Remembering Darkness

I LIKE POMERGRANETE AND ELDEFLOWER CORDIAL (What? It's so bubbly...)

ICA'S POV

Our Dad- (wait? What's his name? I don't even know my Dad's name. Or my Mum's. I'm guessing what I thought her name was was a cover up name. I mean, you don't get many Badass Immortal Flower Nymphs called Claire. OMG I DON'T KNOW MY PARENTS' NAMES DNKLADFHOAWFLFASCJIOFCFJIFR Jeez, that's embarrassing.)

Wow. I really like using brackets.

So, our Dad called (insert any name you wish here) led us into a dingy kitchen through a side door. It was small and old fashioned, with a tiny wooden round table in the centre. Again, like the other room, it had an unmistakably cosy feeling to it. Onny followed, happily, and proudly showed us his Birthday Boy badge. I ruffled his hair.

I know I should have been all 'OMG it's you my long lost Dad I love you where have you been all my life?' on him, but to be honest with you, I wasn't. In the two dreams I'd had, he had been mentioned as some dark, dangerous guy who enjoyed starting plagues in Asia Minor for no reason and had nothing to do with his poor, innocent, daughters (well, one poor innocent daughter and one annoying, stupid, undeserving one) who kept getting killed by the same evil guy who was reborn again and again.

...Wait. What? How did I even know that?

Anyway, I wasn't sure whether I should be happy or not to see him.

"What can I get you girls to drink?" Our Dad asked. "We'll have questions first, then I'll bring out the cake!"

"Ooh!" Onny jumped up and down excitedly. "Is it chocolate?"

Dad smiled fondly. "You'll have to wait and see. Onny, why don't you lay the table? I think we can fit six around it."

"Woah, six?" Melanie said. "There's only four of us."

She's observant that way.

Right then, Miu and Strix burst through the kitchen door screaming "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONNY!"

Both of them were wearing pink party hats. Strix had one of those party blowers in his beak, and blew it repetitive times.

"We've bought you a present." Miu added excitedly. "It's just outside. I couldn't drag it any further without damaging it."

Onny ran forward and hugged them each. "Thank you!"

Miu purred. Strix probably intended to make some kind of affectionate noise, but thanks to his party blower it came out as a 'BRUUUUUUUUUUUP!'

Dad was getting out glasses from a cupboard. "I'm so glad you two could make it! The usual to drink?"

"Yes please, Gethin." Miu replied. Strix blew his party blower, which presumably meant yes.

Score! I now know what my Dad's name is!

Dad poured out some milk in a saucer for Miu, and some - wait, was that Ribena? - for Strix.

He put the saucers on the table. Miu jumped up onto a chair and lapped his. Strix dropped his party blower on the floor, and flew over to drink his Ribena.

"Wait," Melanie said. "Owls drink Ribena?"

Strix puffed his chest indignantly. "Yes." He said. "Why wouldn't owls drink Ribena? We can have as much of it as we want, as we don't have any teeth for the sugar to rot."

Melanie stared, wide-eyed.

"Fanta is preferable." Strix added. "But I drank all of that the last time I was here."

"Also," Dad said, "The additives make you really hyperactive."

"Do not!" Strix huffed.

"Yeah, right." Miu retorted. "After you drank that whole can last week you flew around screaming 'I'M A NUDIST!' and knocked over that lovely old vase we picked up in Venice five hundred years ago." He sighed. "Such a shame. It's got a horrible chip on the rim now."