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Spring Thaw.

The mountains around the valley in which the Delaran home was situated were finally beginning to melt and slowly fade back to their hues of purple and gray. Trees all around were slowly straightening their branches with a new life and the flowers were just beginning to lift their little heads above the soggy grass in the chill of the morning. It was sunny, and if one stood still long enough they could feel the soft kiss of the sun upon their skin even through the lingering chill of a dying winter.

Upon the wrap around porch of the Delaran home was Isi, just hobbling out of the confines of the home at Aphi's beckoning. They were coming out to enjoy the warm apple cider that Aphi had made from scratch that morning and watch the world slowly awaken with life (much to Eiry's dismay, who feasted happily that winter). Isi was using only one crutch today, hoping to get some exercise, so he was able to bring out his own drink. He had to lean his head over and sip a little from the cider every time he took a couple steps though, otherwise the hot liquid might spill on his hand.

Isi slowly hobbled over to the swinging bench that had been installed for several decades and he carefully sat himself down, hugging his crutch in the nook of one arm. He lifted amused brows as he watched Eiry's minty body flit around the edges of the property. Every where he went, the dying trees that might've not been able to survive winter sprung up again with life. It was Eiry's breakfast.

Aphismet and Rivner should be out soon, Isi thought and he glanced over his shoulder towards the door he had just exited through.

Isi pulled a smile out of no where as Aphismet came and sat beside him, balancing his drink as carefully as he could when the other man sat down on the bench. He was feeling good today. After all this time, ducking out of the way of both Aphismet and Chloe, Isi could finally straighten his back and just be with his family. It felt good, considering all that had been happening. Finally, they had reached a point where there was no danger, no sorrow, no stress. Isi had been needing it. He needed a break before anything else happened. He needed some calm, some happiness, some joy. Who knows when the next pile of crap would hit the fan.

Isi shoved all those distractingly depressing thoughts out of his mind though. As he was just thinking, this was a day to enjoy. He cupped the drink in his hands, letting a satisfied smile droop onto his cheeks as the warmth from the cider radiated into his hands from his clay mug.

With a small chuckle, Isi nodded and breathed in the warm steaming air, "It is, finally Jack Frost has moved on, and so has Father Winter," he commented in reference to his favorite holiday animated feature, "Oh, yes, the apple cider is fantastic. It's even better than Apple Farm's! What kind of apples did you use?

"...Hmm...What I think? Right now?" he paused for dramatic effect and he grinned, "I think: Finally! How about you?"

Eiry, in the distance, crouched down low in the dirt and mud and breathed in the sappy sweet essence of death that had been lingering in a dying bush. It sprung back to life and Eiry gulped in satisfaction.

Isi, for the most part, believed himself to be the happiest out of everyone in the household. The change was dramatic, from the depths of nightmare plagued worries and physical hurts to the blissful happiness of only worrying about his ward and his family. It made him happy to think about it. In fact, his complete infatuation with the turn of events prompted him to think and only think on how fortunate things were finally turning out to be. He didn't think about how life was often pinned on a wheel and its gravity was closely intertwined with the psychology of "What Goes Up Must Come Down" theory.

"It's because I have nothing to do but read all day and do homework," Isi replied with a matter-of-fact nod of his head. He giggled once as his brother reached over and tussled his gray hair into the brown. "I think you should, Aphi. When the next Lab 305 event rolls around you should set up a booth and sell your home-made cider! I'm sure it'll be around summer time. And I can make apple themed desserts on the side, how about that? We'll be an apple confectionery!"

Then Aphismet gave him a knit of his brows, asking him a question. The cripple didn't think that there was much to be discussed. After all, it was either discussed, or it was all taken care of and Isi had no further qualms about it. If something was on his mind, Isi was the type to come out and say it if something irked him. Isi shook his head at his brother, trying to dispel all of his worries, "I may have worried a lot, but that's alright, Aphi. I can only ask you to forgive me of the same crime. But that's what brothers do, right? Things are better now, so let's try and forget about those bad things. And yes, Aphi, how many times must I tell you, you're forgiven! Can you forgive me for my reactions?"

Noticing the red of his brother from the corner of his eye, Eiry let an impish grin spill upon his cheeks. So with the practiced angling of his ethereal flamed wings, Eiry sunk into the earth with his intangibility.

"Classes?" asked Isi, glancing up at his brother incredulously. It made him feel funny in a way and subconsciously he reached forward and rubbed at his knees. The thought was enticing, sure, but Isi had no clue what kind of classes he'd take. Would he be able to take them from the home so that he wouldn't have to move far? Or would he have to be bused down to the University? Would Aphi be there? Isi suddenly determined that'd he'd only go the University if Aphi was there alongside him. He didn't feel...Well, it wasn't like he wasn't social, but...He didn't feel brave enough. Especially at a University! He was only 15 now. "I'll go if you go, Aphi," the boy responded, "But I think that'll be good for you, Aphi, an education is the worth while thing in the world, besides imagination, that is."

Isi nodded his head as if to himself and he discreetly brought his arms back into his lap to fold his hands.

With a hoot and a cry, Eiry's hands grasped Riv's ribbon and pulled him down from his lofty place in the air. "Riv!" he shouted playfully, crawling out from the ground and laughing.

"Not anything," Isi chuckled, the laugh sounding a little forced, but he laughed all the same. It was somehow comical to Isi, as if he didn't understand why Aphi placed so much faith in him or thought that it was comical that he thought so. Isi had considered it from time to time, boredly glancing out the window as he paused in his studies, but it was always something a little less than a dream. It wasn't a particularly strong desire, nor did he ever really think that he would one day being hobbling in the corridors of a pristine college of learning. It was only a vision, but here was Aphismet, his adopted older brother, proposing the idea as if it could happen tomorrow if he wanted it to.

By the way Aphi talked and how the gleam of hope glimmered in his eyes, Isi, for a brief moment forgot the restrains of reality and believed that he could do anything.

"When I grow up...?" Well...Isi hadn't thought about that before. Furrowing a brown brow, the young teenager took a moment to pause and think on it. Well...What was there that he could do? He always taken his legs into consideration, but he never really completed the equation. "...A writer, I guess. When I was little I wanted to be a singer...Like Andrea Bochelli! Or make things and sell them, a craftsman. I don't really know, Aphi, I never really thought on it."

"I was eating, yes," Eiry nodded his head as he floated up to his brother's height and floated about him lazily like a weary planet, "But now I'm not. What are you doing? Talking with the trees?"

Isi shrugged weakly at Aphismet's encouragement. He wasn't used to this kind of treatment and it kind of made him embarrassed to be complimented like this! A slight blush tinted the upper portions of his cheeks beneath his grey eyes and he nodded softly at his brother's question, "Yes, I sing, but not often. Usually when you guys aren't around, that's why you don't hear me. I like to sing with Beauregard when he plays some of my favorite songs and operas. Musicals, you know? I guess I was just inspired by Andrea Bochelli when I was little...Old Maasi used to listen to him as she cooked before she lost her bloody marbles."

"Start thinking? It's so far away, though Aphi. And I'll try to be as happy as I can." Isi nodded his head, leaning back in the swing so that he made it swing a little underneath them.

Then Aphismet asked him to join with the painting. Isi screwed his mouth into a frown and he looked at Aphi, kind of hopeful and kind of incredulously, "That'd be nice. But, do you think that'd be alright with Rivener? I mean... That always struck me as a time for just the two of you, like we have our cooking time, you know?"

Frowning at his brother, the minty green raevan peered closer, as if something were wrong with Rivener's face. He then cocked his head to the side and asked, completely ignoring the command to leave, "Do you need a hug?"

And without waiting for an answer, he threw his arms around Rivner and hugged him tight.

Isi shrugged his shoulders and when he saw Aphismet refilling his own cup, Isi looked down at his own and discovered that it too was empty. He made a frown, confused at how the delicious cider could've disappeared so quickly, but he lifted his cup up, quietly asking for more as if he were Oliver Twist. "Eh, I suppose...I'll ask first though. I don't want to intrude. But that would be nice for a change...I'd like to try my hand at painting. I've never really done it before."

Then, when Aphismet offered up the idea of hearing him sing, Isi couldn't help but laugh out loud. He threw his head back, partly because of the laugh and also because of the bangs that were getting in his eyes. "Ha! I bet you would. The only song I know how to sing word for word, though, is kind of cheesy. It's an old 80s song and I doubt you know the tune..." Isi seemed excited though, as if he were tempted to assuage Aphi's inclination to hear him sing.

Eiry gave him a tighter hug, as tight as his scrawny arms could squeeze until he let Rivener go. When he didn't find a smile on his brother's lips, Eiry furrowed his brows and he lifted his face and clonked his forhead on Riv's.

"Hello, in there? Is my brother inside? Is he playing hide and go seek?" Eiry called, trying to find his brother within the other's eyes.