[SOLO] What Am I Supposed to Do With This?

[Teigra]

Kane finished washing up outside, packing away the meat from the day's kill and putting everything away before heading inside. His mother would be getting home soon, dinner preparations would be made, and soon the home would be filled with delicious scents. For now though, the weary provider waved a hand at his daughter in the general meaning of move or shoo, to which she responded by sticking out her tongue...then sliding to the end of the couch anyway. Kane rolled his eyes at her, then promptly took his desired spot, flopping down in a reclining position, his head resting on the arm of the seat. "Oy, missy. What'd I teach you about respecting your elders, eh?"

"That respect has to be earned, and it's not just a freely-given privilege for everyone just 'cause they survived long enough to be older than others," Vika responded with a cheeky smirk.

The lounging tiger demon opened one eye to watch her...then abruptly grinned. "Atta girl." He grabbed a spare throw pillow and pulled it over his eyes. A nap might be nice before dinner. Okay, unnecessary as they might be, his mom still had some nice stuff in her house, even if he didn't get the point of half of it. The couch and the handy pillows were making this 'nap' idea all the more tempting though.



Only when he realized Vika was humming to herself did Kane look at her again, realizing what it was she was busy with. "Are you ever going to stop shining that thing?" he questioned, incredulous.

"Nope," she answered quickly, otherwise ignoring him to continue shining up the shell of the monochrome-colored egg.

"Why in the world did you want to keep that thing anyway?"

"It's pretty."

Kane rolled his eyes again, dropping the pillow over his face in defeat. "Coulda' made a damn big omelet," he lamented in a muffled voice. If there was even anything inside that egg. Apparently, given Vika's obsession with making the egg as shiny as possible, he wasn't the only one suspecting that it was merely decorative in nature.

Kane actually twitched when a sharp cracking noise caused Vika to let out an involuntary squeak. "Alright, what'd you break now?" Kane drawled, lifting the pillow just far enough to open one eye.

"I didn't do it! The egg did it!"

"Excuse me?"

"It cracked itself!"

Kane looked, expecting to see that the egg had been cracked or damaged...but not to see the cracks slowly spreading over the surface of the egg, the egg itself shaking occasionally, despite sitting on its own on the floor, away from either of them on the couch. Well, that was new.

The egg continued to wiggle in bursts, going silent for a while in between, but the silences growing shorter and shorter, the egg beginning to maintain its activity level. Kane rose from his reclined position, moving slowly, but with all the natural grace of a predator, starting to circle the egg. On the other side from where they were sitting, he saw that a hole had appeared. He crouched, balanced on all fours as he tried to peer inside for a look. A similarly sharp blue eye appeared in the hole to meet his, the pair glaring at one another with only the shell between them for their confrontation. "...the hell?" Kane muttered, blinking only after the eye disappeared within the shadowy interior of the egg once more.  

[Teigra]

The egg continued its dance, the demon held his position crouched before it, tail lashing back and forth like a cat's. The cracking continued, joined now by a squeaking sound. What in Telrunya was in there? Cracks crossing over the egg's surface like spiderwebs, it wasn't much longer before the structure could no longer support itself. Pieces began breaking free and falling away, then the whole shell came tumbling down on the shape within. Blinking from beneath an eggshell 'hat', a fluffy, bird like...Pae'il? Creature of some sort anyway, she looked up at the two blue Pae'il before her, fixating on the demon crouched in front of her. She was covered in soft, fluffy white down, with spots of black speckling her wingtips and rump. Her eyes were clear blue, icy and sharp, mirroring the ones that studied her suspiciously. She met his imposing gaze, cocking her head to the side before setting her gaze straight again and aiming a defiant screech in his direction.

Kane snarled, growling in response, ears laid back at the sound. "Oh, just what I need: another noise-maker," he grumbled. Vika meanwhile, squealed in delight, falling to her knees next to her father. "Oh, isn't she adorable?!?"

"No."

"Pfft, she is so. You're just jealous," she shot back, sticking out her tongue. Then, she turned back to the fluffy chick on the floor. "And what's your name going to be, cutie?"

The chick glanced back and forth between them, her sharp eyes taking everything in, even if she wasn't old enough to process what she was seeing yet. When one of the large things reached for her, however, she hissed, reaching out to scratch with her needle-like claws.

"Eek!" Vika pulled her hand back sharply, thankful for decent reflexes inherited from her father and his training at least. "Now, that wasn't nice! I just wanted to say 'hello'!"

Kane smirked, giving his daughter a sideways glance, checking for blood and seeing none. "Heh, maybe I was wrong. This one's got spunk. She shows promise."

"Not nice, daddy."

"When have I ever been nice?"

"Touche."

Kane turned his gaze back on the chick, who was apparently attempting to stare them both down at once. Failing, but nice effort. "Alright, all hilarity aside...what the heck is this thing? And what are we supposed to do with it?"

"Um...raise it?"

Kane rolled his eyes. "As if I didn't have anything better to do. I already raised one brat," he muttered, ruffling Vika's hair to her annoyance as she tried to fix it again...earning a cheeky smirk from the demon. "Guess we can't just dump it in the woods though," he muttered, seeming lost in thought.

"Course not," Vika interrupted, shaking her head to get her hair to fall back in place at last. "You don't just abandon children," she admonished, distracted by the chick and missing the sideways glance her father gave her. "Looks like I got a little sister," she crowed, sounding pleased. "Now, you just need a name..."

All this time, the chick had watched them closely. The first figures she'd seen since emerging from her egg. But, the very first...she fixated on him...

Kane finally relaxed his stance, flopping back on his rump on the floor. "You seem obsessed with naming the thing. You do it." About that time, something pricked at the skin on his leg, and he nearly lashed out until he looked down and saw the chick attempting to scramble awkwardly into his lap. "Oh come, onnnnn," he moaned, dropping his head back in exasperation.

"Hee hee...aww, but you're her daddyyyyyy," taunted Vika.

"Quiet, you," Kane hissed back, glaring at his new lap warmer. Really? The chick seemed content now, peering about with bright eyes before looking up at him with a happy chirp. Kane reached up to massage the point between his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on already.  

[Teigra]

Entering through the kitchen, Takeko set her baskets down and started unloading the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that she'd gathered to restock her supplies. It was nice having others in and out of the house again. It was so quiet with just her here anymore. "Kane! Vika! Dinner should be ready soon; are you both getting hungry?" she called, not hearing much at first from the living room. She stepped in to check, and paused raising her eyebrows. She took in the fluffy chick first, then the eggshell bits all over the floor, and the exasperated look on Kane's face last. Leaning on the wall, she chuckled, "Always a new surprise around every corner with you, dear."

Vika giggled, ignoring the dirty look the tiger demon shot in her direction. Then, he just went back to looking resigned. "Before you ask; no, I don't know what it is. Not a clue. And I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with it. Vika's wanting to name it."

The nymph grinned, cross-legged on the floor and rocking back and forth. "Well, of course, she needs a name! Everyone needs a name, silly."

"You suggesting 'Silly'?"

"Nope, that's your name."

"I could suggest some of the names that were almost yours," Kane grumbled.

Takeko cleared her throat, smiling when the two fell silent and looked at her. "If you don't mind, Kane, could I...?" She trailed off, holding her arms out and the demon was only too happy to oblige, picking up the chick and handing it to her. The chick wasn't quite as happy about this...but after a soft hiss, she tolerated it, though she kept her eyes on Kane. The angel only smiled. "Reminds me already of you, Kane."

"Me? Why the heck would you say that? I look like a bird?"

Takeko chuckled. "More like a bat, if I recall," she quipped with a grin. "But no, have you looked at those claws? And the talons? Long and sharp. She's got the look of a predator, or will as she grows. I'm guessing she'll have similar dietary tastes. Probably not going to be too interested in the fruit salad I had planned for dinner, but...have you tried to feed her yet? She could be hungry."

Kane sighed, rolling his eyes. "She kinda' just got here. We hadn't gotten further than Vika trying to name her."

"I haven't tried to name her anything," the nymph interrupted. "I just said she needed a name. I didn't suggest any, 'cause you need to name her!"

"Why?"

"Because she's yours!"

"I didn't ask for her! Besides, you're the one who's been shining that egg since I brought it home!"

"Exactly; you brought it home."

Kane had nothing to say to that.  

[Teigra]

Takeko had disappeared into the kitchen to prepare dinner, leaving Kane and Vika with the new hatchling. "Sooo...what are you going to name her?" Vika inquired, in a slightly less irritating tone than she'd used the last ten times, Kane thought. He only sighed, shaking his head.

"I dunno. Why don't you name her something? Why does it have to be me?"

Vika looked up from wiggling her fingers at the toddler, amused that while she didn't seem all that active just sitting in Kane's lap, her eyes were sharp and followed every movement with eerie focus. The nymph found this fascinating. "I dunno, Daddy. I can't think of anything that fits her. And besides...I like my name."

Kane raised an eyebrow, catching her smile. Then he sighed again. "Alright, alright...let's see if we can come up with something then."

Sometime later, after playing with sounds and going back and forth about what seemed to 'fit' the little chick, a name had been decided upon.

Nyra.

The newly-dubbed Nyra seemed pleased enough by the name...as much as she reacted to anything else they had said to her thus far. To be quite honest, she'd stopped paying much attention once the scent of cooking meat had begun wafting from the kitchen. The gnawing pangs in her belly had prompted a series of squawks and shrill screeches at Kane until he'd taken the hint and carried her into the kitchen. She paid no attention to the big things talking about her and her new name. She was focused on the scent of food. Maybe it would make the belly aches stop.

"Noisy little thing," Kane muttered, relieved that she'd stopped that incessant noise now. He had to admit, he was getting pretty hungry himself, and his mother's cooking never failed to amp up his already healthy appetite. The three adults took their seats, while Kane hesitated for a moment, unsure...then sighed and settled in with the chick sitting on his knee. He'd noticed something odd amidst her earlier squawking at him. "She's got no teeth," he observed curiously. "For all the talons and claws...no teeth. What kind of predator is that? How's she supposed to eat?"

Chuckling, the angel shot her son a mischevious look. "Of course not, she just hatched. The teeth should grow in later. Though, you know how baby birds are fed..."

"Not happening," Kane responded immediately with a glare that caused his mother to laugh. "That's just disgusting. We'll find some other way," he grumbled, not noticing that he'd subconsciously accepted the reluctant mantle of 'caretaker' once more. He grabbed some of the roasted meat for himself, as well as a few pieces of cut fruit, while pondering the matter. Still, it was hard to ignore the squeaks and sorrowful looks the chick in his lap was shooting towards him, as well as his food. Oh, by the Guardians...

Grumbling, Kane shoved the chick at Vika and stalked back to the main part of the kitchen, shoving things about and seeming intent on finding something in particular. Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for and returned to the table with Takeko's mortar and pestle in hand, the one she used for fresh herbs and spices for cooking. He tossed a few morsels of meat into the bowl, then started grinding 'til he ended up with something like a mushy paste. Making a face, he muttered, "Not the most appetizing sight, but let's see how this works, kid." He accepted the toddler back from Vika and dipped up some of the mush with one clawed finger, holding it out to Nyra.

Belly hurt so much...and food smelled so good. When the blue one held out some of the mush to her, Nyra took a tentative sniff to determine that yes, this was the same as the good smelling stuff from before, even if it looked different. Then she immediately latched onto the demon's finger, tiny hands reaching up to hold his wrist as she ate. He was lucky she didn't have teeth yet.

Kane raised an eyebrow at the chick now suckling on his claw. "Guess she likes it," he commented idly, hiding just a trace of amusement. He winced as the needle-like claws prodded the skin on the inside of his wrist. "Alright, leggo or you're not getting any more," he chided, lightly shaking off her hold long enough to dip up more of the meat mush. He started figuring out the rhythm for feeding her, enough so that he could keep his other hand free to feed himself in the meantime. Before long, the chick seemed satisfied, eyes starting to droop closed as she curled up sleepily against Kane's chest, still suckling at one of his claws. He spared a glance down at her and half-smirked, looking up in time to catch Takeko watching him with a broad smile. "...what?"

"Nothing."

If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn that halo was a sham.

How did he keep winding up in these situations anyway?