"There's no thing I'd keep from you."
Life is Strange
Chapter 11, Part One: Family Matters
Songs of the Chapter:
The Moon Song by Karen O
"Quinn, sweetheart, you have not gotten off your phone since you got here. Who are you talking to?" Quinn's mother, Sylise, asked over her shoulder. She stood by the stove, cooking her daughter's favorite meal: homemade raviolis. The whole kitchen smelled like tomatoes and spices— it was good to be home again. She poured more tomato sauce into the pan, stirring the large spoon around while she waited for Quinn to finish texting.
"Huh?" The young artist mumbled as she looked up from her phone.
Her mother lightly chuckled, patting her hands clean of sauce before she walked over to her. Quinn flipped over her phone when it vibrated on the table. She felt her mother rub her shoulders— Quinn knew her mother was about to make her speak. Her tactic was always to message her or brush her hair to get her to relax. Ever since Quinn cut her hair short, Sylise could only rub her shoulders.
"I asked you who you are messaging so much? Is it a boy?" The older woman snickered. Quinn's eyes flickered over to her noisy phone, silently praying for it to stop.
The young artist had asked her boyfriend to take care of Valor while she visited her mom for a couple days. She was in the process of explaining how to feed the bird without getting bitten but Talon managed to anyway. He sent her of a blurry photo of Valor with his beak around his fingers. The bird was ready to leave their care but Quinn wanted him to say longer just to be sure.
"You're turning red. Now I know it's a boy."
"He's a friend."
"Bologna, Quinn. I'm your mother, don't try and lie to me." Their matching golden eyes glanced to the vibrating phone. With lightning speed, her mother snatched the phone from the table. Quinn, gasping loudly, tried to take it back but froze when Sylise held her phone over the pot of boiling sauce.
"You wouldn't," the young artist whispered as she watched her mother carefully. The way Sylise held the phone with only two fingers made Quinn anxious.
"Who is he?" Sylise smiled mischievously. As Quinn remained silent, her mother loosely dangled the phone over the pot.
"Ugh," she groaned as she took her seat back at the small dinner table. Quinn put her hands over her face while she took a deep breath, "His name is Talon and he's my boyfriend."
"Oh, Talon? He sounds so cool!" Her mother laughed. Two images appeared in Quinn's mind: Talon with a knife opposing the Spider Queen and Talon wrapped up in a blanket with tissues stuffed up his nose.
"He… has his moments." Quinn rubbed her temples.
"How long have you been together?" Sylise asked.
"It's hard to pinpoint exactly where but I'd say a little more than four months. Our first date was in October but I'd say we both started belonging to each other before that." The young artist answered, thinking back to the moment she and Talon settled their differences with a handshake.
"Adorable," her mother chimed while placing her phone back on the table. Quinn quickly picked it up and checked it for any saucey fingerprints. Her phone vibrated again and she read Talon's text.
From: Talon
did you talk to your mom yet?
about you know?
the thing?
Quinn looked up at her mother continuing to cook with a conflicted expression.
Her and Talon came up with an idea for both of their parents to meet. Marcus was already back from his business trip and Quinn's mom wasn't working at the moment. They suggested Snowdown would be the perfect time. However, Quinn was unsure how her mother would react to Talon being a Noxian. Her father was a firm hater of Noxus and she assumed her mother was too since she married him.
Quinn tapped a response.
To: Talon
Not yet.
From: Talon
… come on quinn…
my dad is only here for a couple more days
To: Talon
Trying…
From: Talon
well hurry
bc im outside
bye
To: Talon
WAIT WHAT?!
TALON?!
Quinn looked up from her phone to her mother. Sylise danced while dropping more spices into the pot. The young artist hopped that it was the hot stove making her sweat. Quinn popped her knuckles and cleared her throat while she searched for the will to speak up.
"Uh, mom, there is something I need to tell you about Talon…" Just then, there was a knock at the door. Patting her hands free of food before walking out of the kitchen, Sylise hummed sweetly. Quinn tapped another response to her boyfriend.
To: Talon
I swear to the heavens Talon if that's you at my door I'm going to kill you!
From: Talon
:)
"Quinn!" Her mother called from the front door.
The young artist bolted from the table, down the short hallway, and stopping at the open door. Her eyes narrowed at her Noxian boyfriend casually leaning on the doorframe. Talon gave her a small wave, the cocky look in his amber eyes challenged her. Sylise smiled at her daughter's burning red face.
"What a surprise! Talon came to see you," she giggled.
"Actually, I came to talk something over with the both of you. If you don't mind," he politely asked. Sylise opened the door wider for him, giving him the permission to come in.
"Of course you can! Quinn take him to the kitchen. We can talk while I finish cooking." Her mother said as she closed the door behind Talon. She walked on back to the kitchen, leaving the two teens behind. Quinn waited for her mother to get out of earshot before she smacked Talon's arm.
"Ow!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"Watch," Talon smirked. He followed Sylise back to the kitchen, taking in the smell of the delicious home cooking. Quinn slowly walked in after him, watching him take a seat at the table.
"So what was it you wanted to talk about, Talon?"
"It's actually rather important. It involves you, Quinn, and my own family—"
"Oh no, Quinn…" Sylise flipped around, clutching the blue apron on her chest. "You're not pregnant, are you?"
"W-What? No!" The young artist shouted. Talon, embarrassed, pressed his face into his hands. Sylise ran over to her, touching her daughter's abdomen. She took her child into her arms, cradling her while she wailed.
"Sweetheart, how many times have I told you, if you become intimate with a boy you have to use contraceptives!" Her mother said. She groaned, "Maybe I should have bought you those condoms when we were school shopping. I blame myself."
"Mom, I'm not pregnant! We haven't even..." Quinn stepped away from Sylise. The older woman looked between the two crimson-faced teens, alarm leaving her golden eyes.
"Oh good," Sylise sighed as she took a seat at the dining table and fanned herself. "Sorry if that got a little dramatic. What was it you were going to say, Talon?"
"Well..." the young Noxian looked up from his hands, his gaze avoiding both the females in the room. He took in a deep breath, "Things have become serious between me and Quinn and I thought that it would be appropriate if our families met…"
"What a classy young man you brought home, Quinn." Her mother smiled. The pot on the stove bubbled, making Sylise hop up to switch off the heat. She stirred the food around, "I would love to meet him. When would be the best time?"
"Actually, I invited you both to join our family's Snowdown dinner tomorrow evening." Talon explained, "We always take a dinner to reminisce about the year since it's the only real time my family can sit down together for once."
"It would be an honor," Sylise said over her shoulder while she got bowls out from the top cupboard. She poured the raviolis into them before bringing them to the table. She smiled, "We can talk more about it while we eat. Come sit down, Quinn."
As her mother went back to clear the mess on the stove, Quinn sat beside Talon at the table. Their eyes met momentarily before they embarrassingly looked down at their food. However, Talon did reach over to grasp her hand underneath the table.
The young artist wasn't too surprised that her mother agreed to come over to Talon's home in Noxus. They would have spent Snowdown alone in front of the television, rewatching old holiday movies again. It wasn't that Quinn didn't like spending time with her mother it's just that she knew Sylise deserved better.
Her mother was always alone after the divorce to Quinn's father. She and Sylise lived off the giant checks he sent them. However, it was only a fraction of what he made in Demacia's Capital as a government official. Sylise said her ex-husband always gave what was needed. Quinn knew deep down he wouldn't have sent anything if he didn't feel guilty about leaving them when Caleb died.
Quinn looked out the backseat window towards the Noxian hillsides. The forest was thick around here too. She would love to go exploring before it started to snow.
Quinn admired the large, three-story tall house they pulled up to. She wouldn't even consider it a house it could have been a mansion. The iron gates wrapped in thorned plants opened for Talon's car as he drew closer. Inside she saw four other expensive-looking cars, once she recognized as Katarina's black corvette.
"What a beautiful home," Sylise said as she looked up at the dark stone colored mansion.
"That's what my dad's market got us." Talon grinned as he dashed into a open parking spot in the furthest corner of the driveway. He took a moment before turning off the car. The Noxian turned back to them, "Don't freak out but we have employees that work for us."
"Ah, young Talon!" A well-dressed man said from the front door.
Quinn was sure this older looking gentleman wasn't Talon's father. Marcus had red hair like Katarina while this man had grey hair slicked over his clearly balding head. The man trotted down the steps leading to the house and over to the car. Just then the young artist noticed two women in long black dresses and white aprons hurrying out after him.
"You have a butler and maids?" Quinn asked.
"My mother lived a life more luxurious than the one my dad provides her with…" Talon answered, obviously embarrassed. He popped open his door, "Just treat them like employees, that's what they are paid to do."
"Welcome home, young master!" The two women greeted in unison. He waved to them before turning to the older butler.
"I brought guests with me for tomorrow's dinner. My father doesn't know," he said. "Have you seen him, Walter?"
"Ah yes, your father is up in his study working on his computer. He said something about ordering a new lot to build a new store." Walter tapped his chin as he remembered what Marcus had told him. "It's quite a milestone, wouldn't you say?"
"It is but I need to see him now. Do you think you could help these two ladies inside while I go talk to him?"
"Of course, young master." Walter bowed as Talon hurried past him.
The older man waved to the two maids behind him and then rushed over to open the doors for Quinn and Sylise. As the two Demacians stepped onto the pavement, the two maid grabbed their bags they had packed in the backseat. Talon suggested that they stayed the whole weekend and they packed accordingly.
"We could show you the empty rooms if you'd like miss," one maid said to Quinn.
"Emily, wait for Master Marcus to meet them first. You and Sophie can just place them things inside for now," Walter waved them to the front door. As the two girls made their way up the short stairs with the bags, Walter turned his attention to the confused Demacian and her grinning mother. "Master Marcus should be down in just a few minutes. Let me escort you inside."
Walter walked up the stairs to the large front door. Sylise was eager to follow him into the large mansion but Quinn remained in the driveway. Her golden eyes surveyed the home. It was glorious but it confused her.
How could one little grocery store support all of this? Is Marcus a bank robber who has never been caught? Maybe he's the leader of the Noxian mafia?
Quinn shook her head, ignoring her suspicions. Rubbing her arms warm from the nipping chill, she hurried inside. It was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. A chandelier hung from the ceiling and there was a large staircase in the middle of the room, spreading off in two directions. She couldn't help but admire it all.
She saw her mother chatting with the two young maids, overhearing her say something about Quinn being Talon's girlfriend. They giggled in unison after admitting the Demacian was his romantic interest. Walter, just behind the three women, nodded at Quinn with a smile. The young artist blushed while looking away.
"Ah, so this is the girl?" A deep, proud voice asked from behind the young Demacian.
She turned and saw Talon walking along a man slightly taller than him. He had burning red hair and green eyes with faint wrinkles underneath them. The man smiled widely in her direction before he patted Talon on the back. He leaned over to whisper something in his ear, making the teen groan with a blush. Talon lead him to her while avoiding her eyes.
"Father, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is my father, Marcus." The young Noxian introduced them finally. Marcus reached out to grasp the girl's hand.
"It's nice to meet you," He shook her hand. Quinn looked over his scarred knuckles but nodded with him.
"Yes, Talon says so many good things about you." She added, glancing over to him. He was watching his father and his girlfriend shake hands nervously but remained silent. Footsteps behind Quinn made her turn around.
"And I'm her mother, Sylise." The older woman said, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders.
"Ah, I see where Quinn get her looks," Marcus winked. He looked over at the two maids with luggage in their hands, "Talon says you two are staying for the weekend?"
"U-Uh, if that's okay with you, father!"
"Of course it is! The holidays are meant to spend with the people you love. You do love this girl, right Talon?" Marcus asked. The younger Noxian looked between him and Quinn, his cheeks inflaming slowly. Quinn's gut knotted as she waited for him to speak. He opened his mouth to answer.
"I d—"
"Father!" A shrill voice said from atop of the staircases. All eyes turned to spot a girl with long brown hair and yellow-green eyes glaring down at them. She put her hands on her hips angrily, "Katty took my favorite leather boots again!"
"I'll buy you a new pair, Cassie. Come over here and meet these two beautiful ladies." The older Noxian waved her over.
Quinn heard Talon groan as his younger sister flipped her hair over her shoulder. As she strutted down the stairs, Quinn could tell she wasn't happy to see her or her mother. Her eyes darted up and down Quinn's body, most likely judging her outfit. Quinn was dressed in casual black jeans and a dark blue cardigan while Cassiopeia wore a snakeskin dress with a long fur coat and tall heels, looking as if she was going out.
"Cassie, this is Quinn and her mother Sylise. Quinn is your brother's girlfriend," Marcus explained, pushing his daughter closer to the Demacian so they could shake hands.
"Girlfriend?" Her well-groomed eyebrow cocked up at her, "Why would you ever want to date Talon? He's the worst."
"Like you're any better…" Talon muttered under his breath.
"Oh, let me guess." Cassiopeia smirked as she circled around Quinn, eyes narrowing. She scoffed, "You're pregnant, obviously. Holidays are a great way to break the news."
"Cassie—"
"I guess I'd have to thank you for popping my brother's cherry." The younger Noxian shrugged, "He is always so moody. I guess you banging him could loosen him up."
"Cassiopeia Du Couteau!" Marcus shouted, shaking the entire room. Unfazed, his daughter looked over her shoulder to him. "Go upstairs until you can act kindly towards your brother."
"Don't think so, daddy. I got a date," Cassie popped gum into her mouth before she walked towards the front door. She gave a simple peace sign to everyone, "Later, bitches!"
Quinn glanced over at her boyfriend and saw that he was as red as blood. Noticing her staring, he turned his attention to her. Both of them heard Marcus sigh as he scratched his stubbly chin.
"I apologize for my daughter. She's has been acting out ever since her mother died." The older Noxian explained as he made his way towards the stairs. He waved the group over to him, "You met me. Why not meet her?"
Quinn, unsure of what he meant, stayed behind everyone as they followed Marcus. She heard the sound of a car being started outside and she walked over to the window. Peeking out, she saw Cassie sitting in the front seat of her green sports car. She wiped away black tears and searched her purse for more makeup.
Quinn managed to catch up with the group as they stood at the end of a dark hallway. Marcus held his hand over the doorknob, taking a moment to gather himself. Talon noticed Quinn walking over and she grasped his hand.
"Alright," Marcus said lowly as he opened the door. "This is the room my wife and I shared."
Immediately, Quinn was overwhelmed with the smell of roses. The older Noxian was the first to enter with Sylise and the maids following after him. Walter held the door open for Talon and Quinn. Her golden eyes met a table with a framed portrait of a beautiful woman and a small urn before it. Her hair was a long dark brown and hazel eyes.
"She's gorgeous," Quinn whispered.
"Yes," Marcus smiled. "Her name is Celeste. Celeste Du Couteau."
"May I ask what happened to her?" Sylise asked.
"Mother was diagnosed with heart cancer about a year ago. It only took a couple months for it to eat her alive." Talon started. Quinn could feel his hand trembling. "Grandfather didn't want to assist us in paying for her chemotherapy and she died shortly after."
"Celeste asked to be cremated so she could remain in the home she loved. Her father resents me for my past. It was my fault he was so cruel to my Celeste." Marcus rubbed his forehead before stepping towards the door. "I need to go back to my study. Walter, give these two ladies whatever room they please. I'll see you all at tomorrow's dinner."
They watched Marcus exit the room with head hung lowly.
"It's not surprising that your room is on the top floor, Talon." Quinn joked as she followed him up the last of the stairs. At the end of the thin hallway was a messed up door with multiple posters and warning signs over it. She rolled her eyes, knowing it had to be Talon's room.
"I'm the only one that lives on this level." He explained while pulling keys from his client pocket. Talon unlocked his door before kicking it open. He turned before letting her inside, "It's my own little bird's nest."
Stepping out of Quinn's way, she walked into his bedroom. Curiously, she glanced around at all the posters of various video games. Talon had numerous consoles of different generations stacked on different shelves accompanied by matching games. He had gadgets everywhere including a dance pad that had Ahri's face on it.
"Ahri has a dance game?" Quinn asked while pointing to it.
"It's fun." Talon blushed, "I'll let you try it out."
"I don't think I could even attempt it," she stopped him.
"Yeah," the Noxian shrugged, "You couldn't even come close to my top scores anyway."
"Hey, uh, where is Valor?" Quinn asked while looking around the room for any clue to where her bird could be. Her golden eyes caught the sight of cardboard underneath Talon's bed. She hurried over and carefully pulled it out.
"Wait, no, that's—"
Quinn's face became pale at the sight of a barely clothed woman on the front of a magazine. She had a small bikini that hardly covered her and she was soaking wet. The young artist lifted it up to see others more like it in the box. She slid the box back under his bed.
"Big Busty Bikini Babes? Talon, really? You know ninety-nine percent of those women are fake, right?"
"Father knows how to access our search engine history…" The Noxian covered his face in embarrassment while Quinn got up from the floor. He cleared his throat, "C-Come on… I left Valor in my bathroom."
"What's he doing in there?"
"When I was washing the generous cut he gave me, he swooped in and hid in my shower." Talon explained while he showed his girlfriend his bandaged thumb. He waved her over after stepping out of his room. Just a door away was Talon's bathroom. He stopped before opening it, "I… don't want to go in there."
"Fine, you stay here." Quinn rolled her eyes at his fear of being attacked by Valor again. She opened the door and saw the angry eagle perching on the shower curtain. The Demacian tried coaxing him down with her hands open to him. "Come down, boy. That nasty Noxian won't hurt you!"
"Me hurt him?"
"I bet you haven't ate and that's why you look so grouchy, huh?" Quinn cooed, "Come down and I'll get you some crackers."
Hesitant at first, Valor flew down and perched himself on Quinn' shoulder. She grabbed him in her arms, where he flapped his wings around angrily. Talon entered the bathroom, only making Valor flap more furiously. The Noxian growled at him.
"Hey, settle down before I make Walter turn you into dinner!" He warned the bird. As Talon shook his finger at him, Valor tried to snap. He gasped as he held his hand to his chest, "You little shit!"
"You're just making him mad, Talon!"
"Kids, where are— oh!" Sylise said as she came up from behind them. Her golden eyes glimmered at the young bird in Quinn's arms. She wandered closer to him, "Who is this?"
"Huh? Oh, this is Valor. He's an eagle that I rescued." Quinn answered as she looked down at the bird. To her surprise, Valor stopped fidgeting while he stared back at Sylise.
"May I hold him?" Her mother asked, opening her arms out. Quinn glanced down at her boyfriend's cut up hand, hoping Valor wouldn't do the same to Sylise. She sighed while handing him over to her.
"Watch your fingers. He likes to bite."
"Nonsense," Sylise grinned down at the navy-feathered fledgling as she cradled him like an infant. The two teens were surprised that the bird was letting her hold him so delicately. Sylise giggled as she scratched him under his chin, "He is so precious!"
"I'm surprised he's behaving like that. He's usually really fussy when he's hungry," Quinn watched her bird blink away sleepiness.
"I can feed him!" Sylise volunteered.
"Uh, sure, mom." The Demacian shrugged, "Are you sure he won't be too much trouble?"
"Sweetheart, I've had two kids. Twins to be more specific. Caring for a baby bird should be easy as cherry pie." Her mother hummed while she exited Talon's bathroom. The two teens watched her walk down the hall and stairs as she patted Valor.
"Please tell me you just witnessed all of that?" The Noxian blinked as Sylise disappeared from sight.
"I did. But I trust my mother with Valor," Quinn sighed while she stepped out of the bathroom. She let Talon join her before she continued on to his bedroom, "Caleb and I were … a handful growing up. I remember him swallowing a whole rock because he thought it was candy. Mother spent a few good hours with him in the bathroom..."
"Children are the worst," Talon said disgustedly.
"I wouldn't mind having one or two." The Demacian smiled. Both of them looked over at each other, blushes creeping over their cheeks when thoughts appeared in their head. Talon faked clearing his throat to make noise between them.
"So, uh, we have nothing planned until tomorrow evening. Want to do anything with me?" He asked while closing his bedroom door behind them. Noticing how vague his words were, he hurried over to his shelves full of games. He picked out a multiplayer fighter, "We could play this?"
"Oh, that is an old game we had. I'd love to play," she grinned.
"Alright, let me set up the console." Talon mumbled while he unplugged various things from outlets.
With his back turned, Quinn decided to get another look around her boyfriend's room. A picture in a frame caught her eye. She walked over to get a better look. It was a professionally taken portrait of him and his family. She could tell it was taken years ago since Marcus had less wrinkles and Katarina's and Talon's hair were a lot shorter. She noticed that Celeste was holding Cassie in her arms, making Quinn's mind wander.
"Cassiopeia was very close to your mother wasn't she?" She asked. Quinn smiled as she noticed that Cassie and her mother looked very similar and they were even dressed the same in the photo.
"Yeah," he replied. Talon flipped on a few switches until the nostalgic title screen appeared on his television. He sighed as he looked around for controllers, "They were inseparable considering she was a miracle baby. Mother thought she couldn't have kids after Kat so they adopted me."
"Celeste is similar to celestial isn't it? That's why Cassie is named Cassiopeia, right?"
"I suppose," Talon shrugged while sitting on the plush carpet. He quickly pressed buttons and got into the character select screen. His amber eyes dully looked around for someone to play as.
"I'm not being too invasive, am I?" Quinn asked again, taking a seat next to him. She took a seat beside him, taking a controller for herself. Not surprisingly, she chose the character that had bird-like qualities.
"Not at all. You tell me everything, why should I keep anything from you? Don't worry, you could never be too invasive with me." Talon assured her. He smirked while their characters loaded into the battle stage, "I promise not to go too—"
Talon gasped as Quinn mercilessly pummeled his character into the ground before tossing it off stage, earning herself a point.
"Sorry, what?"
"Now you've made me mad, Demacian."
Notes: Okay, we have some problems... Sylise doesn't know Talon and his family are Noxian. Quinn isn't sure if Marcus really is just a business. Cassie is out of control. How will we resolve these problems? Next chapter of course :)
Also, if you are wondering where the names Sylise and Celeste came from... Sylise is my main character in World of Warcraft. Celeste is just a beautiful name. Cassiopeia is the name of a star constellation so a name meaning "celestial" just fit perfectly.
See you next chapter!
