UH OH

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

“I know Pip….” His voice got quiet. Rafi was a tough guy but Pip was probably the only one who saw him at his most vulnerable state, when he was breaking over what she had to go through. Propping her up on his knee he smoothed her curls back and gave her a weak smile. “Listen to me, life sucks, life is unfair, and people are bad. Your mom was good, and your mom loved you, and she didn’t deserve to have her life taken from her like that.” He started. “But those people will burn in hell for the rest of their lives Pip, they can never hurt you or anyone else again.” He kissed her wet cheeks. “Now all you can do is love your mom from down here while she watches you from up there.” He pointed towards the ceiling. “That’s all that matters, is that you love her, and she loves you, and they can never hurt either of you ever ever again.”

Pip leaned against him, her sobs turning softer. With a shaky breath in, she hugged him tightly. “I know. Do you- do you think she’s proud of me?” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to remember Mama. Mama’s short hair that looked so much like Pip’s. Her freckles. Her eyes that were gold in the sun. Her laugh. The way that even though her arms were bony, Pip still felt safe in her arms. Pip scowled, standing up and pushing the thoughts away.

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

“That’s right Pip….that’s right.” He nodded along as she described the noises around the house that she could hear. Rafi let out a sigh of relief as she started to grasp back onto reality and her shaking started to decrease. “It’s okay baby, I know you do. That’s okay - That’s okay to miss her.” He whispered. Rafi moved her wild curls out of her face so she could breathe better, his free hand wiping the new tears that were streaming down her face. “It’s okay to miss her.” He repeated.

Pip couldn’t let go of him. Not yet. She wasn’t brave enough yet. With a shaky sob, she reluctantly peeked out of his shoulder.  “They hurt her, Dad. They hurt her, and they killed her. Why did they have to do it? She didn’t do anything to them. It wasn’t fair.” Her voice broke, but she didn’t retreat back against him. She was going to be strong.

[pipoikos]

madiisonisms:

sighing, madison stopped and looked down at the younger girl. “you really want me to stop?”

She nodded. “I don’t want Dad to get mad. I don’t want to disappoint him.”

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

Rafi held her gently, his hand rubbing circles into her back in a steady rhythmic motion to help soothe her. “Good girl.” He whispered as she started to name the things around her, he knew it was hard but it always worked. Continuing to encourage her and comfort her he gave her a small smile. “Keep going, tell me what you hear - tell me the background noises you hear.”He said as he gently wiped her face.

“D-Dash is playing music upstairs..” She mumbled against his shoulder. “Maddie is talking to someone. Someone’s making dinner in the kitchen..” She clung to him, her shaking starting to lessen. “I’m sorry, Dad..” She said softly, starting in on a fresh round of tears. “I miss her..”

[pipoikos]

i’ve gotta go eat dinner, but i’ll be back in a little bit!

[daxiism-blog]

pipoikos:

“Maddie, this is a really, really bad idea.”

“you trust me, don’t you? i wouldn’t do anything that’s dangerous.”

[pipoikos]

Pip scowled up at her, biting her nails nervously. “Dad is going to be really mad. We should stop.”

[daxiism-blog]

“common, give me a boost, will ya’? i can almost reach it.”

[pipoikos]

“Maddie, this is a really, really bad idea.”

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

It broke Rafi’s heart to see his little Pip in such a  state of distress. “Pip - Pip remember what I taught you?” He said in the most soothing voice he could. “Look round you, find three things in the room, and describe them out loud.” He said, instructing her on a technique known as grounding. It helped PTSD victims remember that they weren’t back in the traumatic event that was causing an episode. “Just breathe, you’re right here with me Pip - it’s going to be okay.” He spoke calmly as he stroked her back comfortingly. He couldn’t freak out or else it’d make the situation worse, and by now he was accustomed to her episode’s and knew how to handle them pretty well.

She buried her head in his chest, her small frame racked with sobs. She was shaking, and she could barely hear what he was saying. “Mama!” She cried out, her shoulders jerking up and down as she wept. “Make her wake up!” As she listened to his words, she took a fistful of his shirt, and managed a long, shaky breath. “My shirt is blue. It-has f-flowers on it. The new girl’s pajamas are on top of the cupboard. Th-they’re pink, and lacy. There’s a book on the t-table. It has a woman smoking a c-c-cigar on the front.” She was still crying, but softer now.

[pipoikos]

She buried her head in his chest, her small frame racked with sobs. She was shaking, and she could barely hear what he was saying. “Mama!” She cried out, her shoulders jerking up and down as she wept. “Make her wake up!”

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

Rafi could tell something was wrong with Pip when she started to tremble. “Babygirl what’s the matter?” He frowned as she started to cry - Pip was pretty tough, so he knew it was serious anytime she started to cry. Rafi put the ice down and gently held her in his arms, careful not to put pressure on any of her bruises. “Don’t cry little mouse, I love you.”

Pip felt like she couldn’t breathe. She clung to Rafi, shaking like a leaf, and started to sob. “They’re- don’t let them hurt her!” She mumbled, unable to stop remembering. “They’re hurting her, and she won’t wake up! Make her wake up!”

[pipoikos]

quick question- would anyone be into playing twins with me?

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

“Good girl.” He mumbled and looked back over her arms for the hundredth time. “I do know that, I know that I promised myself no one would ever hurt you like that again under my protection, and I meant it.” He raised a brow as he wrapped up an ice pack for her. “You need to ice them kiddo, it’ll take the pain and swelling down okay babe?”

Memories of before Rafi had found her began to fill her brain, and Pip couldn’t help it when she started trembling all over. She wasn’t a baby, but she could feel herself starting to cry because she couldn’t stop the remembering. 

[pipoikos]

madiisonisms:

“Are you serious? I’m surprised he didn’t get asked to leave or something. Although, maybe you should ask him about homeschool or something.”

Pip laughed. “I can’t really see Dad homeschooling me.”

[daxiism-blog]

“Now that’s just stupid.” Madison shook her head, running a hand through her hair before giving the smaller girl a shrug. “I think you’re tough enough to handle whatever. But they shouldn’t be hitting you and saying it’s all apart of the game ‘cause it’s clearly not.”

[pipoikos]

“Andrew’s mom told Dad they’re only doing it because they like me. That made him really mad.”

[pipoikos]

rafioikos:

Rafi tried to remember not to swear around Pip, but when people messed with her it made his blood boil. “I’m sorry sweetheart, don’t repeat those words.” He sighed running his eyes back over the bruises. “It’s not okay Pip - no one is allowed to put their hands on you. How bad do they hurt?”

“I won’t. I hate swears.” Pip sighed. She shrugged. “Pretty bad. I’ve gotten worse bruises before. You know that.”

[daxiism-blog]

“You got them after they got you? Atta girl, so now you can’t get in trouble. I know you don’t like swearing but fuck those boys. They didn’t let you play ‘cause you’re a girl and that’s not right. Did you tell a teacher or anyone what they say? I can cover it up for you tomorrow, if you want.”

[pipoikos]

“Yeah.” Pip smiled proudly. But her smile faltered and shifted into a frown. “I told Mr. Mackey, but he just said that rough-housing is a part of soccer, and maybe I shouldn’t play if I can’t handle it.”

[daxiism-blog]

Madison wanted to chuckle, but kept quiet as Pip recounted what was said. “Somehow, I’m not surprised. Sounds like him.” She leans back before letting out a sigh. “What happened, exactly? I’m surprised the school hasn’t gotten involved.”

[pipoikos]

Pip only shrugged reluctantly. “It was just Evan, and Jacob, and the rest of those boys. I wanted to play soccer on the field with them at lunch. And Noah said I couldn’t play. So I got mad, and told him he was being sexist, and then Cole punched me in the face, and Andrew pushed me down. I kicked him in his downstairs area, though. After he pushed me.”