Kissa stares in annoyance. “What is Ben gonna do??”
“Fire you.” Cage says, grinning.
Gabriel shakes his head. They made us leave. We didn’t have a choice, and there was a lot of arguments around the subject. Some kids purposefully hurt themselves to get out of the competitions.” He sighs. “But we were sent, not kidnapped.”
Miki choked on her ice cream and shoved Cage away. "Oh my word Cage. I cant be friends with you anymore."
"Oh. Wow." Silver said, slowly eating more pasta. "But… why? What were you supposed to do?"
Kissa leans over the counter to smack the back of his head. “You’re stupid.”
Cage starts to giggle. “No that was a good one! I’m gonna text it to Robby.” He pulls out his phone, biting his lip while he tries not to laugh.
“Provide training, DNA and such. They wanted the humans to become like us. But the scientists locked us up and used us to kidnap others or just study us. It was… not amazing.” His voice trails off.
This is the most I’ve talked in… years
"She's gonna dump you for that." Miki said.
"Yeah." Silver said, voice quiet as she stirred her pasta. "It wasn't. But." she perked up, not wanting him to get distracted and stop talking. "Do you have other family? Tell me about your parents."
Cage giggles as he texts her. “Nooo, Robby loves puns.” He sets the phone down and leans on the counter. “I cannot wait for you guys to meet her.”
Kissa rolls her eyes. “Oh I’m sure she’s just lovely.” she answers, her voice thick with sarcasm.
Taking a little bit of a detour in his mind, he thinks back to his family. “Well. I only ever knew my mother. She was gentle and small. She had black hair like me, but she was frail like Kiss. We were low life’s, so nobody recognized her as worthy or capable of anything. Me and Kiss normally brought in the food since she couldn’t work.”
Miki grinned. "I'm so excited. I hope we don't scare her away." she took a deep breath and stared solemnly at Cage. "I promise to try and behave."
Silver finished her food and set her plate on the coffee table, leaning against the back of the couch and watching Gabe's face as he talked. "I never knew either of my parents. What was your mom's name?"
Gabriel glances over to Silver.
Oh.
I’m sorry.
He swallows. “Why? What happened?” He quietly asks.
Cage smiles, ruffling Mikis hair. “Don’t try too hard, Mik. Just don’t be up in her face or super noisy and she won’t mind.”
Kissa glares at them, then turns around, setting her dishes in the sink and heading upstairs.
Silver shrugged, looking away from him. "I just… never knew them. Miki says she kind of remembers our mom. But I think she died shortly after I was born or something. Or abandoned us. Miki doesn't really talk about it. She was the one who raised me and took care of us. We had friends, so we weren't totally alone, but it was still scary to grow up on the street from such a young age." she blinked, a frown forming over her face. "I… I thought I didn't remember anything from before but… I guess I do."
Miki nodded very seriously. "Understood. I shall not get in your face or be noisy. But… what if I'm loud? Will that scare her too?"
Gabriel turns so he facing her and sits cross legged, “Tell me more.”
Ben seems to have a tiny bit of memory too.
Violet definitely has some.
Does Cage?
He blinks, his mind so focused on ‘what if’s’ that he becomes visible again.
Cage shrugs. “I guess she wouldn’t mind. She laughs when I’m loud. As long as it’s not directed towards her and it’s not angry you’re good.”
"Well. I don't really remember. But I know." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's really weird. Like I don't have memories from being on the street and stuff, but I know about it. I know the names of our friends. Blaine. And Graham. Blaine was a little older than Miki and she took care of us. I guess she was the closest thing we had to a mom." She sniffed, swallowing against the knot that formed in her throat. "She's still in Bwien, I guess. I probably won't ever see her again."
Miki nodded. "Okay. Good to know. Loud, but not specifically loud." she put the lid on the ice cream and put it back in the freezer. "Cage, we still haven't tasted the sushi one."
Cage shakes his head. “I think I’ll die if I taste it.”
Listening intently, Gabriel sits completely still.
Odd. That means the memories are probably there, just not accessible.
He nods. “What else do you know?”
Miki nodded. "Same." She closed the freezer and turned back to him. "What if we make Robby taste it."
Silver absently reached out and took his hand, weaving her fingers between his as she thought. "I think I remember what Blaine looked like. Like I can't quite recall a picture of her in my mind but I know she had curly hair and freckles. And her voice was really soft and gentle. And…" she sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. "Miki and I lived in a sewer once." a grin slowly spread across her face. "That was fun."
Cage grins. “Oh we will.”
He stands and walk to the stove, staring at the pasta. “You had some, right?”
a sewer?
why??
whats fun about that??
He nods slowly, trying not to look as confused as he is.
Blanie sounds nice at least.
Miki raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you want Robby to taste your nasty ice cream??"
Silver felt his confusion spike and she looked up at him. "What's wrong?"
Cage nods absently. "Yeah, but did you taste this pasta, is it poison?" He looks to Miki, "This is important. She said she specializes in poison, Mik. Are you gonna die?!" With the last sentence his voice squeaks and he grabs her shoulders. "SHE WANTS US DEAD!"
He bites his lip, looking down at his hands. "Nothing. You humans are… odd."
"NO I DIDN'T TASTE IT" Miki yelled back at him. "But Silver did and she's okay. So far."
Silver grinned. "Why? Because we lived in a sewer?"
Cage lets go and looks to Sil and Gabe.
"YOU'RE GONNA- wait. He's still talking? wooooah."
Gabriel goes to respond, but immediately goes invisible once Cage directs a shout towards them.
Silver snapped her head toward Cage and hissed "SHHHHHHH!!!"
Miki bent over laughing. "Oh my word he turned invisible so fast!"
"Miki!" Silver cried. "Be quiet! You know he doesn't like it when people notice him!!"
Cage joins in the laughter. “No, but did you see how fast, Sil?” He wipes his eyes. “I’m sorry, I really am.” He shoves Miki gently, still laughing a little. “No more laughing!”
Gabriel dink’s back into the couch, still invisible, and Kissa heads back down the stairs.
“What on earth, guys. So loud.”
Silver glared murder at Cage and Miki and felt for Gabe, wrapping her arms around him. "You two go play in the basement." she growled.
"I'm sorry," Miki panted, taking long, slow breaths. "Okayokay, Cage, shut up. They were having a moment and we ruined it."
Cage bites his lip, holding in giggles. “Okayokay.” He sits in front of the couch, cross legged. “What were you talking about?”
Kissa raises an eyebrow at them. “Seriously. What kept him talking for so freakin long.”
Cold fury settled over Silver and she scooted closer to Gabe, gaze full of icy daggers. "We were talking about none of your business." She hissed, her top lip curling above her teeth.
"AhEM" Miki coughed from the kitchen. "Ahh Cage, she might kill you. I would suggest you back away."
His eyes widen and he stands up, walking away. “Geez.” He whispers under his breath.
Kissa settles on the couch behind Gabriel. “You talking about animals?” She quietly teases.
He gives her a small shove. “Not unless you count as an animal.”
"Sorry." Miki whispered to Cage. "I know that look and it means murder. I think we really did interrupt something."
Silver slowly released her hold on Gabe as Cage walked away. "Kind of. We were talking about where you two came from and your family and stuff."
Kiss raises an eyebrow. “Seriously? Why?”
Cage shrugs, “Yeah, yeah, I guess. I don’t know. I think I’m getting tired.” He sits in a stool and rests his elbows on the counter and his chin on his hands.
Silver nodded. "I wanted to know. Neither of you have ever told me about where you came from or anything. I loved hearing about your mom and his friend Ryder."
Miki nodded. "It has been a long day. What time is it?" She glanced at the kitchen clock. "Wow it's only almost 8. I feel like it's past 11."
Kissa rolls her eyes. “Of all the things you could talk about.” She quietly scoffs. “Mm. Whatever. Did you tell her about that time you ripped your wing when hunting with Ryder? Or the odd habit you had of always coming back from training with a cut on your cheekbone?”
Gabriel dink’s further into the couch. “Nooooo.” He quietly says.
Cage moans at the clock and rubs his eyes. “Do you think Kissa drugged the pasta? I really want some. But I’m too tired to eat.”
Silver leaned to the side so she could see Kissa better. "Noooo he didn't. Do tell."
"I think I'm gonna try it." Miki said, getting out a plate. "If I die… tell Robby I'm sad I never met her."
Cage giggles sleepily. “You got it.”
Kissa leans forward. “Okay so, when he was like, nine, him and Ryder went into the woods for a hunting competition. Gabriel is no good at hunting, obviously, so Ryder agreed to make it seem like he had at least caught one thing. However, while Ryder was shooting a rabbit Gabe wandered and got his wing caught in a thorn bush. It tore pretty bad, but the Crowns would’ve been furious if they discovered it, so Ryder stitched it up on sight and they kept it covered.” She ends with a short laugh. “Ryder did such a bad job with those stitches.”
Miki sat down beside him with her plate and slowly wound the noodles around her fork. "Here goes."
Silver eyes widened and she looked between Kissa and Gabe. "Did it scar??"