[attr="class","salvatore"]Yaela had promised to take her daughter for a walk and then some ice cream, but could not remember how or why they decided to visit the park. Now, Yaela did not have anything against parks per se, but places like these had a habit of inviting the wrong...crowd. Such as bums, stray dogs, and...children. God, she hated being surrounded by other people's kids. Sticky little hands and fingers...

"Oh, Merrill." The child grinned up at her, face miraculously clean of the frozen treat. "We aren't staying long, so don't get too comfortable."

The child pouted but quickly caved. "I'm just glad to spend it with such a beautiful mother." She winked and gestured with one hand.

Yaela held back the urge to snort. "Flattery will get you nowhere, sweetie."

"Who cares! I wanna go on the slide."

The girl was off before her mother could complain. She really could not see the appeal in -- what exactly was it that people did here? Nature walks she could understand, but...

Feeling somewhat disgruntled, Yaela chose the seat closest to the slide: a bench half occupied by a young, blond man. She was an alchemist, a healer, but skeptical of finding anything of use in a playground. "Hmm..."

There was a sort if scuffle on the playground equipment, with Merrill as the main offender. She was hassling a boy around her age, insisting that she go first...despite him being there before her. "Merrill! Play nice or we're going home." As if she needed any excuse.

"But mooooom." The girl cut herself short after a glare from Yaela.

Hoping that the kids would behave themselves, Yaela nodded in the direction of the man. "Kids, huh? Which one is yours?




✏: so tired...
@: @anthonyskies

[attr="class","salvatore"]For a moment there, Yaela worried she'd have to do something about Merrill herself. Despite her warning, she and the boy had not backed down yet. Until the blond man spoke up to address the boy she assumed to be his son. Merrill beamed at the man for taking her side, whereas Yaela smiled in amusement. He was right about that last part; a man who could keep his cool and back out when needed was attractive. One who insisted on butting heads was...well, it reminded her a little too much of her ex-husband.

A grinning Merrill edged around the petty youth and made her way down the slide, laughter and red hair trailing behind her. Soon the boy would follow, and they would repeat the process of taking turns until they grew bored and moved on to something more respectable, like the swings.

"Not yours? You could've fooled me. You're so good with him." The sign of a good brother, perhaps? She took his hand, gave it a firm squeeze like her father taught her, shook and released. "And I'm Yaela. Yaela Fuchs. That's my little girl over there, Merrill." She motioned towards her cascade of red hair. "It runs in the family.

"Gross, mom," the girl called out.

In her eyes, Yaela was flirting with the brother of the "enemy." Apparently, the kid was not as blind to her mother's coquettish behavior as she'd initially thought. She had a feeling that the girl was lurking around and oversaw her encounter with Valencia...which would explain some things. "I am not," she replied with false indignation.

She could feel the girl making faces of disgust when she turned back to the young man. "Must be interesting to have a sibling so young. I was an only child, myself." Couldn't begin to imagine it, either. She was spoiled and stuck to her father like glue. It was frustrating enough to share him with her mother, though tolerated it out of reason. "Merrill's the same." That, she had conflicting feelings about. Being an only child got lonesome, but she was not fond of children and could barely keep up with her own. Merrill was a handful at times.

"Andy, come push me on the swings."

She was going to be a heartbreaker some day.



✏: ---
@: @anthonyskies

[attr="class","salvatore"]...Oldest out of five? Good lord. Yaela's eyes went big at that little tidbit of information. Her parents did well for themselves, and were technically one of those families with old money and some status. But even then, she doubted their household could maintain a house of seven. Oh, and could you just imagine how rowdy things could be? On top of her other hang ups, just no. "It was quiet, yes, but I wasn't terribly lonely. I had friends."

She became popular some time after puberty, particularly with the boys. It wasn't something she liked to brag about, considering how quick some of them were to turn on her or spread rumors and pillow talk. "It's rough on Merrill, I can tell. I try my best to keep her entertained and make her feel loved, but... Yaela worried the girl might act out or gain a similar reputation when she was older. Even though she made it a point to shield her daughter from the rough and tumble of daily life, Merrill was a very sharp kid. Just how many times had she secretly watched Yaela out and on the prowl?

She smirked at how the children were playing, Merrill taking the lead and Andy begrudgingly trailing behind her. A girl like that would not struggle to get what she wanted out of life, which, in Merrill's case, she hoped was filled with ambition for a better life and status. Chasing boys (and girls) was all fun and games, until you found yourself tied down.

"I certainly hope so. Merrill could always do with more friends. And Andy seems like a nice enough young lad." There were many boys who would refuse or even try to wrap their little hands around that mass of hair. Yaela had had her fair share of confronting their parents.

"So, Anthony…have anyone special in your life?" They were already on the topic of family, so.



✏: ---
@: @anthonyskies

[attr="class","salvatore"]One of the things Yaela did not look forward to as a parent was... dating. Or the dreaded teen years, but that was easier to handle, at the very least. In some ways, she could understand why her parents were so exasperated or hated anyone she introduced them to. Even the nice guys were suspect. Anyone who wanted to be in a romantic relationship with their daughter was suspect. And god, could she relate to that so much right now. Doubly so, as Merrill's father was one of those "badboys".

And if anyone treated her daughter the way he treated her... and she caught wind of it...

Yaela smiled at the two children and their current innocence. It was almost a shame they'd have to grow up at some point.

She turned her smile back to Anthony, amused and a little surprised that he was still out on the market. He didn't strike her as the sort to be without a girl or two on each arm. But then, you never could judge a book by its cover. "Oh, really, now? You'd think a handsome man who cared for his siblings would draw all the girls," she said with a light laugh. "But I can understand that." She held up her barren ring finger, devoid of any telltale sign of recent usage.

"I myself am unattached." Unlike her teen years, she had to be careful with her choice in partners. "I feel like marrying young was a mistake sometimes, but then I wouldn't have Merrill." Who she liked to call her little blessing and a curse -- never out loud or to her face, of course. "Do you have a type, at least? Or an ideal match?" This conversation was veering off the usual small talk she engaged in, but could produce some minor entertainment.



✏: ---
@: @anthonyskies