Post by HungryHunter on Apr 21, 2020 21:08:39 GMT
Stephan adjusted his suit one more time before knocking on the door. His body never felt right for a suit. His shoulders were too wide, his limbs too thin. He tried to distract himself by paying attention to the house instead, but it did him little good. The worn-out paint on the door he had just knocked, the splotchy red of an apple going soft, was an indication of some level of strife. He was examining it closer for rotten wood when the door swung open, revealing two pink-haired children. The shorter of the two, a stocky girl, immediately glared.
“You.” She growled. The boy just shied away, not looking at Stephan’s face. “Marie, Malcolm, come on! It’s your dad! He’s here for your birthday!” A pink-haired woman stepped in behind them, preventing Marie from slamming the door in his face. “Our birthday was yesterday, guess you missed it.” Marie shrugged. “Marie. Come on, Stephan.” She waved him inside. “Uh, could I speak with you for a moment alone?” Stephan asked, looking at the crack in the plaster behind Penny’s head, clearly covered before by a picture frame. “Sure. Marie, Malcolm, get ready to go on a trip, okay?” Penny looked down at her children and they shoved off with a great sigh.
“So, what do you need?” Penny asked.
“Do you need money?”
“Oh, Stephan… For the last time, we’re fine. In fact, better than fine. Marion just got a job. Gateway.”
“Gateway? That’s prestigious. But… you’ll be moving to Canada?” Stephan’s worries didn’t fade, they just changed.
“We’ll arrange ways for you to meet them. Come on, is it really any harder getting to Canada than it is getting here?”
“Yeah, I guess not. Thank you. Tell Marion I congratulated her on the new job.” Stephan turned to spot the children lurking on the stairs. “Come on, kids. The fair won’t be open all day!”
The drive was uncomfortably quiet. Stephan’s attempts at starting conversations were met with silence from Malcolm and short, snappy responses from Marie. Stephan hunched over the wheel for the rest of the drive. They exchanged tiny chirps and whispers amongst themselves, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. Just why wouldn’t they open up to him? What was their issue with him?
He plotted the rest of the way and into the fair. Their attention had perked up around the various games around them. Stephan watched their reactions until he got what he wanted. Just for a moment, Marie’s eyes lit up as they passed a dart booth, decorated with dozens of plush animals. Her eyes were fixed on an enormous lion, dangling right over the carnie at the counter like it was ready to pounce upon him.
“Would you like that lion?” Stephan asked her.
“Wha- I can get it! I can get it without you!” She blushed at having been found out, read by a father she didn’t even like.
“Probably. But might I have a try first?” He asked.
“...whatever, do what you want.” She mumbled, looking away. Stephan walked up to the counter and bought a round. Like any good carnival game, it wasn’t even close to fair. The balloons were spaced so that nobody could hit more than one save for a few precious locations. It would take some doing, but he had a soldier’s eye and the tricks of a pro. He relaxed with darts in hand. One deep breath, and he was in tune with the Nucleus.
He threw three darts in rapid succession. He wasn’t the greatest marksman in the world. Not even in the HWIC. But his senses and control of his body were leagues above any regular human. It was child’s play to throw each dart in an arc that cut through more than one balloon on its way down at this close range. There was a symphony of pops and he stepped up to the counter. “The lion, please.”
He smiled as he took the mass of fluff, offering it down to Marie. “Here you go.”
She stared, blankly taking it. Her face flickered between emotions for a second before she finally burst into tears.
“What- no, don’t-” It was too late for Stephan’s words. She had already turned and run for the bathrooms. Stephan ran after her, but hesitated at the door. He was already getting looks from strangers. With a sigh, he stepped back and sat on a bench facing the restrooms. Apparently lost for anything else to do, Malcolm sat with him on the far end of the bench. He stared down at his own kicking feet.
“I don’t understand. Everything I try, you guys reject. You ignore me, your sister hates me. Please Malcolm, just talk to me.” Stephan sighed, chin in his hands.
“...the first time you met us we were 6.” Malcolm said. “I was nervous cause I didn’t really understand what mom was saying about you being my dad. I didn’t know what that meant. She raised us with Marian. So I was scared of you. You were tall and you talked to loud and acted like I should know you, and you hugged me and made me cry. You remember what Marie did?”
“She punched my leg.” Stephan sighed, beginning to realize where this was going.
“Yeah. Because you grabbed me without my okay and she thought you were trying to take me away. You tried to shake it off with gifts, but…” Malcolm sighed. “Do you know what I want to do when I grow up?”
“An HWIC agent? Somebody has to inherit the Nucleus.” Stephan just randomly guessed.
“No! A healer! I’ve been learning white magic for years now!” For the first time Stephan ever heard, Malcolm was mad. “You don’t know us, cause you’re not our dad! You think you are and act like you are and you’re not! Penny and Marion raised us, and you just try to win us over with gifts.”
“How can I know you if you never talk to me?” Stephan said.
“...yeah. It was always hard after how we met.” Malcolm looked at his feet again.
“Ah, yeah. I can get that. So Marie is just…”
“Defending me. In her own way.”
“And winning the lion just looked like more… bribery.” Stephan sighed, burying his face in his hands. His mind was scrambling for ways to fix this when Marie peeked out of the bathroom. She looked at Malcolm and slowly slid out, dragging the lion behind her. Hopping onto the bench, she took a defensive position between her brother and Stephan, setting the lion down as a further wall against him.
“Hey Marie. I’m sorry. I know I approached you wrong. You felt like I was trying to bribe you.” Stephan extended a hand over the lion. “I promise you, I don’t want to take you or your brother away. So can we try to start over?”
She stared at the extended hand, eyes widening. Her head turned to her brother, who slightly nodded. They exchanged a whispered conversation, eyes occasionally glancing back over to Stephan. He could hear Marie’s whispers growing in anger, but couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Fine! Because Malcolm insists.” She shook his hand, wincing when her stomach growled.
“Come on, you two will feel better when we eat.” Stephan stood, pulling Marie to her feet.
It was like a switch had been flipped. After funnel cakes, they were like normal kids. Laughing and running and talking, not just to each other but to him. Marie hit the rides, Malcolm mostly sticking to games.
“Okay kids, see the sun?” Stephan pointed into the sky. “It’s nearly closing time, so you each get to pick one more thing to do.”
“The funhouse!” Marie yelled.
“Nooooooo! I want to see the show animals! The funhouse is scary!” Malcolm complained.
“Well we can’t have you two going off on your own, so you’ll need to compromise.”
“What!? Stick with Malcolm, I’m fine by myself.” Marie pouted.
“She really is…” Malcolm mumbled.
“Well, I suppose you’re 13. Practically an adult. If you promise you won’t get scared, you can go to the funhouse.” Stephan said.
“I never get scared!” Marie insisted.
“Then get moving! Meet us at the barns when you’re done.” Stephan waved her off and let Malcolm lead him to the show animals. The barns stank, but Malcolm didn’t seem to mind so much. He stared at the rabbits and chickens and sheep, although he stayed well clear of the horned goats and massive pigs. Stephan didn’t really get it. It seemed like the least interesting place here. Still, he made an effort to make conversation.
“So you like animals? What’s your favorite?” He asked.
“Hmmmm. I dunno. I think… camels.” Malcolm nodded. “I want a cat, but Marion is allergic.”
“Hm. Well that’s a pickle. What about one of those weird ones with no hair?”
“They’re kind of creepy.” Malcolm said just as Marie came running in.
“Hey! The funhouse was so cool! There were these mirrors-” She immediately began ranting.
“Please don’t-” Malcolm knew it was too late.
“And a monster popped right up in the reflection!”
“I don’t want to hear that!”
“Well it sounded like you weren’t scared at all.” Stephan said, beginning to herd the twins back towards the car.
“Pff, I’m never scared. I have to defend Malcolm from everything.” Marie sighed, shaking her head. “He was getting chased around by a moth yesterday.”
“It had stripes, I thought it was a bee!” Malcolm protested.
“Defending others, that’s a very good quality. You know Marie, you got a lot more of me than your brother did.” Stephan said. “Malcolm, could you please walk ahead a little? Wait in the car.”
Malcolm shrugged and jogged off to hop in the back seat, leaving Marie alone with their father. She stared up at him expectantly.
“Until today, I expected that Malcolm would carry on the family legacy, but I was shortsighted. Everybody to wear the Nucleus in our family history has been a man, but there is no reason that has to be the case.” Stephan knelt, putting a hand on Marie’s shoulder.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Marie asked.
“The Nucleus, the source of my power. Every generation, our family has cared for it, using it to fight for justice in the world. It needs to be somebody in our direct bloodline. Allan can’t take it, but you can.”
“What? Like, I have to be you?!” Marie’s face took on a grim cast. “Did you only try to get along with us because of this!? Because you wanted one of us to be your heir!?”
“No, of course not. It was always a part, but you’re still my children. That could never be the only reason. Malcolm-”
“Fuck, Malcolm! He was your first pick!? You were going to make him be a superhero!? You would have killed my brother!” Marie screamed. “I can’t believe you! Your stupid Nucleus can die with you!”
She stormed off to the car, leaving Stephan gaping. Already he could see Marie talking to Malcolm in the car. He ran one hand over his face, trying to calm down, but he couldn’t. This might be something he could never recover from, and even if he could, if what drove her away was the idea of being his heir, then he would never have one.
The drive home was quiet. Malcolm and Marie stared out their respective windows and ignored him. When he parked, they got out soundlessly and walked inside. They didn’t even look back as they entered the house. For a moment, Stephan felt very old and very alone. Was Marie right? Did he just want an heir? After all, why pay so much attention to the kids he had no role in raising, when he had one of his own that needed him? He knew that he would say that the world needed a Nucleus, but did it? There were other heroes. Always had been, always would be. It crawled under his skin. “Looks like I will be the last to wear you.” He mumbled to it and it just kept up its slow worming. Uncomprehending, uncaring. With a sigh, he drove on.
Late that night, he lay in bed, entangled in Miranda’s limbs. He wasn’t alone. He knew that most in this moment, embraced by her. He thought she was asleep until she mumbled in his ear. “Maybe the world doesn’t need Nucleus. But it does need you.” She said and kissed him. He closed his eyes and dwelled on that as he drifted off to sleep.
“You.” She growled. The boy just shied away, not looking at Stephan’s face. “Marie, Malcolm, come on! It’s your dad! He’s here for your birthday!” A pink-haired woman stepped in behind them, preventing Marie from slamming the door in his face. “Our birthday was yesterday, guess you missed it.” Marie shrugged. “Marie. Come on, Stephan.” She waved him inside. “Uh, could I speak with you for a moment alone?” Stephan asked, looking at the crack in the plaster behind Penny’s head, clearly covered before by a picture frame. “Sure. Marie, Malcolm, get ready to go on a trip, okay?” Penny looked down at her children and they shoved off with a great sigh.
“So, what do you need?” Penny asked.
“Do you need money?”
“Oh, Stephan… For the last time, we’re fine. In fact, better than fine. Marion just got a job. Gateway.”
“Gateway? That’s prestigious. But… you’ll be moving to Canada?” Stephan’s worries didn’t fade, they just changed.
“We’ll arrange ways for you to meet them. Come on, is it really any harder getting to Canada than it is getting here?”
“Yeah, I guess not. Thank you. Tell Marion I congratulated her on the new job.” Stephan turned to spot the children lurking on the stairs. “Come on, kids. The fair won’t be open all day!”
The drive was uncomfortably quiet. Stephan’s attempts at starting conversations were met with silence from Malcolm and short, snappy responses from Marie. Stephan hunched over the wheel for the rest of the drive. They exchanged tiny chirps and whispers amongst themselves, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. Just why wouldn’t they open up to him? What was their issue with him?
He plotted the rest of the way and into the fair. Their attention had perked up around the various games around them. Stephan watched their reactions until he got what he wanted. Just for a moment, Marie’s eyes lit up as they passed a dart booth, decorated with dozens of plush animals. Her eyes were fixed on an enormous lion, dangling right over the carnie at the counter like it was ready to pounce upon him.
“Would you like that lion?” Stephan asked her.
“Wha- I can get it! I can get it without you!” She blushed at having been found out, read by a father she didn’t even like.
“Probably. But might I have a try first?” He asked.
“...whatever, do what you want.” She mumbled, looking away. Stephan walked up to the counter and bought a round. Like any good carnival game, it wasn’t even close to fair. The balloons were spaced so that nobody could hit more than one save for a few precious locations. It would take some doing, but he had a soldier’s eye and the tricks of a pro. He relaxed with darts in hand. One deep breath, and he was in tune with the Nucleus.
He threw three darts in rapid succession. He wasn’t the greatest marksman in the world. Not even in the HWIC. But his senses and control of his body were leagues above any regular human. It was child’s play to throw each dart in an arc that cut through more than one balloon on its way down at this close range. There was a symphony of pops and he stepped up to the counter. “The lion, please.”
He smiled as he took the mass of fluff, offering it down to Marie. “Here you go.”
She stared, blankly taking it. Her face flickered between emotions for a second before she finally burst into tears.
“What- no, don’t-” It was too late for Stephan’s words. She had already turned and run for the bathrooms. Stephan ran after her, but hesitated at the door. He was already getting looks from strangers. With a sigh, he stepped back and sat on a bench facing the restrooms. Apparently lost for anything else to do, Malcolm sat with him on the far end of the bench. He stared down at his own kicking feet.
“I don’t understand. Everything I try, you guys reject. You ignore me, your sister hates me. Please Malcolm, just talk to me.” Stephan sighed, chin in his hands.
“...the first time you met us we were 6.” Malcolm said. “I was nervous cause I didn’t really understand what mom was saying about you being my dad. I didn’t know what that meant. She raised us with Marian. So I was scared of you. You were tall and you talked to loud and acted like I should know you, and you hugged me and made me cry. You remember what Marie did?”
“She punched my leg.” Stephan sighed, beginning to realize where this was going.
“Yeah. Because you grabbed me without my okay and she thought you were trying to take me away. You tried to shake it off with gifts, but…” Malcolm sighed. “Do you know what I want to do when I grow up?”
“An HWIC agent? Somebody has to inherit the Nucleus.” Stephan just randomly guessed.
“No! A healer! I’ve been learning white magic for years now!” For the first time Stephan ever heard, Malcolm was mad. “You don’t know us, cause you’re not our dad! You think you are and act like you are and you’re not! Penny and Marion raised us, and you just try to win us over with gifts.”
“How can I know you if you never talk to me?” Stephan said.
“...yeah. It was always hard after how we met.” Malcolm looked at his feet again.
“Ah, yeah. I can get that. So Marie is just…”
“Defending me. In her own way.”
“And winning the lion just looked like more… bribery.” Stephan sighed, burying his face in his hands. His mind was scrambling for ways to fix this when Marie peeked out of the bathroom. She looked at Malcolm and slowly slid out, dragging the lion behind her. Hopping onto the bench, she took a defensive position between her brother and Stephan, setting the lion down as a further wall against him.
“Hey Marie. I’m sorry. I know I approached you wrong. You felt like I was trying to bribe you.” Stephan extended a hand over the lion. “I promise you, I don’t want to take you or your brother away. So can we try to start over?”
She stared at the extended hand, eyes widening. Her head turned to her brother, who slightly nodded. They exchanged a whispered conversation, eyes occasionally glancing back over to Stephan. He could hear Marie’s whispers growing in anger, but couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Fine! Because Malcolm insists.” She shook his hand, wincing when her stomach growled.
“Come on, you two will feel better when we eat.” Stephan stood, pulling Marie to her feet.
It was like a switch had been flipped. After funnel cakes, they were like normal kids. Laughing and running and talking, not just to each other but to him. Marie hit the rides, Malcolm mostly sticking to games.
“Okay kids, see the sun?” Stephan pointed into the sky. “It’s nearly closing time, so you each get to pick one more thing to do.”
“The funhouse!” Marie yelled.
“Nooooooo! I want to see the show animals! The funhouse is scary!” Malcolm complained.
“Well we can’t have you two going off on your own, so you’ll need to compromise.”
“What!? Stick with Malcolm, I’m fine by myself.” Marie pouted.
“She really is…” Malcolm mumbled.
“Well, I suppose you’re 13. Practically an adult. If you promise you won’t get scared, you can go to the funhouse.” Stephan said.
“I never get scared!” Marie insisted.
“Then get moving! Meet us at the barns when you’re done.” Stephan waved her off and let Malcolm lead him to the show animals. The barns stank, but Malcolm didn’t seem to mind so much. He stared at the rabbits and chickens and sheep, although he stayed well clear of the horned goats and massive pigs. Stephan didn’t really get it. It seemed like the least interesting place here. Still, he made an effort to make conversation.
“So you like animals? What’s your favorite?” He asked.
“Hmmmm. I dunno. I think… camels.” Malcolm nodded. “I want a cat, but Marion is allergic.”
“Hm. Well that’s a pickle. What about one of those weird ones with no hair?”
“They’re kind of creepy.” Malcolm said just as Marie came running in.
“Hey! The funhouse was so cool! There were these mirrors-” She immediately began ranting.
“Please don’t-” Malcolm knew it was too late.
“And a monster popped right up in the reflection!”
“I don’t want to hear that!”
“Well it sounded like you weren’t scared at all.” Stephan said, beginning to herd the twins back towards the car.
“Pff, I’m never scared. I have to defend Malcolm from everything.” Marie sighed, shaking her head. “He was getting chased around by a moth yesterday.”
“It had stripes, I thought it was a bee!” Malcolm protested.
“Defending others, that’s a very good quality. You know Marie, you got a lot more of me than your brother did.” Stephan said. “Malcolm, could you please walk ahead a little? Wait in the car.”
Malcolm shrugged and jogged off to hop in the back seat, leaving Marie alone with their father. She stared up at him expectantly.
“Until today, I expected that Malcolm would carry on the family legacy, but I was shortsighted. Everybody to wear the Nucleus in our family history has been a man, but there is no reason that has to be the case.” Stephan knelt, putting a hand on Marie’s shoulder.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Marie asked.
“The Nucleus, the source of my power. Every generation, our family has cared for it, using it to fight for justice in the world. It needs to be somebody in our direct bloodline. Allan can’t take it, but you can.”
“What? Like, I have to be you?!” Marie’s face took on a grim cast. “Did you only try to get along with us because of this!? Because you wanted one of us to be your heir!?”
“No, of course not. It was always a part, but you’re still my children. That could never be the only reason. Malcolm-”
“Fuck, Malcolm! He was your first pick!? You were going to make him be a superhero!? You would have killed my brother!” Marie screamed. “I can’t believe you! Your stupid Nucleus can die with you!”
She stormed off to the car, leaving Stephan gaping. Already he could see Marie talking to Malcolm in the car. He ran one hand over his face, trying to calm down, but he couldn’t. This might be something he could never recover from, and even if he could, if what drove her away was the idea of being his heir, then he would never have one.
The drive home was quiet. Malcolm and Marie stared out their respective windows and ignored him. When he parked, they got out soundlessly and walked inside. They didn’t even look back as they entered the house. For a moment, Stephan felt very old and very alone. Was Marie right? Did he just want an heir? After all, why pay so much attention to the kids he had no role in raising, when he had one of his own that needed him? He knew that he would say that the world needed a Nucleus, but did it? There were other heroes. Always had been, always would be. It crawled under his skin. “Looks like I will be the last to wear you.” He mumbled to it and it just kept up its slow worming. Uncomprehending, uncaring. With a sigh, he drove on.
Late that night, he lay in bed, entangled in Miranda’s limbs. He wasn’t alone. He knew that most in this moment, embraced by her. He thought she was asleep until she mumbled in his ear. “Maybe the world doesn’t need Nucleus. But it does need you.” She said and kissed him. He closed his eyes and dwelled on that as he drifted off to sleep.