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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 1:20:03 GMT -5
Reg didn't react to the light more than burying her face into Chrono's chest to block it out.
Ms. Valentine came back out after the coffee was done and the pancakes and plates were waiting on the table. She was pulled out of her thankfulness that Ran would willingly eat pancakes by the sight of Chrono and Reg having snuggled up even further. She chuckled, then walked over to them.
Non-morning-evil ones first; she gave Chrono's shoulder a light shake. "Hey. Breakfast time."
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 1:27:57 GMT -5
As if the word really were magic, Chrono snapped into wakefulness instantly. He did, however, drag his head up quite slowly, and blink his single eye sleepily up at Crysta.
"Really?" he wondered, voice bleary. "What time is..."
He uncurled from his light-phobic position to find Reg burrowed quite firmly into his chest.
A low laugh sighed through his form. Slowly, keeping his movements smooth so as to not wake her and incur her early-morning wrath, Chrono pulled the blankets off of himself and tucked him further around Reg. They retained his share of the warmth; he hoped that would be enough of a doppleganger to let him sneak away for breakfast.
But even as he lowered Reg to the couch and stood, he couldn't help but give pause, his gaze lingering over the girl. His smile gave her back some of the warmth his absence had taken.
Chrono shifted his gaze up to Crysta, sharing the smile, and a whisper. "She's really a good kid."
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 1:34:37 GMT -5
Reg grumbled a small complaint as the elder demon slipped away, burrowing into the blankets.
Crysta smiled back. "I know. Go get yourself some breakfast." She headed upstairs to get the rest of the family. First things first; it was time to get Ran out of his hibernating state.
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 1:47:02 GMT -5
Chrono nodded, letting out another low chuckle. He realized he was still wearing his trenchcoat after all this time; of course, that made sense, considering he couldn't remember moving from the couch since after he came back inside from exploding the fuse box.
The demon froze midway to the kitchen. Oh yeah...I still have to tell Crysta about that. The very thought sent his shoulders hunching in shame. Except the lights are back on now... He blinked at one of the florescent bulbs. So she probably already knows...
"KERZAP--CRUNCH--"
...though I'll be no one's explained to her yet why her brick wall has a small crater in it... Chrono's shoulders hunched even more.
Pancakes were a welcome distraction from guilt, especially a plate full of pancakes paired with a steaming mug of black coffee. The fact that it was one of only two cups of coffee on the table, not to mention the only one untouched, could only mean one thing...
...Crysta was officially his hero, because that coffee was meant just for him.
He sat down without further contemplation and immediately tucked in to the pancakes. He was halfway through his second cake before he even remembered to drizzle maple syrup over them. That was soon remedied.
He really needed to find a way to make up for that wall...because these pancakes were amazing.
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 1:56:15 GMT -5
Eventually, Ran shuffled into the room. He blinked blearily at Chrono, then smiled.
"Good morning...." He glanced at the pancakes, licked his lips (briefly giving Chrono a glance at his forked, snake tongue), and sat down at his own spot. He quietly tucked into his breakfast, smiling happily.
This was a good thing to wake up to after a miserably cold day of hibernating.
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 2:02:58 GMT -5
Chrono looked up, blinking over his cup of coffee at the sound of shuffling. He returned the boy's smile warmth for warmth. "Good morning," he answered. Chrono had to raise an eyebrow at the sight of Ran's forked tongue, but then again...Dragonoid, he reminded himself, and shrugged.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked gently, remembering the way the poor kid had been huddled up in hibernation for the past 48 hours.
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 2:10:45 GMT -5
Ran nodded, a small embarrassed smile flashing on his countenance. "Yes...sorry about that....it was just....erm..." He shivered. "Cold." There was a bit more ferocity in the next bite he took- the boy did not like freezing his currently-unseen horns off.
Soon, the rest of the family entered. At some point, Reg's eating quit being an automatic reaction, as seen by her stopping and getting a drink. Ms. Valentine chuckled at her adopted daughter and took a sip from her coffee.
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 2:15:43 GMT -5
Chrono gave a light shrug. "No need to apologize," he assured Ran dismissively. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I mean, I know you're a little on the cold-blooded side, but..." He shrugged again, this time more rueful. "It was still a little worrisome."
After the rest of the family was settled in and eating, Chrono noticed something strange...quiet. No one was talking. Five people at the table and no one...
Silence means the food is good.
The smile returned to the demon's face. He drew another sip of his coffee. Sitting amidst others' company in perfect tranquility, eating good food...there were few pleasures in life that surpassed this.
Until a lightning strike of a realization shot through Chrono's mind--the wall. He glanced up at Crysta, hunched, colored, and looked away.
Oh crap...how to begin...
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 2:22:11 GMT -5
Crysta noticed this change in Chrono's demeanor. She raised an eyebrow at the elder demon, forcing down a smirk with another sip of her coffee.
What he didn't know was that she had heard the fusebox explode, and seeing as she had sent him out and, when she went out with the electrician, there was a crater in the wall, it hadn't taken very long to put two and two together.
(Poor electrician had no idea why she had burst out laughing.)
"Is something wrong, Chrono?", she asked evenly.
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 19:47:50 GMT -5
Chrono coughed, halfway through a sip of coffee. The cough became a choke as suddenly, the coffee went down the wrong tube. The choke became a gag, then another cough, then a hacking fit. The demon bent over double, turning bright red and thumping on his chest to try to force some air into his lungs.
"--'ussa second--" he croaked, and coughed some more.
"Whew." Once the demon had finally regained use of his lungs, he took in a deep breath, looked up at Crysta...and coughed again.
"Ah." Chrono's face was still flushed bright red, though whether from a lack of oxygen or from sheer embarrassment was anyone's guess. He once more averted his gaze from Crysta's face, his shoulders hunching guiltily.
"About the fuse box..." He picked up his fork and began drawing patterns in the syrup on his plate. "It was pretty messed up when I got to it...but um...when it, uh--" he coughed again, "--exploded, I um--kindaflewintothewall--er--yeah."
"I'm really sorry." His shamed head hung so far down that his face vanished amidst his purple bangs--a blessing, as his face now glowed bright cherry.
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 19:52:34 GMT -5
Ran threw Chrono a sympathetic, apologetic look. Corey blinked in surprise. Reg tried not to laugh as much as possible.
But Crysta merely smiled.
"Oh, that? Yeah, I figured that's what happened." She waved it off as if it were nothing more than a fly. "No big deal."
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 20:52:14 GMT -5
He looked up, face dropping in befuddlement.
"Y-you already knew?" Chrono blinked, blinked again, blinked a third time--and then his face sagged, a 'why me?' expression overtaking it. All that worrying for nothing...smooth, Chrono, real smooth. "I...I see..."
"But are you sure?" He looked away bemusedly, nervously drumming one finger on the table. "I mean, the impact cracked the plaster pretty badly...I could help fix it, if you want."
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 21:02:32 GMT -5
"Don't make me ORDER you to not worry about it." Crysta took a calm sip from her coffee, smirking. "Chrono. I run a paranormal detective's agency. A cracked wall is the least of our problems around here."
Reg put her fork down, leaned over and gave Chrono a one-armed comfort-hug chuckling.
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Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 21:10:53 GMT -5
Chrono swallowed, looking up in abashed surprise. "Yes ma'am," he responded quickly, though not without that telltale, sheepish hunch of his shoulders. "Just...trying to do what I can to help..." he finished with a mumble before stabbing into another forkful of pancake.
Preoccupied as he was with his breakfast, Reg's hug caught Chrono by surprise. He let out a chuckle even though his fork was still halfway in his mouth, released the fork, and gave the girl a quick, grateful return squeeze.
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Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 21:18:22 GMT -5
Reg smirked and returned to her breakfast.
It was after breakfast that the phone rang. Ms. Valentine blinked and left the room to go get it as the rest of the family cleaned up. Then...
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!" The rest of the Valentines merely sighed. They had been dealing with Crysta's over-the-phone rages for years, after all. Shortly after, said lady of the house stormed back into the kitchen, face set grim rage. "We officially have a problem."
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