It was finally dinner time and for the group, it couldn't come fast enough. For some reason, this day went by a lot slower than others. Ara knew for a fact that she was happy the day was drawing to a close.
As Geo happily served everyone that had come to the dinner table. Ara stood before her group. "Alright." Ara started. "There is good news...then there's bad news." She said, looking to the side.
CJ tilted her head at that. "O-Kay…" She trailed off in uncertainty. "What's the news?"
The group looked at Ara expectantly.
Ara was caught off guard a bit. "Anyone going to ask me what kind of news they wanted first? You know, good or bad?"
Freddie lazily looked at Ara, stabbing her salmon. "What's the point? I'm pretty sure it's going to give me a heart attack either way."
Ara blinked at them. "So, you guys just want me to give it to you straight."
Triple G shrugged. "Pretty much."
JR nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."
The princess looked at all of them for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Audrey lied about having three. She's actually having four." She got it over with rapidly.
That alone made Freddie choke and break into a coughing fit. "...You can't be serious?!" She shook her head.
Uma face palmed before saying, "Great! That means I have to go back and order an extra one of everything!"
Ara chuckled at that. "Yeah...that was the bad news I was talking about." She twiddled her fingers.
At that, the entire group groaned.
Chirpy sighed, "On the bright side, there will be more to love?" She said with a shrug.
JR folded his arms. "More to drool on my expensive clothes." He said grumpily.
Triple G complained. "We have to go back and do all of that at this time of day?" He asked. "Also. My partner is broken." He said, holding up a dazed Deuce.
Ara looked at Deuce quizzically before shaking her head. "No, not this time of night. Maybe tomorrow?" She said to them. "Also, Hazel told me the first one will be a boy." She said with a smile.
Triple G tilted his head at that. "One boy and three girls? That sounds like torture."
Ara smirked at him. "I was the only girl living with you, him, and the other bonehead," Ara said, pointing to Trip and JR.
Triple G folded his arms at that. "Oh, please. You turned out great!" He said with a chuckle.
JR nodded in response. "It's because we are great role-models." He said with pride.
"I disagree with that," George stated.
The two brothers looked at Geo in exasperation.
Ara chuckled. "Anyway...we need to make sure there is one extra of everything, and make sure it's fit for a guy." She tells them before taking her seat.
Chirpy, now finished cooking, said, "Wow! This is so exciting! I can't wait to tell Pinky...if she doesn't already know." She said with a chuckle.
Triple G nodded. "Ditto on that excitement. I'll have the little guy looking fresh in no time." He said confidently.
JR gestured to himself. "And I will offer myself to teach him dude-attude." He smirked.
Uma blinked at him with a small smile, "Dude...attude?"
JR nodded. "Yup! Don't worry. It's a dude thing." He says before going back to eating.
"Now that all of that is settled, we're free to talk about anything else," Ara said with a smile. "Also, I can't play basketball with you guys tomorrow. Dad said he was going to take me out."
Triple G hummed at that. "Maybe afterward then? Or we could meet up for video games?"
Ara thought before nodding, "I can do video games." Then she sighed. "I can't guarantee if Hazel is coming. I had to tell dad that she was sick earlier when he asked if we would like to get out of the house." She shrugged.
CJ replied, "If all else fails, we could always just meet up for a movie tomorrow night." She smiled at them.
Ara nodded. "That's good." She bit her lip. "Yeah. I can definitely do that."
Triple G smiled at that. "Sounds like a plan!" He said, starting to focus on his dinner like everyone else.
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Jupiter watched his wife with exasperation. She has been talking to and scratching the puppy for the past hour. Jupiter personally didn't mind that. He was just growing more and more suspicious of the foreign presence in his house. Knowing Elsa, she most likely felt it too. She's just better at minding her own business.
Jupiter, on the other hand, grew quite curious. So curious that eventually, it aggravated him to not know who was lingering around. Especially at this hour.
Jupiter finally stood after his mind drove him crazy enough. "Yeah...I'm going to go take a walk." He said casually.
Elsa glanced at him with confusion. "Oh? Are you not tired?" She said as she happily scratched the puppy behind the ears.
Jupiter tilted his head at that. "Eh, not quite." He started heading for the door. Opening it, he said, "I'm going to go walk off some of this energy. Maybe get some milk or something." He said with a shrug.
Elsa nodded at that. "Alright. If you're not back soon, I'll lay Glacier down in your spot." She said playfully.
Jupiter imagined that image before walking out of the door in a deadpan. "Yeah...I'll be fast then." He smiled before closing the door and headed through the halls.
For a moment, he tried to convince himself that the foreign presence was just his imagination. After a glass of milk, he discarded that thought since he still felt it. After a few seconds, he chose to give in to his curiosity and snoop out the foreign deity.
Despite his house being something like a maze, he made it to the source in a good time. He was just confused as to why the foreigner would be in Hazel's room. His eyebrow raised before he cautiously opened the door. What he saw caught him completely off guard.
Hazel stared at the screen unblinkingly. "I'm trying to hit him, but he keeps moving!" She said with a frown.
Apparently, he had walked in right when they were in the middle of a boss fight. Hazel had Sonic 2 on her retro Sega Genesis console. Her and Frigg have been playing it for hours.
"Come on and lose, Eggman!" Hazel said before she comically had been shot with a missile, resulting in the loss of one of her lives. "He shot me." She said plainly.
"I don't even know what's going on…" Frigg said in confusion as she repeatedly pressed the wrong button.
Hazel, the second time, jump attacked Eggman. "You have to-yes!" She started. "Press the action button to hit him...um...the middle one. Beware of missiles and fire." Hazel said, flinching as if she was actually in the game.
Frigg looked down at her controller and tilted her head before going about spamming the button Hazel told her to. "I still do not understand this." She said as she tilted her head the other way.
Hazel watched as the robot blew up in highly pixilated explosions. She chuckled. "For a person who has no idea, you're pretty good." She said, pretty impressed.
"...But what did I do again?" Frigg asked with even more confusion.
Hazel scratched the back of her head. "Apparently you got us our final hit and now we've won the level!" She said happily. "Don't worry. I'll teach you more later on."
Jupiter was beyond baffled at this. He was so confused that he said, "...Frigg?" As if he was sure he was hallucinating.
Frigg's first reaction was to grab her sword from nearby and was about to throw it at him before she noticed it was just him and shrugged. "Oh, it's you." She said plainly before looking back at Hazel. "So is there more to this or…?"
Hazel regarded her dad with a wave before turning her attention to her controller. "These help with movement. You press these to let your character run in either direction. This is your action button. This is the jump. And this is your spin attack button." She looked back up at Frigg. "You press down and press the spin attack. That allows you to easily blow up robots and break through walls and stuff." She said, punching the air.
Jupiter blinked at this. "Am I missing something?" He asked in complete confusion.
"No, go about your evening," Frigg said as she started trying out all the buttons.
Jupiter looked at them for a moment. "So, you're not here for anything else?" He asked. "You're just here to play arcade games with my kid?"
"Well, I'm certainly not here to speak with you," Frigg said with annoyance.
Jupiter's expression grew exasperated at that. "Fine, okay. Can I at least know when you plan on leaving?"
"No. I do not need to tell you that." Frigg said plainly, finally looking at him as she casually grabbed her sword and began twirling it around.
"So...you don't plan on leaving soon?" Jupiter said, now completely baffled. "I thought you didn't care much for Rome?"
"I don't," Frigg said simply as she stopped spinning her sword and casually pointed it at him.
Jupiter eyed the sword with a raised eyebrow before saying, "What's the occasion?" He blinked. "I already know you don't like me, so you being in my house really draws a blank for me. Especially since my family lives here too...do you know what I mean?"
"Yes. Do I care to provide reasons? No. If you have an issue with it, you can discuss it with my husband. He sees everything, so I am sure he does not find this visit to be a problem...especially since I am still here." Frigg said with a look in her eyes that would give most chills.
Jupiter folded his arms at that. "It's just so sudden. I didn't even get a chance to spruce up the place first." He said with mild sarcasm and a frown.
"Please, in Asgard we still have company even if my son has destroyed the dining hall in a brawl," Frigg replied with just as much sarcasm.
Jupiter looked around with exasperation. "Call me a clean freak, but I like things in pristine order. When something is out of order, it really bugs me." He said, clearly implying something.
"...Then you are bugged by yourself?" Frigg asked plainly.
Jupiter exhaled through his nose before putting on a false smile. "Yeah, I see what you did there." As soon as he turned to exit, his smile fell. "Enjoy the technology, I suppose." He said before moving to walk out of the room.
"Yes, and enjoy the beat down you shall receive from your angry past lover," Frigg said simply before turning away as she turned her attention back to the controller.
Jupiter rolled his eyes at that before closing the door. "And people wonder why I don't like having company over for dinner." He said before walking down the hall.
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The next morning came quickly. It seemed to come even quicker for a certain ruby haired girl who passed out playing video games. She also had no plans on waking up any time soon. Her schedule was still pretty thrown off by the past two days, so waking up was the last thing on her mind.
At a certain time of the morning, Hazel was in the middle of a very engaging dream. She had rolled over onto her side, burying her face in her blanket as she did so. The rubynette had a sudden urge to open her eyes for some reason. She just felt like…something was a bit different. Eventually, she, planning on closing them again, opened her eyes. Of course, she was not expecting to see Frigg. Her eyes shot open at that.
Frigg was across the room at a table as she rubbed her chin in thought. The woman was currently staring at a rather large tray full of all sorts of breakfast type food and appeared to be considering something about it.
Hazel took a moment to blink. After she blinked, She rubbed at her eyes. Frigg was still there. Now seeing this was reality and not one of her dreams, she said, "...Frigg?" In a voice that was slightly raspy from just waking up.
"Oh, good morning, Hazel," Frigg said casually with a smile and a wave.
Hazel rubbed at her eyes and stretched. "...Hi." She finished her stretch with a smile. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
"I awoke early this morning to make you breakfast as we shall train today and you need a hearty breakfast," Frigg said innocently as she didn't try to hide the swords behind her.
Hazel looked at the goddess with surprise before asking, "Training...for what?" She asked before looking at the full tray. "...That's mine?" She looked at it in awe at the amount.
"Yes, it is. We are doing traditional training that all Asgardians go through. I personally made my son Thor a meal like this every morning before he went out with his trainer for the day." Frigg explained while lacing her fingers together.
Hazel decided not to ask any more questions while she was still partially tired. That and she was pretty hungry. "Umm...okay." She said with a shrug as she got out of bed and headed over to where Frigg was.
"We will discuss what the training is later, for now, you eat while I sharpen these swords," Frigg said casually before grabbing one of the swords.
Hazel looked at the weapons with a raised eyebrow before turning to her food. She kind of hoped that her training didn't involve swinging around large knives, but things usually didn't work out for her anyway. Her word of advice for herself; expect the unexpected.
Believe it or not, Hazel cleared most of everything on the platter. Hazel blinked. This could be the reason why she is so...fluffy in cat form. "I'm finished, I guess." She said, placing her fork down and looking at the platter.
"I hope that it was enough, my son often asked for seconds. Do you need seconds?" Frigg asked with an innocent look.
Hazel smiled back, remembering how large the first platter was. "Oh, I'm good. I usually have a...light breakfast." She said with a chuckle as she looked to the side.
"If you are sure. If you wish, you may have some free time while I finish sharpening these. I will speak with you when I am finished, if you want to do that." Frigg said, seeming to struggle a bit with her words before smiling.
Hazel nodded at that before blinking. "Alright. I can get ready too. Speaking of, I'm training so...do I need some type of training outfit?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Just something light and easy to move around in," Frigg said with a small shrug.
Hazel tapped her chin before nodding again. "Alright. Should I come back to you or are you going to find me?"
"I will find you when I am done," Frigg said with a nod.
"Okay," Hazel nodded in return. "I'll be around." She said shyly before going into her bathroom.
She spent a good twenty minutes in there before heading out. Frigg has said something light and easy to move around in. The closest thing she had to that was the outfit she wore when she tended to her large garden. A decorative green tunic, skin-tight blue jeggings, and brown boots.
Satisfied with her outfit, she headed out into the halls while Frigg occupied herself with the swords. Like clockwork, Hazel headed to where her group usually meets this time of the morning, the kitchen.
Hazel walked inside with the blankest expression and took a seat on one of the bar stools.
Ara looked at her sister with confusion. She was more surprised to see Hazel wore the same expression. "Hey, what's up?"
Hazel looked up before smiling at Ara. "Oh, hey. Nice to see you after a day of craziness." She tilted her head. "Have you seen Terra?"
Ara blinked at that before shrugging. "I haven't seen her since the whole Hades thing at the mall." She said with a shake of her head.
Ara looked over at the rest of the group. "You guys seen Terra?"
The group all responded by denying vocally or verbally. Either way, it was a no.
Triple G said, "Nah, I haven't." Then he looked at her outfit. "Do you plan on going out to the garden or something? The weather is not bad this morning." He said casually.
Hazel shook her head at that. "No. Apparently, I have training this morning." She tilted her head at the thought.
The group perked up at that.
Freddie looked up from her plate. "Training...for what?" She tilted her head.
Hazel nodded. "That's what I said, but she said she'll tell me about it after she sharpens the swords…"
"Sharpens the swords!?" Freddie exclaims. "Something tells me this ain't cross fit!"
Uma blinked before asking, "Who is she?" She said, picking up Hazel calling the mystery person a she.
Hazel blinked before nodding. "Oh, her name is Frigg. She's the queen of the Norse gods."
Uma looked at her in a deadpan. "...and she wants to train you?"
Hazel smiled nervously and said, "Apparently?" Her answer sounded more like a question.
JR shook his head. "Only Hazel. Be put on bed rest and still gets herself into things." He said, chuckling.
They all chuckled at that while Hazel got up to fix herself some orange juice. "Eh...it's a gift...I think."
CJ shrugged. "On the bright side, this is cool! You get to train with the queen of the Norse and they are tough!" She said with a smirk.
Hazel shyly chuckled. "That's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to lose my baby fat."
Ara tilted her head with a smirk. "Are you sure that's baby fat?"
Hazel playfully pushed her sister to the side before tapping her chin in thought. "I'm not sure why, though. Why me of all people?" She looked at them.
They all answered with confused shrugs.
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Thanks, guys. Real helpful."
Triple G scratched his head. "What? That was a really good question." He sipped his drink.
Before anybody else could speak, the door opened and Frigg entered in with what appeared to be a loose dress that showed off her six-pack on. "Hazel? I finished sharpening the swords." She said, not paying any of the others attention.
Hazel turned at the sound of her name. "Oh, already? Okay then." She placed her cup down and began to walk off. "Oh! These are my friends and this is my sister. Guys, meet Frigg."
The group took a moment before waving and smiling.
Ara chuckled before saying, "Nice to meet you. I'm Ara and you'll learn more about these guys later." She said, referring to her group that nodded in confirmation.
Frigg nodded at that and looked at them. "My husband and I foresaw that your group would be facing a great force. Although we did not wish to step in, I agreed to go ahead and train whoever wants to be trained." She said in her normal regal tone as she folded her arms behind her back.
Triple G's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Dudes...that sounded like something someone would say in a movie…"
George looked at him before whacking him atop of the head. "Get a grip."
Triple G chuckled. "Thanks."
JR tilted his head. "I kinda do need work." He thought about it.
Ara shrugged.
CJ hopped up. "Sounds like fun!"
Deuce was daydreaming.
Chester waved his hand. "I suppose I could join if it will lessen my chances of perishing." He said, pushing buttons on his phone.
Freddie chuckled. "And we," Referring to her and Uma. "We have snacks."
Ara looked at those two with exasperation.
Hazel smiled at that before turning to Frigg. "I guess we're all in, then."
Frigg nodded at that and allowed her hand to rest on the hilt of her sword. "All of you must change into clothes fit for training. I will meet you outside with extra swords." She said before turning around and exiting the room.
Ara turned to the group with a smile, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna hurry up! I don't want to keep her waiting!" She said before running out the other direction.
Triple G exclaimed, "Hey! Wait for us!" The rest of them, Trip picked up Deuce, ran out too as if it was a competition.
Hazel shook her head at her group with a chuckle. She was already ready. So, instead of following her group, she went out in Frigg's direction.
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It took the majority of the group about fifteen minutes to gather outside. Some took longer than others, but they didn't want to make the Norse queen wait too long. Freddie and Uma got their lawn chairs and readied their snacks at a distance away. Everyone else stood or sat before Frigg in loose-fitting, movable casual attire.
Hazel saw this and cleared her throat before saying, "Oh, Frigg. I think they're ready." She said.
Frigg glanced over her shoulder and blinked before standing up and stepping off to the side. Gesturing to a bunch of swords, the queen stayed quiet as she waited to see what they would do.
The group stared at them for about thirty seconds before Triple G said, "I think we should grab one..?"
Ara blinked before turning to him. "You mean...one of the swords?"
Trip nodded at that.
Ara frowned before making her way over to the swords, grabbing one by the hilt. "...I haven't touched one of these in years...ever since we…"
Triple G grabbed the familiar weapon with caution. "Left the isle?" He finished.
"That's right," Ara said, keeping the sword pointed downward with caution.
Hazel swallowed before grabbing one with complete caution. "At least you guys have touched one."
JR nodded, "Same. My choice of weapons were not sharp." He picked it up as if it would explode.
"Mine were," George said as he walked by and picked one up as if it was everyday life.
Ara looked at him dryly. "Show off."
CJ looked at them blankly before asking, "...Is it okay if I have my own?" She asked, pulling unsheathing the golden blade Ama had given her.
"May I inspect it?" Frigg asked while eyeing the sword with a bit of a curious look.
CJ tilted her head before nodding in approval. She held out the sword, allowing it to lay on her outstretched hands. "Here."
Frigg took it and examined it as she let her finger slide down the sharp side before nodding in satisfaction as she saw it begin to bleed. Waving it around and twirling it, she smiled and looked back at her. "Many Asgardians would die for such a sword, treasure it greatly." She said before handing it back.
CJ's eyes widened at that before nodding. "I do." She said as she took it back into her grasp with a smile.
Triple G, being the curious one, asked, "So, how do we start?" With a smile.
"Pick a partner and begin sparring. I shall come by and readjust your stance if needed." Frigg said as she allowed a hand to rest on her own sheathed sword.
Triple G swallowed at that. "Sp-sp-sp-sp-sp-sparring?" He thought, "Ah...who's not a total noob and won't get me cut in half?"
Ara chuckled, "That's not how sparring works." She explained. "You have to be paired with someone around your level. For example…" She tapped her chin. "Hazel and JR would be good. They've never touched a sword. Me and you are good since we are just super rusty. Then, George and CJ since they are the most experienced."
JR said, "Sounds good to me." He turned to Hazel and said, "Let's try not to kill anyone. Especially ourselves." He said with humor.
Hazel laughed at that. "I can't make any promises." She said while they began to divide into pairs.
Frigg watched and tilted her head a bit as she pulled out what almost looked like a mirror of all things. "My husband requests to speak with me-yell if one of you loses a limb." She said before tipping her head and walking off to the side so she could answer the mirror.
Ara blinked at that. "Wait, what'd she say?"
JR shrugged. "Eh...we probably shouldn't worry about-gah!" He said, ducking as Hazel nearly chopped off his head.
"Keep your head in the game!" Hazel slowly began to laugh. "Get it? Head!?" He chuckled again.
JR looked at her in exasperation. "Alright, here comes the thunder." He said with a chuckle.
They both chuckle as the blades make clashing noises. It was more like free fun for them.
For Ara and Triple G, it was more like trying to remember what they had lost.
Ara swung at Triple G casually. "This...is not as easy as I remember…"
Trip moved before swinging in return. "Yeah. Auradon and everything after made us soft." He said with a chuckle.
Ara nodded with a laugh. "You got that right! I trained all of you!" She said, bringing the sword down, only for the blade to be stopped.
Trip deflected the blade with his own. "Don't get too cocky. You got a bit rusty, granny." He chuckled.
Ara playfully huffed at that. "Granny!? You're older than me! What does that make you!?" She laughed.
"Shut up!" He said, chuckling. "Why can't you just let me have this moment?"
While they were having a good time conversation, CJ and George were busy competing over who was the better swordsman.
George swung his sword downwards, prompting CJ to roll to the side. Afterward, she got back on her feet to swing the golden blade at him in return. She slashed at him repeatedly, using as much momentum her body would give her.
George calmly, blankly if one might add, dodged each swing. When he saw her take a slight pause in her movements, he raised his blade and deflected her, now, oncoming blade.
CJ smirked at that, "Not bad, ninja guy. However, I don't think you can keep up with me." She said with folded arms.
George smirked in return before saying, "Your move, pirate." He gestured for her to 'bring it'.
CJ's smirk doubled at this. "You asked for it." She said before dashing back over to where he was.
Frigg returned after about ten minutes and cleared her throat. "My apologies, it was dire and now that it is addressed, I can assist you if you need it." She said as she began braiding her long red hair.
There was a moment of pause as everyone changed their focus from sword fighting to Frigg's question.
Hazel was the first to speak. "Uhh...I need help." She raised her hand.
JR was second. "I do too."
Ara looked at her sword. "I need to make sure I'm doing this right." She smiled at it.
Trip said with a chuckle, "Yeah. We're pretty rusty."
CJ shrugged before saying, "I'm okay with having help."
George nodded at that. "I could always use improvement."
Frigg nodded before walking over to Hazel first. She rubbed her chin before quickly adjusting the girl's stance and hold on the sword. "There. That should be easier. You must release the tension in order to wield a sword." She said with a small smile.
Hazel blinked before waving her sword around a bit. "Oh…" She grew a smile, feeling the change. "Thank you." She continued to experiment with the blade.
The queen nodded before doing the same with JR and moving onto the next duo. "What do you two need assistance with?" She asked with a head tilt.
Ara and Trip looked at each other.
Triple G scratched his head before saying, "I haven't touched a sword in a good while. I want to make sure I have a proper hold on it." He scratched his head. "But I think I forgot what that was…"
Frigg nodded thoughtfully and smiled before helping him with his hold on the sword and also helped him change his stance just a bit. "Try now."
Triple G moved the blade a bit, using his wrist. He smiled at that. "There we go. That's more like it!" He said happily.
"And you?" Frigg asked while examining the girl's form.
Ara looked at the goddess before looking at the sword. Then she looked back at the goddess. "It's just a...tad heavier than what I remember." She said with a nervous chuckle.
Frigg raised an eyebrow at that before waving her hand over the sword, causing it to shift and change into a thinner sword that resembled a katana. "That is a sword I discovered from a dear ally of mine. It should be lighter and easier to hold."
Ara looked it over with interest. "Wow, this feels much better. Much lighter." She adjusted her hold on the hilt. "I think...I'm good now."
Frigg smiled at that before moving onto the last duo. "What do you two need help with? You both seem quite adept with a sword." She said while rubbing her chin.
CJ nodded at that. "I kind of am. I just wanted your opinion on my stance." She said in reply.
"Your stance is very good...but it could be adjusted just…" Frigg stepped behind her and shifted her stance a bit and smiled. "There we go."
CJ nodded at that. "Huh...alright. Thanks." She said, memorizing the stance.
George stepped up and tilted his head. "I had a question. If someone were to attack me from behind, would I duck then slash...or would I spin on my heel then slash?" He asked with confusion slightly tinting his calm voice.
"Duck then slash, or if you wish, kick them after spinning to take them down," Frigg said as she thought of the words.
George's eyes widened at the idea before happily nodding. "Ah...of course. Thank you for your wisdom." He said, bowing his head in respect.
Frigg lightly smiled at that and nodded before turning around and heading back to the side so she could watch them.
After a few hours of instructional training, it was finally time to break for lunch. For the most part, the group was ready to eat half the house at this point. They were still outdoors. By now, the evening sun had made itself present along with its heat. This made Trip think it was a good time for a break.
Trip raised his hand before catching his breath. "Excuse me? Frigg? Do you mind if we break for lunch?" He asked, prompting the other young adults to perk up.
"I do not mind. I must take a moment anyway to do something. I'll be back in no time." Frigg said with a smile before walking off to another area.
They all nodded at that before heading toward the inside.
Hazel glanced back at Frigg with a smile before following her group. "How'd you guys like training? It was...unexpected, but fun in my book." She said with a smile.
Triple G nodded. "Oh yeah. It's better than when we were taught on the isle." He explained. "We got yelled at for not having the right stance...right Ara?" He turned to his sister.
Ara rolled her eyes. "I had to yell at you. It's the only thing you understood back then!"
They all laughed at that.
JR chuckled. "All of that aside, I want like...six sandwiches. Anyone want any?" He said, taking a count of the hands.
CJ smiled and said, "Ooh! I'm cutting the tomato!"
George said, "I'm cutting the pepper." He folded his arms competitively.
CJ frowned before thinking. "Well...I'm cutting the...onions!"
Ara gasped at that. "No, CJ! Not the onions!"
CJ waved it off. "Nothing I can't handle. A little tears hurt nobody." She zipped off to get onions from the garden.
George took this as his opportunity to get his supplies.
Trip said with a raised hand, "I'll get the condiments!" He smiled.
Ara nodded at that with a smile. "Okay! Then I'll get the bread and ham and sandwich stack! 1...2...3...go!"
She called and that everyone scrambled to make as many sandwiches as possible.
Meanwhile, Frigg was dealing with a teeny tiny problem...well, two problems to be more exact.
The queen looked exasperated at the two beings that were currently using magic to speak with her and she sighed. "Odin, Thor, I am very busy and I do not have the time to have this conversation." She said with a frown.
Thor butted into view with Odin grumbling as he got shoved out of the way. "Is it true?! You are claiming others as your own children when I'm your child, mother?"
Both his parents stared at him with a deadpan before Frigg rubbed her brow. "Thor, you misheard. Please allow your father and I to speak. We have private matters to discuss and you may not remain in the room." She said with exasperation.
Thor gaped at that while Odin nodded in agreement. "But is it true or not?"
"I do not need to tell you. Leave the room now, Thor." Frigg said with a frown, prompting her son to freeze before stepping out of the way.
Odin shook his head at the man and looked at her. "...You must not claim them, Frigg."
Frigg folded her arms with a bit of annoyance. "I am doing nothing of the sort, you have the wrong idea." She said, causing her husband to give her a deadpan.
"They are not lost nor orphaned, they are not yours to claim." The king began before his wife huffed and frowned at him.
"I am not doing that, Odin. I must leave now, go speak with our son before he wishes to come to me." Frigg said before immediately shutting down the communication.
She turned around before moving her arms forward to reveal that she had been, funny enough, crossing her fingers. "I suppose he still knows not of that spell." She said innocently before heading back inside.
While Frigg was handling her phone call, somehow a few sandwiches turned into about twenty sandwiches.
Ara face palmed before saying, "Great! Now what are we going to do about all of these sandwiches!?"
CJ folded her arms. "He said he could sandwich stack faster than me..." She looked to the side.
George smirked. "And I did."
Ara picked up a random sandwich before saying, "Not helping." With a deadpan.
JR shrugged before saying, "We could always shove them at Hazel."
"Hey!" Hazel called to him.
Triple G scratched his head. "How about we just-" His eye caught Frigg walking into the kitchen. "Oh, hey! Frigg!" He said hurriedly.
The rest of them stopped their bickering to turn and offer her a smile.
Frigg waved her greeting before she went about gathering a few things around the kitchen.
While the rest of the group continued, a much calmer, discussion about the sandwiches, Hazel walked up to Frigg. She had a few sandwiches on a plate. She called Frigg. "I wasn't sure if you were-or not. Just in case you are...I made you these, mumoo." She said shyly.
Frigg blinked as she stopped what she was doing and paused for a moment. Smiling, she took a sandwich and gave the girl a gentle pat on the head. "Thank you."
Hazel smiled at that. "Oh, that's my nickname for. It was the first thing that came to mind so...yeah." She shook her head. "By the way, you can come up with one for me if you like. I kinda forgot to say that earlier." She chuckled at the end.
Frigg smiled and nodded at that. "I will be sure to think of something for you." She said with a head tilt.
Hazel nodded with a smile. "Cool. I'll be over there with the sandwiches if you need me." She said, beginning to walk toward the counter.
Frigg walked to a different area as she subtly silenced the chiming coming from her mirror while she happily ate her sandwich.
As soon as Hazel got back, the first thing she heard was, "I wonder if we can sell sandwiches on Ebay..?"
CJ looked at JR with exasperation. "...You can't be serious…"
JR shrugged. "I meant for homes that weren't super far away." He held back a chuckle afterward.
George blinked. "This is good food. It better not go to waste." He looked down before grabbing a sandwich.
Trip shrugged and grabbed one. "Agreed! Let's just imagine this is an all you can eat sandwich bar." He smiled.
Ara shook her head. "Whatever works." She picked up a sandwich.
Hazel picked up two before biting one. "I agree. Let's get to work, guys!" She said with a chuckle as the group tried to chew all of the sandwiches away.
8888888
Chirpy tapped her chin as she got a head start on her baby order adjustments. She had no idea where everyone else was. Probably off getting into some kind of wild adventure as usual. She smiled at the thought while marking off her list.
Keeping her company is Audrey. Audrey is sitting in a chair and has been rather silent as of late. Chirpy wouldn't blame her. The pink-haired woman is most likely pondering the current events. Chirpy can't help but feel a bit of empathy.
Chirpy looked at Audrey. "...Audrey? Are you alright?" She blinked at her.
"Oh...I'm uh, fine." Audrey said in an awkward manner as she had been pulled out of her thoughts.
Chirpy blinked before saying, "Are you sure? You had...an interesting day yesterday."
"Yeah, it's nothing. I'm just thinking." Audrey said while waving her hand.
Chirpy smiled at that before changing the subject. "So...I've heard about the baby thing." She smiled.
"Uh yeah...It's unexpected." Audrey said as she picked up a magazine and began focusing on it instead.
Chirpy blinked before asking, "You wanted me to buy an extra pacifier too?" she asked with a tilt of her head. She shrugged, "Sorry I'm getting on your nerves. I am just not used to seeing you so introverted." She admitted.
Audrey looked at her with a small frown before sighing. "Just...buy what you think is good. I'm...unhappy because she has been avoiding me...for an entire day." She said with a shake of her head.
Chirpy nodded at both of those things. She said, "Okay." To the first part. To the second, she said, "I'm sure it's nothing too big. She'll come back around." Chirpy offered her a smile while she searched the web store.
"I'm sorry...but I'm pretty sure she's just gonna leave or something. You know, for good? Normally she'd attempt to talk over text or call me and...I can't even track her phone." Audrey said with a sigh.
Chirpy blinked with a wince. "...Really?" She tilted her head. "You sure. She's going to leave?" She said as she glanced up from her shopping. "I'm not sure Heidi would do that. You guys love each other, right?"
"Yeah but...why would she stay if it just meant that she had to suffer?" The pinkette asked in a quiet voice.
Chirpy looked down for a moment. "Maybe...to keep you happy?" She asked. "That's all she's been doing so far." She shrugged.
"But what if she decides to stop?" Audrey asked with worry on her face.
Chirpy blinked before tilting her head. "Why would she want to do it? Just because of the kids?" She asked, tilting her head the other way. "Maybe you're just getting ahead of yourself. Also, I heard high stress is not good for babies. Stay calm." She said soothingly.
"I'm fine-I already cast a spell or something awhile ago," Audrey said in a distracted manner as she anxiously played around with a lock of her hair.
Chirpy nodded at that before saying, "Take a deep breath...and relax." She said with a smile. "Everything is fine."
"I am fine…" Audrey said with a huff as she tugged at the lock for a moment before going back to playing with it.
Chirpy looked at her with humor before saying, "Yeah...you're fine but not 'fine'." She said using air quotes. "I need you to chill and be 'fine'. That means more breathing and less hair pulling."
"I am breathing and chilling," Audrey said with annoyance as she tossed the strand back to the side of her head before rubbing at her loose red dress.
Chirpy looked at her with halved eyed. "If you were truly chilling, you wouldn't keep having to fiddle with stuff." She said with a head tilt
"I'm not fiddling, your fiddling," Audrey said in a stubborn manner as she moved on to rubbing the armrest.
"Audrey...you're obviously defensive…" Chirpy said. "Your defensive fiddling!"
"No, I am not!" Audrey said with a sour look.
Chirpy nodded with a knowing look. "Audreeeey…" She trailed off, trying to get the woman to admit it.
"Noooo…" Audrey said as she dragged the word out and shook her head.
"Talk to me…" Chirpy said, still trying to get Audrey to talk.
"I did…" The pinkette deadpanned. "Nothing can make me continue with the subject." She said as she lifted the magazine so it was hiding her face.
Chirpy tilted her head before saying, "Audrey. Talking about what you're feeling is good for you. Opening up allows others to stand by and help you." She gestured to herself. "I want to help."
"I did talk, or are we forgetting about that?" Audrey asked dryly while peering over the magazine at her.
Chirpy tilted her head at that. "Oh, yeah. We did, but talking is different from 'talking'. Did you catch what I'm putting down?"
Audrey stared at her before picking up a throw pillow and chucking it at the girl before burying her head back in the magazine.
The pillow landed on Chirpy's face. She kept the pillow there, hiding her exasperated look, before removing it. "Throwing stuff is not talking."
"It is for me," Audrey said with a giggle, not bothering to look away from her magazine.
Chirpy smirked before taking the pillow. She picked it up, grabbed it by the edge, and tossed it over at Audrey.
Audrey squeaked and ducked as the pillow hit the wall. "Hey! No fair, I thought we didn't throw pillows at the pregnant chicks."
Chirpy shrugged before saying, "You said throwing pillows was your way of talking." She blinked innocently. "It's only right for me to respond." She said with a mischievous smile.
Audrey huffed at that as she tried, and struggled, to grab the pillow. "Come on...Ugh…" She sighed as she failed to grab it and let her arms dangle off the side. "...I can't get it."
Chirpy grabbed a pillow at her side with ease. "Here. Let me help with that." She said, tossing over another pillow with a giggle.
Audrey sighed pitifully at that. "I'm stuck and your still throwing." She said with a pout.
Chirpy giggled before saying, "It's fun." She said before getting up. "C'mon, mama. Let's get you up." She said, grabbing onto her from behind, like a hug before pulling backward.
"...I'd say thank you if my mind wasn't demanding pie for no reason," Audrey said dryly while giving her halved eyes.
Chirpy blinked before she asked, "Do you...want me to make you a pie?" She tilted her head, waiting for Audrey's response.
"...Fine," Audrey said with a sigh.
Chirpy offered her a smile. "Okay. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." She walked backward, not letting her eyes leave the pregnant woman.
"I'm stuck in this chair-how could I?" Audrey asked with a deadpan.
Chirpy replied. "Good. Stay stuck." She smiled even brighter. "Give me fifteen minutes!" She glanced back at Audrey before blasting out of the nearby door.
Audrey sighed deeply before picking up her magazine. "I feel like she sat me here on purpose." She mumbled before flipping a page.
