Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I'm sure she does," Haradhel laughed. "Cindy's as bad as Adonai is for learning things. Always needing to know more ... still, I suppose that's the only way people are going to learn, yes? By asking questions and learning."

She smiled at Kara. "I'm sure she would love it if you took the time to visit her. And if you'd rather not take the twins outside, I could send someone to bring her here instead."



Ulrich set his carving aside and stood up, heading over to the door to answer it.

"Donovan," he smiled warmly at the man who was standing on the porch. "It's good to see you again. How are you? Please, come inside." He stepped to one side to let Donovan in.



Jasmine shied away from Feng, though she did raise one hand and wave with just her fingertips, but at Ryu's words she perked up a bit, her eyes growing a bit brighter.

"Nako?" she asked eagerly.

Alyse giggled and set Jasmine on the ground. "Go on, Jasmine," she urged her, "go find Nako!"

With a squeal, the little girl slipped between Feng and Ryu and blurred towards the kitchen.

Alyse laughed and stepped inside. "I should have reminded her to take her boots off first," she giggled as she removed her own boots and set them beside the door. She closed the door and smiled at Feng and Ryu. "So tell me, what season is it where you are?" she asked them eagerly. "This is our first snow of the year, though winter doesn't start for a few more weeks."

Haradhel nodded. "Then when Elrohir comes in when he's finished his work," she said, "I'll get him to let her know you're here. Though I'm sure if she finds out earlier, she would come on her own accord."

She smiled and sat down. "Now that the girls are taken care of," she smiled, "would any of you like a drink?"



Ulrich chuckled. "Aye, as much as we can," he grinned. "You know how it is. Kids, grandkids, great-grandkids ... just wait another decade, there will be great-great-grandkids, I can almost guarantee it. It's getting to be a regular town out here - or would be, if people would build a bit closer. Don't suppose you saw Timaeus and Alyse's house on your way over? It's in the woods just the other side of the mountain, a little more than halfway to the ranch. Not quite on the path though. You might actually have missed it."



Alyse's eyes lit up. "Festival?" she asked curiously. "What's that about?"

Jasmine scurried into the kitchen, anticipating that her grandmother would be there - but what she saw instead totally terrified her. She skidded to a stop when she saw Naida sitting on the chair and bouncing on her fishy tail - and then she let out a blood-curdling shriek and turned around, high-tailing it out of the kitchen and into her mother's waiting arms.

"Oh dear," Alyse murmured, picking up her daughter and holding her comfortingly. "Jasmine, hush ... it's all right ..." She pet Jasmine's hair softly, holding her close.

Just at that moment, Aliya returned from the cellar with a pitcher of apple cider. "If I'm not very much mistaken," she smiled faintly, "that sounded very much like Jasmine just saw something completely unexpected."

"I do have cider," Haradhel smiled. "Here, do you want to take Hope back? Or should I put her on the floor or something?"

"Better not put them on the floor," Elnara put in quickly. "Hana and Garrick like running around, I don't think it would be safe for them."

Garrick looked up at the sound of his name from where he was sitting on the floor and playing with some blocks he had found in the toybox. "Gawwick?"



Ulrich nodded. "It will be more visible once the leaves fall. But since I assume you're here for Ulani, she'll probably take you to stop in there on the way back to the ranch. You're going to be needing Timaeus after all, won't you?" He looked towards the kitchen. "Ulani!"



Aliya laughed at Naida and set the pitcher onto the counter. "She's never seen anyone like you before," she grinned at Naida. "She was probably quite startled."

"Or just plain terrified," Alyse smiled as she entered into the kitchen.

"Fith!" Jasmine was whimpering into Alyse's shoulder. "Big fith!"

Aliya grinned. "Just let me pour some cider for everyone and then I'll take her for you," she murmured.

"Yes we were talking about the two of you," Lore chuckled when he saw Hana look up as well with a questioning look on her face.

He understood Elnara's worry, the two were quite active, Garrick most of all. His eyes sparkled watching the twins play, Hana was far more interested in the dolls, but that did not surprise him.

Donovan nodded at that, though he was trying to come up with something nice to say about the two of them. After a moment or two he just settled for saying, "I don't know them that well. Idhril suggested them, they originally come from the Second's home, so they've never been outside of Gaia."

That being said, there was a lot to being said about Seconds in this world.

"They.. just need help settling in, getting to know people, knowing the differences between their home and this one.... that's all."

He stopped and decided not to say anymore, he sucked at this being positive business.

"Let's go and get Timeaus."





"Sushi?" Naida inquired to which Ryu shook his head, he doubted anyone would really prepared sushi and they didn't have rice anyhow.
"I guess hearing about strange people isn't quite the same as meeting them," Feng giggled, "But I'm sure you grew up with some odd creatures already."

She was thinking about Whisper and she didn't know (though she guessed so) that Tao was still alive somewhere.

Donovan had no idea how close he was to finding out more about the pair that might or might not have been positive. Lin knew about it of course, but she was not here, nor did she ever tell her father how much she knew about Corrah or Armus.

"Pity," Donovan muttered, "It might be easier to have another Second get them settled. Toshiro isn't a good choice to help...."

Only because Toshiro didn't like the pair to begin with, the boy was loyalingly bias against them.

"And of course Miyu is scared of them."

Which was normal, except she had a good reason more or less to be scared of them.





Feng took a seat at the table but didn't bother to transform back. Not unless she was really relaxed that is, or she just had to flop. She pushed the cup of cider towards Naida.

"Drink remember?"
"Yay! Flavoured water!" Naida took the cup.
"It's cider," Ryu pointed out, though admittedly there was plenty of water in it.

"Maybe...." Donovan murmured.

He had met the children perhaps only in a brief glance so it had bee a long while. Meaning he had no idea what to expect but decided he would just leave it that he didn't know them at all.

"Someone is better than no one," Donovan admitted, "Kara will want to see them anyways. Just lead the way."




"But you can drink it," Naida tilted her head.
"Not all liquids is water," Ryu murmured taking a seat beside his sister.

Naida tilted her head but continued to drink, where it looked like she was inhaling it. One would hope she wasn't inhaling it. Mers didn't have gills so it was assumed it was natural magic the reason why they could breath under water.

Enough for four growing kids, though Donovan admitted they were probably not kids anymore.

"Quite nice," Donovan murmured, "I take it the kids or when they were kids had settled in well?"

They were the first after all to live away from Gaia, in a world where time sped up it must be a bit odd he thought.




"I just hope she's not inhaling in," Ryu muttered.

That was probably the down side of actually being able to breath in most occasions, one didn't know their limit, it was still a liquid after all. Naida separated herself from the cup and took a breath, even if she probably could have kept going.

"Yummy."