Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Yeah, they're not really made for comfort," Danny admitted, "Not unless they're normal clothes.' And Shakespeare usually wasn't. "They just expect you to... act like they are? I don't know. I'm sure it builds acting chops or something and they aren't just cutting back because they don't care about the actors' comfort." He grinned. Everyone hated the actors. Hell, even a handful of the actors hated the actors. There was too much personal drama and they were thankless dicks, as if the show could go on if they had no lights, no costumes, no sound... "Ah, well. Technically she falls in love with an idiot who's had his head turned into a donkey's head, but close enough."

"Everyone sings," he said then. "Some people just aren't very good at it."

Dari smiled. "Like Maia. Of course we found out she's half-human."

"I was human once!" Danny defended. "Part of me is still probably human somewhere." He knew what was, to a point, but it wasn't to be discussed in public conversation. "I've never heard Dari sing."

"You may never."

"If I get up drunk?"

"I can't get drunk." Dari took a decidedly sassy bite of pizza.

"Yes," Dari said, "Not outright, but I've heard her. She's very shy about it." She and Toby really were an oddly-matched pair, weren't they? He sighed then. "Darling, the best you'll get doing shots with me is a hangover and a boyfriend seven shots heavier."

Danny snickered. "We can't stay drunk long, so."

"You haven't?" Dari asked Cody. "All you have to do is ask, especially if we're already outside around the fire. Sometimes he takes a little prompting, but he's really quite good."

Danny laugh-snorted. "Sure, I'll pound back the Aquafina. It'll be fun."

It wasn't too much later in the week that Toby would receive a call. The beacon he'd given Reese was being being put to good use--by the little nymph that lived in his forest! The guardian had politely requested the person who'd answered to direct them to Toby Aikley, and then handed the beacon to Holly.

She'd grown since the last call. Not too much, but still noticably. "Poppy!" She called, waiting for his image to appear. She'd missed him! She wanted to tell him everything; how her sprite friends were, about all the flowers that had bloomed since his visit--and anything the toddler had found interesting. But first, there were more important matters.

"Poppy, story?"

Holly beamed at Toby. He was her favorite person, surpassing even Reese. "That one!" She pointed to the new book provided. "The puppy one!" She sat down on the grass, looking at the beacon--and Toby--expectantly.

"Poppy story!" Puppy stories were the best but poppy stories were better. "I tell Poppy story too!" She declared, and took a breath. "Poppy and me played in the water! And then Sprites came! Yay!"

Holly was very attentive during the story. She sat quietly, fidgetting only minimally. Toby was a good reader; he did the funny voices, he paused so she could see the pictures... She gave him a smile. "Reese doesn't read as good as Poppy!" She declared.

Reese didn't do voices. And he stumbled over words. "More stories, Poppy?"

There was a protest of "HEY!" in the background.

"Hi, Werewolf!" Toby was greeted with a two cupped hands. "This fell out of a tree," Reese said, and opened his hands to reveal a birds' nest complete with eggs. Either the guardian had caught it or it hadn't fallen all that far--there was no damage to it. "I'm going to put it back," he added. He disappeared, and reappeared almost instantly.

Talk first? "Good!" Holly beamed. "Sprites good too! And birds. And kitties! And foxes! And--"

"She's going to name everything that lives in the forest," Reese groaned.

"Reese good too!" The toddler finished.

Were all toddlers so obnoxious yet so endearing, then?

My friends!" Holly agreed with a smile. They seemed to like playing in the water, and that was always fun! "Reese's friends too."

"They're pretty happy here," Reese said. "And I make sure they're safe."