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Aria -
She kissed him back, and smiled up at him, then gave them both a wave. "Yeah, see you gents soon." She headed to their room, and in, to gather up the cookies, the can of whipped cream from breakfast and the box of Swiss Miss, then headed back to the lounge room door. She set the cookies on the Table of Doom, and then gathered some blankets, and set up a nest for two on a loveseat next to it, and then pulled an armchair over, before draping some comfy blankets on it. She paused, then sent Rhys a text.



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Dai nodded, and followed Rhys to the kitchens. "So how are things between you two?" He asked, sounding genuinely interested, rather then brotherly concern/judging. "I mean, the rings are a good sign, just..." He shrugged, and finally said "Just wanna make sure things are good, I guess?"

Pao -
He slipped his hands into his pockets as he and Dai headed for the kitchen, not quite expecting the question that was asked of him along the way. "Really good, I think," he said after a moment of thought. His phone buzzing made him pause, though, and so he pulled the device out, smiling softly at its screen.



"I've never been more sure about anyone in my life. Why?"

Aria -
Dai watched him, his brows lifting a little, and the soft smile on Rhys' face had him tilting his head curiously. The answer to his question, though, made Dai smile. "I am glad to hear it. And because I can see how in love with you she is." He shrugged a little, and brushed his hair back as he reached over and opened the door to the kitchen. "I mean, it makes me happy to see her so happy, and so treasured. I just... it helps me feel better, knowing you see things the same as she seems to."

He glanced around the kitchen, then finally said "Haven't been on Kitchen duty yet, so I have no idea where anything is... Do you know where to find a thermos and the mugs? And maybe a kettle to boil some water?"

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Seren beamed at the reply text, and finished getting everything set up, then moved to settle into the couch, snuggling into the blankets, but already missing Rhys, and Dai too, though Rhys primarily.

Pao -
Rhys was hard pressed to blush as his thoughts settled on Seren and how they had fallen in love so quickly, but if one looked carefully they would notice the very slight pink on his cheeks. "Yeah...she I are eye to eye on a lot of things, actually. I think it's why we work so well? To me, doesn't matter so much the 'why' as long as the love's still there. Still growing, y'know?"

He followed Dai inside and gave the kid a clap on the shoulder. "Yep, c'mon." He pointed out the drawers for the mugs and thermos while he got a kettle going, and once that was on he looked around and successfully found some packets of mini-marshmallows shoved into the back of a cabinet and apparently forgotten. He checked the expiration date before tossing them onto the counter, though.

"So what about you? You said you packed up your stuff and moved after your parents passed? Where to?"

Aria -
Dai listened, and controlled the urge to grin when he saw that red color on Rhys' cheeks, faint though it might be. "Growing and working well are both good things to hear. But in this case, I meant seeing the relationship as going well. She clearly feels things are going very well with you both. She's pretty settled with you." He went to the indicated cupboards, and got a large thermos out, and three decent sized mugs, before turning back to Rhys. "Honestly, you two seem to be a more balanced and well matched couple then some years married people I've seen."

He blinked at the question, then shook his head a little. "I musta been unclear. I had not moved yet. I was planning on it. I'd graduated from High School, and was going to go travel a little, before going to college. Among other things, I had planned to go to San Francisco, the city where my sister had..." He paused, then did air quotes. "Died." He sighed a little. "We received notice, of course, and it listed where it supposedly happened, and all of that, so I planned to make a good bye trip, I guess?"

He looked honestly uncomfortable, because this was stuff that was sort of unpleasant and unhappy. "And then, I thought I'd go to Boston, because I'd been accepted into Harvard."

Pao -
Rhys was leaning against the counter by the stove, arms crossed as he watched Dai go about the room to grab what they needed. The statement about married couples had him smirking, though he didn't say anything and simply shrugged. "I'm settled on her, too. Honestly I kinda look at the promise rings as informal engagement rings, 'cause I'm not goin' anywhere."

He checked on the kettle real quick before turning to face Dai again, listening and nodding along as he explained. He could see the discomfort and his own smile went a little lopsided. "But you came here instead because...?"

Aria -
"Do you plan to eventually get engaged?" He asked, curiously, leaning against a counter. "Just curious. I honestly have no idea if that actually has any meaning here, so it's all just interesting and educational to find out this stuff, and also helps me understand the dynamic you two have, and are, building." Dai gazed at a spot on the wall, as he spoke, just lost in thought. "I doubt that'd be a life I would ever go for, myself, but... I understand it for those who do."

He sighed at the question. "Because of the Shadows. Because I hated... hate... how they made our childhoods scary, and how our parents used them against my sister." There was a moment of silence, and he snarled "Our mother could see them too, you know. She never told Father, just let him believe it was a sign of a curse, and that it was Seren who brought it." There was hate in his voice. "I can't do anything to them, they're dead. I can't say they didn't deserve it. The Shadows? I can fight them."

Pao -
Now there was a question, and he smiled as he again listened for the moment. "I know some people here are married, but I don't think it means a whole lot around here. Just something for the two involved. As for me? Would be nice, but I've already been turned down once." He smirked at that, then moved to get the thermos.

He noted the hatred in his voice as he spoke about their parents, and he took a second to rest his hand on Dai's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Not a bad choice in the end, given the reunion and all. You two get a second chance at being a real family, right?"

He grabbed the thermos then, and headed back toward the stove.

Aria -
"I doubt she would, this time, given what ya'll said earlier." He paused, frowned at his phrasing, and gave a slight cough. He tried very hard not to speak like a lot of the people he grew up with, and when things like that slipped out, it made him annoyed at himself. "But that's up to you. I also don't know that she would press the issue." He shrugged, thinking about how reticent that young woman could be, considering how forwards maybe people probably thought her.

The comforting hand was appreciated, and Dai looked up at Rhys for a moment, a sober but grateful expression on his face, then he looked back down, gathering his thoughts again, while the older man moved to the stove. "Yeah. I agree, completely. I obviously had no idea it was the case, but I definitely am grateful I got the chance."

Pao -
The phrasing had Rhys raise a curious brow but again passed up on commenting since it seemed to be another sore spot with the way he frowned about it. "I think about it sometimes, honestly, but we've only been together a few months and it feels like it might be too soon?"

The uncertainty in his voice was thankfully masked by the kettle going off, and he made quick work about getting the water into the thermos. Not that he was still insecure about him and Seren at this point. It was really more about the timing of potentially proposing, or if she felt it was necessary at all, that he was unsure about.

Once he had the thermos topped off and closed he moved back toward Dai, once again smiling. "And I get to horn in a little on that reunion, so if you want you can think of me as a big brother or...generally just family. Only if you want."

Aria -
"Understandable. You guys mesh so well, it seems like it has to be longer than that, but... Given the timeline of when she woke up, yeah it makes sense. You do it, or not, on your own time. I'm happy as long as she is, you know? But if you have any questions that you might hesitate to ask her, about the past or whatever, really..." Dai shrugged and picked up the mugs.

"Well, I'd be happy to answer. I'm guessing, from things you've both said, she's told you a lot. There's things she doesn't know, though, and I plan to keep it that way on some of it. Like the thing about Mother and shadows. Seren never knew, and I suspect it would hurt her so badly to find out. Other stuff like that." His eyes were a little dark as he spoke, dark and distant.

He refocused at those words, and his expression cleared up. "Yeah. I like the sound of that. I've already sort of thought of you as my unofficial brother in law, with how you two are. It'd be nice to have a family based on good things."

Pao -
"I appreciate that," said the brunette, sitting on a few questions now that Dai added a little more to what he did know of their parents from what Seren told him. "She and I, though, we try not to keep secrets, so I might have to pass on the offer."

Again he gave the kid a clap on the shoulder before grabbing the marshmallow packets and heading for the door. "But yeah, family's good. If you need any help, don't hesitate with me. If I can help, I will."

Aria -
Dai frowned slightly and said "Please don't mention what I told you about Mother. I don't exactly want to keep secrets from her but I also don't want to pass things on to her that I know would actively be painful for her to have to deal with." He sighed and carried the mugs to the door, his eyes concerned. "I understand you guys don't keep secrets, but..." He sounded unhappy about the idea of her finding that out. "And there might be things it wouldn't occur to her to mention, and you might be wondering about and not wanting to upset her over, I guess, is what I was thinking."

An odd thought crossed his mind, though, and he gave a weird laugh, then he shook his head to get back on focus.

"Yeah. I appreciate it. Same for you, you know?" He shrugged, and held the door open for Rhys, since Rhys had the water AND the marshmallows.

Pao -
"If she doesn't ask, I won't," he agreed, a little apologetic look on his face that that was the best he could do. "And since it's something she doesn't know, she probably won't. She's still tryin'a wrap her head around an almost-adult version of you, so."

He walked out the door, taking extra care with the thermos as they headed back to the dorms. "Thanks," was all he could think to say, shooting a little smile in his direction. "What was with that laugh, though?"

Aria -
Dai sighed, and nodded. "I guess it's the best I can ask for... And then just hope she doesn't ask you if I've told you anything, or something." It was all he could hope for, really, given the situation, but it was still not a comfortable thought to deal with.

He nodded. "Yeah, of course. Family, right?" The question, however, had a pinkish tone crossing Dai's cheeks. "Ahhh. Just... that there were things that you could ask me that might be awkward, but at the same time, informative."

Pao -
He nodded, a little lopsided smile on his face. It was a tough thing, but hopefully it'll all turn out just fine. Even if Seren did ask and she eventually found out, he knew she was strong and that while it would hurt she would be able to get through it.

The pink he noticed on Dai's cheeks next had him raise a brow, and then the next words that came out of his mouth made Rhys cough a little awkwardly. "Anything like that I'd rather hear from her, to be honest," he eventually said. He hadn't known Dai for very long, but being that he was his girlfriend's kid brother...there were just some things he couldn't ask him about.

Aria -
Dai shrugged at Rhys' response. "That's more then fine." He tossed his head a bit, honestly glad to avoid that awkwardness. "It's out there, if you ever need it." He shrugged a little, then hurried his step to open the door to the main building for Rhys.

Pao -
He was glad Dai didn't seem the sort to want to press that kind of awkward issue, and he went ahead inside when the door was opened for him. He might have protested a bit but his hands were full and he just noticed that Dai had been the one to get the doors earlier.

As soon as he knew Dai was right behind him, he hurried them on to the lounge, his expression significantly brightening when he set his eyes on Seren. Quickly he set his things down on the coffee table and went over to her, leaning in for a soft and very loving kiss. "Got those marshmallows for you, love," he said as he pulled away. They weren't opened so they should be alright."

Aria -
Dai followed Rhys in, and placed the mugs on the table, then settled into the armchair, an amused smile on his face. He leaned over, grabbed a cookie, and nibbled it, watching them. He found himself wondering if they were always like this... They hadn't been separated very long, after all.

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Seren looked up as they came through the door, and beamed at the sight of them, then leaned up for the kiss, eyes closing for a moment. "Mmmm thank you, baby! I look forwards to trying it. It sounds good." She pulled him to sit next to her, then leaned forwards to put cocoa powder into the thermos. Once the ratio was right, she sealed it back up and shook it, good and hard, and once she was sure it was mixed up, she poured them each a mug. She put marshmallows in hers, then looked at the lads. "Whipped cream or marshmallows?" Dai indicated whipped cream, so she got his prepped, then refocused on Rhys.

Pao -
He chuckled and took up the space next to her, making himself comfortable as he kept his eyes on her. Even just a little bit of time away made him want to cuddle up to her, and it was something Dai would likely notice the more he spent time with them. "Marshmallows for me," he soon replied, his smile soft. "Thanks, babe."

Aria -
Seren gave him a bright smile, and popped the marshmallows into Rhys' cup, then handed it to him, along with a cookie, before picking her own up, and snuggling back into the blankets, and not at all incidentally, into Rhys too. She, too, found herself wanting to be right up close to him when he had been gone for a few minutes. Hell, she just generally found herself wanting to be close to him if he was there, and if he wasn't, she missed being next to him.

She just liked being up close to her boyfriend, because nothing else made her as happy. He was her happy place.

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Dai accepted his cocoa, and took a slow, careful sip, enjoying the flavors and also the sight of his sister so happy and content. "Thank you, the cookies are, as ever, delicious, Star, and the cocoa is just the right compliment." He gave her a bright smile, his head gently tilted to one side. "So what, really, is there to do for fun on this island? I haven't had a lot of chance to find out..."

Pao -
Rhys happily gave her some room to cuddle in, wrapping his arm around her so she could move in closer if she wanted. That left his cookie hanging, but he didn't mind so much and just kept his focus on his cocoa, sipping now and again.

"Not really a whole lot?" was the best he could offer, a thoughtful look on his face. "We mostly gotta find stuff on our own, board games or things like Dare Night?"

Aria -
"Dare Night? Oh right, that. Pity I missed that, it sounds like it was interesting. Of course, I have until May before I can get any really fun dares." He sighed, in a faux dramatic way, and shrugged. "Oh well. If one comes up, I'll still go play, and see what I can find from it. It might be worth a try. And board games, huh?" He made a slight face, then shrugged. "I suppose I should try it."

He looked thoughtful, then asked "Has my sister dragged you stargazing yet? She's utterly obsessed with the stars, as you've probably noticed..."

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Seren snuggled in nice and close, perfectly happy to take every inch of space Rhys gave her. She paused, thoughtfully, then leaned forwards, grabbed another cookie, and cuddled back in... Lifting it to his mouth so that he could nibble it at his leisure, while sipping her cocoa, which she held in her other hand. She nodded at what Rhys was saying, not arguing.

Then Dai asked that question, and Seren nearly choked on her cocoa.

Pao -
Rhys blinked when she offered him a cookie, and he smiled and took a bite, hugging her close for a second as thanks. Dai's words and concerns amused him and he sipped his cocoa to wash down the cookie. He, too, nearly choked on his cocoa when the question came up, but he recovered well enough to nod.

"Yeah, first time was in Siberia," he said, glancing down to meet Seren's eye for a moment. "The other times have all been here. And I did notice she kinda likes the stars, yeah."

Aria -
Seren gave Rhys a grateful smile, slowly sipping her cocoa, the cup hiding her flushes. She did enjoy their Stargazing visits, whether there were other activities involved or not, but her brother's timing! She offered another bite to Rhys, and gave him a wink, before biting the one he held, to make it more balanced. "If he hadn't worked it out, given my clothing, my room decor, my hair... I'd be rather concerned about him." She said, after swallowing the bite, in a very dry tone.

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Dai's brows FLEW up at the way they both reacted, and then flushed, because he wasn't so stupid as to not figure out why they might react that way. Then Rhys mentioned Siberia. "SIBERIA? You went stargazing in the ******** Frozen North?"

Pao -
He took another bite, smirking at the wink before going back to his cocoa. "Pretty sure I picked it up after the first time I went into her room," he said, thinking back a little bit. "And yeah, putting that together with her hair and her clothes...I'd have to be blind not to figure that out." He turned to press a kiss to her temple just as he asked about Siberia.

"Yeah, was a crazy good night...really, a crazy good week, and not 'cause of that. Just us figuring things out, kinda thing."

Aria -
"Holy ********. Why would you go there? For a week? Was this for duty?" Dai clearly sounded appalled. "I hope to gods to avoid THAT post, because snow is dandy and all for a day or two, but not in that quantity, and definitely not for a week." He blinked some, though and laughed. "Still, I'm glad it was a good thing for you two."

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Seren chuckled some at the comments, though she closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about how hard that first night had been on both of them. After a minute, she shunted those thoughts aside, and opened her eyes again. "It was a good week. A week of learning, and growing. It had some bad moments... Because yes, this was for duty, and Rhys met what we were there to observe... But mostly good."

Pao -
Rhys sipped on his cocoa, only nodding along and smiling once or twice as he recalled the better times of that week. His expression darkened, too, when Seren brought up the fact that there were bad moments...but the ratio between good and bad were significantly skewed in favor of the former, so after finishing off the cookie she offered he washed it down with some more cocoa and shrugged.

"Mostly good. Still haven't heard if there was anything more that happened with the thing we were there to watch, so you might get sent there." He grinned at Dai then, and sipped his cocoa. "Can only hope, if that happens, that you get sent with someone who'll make the trip less of a frozen hell."

Aria -
She stole the rest of the cookie he was holding with her teeth, and ate it, then rested her head against Rhys' chest, her cocoa held close to her. "If you go, I hope you can drive, or your partner can and you two would be comfortable. Otherwise, ya'll would be in an awkward situation. The actual site is a bit of a drive via snowmobile. Rhys had to do all of that for us, since I still have no idea how to drive."

She paused, and then tilted her head to smile sweetly up at him. "But he's promised to help me learn, so that won't be an issue in the future."

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Dai's brows lifted and he gave a slightly delicate shudder. "I hope not. I really would prefer to avoid this. It does not sound like something I would enjoy. I much prefer being here in the tropics, to be honest. Or visiting places like Kyoto. By the way, if you go, they have a LOVELY Starbucks in a wonderful old house. You should visit."

Pao -
Rhys was about done with his cocoa as she cuddled against his chest, and he smiled, expression soft as he glanced down at her and nodded. "Mm, on our next leave, probably. Or whenever she wants, am ready to teach whenever." He leaned down for a sweet little kiss, and then pulled back and put his mug on the table.

"Kyoto?" he looked back at Seren. "Was Japan on your list of places to go, babe? If not, sound like we should add it."

Aria -
"You definitely should. More than just Kyoto, really! It's a such an awesome country! So much to see, and do, there!" Dai looked very enthusiastic. It was clear he was quite fond of Japan. "And the food is awesome, and the people are generally fairly kind!"

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Seren kissed Rhys back, and then shifted back to sipping her cocoa, her lips in a soft smile, enjoying this quite family discussion. "Yes, Japan totally was, Rhys! I told you months ago... I wanna go to Tokyo, and try Ramen at a real Ramenya, have food at an Izakaya... But it sounds like there's more that I need to see." She shifted on the loveseat, until she was seated on her love's lap, wanting to be just that much closer, especially now that he did not have to worry about spilling his cocoa on her.

Pao -
Between the two Rhys nodded, thinking back and finally recalling the conversation he had with Seren, incidentally before they were even together. "It's coming back to me, yeah," he chuckled as she adjusted herself onto his lap. He draped his arm over her lap, a hand resting gently on her knee, while the other was wrapped around her waist.

"So Korea, Japan...we've already been to London, and pretty sure Siberia wasn't on your list but maybe we can hit a nicer spot in Russia." He looked up then, at Dai. "My list is mostly Europe. Italy, Greece, Spain...anywhere else? We could pick as a little family and maybe go some place all together?"

Aria -
Her free hand slipped to rest on his, twining their fingers just a bit as she did so, her lips curving into a slightly sweeter smile then before. "Good to know that you're not suffering memory loss, babe." She teased softly, her eyes gentle as she gazed up at him. His suggestion regarding vacations had her eyebrows lifting up, especially when he called Dai family. Her eyes went soft and she set her now empty mug down, before leaning up to press a soft, loving kiss to his cheek.

She then settled back, and said "No, Siberia definitely was nowhere near my list. And... maybe. I don't know about Russia, much. But there's a huge world to explore."

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Dai shook his head at the mention of Russia. "Let's avoid them, right now. The political atmosphere is not good, and they're causing a LOT of problems, worldwide. I, at least, do not want to spend my money in a nation that is causing problems." He gave a shrug, but then grinned. "But a family vacation, that sounds lovely. Maybe somewhere none of us have been?" He tilted his head, thoughtfully. "Thailand?"

Pao -
The kiss had him smiling softly back at his love, wondering what exactly it was for but not at all complaining. Again, between the two of them he chuckled and ultimately gave a shrug. "So not Russia for now, at least not voluntarily." He thought on Thailand for a moment, and again gave a shrug.

"Don't know much about the place but would be willing to go if that's what both of you want. I'd vote a cruise but we're not allowed for more than two days at a time."

Aria -
"Well, there's Phuket, of course. Or Bangkok... And a bunch of islands... It's famous for its islands. But I'd love to see Bangkok. Or Koh Samui, one of it's more well known islands. But Bangkok is the capital, and it has so much going on. There's the water markets, and temples... And so much more. And Thai food, of course." Dai looked animated as he talked about it. It was clearly somewhere he'd been considering for some time, with how he spoke about it.

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Seren chuckled, and said "I think we get more time as we promote. I think I read somewhere that full hunters get more days, and maybe something about specialists getting more? So maybe we could do a short cruise sometime in the future, once we're all promoted and all." She leaned her head back, her eyes thoughtful.

Pao -
Rhys watched the kid go on a little bit, glad to see him so enthused about something. There wasn't really anything in Deus that was worth getting so excited over, but given that they had leave the brunette was relieved to see that Dai would likely try and get the most out of his leave days every month.

"That sounds like a good plan to me," he said, soon looking down to meet Seren's gaze. "Always wanted to go on a cruise. 'Til we can though, Thailand sounds pretty cool." And he looked back at Dai again. "How much do you think we could fit into a day or two, bro?"

Aria -
Seren's brows rose again at Rhys calling Dai bro. She had clearly missed a lot when these two had gone off on their own, but it made her very happy to hear. She shifted on his lap, just a little, making sure not to dislodge his hand, but turning so that she could rest her ear against his chest and listen to his heartbeat as they talked. "That would be nice. I've never been on a boat."

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Dai looked thoughtful, and said "Not sure. But I can do some research on the subject, maybe? See if there's like '2 days in Bangkok' guides or some such thing out there. Get some ideas of what's available, and how to fit things in, and the best places to stay for not too much money."

Pao -
Rhys glanced down again as Seren shifted, meeting her gaze and silently asking if maybe something was up, like she was uncomfortable or something. He shifted a little as well, to hopefully help keep her comfortable on his lap. The closer she was, the more relaxed he found he could be.

"You and your sister have travel planning in common," he chuckled once his eyes were on Dai again. "She basically did all the work when we went to London, and it worked out really well. But what do you think about Thailand, baby?" Gently he nudged Seren, leaning down for a little kiss. "Family vacation's some place for all of us to decide, right?"

Aria -
Dai blinked, and tilted his head, curiously, at his sister. "Planning, eh? Did not know you were good at it, but I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. You had to learn how to do that stuff, didn't you? Just to balance everything." He sighed a little, then refocused on good things. "But yeah, Rhys is right... Does Thailand interest you?"

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She blinked up at Rhys, and gave him a soft smile, making it clear she was fine. She just liked hearing the sound of his heartbeat. It was a soothing sound, and left her feeling really relaxed. She wondered if, on the rare occasions that it happened, he'd ever paused to listen to her heartbeat when he napped with her as his pillow. It was just such a nice thing.

The question, however, and the kiss roused her out of her almost zoned out state that she was drifting towards. "Mmm Thailand is fine with me? I don't know much about it, other then the foods I've tried, which were limited. I'd definitely give it a go."

Pao -
The smile was comforting enough and Rhys relaxed a little bit, gently giving her knee a squeeze now that he knew she was alright. If she asked, on the rare occasion that it did happen he did find the sound of her heartbeat incredibly soothing. For him, though, it was more common that he fall asleep to sound of her breathing.

"So Thailand for our first family vacation, sounds like," he grinned, glancing over at Dai. "Time for some research, and maybe coordinating our leave days. Might be a good idea to push it to a few months from now, that way you've got more money saved up, Dai."

Aria -
"We should check when is the best, temperature wise, season to go. Thailand's tropical, isn't it? Hot and steamy in the summer, I bet, like here. We should see when we can go to escape some of that." Seren said, thoughtfully, nuzzling against Rhys' chest as she spoke. Her expression was a little lost, again, as she thought about how amazing this was. A loving boyfriend, and her brother, and they both seemed to get along.

She had gone from believing she was cursed, to believing she had been given a chance to find a hell of a blessing.

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"Yeah, saving up sounds like a good plan, especially after Christmas shopping." Dai said, with a nod. "I'll have to see what I can find, find out prices, and all that. Next month's leave will be taken in the USA, and I'll be finding another Starbucks, and I'll just sit there and do my research, leeching their WiFi while having basic coffee, to save money."

Pao -
He wrapped both his arms around her as she nuzzled, nodding a bit. "Oh, yeah. Would be great to not feel like I'm melting while we're going on a tour that's supposed to be fun." He nuzzled into her hair a little as well, a perfectly content look settling onto his face as he wondered how he went from having no one at all--no friends or family to speak of--to having a woman he loved, and a small little family now that her brother was in the picture.

"Make sure you find a place that has one that's open 24 hours so you make the most of your stay," he suggested, smirking a little. "Or a cheap motel with free wifi, maybe? That way you have a bed in case you need to sleep."

Aria -
Dai looked thoughtful, and then sighed and shook his head. "Minor, remember?" His expression was frustrated but accepting, all at once. "They won't rent a hotel to me. I'm not 18, even." He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "They'd probably be worried I'm trying to hire a hooker or something, and would not want to risk getting caught up in those sorts of laws. But there's no chance, until May, that I can rent places out on my own."

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Seren blinked a little at that, and made an 'oh!' expression. "He has a point. A lot of places won't rent to people who are 18, even, let alone 17. So he can't do overnights on his own for awhile yet." She lifted her head as she thought about that, her eyes looking distant. "I guess that's one definitely good thing about AirBnB, they don't make people be over 21 or something... But he'd still have to be 18 there."

Pao -
Rhys made a face at that but could really only sight about it since it was something he had no control over. "Well, 24-hour places with free wifi it is, then. Just pick a safe-ish city, alright? Not like we can go around flailing our weapons at people who try to attack us, know what I mean?" He was almost as worried for Dai as he would be for Seren if she had plans on spending her time someplace overnight by herself.

Aria -
Seren lifted her brows, hearing the way Rhys was being protective of her little brother. Well, well. He had settled into this 'being a family' thing quite thoroughly. She did not mind, of course, it just surprised her, given how long it had taken him to get comfortable with her. But perhaps he was doing it because he knew it was important to her? If so, well... He was going to find out how grateful she was, this evening, once they were alone again. She had had plans for this evening, and now they took on a secondary note in her head.

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Dai blinked and laughed. "I was thinking somewhere like Seattle, to be honest. Big city, lots of people, somewhere I only went once on vac, when I was like 10... So the odds of running into anyone is pretty low. Or Portland, where I only ever stopped on the way to Seattle, for a snack." He nodded, and smiled a bit. "Yeah, Portland might be a good idea."

Pao -
Rhys absently traced shapes where his hands rested against Seren, eyes for the moment focused on Dai. "Never been to either, but if you're familiar and think iPortland's alright that works for me." There was little more he could say on the matter, though at the same time he also didn't think he really had a say in the matter either way so he glanced down at his girlfriend and blinked curiously.

"You've been pretty quiet. Everything okay?"

Aria -
"I think it's a safe town? It's Hipster City these days. But I've never been, like I said, other then a quick stop, 7ish years ago." He shrugged. "I suspect it's as safe as most cities, as long as you follow the usual rules, like 'don't go wandering down some random alley' and the like." He glanced over at Rhys' question, though, to study his sister's expression, concerned.

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The feeling of Rhys' hands was putting her back into that relaxed, zoned state, so when he spoke, she kind of made a 'mmm' sound initially... before her brain caught up and she focused on him, and his words. "Ah? Mmm, yeah, babe." She smiled up at him, her head tilted so she could look him in the eyes. "I'm just really comfortable, and relaxed. I'm happy you two are getting along this well, and just... It makes me really happy. I don't know how else to say it. But yeah... I've been quiet because I've been half listening, and half zoning out."

Pao -
He smirked at her response, reaching up to caress her cheek ever gently, expression bright. "Good to hear," he murmured, "that you're relaxed enough to zone out. And yeah, we're doin' pretty well so far. Don't see that changing any time soon." Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, just full of his love and happiness and gratefulness for everything that she brought into his life.

Aria -
She leaned into the caress, her eyes still focused on his face, her lips curved into a smile. She looked utterly happy in that moment, and when he leaned down to kiss her, she kissed him back, her own free hand sliding up to cup his cheek softly. When the kiss broke, she whispered "I love you, babe, and I am so glad you two like each other. Thank you. I know lettin' others in isn't easy for you." And then gave him another, short kiss, before turning her head a little to smile at Dai.

"Having the two most important men in my life get along this well is... one of the things I need to put onto my list of 'best things to happen to me.', along with meeting Rhys, having him let me into his life... That kind of thing."

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Dai looked relieved when she said she was fine, and then watched them for a moment, before looking off to one side to allow them their moment. When she spoke up, though, he looked back, and smiled as well. "You picked a good one, Star, and between the fact that he treats you well, and he seems to be a generally decent guy, I'd have gone out of my way to get along with him. The fact that he treats me well, in a family way, means I'm going to treat him as family too. You guys are the best family I could have."

Pao -
His smile softened at her words, and he whispered back, "Love you, too. And it's a little easier knowing how important your brother is to you." After the second kiss he straightened out and looked up over at Dai as well, relieved to hear his take on it seemed to be on the positive side as well. "Thanks, man. You guys are basically the only family I've really gotten to know," he glanced down at Seren for a second, just as a small sign that he didn't want to delve any deeper into his past right that moment. "So that means a lot."

Aria -
Dai's eyes were sad for a moment, but he nodded, and didn't ask for details. If Rhys ever wanted to tell him, that was Rhys' business. If not, that was also Rhys' business. "A healthy, happy family. That's all I could ever really want to have around me, you know?" He sighed and finished his cocoa, before snagging another of the cookies. He nibbled it, and gave a happy sigh. "I missed these, at Christmas, the past six years, Star." He said.

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"Yeah... I have Joy, and Kim, as sisters now, and adopted Lex, sorry my dears... But you two are the two I am closest to, and I suspect that is how it will always be." She closed her eyes, and sighed in a happy way. Dai's words, though, caused her lips to turn down a little for a moment. She sighed and said "Sorry, Dai... I wish I could have found a way to get them to you, at least for the two years before I got recruited..."

Pao -
Rhys noted the frown but was grateful that he didn't ask, and rather than focus on him Dai changed the subject to cookies. He wrapped his arms once again around Seren, shifting just a little bit to make himself even more comfortable, and he rested his head against hers as he listened in. "Six years? She could make you six little batches to make up for it?"

He smirked down at his love, hoping she didn't mind that he volunteered her for that little bit of extra work.

Aria -
She tried not to sigh at that, and said "Yeah, I guess I could do that..." Six years... Four of which she knew had been hard on her brother. She went silent again, then finally said "But I'm getting tired, maybe... we could chat again later? Or tomorrow... You can take some of the cookies home, Dai... I just need a nap." She didn't want to admit that thinking about that time had kind of spoiled her mood, and now she just wanted to go home for awhile.

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Dai winced as he saw the way she reacted, and realized he maybe had ******** up, accidentally. "Uh... Yeah, I'll bring some home... But no need to worry about making a bunch. I can have some of these, and I'll be here for next Christmas, so you can just make extra for me then, ok?" His tone was a little pleading, and apologetic, at his mistake. "I'll... Just gather some up, and take the mugs and thermos back. I'll clean 'em... You guys have a nice nap?"

He stood up, and began to gather the stuff, silently berating himself for being an idiot.

Pao -
The sudden tension in the room came quick and hard, but Rhys knew better than to get in the middle of it. And as much as he wanted to be able to comfort Dai about his accidentally pushing a wrong button, he would always, always side with Seren in these moments. Still, he gave her a bit of a squeeze before shifting so she could get off of his lap a bit easier. And he hoped she would catch her brother's mood, but he wouldn't be the one to point it out this time.

"Yeah, you get some rest, too," was all he could think to say.

Aria -
Seren slipped off of Rhys, and leaned to press a kiss to his cheek, before going over to her brother, and giving him a tight hug. "You didn't mean it, I know..." She whispered into his ear. "It's gonna happen, sometimes. I'm not mad at you. I just need some time." She pressed a kiss to Dai's cheek, now, in a sisterly way, then turned to head towards the door. She paused, and looked back at Rhys. "Babe, would you put the blankets away? I just want a few minutes." She looked a little pleading, honestly.

She knew he hadn't meant it, either, but when he'd volunteered her like that, it had made her feel guilty for not having thought to make Dai cookies for himself. She did not want him to feel bad, because it wasn't his fault. He had no idea that would happen... So she just wanted a little time to get it all straight in her head again.

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Dai hugged her back, and said "Thank you. Love you, Star. I didn't mean it, and... I just meant it as 'they're so good, and I love them, always have.', after all." He kissed her forehead, and watched her head to the door, concerned about her, before he picked up the mugs and the thermos, his head down some. He did, though, pause and give Rhys a grateful smile, glad that he wasn't mad at Dai for ******** up. "Yeah... you too, Rhys."