(Reserved for Cloudy)

Happiness literally radiated off of Seraphine in a warm glow. Her life was starting to look up for her. She’d been attacked a few weeks ago, and before that she’d attained a stalker, but now things were getting better. Seya had kissed her. Technically, she’d freaked out at first, but now she was happy.

She’d just gotten off of work and, even though the night had drug on for eternity, a headache threatening to form in the back of her head, she was happy. She was actually on her way over to Seya’s place right now. She hadn’t told him she was coming; actually she assumed he was probably getting ready to go to bed.

Seraphine’s hair was pulled into the messy, loose braid she usually wore to work, waist length and golden blonde. The blue dye in her chin length bangs was fading away now. She was wearing a skirt today; it was about half way down her calf, tall, knee-high leather boots rising to meet the gray and black skirt. A black, loose tee-shirt with “DARK” printed across it in yellow hide her nice frame.

She was taking a short cut out through the park since it nearly stretched across the city. One straight line through was much easier then walking all the way around.

((Ok, so that was a bad post….sorry.))

For a god, stalking is easy. Physicallity is optional, after all. Today, though... he felt it was time to remind her that he wasn't going anywhere.

He was a little boy today, with a shock of bleached-blond hair, lively sky-blue eyes, and, as usual, very tan skin. He wore only shorts. The godmark was visible, as always, but not immediately noticable from a distance.

Faunus was happy. Summer. Faunus loved summer. And for every single person who loved summer along with him, he loved it more.

He fell into step alongside he, hair falling over his eyes. "Lady? Ladyladylady?" His tone was... perky. That's the word. Perky. If you've ever met a nice little boy who has never developed tact, that's who Faunus is at the moment. He looks like he's going to ask her where his mommy went.

Seraphin may be frightened of men, full grown men. But boys were a different matter. She liked boys, and girls. She'd always wanted children, especially boys. But that had been impossable, given her fear of men.

At any rate. The perky voice piped up at her elbow and she abruptly looked down. She hadn't even heared the child coming. Why was he out here? What kind of mother would let her young son run around the park at midnight with bums and who knew what else?

"Yes?" Her voice was silk. Her eyes were bright as she leaned over a little to be closer the shorter child. She didn't notice the firmiular god mark in the dark. She was too interested in the kid's blue eyes and looking around for a parent near by.

Oh, that was nice. Her eyes looked lovely like that. He should do this more often. "Can I follow you home?" Now, this was in the same perky tone of voice. It was one of those things children said, like 'are you a squirrel' or 'can I keep it, mommy?'. His eyes, blue to her green, reflected back pure innocent mischief.

She smiled, then laughed lightly, a hand over her lips. How precious children seemed to be. So innocent and untainted by this ugly world. She tucked loose strands of her hair out of her eyes and behind her ears.

"I'm not going home." She replied. "Where is your mum?" She looked around again, still leaning over slightly. Poor kid. Sure kids needed a little bit of freedom but this was rediculous.

The boy shrugged, picture of careless confidence. "Don't 'ave a mum. Got Faunus... 'e don't count." Bad grammar, that was. And refering to yourself in the third person wasn't all that great either, fun though it was.

The shrug happened to throw some loose hair around, blond stuff that bounced as if in a slight breeze.

When he'd said he had Faunus, she'd assumed he meant that Faunus was someone, like a brother or a guardian. She looked around again, then back at the young child. He was absolutely adorable.

“Well, where is Faunus then?” Seraphine had never learned the name of the man that utterly frightened her and had followed her around for a few weeks. If she had she’d have gone through all lengths to stay away from any Faunus mentioned. “Is he your father? Or your brother?” Then as an after thought she asked him, “What’s your name sweetheart?”

Hmm... he had options. He could lie. Or, more amusing, he could tell the truth. "Faunus is me when I'm grown up. I'm Frey." It was the truth, every word. And yet so very misleading.... "We have the same flowers." Ah, you have to love the third person plural. Frey looked up at her, bringing the flowers in question into view. Sky blue, like his eyes. The vine and leaves were emerald green against the dusky tone of the god's skin. He looked disconsolate for a moment. "I have to have them." One flower, just off center, was fading into dusky purple as he spoke.

For a moment, she simply thought how pretty that tattoo was...then a fleeting thought. What kind of parent or gaurdian would tattoo a child so young? At mention of the grown up version of him, she assumed it was a child's silly game spawned from his imagination and nothing more.

"Frey. That's a very nice name. I'm Sera." She eyed the flowery tattoo, assuming, after looking twice, that the coloring of the flower was just her eyes in the darkness. "Where do you live Frey?" She would take him home.

Wait.

That tattoo was so firmiluar, and now she thought she knew why. Someone had had that same image drawn on their neck. That...guy. Dear lord! Don't let this be his son!

Frey shrugged "Iunno. Sorta over that way." His gesture points unerringly south- summer eternally lives in the equator. Then, since this was their first formal introduction. With more than a trace of the liquid, graceful, speed of his adult form, Frey essayed a bow.

Just the barest hints of what he could do if he wanted to be impressive, but he wasn't here to be impressive. He was here to shake her out of this surity of the goodness of the path she was walking. It was by no means the only one open to such a lovely girl, after all. No magic. No him, for that matter. It wouldn't do.

She smiled, peering in the direction he'd pointed. She straightened up, then he bowed. Seraphine's laugh rang out. It was no wonder she wanted a little boy. Now, however, since she remembered the matching tattoo's owner, she was not going to walk the child home.

"Well then, Frey, why don't you run home? It's dark. You shouldn't be out so late. It's dangerous." Not just for children. She ruffled his hair with her finger tips, just because she wanted to touch the blond hair. It was almost like a friendly instinct.

Lips set in a sullen pout, he muttered "Dunwanna." He flashed a grin, mood light again, and added in an audible tone "Why can't I go home with you? You're nice." Ah, the compliment. How wonderful thou art.

His hair feels silky, the sensation similar to touching corn silk. She gets another grin for the touch, which sends a thrill through him.

The pout nearly broke her heart. Children can do that to most women. She wasn't overly flattered by the compliment. Most children think just about everyone is nice. His hair is nice so she takes to pushing a strand away from his face. Then crosses her arms over her chest.

"Because I told you. I'm not going home." She wasn't. She was going to Seya's. He was as percistant as that other man had been....no. He was percistant as any child his age would be. "Are you out here all alone?" It shocked her to think that he was.

Looking cunning, Frey asked "Gonna go home eventually, though... how come I can't come?" He was beginning to look sullen. For artistic purposes, of course.

The flowering vine around the god's neck is almost completely purple now, with one flower already verging on turning black.

Seraphine was becoming just a little uneasy about the changing color of his tattoo. How could her eyes possibly make the color do that? It was shadows. That was it. That had to be it. It certinally was a good explination. Excpet that if she was looking closer she'd realize that his skin color wasn't darkening like a shadow would make it do. But she wasn't looking closer. She was smileing at his pouting face.

"I told you, Frey, I'm not going to my house. I'm going to someone elses. I can take you there." The sullen look made her forget her worries about that man that used to follow her however. "How about I walk you a little way to your home?" Compromise? She was having trouble telling such a sweet child no.

Frey's expression was all sunshine again, happiness unadulterated. "Okay, let's go for a walk. I like walk. Walks are fun." He trundled happily south, obviously taking her up on the offer.

He wondered, idly, how long it would take before she'd realize they didn't actually have a destination. Should be fun.

Seraphine smiled, looked in the direction she'd been heading, then turned and followed the boy. Seya would have to wait. He hadn't known she was comming anyways. And...well, walking a little boy home to be sure he was safe was, after all, the right thing to do.

He didn't have a mother. He hadn't said anything about a father and he had an active immagination. "Where do you live Frey?" There was a question that should have been asked before she'd offered to walk him there.

An active imagination... that was one way of putting it. With a hike of his shoulders, Frey conveyed that it was a very silly question. "I told you. This way." They crossed the street, out of the park already.

Y'know, if Sera happens to have a classical education she might recognize the name Frey as belonging to the Norse god of summer.

She might have known, is she'd gone to school and received a higher education outside of basics. But she'd never gone to school. Her father and brothers kept her at home. Besides, her 'stalker' never told her what his name is, and being Unnish, she was monotheistic. One God that reigned overall.

Sera sighed, following Frey. "Yes, I know it's this way. Where at this way?"

Frey shrugged, grinned and continued blithely onwards. This was going so well... why did she have to ruin it by thinking too much?

Why think so much? Because she's a woman. Most women were like that.

She sighed, glanced over her shoulder at the path, then looked back to the child's back. Where is He taking me? She followed silently, wondering if se could really trust the child. That man was back on her mind now. What if he were taking her to him?

Oh god. No one would know where to find her. Seya didn't know. He thought she was working and then going home. Would he even wonder if she didn't stop by in the morning? She reached out and took hold, gently of course, of Frey's shoulder.

"Frey. Where is it that you live? What's the address? What part of the city?"

Frey looked blank. "I don't live in the city." He fell silent, letting her carry the brunt of making the conversation go where she wanted. He was not going to make this easy for Sera.

"You don't live in the city." Great! She kept a hold of his shoulder. He was obviously doing a good job at not making this easy. That was the downfall of all children. They were so simple but so complicated.

"Then where do you live?" Then she added quickly, "and don't tell me 'this way'."

Frey looked at her. He didn't bother pretending to be sullen. His gaze is calm, stubborn, and very adult. "Why should I?" It isn't defiant, his tone. It's serious, a serious question, though the underlying mischief is apparant if someone happens to have an ear for tones.

"Because asked." She replied flatly, the way a parent or elder usually would. Her own tone had something of a demand to it. Tell me now. Then she resulted to being a little bit childish. "Or I won't walk you home. I'm not leaving the city Frey. I have somewhere to be." I just wanted to be sure you got home safe.

Frey's expressioned darkened, clouded by anger. "Wouldn't you rather be with me than that dog-owning upstart?" This interlude was over, he could see that. Time to be serious.

Seraphine stopped walking, her hand on the child's shoulder still. "Wh...What did you say?" She'd never told Frey she was going to Seya's. In fact, she'd never told him about Seya...or his dogs.

"Who told you about that?"

He snorted dismissively. "You thought I wouldn't notice? Come on. I might be little now, but I'm not stupid."

He's really prolonging this. Making her work for it. But then, as anyone who's met a god knows, they aren't very nice people.

"Notic what?" Her hand released his shoulder. She was becoming nervous now. The child wasn't speaking much like a child anymore. And he was no longer a sweet boy, as he had been, now he sounded like...well...a man. And Men frightened Sera a little...okay. Maybe more then just a little.

Frey flashed another grin, but it was so fleeting it looked fake. "You. Him."

After another brief pause, he added "I'm surprised, you know. You didn't seem the type to fall for the first guy who was decent to you." Between one moment and the next, the boy's gone. His voice, the voice that she should remember from their last meeting, whispers in her ear "I could be decent too." If and when she turns around, he'll be standing uncomfortably close, child-body all grown up.

She wa still staring at the spot where the child Frey had been, her face plastered with confussion. "Seya isn't the first..." to be decent...just the closest to me. But she'd stopped talking outloud. The boy was gone, she was talking to herself now. Where had he gone to?

Then the voice whispering in her ear. and her answer in her mind: But you arn't being decent, you never were. In her mind she knew who was there, but a part of her refused to believe and she turned around and took a few steps back, cursing at herself for even bothering to turn. He was standing so close.

Frey didn't feel like taunting her, easy though it would be. "Look... consider it. That's all I ask." For the moment, anyway. Gods are naturally demanding.

With a slight wave, he's gone. Again. He'll be back, soon enough. He left behind the scent of fresh mown grass, and the faint sound of night insects, on the wind.

Her heart was beating, ready to jump out of her chest and make a run for it. Consider what? Consider possibly giving up my trusted Seya for you, oh one who harasses me to no end? Consider it my ass.

Then he was gone. Just like that. He didn't even walk away. How was that possible? There was no way that could possibly be possible. Seraphine walked over to the spot where he'd stood, bent, touched the ground, no trap door. She stood up, turned and walked, very fast, towards Seya's house.