"Thomas! Wait a moment!" A little boy streaked across the ornate living room.
"Mom, I've got him!" A girl cried out, running to the boy, and picked up the little nudist.
"Here, I'll take him", Eliza said to her daughter. "Y'know, for a boy who's not even two, you're a pretty rambunctious fella." She laughed as she took him, his pale blue skin rubbing against her darker blue skin. She smiled as she began to walk out, her sheer purple dress flowing over the white stone. "Let's get some clothes on you before your mother comes home, shall we?"
"Mom, what should I do?" Her daughter inquired, as she leaned against a sofa and looked up at her mother with her bright yellow eyes, a stark difference from her deep navy blue skin.
"I think your dad's in the kitchen, Mia. Why don't you see if there's anything you can do to help."
Mia rolled her eyes and turned before trudging onwards.
Eliza sighed and turned her attention back to her nephew. "Come on, you little squirt."

Walking into the castle kitchen, Mia groaned and rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm bored…" She came to the counter where her dad was chopping vegetables and flopped down on a stool, slouching with her chin rested on the countertop.
Romando, her father, laughed a little. "You know what happens when you complain of boredom, right?"
Mia looked up and sighed. "Is it something even more boring than nothing?"
Romando answered while putting the vegetables into a pot. "I need some chives from the garden. Will you go get some for me?" He looked down at her with his bright orange eyes. "Come back quickly and I'll let you get a fresh cookie when they finish baking in a few minutes… Provided your mother isn't watching." Grinning, he winked at his daughter, who rushed out of the kitchen as she giggled loudly.
"Watching what?"
Romando spun around to face Eliza, who was holding a gurgling (and clothed) Thomas over her shoulder.
Eliza walked up to her husband and stood toe to toe with him. "What are you spoiling our daughter with now?" She smirked.
Romando grabbed a spoonful of leftover cookie batter and stuck it between his wife's lips. "Just this." He grinned.
Eliza stood there a moment and savored the sweet creamy batter in her mouth before pulling out the spoon and giving her husband a peck on the lips. "You get to live for today."
Romando took the spoon from her as he kissed her back and ruffled Thomas' light brown hair. "Mission accomplished. And…" Turning back to his cooking, he continued. "My brother and his wife will have the feast of a lifetime tonight."
Eliza smiled as she surveyed the dishes full of savory vegetables and fruits, and the large, steaming pork roast. "Seems like just yesterday the way you look at them. They're still like newlyweds, even after 15 years. You'll just have to top yourself for our anniversary." Eliza smirked again and walked out of the kitchen, to be almost run down by a panting Mia.
"I got the chives!" Mia exclaimed. "Can I have a cookie now?"
Romando looked at her oddly for a moment, then began with an amused grin, "Dear, that's parsley."

The day was going smoothly so far. Romando laid out his feast for the family right as Blumiere and Timpani arrived.
"Uncle Blu!" Mia squealed as Blumiere walked into the living room where Romando's family was waiting.
"Hello Amelia!" Blumiere smiled broadly and reached down to pick up his niece. "Did you have fun today without me?"
Timpani smiled warmly at them as she walked over to Eliza and took Thomas from her.
"So how was your day?" Eliza asked as she was relieved of the sleeping toddler.
"Oh it was wonderful!" Timpani exclaimed as the two sat down on the sofa. "Blumiere took me out to the lakeside and we had a picnic lunch on the shore… And then we walked through the forest and just talked, but we talked for so long."
"And one loses track of time so easily when speaking with the most wonderful person in the world." Blumiere, overhearing their conversation, set Mia down and took Timpani's hand. "It was the most wonderful day I've ever had… Right after our wedding and Thomas' birth."
Romando at this point had leaned on the sofa arm next to his own wife.
Eliza leaned into him and took his hand as Thomas whole up in Timpani's arms and started to babble, almost in response to his name. "Yes, the birth of a child is a very wonderful day." Eliza squeezed Romando's hand and looked across the room at Mia, who was busying herself with a coloring book.
Romando squeezed back. "Yes… Very memorable, dear."
Blumiere looked up at his brother as he took his own son in his arms. He knew that Romando wasn't particularly excited at first with Eliza's initial desire for a child- As Romando and Eliza were both 2 of the last 3 pure-bloods of the now-dead Tribe of Darkness, their children would continue to carry on the magic and traits of their kind, whereas Blumiere and Timpani's children would be half-bloods, so to speak. Although when Amelia was born, she became Romando's pride and joy, just as all children should be to their fathers.
"Ahem. Anyway, dinner is ready." Romando said, smiling.

After dinner, everyone returned to the living room just as Nastasia and O'Chunks, both longtime friends, entered the castle. Greetings went about and the adults settled themselves into deep conversation while Mia and Thomas were left to busy themselves across the room.
Mia looked at all the adults talking- Nastasia, Aunt Tippi and her mom were probably babbling about families and children, while O'Chunks, Uncle Blu, and her dad were probably discussing current events. Her cousin Thomas, who was sitting up next to her, was sucking on one of her chapter books. Angrily, Mia snatched the book away, which in turn caused the toddler to start crying.
The adults, starting with Eliza and Timpani, all turned their attentions to the bawling. Eliza in particular gave Mia a motherly 'look'.
Mia rolled her eyes and gave the book back to her young cousin, who quickly stopped crying, in spite of the fact it would be inevitably destroyed. When she looked up again and saw her parents were occupied, she stood up and walked out of the living room and into the massive library adjacent to the living room.
Pacing around the bookshelves, Mia didn't realize Thomas had crawled after her. She glanced over the titles on the shelves, having no difficulty containing any hint of excitement over them. Her parents and Aunt and Uncle loved reading. Mom loved history and romance novels, while dad enjoyed science and political reads. Aunt Tippi liked fantasy novels, while Uncle Blu liked poetry; so the family had a wide variety of books to choose from. In any case, Mia decided there weren't enough pictures to hold her interest. Stopping to gaze at a vase on a pedestal, she didn't see Thomas rolling around on the floor behind her.
Huffing, Mia crossed her arms and slouched. Her mom's stupid vase. It was just a piece of glass, right? She got it for her 10th wedding anniversary from her dad when Mia was only 4 or 5 years old. Even though she was so young, she still remembered how her mom fawned over the thing, how she never stopped talking about it, though it really was pretty with its blue and purple accents. Mia never truly understood why her mom loved it so much, though. She turned to walk away, but Thomas had crawled right behind her.
Before she realized what happened, Mia tripped over Thomas and lost her balance, falling back onto the pedestal. She gasped sharply as the vase fell to the ground and shattered into hundreds of pieces with a sickening crash. Frozen in place, she only looked around at the mess as Thomas started crying.
A few miserable moments passed before Timpani and Eliza rushed into the library.
"Amelia!" Eliza shouted, a bit startled. Timpani and Eliza hastened around the bookshelves before Timpani found the children in the midst of the broken glass.
"Eliza, they're here." Stepping carefully, Timpani rushed and picked up her terrified son and tried to calm him down.
Turning the corner, Eliza gasped. Mia was sitting by the pedestal, surrounded by the broken glass. "My favorite vase! Amelia-"
Finding her voice, Mia interrupted her, "Mom, it wasn't my fault! It was Thomas!"
"Amelia, Thomas isn't tall enough to reach that vase!"
"But mom, it wasn't-"
"Enough lies, Amelia. Tell me the truth."
Mia was getting angry. "It was Thomas! If he wasn't busy being a stupid monkey baby then your precious vase would be fine!"
Becoming very frustrated, Eliza stopped herself a moment to speak calmly. Timpani was standing next to her, a bit nervous and awkward, while trying to hush the screaming boy.
"Amelia Lilith Noir. Go to your room, right now."
She knew her argument would have been in vain, so Mia carefully stood up and walked past the disapproving eyes of her mother and aunt as she walked down and out of the library before she stopped a moment. Turning back with tears in her eyes, she shouted, "I hate you!" before running off.
Sighing, Eliza turned to Timpani. "Is Thomas alright?"
Timpani brushed his wispy hair as she bounced him up and down softly. "He'll calm down in time. I think it's time for bed anyway."
By this time Romando and Blumiere had been watching the scene unfold for the past several moments. Timpani walked out and joined Blumiere, while Romando walked in and took his wife's hand.
"Romando, what am I going to do with her…"

Mia walked slowly down the corridor, past lamp stands and paintings, very frustrated. "It was just a stupid vase! Why doesn't she ever believe me, anyway… She won't trust me." Her temper was rising again and she decided to take the longer, less traveled route through the castle. Before long and without paying attention to where she was going, Mia bumped into a caped man and turned away, startled. "Oof! Sorry Uncle Blu-"
He didn't say anything and finally Mia looked up at him and realized it wasn't her uncle, nor her father. This man had on a long maroon cape with a yellow brooch. At first Mia started to back away, but stopped when she got a better look at him and saw his eyes. They were yellow just like hers- she had never seen anyone else with yellow eyes. And his skin was blue as well, and he had black hair. His build and stature reminded her a bit of her uncle.
"Wh-who are you?" She stammered.
Having looked her over for a bit, the man smiled a little. "That's an excellent question, my dear. I suppose your parents have never told you about me, hm?"
"My parents?"
"Surely they would have told you about your own grandfather, no?"
Mia stepped back, a little bit unnerved. "But my parents said my grandparents are all dead."
"Here I am, aren't I? Your parents have lied to you about much. I can show you what else they've lied about, dear Amelia. I can also show you about our people, our magic… I suppose you've been told that our Tribe is also dead, am I correct? Allow me to show you everything you should know." He held out his hand to her.
Mia hesitated a few moments. Though they didn't talk long, she found him very persuasive. She spoke again as she took his hand. "I'm in. Sure beats this place."
Without a moment's delay, Count Noir took his granddaughter and flipped away.