Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lillian kneeled in the dirt as she struggled to pry a stubborn weed from the earth. Gritting her teeth with anger the young lass glared menacingly down at the piece of grass. The darn thing wouldn't budge!

A frustrated sigh passed her lips as she leaned back on her knees and pushed at the ground with her toes to stay balanced. The dark glare Lillian wore with her scowl passed from the pesky weed to her severely dirty pants. Mud patches covered her knees and no matter how many times she tried to dust it off the deep brown wouldn't come out. If she was getting dirty for nothing Lillian was going to scream.

Since the Valentine's incident with Isikoro the lad hadn't been back on their property and as much as she hated to say it, Lillian needed that brat to keep her lawn alive. Well...not necessarily Isi but the ghostly pal he had at his side. Eiry was the key to a nice lawn, and without him once again the land had become decrepit.

Meanwhile, as Lillian fought a loosing war against the weeds Tyson and Iorek were having a ball of fun down at the beach. Every day they came out on a quest to make the raevan stronger and with delight the two were proud to say that their routine had been working out nicely. Iorek could now lift a large boulder from the sand and although he still could not throw it a long distance just being able to lift it above his head was an accomplishment.

Today was no different. By now the boys had gotten to Iorek's lifting excerise and the rock raevan was on his fifth rock. This one was slightly bigger than one of his fists but he lifted it up and tossed it out onto the sand with ease.

"Good job, Iorek!" Tyson cried from where he stood beside a pile of rocks. "Ready for the next one?"

Iorek turned his bright green eye onto the child and nodded with a grin on his face. "Of course. This is still too easy." Yet even so the young raevan bent what little of a body he had and scooped up another rock. This one he too tossed out far.

The lad grinned at the raevan as he motioned towards a larger rock. He knew Iorek could easily lift it but even so he dared him to try. "Nice work, bud. But I highly doubt you can lift that."

The rocky raevan smirked at Tyson in return and flew closer to the rock. Locking both hands onto it he slowly lifted the great piece of hardened earth above his head. A happy laugh arose from his throat before he tossed the rock a few feet of coming tied with the first rock he threw. "Ah! Look!" Iorek chuckled, "The heavy rocks are getting closer to the light rocks now. I really am getting stronger."

Thankfully Lillian had taken a breath of air or she may not have heard Aphismet's happy call over her fierce cursing. The voice sounded familiar but panic still rose to prickle the back of her neck. Quickly Lil's head darted up to look in the direction the noise had come from. For a moment Lil just stared in awe at the sight of the older man. Without another thought Lillian hopped to her feet and hurried towards Aphi.

"Oh my gosh!" She cried with joy in her brisk run over to the pair. "Aphi! Wow! It's been so long! I've missed you a ton!" Arms wrapped around the man and tugged him close when Lillian reached him. It didn't take long though for Lillian to realize how messy her clothes were. "Oh! Jeez!" The lass recoiled quickly from him and tried to dust herself off, "I'm sorry..I'm so dirty I need to wash up if I'm going to touch you."

Lil grimaced when the mud wouldn't come off and turned her eyes back onto Aphismet apologetically. "Sorry...I..." Finally she saw Rivener and what he had gained. "Whoa! R-Riv...you...wow. You grew."

She began to laugh but her happiness was smothered instantly by the loud cheers coming from the beach after the ground shook. "Oh, the boys? They're the cause of the noise. By the beach, Riv."

Lillian nodded to the raevan as he took his leave with a smile still sitting proudly on her lips. Rivener certainly had changed but that smug look he got whenever compliments arose was still the same. Lil's hazel eyes returned to stare up at Aphismet when the older man's gentle voice broke her from her thoughts.

The lass was only able to nod her head just once before the earth moved and before she knew it her body was pressed up against his. Moments later she was laughing and just enjoying the affection from her close friend. It had been ages since they'd been so close and she had missed his older brother presence.

"Hm?" Lillian arched a brow as Aphismet moved away to open up his car door. "Whoa...Aphi! Y-You didn't have to do this for us!" With wide eyes and a fallen jaw Lillian could only stare in shock at the grocery bags. This was a surprise!

Iorek was just about to pick up another rock when he saw something draw over the sandy hill. The young raevan froze for a moment, his powerful clawed hand clenching the stone in case he had to toss it. His long ears twitched up and down in an attempt to see if the footsteps matched Lillian's but there was none. Whatever was nearing had no feet! What on earth could it be?

Upon seeing the raevan freeze up Tyson turned his eyes onto the spot Iorek had locked onto. A frown crossed his lips when he saw Iorek's wings flare and how serious the other looked. Was it trouble? A thief?

The boy blinked in shock though when he saw a familiar black and red character drift over the sand. "R-Rivener?" Tyson called out before he broke out into a run towards the raevan. "Hey! Man, you scared me for a second. How are you? Feels like years since I last saw you." As Tyson drew closer he grinned up at Rivener. The boy had grown taller and his once clean cut hair was in need of a cut. At least he was in a better state of mind than the last time Rivener saw him.

A brief moment passed before the lad repelled away from Rivener in shock. "What the heck!? Riv! You have...abs! Holy cow when did that come in?" He laughed and reached forward to poke at the flesh, a whistle drawing from his lips in the process. "Nice, Riv. Grats! That's pretty cool. You look way stronger now and I like the new cut." Tyson nodded towards Rivener's hair and looked back to Iorek.

Iorek's stern face fell and his body relaxed when he recognized the raevan. It was only Rivener. Wait...it was Rivener! A grin crossed the raevan as he drifted over to where the pair stood and floated. It had been a while since he'd seen the other, and by the looks of it he'd missed a lot. No longer was Rivener like him. Actually it was best to say that the raevan was becoming more like a human.

The raevan tossed the rock he had been gripping defensively over his shoulder so it would be free when he extended his hand to the other raevan. "Well hello there, Rivener. Welcome to my home. It's nice to see you again." Iorek's vividly bright green eye gazed over the scorpion's body as it took in all the changes his friend had gone through. "How have you been? I gotta say you look very nice, my friend. Tell me, have you put those muscles to use?" He asked as he took great interest in the muscles that aligned Rivener's new stomach. They looked like they could take a lot of damage in a fight.

Lillian shrieked with laughter when Aphismet reached out and tousled her hair. Grinning ear to ear the lass's eyes sparkled and glimmered when she stepped back to sweep back her messy bangs. "Well what a sweet thought. I swear Aphi, if you were made of chocolate I'd gobble you right up." Lillian lifted the bag into her arms and led Aphi up the steps and onto the porch. "We rarely eat fine dining so I gotta admit I'm excited to be eating the meals from the best chef around."

At the tease Aphi was given a typical teenage look: The famous roll of the eyes followed by a swift shake of the head. "I'm keeping it up. Not to worry. I love Eiry but I am fine without Isi around. It's been a lot quieter without him huffing about and blowing his steam. I swear that kid is just a grumpy little thunder cloud." She curtly nodded her head and grinned. "Glad to see it's still on his mind though. He needs it."

The happy grin didn't go away as Lillian pushed with her hip against the door and opened it up. A cluttered entry way greeted the pair on the other side. Empty stares from statue's and masks said their hello as the eyes upon the paintings seemed to follow them as the two stepped in.

"Sorry it's so messy in here. We really need to get around to sorting this stuff out again. Since Iorek came Tyson and I have been slacking on our chores around the house." As Lil stated this she took a step over a large crease in the colorful rug that sat below their feet. "Just be careful of where you step. I don't want you to break your neck after all the trouble you made to bring this food to us."

Tyson chuckled as he took a step back to avoid the prying finger from playing anymore with his hair. "Now, now. Don't start up with that. I get it enough with Lillian." The youth grinned and tucked his hands in his pockets as he leaned back on his heels. "I happen to like this look. I think it makes me look pretty good."

Iorek, just like Tyson, chuckled at Rivener's words and nodded in agreement. "It's nice that we can finally have a two way conversation, wouldn't you say?" His eyes continued to examine Rivener before falling back onto his older kin's face. No wonder Tyson once thought of him as a hero. Of course Rivener fit the profile of the anti-hero but Iorek had to agree that the other appeared to have come out of an action themed comic book. Yet Iorek wasn't about to delve into old disillusioned fantasies.

"Ah. Good. You need to use them often if you want to keep them. Do you train? Or were you using them in another fashion?" He asked curiously with a tilt of his head. The part of hair that covered his right eye falling but too thick to reveal the other brilliant green orb.

The young raevan grinned to reveal sharp canines at Rivener's statement of strength. Very casually the lad crossed his large arms and cocked his sharp brows upwards. "Oh really? Well I train everyday but I'd love to see if you can beat me in some tests of strength sometime."

Lillian weaved through various vases and a coffee table before reaching the kitchen. It was probably one of the cleanest places in the entire house aside from the bathrooms. Pots, pans, dishes, plates, and all the utensils one could dream of were placed in reasonable spots. Everything was organized here. A dog bed sat by the door leading out into the yard, just one of the places the family dog Marmaduke slept in.

"Now, now. We don't eat bad food all the time. I bring them out to restaurants from time to time too. I've even managed to sneak Tyson some veggies in different meals." Lil smiled at Aphi as she sat the grocery bag down on the counter. "But really, you're meals are fine cuisine. You're the top chef, right?"

"Oh come on, Riv. What's wrong with looking nice every so often? Do I need a reason? I'm just growing up." Tyson smiled and turned to look at Reks as the two raevans conversed. He shifted and listened intently to Rivener.

Iorek chuckled and nodded, "Yep. I was your little puppy for that day." He smiled as memories came sweeping back. He recalled how he did everything Rivener asked of him. All in an effort to please the other raevan, the only kin he knew at the time. "I could always teach you some of my work outs if you want. All you need are some rocks."

By the time Rivener finished his quick tale of how he fought against some strangers Iorek was all ears. His vivid green eye glimmered with interest and he drew closer to Rivener. "Amazing! Do you recall what you did with your arm? How you held it?" He raised an arm and stared at how large it was in an attempt to study how he'd be able to pull off such a heroic feat, "I have never done such a thing so you may be stronger than I am now but if you're game let's do it." Iorek's eyes turned back to Rivener and a large grin sat happily on his face.

"Freezer box? Yeah, we have a few in the garage. I'll take the bags in there though." Lillian frowned and shook her head recalling exactly what kinds of things were in those freezers. Her look became one of disgust for a moment before an uneasy laugh broke her from the queasiness setting in on her stomach. "I don't think you really wanna see what else my parents have found and had me stick in those things. But I think one of them is empty for food."

Lillian's uneasy look vanished when she met Aphi's eyes and his playful grin. "Well, you're a better cook than I am so you'll always be the top chef to me." She mimicked his smile but it fell when Aphi opened up the fridge door. Crap!

What greeted the male was a few heads of cabbage, a browning tomato, a little carton of butter sitting upon one of the shelves, some apples rolled into a corner, a piece of meat wrapped in plastic, three eggs, and a carton of milk.

Ever so cautiously Lillian peered over his shoulder and smiled innocently. "Looks like we need to go grocery shopping." She spoke uneasily having the feeling Aphi wasn't going to like how little food they had. But really all they ate was cereal, various kinds of sweets, and fruits here and there. All they did was graze when it came to eating. Rarely did they actually have a real sit-down meal.

Iorek chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Then cut down a tree and use the logs as weights or better yet just use the tree." He grinned and watched Rivener curiously as the other pondered over how he threw the people.

Tyson yelped in surprise when he was lifted off the ground. His feet wiggled in an attempt to make contact with the earth as his hands came up to grasp at Rivener's. Big hazel eyes stared up at Rivener with uncertainty as the youth squirmed in his touch. "Ah! Hey! Careful now, Riv. Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you can stretch out my shirt." He spoke playfully as a small smile drew on his lips. Tyson's eyes spoke differently though as they were fogged up with concern. Iorek may not like this, even if Rivener was gentle and meant no harm.

The raevan had drawn closer with a look that was torn between interest and confusion. It looked like he didn't understand exactly what Rivener was trying to do to spark his memory. Without even realizing it the raevan's fingers curled towards his palms and drew away a few times. It appeared that he wasn't sure if a fist should be made or not. Rivener wasn't going to do anything, he knew that, but his body had begun to become tense even so.

A sigh of relief was breathed between both him and Tyson when the lad was placed back onto the ground. Slowly Iorke drifted closer, his eyes inspecting Tyson to make sure he was okay before turning to look back to Rivener. "I'll have to remember that now. Never know when I'll need to do the same thing." Iorek patted Tyson's shoulder and chuckled as he recalled the car he dented back when he was little. "You're a regular Hulk now, Rivener. Must say I'm proud. But I will be aiming to challenge you to a car lift once I grow." He grinned and looked down to Tyson very eager now for a test of strength.

"As long as you two don't hurt yourselves I'm fine with it. But I don't want to see any mopers when one of you looses." Tyson spoke as he pointed to them both.

Perfect! Iorek's mind flew off as he gathered up all sorts of ideas for challenges. There were just so many to choose from! Soon he was rambling off a few ideas to Rivener. "Well, let's see. We could do a boulder throw, or maybe a toss, or we could see who can knock a tree down faster, arm wrestle, or even have a true match of wrestling. What are you most comfortable with? I don't want this to be an uneven game."

Lil winced when Aphi turned that serious face onto her. Rarely, if ever, had she been faced with such an expression. It made her stomach clench with regret and the hair on her arm to stick up straight. "W-We don't usually, Aphi. Honest." She raised her hands up defensively as if that would quell Aphi's panic.

"Really Aphi, you don't need to waste time or money on us. We'll be fine." Lillian looked up when Aphismet began mumbling and planning the days ahead. Very slowly she reached out to touch his arm with concern in her eyes. "Aphi? Ah...are you okay?"

Tyson was happy to have the ground back under his feet where they belonged. Reaching up he fixed his shirt and looked between the boys as they discussed what to do.

Iorek nodded as his eyes glanced to where the rocks were piled and then down Rivener's arm. His vivid green eyes inspected them both carefully before he lifted his head up to face Riv. "Then would you like to having a throwing contest? The rocks are right over there and it's very simple to figure out." He chuckled again at the idea of beating Rivener once more when he grew older. Yet that last part sounded a lot like a challenge. "You probably will but it's still fun to test ourselves."

The stone raevan motioned for Rivener to follow after him as he drifted over to the pile of rocks. "We'll throw the small ones first, see whose goes the farthest and go from there. Does that sound good?"