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a good story can take you
on a fantastic journey

──● walt disney
DISNEY

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The next morning, bright and early, Dai requested the car. He'd firmly decided. Rather than wait around for the headache known as Sara Briars to pick up her gift, he'd simply mail it. Hopefully, it would save multiple people the headache of having to deal with her. Yes, he could have left it for the mailman to pick up if necessary, but he wanted anything related to that woman out of his house as soon as humanely possible.

He was feeling much better now, as the sunlight filtered through the tinted windows of the dark car. Dexter remained silent for only a few moments as they reached the edge of the driveway. "So Boss, heard the lovely lady herself made an appearance."

"Oh yes, Dex, you're so funny - probably the funniest person I know, actually." Sarcasm laced every word, sharp with dismissal.

Being himself, his companion laughed, turning in at an open space in the traffic. "You're so mean when your kids aren't in the car, you know that?" He shook his head, checking mirrors briefly. "You're just a big bully Dai."

"You deserve it."

"You're so mean to me!" Dexter sighed that time, dramatic as always. "I'm telling Raine."

"What is Raine going to do? She also happens to work for me, in case you don't remember." Dai looked at the scenery as they drove, autumn colors blurring and bleeding onto every surface that managed to come in contact with the season of harvest. It was quite beautiful, kissed with warmth and the feeling of home. "She'd probably just call you a tattletale."

There was a chuckle then, heavy-set and deep, "Oh, sorry, didn't know we were five years old - a tattletale, really Dai?"

He managed a shrug, shaking his head as the laughter echoed over the car, lightening even the darkest of feelings that seemed to hold on a little too tightly. "Want me to call you a snitch instead?"

Again there was that laugh, and Dexter's voice turned nasally and mocking. "Snitches get stitches, Dai. " His voice returned once again to normal as another soft huff of humor shifted out of his mouth. "God, I used to say that so often when I was a kid, I really thought I was something back then?"

"What do you mean, back then?" His own laugh pushed from his chest as he ducked his head, dodging the backhand that Dexter had attempted to hit him with. "Dex! I could fire you for harassment or something!"

"I'm so telling Raine now."

He only laughed in short response again, turning to the window once more. Students who were beginning school walked from place to place, seeing the new beauty that New York had to offer. Trees, bright with orange, yellow, and red, dropped leaves onto every surface someone could manage to see, and warm stores with faded signs promised a cup of the best coffee in the world. The car had fallen silent that time, and both men seemed content for the moment, the distant thrum of the stereo connected to some kind of podcast.

"So, really then, was it bad?" Dexter's voice had shifted to something more serious. Still casual, but gentle in approaching the subject as he usually did.

"It wasn't as bad as it usually is, I think. Kei got sick of her pretty quickly." He hesitated, "Although to be fair, I was pretty out of it."

"No kidding, you hardly said a word on the drive back. I think Elliot spoke more than you did, and the kid looked half scared outta his mind."

Dai rolled his eyes, pushing forward and ignoring the inturruption. "Elliot did stand up to her too-"

"Poor kid."

"He'd never met her, so for what he said it was good. Yume was of course immediately furious. I think Reysa was just annoyed." He sighed, "Jasiri wanted to retaliate, so did Mer - which is fair, but they both know she just isn't worth the fight. Elijah was good though, he defended Elliot, which I thought was sweet."

"Elijah doesn't seem like the defending type sometimes."

"He is, especially with his siblings. He just has a pretty tough shell to get through. I think Sara especially irritates him because she showed up to Emilia's funeral too." He dryly laughed, "I thought the kid was gonna strangle her." Dai tapped his fingers against his knee, glancing once again at the passing buildings before looking back to Dexter. "Junpei looked like he was going to fall over."

"To be fair, I also probably would have looked like that." A nervous laugh. "Sara scared the shit outta me when you were together, and that probably hasn't changed."

"Okay, but Raine scares you to be fair, and she legitimately wouldn't hurt a fly."

Dexter seemed to debate that internally for a moment, then shook his head. "I think given the chance, Raine might kick Sara's ass, which is something I would pay to see, but - I do see your point. Continue."

"Kasumi and Delaney were mostly quiet, I think they were just too intimidated to say anything." Something more melancholy settled at the base of his stomach as he spoke. "The death was really hard on both of them."

"And Jady?"

"Uncharacteristically quiet." His youngest daughter, and the baby of the family. She always had something to say, but the moment Sara had arrived, she'd fallen silent. He didn't blame her honestly, he hadn't wanted to speak to her all that much either. "Akiho was too, but he usually is. Though, he did take notes for me, he dropped them off this morning before he left for school."

"Good for him." Dexter nodded as they pulled into the post office, parking while Dai hurriedly went to drop of the package. It didn't take long, and after a few minutes, they were back in the car, headed home.

They were quiet for some time, listening to the dungeons and dragons podcast that Dexter listened to too often. He wasn't exactly sure what it was called, but it seemed somewhat interesting. He wasn't much of a player himself, but he wasn't going to lie and say he wasn't interested in it at all. He just figured he was too old to get into it now. Most of the people his age who did play those rp games had been playing since they were young, and it'd feel too awkward to begin where he was right now anyway.

Dexter's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Raine made breakfast by the way, she said you didn't come down to eat this morning."

"Ah, I'll eat later."

"Or, you know, you could eat now. Cause it's good for you, and you know, things like that." Dex gave him the side eye, and Dai relented, muttering under his breath before responding in full.

"What'd she make?"

"French Toast. I think i'll have some too." He turned back into the driveway of the estate, passing rows upon rows of fall-kissed foliage, rumbling down the road. "We'll put some coffee on too and things, although this morning, I think Raine made French Hot Chocolate for the kids. Delaney requested it after hearing the note from her Grandfather." He sighed, "That's real sweet of Benjiro, the kids love the books."

Dai chuckled himself, nodding. "My father loved his books, but he loved his grandchildren more I think." A soft pause of silence filled the car before he spoke again. "You want to know something odd though, Dex?"

"What's that?"

"I don't think I've ever really seen any of those books before. I mean some of them sound familiar, like the childhood stories that he read to them, but I don't recall any of them - at least not clearly."

"Well." Dexter pulled the car into the garage, parking it and turning off the ignition. "You probably haven't memorized Ben's collection, if you think about it, he's got thousands of books."

"Yeah, but I still thought they might seem familiar." It was a weak protest, and Dai let the discussion over it fade out, although the thoughts still managed to linger there, in the back of his mind. Where had they come from exactly?

Fortunately, a bright-spirited feminine voice came erupting towards them as soon as Dex swung the door to the house open. "Boys! Come get something to eat!"

Boys, as if they were children.

It probably didn't help that Dex and Dai, childhood friends, took one look at each other and suddenly decided a race first thing in the morning down the hallway of the Morrigan Estate was just what was on the menu. Dai won, but Dex clearly disagreed. It's all about the perspective he supposed. 

Raine sat them down a moment later, huffing and puffing about how she was the one raising fourteen children, but it held no real malice, and while Dai and Dex both caught their breath, she danced about the kitchen, gathering items that were needed for their breakfast.

Her hair was braided as usual, twin ropes of ginger falling over her shoulders as she set two plates in front of them. Smiling as usual, one that was often echoed by her husband, she patted Dai's shoulder. "Could I get you any coffee?"

"That'd be great, if you could." He returned the smile, and raised his eyebrow as Raine turned without so much as a word to Dexter. Dexter clearly shared the sentiment, sending a quizzical look towards his friend. Dai managed a shrug, and Dex looked back to his wife.

"Uh- are you mad at me?"

"No." Raine didn't look back at him, delicately decorating the latte she was making with foam art. "You can just get your own coffee, Mister hey honey, I brought home a kitten without telling you in any way, shape, or form." 

"I had too!" Dexter's protest was immediate, even as Raine gently set down the cup in front of Dai with a short smile. She then whipped to face Dexter, placing a hand on her hip and waiting expectantly for an explanation. It came shortly. "It was out in the cold, all alone!"

"Honey, this is the third time you've done this - we cannot be the couple who lives with just cats."

"Why not? Cat's are cool!"

Raine softened, but she sighed, half-exasperatingly. "Cat's are cool, but that doesn't mean we can just keep adopting them. I think three is plenty."

"Cat hater."

"Dexter." Raine patted his head as if he was a child, then leaned down to kiss his cheek. "No more cats." Turning on her heel, she went back over to make a more than likely, duplicated version of Dai's own drink.

"Alright - no more cats." He looked at Raine for a moment, then lowered his voice, winking at Dai. "She didn't say anything about dogs though-"

"Dexter Darwin."

"Okay - I got it, no more surprise animals. Even if they are so alone out there, in the cold, probably destined to die." Dexter shrugged, and Dai couldn't help but roll his eyes at his teasing. "But, I understand completely, Raine. I'll just leave them abandoned..."

Raine turned then, leaning against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest, and waiting as she usually did for her husband's antics to end. She was attempting to look unamused, but the smallest smile was beginning to worm it's way across her face. After a moment, she pursed her lips, still just staring at Dexter, who responded with his own sigh.

He pushed up from the table, walking over to her, and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Alright, alright - I got it. I'm done now."

"Good." Raine reached up, pinching his cheek. "Now you finish coffee so I can catch up with Dai a little bit." Dexter looked like he was going to retaliate, but cleverly chose to stay silent after a look from Raine, who happily bounced right over to him, taking a seat. "So, you've gotten the photobook thing settled then?"

Dai nodded, setting down his cup and turning to face her. "Yeah, I'm mailing Sara's to her, and Elijah's grandparents said they want to pick it up over Christmas - when Elijah will head out to spend the holiday with them. Either that or Thanksgiving, although Thanksgiving is always weird here.

Raine laughed, "Well, every day kind of already feels like that sometimes I think. I make so much food, and I can make them whatever they'd like almost any time of day, so I guess it makes sense that it's not as big a deal here. Besides, we're always gone for Thanksgiving anyway."

He smiled fondly at the memories of an attempted Thanksgiving without Raine. It hadn't been bad. It was a good memory to look back on, however, it was something that probably shouldn't be repeated. Christmas was typically bigger for them anyway. "That's true, speaking of which- when do you want to be off for Christmas. I can give you the whole month of December this year, if you'd like."

"Oh! That's really not neccesary. We'll probably head out halfway through the month, the fourteenth or fifteenth should be good. I do enjoy cooking for the kids you know, and this morning - Elijah asked me what I knew about cooking! He showed me the book he got." She giggled, "I wonder if he will take up cooking, I'll help him if he does."

There was another soft laugh from him, and he once again picked up the latte to take a sip of the warm beverage. "I'm not sure, to be completely honest, although I think he'd like it. I do know he wants to learn how to make authentic Indian food - I believe he wants to suprising his grandparents with it."

"Oh how sweet." Raine sighed again, wistful this time, as she glanced out the broad windows of the home, admiring the mountainous beauty it held. "Those books are very inventive, very sweet too. And Yume, that girl, she was absolutely ecstatic this morning about the journal entries. She said something about her grandmother writing about magical things." She giggled again, "I did love your parents, Dai."

"So did I." A mournful, saddened smile shifted his features, but it was something of pure nostalgia. Something bittersweet rather than agonizing. 

"They're lovely books, really. Benjiro had such a collection." She hummed, "Whatever are you going to do with them all?"

"To be completely honest, I'm not sure." Dai shook his head as he stood, placing the cup near the sink, and turning on the water as he began to wash it. Raine would have protested had she not known that cleaning was an excellent conduit for his thinking - for that he was grateful. 

"If it's not to out of turn, Dai?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Raine hesitated, and she clasped her hands on her lap, pulling at her fingers. "There is a library looking for donations and things, and perhaps, after organizing the valuables and antiques and things, we could donate some of them there? I - I read to the children every weekend, and I just know they would appreciate some new books." Again, there was hesitation. "It's a small library, and it's particularly for foster children and orphans, so I thought-"

"Raine." Dai turned to her, smile changed to something so much more sweet, and wholly genuine. "That, is an excellent idea. One of your best."

And Raine smiled like there was nothing more perfect in the world.

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✦ OPHELIA ✦

- fourth chapter : )

- hope you've all had
the best holiday break !

- also i love love when
people spam my stories
so pls don't ever think 
you're annoying me <3

- #twochaptersinonenight

What are your characters opinons
on the Darwins (Dex + Raine) ?

──● answers