Bones
(Monday Afternoon, July 23rd)
"Yes, yes," Mal hurries. "Are we done now?"
"For the day," the brunette therapist nods, before she stands from her seat.
"Hold on." Mal stands and laughs in stress, "What do you mean for now?"
"Well, we do have three more sessions," she reminds her. "Your court order doesn't end until the twelfth."
"But Dr. Roberts said I could get a different therapist."
"For your personality disorder and overall wellbeing." Her blue eyes meet her, "It's my job to address your racism against humans and to make sure you're keeping up your heat."
"So, I have three more weeks of this," Mal thinks aloud.
When Belle walks into the entrance area, Janis asks, "May I use the bathroom?" Belle nods, and the therapist walks over to the hall.
Belle smiles at Mal, "How did it go?" Mal looks from the hallway to the black purse Janis had left, before she strides over to open it. "Mal? What are you doing?" She doesn't speak, merely taking out the wallet to examine her id. Her address is listed, and she smirks. "Mal?" She mutters it three times aloud, each one faster than the one prior, before she puts everything back the way it had been.
When the therapist makes her way back, she picks up her purse and smiles, "See you next week, Mal."
She grins, "See you next week, Janis."
The therapist's expression falters, before her gaze meets Belle, "Good day, Your Highness." Mal watches her leave, before she moves towards the stairs.
Belle stops her, "Mal. What were you doing?"
"Planning."
"Planning what?" she inquires.
"I don't know yet," Mal answers, before she moves past her and hurries up the staircase.
Mal leans on the counter and sighs, "A ham, turkey, and cheddar sub on a flatbread."
"Toasted," Jay inserts.
"Right," Mal nods with a frown. "Toasted."
The grey eyed man smiles, "Anything else?"
"No," Mal answers, before he starts preparing their meal.
Jay glances around the shop, "I can't believe this place is still up-and-running after what happened to the owner."
"Yeah," the man frowns. "I was, uh, a good friend of the owner. His niece was nice enough to let me buy the shop from her."
"I'm not surprised," Mal murmurs. "I was scared as hell to go anywhere afterwards. On the Isle hybrids are worshipped. Here they get killed."
"Anyone who is different," he corrects. "You don't have to be a hybrid to get death threats. You just have to be feared."
"How is his niece?" Mal questions.
He takes a moment, "Kerrin's been really focused on her med school. I haven't seen from her in over a month. No one's really heard from her."
"College happens during the summer?" Jay notices.
"They take fieldtrips to different kingdoms for hands-on training," he informs, "but I didn't think she was allowed to do that yet."
"So, what is she doing?" Mal ponders.
"Your guess is as good as mine." He trades the sub with Mal and Jay's money. "I just wish she could find the time for more than a quick text, just so I know she's okay."
Mal eyes around the shop, but the people don't look away. They whisper, muttering, about her assault accusation against the king, her hospitalization, and how much more dangerous she is now that she's lost her mind. "Maybe we should get out of here," Jay offers.
"Yeah." Mal nods, before she strides to the door. "Besides, there's something I've been dying to get since I got out."
Jay follows her down the street, "The wine store?"
Mal stops in front of it, before she carries on, "No." She crosses the street, before she enters the butcher shop. The guy with buzzed black hair and dark skin frowns, as Mal steps forward and Jay stays back by the door. "Hey." She leans on the counter, "Do you sell bones?"
"Uh," he unsurely answers. "What kind?"
She shrugs with wide eyes, "Small. Big. Marrow in the center. Whatever you have for a reasonable price, really."
"Um." He shouts, "Dad. How many bones are we allowed to sell?"
His father shouts from the back, "You can tell those wolves that if they're not going to cook their food, they can get out of here."
He unsurely smiles, "Sorry. Someone's dog died after they ate a bone."
"But I'm not a dog, am I?" Mal coyly comments. "I'm a dragon. I cook what I eat."
"So, you know how to cook bones?" he tests.
Mal smiles, "Give me one, and I'll show you." He stares at her for a minute, before he complies and takes a thin bone from beneath the counter. She accepts it, "Thank you." before she blows a blue flame over it. He steps back from the heat, and she bites into the charred bone, "I get to thank Lord Hades for showing me this. My mom didn't teach me shit."
"So, um, how many?" he asks.
She glows her eyes, "You should give me all of them."
"All of them?" he slowly repeats.
Mal tilts her head, "Well, I mean, so long as you're not allowed to give them to wolves." before her eyes glow brighter. "You are happy to let me have them for free."
"Of course," he grins, before he takes the brown sack from under the counter and struggles to hand it to her. "Here."
Mal smiles as she takes it, "Nice doing business with you." before she turns to leave and Jay whistles before following her out.
"I'm impressed," he expresses.
"Not yet." Mal commands, "Keep walking."
Inside the store, the guy eyes from the door to the countertop, "Hold on." He moves a few objects, "Where's the…"
"Where's the what?" his father walks up behind him.
He turns around, "I, um, can't find the money."
"Oh." He smiles, "You mean the money you just let walk out of here?"
"What?" his eyes narrow.
His dad bumps his head with a roll of newspaper, "What's wrong with you, boy? You know how much money we could've got?"
"Ow," he rubs his head.
"You really going to let some pretty, white girl thieve from you?"
"No," he tiredly frowns.
"Well, you just did."
He sighs, "Dad. I swear, I don't know what happened."
He lightly chuckles, "It's a good thing school's starting up soon." before he rubs a hand over his head. "Your brain clearly shrunk this summer."
"So, the bones?" he reminds him.
He waves it off, "We can get more when you help me clean some animals this weekend."
"Wait," he puts up a hand. "What?"
"You're learning how to clean an animal this Saturday," he repeats.
"But I had plans," he complains.
"And now you're making new plans," his father instructs. He rubs his face in stress, and his dad steps forward, "Come on. It'll be fun."
He gives a look, "More fun than videogames?"
His eyebrows raise, "More fun than cleaning toilets."
He sighs, "I guess, you're right."
His father laughs, "You know, I'm right."
"Ugh," Evie complains. "Nothing's fitting." She sighs, "Looks like I'm not allowed to wear leather anymore." She tries on a blue tank top and black miniskirt, before she holds the magic mirror in front of her, "What about this?"
He writes, "You're always beautiful."
"You have to say that," she complains.
"I'm saying it, because it's true."
Evie shakes her head, "You're no help." before she sets the mirror on the bed and turns back to the full-length mirror, pinching her thigh. "I'm so fat."
There's a knock on the door, and Evie goes to open it. Ben awkwardly smiles, "Mother wants me to tell you to go to dinner."
Evie turns back into the room, "You don't even eat dinner." before she looks through more clothes.
"She thinks I can get you to come," Ben informs, before he notices her create a few new outfits. "What are you doing?"
Evie grins, "I'm taking Mal to the movies tomorrow night." before she frowns and rolls her eyes. "If only something would fit. I feel like I've gained eleven pounds." She stresses, "The amount of food Belle and Jay want me to eat is utterly insane."
"You're going on a date with Mal," Ben realizes.
Evie pauses, "I should have told you. Sorry."
"No. Um," he quickly dismisses. "It's fine. Just… try not to be seen, you know, with the law and everything."
"We'll be back in the dark," she promises, and Ben nods. "This outfit isn't working," Evie decides, before she starts pulling off her clothes and Ben distracts himself by closing the door. "What about this?"
Ben turns back and sees the longer skirt flowing from the waist with the long-sleeved top beneath, before he answers, "Yeah. It's fine."
Evie looks back into the mirror, "You're right. This isn't a dating shirt." before she takes the top off and Ben sees her ribs. Every single one of them can be seen. It must be amazing taking up so little space. Her footsteps must be so quiet, she could go anywhere without being heard. If his father didn't hear his footsteps, he could avoid him a lot better. "What are you looking at?" Ben meets her dark brown eyes, as she hides behind the new top, "You think I'm fat, don't you?"
Ben shakes his head, "No, Evie. You're so skinny, no amount of weight you put on could ever make you fat."
She eyes over him in suspicion, before she puts the red tank top on and pushes the extra fabric underneath the skirt. "There." She turns back to him, "What about this?"
He eyes over her, "I secretly like red."
Evie giggles, "Well, you also secretly like blood, but what about Mal?"
Ben recalls, "She likes shiny objects."
"That's right," Evie grins, before she finds a sparkly, see-through red blouse. She pulls it over, tucks it under the skirt, and looks into the mirror, "A long necklace and a jeweled headband, and I'll drive her positively crazy."
"I'm happy for you," Ben acknowledges.
Evie grins at him, "Thank you. I'm glad to hear that."
He falters, "Are you going to have sex with her?"
Her eyes widen, as she laughs, "Excuse me?"
"Well, now that you're starting to feel… healthier," he hesitates, "I was just asking if you want to have sex now?"
Evie takes a moment, "I don't know." before she observes him. "Does it matter?"
"No." Ben's voice strengthens, "It doesn't. I'm sorry."
"Evie," Belle knocks on the door, before she opens it and eyes between her and Ben. "What's taking you?"
"She has a date with Mal tomorrow night," Ben answers. "She needed some help finding an outfit."
His mother's eyes widen, "You saw her changing?" before his mouth opens and he turns to Evie.
She lies for him, "No. I was just showing him this one."
"Very well, then." Belle looks between them, "Finish here. Evie, I want you over for dinner. Ben—"
"I had a protein shake," he excuses.
"Right." She thinks, "I'll speak with you later." before she moves back into the hall and shuts the door.
When Ben faces Evie, she looks over him, "You weren't uncomfortable, were you?"
"No," Ben agrees.
"Good." Evie moves to her desk, "That's what I thought."
"I mean," he corrects himself, "the only uncomfortable thing would be if you thought me looking at you made you think I liked you like that."
"No." Evie picks something up, "I know you were just thinking about how fat I got."
Ben frowns, "Evie. You're not fat."
"You're nice." She grins, "That's why I made you this."
He watches her move towards him, "What is that?"
She shows him the clip, "It's a unicorn." before she eyes off. "Sorry. I couldn't find any pegasus buttons."
Ben tries not to smile, "Evie."
She pushes his bangs back and puts the clip in it, "Your hair's getting so long. If you don't start taking care of it, your parents are going to make you cut it."
"They're going to make me cut it anyway," Ben counters. "They won't even let me have it to my neck in the winter."
"You could always have Mal do a spell to grow it," she suggests.
"Okay." Ben sternly remarks, "I am not having Mal do any spell on me for hair. With my luck, I'd get chest hair and a beard."
Evie sighs, "Mal always did like the girly guys."
After Belle knocks, she enters the office, "Ben?"
"I'm pretty sure I didn't give you permission to come in," he complains.
She laughs, "What's in your hair?"
Ben touches the clip, "Oh. Uh." and hurries to remove it. He awkwardly smiles, "Evie gave it to me. She says if I'm going to have long hair, I need to take care of it."
"You know you're getting a hair cut for the new school year?" she reminds him.
Ben falters, "Yes. I know."
She walks up to him, "Here. I can have it."
"But," Ben's eyes shift, "it was a gift. What happened to not giving away gifts, because it's rude or something?"
"You're not going to use it," she points out.
"I never used that foosball table either," he counters, "and you still made me keep that."
She nods, "Very well." before she sits down. "Having a productive night?"
"It's going," he acknowledges. She stays silent, and he observes her, "Mother?"
"I just was thinking," she unsurely starts, before she hesitates, "about what you said to Chad when he tried to leave."
"Okay," Ben slowly answers. "Which part?"
"The part about how he's yours and can't leave," she addresses.
He shrugs, "Okay. What about it?"
She takes a minute, "You can't say that to someone." and he waits for her to explain. "You see, um." She sighs, "You know, you should eat something solid." Ben looks off, and she suggests, "We have fudge. I could quickly spin together an orange frosting for it."
"Orange frosting?" Ben's frown deepens. "Is this conversation really that bad?"
"I just," she hesitates, "someone's experience can cloud any future education, and I'm not sure how well you can understand this."
"Mother," he prompts.
She takes a deep breath, "Okay. Here it is: you know your father hasn't always been the most approachable."
"Hasn't always?" Ben disbelieves.
She sighs, "Anyhow. I realize that over the years he has slipped up every now and again—especially when he's unwell—and I'm afraid you might have subconsciously, uh, learned some things that you shouldn't have."
"What do you mean?"
"Alright. Let's be blunt about this." She takes a moment, "When your father used to tell me I wasn't allowed to leave, pulled me away from the door, and tell me I was his, that was abuse." Her eyes widen, "When you do that to someone, you're not making them stay; you're scaring them away." She gauges his expression, "Now, Chad is a lot like me in that he gets more defensive and hurt than scared, but that doesn't make it a good idea to use your father's tactics on him. It will not work, and just because I stayed, doesn't mean he would."
Ben quiets, "Chad's just so frustrating sometimes."
"As I am to your father," she compares, "but that never gives a person the right to dehumanize someone else. Couples may have this idea of ownership, but it should never hinder the autonomy they have a right to as separate beings."
Ben takes a moment, "Chad and I aren't a couple, though. We're just friends."
"Even so, it does not change the circumstances." She nods, "You treated Chad very poorly, and I need you to understand that if you really care about him, you won't do it again."
Ben whispers, "I understand." and she stands from her seat.
"Good."
"Mother," he speaks up, and her somber brown eyes meet him. "Back in class, I thought it was weird that they said keeping someone from financial independence was abuse. The small amount of money you get from Father, does that count as that?"
"No." Her voice strengthens, "It's his money. He's kind to offer me any."
When she starts to leave, Ben rushes, "Mother. I…" and she turns back to him. He loves her? He sighs, "Have a good night."
She partly smiles, "You too." before she leaves the room.
Ben places a hand to his head. He can't even let his mother know he cares, because he didn't want it to mean what she would think it means. He grabs a new can of soda, muttering, "Which, it's not like I wouldn't mean it that way too." He listens intently, as the can cracks open and the loud sizzle slowly fades. Why can't he like people normally? Why can't he eat normally? Why can't he just be normal? He takes in the calming drink, until he shakes the empty can and grabs another. This is normal. Everything else in his life might be a mess, but this is his normal.