In the end, Aya ended up returning to Tatsuya's room with a tray and pot of lemon tea. After knocking on the door to let the dragon know she was coming in. "I haven't been shopping yet.. we only had plain and lemon so.. I made you lemon tea."

"It wassn't too difficult. I just wore baggy clothing. Though people sstarted to think I wass wearing my fatherss old clothing." The snake, upon hearing mention of his mother, he looked up. "Sshe never ussed to let her appearance bother her." And of course, things were a little different back when his mother was in school. "Sshe iss fine. Father takess good care of her."

((I don't mind ^.^ ))

"Thank you.And it's fine.I like lemon tea.Would you like to join me?I don't mind, really.People are so scared of coming in here, since I'm the head of the family.When really, they should be more scared of me when I'm out of this room, I'm calm in here." Tatsuya laughed, smiling up at Aya.

"Ah, that must have been odd..And I'm glad she's alright, I know she's not in the best of shape these days.Your lucky to have a nice dad." Haru said, sighing."Mine has never been too nice..My mother, ont he other hand, is sometimes too nice.."

Aya approached the dragon and once again knelt down in front of him. "I'll join you if you wish." The sheep had brought in several small tea cups that seemed to match the tea pot. "I don't think people should fear you. I think they should respect you. Being feared isn't the best way to keep order." She said, pouring tea into one of the cups for Tatsuta.

Mikio nodded and cocked his head. "I vissit them every weekend." What could he say? He enjoyed visiting his parents and couldn't go a whole week with not seeing them. "Atleasst you have a nice mother, thats always a pluss, right?"

Tatsuya smiled and bowed lightly to Aya, taking a sip of the tea that was poured for him."I don't mean for people to fear me, but it's hard when your a dragon."

"Yes, but my father is a bit abusive.You ever wonder why I always come back from visiting them with bruises?" Haru sighed.

"I guess being a dragon doesn't help." Aya said, setting her hands down in her lap once more. "I'd use Takeshi as an example of a dangerous animal, but he's far too soft and laid back. I don't think I've ever seen him truly angry."

"Ss." The snake shook his head. "I had never really thought about it. I am ssorry. I didn't know." He looked up from the table and over to Haru.

"Me either..I wonder what him and Shoji are out there doing, nothing terribly stupid I hope.." Tatsuya said, setting down his cup and going back to his work.

"Yeah, he punches me and slaps me, when mom's not in the room.But she knows, I told her..I've seen her with bruises, too..Maybe I should take her here someday and keep her safe.it's not safe for her there.."Haru said, looking down at the table and sighing.

"I don't know. Knowing those two they're asleep in the sun." She said, smiling faintly. Thats usually all Takeshi did and Shoji would probably be doing the same. Taking a small sip from her tea, she fell quiet and watched the dragon work on his kimono.

Mikio listened and hissed softly. Never did he want to meet Haru's father. "I'm ssure sshe'll be more than welcome with my parentss. They live in the middle of nowhere with Takesshi's father, sso they are well protected."

"Yes, they problably are..Felines tend to do that alot in the daytime." Tatsuya laughed.

"I'd feel calmer and less paranoid about her safety if she came here, at least for a bit.I'm sure Tatsuya wouldn't mind." Haru said, looking back up at Mikio.

"They do. Wake up, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, preen and sleep." She said, describing a typical day in the life of a cat. "I don't know how they can do that. It must be boring to constantly sleep like that."

"Perhapss you sshould assk him." Mikio said, watching Haru with his rarely blinking eyes. "He sseemss to be in a good mood recently."

"Oh, and Shoji brings in cats every once in a while.Great, more thigns that do the same thing everyday.Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, bug Tatsuya, sleep." Tatsuya sighed.

"Yeah..Then after a week or so she could move in with your parents and Takeshi's father..Once I'm sure she'll be okay." Haru said, smiling.

"I think cats are cute." Aya replied, setting her cup down and looking back to Tatsuya. "They're pretty clean and spend most of their time sleeping. I'd rather have a houseful of cats than a house full of dogs or rats."

Mikio nodded in responce to this. "Ssoundss like a plan." Haru's father didn't sound like a nice man. The sooner his mother was brought to safety, the better.

"Well, you should ahve a fun time in, since Shoji brings in every stray he sees.." Tatsuya sighed.

"I'll go get her tomorrow..She'll be at the last generation head family's main house with the rest of the other zodiac children from the generation before us for a reunion, so I'll take her here then."Haru said, thinking it over."I'll have to wait for father to be away to get her things, though.I'll tell Tatsuya's father about how my mother is beign treated, he'll disctract my father well."

"So far I've only seen one cat Shoji has brought in. And that one seems to spend all of its time in Shoji's room asleep."

Mikio listened to the males plan and gave a small nodd of his head. That sounded like it would work. If Tatsuya's father distracted Haru's father, there should be plenty of time to gather her things and get her to safety. "It ssoundss like it will work."

"He had two others, but I think he gave them to normal humans, and let one of them go.He'll problably bring a new one in soon, knowing him.." Tatsuya laughed."At least he brings in nicely behaved cats, it seems."

"Luckily that's just tomorrow.Shouldn't be too hard to get in touch with Tatsuya's father." Haru said, smiling.

"Oh." Aya smiled faintly. "Or perhaps they're only nicely behaved because their around Shoji?" Shoji had a way with cats, it seemed.

Mikio nodded. "I will sspeak to my parentss and tell them whatss going on." They'd be at the reunion tomorrow too.

"Possibly..Or he tells them to behave.I hear he can communicate with cats quite well, being a cat himself." Tatsuya said, chuckling a bit.

"Alright, sounds good." Haru said, standing up."I'm going to go take a bath..I need to relax."

"Perhaps. Well.. atleast the cats behave." Aya took another sip from her drink. "Really? Thats not suprising. I know a few of the others can communicate with their own kind." She paused. "Hey.. Shoji and Takeshi both speak cat."

"Ss. Okay.. I sshall leave you alone and return to my room. I have a book that I want to finissh reading." The snake stood, bowed his head to Haru and slowly made his way from the room.

"And?They can talk behind everyone else's backs without them knowing at all?" Tatusya said, chuckling a bit.

Haru walked to the bathroom and started the water, taking off his clothing and slipping into the bath.

(Shall we bring in someone else?We're slowly reducing it to just Tatsuya and Aya..)

"Yes.. I suppose they can." Aya said, scratching behind one of her ears. "Well that isn't good at all." She paused. "Can you and Mikio speak to one another? I mean.. your both reptiles, right?"

Mikio walked into his bedroom and made his way over to his bed where his book lay open.

Kazuki wondered back into the house, a handful of flowers still with their roots held tightly in his left hand.

Satoru walked quietly behind him, ears perked up, eyes on the flowers.

Kioshi had wondered back out into the gardens, stretching and getting himself ready for a jog as he went.

Madoka hummed happily as he started to put the washed and dried cutlery and plates away.

Takeshi purred deeply in his sleep and slowly started to open his eyes, arms still wrapped around Shoji.

((Sure. I'll throw everyone else in and we'll see what happens xD ))

"Not really..Dragons aren't really related to snakes." Tatsuya said, nodding.

Shoji yawned cutely, nuzzling Takeshi's neck and licking it lightly, and looked up at the tiger."H-hi..How was your nap?"

Kichirou giggled, putting away this portion of the dishes."Almost done!Then we can go do something fun!"

Haru relaxed in his bath, sighing happily."Much better..Hope no one minds me taking a long bath.."

"I guess they're not. Well.. I guess its just Takeshi and Shoji and.. Madoka and Kichirou." Aya said after having spent a moment thinking over each member within the house.

Feeling the soft lick against his neck, the tiger looked down to the cat and smiled faintly. "Perfect. How was yours?"

Madoka grinned and glanced over his shoulder to his twin. "Yeah! What do you want to do? There's so much we can do thats fun!"

"Yeah..And everyone and one of their parents, and one of their grandparents." Tatsuya said, smiling."In speaking of our parents, they members of the zodiac of the last generation are having a reunion tomorrow, since some of them have been a bit split up.I wonder if my father will ask me to come, like he usually does.."

Shoji smiled and blushed a bit."Perfect..Especially with your warmth." He said, nuzzling Takeshi's neck lightly.

"I don't know, what would you like to do?" Kichirou said, smiling cutely at this twin.

"I know. My mothers really looking forward to it! She's brought herself a new dress especially! And she's spending all day today getting pampered." Aya's mother was a beautiful women and took a lot of care in her appearance. "Fathers not too pleased because its all coming out of his pocket." She smiled. Poor dad. "You've been before? Aw.. so lucky."

Takeshi purred deeply once more and didn't seem like he wanted to move anytime soon. Nipping Shoji's neck playfully, he closed his eyes once more and arched his back, stretching it as best he could given their current position. "My warmth? Cosy, isn't it?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Madoka replied with a childish grin. "We could always go and find something to do outside. Perhaps pick some flowers to brighten the place up?"

"Yes..My father makes me go there a lot.It's not that fun, at least for me..Noone really has much to say to the youngest generation, you kind of just end up being bored." Tatsuya sighed."They either never speak to me or speak to me too much."

"Yeah..I see why Kazuki is around you a lot..I'm starting to feel a bit like him, clinging to you like this..Except more loved.." Shoji blushed deep red, pushing back his grey locks of hair.

"I was thinking of planting carrots soon somewhere in the gardens..Would that be fun?Get to plant stuff?" Kichirou said, smiling.

"Well I suppose thats understandable. It is a reunion for their generation, not ours." She smiled. "Must be nice though, to see everyone together and getting along. I haven't seen everyone together like that in a very long time."

"More loved?" Takeshi settled himself back down, eyes resting on the blushing feline. "No.. your both loved, but in different ways. Kazuki.. has no one to care for him anymore so I sort of.. 'adopted' him. You on the other hand, have a different sort of love from me." He said, nuzzling into the males neck.

"Planting carrots? Ooh, even better! Lets go do that!" The now excited bunny rose to his feet and bounced from the room.