Welcome to Gaia! ::

((

Instead, this post is meant to solidify for me what happened with Annora when she and Trio visited Teralinth dKalin, in the hopes of helping to heal Tera.

Annora got to play in the backyard of Tera's home, occasionally wandering fairly close to the lute there. She seemed fascinated with it, though Psaltria helped to herd her away from it so that she didn't touch it and ruin whatever magic might linger there.

Annora made friends with Iratiun, the butterfly Zurui whose voice seems like over-eager chatspeak more often than not.

Annora met several of Tera's household, though she was young enough that she may not remember them.

Annora met Alexandre Lyon - an old friend of Trio's. She may not remember the meeting.

Trio and Annora eventually headed home, leaving Tera in Alex's hands. Annora was invited back to play with Iratiun again by Iranilos, who seemed eager to hear news of Ailis.))

Annora was chasing a butterfly. Or, to be more exact, she wasn't chasing so much as following, moving along behind the brightly-colored wings without paying much attention to anything else. For the most part, she didn't have to pay attention. Psaltria followed behind closely enough to spot any real danger to Annora before it could happen. She was occasionally accused of being overprotective, but as the words very often came from James, she rarely took them seriously. James didn't seem to have a great deal of loyalty to Trio, and that bothered Psaltria. But Psaltria did allow that she was far more protective of her charge/guardian than James was, and she liked it that way. ...Even if it did mean that she got less time lounging in the sun.

It was a cute scene, she'd decided. Annora was laughing, hopping and bouncing and walking and sometimes running behind the butterfly. She liked them, she'd once told Psaltria, because they reminded her of Etain. Psaltria also liked Etain, and couldn't fault Annora, so she opted to point out butterflies to the small girl every chance she got. Which actually wasn't often, as Annora usually spotted them before Psaltria did. But as the butterfly flitted over the back fence, Annora paused, staring after it in disappointment. "It gone," she announced to Psaltria, who padded forward and nuzzled Annora gently.

"Yes it is," she agreed, hesitating only a moment before adding, "Want a ride?" Psaltria knew pards who wouldn't deign to let ANYONE on their backs. Certainly, they were NOT beasts of burden, and to imply such a thing was insult indeed. But this was special. Annora was small, light, and loving. She didn't view such rides as her right, but instead as a gift. And when the smile lit her face and she waited for Psaltria to lay down before scrambling up to nestle between Psaltria's wings, the pard purred softly. This was good.

If it hadn't been for the fact that she was waiting for dinner, Annora might not have considered the question very carefully. As it was, she had half an hour of looking at the tiny creature to wonder, "What is it angels eat?" It never occurred to her to question whether it was an angel. It looked like a baby angel, after all. Had the right wings, and her mother had explained all about the angelic and demonic creatures roaming through Gaia. So surely this must be an angel, too. She didn't dare to wake it to ask, however. It was napping so peacefully, Annora just decided to save it some of her dinner. Something held her back from running to show her mother - she showed Trio practically everything, but this was somehow special, and she lay on her bed, kicking her feet as she debated just what to bring back. This would be fun, kinda like having her very own pet!

In the egg cupped carefully between two childish blue hands... Gavriel slept.

reserved - Annora and Psaltria meet Ealasaid (2nd form)

"Tri~o!" Shiromaru knocked on the door lightly, bouncing on the balls of his feet lightly as he waited for the door to open.

The door opened by the blonde herself, her eyes dancing as she held out a hand to him. "You made it," she murmured, as though he'd come farther than across the street.

Shiro beamed at Trio, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Hey, you. How're you doing?"

She lingered near him for a moment, then stepped back, drawing him in. "I'm good," she admitted, hands moving to the hem of her soft sweater and tugging it down nervously. "Come in."

"...What's wrong?" Shiro asked quietly, walking into the house, though he kept a hand on her arm.

"Nothing," Trio said quickly, looking up at him in confusion. "Why would something be wrong?"

Reaching down, Shiro mutely held up one of Trio's hands, since he'd noticed it twisting the hem of her sweater.

She blushed, grinning wryly. "It's nothing, I promise," she said, slipping her hand free and turning. "I thought we'd have dinner outside, if that's okay?"

"Mmm? Sure, if you want to," Shiro agreed, following after her. "Like I'd say no to something like that. What did you make?"

"Ordered, actually. I'm... not awful in the kitchen, but... I figured better to feed you something nice than something simply edible," she said, running a hand through her hair.

This all was nice, but Shiro was starting to get a little worried. He simply nodded, however, and indicated with a grand gesture. "Lead on, fair lady."

"It's kinda a picnic setup, really," she explained, as she led them out to the side yard, where Annora's wading brook bubbled through. The little girl was nowhere to be seen, though there was a large blanket spread on the ground, with food laid out over it.

"Where's Annora at?" Shiro asked curiously, even as he made his way towards the blanket. "She's usually out here, isn't she?" He peered back at Trio, his head tilted to the side slightly.

She nodded. "Dal took her to visit Aishiki tonight. We thought some quiet time would be good." She curled up on the blanket, reaching for his plate. "May I serve you?"

Shiro offered up his plate, nodding. "If you like, I wouldn't say no. I haven't eaten since breakfast, I forgot."

"What?" Trio demanded, staring at him for a moment before beginning to pile food on his plate. "You need to take better care of yourself than that!"

"I forgot!" Shiro quickly insisted, eyes widening. "I'm sorry! I went for a swim and kind of lost track of time..."

Trio's eyebrow arched, and she handed over the plate. "Be careful. I might just have to come start making sure you eat," she informed him, though the twinkle in her eyes was finally back.

The demon huffed, though he grinned as he took the plate. "Maybe I should, just so you would. You'd be a welcome guest, you know."

"I'm over there often enough as it is," she returned, eyes on her own plate as she filled it.

"And this is bad why?" Shiro asked, glancing up at Trio.

"Never said it was," Trio shook her head, getting her plate filled and sitting back. "I like it over there."

Shiro brightened, looking pleased. "Good. Of anybody, you have the most right to come and go freely in my home."

"The... most?" Trio blinked, pink spreading over her cheeks as she glanced up at him.

"Yes," came the quiet confirmation, and Shiro smiled warmly at her.

Trio grinned softly, the blush deepening a little. "I'm honored," she murmured, reaching out to touch his arm.

Gently, Shiro returned the touch. "You've earned it."

"I don't see how," Trio shrugged. "It's not like I've done anything extraordinary."

"Yes you have. You've stuck with me for years now," Shiro pointed out.

"That's not so odd... is it?" Trio asked, tilting her head.

Shiro laughed, offering a shrug. "Maybe. Most other demons don't want much to do with me."

"Well, I'm not exactly other demons, am I?" she asked, catching her lower lip between her teeth even as she grinned.

"No," Shiro returned, shooting a grin back at her in return, "and I'm grateful for that!"

"I'd make a rotten demon," she decided, shifting to her knees to lean over the food and brush a kiss against his cheek. Almost as soon as she'd touched him, she pulled back, settling down again and reaching for something small from the picnic basket nearby.

"You'd make a better angel," Shiro decided, then peered curiously at the small something. "What's that?"

Trio looked up in surprise, eyes wide. "I'm no angel," she protested, though she sounded pleased.

At that, Shiro beamed. "Maybe not, but close enough!"

"My head's going to be too big to fit in that house if you keep that up," Trio informed him, holding out a small, velvet box.

"I can try," Shiro pointed out, then blinked at the box. "What is this?"

"I saw it in Durem and it seemed like the sort of thing you might like," she said softly, dropping her eyes.

Curiously, Shiro took the box, but he hesitated before opening it. "Is it okay if I open it now?"

She nodded, slowly daring to look up. "I hope you like it..."

"I'm positive I will," Shiromaru offered, then opened the box carefully.

The ring within sparkled in the fading sunlight, gold and dotted with stars and moons. Trio bit her lip, eyes wary as she waited for his opinion.

Shiro blinked, startled, then he took the ring out and smiled slowly. "This is beautiful..." He held the ring up, curiously looking it over.

"I... don't know if there's anything special about it. In Gaia, you can never tell," Trio admitted, ducking her head again as the blush spread over her fair cheeks once more.

"Well, I think it's beautiful." Shiro smiled warmly up at Trio, leaning in to kiss her lightly on the cheek. "Which finger should I put it on?"

"Finger?" she asked, looking surprised at the question. "I guess... whichever finger you want to put it on."

Shiro beamed and slid it onto his left middle finger, then held up his hand so Trio could see.

Trio smiled softly, biting her lip before looking to her food again. "I'm glad you like it," she murmured.

"I do, it's beautiful. Thank you so much," Shiro returned, still grinning cheerfully.

Not sure quite what to say, Trio simply nodded, making no move to eat. In all truth, she hadn't been hungry the entire day, since Levon had inadvertantly pointed out just what rings COULD mean.

Shiro blinked, then motioned to the plate. "Aren't you hungry?"

She blushed, shaking her head. "Not really," she admitted, setting the plate aside, then regretting the move when she had nothing to occupy herself with.

"Well, come here, then." The demon shifted about, resting back against a tree trunk, then he opened his arms in invitation for her to cuddle.

She flicked up, eyes widening before she nodded slowly and moved to do as he said, curling her body against his. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked softly, once she was settled.

Shiro chuckled softly, tucking her head under his chin. "Mmm, I'm okay. We can reheat things if necessary."

"Shiro... the reason for the ring...," she began uncertainly, trailing off a moment later.

"Yes?" Shiro asked, curiously.

"I mean," she started again, feeling her gut clench. "There wasn't... I didn't set out to buy... it's just a ring, right?"

"I consider it a mark of friendship, myself," Shiromaru murmured, stroking her hair.

"Friendship," she nodded, her eyes sliding shut as he soothed her.

"Love you, you know." Shiro couldn't help but smile. "You're my family."

Her eyes remained closed as she twisted in his arms to hug him tightly. "You're mine."

Shiro held her close to him, his own eyes closing. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Such as it is," Trio whispered, closing her eyes and nestling her face against his neck.

Gently, Shiro kissed Trio's hair, and rocked her lightly. "You don't need to be blood-related to be family, after all."

"Don't mind me, okay?" Trio whispered.

"What is it, hon?" Anxiously, Shiro nuzzled at her.

Trio hesitated, then looked up, searching his face. "Levon... pointed out what rings could mean..."

"I know what they can mean," Shiro murmured.

"And... I just don't know why a ring..."

"Why a ring...?" echoed the demon.

"I keep thinking about it," Trio nodded, nestling against him again. "And... it fits too well."

Curiously, Shiro carded his fingers through her hair. "What do you mean?"

"Part of me... wouldn't mind... I mean..." Trio whispered, trailing off as her eyes slid shut.

Shiromaru breathed in slowly, then rested his forehead against Trio's hair. "What a world we live in," he murmured after a moment. "I don't know what to do now..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, tensing. "Forget I said anything," came the soft, hurried response. "I spoke out of turn."

"No. No, you didn't. Trio, look at me," Shiro said quietly, cupping her cheek in his hand.

It took a long moment for her eyes to open warily, her lower lip catching between her teeth as they worried harshly at it.

"I don't know what to do," he explained softly, "because I'm still in love with you, but I'm in love with Blue, too. Would you be at all willing to try and handle that...?" He paused, then blinked. "I didn't mean... sleep with him," he added, hurriedly, blushing.

Her eyes grew huge, lips parting as she simply breathed for a moment, shaken. "You're... in love with me?" was what finally came out.

"Have been for a long time," Shiro confirmed, gently.

For a long moment, she just stared at him. And then, recalling herself, she ducked her head again, pulling it free of his hands. "I'm intruding..."

Shiro blinked, then reached down to make sure she stayed close. "How in the world could you be intruding?"

"Because you're with someone," she said, daring to nestle a bit closer for comfort.

"Trio, I'm still in love with two people, whether I'm with one of them or not," Shiro returned gently. "You can't intrude. You belong here."

She closed her eyes, then shakily laughed. "You... really do mean it, don't you?" she whispered.

Shiro nodded, stroking Trio's hair. "I do."

"What... do I need to do?"

At that, the demon blinked, looking down at her. "What do you mean?"

"To make this work," Trio whispered, a hand fisting in his shirt. "What do I do?"

"...Trust me. And yourself." Shiro leaned in, kissing her forehead. "The only way we can make this work is if you trust your gut and tell me if you start feeling uncomfortable. And we talk about what you're comfortable with and what you're not."

"What about... Blue?" she asked, stumbling over the name a little. "He deserves better... doesn't he?

Shiro snorted, rolling his eyes. "Trust me, he won't consider it an insult. If it makes me happy, he'll be all for it."

"How can you be so certain?" Trio whispered.

"When you meet Blue, you'll understand," Shiro assured her.

She nodded, staring at Shiro for several long seconds before whispering, "Would you..."

"Would I...?" Shiro tilted his head to the side, curiously.

She blushed deeply, ducking her head. "Would you... kiss me?"

In lieu of answering, Shiro leaned in and kissed Trio slowly, his hand cupping the back of her head.

She whimpered softly against his mouth, eyes fluttering shut as her lips parted, inviting him deeper.

Trio... Shiromaru took that invitation, his tongue pressing gently past her lips so he could taste her mouth. His free arm went possessively around her waist, holding her closer.

Her body melted against his, arms sliding around his neck as he kissed her the way she'd dreamt of. When it finally broke off, she drew a deep, shuddery breath. The words that left her mouth, though, were reluctant indeed. "We should stop..."

"...Mmm?" Shiro blinked, a bit dazed from the kiss. "What's wrong?"

"I... don't want to ask for more," she admitted. "I'm afraid."

Shiromaru leaned in, nuzzling his lips at her ear. "What are you afraid of?"

"Hurting us," she admitted, brushing her lips against his softly. "I don't want to be hurt..."

"Trio..." Shiro closed his eyes, his forehead resting against hers. "I will do my best to make sure you don't get hurt."

"I'm screwing everything up, aren't I?" she asked, drawing back.

"No. You're not screwing anything up. Trio, don't let me lose you now." Shiromaru reached out, drawing her right back to him.

She shuddered in his arms, clinging to him. "I... I love you," she whispered.

Shiro nuzzled at her, holding her close. "I love you too. So much."

"I... can't promise to love Blue," she warned softly, blushing.

"You don't have to. You don't have to sleep with him, either," Shiro murmured. "But I'd like to see you two as friends."

"I'll try," she promised, daring to kiss him again. "For you, I'll try," she added, closing her eyes.

"That's all I can ask." Shiro returned the kiss, trying to pull her straight into his lap.

She nodded slowly, curling up against his chest and closing her eyes. She couldn't quite block out the anxious beating of her heart, or the way one hand fisted in his sleeve. Opening herself up like this again was not going to be easy...

"You, my dear Etain, are getting heavy," Shiro announced as he resettled Etain against his chest. Wings fluttering, he touched down on the front porch of Trio's home, a tiny smile on his lips. He'd always felt welcome here; now, it just felt right. He reached up and knocked on the door, then laughed aloud when Etain copied him, patting at the door with an open palm.

"Coming," Trio called, a moment before a much younger, stronger voice called out, "Who it is?"

Shiro grinned. "It's Shiromaru and Etain," he called back, cheerfully.

"SHIRO!" Annora cried out, and he could hear the door thumping a bit as tiny hands tried to open it. A moment later, it finally pulled back, revealing Trio leaning OVER Annora as the girl squirmed around the door to fling herself at Shiro's legs.

Beaming, Shiro knelt so he could cuddle Annora with one arm. "Hey there, sweetheart! It's good to see you!" Etain, in Shiro's other arm, waved her hands at Annora, reaching out for the older girl with a sweet, happy smile.

Trio chuckled, reaching out to pluck Etain from Shiro's arms with practiced skill. "Come on in," she said, setting the girl against one hip as she watched Shiro with Annora. "If she'll let you."

Etain leaned in and, very proudly, planted a messy kiss on Trio's cheek and cuddled up with the woman. Shiro, with his arms now free, lifted Annora into them and twirled with her a little before kissing her forehead. "So how are things?" The question was directed to both Annora and Trio.

Trio blushed, making no move to answer, but the room wasn't silent. Annora immediately dove into a detailed, if occasionally garbled, rendition of her day, which apparently included reading, music, and quite a lot of swimming.

Laughing, Shiro walked inside with Annora in his arms, listening attentively. "It sounds like you had a good day."

"Uh-huh," Annora nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder as she continued. "An' then we had pizza and I got hair in a cut and..."

"Enough, Annora," Trio murmured, and the girl looked over to her, pouting.

"But I was just tellin' Shiro..."

"Enough, Annora," Trio repeated, a bit more firmly, and the girl trailed off, tucking herself against Shiro and pouting.

"You can tell me later," Shiro said gently. "It's alright. Listen to your mother."

Trio blinked, then smiled at Shiro warmly, nodding and leaning in to brush a kiss against his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, then pulled back. "Want something to eat?"

Shiro returned that smile happily, resettling Annora in his arms. "Sure, I'd like that. If that's okay with you?"

Trio nodded. "Annora's already eaten but I waited for you," she explained, turning to head to the kitchen.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Shiro said gently. "But thank you." The demon followed after Trio, humming contentedly to himself.

"I... haven't really talked to her yet," Trio murmured, as Annora darted on ahead to duck into her own room.

Shiro waited until Annora had run off, then wound his arms around Trio's waist from behind and kissed her cheek. "When should we talk to her?"

Trio paused, blushing a little as she leaned back against Shiro, angling her head to give Etain a chance to notice him, too. "Tonight..."

Etain reached up for Shiro, and he took the sylph's hand with a soft chuckle. "Tonight, then. You want me to be here, right?"

Trio nodded, twisting to look at him just as Annora rounded the corner, darting to Shiro to barrel between them. The book she carried gouged against Shiro's stomach as she moved.

"Ow." Shiro grabbed at his stomach, then peeled up his shirt to eye the blossoming bruise. "Annora, you hurt me. Look, I'm bruising. Please be careful when you run."

Trio frowned, stopping Annora with a sharp snap of her name, and the girl froze, contrite eyes turning slowly to Shiro. "S-sorry," she whimpered, eyes shining with unshed tears, obviously afraid Shiro was going to be angry.

Shiromaru knelt on the floor, reaching up to stroke Annora's hair gently. "It's alright this time, sweetheart, but you do need to be more careful. It's possible that next time, there could be a bad accident if you don't watch. Will you be careful for me?"

Annora nodded slowly, eyes still glittering. A moment later, the book hit the floor as she flung herself at him, sniffling.

Shiro hugged Annora close, patting her back. "It's okay, I'm not mad. I promise."

Annora tucked herself close, almost clinging to Shiro as she calmed. "I sorry..."

"It's okay, sweetheart. I accept your apology," Shiro murmured soothingly.

Trio stood back, watching the two with a faint frown.

Shiromaru glanced up at Trio over Annora's head, his expression questioning.

She just shook her head minutely, stooping to retrieve the book before turning to head toward the kitchen. "Coming?"

"Mmhmm." Shiro hugged Annora again, then released her and stood up, following after Trio. His good mood was gone, and he was watching Trio anxiously.

In the kitchen, Trio set Etain into a high chair, then turned to reach for Shiro's shirt, lifting it. "Lemme see that..."

Again, Shiro lifted his shirt and touched the purpling triangular bruise that spanned several inches on his right side. "It's okay, it's not that bad."

Trio frowned deeply, reaching up to trail her fingers along the edge of it. "She gets so clumsy when she's in a growth spurt," she whispered.

"Well, you know," Shiro murmured, "she's all limbs. It's okay, I'll heal quickly."

"It's not bleeding, at least," Trio muttered, apparently not hearing him. "Those books hurt."

"Trio...?" Shiromaru reached out, trying to take Trio's hand.

"Hmm?" Trio asked, finally looking up.

"It's okay," the demon said gently. "Really."

"It's not," Trio countered, chewing on her lower lip.

Shiromaru laced his fingers through Trio's. "Why isn't it?"

"She has to learn that it's not good to hurt people," Trio murmured, worried eyes shooting to where Annora sat in front of Etain, tickling the little girl's feet.

Etain was happily squealing, reaching out towards Annora.

Shiro sighed softly, an arm snaking around Trio's waist. "Do you want to talk to her now? Or...?"

Trio leaned forward, careful of Shiro's bruise. "We really should..."

"Okay. Let's, then," Shiro murmured, glancing over at Annora.

Annora had progressed to singing, her voice slightly off-key and mis-timed as she made her way through 'itsy bitsy spider', complete with hand motions, for Etain.

"Annora?" Shiromaru said, quietly. "We need to talk to you."

Annora twisted, looking up at Shiromaru with solemn, curious eyes. "I singing."

Shiromaru sat down in a chair after pulling one out for Trio as well. "I know, sweetheart, but this is important."

Annora's face grew wary, and she scooted a little closer to Etain. "What?" she asked softly.

Trio opened her mouth to answer, then fell silent, looking at Shiro helplessly. Where to begin?

Shiro looked back at Trio, then reached a decision after a moment. "You know how your mother and I go back and forth to each others' houses a lot?" he began, his gaze resting on Annora again. "Well, we'll be spending the night often, too, now." Well, it was somewhere to start from, yes?

Annora nodded, tilting her head. "Me too?" she asked, with all the curious innocence of a young child.

"Certainly," Shiro agreed easily. "You can sleep over in Etain's room! She'd love that."

"Is Mommy sleeping in your room?" Annora asked curiously, tilting her head.

Trio choked, a deep blush creeping over her cheeks.

Shiro, too, blushed, a fact that did not escape Etain, for the sylph buzzed her wings, lifting herself out of her chair a few inches. He picked up the girl and set her on his lap, though his gaze was on Annora. "Yes," he agreed. "Yes, she will be."

Annora's face broke into a bright smile, and she nodded, reaching out to take Etain's hands. "Okay," she informed him, then reached forward to tickle Etain. "Tickle tickle tickle!!!"

Etain squealed merrily, wriggling on Shiro's lap as she grabbed at Annora's hands. Over the girls' heads, Shiro looked up at Trio, brows raised.

"I guess... that went well," Trio murmured, as Annora leaned in to smack her lips against Etain's cheek.

"Apparently it did," Shiro agreed with a slight, amused shake of his head. Etain wanted to kiss Annora back -- it was a trick she'd learned recently! -- and so leaned out, 'mmmmmwah'ing happily in the general vicinity of Annora's forehead.

Annora giggled, starting to sing to her again with the same childishly off-key cheer she had been before. "Turkey good?" Trio asked wryly, moving to rise.

Shiro nodded, grinning up at Trio as Etain listened raptly to Annora. "Turkey's just fi-..." He trailed off, blinking as Etain started to sing -- sort of -- along with Annora. Now, granted, it was off-key and consisted mainly of 'la,' but it was still music to Shiro's ears.

Trio blinked as well, turning to watch Etain for a moment before grinning widely at Shiro. "I foresee concerts," she informed him, beaming.

"Yes indeed," Shiro agreed, his smile almost blindingly brilliant. When Etain started kicking her legs and bouncing in his lap, he oofed softly and moved to put Etain back in the high chair.

Annora moved to climb up onto a chair, grabbing Etain's hands and showing her patiently how to do the hand signs that went along with 'itsy bitsy spider'. Trio snickered, leaning against the counter to watch them, her food forgotten.

Etain tried to follow along, bright eyes watching Annora's hands in fascination. Her own hand signs were clumsy, but she certainly was trying!

Trio moved to Shiro, curling around him and resting her chin on his shoulder as she watched the pair. "For someone so impatient and demanding, she's awfully good with Etain..."

"She is," Shiro agreed, smiling warmly as he reached up to touch Trio's arms. "She's absolutely amazing with Etain. But then again, Etain sister-worships Annora, so..."

"We're almost a family," Trio whispered, hugging Shiro tightly.

"Why only almost?" Shiro murmured in return, lifting Trio's hand to his lips so he could kiss it.

Trio blushed, grateful he couldn't see her face. "Blue."

Shiro shook his head slightly. "Blue doesn't deny us a family, love..."

"I don't even know him," Trio pointed out softly.

"We can fix that," Shiro murmured.

"I know, but... it feels a little strange," Trio admitted, then blinked as Annora caught her eye. The girl was trying to lift Etain out of the high chair, with little luck.

Etain was buzzing her wings with all her tiny might, and Shiro reached out to keep a careful hand near the sylph as Etain started to lift a half-inch out of the chair. "She's been trying to fly before she can even walk."

Trio moved to hover nearby as well. "Makes sense, given her wings." Annora ignored them both, both hands under Etain's arms as she lifted. "C'mon..."

After almost a minute of straining, Etain rose another few inches out of her chair, a bright smile on her lips.

Annora and Trio both grinned, Annora letting go of Etain. "Good girl," Trio murmured, reaching out to brush her fingers against Etain's fine hair lightly.

Etain kept floating in place, her wings a blur until she finally sat back down in the seat. "Suddenly," Shiro drawled, "I fear for our house, now that she can fly."

Trio sniggered. "What makes you think being able to fly has anything to do with it?" she asked.

"Because I kept everything breakable out of reach of toddlers," Shiro explained, laughing softly. "Now nothing's out of reach."

"Storage works well here," Trio laughed, stroking Etain's hair again. "You're such a good girl, aren't you?" she cooed at Etain.

Etain beamed at the petting, catching hold of Trio's arm. Of course she was a good girl!

Annora watched the two for a moment, then looked to Shiro, holding out her arms.

Shiromaru reached down, lifting Annora up onto his lap. "So what were you going to read?" he asked, curiously.

"Wanna read about fox is sockses," Annora informed him, curling up against him comfortably. "Read me?"

"Why don't you," Shiro suggested as he opened the book and set it down on Annora's lap, "read it to me? I'd love to hear you."

The story Annora 'read' to him had nothing to do with the words themselves, though she expounded on the pictures cheerfully, telling him in detail exactly what was happening in each.

Shiro grinned all the way through the 'reading' of the story, and when it was done, he cheerfully hugged Annora. "That was fun! Will you read for me again sometime?"

"Okay!" Annora chirped, diving off of his lap to head to her bedroom. Trio snickered, eyeing him. "You might wanna let her know you didn't mean 'right now'."

Eep. "Annora? I didn't mean right now! Perhaps after we eat!" Eureka! Shiro grinned, glancing at Etain. "I bet Etain would love for you to read to her after dinner!"

"Okay!" Annora called, bringing out a small pile of books to drop onto the table.

"That'll do," Shiro said quietly, fighting to keep from laughing. Etain saw the books and reached out to them, wanting to hold one. Shiromaru found the softest-covered book, one without any hard corners, then glanced at Annora. "Do you mind if Etain looks through this one?"

Annora nodded, following suit by grabbing another book, this one with corners, and carrying it over to give to Etain as well.

Shiro considered for a moment, then decided to just keep a close eye on Etain. The little sylph opened the first book and stared at the various pictures, sometimes pointing excitedly to ones she liked -- especially anything involving birds or butterflies or dragonflies.

Trio leaned over his shoulder, setting a turkey sandwich in front of him and murmuring into his ear, "It's okay if she chews the corners. Annora did that to it, too, so I'm not that worried about the book."

"Really...? Okay. As long as she doesn't poke herself, then, I won't worry," Shiro returned, leaning in to kiss Trio lightly before she could get too far away. Then his stomach took over, and he reached for the sandwich.

Trio nodded. "I don't think that'll be much of a problem. Annora never has, and she takes them to bed with her!"

Shiro laughed at that, shaking his head. "Now that? That doesn't surprise me." He started in on his sandwich nibbling at it contentedly.

Trio snickered, setting down another plate opposite him and sliding into her own seat. "She's got an mp3 player now, and LOVES it."

"Tell me it's waterproof," Shiro said with a grin, "and I'm getting one of my own."

"Make it waterproof, and I'll buy one for you," Trio returned with a smirk.

Shiro rolled his eyes, then set his elbow on the table, chin in hand. "I'll work on it."

Trio grinned, reaching out to touch his hand.

The demon took Trio's hand, holding it in his own as he stroked his thumb over the top of her hand.

"I thought... do you know where you're trick or treating on Halloween with Etain?" Trio asked softly.

"No, actually," Shiro murmured. "Not a clue. We were hoping to stick close to you."

"Know what you're dressing her up as yet?" Trio asked.

Shiro leaned back in his chair, now that he was done with his sandwich. "The pumpkin fairy, actually. She already has wings, so she'll have a pumpkin outfit, and striped little stockings and an orange pointed hat."

"Sounds so cute," Trio noted, grinning widely.

"You should see her in it," Shiro returned, matching that grin. "She's adorable."

"I look forward to it," Trio murmured, watching him with soft eyes.

Annora tugged on his sleeve, breaking his attention free from Trio.

Shiromaru blinked, tearing his gaze away from Trio to peer down at Annora. "What is it, princess?"

"I'm gonna be Gil!" Annora said gleefully, bouncing in her chair.

"Gil?" Shiro echoed, cluelessly.

Annora nodded happily, stealing a chip from his plate as she beamed at him.

Shiro laughed, tapping Annora's nose. "Who is Gil?"

"Gil!" Annora said firmly, as though repeating the name should explain everything.

Trio snickered, murmuring, "From Finding Nemo," to Shiro.

"Oh! Well, now I understand. You'll make a great Gil," Shiro declared, grinning down at Annora.

Annora beamed at him, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

Shiromaru watched her in amusement. "You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?"

"Mommy says we have to wait," Annora announced, not looking the least bit patient. Trio chuckled.

"Well, that's because no one's going to have candy until Halloween!" Shiro explained, unable to keep from grinning. Etain raised her arms, wings buzzing, and Shiro reached out, lifting his daughter out of the high chair so he could hold her.

"I thought we'd start at the new chime shop, and make our way from there?" Trio suggested, watching them fondly.

Shiromaru nodded, rocking Etain lightly in his arms as she sleepily wound her arms around Shiro's neck. "That sounds like a plan. The tricky part will be getting little miss windchime addict away from the store."

Trio snickered. "Actually, from what I hear, Ealasaid has plans for that..."

"Oh? How so?" Shiro kept rocking Etain gently, and the sylph was slowly falling asleep.

"She hasn't actually said yet," Trio grinned.

Shiro tilted his head slightly. "Well, we'll have to see, then, won't we?"

"Do you want to put her in Annora's room?" Trio asked. "It's getting close to someone's bedtime anyway."

Immediately, Annora piped up with, "I not tired!"

"Well, Etain's very sleepy," Shiromaru said gently. "And I think she'd like it if you read a story to her as she went to sleep. Would you be willing to do that?"

Annora nodded. "Can I sing to her, too?" she asked very seriously, and Trio fought back a giggle.

Shiromaru nodded, keeping his own expression very serious too, though his lips were twitching as he hid a smile. "She'd love that."

"C'mon, c'mon!" Annora said, scrambling from the chair and darting toward her room.

"Annora!" Trio called out, and the girl darted back, flinging her arms around Trio for a swift hug and kiss before she fled again.

Choking back a snicker, Shiro followed after Annora willingly. In the bedroom, he settled Etain on her stomach on the pallet, then pulled the blanket up near her shoulders. "There we are," he murmured, then moved to turn down the corner of Annora's bed. "Slip in, and Etain can listen as you sing and read."

Trio followed as well, lingering in the doorway with a soft expression on her face as she watched Shiro tend the children. Annora scrambled out of her jeans, leaving herself in just a t-shirt and panties before she slipped under the covers, beaming at Shiro. "Hugs, kisses!"

Shiromaru tucked in Annora, then gave her a hug and a kiss. "Night, princess. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Annora sang out, while Trio ducked back out of the room, blushing a little.

Shiro turned off the lights, then closed the door gently before smiling up at Trio.

"I guess... this means what we talked about earlier...," Trio murmured, her cheeks a dark red.

"I was hoping," Shiro said softly, reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist. "If it's okay with you."

She nodded slowly, searching his eyes for a moment before moving forward to curl against his chest. "This will take a bit of getting used to."

"It will," the demon agreed quietly, holding her close to him. "But we'll make it through."

Annora rolled over onto her back, head almost hanging off the side of the bed as she played with the little egg in her hand. Gavriel had awakened recently, though he was back asleep already, and she was watching him, fascinated by the tiny creature in the egg.

The door opened, and a young girl with twin pigtails in a riot of curls peeked inside, her eyes wide. Annora was playing with... with something, and now Etain was curious. Sneaking into the room, she tilted her head slightly. "What's that?"

Annora blinked, looking over at her best friend. From her angle, Etain was almost upside down, and that caused the siren to giggle. She twisted, rolling onto her stomach and waving Etain over. "It's name's Gavriel," she informed her.

Darting over, Etain jumped up onto the bed, bouncing a few times until she could leen in and peer at the egg. "Gavriel... Cute," she squealed, beaming over at Annora. "Where'd you get it?"

"A friend of mom's gave it to me," Annora explained slowly, brows furrowing a little in thought.

"Oooh..." Etain wriggled in, settling on her stomach -- it was hard for the sylph to rest on her back -- and absently kicked her feet. "Is it ever gonna get bigger?"

Annora shrugged expressively, with a little grunt that told Etain she had no idea. "It was an egg for a while. Egg in a egg."

Etain set her hands in her chin, elbows on the bed. "Egg in an egg. Now it's a... thing... inna egg. Papa keeps telling me I'll get bigger, so maybe Gavriel will get bigger too."

"Think so?" Annora asked, tapping the egg curiously. Inside, Gavriel shifted, opening one eye to glare ineffectually at the girls before curling up to go back to sleep.

Giggling, Etain leaned in, getting a closer look at Gavriel. "Yeah -- hey, maybe he'll get bigger 'n that egg and break out of it."

"Ooooh, you mean like a baby chicken?" Annora asked excitedly. She'd learned about chickens from one of her books recently!

"Yeah! Like a baby chicken! Is Gavriel a bird like that?" Etain tilted her head slightly. "...He doesn't really look like a bird, though."

"But he's got wings. Maybe he's a swan, like the ugly duckling," Annora suggested thoughtfully. "Swans have wings."

Etain blinked up at Annora, confused. "What's the ugly duckling?" That wasn't a story she'd heard yet!

Annora blinked at her for several moments, then dropped the egg on her blanket, darting off to start digging through the books piled haphazardly on her bookshelf.

Oooh, would they get to read a story? Etain sat up, watching Annora as the siren looked for the book.

It took several minutes before Annora sat back, frowning. A moment later, her voice rang out, strong enough to be heard throughout the house. "MAMA!"

Sometimes, Etain forgot just how loud Annora could be. Ears ringing, she rubbed at them a bit, blinking a few times.

A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps, a little over-heavy, came tromping down the hall. Trio paused in front of the door, an eyebrow raised as she peered at Annora.

"Want my book," Annora explained petulantly.

"Annora was gonna tell me about the ugly duckling," Etain explained, hopping down off the bed so she could go hug Trio's leg.

"Hey there, pretty girl," Trio said, softening at Etain. "Ugly duckling, hmm? Scoot over, goofball," she said to Annora.

"'M not a goofball," Annora returned firmly.

Etain giggled, releasing Trio's leg so she could fly over to Annora's bed again. "Nuh-uh. Annora's not a goofball," she agreed, coming to Annora's defense.

"Then what is she?" Trio asked, sitting on the floor beside Annora and starting to look through the books.

"She's... She's Annora," Etain decided, unable to think of any other word that fit the other girl quite so well.

Annora grinned back at Etain for a long moment before puffing herself up. "I'm a silly girl," she informed them both.

Giggling, Etain wriggled down, settling on her stomach again as she watched Annora and Trio. "Silly Annora."

"That's me!" Annora said, flopping onto her back on the floor. A moment later, Trio held up the book. "Here we are, girls!"

"Will you read it to us?" Etain asked hopefully, beaming up at Trio.

Trio eyed them both, then nodded, moving to climb up on the bed. "C'mere," she directed them, patting either side of herself.

Etain shifted until she was snuggled up against Trio's side, perfectly content.

Annora moved to the other side, shoving her way under Trio's arm until she was comfortable. Trio chuckled, hugging them both before opening the book. "Once upon a time, there was a nest full of eggs," she began, voice soft.

Trio stepped out of the car, glancing over Annora's outfit with a careful eye and reaching to tuck a stray lock of hair back behind the cut in the costume where her face appeared. It made no difference - with the way Annora was running around, hyped on excitement and dancing and cheering, the hair quickly dislodged and floated back into her eyes, but the small girl didn't notice. Trio fought a smile that occasionally became a wince - Annora could be QUITE loud when she was excited - and caught up the girl's small hand, guiding her up to Youkochylde's front door. She paused there, waiting as Annora bounced up to ring the doorbell, calling out in a voice as hyper as her movements, "TRICKERTREATS!"

Trio snickered, leaning down to Annora before the door could open. "It's 'trick OR treat', sweetie..."

When the door opened, it wasn't Youko standing there, but a pirate girl, complete with black eyepatch and a skirt that her father would have likely shot her for, had he not been trying to keep the younger ones in the house out of the candy. Raven grinned, the foxcoon, leaning over with a big bowl of candy as the teenager ruffled Annora's hair lightly. "Trick or Treat to you too!! And what a wonderful costume! You must beeeeee...." Raven brought a finger to her lips for a moment, the grin still in place. "You must be that fish from Finding Nemo... what's his name?"

She gave a wink to Trio then, and turned back to wait for Annora's answer.

"Its name's GILL!" Annora cheered, bouncing up toward Raven. Instead of holding out her bag, however, she continued to dance and bounce, grinning widely. "I Gill!"

Trio bit her lower lip for a moment before reaching out to catch one edge of Annora's bag and open it. "Keep it open, sweetie," she murmured, her words likely too muffled by the costume's material and Annora's excitement to be heeded.

Straightening, Trio looked Raven over before offering the girl a smile. "You look beautiful. Heading to a party later?"

Shaking her head, Raven scooped up a handful of candy and set it into the bag. "Nah. But I refuse to quit dressing up for Halloween. It's fun!" The foxcoon was grinning from ear to pointed ear as she stepped aside. "Did you want to come in? Dad's in the kitchen trying to make Chex Mix. I keep telling him he has to bake it, but he won't listen."

Trio blinked, then smirked, nodding. "I'll teach him the right way to make Trash," she assured Raven, as Annora bounced inside. The moment the young girl crossed the threshold, however, she froze, looking around curiously before toeing off her shoes and walking a little more sedately. Trio snickered, realizing only now how much living around tiny cats and dogs had affected the young girl. Turning back to Raven, she added, "You've grown so much. I'm sorry I've missed it."

Raven blushed then, setting the candy bowl aside as she tucked a lock of long hair behind her ear. "Dad says we're growing like weeds," she said, shrugging softly. "Omi's grown too, but I'm not sure if she's still here or if she left for Devi's already." She smiled then as she closed the door and gave Trio a soft hug. "It's good to see you again! It's been so long...."

Trio returned the hug tightly for a moment, arms only loosening when Annora decided that she, too, needed to be in on the act and squirmed between them. Trio smiled, pulling back and leaning down to give Annora a careful hug, not wanting to damage her costume, then looked up at Raven. "Your father must be proud," she offered. Annora, not interested in paying attention to the conversation, dropped her bag near her shoes and padded into the living room, looking for playmates.

Raven snickered, shrugging. "Either that or he's praying for college scholarships." She moved with Trio into the kitchen then, where Omi was sitting on one of the stools and watching their father try to figure out WHY the Chex Mix wasn't turning out right.

"You have to bake it, To-san," Omi said softly, nibbling on a carrot stick.

"You don't bake cereal," he muttered in reply, ears drooped as he stared at the bowl. "This sucks."

"Haven't you learned yet, Youko?" Trio asked quietly, lingering in the doorway. "Women are always right. If you want Texas Trash, you have to bake it."

Blinking, Youko forgot all about the bowl and moved forward to sweep up Trio in a tight hug. "Where the hell have you been??" he asked, nuzzling her cheek for a moment before breaking away and grinning.

Trio blinked, arms tightening for the last few seconds of the hug before she stepped back in embarrassment. "I could ask you the same thing," she noted, searching his eyes briefly before ducking forward to brush a kiss against his cheek. She turned then, peering at Omi with a quiet smile. "I remember when you were knee-high to a grasshopper. How are you?"

Omi flushed, tipping her head forward in a respectful nod. "I'm doing alright, Trio-san," she whispered faintly. "I haven't seen you in a while, it's good that you came by." She winced then as a high pitched shriek came from the livingroom, and she brought a finger up to her ear as if clearing it. "Kaeru got into the decorations again..."

Sighing, Youko gave Trio another hug before heading into the livingroom. "Kaeru!! Get out of the candy corn!" He stepped into the room, just in time to see the frog-like boy standing by the end table and the spilled candy all over the floor... and watched him point to Annora.

"SHE did it!!"

Trio was right behind Youko, one eyebrow arched as she watched the two. Annora had frozen, huge eyes watching both adults warily.

"Mmhmm," she said calmly, offering up nothing more as she waited for Youko to speak. It didn't really seem to matter, though, because when Annora caught sight of Trio's glower, her eyes began to fill with tears.

"WHY am I not inclined to believe you..." Youko said, lifting a brow and watching Kaeru closely.

The frog, however, was fixated on Annora, and the tears that were beginning to come to HER eyes.... and then he started to sniffle and cry as well. This wasn't fun! How could he blame someone else that just stood there and CRIED??

"I don't think it really matters whose fault it is, does it?" Trio said, her lips thinning.

Annora looked around, almost seeming to look for an escape before she began to sniffle, the tears running down her cheeks beginning to pick up speed.

Shaking his head, Youko picked up the bowl and set it on the table again. "Every piece. Picked up. Both of you."

It was an instantaneous reaction as Kaeru dropped his Halloween bag and got on hands and knees, scooping up the candy corn... as well as potato chip crumbs, fuzzies that had escaped the vacuum....

Annora was a little more delicate, after Trio followed Youko's statement with the same directions in a slightly different way. She, too, dropped to her knees, picking up two or three in her tiny fists and carrying them to the bowl before going back for more.

Trio just sighed, watching the two for a moment before glancing at Youko. "You remember Annora," she said wryly.

Snickering, Youko nodded. "Oh yes... although she's more outwardly mobile than I remember her." He moved to steer Trio towards the couch then, curling up there and watching the pair. "That's Kaeru... Karma dropped him off on my doorstep one night, he's from the Fourth Wall rescue that she runs."

"I've heard about that place," Trio nodded. "Haven't actually been inside yet. Been too busy trying to herd cats... otherwise known as corralling the new additions to my own home. I'll have to bring Clopin and Ealasaid over sometime." She reached out, her hand slipping into his as she watched the two as well. "He's very cute. Taking him trick-or-treating tonight?"

Nodding, Youko grinned. "If he gets the candy cleaned up." At that statement, the boy went into overdrive, picking up EVERYTHING he could find and throwing it into the candy dish. "He has to get his costume on yet... he's going out as Gandalf from Lord of the Rings.

As if having heard this proclamation as well, Kaeru moved to spread his arms wide, standing in the middle of the livingroom and looking as stern as he could. "YOU!! SHALL NOT!!! PASS!!"

Annora just blinked in confusion, and Trio clapped, choking back a guffaw far enough that she was able to say, in a strained voice, "Well done..." Turning to Youko while trying to maintain her straight face, she added, "Clearly, you're going as Gimli, then."

"Toss me and I throw you over my shoulder and dump you in the pool." Youko smirked at her, ears pinned back as he made a menacing 'tickle you' gesture at her.

"Daddy's going as Legless!" Kaeru crowed, looking at the two proudly.

Raven snickered from the doorway to the kitchen, safely out of reach of her father. "Legless... that's a good one," she said, noting the look of confusion on Kaeru's face. "You mean Legolas, squirt."

Trio stuck her tongue out at Youko. "So you're going as the elf. Should'a known," she noted, tucking herself into a corner of the couch, and a little more out of reach of Youko. "You're pretty enough, at least."

"Mama?" Annora asked, moving to stand in front of Trio then. "Wanna sit your lap," she said quietly, pouting a little. It took only a glance to see that they'd finished picking up the candy, and Trio nodded, shifting her body until Annora could crawl up onto her lap.

"At least you're going to dress up," Trio added to Youko, glancing down at her own plain clothes.

"I'm putting on a green shirt, blue pants and taking Omi's bow. That's not dressing up." Youko snickered, then looked at Annora appreciatively. "You look really nice tonight, sweetie," he said, grinning. "I'm glad you came to see us."

Annora perked up a bit, grinning at Youko. "I Gill," she announced proudly, hesitating only a moment before crawling over Trio and the couch to plant herself on Youko's lap. Trio ignored the knee to her midsection with only a mild wince, shaking her head.

Youko wound his arms around her then and nodded, paying rapt attention to the girl. "I see this! And did you get a lot of candy so far? Kaeru and I are gonna go out to get candy soon."

"YEAH!," Annora cheered, squirming in his lap a bit before settling against him. "I gots CANDY." She stayed still for all of five seconds before leaping up to bounce around the room. "Candy candy candy!"

At that proclamation, Kaeru turned pleading puppy-dog eyes on his father and started to get that 'I'm gonna cry' look again. Everyone had candy except him!

"Okay, okay," Youko said, motioning him towards the kitchen. "Ask your sister to help you put your costume on, and then we'll go." He turned to Trio then, smirking. "It's great when they get old enough to delegate stuff to."

Annora, curious about the goings-on, trailed behind Kaeru, still bouncing more than walking, and Trio had to call her back with a laugh. "You don't need to be in there, Little Girl," she noted, patting her lap. In response, Annora moved to climb up and sit on Youko's lap again.

"I sitting here," she informed her mother sternly.

"It never fails. Someone else comes into the room, and I cease to exist," Trio muttered, rolling her eyes before looking at Youko. "We won't keep you. I just... missed you."

Tilting his head to the side, Youko smiled. "I missed you too. I'm sorry things have been kinda hectic around here... but did you want to come over for Thanksgiving, perhaps?"

Trio blinked at the invitation, smiling softly. "I... need to check and see if Shiro had any plans for us," she offered. "But... if he doesn't, that would be really wonderful. You know... it doesn't have to b a special occasion to come over to my place either. Have dinner with us one night? You AND your brood, of course."

One brow lifted at part of that sentence as a slow smile crept over his face. "Shiro?" he asked, suddenly curious.

Trio blushed, looking abruptly embarrassed. "Yeah. He lives just across the street from me. His daughter and Annora are good friends." She left out the rest, knowing Youko would probably figure it out anyway.

The smile moved to a grin and he pulled Trio into a hug. "GOOD! I was getting worried about you."

Annora and Trio both yelped, the young girl diving off with a dramatic flourish while Trio herself ended up moving with much less grace. "Why?" Trio blinked, hesitating a moment before curling up against him.

"Because I was beginning to think you'd quietly mope forever," he said, brushing a stray wisp of hair from Trio's face.

"I wasn't moping," Trio countered, then added in a softer voice, "Was I? I didn't MEAN to..."

Petting her hair, Youko just smiled. "It wasn't noticeable... except to those of us who knew better."

"Did I bother you?" Trio whispered, closing her eyes.

Annora stared at the two for another moment, then headed to the kitchen. Surely there was something more interesting than these two in this house. Like that frog-boy!

Shaking his head, Youko just continued to hold her. "Not at all. I was just worried because I knew there wasn't really anything I could do."

Trio chuckled softly, hugging Youko. "I can handle pretty much anything, by now. WILL you come to visit, now that I'm not moping?"

"Absolutely!" Grinning, he wrapped around her and nuzzled.

"Good," Trio said, hugging Youko tightly. "I've missed you, dammit."

~*~*~*~

((Scene with Envy still being finished.))