With the end of the most magic infused time of year, the Keeper found himself drained of just about everything except magic. So when Angela suggested that the two of them take the twins for a little get away to their vacation home on Apoy Island, he was quick to put Iris in charge of Tar Eisalae during his absence before he was opening a gate and stepping out onto the soft white sands of the volcanic island. 

The sweet warm tropical breeze enveloped him and hugged him, offering a peace that he hadn't been able to experience during Hebheka. He took a deep breath of the fragrant air that ran invisible fingers through his hair. He looked down at the bright red hair of the infant girl he carried before he turned to the woman who gave her that hair. 

"I can't tell you how welcome this break is," he commented as he walked over to her and gently caressed her face, and then the face of the dark haired little boy she held. The Keeper snapped his fingers and his rather stuffy garb shifted to something far more breathable and climate worthy. 

"That's better," he said before he began trudging up the sand towards their comfortable cottage. 

“Oh I have an idea, my love,” Angela gave him a smirk as she looked down to Lark who had a head full of dark locks. They both had their father’s eyes and it amused her very much to see the usual stubborn gray stormy eyes so full of joy and happiness. Not that Drae was never happy but it was different with children they were innocent.

She had on a light summery dress and her red hair was all braided and pinned around the crown of her head. “We’ve been going nonstop without a break since the beginning of spring…” She turned her face and kissed his hand softly before he could caress Lark.

“This is going to be the best break we’ve ever had. None of the world going to hell… None of the people needing us. Just us and our new babies.” Of course, they weren’t so fresh anymore. They were beginning to crawl and babble at them. Even now Poppy was admiring everything around them and she went to reach out for one of the tropical trees around them with a giggle.

“They are growing too fast… just like Rohan. We should probably stop that… Little monsters… I’ll miss them when they are bigger its just not the same thing. Rohan doesn’t want to cuddle with me as much anymore.” She chuckled a bit.

Drae chuckled softly as Angela kissed his hand as he went to caress Lark, and smiled. "Let's savor the peace while we can then," he chuckled. "Hebheka wasn't necessarily dangerous, but it was taxing," he sighed. "This is will definitely be a nice break then. I feel as if I haven't seen them a bit since we brought them into the world," he said. It wasn't true. With the merging of Tar Eisalae and the Awakening Gardens, it had been easier for him to act as parent and deity. A lot easier than it had been when Rohan had been younger. He understood Angela's anguish over their children growing so fast. Rohan was almost ten now, and Iva was old enough to have started showing an interest in boys, something that Drae was NOT ready to have to face. He still very much considered the Imp his little girl. 

"We can't stop it, that wouldn't be fair to them," he smiled. "And I think that the only reason Rohan doesn't cuddle with you more is because he's too busy fighting with Iva or too busy trying to be Hazel's protector as Lily told him to. He's plenty cuddly when he is in animal form though. I've seen that much," he laughed. "But I am sure that he wants to cuddle with you, but he is a responsible boy and knows that you are a very important woman. He took our scolding with the Tenebris debacle very well for someone so young," he said. That had been almost a year ago, several months before the twins had been born. 

“There is always quiet before the next storm. I don’t trust peace as far as I can throw the Voice… and we know that’s not very far at all.” She winked a bit and chuckled. There was never anytime to really relax as a god. You had to make time and tell others to shut up and throw your avatars into chaos.

“I’m super jealous he still cuddles with you. I’m going to have to pick him up and torment him later.” She chuckled and wondered just how long she would be able to continue to do that to Rohan. “He did handle it very well. He’s going to be a good level headed boy when he gets older. I just wish Iva took it better. She’s spent her time pouting instead of learning.” She smirked. “Boy crazy as she is right now. She is really head over heels for that boy who helped them.”

She finally saw the cottage coming into sight and took a sigh. “I don’t think we’ve even had time to spend a full day here since we built this place.”

"Oh, Angela, don't look a gift steed in the mouth. Let's make the most of this vacation while we can," Drae laughed as Poppy struggled in his grasp, shrieking shrilly to be put down. She wriggled and kicked and arched away from Drae as she saw the bright blue water of the surf crashing down on the beach. 

"He certainly isn't as cuddly as Iva used to be," The Keeper admitted as he juggled Poppy about in his arms to keep his grip on her. "She did mope a lot after that, didn't she. I don't know how I am going to handle her now, especially since she is doing almost everything in her power to make De'Zhelis look her way. Don't get me wrong, I like the boy, perhaps more so than Hiro, but Iva is far too eager. You would have hoped that an oracle like her would be a little less flighty…" 

Drae looked on at their cottage and smiled, remembering the quiet moment they had had when they had built their little island home. "Nope, not us… though I wouldn't be surprised if some of our OTHER children took advantage of its far-removed nature," he said. 

Poppy began kicking and screeching again. "Da da DA DA!" 
Drae huffed and finally gave in, and put the squirming infant girl down on the ground. "Da da da, nothing, Poppy-bear," he chuckled. 

“Forgive me for being over fifteen hundred years old.” She chuckled a bit at him and watched him struggle with Poppy. “She is such a ball of sass.” She was cradling a tuckered out Lark in her arms and giggled. “Certainly takes after you~” She played it off like she had nothing to do with it.

“She just thinks she loves him. I was like that with you for a short time. Doing what I could to get your attention, not that I needed to. She’s young this is what young girls do when they think they are in love… Hell older people do it too. She’s a seer though not an oracle… Her visions are a lot more… vague in some cases.”

Angela stopped just in front of the cottage and watched Poppy play with the sand. “Well, at least Lark loves his mommy.”

“Ma ma ma,” Lark quietly yawned at her as he hid in her chest.

“We can at least see who the hellion will be.” Poppy began to try and crawl to the pretty blue water and Ang chuckled as she watched Pop try to wiggle her butt to crawl. “They are growing way too fast…”

"If that is the case, I expect that there will be a lot of drama around Red Rose Manor," Drae chuckled. "De'Zhelis will be in for a rude awakening that is for sure. Might regret the deal he made with Dalanesca to get out of the Circulorum Inferni," he chuckled. "Seer, Oracle, both have the abilities of divination," he said with a slight shrug. "It's all divination when you poke it with a stick. Justice and Rizka even have some divining talents," he commented lightly. 

"Lark better love his Mommy. He is just like his Daddy after all," Drae said as he moved over and gently rubbed the sleepy dark haired twin who was cuddling close to his mother's figure. "And if Poppy is anything like her mother, I think the world is in for a lot of trouble. We certainly won't be able to get her to sit down or shut up with how she is going right now," he said as he watched the little girl on the sand attempt to crawl towards the surf. 

"Oh, no you don't Poppy-bear," Drae said as she reached out and grabbed something out of the sand to put into her mouth. "You need a nap just like your brother. Whether you like it or not," he insisted as he swept her up into his arms again and tickled her tummy as she shrieked shrilly in both anger and delight. 

“Definitely, if anything Iva knows what she wants and she is going to get it from him… Maybe I can drop the hint that she needs to make him a bit jealous. That might keep her off of him for a while… At least give us some breathing room. Might make his life a little more hellish but… their kids they will live.”

She leaned down and kissed Lark who made a few tired happy noises at her. “Oh, she is going to be a right hellion. She is already really sassy and adventurous just like her sisters.”

Ang giggled a bit as she watched Poppy fight him. “She is going to give you a bigger problem than Iva. I get the feeling she will be as rebellious as they come unless her and Lark trade places.” She scooped Poppy up from Drae and began to sway softly. A lullaby left her lips. It was enchanting and had a purpose as Poppy’s eyes began to lull and she fell asleep.

“Let's get them inside so we can have us time.” She leaned up and kissed Drae. “And that’s how Mommy works her magic.”

"This works for me," Drae said with a slight shrug and a charming smile. "You put them to sleep, and I get you to myself. No loss on my part here," he said with a grin as he followed his wife inside their comfortably furnished cottage. He carefully took Poppy from Angela so that she could put Rohan down without a problem before he laid the little redhead down beside her dark haired brother. 

"What an interesting pair they will be when they get older," he mused softly as he looked over them. He opened the window a crack so that the fresh ocean breeze and the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore would continue to lull them into sleep. 

He gently took Angela's hand and pulled her out of the small room that served as their nursery away from home and lead her to their room. He flopped onto the bed there and looked at her before he patted the bed beside him. 

"It's been a while since we've been able to just sit and cuddle without the threat of interruption," he mused.