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Papree froze when the lights collected themselves into a mass, eyes dazzled by the sight. Her feet stopped obeying her commands-- curiosity was beginning to gnaw at her insides again --and soon her pace quickened.

She regained control just as her hand was coaxed up, small fingers outstretched. She held back, hoping they hadn't noticed her. She didn't want the bright light to come back.

Donny eyed Maliska warily, before nodding. "Yah. Raffle. Put your name in to win stuff. But don't take the hat.. this Donny's hat!"

"Yes, a raffle! Come on, I'll put your name in, perhaps you'll win something~!" Asrafel took one of the pencils and wrote Joce's name on a piece of paper - or at least, he tried. To make up for what he was sure was a total misspelling of his name, he drew little hearts on the corner of the paper for good luck.



"There we go! Donny don't look at me like that, you look like you're going to eat my hand!"

Asrafel's brother gave him and his friend an equally wary glance as he did to Maliska, before looking in his hat to make sure everything was still there. Asrafel giggled and gestured to Donny softly, while introducing him to both girls. "My little brother Donny."

Karma giggled, watching the ball of light eagerly. This was sure a treat. I mean, it was pretty cool, and compared to it, the party ball sucked.

He reached out to try and touch the thing, babbling a happy "Yaaaa".

"Karma? Karma! Where are you, rugrat?"
Baniru was searching right and left, but for some odd reason, fate had decided that she couldn't exactly pinpoint her child.

Plus she lost the raffle. Oh well.

Chuu didn't win the raffle, but she wasn't distraught at all. "Hey, at least someone wins in a raffle, right?"[/indigo] she said with as much sageness as a child could muster. "And this party is already fun enough, so it doesn't matter if I win or lose at something!"

She was so happy that Asrafel enjoyed the chocolate, and had giggled audibly at his remark at how happy she must be that she could have chocolate all the time. It was very handy... but why did Jocelyn look like she was angry at something? The magician hoped that she didn't hurt the other girl again, and was prepared to apologize again if that was the case.

Ioyla wasn't exactly paying attention to the raffle: she was too busy still eyeing that keg of beer. But Jada's angelic floated through one ear, right through visions of a beer-drenched Page, and out the other. Ioyla blinked, turning to face the wary Adonis and beautiful Jada.

Oh. She was an angel. That's cool. Ioyla clapped Eight on the shoulder, muttering a snotty "Better luck next time!" in her friend's ear. The demon gently set Ilistala on the ground. "Don't you go nowhere, y'hear? Just stay right there, and mommy'll be back soon. Okey doke?" Ioyla smiled and ruffled her baby's hair. Stala gurgled and scooted backwards to lean against Eight's shoes.

Ioyla slowly approached the dealer's table, her grin wider than a car bumper. But as she got closer to Jada, her stomach felt a little funny. Being too close to things so pure probably wasn't the best thing for people like her, but Ioyla would just simply ignore it. She sidled up next to Donny instead, taking the certificate. "I'd like to thank the little people!" she cried.

Alexei and Hannah with a baby in her arms wandered along the streets of Gambino, all three silent and eyes downcast. The toddler really had no idea why the older two were so preoccupied, but even as little as he was he didn't really feel like being... well, a toddler at that particular moment. His golden eyes flickered up to look into the tigress' face, catching her blue ones and raising his smooth brows in silent question. The gesture, so knowing and mature, was a mixture of both endearing and slightly unsettling to be seen on such a young face, but the young woman placed a hand on his head and smiled.

"It's okay, Ophi." She said softly, voice slightly hoarse and cracked around the edges. Her eyes, normally so vibrant and bright, were dulled at the moment, rimmed by a dark grey that stood out against her pale skin. All she could really do was hope and say it was okay, but she didn't really think telling the child what was happening would be a good idea. If he didn't understand (which most likely he wouldn't), she would be merely reminding herself (as if she needed reminding), and if he did understand... well, if he did understand she would rather he be saved from something like this if it could be helped.

She blinked and swung her head towards Alexei as he gently tugged on her sleeve, her crimson-tipped bangs falling in front of her gaze, but she didn't try to brush them aside. The deer boy was looking up at her with creased brows, his face fresher than hers, but if one looked closely enough they would be able to see that he too had been worrying. "We've been walking for a long time now, don't you think Ophi will be getting cranky soon? We should stop in at a shop or something, let him run around."

Hannah's lips twitched in a half-smile and heaved a weary sigh, but nodded her head. Tilting her neck back a little she slowed down and closed her eyes for a moment, her rounded ears flattening against her skull and her thick tail swaying. She felt slightly guilty at leaving the others at home (even though Layla and Tayko mentioned they might catch up later), but when they found out it wouldn't help any of them to be dragged out somewhere they didn't want to go. Besides, Kenshi and Zander were much better at offering comfort and reassurance than she was, and Alexei was even worse at it. Not that he didn't like to give it, he was just really... awkward when it came to showing affection. She just had needed to leave, she didn't mind giving comfort if she could, but she never could stand people trying to comfort her.

Ophiuchus' head turned up to look at her once again and he murmured a few sounds that were almost words to her, small, chubby hands grasping in the air. She smiled for him, finding it hard not to smile at something so small and innocent, and gently ran a hand along one side of his hood. The muscles flexed outwards at the attention, and the toddler cooed happily. She stopped abruptly and pointed to a shop that sat along the Gambino strip district, a place she had never really been before and so felt compelled to come. What better way than to take your mind off something than to immerse yourself in new surroundings?

"How about that one?" She asked Alexei, blue eyes narrowing slightly as she heard music coming from the building. "'The Benedict Center', maybe it's a store? We still need a few things back at the house for Ophi."

"Yeah, that's good." He replied absently, gently toying with a bright strand of blue hair. His small, puff of a tail twitched back and forth as he stepped up to the door and waited a moment for Hannah. She also stopped just before entering the house, looking across at the deer boy and giving him a smile.

"It'll be okay, Lex." She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze and he nodded. The trio stepped inside and glanced around, though Hannah's hand remained on Alexei's shoulder a bit longer and she had to raise her voice slightly to be heard above the music, "She's strong, and she wants this... she'll get through it."

"I know," He said softly before raising his own voice and repeating himself. Shrugging his shoulders lightly, the tone of his voice wasn't really one of belief, more like acceptance. "I just can't help worrying about her."

"I'm worried too," Hannah replied, cerulean eyes surveying the building they had walked into. Her pale brows knitted together lightly, tail brushing against her pants as it twitched and she switched the subject from their caretaker to the place they now stood on threshold of. "I don't think this is a store, it's like... a daycare or something. Maybe they just opened, it looks like they're having a party."

Alexei didn't reply at first, he was also looking around and taking everything in, green eyes wide. Neither he nor Hannah had ever been fond of large groups of people, but the boy more so than the young woman. He felt a familiar tightening in his gut and a sour taste in the back of his mouth. Having trouble swallowing was nothing new either, and he had even more trouble finding his voice when he leaned in closer to the tigress so he could be heard above the music and whispered, "Maybe... maybe we should leave? It does look like a party... I'm not really in the mood to celebrate."

Alexei jerked away from Hannah and blinked rapidly at Asrafel, almost looking like... well, a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Hannah on the other hand, simply swung her body around and looked at Asrafel as he spoke, brows furrowing slightly as she focused on him. Finding it hard to turn her attention fully to the situation at hand made her tail bristle in annoyance, but the tigress managed to keep it from showing.

"Oh, uhm, hello, I'm Hannah, this is Alexei and the little one is Ophi." She managed a smile for the pink-haired stranger, finding it a little odd that he had no clothes on, but not enough so she would ask about it. After all, seeing a naked boy swathed in gaily colored ribbons was one of the least strange things she had seen since coming to stay with Rhia.

"You can just call me Lex if you'd like," Alexei said softly and after clearing his throat. He glanced around, still feeling a little jumpy at all the people, but at least he wasn't alone. He turned his attention back to Asrafel, seeming to not have the trouble Hannah did, and his head tilted just a touch. "What exactly is this place?"

Ophiuchus, throughout the whole brief exchange, had sat with his small, left hand clutching Hannah's shirt; wide, slit eyes gazing curiously over at Asrafel. The bi-colored feathers of his wings had puffed up a little and his tail had fallen still, lips gently closed around the index finger of his right hand. He glanced up at Hannah questioningly, but found that she was looking at the pink-haired boy, and so turned his golden gaze back in that direction as well.

Ophiuchus blinked and at first leaned backwards a little, finger still in his mouth, and he placed his head against Hannah's shoulder; golden eyes fixed warily on the hand Asrafel had extended to him. After a moment of silent contemplation, the serpent child lifted his head and leaned forward; chubby hand coming away from his mouth and small fingers curling around Asrafel's index finger. He looked intently at this for a moment, his brow creasing in what seemed a very mature way for such a young child, and then his face suddenly brightened the way only a child's could. His smile revealed his long, slender fangs and his eyes glittered happily; wings flaring for a moment and tail swaying. "Ana?"

Both Hannah and Alexei smiled at this, then exchanged a quick and rather uneasy glance that conveyed everything without either one needed to say anything. The young woman turned back to Asrafel and shifted the toddler slightly so he wasn't leaning so far sideways to hold the boy's finger. "We were just out walking and heard the music. I was actually hoping this place was a store, we still need to pick up a few things for Ophi."

"What did you mean, 'children like Ophi'?" Alexei asked suddenly, causing Hannah to glance at him with raised brows. He felt her gaze and his cheeks tinged with color, but he awaited the answer to his question. He had surprised himself just as much as he had surprised her with his question, as he was never one to jump in on conversations, even if he had been the one who had asked about this place in the first place, he usually just quietly stepped aside.