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Holding the key on his right hand and a piece of chalk he took from one of his pockets on the other, he focused and tried to concentrate on the door the key belong to
He placed the key at the exact height and swiftly drew the outlines of a door and its respective doornob with the chalk. Then he forced the key into the wall, making a door emerge as he did so

"Done. This is the back of the door you requested me to link with. Now you can come and go without trouble. Anything else?"

"Oh! right" he took a panflet from another pocket and handed it to Elle "Here's the map"

"I'd recomend the grounds. Even though it's winter many guardians and Mishaps go there. But the Red area is a good place too if you don't want your little one to catch cold"

"Well I bid you farewell. There are other bussiness I must attend to. If necessary drop by my office if you need anything"

He bowed and left throught the door that led to the corridors

Dragging the large basket through the doorway, Elle settled it against the wall and paused for a rest. About three feet across, woven willow with a shallow slope, the basket would serve as a lovely cradle once padded. It hadn't been nearly as heavy as the chest for Kudzu's clothes, but it had been a long day.

Most of the room was already decorated! Elle had used some of her spare fabric to smooth the corners, and potted plants rested on low tables or on the floor. A great pile of pillows sat against the back wall, surrounded by plushies and assorted books. From the center of the ceiling, a green wind chime swayed...tinkling any time the door open or shut.

Kudzu lay resting upon a large pillow...most of the fingers of his left hand crammed into his mouth. The gem upon his forehead caught the light as he wiggled to be able to stare at Elle. Smiling around his hand, Kudzu made a gentle noise.

"Ah, sweetie. You've been so patient. Are you ready to try your little bed?" He shared Elle's room back at the Villa...but she had a feeling he'd be spending much of his time here once he was older. After all, why would be pick a lonely Villa when he could be with people his own age?

Setting a large pillow into the basket, Elle covered it with sheets and soft little blankets...scooping the heavy boy up and settling him back down inside. Despite being warm and comfortable, his little brow furrowed...apparently, there was something wrong.

Elle wasn't fond of baby talk, she spoke to Kudzu with a gentle and quiet voice, but an adult voice nonetheless. "Are you okay? Are you hungry, Kudzu?" He didn't answer, and of course she didn't expect him too, but Elle lifted him back to her lap regardless.

Digging through her bag with one hand, she withdrew a small bottle of warm soy milk and a spotted banana...setting the banana aside. Propping him in the crook of one arm, coaxing the bottle into his little hands, Elle smiled as he set to work. Hungry, indeed! With her other hand, she reclaimed the fruit....squeezing it over and over until it mushed up, still in the skin. When the bottle was half empty, she switched...peeling back just a bit of the loose banana peel, and offering him a dollop of fruit mush. Smiling just about as wide as she'd ever seen him, Kudzu nummed on the snack...totally oblivious of the bits that trickled down his chin.

"Just like Nisha. Messy child." Chiding fondly, Elle wiped his chin and settled him back in the basket with the bottle after another few bites. He'd be content to rest for a while...though she hadn't ever exactly seen him sleep, either. It would be enough time for her to grab another load before he finished.

A few minutes later, the room was set up...all the essentials in one place. She still didn't have many outfits for him...nothing seemed to fit right at his ankles and elbows, and she didn't want to shove a shirt on over his delicate hair. For now, she kept him in an antique dressing gown that buttoned up the front. The little blue scarf she put on with it was enough to call it an outfit.

"You're all settled in, little one. How's that bottle coming?" Almost empty, it seemed! Switching it out for a new one, something Kudzu stoically accepted, Elle gathered up a few stray pillows and relaxed beside him. Absently eating a finger full of banana mush, she smiled as she realized the child was staring at her silently as he drank.

It was a comfortable feeling, simply relaxing and gazing into his sleepy but unwavering blue eyes. "Get some rest when you've finished. We'll find the others soon, just like I promised. Okay?"

Offering Kudzu a finger scoop of fruit, Elle laughed quietly as he dropped the bottle and opened his mouth obligingly. She'd never met a child so accepting...perhaps he simply had a patient nature.

And perhaps she simply had outstanding luck!

[ Message temporarily off-line ]

"Kudzu?"

Elle's voice echoed through the kitchen, pitched to carry but not alarmed. She knew the babe wasn't afraid, wherever he'd crawled off to...she could still sense the peaceful waves of mild curiosity that always seemed to surround him. Just because he wasn't afraid, though, didn't mean he was safe.

Belting the wide sash of her short house robe a bit tighter, Elle padded out of the kitchen and down the hall. She'd set him to play in a sunbeam near the dining room table, but his toys were undisturbed...bright shapes laying motionless in the filtered morning sun. Her hair was still wet from her bath, and Elle piled it atop her head in a grand knot to keep it from her eyes. For a moment, Kudzu's state of mind seemed to fluctuate into something more intense, and her heart fluttered with it.

It wasn't easy, being an empath in a house full of children. If she 'listened' carefully, she'd be overwhelmed by all the ups and downs the babes seemed full of. Today, however, Aki had taken them all into town...leaving just her and Kudzu for a day of peace. Elle hoped that would be exactly how it turned out, and found herself standing at the front door.

Kudzu called silently from beyond it. For a moment, she paused, hand on the knob. How had be gotten outside? Her amber eyes dropped the length of the scarred wood, settling on the pet door as she smiled. Ah, it had been a while since they'd had a babe small enough to fit through there around the house. She'd have to remember that for the next few weeks, until Kudzu outgrew it as well.

Pushing open the door, Elle sighed almost immediately. There sat the wayward babe, plopped peacefully upon his bottom in the wet morning grass. The sun had broken through the fog, and Kudzu turned his pale face towards it with unwavering appreciation. Blinking as Elle's soft voice reached him, the child glanced up with unperturbed calm.

"Ah, love. You almost had me scared. I suppose I should have known you'd want to be outside on a morning like this." Ignoring the chill and patch of damp that spread across the seat of her short robe, Elle settled down into the grass beside him...pulling the child into her lap. Kudzu nestled back comfortably against her, and turned his face once more to the sun.

Elle tilted her head back as well, though her eyes were closed. Even the direct sun didn't seem to bother Kudzu's pale eyes....he stared upwards with patient adoration, the facets at his ankles gleaming and shining. He was clothed in his usual attire...the oversized white bath robe, and the baggy brown pants Elle had found for him. The robe was thick enough and roomy enough to accommodate and resist his bejeweled arms, and the sleeve polled around his elbow as the babe raised his hand to point.

"Basah. Mmm."

Elle followed his motion with her eyes, smiling up at the parting clouds. "Sun? It's beautiful, isn't it? You waited all night to see it again." As Kudzu nodded, whether or not he understood her words, Elle leaned forward and kissed him atop his leafy crown. A few petals drifted down to the grass silently, lavender and green.

"Well, I waited all night to see you. Let's have some breakfast, we can eat outside. You stay put, okay?" Lifting him back down onto the lawn, Elle paused for a moment to study the pale child. He smiled a bit as she did, mirroring her motion, but it still warmed her heart to see. Without another word, she turned and strolled barefoot back across the wet grass...shaking off the dew at the threshold. "I love you!"

Kudzu burbled from his seat upon the lawn, and flapped one little hand in the air. Someday, he'd be old enough to say 'I love you, too!'

Elle had just tugged the robe around Kudzu's waist when the rattle sounded at the door...a curious noise, not quite a knock. With a smile, she settled the babe back into his basket and shook her long hair out of its bun.

She opened the door wide, unlike the slow peek most city folk used to see who had come to call. Was this...another Mishap, and his guardian? Elle smiled to see such. "Hello! I am...hmm...not what you were expecting to see, perhaps?"

She felt on the brief wash of emotion from the other young woman, distant and faint. Kudzu burbled in gentle curiosity, tiny hands curling round the side of his basket as he tried to peer over the edge.

"Is there something I can help you with? Or perhaps you've come for a visit?" Dropping her eyes for a moment to the baby batling, Elle smiled at his half forgotten snack. It was almost time for Kudzu's meal as well!

Elle laughed quietly at Kanilea's honesty, enjoying her wry humor, and gave her hand a shake. "Well, it's in the nature of children to break things! Very educational, at the least. If you have a moment, Kanilea, perhaps we can give the younglings a chance to get acquainted?" Pausing to offer the young woman a warm smile, Elle took a step back and propped the door open with a small pot of blooming violets. "I'm Elle, and this is Kudzu! We arrived just a few months back."

Scooting out a few mismatched chairs from the table, Elle offered one to Kanilea with a vague welcoming motion. She'd never developed the decorating sense Aki possessed, but there was something comforting about the old overstuffed chairs, threadbare velvet and polished clawfoot wood.

Kudzu finally managed to pull himself into a sitting position, all but the tips of his little fingers lost in the roomy sleeves of his white bathrobe. He wore baggy brown pants under the robe, poofed out to accomodate his diaper. A single leaf drifted from his verdant mane as he leaned forward to reach for Aladon...gently curious, but obviously in no rush. A passive acceptance always seemed to surround the young babe, cool and calm.

"Can we let them rest in the play pen while we share a kettle of tea? I don't wish to keep you if you're in a hurry, but I'd love to hear the story of how Aladon came to be family, if you wish to share it!" Motioning to the play pen...a large shallow basket of woven willow, strewn with pillows and small tempting toys...Elle settled down into one of the two chairs. She certainly didn't mean to push Kanilea and Aladon into staying, but it would be wonderful to get to know the others in the area!