Chapter 45: He really tries...

 Atha: Dungeon core, dual sword wielder. Is not all that good at bribing. 

So, here we are. The entire party. Before the orphanage. Well, minus Augustine. He is still building the guild house. I have to admit that his idea to make it entirely out of white stone is a very good one.

 He plans to make it the tallest building in the entire town, too. There are already negotiations with Leander, to buy the underground caverns beneath the town, for the use of our guild. 

Guild master Warren is not letting us attend. He says we will put our feet in our mouths, and ruin the entire deal. Man, I wish I could have seen Leander. There are rumors that he is 2 meters tall...

Anyway, Dean moves before me, and then opens the door of the orphanage. I follow him inside. 

"We should have dumped Junior in here," Dean says, and I look around. Did a child hear that? Oh, he can't speak like this in here! 

"Watch your words," I tell him. If Tine were here, he'd be the one to scold Dean. 

"Ok, ok. I guess it is a bit heartless of me. Anyway, where is the matron's office anyway?" Dean looks around. A kid walks pass us. Vincent stops the little boy. 

"Hello there. Can you tell us where the matron is? We are looking to adopt," Vince tells him with a bright smile on his face. 

"Are you really? You don't look like parents," the boy tells him. 

"And what do parents look like?" Dean asks in a bored drawl. 

"Old," well, with a mouth like this, I am beginning to wonder if this kid is ever going to get adopted. 

"Well, you are in luck then, Junior," Dean says with a wink. "The parents that are waiting for ten of you, are as old as dirt." 

"I can do accounting," the boy says suddenly. Becoming all business like. "I go and buy the breakfast for the orphanage each morning. I am allowed to keep 10% of the full price." 

"That is good, Junior," Dean points at the boy. "Atha, I think he can do your taxes." 

"Augustine is going to have our heads, if we adopt a child with the intent of exploiting it," Allan says. Then, he gets a soft expression on his face. "Perhaps, if Atha makes the kid his dungeon master, and lets him start a business of his own?" 

"Oh, wow, this is a sweet deal," the boy says. He looks at all of us. "Which one of you is Atha?" 

I rise my hand. 

He moves to me, and smiles in such a way, that I can't help myself. I pinch his cheeks. The kid's smile is replaced by a frown. 

"Oh, you are one of those. Adults that like to baby others," the boy says. Then, he sighs. "And here I thought I found a home." 

"But you did," Dean says, as he goes, and ruffles the messy raven mop of the boy. The kid's silver eyes look at him next. "We will adopt you, even if you resist." 

"Dean, don't give the kid empty hopes," Vincent says. 

"What, don't I have the right to adopt a fellow incubus?" Dean asks. My eyes go wide. So does the boy's. 

"How did you know?" He asks. 

"I can see that you are not very good at hiding your true form. I can see the outlines of your tail," the boy touches his back, and then groans. 

"Oh, not again," Dean then does something I have never seen him do before. He turns around, and waves a red tail back and forth. 

"Nothing wrong with having a tail, Junior," he says. I am mesmerized by the moving appendage. This is the first time I see it. "Can I see yours?" 

The boy turns around, and I see that he not only has a tail, but horns as well. I look at Dean. Sure enough, he is now sprouting curved horns from his head. 

"What is happening here?" We hear a woman yell from the doorway. "Lexus, you are not supposed to show what you are to anyone!" 

"I am sorry, Mother Greta," the boy says, and the tail and horns disappear. 

This mother Greta first looks at Dean, as if he is a shit she stepped in, and then at me, as if I am an even bigger shit, she stepped in. 

"What are you all doing in here?" She asks. 

"We want to adopt 11 kids," I blurt out. Dean and Lexus have something special going on between them. I think that, Dean is positively fatherly towards the boy. It is a good image, for him. 

"Is that so?" She asks, and I can see that she intends to show us the door. Lexus' shoulders slump. Dean wraps an arm around him. 

"Yes, one for a harem, and the other ten for a dungeon core-dungeon master pair," Dean says with a shit eating grin. 

"Oh, dear," Greta begins to fan herself with a fan she produced from thin air. "Although, I suppose, I can pawn them off to them..." 

I don't think we were supposed to hear that. I am beginning to wonder why this witch was assigned to look after this many children. She is not brimming with love and care.  

"I have some children who will fit right in, into such families," she says, with a smug grin on her face. 

"Lovely, let us do the paperwork, and you can introduce us to the munchkins," just why is Dean pretending to be naive now? Can't he see that this woman has something evil on her mind? I send him a look, and he just shrugs. 

"Even problem kids are precious, Atha. It is best if they come over to our house, or Dru's castle, then for them to stay in here," Dean says, and takes Lexus' hand. "From now on, I don't want you to hide what you are. Do you hear, son?" 

"But you hide... dad," I can see that the kid is conflicted about calling Dean that. Yet, when his tail appears again, he lets it wave back and forth. 

He looks just like a puppy. So cute. Just why is there a stigma against demons? 

"If you don't hide, I will stop as well," Dean promises. My breath hitches. This is the most considerate thing that Dean has ever done for someone. 

He will make for a good father.