The boys and Alluka meet Madelyn, she, however, is not prepared to meet the boys in the middle.
After a few days of recovery, Daniel was able to walk again without falling over. Killua worked him over a little too hard, so next time they know not to be as rough.
After a little bit of rationalizing, trying to figure out his feelings and needs, Daniel was willing to accept taking it from Killua.
His boyfriend had to remind him so many times… that thing his most worried about was nothing but a non-issue.
No matter if he shares similar 'tastes' to his father, Vastorie, the two were not the same when it comes to everything else. It's always been Daniel's biggest fear; while he feels like his mind will linger back to those feelings from time to time, he knows that his boyfriend will be here to remind him constantly, that will not always be the case.
Just like how Killua will not follow in his father's footsteps, to be an assassin by trade, Daniel won't be the one to carry on Vastorie's torch.
He might one day want to carry his father's torch, but until he learns more about Vastorie… that won't be the case. At the end of the day, he is his own person.
They have other real problems to deal with, mainly Victor chasing after them and leaning about Vastorie's past.
So far, he has a great… and a terrible mental image of his father.
He is a volatile, self-sacrificing man; a man who refuses outside help… but at the same time, he's skilled at what he does. Whether it be gambling, making money, saving lives… or taking them…
But the thing his most worried about is how the man is distancing himself from his family, because for the first time… he's scared of the enemy.
Scared that his father will hurt the people he loves the most.
They'll need to talk to Eifion sometime soon for his side, to see what his biased image of Vastorie would be like. He knows the man in his own way, a way that will help Daniel understand more about his father.
Apparently, piecing together all these parts of history involving his father will help him understand the man, why he's so liked… even though the way he's acting right now, contradicts the positive light others have put him in.
Even though the way Nathaniel spoke about him, putting him such a negative light… he still thinks that there's some good in the man.
Other than Eifion, there's another group of people they can talk to right now…
Madelyn, Clarisa and Kyle… today was the day, the trio was going to see them. Right now, Killua is contemplating on keeping his name hidden. He's worried that telling the girls, will make them want to distance themselves from Daniel.
The problem is what if they want to distance themselves from Daniel, just because he's a Zoldyck? That would put Daniel at a disadvantage. They might be the youngest people to know Vastorie.
They are aware that there would be more people they can meet at the Swordcross Institution, but unless they visit the place Nathaniel grew up in, who has also talked to Vastorie and Nathaniel, the three going to this school right now were their best bet to gather more information on his father, besides the faculty members and Eifion…
They would be more… brutally honest about his parents. If Nathaniel and Vastorie have been saving lives and bringing them there… there will be a contrast between those who are unhappy with their lives and those who are bright and bubbly, like Gon.
Madelyn and Clarisa are the two best people to talk too. One who's bright and bubbly, and other… who's dismissive and brooding. Madelyn has a reason; she made some kind of… promise with his father, a promise he broke or more likely in this case hasn't been fulfilled yet.
There was no doubt, if he could fulfil her desire, she might be more receptive to building relationships with others… like Clarisa for example. Clarisa doesn't want Madelyn to grow up lonely. Not only that, but she may also have feelings for her housemate.
Sure, now might not be a good time for Madelyn to be dating anyone, considering she hasn't let anyone in, besides Vastorie… for unknown reasons. But that's another issue entirely.
Right now, what Madelyn and Clarisa have… is something similar, to what he and Killua had. Daniel was drawn in by Killua's mysteriousness, what he kept hidden. The longer he stayed with the boy, the more those feelings turned into attraction, a desire to be more with Killua.
Maybe what Clarisa is experiencing, is what he went through. Sure, he did a terrible job of announcing those feelings to the other, but they are together… their affection for one another building in their way.
Daniel slipped on a shirt he picked haphazardly, only to realise the shirt was fitting a little too high. A fraction of his belly was showing. Once he took off his shirt, he realised it was why… it was Killua's.
He has been getting a little taller now, not enough to make a huge impact. He's around maybe five inches taller than Killua right now.
He wasn't craning his neck to look at his boyfriend, or forced to lean forward, just so he could kiss his partner. But he did notice a slight adjustment when performing those actions.
Hopefully, he doesn't get too tall. He never wanted to be forced to look down on his partner; he wants to be able to smile at his partner, to see each other eye-to-eye, without to bend, just so they can kiss one another.
If he continues to grow at this rate, he might need to shop for bigger shirts just for himself. Hopefully, it'll only be a single size up. Killua might like baggy clothes, but he prefers his clothes to be hugging his frame.
Daniel grabbed one of his shirts, slipping it on with ease. Now that he was dressed, he was ready to go out. Killua and Alluka were already waiting outside for him. As he left their bedroom, he offered an apologetic smile to his partner and Alluka.
"Took you long enough… did you get lost in Nardia?"
As Daniel picked up his keys, he casually announced his feelings "Why would I, when my king is right here…?" He hadn't realised what he said until he was looking at his partner's surprised expression, "what did I say?"
"You…" Killua's cheeks turned red as he grabbed his own set of keys, shooting his boyfriend a 'you're going to get it later' look.
As Daniel raised an eyebrow, he looked towards Alluka for guidance.
"You gave my big brother a nice compliment."
"I see…" He turned back towards his boyfriend who was standing at the doorway.
"Your king would like you, to move your sweet butt out of this door."
"Oh…" Daniel made a surprised face. He never expected to casually admit that he saw Killua as his king. Sure, he always put his boyfriend on a pedestal… he loves Killua, wanting to praise the boy endlessly for his intelligence and how he keeps level-headed, even with all the shit going wrong around them.
But, he did just casually slapped Killua across the face with an unexpected compliment. However, the blush his boyfriend was sporting brought a smile to his face. He should compliment his partner more often, flooding him with nothing but praise until he accepts them without complaint.
Then again… this was Killua he was thinking about. Around two years of being together, not necessarily in a relationship, mainly travelling together… and he still gets flushed when being praised.
With a smile, he stepped up to his partner, holding the boy's cheeks as he lined up their lips, kissing the boy for a short, but sweet kiss.
Killua melted from the connection. When his partner pulled away, he playfully shoved his partner out the door "Staaap, you know how I am physical affection."
"I know…" Daniel offered Killua a warm smile as he was pushed out the door. He just loves Killua so much, he deserves the attention.
"Well, we made a promise to the other three, might as well see them now, considering your moving around a lot easier."
"I know… I know…" Daniel stepped off to the side with a chuckle, Alluka following soon after.
"~"
Clarisa let the three into the room with a huge smile, "Come in, come in… make yourselves welcome. Your layout should be like ours, so take a seat at the table, while I try to get Madelyn out of her room."
"Will do…" Killua hummed as he looked around. The girl was right, their layout was similar. Except for a few differences here and there.
They had a few posters up, mainly motivational ones like "smiling makes the world brighter", "hang in there", and a few others pressed against the walls and doors.
Daniel focused on one of the motivation posters, deep in thought. Clarisa reminds me a little of Gon… maybe Sakura too. Actually… more like Sakura. Gon is a bright and cheery friend, but he has his moments where he stops being positive… where he loses himself in his sadness.
I believe Sakura helps make sure he bounces back. Maybe even Iason too…
The boy paused his thoughts to look at his partner. Actually… we all have someone like that… someone to help us all bounce back. I don't know who that person would be for Clarisa, it might be Kiel… or could be she is naturally outwardly happy, while she keeps all her pain inside, until, she's all alone to let it out.
Right now, there was only one way to find out, and that's to probe Clarisa into accidentally dropping hints, "You made the place very… motivational."
Clarisa stopped to look at Daniel, "What? Oh, you mean the posters… Yeah, if anything, the ones they're for, tends to ignore its existence."
Daniel laughed at that. It wasn't something he should laugh at, but it was just the way she said it. She was pouting because she wanted Madelyn to see them, to notice their existence.
"I could imagine the frustration…" Killua hummed as he turned to look at the TV. It has a few consoles on it, most likely for Kiel.
As Alluka sat down, Killua looked over the consoles and games, perusing their library of entertainment.
Daniel decided to join Alluka after looking over the posters, Clarisa was now talking on the phone to Madelyn, hoping to coax her out of her room. All she really, needed to say was Daniel's name and she'll be out in a second.
The boy could guess why she didn't want to do it. She didn't want Madelyn to consider him to be just a logbook of information she can pry at. She wanted them to share information, with each other, not be there to answer questions he couldn't possibly answer… he's not Vastorie.
Daniel was his 'own' person, with his 'own' information and questions… questions that Clarisa and Madelyn could hopefully answer.
When the girl sighed, Clarisa finally gave in. She didn't want Madelyn to come out, just because Daniel was here. She didn't want that to be the sole reason. Nonetheless, she said it anyways "The two boys-"
Well, more like as she was about to say it, but Madelyn was guessing one of the boy's names before she could finish her sentence "Daniel is here?"
"Ye-"
"I'll be out in a second!" The moment she finished talking her door swung open, now scowling at Clarisa for not only hiding the truth but standing right in front of her door. The girl was stopping her from stomping over to Daniel, stopping her from demanding answers.
Clarisa crossed her arms, "We made a deal. A question for a question. He answers one, you answer one… I know two days may seem like a lot to right now, but I want you to make friends… not close off possible chances of friendships."
"But-"
"No buts missy. I know Daniel is Vastorie's son, but you have to be prepared he might not know anything about your deal with Vastorie."
"Then I won't give him any answers. It's as simple as that."
Clarisa frowned, "You can just ignore him entirely…"
"So, you expect me to answer questions about myself, while he can walk away without saying anything?" She looked over, only to see Daniel's unimpressed expression. He was silently judging her, so why should she talk to him at all "That's not fair!"
"No. What I'm saying is if he gives you an answer, you must give him an answer in return. AND PLEASE DON'T, expect him to be able to answer your questions about Vastorie… understood."
"It's still not fair…"
Clarisa pouted, "It's not fair that Daniel should know answers to questions his father can only answer."
The girl frowned in response, stomping her way over to Daniel and Killua who was now seated at the table during her argument with Clarisa.
When the girl sat down, Clarisa then walked over to Alluka, "Kiel is in his room, if you'd like, I can let you into his room so the two of you can play games together."
Alluka looked at her brother for a response. If he wanted her to continue to be here with them while they talked, she'd prefer to stay. However, if her brother doesn't think she should be here, while she might be sad… she understands that this topic might be difficult to talk about with her around.
Killua offered a smile to his sister, "I think you should have fun with Kiel. We'll be talking about mundane stuff with Clarisa and Madelyn. I'll let you know what we talk about later."
"Alright!" Alluka nod at her brother with a smile, he promised to keep her posted about their talk later.
"Come with me Audrey, I'll let you in his room."
Clarisa swiped her card on the scanner, before opening the door wide enough to peak her head inside "Kiel, Audrey is here. You wanna play some games in your room with her?"
"Sure!"
"Awesome, just stay in your room for now."
"Alright, sis! We'll come out later when we want to get snacks… is that ok?"
"That should be fine. Have fun!" She let Audrey into the room, the younger girl smiling at her as she stepping into the room, suddenly feeling shy. This will be the first time she gets to interact with someone her age, gets to play with someone her age.
As Clarisa closed the door behind her, Kiel pats his bed, "come sit with me. I hope we can be friends!" He offered the girl a smile, Audrey now stepping towards him.
"Sure!" She offered a weak smile in response. She won't know how to act in this case, so she'll try to go with the flow.
"~"
Clarisa joined the others at the table, Madelyn still sulking from her housemate's words. She was an endless loop of pessimistic thoughts; she was expected to talk with Daniel, to give him answers… while believing that the answers she wanted most, will never be supplied.
He could prob her for anything he wanted… but she wasn't allowed to do the same…
Not only that, but Daniel was also still silently judging her; It was as if he was expecting an apology of some kind. She has done nothing wrong, if anything, what Clarisa and mostly likely Daniel expected of her, was what was really, wrong about this situation.
Nobody could blame her for wanting answers to her questions… nobody.
Daniel had been frowning the whole time. He knew what she wanted… He knew he couldn't give her the answers she wanted most of all. After being with Gon and Killua, he knew the tell-tale signs of anger, the anger of knowing that you couldn't demand the answers you desperately wanted the most.
Because of this one-sided conversation, he knew he won't be able to ask her some of his more… private questions, the ones that relate to her and Vastorie's history; it would be unfair.
He'd have to play it safe, especially now that he has put her in a difficult position. She's was forced to wait two days extra, even though he promised they'd come to see them soon, and by soon… he meant the following day, after, a night of recovering from the barrage of questions.
Plus, it'd be easier to talk to her without prying eyes. He was sure Madelyn wouldn't dare say her story in front of others.
So, when it was the four of them, five if Killua decided to let Alluka listen in, they'd be able to talk more freely.
Drumming his fingers along the table, Daniel thought of the best way to start this exchange of questions and answer "I know that there's going to questions neither of 'can' or would want to answer. I feel like your surname would be of those."
"You're right! It's off-limits, so don't ask!" Clarisa shot her glare. She was angry at her for being rude to Daniel; she didn't care. It was something she wanted to keep a secret, so she will continue to do so.
Killua frowned alongside Clarisa. She was being rude.
Daniel decided to continue because it's not about forcing it out of her… it's about putting them on equal footing, to allow Clarisa the chance to be able to talk to her housemate more as a close companion, than a stranger.
If he can get it out of her, the girl would also be able to see Clarisa smile at her "But, I want to know… I know I can't force it out of you. HOWEVER," Daniel interjected loud enough to stop Madelyn from arguing about this without hearing his reasoning first, "I want to be able to be to talk to you on friendlier terms… You know mine, and now that you do… I'm hoping I could learn yours as well."
"Well, I don't plan to tell you… they're…" Madelyn bit her lip, "I don't want to talk about it."
"Alright, I won't push you further." The boy looked to Clarisa, offering her a silent apology before turning back to Madelyn, "On that note, please accept my that if I can't give you an answer… you won't get angry at me. I promise I won't be angry at you for not giving me answers. Deal?"
Clarisa looked towards her housemate; she was furious, there was no way this could end on a positive note, not until she gets what she wants. If Daniel can't mediate the situation, she doesn't think she will be able to.
She doesn't want to scold her housemate, not while she was this upset…
"Of course, I'm going to get angry… I'm angry that I have his son right here, staring me in the face… and he doesn't even know who I am."
Daniel's fingers stopped drumming against the table, "Please tell me you're not my long-lost sister or something."
"No! Vastorie would never…" She stopped the thought. No, she'd never want Vastorie to take her into his family… she doesn't want to have a family… not anymore "It's not important."
As Daniel raised an eyebrow, Killua was getting ready to argue "L-"
Daniel held a hand to Killua's chest, giving him a stern look. He wanted Killua to reconsider, to hold back his insults. If they continue like this, neither of them will learn anything about each other.
Removing his hand, he leaned forward, slouching across the table "I don't want us to stick a knife at each other's throat. We won't get anywhere if we argue all night." The boy sat up, crossing his arms on the table "I'm sorry I wasn't here two days ago… I'm sorry that I hurt myself that night. I…" Daniel sighed as he leaned back into his chair, "I want to get to know you, even if it's a little. We're obviously, off to a bad start right now. So, I'll start properly…"
Daniel held a hand out to the two girls, "My name is Daniel Darkscryer… the son of Vastorie and Nathaniel Darkscryer. Yes, I have two fathers… no, I cannot tell you how I was born; I don't have the answers myself…" Daniel brought his hand over to Killua, "This is my partner, Kyle Cilka, yes… that is an alias, not I will not give you his full name. It's up to him to supply it…"
Killua rolled his eyes, talking about keeping a secret. Daniel pointed out his using a fake name, but won't give his real name unless he, was the one to supply it, "He is correct. I can give you my first name… but I'm not willing to give you my last… for legitimate reasons."
Clarisa turned to look at Madelyn. Wondering what she'll say.
"If Kyle, which clearly, isn't even his real name… is not willing to give his surname, I won't either."
"That's fine by me…" Killua scoffed at the girl, she'll be a tough nut to crack. Daniel's going to need all the luck in the world because he was one step away from shutting her down. He might be level-headed in these scenarios, but Madelyn is pissing him off.
She's dismissing Daniel over the most stupid of reasons. Hell, he highly doubts the girl is as famous as she's making herself out to be. Not if he were to compare her to Scarlet, her surname would spark an uproar.
Even his name would make her run for the hills. She was sitting in front of a skilled assassin and she wasn't even aware of it.
She doesn't even deserve to talk to Daniel, not after how Madelyn was treating him. This girl had to be some nobody, she felt unimportant… She carried no grace, no-body gestures to suggest she was someone who needs to be in hiding.
Frankly, he'd smack her across the face with the cold hard truth of reality, if it weren't for Daniel who was stopping him.
Clarisa nudged her housemate.
"No, you can't force me to say it! I won't say shit to Daniel or Kyle…"
"No," Clarisa fumed, "I mean start properly, on a neutral ground. Please, introduce yourself, say what you want and expect from this. They deserve that much…"
"I…" You're right… I should be better. I won't learn anything if I keep pushing this boy away…
Daniel took note of the girl's expression, how it shifted as soon as Clarisa said something. Madelyn relented; something she wasn't willing to do for him. Clarisa has some… kind of hold on her, one neither of them has even realised yet.
Shifting her expression, Madelyn's features grew stern "My name is Madelyn, as you know. What I expect from this, is to know why Vastorie didn't keep up his end of the deal."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, "I can't help you if you won't tell me what it is…" he was hoping that she will say something about the deal. Exactly, what kind of hold he had on the girl, what he was expecting her to do?
The girl scoffed at the question, "If you must know, I want freedom… out of this hellhole, and into a life where I don't have to interact with anyone else."
"I'm sensing a big but here," Daniel argued, hoping that she would continue.
"You would be correct. But I'm not giving you anymore, considering you don't know anything about me."
Killua sighed, pushed well over his limit. He was done were her shit "I'll make some assumptions then." Killua leaned forward as he looked at the girl.
"Please don't…" Daniel whined. He didn't want this friendship to be any rockier than it already was. He knows Killua could and would, slam dunk her to hell and back. He looked fed up with the scenario, but punching her face in with reality was going to do more harm than good.
If she continues to be upset, she's going to push them away, for who knows how long.
She was unstable, like Vastorie. What she 'said' and 'wanted', didn't match her earlier actions.
"No… this needs to be said! Don't!" Killua stopped his partner from arguing further; he was frustrated with Daniel allowing her to walk all over him. He doesn't deserve to be treated like shit. He deserves better, considering he has stopped himself from saying the truth way too often "You…" He shot the older girl a glare as she scowled at him in response "You prefer to be isolated from the rest of the world, but you act as though you want interactions."
"Wh-" Madelyn was surprised to hear those words. She never wanted any kind of interaction… not ever. So where was he pulling these lies from "What…?"
"Clarisa pointed out that you tend to stay up if none of your housemates is here. You cook for more than yourself… offering food to others without ever saying a word. You say you want to be isolated, but you're acting like you want these interactions… you want answers to questions Vastorie has left you with. Daniel is not Vastorie… he never will be. So, pull your head out of your ass because if Vastorie hasn't come back for you, he must believe you haven't completed his request… I know it must kill you, knowing that you'll be stuck here until you beat him at his game. But until you realise it yourself, he won't even bat a single eye in your direction."
"You…"
Daniel sighed, "Kyle, apologise. I know you feel like you said the right thing, you… No, I won't say anything; we'll get nowhere if we continue to step on each other's feet."
Killua grumbled, to himself, pouting from Daniel calling him out. He was only pointing out the obvious, plus… she was being an absolute bitch to Daniel. Of course, he was going to defend his partner "I'm sorry…"
Clarisa nudged her housemate.
"I'm not apologising for anything."
"Kyle apologised, so you should too."
"Fine… I'm sorry."
"With less sarcasm please." Killua taunted the girl. He was willing to apologise. He didn't care about himself, but Daniel deserves an apology. He doesn't deserve to be treated like a villain. He was only stating the truth, the truth she obviously, needed to hear.
Daniel held up a hand, "Apology accepted. Let's move on from this, please. Maybe the longer we talk, at least, on a more… reciprocate level, the less either of us will step on each other's feet. I'll start with the first question…"
"Why do you get to go first?"
"MADELYN!"
Daniel blinked several times; he didn't expect that kind of reaction. Shaking his head in disbelief, he decided to relent from the idea. He wanted to be able to recover from the situation, rather, than getting upset with her. So, he held out a hand to her, gesturing to her to go first "Alright, you go first."
"No, you're the guest," Clarisa countered. He deserves to go first, after the way he has been treated "so you should go first."
"Nah, it's fine… my question can wait."
"Why hasn't Vastorie talked about me?"
"Because you're not as important…" Killua muttered under his breath, words filled with malice.
Daniel squeezed his partner's leg from under the table. He was worried about how this was going to turn out. She couldn't take any more criticism right now… except maybe from Clarisa. She did react positively to Clarisa… sometimes.
How could he put the girl at ease without breaking her fragile heart? It's clear, she's hurting from his dad's actions… but he had no clear answers to give her. He did, however, have a good response.
Vastorie was giving his family the silent treatment, so he might as well start with that "Because he's not talking to me right now."
"Why?"
Killua fumed, "He gave you an answer to your question, now he should get a quest-"
"No, it's fine. My father has gone into isolation, due to an unforeseen issue arising. If I tell you, it'll put your lives at risk. Please accept that this isn't something I can talk about…"
Madelyn frowned. What risk could the boy possibly put her in? It's not like he's being chased by a murderer, he'd be more worried about sticking to one place, especially a school like this "Fine. What's your question?"
"I'll start simple. I do want to help you… not because Clarisa asked me, but I can see my father hurt you in some manner, at least from what my he's expecting from you."
"I don't want your help…"
"Well, I want to help you because I need your help to understand my own father."
The girl's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't expecting that kind of response. Why was Daniel asking for her help? How was she supposed to help the boy understand his father if she couldn't even understand him at times herself?
Shifting her expression, she gave away none of her internal feelings "But… why? You're his flesh and blood. You shouldn't need to understand-" The girl bit her tongue, regretting her words. No, Daniel was trying to appeal to her emotions. It wouldn't work. But she did promise Clarisa, she'll give an answer to Daniel for every answer he supplied "He…"
Madelyn closed her eyes, sighing deeply, "He wants me to connect with people, to create an emotional connection with someone… to love someone."
"This is the first time I'm hearing about this…" Clarisa offered her housemate a soft smile. Vastorie wanted her to open up with others. It was clear she was trying to take baby steps, but not enough for the man to even consider she has changed.
Daniel raised an eyebrow "I don't think he means it in a literal way."
"Of course! He wouldn't even dare… Love is a stupid concept only idiots would believe in!"
Clarisa immediately frowned, opening her mouth to say something. But Kyle came in, being perfectly blunt with his response, "Clearly you have a deep-seated issue with this concept. Someone close to you hurt you in the past…"
"What would you know?"
"My family is a bunch of assholes… I would know, to an extent, what you're going through."
"What did your family do you, hmm? What could they have done to you, that would help you, understand me?"
"How about… wanting me to get rid of the things I cherish the most. Daniel is one of those things… Audrey was also another. My best friend… pets… you name it… they most likely wanted me to get rid of it."
The girl scoffed at the response. It was close to home, but even if he shared the same disdain he had for his parents as she did, he'll still never understand her… nobody will, "Close, but not exactly. And I'm STILL not telling you…"
Daniel drew everyone's attention as he held up his hand, "I think I might understand… not your history, but what Vastorie is expecting from you. He likes to work in a roundabout way, hiding the truth under many layers of lies. The love he wants you to find isn't 'affection', but rather a connection… someone, you're willing to open up to."
"What makes you believe that…?"
"Not believe, but understand. I don't think I'm the person that you could connect with… I think you know who that person is, you're just not prepared to open up to them."
"What makes you believe I found this person?"
"Kyle pointed out the answer earlier. I'm not repeating it, like my father… I want you to come to terms with it because forcing the action will not help. You'll only become more… reclusive. Move at your own pace and you'll figure it out."
"Eventually…" Killua added at the end.
The girl scoffed in response, "Fine… let's say I believe you. What makes you believe I know who it is?"
Daniel shook a finger at her, "My turn… I gave you an answer, I have a question for you."
"Fine~ ask your question." She acted dismissively, but the intrigue was secretly killing her. Who exactly was this person she was prepared to confide with?
"Thank you." The boy muttered sincerely, looking into the girl's eyes as he asked his question "you've obviously, met with Vastorie, talked to him about matters and feelings. In your eyes, what was your image of him? What would you say you saw him as…?"
The girl put a hand to her chin, thinking about the question "I… don't know. People would say he's kind, but I think he's… direct. What you said earlier about him, doesn't sit right with me. It didn't feel like he was creating lies upon lies… He just stating things on how they are."
"Such as…?"
"He…" The girl stopped, frowning at herself. She was about to tell the boy what he said to her that day, the day he brought her to the Swordcross Institution. She won't tell him, instead… she's going to lie to the boy's face "The first night I was brought to the Swordcross Institution, he said to consider my family dead to me."
"I call bullshit!" Clarisa spoke up, surprising everyone, "He'd never say that! Family is an important connection. I don't know what happened with yours, but I know for a fact… he'd never say to you. He'd never want you to consider your family dead to you. We are your family… every one of us cares about you back at the Swordcross Institution… we are one big happy family, that wants to connect with you. We want you to think of us as your brothers and sisters."
Madelyn went from surprise to anger as soon as the girl was finished arguing. How dare she call her a liar. Yes, what she said he said was wrong, but it was up to a certain extent. Vastorie wanted her to consider her original family as being dead to her… because what was waiting for her back at the Swordcross Institution, was a family that wanted her.
Seeing how Madelyn was reacting now, a small part of her regretted lashing out. It was over, she fucked it up for Daniel and Kyle.
"NEVER… going… to happen! My family is dead to me! I'll never want to experience this…" She looked towards Daniel, now glaring at the boy for lying about what she's truly feeling deep inside "connection, he believes I want to have one… I never, ever want to connect with anybody."
"But…"
Slamming her hands against the table, Madelyn silenced everyone as she stood up, now glaring at her housemate, "DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD! I don't want to talk to any of you anymore… I-"
Daniel stopped her. Before she goes, he wants to know what his father said to her that night "What did he 'really' say to you?"
"If you must know…" Madelyn bit her tongue, frowning from being put in a position where she'll have to tell the truth "You may feel like you're alone… but out here… you'll find the right connection. Trust me… you'll find an emotional connection with someone who loves you for who you are… not what they expect from you."
"Madelyn-"
The girl shot her housemate a glare before stomping over to her room.
She slammed the door behind her as she entered her room, wanting to be left alone. She felt as though the boys pushed past her mental limit, especially Kyle. Something about him seemed off… pressing her back against the door, she sobbed into her arms.
Her emotions are running high, and there's nobody on this planet she wanted to right now… nobody more than Vastorie.
"~"
As Madelyn slammed her door in their faces, Clarisa turned to the others, apologising to her new friends for how her housemate was treating them "I'm so sorry about this. I'm sorry for-"
"It's fine…" Daniel held up his hands, happy he got something out of this. It wasn't much to go by, but it confirmed his suspicion. Vastorie tended to treat those who are suffering the most, with kindness while offering them advice.
So, it's possible that her family either gave her up… or was disgusted by her; whether that be from what she did or it was something, that was a part of her. He wasn't about to make a guess, because he could get it wrong.
Also, she clearly, didn't like her life being pried into…
Killua however, didn't like Daniel being complacent, not after how she treated him. Daniel was going out of his way to not only help her understand what his father said to her but getting her to understand what she was trying to be oblivious to…
"It's definitely, isn't…" Killua drummed his fingers along the table, "she's hiding from her issues. It's only going to result in more pain than it's worth…"
"Your right…" Daniel sighed before turning to Clarisa, "You know how Kyle and I said that Madelyn already knew who she was trying to build a connection with? He, well… we think it's you."
"Why me…?"
"I don't know… maybe because she trusts you to some extent. I think we pushed her too hard… but you don't, at least… she secretly believes you don't."
"So, what do I do…" Clarisa rested her head in her hands, "I don't know how to help her?"
"How about we talk about it?" Daniel offered, wondering if she did want to continue talking to them after how they treated Madelyn.
The girl looked at him, pleading for the boy to continue. If he can offer any advice to help talk to her, she'll take it. She just hopes Madelyn will be willing to accept her apology.
She knows Kyle and Daniel said nothing wrong, that they were only trying to help. But clearly… she didn't want the help… not right now. If she keeps inching her way into Madelyn's life, she may one day breakdown those walls.
"Yes, just please help me understand her better…"