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He sighs, “Cage stuck with me after the break out. He was small and needed someone to protect him, and we both faintly at least remembered each other. Vi…” his voice trails off.
Hmm.
“Violet kind of… found out? that we were elementals. I wasn’t great at control and she just happened to be around when I was provoked. She stuck around afterwards, I don’t know why. I probably met her a year after the break out.”
Silver hugged herself again, squeezing her arms until there were hand prints left on her skin. "How often did you accidentally hurt… someone?"
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He purses his lips. “Often? Once a week? I don’t know. It wasn’t good. Cage held up like a champ, but I couldn’t really keep a job because it was dangerous to be in public. Violet helped with my patience level, which definitely calmed things a little.” He runs a hand through his hair. “at least I look like I have control now, heh.”
She smiled a little, but only for a second. "I'll try more. And see what I can do. But honestly, Ben, I'd rather not even train with Gabriel. I'd trust you more to be safer from me than him. He'd sacrifice himself too much. He doesn't have enough self preservation to protect himself from me."
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He draws his eyebrows together. “Ah, that is an excellent point. We need to teach him to actually care about himself.” He huffs. “I don’t know what to do with them. They’re so different and… mentally messed with.”
She nodded. "It's like Kissa got all the selfishness and self preservation and he got depleted to none." she sighed. "I've worked on him for two years and I feel like I've gotten nowhere." she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. "He's so hard to read, even for me. Oh!" she perked up. "But Kissa did invite me to hang out in her room with her and watch movies. Miki screamed before we could start one, but I thought it was a good sign."
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“It is a good sign. She’s finally trying to make friends instead of just prove herself.” He takes and swallows another bite. “I don’t-“ He looks to Gabriel Who has fallen asleep, sprawled out beside the fridge. “- I don’t know what to do with him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone care so little about themselves. Okay, well… I’ve seen someone close. Maybe Vi can help?” He shrugs.
"He does love Vi. Aside from me, he's most attentive to her and trusts her more than the rest of you. Vi might be able to break through to him in ways I haven't. They…" her voice trailed off as she thought for a few moments. "They're not used to having anyone care about them. After what they've been through, and even growing up; apparently they had awful parents. Or their dad died and their mom was awful. I can't quite get a straight story out of either of them. But I think they just learned to live like that because no one else cared. Kissa got selfish to take care of herself and Gabriel just stopped caring at all." Silver brushed a hand through her hair. "Even though it's been two years I still think they don't quite know what to do with us. They went from having no one to having a whole family of weirdos to take care of them and pay attention and notice if something is wrong."
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He nods. “They were used to being neglected or used and now they’re cared for. They don’t understand.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve- I didn’t have a great childhood, but at least I had people who cared.” His eyes rest of Gabriel. “I can’t imagine what they’ve been through…”
"Probably even more than we experienced. Which is hard to imagine." Silver tip-toed over to the couch and grabbed a throw blanket, bringing it back and gently covering Gabe's sleeping form with it.
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Gabriel flinches, but doesn’t wake. He rolls onto his side, turning invisible.
Ben watches. “Sil, Robin is coming for supper tomorrow, right?”
Silver smiled as he went invisible, then rose and came back to the counter. "Yes, that's the plan. Is that still okay?"
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He nods. “Yes, it’s fine. I just- Cage probably wants me home then.” He pulls out his phone and concentrates, typing away. “I’ll have to reschedule the meeting with Diablo.” He says to himself in a lower, quieter tone.
Silver picked a noodle off Ben's plate and ate it. "Yeah, I think it's gonna be a big family thing. Who's Diablo?"
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He ignores her question and whacks her hand with his fork. “Silver! Don’t touch my food! That’s so gross!” He growls and glares down at his remaining noodles.
I can’t eat this now.
Silver yelped and snatched her hand away. "Sorry! You weren't eating it! I thought you didn't want it." She stuck her bruised finger in her mouth and sucked on it.
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He sighs and slides the plate to her, standing. “I’m not going to eat it now.” He ruffles her hair, “you should get to bed soon. It’s late. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He slips his jacket off, hanging it up and turning the heater down a few degrees, for Violet.
"I'm sorry!" she wailed –quietly– after him. "I'll go to bed once I'm done with this." She ran after him and kissed his cheek, whispering "Goodnight, Dad." into his ear before skittering back to the kitchen to finish his pasta.
(time skip? yes or no is fine with me)
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He waves her off, “Tch, weirdo.” He whispers, heading upstairs to his room.
(YES TIME SKIP)
Silver downed the rest of the pasta and put the plate in the sink, checked on Gabriel to make sure he was as reasonably comfortable as could be expected, tidied up a few things, and then gathered up the pillow she had dropped on the floor and slipped upstairs. She peeked into her room and saw Miki sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed. Instead of disturbing her, Silver continued down the hall and snuck into Cage's room, snuggling into Gabriel's bed, still wearing her new cloak, and fell asleep.
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Violet fills the waffle maker, closes it and goes to the sink to fill the dishwasher.
Ben heads downstairs, his hands in his hair while he pulls it up. “Making waffles?”
She smiles, “yes, I think they’re the favorite.”
He spikes the thermostat, “I’m meeting Diablo for lunch so I can be here for supper. I don’t know how long I’ll be out with him.”
She nods, picking up a wine glass and observing it. “Who’d you drink with last night?”
He turns, taking his jacket from the hook beside the door. “I’m going to run to the store.”
She turns around, glaring, “Ben-“
He waves, opening the door and going out. “Goodbye!”
“Benjamin! Ugh.” She growls, rinsing the cups and slipping them in the dishwasher. “Don’t give the kids wine.” She whispers to herself.
Miki came downstairs still wearing her pajamas, and grabbed a cup of coffee before depositing herself on the couch. "You and Ben stay up drinking last night after you chased us off to bed?" She asked Vi, seeing the wine glasses.
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Violet’s face flushes a deep red and she inhaled sharply. “No.”
Ooh, calm down. It’s only 7am. You may not start the day like thi-
She trips over one of Gabriel’s wings, gasping and skinning her knees on the ground.
Kissa glares over the railing, “you found Gabe.”
Violet bites her lip, trying her hardest not to snap back.
I bloody well did.
She takes a deep breath and stands, dusting herself off and taking out the waffle, adding more mix into the pan.
“Miki, Love, would you watch the waffles while I clean my knees please?”
"Sure thing." Miki jumped off the couch and came into the kitchen to watch the waffle maker. "Kissa, did you stay up and drink–oh, no, you couldn't cuz you're like twelve."
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Kissa gasps, angry, “TWELVE?!?” She leaps off of the balcony, landing on Gabriel’s wings and quickly bouncing off, even though he doesn’t budge. “At least I’m not a 30 year old who acts twelve, like you.”
Miki gasped, clutching her throat in mock shock. "Thirty??? You dare accuse me of being older than Ben and Vi? I am twenty-two if you must know and I act twelve because Cage is a bad influence on me and I think it's a crime to have to act like an adult 100% of the time when it's not necessary." She indignantly flipped the finished waffle out and poured more batter in.
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Kissa growls. “Ack, you’re pathetic.” She leans over Gabriel, very carefully feeling his face. “Don’t bite.” She whispers.
She straightens herself again and looks up to the cabinet. “Ah! I do know where he keeps the wine though!”
"Ah, ah, ah!" Miki said, waving her spoon at her. "This is a rare moment when I act like an adult. You leave Ben's wine alone."
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“What?” She squeaks. “But I-“
Cage shrieks from upstairs, throwing a pillow at Silver. “THERES SOMEBODY IN HERE CALLTHEPOLICE!!!”
Miki jumped, dropping her spoon and flinching. "Stars, he doesn't usually reach that octave this early." She picked up her spoon and handed it to Kissa with orders to watch the waffles and then made her way upstairs.
She came to Cage's door and knocked, poking her head in. "Hey, what are you screaming about?"
