to serve & respect

Cedric Rossi, son of Morrigan K9 officer at MPPD We all carry of our burdens. (fictional content , nsfw)

[salt-gifs]

[mpcedric]

Fish & chips, assemble!

A solo para, for April's monthly challenge!

It was ironic that, despite being surrounded by the most (unnecessarily) complicated dishes, Cedric's favorite food has always been the very so traditional British fish and chips. It was one of the most basic meals from his home country and yet it brought such an immense sense of comfort. The meal was tied with memories of Cedric and Will defying their parents and requesting the cook to prepare it for them in secrecy and every since it is the demigod's to-go food for whenever he needs to unwind.

The fish was sizzling, the fries now involved in a napkin to soak the excess oil and in a matter of minutes the plate rested on his coffee table, right between Cedric and the big TV. Bella knew the routine as well, once the smell of the food could be felt, the dog knew it was time to lay down on the couch for the next hours.

Fish and chips needed to be accompanied by the best entertainment, otherwise it most certainly did not taste the same. And there was nothing better to watch to relax and forget adulthood concerns than indulge himself in the world of superheroes and fiction. That particular evening, Cedric decided to revisit the two Deadpool movies as the demigod felt the need to fill his mind with nothing but goofiness and more adult-driven humor. "We haven't seen this one together yet Bella!" He joked, pampering the dog's ears by scratching them softly.

Before he'd start to eat, Cedric reached for his phone, snapping a picture of the plate resting on his knees, with the TV's brightness as background. Cedric would send the photo to Angela, captioning it with the wish they could share a moment like that one day.

Have you ever tried fish and chips? Sounds simple, but I bet you'll like it!

[khonshu-mp]

Khonshu wasn't sure what he should prepare himself to witness, and perhaps he should reiderate before starting: Khonshu would now also bare the same knowlege. "You do recall that I will know what goes on here as well?" It wasn't fair if Cedric didn't remember that and then would regret having Khonshu know.

"Of course, that being said...I won't tell a soul what we have done this night." He looked up at the sky before taking a deep breath in. The cool air was refreshing and the moon's light brought a certain kind of comfort that a old friend comes to visit, or perhaps waking next to one's loved one would be more accurate.

He heard the other repeat the dates from before but the full address. It was harder because the distance between them and the actual address was further away than he expected. The God moved the sky backwards, getting faster and faster as the nights reversed. Suddenly the world was blurred only for them to suddenly phase in front of the address. "We have about 2 hours. If needed, we can do multiple sessions...but it will be once in a while." Clearing his throat, indicating that the God was doing his best to control the time from resetting. "We must hurry. We must not get caught."

[mpcedric]

Turn Back Time

"It is a personal matter." Cedric nodded his head, acknowledging what Khonshu had just mentioned. "But it is not a secret anymore. It is not a matter that it would be harmful for you to know." Cedric's voice is calm, reassuring, and devoided of emotion when he speaks those words. "It'll bring nothing to your daily life as a god. Just mere dramas from us puny humans, I guess." Cedric shrugged, his last words now spiked with some sourness towards the reality of his family. Before he knows it, Cedric's hand is fidgeting with his necklace's pendant, which is shaped like a knife with a 'W' engraved.

As Khonshu spoke again, Cedric looked at the god with mellow eyes, followed by a bow. "Thank you, I appreciate it Khon- wait. Should I address you formally in any way? Mr. Khonshu?" The question may have sounded out of place considering the amount of times they have spoken before. But wouldn't hurt to ask. After all, gods' pride can be an absurd thing.

Suddenly, the sky above them was no longer still. The speed at which it moved brought some discomfort to Cedric's eyes but the demigod did not refrain from admiring and witnessing Khonshu's powers taking shape around them. And soon, their surroundings felt eerily familiar as Cedric was now before his family's mansion. "I highly doubt I'll have the need for a second time but- noted." Cedric's skin tensed, his breath turned even quieter than usual and he felt like he was about to engage in combat. However, Khonshu's instructions snatched his focus away for a second. "Not get caught? We can be seen??" Cedric did not expect this, expecting their time-traveling to be most an illusion and keeping them invisible.

But Cedric did not wait for an answer, instead gesturing towards the small group of trees that separated the mansion's facade from the parking area. "I remember father dismissed the security patrol that night, keeping only the one at the gate. Most likely not wanting undesired eyes to witness Will's arrival." Cedric scoffed, cursing under his breath.

"But we're already inside the front garden so no need to worry about that." The mansion was your typical British rich family haven, with a pompous garden shaping around the parking area and the driveway that led to the old, iron gate. "We need to go around. Will did not enter from the main hall, which I always found odd. There will be a gazebo we can use to hide and perhaps listen." To anyone who was not familiar with Cedric's past, the house could feel imposing, given its size.

[hoforwonho]

Wonho - No Text No Call

[khonshu-mp]

Khonshu was pretty relaxed when Cedric arrived. The other, he could tell was a bottle of nerves. The way he spoke gave it away even more. "You can relax, you know?" That probably wasn't reassuring to the demi-god. "We're okay to do it here. We can go further in, if you'd like. I know these woods well."

"The time, date and place. Ideally, would be in the place already, but that seems a bit...risky? and unattainable at the moment." He shrugged before taking his suit jacket off and rolling his sleeves up. Looking up at the sky he started seeing more stars appear. "I remember the stars of every night." He looked back at the demigod before giving a reassuring smile. "Are you ready to know what you've been searching for? Are you sure you want to find this information out? Will it change the outcome of your relationship with him?" He raised his eyebrow, wondering what the other would say.

"This can change a lot of feelings. I just need to know that you're mentally prepared for this."

[mpcedric]

Turn Back Time

The whole scenario would seem rather odd to anyone passing by. Two men meeting up so late in such a secluded part of the island. A rather conspicuous situation that most people would see in a very bad light. "Is it that obvious?" Cedric asked, feeling ashamed for not keeping his restlessness to himself. "So do I. Bella loves spending time here and it's a quite good alternative to the gym." The demigod tried to make small talk, a sheepish attempt to bring any composure to his presence next to Khonshu.

"Twenty-third of November, two thous-" Cedric got ahead of himself, but cut his own words to make sure he wouldn't totally interrupt Khonshu and for a second, Cedric took his eyes to admire tha starry sky above their heads. "Ah…" He sighed at Khonshu's question, taking a hand to rub his neck and looking away for a brief moment. "I believe it will not change a thing between us. But it might affect the way I see my parents and honestly… I have no issue with that."

Cedric's words did not transpire confidence. Not that he was lying, but the demigod had no idea how his heart would take seeing how his parents truly had treated Will. "Ok let's do this. Twenty-third of November, two thousand and six. Lancaster, …" Cedric proceeded to give Khonshu the full address of his parents' mansion and stood still, waiting for anything to happen.

[mpxangela]

Angela was pleased that Cedric thought it would work. She did not necessarily mind getting wet, but she did not think it was best for her to remain outside nor him either. So, she followed his steps toward the alcove. Hopefully, the storm would not last long, and they would not have to deal with whatever might could happen in such a storm. So, she said little as she let him guide her, and carefully, she entered the small alcove, trying to make sure he had space.

As the both attempted to make the tight space worked, she paused watching him. "Yeah. Too bad neither of us can do magic." She mused. Angela knew very well she could transform into a small creature, but she'd be without any means to communicate with him and there was no way she'd be able to transform without some rather awkward conversations afterward.

At Cedric's suggestion, she nearly questioned whether she should just transform, a bright red hue pulling to her cheeks. "Uh." She thought for a second. I was not the first time this happened, but last time, she had enough liquor to help make it not as awkward. Her one glass of wine sure was not enough.

"Yeah. We can do that. Sorry, Cedric." She apologized. Angela's arms lingered on his shoulders a second as she moved into position. She carefully moved so that she was lightly seated upon his lap, sliding slightly so that her back was up against his chest. "Hopefully, the storm does not last too long." She mutters softly. "I know you are not comfortable."

[mpcedric]

Wooded Release

"Well…" Cedric chuckled, pressing his lips together into a smile as he found a way into his next words. "I can turn into a raven, so I have been told." The reveal wasn't that much a twist and Cedric would have no problem delving more into that topic if Angela were interested. "I've done it once as far as I'm aware. But I have no recollection of it, sadly. So it's not necessarily helpful right now." Cedric shrugged but kept his cheerful stance.

Angela's hesitation was noticeable, but above anything else, understandable. The idea of physical closeness wasn't something that bothered him too much, however Cedric would make sense it would happen solely if Angela would be okay with such. "No need to apologize. Don't be silly." Cedric remained mostly immobile, letting Angela adjust as necessary to be as comfortable as possible.

"I have to be honest, it's not too shabby." As she was sitting by the edge of his thigh, it felt Angela could slip off at any second and that was the only thing making him uncomfortable. In addition, Cedric stretched his arm, reaching slightly further than where Angela was. He could feel the rain so it meant part of Angela was still at risk of being under it. "Let me just… Because you're still not entirely safe from the menace of this ungodly water." Cedric spoke with a playful tone and carefully placed his palms on her waist just to make her body press against his chest more. His palm reached outward again, it felt safer now.

For a moment Cedric leaned his head, nearly resting his chin on her shoulder, just so he could check on Bella. The dog wasn't too bothered by the conditions and happily rested next to them. "I hope that basket is sturdy or maybe water-proof? All that food being wasted to the rain is blasphemy." His voice was soft now, perhaps Cedric was too becoming cosier by the second, considering his growing affection towards Angela. "Are you cold? Want my jacket? My body temperature doesn't drop easily, so I'll be okay without it..."

[salt-gifs]

[mpxraven]

❛ OH GREAT, IT’S YOU AGAIN. ❜

&. 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬?) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

"A person asks to see the morgue one time, for research, and suddenly they're 'you again'. Rude." Raven muttered, rolling her eyes. To be fair, maybe Cedric could just sense the resentment for authority radiating off of her. It wasn't exactly subtle, after all. Even if he didn't seem like an overly bad person, a cop is a cop.

"Are you gonna get all uptight and weird if I ask about the island's murder stats? I'm just curious - you know, about how the stats might differ because of the human vs. god and demigod demographics. Considering all the gods have historically been pretty okay with murder, does it happen a lot around here? Could you guys even arrest a god, or do they just get carte blanche?"

[mpcedric]

Raven's murmurs did not pass by unnoticed and Cedrid even followed with an equally unamused roll of eyes. Cedric had no bad blood with Raven, although having a young woman request to visit the morgue and having to accompany her then was rather eerie. "A person shouldn't ask to see the morgue at all." Cedric wasn't a stranger to seeing the human body in more morbid situations, but having an islander specifically request to see people in such a state was something else.

Having that experience be accompanied by Raven's attitude towards authority and now listening to her fresh questions, Cedric scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. But in truth, he was quite amused this time. "If by uptight and weird you mean I'll refuse to answer, then no. I will answer you, but within my limits as an officer." Cedric shifted, gesturing to offer Raven a seat by his desk, while Bella approached the demigoddess out of curiosity but still keeping a comfortable distance. "You wanna hear too Bella?" He chuckled, trying to ease up the conversation.

"I can't say I have been keeping up-to-date with specific statistics. Neither for Mount Phoenix or other major cities. However, from my own experience, the overall criminality levels in the island are lower compared to equally large urban areas in the rest of the world." Cedric sat down, leaning and resting his elbows on his desk, fidgeting with one of his pens. "Although this doesn't mean Mount Phoenix is free from misconduct. Humans can be chaotic on their own and adding superpowers to that… you can imagine the result. However, in a place with deities, a lot of the demigods and demigoddesses avoid risking facing the wrath of a god."

The last two questions make Cedric pause, dwelling in his mind on how to answer them with the most common sense and accuracy. "It is true many gods seemed to be murder enthusiasts or at least murder facilitators… But think of the moral and political consequences if murders of the children of other deities would be allowed. The gods wouldn't want a war against pantheons. As for arresting them, I believe matters like that are to be taken to the council, not us. But I do think we have special cells for deities somewhere…" Cedric leaned away, raising his hands with his palms up, showing he had concluded his explanation. "Any other question, miss? I do have one for you. What is your opinion, as a citizen, about the island's safety levels?

[mpxangela]

Angela had nodded her head. She understood the gravity of his situation and how quickly one's journey could change into something miserable and destructive. It had been her fate. What seemed like a fun outing with a friend and mentor turned into Angela's years of misery. "Life changes so quickly. You could have never expected any of that to happen, and now, you must deal with moving on from it." She states with a frown. Angela knew he had a long road ahead of him. But, she hoped he'd pursue therapy.

Her nose curled up slight at the compliment. Angela had never been good at receiving them, mainly as she did not think she deserved them. So, she chose not to comment on them, hoping to prevent the demigod from coming up with anything else.

When she heard him pause, a question she had doubted he would have thought to ask, her eyes too flickered up to the sky. She had not been imagining it then. Those random drops of water had been from the impending storm. She had looked at the weather earlier that morning, and there had been no rains in the outlook. But, the outlook also did not account for the chance of a storm demigod accidentally activating their powers. Caught by surprise, she did not jump in to help as fast as he did, though she did help grab a few items even if protect by his jacket.

Taking his hand, she nodded her head, and they took off toward the city, having been a good distance out. As she rushed forward, her eyes landed on a alcove not far from them. "Ced." She called to him, halting in her steps. She pointed over to their only possible solution in this area of the woods. "Come one. Let's go in there."

[mpcedric]

Wooded Release

Fastening his pace, Cedric felt the basket wobbling too intensely, threatening to drop some of the lovely food Angela had prepared. But before such tragedy would happen, the demigoddess brought attention to her finding and making Cedric and Bella stop their step as well. He took a couple of seconds to examine their options again, thankfully the alcove had more of a charming feeling to it rather than creepy. "Good catch! Seems like our best option!"

The alcove was imbued in a natural hillock that infused itself with the rest of the forest and ut was obvious such spot in the natural landscape had been mostly man-made. They were in a rush, but considering his conclusion, Cedric approached the shelter cautiously, making sure there was no one inside, before turning to Angela and gently pulling their held hands to guide her to enter first. The entrance had a nearly perfect arch, wide enough for someone to lightly squat to enter and the walls did not leak and were mostly clean of moss, with one of the walls being carved into so one could sit.

The only problem was, from the outside it looked larger and it was perfect for one person, not for two and a large dog. "Ahm, hold on. We can make this work." Before anything else, Cedric removed his jacket which would be used as a shield from the rain if the wind would bring it towards the alcove. He took another second to see how exactly would they make it work and finally Cedric sat down leaning against the back wall as much as possible, with Bella laying on the right although her front paws were sticking out from the alcove slightly. "We don't have much space so... uh I think best option would be if you'd sit...uh, well on me. I mean, on my lap. I mean, just so you can be comfortable."

Considering how further his affection for Angela had grown, asking the other to sit on his lap and being so physically close brought some shyness to Cedric. The idea of having her so close was interesting, but he had her comfort above anything else. The basket although, was resting by the alcove's entrance on the outer side, thankfully being mostly protected by the small bush that trailed the hillock's feet.

[khonshu-mp]

Khonshu had purposely taken a night off, after the busy holiday season. He stayed at home just relaxing and catching up on any TV shows that he missed due to the busy schedule. Just relaxing. He looked towards the living room as he saw his screen light up. Raising his eyebrow he wondered over to the phone before picking it up.

He listened to the other apologise for the disturbance before Cedric got right to the point. "Now?" Khonshu moved to a window, peaking out of the blinds. "Give it a couple more hours...I need the stars." The night was still young, the blue hue hadn't fully darkened quite yet.

"Meet me in the forest..."

Khonshu dressed in his traditional clothing, minus the blue headdress - it was heavy and he wasn't willing to put up with that annoyance. He began heading over to the meeting spot before stopping a eighth of the way there. He returned back into his home before changing into a white suit with gold and blue accents. It was still January after all. He checked his phone as he rounded the corner to finally arrive. "Cedric?"

[mpcedric]

Turn back time

"Couple more hours." Cedric groaned under his breath but distancing the phone from his face. "Okay. The forest in two hours, got it." His voice was calm and polite, despite how annoyed Khonshu's words made him feel. After hanging up, Cedric took a second to look around and tried to decide what to do for the next hours. Returning home seemed too much of a hassle, Bella would be excited to see Cedric back but being left alone shortly after would be inconvenient. So instead, Cedric headed to MPPD and decided to process some paperwork he had left behind during his previous shift. Workaholic? Perhaps. But it was the most effective way to make time pass by faster.

His phone chimes with the alarm Cedric set, taking no time to glance outside and confirm there were enough stars in the sky to make Khonshu willing to help. Cedric was immensely grateful to the god, but his feeling of urgency sparked a small sense of brattiness here and there. He put his jacket back, said goodbye to the officer taking care of the reception and headed towards the forest.

The night was pleasant, not too cold and ther was no sign of wind. The forest had recently become a familiar place for Cedric, considering he'd visit it often with Bella, so the path was done quickly. There was a glade not far from the forest's entrance, the place most visitors would end up when firstly visiting the wilder side of the island. There was no way to miss it, considering a path had naturally formed with the amount of foot traffic. "Good evening. Thank you for meeting me at such short notice." He greeted once he heard Khonshu pronounce his name.

"So, is there anything I need to do? I'm assuming you need the date and the place? Can't remember if I mentioned it before at Sakura." It was evident Cedric was impatient, fidgeting with a leaf he picked up earlier. "Is it safe to do this here?"

[mpxangela]

While she felt that she needed to respond a bit more to this, she knew Siwoo was not the focus of their chat. If he would ask questions later, she would answer them. Siwoo looked up to the other man, and she did not mind fully let in him into the loop so that the child didn't not get unnecessarily hurt.

Her hand gently stroked the Cedric's back. She let him succumb to his emotion. Angela had many people cry on her shoulder, though Cedric was a new one to join those ranks. Regardless, she knew he had been through a lot. This behavior was the best to help him start to recover from his trauma. Angela would never stop him from that. So, she leaned into his hug, resting her chin on his shoulder as he held her.

"Most often, lies happen because we need to protect ourself. It is the fact that you had all the reasons to hurt others, and you chose not to that matters. Making bad decisions, when under the thumb of an organization that wanted your life, does not mean you are a bad guy. But, you have" She explains to Cedric. She herself had been in a somewhat similar situation. She understood the pain that came with his position and even more the consequences of it. As Bella came into the picture, the demigoddess pulled away. A hand lingered on his bicep as the other moved to gently pet the dog's head.

She shook her head. "No need for compliments. I am just happy that you are okay. I think you are going to have a long path ahead of you to heal. It is to be expected with something of this magnitude." Angela had recommended him multiple times at this point to seek out therapy, even though she was a hypocrite who never pursued it despite needing it herself. "I know how hard it can be to get over your past. But, that is all it is at this point."

Suddenly, a drop of rain landed on his cheek. Angela tilted her head, wondering if she had seen the stray drop or it was a remaining tear. Moving her hand from his bicep, she took her thumb to gentle wipe his cheek. "Ced, is it darker to you?"

[mpcedric]

Wooded Release

Her embrace was so warm, a feeling of comfort that Cedric had never felt before. Releasing all his tension and sorrow at that moment felt rather selfish but at the same time, Angela's kindness relieved Cedric of any guilt from expressing himself so openly. "Thank you Angela." There was not much more Cedric could voice out at that time and repeating his appreciation could make it sound rather mundane. "Everything escalated so quickly, one day me and Will were simply doing her job and the next, we're actual children of deities. And our parents… well, adoptive parents… Had their life threatened just because of who we are." Angela seemed to understand how he felt, even seemingly relating to what happened to him, in a way. It made him wonder why that was the case, even the most understanding and kinder person on earth had reasons to be that way.

Cedric absolutely adored to see Bella getting affectionate with Angela. For some reason, it was very meaningful that two presences in his life would get along and of all his friends, Angela was the one he was most keen in having around him and Bella. "I'm just being honest, Miss Remarkable." He chuckled lightly, finding her habit of dismissing his compliments rather comedic at that point. Would Angela simply accept his appreciative words? Who knows.

I know how hard it can be to get over your past. These words made him even more intrigued, to the point he no longer could hold himself but to try have her open up as well, if she'd be comfortable to do so. "Angela, you seem to relate to what happened to m-" Her next words interrupted Cedric, and his attention shifted to look at the sky. The sun was completely gone, being replaced by a dark grey blanket covering the entire scene. Within seconds, rain started pouring, bringing affliction to the two demigods. "Ah man!" He groaned, being quick with his reflexes and taking his jacket to cover Angela before his hand would be busy to gather all the food back to the basket.

"We need to find shelter, it's too dangerous to walk back to the town." Bella remained calm, unaware of the inconvenience and simply enjoy rolling around the grass that rapidly turned into mud. "The glade offers no protection from the rain, the thick forest is too dangerous... Here, we can't stay here..." Cedric held the basket with his forearm, holding onto Bella's leash with a hand and offering the other to Angela."

[shiningwonho]

cutie

[mpcedric]

Turn back time

starter for @khonshu-mp a continuation from a deal they made here.

The Holidays were now over, a new year had started and it was the perfect tempo to mend any loosen heartstrings and exorcise the remaining inner demon inside his head. All of this meaning it was time to bring the deal he had briefly arranged with a certain Egyptian god and even though Cedric had thought to do this before, it was evident Sakura Lounge wasn't giving Khonshu any rest, along with rumours of a major conflict occurring between him and a Greek goddess, Cedric patiently waited for calmer days to come by.

It wasn't that late, but the sun was no longer to be seen. For any observer, he was simply taking a walk by Central Park and even though it was unlikely to see Cedric without Bella such picture didn't bring anyone's extended attention. Central Park was the ideal place to be, in the case Cedric would need to head towards Downton to visit Sakura lounge again, or walk to the Sphinx Apartments. The destination would depend on Khonshu's current location.

But at a closer look, it was evident Cedric was very restless but pensive at the same time. It had been a while since he spoke to Will, even longer since the last time Cedric had seen his sibling. But that night wasn't about seeing Will again, not in present times anyway. Cedric reached for his pocket, retrieving the device and quickly calling Khonshu. It rang a couple of time and Cedric started to think Khonshu would not pick up. Yet the sound of the other side accepting the call could be heard. "Hey. Sorry to bother at this time but, are you free for the next hour? What we spoke before... Could it be now? I'll pay you if necessary."

[mpxangela]

Angela was rather pleased at his comment. "Exactly." Truly, a lot of her strength came from her time as an animal, slight increases in her stamina and strength from the work she did as them. However, her work at The Flower Mill did a lot too, especially from all the coffee beans and flower pots she carried. "But, we can help you work through that. You need to give yourself time to work through your problems. One step at a time, and I am sure you will get to where you want to be." She spoke gingerly, a genuine piece of advice. It was what got her to where she was now.

Cedrics sudden cough grabbed her attention. Her brow raised at his comment. She could have swore she had told him, though she may not have either. Angela was careful about revealing that information to strangers for fear someone might try to take him from her or for him to accidentally realize himself. "I'm sorry, Cedric. I should have told you. I rescued Siwoo from a bad person, and when I tried to reunite him with his mother, it was clear that she would sell him again. So, I took him under my wing. I had always wanted to be a mother anyway." She reached for another sip of her wine. It had been so many years at this point, but even still, the thought of Louis brought a chill to her spin.

Angela welcomed him closer. Her focus on his words. She had granted him this space to disclose what he wanted to her, and she was there to listen. Angela was not necessarily the most shock at his revelation. She immediately remember a comment he made on one of their dinners together about his service. Watching him, she could not feel mad at him. Angela understood how it felt to do something against her will, to be tortured if not performing well. Resting her hand gingerly on Bella's head, Angela leaned forward, pulling Cedric into a single arm hug.

"That makes some of what you have told me over knowing other make sense. I am sure you felt like you had no choice, but you are finally free from that." She spoke soothingly. Her hand resting on his back, gently rubbing over his shirt. "You have not done any harm to the island, and it feels like you took the brunt of the pain. I am sorry you had to endure that, Cedric."

[mpcedric]

Wooded Release

"No need to apologize, it is a very delicate and personal matter." Cedric took no offense in not being told about how Siwoo came to be Angela's adoptive son. But with the brief explanation the demigoddess provided, it was evident the whole ordeal was rooted in a lot of affliction and possibly sorrow. These were mere assumptions originating given Angela's choice of words. A bad person, sell him again. Those echoed in his mind and Cedric had so many questions in that moment, but he would refrain from asking them for now. It was a very serious topic and he wanted to be sure to extend it properly. Even if it meant to wait for a more appropriate time.

With the subject at hand changing to his revelation, Cedric felt a rush of anxiety and concern within himself. With his mind still recovering from all that happened, it was rather easy to expect the worst-case scenario given he had just admitted to be a spy whose purpose was to expose the place she called home and even Angela herself. But feeling Angela's embrace was effective to make all that affliction to dissipate and Cedric took a couple of seconds to understand what had happened in those seconds. Ultimately he held Angela close into a very tight hug, feeling all the weight on his shoulders being gone and he started to cry silently. Out of relief, not out of sadness.

"I-I'm still sorry. I have been deceitful to people who did not deserve it, mainly you Angela. You've given me nothing but happiness and I was lying to you." Cedric still holds her, but leans his face away just enough so he can clean the tears away and avoid having her clothes being stained from them. "I wanted to tell you so many times. But I was scared at the time. And for what happened… I took it all as punishment for ever accepting lying to people dear to me." Cedric leans away, feeling Bella scooting between them, curious with the whole scene in front of her. "It's okay Bella. I'm just being a crying baby." Cedric can't help but to chuckle, seeing Bella trying to wiggle her head to stand between Angela and Cedric. "I will never be able to thank you enough for being so understanding Angela. You're truly remarkable."

As they exchange that delicate moment, the sun had been covered with heavily-grey clouds, but that detail passed by unnoticed for now. But for anyone paying attention, it was evident rain was about to fall upon the forest.

[emptyxj-blog]

[mpxangela]

Angela nodded her head, grabbing her glass of wine back. She felt a bit uncomfortable with this meeting between them for some reason. Alone with Cedric, it had never bothered her before, especially with such yummy food and sights before him. Taking a sip of her drink, she hoped the sip would calm her faster heart rate and the unease that sat in her stomach. "I'm not super powerful. Do not be afraid. I've just lifted enough coffee bean bags that I have little doubts of my strength now." While it may came out in a bit of a brag, she had done so more as an explanation, not a source of pride.

Looking back over to Cedric, his mention of insecurities raised a brow. Insecure was never a word that she would associate with him, but it was clear as their conversation went on that there was much to him that she did not know. But, it was the same regarding her for him. Affectionately, the demigoddess reached over to cup one of his cheeks in her hand. "Well, other than your boss, you shouldn't have anyone's expectation to meet but your owns. Be a little more kind to yourself, Cedric." For a second, her thumb grazed over his skin before she returned her hand, not sure if he wanted her touch. "As long as you are safe, that is what matters."

Taking a moment to poke at some more of the food, she was not quite sure what she wanted next. Finally, she grabbed a piece of fruit, eating it before she responded. "I know. It's moments like these that I can never understand how his biological mother could have given him up so easily. Siwoo is a blessing, and his future classmates will be honored to know him." Angela offered him a smile before chuckling. "I know we will both be fine. I just wish time would slow down a bit more."

At his motion, she reached down for her glass, clinking it with him before taking another sip. Nodding her head in agreement, she smiled. Though, the change of pace grabbed her attention. Placing her glass back down, she let both of her hands grab his free one. She had known this was the true reason behind the picnic, but she knew she needed to brace herself. "I gathered that when I saw you on the hospital bed, Cedric. But, I can understand why you might hide something." Tightening her grip on his, delicately, she pulled his hand into her lap. "Let everything off of your chest. I will not judge you."

[mpcedric]

Wooded Release

"I mean, if that's the case it wouldn't be wrong to assume you are strong. Working at coffee shops and other food-oriented establishments can be a good source of physical effort. After all those coffee beans and supplies won't lift or carry themselves." His tone is playful, raising his eyebrows and tilting his head while taking another sip of his glass. Either due to the touch of her hand on him or the effect of the wine, Cedric felt his face turning warm and most likely visibly flushed. It was inevitable for him to lean his face against her touch, showing his appreciation for the gesture. "I'm afraid my expectations have grown deep not out of my doing, but my family's. Even if I'm no longer in touch with them. Or well, most of them." For a second his sibling's image came to mind and Cedric wondered how they were doing lately. A concern for another time as Cedric trusted their perseverance.

Cedric was equally undecided which piece of food to reach next, but ultimately decided to have something savory this time by taking some of the crumbed shrimp. Listening to Angela's casual but unexpected words made him slightly choke on the food, neededing only to couch two times to properly swallow but the impact of Angela's revelation was easily noticeable. "Sorry but I wasn't aware Siwoo was adopted. Of course there's nothing wrong with that, but I just did not see that coming." Cedric felt the need to take another sip, easing up his irritated throat from what just happened. "I don't know that person's reasoning to leave Siwoo but, whatever it may be, I am very grateful he has you in his life." It could be a sensitive topic so Cedric didn't mean to dwell on it, but would gladly talk about it again if Angela felt like it.

For a couple of seconds, Cedric remained silent and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. His chest started to sink, concern starting to flood his mind regarding the possibility Angela could feel so deeply hurt with Cedric's unwilling deceit. "Me and William used to work for a very specific secret service. After a dangerous situation, our powers got revealed to the wrong people within the agency to their and our surprise. We weren't aware of who we were." His voice is calm for now and Cedric leans to stay closer to Angela. Bella was now laying next to them as well, trying to claim some space on Angela's lap with her snoot. "Apparently someone there was already suspicious of Gods existing. And it all ended with me and William being threatened to have our parents killed, if we didn't cooperate to investigate deities and their children…" By now Cedric had been avoiding Angela's gaze, but after taking a deep breath, his eyes meet hers. "We came to Mount Phoenix with the purpose to investigate the people here and share anything we'd find to the MI6. But, we never reported anything significant, shortly after I moved here... I felt it wasn't right, I couldn't do it. But I couldn't leave my parents to their fate so for months I pretended I was investigating but all I'd report was the most mundane aspect of the island."

He paused, only to try understand what could be in her mind as he spoke. "Last summer I wanted to solve things, wanted to confront and hopefully find some freedom out of it. But freedom was the last thing I got. I am sorry I kept this away from you and please know, I've never exposed anyone. I've never gave them what they wanted."

[saengdaomp-deactivated20240506]

"Mmhm! I can understand that!" Dao agreed, nodding at the concluding sentiment before grinning a bit more at the other's 'cool' remark. He even laughed as the other pardoned himself, shaking his head slightly with a bright smile. "It is cool though." He stated back, attention shifting back to the dog when the officer stated she deserved some pets.

He waited again, knowing he needed to work with the officer's cues given Bella was a working dog and thus needed to stay on task until released with a command. He slowly moved to hold his hand out for the dog, letting her do the sniff over and then giving her a gentle pet once it seemed like she acknowledged that he was okay and a friend.

"Nope, that's the driver's job. I mainly fix and maintain them! It's important they're kept in working order though. You don't want something going wrong or weird when it's necessary to get to any emergencies and stuff like that." He listened as the other explained considering firefighting once, nodding in understanding as he spoke of the police being more his thing.

"That makes sense! You just gotta go for what you like and think suites you. But aww, hey at least you have this cute girl to go through it with!"

[mpcedric]

Paw Patrol !

As they continued the friendly exchange, Cedric started to notice how much he had missed something as simple as knowing someone new. The last months had been focused mostly on adapting to his new career and recuperating from the trauma, to the point he had forgotten how it felt to approach people with no intention but to have a pleasant conversation. And Saengdao seemed to be a laidback person and interesting to talk to. "Ah it must be such a rush to drive that enormous truck. Maybe one day I could ride along, just to experience the adrenaline." It was a rather childish perspective towards the emergency vehicle, but everyone had their moments of child-like cheerfulness.

"You are right though. In positions like ours, attention to detail and maintaining every tool, even if as big as a truck is essential." Cedric crossed his arms, but kept a relaxed stance, simply getting into the topic at hand. "You'd be surprised how many officers look the other way when it comes to properly clean their guns for example. Shameful!"

The other's kind words towards Cedric's career choice and about Bella made the demigod smile widely. "Life just has its way to push you into unexpected paths. Bella spent months without a partner, she wouldn't accept anyone until I came back to Mount Phoenix. I feel honoured she accepted me, despite my very poor physical condition at the time." Cedric moved a hand, scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't seem to sound grim, oops. But hey I'm curious, why engineering though? Have you worked in other places as an engineer? Or straight to MPFD after college?"