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"I guess we're all trying to keep off the radars. You know how anything on the internet can spread..." It was always one of her worries, especially seeing those internet memes. How viral they would go, it sometimes amazed her how quickly things could pick up. But it was a new age, and you had to move with the times. Right...? Perhaps after the prior experience with the reporter had pushed them into hiding. She certainly related to the desire to.

Hui smiled at this. Meeting the cat and his guardian? What a funny thing, one she hadn't considered doing until now. "I guess it's best we keep our small community connected, for the kids' sakes anyway. That would indeed be an interesting meeting for Aya." She laughed. The girl was so quiet, and the other so... Hooked on spotlight. It seemed that way anywho.

"Oh, yes. I've become quite well acquainted with someone in London who has a pink-haired little girl. She's a lovely thing, excitable. Sort of the opposite of Sohne, but they get along very well regardless. It seems their personalities match up well." She chuckled at this. "Maybe I can introduce you to them sometime? Or forward their contact info after their consent? I think they'll be glad to be meeting more people like us. And we do have to stick together."

--

Sohne looked absentminded as he watched the numbers go up on the top of the elevator. And when he heard Aya's soft sweet voice speak to him, he turned swiftly to look at her with a mischievous grin on his face.

When the elevator doors opened to a mostly empty floor and the rooftop doors just across from the elevator, he was thrilled at the sight of this. It had been so easy, but perhaps that was only how it seemed for now. Maybe the difficulty would come later. But still, he cautiously peered out from the edge of the open elevator doors to ensure his lady's safety. As if some hidden dragon would start spurting flames at the two. He saw on the side there was a couple sitting watching the romantic view outside from a window on a couch.

How boring, he scowled with a 'bleh' face at them. That was too simple for his tastes, it seemed. Thankfully, the couple had not noticed the elevator doors opening so Sohne looked back at his companion, pointing in the direction of the couple and then putting his hand to his lips as a signal for 'quiet as possible'. He intended on quickly tip-toeing passed the emotionally-involved couple.

"I think my brother also heard a rumor of some boy in a band from NJ who also has a girl. But... I don't know if that's a good source of information." Not that Long would lie about something such as this, but she wasn't sure she trusted the idea of a teenager in possession with a child. Even though that seemed to be quite a common practice nowadays... "Apparently he went to see this band play one time and he caught a glimpse of black feathers by a baby girl. But that's hardly enough to say anything really..." Why was she telling James this? It wasn't necessary and it was extremely vague. How could anyone gather much from it.

"Ah sorry, my brother... I don't know what he was saying." She immediately took a sip from her tea as it had just arrived. Ow. It burned the tip of her tongue but she decidedly ignored the pain after a short flinch and proceeded to set the cup down and stir her tea with the small spoon beside it.

Trying to take her mind off of the blabber she'd just spilled, she realized what James had just been talking about. Sohne. A boy. With his daughter. And snorted aloud before she could control herself. "Sorry, sorry." She waved a hand. "I.. Was just thinking about what you meant. About meeting other girls." She tried to hide her quiet laughing by covering her mouth.

London... "It was... I guess not all that different from New York. Dark, dirty gloomy streets and lots of people. Only the people all had accents." She smiled and shrugged. Though perhaps she was understating it. She did have fun, and Sohne had as well. If they hadn't had such good accommodations thanks to Damien, it would have been a much tighter budgeted trip.

--

Sohne was thrilled on the inside, one that she was playing along. Two, sneaking around. When the timing seemed just right, with Aya in hand, he shot toward the door to the outside roof area that had giant potted trees and planters around the roof edges. There was a wall protrusion just enough to hide the two of them, since they were small.

And like two shadows that had flitted across the wall, Sohne had gotten them across the hall. Sneaking a glance around the wall, the man seemed to notice something odd and had looked over but not at the right time. Deeming it as nothing, he proceeded to wooing his significant other with sweet words. Sohne however was laughing on the inside over it.

At this moment though, he looked at the hand he was holding. The white glove. It had an uncomfortable touch to it, not as good holding hands when there was something in the way. He frowned at the abomination and decided to take it off, stuffing the glove in his giant pants' pocket. When he took her hand again... Much better. Her hand was soft, as though there were a layer of well-cared for fur; which there was but Sohne wasn't too keen on realizing this.

Without so much as a glance at his partner, he lead her out onto the roof deck. Following the door's wall, he lead her around to the other side so as they could have more privacy and would be out of view of the other couple. This building may not have been the tallest, but it was certainly a great view of the city scene. And he took a moment to glow in the warm morning sun.

"I'll see if I can get any more information out of him." Hui coughed, clearing her throat. If the rumor was true, she really wondered what kind of kid could handle having a Song child. A kid taking care of a kid? The horror. She sincerely hoped that child was in good hands.

Hui pondered this. Was it true that all teenagers were to never be understood by their parents? She thought back on her own teenage years and shivered. "Maybe." She wondered how Sohne would be as a teenager, considering how suave and charming he was as a toddler... He'd be wooing girls all over the place without necessarily meaning to, wouldn't he? He was already doing it now. She wondered if this was the influence from the romance of the lyrics from his song. It made her worry a little. "Well I hope he's not getting himself into any trouble." She laughed at this, since he was a generally well-behaved child. From what she say, anyway.

--

Now was the moment Sohne felt true freedom of the moment. No one else around except himself and his partner. It was delightful.

He noticed that she threw the other glove on the floor, and not wanting her to forget it. Like a gentleman, he picked it up and put that one also in his pocket. As a precaution, he looked around in order to be certain no one else was around as mom had taught him to do so in public. He pulled at the bottom of his large bell-like pants to let free the ankle wings that were hidden underneath.

He flexed and unflexed them a number of times before they felt better from being cramped under the cotton fabric. Even for short periods of time, it felt unnatural and uncomfortable. He decided to stretch and touch his toes a bit too. This was much better.

And then he looked at Aya, who was spinning around having her own fun. And he smiled because this certainly was a perfect moment to enjoy the freedom of being one's self out in the open. He understood why he had to hide certain things, but that didn't mean he was okay with it. One day he knew he would let the world know, and now was only a matter of biding his time. Pulling off his button-down long-sleeved shirt and tossing it to the ground, he decided to spin around as well. Allowing the black twin to fly through the air following his body's motion. It felt nice to do it out in the open.

Hui chuckled. That was really an understatement. "Yes, yes he does." She tilted her head in curiosity after though. "Maybe she's simply very mature for her age." But kids were difficult to read sometimes, so maybe his assessment of his own daughter was much more accurate than her guessing.

"She's an intelligent girl, I'm sure she'll get out of her shell in her own time." She smiled. But it didn't hurt to have friends that would help her with that, right? She sometimes wished she'd had that when she was younger. "Sohne's social behavior on the other hand is really odd sometimes. For a kid, he's so relaxed all the time. It occasionally unnerves me." She half smiled at this.

--

Momentarily distracted by Aya's free-flowing hair, he stopped his spinning to see her ears twitch a bit. He smiled a toothy dork smile. She looked very nice with her hair down.

And then she said his name. And it sounded so nice coming from her voice. Her soothing gentle doe-like voice. He felt at ease to hear her talk, but this was not an uncommon feeling for him. There was rare a time when he didn't feel at ease, adapting naturally to practically every environment he'd been in so far.

And then her simple one worded question. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the sun from the word 'happy'. He was more than happy to be around someone his own size who was just like him. He loved it. And to show how grateful he was to her company, in a second's breath he had wrapped his arms around her, head on her shoulder and quietly answered "Very." Smiling his eye-disappearing smile, though she couldn't see it from the current position.

Hui wondered the same thing all the time. Yet Long had plenty of explanation why... She was a shut-in and Sohne prevented that. He was calmer in almost every situation compared to her. He enjoyed all kinds of company rather than a very select few. He was more open to change. Long had made an entire list-full of possible reasons why she had been given Sohne. "Yeah... I wonder too." She smiled. Her brother made plenty of valid points but she wasn't about to say that aloud, ever.

Hui couldn't even really remember who he was inquiring about... "Girl?" She looked at him inquisitively. She'd forgotten. She only remembered vague details from that encounter as it had been a mildly horrendous one.

--

"No." He pulled away slightly from the embrace to look face to face with her, arms still half around her.

He said it with amusement and slight confusion on his face. Why here? This hotel rooftop? Why not every rooftop? It could be their secret meeting place everywhere! Because, in his mind, they were sure to go everywhere together. One day. When he was bigger and didn't need permission to go places or need an adult with him. Have to think big, right? He didn't only want one.

"Erery roof." Were his two bright words.

Hui nodded and let the moment pass. Also finishing up her tea, while looking at the two empty seats beside them.

Sohne should be back soon. She guessed.

How would she fill this empty air until he did? She was at a loss. She took this time to enjoy the window view.

--

Sohne was thrilled that she agreed with him! And hugged her tightly in return. But he also knew it was about time to head back.

So he gently pulled her arms away and down, holding onto one hand and taking a glove out of his pocket carefully placed it back on. After doing the same with the other glove, he gave her two hands a loving squeeze and a look that meant to say 'time to go'. Now he proceeded to fixing his pants over his wings and snatching up his shirt that was a few feet away.

When he had gotten that back on as well, he then took up her hand again and walked back to the elevator at a generally slow-easy pace. The couple was still there, and this time they finally noticed the younger couple in bewilderment as though to say 'since when were they up here? were they watching us the entire time?' and looked embarrassed trying to act normal, fixing their clothes or touching their hair or repositioning themselves on the couch. Sohne grinned at this with a laughter in his eyes. Grown-ups were funny.

Sohne held Aya's hand the entire way down the elevator and all the way back to where their parents sat at their table, where they had left them. The same. Sitting there, the only difference was that they had stopped talking.

Grown-ups were funny things. They often tried to fill the air with each other just to feel comfortable and when there were no more words to be said, things fell into an odd silence that left both parties uneasy. At least that's what he noticed with mom.

When Sohne finally had to let go of Aya's hand in order to slide back into his seat, he gave her a secretive look. Something that only the two of them would get. And then he returned his gave to his mother with an innocent smile as though not much had happened.

"There you are." Hui smiled, ruffling his hair. "Did you have fun?" Sohne gave a quick few nods. "Did you have fun too Aya?" Now looking at the girl. Something was different about her this time though... What was it...? Oh! Her hair was down...? What an odd thing... And then she gave an odd look to Sohne as if to ask 'what have you been doing?' with a confused and semi-stern face. Which he simply passed off with a blank 'what're you talking about' look.

Sohne began to drink his lemonade and ignore his mother's sigh. He knew she would drop it.

After finishing their drinks, Hui paid the bill and the two pairs said their good-byes. Until they would meet again of course, since Sohne had set his sights on that.

It was still early afternoon by the time they'd left, but Sohne seemed to be in day-dream land on his encounter with the doe girl. Hui laughed at his floaty-happy composure, he would most likely be this way for a few days. On a cloud floating some place, Sohne hardly noticed the dirty busy streets of New York.