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 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:08 pm
Olivia was in bed, whether she was sleeping or would sleep Liam didn’t know, it would make sense if she didn’t sleep but at least she had a room to call her own. She had a room to not only call her own but to, in time, decorate and make into a place which would showcase her personality as she grew. Right now though the thoughts of Olivia were pushed to the side, to the back burner, as he and Aloysius stepped into the bedroom at long last.
The door was nudged closed, and he did consider locking it but he didn’t want to deny her access to either of them tonight, he had to assume she was a smart girl and if anything did happen between himself and his spouse the preteen would know to knock and not just barge into their bedroom.
“How are you holding up, and be honest.” The first words from his mouth as he reached for his partner and held them, leading them both slowly towards the bed, he figured sitting would be best when talking about all of this; and there was a lot to talk about.
“I didn’t think you would be emotionally up for handling your mother, not after the bomb she dropped, so I did take over. I wanted her out from under our roof as fast as possible, so we could control things and process on our own.” All three of them. If Amelia had stayed none of that would have happened, she would have seen to that, and while he wouldn’t out right bad mouth his husbands mother…..Liam didn't like her; and he liked almost everyone. “I wanted you to process it without her, without knowing you’d have work in the morning, and be able to take the time you need while comfortable and safe in your own home.” As if he needed to explain himself, and maybe he did, but Liam needed to make sure Aloysius understood him and his need to help - to protect.
“And don’t for one second think I’m upset with you for being a parent, for your past, we all have a past - if we didn’t we’d be dead. Just by living we age and we accumulate a past, and in that past we do a lot of things.” Some more than others but the point still stood. “You just happen to have slept with her mother. Why would I be upset? You didn’t cheat, you aren’t cheating, on her or me. There really isn’t anything to be upset about.’ At least not in his mind, maybe he really was just a happy ball of sunshine and positivity? But he just didn’t see how anyone could be upset.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:31 pm
Watching as Olivia went about things so quietly, he worried more as the girl hadn’t uttered a word the entire night. Even after telling her where their room was compared to hers, upstairs versus downstairs, he hesitated a bit more before Liam pulled him away.
Not hearing the lock click, he looked back at their bedroom door before Liam held him and moved them both toward the bed to sit. He felt sluggish even if his mind was racing. For a moment, he found himself struggling for words, simply leaning into them and resting his head on their shoulder as tears fell.
How would things be different if he’d known? Or would they have been worse since his father would have been around then for a few years? It might have led him down a different path, but would he have been better off or worse? Clinging as he tried to think over things, he settled on one fact at least. Liam was who he needed when things became unbearable.
Opening his mouth to finally say something, he found his voice unsteady as he spoke. “But she’s gone so long without a parent… I’m not better than my father.” He couldn’t even focus on the logistics of why Eliza hadn’t told him or how Amelia knew, something that would set off a whole new bomb in the already unpleasant relationship they had.
“And what if she’s… like either of us. What if another mauvian finds her?” Though he didn’t know how old she was or if something like that had already happened. It had him stressing more as words poured out between quickened breaths.
“What if she doesn’t ever speak? How will we know something is wrong? Or if something comes for her this summer or fall. We know it’s come into the house like last winter…”
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:32 pm
“You aren’t your father, you never were and never will be.” Reaching up to grip the others' chin, to make them look at him, he pressed his lips to his partners. “You didn’t know about Olivia. Your father knew about you. That is a very big difference. I’m not mad at my father for not being there - he didn’t know. My mother…she knew, she dumped me, I am glad she’s gone. I’m glad she and her family can’t haunt me further.” His half siblings, his step father, but he was glad to not have them in his life.
“That difference is huge, so don't you go comparing yourself to your father. I know you’ll be there for her now, as will I, we do this together. We make up for lost time and we make sure we do our best.” Because he knew Aloysius wouldn’t go throwing away his daughter, he wasn’t the sort to throw away a child, and really now was perhaps the best time to have a child…rather than back in the past.
“If you’d known her back then…do you think you could have been a parent? With your father, with everything else.” A lot of which he didn’t know about, he had some ideas though. “This is better for all of us really, whether we say it or not - I will say it.” Sighing he shook his head slowly. “If she doesn’t talk we wait, we listen to herother ways of communicarting. We get good at that. We don’t think less of her and we continue to be her parents. And we protect her, we let her know about the dangers of this city, and if a mauvian comes for her…we sit her down and talk to her. I’ll bring her into the dark mirror if we must. It’s the safest side, we both know that, and I can keep her safe.” Sighing as he moved to embrace the other, taking comfort in the others presence, as he rubbed his back.
“We can ask Dessire…she’ll sense if she can be a senshi. We beat another mauvian to her.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:32 pm
The kiss distracted him just for a moment, pulling him out of his spiral at least long enough for the fact that Liam’s father was in a similar position as he was. But Liam wasn’t Olivia; he wasn't sure if she’d feel the same way. He also didn’t know the first thing about raising a child, maybe teaching one, but he felt like he was at a loss.
“I…” He couldn’t have, not then, perhaps not even until the last three years with him being sober. “No, I... not with everything that happened to me.” Most of it was done to himself, even if he didn’t want to admit it or talk about it. That was another thing he worried about: what she might think if she saw the scars and burns he had. The questions that might come up, and how he would have to go about it.
Sagging into them as they rubbed his back, he shook his head slightly. “But she looks so young, what kind of childhood is it to be told about monsters and a war? I was 19 when I joined, and she… she might not even be old enough.” Not that he’d really known the extent of things when he’d joined, his reasons being personal even now. And even if he knew Liam could handle himself sometimes, he still worried about them when they weren’t both out on patrol together.
Letting out a sob as he thought about things, he still really wasn’t ready for this; he still worried that he’d fail on multiple fronts. Even with Liam here, he struggled with the stress of things. “Even if you bring her into the mirror, I worry about everything else that might happen. If she might get hurt or wander somewhere away from us.” He had no real clue about her personality or what she was like aside from being quiet and upset so far.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:33 pm
“Exactly, so you should be glad she didn’t come into your life sooner - for both your sake and hers. It would have left her with problems similar to yourself.” And it was bad enough Aloysius had suffered as much as he had, no one should go through what his partner had, and this was just based on what he knew and the results of it all that he saw. He wasn’t going to mention that having a father who drank too much, and was emotionally compromised, would have also caused her issues; he didn’t want to bring up his spouse's drinking issues.
“In this city it’s a safe childhood to know about the dangers of this city, it’s smart. I’d rather she know than something take her entirely by surprise. We can, for now, leave our involvement out and have Dessire watch and listen to her…be a comfort to her like a normal pet. Dessire can report to us if we need to know anything.” Not to mention if the little girl was meant for power Dessire would catch it fast, before any from order would.
Sitting softly the blond let the other so , continued to run his back, while peppering the top of his head with kisses. “Just because she might walk into the mirror doesn’t mean she needs to be involved in things. We keep her safe, teach her, we can train her if she wants. We can keep her out of big things. At least if little seasonal things happen, and we’re not there, she’ll have some power to keep herself safe.” Even if she did t power up she would be safer, hopefully more confident feeling, she wouldn’t feel so weak.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:34 pm
That was the last thing he wanted, which was why he’d worked hard to keep his problems out of the sight and mind of the people around him. Calming more as they offered more reasonable steps and compromises, he nodded into their shoulder. “Desiree… is very good at that, even before she was a mauvian. Before you, she was all I had, and it might help Olivia having her around…” At least having the mauvian sleeping at the foot of the bed would mean his daughter had someone or something near her now that her mother was gone.
He had so many questions about that, but he knew that asking her now was harsh and cruel. Reaching up to wipe at his eyes before he looked at his husband, he pressed a kiss to their cheek lightly. “I want to keep everyone here safe, but we need to go slow and be careful… Maybe once she settles in… there is so much to figure out. I… I might have to call my lawyer.” Sighing again, this time with less upset, he nudged them slightly to lie down. “I rarely have to talk with them, usually once per year when handling renewals for business licensure…”
It was something that, while stressful in its own way, didn’t cause him the same issues as the entire situation that had come up tonight had. “Are... you sure you are alright with all this? With me still?” He asked hesitantly, pulling them close as he lay down as well. He gently brushed a finger over their wedding ring, still a bit nervous but calmer than before.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:35 pm
“I know, and she will be something Ollivia may need, let her help out and report to us on things we need to know. Let us have ears listening, for when she does talk, so we can act on things without her knowing how we know her wants and needs.” He spoke softly, whisper soft, as he held onto his partner. He didn’t like spying but right now it would help them, all of them, and if something serious were going o n they would know and could keep her safe.
“You might?” Chuckling he shook his head, reaching up to ruffle the others' bangs. “You definitely need to reach out to your lawyer. I’ll get the papers tomorrow, from your mother, but I want your lawyer to look it all over before you sign a single thing. I don't trust her one bit. I also want to know how she knew of Olivia, seeing as you didn’t, so an investigator as well. We need both tomorrow.” The other lawyer was going to be getting a call tomorrow, along with a check, for the work they’d be doing - they would certainly earn their pay. There was no way they weren’t dealing with the lawyer first, having them over perhaps? He didn’t care for either of them leaving the house while Olivia was here, was so new.
“Once she is ready we will talk to her, this time of year tends to be safe. We have time. And yes, I am sure I’m alright with this. I am surprised but I am not upset, I’m not going to flee or make you handle this all on your own. Be confident in us - in me.” Letting himself be pulled down, so they both laying down, he sighed. “We really should get out of our clothing…we’re just going to wind up falling asleep like this otherwise.” And he did not like sleeping in jeans; it was uncomfortable.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:40 pm
“I can text her then, to let her know about Olivia and to let Agatha know as well.” Desiree was good at that sort of thing, he knew that, and it did ease at least a little bit of his worries. Leaning into their hand as they ruffled his bangs, he sighed. “I can call them and see if they can stop over to look over things… We need some time before we tell Melody at least, unless Amelia has already done that.” Cringing at that idea, he knew it would make the barely healing relationship he had with his sister take a few steps backwards.
Looking over his husband's face, he always worried that he was pushing too much onto them. At first he didn’t move to get undressed, keeping close for a bit longer and thinking about things. “Just… please let me know if it becomes too much…” Keeping quiet as he chewed on his lip nervously, he finally moved back a bit to work on pulling off layers. Letting things fall off the side of the bed to the floor, he was glad that slacks were easier to get off than jeans, even if he did have to roll on his back for a moment to get them off.
He still buzzed with anxiety but at least now he wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack anymore and felt drained.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:40 pm
“Yes, and I can send the text.” Because he figured it was best if he did, let his partner take a step back from it all till he was ready, Liam couldn’t give him a lot of time to adjust but the blond wanted Aloysius to get a nights sleep before he had to tackle these big changes. “Your sister hasn’t called, texted or turned up; I doubt she knows. That lets us control things, to keep your mother from poisoning things, we’ll talk to your sister in the morning. I’d say we aim to speak with her as soon as we can, come morning, perhaps over breakfast or an early lunch? You two need to talk anyway, I don’t mind that there are things you’ve never told me but you might need to with Melody. If you don’t it might be harder for her to accept Olivia without bridges being burned; bridges you’ve been slowly building back.” With his help, with a lot of work, and Liam would not see that bridge burned down.
“Why don’t we call the lawyer first thing in the morning, before your mother turns up with the papers, and they can come for early lunch; let your sister see us handling things and see what is going on. I don’t trust the paperwork and maybe it’ll help us, to have your sister see it for herself.” Because there had to be something in there, he didn't trust his mother in law, and if Melody could see first hand…it might help. He was thinking hard, wanting to protect his family, Liam had to keep building bridges and would protect that as best he could.
“I will, but at worst I may be stressed and need to ask for your help in things. I’m no good with legal things so when the lawyer comes over you’ll need to handle that a bit more than myself.” And he was certain Melody would understand…so she had to be there to hear it all also. Stripping himself down, slowly, now that he was able to move about and do so, the blond took the time to stretch and yawn. “So much has happened today, it was certainly not on my bingo card for the year.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:41 pm
Just because Melody hadn’t said anything thus far didn’t always mean she hadn’t heard, but he hoped that Liam might be right. If anything, he knew that an invite from Liam wouldn’t get turned down by his sister. “Yes, we need to, please, if you can reach out and ask her over. She is more likely to agree if you do it. I want to stop any issues we can for Olivia… she has had to deal with so much…” Most of which he wasn’t even sure of. For someone so young to see their parent pass away, he knew it couldn’t have been a quick thing for everything to be set up in the event of Eliza’s passing. It didn’t bode well, he knew that, and it would have to come up, but not tonight and not until things were settled.
Waiting until they lay back down, he scooted back in close and pulled their arm over his side before pressing in closer. He let them still stretch, but he wasn’t going to let them scoot away right now either. “I.. I want this to work out. God… what if she hates me?” A whine slipped out as he pressed his face into their shoulder. He didn’t have a clue about this, at least not in this moment. Without even considering everything that would come with magic, he felt like he was going to be run even more ragged for the foreseeable future.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:41 pm
“Of course, I’ll reach out to your sister.” Because he liked Melody, he worked with her enough, and he had been working hard to bring the siblings together as best he could. He would have his work cut out for him with this task, given the circumstances, but he hoped it would help bring the two closer. It would also give Olivia an aunt, more family and the little girl no doubt could use more family; maybe not right now but she would.
“We’ll work this out, it’ll take time and effort, but I know we’ll become a family.” He hoped Melody would be a part of it, it would be good for Olivia to have a female in her life, he was hoping to keep his mother in law uninvolved in all this - he didn’t trust her. Wrapping an arm about his spouse, yawning, the blond settled in to get some rest; it was going to be a long day tomorrow and it was going to start early.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 6:42 pm
With his husband settling in, he found it hard to do the same. That anxiety prickled down his spine even as he closed his eyes and tried to relax. Liam, being the optimist, was sometimes both grounding and refreshing, but with them yawning and looking to doze off, he would be left alone with his thoughts again.
The manor was quiet this late; he couldn’t hear much other than the occasional creak from the floors and walls settling. Part of him wondered what Olivia was doing and what had happened before tonight. He couldn’t exactly bombard her with questions; he knew that much, but he wanted more information to try figuring this all out.
At least this had happened before any seasonal unpleasantness; that was something there was time before, so he could handle one emergency before the general period of constant trouble. With his experiment having gone well enough and his visit to Hamelin having gone decently as well, it meant that he had significantly less to worry about on that front at least as well.
Sighing softly, he thumped his head lightly against Liam’s chest before settling in to listen to their much calmer heartbeat. He hoped that Olivia wouldn’t see Liam and think they were why he hadn’t been around Eliza.
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