ᖴOᖇᘜᗴᖇ'Տ ᗴᒪᗪᗴՏT

.4.

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It was only the second day of life as a new family. So, what was the deal with the hollering so early in the morning?

"I don't want to! I don't wanna study!" Olivia groaned as she tried to focus on cooking breakfast. Anya's whines persisted in filling the room. Olivia sighed and placed the meal on the table. "Anie. I swear to God..." As she sipped her tea, she mumbled to herself.

Daddy Loid scowled at the tiny girl who was still murdering his ears. "I need to know how smart you are for this exam." Anya shook her head and kicked her feet, threatening to throw a tantrum. "I don't have to study for any exam. If all I did was read other people's..."'Other people's thoughts.'

"Do you intend to cheat? Listen. If you and Via are not admitted to this school..." He halted, his gaze fixed on the child, and vice versa. '...my mission fails.'

Olivia and Snooze were having their breakfast quietly in the background. Olivia sipped her tea, her sleepy eyes raised when Loid turned to face her.

"What about you, Via?" He handed her a paper of exam questions for her to inspect, which she looked at boredly.

Her eyes and brain calculated every question it passed over in a matter of seconds. She scowled and tossed the page aside.

"Too easy, it's boring." She continued her meal, and Anya joined her at the table after a few seconds.

Loid blinked at Olivia, then at the thrown paper, blankly. "Uh?" He shook his head and looked to Anya, who was now eating her breakfast while appearing to be totally innocent.

He gave her a disapproving look. "All right, I'm leaving."

He pointed a firm finger at Anya. "You're not coming with me today." When Anya prepared to follow him again, he frowned. "Whatever the case may be. You'll be staying at home."

Anya pouted as he walked away to fetch his hat. Olivia frowned as he walked away. "You're not having breakfast?" 

Loid came to a halt in his trail when he realized how unhappy she appeared. He ate his food quickly, not wanting to waste her efforts, and was pleasantly delighted by the great flavor. Her cooking was excellent.

"Thank you very much for the food. It was amazing." He ruffled her hair and walked out of the house. Anya closely following.

Anya is forced back inside once Loid spots her. "Hey! I told you not to come!"

Olivia has shut out the noise of Anya and Loid bickering and is now daydreaming and muttering to herself. "He looked  kinda desperate to get into that school. Is that the mission or something?"

She awoke from her trance when she noticed the quietness and turned to see Anya looking blankly at the door. "What happened? He got away?" Anya nods and walks over to the couch to watch her cartoon.

"It's because you didn't want to study, and now he's upset with you." As she cleared the table, Anya made a face at her, causing her to chuckle.

Olivia sat next to Anya and Snooze after cleaning the dishes. "So," she began, Anya looking up at her older sister. "Isn't he a spy? What exactly is the mission? You know?"

Anya nodded her head and hummed. "Papa's mission at school is to find world peace! That's why he wants Anya and Via to go!" Olivia nods, as though she understands everything that Anya says. "So his objective has some connection to the school. Perhaps the target is a student. Or even a teacher." She brushed the notion aside. "It's a student, for sure. He wouldn't have to adopt if it were a teacher, he could just disguise himself as one."

Olivia returned her attention to Anya and embraced her.

She spoke out, her voice gentle. "You don't want to help him in achieving world peace?" Anya raised her head to look at her. "Anya does! Anya wants to help Papa!"

Olivia grinned and ran her fingers through Anya's hair. "So, why aren't you studying? Just a little?"

Anya shook her head side to side and fiddled with her fingers. "Anya hates studying." She spun around and put her little arms around Olivia's waist. Face in her chest.

Olivia hummed a lullaby that their mother used to sing to them while she rocked them back and forth. "Well, if you study even a tiny bit, I'll let you play with Loid's spy things." Anya's head shot up in response to that sentence. "Really?"

Olivia emitted a hum. "Hmm! But. Study!"

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Anya spent roughly 5 minutes studying. New record! Before rushing to Loid's room to meddle with his stuff. Just as she was ready to complete her random message on the transmitter she found- 

"AhhhHhHhhHhh! SNAKE!"

Panicked Anya abandoned the equipment, returning it to its original location before running to her sister. When she arrived, she discovered her sister standing on the sofa, a yellow snake on the floor, and Snooze repeatedly hitting it.

Olivia grabbed Anya and hurried to get her bag and Snooze, and speeding outside the door. "Thank you, buddy."

Olivia stuffed Snooze inside her bag while holding Anya's hand. "Let's walk outside and wait for Loid. We're not going to stay there with that monster. Ah-" She lowered her gaze to Anya. "You didn't tamper with Loid's things too much, did you?" Anya nodded and joined her on the sidewalk, waiting for Loid to get home.

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Loid was walking back home when he noticed his children and cat outside. "Anya? Via? What are you doing outside?" Anya hurried forward to embrace his legs. He stared down at her, perplexed.

"I was uh in the neighborhood to shop, but I believe they went out of business. Why are you outside?"

Olivia rose up and went him. "Snooze found a snake. We're not going back."

"Ah? Okay.."

"Yay! Let's live in a castle!"

"Sure."

"Why you gotta lie?"

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[EDITED]