Inspo: @sunshinebingo Go see her Gwynriel version. This is for @nestaarcheronweek
6:30am
Nesta and Cassian were early risers. They been that way since they had their five daughters. Cassandra, Silvia, Nora, Angelia, and Matilda. Cassandra, Silvia, and Nora were triplets while their younger sisters were twins. Having to wake up this early meant either one of the two things. One, one of the twins (or both) were crying. Or two, it was time for the triplets to go to school.
Nesta heard her husband’s alarm clock go off from his side of the bed and felt him move his arm to turn it off. “Please tell me it’s daylight savings and we get to sleep for 2 more hours.” Nesta heard Cassian groan as he rolled over on his back and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Nesta gave him a sleepy-like giggle. “If only that were the case. What day is it today?” she asked as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and turned it on, averting her eyes from the light. “It’s...Thursday. The girls have PE today.”
“I’ll get started on the wash.” Cassian said as Nesta agreed to wake up the girls. Nesta rose from her bed along with Cassian and made her way to their daughters’ bed room. Once inside, she noticed that their room looked exactly the same as last night. Dirty. While a ton of toys on the floor and two dirty blankets that definitely belonged to Nora. Nesta went over to her eldest daughter Cassandra and lightly shook her. “Mmm, Mommy?” she said, the word ‘mommy’ always sent a soundwave of love into Nesta’s heart. “Morning sweetheart. It’s time to get ready for school.”
“But I don’t wanna. It’s too early.” Cassandra whined as Nesta laughed. “But you have PE-”
“PE!? DODGEBALL!” Cassandra screamed, fully awake as she jumped out of her bed and proceeded to wake her sister. Nesta couldn’t help but laugh at the serious 180 her daughter pulled.
6:45am
“Daddy! You promised.” Cassandra said while holding onto her black pegasus that she got for Christmas. Cassian rolled his eyes as he finished putting on his shirt. “I didn’t promise anything. You’re too young to date.”
“But I want a boyfriend.” Cassandra whined as her father sighed. Cassian walked out of his room to check on the twins, Cassandra following close behind. “Please!”
“No!”
“But Daddy!” Cassandra whined again when Cassian entered the room and noticed that his wife was already dressing up Matilda. Matilda was the only one in the family besides Nesta who didn’t have wings. Not that any of her big sisters minded. They even hoped that their other sisters won’t have wings like Matilda. Like that would ever happen...
Nesta smirked at Cassian. “Cassie, is Daddy telling you you can’t have a boyfriend?” Cassandra nodded at her mother. “Daddy thinks I’m too younger. But I’m already five.”
“Cassie’s getting a boyfriend?” Everyone looked to see Nora and Silvia popping up in front of the door way. “I wanna boyfriend.”
“Me too.”
“Me three.” A noise coming from their now awake daughter Angelia filled in with agreement, though Nesta doubt she understood the argument. Cassian looked down at his daughters as they continued to pester their father, eager to get what they want. “Um, honey?” Nesta giggled. “Alright girls, settles down. Or else you won’t get to play dodgeball at school today.” That seemed to get the girls attention as they all raced to their room to finish getting dressed.
Cassian sighed in relief. “What will I do without you?” he said as he gave Nesta a kiss on her lips. “Probably give into the cuteness of our daughters and give them a boyfriend.” Nesta answered as Cassian shuddered at the memory.
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7:15am
“Kids! Breakfast!” Cassian called from the kitchen as Nesta came down with her two twins and placed them in their high chairs. Followed behind her, Cassandra and her triplet sisters raced downstairs each fully clothes and ready for school. “Chocolate pancakes, chocolate pancakes!” They all chanted as Cassian smiled and rolled his eyes, giving each of his daughters a chocolate chip pancake. “Can Angelia and Matilda have one too?” Silvia asked as her father looked at their mother.
Angelia and Matilda started teething a couple of days ago. Making it harder for Nesta to breastfeed them. Maybe it was time for them to try solid food. Nesta nodded as Cassian smiled. “Of course they can.” he said making a small chocolate chip pancake for the twins. The twins eyes the pancake in confusion, but once Angelia had hers in her mouth, she chirped happily. Matilda did the same after eating hers.
The triplets cheered for their sisters as they continued to eat their breakfast.
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7:30am
Cassian and Nesta had just finished packing their twins bags for daycare when they heard crying coming from the girls bedroom. Cassian groaned. “I swear if those three are fighting on which shirt is which,”
“I’ll take care of it.” Nesta replied before Cassian could finish. After heading upstairs, Nesta walked into the girls’ bedroom to find Nora crying, Silvia rubbing her back, and Cassandra searching around the bedroom. “What’s wrong Nora?” Nesta asked as Nora sniffed. “I lost Mrs. Sparklemane.” Mrs. Sparklemane was the purple pegasus that she got for Christmas last year. It was her favorite plushie to play with alongside her sisters’ pegasi Silver and Death. “Well, when was the last time you’ve seen her baby?”
“I put her over there.” Nora replied pointing at their closet. It wasn’t there now. Just a pile of dirty clothes that her husband forgot to wash. Nesta sighed. “Didn’t I tell you girls to clean up last night?” she asked as Silvia nodded. “Yes Mommy.”
“This is what happens when you don’t clean girls. You loose things.”
“Can’t we just clean up now?” Cassandra asked after searching the room for her sister’s favorite toy. Nesta shook her head. “No baby, it’s time for school.” Nesta told them as Nora sniffed a bit.
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7:35am
“Alright girls, time to get in the car.” Cassian called out as only Nora sadly walked downstairs with her bookbag. Cassian was caught up to speed about what happened today so he wasn’t surprised to find his daughter walking sadly downstairs. “Hey, come on sweetie. We’ll find Mrs. Sparklemane when we get home this afternoon, okay?” Nora’s father said as Nora nodded sadly and got in the car. Nesta got in on the passanger side after strapping in her twins. “Honey, where’s Cassandra and Silvia?”
“NORA!” Both parents turned to find their daughters running towards the car and hoping inside holding their pegasus plushie. “We’re sorry we couldn’t find Mrs. Sparklemane.”
“So we wanted you to take Death and Silver.” Cassandra finished for Silvia as they placed them in Nora’s arms. Nora gasped when she felt them in her grasp. “Thanks Cassie. Thanks Silvia.” she said as her big sisters hugged their little sister. “Just give them back to us by the end of the day okay?” Cassandra said as Nora nodded in agreement
Cassian and Nesta smiled at their daughters. They did well raising those three. “Alright girls, time to get to school.”
“Wait!” The yell coming from Silvia almost startled her parents. “I have to pee.” Silvia said as she hopped out of the car and rushed straight to the bathroom. Nesta laughed as Cassian rolled his eyes as they waited for their daughter to come back.
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Bonus= 1:37pm
Nesta and Cassian walked into the principals office noticing their two eldest daughters holding a very nervous Nora as she cling onto their two pegasus plushies. Their principal looked up to see their parents. “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Archeron.” he said as the triplet’s parents looked at the principal. “We got a call saying that our daughters were in your office. Exactly what happened today?” Nesta asked as the principal walked them through what happened.
Apparently, Cassandra, Silvia, and Nora got into a fight with another little boy about their age. The boy was with the school nurse but the triplets didn’t suffer any injuries at all. “That’s not what happened.” Silvia said as the adults turned to her. “Matthew was picking on Nora.” she said with ease as Nora flinched at his name. “Nora told him to stop but then Matthew said...” their eldest daughter trailed off as she gestured to Nora that she should say it. Nora gulped down her fear. “Matthew told me that it’d be better if my wings were clipped. I asked him what he meant so he said, ‘Girls shouldn’t have wings at all.’”
No amount of anger burned hotter than Cassian and Nesta’s. Not only did the boy insult their daughter, he also insulted her entire heritage. Cassian and Nesta turned sharply at the principal who looked just as shocked as they were. “Did you know about this?” Nesta asked as the principal shook his head. “Where is that little boy?”
“Cassian-”
“I just wanna talk to his parents. And possibly break a few legs.”
“Cassian!”
“Can I break one leg?”
“You’re not breaking any legs.” Nesta replied as Cassian pouted a bit. “But we are going to have a chat with that boy’s parents.” Nesta declared as the principal gave them the student’s full name. Luckily their was only one Matthew so it wasn’t hard to find him. Or his parents.
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Long story short, those parents got a massive amount of suing from the Archeron Family. And I mean the ENTIRE Archeron Family.
Author's notes: This was almost fully written anyway, hence why it's out so quick. Anyway, haha, angst. So much angst. I'm sorry (not really but a little maybe). The title is based on the song "On Melancholy Hill" by Gorrilaz. Anyway, there's something that could be viewed as good in this. Enjoy!
Emily's shoulder ached.
She didn't really understand why she was forced to attend the gala.
Majesty would occasionally glide past with someone on his arm and whisper something to her.
Mostly threats of what would happen if she left before he allowed her to.
She wanted nothing more than to curl up at home with Badge.
But Badge wasn't even home, away on whatever trip they'd organised.
Her suit was made of some fancy-looking but uncomfortable fabric, the shades of purple scratching over her skin.
So she sighed, and smiled, and waved, and coped.
Their house grew busier.
Scarlett made another friend at school, a penguin by the name of Trisha who visited only a little less frequently than Conductor.
Claw spent most afternoons lounging around the house with Emily.
Scarlett, Claw and Trisha had formed a band, Emily managing them. The four would split the money they earned between them after each concert.
Badge-
Badge had returned from their trip… different.
Their limbs would spasm through the air sometimes, other parts of their body twisting at inhuman angles before returning to their original position.
Matilda was sick.
They all could tell it was the same as her usual coughs.
But she just seemed to get worse.
Badge juddered beside her, their paws glitching through the book they were holding.
It dropped out of their grip and through their legs, landing on the mattress underneath where they were sat.
Badge straightened and walked out the room with a mumble. “Be back…”
Emily watched them with narrowed eyes.
Badge returned a few minutes later, looking shaky as they picked their book back up.
Emily tentatively stretched their tail out to rest over his back.
Badge glitched again, letting out a sob as their book dropped back onto the mattress.
“Where did you even go?” Emily quietly asked.
Badge looked over at her, not quite believing the question. “Huh?”
She repeated herself.
Badge fiddled with the badges on their hoodie, the one item that seemingly didn't go away when they glitched. “Um, well, I went to the Subcon.”
“You didn't,” Emily whispered, hoping they were joking.
Badge nodded. “It's okay though, I got this cool badge. But I can't use it, I don't have the right thing for it to work properly. But I can probably make a good couple hundred Pons if I find someone to sell it to.”
They both kept eye-contact for a beat before Badge broke it.
“I can't believe you sometimes,” Emily murmured.
“I can't believe me sometimes either.”
Emily reached over and gently patted Matilda on the back as the owl broke out in a fit of coughs, sliding her a glass of water.
“Thank you Emily,” she croaked. “What would I do without you?”
Emily ran around frantically.
The concert was due to start any moment and she couldn't find Scarlett's microphone.
Claw grabbed ahold of her sleeve as she rushed past.
Emily let out a pained hiss as her arm was wrenched painfully.
“Sorry,” Claw said. “Found the microphone.”
Emily's eyes glittered and she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Yes! Thank you!”
Claw's fur bushed up. “Um, it's nothing, really.”
Oblivious to Claw's reaction she raced off to find her younger sister.
The concert had gone off without many hitches.
Scarlett was staying around Trisha's for the night.
And all Emily had to do was quickly swing by the Metro before heading home.
Something felt different as she arrived.
It didn't click until she walked by it.
The open space was no longer as dark as it had been; a few neon signs and light up advertisements were on the walls surrounding it.
Both Angels and Demons stood around, staring at the flickering displays in wonderment.
No one trying to kill anyone.
She supposed that spending so much time on the surface made her ignorant of how much of a miracle this sort of thing was to the cats who spent their lives down here.
Majesty flashed a knife-toothed grin when she got to his office.
“Emily. Just the girl I was looking for,” he purred. “You have my money, right?”
Emily nodded, reluctantly handing over the money she'd earned from the concert.
It was better than robbing places like the leader thought she did.
“And that's why you're my favourite,” Majesty said as he counted it up. “You can go. Just remember I've got another gala in a few weeks.”
“Thank you.”
The house was eerily quiet as she entered.
The lights in the art room were on.
Emily opened the door slowly before gasping and racing to Matilda's side.
The owl was unconscious beside her usual work, slumped onto the floor.
“Shit!” Emily swore, trying to turn her over with one arm while desperately tapping onto her phone.
It didn't ring for long before someone picked up.
“Emergency services, how can we help?”
“I need an ambulance. Fast.”
Emily sat in the waiting room, staring at the perfect white tiled floor.
Nothing out of place, everything as it should be.
The cold metal of her seat grounded her, kept her close to reality.
Despite it being early summer it seemed freezing cold.
Her head snapped up to look at the door as it opened.
A nurse smiled and waved her over. “She said she'd like to speak to you.”
Emily slowly crossed the room to stand beside Matilda's medical bed. “Hello ma'am.”
Matilda's gaze was unfocused but she smiled. “Hi Emily. Can you do me a favour?”
“Of course.”
Emily blinked away tears that forced themselves into her eyes while Matilda reached out with a shaky wing.
The cat moved her paw to hold it.
When had the woman she looked up to so much become so frail?
“On the table in my room there are letters for the three of you. I'm leaving my money to the three of you. I'm not going to be around anymore but I'd appreciate if you could look after the others for me.”
The tears were streaming now, running rivers down her cheeks.
“Why?” Emily's voice cracked around the word.
Matilda's smile dropped and so did her wing, seeming fatigued. “You're a good girl, Emily. You don't always like to show it but you do care for those two. And we both knew this day would come eventually.”
Emily shook her head, clinging to fraying strands of hope. “But- I can't. Y-you’re Scarlett's mum, she needs you.”
“She's got a great older sister, she'll be fine,” Matilda responded.
Emily's heart felt like it was fractured glass, impossible to piece back together.
The heart monitor beside them became less regular before stopping.
Emily dropped down onto the floor, grief crumpling her muscles into useless crumbs.
She vaguely registered being taken away by the nurse and the conversation that followed about organising a funeral.
It didn't matter.
Nothing mattered.
Matilda was gone.
The house was silent when Emily closed the door after arriving home.
Her voice clogged with emotion as she called out. “Badge? Scarlett?”
Silence.
Memories slowly drifted back to her.
Badge was away on another trip.
Scarlett was spending the evening with Trisha, due back later in the night.
Emily trudged to the kitchen, downing a glass of water before promptly throwing up.
Nausea seemed to be a side effect of loss.
The cat crawled back to the living room, curling up and crying on the sofa.
Matilda was gone.
The door closed loudly.
“I'm home!”
Emily straightened, stomach twisting into knots at the realisation she'd have to break the news.
Scarlett stuck her head into the living room, eyes brimming with concern as she spotted Emily. “You look like shit, what happened?”
Emily cracked, breaking into another bout of sobs.
Scarlett quickly crossed the room, enveloping her in a hug.
Quieter, she asked again. “What happened?”
Emily wasn't sure how long it took to compose herself before she could whisper an answer.
“She's gone.”
Scarlett broke that time, crumpling like paper.
Emily gently cradled the owl as both of them cried, mourning their loss.
Scarlett eventually formed a sentence. “What are we going to do?”
Emily tightened her grip around her surrogate younger sibling.
“We're going to survive.”
Matilda was gone.
Her room was quiet without Badge.
The house seemed even quieter without Matilda.
Emily's bunk creaked as she dropped down it, curling into a ball as her head hit her pillow.
Her chest felt hollow, her eyes heavy.
But she couldn't fall asleep.
She was plagued by Matilda's instructions to look after Scarlett and Badge.
“She's got a great older sister, she'll be fine.”
Emily flinched as if struck as the words sprung into her mind.
She slowly uncurled as Scarlett opened the door to her room.
The owl hesitantly spoke. “Can I sleep in here tonight?”
Emily nodded, moving over on her bunk to make room as Scarlett burrowed into the blankets next to her.
“I can't sleep,” the owl admitted with a forced laugh.
Emily picked up the TV remote on the floor next to the bed. “D'you want to watch something?”
Scarlett nodded.
Matilda was gone.
But at least they had each other still.
Badge returned home a few weeks later.
“I'm back!” They yelled into the house.
It was too quiet for their liking.
“Em? Scarlett? Matilda?”
“Scarlett is at school,” Emily called from what sounded like the kitchen.
Badge dropped their bag by the door, walking through to where his older sister was.
Emily sat at the kitchen table, one paw raking through her hair as her other rapidly wrote something onto a sheet of lined paper.
“Em?”
The older cat glanced up, eyes narrowing briefly at them before lowering to her paperwork. “Your voice.”
The black cat cringed, trying to keep their limbs still as their body began glitching again. “Is it that noticeable?”
Emily nodded before letting out a muttered string of curses. “Can you find my laptop please? It should be in the front room.”
Badge walked through the house, stopping dead as they got into the room.
The picture of Matilda and a very young Scarlett that sat on the mantelpiece had flowers in a vase beside it.
They quickly picked up Emily's laptop, taking it to her before asking.
“Where's Matilda?”
Emily froze, ears flattening back against her head. “Gone.”
“She wouldn't up and leave though-”
“She's dead, Badge,” Emily hissed before clearly regretting her aggressive tone. She repeated the words, quieter. “She's dead.”
Badge felt tears well in their eyes but they couldn't cry.
A sob tried to claw out their throat but all that came from their vocals was a screech of static that shattered the glass of water on the table.
Emily didn't seem to notice.
Or if she did, she chose to ignore it.
Instead the older cat merely sighed and moved to get the dustpan and brush.
When Badge's static-filled wail continued she eventually walked over and pulled them into a rough hug.
Her claws skimmed up and down their spine as they limpeted to her.
It only took a couple moments for her to try and pull away.
“Badge, I need to finish this work.”
Badge burrowed their face into her collarbone.”
“Badge.”
They squeezed their eyes shut.
“Badge!” Emily snarled.
They finally pulled away and looked up at her.
Emily looked down at them, something akin to sorrow in her eyes before her expression hardened.
She spun around, picking up the papers and laptop.
She began to head out the room before pausing in the doorway.
“Don't come bother me, I need to finish this up.”
Matilda was gone.
She wanted nothing more than to hold Badge as they wept.
Try and keep some semblance of a happy family.
But she needed to finish working out all these details.
Now she was in charge of the house and there was so much to do.
She'd taken Matilda for granted.
She wasn't going to do that anymore, not now she understood how much work it took to keep them all living.
Matilda was gone.
And now there was a role to fill.
A role she would never be properly equipped for.
She called in sick for the day of the gala.
“Sick? Sick?! You whiny bitch, I don't care if you're spewing everywhere, you shouldn't flake because you're a little under the weather!”
Emily hung up.
She knew it would cause problems in the future.
That was for later though.
Claw showed up.
Emily's attention snapped briefly to him before back to paperwork as he entered the living room.
“Hey Em. Scarlett said you weren't doing so good,” he tentatively said.
“What d'you mean? I'm fine Claw, go back to the Metro or whatever, I don't know where you live,” Emily murmured.
Claw slowly pried the papers from her grip, setting them down on the floor as he crouched in front of her.
“Em. Look at me. Em.”
She slowly raised her gaze to him, weeks worth of tiredness catching up to her.
Claw scooped her up as her eyes sagged.
“Come on idiot. You need to get some rest. You can't just run on coffee and grief. Trust me, it's not a good idea.”
Emily vaguely registered him carrying her upstairs to her room.
“I told her not to overdo it,” Badge whispered from the side of the room.
“She'll be fine, she just needs a proper night's rest,” Claw responded as he rested her on her bed.
Emily buried her face in her pillow and curled up as a blanket was placed over her.
The light switch sounded as the lights flicked off.
“Sweet dreams Em.”
Months passed.
The funeral rolled around.
Scarlett courteously greeted the guests that had been invited from her mother's side of the family.
Virtually everyone shot Badge, Claw, Conductor and Emily wary looks.
Conductor hung around the bar since he'd recently turned old enough to drink.
Badge and Claw chatted off to one side.
Emily wandered.
She got drinks at the bar.
She listened to Scarlett's family make snide comments about herself and her friends when they thought no one was listening.
She locked herself in the bathroom as she cried.
She came back out and kept Scarlett company.
She waved everyone off.
She drove all of the home.
She sat back down to go over more paperwork and instructions on how to keep the house properly clean.
She ignored Scarlett and Badge's insistence to rest.
She kept herself busy.
Because if she didn't, she'd have to focus on how she felt.
And that scared her.
Radiance was not the person she expected to show up at the house.
“Hey kid. Let's have a little chat.”
Emily let the opposing gang leader into her house, a little terrified as to what was going on.
The grey cat tutted as she looked around the house. “I am going to owe Splendour a huge favour for doing this.”
“What?” Emily asked, feeling groggy after another night of little sleep.
Radiance shot her a smile. “My twin, Splendour. She stands in for me when I'm away for long periods of time. No one notices a thing.”
Emily stared up at her. “Away for…?”
Radiance sighed and gave Emily a quick side hug. “I'm here to help you get back on your feet. Claw's been worried sick about you for months so I'm here to help you fix this place up.”
“Who is it?” Badge shouted from the upstairs hallway.
“Er-”
The younger cat thundered down the stairs before freezing.
Their hackles raised and their body distorted with crackling static noises. “I don't know who you are but you aren't wanted here. I suggest you leave before I do something I regret.”
Radiance let out a bark of laughter. “I'm assuming that's Badge. Isn't there an owl too? Crimson or Rouge or something?”
“Scarlett,” Emily corrected. “She's out with her boyfriend.”
“Em, who the fuck is this?!”
“Radiance. Don't worry, I'm not like Majesty. I'm just here to help Emily get back on her feet.”
Badge glowered but their body's glitching slowed until it stopped. “If you do anything suspicious, I will kill you.”
“I don't doubt it.”
Slowly, she was coaxed back into living her life.
Eating what she wanted to eat, not whatever was cheapest.
Taking care of her fur, which had long since matted while she grieved.
Going back to the theatre club.
Having days out.
Her shoulder properly scarred over.
Radiance felt comfortable enough to leave the house again and return to the Metro.
And of course, the one thing that her friends disapproved of.
But she'd spent long enough away from Majesty.
And longer and her friends might be hurt.
It was an ordinary day.
Or at least it felt ordinary.
The six of them - Emily, Claw, Badge, Scarlett, Trisha and Conductor - were out at the cinema.
Some trashy movie to do with murder mystery.
Claw leaned over and rested his head against her shoulder as they watched.
“Em.”
“Yeah?”
“I like you.”
Emily's ear twitched with annoyance. She wasn't enjoying the film but that didn't mean she felt like chatting through it.
“I like you too.”
It quietened and she refocused on the movie.
But Claw’s whisper interrupted her thoughts. “Would you go out with me?”
The grey and white cat whipped her head around to look at him.
“What?”
“Shuddup!” Someone behind them yelled.
Emily grabbed Claw's wrist, dragging him out of the cinema and to the quiet evening streets outside.
She looked down into his eyes, repeating her earlier reaction. “What?”
“I like you. I know you probably don't feel the same but I thought you should know,” Claw explained.
Emily's mind flitted through memories.
She had always enjoyed her time with Claw. He'd been supportive after Matilda died. Hell, he'd even gotten his boss - leader of the Chosen Demons - to help her.
Countless movie nights spent with each other, trying out food at restaurants together, laughing at the others' antics.
Amelia and Matilda had learned at her skirt hem how to swindle, to cheat, to cajole, to make the spirits speak. Their mother Nita was a true believer in Spiritualism, and a truer believer in money buying happiness. Matilda believed that mothers knew best, even when they didn't. Amelia believed in nothing.
still limping along at a snail’s pace. not sure why this november is so much harder than past years but i’m still here
i’ll tag @dustylovelyrun and anyone else who sees this!
