As previously mentioned, the Carey residence wasn't exceedingly large, but it wasn't sparsely furnished. The kitchen, living room, and dining room were large enough for a family of six, but there were only three occupants. The marble counters and oak furniture was not his style, but Alphy saw it as home. It was really a creation left over from his Grandfather's rebellious phase as a young billionaire playboy. Thank God he didn't live there anymore. He would probably be flirting with any girl Alphy brought over. Crazy old man...
Leading Anne into the living room, Alphy tossed his own bag into his bedroom on the way in. He didn't bother to show her around, but did offer the introduction of, "Here's the living room. The remote is right there, and closed captioning is already on. Do you want something to drink while I cook up dinner?" He sat down on the couch and gently tugged Anne down with him. Drawing her into a hug, he shut his eyes content... until suddenly, from the kitchen, a soft voice startled Alphy, "Alphy, can you come and help me co-"
Alphy's mother appeared in the doorway and looked at Anne, mouth opening and closing without sound. She knew of the tragedy already and instantly shot a look at Alphy between pity, anger, and understanding. With a single hand motion, she sent him to the kitchen and looked over at Anne, "Sit."
And thus began the interrogation of Alphy's new girlfriend.
Anne swallowed quickly taking a seat from the imposing woman. Said woman was at least twice as smart as Alphy and likely ten times more terrifying. The last time she had been here Alphy's mom had been joking. There wasn't any trace of that now.
The small teen felt the largest desire to run. Thus was a person that could pick her a part in a heart beat. This didn't seem like a good idea. Anne stared at the woman's mouth clutching the pleats of her skirt so tight her knuckles were white. The one thing that kept her rooted in place was if she left now it was game over. If she stayed then she had at least a chance. "Ma'am"
From the kitchen, Alphy could still hear the conversation(provided his didn't block the sound using her illusions), so he set out to make dinner while the conversation continued. Honestly, he wasn't that good of a cook. He was hoping his mother would help him cook, but it appears that may not happen. Now, Alphy was repeating a silent plea as he pulled meat out of the freezer. Don't scare her away mom. Don't run away Anne. Please get along... Slowly, he started working on dinner and craned his head from side to side to listen.
"Annette, first off, my condolences." Frances, looked down and then let out a long sigh. She wasn't lacking in manners, and, even if someone was related to an enemy she fought with for a decade, they deserved better. Then, after examining every inch of the poor girl, Frances tilted her head and asked in a veiled kindness, "So, what are you doing with my son? Did you steal his heart away? How's your Aunt? She put you up to this? It figures. She would ask you to feign emotions just to get back at me."
A clattering sound came from the kitchen. As Alphy heard the insult, he dropped a set of silverware and scrambled to pick it up. It took a lot of self control for him to keep calm, but he managed to not yell. Quickly, he tossed the roasts into the oven and then started cutting the vegetables. Focus on making dinner Alphy, focus on dinner...
A moment later, Frances added on, "Where are you staying now, dear?"
Anne recited the obligatory thank you before shifting in her seat as Francis judged her silently. When the woman spoke she visibly flinched as if struck.
"You're son cornered me and brought me here." Anne swallowed and sat up channeling Catastor. This woman was the hero that he aunt had ranted and raved about. She also bragged about beating. "I didn't steal his heart. Or try to. I think he is an idiot for falling in love with me."
Cat grinned wickedly at the woman. "My Aunt is doing very well thank you. She would flattered and insulted that you would think her so cunning and so cruel. Besides Shrödinger's Cat doesn't send others to do her dirty work. Nor would she be so heartless to ask her niece to do such thing."
Anne took a deep breath and relaxed a little before answering the last question. "I am staying in my apartment. A social worker comes by once a week to check on me."
Although Alphy knew his mother had a temper, this attack was unexpected. The response from Anne, particularly, struck him. Alphy never wanted to force people to do things, and the way Anne worded her response it made it sound like he took her here against her will. From the kitchen came another crash, easily felt through the floor, as he dropped a pot of water. Does Anne hate me? Why would she agree then... This can't be Anne, this can't be how she really feels... can it? Alphonse Carey rocked back on his heels as he cleaned up his mess, slowly putting the pot back on the stove top. He wouldn't forget what was talked about, but he couldn't believe it.
In the other room, Frances smirked at Cat's response, but, when she heard and felt the pot clank to the floor, she frowned and her eyes widened in realization. Anger subsided into what could be described as "motherly love", and she looked over her shoulder at the kitchen. I guess he does actually love her... She turned back to Anne and looked at her apologetically, "I'm sorry Annette. I judged you unfairly. You aren't your aunt... He does love you, doesn't he?" Nodding, she stood up and approached Anne, with her tenderness replacing pent up rage. "How do you feel about him? No, not how do you feel about his silly costume he wears at night. How do you feel about Alphy?"
Back in the kitchen, Alphonse just finished putting all the food on the stove and in the oven. The timers were all set, and he walked into the dining room to hear over the boiling and roasting. In his pocket, he turned his broach over and over. He didn't want this. He just wanted to be normal, for once.
Anne jumped feeling the vibration through the floor. Mentally she cursed realizing that he could hear everything they were saying. She watched Alphy clean up before turning back to his mom. "It is alright blood runs deep."
The air in the room shifted as it felt like Alphonse's mom had just handed her a loaded gun and to her to shoot her or Alphy. Anne stared at her hands shaking. "Yes I think he loves me, which is a stupid move." To love her ha, she was coming undone and she was a villain. No matter how much she hated Penumbra she couldn't ask Alphonse to give him up. Cat would always be apart of her it would be like cutting off her right ear. She couldn't do that to him.
Anne know how she felt about the hero, but the man behind the mask was another thing. She was very unsure. He was her friend, and she wanted to see him happy and was willing to not ask for him give his mask. Did that equate love? Anne and Catastor both felt unsure. "I can't say what my feelings are at the moment. The last few months have been difficult. And everything is a jumbled mess of feelings. I have this hate for Penumbra, for being the person I chose over family, but I don't have that feeling for Alphy my friend."
Anne wiped her eyes, taking a moment to breathe. "I know I can never ask him not to be Penumbra. If they are anything like Catastor and I are it would be asking him to cut out an eye out a lung. I don't know how close the two are it could be worse than that if I ever asked him to.
"My Aunt gave me some good advice. Wait a year after something like this before making life decisions. And I feel that right now it wouldn't be fair to Alphy or me if I said anything definitive. I know that what feel for him is strong but I don't know in what way." Anne bowed her head lowly a moment before looking up again. "I am sorry if that is not what you want to hear but that is all I can say."
For Alphy, the dialogue was almost unbearable. In the dining room, he leaned against the wall before walking back into the kitchen. Anne agreed to this out of a sense of obligation and guilt... and Alphy didn't want that. He was happy, of course, that she decided to date him, but at the same time he wanted her to feel the same way that he felt about her. While stormy thoughts rushed through his mind, Alphy was turning the broach over and over in his pocket What did I do? Is it just because of the costume? I caused her to choose...and this is where we ended up...The pots were about boiling over when he broke his trance. Turning them down to a simmer, he went back to listen.
“I think you're wrong, Anne. You're a smart girl, you're pretty, and Alphy would be a fool not to love you.” Frances looked at her, a little dumbfounded by her lack of self-esteem. It vaporized with her family. Frances looked directly into Anne's red eyes, contrasting her vibrant green eyes, and then took her hands gently. Years ago, she faced a similar situation that caused her to practically lose her mind. It was hard to tell who was the act and who was real, and, in the end, neither knew what they wanted.
Before Anne finished Frances could guess how she felt: betrayed, alone, and angry. “Why don't you ask him how he feels about Penumbra?” For a minute, she sat there, then looked towards the dining room, “Alphy, call off the date. Anne, will you please stay for dinner with us?”
There was a call Frances needed to make...and it wouldn't be pretty.
Anne nodded reading, but not really believing. She understood that she couldn't do everything but she should at least be able to save her parents.
The tiny telepoter visibly stiffened when Francis said she should talk to Alphy. Karmi how could she face him now? She ricked a look over to where he was his face should nothing of what he was feeling. Anne nodded stiffly to staying for dinner. Why did she just agree to this?
================= "Papa the koi fish are NOT spying for the Shadow!" Miyako yelled from the door as she watched her father glaring at the fish pond with a spear ready. "Put the spear down and come inside! The Okonomiyaki is ready!"
"The fish have you fooled I know it. The while one here looked at me funny." The older man stare at the pond readying his weapon. He tossed it only to have to dodge out of the way as it shot near his feet. He looked over at his angry daughter. "Miyako-chan that is no way for a daughter to treat your aging father."
"It is when he tries to kill one of his daughter's koi fish. Now come inside dinner is getting col-" The angry red eyed woman paused hearing the phone ring. "Papa! Come inside and leave my fish alone!"
Miyako picked up the phone and paused staring at the number. How on Karmi's green earth did that woman get this number. This was only her sister, now only Anne should know. The older woman sighed before clicking the green button. "Hello Francis. I didn't expect to hear from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Halfway across the world, Frances Cranston-Carey shakily held the phone receiver while the children sat in the next room, finishing cooking. She kept track of her old friend, enemy, or nemesis by any other name, but didn't need the number until now. It took a minute for the call to connect. The operator came on, in Japanese, and asked to redirect the call. A second later, the line clicked. Her throat closed from nerves. She actually stuttered, “H-Hi Miyako.”
Of all the people she'd met, Miyako was probably the closest friend she had...as odd as it sounds, “I need your help. I know, it's odd, but it involves your niece.” Past their differences, Frances knew Miyako cared about her family too. She continued, “She's slipping Miyako. After her family died, she's lost her mind. I want to help her...”
~~~~~~~~~~
While that was going on, Alphonse was stirring some vegetables in a pot on the stove. It was his way to clear his mind. The stalks floated around in circular patterns. Functionally, it was almost therapeutic. In his mind, he knew that he loved Anne, but he didn't want to cause her any pain. Hopeful, he looked up at Anne and smiled. Inside, he was hurt. He would be there for his friend...more than a friend. Sighing softly, he tapped her shoulder and smiled, "Want to make anything in particular, or will this do?"
Francis Carery stuttering, that was a sound to behold. This was coming from the woman that had stayed in hero work during her pregnancy and tried to kill her for spilling her coffee. Miyako sat on the counter and listen to her friend talk. Her face getting more serious. This was not good. "Lost or losing? There is a huge and dangerous difference. In what way is she slipping."
Their family had a history of mental problems it came with the powers. They used to much that the mind fractured, which was why her father was trying to stab her koi fish for spying. Interestingly those had an impediment were less likely to lose it. Miyako had no sense of feeling, which was good and bad. It freed up space for processing but she had to be careful so as not to hurt herself without her knowing. It was worrying that her deaf niece was losing it. And could be very bad.
"Tell me everything." ============= Anne sat the table awkwardly. She smiled at Alphy when he looked over and nearly teleported when he tapped her shoulder. "Do you have any flour and yeast?"
A small smile formed as she remembered sitting in the kitchen in Japan as she and her aunt Made anpan while her mom and aunt argued over music. She found herself looking forward to being with her aunt again. "Alphy...I'm sorry you heard all that. It should have been something you heard from me and not had to over hear."
Nodding, Alphy pointed to the cabinet right behind him, “The yeast is in there, the flour is in the fridge. What do you wanna make?” It was nice, Alphy thought, to help Anne adjust to normal life again. Even if she didn't appreciate it now, he would be as affectionate as always. Besides, he thought, she was my first kiss...
Anne's apology was bittersweet. Alphy looked up and down, then pulled the broach out of his pocket and held it up to the light so Anne could see it glitter and gleam in the soft, white light. “You know, I can make people remember things, hallucinate, and even suggest they not see me, but I don't want this power anymore.” A little sigh escaped his lips and his eyes narrowed remembering everything leading up to that point. His first illusion, his first fall, meeting Anne, meeting Catastor, meeting Barbara, meeting Batgirl, getting injured, Doomsday... “I am not Penumbra. He's just as real as my illusions. If it would help you, I will stop putting on the costume and pretending to be someone I'm not. If it's a choice between helping you and everyone else, I'll choose you.”
Slowly, held the broach out, unsure if he was doing the right thing or not.
~~~~~~~~~~
“I apologize.” Frances nodded into the phone and craned her head to listen in on the teenagers, “She's losing it. The line between Annette and Cat are mixing. Her alter-ego is in a blender with who she really is. It's ripping her to shreds.”Admittedly, it was at that time that Frances about dropped the phone, listening to her son speak that way... “She hates Penumbra since she chose to save him instead of her family, and she loves Alphy because he loves her, cares for her, holds her when she cries, and doesn't judge her for what she does.”
“So,” she paused to let the words sink in, “since she has a life here, I want to know if we can adopt her to give her a proper family life.” Frances stuttered as she heard her son talking about Anne, “T-that isn't to say you can't do the job, but I've always wanted a daughter...and she is the sweetest girl.”
“I don't want to change her, just help her...also I want to test my son...you can't date your sister can you?”
Last Edit: May 27, 2014 19:06:12 GMT -6 by Deleted
Anne stood and gathered the things he said pulling out suger and other things before setting to work on making the dough. The feeling of the mess of ingredients in her hands was a comfort. Smells were good at invoking memories. It was even more true for Anne. Jasmine reminded her of her mom and rain water reminded her off her aunt and red bean paste was that day in the kitchen.
The glittering gem in his hand made her shake. Hesitantly she reached out and took it turning it over tenderly. The angry Cat side said break then him, Anne said not to. She looked up at Alphy with a neutral expression before tossing the gem at his head. "Stupid! This what I'm trying not to have you do. I don't want you to give up anything for me. I'm not worth it. I feel sick just thinking about it. Yes I hate him but Dan it if I had to make the choice again not knowing what I know now except that they would die. I'd do it again. I'd save Penumbra. You know why? Because it was the right thing to do."
Anne was visibly raging at him. "So don't you dare quit being him on my account. When you quit it had better be because you are injured and YOU want to. I won't have that on my conscious."
When she was done yelling at him Anne turned back to her rolls and started forming the shape trying not to cry again. ================= Miyako sighed rubbing her temple watching both her father with her fish and trying to figure out what to do. She teleported her dad in before he stabbed her pond and talking again. "Well they are blurring , but not in the way you think. Cat as always been the unfiltered version of Anne. She is the confident, arrogant, hotheaded side of her. She has most all of Anne's hot emotions. Anne is the cool side. Anne compartmentalized the the two to make Cat and deal with the cape things, so she could leave it in the field. Anne had all the emotions but is more muted feeling the cool emotions and having good control over herself.
"It seems since everything, she can't compartmentalized and the cape stuff came home, the two are bleeding together. All the strong emotions are throwing her off kilter. She not used to it and like won't ever be."
Miyako dropped the phone at the question before stumbling to respond. On one hand being back in Japan mind help Anne separate the two again, but it could make her worse.
She smiled listening to her friend describe her niece. She let out a small chuckle at the end. Francis was a good mother. Miyako already had her father to take care of, she wasn't sure how good it would be to have the pair together. She wasn't sure how long he would last and to watch him would likly kill Anne.
"...Okay. The paper work will be over by the end of next week."
On her end of the phone, Frances listened and nodded at Miyako's explanation. It wasn't like her family's habit of forming two personalities. A mask covered the real personality just as the mask replaced their appearance. Annette was something different. She was a whole person whose traits didn't show all the time. Either way, she was becoming more Catastor than she was Annette. “So what you're telling me is that she needs more self control?” Frances narrowed her eyes at the handset and went on, “You're talking to a group of people whose powers rely on having control over emotions. I know we can help her, but...”
Suddenly, the words Miyako uttered clicked in Frances' mind, “Wait, you said yes? So...I'm getting a daughter?”
At that time, she heard the yelling from the kitchen and held the handset out so Miyako could hear. She then took the headset back and whispered, “Did you hear that?”
~~~~~~~~~~
It wasn't fear, nor malice, that Alphonse Carey felt as Anne yelled at him. The feeling was the kind that is all nerves and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It was shame. He watched the broach fall to the floor and stooped to pick it back up. Despite the fact she turned around, he still said, and kept the promise of staying out of her head, “You're worth it to me.” She wouldn't hear him, and he doubted she saw his reflection. All he could do was silently stand next to her and help her cook...
"It more an issue of helping her separate the two again. Too bad she hates accepting help from others. She has always scared me how go she was at compartmentalizing. And trust me I know who I'm trusting my niece to."
Miyako laughed hearing the excitement in her voice. "Yes you are getting a daughter..." The older women paused listening, when Francis got on the phone again she sighed. "That's Anne and Catastor. I'm suddenly worried how she is going to take this. How do think Alphy is going to take this?
==================== The mess that was Anne and Catastor stood there silently as she made her anpan. One half thought they went too far the other not far enough, and neither "heard" what Alphy said.
Her migraine was getting worse, and she was feeling worse, then she had hurt Alphy... again. What was wrong with her? "Sorry I ripped into you again. That was uncalled for."
The dough ball joined the others on the baking sheet. Her mind trying to focus on the task in her hands. She felt like crying, but She had cried enough and she didn't need to keep clinging to Alphy. She could stand on her own two feet.
Silently, Alphy stood right next to Anne and strained the boiling vegetables in the sink. He looked down into the mass of greens. In fact, he focused on them to the point of nearly missing Anne's apology. It took a second of clearing his head to take in what Anne was saying.
All that Alphy could manage was a nod while he tried to figure out how to help his friend. Finally, a little part of doubt won out. He turned Anne by gently pressing on her shoulder with his fingertip, “Anne, would it be better for me to leave you alone? I...don't want to.”
Agonizingly, he took a step closer and looked to the floor, “I care about you too much to do that, but I don't know if I'm helping or making things worse. All I want you to do is to feel better. I want to be there for you and....” he trailed off.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Oh, I won't tell Alphy until the day of to see the look on his face. He'll probably be shocked and flabbergasted. Should I take a picture of it? He may just ask 'Mom, why did you adopt my girlfriend?', but I think the reaction will be more...brash.” Frances looked up to the ceiling and wondered if her son had it in him to show how he felt. Of course he'll be brash about this. He loves her, and he DOES take after me...
Frances paused and thought about it, “She isn't going to kill anyone if that's what you mean.” Yawning for a moment, she narrowed her eyes in thought, “I think Anne will be both happy and sad about this. Bittersweet about being closer to Alphy, having people to care for her, and being constantly reminded of her own family...”
“Mixed feelings.”
Last Edit: May 28, 2014 7:54:54 GMT -6 by Deleted
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Alviss: Darn doesn't show the pic
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The roleplay takes place after the series end of the original Teen Titans animated show, but does not include the movie Trouble in Tokyo. Since then Robin has been on something of a recruiting spree, and many new young heroes have found themselves a home in Jump City as well as Titan Tower.
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