Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

Chas had quite nearly jumped out of his skin when Charlie started yelling, which John of course found hilariously funny and had to refrain from laughing at his mate. Instead he turned to Elliott. "So inform me why exactly we nearly got run over by the Kentucky Derby fist thing in the morning?" "Well Cliff said yesterday that Jay could pick a horse and get back into the swing of riding for the competition later. At which point Rinaa decided she wanted in on racing and Nat decided there was no point in racing three of the four and volunteered as the fourth rider for this thing." "Also Ell wanted proof that these horses were amphibious so they did a beach race loop. You could practically hear 'Chariots of Fire' playing in the background." Chas added, doubting that anybody would know the piece he was referring to. "You can't just take this kinda thing at face value, I had to see it for myself."Elliott added, trying to save face on the whole matter, and failing.

As Matteo made his way past Charlie she put a hand through his hair, messing it up even more than it was already. "you do know what a hairbrush is, don't you?" She smirked, falling right back into the old rhythm of criticising Matteo hair which spent almost all of its time being an utter mess. Her own hair was neatly tied up into a ponytail. "Shut up Charlie." was Matteo's only response as he flipped his sister off before passing two of the leads to Fia, keeping the other for himself. "Fine by me."Immediately the two dogs decided to take off in completly different directions, dragging Fia behind them pretty much cartoon style.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay found it amusing how Chas jumped at Charlie's shouting, she found herself covering her mouth with her fist to stop laughing at him. She looked to Elliott when John asked him how the whole race all started so early in the morning. She listened to the explanation, finding that made sense, before chuckling at Chas' remark, knowing exactly what he was referencing. "Nice reference use" she smiled chuckling, easily seeing how it would have fitted perfectly to what herself and John briefly witnessed. Elliott may not be doing a great job at defending himself, but she did think he had a point, "to be fair, I'd want to see it myself rather than take something like that at face value" she said, attempting to have Elliott's corner in the subject matter.

Fia chuckled at Charlie ruffling his hair much to his dislike. She took the two leashes that Matteo handed her, about to start walking off when the dogs went in complete different directions, throwing Fia off instantly. "Woah!!" She exclaimed as she went dragging along the ground, suddenly realising why she was called the dog walking victim yesterday. She was determined though to get control and prove herself, just like she always was. She could Kay laughing at her as her exclaim caught Kay's attention. So she did what she only knew how, she flipped onto her feet and let her wings appear at full wingspan, jumping up to create a pull that would make it more difficult for the dogs, pulling them to halt, or at least a slow walk that would make them fall in line. She then let herself land onto the ground, her wings folding up behind her but not completely disappearing. Showing that her wings weren't just pure fire, but feathered.

Kay watched on impressed that Fia could think on her feet so well. "That's my girl" she muttered proudly.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I try and add some class to my references" Chas shrugged, half accepting the compliment, half not. He rolled his eyes at Elliott getting all defensive over his decision. "Never said it was a bad thing. If you hadn't done it, I sure as well would have." "So how amphibious is amphibious for these horses?" John asked, making his way over to where Chas and Elliott were. "Think kelpie, wild and predatory but utterly at home in the water, they looked like a part of the ocean, I swear their coats changed colour to match that of the water, but it could be my imagination. According to Cliff they're surprisingly good swimmers and divers." "Wild they come in packs and apparently fight something savage, biting and clawing. You didn't get a good look at the hooves did you?" John shook his head. "Well they've essentially got talons."

There was general laughter as the sheer pull of the dogs practically made Fia take off. As the wings came out John made an unconscious note of the differences between her wings and Kay's wings. "And this is why we love getting new people to walk the dogs." Benji smirked, practically drawling the words as he watched from the kitchen window with great amusement. "Better entertainment than what's on the television that's for sure." The dogs had a serious pull, just like the huskies of Earth. Fia's wings created drag that certainly helped force them to go in the one direction. But now that they were in unison they took the decision to isrge forwards in unison. Dragging Fia behind them wasn't easy, but they were built for this kind of job and we're used to being walked by Matteo, Benji or Cliff's parents, all of whom weighed more than Fia did. Matteo only had to deal with one dog, who was proving a handful and wanting to follow the others. Matteo didn't resist the pull, instead running with the dog, snagging his backapack and a set of fishing spears from the side of the house as he passed it.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay went with John to where Elliott and Chas were as she too was very interested in hearing more about the horses, even if she did turn round every now and then to see Fia get to grips with the dogs and their powerful pull on her. She listened to what Elliott and Chas were saying, realising that the hooves were the only thing she didn't notice about the horses. Hearing that they essentially had talons only made her need to sketch them at some point all that more great. "yeah...they're definitely being drawn at some point" she remarked. With Fia practically taking off and using her wings to create drag, she had to admit it was quite impressive how her kid used her head to get back onto her feet and come up with the idea to slow the dogs down, after her initial remark.

This was also the first proper time she saw Fia's wings fully stretched out and she noticed the differences also in her wings compared Kay's own. Fia's were brighter and had more of an ombre like Kay's hair. They honestly reminded her of her wings when she was a kid and around that age, only proving to her that Phoenix wings got darker as they grew older. "they're still growing...mine looked that bright at that age" she unconsciously informed John, noticing he too was checking out Fia's wings.

Fia got into the swing of things and began jogging behind the dogs, finding a rhythm that stopped her from tripping over her own feet, she purposely kept her wings out incase she to take use them again, she noticed Matteo grab his bag and fishing spears as he ran passed. "I'm never underestimating warnings again!" She laughed at Matteo.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Bloody hell, really?" John knew what Elliott meant when he said kelpie. John had tangled with the mythical sea creature before. There were very territorial and were often depicted with kelp for hair (hence the name). The also a had razor sharp teeth and claws for fighting with and made unusual allies. Kelpie wee humanoid, but very much the top predator, more powerful ones having an influence on other sea creatures. "That sounds both badass and terrifying at the same time." "That's essentially what they are wild. They really don't accept people and make it very ckera that they are the one in charge. These horses have been domesticated, second generation. They retain most of their wildness, but have mellowed out in terms I'd Personality and are less likely to fight to the death. Keeping them near the sea and in the sea helps to maintain the wildness that gives them their impressive speed and power. And they're incredibly judgemental, both wild or domesticated." Benji informed them, still leaning of the window od the kitchen. John blinked slightly when Kay's thoughts came through. He didn't hear them as her voice, yet he just knew that the bond was tramsitted them to him.

Matteo smirked, then laughed. It was a pretty funny sight. He knew that dogs were testing her in a way, seeing how she reacted to this behaviour. The presence of wings didn't phase them, it didn't even come across as strange to them. "A generally good motto for life in general, but particularly applicable here. These are work dogs, they may have looked like pets yesterday, particularly Meyer, but looks can be decieving." He'd settled into a long looping stride. He'd swung the bag onto his back in any easy motion, while managing to thread three of the spears between his back and the strap. The fourth he kept in his hand while he ran. He looked completly at ease with the situation, even though he hadn't had a chance to stretch properly like he usually did beforehand.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay wasn't entirely surprised to hear that kelpies were very much real. If she was a real being then they had to be, not to mention that she had learned a while ago that if something supposed mythical, supernatural or legendary was mentioned by John or people he knew then it's most certainly real. She then listened to what Benji was explaining about the horses, finding it interesting that even domesticated, they were very much wild. "Interesting" she commented in reply to Benji. She glanced to her side and saw that what she thought she said out loud, she actually thought to John judging by his reaction. They had rarely if at all actually managed to communicate through their bond and thoughts, so she found it a new discovery.

Fia kept up with the dogs eventually and managed to control the dogs to the best of her ability, working up a good amount of cardio as she ran in time with them. "I don't underestimate much, and if I do? It happens only once. And I certainly see they're not your average pet dog now!" She chuckled but she was dead serious in what she said. She noted how he managed to sling his backpack on his back perfectly whilst not tripping over making it very clear that this was not the first time he did it. "Don't tell anyone but I have my own back home, but my sister and John don't know about it. I'm not exactly allowed pets as our home isn't suitable. It's a stray dog I befriended on my runs one day. Called him Max. He's this tiny little thing really but I love him greatly." She spoke, striking up a conversation whilst they were alone.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Fight to the death? Really?" John asked. He wasn't skeptical on the matter at all, he was looking for more details. "Yup. Territorial and tetchy. It's the classic kind of hierarchical animal system, fighting for status, you kill the old leader to become the new leader kinda thing. It's quite the spectacle to see, particularly during mating season. Domestic ones aren't anywhere near as violent." " So how do you domesticate one of them then?" Elliott asked. "With great difficulty" Benji smirked, the answer being siad só bluntly and matter of factly that John, Elliott and Chas couldn't help but start laughing while Charlie made a face of 'Good grief I'm surrounded by idiots get me out of here.' (An expression she often wore at family reunions.)

Matteo nodded "Well you'll never forget these guys and just what they can do after all that. And now you know why one person walking all three is a nightmare incarnated."The first thing he'd thought when Fia's wings had come out was that she was somehow going to fly while the dogs ran on the ground below her. It would be an impressive sight (if that would even work). "I won't, don't worry. I'm guessing thats why you're pretty good with these dogs and why they've taken to you. It's a good thing you didn't bring him here then, these guys would metaphorically eat him." He gave a wry smile, before veering to left and in the direction of the cliff path. At the same time, he gave a piercing taxi-cab whistle to the dogs who followed his lead. The path gently sloped upwards at first, but the slope soon became more and more vertical, Matteo having to adjust his stride and his breathing to make his way up to the top. Once at the top he stopped in order to let Fia properly appreciate the view out over the sea and the island. He'd brought her up to the campfire site from the lats night, but unlike the lats night the landscape was actually visible.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay kept listening to the conversation, never once finding what was spoken boring or uninteresting. She found it all fascinating, and ever since finding out what she was, she found non human type creatures more fascinating than ever before as it kept her eyes open that was so much more out there than she ever thought possible. With Elliott's question answered, and Charlie's reaction to Benji's reply, she chuckled greatly. "Take it you deal with this kind of thing a lot huh?" She smirked, aiming it at Charlie. "I can sympathise to an extent, living with some of this lot makes you question your sanity sometimes" she teased, despite being times when she really did question her life choices, even if she wouldn't change them.

Fia nodded in agreement, definitely seeing why one person walking all three dogs would be a challenge to say the least. She also could understand why the family find it highly entertaining when new people offer to take them for a walk. She did think about continuing to fly when she went airborne to regain control, but she also knew she hadn't gone for a run for a long time or trained in general, so she figured she could do with the cardio, even if jeans weren't her favoured choice for doing such a thing. If she felt like it later, she might take flight, just to show Matteo it was possible. It honestly just felt good to have her wings out for a change and not hidden in her 'tattoo' birthmark rune. She smiled when he promised not to tell them she had a secret pet dog, as if or when it got found out, she wanted to be the one to explain it. She knew she couldn't keep Max a secret forever and was honestly surprised it had gone for as long as it had. "Yeah it'll be why. I just seem to have a knack to get on with dogs. Dunno if it's because they can sense I'm not exactly human or what, but I'll take it. Cats on the other hand? Yeesh! They fricking hate me, guess it's true that birds and cats really are enemies" she said, half chuckling because it was cliché sounding when said out loud.

Reaching the top of the cliff, she overlooked the view and looked in utter awe. "Wow...that is something else" she commented in a gasp. Looking all around at the view, putting both leads in one hand so she could take a quick snap to show the others knowing that Chas would want to see this for himself and his camera. Not being able to resist, she sent in a group message to Chas, Elliott, John and Kay with the caption, 'my view on this walk/run. Chas you'll want your proper camera for this!' before sending it and putting her phone away in her jeans pocket.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Charlie nodded vigorously. "This is my life really, you've seen what it's like when all of us siblings are together. Well that was my childhood, bickering, bantering, pranking and looking for solitude. Questioning my sanity was practically a daily activity." She spoke while Benji made faces of mock outrage at her."Interspersed with fishing, meat prep and boxing." She ran one hand over the knuckles of the knuckles of the other, which were heavily scarred and calloused. "But not only do I deal with all this at home" her words were said with a fond smile, it was clear she loved her siblings. "I get from my partner too." Benji's eyebrows vanished into his hairline in surprise. "Your partner? Sis, is there something I should be knowing about? Or somebody?" Benji was instantly into protective older brother mode. Charlie's eyes widened slightly before she started laughing. "Geez no Benji! Not like that you dirty minded shit. I was talking about my work partner."

The text came in shortly after that, all pulling out their phones and knowing it could only be from one person. Chas typed back 'damn right I'll be taking ohoyso of that view, and every other view on this island. You'll probably be able to make a Google map out of wall my photos by the time I'm done, if you see by other spots take note of them for me please?' John took note of the ash in the foreground 'so that's the view we missed last night'

"Cats have an issue with everybody really. They just don't do people." Matteo shrugged, making a mental note to make sure Fia didn't get anywhere near the wildcats on the island. They were predatory and more often than not took fight rather than flight. He chuckled at Fia's eyes widening and gasp of awe as she took in the view. "It really is, I'm used to it, but every once in a while it will just shock me into remembering that the place I live on is insanely beautiful." The dogs were lying down, not tired as such, just taking advantage of the lull in movement. "I can take a photo of you and the view if you want?" Matteo offered.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay chuckled and nodded in agreement at Charlie's words. She understood it competely as she had to deal with Sam growing up, first as her best friend then as her sister, then she had to deal with John, Chas and Elliott before everyone else. "I can totally get that" she smiled, before Charlie continued and Benji thought Charlie was on about an romantic partner. She laughed at Charlie's reaction and insult to Benji about where his kind went, even if it was from a good hearted place. It was then the text came in, and the moment she saw they all got it, she realised it had to be Fia and only Fia. Low and behold checking her phone, her suspicions were right and she found herself smiling at the caption the teenager put with it. 'amazing view! Enjoy kiddo' she sent back simply as Chas and John replied with their comments.

Fia nodded in agreement with Matteo, cats were assholes, she had watched enough cat videos to know that, but their attitudes did amuse her greatly when it wasn't aimed at her. Like with most things she thought, as some replies started coming in, making her take her phone back out to read them. She then replied again, "chas- will do! Dad- yes it is, bloody amazing! Mum- don't need to tell me twice!' she sent, figuring it was okay to use their real titles in texts as no one would see the replies. She closes her messages when Matteo offered to take a photo for her, she thought about it then nodded smiling. "Sure!" She replied, handing him her phone after putting it into the camera and standing in front of the view. She made her wings disappear so they didn't obstruct the view too much.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Elliott found himself very much amused by the fact that Benji's brain went straight to thinking Charlie had somebody in her life. Cliff had said that he was the one who vetted all the people ahe and her siblings dated along with giving the 'if you hurt my sibling I will make sure your life is not worth living any more' speech. Benji was a good person, that much was obvious. He also had a feeling that keeping any kind of partner secret from Benji was something all siblings would try (and ultimately fail at). "You sure? In two days time Cla is officially family, so I have to find one if my siblings other romantic interests to bug. And just out of interest if there anything between you two? Or that prodigy D.I. you kept going on about?" Benji's smirk was practically wolfish, he knew how to push his sister's buttons alright. "First off my life is not like a cop show, they are hideously innacurate whne it comes to office romances. Secondly, no there isn't. And thirdly hell no! That was my promotion they took and I'm still salty over it. So sorry to disappoint you brother, but I'm still very much single."

Matteo took a good number of photos from various ngles and with various motions as Fia seemed to be up for making the most of the opportunity. "Here, take a look see if they're any good." He paused the phone back, before adjusting the fit of his backpack on his back. He also checked the spears, which slotted into carefully designed holsters sewn onto the pack. He kept one in his hand, twirling it around idly. It was about a metre and a half in length, with a top made of polished barbed metal. The barbs meant that once it lodged in something, it couldn't be removed easily without destroying the object itself.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay definitely came to the conclusion that it seemed to be in a 'big sibling handbook' that they end up vetting every partner their younger siblings got involved with, and if there wasn't anybody, there's the constant digs about when one will get into a said relationship with somebody. She was pretty sure anyone with a sibling would agree with that theory, if they had siblings they were close to. She definitely got it from Sam, and she by far got the vibe that was the case with Fia in her timeline and Elliott. Seeing Charlie react the way she did made Kay smirk, before she smiled at the reply she got from Fia.

As Matteo took photos for her, she was very much a mixture between Kay and John when it came to having her photo taken. She did some stupid poses because she couldn't resist as well as some nice ones, and he even caught one of her laughing, as she never took herself seriously, which always showed in the photos. She took her phone back and looked through them smiling as she did so. "They're great, thanks" she replied. She noticed him spinning the spear as she quickly sent John one particular shot of her pulling a ridiculous face with the caption 'chip of the old block! The likeness between us uncanny!' then she put her phone away smirking. "Okay.. I'm good to continue if you are?" She said to Matteo.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Pity" Benji shrugged pulling his head back into the kitchen as the riders arrived back. They'd changed into fresh clothes and sprayed on a significant amount of deodorant, but there was still an underlying smell of sweat from their earlier exertions. Jay had tied her hair back in a ponytail, the sunlight capturing the various shades of dark blue in her hair. "Let me guess, Benji has been talking shit again?" "More so than usual, he's looking for somebody else to annoy about their romantic life, and he's got it into my head that there's something either between me and me work partner, or me and that D.I. who stole my promotion." "Of course he is." Cliff sighed before banging on the window. "Any chance of breakfast or have you been too busy spouting shit again?" "Yeah, we got breakfast, tell the others to come in if they're hungry, or to just come in anyway." The inside of the house was spacious, with more than enough seating for everybody. It was a mix of styles with some fishing gear and spears in one corner along with various tools for sharpening and honing blades, there was a selection of woodcarvings on on eof the sets of shelves, the throws put over the couches and chairs looked handmade, the bookshelves were practically overflowing with books and magazines and there were various photos of Cliff's family at all ages. John smirked at Fia's text before responding with 'ha, ha narf'.

"Good good" Matteo answered, glad he hadn't made a total fool of himself when taking the photos. "I'm definitely ready. Usually I wouldn't stop here, I'd keep running and do a decent circuit with some hills and maybe a bit across the boglands if I'm feeling particularly adventurous. Walking these guys is my cardio, strength and endurance training in one, hence why my family is so ridiculously fit, though working in the fishing industry plays a role in that too. But I figure you'd actually want to see the sights." He took up the leads of all three dogs again, whistling at them to stay still and not run off in an attempt to tear his arms off. "One dog or two?" He asked, holding out the leads.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay noticed the others coming back looking a lot fresher than before, even if they weren't fully fresh smelling. She smirked at Cliff taking a good guess about what was being spoken about whilst they were gone, seeing how they really did know each other incredibly well. She had completely forgotten about the thought of breakfast until Cliff brought it up, being too engrossed in the morning discussions and Fia sending them texts. Walking into the house with everyone else, she took in the look and style of the place, amazed at the amount of books they had particularly. The amount of hunting and fishing gear wasn't a surprise to her in the slightest, and she saw how the throws definitely weren't of mass produced quality. "beautiful home" she commented. She then noticed John get his phone out and smirk, she guessed who it was. "Lemme guess...Fia?" She asked.

Fia heard her phone go off again with a reply clearly from John, but decided to check it out later. She listened to what Matteo said about not usually stopping but did for her sake, to which she really appreciated it. "Appreciate it. I can also definitely see why they're every type of workout in one" she chuckled. She watched as he took the leads of all three dogs before holding them all out toward her. "Two still is fine for me I need the work out!" she smiled and chuckled, taking two of the leads like before, she enjoyed the challenge especially as she hadn't got a decent work out in for a while. Her body will ache after this but she welcomed it with open arms.

 

[_gallifrog_]

To Chas the house felt lived in, with all the books and other bits and bobs just deposited randomly around the room. The main sitting/dining room was surprisingly bright, yet still managed to maintain a cost feeling. The curtains were pulled back and the moment, but when drawn out the plunged the room into near total darkness (perfect for watching movies as a family). "I agree, it's a really nice place." "Thanks, it's certainly not lacking in character, you can tell a lot about us from the assortment of.....stuff that just exists here." Cliff gestured at the room to convey her point before heading into the kitchen (which Rinaa, Jay, Elliott and Dan had already made a beeline for and were fixing themselves breakfast). "Well it's hardly going to be anybody else." John replied in response to Kay's comment. "Anything in particular you guys want? We're usually wlel stocked but with this whole wedding shindig we're even better stocked than usual. Which is saying something."

Matteo nodded as she took the two leads again. "Keeps things interesting really, I don't necessarily need the workout, but I enjoy it and the weather's good. So really there is far worse things I could be doing with my life." The dog's set off again, not at the same breakneck pace as the last time. The run took them further along the cliff path, the height varying. Along this particular route the cliffs were sheer and the beach non existant. The closest thing to a beach was the field of rocky debris caused by years worth of waves pounding at the cliffs. There were seabirds nesting on the cliff which Matteo pointed out, along with showing Fia where the sea caves were. Most of the caves were accessible by boat no matter what the tide but others could only be accessed at the extra low tides.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay listened to what Chas said as well as what Cliff said, and it definitely had that lived in feel, but she loved homes like this. It showed character and in her eyes that was hardly ever a bad thing when it came to this instance. It made her wonder what the Moore house looked like now and if it was still the same or changed at all. When John replied with what he did, she just rolled her eyes at it before looking up when the question was given to them about what they wanted. Which made her come to the realisation that she hadn't got as far as figuring out what she even fancied for breakfast- only that she was ready for it. "Good question" she half chuckled whilst really thinking of what to have, deciding to see what others wanted first.

Fia could agree with what Matteo said, if she lived in a place that had these kinds of views and terrains, she would be doing all kinds of cardio and resistance workouts just for he sheer hell of it to make the most of seeing the place every day. She wouldn't be staying cooped up inside that was for sure. She looked out at everything around her, taking it all in as she continued the run with the dogs and Matteo. Every now and then she snapped a quick photo or video lasting a few seconds to send to Chas of places she thought he'd like to go to with his camera, which she did every now and then, making use of the voice command function on her phone to send them whilst running.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Elliott, Jay and Chas had all went for a mix of cereal and whatever fruit the kitchen had to offer. Rinaa had done the same, but added a packet of biscuits to her breakfast claiming she needed to get her blood sugars up lest she black out. Cliff could tell she really just wanted an excuse to eat biscuits for breakfast and let her get away with it. Dan and John helped themselves to some of the leftovers from last night which Cal heated up using her pyrokinetic powers, but making sure to do it out of sight of Rinaa. Cliff's siblings had been informed of the 'no coffee around Kay' rule, so Charlie took her pot and excused herself upstairs. While Rinaa, Jay, John, Chas and Dan plonked themselves down on the couch, Elliott reminded in the kitchen. "I'm gonna do pancakes, or maybe some omelettes if anybody is interested?" "I'm always interested" John called over, propping his feet onto the table, like Cliff and Benji were doing.

Matteo hadn't been kidding when he said it was a workout. The terrain wasn't easy and there was a point where he had to a complex jumping run to avoid scratching his legs in the undergrowth. By the time they reached the river delat the dogs were panting heavily and Matteo was sweating. Upriver the sound of a waterfall could be heard. The banks of the river were rocky and the bed was deep, perfect for both swimming and fishing in. The dogs took the lead and jumped into the water to cool down. Matteo rolled his eyes, watching the fondly before dumping his bag a safe distance away, then gesturing for Fia to follow him up stream. "Unless you want to get that phone soaked and useless, I'd recommend leaving it with my stuff." The destination was a rope swing tied to the branch of a sturdy chestnut like tree. "It's pretty cliché I know. But it's also insanely fun."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay was thinking about cereals and saw how everyone just propped themselves all round the table on the couch in the living room, but then the comment about omelettes came up and she instantly felt her body crave it. "I could go for an omelette" she agreed, "want any help?" She added, mostly out of courtesy, but she also always felt bad that Elliott was cooking all the time lately, and she was used to sharing that task with him back on Earth. She also appreciated that Charlie took her pot of coffee up to her room when she was around, even if she did feel slightly bad that her pregnant coffee hating self meant the woman couldn't drink coffee whee she wanted in her own home. She was so ready for the day when Fia came into the world and she could drink it again.

Fia had also worked up a sweat from the 'walk' and when they reached the banks of the river, she looked onto it seeing how it would be a perfect spot for both swimming and fishing. She definitely wanted to get in and chuckled when the dogs dived in gladly. She looked over when Matteo gestured for her to follow, before listening to what he said, "right.." she simply said, taking her phone out of her pocket and putting it with his stuff. She then followed him up stream and saw the rope swing, smirking. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to do one of these" she smiled broadly. She knew her jeans we're gonna be insanely uncomfortable to wear when they got wet but it's be worth it. She'd just have to use her phoenix ability or some kind of wind spell to dry herself off if it came to it.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I could go for either, I'm not picky" Rinaa told Elliott. "Omelette sounds like a good idea actually, but there's no hurry" Jay stretched herself out, copying everybody else's posture of slumping down in their seats and propping their feet up on the table. She'd had Elliott's on letters before, but that was because he often volunteered to cook for the whole team at A.J's and the rec room was where she was currently living out of. "Somebody else volunteering to cook is great, so count me in for both." Benji declared as Nat picked up his book with one hand, wielding a fork with the other. "I'm grand, but the offer is appreciated." At Kay's offer, Elliott shook his head. "Nah, I'll be grand doing it solo, also this way if I blow up the kitchen the blame is solely on me."

Matteo want sure how Fia would react to the rope swing, but given how shed taken everything else in her side and seemed to be enjoying herself, he figured he'd hedge his bets and show her anyway. His grin of relief excitement matched Fia's when she saw it. "Well let's hope it lives up to your expectations again." He reached up to untie the rope from where it was wound out of the way. "Watch and learn" he smirked, grabbing a hold of the rope. There was two knots in it, one that served as a foothold and the other that served a rough hand grip. He climbed up into the opposite tree, his movements nimble and practiced. He slid off the branch, the rope swinging him upwards. He let go just at the height of the arc, performed a flip before entering the water in a dive and re-surfacing four metres away (a suitable safe distance to prevent him being landed on by Fia).

 

[MzHyde]

With her offer to help being declined, she nodded, "okay" she simply replied, finally sitting down in one of the chairs and crossing her legs at her ankles, rather than having her feet up on the table like everyone else, before loosely tying her hair half up just to get the upper layers our if her face, but the majority of her hair remained down and swept over one shoulder. If she had some kind of clip, she would have clipped it up for a change, but she had to make do with her hair tie instead. She found herself whilst waiting for the breakfast to be made, she subconsciously played with her necklace that she almost lost her life for, dragging the chain up and down through her fingers lightly.

Fia was glad that he showed her, as she was always willing to try anything new. She was a natural learner that didn't just involve textbooks and spells. She nodded with a smile at his final words before she watched intently at what he was doing so bring down the rope swing, how it was set out and how he did things. Seeing him reappear at the distance he was, she knew she could do this. She grabbed the rope swing as it made its way back toward her, and climbed up the tree Matteo did only previously. Putting her foot in the appropriate place and her hand, she didn't even hesitate, just going for it. As she reached the highest point she could she let go of the rope and swan dived in somehow with a strange sense of elegance. Stretching her arms outward, she swam back up to the surface, reappearing in front of Matteo.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Elliott had to call on Cliff or one of her siblings a few times in order to locate everything and to be instructed on how to turn on the hob and not blow himself up. But once that hurdle was cleared the house quickly filled with smell of cooking. "I swear this house was designed in such a way that whatever is cooking is automatically smelt on every other room in the house." Cliff sighed with contentment at being back home. She really did love being there, and having Cal with her made it all so much better. "You think? I know for a fact it is." Benji agreed. "Still not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing." "With his food, definitely a good thing." Once his cooking was finished Elliott brought out the various plates before squeezing himself onto the couch between Jay and Rinaa. "Enjoy!"

Matteo head emerged above the water, his hair plastered to his forehead. He raked a hand through it, making the damp strands stand on end, treading water with his legs, watching as Fia approached the swing. He'd showed off with his flip, usually he'd just cannonball straight into the water, but he wanted to impress the guest and he had a feeling that she wouldn't mind his showing off. He gave a clap when Fia re-emerged above the water. "See, it really isn't rocket science. And it's a hell of a lot more fun than rocket science." He swam to the edge of the river, hauling hiself out in one fluid movement. While in the ater he moved effortlessly with the bare minimum of splashing, his gills gently opening and closing, releasing a stream of bubbles. When he exited the water his skin was perfectly dry, repelling the water. It was only his hair and clothes that stayed damp. He went for the swing again, propelling himself with more power, tucking his knees up to his face in a classic cannonball, causing huge ripples in the river's surface.

 

[MzHyde]

Listening to Cliff, Kay had to smirk and chuckle slightly at what she said before Benji boasted the house was made in that way. She definitely agreed with John about Elliott's cooking making it a good thing. "Agreed, definitely a good thing" she smiled. With the other she waited for it all to be done, finding she wasn't disappointed as per usual when it was done and brought out. Even for such a simple dish like an omelette, it smelled so good to her, she took her plate and a fork, tucking in gladly. "This is great Ell, thanks" she said, her usual polite habit coming through once more. She just found it common courtesy and good manners to thank whoever cooked for her. She wasn't brought up poorly, and even at her age now, she wasn't going to go against her upbringing. An upbringing she hoped she would carry through with Fia.

She laughed when he applauded her and spoke about it being easier than rocket science as well as more fun. "Agree with that!" She said back to him with a smile. She swam behind him, noticing how effortlessly he swam, knowing it was down to his race but it was still quite something to see none the less. Pulling herself out of the river, she watched as he went in again, but via a classic cannonball and she laughed greatly. She yanked her sneakers off so she could dry them off better later, and headed to the rope again. This time she really wanted to show off, so she grabbed the rope as usual, spread her wings out and pushes herself off the tree. The moment she reached the peak of the curve she let go, used her wings to gain more height, spinning as she did so, before outstretching her wings at full wingspan, the sun gleaming off the tips of the outer larger feathers. She then dived straight down, wings closing in sharp down her back, disappearing the moment she hit the water.

She then came back up for air, glad that her hair was tied up into a ponytail.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Yeah thanks Ell" John told him as he took his plate and Chas', passing the other on to the cabbie. "Smells and looks amazing as usual." "The Internet is a good teacher" Elliott shrugged. He'd learned a few basic recipes from John, but John was the first to admit that he really wasn't a 'cook from scratch' kinda guy and would willing say that Elliott's cooking skills really had nothing to do with him apart from him paying for the gas, electricity and ingredients. "As are the MacCrowleys, but they run a restraunt so they have to be good." "As opposed to all those restraunts that are cheap and shit cos the place is really just a front for some money laundering operation or another?" "Well A.J's definitely does dodgy things with the money from our resident millionaire." Jay smirked, balancing the plate of omelette neatly on her legs."So you guys have a millionaire with a criminal father to help fund things while we have a member if Attilian royalty to help us ignore beuratric tape and boundaries completly? Sounds about fair."

When Matteo's head emerged above the water again he was right down the river next to the dogs. He had no idea what Fia intended to do, but giving her space was clearly and option. He shook the wet strands of hair from his face in a similar motion to that of the dogs and watched. He wasn't disappointed. Wings clearly made this all the better and all the more fun. The only way for him to gain such height was to climb even higher in the opposite tree. Fia's technique was pretty much flawless, but there was one thing worth pointing out. "First off that was damn amazing. You sure you haven't done one of these before?" He grinned as he made his way over to the edge. "And secondly, you're landing too far right in the river, quite close to one of the shallow bits with hidden rocks, so next time aim more central when you land yeah?" He wasn't wearing shoes and had been running barefoot the entire time so he didn't have to deal with Fia's problem of drying out sneakers. Matteo went for more Height with his next swing, climbing significantly higher up the other tree, launching himself off near the apex. In the air he adopted a divers form, coming down in a corkscrew motion, entering the water nearly vertically, then flattening out underwater and re-emerging further downstream. His entry (in comparison to the cannonball) made very few ripples.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay smirked when Elliott said the internet was a good teacher. She knew damn well it wasn't John that taught him how to cook, he had said as much before, she remembered. Yet she also seemed to remember that the twins helped him out and taught him in their restaurant, though she could have remembered that slightly wrong. So when he added about the MacCrowley's she felt proud of herself for remembering it correctly. She just kept eating and smirking at the talking going on. "C'est la vie....as my mom would always say? It all swings about a roundabout in the end" she replied back. She had no idea if Cliff's family would even get the saying and what it meant, but she said it anyway.

Before Fia made her showy jump, she noticed how Matteo was way down river near the dogs. She could also see how impressed he was when she made her own jump, smiling to herself. It felt good to stretch her wings as much as she had in this moment, considering for a lot of the time she tried to hide the fact she was half phoenix. She listened to him and smiled as he grinned, "I'm sure, I'm a quick study!" She smiled broadly back before listening to the rest of he had to say as she headed to the edge to get out again. She noted what he said, finding she was indeed landing too far right each time. "Got it!" She replied. It was only now she was noticing that Matteo never had shoes on in the first place, she stood and watched his next jump, impressed at how little he made the water ripple around him when he hit the water. She went to the rope, grabbed it and climbed up the tree once more. She thought about her aim for more the middle, and how to top what she just did. She launched herself off, let go of the rope and did a backwards somersault in the air, before stretching her arms out above her, close together and into the water, which was a lot more central this time. She swam underwater a bit and re-emerged near Matteo.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"My French is shite, and John's is even worse, he slept through pretty much every class he attended, and he bunked off most of them." Chas smirked, grateful that the rune could translate French for him. "Bloody useless language anyway and France is greatly overrated. They have nothing exciting there and most French have sticks so far up their arses you can see it when they yawn." John agreed, nodding his head vigorously. "Gotta agree on that, never been, but I've met a few prime Frenchies. I spent most of my time when I had to be near them imagining throwing them out windows." Rinaa agreed, swallowing a massive bite of omelette. "Did you?" "Sadly I didn't. I also considered jumping out the window to escape, but I didn't do that either." She replied, as John nodded. "You've got more restraint then I do." "That's an easy feat though." Elliott smirked, prompting John to reach behind Rinaa and poke Elliott in the ribs. "Oi!" "That's what you get for being a cheeky bugger." Benji and Nat looked at Cliff "and you say out family spend all the time bickering and talking shit? Looks like the new adopted in-laws have that game down."

Matteo was relieved that Fia took his advice on board and adjusted her landing position. He had seen a bad landing there once and he never wanted to see it again. Cliff hadn't told him that Fia could heal herself, so his worst case scenario scenes involved rocks, bad landings and paralysis before the wedding. Which Cliff would never forgive him for on two counts, one it was before her wedding and would no doubt ruin the whole thing and two, this was her new in law and that would get her into a whole hell load of trouble with John and Kay. He performed a few more jumps, swinging and twirling his body through the air landing in various positions. The enjoyement in his eyes was clear. "Would you believe me if I said I could spear a fish from the rope swing?"