Snippets and Stories: (WtI) Black Dog (1 of 4)

"Come again?" The trio watch in mild interest as Silas received an unusual call to his residence.

When there came a ringing in the landline of the tall man's dwelling, none would've imagined it to be a messenger informing them of, Silas puts the woman on speaker, "--a visitor for Estavia Canterbury.".

They had all turned to Esti--Estavia. Neiro's countenance was one of curiosity, Ken's anxious, and Silas's a blank, bored, and apathetic slate.

In the redhead's defense he seemed just as perplexed as the rest of them. Esti grunted as he pushed himself off the hanging UFO chair and spoke directly into the phone, "This is Estavia Canterbury, who is it?"

"A man by the name of 'Mikhail' wishes to speak with you."

The neophyte froze, face twisting into a scowl, "I'm not available at the moment, please pass along the message that I'll meet with 'im later this afternoon. 4 o'clock, upstairs Cafe."

Silas was the first to speak after the call, "Estavia Canterbury. A rather feminine name, is it not?"

There was a groan as Esti flopped back into the dangling chair, "I don't know what possessed my parents to name me that." The redhead dragged a hand over his face, "Jus' stick with Esti." He shook his head again, muttering darkly, "I don't know what they were thinking."

"Esti?" this time it was Ken who spoke. His twin looked up from where he was snug against the hanging UFO chair, "Hmm?"

"Who's Mikhail? It sounds familiar."

"Oh, some guy I ran into." Esti hummed around the lollipop, but he shot Ken a furtive glance, and when their eyes met, there was something clearly bothering his twin.

But his brother got the unspoken message.

I'll tell you later Ken.

Not a topic to be broached in the current company.

For whatever reason, Esti didn't seem too keen on talking about it, and the other two didn't seem to linger on it either. Though that wasn't so surprising with Silas, but he had expected some kind of interest on Neiro's part.

Or perhaps Neiro astute sensitivity for others had picked up on the redhead's desire to move away from it.

Maybe he was overthinking it. People met up all the Time, it wasn't much of anything right? Just a call.

But it didn't stem the strange familiarity, almost nostalgic feeling, of the name.

Mikhail.

There was a hand securely in his own and they were kneeling by a bush bright green with a fresh onset of leaves from Spring. "Mik, there's a caterpillar!" two children cried out simultaneously, adding in, "It's eating the leaf!"

A husky laugh, and a large gloved hand reached over from a silhouette that towered far above him, "Indeed. And my, look at how hungry it is. Perhaps we ought to place him in the safety of the bushes, lest he finds the gardens and incite the gardener's ire."

The hand gingerly plucked the twig, leaves and caterpillar all, and placed it some ways away in the bushes.

"But what if the birds find him?"

"Then it is the way of nature." the same rough, yet gentle voice spoke, and then they were engulfed in a warm embrace, "But worry not, his color shall keep him safely hidden, and if not the brush will serve to conceal. Come now, the sun nears its apex and we best not keep the Lady waiting."

Ken shook off the faint memory and moved to sit beside his twin, and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when his twin looked up, eyes bright and passionate as they always were.