<9> Rainier stared at Vivine for a long moment. His face remained stoic, but it was clear his mind was running on overdrive, particularly when he just turned on his heel and strode right back out his brother’s front door. Vivine was taken aback. “Did I… did I say something wrong?” Summer walked up next to her mother. “No, no. He’s kinda always like this. He’s got a big heart, but he’s not good at showing it.” The younger blood elf watched Rainier walk past the bay window outside, then seat himself at the edge of the stream not far from the house. “Oh….” “Oh?” Vivine pressed. Summer frowned. “I… I don’t wanna speak for him. I think you should go talk to him.” “[i]Talk[/i] to him? Humans-” “[i]My[/i] father,” she corrected Vivine firmly, “just went through probably the biggest panic of his life. He may not look it, but I think he’s shaken, and I don’t think he knows how to handle it. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be rude. I had come to terms that both of my biological parents were dead a long time ago, and as such Rainier is still very much my dad. I accept you as my mom too, but you gotta know that I’m not just gonna… walk away from my dad for that, either.” “That wasn’t-” Vivine started, then sighed softly before slowly walking out the door as well. Rainier was half-hunched over the edge of the stream, his legs dangling over the edge in the water as a child might. His eyes were unfocused when Vivine walked up beside him, but he snapped back into focus when she, too, swung her legs into the water next to him. “You’ll catch cold.” “Hypocritical,” she cocked back. Rainier let out a single chuckle. “Fair.” Vivine studied his stern expression curiously. “You… you speak to me with no prejudice or malice, do you?” “Should I?” “No… it’s just… [i]odd[/i].” “I lived with a blood elf for eighteen years. We’re all just people trying to get by,” he said simply. Vivine cracked a slight smile. “Well-spoken.” “Mmh… I suppose you’ll be taking Summer back to Quel’thalas, hmm?” he said out of the blue. The blood elf’s knee-jerk reaction was ‘absolutely’ in her mind. But considering the circumstances, she had to think a lot longer before she responded. “It would be [i]nice[/i], but… I can’t just take my daughter from her home like that.” Rainier inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose. “You would be within your rights to do so.” “Perhaps. But like you, I respect our daughter’s opinions and decisions. Exerting my will on her would just drive her away from me.” “You know how to parent,” Rainier quipped with another chuckle. “Took me a little while to learn that one.” “It took me two children to figure it out,” she added with a laugh of her own. “Now they’re [i]both[/i] Ren’dorei.” “Noble elves, both of them. Your Gianna nearly sacrificed herself for our sakes. I dunno how Athilis tracked Summer down, but for her sake, I’m glad he did. I…” He paused here, then let his words die with another sigh.” Vivine studied his every movement. “I think… we can come to an arrangement, perhaps? To be truthful, I… I don’t really know my own daughter, but I’d like to get to know her all the same.” “... Yeah. I’m sure she’d like that too,” Rainier admitted, fidgeting with his own hands. “But I… I don’t wanna let her out of my sight again,” he admitted with a deep sigh. “There. Happy?” The blood elf frowned. “Not really. But I understand that… instinct,” Vivine admitted as she reached over to touch his hand. “Parents should be willing to give up their lives for their children if need be. Seeing what you did for Summer… you and I have similar attachments to her, despite being worlds apart. If… if Summer [i]wants[/i] to visit, I [i]insist[/i] that you accompany her.” Rainier bristled. “Stormwind’s seen its share of high elves and void elves. Humans aren’t exactly common in Silvermoon.” “I live beyond the city’s walls, so that’ll be perfect,” the rogue finished nonchalantly. “Mmmh… I don’t wanna be a fifth wheel either. Summer’s gonna wanna get to know her siblings too,” Rainier added, this time turning his hand over to rest her palm in his. “I should probably get to know her mom, too.” Blindsided, Vivine flushed a deep crimson. “I-I-I… Mr. Carnell I… you don’t have to-” “It was just an offer,” Rainier said. “Doesn’t have to mean anything. Just a meal and some chitchat.” “You would… with me…?” she said, dumbstruck. Rainier cocked an eyebrow. “You act like all humans are racist shits or something. I’ve known a lot of ‘em, but that’s not normally us… and you wouldn’t be my first,” he added with a half-laugh. From afar, however, Athilis, Gianna, and Summer were all peering through the picture window in Rowan’s house. One of the panes was open, allowing them to quietly eavesdrop on the conversation. When Rainier made his little quip, Summer couldn’t hold back a groan, nor fight the urge to want to melt into the floor. “By. The. Light… [i]Daaaaaad[/i]....” The two void elves looked at their sister. “What’s he mean by that?” Gianna pried. “Yeah, you would’ve been better not to react at all,” Athilis joked. “Does this mean you… and [i]him[/i]...?” Summer shoved her face as hard as she could into the seat cushion in front of her, then reluctantly nodded. “Oh honey…” Gianna echoed and touched Summer’s blanket-covered shoulder. “I guess we should tell you something-” “Gia, wait! She’s gonna think we’re freaks!” Athilis protested. “What’s different from our circumstances when she’s in bed with her father?” “Uh, because he doesn’t share her blood?” “They’re still family! We all are!” Athilis covered his face with his palm, but Summer lifted her head to speak before he could. “Wait… you guys…?”