb beast did what he wanted it to, it knew who the real master was. He sat up after a moment, a corner of his mouth upturned cockily, and stared with hooded eyes at the banthi who was sitting mere feet from him. Tama's own eyes held amusement, and it was outwardly obvious in the way the tip of his tail wagged, curled as it was over his forepaws. He didn't take his eyes off the boy as he stood and brushed himself off.

"We start tomorrow," Tybalt informed him, command evident in his voice even as it shook, then turned and walked back towards the house, his wings supporting his balance.

Tama watched him leave, chuckling to himself as he resumed his perch in the tree. If nothing else, this would prove to be a most ineresting endeavor.

The first thought that ran through Tybalt's mind as he fell was, "What the bloody hell?" The second was, "Oh s**t, the ground!" He flailed as he plummeted, at a loss as to what to do. The ground loomed ever-closer, and finally some long-buried instinct forced him to spread his wings. He immediately leveled out, zooming away from the side of the house. The immediate danger of falling to his death had been narrowly avoided.

His back screamed in agony at the unfamiliar feeling of fighting gravity, plus supporting weight that seemed to want nothing more than to be back on the ground.((TBC))

Possibly reserved for the final something, or maybe for the park RP.

6/10/05 - RP Recap