When Abaddon, Valerie, and Izanami returned ho, the three were all giggles and toothy smiles.
Nyx is slowly trailing behind them, happy for the group but no more visually enthusiastic than her usual self.
As the group enters their ho, it isn’t long after they make their way inside that they notice a stiffness in the air.
Erica is sitting on the sofa; her creations all around her.
She looks up at her family as they enter the room and her smile is deceptively bright.
"So... how did it all go?"
Abaddon smiled back at her as his answer. Erica’s enthusiasm becos noticeably more genuine than before.
She leans forward and tickles K’ael’s nose sweetly.
"Do you hear that, my boy? You’re going to be an older brother for the first ti."
K’ael’s peaceful rest seems to be disturbed. He tosses and turns in his mother’s arms.
Jazmine and Clair cannot help but find his behavior adorable and amusing.
"How did you get him to stay still in your lap for so long..?" Valerie sounded impressed. "He never does anything like that when I ask."
"About that..." Erica sighed. "We had a little incident while you all were out. It’s been taken care of though. Eternity was most helpful."
’Eternity’ and ’helpful’ don’t sound like two words Abaddon would ever think to string together, but he doesn’t doubt Erica.
Instead, he sits down on the sofa with Izanami and Valerie, and they wait to hear her explain everything that they missed while they were out broadening their family.
But as it happens, Abaddon cannot help but notice that Claire and Jazmine are rather tense. It is unusual for them, who usually operate as naturally as fish in water.
"Eternity said... that you, or Oblivion are the reason K’ael is like this. Do you think that’s possible?"
Abaddon rubbed the back of his head.
"He certainly could have done it... I just don’t know why he would. Perhaps he simply placed their souls in close proximity and I pulled out both of them without aning to?"
"But we know for sure that K’ael only has one soul."
"...Do we?"
As K’ael’s parents turned to stare at him, his eyes gradually fluttered open.
When his view of the light was obscured by his mother’s face and red hair, he was imdiately less than thrilled.
"...I disgrace myself."
Erica flicked him. "Quite the opposite, boy. As long as I am alive there is no such thing."
"Brothers will never let live this down."
"They’re just jealous that they aren’t mommy’s youngest."
"Oh, I’m sure..."
K’ael sat up rubbing his head.
When he noticed his father staring at him curiously, he beca strangely defensive.
"...She’s my mother. I can lay on her if that is my wish."
Abaddon snorted. "So much for being too big for it, eh?"
K’ael felt his face warm.
"So... you must be the youngest."
K’ael turns his head to stare at a young man whom he only briefly recalled. That is, before he had the worst headache of his life and blacked out.
"You gave us all a fright there, little prince. We’re relieved you are alright." Tyson lowered his head.
Jazmine nudges her brother. "Look at this punk, acting all formal. It makes sick."
"Soone has to be dignified around here, dear sister."
"What was that, you flakey piece of trash??"
"Children.." Erica says impatiently.
Jazmine and Tyson stiffen before turning away from each other.
K’ael stares at the new bird for quite a long ti. It is clear that he is having so thoughts around the man, thoughts that even he may not have been able to grasp fully.
Eventually, it seems that he has realized that he has spent quite a long ti staring. Too long.
K’ael holds out his hand for the bird to take.
"...Greetings."
Tyson, surprised by the casual greeting, smiles at him earnestly.
"Greetings, little prince."
-
Upstairs, Nihil is pacing around in the hallway outside of a particular door.
Now that the family was aware that the apocalypse was coming, things were about to start changing in the house.
Peaceti was always nice, but the dragons were bred for war.
He was uncertain of when he would get another opportunity to make things right, so he had to take the opportunity in front of him to do so.
Because he may very well not get another chance in the future.
Laughter spills out into the hallway as the door opens unexpectedly.
Nihil expects to see Fiona exiting her room with Thrudd close behind, but much to his surprise, Courtney is trailing behind her instead.
Both co to a surprised stop when they see Nihil lingering outside the door like so creeper.
"Ummm... what are you doing here?"
Nihil looks away awkwardly. "Oh, I just ca to... S-Since when do you two hang out?"
Courtney folds her arms, but doesn’t say anything. Fiona is much more casual and nonchalant.
"Oh, well you know how it is when you live in this house... You find yourself making friends with everyone. I’m teaching Satan how to make enchiladas tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he just doesn’t know it yet."
Nihil smiles at her attempt at a joke.
"Well, that’s... if you have so ti after that, then I was wondering if you’d maybe like to step out with for a bit? I’d really like to apologize for-"
Nihil’s words trail off as he notices Courtney’s expression.
Her face is neutral, but her eyes are burning pools of crimson.
"...Why are you looking at like that?"
"Because you’re annoying ."
Nihil sneered. "Well, I’m sorry, but this is a private conversation and I’m not really talking to you, shrimp!"
"Should we step outside so I can show you who is the real small-fry between us?"
"What the hell is going on with you? Since when are you so pissy for no reason?"
"It’s not for no reason, jack-off!"
Fiona begrudgingly tried to place her hands between the two dragons. "H-Hey, guys, let’s not do this here, you guys are.."
"I’m not doing anything! It’s your new little friend who’s started with !" Nihil defended.
"We were doing just fine before you ca around wagging your tail like a dog!" Courtney snapped back.
"Dog!? You’d better make sure your closet’s locked tight then, because I don’t want to hear any complaints when I lift my leg!"
The noise gradually begins to attract spectators. Naly, Thrudd, Behemoth, and Apophis, who each poke their heads out of their doors.
Yemaya, Yemaja, and Ryujin were all coming up the stairs together, but his just out of sight so that they could snoop with impunity. They passed a bucket of popcorn between each other that was originally intended for movie night.
"You’re disgusting! You already hurt Fiona once, so now you want to co back and do it again? Didn’t get enough fulfillnt out of it last ti or sothing?"
"Courtney, that’s enough..!" Fiona hisses. "It’s fine, really, I’m not-"
"I already admitted I made a mistake, shrimp! Now I’m trying to make ands like adults do, and I don’t understand why that bothers you so damn much!"
"Because I already like her! And you don’t get to just double back whenever the mood strikes you!!" Courtney’s face was an unsettling mix of red and black.
"What!?"
Thrudd, who had been staying out of the conflict for the sake of her entertainnt, completely forgot about neutrality the mont Courtney dropped her bombshell.
She imdiately rushed toward Fiona and Courtney and wrapped them both in a hug while jumping up and down.
"You guys are together?? Cooooll!!! Now we’re gonna be like a real family, and I’ll have an extra sister, and then you can’t get mad at for coming to bother you when I feel like it, because it’s literally in the sibling job description!"
Despite the ssy situation, Fiona finds herself smiling wryly. "We’re not together, Thrudd, we’re just..."
"Having sex?" Nihil finishes coldly.
Courtney’s face is as smug as her father’s after he’s won a bet. "Yep. Lots of it. All the ti. AND we be kissin’."
Fiona hides her head in Thrudd’s neck out of embarrassnt. There is only one thing she can think of to make this situation worse.
"What’s goingon out here? You kids arguing about sothing?" Lusamine arrives with Shin following closely behind her.
"Kill now. Just kill now..!" Fiona whispers to Thrudd.
Nihil backs away laughing. "Well, shit. I guess Fiona is more popular around here than I thought. I guess I have to fuck off now because the princess says so, and the princes gets whatever she wants, right?"
"You have to fuck off because you already had your chance, you great big prick... but whatever justification makes you feel better." Courtney shrugs.
Nihil balls his fists. His jaw is clenched so tightly that it seems as though his teeth might shatter.
"You know what, you were right earlier. Let’s take this outside and-"
In an instant, there is a smoldering heat at Nihil’s back.
Apophis is wrapped in a swarm of orange fla, his eyes glowing a dangerous red.
"Before you finish that sentence.. You had better be damn sure you can deal with the consequences."
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