forum Monsters? These are my children -Ben (o/o with lisapickle)

Started November 05, 2019 by @chickenfrogman group

tune

Miki raised her eyebrows, genuinely surprised. That's what he accuses me of? Slowly she nodded, eyes wide with confusion. "Yeah. I am. We know this."

He glares.
“I would expect something so childish and stupid from Cage and Sil, but you? You know better. You’re an adult. I know you can think more than this. What were you thinking? That guy isn’t safe!”

Miki blinked. "Yes. To all of those things. Except for the last. Why do you think he's unsafe?" she lifted her hand to ward off his explosion. "I'm just asking, Ben. I don't mean to be disrespectful. I honestly would like to know why you think he's unsafe."

He takes in a breath, almost angry she didn’t snap back. “We don’t know him well. Airrow had been trusted before as well, he was on the Board. Dio could be the same. Especially with his ties to Etienne and his involvement in the experiments. He helped with all of this for all I know. Despite the obvious fact that he was cool and fine with going behind mine and Violet’s backs to meet with you guys. Is that not suspicious? And he brought that looming dark thing!”

Miki stared at him, then pulled one hand out of her pocket and rubbed her lip. Damn, if you thought all of that why did you invite him to the freaking house? "I'm sorry for going behind your back and hatching a plan with Cage and threatening Silver into being quiet. As for 'what was I thinking', I was thinking that if you had invited him here once already, he was pretty okay. He knows where we live, Ben. Inviting him back couldn't do any more harm. If he was gonna come back for us, he could do that without an invitation. Also…" she glanced around the room, habitually looking for an invisible Gabriel. "We have a dark looming thing too. Just saying."

“I didnt invite him over! And it’s not my fault he knows they’re here! I was stiLL FIGURING OUT WHAT THE HELL MY NEXT MOVE WAS.” He takes a deep breath and pauses, actually feeling a little better after having yelled.
Violet blinks.
Thanks. Throwing me under the bus.
He runs a hand through his hair. “You all aren’t making this any easier. I’m trying to keep us… alive.”

Miki blinked, glancing between Ben and Violet. Realization dawned and she stared at Violet. "Wait… Ben didn't… Violet, YOU invited him??" She let out a huffing laugh. No wonder Ben's been freaking out over this whole thing. He lost control of it. She shook her head, then looked up at Ben. "I know. And you're doing a really good job, Ben. Honestly. It's been two years and a move half way around the world and tons of other crap and we're all still alive and safe and well. I'm sorry we're so awful and make it harder for you, but you need to give yourself a break. You've done really well through all of this." And that's why you're starting to crack now.

“That’s not… that’s not going to happen and you know it. If I give myself a break you’ll all get caught. I turn my back for a few minutes and things go wrong. I can’t.”
He runs a hand through his hair again, and violet sighs, heading upstairs.
“Miki, you know something bad would happen.” He mumbles.

Miki swallowed, putting her hand back in her pocket, and rubbing the floor with her foot. "So what happens when you break? Not, take a break, but just break?" she looked up, her eyes on fire for the first time since she came in. "You're only human, Ben. I don't care what they did do you or what you can do now, you are still. human. And if you don't chill out every once in a while you're going to burn out and then we won't have you at all. What happens if something happens to you? Because you're too freaking stubborn and care so freaking much you can't take care of yourself for five minutes, one day you're going to just break. And I'd bet a lot of money it's gonna be soon, cuz you've been getting worse almost every day over the last several weeks. You're too hard on yourself, you're too hard on the kids. You worry too much and I know. I get it. I know you have a lot on your shoulders and it's stressful but stressing yourself out doesn't make it better. Stressing more doesn't make us safer. It's just gonna wear you down until there's no Ben left and then what will we do?" her voice slowly rose until she was almost shouting.

“What do you expect me to do?! I take a break and you all get killed??!” He shouts. “I’m NOT being stupid, Miki! What other option do I have??” He takes a shaky, hot breath. “Besides, I won’t burn out. I-I can’t.” His words are hard, not weak or quiet but loud and solid.

Miki took a step toward her, her hands fisted. "You let us in, Ben. You're not alone. You let us help. You stop shutting us out and trying to 'protect us' by keeping us in the dark. I'm an adult; you just said so yourself. Cage and Silver are nineteen. Did it ever occur to you that Silver acts out and does stupid things because you stressing and never telling us anything freaks her out? None of us ever know what's going on. We can't help, because you push us away. You forget that we've all gone through crap too. We're not kids, even though you and Violet seem to think so. You are not. alone. Ben. So stop acting like you are."

“I’ve been very honest with you all! I haven’t kept much from you and the things I have are things I’m still unsure about! And Silver seems to have freak outs right after she’s told things, no matter how gently.” He huffs and sits on one of the stools by the island counter. “I… don’t really know what you expect me to do beyond that. You guys can’t help. You don’t know how and it’s too dangerous for them to be involved. The moment he knows we’re all here is the moment he pounces.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Just- stop encouraging them to act out. Encourage them to speak openly to Vi and I. Acting out rashly and stupidly doesn’t help at all. And you’re a big part of the problem right now.” His words weren’t kind, but as he spoke they sounded softer, no matter how mean they were. “I don’t need you causing and encouraging issues. They like you, Miki. Sil and Cage both, and they’ll do basically anything you ask them to or copy your actions. But you’re still reckless and stupid. It needs to stop before one of them ends up doing something as idiotic as sneaking out of the house and getting caught.” His speech drags on, almost slurred by his accent, as if he’s irritated, tired or bored and he glares at her.

Miki pressed her lips together, inhaling deeply. A dozen comebacks flashed through her mind, but finally she just shook her head and threw up her hands. "Fine. Whatever." she spun, stalking toward the stairs. "Take care of my sister or so help me I will come back and kill you with my bare hands." she jogged up the stairs and crept into hers' and Silver's bedroom, quietly but quickly snatching up her backpack and stuffing a few clothes and necessities into it.

Ben turns around to watch her, glaring.
“What?”
Is she leaving?
IS SHE REALLY LEAVING?!?!
“You think I don’t already take care of her? You’re the one getting her into trouble!”

Miki heard him yell after her, but finished packing before returning downstairs. "I stayed so that if anything happened I could take her away and hide her." she snapped, not even looking at him as she passed. "I just…" she shook her head. Taking care of her doesn't mean just 'keep her from getting caught'.
That goes for Cage too, for that matter.
She sighed and headed for the door. "I'll be back. Eventually. I'll text you. Or Violet. Or something. Bye."

He watches her leave, glaring from the stool without protesting. Letting her leave felt nice anyways, just watching her walk out.
He runs a hand through his hair.
“Silver is gonna hate me tomorrow.” He mumbles under his breath.
(Wanna time skip?)

(we'll skip and i'll have Miki text Dio in the morning)

Silver rolled over, rubbing her eyes and stretching her wings as she glanced around the room. She had slept like the dead after their eventful night.

Miki strolled down the street in a populated touristy area, already busy at 9 in the morning. Her limbs were sore from having slept on a bench. It annoyed her so realize the last two years of living in Ben's wealth had made her soft to the way of life she grew up knowing. After snagging a muffin from a cafe, she pulled out her phone and texted Dio's number, "Hey, so, just kidding about not contacting for you a while cuz I'm kind of homeless now."

“Are you angry with her for leaving?”
Ben shakes his head, “if anything I was a little… relieved.” He guilty looks up from his breakfast with the last word and Violet sighs.
“Benjamin…”
he sits back with a huff. “Vi, you know we don’t get along. And she’s been causing a lot of trouble lately! Of course I wasn’t disappointed.”
She turns her back to him to finish making her breakfast. “Stop excusing yourself. The only reason you have for disliking her is she doesn’t submit to you or your rules.”
His face goes pale and he stares down at his food, quiet and angry.
What??
“She doesn’t have to listen to you, Ben. The kids are your responsibility and should obey for their own safety, but she doesn’t have to. Miki is normal. The reason you don’t get along is because she-“
“Where’s Miki?”
The voice is small and quiet, coming from Cage who still looks half asleep at the top of the stairs.
Violet looks up to him then glares back to Ben who still stares angrily at his plate, his pride having just been attacked.

Silver sat up, frowning around the room.
Something was wrong.
She hadn't felt Miki come to bed, but that wasn't unusual. Sometimes Miki slept downstairs on the couch or fell asleep on the floor beside their bed.
Silver shook herself, ruffling her feathers and letting them lay back into place, and slid out of bed, dragging herself out into the hallway just in time to hear Cage's question. She paused next to him. "Is she missing?"

–

Dio frowned at the message on his phone as he stood on his step stool in the middle of the kitchen, spatula in hand as a pancake browned on the stove. Slowly he texted back, "Why are you homeless? Did something happen?"

Violet gives Ben one more glare before taking her breakfast and heading into the dining room, wanting nothing to do with the conversation.
He stares at his plate and swallows. “I don’t know where she is, text her and find out.” His voice is low and his words sound close to venomous even though they’re not particularly mean.
Tears well up in Cage’s eyes and he turns around, heading back to his room.

Silver's eyes widened and she backed away, ducking into Cage's room. "What's going on?" she whispered, scared. "Did I miss something?"

Miki texted back, "Ben and I fought and I left. So, yeah, homeless."

–

Dio sighed and pocketed his phone, finishing the pancakes as quickly as possible. "Breakfast is ready!" he yelled as he trotted through the living room. "I'm going out for a while–"
Lackey stood at the top of the stairs, blocking his way. Why.
Dio rubbed his face, as if to scrub the worry away. "I have to go find Miki. Something happened."

Ryder is asleep on the couch and barely opens his eyes to squint at Dio and groan after his statement. “Whatever. I’m going back to sleep.” He turns over, cuddling the couch pillow.

-

Cage plops down on his bed, hugging his pillow close to his chest. “Did Miki leave me?”
Ben and Vi are fighting… kiss and Gabe are fighting…. and now Miki is gone?

Dio rang for his driver and left both Kavi to fend for themselves. As his carriage left the drive, he texted Miki again, "Where are you?"

–

Silver blinked at nothing, trying to think of a reason why Miki wouldn't be gone, but after last night… she sat down on the edge of Cage's bed and pulled out her phone, texting Miki as instructed. "Where are you?"

–

Miki paused in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at the two identical texts from two very different people. She replied to Dio first, since that was easier. "Downtown. By the courthouse. Why?"
To Silver she slowly typed, "Ben and I fought so I'm taking a break from…"
Then she backspaced and retyped, "Ben and I needed to take a break from each other–"
Again she backspaced, this time punctuated by a groan and dropped down onto a bench. Finally she typed, "I left so Ben and I wouldn't kill each other." and sent it before she could think better of it.

–

Silver swallowed when her phone pinged and opened the text. After a glance she silently turned the screen so Cage could read it.

Cage looks at the phone, deeply hurt.
“… they weren’t even that loud though. Why didn’t she just go to bed?”

Silver rubbed her face, staring at the screen. "I don't… did he get her in trouble for the Dio thing?" she looked up at him, eyes full of confusion and worry. "Did he kick her out?"

–

Miki chilled on the bench, holding her phone in case it buzzed, but staring across the street at nothing, trying not to worry about Silver and Cage. Maybe she should have texted them and explained. Or said goodbye. But she hadn't wanted to wake them up in the middle of the night. Then they would have tried to make her stay and everyone would have gotten upset.
She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"Miki?"
Dio's voice made her jump and she almost fell off the bench. He stood a few feet away, bundled up as usual, hands plunged into his pockets. But he eyed her with concern, worry creasing his brow. She gave him a weird look.
"What are you doing here?"

“I mean, it is his house… but… he wouldn’t? I don’t- that’s not Ben. He wouldn’t do that.” Cage quietly protests.
Would he?

Silver hovered her thumb over the keyboard, but didn't know what to say to Miki. "Did Ben kick you out?" she finally typed slowly, but showed it to Cage without sending it. "How do I even ask?" she whispered.

–

Dio scanned the street before looking back to her. "What happened? Did Benjamin kick you out?"
Miki rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Goodness, no. But I'm sure he's thanking the stars I left. I left so we wouldn't kill each other, cuz we were getting pretty darn close." She squinted at him again. "Why are you here?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "I wanted to make sure you were alright. And you said you were homeless so…"
Miki blinked at him. "I've been homeless before. I grew up on the streets."
His face went white, as if the very idea horrified him. "You can stay with me. I have plenty of room."

Cage turns away, still holding in tears. “Be straight out. I- I don’t think he would though.” His voice squeaks at the end and a tear slips down his round cheek.

Silver sniffed, trying to hold back her own tears, prompted by seeing Cage's. She wiped her nose and hit 'send'.

–

Miki raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm okay, Dio. I know how to take care of myself."
He nodded, staring at his feet. "I feel responsible for… all of this. I didn't put a stop to you kids when you invited me over. I shouldn't have–"
Miki rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, we're all to blame in some way or another. Join the club. But I chose to leave; he didn't–" her phone buzzed and she looked down to see Silver's text. "Oh my wooooord, why am I having this conversation twice at the same time."
She glanced up in time to see the strange look Dio gave her and waved her phone in the air. "Silver is texting me the exact same questions you're asking." Quickly she texted back, "No, he didn't kick me out. I left cuz we need to take a break from each other. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I didn't want to wake you up and get you involved in everything. I'm alright. I'll probably be back in a few days."

Cage hugs his pillow and stares teary eyed at the floor.
Did he kick her out?
How would I… feel about that?

-

Ryder groans, rolling over and sitting up, blinking hard a few times. He glances at the clock.
9am
He huffs and stands, pulling his hair back into a pony tail.
“It’s so earlyyyyyyy.”