Arylos watched Iris with an entertained smile from his seat on the sofa as Iris sat on the floor with Aniya, the two of them making faces and noises that Arylos could only call “silly” and “unflattering”. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to break the girls off from their playing, finding himself entertained by their childish nature. He laughed to himself as Iris stuck out her tongue to the toddler, leaving the ancient Titan with the thought that while she was almost thirty, she was still mentally young.

Arylos was happy with the realization that no matter how much age took her, she would always be his little girl.

Iris turned her attention to Arylos, chuckling as she saw him watching her intently with his red eyes that carried more emotion than his face. “What are you looking at over there?” she asked with a nervous laugh.

“Am I not able to admire you?” Arylos said while resting his chin on his fist, staring into Iris’s soul with his otherworldly eyes.

“Well, when you look at me like that, it makes me feel a little self-conscious,” Iris said nervously. “It’s kind of like that thing you do where you smell my hair; it’s like you’re a dog or something.”

“I am not human after all,” Arylos reminded Iris with a chuckle in his voice. “And don’t you think of me as a big elderly dog anyway?”

“Oh? Now you take that as a compliment?” Iris asked with a snarky tone.

“When it suits me,” Arylos said while raising his eyebrows.

“Doggy!” Aniya called out excitedly while running towards Arylos with outstretched arms.

Iris covered her lips as she snickered excitedly. “Oh, go give the big doggy a head pat,” she told Aniya, failing to contain her laughter.

“Oi, don’t get any funny ideas,” Arylos snarled at Iris yet kept a smile on his face.

Aniya looked up at the Titan with eyes wide with excitement and awe. She watched Arylos closely like she was seeing him for the creature he really is inside and didn’t care for it. Her cheeks turned red as she looked into the Titan’s eyes, smoldering with flames deep inside him with a subtle yet otherworldly glow. Aniya then smiled and rose up to her toes and gave the creature a gentle pat on his head. Arylos let out a sigh as he closed his eyes, taking in the ignorant girl’s affection for a creature beyond her understanding.

“Grandpa doggy,” Aniya said with a chuckle and a wide grin across her face.

Arylos’s eyes shot open and the once subtle glow shone brightly, as if the smoldering embers inside him had new life breathed into them. “Listen here you, where do you get to call me ‘grandpa’?”

“Because you’re grandpa,” Aniya said while continuing to chuckle.

“I am not your grandfather,” Arylos growled as his fangs exposed themselves in his smile.

“But you’re old, so you’re grandpa,” Aniya said as her grin widened ear-to-ear.

Arylos felt a nerve pop in him that he didn’t even know existed. Iris laughed hysterically as she watched the wrath of the Titan towards this small girl grow in a way that neither of them could have expected. “Oh what are you going to do, get mad at the little girl?” she asked while continuing to laugh at Arylos.

“Define which little girl; you’re the one egging her on,” Arylos said while casting a burning glare towards Iris.

“You’re cruel, you know that?” Iris asked while climbing up to her feet and walking towards Arylos and Aniya.

“So you like to remind me,” Arylos said with a resigned chuckle as he moved away from Aniya. “You hate me, as you like to say.”

“Not all the time; only when you’re a big idiot,” Iris said while tapping Arylos’s nose.

“Funny, I thought that was all the time,” Arylos said with a heavy laugh.

“Hey, don’t be cute now; I’m the cute one,” Iris said as she rested her hands on her waist and gave Arylos a sour pout.

“You’re the one who thinks I’m cute,” Arylos said with a widening grin that Iris knew all too well.

“Ohoho, now you think you’re funny,” Iris mocked while rolling her eyes before bending down and picking up Aniya. “Come on now munchkin, let’s leave the boring old man to mope.”

“Grandpa!” Aniya called out while raising her arms, vindicated by Iris’s words.

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Arylos laughed while shaking his head as he watched Iris take Aniya to the dining room across from Arylos. As leaned back on the sofa, he groaned and stretched out his legs, feeling the age of his bones catch up to him. Before he could fully settle, he could hear footsteps approaching and laughed as he looked over and saw Subaya approach with two cups of tea.

“Well, for not wanting to be called an old man, you certainly act like one,” Subaya said while handing Arylos one of the cups. “Someone’s in denial about their age.”

“Not denial, but I don’t need a reminder from a little kid,” Arylos groaned as he took the cup and returned to his relaxed position, keeping the cup in hand. “You have no idea how difficult it is to look this young.”

“Oh I bet; name any mother that doesn’t want to acknowledge how old they are,” Subaya said with a chuckle as she sat down on the other end of the sofa next to Arylos. “You’re good with kids, you know.”

“Funny joke; got another one in you?” Arylos said with a growled laugh.

“I’m serious; Aniya took a liking to you pretty quickly,” Subaya said while holding her cup of tea close and watching Iris play with Aniya.

“Only because the best way to entertain a child is to let them have their imagination,” Arylos said with a sigh, sounding like an old retired father of three imparting wisdom of his fatherhood. “The best thing you can do is sit there and let them have their fun; you keep them entertained even when you have little energy.”

“Spoken like a true old man,” Subaya teased, nearly spitting out her tea.

Arylos chuckled as he swirled the tea in its cup before taking a sip. “I’ve had to deal with my own rambunctious group that needed a helping yet stern hand.”

“Oh? You’ve had kids of your own?” Subaya asked while continuing to drink her tea.

Arylos sighed as he looked up at the ceiling, his smile quickly fading away as his emotionless state returned. “I guess you could say that; it’s a long story,” he said in a somber tone.

“Oh? I bet it’s very long indeed,” Subaya said, her tone alone insinuating a lot.

Arylos nodded before slowly turning to face Subaya, still drinking her tea like nothing was going on. Arylos had a few thoughts come to his head but he knew what she was suggesting. “Damn you Rikio, did he tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Subaya asked nonchalantly.

“That I’m not human,” Arylos growled.

“Pfft! Please, I was the one who told him,” Subaya said while choking on her tea once more. “He kept going on about ‘oh it’s none of our business; he’s a decent enough guy’ but I was the one who had to point out the signs that you’re not exactly human.”

“And what do you think about it?” Arylos asked, a part of him not wanting the answer.

Subaya thought for a bit before looking back at Iris and Aniya, watching Iris chase the young girl around as the two of them laughed. “Well, you haven’t hurt either of them, but I feel like Rikio wasn’t told the whole story. But I don’t need to know; you’re just our friendly neighbor and that’s all I care about.”

Arylos watched Aniya and Iris, weighing just how much the Dairiki’s should know. “Is that really all you care about?”

“It’s all that matters,” Subaya said with no hesitation. “You’re not a monster that will kill all of us. As much as I don’t like Rikio’s arrogance, I guess is the word for it, all that we should be worried about is the safety of our family. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Agree?” Arylos asked as he sat up, intent on listening to Subaya.

“You only care about Iris’s safety,” Subaya explained while lowering her cup to her lap. “You would do anything to keep her happy and safe, right?”

“That’s all I want,” Arylos answered in a soft voice as he turned towards Iris, watching her intently and savoring the smile on her face.

“Then that’s it; you’re not a monster then,” Subaya said with a smile and a happy nod.

“I’m not…a monster,” Arylos repeated the words slowly, trying to understand what Subaya was telling him. “Do you really think that?”

“Oh come on now, don’t be so bashful!” Subaya said while slapping Arylos on his shoulder.

Arylos chuckled nervously as he gave the mortal woman a shy smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just…not used to that.”

“Even with Iris around?” Subaya asked in a teasing voice.

“Yeah, she’s in love with me for some reason,” Arylos said with a nervous chuckle as he kept his eyes on the smiling and laughing Iris.

“Does she know what you are?” Subaya asked cautiously, leaning closer to watch Arylos’s face.

“Yes, the only one who knows,” Arylos said softly while lowering his head.

“The only one? What do you mean?” Subaya asked softly.

Arylos let out a sigh as he leaned back, keeping his eyes locked on Iris. “Many know what I am, or at least what I’m called. She’s the only one I have shown who I am, not just what I am. Yet this crazy girl chose to accept me regardless.”

“Maybe the reason she loves you is not because of what you are, but who you are; have you ever thought about that?” Subaya asked with a smile on her face.

“I have, and it’s still strange for me to think about,” Arylos said with a nervous chuckle.

“Well, she’s the one who loves you,” Subaya said while shrugging her shoulders. “Let her decide for herself; it’s her choice after all.”

“I know, and I have no intention of taking that choice from her,” Arylos said with a smile, taking in some comfort in Subaya’s knowledge of what he is, even if that information is lacking.

“Say, does she know about your other kids?” Subaya asked with a confused face.

Arylos laughed nervously as he tried to find the right words for Subaya, ultimately deciding on simplicity. “Well, I am known as the ‘Father of Dragons’ for a reason.”

Subaya thought about Arylos’s words for a moment as she looked away, waiting for the title to process. “Oh, okay then…wait, WHAT?”

Arylos laughed under his breath and raised his cup of tea in a light toast. “I told you; it’s a long story.”