Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Ba ba bap bap baaa!"

Elly hops along the sidewalk, taking extra care to avoid the cracks, as she's been warned about their magical ability to break backs. Singing obnoxiously and therefore warning of her arrival before reaching the party, the toddler hop hop hops just ahead of her mother and brother, who keep a steady pace behind her just in case. They never know what said case might be with her, but as rambunctious a child as Elly is, and with her condition, her family has come to watch over her with instinctive ferocity.

Not that she'd ever notice it, or let it bother her.

"Party over there??" she chimes, stopping on a dime and pointing at the obvious.

"Yes, hun," Alaina responds with a hint of monotony, now overtaking her daughter and thus dragging her hand across the girl's bare shoulder to urge her along. "Come on, I'm sure you're going to find twenty 'friends' before lunchtime."

Bailey grinned when Archie greeted him and approached the house. Looking up at the man, he smiled even more broadly. "Is Franny inside?"

Dartie rolled her eyes and waved to Archie, and then Dixie. This could be so much worse at least.

Elly races forward, forgetting her game of missing the sidewalk cracks, in an almost magnetized manner toward Archie. Her little patterned dress flutters behind her and her tail streamlines, the bow of the day, a yellow one with white dots, threatening to come loose.

She only catches the tail end of the shout as soon as she's in range to hear it, which, for her, is within a few feet. But "games and all sorts of stuff" is enough to fuel the toddler's party-pumped excitement.

"HALLO!" she shouts up at Archie, beaming madly as she skids to a stop and scuffs her sneakers on the pavement. Her tail, looking frazzled from its journey, comes to rest on the crook of her elbow. "Hi! Hi mister! I'm Elly what'syourname?"

Coudray let out a sigh. Wishing for this day to be over as soon as possible.. just so that he could return home and relax in his room in utter complete darkness. Who knew what this sun was going to do to his perfect light complextion. Kyo always told him that he needed to go outside more often to get some color in his skin, but he didn't see any problem with his skin... it was rather cool in his eyes. His blood red eyes drew up and glared at his guardians face, "Ok lets go get this done as quick and painless as possible..." the boy mumbled with as little effort to throw in any emotion what so ever.

"Just for that... I think we will be the last to leave the party!" Kyo smiled looking down and looked back up and gave Dixie a familiar wave, "IN fact... I think we will stay and help clean up after wards!" The elf snickered at himself, in hopes that this would teach the little boy a bit of socializing and playing with others. Since... a few more kids were showing up.

Autsu had debated the summer fest. There was, of course, the fact that he always took some interest in the development in the newer arrivals. That was what the Unit was for after all. But, sulky, haunted young man that he could be, he wasn't actually the best for socialization. He had little enough understanding of Archie's insistence on seasonal events.

At the last one, he'd had his head dunked in a basin full of water and apples. But then, there had been Kian, and that had made it worth while.

As such, he'd arrived at the Unit's base prior to the parties intended starting time, and spent some time there, reading Marx and debating the whole 'bbq' theory. And, at last, as he began to hear the drifting of noises coming from outside, he stood up. Ques, who'd been in the kitchen while he read, as he usually did, perked up as he did, and grinned.

And, so, it was both of them that made their way into the yard, Autsu heading directly for Archie, while Ques meandered toward Dixie, and so, the food. He was like that, Autsu thought. What comfort he gained from it, the tall, winged alien couldn't guess.

"And how many of ours are expected to arrive?" He asked Archie, as he neared the man. "I lack notes on many of them now, I would appreciate the chance to update the rooster."

Oh, yes, he was lovely in social situations. A pause. His father had taught him to be polite. "You are well?"

It was then that he noted the small child underfoot, the one beaming up at Archie. A happy creature. Surely not one of theirs? Unless, perhaps, she was as Seveile.

Kian had once more decided to go to the annual ICRS Unit festivities. Last time, there had been apples, costumes and, well, kissing. THis time, there was to be fireworks perhaps? He had heard something of the sort but hey, Kian had been known to be wrong before. ...Sometimes.

At least this time, Iamel had opted out of the 'fun'.The alien hadn't bothered to help the rush of relief he had felt when his sibling had announced that. Dee had been offered a trip and Iamel had agreed. So, Kian had a toddler walking beside him.

She was tall for a child of her age but she was equipped in a rather delicate-looking orange sundress that would have looked just as darling as if it had been on Lissel. Unfortunately, Dee was hardly that cute. They could pretend otherwise. She was walking with the careful gait of someone with crap for balance and the knowledge thereof, her green eyes just a bit narrowed.

People. SHe knew some of them. Especially Autsu. One hand rose up, four fingers wriggling in the air.

"I do not think they have noticed you just yet, DDR." Kian lent down and scooped up the gangly toddler, whose fingers curled up into his hair. While not a toddler in mind, she seemed to rather like dark, long hair. It wasn't exactly a bad thing, although odd.

"Food. S'dead." That hand waved.

"Mmm." Oh. There was Autsu. THat was good. So, they trudged onto the yard - to the grill with meat first as Dee seeme intent on her food that was dead.

Bailey grinned happily as Franny led him off to be painted. That wouldn't be so bad! He'd never been painted before but it'd prolly be fun just the same if she was the one doing it. Not even glancing back at his mother or brother, the boy followed.

Exchanging a look, the two who had accompanied the snake boy decided to part ways. Kahlua, deciding he could probably find better company inside, had wandered to go look for that. Dartie, on the other hand, figured she had probably had too much of that strange stuff the Germans called "schnapps" and it was affecting her usual alcohol senses and making her feel like she should probably tag along and join in the festivities like the painting.

"I dunno?" he said, sheepishly.

Dartsmoore glanced at the boy and then at Francine. "Personally, I thought the point of face paint was to put a color OTHER than his skintone on there."

Elly looks to her arm where her tail rests, smiling widely in a way that reveals that she must have completely forgotten she even had a tail or that anyone would notice it. "Oh!" she exclaims, hugging the fluff to her chest.

Her eyes wander to Archie's own tail as others talk above her head. "Yours is pretty too!" she says in a voice slightly louder than her already amplified one, just to make sure she's heard. She adds, quite seriously, "Needs wibbon, though. A nice sparkly blue one! I got one at home, I could let you use it!"

A hand comes to rest on her head, and she cranes her neck to see her mother.

"Sorry, Elly can be quite.. social," Alaina explains to Archie, all the while taking mental notes on how this place works and who seems to be in charge. Because, though Alaina has eventually managed to piece together the what and how of her adoptive daughter's appearance, she'd rather the whole story than lots of little pieces. So when the sign came - literally - she was presented with her means of receiving straight answers.

Continuing this backhanded conversation, Alaina continues with, "Her kind must have been that way, from what I figure, or she's just being the little girl she is." She shrugs coolly, watching out of the side of her eye for any sort of reaction to categorize, though not in a creepy sort of way. She perfected this art of evasiveness on her grandmother throughout her own childhood, in trying to find out where her dad was that week.

The combination of the phrase 'her kind' with the child's presence at the BBQ, not to mention Sev's arrival and his memory that Lissel was indeed a criminal, made Autsu take another look. It wasn't, actually, that he was a cold person. He waved at DDR when Kian carried her in, and yes, that was a smile for Kian. He just took little enough interest in things outside his mission.

Like non-criminals.

"Likely both. Those of us who linger in dark memories rarely make good children." Autsu replied, though the comment had not, perhaps, been directed his way. He knelt as he spoke, putting himself on eye level with the child, his enormous wings opening a bit to accommodate for this shift in position.

"Hello, small comrade Elly. I am Autsu." It was possible that his words wouldn't interest the girl, he did not speak as one speaks to children. He used the same level, polite tones he'd used with the guardian, and his level gaze was not playful, but intent.

Ques watched Dixie cook the meat with his usual placid, some might say dull expression. Cooking was usually his job, and apparently even when it wasn't, he felt some need to be involved in the process.

"I could serve if you like. Or, have you prepared tea? I could bring over tea."

Oh, let the criminally insane monk help with the cooking, Dixie. Look at his sad little demon face! How could you say no to a face like that?

It was warm and wonderful outside, and Hoss did not like it. Rusty had insisted on putting a hat on his bald head, and he'd had the gall to strap it under his chin so he couldn't get it loose! Of course, Rusty had paid for that little transgression with several stabs to the arm.

The small blonde man carried the little purple beast into the yard, and then looked completely lost. Gnawing on his lip absently, Rusty leaned down and plopped Hoss on the grass. He was at a loss when it came to anything social.

Rusty looked up, and his normally sad face split into a smile. Yay, friend! "Hey!" He said, beaming. D'aaaw, cuteness. He leaned down and smiled to Blue. "Hi, Blue!" He straightened again. "Tho, what're you doin' here?" He asked.

And, while Rusty seemed otherwise occupied, Hoss decided to attack that goddamn hat.

Hoss snarled and whacked at Shiloh. No! No kisses!

Rusty winced, leaning down to rub at Blue's ears. "Mmhm. Alien babieth." He said, nodding.

Elly, still hugging her tail to her chest, tilts her head to the side at the elder who is now swooped down to her eye level. She blinks twice, then gives a toothy smile and tosses her arms around his neck in a hug.

"Eeeeee," she squeals, unfortunately probably right around Autsu's ear, as she pulls away from the hug but stays within personal boundaries, which she hasn't seemed to be able to master. "You got nice feathers! My brother has brown ones, and white ones, and red ones!"

She twists in her place, looking around for her brother to show her new friend her brother's aforementioned wings. Garrett reddens and steps behind their mother, masking himself from Elly's line of vision.

Alaina accepts the handshake, smirking crookedly at that. "Aye, she did," the indie music guru responds, raising an eyebrow at the strange reaction that cuts her off. What a strange bunch of people. Granted, no stranger than the crowd she'd been used to before all this had interrupted her partying lifestyle, but with all new territory there seems to be new guidelines and varying social norms.

"I don't know anybody." Rusty said, continuing to scratch. He flopped down, putting all his attention into petting the funny fuzzy puppy.

"Ehn." Hoss growled, poking him. "Ehn! No!" He didn't want cuddles, damn you!

Autsu was a bit taken aback by the hug, though his expression didn't change. Lissel. Just think Lissel. She was all about the hugging and such but that didn't mean she wasn't one of them. All it took to be one of them was to be an exile. So if this one was childlike in mind as well as in form, then, well, she was. That didn't mean that protection would not be offered.

Adjusting his wings again, he reached back and pulled out one of the secondary feathers close at hand. It was... not a pleasant feeling, but Autsu wasn't one to react to pain.

"And you have a nice... tail." Yes, he was mimicing Archie. He was allowed to do that. Archie was better at this than he was. Now, if the little girl needed him to hit someone, he'd be all over it.

"This is yours." He held the feather out to her, not having to reach far considering how close the child was standing.

"And..." He considered how to approach this. Ques had had cards made, but he wasn't sure she'd understand the concept. "If you ever need assistance, or protection, or you want to be among your own, you go to that house there."

He pointed to the Unit next door, then stood. To Alaina, he held out one of the cards. It was simple. White. The words 'The Unit' on the front, and a phone number and address.

"Take this, please." The request was politely stated, though by a black skinned, hard eyed young man with a number of visible knives and at least one gun about his person. "She is under our protection. And if she choses, she may join us."

Completely oblivious to how her hug may not have been well received, Elly continues to beam at her new friend Autsu and his pretty wings. So when he presents her with one of the feathers for her own, she gasps audibly and cradles the thing like it's a delicate slice of gold. She considers Autsu and the house with a serious look, and nods vigorously.

"Mummy!" she cries out in what can be described as breathlessly in Elegy-land, holding up her hands. "Garwett, look! Lookit!"

Alaina accepts the card with a slight nod and, holding it between two fingers, scans the information. Finally, some solid answers! And, confirmation that this place won't up and change locations in a week or something. And though she'd been in bars with less weapons than this teen had visible, she accepts this as coolly as if it's the most logical option.

Because really, it is. She can't see anywhere safer for the child she's come to love than, if needed, the people who understand her best. Relatively speaking. Maybe they'd have someone a little more kid-friendly, else garner the chance of Elly driving everyone else insane with her babying.

"Thanks, sir," she murmurs in a way that's usual for her, pocketing the card in her pinstripe vest. She idly wonders if this place happens to keep records of the children, and with that comes her offhanded question, to test this theory and see if by protection he means from an outward force, or from the effects of her own disease. "If you don't mind me askin', that is, what might she need protection from?"

Garrett, all the while doing what is most natural to him, watches all the events unfold around him, the people coming and the conversations that are brought with it. He spies on what he's deducted to be a face painting centre, wishing very much to join, but, being far too obedient, stays silent until given the chance to ask his mum for permission.

Tabitha had never been one to turn down free food, even if it meant potentially socializing with all sorts of smiling, happy people and their snotty-nosed kids. Sacrifices were to be made when it came to the acquisition of a free cheeseburger. Hopefully the smiling, happy people would be too busy smiling and being happy to notice her. And hopefully their kids would be too busy rolling around in the dirt and getting leaves in their hair.

With her own snotty-nosed kid freak saddled on her hip, the woman stepped up to the table where the cooked meats were, green eyes scanning over the selection. Finding the hamburger patties, she placed Zak on the ground before grabbing a patty and slamming it into a bun. Looking down at the kid, she frowned before fetching a single, bunless hot dog and giving it to him. That should make him happy, right? Kids liked hot dogs. With her parenting responsibilities complete for now, Tabitha walked over to the fence, leaned against it, and began to devour her freee hamburger.

Still sitting on the ground beside the meat table, Zak looked at the hot dog in his hand. What an oddly shaped...food. It was food, wasn't it? Taking a bite out of the cylindrical hunk of processed meat, he decided that it definitely wasn't food and tossed it aside onto the ground. He then grasped at the leg of the table climbed to his feet, wavering slightly before digging his claws into the soil. This had been the most awesome thing that he had accomplished in his new body: the ability to stand. Of course, every time he tried to take a step forward, he promptly face planted into the dirt. So standing was just fine. Walking was overrated, anyway.

Good the woman had accepted the card. Autsu hadn't actually planned out what he would do if she refused. Kidnapping the child seemed like a poor decision, all told. So, job well done, and he was quite ready to head over to Kian, where he'd be more comfortable.

The woman's question held him though, and he rolled the best possible answer in his mind. He didn't want to tell her that there was no actual danger (which might be the case) because she might not take proper precautions. But he didn't want to tell her there was danger, as scared people were often stupid.

So he was silent, a moment, his gaze shifting to Kian, and then to an interesting looking young one sitting near the food. He hadn't seen that one either.

"Whatever she needs protecting from." He said, after a moments consideration. "For some of us, there is no danger. Others struggle mostly within themselves, and being around others who understand can offer comfort. But, do not think that her past is incapable of finding her, even here."

He knew, well enough, that they were not beyond those chains.

"The Unit is what it needs to be for each of us. Mostly it attempts to make the transition easier, to give us a place here. Kian there, leads us. I am his second." He gestured to his lover, then bowed to the woman in his archaic way. "With your pardon. And Elly, be well, comrade."

And then the tall, winged youth was walking away, toward where Kian stood with DDR.

"How about flowers and cakes and small rainbow critters?" Dartie suggested. "Go hog wild, not like he cares."

Bailey laughed. His mother at least knew him well enough to know he didn't care that much.

Alaina tilts her head, a habit Elly has picked up and utilizes quite often, but with different effect of her much less feminine mother. Well, guess that works to answer her question! She turns to Archie as Autsu excuses himself, and stretches out her arms, coming to rest them against the back of her neck.

"So what's your position here?" she inquires in her best attempt at small talk, still coming off as rather interrogational.

Okay, so Garrett was curious. He doesn't usually find himself wandering off without permission, but he'd been brought here to enjoy the party, and it isn't like he's leaving his mother's sight. He comes up behind Francine without a word, trying to steak a peek at what masterpiece - and any sort of art, to Garrett, is a masterpiece, as he himself cannot draw more than a stick person - had been painted on Bailey's face.

Elly, on the other hand, sits down on her mum's feet, balancing the feather daintily between her fingers. "Sopretty," she croons over her treasure.

And suddenly there was something yellow kneeling in front of him. For a moment, Zak merely blinked at Dixie with his blue eyes, wondering where she came from and why exactly did she smell like a mixture of...burnt stuff. His mouth split into a grin at her question and he answered with a resounding "FFAAH!" Unintelligible sounds were almost as good as words. Obviously, a sound like that could only mean that hot dogs had the taste and texture of plastic.

At her next question, he took his hand off of the leg of the table, instead wrapping his tail around it. Then he pushed both of his hands, palms forward, in her direction, accompanied by a "bwsshh" sound. No, scratch that, making weird sounds was better than talking. Talking with overrated, anyway. A lot of things that adults did were overrated and Zak, for one, wasn't exactly in a hurry to get any of them back. Then people would be pushing him about responsibility and work, like they had back home, and he didn't want to do any of that stuff.

He was about to "converse" another sound to the yellow lady, when someone else approached him from the side. Turning to look at the newcomer, Zak's mouth formed into a small 'o' before it was replaced once more by his customary grin. Oh, this one was pretty! Such pretty colors! Almost as pretty as Themis, but not really, because even with her four arms and wing-a-ding things, she was still the prettiest thing ever. And she was still mad at him. She was still a lot of things.

The wings fluttering lightly on his back, Zak turned from Dixie to DDR, the tail that was still curled around the table leg keeping him steady. He held out a hand to her while saying "Heeeeah," which was at least a half-assed attempt at mimicking the greeting that she had said.

Autsu immediately turned into the light touch at his elbow, and though he didn't smile a second time, a certain ease entered his stance that hadn't been there until that moment. It wasn't something that those who didn't know him would see, just a slight relaxation in the set of his spine, the slope of his shoulders. Of course, it wasn't much. He was Kian's guard, after all.

"So long as I am not expected to remove the meat from the grill with my teeth, I believe this event will be satisfactory." Reaching up, with something like gentleness, he touched the side of Kian, "And what will you have painted Anne?"

It was almost, a joke. Not quite, sure, but it was an attempt. He had been sulking when he arrived, but being surrounded by his own kind, gathered like this, was more heartening than he realized. He liked his people. He liked seeing them together.

He liked to think that he could protect them, that the Unit would protect him.

And... if he thought too much about how he liked it, the thought would turn dark. So, instead, he did his best to joke with Kian. He tried to be light.

Rusty nibbled his lower lip, having been watching Francine and her painting for a bit.

"Here, let me take him." Rusty murmured, carefully removing Hoss from Shiloh's arms. Hoss continued to attack his hat, growling at both men. Blushing, Rusty took the angry purple infant over to Francine.

"He'th kinda fiethty." Rusty said softly, biting his lower lip. "You wanna try to paint him?"

Hoss hissed at Rusty before turning his gaze towards Francine. He studied her hard for a moment, then waved a hook at her hair. Hoss approved of your hair, Francine, and thusly probably wouldn't try and rip your face off.

The red boy looked up at the girl. "I am." he said softly, but then smiled. "I like your hair."

Alaina laughs haughtily at the giant bullseye she somehow failed to notice on the way over. "That thing like the Wall of China: visible from outer space?" she deflects lightly, smiling unnervingly at Archie at her own joke. "Guess it wasn't big enough, since Elly here didn't seem to hit the target. Or maybe that was just her own joke on me"

She moves her right foot as Elly begins to squirm on them. Her daughter is trying to make the feather stay tied into the fluff of her tail, with little success. She scoops the girl up and holds her to her shoulder, a position that any mother or guardian of a young child would say is most natural after having one so long.

It is also then, when coming up to stand at her full height again, that she spots the gleam of Garrett's twitchy right wing not far off, amongst the crowd at the face painting table. She raises an eyebrow, wondering why the child who usually stays at a distance is now melding in a crowd of many. Peculiar.

"It looks like you need help over at the face painting booth. Do you need an extra set of hands?"

His eyes following Dixie as she left, Zak thought momentarily that she was gone for good! No, wait, come back! And she did, bringing with her some kind of metal thinger that she made a noise with. She set the metal thinger down between him and the pretty girl, so Zak hardly noticed as Dixie walked away again. His attention was on the metal thinger. Crouching down to pick it up, the boy pressed an eye against the opening, trying to see what was inside. Liquid sloshed against his face. Hmm. Bringing the metal thinger from his face, he instead brought it to his lips. For science!

Oh, it tasted good! Taking a few more sips from the magical-tasty-metal-thinger, Zak then held it out to the girl with both hands, wanting her to try. Was good! Oh, and her name was Dee! Except now she wanted to know his name and...WHAT WAS HIS NAME? The whole deal still confused him. Cade didn't have burd feets and wings and horns and a tail. So he couldn't be Cade. That name that Tabitha, the scary lady, had called him would have to do.

He concentrated, he really did. Another reason talking was overrated was because it was so bleeping hard to do. Finally, he managed to spurt out a "Mmmmmm, zzzdaahck!" Which wasn't really much of a name at all. Close enough!

Okay, so him needing to reassure her of his sanity wasn't exactly the most assuring note to leave on, but she isn't one to pass up an opportunity to let Elegy talk someone else's ear off, for a change.

"That'd be great, if you don't mind the chatterbox being yours to entertain for a bit," she coyly replies as she hands over the toddler. Her hand lingers on the girl's arm for a moment longer, the bright bandages - decorated with Spongebob today - reminding her to warn him about her condition.

"Just, if you can, make sure she stays in the same condition as she came." She gives Elly's tanned forearm a pat. "I don't mean that to be rude or nothing, but the girl's got a condition where if she gets banged up, it's hundreds times worse for wear on her than any normal person."

Garrett backs away as others talk around him, and he feels all the more comfortable shrinking away from the crowd, anyhow. He can see just fine from over here, anyway. He's much too timid to be asking, especially with so many around, for a masterpiece for his own face.

Rusty carefully took off that horrible, horrible hat, and sat Hoss down.

"I don't know." Rusty said softly, smoothing Hoss's eyebrows back. "I dunno much about painting, Mith." Hoss absently chewed on a hook, watching Francine.

Bailey grinned, feeling a little less shy, now that this girl had complimented him and such. She seemed nice enough at least. He was a social butterfly with those around his physical age, but talking to a pretty older girl like Sev, now THAT hadn't been something he'd been ready for. Now, though, he was a little more at ease. "I'm Bailey, Bailey Bacardi Dartsmoore. That's my mo-well, my guardian." he said, pointing to where Dartie, who'd leaned up against one of the other tables. She had wanted to get her face painted too-being bored shitless and in the mood to just do something stupid and pointless-but she would wait until either the crowd dissipated or someone else joined Franny in the painting.

Hoss grumbled, poking his head, wondering what had been done to it. Well, whatever, it wasn't a hat, therefore it was acceptable.

One day, he would look back on the pictures of this day and be very angry. Right now, he was just hungry.

Rusty stifled a giggle, hand over his mouth, and smiled at Sev. "He'th not too good with englithh yet, but thank you." He grinned. "I like hith eyebrowth too." Hoss scooped up the pudgy boy and gave another giggle, daring to give him a little kiss.

Hoss whacked him in the face. He honestly expected it.

The red snake boy snickered at the older female's statement. "Oh, I know quite well. I was silver when I first landed so she gave me Bacardi as my middle name for it. She just happened to have some Irish Cream on hand when she was thinking of a decent first name. Though, you want liquor sounding names, you should meet my brother Kahlua."

With a smirk, he jerked his thumb at Dartie, who'd just pulled a bottle of whiskey from her hair and was opening it to take a swig. "The she was her, by the way. She'd have named Kahlua and myself in the traditional method of her clan but it didn't suit us as we're not blood relations, and we don't really have a father so that part of the system doesn't work." he shrugged a little, thinking how complicated his guardian's family had been.

"Nah, it grows long and messy, but Ma's really good at dealing with hair, so she cuts it for me. She does Kahlua's micros too."

"You will not have happy faces painted over your nipples." Autsu replied, apparently forgetting any reference to alternative eating styles in face of this new threat. "Your nipples do not need to be made to smile."

And yes, that was an utterly straight face the young man was wearing. Whatever made you think he might be kidding? No. Not Autsu. Not about so serious a subject. The last thing he wanted were smiling happy faces in places he might want to bite or lick.

"Your sibling is crude, at best." He added in a mutter, his arm slipping out to grab Kian roughly around the waist. "And he can ink his own nipples if he feels the need."

Alright. That bit of resentfulness out of his system, he pushed the other boy roughly toward the painting table. "You will get painted. Something that does not smile at me."

One Charlene Phillip Dartsmoore had been in the middle of a rather large swig of her whiskey when the phrase about Kian's nipples had wafted to her rather large ears. Swallowing her booze and blinking a bit, she turned to the dark male, wondering just what the hell had brought that on. "Well that's nice to know but whyever would they anyway?"

Bailey had heard the phrase too but didn't know if he even wanted to find out what the other guy had meant by it. He did glance over to see just who had said it and raised an eyebrow, which did very odd things to his face paint.

Beelining it to the painter's side of the face paint area, Alaina finds a chair and pulls it up alongside Francine with an acknowledging nod. "Great work you're doing!" she compliments offhandedly, biting back a laugh with a teeth clenching grin at the literal egg-head design. "I've come over to help lighten your load, hope you don't mind it, honey."

Garrett shrinks back at his mother's appearance, having made eye contact with her for a split second, though neither made any sort of acknowledgment of the other, as if by some wordless contract. And although Alaina had every motherly embarrassment right to pick him out and suggest Franny take him on next, she is too much a friend to the shy boy to be her outright mean self.

Well this was new! Elly hugs Archie around his neck with her chubby tanned and freckled arms, cooing softly an unnamed tune in an almost uncharacteristically serene moment for the child. She turns, cutting short the last note, and smiles directly at Archie in the face.

"Mister Archie, do you like to play, do you like to play house?" the toddler asks, backtracking her sentence after taking a breath. She lets her hands wander to the other's chin, very curious about the scratchy hairs, and, as usual, unconcerned with personal boundaries.

"Well then maybe the dog will want to be the daddy and Bailey can play the dog." she said, shrugging. "Let's go find them." she said with a nod, holding out her hand for the girl almost reluctantly. Dartsmoore was NOT one for touchy feely but she had been caring for sprats long enough to know she probably should offer.

"Okay!" Elly takes the hand offered to her gleefully, skipping forward to find the aforementioned participants. Of course the doggy can be the daddy, that is okay by the internationally accepted rules of House!

Again, he'd ended up by the face painting tables, but that was okay. That was just where Dartie needed him to be.

Walking over as quickly as she could with Elly skipping along beside her, they managed to find the red skinned snake boy and the blue painted up dog-thing in no time. Deciding to just do things diplomatically, she pointed with her free hand to who she was addressing and went on with speaking.


First, she pointed at Bailey. "You. Come over here and play a dog in a game of House with your friend here. Apparently you can't play what you are." then that finger turned on Blue. "You, funky blue dog looking thing with the face paint whose name suddenly escapes me but I'm sure I heard you being called something along the lines of Blue. This small child wants to play House and needs someone to be the Daddy. Care to join her?" she asked it, not feeling particularly like being polite. She wanted to go drag Kahlua out for the insanity already!

"I'll take that as an affirmative." again, the finger went back to Bailey. "Hop to it, Red, I've gotta go find Sprat Number Two." and with that, she had released Elly's hand and was back on her course to locate and drag Kahlua outside.

The crimson snake boy shook his head a bit and stood up, walking over to smile down at Elly and Blue. "Hallo there. We're playing House then? I guess that works. What do you need me to do, besides be on my knees." That seemed a given with the idea of 'dog'.

Elly lets out a squeal of a laugh and collapses into Blue, smudging off some of the paint onto herself in the process. She coos and pets him vigorously.

"Daddy! I'm your princess!" she finally says when she can speak again. She whirls around in her place and waves to Bailey with an open mouthed smile. "Hi, puppy! Hi, hi!"

Elly, absolutely delighted that her doggy-daddy can talk, can't decide who to look at first! In rapid succession she looks between her two new playmates, not at all concerned about how much she's being passed around in the duration of this party. New friends, everywhere! She couldn't be happier!

"Uhm!" she exclaims, pondering this. The puppy is fun, they get lots of pets and hugs and go for walkies. "Yeah, go crawling! I'll give you walkies!"

She turns to Blue and clasps her hands together cutely. "Do you want to come for walkies, Daddy? Or, or are you busy with Mommy?" The last part is an afterthought, added only after seeing Archie again out of the corner of her eye, unaware of his current distress separate from the game.

Dartie was JUST wandering back to the house when she ended up at seeing Archie frantically running over towards Dixie and shouting for her. Things were going to get odd again...

Determined that Kahlua could damn well just stay where-ever the hell he was for the time being, she strode quite briskly over to the two of them, right as Archie said his final words, involvign death, people coming, and Dixie doing something about it. Raising an eyebrow lightly, the woman spoke. "Is he serious or is this just another moment of insanity?" she asked Dixie, not bothering to act like she hadn't intentionally walked over to hear what the hell Archie was saying to his daughter.

Rusty-The-Man drank his water quietly, smiling at the napping Shiloh. This wasn't too bad, other than the half a burger that weighed all too heavily in his stomach. It was nice out, and the people here... They weren't bad. He watched Hoss, making sure the babe didn't get too far in his wanderings. Hoss liked to be free, hated to be caged. It was good for him to get out too.

Bailey sadly looked skyward and shook his head a bit before getting onto his hands and knees. "I am never living this down..." he mumbled softly before smiling up at Elly and Blue. "Um.......Arf?" he tried, hoping not to offend the Dog.....thing....person?

Noticing the discomfort of doggydaddy's unnatural walk, Elly slips her shoulders under his paws and creates a human crutch slash unintentional conga line. She laughs over her shoulder, tossing her hair back so fast and so near Blue that she might fwap him with her wavy pigtails accidentally.

Bailey glanced up at Elly and Blue as he crawled a bit forward. Holy hell was he never ever ever going to be able to show his face in public again. His embarrassment showed in a huge purple tint on his painted cheeks. Just greaaaaaaat. Another glance at his companions made him think that his mother was going to have to get him something exceptionally nice or have a really really good excuse to be enacting this revenge on him. Because from the looks of it, one of his companions was too naive for her own good, and the other might quite possibly be a complete dumbass.

"Mmhm." Rusty smiled, sitting cross-legged. His eyes drifted over to look at Shiloh, curious now that he wasn't being looked at himself. Oh, hidden hat.

Elly looks up at Archie's voice, nodding excitedly. He caught on quickly! She slips out from under Blue, but not before making sure her doggydaddy is okay with her leaving him that way.

"Mommy, we're taking the doggy for a walk!" she explains, picking up an invisible leach from the grass next to Bailey. She pats him on the head affectionately, her tail swishing side to side like that of a puppy her friend is supposed to imitate.

"Mhm. In what manner will they be coming? In the usual manner, I take it? And where will we be moving people from or do you not know at this time?" the woman's voice was in a low tone. Archie's intelligence was not something she had much faith in, but from what she'd seen of Dixie, the other seemed to be worth taking seriously.

Rusty blushed and stopped his observations. Shiloh was different from him in both mind and body. He certainly wasn't a bag of flesh and bones.

"I don't eat meat very often. It wath probably jutht a little thtomachache."

Blonde curls bouncing, Rusty shook his head. Ehn.

"I got thertian thutuff I'm thubppothed to eat." He said, trying to be firm and undoubtably failing.

Rusty looked uncomfortable, but was distracted by the wonderful, much welcomed change in subject.

"Mmhm." He looked up at the dot in the skin, after a moment furrowing his brows. Hnn...

One look up and a bit of mental math brought Dartie into action mode.

Moving slightly, the woman raised her head and used her usual giving orders loudly to a semi-decently sized crowd voice. "PEOPLE IN AND AROUND THE AREA OF THE GRILL, MOVE!" she barked.

Rusty was already scrambling to his feet, dashing towards his baby. "HOTH!" The baby was frowning at the sky. Rusty scooped him up and ran back to Shiloh, holding Hoss as close and tight as he could.

"Getawayfromthebulltheye-" He said in a rush, moving. "Thuff'llgetloudthoon-"

Rusty had done his best to curl himself around Hoss, protecting him from any noise that came from the crashing pod. Hoss was pushing at him, poking his head up and trying to see. Ehn-!

"Pleh..."

"A pod..." Rusty took in a quick little breath. Oooh, snap. "That wath quiet, compared to when Hoth landed..."

Rusty walked over, curious. He smiled at the baby, holding Hoss so that he could see, but not touch. "He'th cute." Awwww, tail~

The other infant scrutinized Opec, eyes narrowed. "Ehn." Great. Now Shiloh had a baby. He had a feeling that he'd be seeing more of the annoying sheep man now. Perhaps he and Rusty could bond over being single parents. Hoss stuck out his tongue at Opec. Pleh.

Hoss growled, raising one of those 'pretty shines' at Opec. It was his way. React to an unknown with anger. Rusty shushed him and made damn sure he was out of swinging range of the chubby baby.

"No, Hoth." Rusty sighed, tired. Oh, Hoss, you angry little b*****d.

Hoss growled at both him and the chubby grey baby, raising up one hook towards him. Guess what finger that was, Sheep thing!

"Don't worry." Rusty still sounded tired. "I won't let him hit Opec."

"Hey- huh?"

Elly turns around in her place, confused about all the fuss. "Daddy, where you going?" she asks in a loud voice, running over to Blue.

Elly is about to interject a comment about the adorable little bird when, within her dome of hearing, she catches the sound of .. a new friend!

"Hi! Hi there, kitty friend!" She waves enthusiastically up at Opec, openly admiring his tail.

All of the commotion outside drew the redheaded Kahlua into the yard from wherever he'd been hiding. Blinking around at everyone, he spotted some things that made his eyebrows shoot into his hairline. The first was his mother, looking completely serious, with a gigantic yellow daffodil painted on her face. The next was his brother, looking kind of annoyed and on his knees with doodles on his face and a small girl they'd seen once and a few others whom must be in a tea party with her.

The next thing he spotted was the pod, the grill, and the commotion of that nature. "Wow...I think I'm glad I was inside."

This absolutely thrills Elly to hear. "I like him too!" she exclaims, even having just met the newly landed baby. She steps up on her toes and gives Opec a big hug.

"What's, what's his name?" she inquires up at Shiloh, wide eyed and curious about her new friend. He must have just come to the party when she was busy playing, and she didn't notice!

"Yes!" Elly bubbles, jumping up and down with fists clenched at her chin. "Play!"

She runs quickly over to poor Bailey and tugs urgently on his arm. "Come help me with Opec? He needs ribbons, to make his tail pretty!"

The boy blinked at the little girl and shrugged, getting to his feet. At least it was better than playing a dog. "Okay, Elly. Where shall we get them?"

Elly points to the leftover pile of dress up while rocking back and forth between the balls and heels of her feet. "Can you, can you check if there's any in there?"

"we can try, I guess?" the black-haired boy said, cocking his head to the side. He really hadn't the foggiest what he was doing but there were worse things in life at least. Best not sulk, either way. He'd gotten his embarrassment and pouting out-probably the shock of the landing had knocked it from him. He could deal.

Bailey glanced down at the baby whom was soon to be very bow-clad. "Hallo there." he said to it, crouching down a bit and smiling. He could look for bows in a second.

Perfect! So the tail is going to be covered and made pretty. Elly plops down next to her newest friend, and gingerly touches one of his ears.

"Opec, you are very pretty," she says in a serious tone. "I'm glad you came to, to the party, because now I got to play with you!"

The red snake boy blinked and laughed a bit. "Nice to meet you too!" he said merrily, looking down at the baby with a smirk, before standing up to go and do as he had been told.

It was at that point he realized that Opec was completely and totally nekked.

"Looks like you could use some clothes there, little buddy." he commented. He'd have to look for some when he was hunting down the erm...ribbons.

"I'll be right back, you two. I'ma see if I can find those ribbons and something for this little guy to wear."

Elly grabs her toes and leans back in the grass, beaming up at Bailey. Clothes? Well, he hadn't come to the party with any, but a costume is always a good idea when having fun! What new game can she think of now, to play? House was fun, but it's time for something new! Not tag, her new friend can't run fast.. Maybe hide and go seek is still an option!

She shifts so she's leaning forward again, and wraps her tail around her wrist like an accessory. The big bow, now lopsided and coming undone, still catches the sunlight and gives off a faint shimmer. "See, see Opec? Pretty!"

She hums softly an untitled tune as she fixes the bow, pulling it just enough to centre it and tighten it up from wobbling when her tail moves.

"We'll make yours pretty, too! Then we can play!"

When the boy arrived at the box, he peered at it, blinking a few times. Shaking his head, the red child knelt down and began to rummage. It only took him a little bit before he found some multi-colored ribbons. There were ones of all thicknesses and colors-a few were even sparkly and attached to bows!-but he didn't have a CLUE what Elly wanted exactly, so he just grabbed them all.

He also managed to find a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a small purple spaghetti strap top. "These'll just have to do." he commented, shaking his head and gathering his findings up into a pile to take back over to the two children.

Plopping down on the ground next to them, Bailey smiled warmly. "Okay, you two, I've brought ribbons and some clothes."

Elly leaps to her feet and throws her arms around Bailey. "Yay! Thank you Baileeeey!"

She is down on the grass again in an instant, pushing through the stash with careful consideration. Opec is very lucky to be a neutral colour, because she can tie ANY colour on him and and it will look fabulous! She spreads them out so each can be seen for its own worth, and turns to Opec. "Which did you like?"

Bailey turned quickly to Elly, with a small smile. "Ell, do you mind if I help this little guy get dressed before we start prettying everyone up?"

Oh! The costume! Right! Elly doesn't know why he needs to put on more than the ribbons. That'd just be an overload of pretty!

Still, she trusts Bailey's knowledge, and picks up the spaghetti top. Okay, so she can barely dress herself properly, but she'd seen her mother do this a thousand times for her! She turns the shirt over, trying to determine which hole is biggest, and where everything goes. The straps are on the top, right?

Bailey grinned in a slightly understanding manner. He'd seen Kahlua have that sort of problem. While she was distracted, he took a few moments to pick up Opec and deal with making him suitably decent. Baby or not, it wasn't a good idea to have a naked kid in public.

When he'd first sat down, he had quickly pulled a bit on a tear that was at the back of the shorts so that the boy had a place to stick his tail out of. Quickly he pulled the shorts onto the monotone child and helped him slide his tail into the hole so that he could now sit comfortably on the older boy's knee. Bailey was seated indian style and smiled over at Elly once more as he held Opec in a sitting position.

"Hey kid, lift up your arms so she can get that shirt on you and we can get to putting in those ribbons." he told the grey boy, nudging Opec's elbow up with his free hand to emphasize his point. "Elly, you've got it right, the straps go on his shoulders. When he lifts his arms you can slip it over top."

She knew that! She smiles and leans on her knees, holding the top above Opec's head. "Arms up, pretty!" she instructs with a musical tone.

Pulling it on without a fuss, Elly helps straighten out the straps, which seem to not want to stay on the poor baby's shoulders. Oh well. Costumes never fit right, anyway!

Humming to herself, Elegy selects the first ribbon, a bright green one with white dots on it, and places it in the palm of her left hand. She gently lifts the bulk of Opec's tail with her right, sliding the ribbon under and then beginning to tie. Bam, first one done!

While Elly was dealing with that, Bailey carefully lifted the baby's hair out from where it had gotten caught by the back of the strange shirt. The straps may not stay on, but the top was tight over his pudgy little belly. "How about some for his hair when you're done those, hm?"

When Opec nearly fell off, he laughed a bit and helped readjust him. As he could see things better, he could move the child better so he didn't fall off as well as not moving Elly around too much.

"Careful!" Elly warns, holding out her hands to steady her baby friend. She's just echoing what she'd heard from her brother and mum zillions of times whenever she did anything that could potentially cause her any harm. So extending this courtesy is only natural!

She pulls a striped one next. It's thinner than the last one, with orange, purple, and yellow alternating. Very pretty. She deems it worthy of decorating Opec's tail, and thus, ties it just a little farther down from the other one.

Bailey laughed and maneuvered himself and Opec to a more comfy and better position for viewing the bow-tying process in between ribbon selections. "Better, little one?"

"What's his name anyway? I didn't catch it before I came over here." he asked Elly with a grin. She tied nice bows. Maybe he'd let them tie one in his hair.

"Opec!" Elegy chimes, already finishing off a third bow. "He has a pretty tail."

She turns, mid-tie of the fourth ribbon, and looks at Bailey thoughtfully. He's already pretty, but everyone can use a bow. She frowns sympathetically in realizing he doesn't have a tail to tie on onto.

The red boy laughed at that. "Oh, so you noticed my ponytail, hm? You can play around with it if you want. I wouldn't mind a ribbon or two."

Elly is instantly cheered up at the notion of fixing up Bailey's hair with a ribbon. "I'll find you a good one!" she assures him, leafing through the pile for something to compliment his red skin. Green is too Christmassy, orange too firey..

Bailey moved his free hand to pat Opec lightly on the head and grin down at the little kid.

Elegy produces a yellow ribbon from the pile, and turns it over in her hands to inspect it. Looks good! It's not too thick and it's pretty soft!

"What about this one, Bailey? You like this one?" She waves the ribbon like a little flag, dangling it unknowingly over Opec.

Bailey smiled softly. "Yeah, that'll work. It matches my pants." he said with a nod, smiling brightly towards Elly.

Elly squirms across the grass on her knees, staining up poor Spongebob's patterened faces. She leans up and expertly ties the yellow ribbon into her friend's ponytail, adjusting it only a little to make sure it's secure.

"There! Pretty!" she exclaims, leaning back onto her heels.