Welcome to Gaia! ::

Shoesy was annoyed. That was actually an understatement, but he didn't know any other term accurate enough for his feeling right now. It was very likely that Franklin would have known, but asking her would have only made things that much worse. Actually, Dootsie was more enjoyable company than the bitter, brilliantly coloured female.

And it was Dootsie that was currently lounding on his back.... singing. If you could call it that. "Oh, when you're down and looking for some cheering up, just head right on up to the Candy Mountain cave. When you get inside, you'll find yourself a cheery land, such a happy and joy-filled and perky merry land. They've got lollipops and gummy drops and candy things, oh so many things that will brighten up your day!!"

This was, thus far, the seventh time he'd sung it. With a groan, Shoesy put his paws to his ear and hung his head over the edge of the chair they were both laying in. He could kill Almalphia right now, he really could.


As it was, Blaithin wasn't annyoed; in fact, she was terrified. But then again, that wasn't something out of the ordinaire as of late, "NOOoOOOOoooo!" the wail suddenly rung through the house as the lithe seraphim dashed past the chair the other two were lounging, "Pleaspleasdfasdfpleaseasplease!" the sobs racked her body as she attempted to climb up a random piece of furniture, doing a poorjob at it and only leaving long claw marks in her wake.

It was Coral whom peeked his head in, large purple eyes sparkling as he stepped in, "Oh honey...." he walked straight over to the distrassed female and attempted to take her off the wood, "He didn't mean that; I promise. Miko's harmless. He's a ghost, yes, but I promise, he's harmless, baby, don't worry about him."

Coral was not managing much; Blai merely unclung from the furniture and turned to cling onto the sparkly male (whom was in fact, believe to be a girl by Blai herself; no one would've been able to tell other after all, unless they'd have lifted up Coral's metaphorical skirt), "Ohhhhh! HE CAME OUT OF THE WALL!"

"Ghosts... tend to do that, honey," Managing to move his frame, it was only then that he noticed Dootsie and Shosey, "Little help here? Please."

Dootsie had actually shut up for a second when the female came bursting into the room. He lifted his head a little, eyes large and blinking at her during the entire little episode, with his bow half flopped over one eye. It had only been a few days since the entire large lot of them had moved into a house together and things were... not quite settled down yet. The mated couples were more than a little happy about it--tomoko and riddick kept their family in one of the upstairs wardrobes, and almalphia and mewtwo had claimed a cupboard; neither couple had been heard from since the move--but those that hadn't met before hand were finding things to be a little.. difficult. Personally, the one Shoesy felt most sorry for in all of this, beyond himself, was Erik.

He took the distraction as an opportunity to dislodge himself from Dootsie. No matter how he'd insisted that he was NOT a pillow, Dootsie believed otherwise. For that, at least, he was grateful to the little spotted "sister" he'd picked up a few months ago. In feeling such, he hopped off the chair and headed over to the other two. He seemed to be the only one that understood that Coral was a male, but it was likely because he was so antisocial he spent most of his time observing rather than assuming. It wasn't something he felt the need to proclaim, though. He took Blaithin off of Coral and allowed her to drape her form over his body instead. "There there.. the ghost isn't going to hurt anyone."

One problem to another. Speaking of problems, the bright blue feli had followed him, without Shoesy's knowledge. He looked sad or contrite, poking his nose into Blaithin's face. For a moment it seemed as if he were actually going to say something intelligent, or at least helpful...

"OH WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND LOOKING FOR SOME CHEERING UP THEN JUST HEAD RIGHT ON UP TO THE CANDY MOUNTAIN--WERERMLLWERE."

"NO!" Shoesy snapped as his paws clamped around Dootsie's muzzle.


As soon as he was released, Coral dusted himself off, taking extra care to run his paw through his long, wavy hair, "I promise you, love, Miko means no harm; he's a bit scary, specialy at night, but he has no ill intentions what so ever. He's a bit.... lonely since his kiddos left and his mate vanished, poof, into thin air. Can't blame him for trying to talk to a random pretty, can you, hon?" this said, he sat down and licked his paw, grooming himself back 'into place'. He was content enough to let Shoe keep the litthe spotted seraph; after all, if anything, Coral had noticed a sort of affinity between the two.

"What if he shows up when I'm SLEEPING and just STARES at me?" a pause, "Oh god, ghosts are so scary!" she burried her head into


Shoe's neck fluff, clinging onto him for dear life. It was then she felt a warm nose pressed against hers, and Blai stiffened, her maw adding a grimace as she took a deep breath in and kept it. She liked Shoe; not that she herself knew, but she liked him well enough to cling to him and otherwise... well, sleep under him in need be. She liked Coral too, but mostly because she thought him a girl, but Dootsie she knew was a male and somehow the contact made her flinch and then stiffen. And then came the singing. Blai's ears flattened and she reeled back, the force either sending her out of Shoe's arms, or .... taking her with him. Time would tell.

Coral smirked slightly from the side, wiggling a finger in the air, to Dootsie's song.

"Gyah!" Shoesy was almost drug down with the female. He kept his balance at the end, mostly because of the paws about Dootsie's muzzle, but she was spilt onto the carpet. He winced, glad that Almalphia wasn't about to have seen that--he'd be scolded for a week. As much as he was grateful to her for her help in the earlier days of his association with other feli, the girl was a nag. Saying that aloud would likely bring down the wrath of her mate, however, and thus he kept his mouth shut on the topic. "Dootsie.. shut. up."

"won't work." A new voice interjected. Shoesy looked up to see Jack lounging on the grandfather clock above them. She had a new pair of goggles about her eyes, a christmas gift, to block out the painful light and was watching them from up above with an amused smirk. "you have to distract him, not give him orders."

"WEDFWEOIUUUELLEEEEE." Indeed, Dootsie was still attempting to sing, regardless of the fact that he couldn't open his mouth. He seemed to be enjoying himself immsely.

Shoesy sighed softly, and looked down at Blaithin, "you okay?"

"Owww...." the seraph winced slightly, even as Coral bent down to finaly help her to her feet, grinning during the whole episode, "Owwwww...." it was repeated again, the hints of tears shinning in her eyes as she stood up and rubbed her head; it hurt. Her back hurt too. Oh god HER SOUL hurt! Whining softly, mostly to herself, she used the pads of her left paw to rush the tears out of her eyes, just in time to see Jack pad in. GOD! Why did they all have to look so SCARY! After a moment's pause, she scooted towards the side, trying to hide her form slightly behind Shoesy's; needless to say the move in hadn't helped Blai fit in all too well.

"Likely not!" the words were chirped by a male that had peeked in from the hallway, smirk showing off brilliant fangs.

As far as Gabriel was concerned, it was all hilarious. The demon had in fact enjoyed the move in; it meant fresh, new meat and really interesting individuals to interact with.

Coral chuckled lightly, preening like a bird before he sat himself down, "Offer him some food?"

"Candy's more like," Gabriel spoke up again, whistling from the door, "Ey, Dootsie, kid; wanna go to candy mountain with me?" he licked his maw, however, no doubt, for reasons other than candy itself.

Blai had decided that she would stay behind Shoesy. THank you very much, "I.... think so?" she wasn't all that sure how long she'd remain 'okay' with these .... strange ones around however.

Or if they'd eat her in her sleep. She winced swiftly at the thought before leaning into Shoesy to whisper, "In the forest, there were hardly as many scary... things."


"Yet you cried then, too," Shoesy reminded her. He wasn't prone to being nice, after all, and this was more than he could handle at the best of times. For his part, Dootsie had heard mention of Candy Moutain and thought it would be best for him to be elsewhere.

"MMWERCANDY MOUNTAIN!!" He yelled joyously after he'd yanked his muzzle free of Shoesy's grasp. "PLEASE TAKE ME TO CANDY MOUNTAIN!!" The pale blue feli turned and galloped over to Gabriel, leaping to knock him over in his excitement.

Jack gave a little chuckle from atop her clockwork tower--she preferred to be up high during the day. At least from this vatage point she would know if anything were to sneak up upon her. "A little high strung, arn't they?" She asked with a raised brow. Her father's attitude had certainly been planted well into his daughter's brain.

"I didn't know THIS back THEN though!" she told him as she clung to around his middle insistently; just like he wasn't prone to being nice, she didn't quite seem to mind all that much. Not at all anyhow.

Gabriel for his part was perfectly happy to comply, "Oh baby, I'll take you candy mountains, and I'll bloody wel make you see the STARS and MOON too if you want to," and this said, he happily ushured the male out of the room. Females, males.... to him it was all the same. It was the way of the demon. He was glad his sister wasn't around to smack him. Or that pink feli girl; the nag. Dear lord.

"You get used to them," this from Coral, whom had resumed his bath, his tongue passing through his digits in turn, "They mean well," his gaze turned to look at the parting Gabriel, a brow arching,


"Most of them anyhow," turning to glance back up at Jack, he, tilted his head; some of both his mother and father had seeped into Coral; as girly as his father, and as.... eccentric as his mother, even though he possesed no powers of his own.

"That one didn't," She jerked her head towards the leaving 'couple'. Not that she cared--it wasn't as if Dootsie would know what was going on, and Jack didn't have the morals to stop it. Besides, he might even like it, who knew? "But most of us have that pretty well figured out."

Shoesy frowned. He turned his head to look at Blaithin, "You saw that one that just took Dootsie? Don't go anywhere with him... and don't be alone with him."

"Most," the tone was deadpan from the wavy-haired male as he groomed himself, "Amazing that some still haven't; demons will be demons," he said, almost as if that were obvious, and the more normal of things in the world.

Her ears flickered lightly towards the door before her eyes followed, "What about the ghost?"

"Actualy, it's poltergeist; and he can't touch you," Coral nodded towards the door, "Not like THAT guy that just left can anyhow," it was amazing how he spoke so easily, and without feeling embarrassed.


Jack made a snorting sound that was actually laughter. Shoesy glared up at her and shook his head. "Demons will be demons," He repeated softly. Moving away from Blaithin so that he could actually face her, he patted her head softly. "Its as this... one says." He didn't know Coral's name, "It can't touch you; it can't harm you in anyway.. so you might as well not be scared of it."

"But you can be scared of the other guy," Jack added helpfully, "He'll make you scream." She grinned.

"Coral," the male supplied helpfully with a wave of his paw, "And it was my pleasure," of course, he didn't quite get he hadn't helped at all. Or if he did understand, he made a great point of ignoring this fact, "Miko could only touch his mate. Apparently something about a connection needing, or something. He can't hurt anyone, honey."

Blai's eyes shot from Jack, to Shoesy, to Coral, and then back to Shoesy. The only thing she could decide on after all this talk about ghosts, poltergeists and demons was..... "I'm sleeping with you tonight," she proclaimed with a squeak that foretold she had absolutely no idea of the implications her words gathered.

Coral on the other hand seemed to know; a snort was released, which he masqueraded as a cough, the grin upon his maw aparent, "I bet she is," he said as he stood up.


Shoesy glared at Coral, an expression liable to melt glass. He patted Blai's shoulder "Of course you are."

Jack snickered as well, "She sleeps with him pretty often, actually. Its amazing he's still so uptight. Makes you wonder how well she gets the job done."

Shoesy bristled. "It isn't like that!!" From the grin upon Jack's face, it was immediately obvious that protesting was not something he should have done.

"Which is the issue, then, is it not?"

"You are no lady."

"never claimed to be."


"Indeed," Coral smirked again, just slightly before standing up to leave, crossing the door just as a prim, small, pretty little feli padded past him and in. This one had beautiful fae wings, and wore a long kimono that dragged past her; her fur itself seemed on fire, like flames, "If it helps any," came her voice, sweet and musical like no other, "Gabriel doesn't do anything he's not allowed to by the other party; he does not enjoy Rape," her eyes sparkled as she sat down, looking up at Jack for a moment, offering her a smile, "A simple 'no' will do."

Coral turned at the door to smirk back at them, "Hard to believe Violet there is a demon too, hmmm?" a glance back at Jack, "Actualy; I don't think she knows she has a job to do; that's the problem," this said he slipped out to tend to whatever business he had to.


Violet, unlike Jack, was in fact a lady, and she couldn't help but smile faintly, hiding it with a paw, "Well... there is a time and place, and probably someone should Talk to her," she hinted lightly, "What with some of the characters around this house hold."


"Talk to whom?" Shoesy frowned. He was becoming somewhat confused, as much as he didn't like to admit it. He'd thought the conversation was well and over with. Jack stayed silent, watching the pretty 'female' leaving the room.

Tilting her head, Violet blinked, "With the little girl you seem hell bent on protecting, of course! A girl's got to know some facts!" her gaze moved up to Jack, but noticing her silent as well, shrugged lightly, "Regardless," she said as she took a spot of the sofa, layng her head on a soft coushin, "It's your life to decide."

If Shoesy was confused.... well, let's just say Blai wasn't getting anywhere; she leaned into the large male again and wrinkled her nose, "I don't get it," she told him softly, then ignoring the other two recidents of the room, rubed her head on his leg, like a cat would have to get attention, "I want to go outside; come with me?"

"Yes... lets." He frowned. He was NOT giving that talk to Blaithin. Nu-uh! Not. Ever. The male lifted his head and stood up, heading towards the hallway so they could go out the flap-door to the porch. They could hope that there wouldn't be annoying about out there--or at least no one annoying--but with over fifty feli in one house that wasn't terribly likely. This place was going to get very hard to live in fairly soon, he thought.


Meanwhile, upstairs sat two males, both vividly biquering, one with the other. The reason for their biquering? Amusingly enough, Blai herself, whom had run out crying upon their simultaneous appearence.

"It is."

"I'm telling you it's not!"

"It bloody well IS!"

"IS NOT!" Erik went as far as stomping his foot down as he glared at the poltergeist, "How can it be my fault she ran out?! I'm not half as hidious, thank you very much!" a pause as he bared his teeth, then turned to look away, "And I'm ALIVE! I didn't come in through the wall!"

Miko frowned back at the phantom, pointed a semi invisible claw at him, his aura swirling around him,

"Yeah well! I sure as hell wasn't the one that scared her! At least I'm not the one that stalks the bloody house at night and hammers on that BLASTED piano! GODS! You wake up the DEAD!" the sarcasm dripped off his voice.

"Pun intended we assume?" Franklin turned the page of her book. Interestingly enough this wasn't annoying her in the slightest, and she found it no trouble to concentrate on both the text and their voices simultaneously. "Personally, I believe you both had a part in it.. You're about equal as far as hideousness goes."

"Can we please just stop arguing?" Xanatos asked softly. The stary male dropped his head between his forepaws, still quite content with hiding under the bed, thank you very much. "Someone aught to go see if she's okay..."

"Why don't you?" Franklin arched a brow at the page, though she meant it towards him.

He muttered something but felt silent.

Even though the jab was at Miko, Erik's head swiftly turned so he could hiss at the female behind him, "Stay out of this; who asked for your opinion? All you ever do sit there, acting high and mighty; please, like we care!" despite the claim, it seemed he cared readily enough; he'd bristled, "And I'm not hideous; I'm extremely elegant!"

"Stalker tendencies aside?" the ghost was doing an excellent job at ignoring Frankling, unlike Erik, amusingly enough, "How dare you imply I'm the one that scared her when you're the ******** barbarian that can't even court his woman correctly!" the words were snapped, his aura bristling hideously; since Nadia had vanished, a year ago, and his kids had left, bar Banshee... well, Miko had grown irritable. It was logical.

After a snort was offered, the ghost sat down and looked away, an ear twitching towards the Seraph, "She's fine I'd bet. It's a perfect oportunity for her knight in shinning armor anyhow. Probably did her good."

Erik too had sat down, turning to look away from both ghost and female, careful to leave his masked side out of Franklin's sight, offering her instead the side which was apparently healthy, "He won't because he's a bit of a coward; don't blame him. His family's odd as all hell."

Franklin laughed when Erik snapped at her. It never got any less amusing, which was a wonderful thing as far as she was concerned. He was just so entertaining to toy with! So, she continued to read through the new textbook she'd gotten for christmas, completely ignoring his little outburst.

Xanatos frowned a litlte, "Nights shining armor?" He wasn't stupid but he was a little on the slow side. Erik's remark didn't go unnoticed, though, "And, no offense sir, but yours isn't exactly the most normal, either. Actually, there are many similarities."

"I don't HAVE a family," came the phantom's remark, "I'm not related to any of the souls in this damned house; I'm not tired to any and lord only know why the heck I'm even here to START with!"

A sneer from the ghost at this point, going as far as to swatt his tail at Erik, quite unamused, "First off, don't go ditching the kid's family, second off, you're bloody well free to go! WHO is keeping you?!" he spread his paws before snorting, floating off to sit near Xanatos, "Ignore him; he's just cranky 'cause he ain't getting any tonight."

"Or any other night for that matter!" chirped a voice from the bed; Brick had been laying there, content to WATCH the chaos, for once, and he waved his paw, seemingly to a tune only he could hear, his maw spreading into a smirk, "Ain't that similar to what most males 'round here suffer anyhow," a pause, ".... well, 'cept Mewtwo. And Riddick," another pause, "Man, I wanna be just like him," a frown followed, "What is it with them going at it like rabbits and the rest not getting a lick anyhow."


"Ugh." Franklin couldn't ignore that last comment. She made a face; the thought of her parents... well, that was just disgusting. Xanatos had similar thoughts but he kept them to himself. "Well with his attitude he isn't liable to get any, ever." Almalphia smirked. "Especially when he goes off dissing his own family like that.. isn't that right, grandpa?"

Xanatos's eyebrows rose at that. "Miko, you shouldn't say stuff like that.. he might really go! who knows what might happen to him out there!"

Instantly Erik stiffened and pointed a claw at Almy, "Don't call me that! Who said I WANTED any-"

"Who doesn't?" this was, amusingly enough, an extremely innocent question from Brick himself. He blinked once, twice, staring at Erik, as if expecting an answer.

The phantom instead just hung his head, then turned around and hit it against the wall softly, several time, "I should very brave the outside world," he turned to face Almy, "Not related!"

Miko whom had stopped being cranky and turned to fix as a sad gaze at the wall snorted lightly, "It dun matter. Blood dun really matter," his aura had settled down and he looked further more transparent than before, "Where'd she go anyhow." the last was murmured to himself, his ears flattened.

Xanatos tried to pat Miko's shoulder but.. that was apparantly difficult. He shivered a little as his paw passed through the other feli's body. That felt weird. "Everybody wants family.. and we all kind of are family, in a more... spiritual sense." He winced, not sure how politically correct that was with a ghost in the room.

"Are." Franklin smirked at Erik, more than a little amused at this one. "My father hails you as his father, therefore we're related. In the spiritual sense."

"But she's gone," and that said, the ghost closed his eyes bitterly and without further word faded into nothing; it was impossible to tell if he'd left the room or if he was actually still there listening.

"That doesn't RELATE us; it makes me a surrogate!" he snapped at the girl, sneering at her, "I like your FATHER; I just don't like YOU."

Brick was still pondering his own issues, "Hmmm..." he said suddenly, uncharacteristically soft, "Dude, I never had a father till I came here. I kinna like it. Even if not blood. Feels sorta nice, having someone there an' all," a pause, "Who looked after you?" he turned to look at Erik.

Erik let out a sigh, "Tomoko."

A long pause from Brick, then a smirk, "Man, we're ont odd, weird, ******** up family then."

Xanatos paused, "Wait. Wouldn't that make us his brothers? And her great uncles?"

Franklin perked her ears at that. She wasn't totally sure she liked the way that half of the conversation was going, but what could she say about it? It was a can of worms she'd opened herself. "It doesn't matter if you like me or not, grandfather. We're still related, surrogate or not."

Brick sniggered under his breath at that, "No idea; like I said, it's one weird ******** up tangled web we're weaving here," he was insanely amused, but then again, that was the norm. He slid his gaze over at Franklin and leered, "That means she neds to respect us and do all we want her to?"

Erik on the other hand was sitting, with tail curled about his body, thumping the ground; he felt oddly out of place, uncomfortable and the odd one out, "Yes, well, Tomoko was quite the mother hen back then; took me in. Rescued me when I was a kit from the Krueger guy," he shuddered then. That was one experience he did not wish to live through again. Not only had he been almost molested and his face exposed that night, but he'd had recurring nightmares for a long while,

"Doesn't make us related; if that were so, all the feli in this house would be related! Even half the mated ones!"

Brick wrinkled his nose at that, "Dude."

"Not blood related, and thats what matters.. but in thought.." She chuckled a little then wrinkled her nose at brick. "I don't necessarily have to respect you.. and won't if i chose not to." She thumped her tail once against her desktop perch for emphasis then returned shaded eyes to her book. "If you think Tomoko is bad, try Almalphia."

"Almy is nice," Xanatos frowned in defense. "She cares about you... " There was that problem of nagging but.. well.. "Who is Krueger?"

Brick smirked, tilting his head, "I like her; she's fun to anger," a pause as he tapped his chin, "But really, I wouldn't annoy either one of those females. Bloody temper. Shows in the mates they took I figure," At Xanatos' question, he turned to glance first at the seraph, and then at Erik, head tilted to one side.

Before Erik could answer, Tomoko herself stepped into the room, "He's an a*****e. A ***** and a god damned soul, that's what," she sneered, "He's this dude, lord knows where the ******** he came from; appeared one day at the feli house. Stalked Erik here when he arrive because they both had ahh.... disfigured faces. His worse than Erik's though," she didn't tiptoe around the facts; it was best to get it out fast, like ripping a bandage off. Swift, "Stalked Erik in life and dream for a whole two days before I found him; the dude'd cornered him againt's a wall and lord knows what would've happened had I not stepped in with my own father. Aparently the b*****d's afraid of fire," she sat, "that's one feli I won't be missing."

Erik shuddered once through the tale then sharply flattened his ears and looked away.

Franklin knew better than to tease about this one, though she could have come up with a few sarcastic remarks to say about it. For one thing, it was a bad subject to make light of... for another, Tomoko would have her hide and she knew better than to cross this one. The two 'matriarchs' of the house Feli seemed to have become Tomoko and Almalphia, though why no one could really figure out. Perhaps it was the over abundance of mothering tendencies--ironically, or perhaps it was a direct result of this, the worst of the pair had no actual children of her own. "Seems to be a regular charmer, he does. Certainly goes far into explaining some things."

"Hi mom," Xanatos smiled and wagged his tail a little.

Indeed, amongst all the feli that DFA owned, it was Tomoko's word that prevailed, specially in a time of crisis, and the other did well to step aside if she so deemed it right. She didn't even had to glance at Franklin to know she was, anyways, too... intelligent to poke fun at such an incident after all, "Goes far into explain a helluave lot. For one, probably the way he stiffens and snarls and refuses to BE with anyone; you'd be surprised the hell he put me through when I had to groom h-"

"TOMOKO!" the word was snarled by the phantom, whom bristled under his coat, frowned, turned and stormed off out of the room, his 'mother' watching after him as he went.

After a moment of silence, she continued, glancing pointedly at Franklin, for whatever reason, "He's not half as bad; all a defense mechanism, I'd wager; it's part of the reason I dropped Mewtwo over his head when he dropped in," this said, she padded over to Xanatos and gave him a long lick over his head, "Hi sweetie; I head yells."

"Hmmmm..." this was from Brick, "Mom, where's dad?" an ear flicked.

"Not entirely sure; not out though. It's light."

Franklin chuckled softly as Erik went. It was all very amusing to her, at least in reference to his current behavior, and she smirked after him. Some might have thought she didn't care, but in a fashion she did. At least enough to want to know more.

"probably asleep," Xanatos replied, "or hiding.. he and Jack used to only come out during the night.."

"She's probably up high if you want her," Franklin said and climbed to her feet. A short jump landed her down on the floor and she trotted out of the room after Erik.

Tomoko snorted as she worked at Xanatos' ears, grooming and nibbling at them, "Night-prowlers to the death. And people wonder why I nap away most the day?" she turned her head in time to watch Franklin padding out of the room, a single brow arched, but she did not comment further than a small "Hmmmm..." this done she turned back her work, "You're next, Brick."

"Awwww Man!"

Xanatos chuckled softly and then began to purr as he leaned into his mother. He didn't understand what all the fuss was about with mates and what not. Who needed anything more than parents and siblings?

Franklin, for her part, could do very well without any of them. Yet, she trudged along after Eric anyway. Perhaps it was morbid curosity or some lingering feelings of emotion that she'd tried most of her life to deny. Deciding it was just better not to think about it, Franklin continued on her way, attempting to pick up the scent of wherever he'd gone.

For his part, Erik had padded out and downstairs; he was currently lounging on top of the piano he so liked to played, ever so predictable. However, unlike most days, he wasn't perched on the bench, but rather, the piano itself, his head held up by a paw, propped against the dark surface. His other paw hung languidly over the edge of the instrument's rim, his claws gracing the keys bellow without actually making music.

Whatever it was he was thinking... well, he seemed to have drowned in it, so far he never noticed Franklin's approach, or anyone else's for that matter. The room was dimly lit, the windows closed and the curtains drawn so no sun peeked in; in fact, only Erik's eyes were visible, glowing in the dark.

Franklin followed him down the stairs and to the livingroom. It really shoudl have been obvious where he'd go. She shook her head, looking about the room. Violet was asleep in the couch and Jack was curled up on top of the clock, her eyes nothing more than the faintest slivers of reflecting light in the darkness. Well, being alone wasn't something most feli got here anymore.

Not that she wanted to be alone with Erik.

The pink and sparkly female, outside so very much unlike her personality, padded across the room and over to the piano. She hopped up onto the bench then the piano top. "its amazing. I'd half expected you to be singing one of those depressing little arias of yours."

For the longest of moments he did not answer; in fact, his claws just kept gracing the keys, but never made even the faintest of sounds. He kep this up for a full minute before he turned his head to gaze at her. Even though it was hard to see in the darkness of the room, he'd furrowed his brow; he had half a mind to ignore her, and half a mind to lash out at her verbaly. She always had that effect on him. Even her mere presence, though he cared not to dwell into the whys, "She's asleep," he told Franklin, motioning towards the sofa, then his gaze raised up to look at Jack slightly, "And I have no idea about. Don't care regardless," a pause before he glared at the pink female again, but it had lost all the force; he was drained, "What do you care? Have you appointed yourself my own personal ghost today?"

"Perhaps I have, perhaps i have not." Franklin shrugged, "Besides that, you're assuming that i care." She settled herself down. "So does that really explain your feelings about love, then? Because some thing tried to molest you when you were small you'll forever be alone?"

A snort before he turned away, content to gaze at the wall he'd beens taring at before as he resumed the languid, lazy gracing of his claws over the keyboard, "Hardly; it was sarcasm, my dear," after this, he said no more, though the slight twitch of an eye; his masked one, and an ear did signal she'd been heard well enough. It was only after a very long pause, during which it seemed as if he was not going to answer, he turned to face her in the dark, eyes narrowed, "Would you believe me if I said I have no idea? I don't control love; do you?" he was in fact being serious, not sarcastic, "Doesn't mean I'll be alone forever, just makes me edgy around the topic, as proved, amusingly enough, and an unprobably candidate for anyone to fall for anyhow," a sneer at this point, "Not like i was to begin with; but regardless."

"As Riddick or Mewtwo were?" She snorted herself then chuckled. "Men are so funny. You assume I mean romantic love, anyway. You push everyone away, even those who would only love you as family."

A snort again, almost as if he were somewhat amused by the mention of both name; the ghost of a smil smeed to haunt his maw ever so slightly, but it might've been missed in the darkness, "I don't know; one has the bad boy appeal going for him," he said nonchalantly, "The other had..." he frowned, looked up at the ceiling, then back at the wall before looking at Franklin out the corner of an eye, "He got lucky."

He turned back towards the wall then, his tail flicking to one side, "Well," he seemed to hesitate, his eyes narrowing till they were slits, "I'm passionate by nature; I assume it's romantic love. Regardless, I don't really feel comfortable with anyone," he turned his head, glancing out the corner of an eye, "It's alien. Satisfied? Feel free to go off to mock me, if it so pleases you, but that's the kettle calling the pot black right there."


Franklin shrugged, "My lifestyle isn't assumed by many, and its interesting to speak to others about why they might chose it. I chose it because I feel this way and i was born as such. But choosing it because you see that its the easiest route out of something that scares you.. well thats not really a choice."

"Right?" he arched a brow, "It's not so much scares me as I don't like it; which at the same time makes me similar to you. For whatever reason you have, or I have, in the end it's the same. Dog, mutt, wolf, in the end they're all canine," he spoke softly, having turned back towards the wall, his finger now gracing one key till it made a small sound, then releasing it, "The same analogy could go for you; one could say, and lord," he pressed his paw against the wood of the piano a second, rolling his eyes, "Lord pray this never happens, but a psychiatrist feli might come along and interpret the way you feel a need to put down others as a lack of security on your part."

The female laughed, a good solid laugh--one of the few she'd ever given. "Oh that is quite the interesting idea, but that psychiatrist would be sadly mistaken. I happen to know that i'm much smarter than the general breed of idiot around here and have not a single doubt about it. But let me guess--stating that is an admission of how much i truly doubt it, isn't it?" She chuckled and looked at him over the rims of her glasses.

"Regardless; you'd have that feli," and again he patted the wood of the piano as if a need to reassure himself this would not happen, "Tagging along your every footstep, trying to annoying analyze your every feeling, your every move," a small smirk was offered at her; he still gazed out the corner of and eye, "No, that just makes you a genius. And as such, you like to isolate yourself."

"Careful, Erik, that was dangerously close to a complement."

"Hardly, if it's what you believe and the truth; you are intelligent. Being a genius doesn't have to mean you're nice, or a good person. Just that you're intelligent," he waved a paw slightly in the darkness, his tail coming to grace the keys instead of the paw he was using, as if they were a safety blanket.

"By that same logic, it isn't a compliment unless you take it as one. I hardly care about being nice or anyone else's definition of a 'good person' beyond my own, therefore being called a genius is a compliment to me, as well as a statement of fact." She shrugged. "Beyond that, I am nicer than some, I'll have you know. There's many a girl would have slammed the cover over those keys by now; you shouldn't put your tail in such a place when there are irrational feli lurking about every corner." Franklin didn't bother to remind him that Jack was in the room.

"Exactly; if you believe it's a compliment, it is. If you don't, it's not," he shrugged lightly, still drained, but obviously having, amusingly enough, calmed down somewhat, "You can decide, the same way I can decide," Again he lifted his gaze to the ceiling, "One man's garbage can be another man's treasure, or so they say."

After a moment's pause, he turned his head to glance at her, a brow arching into the hair that fell erratically over his forehead, "Oh? I figure they'd have done so by now, if they'd wanted to," another pause, however, he did bring his tail back up over on top of the piano, the fluff curling about his body, having passed by her side to do so, "Careful there yourself," he mimiced her, "One'd think you really did give a damn."

"I believe we've already decided in this conversation that everyone will take things said as they wish and you shouldn't worry about what other people think of you?" Franklin smirked at him.

"or, is that an underhanded attempt at finding out if i truly do care?"

"Indeed, and well, I am rather curious by now; you followed me all the way here. Why?" there was a purpose to it, and something in him refused to think it was just her wanting to comfort or anything along that spectrum, "Are you really that morbidly curious as to dissect my actions acording to my past?"

"Why not?" She shrugged faintly. "Is there anything really more interesting to do about here?"

"I don't know, you tell me," he arched a brow, then sat up, spreading his paws a bit to gesture around them, "We're living in a house with freaks a plenty; there's ghosts, pyromaniacs, vampires, amongs other things, each probably stranger than the former and you're here, questioning me."

Franklin chuckled, "Perhaps you stand out in a house full of terrors? Your near-normalicy, by comparison, is truly out of place here."

"Normal," he snorted somewhat, then elegantly moved to land on the bench of the piano. He stayed there for a moment, frowning at whatever thoughts went through his head. It wasn't till he looked back up at her that he spoke again, "You should stay away from me," he gave no further explanation to these words, however, it was to be noted they were not snapped, or even harsh in the least. It seemed to be a warning for her wellbeing more than anything for some reason or other. This done, he moved across the living room and towards the door, pausing only briefly by the sofa to nudge Violet's foot back on top of it, from it was erratically dangling in her sleep. Then he walked out and towards one of the bedrooms; he had half a mind of curling up under a bed and sleeping. Or thinking. Or dreaming. Or all three. He wasn't sure.

Franklin looked after him with hooded eyes. A warning? how.. Quaint. "You really should, you know," Jack's voice drifted out of the darkness. The brilliant female stretched herself and gave a shrug.

"no. he won't be that lucky."

Like a lightning bug, he seemed to glow at the top of the stairwell, perched upon the railing in the otherwise darkness of the house. Today, for once, it was quiet. The winter snows had slackened off, leaving fresh white over everything outside--a world of pristine beauty unmatched by anything else in nature. So, obviously, the rest of the house's citizens had to descend upon the scene in droves to turn it into a muddy, disgusting heap of ugliness. Cupra Charoum, typically called Charms, had felt the need to retreat to the relative sanity of the indoors. At least there he couldn't witness their defilement of natural wonders.


Death, unlike most of the house's inhabitants, had taken to staying inside, amusing, really, for just like her pelt seemed to deny her very lineage, so did her personality. Very much unlike her sisters, mother or father, Death was very much content and perfectly sane. Well, the 'sane' part was partially discusible, what with taking into her upbringing, but she seemed to have taken it better than her sisters. She, at least, was social enough to endure conversation and provide insightful thoughts to situations. Problem was, others usually avoided her. At first she'd thought it was her lineage making her infamous. Now, however, she had the inkling of a thought it had to do with the fact.... others couldn't look at her for more than two minutes straight without wincing in pain. If anything, she was a walking ... .... a walking something. She didn't quite know what. She practically GLOWED in the darkness of the house as she headed up the stairs, pausing only briefly when she spotted Charms.

Wings. Guardian. Her mind did the sum pretty quickly, for she knew Kala (and her father), "Pretty..."


Well obviously they meant him. Charms opened his eyes, one glowing the other dark, and looked about until he found the source of said comment. Whatever it was... well, he'd grown used to the fact that no one could challenge his beauty, but this creature was far on the opposite side of the equation. He supposed if she'd been stripped of her eye-gouging colours, her body would have been fit enough to call beautiful, but even he, the guardian of light, couldn't handle this. He sat up and reeled back a little in revulsion. "That I am.. and...what might i ask are you?"


A small pause from the female, whom flattened her ears back briefly, looking away from the male, "Death," the word was whispered before she dared look back up at him, wincing slightly, her tail coming to hide between her legs. Oh, she'd seen the revulsion in his eyes, and she'd watched him reel back; at least it was dark enough he didn't go running for the hills, "How come you're so pretty? I want to be pretty too... everyone avoids me," another pause as she frowned, not even beginning to understand why in god's name she was confiding in this creature.


Awwww the poor thing! It would have been heartbreaking if he weren't completely disgusted. Still, there was some sympathy there. After all, who wouldn't want to be beautiful as he was? Oh, he doubted this.. creature.. could ever reach his levels, but there were some things she could probably do to help.. lighten her particular level of unattractiveness.

Charms hopped off of his perch and down the stairs a ways to stand beside her,looking her over. "Well.. .. ah.. Hmm... it will.. definitely be difficult.. I assume you're willing to work?"

The small female's ears perked instantly; indeed, where her pelt may not have been the prettiest, her build was feminine, and it was obvious with help, she could be turned for the better, "Yes, yes!" it was enthusiastic, and she practically jumped up and down, but soon enough remembered her manners, and just whom, and what she was talking with, "I mean; yes, I am. Very much so sir," even though her mother and father (as lovely as they were in their own way!) had never told her about guardians, her grandmother, Tomoko, had in fact taken the time to tell her a story or two. They were gods on earth, and even if some of them weren't the brightest stars int he heavens *couhkalacough* they should be treated with the respect they're due, "What is it I should do?" a pause, and her ears lowered a notch, "And what is it I should call you?"

"I am Cupra Charoum... though i suppose you might call me Charms; the others do readily enough and you'll hear it before long." He didn't mind his nickname that much, actually, not anymore. Though all his instincts rebelled at actually touching the girl, he put a paw on her shoulder to lead her along upstairs. "Come with me my dear. This.. will be quite the operation."

"Operation?" a pause, and one of her ears lowered a bit, "Will it hurt me, Mr.... Charms?" for some reason using a nickname seemed odd to her, but she went along with it; there were times she wished her own name had a nickname. Death. There were feli out there that had bluntly asked if her parents hated her, which was, in fact, not the case at all! They were just.... a little on the odder side, she figured, but then again, taking into account one of her siblings names was Body bag... something told her she'd gotten off easy with Death, "I hope it doesn't hurt, and that there's no blood, because I uhm.... I uhm... see... got a problem," taking into account her lineague it was rather shameful to boot, "I... can't handle blood. I faint at the sight of it, and yeah..."

He snorted and shook his head, "Well, there may be some pain.. i can't guarantee that. No pain, no gain, when it comes to beauty! But there shouldn't be any blood... unless we pierce your ears. We might need to."

The lighted feli lead her down the dark hall to his owner's bathroom. Rather than light the place himself, though he could have, he jumped upon the counter and flicked the light switch so they could see. "First off, a bath. The right scents and fur treatments will help a good deal..." He paused to look her over. "i do wish i could bleach out some of that repugnant fushia.. we'll just have to work with what we have." A short glide later landed him on the edge of the bath tub. He pushed a few knobs and pulled the stopper and soon there was a bath being drawn.

"Pierce my ears?" the female paled, and shivered slightly, but otherwise allowed herself to be lead on forward; no pain, no gain. He was right. If she wanted something done, she had to work for it, and something told her that asking her savior (and oh, he WAS indeed her savior) if he was positively SURE about this.... was not the best of ideas. He wanted to help her, after all!

A wince was offered when he mentioned the fuchsia, and she smiled hesitantly up at him, her ears lowered and her body hunched. It seemed to be a natural pose for her; as if trying to make herself as small as possible, in hopes she's shrink... and .... well, she wasn't sure WHAT, "Do I get inside?" she perched herself on side of the bath and then dropped herself in without a sound, not waiting for an answer; not that she was dirty though. She was quite good at taking care and keeping clean.


He sighed at her posture... or lack there of. This was going to take far more than a single day, he knew--there were personality issues and confidence to work at. He figured she probably had a few more habits that would have to be kicked as well. Lord have mercy.

Charms nodded, "Climb on in. We're going to start with shampoo and conditioner. I belieeeve.... my stuff is..." He looked about and finally 'ahha'ed over a bottle of his favorite form of shampoo. Reaching out a paw he took a good rub in a dry patch of her fur. "It isn't terribly bad, though a little on the dry side. We can fix that. Now, dunk your self in."


"It isn't?" that was the first time anyone had ever said 'it wasn't all that bad' to her, but then again, it'd come right after him calling her pelt color 'repugnant', so she wasn't sure if it balanced it out, or if the compliment was... worth more. Either way, the female took a deep breath and dunked herself, resurfacing only after a few seconds, a gleeful smile on her maw, "Thank you for helping me! No one's ever done that for me before; they usually look away; I think i hurt their eyes," she blinked, and looked hesitant, then looked up, confused, "No one in my family looks like this.... I'm the odd one out."

"Well... at least we have that to be thankful for," He replied dryly, as if he hadn't the faintest idea that his words could be hurtful... or, else he didn't care. He opened the bottle and, after a few moments of maneuvering the object, managed to squirt a goodly amount upon her back. "It seems as if you need all the help you can get." Leaning in, the guardian began to scrub the shampoo into her fur.

"Thankful that I'm the odd one out?" one ear perked, and her head tilted to one side, confusion written over her features, however, it was short lived for she had to take a deep breath and wince away, her eyes shut as the liquid was sprayed on her. She was smart enough to not open her eyes any more and she sat there awkwardly instead, basically letting him have his way, "You're a guardian," she said suddenly, out of the blue as he scrubbed her fur, "What are you the Guardian of?" a pause, "Uhm, if I may so ask.... I just know Kala. She's the guardian of flight. And her father, Summer.... I didn't know there were others."


"There are many." He replied easily, not minding the questions. It gave him something to do besides contemplate the fuschia nightmare beneath his paws.. and a dire hope that her parents never again bred. "I have seen, though not quite met, one other in the house. I believe this might be your 'Kala'. I am the Guardian of Light."

"Yes; she's very pretty herself. Looks like a peacock. She.... controls the weather and skies. Sort of. Or at least... that's what I've come to understand?" she kept her eyes shut as the male rubbed at her, however, she could not help but perk her ears as he mentioned his domain. And instantly regretted it as soap made it's way into them, forcing her to squeal and dunk herself under water, shaking herself off only slightly, "Sorry..." coughing into a paw, she closed her eyes again, "It's just that, wow, Light. THat's a very pretty domain.... are you really gods?"


"I... wouldn't go that far, myself." Amazing, modesty coming from one such as him! He chuckled, "Though I suppose I'd have to be with these looks."

Well, at least he'd been done scrubbing the shampoo into her fur when she'd gone under. "Dunk once more, i need to get this out." He leaned over further this time so that he could help to scrub it out again when she's gone further under. By this time the water was up to her neck, so it wasn't that hard, and when he was done, Charms stopped to turn the faucet off. "You seem to know a rather lot about us."


She did as told; obedient at least (and rather glad no one was about to see her in such a situation, but then again, no one LOOKED at her anyhow, so it wasn't THAT much of a deal). After she'd resurfaced again, she fought the urge to shake the water off of her and instead looked over at him, "You do look like one; you glow. I really like it," a pause after she'd considered something, "You look more pretty than many girls I've seen.... but you're not a girl," her nose told her that much; inherited from her parents? She wasn't sure. It wasn't hard to remain under water practically to her nose; Charms had had the decency to make the water rather comfortable. In fact, had she not been excited as she was, she'd have been drifting off to sleep, so comfortable was it, "I have nothing to do... so I read. Summer left some things behind, Kala brought them here. I read them."


"There are a lot of readers in this house, then," He noted and began the process all over again with some conditioner. "Now, Death, this is conditioner.. you should use it every other bath, and you should bathe once a day. You don't want to use this too often, as it could lead to over hydration of the fur.. but for right now, just as i said before and we'll see how that goes over after a week or so." It was like he was a doctor. He finished in a few moments, "Dunk again."

"There's nothing much else for me to do; few talk to me. They tire, make and excuse and leave. I know the truth though; I hurt their eyes. So instead I read," instead, she figured she should've tried this.... magic he was going to do on her first though. Alas, she'd never thought to change. Doctor he was indeed; the female nodded to all the instructions he mentioned and dunked again, this time taking in a deeper breath and staying under water as much as humanly (or Feli....ly) possible.

"Alright.. you can get out now." He pulled the plug and jumped aside to grab a towel. "Towel dry first, because we need you to be damp, but not soaked for some of the next step.

Instinct fueled the next reaction; she jumped out and shock herself like a drenched dog, pausing mid-shake, only to grin pathetically at him in apology, "Sorry..." she took the towel, sat and wrapped herself in it as if it were a cloak; in a way it helped. It hid her pelt.

He was covered in water now. Expression dour, the male sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as he controlled his reaction. "Never do that again." Mopping some of the water off his face, he flung it aside and then pulled a towel down for himself. "lightly dry the fur, rubbing the fur into the towel. Never, ever shake ones self like some form of... beast. You must always remember that you are a beautiful, refined creature of poise and grace. You must never allow yourself to sink to such uncouth levels. Do you understand?"

"I am?" if it were ever possible to have stars in ones eyes, Death had that at that moment; she nodded her head firmly at his claim and sat herself down to work at drying her pelt off, "I understand sir," it was said firmly, seriously, almost as if she'd suddenly decided this creature in front of her was meant to be obeyed in all his wisdom and glory.

"Good." He nodded and took her towel away as he tossed his own aside. After testing her fur he decided it was ready. "Up on the counter with me."

Leaping up upon it, Charms looked over the various beauty supplies held there. After a few moments he picked out one that squirted out some foam and began to rub it into her fur without pausing to ask permission. "This is for body. You apply it before you blow dry, and rub it in well. once done...."

He paused until he finished, and then grabbed the blow dryer. "you pick up the brush and run it through your fur, wherever the blow dryer is hitting you, okay?"

Stretching out her bat wings, she too leapt upon the counter, following the Guardian without mayor difficulty; as it was right now, he could've told Death to jump off a bridge and to her literal... well, death, and she would have done it without the blink of an eye. Blinking, she waited as he rubbed even MORE stuff into her, nodding at his instructions, taking the brush into her paws, "I understand," and thus she prepared herself, brushing as soon as the air hit her pelt, "Do you do this every day too?"


"of course! What better way to spend the morning than making yourself a pleasure to look upon. Granted, most of my beauty is very natural, but even those of us blessed with such things can use an extra bit of help."

"Oooooh!" he might as well have been reading the bible to her; as far as she was concerned, she'd just had an epiphany. A major epiphany, "It sounds wonderful..." the words were breathed as she daydreamed, brushing away at her pelt, her tail waggling behind her.

"And with hard work and dedication, .... just about anyone can become pretty and pleasing to the eye. Turn around." He got the blow drying working on her other side then. Already she seemed a little better... the colours were truly glaring, but at least there was a sort of softness to her features now.

She did so without hesitation, allowing him to work at her pelt, blowing about it before she paused, "Uhm, I can't reach... back there," she demonstrated with the brush, making an awkward movement with a paw as she looked at him over her shoulder, "I hope that's true though. That'd make me... so happy."

"Well.. i'll brush that out as soon as we dry it." He held the dryer over it for a few moments then turned the machine off. After taking the brush from her, he began to comb out her fur and style it a little better than she'd had before. "A hundred strokes per side, at the very least."

"Thank you," she knew she didn't HAVE to say it yet, but it was worth saying regardless, just because.... well, he was being so nice to her! So nice she wanted to cry; if the salty tears wouldn't have been a hazard for her newly arranged fur anyhow, "Okay," and thus, she began to count them, loudly, "One, two, three..." and so on as he brushed her, feeling more and more like humming a tune

Now.. when this is done... we're going to have to think about counteracting your.. natural colouration. As feli this is rather difficult. There aren't many dyes we can use, and i we can't bleach your entire body.. Hmm.."

"How about clothes?" her head turned to look at him over her shoulder, "I've seen a few with them; would that help any?" her ears perked at her own suggestion, almost as if expecting it to work yet.... not quite sure if he'd shoot her down. It was strange. She was afraid to be confident; it'd take a long while yet.

"hmm.. usually I don't approve of them. They're clunky and... well. Actually in this case I think they could help a great deal. We'll have to do something about your ..ah.. hair.. though. its rather short but.." He grabbed just a small bit of mouse and reached up. After a few moments of working with it, he had the tuft of longer hair upon her head fixed up into a stylish short cut. "I think we'll do earrings after all. A couple of gold ones should help to bring down the octaves on your fushia.. now. Follow me." He jumped off the counter and headed back into the bedroom towards the closet.