#and that’s the last of the Kayode triplets

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Hot chocolate, a box of gadgets and gizmos, and a sketchbook full of unrealized dreams

There’s nothing like a mountain mocha hot chocolate after a busy day of adventuring and conducting research in the Maidshire Mountains. Hanging out with Ludwig and the Kayode triplets have always been an interesting experience.

When was the last time we all hung out together? I felt like it’s been a couple years since I’ve tagged along with Ludwig on one of his adventures. This one in particular needs a lot of volunteers since we’re mostly searching for stuff and trying to figure things out as the information we have is incomplete. So, accompanying him besides me, the triplets, and Daisy Jane are, Louie, Almie, Pippa, and a bunch of inventors from One Step Forward.

Ludwig’s friend, Edward Ushkton, is the founder of One Step Forward, a company that allows inventors to make their dreams a reality. I’ve heard a bit about him and his accomplishments. He and Ludwig go way back, so they and their families are well acquainted.

The purpose of this trip is to honor the memory of a young and promising inventor who had a lot of potential. I remember hearing a bit about him and how he died under mysterious circumstances. The investigation resulted in the shutdown of a rival company that recruited him when other scandals were uncovered.

Though Finn Costain’s life and career was short, he left a huge impact on his mentor and fellow inventors. According to Jenny, even though Edward Ushkton has achieved a lot, he’s the kind of person who tends to dwell on his failures. It’s been nearly 10 years since Finn’s death and he still blames himself for what happened.

From what I gather, I feel like it’s one of those things where you did everything you could, but at the same time, things could’ve been handled better. Finn was the kind of person who was initially ridiculed, a common thing for eccentric geniuses like him. He was described as someone who’s selfless to a fault, someone who was desperate to fit in but was punished for being different.

A lot of his inventions failed, which made him a bigger target for ridicule. However, Ludwig said that he was no different than any other inventor. Failure’s a part of the process, that’s just how they figure things out and move forward. And like many inventors, Finn was persistent, so he kept going. And eventually, by chance, he met his idol, Edward Ushkton.

At the time, Finn had left his hometown despite his father’s objections. He was having trouble when he was rescued by Ushkton’s wife. He got to know the family and worked at One Step Forward as an assistant while being mentored by Ushkton.

Several months later, Finn returned home and created an irrigation to address an ongoing problem with the dam over there. At first, his plans were ridiculed, even when One Step Forward backed him. Still, he persisted on moving forward with his project, and he succeeded.

The town became prosperous after that, which led to a new set of problems as people got greedy. Finn went through desperate measures to fix things by orchestrating a crisis in order to get everyone to work together. Had it not worked, the entire town would’ve flooded - that was how far he was willing to go and how much trust he had put in the people. A risky gamble that worked out, but like with Project Floodgate, that solution opened up to new conflicts.

This time, a once big shot company and rival of One Step Forward, In-New-vations, took Finn in. He had planned to go back to One Step Forward, but was lured in by the glitz and glamor In-New-Vations claimed they would open him up to. At the time, no one knew of the scandals the company was involved in, though Ushkton had his reservations.

And from there, that’s where it all went downhill for Finn. They manipulated and exploited him, cut him off from his friends, forced him to go against his principles, and finally drove him to suicide. He disappeared after getting into an argument with his father and the CEO of In-New-Vations acted like he never existed when questioned about his whereabouts.

Ushkton decided to launch a massive investigation after digging some stuff up about In-New-Vations. Ludwig and Clarence assisted him as well. Later, a group of high school kids - one of them happened to be Ushkton’s son - found a boat with a bunch of blueprints and hard drives that belonged to Finn. Before jumping into the river, he left behind a lot of evidence that would bring In-New-Vations crashing down and apologized for leaving everyone else to clean up his messes again.

To think how easily we can be led astray. Ludwig worked with Finn on a couple projects and described him as a bright kid who just needed some direction. He wouldn’t have gotten far without his persistence, but having grown up with people often brushed him, Ludwig felt that maybe that was why Finn needed validation. He pointed out that most of the town didn’t really support Finn until he became famous, so he questions their sincerity to this day. That’s why it made perfect sense to Ludwig why Finn let the fame and In-New-Vations get to his head, and why he couldn’t live with himself afterwards.

The triplets and Louie met Finn a handful of times when he was with Ludwig and enjoyed his company. Had he not lived so far away, maybe he would’ve been able to become Ludwig’s assistant. Jenny said that Essie and Clarence got along super well with him and that maybe Ortensia would’ve liked him too.

That was probably the first time I’ve heard Jenny talk about her mother casually. I don’t know too much about that situation other than things got complicated when Clarence sacrificed himself and Ortensia came back into the picture. We kinda had a general consensus not to pry on that. And as for the triplets, I don’t think they really know what’s going on anyway. Ortensia may be their mother, but she hasn’t been around for most of their lives, so she’s nothing more than a stranger to them.

According to Ludwig and Essie, she and the triplets felt that it was best if they kept their distance. The truth is, the triplets don’t really have an opinion on their mother, or more accurately, how they feel about her. Clarence, Essie, and Ludwig were the ones that raised them, not her. I think it was Clarry who said something along the lines of she’s got her own life and they have theirs.

There had been some resentment at first but by now they just kinda accepted that they can’t force something that isn’t there. From what I get, Ortensia wasn’t the kind of person who was meant to be a parent. Even if she hadn’t disappeared on an adventure gone wrong, it probably wouldn’t change the fact that was and will always be a thrill seeker.

I imagine she’s probably similar to Xenia’s mother - the triplets have made similar comparisons. Xenia’s mother was a daredevil who constantly disregarded her safety for the thrill of adventure. Just as many had predicted, she paid the price with her life and left behind a daughter who barely remembers her.

The triplets had long accepted that their mother’s fate was something similar, so it stirred up complicated feelings when it turned out that she was alive, although trapped somewhere for years. That, and the fact that their uncle sacrificed himself to free her, which resulted in her being forced to kill her brother - or the shell of what’s left of him, as they later found out - really fucked things up, to put it simply.

Lyndi mentioned that Ortensia drops by Essie’s from time to time, but even then, she and her sisters rarely talk to her. After all, by the time she came back in the picture, the triplets were just staring college. Plus, she was too wrapped up in her brother and the guilt she had for having to kill him. That’s still another sore spot between her and the triplets. And I’m afraid that’s one that might never be resolved.

Like with Finn Costain, it feels like one of those scenarios where everything went wrong and there was no good outcome no matter how hard you try. I’m not trying to be too negative, and as much as I wish that things could have turned out better, there’s really no use getting tied up in what could have been.

Should things have ended up this way? Probably not. But what’s happened is past and all we could really do is hopefully not make the same mistakes.

Anyway, so a while back, Ushkton and Ludwig found a box of stuff from Finn’s old office in One Step Forward that was thought to be lost. When Finn returned home to propose Floodgate, he had intended to return to One Step Forward and get his own office as well. That’s how half his stuff ended up over there, and he never got the chance to come back. His office space went to someone else and his stuff were put in storage, only to get misplaced when the company relocated.

Ushkton later discovered that most of Finn’s stuff ended up in a storage space, though there’s still some things that haven’t been recovered yet. At least most of the stuff they found were prototypes, blueprints, files - basically bits and pieces of his work during his time there. Even though a lot of his projects never came to fruition, it’s still worth looking into and archiving.

One notable find was a sketchbook where Finn jotted down pretty much everything. At first glance, it’s hard to decipher, but Ushkton and Ludwig have worked with him enough to understand how his mind works. It’s amazing to see all the work left behind on these pages. All those ideas and dreams, stored away in an old sketchbook.

Even after we’re long gone, we leave something behind, something to remind the world that we had long existed, no matter how insignificant we are.

By using Finn’s research, Ushkton and Ludwig were able to continue with this thing codenamed Project Wisdom. It was some collaboration thing with Maidshire University’s School of Science - a series of research projects, to be accurate. Finn was working with some researchers over there and made valuable contributions to their work.

This project in particular needs a lot of volunteers to clean up a lake and collect plant specimens. Decades ago it was polluted because of some weapons testing facility several blocks away. Ludwig said by the time the facility closed, the lake was so badly polluted that it had to be closed off to the public.

Efforts had been made to clean it up but it was still a huge undertaking. A lot of progress has been done over the past twenty years thanks to Maidshire and One Step Forward. A lot of the research over there has to do with environmental science and combating pollution. That was where Finn was inspired to start Project Floodgate.

The lake, at first glance, doesn’t look too remarkable. But compared with pictures from thirty years ago, it’s amazing to see how much pollution there was. The area looked like a landfill! If they continue to make steady progress, the city hopes to eventually open the lake to the public within the next five years.

When we’re not at the lake, we’re checking out the shops and hanging out the cafes. There’s this popular cafe near the university that’s famous for its mountain mocha hot chocolate. The weather’s been a little chilly so hot chocolate feels just right.

I can see why it’s popular as the consistency is perfect - not too watery or rich, so it’s something I can enjoy without getting tired of it quickly. The coffee balances well with the dark chocolate - I’m thinking kinda like a fancy and richer latte, if that makes sense. The one they serve at the university cafe’s considered the classic but every place has their own spin on it. Sorry to be basic, but the classic’s my favorite, though the rest are good too.

Tomorrow’s more of the same - cleanup at the lake and then chilling for the rest of the day - which I don’t mind. Jenny’s our tour guide as she’s the most familiar with the area since she tags along with Ludwig the most, so she covered a lot of ground.

Along with this being a nice little vacation, it also feels nice to contribute to someone’s life’s work in hopes of building a better future. No matter how short or seemingly insignificant or forgettable someone’s life may be, they will always leave something behind, whether it be memories or something physical that represents who they were.

Ushkton worked hard to protect Finn’s integrity, not just as an inventor, but as a person too. He could’ve easily just taken Finn’s work and run with it while leaving him as merely a footnote, but from I what I see, he’s not that kind of person. I think the fact that he goes out of his way to show respect like that says a lot about him.

To pick up where someone left off is, in my opinion, something you should do if you know for a fact that you’re doing it out of respect for them. Finn was someone who had a lot of dreams and ambitions, and it’s a shame that he was never able to act on many of them. But that doesn’t diminish his accomplishments, and nor should he only be known for what could have been.

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[peace-coast-island]

Character Profile: Lyndi Kayode

Birth Name: Malinda Octavia Kayode

Type: Music Mogul

Birthday: March 18

Race: African American/Caucasian/Asian

Height: 5’3

Hair Color: Jet black, curly

Eye Color: Oak brown

Personality: Playful, enthusiastic, mischievous, lazy, charming, insecure, sassy, blunt, laid back, tech savvy

Likes: Relaxing, singing, playing the ukulele, finance, artistic freedom, playing pranks, binge watching, snacks, free things, poker

Dislikes: Failure, working overtime, stress, worrying about things, allergies, jump scares, lectures, stereotypes, being overcharged, orange juice

Family: Ortensia Selena Abigail Kayode (Mother) Jennifer Zola “Jenny” (Twin sister) Clarissa Liana “Clarry” (Twin sister)

Esther Robyn “Essie” Kayode (Great grandmother) Ludwig Truman Sinclair (Great uncle) Clarence Leandros Everett (Uncle) - deceased?

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Collecting starfish and trying to make a difference 

Years ago I read a story about starfish. Basically, a woman comes across hundreds of starfish that were washed into the sand. So one by one, she begins throwing them back in the sea. While doing that, someone walks by and questions why she’s trying to save the starfish if they’re gonna get washed up again at some point. 

What difference does it make?, the passerby asks. 

For that one starfish I just threw in the sea, it means everything, says the woman.

I don’t know why but that story always stuck to me. When people ask what I want to do in life, I say that I want to help people. When I think about helping people, I think about the starfish story. A little goes a long way. I won’t be able to save the world or make a huge impact on a community but at least I can do something for one person. And for that one person, it makes a difference.

I don’t want to be a hero, I just want to be there for someone who needs a shoulder to lean on. I won’t make waves, but at least I can create ripples.

Pearl, Marianne, Fran, and Mike are visiting the camp for a much needed break after everything going on at Hollywood University. Coincidentally, the beach is full of starfish seashells so Isabelle and I arranged a seashell event. Since the universe tends to work in strange ways - at least according to the way I see it - I think it’s a sign.

For almost five years Jamie had been building an entourage of actors, writers, musicians, and other media professionals who are affiliated with the Hollywood University - Peace Coast campus. A bunch of friends like Ally-Nicole Sinead, Celinda Sharma, Vincent Yang, Lenie Langbrook, Quentin Toledo, Arabeth Liao, the Kayode triplets, the Sala cousins, Pearl, Marianne, Fran, and Mike - and tons of others - were part of that group. 

What makes Jamie’s entourage stick out from other entourages in the university is how diverse it was. The other entourages are predominantly white, straight, and able bodied, which says a lot about the culture of the campus. The university as a whole prides itself for being inclusive, but is it really? 

Don’t get me wrong, the university did make some strides in terms of diversity and inclusion when it first started out - particularly in terms of the LGBT community. But as it began to grow, it began following the money and sidelined the voices that they once aimed to amplify. That, along with various missteps involving the treatment of various POC figures is what caused people like Jamie and Pearl to become disillusioned with the university.

It’s such a shame, especially when you’ve got a bunch of talented people who are constantly ignored in favor of someone mediocre because of their ethnicity/background/sexual orientation, etc. There’s also blatant favoritism, which sucks as well. 

Technically Jamie’s entourage isn’t really an established thing anymore as it hasn’t been active in over a year. But others still refer to it as such because everyone still hangs out together, even after they’ve moved on. So even though the entourage has disbanded, it doesn’t seem like it. That says a lot about the community Jamie built with her entourage.

Pearl and the others joined the entourage about three years ago. That was shortly before things really started to change so their experiences have been a mixed bag. On one hand, they got to meet a bunch of cool people and experience great opportunities but at the same time have to deal with the university’s bullshit regarding their performative activism.

While criticism of how the university pats itself on the back for being so diverse has been going on for years, shutting down the Hollywood U/Starlight Theatre program is what caused things to blow up. Starlight Theatre is run and owned by a black Asian woman and most of the performers happen to be POC and/or LGBT as well as most of the people in the program.

The university claims that budget issues is what prompted them to shut down the program as they felt they could use that money for other resources that better fit the university’s vision. Enrollment in the program has reportedly dropped, which Pearl says is not entirely true. While the cohort has gotten smaller, it’s important to note that in recent years, most of the staff and students are white. 

So it’s no surprise that most of the entourage has left the university over the past two years. Considering how many of our friends have been screwed over, I don’t blame them for leaving. 

The amount of bullshit from the university is far too long to list off so I’ll only mention a few big ones. Shutting down the theatre program’s a big thing as Pearl and Marianne are part of the faculty. And before that they were severely underpaid and under credited as well as ignored over their white colleagues. Marianne had resigned last semester on a sour note after getting fed up with the higher ups. Pearl was tired of their shit too but chose to stick around because she wanted to make a difference and the students loved her.

Three West End and Starlight actors who were in Jamie’s entourage - Mariah Huang, Killian Bhandari, and Hayden Pettinelli - have been outspoken about their mixed experiences with the university and the theatre program. You have three professional actors being underpaid and ignored as well as being told flat out that they were hired so the faculty looked more diverse. They also had to deal with microaggressions from colleagues as well as poor communication with the higher ups. With the entourage being disbanded, they left the program shortly after.

Jenny, Clarry, and Lyndi have said that their college experience has been mixed. While all three have received great opportunities for their futures, they feel like they have to work at least three times harder than their white peers. Lenie and Rika feel the same, and as both are half white, they have their own issues with how they’re treated. Quentin Toledo, Tiffani Monaco, Adrie Castalucci, and Vincent Yang have issues about accessibility accommodations as the university has been less than accommodating to those who need it. Ally-Nicole Sinead, Beatrice Sala, Arabeth Liao, Celinda Sharma - and many other WOC - have criticized the misogyny that runs rampant in the university. Steven Fischer and Mike Shafir are among many who have spoken out about antisemitism. Fran Raleigh, Elliott Marchand, Maura Zeigler, Colleen Anantha, and countless others called out the university for homophobia and transphobia. And the list goes on and on.

At some point these people have been called ungrateful for criticizing the university and equate it to biting the hand that feeds you. Well, most of these people are already successful on their own and the reason why they came was to make a difference. While the university initially had good intentions, it’s clear where they stand in the long run. While they have made strides in terms of diversity and representation, the last few years feels like a backwards slide. 

They say that attendance has gone down in certain groups and I wonder why. Could it be that a lot of people don’t want to be involved in a place that underpays them, treats them like shit, force them to deal with those who only want to work with them for woke points, and not be given the credit they rightfully deserve?

So what’s the big deal?, some may ask. Why is representation and diversity so important? Well, to answer in the most simplest terms, it’s because we exist. We deserve to be heard and for our stories to be told. We are not stereotypes or caricatures, we are people. And just giving more roles to POC, LGBT, and/or disabled actors isn’t going to solve everything. The whole entertainment industry has its issues so giving people jobs for the sake of diversity won’t fix things, especially if we continue to be undermined and fucked over.

The reason why people like Jamie, Pearl, Marianne, Fran, and Mike stuck around for so long  - because they wanted to help others, to provide opportunities for them to shine. In a way, it’s kinda like trying to singlehandedly throw hundreds of starfish back in the sea with their own hands. 

Some may say it’s futile and there’s no point because it is what it is. But why does it have to be that way? If the current system is bullshit, why not take it apart and build a much better one? You don’t have to put on a grand gesture to make a difference. You might not be able to save the world, but you can save someone’s world. And that will cause a ripple effect that will spread into small victories.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Twiggy’s got the best view!

There was a meteor shower at Cape Mulberry Island and it was awesome! The campers came over by ferry just to check it out since it’s not too far and the ride was free. It was a bit crowded but worth the trip! Twiggy showed us a good place to watch the spectacular sight!

On our way to Royal Planetarium, I ran into some friends who also came to watch the meteor shower. We went from being a group of eight to a party of fifteen in the twenty minutes it took to get there! After all, the more the merrier!

First we ran into Miki, Satoshi, and Scotch on the ferry. It was a pleasant surprise to see the psychic gang so soon as in all honesty, I probably only see Miki about twice a year as she’s super busy and lives kinda far.  The trip to Cape Mulberry was kind of a spur of a moment thing for her. In fact, it was Scotch’s idea to bring her along on what was originally a date for the guys as he saw the occasion as a bonding experience for the three of them.

Since I last saw the trio over in Bristletown, a few things have changed since then. First, the consultation office is still going strong. Business is a bit slow now, but that’s expected as it tends to fluctuate. As long as the exorcisms don’t cause too much damage and the clients are happy, then it’s all good. 

The main reason for this outing, and the biggest change overall, has to do with Satoshi and Scotch’s matching rings. As of three days ago, the couple is engaged - which wasn’t really a surprise for the other psychics as they’ve been waiting for that moment for years. It doesn’t really look like it, but Miki’s really happy for her brother. Not that she doesn’t like Scotch, it’s just their personalities are so different and out of sync. They like and respect each other - though Scotch can be a bit too overbearing and overly supportive - but they’re just so opposite each other that it’s hard for Miki to see eye to eye with him. Still, she’s happy for the couple and knows that Scotch - whether she accepts it or not - is the right guy for her brother.

There’s no date set yet but they’re considering a fall wedding, probably in October. And Miki’s planning the wedding because to be honest, she’s the only one out of all their friends who is practical and actually gets things done. The others are willing to help but if anyone other than Miki’s in charge, nothing will ever get done. The newly engaged couple looks so happy together and I wish them the best!

After leaving the ferry station, we ran into Landry, who happened to be in the neighborhood. She was over in Mulberry for work and decided to spend an extra night here after hearing about the meteor shower. Things have been kinda slow for her, especially since she spent the last few years in space. It takes some getting used to adjusting back on Earth and she’s taking advantage of her free time before being called to another space assignment - which won’t be for a long while she hopes. While exploring space is fun, you can easily get homesick.

Having Landry tag along makes it a lot more fun because she knows pretty much everything there is to know about astronomy! Before heading to the planetarium, she did some research about the meteor shower and gave us a lot of interesting facts about meteor showers.

Finally, as we walked through downtown Mulberry, we ran into the Kayode triplets. They were looking for the perfect spot to view the meteor shower where they can take pics since Uncle Ludwig can’t make it because he’s busy working on a secret project. Jenny came prepared with a portable telescope, a camera, several pairs of binoculars, a picnic basket, flashlights, and a first aid kit.

The triplets have been busy with school, especially since finals are coming up. Jenny’s already planning out her study schedule as well as working on getting an internship at Francois Viola Productions. Clarry’s done recording her album so now she’s just focused on surviving the semester and being the life of the party. And since Clarry’s album is done, that means Lyndi can sit back and relax too - at least until finals start. She’s been negotiating some business ventures but nothing has really stuck yet. Still, she’s hoping that inspiration will strike at the right moment - but that’s most likely going to depend on the success of Clarry’s album.

Once we got to the planetarium, we hiked up several flights of stairs until we reached the top. Thanks to Celeste, we have access to an area that’s usually closed off so we got that place to ourselves. While waiting for the meteor shower to start, we searched for constellations. This is probably the closest I’ve ever been to the stars. It’s a different experience viewing the night sky up high than on the ground.

The meteors came and went, and it was magical! From the view up here, it feels like we’ve been transported into another world. A cosmic experience, one that makes you feel small in a good way. Time somehow stretches when you’re sucked into the wonders of the universe. 

If I were to never experience another meteor shower again, this one would be more than enough.

junebug|previous|ao3|next

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Round and round we go!

The Wizpire Fair was a blast! It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the fair so it’s kinda like experiencing it for the first time! Along with the campers, I’ve got other friends tagging along like the Kayode triplets and Lenie. The four will be staying at the camp for spring break, which is awesome! 

My favorite ride was the merry-go-round. From what I heard, it has always been the highlight of the fair since it was first built ten years ago. Jamie played a big role in building it - I think she made the blueprints and funded for it along with other things - and the festival has kinda revolved around that since it marked the growth of Wizpire after one year of becoming a town. Each horse was designed by a villager, making the merry-go-round like a collage to commemorate the original townspeople. There’s always a long line but it’s worth the wait because of the location. The merry-go-round is right at the center of the town so the ride kinda gives us a panorama of Wizpire so that’s why a lot of riders take pics.

One new thing about the festival that immediately drew my attention was the fortune telling tent run by Katrina. I haven’t been to the city in a long time so it was nice to see Katrina again. While I was curious, I was hesitant to enter the tent out of fear that a heavy metal object will come falling out of nowhere. The last time I saw her was when she warned me about bad luck and I wound up getting chased down and bitten by scorpions and tarantulas for three days. Because of that I avoided going out late at night for a week after the incident.

My curiosity led me to walk in the tent for my fortune. Good news is that luck is on my side - and everyone else’s. Not so good news is that Katrina somehow was able to drop anvils on our heads - either they spawned out of nowhere or she rigged something in the tent. Aside from reigniting my fear of random stuff falling on my head, it was nice to see Katrina again and hear what she’s been up to.

Another new thing was the obstacle course and it’s super fun and terrifying. We teamed up so I was with Dottie and Diana aka the D Team. Lenie teamed up with Jay and Kiki, Jenny teamed up with Mitzi and Aurora, Clarry teamed up with Naomi and Shari, and Lyndi teamed up with Zell and Apollo. Jenny’s team won first place, mainly because they were the only ones who went through the bouncy balls without falling into the water. Second place was Clarry’s team, who killed it on the unpredictable balance beams. Third came the D Team, fourth was Lenie’s team, and fifth was Lyndi’s.

There was so much to see that I wasn’t sure if I was going to see everything but somehow I managed to stop by all the stands. Since it’s the triplets and Lenie’s first time at the fair, I wanted to show them as much of Wizpire as possible. Not to mention it’s spring break for them and they deserve a break from a busy semester. 

It’s gonna be a fun week for the five of us!

junebug|previous|ao3|next 

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Gelato night!

It’s about time the Kayode triplets came for a visit! And the timing couldn’t be any better as tonight is gelato night! Thanks to Bunnie, Rex, and Cube, we managed to get Gelato Sundaes to host this fun event! Since it’s super popular (and super good!) we have to make plans at least eight months in advance. But in the end it was worth it because not only we got to eat a lot of gelato but kick back and have fun chilling with friends.

The triplets really needed something like this. Especially now that their mom has been back in the picture for almost a year now. It’s a bit of a long and complicated story so let me backtrack a bit.

A long time ago Ortensia Kayode disappeared into the Netherworld after managing to dismantle a powerful and destructive called the Silent Spear. She left behind three one year old daughters, who were raised by Great-Grandma Essie, Uncle Clarence (Ortensia’s brother), and Uncle Ludwig (Ortensia and Clarence’s uncle). Ludwig and Clarence spent the next twelve years trying to get Ortensia back without reactivating the weapon.

In the process of freeing Ortensia, Clarence was now trapped into the Netherworld as there has to be someone to prevent the destruction from escaping. For whatever reason Clarence jumped right in without a second thought and took his sister place despite everyone’s protests. Ortensia was dead set on returning to the Netherworld because she knew what to expect while her brother didn’t. Eventually her worst fear came true and Clarence was possessed and corrupted by the Spear.

A lengthy battle followed as the Kayodes tried to get Clarence back. During all that time Ortensia was focused on the Spear. It didn’t seem to register to her that she was back among the living with her now half grown daughters. The triplets didn’t - and still don’t - know exactly how they feel about their mother. The battle ended in tragedy when Ortensia was forced to kill a fully possessed and corrupted Clarence in order to seal the Silent Spear and prevent it from ever getting disturbed. It was a last resort that no one wanted to do, but by then they were cornered and had no other choice. I can’t blame the triplets for being forever scarred by watching helplessly while their mother impaled their uncle.

Since then the triplets have rarely seen their mother until last year when she moved in with Essie. Even then she’s still a stranger to them.

Contempt is the first thing that crosses Jenny’s mind when she thinks about her mother. As the oldest, she takes pride in being the responsible triplet. She was always mature for her age - no surprise considering her upbringing - and she has the tendency to put others before herself. Out of the three, it’s hard to really tell how she’s dealing with all of this aside from what she’s saying. Right now she’s keeping her distance but sooner or later she’ll have to fully confront her feelings.

For Jenny's sake, I hope it’s sooner.

Clarry tends to flip flop the most. She was the one who finally convinced Ludwig and Clarence to tell the truth about her mother’s disappearance. She told me that at first she was kind of excited to finally see her mother after hearing all kinds of awesome stories about her. But as time went on, she realized that her mother wasn’t the same person anymore. Now she doesn’t know what to think of her. But she’s hoping that things will change soon now that her mother’s around more.

A part of me hopes, for Clarry’s sake, that this is a sign that things will improve for the family.

Lyndi is furious, a quiet rage that has been building up for years. The last thing she wants to do is talk about her mother. Out of the three, she’s been having the most difficult time. To her, their mother just straight up abandoned them (which she kind of did, let’s be honest) and when she did return, she went back to her old ways, taking on high risk escapades around the world. To her, it’s already bad enough to know that she and her sisters were unexpected but for her mother to confirm it made things worse. And now that her mother expects the family to act like things are normal just adds to the frustration.

For Lyndi’s (and everyone else’s sake), the family better not hold back when it comes to an inevitable confrontation.

Like I said, the timing couldn’t have been better as the triplets really needed that gelato break. After getting that out of the way we talked about other things like Jenny’s latest client, Clarry’s new album, and Lyndi’s business. They’re all sophomores at Hollywood U, which is pretty hard to get into, but it’s a very good university and they’re doing well. 

At some point we had a gelato sundae contest and I don’t remember who won but they were all pretty good! There were so many flavors to try out, over half which I’ve never heard of! It feels like we’re in a cute little cafe, which was what we were aiming for. 

I look forward to another gelato night and hanging out with the triplets again!

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