The sun began to set, bathing the forest in an orange, red and yellow glow. Animals, big or small, gathered what they could and were making their way back into their dens while the creatures of the night took their turn to prowl the forest. The Jinn, too, had citizens of the dusk and dawn. Some, already closing their shutters and turning in, some helping the luminescent flowers bloom to light the paths and others already opening shop for the evening's business.

One household in particular wasn't entirely ready to close its doors, though. It missed one more person before the owner could settle in and sleep peacefully until morning.

"Whoa! Easy, girl." Nod wobbled on his saddle as his father's old hummingbird sharply tilted to the left almost crashing them both into a tree. Sonnie was a retired standard Leafman's bird. She had belonged to his father while he was a young Leafman and was then given to their family after she had served her years. Nod remembered he got to ride her with his father a while back and he could remember Sonnie being quite the flier. But now, with her old bones, tired eyes and dulling reflexes, Sonnie wasn't the same bird as she was in her prime. His mother asked him to pick her up from the Bird's Nest, a large nest made to be a gathering place for the Leafmen's birds to relax after a mission or to simply meet and see other birds.

"Oof!" Nod landed face first into the wood at the landing just above their home. Sonnie squawked hoarsely, nudging Nod, trying to help him get up. "I'm up, I'm up." The young man led the bird into it's nest, nestled in between a two high branches, and made sure it got comfortable. "There you go, that's a good girl." Nod ruffled its feather a bit, smiling "D'ya a have a good day today, Sonnie? Met a lot of birds?" Nod was replied with a hoarse squawk and more of the bird's fidgeting. Nod chuckled, fondly stroking it's head "Thought so." Pulling away, he stretched and yelled back a "Night, girl. See ya in the morning." as he jumped down to the front of his house where he could hear a soft humming from the other side.

"Nod? Is that you, dear?"

Puling back the leaves that covered the entrance he grinned. "Hey Ma, I'm home." Adina smiled "Good that you're back home safe, dear. Now don't just stand there and grin like a fool. You know the rules."

"Yes, Ma." Nod groaned at his mother's nagging.

"Take off your shoes and leave them by the door. Same goes for your armor, weapons and helmet. Go straight to the bathroom and-"

"-Get cleaned up, change and be back down here after fifteen minutes, I know, Ma." Nod slumped his shoulders, and started unbuckling his armor. "Geez, I'm grown up now, Ma. Not to mention a Leafman in training!"

Adina chuckled at her son's grumbling 'He's just so much like his father'. She ruffled his hair as he passed her "Leafman or not, you'll always be my cheeky wittle Noddy." Again grinning after hearing a muffled groan from the inside of her only son's room.

"So how was work today, Ma? Anything interesting happen?" Scarfing down the last of his soup, Nod sighed happily as he slouched in his seat, rubbing his not-so-non-existent belly. Squeaky clean with your stomach full in a warm house with a warm bed waiting for you to dive in, what more could a man ask for?

"If only Mary Kathrine saw you now." Adina chuckled, gaining her son's attention making him go an embarrassing tomato red. Deciding to spare him from further shame that night, Adina replied "Work was alright. Not many people came in today, which was good. Means most of the Jinn are happy and healthy. That Nali fellow got treated today, though. Wasn't the poor boy in your division?"

"Yeah. Chipmunk incident. At least he's okay now." Nod shrugged. It was the own kid's fault he got too close. Then again, he could have easily made the same mistake if not for Ronin sneering at him. Speaking of Ronin, "Did you get to talk to Ronin, Ma? He looked better during patrol this afternoon, but not much. Plus he got me to do way more extra stuff than the other members of my group, probably to get back at me for telling on him." Nod mumbled the last part.

"Yes I did get to talk to him" Adina sighed, remembering their conversation by the Rings of Knowledge "He's still grieving, dear. Right now, I think all he needs is space. Try not to cause too much trouble for him, okay?" She smiled, giving her son a light kiss in the forehead as she gathered the dishes and started cleaning up.

"I do not give him a hard time." Nod huffed, helping his mother bring the dishes to the small water hole. "It's his fault for following me."

"Now you're starting to sound just like him."

"I do not!"

"Whatever you say, dear."

Just watched Epic and MAN was it a great movie. Do you think I portrayed Nod alright here?