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 Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:04 pm
The leggy brunette frowned as she paused at the foot of the stairs to the porch and tried to rearrange her burdens. The child at her hip burbled and snaked a hand up and around her neck while she fumblingly hitched up the brown paper bag of supplies at her other hip. "Quixana, darling," she said absently, "Please don't catch at Mommy's hair. It hurts. Courage? Where are you?"
Sheepishly, the lioness cub reappeared from the edge of the treeline. She meowed. Cressida sighed. "Don't go off like that," she scolded but there was no heat in her words. "You make Xana worried. Besides, do you know what's in those woods?" Courage shook her head while Quixana tilted his own to rest against his mother's shoulder. He made a low, inquiring sound. Smiling, utterly melted once more by the pair, Cressida climbed the steps. "Wendigos and Big Foot and dryads and the Easter Bunny," she continued solemnly.
Upon reaching the front door, though, she discovered the folly in opting to leave the stroller at home. There was no way she could knock. "Xana, darling?" she asked finally, quietly. "Do you think you could aim for that little button?"
Quixana lifted his head, blinking sleepily. Then he looked obediently in the direction. A little circle of plastic glowed faintly. It was kind of pretty. He began to reach for it. He stopped, though, and looked back at Cressida for permission. She nodded. Gleeful, he leaned forward and banged at the button.
Somewhere inside, a bell sounded dimly.
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:17 pm
Tweek, who'd been in the process of setting out the bowls, pans, and wax paper on the kitchen table, straightened up briskly at the sound of the bell. She quickly glanced over to Sonya, who sat sunning contentedly on the low shelf of the bay window, sucking peaceably on three of her tiny fingers, her other hand laying possessively on Renewed's furry shoulders.
"They're here!" The woman chorused animatedly to her daughter as she stepped closer to pick up her children. Sonya gave a soft giggle around her fingers, making a chirping sound as she and Renewed were swept up into their mother's arms to greet the visitors. The trio reached the door and Tweek hunched over, careful to keep her charges secure as she wrestled the stubborn handle into place and swung open the door.
"Cressida! Welcome!" Tweek grinned as in her grip, Sonya made a delighted bubbling noise and flapped her arms as she recognized the familiar figures of Quixana and his daemon. "Please come in! I'm sorry this place is such a mess. I must have uprooted half our stuff while babyproofing the house." The bespectacled woman drew back inside the house, motioning for the others to follow as Renewed butted his way out of her grip to scrabble up on her shoulder.
"I've just finished setting up the kitchen table..."
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:47 pm
"Perfect." Cressida's smile was luminous as she stepped into the house, dragging bags and child, trailing lioness. She passed close enough and Quixana abruptly reached over to clasp Sonya's hand and laugh. With her own slight giggle, Cressida stopped obediently and waited. "Xana, darling, Mommy can't move if you don't let go."
Quixana merely laughed again and clutched his friend's hand again tighter for a moment. Then he released her and moved to pat Sonya's plump leg. "Bay-bee," he burbled.
His mother lit up, sharing her amusement with Tweek. "He's picking up plenty of new words," she explained. "I think he's hit about a dozen now. Is Sonya talking yet?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:47 am
As Sonya likewise latched onto Xana, swinging his hand from side to side a little while squirming her chubby feet, Tweek's face showed her surprise at the little boy's response, and her visage quickly dissolved into a delighted smile. "Well, look at that! Impressive!" She marveled. Meanwhile, Sonya opened her mouth at Xana's word, blinking long lashed eyes and letting out a questioning "Nah-bee?" which may have been a subconscious attempt at mimicry, but couldn't quite be called a word.
"Not yet," Tweek said in response, the thought striking her by surprise. Normal children might go a whole year without a first word, yet on the very day of her arrival, Sonya had pronounced a variant of Renewed's name in a way that Tweek could understand. If Xana was already beginning to learn words, how much longer could it be before her daughter followed in his footsteps? "At least, she can almost say Renewed, but I haven't caught her mimicking me or anything yet. Oh! Please, go ahead and put your stuff down on the table," She motioned to the circular wooden platform in the kitchen. It wasn't huge, but it was of modest size for cookie making activities.
"Hmm, where best to set our little ones?" Tweek pondered aloud, mentally kicking herself for not thinking to supply more than one high-chair. There were always the kitchen chairs, the playpen--although that was a little further away--or, if nothing else, the floor had just been cleaned. Renewed chuttered softly as Sonya wiggled slightly in her mother's arms, her toes curling and uncurling expectantly.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:19 pm
"Hmm, good point." Cressida scanned the area, remaining in place so Quixana could continue to hold Sonya's hand. Courage glanced up at both Forgotten and mother and rumbled questioningly. When Cressida did not answer promptly, she huffed and padded into the carpeted area adjoining the kitchen. She circled for a moment, then turned and sat back on her haunches in the area directly in front of the work table. She mewed and Quixana looked over before making a burbling noise of agreement. Cressida laughed. "I think Courage is telling us that's a good spot. Xana is good about behaving and Courage can wrangle both of them, I think." She glanced back to check the placement of the table. "Yes, that should work."
Sensing the next step, Quixana reluctantly let go of Sonya's hand right before Cressida lowered him to the floor. He looked up for a moment and then beamed. Promptly, he crawled over to where Courage waited, turned, sat, and beckoned for his friend and her daemon to join him.
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