Glaring daggers Naomi bent down and grasped the small child by his ear, tugging him away from both Jean and Devi. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?! Now you better get your act together and behave yourself, or so help me I'll---!!"

A cold chill ran up Jean's spine as he saw his aunt's dreadful expression, and he immediately regretted his decision. Despite his cousin's despicable actions, locking him in the closet suddenly seemed like the far less painful method of punishment.

Damien immediately began to scream, his previous angelic face twisting into a mask of fear and rage. "Nonononononononooooooo!!!" he wailed, grasping her hand as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Lemme gooooo!!!!"

Damien immediately began to scream, his previous angelic face twisting into a mask of fear and rage. "Nonononononononooooooo!!!" he wailed, grasping her hand as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Lemme gooooo!!!!"

Naomi's glare intensified as she gripped his ear harder, yanking him around to look into her eyes. "Don't speak to me that way, young man! I'm not letting go until I know....so...Are you going to behave or not?!"

Naomi's glare intensified as she gripped his ear harder, yanking him around to look into her eyes. "Don't speak to me that way, young man! I'm not letting go until I know....so...Are you going to behave or not?!"

Damien stopped screaming, staring back at her with wide eyes. For a second it seemed that he would concede, but suddenly, with drool dribbling down his chin, he wailed, "NEVERRRRRR!!!" and attempted to pull himself away.

Damien stopped screaming, staring back at her with wide eyes. For a second it seemed that he would concede, but suddenly, with drool dribbling down his chin, he wailed, "NEVERRRRRR!!!" and attempted to pull himself away.

Arching a brow, glare still plastered on her face, Naomi reached down with her other hand and grabbed Damien by the arm. Hoisting him up by his arm, she pulled him to her side and bent him over. With a swift, sturdy hand, Naomi gave him a hard thwap! on the rear. "I said BEHAVE!" she snapped.

Devi, watching the scene from a short distance, hesitantly spoke up. Timidly, she interrupted Damien's punishment, intervening worriedly, "N-no, no. It's ok. It's okay...really! He didn't do anything horribly bad, did he?" Turning back towards Jean, Devi looked at him with a wide-eyed, pleading expression.

"N-no, no. It's ok. It's okay...really! He didn't do anything horribly bad, did he?" Turning back towards Jean, Devi looked at him with a wide-eyed, pleading expression.

"Nope, not at all!" Jean agreed with her, not so much for his cousin's sake as for Devi's, who was looking at him with a rather terrified expression upon her face. He took a few hesitant steps toward his aunt, knowing all too well how terrible her wrath could be. "C'mon, Naomi, I think he's had enough..."

Damien appeared to. He had stopped wailing and now dangled over her side, his face bright red and damp with tears. Sniffling loudly, he muttered a halfhearted, "No, no no no no..."

"Nope, not at all!" Jean agreed with her, not so much for his cousin's sake as for Devi's, who was looking at him with a rather terrified expression upon her face. He took a few hesitant steps toward his aunt, knowing all too well how terrible her wrath could be. "C'mon, Naomi, I think he's had enough..."

Damien appeared to. He had stopped wailing and now dangled over her side, his face bright red and damp with tears. Sniffling loudly, he muttered a halfhearted, "No, no no no no..."

Naomi seemed to slowly simmer, calming as she realized that her son was no longer crying out. She sighed and released her grasp on him. Patting herself off, she stood upright and smiled sweetly as she concluded, "Now be a good boy and play nice, Damien."

Devi looked over at the small boy sympathetically, cautiously inching closer before crouching down once more. Hugging her knees, she peered up at him, taking in his tear-soaked face and dismayed expression. With a soft, comforting smile, she reached out and timidly wiped his cheek with the back of her hand before petting his head affectionately. "There, there..." she cooed, some deep-rooted maternal instinct kicking in. "It's okay..."

"There, there..." she cooed, some deep-rooted maternal instinct kicking in. "It's okay..."

Jean watched in silence as she comforted the small boy, suddenly thinking what a shame it was that she couldn't have children. She would have been a great mother.

Damien glanced up at her shyly, his fear ebbing away as confusion took it's place. Why was this lady being so nice to him? He had done something bad... adults didn't want to talk to you anymore after you did something bad.

"... I'm sorry..." he mumbled, wondering how she would react to that.

"... I'm sorry..." he mumbled, wondering how she would react to that.

Devi paused at his apology, her heart melting at his words. Unable to control herself, she swooned at his adorability and pulled him into another hug. "It's okay, it's okay," she practically squealed, fawning over the child.