Omen: 12, 20

“Who is this cutie pie?” Adam asked, pinching Lanarot’s cheeks.

The girl was currently swallowed by thick furs of white, and wore a coat which was far too big for her.

“Wow, so cute. Is this my little sister?” He hoisted her up with ease and kissed her cheek. “So cute, so adorable, it must be my little sister.”

Lanarot smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek, spitting against his cheek, before clapping her hands and squealing with joy.

“It is my sister! Aren’t you so cute?” Adam continued to attack her face with his kisses, only for her to return the favour, getting her spit all over him.

“Will you play with her?” Sonarot asked. “She likes the snow.”

“Of course she likes the snow, she’s my little sister,” Adam bounced her against his arm. “You want to play with papa Adam? We can make snowmen and snow angels together, then we can have a little snowball fight.” He tickled her nose with a finger, causing her to twitch away from him.

“Building snow castles is popular within the Iyr,” Sonarot informed.

“Snow castles?” Adam asked. “That’s even cooler.” Adam laughed at his own joke, which caused Lanarot to look at him and laugh too.

“Hoo!” She squealed before continuing her laugh.

“Come, Lanarot,” Adam said, carrying her towards the courtyard where the snow had piled enough that Adam could stick his entire finger into the snow before he reached the ground.

He sat her down and began to form a large ball for the base of the snowman. Lanarot, who was wearing gloved her mother had knit her, started slapping the snow around her, squealing with joy.

“Oov! Boosh!” She continued to squeal with joy as she played.

Once Adam was done making the snowman, who was two balls tall, because he was getting a little bored of it, he pulled back. “Turot, stay here and look after Lanarot, okay?”

“Yes,” the boy said, nodding his head.

Adam slipped away back to Sonarot. “Hey, Aunt, do you have any scarves?” Adam asked.

Sonarot reached to a pile of scarves she had knitted, handing him one with the family’s tattoo, though it was hard to find one without the Rot family’s tattoo.

“Thanks,” Adam said, turning to leave.

‘You are not going to wear it?’ Sonarot thought.

Adam returned to pandemonium. Lanarot was crying, snot dripping down her face, and Katool and Turot were staring down at her, trying to look not the least bit guilty.

“Guys,” Adam said. “I’ve been gone less than a…”

That’s when Adam noticed the lack of it.

‘Where the hell is Jack?’ Adam thought, before looking beside Lanarot to see the snowman was destroyed.

Adam placed his hands on his hips, the way teachers did when they found a child had done something they hadn’t meant to. “What happened here?”

“We punched the snow balls for Lanarot,” Turot said, innocently. “Then she started crying.”

“We punched good,” Katool said. “Why is she crying?”

“The snowball wasn’t for punching,” Adam said, wondering if it was an Iyrman thing.

Turot squinted his eyes at Adam. “It was not?”

“No,” Adam said.

“Are you joking?”

“No.”

“Oh…” Turot frowned. “Sorry.”

Katool looked up to Turot, taking his cue to frown. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, but look, Lanarot’s still crying,” Adam said, hoisting her up, using his Tricks to clean her face. “There, there, Lanarot.”

“We will fix it,” Turot said.

“Yes,” Katool said. “We will fix.”

Adam bounced Lanarot against him, calming her down as he assisted the pair in making poor Jack again. ‘I can’t believe they killed my boy Jack like that. They’re lucky Jack Frost isn’t real, otherwise he’d have a bone to pick with them.’

Adam froze. ‘Wait. Is he real?’ He looked around to see the trio of Devilkin children who were building a snow castle. ‘He’s gotta be real, right?’

Once they had finished forming the balls to form the snowman, Adam wrapped the scarf around him. “Oh. Turot, Katool,” he called, causing the pair to look up at him. “Can you protect Lanarot and the snowman?”

“Yes,” Turot said, puffing up his chest. “I will protect cousin Lanarot.”

“Yes,” Katool said, puffing up her chest too, copying Turot.

Adam remained for a moment to accept the wholesomeness into his heart. “Good.” He quickly rushed away from them, heading back to Sonarot. “Aunt, do you have any carrots and buttons? I need two big buttons and a bunch of small buttons. A hat would be nice too.”

Sonarot stared at him for a long moment, mid knit. “Yes?”

Once Adam had the items, he left once again, though Sonarot followed him, curious as to what he was doing. Adam dropped down to his knees and began to fix the carrot into place, also adding the buttons as his eyes, and then the rest of the small buttons to make a smile. The other children came to see what he was doing.

“There we go,” he said, pulling back to reveal the creature. “What do you think?”

Sonarot looked down at the snowman. “It’s… a snow person?”

“A snowman,” Adam said.

“Ooo,” the children said.

“What his name?” Katool asked.

“Uncle Snowiyr,” Adam said. “He is a powerful being made of snow, who brings snow to the Iyr, and also presents to the good boys and girls of the Iyr.” Adam raised his brows towards them. “He’ll be asking your mothers and father if you’ve all been good.”

“I have been good,” Raygak said.

“Really? Are you sure?”

Raygak nodded his head.

“Have you been bullying your sister?” Adam accused the young boy.

“No. She bullies me.”

“Jaygak bullies you? What does she do?”

“She eats my peppers,” Raygak replied, frowning.

“Oh, well I guess Uncle Snowiyr isn’t coming to pay her a visit then.”

Raygak smiled.

“What about you, Katool? I know you’re a troublemaker, you. Have you been a good girl?”

“Yes,” she replied, nodding her head. “I help mama.”

“How do you help mama?”

“I wash dishes.”

“Oh? You help her clean the dishes.”

The girl nodded her head.

Adam looked to Raygak, who furrowed his brows at the Half Elf. “What a good girl, Katool, for helping her mother wash dishes.”

Raygak narrowed his eyes. “Me too.”

“What good boys and girls you are,” Adam said, patting their heads. “I’m sure your mothers and fathers appreciate that too.”

“I help uncle to clean the house,” Saygak added.

“Wow, Saygak, you are such a good boy,” Adam pat his head too. “Why don’t you all tell Uncle Snowiyr what you’ve been doing, one at a time, okay?” Adam asked, scooting beside his Aunt. “Would you mind helping me remember? I need to write them down.”

“I help Jaygak,” Taygak said, looking at Adam.

“How do you help your cousin?” Adam asked.

“Stories,” she said. “I tell.”

“You help with telling stories?” Adam asked.

She nodded her head.

“Can I hear them too?”

“No,” she replied, bluntly.

Adam blinked.

“She prefers to speak in Vilspeech,” Sonarot said.

“She doesn’t speak Iyrspeech?”

“She does.”

“How come she doesn’t speak it with me?” Adam asked.

“She does not know you know it,” Sonarot replied, simply.

Adam blinked. ‘Oh.’

“Taygak, will you tell me the stories now?” Adam asked in Iyrspeech.

Taygak pulled back, turning her head half way as she side eyed Adam. She quickly rushed to Sonarot’s leg, and hid behind it, staring at Adam as though he were an alien.

“Taygak, why are you running away?” Sonarot asked, brushing her hair gently.

“He speaks?” Taygak asked.

“Of course he speaks the language, he is Jurot’s brother, yes?”

“Jurot’s brother… Lanarot’s brother?” she asked, as though to confirm.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Taygak said.

Once the children were done telling the snowman what good they had done, Adam wrote everything down in his book.

“Listen, Lanababy,” Adam said, picking her up. “I have to go do some work, so you need to be good for mama, okay?”

Lanarot yawned, blinking at him, before tilting her head. She rubbed her eyes before cuddling up to his chest.

“Working already?” Sonarot asked.

“Well, it’s not real work,” Adam said. “I’m just going to ask a few questions to some people, that’s all. If I wanted to work, I should, I was extremely lucky today, but I thought I should take the day off.” He handed the girl over to her mother, before heading out to find the other Iyrmen.

He found Jaygak and Kitool, who were currently helping an Iyrman with repairing their home.

“Hey,” Adam called.

“Adam?” Jaygak asked. “Working already?”

Adam blinked. “Am I that much of a workaholic?”

“Yes,” the pair replied.

“I’m not here for work,” Adam said, shaking his head at them. “I’m here to ask you a few questions about your family.”

“What do you wish to know?” Jaygak asked, wondering if he’ll ask that question. She had been waiting to tell him, after all, he was the Nephew of the Rot family.

“What do the children like?” Adam asked, opening the book, stylus at the ready.

Jaygak’s eyes revealed her confusion. “What?”

“You know,” Adam said. “What do they like? Toys, food, so on. I know Raygak likes peppers, and that you keep stealing them.”

“I don’t steal his peppers,” Jaygak said. “I borrow them. He can have it back a few days la-“

“Okay!” Adam exclaimed, shaking his head. “Just tell me what they like.”

“Jaygak likes peppers,” Kitool said. “Taygak likes nuts. Saygak likes balls. Katool really likes most fruit, especially peaches.”

Adam wrote down the information, before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jolted and looked back to see the Orcish Iyrman staring down at him. “What the hell, Elder?”

“What are you planning this time?” Zijin asked. “Something interesting?”

“I’m not planning anything,” Adam replied. “I can’t believe you’d accuse me of something like that. Uncle Snowiyr is the one planning to give gifts to the children, and I need to figure out what they like.”

“Oh,” Zijin said. “You are gift giving? That is all?”

“Gift giving?” Adam asked.

“It is the end of year,” Zijin states, before seeing the look in Adam’s eyes. “We give our children gifts before the Twilight month.”

“Oh,” Adam said, disappointed. “You guys do that?”

“Yes. The festival begins a week earlier on the fifteenth of the month, and ends on the twenty first. We give gifts on the twenty second.”

Adam brought his stylus and book down to their side. “Well don’t I feel stupid for making up a story.”

“Of course you would,” Zijin said, chuckling. “That is very like you.”

“I guess that makes it easier,” Adam grumbled. “Since you’re an Elder, you’re probably the best person to ask. I would like to acquire some items, if you would please, Elder Zijin.”

Elder Zijin shook his head, huffing slightly. “I am afraid you cannot acquire any items as you are only the Nephew of a family.”

Adam raised his brows, pulling out the token from his pocket. “I’m no cowboy, Elder Zijin, but this ain’t my first rodeo.” He raised his brows.

“If you have the gold, of course you can acquire the items, as long as the items are allowed to be procured by you.”

“I’ll swing by later once I’ve made all my notes,” Adam said, before waving at them, heading out to find people from the other families. ‘Why didn’t I ask Aunt for what Turot liked?’ Adam thought.

“I still cannot believe I could not take him to become a Jin,” Zijin grumbled.

“I could probably marry him and make him a Gak,” Jaygak said. “A shame he has no horns.”

“A shame you have no brain,” Zijin replied.

Jaygak had already wound up a snowball, which would accidentally slip and hit the Elder in the face.