The next day, travel was silent for Charon's group.
After all, Oblivion and Demi were still guilty about their episode from yesterday, and it left everyone else awkwardly quiet.
"…oh c'mon guys, start a conversation or something," Vanessa sighed, finally breaking the silence.
"...about what, mom?" Jack said with a sigh.
"Oh I don't know," Vanessa replied. "The flowers? The fresh air? Things someone might be interested in talking about?" she suggested, and then sighed again. "I'm sorry…I just can't take the silence…"
"...but... everyone else is being quiet, mom..." Jack murmured.
"I just don't think there should be a reason everyone needs to be so quiet, that's all!" Vanessa spoke.
"...o-okay, mom..." Jack uttered.
"I mean, let's sing a song! Talk about life! That sort of thing!" Vanessa tried to look cheerful…
…but it came off as more awkward.
And, in turn, it was answered with silence.
"...I'm hungry." Kiri eventually spoke.
"…yeah, I'm getting hungry too," Milo said.
"Same here!" Striker called from his jetpack. "And I'm sure you're really hungry too, right Charon?"
"...hm." Charon simply nodded.
"Then it's settled!" Vanessa said. "Let's land somewhere and eat! I've got enough money for lunch out today!"
"Alright!" Jack called out.
So, the group landed, and they found a burger joint. Charon had to make sure to land out of hiding, and once Vanessa got the food, she personally went to give Charon his, since he needed a lot of food for the big guy he is.
That left the rest of them to sit at the picnic tables outside of the restaurant.
"Oh boy; these burgers are great!" Striker exclaimed, wolfing his down.
"No kidding!" Jack laughed, as he munched on his as well.
Kiri and Demi ate their food in silence. Oblivion and Diablo also ate in silence.
Snap just looked at them, especially Demi and Oblivion. …when will those two stop feeling so guilty? He wondered in his thought processors…
Milo sighed, finished her burger. "…I still miss the burgers at the pub."
"Yeah, those were even better!" Striker laughed. "Considering that Ani made them!"
Ani smiled. "Aw, you guys don't have to say that…"
"But it's true!" Striker said, smiling at Ani.
"Yeah; you make the best burgers, Ani!" Jack laughed.
Kiri simply nodded. "Mhm!"
Ani laughed at that. "…thanks…"
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
There was a gang of Mobian teenagers standing there, looking at them.
Everyone glanced at them.
"...who're they?" Kiri uttered.
"Dunno…" Ani answered.
"I hope you guys know that this is our table!" One of the Mobian teenagers said, presumably the leader of their gang. "So book it!"
"Hey, we're just traveling by; we don't even live around here," Milo told them. "It's not like we're gonna sit here again, so just deal with it, okay?"
Then one of them grabbed Milo in a headlock.
"H-HEY!" He uttered in surprise.
Quickly, both Jack and Demi rose from their seats; glaring at that teenager. "You let him go!" Demi quickly said.
"Get out of our seats and maybe we'll let you off easy!" the leader said. "We make sure that nobody ever takes our territory! No matter who they are!"
"...let him go." Jack suddenly uttered.
"Oh, and what are you going to do about it, pansy-ass?" The one with Milo in the headlock said. "You gonna get your mommy to make us stop?"
Striker, Milo, Ani and Snap; all four of them gulped when they heard that.
"...nope." Jack scoffed. "I'm gonna beat the crap out of you."
And with a swift movement, Jack suddenly aimed a kick between the leader's legs.
"WAH?" The leader fell, not anticipating that.
The other teenagers went to attack Jack.
However, without even batting an eyelid, Jack easily avoided their attacks, before fiercely slamming his fists into them. Each of them got knocked away painfully…
"You wouldn't punch your friend, would you?" Uttered the one that was holding Milo now as a meat shield.
Jack simply gave that one a glare...
...and without even batting an eyelid, knocked him over the head; bypassing the problem of Milo being held there entirely.
"AGH!" he fell over on the ground. "Damn! He's strong!" he whimpered.
"...you know it." Jack scoffed, as he cracked his neck. "...now go on and get out of here, before I decide to beat you up more."
He got to his feet and all of the teenagers scrambled away.
Milo rubbed his neck, looking at Jack. "…thanks."
Jack didn't respond... until he shook his head. "...where'd those teenagers go?" he uttered.
"…they poofed like magic!" Milo quickly responded, knowing Jack would buy it.
"...poofed?" Jack blinked... and then he nodded. "Right, poofed! That makes perfect sense!"
Demi just gawked at this. ...wha... what was that all about?
"…just roll with it…" Ani whispered to Demi.
Milo laughed a little bit…and stopped.
Turning around…
Vanessa was standing there.
Everyone glanced towards where Vanessa stood; including Jack, who seemed completely oblivious. "Hey, mom! Guess what? Some teenagers just poofed away!"
Vanessa was standing there very quietly, just looking at them.
"…uh…Vanessa…?" Striker uttered.
"…Oh really?" Vanessa spoke, smiling a little. "They poofed away Jack?"
"Yeah! They just went poof!" Jack laughed.
"Well…I'm glad you enjoyed them going poof," Vanessa said. "Charon's all done with lunch, so whenever you kids are ready, I'll be with him." And she turned to walk.
Milo looked fearfully at her. …did she…see what just happened…?
The same went for the others, except for Jack, who just grinned. "Man, I can't believe they just went poof!" he laughed.
"…let's…finish our lunch," Oblivion finally suggested.
"...yeah..." Kiri nodded.
So they finished their lunch… and went back to Charon, who was hiding in the park in the middle of town.
"...you guys done?" Charon hummed.
"Just about!" Jack laughed obliviously.
"Well, that's good," Vanessa just looked…strangely perky. Sure, she was perky all the time but…it didn't seem quite entirely genuine…
…and it crept Milo out the most because he could see her spirit pulsating in a vague way.
"...we should head off, then." Kiri hummed.
"Alrighty then!" Striker started up Snap in jetpack mode.
And as Demi spread his wings, he glanced to the side... and his eyes widened. ...hn?
Milo noticed Demi's spirit twitch extremely, and he looked at Demi. "What is it Demi?"
Oblivion watched him run off. "…Demi…?" She was very quiet, murmuring under her breath.
"…we should follow him!" And Milo took off after him too.
"...right!" Jack quickly ran after him; with Kiri following.
"...hrm..." Charon hummed at that.
Even Oblivion started to follow where Demi ran too.
"…I'll stay here," Vanessa said.
"...me too." Charon hummed.
As Demi ran, he narrowed his eyes. ...I saw... no, could it really have been... but... she's...!
Milo managed to catch up with him. "What is it Demi?" he repeated curiously.
"...I saw someone..." Demi uttered. "...someone... I haven't seen in a long time..."
"Oh?" And they were heading toward a broken down looking house for some reason.
Demi narrowed his eyes, as he ran for that house. The others like Ani, Striker (with Snap still attached to him), Oblivion and Kiri were running after them and the same house, wondering why Demi was heading there.
Without even thinking to stop, Demi burst into the building.
"WHOA!" That surprised the one that had just entered the house, and the surprise of the door slamming open like that caused a figure to jump in front of the first one.
"Don't move!" And that second figure held up at gun at them.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Ani uttered, waving her hands. "Don't shoot!"
"Ah! She's got a gun!" Jack sputtered.
Kiri quickly hid behind Striker for protection.
Demi, however, remained calm, as he looked past the other person. "...it's... really you..."
"And…hey…" Striker blinked. "…you look like…"
"…let me guess…Lock the Sniper?"
The figure with the gun stood up. She was a tall figure with a hat that was tipped down in front of their face to hide their identity. There was a long purple braid that hung down from their back, and they wore a buttoned up trench coat.
Though really, the one that Demi was looking at was the one behind her; a Mobian bat, which shared some of Demi's features but she was a black bat, and she looked at the kids in surprise.
"...Lock?" Jack uttered. "...wait... Lock's really a girl?" Jack sputtered in surprise.
Ani just smacked her forehead. "Jack! She's probably just related to him!"
"…you're right," the woman spoke. "I'm his mother…"
"...his mother...?" Kiri uttered.
"...Lock has a mom?" Jack sputtered once more.
"Of course Jack; everyone has to have a mom," Milo replied.
Still, Demi just looked at the other bat. "...a... mom..." Demi uttered, as he slowly stepped forward.
"…what's going on with you Demi?" Striker asked. "Are you okay?"
Just then, Milo looked at the bat. …maybe…he recognizes her?
Demi didn't answer; instead, he approached the bat.
The bat backed away from him awkwardly. "…so…you're called Demi…? Um…is something wrong?"
"...don't you recognize me?" Demi uttered, as he gently took the bat's hand. "...it's me... remember?"
The bat pulled her hand away from Demi, feeling even more awkward, and she shook her head. "..but…I don't…"
The woman who was Lock's mom kept watching this with interest.
"...you don't..." Demi uttered. "...but... how could you not? How could you not remember me... mother?"
The bat blinked in shock. "…mother…? …what?"
"…it could be a possibility, Catherine," Lock's mom said.
The bat glared at her. "Do you think I'd forget having a child?"
"You don't remember anything at all from your accident, so calm down," Lock's mother said.
Demi's eyes widened. "...accident... that one where we thought that you..."
"...what's going on...?" Jack whispered to Milo. "The bat's Demi's mom...?"
"…that seems to be what Demi thinks…" Milo whispered back to him.
Lock's mother looked at Demi. "…so…you had an accident in your past as well?"
"But what if he's an imposter that wants to hurt me? And he's pretending to be someone I know?" the bat, Catherine, spoke.
"Look, you're lucky enough that we were able to find out your first name," Lock's mother sighed. "So please, let's just talk here."
Demi simply looked at Catherine in disbelief. "...I... I don't get it... dad never foresaw you surviving... he thought that you..."
"Foresaw?" Catherine uttered. "Your father is a fortune teller? Am I married to a fortune teller?"
"...w-well... yeah..." Demi uttered. "...his name... it's Bismark. Don't you remember Bismark? Or Odium? Your daughter, Odium?"
"…a daughter too?" Catherine uttered. "…kid, what's your last name? If I'm married to this…Bismark whatever, then, what's the last name I took from him?"
"Novagod," Ani answered.
Catherine gawked at her, and then at Demi. "…n…no…I…I can't be married to the Novagod family… no… not to those freaks everyone says they are!"
"...b-but mother..." Demi uttered. "...you... you were the one who first approached father to begin with..."
"…whah?" Catherine was utterly baffled now.
"…maybe…you should come back later," Lock's mother said.
"No! No, we can help here!" Milo uttered.
"Yeah, we know Lock, so you can trust us!" Striker said.
Lock's mother looked suspiciously at the group. "If you really know Lock…then what's his favorite color?"
Everyone blinked at that.
"...favorite... color?" Jack blinked.
"Uh…" Striker scratched his head.
Ani gulped. …oh no…we never really got to know Lock…how are we supposed to know his favorite color?
Milo's memory suddenly jolted. He remembered Sage reading Lock's mind a long, long time ago, saying his favorite color as proof that she could read minds. The only reason the other boys didn't know was because it was a trip that only he and Ani went on years ago, but he doubt that Ani actually remembered a detail like that.
"Blue!" He said. "Lock's favorite color is blue!"
Lock's mother blinked, looking at him. "…well now…I suppose you do know him…"
"...we do?" Jack uttered, before shaking his head. "I mean, we do, yeah!"
"Jack!" Ani snapped. "Now she's gonna think that was just a lucky guess!"
"No, don't worry," Lock's mother said. "My son never really opens up to anyone, even those who know him really well, so the fact you know his favorite color means something." She looked at Milo. "And you are pretty honest looking folk, so I believe you."
"Then why did you ask about Lock?" Milo asked.
"Habit of being careful," Lock's mother said. "My name is Violet."
"...Violet..." Kiri hummed. "...nice to meet you."
Catherine just looked at all of them. "…I just don't know…" she muttered, walking away.
Violet looked back at her. Demi simply looked at Catherine with a look of dismay.
Oblivion had been quietly thinking about all of this in the meantime.
"...how long has it been since you found her, Miss Violet?" Kiri inquired curiously.
"Five years ago was when her case was given to me," Violet said. "They said she recovered from a really bad accident, but suffered from some brain damage, which caused her memory loss. Just recently she started to remember her first name…"
"...five years... that was when she went missing..." Demi murmured.
"…so you're her son?" Violet asked Demi.
Demi nodded.
"…hm…" Violet looked back at where Catherine went. "…and family members being present didn't jog her memory any faster…"
"...no..." Demi murmured.
"…perhaps…I could help?"
Everyone's attention went toward Oblivion then.
"...how so?" Jack uttered curiously.
"…I could talk with her…even maybe help her try to remember," Oblivion spoke.
"Sorry, but we've tried everything we could to get her memory back," Violet said. "It'll just have to come back on it's own in due time."
Milo realized what Oblivion was going to do. "But you don't understand Violet; Oblivion specializes in this kind of thing…she has a gift that can probably really help Catherine."
Demi blinked, before he looked at Oblivion. "...really...?"
"…don't you remember, Demi?" Oblivion spoke. "I was able to experience your own memories years ago at Safe Haven…and so far, I've only erased memories…but I haven't yet tried to see if I could bring them back…if she was able to start remembering her name, then that doesn't mean the memories are gone…it just means they were blocked off by the damage she might have experienced."
Violet raised her hat up to show her face. She didn't have a large canine like Lock did, and she had long bangs that hung in front of her eyes. "…are you telling me that you have…magic powers to do this stuff?" she asked curiously.
"...Oblivion somehow knows how to work with memories." Jack noted.
"…well…you can give it a shot," Violet murmured. "But I'm warning you that she feels a bit…bitter about the whole thing."
Oblivion looked at her in surprise. "…bitter…?"
"…she feels like whatever family she had, abandoned her after the accident," Violet spoke. "…it could be a possibility that she has a hard time wanting to remember, and that could be what's slowing down her progress…either way, I would tread cautiously if you were to talk to her."
Demi glanced to the side with a guilty look. "...bitter, huh..."
Oblivion nodded, and went down the hall.
Violet looked at Demi. "You should go with her to make sure it happens." Demi nodded slightly, before he followed Oblivion.
The two of them went to the room Catherine went into, where she was sitting on the couch with her face covered by her hands.
"…Catherine…?" Oblivion muttered.
"What?" She shot a glare up at them, and it startled Oblivion. It startled Demi as well.
"We…just want to talk to you," Oblivion managed to compose herself a little.
"And tell me more ridiculous stuff that I supposedly don't remember?" Catherine growled. "Like maybe I'm from a circus too?"
"...Catherine..." Demi uttered.
"…there's no need to be angry about this," Oblivion tried to talk to her calmly. "…they didn't look for you…because, well, they thought you were dead…"
"Shouldn't they have made sure of that, though?" Catherine kept speaking. "If my body would've been missing from the wreckage, I'm sure they would've tried to at least find the body to confirm whether or not I was dead!"
"...but we did!" Demi uttered. "Me and father... we searched for you for so long, but... we never found anything..."
"Why? Why didn't you have tried harder then? I was left all alone for 5 years! I actually couldn't afford to be in hospital because I didn't even know who I was!" Catherine looked almost in tears.
"Th-that's..." Demi uttered; looking on the verge of tears as well. "...mother, we tried our very hardest! We scoured everywhere we could find, but we found nothing! Me, father and Odium... all we could ever have wanted was to find at least something that could lead us to you... but we just didn't find anything!"
Oblivion didn't want to see this mess, and she especially didn't want to see Demi crying.
"…the only one who helped me out was Violet…" Catherine uttered, covering her face again. "…if I start remembering everything again, then I'd have to leave her…and she's the only friend I've ever had."
"That's not true," Oblivion said, coming over and sitting by her. "You won't have to leave when you remember everything…" Demi slowly sat by Catherine as well.
"…but…but what if I'm a really horrible person?" Catherine uttered. "…if I'm married to the Novagod family…I must be horrible…what if…someone caused the accident to try and get rid of me? What if the family I was married to caused that accident to get rid of me?"
"...mother..." At that point, Demi hugged her. "...you're not a horrible person... you're one of the most caring souls I've ever known..."
She jumped when Demi hugged her, but she didn't push him away this time.
"...you managed to see past father's deformities... and you actually showed him genuine affection..." Demi uttered; gritting his teeth a little. "...you're far from a horrible person, mother... please, don't think things like that..."
"…I'm…like that…?" Catherine murmured.
Demi nodded.
"…what else…am I like?" she asked.
"...you're... gentle, and... so very friendly... never losing your smile..." Demi uttered.
"…really…?" Catherine murmured. "…I'm all that…and still married to the Novagod family?"
"...yes..." Demi nodded.
"…Catherine," Oblivion spoke, getting a look from the black bat. "…I think I can help restore your memories…but you'll have to trust me…and, I won't try unless you want me to."
Catherine blinked at that, and then looked away thoughtfully. Demi glanced at her.
"…well…I don't know…" Catherine murmured.
Oblivion looked at her hands sadly. "…please let me try at least…I really do just want to help…"
"...mother..." Demi uttered. "...let her try..."
"…alight…" Catherine gave in, looking at Oblivion. "…but…I just don't know if whatever you have in mind will work…"
Oblivion looked back up at her, holding out her hand. "Take my hand." Catherine did so, and Oblivion placed her other hand on her head, to Catherine's confusion. "I'll need you to relax, Catherine," Oblivion instructed her.
Catherine just gave her a weird look… but eventually, she closed her eyes and took a breath.
Demi simply watched this.
"…now…most would think to retrace their steps backwards in their memories," Oblivion said. "…but…it would make more sense to bring back your long term memory, which could explain all your short term memories…"
"…like what long term memories?" Catherine murmured.
"…maybe when you met your husband," Oblivion said. "…there! Yes, they're still there…but they're blocked off by the damages done to your mind…"
Demi still watched this in silence.
"…so, what will happen now?" Catherine asked.
"…I will see if I can at least clear up the damage done there that blocks off your memories…" Oblivion spoke, concentrating hard enough that her hands started to glow. "…and once I get to them, I'll experience whatever you experience…"
Demi kept watching this in intrigue.
There was a long period of silence after this…
…then suddenly, Oblivion gasped.
She saw Catherine being driven up to a large mansion one afternoon, and the rain was pouring hard. She had been escorted here by the limousine driver of the owner of the manor, since she was hired to be the housekeeper…and more so, the caretaker of the owner of the dreary looking manor. The driver warned her that the lordship was cold, and reclusive, as well as…snappy every now and then, telling her it was best to follow whatever instructions he may have without question.
Oblivion could feel the uneasiness from Catherine while they drove up and parked. The driver came out with an umbrella and opened the door for her, leading her through the rain under his umbrella to the front doors. Inside, the mansion was as expensive looking and decorative as Catherine could imagine.
It all just looked so…gloomy….though…and as decorative as things were, there was dust and scratches and other little messes here and there.
"I will lead you to the Lordship's study, where he spends most of his time," the driver said, putting away the umbrella in the closet. "If you would follow me…"
Catherine did so, following him down endless halls until they got to one particular looking door. "…once again, I must warn you that you should not approach the study unless there is something of absolute importance you must ask him," the driver told her. "Also…if he is not in his study, never go in there by yourself."
Catherine nodded. With as scary as he sounded, she would be sure to obey these warnings.
The driver knocked on the door. "My Lord, your new house and caretaker has arrived."
"...send her in."
The driver opened the door. "Since I do not have permission, you will have to go in alone. Don't worry, though, because he means no harm toward you."
Catherine looked worriedly at the driver, and slowly stepped in with the driver closing the door behind her. She stepped into the massive study, with numerous books everywhere…
...and someone sitting by a desk; writing something. "...name?"
"M-My name is…Catherine, sir," she answered shakily. "Catherine Gardener."
"...Catherine Gardener..." With a hum, the one in the chair slowly turned around to look at her. "...I am Bismark Novagod."
Catherine stared back at him in silence, because of how he looked.His entire face, save for his eyes, was bandaged; leaving his piercing gaze to just look right at her. "...you do know what you're here for?" he hummed.
"…to…um…" Catherine was drawing a nervous blank for a moment. "…I'm here to clean up around the manor, and make sure you are well…so…is there any preference on how I address you…um sir?"
"...sir will do." Bismark noted dryly.
"…right…" Catherine nodded.
"...hm." With that, Bismark turned back towards his desk. "...you may begin. I have work to do..."
"…yes sir…" Catherine said, walking toward the door.
"...hrm..." she heard Bismark murmur. "...three days of solid work... still nothing strikes me..."
She looked back at him, but wanted to hurry out the door before Bismark would question what was keeping her.
Catherine's eyes widened. "…when I first came to that mansion…it was hard work getting everything cleaned and fixed up…and he was so frightening sometimes…but even then, because I had nowhere else to go to, he let me live there while I worked my fingers to the bone…sometimes I even got frustrated with him, but I just reminded myself that he at least gave me food and a place to stay…"
Demi looked at her in awe. "...mother..."
"And sometimes I'd wonder what he'd do in that study all day…" she uttered. "…the first few weeks of living there were pretty hard, but the longer I stayed there, the less afraid I got of him…and even he softened up a little bit, but not too much…"
"…then…that happened…"
She was in the kitchen, preparing something for dinner that evening.And then, in that instant, she heard someone a series of pained cries and rapid thumping; as if someone just fell down a flight of stairs. Catherine gasped and immediately dropped was she was doing, running to where she heard the noise.When she arrived, she saw that Bismark was lying right in front of the stairs; grunting in pain as he tried pushing himself onto his feet.
"S-sir!" She rushed to Bismark and she helped him up carefully. "Did you just fall down the stairs?"
"Ngh... n-none of your business...!" Bismark growled, before he winced in pain.
"…You look hurt," She muttered. "I'm going to put you to a bed…" And she helped him down the hall.Bismark simply grunted, as he couldn't keep her from taking him down the hall. She took him to the closest room with a bed, which happened to be her room. There was barely anything in the room, except a bed and a dresser for the few clothes she has.
She carefully placed Bismark on her bed."...ngh..." Bismark winced as she placed him on her bed.
"…c-can you move anything?" Catherine asked worriedly.
"...argh..." Grunting, Bismark tried moving his arms... but to no avail. "...broken bones... just great..."
"…I'm going to call a doctor, Sir," she said, picking up the phone on the wall in her room.
"...ugh..." Bismark groaned.
Oblivion saw the whole thing, where the doctors came in and put casts on Bismarks arms, though when they questioned the bandages on his face, Catherine hurriedly urged them not to worry about that, and eventually they left it alone. The doctors then told Catherine the estimated time that the bones would heal, and that Bismark could not move his arms until then. Also, he had really done some damage to his back, so he had to stay in bed and could not bend very much either…
Once they all left, Catherine looked at Bismark worriedly.
"...perfect... now I can't even work..." Bismark sighed. "...just great..."
"…Sir…" Catherine spoke up. "…do you still wish to eat dinner?"
"...I... suppose..." he murmured.
Catherine nodded. "…you'll be in my bed for a while, so I will sleep on the floor in here to make sure you heal," and with that, she headed toward the door.
He simply watched her leave. "...taking the floor... hmph."
She stopped. "…is…something wrong, sir?"
"...the floor's cold and hard." Bismark pointed out. "If you sleep there while making sure that I recover, you're going to end up in worse shape than me."
"…I'll be alright," Catherine said. "I just want to make sure that you recover, so, I don't mind sleeping on the floor."
"...so you're going to continue doing your chores, even if you get sick because of it?" Bismark noted. "I would at least recommend that you find a larger chair and a blanket."
"…if you insist, sir," Catherine replied.
Bismark hummed. "...now that I'm bedridden, being called sir doesn't seem to fit..." he mused, as he closed his eyes. "...call me Bismark, for now..."
Catherine blinked in surprise. "…are you…sure?"
"...positive..." Bismark hummed.
"…alright then…Bismark…" Catherine felt so strange saying that, but she wasn't…scared. With that, she walked out of the room.
Her memories skipped ahead to a few weeks later one evening, where Bismark was still bedridden but he had gotten much better. Catherine was just cleaning up the dishes from the evening's meal when she glanced over at Bismark who was sound asleep that moment. She stood there for a long time, looking at him, and Oblivion could tell that Catherine felt strange while looking at him. It was a familiar feeling for Oblivion, so she knew what Catherine started to feel when she watched him sleep.
Slowly, she set the dishes down and sat on the bed beside him. Catherine really wasn't sure why she started to do this, but she reached toward his face with a hand, and brushed away some of his bangs softly.Bismark simply turned a little in his sleep.
"…you'll get better soon…" she whispered. "…and you'll be able to finish your work again…so…at least you'll be happy to be in your study again…"
After that, she got back up, and picked up the dishes, taking another glance at Bismark. He turned a bit in his sleep once more.
She smiled a little. "…rest easy, Bismark…" and she headed for the door.
"...nh..." Stirring a bit, Bismark's eyes slowly opened.
Catherine stopped when she heard him, and looked. "…oh, I'm sorry…did I wake you?" she whispered.
"...hrm..." With a slight yawn, Bismark slowly sat up. "...what time is it...?"
"…it's pretty late," Catherine replied, "close to 10."
Bismark slowly glanced at her. "...still awake at this hour...?"
"Just taking care of your dishes is all," Catherine said.
"...I see..." Bismark hummed, as he glanced towards the window. "...it's getting pretty late... perhaps you should go to bed, Catherine?"
"I'll go wash these, and then I'll head to bed," Catherine got that strange feeling again when she heard Bismark say her name, but she hid it well.
"...take care, then." Bismark hummed.
Catherine nodded and opened the door, leaving.
"…the next day the doctors came and they said he had made a full recovery…" Catherine continued. "So he was free to walk now…and I just went back to doing my chores…but ever since then…he's started talking to me more…just making small talk every time we saw each other when I brought him his meals…"
Demi was silent; just listening to this in intrigue.
"…and…every now and then, I'd wonder what he looked like underneath those bandages…" Catherine murmured. "…I wondered…what he looked like…if he ever smiled…" She sighed a little bit.
"…and that night when I brushed back his hair? Well…he wasn't entirely asleep when that happened… because, he mentioned it to me one day when I came to see him in his study…"
She was bringing him a hot cup of tea for him, walking up to him at his desk. "I brought you some tea," Catherine said to him.
"...thank you, Catherine." Bismark hummed. "Just set it over here..."
She nodded, setting it on his desk. She still wondered if she had to call him Sir again, or if she still could call him by his name…for a while now, she left it out. "…will that be all?" she asked.
"...actually... may I ask you something, Catherine?"
"…sure," Catherine replied.
"...the night before I recovered... I think I recall my hair being brushed aside..." Bismark hummed, as he glanced at Catherine. "...you wouldn't happen to know anything about that?"
Her eyes widened at that and she trembled a little. She had the feeling that she might be in trouble. "…I-I'm sorry sir, i-it…won't happen again…" she uttered.
"...what won't happen again, hm?" Bismark hummed, as he looked up at her from his seat.
She looked away. "…Sir, I…I was just…brushing your hair aside with my hand…gently…I don't know why I did it…but it won't happen again."
"...and why not?" Bismark hummed. "I never said that I grew annoyed by it or anything..."
Catherine looked back at him in surprise.Bismark simply looked back at her.
"…I just thought…it would've been…invading your personal space for you…" Catherine spoke, still shaking a little bit.
"...I didn't mind." Bismark hummed, as he glanced to the side. "...it actually felt... pleasant."
Catherine felt a warmth grow inside of her. "…it did…?"
"...yes." Bismark hummed.
Catherine stood there, not sure how to reply to that. She got that strange feeling inside of her again, and she just didn't understand why she felt this way…but it was this fluttering warmth inside of her.
"...is something wrong, Catherine?" Bismark hummed.
"N-Nothing!" Catherine spoke quickly. "It's nothing…"
"...are you sure?" Bismark hummed.
"At that moment…" Catherine spoke, "I'm not sure what really happened, but…"
Catherine's breath sped up as well as her heart, and she suddenly felt a little dizzy, "I'm…okay…" when in contrary, she wasn't at all. Within seconds, her balance was tilting and suddenly, she collapsed.
"...Catherine?" Quickly, Bismark got out of his seat; kneeling by Catherine.
"…and I blacked out there…fainting," Catherine spoke. "…next thing I knew, I was waking up in…Bismark's bed, of all places…"
She felt very soft sheets around her, as well as a very comfortable surface that she laid on. Catherine moved a little bit, breathing in content at how soft and nice it all felt…and after she opened her eyes, she blinked a few times.
"...finally awake..." she heard Bismark hum.
Catherine was surprised at that, and she sat up quickly with a gasp. Bismark was sitting in a fairly comfortable-looking chair; simply looking at Catherine. "...I suppose fatigue finally hit you. Cleaning the entire mansion by yourself is no easy task..." he mused.
"…n-no…I…suppose not, but…it's my job…" Catherine spoke, looking away from him. Then she took a look around. This room was so large, and it had so many picture frames, and sparkling, jeweled decorations, with a fine looking carpet, and numerous cupboards and dressers with a large king size bed (the one that she was currently sitting in,) with two end tables on each end, and the lighting made everything glow.
It was so much more in this room than her room, that was for sure, and frankly, she was just really surprised that after all this time, he let her in her. This was the first time she ever saw the master bedroom.
"...quite the sight, is it not?" Bismark hummed, as he glanced around him.
Catherine nodded.
"...it's fairly big... but it does get lonely at times..." Bismark hummed. "That may be why I prefer the study; it may be empty, but it's not as big as this room..."
Catherine looked at Bismark. "…you get lonely?"
"...at times..." Bismark hummed. "...though I'm used to it... no one really interacts with me to begin with..."
"…I see…" and Catherine looked away again. "…but…why did you bring me here…? You probably could've just…put me in my room."
"...my room was closer." Bismark replied. "Besides... your room was down the stairs."
"…I see…" She once again responded.
He glanced at her. "...you are alright, aren't you?" he inquired.
She looked back. "I think so…" she answered.
"...that's not really an answer..." Shrugging, Bismark simply rubbed his temples a bit. "Hrm... I suppose the day has been trying for both of us..."
"…have you not had a good day?" Catherine asked a bit worriedly.
"...oh, not like that." Bismark assured. "I've just been at a... loss for ideas, lately, and it's... well, trying my patience a tad."
"…what…do you do in that study…every day?" Catherine asked.
Bismark fell silent, as he glanced up at the ceiling.
"...I... plan out rituals." he hummed.
Catherine's eyes widened a bit. "…rituals?" When she first came here, she heard the rumors of the Novagod family being involved in the supernatural… and it sounded like they were true…
But that didn't scare her, it…interested her…
"...very occult business... a family tradition, you could say," Bismark mused with a light chuckle. "...but lately, I've... just lost my inspiration..."
"…what do these rituals…do?" Catherine asked.
"...a variety of things; usually revolving around changes within the body and spirit." Bismark noted. "But it has to be done just right, or things could rapidly take a turn for the worse..."
Catherine stared at him a bit longer.
"…maybe…I could help…" and she looked away uneasily. Why was she suggesting she help with stuff like that?
Bismark looked at her with a bemused look. "...this isn't to be taken lightly." he noted. "If you want to help, you have to know what you're dealing with."
"…I could learn," Catherine said, looking back at him.
Bismark simply looked at her... before he chuckled. "...why not? It could provide us some entertainment, at the very least..."
"…so, he gave me some books to read," Catherine went on. "…I started to learn more and more about the things he did…and while it might scare others, while they'd assume that Bismark was a demon of some kind…I was genuinely curious about it all and I had a fully open, innocent mind…I continued my chores, but Bismark grew more insistent that I rested if I ever got tired…he started to actually seem concerned for my wellbeing, and it…baffled me…"
"…and when I finally tried out a ritual for the first time…that changed everything…"
Catherine just finished drawing the strange symbols on the ground with the chalk. She was in the solitude of her room, since it had plenty of space. Books on the supernatural were sitting open and scattered all around the room from weeks and weeks of research.
A knock came on the door. "Are you in there, Catherine?"
Catherine looked up. "Yes," She replied. "I'm going to try a ritual in here…do you want to supervise?"
"...really..."
With that, the door opened, and Bismark entered the room; seeing the drawings and books strewn about. "...my, you've certainly been working hard." he noted.
"….I figured I would try a simple one; it should cleanse my spirit of any stress, from what I've read," Catherine replied.
"Aah, a fairly basic ritual, yes." Bismark hummed. "But if you get this right, then it shows that you're a fast learner." Then, he took a seat on her bed. "If you're curious about anything, just ask."
Catherine nodded.
She looked in the book she held and it instructed her to start chanting a phrase in a dead language until the chalk started to glow. So she spoke out the phrase, and chanted it over and over again.Bismark remained dead silent, as he simply watched her.
Eventually, the markings on the ground started to glow in a calm, blue light. Seeing that, Catherine stopped chanting. "Alright, next step…"
The book instructed her to speak a different phrase, but this one she would speak only once. There was also a warning with this step; that if she mispronounced the phrase, foreboding things would happen. She wondered if she should ask Bismark for help on this one…but she wanted to see if she could do this one all by herself.
There was just this little bit inside of her that wanted to impress him.
So she started out with the phrase, making the blue glow in the symbols glow brighter to send blue shimmers around her in a soft wind. Strangely enough, she started to feel much more relaxed and rejuvenated.
Bismark still watched her.
"…and I really should've asked Bismark on that phrase…I really should've…"
Catherine was unsure about the very last part of the phrase so she spoke out what she thought it sounded like…
The wind and sparkles died…and the blue glow in the markings turned into a deadly looking crimson red. Catherine noticed this with worry. "Uh! It wasn't supposed to do that!"
Black, ominous looking figures popped out of the marking, startling Catherine with a gasp, and they shot right into her body. Oblivion winced, feeling the agonizing pain that struck Catherine everywhere in her body to make her cry out.
Bismark's eyes widened. "No!" Quickly, he raised his arms and began chanting."Hom gallech ne'allay fray natila... Hom gallech ne'allay fray natila... Hom gallech ne'allay fray natila..."
Suddenly the glow faded from the markings, and Catherine collapsed weakly to the ground, with the book hitting the ground beside her. Her body convulsed like she was possessed, no longer screaming, but she still felt that terrible pain, which was the cause of her convulsion.
Quickly, Bismark got out of the bed, and picked the book up; flipping through the pages to see what she had caused. "...a stress-relieving ritual... and with one mispronunciation, it becomes a killing curse..." he hissed, before he slammed the book shut. "...Catherine... tell me... what are you feeling?" he asked out of concern, as he looked at her.
Catherine collapsed limply on the ground, ceasing the convulsing and her vision started to blur…she didn't feel very well… "…B…ismark…" her voice sounded cracked and hoarse, because her throat was suddenly burning so painfully.
Bismark quickly picked her up. "...oh, dear... you're burning to the touch..." he uttered. "...as if you've... caught a fever..." Quickly, he managed to get Catherine to bed.
While lying in bed, Catherine's eyes slowly fell closed. She tried to speak but it was too weak and too cracked to make out.
"...nh... this isn't good..." Bismark uttered, as he held her hand. "...don't worry... I'll try to help you through this..."
"…I felt so ill…my throat was so dry and sore that I could hardly speak …my temperature rose drastically and dropped just as drastically over and over…I wasn't able to keep much down in my stomach, so little by little I was growing skinny from malnourishment…every now and then I even coughed blood up…" Catherine spoke. "…those next few weeks were so hazy…and yet, I remembered Bismark there at my side…often…he assured me that he was going to fix what happened and that I would be alright…"
"At some point he finally did find a way to undo everything that happened to me…he spent so many sleepless nights working up a ritual that would undo all the harm to me…"
The next memory Oblivion could see was the echoes of shaky chanting speaking outside of her dreams, in reality.
Slowly…she started to come to. She barely opened her eyes with blurry vision, but the vision was starting to clear just a little bit. There was a figure standing there, but she couldn't see who it was very well with pretty, colorful lights that wrapped around her. Her scorched, dry throat started to cool down and soothe itself, and she felt strength returning to her. The lights that wrapped around her and embraced her…they felt so warm, and comforting, and caring to her…
…it felt so wonderful.
As the lights flowed around her, the figure gazed down at her whilst continuing this chanting.
Her vision cleared completely, and in amazement, Catherine opened her eyes up all the way. She could breathe easily now…and she felt so wonderful, like she was floating in the air…
And she was; just hovering gently over her bed.
"...Catherine..."
"…Bismark…?" She was able to speak clearly, and she looked at the figure.
The figure was, indeed, Bismark, who seemed fairly fatigued, and yet, even with his bandages covering his face... happy. "...thank the heavens... it worked..."
Catherine slowly floated back down to the bed, and the lights faded away. With that, Catherine slowly tried to sit up, and she was still weak, but only because the lack of nourishment. Other than that…she didn't feel ill anymore…
She looked up at Bismark in surprise.
"...Catherine..." Setting a hand on her own hand, Bismark actually seemed to smile a little. "...tell me... how are you feeling?"
"…much better…" she replied. "…I…don't feel sick at all…anymore…what did you do?"
"...I had to formulate a ritual meant for curing serious illnesses." Bismark noted. "From what I've seen over the past week, you managed to contract around five fatal diseases, along with countless lesser ones... but now, they're all purged from your body."
Catherine was shocked to hear that had been done to her just from messing up one of the simpler rituals. Immediately, she felt guilty. "…I'm sorry…I should've asked you about that phrase…"
"...that doesn't matter, Catherine..." Bismark hummed, as he simply looked at her. "...what matters is that you've recovered..."
Catherine looked up at Bismark, trembling again. She felt that fluttering warmth, but she felt so weak she felt more like she wanted to cry. She felt so many mixed emotions and after being sick for so long, she couldn't quite control them. "B-Bismark…" she uttered shakily, with a few tears rolling down her cheeks.
"...Catherine..." Bismark hummed, as he set a hand on her cheek to wipe away her tears with his thumb.
She shut her eyes and burst into tears. Why did she feel this way? Why couldn't she keep herself from crying? Out of some concern, Bismark hugged her supportively. Catherine clutched to him, holding him close, and felt like crying even more. The closer she held him, the more she realized that…she had been waiting to hold him like this.
"...don't worry; you're safe, now..." Bismark uttered.
His voice sounded so soothing to her and she trembled so weakly in his arms, calming from her sobs, still clutching to him."...you should still try and recover your strength... I'll prepare something for you to eat, as well..." Bismark hummed.
"…O-okay…" she uttered.
"...do you think you'll need anything else?" Bismark inquired.
"…when you bring me food…could you…keep me company…?" Catherine uttered. "…I just…don't want you to leave my side…"
Bismark blinked upon hearing that... but considering her current state... "...of course."
"From then on, he made sure I recovered completely," Catherine said. "…then he hired more housekeepers…and he told me that I was no longer allowed to serve him like that anymore, and that he hired more housekeepers to take my place…that I was from then on, considered a guest in his home…I had no idea how to feel about that…I was just…overwhelmed by it all…"
"…then a lot more time passed, and I realized what strange feelings I kept having for him were…when I realized that I…loved him…I had no idea what to do…or if he really felt that way back. I felt like there were hints that he did…but he was so distant…and I was so afraid to confront him on them."
She stood out at her balcony one night in her new room, which wasn't quite as fancy as Bismark's, but it was a major upgrade from the one she used to stay in. Instead of rags, she wore softer, cleaner, nicer looking clothes, and a wrap to keep her warm outside in the night while she looked out at the sky. She was just so thankful to Bismark that he had given her so much…but…what she wanted the most from him was his affections… and she didn't know if that would be possible or not…
A knock came on her door. "Are you in here, Catherine?"
"O-oh!" She looked back quickly. "Yes, I'm here Bismark! I'm just out on the balcony!"
"I see. May I come in?"
"Yes, you may," she answered.
With that, the door opened, and Bismark stepped in. "...enjoying the view?" he inquired.
Catherine nodded, "Yes," and she looked back out at the sky.
"...it is a lovely evening sky out there..." Bismark hummed, as he stepped out on the balcony as well.
"Yes…it is…" Catherine agreed.Nodding, Bismark simply gazed out at the sky in silence.
Catherine slowly ended up looking back at Bismark silently.He simply looked at the sky in fascination.
Catherine's heart started to beat harder…and she wondered if she should confess her feelings tonight, this moment…but she grew tense, wondering how she would say it.Eventually, Bismark happened to glance in her direction.
Catherine grew warmer when he looked at her, and she swallowed. "Bismark…" she started. "I…I can't thank you enough for everything you've done…everything you've given me…"
Bismark hummed. "...well... it's the least I could've done..."
"…it's all so much I…" she tried to find her words, and when she couldn't, "…I…just don't know what to say…"
"...knowing that you're content is more than enough for me." Bismark hummed with a slight chuckle, as he closed his eyes.
"…that's just it Bismark…" she uttered. "…I'm not just content…I'm happy…I'm the happiest I've ever been, and it's you…you're the one that's made me so happy…" her heart started racing more and more, making her tremble.
Bismark blinked at that. "...hm...?"
Now that it was starting to come out, Catherine just couldn't stop. "I just don't know how to describe the way you make me feel Bismark…I can't stop thinking about those feelings or you and I…I…" she turned away from him she was so nervous.
"...you... what?" Bismark hummed.
She breathed, and swallowed again, slowly turning back around to him. Bismark noticed her eyes just glow in the moonlight when she looked at him.
"…I…I'm in love you, Bismark Novagod…"
Bismark's eyes quickly widened. "...ln...love...?"
Catherine breathed quickly to try and slow down her heart, trying to believe that she finally said it aloud…to him.Bismark simply gazed at her; at an actual loss for words.
Catherine grew worried at how he'd respond, and she turned away quickly with a guilty blush, holding her chest where her heart was.
"...I... I don't know what to say..." Bismark uttered, as he slowly glanced back at the sky.
Catherine looked back at him.
"...I am... touched, to know that you feel that way about me..." Bismark hummed, as his gaze slowly fell. "...but... I have a feeling that it won't last..."
"Why not?" Catherine grew disheartened that he would say such a thing.
Bismark looked back up at the sky. "...you're... in love with a shell. I have my doubts that your feelings will hold water... for what truly lies beneath the shell..."
With that, he slowly reached for the bandages on his face; undoing them. Catherine's eyes widened at that, surprised that he was taking off the bandages like this.
"...I won't blame you if you scream... many have done so in the past..." Bismark murmured, as the bandages slowly fell to the floor...
...and then, he turned to look at Catherine.
Oblivion shuddered at what Catherine saw.
Feeling her shudder, Catherine hummed. "…I don't blame you…nor did I blame Bismark either…he had reason to say that.
Catherine froze, with a few chills running down her spine while she stared at him.What she gazed at was a horrific sight; deep, malformed scars ran all over his face, especially around his muzzle, where his lips were nearly burnt away, which left little to hide his teeth from view. He seemed very much like some manner of hideous creature without his bandages covering it up. Catherine stared at him in frozen shock.
"...well? Does your love still stand, when you see the freakshow you've been living with for what he is?" Bismark hummed in a slightly melancholic tone.
Catherine was too frozen to answer.
"...I thought so..." With a dejected sigh, Bismark turned away. "...sorry to have dashed your dreams." With that, he prepared to walk off.
"Bismark!"
Suddeny, Bismark's hand was taken, stopping him. Bismark's eyes widened, as he looked behind him.
"…I was taken aback by it; yes…I can admit that…" she started to speak, still staring at him. "…but…the way you look…doesn't change who you are; who you've always been to be…the man that took me into his home when I had nowhere to go, and the man who took care of me in my time of need…you weren't a monster to begin with, so looking that way doesn't make you a monster now, Bismark…"
"...Catherine..." Bismark uttered.
"….so …just because you look deformed like that…it doesn't mean I would love you any less…" She felt tears of joy in her eyes. "I was honestly more afraid that you would reject me, than to look upon what you hid in your bandages…"
Bismark could only look at Catherine in sheer disbelief that she wasn't reacting fearfully of him.
"…don't walk away Bismark…" she told him. "…don't even look away…"
He didn't do either of those things; he simply gazed at her. Slowly, Catherine stepped closer to him, raising a hand toward his face.Now Bismark was the one frozen in place, as he simply stood there. Gently, her hand touched some of the scars on his face, and Catherine didn't seem so afraid anymore when she touched them. It looked, horrible, yes…but it was a similar thing to a child looking in his closet to discover there was no monster hiding in there.
It was that feeling where you realize there's no reason to be scared…they were simply scars, and nothing else. Like Catherine said, they did not change who he was at all…
Still, he simply looked at her; curious that she was so... gentle.
Her hands touched his face all over, very gently. Eventually, one hand touched his cheek, while the other brushed away some of his hair. There was a faint smile on her lips while her tears of joy rolled down her face.As Bismark felt her gentle touch, tears began trailing down his face as well, even though he didn't seem to notice. Catherine saw them and wiped them away with a thumb.
"…I'm not afraid…Bismark…" she whispered shakily. "…so…you shouldn't have to be…either…"
"...Catherine..." Bismark uttered.
More tears of joy rolled down Catherine's face while she leaned closer. Bismark's tear-filled eyes widened slightly as he simply watched her lean closer. She got close enough to be a lips distance away from him, but she hesitated to make sure she didn't frighten him.
He didn't seem frightened; but he also seemed hesitant to make the first move. "...C-Catherine..."
"…Bis…mark…" So Catherine leaned in the last part of the way, kissing him.
It was strange, kissing Bismark, with the lack of lip, but Catherine didn't mind at all. It felt so wonderful to kiss the man she had pined for so strongly for such a long time…While he was still frozen there, Bismark gently kissed her back as best he could. She kissed him as softly as she could…
"We were married months later…" Catherine spoke with a distant, content sigh of reminiscence.
Demi could only blink at this. ...wow...
"...once we were married, he told me things that I didn't know…he told me that he had the power to see the future," Catherine continued. "I asked if he had any other powers…and he told me that it didn't matter, because he would never use them on me. I suppose after the incident with the mistake I made on the ritual, he didn't want to accidentally harm me by using the powers he had. Aside from that, I learned more and more about Bismark, and I loved him all the same…"
"…naturally, he was afraid to be intimate…but we eased into it as time went on," Catherine said. "Eventually, we decided that we wanted to start a family...the first child was a son…and labor was…very difficult, I remember…"
Oblivion didn't really want to glance into those memories, but she figured that the son she was talking about was Demi.
And this answered her assumption when Catherine looked at Demi with wide eyes. "…but he was a healthy baby, so in the end, it was all worth it…and we named him…Demi."
Demi managed a smile, as his eyes widened.
Oblivion pulled her hands away from Catherine with a smile of her own. At this point, the memories were coming back by themselves, without her help. This allowed Catherine to touch Demi's face.
"…Demi…" she uttered. "…you've grown so much…"
"...mother..." Demi uttered.
Suddenly, Catherine hugged him. "…when Bismark told me the superstition about those wings…I worried about you…but look at you…you look so grown up!"
Demi hugged Catherine back; a few tears squeezing out of his eyes. "...mom..."
Oblivion smiled even more at this… she was glad that Catherine's memories started coming back now, since her power just simply started to accelerate their return…
…and to leave them to have a moment alone, Oblivion stood up to walk out.
She went back to the front door were just Violet, Milo and Jack were. "The others went back to tell Charon and the rest what's going on," Milo told Oblivion when she came up to them.
She nodded. "I see."
"So…what happened in there?" Violet asked.
Oblivion smiled sadly. "…it worked. She remembers everything now…and she and Demi are in there."
"...so it worked out?" Jack uttered whilst smiling. "That's great!"
"…Oblivion, is something wrong?" Milo asked, since even if Oblivion smiled, he could sense some sadness.
"…it's nothing," Oblivion said. She was honestly surprised, and overjoyed, that she was able to use her power to actually help someone; especially someone she really wanted to help, like Demi, and after seeing so many memories, Catherine.
But… there was still that lingering sadness that she couldn't do much else than that for Demi…
Catherine hugged her son tightly for a long time. Demi returned the hug just as long as Catherine did.
"…there's so much you have to tell me Demi…" Catherine spoke. "What's happened the past five years I couldn't remember? How is the family?"
Demi's look grew glummer at that. "...to be honest... I don't know..." he murmured. "...a year after you vanished... my wings grew bigger..."
Catherine could tell from the large wings he had now. "…I can see that…so Bismark's vision was true…" she spoke. "…but you haven't seen them for that long? What have you been doing?"
"...three years ago... I went to Safe Haven." Demi explained. "I wanted to try and grow stronger there... and there, I made some good friends... and I actually learned to speak with the creature within me... his name is Blood..."
"…really?" Catherine was surprised to hear that Demi went to Safe Haven, or that he communicated with a being that was living inside of him.
"...yes... and I made so many friends there..." Demi uttered. "Friends like Crystal and Dax; a pair of porcupines I've lived with... and then there's Oblivion..."
"…Oblivion…that was your friend that helped me with my memories…wasn't it?" Catherine said, looking down at him.
"...yes..." Demi uttered, as he blushed a tad. "...and... she's..."
"…she's…?" Catherine only had to look at her son's blushing face, and a motherly smile appeared on her face. "…I see…she's a special friend…"
"...yes..." Demi nodded.
Catherine chuckled sweetly. "…you really have grown up…"
"...seems like it..." Demi chuckled bashfully.
"…you'll have to give her my thanks for helping me remember everything," Catherine said.
"...believe me; for something like this, I'm eternally grateful..." Demi whispered.
Catherine hugged him again. "I'm so glad to see you Demi…"
"...and I'm glad to see you, mother..." Demi uttered...
...and then, an idea struck him. "...maybe..." Then, he looked at Catherine. "...maybe we could go and visit father and Odium? Just to let them know that you're alive?"
Catherine's eyes widened at that. "…yes, we should…"
"...and..." Then, he smiled a little. "...Violet could come along as well, if you'd like."
Catherine smiled. "Yes…I would like for her to come along…your father should know who found me and took care of me while I couldn't remember anything."
"...right." Demi nodded.
"…so…we should probably go as soon as possible then," and Catherine stood up. Nodding, Demi stood up with her.
"…so…you must be traveling around?" Catherine asked. "…why?"
"...well... that's a long story." Demi noted. "And... not a very pleasant one..."
"…is that so?" Catherine asked.
"...well... for me, at least, it started a few days ago. Crystal was out practicing, and the weather began turning sour..." Demi began; intending to tell his mother everything that had happened thus far.
Yay for character development!