#|| guest muse: esperanza

[mxthbladed]

Vaggie smiled as she stood at the edge of the cloud, glancing back at her daughter. "You ready, bebé?"

Esperanza stood beside her, peeking over the edge. Her wings were folded against her back and she felt a small shiver run down her spine as she asked, "You're flying with me, right?"

"Your mother and I will be flying with you, yes," Vaggie confirmed. "We'll be right beside you in case anything happens. But we won't hold your hand. Right, Lute?" she prompted, glancing at her partner.

@holyfurnace

[redxriiot]

@s1lver-bullet​​​​​​​​​ said :  Mom+ “Your son is a very caring and wonderful boyfriend!” (from Karla)       『 Meme || Accepting 』

         He was her fucking WHAT now?

         “Ah–I’m glad to hear it.” Well, that marked one more damn thing she had to get a damn surprise in finding out, wasn’t it- "When did you two get together, if you don’t mind me asking?”

[mxthbladed]

Esperanza could only stare at Vaggie in confusion but nodded blankly, finally feeling the exhaustion hit her now that her body recognized she was safe and sound. When Lute squeezed her shoulder, Esper's hand came up instantly to brush her fingers against her mother's hand like she always did. But as she stood, she accepted it when Vaggie reached out and took her arm.

Vaggie knew that she'd have to have a conversation about all of this but first, she needed to get Esperanza to lay down and rest. The trek up to their rooms was an oddly long one but once they got to the room Charlie had prepared for Esperanza- complete with a hand-drawn sign from Charlie welcoming Esperanza to her room- Vaggie helped her daughter to the freshly made bed. As soon as she laid down, Vaggie leaned in and cupped her daughter's cheeks. "If you need me, mija, I'll be on the other end of the hall in my room."

Esper nodded and smiled weakly, even as she felt her eyes grow heavy. "Gracias, mami," she whispered. Then, after a pause, she added to Lute, "Thank you, mama..."

She's got a point, though. Lute barely kept herself from letting that thought slip, but aside from Charlie being a demon, she couldn't blame Vaggie for the relationship either. Her face settling into a hard expression, she glanced away from the other woman with her mouth pressed into a thin line.

"We should get you up to your room. You need to rest." She said once Vaggie finished, squeezing Esperanza's shoulder gently before standing and moving to grab her arm from the floor. Facing away from both of them, Lute let some unsure confusion flicker across her face for a second at Vaggie's stance.

[redxriiot]

Anon​​​​​​​​ said :  Mom + "it must have been hard for his sister, to give up so much for him, was he ever good with that?"          『 Meme || Accepting 』

        “While it was admirable of her to do so, I admit, and appreciate her help, honestly, I find it a detriment to him in particular. It’s only going to serve to teach him that there will always be someone who can prioritize him, and frankly, with his little habit of clinging onto things or people, make him feel hopelessly dependent on her or anyone who gives him that impression once he realizes that is not such the case. Aside that, I would have much rather have had her focus on her studies, even if I do not approve of either choosing such a career path for themselves.”

[mxthbladed]

Esper's eyes shut as she sleepily mumbled, "Ok..."

Vaggie had finished up what she was doing and moved to stand in the hall, listening to the exchange between her partner and daughter. When Lute left their daughter's room, she offered a smile and chuckled, "She's been talking nonstop about telling you that she almost knocked me over."

Smile widening a bit, Lute nodded in response with a soft chuckle. "Soon, Esper. Now get some sleep, okay?" She brushed her daughter's hair back once more before standing up from the bed. "You'll need lots of rest if you want to beat me."

[redxriiot]

Anon​​​​​​​​ said :  Mom + Do you like the colour Eijiro dyes his hair?         『 Meme || Accepting 』

         “It’s ridiculous, plain and simple.” The words were not minced as she let out a sigh, shaking her head. “What else am I supposed to feel about it, hm? As with everything he does, he neglected to consult me about it. I left for work with him looking like himself, the next I saw him, I almost have a heartattack from thinking he is some stranger in my house. He still won’t tell me the why he did it. What’s more, he has the nerve to act as though he’s embarrassed about the one he was born with. It is mine as much as it is his father’s. What, did he feel some fucking relief when he made himself look so much different? He sure as hell acts like it.” 

          “I was worried enough that he’d been poisoned by those little friends of his, but after he changed it, his attitude to do everything he wants, whenever he damn wants no matter how it affects anyone else only worsened as well. Really, you can’t blame me for having a less than positive view on it.”

[mxthbladed]

Esper only nodded in acceptance, not wanting to press the issue as a favor to Vaggie. She knew that if she started in now, she wouldn't let up until all her feelings were voiced. However, in regards to Charlie, she had made no such agreement and she looked at Vaggie incredulously. "Wait, you're like...with with the princess?"

Vaggie took in a sharp breath but exhaled slowly, eye shutting. "Yes. Charlie and I are a couple. And we have been for a few years now. After...everything...Charlie is the one who treated my wounds and helped me. We became friends and after that, it was just a natural progression." After she had mourned the loss of her relationship and the betrayal with Lute, of course. "It wasn't immediate, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well...no, I'm just...surprised. I think it's a little odd that you'd go from being one of the best exorcists and now you're dating Lucifer's daughter- the literal princess of Hell," Esperanza pointed out. There was a pause and she added quietly, "I honestly wouldn't have blamed you if it had been almost immediate."

Vaggie flashed a look at Esper. "Mija. How things ended between your mother and I is not up for discussion."

At that, Esperanza's brow furrowed and she snapped, "She betrayed you!"

"But it was between her and I- your mother still loves you!" Vaggie retorted sharply. "Whatever happened between Lute and me is just that- what happened between us. Her love for you was never up for debate."

"You're welcome, Esper." She responded softly, shifting position slightly to work on properly smoothing Esperanza's feathers down. A moment passed before she spoke again, her voice almost too quiet to hear this time. "... I'm sorry."

Glancing over when she heard the knock, a half-hearted scowl crossed Lute's face for an instant when she saw Charlie before bringing her attention back to her daughter. She had no intention of being nice to the other woman, but knew that her regular temperament wouldn't be doing her any favors for however long she stayed here, so... Lute just decided to ignore the demon the whole time, just to make things easier. She didn't look back up until hearing Esperanza's words, blinking a few times before glancing back over at Vaggie with a thin frown.

[mxthbladed]

Esperanza looked sufficiently embarrassed, having not been prepared to be scolded by Vaggie. Instead, to Lute, she murmured, "Thank you."

Vaggie kept working diligently and carefully, only allowing her attention to be drawn away when there was a knock at the doorway. Turning her head to look at Charlie, she asked, "Are the rooms ready?"

"Yeah, they're ready," Charlie answered. "They're on the same floor as us but on the opposite end." Her eyes shot to Lute suspiciously for a moment before she looked back to Vaggie. "Do you need anything else? I can have food prepared."

With a nod, Vaggie answered, "That's a great idea. Thanks, Char."

Charlie entered and bent to give Vaggie a kiss on the cheek. "Of course. You know you need only ask." When she saw the relieved smile start to blossom on Vaggie's face, Charlie's own expression softened and she pressed their foreheads together for a brief moment. "I'll go get Niffty to start some food for you guys."

When Charlie left, Esperanza asked slowly, "Uhm...what the fuck?"

Lute's expression shifted again for a split second- some mix of pain, anger, regret- before the feelings were pushed away again and she nodded slightly in understanding. "I'll- get the discharge process started as soon as we get back." She responded in a low voice, shifting in place slightly to give Vaggie some more room to work on the rest of Esper's injuries.

[mxthbladed]

It was, honestly, a lot to deal with in the moment. There was so much tension and a single very strong tie between them. Vaggie had to pause when their daughter spoke but as soon as she did speak and she realized what was going on, Vaggie had to bite her lower lip to stifle the laughter that threatened to bubble up in her throat.

Esperanza grumbled, "I'm still mad at you."

Vaggie finally finished with the wounds to her legs and arms, reached out to gently brush their daughter's cheek. "Ok, mija. Time for me to clean up your face." Esper was drawn away from Lute and blinked when Vaggie grabbed her chin. "Also, I know you're upset. But we just got you back. I think we can leave that conversation for another day."

"But-"

"Mi cielo...please. We will have time to discuss what happened later..." She started to clean the cuts on Esper's face and, when her daughter winced, she murmured, "Sorry, honey." There was a bit of a pause. "We just want to savor having you back safely. That's all."

After a couple more moments of silence, Esper sighed and muttered, "Yeah...you're right..." She settled back down and leaned her head on Lute's shoulder.

"So am I, little bird." She responded, pressing a gentle kiss to Esper's temple and pulling her a bit closer. Her gaze moving back to Vaggie, Lute swallowed past a twist in her throat and just watched silently as she worked on their daughter's injuries.

Her attention was pulled back to Esperanza again when she spoke, confusion flickering across her face quickly before Lute realized what she meant. "Oh. Yes, alright." She responded, nodding slightly in agreement with a hint of relief in her expression for an instant. "Whatever you want."

[mxthbladed]

Esperanza leaned into Lute's embrace and simply shook her head, replying, "I'm...just glad you found me when you did."

Now that they were no longer in danger and they had an opportunity to sit and take in everything that happened, Vaggie could feel her heart lurch at the sight of Lute cradling their injured but most definitely grown daughter. If she hadn't fallen, maybe this never would've happened. She shook her head to clear those thoughts- they were best forgotten, after all.

They fell into silence again before Esper quietly murmured, "Mama?" Her nose scrunched up and her gaze hardened briefly as she announced, "I fucking quit."

Glancing over at Vaggie's motion, Lute nodded slightly and moved to sit down next to their daughter. "I'm sorry I- we- took so long." She said again in a low voice. Reaching up, she softly brushed Esper's hair back before wrapping her arm around her to gently rub at her shoulder. "I didn't... I'm sorry. You're going to be okay now, Esper."

[mxthbladed]

Vaggie disappeared into a nearby room, returning with a first aid kit and a wet rag. As she sat down on the coffee table in front of Esperanza, she gently grabbed her leg and began using the wet rag to clean up the dirt and grim around her daughter's injuries. Esperanza's cheeks started to burn a bit as she weakly protested, "Mami, I can do that..."

"I know you can...but considering how long it's been since I saw you last, just give me this time to take care of you again," Vaggie said softly.

Her response made Esperanza go quiet and simply watch as her mother gently treated the injuries. Esperanza's expression was one of being lost in thought. Meanwhile, Vaggie continued to work; she only paused to glance at Lute and jerk her head at Esper, encouraging Lute to hold her.

Lute fell back to Vaggie's side after they landed, her hand moving up to rest gently on Esperanza's shoulder as they approached the hotel. Her face hardened slightly when Charlie opened the doors, though the instinctive look of contempt lasted only a moment before changing to a matching expression of confusion, then to- Lute herself was surprised by this- faint gratitude at the Princess's agreement.

She didn't give any response beyond just nodding sharply at the demon, following Vaggie inside to where she was bringing Esperanza. With the three of them safe inside- and Lute sure that she could easily defend herself if any of the demons here tried anything anyway- she reached up to detach her prosthetic from her shoulder, dropping the now-useless hunk of metal to the floor before responding to their daughter's words. "Of course, little bird. Don't thank us for that- don't speak. Just rest now."

[mxthbladed]

"They're s-sore," Esper replied unsteadily. She tried to stretch her wings and gasped sharply from the pain. As Lute helped her up, she reached out for Vaggie as well.

Vaggie cut in, "I'll fly you there. Let's get out of this place." Even despite her smaller stature, she was able to scoop Esperanza into her arms and nodded at Lute. "You lead. If we run into problems on the way out, you'll be able to react faster."

Lute nodded slightly in agreement, bringing her hand up to wipe at her eyes for a moment before instinctively reaching to smooth Esper's feathers down gently. "Let's go. How do your wings feel?" She asked her daughter, adjusting where her arm was to help her carefully get up. "I can- one of us can fly you there." Lute's metallic arm had stiffened as it cooled back down, the damage leaving it locked in place now, bent slightly at the elbow.

[mxthbladed]

Her back straightened at that and she flashed a grin. "I can't wait to wear it. You'll see me on graduation day and you'll know I worked my ass off for it. I'm going to aim for top graduate," she announced. She got to her feet when she was done and cleared her plate for the dishwasher.

She said, "I should probably pack..."

Chuckling faintly, Lute nodded slightly at her daughter's words. "I already know that you'll be an incredible warrior, Esper. You'll definitely be worthy of the uniform." She said, her smile widening as she gazed at the younger angel proudly. "I can't wait to see you wear it."

[mxthbladed]

Esper nodded, looking a bit put out by the news but she didn't argue, knowing that her mother wouldn't tolerate it. And besides, it kind of made sense, really. If someone wasn't cut out for the exorcists, they'd surely let sinners go loose...

"I know. I wouldn't expect it anyway. And I wouldn't want it. I'm too competitive for that," she added, a small smirk coming to her features.

"No." Lute responded, shaking her head curtly. "Recruit training goes for eighteen months, so we can make sure that you're really cut out for it." Her expression shifted slightly, a strange, cold anger simmering behind her eyes for an instant before she shoved it away again. "Some of our sisters can be... soft. During the year, that's not an issue, but I need to make sure that they can be proper warriors for the Extermination."

Lute's face was still hard, even as she offered her daughter a faint smile. "I trust that won't be a problem for you, Esper, but it's like I said; no special treatment."

[mxthbladed]

She did as instructed, sitting down and eating with gusto. Esperanza knew that her life was going to change. What had once been mundane and slow would surely become difficult at times but likely full of excitement. Her thoughts were racing and there was so much she wanted to ask, wanted to say, but she couldn't bring the words forward.

After a moment, she asked, "Will I graduate in enough time for this year's extermination?"

She chuckled faintly, tightening her wing around her daughter and moving to press a quick kiss to the top of her head. "I know you will. And honestly, out of your whole group of recruits, you're already one of the most impressive." Lute said with a grin before pulling away. "Now sit down, eat; you've got a big day tomorrow. You're going to need your strength."

[mxthbladed]

She was almost embarrassed by the speed with which she got closer to accept the embrace, curling into the warmth and softness of her mother's wing. After all, with her training beginning tomorrow, this might be one of the last times in a while that she'd get this kind of affection.

"I am," she replied. "I've worked hard to get recruited. And I'm gonna keep working hard the whole time." She knew it would mean seeing her mami's side of the family even less than she already did but by the time her training would be done, it would be worth it. She was sure.

"Good." Lute said, nodding slightly. She paused, watching her daughter for a moment before letting a slight smile creep onto her face. "And I am so, so proud of you, little bird." She said after a minute, spreading one wing out in an offer for an embrace. "You've come so far in just a few years; you should be proud of yourself, Esper."