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April takes the cocoa when she's offered and looks at a loss. For free..?

Curiosity wastes no time scurrying down the girl's arm and to the steaming cup. He licks his thin lips and looks up expectantly at April, waiting for her pull back the flap so he can dive in. Reading his mind without any effort, she does just this, and soon there's more whipped cream in and on the daemon than the cocoa.

Walking forward with cautious poise, not wanting to spill her drink and her daemon, April turn back around and very slowly makes her way over to Elle with the intention to thank her.

.. what was THAT?! Curiosity yelps, his head emerging from the cocoa cup. Squinting his giant eyes, he tries to fix them on the shapes of people and daemons all around him, but between his poor long distance eyesight and his ride's constant movement, he can't make out anything.

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Elle was happy to send the kids off with the hot chocolates, which had been cut down to a drinkable temp by a shot of cold milk, as children's hot chocolates always were. There were still plenty more in the little cardboard carrier, and Elle set the box lid on the opposide side of the bench from Nisha. Turning as a new pair arrived, Elle waved happily to the young men. How adorable the younger one was!

Nisha didn't look, obviously enraptured. She'd caught sight of Relentless, and her tiny mouth opened into an O of surprise. Such pretty colors, some of her favorites, and he looked JUST like a butterfly, only faster! Nisha LOVED butterflies, and thus, for the moment, she loved Relentless as well.

A rare sound for Nisha, a joy filled giggle, drifted across the snowy park. Even Elle paused to stare at the girl in wonder. Would miracles never cease?!

Nisha lifted her hand slowly, but didn't try to touch the flittering Daemon. You weren't supposed to touch butterflies, it ruined their magic, Elle had told her! Instead, she 'petted' the air nearby, with soft happy gestures and a bit of pink to her pale cheeks.

If one looked close enough, they could see the bits of snow in the air swirling about Nisha's hand, dancing and playing, instead of falling as they should have. What a lovely butterfly!!

DESPERATE!

The Daemon winced at the unnecessary volume. -What? What what?-

Pretty. Say pretty.

Clearing his mental voice, the elephant daemon turned to peer towards Relentless with one glittering black eye...ears flapping in solemn announcement. -Ahem! My girl thinks you're pretty.- He was happy as pie that Nisha was playing nice, and would relay any number of silly messages if it would keep her in that mood.

Izumi frowned slightly as the boy ran away, going off to meet up with another boy. Well, okay then... She could play something else. Picking herself up from the ground, she grew curious of this... hot chocolate the bigger woman had called about just a moment ago. Toddling her way over, she managed to get to the bench where Domonic was sitting before grabbing onto the seat for support. She'd had enough of sitting in the snow for a little while.

"Cho...co??" she inquired curiously, blinking her mismatched eyes a few times at the blonde haired man.

"Hmm?" he hummed, peering down at her for a moment. Choco? Was she referring to the hot chocolate? "I guess it can't hurt..."

Picking up the small child, he set her down next to him before standing up himself, tapping her nose lightly and listening to her giggle. "Wait here, okay? I'll be right back."

Domonic then took in a deep breath, doing his best to hold his composture as he cautiously approached Elle, holding things wouldn't be too bad. This happened with all women, after all... He just had the hardest time talking to them. How the hell did he manage with Neko, again...?

"E-e-e-excuse m-me... m-miss?" the man sputtered, already feeling his cheeks burn with blush and embaressment. Hmph... Maybe this would have been easier to just find the place that had the chocolate. "D-did you happ-pen to ha-have an extra? M-my... uh... d-d-daughter wanted one..."

He couldn't even look at her. He dug a hand into his pocket to fish out a couple of bills, just to be safe.

At the sound of the voice, the tiny daemon stopped for a moment, dipping in the air before his wings began to beat again, his beady eyes searching the area for a moment.

I... What.... WHO WAS THAT??? Who just spoke to me?? it demanded, having never heard anyone other than Izumi speak to him in a manner that he could understand. After all, everyone else Relentless could hardly hear at all, due to his constant humming. And whoever said that, tell... the girl... thank you? Unless you mean this child here, then do tell her she's quite the little flower. Her colors are just GLORIOUS.

The humming bird daemon had been a little wary of the whole... petting the air thing, but after a moment he hovered a little closer, very cautiously and carefully landing on the child's finger. Hey... SHE was warm.

Smiling as Domonic approached, Elle's eyes twinkled at his gentle stuttering. How charming! Motioning him to the tray, she nodded towards the cups. She was used to men being a bit pink in the cheeks, but not when she was bundled up like a snowman! He must just be the polite type, she thought to herself, and held up a hand to refuse his motions with the wallet.

"Please, there's enough for the adults as well! They're our gift..." She nodded towards Ice with a smile, though she'd just met the woman as well. "...to break the ice!" Smiling at her double pun, Elle took one of the small cocoas for herself.

Warming her hands around the white paper cup, she met Domonic's eyes with gentle curiosity. "I'm Elle, and that's Nisha...and Desperate." She pointed to the girl, busy on the bench with Relentless, and the elephant Daemon, who was following Ice around like a puppy. "It's good to met you...ah?" Her words hung in the frosty air, introduction waiting to be filled.

Nisha, on the other hand, was about a million miles away in her own happy world. The pretty....birdahfly? butterbird?...the pretty Daemon had actually settled onto her finger, and Nisha sat as frozen as an ice statue. Even her breath barely stirred. She didn't want to scare the perfect little thing away!!

Leaning just a fraction closer, examining Relentless with wide, amber eyes, the girl suddenly smiled. It was like watching sun break through clouds, delicate and glorious....and the fans of golden feathers flared slightly behind each of Nisha's ears.

As Desperate repeated the comments, to the best of his ability, Nisha's smile dimpled. Trade.

The elephant winced, trunk dropping. Did she really want to trade him for the little fluttering Daemon?! Edging into Relentless' view, still about thirty feet away, Desperate flapped his ears in sad greeting. -I said it! And...she likes you better.- As happy as he was that Nisha was actually smiling, what if his new girl didn't like him either? Depression had started to settle over the pouty pachyderm until he spotted a most marvellous sight.

There, across the park! Waddling back to Ice's side, nudging against her legs in that 'don't know your own power' kind of way, the young elephant hooted and pointed with his trunk. Over on the trail, near the frozen fountain! A girl in a purple coat, riding a lovely grey horse! Wasn't that her daughter?!

Ice almost fell over at the nudging, looking at the girl on the horse because the elephant told her to. "Oh, no, sweetie, that's not Kitsumai. But she is very pretty!" She told him, wanting to pat him on the head, but not sure it was polite.

'It's a... turtle.' Oblivion said as she remembered the picture book Ice read to them at night. She wheeled a little closer to Walter, bumping into his leg as she watched the orange daemon with red glowing eyes. She obviously wasn't impressed.

You make me sound common, Curiosity responds with faked horror. I'll have you know that I'm not your ordinary reptile! See these spikes?

Even though at this distance from Oblivion he can't quite make out the details on her, he can start to see the shapes and at least knows in what direction to look. He turns his back to her and shows off his newly formed pin-cushion shell, clearly priding himself in it.

April plucks him off her sleeve and sets him on snow, slightly amused to see him not quite sink into it, as his weight doesn't even provide him that much. No, instead he sinks merely halfway, and now he struggles to keep his head up, his horns and spikes the only thing really visible anymore.

He barks sharply and wiggles to try and free himself from the evil cold white stuff. EVIL! he shouts, directing the thought-speech at April but not containing it soley to her. You KNOW I DESPISE the cold!!

But if April hears him - and obviously she does, and has merely perfected the art of ignoring him - she doesn't show it. She instead strays over toward Walter with a bit of a spacey look on her face, clearly lost in thought while looking him over.

Elle nodded at the introduction, a bit surprised in truth at Domonic's reaction, and had already opened her mouth to speak when Izumi's high voice floated across the park. Ellelle? Pushing up onto her toes a bit, glancing over Domonic's shoulder, Elle made sure the girl was okay. She was headinng right for Desperate...and it didn't take long for Elle to put it together. Elle means elephant! Wait...

Desperate nodded slowly, obviously miserable, at Relentless' words. He knew these things already! Nisha told him all the time! His trunk brushed the snow as he fidgeted from foot to foot, head low. She really was going to trade him!

But the little Daemon wasn't done yet. Fearing the next insults, he hunkered....only to peek out from under his trunk in surprise as Izumi bumbled closer.

Why was she smiling, and clapping? Suddenly, Desperate realized that she was talking about him! He was cute!! Only Elle ever told him such things, and just to make him feel better, he dimly suspected. Coming from this cute little flower of a girl...

The daemon trilled, pushing his nose against Izumi's hands, The end of his trunk was a little grabby, tugging at her gloves and obviously hoping for a few pets. -Nice girl!- His voice was much happier now, and Desperate hunkered down like a puppy that wanted to play. She LIKED him! -Okay! Trade!-

Done and done!

Nisha, on the other hand, ignored the entire issue. The joy rolling off her Daemon was annoying, but she ignored it as best she could. The tiny Birfly was still on her hand, so light she could barely feel its weight, and the colors shimmered with unreal beauty...which was her favorite kind of beauty, after all!

For a moment, the tiny flecks of falling snow swirled into a semblance of wings behind Nisha, just a sparse and brief suggestion, before drifting away. "Oooaah. Bestesh." Clearly this was the bestest Daemon of them all! Desperate could have his new silly little girl, what with her walking, and talking! Nisha couldn't be happier!

Not waking, at least.

"I got it!" Walter said, pulling his hat off and revealing the gold coin stuck in the inner band. "All the time! And 'Blivion can't eat it." He added seriously.

Oblivion's eyes glowed a little brighter red, and her tail flicked behind her. 'Fine. But no touching Walter. And no crawling down his shirt.' She added, an image of Terror doing exactly that flashing through her mind. She didn't like Terror AT ALL.