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 Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:01 pm
Thatcher
(Early December 2016; Right after Devin) The second that the trio arrived back at home, Oliver had tugged out the biggest, warmest, heavy-duty winter blankets he could find and tossed them on the couch. Laurel quickly perched himself among them and observed his father and cousin from the back of the couch as they went about taking off each of their layers and shoes. He swore that they looked like a couple of peculiar birds, tossing their arms around and kicking their legs.
“Why’re you taking those off?” He asked, following them along to the side of the couch. “Won’t you be cold?”“They’re wet and cold.” Devin said, folding his sweater over his arm and making a face at his feet. “Ugh, my socks are soaked! I really need to get new boots…”“We’ll get some for you over the weekend.” Oliver replied, tugging at the ends of his scarf. “For now, why don’t you go get comfortable while I make tea? I did remember to wash your favorite winter pajamas and they’re all ready for you upstairs.”“Really? Thank you so much!” Devin beamed, turning toward the stairs. “I’ll be right back!”With Devin upstairs and Oliver busy in the kitchen, Laurel settled himself into the middle of the couch and studied the blankets carefully. How could he arrange these three blankets so they were prime for snuggles? They were wonderful and soft on their own, but there had to be a way to combine them into something even better…
He grabbed at the edges of each of them tentatively, considering his options, and tied them together at the corners as best he could. His knots were loose and weak, but that didn’t really matter. If they came undone, there was no saying they couldn’t be re-tied. He admired his work with a smile.“Ahhh, this is so much better!” Devin said, wandering back into the room in a pair of green plaid pajamas and fuzzy slippers. “How’s the tea coming along, uncle Ollie?”“Shouldn’t be more than five minutes!” Oliver called. “I’ll join you and Laurel as soon as they’re ready!”“Sounds good!” Devin replied, hopping right next to Laurel and grinning at the blankets. “Wow, did you tie these up yourself? Nice work!”“Mhm!” Laurel nodded, wiggling to lean against Devin. “I like your pajamas, they look super comfy!”“Thanks, and they are!” Devin said, tugging the blankets around them. “Hey, do you want to watch a movie? I think they’ve got some good holiday ones playing right now.”“What’s a movie?” Laurel asked.“Haven’t you watched TV yet?” Devin said.“A little, but at a friend’s house.” Laurel replied.“Okay, so, a movie is like a long TV show.” Devin explained, reaching for the remote. “They usually last about an hour or so and follow a story someone wrote. Do you want to check one out and see if you like it?”“Yeah! That sounds like fun!” Laurel chimed.
And so the cousins flipped through the channels until Devin recognized a popular holiday movie, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and stopped to watch. Oliver eventually brought the tea and nudged himself into the cuddle pile, before deciding to make some snacks and get changed about thirty minutes into the film. Laurel didn’t mind the moving, more than content to nuzzle further against Devin and laugh at Rudolph’s escapades.
“Santa sounds really cool.” He said, waving a blanket covered hand at the fat, jolly man on the screen. “Do you think he’ll visit us this year? Does he know that I live here now?”“Uh… Of course he does!” Devin said, hesitantly. “I bet you’re going to get all sorts of awesome gifts from Santa, Laurel.”“What about you?” Laurel asked. “What do you think Santa will bring you?”“Hopefully a new pair of snow boots!” Devin laughed, before his expression grew slightly distant. “Or maybe a new camera.”Laurel simply nodded, despite having further questions about what a camera was, and went back to watching the movie. He started purring more as the movie started reaching it’s climax, when the sound of a car pulling up outside caught his attention. Stirring, he craned his head back to the stairs.
“Dad! There’s a car outside!” He shouted, pushing himself toward the window and peering out. “And I think someone’s at the door!”Sure enough, as Oliver was scurrying down the stairs, the door swung open and Thatcher wandered in. Shivering, the older Kipling shut the door quickly and tossed his coat on the rack, before turning to look at Oliver on the stairs. Arching a brow, he spoke.
“What are you looking so excited about?”"Good to see you too, Thatcher.” Oliver sighed, leaving the stairs and motioning toward the living room. “Come sit down, I’ll make you tea.”“Not right now, I’ve got to make a phone call.” Thatcher muttered, scratching the side of his face.“Can’t it wait? Dev’s been waiting to see you.” Oliver replied.“Nah, tell him I’ll, uh… Talk to him later.” Thatcher said, kicking his boots off and wandering forward.“Please, just take a moment.” Oliver insisted, winking at Laurel from the doorway. “There’s someone else here that I’d like you to meet.”“I haven’t got the time, Oliver!” Thatcher growled, taking a deep breath in. “I don’t care who it is, they can wai-”Suddenly, Laurel hovered straight out from behind the wall and placed himself between Oliver and Thatcher. He didn’t like how this man was talking to his father, especially because of the shouting. The cheetah eyed Thatcher cautiously and, slowly, a strange feeling began creeping up his neck. Something about Thatcher didn’t feel right. He felt very familiar, like Oliver had when they first met.
Except, this time, everything felt wrong instead of right.
He adjusted himself accordingly, holding his head slightly higher and his brows knitting in scrutiny, and barely reacted when Oliver reached for his shoulder.“Surprise! He’s here!” Oliver laughed, patting Laurel on the back. “I picked him up before Thanksgiving! Doesn’t he look amazing?”Though Oliver seemed unaware of Laurel’s reaction to his uncle’s arrival, Thatcher was all too aware. He’d taken a half-step back and lowered his gaze, attempting to appear submissive like he were in the presence of a wild animal. When that didn’t seem to be working out and Oliver spoke up, Thatcher let out an awkward cough and smiled.
“Yes, I have to say, he's... Something, alright!” He said, his lips twisting in thought. “What’s his name?”“Laurel.” Laurel quipped, cutting Oliver off before he could answer. “And you?”“Thatcher, uncle Thatcher.” Thatcher replied, apprehensively. “It’s lovely to meet you, Laurel.”“Yeah.” Laurel said, giving Thatcher another once over. “You too.”It seemed as though the awkwardness would only continue as Oliver glanced between them, perplexed at how both were behaving, when a ringing sound caught them all off guard. Thatcher, filled with relief, pulled his cell phone out and laughed.
“Looks like my phone call has called me.” He said, eyeing Oliver and Laurel before answering the call and wandering off down the hall. “Hello, Thatcher Kipling speaking…”“Eh, typical.” Oliver digressed, shaking his head with a shrug. “Guess you’ll have more time to hang out later. We’ll leave him to whatever’s so important for now.”Laurel made a face. He really hoped not. That encounter had been pretty awkward and made him feel… Something he couldn’t quite explain yet. What made Thatcher so familiar? Why didn’t he like him? His brows furrowed as he settled back down next to Devin and sighed, before giving a curious look up to his cousin. … Was he upset?
“You okay, Devin?” He asked, looking to the TV and back. “Did I miss something with the movie?”“N-no,” Devin began, pausing to gather himself. “Well, I mean, the movie is over… You want to find something else to watch?”“Sure!” Laurel chirped, leaning forward and grabbing the remote. “Maybe I could pick the next one?”“Why not?” Devin laughed. “I could tell you which channels are the best to check out.”“That would be great!” Laurel agreed.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:33 pm
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:06 pm
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:31 pm
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:32 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 12:19 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:32 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:56 pm
Sudden Change
(A summary of events between December 2016-September 2017) No one was prepared for Thatcher’s disappearance that year. He’d only been home a few months and seemed keen on improving his health, so when he skipped the family dinner and called to say a permanent goodbye between flights back to the reserve, everyone was shocked.
From Laurel’s perspective, the next few months were filled with confusion. Oliver was spending a lot of time on the phone calling his parents, arguing and flailing his hands about. Devin was also home a lot, seemingly not at all interested in going back to school. The cousins spent the majority of their home time together, with Laurel trying to make sense of all the noise and Devin trying to convince himself that he wasn’t a mistake. They often decided to wrap themselves in a blanket and play video games or read, and when Devin ultimately decided to go back to school for a while, things seemed to mellow out.
Until a frantic phone call from school turned everything upside down.
Devin had isolated himself in his dorm for close to week without a shower, a proper meal, or a decent amount of sleep. The school was convinced he needed to be admitted to a psychiatric ward for evaluation, but Oliver refused. He drove straight to the school, picked Devin up, and he and Laurel spent the next two months helping him recover. The sudden abandonment by his father had taken a considerable toll on him, one that prompted Oliver to seek full guardianship of his nephew, and for the rest of the family to finally wake up see how bad things were.
Still, even though everyone else was realizing how bad things were, it didn’t mean that things got better. Hell, Laurel would argue that things got worse. Orville and Theodora dropped a bomb on everyone by deciding to get a divorce. Sherwood and Rose Marie started to fight with Oliver over his choice to adopt Devin. The house had became a call center. Everyone argued that it would have to be up to Thatcher to give up custody and that Oliver couldn’t possibly handle having two children, especially with his job. He could barely handle caring for Laurel, right?
Needless to say, this accusation sent Oliver’s blood pressure through the roof and without a second thought, the professor decided that it was time to take a break from teaching. He had plenty of money to live comfortably and to provide for his two children, and it was no one’s business to tell him what to do, not even his family. Besides, being at home with his sons was the best thing he could do for them right now. The school could easily find him a replacement and when things calmed down, he could go back at his leisure.
As it turned out, he was right, even though it left a period of silence between the siblings. However, after the divorce was finalized between his parents and Oliver’s birthday rolled around, Sherwood was the first to call up and try to make peace. Rosie and her husband soon followed, and a small, belated party was held. For the first time since December, everyone seemed to be chatting, laughing, and focusing on making things work instead of endless arguing.
And when thoughts turned toward the next family gathering, everyone turned their focus to Laurel. His first birthday was looming on the horizon and, though the year so far had been turbulent, there was still plenty of time left until November. The raevan couldn’t provide any answers to what kind of food they would have or what decorations to use, but he didn’t have an answer for what he wanted.
He wanted his family to be happy and nothing more.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 2:06 pm
Happy Birthday, Laurel!
(Part 1
November 21st 2017) Dawn on November 21st broke and Laurel was, not surprisingly, still snuggled under his covers. The raevan had spent a blissful summer with only a sheet to cover him, but as soon as the first chilly breeze of Autumn rushed through, he wasted no time gathering up almost every fuzzy blanket in the house. He’d been reasonable enough to let Devin and Oliver have some of them after being doubly-assured that the heat would be turned on whenever necessary and settled for six layers instead of twelve. The result of his efforts left him looking more blanket than raevan and sometimes meant readjusting five of six layers a night before bed, but if it kept the evil cold out and the nice warmth in, it was all worth the struggle.
On this morning in particular, Laurel had adapted to lie on his side, one arm draped over his eyes and the other clutching his favorite stuffed owl under his chin. Over it’s year of repeated hugging, tugging, and even occasional nibbling from it’s owner, the owl looked rather weathered and worn. Laurel didn’t mind this of course, it was his first stuffed animal and the best stuffed animal ever created, who cares how it looked? It was still perfectly good for snuggling. He nuzzled it, murmured, and purred into his pillow.Whatever good dream Laurel was having made the perfect cover for Oliver who, having successfully opened the door and crept halfway across the room without disturbing Laurel, was now bold enough to reach the bed. Taking each step carefully, not being able to keep from smiling, he leaned over Laurel and observed him. Then, taking a small party hat from his opposite hand, he gently pulled it over Laurel’s head and took out his cell phone.
“God, you're so precious.” He chuckled, snapping a photo or two and covering his mouth to stifle another laugh.
The hat, seemingly not interested in staying put, was now slipping down over Laurel’s face and stopped right at the tip of Laurel’s nose. It was an absolutely priceless picture opportunity, which Oliver gladly took, before moving to try and place the hat where it belonged.However, Laurel’s subconscious had already begun to notice that something was not right with the outside world. There was a strange, tight feeling around his chin and an even weirder smell that followed. Was that cardboard? He furrowed his brow and slowly leaned up onto his hands, a long yawn billowing out from his chest. His eyes blinked open slowly, glanced down to the hat dangling from his nose, and squinted.
“What the heck is this thing?” He grumbled, weakly batting it off with his palms.
It slid off his nose and flopped to hang down at his chest, which is when he noticed the piece of clear string attached to it. Clicking his tongue, he pulled the string over his head and held it upright in his hand. It was obviously a hat of some kind, a very colorful one at that, and judging by how Oliver was holding his mouth and laughing, it had to be for something fun. He looked quizzically to his father. “Why’d you put this on me?”“It’s your party hat!” Oliver said, still trying to keep from laughing. “I'm sorry it woke you up, but in my defense you looked adorable, especially when it slid onto your nose for a bit there.”“My party hat?” Laurel repeated, turning to scrutinize the hat again. “For what? Who’s party is it?”
This question elicited a surprising amount of laughter from Oliver which caused Laurel to pause and mull over what he’d said. What? What was so funny? He was being serious! Who’s party was he getting ready for? It couldn’t be Oliver’s, they’d just celebrated that, and Devin’s too. Was it Anna’s birthday now? Maybe his aunt or uncle? … Or wait.
He held his hand up to Oliver to keep him from trying to answer and shook his head. Usually it didn’t take him quite this long to think, but it was probably because he’d just woken up. There was something important everyone had talked about at Oliver’s party. The next family get together, right? What was that for, what was that for? He closed his eyes, sucked in a huge breath through his nose, and gasped when it finally clicked.
“It’s my birthday.” He said, as though the fruit of all knowledge had been bestowed upon him. “It’s MY birthday today, isn’t it?"“Ding-ding-ding, we have a winner!” Oliver cheered, reaching out to squish Laurel’s cheeks. “You’re one year old today, sweetheart! I can’t believe how fast this time has gone, but here we are! One year since you came home! Are you excited?”“What kind of question is that? Of course I am!” Laurel replied, eagerly shoving the hat back on his head and hopping out of bed. “How long until the party? Can I help?”“Not until this afternoon and I’ve already got everything we need.” Oliver said, nodding. “Absolutely! Why don’t you go wake up Devin and I’ll start on some breakfast. Then we can set up for the party.”“Sounds good to me!” Laurel chimed, practically leaping out into the hallway.
It was only early morning, but Laurel could already tell that this was going to be the best day ever. Everyone was going to be there, he’d get to open presents, and there’d be lots of games and music playing. It was going to be amazing.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:20 pm
Happy Birthday, Laurel!
(Part 2
November 21st 2017) Waking Devin had become more of a game than a task for Laurel and it never took more than a quick hop on top and a shake to rouse the teen. Most days Laurel would give in to the whine of “five more minutes” and flop next to Devin until he was ready to get up on his own, but today was different. They had a lot to get done and Laurel was just too excited, so when Devin seemed too keen on staying in bed, the raevan scooped him up in his blankets, carried him all the way down to the living room, and deposited him on the couch.“Geez, Laurel! Could you have waited for me to go to the bathroom first?” Devin whined, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “It’s so early, too… What’s going on?”“Sorry Dev, but we’ve gotta get everything ready for my party!” Laurel replied, bounding around the room. “We’ve gotta put decorations here and here, oh, and here too! And here!”“Mmm, your party…?” Devin murmured, eyes widening with recognition. “Oh, right! But that’s not until two o’clock. It’s like… Seven thirty. Why are we rushing?”“Uh... I don’t know.” Laurel said, stopping short of the kitchen door and clasping his hands. “Dad said to wake you up, though, and he’d make breakfast.”“Oh.” Devin said, yawning. “But he’s not, he’s asleep at his desk over there.”“Really?” Laurel chirped.
He hovered quickly over to peer into Oliver’s office, and sure enough, Oliver had fallen asleep reading his email. Typical. Laurel rolled his eyes, smirked, and gave the office chair a quick shake.
---
Once everyone, except for Laurel, had a cup of coffee and they’d all had something to eat, the trio set about decorating the living room for the party. Oliver had gone out and bought streamers which quickly proved to be both a source of amusement and frustration for Laurel. Sure, they were fun to throw around and tie onto stuff, but god forbid he let one dangle a little too long on his wings. He’d gotten so tangled at one point that scissors had to be used just to get his arms free. It got easier though, because the rest of the decorations were all things you could stick on using tape, and tape was much easier to pull off than tangled streamers.
By two o’clock, the whole lower floor of the house had been completely decked out with party supplies of all kinds and Laurel couldn’t have been happier. They’d even had the time to throw together a banner to hang outside the front door, which was just icing on the cake. Now, all he had to do was wait for the rest of his family to arrive.
“You know, the only bad thing I have to say about this party is the food.” Laurel said, readjusting his party hat in front of the mirror for the tenth time in five minutes. “I can’t eat any of it, only hold it and let it taunt me.”“Pfft, well hurry up and grow a stomach then!” Devin laughed, setting another bowl of party mix out on the counter.“Man, I would right now if I could but I don’t know how!” Laurel whined, pulling at the edge of his shirt. “Grow, grow, darn you! I want to eat cheese doodles like everybody else!”“Do any of the raevans you’ve met have stomachs?” Devin asked.“Yeah, like…” Laurel began, trailing off and counting in his head. “Three of them?”“Why not ask them how they got stomachs? It might make it easier to grow yours.” Devin suggested.“Mmm, good idea. I never thought about that.” Laurel mused, eyeing himself in the mirror again.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen any of his friends for a while now. Maybe he should have invited them to the party? He pursed his lips and beamed when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” He chimed.
---
Everyone had come just as they said they would except for Orville and Theodora, who couldn’t make it for one excuse or another. Laurel didn’t pay too much mind to that, even though he knew it bothered Oliver, and turned his attention to the people who did come. Sherwood had been the first to arrive carrying an armful of presents and bottle of champagne for all the adults to share. Popping the bottle open had to have been one of the coolest things Laurel had ever seen, aside from the jack o'lanterns on Halloween. Then, Rose Marie, Peter, and Anna Sage arrived with even more presents and a box of cupcakes. He was able to sneak a bit of frosting from one of them before being ushered away. It was sweet, delicious, and made him oh-so-jealous.
While the adults chatted and started dinner prep, Laurel, Devin, and Anna Sage settled in for several rounds of party games. First up was Pin The Tail On The Donkey where Laurel not only missed by several feet but crashed into the couch. This was followed by a dancing version of Simon Says before taking a swift dive into Musical Chairs where a misunderstanding of the rules had a chair nearly go flying across the room. Oliver intervened after that and suggested that it was time to open presents.“You’ve got to open my present first, Laurel!” Anna piped, hopping right down next to Laurel and smoothing her dress out. “I picked it out all by myself and it’s the best gift ever!”“Ooo, really?” Laurel laughed, sticking his tongue teasingly. “Well, where is it? I can’t wait to see it!”
One by one presents were plopped down in front of him and each one opened brought a grin to his face. Anna’s gift was a blue and white backpack that had fairy wings attached to it, one that was matching to a pink and green one she had at home. Rose Marie had gotten him a brand new winter sweater that was covered in kittens and balls of yarn. Peter’s gift was very practical, a set of colorful gel pens and other fun-looking school supplies, which Laurel immediately put in his new backpack. Sherwood, scoffing at such an ordinary, boring gift, gave Laurel two pairs of rhinestone bangles and an extremely fluffy scarf that Laurel buried his face in the minute he set eyes on it. Devin, after having shown Laurel the wonders of Pokemon, gave Laurel a copy of the brand new game and a Vulpix plushie to go along with it.
Then, came Oliver’s gift. It was small, colorfully wrapped, and came with a homemade card. Laurel beamed and pulled it open.
“Dear Laurel,” He began, looking up at everyone as he read. “I can’t believe it’s already been a year since you came home and almost two years since I started my journey to become a guardian. You’ve brought nothing but joy into our lives since that day and, even though we’ve had a rough start together as a family, I know in my heart that we have many, many more years of happiness ahead of us.” He paused, moving to wipe his eye. “Happy birthday, sweetheart. Love, dad.”“Oh, I didn’t mean to make you cry!” Oliver exclaimed, reaching out to give Laurel a hug. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, yeah! It’s just… I love you, too!” Laurel replied, motioning to everyone else in the room. “I love all of you guys so much! I’m so glad we’re all here and that I’m here and just… This has been such an awesome day!”“Aw, Laurel, it’s not over yet! Open your last gift!” Oliver said.So Laurel did. After giving his eyes another dab with a tissue, he tore into that wrapping like his life depended on it. Inside, taped together with love and care, was a book that he’d never seen before. He picked it up gently, turned it over, and read it’s binding.
“The Laurel Tree?” He said, tracing the cover with his fingers. “It looks so old…”“That’s because it used to belong to me, it’s one of my favorite books.” Oliver said, moving to sit on the opposite side next to Laurel. “And, it’s the book you were named after.”“Wow! Really?” Laurel chirped, his grin quickly returning. “You must really love this book then, huh?”“Yes, and that’s why I’m giving it to you!” Oliver laughed, pulling Laurel close. “I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I have. It’s a wonderful story, one that I’ve been able to read time and time again. That’s why it’s so well loved.”“I’ll take good care of it dad, I promise.” Laurel said, holding the book close and purring. “I can tell it’s really special.”“More special than fairy wing backpacks and shiny bracelets?” Anna quipped, arms folded.“Just as special, because I loved everyone’s gifts!” Laurel chimed, booping Anna’s nose. “I can’t wait to wear my new clothes, use my new pens, play this game, and read this book! Let me give you guys a big hug!”
Everyone hopped up and huddled around Laurel where he gave each of them a big squeeze. Then, before anyone could sit down again, the doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?” Laurel asked, looking toward the window. “No one else was coming, right dad?”“No, unless it’s one of your grandparents arriving, which I doubt.” Oliver muttered. “Let me go see who it is.”
The rest of the party stayed in the living room while Oliver answered the door, and when he returned, he was carrying a pair of packages.
“It seems Laurel has two more gifts to open!” He announced, setting them down next to Laurel. “I think one might be from mom or dad, but the other one-”“Let me see!” Laurel interrupted, tugging the first package into his lap and reading the label. “This one says it’s from an Arthur Allenson?”
“Oh! That’s Mr. Allenson, from the bookstore in town!” Oliver said. “I must’ve told him about your birthday, go ahead and open it.”Tearing open the box revealed a leather bound notebook, a set of feather tipped pens, and a card addressed to Laurel. He had to marvel at the pretty wax stamp keeping the envelope closed before opening it.
“To Laurel Kipling,” He read, squinting at the partly smudged writing. “I remember the day your father came into the store and told me you’d been brought home safe and sound. He was so excited to teach you all about the beautiful worlds of writing and reading, I swore he’d shake his hands clear off his body. Thankfully, he remained in one piece long enough to tell me your birthday and I’ve been waiting to send you this gift ever since. I hope you will make good use of it for writing whatever your heart desires. Best wishes, your friend, Arthur."“How kind of him to send you this! I’ll have to call him tomorrow and thank him.” Oliver said.“No, I should thank him! … But you can call.” Laurel said, running his hand along the journal’s cover for a moment before turning to the larger package. “How do we figure out who’s this from? It doesn’t have a name on it, it just says it’s for me.”
Not waiting for anyone to comment, he pulled the box open and immediately arched a brow at what was inside. There wasn’t a card or anything to tell him where it had come from, but what really weirded him out were the gifts themselves. A pair of tall white candles, a large dark bag tied at the top with string, and a stick on the bottom side covered in strange carvings. He ran his finger along them curiously, and shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know what to do with this stuff, but they might look cool in my room.” He mused, placing the box aside for now. “It’s so weird that they wouldn’t include their name, though. What kind of person does that?”“... I’m not sure, Laurel.” Oliver replied, eyeing the box suspiciously. “Maybe we should leave this somewhere else until we figure that ou-”
Before Oliver could finish his sentence, the phone rang. Sighing, the blond stood up to get it.
“Everyone feel free to settle down for cake, I’ll just be a moment.” He called, picking the phone up in the hall. “Kipling residence, Oliver speaking.”“Oh, Oliver, it’s Asher. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”“Uh…” Oliver paused, peering over into the next room. “No, not really. What’s up?”
A long sigh from the man on the other end sent chills up Oliver’s spine. Oh no. He held his breath, braced himself, and pinned the receiver to his ear.“... Marcus might not make it to Christmas.” Asher said, a hitch in his breath catching Oliver off guard. “Hell, I’m surprised that he’s even made it this far. He’s really suffering and it could be any day now. ...We were thinking of having a party for him on Saturday. Would you be able to make it?”“Y-yes, no doubt about it.” Oliver replied, glancing again to Laurel and his family in the other room. “Would it be alright if I brought Devin and Laurel? It’s been a while since Devin’s seen you and the rest of your family. It might do him some good to see you.”“Absolutely.” Asher sighed. “But who’s Laurel? A friend?”“No, actually, he's my son.” Oliver said, clicking his tongue. “He’s a raevan. We’re celebrating his birthday today. He’s already a year old.”“Oh yeah, you told us about Lab last year, didn’t you?” Asher said, a subtle chuckle following. “That’s really funny, though, because Mark’s birthday is today, too. What a coincidence.”“That’s right, I can’t believe I forgot!” Oliver laughed, shaking his head. “... God, it’s really awful, isn’t it? Mark’s so young. It’s… Just unfathomable to me what you and he have had to go through.”“Well, thank your lucky stars it hasn’t happened to you.” Asher heaved. “I’ve got to go, but we’ll see you on Saturday, around three?”“Three sounds good, Asher, we’ll be there.” Oliver said. “Take care.”“You too, Oliver.” Asher said.Oliver hung the phone back up slowly and took breath. Wow. This was it. Marcus was on his last days, maybe weeks of life. It was so hard to imagine. Seventeen years ago he was the picture of health and now he was on his way out. So fast and far too soon. It really made you think, didn’t it? How short life can be. He sighed, put on a smile, and rejoined the party.
“Sorry about that, everyone! It was an old friend, I couldn’t get away.” He lied, settling down next to Laurel again. “How’s about we have some cake now, eh?”“Too late, everyone already had a slice without you.” Laurel said, puffing his cheeks out. “I saved you the best slice, though.”
He reached across the table and grabbed the plate. It had looked like a nice cake and he’d snuck a little more icing, but there really wasn’t any fun in complaining. He’d swiped the biggest piece he could find, one with a big red heart shape piped in the center. Grinning, he offered it to Oliver.
“Thanks for the best birthday ever, Dad.” He said.“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Oliver said, giving Laurel a quick peck on the side of his head. “And here’s to many, many more to come.”
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:57 pm
Luck
(Don’t stop believing! Hold onto that feeeeeeliiiing~
Late November 2017) Playing Pokemon was just about the best thing Laurel had done since he discovered how to layer sweaters. Everything about the game was cute, brightly colored, and full of interesting characters, it was like being immersed in another world. You could also play it almost anywhere and in almost any position. Laying on the couch, flopped against the staircase, propped up against a wall, and if they ever made a charger long enough, Laurel was certain he could play on the roof. He loved the whole idea of wandering around, talking to NPCs, running through the grass, and finding something eager to pop out at his character and fight. Most of the time in the real world if you popped out at someone like that you’d scare the daylights out of them, but in Pokemon, getting spooked by a creature was acceptable and even welcomed. Sometimes, he almost wished he could hop into the game himself and cuddle each and every one of the Pokemon he encountered.
Now back in his room, nestled comfortably under a blanket, the cheerful music of another winning battle brought a smile to his face. He’d quickly learned the best way to battle the bad guys in the game, even though he felt sorry for them when they lost, and loved being able to pet and feed his Pokemon after each battle. He’d chosen Litten at the start and evolved him to Torracat around half an hour ago, but he’d already been immensely proud of him before that. His sweet little kitten was clearly a powerhouse and he was blessed to have them.
“Okay, time to get back to traveling!” He cheered, nudging his character quickly toward the grassy areas. “Let’s see who we find hiding out here now.”
He had his character race through the grass until the encounter screen popped up and watched, with baited breath, as the Pokemon appeared.
“Ooo, a Buneary!” He said, before quickly squinting at it. “Wait… Why is it pink?”
He’d seen several Buneary before this and none of them had been pink before. Was this a glitch? He pursed his lips and had Torracat weaken it, then threw a Pokeball out to catch it. It wiggled once, wiggled twice, then a third time, before clicking shut and playing the successful capture music. Well, it had been caught perfectly fine, so it couldn’t have been a glitched Pokemon, right? He hummed to himself, still skeptical, and after a quick save of the game, hopped up in pursuit of his cousin.
“Dev? Something weird happened in my game!” He called, leaning down the stairs. “Dev?”
Hm, Devin wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room. Maybe he was in his room? The cheetah hovered back up the stairs and toward the attic stairwell. He could hear some noise up there, like someone moving something around, so he moved right on up.
“Hey, Devin?” He asked, glancing about. “Can you take a look at my game for sec?”“Dev’s out with friends, Laurel.” Oliver replied, emerging from behind a stack of boxes. “He should be back soon, but would you mind helping me in the meantime?”“Oh. Yeah, sure!” Laurel said, placing his 3DS down and moving toward his father. “What’re you up to? Cleaning?”“Mm, kind of?” Oliver muttered, heaving as he picked up a box from the top and set it down. “I’m looking for some old photo albums in all of these boxes, but they’re all a bit heavier than I can handle myself. Could you set them out here on the floor for me, since you’re so strong?”“Of course!” Laurel said, easily lifting the remaining boxes and placing them down. “Are these more family pictures like the ones you showed me last year?”“No, actually.” Oliver said, rubbing his back. “They’re photo albums from when I went to college.”“College?” Laurel asked.“Yeah, uh…” Oliver began, pausing to think of the right words. “Think kind of like Devin’s old school, but with no uniforms, the classes are way harder, and you have to pay a lot of money for everything.”“Sounds interesting.” Laurel mused, leaning his elbows against one of the boxes. “What did you do there? Anything super cool?”“Well, yes, but I was there primarily to learn how to become a teacher.” Oliver replied, popping open another box. “However, I did meet two very important people, both of which you’re going to meet on Saturday night.”“You have to learn how to become a teacher?” Laurel asked, a question which earned a rather scrutinizing look from Oliver. Okay, so not something to talk about right now. Cool. “So… Who are these important people you met? Were they celebrities or something?”“Haha, no! Not at all.” Oliver laughed, shaking his head. “They were… My boyfriends. Not celebrities, but still very important.”“Boyfriends?” Laurel gasped, immediately shooting upright again. “You mean you had two at the same time? You can do that?”“Yes and it was a time that I remember very fondly.” Oliver said, chuckling. “If we can get through all this old junk and find those photo albums, I can show you what they looked like.”
Invigorated by the prospect of seeing his father with his not one, but two boyfriends, Laurel put all of his energy into unpacking those boxes. It took a while to find them, but the other things they found along the way made it worth the effort. Laurel was a perfect fit for one of Oliver’s old jackets and a floppy knit hat sat adorably well upon his head. They perched themselves by the window, Laurel holding himself up by his hands, and Oliver started flipping through one of the albums.
“Ah, there they are!” Oliver chimed, tapping a partly faded photograph in the center of the page. “Marcus, Asher, and I, at one of the many parties we attended back then. … God that scarf brings back so many memories.”“Let me see!” Laurel exclaimed, taking the album in his hands.
Three men were in the photo, a long haired redhead, one with short black hair, and a blond nestled in the center. They were all smiling outside of a door lit up by Christmas lights, each with a drink in their hands, and a long, striped scarf draped across their chests. It looked like an idyllic winter scene, complete with snow on the ground and holly in the windows. Laurel couldn’t help but smile at how rosy their cheeks were and gently traced his finger over the middle man.
“You had such a chubby face here, dad.” He laughed, earning a nudge from Oliver. “What? It makes you look cute, like an elf!”“Oh please.” Oliver retorted, waving his hand. “I was neither cute nor elf-like. I was just young and enjoying a drink outside. We were so cold, but it really didn’t matter to us then. It was all part of the fun.”“What else did you do together?” Laurel asked.“We did quite a lot of things.” Oliver said, turning the album to the next page. “Like here, when we went to the lake during summer. Swimming was one of Mark’s favorite things to do. I think that’s where he and I really connected.”“Which one is Mark?” Laurel said.“Oh, uh…” Oliver began, quickly tapping the black haired man lounging on a beach chair with sunglasses on. “Him. He loved to sunbathe, too. Said it would make his skin sparkle or something. He had a lot of funny ideas like that.”“Yeah, sounds kinda silly.” Laurel agreed, peering over the pictures. “And I guess this guy is Asher, right?”“Yep! Asher Damino.” Oliver replied. “He was the whole reason our group got together. If he hadn’t helped me find my way around campus that first week, I’m sure we never would have started dating.”“That’s pretty cool.” Laurel said, his lips pursing in thought. “But… Something about him feels weird.”“What do you mean?” Oliver asked.“He… Kinda looks like Devin.” Laurel said, pointing to Asher’s hair and skin. “Is that a coincidence?”“... No, Laurel.” Oliver said, sighing. “Asher is Devin’s uncle, or to better explain, Thatcher and Asher’s sister, Judy, had Devin together. … Dev has another family you haven’t met yet.”“Whoa, no way!” Laurel chirped, staring more intently at the photographs. “... Then, wait. Where’s Devin’s mom? Does she live with Thatcher?”
He continued to pour over the photographs before realizing that Oliver hadn’t answered him. Looking up, the sad look on Oliver’s face caught him off guard.
“... Did I say something wrong?” He asked, ears flattening back.“No, no, just…” Oliver said, taking a deep breath in. “Devin’s mother… Gave Devin up when Devin was three. She hasn’t come back to see him since.”“What?” Laurel gasped, a look of disgust and horror crossing his features. “Why would she do that? Didn’t she love him?”“No.” Oliver said, flatly.
Slowly, Oliver moved the photo album and shifted his position to face Laurel. After a moment’s pause, he continued.
“Judy and Thatcher didn’t plan on having Devin, and I’m certain that neither of them were prepared to be parents at the time.” He said, his lips twisting. “I swear Judy tried to fake being a mother for about three years before she just couldn’t take it anymore and handed Devin over to Thatcher without a second thought. But, what really makes my blood boil, is what she did afterward.”
He tensed his grip against the side of the cushion, breathed, and shook his head.
“She accused Thatcher of hitting her.” He said, rubbing the side of his face. “This was a lie, a really, really, awful lie, but that wasn’t how everyone else thought of it at the time. She went to Asher and told him and he reacted just like any other brother would. He went straight up to Thatcher, gave him a good beat down, and told him never to come around his family again. It was a horror story.”
He fell silent, shaking his head several more times, and looked over to Laurel.
“By the time Judy decided to tell the truth, Marcus, Asher, and I had broken up.” He said, breathing in. “When I heard about it, I was livid. Absolutely livid.”The blond placed his head in his hands and sighed, while Laurel looked on with eyes wide. His father’s story had brought his lip straight up into a pout and a hand over his heart. How could someone lie like that and give up their son? This Judy woman sounded absolutely awful. Laurel moved to lean against Oliver’s shoulder.
“What did you do after that?” He asked, tilting his head up to look at his father. “Did you yell at her?”“No. I didn’t have the guts.” Oliver replied, puffing his cheeks out and blowing. “I was too upset over the break up that I couldn’t find it in me to confront her. Then, I started failing classes and had to change schools. My whole life changed in an instant. I didn’t have any other choice but to try and move on.”
He rubbed the side of his head and grabbed the album again. He flipped through the pages for a bit before stopping abruptly and pointing to a photo.
“That’s Devin, when he was about seven or eight.” He explained, looping his arm around Laurel’s back. “Thatcher was a flight instructor back then and suffered a terrible crash that ended his career. That’s when Devin started living with the rest of the family instead of with him and why Devin and he stopped being close.”
He flipped further into the album and stopped right at the end. There, an old family photo sat there alone in the center, one just like the one in the hallway downstairs. Looking upon it, Oliver sighed.
“This was our last Christmas together as a family.” He explained, pointing to every face. “Mom, dad, Sher, Rosie, Thatcher, Dev… We were all there. This was so long ago and whenever I see this photo, it just makes me feel so… So sad.”
He looked to the ceiling and blinked away the beginnings of tears.
“So much has changed since then, Laurel.” He continued, tugging Laurel in for a hug. “But now that Devin is living here permanently and you’re here, I really feel like our lives are turning around for the better. It’s been a very, very long road, but I know we’ve got so much more going for us now than we did back then. It’s just got to get better now after all of this.”The pair clung to each other tightly, with Oliver wiping away tears and Laurel purring against him. Though Laurel hadn’t gone through anything that Oliver had talked about, he did feel like he understood how hard it was on some level. After all, his father was sad and moved to tears. It had to be difficult based on that fact alone. However, he had the same confidence about his father’s belief in a better future. Devin moving in was a very positive step and he no longer had to deal with either of his terrible parents. The good side of this change was very obvious and something Laurel could easily understand. In fact, he couldn’t see anything bad about it at all. Dev was here with them and that was a win win for everyone.“Hey guys! I’m home and I brought CJ with me!”“Oh, Dev’s home!” Laurel exclaimed, peeling away from Oliver and racing to the attic door. “We’re here looking at photos, Devin! Come on up!”
It took a few minutes, but the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs signalled Laurel to lean back and soon, Devin wandered up into the attic. Then, Laurel watched him turn around, reach down, and help another auburn-haired teenager up the stairs. “Okay, so, this is where I sleep.” Devin said, making a sweeping motion around the attic, before pausing on Laurel and Oliver. “Aaand, this is my cousin, Laurel, and my uncle, Oliver! Say hi, CJ.”“Hi there!” CJ said, offering a smile. “My name’s Colin, but everyone calls me CJ! Devin’s told me a lot about you, all good things of course.”“It’s lovely to meet you too, CJ.” Oliver replied. “Devin’s told us a lot of good things about you, too.”“Yeah, like how much he likes your hair!” Laurel added.“Shhh!” Devin hushed, making a face at Laurel. “... Your hair is really nice, though, CJ.”“I hope you’d think so, seeing as we’ve been dating for, like, a year?” CJ laughed.The silence that followed CJ’s statement was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. Devin looked as red as a cherry, CJ held his hands firmly against his mouth, and Laurel had absolutely no idea how to feel. Then, the three boys turned to Oliver, who had started to slowly stand up and make his way across the room. “U-uncle Oliver, wait, let me explain!” Devin squeaked, holding his hands up. “I wasn’t sure how to tell anyone, okay? This year was crazy and I just wanted to w-”“What are you so nervous about?” Oliver exclaimed, throwing his arms out wide and tugging both boys into a hug. “This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time! You’ve got a boyfriend!”“I-I, uh, yeah!” Devin stammered, glancing to CJ and back. “But aren’t you upset at all?”“Upset? Why would I be upset?” Oliver flailed, grinning broadly. “God, I’ve been rooting for you all this time, ever since you started talking about CJ! I think this calls for a celebration!”“N-no, wait, that’s not necessary!” Devin replied, shaking his head. “I really didn’t think you’d be this excited, though!”“Are you kidding? Of course I am!” Oliver said, clasping his hands. “That settles it! I’m going downstairs right now and ordering us some pizzas. Maybe I’ll bake some cookies, too. Don’t go anywhere!”And with that, Oliver disappeared down the stairs, leaving Devin, CJ, and Laurel alone in awkward silence. Not knowing what to do, Laurel stayed where he was and waited, watching to see how CJ and Devin would react, and soon, the pair started to laugh.“You weren’t kidding about how nice your uncle was!” CJ said, clapping his hands. “He was practically jumping for joy! I thought I was going to have a heart attack!”“I know, I know!” Devin heaved, wiping his brow. “God, you know, it’s days like this where I’m reminded about just how awesome he is. If he acts like this right now, imagine what he’d do if we ever got married!”
The pair shared an awkward smile and a laugh after that, before Devin finally noticed Laurel staring. He waved him over.
“Hey, Laur, you just going to stay there and stare or are you going to talk?” He asked.“I was just waiting for you two to stop acting like statues!” Laurel teased, making a beeline for the pair and wrapping them in a hug. “Are you guys really dating? Like legit?”“Yeah, and we have been for a while now.” Devin said, reaching for CJ’s hand. “It’s been a secret, but now that you and Oliver know, I guess it’s not anymore.”“Mhm, so, maybe you’ll start inviting me over more often?” CJ asked.“Well…” Devin blushed.“Why not? We could all play games together!” Laurel chimed. “Oh! That reminds me!"
He hovered back over to where he’d left his 3DS, pulled up the Buneary he’d caught earlier, and showed it to Devin.
“Look at this pink Buneary I caught!” He continued, tapping the screen. “I wanted to ask you about it earlier, but you weren’t home. Is this a glitch?”“Laurel, holy s**t, you caught a shiny!” Devin cried, grasping the 3DS and grinning. “How many encounters did it take you?”“Uh… It just jumped out at me?” Laurel replied, ears pinning back. “Is a shiny something good or bad?”“It’s one of the rarest things you can ever find in a Pokemon game! Especially the way you found it!” Devin said, handing the 3DS back to Laurel. “Usually you’ve gotta sit for hours encountering the same Pokemon over and over again until you find one, but you found one randomly, which has like a 1 and 4096 chance of happening to anyone! You’ve found something even I haven’t found yet, and I’ve played Pokemon for years!”Laurel gasped, looked down at his 3DS, and tilted his head. So, this was a really special Pokemon, one that was extra super rare. Good thing he decided to catch it, then! … But, if it was so special…
“Do you want it, Devin?” He asked. “Since you haven’t found one yet?”“No, no! You found it, you keep it!” Devin said, shaking his head. “I just hope your shiny luck will rub off on me next time I play.”“Same here!” CJ said. “I’ve been trying to breed for a shiny Charmander for days now. It’s so annoying!”“Well, wait, come here!” Laurel said, tugging them into another hug. He nuzzled them both and fluffed their hair before letting them go. “There, I’ve rubbed shiny luck on both of you! I’m sure you’ll find your shinies now!”“Thanks Laurel!” Devin laughed.“Hey boys, sorry to interrupt!” Oliver called, making his way back up into the attic. “I’ve called in for pizzas, but I just remembered that I found an old Polaroid camera while Laurel and I were cleaning earlier. Do want to take a picture together and see if it still works?”“Yeah, sure!” Devin said, pulling CJ close. “Hey, Laurel! Why don’t you hop in? Make it a group photo!”“Okay!” Laurel said, nestling himself behind Devin and CJ. "Ready!”“Alright, smile!” Oliver said, holding the camera steady. It clicked and flashed, signalling that it was still functional, and slid out a perfect polaroid photo. The blond took it, held it up, and showed it to the boys as it developed.“Wow, it’s like magic!” Laurel said, awed by how he, Devin, and CJ seemed to slowly appear from a fog. This seemed so much more fun that taking a picture with a cellphone, you actually got to watch the process here!
Once it was fully developed, it showed the three boys snuggled together and smiling, with Devin and CJ holding hands and Laurel wrapping his arms around both of them. It was a wonderful picture, one that all four men could smile at. Then, Oliver took it over to one of the boxes.“Hold on, I just thought of something else.” He said, opening the box. “I saw an empty photo album here somewhere. Why don’t you three take this camera and fill it up with memories, just like I used to?”“That sounds like a great idea!” Laurel agreed, turning to Devin and CJ. “What do you guys think?”“Why not?” Devin said.“You are a great photographer, Devin.” CJ added.“Then it’s settled!” Oliver said, handing the photo and the album over to the group. “Your first of, maybe, many albums together. I hope you three have fun!”“Thank you uncle Ollie.” Devin said taking the album.“I’m sure we will, dad!” Laurel chimed. “We could go take pictures on hikes together, or out shopping and stuff. Maybe we’ll even take photos by the lake when it gets warmer!”“Sounds like a plan, Laurel.” Devin nodded.“I can’t wait to spend more time with you, Dev.” CJ said, giving Devin a quick peck on the cheek.“Stoooop, you’re going to make me blush!” Devin whined.“But you look cute when you blush!” CJ said.“I agree, very cute!” Laurel teased.
Laurel, CJ, and Oliver shared a laugh while Devin folded his arms and huffed, before the doorbell rang downstairs. It was time for pizza, cookies, and movies in the living room, and then more talk of Pokemon. Devin did end up catching a shiny that night, an early chain Rockruff, while CJ managed to hatch his prized shiny Charmander. Laurel, brimming with pride, found himself looking forward to finding more shinies, and making more memories, with Devin and CJ in the years ahead.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:33 pm
Mysteries Before Bedtime
(What's a book to a cat to a raevan needing sleep?
Late November 2017) Friday had been a day full of grocery runs and errands, so when bedtime rolled around, Laurel was more than ready to curl up for the night. He’d given Oliver and Devin a goodnight hug, thrown his pajama shirt on, and got snuggled under the blankets, before realizing that something was missing. Where was his stuffed owl? Did it fall out of the bed? There was no way he’d be able to sleep without his owl!
He crawled out of bed again and hovered down to the floor. When they didn’t turn up there or under the bed, he flopped over his bed and looked between the wall. Nope, not there either. Then where? He rubbed his chin and squinted.
Then, a noise from the other side of the room caught his attention. He looked up, head tilted, and noticed a box sitting on the floor by his window. A box that was currently moving. Curious, he hovered over.
“Who’s playing around in my box, huh?” He said, carefully pulling the lids apart slowly.
Inside was none other than Barrel, who quickly sat upright and trilled in greeting. Shaking his head, Laurel picked him up and purred.
“I knew it was you, you’re always messing with my stuff.” He said, booping Barrel on the nose. “Silly kitties like you need to learn to keep your noses where they belong.”
Barrel didn’t seem too fussed by the scolding and mewed again, this time in a more adamant tone. Laurel let him go at the first sign of a wiggle and watched him hop to the edge of the box and bap it with his paw.
“What are you trying to show me?” He asked, peering into the box. “... Oh, I thought dad put this in the basement!”
It was the weird present he’d gotten a few days ago, the one that came without a name. Oliver had decided that it wasn’t safe to use until they figured out who it was from. Initially Laurel had agreed, but now that it was here in front of him again, he couldn’t help but want to take another look.
He started with the candles, taking each one out and placing it down, before pulling the fabric bag out and opening it. As far as he could tell by sight and smell alone, it was just a bag of twigs, herbs, and pretty stones. Nothing to get too fussed about. However, the stick taped to the side of the box was what was really strange. He carefully plucked it out and examined it.
“I wonder what all these symbols mean.” He mused, rubbing his thumb along each carved space. “They don’t look like any words I’ve ever seen. Maybe they’re drawings?”
He tilted the stick around a few more times before a meow from behind him had him looking to his bedside table. Barrel had moved and perched himself on top of something. Laurel moved to shoo him off.
“No kitties on the table.” He said, waving his hand. Barrel moved his position back to the floor but stayed right at the bottom of the table, his head turned toward the book he’d been sitting on. Catching on, Laurel picked it up. “The book dad gave me? This was downstairs the last time I looked...”
Though he couldn’t think of when, there was a possibility that he’d moved it himself when he was putting his presents away. But that still didn’t explain the box of weird stuff being up here. He’d seen Oliver put that downstairs himself. He pursed his lips and hovered back to his bed.
“Maybe I should start reading this tonight. It is nice to read before bed.” He reasoned, crawling under his covers and opening the book. “You wanna sleep up here with me, Barrel?”
He patted the empty side of his bed and smiled as Barrel hopped up and curled next to him. However, after a quick pet of his head, it was evident that something soft and fluffy was in his mouth. His stuffed owl.
“You little thief!” He laughed, quickly pulling the owl away. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you tonight, but don’t you take my owl again! He’s very special.”
Barrel, once again, was unphased by the scolding and simply flopped onto his side. Yeah, yeah, he could be as cute as he wanted, but he was still a rotten plushie stealer! He could have reprimanded him further, but now it was time to start reading.
“Todd, Tierney, and Teagan McKinley were brothers who lived in a small, hillside cabin surrounded by forest.” He read, yawning. “They were forbidden from entering the forests by their father, who blamed them for their mother’s death. Oliver, if you can read this, you- Wait, what?”
He shook his shoulders and opened his eyes wide. There had just been words between the lines in the story, but now they were gone! Had he imagined them? He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and closed the book.
“On second thought, maybe I’m too tired for reading.” He said, placing the book down and rolling onto his side. “I’ll try again tomorrow. Goodnight, Barrel.”
Barrel, moving to flop against Laurel’s head, only purred.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:07 pm
“Sooo, how old is Marcus again?”
Laurel already knew the answer, forty-three, but the silence between he and his father had been deafening. They’d gone out to the card store for what Laurel figured was a belated gift and as soon as they’d walked through the door, Oliver seemed to lose his voice. Something was obviously bothering him, but with the little context that Laurel had, he couldn’t figure out why.
He watched Oliver for an answer, hovering quietly in the air between them, and looking up at the display his father was in front of. Condolences. He’d never seen that word before. Furrowing his brow, Laurel searched the cards below for clues.
Sorry for your loss. When you’re grieving. Gone too soon. None of these cards sounded very nice at all, and certainly not worthy of a birthday party. Why was Oliver looking at these? He reached out and tapped Oliver’s shoulder.
“I… Think you’re in the wrong section, dad.” He said, pointing back to the birthday cards.
“Huh? … Oh.” Oliver said, his eyes glancing up to Laurel and down to the card he was holding. “... Sweetheart, I know I said we were going to a party, but-”
His mouth twisted, the words almost too much for him to bear, and he set the card down.
“Let’s go. I can’t talk about this here.” He continued, taking Laurel by the hand. “There’s a park near here. Want to take a walk with me?”
“S-sure dad.” Laurel replied.
(Late November 2017)
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:07 pm
Normally, the park was one of Laurel’s favorite places. It was the first place he was allowed to go on his own and even met two of his friends in one. However, today’s visit to the park had a low tone to it. The chill in the air kept him tightly bundled under his sweatshirt and all of the plants around him had lost their leaves. Furthermore, the way Oliver was carrying himself made Laurel nervous. He couldn’t tell what was wrong, but the only time he’d seen his father looking this upset was when he’d gotten that phone call from Devin’s school. There had been tears then, and Laurel hadn’t liked it. He didn’t want to see his father cry.
Still, Laurel didn’t try to break the silence. He’d gotten a reaction earlier that he didn’t like, one that made Oliver want to leave the warmth of the card store and go for a walk in the cold. He couldn’t help but feel that if he continued to ask questions, all he would get was the same negative reaction. That didn’t sate his curiosity, though, and it itched at him like a bug crawling up the back of his neck. What was making his father look so serious, so tired, so... Sad?
It took a while, but Oliver eventually caught on to Laurel’s persistent staring and came to a stop in the middle of the path. Laurel’s ears pinned back against his hat and he hunched his shoulders up. It almost felt like it was getting colder as Oliver took a deep breath in and turned to face his son.
“Do you know why the trees lose their leaves in fall, Laurel?” Oliver asked.
Laurel’s eyes shot up from the ground and met Oliver’s gaze. … He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but a question like this was a heck lot better than he thought. Even if he didn’t know the answer.
“No, but I’d like to know.” He answered, letting his shoulders relax. “Why do they lose their leaves, dad?”
He watched Oliver move to the side of the path and gather a few leaves off the ground, before returning to Laurel’s side. He offered one to Laurel before continuing.
“Everything in this world has a limit and a cycle.” Oliver explained, tapping the orange-dappled leaf Laurel held. “This leaf, in the beginning of spring, was nothing but a tiny bud. Then, as the year went on, it burst forth from that bud and became a beautiful green leaf.”
He paused, waiting to see if Laurel had followed him this far, and pointed up into the trees.
“But, now, as you can see… It’s lost it’s green color and fallen from it’s branch.” He said, reaching an arm around Laurel. “This is one of the many ways that we can experience the cycle of life.”
“Okay…” Laurel said, his brows furrowing as he observed the leaf. “But why are you telling me this? I thought we were going out to buy a birthday card for Marcus. This story doesn’t have a lot to do with that.”
He twirled the leaf around in his hand a few more times before looking over to Oliver and gasping. Tears were rolling down his cheeks! Had he made his father cry? He dropped the leaf and grabbed the edge of his sleeve, aiming to wipe Oliver’s face, only to find Oliver nudging him away.
“It’s alright, it’s alright, I’m fine!” Oliver exclaimed, waving his hands around. “But, Laurel, I’m sorry. You’re wrong. This story has everything to do with Marcus and the party we’re going to.”
“What? But how?” Laurel said, lowering his sleeve. “Birthdays are fun and happy, not sad! … At least from what I know.”
“Yes, usually they are fun and happy, but this one isn’t.” Oliver replied, wiping at his eyes. “It’s sad because this is going to be Marcus’ last birthday party. … Marcus is dying, Laurel.”
Laurel’s ears flattened back. Last birthday party? Dying? How did this relate to the story of the leaves? What did dying mean? He shook his head furiously and squeezed his eyes shut.
“I don’t understand.” He huffed, flailing his arms up to his head. “I don’t get what this has to do with the leaves, dad! You said it was the cycle of life, but what does dying mean? You’re not making any sense at all!”
He sucked in a breath and hovered erratically, until Oliver moved to take his hands. The look Oliver was giving him meant something big was coming. This didn’t feel right, not at all, not at all.
“Dying, Laurel, is the end of the cycle of life.” Oliver said, trying his best to keep a hold on Laurel’s hands as he fussed about. “When things die, they stop living and either go back to the earth and start again, like the leaves on the trees, or go on to another place called the afterlife. This is why we’re going to see Marcus. He’s not going to be here with us much longer.”
Laurel froze. He didn’t like this explanation. Life, so far, had been wonderful. Sure, he’d seen how hard things could get with Devin and watched his father cry, but he couldn’t imagine there being an end to it all. Even if there was another place after life, why would you want to leave in the first place? He bit his lip.
“Why can’t Marcus stay?” He asked, shaking his head. “Does he know he’s making you sad? I don’t know if I want to meet him now.”
“No, he probably doesn’t even know that I know yet.” Oliver said, moving to hold Laurel’s shoulders. “But he can’t stay. Dying happens to everyone and no one can stop it. I’m sure he wants to stay, but he’s too sick. His body doesn’t have the energy to stay anymore.”
“H-hold on.” Laurel said, a look of horror crossing his features. “Everyone? This happens to everyone? I don’t-I don’t-”
He turned, avoiding Oliver’s attempts to tug him closer and clasped his hands against the side of his head again. He didn’t want to believe this. He didn’t want to believe that there was an end, especially one that happened to everyone, because if that were true… Then that meant…
“Are you going to die, dad?” He said, the words choking out. His eyes were beginning to water, but he didn’t want to cry. No, no. He couldn’t cry. This didn’t make any sense!
The following silence from Oliver only made it worse. He sniffled, licked his lips, and shook.
“Dad?” He begged.
“Eventually, yes!” Oliver quipped, grasping Laurel arms. “But not for a very, very long time. Not until you’re much older and can take care of yourself! You don’t need to worry about that!”
He tugged Laurel into a hug and smoothed his hair.
“I’m so sorry that I had to tell you, but I didn’t want you to be confused when it happened!” He continued, tears welling up in his eyes again. “Marcus has been dying for three years. His lungs don’t work properly anymore and he’s suffering. It’s very hard to accept, I know, but when he finally passes away… He won’t be in pain anymore, Laurel. That’s what I’m trying to focus on.”
He pulled away from Laurel and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I know this is so hard to deal with.” He said, shivering. “Why don’t we go home and watch a movie? Get our minds off of this for a bit and… Then we’ll talk more later. Okay?”
“... Okay.” Laurel agreed, leaning against Oliver as they turned back for the car.
The rest of the ride home was still filled with silence, even when Oliver turned the radio on. Though the happy holiday music sang of gladsome tidings and togetherness, Laurel couldn’t find it within himself to feel anything but heavy. There was new weight on his chest, one he couldn’t move, and while he turned his gaze to the window to try and distract himself he found himself holding his hand over it and sighing.
It hurt and he didn’t like it.
(Late November 2017)
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:08 pm
“Are you sure you don’t want to watch tv?”
“Mhm. I’m too sleepy.”
“Okay, sweetheart, sleep well.”
“You too.”
Laurel slumped over his bed as soon as the door closed and weakly tugged the blankets over him. The conversation he’d had with his father this afternoon still weighed heavily upon him and drained him of most of his energy. Not even his favorite cartoons could keep his attention for very long. He was sleepy, but his heart raced, like the way it had before his birthday only different. This wasn’t excitement, it was scary. All he could think about was what Oliver had said.
“Dying, Laurel, is the end of the cycle of life.”
“This is why we’re going to see Marcus. He’s not going to be here with us much longer.”
But why? Why did life have to end? Even if there happened to be another place to go after this, he already knew that he didn’t want to leave. This was his home, his family, why did he have to leave it? He’d tried to ask Oliver before but the words left his tongue dry and his mouth too tired to speak. Now, he had to deal with them swirling around his mind while he desperately tried to sleep.
“Mrrow?”
“Barrel?”
The cheetah nudged himself up, allowing the blanket to fall to the floor, and scooped the cat up from under him. Though Barrel purred and stared at him so sweetly, not even those yellow eyes could soothe Laurel. However, rather than place Barrel back down, Laurel opted to cradle him and pet him softly.
“I’m glad you’re here, you know.” He said, leaning himself against his headboard. “... It must be nice to just be a cat. You don’t have to worry about anything but where you get your food and if you have somewhere nice to sleep…”
He sighed, glancing down to the floor and back to Barrel. The way Barrel stared back at him conveyed a strange, almost familiar mix of confusion and curiosity. His tail wiggled and flopped against his arm and, humming, Laurel pat his head.
“You probably don’t know what I’m talking about.” He continued, half-heartedly, and slumped against his pillow. “Which is… Ironic? I guess? Is that the word? I don’t understand anything about this world, so why should I expect it to understand me?”
He let Barrel wiggle his way out of his arms while he stared out toward his bedroom window. The moonlight streaming through cascaded across the wall and reflected against a mirror, giving the room far more light than he cared for. Still, he was far too focused on how upset he was to care to get up and close it. … But, maybe.
He raised his hand and focused all of his attention on the pulley that controlled his blinds. He waved a finger, then two, before pulling himself out of bed and grumbling. Yeah, no, he actually had to touch the thing. Stupid bodily limitations.
“Mrrr!”
“What?” He quipped, turning toward his dresser. Barrel now sat on top of it, holding something in his mouth. He leaned closer, blinking tiredly, and snorted.
“Dude, I don’t know where you keep finding this stuff.” He said, taking the stick in his hand. “Dad saw I still had it and took it away. We still don’t know who gave it to me, so it might not be safe.”
He held the stick up to eye level and glanced over at Barrel. … Were his eyes always that intense? Laurel’s shoulders hunched.
“... I feel like you’re trying to tell me something.” He muttered, looking to the stick and back again. Seeking approval, if there was any to find, he pointed the stick toward himself.
“Mrrr…” Barrel grumbled.
“Okay, that’s a no.” Laurel replied, turning the stick toward Barrel. “This way?”
The level of hissing and fur puffing up from Barrel was a firm negative to that theory and Laurel turned the stick away. So, clearly this was something he was supposed to use, but on what? He pursed his lips and turned toward the window.
“I know this isn’t going to work, but I saw someone do something like this on TV.” He said, waving the stick at the pulley. “Uh… Blinds closed?”
Suddenly, the carvings on the stick began to glow and he could feel it tugging at something within his arm. Instinct told him to drop the stick and scream for his father, but before he could even take a breath in, the blinds went down and the room was dark.
“H-holy ********> He gasped, his free hand slapping against his mouth. Thank goodness the door was closed or else someone would have heard that!
He fussed, shoving himself toward a wall, and stared in shock as the glow on the stick faded. How had he done that? Was this a new power? He took a deep breath and pointed the stick back at the window.
“Blinds open!” He commanded. The same series of events played out, this time with the blinds throwing themselves open, and he looked across the room to Barrel.
“Did you know I could do this?” He asked, hovering down to Barrel’s level.
“Mow!” Barrel announced, purring.
“This is… Terrifying, but awesome!” Laurel said, grinning. “I’ve got to show dad!”
He raced toward the door, only to be caught off guard as Barrel pounced across his dresser, meowing as though panicked, and clung to his arm. Jarred, Laurel picked him up and stared at him.
“Am I not supposed to show him?” He asked, giving Barrel a few pats on the head. “... I guess that makes sense. He didn’t seem to think this stuff was safe.”
He moved back to his bed, his eyes still transfixed on the stick, and let Barrel settle down beside him.
“But, I don’t get it now. It’s something useful.” He said, properly tucking himself in and looking to Barrel. “I’ll keep it a secret though.”
He let out a yawn, nestled down under the covers, and pointed the stick at the window.
“Blinds down!” He said, grinning as they shut. Then, he placed the stick in his bedside drawer and gave Barrel a pet. “Night night, Barrel. See you tomorrow.”
(Late November 2017)
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