[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/SR52k84p/54b4e63d635603b22d80f72a4ba2be54.png[/img][hr][img]https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Agatha-All-Along-105-02.gif?w=640[/img][hr][@Achronum][@Blizz][@Forsythe][@Kirah][@PatientBean][@Trainerblue192][hr][h3][color=AC3EFF][b]8:20 PM - Sun. December 12th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr]	April opened her mouth, about to do as Danni said - to reassure Mr. Kingston that Sabine would never do anything like that, but… A fear that had been lurking in the back of her mind threatened to come to the surface. They’d gotten together so fast, despite Sabine not even knowing who April was - and when things ended, it was like she didn’t know them at all, the way Sabine refused to even talk to her or acknowledge her presence. Had any of it been real? Was Sabine capable of something like that?

	Her eyes fell on the space Sabine had been in, before Mr. Gray grabbed her. 

	She was capable. 

	But would she do it?

	Before she could answer that question - for both herself and for Danni - Dorian locked eyes with her, fixing her with a look that made her insides twist up. It was almost cold. Had she done something wrong? Was he mad at her? She swallowed, before nodding. [color=42A9FF]”I-I’ll see you downstairs,”[/color] she told Danni, relieved to see that he was alright, before making her way down the staircase. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her pajama pants to keep them from trembling. 

	[color=mediumspringgreen]“I wish I had answers for you, Victoria. I'm not sure where Max took Sabine, but she'll be in good hands wherever they are. No need for a rampage. Head downstairs, join the others in the kicthen, and relax. You deserve it; you all have been through a lot today and you deserve to be teenagers for a bit.”[/color] James reassured Vicky with a friendly smile as his son got whatever pent up energy out of himself he needed. James just shook his head, ruffling Danni's hair. [color=mediumspringgreen] “Your Papa got a little bit overwhelmed with everything going on. We're gunna get him downstairs into bed and let him rest for a bit yeah, kiddo? Then, yes you can hang out with everyone still and have your milkshake. I doubt your Appa would forget yours.”[/color] 

	A few moments later, with a sleepy murmur of [color=DBA1DE]”milkshakes?”[/color] Casper lifted his head, not too surprised to find himself on the ground. It used to be a regular occurrence. His head, however, was pounding. [color=DBA1DE]”Owww Jaaaaames my head feels like the fucking Juggernaut punted iiiiiiit,”[/color] he complained, before holding his hands up - partially in a request for healing whatever had caused this migraine, and also just because he enjoyed being held like a princess by his husband. [color=DBA1DE]”What the fuck even haaaaaappened?”[/color]

[hr]	Percy quickly moved out of Andy’s way - it wasn’t that he didn’t want her to touch him, it was that he didn’t want anyone to touch him (well, [i]almost[/i] anyone). Her touch simply came with an additional level of discomfort. Although, the intellectual in him was curious - if Andy were to touch him now, would Dorian feel it as well? To what extent were the two of them entangled together? His eyes darted from side to side, and he gently pinched the skin on the back of his hand. Of course, Dorian was upstairs so he couldn’t see if his boyfriend reacted, but he could ask later if he’d experienced any phantom pains (no pun intended). 

At Leah’s question, he was caught off guard for a moment - his immediate first thought was a bourbon milkshake. He’d heard they were quite good. And everything that had happened had unsettled him. It would be a good tool for him to use to regain a bit more composure. But he couldn’t do that here, not under the watchful eye of the Kingston-Grays - he’d already been lucky enough to dodge a bullet so far with James. [color=ed1c24]”I’ll have what Andy’s having, please,”[/color] he then decided. He hoped caffeine meant espresso - and not the souls of children with ADHD. 

	Ben nodded slightly, seeing that Leah did seem to appreciate an activity. She seemed better. That was good. Sometimes with clients like that, he would break out a card game, ease them into a conversation over it. For better or worse, it occurred to him that perhaps that would help with Leah - and if not with her, then with the other children present. [color=silver]”How about when we finish making the shakes, we break out the Uno cards? We have the No Mercy version.”[/color]

	Two others then joined them - his son, Dorian, and April. Ben raised a slight eyebrow at Dorian’s dramatics, a tentacle snaking on over to comfortingly rub his back. [color=silver]”I know kiddo, I know. Shakes are almost done. I think Percy’s making yours now.”[/color] 

	Percy was, in fact, staring at his boyfriend, doing the calculations. Did Dorian want him to come and comfort him? He knew that physical touch was supposed to be reassuring. He also knew that physical touch in front of parents could be distressing (Percy did find this unusual, as he found all physical touch to be distressing regardless of audience). So he ought to not do anything. But what if Dorian were to be upset with him for not doing something? Or would Dorian’s father think that he was a poor boyfriend for not acting? But if he did reach out to comfort him, perhaps Ben would be upset at the contact and find it inappropriate. There was the entire matter of the fact that they were entangled, a fact that Percy was sure would be brought up to them at some point… 

	So instead of making a choice, Percy was just fixated on his boyfriend, temporarily crippled with indecision. 

	April was quiet as she came down the stairs, her hands shoved into the pockets of her pajamas. Everything that had happened so far had been so much. And she still didn’t even know what had happened. And then Ser Nemo… He wasn’t dead? If he wasn’t dead, why did the school tell them that he was? Were they lying? Had Nemo faked his death? Or had something bad happened to him? And Leah, what was happening with her? What was going on with her father and why was someone pranking her about it? Was she in danger? How could April help her? She didn’t know how to handle any of these questions, she was barely sixteen and it felt like the weight of the world had come crashing down onto her shoulders. Part of her wished she was still at CAGE, isolated from all of the drama that circulated around the school.