An hour or two after the still-early spring sunset, there's a vampire throwing pebbles at the treehouse. They bounce off the side with minute ticks. Tristan has thrown two or three already, in a desultory manner, and now pauses to peer around for signs of life.

There are signs of life within the treehouse. A shadow moves across the window, wavering in a candle's dim glow. Then a head peeks out, and a feminine (if someone bluntly toned) voice asks, "What." That isn't Ren. Whoever it is, she can't seem to see very well out into the darkness. Tristan might recognize her as the boy at the diner, possibly. "Is that you, Dippity?" she asks. "Use the rope like normal folk, dumbass."

Tristan poings, for all the world like a startled cat, sending up a brief spray of icy pebbles. Turning wide gleaming eyes up to the window, he demands, "Who th'dawn're you?"

This is met with a silence that, despite its lack of depth and form, still manages to come off as sardonic. "You ain't Dumbass," she points out, eventually. "Who're you?" A pause, then, "Yeah yeah, you asked me first. M'name's Aurelia. Can I help you?"

From toward the road, cheerful humming begins to interrupt the proceedings. Serendipity comes into view, carrying a rather large fabric bundle in one arm, and breaks into a brilliant grin as his eyes make out the form lurking beneath his home. "Tristan!" he exclaims brightly, trotting over rather more quickly, "You're not eaten or anything!"

Tristan eyes Aurelia's head with deep trepidation. "Tristan. Ren fuckin' you or somethin?" He spins around, though, when Ren calls his name. "Hey! Hey man you got a bird in your nest, thought you oughta know."

Aurelia's eyes narrow, and as Tristan spins around to face Ren, Aurelia gives him some nice murderous dagger-looks. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she says darkly. Then, toward Ren, "Dumbass, you got a shithead beneath your nest. Thought you oughta know. Should I fly off so you two can pack fudge, or what?"

Serendipity looks unaccountably delighted. Freak. He tosses his free arm around Tristan in a companionable hug, and attempts to steal a kiss from him before calling up to the Corax, grinning, "Nah, vampires don't do sex." Glancing back to the vampire in question he adds, loud enough for both parties to hear, "...neither do Aurelias. More's the pity, but what can ya do? C'mon up, been lookin' for you for ages," he invites, and looks upward again, "...and you stay there. I got somethin' for ya. Plus, how often do I get t' be with both my favourite people at the same time, yeah?"

Tristan bursts out laughing, and flashes a grin at Ren as he approaches. "She's cute," he says to Ren, as he thumps the Kin's back. "Y'keeping her?"

Aurelia snorts, withdrawing back into the treehouse proper, though her voice can still be heard. "With the way you men sweetalk a girl, it's a wonder I ain't swooning all over." Then, louder still, she calls out, "Ain't no one keepin' me, boy. You keep a civil tongue in your head."

"Isn't she?" Ren agrees cheerfully. No comment on the keeping issue, certainly nothing Aurelia could hear. The playful wink he gives Tristan =could= be considered one by some... He bows theatrically, gesturing to the rope upward. "After you, mon frere."

Tristan goes up the rope as nimble as a spider, rolling through the trapdoor and springing to his feet once inside. "Kinda more crowded in here than it used to be," he observes, and grins a grin full of beautiful straight white teeth at Aurelia. "No worries, sweetheart, I ain't interested in whatcha got between your skinny thighs."

Aurelia draws away from the trap door, settling into her nest of blankets, cross-legged and with a mug of tea clutched in her hands. Tristan receives a bland look as she says, "And here I was all aflutter. You always this much of a charmer, or should I feel all special?"

Serendipity follows up, tumbling in with the bundle held closely, and closes the door behind them, pulling up the rope. "Both," he suggests cheerfully, and drops into his section of the blankets, patting a spot next to him kept free for the vampire to sit. The bundle, he passes over toward Aurelia. "Here... thought maybe you could do with these," he remarks, shifting to get comfortable.

Tristan drops to his haunches, squatting comfortably with his arms folded over the tops of his knees. It looks reasonable until you try to actually do it. "Uh, so," he addresses Ren, "sorry I'm like a shithead n stuff, but, you know, I'm a fucking flake. I ain't fit fer human company an' that's a fact."

Aurelia takes the bundle with unabashed greed. Vampire and kin are promptly ignored while she unwraps whatever it is. Stuff! For her! This trumps just about everything, up to and including the impending end of the world. Not that she's materialistic or anything.

"'sa'ight, we're not completely human anyway," Ren points out, leaning sideways to give Tristan a nudge with his shoulder, and then just plain leaning against him. "So what happened? Looked 'most everywhere." The bundle, untied, turns out to be mostly clothes. Girls' clothes, though -- there are a few pretty shirts, a couple pairs of pants, some tights, two dresses, and a pair of only slightly worn leather boots with flowers embroidered along their sides. There's several ribbons, and a little leather pouch that clinks and is enticingly lumpy.

Tristan shrugs, and sidles a very little away from being leaned on. "Stupid shit. Met Miki's brother. He's a piece a work. Don't really wanna talk about it." He eyes the gift, and Aurelia, and then Ren, with a look that nearly audibly wonders why Ren is giving this skinny foulmouthed urchin such presents if he's NOT fucking her.

Aurelia's eyes light up, figuratively, as she uncovers the treasures. "Oh, Ren," she coos, drawing out each garment and holding it up to admire, then laying it against her to estimate the look of it. "Sweetie, I love these." The ribbons get special consideration, and she takes each one in turn to touch and hold up to the light. "I'm gonna play you a song tonight, if you like. And fix you somethin' good to eat. Thank you so much, angel-pie." She did, in fact, just call Ren 'angel-pie.' Lastly, but not leastly, the clinking pouch gets taken up and peeked into. She looks like a kid at Christmas in her utter delight.

Serendipity lets Tristan pull away, giving him an appraising and somewhat concerned look. "Yeah?" he asks, the intonation implying that he might -- might -- let it go for now, but will be prying later, dammit. If the edging away upset him any, there isn't really time to tell -- Aurelia's reaction makes him grin a little, pleased with himself. "Thought you'd like 'em," he replies, satisfied. The pouch, it turns out, contains a strange assortment of costume jewelry -- a few little rings, several earrings (all but one pierced, and not all in pairs), two silver necklaces with pendants, and a silver charm bracelet heavy with little charms. Girly stuff.

Tristan smirks, as Aurelia coos. The smirk draws slowly out into a snicker, then a series of them, and then he's giggling away, unable to help it. "Aw shit, ain't that cute! Oh man, you really like the crazies, don'tcha, Ren? You really oughta try making friends with someone normal one a these days." He grins at Ren and bumps him with his bony shoulder, although still no leaning is in the offing.

Aurelia goes from wide-eyed delight to giving Tristan a murderous look. It isn't even one of those fiery, angry ones. It's cold. Real cold. Like the kind that says 'I know you gotta sleep sometime' all over it. Then, with a deliberate air of primness, she dons the necklaces and rings, the bracelet, and the one unpierced earring as she says, "I'm gonna get holes put in my ears for the rest of these," to Ren. "And then I'm going to put your friend in a box and drill holes in it, then stick it somewhere out in the sun."

Serendipity grins with that silly apparent delight again. "Yeah," he replies innocently to Tristan, returning the shoulder bump, "but I don't like normal people so much. I like =you= guys." He fixes Aurelia with a stern look. "And no puttin' Tristan's unlife in danger. I don't have time t' run around puttin' dark-cloths over boxes alla time."

Tristan hunkers down a little further, grinning. "I haven't had my life so charmingly threatened inna long time. I'm just givin' you a ration of shit," he tells Aurelia. "Don't mind me, nobody does."

Aurelia glances to Ren, all mildness and calm as she replies, "Now, that's up to him, ain't it." Her tone is polite though. He did give her sparklies after all. Then, her attention turns to Tristan, and she studies him for a moment before replying, "I ain't got nothin' against you. Just don't dish out anything you ain't prepared to take back, boy."

"Well," Ren points out, "I wouldn't let him bitecha without your permission, either. 'cept I know he wouldn't, 'cause he's big on not doin' that kinda thing. Anyway. 's good t' see you two gettin' along." If there's any irony meant in there, he hides it pretty well. "...I had this thought, see."

Tristan blinks amiably at Aurelia, nodding as if she was saying the most perfectly reasonable things in the world. He looks at Ren, cocking his head. "Yeah?"

Aurelia takes the blink and nod for an acceptable answer, then eyes Ren suspiciously. "You had a thought?" she asks. "Was someone there to administer first aid? You doin' okay? Feelin' dizzy? Was there smoke rollin' out your ears?" She has a gift for mingling sarcasm and a feint of genuine concern.

Serendipity regards Aurelia earnestly. "Well, I did feel kinda lightheaded at first, but it passed," he replies, and couldn't sound ditzier if he tried. Which he probably is, since it's gone when he continues, "...anyway. I was thinkin', which usually causes other people more trouble'n it causes me, when I'm doin' it right, but what I was thinkin' was, Justin 'n' Danny 'n' Bryce have their kumi here, yeah? They got that kinda family thing goin' on, takin' care of each other and doin' stuff as a group and all, and sometimes, it seems kinda nice. So I thought, y'know, you guys're my favourite people I've known since, pretty much since I left home, 'n I'd trust botha you with my life 'n' myself with eithera yours, and damned if I know how long anya us are gonna be stayin' here, but long's we are... you guys wanna make us a kumi too?" Being that close to serious that long must be a strain. He actually looks a little nervous.

Tristan shoots Aurelia a dryly amused sideways glance. "What was that about not dishin out what y'can't take?" Listening to Ren makes him go still. Very still. Then he's in motion, rocketing to his feet. "No /way/," he snaps, and although he might sound angry, he looks terrified. "It'll get you both /killed/, I fucking mean it, you try to bond yourself to me you'll wind up /dead/." He flattens himself against the wall, hands splayed. He'd dearly love to dive down the trap door, it seems, except it's blocked. So much for his usual vanishing act.

Aurelia regards Ren like he'd just grown another head. On his shoulders, even. She doesn't say anything at first, and before she gets around to it, Tristan is on his feet, and her attention snaps to him lightning quick and immediately curious. "Why?" she asks. "What's after ya? Or are you afraid yer gonna get hungry and make a midnight snack out of us?" She doesn't sound particularly worried about that prospect, in any case.

Serendipity shifts slightly -- just enough to be seriously blocking the trapdoor, and studies Tristan for a moment. "...thought y'might say that," he replies quietly. "Only, see, we already promised each other we weren't gonna let ourselves end up dead anytime soon, remember? =Or= each other, an' I'm not goin' back on that whether you say yes or not. So you might as well at least think about it before you say no way."

Tristan attempts to press himself into the wall. He stares at Ren, his eyes huge and flat gray. No reply is forthcoming from him, not yet at least.

Aurelia sighs, not doing well (nor making much of an effort) to disguise her impatience. Toward Ren, she says wryly, "You know how to pick 'em. He's got a point though, Ren. You don't know what might come if you take up with trouble-makers. You ever think to wonder why I ain't at home with everyone and everything I love? Why I been running for so long?" She shrugs, crawling out of her nest toward a flask nestled amidst a stack of folded laundry on the floor. "I know you like trouble, but there's some trouble that ain't fun, and ain't none of us any good in a fight near as I can see. You're not a fighter, dead-boy here's scared of his own shadow, and I ain't exactly warrior material." She pauses, then adds, "In this world."

Serendipity crosses his arms loosely across his chest. "I ain't dead yet," he points out, "...and neither are either of you. You plannin' to keep running forever?" That question's aimed more at Aurelia than Tristan, but the other is equally to them both, "Your pasts catch up with you, you wanna be facin' it all alone? Better that way? And damned if I'm gonna just let anyone hurt eithera you, either way. So." He shrugs, glances away at the blanket-covered screen, then to each of them.

"I'm fuckin immortal, you bet your ass I'll keep running forever," Tristan spits. "Facin it alone is a lot better than taking people down with you. Oh believe me it is." A violent tremor seizes him, making him shudder all over, then go still again. "Lemme out. Lemme out I'm gonna fuckin lose it."

Aurelia eyes Tristan sharply. "Deal with it," she says cooly. "Sit down, and... well, I guess taking a deep breath ain't gonna help, but there ain't nothin' here gonna hurt you, so cool it." Oddly enough, her tone isn't at all vicious. Commanding, yes, but there's no threat in it, no 'do this or else' undertone. The flask is liberated, and she takes it back to her nest, sitting cross-legged again. The flask is uncapped and sipped from, a shudder courses through her, and she caps it again. "I ain't running anymore," she replies belatedly. "I ran because they said run." She looks at Ren, and briefly, just briefly, something akin to pain breaks through the surface of her normally placid features. "First time I ever met my pa. He told me to go away and draw off the attackers. They was gonna try to summon up some wolves, but I never heard back. It ain't like I wanted to go. But I did, and then I just kept goin' and you know what I've learned? That if that's how you're gonna live, you might as well die. So I ain't runnin' anymore." She shrugs, tossing the flask toward Ren as she continues, "And if you wanna get mixed up in all that, then I know I can't stop you, but you might as well at least know what it is you're gettin' into. Life ain't meant to be lived alone, and I'm tired of it."

Serendipity watches Tristan silently for a couple seconds. "...and facin' it alone's better'n facin' it with people who care 'bout you an' figuring out a way t' kick its ass, too, huh?" he asks, still quiet. It doesn't show much in his voice or face, but there's some hurt in his eyes. He accepts the flask from Aurelia without looking away from the vampire, and stands, keeping his eyes on him as he very deliberately takes two steps, off of the trapdoor, and then sits again, closer to Aurelia.

Tristan stares back at Ren. His eyes are unreadable, veiled with lunacy. "Caring about me is the worst mistake anybody ever made." The trapdoor slams open and he's through it like a shot. There's a crunch as he hits the icy lakeshore.

Aurelia watches Tristan, and she sighs again. "Was I ever that fucked up?" she muses, mostly to herself, and she scoots closer to Ren. "It ain't your fault, sweet-pea. Some folks is just messed up, and they gotta work it out on their own before they'll ever be able to work it out with anyone else."

Serendipity looks away from the open trapdoor, down at the flask in his hands. "...fuck," he says, even softer, gaze fixed on it, and undoes the lid, taking a small, slow sip. "...shouldn'ta asked. Shoulda known better." His breath goes unnaturally calm and even, the way no one's does without conscious control.

Aurelia scoots closer, the better to put an arm around Ren's shoulders and give him a squeeze. "You want to go after him?" she asks quietly. "You want me to fly out and see he doesn't get in any trouble?" She gives him another semi-hug, more intently this time. "Of course you should'a asked, Ren. How the hell else is he ever gonna get it in his head that he's bein' an idiot if you don't keep at him, gettin' him to see? Sometimes you plant the seed, then you gotta give it time to grow." She pauses, then adds with a crooked smile, "Besides, I'd be in your kumi. We can be the kumi of people no one else wanted."

Serendipity leans into the first hug without looking up -- he's tense, and still breathing wrong. The second, he twists a little, and rests his head on the Corax's shoulder, face just against the fabric. The last comment drags a small, sudden laugh from him, and he wraps his arms around her waist for a moment, long enough to give her a return squeeze. "Yeah?" he asks, muffled a bit, ".....a'ight, then. You 'n' me. An' maybe whoever else we decide later." He exhales, long and slow and just a little shaky, and stays where he is, but he certainly wouldn't be =crying= or anything. Everyone knows coyotes don't cry.

Of course they don't! Aurelia turns about so that she can put both her arms around Ren, stroking his hair as she holds him to her, letting him rest against her shoulder without a fuss. "Just you and me," she echoes quietly, resting her cheek against his head. "And if your friend ever stops bein' skittish, maybe... I dunno. He's scared, sweetheart. I know what that kind of scared can do to someone. You know, when you worry so much about losing someone you don't dare have 'em in the first place?" Her voice catches a little, but she sounds calm, soothing.

Serendipity is quiet for a while, then takes another long, slow breath, this one smoother, and squeezes Aurelia again, quite tight. "...lose everyone, eventually," he replies, "'specially if you're mostly immortal, I guess. But. Not bein' willing to have anyone in the first place... that's like choosin' t' lose 'em all right =now=. 's like that old poem."

Aurelia pauses, fingers curled through Ren's hair, and then she sighs, shivering a little. "Sometimes it hurts too much to try," she says quietly. "It's like watching an accident coming in slow motion. You just..." Her voice catches again, and she draws away, or at least tries to, mumbling, "I should put on that tea I was gonna."

Serendipity keeps his hold for a moment, then reluctantly lets go, and lifts his head, but catches Aurelia's face in his hands as she starts to go, and kisses her forehead softly before releasing her. "...tea's always good," he replies, and half-smiles a little, weakly for him. "And maybe. But y'can't live in the future. Just like y'can't live in the past. Only place y'can live is now. Y'know? The others, one's gone and one might never get there. Better t' remember, 'n' to hope 'n' plan, but t' live anyway as well. Anyway. 's what I think," he says, pulling his knees up toward his chest and wrapping his arms loosely around his legs. His eyes are a touch pink, but there aren't any trails on his face. "...and thanks."

Aurelia tenses as Ren catches her, but as he kisses her forehead, she lets go of the tension with a quiet, shivering sigh. Her eyes flutter closed, long lashes spiking together wetly. Maybe the winter's cold has reached the treehouse, because she trembles as she draws away, once he releases her. Turning away, she hand-crawls to where the tea kettle and burner are, keeping her back to him as she fusses with them. "For what?" she asks, attempting a light tone, but her voice is raw and somewhat unsteady.

Serendipity notices the chill coming from the open trapdoor, and leans over to close it, slowly. "For-," he starts a little awkward, "...not sure. For offerin' to go watch after him. For agreeing to be in a kumi with me. For hugging me. I dunno. For bein' you. Just -- thank you." He gives her back a little smile, somewhat sheepish.

Aurelia takes an inordinately long time firing up the burner, then pouring water from a canteen into the kettle and setting it on to boil. Then she takes more time still to set up the teapot, digging out some loose leaf tea to pour into it carefully. One mustn't waste one precious leaf. "I'm just... I don't know, Ren. Just doin' what I wanted to do. You been so good to me, takin' me in when I didn't have anywhere to go. You've brought me so many nice things. You treat me like... well, a friend. More than that. You've been takin' care of me." She takes a deep breath, calming as her voice starts to waver again. "A girl oughtta have someone to look after her."

Serendipity is quiet for a moment himself, kicking off his boots, slipping out of the coat and into the nest of blankets. "I like lookin' after you," he says eventually, and adds quickly, but not quite as a correction, "...I like lookin' after people. Mostly they don't let me, but." Shrug. "'m just -- it's nice havin' you around, y'know?"

Aurelia smiles faintly, ruefully, as Ren might catch in profile. She continues to busy herself, tidying while she waits for the water to boil, looking for any little excuse not to actually look Ren in the eye. It's at least good for keeping the tree house neat. "You'll find other folks to look after," she says knowingly. "And you'll charm 'em right off their feet. But it's kinda nice, for now. I don't mind."

Serendipity looks fleetingly confused, watching her. "It's not like I hafta stop lookin' after you t' keep an eye on anyone else. I mean, I haven't stopped tryin' t' make sure Tristan's doin' okay just 'cause you came t' town, right? ...Even if he doesn't exactly make it easy..." He trails off; the night's events are still too fresh to follow that line much farther right now. "Gonna keep doin' it 'til you make me stop. 's how it generally goes anyway."

Aurelia says sardonically, "Or til you get bored. And that's okay, Ren. That's just who you are." There is more tidying done. It takes a while for the water to boil, and in the meantime, Aurelia seems intent on making the treehouse spotless. Her own area gets cleaned up, her new clothes stored away carefully, along with her jewelry, which she takes off to replace in the pouch. This is set in her satchel with care, which is in turn put into its nook at the foot of her bedroll. She's an organized little bird. "I mean... what if you needed to look after Tristan, and he went somewhere that'd take you away from me? And you had to go after him? I'd be okay. But I'd miss ya."

"I don't get bored with =people=," Ren replies, more surprised than defensive. "Not people I care 'bout, anyway. I get bored when I don't have anything t' do. When nothing needs me. 's what means it's time t' go, that or bein' chased out. Anyway. 'f I hadda go help Tristan, you could always come with me, right? Help me out. Then I could look after botha you." See how reasonable that is?

Aurelia rolls her eyes. "You ever think about sticking around long enough for when someone might need you again? Like if you go scattering little babies all over the place, who's takin' care of them, huh?" She faces him, giving him one of her telltale Looks as she tidies around him, like he were merely a lump to work around. Poor Ren. "And if you're looking after Tristan, when're you gonna have time to look after me? You see what I'm sayin'? You end up juggling too much, then something's gotta give or you're gonna drop it all anyway."

Serendipity looks more obviously confused, this time. "Their families... who else'd be? 's what families're =there= for. T'take care of each other. And they're doin' fine, last I heard. Coyote'd get me back there if it was where I was s'posta be." He sounds genuinely bewildered by her questions. "None of 'em even asked me t' stay, not like a couple other girls I knew that tried t' trap me inta stickin' with them... Anyway, I haven't been doin' such a bad job lookin' after you so far, an' I was spendin' more time tryin' to track him down than it gen'rally takes t' make sure he's a'ight and all -- it's not like it's a all the time thing."

Aurelia gives Ren an angry glower, then turns away quickly and hustles over to the teapot to fuss with it. "Why would Coyote care?" she asks bitterly. "About some girl off on her own, with no one to look after her? You think all girls got families? What if they don't? And they're all alone in the world, stuck with a baby? They can't work, cos if they do who's gonna care for that kid? And they have to find some way of making ends meet, because there's an extra mouth to feed? Course that's nothing -you- need to worry about, cos you're gone before the little brat's even born, off makin' another."

Serendipity still looks bewildered, and now a touch wounded in the mix as well. "'cause they're =his=," he replies, sounding lost. "They're kin; they're his, like me. Maybe, just maybe, onea 'em might even turn out t' be the trueblood I didn't. Maybe. Doesn't Raven watch over his? Most girls, they don't wanna have a kid, they take precautions, they drink teas and do things with herbs 'n' stuff. An' I don't gen'rally get that far away in nine months, even if I'm not in town anymore. I got-" he pauses, looking at her warily. "I got five kids, two boys 'n' three girls. Terra, Sera, Teo, Lucian, 'n' Joy. Lucian I never saw, on accounta Apollonia's father wants me dead, but he wanted that before she 'n' I even got anywhere. An' he's rich, runs the whole town, so I know they're fine anyhow. I'da heard the gossip otherwise."

Aurelia says a touch snippily, "Oh, well you bothered to learn their names. That's something." The water starts boiling, perhaps coincidentally alongside her temper. She pours from the kettle into the teapot. Then she sets the kettle aside and rummages through food packs for anything nibble-worthy. "Teas and herbs don't always work, you know. And... and maybe Coyote doesn't think watching over your kids is any fun. I mean, you don't. And besides, if Raven looked after me, do you think I'd even be here?"

Serendipity stares at Aurelia for a second. "I =love= watching over my kids," he replies in a small voice. "They're beautiful, and honest, and they c'n see everything new 'n' exciting, an' they smile like the sun comin' out... and maybe it all depends whatcha mean by fun, 'cause I c'n have fun doin' just about anything. Building somethin'. Fighting. Laundry. Tryin' t' figure things out. Coyote sends me where I'm s'posta be, and I do what needs t'be done. I gotta =mission=, remember? My people're countin' on me. 'm I s'posta be askin' the mothers t' leave their families, come with me t' do this instead, so they hafta bring the kids up without their people, just me, an' I don't even have a caravan or =my= people around or anything?" He sounds even more lost by now, and runs a hand through his hair, pulling the leather thing out. The strands fall free, pouring over his shoulders. "An' you managed t' disguise yourself as a guy 'round hundredsa sailors, keep yourself alive 'n' not too messed with for, what, seven-eight winters, 'n' end up here where people'll accept you 'n' help out 'n' all... yeah, sounds like Raven's lookin' out for you t' me."

Aurelia stops the search for food and just sits there, her back mostly turned to Ren, staring at her hands where they settle limply on her lap. For a moment, she's quiet, just breathing -- a little too quickly and too hard to pass for casual. "It ain't the same," she says shakily. "It ain't the same as havin' a home and kin. It ain't like having a family that loves ya. This... this is just better'n runnin' is all. S'better than livin' a lie."

Serendipity pushes to his knees and moves a little closer, gingerly wrapping his arms around Aurelia from behind to give her a small, sympathetic hug. "'m sorry. An' I know it ain't the same. But if you can't go home, you c'n make yourself a new family, at least? People you love 'n' care 'bout who love 'n' care 'bout you. And maybe Raven's got a reason. Watchin' out for you doesn't mean it'll all be raspberries 'n' roses, just... gettin' you where you gotta be, in one piece, t' do what you gotta do. Maybe you got somethin' to do," he suggests, rather compassionately.

Aurelia does fine right up til Ren puts his arms around her. At first, she lashes out, though she's not really in a position to hit him, so she tries to shoulder him away instead, but it's a feeble effort at best. She's not just trembling anymore, she's shaking like a leaf caught in a windstorm. As the brief, vicious burst to get away comes and goes, she just crumples, bringing her hands up to cover her face. It muffled the single wrenching sob that comes and, like a cork unstopped from a bottle, the tears just flow. Lucky Ren.

"Aw, 'relia," Ren murmurs softly, gathering the girl gently to him, pulling her into his lap like a child. He keeps his arms wrapped about her, tighter now, and ends up rocking her very slightly -- slightly enough that he may not be entirely aware of the swaying. "'m sorry, beautiful. I am."

Aurelia leans in against Ren, letting him drag her closer. She's such a light thing, and holding her makes it clear how undernourished she is, mostly skin and bones. The past few days have helped certainly, but she's still a ways from being in good shape. She doesn't say anything, being as she spends a good few minutes bawling her eyes out. The years of grief, finally given an outlet, aren't about to be stifled again. So for a time, there are no words, just quiet sobs and tears flowing until she doesn't have any left. Then she's just silent, curled up closely to Ren, shivering. When she does speak, it's in a small voice, half-muffled against his shoulder. "I just don't want to grow old and be all alone."

Serendipity tips his head, giving the girl a tender little kiss atop her head, and then leaning his gently against it while he holds her. He's quiet while she cries, with only the very occasional soothing wordless murmur, not speaking until after her remark. "You won't," he assures her, "...you won't. You'll have people, and they'll love you, an' bring you pies in the summer an' quilts when the weather gets cold. You stay here, even if you don't, anywhere you stay, it'll be okay. An'." He hesitates, then continues, "...an' you'll have me, 'kay? Even if I'm not there, you c'n send word t' me, you guys always have the network t' work that out, you c'n send word t' me, an' I'll come see you, long's I'm alive and free. 'kay? I-" another tiny hesitation, like the split second of perfect balance before gravity kicks in when one steps off a diving board, "...I promise."

Aurelia doesn't quite cheer up, but at least she calms down enough to reclaim some sense of self. The sarcastic pessimist part of herself, but at least the cynical tone is familiar as she asks glumly, "What'd you wanna hang around an ugly old woman for anyway?" Ren gets a jab in the ribs, but then she slips her arms around his waist and sighs quietly. "You really would? Why?"

Serendipity grins a little at the jab. "Well, I'll be an ugly ol' man at the time," he points out, "...or a handsome one if I age well, Coyote willin'." He gives her a little squeeze and answers more seriously, "an' because I like you. 'cause I care 'boutcha, y'know? And anyway -- we're kumi now, right?" He grins again, suddenly, a touch wider this time, "...we'll go out 'n' trip people who aren't payin' attention with our canes."

Aurelia almost smiles. So close! Her lips curve a little at the edges, then tremble and she sighs, hiding her face against Ren's chest again. "What if you find someone better'n me? Better lookin', and not such a pain in the ass, who don't care that you go off with whoever you want? What if you get tired of me?" A tremor enters her voice again, which goes quieter as she asks, "What if I become a liability, and I have to go away?"

Serendipity laughs once, softly. "Then maybe I'll care a lot 'bout her, too. Just 'cause I like chocolate, that doesn't mean I like strawberries any less, lovely. Just like I don't hafta love Terra any less just 'cause Sera an' Teo an' Lucian an' Joy turned up, an' I love them just the same as her. An' I told you -- I don't get boreda =people=. What if =you= get tireda =me=?" he asks, arching a brow slightly. "And I made you a promise. Gave you my word." Another little hug, and a pause. "What kinda liability would you become, that you'd be lettin' it run you off from where you wanna be?"

Aurelia grumbles, "Maybe if chocolate had feelings, you'd think twice about biting into it." Then she sighs and untangles from Ren, adding, "Tea's gettin' cold." Ever practical, at least in the wake of an emotional breakdown. While she deals with the tea, finding two mugs that are relatively clean, she says dully, "There was these things, came lookin' for me. They killed my granny. My pa said they'd keep comin' unless I left. That they'd hold 'em off til they realized I was gone, and by then maybe I'd have lost 'em. I... I guess I did. I thought I did. There were a few close calls, but they got further and further apart over the years. But I'll never know for sure. Just when I think they're gone, and it's been so long I start to wonder if it was ever real, that's when they get close."

Serendipity lets her go -- not exactly enthusiastically, but he certainly doesn't stop her. "What kinda things're they that your family'd send you off t' run from 'em alone like that?" he asks, not sounding wholly approving. "Anything we c'n do t' prepare against 'em, 'case they come back?"

Aurelia pours two cups of tea, then takes out a small, coveted pot of honey and a small spoon to ladel some in to each cup and stir. Something about having her hands occupied seems to calm her down immensely. "You gotta understand, Ren. My family ain't fighters. We're traders and medicine makers. We're mountain folk. Yeah, we're shifters, but we ain't like the wolves or the cougars. We don't got any way of protecting ourselves without calling on them, and sometimes they take too long to get there. As long as I stayed, we'd always be calling in the wolves. We'd have to have them there all the time, and they got other places they gotta be. If they find me here? I don't know what to do. Can the people here fight? All the time? Til there's no one on one side or the other left?"

Serendipity leans back on his elbows in the blankets, watching Aurelia fix the tea. "'fore I got here," he replies, "there useta be a Hive somewhere nearby. I don't know where, 'zactly -- they don't talk about it, that much -- but it was a big centera the Corrupter. An' they fought it, and won. Destroyed th' place. Got everything but the Alpha of the place, guy named Argent. Gotta silver arm, they said. But -- yeah, seems like the people here c'n fight, when they gotta."

Aurelia nods curtly, turning to offer Ren one of the teacups. Her features are composed again, somewhat taut, but she's doing a decent job of putting up an air of strength. If it weren't for her reddened eyes and flushed face, one might not believe she'd just broken down a moment ago. "Fair enough. Then folks can look after themselves here. Good. If they don't want the added grief, I can understand them not wanting me to stick around. It ain't terribly gracious to reward hospitality with unneeded danger."

"Sounds needed if these guys're after onea ours," Ren replies, taking the cup, "...they came lookin' for me 'n' Rex when that mage-girl kidnapped us 'n' mistook us for guinea pigs, even. 'course, I'd got it mostly handled by then, but all the same..." He trails off, expression difficult to read.

Aurelia says with a small smile that doesn't even remotely reach her eyes, "You mean somethin' to them. I ain't no one but a stranger. Maybe time'll change that, but I ain't gonna presume." She eases into a sit, legs crossed, and takes a sip of her tea with a sigh. "It ain't like they're comin' after onea yours. It ain't like that. It's got nothing to do with being one of Raven's."

Serendipity laughs once, again, but this time it's a touch sardonic. "I'm not 'zactly Mr. Popularity here, if y'hadn't noticed. Don't think they woulda noticed for another couple days if Rex hadn't been missin' too," he admits, though he doesn't sound too =terribly= put out about it. "Anyway. They like you already; they'll like ya more the longer you're here. 's got nothin' t' do with bein' Raven's, you're one of ours. At the very least you're sure's hell onea =mine=." There's an unusual fierceness behind that.

Aurelia snorts and says, "Just cos they don't bone ya don't mean they don't like ya. Think of it like this, with all the trouble you cause, if they didn't like ya, would they put up with ya?" She eyes him significantly at this statement. Then she glances away, staring at her tea with a lost, thoughtful expression. "They're nice enough, but I dunno. None of them know me. I don't know them. You learn not to get close when you know you'll be movin' on. Now that I'm not so sure... I don't know, Ren." She looks up at him, and a flicker of uncertainty threatens the composure and calm. Then she twists it into a sardonic smile. "What, even though I ain't bangin' ya?"

Serendipity ducks his head, half-grinning, and looks back up at Aurelia, partially veiled by his hair. "Yeah, even though you ain't bangin' me," he confirms, with a light imitation of her accent. "Even though you throw soggy sweaters at me when I'm doin' the wash, an' insult me in the Diner, an' keep kinda makin' me really wanna kiss you without you actually bein' available to kiss. We're friends, right? I like you. You're onea mine. And I'm not gonna be lettin' anything hurt you or chase you away if I've got anything t' say about it. A'ight?"

Aurelia arches a brow at the part about kissing. "Yeah? Well, that's good to know. Because I'm pretty sure I ain't ever gonna stop hasslin' you. A raven's gotta do what a raven's gotta do." She takes a sip of her tea, frowning thoughtfully, and she looks away from Ren again. "I like you, too. I like that you gotta good heart, even if you can't get your mind out of your pants long enough to see it. I like that, even when you coulda forced some kind of arrangement on me or left me out in the cold, you didn't. You're a real sweetheart, and... well, I ain't always sure what to make of that, but I know that I trust you."

Serendipity drinks a good deal of his tea, looking quietly pleased, and a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, well. Don't tell, I got a rep to uphold," he replies wryly, the only comment -- he's silent otherwise, sipping at the tea.

Aurelia is quiet a moment, a vague smile playing upon her lips. Then she says, "You know, if you stopped trying to bone people and gave 'em a chance to get to know you, I bet they'd fall head over heels." There's no snideness in her voice, no sign of teasing. Still, it might be a setup. She is the devil woman, after all.

"Then people'd get hurt," Ren points out, quietly. "My way, they know what they're in for... y'know? We have fun, we make each other happy for a while, and they don't hurt too much when I gotta leave town." He studies what remains of the tea, then takes another sip. "This way... people lookin' for a one true love, they mostly don't risk it on me." It's all very reasonable, but a touch melancholy. Many people might not notice; Aurelia likely knows him well enough by now.

Aurelia nods a little, studying her teacup morosely. "Yeah," she replies quietly. "It's better knowin' before your heart's broken." She sighs heavily, taking a sip, then says, "But, like with Miki. It ain't like he ain't already bangin' half the town anyway. It's just that ya come on a little strong. Even people that sleep around like to be courted at least a little."

"I do court people," Ren protests, not very strenuously. "I mean, it's not like I walk upta people and say hey, wanna?" Pause. "'least, not very often. And Miki..." He trails off. "Don't think he even notices when I try, 'less I make it obvious." He shrugs slightly, and attempts to stare off out the window, which would work a lot better if there currently =were= a window to stare out of. The blanket isn't much of a view. "Anyway, he wouldn't be..." The comment trails into nothing, and he looks as if he isn't sure he wants to have even gone that far.

Aurelia glances up curiously. "What, willing? I think the reason he pushes you away is because he's skittish. You come on like a hurricane, sugar. Scares some people, even if they would be inclined. And it ain't like he's gonna get attached. Ain't he datin' most of Haven? I'm just sayin' that if you maybe showed him that you're a sweet guy, he might be a little less twitchy."

Serendipity looks sidelong at Aurelia. "Just 'cause someone's got a buncha lovers," he replies, "doesn't mean he isn't gonna get attached to any or alla 'em. And when I've been... sweet t' him, he just... looks confused, or doesn't notice. Or steps on it." The last one's quieter; possibly his ego isn't =entirely= ironclad against rejection. "Doesn't matter that much, though. 's not the issue."

Aurelia regards Ren steadily, doing a good impression of a woman who doesn't show much emotion. "A guy like that can afford a little heartache," she says reasonably. "After you've gone, there'll be plenty more to comfort his poor wounded heart. That's the thing when you're someone everyone loves." She smiles a brittle little smile, sips from her mug, and says, "But I reckon maybe it ain't that. Maybe it's that he'd actually matter to you."

"No," Ren replies softly after a moment, studying his cup like he's trying to read the tea leaves again, "...'s that he wouldn't. Not like you mean. He'd =matter= t'me... all my friends matter t'me... but someday his brother's gonna say it's time to go, and they'll go, and whether I ever got closer t'him or not, it won't ever really matter. It's not gonna change either of our lives, not really. It's that-" he stops again, and looks like he's having some trouble finding the right words. He looks at Aurelia, then, like he's trying to gauge whether she's going to laugh at him if he continues.

Aurelia doesn't look like she's in a laughing mood. She regards Ren with that same unerring steadiness, then slowly drops her gaze to her mug, maybe trying to read the leaves, herself. "Go on," she prompts. "You wanna say it. I wanna hear it. Might as well let it happen."

Serendipity looks up toward the roof of the treehouse for a couple seconds. "...maybe I wanna say it," he grants, "but I dunno if I can make it work right. I guess..." Another pause, and then he forges ahead. "I think. Maybe. I want... someone, someones, I dunno, could be lotsa 'em or none... who... wants t' keep me. But not cage me. 'f that makes any sense. I wanna be able t' leave where I am and go where I hafta without having to leave 'em. Even if they stay behind. I wanna be able t' love someone so hard they know, an' I know, nothing can ever change it, and... same the other way. That they could love me even though I'm me. ='cause= I'm me. And Miki... he's beautiful and bright and unpredictable enough t' surprise me, but it isn't him." He looks suddenly intensely embarrassed, glancing back into his cup, then standing and pacing toward the teapot, more a release of nervous energy than really needing more tea to drink.

Aurelia sidles away, giving Ren a clear shot at the teapot, and she doesn't laugh. She watches him a moment, then moves away, careful not to spill her tea. To her nest, where she can curl into the blankets properly and still sip at her cooling mug. "So it ain't him," she says quietly, after a thoughtful moment. "There's no shame in that, Ren. No shame in knowing it and letting it be what it is." She smiles wanly, studying the floor intently. "He's beautiful, yeah. And sweet, and... I couldn't even hate him, even if he does remind me, every time I look at him, of everything I used to have and never will again. Because he's just that kind -- you can't blame him." She sighs heavily. "Ren, darlin' boy, anyone who wants to cage you? That ain't love. That's possession, and it ain't the same. I've seen love. I've seen what it can do, and how hard it can be, but how it can give you strength you never knew you could ever have. I seen love that's deep enough that no distance could weaken it, no span of time could make it fade." She hesitates, looking a touch uncertain, maybe fearing laughter herself. "When my ma found me, and she gave me to my granny to look after, her mate, my da, he went into the shadowlands to guard the nest she made for me. For thirteen years, he left behind everyone and everything, and he watched over my nest. And my ma never stopped lovin' him, and she waited. They both wanted me that much." Another spate of silence, a sip of tea, and another sigh. "Things went wrong, but that don't mean it ain't worth it. I don't think I could've gotten by without knowing that, wherever they are, they love me."

Serendipity nods slightly, at the teapot by the direction, but it's fair to assume it's meant for Aurelia. "Me, too. That my family loves me, I mean, my mom 'n' sisters and the resta the Children... even if I haven't seen 'em in six years or so. Never saw my dad at all, but I didn't 'spect to, and they're enough. More'n enough." He returns with a half-full cup, and sits again. "...'s weird. What I said t' you? 'm not sure I knew alla it beforehand..."

Aurelia shakes her head at the offer of tea, taking another drink from her mug as she nestles in more snuggly amidst the blankets and cushions. With a crooked smile, she replies, "Yeah, I didn't know most of what I said before I said it either, just now. Sometimes we don't know the most obvious truths til we stumble over 'em." She sighs again, setting her cup aside so that she can curl her arms around a pillow and stare off at the opposite wall without really focusing on it. "I try not to think about what it'd be like to have a mate."

Serendipity drains the new half-cup of tea in one long drink, and sets it aside as well, leaning to blow out the candle before he slides down into the blankets. "...yeah?" he asks, pulling a couple blankets up around her before tucking in himself.

Aurelia curls up to him so readily it might well be reflex by now. "Yeah," she says glumly. "On account of I can't see myself havin' one. Sometimes, I think the only good people on this earth are the ones I left behind me in the mountains."

Serendipity curls in just as easily, slipping his arms around her slight form. "Aw. 's not true, though. Plennya good people here. And hey... always got me, right?" He gives a little squeeeze, and a yawn that might well be half sigh.

Aurelia smiles a little, and the expression makes her look far more sad than joyful. "Yeah," she agrees quietly. There's a pause, a moment of consideration, and then she kisses his cheek and says, "I'll make breakfast, so don't worry about gettin' up early."

In the dark, Ren's smile mirrors the raven's. He tilts his head down and gives her a very light kiss on the side of the neck in return, then shifts to a comfortable position. "I'll dream of it," he replies, "...g'night, lovely."

Aurelia mumbles, "Sweet-talker," against Ren's shoulder, as if it were a bad thing, and nestles in. No more comments from the raven. Whether or not she sleeps or stares off at nothing is debatable, but she's quiet at least, and warm.