:[ SOLO ]: I've Got a What...From Where?!?

[Teigra]

The monsoon had finally made its way over the island, leaving behind dripping debris and weary, but relieved, Pae'il emerging from shelter to clean it all up. Some more relieved than others to be escaping their storm shelters.

After the dramatic events that unfolded the night Texas dragged Kane into his home, little of note had happened for the rest of the feral demon's stay. He'd kept mostly to himself when he could, and luckily, it seemed that Texas had other things to worry about. Long as Kane kept eating and resting, that seemed enough to pacify the preoccupied host. Kane, meanwhile, slipped back into more typical behavior, withdrawn and happy to keep to himself, even if he seemed less abrasive when addressed. He did a lot of thinking in his ample free time, and while he made little headway, he seemed less distressed in general. Less likely at least to lapse back into self-destructive behavior.

That was a good sign, right?

Either way, he was free now, back at home in the open forests of Loka Nei, just him and the trees, free to run and live as he wished without having to dwell on disturbing thoughts or constantly beleaguered by some irritating--



"Oi! Kane!"

The galloping of hooves preceded the appearance of the young faun, and he was just moments too late to notice the tiger demon sigh and smack his palm against his forehead wearily.

He'd actually not seen much of Kane until lately; not since the Luau. Yeah, he'd had a nice visit with Texas' adopted son, Vangelis, and it was nice to spend time with another faun away from the Great Tree, but he'd thought it a bit odd that he couldn't seem to find Kane again afterwards. It seemed that if he really wanted to, Kane could actually give him the slip for a while. Not that Faroth would ever admit it. It was more fun to pester Kane with the implication that the faun could find him and irritate him whenever he wanted to.

Of course, then the monsoon had hit the Isle and Faroth had to give up his search. He wasn't yet familiar enough with the Isle to know where to ride out the storm, so he'd headed home to the Great Tree for the duration of the monsoon. Afterwards, he'd managed to track down Kane again and was back to his usual hobby of irritating the demon with his mere presence. He got the feeling though, if Kane really didn't want him around, he'd have taken more aggressive actions by now than snarking at him. He knew enough to know Kane would never admit it though. It was all part of the game.

Still...something seemed a bit off about the demon since the storm. What it was...Faroth just couldn't put his finger on. So, for now, he smiled and went about acting as if all was normal, figuring whatever it was would come out eventually.

"There you are! Whatcha' doin'?"

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Kane glanced up from his reclined post, a tree at his back. "...was enjoying the peace and serenity of the forest. So much for that." He aimed a glare at the young faun. "Now I'm pondering a snack. Tell me...do faun taste like venison? Kinda' look like deer..."

"Oh, ha ha, you're funny. But I wouldn't know, and I wouldn't recommend trying to find out unless you want another hoof in the nose, tiger boy." Faroth grinned cheekily, remembering their first meeting.

Kane half-winced, as if in memory. He hadn't been able to smell anything right for a week after that. "Meh, no thanks. Probably all stringy and bony anyway. Likely taste like a tree anyway, with them sticks growin' out of your head," he grumbled, waving a hand dismissively at the faun, who simply chuckled at him and took a seat nearby.  

[Teigra]

Now where was he? According to Iris, the Pae'il should be somewhere around here in his forest home. The little fae was getting tired of flying all through this massive forest looking for elusive individuals. She just wanted to finish her job and go home for a nice nap. Ugh, but orders were orders...

Flitting around a tree and under a branch, the little fae messenger halted upon hearing voices. Could it be? She peered around a tree trunk, spotting first the mottled grey faun, then the silver-striped blue demon. Finally!

"There you are! You're Kane, yes?" Breaking cover, the messenger fae zipped over to hover in the demon's face, looking him over. He certainly fit the description...must be him!

It wasn't often that Kane was taken by surprise, however, Faroth seemed to function as a suitable distraction when the two were arguing. At the moment, all he could do was stare, somewhat cross-eyed, at the bright little fae hovering in his face, definitely a little too close to his personal space. Sneering, he backed up and glared at the intruder. "Who the hell wants to know?"

Seemingly unfazed by the rude response, the fae replied, "I'll take that as a 'yes' then. Good; you know, you're a hard Pae'il to find. In any case, I have a delivery for you."

Before Kane could ask what kind of 'delivery' the little bug might have for him, there was a brilliant flash of light; so much so that he growled and had to shield his eyes. When the light faded, Kane started to leap to his feet to demand the little bug explain just what in hell she thought she was doi--wait a minute. An unexpected weight in his lap caused Kane to freeze, glancing down with a mixture of anger and bewilderment.

Wrapped in a blanket, the baby girl squirmed a bit and cooed, seemingly asleep in her warm wrappings.

"Congratulations on your little blessing. Surely, she is a sign of the love you share with your beloved and may you both be happy forever and ever." The little fae sounded like she was reading from a card...she'd probably memorized the speech before being sent out. Then, seeming relieved that her work was finished, nodded, "Take care now!" With that, she zipped off into the forest and was gone.

It was too late to stop her from leaving by the time Kane shook out of his stupor. "A...what?!? A sign...of what now?!?" His eye twitching, he snarled and roared in the direction the messenger fae had disappeared, "GET BACK HERE AND TAKE THIS THING WITH YOU, DAMMIT!!!"  

[Teigra]

Practically hissing and spitting with fury, Kane was ready to tear off after the little fae...if he wasn't absolutely perplexed as to what to do with the 'thing' in his lap. "WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?!?" he snapped, picking up the bundle of blankets with one hand and holding it away from him as if it were diseased.

Seeming highly amused by this odd turn of events, Faroth remained where he was, a cheeky grin on his face. "Well, first of all, I'd say 'not holding her like that'. That's generally not what you do with babies, dangling them in the air like that. Also...don't eat her or anything. She's your sweet little baby after all..." He chuckled, attempting to bat his eyes at Kane and just looking completely awkward while doing so.

"So, who's the lucky lady?"

If not impeded by the child, Kane would have knocked Faroth's head off with a single swipe. "Then you take the brat!" he snapped, attempting to pass her off to Faroth to no avail. Grumbling to himself, he tried to figure out just what the heck was going on here, distracted by the faun's asinine questions. "There's been some mistake. It's definitely not mine...maybe it was supposed to be yours. You seem so fond of it." His color darkened imperceptibly at the last question, knowing full well there had been no 'lucky lady', not anytime recently...not ever.

Chuckling, Faroth refused to take the child, but did lean in to look at her closer. "Oh no, Kane, she's definitely yours. No denying that, with that color and those stripes. Still, where did those other colors come from...?" he pondered, trying to place where he might have seen that shade of pinkish-purple before...

"IT'S NOT MINE!" he snapped again, mostly to interrupt Faroth's questioning of the other possible parent. He didn't want to think about that himself, let alone let the pesky faun think it over.

Unfortunately, all the shouting and rough handling had set the baby to squirming and whining, now abruptly woken from her nap. And she certainly wasn't happy about it. The argument was interrupted as she opened her mouth and let out a shrieking wail, informing both males of her displeasure with their shouting.

"Ahh! Shut it up!" Kane snarled, dropping the child the remaining few inches into his lap, luckily having drawn her closer to look at her. Immediately, he clapped his hands over his ears, cursing once more his enhanced hearing.

Snorting at the tiger's plight, Faroth moved to crouch next to the pair. He thought about picking the child up, but figured if he gave Kane a chance, the demon would bolt for freedom. So instead, he left the child where she lay, smiling down at her and stroking her cheek with a finger. In a baby voice, he crooned, "There, there, sweetie...big bad Kane's going to stop being loud now. It's okay..."

The baby continued to wail for a bit, then slowly quieted, sniffling as her breath hitched, having given herself the hiccups with her fit. Still, no one was yelling now, and the soothing voice of the teen went a long way to calm her, as did the simple gesture.

Kane glared at the both of them, as if somehow this was some conspiracy between the two of them to drive him absolutely insane...  

[Teigra]

"She's definitely supposed to be yours. She likes you, you like her, there, happily ever after. Now take her and get the hell out of my sight!" Kane hissed at the faun and the child, pondering the pros and cons of mauling one or both of them...

...meh, not worth it. They should just leave, together preferably.

Faroth rolled his eyes, amusement fading as the situation lost novelty. "Kane? Shut up and stop acting like a jerk. You're acting like more of a baby than she is, pitching a fit like that." Really, the faun was starting to wonder which one was the child here.

Sneering and ignoring Faroth for the moment, Kane stood, still holding the...'thing' by the blankets wrapped around it. "I'm giving it back. Where's that damn bug? She can take it back to wherever it came from, or give it to someone else...hell, I don't care, long as it's not here screaming anymore." But where'd the bug gone? She disappeared so fast, he hadn't seen...and from what he could tell, there wasn't much of a scent to follow either.

Dammit! What was he supposed to do with a brat? Didn't want it, didn't need it, and certainly shouldn't have one logically...babies did not just magically drop out of the sky, he knew that much.

So what to do with it?

The answer that occurred to the demon was almost completely predictable. Well, it wasn't much of a surprise at least. "Got it," he mumbled to himself, taking off through the forest, with a very confused faun trotting after him in his wake, possibly concerned about exactly what the demon had in his head all of a sudden.  

[Teigra]

Finally old enough to be trusted on his own...at least to some extent, given who we were talking about here...Melek had headed out for the day to explore the forest, leaving Takeko with an odd, but welcome day to herself for once. Plus, he'd mentioned going to HQ at some point, which Takeko knew to be safe. Maybe he'd even make some new friends.

So, with a cup of tea and a fresh-baked scone, the angel was just heading to the living room to relax and put her feet up when there was a soft, almost tentative knock at the door. She frowned at first, then figured it was just Melek back early. She set her snack on the kitchen table, then crossed to the door. Chuckling, she opened the door and asked, "Alright, dear, what did you forge--?"

She froze, confused at first and somewhat in shock.

"...Kane?"

The tiger-striped demon stood there, looking some odd mix of uneasy, furious, and confused...and completely like he didn't want to be there at all. Behind him, Faroth glanced around, curious at first until the door opened revealing the Pae within this little house set into the trees.

Kane, meanwhile, seemed to shake off his hesitation, his words rushing over each other uncharacteristically instead. "Look, I dunno where it came from or why or how or whatever, but I know you like taking in kids and stuff, so I brought it here and you can have it, so enjoy." With that, he shoved the baby into Takeko's arms and turned, set on hurrying away from the house as quickly as possible. He could escape! Scott free!

Takeko blinked in confusion, looking first at Kane, then the child, then at Kane again. While she had no idea what was going on exactly, she knew something just wasn't right here. Call it woman's intuition, or maybe motherly instincts from raising so many kids...whatever it was, it put a deep frown on her face and she immediately snapped, "KANE! Where do you think you're going?!?"

She didn't even need to raise her voice...the tone alone managed to stop the tiger demon in his tracks.

s**t.

Seeming uncharacteristically cowed, Kane glanced back over his shoulder with ears flattened...Faroth watching this exchange in silence, highly amused. Mumbling something incomprehensible, Kane glanced aside, back towards the forest.

"Nice try, dear, but no. Now get in the house." There was no arguing with Takeko when she got like this and her narrowed eyes followed the pair closely as they obeyed and entered her home. She stood guard at the door, one arm cradling the baby, the other hand on her hip as she tapped her foot. No escaping now.  

[Teigra]

Takeko followed the boys inside and closed the door, child still on her hip as she blocked the only exit. Casting her eyes over the pair, she settled on the young faun. "Faroth, dear? I just baked some fresh wild cherry scones. Go on in the kitchen and help yourself. I've got milk and juice if you'd like, or just water if you'd prefer. Go along, sweetie," she crooned, practically bustling the faun out of the room.

Faroth glanced back at Kane with a frown, then thought better of staying. Plus...scones? He wasn't entirely sure what that was, but if it had cherries....had to be something tasty, right? Couldn't turn down free treats, right? So shrugging, he left Kane alone with his 'mother', happily trotting off to the kitchen to 'forage' for the sweet goodies.

Kane wasn't sure whether to curse the kid for leaving him alone...or be grateful. Sorta' depended on what happened next. With a sigh, he glanced around the sitting room, pondering why he didn't just make a run for it now.

Because somehow, some way, she'd find him again. Ugh. There was no way he could run off and leave the brat here...but maybe, if he stayed a while, he could talk the angel into taking it instead. It was his only hope. When he glanced up again, the angel was heading his way and he cringed internally waiting for it to begin...but not expecting what happened next.

"Oh Kane!" Takeko laughed, wrapping her free arm around her son, baby in in the crook of her other arm cooing happily at the pair above and making grabby hands at them. "I'm so happy for you, honey! I never imagined, though I always hoped...who's the lucky young lady? Is it that friend of yours I met at the Healing House?"

Kane tensed...for more than one reason, barely resisting the urge to snarl. Oh no, no, no, this was not happening. He pointedly, but calmly removed the angel's grip on him, keeping far from the brat in the process. "It's not like that," he snapped darkly, free and stalking over towards the couch. "There is no 'lucky lady,' okay?" He flopped down on the couch, hurriedly continuing to keep her from asking too many questions. "I was just out in the forest and this little island fae thing flits up, spits out some garbage about having a 'delivery' for me, and next thing I know, she's gone and there's this little screaming thing there. Didn't even give me a chance to give it back! I don't even want it, let alone know where it came from!"

This was not going as well as he'd hoped, though it could be worse. He was supposed to be convincing her to keep the thing though. So, arms crossed over his chest, Kane took a deep breath, eyes closed. "Look, I know you love kids, and there's not too many around here now, so I figured, maybe you'd rather keep it. It's more your thing and all," he muttered, glancing aside at a suddenly fascinating spot on the floor.

Takeko listened calmly to her son's rambling explanation, showing no signs of being upset at being pushed away. She was used to his solitary nature by now, and there were few situations in which he'd ever allowed himself to be touched anyway. She was usually the only one to succeed in doing so to any extent. Still, she wasn't exactly ready for the story she as given. And oddly enough...she could tell that her son was telling the truth with his strange claims. Just...maybe not the whole truth.

Taking a seat in a nearby overchair, she bounced the happy baby on her knee, smiling at her, then looking back at Kane. "So...magic baby is delivered to you in the forest by island fae, and you figured I'd take it like the other tots who've crossed my doorstep?" She raised an eyebrow, aiming a pointed look at her first adopted son. "Kane..." she started slowly, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Kane, but she's yours. She was delivered to you, no matter where she came from, she's your responsibility. You can't run away from your responsibilities. You've got to take responsibility for your own actions, whatever they may be. I'd hoped you would have learned that by now, son." She seemed to hesitate, then frowned and shook her head, pushing forward. "Now, how about we talk about where she really came from? I get the feeling there's more to this story than you're letting on, 'magic baby' or not."

...how did she do that? It was like a magic all its own! Evil...mother magic or something! "Look, it's...it's complicated, okay?" Kane grumbled, rolling his eyes.  

[Teigra]

Completely unconvinced, Takeko shook her head. "Kane, you have a few minutes to figure out and 'un-complicate' things enough to explain. You have until I get back." With that, the angel stood, heading for the kitchen with the baby squirming a bit in her arms.

Mother's intuition told her that babies needed to eat, and often, so she might as well be ready. Already, she sensed a long, tiring process of trying to teach Kane to care for this sweet little girl on his own. With a slight shake of her head, she entered the kitchen and gathered milk and a few other things she'd need. While warming the milk, she started making sweet smalltalk with the faun who seemed to be enjoying her fresh-baked scones, asking him simple questions like what he'd been up to since the Isle's fall, whether he'd made any new friends, etc...

Kane grumbled quietly to himself, making himself more comfortable by tossing his feet up on the couch as well and reclining. Head dropping back on the arm of the couch, he closed his eyes and listened passively to the noises in the kitchen while trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to say.  

[Teigra]

The whole damned situation was a mess... How was Kane supposed to explain anything, even if he'd wanted to? He didn't understand it himself! He screwed his eyes shut tightly, growling low at the dull ache that was growing threatening at the base of his skull. Why couldn't life stay simple? He'd preferred it that way. Now, he had all these...complications. The word tasted like bitter berries and he sneered unconsciously just thinking about it.

"You've got your daddy's tastes," Takeko chuckled softly as she re-entered the room, her eyes on the baby in her arms eagerly sucking at a warm bottle of milk. She ignored the tell-tale sign of the tiger demon's tail, draped from the couch and lashing with contained irritation, as she returned to her seat across from Kane. "So...have the last few minutes offered you some new insight on this 'complicated' matter? I'd really like to hear the full story this time. All of it," she finished pointedly.

Kane grumbled a bit to himself, arms crossed. That woman could be more pushy than even he could when she wanted to be.

...wait.

Eyes rolling, he leaned on one elbow over the couch and snapped, "Like I said before, I don't know what the hell happened. Crazy faery shows up, puts on a light show, then BAM! Magic baby."

"Kane. Would you start at the beginning, please?" Takeko frowned, sheltering the baby instinctively against her body as she fed. Her natural inclination was to shield the child's ears from Kane's words, whatever they might be, but honestly, the poor dear couldn't be sheltered by Takeko forever. Kane was going to have to learn to watch his language, and his volume and tone, instead. "And would you kindly mind your daughter's delicate ears?"

That comment nearly sent the tiger into a snarling rage again. How dare she call that thing that?!? Instead, he snapped irritably, "Fine, the beginning...long time ago, there was this egg, and one day I hatched..."

"Kane! Would you stop acting like a child for a moment! Be serious!" This was ridiculous!

Kane didn't waver, but he did lower his tone slightly. "I'm dead serious. I don't know what's going on and I don't like this situation one bit." His ears were lowered, betraying both his irritation and unease. This was just...not right. He had his suspicions of what had happened, of course...but it made no logical sense! And yet...she...she...

...she smelled like him.

Takeko sighed softly, the infant in her arms beginning to doze off, lulled to sleep by a belly full of warm milk. Least the big people weren't being as loud and angry now, so she could get some sleep. The angel smiled down at the baby, wrapping her tightly in her blanket before turning her softened gaze back to her first son. "Kane," she started quietly, aware now that Kane was dealing with far more emotions than she had at first realized. Probably more than he'd ever had to deal with before, or had the faculties to cope with. "I know you're not telling me everything. Mothers know these things. Still, while you may not be comfortable discussing things with me, I think you need to talk to someone in order to work this out." Of course, she hoped that she could help her son cope with whatever he was going through right now, but he'd always been a very private, very independant boy. If he needed help...he wouldn't admit it, but he'd have to be the one to seek it out for himself.

Surprisingly, Kane didn't snap back with a sharp retort...he didn't growl...he just glanced aside at nothing, eyes narrowed in silence. Finally, he muttered, "...only after she's out," punctuated by a swift nod of his head towards the baby.

Surprised, but afraid to say anything to break the spell her son must be under, Takeko only nodded, gently rocking the baby to sleep while humming a wordless tune.  

[Teigra]

After a short while, the baby had fallen into a deep sleep. Rather than risking her waking up again if the conversation started to get heated, Takeko rose and took the child into her room, where a much-used crib had stood empty in the corner for some time now. She found some extra blankets and a soft toy, and got the child settled in for her nap. With a smile and a gentle kiss to the striped baby's forehead, Takeko returned to the living room to help her eldest child deal with his own issues.

As she re-entered the room, she took note of Kane's posture. He seemed withdrawn, one arm over the back of the sofa where he lounged, his face turned away and his vision focused on something unseen in the distance. Should she take a seat beside him? No, not yet at least. She wouldn't push too much, because she knew all too well that could cause him to shut her out completely in defense if he felt 'threatened.' So, she resumed her earlier seat nearby, but separate, allowing him both space and silence, as she waited patiently for him to start.

The silence lingered on, the only sound the quiet swish of the tiger demon's tail against the sofa fabric. He felt...antsy was the best word maybe. Like, he had an abundance of nervous energy and nothing to do with it and no desire to do anything with it, so it just swirled about, unheeded and unchecked, leaving him with an odd, detached, heady feeling. What was this feeling?

"I'd say...that I never meant for any of this to happen," he finally muttered, breaking the silence. Wisely, Takeko decided not to say anything here, only listening quietly during the short pause. "But I'm sure that's what you'd expect to hear. The truth is, that I didn't think anything like this was even possible or could happen." Of course, that implied that there had been more thought behind this than there was, even if that was why the thought never crossed his mind.

His blue eyes remained unfocused and directed away from his mother. He couldn't look at her, not while trying to explain this, or he'd never be able to get through it. "I've only got...suspicions," he admitted, "but, I guess that's the best I can do to explain, since I still don't fully understand this myself." He sighed, as if resigned to some horrible fate. Nearby, Takeko frowned in concern, but held her tongue, supporting her son with her silence.

"Do you remember last summer? When those strange Naiad things showed up, and there was a party on the beach? Then the pirates showed up as well, causing trouble and all? Well, there was quite a bit of rum about and...things may have gotten out of hand...and one thing led to another..." He trailed off awkwardly, hoping the implication would be enough to explain his lack of judgment and apparently temporary insanity.

Takeko's frown deepened, and when her son fell silent, the implications weighed heavily in the air. Fearing the worst, the angel's eyes widened and she put a hand to her mouth with a soft inhale of breath. "Oh, Guardians...Kane...You don't mean..?!? You don't know who...?"

Kane flinched as if hit, face whirling around towards the angel with a sneer. "What?!? No! I mean, it's not that! What kind of person do you think I am? You think I'd just run off with some stranger?!? Of course I know who I--" he screeched to a halt mid-sentence, color darkening as he aimed an awkward fake cough back to the side so he didn't have to meet her eyes. This wasn't going to plan. Not that he was anywhere close to the original plan at this point. "Dammit," he grumbled under his breath, reaching up to rub his eyes. He had a major headache forming. "It's not like that, okay. I know who, alright. I was drinking with..." He paused for a moment, thinking back to that long, awkward, but enlightening in a way conversation with Texas during the storm. "...with friends," he finally finished quietly.  

[Teigra]

Visibly relieved, Takeko's tension relaxed from her posture. While this still sounded like a bad situation, at least it could have been worse. An unknown parent of a newborn, well, that was a sad situation indeed. Not to mention any other possible bad situations that could result from a wild night with an unknown stranger...

She nodded in comprehension, "So...you were at least with friends when things got out of control?" She wouldn't judge her son, she'd never do that. And while she'd like to think she raised her children well, everyone was capable of making mistakes and bad decisions. It didn't make them a bad person. Honestly, she felt her son had turned out fairly well, as much concern as she held for his feral nature. The fact that he was making friends was encouraging, and from the ones she had met, they all seemed to be very nice Pae. And look at sweet Faroth!

"Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it," Kane grumbled, rolling his eyes. Maybe this would have been more awkward if it'd happened with some random stranger.

He doubted it.

"So..." Takeko pushed gently, sensing Kane's reluctance to continue. "...what's her name?"

Kane's color darkened again, and he swallowed hard. What exactly was it that made this so hard to admit? Was he afraid of what she would think? That she would think less of him for doing something like this? Or for doing something like this with another man? Or was it his own confusion as to why he'd done it in the first place, let alone with a man, let alone with a...fae.

...wait, did he care what she thought of him?

Deep down, whether he'd like to admit it or not...he did.

Dammit, what the hell was wrong with him?!?

Shifting uncomfortably on the sofa, Kane's eyes were locked on the floor near Takeko's feet. "Look, I told you before, there is no lady..."

The angel frowned, responding without thought, "But there has to be! If not, then how...?" Wait a minute...was it possible? Her eyes widened, her mind whirling, confused. Then Kane...? And...was it even...could that happen?

"You remember Texas and Magnus, right? From the Isle's fall? Yeah, well, Magnus and I were sort of having a drinking competition during the beach party and uh...not really sure who won that...but... You remember him, right?" he asked pointedly, a bit too much emphasis on the pronoun. He reached up and rubbed his neck awkwardly while speaking, then waited in tense silence for his mother's reaction.

It didn't take Takeko's years of practice reading Kane's subtle moods to tell what her son was feeling. It was obvious to anyone that he was uncomfortable with the conversation, and that he was warring with factions in his own head just discussing this with her. He also needed help working through whatever it was he was feeling. He seemed almost...afraid. Almost, but not quite.

Takeko rose, crossing to the couch and taking a seat beside her son. Only then did he glance up at her warily, trying to read what she was thinking. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, much as she would when he was a child, having woken in the night from a bad dream. She reached up, placing her hand gently on his cheek. "Oh Kane...my poor boy. It's alright..." Ignoring any risk of Kane lashing out, she kissed his forehead, then ran her fingers through his hair, guiding him gently to rest against her shoulder.

For once in his life...Kane didn't pull away. Normally, contact made him feel antsy, anxious. But now...a strange feeling, something like relief almost, seemed to wash over his tense form. Tension lessened rather than grew as the angel soothed her son, the inner turmoil seeming to quiet, if only a bit. If the angel was surprised, she didn't show it, as the feral demon willingly rested his head on the smaller female's shoulder, eyes closed. After weeks of confusion and feeling lost, he would welcome just a moment of silence and comfort.  

[Teigra]

The pair stayed like that for some time, content in each other's company and the silence saying far more between them than words would have. It was Takeko who finally broke the silence with a quiet voice, leaning back to look at her son's face. "You seem to be taking this hard, honey. Are you sure you're alright?"

Hah! She had no idea...but she hadn't seen him back then, and Texas had luckily intervened before any permanent damage had been done. "I'm fine," he muttered, reaching up in a vain attempt to smooth his wild locks. "I mean...it was rough a while back, but it's fine now. Well, until this," he trailed off, rolling his eyes.

"Magic baby, eh?" Takeko offered, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, that much was true, okay?" Kane protested, frowning. "Crazy little fae bug showed up about a half an hour ago and performed that blinding light show before dropping a baby in my lap. Literally. I mean, I didn't have enough to deal with, but now this?!?" He was agitated, sure, but he didn't raise his voice, preferring to keep the faun in the kitchen out of this...and the sleeping baby in the other room quiet. Instead, he showed his frustration with an angry crossing of his arms over his chest and a soft snort of displeasure.

"I'll admit, I'm puzzled too. I've never heard of this before and I never thought that two males..." she trailed off awkwardly, then reached out for Kane's shoulder again. "I mean, it's fine, dear, but...you know, I either found my children by the grace of the Guardians, or you know...your father and I..." She flushed a bit out of reflex, then cleared her throat and continued. "Maybe it's something like that. There's no end to the magic of the Guardians and the Isle...maybe it's a blessing of sorts."

"...or a curse," quipped the demon. He couldn't help a half-smirk when the angel shot him a sharp look. Still...what in the devil was he supposed to do with a baby? If these Guardians were as all-knowing as they claimed, they should have known better than to saddle him with a kid. One or the both of them wouldn't survive.

"Look," he started, "I really don't know what to do with that thing. And you were always good with kids. Can't you take it?"

Tempted as she might have been, Takeko knew that this was not her burden to take on. "I'm sorry, Kane, but she was given to you for a reason. She's yours, even if I don't entirely understand how she got here. And please, stop calling her an 'it"'and a 'thing'. She's your daughter," the angel stated pointedly.

Kane cringed at that. But why? He didn't ask for this! He didn't want this! ...and couldn't it have at least been a boy? What in the world was he going to do with a little girl? "But...I don't know what to do with it-- her," he corrected himself quickly at another glare from the angel.

"Well then, I suppose you're going to have to learn fast, aren't you, son?" Takeko's eyes sparkled mischievously, even as Kane's posture slumped. No, he'd not be getting any help here, at least not the kind he wanted.  

[Teigra]

"Well, first things first," Takeko continued cheerfully, ignoring Kane's dejected look. "What's her name?"

"I dunno," Kane grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Damn little bug didn't say anything about that; just dropped her off and disappeared. And I don't think she's going to tell me anything either."

Chuckling softly, Takeko shook her head and answered patiently. "Oh, Kane...you silly boy. She doesn't have one, because you have to give her one. You're her father, so you should name her."

"...do I have to?"

Somewhat less patiently: "Yes, you do."

"...Brat?"

"No, Kane, you can't name a child 'Brat.' Try again."

Even if it was fitting? He seemed to think again, then muttered, "How about 'Pain-in-the--'"

"KANE!"

Kane cringed at the sharp tone, ears flattening. Dammit, not his fault that all he could think of were 'appropriate' names. He didn't ask for this s**t. He wasn't one for naming things, especially kids, with big, stupid words and flouncy meanings and crap. Arms crossed over his chest, he glared at the floor as if it would magically answer for him.

Sighing softly, Takeko returned to her soft, encouraging voice, trying to offer some insight to her son in naming his daughter. "It doesn't have to be a fancy name, dear. Just something that comes from the heart, for her. What's important is that it comes from you."

Something that came from him, eh? Well, he liked his name, short and simple. He figured if he humored his mother and went along with this, maybe she'd be more willing to actually help him in more useful ways, like..actually taking the kid or something if he feigned interest. He pondered for a few minutes, shuffling letters and sounds around in his head, trying to find something that might work. Finally, he muttered something softly, too softly for Takeko to make out clearly.

"I'm sorry, dear...what was that?"

"...Vika?" It came out as a question this time, as if asking if that was suitable, or good enough to pass the test. When the angel smiled at him, he figured he'd finally succeeded.

"That's a beautiful name, Kane," the angel crooned. "Vika. A sweet name for a sweet little girl."

Oh, puh-leeze.

It was all Kane could do to keep from rolling his eyes.

Then, his mother started chattering enthusiastically about feedings, changings, and other baby-caring activities and he regretted going along with this, even for a minute. What in the hell had he unknowingly gotten himself into?