Allistor Kirkland was a man of high fortune. That comes with being valedictorian from preschool all the way through college. He was naturally gifted with the gift of knowledge, and bestowed with the strength to bring out the envy of gold-medal Olympians. He climbed the corporate ladder with ease, beginning as a lowly secretary to the dull cubicle all the way to becoming the wealthy boss of thousands of loyal workers.

He had it all, it was hard to ever fathom that he didn't. The heaps of money lying in wait in the safety of the bank, the lavish house that wasn't too flashy nor was it too much of an eyesore, and especially the women throwing themselves at his feet.

Let's not forget that he is now the proud guardian of four unfortunate children!

Unfortunately, Allistor's dear parents parted from this earth in a horrific car crash that burned them to the grave-which wasn't any of the Kirkland's bidding. Allistor learned of the incident after work one fateful day, receiving an ominous phone call that had him hustling to both the police station and the hospital. Not a single crystal blue tear was shed that day, not when the news was presented, nor when he identified the bodies in the frigid hospital, neither when he spoke of his childhood at his parent's funeral, especially not when he was signed over the custody of his four younger siblings.

Prior to then, Allistor rarely visited his childhood home-so open first glance of his siblings, he barely recognized them as his siblings. The orange-haired twins were blubbering toddlers when he took off for college-and the brunette and blonde sibling of his he last saw when they were newborns. (The Kirkland parents were teenagers when Allistor was brought into the world. Yet, they waited until everything was financially stable before reproducing multitudes of times.) Their names-being in order from eldest to the youngest-were Patrick, Cormac, Dylan, and Arthur.

Those children were going to die in Allistor's care. Pity, those poor things never got to experience life first hand.

After the painfully awkward ride to their new home was over, Allistor entered his lodging first with his sibling's luggage hanging from a strap that was over his shoulder. (The rest of their belongings bumping around in a moving truck miles upon miles away.) The twins, Patrick and Cormac as their names happened to be, were the most uncomfortable in this predicament. They stood side to side as their gaze shifted from a dully colored wall to a dully colored wall. The toddlers, Dylan and Arthur-being separated by a mere eleven months-did what they always do best, remain quiet and complain later on during the stay.

Dylan stood on the tips of his toes to tap Patrick's shoulder as he and Arthur walked behind the twins. "Are we stayin' here…?" He asked, voice in a hushed tone. "Forever…?"

Arthur joined in the pity party, standing in between the twins as they climbed up the oak steps to the second floor of their new residence-Allistor far ahead of them and already having selected the guest rooms his siblings can inhabit. "Forever…" Arthur mimicked, emerald eyes as wide as saucers. "I don't wanna stay!" Little Arthur cried, stomping his foot down on top of the stairs, not comprehending the fact that yes their parents are dearly departed, and this wasn't a sleepover scenario. "I don't like it!"

The eight-year old twins simultaneously turned their heads down in order to scrunch up their youthful faces at their youngest brother. "We don't like it too." They said in unison before they turned their attention back in front of them-seeing that Allistor was approaching them.

"Oi, come on." The elder man stated, accent thick enough to incline Dylan to tilt his head and await the second coming of that phrase. Yet, the junior party continued on before Dylan could comprehend what was just spoken.]

Allistor lead his siblings down to an area at the end of the hallway.

Where three doors lied in a triangle formation. Allistor's room was obviously the point, while the twins had one of the side points and ditto for the remaining two youngsters-yet they were opposite to the latter. "Yer luggage is in yer rooms." Allistor stated with absolutely no indication of emotion in his vocals, he looked at his brothers with void eyes expecting them to remain in their rooms for the remainder of night. Catching the subtle hints, Patrick and Cormac hustled into their rooms-eyes casted down at their vigorously shuffling feet. However, poor Dylan and Arthur lingered behind for a hot second. Staring up at their eldest brother with a combination of wide turquoise and emerald eyes

"Are we goin' to bed?" Dylan asked.

"Can you read us a bedtime story?" Arthur piped up.

Allistor pinched the bridge of his nose accompanied by a prolonged sigh. "Nae, I'm busy." He said, actually being honest with the two children before him, as he began to stride past his two brothers and into his home office down the hallway.

The two youngsters blinked rapidly while witnessing their red-headed brother depart. "Uh..." Dylan hummed, clasping onto Arthur's hand before they entered their own fresh and vibrant room. There were some difficulties flipping the light switch on-with Arthur climbing up onto Dylan's shoulders in order to use his pudgy hand to flip the switch towards the ceiling. The light rained down onto a room decorated with different shades of the same color. Cream colored walls with a few scuffs here and there, a queen sized bed decorated in a white comforter and matching sheets, alongside beige colored curtains concealing the inky blue night sky outside. Dylan and Arthur tightened their hold on one another as their eyes darted from each other to the objects scattered about the room.

"I can't go to sleep without no bedtime story…" Arthur whined. "...Flying Mint Bunny was put in a box…" At that point he sounded as if he was a kicked puppy.

"Big bros can tell us a story!" Dylan exclaimed, attempting to lift both his and Arthur's spirits from the series of unfortunate events occurring lately.

With that in mind, Arthur switched off the lights-in the same manner as to how he flipped it on-and the small duo ventured to the room across from theirs, their feet resonating light padding sounds against the wood beneath their feet. "Pst!" Dylan let out, after they cracked open the painted white door and popped their heads into the dark room. "Big bros?"

Two orange-haired boys sprang up from their previous position in the bed, pushing the heavy comforter down to their waists. "Wot?" Cormac called out as the little duo entered and closed the door behind them.

"Bed time story!"

"Flying Mint Bunny…"

"Oh…"

"Come in."
The little things shuffled to the large bed, and were hoisted onto the plush surface by both Patrick and Cormac, respectively. The little duo placed themselves in between their older brothers as those two lifted the comforter and sheets over their tired heads. They were enveloped in absolute darkness, however, Cormac and Patrick could feel Dylan's and Arthur's gaze piercing through them.

"How 'bout King Arthur tonight?" Cormac announced, with the other siblings-excluding the unhappy Patrick-cheered with joy.


Allistor succumbed to slumber while he tackled the mountain of paperwork that resided on top of his mahogany desk. Once semi-conscious, he rubbed his heavy eyelids with the heels of his calloused hands-in an attempt to rub away the drowsiness clouding his eyes. He pushed his black leather swivel chair away from his fancy desk in order to rise himself up onto his feet, stretching his back when he was standing. He stifled a yaen as he exited his home office, nearly descending down the stairs before he remembered the four souls currently naming his home their home as well. So, he traveled down the hallway to the triangle of rooms at the dead end.

He decided to take a hastened peak into Dylan and Arthur's assigned room. Yet those two sods were absent from the room...and everything appeared as if it was left untouched from the night prior. Knitting his brows in confusion, Allistor crossed the hall to Patrick and Cormac's room. Luckily, he saw that the room was indeed occupied this time. Since there were four separate spots on the bed where their was a rise before a fall.

Allistor felt his lips begin to twitch up into an awkward smile, yet, he managed to suppress that motion before he embarrassed himself. And he simply left his siblings to their peaceful slumber to go brew himself some much needed coffee.

This new arrangement would certainly take some time to get used to...


If proven successful, this will become a series of loosely connected one-shots. Similar to James Joyce's Dubliners, going from certain points in the younger Kirkland's lives until they all move out.

So, I'd love to hear if I should continue this or not!