A/N: Please read this note, would you kindly? Its rather important this time:

Updates might be a bit hectic/scuffed this week, I'm working long hours between both jobs with no days off for the next seven days.

That means I'll be updating virtually every day until next week, if only to keep myself sane. Current schedule is more or less Untraveled Road, the three Baldur's Gate Updates, the as-of-yet-unnamed Hazbin story, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, and A New Archon, then Embrace My Curse and others. Father of Monsters will be updated on April 15th, schedule permitting.

Long Covid may have me stricken with exhaustion as of late, but here I am. Its hard to stay awake sometimes, more and more, I find myself exhausted and needing to sleep.

I just get so tired...T_T

Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.

So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild, wacky world, one word at a time.

Time and feedback will determine what remains a story and what doesn't. Simple as that.

In other words...the fate of this is up to YOU, the reader. Doooo let me know~!

Running around updating a lot of categories today.

This a continuation of "Can't We All Get Along"

Lets see if folks truly want this to be a story.

But first, we need to go back a bit further.

"Will you stop biting me?!"

"Awww, they like you.

ASTARION!"

~?

Can't We All Get Along (Part II)

"Here comes the airplane, now open up~!"

Little Lae'zel regarded Naruto gravely for a long moment, the child's gaze shifting to the spoon held before her, then his hand. Back to the spoon now. Up to his hand again. Her lips pursed into a thin line, yet she refused to take the bait. He couldn't quite tell if she was being surly again or just distracted. She'd always been something of an odd duck, ever since she hatched.

Githyanki children were strange. But he'd made a promise to look after her. So here he was.

Astarion hummed behind him, voice dripping cynicism. "She's going to bite you, mark my words."

"Nonsense." he didn't dare take his eyes from the githyanki child before him. "I taught her better than that."

He liked to think she was at least learning from his example, even if she was growing quickly.

"Did you, now?" he could just imagine the vampire smirking as he bounced a cranky Karlach and an equally outraged Orin upon his knees. "I believe the words "she's a bitey little shit who doesn't-know-any-better" were used within my hearing."

A muscle jumped in his jaw.

"Oi!" here at last, he looked away from the little one to glare at his erstwhile ally. "Not so loud! You'll teach them bad words again!"

"Nonsense." the vampire lord scoffed and waved a hand, fangs flashing in the moonlight." They're children. They won't say-

Karlach tilted her horned head, made a curious noise, and looked up at him with amber eyes. "Shit?"

Astarion winced. "Oops? Well, maybe it was a fluke?"

Orin clapped her tiny hands. ""Shit, shit, shit!"

"Surely she won't do it a third time-

"Shitshitshitshit!"

...I'm going to fucking kill you."

"Please don't. I'd rather enjoy my newfound freedom, thank-you-very-much!"

He growled. "Then don't teach them bad fucking words!"

Karlach giggled merrily. "Fuck!"

Eye twitching, he looked back to little Lae'zel just in time to see her finally make up her mind.

She eyed the spoon and the food it held. Finally! He almost dared to hope...right before she reared back and bit his hand.

"Owwww!" he leaped to his feet and flailed his limb, glowering at the githyanki girl now dangling from his arm. "Not again! For crying out loud!"

Never one to be ignored, Orin hopped out of Astarion's lap and made a beeline for him and latched onto his leg. At least she didn't have something sharp to stab him with this time but-ouch! Why was she biting him, too?! He raised the limb in question and glared at her, only for the feral girl to redouble her efforts.

And little Lae'zel was still chewing on his hand!

Astarion laughed at his plight, cheeky vampire that he was. "I hate to say I told you so, buuuut...

"Its not funny, you rat bastard! Help me out here!"

"Well, unless you want me to bite her-

"ASTARION!

The laughter redoubled.

A/N: Aaaaaand scene.

Adopt all the urchins! Adopt them all, we says!

To clarify, Cazador has already been dispatched in this story; Astarion drank his blood, but didn't ascend.

Well? Should this become a story? Yay or nay, what say you? Not much else to say this time 'round. Reviews keep me writing, and without them, my inspiration falls flat. Ever bit of feedback helps. Pain hurts. Pain hurts a loooot. But silence from readers and reviewers? That hurts even more. As ever, reviews keep this old man alive during these dark and crazy times.

Seriously, we're all locked away anyways these days, feedback is all that sustains me.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... Review...Would You Kindly?

May the make you smile~!

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Read at your own risk!

(Previews)

Jaheira slapped a palm to her forehead. "Nice try, cub. I have troubles of my own, I'm not about to help you raise-

"Tough!" Naruto thrust Jenevelle into her arms, forcing her to hold or drop her outright.

Naturally, being a mother herself, she chose the former, of course.

Jenevelle smiled shyly at her and cuddled close.

Just like that, Jaheira lost their little wager.

Astarion cackled in the background.

"Pops is pretty awesome, isn't he?"

Jenevelle frowned. "He is literally a muderhobo."

"I know!" Karlach kicked her little legs over the pier, grinning as the sun rose. "Ain't it great?"

"Orin, no! Bad Orin! Put the dagger down!"

The pale child whined, kicking and struggling over his shoulder. "But muuurrrrdeeeer!"

"But nothing." he patted her head and kept walking, despite her struggles. "C'mon, lets get you some desert...

She perked up. "Will it be pudding?"

"Only if you're a good girl."

"Maybe blood pudding?"

"Orin, no!"

EDIT: Hope these made you smile~! May you have a great day and lots of luck! Peace~!

k

EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading!