|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:02 am
Well. It had finally happened. Their father had been struggling for a few months now, and Charlotte had felt quite duty bound to remain with him in spite of his ever growing caustic nature but…now that he was…he was gone.
…She was going, too.
With puffy, red rimmed eyes from far too many days involving far too many tears, she made her way to her siblings apartment and knocked softly on the door. They knew that their father had been sick, sure. But Charlotte hadn’t…told them everything. Especially not with the things that he was saying about his other two children it was.
…He had been such a monster.
Quite honestly, their mother was no better, and Charlotte just couldn’t take being there any more. She had packed carefully, a suitcase was all she had, and most of it was filled with stuffed toys, and her savings. There were some clothes that she liked and her bow making equipment, but other than that…
An agent of the Negaverse wasn’t supposed to be so soft and stupid after all.
Charlotte swallowed and took out the key she had been given for the apartment, unlocking the door and letting herself inside.
There was no use crying in the hallway, after all.
But when she saw Leander coming towards her, she burst into tears again. This she would miss. Her brother and her sister…the very best part of the family she had. Or. Her cousins as her father had said so scathingly from his death bed. Such a caustic way to try and cut her off from the people who she loved the most and who loved her the most…but. It was something she would never admit to. And hopefully, it would be something she wouldn’t have to remember.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:23 pm
“Lottie,” Leander said, and passed from halfway across the room to right in front of her in the blink of an eye so he could wrap his arms around her. She had a suitcase, so of course he assumed one of two things–she’d had enough and left, or she was kicked out.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he reassured, and rubbed her back. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”
He wouldn’t presume to tell her to stop crying; he’d rather her let it out. He’d stand there and hold her for as long as she needed. There was a couch next to them, they could sit down. He had a ritual when either of his sister’s were crying–hold them until they’d decided he was smothering them, then he’d let them sit down and bring them blankets and pillows and stuffed animals until they were comfortable, and then he’d disappear for a few seconds and come back with a drink or snacks or something.
Somewhere between all three steps, or after he’d brought them everything he could think they’d need, they’d talk about what was going on.
Charlotte looked like she had a lot of tears to work out first, so he didn’t press her to know what was wrong, he just stroked down her back so she knew she didn’t have to face it alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 1:29 pm
She relaxed against him, sniffling once again, and swallowing hard. “...Hi, Leander…um. Father is dead.” Charlotte pressed herself into his chest, shuddering. “I…honestly I was going to move out months ago but. He got sick. And I’m sorry…but he was such an unreasonable b*****d…I’m sorry you and Kelly went through so much…He treated us all like s**t and.”
With a hiccup she managed to look up at her brother, shaking her head. “Well. I mean. This is where you’re going to think I’ve lost my mind but. You like weird stuff…do you um. Do you believe in magic, by chance? You know that this city is full of…I mean…”
God, he was going to say she had simply lost her mind, had broken under the strain of leaving and their father and…
“Just. Do you believe in magic, Leander?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:03 pm
Leander’s blood ran cold when she said their father was dead.
They hadn’t had a good relationship for a long while. Leander wasn’t going to miss him. He didn’t feel sadness at hearing of his loss, he just felt–
Cold.
Like it was a harsh reality he had to face suddenly. He knew he was sick, he just hadn’t realized he was that sick. He wanted to ask more about what happened, about any of it, but Charlotte seemed like she was a little out of it. He had to stay calm for everyone, that’s just how he operated. He had to be there for his little sisters, even when they started to sound a little loopy.
“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Lottie.”
It wasn’t her fault that he had treated them the way he did, it wasn’t her fault that he was–gone.
Dead.
He stroked down her back and looked down at her worriedly. “This city’s full of a lot of weird things, yeah. Lot of unexplainable things.” Had something else happened to him? Had a youma gotten him? Had someone pulled his starseed…?
“I guess I believe in magic, yeah. Why, what are you getting at?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:11 pm
Charlotte sniffed and tangled her fingers in his hair. Leander had always had nice hair, such a pretty color too. They all had nice hair. Ah well. “Well. You know how there are people who like…go around the city in strange outfits…I…um. I’m one of them. I’m a um. A Page of Cosmos is what it’s called but…I won’t be for much longer and…I just…wanted to let you know…I…”
She swallowed, knowing that she sounded utterly crazy. “If we weren’t at your apartment I would show you…I’m not insane or grief stricken…honestly it was a relief when he finally passed on…he was such an a** in the end…he…he had high blood pressure and kept having heart attacks, but just got angrier and angrier and just. I don’t know why I stayed there and listened to the abuse he was spewing…but um…I…”
Drawing in a long breath she drew away slightly and looked up at him. “I have…a few um…boyfriends and a girlfriend…and they’re all…in another group of…of the um. People. And I’m going to join them…and um…I’ll be…I’ll be different and…and I might forget you…and I just…wanted you to know that I love you…and that…I’m sorry that dad sucks. And I’m sorry that…I’m leaving…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:38 pm
Oh. Because he hadn’t been thrown through enough loops yet.
He was barely keeping up with Page of Cosmos when she got to high blood pressure–heart attacks–and then again when she had boyfriends and a girlfriend.
“You’re joining the Negaverse,” he deduced, as if there were any other group that could take Knights. His eyes were on her, worried and cautious and–what? No, he didn’t want to lose his little sister! He had met people in the Negaverse, they weren’t that bad but he didn’t want to lose her.
“I’m not going to stop you, Lottie, but–I can’t–you can’t forget me, you can’t forget us. I need you. You’re my family. Kelly–” Kelly would be heartbroken. Their father was gone and–
He wasn’t much of a father, but he was gone now, and he didn’t want to lose Lottie too.
“What do I have to do–how do I make you remember me? Us? How do we keep you in our lives?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:44 pm
Charlotte looked startled and stared blankly at her brother for a long moment, hope beginning to spread across her face. “You…Leander…are you with them? You…you know the name of the group…are you…are you a part of it too?” If he was…then maybe she could find a way to remember him! Oh, and she could really live here too and…they could still be a family…
“Is Kelly? I don’t want to forget either of you! I…I can write myself a note or something and…and you can be there when it happens! You can take me home and take care of me, if you want? If um. I can still come live with you?”
There was more excitement in her voice now, and a rising, glorious feeling like things would really be okay. She hadn’t felt this good in months, actually. “I…oh, Leander…this could all turn out so great…I want…I want to be stronger, and I know going with the Negaverse will help with that…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 6:13 pm
For one brief second, he felt guilty–like he’d lied to her. He was just afraid to let her down, especially when she seemed so excited about all of this.
“No,” he answered, but was quick to clarify, “Dark Mirror Court. Kelly is too. Not quite the Negaverse, but–we’re not enemies. Move in with us, yeah. I’ll power up–Kelly can, too, we’ll show you who we are. Later tonight? Before you do it. Are you going to go over to them soon? Do you need time to prepare? If you do, you know you’re safe here. You can stay for as long as you want, you know there’s room for you. You can have my room for now, I’ll take the couch. I spend enough time out here anyway! My lease’ll be up in a month, I can make some calls and see if we can’t get a three bedroom place. But I want you here, with us. We’ll take care of you.”
And he could make sure that the Negaverse was taking care of her, treating her well.
He wanted to make sure she was okay, no matter what.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 6:21 pm
Lottie nodded and swallowed. Well…not part of the Negaverse….but still…something that were…friendly with the Negaverse! And she could move in so…so that was okay. She gave a smile, though her sore eyes were already swimming with yet more tears and she pressed against his chest, nodding frantically. “Yeah. I can stay with Kelly though…I don’t mind. It’ll be like a sleepover all the time and I’ll love it. I don’t want you on the couch, Leander. You deserve so much more than a couch…and I’ll get a job. I’ll pull my own weight, I swear.”
Finally she seemed to relax against him, all of the tension just leaving her feeling limp and drained. “...I would like that. I would like to see you too…but maybe not tonight…I’m so tired, Leander…I…would really like to just cuddle with you both and watch movies tonight or something…and tomorrow. We can start tomorrow with getting me ready. I need to meet up with my contacts…it’s been so long since I've seen them…I hope they still want me…”
If they didn’t..what would she do then? Well…Mourite would want her…she was sure about that. Maybe. Hopefully.
“...I’ll worry about it tomorrow but…thank you. I love you. Thank you…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:00 pm
He kissed atop her head again. “I love you, Lottie. It’s going to be okay. I’m sorry.”
He didn’t know what he was apologizing for–maybe their father, maybe because she was hurting, maybe because he knew this was a big, scary change. His heart was still pounding, but…
He knew what the Negaverse could do. He didn’t want her to be a target. If she could be safe–could she be safe? In the Negaverse?
He didn’t care. He just didn’t want to lose her.
“I’ll go let Kelly know in a minute. We’ll have a sleepover in the living room tonight and watch movies. I’ll have some groceries delivered, a bunch of snacks. Just like when we were kids. We’ll figure the rest out later. For tonight, just let me take care of you two.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:08 pm
“You’ve always been the one who took care of us. I’m…I’m going to take your last name I think. So I can still be your sister. I’m thinking…I don’t know. But something McCall.” The ideas he was giving, the solutions. It was all…perfect. It sounded perfect.
With a soft sigh, Lottie let herself slip into sleep, safe and content with the only family who mattered.
The only family who ever really mattered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
