Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ice set up the tables in the back yard again, setting out feien sized snacks, skittles, chips that were easily broken, dip, and for the really hungry, mini sandwiches. She glanced over as Silva and Aleric came out of the window, headin for them, Silva had a slight scowl.

"They aren't using my pool." He said, automatically.

"Of course not, it's not warm enough yet."

"Um... might I ask what's happening?" Aleric asked hesitantly, noting how Silva looked to already know.

"It's a party! For you!" Ice said, grinning. "I invited all the other ancients over to meet and greet. I thought you'd like to meet them. Since you had things in common, you know?"

Aleric nodded, thinking it over for a second. "That might be nice."

It was Hari's first outing, she was alone, and it was just fine. Ryuusei had given her pretty clear directions.

She had flown all the way from Zero's place to Ice's without really stopping, landing nearby and peering, untangeling the lock of hairs that had gotten twirled up in her longer horn. There was two feien, yes, but not as many people as she could have thought... was she at the right place.

"Excuse me." She coughed, making sure she would be heard. "But this is Ice Queen's house, right ? The place for the party thing ?"

Aleric answered, smiling slightly as he headed towards her, his hand out. "Yes, it is. We've just... started, actually. I'm Aleric, and you are?"

Silva snorted, ignoring them and heading for the food. He figured he would eat then skip out. It wasn't like he had asked for this damn party, anyways.

Hari didn't pay attention to Silva at all, instead focusing on Aleric.


"Im Hari. My bonded's other feien told me about this whole thing... Im just curious about a few things. Where you reborn as well ?"

Aleric jerked slightly, then grinned. "Why, yes, yes I am. You're the first feien that I've met that was reborn, too. It's a little confusing, isn't it?"

"Is is... but hey, im not complaining. Hari shrugged, sitting on the table and enjoying the breeze, snatching a skittle. "I just tought I might not have been the only one, and this confirms it.

Aleric nodded, looking thoughtful. "I don't remember anything about before... but it's... difficult to grow accustomed to this world. The first time I answered a phone I nearly had a heart attack when someone started talking." He gave a slightly sheepish grin. "I'm still getting used to what they call music."

"I don't remember anything either, not even my name, but hey... There's no use crying over a world we do not remember, right ? I got to admit im not finding it too hard to adapt. Having things so much bigger than me is wierd, but we all face that. I like to concider this a new life, im not really caring weither or not I existed before. She made a small face when she bit into the skittle, visibely a little too sugary for her.

"An excellent point." Aleric said, nodding in agreement. "It doesn't seem so bad a life. The food is plentiful, at least. And so far the other feien seem... nice." Save for Silva, but that was another story entirely. "Do you have another feien in your household as well?"

"Yes, she is the one who told me about this. Hari nodded, finishing the skittle in despice of the sickenly sugar rush and reaching for something a little more sour. "My bond completely forgot to tell me about her, but she's very tolerable. Still a juvenile though, so she is... not watching over her safety as much as she should, but that would be what im here for, right ? That would be her big flaw. She thinks too much with her heart, and not enough with her head."

"A juvenile? That sounds nice." Aleric said, looking thoughtful. "My own housemate is an adult. It's hard to feel useful when he has no need for me, other than a sparring partner." He looked at her. "You seem to be up to the challenge of protecting her, though."

The sound of music filtered into the backyard and he glanced up, smiling slightly. "Have you found any hobbies to keep yourself occupied with?"

"A juvenile? That sounds nice." Aleric said, looking thoughtful. "My own housemate is an adult. It's hard to feel useful when he has no need for me, other than a sparring partner." He looked at her. "You seem to be up to the challenge of protecting her, though."

The sound of music filtered into the backyard and he glanced up, smiling slightly. "Have you found any hobbies to keep yourself occupied with?"

"Everyone has their own use, Aleric. Just because he doesn't need you, doesn't mean there isn't someone else who will eventually need you. It all come in time..." She trailed a little, then shrugged. "We are much like the juveniles, when you think of it. We're not quite sure why we are there, but like them, we will find out in time. One being useful can resume to simpely make another smile, you know..."

She shook her head. "Got carried away. I've been writing a little... My bond got me feien-sized paper, so it will be a little easier. I've been mostly keeping with Ryuusei, my bonded's other feien, since I've been somewhat weak since my rebrith... this is my first time out. She respect me and didn't insist on coming with me, which I like... She's very loud though, with her "videogames" of her's. Some time outside suits me just fine."

"Writing sounds like a wonderful persuit." Aleric replied, nodding. "I've been reading a lot. Mainly classics. I'm reading 'A Tale of Two Cities' right now. It's a very... large book." He shrugged. "But the tale is interesting."

"Videogames? I've not seen those before. We... this household, that is, prefers real games. Like Soccer and Polo. Although it can be loud at times..."

"Our household is very technologic, ill have to say. But my bonded's elder child seems to like books alot, you might like him." She nodded. "He keep to himself alot, though. He's used to have others think he's dangerous, so he rarely ever tries to meet people outside our "family" anymore. Sutch a shame... If I meet the little asshat who made him think that, im breaking their nose for sure... if Zero doesn't beat me to it." She grinned.

"My bondmate's daughter is somewhat like that. She doesn't speak, and tends to avoid people. But she's quite gentle and loves to read as well." He replied, looking thoughtful. "The most technological we get, I believe, is the door that seems to lead to anywhere. But I haven't tried that as of yet. It sounds rather dangerous."

"That would, yes." She nodded. "Can't say ill'd recommand getting in there alone. While she knew Aleric probably could take care of himself just fine... Habits die hard.

"Ill'd recomend you get your baring straight first. So... what kind of books do you like ?

"I'm still deciding, actually." Aleric replied. He reached over for a sandwich, offering it to her. "I'm going to read a little bit of everything, first. That way I'll know for sure what I like and dislike."

"That's a very good way to do things, actually. Give everything a chance." She separated the sandwich with a few passes of one of her claws, and took one side. This was better than the skittle, at least.

"I might try that, I dunno."

Aleric nodded, eating his own sandwich and looking thoughtful. "I think that goes for everything. Like you said, in a way we're like juveniles ourselves. We need to figure out where we fit. And what we like."

She grinned, flipping a lock of curly hairs away from her face.

"Exactly. We need to get to know ourselves again. Then, and only then, we can start seeking out what we're supposed to do, why we're here for. I believe everything had a reason. It might not be a big reason, but there is always one somewhere, all you have to do is find it."

He nodded, then looked around. "I wonder if there ARE any more ancients... I assumed there must be since most of the people I've met have heard of them..." He shrugged.

"I figure there must, as well. My bond seemed to have heard of them prior, and seemed to quite know what was going on when I was reborn...."

Aleric nodded, agreeing. "So... have you figured out your element yet? It was a question tat my bondmate raised recently. I went to the shop to figure out mine." Then he paused. "Would you like a drink?"

"I didn't really think about trying to figure it out. I've been setteling and all." She shrugged, but smilled. "Sure, nothing too sweet, through, if you can."

He nodded, getting to his feet and heading to where the feien sized cups and various drinks were. Just to be careful he get two glasses of ice water, heading back carefully and handing her a cup.

"I thought it would be safest to get water." He replied, sitting down and taking a sip of his drink. "Have you thought of any... physical past times? Such as sparring, or dancing?" He lived in such a physical household it seemed a natural question to ask.

"Not really, so far." She admitted, after thanking him for the water and drinking some. "Both my bond and Ryuusei are pretty.... apathic. But I will have to do something, I feel ansty just watching them both sit all day. Not enough movement, you know ?"

"Actually, no, I don't." Aleric replied, a grin pulling at his lips. "This is a very... physically active household. The only one who doesn't know at least two forms of fighting and or sports would be my bond. She says at least one person has to be there to take us to the hospital if something is broken."

"Would you like to play a game?" He asked. "I can show you how to play soccer if you would like."

"Soccer ?" Hari rose an eyebrow. "Im afraid I don't even know what it is, But I can still try." She nodded, finished her water, then got up.

He grabbed the miniature flags from the edge of the table and headed towards the grass to set up two goals. Then he grabbed one of the cherries from the bowl. "The object of the game is to get the cherry past the other player and between the two flags, see?"

Then he paused. "But you can't use your hands." Although if this was the right way to entertain a female, he wasn't sure. But it was worth a try, and she HAD said she needed something physical to do.

"I get it." Hari grinned, stretching and readying herself. "Ready when you are !"

Thank god Hari was nowhere near a girly-girl.

Aleric nodded, letting the cherry fall and kicking it towards her. "Since this is your first game, I'll let you have the ball first." He said, looking forward to playing someone that wouldn't knock him into the ground.

She just nodded, tangeling the bangs of bicolored, curly hairs that could have felt in front of her face around her horns, then went torward the cherry, poking it with her foot a few times experimentaly, then kicked it and ran after it, giving small kicks. She had to get past Aleric, and she knew he was most likely faster than she was....

She attempted anyway, giving a stronger kick to the cherry as she tried to pass him.

He grinned, stealing the ball, but trying to match her speed so she wouldn't feel totally overwhelmed. He started towards his goal.

She almost launched herself to the ground to grap the ball, but remembered in-extremis that hands weren't allowed. Instead, she tried to kick the ball from the side, and take it back.

Aleric blinked as the ball was stolen, then chased after her, looking for an opportunity to steal it back. "I'm going to come up with a flying version of this sometime." He told her, not breathing hard in the least.

"But the ball will keep falling down, and we'll have to go back to the ground anyway." Hari pointed out, giving an hard, lenghty kick, sending the cherry rocketing torward her goal.

He gave a short laugh, racing after the ball, only to watch it go in. "Your point, Hari." He said, recovering the ball and smiling at her. "And we would just have to grab it before it hit the ground."

With that said he headed towards the center of the court again.

"Its not a bad idea, through." Hari grinned a bit as she made a point. "It would work with a sport where you have to hold the ball instead of kicking it."

"Good point." Aleric agreed, letting the ball drop in the center of the field. "Football might work in mid air... Except Nick and Nack can't fly." He waited for her to join him. "But it would be interesting with a few feien playing."

Hari didn't know what football was, but nodded. Aleric knew what he was talking about. She made her way back to the center.

"Your turn to start with the ball, its only fair."

He nodded, kicking the ball, then "Dribbling" it as he headed for the goal. This was much quieter than the games he usually played, but he was enjoying it. Hari was a nice change from Silva. And refreashingly honest.

Hari bolted after him, trying to use her wings to boost her speed, but the cloth was a little heavy and did not flap as easely as other kind of wings.

He grinned as he noticed her chasing, but didn't slow down, intent on getting this goal. Then he kicked the cherry, falling on his bottom even as it went flying in an arc towards the goals.

He grinned as he noticed her chasing, but didn't slow down, intent on getting this goal. Then he kicked the cherry, falling on his bottom even as it went flying in an arc towards the goals.

Hari laughed when he felt, but did not distract from her goal, but did not manage in time as the cherry passed through the flags.

"Nice one." She said, extending an hand to help him up.

A slight red crossed Aleric's cheeks as he got to his feet, wiping himself off. "That seems to happen often. He replied, motioning to the ground. "I really need to learn to keep my balance when kicking hard."

"And I believe that makes it your ball now."

"Practice makes perfect." Hari nodded, heading back to the middle and waiting on Aleric to do the same before rushing torward her goal, making small but steady kicks in order to give him less room to steal the ball.

With the flap of leather wings heralding her arrival, Arae descended from above to perch lightly on one of the tables. She scanned the yard with a curious expression. She'd spent so much time avoiding humans, that with the advent of being bonded to one she found them rather amusing, especially how they lived. Her eyes settled at last on the pair of ancients amusing themselves, and she headed in their direction.

Aleric paused his chase, hearing the wings and turning. "Hello." He called to Arae, waving. "Would you care to join us?"

Hari had continued running for a moment, but when she had noticed that the other ancient wasn't chasing her anymore, she stopped, kicking the cherry up and holding it under her arm.

"Hello, how are you doing ?" She greeted the other feien, then turned to Aleric. "Or maybe it would be wiser to stop for now. No matter what we do, the teams will be inequal, and it wouldn't really be fair to whoever's alone."

Aleric nodded. "Good point. Again. You're quite good at that, aren't you?"

Semella rounded the corner of Ice's house rather late according to the date for the party. She was unsure about meeting the other anicents. She had yet to meet any of the others, unless you count Julius. But even that encounter was brief, and she was also just resurrected, mind you.

Rather timidly she looked around. She was hardly on her own since she was reborn. And she never came to the shop by herself. She found comfort knowing either Shux or Rislin was with her in case she was not liking the situation. But this time she had to stick out on her own. The party had called out for only ancients like herself. Shux and Rislin would be intruders.

She gave a half smile and flew to the nearest feien.

Aleric looked up again as yet another female showed up, a slight smile pulling at his lips. "It seems we've got several beautiful ladies that were ancients." He said, bowing slightly. "Hello, ma'am, I'm Aleric, and this is Hari. And you?" He didn't know the white feien's name yet, so couldn't give it.

Semella brushed aside a bit of her golden and purple locks. Complients hardly came in her direction. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable in the situation. She tried her best to hide this feeling.

Realizing she should introduce herself in return, she replied: 'I am called Semella. Pleasure.' She curtsied for the other two, thinking this was proper manners.

She began to notice there were many differences between herself and the other ancients. They both were quite unique in their colours and markings, but she, unlike them, had the purple skin and clothing.

'Were you all reborn as well? I've never come across another anicent. I know so little of our kind. I almost feel ashamed to have lived this long and still know so little.'

"I guess I am, am I not ?" Hari grinned, refering to the comment Aleric made earlier. "But it is only logic."

She gave a slight bow torward Semela then, untangeling her blonde and blue locks from her horns.

"Charmed to meet you, Semela. Both Aleric and I where reborn as well, it seems... Fairly recently if I gathered the facts right."

"May I ask how long you've been reborn?" Aleric asked, noting her statement about living this long. "It would be nice to know how you've adjusted to... this." He motioned towards the backyard, meaning the world. "Although I suppose all feien go through that."

But there was a difference between them and the other feien. They had known something else. Something that they couldn't remember. As if a part of them was missing... really.

Semella twisted the ball of her foot on the ground, thinking of her rebirth. Even though it had been a while ago, she remembers much of it well. The confusion of it, mainly. 'Since last August. That would make... she paused a second to count on her clawed fingers. 'Roughly eight months if my calculations are correct. There really isn't much adjusting needed. I mean. I don't remember a single thing from before existing this world. My death, my previous life at all. Or even being a gemstone. None of those things are relevent in my memories. The only ones who knew me as a gemstone would be my bonded Valora and her first feien, Shux. Or as I like to call her, Hisa.' She paused a moment after the long spill.

Aleric nodded. "Like my bondmate knew me." He replied, looking thoughtful. "But even if we don't remember whether we knew each other from before or not... I don't see why we can't all be friends in this lifetime.

"Yes. I find it useless to cry and worry about a past we do not remember. There is none left that remember who we where, so it is as if our past selves are still dead." Hari began to idely kick the cherry up, catching it with each knees as it came down. "So all we can do is move forward, moving backward will be no use."

Aleric nodded, idly watching the cherry as Hari bounced it. "I don't suppose you ladies would be interested in a soccer game, would you?" He asked, moving closer to Hari, ready to steal the ball the moment she dropped it.

Hari seemed to well notice this, giving off a playfull grin and giving more effort torward not dropping the cherry, as it kept bouncing up and down.

"There's food if you aren't interested in playing." Aleric went on, politely. "We are here to enjoy ourselves, are we not?" He gave a slight bow to them before elbowing the cherry mid bounce and chasing after it. "And I believe that makes it MY ball, Hari!"

"And I believe it won't STAY yours for too long, boy !" Hari smirked, dashing for the ball herself.

Like feien, like bond, perhaps ? At any rate, it was Ryuusei that sneaked into the shop, finding it empty. A nice little place to think, that sounded pretty good right now... Too much questions, not enough answers. At least the days where warm.

The yellow feien came inside, and fluttered upside, sitting on one of the bars of woods, where she was pretty sure she would not disturb anyone should they come in.

"Why in the hell are we here again?" Silva asked, floating through the air, a dark look on his face as he glanced over at Aleric.

"I want to make sure nothing has happened since I last spoke to Simon." Aleric replied, as if he had said it a million times before. "And since it concerns feien, it concerns you."

"Like I would care if a brat was dragged off." Silva replied, but went across the room to the billboard anyways. "You think they'd mention missing brats on this?"

"I would hope so." Aleric said, following the faster feien.

Ryuu perked, then, glancing down at she heard the voices. Hm... That purple one, wasn't it the ancient from when that bi- ...lady came ? Seemed like so. The red male was unknown to her and, from the look of things, he wasn't one she would like to meet.

Thus, the simpely went back to thinking, one yellow feather slowly drifting down as she moved back to lay against a vertical plank.

A small flash of yellow caught Aleric's eye and he paused. "Silva."

"What is it?" Silva asked, looking over the board.

"We've got company." Aleric said, heading over to the small feien. "Hello, little one. How are you today?"

Silva glanced over, curious.

A small flash of yellow caught Aleric's eye and he paused. "Silva."

"What is it?" Silva asked, looking over the board.

"We've got company." Aleric said, heading over to the small feien. "Hello, little one. How are you today?"

Silva glanced over, curious.

Ahh, noticed. Not that she really minded, since she wasn't really... hiding to begin with.

"...I guess I've seen better days." She forced a smile nonetheless. "What about you ?"

"I am... alive." Aleric replied, smiling slightly. "One should always appreciate life while they have it."

"Being stuck in that stone messed with your head, huh?" Silva asked, heading towards them. "I don't seen any reports of missing brats." He said more quietly. Aleric nodded, but didn't reply aloud. He didn't want to worry the young one.

"And how might I help to make it a better day?" He asked her.

"...Don't worry too much about it. Im like that. Ill't pass eventually... Dumb question time, I think you know what I mean." She blinked, trough. "Missing brats ? You mean something about that black clothed lady that came ? As far as I know, the b***h never came back." The word slipped on its own, ready, as she grumbeled a little.

Aleric raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, even as Silva snorted in amusement. "Yes, we were referring to the woman in black." Aleric said. "I figured I should check in to make sure she hasn't done anything without permission." He nodded slightly. "My name is Aleric, this is Silva. We share a bondmate. And you are?"

Silva silently chewed on his toothpick, looking thoughtful. This was the type they were looking for, right? Kids. And blooms. Although Aleric had said something about them wanting him, as well.

How easy would it be to kidnap something so little... He frowned slightly, taking in how he dwarfed the small feien. A human would make her even smaller. Something they could fit in their pock--

"You have nothing to worry about." Aleric said to the girl. "She didn't seem the type to do something against the rules."

"Mrrph, im not scared of her. My bond would kick her a** into next week if she even tries." She grinned, then extended one yellow-covered hand. "Im Ryuusei. You're one of those ancients, arn't you ? You might have met Hari, then..."

Fool. Ws all Silva thought, but he didn't care. If she thought she was safe, then let her. He wasn't about to tell a kid what the real world was like. He turned, heading back for the board, bored with the conversation. A kidnapped feien wouldn't last long, anyways.

"You know Hari?" Aleric asked, a real smile crossing his lips. "She's a friend of mine. How is she doing?"

"Pretty good, I guess." She shrugged. "She's been spending alot of time outside... Edward went on this rant about how cherries are the spawn of hell and she's been practicing outside ever since... which sucks because I like to watch her."

"Cherries are the spawn of..." He started out, biting back a laugh. "I see." He said, grinning. "So she's been practicing, has she? Do you play?"

He could get a real game going if he found enough players! He might even be able to convince Silva... although he doubted it.

Silva stared at the board, trying to find hints of what in the hell was going on. There was a school for something... not interested. A few old party announcements that needed to be taken down, and the one letter from the lady in black. He went still as he read it, frowning slightly. A trade, huh?

"His words, not mine." She shrugged again. "Well, unless you mean the videogame kind... not really. I've never tried."

He cocked his head slightly. "You should. You might like it." Was his reply. "But what are you interested in? These... video games?"

"Yeah !" This seemed to cheer it up and all. "They're kinda like... uh... board games, but less lame and hooked on a tv. There's soccer games... All short of things. You pretty much control what's going on on the tv screen with a remote. Like kinda... a movie or book, but you control what's going on."

She seriously hoped that was a good enough explaination, since most feien didn't exactly... uh... get videogames.

"So you're playing soccer. But it's on TV?" He asked, trying to get it. "Why play soccer by remote when you can play it for real?"

"Probably because ill'd get myself trounced at real soccer, but I can win the one on tv." She admitted, a little comicly.

"I get trounced. Often." He replied, not sounding very bothered. "Mainly by him." He added, pointing at Silva. "But that doesn't mean it isn't fun." He shrugged slightly. "But if you prefer video games to real life, then I wish you well with them."

"Hey, ill give it a try eventually I guess... But vs Hari won't be really fair, and anyone else's squish me." She laughed a little, shaking her head, sending the little braids flying.

He just smiled. "Trying is the important part."

"C'mon old man. I don't see jack s**t." Silva called, nodding slightly towards the girl. "We're leaving."

"It was nice meeting you, Ryuusei. Tell Hari hello for me, please." Aleric said, giving her a slight nod as well before taking to the air.

"Will do !" She grinned. "See you !"

And Ryuu likewise left, but with alot less on her mind than when she had came in.

It was, again, Ryuusei that made her way to the shop, sliding inside in relative sillence. Something about scouring for items... and Hari going on how ill't only do her some good. Psh.

There where some people this time around, she thought... twisting a braid around her finger idely. What did Hari want her to check out again ? Ah, yes, cloth.

She would have prefered going shopping with Yoku...

Simon could have gone on for several hours, probably, but then he saw another humanoid enter behind Tara and his jaw fell open. Surely not. Surely it couldn't be--

"Excuse me a moment," blurted Simon, dashing away from Tara and heading for the rear of the shop.

"...Nani ?" The yellow juvenile gave a confused blink. Why the heck did Simon run off like if his a** was on fire ? That... couldn't mean anything good...

Thus, she turned to see what it was.

Xander heaved a heavy sigh, and slumped into a free chair, hauling out his manuscript, and reading it over. He had a rather nice plot going, and it was easy to -think- of a decent ending. Actually putting pen to paper and writing it, however, was a bit of a challenge.
Almost in parody to his father, Driesan leaned back against his dad's neck, scribbling away on his own little story. Both their faces held similar expressions of deep concentration. It was actually rather funny.

"Sure!" Tara wheeled to watch the Feien dart away, pressing the leaf close to her breast.

Our bedroom, she decided, fingers tracing gently against the leaf. It was the her oasis, and her fiance's....hopefully, the bloom would find it the same too. It beat the experiment idea in her book. The labcoat she wore was for work, not for home. Unless it was playing doctor, but....

She bit back the giggle that nearly escaped. Now didn't seem to be the time. She followed after Simon's path.

Ian noticed the leaf, and flew over. Another plant element, he mused. "May I see the leaf?" he asked, landing on the counter.

Xander reached the end of the current manuscript, and set his pen to the paper. This was going to be an interesting scene between the hero and the villaness. Something of a love/hate relationship booster. It needed to be written, though he was sure the publisher was going to crop it a bit when he finally got around to sending it in.

"Of course." Tara replied automatically, stopping to hold out the leaf again. "My name is Tara. You are...?"

Perhaps it was better she not follow Simon, anyway.

...Errr.

Giving up on that task, she scanned the room. Wasn't that.... Driesan ! A smile formed on her face as she fluttered and landed on the nearby table, and called out for her friend.

"Hey, Dries !

Ian smiled warmly. "Name's Ianios, but you can call me Ian. Everyone else does." He glanced down to the leaf. "Got a name for this one?"

It looked like a palm frond. Possible going to have black hair, judging by the main vein. He kinda wondered if this one would be female. The last leaf was male, which was also his son. "I bet either life or plant, but I could be wrong."

Driesan looked up from his "book", and grinned, climbing up onto the back of the couch to wave Ryu over.
"Over here! I can't fly that far!"

Uh, okay...

Ryuu launched herself in the air, flying the distance then sitting beside him.

"What are you writting ?"

It took an inordinate amount of time for Simon to find the paper, which had fallen back behind the desk sometimes during the course of his absence from the shop. At last Simon emerged with the paper in hand.

He paled. There could be no mistaking it, even if the figure before him bore none of the malice and anger of the person in the drawing. Simon swallowed nervously and hung in the air near the back office door.

Tara's smile widened to a grin, shocking white against her deep brown flesh. "Ian is my fiance's name, too."

She looked again to the vibrant leaf resting in her palms. "Jorker." she said. She hoped the Feien wouldn't ask for the origin of the name. It would say more about herself than it would about her bond-to-be.

"Life or plant? I wonder why Boonch is always purring around it. Boonch, that's our cat."

And what a cat. Boonch was black, round, and a taker of no nonsense, having lived most all of Ian's life. But around the leaf, perched playfully on the reproduction of David....she became a purring ball of fur.

Xander continued writing on his manuscript, sighing a bit. This was nice. Nothing like working in a cool, calm, and especially -quiet- environment. Zael may be generous - but he certainly wasn't a clam in terms of social life.

Ian smirked, running his hand through his hair. "I was actually named after a friend of my bond's." He glanced back to the leaf, his blue eyes twinkling. "Jorker, eh? Unusual, but then I'm bonded to a dragoness." He chuckled, looking back at Tara.

"Pleased to meet you, by the way." He thought for a moment on the cat issue. "Possible life then. Living things tend to just like being around life feiens, I find. All the pixas and dragonlings like Kira, my daughter, though she's not too interested really." He nodded, like he was an expert on such.

There was no way around it. Simon cleared his throat and headed towards Xander.

He came to a stop in the air just above Xander's head and out of arm's reach. "Excuse me," Simon ventured, more certain than ever that this man was the person in the drawing now that he was close, "but I'm afraid I must ask you to leave."

"Pleased to meet you also, Ian." she nodded. She chuckled, imagining if both Ians were in the same room together. She called hers "love" more often than not, but....

"We originally worried she wanted to taste-test it." she admitted. "Kira....how old is she?"

"Leave? Why must I leave?"
He blinks, and looks up from his manuscript, a perplexed look on his face.
"I've done nothing wrong."

Uhhh ? Why would Xander have to leave ?

She remained sillent, trough... it did not... concern her, after all. She might not be welcome to ask... and she was not in the mood where she wouldn't mind upsetting people.

Simon turned the piece of paper he was holding around. It was a photo-accurate drawing of Xander, albeit one which displayed him looking very, very angry. It was a far cry from how he looked now, peacefully sitting and working on his manuscript.

"This is you?" ventured Simon, resisting the urge to push at his glasses. Anything less than a concise appearance right now would undermine what little authority he held over the shop.

Ian grinned. "Taste testing, eh? Well, glad she didn't. Be fatal I would believe."

He had to think for a moment. "Actually, she's been around a month ago last Monday. Her mother is my bond's first feien, Aria. She's water. Kira is yellow, where Aria is blue. How she came out as yellow, I don't know." He still had that to puzzle out. Maybe a throwback?

"I wouldn't mind meeting your Ian. Might be an experience." He flexed his wings a bit.

"Yes.... but I don't remember ever being that angry..."
He paused, and put the pentip in his mouth, thinking back.
"Except that one time... but that's in the past."

Simon took a breath. "There was a complaint that you harrassed a woman in this shop. Do you deny the incident?" There was a certain steely look in his red eyes, a look of determination and resolve.

Oh, god. Not *that*.

Ryuu seethed to herself a little, instinctively putting her hand on Dries without noticing. Why the heck was Xander being treated like a bad guy when he wasn't ?

]"I'm sure it would be." Tara beamed. "Ian is very familiar with being Feien-sized."

Ian also went by the nickname Bug. Some Gaians had dragon halves. Others had demon or angel. Ian could diminish to insect size at will. Hehe....and she was his luv-bug. He would make an excellent bond, she thought. He could truly see eye-to-eye with them.

"I bet she's adorable." she smiled, thinking of the many tiny new lives she worked to bring into the world at the Maternity And Fertility Clinic.

"I'm so glad I came here." she said, tone almost a confession. "I've been so afraid of treating Jorker badly, somehow. I'm hoping he's a forgiving sort." she finished wryly.

"I told the woman very politely to leave. But when she didn't, I admit that I did get a little defensive, yes..."
He sounds a little nervous.
"So no - I do not deny the incident."

Simon started to roll up the paper, a difficult task given his size relative to the sheet, but one he was capable of performing given his experience and practice. "Then I have to ask that you leave, please, and not return."

"Simon, I apologize, but..." Ryuu couldn't help herself. This wasn't RIGHT ! "He only did it because he thought we where in danger, not out of malice. Please..."

The plant feien shook his head. "Nah. Give him plenty of love and he ought to be fine. Now, personality wise, he might be anti-social. But as long as you love him, he'll be fine. Sure, Rynn can't always be around with us, but she loves us. We know that. You can't always be there, but he knows it." Ian nodded slightly. It was the truth. The house was always warm and inviting, and love just seemed to be in every corner. He was sure Tara and Ian would be that way to Jorker.

"Speaking of Kira...between you and I, she's got too much self-esteem. Thinks way high of herself, but she is adorable." He rather thought that was his fault. Always telling her how pretty she was as a bloom.

"In danger?" repeated Simon, fixing Ryuusei with a curious look. "From what were you being protected?"

Xander sighed, and picked up his manuscript. He left Driesan on the couch. Hanging his head, he started for the door. He wasn't one to argue with logic. Flawed though it may have been.

"This woman was scaring quite a few of us... made alot of us angry." She was doing her best to keep herself calm, not angry at Simon, but at the former events. "While she had a right to tell us of that... offer, I guess, if it is trully legit..." The word offer came out as a mumble. "I don't think she had a right to keep on trying to convincing us. If she would have only told us of the existance of that... trade, I guess... And left us to decide, it would have been fine. But I think alot of us got the idea that she was trying to force us and our bonds into doing this. Alot of bonds and feien present got angry. Alot of us said things under emotion that we would have not said otherwise. We all felt treatned, Dries started feeling really bad, and he, in my opinion, did the only thing that would make the whole thing stop before something did happen. Does this mean I should be kicked out of the shop as well ? I did say mean things, and was ready to pull her hairs off should she ever get into range, only because how she made him feel... She glanced back at Simon with a neutral gaze.

"So, even if we might have not been in danger, I can see how he would believe we where."

Tara caught herself from saying "Daddy's little girl". Still so hard to remember the Feien hadn't the genders humans did. But she chuckled nonetheless. "Thank you, Ian. You should come over sometime, if you'd like! All of you! Boonch is used to small company, no worries there."

Simon blinked once, then twice. "Beg pardon?" He could not have looked more lost at the veritable barrage of words. "How did she threaten you? From what I understand, it was..." Simon glanced at Xander's retreating form. "It was that... person who made threats against Ms. Adams."

Ryuu sighed a little, feeling irritated. She was not used to deliver points in a calm manner.

"She was telling us about how bonds could trade their feien for another. This caused reactions to both bonds and feien... As we where mostly against that idea." Orange eyes closed, trying to figure out a way to voice what she had felt that day in a way he would be able to understand. This was harder than it SHOULD have been. She probably wasn't helping things at all... But now that she had started, she had to finish. "But she kept trying to convince us to do it. While she did not directly treaten us, I guess, many of us still felt that way. Is that better voiced ?

Ian grinned. "Thank you. I'd be honored." He gave a bow to Tara, grinning at her. He took a glance at the clock, then frowned. "As much as I hate to do this, I need to head back home. Wards get set at ten because Rynn gets up so early. Been nice chatting. I will see you, Ian, and Jorker soon!"

He gave a wave as he flew off the counter and out the door.

"Hm," agreed Simon. "She was within her rights to offer the exchange and to try and convince you. If you were uninterested, a simple answer of no and subsequent departure from her vicinity would have sufficed. Not the argument I'm told ensued."

Simon paused, frowning, and seemed to ponder something for a moment. Then he shrugged. "People have a right to discussion and argument, it's guaranteed under the First Amendment. Since Ms. Adams did in fact find a feien to go with her, in one sense it's a moot point, but at the same time, I don't think it's acceptable to have threatening non-feien allowed in the shop."

Like treatning feiens are better. She kept that thought to herself, and was about to speak again... ...but somehow, nothing would come out. Instead, she just shook her head, sighed, and said, barely above a whisper.

"...Allright.... Sorry, Dries..." Maybe she was useless, after all.

Simon shrugged. Whatever was bothering Ryuusei, it was none of his concern. He'd done just as he had promised, nothing less and nothing more. He looked over at Tara, then back to Ryuusei.

Since Ryuusei seemed to be done with her talking, Simon floated back towards Tara. "I'm terribly sorry to run off like that," he said, wringing his hands. "A bit of shop business to deal with."

And when an answer did not come, Ryuu simpely left, in silence.