him. "Scott..."
They shared a warm embrace for a time. While they did so, Rhea awoke and checked to see where everyone was. For a moment, jealously and annoyance flared within her, but when she saw that Ero was crying she managed to force those unworthy emotions down to where she kept them caged inside her heart.
"Rhea...?" asked Ero gently after she noticed the elf maiden standing in the doorway.
"Good morning Ero," said Rhea in a soft, measured tone. She blinked once, slowly, took a breath then asked "What's wrong?"
Ero sniffed the air a little then chewed her lip. "I was just telling Scott about what the mid-wife said."
"Oh? We do need to get you to a fairy doctor," said Rhea, a slight smile on her lips. That smile could have meant a lot of things, but it was still a friendly smile.
The fairy girl nodded twice then embraced Scott tighter. "Yeah, but..."
"No buts, young lady. You're going to the doctor," said Rhea with a gentle smile.
Ero made a cute face then stuck out her tongue. "You're not my real mom!"
Rhea laughed a genuine, heartfelt laugh. Scott tried his best to hold it in, but he could not help himself. He laughed as well. The girls were trying so hard to get along despite the issues that even he was not too clueless to miss. He could not help but feel joyful and relieved during moments of such good humor.
"Ero, go hug your fake mother," said Scott. He released the fairy girl then swatted her on the bottom.
"Oh. Anything for you, daddy ." remarked Ero with a grin.
Rhea rolled her eyes then huffed a little, but her smile returned when the fairy girl gave her a warm hug. Ero asked her, "Forgive me?" The elf lightly stroked her hair for a moment then kissed her on the forehead. "I forgive you."
"Gonna ask me to forgive you?" asked Ero cutely.
"No," said Rhea with a slightly amused smirk.
"My step mother is so cruel." remarked Ero with a giggle. "I should bite her or something."
Scott interjected. "You know... I might be from the South, but not that far South."
"Yeah?" asked Rhea, confused.
"We're starting to sound a little inbred," said Scott.
That brought another round of laughter from everyone. They did have a strange relationship dynamic, but at least it was not that strange.
Morning rituals were finished, and everyone gathered in the common room of their apartment. Ero, once again the size of a doll, fluttered over to the table and sat down on an overturned coffee cup. It was her official seat at the hotel round table until they purchased something more suitable. She could sustain human size for a much greater period of time now that she had gone up a tier, but that did not mean that she could be human sized for lengthy periods of time. It drained her stamina and mana continually.
Herbert sat next to her, and made a concerted effort not to start practicing his dance moves. He was quite dedicated to his craft.
Scott and Rhea sat next to each other on the couch. It was Scott who spoke first. "Alright team. It's time to decide what we are going to do with ourselves."
"What do you mean?" asked Ero.
He looked to the tiny fairy then said, "Well, we've finished our last job and spent half of our general fund on this room. We need to get some money flowing, but we also need to train. You and Rhea both have to leave the group for a lengthy period of time as well."
"Rhea? You do, too?" asked Ero. After Rhea nodded, Ero tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why?"
"Business in the Divine City. We need to slow the board down so I am going on tour as the face of our empire. I'll be in and out for the next four years in ARS time."
"Oh! How long will you be gone?" Ero leaned forward, her eyes wide and sad.
"About eight days at a time, with four days here afterward," said Rhea.
Ero asked a question that Scott had also been about to ask. "Can't you just do that thing where you make more than one copy of yourself?"
Rhea sighed. "Not really. It would be seen as a sign of rudeness if I bifurcated like
They shared a warm embrace for a time. While they did so, Rhea awoke and checked to see where everyone was. For a moment, jealously and annoyance flared within her, but when she saw that Ero was crying she managed to force those unworthy emotions down to where she kept them caged inside her heart.
"Rhea...?" asked Ero gently after she noticed the elf maiden standing in the doorway.
"Good morning Ero," said Rhea in a soft, measured tone. She blinked once, slowly, took a breath then asked "What's wrong?"
Ero sniffed the air a little then chewed her lip. "I was just telling Scott about what the mid-wife said."
"Oh? We do need to get you to a fairy doctor," said Rhea, a slight smile on her lips. That smile could have meant a lot of things, but it was still a friendly smile.
The fairy girl nodded twice then embraced Scott tighter. "Yeah, but..."
"No buts, young lady. You're going to the doctor," said Rhea with a gentle smile.
Ero made a cute face then stuck out her tongue. "You're not my real mom!"
Rhea laughed a genuine, heartfelt laugh. Scott tried his best to hold it in, but he could not help himself. He laughed as well. The girls were trying so hard to get along despite the issues that even he was not too clueless to miss. He could not help but feel joyful and relieved during moments of such good humor.
"Ero, go hug your fake mother," said Scott. He released the fairy girl then swatted her on the bottom.
"Oh. Anything for you, daddy ." remarked Ero with a grin.
Rhea rolled her eyes then huffed a little, but her smile returned when the fairy girl gave her a warm hug. Ero asked her, "Forgive me?" The elf lightly stroked her hair for a moment then kissed her on the forehead. "I forgive you."
"Gonna ask me to forgive you?" asked Ero cutely.
"No," said Rhea with a slightly amused smirk.
"My step mother is so cruel." remarked Ero with a giggle. "I should bite her or something."
Scott interjected. "You know... I might be from the South, but not that far South."
"Yeah?" asked Rhea, confused.
"We're starting to sound a little inbred," said Scott.
That brought another round of laughter from everyone. They did have a strange relationship dynamic, but at least it was not that strange.
Morning rituals were finished, and everyone gathered in the common room of their apartment. Ero, once again the size of a doll, fluttered over to the table and sat down on an overturned coffee cup. It was her official seat at the hotel round table until they purchased something more suitable. She could sustain human size for a much greater period of time now that she had gone up a tier, but that did not mean that she could be human sized for lengthy periods of time. It drained her stamina and mana continually.
Herbert sat next to her, and made a concerted effort not to start practicing his dance moves. He was quite dedicated to his craft.
Scott and Rhea sat next to each other on the couch. It was Scott who spoke first. "Alright team. It's time to decide what we are going to do with ourselves."
"What do you mean?" asked Ero.
He looked to the tiny fairy then said, "Well, we've finished our last job and spent half of our general fund on this room. We need to get some money flowing, but we also need to train. You and Rhea both have to leave the group for a lengthy period of time as well."
"Rhea? You do, too?" asked Ero. After Rhea nodded, Ero tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why?"
"Business in the Divine City. We need to slow the board down so I am going on tour as the face of our empire. I'll be in and out for the next four years in ARS time."
"Oh! How long will you be gone?" Ero leaned forward, her eyes wide and sad.
"About eight days at a time, with four days here afterward," said Rhea.
Ero asked a question that Scott had also been about to ask. "Can't you just do that thing where you make more than one copy of yourself?"
Rhea sighed. "Not really. It would be seen as a sign of rudeness if I bifurcated like
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