The Return of Jaden"... and there's gonna be horses and fairies and I'm gonna sing a big song but I'm not gonna break any glasses yet..."
Trio had to admit, the chatter was nice, but so very tiresome. She glanced down at the little siren whose hand she held, and smiled quietly, squeezing the tiny hand. Somewhere in the last few days, Annora had made a complete turnaround, going from the girl that had everyone in the family worried back to her old, happy self. At the moment, they were returning from a visit to the music store, and Trio carried a bag of CDs in one hand, while Sankouri padded by her side, just below them.
Opera music. Such an odd choice for a little girl, really. Perhaps she should look into Italian language lessons as well as singing lessons...
"Mama!" Annora said abruptly, jerking her hand free and darting up the worn path they'd been about to pass. "Maybe Jaden's there today!"
Trio chuckled, turning to follow Annora. It would be good to see the satyr, if he were there.
A small figure slipped into view near the cottage... not on two legs, but four. Aeriel stared towards the approaching ones with narrowed eyes, the zurui's pose NOT one of welcome. She was hunched forward, the fur along her spine lefted as if she were making herself less of a target and more of a threat. She didn't seem to realise that they weren't approaching her yet... and that they likely hadn't even seen her. All she knew was that they were still coming closer, and the zurui bolted towards the corner of the cottage, to disappear around the side.
Well, Angie was alive. At this point, it could be debated on the 'well' part of the saying, but at least she was alive. After glancing Dulcinea over and determining the little girl's room needed to be redecorated, Angie had undertaken quite the job to fix up the place. Plants here, a small koi pond INSIDE the room, and a few other major renovations, the fox-girl was rather exhausted STILL from what she'd done. But to see the little bouncy curls swing happily every time the toddler moved around the room, was more than worth the lost energy.
Today was a break however, a chance to get away and get outdoors for a change of pace. Angie herself had been locked in the home doing the fix-ups while Dulci was being taken care of by friends, so now it was -her- time to get out with the little girl. Curious though, about why her daughter remained silent most of the time, she figured a visit to the satyr's home might be in order, so that she might ask him the specifics surrounding Dulci.
A voice were heard nearby, a silver ear pricked up at the sound. It sounded familiar, yet...unfamiliar all the same. As Dulci Lynn toddled along beside her, the fox-girl scooped her up and quickened her pace, wondering who else was coming for a visit.
Trio was oblivious to the dark zurui who'd bolted, but there was one who was not. Sankouri's gaze lifted toward Trio, then looked back in the direction of the scent he'd caught, and he tapped her leg briefly before breaking out in a run. Perhaps he could yet catch this zurui, and find out just what was going on.
Trio almost called after him, but her thought was immediately derailed when Annora caught sight of Angie and Dulci approaching. "Mama, look!" she called, running back to Trio and grabbing her hand before tugging her toward the new people, a gleam in her eye. "Hi!~" she called out, her voice loud and singsong.
Sankouri's greeting upon rounding the corner was a sudden snarl and the snapping of jaws a scant inch or two from his face. Aeriel was there, almost as if guarding something, her front paws spread wide as she planted herself directly in his way.
Whatever was behind the house... she was NOT letting him by.
Angie peered curiously at the young girl calling out to her, trying to place where she looked so familiar. And it didn't take but a moment for it to hit her. "Ahhh hello there!" Waving a hand at the pair, the red-head smiled, hiking Dulci up a bit higher on her hip. "Glad to see someone I know out and about today! How are you all this fine day?"
She was not the observant one, and so didn't even notice Trio's companion run off. So it was safe to say she hadn't seen the darker form disappear either.
Trio grinned at Angie, making her way over while Annora bounced up. "Who's that?" the little siren said, with unabashed curiosity, and pointed at Dulci. Trio snickered, reaching out to shake Angie's hand.
"She's gotten so big," she said, admiring Dulci. "We haven't seen you in forever. You oughta bring her by the house sometime."
Sankouri jerked back in surprise, eyes widening. It took a moment before he placed the Zurui - he'd never been particularly close to her mother, after all, and rather pitied her father. But this...
He edged forward, ears flat and tails low as he tried to keep from threatening her long enough to see what was beyond. Why would a zurui act this way?
Aeriel was having NONE of it. She darted to the side, snapping at him again as she growled low in her throat. "Go away..." she hissed, the zurui's eyes swirling in a mix of violet and jet black. "Leave him alone!"
The words sounded normal to Sankouri... but all anyone else would hear was a series of sharp barks coming from the side of the house.
Chuckling, Angie smiled down at Annora. "This is Dulcinea, but you can call her Dulci." Taking Trio's hand, smokey eyes rolled in amusement. "She's big, and I'm exhausted. Redoing her room with a little more 'flair' that before sure took a lot out of me. You know me. I get an idea in my head and I gotta run with it. You guys should come over to our house as well, and come see what I've done with it. I'm sure our little friend here," she reached out to ruffl Annora's hair, "would like the koi pond Dulci has in her room now."
Now, the koi pond hadn't been part of the original plans Angie'd had for the room, but seeing as she herself had wanted some more fish in the house, besides the several tanks strewn around already, she figured another, really shallow one couldn't hurt. There was a rather strong mesh screen over the top, to the little one, at this age, could crawl on top of it, without fear of getting wet, or somehow risking the idea of drowning. Later, the screen could be taken off, once Dulci got older for more enjoyment.
"Koi pond?" Annora immediately latched onto that idea, her eyes gleaming. "Mama, can I? Pleeeeeease?"
Trio just lifted a hand to rub one temple, her eyes shifting toward Angie with a 'see what you've done now' expression in them. But there was a smile on her face all the same. "Just lemme know a good time. You have my number," she pointed out, as Annora grabbed Dulci's hand.
"You like water, too?" Annora demanded gleefully, utterly ignoring the parents now in favor of far more interesting people.
Sankouri froze, eyes narrowing.
He? Trio had delivered Aeriel here as a small kit, giving her to... Could Jaden be back there? Once more, he edged forward, doing his best to see beyond Aeriel.
The warnings then turned into actual threat, Aeriel lunging forward and snapping her jaws down hard on one pointed ear. Almost immediately, she had pulled back and moved again, this time aiming for his front feet. "LEAVE!"
She had been charged with protecting him... and protect him, she would. From ANYONE who came too close.
Two other zurui heard the ruckus -- Izumi and her son Solstice. The pair trotted over to the source of the barking, coming up to flank Sankouri on either side. This one was part of the new pack, after all, and packs had to be defended. "What's going on here? Is someone hurt?" Izumi kept her voice low, trying for 'soothing'.
Not that she figured Aeriel could be soothed, but hey. It was worth a shot.
Away from the zurui, two figures appeared, one with a pair of wings that vanished as the two newcomers touched ground. Shiromaru shifted Nico in his arms, where he had been settled in a sling, then let Etain hop up onto his shoulders as they approached the others. "Now there's someone I haven't seen in a long time! Angie, how are you?" he called out, smiling warmly. And was that Dulci? He hadn't seen
her in an incredibly long time.
Silver ears seemingly tipped in inky black twisted in the direction of the barks, as Angie tilted her head slightly. Something... someone else was here? Wow her attention really was shot. But her attention was drug away momentarily once again, as she smiled at Trio. "Of course. I need to clean up some last minute finishing touches on the room, then I'll be inviting plenty of people over for a "room-warming" party, so to speak. At least, I'm
planning on it anyway." Laughing, the fox-girl glanced down at Annora and Dulci's reaction to the girl.
Dulci glanced, wide-eyed, at Annora, not sure what to think of her, before shyly smiling and burying her face in Angie's neck. But, even as she pulled her face away, it was obvious she wasn't pulling her hand away. Strange, Angie mused at this, but intriguing all the same. "See Dulci, here's a new friend for you. She likes the water a lot. Soon you can show her your fishies, doesn't that sound like fun?" Reddish curls bobbed as the head nodded, two blue eyes peered from around her 'mom's' neck at Annora once more.
And it wasn't but a moment or two more before both Angie and Dulci's attention wavered towards the newcomers. Angie shifted her weight, settling Dulci on her hip a bit more comfortably before waving at Shiro and Etain, and the new little one. "Hallo there! I know, I know, I just keep finding reasons to disappear." Reaching up to bring Dulci's chin around gently, so that she was facing everyone again, Angie plucked a stray curl out of the girl's eyes. "Indeed this is little Dulci. Only...not quite so little anymore."
Dulci blushed and quickly retreated to hiding her face in Angie's neck again. "She's quite shy I'm afraid, but should warm up to you guys soon."
Annora lit up as Shiro and the others appeared, and turned back to Dulci. "This is my daddy, and my sister," she said solemnly, tugging on Dulci's arm. "Come down and play with us! I bet we could find lots of neat bugs around. Flying bugs like Etain." She ignored the barking, too busy trying to get Dulci to come down.
Trio snickered softly. "She's... um... rather bossy," she said, as she leaned over to peck Shiro on the cheek. "Didn't know you were coming out, too, sweetie."
As the new zurui approached, Sankouri bristled slightly. This... could end very badly, if he didn't do SOMETHING. He drew a breath, then rushed Aeriel, doing his best to pin her so that the others could get past. They wouldn't hurt anyone who was dangerous, and Shiro and Trio could help whoever's in trouble.
The snarling suddenly turned into the sharp, high pitched warning cries that an animal sounds when it's in danger. The piercing yelps could be heard nearly EVERYWHERE by that point, and Aeriel tried to fight off the larger zurui. "NO!! This isn't your house, it's MY house, LEAVE US ALONE!"
"You should stop vanishing," Shiro informed Angie, then grinned at Dulci. "Hello, there. It's nice to see you again." He returned the kiss on the cheek to Trio, his grin spreading. "We were just out for a walk and Etain heard your voice," he explained, then paused when he heard the sound of a zurui shrieking. "...What in the blazes is going on?"
Etain blinked down at Dulci and Annora, then very solemnly tugged at a lock of Shiro's hair. "Papa, something's wrong. That's not one of ours. Someone's really upset."
Izumi and Solstice blinked at each other, then at the grappling pair, then ghosted past, low to the ground. They couldn't see anything in the immediate vicinity, so Izumi peeled off to the left and Solstice to the right, going around the building. What was Aeriel hiding?
Dulci wasn't sure what to make of so many people in one spot at the same time. Nor was she able to figure out Annora. Those thoughtful blue eyes trained onto Etain as Shiro and the little girl wandered up, seeming to admire the little girl's wings. It was a moment or two longer, however, before the bouncy red curls nodded and she eased up her grip on Angie's shirt, allowing herself to be put down beside Annora.
Angie gasped as she straightened up, turning in the direction of the yelping, her body poised to step in front of Annora and Dulci, and retrieve Dulci from the ground if need-be. But a crashing of twigs and bushes nearby nearly drove a heart-attack of her. Fortunately, it was only Simaria who'd apparently been trailing a good ways behind them, and only now catching up as she too heard the shrieks. Keeping a close eye on the other's and Dulci especially Angie pulled the siamese colored zurui aside, excuseing herself from the group for a moment, and conversed softly with her companion, easing the femme zurui's worry about whether or not Dulci was alright.
Annora blinked as Dulci was pulled aside, but shrugged, reaching out to catch Etain's hand instead. "Let's look for butterflies," she suggested, her eyes bright and happy as she tugged her sister along. A moment later, she grinned widely. "Hey! Let's have butterflies in the opera!"
Trio missed that, her focus on the ruckus behind the house. "Stay here," she murmured to Shiro, noting that he had Nico with him. "Keep yourself and the kids safe, okay?" she added, eyeing the back yard warily. What was there? She edged forward, moving to the corner of the house and peering around.
Sankouri's body twisted and shifted as he tried to keep Aeriel pinned. She'd definitely inherited something from her mother, at least, he realized, and wondered if he'd leave there without picking up a scar or two.
The young zurui was all teeth and claws as she lashed out at Sankouri. She had to get him OFF her so that she could get rid of the others. "LET GO!" she yelled, snapping at his throat and chest, as well as the front paws that were closest to her teeth.
Behind the house, all seemed quiet at first glance. It wasn't much different than the front, except for the fact that a small garden was there... or it would have been a garden if it hadn't been neglected thusfar in the spring. Beyond that was a circle of trees that seemed to thrum with power. Only one of Fey blood could enter that circle and hope to stay conscious... but it wasn't a concern at the moment. There was a figure laying on the ground just outside of it, crumpled in the grass. Unkempt black hair trailed over and around the form, splaying on the ground. Two sets of horns could be seen poking through, one larger than the other... and the figure's legs seemed to be covered in fur...
...with hooves, instead of feet.
With Trio checking on the commotion, Shiro stayed where he was, petting the dozing Nico's long ears. The fighting zurui (and the thought distressed the demon mightily) didn't seem to be waking up the infant, and Shiro could only wait for Trio and hope she didn't get hurt in the process of checking things out.
When her hand was taken, Etain brightened, letting her shyness vanish in the face of Annora's enthusiasm. "Yeah! Butterflies in the opera! An' fireflies too! We could have butterflies and fireflies all over!" She flew after Annora, only occasionally touching ground long enough to take a few steps.
It was Solstice who reached the figure first, calling out a warning cry before starting to sniff anxiously at the figure on the ground. Was there a pulse? Was there breathing? Was there any
life inside the body?
Angie turned back towards Shiro and the children after a moment, watching Simaria stay with them instead of going to investigate what was wrong. As she set the curly haired child down again, Simaria carefully stood in a guarding position, watching carefully over the other two girls as well.
Dulci wasted no time toddling over to the other two girls, her blue eyes speaking the volumes that her voice would not. Or was it that she could not? Angie wasn't sure yet. Watching Etain flutter around for a moment or two she raised her arms up, gently trying to catch a gentle feel of the strange wings. She knew of these butterflies the girls were talking about. Several of many sizes and colors were painted upon the murals of her walls.
Angie watched Trio go, one of ears swung forward, listening for anything that might signal her friend to be in trouble. The other ear stayed cocked towards the children, keeping them under surveillance as well.
Annora grinned as Dulci joined them again, and watched the little girl reach toward Etain's wings. They seemed so normal now, she wondered if she'd reacted that way, too. Her own fins weren't nearly as pretty, she sometimes thought, but that was okay, because she could still make people pay attention to her. "Do you talk?" she asked bluntly. "Or is your voice dangerous, too?"
Sankouri was getting rather desperate now. Aeriel had opened up quite a few gashes, and it HURT to continue pinning her, especially since he was trying to do as little damage to her as possible. Only the sound of Trio's softly gasped word kept him from just bolting now.
"...Jaden?" Trio breathed, the word not nearly loud enough to carry to the others - even those with exceptional hearing. She scrambled forward, dropping to her knees beside him and reaching out to touch his throat, checking for a pulse.
Etain held still as Dulci touched her wings, blinking over at the other little girl, then smiled invitingly. "Do you wanna look for butterflies with us?" she offered, holding her free hand out towards Dulci. "We were gonna look for all kinds. We're writing an
opera." She said it as if the poor girl would have any clue whatsoever as to what in the world an opera was.
Dulci tilted her head at Annora, not understanding what the girl said at all. Silently the little girl smiled and reached up, finally catching sight of the blue girl's fins, and gently fingering them as well. Her eyes lit up in delight, feeling the difference in textures between the wings and the fins. She was lost in her own little world, oblivious to anything that was happening with the zurui.
Angie, however, was paying just enough attention to catch Annora's question. She wished she had an answer to provide the little siren, but was out of possibilities herself. Instead, she let the question slide, figuring on asking Trio about her thoughts on it later.
Dulci, with Simaria at her side, joyfully took Etain's hand, nodding to the girls and already looking around for butterflies. It didn't matter that she had no clue what the girls were talking about, she was having fun regardless.
Annora froze as Dulci explored her fins, shivering slightly with it. But she beamed as the girl smiled, reaching up to pet the curly brown hair. "C'mon. You can play with us," she said quietly, grinning at Etain.
Etain nodded at Annora, then tried to tug at Dulci's free hand. "Butterflies," she repeated, then kicked off into the air, floating about a foot above it. It wasn't much of a height difference, but maybe it would still help her see them better!
"...She's quiet," Shiro noted as he padded closer to Angie. "Has she always been like that?"
Dulci didn't seem to notice or mind as Etain floated in the air, her hand not currently occupied with Etain's reaching out to snag Annora's hand as well. She seemed rather happy with the two girls, which both pleased and relieved Angie at the same time. The little girl's silence seemed not to bother her in her quest for friendship.
Glancing over at Shiro, the red-head nodded. "Mmm yes, she's yet to utter a sound, I'm afraid. I'm not sure whether it's normal for her, or something I should be concerned about. She doesn't seem to notice, thankfully, but it does worry me a little bit." She peeked at the silky ears in Shiro's arms. "And who do we have here?" Angie smiled, brushing off the worry and concern that the subject of Dulci's silence always brought on.
Wasabineko approached the shop, peering about for recognizable faces but coming up short. Well, that was to be expected. She hadn't exactly been around much. There was a slight hiccup from the basket strapped to her back, a sure sign that Casimir had woken up at the perfect time.
She wasn't entirely confident that this was a good idea. Everyone at home knew the rules when it came to the blindfolded bundle of joy, and those who were too young to understand such mandates were watched carefully. How exactly was she going to be cool about this in new company?
"Hello there!"
'Hello?' More people? Annora's head whipped around at that and she grinned. "Hey, more people," she said, tapping Etain's arm. "Let's go see who, huh?" Tugging the other two girls along with her, she turned and headed back, curious about Wasa and the hiccuping basket.
"Hi~," she called out without reservation, bouncing a little. "I'm Annora and this is my sister Etain and this is our friend... our friend... This is our friend and she's really nice," she finished, too busy being friendly to worry about a little thing like forgetting a name.
Little people? Not a problem. Big people? Squeak! Etain ducked behind Annora, now that she didn't have Papa to act as a barrier between herself and the new big person. Shyly, she looked up at Wasa, peeking over Annora's shoulder.
Shiro waved to Wasa as the woman joined them, smiling warmly; Angie's question, however, was met with an infatuated grin. Yes, the demon was one proud papa. "This is Nicodemus," he offered, as the bunny blinked open his eyes and yawned mightily in Angie's direction.
Dulci blinked as she was tugged in the direction of the new voices. Her eyes went wide, but she went along with the girls anyway. Looking up at this new woman, she tilted her head, not quite sure what to think of her.
Angie chuckled softly as she saw the big yawn, gently extending a finger to touch a silky ear. "Awww he's so handsome. You're a lucky one indeed." She caught Dulci being tugged over to the new person and perked her ears up, watching the siamese zurui as Simaria padded closely behind her charge. Angie couldn't remember if she'd seen this woman before, but she seemed friendly enough. In fact, Angie'd met quite a few nice people since gaining the crystal tipped wooden wand.
Wasabineko waved nervously as the attention was turned to her. "Hi!" She crouched down, resting her elbows on her knees to make her masked face level with that of the little ones. "Those are all very pretty names." She replied, giving a soft smile particularly to the face in hiding. "My name's Wasabineko... but that's a pretty big word. You can call me Wasa if you like." She pointed over her shoulder. "And over here in my basket is Casimir. He's still just a baby." She raised her eyes to the surrounding parents, giving them a nod.
"Can I see?" Annora immediately asked. "Daddy has a new baby and he's a rabbit and Makana really likes him." Clearly, the little girl was lacking the shyness her sister and friend showed. She moved closer. "Is your baby a rabbit, too? I remember when Mama brought Makana home and she was a baby and she was called a kitty." She stood on her tiptoes at the basket, trying to peek over the side. "I like the name Wasa. It's easy to say. Like Etain."
Nico reached out, patting Angie on the hand cheerfully. Unlike Etain, this little boy was not at all afraid of strangers, offering up a bubble of sounds as he woke up a bit more. "I'm incredibly lucky," Shiro murmured to Angie. "I have Trio, I have beautiful children, and I have a home. I'm incredibly lucky." That was more than he thought Angie meant, but still, it had to be said!
Etain relaxed a little when Wasa smiled at her; when she lost her guard as Annora peeked into the basket, she flitted over as well, flying up slightly to get a better view inside. "I like the name 'Wasa' too," she offered quietly. "Almost as much as 'Annora'."
Smiling sweetly at Shiro, Angie gently clapped her hand on his shoulder. "There's many who would love to be in your shoes, I'm sure. It's good to know friends are happy." If anyone had brought it up with Angie, she wouldn't admit how she missed having someone to lean on, being that she was all alone on Gaia, but she had more than enough friends to make up for the loss she'd suffered elsewhere.
Dulci, being the shortest of the three girls, tried her best to see into the basket, but was having trouble, at best. Unlike the other two, she made no attempt to try and say Wasa's name, or try and speak at all. Hopping up and down, but careful not to bump into the lady, she did her best to catch a glimpse inside the basket. And it apparently worked because within a few bounces she smiled and stood back so that the others could get their fill too.
Wasabineko chuckled and eased the straps off her shoulders and turned to sit on her rump, the basket settled in her lap. She picked at the lacings until the blankets were loose enough to let Casimir kick free. The feather-dappled baby twitched his talon-feet and gave a curious chirp. It was certain that he sensed the children near, even though they could not be seen through his blinder of cloth. He open and closed his hand in the air, trying to make contact with one of them. "Ah-coo?"
"How come he's got that funny cloth over his eyes?" Annora asked, reaching into the basket to let him hold one of her hands. She showed no ready fear of him. He was just a baby, after all, and rather cute, in an odd-looking way. "Can't he see?"
Aeriel's ears went straight up at Trio's voice... coming from BEHIND the house. She braced both paws against Sankouri's chest then and SHOVED hard, squirming out from underneath him. "Oh no you don't..." she growled, racing towards Trio with fangs bared.
Jaden showed no sign of hearing the woman... or any movement at all. His pulse was present, however, and strong. Whatever had happened to him... it didn't appear to have caused him any true harm.
The moment Aeriel started after Jaden, Izumi and Solstice abandoned their own investigation of Jaden and put themselves in front of Trio, their own fangs bared. "She's trying to HELP, you idiot," Izumi snarled, while Solstice just put his head down lower and prepared to spring at Aeriel in case he needed to.
Etain giggled at the sight of Casimir twitching his feet. "Are his eyes hurt?" she asked shyly, reaching down to take Casimir's other hand.
Shiro watched the goings-on, though Angie's words left him beaming. "Thank you," he offered to her quietly. "And what about you? Are you happy?"
Oh that was a loaded question, one without a real, or right answer. Angie simply nodded, offering a smile to Shiro. "Of course I'm happy. With friends like you and Trio, and a beautiful home, who wouldn't be happy?" Without realizing it, the girl began fiddling with the ring upon her hand, rolling it around on her finger. It was the same ring that'd caught Catta's eye, before Dulci was born.
Dulci again stepped forward to peek into the basket, simply admiring the baby within. As she saw the blinders that were the subject of the other two girls' chattering, Dulci raised a hand to her own eyes as if asking the same questions as already been asked.
Peering in her daughter's direction, watching as the zurui next to the bouncy red-curled child didn't seem to mind the woman, Angie chuckled softly, changing the subject. "I suppose I better go introduce myself, and the little one. I never remember to do that sort of thing."
Wasabineko did her best to hid her unease, trying to think of the best way to word it for young ears. "He isn't hurt. He just doesn't see the same way that you and I do, like fish can't walk on grass or how you can't hug a cactus. So he wears this little scarf so he can make friends without having to worry about his eyes." She bounced him on her knee and he gave a delighted squeal, jiggling Etain's hand that he refused to release until Wasa gave his fingers a gentle stroke.
"...Iiiit's about meal time for Nico here," Shiro decided, with one last glance towards where Trio had vanished to. "Etain, hon, let's get home. Annora, you stay put and do as Angie tells you, okay?" Etain let go of Cas and darted over to her father, and the pair took off into the air.
Annora waved once more to Casimir before Wasa wandered off with him, answering a cell phone, then turned to her dad. "Okay," she called brightly, giving Etain a big hug before turning to Dulci. "Still wanna go lookit butterflies?" she asked brightly, tugging the silent girl along.
"Solstice... get Jaelle and Isyr," Trio murmured, watching Aeriel warily. Sankouri was growling deeply from behind the other zurui, and Izumi was standing guard in front. "Aeriel? What happened to him? He needs care. Do you know where... Talis... Talistan is?" she asked, trying to recall the other fey's name.
Aeriel didn't answer... the irate zurui was pacing in circles around them, her gaze shifting back and forth between her 'charge' and the ones that were keeping her from him. Dammit, it wasn't supposed to happen this way. SHE was supposed to be keeping THEM away!
Jaden was still limp in Trio's arms, the satyr looking as though he'd been through quite a bit. The normally kept, braided hair was matted and flecked through with leaves and twigs. His skin was bruised here and there and looked as though he'd crawled through the mud on at least one occasion. About all that was left of his clothing was enough fabric of his shorts to be considered decent, and the necklace he never removed.
Dulci blinked as Wasa stood up, taking the little one with her. Then Etain and Shiro had to go. Turning to Annora, her eyes went wide, and her hands clung to the other girl's arm as if to keep her from leaving too. Hearing about butterflies again, the young dryad nodded exhuberantly and hopped up and down a few times.
Angie waved to Shiro and Etain as they left and turned towards the girls, to watch them as they played, her silence giving a chance for thoughts to permiate her mind.
Sankouri hunched down, waiting until Aeriel's attention wasn't on him before he leapt, pinning her to the ground once more with his weight. "Izumi, go to Angie. Tell her to take Annora to her house, please," Trio said, standing and lifting the dead weight of the satyr as best she could. "San, keep her there," she directed the dark blue zurui, and she made for the small house, praying the door was unlocked.
Finding it to be so, she shoved it open, pushing Jaden inside and ignoring the neglected state of the place. As soon as she could manage it, she shut the door firmly behind her, locking Aeriel and Sankouri out.
Angie kept a wary eye on the girls, watching Simaria's current state of alertness. As Izumi came over and told her what Trio had said, Angie nodded. "Annora, Dulci, c'mere please." Angie thanked the zurui messenger and held her hands out to the girls. "It looks like you'll be coming over to see Dulci's koi pond sooner than you thought, Annora." The fox-girl smiled, and glanced back at Simaria, quietly asking her to follow them back to her home, instead of wandering like the siamese normally did.
Daddy had told Annora to mind Angie, so Annora nodded cheerfully. "You can show me all over your room," she told Dulci, as the they headed off, her eyes bright and unshadowed. Izumi fell back, trailing behind them warily, nervous of Aeriel.
"NO, NO, NO!!!" Aeriel heard the lock slide into place and let off a volley of kicks against Sankouri, trying to get him OFF her. "Get her OUT OF THERE!"
As soon as Trio was safely inside the house, San let go, taking the kicks and rolling away as best he could. Confused eyes watched her warily, the response making no sense to him. He'd been expecting a demand to be let inside, not get his charge out.
Aeriel raced for the door, scratching at it wildly with her front paws as the sharp barks started up again. "Help me!" she cried out, turning to look at Sankouri as if this was all his fault. "You IDIOT. I wasn't defending him... he can take care of himself. I was trying to protect you morons FROM HIM!"
At that, his eyes widened, then narrowed. She certainly seemed frantic, but... if she was so determined to keep them away, why not simply SAY that before? Why only now, when it was just him she had to convince? He eyed the cottage, then the seemingly-desperate zurui. Was the confusion before real? Or were her words now a trap?
Aeriel snarled then, sitting down in front of the door when she realised he wasn't helping her. "Fine," she muttered, curling up and glaring at the closed and locked door. "You're the one that'll have to pick up the pieces."
He waited until she was calmer, then padded forward, until he was just beside her, ears perked and straining to hear any sound from inside. As he sat there, green eyes slanted toward her again, watching solemnly.
***
Once inside the house, Jaden seemed to start to wake, letting out a soft moan as he was put on the floor for the time being. He curled up on himself, one hand fisting into the fur of one leg.
Trio relaxed a little as he made a sound, moving to kneel beside him. "It's okay. You're going to be just fine," she murmured softly, reaching up to touch his forehead.
One hand immediately came up, swatting away the hand as a low growl came from the satyr. His head lifted, glaring at the woman with eyes that seemed to gleam crimson.
Trio jerked back, staring at Jaden with widening eyes. "What...?" she whispered.
Shaking his head violently, Jaden slid back slightly, until his back was pressed against the wall. "Get out," he growled, the gleam fading for a moment or two. "Get away."
"...You're hurt," Trio answered softly, her eyes shifting momentarily to the door as she calculated the distance. If she could get there, slide the lock out and get it open before he caught up... But surely he couldn't be a danger to her...
"NOW!" he snarled, the gleam coming back as he shifted one leg beneath him, the hoof letting out a solid 'thud' against the floor as he braced himself to jump.
She didn't question it. She just bolted, hitting the door as her fingers scrambled for the lock to try to wrench it open.
Aeriel jumped back as she heard something hit the door. "MOVE!" she shouted, calling to Sankouri as she darted up alongside the door to squirm inside the second it was open... IF it opened.
Jaden's weight moved to the curled leg, the satyr mobile in a flash. In that instant, he had Trio pinned against the door, his body pressed against hers to keep her from getting it open. It only lasted a moment, however, and he pulled away just as quickly with a hiss. "This... is why I left," he managed to say, backing up and away from her.
Another figure stepped into the room then, the same quiet one that had presided over the shop in Jaden's absence. "I recommend you go," he whispered, bringing up a hand as magic swirled around his fingertips to hold the rebellious satyr in its grasp. "He'll be back to himself soon enough... but he shouldn't have returned yet."
She said only one thing, not looking at either of them as she forced her fingers to open the lock and finally work the door. "I'll want answers soon." The words, meant to be firm, were obviously shaken, and before she could change that, she'd tumbled through the open door, dragging it closed behind her and sprawling on the ground.
Aeriel raced past her, nearly stampeding ONTO the woman as she bolted through the open door. Almost as if she knew what to do, the zurui paused just inside, kicking the door closed behind her.
"What... the hell...?" Trio murmured, looking worriedly at Sankouri. One hand lifted to him, and he nuzzled it lightly, licking her fingers before catching the hem of her shirt in his teeth and tugging. The message was clear. 'Let's get out of here while there's still time.'
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