[Kiel]

((There are shops that sell COMs and the like aboveground but I felt like doing a thread in the caves for a change. Boutiques down here are more expensive, but she doesn't have to buy anything here and I thought Phen might like to find her way here sooner or later to explore? I can change the setting, though, if you like. ))

Kiel was sitting perfectly still. Like, apart from the occasional foot wobble or fingers-on-thighs drum roll, he hadn't moved a muscle in, like, forever. Which translated into about ten minutes for anyone else, but was totally an eternity for him.

Like, Tad had tried to describe Alexshire's underground caverns to him once, but Kiel hadn't believed him. That, or he just hadn't sat still long enough to totally grasp what the older Taskel was talking about, 'cause nothing the nerd could say could come close to this. “Wah. Like. An underground rainbow, man. That's kinda creepy.” He was speaking in hushed, completely reverent tones, though, so any "creepiness" involved in seeing a rainbow underground in an atmosphere totally lacking in rain was, like, totally overshadowed by the crazy awesomeness.

“Hey, hey, man, I think this is, like, heaven* or something.” It was such a magnificent view that he'd wanted to call Zeph down here to share it with him, but so far the girly-haired freak hadn't answered his texts and Kiel was starting to think he wasn't going to. Like, the dude had been crazy busy the past couple of months, and, you know, like, Kiel was trying to be all magnanimous and give him his space and stuff since it was work, but, sheesh, man. Kiel was a puppy that needed attention, you know?

Pouting as he sulked over his boyfriend's emotional absence for a moment, Kiel rolled his shoulders a bit. He didn't want to move his gaze away from the spectacular view, but his body was getting restless. “You gotta love Xanth, man,” he told a passing 'strider, earning a startled look from the dude sitting awkwardly in the saddle. “She's sure got style, hahahahaha.”

(( * I'm not sure how Elysians stand as far as belief in the afterlife goes, except to say they probably don't believe in a heaven or hell as we know it. I used the word here simply as the idea of heaven rather than a literal translation.))

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

(( Oh, no need to change the setting, Emma. Phen loves to explore for certain, so this is a great opportunity for her. ))

It was the legends that drew her.

Euphenia's favorite kind of inspiration were stories. Unsure of herself when speaking of such tales, she chose instead to perform them. Through her love of dance and song, Phen believed she did her part in helping others to better understand the blessings Xanth brought into their lives.

Stories were being made all of the time. Everyone had their own, but the ones of a kind that all folk could appreciate were harder to find. They didn't have to be elaborate or legendary, even if Phen loved intricate tales and unsolved mysteries. The ones she chose to tell through her talents had to touch a cord in her heart and resonate in tune with her heart's song. Whenever Phen felt that old familiar goosebump causing quiver, she knew she had found a fantastic resource for her imagination.

Rubbing at her arms with both hands as she strolled down a meandering path, the expression on Phen's face was one of awestruck delight. The rumors of The Underground being a wonder for the senses had not been overstated. She could feel her next musical composition swelling within her mind and spirit, and was going over some of the details in her head when a low hissing sound near her ear jolted her from her daydream.

Anyone who was able to see Phen that day may have stared just a little, for any number of reasons. The more evident of those reasons was that Phen had not worn her usual drab clothing. She was particularly radiant in a lavendar and royal blue knee-length dress with matching slippers. She'd even adorned her wings and hair with pretty ribbons and tiny golden bells, so with every step she took the bells would chime softly. Why had she dressed up? Well, the truth was that it hadn't been her idea. Soren had insisted that Phen wear one of The Birdcage's costumes for her first visit to The Underground. The ribbons and bells were the dryad's doing as well, but Phen was actually quite pleased with the calming effect the bells' vibrations had on her angel snake.

The winged serpent, Sanna, was loosely coiled about Phen's throat right then, and it was her hissing that had reminded the nyad that she needed to pay attention to her surroundings beyond their beauty. What feathers were closest to the angel snake's body were downy, just as Phen's were, and it was those that the winged nymph felt when Sanna slid her upper body forward to test the air with several flicks of her long forked tongue.

Guided by the same motherly instinct that had Phen rushing to try and help just about every mistreated animal she came across, the nyad slowly raised a hand to gently rub under Sanna's chin. The angel snake's tongue flicker slowed, and she slithered back to rest her head on that hand, nuzzling it in her own way with lazy swishes of her head back and forth. Again Phen was amazed at how well she and the angel snake understood one another. Without really thinking about it, she had felt Sanna needed comforting and from the angel snake's response, she had. Phen murmured something in Sylvan, tilting her head so it was all the more obvious that her words were for the angel snake alone. Sanna's wings fluttered a little in response, tickling the nyad's cheek and shoulder, or at least Phen thought it was so.

"Our first real outing together, Sanna," she whispered to her scaled friend, again in Sylvan, "Do you think I'll find the watch I need and the COM I want here?"

Sanna's tongue flickered, and she lifted her head up from Phen's hand to waggle it in the direction of a bench off to the side of the path.

"You gotta love Xanth, man. She's sure got style."

"Kiel?!" Phen blurted, startling Sanna terribly. The angel snake hissed in irritation and flared out her wings, partly blocking Phen's view of her 'vari friend. The end of Sanna's long and narrow tail shook rapidly, and the tiny bells that Phen had decorated her pet's feathery tail tuft with rang prettily. Oh yes, Sanna was oh-so-scary a sight. At least her bared fangs had some threat to them.

Phen resorted to the same thing that had worked to calm Sanna all the other times the angel snake's nyad had done something brainless. She sang, softly crooning to the winged serpent as her hands stroked up and down the pearly scaled body. In Sylvan she praised the angel snake's bravery, but pleaded for her to lean towards mercy. She murmured of friendship, caring, and restful slumber. Gradually the angel snake closed her mouth, relaxed her wings, and recoiled herself about Phen's neck, but her tongue was going a mile a minute.

Still petting Sanna by way of apology, the nyad's cheeks turning a rosy dark pink, Phen smiled sheepishly down at Kiel. "Sorry about that. She's very skittish, especially around those she doesn't know. Would you allow me to introduce you?"

[Kiel]

“Wah!” Kiel was startled to hear his own name, but even more surprised when he realised who it was. Like, small world, you know?

And then, “Wah! Snake, snake! It's attack...ing...?” He'd shot to his feet to rescue Phenny from the snake wrapped around her throat. Like, 'Vari and snakes may be more closely related than 'Vari and Nymphs, but his instincts still yelled loudly that fanged reptiles were dangerous. Hahahaha, maybe it was because he was descended from dragons and knew from experience how powerful and nasty they could get that did it. Either way, the sight and sound of a hissing snake wrapped around his friend's throat was enough to bring him off the bench with his hands fisted and lifting ready to grab on and pull.

Except he paused halfway 'cause, like, Phenny wasn't reacting like she should have been if she was being eaten alive, man. And then he realised what kind of snake it was (and totally took a moment to be all "oooh, pretty"), and he relaxed a bit. Like, not all the way 'cause they could still bite, but it probably wouldn't be much more than a tickle if it did. Although, you know, a bite on the neck could suck.

“Hey, hey, Phenny, like, dude, did you know there's a snake wrapped around your throat?” He wasn't actually asking for sers. He wasn't that dumb, to think she didn't know. But, like, it was just his way of being all "what the hell, man?" and display his curiosity. He didn't need to ask, as it turned out, and he nodded enthusiastically when she offered to introduce them, all the while crowding in to get a better look but still keeping his jugular out of reach. “Totally, man, for sers. Like, I've never been this close to a snake before, hahahaha. Like, except for that time I had to deliver one and I ran into Sabs - like, literally, hahahahaha - and there was a snake in the box, man, how freaky is that? Hey, hey, that was an angel snake, too, that's what this one is, right? An angel snake? 'cause of the wings, right? Or maybe that one was a jade snake,” he reminisced vaguely. “Have you seen it fly, yet?”

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Kiel's exuberance was just too much for Sanna. With a ringing of her tail tuft's bells and a warning fluff of her wings, the angel snake went from slightly relaxed but wary to whipping around 180 degrees and ... hiding in her nymph's hair. Euphenia then looked like she'd sprouted a whole new pair of wings, but on her head. Sanna's tail tuft was still draped over Phen's shoulder, though, and it was shivering like a little kid out in the cold.

"Oh, dear," Phen sighed, rolling her eyes up as if she could see Sanna through the nyad's own forehead. However, she didn't move her head. Phen didn't want to add to Sanna's stress.

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad to see you, Kiel," she said after a moment, leveling her gaze upon her friend's face with a more relaxed version of her smile, "Don't worry. She'll calm down and then want to 'sniff' you all over. The important thing to remember when she gets near you is to move slowly, speak softly, and rub her under the chin if she lets you. She loves that. Ah yes, introductions. Just a moment, please."

Phen closed her eyes and starting slowly raising her arms, bending them at the elbow so her fingers were suspended just over her head. "Ssssanna," she coaxed in Sylvan, "Sssanna, come out, my lovely lily."

The pearly serpent's head poked up out of Euphenia's hair and peeked at Kiel with its brillantly blue eyes. Sanna's tongue darted in and out. She was nervous. What did her nyad want? This other was big, loud, and moved jerkily. What if it wanted to eat her?! Sanna hovered, scared and undecided, unconciously weaving side to side in the classic snake body language warning that they were about to strike.

Phen recognized the motion by the third sway. "She's scared," she explained to Kiel briefly in Elysian before reverting to Sylvan, "He won't hurt you, Lovely Lily. Kiel has a good heart. Go ahead, smell him. See for yourself."

Sanna may not have understood her nyad's words, but Phen's soft musical voice along with the occasional chime of a golden bell relaxed the angel snake. So she slithered up and out of Phen's hair, perching atop her nyad's head like an exotic sort of crown. Sanna tucked in her wings rather like a bird and coiled there with her head facing Kiel.

"I think that's better," Phen thought aloud, then lightly ran the fingertips of one hand under the angel snake's chin, her other hand offered out to the 'vari. She spoke up to her angel snake then, seeming to naturally slip into Sylvan whenever she was addressing her pet, "Sanna, this is my friend, Kiel. He's a good person You need not fear him."

Sanna started to slither down from Phen's head, circling around to get to her nyad's shoulder and then around the corresponding arm. She kept going, till she was about Euphenia's forearm, her small reptillian head aimed to be as close as possible to Kiel's hand (if he accepted Phen's of course) without actually touching. If Kiel wanted to, he could possibly envision the winged serpent as a very unusual bracer or something, with the way her wings were tucked about Phen's limb. An animated bracer? Sure, why not? Elysia had surely witnessed stranger things.

"Kiel, this is Sanna. She was my fourth Xanthmas present this past year. Isn't she beautiful?" she beamed up at Kiel as Sanna tried tasting the air about the 'vari, "I'm here to see the sights and try to find myself a watch and a COM. What brings you to The Underground?"

[Kiel]

Sanna actually kinda reminded Kiel of Derry. Like, bigger, and definitely pretty rather than cute, but he was still having a hard time not just attacking her with hugs and kisses. The way she retreated, like he was this big scary monster, elicited a prolonged “Awwwww”, especially when he realised Phenny'd dressed her up in bells and stuff.

He'd been raised on a 'strider farm, with all the chores that entailed, so he knew better than to make any sudden moves while Phenny was trying to calm the snake down out of her hair. Which was just, like, way hard, man. Trying not to laugh when a woman as graceful as her had her hair mussed up and looking like an upside down Hermes? Just, like, no way, man. “Hahahahaha.” He even bit his lip to try and hold it in, although sadly not for the Nymph's benefit. Like, Kiel was totally geniune, man. He'd laugh if he thought something was funny, even if it wasn't appropriate, you know? But, he didn't want to scare Sanna any more than he had, so he was trying to be on his best behaviour.

And, like, it seemed like it was working, 'cause pretty soon the snake was wrapped around Phenny's arm, and he was squeeing again. “Like, dude, man, you have no idea how much you remind me of Derry right now, hahahaha,” he told the snake gleefully. Thoughts of Zeph didn't stop him from lifting his hand to meet Phen's, though, and he grinned back with excitement. And surprise.

“Like, for sers, man, you got her from Xanth?” He hadn't understood most of her one-sided conversation, but he heard that part. After a very brief flash of jealousy (like, dude, why couldn't Xanth give him a pet?) that was quickly doused by his feelings of gratitude for what she had given him, he bounced ever so slightly on his toes as a wave of energy escaped the death grip he had on his muscles. “Man, I want a pet so bad, you know? But, like, I can't make up my mind, hahaha. Like, there are so many, you know? I kinda want them all, hahahaha.”

He watched Sanna with utter fascination, slow to respond to Phenny's last question. “Huh? Oh, like, I dunno. I was kinda bored. Like, Zeph's all glarey and boring and working and stuff, and nobody's answering my texts today so I can't even, like, talk with my folks and stuff. Like, I dunno, it's the end of the harvest over there so they'll be crazy busy, you know? Hey, hey,” he realised, feeling suddenly depressed. His face probably reflected the onset of the blues, too. “I'm gonna miss the harvest festival. That sucks.” Like, it hadn't occurred to him before, and it wasn't the first family get-together he'd missed since moving over here, but he'd been kinda busy with Zeph and training and stuff. With the dude still totally gone, if not physically, and his courier job quieter now the Xanthmas rush was over, he was kind of at a loss, so he'd just started walking around aimlessly.

The upside was that he found awesome scenes like this one, and maybe now he could share the adventure with Phenny. “You wanna walk around with me or something, man?”

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Phen couldn't remember right then if she knew who "Derry" was, but she let it pass. She was horrible with names, anyway. Well, less historic names, anyhow. "Yes, Xanth answered my prayer for a creature that needed me to be brought to me during the winter season," she agreed, her smile going up a watt or two in brightness, "I do understand that difficulty. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from adopting most every animal I see that needs someone to love them. If I did, I would end up hurting them more than helping, but it's not always easy to remember that."

That was an old lesson her grandparents had hammered home after Phen had tried to keep one too many animals after nursing them to health. They had explained how the Balance applied to the creatures she was coddling and in the end their wisdom influenced how she perceived the world. Yet the temptation had never fully gone away. It was as much a part of her as her grandparents' teachings.

She was going to tease Kiel a bit about the boyfriend that she had yet to meet upon the mentioning of Zephr's name, but she just listened as her friend went on to explain what Phen boiled down to a general sense of loneliness and boredom. She opened her mouth to try and say something uplifting, then fell silent again as she witnessed something akin to sadness steal over Kiel's countenance. A deep pang twinged inside her chest, and Phen reacted before thinking.

She reached out with her free hand and tried to gently press its palm upon Kiel's chest, over where she believed his heart to be. She had to move a couple of inches closer to do so, but thankfully there was still plenty of room between them, at least enough for Sanna to not go into a panic. "Your heart was not made to bear sorrow, my friend" she began, with Sanna almost seeming to agree with a soft hiss, "Perhaps you may miss the event of which you have spoken, perhaps not. However, it isn't possibly missing the event that hurts, is it?"

Sanna had uncoiled some as Phen spoke, lightly flapping her wings so their feathers brushed both 'vari and nymph. Phen barely noticed. She was enraptured with an idea, something so sudden and spontaneous that she just knew it would work. "Kiel, I've been wanting to go home and visit my family for some time. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me?"

[Kiel]

Like, Kiel didn't normally get depressed for very long, but this had been kinda building up for a while and he hadn't really had an outlet for it. He hadn't wanted to worry his folks with how homesick he'd started to feel, and for the same reason he hadn't wanted to beg a ride home knowing he wasn't likely to want to come back any time soon. Like, you know, he didn't trust himself to drag himself away again but he didn't want to run home to his mama like a little lost lamb.

And most of the time, it was just something that got shoved under all the hyperactivity, so it wasn't like he brooded or anything. Like, he had better things to do, you know? A couple of minutes, and he probably would have been right as rain, or something, only to start feeling more and more like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

But then Phenny touched him and invited him to her place, and his whole face lit up as his hand covered hers. Not, like, just 'cause she'd given him something else to focus on, or 'cause her invitation meant he could taste a family environment without having to run home with his tail between his legs. But, like, 'cause it was the first time he'd connected with anyone except Zeph outside of, like, a temporary situation, you know? Like, their teamwork at the grotto had been crazy awesome, man, but he wouldn't have been surprised if he'd never seen her again after that. Like Sabs. Like Lucas, and that chick in the top hat who'd helped him chase that blasted thief.

So inviting him to visit with her made him feel connected in a way he hadn't since he'd left home, and he loved her for that.

“For sers, man? Like, totally for sers? Dude, that'd be awesome, hahaha! Like, where do you live, anyway, man? Is it far? Do we have to stay overnight or something, 'cause if we do I need, like, to go home first and grab some stuff and, like, leave a note for Zeph or something, not that he'd notice probably but if he does notice I'm gone and I haven't sad anything he'll do that glarey thing and turn me into a handbag or something, hahaha. Like, but are you sure your folks won't mind a stranger turning up? Like, mine are cool with it, but they're kinda used to us bringing home strays, you know? Hahahaha. Like, this one time, Tad actually brought two girls home with him at the same time, you know? And, like, mom freaked. Like, he said they were totally just friends or something, but I dunno, man, you know?” The whole time he was chattering away, he was ushering her towards the exit, not even aware that he was taking her invitation for granted despite asking her if she was serious.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

If he'd had the inclination, Kiel may have escaped being Euphenia's friend at any time before, but the moment his hand closed over Phen's his fate was sealed.

As the 'vari's face brightened like the freshly lit business end of a torch, Phen's own features did likewise. His joy filled her with a wonderful sense of peace and happiness, as well as a flood of pride for being able to lift his mood. Sanna wasn't nearly as pleased, and retreated to Euphenia's shoulder the moment that they started moving. The angel snake wrapped herself about Phen's throat like a necklace and stayed there, occasionally butting the underside of her nyad's chin to remind of the necessity of pettings. Phen responded automatically, caressing the angel snake's smooth scales and soft feathers while she tried to keep up with the fast pace Kiel had set.

Phen didn't want to interrupt, especially when Kiel was sounding so jubliant, so she settled for listening with a smile as he bustled her along. When he finally stopped for the sake of a breath, she tried to answer some of his questions. "There isn't a portal that goes straight to Silas, so we will have to go overland for a while. I think it would be best for us to pack for at least a couple of days, for three if we want to be thorough. Do you have a backpack or something else that's portable for supplies?"

"Don't worry about my grandparents," she tried to reassure him, sidestepping one of the many people they were passing at an astounding rate, "They'll be relieved that I finally brought a friend home to meet them." She rolled her eyes, aiming to look comical, "My gram especially. Ah, my pappa is a little 'unresponsive' sometimes. That's normal, so please don't worry if he just grunts at you then goes back to whatever he was doing, or something. That's just the way he is. He's a really caring person underneath, you just have to get to know him."

[Kiel]

Like, a little voice inside Kiel's head said it was probably a bad idea to trot off into the woods for a few days without actually talking to Zeph face to face, but, like, you know. That little voice was quickly swamped by his excitement, and it wasn't like the dude would notice anyway. As luck would have it, it was his weekend off, too, so, like, he didn't have to worry about being fired or something. And it wasn't like he'd had any other plans, like, right?

Besides, the exercise would totally do him some good. Maybe he could burn off his homesickness as well as whatever unfair resentment had started building up towards Zeph's shop just 'cause it kept stealing him away right when Kiel wanted to be doing stuff. Like, you know, training and whatnot.

“Do I,” he grinned, thinking of the backpack he'd used to move his essentials from home to the mainland when he first moved out. “Like, it's pretty small as far as 'few days' trips go, man, but, like, you know, I'm Easy, hahahaha.” He didn't need that much space, man, like, a change of clothes, a couple changes of underwear, a walking hat, his wallet. He'd learned to, like, camp out under the stars as a kid when his gramps took him on hunts (like, nothing major, you know, just, like, helping his dad keep the farm clear of pests), so he didn't need a tent or anything, just, like, a blanket or something. A canteen for water in case they couldn't find any fresh, and, like, the rest of the space in his pack would totally be for food, hahahaha. And his pockets. He couldn't forget to stuff his pockets with snacks, but he'd need to be careful not to weight himself down too much.

“Don't worry about my grandparents.”

Kiel couldn't help but grin at her description of her grandparents, even as his brain caught up with the oddity of her 'home' not being her parents. “Hey, hey, man, you're talking to the king of unresponsive, hahahaha. Like, not that I'm unresponsive, but, like, you know, I'm kinda used to dealing with people like that. You know? Like, Zeph's real name is totally Glares-a-Lot, hahahaha. You know, like Lancelot? only with the glaring.” He demonstrated to emphasise the point, but his glare came out crooked.

“They sound cool, man. Like, but how come you're going to your grandparents' place if you're going home? Like, did they raise you or something?” He didn't mean for the question to be insensitive or anything. It was only when he'd finished that he realised a parent's absence usually (in his experience, anyway, since his family was so close and tight-knit he couldn't ever imagine someone deliberately abandoning their kids) meant they were dead.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Phen completely missed the reference to one of Kiel's nicknames, mainly because she wasn't aware he even had "Easy" as a nickname, and focused instead on the "pretty small" size of his storage container. "I have a spare bag if you need more room," she decided, nodding and getting a light brushing of angel snake feathers across one cheek as Sanna squirmed up to perch herself atop Euphenia's left ear. "Hee hee! That tickles," Phen giggled cutely, tapping Sanna's tail to set her bells to chiming while whispering in Sylvan, "Careful up there, my lily."

"I need to write a note for Soren, just so she knows where I'll be and won't worry," she reminded herself, "Christi will need one, too. Oh, and Dante! How will I get a note to Dante? Maybe I could leave it with Soren ..." Before she lapsed fully into Kiel-like mannerisms, she offered, "Soren is the bird trainer and manager of The Birdcage, where I perform on Thursday afternoons. Christi is one of the supervisors at Haven, the animal shelter I've been sleeping at for the last few weeks. You already met Dante."

She giggled at Kiel's attempt at a glare. His face really didn't seem to want to co-operate, but then Kiel had never impressed her as the glaring type."Pappa doesn't glare all that often, but I think I know what you mean. It does make me curious, though. How fun can a person be when they glare all the time? I mean, you make him sound so grumpy. Is he ever not grumpy?"

Oops. Okay, that might have been overstepping her bounds. Phen opened her mouth to apologize, but then Kiel shook her concentration by the shoulders. The brightness of her eyes faded a bit, but she put on a brave little smile. "Is it really so strange a thought?"

Shrugging her shoulders and wings in the same motion, Phen earned a startled hiss from Sanna. The angel snake flapped her wings furiously and flitted up to curl up on top of her nyad's head again, half covering her coils with her white wings. "My mother visited me whenever she could. We're very close. I'm really very lucky. Not every half-breed has been accepted by both sides of their family."

It was pride that filled her eyes then, and her smile became more genuine. Her family loved and wanted the best for her. She didn't need to think about her father, right? She had her pappa, her gram, and her mother. Surely that was enough. "Did you want to split up to notify folk and pack, then meet up later, or ..."

Ugh. She just wasn't good at setting up these things. How did the other nymphs say it? "We could help each other," she finished, not able to recall what she'd overheard back then.

[Kiel]

Kiel had giggled right along with Phenny when she said the snake was tickling her. Like, dude, for a new pair, they seemed pretty cool together, you know? He'd always thought new pets were skittish, and that snakes would be even slower to take to their owners, even with Nymphs. Like, you know, they had that whole companion thing same as 'Vari with their dragons, but he knew too well that didn't always mean a good relationship. Like his dad and Aelia, or Laces and Ani, or Zeph and Slythe, some bonds just didn't turn into friendships, you know? Like, Tad and Neko were real good friends now, but that was only 'cause the pair'd been training together pretty much 24/7 since their ritual and 'cause they shared a common goal. Actually, they were kinda similar in personality, too, come to think of it...

But, “Man, I wish I had a pet like that, hahaha.”

He smiled through her introductions, reminding himself to be more like her when he was dropping names but knowing as he did it that he'd totally forget. Like, he wasn't deliberately trying to be all secretive and stuff, but when he was in the middle of a sentence or story he didn't want to be taking time to explain what or who he was talking about, you know? He was kinda used to not having to anyway, since his family all knew the same people, and habits were hard to break and all that.

[b]I'm totally coming to see you dancing, man,[/v] was a distracted side note as he tried to think what it was about Zeph that appealed to him. He was kinda coming up empty just then, but he wouldn't have known how to explain himself anyway. “It's, like, the dude's just... he's awesome, you know? Like, he's just... awesome.” He'd been there when Kiel needed work, and a mentor, and a buddy. He'd accepted Kiel into his home not because he liked the kid but despite himself, given Kiel a chance when everything he'd done should have censored the big guy off. He'd never lashed out - well, like, except that one time - even when he obviously wanted to. He'd even started wearing clothes just 'cause, like, he knew him being starkers all the time made Kiel feel awkward. Like, you know. The dude might glare a lot, but that didn't mean anything to Kiel. It wasn't like the glaring meant he was mad or anything, either. What mattered was the stuff he was doing while he was glaring, you know? But Kiel just didn't know how to say all that and have it make sense, so he just shrugged instead.

“Is it really so strange a thought?”

Jerking his head back so Sanna couldn't smack him in the face with her wings or tail or something when she dove up for Phenny's head, Kiel blinked.“Like, I dunno, to me it's kinda weird, you know? I mean, like, my family's huge, man, but home's always my parents. It's where I grew up and everything, so it's kinda weird to hear people talking about home being something else, you know? Like, I didn't mean to be all, you know, upset you or anything, man. I think it's cool your grandfolks took you in if your parents weren't, you know, there or something.” He hadn't even noticed that she wasn't just a Nymph until then, though. Like, actually, at first, he'd just figured she was a fledgling Anyelos, you know? But thinking about it made him take another look at her wings, and how she'd done them up with ribbons and bells, and he grinned self-deprecatingly. Like, he didn't think a pure-blooded Anyelos'd be caught dead done up like that.

But then, what did he know, you know?

“Oh, like, yeah, I gotta get some food and stuff and it'd be quicker to just separate and meet up again later, you know? Like, dude,” he grinned, back in full excitement mode. “I'm so excited, man. Like, hurry up, okay? I totally wanna meet your folks now, hahahaha. We can meet at, like, the portal, okay? In, like, two hours?” That'd be way more than enough time for him to get home, pack and get back, and he could text folks while he waited for Phenny then, 'cause, like, he was totally going on the assumption that she'd be like his sisters: Slowwwwwwwww. “You're taking Sanna, right? Hahahaha, maybe I can, like, steal her off you while we're walking, hahahaha.”

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

(( I didn't mean for it to look like Sanna was all that manageable. That would not be fair or realistic. Admittedly, some pets bond faster than others with their owners, and some of that applies here, but ... eh. Read below, and it will be partly explained. ))

Oh, if Kiel only could have known in that moment the trouble that Sanna had caused in the past and likely would cause again. Their trip to Silas was going to provide some interesting challenges, because Phen would not wear her bells there, not unless she wanted the entire village teasing her about it for years to come. Phen kept her worries over that for later, content in that Sanna was staying close and not going off exploring. It made sense, though, since Sanna seemed to love warmth and comfort over most things, and Euphenia was the only available source of both that was familiar. Not to mention that the angel snake adored music, or perhaps just the particular vibrations of certain types of music, thus the bells were better than any kind of leash. Soren really knew her stuff!

"She's a bit of a handful, but I've come to care for her very much," Phen approved, keeping her head as still as possible. A spooked angel snake was a flying or hiding angel snake, and with Sanna being so small, finding her was never easy.

"Oh! Maybe you could catch the new act I'm working on, then!" The prospect of Kiel watching her dance made the nyad flush and giggle, then start rehashing her plans for her presentation to Soren. She didn't get far through them before Kiel said that Zephyr was "awesome". Twice. "You would know best," she agreed with a small smile. She might have nodded, but she restrained the reflex, again due to her angel snake "hat".

Letting out a slow breath, Phen went from gazing up at Kiel to looking straight ahead, trying to organize her thoughts. She'd never really had to explain her situation with her family before. She hadn't let anyone get close enough for them to ask. "You haven't upset me. It's just ... It's a long story," she supplied, and tried to leave it at that. Phen just didn't feel prepared to tell Kiel everything just then, and it wasn't like he'd really want to know, either. Well, he did respond to her song at the grotto ... No. He was her friend, that was for certain, but she wasn't ready.

Both of Euphenia's eyebrows went up as she turned her head, slowly of course, to curl half a smile up at Kiel. "You need two hours to pack and write notes?" she teased, not understanding that he was trying to be courteous of the fact that she was a female and females were supposedly slow when it came to preparations. She also didn't know that he already had a COM and was probably going to use it rather than scribble out his messages. "As you wish, though the portal might not be the best of meeting places. It's a busy place, and I wouldn't want Sanna to be frightened. Is there somewhere else near the portal that would serve?"

Glancing to her right where a cluster of people were standing around and talking, Phen chuckled under her breath and then added, "I won't have my bells on then," as if that explained everything.

[Kiel]

((Oh, no no! I'm sorry, I hadn't meant it to sound like I was criticising. Kiel's seeing Sanna on her best behaviour and automatically assumes she's like that all the time. ))

“It's a long story. It's complicated. It's none of your business.”

Like, Kiel had heard plenty of that lately, or just utter silence, but, like, you know. He could understand it. Not everyone was as outgoing or outspoken as him, and some people were just plain secretive, but he was cool with it, man. He didn't need to know her secrets to call her a friend, you know? It might drive him a bit batty where Zeph was concerned, but that was just 'cause, like, the dude totally enjoyed tormenting him, and that was a different thing altogether anyway. Like, they were dating, you know? Kiel expected a bit more info on the dude he was dating, but even then, like, you know, it didn't bother him all that much when people didn't talk about their past or their backgrounds.

“You need two hours to pack and write notes?”

“Wah? Like, no! Dude, hahahahaha, I can be done in, like, I dunno. Half hour, hour tops but, like, you know. You're a girl, you know?” Like she hadn't figured that part out all by herself? “Don't you need to, like, powder your nose and stuff?” He giggled, totally exaggerating what he figured she'd need to do. “But, like, yeah, like, we could meet outside the bank, okay? It's not too far from the portal, you know? and there's a crazy big money sign outside that's propping up a noticeboard so you can't miss it, hahahaha.”

He looked at her oddly when she mentioned not having her bells on, wondering what that had to do with anything except that, like, wouldn't they be safer in the forest if she wasn't drawing attention to them like that, anyway? But, like, still, “You could, like, stuff her in your pack or under your coat or something while we head through, right? Like, they do better in the dark. Like, right? And then you can just take her out when we hit the forest and it's quieter.” He wouldn't even suggest she leave the snake at home. For one thing, it'd be kinda hard to feed the reptile from hundreds of miles away, but mostly, he just figured, if it was his new pet, he wouldn't be willing to let go for all the jewels in Kyriake, hahahaha.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

(( No worries, Emma. I actually appreciate that it happened, though I realize that it was my own feelings of guilt that inspired the, "Oh no! I'm being too leniant!" reaction. This will serve as a reminder for how I plan to RP Sanna in the future. I want her relationship with Phen to have room to grow. ))

Phen wrinkled the nose that Kiel had jokingly suggested needed powdering, which upped her "cute meter" by at least ten degrees. "Ugh. Have you ever worn makeup, Kiel? It's horrible. Even so-called 'natural' makeup feels strange on my skin. I may endure it for performances, but I dislike it."

Pursing her lip balm softened mouth, Phen regarded Kiel with a thoughtful expression. "I think I've been there before, just to look at the noticeboard." She chuckled softly, reaching up to carefully scoop up Sanna with one hand then pet the angel snake with the other. "The bank was of little interest."

She noticed the "look" and decided to explain at least in part. "Sanna is calm as long as she has some sort of soft musical stimulas, or so it seems thus far. I don't know if it's the noise, the vibrations, or the emotions behind them that comfort her, but it works." She tapped Sanna's tail tuft for emphasis, and the tiny golden bells tied to it chimed merrily in response. "I think I'll keep these bells on her, for now. They aren't as effective as both of us wearing them, but they may help. Besides, she's very hard to find when she wants to stay hidden. If she shakes her tuft, it will improve my chances."

Hopefully she would find the angel snake before some predator did. Not wanting to think about that right then, Phen reasoned that as long as she made sure Sanna was full and content, the angel snake would have no reason to take off. "Oh, she doesn't like to be confined," she replied as Sanna started slithering from one of Phen's shoulders to the other, "And she's so delicate. That could hurt her."

Maybe she could look into a special-made carrier for her Sanna? It was worth a try, but she figured she wouldn't find such a thing on such short notice. "I'll sing to her," she decided, "Or play other music. Anyway, I like your suggestion, Kiel. I'll meet you in front of the bank, in two hours."

Sure, she probably didn't need all of that time, since she would pack quickly, but she still had to write and leave notes for Christi, Soren, and Dante. It was better to have more time than less when she had to run around town delivering messages. "See you soon," she said with a wave, heading for the way out of The Underground at an unhurried pace. As long as the bells were on, there was no way she'd be running. She'd tried that earlier, and was still suffering a mild ringing in her ears because of it.

[Kiel]

Kiel refused to answer the make-up question on the grounds that he actually had, but it was totally his brothers' fault. And he was totally drunk. Like, one of the two times he'd been drinking at a festival with his brothers, and, like, passed out cold on the ride home. He'd woken up the next afternoon feeling grotty and gross, and gone down to breakfast ('cause, like, apparently even hangovers couldn't dent his appetite). He hadn't looked in a mirror until the whole family had dissolved into fits of giggles, which, like, was kinda unusual for most of them, and then he'd pitched a fit 'cause he was wearing smudged eyeshadow and lipstick. His mom's lipstick of all things.

Oh, man, the horror. That was actually the last time ever that he'd drink. He didn't trust his bros not to come up with something even more humiliating, you know?

“Okay, man. Like, she looks cool with the bells on anyway, hahahaha.” He was still a bit worried about predators hearing the sound, but weren't they just as likely to run in the opposite direction? Like, something to do with loud noises or something.

“Hahahaha, but I'll race you, okay?” He didn't wait for her to agree or not, 'cause reacting fast to the challenge was part of the deal. “See you there!” And off he zipped.

((I'll post the new thread tomorrow, Collykitty, unless you want to get there first? I figure Kiel will beat her since he can just text people. He's left the thread at any rate.))