A new Beginning [M]

[Anonymous]

Ba'ast had been in a relationship with Ghanon for a little over two years, though it was only a month after they had met by means of the baron that she spent time with Ghanon. He found himself needing to wander off in search of another shard. Since then, it had be a very interesting life for her. She had soon found herself pregnant with Ghanon's child. And even gave birth to a little girl, Devi. Because of this, she decided to get a house in La'marri where she could raise Devi with out taking her traveling when she was far too young for those harsh journeys.

Though she hadn't seen Ghanon at all to let him know. Regardless of talking into mirrors to tell him he should stop by, he needed to meet someone. But he never showed up. Ba'ast wasn't angry though, she knew this would happen. And though they were still officially together, she lived like a single mother with her daughter.

Now her daughter was almost a year old. She was also progressing as quickly as Ba'ast did. Already running, flying, even capable of simple sentences. Though, Ba'ast was anxious for Ghanon to stop by before she started wondering who her father was.

[Lion]

He'd found that piece of sand that had gotten on him not long before he'd left.  He couldn't have Ba'ast keeping an eye on him longer than necessary.  Sadly, the ring had also to have been discarded.  But he was glad that she kept the pendant, for though he couldn't have her knowing where he was, at least they could still communicate. In the few years that had passed since he met Ba'ast, Ghanon did little to forget her.  He never forgot a face that was worth remembering.  Though he could never bring himself to believe in fate or destiny, somehow someway the strands of time brought him from all over the world to this little town, a town he'd found the Baron.

Ghanon swooped in one evening from the edges of the woods and wandered quietly into the town.  Evening was just settling in and though it was dark, there was one section of it that was rather lively, as people laughed and drank.  "This seems familiar," he said to himself as he walked through the town.  As he strolled down he saw a face that was even more familiar.  "Hello, Ba'ast...  It is good to see you again."

[Anonymous]

Humming to herself, Devi slowly trotted her way through the fields in front of her cozy home, her eyes scanning across the scenery. She pouted to herself as she did so, watching the field intently – looking for something, for her cats. If anything, the child had turned out to be just like her mother, and had inherited a strong love for felines, but they were so hard to keep track of! Devi spent most of her time attempting to catch the strays that prowled through this area, but they never did stay for long. If she could just get them to stay put...!

Grinning, the child came across one – a fat orange tabby, leisurely licking its paws as it hid from the little demon. Growling, Devi tackled the poor creature, grabbing it while it least expected it, and held it tight to her chest, even though it squirmed and wriggled vehemently, trying to escape the girl's grip. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, petting the cat's head too roughly. "Don't leave again, okay?" She smiled down at the cat, patting its head once, twice, making her way back home...

She was pretty sure she had caught all the cats now... Grinning proudly, she found her mother, ran up to her, and pulled on the hem of her dress, holding up the orange tabby for her to see. "Look, momma!" Devi exclaimed, petting the cat's head once more. "I found Bobbins!"

She grinned, snuggling the unwilling cat closer to her face, but then looked up, at the man who was standing at their door. She tilted her head, curious. "Who's that, momma?" she asked, toddling up to him, poking him in the leg once, twice. She flew up towards him, holding out the cat for him to see. "Do you wanna pet Bobbins, mister?"

[Anonymous]

Ba'ast had been standing outside waiting for Devi to come back to the house when Ghanon approached her. "Ghanon!" Her eyes widened a moment and she glanced down as Devi stepped up to her and showed her the tabby. "That's good Devi. Make sure Bobbins stays in the house." Man she had a lot of cats.. but that didn't matter to her, the more cats the better.

Ba'ast returned her gaze to Ghanon and smirked. Blinking when Devi had flew up in front of her face and she reached out to grab her daughter and held her close. "Devi. Let's not go flying around. Remember. The towns people don't like your wings." She eyed Ghanon and motioned for him to come in the house.

When in the safety of the house, Ba'ast set Devi down and walked over to the door to lock it. Just to make sure no one barged in. "It's been over two years. Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked, but hit her forehead. "Oh... um.. Ghanon. This is Devi. She's your daughter."

[Lion]

Ghanon didn't see that cat being nearly shoved into his face.  The child poked him in the leg and he snarled slightly at her at the fact.  Ba'ast introduced her as Devi and though he didn't quite understand what her purpose was entirely. Nor that of the cat.  But he recalled that Ba'ast liked cats, perhaps she had a collection.

He followed her into the house and stood off to the side while she preoccupied herself with the child and the door.  "No, I did not," he said and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Nothing of that nature can be found on this plane.  And who exactly is this Devi?"  he stared at the little girl until Ba'ast delivered the news.

He then eyed the mother of the child.  "You're kidding.  What kind of dirtbag have you been screwing around with that didn't want to stick around for this little one?  I don't think you really mean that I am the father."

[MAURY! MAURY! MAURY!]

[Anonymous]

[ xD -brings out the lie detector test!- ]

Devi pouted as her mother picked her up, tucking her wings away. "But momma...!" she whined, "I wanna fly~!" Just because the townspeople didn't have pretty wings like her didn't mean she should have to tuck them away! Still, the little demon decided to be good for now, and was set down in the house, still clinging onto that orange tabby.

She still wanted to know who the stranger was, but he wasn't really giving her any attention! He had made a funny sound when she had poked him earlier... but that was about it. Still humming innocently to herself, she plopped herself down on a nearby couch, picking up her mother's hairbrush in hand, brushing the orange tabby's thick fur with it.

The little demon watched the two adults intently, and didn't have a good idea what was going on really, but the stranger seemed to be irritated about something... She giggled, till brushing Bobbins, who continued to squirm around in protest. "Mister stranger is a grumpypants~" she hummed, only able to discern that much from their conversation of sorts. There was also something else - something about... fathers? She didn't really get it - but someone would tell her who he was eventually... right?

[Anonymous]

Ba'ast shook her head. "Are you going to head off to another plane to find it?" she wondered, playing with that necklace he had given her. She didn't know why she wore it, but it was probably so he could actually find her easier.

"What kind of dirtbag? Well, that 'dirtbag' would be you, Ghanon. I found out I was pregnant about a month after you left. You were the only person I slept with at that time that could've gotten me pregnant." Ba'ast pursed her lips a bit, pissed off. "She's your daughter. Now why don't you go introduce yourself?"


(Maury: Ghanon, you ARE the father. *crowd cheers*)

[Lion]

It wasn't the first time some otherworldly one told him he was a dirtbag.  But this time it was nice to not have fireballs and lightning orbs being thrown at his head.  He just ducked out then.  He idly watched the child squeeze the living hell out of that cat that continued to fight her affections.  A small chuckle and then returned his attention back to Ba'ast who continued to persist that he was the father of that little girl.

Ghanon furrowed his brows and frowned, still not believing a word she said.  "I don't believe you," he said.   "How can she be mine?  You and me, we'd write books with the names of all the lovers we've had combined.  Besides, she looks nothing like me."  Though of course he knew his own child would look nothing like him, but he never told that detail to Ba'ast.  She would know, however, who she slept with and when, but he never said she couldn't go philandering while he was away.  The certainty of his fathering the little demon child still hung in the balance.

Ghanon knelt down to the child that was nearly strangling the cat with love.  He looked her over with squinted eyes, felt along her small face and looked at her wings.  "You look like you're mother you know that?" he said.  "Can you shapeshift?  Open portals?"

[Anonymous]

Finally, the stranger was paying attention to her! It was about time – Devi didn't like being ignored! She grinned as the man told her that she looked like her mother, and squeezed the cat a little tighter to her chest. The little demon nodded, agreeing with him. "Momma is pretty~ That means Devi is pretty too!" she told him, nodding her head up and down vehemently.

He asked her something else – something about shapeshifting? Portals? She shook her head, confused. "No, no, no portals. What's a portal? I don't know what a portal is..." she sounded a little sad, that she wasn't able to do what he suggested. But, she brightened up just as quickly, and grinned easily. "But, but, I can fly, mister~!" she assured, flapping her wings a little too eagerly. "Can you fly, mister? Can you, can you?" He didn't look like he could... How sad! What would it be like, to not be able to fly?

[Anonymous]

Ba'ast balled up her fist as he spoke. "How, you ask? Well.. let me tell you how. I don't let humans finish in me, and how do you explain the fact that she bares no resemblance to anyone other than me?" She asked. "I know there's something strange about you-- something that doesn't pass on genes but still allows a pregnancy."

Though she turned as he knelled by Devi and asked her all those questions. So Ba'ast moved to his side and punched him in the back of the head. "Don't harass your daughter with questions about powers you know she wont have." Ba'ast was getting pissed.  She looked to Devi and watched her a moment, then knelt down and took Bobbins from her and set the cat on the floor and let him run off to hide. Then she fixed Devi's hair. "Devi. Say hi to your father." She pointed to Ghanon.

[Lion]

"Wha- OW!  Don't do that again!  Consider that a warning," he said daringly.  But he wasn't smiling this time.  He simply asked the child because perhaps some part of him hoped that she would have some of his abilities.  But that hope was trampled when the child said she had nothing of the kind.  Could only fly and looked really pretty.  He smiled faintly at her and brushed back her hair.  He knew it was futile to argue with Ba'ast further on the matter, but he would express his doubts at a later time.

"Is that your name, little one?  Devi?  I am Ghanon.  It's very nice to meet you.  That was very mean of your mommy to take away your cat like that.  You should make her give it back," Ghanon said, petting the child's head.

[Anonymous]

She just eyed him. "Don't deny your daughter." She had the same daring tone in her voice. Edging him on. There was no way he would get to leave without accepting Devi. She didn't care about herself, but at least his daughter..

She watched him tuck back Devi's hair and looked to the side, though she snapped her head to look at him when he said something about the cats and she glared. Simply snapping her fingers and at least thirty cats came running over and surrounded them. "Done." she said and smirked to him.

[Anonymous]

Father? Was that really who he was? Devi held a curious expression in her eyes as she assessed this man – who was apparently her father. She looked up at her mother, who told her to say hello to him, while at the same time, stole Bobbins away from her – and the cat, desperate for a reprieve, took off, probably never to be seen from again. Instead of greeting her father, Devi looked up at her mother, shocked. "Momma! You let Bobbins get away!" Argh, it took so long to find and catch him too! She pouted, crossing her arms, not amused by the loss of her cat.

But she was easily distracted, and the stranger stepped up to her again, asking about her name, patting her head. The pat made her temporaily forget about Bobbins... at least for that moment. "Yep, I'm Devi~!" she assured, nodding, grinning, remembering what her mother said. "Are you daddy?" she asked, tilting her head. "Are you going to stay here with momma?" That would be good if he did – so she could watch momma hit him in the head again!

He reminded her about Bobbins, which made her eyes light up. "Momma, daddy's right!" she said, turning around to her mother. "You let Bobbins get away! Bobbins –" But then her mother snapped her fingers, and Devi was instantly satisfied. Cats, cats everywhere! The child grinned, flying around the room, grabbing onto four cats at once, snuggling in their fur. "Cats! Cats!" She laughed, walking amongst them. "How am I going to name all of them..."

[Lion]

"Yes, Devi.  I'll think about sticking around."  Ghanon grinned at the child and kept searching her face.  For what, even he had a hard time figuring it out.  Then he looked back at Ba'ast just as Devi make a mark about the cats.  "Yeah! Momma!  What's wrong with you!?"  But he quickly looked shocked as a whole mess of cats started to rush in, meowing and screeching at each other.  A lot of fluff went up in one corner, while there were engines of purring going on in another.  Ghanon immediately looked up at Ba'ast and glared at her.  Showing him up huh?

He immediately stood and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Well, I don't have to show fancy tricks to make a kid happy," he said a little defensively.  But a smile became him anyway.  "How many kids have you had before her?" he asked Ba'ast, while he watched Devi strangle even more cats.

[Anonymous]

She gave Ghanon an evil smile and stood up as well. Watching Devi hug four cats. "Devi, remember, not too hard. You'll upset the kitties and they wont like you~" She was hoping Devi wouldn't accidentally kill any. Though her gaze moved back to Ghanon and she smirked. "How many?" Ba'ast looked back to Devi. "One other. Over three hundred years ago." She admitted after a pause.

Then she stretched out her arms. "He's gone though." She said. Bending down to pick up a pure black cat and straightened back up. Petting it. "So, you're going to stay?"

[Anonymous]

Right, right – she wasn't supposed to hug the kitties so hard. She nodded, loosening her grip a little – the kitties weren't as durable as she was, after all! She still had four of them in her clutches, and she noticed that one of them had a familiar fur color – orange. "...Bobbins!" Devi cried, although the cat might've just looked like him. The other ones needed names too, though, but she wasn't good at thinking up names...

She took the kitties in her arms, sitting back on the couch, swinging her legs innocently. "You can be Bonbon," she told one cat, a chocolate brown in color. "And you can be Bitsy, and you can be Buttons~" She pulled the names out of nowhere, snuggling each cat as she named them. At her mother's words, she looked up, and nodded. "You have to stay, daddy! You have to help me name all the cats!" She couldn't do this alone, after all! She jumped up and down on the couch, the kittens still in her hands. "Stay, daddy, stay~!"

[Lion]

"Don't listen to what she says," Ghanon remarked.  "Hug them as hard as you can!  Cats love that!"  Ha!  Two can play that game now couldn't they.  Ghanon looked back at Ba'ast as she answered and nodded his head.  No doubt at least one other.  As for himself, he didn't know exactly how many he might have.  He didn't bother to think about it, it just wasn't worth his time.

He slid away from her a little as she picked up a black cat which purred carelessly.  "Stay?  Maybe...Devi seems interesting enough.  But what about you?  Do you want me around?"

[Anonymous]

She shot him a glare. "I don't want any of the cats to die, Ghanon." Ba'ast warned. Watching Devi for a moment before she set the black cat down when Ghanon moved away from her. She turned and walked back up to him. "Do I want you to stay..?" She repeated and reached up to run her hand through his hair, though she pulled him in once her hand was on the back of his head and kissed his lips.

"Of course I want you to stay." He answered when she pulled her lips from his. "Plus, I'm sure Devi would like to spend more time with her dad."

[Anonymous]

Her eyes lit up at daddy's news – was it true, that kitties like to be squeezed? "Really?" she asked, grinning, and was about to squeeze them close to her chest, but the look momma gave daddy made Devi think that perhaps she should just listen to her mother on this one... She frowned a little, but was content that she was able to hug all of these cats at all! Normally, she had to catch them herself, but now, she had a whole house full of them~!

She looked up, grinning at her parents – at her newfound father, but then ... gah, momma and daddy were kissing! ...She was not sure if she was supposed to be watching this. Devi shut her eyes, covering the kitties' eyes as well, waiting until they were done to open her eyes again. Bah, didn't they know? They were going to get cooties, if they did stuff like that!

[Lion]

He didn't really know what to think about all the damn cats in the house.  He'd normally been so ambivalent about them, not sure what to make of them one way or another, but immediately they were starting to get on his nerves as they leapt onto the counters like they owned the place.  If he knew Ba'ast wouldn't pop him one again, he'd zap them with an energy blast and turn them into fried fur.  But they seemed to make Devi happy and there was something about the smiling child that wanted to make him smile too.

He was caught a little off guard by the kiss, but he sighed once it was over and looked at the little demon child.  "I guess I can stay.  Looking for the shard has me all worn out anyway."  He laughed and looked at Devi.  "Why are you making that face, Devi?  Do you want a kiss too?  C'mere!  Give daddy a kiss!"  And he lunged for the poor child.