[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/01988003-8a81-77cc-b948-39f3399376ff.webp[/img] [hr] [center]Location: Kingston-Grey House, New Orleans Skills: N/A Powers: [color=mediumspringgreen]Enhanced Healing[/color][/center] [hr] Danni skipped down the stairs without a concern. Beanie’d be just fiiiiine. Maybe. Kinda. Sorta! No biggie, just did the one thing that set his parents off with little to no regard for who it was. Whelp. Danni paused halfway down and considered. Should he get involved? Should he jump over this railing and fake an injury? There were too many people in the house for him to consider starting a fire. He could scream and cry, pretend to be traumatized by Poisson’s death, and get a little more attention. Danni pondered it for a little more than a second before he let out a gasp and took the stairs down two at a time. He was missing milkshakes and if he missed the perfect meltiness window, he’d fucking scream! Sorry Beanie, you’re on your own. [color=E948FC]“‘ello! Your favorite person is here!”[/color] Danni shouted as he stormed into the kitchen, eyes on the prize as Appa handed them out. He cackled as he snatched his up, taking a full bite out of the mountain of whipped cream he loved. And obvi, with sprinkles because who could have a birthday cake milkshake without sprinkles? Monstrous. He took a healthy inhale of birthday cake shake, doing a happy little wiggle as he drank, and then cheered as Sabine popped back into existence. [color=E948FC] “‘eeeeeeey! Not dead! T’ey like you!”[/color] Danni cheered around a mouthful of deliciousness. He instantly groaned when Pa said the ‘rents wanted to see him. [color=E948FC]“First, ya tell me ta leave. Next, ya tell me ta come. What is wit’ t’e ‘ot and cold today?”[/color] Danni groaned. With a put upon sigh, Danni shuffled out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. He’d learned to make sure he was [i]loud[/i] coming down the hall. Never wanted a repeat of [i]that[/i] experience. He stopped at this parents door, pressed his ear to it for a moment, before knocking and throwing it open. [color=E948FC]“‘ello! It is I, your favorite child!”[/color] Casper was securely snuggled up beneath the covers with James, his head resting on his love’s chest. He loved being able to hear James’ heart beating, knowing that it was matching his own, as his husband’s powers circled around him tighter than their weighted blanket could. It was calming, enough to push those urges off, to keep them at bay for now. That was the best Casper could ever do, really - just choose to not give in, to take a different path for handling his own emotions. [color=DBA1DE]”C’mon here kiddo, we got something to talk to you about,”[/color] he lifted his head up, using one of his hands to lift up the blankets to invite his son to come snuggle in close. [color=DBA1DE]”Aaaaand your pops so graciously volunteered to go first!”[/color] He gave James a bit of a pleading look, hoping he seemed suitably cute. He didn’t know how to start this conversation with Danni. Danni pouted at the complete and unnecessary shut down. If Danni was insecure, he might think he [i]wasn't[/i] their favorite child but considering the whole sitch, Danni gueeeeeeeeeessed he could give them a little leeway. Still, it didn't stop him from hopping up under the covers and looking at his Pops expectantly as he took another sip of his milkshake. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Yes, your Pops made a fully informed and forewarned decision to start this discussion."[/color] James drawled, pinching Casper's thigh gently. [color=mediumspringgreen] “So, you spent a little time in your Papa's head. Sabine told us you saw him at a pretty bad time and we just want to make sure you're doing okay.”[/color] Danni sucked a little harder as he rolled the thought around in his head. [color=E948FC] “Well, Pops ‘asn't been quiet ‘bout ‘is usage and you've mentioned t'at a little deat’ ‘ere and t'ere and t'en also you don't always t'ink ‘bout us sneakin’ ‘round and we've ‘eard. I get it, Papa did some bad stuff when ‘e was younger, but t'at was ‘fore Genosha and me and I'm t'e perfect angel t'at made your lives so much easier! Look at ‘ow much less ya ‘ave ‘ad ta fight for your life!”[/color] Casper was at a complete loss for words here. He wished he had some sort of guidebook for this conversation. Usually he just gabbed and figured things out along the way, but just talking and seeing what came out of his mouth didn’t seem to be working right now. Danni had seen him die. His precious baby boy had seen him die. He hadn’t wanted Danni to ever see that. [color=DBA1DE]”Sooo you don’t have… any questions? Or like concerns? Because you saw… saw me die and you just seem fine? Or is this, like, a trauma response? Jaaaaames is this a trauma response? Do we need to get a therapist? Like if I saw you die, I’d freak out - both of you. And I want you to know Danni that I’m not going anywhere, if you’re pretending to be fine about this, because I love you both and I’m choosing you every time. Even on nights like this when I get mind fucked.”[/color] Was that right? Fuck it. He didn’t know. James watched Danni while Casper rambled. Danni was taking this… very well, considering he'd seen his papa dead. [color=mediumspringgreen]“I know we heard it from your friend, but can you tell me what you saw, kiddo?”[/color] [color=E948FC]“Okay, well. It was super trippy right? Like, one second I'm chillin’ ‘round t'e table wit’ everyone and t'en [i]BAM[/i] we're in this spooky little alley, I t'ink? Idk really, but it was dark and damp and a little spooky and musty. Real musty. T'en we see Papa all done up in zombie make up and all sorts a needles around t'e place and t'en Beanie is all [i]“I'm so sorry, Danni. I know t'is must be ‘ard. Your papa is dead”[/i] She was super dramatic ‘bout it too, you woulda liked it.”[/color] Danni told Casper, snuggling a little further under the blanket. [color=E948FC] “And t'en eveyt'in’ got sups blurry and t'en you were eating yummy lookin’ waffles in t'e diner and I was real confused ‘cause t'e waitress lady said soemt'in’ ta Beanie but I cared more ‘bout t'e whole genttin’ out t'in’ ‘cause I like it better when you're not eatin’ waffles all alone in a diner. Plus, ya seemed ta really like t'em but t'ey were [i]wrong[/i]. I make t'em wit’ extra love and care and I didn't even see a cook so ‘ow could t'ey be any good? Im gunna make waffles for everyone in t'e mornin’. Do we ‘ave bacon? I want bacon too. Goupy eggs. Gunna make so many goup eggs.”[/color] Zombie make-up and needles? Casper blinked. He was used to being the confusing one - talking with Danni was somewhat like talking to himself. Had he even realized what he’d seen, that he’d watched Casper overdose and wake up in the Void, his own personal hell between this life and the next? He didn’t think much of the waitress - she always seemed mildly annoyed with him when he showed up, but she fed him, listened, and never seemed to mind that he’d leave within the hour to come back to this side of existence. The last time he’d been there for a while… Casper trembled a bit at the memories - about Ben’s disappearance. His breath hitched for a moment. [color=DBA1DE]”Mm, you [i]do[/i] make the best waffles,”[/color] Casper agreed. He’d missed Danni’s cooking since he’d gone back to school. The things Max portaled in just weren’t the same. He paused for a moment. Maybe they didn’t need to make a big deal out of this. Danni seemed fine. It was all probably fine. He pressed a soft kiss to his son’s head, before pressing one to James’ jaw. [color=DBA1DE]”You’ve been depriving us of your cooking, kiddo. So rude of you to go back to school and leave us here just waiting for you to come back.”[/color] James barely kept the frown off his face as Danni told his story. Sometimes, the kid was like Casper in the worst way. He made a mental note to reach out to the school therapist he knew Danni was still chatting with to look into this. Casper and Danni were the best things that happened to him, but sometimes it took a little while for them to process the big things and James expected those things be showing up in his nightmares soon. And since his last big nightmare ended in the house burning down, it was only fair he put the school on alert. [color=mediumspringgreen] “Can't wait, Danni.”[/color] James reached across his husband and pulled Danni in to drop a kiss on top of his head, turning to give one to his husband next. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Sounds like you're doing okay now but if you need or want to talk about it, you come get us okay?”[/color] James smiled. [color=mediumspringgreen] “Don't let it get to nightmares, okay? We can't having our future hero neglecting his mental health.”[/color] Danni beamed at the praise. [color=E948FC] “I know, my cookin's t'e best! Appa's decent but ‘e doesn't love it like I do. Gotta treat y'all after t'e mot so fun stuff and so you won't miss it too much after t'e contest since we'll go back.”[/color] Danni giggled. [color=E948FC] “And yeah, I promise! Don't want a repeat of last time tbh. But did ya need anyt'in’ else? I wanna go han’ out wit’ my friends!”[/color] [color=DBA1DE]”You don’t wanna hang with us?”[/color] Casper fake gasped. [color=DBA1DE]”Are we uncool now?”[/color] He secretly hoped Danni didn’t confirm that, even if he was kidding around. [color=DBA1DE]”Go and have fun, kiddo. But give your pops and I one last hug before you do, okay?”[/color] [color=E948FC] “Papa! Of course I like ‘an'in’ out wit’ t'e fam, but ‘ow often do I get all t'e friends ‘ere?!?!?! Like, neeeeever.”[/color] Danni put his glass on the bedside table and threw himself at the pair. [color=E948FC] “Thanks for bein’ my ‘rents. I know I got lucky gettin’ picked by t'e best ones.”[/color] James let out a soft [i]oof[/i] as Danni tackled them. He blinked back tears and had to swallow to keep himself from crying at Danni's words. [color=mediumspringgreen] “Thanks for being the best kid anyone could ask for.”[/color] James squeezed Danni tight before letting him go. [color=mediumspringgreen]“We love you and we're proud of you. Go have fun. Just don't stay up too late; you don't want to be groggy tomrrow.”[/color] By contrast, Casper lost it [i]immediately[/i], as thick, ugly tears rushed out of him. He sobbed out something that was supposed to be [i]I love you, kiddo[/i] but sounded more like a distressed whale song. He hugged back tightly, very aware of the fact he was crying all over both of them, but there wasn’t much he could do to stop it. [color=E948FC] “Paaaapaaaaa, noooooooo!”[/color] Danni choked out, getting teary eyed. He squirmed his way out of the hug and off the bed, fixing his hair and straightening out his clothes even as he fought back sniffles. [color=E948FC] “I've been missin’ for so long, t'ey're gunna t'ink I'm in trouble.”[/color] [color=mediumspringgreen] “Go on, Danni. I'll handle your Papa. Tell Dorian we love him too.”[/color] James smiled and curled Casper in closer to him. Danni beamed, blew them both a kiss, and headed out the door, only to door an awkward little shimmy back in side, snatch up his milkshake glass, and bolted back out.