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[Reserved- Meeting Observer Ithe and Leilani]

[Biotic Interactions: Meeting Researcher Kitten and Seveda]


Kitten was busy, as usual, with arms full of stacks of papers and her girl following behind with only a tiny novel. Not that the girl was being disrespectful, Kitten just refused to let Seveda carry heavy things without a reason. For one, it helped Kitten boost her strength (minimal as it was) and for another Seveda usually ended up dropping them at some point along the way.

Oh well, you want something done right you gotta do it yourself.

The destination for the two today? The Darwin Wing of course. That was...if Kitten could just remember which way she was supposed to go. Snaps. She knew the way perfectly when leaving from her lab, but from where she'd started out she just seemed too turned around to help herself.

Why weren't there others in the hall? Not that asking anyone which way the Darwin Wing was would do her any good since not many knew about it just yet, but Kitten would have felt better asking for directions.

Raven walked down the hallways of the Laboratories purposefully. Even carrying Eirinn in her arms did not slow her down in the slightest. After all, there were places to go, things to do, and working in two research facilities and teaching at one was rather draining on a woman. Even if she was a powerful, accomplished woman.

The problem with walking with such purpose was that her mind tended to block out other stimuli. Like people going in the other direction. So when she finally saw the other woman, it was too late, and she walked into her.

Eirinn was watching the hallways pass by, but when she was suddenly rammed into a person, she let out an uncharacteristically loud shriek, followed by her more usual sniffling cries. What was THAT?

Normally Kitten would have noticed the distracted woman and avoided her, especially bogged down with as many papers as she was, but today was just not turning out to be her day. Clearly. The woman had only take a short moment to turn her head and tell Seveda to catch up when she felt something rather large collide into her.

Naturally, the woman's first reaction was to drop the rather large bundle of papers; her next reaction was irritation. "Bloody f--fickle papers," she'd started before noticing Seveda's curious gaze and the woman and child before her. Cursing was not befitting of a Researcher of the Vale.

"I'm sorry," Kitten grumbled as she knelt down and began scooping papers back into her arms, shoving a few at Seveda to hold as she gathered so the other woman wouldn't have to put down the child in order to help. Kitten didn't much want any help anyway.

Such was the amount of distraction that Raven didn't even notice that she had plowed into somebody else until she heard Eirinn's scream. A moment later, she felt something hit her foot, and she looked down. There was indeed something- or rather someone- stooped there, gathering papers. She seemed apologetic, at least.

"It's alright," Raven said dismissively, offering no apology of her own. After all, if the other woman apologized it was clearly her fault. Her focus was not on the other observer much, but instead on the specimen- and of course, her own crying charge.

Whimpering, Eirinn had buried her face in her hands. Whatever was going on, it was unusual and scary and she did not like it at all.

Lifting her brows as she stood, Kitten looked inquisitively at the woman standing before her and holding her child. True, Kitten hadn't wanted to cause the woman any discomfort by asking her for help but she wasn't going to accept the woman not apologizing.

"It would be alright if you would apologize as well," she said, attempting to be sweet. She had to keep a good face for Seveda, bickering with a woman over something as silly as running into one another was really, very silly.

Seveda smiled and tried to wave at the little green girl, clucking her tongue against the back of her teeth in an attempt to get her attention. If the little girl did manage to look over at Seveda she'd flash a silly face to try and cheer her up since she seemed quite upset.

Raising her eyebrows, Raven actually looked at her fellow observer then. Did she just ask for an apology? From her? Clearly this one had some spunk after all. Raven wasn't entirely sure she liked that, especially when she went around demanding things in that soft-spoken way.

"And it would be alright if they made the hallways bigger," Raven finally replied coldly. "Now we each know what the other wants."

Still, she would have to stay on guard. If this woman was going to make things difficult for her, then something would have to be done.

Shying away from both Raven and the other lady, Eirinn responded instantly to the clicking noise, turning her head so fast that it made her hair float on end for a moment. "Mmma?"

Seveda turned too look at the woman who'd just back-talked her mother. To be truthful, the tulip girl was even less aquainted with the rules of the Vale when it came to observers, but she'd always been in the belief that those with older Vale meant more experience and thusly garnished more respect. Of course, Seveda and Kitten hadn't been around all that long and it was entirely possible that the other woman and her Vale to be far more experienced than Kitten and herself, but that was without mentioning Kitten's recent promotion.

Unlike Seveda, Kitten didn't blink a lash at the woman's harsh reaction. If the woman wasn't willing to apologize up front then it usually meant that she wasn't willing to be pleasant about much else. "I'm sorry mam, is that an official complaint? I'm pretty sure I have one of those in here, Kitten replied, trailing off as she turned to look into her stack of papers, leafing through them until she found a sheet with 'Complaints' written across the top.

Hefting the stack of paper's into Seveda's unexpecting arms, Kitten pulled the clipboard out of the stack and reached for the pen in her lab coat pocket. "So that was on request for larger hallways? Was there anything else that I could report for you? I've no doubt Miss Uenoh'ai will be pleased to learn of things the Vale can do to improve your experience here," she asked, scribbling across the paper, "Oh! And I'll need your name of course." Kitten was good, she didn't let herself leak a single drop of sarcasm into her short speech, instead she sounded like an over-excited Greenhouse Helper.

And that was exactly what causing trouble looked like. To Raven at least; to anyone else it was probably known as resolution. Not used to being put in her place, she took an involuntary step back. Apparently she had run into somebody of a higher rank than herself. It was bound to happen, but that didn't make it any better.

Raven's voice was far softer when she spoke again, but retained most of its iciness. "A suggestion, not a complaint. Another helpful tool might be to have mirrors installed at intersections, so that it is possible to see others when coming around corners."

The voices were a bit too loud for Eirinn's liking, and she began to whimper again, balling her hands into fists and placing them over her ears. There was too much discord, and even though she couldn't recognize it for what it was, she still felt uncomfortable and on the verge of crying again.

Kitten's face fell in a playful manner that showed she was clearly only joking, "A suggestion? But that's a whole different form," the woman pretended to quip before shrugging her shoulders and handing the form back to Seveda and sticking her pen back into her pocket. "No doubt, but accidents do happen despite such measures that could be taken. I'm sure Uenoh'ai will appreciate the suggestion none-the-less however so I shall mention it to her next time I meet with her."

The researcher's voice was nothing more than soft and pleasant during the exchange, so the sight of the little green girl in the woman's arms growing upset was a bit of a worry for the woman. "Is she ok?" Seveda asked before Kitten was able to ask the exact same question. "What's her name? Is she yours?" the girl continued sweetly, inching closer to the child bit by bit.

If Raven were more experienced with people, she might have given the whole situation more thought. Instead she continued on her path, voice slowly smoothing out, as though someone was pouring honey on it. "Accidents will always happen, sadly. However, I am always glad to be of assistance, miss."

Slowly letting her hands uncurl and fall away from her face, Eirinn looked up again. Her wide eyes took in everything, and also showed how green they were- startlingly similar to Raven's, though it was the only trait they shared. When she saw Seveda coming closer, a shy smile appeared on her face. She was pretty!

"I'm sure she's fine," Raven tried to assure them. "She's quite clingy. Something I'm working on, of course, but it's a challenge, and she is still young." Once she felt she had covered herself as best as possible, she looked at the other specimen. "Her name is Eirinn. And I suppose you could say she mine. My name is Pro- is Raven, and I would certainly like to know yours."

Seveda brightened considerably at the smile from Eirinn, smiling back and wiggling her fingers in another friendly wave. The teen was just so damn maternal. Kitten wondered sometimes if the tulip specimen was more of a mother than she was even as a meer teenaged girl. "What a lovely name...Eirinn. How are you little miss Eirinn?" The pink girl reached out to touch the child's nose gently.

"Oh! I'm so sorry for my rudeness! My name is Seveda, and this is my mom, Reseacher Kitten. She's incharge of the Darwin Wing. It's really cool in there, there's so many new pets and eve--" Kitten cleared her throat to cut of her daughter politely. She knew how long Seveda could go on and there were a few things the teen knew that Kitten was hoping to keep quiet for just a bit longer.

"My apologies, she can be quite a chatterbox, can't you dear?"

Giggling a little, Eirinn reached out and grabbed for Seveda's hand, but she wasn't close enough. That didn't mean that she gave up though. She wiggled and stretched out as far as she could, even kicking her legs in an attempt to get closer. It wasn't enough, but that didn't dampen Eirinn's mode or her determination.

Raven's eyes widened visibly, and then she winced- partly at the specimen (if she wasn't a specimen, what was she?) calling her Observer "mom." Partly because she apparently wasn't an Observer, but a Researcher. While Raven might have missed a few key rules when she arrived, she made sure she knew the ranks and how to address them. And even if she hadn't, the "in charge of the Darwin Wing" cleared up any confusion. The woman was in charge of a whole wing? No wonder she had leverage!

Listening to Seveda chatter demurely- she hadn't heard of the wing, but apparently it dealt with animals in some way- she then flashed a knowing smile at Kitten. "No need to apologize, Researcher Kitten. After all, children will be children."

The pink haired girl laughed softly and held her hand out for the girl to grasp or chew on or whatever it was she wanted to do. "Eirinn, Eirinn," the teen chirped softly before looking up at Raven. "May I hold her mam? I promise, I've held other babies and I'm really good with them," she said hurridly with a bright smile, ready to drop her armful of papers at just the meer thought of a positive reply.

"But of course," Kitten replied with a nod and one of those knowing nods. Seeing Seveda all too eager to hold little Eirinn, the woman reached out and grabbed the papers from the girl's arms. The last thing she needed was for the girl to go ditching the papers on the ground again. They were all so scattered already in the cluster that Kitten was going to lose valuable time resorting them.

For the first time, Raven smiled. While the Observer- or rather, Researcher- might have a few things to learn, her specimen was clearly charming and obedient. Nodding affirmatively, she handed Eirinn over, pleased to have a break from carrying the girl. She might not have been especially heavy, but Raven wasn't especially strong either.

Frozen momentarily, Eirinn panicked as she was being handed over, and tried to grab hold of Raven's labcoat. Her fingers slipped over the smooth material, and in moments she found herself in the arms of a stranger. But it was a nice stranger, and Raven was still nearby, so at least she wasn't being abandoned. Still, that didn't make her any less nervous.

Casting an awkward glance at the messy papers, Raven nodded again. "I'm sorry your paperwork spilled." It was as close as she ever got to an apology. "Is there a way I can help?"

Deep eyes glistened with excitement as she took the child into her arms, bouncing the small green child as she slipped her to her hip. "Little miss Eirinn, how are you today? Do you like to spin?" the girl cooed affectionatly as if the little girl was her very own treasure. Making sure her arms were protective about the little girl, Seveda did a small spin on the balls of her feet, nothing too fast and nothing dizzying by any means; she was only testing to see if the child enjoyed it or not, not wanting to scare her.

Kitten shook her head, waving her free hand infront of her face in a dismissive manner while she hoisted the papers onto her hip like it was her own child. "It's nothing, thank you for the apology but I really should have been watching where I was going. Me dropping a collection of boring forms and papers is nothing compared to what would happen if you'd have dropped Eirinn. I'm relieved that she's alright."

The bouncing didn't do much to reassure Eirinn, but it did distract her sufficiently. Then came the spinning, which was actually enjoyable. It wasn't too fast, but she could still feel the air moving over her face, and she extended her arms about halfway though the spin, reaching out with her fingers as if to try and grasp the wind.

Raven did not comment. What could she say that wouldn't tarnish her image in front of Researcher Kitten, but that would have some vein of truth in it? More than anything else, Raven hated being made a fool of, and in situations like these she did not know how to react, other than giving a halfhearted shrug. It was because of this that she was so comfortable in her research, working in laboratories with subjects, magical or biological, willing or less so.

The researcher only continued to smile as if there was nothing to be bothered about in the world. Honestly, one had to fall pretty far and pretty hard for her to think anything too terrible about them, and even if she disliked someone personally she would never consider letting it sink into her business, especially since her business was now the Vale. "I hope you will bring Eirinn by the Darwin Wing when it is opened more officially...I believe there was an announcement previously but I missed it completely and didn't find out until after the fact. As far as I'm aware the main area's are still closed. Either way, you're both welcome to come have a sneak peek whenever you want as long as you offer up some suggestions. I'm in charge of researching the pets so if I'm researching pets others want to know more about it does nothing but help me."

Seveda giggled as Eirinn stretched out her arms and she'd do another slow twirl, her flowing green skirts billowing and looking quite a lot like like an upside down tulip. "Little miss Eirinn enjoys that? Cutie little girl, how old are you? Cute as a button you are, hmm?" Seveda was talkative even when the person she was talking to didn't jibber right back at her.

A personal invitation? How could she resist? Smirking, Raven nodded yet again, and wondered idly when she had been turned into a bobblehead doll. "I would enjoy that. As would Eirinn, I am sure. And I believe I could come up with a few... suggestions," she continued, emphasizing that last word. "It would be a pleasure."

Though the mention of pets made Raven tense up a bit. Were the Vales all to get pets? That could prove inconvenient. There was already a slacking, useless child running around with a dragon, did she really have to deal with a child and its little pet as well?

That really was fun, and while Eirinn was getting a bit dizzy, it was, in her mind, a good thing. She liked how the girl's voice sounded too- affectionate, and more caring than the one she was used to. Wrinkling her fingers, she held out four. It was an inaccurate answer, but Eirinn didn't really understand the question.

Playfully the teen put on the most shocked face she could manage, gasping softly and wiggling one of her fingers against Eirinn's palm. "Wow! That many? What a big girl you are! I bet your mommy is so proud of you, hmm? Are you a good girl for your mommy?" Kitten tried her best to keep from rolling her eyes. Was it really necessary to be so...so gooey? Well, ok, so that's how Kitten treated babies for the most part as well, but that was completely beside the point. "I'm just glad it's not floating," she thought out-loud and instantly flushing a very deep shade of pink at her slip up.

"I'll be sure to show you only the 'soft' pet's area while Eirinn is with you of course. Not that any of the pets are terrible dangerous but they can be quite...intimidating. I wouldn't want the poor girl to be scared. Any time you'd like to visit the other areas Seveda would be more than capable and most likely more than willing to watch over your little girl. Actually, I'm sure she'd be more than willing to watch your little girl anytime you just needed time to yourself. Seveda's sort of become the Vale's head babysitter," Kitten finished proudly, watching the girl attempt to make a cute, cross-eyed fish expression at the baby.

While the words didn't make much sense to Eirinn yet, the tone was simultaniously fun and comforting. She laughed again, louder, and stuck one of her hands in her mouth. It was then that she saw a bit of Seveda's hair dangling in front of her, swaying temptingly, and she reached out with her sticky hands for it.

Cocking her head, Raven shrugged. Floating? Whatever was that supposed to mean? But she didn't ask. After all, there were some things that just didn't need to be shared. She was far more interested in the invitation, and even more in the information that came after it.

"Oh really?" How absolutely fabulous to hear! Raven's smile widened, and she made a mental note of that in rather large letters. "That is very good to know. I may have to take her up on that as well. You see, I work elsewhere as well, as a teacher, and it is difficult to balance the two."

Kitten couldn't help but laugh softly at the expression on Raven's face; it certainly wasn't a hurtful laugh, just a bit of a chuckle, the woman knew what it was like trying endlessly to find just a little bit of peace from the hectic life of taking care of a child. "Of course, Seveda just adores children, if you couldn't tell. She watches them for free, plays games, reads stories, takes naps; you know, all the good pieces of being younge thrown on in there."

Long locks of the softest pink hues were relatively well pinned back and away from her shoulders, but it wasn't until Seveda realized that it wasn't pinned far back enough that she felt a small tug and noticed the drool-laden fingers. Wrinkling her nose while poking it against Eirinn's cheek she muttered, "Oh gross Eirinn. You know, you're lucky slobber is easily washed out." Seveda tried to sound like she was being a good authority, but it really failed; her voice was just too sing-songy for its own good.

"You should be proud of her," Raven praised. For once, it wasn't entirely empty. While she wasn't fond of spending too much time with children herself- odd for someone in her line of work- she had something close to respect for those who could, and comraderie with those who nurtured the potential in a child. Furthermore, Seveda seemed obedient and well-behaved. Raven could only hope that Eirinn would turn out as well.

The voice changed, but it didn't sound bad. If anything, it sounded funny, and Eirinn laughed again. "Lobba," she stated, clapping her hands together, and then reaching out for Seveda's hair again.

Watching this interaction, Raven couldn't help but frown. Eirinn was a mild-tempered child, but her development was so... slow. She didn't try to form words, or to walk, or anything. "Tell me, Researcher Kitten, how was Miss Seveda's progress growing up?"

It was probably every mother's greatest accomplishment when others complimented their children, and it was Kitten's favorite moment to hear ' you should be proud'. Proud the woman was. Kitten beamed as she watched her teen play with the child, wrinkling her nose and talking to her, the best thing to encourage learning how to talk. "Eirinn is quite sweet, you should be proud of her too. She is just a child afterall, so it's not like she can be doing cartwheels, but she is a fantastic little girl."

"Lobba? No, no lobba," Seveda replied with a sweet smile. "It's Seveda. Seh-Veh-Dah. Can you say Seveda? Can you say Sevvy? Seh-Vee," said the girl slowly so Eirinn could understand. It was really amazing how well the teen could interact with children. Kitten hoped that the girl would be as maternal with her own child when the time came.

At Raven's question the researcher lifted her head and looked over at her, lost in watching her own daughter she was. The question made Kitten's cheeks drain slightly and she'd hoped that Seveda didn't hear. Thankfully the teen was too preoccupied with teaching the green girl her name. "Uhm, well, actually I don't know. I'm sorry. Seveda came into my charge just a few months ago so I don't know how she was when she was younger," Kitten replied before lowering her voice further, "I don't...think she remembers either though."

Proud of a child? Raven wasn't sure she understood. After all, it wasn't as though Eirinn had actually learned anything yet, much to Raven's dismay. What was there to be proud of, other than the satisfaction of a job well done? When she actually did make progress, she could be proud of it. Until then, she would have to keep at it.

More interesting were Researcher Kitten's next comments, and Raven nodded knowingly. "Yes, it is my understanding that there are several specimens who had to change hands, Eirinn among them. Somewhat distressing, however if they couldn't keep up, it's better to move on."

Sevvy? What was a sevvy? Eirinn wrinkled her nose. "Vesy?" she tried, hoping to parrot the other girl. But it was no use, she'd mixed it up. It sounded funny to Eirinn though, and she giggled. "Vesy!"

Seveda puckered heer lips cutely at Eirinn at the, well, could you call it a nickname? "Vesy? What's a Vesy? Try again. Sssssss eh veeeeee," she said, stressing each syllable so the girl could easily follow along. Of course 'easy' carried a different definition between a teen and a child, but Seveda was making it as easy as she thought she could make it. Lifing a finger she poked Eirinn's nose lightly, "And you, little miss, you are Eirinn. Can you say Eirinn?"

The researcher's shoulders shifted into a slight shrug and she sighed. "Indeed it is better to move on, but my heart aches when I think of the trouble Seveda is going through. She's one of the oldest in the complex I'm lead to believe and so when she sees children, learning and growing and making memories with people they hope to know for the rest of their lives, her expression grows sad beyond belief. She knows she's missing everything that they enjoy. Perhaps it's why she takes to children so well. I think she's trying to remember." Kitten didn't know much else to say. Instead she looked down at the papers in her hands and quickly took her pen from her pocket to scribble something down on some form she'd just realized was filled out improperly.

Was this a new game? Eirinn clapped her hands again, and tried out the word. "Sssseeeehh..." That part was easy. But the other part was harder, and suddenly Eirinn was having trouble with the "v" sound. "Sssseh... fi! Ssefi!"

"Remember the past? Whatever for?" Blunt, perhaps, but there was no point in languishing over lost time. Raven had to learn that lesson the hard way. "One can learn from the past, certainly, but knowing when to move forward proactively is key. It least it seems that Miss Seveda is doing that." As was Raven, in her own way. She brushed back an errant strand of hair, and glanced over again. Not a bad child, as children went.

Wrinkling her nose the woman shook her head and laughed softly at the girl. "Sefi? I'm Sefi now?" The teen shrugged. It was closer than the other names the child had tried and she was clearly progressing so Seveda was pleased. "Mama, I taught her my name!" the girl called out to Kitten with a bright expression of pride. "Well, as close to my name as I think she will get. I thin she's having trouble with the v sound."

"Oh my yes, Seveda does not dwell on the past. But I think that unless you have no memories you cannot speak so freely about how to deal with it. I don't believe Seveda to be so obsessed with learning her past that she thinks of nothing else, but I do believe that when she is alone and there is nothing to think of her mind wanders to it. Her recent meeting with Assistant Uenoh'ai seems to have shaken her, but she doesn't want to show it." At the sound of her name being called the gray-haired woman turned to look at Seveda with a warm smile and a nod. "That's great to hear Seveda."

When she heard Seveda's claim, Raven turned outright and stared at the two girls. "What was that? Are you sure she said something real, not just babbling?" That was more than she had done in Raven's presence. Perhaps some socialization was doing the child good. If that was the case, then that would have to be taken into account, though Raven wasn't sure how to arrange for that yet. "Very interesting..."

"Ssefi!" Eirinn repeated, having more fun each time. Was she doing it right? Perhaps not, but she didn't especially care. At the very least, the pink girl seemed to be having fun as well, and that was all that mattered.

"She will manage." That Raven didn't doubt at all. While the children she liked were few and far between, and at the time did not include the ones in her care, she did have her favorites, her "teachers pets" that she came to grow fond of, in her own way, and Seveda showed traits that Raven approved of. "And I'm sure you will help, will you not, Researcher Kitten?"

There may have been a trace of scorn in Raven's voice at the end, but her face remained as unemotional as ever.

Kitten picked up on more things than people usually gave her credit for, and she did note the tonal change in the woman's voice. As before however, Kitten didn't bother trying to call the woman out on it. What wou'd be the point? Nothing. She'd probably just end up making an enemy of Raven and that was much farther down on her list in comparrison to over-looking a tone. "I will help my daughter with anyhing she requests of me. If she does not ask for my help then I will not interfere. Seveda's life is her own and although I call her my daughter and she calls me mom, I cannot presume to claim control over her. She knows she has my support if she just ask."

"Ask about what mama?" the girl asked as she moved over to the two women, snuggling Eirinn affectionatly. After every time the little girl said Sefi Seveda would reply with Sevvy. Far as she was aware, repetition was a great way to learn new things. That's how Kitten taught the pink teen her studies. Seveda was sure that the little girl was making a concerned effort at saying the teen's name. It was too much of a coincidence to be catching onto Sefi when she was trying to learn a word so close to it.

Nodding noncommittally, Raven eyed Eirinn carefully. "I must say, you seem to be getting along well," she commented. "Both of you."

"Ssefi!" chirped Eirinn, clenching her sticky fingers into a fist. "Sssa."

"Very interesting," Raven repeated, thinking to herself. "Miss Seveda, I wonder if you would like to spend more time with Eirinn, perhaps on a scheduled basis." Her mind was racing. If the girl really was interested, maybe she would finally get back to work.

"Vee. Sevee," the teen coached slowly and carefully, trying to stress her mouth movements in the way she pressed her upper teeth against her lower lip and made the humming sound that is the beginning of most v-sounds. She was cut short in the middle of her teaching though when she heard Raven's request.

"Really? I could? Seveda looked over at Kitten to make sure it was ok, but the guardian just shrugged. It was Seveda's time, she could do with it what she wanted. Why bother restricing the interaction; Seveda was having fun and Kitten didn't have to do anything. Actually, it provided a lot of research information about her specimen. "I would love to Miss Raven! She's such a sweetheart and she picks up on things so fast!"

While Eirinn had no idea what was going on, she could tell that people were happy. And that made her happy, and when she was happy she squirmed, just a little, trying to exercise her stiff muscles. "Sseffifi!"

Raven smiled. "In fact, it would be a big help to me if you could, sometimes. I can't watch her all the time, you see, not like this. I have a job outside, and I couldn't possibly take her with me. But if a smart girl like you would want to help- and you would be compensated, if you like- then I think everyone would enjoy it."

Mostly herself, but she couldn't say that. And if the girl wanted to take care of children, all the better.

Seveda laughed and bent over to let the child down. She'd been holding the girl for a while and her arms were growing tired. A squirming little girl would not do well to be in the arms of someone too weak. Carefully she watched to make sure if the girl could stand or not, her hands holding onto Eirinn's. Even if the girl couldn't walk, Seveda would make sure she wasn't about to fall over like a sack of potatos.

"I don't mind at all. I love to spend time with children, and from the other children I've met Eirinn is just the sweetest little girl." Not to say that the other children she'd met had been horrible, but Eury was just so...reserved and Opuntia played his little tricks on her. She adored both of them, but she adored a happy, open child just a bit more.

Kitten lifted her brows at her girl's responce, "Seveda, I think it would be better to phrase your words more carefully. I know what you mean but you don't want to say something like that to someone who doesn't understand."

At first, Eirinn was confused. Why was the pink lady putting her down? Did she not like her anymore? The balls of Eirinn's feet touched the ground, where they swayed for a moment, but it was clear that the toddler couldn't carry her own weight quite yet. It was only because Seveda was holding her that she hadn't falled yet.

"Wonderful," Raven murmured, ignoring the comment about Eirinn. If Seveda thought she was sweet, fine. But her opinions were not quite settled on that matter yet.

Glancing at her precariously balanced specimen, she added "Eirinn isn't quite walking yet. Soon, I hope." Carrying the girl everywhere was exhausting.

Seveda giggled and lifted Eirinn up by her arms just slightly to put the girl's tiny little feet on Seveda's own dress shoe clad feet. "Now she can walk," the teen said as she took a few steps like her own little waltz with the little girl, keeping her steady by holding her hands over her head.

The gray-haired woman smiled at the two of them in their own little world. An off-handed glance at her watch made her eyes widden a bit and she gave an apologetic look over at Raven. "I'm sorry Miss Raven but I really must get this work done for the Darwin Wing. If you would like to join me then you are more than welcome. Of course we're all busy here so I am sure you had your own agenda."

Teetering around was not nearly as fun as the parroting game. While she liked being on the ground, something that Raven rarely let her do, Eirinn felt like her arms were going to be pulled out. Tears welled up un her eyes, and she let out a shriek.

Hoping to avert a messy tantrum, Raven swooped down and picked Eirinn up again. "Maybe she'll catch up to you, soon enough," she said calmly. "And of course, Researcher Kitten, I understand. I have work to attend to as well. I am sure we will see each other again soon."

With that as her goodbye, Raven set off down the hallway again, her mind already on what she might do with connections such as these. Embarrasing or not, it had been a very beneficial meeting, for both parties, perhaps.

Peeking over Raven's shoulder, Eirinn waved one hand at Seveda. "Bah-ba!"

That day found Raven and Eirinn in the Valley section. So far it seemed to be the one that the toddler liked best. She was rolling around in the grass, and while she tried to pull herself up and walk, it was not often and not with good results. Except for an occasional giggle she was mute, more focused on the lovely environment.

Since Eirinn was so at ease, Raven decided to try something. Rising from the bench she had been sitting on, she picked Eirinn up and sat back down, balancing the girl so she was sitting up straight. "Eirinn, do you like it here?"

Eyes wide, Eirinn nodded. She didn't know all of what Raven was saying, but she recognized the words "like" and "here," and knew that she definitely did like here. It was warm, but not too warm, and not dry and dusty like the desert. And there were green things everywhere!

"When you agree, say 'yes,' Eirinn." Remembering Seveda, Raven repeated the word a few times. "Yes. Yessss."

"Yessss," Eirinn parroted, liking the sound of that word, and trying to associate it with the good feelings she had. Of stretching out on the grass under the sun and playing games with other people.

Was that progress, or just a fluke? Raven had to try it again, to see if she was really getting through to the child. "Do you want to go back?"

Tensing up, Eirinn shook her head. She wasn't ready to go back inside! Or go anywhere that wasn't the nice open space with all the fresh, sweet smelling air and the bright light.

"If you don't agree, say no. Nnooooo."

"Noooo." No sounded like sad things, and being told that she couldn't go outside, or that she had to go to sleep even though she wasn't sleepy. No was dark and cold, and something Eirinn wanted to get away from.

It seemed to actually be working. Maybe Eirinn was getting the idea after all. How ironic, that a child could teach Raven something new about teaching. She would have to do something nice for that Seveda girl sometime. A gift, perhaps.

"Now, Eirinn, this is grass. Graaaassssss."

"Gaaasssss."

Raven rubbed her forehead. She still had a ways to go.

{Note: The following is a flashback of a meeting estimated to take place in early November, and was crossposted from Anoki's D-Corp Journal.}
Anoki was lying on his back, his arms and legs tickled by blades of bright green grass. It was hard to believe that it was winter back home when the weather in this pleasant retreat was almost summery. If he didn't know better, he might guess it was May, or maybe September. Certainly not November. But then, nothing was as it seemed.

In truth, Anoki wasn't really sure what was going on. Raven was planning to go on a short vacation, in which case he and the twins would be left in Mahou's care. Which didn't mean much for him. He saw less and less of Raven these days, unless she had something to fault him for. Mahou had said that she was just tired, and busy with another project, but those words had failed to comfort him.

Then she had suddenly gotten sick, and it was as though his world had fallen out from under him. It wasn't just that he suddenly had to follow her to an off-Gaia retreat for her to recover. In fact, that was kind of nice. But that event made it clear to him just how important Mama Ray was to him. Even when she neglected him, even when she scolded him, she was still the closest thing he had to a mother. And he really, really did love her.

"Anoki?" Mahou peered down at the boy, holding a small bundle in her arms. "You remember that your Mama Ray was working on a project, don't you?" She shifted the bundle in her arms, looking around uncertainly, as if afraid of being spotted. The retreat was completely private, of course, the only reason they were there. But still, one could never be too careful.

Without really sitting up, Anoki nodded. "Y-yeah. Why?"

"She wanted you two to meet earlier, under better circumstances. But, well..." Mahou sighed and set the bundle down on the grass, next to Anoki. "Anoki, this is Eirinn. Eirinn, this is Anoki."

A white fleece blanket fell away, and Eirinn could finally see- and be seen. Most people wouldn't expect a little girl who seemed to resemble a four leaf clover as a "project." But then, neither would they expect a human/ibex hybrid to be a "project" either, and he was.

Not that Eirinn knew that. The first thing she thought was that he looked like a tree. He was all brown, and his branches were curly at the top. Except he moved. And he was lying down, so he couldn't be a tree, could he?

If Anoki hadn't already been a stutterer, he would have sounded even more confused than he was. "Sh-she... that's wh-what Mama Ray w-was w-working on? B-but how c-come I never s-saw her? I d-don't-"

"Shush, Anoki." Mahou smiled, but her eyes showed that she was being firm. "Eirinn is a secret. The people at D-Corp can't know about her. So she lives somewhere else, and that's why your Mama Ray's been travelling so much for the past several months. But with her sick, we've gotten permission to move everyone here... for a couple of weeks, anyway." The whole thing was stupidly complicated, in Mahou's opinion, but it was Raven's plan. Even with her mistress indisposed, she couldn't disobey orders.

None of what Mahou was saying made sense to Eirinn, so she just tuned it out. She was more interested in the tree-person anyway. Crawling over to his head, she pulled on one of the curly branches. They felt so smooth, and really sturdy!

Anoki started to sit up, but found that he was being held by the strange clover-girl. Not that he couldn't jerk out of her reach easily enough, but that wouldn't be very fair. Instead he continued to sit up, but slowly, and was curious to see what she would do.

When the branch started to move, Eirinn's eyes widened, and she held on tightly with both hands. It was an interesting feeling, really, as if she was being lifted off of the ground. She was, in fact, as was noticeable when she couldn't feel any part of her on the ground anymore. It was so startling that she let go, and fell back down with a bump.

But where other toddlers might have cried, she didn't. There was a gasp, and she looked sad for a moment, but then she laughed. That was fun! She liked this tree-person!

"Y-you liked that?" Anoki asked, both surprised and amused. He would be lying if he said that having her tug like that didn't hurt at all, but it wasn't too bad. And moreover, he could tell she wasn't doing it out of spite, like Bian sometimes did. She was doing it out of curiosity, probably. And well, he was plenty curious about her.

Mahou stifled a laugh, and patted both kids on their heads. "You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other while we're here. After that... well, we'll see."

"See!" Eirinn chirped, parroting Mahou. It was what Raven had been working on with her last. She was curious what happened to the big purple lady, but the one with weird white petals was nicer anyway, so she didn't mind too much. And this tree person was cool!

"I s-see," Anoki nodded, tickling Eirinn's tummy, delighted when she laughed and tried to bat his hands away. He couldn't play with the twins without lots of whining and crying and hair pulling. But this girl was nice, and he liked that.

"I'll... leave you two alone for a while then. So you can get to know each other." Truthfully, Mahou had to go attend to Raven, and didn't have time to be watching Eirinn. But she wanted to make Anoki think that she trusted him to look after someone who would basically be his "younger sister."

Anoki blinked in surprise, and he looked from Eirinn to Mahou, and back to Eirinn again. "I... I'll l-look after her g-good. I pr-promise!"

"Pomish!" Eirinn echoed, poking Anoki in the leg. She could play his game! She just had to figure out what the game was, first.

"I know you will," Mahou replied with a smile. "Take care."

"I will!" Anoki called back. Then he looked at Eirinn, and stroked one of her strange leaf-like appendages with a finger. "S-so, Eirinn, do you like st-stories?"

"Like!" She thought she remembered what that word meant. Stories was a new one though. The purple lady had never been one for recreational activities.

"Th-then you and I are g-gonna get along g-great!" Now, where was that book?