Valentino

"In the flesh!"

He flourished one of his four arms in the air and bowed. In his top right arm he was holding a small bundle of tattered white cloth.

It looks like an extra of the classic Roman tunic he is currently wearing. Val loves milking the classic Cupid look, he claims the ridiculous outfit to be his "work uniform" (minus the cubby flying baby part obviously.)

Valentino, also known as Val is half Cupid half whatever the hell our "birth mother" is.

He has the white wings and Halo of a Cupid, except for his wings turn black the closer they get to his shoulder blades, and the Halo that sits above his black hair is snapped in half.

The two halves both sit on top his head refusing to touch one another. He has black skin with pink triangles instead of mother's white skin with yellow-gold triangular markings.

Val has her eyes though black as obsidian with split green hearts as his pupils, the split is red.

Val is the youngest of the six eldest brothers in our family Destiny and I are number seven and eight on the sibling age list, Zal is number ten.

I closed the door,

"You never call you never write, what the fuck do you want this time?"

He grinned the same smile I once had,

" Can I not visit my baby brother without needing a reason? "

He tried to wrap his left arms around me in a sort of half hug, I dodged. And that's when the bundle started to move.

"Val, whats with the bundle?"

"Oh yeah! That's why I came here. Heh, I completely forget about this little guy. "

He pauses and looks at the bundle, a little cubby black arm reached out and tried to grab his nose, he gave it his finger. The thing in the bundle gave a satisfied little giggle as it grabbed his finger in it's cubby coal black fist. I took a step back,

"Ohoho nope nada, no. I am not dealing with your little screw up!"

He sighed,

" He's not mine. Cupid's or whatever I am, can't have kids, remember? Do you remember the imp family that lives right outside the castle?"

" Yes, the mother of the family, I believe she was a cook in the palace,she helped Destiny to escape with Lionel and I in tow. Why do you ask?"

" She had them executed."

" Who? "

" Mother, she had the guards kill them, 50 was there and able to save the youngest. He snuck the kid to a place near the tree where I found him, and now I'm bringing him to you. "

" I'll have to speak with Orian first. "

"Why? "

" Val you're asking me to take in a baby, while I have taken in children before, he will be the youngest I have ever allowed to stay. If I let him stay that is. I would be one of the main people taking care of him. I would be basically adopting it as my own. Do you understand why I must speak with my husband on this one? "

" Yeah I do. But don't worry Del, I think he's about ten months. "

" T-ten."

I palm my face.

" Dam it Val. "

He really is clueless when it comes to kids. How did he help raise so many of our siblings?

I begin walking twords the Lion's Den, maybe Vermillion knows where Orian is. Gesturing for Val to fallow suit.

"Del."

"Hmm?"

I stopped,

"After we find Orian, we need to talk."

" Of course. You know Val, Orian and I we're thinking of finding a younger sibling for Star."

" Well I'm glad I brought Rain here rather than to S and Nemu!"

" Rain?"

"That's this little guy's name."

I turn back around and start walking twords the Den,

"Rain and Star, Star and Rain. Has a ring to it doesn't it?"

He started to fallow and after about two steps my 7,4 black and pink brother smiled two of his pointy teeth are a stunning gold,

"Sure dose little bro, sure does."

"Please stop calling me that."

"No can do little bro. "

Oh gods, this is going to be one hell of a visit.

~*~

"Gods damit all!"

Star, Crimson, Scarlett, and Nova were sitting on the logs next to the weird scoreboard Veridian had set up, and we're watching the fight taking place between Vermillion and Orian in the middle of the Den's dirt floor.

Val stops walking and looks at me,

"How many times dose this make it for them fighting?"

Crimson chimes in

" Twenty two times, all within the last two months!!"

Crimson and his two sisters (Scarlett and Nova) are Vermillion's Kids they all have multie color eyes one eye same blue as mom's the other is blue but has a yellow tint to it. the girls have the tint in their left eyes while Crimson has it in his right. Their hair is blood red that fades to a near black color, all of them are wolves and descendents, just like Orian and Star, except Vermillion and her offspring all have wings, well Orian used to as well...

Vermillion has dark blue eyes and bright red hair. I honestly don't know how or why it is the same shade of red as holly berries, but okay!

I turn to Star and ask,

"What is it this time?"

"We honestly don't know. Daddy just walked in here watched us sparing and then Auntie yelled something at him. "

Nova piped in.

" We've got no idea why mama yelled, but Uncle O must'a done something wrong ta get her this mad! "

I swear if this is another fight about Vengeance and Space...

Val speaks for the fist time since we got here,

"Their fight seems to only be getting more volent. "

One of Vermillion's throwing knives is stuck in the dirt in front of my black dress shoes. The knifes hilt is on fire.

I turn my head twords Val and speak through my mask.

"Really? I couldn't tell."

"Should you maybe try and stop them?"

"Nope, not doing that again. This will either resolve on its own or Vermillion will have an attack and this will all be over. "

Val started to shout,

" AN ATTACK!! YOU MEAN THE THING WHERE SHE COUGHS UP BLOOD!?!? "

" That's the one. "

Vermillion has a disease we believe may be related to tuberculosis in some way. Although she hasn't died yet. And it seems as though it can be inherited through genetics as Nova has this mystery illness , as did Vermillion's younger brothers..

I continue speaking,

"She likes to cough in the middle of a sparring match and fake an attack as to distract her opponent. "

Rain seemed to be getting restless in the bundle as he keeps moving about.

Val looks down at the tot nervously,

"I hope this ends soon so you can speak with Orian about Rain. You remember that Cupid's can't have kids, right? "

Val is getting increasingly anxious. I mean after what happened to his dad who could blame him? the Cupid's curse, "To help others fall in love but to never find love of your own."

Since children are usually a byproduct of a loving relationship Cupids and Cupid cross breeds like Val aren't allowed to have children, adopted or otherwise. If a Cupid dose have a child the others will kill the parent and use their child as a replacement.

So they're they're not really those cute flying babys you see every February.

I put my hand awkwardly on Val's shoulder,

"This may take awhile for them to settle depending on why they began fighting, but from what Nova said, it's most likely a sparing match that got to heated. It should end after first blood is drawn. Untill then let's go to my study so that we may speak in private. "

He nodded

" Sounds good. "

" Can I come too?"

Star smiles up at me, using her big blue puppy dog eyes to try and get her way.

I lower myself onto my knees, so im at her eye leval.

"Sorry darling you can't this time. But I do have an important job for you here. "

I ruffle her white hair.

" Really?"

" Mhm. If Vermillion or Nova have an attack you know what to do, because Crimson and Scarlett will be to busy trying to help them."

She nods vigorously,

" Yup, I have to go get Josiah because he's the only one of us here who's been to medical school, and he knows what to do. "

" That's right."

I stand back up,

" I think you'll do just fine Star. "

She looks upset again, she doesn't like to feel useless. And I suppose the job I gave her is a bit mundane. I'm just glad that she didn't ask about the bundle, if Orian agrees to it I plan on adopting Rain as our son.

Star has been pestering us for the past few months about wanting a younger sibling so I want to keep this a secret until we know for sure that Rain is staying with our family.

I owe Rains mother my life and now that she's been killed I may not be able to fulfill my debit to her, but I can care for her son as my own.

"Del let's hurry up and go. I have to get back to work in an hour or the boss will have my ass!"

Val has already started twords my study, well he knows where everything is.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming."

I start twords the overconfident dumbass that is my brother.

"You told me once that you're boss owed you a favor, why not call it in?"

"This is the favor, two hours off of work."

I halt next to him.

"only two?"

"I can't afford to take off any more time or I'll get backlogged."

"Heh okay big bro, let's go."

"You finally called me big bro! I guess all that talk about disowning me is off the table?"

I start walking to the stair case.

"Not even close."