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 Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:14 pm
School and work had absorbed Natalie and Michael again, now that Ophiera was settled in. In the past month, they had barely spent any time together - Michael was off on a very long business trip - and it showed. Natalie felt stressed.
And so, when Michael called her to let her know he was on his way home, her eyes lit up and she suggested a picnic.
The next day, the three of them were sitting on a blanket stretched over one of the nicely kept lawns of the complex. Natalie and Ophiera were dressed in cute, home-made sundresses - something Michael found absolutely endearing - while the man of the 'house' couldn't let go of his dress shirts and slacks. At least his shoes were off. He was busy tickling Ophiera and lifting her up over his head, grinning and laughing. Ophiera smiled and looked as if she were giggling, though of course the sound was missing.
Natalie, meanwhile, was spreading out their picnic lunch - sandwiches, drinks, fruit, all sorts of goodies. Ophiera's favorite sweets. Of course, she'd probably packed way too much, but leftovers were always nice.
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:57 am
The day was clear, bright, and warm. Bran had spent the last few days at home, working diligantly at getting everything out of boxes and set in their place. There was just enough space, and any extra boxes that he didn't know what to do with yet went into the bedroom of his soon-to-be-child. As soon as he or she arrived Bran would move them and give the child a proper room.
It was too pleasent to not go out, however, and Bran had decided that a walk was in order. Making sure the white strips of cloth were wound carefully around his horns he'd set out to wander. His feet brought him far, and eventually to a park.
There were people, he noticed. A family with a little girl who looked as though she'd grow into a beautiful woman. He smiled, leaning back against a nearby tree to just watch in the shade for a little while. He hoped they wouldn't think he was being stalkerish or anything - he simply didn't want to interupt what seemed to be such a happy family outing.
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:17 pm
The age difference between the 'mother and father' was a little unorthodox (she couldn't be more than twenty one or so, and he was obviously in his thirties), but they did truly seem happy.
And friendly, as when the girl looked up and saw that they had a guest, she hopped up to her bare feet and hurried over. After all, the people who lived in the complex were people like her - future parents, right? And this was one she hadn't met!
"Hello, there!" she said as she got closer and slowed to a halt.
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:10 pm
Bran gave a small startle as the woman hopped up and began heading toward him. She greeted him friendly enough and he gave a small bow of his head, his face going expresionless.
"Hello, pleased to meet you. I'm sorry, was I bothering you?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:16 pm
"Oh, no, not at all! Actually, well. You're a guardian, right? I mean, why else would you be here?" She laughed, a little awkwardly. "But I don't recognize you, so you must be new. We have extra food, so, uh... want to join us?"
In her head, this had all been much more eloquent and persuasive, but it was weird asking a stranger to a picnic!
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:46 pm
He gave a small, bland smile, tilting his head forward. "Thank you... I would be honored at your kind invitation. Just so long as you are sure I would not interupt anything? And yes... I am a guardian."
He followed the woman back toward where the picnic was being held. He noticed the little girl with a quick, faint smile. "Is that your child?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:49 pm
Natalie promptly flopped down onto the blanket, then picked up Ophiera from where Michael had set her down a moment before. "Yes! I'm Natalie, and this is Ophiera. Ophiera?" The little girl smiled shyly and waved, then squirmed out of her mother's arms and hid behind her.
"And I'm Michael," the man with Natalie said, holding out his hand. "Pleased to meet you."
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 12:11 pm
Bran politely reached out to gently place the knuckles of his hand against Michael's, thinking nothing that it might seem strange. Despite his pleasent mannor, his face was expresionless. "It is a pleasure."
He looked down at Natalie and Ophiera, nodding to them in regonition. "Very lovely ladies you have, here. Surroundings like these compliment them very well if you do not mind me saying."
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:17 pm
Michael blinked, but didn't make anything of it, instead just gesturing for Bran to sit. Of course, the way Bran talked about Natalie and Ophiera - a little like they were... property? - rubbed him the wrong way, but the man seemed nice enough.
And though Michael had turned out to be a rather protective boyfriend, he wasn't about to cause problems. After all, this was a strange place with strange people - he would have to learn to accept that, right?
Still, Michael shifted closer to Natalie, who was laughing and smiling, just taking Bran's words as a compliment. "Thank you!" she said. "Never heard it put quite like that, but thanks."
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 4:25 pm
"Ah... did I say something strange?" He frowned faintly, sitting down on the blanket. "Forgive me... I don't.. come from around here." He gave a slight bow of his head, indicated the wrapped horns on his head. "I suppose I'm still getting used to different ways."
He quieted, looking from each of the three before him in turn. They were a family... something far deep in his chest tightened in jealousy, but he quickly pushed it aside. No sense in being jealous, he'd have a family soon. The size didn't matter, he'd still have someone else.
He gave a small smile. "Well... what now, then?" He wasn't completely sure on what to do. Talk, he supposed.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:12 pm
Michael blinked. "N-no," he said, surprised to have been found out so easily.
Natalie laughed again, pushing against Michael slightly. Ophiera tried to mimick her mother. "I think," she said in way of explanation, "he's not used to hearing compliments like that - like we're works of art."
Michael was blushing very slightly, and he looked away. "... Something like that." But now that she put it as 'art,' he felt sort of bad.
Natalie, meanwhile, let go of him and turned to rummaging around in their picnic basket. Pulling out the last remaining food, she looked at Bran. "Help yourself. I always make too much. Besides, talking over food is better than talking over empty stomachs!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:57 pm
Bran smiled and bowed his head politely he took up a sandwich. "Thank you." It would be rude to decline such kind hospitality. He took a bite, eyes wandering to the girl that sat beside her mother. A faint smile glided across his face.
"Honestly... I hope that my.. child will be a girl." The comment felt a little awkward, a statement that was perhaps too much for complete strangers, but he felt rude to not carry on a conversation now that he was sitting here at their table so to speak and eating their food.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:48 pm
"Any reason why?" Natalie asked, genuinely curious. She'd wanted a girl because a girl seemed easier to raise and more fun to dress up. Of course, Ophiera had ended up being a little more of a handful than she'd anticipated, but...
Ophiera began slowly crawling over to Bran despite her earlier shyness, plopping down next to him and waving. She mouthed 'Hi' but didn't say anything.
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