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 Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2005 4:18 pm
A Child's Concerns // One More Bratling
Now able to explore the house on his own, for the most part, Keith sought out his older brother, Irvyn. The wolf-boy was known very much for his skill at hiding... Especially when he didn't want to be found. Of course, the other wolves in the house always knew how to track him and Sen, being the big fluffy pet pooch that he had become in his old age, was only too happy to aide the 'young master' in his search.
Once within the library he fell silent, drawing a tiny finger up to his lips in order to show Sen that he should be quiet too. "If we're gonna catch the wolf... We have to be smart. An' quiet." He nodded slowly, sock covered feet slidding over the hard wood floors as he 'stalked' towards the older boy.
'Vyn, who was quite content with simply reading his book, had heard the young one talking despite his attempts to remain silent. There was a reason why he'd been able to avoid most of the household for the past couple of days... As well as a reason to why he had been trying. Some secrets were better off left for the adults to explain and it was not his duty to go about explaining his mother's maladies ot the rest of the house. Especially not the little one... But there seemed to be no escape now as the terror was upon him.
Quietly, he slipped into a chair next to 'Vyn, leaning over to look at the book that the older boy was reading so intently while the wolf settled comfortably on the floor beside him. "Whatcha readin'?"
"A book." A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he closed the covers, shielding the unknown words from the little one's eyes; not as if he could read them anyways.
"I know that." His little nose scrunched, teeth tugging on his lower lip. He was already begining to really dislike it when all of the older children in the house said things like that... Like he didn't know what they were. He was a smart boy. Both of his mothers AND Uncle-Dad had told him so.
The tugging at the lip should have set his sensors off. He should have known that he was going to be barraged from questions from then on but, instead of fleeing while he could, he decided to take the bait. "So, kid... What's on your mind?"
"Nodel-mam's been sleepin' lots..." He looked up to his big brother only to see him nod in agreement. At least that meant that he wasn't the only one who noticed. Maybe it wasn't normal... "She's not... Sick, is she? I dun want her to be sick..."
Oh boy... The very thing he'd been hoping the kid wouldn't ask... And he did. Of course. How the hell was he going to answer this? He brought a hand up to his head, rubbing his temples for a moment before looking down to the boy. He looked so worried... And too damned cute to deny an answer.
"No... She's not sick. At least, not really." That was a bad choice of words and he instantly regretted putting it that way as he saw a wave of near-terror flood the little boy's face. "She's just... Going to have a baby."
"A baby?" Terror turned into a scrunched nose and a furrowed brow. "Why does Nodel-mam need a baby?"
Good question. He snorted mentally as he let his hand fall back down to the table. He really didn't see why there was a need for Skye to breed when she'd already had one biological child... And countless other adoptions. Alright, so they weren't countless, but weren't Ash, Keith and himself along with all of Flarie's kids and all of WinK's enough? "Well..." He pondered. How was he going to answer this without being asked where babies came from? "When people get married they usually have a baby... It won't be bad. You'll have a new brother or sister to play with."
The young lad seemed to ponder that for a moment before a bright smile spread over his face. "It'll be nice to have more people to play with. Thanks 'Vyn." With that, he hopped down from his chair, whistling for Sen to follow him before padding off to share the great news with everyone that he might have ran into along the way to the gardens. He would go pick Nodel-mam a nice 'thank you' bunch of flowers.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:51 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:06 pm
__// Ohana Means Family He knew that his Nodel-mam had been home for a couple of days. She'd sent for him the day she had come home to spend some time with him. It had been nice... But then she'd left again to talk about the babies with the demon-lady-man.
He had kept himself busy, drawing pictures for both of his mothers and pesting 'Vyn and Laire about Halloween. This was going to be his first one and he'd heard lots and lots of really fun things about it. As a matter of fact, his older sister, Ash, was born on Halloween. Or, at least, that's when everyone said she'd come to live with them.
Either way, he was determined to go spend time with his Nodel-mam for a bit.
Upon entering the room that he had once run to when he'd had bad dreams, he saw her sitting there holding the girl-baby. She was fussing and making bad noises that made his nose scrunch. "Babies make alot of noise." He nodded as he crawled up onto the bed beside her.
She turned her head, smiling softly at the little boy. "Not all babies, Keith... You barely made a peep when you were this little." She nodded slowly, lowering the little girl so that her big brother could have a better look at her. She stopped fussing, eyes glittering as she gurgled at Keith. "I think she likes you..."
"Why can't they not make a peep?" He grumbled once more, little arms crossing over his chest, his look only softening when he looked over at his new sister. "Why would she like me?"
She chuckled softly as she stood up, making her way over to the cradle to lay Calista down now that she was calmed. "Because you're her big brother and she knows it? Sometimes big brothers are really important as far as little sisters are concerned. They take care of each other... That's part of what being a family's about."
He seemed to ponder that for a moment before hopping down from the bed. He'd have to go do some thinking on this 'family' thing. For all he knew, Nodel-mam might've just been saying that to get him to like the little noise makers.
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:32 am
Advice on Parenting // Adventures Afar Cerena bit down on her lower lip, looking at her blurred reflection staring back at her from the surface of the lukewarm coffee she'd made hours ago. She shifted her grip on the cooled mug, tried to decide how much sugar and cream she wanted, and finally turned to dump the entire concoction down the sink before moving to make a new pot.
She called Skye about an hour ago and asked the young woman to come over for a chat -- of course, bring anyone she'd like to, Lethe thrived in company -- and she only realized now that she hadn't the faintest clue of what to chat about. The last thing she wanted to do was immediately drown the redhead in problems the minute she stepped in..
...Maybe marshmallows. Marshmallows was always a brilliant subject. Cerena sighed and left the coffee to brew, leaving the kitchen to navigate the large, complicated halls towards the 'living' room. She went to go light a fire in the pit in the center of the room, vaguely realized halfway that there was a fire already there, and so went to sit on one of the various flat couches arranged around the room and play the count-things game.
... ... ...
Having battled with the twins over feedings and changings for days, she was only too happy to escape the house after recieving the phonecall from Cerena... Of course, she was also equally happy to drag Keith along with her because of the little boy's all out protest of staying at home with the screaming sacks of joy. That was alright with her... Maybe he'd cheer up a bit after seeing his 'cousin'.
She stepped up on the front porch, adjusting her cloak before knocking upon the door. Her hair had been pulled back away from her face and, despite the fact that she'd been sleeping less and less now than she had back when Keith had been little, she managed to look quite pulled together. Then again, looks had ways of being decieving.
Keith scrunched his nose as he looked up at his mother; not very pleased that she hadn't allowed him to bring his wooden sword. After he'd thwacked Laire with it something horrid Nodel-mam had taken it from him. She said that he'd get it back after he could demonstrate self control. Bleh. That wasn't fun at all. How on earth could he slay bad guys and protect fair maidens (who didn't have cooties) when he didn't have his sword?
... ... ...
Cerena started when she heard the knock; that was weird, she hadn't remembered expecting anyone -- oh wait, coffee, puddles... Skye! Letting her train of thought completely derail, the young brunette rushed for the door and, after fruitlessly pushing against it, inwardly cursed the oriental design and slid it open.
"Hi Skye!" Cerena beamed, proud that she had managed to defeat the evil door-monster at last. "Um, please come in! Thank you for coming!" Wait, was she supposed to say that when she left? But she hadn't even come in yet! Cerena opened her mouth to say something further, decided against it, and promptly shut it and stepped aside.
"Hi Keith!" She remembered to say to her 'nephew' though, offering him a wide grin. "Would you like to see Lethe? --She's in her room, um, you go through that hallway over there and I think it's like.. the third door or something.. I'm sure she could help you with that." He was growing up so fast, really, even if he looked vaguely the same as the last time she saw him. Kids.
... ... ...
"Thanks for calling." She grinned as she stepped inside. "I haven't been out of the house much lately... What with the twins and everything... But WinK's taking care of them at the moment which is good because he needs to spend a bit of fatherly time with them before they sprout up into..." Into what? Plants. Children didn't sprout up. Then why did they say that they blossomed? She shook her head trying to dash that thought from her mind. For some reason, simply being around Cerena always seemed to send her on into stranger trails of thought that reminded her of much younger days.
Keith blinked a couple of times as he looked between the two women before nodding. Were parents always this weird? Or was it only when it came to children... Or even talking to each other that made them strange. "Kay..." He murmured before making a dash in the direction that Cere had pointed towards. The sooner he was away from the older crazies the less likely he was to catch whatever it was that made them so. "Lethe? You here?"
... ... ...
"Yeah, babies take up so much time and energy." Cerena scrunched up her nose at the thought, and then shook her head. "Please sit down..." The brunette began, gesturing in the general direction of the couches, "Would you like some coffee?" She began to head towards the kitchen, if only because she wanted coffee. Halfway there she stopped and turned around and went back to stare confusedly at Skye. "...Since when have you had twins?" She glanced suspiciously at Keith's retreating back -- had he somehow multiplied? Wasn't he too young for that?!
Lethe was sitting on her bed reading in her room when she heard a voice call out; instantly recognizing it she threw the book to the side and dashed for her door. "Over here!" She called, sliding it open and poking her head out. "Lethe'nt know Keef was to come! Is Good Thing though." She nodded emphatically and opened her door wider so that her 'cousin' could come in.
Lethe's room was fairly big; the walls and floors were made of the same slats of cherry wood as was the rest of the house. The two main features were the stairs that wrapped around the wall to the right and led up to a platform that looked more like a half-finished second floor, and the grating near the center of the room that covered a small burbling fountain. Her bed, nightstand, and wardrobe was tucked against the far wall underneath the platform, and on the platform was a couch beneath a wide window, a desk, and several bookshelves. Pillows, rugs, and books were scattered throughout the room, and her own watercolor paintings were tacked onto whatever bit of wall she could reach.
... ... ...
"Yes... Especially when there's more than one of them." She nodded slowly before meeting the other woman's stare. "The twins... They were born... Hatched... About a month ago?" She had the date written down at home. It truly hadn't seemed like that long but, then again, maybe it had been. A month or two, at least... And they were already growing so much. Her head would spin if she sat down to think about it.
"Coffee sounds good." She'd switched from tea to coffee for a while, even if it meant that she had to add lots and lots of sugar to the dark liquid in order to make it barable to her taste buds. "How've you been?" She questioned the other as she sank slowly into a chair, letting loose a soft sigh of relaxation at the sudden silence.
"Wow..." His bright blue eyes went wide as he looked around. His 'cousin's' room was so much larger than his... And there were so many cool things! "Keith didn't know 'e was comin' to visit'e'ther... But Nodel-mam said so and... Now I'm here." He threw his arms up in the air as if to prove it before dropping his arms back down to his sides.
... ... ...
"Oh, wow..." Cerena raised her gaze to the ceiling as she thought about this. First Keith and now twins... So much was happening in such a short expanse of time. "I'll have to come see and spoil them sometime then." She stuck her tongue out at nothing at all and obediently trotted off to fetch the coffee.
"Cream or sugar?" She called out from the kitchen before remembering she'd have to take them anyway, so loading two cups of coffee, a small pot of cream, and a little dish of sugar onto a tray, she made her way back to the living room and set the whole thing down on a coffee table.
"I've been good. Okay, at least." She nodded, bouncing into a seat on one of the couches. "You? --I'm a little concerned though, about Lethe..." She blurted out immediately afterwards, her face flushing a little. "Uhm... I mean... Well. I called you 'cause I was hoping to get some advice... 'Cause you're a lot smarter than I am and yeah." Gee, her feet were awfully interesting today...
"Lethe is glad." The young Fa'e informed her cousin, shuffling off towards one of the armchairs surrounding a small table. "Lethe was reading book: Goldy-locks and Bears. But read it before... Keef is much better, Keef doesn't say same things over and over."
She noticed that he didn't have his sword with him -- a shame, 'cause with the platform they could play Rapunzel Being Held in the Tower with Dragons and Wicked Step-Mothers. Oh well.
... ... ...
"That'll make two people determined to spoil my little ones... Hatter's already sending them all sorts of toys... And Rian's a little terror all on his o-- Cream and sugar, please." She smiled, stopping her rant on the behaviour of her youngest son. That wasn't going to get her anywhere... Especially not when he was still so little. She'd save the horror stories until he was older.
God she hoped there wouldn't be horror stories when he was older...
"Something's wrong with Lethe?" Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked over to Cere. "What happened, dear? Is everything alright? I'm glad you called me..." She really didn't know much about nearly as many things as the other woman seemed to think she did but, ever since she'd gotten to know Lana she did have a slight idea as to what went on with the Fa'e.
"Keith... I'em glad too." He nodded, letting a sheepish little smile tug at the corners of his lips. The smile became even more sheepish when he noticed that she was looking to the empty 'scabbard' hanging from his belt. "Nodel-mam took it. She said that... 'Keith shoodn't try an' slay effil bunny girl'." He snorted softly as he attempted to mimic his mother; placing his hands on his hips as he cocked his head to the side.
He then straightened out, sheepish smile turning into a grin. "Never read that book... I know better stories... 'Bout big dragons... And Uncles."
... ... ...
Cerena obligingly mixed a liberal amount of both into a cup of coffee and handed it to the red-haired woman before fixing her own the same way. "Well," She began hurriedly, "Lethe is alright -- she's healthy enough... I think. Well, it's just that I've never had a kid before and, um, I'm kind of making this up as I go along, so I don't know, but she hasn't shown any signs of being a Fa'e aside from, aside from those ribbons... And just yesterday she started telling me how she was a river and that she turned into a puddle, and I really like make-believe -- but is that okay?"
She took a deep breath before continuing: "I know Fa'e are supposed to be reincarnations of things, but I honestly have no idea what--who she is, and I'm kind of scared that maybe I'm supposed to know. Because I don't think she's a puddle or a river, and if she starts thinking that way when it's all wrong..." She trailed off there, unsure of how to continue.
Lethe grinned at the mental image of 'bunny girl' -- mams were so strange sometimes, never really knowing what was best. Hopefully Keith could prevail anyway, sword or none (and she was certain she could.)
"Uncles?" Lethe repeated, intrigued at the word; Cerena had taught her about families, of course, and hers had always seemed devoid of the male kind. So if Keith had Uncles, maybe she did too? "Keith--" She made a more clear attempt at his name this time, "--Tell Lethe?"
... ... ...
River? Her friend's 'daughter' was convinced that she was a river? Or that she had been a river? Well... She supposed that it might have made sense... In some strange way. "Have you thought about myths? Are there any mythological rivers? I mean... I know there's Styx... But Lethe's nowhere near that morbid. She hasn't shown an intrest for black nail polish, has she?" The dragoness shook her head before taking a healthy sip of her coffee
"Maybe... Maybe she isn't wrong?"
"Uncles are... Like WinK... Only not Uncle-dads." He nodded as if that made all of the sense in the world. "Uncle Sly... Sylfae.. Nodel-mam says he's crazy dragon man. Then Uncle Jar'eth... He's funny! Big and strong like Keith'll be someday." He made a big show out of 'making muscles', holding his arm out for Lethe to feel.
... ... ...
"I mean, there's rivers, but it'd be kinda weird going around asking if -- if, hey, do you know any rivers that mysteriously dried up just before six months ago? I might have it right here! ...You know?" Cerena rambled as she always did, silencing herself with a mouthful of coffee. She considered Skye's words for a moment before swallowing and continuing:
"Yeah, I know -- I know the myths. Styx is a river -- and Lethe is too. Or Lethe is the name of one, but I named her after it, I didn't mean to make her thing that..." She stared up at the ceiling again, trying to process this.
It made sense. Everything made sense and maybe that's what scared her. Koyuki had told her that Lethe spoke ancient Greek. Lethe knew a lot more about ancient Greek culture than anything else. She had a connection with Greek Fa'e. She appeared to her in the rain as water -- but...
"I don't know," Cerena said softly, "It seems like... It seems like she should be more than that... I know of Fa'e who are Gods and mythical long-lost creatures and have all sorts of awesome powers and could change the world and -- Lethe might just be a non-existant river and be able to turn into a puddle. It's almost like I'm.. failing her somehow."
She had to crack a grin at the black nailpolish remark though. "Well, she is paler than paper and likes to wear black... She hasn't mentioned Manson yet though, so..."
Lethe's eyes widened and she reached out to squeeze Keith's arm like he wanted her to do. She didn't feel anything but the fact that this was not something she wanted to tell him. "Woooooow," She said approvingly, and then added: "Keith has much nice family. Not like Lethe."
... ... ...
"But, Cere... She's just a little girl." She said softly as she reached out to place a hand on her friend's arm. "For such a little girl, turning into a puddle could be an amazing feat. Give her some time to discover more about herself. I mean... Lana doesn't have any world-changing powers that I know about and she's... Big."
She took another moment of silence on her own, starring down into the surface of her coffee. Gods didn't die, did they? If they did than... What became of those that still believed in them? Were they the reasons why they came back?
It was Cerena's comment in retort to her 'black nailpolish' remark that brought her back out of her own little world. "Hey now... There's nothing wrong with wearing black." She chuckled as she motioned to her own choice of clothing; a black skirt and, for once, a warm black sweater instead of a bodice. "We'll just assume that she's not Styx based on the Manson bit alone..."
He grinned at her approval, even if it wasn't that sincere. At least she was good at 'pretend' which was a good thing to be when it came to things like that. "Lethe is... Like family though... So Keith family is... Lethe family too?"
... ... ...
"Yeah..." Cerena began, "I just -- I dunno.. Maybe I need to..." Unable to figure out exactly what she was trying to say in the first place, the young Valkyrie placed her cup down on the table and slumped back against the couch.
And then she promptly sat back up. "Well," She said in a small kind of voice, "I'd like to do the.. the discovery-y thingy with her, so... Maybe we should go on a retreat!" Her face brightened at the prospect of a vacation. "Like, you know, where people climb mountains and ride llamas and stuff to find themselves!"
"That and I haven't been finding headless bats and pools of chicken blood around." Cerena grinned at Skye's response.
Lethe considered this carefully as she pulled her hand away. "Guess so," She said finally, "Then... Lethe's family good too!" Beaming at this, and mentally storing away the knowledge that WinK was an Uncle-dad, Uncle Sylfae was a crazy dragon man, and Uncle Jar'eth was funny (and big and strong), she wondered if any of them rode white horses and wore armor.
"Lethe learned a new trick!" The young Fa'e said suddenly as she just thought of it, looking excitedly towards her cousin. "Keith wanna see?! Is," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "Magic. Only Lethe can do."
... ... ...
"Hrn... Maybe not the llamas and mountains." She chuckled, trying not to grin too brightly at her friend's excitement. "Maybe... You could just take her to Greece to look around a bit? See the sites? Spend a bit of time at the beach?" She didn't really know how the weather was there at the moment... But she did know that there were some beautiful monuments in Greece... "As a matter of fact, Lana just recently came back from there! It did her a world of good."
A pause was then followed by a smirk. "That's because she hasn't been listening to Ozzy."
"Ooh. A trick?" The little boy beamed as he looked around quickly before leaning in so that it was more of a 'secret'. "Magic is fun... Nodel-mam says there's magic everywhere." He nodded, proud that he knew at least that much. "Show Kei-- Me?"
... ... ...
"Ooh!" Cerena clasped her hands together in delight. "That's a great idea! I'm sure Lethe would love that!" She hadn't realized that there were beaches in Greece... And there probably weren't many mountains and llamas either, but there were sheep and that was the next best thing, right?
Besides, they wouldn't have the problem of not speaking the language since.. well.. Lethe already spoke it!
"I'll have to ask Lana where to go, then," Cerena decided, "And I'll get the tickets tonight... Hopefully we can leave as soon as possible."
"...And of course she hasn't been listening to Ozzy, she can't even see over most counters much less somehow convince some store clerk to let her buy it!..."
Lethe nodded happily and took a few careful steps backwards so there was no danger of her either falling into the grate or else splashing herself all over Keith. Once she was sure that she'd put enough distance between the two of them, she began to work at her ribbons, handling them far more expertly this time. When she'd finally pulled them off to the floor, she even managed to hold her water-figure for a few seconds this time before splashing down into a puddle.
... ... ...
"Maybe the different Greecian Fa'e all go to different parts depending on where they're called..." She contemplated aloud, crossing her arms over her chest in thought. "What about asking Lethe instead? Afterall... If this is her little story then she might know where she needs to go? Or where she read about in whatever book that she's gotten her ideas from if it wasn't an original thought?"
She uncrossed her arms, reaching for her coffee once more to take another sip before it went cold. "Good thing... Some of his songs are alright... But others?" She shook her head slowly. "Guess it all depends on what you get by random."
His little blue eyes went wide as he saw his friend turn into a puddle. He hadn't been expecting that... He'd never seen magic like that before... "Lethe... You okay?" His brow furrowed slightly as he took a step towards her. "Not stuck... Are you?"
... ... ...
"True..." Cerena hadn't thought of that either. Skye really was good at this whole Fa'e thing. "Right -- she's presumably been there before, so she should know where she needs to go.. And if nothing happens, then I suppose nothing happens." And if something happened? She wasn't entirely sure and hoped she wouldn't have to find out.
"Well," She said finally, breathing in and realizing that she didn't feel quite so panicked anymore. She felt calmer, yes, less bad, and maybe even a little... excited. "Maybe she's a River God or something," She said suddenly, "Like Poisedon! Only, um, more girly. --How are the twins? What're their names? Do you have any pictures?"
Lethe, sensing her friend's mild distress, quickly reached for the ribbons and reformed through her clothes, allowing herself a second to catch her breath before giving Keith a semi-wild and very self-pleased grin. "Is okay!" She said reassuringly, "Is just magic. Lethe's magic." She'd lost count of how many times she'd done this trick now -- she just always felt more natural in her water-form than she did in her Fa'e one. There was a downside to this -- she was more clumsy and moved now like she did when she first started walking, but she either pretended not to notice or simply didn't care.
"Lethe can fight Bad Ones with Keith now, with her so...sau...saurceress-magic!"
... ... ...
She chuckled softly as she looked up at the other woman, bright smile tugging at the corners of her lips once more. "It'll be wonderful, Cere... A nice little family vacation. You can send postcards or write e-mails or -- The twins?" She blinked, sobered for a moment. "Their names are Calista and Rian... We haven't really taken many pictures yet." She said sheepishly.
"But they're absolutely beautiful... From the tips of their little wings to the bottoms of their tiny feet. You'll have to come see them once you come back from your trip... We'll have a nice little dinner and let the wee ones play for a bit." She nodded again, letting her smile slip back into place like it had never faultered.
His brow furrowed slightly and, for a moment, he looked very much like his draconic mother seated downstairs until the smile that was more like his elven mother's tugged at the corners of his lips. "Good magic." He nodded his approval, even if he was still slightly wary. "Nodel-mam says..." He straightened out again as he prepared to divuldge some of the wisdom what he'd heard Skye trying to pound into 'Vyn's mind. "Must be... S'ponsible wif magik."
... ... ...
"I can't wait!" Cerena exclaimed, nearly falling off the couch in her excitement. She tried to imagine little draconic twins that looked like Skye and began to seriously wonder about their natural disposition -- but oh well, they were just babies, at least they wouldn't turn out like Rae and Le--
Wait. What was she thinking about again? Cerena frowned at the sudden train-of-thought crash and found that she could only remember something vaguely about twins. And Skye... Oh, right! "We'll probably just be gone for a week -- Koyuki's due to give birth soon and I don't want to miss it -- so I'll send you emails, since you'll probably get the postcards right after we get back anyway. And when we get back, we'll have the dinner party thingy!" She started to think of their old Thanksgiving and Christmas parties and again found that she couldn't remember what she was just thinking about.
Weird.
Lethe had began to look worried when Keith's expression turned unfavorable, but she visibly relaxed and even smiled back when he voiced his approval. "Lethe will learn more, for good adventures!" She began to promise, but quickly quieted down -- she recognized the 'I'm about to tell you something important' position all too well.
"S'ponsible?" She recognized that too -- Cerena often complained that it was responsibility that made her spend their invisible monies on 'good' carrots and vegetables and not on 'bad' cookies and cakes instead. She thought about this and finally decided that this was true (after all, Lethe had never really cared much for cookies or cakes, and she'd much rather be Good than Bad.) "Okay. Lethe will be s'ponsible." She finished her promise.
... ... ...
"Sounds wonderful, Cerena." She smiled brightly as she stood, setting her now empty mug back down on the table. "I suppose I'd better go gather my wee one and leave you to start making your arrangements for your trip. The sooner you go the sooner you can come back and we'll have a fine dinner."
Maybe it would be time for Thanksgiving again... She could invite everyone over and they'd have a lovely dinner and many things to be thankful for. Of course, she certainly hoped that Cerena wouldn't be gone for that long...
"Good... Keith'd hate to think that... Somefin bad'd happen to Le-- You." He grinned brightly as he looked at his friend. "Adventures... I want to go on an adventure." He sighed softly. They'd have to go on lots of adventures next time... When he was more prepared.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:09 am
Another Baby? // Moving Out... Laire was following the heavenly scent of cookies throughout the house, seeming to turn everything upside down to find them. She knew they were there...Just where?!
She came upon the dining room, where she saw Flarie pacing back and forth...And Lana tied to a chair, and there in the middle of the table..
"Cookies!...Wait..This is a trap! This better not be another intervention!"
"No..Mom has just gone off the damned deep end again. Declared a family meeting and seems to be pulling us in one by one," Lana growled.
Flarie just watched them, still pacing back and forth and biting her nails. Where the hell was Skye?
... ... ...
She had tucked the twins down for their nap before even thinking of heading down to the kitchen for the 'family meeting' that Flarie had been so insistant upon. She turned the baby monitor on and hooked the reciever onto her belt so that she'd have an excuse to leave if either Calista or Rian became fussy. The last time there had been a 'family meeting' it hadn't gone well at all. What was going to make this any different?
He growled softly to himself as he decended the stairs with the little red-headed boy in tow. Somehow he'd been talked into far too many things for his own liking as of late; a party where he had to dress in something that he wasn't quite comfortable with and taking the little brattling around here and there to get him excercise.
At least he wasn't going to have to take him trick-or-treating. That was Laire's job this year since he had to 'babysit' Lana around all of her men-folk. "C'mon, brat... Time to go see what sort of bomb your mother's going to drop on us this time."
His eyes went wide as he looked up at 'Vyn. "Bomb?" He then quickly scrunched his nose. "Stupid-head." There wasn't any bomb. Neither Nodel-mam nor Mom would bring anything like that into the house with babies and little kids that they loved around.
He peeked into the kitchen and his eyes widened once more when he saw Lana tied to a chair. "Can we go play somewhere else?"
... ... ...
Lana heard voices...Help! Finally! She watched as Skye walked into the room, and saw Keith peek around the corner. "Can SOMEONE untie me please
? I promise I won't run away...yet."
The bunny girl pulled the plate of cookies close to her and plopped down on a chair. She grumbled between crunches, but didn't really seem to care much about what was going on around her.
"Oh good! Everyone else has shown up," Flarie said, starting to look a bit pale and shaky. "Well, sit down, sit down. We'd better get this done and over with.."
... ... ...
"Flarie... Is this really neccissary?" She waved her hand at Lana, shaking her head disprovingly as she moved to untie the Fa'e. "She's just gotten back and you're already tying her up. Haven't we gone through the 'no tying anyone up around the children' talk once or twice already?" She teased, letting the ropes fall aside. The elf was good with knots... But she was better.
"Sorry, kiddo... We're stuck here." He chuckled as he picked the toddler up and plopped him down onto a chair. "Just listen to what your mum has to say... Then we'll go outside and... Catch fairies or something." An eyebrow raised, following a wry grin cast in the Fa'e's direction.
He huffed before settling down in the chair. He reached across the table to grab a cookie, munching around the edges as he waited for whatever was coming.
... ... ...
"HHAHA! FREEDOM! Wait...Dammit 'Vyn....I can fly! You'll never catch me!" She replied, looking as if she was ready to get up and run.
Laire just pretended not to notice still, and slid her plate a bit closer to keith, so he could reach too.
"Well I thought it was necessary...See, look what you did, she's ready to run now," She laughed, and slowly slid into a chair. "Alright...Well...I guess I should just be out with it, since it seems no one wants to be here any more than I do..."
She took a deep breath, then layed her hands on the table. "I'm pregnant."
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:16 am
"Congradulations!" She said almost instantly before realizing what was just said. She still kept a bright smile on her lips as she reguarded the elf despite the fact that her own mind was reeling. If Flarie was pregnant... And it wasn't hers than... Had she really missed that much in her own house? "When is the baby due?"
"Another baby?" His brow furrowed as he stood up on his chair. "I don't want another baby." He huffed, arms crossing over his chest. The twins were taking up enough of everyone's time on their own. With another baby he'd never see either of his mothers without them again. "This isn't fair."
"Not much in life is fair, kid." He shook his head as he placed a hand on Keith's shoulder. Baby after baby? No wonder he was feeling cast aside. The youngest rarely liked to think that it was cast aside in order for someone else to move in and assume the role.
... ... ...
The Fa'e just sat there and blinked. "Where exactly are you going to put another baby?..I mean..I'm happy for you...But jesus, there's a lot of kids in this house."
She thought for a minute. "Well, actually, if you don't mind, I think I'm old enough to move out now. The baby can have my room. Yep. I need to get going on going to school and finding a job...It'd just be so much easier without screaming children..Not that I don't like my siblings," she said, eyeing Keith. "But uh...I wish you much luck?"
For the first time in her life, Laire dropped a cookie. "Another one? We already have the munchkin eating my cookies! Ooh...More people to share stuff with," she huffed, and folded her arms across her chest.
"I'm not quite sure when I'm due yet...I have to make a visit to farland soon, to get everything checked." She winced slightly at Keith's comments. Did he really feel that bad about it?
"I'm sorry honey, but really, it's a good thing! More babies to look up to you, and play with you. You'll like having another little brother or sister. Don't you like the twins? Just wait until they're old enough to play with you too!"
... ... ...
"Move? Move out?" She looked at the Fa'e who had, all in all, become alot like a daughter to her as well as far as things like that were concerned. "You can't move out..."
"Why can't she? I happen to think it's a great idea." He nodded. "As a matter of fact, if she wouldn't mind, I'd like to come with her. I've stayed here under your roof for a year now... Maybe it's time I had a bit of freedom on my own as well?" He grinned. "Besides. Someone's gotta keep Lana in line."
"No... No one's moving out." She said firmly, reaching down to grasp a chair in order to steady herself. Funny... How one little thing like 'I'm having a baby' could bring the house tumbling down around them all. "No one's moving out."
"All the twins do is cry." He huffed as he climbed down from his chair, tossing his half-eaten cookie at Laire. "No one likes a buttmunch. Or babies." That said, he stormed from the room. If the others were too busy arguing than maybe he'd get away with it.
... ... ...
"Why can't I move out?! I'm old enough! And where are you going to put the new baby if I stay here? There's no room left! You have the twins, Laire, Irvyn, Keith, various other animals, Ash, there's so many people here already!"
"I'm not a buttmunch!" Laire growled, and chased the little boy out of the room. SHe'd show him who the buttmunch really was!
Flarie just sat there with sad eyes. Her original baby wanted to leave?..She'd spent almost 2 years raising her Fa'e...And it was true, she certainly did appear old enough to be on her own, but she just couldn't find this to be a reality yet...
"Lana, really, think about this! I'm sure we can make room here! You and Irvyn don't need to be going anywhere! What will you do for money? For food? For anything??"
Lana just shrugged. "If I want to leave, I can leave anytime. No one stopped me either time I went to greece, no one can stop me now. I'll be fine, believe me!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:19 am
"Can't we all just... Sleep on this? Take a day or so to think about it and we'll talk more once everyone's rational enough to realize that no one's moving out." She questioned as she stepped up beside Flarie. There was no need for decisions like this to be made so hastily. The baby wasn't even here yet... They still had time to add on to the house.
"Fine..." He huffed, torn between sticking up for Lana... And keeping Keith safe from the bunny monster. "Lana... We'll talk and then bring a good argument to them later." He nodded before taking off, hoping to catch Laire before she did any damage to the little boy and feeling a bit relieved by the sound of a door slamming upstairs.
... ... ...
Lana just grumbled and walked off, out the front door, slamming it behind her as she went.
"Well Skye...No more family meetings for me. How about you? I say next time we have something to discuss, we leave letters on their doors," Flari said, resting her head in her hands. "Someone gets pissed off every time...Every time..How do we manage that??"
... ... ...
"I don't know, sweetie..." She shook her head slowly as she leaned down to wrap her arms around the elven woman. "We always seem to figure that our happiness will be theirs... Or that it's something that they simply need to know about... But this?" A soft sigh passed over her lips. "No matter what happens, I'll do what I can to help you out... Just like the last time, even if I'm certain that we didn't sleep together this time." She teased, trying to get the slender woman to smile.
... ... ...
She giggled and shook her head. "Yeah, I got you drunk and drug you to my room for a little late night fun when your husband wasn't lookin'," she laughed. "I'm not willing to say who the father is yet. You'll all know soon enough though." SHe rose to her feet and walked past Skye, heading back to the stairs. "I'll be going back to my room now..I need to lay down for a bit."
... ... ...
She nodded once more as the sound of crying over the monitor struck her ears. "Just in time..." She followed Flarie towards the stairs. "When you're ready to tell me I'll be here." That said, she parted with the other woman at the stairs, heading towards her bedroom to care for the twins.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:32 am
"We just need somebody to love..."
Skye's Thoughts - October 28th I had a talk with Hatter the other day while we were discussing the details for the handfasting ceremony of our 'sons'. She mentioned that it might be a wise idea to get Keith some sort of pet... Maybe if he had something that was all his own he wouldn't think of the twins so negatively.
I think I may just have to talk to a few of my friends... See if they have any suggestions as to what on Gaia would make a good pet for a young lad.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:32 pm
A Horse of A Different Color Having taken Hatter's advice, she'd left the house to talk to friends that ran various 'pet shops'. In the end, when she was convinced that she had explored all of her options carefully, she chose one that she was certain her little 'knight' would adore. With little clucks and coos she lead the creature home, hoping that she could keep it hidden from the rest of the children until she could talk to Keith.
She Sarnin was left in the kitchen with Li'Han while she went in search of her little boy, finding him flipping through a book of pictures in the library. "Whatch doing, Keith?"
"Reading."
"Really?" She raised a brow as she moved closer, peering over his shoulder. "I don't see any words."
"So." He huffed as he slammed the book shut, glaring up at her. "What do you want?"
If she hadn't know how much like both of his mothers her little boy was being she might have been offended but, seeing as though she'd witnessed this exact mood from Flarie (and herself, at times), she was ready for it. "What do I want? Well... I wanted to give you something but, if you're going to act like that..." She smirked to herself as she turned away from the little boy, making her way towards the door.
"Wait!" The sound of his chair backing up and then being slammed back in against the table reached the dragon's ears, causing her smile to broaden that much more. "What do you have for me?"
"A suprise." She grinned as she scooped her son up into her arms in order to carry him downstairs. He was getting heavy... Soon she wouldn't be able to carry him around like this anymore... But she'd always be able to hold him if he needed it.
A gasp parted her lips as she entered the kitchen, causing the little boy to quickly turn his head towards the scene. Two large pony-like creatures, one that he was familar with and one that he wasn't, stood snacking on a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The darker of the two looked up innocently at the mother and son, tail wagging as his little tail flickered behind him.
Keith scrambled down from his mother's arms, wrapping his arms quickly around the 'pony's' neck. "Nodel-mam! Can I keep it?!" He looked up to her with the wide eyes of a boy who had just found the greatest thing int he world... A chocolate chip eating pony.
She winced for a moment, wondering what she'd gotten herself into before smiling to her son. "Of course you can. His name is Lo'Dalen and he's all yours." There. She'd done it. She'd made everything right again... Now. If only she could keep Li'Han and Lo'Dalen from destroying her kitchen...
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:18 pm
"Come little children I'll take thee away..." Skye's Thoughts - October 31st From what I've heard from the various fronts, Halloween was a disaster for the kids. Keith had a great time... Up until the moment that his new pet started woofing down the chocolate that they'd collected from the neighbors. Aparantly chocolate is a great weakness of Sarnins. Go figure.
I don't know if Lana or 'Vyn ever made it to their party... They got off to a late start and I heard something about plans being shot?
Either way... There's something going on tonight that I promised I'd help out with... As a matter of fact, I think I hear the door right now.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:07 am
Never Never Land
It had appeared almost as if the young lad had sprouted up over night. His mother had taken him clothing shopping early that morning and, now that he had everything he needed to be a 'great adventurer' all he had left to do was find his trusty steed. Certainly Lo'Dalen would be just as excited about all of this as he would be. Just think of all the things they could do!
With a 'battle cry' he took off down the stairs, bare feet padding hard against the wooden planks that made up the floor. "Lo! Lo!" He went from room to room, searching for his fur and feathered companion. That was odd... He couldn't seem to find him anywhere.
"I have chocolates." He finally tried, a little desperate. Fingers, now a bit longer and not-so-stubby, reached into his pocket to pull out a tiny kiss wrapped in foil. Bit by bit he exposed the sweet substance within. "Better come and get it... Before it melts... Or before I eat it..."
The soft sound of a whinny came from the living room and a velvety soft nose would peek around the corner. Chocolates? That certainly wasn't fair... Tempting him with chocolates like that... Slowly, despite his unwillingness to do so, the Sarnin made its way towards the boy, eyeing him with severe distrust.
Keith held his hand out to his four legged companion, fighting back a giggle as the combined feeling of horsie-lips and tongue ticked his palm. "See... Not s'bad, is it?" His voice was different now... Still boyish but more 'grown' than it had been when he was 'younger'. "What do you think?" He pulled his hand back so that he could stand up straight, giving a slow turn for the Sarnin's approval.
Lo'Dalen snorted, making a face at the boy. He didn't like it. Not at all. He wanted his master to go right back to the way he was supposed to be... A little boy. Little enough to be nudged around by a 'great steed'... Not some little pony.
A frown tugged at the corners of the boy's face as he brought a hand down to gently stroke his steed's mane. "Everyone grows up, Lo... It's not s'bad. You get bigger and with big-ness comes res-pohn-suh-bily-tees." He nodded, leaning down to whisper in his steed's ear as the Sarnin lowered its head. "It also means... Adventures."
Adventure. Well that was a word he knew well. A word that stood for fun. And chocolate. If growing meant adventures... It couldn't be all that bad. At least, it couldn't be bad for Keith. He still wouldn't do it.
With a snort he nudged the boy's pocket, nibbling on the fabric for a moment before taking off into the house. Off to have an adventure! Off to find treasure! Off to find... CHOCOLATE!
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:20 am
It was rather late when the two finally arrived home and she could sense the weariness in her little one. "Not much longer, Keith... Just going to clean your arm up and then you can get back to bed." She smiled softly, giving a little groan as she hoisted him into her arms in order to carry him up the stairs. Yup. He was definately getting too heavy for this...
His head rested on her shoulder as she carried him into the bathroom, lifting from its comfortable 'pillow' only as she set him down on the edge of the tub. Bright blue eyes went wide as he watched his mother pull various things from the cabinet... Including a bottle of icky-smelling-stuff, some gauze and... Tape. Yup. That was definately tape.
She chuckled softly as she saw the look on his face, kneeling down beside him. "Now... This might sting a bit, Keith, but you'll be a brave boy for Nodel'mam, yes?" She watched his little nod, giving him her most reassuring smile before pouring a good measure of the liquid onto his wound before washing it away gently with a towel.
"See that?" She pointed to the tiny scrapes that remained after the drying blood was wiped away. "That'll be healed before you're married." She nodded, chuckling at her son's reaction to the phrase her mother had used when she was younger.
"Eeeeew! Married! Yech!" He squirmed and, if it hadn't been for the fact that she hadn't bandaged his arm yet, he'd have taken off right then and there. That was the last thing he needed... Some princess trying to tie him down and make him a proper prince when all he wanted to be was an adventurous knight. "Blech."
She couldn't help but laugh a bit louder as she wrapped his arm in a light layer of gauze, using the medical tape to secure it. "There. Good to go, my little knight."
His eyes glanced down at his wound for a moment, one hand moving to gently prod his arm before he threw his arms around his mother's neck. "Thank you, Nodel'mam. G'night!" He then scurried down the hall towards his bedroom. It had been a very, very long night... And, as everyone knew, all little dragon's needed their sleep.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:35 am
Christmas with the Crazies
In which the holiday took effect in the house.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:41 am
Moving Out // Another Adventure
Life had suddenly become hectic. Over the holidays, Lana had found herself a job, waitressing at a restaurant in town, and finally told Flarie and Skye about her going to school, and the need to move out now.
Overall, the holidays hadn't been that stressful, everyone seemed to like their presents, Flarie has her baby a little bit before christmas..And finally, after a drunken new years celebration, everything was quiet. Perfect packing time!
She had been walking back and forth in her room, folding clothes from her closet, and putting them in boxes all morning..Flarie still had yet to show herself today.
... ... ...
The wolf had been doing some packing of his own. He had Lana had discussed their plans to move out and, as the holiday wound down, he'd agreed that now was the perfect time. If they didn't do it now there'd be another holiday within a couple of months and, somehow, they'd wind up suckered into staying longer. One holiday had been more than enough, no matter how peaceful and plesant it had been. Who would've believed that the dragon could pull off a quiet holiday?
Certainly not her son who knew better.
A soft sigh passed over his lips as he settled the last of his belongings into a box; the dream catcher he'd recieved from Lana... And the box containing everything he'd recieved from Rae. A year. It had nearly been a year.
"Time for new beginings, kid." He huffed as he lifted the box into his arms, glad that everything else had already been carried down to the pickup truck that they'd borrowed from the manager of the club that he'd been working about. Gavin had insisted that he treat the truck with care as if it were his child. He? He'd laughed at the man, given the black bumper a pat and hopped behind the wheel.
It was about time someone in this house learned to drive.
... ... ...
Finally fitting the last of her things into the last box, Lana taped it up, and carried it downstairs, only to run into Flarie along the way, who was holding a screeching baby Nelle on her shoulder.
"I want you to take this," she said, handing Lana some money. "And I want you to call me as soon as you get there. And then again later tonight. And maybe tomorrow morning. And you can come back here and get some food if you need it. Maybe dinner tomorrow?"
Lana rolled her eyes, and tried to balance the box on her knee and put the money in her pocket. "Mom..Don't worry! I have 'Vyn living with me, It's not like I'm moving in there alone."
... ... ...
Skye was standing outside, handing a rather large basket full of what one would only think to be various foodstuffs to Keith who was struggling to carry it towards the truck. The soft features of her face held a sad smile... She knew they'd all leave the nest eventually, but 'Vyn was her oldest... He'd been with her the longest out of all of the cuckoos and she hadn't really thought he'd be the first to leave.
She smiled as 'Vyn stopped beside her, tossing the box into the back of the truck before scooping his 'mother' into his arms. "Don't worry... We'll come back and visit and, maybe, if you're lucky, you can send some of the brats over to the house when you need a break yourself."
"You read my mind." She couldn't help but chuckle as she returned the hug. As proud as she was with the way he'd grown, she would still be saddened to see him go.
"Nah... I just know that look." He smirked, allowing himself to be cocky for a moment before glancing back towards the house, waiting for Lana so they could get this almost painful part of their journey out of the way
... ... ...
The Fa'e girl stubled out of the house with her box, actually trying to get to the truck quicker than she'd planned. Flarie followed her out the door, and down to the truck.
"Don't you forget to call me!"
"I won't mom."
"I mean it, I know where you live..I'll send Laire after you."
"Mom! It'll be fine! I'll call you!" Lana groaned, putting her box in the truck, and turning to face Flarie and Skye. "Everything is going to be ok. We're not little kids anymore.
... ... ...
"I know you're not little kids anymore... But we're parents." She found herself grinning despite the tears threatening to well up in her eyes. "We're going to worry."
At this, Keith made a face, stepping up between Irvyn, Lana and his two mothers. "Nothing to worry about though... Just an adventure. Everyone has adventures, right?"
'Vyn laughed at that, pulling Keith into his arms for a rough, man-like bear hug. "That's right, kid. And, once you're old enough, you'll go out and have big adventures of your own... Even if your mums don't care all that much for it."
... ... ...
Flarie sniffed. "Keith better not be leaving for a long time...God..I think I'm going to cry." At that moment, Nelle burst into tears and flailed around, wings flapping wildly as she tried to escape.
"Maybe she can just do the crying for me."
Lana hugged her mothers, and her little brother, in the back of her mind wondering where Laire had gone off to when they needed to say bye, and stepped back to look at them, then to 'Vyn. "We are so going to have to bring them over for dinner soon..."
She was starting to wonder whether moving out was a good idea..
"We need to leave, before I change my mind!" She said, sniffling a little and forcing a smile.
... ... ...
The dragoness wrapped her arms around the elf, trying to calm both mother and child. "Don't worry... They're both big kids and we'll do what we can to make sure that everything goes well." She nodded, fighting back a sniffle of her own. "Besides... We have a phone. We can call them."
"Then let's go." He forced a laugh as he opened the door to the truck for her before walking around to slide in behind the wheel. The truck started with a little rumble and he began to pull away, turning back to wave at those they'd left behind.
... ... ...
She waved back at the from the window and sighed. This was it, they were on their own now. It wouldn't be so bad...
"You think everything will be ok?" She said, sounding a bit nervous.
A small sneeze could be hear behind the seat, and some rustling around.
Lana blinked. "Did you hear that?"
... ... ...
From her place standing back at the house, still holding Flarie, Skye watched the break-lights from the truck flash a bright read before a door popped open and shouting was heard echoing down the road. "Out. NOW. You're not coming with us, Bug."
... ... ...
Grumbling, Laire crawled out of the truck and started her walk back to the house, shoving her hands in her pockets and muttering something about 'Vyn and Lana being buttheads..
Lana couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. That made her day a whole lot better.
... ... ...
And thus the two, wolf and Fa'e, restarted the truck and drove off into the sun. No family. No worries... Just the promises of a new begining and, yes, new adventures.
Huzzah for moving out!
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:32 pm
Goodbyes Keith's Journal - January 4th Vyn and Lana moov'd out twoday. Nodelmam wuz sad and Mum wuz sadder. Vyn sed it wuz an addvenchure adventure and that I wood hav adventures of my own someday.
I'm not sad.
Nodelmam mite let me hav Vyn's room.
Someday.
Goodbuys ar never fourever.
-- Keith
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