First chapter, part 2

The man was a teacher and a healer, a philosopher and a poet.  His eyebrows bristled like a pair of animals leading a separate existence on his face.  He was terrible punny and an excellent dancer.  His name was Asterloa and he had an uncle twice removed named Artemis.

The woman was a librarian and a sculptor, a handyman and a klutz.  She played the mandolin and had a habit of quacking like a duck when she was happy or excited.  She danced with the man, but not as well.  Her name was Lulu and she had an uncle twice removed named Winter.

The boy was their son named Artemis Winter after his two uncles three times removed.  He was long and lean, strong and sweet, and he was happy.  Everything he did, he did with exuberance and intensity.  He was as tall as people twice his age.  He could wrestle grown men.  He loved to snuggle and hug and give kisses.  He had no brothers or sisters and didn't spend much time around other children.  Which is not to say that he was solitary.  He had three best friends, all girls. 

Lily Marvel was one year older than Artemis Winter and almost as tall, though not as strong.  She was smart and peppery and just as fond of GI Joe as she was of Princesses, though she liked Fairies best of all.  She talked without stopping and always thought she knew everything.

Clementine Gaia Leila Moonshine Saghirah was the same age as Artemis Winter and stood as tall as his armpit.  She was solid and pointy and wiggled and giggled and squirmed, even when she was asleep.  She was enormously silly and never stopped asking "Why?" unless it was to ask "Why not?" 

Aislinn O'Toole was not quite a year younger than Artemis Winter and not quite as tall, but had an unruly mop of brown curls and bright green eyes.  She liked to run and run and run and jump and wrestle and tickle and do flips.  She talked and talked and talked, but she would stop talking if someone else had something to say. 

Artemis Winter, it should be made clear, hardly ever talked at all.  He taught himself to read when he was 2 and would read bedtime stories aloud to his parents to avoid going to bed himself.  He taught himself to write as well and would play very silly word games with his mother.  But words of his own from his own mouth he used most sparingly.