Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Ssusssusssussuss." Autsu, the stoic, once soldier was showing his new age, and Sethos couldn't help but be charmed by it. The young boy sat happily in his stroller Sussare (yes the familiar has a name, or at least a nickname) coiled in his lap. His small hands ran carefully over the sand coloured animals cool scales, and his bright blue eyes were completely focused on her.

The discovery of Autsu's interests in snakes had been a complete surprise. Sethos had simply walked in to wake the young boy, Sussare on his neck, and had been unable to pry the toddlers attention away from his familiar. A bond had formed. Sussare still refused to leave Sethos, but was content to sit with the young black skinned boy, provided he stayed nearby.

Autsu's dislike of having Sussare leave his sight had led today's trip. The hope was to get the toddler and former criminal a pet of his own. Something he could keep near him. A kitten maybe, or a rabbit. Not a dog, he was still to young for that, he couldn't walk an animal when he was barely steady on his feet.

Pushing open the petstore door to the light ringing of bells, Sethos tried not to be overwhelmed by the sounds and smells of the place. He still prefered privacy really, and was taking Autsu out only for his love of the child.

The child has snakes in its hair. Sussare whispered into Sethos's mind, uncurling a bit to study the girl. Her tongue flicked out, tasting the air, and she 'danced' in the manner of snakes as she lifted her head toward the girl. I like it.

"Suss!" Autsu objected, not going so far as to grab the snake, but certainly glaring up at the other toddler, his petite features turned down into a frown. Sethos sighed, making absent hissing noises, and running his fingers through the boys hair.

Don't antagonize Autsu. Sethos begged of his familiar, while bowing politely toward Ananchel and the child. He didn't say anything yet, words would come later, should they be necissary.

Sethos allowed the appoligy, not sure exactly what it was for, but not about to question it either. The child was simply being curious, as children were wont to be. He wasn't sure why that might require an explination.

"My familiar poses no danger to my brother." The question did merit a respone, if only because Sethos found it rather rude. Autsu was kin, and he'd never place the young criminal in danger. If anything, Autsu was safer with Sussare curled up protectively on his lap.

I could bite the woman. Sussare offered, still moving back and forth to entertain the child. We could keep the girl.

Sussare. Sethos made the name a warning, knowing his familiars tricky temper might lead to her doing exactly that.

"Suss mine!" Autsu announced, protectively. His language skills were basic at best, Gaian was very different from what he'd spoken back home, and he'd never been a scholar.

Autsu had yet to learn the word 'share', it wasn't often used in Kniene's household. But he didn't need to know it. He saw the snake that Ein was tugging at, and was instantly fascinated. Whatever she was saying, he wanted to see the snakes. And better. They couldn't be attached to her head, not really? He wanted to see. He wanted to know!

Forgetting his earlier unwillingness to let Sussare study the girl, he reached up, making grabbing moments with his hands, all his attention on the little girls head. "See!" He demanded, fluttering his small wings to emphisize his point.

Sethos sighed, realizing now that there was no hope for it. The children would play. Reaching into the stroller, he picked Autsu up, bringing him to a level with Ein. Sussare seemed to grow smaller as he reached for her, a subtle shrinking that made the otherwise rather large snake a managable size.

I could walk. She offered, as she wrapped herself around his arm, still studying Ein.

Not until you agree to clothes. Sethos responded, tiredly.

And what's the fun in that? She asked, mocking in her 'voice' as if she knew something he didn't. He only shook his head. A strange motion to someone who couldn't hear what he did.

Autsu's eyes were unwaveringly focused on the snakes in Ein's hair. He wanted those. He did. Not that he didn't like Suss... the snakes were all so comforting. They brought him home. And that thought hurt.

"Narin." He whimpered, knowing full well that it was a word that only he understood. And then, snakes. Yes, he'd focus on those. Clutching hands reached toward the red hissing creatures, and he wondered if maybe he couldn't get one loose. "Have!"

Sethos winced at the word. The one he didn't know. The one that he woke crying sometimes. So much pain in a child, and he understood it all too well. Her eyes had been fire...

Oh he knew much too well.

Sussare lifted her head, moving closer to the little girl. Within grabbing range. She didn't mind being touched. Quite to the contrary.

If only Sethos would become aware of that fact...

Well, the girl was certainly affectionate, wasn't she? Sussare allowed the petting, head raised patiently while the toddler offered frantic affection. It was attention, and that was something. Strange child. Different from Autsu, but simply different as well... she had the same flavor of time about her, though not nearly so pronounced. Sussare tasted the air, and watched.

Autsu was... understandably shocked at the attempt at a hug. It seemed that the girl was reaching for his shoulders, a show of comradeship that he well understood. A quick squeeze of shoulders was a common greeting among the Guards... when he'd been a guard.

But he didn't know the girl! He just wanted to see her snakes. Displeased, he growled, showing his teeth and fluttering his wings a bit. Stupid wings. Stupid girl. If she's only hold still so he could get at her hair. He wanted to know how it worked...

That was better. Autsu would accept nothing from one who hadn't proven themselves a comrade, and all this girl had proven so far was that she had interesting hair. Maybe that was enough, for now.

Searching fingers finally brushed one of the red snakes, and Autsu even smiled at the feeling of familiar scales under his fingertips. Comforting. Home. His own skin was so soft and fragile now, nothing like how a warrior should be. He wasn't the fighter he had been. Never would be again.

"Down!" He demanded, voice loud and punctuated by a sudden struggle in Autsu's arms. If he was going to get to know the girl person properly, he needed room to move!

Sethos sighed, readjusting his brother and doing his best to ignore the feathers getting thrown in his face by those frantic wing flaps. "Perhaps, some place more suitable for playing?"

There was an open space in the back of the pet store. Perhaps they could set the little ones down there, so they might get to know each other better.