ioduanlogs | How do You Solve a Problem like Meira?

He seemed confused, but that was ok, life could be confusing. Meira stopped bouncing around and looked at him, head tipped, wondering how she might alleviate his apparent concerns over whatever he was concerned about. Pinning down these emotions could be frustrating.

I am ten years, eight months and seven days.

She continued to watch him, trying to recall how to be a proper lady.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parker. She dropped again like a bow, it was the best she could do in this form. My name is Meira, Daughter of Raphael, Bringer of Light.

Ten, and Meira. So, that was her name before she was torn apart and remade.

...Ten. Oh Christ, she really was a child. The reminder of Raphael felt like a stone dropping in his gut. She might be a Hellhound, but Meira couldn't be left without a caretaker. It wasn't right.

Devin gave a tiny, not-quite-hysterical laugh, and then a slight bow. "Nice to meet you, Meira. And Devin is fine, really. I'm not much for formalities." He paused and glanced around his apartment, wondering if he was even remotely prepared for the responsibility that Anani had just dropped in his lap. Though, to be honest, he would probably do it even without the cat's machinations.

"It's quite early," Devin continued, running through the list of things needed to take care of children. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Shock, many types of concern, perhaps some confusion. Meira took those feelings to mean that Mr. Parker had no experience with ten year olds, or he had been expecting something else. Anani chose that moment to reappear and rub against her front legs, circling under her belly and around in figure eights. She picked up a paw and he moved under it, fixing Devin with eyes briefly more intelligent than any cat should have.

It is proper to use titles when speaking with your elders, she commented, quoting her father, But if you insist.

Who cared about proper though. This was a dream, her dad wouldn't find out. Her tail started to wave again.

No, but I don't feel hungry.

"I've never cared much for titles," he said, a hint of his normal wryness returning. If they were getting really proper, then Devin would be addressed not only by 'lord' but probably something along the lines of 'vessel of death'. Good thing neither of those would be happening.

Her answer made him wonder if she was drawing on soul energy like Valdis sometimes did, but without realizing it. "You should probably eat something, even if it's small. Besides, when you are hungry, breakfast is the only thing I'm good at cooking," he told her, heading to the kitchen. Now he was struggling with whether he should be feeding a child or a foal-sized Hound-- but he supposed her canine cousins would eat just about anything.

"I'll make eggs and toast," he offered, retrieving a pan. Coffee, too, but not for her. "Make yourself at home."

Titles only have as much power as you give them.

She dropped her head to sniff her cat, but Anani had redirected his attention to Luthien, his job done, he batted one of the Inan's toys at her. Meira sat, watching the two creatures, then tipped her nose up to look at Devin.

Eggs are good. Toast is good. Michael can't cook either. He says he can, but he can't.

She cocked a hip, shifting her weight over as she looked down at her paws, considering how eggs would work without silverware. She'd just have to eat like Anani did. Her eyes drifted back to Devin.

I don't suppose you have bowls...

Having learned from their first encounter, Luthien went after the toy and then batted it back to Anani.

Devin's hands stilled, holding a container of eggs aloft, but only for a moment. "Yes, I have bowls. Don't worry," he said, and tried his best to sound gently teasing, "I won't let you starve." If Valdis remembered this in the future, she might tease him or be irritated. It was hard to tell with her sometimes. He plowed ahead anyway. "You're a fine young lady, and you'll eat like one even if you're a bit fuzzier than you might be accustomed to."

He paused while he put the eggs down and used a knife to add butter to the pan. "Michael probably just wants to take care of you. That or he, like most men, don't like to admit when we're bad at things."

A lot fuzzier, she said mournfully, staring back at her paws. Luthien's toy bounced off of one as Anani batted it at her. Meira watched it roll slightly then batted it gently at Luthien, all trace of concern gone.

Anani pounced on the toy when it passed him, intercepting it before it reached the Inan. He grabbed it in his mouth and took off toward the bedroom, leaving her to stare after him. This apartment was too small for her to run around like he did.

She flopped onto her side, rolling over to paw at the air and tucking her tail over, considering her brother.

Both, she said, I'm an empath, he can't hide from me! Though sometimes I pretend.

Luthien bounded after Anani into the bedroom and disappeared.

Given that Devin didn't know how Valdis transformed from a human to her Hellhound form, he was in no position to help Meira make that attempt. She didn't seem overly concerned, but if she was regressed like this for an extended period they might have to explore the possibility. X might have some clue.

...he should probably call X regardless. Backup was advisable.

"That's kind of you," he remarked, cutting slices of sourdough off a loaf and dropping them in the toaster. "People are used to their privacy. I'm familiar with empathy, however, so I won't ask you to hold back if you don't feel like it." He and Valdis had agreed to be honest with each other; Meira should be no different.

A short pause followed as he considered what to do about looking after her. He wasn't comfortable with her at Valdis' apartment on her own. "If you'd like, you're welcome to stay here until things sort themselves out."

She stayed upside down, watching him with those emerald green eyes as he moved about the kitchen. Being a fluffy dog surely had some advantages over being on two legs. No need for clothes, or shoes, or brushing hair. She liked clothes though. Meira sighed, flopping back to her side and stretching.

Ok. She didn't have anywhere else anyway. You are nice, no wonder Anani likes you.

At that moment, the cat tore back into the room, still carrying the toy in his mouth, paused to let Luthien almost catch up and then raced back into the bedroom.

That was easier than he thought it might be. They weren't strangers and Meira seemed to know him on some level, but that had been no guarantee of agreement. At least he'll have the opportunity to keep an eye on her.

With the toast going, Devin got started on the eggs. 'Nice' was not a term that was often applied to him. "I try to do what's right," Devin hedged. "You're on your own, aside from the cat. It's the least I can do while you're here."

What was he supposed to do with her? Depending on how long this lasted, Devin would have to do more than just feed and house her. The dynamics of caring for a child were expansive and frankly a little terrifying. "Speaking of," he continued, stirring the eggs around with a bit of milk, "what kinds of things do you like to do?"

You don't believe me. she commented, rolling to an upright down, her tone slightly teasing. People who do 'right' aren't always nice about it.

She looked past him to the bedroom, then back over her shoulder at the couch, thinking. Dogs were allowed on couches, right? Meira rose and padded over to the couch, gently maneuvering past the table and jumping up, curling up as small as she could so there was room for the nice man if he wanted to sit.

I like to read, draw, dance, go on adventures with Michael and Gabriel. Gabriel is so nice! He's Michael's friend. I don't like playing the princess so he'll do it sometimes.

Devin couldn't help but burst out laughing at the image of a young angel pretending to be a princess for his friend's sister. It was a far cry from the stiff image he held of the heavenly hosts.

"Quite a confident young man," he said with another chuckle. That was a good distraction from the concerns of child-rearing and the various problems of righteousness versus justice. ~~Bakura would have Words.~~ "Well, reading I can definitely help with." He gestured vaguely in the direction of his bookshelf with the wooden spoon being used to scramble eggs. "I work in one of the larger libraries in the city. Drawing may be a challenge, but if you'd like to explore Aifaran we can certainly do that. It's a fairly welcoming place."

...Would it be inappropriate to get her a leash?

Meira lifted her head, tipping it as he laughed, not quite sure how Gabriel playing the princess warranted such laughter. But it seemed to lighten his mood, so she scoured her memories for other fun instances that might draw a laugh.

He is nice. She quipped, jumping off the couch to go look at the bookshelf. Won't wear a dress, says women can wear whatever they want, especially princesses.

She poked one of the books with her nose, scenting it, then reared up on her hind legs to check the next shelf up, placing one paw on the shelf to balance herself as she looked. It wobbled slightly when she came back down.

Lots of books. she commented, jumping back on the couch to look out the window.

The sun was up now, casting shadows on the ground and the city started to wake.

I don't think I know this place, but I also feel like I do.

His kingdom for an angel in drag.

"Most of my free time is spent reading."

Devin took a moment to summon a reply to her last comment. He couldn't be sure if Meira learning more about her existence here would be a negative trigger, or if she would just stolidly carry on as though nothing bothered her. She definitely had not been a Hound as a child and seemed to be handling that well enough.

"This a strange world," Devin allowed. She would know if he were lying; the omission of the truth was not technically a lie, and it was done with the best intentions in mind. If Meira panicked she as much as anyone else could be in danger. "A lot of people come here from other places and live here for a while, like me. There are connections to all the places we've come from."

He retrieved bowls, and silverware for himself. "As long as you feel safe, that's what's most important. The rest of the details will sort themselves out."

Odd to be telling her that, given his own anguish of late. Seeing like this has certainly changed his perspective.

She looked over her shoulder at him, leaning away from the window to get a better look at what he was doing. She sneezed at his explanation, almost falling over, but managed to catch herself. Stupid paws...The eggs smelled good, however, so she decided to pay attention to that instead.

Why wouldn't I feel safe? Meira asked, jumping off the couch again and wandering over. She poked him in the knee with her nose before circling to the side. This place is big, yes, but not scary.

She didn't seem to want to settle anywhere. If this was a decent prediction of what she would be like going forward, Meira was going to be a handful. Not an unpleasant one, just much more than he was accustomed to. If he could take down a nest of vampires he really ought to be able to handle this, right? The nudge was surprising but not unwelcome; he and Valdis were hardly ones to express physical affection.

"Sometimes big places and big changes can be frightening, but it's good to hear it's not for you," Devin replied, glancing down at her and considering the wisdom of patting her between the ears. He turned the stove off while the eggs finished and pulled the toast out to butter it. "When I was your age, I don't think I'd have been nearly so cheerful." He smiled mirthlessly to himself. "But I'm not an especially cheerful person by default, so there is that."

Once the toast was ready, he tipped the eggs out of the pan and into the bowls, laying the toast across the edge. He carried the bowls out of the kitchen and, after a moment's thought, went to the couch. A low coffee table stood in front of it, of a height that Meira ought to be able to eat from the bowl comfortably. She might look like a Hound but she didn't have to eat off the floor. "Here. It's nothing fancy but it'll do."

This place was so big and there was so much to see and do that Meira couldn't have settled if she wanted to. She bounced back over to the couch, circling the coffee table twice before dropping to the rug and watching again. He seemed uncertain about many things, things she didn't know and couldn't see. She dropped a paw over her nose, thinking about her senses and knowledge.

Devin had no sooner set the bowl on the table when she was by his side, poking his knee and jumping back to the couch. It was springy, so jumping on and off was fun, even if it is unladylike. Meira sniffed the bowl, lipping the toast for a moment before biting into it, trying to keep the bigger piece in the bowl. The toast flipped up over her nose and she jerked her head back. Luckily it fell back into the bowl instead of on the floor. This was going to be more complicated than she thought.

The mishap in eating her toast drew another quiet laugh from Devin, but it quickly turned apologetic. He put his fork down and reached for the bread. "Let me tear that up, it'll be easier for you. Sorry. Having hands is a hard habit to break."

Devin pulled the toast into approximately bite-sized pieces for Meira and piled them at the edge of the bowl. Luthien reappeared from the bedroom and decided to sit on one of his feet, chirping. "You don't eat food," the vampire reminded his inan fondly, scratching between her ears.

He was going to have to take this minute by minute. After breakfast, he'd call X and buy supplies and meanwhile do his best to keep Meira out of too much trouble. Rather without his notice, Devin's own troubles were becoming secondary to the situation at hand.

Meira hummed happily while Devin broke the toast into smaller pieces, unconcerned by the change and her current lack of hands. She waited patiently until the man had finished, and then a moment longer to make sure he was done. She chirped at the Inan before digging into the eggs and bite sized toast bits. It didn't take long for her to gobble it all down, it wasn't as good as what Marta made, but good enough and it helped that she turned out to be hungry after all.

Anani chose this moment to saunter out of the bedroom after Luthien, still holding her toy in his mouth. He purred through it, waiting until he sat next to the Inan before dropping it. Meira stood up, balancing on the couch so she could sniff Luthien's ear.

Why doesn't she eat food?, she asked, Anani eats food.

Although he'd never owned a dog nor spent time with children, Devin was at least marginally aware that both had a tendency to scarf down their food like they were starving, especially when something more interesting was at hand. At least she ate without issue, which suggested Valdis had been eating properly of late.

Luthien's ear twitched and she turned to look at her new friend, ignoring the toy for the moment. "Her species doesn't require physical nutrition. She feeds off energy, magical energy in particular," Devin elaborated. "The person who gave her to me thought I needed something low maintenance to take care of."

Which was true. Leo had made a good choice, and someday Devin might admit that to him.

Meira's head shot up and she scrambled backwards, flipping over the arm of the couch with a startled yelp and a small crash. Anani jumped after her, mewing loudly. She sat on the floor, a very confused look in her eyes, as if she wasn't entirely sure why she had panicked, but she glanced at Luthien. The small creature didn't look like a demon, she was fluffy and Anani liked her, but she fed on energy like ones her father had spoken about when he thought she wasn't listening.

Anani purred, arching his back and rubbing against her side, but she just sat and stared at Luthien, trying to decide if something not a demon could feed off a life force. There were many stories about monsters that fed on energies, scary ones.

The sudden clatter caused Devin to tense, but he wasn't startled enough to drop his fork when Meira flipped over the arm of the couch. Luthien, on the other hand, leapt up to the back of the couch over Devin's shoulder to get away.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" She didn't look hurt, at least, and as a Hellhound she would heal instantly if she were. The cause of the fright was more important, if the Dreaming was doing something to her.

Meira's gaze switched to Devin when he spoke, wariness flitting through her eyes. Anani continued to purr, making her wonder how the cat felt so comfortable around the little creature if it was some kind of demon. She'd always thought him a smart cat, he had brought her to the nice man, and the nice man gave her no reason to be concerned about him. But his pet...did people keep demons as pets?

Demons feed off energy, she replied slowly, Off of blood and life force. My dad... she trailed off. Surely the little creature was harmless, aside from eating magical energy. Mr. Parker wouldn't keep something dangerous so close. He wouldn't let anything dangerous hurt her either. That last thought caused her to tip her head in confusion. How did she know that?

She stood up, shaking herself from head to tail. But Anani thinks she's ok, so she can't be a demon.

Well, that would definitely explain Meira's hesitation. In the back of his mind, Devin thought the description of demons was closer to vampires; it wasn't impossible for there to be crossover, of course, but Devin and Luthien were both vampires of two different kinds. The inan was much more benign than him, however.

"She's not," Devin affirms gently. "She's just an animal. Some of the native creatures of this place are quite unusual." He twisted and reached for Luthien, who only briefly clung to the fabric of the couch before being gathered into Devin's arms. "Anani has thankfully become friends with her." The two of them fighting would not be pleasant.

Meira's fright did add one more complication: Devin was essentially what her father had described. Omission of the truth was not technically a lie, but no doubt she would feel he was withholding something.

"Come here," he requested softly, getting Luthien settled in his lap. "There's something I ought to tell you."

Meira tipped her head, listening to more than just Devin's words, absorbing his minor shifts in emotions. He seemed fairly steady for someone with such a strange pet. But he wasn't worried, and Anani wasn't worried and the creature herself had been just as frightened.

She stood up when he beckoned, padding back over to him, slowly as to not startle Luthien. Now that she had gotten past her initial shock, she had few concerns about the animal.

You are safe, she replied, Something tells me that. I'm not sure what. But there is trust and care and security.

She jumped up next to him, flopping down to rest her chin on his knee next to Luthien, as if to prove she had no fear.

How do You Solve a Problem like Meira?

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