#anyways i am begrudingly a parent now

[echosian]

hi innocence jr

top ten co-ops @creaturevoiddweller

[bl0rbohandbag]

– more vampire the masquerade x changeling the lost concepts that will not leave me alone. (part 2)

continuation of this post: part 1. "but vtm and ctl are from different settings–" shhhhhh :) if you've seen this post before no you didn't

before i begin: i have been dabbling in vampire the masquerade and changeling the lost content for a while, i am not a fan of changeling the dreaming and vampire the requiem is unfamiliar to me. anyway! buckle up, enjoy the ride, this is another long post!!

trigger warning for obsessive behavior, abuse/unhealthy relationships because vamps again, i guess.

– you're a changeling. kidnapped into arcadia and trapped there for who knows how long. in your durance, you dream of going back home, of reuniting with your friends and family, escaping your keeper to finally, finally enjoy freedom in the world you were born in.

– and one day, you do escape. back into your world, never feeling completely safe with your keeper looking to get you back and huntsmen being a very real threat, but you're ready to rebuild your life and enjoy your newfound freedom.

– except...

after a series of events, you have been forcibly/begrudingly assimilated into a coterie. perhaps a tremere found out about your changeling nature and took great interest in the faerie magic you can wield, deeming it useful for their interests, or maybe a friend or relative of yours turn out to be kindred and are now dragging you into their messes.

(this is particularly annoying if you're more of a diurnal faerie, rising with the sun and going to sleep as soon as it goes down. your circadian rhythm sucks [no pun intended] now that you're up until 3 am running around with a bunch energetic vamps.)

(bonus points if the other members of the coterie don't know what you are, initially mistaking you for a random human and being confused as to why you're there.)

you're not very familiar with kindred, but at this point you're not as wary of them as you should be, either. after all, you've dealt with the treachery and cruelty of the fae, traversed goblin markets, escaped the hedge - you think you can handle yourself pretty well.

(... that's why you see no problem in making a pledge with that mysterious fanged gentleman, offering your blood in exchange for whatever you might need in return. when the pledge is over and they're no longer needed, you ghost them, unknowingly leaving behing a vampire who is now addicted to changeling blood, your changeling blood, and the rush of human emotions brought by being in contact with glamour, no matter how terrible the withdrawal feels.)

on another hand, purposefully letting a vampire drink your blood to torment them might be a fun little prank >:)

(note/context: there is a bit of a contradiction regarding how kindred reacts to changeling blood. some books mention that it doesn't do anything different than a human's, but tastes heavenly and causes no damage to the vampire consuming it, and it might even resurface human feelings or emotions long forgotten. however, changeling the lost: rites of spring, though establishing that changeling blood isn't directly harmful to kindred, still has a hallucinatory effect on them. it is said that the vampire suffers -1 penalty to perception rolls every vitae worth of changeling's blood they consume, because they suffer misleading visions that also plague the Lost of low Clarity, a.k.a it causes one hell of a bad trip ["faces sprout in the environment and babble nonsense rhymes, colors shift and bleed, the outlines of objects warp and shudder."] that lasts until the vampire sleeps it off, and even then they might be plagued with vivid nightmares. so i guess whatever works best.)

a kindred parent who has dedicated their life to finding their missing child after witnessing their kidnapping by an otherworldy, inhuman creature. it might very well be the reason they sought out the embrace, in the first place, after learning their child might still be alive even after centuries have passed, and to be strong enough to protect them from whoever tries to take them back.

using oneiromancy on your malkavian mother to give her beautiful, pleasant, peaceful dreams. perhaps she dreams of you, and picnics with food she can taste under a summer's day sky, and the sun on her skin doesn't burn or frighten her. and it feels so real, so much so that she is filled with a sense of warmth and longing she can never shake off. you do what you can to take care of her. from a distance.

traditionalist ancilla parent who naturally turns to you when they are experiencing issues with technology or anything related to the modern world because you are their child and therefore should know about this stuff, but they forget you were stuck in Arcadia for like three hundred years and you have no idea how to operate an IPhone.

if anyone remembers the ventrue dad using his ghouls as his changeling child's bodyguards, let me expand on that: you are an absolute MENACE to the ghouls babysitting you. if you have been isolated from the world, that means they're basically your social circle, so you talk their ears off and trick them for fun quite often. not only that, but they're the ones that have to run around to retrieve you when they notice you have succesfully escaped again.

(this might evolve into the ghouls becoming your sorta kinda motley. they figure that taking you out during the day won't hurt when you're under their supervision, as long as it means you'll stop running away. you end up dragging them into all sorts of changeling shenanigans, from seasonal court drama to trips to the goblin market, pledges gone awry and etc. they become quite involved in the whole changeling thing. and you STILL prank them when you're bored.)

now the dynamic between the changeling child and their parent's revenants far more removed from humanity might be... interesting.

alternatively, a fetch-maker changeling making a fetch of themselves in order to escape their captor, be it their parent, a partner or a just a kindred who got too interested in them.

(alternatively again, a fetchmaker changeling will continuously make fetches of themselves to throw off/escape their vampire, and said vampire just keeps noticing the differences every single time. it might take them a while, but they notice!)

a vampire who wants you but cannot have you going after your fetch and seducing them instead, maybe even in a conscious attempt to disturb you.

(drinking the fetch's blood will make them immediately regret it, though. fetch blood is just... Not A Fun Time).

a tzimisce's vicissitude is an all too familiar horror.

ancilla toreador who enjoys toying with emotions and sire their lovers just to abandon them after x centuries-old, manipulative fairest who spent their long durance in arcadia being revered for their beauty and talent = potentially the most toxic interaction to ever exist, so nuclear people grow extra limbs just from existing within their vicinity.

(tldr: toreador x fairest cunt off who wins)

"nice is different than good" is a lesson you thought you learned after years of dealing with all sorts of fae creatures, be it the gentry, hobgoblins or even your own changeling peers. but you're not in arcadia anymore, and isn't learning how to trust again a part of healing? ... and somehow that means ignoring the red flags your newly-acquired partner is exhibiting. point is: you didn't exactly sign up for a vampire making your strange life even stranger, but now they're becoming more and more attached to you. not that you're aware of this, or the fact that they're kindred, but you'll find out. oh, you'll find out.

(eventually, their vampire antics are bound to catch up to you. eventually, your changeling antics are bound to catch up to them. it's just a matter of which one will happen first.)

(unhealthy kindred relationship tendencies aside, it's not absurd a vampire lover or secret admirer would become obsessed with a changeling, without even knowing the changeling's true nature. there's just something about them. becoming the subject of obsessive behavior is possible, romantic, platonic or otherwise, born out of a spark of curiosity or a grudge. look at rose gonzalez and roddy van bastelaar, for example.

and if they are aware of what you are, it's all the better. you're like a fairy-tale come to life! but changelings can be a little too similar to their keepers sometimes, and it sometimes backfires. add an obsessed or scorned vampire into the mix and you'll have a recipe for disaster.)

alternatively, a good, healthy (as it can be) relationship with a vampire that absolutely embraces the whole changeling lifestyle. anarchs? camarilla? no. a nosferatu or hecata girlfriend would feel right at home at the moon court's freehold. a tremere boyfriend would love nothing more than to sit with their autumn court changeling partner and read through piles and piles of old books on fairy magic.

a spring courtier changeling helping a vampire acquire necessary information using memory of trees.

(vampire: so you're telling me that you know that one scripture i've been looking for over twenty years is buried underneath the chapel because a fucking tree told you about it?

spring courtier changeling: yes? :3)

when a malkavian surprises you with a cryptic prophetic vision about your life, surprise them back! tell them about the cryptic prophetic vision you had about them, and try to rope them into a pledge by telling them you can alter their fate with simple little spell :) for a price, of course :)

in true fairy-tale fashion, you return home to find that not only your parent has been embraced in your time away, but they have found a lover as undead as they are. maybe it's their sire, maybe someone they met after becoming kinred. but while your parent is overjoyed with your miraculous return, your new evil step-parent just sees you as a nuisance.

(there are so many ways this dynamic can be expanded upon!

not being aware of your parents and their partner's vampirism, but still feeling that something is fundamentally off whenever you're at their new fancy mansion/penthouse [maybe your live there. maybe you drop by for a visit, after they get you settled in a nice house or apartment close by]. your new stepfather is insufferable, eccentric and treats you coldly, perhaps outright shitty when your parent is not around, but your parent seems happy enough - or not, but they won't hear a word of concern from you.

and if you are aware, then... well. they'll just take it as an opportunity to further terrify you.)

[enniewritesathing]

No Place Like Home

(It’s a cool morning in the suburbs of Oasis Springs. The birds are singing and tweeting. The city fountains spring to life in the distance. The air is crisp and clean.)

(Finally, some heat.)

(He’s lucky he managed to throw on his hoodie on or else the night really would have been rough.)

(Brian touches the side of his face. It’s still tender.)

(He doesn’t know how long he’s cried. He doesn’t know if his headache is from that or the blow to his eye. The pain is rolling and his skin feels hot against his fingers. He knows it’s a bruise again.)

(Brian doesn’t know how long he’s been up. He does know that he tried sneaking back to his room in the middle of the night. 

She must have bolted them shut.)

(He sniffles. Brian doesn’t know what to do. If he can do anything. He’s so far from Windenburg; even if he goes on foot, it would take a day or more. Going without anything into the desert is a death sentence.)

(It’s his last shot. It’s his only shot. He fishes for his phone.)

(Brian stares at the status bar. The battery is down to a red sliver.)

(3%. Just enough for a text and maybe a phone call.)

(With a swift thumb, he unlocks his phone, and types one address to two contacts. Briefly, he reads the miss messages from John. They’re frantic. It’s been three days since he last answered...

“I’m sorry,” he says to himself. He hopes that he can put it together.)

(Then, he goes into the phone portion. The battery’s at 2%. Why... why is his hand shaking?)

(Brian presses the quick dial button.)

(It’s ringing. And ringing. And ringing.

“Come on... pick up... pick up...”)

(The ringing goes on and on. He starts to panic. What if she doesn’t pick up? What if he made the wrong deci--

“Hello?”

Brian: “Mrs. Davidson! Mrs. Davidson!”

“Wh-- Brian? What’s wrong? What’s going on--”

“Mrs. Davidson, I am in trouble. Please come pick me up--”!

(The phone vibrates in his hand and watches as screen goes white, then black.)

(Goddammit.)

(At least she picked up the phone. She heard him. He sent off the address to her and John. He trusts them that they’ll figure it out and get him out of here.)

(That’s all he can do.)

(Windenburg, 5 minutes ago)

(Noelle’s phone chimes. Who’s texting her this early in the morning? Ugh, it better not be Hadrian again--

--wait. Brian?

(397 Abercromie Road Oasis Springs)

(The phone rings.)

“Hello?”

Brian: “Mrs. Davidson! Mrs. Davidson!”

(The reception is bad. She hears him in choppy sentences. He sounds... frantic?)

Noelle: “Wh-- Brian? What’s wrong? What’s going on--”

(John races down the stairs.)

Brian: “Mrs. Davidson, I am in trouble. Please come pick me up--”!

Noelle: “Honey, you stay right there--”

(The phone disconnects with a sound.) “Ah shit...”

Noelle starts to call for John as she rises, but he’s already here. He’s slightly out of breath but clearly agitated.)

John: “Ma, did you get a text from Brian? An address?”

Noelle: “Yeah, and he called me before the call dropped.”

John: “I know it. It’s his aunt’s. He’s... he’s in trouble. I can feel it.”

Noelle: “Take a breath, iho. I know how you feel about Brian, but let’s think about this.”

John: “Why think when we need to go right now?”

Noelle: (firmly) “Iho.”

(John tsks. Noelle gives him time to calm himself.)

John: “It’s just... it’s been days since I’ve heard from Brian and his texts didn’t make sense. And before that he’s been acting weird. I’ve tried talking to him but his answers were always short. Kept telling me I shouldn’t call him. The last thing he told me was that his aunt needed him to be back there because she was sick, and...”

“He sounded scared. I’m worried.”

Noelle: “John, why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

John: “Because...”

(He pauses. He doesn’t know why. But he answers anyway.)

“Because I didn’t want to feel like I was... y’know.”

(Noelle sighs.) “No, you’re not overstepping your boundaries. This is one of those times you gotta go with your gut. In fact, I’m glad you’ve told me. Wanna know why?”

John: “Why?”

Noelle: “I don’t have any boundaries. And I am an adult.”

John: “Hold up. You don’t mean--”

Noelle: “Let’s put it this way, if something where to happen, you and Brian won’t get into trouble; you’re both still kids.”

“That said, text Bea and your uncle Eli and tell them... I may need a lot of gas money and be on the lookout if I really need it. They’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

John: “Oh, you mean get some bail money ready...”

Noelle: “Go get ready. And get my bat.”

(John pauses. Oh shit, this is a bat situation. The bail money part already has him worried.) “Which bat?”

Noelle: “You know the one. Don’t worry, I don’t think I would have to use it, but it is a good deterance. We’re gonna go over there, do whatever, and bring Brian back here where he belongs.”

“We’re gonna bring him home.”

(It’s been hours since the call. Brian tells himself they’ll be here soon. After all, Oasis Springs is a couple of hours drive from Windenburg. That’s what’s keeping him going.)

(His fingers have gone slightly numb. Brian worries that at this time, his aunt is getting up from sleep. There’s no telling what she’d act like if she knew he was still here--)

(Brian hears something pull up into the driveway.)

“Brian!”

Noelle: “Brian, are you...”

(She pauses as she gets a good look at Brian.)

(He doesn’t say anything as he looks up. He’s almost ashamed to let her look, and fights back his tears.)

Brian: “Mrs. Davidson. John.”

Noelle: “When did she do this?”

(Brian is hesitant.) “Yesterday.”

“She got drunk. Threw a bottle at me. She missed; she threw a second one. It hit me and... I don’t remember much after that. She yelled at me, punched me, and then told me to get out.”

“She told me not to come back... I tried getting my things but she wouldn’t let me and locked me out. I’ve been out here since then. I was lucky I had my phone on me, but... it died soon as you picked up.”

(Brian sniffles.) “I should have left days ago.”

(Noelle hears all what she needed to hear.) “Iho, sit with Brian while I’ll have a little chat.”

(John sits besides Brian. He doesn’t know what to do or say. Brian shakes his head and turns away.)

(Noelle pounds on the door.)

(THUMP THUMP THUMP)

“Connie! Connie! Get your ass out here right now!”

(THUMP THUMP THUMP)

“Wake up, Connie! Don’t make me come in there!”

(She continues on for three more knocks. She’s had enough waiting around; she’ll knock down the fucking door with her foot.)

(Just as she rears up, Noelle hears shuffling and cursing behind the door.)

(She tightens the grip on her bat to release excess energy as the door opens.)

Connie: “Just who the fuck is--”

“Oh. It’s you.”

Noelle: “Yes, it’s me. Good morning, Connie. How are you?”

Connie: “What do you want?”

(Noelle adjusts her grip on her bat.) “I got an emergency call from your nephew, Brian. He told me what happened, and I would love to get your side of the story before I do anything stupid like knock your head off.”

Connie: “What?”

(Connie looks past Noelle to see Brian sitting on that damned bench. Just how did he manage that? He had nothing on him. She made sure he hid his phone...)

(Connie gives a half-hearted laugh.) “Oh, you see--”

Noelle: “Bitch, what did you do to Brian?”

Connie: (scoffs) “What you think I did is none of your goddamn business. That boy is telling a lie.”

“He tripped and fell and hit his head on the end table. I don’t think you realize he’s pretty clumsy.”

(From behind, Brian speaks up.) “S-she’s lying.”

Noelle: “Now, given my previous experience with you, Connie, I’m inclined to not believe you.”

“I have a few choice words for you but first, Brian, I want you to go inside and get whatever clothes and things you have left. John, go on there with him.”

John: “Yes, ma’am.”

(They waited until Connie agreed -- begrudingly -- to let the boys in. John is greeted with that familiar scent of alcohol. It’s almost styfling.)

(He’s getting bad vibes and it’s only been a few seconds that he’s stood here. This isn’t a home. This is barely anything.)

Brian: “Over here.”

(John’s floored by how many markings there are on Brian’s door.)

(Scratches, holes... some of them fresh.)

(They enter his room. It’s small and cramped. There’s more holes in here. There’s a silence between them that’s unbearable. Again, John doesn’t know what to do.)

John: “Do... you need any help?”

(Brian is silent as he gathers and shoves his clothes into the duffle bag.)

“Brian...”

“...talk to me. Please.”

Brian: “In a sec.”

(Brian finishes up and slings the duffle bag near the door, and settles besides John.)

“I... I don’t know where to start.” 

“I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have come back here. I knew... I knew she’d pull this stupid shit off but I didn’t listen.”

“She was sick, but she wasn’t that sick. She was sick from drinking too much and I had to clean up after her and make she didn’t choke on her own vomit.”

“She was afraid that I would leave her, so she took everything I had. I couldn’t go anywhere. She spent what money I had. She took my phone away but I managed to sneak it back, but she had my charger. When she was sober, she...”

(Brian sighs.) “She manipulated me, John. I fell for it. She’s the only flesh-and-blood family I have left and I guess, in the back of my mind, I felt sorry for her. That I could mend whatever relationship I have left with my family. That maybe, if she told my parents... that they’ll take me back. Or at least acknowledge that I exist.”

“John, she never cared for me. Not one bit.”

“I’ll be honest, I was scared when your mom said that I can stay over whenever I liked. I didn’t want to overstay my welcome, or be a burden just like I am to my aunt. ”

John: “Brian... you’re not a burden. You never were and you never will be. You’re not because... we care about you. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be here.”

“And that’s the truth. We love you.”

“You’re coming home with us. For good. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

“Really?”

John: “Yeah.”

(John takes his hands and folds Brian’s hand into his, and gives a tiny squeeze.)

(It’s the first time in days that Brian feels okay.)

John: “Let’s get out of here.”

(Brian packs the rest of his things into his backpack. As much as he wants to leave that door open, he decides not to. It needs to be closed. He won’t ever come back here again.)

John: “You’re gonna be okay. I promise.”

(Brian takes a breath. He’s right. It’s gonna be okay--)

Noelle: “You fucking bitch!”

(It’s not going to be okay.)

John: “Oh shit.”

(Noelle approaches Connie as she tries and scrambles away from her.) 

Connie: “N-now wait a minute!”

“I-I’m sorry!”

Noelle: “Sorry? Sorry?! I’ll teach you to be sorry!” 

(Noelle grits her teeth as she tightens the grip on her bat, seeing absolute red.)

(John leaps off the porch and dashes straight for his mother.) “Mom!”

“Don’t do it!”

(Noelle raises the bat...)

(And Connie braces herself.)

(Shit shit shit shit! She’s going to do it!)

Noelle: “You hurt my baby boy and you’re gonna pay!”

(Just as the bat makes its downward motion, John catches her by the waist and yanks her back.)

Noelle: “What the--!”

“John, you got three seconds to let me go right fucking now so I can bash this heifer’s face in or you’re grounded!”

John: “Mom, she is not worth it! Just let her go, we’re done here!”

(Connie looks up. By some miracle, her brains aren’t splattered across the yard. She laughs in disbelief.)

Brian: “Oh no.”

(Now’s my chance!)

(Connie scrambles up and waited until she had a clear shot. If this woman thinks she can just intrude on her property with her big bad bat, she has another thing coming!

She swings...)

(Crack!)

(...and drills her fist into John’s back!)

John: “Ahhhhh!”

Noelle: “John!”

Brian: “John!”

(Connie tsks. Not the intended target.)

(John falls into his mother’s arms.)

Noelle: “John! Iho! Are you okay?”

(He shakes his head. He can’t answer.)

Connie: (laughs) “Guess your weak ass son can’t take a punch.”

(Connie laughs louder. She’s got the upper hand.)

Brian: “ENOUGH!”

Connie: “Are you talking back, Brian? Don’t make me come over there and show you your place again.”

Noelle: “John, baby--”

John: (pants) “I’m fine. Just caught a bad spot.”

Noelle: “Oh, you’ll pay for this--”

(Brian squares up.) “Mrs. Davidson... don’t.”

Connie: “Go back inside like the good boy you are, Brian.”

Brian: “No.”

Connie: “What?”

(John’s mostly recovered from the punch. Man, who thought a small woman like her would hit like that.)

Brian: “I said, ‘No.’ I don’t live here any more. You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Mrs. Davidson...”

“Can we go home? Please?”

(Noelle lets go of John after confirming he was fine and watches him with a wary eye as he hobbles off to collect Brian’s bag.)

“You. I’m going to call the police.”

Connie: “And what makes you think they’ll listen to you?”

(Brian stares past John at his aunt. In fact, he doesn’t know he’s standing there.)

John: “Brian. Hey. I’m fine.”

(Brian doesn’t respond and John moves closer. John can feel the sheer anger coming off of him.)

Noelle: “Oh, we have a lot of evidence that’ll go against your word, Connie.”

John: “Brian. Look at me. Breathe. I know you wanna do somethin’. It ain’t worth it.”

Connie: “As far as I’m concerned, all of you are trespassing.”

John: “We’re gonna go. We got what we needed.”

(Brian gives a long exhale. He hadn’t realized he was even holding his breath.)

(John reaches out for Brian’s hand and squeezes it. It’s shaking like an earthquake.)

Brian: “Okay.”

John: “Let’s go.”

(John leads the way.)

(Noelle notices the movement behind her and looks at John and Brian. It’s time to go.)

(Connie laughs.) “That’s what I thought.”

“Though I appreciate you taking out the the trash. Really, I do!”

“I--”

(Connie looks down. Her lips curl up in disgust.)

“Oh. No wonder.”

John: (quietly, squeezing Brian’s hand) “Don’t. I know you wanna do something. It ain’t worth it.”

(Brian clenchs his jaw, but he keeps his mouth shut.)

“No wonder you’re so weak. No wonder you’re causing your dear Aunt Connie such stress. Here I thought you were just a problem child and yet, this whole time, I’ve been taking care of a disgusting little f--”

(Noelle stops.)

(CRUNCH!)

(Connie did not finish the rest of her sentence as Noelle’s fist slammed right into her nose.)

Noelle: “Shut up.”

(John gasps in surprise.)

(Connie staggers back, hands flying to her face.)

“H-h-h... my nose! Y-you fucking... b-bitch!”

Noelle: “Keep hollering and I’ll knock your fucking teeth out!”

(Tears well up in her eyes whether Connie wants to or not. She feels something loose. Is... did she??)

(Oh no. Oh no no no.)

(Blood cascades down from her nose like Niagara Falls.) “Nnn!”

(Her hands tremble. She screams again.)

“I don’t b-believe this!”

Noelle: “Oh, you don’t? I can make it happen again!”

(Connie roars in frustration as she tries to breathe. She feels lightheaded and falls to her knees.)

(Noelle kneels down to her level, with her bat in full display. Connie’s eyes glance at the barbed end of it.)

“Listen up and listen good. You understand that you royally fucked up right? I wasn’t expecting violence today, but yet, here we are. That’s a damn shame, isn’t it?”

“All of this could have been prevented. Really. But here’s the thing. If you as so much as try to come after me, Brian, or my son about this, I will end you.”

“I have friends in very high places that owe me some big favors. They wouldn’t hesitate in assisting me with this. I can say ‘this woman has a noted history of abusing and neglecting her nephew, and attacked my son. She is a menace to the both of them and needs to be put away. That can go either two ways.”

“I consider myself to be a merciful woman, so here’s the deal. Swear to me.”

Connie: “A-are you joking? Are you out of your g-g-godamn mind?”

Noelle: “No. Swear to me that you’ll never see Brian again as long as you live, or face the consequences. Your choice.”

Connie: “I...”

“I s-s-swear.”

Noelle: “Good. Glad we have an understanding.”

(Noelle dusts her pants off and hefts her bat over her shoulder.) “Come on, boys.”

(Brian stares down his aunt.)

Connie: “B-brian, before you go, help me up?”

“P-please?”

Brian: “No.”

(Connie’s mouth falls open in shock.)

Connie: “N-no! C-come back! I said ‘please’!”

(Brian doesn’t hear the wailing pleas of his aunt. He doesn’t have to anymore.)

(Finally, he can go home.)

(It’s cold and raining when they arrived back in Windenburg, but there’s no place like home.)

(Brian kept it together until he went up to his side of the room. He lost track of the time crying into John’s shoulder as he consoled him. He realized he missed this feeling and needed it for a long time as they fell asleep. Noelle throws a blanket over them and left them alone.

In the meantime, Noelle texts her brother and sister-in-law to inform them that they won’t need to raise bail money for her and finally explained what happened. They’re not surprised, but relieved that Brian made it home safely.)

(After dinner, Brian pulls aside Noelle as soon as John went upstairs.)

Brian: “Mrs. Davidson?”

Noelle: “Yes, sweetie?”

(Brian is caught off-guard by the term of endearment. He gives a weak smile.)

“I... I want to thank you.”

“For... for today.”

“I know it was... a lot coming all the way out to Oasis Springs to come get me on such... short notice. Thank you for getting me away from my aunt’s place. I don’t think I would have lasted another day. I... I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t answered.”

(He starts to sniffle.)

Noelle: “Oh, Brian...”

Brian: “I’m... really glad that you care... and love me that much... to take me in...”

“And...” (He can’t finish his sentence as he starts to cry.)

Noelle: “Come here.”

(Noelle pulls Brian into a tight embrace.) “We’re here for you, Brian. We have been since day one.”

“Don’t ever think that we aren’t. We’re here for you.”

“We love you and cherish you.”

“And you’re a joy in our lives. Don’t ever forget that.”

(John peeks into the kitchen.) “What’s going on?”

Noelle: “Iho, come here. We’re hugging.”

(John joins in the hugging, snuggling against Brian’s back.)

Noelle: “You’re safe. You’re home, Brian.”

-End-