xp_logs | Rachel and the Pack, Friday morning

Rachel gets her first visitors from outside the mansion.

"... oh. Oh wow."

"Close your mouth, Theo, before something flies into it."

"But she's beautiful! Look at her!"

Rachel squeaked a bit uncertainly at the large orange person leaning over her. But then she saw how bright the new mind was, all of the good thoughts that were directed right at her, and the squeak turned into a smug coo. Oh, yes. Orange Person was good. He could stay.

"Look at that hair..."

"She looks like Moira."

"Lucky baby."

"Be nice, David. I think she looks a bit like Nate, too..."

"Shape of the eyes, I think?"

"Yeah, Dom, that's what I was thinking."

All these new people! And their minds were all bright and happy and it was all about her! Rachel waved her hands at all the faces looking down at her. "Ooo!" she greeted them. #Ooo!#

Silence, suddenly.

"... did she just..."

"Oh yes."

"Holy sh-"

"Gar! Watch your mouth."

"Yeah, no swearing around the telepathic baby."

"Sorry, GW."

Rachel squealed. There was a sudden lack of attention being paid to her here, and that wasn't good. "Meh! Meh!"

"Oh, it's okay, sweetie... don't worry," one of the smaller people said soothingly, leaning closer. Rachel eyed the long black ponytail hanging there, almost within reach, with some fascination. Maybe if she just...

"Ah!" the sweet voice said, startled, and then laughed delightedly. "You do that too, do you? Oh, what a clever thing you are!"

One of the other new people moved closer, touching the one with the sweet voice, and Rachel watched raptly as the lights in their mind swirled around each other, two patterns making one pattern. She'd seen that before. What did it mean?

"Mina, did she just pull your hair?"

"Yes, she did. You tell Uncle David that you are a brilliant baby," the sweet voice cooed, and Rachel squeaked happily. "Brilliant and talented and going to give your father even more gray hairs than he already has..."

A familiar laugh, from a little farther back in the room, and Rachel cooed blissfully as a person she knew very, very well came over and picked her up. "You tell them they don't need to be encouraging you," the deep voice said, and Rachel gazed up adoringly as golden thoughts reached out and wrapped around her like a blanket. She pushed her own thoughts out towards him, and liked the way his thoughts softened even further. "You've got that covered."

"... that's possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen."

"Nate? You look like someone hit you over the head with a chair."

"You'd know, wouldn't you, Dom?"

"Oh, be nice."

Rachel let out another string of contented chirps and squeaks, echoing them with her mind. The room was nice. The room was very nice. She liked all these new people, filling up the room. They felt good. And they liked her.

"So who wants to hold her? GW?"

"... wait, Nate..."

"Watch her head..."

"No! I've never held babies! Give her to... oh, fine."

Rachel made an interrogative noise up at the dark face of the person holding her, waving a hand. All his thoughts were twitchy. "Oooo?" she cooed.

Ah, there they went, back to the way they should be. All smooth and happy. "Hey, you." The voice was softer, almost wondering. "We've been looking forward to meeting you for a while now, Rachel."

"... all right, that's the second cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Hey, Lien, getting any ideas?"

"Don't look at me, David."

"Yes, love, look at me."

"... oh crap. Mina, we've had this talk, no?"

"I'll just be outside laughing my ass off, by the way..."

"Can I join you?"

"Sure, Vasily. Dom?"

"Nah. I'm just going to stand here and go all mushy over the big tough men going mushy over the baby. And then I'm stealing her."

Rachel let out a squeal of pure delight. Oh, yes. She liked them. They could all stay.