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 Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 4:12 pm
Ophelia had stared at the text message ever since she got it.
Mom.
Brooklyn had called her mom.
Yes, okay, she'd sent a silly excuse after, something about her roommate, but Ophelia could recognize a silly excuse when she saw one. Not that she intended to call Brooklyn on it, but....oh. It....it was nice.
She smiled down at her phone. her response had been swift.
Quote: Gladly, sweetheart. We can meet up and get ice cream.
So now, she waited on a bench not far from somewhere that did very fancy ice cream. And as she waited for Brooklyn to arrive, she considered.
Ever since she'd gotten to Earth, she'd wanted to have a place of her own. The Bells were warm, and welcoming--a family--but Ophelia had become a solitary creature in her time, and ever since finding Brooklyn, and then Retzian, and realizing that she wanted to have both of them with her....well, if Retzian really did leave the Negaverse, at least....she'd wanted to find a home of her own. And there were so many places in Destiny City that were abandoned, run down, empty--casualties of the war, like their owners. With effort and savings, she had managed to acquire one, and now, it was all about fixing it up and making ti her own.
Perhaps, if she was lucky, Brooklyn would want to join her.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 5:11 pm
The fact that Ophelia had called her sweetheart had Brooklyn feeling…almost itchy. She wasn’t sure if it was a good itchy or a bad itchy either but…still. It was definitely something.
Thankfully she was dressed so she didn’t have to take extra time contemplating what that could mean and instead she hurried off to meet Ophelia for ice cream.
“Hi! I’m here!”
When she saw the woman sitting on a bench, Brooklyn quickened her steps and made her way over, giving a rather sheepish smile. “Did you miss me terribly? Do you like my dress? I love my dress. It’s like the lolita dress I was promised by that nasty girl who never bothered to make due with her promises only this one I got from a sweet grandma lady…so no harm done!”
She gave a little twirl to show off the dress she was so proud of, and wondered if she could keep up the stream of chatter…and avoid any talk of her stupid slip up in the text message.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 6:11 pm
Ophelia met Brooklyn with a smile, and stood up from the bench to greet her.
"Hello," she said. It was good to see all of Brooklyn's bubbly enthusiasm; she always made Ophelia feel warm and happy. It was.....good, really.
"I always miss you terribly, and your dress is lovely. I'm glad you finally got what you were promised--and in a much better from than you would have from that Corrupt." It made Ophelia furious, to think of how Brooklyn was nearly won over by Chaos--and how utterly manipulative the sales pitch had been.
Certainly, she might have gotten a fancy dress out of it. But only at the cost of her soul.
"Anything else interesting happening with you? I have to admit, I do have some exciting news of my own."
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 6:19 pm
Brooklyn’s smile fell slightly though she tried to hide it. “Ah. Not really anything exciting. Just. The end of the year is coming up so I’m absolutely dreading going back to that foster home…I. I never thought I’d love school as much as I do and…the freedom I get in the dorms…not to mention the fact that I get fed…I…”
She swallowed and crossed her arms over her chest as though she were cold, pressing her arms to her chest as though to keep all of the words that wanted to spill out inside where they belonged.
“...I’m really. Not looking forward to it and I’m still waiting on the possibility that I can leave my things in the dorm so I don’t…lose everything I’ve built up for myself…they’d steal it all or break it or sell it…and. I’d be back to square one with nothing.”
Swallowing hard, Brooklyn seemed to shake herself a little. “..ah…what’s your news?”
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 6:26 pm
Ah. Well. Everything Brooklyn was saying....it made it more than clear that Ophelia was doing far too much holding back. This girl that, in many ways, she already regarded as her own....no, it would not be permissible to simply let Brooklyn go back to somewhere she hated. Absolutely not.
"I....might have a solution for that, actually," she said, though it was a little tentative. "You see, my news is that I've come into ownership of a house. It's a bit run-down, left to rot after its old owners died, but it's perfectly livable and there's quite a lot of space. If....you would rather have somewhere else to stay."
The legalities might be interesting, but Ophelia had faith that Viatrix would find a way to make ti all work.
"Only if you wish, though. I won't force you, or anything, merely offer you the option."
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 6:38 pm
Brooklyn paused and looked sharply at Ophelia, frowning as she waited for the woman to laugh, to say it was a joke. To reiterate that nobody wanted the stupid foster girl and nobody ever would but.
“...How? You…Like. What? Adopt me?”
The words were out before she could build up strong enough wall to keep them back. Great. Now she was going to get rebuffed ********. ********, <******** hard, Brooklyn looked away. “Or just like. Transfer me to your care…or…should I just declare independence? I think that I have to be sixteen to do that but…that was the plan. I know I’m way too old for anyone to want me so. But. Maybe you could pay off the assholes I’m supposed to go back to and they’d let me stay with you…they like money.”
She couldn’t meet Ophelia’s eyes. Couldn’t stand the chance that there would be pity there. This. Hadn’t been her brightest idea, talking to Ophelia about her issues…this was hurting more than anything else would have and she hadn’t even realized it.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 6:55 pm
Oh, this was...almost painful. The way Brooklyn asked the question, and how she immediately withdrew.
"Yes," Ophelia said softly. "I would like to adopt you. Formally. If, in the meantime, paying off your current guardians would suffice to have you transferred into my care, I would be happy to do that. My desire is to protect you and keep you safe, and....if you would like, for us to be family."
She hoped Brooklyn wanted it. She hoped that the withdrawal wasn't because she didn't want Ophelia to be her mother, but because she was afraid.
'Please, please let this be happening,' she prayed, to deities she had not acknowledged for centuries. 'Please let me have this piece of my family back.'
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 7:04 pm
Brooklyn was quiet for long enough that even she realized it was awkward…but she couldn't find her voice. Couldn't find words, couldn’t…didn’t want to speak…if that ended up shattering all of this. If it was just some dream…
If this wasn’t real. This would be the final straw that broke her, she knew it.
“...If this is a joke, it is the most unfunny joke in the history of the world, so please. If it is, just tell me now and…and I’ll walk away…You…I…”
Her hands were shaking and Brooklyn had dug her nails into her arms hard enough that a few drops of blood were starting to ooze from the spots. “You had a daughter. And I can’t be her…I can’t replace her…no matter how much I want to…no matter how much I see that stupid painting up in my Wonder…I get so jealous of that stupid little girl. It’s…Please. If this is a joke just go away. I can’t handle it.”
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 7:27 pm
"It is not a joke," Ophelia said. Quickly, firmly. She did not want to give Brooklyn any chance to doubt.
Gently, she reached out, putting her hands on top of Brooklyn's.
"Brooklyn. I don't need you to replace my daughter. You remind me of her, yes, and...." She took a deep breath. Would this help, or hurt? But she had kept this to herself for so long.... "...And I believe that you may share her soul. But that does not mean I only want you to replace what I have lost. I want to be able to care for you, and I am not joking, or attempting to tease you, or anything of the sort."
Her expression softened to something almost pleading.
"Please, Brooklyn. Let me help you."
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 7:38 pm
Brooklyn forced herself to look at Ophelia, her wariness giving way to a look of utter confusion. “...What do you mean by that? Share…share her soul? I thought I was…but then why do I have your sister's Wonder? How does that come into play?” As she looked at Ophelia, her eyes finally filled with the tears that she had been working so hard to keep back. “...How do you know? What makes you think that? I…I don’t understand…”
But…it sounded so nice...and if it meant that she really had a chance to be loved? To look as happy as the child in the portrait? That…
That was far too much to ask for, but she wanted it.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 8:36 pm
"I mean," Ophelia said, "that the starseed in your chest may just be the one that belonged to my daughter. You are her reincarnation. And you likely carry my sister's blood, in some way or another, which is why you inherited her Knighthood."
She exhaled.
"It is....complex, I know. But I believe it very strongly. You look so much like her--I suspected the moment I first saw you." She exhaled. "Getting to know you has only made me more certain. And....it makes me want to care for you. To be your family. Your...mother, if you'll have me as that."
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2023 12:52 pm
“I…” Brooklyn swallowed and couldn’t make her thoughts work...it sounded so good. Too good. She was what…the reincarnation of Dagon’s daughter? And that was why she had become this Knight…because she was Dagon’s daughter…and related to Dagon’s sister…the ghost at her Wonder…?
It was far too much like a fairy tale…and she couldn’t find the way to bring air into her lungs and slowly, Brooklyn shook her head. “I…I need…to think about this I…”
It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Ophelia…she just. Couldn’t. It was too good to be true, and by that logic it had to be a lie…
“...I’m sorry…I…”
Swallowing hard, Brooklyn shook her head and turned, breaking away from Ophelia and vanishing into the night. She hadn’t needed the ice cream anyway…and now…all she needed was time to think.
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