The wind and snow are making not inconsiderable noise outside, but as one gets close to the door, one might hear something inside as well -- a sort of strange, semi-rhythmic rrrrrrrrrr-click-STHWACK, with mid-sized pauses between. Opening the door reveals the source -- a smallish catapult, seemingly fashioned out of random flotsam and jetsam, and Serendipity, who's got a big bowl of slightly-melted snowballs beside him, and is apparently firing them. At least, that could be assumed from the circumstances, and the snowball that hits the doorframe just as the door swings open. "Sorry!" the Nuwisha kin exclaims a touch sheepishly, glancing up to see who's there.

There is a considerable pause, and only the wind and snow blow through the partially opened front door of the Diner, the bell tied to the handle ringing a sad and lonely tune. Rather, in fact, as if whoever had opened the door had jumped back smartly. In a little time, the space of a few seconds, the door is pushed open a little wider and Miki peeks cautiously inside. He looks rather relieved to see Ren and his silly snowball machine. He steps inside and pulls the door shut, knocking the snow off his boots on the mat while giving Ren a silently eloquent look, complete with raised eyebrows.

Serendipity brightens immediately, on seeing Miki. "Heya, gorgeous. Like I said, sorry... didn't hear anyone approach. What's a beautiful guy like you doing out on a day like this?" He pushes the bowl of balls away, and lets his hands rest lightly about the base of the catapult.

"Looking for food," replies Miki serenely. He openly eyes the piles of snow which Ren's... experiments have left about the room, then takes off his snowy cloak and hangs it up. He crosses to the refrigerator and looks inside, then sighs.

Serendipity actually has a towel handy -- he picks it up from the chair beside him -- and rises, wandering about to mop up the little puddles. No hurry. Hey, it's only water, right? "'swrong?" he asks, hearing the sigh, "Nothing to tempt your palate?"

Miki leans on the refrigerator door. "I hate winter," he complains. "There is no good food, and it is always cold. Well, except when Anderja is around. But he is so busy, and I am so bored and I want to see people in town." It isn't *quite* a whine. Miki sighs again and continues to stare into the open refrigerator, finally leaning in and pulling out a slice of pie on a plate. "I wonder what this is."

"Lemme see," Ren asks, wandering and tossing the wet towel beside the sink to dry. He holds out a hand for the plate. "I'm with you. Well, 'cept the Anderja part, since I still never met the guy. But winter, there's not nearly enough to do..."

Blinking, automatically, Miki hands the plate to Ren. His confused expression says more clearly than words, Why couldn't I just look at it, I was thinking about eating it! "Anderja is a fire-mage, he always makes things warm," he explains, a little blankly.

Serendipity eyes the slice a moment, then hands it back. "Strawberry-rhubarb. I guess the others got eaten." He leans against the nearest suitable thing, and nods slightly. "I'd guess he would. Doesn't Justin do that kinda thing too, though? 's the impression I got, anyway..."

Miki pokes at the cold pie experimentally. "Oh, Justin thinks that magic should be saved for important things, not wasted on my cold feet. When I complain about the cold, he suggests other ways of keeping warm." Miki rolls his eyes, but good-naturedly, with a touch of sly mischief.

Serendipity grins, slipping his hands down into his pockets. "Justin is a wise and lucky man," he remarks, mock-gravely. "...but poor you. So put upon."

Miki finally thinks to close the refrigerator door-- perhaps that will help a bit with being cold? He throws Ren a mock-reproving look and goes to sit on the counter, eating the pie with his fingers. "Yes, and Justin *complains* about my feet."

Serendipity laughs, staying where he is for the nonce. "Tch. Well, serves him right, doesn't it? If he's so bothered, he can heat 'em right up." He retrieves a hand from his pocket, and prods at some random geegaw on the counter.

"Yes," says Miki decisively in between bites of pie. "But he is busy too, with building things and writing things. Even Rex is always busy."

"I like Rex," Ren muses absently, toying with a few of the objects on the counter, arranging them into some sort of design. "He can really... cook. Surprised they aren't all clamouring to get you to help with stuff, really. I'd invite you t' help =me= out, 'cept I haven't got anything to be busy with myself."

"*Winter,*" Miki says disgustedly, as if this wraps up the whole situation. "I like to help, but since I can not be here all the time..." He shrugs, a little uncomfortably.

Serendipity cocks his head, curious. "You can't? Where else're you when, then? Think I've covered all the surroundings for a pretty decent distance... can't say there's much to do =there=, either..."

"Home," Miki replies, with a much smaller, careless shrug. "Where my brother and I live. It is an old church, it is many miles off."

Serendipity considers that. "...I dunno if I ran into that, or not. Maybe I'll find it and drop by, someday," he decides, and grins again, with an easy little shrug.

Miki blinks, then grins. "You did not. If you come close while I am there, I may let you in, though. Maybe. I do not know what Anderja would do, usually he wants to be undisturbed."

Serendipity blinks once, and then looks decidedly pleased. "I'll be sure to bring flowers," he replies, resting both hands on the edge of the counter behind him. "...what kind d'you like?"

Miki regards Ren with a curiously flat, hooded gaze for a moment; then, setting aside the nearly-empty plate, he searches through the pockets of his pants. After a moment, he pulls out... a few crumpled, bruised, but undeniably fresh rose petals, which he drops carelessly on the counter. "They get everywhere."

It makes Ren laugh. "There's worse things t' be infested by. So do you have really hardy winter roses around, or is this one of the magic things?"

"It is Anderja's fault," Miki says, almost cheerfully. "Plants like him, this happens everywhere."

"Not a bad talent," Ren remarks, and he's grinning again, amused. "Well. Maybe I'll try'n' find apricots, instead. Or very warm socks. I dunno." He stretches, and pushes off the counter, wandering over to Miki's side of the kitchen and claiming a spot just beside him.

"You remembered that I like apricots," Miki says a little blankly. He gives Ren a slightly puzzled, mostly measuring look. Then he adds, "But since I am here so much, then you cannot find our home, if I am not there to, to... make it possible. Since I do not think Anderja knows you."

Serendipity gives a faint, crooked little smile at Miki's look, and a tiny shrug -- not quite apologetic, but with a touch of it nonetheless. "I don't think he does. Only know him by reputation so far, myself, so. So maybe it'll take a while before I come across it, then..."

Miki awards Ren a truly exasperated look. "But I have just been explaining, you cannot find our house!"

Serendipity laughs. "You misunderstood me. I meant, 'cause if I can't find it unless you're there to make it possible, and you're not there much... it might take a while. See?" he explains.

Miki nods. "Oh, I see. Yes, it might take a while. But perhaps Anderja would be there, if this thing ever happened."

Serendipity nods back. "Then I could meet him. Gotta say, I feel like I'm missing out." Another quick grin. "I think it's kinda nice... that you guys travel together, and all. Reminds me of home sorta."

Miki gives Ren another strangely blank look, which fades into a shy smile. "Well, we are the only ones of our family left," he explains. "And so... we travel together. Our parents died when I was very little, I do not remember them. We have traveled all over since then."

"'m sorry. 'bout your parents, I mean," Ren replies. "...and the resta your family." He glances toward the window, then back to Miki. "My family, it's a little bigger'n yours, but we're still -- not the only ones left, but kinda the core of it. We travel together, too." He pauses. "Well, obviously I'm not, right now. But most of us, a lotta our lives." Another moment of consideration, and, "...I've been away about five winters now, I think. Maybe six."

Miki watches Ren, his face reflecting curiosity and a trace of sympathy. "Is it hard?" he asks. "To go away from them?" A flash of something not unlike longing in his eyes. "I mean, now you are all alone."

Serendipity thinks about it for several seconds. Then he asks, slowly, "...d'you know much about the Nuwisha?"

Miki shakes his head. "No, they are... not much known, where I was born, and now they are rare, are they not?"

Serendipity nods. "...more'n rare. Gone. We dunno where they went. We're the... no. I'm the closest thing to one left. 'cause, they were kinda hoping I'd turn out to be trueblood. What with being predicted and all." He shifts a little, getting more comfortable against the counter. "So basically, they're like me. Only more so. That's what they tell me... the truebloods've been gone since before I was born, so. Anyway. So. Yeah, I miss 'em sometimes. It gets-" He breaks off, and glances at Miki, suddenly a little wary, hesitant. "...it gets lonely sometimes. Miss being around people who understand me." Tiny, rather wry little smile, and a shrug. "But thing with Nuwisha, they're solitary. The joke is, even they can't stand to be around each other that long. So usually in their teens, they go off by themselves. And maybe I wouldn't've necessarily, being kin and all, except, I've got this mission thing. So. Yeah, I miss 'em sometimes. But Coyote'll run us into each other again when it's time to."

Miki considers this for a while, regarding Ren thoughtfully. "So, it is in your blood, to be alone." He chews a bit on his lower lip. "It is different with my family, we have always been together. We have had to, we... we fought the vampires during the Dark, and that is not something to be done alone. So... since it is only Anderja and I left, we must stay together, you see? But it is good that you see your family sometimes. It sounds... different." His voice turns wistful. "To have many."

Serendipity nods. "...yeah. It is. I haven't seen 'em since I left, but. I will. 's good you have each other, still, at least. But, y'know. Gotta make our own families where we find 'em, meanwhile. Right?"

Miki nods, perhaps a trifle perfunctorily. He collects his plate from the counter, and slides off, his feet hitting the floor with a soft thunk. "It is nice to meet someone who knows about family," he says after a moment. "Many other people here, they say, 'But why do you stay with him?' and when I say 'He is my *brother*' they do not understand." Miki shakes his head at the foolishness of the world as he heads towards the kitchen to wash his plate.

Serendipity nods a little, again. "Some people's family, they don't deserve the name or any special consideration, but that's -- that takes more'n being annoying or something. Family's gotta watch out for each other," he agrees.

Miki pauses, one hand on the kitchen door. "Family is the most important thing in the world," he says, with an unexpected intensity in his voice, and then he pushes open the door and vanishes into the kitchen.