#Lalatov

[hqmillioncorn]

i hope a world different than mine awaits you

Aleria looked up at the moons above her, cradling the baby in her arms closer to her. "There, there. I'm here. It's okay." They were less than a few hours old at this point and their form was still too soft and malleable to be left alone. She lifted up the blanket and looked at her newborn son. His multiple eyes were looking all over the place and he hadn't quite decided on his shape yet. "Take your time Yuri." Aleria softly assured him. "Your papa is getting your big sister ready for bed and then we'll be out here as long as you need to be." Aleria could still remember just how long it took Babycorn for her to fully form. "You would think you spent your time in your eggs doing this." She giggled, but go figure. As strange as her children might seem to others, Aleria loved them with all her heart and would have done anything to protect them. Aleria began to hum a lullaby she remembered her mother singing to her.

lalapril 10: fever

on a particular night in ul'dah aleria and lalatov come home to some bad news.

Underneath the veil of night two lalafell were running as fast as they could. “Come on Lalatov…! Just a little bit more.” Aleria called out to him in a hushed tone.

Their work day had gone on for longer than they anticipated.

Not that it had been either of their faults. Sometimes you just had more produce to sell than usual. 

Aleria passed the empty wagon towards Lalatov. Both were taking turns pulling it home, so neither of them would get too tired. He gripped the handle and continued running ahead, “What are the odds Chelinka will be fast asleep when we get home?” Normally they would make it back in time to at least tuck her in but this was cutting it too close.

“Well considering it’s past her bedtime. I would prefer she be asleep.”

“You’re right.” Lalatov paused, “And also if she’s asleep she won’t yell at us.” 

“Also very true.” 

Chelinka could be quite a terror when she was mad. 

Especially with her budding powers that apparently they had both passed onto her. Neither of them had seen it coming but it only made sense.

The only real problem was that Chelinka seemed to have some powers that they didn’t have. 

The first time Chelinka burped out a stream of fire both parents looked to each other expecting the other to nod in understanding. Only to find out that no one in that room knew where the fire breathing could have come from. 

With every step they took their home grew closer and closer until they found themselves at the front steps of the house. “We made it!” Lalatov hunched over and rested his hands on his knees. Not really sure what imaginary timer they were running against but at least they didn’t get there as the sun was rising again. 

Aleria looked down at the candy in her hand. It was a kind of rock candy that Chelinka always begged for her to bring over and over again. Aleria would have to constantly remind her that she needed to chip at the candy slowly and not eat it in one bite. 

Having this meant that hopefully Chelinka would go easy on the scolding.  

At least, this time she would. Hopefully.

As always their arrival back home was announced with a secret knock on the door. This was what Lalatov had come up with as a way to make sure there was no way Chelinka would open the door to strangers. 

Aleria started the secret knock but felt her blood run colder than it already was when the door simply just opened on its own. She stood frozen in terror as the door opened fully, revealing a dark room inside.

Without even a second thought Aleria ran inside, clutching onto the candy in her hand hard enough to almost break it. 

“Chelinka! Chelinka answer me!”  

Though her daughter did not come running out from a hiding place as she hoped she would, there was a sign of life, albeit briefly. Aleria heard a shallow breath coming from the bed beside her. “Chelinka…?!” It could only be her. It had to be her. 

The bed was still messy from earlier in the morning. Which was strange in of itself since Aleria knew that Chelinka always folded the blankets after she woke up. “Chelinka, sweetie?!” Aleria climbed on top of the bed and was met with the sight of her daughter covered with a warm blanket, sleeping soundly. 

“Chelinka…” She must have fallen asleep waiting for them. That was it. Her daughter was still here and still safe. No one had taken her away. Everything was okay. “Chelinka. We’re home.” She extended her hand out to wake her daughter, even if it was for just a moment. 

Chelinka was hot to the touch. 

At that very second, Lalatov returned from outside, closing the door behind him. He noticed Aleria knelt down on the bed beside a sleeping Chelinka. “Oh? Did our little babycorn get ahead of us and actually go to sleep early?” Wouldn’t have been the first time that happened. Lalatov laughed to himself a little but noticed something was off. 

“Aleria…?”

Her eyes were wide open, her teeth clenched in fear. “Chelinka! Chelinka! We’re back! You have to wake up!” At this point Aleria was practically shaking their daughter awake. “Chelinka it’s mama! Please!” No matter how much she begged or screamed, Chelinka’s eyes didn’t budge. 

Lalatov rushed to Aleria’s side, “Aleria, Aleria. What’s happening? Talk to me.” He climbed onto the bed and knelt down next to her. From here he could finally see the state Chelinka was in. 

Her skin looked pale, beads of sweat were covering her face. Lalatov could tell that she was struggling to breathe. “Chelinka…” He placed the back of his hand on her forehead, feeling the same heat that Aleria felt. Had something happened after they left? 

As far as he could remember she was fine yesterday. Last night Chelinka was jumping on the bed and running around as she usually did. If that was the case then why…? 

Aleria picked Chelinka up from the bed as carefully as she could and put her ear to Chelinka’s chest. “S-She’s still breathing. I-I can hear her heart…! S-She’s…She’s…” As long as there was still a heartbeat then Chelinka would be fine. She knew this, she knew. Aleria looked up at Lalatov with fear filled eyes. “...What’s wrong with her?” She sobbed. 

The scariest thing was that Lalatov had no idea. “I…I don’t know…” Lalatov had always pledged that he would do anything to protect his family but how was he going to do that when he had no idea what he was up against. 

As scared as he was, he had to try and get it together. For his family’s sake. It was time to get scared later. That’s when he remembered something from his childhood. “M-Maybe she just has a fever?” He remembered having them a lot, especially when he was younger. His mother would take care of him while he spent days bedridden. 

Aleria nodded, a bit of calm began to wash over her. “R-Right…! I h-had fevers too!” Her’s were particularly bad, according to the doctors back in Garlemald. “Me being sick were the only things that would stop them from testing on me…” She placed her finger under Chelinka’s nose until she could feel warm air coming out from it.  

“But then why isn’t she waking up?! Lalatov…?!”

He was at a total loss. “I-I don’t know…” Though he wasn’t sure what was wrong with Chelinka, that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to help. He raised his hand up towards her and concentrated. Lalatov closed his eyes and let his healing magic wash over her. 

Aleria held her breath. All she could do now was hope for the best. Surely this would be it. Any second now her daughter would open her eyes and everything would be okay.  

Right now it didn’t matter if Lalatov was always at the bottom of his class. Or always being told he would never amount as anything as a conjurer. His daughter needed him to pull out all the stops. It didn’t matter what happened to him. 

As long as his family was safe. Nothing else mattered.  

“Lalatov please stop!!” 

Lalatov gasped, stopping immediately. Though he wanted to ask if something was wrong for some reason he couldn’t find the strength to speak. Which would have probably been his first clue why Aleria had begged him to stop. 

Aleria let out a shaky breath. Though her hands were shaky, her hold on her daughter was tighter than ever.

Eventually she found the strength to speak again. “You looked like you were getting sick…” The fear that Lalatov himself would pass out alongside Chelinka filled her mind and wouldn’t get out, no matter how hard she tried. 

“I can’t lose you too…” 

Lalatov was able to catch his breath. If he had tried any longer it probably would have been the point of no return. After all this was over he made a mental note to thank Aleria for saving his life. Again. “You’re not…You’re not going to lose any of us.” That was a promise. 

“You couldn’t get rid of us even if you tried…!” Lalatov smiled weakly. 

Aleria let out a little giggle, smiling through her tears. Somehow this gave Lalatov hope that they would all make it out of this alright. As long as they stuck together. 

Though Lalatov’s efforts appeared to be in vain, it was far from the truth. Some color did return to Chelinka’s cheeks and she wasn’t as warm as when Aleria first found her. Her face looked a lot more peaceful too. Like he had gotten rid of a nightmare alongside a part of her sickness. 

Aleria crossed her legs and cradled Chelinka closer to her. “It’s going to be okay sweetie…I promise.” She brushed away a lock of hair from her eyes. “We brought you a yummy candy…! Just for you!” Though she wanted Chelinka to wake she still was careful enough to lower her voice. 

It wasn’t going to be easy but Lalatov had to say it. For the sake of their daughter they both had to step outside their comfort zone.

“Aleria…” He scooted closer to her. Now that he was closer he noticed that Chelinka was holding onto her mother’s dress. “I think we need to find her help” Lalatov took a deep breath.

Given what just happened, he wasn’t going to be able to help just by himself. “Outside help.” 

Aleria’s reaction was instantaneous. “NO!” Aleria took Chelinka and hugged her limp body against her own. It only made sense for her to react this way. Lalatov knew this. “We c-can’t what if they…they…they…!” 

“I promise-they aren’t going to take her away.” 

“You can’t know that…” Aleria shook her head, closing her eyes. “They always find a way to take you. No matter how much you fight.” 

Lalatov placed his hands on Aleria’s cheeks as gently as he could. Her whole body was shaking, her breathing was fast, too fast. “Do you remember what I said to you on the night we got married?” On what was perhaps Thanalan’s most foggiest night. 

Aleria looked right at him and nodded. “...Do you mean before or after it started raining?” 

“It was after! “ Lalatov let out a laugh, mixed together with a sob. “I told you. I promised you that I would never let anything happen to you or our children.” Even if it cost him his life. That part had been silent inside his head but he knew Aleria heard it despite that. 

“...And then I said I would do the same.” Aleria sighed, “No matter who or what got in my way.” There was no way in any hell that she was going to lose her family again. She would fight to her very last breath to make sure that never happened. 

“Which is how I know Chelinka will be safe.” There it was, the same stupid little grin that let Aleria know he fully believed in what he was saying. “Both of us will be with her. If anyone tries anything-we’ll stop them.”

“No matter what.”

“No. Matter. What.” Lalatov echoed. 

There was nothing either of them wouldn’t do to protect her. 

“Okay.”

That was all she needed to say. Lalatov pushed himself off the bed and started to gather their traveling supplies. Whatever he thought they would need he grabbed, no matter how small. Any weapons they needed to carry they could hide in their wagon like always. 

He was leaving nothing up to chance. 

Aleria looked down at Chelinka. There was the faintest smile on her face. “Aren’t you lucky? You’ve got a papa and a mama that will be with you forever and ever.” If only everyone could be so fortunate. 

“Even when our bodies give in. That’s probably not going to stop either of us!” Lalatov yelled across the room.

Well, when he was right he was right. “It’s true.” Aleria kissed Chelinka’s forehead, adjusting her in her arms as she climbed off the bed. “You aren’t going to get rid of us that easily, my little babycorn.” 

There was no more time to wait. Every second that passed by was just making things riskier for Chelinka. They would have to rush to Ul’dah to make up for lost time. And even when they got there, neither of them knew where to go for something like this.

But, they were going to find a way. For Chelinka’s sake. They had to. 

They were going to. 

“Are you ready?” Lalatov was waiting outside, the wagon ready to go. He reached out his hand towards Aleria. “We’ll all be safe. I swear, with all of my hearts.” 

Aleria closed her eyes and grabbed her husband’s hand, squeezing it tight. “Yeah. Let’s go.” 

Chelinka could feel herself moving.

Was it them? ‘Mama? Papa…?’ No matter how hard she tried to open her eyes, she couldn’t. Her body felt so tired. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep but everything was moving so much it was hurting her tummy. She heard herself let out a groan. 

As soon as she did, she felt a hand on her head. ‘There, there sweetie. We’re almost there, don't worry.’ She heard her mama’s voice talking to her. Chelinka liked it when her parents pet her on her head. This made her feel a little calmer. 

A little after that Chelinka found enough strength in her to open her eyes, just slightly. 

Though most everything was a blur she didn’t quite recognize where she was. This didn’t look like their home. Or like anything near it. ‘What…?’ It was a little scary but knowing her mama and papa were here made her feel a little less scared.

‘Sleepy…’ She heard her mama humming the lullaby she always sang to her.

Maybe she was just dreaming? That could be it. 

Whatever the case.

Chelinka knew she would be okay. 

“Mrrrpgh…?”

A ray of sunlight hit Babycorn right in the face, rudely waking her up from a midday nap.

Not one she had taken willingly mind you, but one caused by the act of her slipping on a head of lettuce. Babycorn yawned, if it was still light outside then she must not have been sleeping for that long. 

Or maybe she had slept so long it was the next day?

Who knows really. 

As she pushed herself off the bed she looked around the room. It didn’t look like any infirmary she recognized. In fact it looked more like her room actually. “Oh. I’m in my room.” Maybe someone carried her here? It made sense, lotsa people tended to just pick her up and carry her places.

One of the many advantages of being as small as she was. 

Even if she was taller than a handful of people here and there. Though maybe it was her pom that made it easier for her to pick up and go. Lunya and Vertical did often use it to pick her right off the ground. Like a radish.

Speaking of radishes. Babycorn realized she was pretty hungry. Who knows how long it’s been since she’s eaten?! At least a couple of minutes for sure. “Okay! Kitchen time!” She shouted out to no one in particular. 

As soon as Babycorn sat up she heard something tumble to the ground beside her. “Oh-!” Looking down she noticed a tonberry doll laying on its side. “Eek!” Had she knocked them down?! That was such a big drop for someone as small as that! 

“I’m so sorry!!” Babycorn rushed to pick the tonberry up. “I didn’t mean to knock you down!! Uwuauwauwuawuauuwahwauhbwabuwau…” 

One would think that Babycorn’s remorse would come from how much time she’s spent with Cherrypit and his living toys, but really, she had always had a soft spot for inanimate objects. 

“Here I’ll give you a hug to make you feel better!” She gave the tonberry a tight tight hug before placing it back on the side of the bed where Cherrypit usually placed it. With that taken care of it was time to get back to food hunting! 

“Right-! Let’s….let’s…” 

That was odd. 

Babycorn wiped at her eyes. For some reason or another there were tears. Not just on her eyes, but all over her face. “Ah…” She guessed that she had cried in her sleep.

It wasn’t unusual for her to do, nightmares were something that she was more than familiar with. In fact, she had a mental list of every nightmare she could remember having ever since she was a kid. 

But the weird thing was that she didn’t feel like she had a nightmare. Babycorn couldn’t remember her dream at all.

Which was really weird. Usually she could remember it like she had almost been there. Though to be fair, that was sort of a new thing. 

“I know I didn’t have a nightmare.” Babycorn placed her hands right on her heart. “It felt like a nice dream…” Like the kind that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy afterwards. 

But if that was the case, what reason would she have to cry?

[belgradeoldschool]

27.kolo superlige srbije: partizan - spartak 1:0 (30.3.2024)

duljaj i lalatovic

[prleaguebib]

Manchester United news: Quinton Fortune and Neil Wood to get U-23 job, despite Nemanja Vidic being offered - talkSPORT.com

Manchester United news: Quinton Fortune and Neil Wood to get U-23 job, despite Nemanja Vidic being offered – talkSPORT.com

Academy roles

The Red Devils are on the look out for a new manager of the academy side following their decision to part company with former Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia

Nemanja Vidic was offered a return to Manchester United with the Under-23s side, according to his close friend Nenad Lalatovic.

The Red Devils had been on the look out for a new manager of the academy side following…

[tipsoctopus]

"Too good to miss" - These Man Utd fans react as club legend linked with coaching role

One of the club’s greatest ever defenders, it’s fair to say Nemanja Vidic etched himself into Manchester United folklore with his performances for the Red Devils.

The Serbian centre-half was one of the cornerstones of a formidable United back-line and enjoyed a fine partnership alongside fellow great Rio Ferdinand.

Now, in an interview with Elta TV (via the Daily Mail), Vidic’s close friend Nenad Lalatovic has claimed the former United defender has been offered the U23s manager’s job at Old Trafford.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After hearing about the news, fans of the Manchester side took to Twitter to reveal their thoughts on Vidic’s potential comeback and many were rather excited by the prospect.

Some felt that the tough-tackling hard man would bring exactly the kind of mentality and attitude the younger players needed and felt he would be a fantastic inspiration for them to learn from.

Indeed, Vidic’s winning mentality was something the fans thought would rub off on the academy stars, but there were a few murmurs of discontent.

A few United supporters thought the club should be targeting “proven” coaches instead of making decisions based off sentimentality and simply appointing legends.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

I don’t mind this but in general we need to be recruiting proper staff rather than legends

— Obafemi (@BanditoRole) 2 July 2019

If this is true I think he should accept be a good role for him to build from

— Jordan Powell #FBPE (@jordanpow1991) 2 July 2019

any kind of Vidic at the club is too good to miss

— Kaka (@Wonkish_) 2 July 2019

Why we always go for ex players and legends instead of hiring proven coaches

— #Oleout#PochIn! (@Youngmully21) 2 July 2019

I’d love to have the big man back. Our youth players need to learn from winners.

— Scott (@ScottUnited77) 2 July 2019

PLEASEEEEE

— SchRooVid (@roo_vid) 2 July 2019

Really hope this is will come true

— Achmad Rivai Syahrir (@red_elora) 2 July 2019

Yes I do . We need more past players in the club structure, hands on

— Williams (@pucky_face) 2 July 2019

“

from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/2LvAgea via IFTTT from Blogger https://ift.tt/2KWAsE2 via IFTTT

[torentialtribute]

Nemanja Vidic ‘considering taking over Man Utd U23s after being offered job’

By: By: Jordan Seward For By: By: By: Jordan Seward For Mailonline

Published: 15 : 10 BST, July 2, 2019 |

work, according to FK Vojvodina boss and good friend Nenad Lalatovic

The Serbian has ambitions to get in coaching and is currently considering taking on the role of his former club.

MORE TO FOLLOW.

[MEER INFO] NEXT MORE THAN FOLLOW. ..

<img id = "i-16d6006689fa376b" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/07/02/15 /15533570-0-image-a-51_1562076497479.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-16d6006689fa376b" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/ 1s / 2019/07/02/15 / 15533570-0-image-a-51_1562076497479.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-16d6006689fa376b" src = "https: / /i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/07/02/15/15533570-0-image-a-51_1562076497479.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" [NemesisVidicweighingtrackofManchesterUnitedonderde23nadoffer

United has identified three potential candidates for the vacant role with the former midfielder Quinton Fortune who is one.

Vidic, who spent eight trophy-laden years with United during his career, is also considered according to his friend Lalatovic despite having no previous coach had experience

Lalatovic told Elta TV : Vidic lives in Milan and he is currently considering coaching, he is not sure yet. He was already offered to run Manchester United B (U23),

I told him, & # 39; this is an ideal opportunity if you want to do it – to go back to England, tomorrow and Manchester, you have a great name there and I think that's the right decision for you. "

& # 39; But he has not decided yet. I support him as a coach at Manchester United, so there is a chance that he will beat the first team in the future. & # 39;

<img id = "i-738b5cdb92877a6" src = "https://ift.tt/3071ufq. jpg "height =" 422 "width =" 634 "alt =" FK Vojvodina boss and Vidic & # 39; s friend Nenad Lalatovic said he had urged him to take the job "

<img id = "i-738b5cdb92877a6" src = "https://ift.tt/2FQx8Gm" height = "422" width = " 634 "alt =" FK Vojvodina boss and Vidic & # 39; s friend Nenad Lalatovic said he had urged him to do the job "

FK Vojvodina- boss and Vidic & # 39; s friend Nenad Lalatovic said he had urged him to get the job done

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[andrewswatkinsuk]

Nhận định U21 Serbia vs U21 FYR Macedonia, 23h00 ngày 20/06/2017

Nhận định U21 Serbia vs U21 FYR Macedonia, 23h00 ngày 20/06/2017 – U21 Châu Âu. Đối đầu với đội bóng bị link m88 đánh giá yếu nhất bảng là U21 FYR Macedonia ở lượt trận tiếp theo, 3 điểm là nhiệm vụ phải làm được với U21 Serbia để tiếp tục nuôi hi vọng đi tiếp. Thế nhưng dù thua 0-5 trước U21 Tây Ban Nha ở lượt trận đầu tiên nhưng xét một cách khách quan U21 FYR Macedonia cũng không quá lép vế trước U21 Serbia ở thời điểm hiện tại, nếu không muốn nói là ngang bằng.

Thông tin trước trận đấu:

1.Trong 10 trận gần đây, Serbia U21 có 5 trận thắng, 2 trận hòa và 3 trận thua, và họ không thể có được chiến thắng trong 3 trận gần nhất. Trong trận đấu cuối cùng của họ, Serbia U21 thua Bồ Đào Nha U21 với tỉ số 0-2. Bây giờ Serbia U21 không có điểm.

2.U21 Serbia hiện không có chấn thương.

3.Trong 10 trận gần nhất, FYR Macedonia U21 có 5 trận thắng, 3 trận hòa và 2 trận thua. FYR Macedonia U21 đã thể hiện rất tốt trong vài trận đấu gần đây, họ đã có một số chiến thắng trong các trận đấu giao hữu. Trong vòng đầu tiên, FYR Macedonia U21 đã bị Tây Ban Nha U21 đánh bại với tỷ số 0-5.

4. FYR Macedonia U21 hiện không có chấn thương.

Phân tích:

Được kì vọng là sẽ gây bất ngờ trong trận đấu mở màn với U21 Bồ Đào Nha nhưng việc thi đấu thiếu tập trung trong những thời khắc quan trọng khiến U21 Serbia phải nhận “trái đắng” với 2 bàn thắng ở các phút 37 và 88 của đối thủ. Thua trận 0-2, cơ hội để cạnh tranh tấm vé đi tiếp đã gần như không còn với thầy trò HLV Lalatovic trừ khi họ toàn thắng ở 2 lượt trận cuối nhưng nên nhớ rằng để thắng được một đối thủ mạnh như U21 Tây Ban Nha rõ ràng là điều không th���.

Dự đoán: U21 Serbia thắng kèo/ chấp kèo -0.75

The post Nhận định U21 Serbia vs U21 FYR Macedonia, 23h00 ngày 20/06/2017 appeared first on LINK VÀO M88.

from LINK VÀO M88 https://thegioinhacai.net/nhan-dinh-u21-serbia-vs-u21-fyr-macedonia-23h00-ngay-20062017.html from thegioinhacai https://thegioinhacainet.tumblr.com/post/162030752140

[belgradeoldschool]

17.kolo superlige srbije: partizan - radnicki nis 4:0 (30.10.2022)

lalatovic i gordan petric

[osanecif]

Selecionador da Sérvia desiludido

Nenad Lalatovic, selecionador sub-21 da Sérvia, deu os parabéns à seleção de Portugal e lamentou os erros cometidos pela sua equipa Selecionador da Sérvia desiludido

[nncosta]

“Zivkovic é um dos jogadores mais talentosos da Europa” Nenad Lalatovic, selecionador dos sub-21 da Sérvia, deixou esta sexta-feira rasgados elogios a Andrija Zivkovic, avançado do Benfica.

[hqmillioncorn]

I'll always know something you don't!

Chelinka was somewhere she didn't know. As she looked around some more she noticed that she was outside, surrounded by small buildings. The first person Chelinka saw was a man wearing a mask. Since this was the first person she saw she quickly followed him into the building. The deeper they descended down the stairs the louder the sound of crying became. Chelinka wanted to go turn around but her body wouldn't let her. When they reached the bottom she saw more people, and her mother lying down on something in the middle. It looked like she was asleep. Chelinka couldn't find her voice in time. Not before one of the strange people surrounding her mama raised their butcher knife up and then swung it down.

lalapril 22: echo

babycorn chelinka corn tries to watch over her new brother but it turns out, hes very loud.

There weren’t many bright sides in this situation right now. 

Not like Chelinka wasn’t trying or anything it was just that…! There were way too many things going wrong right now that she couldn’t really think of anything good about this situation.

It was also so loud that she could barely hear herself think!

The day had barely started and her brother was already crying. Really loudly might she add!

Usually whenever Yuri started crying it could be fixed by giving him something to chew on like Mash or her stuffed sock she used as a doll. Or sometimes he was just hungry, and sometimes Chelinka would have to be really brave and change his diaper the way her papa taught her. 

But right now nothing she was trying was working! Her brother just kept crying and crying. 

Chelinka tried covering her ears and she tried hiding under the bed but the sound of her brother crying still reached her. “Can you be quiet?!” She had already tried everything!

Chelinka came out from her hiding place for a quick peek, just to check on the situation.

“Hey! Stop CRYING!” 

Turns out yelling louder than the crying didn’t help much. Aside from make her ears hurt. 

Just as she was about to yell again a voice suddenly spoke inside her head. ‘Ask him why!’ It managed to be even louder than Yuri’s crying. Which was part of the only reason she listened to the strange voice that sounded just like her.  

Chelinka suddenly felt a lot calmer. Even if the crying still wasn’t stopping.

She got out from under the bed and walked closer to her brother’s cradle. She climbed up onto the step-stool until she was looking right down at him. Listening to the her inside her head. “Hey! Why are you crying?” She raised her voice just a bit, but not enough to yell. 

Yuri looked up at her, the crying finally stopped but he didn’t look any happier. He was still sniffling and his eyes looked tired from all the crying he had been doing. His face was still a little bit red but it did look like he was calming down a bit. Especially once he was able to see Chelinka.

He babbled something out loud and held his small arms towards her, trying to grab at nothing. 

Chelinka noticed that he looked really tired. “Yuri? You okay?” Maybe he was tired from all the screaming he was doing? It made sense, even she would be tired if she had to be that loud. “You don’t have to cry anymore!” She held out her hand towards his own, “Tell me why you’re crying and I can help!” 

Yuri was able to coordinate his hand enough to wrap his hand around some of Chelinka’s fingers. He let out a squeal and smiled. It was the first time Chelinka had seen him show any other emotion besides crying his eyes out today. 

This was a good sign! The voice in her head had the right idea! “Phew!” Chelinka gently moved her hand away from Yuri’s. Just when it looked like he was going to start crying again he quickly settled down when he realized Chelinka was just picking him up.

“Up! We're going up!” Chelinka sang. 

Chelinka held him up just like her mama showed her and started carrying him all the way to the bigger bed she and her parents slept on. “Good thing you don’t gots a tail like me!” She wagged her tail from side to side.

It would make carrying him a lot more harder than it already was! 

All Chelinka had to watch out for was the singular horn on his head. Easy peasy!

After putting away her own horns she was able to use her own head to push a bunch of their pillows together in a pile. “There we go!”  Then as gently as she could she placed her brother down so he was sitting against the pillows. 

“Mama says you need these so you don’t fall over!” She helpfully explained.

Yuri let out a squeal and sank back into the pillows. Before cooing out some more noises that Chelinka was sure meant that he was saying his seat was comfy. That must be what he meant because she knew Yuri only chewed on his foot when he was really happy. 

With that out of the way Chelinka sat down in front of him and criss-crossed her legs together. 

“So why were you cryin’ so loud little Cherry?” 

Of course Yuri was not even a year old so his vocabulary was small, to say the absolute least. So obviously Yuri answered her question with a bunch of baby babble that was incomprehensible to the average person. 

Not that it mattered to Chelinka. If you asked her it was perfectly easy to understand what her brother was saying. You just had to listen reallyyyyyy closely. Just when she thought his explanation was done he babbled some more before shaking his head and letting out a big yawn. 

“...You had a bad dream?” 

Yuri looked up at her with his big blue eyes and just stared at her. Usually that meant something like ‘yes’. 

“Oooooooh!” Chelinka ooooooh’d, that made sense. She had a lot of bad dreams herself and sometimes they were so scary that she would wake up crying too. She crawled a little closer towards her brother and gave him a little pat on his head. This time she even remembered to pet him a little gentler because papa said that Yuri’s head was still a little soft.

“It’s okay Yuri! You gots nothing to worry about cause bad dreams are all gone after you wake up!” Since she also had a lot of nightmares her parents were almost always there to help her feel better and when they weren’t, Chelinka would repeat what she said to Yuri to herself. 

“And cause bad dreams are gone they can’t scare you anymore! So you’re okay!”

Chelinka had hope that her words would help her brother feel better. She reached over and held his arms, moving them up and down. “Yuris okay! Yuris okay!” The sound of her brother’s laughter made her feel like maybe she had helped! 

In between his laughter Yuri happened to babble something else. Something that Chelinka understood quite clearly. Even as confusing as it was. 

“Your bad dream was about mama?!” 

Yuri once again just stared at her, unblinking. “Bah!” He shouted. 

That must have been really scary. Chelinka had dreamt her own fair share of nightmares about her parents. Most of them were about them leaving her all alone forever and ever.

Though there were some that were way worse that she never wanted to think about again. 

Yuri’s explanation didn’t stop there. As he continued to babble on and on he explained that his dream was about a little girl wandering around a scary building.

He didn’t recognize the girl he was dreaming of but he could feel that the girl was his mama, somehow. 

“Mama but when she was small…? Like me?”

As Yuri watched his mama walked deeper into the building it started to get darker. He could feel someone following his mama through the hallway. Until there was a large booming voice telling her to freeze and to stop right there.

His mama screamed and took off running, tripping a few times but she always got back up. 

Yuri looked like he was going to start crying again. His face started to wrinkle. “Stop telling me it's okay!” Chelinka didn’t want her brother to be sad. Even if she never found out about how his dream ended. 

Yuri let out a loud “Mah!” which meant something along the lines of, ‘I’m not finished yet!’ 

While he didn’t finish the story of the dream he was having he did explain that he only started having that dream when he caught a glimpse of mama saying goodbye to him in the morning before they left.

His head was suddenly filled with a weird stinging pain and when the dream stopped he just couldn’t stop crying. 

Somehow Chelinka understood all of that from a simple “AwawawaWah.” that Yuri had said. 

No wonder Yuri was crying. “That’s scary…”

If something like that happened to her there was a chance she wouldn’t be able to stop crying either. Especially if it was something that really hurt. 

As the sun began to set Chelinka stood by their front door, covered in at least eleven locks.

It was foolproof to not let anyone in the house that wasn’t supposed to be inside. She hummed to herself as she began singing a song in her own head about how excited she was for her parents to come home.

It was a lot quieter than it had been that morning. 

After giving Yuri a couple of snacks she successfully was able to get him to go to sleep. Sure, she wasn’t as good as her mama was at singing lullabies but Yuri still liked listening to her sing.

At least, he never said he didn’t like her singing. He definitely would have told her so. 

‘Maybe I can tell stories like papa does!’ Next time she should try! Her papa’s stories were always the best. 

Just then, there was a distinct series of knocks at the door. 

This was it! “Mama! Papa!” That was them! They were home at last! 

Chelinka quickly began to arduous process of unlocking the door. Eventually she finished and opened it with a huge swing. “Welcome home!” She greeted them just like always. With a tackle hug that would nearly knock over whichever one of her parents she hit.

This time it was her papa, who just happened to be prepared enough to catch Chelinka like a football. 

Lalatov held onto her tightly as she wriggled around like a worm. “Hey little babycorn!” It was honestly amazing just how much energy just one little girl could have. Sometimes it was kind of scary.  

He moved her from holding her under his arm to right in front of his face so he could wiggle his nose with hers. Chelinka let out a giggle, her papa’s mustache was so ticklish! “Your mama is outside putting some things away but she’ll be inside soon!” Lalatov assured her. 

It took almost no time at all for him to notice just how quiet the house was. “Did you get Yuri to sleep?” It wouldn’t be a surprise, Chelinka seemed to have a natural talent for getting her brother to sleep. 

“Mhmmm!!” Chelinka nodded her head very quickly, wagging her tail behind her. 

But enough about that! “Papa! Papa! I have to tell you somethin’ about Yuri!” It was super duper important! Even better was that she figured it out all on her own! Her mama wasn’t here to listen right now but it was okay! Chelinka could just tell the story two times!! Or even more! 

“I’m all ears!” Lalatov wiggled his very pointy ears and laughed. 

(well babycorn had to get it from somewhere)

There was no time to waste so Chelinka went ahead and said it. “Yuri says he saw mama when she was real small like us!” She pressed her fingers against her cheeks and smiled. 

“D-Did he now?” 

Lalatov wanted so badly to suspect that this was probably a result of his children's overactive imagination but if Chelinka’s track record proved anything is that most of the stories she told had some kernel of truth to it. (pun unintended.)

Chelinka nodded, “Yeah! Yuri says he saw some dream when mama was really small and in some biiiiiig hallway! She was running from something really scary! That’s what Yuri said!! His head really hurt so that’s why he was cryin a lot!” 

Lalatov didn’t know what to say

Sure this could just be chocked up to pure coincidence. Even he had his own share of strange dreams growing up. Something about a teacup becoming evil and absorbing the world into their cup. Never really made sense and he never questioned it. 

Yet despite his strange dreams, he never really recalled ever dreaming of his parents, no matter the age they were. 

While Lalatov was thinking to himself, Chelinka remembered something else. “And-And-! He saw someone else with her!” She placed her hands above her head, bending her fingers up and down. “Yuri saw someone with reallllyyyyyyyy tall ears! Like this” 

…Okay that settled it. Something wasn’t right. 

There was no conceivable way that either Chelinka or Yuri would know about Meriala. Let alone what she looked like.

Lalatov knew Aleria, she was very adamant on keeping her past a secret to everyone. It had taken years for even him to learn about Meriala’s existence and Aleria’s past. 

Lalatov knew one of Aleria’s biggest fears was that either Chelinka or Yuri would be born with powers similar to her. Or Twelve forbid, both of them. Even when Chelinka was still in her egg she had shared her fears that the Garleans would find them and take their children away instead of her, just because they also had powers.

It wasn’t like it didn’t make Lalatov nervous either. From all the stories Aleria had told him about her time in Garlemald he already knew that he would do anything to stop her and their children from ever experiencing something like that.

The relief they both felt when the weirdest thing about their children turned out to be horns and a tail could not be understated.

Sure, that wasn’t particularly something you saw everyday (especially with the fire breathing) but Aleria was sure that there would be no reason for the Garleans to be interested in just those.  

As much as he hated ruining his daughter’s excitement, it needed to be done and fast. 

Lalatov set down the still wriggling Chelinka on the ground and held one of her small hands in his. “Chelinka, can you promise me something?” He made sure to lower his voice, not only to not wake up his son but also so Aleria wouldn’t get the chance to overhear.

“Chelinka. I need you to not tell your mama anything that you told me.” 

“...N-Not tell?” She wasn’t quite sure what her papa was talking about. “What do you mean papa?”

“Don’t tell your mama about Yuri’s dream. Okay?” Hopefully that was simple enough for her to understand.

Chelinka’s excitement quickly wavered, just as Lalatov knew it would. She frowned, “Why can’t I tell mama…?” There was a cute little pout on her face and for a brief weak second Lalatov considered saying something like Never mind!

“Don’t I have to tell mama? I have to tell you everything…!” Chelinka sniffled. She didn’t want to get in trouble again.

What Chelinka was saying was true. Given the nature of their secrecy she was told to report anything to her parents. No matter how small. “No, no. It's okay Chelinka, we’re not going to lie. Not forever.” Her papa reassured her.

Though the only thing Chelinka could think about was just how strange that word he said sounded. 

She’d never heard anything like it.  

“I’m going to tell your mama everything you told me. I promise.” 

In due time. 

[hqmillioncorn]

We'll always find our way back.

Babycorn sharply inhaled. She crumpled up the piece of paper in her hand with a tight grip. If the note was right then this was the house where her grandparents lived. Up until a few weeks ago she hadn't even known they existed. But now here she was about to knock on their door and introduce herself as their granddaugher. "What if they hate me?" It would make sense. She had let her dad die after all. It was her fault he was killed, it was only supposed to be her dying that day but he had gotten in the way. Or so Babycorn believed. "...Okay." Babycorn took a step forward and prepared herself to knock on the door.

Lalapril 4/18 Distance

aleria and lalatov have a talk about their future plans that will definitely happen and not have anything tragic happen to them

Aleria counted the gil in her hand. With each one she counted she imagined the things she would buy with them. A new dress, a suit for Lalatov and brand new toys for Chelinka and Yuri.

When she got done counting she sighed, realistically none of this gil would be buying any of that.

Her and Lalatov needed to save up gil to have enough to finally leave Thanalan. No matter what. 

She looked over to where her husband was currently loading up the rest of their unsold produce. They sold more than their usual stock today. Which was good news for their plans but not-so-great news for Chelinka, who loved to eat their leftover produce more than anything in the world. 

Sometimes Aleria couldn't tell if Chelinka was more excited to see her parents or the vegetables. One thing she did know was that she probably missed her children more than they missed her. 

She always looked forward to seeing Chelinka’s warm smile waiting for them at the door as she greeted them with a ‘Welcome home Mama! Papa!’ Then she would lead them to show how good a job she did protecting the home. And as of recently she had been telling them all about the things that she and Yuri did that day. Which was usually sleeping, in Yuri’s case.

While Chelinka was very much still a child, she was not an ordinary one in the slightest. Having horns and a tail she’d been trained to hide was only a part of that. And she wasn’t helpless, not in the slightest. Which both parents found out when they came back to find a fresh corpse on their doorstep. Chelinka denied having anything to do with it but then, who else could it have been? 

Last night Aleria had to remind Chelinka that most people that looked like them didn’t usually have tails like her, or her mother and father. 

Then there was always that worry, that the next knock to come to the door would be Garlean soldiers ready to take her back. Not only that, they would take her children, her husband, her entire life. It wasn’t fair for her family to suffer because of her existence.  

One question would always echo in her head, almost relentlessly.

‘Would Chelinka and Yuri be safer if they weren’t with me?’ 

“That’s ridiculous!” Aleria would always tell herself. As a child who was separated from her own parents without a choice in the matter she would have never willingly chosen to leave their side. Never. In the end things may have worked out for the better but that was still a majority of her life spent in near isolation. Being forced to listen to and obey the worst kind of people she could have ever met. 

The good outweighed the bad in her life but there was still that want to have never gone through the bad in the first place. No matter how much light there was in the bright spots in her life. 

A sudden noise shocked Aleria out of her thoughts. She gasped and quickly turned around, only to see Lalatov having just finished placing a crate of millioncorn on their wagon. He looked just as shocked about the noise as she did. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you!” 

Aleria waved his worry away, “No, no it's okay! You just surprised me is all.” She put the gil inside of a small pouch hanging from her hip. “Do we have everything?” She had to be honest, she hadn’t been paying all too much attention.

Lalatov saluted. “Yuppers!”  All their leftover produce was all put away and the two of them were finally ready for the trip home. “We sold a lot more today than we did yesterday! That’ll make the trip back home easier but I hope Chelinka isn’t going to be too sad that we don’t have any extra popotos for her…” Both of them knew just how much she loved munching on them.

“Mmm…Yeah that’s a shame…” Aleria stared off into the sky, fiddling with a coin between her fingers. It couldn’t have been more obvious that she wasn’t fully paying attention.

“Is there something bothering you amor?” 

“...Huh?” The coin slipped from her hands and dropped to the ground. “Sorry…! It’s just…”

Lalatov bent down and picked the coin back up, looking at it closely before smiling and placing it back in Aleria’s hands. He gently placed his hand on her’s, “If you want to talk to me about it-I’m all ears!” He wiggled his long ears up and down. 

Aleria let out a snort. No surprise that Lalatov had hit one of her weak spots when it came to making her laugh. She let out a small sigh, a smile still on her face. “I’m just worried we’re not making the right decision.” 

“What do you mean?” Lalatov sat down next to her. 

“It’s just…” Aleria took a deep breath, “What if when we leave they find us. They find me. I can’t let you all be in danger because of me!” There was nothing to prove that Garlemald was still after her but if they weren’t chasing her for her abilities, then they would chase her down to take revenge on her for the people she killed during her escape. “...I can’t let you or Chelinka and Yuri get hurt because of me. Or worse…”

Lalatov kicked his legs back and forth with a hum. “Don’t worry that would never happen.” The confidence in his voice was almost palpable. “I’m willing to fight to my last breath to keep you and the children safe.”

“That’s exactly what I’m so afraid of!” 

“No kidding? Me too!”

“Huh?” Now Aleria was just confused. “What are you talking about?”

“...Do you remember the first night we spent together? You said you would do anything to keep me safe?” 

Alaria hesitated for just a moment. “I do.” She couldn’t forget it. It happened so fast. An ambush of bandits had cornered her and Lalatov without any warning and Lalatov had gotten hurt protecting her. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I already know you’ll do anything to make sure me and the children will be safe.” He tugged on a clump of his hair, “The idea of you beating me to the punch and something happening to you terrifies me.”

Aleria said nothing, only holding onto Lalatov’s hand as tight as she could. 

“I won’t let that happen. I promise.”

“And I promise too.”

“Oh yeah? Well I doubley promise!” Aleria flipped her long hair behind her and winked. The couple laughed to themselves. They were finally ready they began their long journey back home.

The day before it had been Lalatov’s turn to pull the wagon so today the duty fell onto Aleria. 

As they continued to walk Aleria had another question to ask. She figured that now was as good a time as any to ask. “Are you sure that it's going to be okay to go live with your parents?” Aleria didn’t know much about them, only from what Lalatov told her about them. 

And also that they were also paid assassins, but she had found that out for him. 

“Of course!” It had been Lalatov’s idea to go back to Gridania after Aleria had confided in him that living in Thanalan didn’t feel safe to her anymore. 

“Besides-! My parents are going to love you! I promise!” Lalatov laughed, looking away in embarrassment. “I mean they will after I apologize for maybe an hour straight to them. But they eloped when they got married so what did they expect to happen when they had me?” 

Aleria let out a small laugh. “And how are you so sure about that?” 

“I’m part dragon. Remember?” He bared his small fangs to her. Though they weren’t really as pronounced as his mom’s that didn’t mean he didn’t inherit any other of her traits. But even Lalatov figured that sprouting a pair of wings in the middle of Ul’dah would be a bad idea. 

Aleria ran in front of him, grabbed his hands and pulled him in close. Close enough that she could whisper into his ears. “So now you’re just admitting it to me now?” She smirked, “Do you really feel that bad for me?”

Lalatov leaned back and shrugged. “Hmm? Admitting whaaat~?” At this point anyone who didn’t know this was a years-long running joke with them would probably just be very confused and worried about what was being said. 

As a blanket of stars began to cover the night sky both Aleria and Lalatov decided to pick up the pace. Their initial plan of moving away had only just been decided between the two of them a day before. There was a buildup of nervousness in between the two of them as they decided to finally let their children know about it tonight.

They really should have tried to save an extra popoto or two.

[hqmillioncorn]

FFXIVWrite Day thirteen: Check

Babycorn looked up at the night sky above them. It was harder to see it in the Black Shroud than in other places. The trees were too big! They were blocking her way! “Cold…” Babycorn shivered.  It was a cold night and the only blanket they had she used to cover Cherrypit. He was taking one of his rare naps and Babycorn didn’t want to risk waking him up just to feel a little bit warmer. Besides, she’d learned by now that sleeping next to Cherrypit just made her colder. As if the cold wasn’t enough, there was also the feeling they were being watched.  “Just leave us alone!” She yelled to someone.

Aleria let out a loud yawn as she laid back on her chair. 

They had all just returned from another busy day in Drybone, selling and buying produce all at the same time. Her and Lalatov might not have as much experience in being vendors but they did have a secret weapon at their side.

Said secret weapon was being tucked into her crib right at this moment by her beloved husband. 

Aleria turned her head to look at how he was doing. She didn’t really need to. Out of the two of them, Lalatov was the gentlest one by a malm. Chelinka never stirred whenever he was the one putting her down for a nap or picking her up while she slept. 

“How’s our little babycorn?” Aleria asked. 

Babycorn was Chelinka’s cute little nickname that she had come up with one day, to match her parent’s fake aliases. While Lalatov and Aleria were known as Cocorn and Elelote out in public, they had decided to just altogether avoid mentioning their daughter’s name to people. 

Lalatov slowly walked backwards from Chelinka’s crib, making sure that his steps made as little noise as possible. When he was sure that he was far away enough he turned back around. “I’d say that's a successful mission!” He gave Aleria a thumbs-up and a wink. 

“Just like always.” 

Then tomorrow they would go out to sell some more things and Lalatov would do and say the same thing. Some people might have thought of it as mundane but to Aleria it was a dream come true.

Lalatov picked up a chair and placed it next to Aleria, he sat down next to her and leaned into her shoulder. It was one of the rare advantages of being so short that he had. “So what do we do now?” He asked. “I was thinking maybe we can throw a huge party.” 

“And invite everyone we know?” 

“Yeah!” Lalatov smiled, “We can invite Meeth and Al!”

“I think that’s everyone we know” Aleria wasn’t that far off.

Aside from Meeth and Al, who had both helped them when they had needed it most, they hadn’t made any other connections. 

Lalatov thought to himself for a while. “Then how about we invite my classmates back at the conjurer's guild?” He had told Aleria all about his days back then.

“You mean the ones who were ready to let you die when you accidentally angered the elementals?” 

“Yeah! Them!”

Aleria crossed her arms. “Sure you can invite them! So I can fly them up in the air and juggle them until they beg me to let them down.” She could have come up with something worse but she didn’t want to take the chance that Chelinka was listening.

“Aww…It’s so cute when you threaten people.” 

“So I’m always cute?”

“Mmmmmmaybe!” Lalatov stuck his tongue out and laughed. 

Aleria laughed along with him and both had to remind the other to quiet down for Chelinka’s sake. 

They were silent after that, just taking in the fact that they were together and safe. 

Aleria looked forward, at the crib where her daughter lay sleeping. There were no words that Aleria could come up with to explain to someone how much she loved her. How much she wanted to make sure that Chelinka would have the best life they could possibly offer her. 

She knew that Lalatov felt the same way, he had told her the same before. 

According to everyone that had ever seen Chelinka, she was the strangest baby they had ever met. She cried and whined just like almost every baby out there, but there was just something about her that wasn’t right. Whenever she stared at someone, it felt like she knew more about them than she let on. 

To new parents, with not much life experience anyway, Aleria and Lalatov however, none of what anyone told them really meant anything. 

They were both well aware that their children would be a little different than most, when taking into account both of her parents' special little attributes. 

Aleria was hoping that Chelinka would stay that way, for her own sake. A life of constantly being on the run was not the life she wanted for her daughter. 

Aleria let out a sigh and Lalatov instantly knew what she was thinking about. 

He sat up straight and took her hand in his, “No one will come for her. Or you. I promise.” 

“What if they’re still out there? Looking for me?” Aleria’s leg was shaking, “They’ve come before.” It had been a long time ago but there had been a few Garlean soldiers that had come through asking if they had seen someone matching Aleria’s description. 

Aleria turned to look at Lalatov, tears in her eyes. “What if they take her?” 

What if her daughter was a Starsinger, just like she was. Would she be ripped from her mother’s hands just like she had been? Separated from everything she knew and with almost no memories of the life she had been taken from? 

It was much too late for her but she wasn’t about to just let it happen to her daughter too. 

“That’s not going to happen.” Lalatov’s voice was firm, he was confident. “Ever.”

Aleria knew that Lalatov was serious when he said that. He had been there for her when the Garleans had shown up looking for her and he had a large part in the reason that none of them were ever going to be able to tell anyone else where she was hiding. 

“You’re right.” Aleria felt her worries quickly fade away, looking at her husband’s determined expression. “We’ll protect her. Won’t we?”

“Always.” 

Their conversation was cut short when a rush of cold air blew at them, almost knocking both of them to the ground.

“Chelinka?!” Aleria’s first instinct was to see if her daughter was safe, or even worse, had been the cause of the wind. It took Lalatov a few more seconds to collect himself but once he did, he followed right behind Aleria. 

Aleria stopped in front of the crib but did not look inside it. 

Lalatov did. He found it to be empty.

He didn’t even get the chance to freak out about it before he felt someone tap his shoulder.

“Uwbauwa??” Was his only response. 

 He turned to look at Aleria. She was standing there, her mouth open and looking up at the ceiling. Without saying a word she gestured to Lalatov to look at the ceiling above them. 

There above them, was their daughter, crawling on the ceiling without a care in the world.  

Chelinka let out a giggle and sat down. Still on the ceiling. A fly flew by her and she curiously swiped at it. Then a pair of long pincers came out of her mouth and snatched the fly from the air. Chelinka happily babbled to herself before starting her crawling once again.

Aleria and Lalatov followed under her in shock.

“...Did she get that from you?” Lalatov asked.

“Funny…” Aleria watched as Chelinka let out a small burp, which she could have sworn caused her to spit out a little fireball, “I was about to ask you the same thing.” 

In retrospect, any chance of Chelinka being normal had already been thrown out when her mother was part-voidsent and her father (possibly) part-dragon.

[hqmillioncorn]

Some imagination, huh?

Chelinka jumped up and down, trying her best to see up on the counter where her mama had hid the cake she made. It was her little brother's first nameday today so her mama had baked a special cake! She had helped make it so she knew what it looked like but she reaaaaallyyy wanted to see it again. "Mama when Cherry wakes up can we give him his presents?!" Chelinka personally was very proud of the popoto she got him. Today was so exciting, her mama always did a lot for every nameday! Chelinka couldn't wait for her own every single year.

Lalapril 4/27 Celebration

aleria tries to figure out a way to celebrate lalatov's nameday but shes having some trouble :(

As the sun continued to shine on another hot Thanalan day a lonely lalafell sat in the middle of the desert, contemplating something incredibly important.

She was so deep in contemplation in fact, that Aleria hadn’t even noticed that the shade that had been covering her earlier had pretty much disappeared. 

“What am I gonna do…” Aleria repeated to herself. She was holding on to her side ponytail, tugging on it nervously. “There has to be something I can do…” No matter how much she racked her mind about it she couldn’t think of anything.

Which was bad! It was really bad! Because this was important!  This was something super duper and deadly important!

It was life or death!!! 

Because Lalatov’s nameday was tomorrow and she had no idea what she was going to do for him!!!

Her mind was blank when it came to things like this. Which wasn’t a huge help when she wanted so badly to think of a way to celebrate Lalatov's special day. Part of her regretted having the idea in the first place. But when she remembered just how sad he looked when Meeth asked him if he would be going back home to celebrate…

Well that just made her more determined than ever to give him something that would put that cute smile of his back on his insufferably adorable face of his!!

As soon as Aleria finished posing in a determined manner, she realized it was getting really warm. “When did it get so late?” The sun was almost directly overhead. Aleria quickly took out a ribbon and tied her hair up in a ponytail. Then ran back to the cool safety of her cave. Maybe now that she was inside a good idea would finally come to her.

Unfortunately the ideas in her cave were just as nothing as they had been out there. 

Aleria let out a groan and hunched over, holding her head in her hands. It was frustrating at this point. Why couldn’t she think of anything? It especially bothered her when she knew just how many parties she had attended back when she lived in Garlemald. 

Well, more like imprisoned. And it wasn’t like she was invited to those parties, more like forced to attend and used as some sort of incentive to get people to come. Who wouldn’t come to a party where you had the chance to find out how to reach your best future from a Starsinger? “No good…” Thinking about it all just made her madder. 

It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. 

Unlike the people who’s parties she did attend, Aleria didn’t know anything about her nameday. Not even the day it fell on. 

Back in Garlemald Meriala had given her a nameday of her own. It was the day they both met. Though even with a day given to her to celebrate, it didn’t mean she did anything with it. The only person who ever congratulated her every year was Meriala. 

Come to think of it, “...Did she ever tell me her own nameday?” If she had, Aleria couldn’t remember it all. Not that it mattered at this point. 

Aleria sighed in defeat. There was nothing she could think to do. Her head was STILL a total blank when it came to this and when it wasn’t, it was just filled with anger at the people who used her for their own gain for all those years.

Just then, a light shined itself in Aleria’s eyes. Her annoyance quickly turned to surprise when she faced where it had come from. The way it was shining near the entrance of the cave sparked something in her memories.

Without realizing it, Aleria had stood up and walked over to where the sun was shining. She held her hand out and let the light hit her hand. 

“Warm…” It felt nice. Thanalan in general was a sharp contrast to the bitter cold of her cell in Garlemald. Not that she was ready to admit that was the reason she chose to stay here rather than anywhere else in Eorzea. 

Something was bugging Aleria. Like an itch she just couldn’t scratch. Something about this felt strangely familiar. Whether it was the feeling of the sun or the light it was giving off, she couldn’t really tell. There was a memory in there but Aleria just couldn’t reach it. 

‘You have many different powers! The only hurdle standing in your way is figuring out the ways to use them!’ Merials’s advice echoed in her head. 

Meriala had always been like that. Encouraging her to try her best and think outside the box. It had been her idea to attempt and escape in the first place. But what good were her powers in this case? She wasn’t about to go ahead and look into Lalatov’s fate just to see what path she should take for him to have a good nameday.

She adamantly refused to check any fates that directly intertwined with her's.

Aleria felt her face grow warmer. “I-It makes sense we know each other! So that means my fate affects his own!! Right!” She yelled out in a vain attempt to convince no one but herself and whatever higher force above might be listening. “Tch.” Of course she was putting so much thought into this. Lalatov was her friend!

Her friend that she desperately wanted for him to depend on her and think she was cool and clever and pretty. Aleria shook her head. She was getting off track!

The point was that none of her powers would help her with this problem. So Meriala was wrong! Just like she was wrong to leave her! 

Aleria decided to ignore the pain in her chest. 

She was doubtful that Lalatov would appreciate her turning into a monster and killing people for his nameday so that was out of the question too. Aleria took a lock of her hair and chewed on it, thinking about what else she could do. Invisibility and telekinesis weren’t a big help here. Not unless Lalatov wanted her to throw him up in the air or something. 

Then there was her power to read minds. Logically reading Lalatovs mind to find out what would help him would be the best option but Aleria didn’t want to risk finding out something she wasn’t supposed to.

A brief thought crossed her mind. What if she read her own mind? Aleria’s first reaction to that was utter confusion. What kind of overly contrived idea was that?! ‘I’m already reading my own mind??’ Aleria thought to herself. Was there even a difference between the two? Why was she even entertaining the idea?

…Who was she kidding? She really wanted to do it. Just to see what would happen.

Aleria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Concentrating on her own thoughts. She stuck her hand out into the warm sunlight to see if she could feel that memory creeping up again. Sure enough there it was, all she needed to do now was reach out and…!

All of a sudden, Aleria felt like she was opening her eyes, the sun was shining right at her. “This way mija!” Someone called out to her. The light was all around her. She almost couldn’t see anything. While she could make out the shape of people around her, they were just that, shapes. Nothing but shadows and vague enough details where Aleria could tell they were people. 

There were all sorts of different voices around her. 

‘Are all the balloons ready?’

‘Be careful with the meat! You don’t want to burn it!’

‘Hey! Don’t swing that around! It’s dangerous!’

‘And then I said-! You would have never believed me!”

Aleria recognized none of them. 

She felt whoever it was that was pulling her along come to a stop. There was a gentle hand behind her back. Aleria looked in front of her, slowly the light all around her dimmed in intensity. Her eyes widened as a rainbow of colors erupted around her. They were everywhere, on people’s clothes, the ground below them, on the tables all around her and in the air around her. 

Everything was so colorful and full of hope. 

There were so many people around her but she had no hope of recognizing them. Aleria looked down, she was standing in front of a table. On the table she could see a cake. It wasn’t anything too flashy. A square with frosting on top. Plain cake flavored with strawberry jelly in the middle. 

How did she know what it tasted like? 

‘Ready to blow out the candles Alegria?’ Someone asked her. As soon as that someone did a chorus of cheers rang out around her. The cheers collected themselves into an array of beautiful colors surrounding her. They got closer and closer until they were almost squeezing her but it wasn’t a bad feeling.

It felt warm. It felt safe. 

This was…This was…

This was how she felt when she was with Meriala…

…Was this what a family felt like?

A strange feeling overtook her. She hiccuped, a sob mixed it with the colors. Aleria felt a hand cup her chin. "Are you okay? Mija don’t cry. I’m here.” Aleria burst into tears, retreating into the safety of one of the people she loved the most. That’s what it felt like she was doing. If she stayed here she would be safe. 

But it wasn’t real. It was all in her head. 

In memories that belonged to a stranger. 

Aleria severed the connection. In an instant she was back to her reality. The sunlight had moved on and left her standing in the dark. No matter how hard she tried not to, she sobbed. Her memories of her family were almost non-existent, but that was them. She was sure of it. 

She might not have recognized their faces but that was them. That was them. 

But it was okay. She wiped her eyes. That was then and this was now, and right now she was figuring out how to give Lalatov a good nameday. She needed to keep her mind on that and that alone. 

Aleria took a deep breath and stepped back. All of that must have been why Lalatov looked so sad. This was probably the first nameday he’s had where he wasn’t with his family.

As much as he talked about being annoyed at his parents keeping secrets from him she never got the feeling he hated them. 

Aleria knew she was never going to be enough to replace the family he left behind but she wasn’t about to stand around and let him be alone. Just the thought of Lalatov going through the pain she had gone through was enough to get her to try something, anything.

I have to do something! 

If Aleria had to go into town and ask the people living there about Lalatov, then so be it!! No matter what looks people gave her. No matter what names they called her. She wasn’t going to leave him alone.

[hqmillioncorn]

Never let this merciless world erase you!

'Why are you so determined to solve this case?" Someone had asked Tilika. It made sense for someone to ask. It didn't make sense for her to latch onto a case this hard, especially since it had only been a few months since she had joined. They probably assumed Tilika was just trying to prove herself by solving the first case she saw. That was a part of it, yes. The whole of it was her connection to the missing people. Her very own aunt and uncle.

Lalapril 4/26 Musical

Ai somnium files au! tilika and babycorn continue their journey on the mystery of where the hell babycorns parents went.

In the end Babycorn’s somnium provided the investigation with just the lead they needed.

As it turned out,  just the night before her parents went missing she had seen them talking to a person she didn’t recognize. Babycorn had been half-asleep at the time which had the effect of making her memories a little muddy.

Neither Teteo or Tilika could tell who Babycorn’s parents were talking to, just like Babycorn didn’t. That was how it worked. Or they just had lousy luck.

While Tilika was a little frustrated they couldn’t see who it was, she was relieved at the same time. Babycorn had seen the entire conversation hiding behind the door to her room. She was taught not to approach any person she didn’t know. Which apparently could even happen inside of her own home. 

Still, it wasn’t like hiding prevented Babycorn and Cherrypit from getting caught in this whole mess. They all were a part of it. And of course Tilika was worried about Aleria and Lalatov too. They were her aunt and uncle. Whether they left of their own volition or were taken, it didn’t matter. Tilika was going to find them safe and sound. She had to. 

Inside the car, Tilika glanced at the backseat from the car mirror. Babycorn was sleeping, her head resting on her shoulder. Cherrypit was safe at a friend’s house but Babycorn was set on not sitting around and letting Tilika look for her parents all by herself. She had practically pushed herself into the investigation by force. 

Tilika had her doubts of course, considering Babycorn’s age and the places they were going but there wasn’t much she could do after Babycorn threw a rock through her car window and crawled her way inside.

‘She’s rather tenacious isn’t she? Did she get that from her parents?’ Teteo asked.

“Pretty sure. She gets that from her mom.” From all the stories Tilika’s own mom had told her of her and Aleria growing up both of them had pretty much inherited each other’s hotheaded streak. 

‘I see. Then with that information I’ll be glad to predict that Aleria and Lalatov are alive and well! Wherever they are!’

Tilika laughed to herself, “I’ll be sure to tell Babycorn you said that.”

‘No!’ Teteo panicked so much that she almost popped out of Tilika’s eye socket to yell at her, “You can’t let her know I exist remember?’ 

“I remember.” It’s not like Teteo ever let her forget.   

‘I personally don’t think it’s fair that only one of us has to remember!’ 

“Hey Teteo? Are we almost there? How much longer?” Tilika asked, without any other ulterior motives. 

‘Don’t just change the subject! Hmph!’ Despite Teteo’s annoyance she still calculated the time of arrival. ‘We should be there in abouuuut twelve minutes or so. Five if you decide to run every red light which I should advise against.” 

“Then why even give me the idea in the first place?”

The destination in question was a theater located downtown. It wasn’t used for too many big shows lately, mostly being a place where theater majors from the local college were able to hold their rehearsals and the occasional class. Tilika personally had never been there but today was different. 

Because while Babycorn had not clearly seen the person her parents talked to, there was some good news. Teteo noted that she still heard the entire conversation. She and Tilika were able to hear what the person sounded like.

Albeit the words coming out of their mouth were gibberish as Babycorn hadn’t understood a single word. But, they still had a voice. And Teteo was able to compare the voice until she found a match.

A retired actress, Priscilla Genesis. 

Once a renowned performer she lived out her glory days performing all around the world. By all means she was lucky to be able to keep performing until she decided she was done. Nowadays she spent her time teaching acting classes, specifically at the theater where they were headed to. 

Sure Tilika had heard of the actress, mostly from glancing at magazines at the supermarket check-out, but she couldn’t come up with any reason why the Starsingers would know her. Especially on a level where she would show up to their house in the middle of the night to talk to them. 

The sound of a small yawn behind her interrupted her thoughts. For now Tilika decided to let Teteo take the wheel. “Babycorn? Did you sleep well?” Some of the medication they used for the psync machine must have still been affecting her. Hopefully that was the last of the side effects. 

Babycorn rubbed her eyes, getting used to the light around her. “I’m fine.” She looked around, “Are we there yet?” 

“No, not yet.” Tilika paused, “We’ll be there in like ten minutes though!”

“Oh. Okay.”

Babycorn rested her head on the window. Tilika guessed that she didn’t feel like talking. Who could really blame her? At the same time however, she wished there was something she could say to make Babycorn feel just a little better. 

But it was a little too late for that. 

The rest of the drive to the theater all Tilika could think about was; What if she had decided to visit the house that night? Would she have also been to stop whatever happened or would she have disappeared too? The only reason she hadn’t gone was because she had slept through Babycorn’s phone call.

That was probably another reason Babycorn was a little hostile towards her.

‘I wouldn’t think like that. What happened happened and now we’re here. It’s as simple as that.��

“If you say so…” But what if it hadn’t? What if things had gone just a little different? Was there somewhere out there where something completely different happened? 

‘It’s not like parallel worlds exist Tilika.’ 

When they arrived at the theater Tilika had a surprising amount of trouble keeping Babycorn still.

The opulent look of the theater had excited Babycorn so much she almost took off running trying to see more of it. “Look! They got a popcorn machine!!” Babycorn yelled out. Sadly it wasn’t being used on that day but Babycorn was amazed by it all the same.

It made Tilika happy to see her cousin so excited about something again. ‘Teteo? Can you remind me to pass by a gas station to buy popcorn on the way back?’ 

‘Only if I can have some too!’

‘You don’t even eat!’ 

‘Caramel popcorn please!!’ 

As luck would have it Priscilla was at the theater that day but they would have to wait until they could question her, since her meeting was running a bit long. Her assistant had kindly offered them the chance to meet with her tomorrow but Tilika insisted on meeting her today. 

‘You don’t think she’s trying to get rid of us? Is she?’

“If she is, we’re not gonna let her.” Time was quickly running out. Tilika wasn’t going to let another day just pass by without any progress. If her job wasn’t on the line she would have burst into that meeting room and dragged Priscilla out of there herself.

For now they were waiting for the meeting to end, which left them with a lot of free time to look around the theater. 

‘What kind of person has a meeting at a theater? Seriously?’ Teteo commented. 

Other than a few security guards and tourists there weren’t that many people around. Inside of the auditorium it was the same story, empty seats and empty aisles as far as the eye could see.

There wasn’t much any of them could do but wait until they could finally talk to Priscilla. 

Unfortunately, it  looked like the allure of the theater had run its course for Babycorn and she had once again returned to her familiar quiet nature of the past few days. There wasn’t much to do but think about her parents situation when there was nothing to do. 

Tilika watched as Babycorn kicked her legs back and forth, she was sitting in a seat in the front row. Meanwhile, Tilika was just resting her back, leaning on the stage itself. ‘I wish my phone still had battery left. I could have let her play one of my games on there…’ Tilika thought to herself. 

‘Don’t all those games have microtransactions?’ Teteo asked. She knew this very well as all of Tilika’s transactions had to go through her first. ‘If you let Babycorn loose in one of those games I’m sure she would spend at least one-hundred dollars.’ 

Tilika grimaced. Teteo wasn’t just making guesses. A few years ago during her mother’s nameday party Aleria had joked about how Babycorn had spent almost eighty-dollars while playing on her phone. Clearly there was a track record there. 

But if gacha games wouldn’t help in this situation, what could? 

Tilika decided to walk around a bit. That’s when she noticed that the staircase up to the stage was open and free for anyone to walk up there. ‘Rest assured, I’ve checked recent incidents at this theater and it seems that the stage is open access as long as there are no rehearsals scheduled.’ Teteo explained. 

There was a playful glint in Tilika’s eye. That was all she needed to hear. 

Her steps grew louder as she ran onto the stage. It was a pretty strange feeling, she had never done something like this before. There were those times she had sung in front of her parents with their karaoke machine but that paled in comparison to standing on a huge stage like this. 

Babycorn still hadn’t noticed that Tilika had run up here.

Tilika cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled out a hearty, “Yooooohoooo~!” She surprised herself just how loud she had sounded. “Woah.” Hopefully she hadn’t scared anyone doing that. Or gotten them in trouble. Or a third thing. 

Babycorn jumped from her seat and walked towards the stage. It was pretty obvious she was trying her hardest to look annoyed but she was really curious about what Tilika was up there for.  “What are you doing? How’d you get up there?” She hopped up and down as high as she could to see if she could reach the stage like that.

When it was clear she couldn't, she stomped her foot down in frustration.

Tilika was about to go back down the stairs to lead Babycorn up to the stage when Babycorn’s voice stopped her. 

“Are you supposed to be up there?”

“Well, no.” Tilika looked around, “But It’s okay I read the security guard’s mind and they said it was fine!” 

“Y-You can’t read minds!” That had to be a lie! It just had to! Babycorn had been thinking of so many names to make fun of Tilika with, it would be a bummer if she knew them before Babycorn used them! “...Can you?”

‘I’d like to remind you that I actually can’t read minds. Choose your next words carefully.’

Tilika winked, “Guess we’ll find out”

‘I told you to choose carefully!!’ 

Babycorn had no idea what her cousin was going on about. “You’re weird…” Wasn’t Tilika supposed to be a grown-up or something? “If you go to jail I’m not gonna help you! And neither will Cherry!” Anyone would be lucky to have Cherrypit help chew their way to freedom. 

Tilika walked down the steps to the stage and held her hand out to Babycorn. “I promise I’m not going to get us in trouble.” The two made their way up to the stage together. The steps were a little steep so Tilika made sure to hold onto Babycorn’s hand tightly. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Cherry. Promise.” 

‘Teteo promises too.’ 

Teteo sniffled, ‘It’s true I do promiseee!’ 

Once Babycorn stepped foot on the stage her eyes became wide as she looked all around her. Her mouth was wide open as she kept walking forward, letting Tilika’s hand go. It looked so much bigger than it had from below.

Or maybe she was just small? It didn’t really matter. 

Babycorn turned to face the empty seats in front. There were so many people. SO many that could be sitting there and watching her. 

A memory in her head began to resurface.

When she was even smaller she used to perform for her mama and papa all the time. Whether it was singing, dancing or even pretending she was a weather reporter, Babycorn just loved doing it but only for her parents. That was until they got too busy to play with her anymore.

Before they started…

“Hey?” Tilika's voice cut through to Babycorn. When she looked up at her cousin she looked worried. “Babycorn are you okay?” 

Why would she ask that? Babycorn raised her hands up to her face and felt something wet. In a stroke of horrible luck, she had been crying. She tried to wipe her tears away as fast as she could but it was too little too late. “I’m fine!” Babycorn shouted, crossing her arms and looking away.

Tilika decided to believe her, despite the clear evidence. 

She walked forward and took a seat on the edge of the stage. “That lady sure is taking her sweet time, huh?”  

“I think she should hurry up! We don’t have all day!” Babycorn huffed. 

“You and me both…” 

Tilika looked down at the empty seats and a thought crossed her mind. “You know, this place reminds me of the time I had to sing in a class performance when I was around your age.” Generously you could call it a performance but really it was just a bunch of kids seeing who could remember the words to the song they were assigned to sing. 

A pair of small steps came up from behind Tilika. “Class performance? Do you mean like for mother’s day?” Babycorn asked. 

“Oh yeah! That’s the one I was talking about!” 

Babycorn groaned, the less she heard about that stupid event the better. 

“When we sang it was our turn to sing, it was a total disaster!” Contrary to her words Tilika was laughing loudly, almost concerningly so. “I got really nervous in front of all those people that I started crying and ran all the way into the audience to find my mom! Of course I stopped crying once I found her but no one wanted to sing after I had just balled my eyes out.” 

“Were they mad at you?” Babycorn got ready to hear the worst.

But the worst never came. Tilika smiled and shook her head, “No. I don’t think so and even if they were it doesn’t really matter to me. Bad moments are just that, moments. They don’t last forever.” 

Babycorn silently sat down next to Tilika. “Good! Cause if those kids were mean to you I would have beat em’ up!” She gave the air in front of her a good ol’ two punch combo. “Like this! Shu-shu-ha!!” 

‘Cute…’ Teteo wanted to cry.

“I don’t doubt that but I can take care of myself too you know.” Tilika pet her head, ruffling some of her hair up. “And I’m here to take care of you and Cherry too.” 

“Yeah, yeah.”

At that exact moment Tilika had an idea and Teteo instantly agreed with her idea. Tilika jumped to her feet, her eyes shimmering. “How about this? Why don’t we do a little performance here together?” Tilika had a bunch of song lyrics in her head. Surely she knew at least one song that Babycorn also knew. 

“R-Right here?!” Babycorn stood up and took several steps back. “C-C-Can we do s-something like that?!” 

“There’s no rules saying we can’t.” Something Tilika knew thanks to Teteo’s quick search of the guidelines. “Come on it’ll be fun I promise!” 

Babycorn believed her. It would probably be fun but…

“What if someone sees…?” Her stage fright had been the thing that ruined her mother’s day song in the first place.

Except instead of running towards her mother Babycorn had run off entirely, the entire event had to be canceled because she went missing. Everyone had told her it was okay but her classmates had all called her a baby for it. And they were right. 

“Well then it’s perfect!” Tilika ran to the edge of the stage and turned back around with a twirl. “There’s no one here but you and me! So now is a better chance than any to go all out!” She ran back towards Babycorn and reached down for her hand. “I’ll be here with you no matter what you decide to do. So don’t feel like you have to do this. Okay?” 

Babycorn nodded. “Okay…” 

“Either way! If you don’t dance I’ll still put on a show for you!” Tilika did an incredibly outdated dance move that Babycorn didn’t recognize but she knew only old people danced like that. Even Teteo agreed that this was too much. 

Babycorn burst out laughing. “Tili Tili stoooop! You’re so old!!”

She thought for a moment, looking out in the audience. Though a majority of the seats were empty her imagination managed to fill in two of them. Right there in the front row were her mama and papa, holding Cherrypit in their arms. 

They cheered her on and told her to do her best. 

Babycorn took a deep breath, and let it out.

“Okay! Start the music!”

[hqmillioncorn]

 Lalapril 4/6: Blessing

As Cocorn loaded up the last of their things into the cart he wondered if going back to the Twelveswood would be a good idea. Elelote had told him it would be a good thing to reconcile with his family and whatever happened, she would have his back.

It would be nice to speak to his parents again.

Lalatov had just finished packing the last sweets away in his bag when he heard a sudden knock at the door. The sudden knock caused him to knock his bag over and spill out most of the sweets he had just put away.

“I’m here! I’m just cleaning up some things!”

A quick look under the door confirmed his suspicions, there were two pairs of feet right outside. It shouldn’t have surprised him that his parents were checking up on him. Especially with what he brought up that morning.

“Lalatov, sweetie were coming in!”

“J-Just a minute!”

Lalatov pushed his bag and even everything on the floor under his bed as quickly as he could. His cover hadn’t been blown so far and he was going to do everything in his power to keep it that way.

Before he could even tell his parents to come in, the door was already open.

“Hi mother! Father! How can I help you?” Lalatov sat on the bed, his small legs dangling a little ways from the floor. Though he knew he was short that didn’t stop him from trying to hide the evidence as much as he could. “Is this about what happened at the Conjurer's guild? I promise nobody saw me fly up to rescue that chocobo chick!” Besides, everyone knew chocobos are incapable of snitching.

Centaurae and Miminelo looked at each other, confused, and wondering if the other knew what Lalatov was talking about.

“...You know what, never mind about that. What were you two going to say?”

Both decided to ignore whatever he said in favor of dealing with the first problem first.

Centaurae decided to be the first to start. “About your question this morning. We just wanted you to know that-”

“That you’re going to let me visit Ul’dah with the other conjurers?!”

Lalatov was so elated at his mother’s sudden and out of character turn of opinion that he stood up on the bed in excitement.

“Nope.”

His excitement was incredibly short lived and he dropped back down to sitting immediately.

“Your mother and I were discussing it and we are both sure you won’t be missing anything from staying here and continuing your training in Gridania.”

Lalatov knew they were skirting around the actual problem. He was sure that both of them knew they were too. 

The only reason Lalatov wanted to go to Ul’dah was to find out more about his father’s part of the family. Ever since his father had accidentally slipped up and told him he was from there Lalatov had been asking question after question to his parents about where they came from and what they did before he was born.

And every question he asked was met with the same answer.

‘You don’t need to know.’

Lalatov was getting kind of sick of it.

His parents were hiding something. He was sure of it.

“And it wouldn’t be safe for you there.” Centaurae added.

“Why wouldn’t it be safe for me?”

Lalatov looked up at her only to have her look away. It was something she rarely did but Lalatov knew by now it meant she was trying think of something to divert the conversation elsewhere.

“I just want to know! Why! Why are you two hiding things from me?!”

“We are not hiding anything from you.”

“It sure doesn’t feel that way.” Lalatov mumbled to himself. From the way both his mother and father were staring him down he was fairly sure they had heard him. “I just…Please tell me. Mother, father, what are you hiding from me?”

Miminelo stepped forward, he placed a hand on Lalatov’s shoulder. “I promise, we’re not hiding anything from you. And that is the end of this discussion.” He noticed Lalatov’s personally made safety-wand sticking out from under the bed.

“Let me get that for you.” Miminelo reached down for the wand and for a second Lalatov felt a surge of panic all over his body. It took all the strength he had not to twirl his hair as he often did when he was nervous. 

Luckily, his father quickly grabbed the wand and handed it back to him without anything out of the ordinary.

It was bold of his father to promise that they weren’t hiding anything when he had just handed Lalatov the wand his parents had drilled into his head that he always needed to keep on hand. 

Or else.

Centaurae walked over and laid her hand on Lalatov’s head, fluffing up his hair. “You’re better off here. Where you’ll be safe.” Her voice was soft and condescending.

“And where we can watch over you.” Miminelo added. 

Lalatov frowned, there was that thing again. The being safe thing. What were they even talking about?

“Right. Okay. You’re right.” Lalatov figured it was better to just agree with them. That way it was guaranteed they would leave him alone sooner than later.

There was another brief exchange between Centaurae and Miminelo. Their stares were stern and deadly serious. Each knew exactly what the other was thinking. There was no chance that Lalatov could ever be out of their sights for so long.

Not after everything they did.

“Um, if you don’t mind…?” Lalatov’s small voice cut through the tension, “It's getting late so I was wondering if I could get ready to go to bed?” Though his parents had told him he wasn’t allowed to leave with the others he was still allowed to see them off.

“Right, of course.” Miminelo hopped off the bed and walked his way towards the exit.

 Centaurae followed behind him, stopping right before exiting the room. She looked back at him, “Remember Lalatov, your mother and father both love you very much and we only want what keeps you safe and alive.” If her actions from the last fifteen years of Lalatov’s life proved anything, it was that she wasn’t lying about that.

“Then will you tell me?”

Centaurae looked confused.

“Will you tell me why I’m like this?”

Centaurae opened her mouth slightly and for a moment Lalatov hoped that he would finally learn everything he wanted to know for years. Those hopes were almost comically short-lived when his mother closed the door to his room without a word.

He would leave first thing tomorrow.