All interest in reading a magazine while listening to some music was forgotten after the bundle of model-use paints was given to him; after closing the door to his bedroom, then turning his stereo back on, he took the bundle to his desk then started arranging the paints that were in it in order of either size or color. Once the paints were out and in the order that he wanted them to be in, he got down and nasty in finishing the engine of his jet-propulsion train model.
While he didn't know what a jet-propulsion train looked like, and while he had never seen one in person, he had a feeling that it was a mostly gray color; the seals on the jars of gray paint were broken, then the caps were removed, then he set to work in painting what he needed to paint. In all, it took him an hour, maybe an hour and a half, to get it finished. After getting the engine finished, then setting it to the side so it could dry properly, he went to work in both building and then painting the two cars that had come with it; he spent an hour to nearly two hours on them before deciding to put all of his paints away. He used the bathroom to wash the brushes that he had used, then he dried the bristles on a piece of toilet paper, then he returned to his bedroom; the paintbrushes were put, bristle-down, in one of the paint thinner bottles then he checked to see if the parts to his model had enough space between them—he didn't want them to be too close to one another, or become "paint-glued" to each another. After seeing that everything was in good order, and that everything in the area that he built his models on was arranged in a somewhat organized way, he shut his stereo off then left his room.
The clock on his bedside table said that it was nearing 8:50—momma, he thought, would either be halfway done with supper or done with supper by now. After leaving his room, then locking the door behind him, he went towards the stairwell that'd take him to the house's second level.
"Hope that this meal won't be ruined like the last couple of days' meals have been." he thought after reaching the stairwell. He descended it quickly then he started on his way down the hallway; he had no more gotten to the middle-portion of the hallway before stopping.
Something must be up, he thought after seeing what was coming towards him; the odd, sapient-looking, mutant bat-like thing, that was coming down the hallway, had a very dark blue skin complexion and a lean body build that had decent muscle on it. The eyes that were in the creature's face were a glowing golden-yellow color, and had small, black pupils in their centers; the head that they were in was triangular shaped. The ears that were on the creature's head were elongated, and went all the way across his shoulders. Oddly enough, the creature's ears had dingy white skulls on their ends.
When the creature drew closer to him, he saw that he had a maw of sharp, white teeth; the horns, that were on his head, were gray in color. Along with looking ringed, they swept back gracefully—there was no hint of menace in the horns, or in the eyes, come to think of it. Now that the creature was closer to him, he could see that his eyes had an inexperienced and not very intelligent look to them—he was fast in thinking that the creature had either not done or seen much in his life or that he wasn't very smart thanks to the look that was present in his eyes.
He stood about six foot, two and a half inches tall; the muscle, that was on his chest, arms, and shoulders, was able to be seen thanks to his not wearing a shirt. The collar, that was around his neck, had a chain running from it; this chain attached to the brown belt that was around the creature's waist. The pair of pants that he was wearing were a medium-blue color; it looked like they were ripped in more than five places. The boots, that were on his feet, were black; the wrist and ankle guards, that were on his wrists and ankles, were also black but they had several silver spikes jutting from them. When the creature turned to the side, to allow for a group of three Goblins to go by him, he was able to see that he also had decent muscle on his back—thanks to the creature's action in turning to the side, he was also able to see that he had a pair of wings on his back; except for the interior, which was red, they were a very dark blue color. He was fast in thinking that the creature didn't use the wings as a means to get from one place to another—not only were they ripped in more than three places but they didn't look up to the part in holding his weight during flight.
When the creature got to him, he wasn't but so surprised that he spoke to him. When he spoke, he was instantly reminded of who he was.
"What're you looking at, Runt?" the creature, who was none other than his uncle and aunt's second oldest son, TriskullVile Vuupipii Surfeit, spat.
"Nothing more than a mutant bat." Hazaar spat back.
"You best watch your tongue. I'm ninety-six thousand, eight hundred, and fifty years old—an elder, and you will respect that." the man said.
"And if I don't, Vuupipii?" Hazaar asked.
"Triskull—Vuupipii is my middle name." Triskull said.
"I'll leave a memo with my father about the mutant bat that's moving about the hallways." Hazaar said as he moved past the man who, technically, was his cousin.
All while leaving the man behind, and going down the hallway, towards the twin staircases that'd take him to the house's first level, he wondered why Triskull was in the house. He hadn't been in the house earlier... before the event of his being bullied by Sudir and Selik, none of Uncle Kuruk and Aunt Irka's adult children had been in the house. What sort of crazy events had happened during his time in being in his bedroom? Had the old man decided to cave to the "demands" that everyone seemed to be putting on him in calling a few people over so they could "see" and "interact" with him and his brothers or had something else happened?
He wondered this and more all while descending the stairwell that wound around the foyer's right side; after descending the stairwell, he let his nose take him to where he wanted to go. There was a very heavy aroma on the house's first level that was just intoxicating, he figured that it was coming from the food that his mother was probably done in making.
While going down the hallway that came from the foyer, he thought that his nose would take him to the house's smaller kitchen—while he knew of there being two kitchens in the house he had yet to see the bigger one, and he had yet to see or hear about any of his family seeing it too. He was quite surprised when his nose took him to the second hallway that branched off the one that came from the one that ran into the foyer. He guessed that his nose was making the decision for him on his checking out the house's bigger kitchen—after going past three doors, he came upon one that resembled the type that'd be used on saloons. He looked at the oddly placed, half-swing, white-colored doors for a few seconds before pushing one open and then going into the room that they sat before.
He had no sooner entered the room before finding himself as being uninterested in looking at its decor; he wanted to both stay and leave the room after seeing that his family, who were all in the room, had "company" with them.
"Let us be glad that my brother doesn't claim any of these weaklings as his grandchildren." the woman, who was leaning against one of the kitchen's many counter-tops, said. "Tall and rail-thin," the woman looked at the new-comer to the room for a second before continuing. "and short, that's them. You really should of stayed with my brother, Angel."
"I had no control over what happened and neither did Tazzy." Angel replied. "Personally, I'm glad that it happened—wouldn't have my four boys if his being picked as one of my husbands didn't happen."
"Nonsense! You'd have four boys, and maybe a daughter or two, if he hadn't come into the picture." the woman shot. "And all would be better boned, balanced, and would have a better height to th—"
"And they'd all come from rape." Bile commented.
"Bile Vile, your daddy did not rape your mother!" the woman exclaimed. "Your conception was by natural ways—she's filled your head with lies!"
"Her "lies" must have truth to them. The scar, that he put on her when he tried, and half-so succeeded in killing her, is still on her stomach." Bile pointed out.
"She got that by birthing the last brat that she—"
"Watch yourself, Dara Dara!" Angel said after wheeling herself around to facing the woman. "I'm glad I have my four boys, and I don't intend to have any further offspring by the man who sired both me and my oldest son."
"Might be changing your mind when he gets here." Dara Dara said. "He'll be trying hard to move you away from them three weaklings, and from Tazir."
"I highly doubt if my mother allows for him to do that." Lhaklar said. "If he could, he'd of already done so, right mom?"
"Right, Lhakie." Angel said. She gave her son a smile before resuming the task of making that night's meal.
Dara Dara and Triskull, her grandparents' oldest daughter and secondborn son, wouldn't be in the house if her grandfather hadn't called and then invited them over; Tazir had sure not been happy after hearing that the two were in the house, or that his brother had been the one to let them in. After hearing that Kuruk had given them the unauthorized invite to come over, and that he had let them in, he had tracked him down and then had a good, heart-to-heart conversation with him on how the invite-sending was to happen and on his not liking how he was being so "free" in inviting people over or openly letting people who weren't expected to come over in. Her grandfather, while expressing his apologies, had done the shoulder shrug thing before saying that it needed to be done. Dara Dara and Triskull, she did believe, were all set-up on the house's second level; Triskull was somewhere in the house while Dara Dara had broken her neck in both unpacking her things and in tracking her down. All while making supper, she had heard rant after rant about the woman's brother.
Lhaklar and Lazeer had been with her at the time of the woman's arrival and then starting rants while Bile had been upstairs, either listening to music or making out a list of stuff that he wanted her to get for him at the start of next month. Bile was just ten minutes arrived to the room; while either helping her out, or standing idly by, she had caught him doing the eye-roll thing several times. Hazaar was now being given the scoop on the two extras that were in the house—judging by how he looked in the face, she knew that he was both nervous and annoyed about Dara Dara and Triskull's arrival.
Dara Dara had taken more after her mother than her father; her hair was the lightest of blue color, she had a ring of bright blue crystals surrounding her light blue face, and she had bright blue eyes. Her hair was wavy, and was as long as could be, while her fingernails were a dark blue color and were around a half inch in length—the curl that was present to them looked uncomfortable but the woman who had them didn't look to be fazed by them.
She was ninety-seven thousand, eight hundred, and fifty years old; while she hadn't done much in her life, her eyes did show her age well. Her long-flowing dress had blue, purple, and black synthetic crystals on it; the blue heels, that were on her feet, were a near match to the dress. The blue diamond ring, that was on her left pinky-finger, was just as real as the crystals that ringed her face; the ring, while being rather pretty, and while looking to be right at home on her finger, wasn't from her lover or from one who she was to marry sometime in the future—like Triskull, she was single and childless. Along with having a rather petite body build, she stood a petite, five foot, two inches.
Despite being rather lovely in appearance, she did have a bit of a disagreeable attitude and demeanor—she sometimes wondered if this was the reason to why she hadn't met anyone to be steady with or had married and then had a few kids to spoil or become worried about.
"Need help, ma?" Bile asked after seeing that she had taken a bowl down from one of the kitchen cabinets. Seeing as there were a few extras in the house, she figured that she'd best make two cakes for the planned dessert—Triskull, though being very manly, was a fan of coconut poke cake while Dara Dara was a fan of Chocolate Flan; she was hoping to make one of each to both act as a house warmer and to appease them.
"Icing? Decorating? Making? Or—" Lhaklar started to ring out a list of what she might need help in doing.
"You two are much too sweet," Angel said. She grabbed the ingredients that'd make the Chocolate Flan before saying anything more. "Bile, if you're intent on helping, can you check to see if any of the pies are done? Lhaklar, can you get me a box of white cake mix, and the ingredients that's needed to make it with? I'll also need a can of condensed milk and cream of coconut—both can be found in the Dry Pantry, honey."
"What about us?" Hazaar and Lazeer asked at once.
"I don't suppose anyone'll throw up a fuss over an army-sized bowl of Banana pudding being made." Angel speculated aloud.
"We'll get started right away." Hazaar said before wheeling on his brother and then issuing out the order of, "Lazeer, get the mix!"
"I shall only obey you for a nickel." Lazeer replied while going off to where the Dry Pantry was. After entering the room, which was to the far left of the house's bigger kitchen, he grabbed five boxes of banana-flavored pudding; after doing a few second pause to think things over, he grabbed five more boxes of pudding mix.
"Bile's habit of using 'ma' will be one of the things that my brother will be putting an end to when he gets here. Ma is something a child would say, Angel. At his age, he should be saying—" Dara Dara was saying when he left the Dry Pantry.
"He can call me whatever mom-term he wants to." Angel said, effectively cutting Dara Dara off. "How're them pies, Bile?"
"Not sure... a few ran off after I opened the door to the oven, ma." Bile replied. "They're probably on the other side of the house by now."
"What pies did you make, momma?" Hazaar asked.
"Cherry, apple, and raspberry." Angel replied. "Made two of each."
"Which ones ran off, Bile-O?" Hazaar asked.
"Uhhh... the Cherry and the... I think it was the Raspberry." Bile replied while walking two of the pies that had been in the oven to one of the kitchen's counter-tops. "Those were the only ones that looked done, ma."
"Let's take Bile to the emergency room and quick—I want my cherry pie back!" Lazeer cried.
"I didn't eat them... they ran off—I'm innocent of what you're accusing me of doing!" Bile laughed.
The Crystal Princess, as he suddenly decided to call her in secret, left after everyone started getting busy in making what their mother wanted to be made for that night's dessert course; though pretty, and looking to be right nice, she seemed to have a part to her that was hidden that wasn't very desirable to one of the male gender—he was personally glad that she left the room. No more hearing her berate their mother, or say that Master Vile was better than the man who had either sired or adopted them, and no more hearing that they were badly bred. After the woman was gone, he and his brothers set in on putting their all into what they were given to do.
He stirred five of the ten boxes of pudding in one bowl while Hazaar stirred the rest in a separate bowl; when they were done in stirring, they filled the bottom of a silver dish with wafer cookies before covering them with pudding. They did this a number of times before, finally, saying that their task was done and then "calling it quits" on doing anything else.
Lhaklar was allowed to do the task of making the cake; after the mixture was done, he placed a layer of graham crackers down in a metal cookie sheet, that had high sides on it. With the graham crackers in the cookie sheet, he poured the mixture in. It took twenty to twenty-five minutes for the cake to cook; when it was done, their mother took over in punching holes in it. The cake, after having the can of condensed milk and cream of coconut poured over it, was put in the fridge, where it remained for nearly an hour before being removed. A layer of whipped topping, and toasted coconut, finished that item off. During the wait for the condensed milk and cream of coconut to set-in on the cake, their mother made the Chocolate Flan—this was the final item that was made for that night's dessert course; the pies had already been removed from the oven, and the main course was ready and waiting to be taken to the table.
"Ma made chicken earlier." Bile said after the dessert course was done in being made. "One of the trays has undercooked chicken on it while another has overcooked chicken on it; the one in the middle has normal-cooked chicken on it."
"Made enough for everyone." Angel said after whistling for someone to come help her and her sons in taking everything to the table.
"My momma is so nice—she thinks about everyone come suppertime." Hazaar said.
"I'd be a criminal if I didn't, Hazie." Angel said.
"What else was made?" Hazaar asked.
"A few steaks, some leg of lamb and..." Angel stopped to think of what else she had made for that night's main course. Ulision hadn't been able to clock-in that morning; the claim of his not feeling well had been made. With his not manning the bigger kitchen, she had made the decision to man it herself.
Shaam was a fan of eating undercooked lasagna, so she had made him a dish of that; her grandfather was fond of eating leg of lamb, so she had made enough of that for both him and for the others that might also want to consume that; Triskull was a fan of pepper steak and beef sausage, so she had made him, and the other members of her family that might want to dine on that, some of that; and Dara Dara was leaning more towards the side of being a vegan, so she had made her something that'd mesh well with that preference. The chicken had been made at the last second—it was more for her, and her children, than for the others that were to dine at the table that night.
After speaking of what she had made that evening, she whistled again for someone to come help her and her sons in taking what was made to the table. It seemed to take forever before her husband finally came into the room and then started taking up some of the items that were on the counter-tops; she and her sons did the same then followed him after he left the room.
Why the hired help hadn't come when she signaled for them to do so was beyond her; just because she was working the bigger kitchen, and not the smaller one, didn't mean that she, or her whistle-made signals, should be ignored. She was slightly annoyed by no one coming to her and her sons' assistance after her first, and then second, whistle was given.
When they passed by one of the hallway clocks, she both learned the reason to why no one had come to her assistance and was astonished to learn that it was heading on ten o'clock—the hired help was nearly an hour past clocking out, and supper was late in being placed on the table. She viewed the latter as not being good; she hoped that everyone still had their appetites—she hadn't meant for the meal to get to the table so late!
"With me taking a few-hour nap, and with Dara Dara clawing at my backside about this and that, I wasn't able to get but so early a start on making supper." she thought after they reached the dining room.
They made several trips between the bigger kitchen and the dining room before finally taking their seats then getting started on the late-given meal; Tazir, as usual, started the meal off by lifting several of the trays' lids. He made himself a plate, then poured himself a glass of ice milk and lemon tea, before sitting down. Duru and Kuruk made their plates after his was made, then Shaam and most of the Ubalki's followed suit; in all, it took a few minutes for everyone to have a plate before them.
Of the ones that made themselves a plate, it was only Tazir, her sons and Eshal, Cheshire and his family, and Qeeta that dived in on what they had made for themselves; she was automatically enraged, and depressed, after seeing that everyone else was either looking at what they had made for themselves or doing the poke-routine with their utensils.
"Bastards! We did what we could, they should be glad to have what they have before them." Bile thought angrily.
"So it was a little late—we busted our balls as hard as we could." Lhaklar thought.
"Hope you choke on it you unappreciative dorks." Hazaar thought.
"One spoils it for all, like mom says. We haven't spoiled anything—we worked hard to make everything and this is what we get in return... most everyone poking at what they made, and very few eating what's on their plates." Lazeer thought after seeing what most of his family were doing. "Mom would of said for us to perk up or leave the table if we were doing what they are."
"So, Lass." ShaamVile said after finally deciding to push his plate from him. He cleared his throat before going on. "You sent my uncle a letter, or called him yet?"
"I haven't been allowed to do neither." Angel replied. "Been too busy to—"
"Lass, you've had plenty of time. I've seen twenty chances that you could of called or written." ShaamVile had a hot, angered look on his face. "You just going to let what happened become like bad blood between you two? Do you know his phone number or—"
"I know his phone number and home address—if certain people weren't barking all over my sons' backs, and weren't driving me crazy, I'd of written and then mailed out what I had written to him." Angel had an equally hot, angered look on her face.
"No one's been barking up the boys' backs, or driving you crazy, Lass."
"My grandfather taking items of theirs," Angel started counting on her fingers. "You trying to slip me the pill to make my milk dry up; my grandparents trying to keep me away from my sons; and Sudir and Selik's action of ganging up on Hazaar and then cutting his hair off. You think I've had time to do much of anything? I can barely find time to cook much less take a piss!"
"We've been trying to help you, Lass!" ShaamVile said after standing from his chair. His hands were flat against the table; he had an enraged look on his face; and his voice was heavily laced with anger that around half of the table's inhabitants thought wasn't needed to be expressed.
"You've been trying to turn me into what you think is a "Perfect Mother"!" Angel came close to screaming. She stood from her chair, then slammed her hands on the table after saying this; Bile was fast in leaning to the side while Cheshire and Ashaklar blinked their eyes in surprise. Cheshire, after the hand-slamming event occurred, gave the signal for his wife to take Phaggo, Blaiga, Defe, and Qhuakiz from the room, which she was fast in doing.
"We have n—" ShaamVile's voice was so loud that Eshal, who was sitting beside him, jumped and then leaned to the side. She, after jumping, and then leaning to the side, was fast in giving her father a scared look.
"You have." Cheshire said. He, who knew that some sort of altercation was about to happen, removed his goggled monocle; it was slid into the brown leather case, that he had taken from one of his vest pockets, after it was removed from his face. "She can't so much as speak to the boys without having one of you chomping and clawing at her back."
"You stay out of this Commoner." DuruVile barked.
"Angel's just as much family to me as she is to you," Cheshire snapped. "From what I've seen, she's a fine mother. She's done a better than fine job of mothering her sons during her years in being away from us, and she's continuing to do so with both them and Eshal after being returned to us. Besides me, my family, and Qeeta, it's just Tazzy, the boys, and Eshal who give her any respect. I've seen no respect from you and your lot being given to her."
Supper was over and she knew it; after everyone started snapping at one another, and after Angel started expressing herself over the events that she had witnessed over the last several days, she decided to collect the children that wished to leave the room.
Efagti and Amadh stood up after seeing her signal, then Bile and his brothers stood up, then Eshal got up from her chair; none of the other children got up from their chairs or heeded her advice in leaving the room. With the ones that wanted to leave the room standing, she started towards the doorway that was to the northern side of the room. The children followed behind her slowly, and silently.
It almost sounded like a war was going on behind them; Angel and Shaam were screaming at one another, and Tazir was yelling at either Kuruk or Duru. Qeeta, she could tell, was having it out with both Cyla and Dara Dara—with Dara Dara being a new arrival, she guessed that she was only becoming involved to "fit in".
After a room was found, then opened and entered, she heard her husband; it sounded like he was giving both Duru, Kuruk, and Shaam an earful, and it also sounded like he only just managed to avoid a strike too.
Once they were in the room, and once the room's door was shut, they went to sit down. It was quiet for the longest of time before she finally decided to break the silence.
"We'll let them hash it out for a while," Ashaklar said. The looks, that were on the faces of Bile and his brothers' faces, and that was on Eshal's face, said a nice story; she saw disappointment, rage, confusion, concern, and distress on their faces in various degrees. Bile was plain angry; Lhaklar was angry and disappointed; Hazaar had a mixture of anger, disappointment, and distress on his face; and Lazeer was just plain distressed. Eshal looked to be trying to keep the emotion of sadness from creeping into her face, which was flooded with both disappointment, confusion, and concern. After noting the looks that were present on her grandchildrens' faces, she said, "I suppose your mother won't mind if I told everyone who followed me to hit the desserts after everything's calmed down."
"She'd probably be glad that you did. Unless we've done something really bad, she's not one for any of us to go without a meal." Bile replied distantly.
"Regardless of what them fools say, she's a fine mother." Amadh said.
"Best mom in the Universe." Lazeer mumbled.
"You four seem to love her greatly." Ashaklar said.
"More than anything," Bile said. After saying this, he clamped his mouth shut; with what he had just witnessed, he was both close to screaming and crying his eyes out.
"You four, and Eshal, are very lucky to have her as your mother, and she's very lucky to have you as her sons and daughter." Ashaklar said to her grandchildren.
Efagti and Amadh left their nephews, and niece, be; they knew that they were upset and they also knew that they had a good damn reason to be so. Phaggo and Blaiga moved over to the room's far right side while Defe and Qhuakiz went to their mother; they had only just reached their mother when Bile and his brothers started getting hysterical.
Lhaklar, after moving over to the room's far left side, started crying; Bile, who remained where he was, sniffled twice before having a complete emotional breakdown. Hazaar and Lazeer went to either the upper left or right corner of the room then sat down; they cried while facing the wall.
Efagti and Amadh, after two minutes passed, went to Lhaklar and Lazeer; while Amadh comforted Lazeer, Efagti spoke to and gave Lhaklar some comfort. Eshal made her rounds in giving each of her brothers a hug after her uncles went off to comfort Lhaklar and Lazeer. Blaiga and Defe ganged up on Bile for a group hug; Eshal was fast in bringing Lhaklar, Hazaar, and Lazeer over to join them. Ashaklar, who knew that the last several days hadn't been all that grand for the boys, signaled for her sons to join the girls in hugging Bile and his brothers. It took around ten minutes of group-hugging and comfort giving before the boys calmed down; at around the time that the boys were calm, everything in the dining room mellowed out—most everyone who had stayed in the dining room left the room then went to their assigned chambers. TazirVile, Cheshire, and Qeeta did the task of taking everything that was on the table to the house's bigger kitchen, where it was stored for, they hoped, the meal that'd take place tomorrow. While they didn't know the reason to why they did so, they left everything that had been made for that night's dessert course on the kitchen's counter-tops.
"If everyone's still up to it, follow me to where the desserts are." Ashaklar said after everyone was calm. She opened the room's door then led the way to the house's bigger kitchen; the ones that were in the room followed her as she went to the room quietly.