The First
AN: Be Warned. A lot of this is trash.
Masterlist Taglist:
Losing your father had been the most brutal, confusing experience of your life. You’d relied on him more in essence – in spirit – than in person. You’d gone quite a long time without him but there was something about knowing you’d never again speak with the man he’d been the day before his death that changed the world. And it didn’t help that your brother was completely unaffected, leaving your devastated nephew at your house any time he felt an emotion or tried to cover one up with a painful joke. You imagined it was just as painful to be in Abe’s home as it was to be in Jacob’s home, unable to express his grief. You were not great with kids with emotions either so you weren’t much help. But when Jacob found a post card, you were the only person in his corner.
Your brother and sister-in-law were dead set against your nephew’s idea, but Dr. Golan wasn’t so quick to dismiss him. Part of his job description, you supposed. But you supported him. 100%. And you offered to take him to Wales, help him say goodbye, then bring him back. Luckily your brother’s wife was loaded and footed the bill. Of course she did. You were doing the parenting for her. Not uncommon, as you had taken care of Franklin and Susan until Susie was old enough to look after Franklin. However, you did not foresee the plan working out as intended.
As the firstborn of Abraham Portman, you knew all of his secrets. You knew the life on the other side of Time. You knew what awaited Jake on Cairnholm. And you had no idea how to tell him ahead of time. The island was a point of contention for you as well. In all of your years, despite knowing all that you did, you’d never been to Cairnholm or inside the Loop which reside there. And so you learned the island, while Jacob learned the Loop. You were sure he thought he was being super sneaky or you were just super chill. Either way, he finally seemed a little happy and that was all you truly needed. But after 3 days, his energy turned more solemn. You didn’t know why. You’d know if a Hollow had come onto the island. And, eventually, one did. Multiple sheep on the island had been slaughtered, and one evening, a man was too. From there, things moved very quickly. You caught Jacob and his friends resurrecting the dead guy. Then, you were roped into their Peculiar antics in 1940. Miss Peregrine was gone by the time you entered the Loop, but there was a bird they swore up and down was her. You stated it wasn’t even female, but you were ignored. After all, regular birds didn’t stay near humans. From rowing a boat to washing up on a beach, traversing through wartimes and into a menagerie where you discovered you were right. There were rare moments of rest where you had a chance to speak with some of the children. To be honest, Emma Bloom held most of your attention. When she wasn’t off somewhere with Jacob, you were mostly staring from your peripheral. The large group moved easier with you there to claim to be their Headmistress. You wouldn’t dream of acting like it when away from witnesses who mattered. Little Claire had taken a liking to you and the strong but soft Bronwyn was nothing but respectful, growing fond. You finally separated from the group after Fiona fell from the cliff and you were proven correct.
Jack Bentham was forced out of bird-form by one Miss Wren. You had to show your genetics and go full hand-to-hand. The children fled and the Ymbryne tried to help you. Unfortunately, the woman was soon manhandled by the Wights and the threats of the Hollows around. You were all forced into a train car yet somehow Jake and Emma escaped. And no one was watching you just long enough for you to disperse as well.
The Ymbrynes had escaped by the time you reached the Devil’s Acre – fitting name. You were around while everyone was scattered, trying to mount both a defense and an offense from within enemy territory. Yet Jack still made comments over the intercom system. Miss Peregrine got sucked into it and she cried out, “You’ve lost, brother. You don’t have the 13 Ymbrynes you need to open the Library.”
The intercom clicked and some static sounded. “…Are you sure about that, Alma? Honest Abe had a bouncing peculiar girl.”
Ms. Wren paused and looked over at her. She soon found Jacob and started interrogating him on you. He seemed to notice you hadn’t been found yet and Alma was tunned to hear you’d stuck with the children after her abduction and through multiple times. To be fair to Jacob, there was a lot going on and he’d assumed a leadership role due to his Peculiarities and his knowledge of modern time and Abe’s secrets hidden in stories. But you were around and that was all Caul needed. His brother’s grimbear got ahold of Alma and she was the beloved bargaining chip. With the invisible boy threatening his brother’s life and loyalty, Jack’s patience grew short and he shouted out, “Come out, come out, wherever you are! …Miss Portman!”He was gloating, mocking how you used your maiden name rather than an avian moniker. “There’s no point in hiding! It’s never been your style before,” he muttered to himself. They came to another door in the Panloopticon and Bentham’s mouth fell open upon finding it ajar.
Jack smirked wickedly. He sauntered through, wiggling a finger for the hostages to follow. He showed every one of his teeth as he followed his dream. He ordered Alma be freed and he held her elbow. His grip was tight; he was scared, forcing his sister to stay nearby while his gaze sought every corner, high or low. “Come. Out!” he screamed viciously, voice carrying. The savageness in his voice made Alma wonder what exactly Abe’s daughter could do. Caul said she was an Ymbryne and the ritual had worked, but he had never feared any Ymbrynes. He stalked through the halls, pulling Alma at a neck-breaking speed. His neck twisted this way and that, paranoid all over you. Everyone came to a room with a pool, walls lined with jars. He’s almost forgotten you in the excitement of Jacob seeing the suul, but he was swiftly reminded when a raven dipped out of nowhere – seemingly – then snatched a jar Jacob had grabbed upon instruction. The bird released the Peculiar glass above nothing and everyone jumped at the sound of the shattering. Jack turned to glare and rage at the raven, but it was gone. If Jack was to be believed, you were gone. “Show yourself to me,” Jack ordered, retightening his grip on his sister. Alma gasped at the feel of a gun digging into her back. “Or I will kill your daddy’s Loop mommy.” He emphasized with an extra nudge you couldn’t see.
A flock of those onyx crows swarmed around the two but Jack held on with an iron grip which would likely bruise. Flowing past, the birds met at a singular point, the number of birds and the size of them all assembled precisely and the inky blackness brought colors from shadows. The birds had made a silhouette and that silhouette became you. Fully dressed in a dark skirt and a white blouse, cloaked by a leather trench coat, you were very casual and could clearly control your Peculiarities whatever they may be. Obviously you shared an affinity with birds. But not with Ymbrynes because you shrugged. “So kill her. One less Bird Mom. What do I care?”
Jack obviously loved that response while it dropped a stone into Alma’s stomach. Surely the daughter of Abe wouldn’t side with her brother? But Jack just laughed. “She’s your sister or something, right?” he taunted.
“I don’t know if that bond comes from sharing a predator or living in close quarters during their schooling, but I assure you I have no sisters.”
“Then why’d you come?” the Wight leader mocked.
You cocked your head, a little bird-like. “You called.” You explained with a head nod toward Jake.
White eyes – lacking pupils – shifted over to your nephew then back to you. “Ah, yes. Well, I need him.”
“You can’t have him,” you responded aggressively, baring your teeth.
Jack clenched his jaw, suddenly shoving Alma away. “I disagree.”
“I am… so surprised… may heart may stop,” you remarked sarcastically, patting your chest dramatically.
Jack pointed his weapon at you. “Sorry, darling. You were my way in. I can’t let you keep me from getting out.” He pulled the trigger and the bystanders gasped or screamed for fear of a stranger’s safety. You exploded into your flock of ravens and flapped all over the room. You all lunged at Jack who uselessly tried to swat at you or shield himself with his arms. All of your birds fell away in unison and reconverged in front of Jack. You assembled long enough to throw a punch then you dissipated again. Jack couldn’t risk turning into a bird because he would come back naked. He commanded his Wights to help fight you, giving the children and Ymbrynes time to flee. But these villains were unprepared for you, the daughter of Abe Portman. They were too slow and still powerless. They started throwing jars at you, like the children who used to chase you with their slingshots. Still, they gave you weapons in their attempt.
You manifested quickly and halfway, rolling to pick up a shard of glass, the suul dripping from your fingers, before cartwheeling on feathered legs into another burst of birds. You planted the glass in a carotid, pulling it away to flutter around the room, disorienting the remaining Wight and Jack. Neither knew who you would attack next. You fully appeared in front of Jack. “Hello, Jack.” You swiftly kicked his midsection, throwing him over the other side of the pool. “Goodbye-“
The brute behind you wrapped you up in his embrace, lifting you off the ground. Bentham came from nowhere, slinging some shackles you were sure could normally hold an Ymbryne. You brought your legs up to kick him as well, but the Wight holding you slung you to the side so your legs were beyond your control. He flung you against a stone wall hard, disorienting you long enough for Bentham to cuff you. With a wide, psychotic grin, Jack approached you. Halfway he spotted the colors changing the pool water. His smile grew even more unhinged and he reached toward the pool. You burst into birds, startling the brother and their pet Wight who clearly thought you were confined. You flew faster, slashed harder, and worked more in the next few seconds than you ever had. Jack winning was unacceptable, impermissible. And yet despite your intervention, he stepped into the pool and started to change.
Luckily, you heard your name shouted by your nephew. You disappeared into the Library’s walls, reforming near he who called your name. You knew the Ymbrynes likely had a plan and either they were about to execute it or Jacob was in danger. As you neared, you found the Ymbrynes in a circle, chanting. Your birds converged and covered above the group and the Loop was unmade. Back in the Devil’s acre, again, you were around, but not as a single bird. And once you deemed this Loop safe under the Ymbryne’s council’s rule, you returned to your own home.
Your own time was in a similar state to the Peculiars. Your brother and sister-in-law were all in a tizzy and the police and extended family had gotten involved. It was a lot of work, putting everything straight, but it was necessary and you figured Jake could utilize the freedom you’d had to order his parents to give him. It was hard to convince them he was fine without him being present, even in the post-mind wipe state of suggestiveness they were in. So you reinforced it by saying how much they trusted him and how he went on trips all of the time. He would find two very different people in place of parents who thought he hallucinated monsters.
Now, you just had to wait for him to come back, and things to go back to normal. And he did then they did. Jake still spent all of his time at your house, but now he brought himself and you had conversations he would remember the rest of his life. After a week, you answered the door to find Miss Peregrine and her horde of children at your home, in your time. You checked your watch to make sure you were in the right time. Proving it to yourself, you turned around, calling your nephew from his room. Your home was swiftly filled with a dozen elderly children wandering and exploring, getting into your father’s things.
Alma followed the whirring sound while her wards were safe in Jacob’s capable hands. She found you in the kitchen supervising a bowl with an oddly shaped whisk which was attached to the same thing the bowl was. Your hands hovered around the bowl mixing itself and spinning, a spatula in one of your hands, occasionally pushing flour back. She froze in the doorway, awed by modern technologies.
“Don’t worry; I’ll make more,” you assured her.
“I was not worried. Ymbrynes never let anyone go without.”
You didn’t react in any way. Once you were content with the consistency of the mix, you turned to grab a loaf pan and a muffin pan. You filled then put them in the oven and faced the Ymbryne.
Miss Peregrine’s face was unreadable yet you sensed she was trying to understand you. “If you’d join me in your sitting room,” she requested once she noticed she had your attention. She walked to where the children had all settled. Even Jacob was deep in conversation between Bronwyn, Millard, and Enoch. There was a lot of chatter. Olive was going through your things and Emma had found your father’s. She was touching one of his favorite books with one hand and the blanket covering his chair with the other. She looked at the pictures on the mantle. Abe in the army, with H and Velya, with Jake, one formal looking one with you with a hand on his shoulder. You looked the same as in the picture while Abe grew older with each stage of his life.
“How long can we stay?” Olive asked.
“May we go exploring in the morning?” Next up was Claire.
“I would like to eat something before I perish from the Earth,” said Millard.
You laughed quietly. “Muffins will be done in 30 mins. The bread, an hour.”
“We could order a pizza?” Jacob offered.
You shrugged, not offended. “Still won’t be here for half an hour.” You weren’t equipped to feed such a large group.
“I’m afraid we don’t understand.” Hugh stepped forward.
You looked over at the confused group and thought while Jacob stammered. “There are several restaurants which are made for the food to take home, ready to be eaten. Pizza is a common take-out dinner.”
“Not for us. She usually cooks,” Jake interjected.
Again, you shrugged. “I’ll have to go to the store after work. Anyway, the food is cooked at the restaurant and it’s usually still warm by the time it’s brought home, be it by the homeowner or another employee of the restaurant.”
“Amazing,” Horace gaped.
“Oh well. You must eat. Any allergies? Preferences of meat?” The children started replying over the top of one another. You continued as if you’d always intended to add, “One at a time, please,” and it easily cut through the chaos.
Once the order was placed, Miss Peregrine reinserted her priorities. “Item 2; after sustenance, safety and security. I’ve checked the perimeter and all seems quiet. Is there anything I need to know about your neighbors?” Alma asked you.
Jake frowned. “Like what?”
She turned to him, blending in with her wards on a couch. “Criminal histories? Violent tendencies? Firearms collections?”
You snorted and clapped a hand over your mouth, squeezing your eyes tight and suppressing laughter. Once sufficiently calmed, you found the room staring. “Abe had the largest firearms collection and he was the biggest badass in the state, and everyone knew it,” you assured her.
Alma raised her eyebrows. “There are guns in this Home?”
You smirked. “Your children will never find them.”
She stared intently with those fierce green orbs. You weren’t sure what exactly she was searching for, but she turned away so you hoped she found it. “Well, then, perhaps it’s time for a speech.”
You frowned. Why in the Fuck would you wanna give one of those? Jacob clearly agreed because he asked, “What?”
“Miss Portman needs to settle the ground rules. They are my Wards, but this is your home, town, and time. I will need help keeping everyone out of trouble.”
You eyed the children. “Oh, haven’t you all had enough trouble? At least for 6 months?” The kids laughed which was good, but they truly didn’t know the first thing about the 21ts century. “Don’t kill anyone; don’t get killed. My rules are basic.”
“For an Ymbryne,” Enoch commented.
You continued on as if he hadn’t said anything. “I’m here if you need me. Happy to teach you about the age. If you have any questions.”
Emma was the first to speak. “This was Abe’s house?”
You looked at her with a gentle expression, afraid she’d break if you didn’t handle this right. “Yes. The first one he chose when he decide to move here. He was very stubborn.”
The entire room erupted in laughter. They obviously knew. You pulled out a blue block with a hollow chimney and Alma watched you wrap your lips around the top. It lit up and you were obviously breathing in. Alma forced her eyes to yours. You were such an enigma and you had no interest in changing that. “Dear, I’m sure some of us could do with some tea.” You paused and thought before shifting to stand. “No, no, Jacob can show me where everything is and I can show him how to make tea.” She led your nephew to where your kitchen was and you let out the vapor in your lungs.
You weren’t surprised when the blonde broke from the crowd and found you. You couldn’t stop staring as she drew nearer, enchanted by the features you shared. “Hi, Emma.”
The usually contained or rageful blonde’s eyes filled with tears. She smiled before echoing, “Hello, love.”
And just like that, you ran out of things to say. Knowingly meeting each other had been the biggest thing you two had missed out on. You both fell silent, awkwardly so. You tried to think of something you could do with her or show her that wouldn’t be too intimate. Complex territory when it comes to the two of you. “Want to help me arrange the rooms?”
Emma smiled and nodded.
By the time you finished the sleeping arrangements, Miss Peregrine and Jake were coming back into the living room. Alma went about putting all the children to bed and you retreated to your own room. Abe’s was being piled up with the children under the physical age of 12. Your bedroom was lined with bookcases and over filled with books, and the bed had fitted sheet, 2 pillows, and 2 heavier blankets. One blanket was folded up and put on top of the pillow behind your back. You had a book in front of you and your pillow and blanket as cushioned support as you sat against a wall. You were deep in the book when Alma knocked on your door. You finished the paragraph and held your spot with your finger, calling it was open.
Opening he door, Alma looked surprised by the interior design or lack thereof. She stepped further in, thoroughly examining your room.
Since she didn’t want to talk, you went back to your book. You finished the chapter and marked the page, observing the Ymbryne staring at your possessions. It was several minutes before your patience expired. “Are you going to stare at my shit all night or are you going to say something? Maybe get in the motherfucking bed?!”
You watched Alma’s shoulders get tight and you sucked your lips into your mouth, biting down lightly to keep from laughing. She slowly turned around, and those green eyes were ice. “It is abundantly clear you never had an Ymbryne. That language is unacceptable.”
You held your arms out. “There are no children to hear.”
Her expression didn’t change; if anything, it hardened. “It’s not the Ymbryne way.”
You just scoffed and rolled your eyes, picking up your book. You felt her eyes still on you as you read and you knew her feeling changed. No longer scolding but confused, curious. She didn’t understand you. She assumed you had a similar upbringing to Jacob and you were the same awkward as him, but beyond that, she didn’t know you. You ensured that with a silent wall she wasn’t sure how to get through. She stepped closer and sat on the side of your bed. She was just staring. “Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”
You went to turn the page, but she grabbed your hand. Sensing the interaction was going somewhere again, you sighed and re-marked the page you’d just finished. Her gaze was intense and passionate. “We want to stay in your world, be a part of it. Learn to blend in. None of my children need chose and neither must you. We’ll all get to know each other. You’re not alone.” She stared after her speech, trying to determine if she’d gotten through to you or if you were still difficult. It wouldn’t be uncommon for her, like another Enoch. It wouldn’t do if you were an Ymbryne after all. Except you had to be. The ritual to open the Library was precise yet it hadn’t been followed to the letter anyway. The Ymbrynes hadn’t been present when the door had been opened. And it had been a door rather than finding the Loop entrance and doing the ritual there. Everything was a mess and you still weren’t talking, resuming your book. Alma was making patrols as you also hadn’t responded to her inquiries about security systems. She despised being so in the unknown so she overcompensated with what she could control. Unfortunately, that wasn’t you. She hated having to treat you like an outsider in the face of who you were but she had a fact-finding mission until she knew enough. Around two in the morning, she stepped back into your room for the view from your windows. She was mildly surprised you were still up. You were done with the book and actually played some game on your television. “You need sleep.”
“Not as much as most,” you responded evenly.
Alma took that into account then unknowingly blocked your view to your screen during a fight. You laughed and paused the game while she checked the outside without going outside. You picked up your mechanical device and breathed it in.
Next Chapter
