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Post by Basil on Aug 8, 2010 22:20:28 GMT 7
Selena stepped in. She stared. She never knew that Vergil had that many law books around. She picked one up and flipped through it. It was very detailed. He seemed to be reading through the most up-to-date version. She placed hers down and looked for something that was a little more current.
"Any luck so far?" She asked absentmindedly.
She picked up another book. This one was published two years ago. She started scanning through the contents page. She flipped to the relevant page and began reading. She hadn't even finished half the page when she heard a loud knock. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Dion gave her a mental shout. She winced as her head throbbed.
"Oh great, that owl is here."
She bent down and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I'll set her up in the living room. Meet you there?"
She left the room and closed the door softly behind her. She walked to the front door. Dion was still banging on it. She could see the door shuddering. She pursed her lips.
"Coming!" She yelled as she rested her hand on the doorknob.
~+~+~+~+~+~
Eva squirmed some more. It was weird that Uncle Dante refused to answer. She didn't like the look on his face either. She turned to look at Gus. She raised an eyebrow as she tried to catch her elder brother's attention.
"Can you read his thoughts?" She thought.
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Post by Rae on Aug 8, 2010 22:29:50 GMT 7
"A little," Vergil confessed, giving up on complete sentences in favor of talking faster. He didn't look up from his book as Selena left. A grimsmirk came to his lips. It looked like he'd have to hope for the best. The man pushed his hair out of his face and took a deep breath. He went and set Yamato in his bedroom, not wanting to 'accidentally' slice Dion up with it.
---
Gus shook his head in response to Eva. He never tried to read his parents or uncle's thoughts before. They'd probably be upset about it. Sure, he'd see little things every once in a while, but it wasn't on purpose.
After they'd passed the town, Dante pulled over and turned around. He looked at the triplets for a long time.
"Dion's-trying-to-make-your-mom-put-you-up-for-adoption," Dante admitted in a single breath.
Atty stared blankly at him as Gus' look of confusion turned to a scowl.
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Post by Basil on Aug 8, 2010 22:41:11 GMT 7
Selena lead Dion to the living room. She excused herself as she went to get some refreshments. She smiled as she passed Vergil in the hall. She went back into the kitchen. She spotted the kettle Erin was using earlier. She touched the sides. It was still hot. She smiled. It'll be nice to have a cup of tea. She took down the teapot and made some of Vergil's favorite tea. She set three cups onto the tray and began preparing a plate of biscuits. She eyed the dead voles gingerly. She better take that into the living room first.
She bent down and lifted up the barrel. She went back to the living room and placed it down beside the chair in which Dion was sitting, rather uncomfortably, in.
"I'll be back with the tea." She gave Vergil and small nod. She smiled nervously as she left the room again. Dion seemed impatient to start. She hoped the two of them will be okay. No, she trusted Vergil more than that.
~+~+~+~+~
Dion raised an eyebrow as she helped herself to one of the voles. "And how are you related to Selena?"
She had seen Eva once or twice. She had to admit that the girl looked more like her father than her mother. She bit off the head of the vole and chewed. It was nice and bloody. She tried her best not to have blood spluttering everywhere. She might not like Selena, but she still a guest, so she had to behave accordingly.
~+~+~+~+~
Eva blinked. She was as lost as Atty was. What was Dion doing to Mommy? It sounded like a game of sorts, but it can't be if Uncle Dante looked that serious.
"What's adoll-tion?" She asked as she tried to pronounce the word carefully.
She felt Tomtom squirm a little. She let go slightly. She still continued holding on to it. She didn't want it to fly out of the car.
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Post by Rae on Aug 8, 2010 23:01:09 GMT 7
Vergil eyed Dion with polite indifference, not able to muster the tiny smile he'd given to Selena.
"I don't believe that's any of your concern," he said calmly. He hated when people thought that they were entitled to know things about him.
---
"Eh...." Dante hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. This was awkward. "Adoption is...when people give up their kids to other people and never see 'em again."
He frowned and added, "Look, guys...we're hiding ya for a little while, okay? Like...like hide and seek. If Dion finds you...we all lose, got it?"
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Post by Basil on Aug 8, 2010 23:12:31 GMT 7
"Not married, I see."
Dion commented as she replaced the half eaten vole into the barrel and taking out a form. She began filling it up. She scribbled something down onto it. She tsked. She could sense that the man wasn't pleased to have her around. She couldn't resist ruffling his feathers. "Having children out of wedlock is very irresponsible. That's why we have to make sure the children are well taken care of."
"And how does that concern us?" Selena asked coolly. "I didn't think that the government was that backwards."
She placed the tray on the table a little more forcefully than she liked. The cover fell off the teapot. Luckily, it didn't shatter when it landed on the tray. Instead, it rolled round the tray and rested beside one of the teacups.
She went over and sat next to Vergil. She refused to say anything else least she incriminate herself. Dion clearly persuaded the agent in-charge of their case to let her do the initial assessment. Knowing the owl, her evaluation definitely carries some weight. She clenched her fists slightly. It wasn't fair.
Dion turned to Vergil. "I'd like to ask you some question. I don't think Selena is ready to answer any yet."
~+~+~+~+~+~
Eva sat up and tilted her head to the right. Her hair brushed lightly against Gus' cheek. She jerked back and hastily apologized. She turned back to her Uncle.
"But... are Grandma and Grandpa playing too?"
She couldn't find the right words at the moment. She was puzzled. Why were so many adults involved if they were just playing hide-and-seek? Was a new game? It sounded so hard. She slumped back and kicked her legs moodily. She hated it when she can't understand what was going on. She hoped Gus will explain everything.
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Post by Rae on Aug 8, 2010 23:25:38 GMT 7
Vergil cocked an eyebrow. "Pardon my asking, but how, exactly, do you know we're not married? Or, perhaps, engaged? Your assuptions are based on your own ignorance and impotence, and, as such, hold no weight. How can you ask questions when you don't fully understand what and who you are asking?"
The half-demon stopped himself from continuing. This wasn't winning him any points but he didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to put the owl in it's place.
For a brief second, his thoughts led to the ring in his pocket. Vergil mentally shook himself. Now, was not the time.
---
Dante hesitated, not sure what to say. The confused look Atty was sending him and the accusing stare he felt from Gus were distracting.
"They're on our side," he muttered, turning back around and starting the car again. "I'll...uh...explain everything better later."
As they drove off, Gus thought to the other two, Dion's trying to take us away from mother and father. Uncle Dante's hiding us at Grandma and Grandpa's house so that Dion can't find us. Understand?
Gus thought about how huge their grandparent's house was. Surely it would be easy to keep them safe there.
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Post by Basil on Aug 8, 2010 23:44:08 GMT 7
Dion clucked her tongue impatiently. Was everyone that ignorant? Of course, she knew Selena wasn’t married. Things like this have to be properly registered and updated. There was no record of her even being engaged. She was starting to doubt his intelligence. Such a pity, he sounded very well-read too. She had glanced through his file before she came over. She had to pretend she didn’t know him because she never spoke to him personally. She was only being polite.
“Everything is recorded over here, especially when it concerns Muses. We take the Muse status very seriously here in the realm.”
She placed the form down on the table so that both Selena and Vergil had a clear view of what she had written so far. She took a sip from her cup. She was surprised that it wasn’t poisoned. Actually, it wasn’t. Selena had poured a cup for her lover from the same pot as well. She could see the look on Selena’s face. She was secretly pleased. Now at least, she had the power over them. She had every right to take the children away if she felt that both of them were unsuitable parents.
“So, I take you two don’t want to continue our little interview? I’m sure my friend working on your case will not be very pleased to hear how uncooperative you have been.”
She was about to get up when Selena spoke up. She noticed that the girl was trying her best not to sneer. It was funny watching how the girl trying to remain as civil as possible.
“Dion, we never said we didn’t want to continue.” Selena said as she smiled a little too brightly. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? I’m sure the rest of the interview will proceed smoothly.”
~+~+~+~+~+~
Eva nodded. She stopped kicking as she thought about what Gus said. No wonder Uncle Dante looked so serious. She was happy that he cared so much about all of them. She smiled a little as she snuggled closer to Tomtom. She rubbed her nose against the back of its head. She didn’t want to ask anymore question for now. She could sense that Uncle Dante was stressed enough.
“Gus, you okay?”
She sounded timid. She knew her brother would be able to pick up her thoughts even when she wasn’t trying. She was more worried about Gus than Uncle Dante. Gus was scarier when he was in this mood. She hoped he won’t tell her to leave him alone. She hated it when people push her away.
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Post by Rae on Aug 9, 2010 0:07:21 GMT 7
"I'm sure you do," Vergil retorted, the double meaning even more evident as he chuckled darkly. He highly doubted they had all the information. After all, last week when he checked his file, there hadn't been anything reported on him since his 'disappearance' a year or so ago. "However...you should note that we are engaged."
He continued to watch Dion, not trusting himself to look over at Selena. He was a little worried that she'd be mad at him for not asking first.
"You were going to ask us something?"
---
Gus shook his head and pulled her close. Atty was attempting to doze. Go to sleep, he thought comfortingly, thinking sleep would be nice. They'd missed nap time, after all.
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Post by Basil on Aug 9, 2010 0:38:05 GMT 7
Selena felt her face heating up. She was so happy. She wanted to hug him tightly! Was Vergil actually proposing to her? She took a deep breath and simply nodded. She didn't dare look up yet. She might give them away. It would be bad. She smiled a little. The look of incredulity on Dion's face was worth all the stress she had the entire day. She heard the owl clear her throat.
"Well, that's new. I'll be sure to inform the proper authorities about your unexpected engagement."
Dion picked up the form and looked through it again. She didn't want to admit that if Vergil and Selena were really intending to wed, she didn't have a strong case against them. She hoped the two of them didn't know that beforehand. She better leave as soon as possible. She didn't want to give them too many helpful hints. Knowing Selena, she'll definitely far too many mistakes for her to pass the evaluation.
"I realized it's getting late. Perhaps it'll be easier if both of you were to fill in these forms and sign here."
She indicated the relevant places for them to sign. "Another colleague of mine will be coming down to check on the triplets regularly for the next six months or so. She'll decide if they are indeed well taken care of."
She wasn't quite done yet. She was still waiting for them to make a mistake and pounce on them. She was seething that she had been bested by a half-demon. She wouldn't normal hold it against him, but unfortunately, he was Selena's husband-to-be. That definitely put him in her bad books.
She didn't know if she should pity their children or despise them. She had every right to judge since he did intend to wed someone from her world. She knew that if Vergil was engaged to someone else, she would be perfectly fine with it even if that woman was of another race.
~+~+~+~+~
Eva smiled as she rested her head against Gus' shoulder. Her eyelids dropped slightly. She reached out and stifled her yawn. She watched as the scenery sped pass.
"Wake me up when we get there..."
She nodded off to sleep shortly after that. She wasn't aware that Tomtom was trying to wiggle out of her grasp. She never knew that Uncle Dante's car was this comfortable.
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Post by Rae on Aug 9, 2010 4:45:07 GMT 7
Vergil didn't take the forms. He didn't even look at them. His eyes were fixed on Dion's and he was surprised that some of his inner devil seemed to be breaking free. He could practically feel it in the air.
"I do hope you realize that without lawful consent, and parental consent, your colleague has no grounds to assess us," the man said, making it clear that he would never give consent.
---
Gus nodded, his eyelids feeling heavy.
Dante turned the radio on low, feeling bored. He hated car trips, they always made him anxious...especially when the trip was because he was running from something.
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Post by Basil on Aug 9, 2010 16:52:45 GMT 7
Dion glared at Vergil. He had a point. If neither he nor Selena were to agree to let her colleague check on the triplets, she'll have to prove that they have been abusing their children. She wasn't sure that was possible. As far as she could tell, the children seemed well taken care of. There had to be something.
She crossed her wings. "Well, how sure are you that people haven't been complaining about the two of you?"
Selena's face hardened. Her eyes flashed angrily. "Whom, may I ask?"
"A friend of yours. He hinted that he'll be more than happy to adopt the triplets if you didn't want them."
Selena sat back. She didn't know if Dion was bluffing. She wanted to believe the old owl was. She was deep in thought. There was only one way to find out. She had to contact Bartho or Rucran. It was a pity they'll only talk to Qwertel.
~+~+~+~+~
Eva shifted about uncomfortable. She was feeling jumpier than usual. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Tomtom was fast asleep on floor of the convertible. "Uncle Dante, are we there yet?"
She yawned. "I really need to go."
She squirmed a bit more. She felt like she was bursting. This was one of the reasons why she hated long car rides.
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Post by Rae on Aug 9, 2010 17:36:57 GMT 7
"On what grounds are they complaining?" Vergil inquired irritatedly.
-----
Gus and Atty were sound asleep. Gus was laying on Atty, who was leaning on the car door and had his legs on his brother's lap.
Dante scowled. He really didn't want his neice to go to the bathroom in his car. The devil hunter picked up speed. "Five minutes."
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Post by Basil on Aug 9, 2010 17:52:28 GMT 7
Dion smirked. "They said that both of you were negligent. I have no evidence of that, but I do have evidence of their so-called mother leaving them for an extended period of time."
She knew she was pushing it, but should they show any violent tendencies, it'll help to bolster her report as well. She bent over to pick up the forms when Selena snatched them off the table. She glared at the girl. She reached over to pry them out of her grasp, but Selena kept them out of reach.
"I haven't looked through them yet." Selena reminded her.
"You wanted me to look through them, so I will."
~+~+~+~+~+~
Eva nodded. "Okay."
She bit her lip and leaned back. She tried her best not to think of water or going to the bathroom. She squirmed uneasily. She kicked Tomtom and the poor tonberry curled up.
"Sorry Tomtom," she said softly.
She hoped Atty won't tackle her later. It'll be embarrassing. Keeping it in was hard! She began fidgeting with her skirt. She started crumpling the lace on the edge of her dress.
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Post by Rae on Aug 9, 2010 20:34:33 GMT 7
Dante pulled up outside his parent's house, leaned back, and unlocked the door for Eva. He turned off his baby and dragged himself out of the car to get the boys out. He really wasn't ready to see his dad.
The devil hunter thought back to the phone calls he'd made while the triplets were sleeping. He knew his mother had gotten hers. But had Nero?
---
Vergil bristled. Negligence? How were they negligent if they rarely let the kids out of their sight? His body went cold. Well...today had been a different story, hadn't it? Before Vergil could protest, the door banged open.
"Sh*t!" a young voice exclaimed. Vergil caught sight of white hair and a deep blue coat before Nero was hidden from veiw by a small pack of chimera seeds. One launched itself at Dion.
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Post by Basil on Aug 9, 2010 21:06:04 GMT 7
“Thank you, Uncle Dante.”
Eva jumped down and ran in. She didn’t even stop to say sorry to Tomtom. She bet it was painful to have someone step on you like that. She smiled apologetically as she whizzed pass her grandparents. She wasn’t sure if both were there. She assumed they were. Mommy would scold her for being so rude. She gulped. She turned her head around and yelled blindly as she ran down the corridor.
“Sorry Grandpa, sorry Grandma! I need to go.”
She didn’t want to wet herself. This would be so embarrassing. She pushed opened the toilet door and ran in. She closed the door after her and locked it. She breathed a sigh of relief. Finally!
~+~+~+~+~+~
Dion’s smirk deepened as she looked at his tense form. She wondered why he was so offensive. Only the guilty will be offended. She debated whether she should try probing his mind. It won't be easy though. He seemed like the type to guard his thoughts carefully. Slowly, she reached into his mind. However, she realized she wasn't able to probe any further.
She withdrew. She knew with effort she could bring down that "mental shield", but she didn't want to try. Selena would use it as an excuse to retaliate. She knew the girl was waiting for the opportunity to do so.
Selena stood up. Her hand griped her tea cup tightly. Her eyes were blazing. She was tempted to splash the remains of her cup all over that obnoxious owl. How dare she pass judgment like that? She had enough of her insults.
Both of them turned when they heard Nero. Dion, who was sitting closest to Nero, immediately pulled up one of her wings to shield her face. The seeds fell all over the place. She could feel one hitting her. She assumed that it had fallen onto the floor like the rest.
“Well, what’s the meaning of this?” The owl demanded.
Dion tried her best to ignore the itch that seemed to be spreading down the length of her wing. It was irritating her even more. She could feel her blood pressure rising rapidly. This entire household was mad! She flapped her wings about. She grabbed Nero by his collar with her right talons.
“Don’t you have any manners at all?”
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