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Post by clouds just clouds on Dec 11, 2014 15:08:00 GMT -8
The annoyance hit Rylan like a wave and his gut dropped and nearly spilled on the ground. August muttered back to Anderson, "No, it's not..." August said quietly.
"M-Mr. McCarthers, sirs," Rylan choked out because of the nausea that hit his stomach. At least it was only minor, seeing as he was only a bit ensyllo. "Excuse me, I am sorry, please don't kill me.." Rylan stepped over and tried to grab Anderson's wrist.
If this was allowed, then Rylan tried to give Anderson both calmness and happiness. "Sorry, McCarther, sir, it's just, your irritation makes me ill, and..." A breath left Rylan as his brow folded slightly. "I don't know why I am sticking up for him, but Kenneth... he may frighten me, and many others, but he also... I think he would protect any of us, as long as it didn't endanger his children, and... there is also Kaleb, as you've said, who usually watches to make sure we're okay. And Kasimir also tries to make sure that everyone is there too." If Anderson didn't reject the emotions, Rylan let go and stepped away. "Sorry, again... for touching you. And messing with your emotions.. and.." Rylan quickly stepped out of the building, but paused and looked up at him. "Don't be angry at him when you're saying goodbye..." With that, he probably dissolved into blackness to teleport away from them.
Speaking of Kaleb, if Dina wants, he could cutely be herding Kenneth's children--Aeryn, Austin, and Mithai--down the stairs while struggling to carry all their bags. If the reached the bottom step, Kaleb let out a long sigh and slowly laid down on the ground, using the bags as a cushion as he closed his eyes. "Maybe I should allow myself to grow a few inches so I'm stronger..."
Kasimir jumped slightly at Kenneth's voice and then narrowed his gaze, giving a wry smile. "Actually, I was. I tore the room apart, but Noah..." A sigh left Kasimir and he crossed his arms, looking down at the mattress(es?) he just fixed. "He was a servant, and he pointed out to me that Clyde won't even hear of this. I felt guilty, so I decided to shove him out of the room so I could clean." He reached up, scratching his head.
Casually, Kasimir leaned down and picked up a pillow, about to put it on bed. Last minute, he turned and chucked it at Kenneth, a grin lifting his lips. And just like that, the anger burst in his chest and he couldn't hold the words back, "Kenneth. I hate him. I hate him so much, and I want to tear apart every room in this whole godsdamned house. I want to fuck every damn servant--not including your fucking family--just so he has to live with the fact that I did." Letting out a breath, Kasimir closed his eyes and forced his anger under control. "It's such a weak rebellion and childish..." After a few moments, Kasimir said quietly, "Help me finish, would you? I just want to get out of here." Turning, Kasimir focused on making the bed.
"Well," Amara smiled lightly up at him. "I never planned to leave right away. I feel as if there is going to be more drama. But there always is, with a group as big as this, right?" She reached up and pressed her lips to Chase's jaw. "I know you love your brothers. I wouldn't make you leave them. Not for long, anyway."
"That's funny," Clyde growled. "I was about to tell you the same thing. Get out. The rest of the group is leaving, and frankly, I would prefer to be left alone again. My house is not a freelance hotel." He paused and glanced around, looking for the sniffling child.
Malcolm had gone and disappeared. The child actually was hiding inside the closet, both from Clyde and Gabriel. Quietly, he sipped the last of his hot chocolate.
Clyde rolled his eyes, "Be gone, soon." If Gabriel had nothing else to say, or even if he did, Clyde decided to spite him and slam the door.
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Post by Dina Doo on Dec 12, 2014 20:57:29 GMT -8
Anderson had been a bit startled when Rylan had reached for him, and even more so when the young man used... some kind of magic Anderson was not really familiar with. He had heard of a race who altered emotions, but he couldn't recall the name.. But the relaxing wave Rylan was trying to push over him was too tempting to ignore. The ketsuki allowed the calming wave to wash over him, and he let out a breath. But once Anderson noticed his son stepping towards them, the father forgot about Rylan. But the teen had disappeared before he could give his thanks.
Once Anderson saw his adorable little grandchildren trailing -maybe- behind Kaleb, he forgot all about his previous annoyance for his eldest son. The father smiled softly. "Kaleb, you know it's okay to ask for help, right? You should ask your brother next time. Maybe that will stop him from tormenting people." Because Anderson couldn't resist his children, the ketsuki sat himself down beside Kaleb, reaching to run a hand through his hair.
Kenneth hadn't expected his friend's sudden outburst, only because a second before, the friends had been messing around with the pillows. "My fucking family, huh?" He couldn't help but mutter. The ketsuki started over to Kasimir and tried to lay a hand on the latter's should for a brief moment, before pulling away to help with the bed. "Well, don't worry. We'll be leaving soon and you'll never have to worry about him again." His smirk fell for a moment as his eyes scanned Kasimir. But he said no more, instead helping with cleaning the room.
Chase laughed softly. "Amara, there's always going to be drama. We're traveling around with a group that's large enough to populate a small village. There's no escaping that." Once more, he lulled his head against hers. But his smile faltered for a moment, his eyes gazing onward. "Like you said, we can leave later. I don't... really think I can leave Seth and Jeremiah right now.." Especially since he had just gotten back.
The ancient ketsuki's fangs bared as a sudden wave of anger surged through him. Gods, how was it possible to despise one person that much? Gabriel wasn't sure. But he had never liked his general. Maybe, there was a part of Gabriel that had been a bit jealous, but he was too old for that. But, perhaps it was the way that child waltzed all over him, ordering him around as if he was still important. Instead of dwelling on it, the ancient ketsuki stepped towards the closet. Perhaps, maybe Malcolm had hidden there before, so Gabriel knew where to look. He rapped his fingers lightly against the wood of the door. "You can come out now, the monster has retreated back to his dark cave."
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Post by clouds just clouds on Dec 13, 2014 0:17:33 GMT -8
Kaleb smirked and shot a look up at his father, playfully batting his hand away. "Says the one who walked out on me! Leaving me to gather his grandchildren! Carring Alec!" He laughed and then crawled so that he could get into his father's lap. "Besides, Kenneth disappeared to who knows where, and I didn't want to ask anyone else." He leaned against his father and rested his head on his father's shoulder. "What did Kenneth do to make you mad?"
"Great Uncle Auggie!" Aeryn chirped, rushing over to him. With a bright smile, August crouched down and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hello, sweet child. Austin, won't you come over here too?" August smiled gently up at him.
Hoard all the babies.
Kasimir's face darkened as he finished making the bed, ignoring Kenneth's eyes for a few moments. "No. Kenneth, you're wrong." A breath left him and he looked down at his hands. "You... you don't understand. But yeah. Getting out is good. It's pretty too damn bad you're not going to burn his house down." Walking away from the bed, he put back the nightstands and corrected a chair that had fallen over. "So, what inspired you to step away from all your family and finally remember I'm here?" Kasimir shot Kenneth a smirk.
"No, don't worry. I don't think either would let you leave." Amara laughed softly and glanced around before letting out a groan. "Ugh! Can we leave yet? Come on..." She lifted her hand and swept her hand through the air to stir up a small breeze. "Do you think if I pissed Kenneth off e-" She cut herself. The last time someone pissed him off, really pissed him off, he was kicked out of the group and then...
She turned and pressed her lips to Chase's. "Distract me." Amara demanded.
Malcolm jumped and looked at the door in guilt. Slowly, he pushed it open and whispered, "I... I don't want to talk about it anymore..." He reached out, but then pulled himself back further into the darkness. "I-I can look for... him... by myself. You're busy..." His voice wavered and he found his tears again. Swallowing thickly, Malcolm wrapped his arms around his legs and he held on tightly to them. What did he want to do?
"I-I could... I could stay here and be a servant, o-or..." Malcolm let out a small sob and retreated further into the darkness, but there wasn't that much to fall back into. Only Narnia.
"I don't want you to leave me... I don't... I don't want to be alone again..." Malcolm begged, but in a very, very quiet voice that shook with fear.
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Post by Dina Doo on Dec 13, 2014 12:02:31 GMT -8
Anderson wrapped his arms around Kaleb, smiling softly. "Oh, Kaleb, you know your older brother is a bigot, right? Well, there's something I need you to do, okay?" The father lulled his head against his son's, his voice softening so only Kaleb could hear. "Kaleb, you have to watch out for the other members of your group, alright? I know Kenneth won't. So, please, represent the others because Kenneth's family members aren't the only that matter. He won't listen to you but he will listen to you. Can you do that for me, please?"
Austin, who was left in charge once more of carrying his little brother, reluctantly made his way over to his great uncle, looking much like a cat cautiously approaching something new and scary. But once Austin was much closer to August and Aeryn, the little twin tried pushing himself in August's hold. Well, as much as he could without hurting Mithai.
Kenneth's face screwed up with distaste at the question. "Gods, enough. I've been bullied enough this morning. Just go gather your children and belongings so we can go before I decide I actually do want to burn this place down. Or leave you here with Clyde." Rolling his eyes, Kenneth turned away and made his way towards the door. "Or both," he called back. "Both sounds good."
"Well, I could read something to you, but no one usually sticks around to here that," Chase used with a small smile. "Or we could go see if the others need any help. Maybe that will distract you from the fact that we haven't left yet?" He snorted lightly. "I bet Seth hasn't even started to pack yet, let alone actually gotten up.."
If Malcolm found Narnia, then he could become a king. Gabriel stood silent for a moment, but moved to open the closet door fully so he could see the small child. After a moment of consideration, the ketsuki carefully lowered himself to the ground. "Well, if you do not want to be alone, would you perhaps wish to come with me, Malcolm?" What was he doing? He didn't even know. "And perhaps, we can look for your parents together? Would you want that?"
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Post by clouds just clouds on Dec 13, 2014 15:15:31 GMT -8
Kaleb smiled softly up at Anderson. "You don't think I already do? But I don't do it well enough. I'll try to do better. I promise. I'll also try to make sure Kenneth doesn't bother them too much. Who was Kenneth's victim this time?" Kaleb shifted in his father's lap to push his face in Anderson's chest. "I'll try to get to know the others of the group better to make sure they're okay... but that's going to be hard because most of them don't like McCarthers." A blush filled Kaleb's cheeks when he thought of Patch earlier. Sighing, Kaleb shook his head. "I'll protect them from Kenneth and stupid butt Kas-I-have-no-brain-mir." Hatred filled Kaleb's chest and his pupils thinned slightly. "Dad..." Kaleb murmured. "Thank you for... for still loving us. Even after everything, for leaving you... and after Kenneth... was a butt."
August smiled brightly and sat all the way down so he could hold all the children close. He smiled brightly and happily. "You should draw a lot of things for me and send me them, okay? Or have Kaleb take pictures, or Alec. I love you, sweet little mice." He kissed the tops of all their heads. Aeryn was giggling. "Austin, don't let your dad or sister bully you."
"Hey!" Aeryn humphed.
"Aeryn, don't bully your brother," August chuckled and gently tousled her hair.
Laughing, Kasimir crossed the room to catch Kenneth's shoulder. "You're grumpy. Kenny, is it really that bad to be bullied, especially when you bully so much?" He paused and searched Kenneth's face for a moment. "Are you going to miss them...? Your father and uncle?" Another question crawled up Kasimir's throat but he forced it back down. What's it like having a father who loves you? "Where are we heading next, by the way? I was half worried you were going to forget about me. My stuff is already gathered, by the way, already downstairs. Can you check the hallways to make sure that dastardly asshole isn't out there?"
So many questions. He had to start acting normal before he did something stupid.
A frown pulled Amara's lips and she pulled away. "Yeah, yeah, a read. Or help." Slowly, she pushed herself up and she stretched, turning her back to Chase to hide the small hurt that passed on her face. "I think I actually saw Seth running around with Jeremiah earlier. Jozi was watching his kid, I think. They might be out back now. I wouldn't be surprised to find those three--Jozi, Patch, and Seth--outside doing something stupid. Sage might be there too... if they're doing something stupid, Seth might have had her hold... damn it, Chase. Make your brother name that kid, would you? He can't grow up with the name 'Little Dude'." She turned and held out her hand to help Chase up.
Malcolm felt relief pour over him, but he was still hesitant. "I-I-" He stuttered, big tears filling his eyes. "But you can't. You can't because I'll only be a bother. You travel around, and you'll have to feed me, a-and I need more sleep than you, and I-" The tears fell from his eyes in big groups and he covered his mouth with his hands. "And when," he choked through his hands, "you have to do something you'll have to worry where it's safe to put me, and that's too much, I don't want to bother you... I-I already know, because I wanted to-" Malcolm cut himself off but it was too lately. He wrapped his arms around his head and curled into a tighter ball. "I-I already thought about it all because... b-because I wanted to stay with you, you make me feel safe, b-but I can't..."
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Post by Dina Doo on Dec 15, 2014 11:47:22 GMT -8
Anderson couldn't help but laugh at his son's words. "Kaleb, there's no way I'd stop loving my baby boys. Even if Kenneth is a giant bigot," he mused, pulling Kaleb close. "And thank you. I'm sure life in your giant group would be much better if everyone was listened to. That, or if Kenneth was overthrown." The father sighed, shaking his head. "If only I knew what that boy would grow into... Sure, it's good that he's leader, but... Sh! Kaleb! Don't say such things about your big brother! He's adorable!" The troll laughed, trying to bury his face into Kaleb's shoulder. "Kaleb, all you have to is smile and be polite. Trust me, I work with Clyde. If someone is angry or doesn't like you, just smile and be nice. And as adorable as you are, it's difficult not to smile along~"
Austin giggled lightly. "Little Mickey is going to miss painting with you, Great Uncle Auggie." His smile disappeared as he regarded August for a moment, tilting his head. "Will we ever see you again?"
"Because I'm in a position where I can pick on people," Kenneth growled. "I've been funding most of this trip," something he begrudgingly did, "so don't give me that bullying shit." Someone was certainly cranky. He snorted out of annoyance before addressing Kasimir's question. "I don't know. Alec wants to go back to Calder for a little while, back to the warehouse." He rolled his eyes, remembering the swell memories from the last time they were at the warehouse. At least Damien wasn't around. "And I'm not sure how long he plans on staying." Kenneth lifted a hand, brushing his bangs back for a moment before they fell back into place. He looked ready to say something, only to decide against it and walked on out of the room. If Dina and Cloudy are still going with him having an infected wound, that could be a big reason why his mood had seemingly changed. Looking stressed, almost anxious, restless. Very un-Kenneth like traits. At least while they were traveling. The ketsuki, however, was just convinced he was grumpy and had a lot to do. He hadn't even bothered answering Kasimir's question about missing his father and uncle.
Obviously, Chase wasn't oblivious to Amara's sudden change and he figured he had done something to wrong. But he couldn't figure out what. Taking her hand, Chase stood. "I already did. One of his options was Chase Jr.," he mused. The niyol went to walk passed Amara, only to stop in front of her briefly, trying to steal a kiss from her before heading towards the house.
Poor Malcolm... Gods, this poor child... But Gabriel also blamed himself for being so out of practice. But for a brief moment, he couldn't help but feel a little happy as Malcolm admitted feeling safe around him. That was good, right? The ancient ketsuki tried reaching to take one of Malcolm's hands into his own, but he was silent for several moments. "Such are the worries of anyone who travels, Malcolm," Gabriel uttered softly. "But, that has not stopped anyone from doing so. Malcolm, I can take care of you." He offered a small smile. "If you were truly a bother, then I would not have taken you in in the first place. If you feel safe with me, then you are my responsibility and I will gladly do so. Besides, there is nothing wrong with a little one keeping an old blind fool company." The smile fell. "Malcolm, I do not want to leave you alone. I swear I will take care of you."
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Post by clouds just clouds on Dec 15, 2014 15:08:32 GMT -8
"Oh, don't even pretend that you smiled when Clyde was being a butt," Kaleb giggled at his father's antics. "August told me your secrets. He said you actually weren't perfect." A sigh left him and his brows fell together. "I'm not adorable. You should see some of the people in this group, Dad..." His heart felt heavy. "I guess I'm weird because there are people a lot younger than me who act a lot older..." Shaking his head, Kaleb smiled up at his father. "I really happy you're happy, Dad."
"If I know your grandfather, and I do, it won't be that long at all until I see you again..." His eyes softened and he gently ran his fingers through Austin's hair. "Don't let your father get grumpy and bully others, alright? Try and make everyone your friend. It's important to have friends in a group as large as you three are in. It will make everything a lot safer."
Kasimir let out a long breath and really, really was tempted to let Kenneth be, but he knew that Kenneth's anger probably wouldn't fizz away. Shaking his head, he walked after Kenneth and draped an arm over Kenneth's shoulder. "Hey," Kasimir said lightly. "I'm sorry." Kasimir gave Kenneth a soft smile. "Do you want to spar later after we find some place to settle the group? It's been a while. Plus, it could help both of us get out some frustration."
Amara opened her mouth to reply, but quickly had to close it so she wouldn't give Chase a toothy kiss. A light blush dusted over her cheeks and she smiled lightly after Chase. "Well," she said quietly, "Knowing Seth... he has a lot of problems. I mean, he's annoying, but... I think he..." Shaking her head, Amara glanced to the side. "I just think with how he grew up, I can sympathize. But that's me, wanting to take care of a everyone." A smirk curled her lips.
Malcolm looked up at Gabriel, unsure for a few moments. He was unsure of what to say, and useless arguments filled his mouth. He didn't want to argue. He wanted to be wanted. More tears built in his throat and he pushed himself into Gabriel's arms, working very slowly and uncertain until he could hide his face into Gabriel's chest and sniffle quietly. "Thank you," Malcolm croaked. "Thank you... I-I promise I'll try to be on m...my best behavior... when the circumstances call for it..."
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Post by Dina Doo on Dec 15, 2014 16:53:45 GMT -8
Anderson let out an exasperated huff and tried wrapping his arms around Kaleb. "No, no, little Kally. Please don't say that." The father pulled away, but tried cupping his son's face in his hands. His smile was soft and fatherly. "Kaleb, I'm not sure how many times I have to remind you, but I will do so every time until you realize one day your father was right." His voice fell in volume, this was something for only Kaleb to hear. "You are an amazing person, Kaleb. And I couldn't be more proud of you. You and your brother. It doesn't matter if you haven't accomplished anything yet, you're still young. So please, don't make me keep reminding you, alright?"
Austin's smile grew when August told them that they would probably meet up again. But then he looked rather worried when his uncle mentioned making friends. He usually left that to Aeryn. "O-okay, I'll try," he said quietly, lowering his gaze.
"Spar?" Kenneth echoed, glancing up at his friend. Though, he didn't bother with shaking Kasimir's arm away. "We're supposed to be worried about moving out first.." He glanced down in thought. "Well, later I guess we can. But first we have to figure out how far we'll get tonight. Then, if there's nothing else to worry about by then, I'm sure I can find some time to kick your ass," he added with a smirk, his irritation fading now. "If that's really what you want, then sure."
"I know how he grew up," the niyol added with a slow nod. But then a small smile curled the edges of his lips. "But, he's grown a lot too, since he's been with us." Maybe, if Cloudy wants, they reached the doorway. "And it's good you want to take care of us," Chase added, his smile and tone dropping. "Because our self-proclaimed leader sure doesn't do that."
The ancient ketsuki had been a bit taken aback when Malcolm reached for him. He really was out of practice. And he couldn't remember the last time someone had given him a hug. Gabriel curled in on Malcolm, cautiously wrapping his arms around the boy. The small ketsuki's words caused a light smirk to appear on his face. "Of course, I expect no less. And you have my full permission to act as you please whenever you are around Clyde." Gabriel went to slowly pull away, just in case Malcolm hadn't gotten his fill of hugs yet. "Well, little one, are you all packed yet?"
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Post by clouds just clouds on Dec 15, 2014 23:57:50 GMT -8
(Cloudy decided not to skip)
A deep red blush spread wide on Kaleb's cheeks and even threatened to spill down his throat and paint his entire body red. He tried to gently take his head away from Anderson's hold so he could hide his face again, not entirely appreciating all the attention Anderson was giving it. "O-Okay," Kaleb stuttered, unsure of what to say. Perhaps he should see a therapist, that way he wouldn't have to keep annoying Kenneth and his father with his problems. He could annoy someone else...
Swallowing thickly, Kaleb braved himself to lean up and kiss his father's cheek. "Daddy, I just remembered. There's someone I want to say goodbye to. I'll be right back, okay?" Maybe he was being a coward and escaping his father. Perhaps with as much ease as a thief, Kaleb tried to slip from his father's lap. If this was successful, he dashed away to go find his friend.
August smiled brightly and held the children close, taking in a full amount of happiness in having children close by. The memories they brought back were bitter sweet, but he loved it all the same. "You don't have to," August murmured, seeing Austin's worried face. "It must be hard having no one else your age.."
Aeryn had became so quiet because she was taking this time to have a little nap.
A smirk curled Kasimir's own lips. "Kenneth, am I speaking into your deaf ear? I suggested we wait until later when we find someplace to settle this group. And do you have to have your memory checked? I am pretty sure last time we sparred, I was kicking your ass." A soft chuckle left Kasimir and he slid his arm off of Kenneth, smiling more gently at him now. "Do you know what I really want? A nice massage. A spa day, really. I want every single one of my muscles to finally have a chance to relax because my entire body is so godsdamned tense. But for now, what do you think of knocking on all the doors and scaring everyone inside to hurry their slow asses?"
Reaching a doorway is fine, Cloudy is just confused on which doorway.
"Please!" Amara rolled her eyes. "He's only a leader because no one cares to step up to him. I mean, I certainly don't care because it's tiring trying to lead a huge mob. It was tiring enough when it was just the five of us!" Laughter left Amara and she let out a sigh, one that quickly turned really sad. "Oh, now I'm sad." Her brows came together and she reached out to thread her fingers through Chase's and squeeze. "Can't you use your genius powers to bring him back?"
A giggle left Malcolm and his lips curled. "I could cause him a lot of trouble..." He allowed Gabriel to pull away, but he really wanted the older ketsuki to stay like that for a long time. When was the last time he felt so safe and comfortable? Though, even in Gabriel's arms he was tense and incredibly unsure. Each of his words were carefully spaced and calculated, always afraid of getting beat or left behind. "I am... I don't have much of anything... would you like me to make sure you didn't miss anything?"
If Kaleb had been able to escape his father with ease, he probably reached the door a few minutes after Malcolm posed his last question. Lightly panting, Kaleb knocked quietly on Gabriel's door. He thought that the older ketsuki might be asleep and he didn't want to bother him.
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Post by Dina Doo on Dec 29, 2014 8:26:21 GMT -8
Since his little rabbit of a son had escaped, the little mouse decided to make his way towards August and his adorable grandchildren. "Come now, August," Anderson mused, reaching out to rest his hands on Aeryn's shoulders. "I think you're overestimating the maturity of some of these children. Why, at the end of the day, Aeryn and Austin have plenty of children their own age to play with." Oh Anderson, you troll. His words made Austin giggle lightly. Anderson sat himself down, leaning against August if he could.
Kenneth only grunted in response to Kasimir's earlier words. "Well, if you want to go to the spa, then go. It's not like you don't have the money. And I'm sure you could take your children along with you too for a little day trip," he said in a light voice. For once, Kenneth was not insulting Kasimir's children. He was merely suggesting a way for the awkward father to bond with his children. "And I suppose we could go wake everyone else up. But then, I'm sure most everyone is already up and packing. So, if you know otherwise, then let me know because I want to get going."
Chase let out a breath at the subject change. "I've been trying to think of ways," he said, lulling his head to the side in thought. "Of course, since everyone else is just ignoring the ransom, that's not helping.. I don't know, Amara. We could always send them money. Everyone needs that. Or we could go to set up the exchange, but plan an ambush instead?" He shrugged. "It's not like we're traveling with people who can't fight. Most of them can, so I don't see why we don't just do something like that."
A small laugh rumbled through the old ketsuki. "Oh, yes, if you would not mind. I do not think I could count how many articles of clothing I have left behind because I could not see." When he heard a knock on the door, Gabriel started to pull away from the small, adorable child. "Get ready. I will be right back." If Gabriel had been able to pull away, he stood and made his way to the door. The ancient ketsuki kept himself calm, even if there was a possibility Clyde stood on the other side of the door. But then, would Clyde have bothered to knock? Probably not. Pulling open the door, relief filled the ketsuki's features when he saw Kaleb standing there, not Clyde. "Hello, Kaleb," he said lightly, a small smile curling his lips. "On your way out already then?"
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