Nexus. The Black Dog. Baby Flames

[dens_extra_pups]

Tracks: *exchanges snark with tDesinex as he and his wife stop on the threshold of the Black Dog* But really, darling. What's new for you?

tDesinex: *smug grin* Hound and I just moved to our own apartment outside of the 'Dog.

Flashpoint: *amused as she watches various people come to the door and get tabards. She made sure she was dressed properly before coming to the tavern with her husband*

Tracks: *surprised quirk of his brows as he shifts Rose to stop her from tugging on his ponytail like a bell rope* You've moved out of the tavern? Whatever for?

tDesinex: We're going to be getting married soon.

Tracks: I had thought that you already were.

Rose: *bored toddler gnaws on her papa's leather bracer, which she's hugging like a dolly*

tDesinex: We're wordmates. Sorta like being engaged.

Tracks: But what does getting married have to do with leaving?

tDesinex: Hound's new job will have him getting up at all times of day and night, and Rhinox is really twitchy lately.

Tracks: *snerks* Only lately?

Flashpoint: Wh't kahnd 'f job?

Tracks: *expression shows that he too is interested in the answer to that question*

tDesinex: Fire patrol.

Tracks: *lazy surprise* I hadn't realized you needed such things here.

tDesinex: Well, we do have a Den.

Tracks: *starts to speak, but then stops and nods concession that she just made a very good point*

Flashpoint: *SNERK*

Tracks: So what form does fire patrol take here?

tDesinex: There's a fire cart pulled by a fire hound, and my Hound rides along with.

Tracks: *so surprised now* A real fire hound?

tDesinex: *nods* Yeah. *will describe the hound*

Tracks: *looks at his wife* Yes, that sounds like a real fire hound. *grunts as Rose abandons ship*

Flashpoint: *nod of agreement as she catches a leaping Rose* Yep.

Tracks: *turns back to tDesinex* Do try to keep him from chasing dragons. *snicker as he thinks of the story that Honeyfuggle told of his visit to the Capital city*

tDesinex: *SNERK*

Flashpoint: *snickering as she remembers the story Honeyfuggle told*

Tracks: *and then glances toward the bar and sees his human Name Brother and the man's pretty blonde wife* Ah, Flashpoint, darling, could you find us a seat? I need to speak with that handsome brute on the bar.

Flashpoint: Alrahght. *chuckles and moves to head inside*

tDesinex: *can be heard muttering "At least you two know how to cover your butts."*

Rose: Butt!

Archiva: *comes to meet Flashpoint* Are you looking for a seat?

Flashpoint: *nod* Yep.

Archiva: Do you mind sharing with a stranger? Or sitting on one of the bot size tables? *has knelt in her graceful way and is offering a hand*

Flashpoint: *as she moves to climb onto Archiva's hand* Ah don' mahnd.

Archiva: Oh good. And Kae Yau says that she's paying for anyone who sits with her. *gently lifts Flashpoint and then rises to her feet and turns toward the booth where Devcon's sleeping with a pup on his lap*

Flashpoint: *soft chuckle* Alrahght.

Archiva: *sets her down on the table, next to the human size one that it holds* Do you know what you'd like to order? *to the pink haired woman at the table* Kae Yau, this is Flashpoint. Flashpoint, Kae Yau.

Kae Yau: *small nod, studying the black-haired woman curiously*

Flashpoint: *to Archiva* Pound'a poutine, 'n dark ale t' drink. Tracks'll tell y'u wh't 'e wants wh'n 'e sits down.

Tracks: *shares with his wife his appreciation of the shrimp poutine that his alter brother just shared a bite of with him*

Archiva: Which kind of poutine would you like?

Flashpoint: Shrimp.

Archiva: *smiles* The Jive Green Caterpillar would be thankful. Any vegetables?

Flashpoint: D' y'u 'ave pumpkin?

Archiva: Freshly roasted in strips with salt and pepper, and then coated with melted butter. And we also have soup.

Flashpoint: Ooooo. Ah'd lahk th' roasted tahp, please.

Kae Yau: *chuckles*

Archiva: Alright. *grins and goes to get the order*

Kae Yau: So, b'y, where ye from? *will lift her tankard for a drink*

Flashpoint: Th' Mountain Kingdoms. *can tell that's not entirely ale you're drinking, Kae Yau, but she's not sure what you are*

Kae Yau's tankard: *sudden flash, and then there's nothing in it but a few wisps of slowly rising smoke*

Kae Yau: *startled curse*

Flashpoint: Wh't th'? *moving to see if she can get a look in the tankard*

candle on the table: *suddenly only a stump of smoking wick*

Kae Yau: *blurt of something impolite*

napkins: *gone in a flash*

Flashpoint: *startled ack*

Kae Yau's newspaper: *fwoosh! Charred embers*

Kae Yau: I was readin' t'at!

something: *startled and worried squeak!*

Flashpoint: Oy, c'mere. *holds out her hand, palm up*

little wisp of flame: *stops and dances on her upraised hand, bright and edged with pink* *tiny voice* Yau!

Kae Yau: *laughs*

Flashpoint: *to the little wisp of flame* No takin' stuff wit'out askin, first.

flame: *big eyes look up at her sadly* Yau...

Flashpoint: Now apologahz f'r tak'n' th' nahce ladeh's drink wit'out askin. *holds her hand closer to Kae Yau*

flame: *turns those big eyes toward Kae Yau and shrinks slightly with shyness, but doesn't vanish away as she'd usually do when faced with someone outside her family* Yau!

Kae Yau: *chuckles softly and offers a handful of blue and lavender flames* No 'arm, no foul, lass.

Flashpoint: *surprised sound* Elemental?

flame: Yau! *dances in Kae Yau's flames, singing*

Kae Yau: Of a sort, aye. I's Ifiri, 'n DenYa.

flame: *in the midst of her song* Yau!

Kae Yau: Aye, lass. *soft chuckle*

flame: *sings!*

Flashpoint: *frown* DenYa?

flame: Yau! *flares up and laughs, then makes a little hiccough and changes to the colours of the flame that Kae Yau had made* *more singing!*

Kae Yau: *nod* Aye. Some realities, we's t'ought t' be the parents o' elementals. In ot'ers, we's said t' be the sprogs.

flame: *poof! Giggle*

Rose: *grunts as she's set on the larger table top, then looks around for her mother*

Kae Yau: *snerk* 'N the li'l lass 's DenYa, too. *attention going to Rose*

Flashpoint: *will move to get her older daughter*

Tracks: *follows Rose onto the table top as soon as she's moved, then looks curiously at the woman with the handful of flame*

Archiva: *comes and sets Flashpoint's order on the smaller table along with what Tracks asked for while he was on the bar, then smiles at everyone and hurries to where someone's calling her*

Flashpoint: *nods toward Kae Yau* She's th' same sort'a person 's our tahneh.

Kae Yau: *uses her free hand to greet Tracks* The name's Kae Yau. I'd tell ye me rank 'n titles, but t'en ye'd need yer food reheated.

Tracks: *eyes widen slightly at his wife's words, but he shrugs and smirks as he comes to the table* Oh, I'm told no one stands on ceremony here. *absently pulls Flashpoint's chair out for her* ...Where's the baby?

Flashpoint: *as she moves to sit down* Dancin' 'n Kae Yau's 'and.

Tracks: *startles slightly and looks at that blue and violet flame* Why, she's so big.

Rose: *pokes a paper umbrella that she saved for Sissy toward the flame*

Kae Yau: How old is she, b'y?

Tracks: *as the little flame consumes the umbrella and starts to sing again* I've no idea. We found her two weeks ago, during a routine job in the Blight. *settles into the chair where his meal awaits, his eyes on his youngest daughter*

Kae Yau: *small frown: 'N what've ye' been feedin' 'er, sides candles, paper, 'n me drink?

Tracks: *frowns in response* Charcoal, mostly. Though she seems fond of rum. Flashpoint fed her a skeleton warrior's head once. *looks to his wife as he says that last*

Kae Yau: *frowning as she nods* D' ye 'ave aneh Drachenschwarm livin' nearby?

Flashpoint: *frown* Dra... Drachen shwarm?

Tracks: I've no idea what that means. *reaches to roll Rose's sleeves back as she grabs a shrimp in each hand from her mother's plate*

Kae Yau: *frowns and tips her head back slightly as she thinks* Drachs... Drachkin...

Flashpoint: ... Dragon?

Tracks: Oh, we're surrounded by dragons. Blackout, Ironhide, Chromia... *turns his head and smiles at his wife* Flashpoint.

Kae Yau: T'en one 'o t'em needs t' breat' fire fer the çıra t' dance in.

Tracks: *look for his wife turns to startlement*

Flashpoint: *boggling* Wh't?! Whah?

Kae Yau: The çıra ain't as big as she should be fer 'er age. 'N me own flames can only do so much.

Tracks: *stricken* Small for her age?

Kae Yau: Aye. She's arter bein' 'round five weeks 'r so, by my reckonin'. *seriously* Ifiri her age oughter be 'bout twice her size. Prolly didn't get 'nough fuel t' start out wit', so she's runty. But, t' be singin' her name already? She's some clever.

Tracks: *hand to his mouth, his icy eyes wide with shock and dismay* She's been starving?

flame: Yau! *scoots across the table top to see her sister*

Kae Yau: She ain't starvin' now. Was she nearly out when ye found 'er, b'y?

Flashpoint: *quietly* Yeah...

Kae Yau: *small smile* She'll be fine t'en. Usually takes an Ifiri longer t'an a couple 'o weeks t' recover from t'at sort 'o t'ing. 'Course, most times, the Ifiri ain't arter havin' a lovin' family t' watch o'er t'em.

Rose: *looks up from singing the song about biting off heads and sucking out guts to Sissy* No famayee?

Tracks: *looks at Rose, and then turns his attention to Yau, who is eating the varnish off the table*

Kae Yau: *headshake* Nay, lass... T'ere ain't many o' the Ifiri left 'cause 'o t'at. We were arter larnin' t'ings the 'ard way.

Rose: *snorts and offers Sissy a shrimp*

flame: *fries it for her!* Yau!

Tracks: *quietly* That's her name? I thought she was echoing what Sunstreaker had said when she burned the seat out of his trousers.

Kae Yau: *SNERK* Prolly can't pronounce the first part yet.

Tracks: Who named her? *watches the little flame dance and sing*

Kae Yau: She were born knowin' her name. It was given t' 'er by the Greatest Creator.

Flashpoint: *thoughtfully* She pronounces a lotta things jes' fahn when Ah'm cussin'.

Kae Yau: *soft chuckle and a slight shrug, plus another offer of lavender and light blue flames for the baby Ifiri*

Yau: Oooo! *hops up and dances* Yau!

Rose: *sucks gravy off a shrimp and watches for a moment, then lifts her eyebrows and looks up at her mother* Mama do?

Flashpoint: Dunno if th're's room f'r me t', Rose.

Rose: Oh. *frownie*

Tracks: *calling to the waitress. Asks for something quietly, and then smiles as he watches her walk away* We'll have something for your baby sister, Rose. Don't worry. *looks relieved, though there are still clear traces that show that he's kicking himself inside*

Kae Yau: *seriously* Ye didn't know, b'y. Ifiri ain't t'at common.

Tracks: I should have asked around, instead of thinking it was so clever that no one knew about her. *takes a big double handled stoneware mug/bowl from Archiva, and then sets it down on the table to show that it's full of liquid flame* How's this?

Rose: *calmly sticks her finger into it* Hot.

Kae Yau: *blinks and moves to inspect the mug/bowl* What's t'is, t'en? *curious and wondering if she should see about getting similar*

Tracks: Fire from the winged lady sitting on the bar. *smile appears as little Yau hops into the bowl and squees happily*

Flashpoint: *soft snerk at the squee*

Kae Yau: Hmm...

Tracks: They produce liquid flame, and can shoot it rather spectacularly. *looks at his wife, remembering the time she lost at shooting for distance because she'd underestimated her opponent*

Flashpoint: *nods, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck*

Kae Yau: Wonder if t'ere're any back 'ome...

Tracks: They're native to only one reality, I understand. But that reality seems to get a kick out of scattering them over the multiverse.

Yau: *jumps to Kae Yau and dribbles some of the fire on her, then runs up her arm and down the other before hopping into the bowl again*

Kae Yau: *small shiver*

Flashpoint: *worried glance at Kae Yau*

Tracks: Is something wrong?

Kae Yau: *small grin* Haven't felt a rush like t'at since the time me best friend gave me a roastin' after a rainstorm.

Tracks: *blinks, and then raises his hand and orders another of the big mug/bowls of the liquid fire*

Kae Yau: Nay, lad. If I get too soused, I's no good fer anyt'ing.

Tracks: Oh. *frowns and looks at the baby* Is she going to get drunk?

Kae Yau: Nay. She's still growin'. Needs all the fire 'n heat she c'n get. After she's solid, t'en ye'll need t' watch 'er.

Tracks: *brows lift with surprise, and then go higher as one of the big bowl/mugs is set before Kae Yau, but it contains cherries in sauce, with a little bit of flame dancing on top* What the deuce?

Kae Yau: *laughs* Cherries jubilee!

Tracks: That isn't what I ordered. *see him look befuddled?*

Kae Yau: Hrafni knows me preferences. *small smile* I likes it better wit' t'is fire, 'stead 'o the usual.

Tracks: Ah. Well, alright then. *glances at his wife* I suppose we should eat.

Rose: *laughs, because she has been!*

Yau: *echoes Sissy from where she's dancing happily in her bowl*

Flashpoint: *small nod, will bow her head for a moment*

Tracks: *does the same, and then picks up the chopsticks on the side of his platter and sets to* Is there anything else we should know about little Yau?

Kae Yau: *as she deftly picks a cherry out of her bowl/mug* She'll start bein' solid 'round a year. 'N she'll be arter wantin' the heart' t' sleep in 'til t'en.

Tracks: She's been sleeping in the tavern hearth with Blackout's youngest daughter. And in the brazier in our home.

Kae Yau: *nod* Make sure she's got a change 'o clot'es fer when she's finished gettin' solid. She'll be 'round the size 'o a child t'ree or four times 'er age at t'at point.

Flashpoint: ... How quickly will we need t' git 'er more clothes?

Kae Yau: *shrug* Depends on 'ow fast she outgrows the 'uns ye get 'er.

Tracks: Will she be bigger than Rose at that point?

Kae Yau: Mayhaps. Oh, 'n wit' the dragon fire, t'ree 'r four times 'tween now 'n a year'll be best.

Tracks: *slight frown as he eats a shrimp* What do we feed her otherwise?

Kae Yau: Charcoal, grain alcohol, lamp oil, stuff t'at's easy t' burn.

Tracks: Ah. What we have been feeding her.

Flashpoint: 'Ow maneh undead'd be good f'r 'er t' eat?

Kae Yau: Depends on how dry t'ey are. Keep 'er 'way from the stuff t'at's still rottin'. Bones'll burn well, 'n the ashes'll be good f'r whereever t'ey burns.

Yau: *dancing in the bowl, and singing happily*

Tracks: *pokes the baby elemental with a shrimp* Are you playing in your food, you little hoodlum?

Yau: *sings more!*

Tracks: *chuckles and resumes eating, then glances over to where Denthe is sitting next to a Heatwave who is sleeping with his face on the table. The pale necromancer is also having a stare down with a red-haired lady with quite noticeable scars* Oh. There they are. We've accomplished our mission, darling.

Flashpoint: *looks* Wonder who th't 's wit' Denthe?

Kae Yau: *leans to look* ... No idea, b'y.

Tracks: *airily, as he toasts his next shrimp over his dancing daughter* Oh, it doesn't matter. Denthe is found, now we can relax and enjoy ourselves.

Flashpoint: *nods* *will proceed to eat, musing about how much Heatwave's had to drink*

Kae Yau: Prolly got some 'o Nem's special. *nomphing cherries happily*

Tracks: *snorts and eats, also feeds wife and older daughter*

Yau: *sings and dances for her family. Is going to sleep well tonight*

((Written with random_xtras))