Intrusive Parenting

4

"Well, hello there." Roman jumped up summoning his sword so fast he didn't even have time to curse himself out for actually wanting this. There in front of him stood one of the few free dragon witches in the imagination. She was one of the youngest, but that did not mean she was weak. "My dear, Roman. I see you're enjoying yourselves." Roman wanted nothing more than to slay her right than and there but unfortunately, there were rules. Unless he wanted to be on the receiving end of another head wound, he had to tread carefully.

"Rose..." Roman clenched his sword tighter as she smiled brightly. "You're on the wrong side of the border."

"I'm surprised you even remember me. I'm glad." Her voice was sweet and low. She looked to be in her 20's but Roman knew she was more or less 10. Dragon witches age faster than a human. "How's Father?" His grip tightened even more.

"What are you doing here, Rose?" Her smile seemed to falter just as Roman looked back towards the others to find them staring in horror at the scene before them.

"Nothing... Can't a girl come and visit the Fam?" Roman growled as she laughed holding out her hand which had a yellowish-green sigil glowing above it. "I guess you're right. Pity... I really did want to say hello."

"Go back home, Rose." Her eyes darkened as she snapped causing the sigil to turn into a glowing orb. Roman tensed up in anxiety. 

"You're such a child, Roman." She growled out letting her green eyes glow dangerously as her scarlet hair whipped about with the sudden wind. "Way too childish... Maybe you should learn to grow up."

"I need to grow up? I'm sorry but I don't think a monster like you has any right to..." She flung the orb straight at Roman only for him dodge it. However, she didn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, she wasn't at all. All Roman did was delay the inevitable. When he turned, he just barely had enough time to dodge it again. It was chasing him. 

"You can't run from it, Roman. It will chase creativity until the moment hit meets its mark." Roman screamed out in frustrated rage as Rose smiled bright tipping an imaginary hat at the others before waving goodbye. "When you have finally grown up... let me know. Adios tio."

"WAIT, ROSE. YOU CAN'T JUST..." Roman cried out as he stumbled on his feet watching the woman vanish before him. He was pissed, but more than that, he was in trouble. It would track him forever if it had to. That's what she had said. Before he even knew it he had fallen. His feet had buckled underneath him and he knew he was done for. Except...

"Keep your head down." Something was thrown over him as the others huddled around him. He was confused at first until he realized it was Virgil's hoodie that was covering his head. They were trying to mask his creative aura. They surrounded him in this sort of triangle stance. It actually seemed to work considering the orb stopped and just hover there. Roman glanced up to see Virgil frowning, eyeing the orb as if it was going to attack them all but it didn't. Instead, it shot out in some random location until it disappeared from sight.

"Well, that was eventful?" Roman whispered quietly as he stood up letting the hoodie fall around him. Virgil was quick however pulling it back up and throwing the hood over his head. "What?"

"KEEP IT ON. I don't want to risk it coming back." Roman frowned as he glanced over to where it had vanished. 

"But where did it go? She said it would chase creat... SHIT, REMUS!" Roman took off running before anyone even realized what was going on. Back at the mind palace however things were a little less hectic. 

Deceit was sitting at the table eating his pie as Remus doodled across from him. They always found it odd that they had a dining room but no kitchen. Why give the dark sides a dining room but no kitchen? It made no sense. But it didn't seem to matter much, they all made it work. Often times that meant raiding the other sides kitchen, when Remus didn't feel up to creating anything. Like the chocolate milk... or the pie Deceit was currently eating.

"What are you drawing?" Deceit quickly stuffed his face full of the delicious heaven that was his pie right as Remus glanced up causing the man to laugh at him, as he no doubt had a mess of crumbs and filling on his face.

"I don't know. I just got this random idea that popped in my head. I felt like drawing it." Deceit narrowed his eyes as Remus started to hum a bit. "Sigo imaginando a Roman de niño. I don't know why but then again most of my thoughts are... inesperado."

"Ray..." Deceit whined slightly as the man laughed again. "I don't speak spanish."

"Perfecto, porque si lo hicieras, no podría decirte que te amo." It was barely a whisper but it sent him racing. Remus carefully set his pencil down forgoing the doodle for now as he looked up at the man across from him. "Dee, do you think I'm mentally unstable?"

"That's a loaded question, Ray." Remus sighed as he looked away in thought. "Do I think you're as stable as say, Logan, no... Then again no one is, not even Roman. But... It's not your fault. You're..."

"Intrusive thoughts." Remus finished for him with a scowl. "That wasn't I asked. I asked if you thought I was unstable not if you thought it was my fault." Deceit didn't even bother trying to meet his gaze when Remus looked back over at him. He kept his head down. "Fine... Then answer this. Do you think I would be too much of a danger to have a family?" Dee's head shot up in shock as Remus glared down at the unfinished picture of a child Roman. "Or to even be an uncle?"

"Is this about earlier? Was that what you were upset about?" Remus growled as he started getting up. He had had enough. "Ray talk to me."

"You're not answering my questions." 

"What do you want me to say?" Deceit was starting to get worried. Remus's eyes were going green again as he clenched his fists tightly at his side. He has NEVER gone after Deceit. That wasn't what he was worried about but getting angry does make it harder for him to tune out the thoughts and he already has such difficulties as it is. 

"How about the truth! Am I that bad of a person? Is Roman right about me?" 

"Ray, I don't know what he said to you. But you know him... He has a temper. Why don't we just go and..." Dee froze up seeing this glow in the window beside him that wasn't there before. It gave him a shiver as if something bad was going to happen but Remus was far to upset to notice it.

"A temper? I didn't do anything to him this time. I just answered a question and he flipped out on me. It's just me..."Remus was in a lot of pain. Pain he had never shared with his brother because he didn't think it mattered. He wasn't even fully aware he was still talking. It had turned into an internal monologue that he was saying out loud. Deceit wasn't listening anymore not that it mattered. He was far to busy staring at the yellowish-green ball of energy hovering just outside the window. "He has a problem with me. What is it about me that he doesn't like?" The ball got bright and brighter scaring Deceit as the window began to crack.

"Ray... Ray, we need to..." The window shattered splintering into millions of pieces as the ball shot right towards the darker creativity. Remus's eyes went wide as he saw it unable to dodge in time only it never hit him. Instead, he found himself holding on to a very weak and shaking snake man. "R-Ray... Are you... ok?"

"Are you?!" Deceit laughed a little as all the strength seemed to leave him, the back of his close singed from where the ball had struck him. "Dee, what... We need to get..."

"N-No." Deceit held tight to Remus's wrists as the man moved to get up. "I'm fine. I'm just tired. Whatever that was seemed to d-drain me."

"Are you sure? I couldn't go get Logan. I could..." Deceit just shook his head trying desperately to calm the man down. The last thing they both needed was Remus snapping. "Ok then... If you're sure. Why don't we get you into bed then so that you can rest?"

"What about you?" Remus smiled brightly hoping it hid how much of a nervous wreck he was.

"I'm good... thanks to you."