A rather warm, pleasant afternoon it was, and business, oddly enough, had been slow today at Elst's Nursery. So, seeing as few customers were coming in anyway, Elst had closed the expansive mass of green for the day, so that they could take care of a few things that needed to get done here and there. Elst himself was in the back room of the lobby, sorting through files and organizing everything in sight, as well as tending to a few delicate plants he kept in the storeroom while they were in their fragile beginning stages of growth. Next he would sort through the nursery's finances, as well as sort through a few of the bank statements he'd been sent about his account's interest, and a few of his stocks. He didn't understand these financial statements in the slightest, of course, he depended on Josev for that, but they were interesting to read, and he at least could understand when all the bank's blather basically meant whether or not his money had gone up.
Aoi, meanwhile, was enjoying the sun, laying shirtless, on his back in the grass near lobby. Nearby, a large bank of his rainclouds were heartily soaking several of the flowerbeds, he'd gotten to the point where he could control quite a few of them at once, and could relax while they kept busy. There was, however, a striking difference to his appearance than before. Over the past few days, or was it weeks?, his body had been losing coloration. The change was most noticeable in his skin, but his petals too were losing hue, and even his eyes, slightly. All turning grey, almost deathly, and a couple of his petals looked somewhat withered. There was a series of darker grey markings on his relatively light grey skin, on his belly and back, somewhat vine-like in appearance, one could say. He wore a smile on his face, however, and his expression seemed lively in contrast to the pallor of his body. He was relaxed, comfortable, warm...what more could he ask?
Faolan trudged up the way to the nursery, Zia and two little boys in tow and a third being carried in his arms. Ellandra had shoo'd the "men" out of the house for a bit, and Fao was ready to oblige . . . and drop in unannounced on Elst. Mostly because he hadn't seen his friend in so long since deciding to become a family man (and how!), but also because Elst had a huge outdoor area for the kids to play in and give him a much needed break, too.
He knocked on the door, shifting Corbie in his arms a bit to not only give his arms a rest but to stop the kid from chewing on his shirt. Not really even a year old and already the dark-haired infant was trouble in the making.
Elst paused in his filing, hearing a knock upon the lobby's door. How odd it was...he knew Aoi wouldn't knock, and customers would come in through the screen door and ring the bell, and wait...he'd closed the nursery anyway, how did someone get in? Longway wouldn't be back till the end of her working hours, Verdant wouldn't need to knock either. The only other person he'd given a key to was...
"Fao...?" Elst said to himself, quickly getting up and opening the store room door to see his old friend at the Lobby's entrance. "Oh, Fao, how nice to see you! Please, do come in..."
"Hope you donnae mind us dropping in unannounced. Elle needed a break, so I brought th' boys o'er t' meet you an' Aoi," Faolan said, walking in, trailed by the kids. "Also, Zia has some news to tell you and Aoi if he's around."
Elst nodded, smiling in his own mellow fashion. "Oh, I am happy to have you here, it has been a long while since you have paid a visit..." He thought for a moment, pausing. "Aoi should be behind this building, he rather enjoys sunbathing in the grass, I'm sure he would love to talk to Ziazan..." Then it hit him. Fao hadn't had this many kids before. "Oh...I noticed you have expanded your family?"
Aoi, meanwhile, was stirred from his sleep by the many new minds he could so strngly sense, Fao's, for one, but...children? He sleepily opened one eye, waking up.
The man chuckled, nodding. "Aye, well. Kelly is mine from before I met Elle an' his dam foisted him off on us when his step-da didnae want him nae more. You already met me son Sam there an' this wean here--" He indicated the black-haired infant in his arms. "--is most likely the milkman's kid, but we call him Corbie. Careful not to get your fingers too close t' his mouth."
Elst grinned slightly at mention of Corbie's biting. "Ah, yes, knowing my composition he could likely bite straight through my finger, couldn't he...here, we should head to the house, it's much more comfortable there, I have food and the like as well..." He began heading towards the door.
Aoi opened his other eye, stretching as he got up and, sensing Zia, headed to the lobby.
"Ah, th' kids already ate afore I brought them over. I figured I'd turn 'em loose in your yard an' just hos e'em off afore takin' them home," Faolan chuckled, following Elst outside. "Corbie's a good ladd, he's joost . . . wild. I'm nae sure what happened thar wi' 'im. W' definitely donnae leave him unattended."
Zia perked up, seeing Aoi, and looked around for its friend as it followed the men and children, wanting to share its news with the other Essentic.
Elst continued outside, following the stone path away from the lobby and past the greenhouses towards his home. "Oh, sounds..." He paused as he tried to remember the saying. "Like a good plan. This is a good place for playing...hopefully your children will be less prone to falling into that lavender plant than Rhian was..."
Aoi headed towards what he new to be his friends, smiling and nodding to Fao in greeting as he passed, then looking at Ziazan. "Hey, bro-sis..." He grinned slightly as he used this term, remembering Zia didn't like being called a particular gender due to it not actually being of one. So, he made a ''compromise'; he used both brother and sister in one, so the genders could cancel out as far as he saw it. "Great seeing you again!" There was genuine affection in his voice. Another, very noteworthy feature of Aoi's was that his blindfold was no longer chaining his face; he'd since found ways of making his body naturally prefer his second sight, so he could leave his eyes without the blindfold without resorting to his normal vision either.
"You're all . . . gray," Zia said, looking up at Aoi. "You're feeling alright, yeah?"
"I think Corbie would win th' fight wi' tha' lavender," Faolan said, setting the infant down. "Keep an eye on your brothers, Kelly." He watched his three sons head off to play and looked at Elst, grinning a bit. "I'm gonna be a father again. Me da wants t' geld me an' I think Elle might let him this time."
Aoi looked at his hands for a moment; it was more out of habit than to actually view them though, due to the fact he'd basically turned off his eyes. It at least helped avoid people thinking he was blind. "Yeah, I've been getting like that since I started...well, actually, I'll get to that later, but I'm feeling fine, don't worry." He smiled. "There's a little something new for me, though, way more exciting than how I look kinda dead."
Elst grinned again, leading Fao to his home. "A fierce one, I see..." He didn't quite look surprised at mention of another. "Seems it will soon be appropriate to call them the Grady flock." The grin continued as he lead Fao inside, through the fragrant hall into the cozy living room with its many overstuffed chairs. the air was very pleasantly cool, not cold, but just low enough in temperature. "It's lucky that vineyard recently sent me another crate...they make beer, too, and I have plenty of their latest batch, it's very good. Would you like some?"
"Beer, aye. Gods, lad, hae I needed a good beer," Fao said, following Elst. "Corbie ain't so fierce as sorta . . . feral, I guess. He's like this strange li'l animal wearin' people clothing. I mean, wearin' th' skin o' a person. W' cannae e'er keep him in clothes long." He sat down in one of the chairs. "I really hope th' next 'un's a girl. Elle needs a wee daughter t' love after th' last hellion I sired on her." He may have spoken like his son was a monster, but it was clear he loved his little deranged kid.
Zia tilted his head. "I have some news for you as well, but let's hear yours first. I'm interested to know how you're getting on these days since we haven't been able to visit as much. Do Verdant and Orpheus still live with you guys?"
Elst smiled as he took a quick trip to the kitchen, returning with a sort of bucket carrying ice and several frosty beers in glass bottles labeled with a strange brand. Even he could hear Fao's affection for his children. "Well, a good beer you'll get." He sat down in one of the chairs, which was separated from the next chair by a small table that he sat the beer on. "How is Ellandra, lately, how are you? Any new developments?"
Aoi smiled at mention of Orpheus. "Well...they never actually lived with us, but they spend a loit of time here, and Verdant works for Dad, and...and...Orpheus and I...we..we had a kid..." His tone was subtle, but the excitement and joy was still quite clear. His smile widened, thinking about how he was now a father.
"You mean aside from another pregnancy?" Faolan laughed, accepting one of the beers. "W're doin' alreet. I got Kelly learnin' some o' th' family trade an' Sam's taken a shine t' it, too. Bel's more o' a dancer, it seems, though. Corbie is . . . Gods help him, I think th' kid's gonna be in th' sideshow when he's older." He took a swallow of beer, settling back in the chair. "How 'bout yourself, eh? Anythin' new wi' you?"
Zia's jaw dropped a bit. "No s**t? Really? That's great!" It grinned wide, wings flapping a bit. "Where is it? Do you keep it here?"
Elst nodded. "Things haven't been exciting for the most part, just...strange. Miss Longway went through some of the Nursery's records and I apparently own the vineyard and brewery that makes the beer we now drink...Aoi's changing so very much, has a child, now, that part is exciting, and...Miss Longway, I...I proposed to her..." He went silent for a short while, in a state of utter bliss from thinking of Longway, but looking almost fearful at the same time.
Aoi grinned full-heartedly back. "Well, we have this friend, he...I could always tell he desperately needed someone to care for and love despite the shell he puts himself in, more like a mask really...and the Spark bonded to him...he's a Proto now, doesn't quite look like his Dads." He laughed a little at this.
"E'eryone's haen babies," Faolan sighed, smiling. "Zia's got two o' them. They're just wee rocks still reet now. Uzi kept th' 'un she had wi' it, but Zia gave th' other, th' one tha' Crux had a paw in makin', t' Kelly. Seems fittin'. Th' kid needs a friend an' he feels outta place still in wor family." He looked up at Elst. "When's th' handfastin'?"
"My two are still Sparks," Zia said, smiling a bit. "Uzi kept the one i made with her. I don't know what she'll do with it, but I kept the one that Crux and I made." The alter looked a little sad. "I don't know where he went, but I at least have something of him. I gave the spark to Fao's oldest boy."
Elst looked a little offset. "Handfasting...? Is that a component of marriage? I thought the process was proposal, time would pass, then marriage..." Well, now he was confused.
Aoi grinned. "Well, certainly filling in Fao's shoes, eh?" The grin faltered, however, at mention of Crux. Not only could he feel his sibling's sadness over Crux, but...he had many a weight on his conscience over Trystan. He'd tried so hard, and failed, to help get Kaosu to return to Trystan...and now Trystan was gone. He'd searched will all his being, yet never found him, what if he'd have stayed if Kaosu returned? What if his failure was why Trystan left...Aoi's pleased mood swiftly died, being replaced with a hollowness in his heart. In spite of it, though, he tried to remain outwardly pleasant for Zia. This doubt was the one plague Aoi had not managed to forgive himself for, even as he matured. "I....I'm sorry about Crux Zia..."
"Handfastin' is how w' do marriage in Farstep," Faolan explained, smiling.
"I'm sorry, too. I miss him, but I know he's doing what he's supposed to. I hope he's keeping Tryst safe," Zia said, turning his head to watch the Grady boys playing. "I didn't really plan on two. I mean, the one with Crux was planned, but Uzi . . . we made an arrangement. She wanted to be remembered, to make a mark. What better way than with a child? She and I respect each other enough for me to give her that gift."
Elst still had a confused look on his face. "Oh, I...I have never heard of it before..." There was still, of course, a very large chance he actually had, but any knowledge more than a few weeks old for Elst that he hadn't forced himself to memorize was open to be forgotten. "Will...does she expect this? Should I do this handfasting thing?"
"If anyone could protect Trystan, Crux can, I'm sure of it. He's...he's very strong." Aoi spoke sadly, waved of compassion and sympathy translating through his now nearly invisible mist as it flowed around him and his sibling. "That's very kind of you..."
"You prolly should ask her, man. She ain't o' th' clan, so she prolly donnae wanna get hitched tha' way," Faolan said, tilting his head. "You alreet, Elst? You seem a bit off."
"When they're ready to come home, they will," Zia said, shrugging. He looked at Aoi. "You know, Faolan and Elle are going to have another kid. Kind of glad we got the cottage when we did. They'd be keeping their babies in drawers otherwise."
Elst nodded a little. "I'm fine...I think...just worried, for Aoi, for the engagement..." There was more on his mind; at mention of the vineyard he was reminded of a certain piece of information he'd learned when he had visited; the man that once run things at the vineyard for Elst, yet another dear friend that Elst had so long forgotten, had died in the years Elst was away. He'd never gotten to speak to him for decades, and now the man was gone, without ever getting to say good-bye to his old companion. Elst had no way to tell how many others were just the same, how many lives he'd left behind...but he had no plans of burdening his present friends with this. To add to it all, he could feel Aoi's present sadness via their link.
Aoi, just as Elst had, nodded. "I hope it's soon, you deserve to be back together with him...I'm glad you have a cottage now, though..." Something he had never mentioned to others was that the sadness, the anger, any negative emotion from those around him actually stained Aoi's own emotions. Not only would he feel it as they did, but for a while afterward. He'd gotten very skilled at hiding it.
"Worrying is just part o' th' joy of startin' a family," Faolan reassured the other man. "You know you can always come visit us when you need some company. Bring Longway along. I bet her an' Banning will flip their s**t when they see how big wor family's gotten." He grinned proudly. "Funny thin' is, this last 'un wis Elle's idea on haen. I guess she wanted t' make up fae bringin' Corbie int' th' unsuspectin' world."
Zia nodded. "I hope it's soon, too." It moved to take off a satchel it was carrying. "Since we figured Kelly would play with his brothers, I asked to hold onto the spark for now." It opened the bag up so Aoi could see the orange rock nestled within. "It's odd that the two I had children with are both combat types, eh?"
Elst nodded slightly as Faolan spoke, somewhat reassured. "I...I am fairly certain she isn't desiring any new additions to the family, though, that much is rather certain." He eventually wore a soft smile. "And a visit would always be nice, I'd love to see the whole Grady family, she would too I'm sure..."
Aoi's eyes brightened slightly at mention of bringing the Spark, looking interestedly into the bag. "Mine wasn't nearly so bright, though that might just be due to the Magicker background it has...wonder what happens when clairvoyance mixes with combat, I mean, do they mix, or does the Spark turn one or the other..."
"Elle would love to visit with you two and Aoi, too," Faolan chuckled, taking a sip of beer. "You're always welcomed to the carnival. You know that."
Ziazan looked at the bag thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. I would assume it's sort of a blend. What about your kid? What's it like?"
Elst's smile strengthened. "I know. And it's nice to know that, Fao. You and all your family are always welcome here as well."
Aoi's grin returned. "Heh, Feodor's a shy little one, its owner's pretty much the only one that can get near without it getting that little nervous look or skittering away." Affection was quite clear in Aoi's eyes. "Even Orpheus and I get it all nervous, that's why you just have to catch him quick, hold him, in our arms he just calms right down, gets sleepy, even." He was quiet for a moment. "Looks absolutely nothing like either of us, like a centaur but with a spider instead of a horse, and the other half comes from the back end of the spider half, so the spider's back is like the human half's lap. The spider even has its own head, almost seems like it has a mind of its own sometimes."
"Well, I'd assume so, since you gave me a key," Faolan laughed. "Besides, Elle probably would like seeing someone else around that isn't part of our family."
"How very strange. I wonder what my kids will look like or if they'll take after me or the other two. I hope there's something of Crux in this one. It'd be nice to tell it about it's father," Zia said, looking at the spark nestled in the bag.
"Yes, you're one of the precious few that have that key..." Elst laughed a little with Faolan. ..."and I'll talk to Miss Longway about coming over some time."
Aoi nodded gently. "I hope they'll look like both their parents... though hopefully Crux will be there to tell the story himself." The sadness returned.
"I'm precious," Faolan laughed. He moved to sit up, setting the empty bottle on the endtable. "I need to check on the kids."
"It'd be nice if he were, but if not, I can tell it well enough," Zia said, shrugging. "And this one will have Kelly to look after it. The boy needs a good friend. Bless his heart, he's been with the family for almost two years now and still feels out of place."
Elst stood up along with his friend. "Oh, alright, I'll come with you..."
Aoi nodded again, his internal mechanisms for hiding his emotions working smoothly to keep away any frowning. "Yeah, it can be hard adjusting, I guess...I'm glad he'll have an Essentic with him, its sure to do him a whole lot of good."
Faolan headed out to the garden, looking about to find his children. Kelly and Sam were playing together, the older boy watching after his younger blind sibling. Corbie, however, was nowhere to be seen. "Oh, hell..."
Zia nodded, about to say more when it saw Faolan and Elst come outside. A quick glance around told it why Faolan looked worried. "Where's Corbie?"
Elst was confused for a moment, having followed Faolan outside, now wondering what was the matter. A short mental update from Aoi, however, let him know. He worried at first, but the worry mellowed when he remembered Aoi's method of seeing. He looked towards his Essentic questioningly.
Aoi, meanwhile, had closed his eyes as Zia had voiced its question. A bit of focus, and he connected with the nursery's plants to outstretch his sixth sense, feeling every mindset in the area. There were the other children where he knew them to be, and Corbie's mind was a quick find. His eyes opened again, having only closed for a moment or two. "He's...over on the other side of the house, near the herbs I think..." He pointed to the nearest wall of the house to reinforce his point, heading in that direction.
That was all Faolan needed to hear and he was off, trotting around the side of the house to locate his baby. He found the little boy sitting up in a pile of plants, having eaten a few of them before it caught hold of an unfortate lizard. Faolan sighed and headed over to where Corbie was chewing on the poor dead reptile. "What am I gonna do wi' you, lad?"
Zia had followed its owner, peering around the wall. Though it was relieved the child was alright, it shared in Fao's frustrations at Corbie being somewhat feral.
Elst followed after Faolan, relieved that the child hadn't gone far, though unnerved that he was eating the animals that had once lived safely in his garden. "Do you think he might be a little hungry? If we feed him some more he may be less prone to eating other things..."
Aoi had walked with Ziazan, sharing his owner's sentiments.
"That never really works too well," Faolan sighed, scooping the infant up and prying the lizard from his grasp. He ignored his son's whining and eventual biting, tossing the lizard into the garden where it would eventuall fertilize the plants it had lived among. "We've tried breaking him of this, but nothing works. I don't know why he does it. He just likes to hunt."
The tall plant thought for a moment. "I have heard of children liking to put everything in their mouths, even living things...but hunting them, not as often..."
Aoi meanwhile had gone over to where the lizard lay, frowning slightly as he turned some soil over it, murmuring a few words as he did so.
"Da joost thinks it's funny," Faolan sighed, adjusting Corbie in his arms to keep the child from biting him again. "It's like haen an animal around instead o' a wee bairn. He's part o' why Elle sent us out o' th' house today. I'm hopin' he grows outta it soon."
Zia went over to Aoi. "Are you alright? I should've been keeping a better eye on him."
Elst nodded a little. "Yes...though he may just get better at it...from what I collect of Aoi's memory, there is another Essentic, who hunts, her owner as well...he could always spend time with them, learn better self control when he is older while allowing him to apply his instincts...if this isn't simply a wild phase." The statement was oddly clear and factual, given Elst's normal form of speech.
Aoi finished burying the lizard, making sure it would be taken in by the soil and rejoined with the garden. "Yeah, I'm fine...I'm just connected to the whole of the life here, even the little things..." After a moment, he continued. "But it's just part of nature...things get eaten...I have to do this all the time when birds leave bits behind. I just like to know at least a little bit of the animal will always be here in its home."
"Yeah, I know Uzi and Eli. That might not be a bad idea. I should try consulting the cards about the kid, too," Faolan said, shrugging. "I'm hoping he settles down as he gets older. Otherwise, I'm going to need to find him a strong leash."
Zia nodded. "I'm sorry he ate the lizard. We usually keep him from doing that at home. I didn't think he'd wander away so far in an unfamiliar place."
Elst smiled slightly. "I have also heard that the intelligent ones are always the most difficult to raise..."
Aoi shrugged, grey eyes lingering on the spot of disturbed soil for a short while before looking away towards his sibling. "Don't worry about it, it's how nature works, things are born, eventually everything dies some way or another, and it all ends up alive again somehow." A hand drifted to gently touch one of his own dying petals. "The herbs will live through its passing on, after all...it's not so much a life lost as a life moved somewhere else." He allowed himself to smile, greying lips curving upwards.
"Circle of life," Zia said quietly, shouldering the satchel it held and heading back to where the other two children were.
"Maybe. I hope you're right," Faolan said, nodding. "Da told me I was pretty wild as a kid after I got over me illness, but not so much as Corbie here."
Aoi quietly stood, allowing himself another look at the soil as he followed Ziazan away from the herbs.
"Well, certainly worked out well for you..." Elst continued. "Maybe you have a genius on your hands."
"I should tell that to Elle. Might make her ease up a bit on the kid. She loves him a lot, but she worries about him," Foa said, walking after the two Essentics.
"He's her child, makes sense she worries for him...a good sign, even..." Elst went silent for another moment. "I'm sure he'll pull through, maybe find something else to focus on as he grows."
"Since he started teething, he's been more active in wanting to put things in his mouth, usually live things. Our problems with rodents is practically nill now," Faolan chuckled. "I worry about him, too, but I almost feel like it's his nature. Maybe he has to be like this to look after his siblings later."
"Yes, maybe." Elst spoke with a smile. "Makes me wonder what I was like when I was first created, if I was ever a child at all."
Aoi was quiet for a while, thinking a few things over.
"I bet you was a pretty li's plant all full o' zen," Faolan teased. "I wis an energetic orange furball tha' gave me da a mini stroke every week."
Zia poked Aoi. "What's on your mind?"
Elst smiled at his friend's teasing. "At lest yours hasn't caused any strokes yet."
Aoi didn't speak for another few seconds. "Well...I should show you, actually. Mind a little walk?"
"No, but he does put a bit o' strain on me sometimes wi' me heart condition," Faolan sighed, looking down at the infant who was now somewhat calm in his father's arms. Corbie just gazed back with his orange eyes.
Zia nodded. "Sure. Let me give the spark to Kelly first." It trotted over and handed the satchel off to the ten year old before coming back to Aoi.
Elst frowned thoughtfully. "We can only hope the strain lessens with time..."
Waiting patiently as the fellow Essentic went to give the satchel to the boy, Aoi thought through what he had before, until Zia returned. Upon its arrival, he gave the simple instruction, "Alright, just follow me..." as he headed towards the forested section of the nursery.
Zia followed Aoi silently, waiting to see what its friend wanted to show it.
"I'm more used to the kid's antics now, but the strain ain't gonna go away, Elst. I just hope none o' me bairns are born wi' th' condition," Faolan said, shrugging a bit as he walked to where his other sons were playing.
Aoi's mood picked up slightly as he walked into the thick, nearly jungle-like area of the nursery. He kept quiet, focusing on leading Ziazan deeper through the trees.
Elst's frown grew slightly deeper as he listened. "We can only hope it is not congenital..."
Zia followed along, curious to see where Aoi was taking it.
"It is, but we've been lucky so far," the young man said, setting his infant down with the other two boys. "It's not a common condition, but we're had th' bairns checked out fae it. E'en Kelly. So far, none hae shown up wi' it."
Aoi continued through the trees, deeper into the forested section, and as they drew closer to the heart of it all, a faint, subconscious zing could be felt, almost like the presence of Source..
Elst smiled sadly. "I am glad they have all checked out healthy..."
Zia was completely curious now. It knew that feeling, having been in the cave with Misha that time. "What is it?"
"Healthy so far," Faolan said, easing down to sit with his kids. "W' plan t' hae them checked regular like, though." He pulled Sam over into his lap, hugging his blind son.
Aoi smiled further. "It's...just something you have to see." They grew closer and closer to the heart, and the feeling grew ever stronger. It wasn't quite like the raw pulse of a Source stone, instead more stable, organic; a steady, gentle flow, seemingly through the very trees around them. Up in the trees themselves, a set of branches seemed to be connecting them, stretching out through them from wherever Aoi was headed. Beneath them, the terrain was bumpy with raised roots.
Elst nodded in agreement. "That is definitely for the best, good of you to do so." he said, sitting down next to his companion.
"It feels strange here," Zia said, growing more cautious about the area now.
Faolan nodded. "We'll be lookin' t' get Sam a dog soon fae helpin' him get around. Ain't sure what sort t' get yet, though."
Aoi voiced calmly, "Don't worry, we'll be there very soon, it's really nice." They grew ever nearer, and all at once the feeling felt clearer, closer. Around them, the large central branches were nearing their source, smaller trees acting as supports for their spread. Very soon, there stood before them a huge, old growth, a very healthy banyan tree despite its age, rich in its colors of green and brown, the Source flow at its strongest at this one, central hub. It seemed to exude life, naturality, to simply exist as any natural thing was meant to exist. Its trunk was quite thick for a banyan, and it seemed the branches relied heavily on the surrounding trees to keep them from snapping. "Here it is..."
Elst nodded. "I cannot say I know much about seeing-eye dogs, but I have heard they are wonderful companions."
Zia looked at the strange tree, still not sure what to think of it. "It has Source in it. How?"
"I'll probably ask Eli to help out with some information on them. He knows some people that raise dogs for it. I'm sure any pup young enough can be trained to do it, though."
Aoi smiled, much more relaxed now that he was in the place he felt so safe in. "...the trees, the plants...they all get their life just the same as we do, the sun, and their branches far in the sunlight, their leaves each helping gather energy. What they make is...related to Source, somehow, they can gather it if I work with them, and they can use it just like their own, so I helped them learn to collect it, and whenever I have more than I need, I found a way to just...give it back to nature. When I am exhausted of it, in great need of it, they can help keep me steady, allow me a little to replenish myself with." He stepped closer to the trunk. "I never take much, and I give in little amounts at a time, just the extra I have each day, and we...we balance each other, help keep equilibrium, even..." He seemed lost in thought for a short time.
"Always nice to have friends that can help...", Elst spoke simply.
"How strange. Have you shown this to Banning? He'd probably be interested," Zia said, still keeping its distance from the tree.
"True tha'," Faolan chuckled, ruffling his son's day-glo orange hair.
"Stop, Da," the little boy said, pushing Fao's hand away, though didn't really seem like he minded.
Aoi sat down comfortably at the base of the trunk, amongst the thick, raised roots. "I've barely told anyone...it's...just something personal to me, part of me...I'll tell him soon, but...for a little while I just want this to stay they way it is, so I can fully understand all of it before I go talking about it." He smiled over at his sibling. "You can come closer, it won't hurt you...if you open yourself, your energy, it'll stabilize with you too, but you don't have to do it." He paused. "It feels nice, though."
Elst smiled softly at Sam for a moment. "I should meet this Eli sometime...Aoi has met Uzi, I know, and they seem interesting..."
"I'm not sure I should let it in," Zia said, knowing it was stronger than some Essentics when it came to power. The idea of being even more so frightened it a little. Still, it did come closer, but only to sit on the ground.
"You'll like Eli. He's a bit like me, I guess," Faolan chuckled, reaching over to catch hold of the back of Corbie's shirt when the infant started to crawl away. He made parenting look rather easy.
Kelly moved a bit closer to the adults, craddling a satchel in his arms. He wasn't exactly sure what to think of the strange plant man, other than his father seemed friendly with him.
Aoi shrugged. "It just stabilizes you, settles you in a way...feels like taking a deep breath, a nice one. It never takes too much, and it never gives too much, just flows through you, taking some, giving some, renewing you in a way."
Elst took a moment, to offer a small smile to Kelly before turning back to the boy's father. "Oh, how so?"
"I think I'm okay how I am," Zia chuckled.
"He's rustic, like me," Fao answered, reaching over to ruffle Kelly's hair, the older boy getting ahold of his baby brother now. "Did Zia gi' you th' spark back, lad?"
Kelly nodded. "Yeah. I donnae blame it none on wantin' t' hold it, though."
Elst understood what Fao meant, nodding slightly to acknowledge it. "Rustic...that does seem to fit..." He listened to Kelly speak. "Aoi still holds his as often as he can, and his is a Proto now." Feodor's skittishness around Aoi still proved amusing whenever they went to visit.
Aoi laughed with Zia. "If you say so. Just keep yourself contained and you can get as close as you like, even go on it without any mingling going on." He laid along one of the roots.
"I'm alright here," Zia said. "It feels good enough at just this close range."
"I think Zia wants to hold it because it also belongs to that Crux one that went away," Kelly said, shrugging. "It's never seen its other spark, so it dotes on this one."
Aoi smiled again. "That's just fine....just saying you won't have to worry if you felt like climbing or anything."
Elst couldn't help but think back on his one, rather unconventional meeting with Trystan and Crux, nonetheless sad for their disappearance. "Makes sense....I do hope Crux returns..."
"I'm not good with climbing. The only time I ever climbed a tree was with Uzi, and she was carrying me," Zia chuckled.
"I hope they both return," Faolan sighed. "I miss my brother and I know Zia misses Crux. I hope that, wherever they are, they're safe."
Aoi grinned. "Just saying, it's not gonna taser you or anything if you touch it, it, well, I keep calling it she, is very gentile."
"We miss them as well, Aoi especially, he tried so very hard to help them both...I cannot say I know much of Trystan, but I greatly hope he and Crux are out of harm's way." Elst frowned a bit.
"I can feel it well enough here," Zia said, not actually saying the words, but reminding Aoi all the same of its abilities. It was sitting close enough to pick up the tree's essences and feelings well enough.
"I'm sure they're out haen a grand adventure," Faolan chuckled. "Never could keep either o' them sittin' still fae long."
Aoi relaxed, settling himself between two roots, in the grass. "I know you can feel it from there, just saying it won't actively try to mix with you if you accidentally get closer or something."
Elst let himself smile mildly. "Yes, they are certainly the ones I'd trust to thrive under most any conditions."
"I know, but I'm alright just sitting right here," Zia said, giving a soft sigh.
"Tryst is the only guy I know more willing to get drunk with the clowns than I am," Faolan chuckled, looking down at the snoozing toddler in his lap and noting that Corbie was asleep as well on the grass. "I should see about hustling the kids home."
Aoi chuckled a bit. "Like I said, I know. All I was saying is that you don't have to avoid it, I wasn't trying to get you to go closer..."
Elst nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is time...would you consider taking the beer home with you? I know you would get much more enjoyment from it, and they'll likely be sending more soon."
Zia looked up in the direction of its owner. "I think we'll be leaving soon. We should go back to the others."
Faolan nodded. "Of course I'll take some. You can tell them to just send the beer straight to me, if you want." He was joking. Mostly. Lurching to his feet, balancing the sleeping toddler in his arms, he reached down and scooped Corbie up as well.
Aoi hesitantly got himself up, dusting off his slacks. "You're probably right... I'll get us out of here..." He began to lead the way back through the trees.
Elst grinned, going off for a couple minutes, returning with the entire crate of beer resting in a wagon he usually used to carry large stacks of heavy fertilizer bags. There was even enough extra room for a child to sit in, if Fao so desired. "This should make bringing it home a little easier...."
Zia followed along, somewhat glad to be away from the strange tree. Sure, it knew the tree meant no harm, but Zia couldn't feel comfortable until far enough away from it.
Faolan gestured for Kelly to climb in and handed Corbie over to him. Once Zia arrived, he passed Sam over to the Essentic. "I'll bring the wagon back as soon as I can."
Aoi could sense his sibling's unease around the tree, and while it did sadden him, he could understand why it would make someone nervous. They were soon back with the others, Aoi moving to stand with Elst, who shrugged in a friendly fashion. "No hurry on returning it, I have many such carts, though a visit from you is always enjoyed."
"Might help get my kids here easier, at least," Faolan chuckled. "Maybe next visit, Elle and Beltain will come along, too."
Elst smiled. "That would be quite the treat, I'm sure. Pass on a hello to Ellandra for me if you would."
"I will," Faolan said, hefting the cart a bit to move it toward the exit.
Elst walked his guests along the path to the gate, saying a final goodbye as they left, and Aoi waved cheerily as they walked away.
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